Page 134 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
The King is waiting for me, standing by the tall windows that overlook the palace grounds. He doesn’t turn when I enter, but he does speak.
“The Umbra Council is insisting on investigating the matter of your mate breaking the royal decree. They want to take her into custody.”
I try to contain the fury rising inside me. “This has nothing to do with them. Why are they getting involved?”
My father turns to face me, his expression weary. “I don’t know their true motives, but I understand their reasoning. Even if she was being manipulated, Astra still played a part in defying the order. The Council argues that it sets a dangerous precedent.”
“What precedent?” I snap. “That people can be manipulated by corrupt alphas and ambitious nobles?”
“That subjects can ignore royal commands without consequence,” he replies sharply. “Whether she was the most powerful female or not, she still fled instead of presenting herself as ordered.”
“She wasn’t told to ‘present herself,’” I counter sharply, clenching my fists at my sides. “Gareth told her she was being sent to die. She fled to save her life.”
“She chose to run rather than place her trust in royal justice.”
“Royal justice?” I laugh bitterly. “She would have been executed if I hadn’t intervened.”
My father’s eyes narrow. “You think I would have killed an innocent woman?”
“You almost did! You trusted the word of an alpha over that of a powerless, latent shifter,” I say bluntly. “A conspiracy unfolded right in front of you—Zari and Gareth convinced you to put her to death based on lies.”
I pause, thinking about the years of unspoken tensions between my father and me, about duty versus compassion, crown versus conscience.
“I won’t give up my mate,” I finally say, my voice low and calm. “I meant what I said in the throne room.”
“I’m not asking you to give her up,” he says irritably, moving to pour himself a glass of wine from the crystal decanter on his desk. “But if she truly is a latent shifter, that presents a problem. We’re already dealing with divisions within the Umbra Council. This situation will only give them more ammunition to challenge the crown’s authority.”
I step closer to him. “If you would just let me investigate High Inquisitor Draven, we could accumulate evidence against him and his supporters.”
My father’s expression darkens. “Aldric has been pushing for expanded Council powers for months. Specifically, the rightto investigate and prosecute crimes against the crown without royal oversight. He is Draven’s closest ally in this.”
A chill runs down my spine. That would essentially give the Council the power to act as judge, jury, and executioner for anyone they deem a threat.
“They see your mate as the perfect test case,” my father continues. “A clear violation of royal decree with obvious political implications. If they can force the crown to hand her over, it sets a precedent for future Council authority.”
“Over my dead body.”
“That may be what it comes to,” he says grimly. “Aldric has significant support among the noble houses. If this escalates into a full political crisis...”
He doesn’t finish the sentence, but I understand. Civil conflict. Possibly even war.
“I’m convinced Astra is not latent,” I say firmly. “I’m looking into her past. There has to be something there that even she isn’t aware of.”
My father sets down his wine glass and studies me carefully. “What makes you so certain?”
I hesitate, then decide on honesty. “The royal witch detected old magic on her. And during our...intimate moments, she has shown signs of wolf behavior that a true latent shifter wouldn’t display. Something has been suppressing her wolf. I’m sure of it.”
My father goes quiet for a long moment, studying me with those pale eyes. Then, he asks, “Is it true that she saved you from wolfsbane poisoning?”
“She did,” I reply without hesitation. “Created an antidote from scratch using nothing but forest herbs. The royal healers have said it’s impossible, but she did it.”
“And the nightshade cure you mentioned?”
“Another of her innovations. She has developed treatments for poisons that have killed countless shifters over the centuries.”
My father sits down in his chair, considering this information. “That level of knowledge...It’s not something a simple pack herbalist would possess.”
“Exactly. Which is why I think there’s more to her background than anyone knows.”
