Chapter 49

Brown Valley’s pack patrol had returned from hunting Arthur empty-handed. The lack of victory had angered Haley and Irene. In response, the patrol members had begun shirking their duties. First, they stopped patrolling three times a day, reducing it to just once in the morning and once in the evening.

As Haley’s paranoia began to grow and their son, Adam, started to show himself as an unworthy successor, the morale of the pack and the patrol continued to decline.

This morning, the patrol leader didn’t bother to call the patrol members for the morning shift.

“It’s not like they care anyway,” he said with a shrug. “And if the alpha and luna don’t care, why should we?”

No one disagreed. The patrol members spent the morning with their families, willfully ignoring their duties. Haley and Irene woke up the way they always did with one thing on their minds: Adam.

They had held several mating ceremonies since Arthur’s banishment, but Adam had not found his mate. Irene and Haley sat at the breakfast table.

“We don’t have a choice,” Irene said. Haley sighed. “Don’t sigh like that unless you have a better idea!”

“I don’t,” Haley said stiffly.

They had sifted through every female werewolf who had not found her mates in the pack trying to pick a mate for Adam, but none of them were good enough for Adam. He was their only son, their heir, and the next alpha of Brown Valley. He deserved the best.

“Good, the next group should be arriving soon.”

Haley nodded. They had started with the female werewolves who had mates a few days ago, but they hadn’t found anyone yet. Some of them seemed deeply uncomfortable with the order, but most of them had understood that being mated to Adam meant they would be the next luna.

Watching them clamor for Adam’s attention and try to seduce him had been a bit sickening.

“… and you think you have a chance? Oh, please.”

“Well, at least I’m not a fat cow like her.”

“What did you say?” Another woman growled.

Irene stood shaking her head at the commotion outside.

“The first thing I’m going to do is teach his mate how to comport herself as the next luna.” Haley nodded, quietly as Irene went to the stairs, “Adam! Adam, come down here!”

Adam grunted and came down the stairs; a young woman followed him, tugging her clothes into place. Adam gave them a cocky grin as Irene looked at the woman.

“You can go.”

“But—”

Irene struck her across the face. Adam walked to the table and made himself a plate.

“If you were worthy of being luna, you wouldn’t have had to crawl into his bed like a common whore, now would you? Go.”

The girl sniffled and left the house. Haley didn’t recognize her, but he didn’t need to. She either didn’t have a mate or hadn’t lived up to their standards, or she had a mate and didn’t know that Adam wouldn’t be picking anyone as a marked mate without their agreement.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Get out of my way!”

Haley chuckled walking to the window to watch the fight start. He wasn’t the only person looking out their windows to watch the women fight. The woman who had come downstairs growled at the group of three who were glaring at her.

Several other women stood off to the side like usual. Soon, the four women were fighting, wrestling, and scratching in the dirt. Nearby a pair of men were making bets. He chuckled, sipping his tea as the women tore each other’s clothing.

It was nice to see such entertainment this early. The patrol may have failed to bring back Arthur’s body, but it was unlikely that he and whatever woman he’d escaped with had survived falling over the waterfall. If they had, they wouldn’t be showing back up any time soon.

For now, Brown Valley was perfectly safe. The pressure of dealing with Arthur’s monstrous power was gone. The entire pack had seemed relieved and relaxed after he was gone for good.

He walked out to the porch as a large woman marched down the main street straight to the door. She had a round face and her hair was pulled back. Every part of her giggled as she moved. Haley groaned seeing her.

“Maggie is back,” Haley said, but Irene wasn’t listening to him.

She marched Adam to the front door to stand beside him as Maggie, walked around the fight up to the front door.

“That girl,” Irene growled. “Doesn’t she know by now that she could never be good enough for our son? The moon goddess would never make such a terrible match!”

Arthur reached the edge of Brown Valley’s territory and sniffed the air. The scent of the patrol was stale as if it had been days since they’d last patrolled the area. There was no sound of movement nearby and he walked forward and crossed over the border.

“What’s wrong?” Daphne asked.

“No one’s patrolling,” Arthur said. He crouched and let Daphne slip off his back before shifting back into his human form and pulling his clothes out of the bag. He put on the boots the maids had sent with him and took Daphne’s hand to lead her into the village. No one noticed them as they towards the house of the luna.

“I’m your mate, Adam! Why won’t you accept me?”

Arthur leaned around a house, peering up the way. He recognized several of the people in the area. Sisters and mates of men who had joined in the torment of his youth. Some of them had joined in as well.

Screaming from just in front of the house was a figure he recognized as Maggie. If there was anyone in the entire pack who could understand how he felt as an outsider inside the village it was Maggie. Her parents were at least half as heartless as the Kenneths and twice as cruel to her growing up. She was one of the few people who had never abused him and had tried to defend him.

Adam sneered from the porch, his lips curled in disgust, “You are not my mate, you ugly wench!”

“Then, reject me!” She cried.

“I told you already! You’re not my mate!”

Adam turned and went back into the house. Everyone started laughing as Maggie lowered her head, sobbing into her hands. Daphne gasped, squeezing his hand

“How could they treat her like that? She’s not lying right?”

“Doubtful.”

“I thought mates were the most important thing in a werewolf’s life?”

Arthur sneered as the women who had been on the ground stood with hearty laughs as Irene came out.

“The Kenneth family is full of idiots,” he growled.

Irene looked well enough. Her arm was bandaged lightly. Haley’s shoulder had healed as well. He wished he’d broken their necks.

“Josh, get this girl away from my home and keep her from ever coming here again,” Irene commanded. “Throw her out if you have to!”

Arthur bared his teeth as Josh, head of the patrol, pushed away from the nearby wall and crossed the area to Maggie. He shoved Maggie back a few steps before she shrieked. He grabbed her by her hair and Arthur felt himself move before he realized it. His voice rumbled out of him with a heady rush of power.

“Stop.”

Josh stopped. The voice had been terrible, but he knew everyone had felt it. He lifted his gaze as everyone turned to the man standing down the way. Josh gasped in horror. He wasn’t wrong though the Arthur standing there was a different man than the one that had been banished.

His face was clean, the borderline madness and fury were gone, replaced with seething anger. He stood tall in this clothing that fit him as if they were tailored to his figure. The woman beside him had the same air of majesty and power with golden eyes.

“Arthur?” Irene asked, stepping around him. “That’s impossible!”

“Arthur?” someone whispered. Maggie turned with glossy eyes to look at him.

Arthur glared at Josh as Haley pulled Adam back outside. Haley’s hand flew to his shoulder and he paled.

“T-That’s impossible. You’re supposed to be dead! You fell over a waterfall!”

Arthur laughed, a dark rumbling sound in his chest, “Why would I ever give you the satisfaction of dying?”

“Patrol! Josh! Everyone, seize him and that—“

“Stay where you are,” Arthur commanded, feeling everyone in the area freeze in place.

Haley shuddered, “Wh-What are you doing? Obey me and seize them! This time kill him!”

The two werewolves shifted into their wolf forms and leaped at Arthur, snarling. Arthur caught one by the throat, crushed his throat, and threw him into the other. They collapsed at Haley’s feet.

“Kill me?” Arthur sneered. “Treason.”

Irene paled and she stumbled back as Arthur walked towards them.

“Stop right there! Stop!”

“You murdered Princess Alma Royal,” Arthur growled. “All of you are traitors!”