LUCIUS.
I sat as Ethan thoroughly questioned the warriors my father had used as guards. I was so distraught. Lost in the whirl of my own thoughts.
A lot was on my mind—a lot more than I could handle. I could hear Ethan questioning them, but it sounded so far away.
"Lucius." Ethan said, tapping me gently, and I opened my eyes. My eyes had been closed for a long time; I wasn't sleeping; my eyes just felt too tired from staring at the same place for hours.
The men were no longer there; it was just Ethan.
"Where are they?" I asked him, and he looked at me with those concerned eyes of his.
"In the dungeon. None of them want to admit or point out the killers. I know one person alone can't take down the Alpha, so I'm sure it's a gang we're going to be searching for." He said, and I stood up.
"I want no news of this to come out. It doesn't make for a good image. The word to be said to the general public is, He died in his sleep." I said, and he nodded.
"I wouldn't be so thoughtless as to make the people worry by telling the real truth. They'd feel really insecure." He said, and it was my turn to nod.
"I'm going to my quarters; I'll need some rest." I said and left for my quarters.
~
The next day was the funeral, and I didn't know how I felt when I witnessed him being buried; he was gone forever. My name wouldn't be heard from his lips anymore; there was no one to intimidate me or try to rule me.
I was alone and on my own, with a whole Kingdom to protect and watch over.
When it was announced to the villagers that the King had died in his sleep, they all wept, claiming he had left the world earlier than he should have.
Alphas from the allies Kingdoms also came to pay their respects to my father. After saying the nice things about my father that I failed to recognise, they shook hands with me and exchanged hugs with me, as that was their way of comforting me.
The Burial was a sad one; not a speck of white could be seen on the black attire, and the same thing went for a smile.
There wasn't a single smile on the faces at the funeral.
After the funeral, I and the Elders of the pack held a meeting where they expressed their grief and gave their condolences.
"This meeting with Alpha is just to set the time for the coronation; in as much as we all loved the previous Alpha and would love to mourn him much longer, the throne cannot be vacant for too long." Elder Quell said, and I thought about it.
Truly, I wanted to mourn longer, but my father's seat couldn't be left unoccupied.
"Let's hold it a week from now." I said, and when there was no other opposition, it was accepted.
"But Alpha, here's the other pressing concern that would need to be solved along with the coronation." Elder James said, and I looked at him.
"And what's that?" I asked, and he cleared his throat.
"A Luna," he said, and I stood up.
"With all due respect, Elder James, I am still in mourning and in no position to think about a woman. That can wait and will be discussed later." I said and ended the meeting there.
There were disapproving grumbles, but I wasn't ready for any of that.
That night, when I slept, I had a horrible dream. My father chased me, looking terrible with his eyes plugged from their sockets and his fangs longer than they should be.
And all he shouted was.
"You never cared! You never cared! You never cared!"
I woke up panting and breathing hard, with my claws and fangs out.
I immediately turned on all the lights and sat up in bed.
~
Over the next three days, I was unable to sleep. Each time I closed my eyes, my father would chase me until my eyes flew back open.
My men noticed this as my face looked tired and worn out every morning.
They told me they'd find a solution for the lack of sleep and bad dreams, but even with all they found, I still couldn't sleep.
It was hell for me, as I couldn't allow myself even a minute of sleep so as to avoid those vivid dreams that terrified me.
~
"There is a lady who claims she can help you sleep without bad dreams." Orwell, one of my men said, and at first I hesitated but decided to give it a chance.
"I'm Athena. Give me a chance; I'll help you sleep peacefully." She said, and I looked at her.
"How did you know?" I asked her, and she smiled.
"Half the town knows you haven't been able to find sleep since the Alpha's death." She said, and I looked at my men and spotted Dusk staring at me. It had been so long since I had seen her. I wanted to reach out to her but didn't know how to.
~
DUSK.
I and Lucius shared a long look before he finally looked at the lady who stood confidently before him.
"How sure are you that you can make me sleep?" He asked, and she replied quickly.
"I make money from it; my voice can be as smooth as butter and as smooth as honey, and a song from me isn't needed; words alone are what are required." She said, and I looked at Lucius. He really needed the sleep, and it was better that he accepted whatever help was coming his way.
He nodded, and two of his best men followed them into his chambers.
"You think she can really make him sleep? Even if he sleeps for five minutes, those horrible nightmares wake him." Seline asked me, and I looked at her.
"I know right. The big thing is to make him sleep." I said, and after about thirty minutes, Athena came out.
"Your Alpha has been asleep for twenty-five minutes now." She said while looking at the clock on the wall.
"Is that true?" Ethan asked the guards, and with an awe-struck look, they nodded.
"No nightmares." They said, and we all looked at Athena.