“This is an unmitigated disaster.” Alpha Jabez shouted at his Luna, angry at the situation that had presented itself.
“Calm down, we have three weeks. Those two girls will fatten up nicely in that time. Alisha has Alpha blood, the scars from the whippings will fade.” Luna Qamra shrugged nonchalantly.
Jabez sighed, shaking his head slightly. Over the years, his love for his mate had not diminished in its all-consuming strength. She was still so beautiful, her honey-coloured hair shone in the late afternoon sun, as they walked together around Mansfield pack grounds, away from prying eyes, and listening ears.
“Mummy and Daddy will be so excited to know that there is a possibility Prince Asher will look on Honey and be her fated mate.” Qamra smiled, the thought sending a wave of happiness through her.
Jabez resisted the urge to sigh, there was no guarantee the prince was mated to his daughter, but his mate refused to believe that. She was quite determined to have her daughter the next queen, securing her future, and the fortunes of them both. As always, he did not have the heart to burst her bubble of unrealistic expectations.
“But fated or not, it is of little regard. One look at our beautiful daughter, and he is sure to take her as his chosen mate.” Qamra gave Jabez an assured nod of her head.
“That reminds me, she will need new clothes, the best money can buy,” Qamra determined.
Jabez, again sighed, this was clearly going to cost him more funds than he could afford. It was little use refusing his mate’s requests though, as one look in her sky-blue eyes that would inevitably fill with tears if he refused, would bring him to his knees, and agree to her every demand.
“We must also speak with that pathetic Omega from Edensor, and have her purchase better food, to serve his royal highness,” Qamra stated.
It was no surprise that the Matlock Pack Luna hated all Edensor pack members, but they were a necessary evil, to secure extra funding, along with keeping the small but strategically placed Edensor pack lands under their control, so she tolerated them, and only encouraged her mate to whip their pathetic Alpha.
“Are you sure we have to feed those two Edensor ungrateful pups three times a day? If Alisha is given too much nourishment, and no punishments, she may access her wolf.” Qamra sighed, hating that the girl may pose a threat to the lands their pack required to keep any attacks from the south, and Derby’s pack at bay.
Secretly, she understood, Alisha was a stunningly beautiful girl. Her long, brown naturally glossy hair, and big hazel eyes, even though she had taken whipping after whipping, and was totally malnourished, were unrivaled in their attractiveness. In a prudential light, she was even more stunning than Honey. Not that Qamra would ever admit that out loud. The thought of adding meat to the young Alpha’s bones, giving her womanly curves, did not sit well with her. Plus, if they dressed her in fine clothes, her plan to have the heir to the throne fall for Honey may be derailed.
“Can we not just tell the prince that Alisha and Iesha are away from the pack?” Qamra asked her mate.
“He has a gift of discernment; he will spot the lie as soon as we utter it.” Jabez sighed.
“So why don’t we bring them here? Mammy and Daddy will not mind having extra help around this pack. Keep them both from the prince’s sight.” Qamra suggested.
Jabez looked at his mate, she was as cunning as she was beautiful.
“That could work. But we will still need to feed and clothe them better. Your father will be pissed if he sees the state of them. When is the prince due to visit this pack?” Jabez asked, knowing his father-in-law was a strong but fair Alpha and did not have the same vengeance streak as his daughter.
“In the first week of his tour, so we could wait until he finishes his visit, then transport the ungrateful girls here, giving us a couple of weeks’ grace before he visits us.” Qamra smiled, twirling her honey hair around her index finger, a cute action, that was only evident when she hatches an evil plan in her mind.
“Yes, that would work. That way we do not have to waste money on feeding them any more than usual for more than a week or so. Nor do they need any really fancy clothes, and we can continue to punish the ungrateful little bitch, but not with whippings.” Jabez smiled, gathering his mate in his arms and placing a kiss on her marking spot.
“Later, we have no time for mating activities. I have shopping to do.” Qamra grinned, pushing her Alpha away, and making him groan in disappointment.
“I will go talk to Mummy and Daddy, and have them agree to the plan.” Qamra smiled happily, heading back towards the brick-built converted barn that the Mansfield pack used as their pack house. The older and mated pack members lived in small whitewashed cottages dotted around the allotted pack lands.
Qamra walked into her Alpha Owen’s office, without so much as a knock.
“Daddy,” Qamra shouted excitedly, not showing any consideration that her father was talking on the telephone.
The old Alpha sighed in frustration. He had thought he had ridden himself of his spoilt daughter the day she was mated to Jabez. However, once in a blue moon, she would arrive back at his pack, demanding his pack members do her bidding. He always hid in the sanctuary of his office, keeping out of her way, barely spending more than a couple of hours per day with her during her infrequent visits.
He bore the blame for his daughter’s misgivings, having allowed her to become entitled and spoilt, under the care of her mother. He had spent his years preparing his son for leadership, to take over the pack, placing all of his energies into his training. His daughter was left to the care of Louise, his kind, and loving mate, whose soft heart lacked the resolve to discipline their only daughter. Now, his granddaughter was following in her mother’s footsteps, becoming a spoilt, entitled wolf who had no grip on reality.
As much as he hated what Qamra had become, he still loved his daughter, and for his own peace and sanity, he would let her have her way, compounding the problem. He had hoped Alpha Jabez would bring her into line, but the man was weak, lead around by the balls by his strong-willed daughter.
Hanging up the call from the Royal pack’s Beta Luke, he looked at Qamra, who grinned back at him, her eyes dancing with excitement, but with the steely resolve that whatever she wanted, she was not going to leave him in peace until she got it. Qamra was acting more like an excited teenager than the 50-year-old Luna she was.
“Qamra, might I remind you this is no longer your pack? I request that you knock before entering the Alpha’s office.” Owen sighed in frustration.
“Oh, daddy.” Qamra waved off his rebuke, taking a seat in his receiving chair.
“Alpha.” Jabez, his son-in-law entered, bowing with respect to him, his wavy light brown hair bobbing, due to keeping a style that was more fitting for the 1980s than the current fashion.
“I need you to do something for me.” Qamra smiled, oblivious to the fact her actions more than irked her father.
“What is it now Qamra?” Owen sighed, mind-linking with Louise to come help sort out her daughter’s latest request.
“I need you and Mummy to look after those two ungrateful Alpha Pups from Edensor. We are having a royal visit. I have high hopes for Prince Asher and Honey. I do not want those two spoiling things. I have told you how ungrateful and evil the pair of them are.” Qamra effortlessly lied.
It was true, Qamra had often spoken to his wife about the misdemeanours of Alpha Alisha and her sister. If his daughter was to be believed, the pair of them were the devil incarnate. However, Owen was skeptical that their crimes were little more than soon Alisha would access her wolf, and Jabez would lose the lands of Edensor pack, thus making his pack vulnerable to attack from rogues who lived south of those lands, along with Alpha Edward in the Derby pack.
Owen let out a breath, it was true that the Prince was doing middle England’s pack visits this year. His own scheduled appointment has been just confirmed by Beta Luke of the Royal Crescent Moon pack.
“When is the prince visiting you?” Owen asked, as Louise, his mate walked into the office, looking as beautiful and graceful as the day he met her.
“Three weeks.” Qamra smiled.
“No can do, we have our own visit at that time. It has just been confirmed. I also have an Alpha conference to attend with the King the week prior to the visit as well.” Owen said, shaking his head.
“But daddy!” Qamra protested, as Jabez instantly went to her side, wrapping his arm around her, in a bid to calm her down, before she had a full meltdown at not getting her own way.
“This is your granddaughter’s future you are putting at risk.” Qamra stamped her foot.
Owen sighed, as Louise walked over to their daughter, unable to see her so upset.
“Maybe we can work something out, I am sure your Daddy doesn’t want to hinder Honey in any way.” Louise mollycoddled the Luna who behaved more like a petulant child.
“I did not receive an invite for this conference from the King,” Jabez said, obviously offended that he was not deemed good enough for an invitation.
“It is for the Alpha’s moving into retirement, and those looking to serve as Elders and Adviser to the crown.” Owen sighed.
“Oh, so you are going to let Qasimi finally take over,” Qamar said with a pout.
“Yes, I am handing over the reins of the pack to your brother. I will be disappointing the king as well, as I am going to spend my remaining 100 years or so traveling the world with your mother.” Owen said, smiling at his mate, who even after 170 years of being mated still blushed like the first day he met her.
“He has finally met his mate, and they have produced their heir.” Owen smiled. His son was a good wise man and would make a fantastic Alpha for his pack. He was a far cry from his daughter, and Owen felt a degree of satisfaction that at least he had gotten that right.
“Yes, yes. I know all about Rob. Lillian has done nothing but goes on about how wonderful the pup is since I got here.” Qamra sighed, clearly jealous of the attention afforded by, not only her brother and his mate, but the pack and her parents to the 4-month-old boy.
“Just keep the girls away from his royal highness. It should be easy enough to do.” Louise smiled at her daughter, hoping she wouldn’t be too disappointed that her mate could not accommodate the two Alpha girls this time around.
After birthing her son Qasimi, Louise had longed for a girl to play dress up with, but it took 7 more years before a heat resulted in the birth of Qamra. As a result, Louise had spoilt her daughter, unable to say no to her as a little girl, and even now, as a 50-year-old Luna in her own right. Although, because of the longer life span of werewolves, she looked no more than 23 years of age, Louise only ever saw the cute little pup dressed head to toe in pink and frills when she gazed at her daughter. To her, Qamra would remain her little pup, even if she did have a teenage pup of her own.
Qamar’s eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her father. Jabez instantly held her tighter to him, unable to bare seeing his Luna so upset.
“Alpha, is there nothing you can do to help your daughter and me? This is a great opportunity for your granddaughter, we cannot allow anything or anyone to jeopardise that.” Jabez asked.
“Not this time.” Owen sighed, more resolved than ever to not give in to his daughter’s whims.
Defeated in her attempted manipulation of her father, Qamra stormed off to the room she was staying in, anger bubbling in her stomach.
“So, we have to feed them two ungrateful girls. But unless they are asked for, I refuse to present them to the prince.” She huffed to Jabez.
“Yes, I agree. Let’s hope that it does not come to that.” Jabez agreed, secretly hoping that he could successfully hide Alisha and Iesha from the royal family, or maybe find a way to dispose of the pair of them permanently. After all, a rogue attack had worked the first time he wanted rid of the Wilson family and gain the rights to their perfectly placed pack lands. Chapter Five - The Forgotten Mate of the Future King.