Luna of the Cursed Alpha King (Helga and Siegren)
Luna Of The 57

Chapter 57

EVEN AFTER Siegren was finished changing his clothes, Helga's intense stare continued to linger. Their luggage had been taken by the royal guards and loaded into their car, preparing to leave, yet she couldn't seem to move on from seeing his wolf form, perhaps because it reminded her of the statue atop the fountain in Central Plaza.

"You'll burn a hole in my skull if you keep staring at me like that," he chuckled, causing Helga to blink and look down when he offered her his hand. Reluctantly, she took it and let him intertwine their fingers before they both left the room and were greeted by the butler who was waiting for them outside.

Although the race ended without the two participants getting injured, an argument escalated when Ezra refused to accept his defeat, claiming that transforming into a wolf during a horse race was unacceptable and unfair. He insisted that it was cheating, however, the Alpha King calmly explained why he was forced to shift into his wolf form, but Ezra's pride would not back down.

In the end, they decided to investigate things and when the truth came to light that there had been something wrong with the horse Siegren was riding, the members of the Incarnadine pack who had witnessed the start and finish of the race couldn't help but feel a sense of shame wash over them. Even Aldous, the previous Alpha, and father of Ezra, felt deeply embarrassed by his son's dishonorable actions. It had only been a short time since Ezra took over as Alpha, yet he was already tarnishing their pack's name and reputation. "Have you assembled all members of your pack except for the children?" Siegren asked the butler as they made their way downstairs.

"Yes, Alpha King," he responded cautiously and once they approached the staircase, Helga couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as she saw all the pack members who had bullied and tormented her for three months bow their heads. She exchanged a smile with Siegren before continuing down the stairs, walking alongside him. When they reached the bottom step, she noticed Ezra and Miranda, still looking pale but being forced to join the gathering.

"We had already wasted a couple of hours staying here, so kneel and apologize," Siegren ordered sternly which caused everyone to purse their lips and Ezra's jaw became tensed as he looked at Helga whose expression was as cold as the Alpha King.

"Helga—”

"You ought to address me properly, an incompetent Alpha like you can't call me by name anymore." Helga snapped, her voice dripping with venom as she cut Ezra off sharply. The words echoed in his mind, ones he had once said to her in a moment of anger and frustration. But now they were being thrown back at him by the woman he had underestimated for far too long.

A collective gasp escaped from everyone's lips as a powerful aura emanated from Helga. Though not as intense as the Alpha King's, it still instilled fear in all those present. Even Ezra, the proud and arrogant Alpha, was taken aback by her words. In that moment, he realized that the Helga he once knew was no longer present before him. Instead, the new Helga-Luna 

of the royal pack and Queen of Verdentia stood in front of him; someone he had never expected to become.

"My apologies, Your Majesty, the Queen." Ezra gave a respectful nod, though Helga could tell he was holding back his true emotions. One by one, the members of the Incarnadine pack who had mistreated her began to kneel before her, and when it says everyone, it means everyone-Aldous and Viola included.

The sight was rather amusing to Helga, but she also felt a twinge of sympathy towards her former family. She had always treated them as if they were her own, despite their actions. But their betrayal was something she couldn't let cloud her judgment; she needed a genuine apology from each of them in order to truly move on and put them behind her.

"We're sorry for everything we've done to you. Please forgive us..." They all said in unison after Ezra told them what to say through the mind link. Some of them seemed genuinely remorseful, but Helga could see right through the false sincerity of the Madden family, especially Miranda. Despite this, she made the decision to forgive them all for her own well- being and inner peace.

"Apology accepted, you may stand," she replied shortly before looking at Siegren who looked proud and pleased. They smiled at each other and began walking where the Incarnadine pack involuntarily stepped aside to make way for them. Once Helga walked past Ezra, he looked at her, but she didn't spare him any glance as if his entire existence meant nothing to her anymore. He clenched his jaw and tightened his fist while Miranda's eyes welled up with tears; not only was she humiliated by kneeling and apologizing, but she could also feel the intense emotion that her mate still harbored for his ex-lover. Though Ezra may not show it outwardly or deny it, his regret for Helga burned strongly inside of him.

"I'm sorry," Lorena's apology caught Helga off guard, causing her to pause momentarily as she passed by. But just like what she did to Ezra, she didn't look back and continued on her path. As soon as they left the Incarnadine pack house, Helga released a heavy breath and leaned against the backrest. She then turned to look at Siegren, who gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his tone and his gentle touch sending calming waves through her body.

She gave a slight nod and suppressed a chuckle that wanted to escape her lips. She felt the urge to cry, but for some reason, she couldn't manage to shed a single tear. Perhaps, because she had already shed enough tears for the last three months that she had stayed in the pack. Even when she was staring at everyone's faces earlier, she couldn't feel any resentment or pain inside her—just pure sympathy because she knew they would soon face their karma.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" Portia's excited voice is what greeted them when they finally returned to the Palace, running up to greet them. Helga smiled warmly and returned Portia's hug, while Beta David headed straight for Siegren, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"Sorry, she missed Queen Luna too much," he said because the past few days that they were away from the Palace, Portia had been in a constant state of sadness, longing for her conversations and teatime with Helga. It was no surprise though; his mate and the queen were practically inseparable and spent most of their free time together. It reminded David of his own close relationship with the Alpha King.

"It's all right," Siegren chuckled, noticing how Helga couldn't contain her smile while talking to Portia. "Let them enjoy themselves,"

"What's been happening around here while I was gone?" he asked as they began walking while the servants and royal guards that had lined up to greet them respectfully bowed their heads as they passed.

"Things are going well, there's not much to do except for the usual border patrols. As for Princess Sierra, she has been eating more lately, so it seems like she has regained some of her will to live." David's explanation brought a smile to Siegren's face, obviously relieved that his sister was doing good despite being stuck in the dungeon.

"That's good to hear. Inform her that I'll stop by to see her later so she wouldn't be surprised when I arrived." he ordered, "Is there anything else to report?"

"Oh," David paused at the bottom of the stairs, causing Siegren to come to a stop as well. Helga and Portia who were deep in conversation didn't even notice that their companions had halted which made them continue walking until they were already out of sight. Siegren then turned his focus back to David, who seemed troubled.

"What's wrong? Did something happen after all?" he asked with a wary tone, a feeling of unease creeping over him as if some sort of trouble was brewing.

"No, Your Majesty but... I received a call from the beta of Lycan King of Narva."

As soon as David mentioned their neighboring country, Narva, Siegren's features contorted into a deep frown. He could feel the tension building in his stomach, knowing that something was about to happen, and he had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be good.

"What did they want?" Siegren questioned impatiently.

"They said that the visiting delegation might arrive earlier than expected to discuss a possible treaty between countries."