ALEXANDER'S POV

"Would you like to wear, the black one or the blue one?" My mom asked me while holding two suits in her hand. ​​

"Choose whatever mom, it's not like these suits are going to make any difference," I said pissed before going out of the room.

Once I was out of my room, the guilt of talking rudely to my mom washed over me, as I hugged before exiting the corridor. But I can't help it either.

I have been feeling like this for a month now.

It has been exactly a month since I last saw her.

Hunter has shunned me out since he blames me for the reason she left us without saying anything. Neither does he talks to me, nor he comes and takes over my body anymore until it's related to some killing.

He has barred himself from changing into a wolf until a rogue is in the picture.

He had killed more than 200 rogues in the last month, even going to the extent of venturing out of the boundaries so that he can kill some more and ease his anger.

I didn't stop him either. It was a good way to channel our anger from our mate to those rogues, who was the reason why she got scared and left us in the first place.

"Alpha, the council head is here. He wants to talk to you before the royal ball and crowning ceremony." One of my soldiers said.

"Tell him I'll meet him directly at the ball. If there's anything important then he can talk to my father, I am yet to become the king." I said before going out of the mansion so that I can roam through forests, where memories of Victoria were still embedded deeply.

Today was the throne ceremony. On the day, I'll be announced as the alpha king by my father and will step up the throne in place of my father.

One month before I was soo happy and excited for this day to come because it's a blessing for an alpha king to take the throne with his queen by his side. I was happy because I had my queen in my arms.

But then everything has to change.

The initial days when she disappeared like that, was worse. I roamed outside her house for hours, wanting to know why she ran away, but her house was locked. I contacted her aunt Marla who told me she had no idea where she went, which pissed me even more.

What kind of aunt she was, not knowing where her only niece went?

Hunter almost had her head, when she said that statement.

College sucked even more than it used to before I had met her.

All in all, I yearned for her.

It was okay, if she rejected me, I would've felt the pain, but now that she isn't even in my sight anymore, I feel like a part of me left with her.

'I smelled her. I smelled her presence. She is somewhere near us.' Hunter suddenly said pacing around like a mad wolf.

'Shut up! She is nowhere here. She is just not here, don't you get it?! Didn't she messaged Daniel that she might not continue with the university?' I yelled back at Hunter, feeling agitated by the fact, that he always say the same things whenever I enter here.

I believed him for the first few days, and even searched the whole forest for her, but did I find her? No! Not even a hint that she was here at all!

"ALEXANDER HUNTER! Where the hell is you?! And what did you tell your mother to make her so sad?!" I heard an angry voice through my mind link.

"I didn't do anything okay! I just said that the colour of the clothes won't make any difference to me. Without my mate by my side, I'll just look like any other alpha getting his position." I shouted back, with an equally angry voice, which immediately shut my dad.

He knew something was wrong with me these days and had been bugging me for quite some time. But what should I tell him? That the person who they are going to the throne, was not even able to keep his mate by his side? That he wasn't even able to make a girl fall in love with him?

I mean this wasn't the first time a human girl was a mate, but this was surely the first time where the girl had left without even properly rejecting her counterpart.

"You better get your ass back here before I decide it's time to whip your wolf out of you." He said with a cold voice, which made me groan. It was not like he really will be able to do something like that, I was going there out of pure respect.

Once I reached back home and told my mother that I liked the black one better because black was Victoria's favourite colour, I left to get ready, before dad decides to annoy me more than he already had.

"Alexander, council head has asked Laila to stand by your side, for the throne handing ceremony, since, you don't have your mate, yet." Suddenly Chris's voice echoed in my room.

Did I mention, that even my friends don't consider Victoria as my mate, since she didn't except me and left me without any message, but messaged Daniel? They believe it was just my wishful thinking because I still haven't found my mate and Victoria was a good girl.

Coming out from the bathroom after taking a long shower, I looked him in the eye, before muttering the sentence slowly and clearly,

"I won't allow it." With that, I pushed him out of my room and closed the door on his face.

"I don't care if my mate is not here. Until she rejects me, I'll not allow any woman to take her place, neither in my heart nor beside me for my ceremony." I told all my friends, who knew I had feelings for Victoria but don't believe me, through the mind link, before putting up my barrier.

After 3 hours, all the family members, friends, important werewolf leaders, alphas, their betas with their respective mates were gathered inside the hall of the mansion, as everyone waited for the ceremony to start.

"I Theodore Roosevelt and my mate Rosaline Roosevelt hereby announce that today we are finally letting ourselves free from all the responsibilities of the alpha king and queen and thus handover the responsibilities to our only son Alexander Hunter, who will continue as the new alpha king." My father Theodore said, and everyone erupted with joy as they started clapping happily.

"I hereby, ask our son Alexander Hunter to step up the stage and receive this crown before taking the oath." He further said, and I finally started walking upstairs where my mom and dad were standing with the crown of the alpha king in their hands.

"Since our son hasn't found his mate yet, we thus, asks Miss Laila, the daughter of the second council to stand by his side while he is crowned." My mom further added which made my dad frown but he didn't say anything altogether.

However, I wasn't my dad. I loved my mom, but it doesn't mean I'll agree with all of her arrangements without saying anything or opposing them.

I looked at Laila who was already standing on the stage smiling like some fool.

Stepping up the stage while standing in front of my mom and dad, I faced the audience with my authoritative demeanour, before turning towards my mom to convey my message, that I want Laila out of here.

However, before I could even utter a word, I finally heard the voice, I've been yearning to listen.

"You dare to stand beside another woman and step up the throne? Just because I didn't contact you for a month? Is this what you call your so-called love?" Victoria said, with a confident and smirking gaze.

Oh, how much I loved her voice.

As I looked at her, I don't know why I felt like something has changed in her. It was like she had a more confident aura than before. An aura that asks for submission.

"Victoria. This is not some kind of party you can go around and dance to, besides, who invited you? Guards take the girl out. She is human and has no business here." Laila suddenly commanded.

I was about to ask the guards to stop as they neared my mate and reprimand Laila that she dared to command the guards to take out the alpha's mate, but the next thing I saw was so shocking that it left me gaping, as I looked at my mate.

"Kneel!" She said in a clear bold sound.

Her voice was so cold that it aroused the alpha in me, as I looked at all the guards, betas, their mates, alpha's mates and even some alpha, suddenly bending as they bowed at her.

"So, you were saying? Who invited me? Do you think I need an invitation to steal away this man from here?" She said, while walking upstairs, with such an authoritative voice, that it made hunter squeal with excitement as he was edging to go and meet his mate.

"Victoria! You are going overboard!" Laila suddenly screeched while stomping her foot.

"Oh, I am yet to do, what I came here for." She smirked before her eyes settled on me and all the emotions from her eyes turned to nothing, which made dread creep my body.

She looked me dead in the eye, with no emotions, before muttering,

"I Victoria Joy Carla Gibberson,-" She started, which made my heart beat fast, as I anxiously looked at her, not wanting for her to reject me in front of soo many people.

But the thing she did next was even perplexing than her arrival right now.