Nicon

VI

VI

THE KING WAS in no mood to sit at the wooden table surrounded by ignoramus Alpha's, all who would cower and shrink in their seats the moment Nicon lost his temper.

"The Alpha's have arrived, Your Highness." Nicon stared at Syd for a few moments before nodding to him and waving him away. The King had just recently learned Syd's name, to Killian's pleasure.

Send them in. Nicon commanded Syd minutes later, once he had calmed down enough to act somewhat polite.

The heavy doors to the conference room lurched open with a loud bang, followed by the loud and cheerful voices of burly men. "King Nicon!" A familiar dark haired Alpha cried, "Their shipments have been driven from our settlements!"

Nicon's face was a mask as he rose from his large chair, motioning to the empty chairs surrounding the table. "Have a seat."

The Alpha who had just spoken mutely obeyed, seating his large form in a chair at the end of the table.

Nicon counted his heart beat near thirty times before all the men were seated and waiting for his cue to begin. "As you all know," he started. "Men were instructed to cut off the shipments of silver tipped weaponry at any cost, and the result was more than a hundred mortal and fourteen Shifter deaths."

The men grinned happily, while one single Alpha toward the middle left frowned. "If I may, isn't that quite a large number of Shifter deaths?"

"I never said I was keen to repeat the process." The men became quiet. "There are other shipments, we must decide a new method of approaching the situation."

"What other methods are there besides a direct approach?"

"I take it you did not send out your best equipped fighters. That will change. In addition, each attack will involve the leadership of one of my warriors." A few objections sprang up and Nicon was quick to silence them. "There will be no further discussion on the matter. We will meet again in two weeks' time."

He dismissed the Council from the conference room quickly after his solution. They left without hesitation.

Syd. Alert Killian to gather a group of a dozen of his finest warriors. They leave tomorrow at dawn. I will speak with Killian myself on the mission this evening.

Yes, Your Highness.

Pleased that Syd responded so quick, Nicon decided to pay a visit to the Doctor's room to check on his mate, who's name Nicon was not yet familiar with.

"Her condition has improved greatly in such a short amount of time," the Doctor told Nicon, his deeply tan fingers wringing each other nervously. "At this rate, she should be fully awake in a fortnight."

"A fortnight?" Nicon echoed curiously.

"Yes, by the time the Council arrives next, she will be healed."

A deep frown marked the face of the King and with haste, he dismissed the Doctor for the day. A fortnight was not a satisfying answer.

He walked the halls with purpose, his boots clacking on the floor and echoing with each further step. He had lived in this castle for hundreds of years and yet the floors and walls never lost their dark, lusty sheen. They had become awfully recognizable and Nicon was fond of the routine.

As he reached the Doctor's door, he realized it was already partially open, a small amount of light trickling out and into the dark hallway. Nicon froze in his steps and listened to the quiet sounds coming from the room before bursting open the door and entering.

A burly member of the Council stood beside the King's mate, his claws extended out and a furious expression on his face. His eyes were darkening with anger and the heavy beat of his heart was enough to draw Nicon's claws out as well.

"You are helping the very thing that threatens to destroy us?"

Nicon didn't answer the Alpha, because the instant his hand started to descend on his mate's body, Nicon took the Council member's hairy head.