I looked at my "pack" and watched as some of the Guardsmen act and look like children, running around and chasing each other while some of the others lounged around. I leaned against the railing exhausted because I had not slept in the past two days, preparing for the war that was about to come.

No one knew when they would get here, but they, we, knew that it would be some time today, sometime during the next twenty-four hours, in which our fates would be decided.

"You should be joining them," the king said from behind me and walked to my side. He leaned against the fence beside me, his gaze trained on the men and women that served him. "You are the Alpha of this pack."

"And, you are the king," I replied. "You should be celebrating as well."

"Yes," he mused. "However, like you, I am not in the mood to celebrate." He glanced at me before looking back at the party. "Not until she is safe and back in our care."

I hesitated but nodded my head. I felt the same way, the same hope that she would be here and be alive, and she would live the rest of her days here by my side until the end of time, however long our lives should be.

However, there was that small bit of doubt, the little whisper that told me I had fucked it up. I had fucked up the future I had with her by telling her to get out of my sight and that I would kill her if she ever crossed paths with me again.

I should have never said that, but I did, and I knew that I was going to pay the price. There was no way I could get her back or get her to trust me again.

The king sighed, and I looked to see that he was studying me. "Your fate is tied with hers, Xavier," he said. He looked away and across the field. "That is what that necklace means. Your fate is tied with hers."

I set my jaw, and my hand twitched, the urge to grab the necklace strong, but I held back. I had no idea how he knew about the necklace, the silver eye on white fur, resting against my chest.

King Sebastian looked at me before looking away. His gaze was focused on eleven figures gathered in a corner away from everyone, and he stood. "You are not the only one that wants to know what is happening to her," he said. "However, there are those that do have eyes on her, and it appears that they are going to be helping with this battle." He looked at me. "She isn't the only one that has eyes on her." He paused. "You do, as well."

I raised an eyebrow in question and received a shake of the head in answer.

"It is not my place to tell, Son," he said. He clasped me on the shoulder and cleared his throat. "Excuse me; it looks like I do have some business to attend to." He bowed his head and left, and I watched him go to the eleven gathered there, silently.

One, a male, looked at me, and I stood up, curiously, but I stayed in my spot. He smiled and bowed his head in respect before going back to the conversation he was having with someone.

His eyes...

...were gold.

***

Camen walked onto my packland like he owned the place, and I growled a soft warning, barely audible for the king, who was beside me, to hear. He bowed mockingly to the king and sent me an arrogant smirk that I wanted to wipe off of his face. "Well," he said, looking at the Guardsmen before looking at me. "It's so nice to throw a party in my honor. I am quite pleased."

"This is not anything to deal with you," the king said, baring his teeth. He was about to take a step forward but stopped when Justin pulled him back. "This has to deal with my son and finding his mate." He gestured to Julian who stood beside my Gamma. "So, I suggest that you leave."

Camen shook his head and smirked. "I didn't know that the Prince was gay and a male as a mate." He looked at Justin. "Tell me, Crowned Prince, is your mate human?" He snapped his fingers and did an 'ah' motion. "It doesn't matter, does it? You don't even know your mate. It is a good thing that I am taking over, isn't it? We don't need a gay king."

Multiple people growled, and Camen's smirk turned into a sneer.

"You won't win this, Camen," the king said softly, taking a step forward with Justin and Julian by his side. "Submit. End this war before it is even started, and you will be able to live as a free man."

Camen raised an eyebrow. "A free man?" he asked, and the king nodded. A smile curled onto his lips, and he started to laugh.

I took a step forward and kept my gaze on the male. Anger filled my body, and it took all of my self-control not to attack just yet. I had to wait, to play my cards right, or else this whole plan, whatever the plan may be, goes south.

Camen stopped laughing and wiped underneath his eye as if he wiped away a tear. "Oh," he said, "I don't want to be a free man, Your Majesty. I want power."

"You can not win this, Camen," King Sebastian said. He bared his teeth and growled. "They are just using you. You are nothing to them."

"Ah, but I beg to differ," he said. "You see, I have something that will let me win, unless," he looked at me and smirked, "you don't want it."

I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. A sense of dread fell over me, and I had a feeling I knew what he meant; however, I made sure that he couldn't see the dread that I felt.

Camen scowled when he didn't get anything out of me and gestured for someone to come forward.

My heart leaped into my throat when someone led Cass over to him, her walk mechanical and looking like she was underneath some sort of trance.

Her gray eyes held no recognition in them while she moved to her ex-mate's side. She looked distant, unattached to the world around her, but she still looked beautiful.

She wore a long white dress that showed her bare shoulders and had a sweetheart neckline. Her normally tanned, healthy skin looked pale and ghostly, as if what they had done to her had made her into a shell of her former self.

My throat closed, and still, I kept my emotions in check. I must play my cards right. I must.

Camen raised an eyebrow and looked disappointed that I didn't show any emotions. "Hmmm," he said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him until she was flayed up against him.

I didn't growl when the others growled and hushed the beast inside that wanted to murder him. I must play my cards right; I can't let him know how I truly felt.

Camen scowled and narrowed his eyes. "Nothing?" he asked. "Not even a small twitch of the jaw? I am impressed." He sneered. "What if I do this?" He slammed his mouth forcibly on hers and kissed her roughly, and she answered back to that kiss just as hard as he had been.

Still, I made no move, no sound, but it was getting harder and harder to do it while my wolf roared in my head, the thirst for blood, strong. I must... play my cards right. I must...

Camen pulled away first and scowled when he saw no emotion on my face. "Nothing?" he asked. "What about?" He backhanded Cass, and she fell to the ground with multiple people growling at him.

I must play my cards right; I must, I chanted, choking back a growl. I kept calm and waited for Camen to do something else, not knowing if I could keep this act up any longer.

Goddess, help me.

Camen's scowl deepened when he saw that it didn't affect me like he thought it would. "Seriously?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you even human? I thought you loved her."

I didn't reply or move. I did love her. I loved her so much that not doing anything sucked, but I knew that I must. I must play my cards right.

Camen shook his head and tsked. "Such a shame," he said. "And, here I thought she was special to you. I guess not." He held out his hand, and my love placed her hand in his. He pulled her roughly to a standing position and twisted her around.

I didn't move and kept calm, ignoring my beast with greater difficulty because he placed his arm around her throat and started to choke her.

"So, you don't mind me doing this, no?" he asked. He pulled a silver dagger from a sheath by his side. "What if I do this?" Camen was about to cut her but stopped when someone said his name. "What, Antonio?" he asked, glaring at the male who had stopped him.

The king beside me stirred, but I didn't move and kept still. My face was blank, and I waited for something, anything, to happen.

The male, Antonio, moved closer to Camen, his face blank. "You're not supposed to hurt her, remember? They said that if you do anything to her, then it will not work."

Camen scowled. "But, I want to get a rise out of him," he said. He gestured toward me. "He is just... there."

Antonio looked at him and then turned his gaze to me. He studied me before looking back at Camen, dismissively. "You want to get a rise out of him?"

"I-"

"Then send her to kill him. I am sure that sending her to kill him will not only get him to move but the others as well. I mean, you want him dead, so have her kill him."

Camen paused and cocked his head. "Yes," he mused. He smirked. "That should get a rise out of him. Very well." He nodded his head and let go of Cass. "Here you go, Little Pet," he said, handing her the knife. "Go kill him."

Cass took the knife from him and started to sway back and forth while she made her way towards me.

I stood still, my heart pounding faster and faster in my chest while she made her way towards me, her head swaying from side to side, but her piercing gaze never left mine. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move and waited. I wanted to blink, to say something, but I was at the mercy of that gaze, the gaze that even made my breathing irregular.

She stopped in front of me and looked up, meeting my gaze. Her eyes held nothing in them, no emotion, no recognition, and I knew that I lost her. She was only a void, a shell, doing Camen's and the others biddings with no control over her mind.

Slowly, she reached forward with the hand that didn't hold the knife and touched my shirt, her grip tightening around the pendant that I had on, and I had no idea how she knew it was there while she let go and let her hand travel up the string, pulling the pendant out from its hiding spot.

Still, she kept her gaze on me until it was fully visible and looked down to study it. Again, she moved her hand until she clutched the pendant. When she looked up at me again, her eyes had lost the dazed look in them and held the spark of fire that I had grown to know and love. She winked.

After she winked, she twisted around and threw the knife with such skill and accuracy that no one had time to react when someone fell with a knife sticking out of their head. And with that, all hell broke loose.