Chapter 3

Walking into the war room, I take a seat next to my parents. Jason sit next to me. He may not be a commander or council member, but he had my trust and he stood by my side in case I need his direct input.

Directly across from my family and best friend are the royal Commanders and their right hand men. These sixteen men have been put through hell and back these past two months. My father has taken on to himself to interrogate each one. As a King, he has powers which I don't even know about.

For the next few hours we talked about actions to solve the kingdom's problems. From stray and homeless wolves to murders and rapists. Everyone in this room held no sympathy on the latter categories. They are placed in a section of the underground dungeon. The only lock and key is the main doors. Before its open gas is vented into the room, knocking any alive wolves out for twenty minutes. The new guilty wolves are thrown in to fight and survive. Though they do not last long if they are pathetic creatures. The longest a wolf has stayed alive is twenty days. By the time his body caved in on him, he was a pile of bones. His fur falling out or missing completely from the bite wounds.

When all the wolves are dead, the room is set on fire to burn all the bodies before it's disinfected. Can't be creating a plague.

"Let's get to the reason we are truly here. Any news on Claudia?" My father says, leaning on the table.

A silence passes between the sixteen men. I knew what it meant. We all did.

Closing my eyes, I feel Marcus howl in agony. He's become violent, pushing me to fight with anyone who gives us terrible news.

"No, my King. All leads end up being false," Togen states. We could all feel it in the air. The fear of what the possibility of not finding her alive would mean. Not only to me, but the kingdom. These men know I will not move on from her. It's not possible.

"We have been hearing rumors through the towns," Tarek pushes forward. His fingers brush through his hair. Anger clearly etched on his face in the shape of a scowl.

"What are they saying?" My mother speaks for the first time. Her strong voice tries to sooth us all. It has no effect because we know the rumors will not be to our liking.

Zerek stands to walk to the window. The man was a force to be reckon with. He loves night recon as his dark brown skin melts in with the darkness. "The town's people are demanding Caden to choose a choice mate. If he will not of his own free will, the council needs to step in and strip him of his title. The only way to gain it back is to choose a mate and become one. Then and only then do they believe he should be given the right to rule the kingdom," he spits out. Fist clenched in anger at the pathetic actions the town people demand.

I crack my neck it thought of demolishing half the town. If they believe I will allow them to strip my title and mate with a bitch in heat, they've got other thing coming.

"It's not surprising," My father speaks up. "It the fear speaking for most of them. They fear the dark days. Anyone with half a mind knows of those terrifying years."

Silence rains down around us. Suffocating our thoughts. Thousands of years ago, both the wizards and werewolves lost their royal heirs. Havoc ran feral throughout the lands. Thousands died within the first year. It wasn't until the Queens of each became pregnant once more that the world started to tame down. By the time the Princes were of age to take over their separate kingdoms their people had finally settled down. Issue's still arose, but with the promise of a future heir, the people were content.

It's not something we wish to have repeated.

"The council will know of these rumors. Do they have the authority to dethrone the Prince?" Garret questions the once silent room.

I questioned the same thing. The council has a certain level of power, even above commanders at times. Unless it deals with war. Then the commanders own the stage.

"No, they might believe they do, but they don't. No one, but me has that right. Prince Caden is safe from the council's laws. Always has been." Good thing my father and I have a loving relationship.

"Good. We all know John and Rogers will demand otherwise. I hope you have a plan to shut their traps, Caden."

"Oh, do I Tarek. But I will only issue the law if they demand unreasonable orders." Leaning back, I close my eyes.

I felt Marcus shift inside my head. The excitement builds with each passing moment towards the meeting with the council members. He's been under lock and key unless we are at the beach or in the gym. The heartache nearly killed him. With no connection to Annabelle, Marcus believes she and Claudia are dead. How else would the mate bond vanish?

One more thing to tick me off and worry me all at the same time.

"We need to not give up on finding Claudia." My mother stands up. Her hands begin to massage my tense shoulders. "With Nikolai in a coma, there is a high possibility so is Claudia. Which could be why Caden and Marcus cannot feel a mate connection. We all need to be listening to whispers on the streets, one little word could give us the direction to where she is being held."

"My Queen do you believe she is being held away from the towns?" Zerek asks from the window. Finally turning to face the table with a tern expression.

"Yes, I believe along with my son and husband Claudia is being held captive in the woods by a wizard. It's the only possibility to how she vanished so quickly from the river's edge."

"Has King Charles finally responded back to our requests to use some of his warriors to hunt Claudia down?" Tegan inquires. We've been waiting to hear back from him.

"Yes, He will be sending them by the end of the week. His son and best friend will accompany them. It's been a heart-rending week for their royal family. Rumors have spread wide and far on how Princess Sophia's body has been found. As of yet the DNA has yet to be tested."

Shushed whispers take hold of the room for quite some time. The poor girl. She'd been kidnapped from her families own quarters on her third birthday. Since then, they've turned the world upside down in a desperate attempt to find her.

If it's truly Sophia's body, I pray the kingdom will survive. Her older brother Trevor was her shadow growing up. He adored his little sister and spoiled her even at the age of ten. At the age of twenty-five he hasn't stopped searching for her. He is a force to be reckon with. Anyone stupid enough to step in his way is violently thrown away.

I do not fault them in giving us a late response.

My grief matches theirs, possibly even surpassing it.

"I believe we've covered all issues today. If no one objects, I will have the council members enter and we can begin a meeting we all know will end in disaster." All eyes land on me at my father's words.

With no objections, the door to the room opens up and in enters twelve men. I clench my fist with silent anger. They walked with arrogances and fake power. As if my father would give them power to strip a royal of his title.

Marcus growls in my head, his claws sharping against the concrete ground he paces. His fur raised on his back in preparation of a blood bath.

A hand grips mine tightly as the sound of chairs scrap across the floor. Bringing me out of my violent thoughts. My mother, a person who've I've been neglecting. She's tried to see me, to comfort me in my time of need. All I've done is push her away. At this point in time, I'm not worthy of her love and warmth. She deserves a son who is strong and willing to fight for the people he loves. Not back down and take the low road. One I took for nearly eight years.

I'll show her. I'll prove to her, I am worthy of her love. She will be proud of me for once in my life. It's a promise I made to myself the day my mind came back to me.

"We are here today to discuss the mating of Prince Caden to a choice mate," Ricardo states with no emotion. Clearly this isn't an issue he actually wants to discuss.

It's not one I want to debate either. "It's not happening." I state. Kicking my feet up onto the round table, I stare down each council member with pitch black eyes. Like hell would I mate another she-wolf. I've said it since day one. No one will be mated to me other than Claudia. If they believe otherwise, well that's their problem.

"It needs to be done. For the kingdom your highness. Without an heir from you, wolves will go ballistic. Order will be lost. Lives will be lost!" Slamming his hand down, he stands up. Anger in his eyes.

We have gone over these words for a month now. They demand I mate another. I ignore them to the best of my ability. I've kept my anger in check this past month. For their sake, not mine. At this point in time, I believe my control needs to snap and inform these men who actually runs this kingdom.

"I would rather die than mate another." Pulling two bags of chips off the table I begin to munch down as I hand one to Jason behind me. It helps to curve the killing spree Marcus and I yearn to go on.

"Dammit Caden, if you do not willingly mate another, we have no choice but to force you," John shouts, his fists slamming down onto the oak table in front of us.

Killing spree idea seems more entertaining as the seconds tic off with these lunatics words. I wonder how many I could string up by their testicles before my father reins me in.

"You will not be forcing my son to mate. I am King and my word is Law!" My father stands up, pointing his finger at John.

Taking a deep breath in, I inhale her delectable scent. It has worn off her scarf since I begin wearing it days ago. Only a tiny bit of it lingered. Enough to calm Marcus and I down for a few hours for this fucking meeting.

"The council has decided my King. Your word no longer has strength in this matter. The people have spoken. With Princess Claudia dead, we have no choice, but to force Prince Caden to mate with another. Beth Sanders is waiting in his room this moment to relieve him of his stress. She's an excellent candidate for the future Queen. Please do consider her," Roger expresses with urgency. He stands next to John, trying to prove their strength in a room full of royalty and warriors.

"She is not dead!" I yell at them. Her scent not helping ease the pain of her vanishing act. "I would know if she left this earth." Kicking my chair back, I snap my teeth at them.

"Prince Caden, it's been two months and no word from her. You can't feel her, nor sense her. For all we know the connection was broken when she fell to her death. If and I mean if she were alive she might not even know you. How would you locate her? What if she has moved on? Found another man to take your place? She could be pregnant with another wolfs pups at this exact moment."

That was it. The breaking words to my sanity.

Jumping over the table, I launch myself at Roger's. No man shall speak of her leaving me. No one! "She is alive and mine! I will not allow her to leave me for another." Snapping my teeth, I hold him up by the throat. His feet dangling inches off the ground.

"Please, your highness." He grips his hands on top of mine. Trying to free himself.

Instead Marcus brings forth his claws, digging them into the man's throat in a vengeance.

"Father, I'm putting a new law into order right this moment. It takes affect the moment I leave this room. All council members, mated or not shall give up their mates until I find Claudia. The she-wolves are forced to go live with their families. I want them to suffer for their outlandish rules. If they believe I will give up my own soul-mate for the good of the kingdom than they shall as well."

Dropping the bastard to the floor, I look at the stunned faces of the council members. Tears threat to spill from a few of them. The idea of being forced from their mates finally sinking in. Finally they will learn how I feel.

"My Prince-"

"No!" Spinning towards Riggs, I point my finger at him. My pitch black eyes staring him down. "You will feel the pain of losing what I've lost. Your mates and children will be kept from you. No contact. Your mate bond is now blocked. If you so much as contact them in anyway, your position as a council member will be stripped away. Your family's wealth and status gone. You will be as poor as the beggars outside these castle walls."

My chest rises and falls with the rage burning inside me. Blood pumps throughout my veins in a fast pace as it tries to keep up with the crazy taking over my body.

"What has happened to you?" Ricardo gasps with horror. His hands clutching at his heart in pain.

"I lost my mate. What did you expect to happen? This is all your fault. If you hadn't have given the order, she'd still be here. I blame all twelve of you for the loss of my mate. Be thankful all I'm doing is banning you from yours."

Shifting, I ignore the shouts and hollers of the broken men as I race out of the room. Marcus's heart black, filled with death. Snapping at every person he comes into contact with he heads towards his safe heaven. The only place we can fall asleep with her beautiful smiles shining down on us.

"I'll find you my love. My sweet fierce kitten. I know you're out there. I can feel it in my soul." My paws break the earth apart at the strength of my legs slam down. "I will never give up searching Claudia. Your mine and I will hunt your body down until I have you safe and warm in my arms."

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#1 What will the council members do now that they aren't allowed to speak to their mates?

#2 Will the wizard Prince be able to track Claudia down?

#3 Will the towns people revolt against the royal family?

#4 Out of the three covers which ones do you all like the best? Please vote!

- Chapter 1's

-Chapter 2's

-This chapters

Thanks again for reading!