Chapter 7 : Defense Against Fate

Silas

Standing at the edge of the path that led away from the castle, I felt the cool night air against my skin. The sound of crickets filled the air, signaling the arrival of summer. Though the humidity was low, the sweet scent in the air hinted at an impending storm.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed the fragrance of the night to envelop and rejuvenate me. After being stuck indoors for most of the day, it was a relief to step outside once again. I sensed a release in my spirit and a lessening of my worries.

The stars twinkled above, their calming presence enough to temper the nerves raging inside me.

I had never had an emotion like it before. It was an unusual and uncomfortable experience. I was known for my calm exterior and my quiet temper. But now, I felt a wave of feelings I couldn’t gain control over.

During my initial encounter with the young woman, I experienced an indescribable feeling that I couldn't immediately identify. Since our meeting was arranged hastily, I didn't have sufficient time to assess her thoroughly. However, when I locked eyes with her at the Council Chamber, I realized what it was.

I was amazed, astonished, and furious. I felt the bond as surely as I felt the ground beneath my feet. It was so unexpected, I didn’t want to believe it at first, but there was no denying it.

Our connection was true. How could my mate be a princess? Me? With a princess? It made no sense, and yet, there she was.

Naturally, I had no desire to bring up the matter with her. Our relationship was not meant to be, regardless of destiny. As an Omega, I was not a suitable match for a princess like her. Our union would be akin to combining fire and ice, a recipe for disaster. It was better to avoid such a connection altogether, as it was likely to end poorly.

I had resolved, then, to ignore the matter. There were more important things to deal with. For instance, the coming army hellbent on devistating the land I had come to call home. This was something I could not allow.

As I had mentioned to King Declan earlier that day, I was ready to give my life protecting the Eastern Territories if it came to that. This was my home as much as anyone else’s.

Even if I was not born to it, I cherished the Clearview Pack and its surrounding territories. It was my honor to serve and protect the culmination of all the Eastern Packs for all these years. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be without them. I didn’t want to think of a life where all four territories were under the rule of the Southern King.

The days before Declan and his father’s generosity were ones I often fought to forget, but as I stood there in the gardens with the wind against my face, I couldn’t help but fall back into that darkened past.

I was very young when my mother died. We were alone in a faraway village during the height of winter. It had been so cold…too cold.

My mother tried to keep me warm as best as she knew how, but eventually, she succumbed to the numbing cold. I was still next to her frozen corpse when they found me. The others looked down at me like one would a stowaway rat. They turned their noses up, sensing my status though I was too young to know what it was at the time.

Still, they couldn’t leave me to die. Not a child. His mother, sure, but not a child.

They gave me food and temporary shelter until the warmer months came, and then I was cast back outside, left to fend for myself.

I had gotten into plenty of fights with the other orphaned children. Food was the main source of our skirmishes, and I had nearly died on numerous occasions simply fighting for my next meal.

But these sparring moments made me strong. Each day, I learned a new skill that gave me an advantage over the other children, until, one day, I was the strongest of them all. I was no longer the bottom of the barrel, but I had instead risen to the top.

My status as an Omega was never forgotten about, even when I grew into a young man, just shy of my sixteenth birthday. I was strong and lean, able to withstand the force of several men twice my size, even full-grown wolves, though I had yet to experience my first shift.

I had to defend myself against rogues, those who wandered between each of the four regions, gaining notice throughout the lands in which I traveled.

It wasn’t until I was discovered by one of King Rupert’s men in the Eastern Territories, that I came to know a different life.

King Rupert was Declan’s father. He was a strong and just ruler in those days. He had decided that I was to become Declan’s companion. We trained together, fought together, and essentially became brothers, though our stations were far apart.

And then, when Rupert’s wife passed and he fell mysteriously ill, it was left to Declan to take up the throne and rule in his father’s stead. Declan had named me the head of the Kingsguard and his personal bodyguard.

The circumstances around King Rupert’s mysterious illness were never seriously investigated. It was believed that he became sick due to the heartbreak following his wife’s death. He was never quite the same after that.

But Declan, having been taught well by his father, took to his new position quickly, and I had the honor of defending and being by his side with every move he took.

Since then, I’ve observed Declan dine with great Alphas, forming alliances across the territories and life-long bonds. The new King took his duties seriously, while never forgetting his father who still lay ill in his bed.

Declan, though he enjoyed his station as Alpha, would always grieve for his father, living and yet dead to the world. Rupert was no longer the man he once was. His mind had drifted too far away to be of any use. He was a shell, the man himself having long since vacated.

But this kingdom, these lands, and their territories were my sworn duty to protect as well as the man who ruled them. This is what I needed to be worrying about worrying about. Not that woman who slept in the window above me.

I had to drag my eyes away from it, forcing myself to look instead at the growth of grass at my feet. I couldn’t allow myself to become distracted by the emotions of the heart. I believed very strongly that it was love that made men weak. I couldn’t afford weakness right then, not with a war on its way.

“There you are!” I turned around at the sound of the voice and nodded toward Aaron, who jogged up along the path to stand beside me.

“I thought I would find you here. It’s late. What are you doing outside?” he asked with his same boyhood charm.

Aaron was someone else I had become close to during my time at the palace. He had grown up within the walls as his family had served the crown for several generations.

Aaron was, in truth, the best friend I had then. While I considered Declan to be a brother in many ways, we would always be divided by social class and status. On the other hand, Aaron was much closer to my rank than anyone else within the castle, and this much was obvious by his casual demeanor around me.

As my second in command of the Kingsguard, he was, perhaps, the person I trusted the most.

“I needed some fresh air,” I told him. “It was getting a bit stifling inside.”

“Ah, I see. I thought I saw something back there.”

I raised an eyebrow at this. “Saw something? What do you mean?”

Aaron shrugged. “Oh, nothing. I’m sure it was just my imagination. But, anyways, what are your thoughts about our young quest? The Princess Constance? She’s quite a catch if I say so myself.”

The abrupt mention of Constance set my teeth on edge. I shuffled from foot to foot, suddenly feeling a sense of unease and restlessness.

“You can say whatever you want,” I muttered. “It makes no difference to me.”

“What? Don’t you think she’s stunning? Once she got herself a bit cleaned up, she really turned around!”

I shook my head. “She’s just another wealthy noble who doesn’t give two shits about us. And even if she did, we have other things to be worried about. There are a dozen or more parcels all coming this way with the intention of razing us to the ground lead by the Southern Alpha King, himself.”

Aaron sighed and folded his arms across his chest. “Do you really believe that?”

“Believe what?” I asked. “That war is coming?”

“That’s she’s just like the rest of them. I don’t know about you, but no ordinary princess I can think of would travel across unknown lands with a hunter on her trail just to warn complete strangers they may be next.”

“What does it matter?” I huffed. “I don’t have time for anything like that, and neither do you. There’s a reason why we chose this profession. We aren’t attached. No one would miss us if something were to happen. We’re expendable.”

“Now I KNOW you don’t really think that. You practically hold this castle together, and you think no one would care if you were gone? Look at the King! He practically begs for your advice! I know he cares for you as much as you do him.”

“While that may be true…” I continued. “It doesn’t change anything. I can’t afford to be tied down when my sole responsibility is to protect the King. Distractions are the enemy. I need to stay focused, and that means…”

“That means you’re going to ignore that little tremor in your chest?”

I glared at him, and he laughed.

“You know you’re a terrible liar, right?” he mused. “I can hear your heart hammering a mile away.”

“Shut up,” I growled.

Aaron smirked and raised his eyebrow and I gave him a warning glance.

He held up his hands defensively. “All right. I get it. But still, it won’t kill you to at least smile at her. She probably thinks you hate her with that evil look you gave her earlier.”

“I didn’t give her an ‘evil look,’” I protested.

“You’re literally giving me one right now.”

I bit my tongue, forcing back the curses scratching in my throat.

Aaron laughed again, seeing my anger quickly rising. “All right, then. I’ll let you brood. But remember, we all have needs!”

And with that, he skipped away with a dancer’s flourish, twirling through the flowers as if he was the princess herself.

As much as I cared for the man, he did have a particular way of riding on my last nerve. But maybe he did have a point, at least somewhat. It wouldn’t do me any good to keep dwelling on something I couldn’t change.

And so, to distract myself from these circling thoughts, I turned around and headed to the training grounds. Maybe there, I could train and work up a decent sweat, letting the exhaustion lull me to sleep. Goddess knew I needed it.