Alpha King Ethan's POV

I scoffed, "Nice one. Are you trying to strike a deal with me?"

"No, Alpha. I'm just...I'm just trying to tell you that I'm not the real killer of your wife."

Fynn hit her. "Shut up! You conniving bitch! You killed Luna Margaret. You dropped her body on Sky blue pack's road two days later to make us believe they killed her."

I turned around, facing Fynn and the she-wolf.

She bowed her head to me, "Alpha, I didn't kill your mate. I'm just a servant girl. Kidnapping your wife and dropping her body by the roadside was my master's order."

I smirked, I will be damned to believe her.

"And who is your master?" I asked.

"Colin Heather." She answered and I chuckled.

"HEY! How dare you?" Fynn scolded her and tried to hit her when I signaled him to stop.

I walked to the she-wolf.

"Did you say Colin Heather?"

She nodded quickly.

"And what do you know about him?" I asked her.

"He's my master. He recruits weak wolves and even rogues and trains them to become high end assassins." She answered quickly, her face looking down.

"So you're an assassin? You're even more deadly than I thought." I concluded.

She looked up at me nervously. "I'm not an assassin, Alpha. I don't have a wolf. I'm as weak as a day-old pup."

"Liar. Don't believe her, Your Majesty."

I turned to look at Fynn. He didn't need to tell me. I didn't believe anything the woman was saying.

Colin Heather, whom she claims is her master, was my half brother. He died thirty two years ago.

I clenched my jaw. Anger rising in me. How dare she try to fool me?

"Continue Fynn." I ordered my beta and turned around, leaving. Fynn started the machine and its creepy sound vibrated through the basement.

"My car! You'll find a flash drive in a black bag in my car." I halted and she continued speaking and breathing heavily, "The flash drive contains the video record of my master and all he did to your wife. Also his conversations with her before he killed her."

I snorted and walked out.

"Come to my office now." I mindlinked Fynn and as soon as I walked into my office, he walked in behind me.

"Are you giving what she said a thought? You know she's just trying to buy time for herself."

I turned and faced him. "Get the flash drive."

Fynn's face showed with shock, "What? You believe her?"

"That's not the point, Fynn. We can't afford to act blindly at this time. If she's lying, she just earned herself a slower gruesome death."

"Okay, Your Majesty." He bowed and left.

Fynn returned hours later with the flash drive and we watched the video it contained. It was as the shewolf said. But I doubt the man in the video was my step brother. He didn't look anything like the brother I remember.

Colin died when he was just eight years old. He drowned in the pack river. I saw his body before it was cremated. I still have his ashes.

The she-wolf was lying about her master. She was playing a game with me.

Fynn and I returned to the basement.

I excused the guards, allowing us a lone time with the she-wolf.

"Why did you record your master?" I asked her.

"I knew he was going to pin your mate's death on me. He was done using me and was going to use your mate's death to discard me. That's what he always does."

"Let's say I believe you, where do we find him and how?"

"You can't find him if he's in his hideout. And you can't go there either. The massive technology and security system will kill you with just a step in. You will have to lure him out. And there's only one man on earth who can do that."

"Who is that?"

She looked into my eyes. "His father. Houston Macduff. Don't bother searching for him on the internet. You will never find him. Only I know how to reach him. Well, of course, if they haven't logged me out of the system thinking I'm dead."

I scoffed and looked deep into her eyes. I saw the confidence in her.

"How can you give me this much information when you're not sure that you will live?"

"I just gave you some information. You can't do anything with the information because you can't find Colin or his father on your own. You don't even know where they are. I bet you, I'm your only ticket to finding them. You need me alive more than dead."

"Are you striking a bargain with me?"

She smiled, "Maybe, it's up to you, Alpha. Keep me alive and after I get you the killers of your mate, let me go."

"And who are you to strike a deal with me?"

Fear filled her eyes but she mustered up courage again.

"I am no one. In my pack I was an ordinary omega. With my master, a servant. All my life I've been a nobody. I'm in no position to strike a deal with you because you can kill me at any time.

But if you kill me, you will be killing an innocent girl and you will never find the real killers of your mate. Mind if I tell you that my former master wasn't really after your mate, he is coming for you and your pretty kingdom."

I chuckled, looking at her keenly. She amazed me with her bravery. No one dared to speak to me like she did.

"Fine."

"What?" Fynn drew closer to me, "Your Majesty, you can't trust her. She's a liar and you know that. Colin is dead. She's just blabbing. This could be a trap."

I looked over my shoulder at him, "Who says I trust her?"

She glared at Fynn. "You think I'm lying?" She scoffed, "I only have my life to lose if it turns out that all I'm saying is a lie. But if it's the truth...your throat will be slit before your eyes and you will lose your awesome kingdom. Worse, your king might lose his life."

Her gaze shifted to me, "And you won't be able to avenge your wife's death before you die."

"You dare speak death upon the Alpha king?" Fynn growled at her and she shrunk in fear.

I signalled him to stop.

"Alpha," She called desperately and I looked at her, "I just need seven days. Seven days. And I will bring you the real killer of your mate. I won't try to run away. I won't try anything stupid. Please..."

I fixed my eyes on her hazel ones, "You're quite interesting. And your boss is even more interesting that I've become curious. You chose this mission by yourself so if you succeed, you get to live and if not, you face your judgment for killing my wife."

She breathed deeply in relief, "Thank you, Alpha king."

"Your Majesty," Fynn called in concern. He didn't like my decision.

"Untie her, Fynn. Henceforth, she's my personal maid."

"What?"

I turned to look at him.

"Find somewhere else to fix Holly." I ordered him and left for my office.

Valerie's POV

I stood nervous in the king's room. He was arguing with his beta.

"Your Majesty, I don't get why you would let this girl sleep in your-"

"Why can't she? She's my personal maid afterall." The King cut him off.

"Ethan." The short man called, surprised.

"Go away. I want to sleep." The King laid on his bed and the short man stood watching him silently. He turned to me, giving me a cold stare before leaving the room.

I rolled my eyes.

He shouldn't have looked at me like that. I didn't want this either.

I felt very uncomfortable sleeping in the Alpha king's room. So many ugly thoughts ravaged my mind. Thoughts like him transforming in the midnight and digging out my heart out of my chest while I'm deep asleep.

Aish!

I shook my head as if shaking the thoughts from my mind. They've succeeded in making me feel eery. And now I'm scared to close my eyes even though I know I need some sleep.

The past days have been horrible. I stayed awake for seventy two hours, tied to a chair and watching my brother's innocent blood dry on the cold floor of that damn basement.

The ugly short man, Fynn or whatever he was called, had wanted to destroy my pretty face. He didn't hit me anywhere else aside from my face, making my face all swollen and full of bruises and it would take days for me to heal since I didn't have a wolf.

"You'll be sleeping on the couch. Get some rest. Your work starts tomorrow." I heard the King say.

I walked to where the couch was and laid down. I closed my eyes afterwards and sleep took me in no time.

The low growls in the room woke me up. And suddenly there was silence. As if it knew I was awake. I sat up and looked around in fear. I noticed the King's bed was empty.

My eyes darted to the wall clock. It was 12:03 a.m.

My heart beat raced. Could it be...?

No, no, no. It can't be.

That was just my thought. The King wouldn't try to kill me in the middle of the night.

The low growls started again accompanied by low whimpers. The noise was coming from a corner of the bedroom.

I trembled.

What could be there?

I forced myself to my feet despite my panic and tip-toed quietly to the corner the growl was coming from.

I stopped before a door that was left ajar and peeped into the room. It was a closet and the king was in there, lying on the floor and holding a photo to his chest. The low growls were from him. His eyes were tightly closed and tears trekked down his face.

He was in deep pain. I could see it from where I stood.

My heart melted seeing him like that. He was the Alpha king, a mighty Alpha who earned himself the name Alpha of death because of his brutality.

Everyone believed he had no emotion whatsoever. He would kill like it was nothing, tear down packs and alliances like they didn't matter.

But now he was right before my eyes in tears and pain.

I sighed and turned to leave when his next word stopped me on my track.

"Maggie..."

Maggie? Luna Margaret?

I turned again and looked at him. I pitied him. He was in this much pain because he lost his mate.

He moved slightly and I realised the danger of him catching me looking at him in his weak state. I quickly tip-toed back to the couch and laid down.

He walked into the room minutes later and I closed my eyes quickly. It didn't take long for me to sleep off.

I jolted awake at the cold hands that tapped me. It was the king.

"Get up, lazy bone. I'm hungry." He said.

I stood up quickly and bowed my head to him. I rushed out of the room, headed to the kitchen even though I didn't know where it was. The sky was bright and blue and thankfully, I met a guard who directed me to the kitchen.

"Who are you?" An elderly woman whom I met in the kitchen asked.

"Uhm...I'm Valerie. I'm here because the Alpha is hungry."

The woman chuckled.

I didn't know why.

"And who is Valerie?" She asked further.

"I'm the Alpha's new maid." I answered.

Her brows furrowed, "New maid?" She frowned, as if realising something, "The king would have told me if he got a new maid. You're a spy. Guards!"

I shook in fear and panicked as the guards rushed in.

The woman pointed at me. "Take her. She's a spy."

"No, I'm not!" They paid deaf ears to my words and grabbed my hands, pulling me along with them.

"Please, I'm not a spy! You should talk to your Alpha. Or take me to him at least." I told the guards.

"And who are you to see our king?" One of the guards holding me snarled at me before pushing me into the dark cell.

The guard who snarled at me earlier smirked as he locked the cell gate. "Your beauty isn't going to save you, little spy. But if you warm my bed tonight, your punishment will be less."

I scoffed and looked away from him.

"It's a good deal, right? Think about it." He left.

I took a deep breath and crouched down. I was angry and frustrated.

I sighed.

"My life is a total disaster." I mumbled.

I stayed long in the prison before Fynn walked in with the stupid guard. The guard had come earlier asking me to reconsider his stupid offer and I ignored him again.

"I'm sorry, Fynn. She was a new face. I had no idea she was the king's maid."

"Now you know. Open the cell."

The guard quickly did as the short man had said.

"Follow me." Fynn said to me and I followed him to the king's bedroom.

The king was eating and chuckled when he saw me.

"I asked you for breakfast not to be locked up in a cell."

"The woman in the kitchen mistook me for a spy." I told him.

"Don't blame her. Not many people know I changed my maid. Fynn, remind me to introduce her to the castle workers later so that what happened today won't repeat itself."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Have you eaten? Come, join me." The king said to me,

"Thank you, Alpha. I'm full." I lied. There was no way I would dine with the Alpha of death. The food would taste like death.

"You wasted your first day in the cell. Don't blame me if you don't meet your seven days deadline of finding my mate's killer."

"I know. That's why I need to go clubbing tonight."

The king looked up at me. He was surprised.

"It's not what you're thinking, Alpha. I'm only going there to look for someone. Someone who can tell me where and how to find Houston Macduff."

Alpha King Ethan's POV

"She's so hot." Fynn commented. His eyes were stuck on Valerie's dancing body, "She's really a good dancer."

Something stirred within me as I watched my beta's lustful eyes on Valerie. "You have a wife, Fynn. Take your eyes off her."

Fynn huffed, "Sarah will understand. She always does."

"You know that's not proper, right? She's not just your wife but the mother of your precious daughter. She deserves some respect."

Fynn eyed me. "Fine. I'm looking away."

I sipped my wine, watching the eyes of other men drool over the bodies of the strippers on stage.

I couldn't deny how well the strippers danced. They understood their job. But Valerie's body moves were exceptional. Enchanting. She stole the stares of most of the men in the room. I saw the hunger in their eyes for her. They wanted her.

I clenched my jaw.

How dare they want her? I struggled to suppress the urge to storm the stage and drag her out with me, to make them know she belonged to me.

"What's wrong, Ethan? You seem annoyed." Fynn asked, his eyes studied me.

"Nothing." I answered plainly.

He chuckled. "Don't tell me you're seduced by her too."

"Shut up."

"Okay." He sipped from his wine glass.

I noticed how Valerie's seductive gaze has remained on one man since she got on stage.

"Who is he?" I mumbled to myself, looking at the man.

"Who?" Fynn asked, looking behind him.

"Him. There." I said and Fynn followed my eyes.

"Oh, that's the new Mayor."

My gaze shifted to Fynn. "Mayor?"

"Mmhmm." He nodded and continued, "Hugh Grant, he's the youngest Mayor since the origin of New York City."

"He should be in the VIP room, not here." I said, looking at the man.

"Maybe he loves it here. Who wouldn't love the view of all these pretty girls dancing at once." Fynn muttered and turned to look at Valerie again.

"Take your eyes off her, Fynn."

"Shit." He turned to me, his eyes full of annoyance. "But she's way out of your league. You can't have her."

I frowned. "I didn't say I wanted her."

Fynn rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Huh, where did they go?" He asked, looking around.

I looked quickly at the stage and it was empty. The girls were strolling out of stage to meet the men. I looked around quickly for Valerie and couldn't find her.

"Damn it! Where is she?" I asked and stood up.

Fynn followed.

"Find the girl." I mindlinked my guards and they got busy looking around.

Fynn joined them while I remained in the hall. Just in case, she returned.

Time ticked fast, seconds ran into minutes and I heard nothing from Fynn or my guards.

"Any sight of her?" I asked in the mindlink.

"Not yet, Your Majesty."

I forced myself to take a deep breath to calm myself. Valerie better not do anything stupid. Else...

I stilled as another thought flashed in my mind.

Could she be in danger?

The Mayor.

He could be the one she came to meet here. And if he's working for her master, then...

"Check the rooms. The VIP's, make sure you scout the entire building for her and do it quickly. She might be in danger." I ordered in the mindlink.

"Got it, Your Majesty." Fynn responded in the mindlink.

I felt the wetness in my palms as my hands fisted. I was growing impatient. The time on my phone screen told me ten minutes had passed since my last mindlink with Fynn.

Killer stirred within me, his unease collided with mine. Something was wrong. Valerie might be in danger.

I stood up, making up my mind to look for her myself when the mindlink opened.

"Your Majesty, we found her. But..."

"What?" I asked quickly.

"She's unconscious. She was almost raped."

"Where are you guys?"

"Room 102."

I ended the mindlink and rushed to the room. I met my guards standing around the bed where she laid. Her mask was off her face and her make-up was ruined. Her body was covered with white sheet.

My jaw grinded.

"Who did this?" I asked.

"The Mayor." Fynn answered.

"And you let him leave?"

"Your Majesty, he's a politician. We can't do anything to him here and at this time with this much crowd around."

I looked over my shoulder, releasing my aura. My beta and guards bowed their heads to me. They knew they'd offended me by letting the Mayor leave.

"Your Majesty, we will bring the Mayor to you another time." Fynn said.

"Get out. All of you." They left quickly and I went to Valerie. Her neck was red and sore. There were small injuries on her neck caused by finger nails.

The Mayor didn't just try to rape her. He tried to strangle her to death.

Why?

Damn it!

I pulled the sheet away from her body. She was naked. I covered her back immediately.

I growled.

How dare the Mayor?

Killer whined inside me.

"She's not safe. They will come for her." He whispered in my mind.

"Let them come." I snarled.

Valerie belongs to me now. Any one after her would have to pass through me to get to her.

I scooped her into my arms and left some dollar bills on the bed as a payment for the white sheet.

After an hour drive we got to the castle and I asked Liz, the woman who reported Valerie as a spy, to bath Valerie. She was the only one I could trust with Valerie since I couldn't bathe or take care of her myself.

When she finished, I helped her lay Valerie on my bed. I didn't miss the shocking look on Liz's face all through the process. She found it strange that I showed this much concern for a servant girl.

She had questions but I stopped her.

"Ask me some other time, Liz."

She gave me a warm smile and nodded. "It's okay." She patted my shoulder, "Have some rest. I will leave now."

"Thank you." I muttered and she left.

I looked at Valerie. She was a sleeping beauty. I covered her properly with my white duvet before strolling into the bathroom to wash my face. I finished and walked into my closet where I changed into my wine-colored nightrobe.

I was shocked to see a masked man dressed in black standing next to my bed.

An assassin.

I charged at him but he was faster and jumped out my window.

"A man jumped out of my room window now. Find him." I ordered my guards in the mindlink and in the next second the castle alarm blew off.

I ran back to Valerie who was bleeding profusely on my bed. A knife was stuck to her chest.