(THEO)
I'm almost late.
I didn't really have time after the king's announcement to duck out of the auditorium and make it all the way back to my room, but I realised I was underdressed when I saw the other three Alphas standing in suits in the back of the room.
When the king asked us to meet with him, I figured I shouldn't be the only one in jeans and a polo.
So… I'd rushed back to my room to change. Now, I have to rush to get back to the king's office for our meeting.
But I'm glad I went.
It gave me a chance to see the girl up close.
She's beautiful… and even though I know she's nervous and probably a little scared, it's quite clear that she is as attracted to me as I am to her.
That will come in handy…. If King Malric said that I had to bed an unattractive woman just because she was the healthiest of the pack or the most well-bred, I would protest.
But this girl was gorgeous, and I didn't even care whose daughter she was at this point. I just wanted to see her again. When my hand rested on her arm, I felt a warmth radiate up to my elbow. It was like I was meant to touch her.
I rush into the room with less than a minute to spare and find I'm the last one to arrive.
"Hey, Theo!" Leo says, a crooked grin on his face. "Nice of you to join us,"
I growl at him and take my seat at the end, on the other side of Gavin. The others look amused, except for the king. He doesn't seem annoyed that I'm almost late, but he isn't happy either.
But then… King Malric is never happy. "Sorry, Sir," I mutter.
"You're fine," he says. "I just wanted to go over the rules with the four of you, to make sure you're clear on my expectations and what I plan to do in terms of determining who will be my heir. All four of you have proven yourselves to be loyal to me. You're good leaders, brave warriors, and attractive men. A child any of you produces with this girl will be an asset to the kingdom. So… that's it. That's how we will decide the heir."
"Whoever impregnates her first?" Nico asks, running his hand through his red hair.
"That's right," the king says. "To determine the order in which you will have your first try, we will race, in your wolf forms, tomorrow afternoon. Whoever comes in first will have first dibs on her and claim her virginity."
I feel a flicker in my groin at the mention of the girl's virginity. She's never been claimed at all?
Intriguing.
I don't like the idea of sharing her with these other three men, but at least we won't have to share her with anyone else.
"I hope that all of you will promise not to sleep with her out of turn. It wouldn't be fair."
The four of us nod. "Of course," I say, and the others echo. Though… I have to admit, it might be difficult to keep my hands off of her. I think of her soft curves, the roundness of her full breasts… yeah, it'll be hard, all right.
I feel another tightening in my pants and have to resist the urge to readjust. Gavin shifts in his seat, and I wonder if he is thinking the same thing.
"As soon as we know the girl is pregnant, we will do a test on the child to determine who the father is as soon as possible, and that man will become the next king. Then, I will retire and leave the kingdom to him."
The four of us exchange glances. We have known each other our entire lives, in one way or another, and we've become friends. I know that whoever wins will be fair to the other three and reward them somehow for their loyalty. I know I will if I am the winner. These other three Alphas are the best of the best, and I respect them.
"And what of the girl?" Leo asks. "Will the winner marry her and make her the Luna?"
King Malric laughs loudly, and I am tempted to exchange a shocked glance with the others, but none of us dares look at one another.
"Heavens, no!" he exclaims. "This girl is not fit to be a Luna! Her father is an Alpha, that's true, but Alpha Garrick of Elm pack is an Alpha in name only. He's certainly not a proven leader. The girl was chosen simply because she has two uterine horns."
My forehead furrows. "Two… uterine horns?" I know what he means, but I don't understand why that makes her the winner.
She's beautiful and seems very sweet. Why wouldn't that be enough? I assumed it was that, and that she must also be quite intelligent and possibly bred from a highly ranked family.
I guess I was wrong on some of those counts….
"Yes, it will be easier for her to get pregnant," he admits. "And she's not hard to look at…." The king's expression in reaction to the girl is a bit… disconcerting. He continues, "But no, she will not be the next Luna."
We all sit in silence for a moment, almost daring one another to ask the next obvious question.
It is Gavin, with his piercing blue eyes that all of the girls love so much, who speaks up, finally.
"Then… who will be?" he asks.
"Yes, who will be the Luna?" Nico also wonders.
"I have chosen a beautiful daughter of a proper Alpha to become the next Luna. You will be satisfied with her, I assure you."
He seems to be done speaking, and we still don't know who he is talking about.
Leo speaks up. "May we know her name?" He nods.
"Serena Vale."
I bite back the gasp that threatens to slip from my lips. EmilyForest. Daughter of Alpha Lawrence Forest of the Brook pack. The king's cousin's daughter….
"Was Serena considered the Breeder?" Nico asks.
The king's eyes widen as if he's asked an obscene question. "Goddess, no!" he says. "Do you think I'd defile my family by allowing my cousin's daughter to sleep with four different men? No, my cousin's daughter is as pure as the freshly fallen snow on the top of a mountain's peak, and she shall remain that way until she is married to whoever wins this contest."
That answers that question….
"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry," Nico apologises, bowing his head.
"No need," King Malric waves him off, but it's clear he doesn't mean it. He's annoyed. "Now, I ask that the four of you stay away from her the best you can until after the run. Then, we shall see what order you will have her in. Please, manage your turns as decided upon. This needs to be as fair as possible."
"Yes, Alpha King," we all say in unison.
King Malric dismisses us with a wave of his hand, and the four of us stand to walk out of his office. I want to tell the other three that I saw her in the hallway, but I don't want to make them jealous.
"Can you believe it?" Leo says, brushing a hand through his brown hair. "It's the same girl we talked to in the hallway!"
"I know. It's crazy," Gavin agrees.
"Wait–the two of you spoke to her already?" Nico asks, his face turning almost as red as his hair. "Well, that's not fair."
"I did, too," I admit.
All three turn to look at me as we slowly make our way back to our rooms, which are quite a ways away from the office.
"You did?" Nico asks me. "When?"
"On my way back from changing my clothes. I hardly said anything to her, and she was too nervous to really speak. I'm not sure she knew who I was."
"I don't think she knew who we were either," Gavin says.
"Well, that's just great!" Nico says. "I'm already at a disadvantage, and we haven't even started yet!"
"Relax, Nico," Leo says. "It's not like we impregnated her by saying hello."
"I tried," I say, and they all snicker at my joke. "I guess my eyes just aren't as piercing as Gavin's."
That gets another laugh out of everyone, and Gavin punches me in the arm. He's playing, but it still hurts. I try not to react.
"Well, you guys keep all of your piercing parts out of her until I at least get a chance to speak to her," Nico insists.
'Piercing parts.' Sounds suggestive….
We all laugh at Nico's empty threat and continue to talk about how beautiful she is until we reach our rooms.
Nico's door opens first, and a beautiful brunette with highlights of red in her hair steps out.
"What's so funny, brother?" she asks.
Candace is his sister, but since we've been at the castle these past few months, she seems like she's my sister, too. All of us feel the same way.
"Nothing. Just stupid boy talk." Nico shrugs.
"Are you taking me to the gardens soon?" Candace asks, leaning against the door jamb.
Nico sighs. "Soon," he promises her. "I need to check in with my Beta.
I'm still running a pack, even though I'm not there, you know."
He has a point. I need to check with my Beta, too. I don't like leaving the pack for this long, but it's for a worthy cause, and I trust the people I've left behind. "See you all later," I say and walk the few doors down to my own room.
We are all going to do work, from the sound of it.
I need to get everything I can done before I have my first encounter with Liora.
Because I have a feeling that once I've had her, she'll be all I can think about.