HAPPY SAURAMANA UGADI!

Technically, today is when we celebrate NEW YEAR at home and I wish you all have a healthy and happy new year!

Dedicated to @aaradhana_adithya for being the first person to comment to this story :D

Oh, BTW, This chapter is set THREE MONTHS AFTER the previous chapter. Enjoy!

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LIME-

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of lime is the sour taste and that it is a tedious job to mix sugar or salt in its juice. Which is why I was often too lazy to prepare a lime juice. But drinking lime water can help rejuvenate the skin as lime is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.

Lime water also helps in fighting infection and increasing iron content in your diet. Iron is the nutrient that is much needed for an anaemic.

So yes, I have now officially developed a habit of slicing lime and then preparing the juice whenever I feel like it, which is often! Besides this, I have always loved the fresh scent of lime and Inhaling the scent of the lime is also recommended to prevent nausea.

It's cheap and it is easy to make a lime juice, so yeah, don't be lazy like I was. Drink lime juice often... makes summer heat bearable!

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"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive. Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"
― J.K. Rowling,

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CHAPTER 04 – KING'S PET

SEPTEMBER 2017,

King Stanislaus Winthrop of the Kingdom of Aelius was a king who had an equal number of friends and enemies. He was the best with those who loved him and worst with those who hated him. Being a king, it was natural that several people hated him.

He had been aware of that since the day he had seen a wolf murdering his innocent parents; the former king and queen of Aelius. Often, he has been told to put his kingdom first over family and he had tried his best to do that.

However, he very dearly loved his family and he disliked it the most when those who hated him, targeted any member of his family. It was what being king to a kingdom entailed, his advisors had warned him. The enemies would try to use every weakness and the king knew that and tried his best to stop it, but there were times when his enemies would end up having the upper hand and now, was one such time.

With green eyes, that were widely known to be shrewd, he watched his bodyguard, Alex, almost crush his phone and angrily curse and pace the length of his office room.

"He is demanding a ransom. He wants the entire town of Crescere for himself in exchange for your son" Alex bit out through gritted teeth. "We are already tracking him down and when we find him, we will kill him" Alex swore viciously.

"They have killed his friends?" The king asked, his grey eyebrows deeply furrowed. A man in his mid-sixties, the king who had lost the ability to shift into his wolf, after losing both his hands during a war with the rogues, still invoked fear and respect among his people.

"No. As of now, they have just been held captive. But the fucker has threatened to send us body parts if we do not give a reply to him soon. Starting with the girl" Alex said with a growl.

"What girl? Saint doesn't have a girlfriend" The king said with a frown. He knew his son had a weakness for beautiful women, but he never had a girlfriend before. Saint knew his duties and that included putting the kingdom of Aelius first. The throne demanded that he marry a strong she-wolf and when the time is right, the King knew Saint would oblige with his demands.

"Yes! Well... they had a girl with them. That's why they were near Zeke's lair... for the girl. That's how Ash was able to ambush them."

The growl that emanated from the king— after hearing the name of one of his greatest enemy—echoed around the whole room.

Acheron Zeke, popularly known as Ash had been a pest wandering around the kingdom for a long, long time. To the king Acheron was the kind of needle that is hidden in the chair cushion and kept pricking his ass, making the throne seat highly uncomfortable.

No one knew who Ash was, neither the wolves nor the humans.

To the wolves, Acheron was this mysteriously powerful werewolf, who was nicknamed Ash because that's what remained of his enemies. Bones and ashes. He was deadly, he was fierce and he had only one goal in his life- To take down King Stanislaus, his greatest enemy.

But Ash was far cruel than any of them could imagine. He had the wealth; he had the power to get what he wanted but he was playing his own sweet game with the king. No one knew what he wanted, what his end goal was, but most people suspected it was the throne of the Kingdom of Aelius because why else would he target their beloved king?

To the humans, he was the high-profile software genius, who had accumulated vast wealth but was very generous with it because he often donated a huge amount to charities. He had also several employees working for him because other than being a software developer, Acheron had also shown interest in the real estate and hotel business. However, his identity was a mystery even to them because Ash had once sent a public message stating that the reason, he kept his identity a mystery was because he had enemies who only intended to take him down and he had openly named the king as his prime suspect. It had earned Ash a lot of sympathies and most people understood his need for privacy.

But it was a body blow for the king because after that incident the King knew the people in his kingdom were watching him carefully, waiting for him to slip up.

"Ash? Ash has kidnapped my son?" The king thundered, standing up.

"We don't know for sure sire, but that's what he called himself. It may not be him" Alex said hesitantly. "It wasn't him the last time the kingdom was attacked. It was a gang of thugs led by Johnny Zeke and that bastard does have a lair in Crescere."

"So, you think it's Johnny and his gang?" the king demanded.

Alex hesitated because if it indeed turned out to be Ash and if Saint got killed, then Alex knew the king would want his head too.

"I am not sure but I suspect it's Johnny because he is the only one who would want Crescere for himself. Ash has attacked and killed our men before, but he has never demanded anything from us. He has always taken things forcefully. So, yes, I do suspect this isn't Ash's doing. I think this is the work of that bastard, Johnny. Only he would resort to such methods" Alex said firmly.

Alex knew Ash was too clever to play such petty games of give-and-take. But Johnny Zeke, a small-time thug, who had slowly risen to power, would resort to such cheap tricks.

"But you are not sure?" the king asked suspiciously.

Alex opened his mouth, but then closed again because he wasn't a hundred per cent sure.

"I see," the king said and then inhaled deeply. "Who is that girl?"

"Some human girl" Alex muttered carelessly. "Just a new toy or so I was told by his friends. I was actually on the phone with them when I heard the noises. That's how I was able to track where they have been taken."

"Her family?"

"No idea. I very much doubt they are well known. They had a picture of her, but before they could send it, their car was ambushed. The girl didn't seem to make a lot of noise either" Alex shared.

"That's good. This is going to get messy and if she is killed, I don't want the news to spread out," the king stated fiercely. He wanted his son safe; that's all he cared about!

"I will take care of that. I have my team ready and if you permit, we are ready to attack their warehouse, right now."

"What team?" the king turned to Alex.

"The best" Alex replied proudly. In his mind, he was already picking the best fighters from his pack to join his team.

"Does your best team include Xanthos and Gideon?" the King demanded, narrowing his eyes.

At the mention of Xanthos, Alex stiffened and compressed his lips, for he hated Xanthos Zeke- King's pet.

"There's no need for the Hound to get involved. My team can take them down" Alex replied with a low growl.

Straightening to his full height, King Stanislaus took a step closer to Alex. "Is that so?" he questioned menacingly and Alex lowered his head. "For disrespecting my wish, I want you to make that personal call to Xanthos and ask him to join your team."

Alex's claws were out but he dug them into his palm and then nodding once, he turned and left the room. But once, he had closed the door behind him, he let out a loud, ferocious snarl.

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King Stanislaus did hear that snarl, but he chose to ignore it and then using his prosthetic hand, he picked up the phone and dialled Gideon, who was the son of one of the Alphas' of the Kingdom of Aelius.

The call was answered after ringing for a full minute, "Sire?"

"My office in fifteen minutes," the king stated and cut the call.

Just then, the door to his office was pushed open and the Queen rushed in, her face pink in anguish. Blonde-haired and blue-eyed, the queen who was at least twenty years younger than the king, was also the mother of his two youngest sons.

"Is it true? Did Ash kidnap my son?" she demanded, standing on the other side of the desk.

"Where did you hear it from?" the king countered moving towards her.

"Answer me, Sire, is it true?" the queen cried.

"You will not question me" the king hissed, which made the queen flinch.

"The maids were talking about it and I also overheard Alex on the phone" the queen answered shakily.

"It's true and I have already assigned the best team to rescue him," the king said quietly.

"Then ask them to go now. I want my boy back" the queen sobbed, dropping on the nearest seat. "He is an innocent" she wept. "Why would Ash kidnap him?"

Walking over, the king placed his hands on her trembling shoulders, "My team will get him back" he assured her.

There was a knock and a minute later, the door opened, "I have informed the Hound, he will be here soon" Alex informed and after bowing once, quietly closed the door behind him.

"The Hound?" the queen asked, wiping her tears with a tissue. "You have assigned Xanthos to rescue Saint?"

"For my son, only the best and Xanthos is my best weapon" the king declared resolutely.

•••

The underground prison cell, when built at the time, was also intended to be a torture chamber for those who raised their voices against the throne. Now, hundreds of years later, it kept serving its original purpose.

Dark and damp, it blocked the sun rays from reaching the cold walls and the rusted iron bars. The place reeked of blood, fear and excretion.

For Xanthos Zeke, it was an odour he had come across a lot. Growing up in the ugly slum areas of the kingdom of Scevola and Aelius, he thought he had seen the worst until he had been kidnapped and taken to another such prison cell in Crescere.

Imprisoned, tortured and chained, he had survived the hell and had grown immune to such odours. Sure, they made his nose uncomfortable but the screams, the screams never bothered him because he had never screamed. Never screamed when he was pierced, never screamed when he was burnt or razzed or peeled off like a freshly boiled potato.

Oh! He had heard the screams of his friends and had seen the satisfaction in their eyes, but he had never given them that satisfaction and even though it made them punish him more, it also scared them and that fear... he had bathed in triumph when he had watched that fear in their eyes.

Fourteen years later, he still relished in watching that fear in the eyes of his enemies.

As the prisoners in the nearby cells, cowered and trembled, one side of Xanthos's lips curved upwards and he watched them with cold blue eyes as he buried the face of the prisoner in the box filled with water and large chunks of ice cubes.

The prisoner, who was chained naked to the huge blocks of ice, trembled violently but very unsuccessfully. His deafening screams from earlier had resonated around the prison walls and some covered their ears and closed their eyes, unable to see it while also being fully aware that one day their turn would also come.

"Give me an answer Robbie. Who sent you to attack the king?" Grayson demanded from the struggling prisoner.

Xanthos raised Robbie's head as Grayson bent low, to lean closer and say menacingly. "Give me the name."

"No one sent me" Robbie gasped out and growling, Xanthos once again buried his face in the icebox.

"Who was it? Lysander, Gunner or Ash? Who? I want the name of your boss" Grayson shouted so that he could be heard over the bubbling water and the rattle of chains.

"I came on my own" Robbie croaked when he was pulled out again.

"To kill the king?" Xanthos asked through gritted teeth and Robbie tensed, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Not the king. I wanted to kill Alex" Robbie panted.

"Why?" Xanthos demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"He had sent his men after me when I was unable to repay the debt" Robbie breathed out.

"You expect us to believe that?" Grayson cocked an eyebrow.

"It's the truth" Robbie cried out when Xanthos dug his claws on Robbie's neck.

"And how did you come across this particular Taurus Millennium?" Grayson asked, pulling out the gun that Robbie had used three days ago to attack the king with.

"I purchased it," Robbie said and shaking his head, Xanthos once again dunked his head into the water and kept him there for a couple of minutes.

"Who's the seller?" Grayson hissed, loading the magazine and pointing the gun at Robbie.

When Robbie saw the gun pointed at him, his fear intensified and he spilt out, "It was Johnny... Johnny Zeke. He told me he works for Ash."

"Thank-you Robbie," Grayson said merrily but before he could press the trigger, Xanthos cruelly twisted Robbie's neck, killing him instantly.

There were gasps from nearby cells but Xanthos ignored it all, including the shocked look from his friend's place.

With hands that were soaking in blood, Xanthos stepped out of the cell and as he walked through the long passageway, other prisoners shrank back and lowered their head, refusing to meet his eyes.

Hound!

That's how the people in the kingdom called him because everyone knew that he was the king's, personal pet. The king's deadliest weapon on whom the king had taken a personal interest at a very young age.

Rescued from the torture chambers of Crescere, when he was just a pup, Xanthos and his friends were unconditionally loyal to their saviour— King Stanislaus.

"Your phone's ringing" Grayson growled as Xanthos washed his hands.

When he took the cell phone, he met Grayson's frown head-on and smirked which only made Grayson's golden-brown eyes turn darker.

"Xanthos" he voiced out, pressing the phone against his ear.

"It's Alex" the voice on the other end growled out and as Xanthos raised a brow, Grayson narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"The crown prince has been kidnapped and the king wants you to join the rescue team, now." With that said the line went dead.

Grayson whistled as Xanthos placed the phone in his back pocket.

"The king must have threatened him to make that call. Everyone knows that fucker hates you" Grayson remarked as they climbed the steps.

"The prince has been kidnapped, that's what matters" Xanthos pointed with a frown.

"Well, it was bound to happen one day or the other, given how careless that brat is" Grayson muttered. "Must have messed up with the wrong people and now, you have to clean the mess as usual."

"If the king wants me to do it, I will" Xanthos declared honestly.

"It's become a habit now and it's annoying" Grayson growled, "But on the other hand, if you are late and unable to attend the match tonight, then I will ask Brody to step into the cage and kill your prey. Sounds like justice eh?" Grayson grinned because he knew Brody would be furious Xanthos killed the prisoner, whom Brody had captured in the first place.

"My world is very unjust" Xanthos smirked and nodding once at each other, they parted ways.

While Grayson headed towards the open jeep car, Xanthos climbed into his brand-new black coloured Jeep Compass, that he couldn't wait to show to the king.

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Xanthos never liked the palace located in Terra-Luna, the capital of the kingdom of Aelius. Surrounded by fortified walls, the palace was an ancient imposing building that had stood tall for hundreds of years and had seen the rise and fall of several kings.

When the guards saw him behind wheels, they rushed to open the heavy, solid iron gates.

Estrada, that's what the road leading up to the actual palace was called. It was a long, stretchy road with green pastures on either side. The Imperium Throne seat of the Regius Lupus was visible from the iron gates and Xanthos noticed that the courtroom was vacant, which told him that the king did not want the involvement of others in this issue.

With almost six guards following him, King Stanislaus rushed down the wide steps of the entrance as Xanthos climbed out of his car.

"Sire" he bowed his head to his king, his saviour.

"That's a shiny new car" the king commented, eyeing the vehicle.

"I purchased it the minute the I could afford it," Xanthos said sincerely.

"Good and as much as I would like to know more about its features, I am afraid, I haven't got the time. There is a pressing issue" the king said gravely.

"Alex has already informed me."

"He suspects it's Johnny's doing but I cannot take the risk. If Ash is involved—" The king couldn't finish his sentence. He clenched his plastic fingers and looked away.

"I understand Sire and I promise you that I will get the prince home" Xanthos swore and when they heard a feral snarl, they turned to look at Alex and his team of wolves approaching them.

The wolves all bowed their heads to the king, who merely nodded.

"Where's Gideon?" the king demanded when he couldn't see the wolf, who was a fierce fighter and an almost match to Xanthos's prowess.

"He is on his way" Alex informed.

"So, where have they taken the prince?" Xanthos questioned.

Alex bristled but when the king glared at him, he hesitantly shared the information that the prince, his friends and the girl's location had been tracked to a place about fifty kilometres away from the capital.

"There's an abandoned rice factory there. I guess that's where Johnny and his men are" Alex bit out.

"You seem sure Ash isn't involved. Why?" Xanthos asked curiously, for there was no reason not to suspect the rogue wolf's involvement in this.

"I don't have to share all the details with a mutt like you. You are here only because the king wanted you to join my team" Alex hissed.

"That's because he doesn't trust your team" Xanthos smirked, which caused Alex and the men around him to snarl at the wolf, they all considered as being beneath them.

"Enough" King Stanislaus thundered. "Set your differences aside and work as a team to get the prince home to safety. This is my command."

"Sire," they said in unison and bowed their heads.

The vroom-vroom noise of the motorbike caught their attention and a minute later, the rider parked his bike next to Xanthos's SUV and removed his helmet in a flourish.

Running his fingers on his messy golden hair, Gideon's casual stride towards the king was akin to a male supermodel's runway walk. Taller than everyone in the vicinity and with a posture that oozed confidence, Gideon Croft was the heartthrob of the Kingdom of Aelius. Aware of the charm he possessed with woman, Gideon was also known to be a player.

The female gardeners stared at him lustfully and when he winked at them, they blushed and sighed which caused other male wolves to frown at Gideon.

However, Gideon had a status far above than the others and he overlooked them all as he directly addressed his king. "You asked for me Sire?" he said after greeting the king.

"I did and you know why" the king replied.

An Alpha Blood, Gideon was an only child of one of the eleven Alphas' loyal to the Kingdom of Aelius. Through hazel eyes, he eyed Xanthos, Alex and his team in distaste before saying, "I would rather go alone than take these inept lot."

Everyone snarled but the king raised his hand to silence them.

"You have brilliant leadership qualities Gideon, which is why I chose you to lead this team and bring those who are involved in the kidnapping to my feet" the king proclaimed fiercely.

"As you wish Sire" Gideon smirked and as the king turned to leave, he straightened to his full height and growled loudly, bringing his wolf to the forefront.

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Question: Why is Zeke such a popular last name?

Would like to know what you thought of this... It's an introduction to the Kingdom of Aelius, where the majority of the story is set in.

A MAP OF THE KINGDOM AGAIN...

Also, please vote and comment 😊 Next update on 25th or 26th Arpil.

Thank-you & remember,

STAY HOME. STAY SAFE!