Chapter 178

Third Person POV

“Nicholas, may I speak with you in my office,” King Arlan said, turning away and walking towards his office without waiting for a response.

He knew Nicholas would follow him without question. Nicholas had been keeping his head down ever since Maeve had been found in his father’s hidden dungeon. The guilt that rendered his body was all too consuming. He had no idea his father’s true intentions and like an idiot, he had fallen for it. The thought of Maeve being hurt destroyed him on the inside. The thought of her being hurt because of his family killed him.

He cared about her far too much and if he needed to let her go in order for her to be okay, then he would do just that. But it still hurt his heart to think about letting her go. Love didn’t come easily to Nicholas and though he hadn’t known Maeve for long, he could see himself one day falling in love with her.

When he found out that she was mated to Prince and not Beta Burke, it made him wonder what else she had been keeping from him. That wasn’t the beta’s baby in her belly, it was the prince’s. Not only that, but this baby is presumed to be an Enigma. A powerful and rare wolf that would inevitably become the King one day.

Whether he wanted to believe it or not, Maeve would never truly be his. She was destined to be the Luna Queen until her son took over as the King.

In King Arlan’s office, Nicholas took a seat in one of the empty spots in front of the King’s desk while Arlan sat on the other side. He had a feeling he knew what this conversation was going to be about, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. The King was kind enough to leave Nicholas alone for these last couple of days so he could grieve over the loss of his family. His family wasn’t dead, but he doubted he would see them again in this lifetime. If the King had anything to do with it, they would be dead soon. He had heard through gossip that they remained alive, and Nicholas was confused as to why that was… but he knew better than to question the King.

“I wanted to check in with you,” Arlan said, leaning back on his desk. “I know it’s not easy for your family to be in the dungeon. Have you spoken to either of them?”

He was referring to Alpha Kenneth and Isabelle.

Nicholas didn’t really have much of a relationship with his sister; he didn’t approve of most of her choices but because she was the Luna Princess, he had to be civil with her and not argue.

“No, I have not,” Nicholas stated almost coldly as he thought about the betrayal of his family.

“Can I ask why?”

Nicholas was surprised by the question, and he wondered where the King was going with this.

“I have no interest in seeing them, Your Majesty. They’ve betrayed the royal family, and in turn, they betrayed the Kingdom,” Nicholas answered without hesitation.

The King studied him for a moment before nodding thoughtfully.

“At any point, did you ever agree with what they were doing? Was there hesitation to turn your back on your family?” He then asked.

“Of course not,” Nicholas said a bit too loudly. “I found out about their plans when you did, Your Majesty. The moment I knew their motives, my ties with them were severed. My loyalty lies with you and your family, and it always will.”

King Arlan thought about it for a moment longer before a smile tipped the corner of his lips.

“Good,” he finally said, a small flicker of relief in his eyes, but it was gone before Nicholas could truly process it. He wondered if it was really there, or if it was his imagination. “Your father had committed an unthinkable crime and because of that, his punishment is death.”

Nicholas nodded.

“I understand,” he said without hesitation, knowing it was another test. The King just wanted to see his reaction.

“Having him walk this land is dangerous. There’s no telling what he’d do if I were to let him go unscathed,” he continued. “I won’t make you witness his execution.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Nicholas said, bowing his head in respect to his King.

“As for Isabelle…” he began. “She is the Luna Princess, the mate of my oldest son. However, her actions prove she is undeserving of that title. I will speak more about it with Henry, but I believe banishment is appropriate. Her title will be stripped from her, and I’ll see to it that Henry begins the rejection process.”

They had been mated for a while, a rejection this late into their mating could kill her. But Nicholas remained unaffected by the King’s words; he understood their punishments were necessary and this was the only way that the King could keep his family and his Kingdom safe. Alpha Kenneth would be dead, and Isabelle would be forced to walk amongst the rogues, vulnerable and suffering from rejection. Her wolf would be weak, and she’d be unable to defend herself if she were to be attacked by other rogues.

It wouldn’t be long before she followed their father into the afterlife.

Hell was a hot place, Nicholas thought to himself.

“And as for you…” Arlan said, narrowing his eyes at Nicholas who straightened his posture, waiting to hear what the King had in store for him. He made it clear he had nothing to do with any of his father’s affairs and wanted nothing more to do with his family. Worry bubbled in his chest at the thought of the King not believing him and wanting him punished for a crime he did not commit. “The Dawnguard Pride will need a new Alpha to take over for the loss of their current one. Are you able to take on the role?”

Nicholas’s eyes grew wide.

Of course, he always knew that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and be the Alpha of their pack, but he didn’t think it would be so soon. He also didn’t think the King would reward him right after his family had made such horrid actions.

“W…what about the warriors?” Nicholas asked. “I am their commanding officer. They still need me.”

Arlan nodded.

“I will leave that to you as well,” Arlan told him. “It’s a big responsibility to be an Alpha to a large pack and be the commanding officer for the royal family, however, I have faith that you can manage your time wisely.”

Nicholas swallowed but he wasn’t going to argue; he was honored to be given this chance and to be trusted by the King himself.

“Yes, Sir,” Nicholas said, bowing his head again.

“And if it proves to be too much work, then feel free to find a replacement for yourself as the commander. I trust your judgment and there will be no hard feelings on my end,” the King continued. “You have my trust and respect, Nicholas. Or should I say, Alpha Nicholas?”

Alpha Nicholas.

It had a good ring to it.

Nicholas placed his fist over his heart and stood to his feet, standing to attention. This was the ultimate show of respect to those of higher power. The King studied him for a moment longer and then stood to his feet as well, accepting Nicholas’s show of respect.

“I won’t let you down, Your Majesty,” Nicholas assured him.

The King nodded and then dismissed Nicholas who turned and hurried out of the office. He paused when he saw Princess Charlotte standing at the other end of the door. Her pale blue eyes were wide as she stared back at Nicholas.

Her scent engulfed him in a way that made him take a step back; it was strong. Like melted chocolate. Had she always smelled this good?

Maybe she was wearing some kind of body lotion that appealed to him.

The Princess tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and nibbled on her lip.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop… it just kind of happened.”

Nicholas nodded.

“It’s fine,” he told her.

He started to walk around her so he could leave the palace, but her voice stopped him.

“Congratulations,” she said quickly. “On becoming the Alpha of Dawnguard Pride.”

Nicholas thought it to be bittersweet at best; he was only the Alpha because of the execution of his father. He didn’t think it was something to be proud of, but he still took a bit of pride in the fact that the King trusted him enough to allow him to be both the commanding officer for the royal family and the Alpha of one of the larger packs and most well-known pack in the world.

“Thank you,” he managed to murmur as he started to walk away again.

“Nicholas…” Char said, stepping towards him.

He paused and turned toward her; she swallowed, and her eyes remained fixed on his.

“Your father and Isabelle’s actions aren’t your burden to bear,” she surprised him by saying. “None of that was your fault… I hope you don’t punish yourself for their wrongdoings.”

He studied her for a moment; her words awakened something in his heart. His wolf stirred but quickly settled. She was still nibbling on her lower lip, almost like she was nervous, and a rosy tint appeared around her nose and cheeks as he studied her.

“You are truly kind, Princess,” he told her, bowing his head in respect to her. “Thank you for your words.”

A small smile tipped the corner of her lips and Nicholas found that his heart skipped a beat at the sight.

He immediately took a step away from her as if she had burned him. It was a strange feeling to have at that moment and one he could not indulge.

After a chaste goodbye, he hurried from the palace, well aware that her eyes remained fixed on the back of his head.