The Forbidden Mate
Chapter Seventeen – Heart to Heart

Alex

I am sitting in Katy’s kitchen while she puts Emma to bed. All I can think about is the meeting with my grandfather and aunt and what they have told us today.

I always knew that Katy was special, but to be my future queen, the princess that had survived the massacre of the rest of the royal family that was something else. I can’t stop thinking of all the time that I have wasted. Questioning our bond, thinking her unworthy when the moon goddess has given me the highest-ranking werewolf as my mate. I shuddered when I think of how exposed she has been to danger, with no one to protect her. The rogue attack could easily have resulted in her death.

I understood that my aunt had kept her safe all these years by raising her as an omega, but now she needed proper protection. Protection that only I could give her.

I was hurt that as close as we had become, she had not confided in me that she was a high-ranking wolf. That she had lied about not being able to shift, so that I would not discover she was a beautiful silver wolf. I had also kept secrets from her, too many of them but even though it was unfair of me to blame her when I had done something similar, I couldn’t stop myself from being angry with her.

She enters the kitchen silently and sits down. She doesn’t say anything. I can see how nervous she is, unsure of what I am thinking and what I will do. I try to suppress my anger.

“Going forward we needed to be honest with each other” I tell her. “No more lies, no more secrets. I know we have both had our reasons, that we have wanted to protect each other, but from now on we need complete honesty.”

“Yes,” she says. “You are right, I didn’t want to keep things from you, I hated lying. I came so close to telling you the truth so many times, but when you agreed to the party to look for your mate, I doubted that you really did love me. I thought you were going to reject me, so I felt that I had made the right decision in keeping things from you. I know now that I was wrong.”

“You are the most precious thing in this world to me, and I will always protect you, but we need to trust each other,” I tell her.

She clasps my hand in hers and says “as you are to me. When I thought you were about to reject me, I was devastated, I felt that my my life would not be worth living if I couldn’t have you.

“I will never reject you. I would rather die, but my grandfather is right we need to be careful, we cannot do anything that will make people suspicious of our bond and who you really are.

I am going to share your secret with Euan tomorrow. He has sworn, as I have, to serve the Royal Pack, and was helping me with the search for the missing royal princess. We will meet with him and explain to him who you are. Together we will devise a plan to keep you safe” I tell her.

Katy

I am sitting with Alex in his office while we wait for Euan to arrive. I am nervous, about telling him my secret. I can’t quite believe that I am a royal princess, so I am unsure how I will be able to persuade him that it is true. I am too used to being among the lowliest members of the pack and now here I am about to ask a high-ranking wolf to serve me and protect me.

I wonder what life would have been like if I had grown up with my real parents and siblings. If they had survived the massacre. Would I have been like the high ranking shewolves in this pack; proud, arrogant thinking only of myself and looking down on others? Or would they have brought me up to be the same sort of person that my adopted parents had? I would hate to think that I would look down on and be cruel to lower ranking wolves.

What had my real parents been like? Did they love me as much as my adopted parents had?

Would I ever have met Alex, and if I had would I have known that he was my mate? Would it have been easier for us to be together? A princess must surely be a suitable mate for an Alpha.

All these thoughts swirled round my mind. I knew there could be no answer. Who knows what my life would have been like if Lucius had not killed my entire family,

Alex trusts Euan has known him since they were babies. According to Alex, he has always supported us being mates, even before Alex himself was prepared to accept me. They have both sworn to serve the royal pack and replace and protect the last royal princess. Neither had believed that I existed, but Alex is sure that Euan will be as determined to help me as he is himself.

When Euan enters Alex’s office, I can see that he is surprised to see me sitting there, but he gives me a warm smile.

“Euan, we have important information to share with you about Katy’s past, about who she really is” Alex tells him. It relates to the mission that Joseph tasked us with, and I am going to need your help to protect her.”

“Of course,” Euan says looking at me curiously.

“Katy is the missing royal princess. She was taken from the royal palace and hidden in this pack by my aunt. My aunt chose a lowly Omega couple to raise her. She reasoned rightly that no one would look twice at an Omega, they would never suspect that she was a royal princess.”

“Wow,” Euan says “well that explains why you were the first Alpha wolf to be mated to an Omega. So is Katy the silver wolf?”

“Yes” he says.

“You have already aroused suspicion,” he tells me “Carl is searching for you, he is determined to capture you. Ross has reported that the warriors he has recruited are talking less about the secret event they are planning, and more about the search for the mystery wolf.

I hear that you had a near miss, and they almost caught you a few nights ago which has encouraged them. They believe that they are close to tracking you down.

It is ironic that you are best friends with his daughter, and he has been actively trying to keep you away from her for years” he says with a smile.

I am surprised he knows that Lily is my best friend but then he is Daniel’s brother.

“She needs to be protected but it has to be done in such a way that it doesn’t arouse suspicion. I thought it might be best if she starts working closely with you. I think you should request that a servant is assigned to look after the warriors, and heavily hint that Katy would be your preferred Omega.

I want you to appoint Daniel to be her bodyguard. We need someone we trust to watch out for her, and he would be able to do this without arousing suspicion because they are known to be friends.”

“I will let him know he will be pleased to be able to spend time with her again” Euan says.

“We also need to get word to Joseph that we have found her” Alex tells him. “With Carl searching for her in this pack, it won’t be long before Lucius joins in the hunt, and when he does, we alone won’t be able to protect her. The only place she will be safe is in the Royal Pack.”

“We may have difficulties there the Silver Moon pack were attacked by rogues two nights ago. I have been told that there were hundreds of them, far more than were involved in the rogue attack on us. Their pack was overrun, and the Alpha, and many of the warriors are dead. Our contact that we use to pass messages to the Royal pack was severely injured.”

“That is the second pack that borders us that has been attacked and overrun by rogues, it is beginning to feel like they are targeting our neighbours for a reason” Alex muses. “Our pack could be the main target. They would have to pass through neighbouring packs to reach us, and if they could destroy the resistance before they attack us, their warriors will arrive here fresh and ready to fight.

We will need to replace a new way to communicate securely with the Royal Pack, Joseph has to be told about Katy as soon as possible. We may have to send someone we trust in person to deliver our message to him. This won’t be as quick as our usual method of communication, as they are going to have to travel in secret in order to avoid encountering any Black Moon Pack agents along the way.”

“I think Jane would be a good choice,” Euan offers. She has a low profile in the pack, so we would be able to hide her disappearance for a few days. Jane is very loyal so I don’t think that it would be dangerous to bring her into our confidence, and she won’t need to know about Katy. She is one of our best fighters so will be able to handle herself.”

“Good brief her as soon as possible, we don’t have time to waste” Alex tells him.

“I will do” he replies. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, not at the moment” Alex tells him.

Euan gives me a big smile and leaves the room.

Alex sighs and pulls me close into a hug. “It isn’t going to be easy keeping you safe. I was worried when you were just my Omega mate about what the pack would do to you once they found out. Now that you are a princess, the rightful werewolf queen, I must not only keep you safe from Carl, but the whole of the Black Moon pack as well. Our enemies are getting closer, but I will not let them replace you and hurt you” Alex vows.

“I am sorry” I tell him. I feel like I am causing so much heartache and trouble.

“NO” Alex says vehemently. “We have been looking for you for so long. You will bring hope and purpose to the Royal Pack, and all the other packs loyal to their cause. You will give us all reason to fight the Black Moon pack. That is why they are so desperate to replace you and kill you.

No, I am upset because I never wanted you to be put in danger like this. I would rather you were a lowly Omega, who no one wanted to kill, than a queen who has so many powerful enemies. I love you so much and if I am scared that I won’t be able to protect you. If I fail, and they manage to kill you my life wouldn’t be worth living.”

My heart bursts with love for him. Words cannot express how I feel, how much I want him. I slam my lips to his, I press my body against him. I cannot say how long we stay like that but when I move away, I tell him.

“No one could ever protect me the way that you do. I feel like no one could ever harm me when I am with you. I trust you to do everything that you can to keep me safe. Without you I would be lost.”

“I hope that that will be enough to keep you safe” he says solemnly.