Zion

“King Zion, good day,” an Alpha greets as I follow Zion, side by side, through the doors of the Senate chamber. It’s set up a bit like the Council Chamber, the circular room, the throne by the massive window, raised by stairs to display dominance. The Alpha chairs are circled around the throne, a massive number with desks, Alphas already taking their seats.

As we pass the through the oak doors, the Senate rises, bowing their heads in respect as we pass to the throne. I spot Sebastian on the second row, his eyes trained on me as he looks over my body, causing me to feel uncomfortable.

King Zion wraps an arm around my waist, displaying possession over me to all the Alphas. His actions make me nervous and only want to leave. “Welcome to the palace,” Zion greets, a smile upon his face as the Alphas watch him take a seat, causing them to then sit down as well. Beside the throne is a beautiful and antique chair, set up for me, and code enough for Zion to still hold my hand as we sit.

As I take a seat upon the chair, his fingers lace through with mine, squeezing tightly to make sure I don’t take mine away. I put on a smile, showing the Alphas that I’m comfortable.

Penelope is the first to rise, bowing her head as she gets ready to speak. “My King, as every Alpha here, we would like to know the cause of this Senate meeting, a historical event.”

Every meeting is documented into history, for a King will only call upon the Senate in crisis or war. “Alpha Shannon, I have called you all here because we are about to be at war.”

The room becomes dead silent, the faces paling as I come to accept the news as fact. It came as no shock based upon the Council meeting I sat in upon. How they mentioned the vampire race that has threatened them.

“Who has declared war?” An Alpha asks, rising to his feet as I find myself more involved. The last war took a toll upon the wolf empire. When at war, packs send a percent of their warriors to the palace, to unite and fight against the enemy, to protect the Kingdom. The last war, over nine thousand warriors were lost, but that was seven decades ago when the witches wanted revenge. King Alfred seven decades ago was in love with a witch, only to discover she had cheated on him with a wizard. In rage, her kill the wizard and burned his lover in the end, causing an uproar and hate fed between the two races until four decades ago when a Princess of the royal family married into a noble wizard family.

“They are a group of unique vampires,” Zion begins, squeezing my hand a little firmer. Even for a King who does not show that much emotion to this crowd, I can tell he is scared, that he is worried for his people. “Their eyes are pitch black like a true demons and believe that we are to blame for the slaughter of twenty nobles’. They claim that revenge is what they need and they will not go down without a fight.”

Voices begin to whisper, my ears unable to stay locked upon one comment before another one blocks it. The room turns into chaos with questions flying everywhere, the Senate worried for their packs and future children as the news reaches them.

“Silence,” Zion growls, the floor vibrating as chairs shake, causing everyone, including me, to become frightened. Something tells me that growl was nothing to what he can do. “I called you all here because we must work through the number of warriors every pack can give to the palace yet keep for protection in the packs. I was tactics worked through, alliances made, and a stronger kingdom to unite before we are approached with a bloody sunrise.”

“How many do we need, King Zion?” Sebastian asks, causing my throat to run dry as he gives me a small glance. “Surely this group of leeches do not have more than three thousand soldiers.”

Zion shakes his head.

“They have over ten thousand if you count everyone in their Empire. They are not like us, Alphas, they do not have separate Kingdom and each one has their own troubles, but they are one massive Kingdom throughout the whole world. Everyone in their world over the age of thirteen has access to their power and can fight like hell.”

The room grows silent once more as Zion gets to his feet. “We easily have twelve thousand soldiers, but these are a unique breed of vampires.”

“How can they be so different?” Another Alpha questions as I find myself growing worried. For sure my father will be one of the people called upon to fight for the Kingdom, being a warrior of my old pack. I do not want my father going into battle.

“They are faster and stronger. These are not the simple ones that you kill through a fire, ripping off their heads, but stakes are the only way to kill them. Stakes will be our best friends in this battle.”

“We out number them by two thousand,” Penelope comments, causing many to nod in agreement. “Surely that is enough.”

All eyes are upon the King, awaiting his next response, only for him to clench his jaw. “You want the rogues to join.” One Alpha steps out from the crowd, one with a scar running across his face, a scar from a fire. “You want to call upon the rogues.”

The room once again erupts in outcry, saying that the rogues cannot be trusted, that they will betray in the end. They forget a rogue sits beside the King, hands joined. They have no respect for rogues just like I have learned to have little for them. Many Alphas comment that the rogues will kill them before they kill the enemy, some say that I am here to kill the King, and others talk about how they deceive to get their way.

“Rogues are the only way to make this a fair fight,” Zion calls out, making everyone become quiet. “No elves or witches would want to be involved in a number. Sure, some witches will aid in spells and healing, but the elves have already expressed that they will not get involved. The vampires do not either, saying this is our problem to deal with.”

King Zion needs rogues to join his fight, those like me who society has outcasted and called the filth of the earth. They expect those like me to come to their aid and forget all the wrong that they did to us. Hell, I’d never go back to my own pack, for I watched them do nothing to help me as I was outcasted for no justly reason.

Rogues say justice is blind, blind in that it cannot see the innocent from the guilty.

“Rogues is the only way to get the numbers to defeat these creatures,” the King snaps, the Alphas’ faces growing pale as he gets up from his throne, letting go of my hand as we walks to the center of the room. “War is not something I intend to lose. Progressivism, that is what I have here, that we accomplish our goal no mater how we get it done along the way. If we have to recruit rogues then so be it.”

“How will you get them to join?” Sebastian asks, getting to his feet as some Alphas nod. “Pay them? Offer them land? A home?”

“Offer them a chance to redeem their title, to not be known as outcasts that packs hate.” Sebastian scoffs, gaining glares from most Alphas but some nods of agreement from others. “Rogues want to be known as part of a group.”

“Some would rather be thought of as loaners. They’d rather be the captain of their fate than let someone else rain the reins.”

Sebastian is right, I’ve come across those who give no damn for packs anymore, including me. We only see fault in them and power hungry, backstabbing Alphas who want it their way.

If rogues are called upon to fight, the politics will begin and the public with an outcry of rage. But if the empire truly is that desperate, if they truly are in need of every warrior that can obtain, it only makes sense to call upon the rogues. “Is that why a rogue is here?”

My attention is grasped, my eyes widening as Sebastian looks upon me. “Get a rogue within the palace walls and thy will flood to the gates, offering help.”

Millions of questions flood my mind, things almost clicking within my brain as Zion’s eyes meet mine, those golden orbs locked upon mine. Is that why I am here?

Zion’s head snaps towards the Alpha who disrespects him, who claims I am here for a reason Zion has yet to say.

“You dare say something like that?! That I am using the woman who I have claimed as mine?” Zion shouts, his eyes turning pitch black in seconds as Sebastian snaps his head down in respect right away. “You dare come to conclusions when you have no insight to what goes on here.”

Guards once by the doors approach Sebastian. Zion’s body is tense, his chest rising and falling rapidly as I get to my feet, trying to comprehend what is going on. Trying to understand why I am here and why Sebastian cares so much for what happens behind closed doors.

“Back down,” I shout, my wolf surfacing.

The Alphas once standing take their seats, their bodies tense and their eyes wide. I’ve surprised myself as well, the power I put into my voice. Sebastian watches me, his eyes pitch black, not liking that a rogue and the woman he rejected has gotten under his skin.

Zion leaves the room, his throne empty, and in seconds the door close, leaving a silent chamber of multiple Alphas and one rogue. “You’d be wise to not get into something you have no information in,” I add in, heading towards the door as Sebastian gets to his feet, only for Penelope to growl at him, making him once again back down.

I nod to the female Alpha, giving her respect as I leave the room, the guards shutting the doors behind me as I spot the King, heading towards the library I spotted him in only days ago, the one four stories tall. “Zion!” I call out, finding him only to pick up his pace, throwing off his royal robes, leaving them to fall to the floor. “ZION!”

The massive doors slam shut, and just as I reach the doors, they are locked tight.

I bang my hands against the doors, trying to break in, to speak with him, to beg for the truth.

“Zion, don’t be a coward.”

The sound of glass breaking causes me to jump back, to take a step back and my heart be filled with fear. The King is mad, the top Alpha wolf outraged, meaning today or however long he fills the anger, the next days will be hell. “Zion, open this damn door.”

The sound of a wolf growling catches my attention, making me take even more steps back.

He’s released the beast. He’s released the demon within him. The demon that binds me to this castle and keeps secrets from me that could offer me a clear vision of why I am here.

I leave, forgetting the room for the rest of the day as the Alphas are still within the Senate, arguments about rogues being brought up.

I make my decision, heading towards the room in which I’m held within. As I approach the door, my eyes drift to the next door of the hall, the darkness shadowing the door. As my hands reach the knob, my feet move, drifting towards the door.

Once my feet are before the door, I push it open, entering the dark room as I search for something, something to release secrets.