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The Alpha Queen Returns – Episode 07
Sunlight spread across the clinic floor while Jessica reviewed patient records, though the words refused to hold her attention. She had built the life she once thought war had stolen from her: no throne, no political ceremonies, and no soldiers waiting for orders. Only healing, quiet mornings, and the freedom to choose whom she served.
Yet peace felt dishonest with Caroline’s frightened eyes lodged in her memory. Jessica kept hearing her daughter ask to come home. She had answered with sensible reasons—school, companionship, the awakening of her wolf—but sensible reasons offered little comfort now.
Seeking facts instead of fear, Jessica activated her communication crystal again. Ambassador Ansel appeared above the desk in formal Council dress and bowed his head. “My Queen. The transfer order has been submitted and should clear before the banquet.”
Jessica acknowledged the update, then turned to the danger Sarabeth had brought to her door. “The general says rogue attacks are spreading across the borders. How severe is the situation?”
Ansel’s diplomatic calm thinned. “Worse than the Council has admitted publicly. Several settlements have fallen, trade roads are closing, and frightened packs are beginning to mobilize without authorization. If one patrol mistakes another pack for rogues, retaliation could pull us into open conflict.”
The old commander in Jessica awakened. “As leader of the Great Wolf Council, you will give Sarabeth every soldier, supply, and intelligence resource she requests. Personal rivalries are irrelevant. The border packs must see one united command.”
Ansel straightened beneath the force of her voice. “Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll spare no effort.”
Jessica had rejected the throne, but she could not make herself indifferent to the people who had once sworn allegiance to her. She studied the map beside her records, imagining rogue forces slipping through gaps created by Council pride. Sarabeth’s question about endangered children pressed against her conscience once more.
“There is one other matter,” Ansel said carefully. “I’m hosting General Sarabeth’s welcome banquet this afternoon. Every major Alpha will attend, along with the regional Council.” His polite smile carried a diplomat’s persistence. “Your presence would remind them that the kingdom still has a center.”
“No.” Jessica answered before he finished. Ceremonial halls meant whispers, recognition, and questions she had buried years ago. “I left court for a reason. I won’t announce that the Alpha Queen has been hiding in a village clinic.”
Ansel inclined his head. “You still wish your identity concealed.”
“Especially from Caroline.” Jessica looked toward the small framed drawing her daughter had made of the clinic. Caroline believed her mother was simply a healer, and Jessica had guarded that belief as fiercely as any border. “She deserves to grow without a crown deciding who her friends are.”
She drew comfort from the story she had repeated for years. “Caroline is happy with the Russos. She has school, a pack, and a normal life. I won’t destroy that because powerful wolves want to see me at a banquet.”
Ansel lowered his gaze. If the certainty troubled him, he gave no sign. “As always, I will honor your wishes.” The crystal dimmed, leaving Jessica alone with the confidence she needed to believe and the unease she could no longer silence.
At the Russo estate, Caroline lay curled on a narrow bed in a locked storage room. Sweat soaked her hair and collar, while a violent fever burned beneath skin gone frighteningly pale. Each breath caught halfway into her lungs, shallow and sharp.
Whatever Reva had forced between her lips was tearing through her body. Caroline’s limbs felt packed with hot sand, too heavy to lift, and the ceiling twisted whenever she opened her eyes. She tried to call for help, but only a rasp escaped.
Melissa stood at the foot of the bed, panic overcoming disgust for the first time. “God, look at her. She isn’t dead, is she?” She leaned closer without touching Caroline, as if illness might stain her silk dress.
Rex turned on his sister. “What did you give her?”
Reva stepped backward. Her earlier delight had vanished. “I didn’t know she would react like this. It was only supposed to make her easier to control.”
“Answer me!” Rex’s roar shook dust from the shelves. “If she dies before we deliver her, Hunter will see us as fools.”
