Kingsley's POV
"Your Majesty, may I inquire as to the reason for your late-night summons?"
I glanced at the imposing middle-aged man standing by the window, the moonlight casting a glow on his icy, flamboyant robes.
"Kingsley, congratulations on finding your Luna."
The king approached me with a warm smile. As I studied his face, which bore a passing resemblance to my father's, I couldn't discern his intentions.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"You don't have to call me sire; I'm just looking for an uncle-nephew conversation, Kingsley."
I frowned a bit, lowering my head without replying.
The king, or rather my uncle, sighed, patted my shoulder, and then returned to his desk, resuming his imposing stature as the king.
"Kingsley, now that you and your Luna have completed the mating ritual, it's time for you to take Mavis back. I'm sure you haven't forgotten the deal we made with THE Snowwolf Pack at that banquet."
The king's icy voice echoed in the room. I furrowed my brow and met his gaze firmly.
"But Your Majesty, I didn't make a promise back then."
As soon as the words left my mouth, the room's temperature plummeted, and the king's intimidating pressure became almost unbearable. I held my head high, refusing to back down.
After a long silence, the king sighed helplessly. "Kingsley, you should understand the importance of a qualified Alpha heir to the pack. Don't be like your foolish father."
At the mention of my father, I fell silent.
My father had refused to share a bed with Grace after being forced to separate from my mother. It was his way of rebellion. Even after Grace drugged him with an aphrodisiac and used means to conceive Joyce, my father distanced himself further.
While outsiders assumed it was because Grace couldn't have more children, in reality, it was my father who prevented her from conceiving another child.
"Kingsley," the king's voice resonated once more, "perhaps you believed that the love between your father and mother was profound. In your heart, your father, who bravely fought back, might have been considered a hero. However, the truth is, your father was merely a selfish coward. He couldn't remain loyal to your mother, and he wasn't a qualified alpha for his own pack. When he abandoned your mother for the sake of the pack, he should have embraced his responsibility as an alpha to protect his pack, but he failed to do so. After abandoning your mother, he wallowed in his own pitiful memories of love, unable to move forward. He refused to share his bed with his Luna, neglected grooming his heir, and even lost his ability to fight, allowing his pack to decline until you were picked up."
As the king uttered these words, my memories were gradually drawn back to the past.
When I was first reintegrated into the pack, it was already in decline.
The surrounding packs were making strategic moves, anticipating an opportunity to seize our land and annex our pack.
True to the king's description, my father spent his days immersed in the love he had reluctantly relinquished, losing his combat strength and becoming incapable of leading a pack. Ultimately, he lost his life in battle.
In contrast, I, as my father's only son, inherited his responsibilities upon returning to the pack. I put an end to both major and minor conflicts and, with the king's support, earned the pack's recognition, becoming the Alpha.
"Kingsley, I can permit you to choose your own Luna, but..." The king didn't allow me time to retort; in fact, I didn't know what to say.
"Remember that, in addition to being the Alpha of your Luna, you are also the Alpha of the entire pack. You know precisely what happens to pack members when a pack begins to decline," the king continued.
I stood still, an unspeakable sadness welling up inside me.
In a trance, Freya crossed my mind.
How could I betray my Luna and get close to another woman? The mere thought of sharing a bed with someone else made my soul feel like it was on a blazing fire.
I opened my mouth to speak, but in the end, I just lowered my head and whispered, "I know, Your Majesty."
My response was obviously expected by the king; he stood up and clapped his hands before an attendant walked in with Mavis, who had been waiting for a long time.
"Well, you may now take your breeder and leave," the King ordered.
With great difficulty, I turned and left.
Throughout the entire journey, I ignored Mavis, who was following me, and she wisely kept his mouth shut until we arrived back home.
Exiting the car and entering the house, I reached the living room and saw Freya sitting on the couch, waiting for me.
Her delighted smile disappeared the moment she noticed Mavis behind me.
At that moment, I felt like a coward, keeping my head down and not daring to look Freya in the eye. Shame and humiliation filled me, and I feared seeing the disappointment in Freya's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Freya," I said bitterly, my wolf whimpering.
However...
"Mavis, there are many rooms on the second floor. You can pick one you like," Freya softly explained to Mavis, instructing her to rest.
After hearing this, Mavis nodded at Freya and walked up to the second floor. It wasn't until the door to her room closed that I finally looked up at Freya.
"Freya, listen to me, I can explain, I..."
I wanted to explain, but what could I say?
I had brought another woman back with me, and she was now my breeder.
For the first time, I felt like an incompetent coward who couldn't protect my love and had deeply hurt my Luna.
However, Freya suddenly smiled and walked towards me.
"I'm well aware of it." Her clear and pure eyes fixed on me, allowing me to glimpse the impotence within my soul.
"Freya, I won't betray you. You're my only love, my sole mate. Her return means nothing."
I took a deep breath and asserted, "Rest assured, I'll handle this."
However, in the next moment, I noticed Freya's expression turn serious and earnest. "No, Kingsley. You are the Alpha of the pack, and I am now the Luna. We must shoulder the responsibility for our pack."
I stared at Freya in shock, wondering what she meant by that.
Meeting my gaze, Freya took a deep breath before continuing, "Kingsley, nothing in this world is perfect. Since we enjoy our privileges, we must also bear the responsibility that comes with them. We can't be too greedy—enjoying benefits without giving in return. The embrace and loyalty of our pack members grant us supremacy and honor. It's only natural for us to protect our pack and prevent them from becoming rogues or losing their lives."
Freya startled me with the determination and firmness in her eyes as she spoke. Perhaps even she didn't realize how radiant she appeared at that moment.
I took Freya's hand in a reverse grip, admiration and absolute respect evident in my eyes. "Freya, I have to admit, you're a natural-born Luna. I really feel lucky for my pack to have a Luna like you."