Chapter 34: Chapter 34
[Tyler’s POV]
It had happened again. Nivera had suddenly disappeared without telling a single soul where she was going to. I felt more annoyed than worried over her whereabouts. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that she had definitely gone to be with the vampire. Had the night we shared not been of importance to her? Did it mean nothing at all? How was it possible that she still had feelings for the vampire when she was my mate?
I drummed my fingers on the table, thinking deeply. There was a conspiracy going on, and I needed to get the bottom of it all.
“Your highness, your highness,” the Beta called repeatedly, jarring me from my thoughts.
I was a bit shaken and looked up, then remembered a meeting with the elders of the Pack was currently going on.
“Alpha Tyler, did you hear anything we just said?” Beta Steven asked.
“Not really. What exactly did you say? I was preoccupied with more pressing thoughts,” I explained.
The Delta cleared his throat and spoke. “We have come to a conclusion about the runaway Omega…”
“She didn’t run away. She’s missing,” I objected.
“And how can anyone be sure about that? This isn’t the first time she has left the palace without telling anyone,” the Delta said.
“Yes, exactly,” the rest of the elders chorused.
I clenched my fists tightly. “So, what conclusion did you reach?” I inquired.
The Beta was the one who spoke. “We have decided to give the Omega, Nivera Hayes, a period of twenty-four hours to return back to the palace or she can kiss being the Luna goodbye,” he said.
I thought about it for a moment, then decided to give in to their demand. It was normal that they would be angry; especially since it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. “Okay, then. I’ll get my warriors to…”
“No one shall search for her either, not even you, your highness,” Elder Jackson said, relaxing even more in his seat.
“Who are you to tell me…”
“It is what the majority of us have agreed on, and in accordance with our customs and tradition, you are bound by our decision,” another elder said.
“How dare you!” I yelled aggressively, standing to my feet.
“I wouldn’t get so worked up if I were you,” the tiny, yet audible voice of the Gamma said. My eyes met hers, and she smiled softly, then placed her cup of tea on the saucer. She was the only female member that was part of the council of elders.
“Come again?”
“I’m very sure you heard me, my beloved Alpha,” she said, then flicked her brown hair to the side. “This is a matter which concerns the future Luna of the Crescent Pack, and we have every right to express our feelings without you getting all angry and annoyed. It is no news to us and the other Pack members that the Omega enjoys running off all the time. She’s soon to be the Luna, and yet, she repeated that same act.
“Perhaps, there’s something you’re not telling us. Are you sure she wants to be the Luna of this Pack? Does she have any family or friend we don’t know off that she goes to visit whenever she goes on her disappearing journeys? Is she fit to be a Luna with the people’s interests at heart when she might not fulfil her duties, but run off every now and then for her personal interests?” she asked in a calm voice, and the elders nodded their heads in approval.
“She didn’t leave for her personal reasons,” I said, but they obviously had their minds made up and weren’t going to believe a word I had to say.
“And how can you be so sure? You still haven’t said a word to anyone about how you found her the last time. For all we know, she might be taking these missing trips to provide information about us to our enemies, or perhaps, she might even be gracing a stranger’s bed as we speak!” the Gamma said.
An overwhelming feeling of anger rushed through my veins and my heart boiled with fury as she made that statement. I didn’t hesitate in unsheathing my sword from its scabbard, then placed it firmly on her neck, shocking her to the bone. The elders all stood up at once in total disbelief and awe.
“Your highness, please, don’t kill her,” they begged.
“Give me one reason I shouldn’t do that!” I roared loudly. “I have been too soft lately, have I not? Answer me! No one, especially this mere woman would have dared spoken such vile words about the woman I care about if it was just a few months ago, but because I have reduced my hard touch, you people now believe you can say whatever you like to my face? How dare you!” I thundered.
The fear was evident on the Gamma’s face and her teeth chattered as she searched for words.
They all fell to their knees instantly and bowed low, shaking with visible fear. “Forgive us, your highness. We were wrong,” they said.
The sharp side of the sword had began to tear softly at the Gamma’s neck and a drop of tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry, your highness. Please, have mercy on me. Please, your highness,” she pleaded, trembling terribly.
“Let this be a lesson to you all that you have no say over anything that happens in my life or in the Pack as a whole. Anything I discuss with you here is a mere formality. As things have always been done my way, they would continue to be done my way,” I stated.
“Your wish is our command, your highness,” they said in unison.
I lifted the sword off her neck and stared at the guard who was standing beside the door. “Get me those two fools that let Nivera out last night,” I said.
“Yes, Alpha,” he said, then made a turn and marched off.
I didn’t want to think about it at all. It wasn’t what the Gamma had said that had annoyed me, but it was the thought that she might be right that had upset me. What if like the other time, nothing was wrong with her and she was actually busy being all lovey-dovey with the vampire? Worst still, what if he was having sex with her right now? Even much more worse, what if she liked it better with him?
I groaned aloud in frustration, then composed myself on realising everyone’s eyes was on me.
“Watch what you say next time,” I said to the Gamma, flashing her a cold glare.
“Thanks for your grace, Alpha Tyler,” she said, bowing low.
Not long later, the guard came in with the two security guards who had let Nivera out of the gate the previous day.
They fell to their knees immediately they were in my presence, shaking terribly.
“Your highness, please, forgive us. We shouldn’t have let the Omega out,” one of them said, grovelling at my feet.
“You shouldn’t have, but you did so anyway,” I said, expressing the disgust I felt towards them.
“I had no idea that we were supposed to not let her out without your permission. I just started working as a security guard at your sacred Palace a few days ago. I only opened the gate because my master here asked me to,” the other one said.
“So, it is your fault then,” I said, eyeing the first one furiously.
“She said she will be right back, and I thought…”
“Whatever you thought is useless now,” I stated, and with that, I slashed his throat furiously and he collapsed to the floor with a thud as his blood splashed across the walls of the throne room and gushed out heavily. He held onto his neck, choked, struggled for a bit then gave up the ghost.
The other one crawled away from the scene in fear as he shuddered with visible fear on his face. He was scared and he believed he was next.
“I’m sorry, your… your highness… I… I…” he couldn’t complete his words as tears kept rolling down his cheeks, with his eyes never leaving the corpse of his colleague who had just been alive only seconds ago.
I approached him calmly, and he didn’t move, but closed his eyes and awaited his fate.
“I’m giving you twenty-four hours. Find the Omega you let out. If you come back empty-handed, you’ll suffer the most excruciating pain in the hottest furnace then die, and if you don’t come back at all, your entire family will be slaughtered and their bodies will be fed to the vultures,” I said to him in a low, draggy but firm tone.
“Your highness…” he said, then paused, looking at me with sad eyes.
“If I were you, I’d hurry up and start looking for her right now. The clock is ticking,” I said.
“Thanks for…,” he swallowed, then tried again. “Thanks for showing me mercy, Alpha King Tyler,” he said, then with a quick bow, he stood up and ran out of my presence.
“You are all dismissed,” I said to the elders, then walked out of the throne room, holding the sword which fresh blood still dripped down from.
My heart was heavy and my thoughts were cold. If she didn’t return within a day, I’ll go in search of her by myself, and if she really was with the vampire, I’d make sure it is her last day on earth. As for the vampire, he would beg for death but wouldn’t be granted the mercy of dying.