"You cannot just take a detour, you are above doing mundane tasks."

"This is war and if I do not have control over my own men, then I will lose," I refute, making my way down the hallway as Penelope follows closely behind in a hasty pursuit. As I make it to the front door of the house, Penelope insists on following me outside in the storm. Thunder shakes the house, a low rumbling as I pull on my rain jacket. "You are free to follow, Alpha."

Opening the door, the wind hits me first, the rain following as I rush over to the waiting car. As I slide into back seat, Penelope is behind me once more, bucking herself in as I take in a deep breath. "You should be having your Beta do these things, or at least your new Gamma. You are not just an Alpha, Leala, but a symbol."

"I am an Alpha first."

"But now you serve a larger role. You are a symbol not just to your own pack, but to others as well."

Shaking my head, I watch as my house disappears from view. "If I am some symbol for others to look up to, then I should set a strong example." I can hear Penelope lightly scoff at my comment, drawing my eyes away from the window and to her. "Do you not think I can set a strong example?"

"I believe you can, but do not try and do so alone, Leala. You need the help of your advisors and other Alphas just as much as you need an army. If you become Queen and do not have a strong set of advisors, then you will crumble as will your kingdom."

"Then it is a shame I do not know who I can trust anymore." I look back outside, the tension rising within the car as I know what I have just said will set Penelope off. "Someone allowed for a break in our boarder control. Someone within this pack allowed my grandmother to be murdered and for Asger to send an assassin after me...and Oliver was ruled out a long time ago."

The redhead Alpha scoffs, pinching the bridge of her nose as I know she is trying hard to hold in her words. Just as a flash of lightening illuminates the sky, she speaks. "Be cautious, Leala. A strong alpha can bend their army to their will, for their army will respect them and also fear the storm which they can bring."

"I do not want my men to fear me. That is how my father ruled - by fear - and I want my pack members to respect me more than cower when they notice my presence."

"Yet you gave no mercy to those who rebelled within Evercrest? You do not want your mean to fear you, but they have seen your actions and heard of them. People begged for mercy and you fought canines with silver."

"Your own men challenged me when I did not wish for them to use silver," I remark, glancing to the alpha.

"You need to stand your ground. Pick your battles. By demanding men do not use silver bullets and then let them open fire, it sends mixed messages which can cause even your most loyal supporters to fear yo-"

"And what would you have me do, Penelope? Stand by and let my armies fight however they wish and do what they want to packs they conquer?"

Penelope shakes her head, looking away from me and back to the rain pouring down. "You are a symbol, Leala, not just of this war, but a symbol of vengeance not just for your parents - no - but for anyone done wrong by the broken crown of the past."

We leave our argument at that as we pull around to the pack house where Brie has gathered my men inside. Taking in a deep breath, I ready myself not just for the harsh weather outside, but the speech I will give soon. Penelope wishes me well as I step out of the car and rush towards the pack house as Cedric opens the door for me. Greeting me, my Beta's green eyes settle on me for a few quick seconds before Brie steps into the entrance. "Everyone is accounted for, Alpha," she announces, instructing me where to go to meet with my pack warriors.

With my head held high, I walk into the large and open living room where a little under two hundred warriors stand to my attention. Nodding at them, I make my way over to the center of the room before the fireplace where a small stage seems to open up for me. I catch a glance of Cedric from the doorway, his jaw tense as I cannot tell if he supports this.

"When my mother was just a little younger than I am today, she befriended Oliver, an individual who soon became your Elder. In that time, he was someone who grew up knowing many of your families and perhaps even casting an impression onto you. As an Elder, he was tasked with not just helping offer Steward Cade advice, but also to help me navigate my role as an Alpha. When it became present to me that Oliver had allowed an attack to transpire which left Beta Bryson, Alpha Ryker, and Alpha Vaughn dead, I cut him of his title and made the hard decision to end his life on the basis of treason. Though, it seems Oliver had an impression on at least one of you, for not only was an assassin able to enter Crimson Lock and slaughter Beta Bryson, but also another was able to slip past our defenses and brutally murder my own grandmother.

"I am here today to call forward anyone with information to speak up. There is a traitor within this room and I will not rest until they are put on trial for their actions. If you have allowed a weakness in our defense with any sickening intent, you are not just a traitor of Crimson Lock, but the future crown as well."

The room lays silent as eyes begin to scan the room, my warriors growing uncomfortable. "I know war is something which can add so much stress, that a new Alpha can cause such stress as well, but that is no defense to partake in treason which leaves people of this pack dead on our soil," I add, my voice stern as I make sure to project as I look to the different faces within the crowd of warriors. "Gamma Brie and Beta Cedric will be not just overlooking records of when you all signed on and off duty, but will also be individuals to share whatever knowledge you know."

Glancing back to Cedric, he nods his head, giving me approval of the speech I have just given to this pack. As I thank my men for their time and make my way back to the doorway of the room, whispers begin to erupt throughout. Their comments grow louder as I make it to Cedric, a commotion beginning to start as my men begin to question one another. Cedric ushers me from the living room and down a hallway to a private secondary office I have. As the door shuts behind us, I take a seat at the desk.

"Any leads?"

"None. Hopefully this will get everyone talking." Cedric comes to sit across from me, a look on his face which causes me to prepare myself. "This pack needs a strong leader more than ever, Leala. There are so many alphas constantly visiting and causing you stress...giving you their takes on everything you do or prepare to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you believe in what you - we all - are fighting for here? Do you want the crown? Do you want to end a cycle of broken government and establish a healthy relationship between the crown and packs - to establish a strong kingdom based on the dreams of your late parents and others?"

"Why would I spend so much time fighting for something I do not believe in?" I question.

"Because I sometimes wonder if it is you talking when you that is what you are fighting. Sometimes I wonder if it is the voice of alphas like Penelope, Mathis, Yusuf, or Finch talking through you."

"I am fighting for a kingdom free of even half the shit which transpired when River's family was ruling. I am fighting for every alpha's right to have a say in the laws which get made, for there to be a fair reason for packs to get taxed by the crown, for the taxes of the people to not fund royal weddings and ceremonies, but the ability to keep this kingdom secure and strong."

"Then why do I feel like they are using you as their little image of war. Something makes me wonder what these alphas will do with you when the war is over."

I clench my teeth, not enjoying the harsh words Cedric tells me, but I know that I trust Cedric more than anyone here. I trust Cedric with my life and I know what he tells me I should take to heart - no matter how hard it is to hear. "What have you heard?"

"I do not know where to start," Cedric mutters, pushing his hair back as I try and settle down my nerves. "There is talk of marriage, not just from Mathis or Finch, but Penelope and Yusuf as well. It seems they want to get you married before you can claim a crown."

"Out of a sexist tradition?" I question.

"Because they want someone beside you to do their work - someone who acts as their own puppet."

"Have you heard them say this?"

"Fragments of it all. But we need these allies...we just need to know how to play them. We need their armies and without that, we stand no chance."

"Is there a chance of losing their loyalty?" I ask, thinking to Penelope and what she said earlier.

"There could be later down the line as more battles become fought."

"And what would you have me do?"

"You will not like hearing it," Cedric insists, rising to his feet as I raise an eyebrow. "It means giving into one of their plans - or at least giving the appearance of it." Right away I know what Cedric means.

"I am not going to marry someone." As I rising to my feet, Cedric is there to stop me from leaving the room as he grabs hold of my arm. "I will not marry someone Yusuf picks out. I am free to make my own choices, besides, I would no longer be a symbol."

"Symbol?" Cedric asks, confused as to why I would refer to myself as such.

"Penelope called me such, for I am a symbol to this pack and others. I am a symbol of the new kingdom to come." Cedric lets go of my arm, taking in a deep breath. "I will not give into sexist traditions to pick out some suitor who will wear the crown instead of me and have a greater influence."

Cedric looks outside to the storm, tapping his fingers across his arms as they are crossed firmly. I can see the gears begin to turn in Cedric's head, his face almost tighten in deep thought, and as he glances back to me for a short second, I know he is about to tell me something I will not like to hear. "Leave Penelope behind when it comes to an influence on these matters. Stand your ground for what you believe in. I know Brie has told you similar things."

"She has aided me in so much of this process."

"She has worked her talons into you, Leala. Do you not see how much Penelope has an influence over you?"

"Yet you want me to keep her in my corner by pledging my hand to someone she deems worthy," I snap, finding myself standing a few feet away from my Beta as my chest rises and falls.

Cedric shakes his head. "You just need to have-"

"Don't tell me what to do! I am your Alpha."

"And you are acting more like a dictator than Alpha," Cedric snaps, his eyes darkening as I have never seen him so upset. "You act without thinking, Leala. You pick up your pitchfork when Penelope or any other Alpha sends whispers your way. You do not bite your tongue when you should and I fear you may learn that lesson when it is already too late."

Cedric takes in a deep breath to calm himself down. "I swore my allegiance to you, Leala, but that does not mean I will hold my tongue when you act foolish and like a puppet. You are not acting like a true queen, but a mad one."

I bite the inside of my cheek, my eyes beginning to water as a wave seems to come upon me, hitting me in waves of anxiety as I watch Cedric storm out of my private office. My heartbeat begins to increase quickly, the edges of my vision blurring as I look around the room. Holding my arms close to my side, I push back my hair and hold in tears. My stomach becomes twisted in knots as Cedric's last words ring in my head on loop.

Wiping away a stray tear, I try and hold myself together, to not allow myself to become undone. I have always valued Cedric's advice, sometimes taking it for granted, but he has never spoken to me like this before. Taking in a shaky deep breath, I focus on my breathing as I try and calm myself down. Closing my eyes, I focus on the thudding of my heartbeat as I once more think of Cedric's words.

I attack Evercrest Ridge with not enough planning as I wish I had. I feared Alpha Edward attacking us first, I feared a defeat, and I feared my own possibly death. Penelope and Yusuf pushed me to attack, guiding their men into war alongside Finch and Mathis as I stood back. I was instructed not to fight that day and I believed it to be to protect the future queen. Penelope led my men that day, blood thirty as she slaughtered warriors I once grew up beside. Penelope has told me time and time again to not trust anyone...was that a way for me to trust her - to believe warning me against even herself would allow for my trust to only grow for her?

Taking a seat, I glance outside to the raging storm. Lightening strikes the earth, thunder shaking the pack house before another strike of lightening occurs. Brie and Cedric have warned me so much of the others I surround myself with - even Declan now. Aunt Taylor said I have more of my father running through my blood than my own mother's. Perhaps she is right, for my father was known as ruthless, to never think before his actions before acting upon them, and I know my father caused fear to dwell in members of Crimson Lock. If I am just like my father and I obtain the crown, then not only will a pack fear me, but the rest of the kingdom.

I cannot be who my father was and I cannot be who my mother was. I have to rise above them, I have to act like a true and strong queen, and I have to be mindful of those who I surround myself with. I cannot allow myself to become mad when I win this war...this war not just against River.

I need to reach out to him, to warn him...yet that would make us allies. If we were to discuss the threat of Keva and Asger, I would be helping him, we would be joining forces together - I would be fighting alongside someone who wants the crown just as much as me. Perhaps it is a way of fate being cruel - to pair up to individuals who seek a crown because it is in some way their own sick sense of destiny. A portion of me wonders how much River actually wants this crown.

A portion of me wonders if we could become allies.

<><><>

R I V E R

<><><>

"What would I have fought for all of those years ago?!"

"This is a new world, dear. It is no longer the kingdom you once ruled," Sybil responded, trying to calm down her husband as the two of them argued into the night. "Do you not remember what I was before we met? I was a rogue, my love, and everyone told you that you were insane to befriend a rogue, much less wish to marry one."

"But you were not the daughter of the man and woman who killed my family and sought to bring down a kingdom-"

"There is no defined fate for her to become like her parents," Sybil argued, shaking her head as she looked across the courtyard to her son who said along amongst the lilies. "Fate brought us together, what if it has done the same for our son? To make amends for all the shit our two families have been through."

"Nixon brought this upon his family."

"Lillian was the real enemy, the storm which was never prepared for." Zion bit his tongue, no longer wishing to argue with his wife as the two of them looked out to their son. "We cannot make decisions for our son, he is a grown man. The fact that you stormed into his chambers and insisted he kill the girl, it makes me disappointed."

Across from the argument, River sat on a stone bench, watching the birds fly above as he thought of the stern talk his father had given him just the other night. The thought of his father giving advice to him was something River experienced rarely and - even more rarely - ever took. His parents were not there to raise him so River believed that they had no business in picking who he should surround himself with. Yet River understood the situation he was in, the fact that he could no longer trust Keva of Asger...or perhaps even more than half of his own pack. Having called upon his mother for advice in the morning, his father soon joined in which led to an argument between his parents.

As he looked through an archway, River noticed a few pack members standing at the entrance of the courtyard, whispering among themselves. The elves who spread rumors were just a wall away from him and his parent's argument.

"Keva wanted our son to marry the girl - the fact she would think so makes me sick."

"Can you not acknowledge that our son has grown up? It is like you still think him to be a mere child when he is running a pack and fighting to regain this family's crown."

Zion had caught his son in the middle of writing a letter to Leala Maxwell, a fact unknown to Zions till. The past king had only heard of the rumors which contained news of Leala and River sharing intimate moments, those rumors enough for Zion to make his way to visit his son and yell at him.

"I cannot accept my son to be fully grown if he thinks loving a Maxwell is morally right."

"Will you two shut up," River snapped as he entered into the small room his parents stood within. "I will not allow someone else to tell me who I can and cannot having feelings for. Leala Maxwell has done more for me than you ever have, father." The words River spoke stung his father, only causing Sybil to grow in sadness. Ever since she had given birth, she feared her son would struggle for a strong relationship with his father, but she had never expected it to last past her son's adolescence.

"Please, just stop," Sybil begged, taking a seat as a tear ran along her cheek. "Please no more yelling or spitting insults."

As Zion noticed the pain his wife was in and rushed to her side, River grew restless. "Leala Maxwell may not be my mate, but she is someone I would not be against proposing to again if we come to equal terms."

"You both are after a crown, one for absolute power and the other-"

"I know what she wants, father," River snapped, "and I know that you have pushed me my entire life to seek such power. Did you never stop and wonder that absolute power is not what I desire? Leala was right when she talked of the corruption present within past generations of the crown."

"Do not take that bitch's side."

"This is my pack, father, and if you are against how I decide to run what I have of it or what I wish to make of it, then you may leave. You have no true influence over those who are loyal to me." Sybil insisted her husband remain silent, expressing to Zion just how much she wished the two of them could get along. "I did not call you here to talk about my relations with Alpha Leala, but about the issues I am facing in this pack."

"And what do you seek?"

"I seek advice. Advice because I am considering reaching out to the Alpha of Crimson Lock to make amends and join together to fight who may be the real enemy here."

<><><>

The news Sybil heard struck her with a fit of rage, her fingers digging into her palms as she could not believe what her son was telling her. From Asger to Keva, Sybil wondered who else was behind attacks and what the plot was. Zion was in amaze that the very Maxwell he was trying to push his son away from was the same Maxwell who sent him news that a traitor lay within his pack. As River's parents stood before him, speechless with the news they had just heard, River looked outside to see a few of his crows keeping an eye on the others who wandered by the courtyard.

"I am under suspicion that Keva plans to take this pack from me," River stated, wrapping up his intel on what he had uncovered and pieced together. "I fear for the safety of werewolves within Eternal Shadows, the future of werewolves in this region, and my own life as well."

Sybil's throat grew dry as she thought of what she could say to her own son about such a matter. Zion did not know where to begin, for he had faced matters of treason before, but never those which included an ancient race. "What role does Leala Maxwell play?" Zion asks, keeping himself calm as he prepared himself for River's answer in fear his son would return to the Maxwell child.

"She told me of Asger and I brushed it off for too long," River stated, leaning against the wall. "If there is to be a war against elves, then I will need all the help I can get, help which comes with an alliance with Leala."

"And you think she will accept such an offer when you two are on opposing sides?"

"I think she has already thought of all of this, that she believes I am not the one with ultimate power in this pack. Her advisors will not accept me, but I know she will?"

"Why?" Zion asked, curious as to how his son could be so sure about Leala's actions.

"Because I told her something once, about how I feel for her and what I believe lies between us."

"Be careful when it comes to a Maxwell," Zion warned. "Be even more careful with your heart." Zion did not wish for anything to transpire between his son and Leala, but he knew this sort of thing was now out of his hands. "What will happen if you join alliances? Who will be crowned?"

"My objective here is to protect the werewolf kingdom which fell decades ago, to protect the individuals from whatever Keva could be planning."

"And with Leala?" Zion persisted, pushing his son for an answer when it came to Nixon's own daughter.

River looked outside to the moon high in the sky, remembering the way her warm skin felt against his the first time he held her. "Fate will decide."