The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman

Zara's POV

I let out a quiet sigh as I straightened, smoothing my hands over the creases on my clothes before pushing the door open.

The hall was quiet.

Unusually quiet.

I pushed past the crowd anyway, but as I moved deeper, I started to notice some strange things.

No one looked at each other for long.

Some hunters sobbed quietly.

Another was sitting with his head lowered, blood dried up on his hands.

"Where is my father?" I asked.

No response.

Around me, hunters moved through the hall carrying bodies covered in dark sheets.

My heart raced faster.

"Hey, have you seen my dad?"

I was ignored.

Maybe he was injured.

Maybe he was with the healers.

Maybe-

Then I saw him...

Lying lifeless on a stretcher.

Arm resting outside, covered in blood, wearing the same ring my father never took off.

My whole world froze.

I shook my head over and over again in denial, as if, if I refused it hard enough, the world would correct itself. My legs felt numb. They wouldn't stop shaking, and I didn't realize why until I looked down.

There was blood on them.

"No..., no..." I stuttered.

I couldn't look away. It's like something was forcing my gaze there, forcing me to see what I refused to accept.

I stared at his body in disbelief.

"This isn't real... it can't be."

The words barely left my lips.

"Everyone needs to go home."

The hall went quiet as they all turned to General Varek as he put his two hands behind his back, his voice steady as if he wasn't standing in a room full of grief.

"No more training," he continued.

"No hunting."

Then a pause.

"We stand down until further notice."

Murmurs broke out instantly.

Anger. Disbelief.

I didn't join them.

I just stared at the General, as the images of my father's dead body replayed in my head.

"That will be all."

"No"

The words left me before I could stop them.

The room went silent again.

Beside me, my childhood friend Elias exhaled,

"Zara..."

Varek's eyes settled on me.

"Excuse me."

I lifted my chin

"With all due respect, sir, what are we standing down for?"

Varek watched me carefully. "Your emotions are understandable."

"Emotions?" I laughed bitterly.

"Zara, I said that will be all," Varek replied.

"They died for nothing."

Elias moved closer.

"That's enough," he muttered.

I ignored him completely.

General Varek looked at me, unshaken.

"They followed orders,"

"Orders?"

"Yes"

"You sent them with no structure, no backup, nothing," I shouted.

"I sent them in prepared."

"They walked into a slaughter."

"This is war," General Varek hit the table.

A pause.

"Then why are you being a coward and not attacking?" I stepped forward.

Elias grabbed my arm.

"Zara, I said stop, that's enough."

I pulled away instantly.

"Don't fucking touch me."

"Think," he says under his breath, "just think and stop this. I know they killed your father, but,"

"I'm thinking, Elias, leave me alone," I interrupted, not moving my gaze from General Varek.

I turned to the hunters, who looked so drained; their eyes were swollen from all the crying.

I refused to cry.

I had learned that the hard way.

If I cry, I show pity; if I show pity, they see weakness; and when they see weakness, they call it grief.

"We lost our best soldiers," I said loudly. "And we are supposed to do nothing?"

"So, this is what this whole madness is about," a hunter from the crowd interrupted.

"You are always making everything about you," he continued as he stepped forward from the crowd, revealing himself.

It was Noah.

We were recruited together, and everything was fine until it wasn't.

He never forgave me for taking his title.

"This is not the time, Noah," I hissed.

"Exactly, this is not the time for you to act like it's only your father who died," he replied.

"Over 300 hunters, Zara, you were lucky enough to see his body in perfect shape", he added.

"He led that army," I said.

"And they all fucking died, your father led that group, and now they are no more. He led them straight to death."

"Don't you fucking dare, Noah," I said, as I unsheathed my sword and pointed it directly at him.

"Don't I dare what?? Tell the truth, don't blame your father's mess on General Varek", he said.

"Since you want to make this all about you, do everyone a favor and do it yourself."

"Fine"

I do not wait for anyone to respond or try to stop me.

If I stay in that room for one more second, I might. Will actually lose control, and there will be blood if my father is disrespected one more time.

So, I walked away.

Fast.