Forbidden Queen

Alex

“How did it go” I ask Katy when she returns from visiting Karen.

“OK. She has been spying for Lucius for twenty-years. He planted her in the Royal pack as a spy. Those people who were killed, were not her parents, she was working for him all along. Even now that it is finished, knowing that he has abandoned her she still isn’t prepared to give him up, and tell us anything.”

“I suppose it makes sense. What does she have to show for her life if she betrays him?”

“Will we ever know who her accomplices were? Do we still stand a chance of capturing the wolf that approached Anna?”

“Probably not, they will have gone to ground, perhaps even escaped. They may not want to risk her betraying them during interrogation. At least we have stopped her. There is no one at the heart of the court, no one that we trust, who is left to betray us to Lucius.”

“Yes, you are right, we should be happy that she has been caught and she can do no more harm. Joseph is going to continue with her interrogation for one more week. After that she will be executed.”

“Good. There is no point drawing it out any longer. Her death will send a clear message to Lucius.

While you have been away, I have contacted Euan to make arrangements for Jordan to be escorted back to the Lunar Eclipse pack for trial. I am not going to go with him. Euan will pick the jury and oversee his trial. If, when, they sentence him to death, I will return for the execution” I tell Katy trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible, and my face blank. I don’t want her to realise how much effort it is taking me to keep it together.

I fail though, I can’t keep anything from my mate, I see in her face that she knows how much I am hurting. She doesn’t say anything she just reaches out to me, drawing me into her arms. We stay like that for a few minutes, as her touch calms and reassures me like no one else’s can.

After a while I break away. “I now need to go and tell Jordan the good news. When I get back let’s meet with Joseph and find out what else he has been doing while we have been away.”

…….

I walk slowly to the dungeon and let myself in. The guards know me and make no attempt to stop me as I make my way down to the lowest level where my brother is held prisoner. I quash any feelings of pity that I feel for him, by thinking about the way he betrayed and helped murder our father, and countless members of our pack. I know he doesn’t deserve my pity.

“When I arrive at the dark, dank cell that he is being held in, he is lying on a threadbare mattress his eyes closed his face expressionless. The cell is bare, empty apart from the mattress and a bucket which sits in the corner as a makeshift toilet.

He seems different today, normally when I have visited him, he has spent the time crying and screaming at me. One minute begging me to show mercy, the next demanding to be released.

“Jordan” I call out to him. He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t even open his eyes, but I am sure that he is awake and can hear me. I have arranged for you to be transported back to our pack in a week’s time. I will not be going with you. Euan is arranging for you to stand trial before the pack.”

He opens his eyes and stares at me “are you too gutless to do it yourself? Are you going to let the rest of the pack do your dirty work for you?”

“No, I am going to let them try you without me being present. I want your trial to be conducted in the same way that it would be for any wolf who is accused of betraying our pack. I do not want them to show mercy because you are the brother of their alpha. If they find you guilty, then I will return for your execution.”

“You will come back to murder me, your own brother” he shrieks at me.

“If that is their verdict then I will come back to oversee your execution” I tell him calmly. “You are the only murderer here. You betrayed your pack and your family for what? Lucius a wolf you had never met, and who only valued you as a tool to be used against us. You deserve nothing better than this. I won’t see you again, not until the pack decides your fate. Goodbye Jordan.”

I turn around and walk away, I can hear him screaming at me, but the sound fades as I walk out of the dungeon. I don’t turn back.

…….

When I get back to the palace, I find Joseph and Katy waiting for me in her office.

Katy’s eyes immediately turn to me, I can see that she is trying to gauge my mood, how the meeting with my brother has gone. I give her a smile. I want her to know that I am not going to let Jordan bring me down. We have more important things to think about than him.

“So, what else has happened since we have been away?” I ask Joseph eager to stop any questions from either of them about Jordan.

“It has been quiet here. Most of the wolves were shocked by Karen’s arrest, no one had suspected that she was Lucius spy, but once they saw the evidence, it became clear that she was guilty. Hell, she didn’t even deny it, she is proud of what she has done” Joseph says bitterly.

“Have we heard anything from your spy in Lucius pack about his reaction to the news of her capture?”

“Yes, that has been more positive. Supposedly he was furious when he heard that we had discovered that she was his spy. She had been his most important informer in our pack, my source believes that there is no one else here as senior as her working for him.”

“Well, that is a relief. I am glad that we can trust the rest of the royal household” Katy states.

“Do we have any idea what he is planning next?”

“Nothing concrete, my spy is not part of his inner circle, but he thinks that the coronation is likely to be his next target. He has been taking an interest in the arrangements.”

“I suppose it makes sense” I tell him. “The arrangements cannot be kept secret. There will be too many wolves attending the celebrations, both from within the royal pack and our allied packs for the details not to get leaked to him.”

“It is also a high-profile event which would appeal to his ego. What better opportunity could there be to take out the leaders of our pack and our allies?” Joseph says. “We don’t have any proof yet, but it would be stupid not to prepare for the worst.

I am making the security for the event the highest priority for the royal guard. We should be included in all the preparations. We will need to understand what the detailed arrangements if we are to provide adequate protection.

“I will speak to Aaron and get him to include you both in the meeting he has scheduled to plan the event” Katy volunteers

At least the security arrangements for the coronation will keep me busy and take my mind off my duplicitous younger brother.