Alpha's Redemption

The Were Clans were thriving under the rule of their ruler. Their ruler was fierce and intelligent; he was also the first and only remaining true blood alpha; he is a direct declaration of the moon goddess, born from the son of the moon; and as an alpha wolf, she fell in love with the werewolf progenitor was born from the moon . He had lived a life of solitude for years, leaving the ruling to the clan heads and wandering around, waiting for his mate. He had become their ruler mere months before the birth of his mate, continuously expanding the kingdom since then.

The clan heads before were fair-minded. So, there was no need to bring in many changes to the rules. But he did bring in the law of taxation. After almost 20 years, the kingdom, becoming as big as it has, needed that. Their towns, cities, and even villages kept records of outsiders traveling or visiting. Two years ago, a population count was conducted for the first time. Based on the results, districts were marked-one district for every three hundred thousand-and thus 11 districts were formed. But their ruler is feared as much as he is loved. He made the laws stricter, the punishments harsher, and the imprisonment sentences harsher. Forgiveness was not to be bestowed until reasons valid enough were provided. He had spent six years forming a systematic judiciary and brought it into action two years ago when the sectors were established. He established a court for every sector in his kingdom to provide justice for his subjects-werewolves and humans. He had made special laws for Werewolves and their approach to humans. They were not allowed to reveal their identity to humans, but special cases were taken into consideration. They were not to exercise their supernatural powers on humans unless for defense. And most importantly, discrimination among races was not tolerable. It was a punishable offense if such behavior was observed. And how did Nova know all of this? Because she had learned it all. The King had also made sure to have academies established to help commoners gain basic knowledge, such as reading, in as many villages as possible. River had learned how to read when she was young, and her interest only grew Silas (the Sharman) brought her scroll after scroll to read and gain knowledge about nature, politics, or people. Carriages of gifts sent by the king always seemed to have books too. They all described foreign lands and their traditions. So, naturally, River hoped to travel and see those places himself. River was excited as much as she was nervous. It had already been four months since her eighteenth birthday, and today she was to go to the capital. to meet the king and her mate She was finally going to meet her king again. All her life, she has been told about her fate, about how she was their King's one and only mate, chosen by the moon goddess for her son River was told that she was the king's mate on her 14th birthday. She was supposed to meet her King that day to receive the ring of betrothal but then... the king unintentionally lost control over his wolf and she was marked and mated She unconsciously touched the King's mark-on the juncture of her neck and shoulder-remembering the incident. A slight shiver ran down her spine because of this touch. Yes, it had been very painful, but she would not undo it. What had happened was unfortunate, but he would not ever want to undo it because their bond was not a mistake. It was meant to happen either way However, River was not going to forgive the king that easily. Not until his king apologizes. She knows and feels her mate's guilt. It seeps through to her some, no matter how much her mate tried to shut the bond It is so strong sometimes that it wakes the omega up from his slumber. But they will not move forward from the incident if the king does not express himself and his guilt. It is not pride or any such emotion driving her decision. He wants his mate to forgive himself. The king has also never spoken through their link,even if the door was open. It was as if he was pretending that it was still closed. , 'This is what it would be like if the incident had not happened.' This was the second thing omega was not happy with. She had tried to talk to the King four months ago when they had connected for the first time, but he ignored her And yes, she was expecting an apology for that too. " Nova?" the gentle voice called. The voice echoed. It felt as if it was being filtered through water. Nova could feel the water's soothing coolness on her skin too. She was contentedly floating in the water; her clothes were gracefully flowing along the soft currents. The wind lazily whispered in his ears and felt like spring on her skin-warm and kind. "Nova," she heard the fond call of his name again. For what felt like an eternity, she finally opened her eyes. The sun, sieving through hanging vines and overlapping trees, warmed his eyes. She was breathing calmly yet deeply,as if the air were newer and fresher. She finally moved her submerged hands and legs, causing soft ripples in the water. As she began to stand up, the water came dripping down her long silver hair in a little streak of her own .long lashes were sticking together as her green eyes perceived the sight before her She was in a small spring of sparkling blue water-a sanctuary hidden among rocks, decorated with trees, climbers, and small seasonal flowers here and there. The omega stood there, half-submerged in water. Her white, wet cotton dress was sticking to her body as she finally came out of her euphoric state. Did you fall asleep?" He asked "Yes, almost," the Nova said, nodding her head with mischief in her smile. "But I did see an odd dream," she said, and the shaman raised his eyebrows in confusion. as she started to move out of the water, creating ripples with every step. "What did you dream of?" "I don't remember it anymore." The pout could be heard even in her voice. She kept looking down as she navigated her way to the shallower edge of the blue spring. "could you please help me up, Silas? " Nova asked the shaman standing at the end of the spring as he was knee-deep in water. "Sure, child," the shaman smiled, extending his hand, and Nova walked out of the water with his help. Here is your change of clothes; be careful. I'll wait for you outside." "You look as ethereal as always, my child," the shaman beamed once he saw the omega coming out of the cave "Now let us go. You need to get ready soon because the carriages will be here in the afternoon," he added. "Okay." Nova nodded and smiled as he followed the shaman holding his hand

It was finally the day Nova Meets her betrothed. A lot of royal carriages arrived, three of which were laden with immense riches, the finest fabrics, gold, and luxurious furs ,arrived in front of the snow pack house These carriages were sent by the king for for Nova's hand in marriage like dowries . A whole troop of guards had arrived to escort her to the palace, to the King.

people gathered outside the clan pack house They wanted to the royal carriages and hoped to catch a glimpse of the King's mate before they left As a result of the color of her wolf sliver and the veil, she wore to prevent people from looking at the king's mate's face and because it is said that she was exceptionally beautiful, everyone who sees her aside from the shaman and her mother is enchanted by her beauty and scent. This is why they called her the white ghost. Pure blooded Omegas were very rare, and the only pure blooded omega was given by the moon goddess as a mate to their progenitor and king . People always cleared the way for her to pass avoiding even her shadow, on the paths she was taking . According to rumors, you could be sent to a dungeon for simply looking in her general direction. Their king was very possessive of his mate . The wooden gates of the pack house slowly opened to let the shaman emerge before the omega finally emerged a few minutes later. However, this time she wore black robes and veil, unlike the other ones they could see through this veil to see things that normally would be concealed . They were able to see the jewels and gold that were draping the silhouette of the king's mate. her long sliver hair which is her crowning glory, On the other side of the kingdom The entire path leading up to the palace, and the south wing of the palace, the halls leading to it were all lined with black drapes and violet flowers. Everyone was talking about it about the king's mate. No one knew much about her she had been kept hidden since the moment she was born and king knew of her existence but that didn't stop the lips from moving. Who could it be? How beautiful would they be if they were the king's mate? Or would they be ugly? Are they special, or are they just another werewolf? But the most talked-about subject was how jealous the concubines were going to be. The golden apple of the King's eye is arriving soon; would the King even spare the others a glance anymore? Currently, the King has seventeen concubines, some are princes and princesses of kingdoms he has conquered but has never visited. The others were betas and alphas who wanted to be the King's mates, but They were only there for the King's entertainment. The stench of Jealousy was wild in the southern wing of the palace, the area where the concubines resided. It was unfairly divided into two parts. One where all the concubines resided, and one that was prepared from the day this palace was constructed 20 years ago for the King's mate, their Luna, their Queen. It had taken a week and a half to reach the palace. The capital was filled with the hustle and bustle of people. Unlike her village, there were humans here. Nova watched the streets from behind the curtains of her carriage. It was evening when they finally reached the capital, and the streets were brightly lit up with colorful lanterns.Everything looked lively. The closer they got to the palace, the grander and busier everything became. Nova closed the curtains when she saw the palace approach. The realization that she'll be facing the King today after years made her stomach squeeze with nervousness. Will he receive him today? Or will he avoid her again? River doesn't remember his face; the last time they met, it had all been a blur for her. She hadn't dared look at his face back then, but she looks forward to it now. She remembers feeling admiration and thinking that the King was handsome, but nothing more than that. Gradually, the carriage came to a halt in front of the palace, and the door to their carriage opened. The Shaman stepped out first to help her step out of the carriage. The carriage had stopped in front of the stairs at the entrance to the palace. When the Omega walked out, just like the villagers, all they saw was "the silhouette of the Omega's body and a glimpse of his long and beautiful white hair." Her floral yet musky scent trailed behind her as she walked out. Her scent was pleasant to the senses yet left the brain to decipher a mystery behind it. They could tell her scent was already mixed with their King's because of the woody notes in it. Everyone was looking at her, but she was searching for her mate, her one and only king. Nova still couldn't believe she was here; her feet felt jittery, and her heartbeat wasn't as steady as before. She took steps ahead, and the procession followed his pace. Her eyes, longing, followed her up the stairs to find her King. And there she stood the progenitor of werewolves, the ruler of the Obsidian Valley Kingdoms her mate. He stood there, with his advisors, clan heads, and ministers behind him, to welcome their luna. His eyes had never left her since she stepped out of the carriage. When their eyes met, Nova couldn't read what was swimming in those crimson eyes. His face showed no emotion. Suddenly, his scent was all she could smell; it was drowning out any other scent. Making her feel too much because of how strong it was But then there were the comforting woody notes in his scent, making her fall in love. Bells rang, melodies dripped from the flute, and the best of the drums filled the air as she walked toward King, not looking away from each other's eyes. The king was wearing black and golden robes too. His hair was tied up, and he was wearing his crown. He looked regal. An emperor. Every step she climbed, the jewelry that cascaded from her waist and reached the ground jingled rhythmically, making it a melody that would sound beautiful if it weren't for the anxious atmosphere. When she finally stood in front of her mate ,and her eyes were at the same level as the king. Her heart beating louder than she had anticipated, she was sure the King could hear her heartbeat. The King reached for and held her hand, She looked up at the king only to find him looking away, towards the crowd gathered to welcome him, and suddenly all the music and the chatter came back. As if the spell that was cast between them broke. However, the King cupped her cheek instead as he reached to say something in her ears. "I won't hurt you this time." He said before his hand was gone, leaving her cheek and hands colder than it was before. She stepped ahead and stood beside him , moving to face the crowd gathered at the palace. A man, probably a pack head , stepped forward from behind the King, a scroll in his hand-an announcement to be made. Huge drums were beaten to gain attention towards him as he began with his words. "On the next full moon, from today, the wedding of his majesty, with his mate of Snow lineage will take place. And in celebration of their mating, the taxes for only the coming month would not be collected." He moved back to his place after announcing the dismissal of the meeting. The king left and Nova wanted to follow but the shaman led her in a different direction, towards Luna'quarters and away from her King

Nova stood in front of the soft bed provided for her in her huge chambers. It had multiple rooms that she hasn't explored yet, choosing to retire for the day. She was too tired and upset to move forward with any of the plans for exploration. She carelessly slid the veil off her body, dropping it on the floor as he stepped towards the bed. She had dismissed the attendants out of her chambers as she had entered, so there was no one except her in the room.

She did not want her misery to be noticed by them; she was sure there were no allies, and they would scavenge at her weakness like vultures and spread it around. She'll become a laughing stock for the concubines. This was one of the things she wasn't looking forward to being under the same roof as those with whom she didn't see eye to eye. She knows they haven't given a reason to be hostile toward them, but she can't vary. She is, after all, aware of their jealousy. Her mate hadn't even looked her in the eye before leaving; she had hoped that things would change once they met, but that seemed like a faraway thought at the moment. River had removed her gold earrings to place them on her bed when she saw Silas enter the room. Her shoulders relaxed on his return, finally feeling that some of her questions would be answered. "Why did you leave?" Nova exhaled in relief; she didn't like being alone here, away from his familiar spaces. -"I had to discuss some matters with his majesty," he smiled "I'm back now," he said as he moved to help River get ready for bed. Nova turned her back towards Silas as he sat behind the omega. He began to unhook the multiple necklaces one by one. They were very heavy "What did you talk about?" Nova picked at the gold embroidery of the robe. She was curious about her mate; very much so, she had barely met him and both of the meetings were quite fruitless. 'Weren't mates supposed to get to know each other? Does his majesty not want her anymore?' A lump got stuck in her throat when she was reminded of the concubines the King had for the second time that day. I asked him why he arranged for your marriage to happen so soon, and he wanted to know how you were doing." Sailas said, wiggling his brow after realizing her gloom. Nova felt a bit better knowing His Highness thought of her well-being, but the gloom didn't subside from her features. "Why did he?" Nova asked, changing the topic; she didn't want to talk about it today. "War is near," he answered in a grim tone. The southern borders of the empire are under tension. He wants to hold the ceremony before the the situation gets worse. " He began combing Nova's hair with a jade comb. the sliver hair, a stark contrast against thethe green of the jade was mesmerizing to look at. Nova hummed with understanding; his majesty was dutiful to the empire he had built, and he was glad that it was so. But she wished that now that she was here, she would get some of his mate's attention. "Sailas, can you ask one of the maids to get hot water ready for my bath?" She asked; she wanted to bathe away the stressful and depressing thoughts and then fall asleep. She really didn't want to feel like this anymore. "Sure. " he smiled, leaving her as the omega began to get ready for the bath. It took a while to let her hair dry, but she was finally in bed. The long bath made her feel lightheaded but better .it was every bit soothing on warm summer nights. Her eyelids felt heavy, so she let them rest. Sleep was clouding her mind, and she was slowly slipping away into its haze. "Nova," a voice echoed in her ears-a voice she hadn't heard before today, one she was longing to hear. Her heart began beating erratically,after a few deep breaths. She curled and turned to her side, clutching a pillow She had made a resolution not to talk to His Highness until he had apologized to her properly, but he saw it all crumble the moment she heard his voice. "Beloved", are you asleep?" The voice called again, and this time the Omega answered. "Your Highness," Nova replied, breathless. The smooth voice rang in her mind like sweet honey; it felt as if one of the missing pieces finally fit into her. "Would you rather sleep?" His Highness asked with gentleness in his tone, as if he felt he would scare her away if he were any louder. Gone was the confidence, from his voice that was present when he had uttered that one sentence to Nova when the omega had arrived-I won't hurt you this time.' ] His words were slippery as if he were intoxicated. No, I'd rather listen to Your Highness than fall asleep," Nova uttered with a smile, disbelief in her senses. She feared she was dreaming that his Highness had finally reached out to her. She adjusted her head on the pillow, as if that would help her listen to the conversation happening in his head properly. " Call me Zane," he said. "Call me by name, my beloved." Nova's breathing hitched, She felt it was hard to even utter a word. No one knew of the ruler's true name except his mother the moon goddess; werewolves called him the first King, and they addressed him as the progenitor, but no one had ever had the privilege to even know, no less utter, the ruler's true name. Zane gave him his name. River felt overwhelmed, but wasn't this how It was supposed to be? She was glad that they were finally communicating, but it hurt that the other was drunk. She wondered if the king would remember that they talked when the morning came and if he would still allow her to call him by his name. Zane, too, was in his lonely bed. The right side of the bed was left empty for his one and only companion. He's never allowed anyone to sleep there, and he never would. His official robes were still on him, his long raven hair messily splayed out on the bed, but he couldn't care less. -"...Zane" Nova finally whispered, even if it's just for this moment, she would bask in it. Zane, on the other hand, felt emotions so great. For the first time in his existence in the mortal realm, someone called him 'Zane. His mate had called his name in devotion, even after everything that happened. Even when he had ignored her for years, shut her out, and hurt her When she was young, he was scared he would hurt her more. He didn't deserve his beloved, he thought "Did you drink?" she then asked. When Zane was too lost to respond, a worry that Zane had shut her out again crept into her. "Is there anything you want as a wedding gift?" Zane asked instead, evading her question. He did drink; he couldn't stand the pain that was stemming from the guilt that rooted years ago. He had gone to the concubine chambers to make himself forget. He did for a few hours, but it came back as soon as he returned to his own. He couldn't escape it forever; the alcohol he had consumed earlier pushed him to finally face it. Yes," Nova hesitated, snatching Zane from his thoughts, "Would it be too much to want you next to me?" The omega whimpered, and Zane felt himself slip, wanting to get to Nova, but he put a barrier on it; he didn't deserve the comfort that would come with his mate's company. I'll try," Zane said after a long pause. "Sleep well," he uttered before shutting her out again. Nova felt disappointment , but she did not utter a word. She would not rush this, she thought. Zane had finally talked to her; this was enough for now. They'll be meeting on the day of the marriage soon; he could wait till then. Nova spent the next two days exploring her her wing in the palace to distract her from the nerves that were charging at her. Her wing had two floors: the entrance, a sitting area, a personal library full of scrolls and books, and the garden entrance were all on the ground floor. Stairs from the library led up to her bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. There was a beautiful balcony outside her bedroom filled with plants,she could see the expanse of the garden, which was grown exclusively for her. She could see the cherry trees in full bloom, filling the air with their fragrance The gazebo in the garden looked beautiful, but Nova still hadn't the courage to step out of her wing, nor had she entered the gardens to enjoy air and sunshine. But her favorite was the underground spring. It was a surprise to find that the same stairs that went up also went down. It almost looked identical to the cave back in her hometown. It was a hot spring constructed for her leisure. She was very happy with everything that Zane had made possible, but she was still very upset about what happened the night before. Zane hadn't reached out again after the night of her arrival, making Nova wonder if he even remembered talking to her. Nova had been awake since dawn. she was getting married today. She took a bath as Sailas washed her hair. Nova still rejected all the attendants only trusting Sailas with everything. She wiped herself and walked towards Sailas, who was waiting outside. There was a dress hanging from a mannequin, and a necklace and shoulder piece studded with diamonds and pearls a veil with gold embroidery was laid on bed. Nova took a deep breath before she stepped in; it would be long before it was done.