Fie Wright's P. O. V

My fingers raise up before dropping back down onto the cushioned armrest that extends from the base of the metallic throne. The drumming of my fingers not making a sound in the otherwise chatty hall as Malleus voice looms over the other restless chatter. A few more people had joined our small gathering, causing the other's voices to rise bit by bit. I can tell the intensity of the other pointless talking is getting to Malleus, his hands on my shoulders weighing further down on me. I press my own hand against his, hoping it'll calm him down which I manage to do so by just a bit.

Asha catches on to the wary glances I've been sending her for the past five minutes, her own eyes showing a hint of understanding as they glaze over, the ceaseless chatter slowly coming to an abrupt halt. The people who weren't focused on my mate before, now take in his tense form, jaw clenched with the one hand that wasn't on my shoulder flexing with the strain as his bicep bulges from the exertion to not lose his temper then and there.

"How long has it been?" Malleus whispers to me, not bothering to bend down as his voice travels and reaches me easily. Frowning, I glance down at my hand, finding no watch on my wrist or anything else that could tell the time. Squirming for a second, I glance at Asha to help me once more as she rolls her eyes at me in a joking manner.

"Nearly twenty minutes." I mumble back to him, not wanting my voice to get overly loud and heard by the rest of them. Malleus nods his thanks while I take a quick glance at Asha, mouthing my own thanks to the woman who winks back at me teasingly.

"Your Majesty, what about the issue that we discussed about, the certain incidents occurring in the forests. Do you think that has anything to do with what is going on?" Comes the gravelly voice of the man I'm starting to despise. My motives for the hatred being childish, I'll be the first to admit but something about him tells me that he's a sleaze bag of sorts. It must be some sort of sixth sense. That or the fact that even now, his eyes have dropped from the King and over to me, once more settling into a narrowed glare.

My own stare is one of nonchalance, hoping to convey the fact that I could honestly give a lesser shit in regards to his opinion about me. However, I can't stop the curiosity building within me when it comes to the words he just said.

An incident in the forest? As far as I know, there's only one huge forest surrounding the city and it's the one we were travelling through to get from my pack to this realm. Granted, I haven't been attending any Queenly duties which would let me pick up on this fact since I've been focusing on my advisory position. I frown slightly at the thought of me neglecting my other duties that are just now dawning on me.

My mind flits back to the keeper of the gate to the Realm of Tenebris. The man, Thaddeus, didn't seem to mention anything out of the ordinary except that he was there to take us to the gate since it would be unlikely we'd find it. Back then I thought it was simply a nice gesture on part of the man who looks over the entrance since he was Marcus' friend.

Maybe it was more than that and he wasn't letting on?

My frown deepens even further, so sucked into my thoughts I barely hear the loud clang of the door opening, the knob clashing with the bare stone walls and creating an echoey sound that pulls me out of my less than self appreciated conundrums. Glancing up, a wild-eyed Ezra stands in the threshold, his once carefree persona nowhere to be seen as his hair sticks up amuck, jaw clenched and fists balled up at his sights. The man a sight to behold as he walks up to where we are, dodging the multiple hands that shoot out his way to stop him from approaching the King.

Worry courses through me as I stand up to go rush to him, only to find Malleus at my side with a hand wrapped around my waist, preventing me from going anywhere.

"What's wrong Ezra?" I question in worry, going back in my thoughts to see what could of have gone awry, especially since he doesn't know the circumstances going on. The man turns his brown-eyed glare onto me, a growl passing through his lips as he ignores my question and steps forward towards the King. I bite my lip, trying to stop the hurt from showing onto my face. The surprise nearly slipping out considering he's never acted like this towards me before.

"Do that again, young pup, and I will rip your vocal cords out of your throat so that you can never do so again. Show some manners to your Queen." Malleus growls out, a wave of command falling out of his body and to all of our wolves, nearly causing everyone to bend the knee. Quite a few people do so except for Asha and Ezra, the two merely bending slightly with their necks cocked to the side and exposed in submission.

My own body wants to collapse onto one knee or at the very least show off my neck to my King. The aura and hierarchy of authority being drilled into me since I was but a young child. My wolf, on the other hand, sniffs haughtily at such an act. The title getting to her head as the actions seem too beneath her to do so. However, I do end up tensing up slightly, not liking the certain situation since the man is my cousin.

Trying to be as subtle as possible, I lift my elbow and nudge him gently in his side, the action probably not going unnoticed but before I can dwell too much on it, a voice filters into my head and nearly resulting in me jumping a whole foot into the air.

Malleus rough husky timber sends shivers of delight up my spine as his words resonate quite literally within the chambers of my mind.

'I do not like him insulting my Queen.' Comes Malleus' soft growl, the sound only teaching me through a mind link I should have realised we possessed due to us being mates, and well him being King of the Wolves of course.

'He probably feels left out. No one mentioned anything about this to him. His father is in that group,' I think disdainfully, guilt flooding within me for not rushing over to him myself and telling him about this. My own mind too preoccupied and self-centred in regards to the whole situation going down. Biting my lip, I try not to show my emotions displayed in my face let alone in my eyes as Malleus grunts out his disproval at my words delivered to him.

Ezra clears his throat, disrupting our internal conversation as he raises his eyes to me, a frown tugging at his own lips which I mirror back, 'I'm sorry,' I link to Ezra, his eyes lighting up at the message as he tilts his head in approval, accepting my apology.

"We are waiting on the Head Mage to come back with news of what has happened. She should be here in the next five minutes. You have not missed anything so stop worrying yourself pup." My mate grumbles gruffly, his mood turned sour while I nudge him once more to be nicer to my poor cousin. I can see the tightening of Ezra's mouth, not liking to be called pup but also not wanting to show disrespect which results in him most likely bashing the man beside me in his own head.

We lapse in silence for a few further moments, the rest of the people below the dais muttering amongst themselves but at a much lower volume than before, matters of importance circulating around us. The voice's low and coming to a complete stop as the torrential downpour outside reaches an all-time high, the battering of rain against the window panes becoming deafening as a particularly loud clap of thunder booms all around us.

I stop myself from letting out a shocked squeal, the loud sound taking me off guard causing Malleus' grip to press firmly onto my waist, pressing me further into his side. Ezra goes to speak up but the sound of the same door he walked through echoes throughout the great hall. The same mage from before totters through, her eyes obscured from sight as she bows her head while reaching to stand right besides Ezra. The man himself scooting away from her as he eyes the old haggard wan distrustfully.

"Right on time." Malleus says appreciatively as the mage bows deeper, not uttering a word which I so badly need her to say. Even a wary Ezra leans in forward, all of us waiting for her to speak up but instead, she waits for a few further seconds. My eyes glance towards Malleus', wondering why he isn't commanding her to give us the information but instead, a flash of understanding comes across his face as the mage raises her hand and beckons towards the door.

My eyebrows raise as my grip on my mate's bulging bicep tightens, a familiar man I've met once before saunters through the room. His name lays on the tip of my tongue as he bows down onto one knee shakily. The same honey brown eyes, aquiline nose and square jawline registers within me as the name comes to the forefront.

Thaddeus.

Brown eyes raise up from a bowed head and clash with mine, a weary smile slipping on his drained face as recognition fills it. "My King. My Queen." The once cheery voice I heard in the forest not too long ago is anything but that.

"Thaddeus, what brings you here? Has something disrupted the gateways between the two realms?" Malleus asks, getting straight to business as he leaves my side and walks closer till he's standing in front of the gatekeeper. Ezra comes up besides me instead, the both of us sharing worries glances as his hand wraps around mine, worry oozing off of him in a flood of waves.

"I was summoned by the Head Mage," the man begins, head tilting towards the woman standing besides him who still remains in her bowed down position, her robe laying still even with the slightly strong breeze drifting all around us, "I didn't realise what had happened before it was too late. I was near the gate when a group from the Fenrir Pack approached. The same group that our Queen was travelling with. They said they wanted to travel through it and of course, I gave permission but as soon as they stepped through it-," Thaddeus cuts off, a frown marring his face as he raises a hand and scrubs wearily at his face, a sigh being let loose from with him.

"And?" This time I speak up, wanting to know the truth. The desperation clearly exuding from both Ezra and I as we nearly lean forward in anticipation, something shifting in my gut telling me there is more than what meets the eye. Considering I never go with my gut, I'm left stumped as Thaddeus speaks up once more;

"-It was like something had gone wrong in the gate. I remember a beam of light and then an explosion. I was thrown to the far ends of the forest, in the opposite direction of the rest of the group where we all scattered from the force of it." I can feel Ezra's grip tightening as Thaddeus goes on, the pallor accentuating his features in a daunting manner at the thought of his father injured and suffering somewhere, it not worsen circumstances have come to play in the storm raging on.

"I only managed to regain consciousness when the Head Mage called for me. That was a little while ago before she," he pauses, thinking for a bit as he then speaks, "brought me here. I'm not sure in regards to the whereabouts of the others, however." His weary tone falls into a dull mumble, barely even being heard properly causing us to strain our hearing.

"Arabella?" Malleus voices aloud, turning his head to the woman in question who raises her head in acknowledgement.

"The gatekeeper is telling the truth. I pinpointed the energy of the group the man speaks of. They were scattered all around the forest but they were last felt around the outskirts of it, towards the cavern residing from the south of here. They are fine except for a few minor wounds here and there."

Ezra lets out a loud sigh, his erect figure now relaxing at the words as he sinks against me, my own body relaxing at her words as I raise a hand and place it comfortingly on his shoulder, knowing a huge strain has been lifted off of the both of us. Nonetheless, I can't help but to worry. The thought of Luna Aria and her diminishing health at the forefront of everything, along with recent events taking place with the gate to the two realms. The urge to slump down and start crying in a corner nearly overwhelms me but instead, I focus my attention on my mate. Comfort flooding me at the mere sight of his broad back and tussled hair.

"What of the mage that was sent with them?" Malleus questions, jaw clenched as he folds his arms over his chest.

Arabella unclasps her hands and raises them to the hood of her robe, flipping the material back with one quick movement and exposing her features. For some reason, one part of me was expecting violet eyes and some other quirky features that would make me reel in shock. Instead, a wrinkly face is exposed with thick bushy eyebrows, the only somewhat peculiar feature being her gummy smile as she stares up at Malleus, no teeth in sight as she drops her hands to her front, clasping them once more. Her demeanour completely offsetting the goofy expression on her face.

"I contacted the Advisor, Marcus, through the mage. He conveyed to me that they all fine and are already traversing to the castle once more. They should be back by nightfall and relay all that has happened to you upon their arrival." She finishes to which Malleus bows his head.

"You may go and rest Arabella, the process must have tired you out." My mate informs the woman who lets out a sound resembling laughter, somewhat I guess.

"Oh little Malleus, I should be telling you that." She grins once again, showing off her toothless smile.

I glance at Ezra and then the woman once more, the man besides me looking as every bit confused as I feel internally before my gaze lands on Malleus. I narrow my eyes just the tiniest bit, watching how his lip pulls up into a ghost of a smirk as he nods in understanding.

"Very well."

"I'd be careful if I was you Fie," Ezra comments non- committedly, my brow raises at him for clarification as he lets out a derisive snort, "That fangless mage is after your man." He lowers his voice in a whisper so only I hear. My answering snort, however, not as slow as I wanted it to be as it travels around the great hall resulting in multiple heads being turned my way.

Unable to help myself, I subtle blush coats my cheeks especially when Malleus cocks a brow in question at my loud noise of exclamation. Shaking my head quickly, I shift from one foot to another, hating the spotlight my stupid moves have caused me.

"Fie I just need to talk about some other arrangements. Will you be fine on your own?" Malleus asks as he comes towards me, eyes dropping down to Ezra's hand wrapped around my own which he smacks away with a swift move. My mouth drops open at the action while Malleus acts as cavalier as possible, almost as if he didn't smack my cousins hand like a small child.

"Hmm?" He reiterates while I close my mouth but then open it again, wetting my lips to process his childish demeanour. Trying to hold back my amusement, I nod my head, "I'll stay here and be with Ezra. You go on ahead." I say with a small smile.

I would've gone with the man since I do want to pick up my pace after I unwittingly slacked off on my duties m, however, it doesn't sit well with me to leave my cousin alone since I know what kind of a mess he'll suck himself into with his own thoughts.

"Okay. I'll be back. Just mind link me if you need anything." He says with a soft gaze, his hand going to cup my cheek as he leans down and placed a soft kiss against my lips. Sparks igniting at the contact which leaves me with my own smile plastered on my face.

"Will do." I answer back softly to which he nods before leaving. When the man turns around and walks away, Ezra makes fake gagging noises which I shut off with a swift elbow to his ribs.

Ezra doesn't get a word out as the Head Mage, Arabella, fluidly walks towards us, her wrinkled face still lit up in a smile as she gets closer and closer towards us. She comes to a halt once she stands in front of the both of us, her hands coming up to cup my face as I try not freeze up and seem weirded out.

"Ah young Fie. I'm so happy to finally meet you. You will make a good Queen. I feel it in my bones." She muses aloud. My fidgeting at the strangers sudden affection dulling away as a motherly warmth runs through me at the touch.

"Thank you. It means a lot you that you think so." I say truthfully. For some reason, the woman's words building my confidence back up that the Minister just about managed to crack by a tiny inch.

"I know so." She responds back with a wink. My timid smile growing wider with her words as she then turns to Ezra and starts chattering away with him.

By the time Malleus walks through the hall door once more, the grand hall is already empty except for Ezra and the Head Mage who have struck up a rather peculiar friendship. Too consumed in my thoughts, I barely realise my own mate has entered the vicinity which doesn't allow me to upright myself from my rather not so queenly position. Rather than sitting on the throne like I one would do in their right minds, Malleus bends down in front of me and takes in my position with amusement showing in his dark eyes. My back leant against the left arm rest while one leg is hanging over the opposing arm rest and my other leg on the ground right besides where Malleus kneels.

"I see my Queen likes to sit in style upon her throne." He says with a soft chuckle, my eyes popping open as I try to upright myself but his hand comes to a rest atop my stomach, halting my movements.

"I was just making myself comfortable." I say rather sheepishly, trying to stop my blush from coming onto my face for the second time that day as I manage to sit up, pushing his hand away gently.

I don't get an answer in return, instead I find Malleus simply staring at me, a soft smile tugging at his lips as I cock my head to the side, wondering what on Earth is going through that mind of his.

"Fie-," The King gets cut off as the main doors to the Great hall swing open, my eyes darting passed Malleus who lets out an annoyed sigh before turning his head towards the door where the man who once attacked me at the tavern stands, huffing and puffing from exertion.

The man, Ron, leans up from his bent over position with his hands on his knees, calming his breath before he drops down onto one leg, head resigned as he throws out an arm towards the door. "Your Majesty, The members from the Fenrir Pack are here once more."

I stand immediately from my seat on the throne, Malleus raising with me as he clasps his hand with mine. The action taking me slightly off guard but a quick squeeze from him shows me it's for my benefit. The gesture appreciated by me as he speaks up.

"Let them in."

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AN: It's 6:33 AM here but who even has a proper sleeping schedule nowadays. If you do, I envy you 😔. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Question: What is the scariest movie you've watched?

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