Alpha

Zara’s behavior also made sense. The stalker was feeding her lies, sowing doubt in her heart. Even though some of what he told her was true, it contributed to her deep mistrust of me.

I’ll never forget the look she gave me the last time we met. The distrust in her eyes, the disappointment and fear...

So I immediately left my place with Mom and arrived in the Sterling capital. I told Keysir to use Marcus’s car and ask him for help, knowing the police would soon confiscate everything in my name.

I also temporarily disconnected my old number and got a temporary one. Zara’s family had more enemies than me, and after researching their past, I discovered they had even destroyed a mafia family.

Not just any mafia family, but one of the most influential in the neighboring pack, which had fallen from power and infiltrated my lands, the Cassidy family.

The crimes her grandfather had committed disgusted me.

Attack and rape of a child. That’s what he did to Zara’s father. This mess needed to be cleaned up, and the first thing I planned to do was get rid of their family.

I’d always doubted Cassidy, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she was involved in Zara’s kidnapping.

I tried to contact her, but she’d turned off her phone, and I couldn’t reach her. I needed to talk to her family and find out where she was. I called my IT specialist and asked him to track her phone.

We still couldn’t track Zara’s phone. It seemed to have simply vanished. We could only assume that her kidnapper was somehow disguising the phone, and if Cassidy was involved, he must be disguising hers as well.

Looking out the window of my room, I was ready to become an Alpha King. It was the only way to ensure her safety. People will think twice about messing with her if they know she’s under my protection.

I ran a hand through my chin in irritation. I desperately needed a cigarette to calm my nerves, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Every time I thought about lighting up, Zara’s face would pop into my head, and the urge would simply fade. I heard the door open behind me and someone enter.

"Are you ready?" Brandon’s voice brought me back to my current situation.

Slowly, I turned to look at my little brother, and for the rarest of moments, he didn’t have a phone in his hand or a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Does it matter? What is, is." There was no enthusiasm in my voice. It was simply dead.

He slowly walked over and stood next to me. We rarely spoke; he didn’t want a brother. Honestly, he was a real pain in my ass. He simply existed, and I tolerated it because of my mother.

"I think you’re exactly the man for this job. Believe it or not, you possess qualities like fairness and prudence. A rational mind capable of making difficult decisions, that’s what we all need."

I didn’t expect him to say those words.

"Are you too soft, little brother?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

He just shrugged.

"I’m just telling the truth. And I’m so sorry you have to go through this." He looked at me with the look of a brother who wants to say, "I care about you, big brother," without saying it out loud.

He continued, "Mom told me everything. I have nothing but respect for her and her family. I will help you find her at any cost."

Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to hear such words from Brandon.

I nodded to him in gratitude. "Thank you, little brother."

"Let’s make you a Lord so we can all bow before you, and then we’ll save your girlfriend," he said sarcastically, and I had to shake my head.

We left the room and headed to the place of my ascension. Only men were allowed there. The underground hall was enormous, with gold inlays in the ceiling.

At the end of the room stood a throne worthy of a king.

What was the point? I had no idea. In the center of the room was a table set with a silver cup, a dagger, a book, and a ring.

Hundreds of wolves, who were supposed to carry out my orders, lined up at one end of the room. Among them were highly trained assassins, spies, hackers, and even police officers.

They were all meant to be my people.

At the table stood the elders in silver-gray cloaks. The elders of the Sterling Empire, who established the rules that maintained the peace, were the unofficial rulers of this place.

I had to act as their law enforcement officer, their peaceful ruler.

Energy and balance. But most importantly, their executioner. Killing, without question, anyone who dared threaten them.

However, I had no intention of blindly following them; I did so only to gain the strength necessary to save and protect her.

"Kane Sterling, please step forward and extend your right hand," one of the elders announced, forcing me to step forward. Brandon took his place at my side.

"Where is your queen? You should have married according to the rules," he said with a hint of disappointment. "We’re making an exception."

"She was taken from me, and I must get her back." There will be no other mate for me but Zara. And if it takes years to win her back, I will do it.

The elders nodded to me.

"The first task after your Ascension is to save your mate. We have no time to waste."

The elder took my hand in his, grabbed a knife from the table, and slashed my palm. Pain shot through me, but I didn’t even flinch.

The Book of Wisdom lay before me, and I placed my hand on the correct page, leaving a mark of my blood on it. I had become the 27th Alpha King.

Then the elder handed me a cup. "Drink and join the ranks of your ancestors, may you rule wisely."

I silently accepted the cup and took a small sip. Silence reigned, despite the presence of so many people. Only their sharp gazes remained on me.

After drinking, they placed a ring with the Fujika Serpent emblem on the middle finger of my right hand.

The status of an Alpha King.

"Now take off your shirt so we can give you tattoos symbolizing your duties." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Unbuttoning my shirt, I tossed it to the side and removed it. Two burly men escorted me to the throne and helped me settle onto it while the tattoo artist made his way toward me.

A few hours later, I rose from the throne a completely different person. A person who was now the Alpha King of the Sterling Empire and no longer in control of his own life.

"Long live the Alpha King! May your reign be just!"

The final announcement was made, after which everyone came forward one by one to kiss the ring on my hand and swear their allegiance to me.