Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 20 Nora POV “I don’t understand,” Blake hissed, slamming his fist down on his desk. I went over to him and put my palm over his fist. His nostrils flared and his eyes were wild. Gently, I brushed his hand with my fingertips. I put my other hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. “What happened?” I asked softly. Understanding Blake’s moods were getting easier. “Jeremy and Alpha Al haven’t responded to my declaration of war. They must think I’m bluffing,” he snarled. But he didn’t pull away from me That meant that I was getting through to him. “Maybe the message is just taking longer to get through,” I suggested, squeezing his shoulder. “No.” Blake shook his head and walked away from me. “What do you mean ‘no?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. Blake paced back and forth, rubbing his hands on his thighs. “I know how to get a message through. We launch a full attack. now. They won’t think I’m weak or bluffing then.” “Blake I don’t think that’s the right way to go. A full attack is dangerous to your own followers,” I said, sliding my hands into my pocket He glared at me but he didn’t argue “Besides, we still don’t know the whole story. A full attack could be pointless,” I pointed out, glancing at Blake. “What do you mean?” he asked, still pacing “Helen might not have been acting alone. What if she was being controlled by someone else?” I asked. As I said it, I knew it was a long shot, but I still didn’t want to think a friend of mine would be so cruel. Rogues or enemies could have manipulated her into doing something she didn’t want to. I didn’t want a full war to condemn her before we had all the facts. If Blake wanted to get a response and not destroy Helen’s life without knowing her side, he’d need to go about it differently. “Do you have a better idea?” he asked, giving me a suspicious look. “Well, if you want to get a response and not be seen as weak, you might have to play things a little differently.” 1 suggested Blake stopped pacing and smirked at me. “Differently, how?” he asked. I bit my lower l*p. “I’ve got a plan.” The one thing going for us is Blake and I made a pretty good team. *3 days earlier “Helen POV I tapped my fingers on my vanity, looking at the letter with instructions for a meeting. Of course, the letter had been addressed to Jeremy but what kind of fiance would I be if I didn’t screen his letters? Now, I had to figure out what I was going to do about it. The letter was a request from the Lycan King himself to meet at a specific time and place. It mentioned me by name. Why would the Lycan King have questions about me? Why would he go to Jeremy? “Helen, are you in here, love?” Jeremy asked, knocking on my bedroom door. I scrunched up the letter and shoved it in my vanity drawer. “I’m here. Come in, darling,” I called to him. I stood and ran over, hugging his n*eck. Jeremy k*ssed my cheek. He pulled back and looked at me hard, searching my face. “Are you alright?” he asked, his brow creasing. “Of course, I am.” I said, laughing him off. “You’ve been a little distant the past couple of days. Are you sure everything is okay?” he pressed. I sighed and pressed my forehead to his chest. “I’m fine. I promise.” I couldn’t get my mind off the letter addressed to Jeremy just a few feet away in my vanity. “Our wedding is in a few days. Please don’t overwork yourself and get sick,” he implored. I looked up at him and grinned. “I won’t. I will be there to marry you because that is my dream.” I pinched his cheek lightly. “Now, I have a few errands to run. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Jeremy nodded. He k*ssed my forehead and left. Letting out a relieved sigh, I grabbed the letter again. I had to go to the meeting place instead of Jeremy. Whatever the Lycan King wanted with me, I couldn’t let Jeremy know. Everyone knew that the Lycan King wasn’t married yet. I wasn’t married yet either. There was a chance that he saw me as an eligible prospect to marry him and I couldn’t let that opportunity slide by! After the sunset, I sl*pped my cloak on and shoved the invitation letter into my pocket. I sl*pped away from the pack alone, going to this meeting place. If the Lycan King was really going to challenge Jeremy for my hand in marriage, I could just avoid that conflict and run off with him. It was possible, wasn’t it? Then I wouldn’t just be married to the Alpha, I’d be married to the Lycan King. Smiling to myself, I reached the invitation location and waited. A car pulled up and someone got out holding a sealed envelope.

“You’re not Alpha Jeremy,” he said, looking me up and down. “And you’re not the Lycan King.” I pointed out, crossing my arms and glaring. “No, I am an envoy with a message for Jeremy Keys,” the envoy said. “I’m his fiance. You can give the letter to me,” I insisted, holding my hand out. The envoy hesitated but he handed the letter over. Smirking. I tore the seal and read what was inside. My jaw dropped and my skin got clammy. The Lycan King was declaring war on Jeremy and Moonery unless I returned Nora’s wolf. What the hell did Nora have to do with the Lycan King! “What is this? Nora stole my wolf, not the other way around! I just took what was mine!” I thrust the letter out, dangling it in the envoy’s face. The Lycan King knew my secret. He believed Nora That would not work in my favor if Jeremy found out. He’d have to believe the Lycan King! “He can’t declare war without proof. What does the Lycan King care about Nora, anyway?” I snarled at the envoy “My apologies, Miss. I am only here to deliver the message. I don’t know what is written or the reason behind it. You’ll have to take it up with the king, the envoy said He got back in his car and drove off My hands trembled and I stared at the letter. This was not good! Why would the Lycan King care about Nora’s wolf? Why would he believe her? What was their relationship? There was no way Nora could be a threat to me now. Right? I ripped the letter up and buried the pieces. If Jeremy and Al didn’t know about the letter or war declaration, they couldn’t reply The Lycan King would attack and there would be chaos. No one would have to know of my involvement. I smirked at my own cleverness. No one was going to take this away from me. I was so close to meeting my goals. I stood at the end of the wedding aisle as my bridesmaids and Jeremy’s groomsmen walked down the aisle in pairs. My dress was so perfect and beautiful with a long train and lace long sleeves. I had a cathedral–length veil on and a beautiful bouquet of white roses and pink carnations. It had taken almost three hours for my makeup to get done this morning. I could see Jeremy standing at the altar, and I couldn’t stop the huge smile from spreading across my face. He had no idea about the letter the king had sent a few days before and he’d never find out. Instead, we’d be married by the end of the day, just like I planned. The wedding march started and everyone stood up.  I couldn’t stop smiling as I started walking down the aisle. Everyone stared at me. I could see the envy on the faces of the women and lust on the faces of the men. My smile got wider and I shook my hair, ensuring I’d be on everyone’s mind for days after the wedding. Women were jealous of my beauty and who I was marrying. Men were jealous of who I was marrying and were lusting after me. Too bad I had to get married and stick to one man for the rest of my life. I was the center of attention, just like I was always supposed to be. This is what I’d taken from Nora; I was now in my rightful place. Winking at Jeremy, I bit my lower l*p. His smile widened as I got closer. The Lycan King hadn’t sent any more letters. He hadn’t shown up and talked to Jeremy personally. This was exactly as I had planned. When I got to the altar, I handed my maid of honor my bouquet, and Jeremy took my hands. He smiled widely and k*ssed the back of my hand. He looked up into my eyes and his brow creased. His smile faded. “Jeremy, what’s wrong?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. He looked past me, the crease on his face getting deeper. His eyes got distant and his hands sl*pped from mine. Slowly, I turned and followed his gaze. Someone was standing at the end of the aisle. All the wedding guests turned to look, too. She stepped forward and in the light, I recognized who it was.