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King Romulus' POV

He felt a disturbance, one that didn't leave him even when he traveled with his beast—Refusing the carriage that Wilhelm had wrongly assumed he'd need, but even Delta Lyall wasn't all too supportive of him freely running in his beast.

The latest intel suggested that the Rogues were experimenting with weapons, melted by the very substance that was meant to subdue and possibly kill a wolf of any standing—Alpha to Omega.

It disturbed him, of course, but this was a significantly different tug. And even with the amount of time he dwelled on the idea of what was happening between either his question to find answers towards the Rogues plaguing his lands, or that he had ultimately agreed with his inner beast in trying to find a mate.

That he was starting to feel the urge to find her, mate her, and start the next step in any young male's life.

The only soothing notes he had throughout the day is when Romulus attempted to conjure up a picture of his beloved female. Would she be short or tall?

Would she hold herself with confidence or grow shy—He hoped for the latter, considering the council and those living in the castle were quite brutal, even under his own watch. But he wouldn't mind a timid mate, one that craved his protection.
It made him feel needed—Would make him feel needed.

"Hmm..." He let out a softened groan, and Lyall looked up from his current document with a frown. His Alpha had been like this ever since they had left the first visited pack, and that had been weeks ago.

"Is it the headache again, sir?" He asked, trying to remain polite and not at all nosey. But Romulus knew that Lyall had the right to worry, it was his position after all. "Yes. A headache." He claimed, realizing that is the lie he was going with.

"Perhaps you should see a Healer, I've heard the whispers rave about a female in Red—"

"I don't need a damn Healer! I need these Rogues to show themselves!" He huffed, turning impatient and unfair to his Delta and closest friend. So with another sigh, he frowned at his own temperament. "Apologies, Lyall. I don't know what's coming over me."

"Your beast, sir. It's becoming erratic." An uncontrolled beast wasn't unheard of, but having it as an Alpha—King Alpha—Was unnecessary and worrying at best. "I have him under control."

"For now. What does it feel like?"

"Feels like I'm searching for something, something close. It's getting closer."

"What is, sir?" Romulus turned over his shoulder, his breathing light before he began to rub his eyes. "Sir, what is getting closer?" Romulus had shaken his head out, a very wolflike action that told Lyall, without the words, that his wolf was close to the surface.

"This is getting too overwhelming. We'll skip the last few packs, they're at a higher standing anyhow. We should be getting back to the castle—"

"No," Lyall smirked, realizing something that could be spotted a mile away if not closer. But it confirmed that the Alpha was sensing his mate on the horizon, and it instantly caused the Delta to become on watch.

It was in any Delta's power to make sure that his Luna was safe and well protected, even if it was his future Luna—Queen Luna, he should say.

"Sir, if this pertains to you finding a mate. Please know what that means for the rest of the kingdom. To your awaiting Beta and Delta who wish to protect—" A growl had silenced him, but a smile still elected onto the male's face.

There was a reason he was chosen so long ago to stand beside Romulus, they had been friends as pups—He knew of his promise to Queen Amory as she helped him escape back to his awaiting pack members.

Lyall did not doubt that if Amory had survived, there was one of two options that would've happened—She would've been enslaved by Romulus' father or held in some regard to help combine the kingdoms.

"Perhaps Wilhelm did weave his agenda into your head, who would have thought." The Delta's humor was short-lived as an Enforcer had come in with an eagerness that gave the Alpha his utmost attention. "We have three packs left, we'll host a hunting party and meet the rest of the pack members. We'll find them."

"And if they are captured by the Rogues? What am I meant to do then?" That had been the covered ill feeling that Romulus had been feeling, it had only taken Lyall a few questions before getting him to speak.

"You listen to your beast, sir." It was as good of advice as any but at the head of the table that was squeezed at the front of the room. The pack's Alpha, whose name escaped him at the moment, until Lyall saved him from that embarrassment of his scatterbrained mind. Though the Royal Delta continued to give Romulus a few eager grins. This pack was heavier populated, though Romulus worried it was too much for one Alpha to bear.

There had been a lot of discussion of building more into the territory, but Romulus was here on two accounts—Looking for leads on the Rogues as well as his mate. Yet his patient was starting to become rather tainted, especially when he caught sight of a beautiful human—One that had soft chestnut hair, sharp green eyes, and a delicate smile.

Had Romulus no control over his limbs, or wolf, who detested his thoughts since their inception. But he had plans with that female, and the way he had playfully snarled towards the female had caused her to fill up his glass and leave with a bow.

He had hardly caught the flirtatious smile that, in his mind, confirmed her attendance in his room that very night.

Romulus wouldn't put himself as a lover, no. He was plagued with unbeknownst stamina that cursed every Alpha in the land—Some might say it was a blessing, but now, it felt like an honest curse. Even now, as the sweet-smelling female filled his nostrils, he felt little relief as he thought he would.
But given that she was starting to redress after their tussle, he realized that she was used to this treatment.

"How long are you staying in Blue Moon, Alpha?"
"Not much longer. We're set to Red Moon, the trek is set to slow us down with the weather." The unnamed female's eyes had begun to flutter as she tutted. "I would be more than happy to keep you warm these coming days, Alpha."

"I'm sure you would, but I have matters to attend to that require my full attention." The woman pouted, and Romulus smirked again as he tapped her rear and threw his legs over the other side of the bed. "I wouldn't object to you coming in when the workday is done."

"After dinner, it would be my pleasure." Romulus had no doubt she would return, not when the female had nearly damaged his eardrums with how loudly she had been screaming her release.

Not that Lyall was all that unfamiliar with his endeavors—Even if they were rare and far in between. Romulus had better things to do than entertain a female, especially a type that lingers in the castle or kingdom for that matter.

He had a relief to be here, surrounded by fresh air and different type of people. Romulus had grown up on the belief that the Vrovarian people were prestigious, but he certainly created a new breed of his own kind to be just the same.

Curious how wealth, titles, and a pedestal can change any creature on this land. And Romulus was starting to wonder if he should keep representatives in each pack. If there were stationed here, they would be able to see the problems for themselves.

"...Until tonight, Alpha." He said his goodbyes in another huff of a growl, but the female had own cocked a brow and ducked out of the room. One that was already guarded with two Enforcers.

As if that dainty little female could do anything against him in any sense, and without needing to call in his Delta, the male had decided to come in. Though the fact of the matter was urgent.

Even if Romulus had held a hand up.

"I've decided that each pack will have a representative. It will make bringing issues to my attention easier."

"Sir—Latest intel suggested that a dozen human females have been snatched from Moon Ridge."

"How?! We've left Enforcers there!"
"They're on route now, and it looks like they're headed for Red Moon as we speak. I suggest we make haste, Alpha. Otherwise—"

"Otherwise we'll miss the chance, get the others and prepare them to leave in an hour. We'll come back and fix the issues at hand when the time is right." Lyall had thought, in the back of his mind, that this was the directive that needed to be taken. And he hoped to their supreme deity that they had a fair bit of blessings on their side.
As they were likely to uncover things that no one on this land wanted to see.

On the strike of a new hour, Romulus huffed as his Delta had come to his side—His beast in a similar shade to his hair. Though always a different tint considering a wolf aged much differently in skin than in fur.

Romulus, however, was as black as the night surrounding them. He inherited his father's coat, and reigned heavily on how dominant he is.
But even now, he couldn't manage to clear his mind enough to conjure a plan.

Not until he arrived at the Red Moon pack, there his thoughts seemed to simmer with ease. And Lyall was pleasantly surprised that the pressure was off them.

At least for the moment.

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Date: 04/20/23

Time: 3:28

Words: 1673

Onward to the Red Moon pack!