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King Romulus' POV

It came as no surprise that Alpha Stephen had his work in order, even his study was exceptionally tidy. Which instantly came to a red flag as Romulus slid his finger across the mantle over the fireplace—Lacking any sort of dust.

"I'm happy you've accepted my last request, Alpha Romulus. I've had the plans for some time, but only managed to make additions this year."
"I wonder why that is, given the state of this pack compared to your neighbors." The King dwelled, his eye still taking to looking at his finger in wonder how this place was so damn clear. Even his own study wasn't as manageable, perhaps he would have to work on that.

"My mate fell ill. Very ill and very quickly. With both her, small pups, and a pack to run, I fell short of my duties and relied on things to be run by my Beta and Delta. Meaning there weren't many changes. I'm very thankful for their help, but over time the funds had piled up and spent wisely." It made sense but still didn't cease Romulus' suspicion.

"It's strange, you have farming lands, a smith shop, a well-stocked school house, and an accredited Healer. The other Alphas seem envious."

"Of my Healer or the rest? Because I can tell you, she is a very hard worker indeed. Finally took to taking two students under her belt, though it did take some convincing." That spoke more than Romulus had been prepared for, what sort of Alpha convinced a pack member to do their job?

"Is she difficult to convince?"

"No sir, not at all. But she worked from home and took to taking house calls. I figure she detests change and has no desire to alter her schedule. With the pupils she needed a place to work, the infirmary is a proud addition." Romulus hummed, clearly, the Alpha was fond of the Healer.
The change in tone was evident.

Thankfully, he felt a few of his Enforcers coming down the hall he turned his head—Expecting the knock. "Come in." He called out, and it wasn't what he prepared to see, not Marrow or Petilo having blood on their uniform. "What the—"

"A human was attacked by a Rogue on the main street down to the farmlands." That had caused the Alpha's panic to pick up. "What?!" Stephen roared, and Romulus' smirk had grown.

Perhaps this Alpha wasn't as timid as he was picking up before. "What happened?" Romulus rephrased the question and the two had looked at one another before Petilo had taken a breath to speak up.

"Passed her by on our way towards the town, not five minutes later—Heard her screaming. The Bastard got her good too. The woman was armed, thankfully. Only a few claw scratches. We escorted her home." Stephen had turned towards the window and looked down.

"Damn, Rhea's gone home."

"Er...Sir, the woman was Rhea. She instructed us on how to clean and bandage it." Marrow followed, and Romulus' suspicion had grown more. Clearly, the Alpha held feelings for the healer.

"I've heard good things about this Healer, I trust you took care of her?" Romulus questioned, and neither of his males nodded instantly. "Yes, sir. She offered us some tea in her home." Marrow said with a kind smile following his comment, and Stephen growled in warning.

It was harmless, given that Marrow was a part of the King's Enforcers, but it acted as a warning.

"The Rogue?" The King asked, his hands now resting on his belt, full attention to the debrief. "Dead, sir. The Healer got him good, our wolves finished him off." A smile had started to play on Stephen's face, or had until he looked at the dagger the female had.

"That's hers?" He questioned, and Romulus' felt his own smirk rise at seeing it. Certainly cost a bit of coin, which was easy to identify from here. And judging from the blood coating the blade, it spoke of the Healer's brave efforts.

Leaving Romulus unable to get angry over the fact that a potential lead had died, he rather have the human safe and alive. Especially considering who she is to the pack.

Not to mention the Rogue sounded like a grunt worker anyhow.

"Rhea...Did she say anything else?"

"Just that she's fine, but seemed eager to have this back." Marrow spoke, but Romulus pulled up his hand in curiosity and his Enforcers had no choice but to come forward and hand it to him—However, Romulus' nose had started to go berserk as he held onto Marrow's arm and yanked him forward, taking a long sniff of the blood staining his uniform.

"Rogue's smelled awful, sure we can track anyone he came in contact with—" The male had fallen silent as Romulus' breathing had started to pick up, quicker as the seconds rolled by.

It was addicting.
It was euphoric.
It—Unlocked a pure flashbulb memory that threw him back to Princess Amory tending to her damned garden, only to scratch herself by a thorn piece of greenery.

Even then, as a pup, his beast had felt distributed by the smell—Growling and whining up a storm that had panicked Amory more than the cut bleeding through the rag.

Romulus knew that humans were much more susceptible to injuries and illness, so her lack of concern was driving him mad. Encouraging her to go to the healer was one of the many instances that still caused him to scratch his head. Wondering what her thought process was for that defiance of his advice.

Romulus was a wolf of few words, especially at a young age. Yet as he patiently awaited for the Royal Healer to stitch it up, he recalled the conversation that the two had.
Amory's interest had just occurred to him.
What perfect alias it would be, to be a Healer.

Yet a wave of new anger boiled into him as he turned to the pack's Alpha—He knew it wasn't in the best interest of the kingdom to kill Alpha Stephen, so he calmed himself with the memory of Amory's voice—A woman who is supposedly still alive.

"Goodness, Romulus! You look white a the linens. Have you seen a ghost?... Healer Binxs, please check on Romulus as well, I think he might be getting sick."

He recalled, from that day until the end of the week that she checked his temperature and make sure he was physically in good health. With his eyes closed, he held out his hand for Stephen to ease up.

"The female, she's alright?"

"Yes, sir. We're headed back that way to return the dagger and patrol around her way. It's a great distance from the main square." Petilo claimed, and Stephen—Who was trying to control his own breathing nodded along. "She likes her privacy, pays her taxes well, and never causes trouble. I will be asking my warriors to do the same." The Alpha's orders were responded with another growl. One that nearly shook the floor that they were standing on.

"My King?" Marrow was a well-rounded Enforcer, and Romulus did not doubt that he was making the young Enforcer grow worried and weary with the way he was acting.

"What I am about to tell you isn't to leave this room..." He warns and the three males nodded without much hesitation, which Romulus was thankful for—As his beast could hardly be held back from much more.

"This isn't just any female, any human. This is Queen Amory." If it had been any other situation, Romulus would have carted his Enforcers for acting and showing too much emotion in being given news.

They were trained to be impassive, yet this slipped through the cracks.

A deceased Queen that was said to be gone for over a decade had finally resurfaced.

"The burns..." Marrow whispered as he looked back towards the room's fireplace, almost in pure disgust. But the King had whipped his head back towards the Enforcer with a new force of energy. "What?!"
Romulus' temper had caused Petilo to move forward, the duo was good at dividing the attention, and it worked in their favor. "She has burns all over her left arm...She claimed it was nearly useless some days." It was that comment that nearly caused him to curl over to the side and allow his beast to sort this through—But what would Amory do in his presence?
There was a reason she hadn't come out of hiding, not even when he passed the Vrovaria Accords.

Not when he planned a holiday in her honor—Nothing.

She remained a ghost, a scarred one at that.

The growl that escaped the King had leveled the room as he stocked out the door and shouted his temperaments to secure the perimeter. And that caused Lyall to divert his attention, groaning as it was clear he had missed something as he hurried after his moody King.

"Sir! Sir! What the hell is going on?!" He shouted, and Romulus simply huffed at seeing the men—Both Enforcers and Red Moon Pack warriors take to protecting and staying with Rhea—Amory.

But Romulus was cunning with ease, if Rhea had stayed in the shadows for this long, then she would want to remain there.

"Romulus, what is going on?" The king had linked Marrow to pass the blooded dagger his way, and the male had done just that before ducking his head after a quick bow. Knowing he had to get his own actions underway.

"I'll be damned if she gets away from me again!" He roared, and that had only agitated his beast further. Unlocking the energy but also denying its existence. Yet Stephen had moved forward, panic in his eyes.

"King Romulus, she is nothing of her title anymore. She's a wonderful Healer, and could live her life here without—"

"She won't be living unprotected by her lonesome as she has for the past decade! She's mine!" That single notion was all that those nearby needed to hear. That this female they were searching for was important to the Alpha King.
And there was only so many types of importance to a wolf.

A mate. A pup and a sibling.

It was clear that it wasn't the ladder, and it had to be the obvious source—Making this mission all the more important, as the Taskforce was built for the very reason of protecting the Alpha King and his family.

And who else was considered family then the most important extenuation to the King, his Luna.

His only regret had manifested yet again, as Romulus blamed himself for not getting to his father sooner—When he escaped the palace all that time ago.

And even now, he was roaring in agony upon arriving Rhea's—Amory's shack of a home completely vacant of anything important and the better part of the forest completely dull of any sort of smell.

It was as if she had completely vanished.
Right into thin air. Again.

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Date: 04/22/23

Time: 8:57

Words: 1890

Author's Note:

He knows! And the Alpha King has sent his sights on finding her!

I'm thinking of posting four chapters a week because I do really want to get this completed by the time the Wattys come out! Hopefully, it works out, time for some speedy editing!

Let me know what you think!