His Benevolence

Blaire White

The way London swiftly snapped the rogue's neck sent a shiver down my spine. I had prepared myself for anything, but it was still concerning to watch him end a wolf's life as if it meant nothing, even though the rogue deserved it.

More than anything, I was thankful to see that he wanted to try and do things differently. Even Hera couldn't stop talking about how Fuyu adored her; she had been giddy with excitement because he had been quiet the first day we recognised him as our mate.

When he banished the traitor Eliza, I felt pride swell in my chest, but I could tell that the pack members were shocked by the outcome—like they had expected him to snap her neck or rip off her head, just as he had done with the rogue.

Knowing London could do things differently if he wanted made me want to hold him forever and never let go, but I had to hold myself back and continue watching from the sidelines.

There were two other prisoners left kneeling in front of the crowd. A scrawny blonde girl with eyes burning with fire and a frail boy by her side. I could see the boy shaking like a leaf, his eyes darting every which way, looking for an escape, and it made me wonder what he had done to be paraded as a criminal.

“Emmett Nelson, daughter of Samuel Nelson, your father committed a heinous crime by betraying our pack, which he paid for with his life,” London spoke up, silencing the murmuring crowd.

His subsequent silence was palpable, and as he turned his eyes away from the crowd, our gazes clashed, his eyes somehow conveying a thousand unsaid words before he turned away, looking down at the kneeling Emmett, who had her head bowed.

"You, on the other hand, have two choices. You can stay or leave this pack. If you choose to stay and are found guilty of treason like your father, then I won't be so forgiving,” he growled, and her head snapped up so fast, staring wide-eyed in shock at London's judgement. I could tell she wasn't expecting it to go the way it did.

He waved a guard over to release her, and after the guard set her free, he slowly turned to the boy, who was still kneeling with his hands tied behind his back. The boy stared at London with eyes full of fear, awaiting his judgement.

“Pedro Garcias, for stealing from me and attempting to flee, you are hereby sentenced to two months in prison with an additional one year of community service,” London meted out his punishment, waving the guards over to take Pedro away, before turning to the now hushed crowd and addressing them.

“I do not condone theft or treason, but I have realised that there are better ways to make a criminal pay for their crimes than death. Do not mistake my benevolence for foolishness, because the last person you see before dying will be my face.” The weight of his subtle warning hung thick in the air.

“Also, I'm officially lifting the ban on our annual mating ball. It is sacred and therefore should no longer be done in secret.” A small smile curled his lips when the pack members cheered at the new information.

“That will be all for today,” he finished, wasting no time marching down from the makeshift stage. The crowd parted in reverence as he walked by, and all eyes widened in surprise and gasps as he headed straight to me. The second he got to me, he embraced me passionately before lifting me up and spinning me around. I squealed in delight, giggling happily as he gently set me down on my feet.

“You did well, London,” I murmured in appraisal, and his smile widened before he leaned down, pecking my lips. From my peripheral vision, I could see some pack members watching our interaction with stunned faces. Heat crept up my cheeks, and when London noticed, he chuckled and cupped my cheeks.

“I will introduce you to the pack officially whenever you're ready, my love,” he reassured, taking my hand in his larger one and leading me away from the field and back to the pack house.

Oh goddess, I was loving my life.

***

It had been over two weeks since the Eliza debacle, and London and I had been inseparable ever since. I had been sceptical about telling him about the relationship Sinclair and I shared, but when I did, it didn't faze him one bit.

He subsequently introduced me to Reece, the pack's beta, and Cane, the gamma. A knock on the door interrupted my train of thought, and turning to the door, I invited the person in. The door opened, and Emmett walked in. She had chosen to stay in the pack, deciding to ignore the prejudice she might face because of her father. She started working as a maid in the pack house and was no longer scrawny like the first time I saw her. Her blonde hair, tied in a neat bun at the base of her neck, glowed, and I was happy to see her looking healthy.

“Morning, Emmett.” I smiled, perking up from my spot by the window sill.

“Good morning, Blaire.” It took a lot before she agreed to call me by my name, which was a huge relief because the other maids would not stop calling me 'Luna'.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” she asked, tilting her head to the side before dropping the cleaning supplies she brought with her to stand in front of me with a raised brow.

“I can get you something from the kitchen; I don't mind,” she added, and I smiled at her kindness.

“I'm not hungry; besides, I think I have a stomach bug,” I replied with a forced smile.

“Why, what happened?” she asked, her brow scrunching in worry.

“I haven't been able to hold down food without throwing up,” I sighed, and she hummed, placing her palm on my forehead to feel my temperature.

“I think you should go see the pack doctor,” she suggested, but I waved it off immediately.

“I'll be fine,” I assured her, but that didn't ease her worry, although she made no other comment.

“I'll be in the bathroom cleaning if you need me,” she said, and I nodded. She carried the cleaning supplies into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Sighing, I turned back to staring out the window, wondering if I should go find London or not, but I didn't want him to worry unnecessarily if he even got a whiff of my stomach bug.

There was another knock on the door, and I invited the person in, only for them to knock again. I groaned, reluctantly leaving my comfortable position to answer the door.

As I pulled the door open, I was stunned to find a beautiful woman staring back at me. She was tall and slender, her green eyes complementing her ginger locks well. Her lips drew into a slow smile that made me feel uneasy.

“Um, can I help you?” I asked, unsure of what to say.

“So it wasn't just a rumour after all,” she scoffed, her eyes running slowly down my body, from my head down to my toes.

“And you are?” I inquired, tilting my head to the side to regard her.

“Freya,” she smiled, her eyes flashing before she added, “The Alpha's mistress.”

What?

I felt my heart drop into my stomach, but I shook my head, refusing to believe it was true.

“I don't know what he sees in you, but once he gets bored, he'll come back to me,” she said haughtily, flipping her hair and leaving me stunned, staring at her retreating figure down the hall.

I refused to believe her lies. London would have told me about her, wouldn't he? Feeling a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach, I rushed out of the room and headed towards London's office. However, I stopped short when I heard voices coming from the slightly ajar door.

“Why didn't you tell me sooner, Fuyu?” London's voice sounded painful, and confusion clouded my thoughts.

“It took a while for me to come to terms with how we treated Blaire,” the guttural voice replied, and I deduced it to be Fuyu's.

“We rejected Blaire and hurt her until the end.” London's voice wavered, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. What were they talking about?

“That is all in the past, London; we have a chance to make things right,” Fuyu murmured, and I took a step back, feeling like the ground beneath me was crumbling. Could it be that Freya was telling the truth? Did London cheat on me?

Choking back a sob, I stumbled backward from his office, my heart pounding in my chest. I dashed down the stairs and out of the pack house, feeling like the walls were closing in on me. I speed-walked down the pavement, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

I needed to get away to clear my head. But as I walked, the world around me started to spin, and I had to slow down to catch my breath and clear my vision. The consequences of starving myself for too long were catching up to me, and it was only getting worse. And then, as everything began to blur, I felt my world tilt before everything went dark.