LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

“Where is Vasilos Empire located?”

“In the east of the Rhodes continent. The empire stretches from the eastern end of the continent, marked by Vasilos’ military port called Limani, to the west of the continent, bordering the Foryeust territory marked by the Gerin River. To the north of the empire is the dukedom of Veniam, one of the territories serving as a fortress between the empire and the Nightwarm Kingdom, and to the south is the dukedom of Corydon, where the largest and busiest commercial port is located, bordering the Oceania Kingdom.”

“No wonder the Vasilos Empire is prosperous and wealthy,” Luna commented in awe. Ghea nodded in agreement. Luna wanted to refuse and stay here as per her initial plan. Still, seeing Ghea’s enthusiasm and feeling a sense of gratitude, Luna reconsidered.

“I guess there’s no harm in seeing this world,” Luna murmured. At least she could make her journey a memory, and when she returned to her world, she could apply something she had discovered here. It didn’t mean she was leaving and forgetting her goal, right?

Luna reassured herself with that decision, but her heart felt uneasy about it for some reason. “Alright, if it’s not too much trouble, I want to see this world.”

“Hooray! I’ll tell my brother. And Luna, don’t worry. You’re not a burden at all. You’re the first mortal I’ve met and friendly and easy to talk to. I’m happy to be your friend. We’ll be great travel companions.” Luna wanted to argue that they were friends but didn’t want to make Ghea sad.

So she just nodded and smiled slightly, letting Ghea run out of the room to inform her brother they had one more companion.

Wait! She didn’t even know Ghea’s brother! Luna groaned and lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes. “I guess this will be a spectacular experience, and I could become a famous writer when I return to my world,” she murmured, accompanied by a light chuckle.

…

A tall, well-built man with broad, firm shoulders stood before a large window. His sharp, cold brown eyes observed the beautiful view of the palace’s back garden, blooming with flowers.

His neatly styled brown hair adorned his head. With both hands in his pants pockets, the man stood elegantly, although the dark, dominant, and dangerous aura surrounding him made the staff, assistants, and aides prefer to keep their distance and only approach when necessary.

The man’s aura was so intense that those without power or born into the lowest Omega caste in the werewolf hierarchy would bow and tremble in fear. Even the aides, assistants, and staff born into Beta or Gamma bloodlines had to restrain themselves from showing fear. They preferred to remain obedient and not resist, as this man was like a bomb that could explode at any moment.

The man’s body, dressed in a white shirt, cravat adorned with a gold eagle brooch with red gemstones, and dark grey vest, looked fresh and fit, considering he could go rogue at any time without a soulmate.

That man was Alkrevas Remo de Vasilio, the emperor of the Vasilos Empire. The most powerful man on the continent of Rhodes, leading a vast country known as the ‘powerhouse of the east.’ A man who had everything and was admired by many. He was often the topic of conversation because he did not have a soulmate.

His brown eyes never wavered, even when he realized the principal office of the empire had become silent, with not even the sound of paper shuffling. His hands, hidden in his pants pockets, clenched tightly, and then he glanced from the corner of his eye as the staff and aides awaited his decision.

At this moment, he was holding a closed meeting to discuss the policy on harvest revenue for the welfare of the Vasilos people, even though just an hour ago, he had been discussing noble rights in the council of nobles. It was ironic because what he was discussing now differed entirely from the meeting an hour ago.

“Your Majesty, if we raise the price of food, many people will complain and be unable to afford daily consumption,” a senior staff member told him.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Marquis Dyras is right. Especially with winter approaching.” Alkrevas remained silent, saying nothing, giving his subordinates the green light to voice their opinions.

Although he was known as an oppressive and cruel leader, this didn’t mean he ignored the people of Vasilos. He still considered the country’s interests, but his unstable wolf soul caused him to lose control.

If he didn’t go to the dungeon and slaughter the prisoners there on full moon nights, Vasilos would already be a sea of blood. His parents believed it was better to sacrifice the lives of high-level criminals than hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

Slowly, Alkrevas turned and walked to his desk. He sat down calmly and then observed the report papers given by his staff the day before. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the large wooden desk.

Finally, after careful consideration, Alkrevas agreed on the harvest policy before adjourning the meeting. Savon Salazar entered the room with a sullen face as the meeting ended.

He sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he asked Savon, his right-hand man and Royal Beta of the empire, “Is there no village left that hasn’t been visited by Vasilos’ representatives?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“None, Alpha. We’ve visited them and brought in all the women from across the continent.” Alkrevas opened his eyes, revealing terrifying red irises, a sign that his wolf side, Norris, had taken over.

Unlike his human side, which had given up on finding a soulmate and accepted that they were born without one, Norris, his wolf side, never gave up. Norris always believed they had a soulmate because they were born with only half a soul and were not whole.

Norris growled and slammed the table, causing a cracking sound. Not long after, the sturdy wooden table split, and everything scattered to the floor. It was the fifth table in a week that the Alpha and emperor had destroyed. “Alpha-”

“Keep searching! Whatever it takes, you must bring the woman before me! If they’re hiding, drag them to me! Whatever it takes, I must have a soulmate!”

“Alpha, what if…” Norris growled a warning.

“Do you think I want to marry a woman who doesn’t even catch my interest?” Savon clamped his mouth shut. “Mention marriage again, and I won’t hesitate to lock you in the dungeon.”

“Alpha, the moonflower festival is coming soon. Regarding your presence at the banquet, several noble families have offered their daughters to be your companions.”

“I will come alone, as I do every year.” Savon nodded obediently and remained silent. Norris slowly calmed down and gave complete control back to Alkrevas. The red eyes that had filled Alkrevas’s gaze returned to their brown colour.

“I lost control of Norris again.” Alkrevas massaged his throbbing head. “Is there anything else you need to report to me?”

“This is about the sacred forest in the Foryeust territory.” Alkrevas immediately looked at Savon with interest.

The sacred forest had long been abandoned because it no longer had power, a forest known for having a portal that connected this world to another realm. Alkrevas smiled mysteriously. “What’s going on with the forest?”

“A few days ago, I received a report that a bluish light was seen in the middle of the forest. It looked like a large magical light, and after it appeared, the sacred forest regained its power.”

That means the portal in the sacred forest is active again, Alkrevas said. “Have you received any suspicious reports? If the portal is active again, a mortal has entered this realm like in the past.”

“Nothing yet, Alpha. Both from the Foryeust side and our representatives in the area, neither has reported anything.”

“Alright.” Alkrevas paused for a moment and slowly stood up. “I want to run to the hills. If there’s anything urgent, report it to me via mind-link. Understood?”

“What about your scheduled meeting with the Oceania envoy?”

“I won’t miss it.” Then Alkrevas walked out of the room.

There was one thing he had to investigate on his own. With that thought, he headed to the south side of the palace, ensuring the guards followed his wishes, before running into the forest and transforming into his wolf form, disregarding his clothes that were torn to shreds.

A groan followed the sound of bones cracking and shifting. Although the transformation only took a few seconds, anyone who witnessed it would immediately become tense because what emerged after it was not an ordinary wolf but a black-furred Lycan with very sharp fangs.

This time, Alkrevas allowed Norris to take control of the body, but he remained in the corner of his mind. Norris howled loudly at the still-bright sky before continuing to traverse the dense forest growing on the south side of the imperial palace.

The Lycan’s face was etched with a wide grin displaying sharp teeth. “Should we hunt someone, Alk?” Norris asked his human side.

“Not today. We did it the day before yesterday. If we do it now, we’ll get caught. I don’t want to deal with trivial matters. Father will be angry if he finds out we’re still doing it.”

“In that case, we can kill them all. After all, they laughed at us for not having a soulmate. Let them feel what we feel before they die at our hands.” Norris spoke with a gaze filled with cruelty and bloodlust.

“It has been so long since I tore apart those bastards who tried to force us to marry a stranger.”

“Hold yourself back. It’s not time to kill the nobles yet.” Alkrevas said with a soft click of his tongue.

“You will get your hunting time tomorrow. I’m sure the rogues will be happy to meet you.” Norris finally conceded and agreed with Alkrevas’s words, running swiftly through the forest, heading to a place known only to them.

……