I inhaled deeply, gathering the strength to speak. My heart was beating in my ribs. Did he find out where I was from and why I was hiding my identity? I had to think before answering. When he talked again, I felt a surge of relief. "I don't think you love my son Derek," he said.
I bowed my head. "You are getting me all wrong, Alpha king. I love your son."
The Alpha king raised an eyebrow. "Then do you know what he does when he is less busy? Do you know why he's still single ?"
I shook my head in response, eagerly waiting for him to continue.
"Derek is single because he hasn't found a mate that matches his aura, if you know what I mean," the Alpha king said, quirking his eyebrow at me.
"Yes, Alpha," I replied, oblivious to why he was saying this all of a sudden.
"And I have reason to believe that you have an aura matching Derek's," he added.
I looked at him, clearly confused about what he meant.
"So, I won't ask again: where are you from?" the Alpha king asked, his eyes piercing.
I stammered, unsure of how to tell the Alpha king that I was one of their enemies.
Just then, Laila, the pack's oracle, strolled into the conversation. "She's not who you think she is, Alpha king," Laila said, pointing at me.
The Alpha king's expression turned curious. "Who is she, then? Speak, I'm listening."
Laila's gaze locked onto mine. "She's a special breed of werewolf with great power that she can hardly control."
The Alpha king's eyes narrowed. "Is that all?"
Laila hesitated. "No, my king. Her power is dark and powerful, and if she doesn't learn how to control it, we might as well be sitting ducks for a greater evil."
I gasped, unsure if they were talking about me or another person in the room. I looked around, but there was no one else.
The Alpha king's voice boomed across the hall. "Then it's settled: she has to leave this pack before she brings her evil here!"
Laila intervened. "No, we can't send her away. She's already surrounded."
The Alpha king looked confused. "I don't understand."
Laila explained carefully. "When she stepped foot in our border, wounded, she got awakened and reconnected your sons. Her powers can help us win the war against these dark creatures if we tread carefully."
I was tired of hearing them talk about me without asking me anything. "Hello, does anyone care that I am in the room?" I raised my hands.
The Alpha king turned to me. "Ariel, you can't stay in this pack anymore. I can't risk the safety of my pack."
I protested. "What are you guys talking about? I am not a danger to anyone. I have always been the weak and pitiful child."
Laila's eyes seemed to bore into my soul. "You have so much to learn about yourself, Ariel. There's so much about yourself that you don't know."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. Maybe shutting up wasn't going to be a bad idea.
The Alpha king spoke again. "It's settled: Ariel will leave..."
Laila cut him short. "She can't leave."
The Alpha king raised an eyebrow. "Why can't she?"
Laila explained. "Because she's now connected to your sons. Anything that happens to her happens to them too."
I almost burst out laughing. Everything was hard to believe. For all I knew, Laila was cooking up some plot against me.
Laila continued. "She will undergo the Luna's Forgery for two weeks to be able to control her powers under my watch."
The Alpha king shook his head. "She can't undergo the Luna's Forgery. She's not even as strong as our women."
Laila chuckled. "My king, you still don't see the amount of power I see radiating from her."
The Alpha king stared at me, probably trying to see if he could sense any power emanating from me.
Laila walked towards the Alpha king, whispering in his ears. He nodded his head in response.
She then stretched out her hands, revealing an object. What was she doing? I muttered to myself as I watched her next move.
She took the object in her hand, and I could feel the energy bursts from it. It was really powerful, and it seemed to make the Alpha king quiver in fear or delight. I couldn't quite tell.
Laila placed the object on the Alpha king's shoulders, and orbs began to emanate from it, surrounding his body.
I watched in shock as Lalia pointed at me, and I felt a strange sensation wash over me. I tried to move, but my body felt heavy, as if it was being controlled by an invisible force.
The Alpha king's eyes gleamed with a mixture of curiosity and fear as he watched me. Laila began to chant in a low, hypnotic voice, and the orbs surrounding the Alpha king began to glow brighter.
I felt a surge of energy build up inside me, and my body began to tremble. Laila raised her hands, and the orbs shot towards me, enveloping me in a blinding light.
I tried to scream, but my voice was trapped in my throat. The light was intense, and I felt my body being lifted off the ground. I was powerless to resist as Laila continued to chant, her voice growing louder and more urgent.
Suddenly, the light vanished, and I crashed to the ground, gasping for breath. Laila stood over me, her eyes blazing with an otherworldly intensity.
"You are indeed the child of prophecy," she declared, her voice dripping with conviction. "And you will play a crucial role in the fate of our pack."
I stared up at her, my mind reeling with questions. What did she mean? What prophecy? And what fate awaited me?
The Alpha king's voice cut through my thoughts. "Laila, what have you done?"
Laila turned to him, a hint of defiance in her eyes. "I have awakened her true power, my king. And now, she will undergo the Luna's Forgery to learn how to control it."
I struggled to my feet, my heart racing with fear. What had I gotten myself into?