Conceited

UNKNOWN
As the head of the raven clan, I was expected to be efficient and as powerful as my sister, the former head of the raven clan. She was dead, I'd killed her because I'd wanted to steal her powers. Unfortunately, most of her powers were no longer in her. It was in the body of her daughter, Rhea Stone. If I'd been fast enough, I would've killed her even before she was able to manifest her powers. I should've stopped her from meeting her predestined mate. I'd failed and I knew she was stronger than ever. It would take a lot to bring her down, but I was determined to do whatever it would take to bring her down.

With my head held high, spine straightened, I walked into the coven meeting room wearing a black hooded cloak with the hood over my head. The rest of the witches wore something similar. But, their cloaks were red instead of black. They all lowered their heads in respect. Although I wasn't as strong as my sister used to be, I was more powerful than the rest of the Witches.

I sat down on my seat at the tail end of the long table, then I fiddled with the lotus necklace pendant around my neck. It wasn't the original one. I needed to find the original one because it held so much power. Rhea probably didn't know that.
"We heard rumours that Antonia's little girl is still alive" one of the women said, still keeping her head low. Anger surged within me and I clenched my fists.
"We also heard that she's incredibly powerful" another said.
"She is a hybrid" I spat, the words sounding foul in my ears.
"A hybrid? She's a waste of space. She's a disgrace" another woman said, irritated.
"She is trying to overthrow every supernatural creature and she is doing so with the help of her werewolf mate. Either way, we need to get rid of her" I said and they all went silent.
"Don't be afraid, you can defeat her. Now, I'm putting a bounty on her head. Anyone who brings her to me, successfully...will get to be able to see three of their deepest wishes come true" I said and they began to murmur.
"Silence! This is not a joke. Bring her to me and get your reward. That's it"
They looked excited. A dark smirk curved my lips as I caressed the necklace around my neck.
'Rhea, we're coming for you' I thought, leaning back on my seat.
..
RHEA
I stood side by side with Jaden as we took part in the king's funeral. Everyone in the gathering was dressed in black. Unlike other funerals, werewolves burn their dead and bury their ashes. Jaden was so stiff. The black sunglasses he was wearing, covered his eyes and hid his emotions. But, from the mate bond, I could feel his anxiety. He was anxious about ascending the throne. The former king was dead and Jaden was automatically next in line. I slipped my hands in his, assuring him that I was with him and would remain with him all the way.

"May his soul rest in perfect peace" the royal beta said and we all lowered our heads. There was a five minute silence as we paid respect to the king. He had died a lonely man. Mateless and Childless. I felt sorry for him. At the end of the funeral, Jaden was asked to make a speech and I zoned out at the thought of being queen. I just realized that shit just got real.

When Jaden's speech was over, he walked back to my side as the rest of the guests applauded him. The royal beta approached us with a small smile on his face. He was dressed in a black suit and black long sleeved shirt.
He exchanged handshakes with Jaden.
"Well done, Mr Blackwood" he said and Jaden gave him a curt nod.
"Thank you."
"She must be your mate" he said, his gaze resting on me.
Jaden placed an arm around me. "Yes, she is"
"That's great" he commented, holding out a hand for a handshake.
"My name is Hunter. Nice to meet you..."
I accepted his handshake.
"Rhea. Rhea Stone"
He nodded. Then, he turned to look at Jaden.
"The coronation is in fourteen days. You will have to be crowned king. Your assigned Beta and Gamma will serve you and your pack" Hunter said.
"What about you?" I asked and he chuckled.
"My work here is done" he replied.
"Alright. Take care" he said to us and walked away.

Jaden and I turned away with his arms around my waist. We came face to face with Zaden and his bitch, Thalia.
"What? Surprised to see me?" Zaden taunted, an evil gleam in his eyes.
Jaden remained silent, his cold gaze unwavering.
"I came here to pay my respects to the king, you see. I am also here to congratulate you. You won, that's true. I accept that"
He held out a hand for a handshake but Jaden didn't move, not in the slightest.
"Congratulations, Alpha Jaden. Congratulations on your victory. Don't show up late on your coronation day" he drawled, lowering his hand.
He moved closer to Jaden and whispered. I could hear him clearly.
"Don't think that this thing going on between us, is over. Believe me, it is far. Very far from being over. Mark my words" he said and took a step backwards. Jaden was fuming on the inside, but kept his expression blank. He had mastered this act so well.
"You should keep her by your side at all times because she might vanish soon, and fall into her own destruction. If you have no mate, you will have no throne" Thalia spoke.
Still, Jaden remained immobile. He didn't even twitch. I parted my lips to say something but Jaden's voice flooding my subconscious mind.
'Rhea, don't say anything. Let them talk'

I clenched my fist, frustrated. Nonetheless, I remained silent, just like he'd asked me to.
"You want to play the silent game with me? I find that amusing, Jaden. Don't worry, when the time comes, I'll make you talk" Zaden drawled.
"I've got my eyes on you, Rhea" Thalia said and walked away with Zaden who couldn't resist the urge to smirk at us. Once they were out of sight, I turned to look at Jaden.
"What was that about? How do you keep calm so easily? I did only for a few seconds and I thought I was going to combust" I said with a frown on my face. Jaden exhaled slowly.
"Practice and more practice" he said and I snorted.
"Yeah, right."
"Let's go" Jaden breathed, taking my hand in his.
....
Jaden's nightmares worsened. He was always on edge. I was worried about him. He would tell me he was fine, but I knew he was lying. He was anything but fine. He spent his nights awake in his office and he spent his days brooding. His wolf was restless too. Despite this, Jaden was so good at keeping his problems to himself. The pack members didn't know what was going on.

The voices at the gate pulled me out of my slumber. The sensitivity of my ears was being progressive. I peered out the window, noticing that the sun was starting to sink below the horizon. I'd literally dragged Jaden to bed, earlier in the afternoon.
I sat up and placed a hand on Jaden's biceps. His eyes flew open.

"There's someone at the gate, Jaden. I can feel Chase's nervousness. Something's wrong" I said, worried.

He sat up in one fluid motion and rubbed his eyes. He still looked tired. It seemed he hadn't fallen asleep. I knew I should've casted a spell on him to help him sleep.

"I'm fine, Rhea. Don't be so worried" he said, running a hand over his face. He rose to his feet and together we left his quarters. On arriving at the gate we saw our visitors. A man and a woman. Both were wearing black t-shirt, leather pants, jacket and boots. They also had a strange badge on their jackets that had the image of a wolf on it.

Jaden stared at them warily.
'Who are they?' I asked him through the mindlink.
'Valerian wolves' he responded.
My fists curled into fists as I wondered what they wanted.
"My name is Special Agent Blinks" the blonde said, a stoic expression on her face.
"This is Special Agent Romero, he's my partner" she said, gesturing at the tall, brown haired man standing beside her, his steely gaze on us. Jaden's blank gaze met the man's gaze.
"You must be Jaden Blackwood, Alpha of the Silver Claw Pack" she continued, assessing him with cold eyes.
"Yes, I am" Jaden droned.
The heavy weight on my chest increased. Something was terribly wrong somewhere, I could feel it.
"You are under arrest for the murder of the former Alpha King, Silverus Waller"