A pair of deep blue eyes captured my attention as I opened my wet hazel eyes to the crowd in front of me, who seemed to now be on their best behaviors, stunning me.
I couldn't tell if it was because of the unfamiliar man that held my gaze, or because of the voice that thundered in the courtyard, defiling Alpha Damian's order with a raw, undeniable authority, which was a very foolish thing to do.
My sixth sense told me they were connected.
Either way, the energy in the place had shifted dramatically. The hostile crowd that was ready to see my blood spill, were now silent with confusion on their faces.
I blinked weakly, breaking the eye contact with the most intimidating eyes I'd ever met. I didn't know how I was able to hold his gaze, but somehow I did, and I felt stupid for it.
I couldn't sense his aura, or wolf because of my present condition, but I could tell from his appearance that he wasn't an ordinary person. No ordinary person would dare confront an Alpha in his territory. That was suicide.
He was clearly a high-class, and high-class ranked wolves weren't supposed to be messed with. These wolves had certain privileges restricted to normal wolves, and they were the exceptions to certain laws in the realm since they were protected by the ruler himself.
Realization hit me, and I weakly smiled hysterically at my thoughts. I was thinking of the future when my life was going to end today.
"Is there a problem, your Highness?" Damian's question directed at the stranger broke me out of my daze.
Your highness?
The serious look on Damian's face was supposed to clear any doubt about me mishearing his question, but my stubborn brain refused to acknowledge it.
What would the ruler of the realm be doing here?
I strained to see the man through my blurred vision. I could barely see his face cause of the sunlight that glowed on him, but the golden ring that shone on his pinky finger, reflecting the harsh sunlight, cleared my doubts. I'd seen too many drawings of that ring to mistake it for another.
My breath hitched as the truth settled in. This man wasn't just another noble. He was the king, the legendary Alexander Fenris.
"Making me repeat my words will cost you more than you can imagine, Alpha Damian," the king said icily with a warning edge that even a fool couldn't miss.
Damian's face twisted with surprise that barely concealed his fury at the King's words. "Your Highness," he repeated, masking his irritation with a shallow bow, "This is the execution we spoke about a while ago that involved the treason." From his facial expression, I could tell he felt the need to state that.
The king barely looked at him. "Why aren't your guards backing down?" he asked, impatiently, his voice dripping with authority that left murmurs in the crowd. "Or have you forgotten who commands this realm, Damian?"
"It'll be treacherous to ever forget this, your Highness. But if I may," the fury in Damian's voice became less concealed, "this is a matter of internal pack discipline. This traitor's punishment is long overdue. Our pack deserves justice for her treason."
The king's eyes, like twin glaciers, turned to his face. "So in essence, you're saying your king shouldn't involve himself in the matters of your pack, Damian? Or am I misinterpreting?"