The Prisoner’s Princess Chapter 72

Bryson

I cracked my neck and my knuckles waiting for him to pull up. I was standing in the center of the living room, with my Warriors behind me in formation. My Beta was to my left, but I sent my Luna and pups away. I didn’t trust him, he knew this.

He pulled up with three cars, coming out with 10 of his warriors. I could smell his fear… coward.

He was stopped, frisked and so were his warriors. They were all clean, though it would make sense. It would have escalated the situation.

“Alpha Bryson.” He said with a small bow. He’d lost face to his people, but for him to do it so quickly meant he already made his peace with it.

“What do you want Ryan?” I asked with my arms crossed, and his stomach growled. I shook my head. I supposed that I should feed the little weasel; it’s what my wildflower would probably want me to do. I motioned him to sit at the table, and one of my warriors made plates of the delicious leftover pan fried elk and toast that my mate made. He sat at the dining table, as did I. I couldn’t eat, my appetite was suppressed by my raging wolf.

“I come for peace. I know I came with warriors, but you have to understand that I have traveled for hours in enemy territory.” He said and I raised an eyebrow. “Fuck that’s not how I meant it.” He said putting down his fork. I heard his thoughts. He was freaking out.

“Continue.” I told him firmly. He hesitated but resumed.

“I don’t want war, Alpha Bryson. I don’t want to fight you, so I was hoping you would be reasonable. You have pups, you understand how I feel don’t you? He’s an idiot but a really good kid.” He said stabbing his meat, and I crossed my arms.

“I don’t know what to do. He disrespected me, letting him go without any punishment… he won’t learn anything.” I said looking at him with understanding. I would hate for my pups to be in danger, but my pups at the moment were innocent balls of wiggling fluff. This pup committed an offense.

“Then punish him, but please don’t kill him or permanently disable him…. I can give you myself as a sacrifice if that’s what you want. The money too. I’d do that for my pups.” He said looking down. “I never thought my last meal would be this good.” He chuckled.

“I don’t need sacrifices… Lady Damnit. Who started That rumor?! I’ll lash him at noon and let him sit in the sun an hour or two. The fine for Beta Assault is 30 lashes and two weeks dock pay. I’ll wave the jail time so you can have him today. And I know about the guns. You don’t have to fucking shoot me, it won’t work.” I told him. I had just given myself this idea. I wasn’t lying…. But I wasn’t telling the whole truth. I’d been shot plenty of times, but never anywhere fatal, and not with silver. I wasn’t like the King. If he planted one in something important, I’d die like anyone else…. But if I made him think that I couldn’t… That rumor could work in my favor.

“…. You can’t die?” He asked.

“I can’t feel pain.” I responded truthfully scratching the base of my horns, and he took the bait.

There was a fear placed in the hearts of even my Beta. It had already been confirmed that I really was the actual son of the Lord of Pain… this wasn’t too far of a stretch to make. I changed fate by not killing his stupid son.

I assumed by how he sounded, that THIS was the moment that was altered. I was going to kill him publicly, and send his body to his father to bury…. It would have been my right, but he would have done something in retaliation to make me go up there to kill him, only for it to have been a trap. Or possibly he would have done it now in this moment. I forgot because of my mate and pups needed me.

“Alpha Bryson… I cannot read you.” Said my Beta, as he was nervous. He felt as though he should have broken the silence, as no one wanted to say anything. Ryan thought he was about to die, and regretted leaving his pistol.

“I admit… I am different from most wolves, but I am no tyrant. The other Alphas died because they challenged me, or were a threat to my mate, pack and pups. I don’t wake up to kill innocents. I don’t want or need sacrifices; I am not a bad person. I try not to be anyway, but you assholes make it hard.” I grumbled. He smiled, and relaxed a little.

“Then for the sake of peace… I won’t be ‘an asshole’.” He stood and we shook wrists.

“I assume then that now you truly mean your oath?” I asked.

“Sir with all due respect, I was fucking done with you when I saw what you did to Alpha Black. I’ve never seen anything so gruesome in my life…. Then I saw Greg’s pelt and the only thing I could say was ‘holy shit.’ I figured I was next.” He said honestly, and he showed his neck on reflex. His warriors didn’t like it, but since others saw me as an ancient, not just an Alpha, he didn’t lose any face with them. After all, he was old, but he wasn’t of an old line.

“You were, but I see now that you aren’t a threat.” I got up, and he went with me. They followed me outside. I still didn’t trust him, and I wanted as much space between me and my mate as possible.

The moment I turned the doorknob, I got shot in the chest. My body felt as weak as it had ever been in my life, and I knew this was it. It wasn’t him… but it was destiny I guess.

“Holy shit I Told you to Stand DOWN How did you get that from the armory!” He screamed in a panic pulling his hair. Ryan clawed the gun out of his hand, but in my blurred vision I could see he put is hands up. He didn’t care what happened to himself it seemed.

“He killed my mate….” Said the wolf, who was being taken into custody. “That’s for Thomas you freak.”

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific.” I coughed, trying to get up. My body no longer did what I wanted it too.

I felt cold, looking up at the blue sky. I saw the birds, getting colder. Things started not to matter so much… I didn’t feel pain, but I know this was probably really painful to others. The only discomfort I felt now, was the realization that I didn’t tell my mate goodbye, and that I would leave her alone.

“Tell wildflower I’m sorry.” I said weakly. I don’t think anyone understood me, because I wasn’t breathing anymore. I heard her screaming something, but I couldn’t fight this. I closed my eyes, and felt still as stone.

-----Zackery-----

Everything went in slow motion watching him die. Everything was fine… they had come to a peaceful agreement… something I thought was impossible.

He gurgled blood, saying something but I had no idea what. We watched his eyes close…. And he died.

“Secure the warrior in solitary. We’re shipping him off to CharredMoon.” I said coldly, punching Ryan in the face for causing all this. I wasn’t stronger than him, but he didn’t retaliate.

“I thought Warrior Lionel was stable. I thought he wasn’t armed when we left… but he must have taken it from my office this morning...” He said quietly, and there was a somber silence in the living room.

I heard his mate losing it upstairs, but right now my priority was keeping her from being next. It didn’t seem like some plot or ploy… but if it was, she was still a target. Her father would have to take care of her now; she wasn’t safe here.

“Take Luna to CharredMoon now, she doesn’t need to see this. Mop this blood! It can’t be allowed to seep into the ground!” I said over my shoulder, but she was already halfway down the stairs with her children in one arm, and what looked like a piece of a chair leg in the other.

“No!” She screamed repeatedly, and it broke my heart.

“Luna no!” I got in her way, and it took all I had to keep her from taking her rage out on ever visiting warrior that was in here line of sight.

“Move it Zack!” She screamed, but she soon burst into bitter tears. “I don’t feel him anymore.” She said quietly, and sniffled into me.

I wasn’t sure if he was lying a few moments ago… but I assumed if he wasn’t, that she would still feel him.

The bond only breaks in rejection or death…. I felt bad for someone so young. I’d lived an average life, and I myself was fairly young, only 659 years … but I still couldn’t imagine the pain she was in. She wasn’t allowed to touch her mate, and become covered in his blood… and after her tears she seemed to be in shock. I had Warrior Maika and her mate along with Warrior Commander Paul to escort her in a minivan she could keep, while Gamma Alex drove an SUV to trail them. I hated that she couldn’t stay here…. But she needed to be with her family right now. There was no way I could protect the princess and possible future king or queen of my people as I was.