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Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 186 The Attacks
The atmosphere in the dining hall was almost unbearably tense, but it gave Ann the perfect vantage
point to see which Elders were openly displeased by her actions with Linus.
Thankfully the tension didn’t seem to impact Alpha Felix or his wife in the slightest They sat to Ann’s
right, making polite conversation with both herself and Adam as they ate.
“I don’t know about you, your highness, but I always find these official functions a little stuffy.” Felix
chuckled as he tore into a chicken leg appreciatively.
Ann smiled graciously, still a little on edge. She didn’t know what to expect from Felix as she hadn’t had
any cause to meet with him previously and knew his father by reputation only.
“They can be tiring, yes, especially after such a long journey. Did you encounter any issues on the way
here?” She asked politely.
“No. Well, not after we were about 5 miles in past the border anyway. There are a lot of smaller villages
that are pretty much ghost towns out there now. The downside of that though is that the rogue
population seems to have moved in and taken over.” Felix grimaced.
“Then they’re trying to form their own communities?” Ann asked curiously.
“Communities of mass murderers? Sure, if you want to call them communities. Although honestly, just
because they’re living in houses, it doesn’t make them any less savage.” Felix snorted, “You know,
some of the former occupants who didn’t get out in time were killed, and their bodies hung from posts
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtoutside the walls to serve as a warning.” Ann grimaced as her stomach dropped.
“If only we could drop a nuke on them without affecting our own kind,” Felix mumbled disgruntedly.
Even if the rogue’s movements were to gain new territory, it didn’t have to be done in such a brutal
manner. Their kind had come a long way in integrating into society since their existence was
discovered and it had taken them centuries to build this level of trust with the non-supernatural species.
As the humans began to see them as less of a threat to their way of life, the Government sponsored
hunter attacks that had struck fear into the hearts of all supernaturals lessened, and those that were
deemed civilized and integrated seamlessly into the human world were given immunity from reprisals.
And then, the Daemon war came.
The humans found themselves outmatched and outnumbered by savage beings that seemed to be
born straight from their own nightmares. As the humans took devastating losses against these
unknown foes, the call for help had gone out to all leaders of the supernatural communities and they
rallied around, eventually securing victory and enabling the humans to rebuild their societies alongside
them.
The human government had become an ally, not a suspicious diplomatic partner, as each country was
split into territories for the leaders of each race to govern as they saw fit.
If the newly emerged Rogue “Traditionalists” began to attack human areas, then the years of hard work
that had been put into building and maintaining their relationship could be sabotaged overnight.
“It wasn’t just adults displayed outside their walls either, my queen. There were bodies of children that
couldn’t have been older than 12.” Aoife murmured quietly as Felix nodded somberly.
Ann placed her cutlery down on the table carefully, feeling her anger bubbling again. “How long have
these attacks been going on?” She asked quietly. “The smaller attacks and what we thought were raids
for supplies have been happening for a few years now.”
“And the villages being overtaken by them with remaining inhabitants slain?” “Well, I can’t speak for
your kingdom,” Felix said uncertainly with a glance across at Adam as he dropped his voice a little
lower, “But on our side at least for around 6 months now, your highness. Although they have been
particularly active in the last 3 months or so, gradually becoming bolder in their attacks.”
Ann could almost second-guess where this was going at this point, but she had to ask.
“I assume there has been an appropriate response from both sides?” She asked as nonchalantly as
she could, but clearly, Adam had caught on to her shift in mood and he placed his arm casually on the
back of her chair, rubbing her back gently.
“We have specialist rapid response teams set up on our side of the border. They’re stationed at
intervals along its length with regular patrols between. As soon as the alarm is raised, we can respond
very quickly and prevent them from settling.” Felix answered matter of factly, before pausing and licking
his lips, as if nervous about passing judgment on the response of her kingdom that she knew damn
well her father had overseen.
“And the former Alpha King’s response?” Ann pressed, knowing full well what would be said judging by
his hesitance.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“I’m… er… not really qualified to speak on your response…”
“Whether you are or not, I am asking your opinion on the matter, Alpha Felix. As a representative of
your father’s kingdom and a staunch ally of our own, in your opinion, did the former king act adequately
to safeguard his people?” She ground out as she dug her nails into the palm of her hand to try and
distract herself from the torrent of rage that swirled within her.
Alpha Felix sighed heavily and lowered his head.
“No, your grace. The fact that the majority of the towns along your border have long since been
abandoned, and the Rogues have managed to gain a foothold here, speaks volumes on the lack of
response by the former Alpha King.” Ann nodded carefully and smiled tightly as her mind raced.
“Thank you for your honest response, Alpha Felix.” she said with a forced calmness as she cast a
dangerous look over the elders assembled in the dining hall before turning her gaze back to Felix and
Aoife, “I’m quite tired. I hope you don’t mind if I excuse myself for tonight. We have a busy day
tomorrow and I would like to be fresh for the meetings scheduled.”
“I hope I didn’t offend you, your grace,” Felix said with a concerned look on his face as Ann forced a
smile to reassure him.
“No, not at all. Please, stay and enjoy the rest of the night. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” She linked her
arm with Adam, and together they made their way out of the dining room and back toward their
chamber.
Ann knew that if she stayed in that room any longer, she might not have been able to contain her fury
at the incompetence of the men who were supposed to safeguard the kingdom.
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