Rise of the Queen
Chapter 16

The next day, the girl came again, "Doggie!" She ran to him.

"I'm not a dog!" He hissed at her.

She nodded as if she understood but again with a bright smile she exclaimed, "Doggie!"

He rolled his eyes, "Since when did dogs start to talk, you dumb girl?" She wasn't listening to him anymore as she chased after a butterfly, he sighed, "stop running around, that's dangerous," he followed her.

He didn't know humans lived there, they weren't supposed to.

"Are you lost again?" He asked but didn't get any response.

He stayed with her the entire day following her around, "You should get back home, human," He told her but she wasn't listening as they went deeper into the woods.

His ears picked up the footsteps, any further and she'd be in danger, he shook his head, walking ahead of her he stood still, blocking her path.

She looked at him with questioning eyes, "No more beyond this," he shook his head.

For the first time, she listened to him and turned around, "Finally," He sighed, the relief was only for a moment when she turned again and ran ahead, he immediately ran after her and picked her, grabbing her collar by his teeth, "You're 100 years too early, human," he muttered as he walked towards the periphery of the forest, the girl was enjoying the ride, she opened her arms and flapping them mimicking the birds flapping their wings, he dropped her on the ground. The girl glared at him for interrupting her flight, she began to run again into the deeper side of the forest, in an instant, her flight resumed as he picked her up and brought her back.

After repeating this fewer times, he growled at her fiercely, "Enough!" The girl flinched.

"Go Home," He glared at her.

The tears pooled her eyes, her bottom lips quivered, big fat drops fell down her eyes trickling down her cheeks, suddenly his chest tightened feeling the pain he couldn't describe, he sighed in defeat, "what have I gotten myself into?" He then picked her up again, her face lightened up, in an instant she was smiling again as he dropped her home.

The next day, she came again, with no one to play with she was excited now that she found a friend or a pet may be, she picked up the stick and threw it in the air, "Fetch" she shouted mimicking the person she had watched on the TV last night, the wooden stick glided across and landed a meter away.

This thing was getting on his nerves now, "for the last time, I am not a dog." He growled as he tried to clarify but as if she listened, her eyes sparkled as she threw another stick and shouted again, "Fetch!"

"Are you even listening?" He shouted.

When nothing he said reached her with no choice but to comply, he sighed and fetched the sticks back to her.

She clapped and patted him as a gesture of appreciation. "Good boy," She grinned with satisfaction.

"Satisfied? Now, let's get you back home," He said but she shook her head, she wanted to stay with him more, meeting him and spending time with him was the only thing she looked forward to every day, he sighed as she picked the stick and threw it again.

The next day, he was beaten up pretty badly, the training was just too much if you could actually call that training, he was in pain with multiple injuries which bled continuously, but instead of getting his rest at the camp, he waited for the human girl to show up, he was sitting there in his human form, he'd clarify her doubts of him being a dog, he thought, that way she might run away and never come back, little did he know that the girl had grown on him and despite he was injured badly he only waited for her to just see the sight of her.

His lids grew heavier, the exhaustion tolled on him "doggie!" He heard her excited voice, "Ah, not again," He grunted as he passed out.

When he came to, he saw her running towards him with a medical kit in her hands, "Doggie!" She exclaimed with a cheerful voice, he flinched at her sweet voice, he looked down and found himself in his wolf form, so much for clearing her doubts, he rolled his eyes, he tried to move but he couldn't, his legs were injured.

She opened the ointment and applied on his wound, "Pain, pain go away." She sang as she blew on it.

The spell worked the wound healed, they literally closed up in a second.

"How did you do that?" He blinked at the girl.

When she heard him talk again, she hugged him excitedly.

"Alexa!" They heard her mother shout.

"Did you run away again?" He sighed shaking his head.

"I came to meet." She replied.

"You're stupid. Your mom she's more stupid. Who leaves her child alone in this dangerous place? Why do you humans live here anyway? It's dangerous." He scolded her the nth time. None of the words registered in her mind as usual. She just grinned, staring at him with amusement.

"Go to your mom and don't ever wander alone inside the forest again." He warned her as soon he wouldn't be there to watch her over, they were going to other camp leveling up their training, he began to walk away. "You going, Doggie?" She asked.

"For the last time I'm not a dog, dogs don't talk!" He glared at her.

"Doggie!" She cheered.

"Forget it. I'm just hitting my head against the wall." he rolled his eyes as he turned his back.

"No." She ran behind him but tripped on the way and landed on her butt with a thud.

He stopped as she began to cry. "God! What a troublemaker!" He sighed as he turned to her.

She immediately stopped crying and smiled at him wiping her tears.

"Come." He lowered down as he let her climb on his back. On their way back home she rested her cheeks against his shiny black fur, soft as velvet, enjoying the feel of it she dozed off. After dropping her off in the front porch of her house he turned one last time to see her, he saw her mother pull her into a hug from the distance, he sighed as he walked away from there.

***

Before leaving, the eldest of the werewolves, Adira- Luna of the Silver Selene, approached him at his tent. He snorted.

"Not very happy to see me?" She chuckled at his discomfort.

"Good that you know," He rolled his eyes as he packed his things.

"And here I was to deliver you a parting gift because you always complained about wanting to know the reason for your harsh training," A devious smile played on her lips.

His ears twitched at her words, he glanced sideways at her.

"But if you don't want it," She paused gauging his reaction, "Well then," She turned around to go, "Wait!" She paused when she heard him, with an amusing smile she nodded to herself, she composed herself, hiding her smile, she turned to face him.

"Yes?" She played innocent.

"Quit it," He narrowed his eyes at her as he extended his hand.

"Hmm?" She tilted her head to the side. "The gift." He asked extending his hand further.

"Ah, you want it?" Her face lit with delight, he glared at her, "Don't mess with me," He warned her.

"Of course, Your majesty," She bowed with her hands on her chest.

"Let's go," She gestured.

After running for half an hour, they reached a cliff with a dead-end, "This is your gift? A cliff? You're gonna throw me off?" He mocked at her.

"Very witty, Your majesty." She rolled her eyes.

"Stop with that, I am not the king." His brows knitted up in annoyance.

"Yet," she added. "You're soon going to be, you're destined to be the King."

Before he could retort, "there," she pointed in a direction, his gaze followed where her finger directed, his eyes widened in surprise to see the same house he dropped the human girl a few hours ago.

"You see that girl," She smiled at the girl in the balcony of her house looking at the direction of the forest with longing eyes.

"That's what you're fighting for," She commented.

"The one you need to protect, she's the reason for the selection of 'The Alpha King', now won't be a waste if you let someone else have her? Will you let anyone else have her?" He tightened his fist, he didn't like it, just the thought was enough to break his heart. Will he? The answer was obvious, "No," he muttered as a fire burned in his eyes.