Chapter 21

Sienna’s POV

“Prince Alaric killed my parents?” I asked in shock, having trouble comprehending the words.

It can’t be true.

“I’m sorry to drop such news on you,” the Lycan King said with the shake of his head. “But it’s time you know.”

Is he really sorry? He sure doesn’t seem it.

“He’s - alive?” I managed to choke out. To the King, this huge secret seemed like it was nothing notable.

“Alaric has been alive all this time, in hiding, and is now considered an enemy of the kingdom,” the King said with a chill.

An enemy?

“It is my assumption that Alaric went for your parents because of their undying loyalty to the crown,” the King sighed, thrumming his fingers on the desk. “He’s been the cause for a lot of deaths around here.”

“How do - ” I wanted to ask how he knew this for sure, but could I really question the King like that? Probably not.

“I have my own insiders, Miss Hawke,” he said, an eyebrow raised, like he knew what I’d been about to ask. “And Alaric is very much alive and a threat.”

“So my parents weren’t killed by rogues?”

No, Sienna, they obviously weren’t.

And yet still, I asked the question, flabbergasted.

My mind was a whir, confusion pouring through me. Why would Prince Alaric target my parents for their loyalty? There were plenty of other people loyal to the crown.

Why my parents?

“Alaric was taken by rogues when he was thirteen,” the King drawled, “and taught to hate this kingdom. Now he’s back for revenge.”

“Your Majesty, I just don’t understand why he targeted my parents. What could they possibly mean to him?” I shook my head, still in disbelief.

“I did say it wasn’t just your parents, Miss Hawke.” He seemed to be getting somewhat impatient, making my nerves spike. “It doesn’t always have to be personal.”

“I’m just - ” I was starting to babble, and that really wasn’t a good look in front of the King.

“I do understand that this is a lot for you.” The King’s voice softened, just a little bit, before he continued. “What I’m advising you to do now is find the traitors I know Alaric has throughout your pack.”

“Traitors?” I squeaked, weight crushing onto my shoulders. There were already so many other problems that I could hardly fathom adding another to the list - let alone one from the King.

“Alaric clearly has those on the inside, working for him, reporting to him. Find them.” The impatience was back in his tone, and I knew my time was running short.

There would be no more questions allowed.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I nodded, accepting that I wasn’t going to be asking anything else.

“We will punish them to the fullest extent,” he said gruffly. “You have my word.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I responded somewhat robotically, hardly feeling my limbs as I lifted out of the chair, escorted to the door by one of the guards.

“And Miss Hawke?” the King called out, stopping me at the door.

“Yes, sir?” I turned to face him, holding my head high despite the waves of emotion absolutely consuming me.

“Watch yourself out there - and be careful who you trust with this.”

His words were much more ominous than I’d expected them to be, and I didn’t like it.

In a flash, I was outside the doors, left alone in a long hallway to find my way back to the ballroom.

Silence rang in my ears, the King’s admission bouncing around in my head, over and over.

Prince Alaric killed my parents.

Now that I was alone, the anger started to hit.

Red hot, burning anger.

I hated Alaric for this. Forget using royal titles - he didn’t deserve that from me or anyone. He’d taken my parents from me, and I would stop at nothing to make him pay.

Immediately, I wanted to tell Asher. He was quickly becoming the person I sought out first for comfort, despite our contract situation.

For a moment, I couldn’t get myself to move. I was frozen there in the hall, a few feet from the doors back to the King’s office.

I’d become the King’s dog, sent out on the hunt for traitors, when a sea of other problems already flooded me.

Sure, finding the traitors was important - but wasn’t the state of Nightwind now the most important of all? How could I find the traitors of the pack if there was no pack left standing?

If the order hadn’t come from the King, I might have been able to ignore it.

If only.

Now this was forcibly at the top of my list of priorities — revenge. Justice.

Of course I wanted that for my parents, it’s just that I knew - really knew - that if they were watching me, they would want Nightwind to come first over their justice.

Because the justice would come - in time. It always did.

Yet the anger continued to eat away at me, consuming me from the inside out. I wanted Alaric to pay for this in the worst possible way - not even death was enough.

All of my pent up sadness over the loss of my parents morphed into this newfound anger directed at Alaric.

“Alpha Sienna?” Simon’s soft voice caught my attention, and I was relieved that he’d found me, dragging me out of the dark headspace I’d sunk into.

“Simon,” I nodded, my voice coming out as strained as I felt.

“Are you alright?” He already knew the answer, but was too polite to question it directly.

“I wish I could say that I was.”

Be careful who you trust with this, the King’s warning echoed.

Could I trust Simon? Doubt was clouding me, isolating me in my thoughts.

“Simon, have you ever heard a rumor that Prince Alaric is actually alive and on the run?” I watched Simon’s expression carefully, seeing no noticeable reaction of any kind.

“My understanding is that Prince Alaric was killed by rogues when he was thirteen.” Simon’s gaze flicked to the double doors behind me. “Did the King say otherwise?”

“It was just a passing comment,” I said lightly, brushing off the topic before I spilled too much more. “He was just expressing his condolences and wishing me the best.”

“Right,” Simon nodded, sensing I wasn’t telling him the whole story.

But I didn’t owe him anything, so he let it drop.

“Do you know where Asher is?” From deep in me, I felt the first crack of my sanity. I was reaching my absolute limit, and I needed him.

“Back in the ballroom awaiting your return.” Simon ushered me down the hall, which we walked in silence, my angry thoughts swelling back to the front of my mind.

Tears blurred my vision, my fists clenching in response.

“Are you sure that you’re - ” Simon tried to extend his comfort, but I shut him down quickly.

“I’m fine. I can find my way back on my own. Thank you Simon.” I brushed past him, and it was all I could do not to sprint down the hallway at full force.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, my hair falling in messy pieces across my face.

Things had just gotten so much worse than I ever imagined.