Chapter 1
1
Diego
If someone had told me a few months ago that there would be utter chaos in the kingdom I would have laughed in their face. With Stephen and Alexia finally coming together things had seemed to have calmed down. People were getting used to the idea that a new King would be ruling soon and that even though he wasn’t perfect like they thought he would do everything to protect his people.
Throughout the whole ordeal of everything that went down with the two of them, I never once thought that they would make it this far. Something in the back of my mind still thinks that he’ll screw it up again and she will be left to suffer. I had to bite my tongue every day when we worked together because all I wanted to do was beat him within an inch of his life. I know that I can’t do that but I still want to. He may be my best friend and Alpha but he is still a complete asshole when it comes to his mate.
Alexia is the girl that I wish would have been my mate. Everything about her is perfect and the fact that she still stays with him even though he doesn’t deserve her just proves that she is meant to be queen. Many say that she made a huge mistake in taking him back but I understand why she did it. She was raised to be a leader and there are times when a leader has to make decisions that are either good for them or good for their people.
She chose her people point blank and simple. She has done it multiple times like with Victoria and with April. I see it in her eyes that she isn’t as happy as she would like to be, and I know that their relationship is hardly perfect. With all the training they go through there is hardly any time for them to be alone and work on their relationship.
That in itself is Stephen’s fault. If he would have taken his training seriously when we were younger he wouldn’t have to work this hard. He neglected training his whole life while I very rarely missed a session. I had to learn all the same things he did as well as Beta training. The idea is that the King needs a second in command who knows just as much as he does, so that means the Beta gets double the work.
I have never felt any animosity toward him for this until I saw the mess he made of his first meeting with his mate and the fact that he was sleeping with what I thought was my mate. I struggled with these feelings for months now but I have to keep myself in check for the sake of the kingdom. These wolves need a leader who will put them first, and in the off chance that Stephen will screw up again, I need to be ready for a plan b.
Over the last few weeks, things have been happening throughout the kingdom and we have yet to pinpoint exactly who is stirring things up. People have been calling for Stephen to step down as the heir to the kingdom. Many feel that with the way he handled his mate and his “women” he can not be trusted to handle a kingdom.
There have been protests and Alphas stepping forward saying that if he can’t control himself any better than he has in the past, he will put us all in danger from the other supernatural races. The thoughts on mates have changed dramatically since the issue of Stephen and Alexia.
Alexia stated that the Moon Goddess had wanted to use them to change the way our race felt about mates. In all honestly, her plan worked maybe too well. There are no longer stories floating around of people rejecting their mates for power. The struggles that Alexia has gone through were enough to open the eyes of most. She wolves have seen her as an inspiration and many have strived to make themselves more like her. Males have used Stephen as an example of how they should not treat their mates.
Stephen’s parents have often confided in me that they are ashamed to even show their faces at times to the kingdom. They feel that they have played some part in turning Stephen into what he became. As much as I would love to blame someone other than my best friend I can’t do it. It was his choices that turned him into the mess that he is.
I make my way to the King’s office to hear him and Stephen going over plans for moving the cells in the palace. With all of the problems in the kingdom going on the last thing we need is one of the more dangerous criminals getting out and harming someone.
“Ah, Diego just in time. Father and I are looking to have everyone moved by the end of the week. This will hopefully settle some of the fears of those in the palace and give us some more room for offices. The reconstruction of the space will start after everyone is out and the area is cleaned.” Stephen talks with an authority that I haven’t heard him use for a while. He must be trying to impress his father and prove that he is ready to take the throne.
“That sounds perfect. With all of the new space, we can move forward with some of the restructurings that you wanted to do.” I say with a smile. The King nods his head as if he is taking everything in.
“Well, boys I am done for the day. I plan on spending the rest of my day with my mate. Have a good night.” The king walks from the room and I turn to look at Stephen sitting behind his desk. He is still working and it is almost time for dinner.
“Are you planning on working late again today?” I already know the answer.
“I have too much work to do.” His answer is short and there is a sense of frustration coming from him.
“When’s the last time you had a meal with her? Or how about the last time you took the time to talk to her and ask her how she is? You two have been mated for months now and I still don’t see a spark in either of your eyes.” I hear him slam down his hand on the desk and he looks at me in a rage.
“What difference does it make to you if I have been with my mate or not? I have a whole kingdom to run if you haven’t noticed. Alexia is the last of my worries at the moment! If something doesn’t change I may be forced out of my throne before I even get it! Alexia knows how important this is!” His chest is rising and falling as if he has been running a marathon. This is the first emotion I have seen from him in months.
“That’s the thing, asshat. She puts everyone above herself and you damn well know it. You’re using that as your excuse to stay away from her. Sure there is a lot of work but you are just being slack as usual. I handle way more than you do and I still spend time with others.” As soon as the words leave my mouth I know that he is going to use them against me.
“Right, you spend time with others.” He chuckles darkly. “You mean that you spend time with my mate. Admit it that you still like her. Hell, you probably love her!” He is now screaming at me.
The words do nothing but fuel my anger more. The asshole still only thinks about himself.
Alexia sits day in and out alone unless she is allowed to do something. She spends her morning training and her afternoons volunteering at various places to help with the loneliness. She has never once said anything about it to a single person, but I can see it all over her. All of this goes unnoticed by her mate because he is still wallowing in his self-pity for all that he has done.
For the first few months, he did well in spending time trying to make up for his screw ups but that all changed as soon as he thought his position was at risk. Alexia never once gave him a hard time about spending so much time apart but it was obvious to everyone that their relationship was going nowhere fast.
“She needs her mate you asshole. I do care a lot for her and yes maybe it is love but any man with eyes is in love with her. She is selfless, beautiful, kind, intelligent and she is all yours but you spend your time trying to find a way to hold onto a title. That title won’t mean shit if she isn’t there with you!” I sigh and turn my back to him. “She forgave you and came back, man.”
“She never forgave me.” I turn back around so fast that I could have fallen over.
“What do you mean she never forgave you?” He lifts his head with a struggle and I see the lost look on his face.
“She says she did but there is no sparkle in her eyes. Her smiles never reach her eyes and she seems to drift in and out like she is always lost in her thoughts. So no I don’t think she forgave me.”
“Have you ever tried to fix those things?”
“I did for a long time but she just never got back to what she was. I mean from the time we came back until now we haven’t mated at all. She never tries to seduce me at all.” He sounds exasperated.
“Is that all you think of? She mated with you to save her life and give you a chance, and all you are worried about is sleeping with her. Have you ever thought that there is more to a relationship than sex? Intimacy is more than physical love. No wonder you’re not getting anywhere. Until you figure that out nothing is going to change.”
With that statement, I turn and walk out the door. The one thought on my mind is why the Moon Goddess would stick an angel like her with the biggest idiot on the planet.
