The Mad Alpha's Chapter 4: Queen to Be

Chapter 4: Queen to Be

(LOCKE)

A hot shower and a al relax my muscles, and I head to my chambers.

When I open the door, however, I’m assailed by a rich scent that has

stopping in my tracks.

My wolf snarls.

Intruder!

Before I can react, I sll sothing else, a soft, earthy scent that’s quite familiar to . It’s buried under that rich aroma, and once my wolf recognizes it, it rumbles in approval.

Did Sigrid bring the woman here? I told her to—

No, I didn’t tell her what to do with the princess. She must have assud I wanted her in my chambers.

I ring the rope for the bell attached to Sigrid’s quarters before closing the door behind

and searching the room for the woman. She’s not in bed. She’s not on the chair...

I pause.

There’s a small figure curled up in front of the fire. Frowning, I walk over and look down at her.

Her hair is spread out behind her, a beautiful, ebony black, with long, glistening strands fanning out from her head.

The girl is curled into a tiny ball, and even after having cleaned up and put on so fresh clothes, she still looks gaunt.

I saw Princess Ravenna once at a gathering for royals and nobles. She was an exquisite creature, but her eyes made my skin crawl. Still, I would have recognized her as my fated mate the mont we t.

So, why now?

The woman moans in her sleep, curling herself up even tighter, and I feel a tinge of annoyance. If she had to lie down, she should have just lain down on the bed.

Leaning over, I pick her up in my arms. I’m not surprised by how light she is. The princess weighs next to nothing.

I carry her over to the bed and slowly lower her onto it. I study her as she begins to shiver. The cold of the North must not suit her. She’ll have to get accustod to it, though.

Her hair falls over her face when she moves in her sleep. Without thinking, I remove the strands from her cheek. My hand looks massive compared to those small features. I could crush her head in my fist.

The idea amuses , but when she shivers again, I pull the blanket up over her body.

There’s a knock on the door, and I walk over to answer it.

It’s Sigrid, her face pallid. "I have a ssage for you, Your Majesty."

I glance at the sleeping woman and nudge my head to the side. "In the sitting room."

She blinks in surprise. The sitting room has not been opened since my mother passed. It is cleaned by Sigrid, but I’ve never gone in. She must have assud it was for sentintal reasons. Maybe it was.

She follows

into the adjoining room and sits down on the sofa beside .

"Rothan received a ssage from one of your n in the East. I was already coming to see you, so I said I would pass it on to you."

She hesitates. "He insisted he should co himself, but I could tell he was tired."

A flicker of a smile plays on my lips. Sigrid is Rothan’s mother. She still worries about him.

She hands

a folded piece of paper. I open the ssage and read the contents.

A deceased woman with the mark on her wrist was found just outside the palace in a maid’s uniform. Badly disfigured. Jewels on her.

I press my lips together, crumpling the paper in my hand, my mood darkening.

I was right.

"What did you want to talk about, Sigrid?" I turn my attention toward the woman who oversees the upkeep of this entire castle.

"The princess bears marks of abuse," she says quietly. "There are scars on her back and other parts of her body that are concealed by clothing."

"Scars?" I feel confused. "Wolf shifters rarely have scars."

"Scars are possible if the wounds are constantly opened over and over again, or if the wound is too grievous. It can also be that she was not allowed to see a healer. I do not know the circumstances, Sire, but I did apply a healing balm. It did not work. Perhaps if we keep applying it repeatedly, it may."

"What about her deanor?"

She shakes her head. "Quiet, subdued. She’s very polite. I got your letter when you started your journey back, so when you arrived, I observed her closely. She doesn’t behave like royalty. One of the maids ran her an ice-cold bath to play a prank, and the girl didn’t make a sound."

My wolf bristles in anger. "I want that maid fired."

Sigrid nods. "She also had a hard ti keeping food down. If you intend to keep her alive, I want you to give her this."

She holds out a small vial filled with a blue liquid. "What is it?"

"An antidote. I—" She hesitates. "When I was working under your mother in the espionage team, I ca across a poison in the East. It rots away the insides of a wolf shifter over a period of ti, forcing the consur to be unable to digest food. The girl’s symptoms are the sa. I believe she was poisoned repeatedly."

"I see." My hand wraps around the bottle. "And you are sure this is the antidote?"

"I’ve seen it used. It is now produced in-house and has been tested."

She stands to leave, but I stop her. "I plan to keep her, Sigrid. She will be the queen."

Sigrid blinks slowly. "I see."

"If what you say is true, then I cannot leave her in the hands of the other maids. I want you to be her maid. You’ll still maintain your duties as the head maid, but you are the only one I want by her side. I also want you to keep an eye on her. I don’t trust her."

"I understand. And the mating ceremony?"

"It will be done quickly. Tomorrow. I have things to do, and I’m not going to waste ti on so grand event."

"Very well. I’ll have the chef make food that will be easy on her stomach. I’ll also have a healer co in and take a look at her after the ceremony."

"He just needs to make sure she can bear heirs."

Sigrid glances at . "And the queen’s involvent with the kingdom?"

I gesture with my hand. "Keep an eye on her. If she does anything suspicious, report to . I’m just interested in her ability to produce the next king, nothing more. Let her amuse herself as she sees fit."

Sigrid exits the room, but I linger, looking around.

This was my mother’s sitting area. It has been years since she and my father were assassinated by the rebels in the Eastern Kingdom. Even though Sigrid cleans in here weekly, I can still sll that familiar scent of roses. My mother loved roses. Her sitting room was always adorned with them.

I get to my feet. There’s no point in lingering in the past. There’s nothing useful there anymore.

Tonight, I’ll sleep. And tomorrow, I’ll deal with the woman lying in my bed.

Because whoever that woman is, she is not Princess Ravenna.