Only A Fool

Zions' P.O.V.

Once the fight is over, I see Rain running to start healing the more seriously injured. I stop Rain, who seems to have forgotten that she's now naked after shifting back. I hand her a large black T-shirt I grabbed from one of the dry boxes where we keep clothes for situations like this. She looks down at herself, clearly embarrassed, and quickly puts the T-shirt on.

"How could she forget that she was naked?" Ryker asks in amusement, and I shake my head.

"Remember, she isn't used to all of this. It'll take her a bit to get used to everything. After all, this is only her third time shifting. " I answer Ryker as I ask Orian to get a head count and see if we lost any warriors or witches. Thankfully we didn't lose anyone, but one of our warriors did lose his arm. Mathew lets me know he found three rogues still alive.

"We need to keep them alive long enough to interrogate them. We need all the information we can get at this point." I say, and he nods as he and Sam collect them. "Once we get back to the castle, Rain and I will get everyone out of the basement, and y'all can take them to the cells in the dungeon."

"Yes, my King," Sam answers me. I walk over to where Rain and Jessica are with the last couple of warriors with the more serious injuries as Rain works on healing them. I let Rain know we didn't lose any of our warriors or witches, and that the warriors and witches with minor injuries will be taken to the hospital. She turns to look at me for a brief moment with relief in her eyes as she nods before she refocuses on the warrior in front of her.

"She really is amazing," Ryker says, and I agree. "She took out almost as many of the enemy as we did. And she hasn't had any combat training at all."

"I know. But as good as she is, I want to make sure that she's more prepared next time. I probably need to start her training sooner than I had planned. It might be a good idea to have Jessica train too since she refused to return to the castle without Rain." I tell him. "She will be taking her place as Rains' Beta soon, and at least neither one of them will have to go through the basics first. They both have the potential to be skilled fighters."

"I agree. The sooner, the better for both of them. Though I don't like the thought of Rain running head-first into battle, the better trained they are, the less likely they will get hurt. And I'm sure Orian would feel the same way." He says, and I nod as I pick Rain up and make our way to the castle.

"You know I can walk, right?" She asks me, and I let out a light laugh.

"I'm aware of that, my Queen," I answer her with a smile. But honestly, I need her close to me after everything. "You knew I would send you back to the castle? That's why you ran head-first into the fight?"

"Yes, but I'm not sorry for doing it. If I didn't, we would have lost a few of our warriors." She answers me honestly, and I can't help but nod and smile.

"Then I guess we'll need to start your combat training sooner than I planned," I say. "We'll also have Jessica join in since she refused to return to the castle as well. But from the looks of it, neither of you will need the basic training."

"Well, what did you expect? You did say she was to become my Beta." She says with a laugh and beaming with pride for her sister.

When we finally reached the castle, I linked the guards watching over the women and children to let them know everything was safe and they could come up from the basement. We stand at the door to the basement as the door unlocks and opens, and our guards start helping everyone out. Odett comes running up to us and wraps her arms around both our legs.

"Is everyone okay?" She asks us, and we both nod, and I smile, knowing that she is concerned for our peoples' safety at such a young age.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Of course, Daddy, I knew y'all would come back, and that's what I told everyone while we were all down there." She says with a smile. And I pick her up and put her on my shoulders while Rain is making sure everyone in the basement is safe and accounted for.

"Zion, I think we need to count everyone at the hospital. We have guests missing." She links me, and I have an uncomfortable feeling it's the so-called Alphas and their mates.

"Who?" I ask her.

"Alpha Max, Alpha Ian, and Luna Emily. Luna Misty is here." She tells me. So they left Luna Misty behind? Is she not in on their plans?

"I'll get Orian to check the hospital, but I think we now know who told the enemy to attack," I say through the link, and she nods in understanding. "We also made sure to keep a few attackers alive so we can interrogate them. Alpha Mathew and his Beta will take them to the basement after we get the guests cleared out."

"I'll get the servants to prepare a snack for everyone in the dining hall to distract them," She says, and I look at her, confused as to why she is worrying about eating right now. She shrugs her shoulders. "Everyone likes a midnight snack." I nod in understanding, though I doubt they care for food after being scared and rushed to the basement.

"Everything has been taken care of, and you are all safe. You may either head to your rooms or go to the dining hall to grab a midnight snack." I say, and everyone starts to clear out. I look at her and laugh because she's right. It would seem she's always right. "I'll let Mathew know it's clear to bring the prisoners in. Will you make sure everyone stays in the dining hall, please?"

"Of course, but I think it's time to invest in multiple safe rooms or bunkers around the kingdom. We got lucky this time, but we need to be sure everyone can reach one if we get attacked on a bigger scale next time." She says. She has a good point. We did get lucky this time. If everyone was scattered around the kingdom like they usually are instead of in one place because of the ceremony and run. It could have turned out badly.

"I agree. After your crowning ceremony tomorrow, we will meet with construction workers and discuss plans for them." I say, making her smile. I put Odett down, and she takes Rains' hand.

"Would you like to come with me to help the servants make snacks for everyone?" Rain asks Odett, and she nods with excitement, and they head to the kitchen. I link Sam, telling him he and Mathew can bring the prisoners in, and I make my way down to the dungeon cells with a few guards to wait for them.

While I wait for Sam and Mathew, I send Orian a link to let him know we need to set an appointment tomorrow afternoon after Rains' crowning ceremony with the contractor to discuss plans for multiple safe rooms all over the kingdom. He agrees it would be a good and is highly amused that it was Rains' idea. I'm not sure why we haven't thought of it before now. He then tells me he will set the appointment for me. I also inform him that Alpha Max, Ian, and Ians' Luna Emily are all missing, making him cuss through the link.

Suddenly I hear the thumps and grunts as three bodies hit the floor, and I tell Orian that I was about to start the interrogations of the rogues and cut off our link. I turn around and look at the rogues that Mathew and Sam had thrown down at my feet as they begin to beg to be released. "These fools can't really believe we'll just let them leave, can they?" Ryker laughs in my head as I look over at Sam. He nods and begins to drag them one by one to the cells and place the shackles around their wrists.

"Only a fool would expect to be released after attacking the Kings' land during a sacred event such as my Mating Ceremony," I say with a laugh, thanking the Moon Goddess that Rain isn't here to witness this dark part of me.

"Please, my King, forgive us. We didn't know it was your mating ceremony. Alpha Douglas told us to wait at the border for the signal and attack, or he would kill us." One of the rogues cried out. "He told us that everyone would be distracted."

"He sent a mere twenty rogues and witches to attack my kingdom, knowing it would be filled with visiting Alphas and Betas?" I ask in my Alpha voice, making sure he wouldn't lie to me while also being amused by the fear I could smell wafting off them.