CHAPTER 2

Alexei sat in his chair as he watched the display before him. He twisted the little flame around his fingers as he tried to see just how much of the fire sizzling against his flesh he could handle.

He watched as the crowd cheered loudly when one of the wolves set his body on fire and began to chase its tail, forming a halo on the ground.

They clapped feverishly as the other wolf formed a place of fire from his lips, but more of them were things he found entertaining.

He wanted adventure and something that would leave him entranced. He wanted to be on the wings of danger and look death in the eye of the storm, and yet he was seen as a prize that had been won.

The King of the Fire Kingdom and the protector of peace, he scoffed at the thought that the peace wasn't real and was nothing more than a delusion: the fire kingdom used gear and control to go people, and the mirage did them a favor by spreading happiness across the land, but that was far from it.

They were anything but happy, and it was an insult to think that they were otherwise. He was pulled out of his thoughts, much to his dismay, when he felt a hand run along his shoulder.

"What is it, my king? You don't seem to be impressed by the show; would you like something else?" The voice said and he turned around and stared into the amber eyes of Celeste. Her red hair was parted to one side, and she wore a black sequin dress that emphasized her pale skin.

He tried not to seem bothered by her close proximity to him, and he returned the weary smile that she sent him. "How may I help you?"" She asked her.

She seemed taken aback slightly by his lack of recognition of her. "Do I need to remind my prince of what we did the night before?" She said to him as she leaned down and whispered the words into his ear.

His body tensed up as he cleared his throat. "Do I need to remind you that the prince doesn't engage himself in such activities?" He said to her through gritted teeth.

She reached out to try and touch him again, but he caught her hand. She tried to let go of his grip, but it was too late, as she cried out in pain when his touch burned her. She quickly pulled away, and he let out a laugh as he took in her red hand.

"Now get out before I burn your face next time." He said to her in a warning tone. He sighed in frustration as his gaze turned back towards the fire display. It was a bore: the same festival every year, and yet nothing seemed to change or improve. It was funny how the people had gotten used to having everything be the same.

He turned his gaze to the empty chair to his left. It was something that he had crafted himself, it has vines, madlings, as well as the large flowers formed into the head of it. It was something that his father had forced him to make for his luna.

He almost laughed at the thought of him having a luna. The last thing he needed was something that was weak or whiny that would put him down. He didn't do bounds or attachments, and he feared that the chances were high that once he was with her, she would fall in love with him.

His fist tightened at the thought. Most women were the same, only interested in you for what they could get, although he couldn't entirely blame them. In the end, men all wanted something from a woman as well.

He was becoming more and more agitated the longer that he sat in the chair. He needed to find an escape and get himself out of the sea. He was grateful when he spotted Hans standing by the exit. He made contact with Ten as he gave him a head nod, causing him to let out a sigh from his lips. The last thing he needed was to be forced to stay there for even a moment longer.

Slowly, he stood up from his chair and began to make his way towards Mason. He was glad that the guests were too distracted with the show to notice his exit. It always let him say nothing but questions that he didn't feel like answering.

He made his way quickly out of the ballroom and into the hallway as he felt himself let go of the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

"What is it, Mason?" He found himself saying.

"I see you are enjoying yourself, Alpha''. Mason said to him with a smirk, but she didn't initially answer him as he looked at him with a slight frown on his face.

"Okay, not in the joking or festive mood today, I see." He said to him in a mutter under his breath. He didn't answer as he began to walk behind him.

"Just tell me what it is. So I can forget this night ever happened."

"He wants to kill you." Mason said to him simply: And immediately, he felt a sense of dread come over him. He felt several thoughts ring through his head at the thought of what it was that his father wanted with him now.

On most days, the only time that he made an effort to contact him was when he wanted to know an update on what was going on with the people. "Well, you can simply ask him when we get to his chambers." He said and he let out a sigh before nodding his head at him in response.

They made their way through the long, winding hallway, and he could already hear some of the whispers that were coming from them.

They made their way up the spiral staircase before heading towards the king's chambers. He looked into the door, and he heard a grunt coming from the other end before turning towards Mason.

He only nodded his head at him before he let out a sigh as he made his way inside the room. The room was dark except for the glow that came from the window that was on the side. He clicked his fingers as he turned on the lights to see the figure that lay almost motionless on the bed. He approached him slowly as he heard him cough.

"Father?" He called out, and he watched as he slowly pulled his eyes open before gesturing for him to take a seat.

"My son," he said in a raspy tone. "I saw your mother today." He said and Alexei gritted his teeth as he attempted to push down the anger.

"Father, you know your mother is gone. Now tell me the reason you have called me here. Do you want?" He asked him through gritted teeth.

He watched as his father struggled for a moment before he was able to slowly pull himself into a sitting position. "I want you to find your mate; I will not be here forever." He said and it was as though the pin had finally dropped.