The sounds of swords clashing and arrows thudding was as common to Bain as a birdsong in the morning. The alpha king was currently making his rounds through the training grounds, his hands behind his back as his eyes criticized each and every movement by the young soldiers. He watched a specific pair of betas who were clashing together that held promise he hadn't seen in the most recent months.

Just as he was about to speak up however to comment on one of their footwork mistakes, his ears picked up on a soft conversation being held just off to the right of the betas. A few young alphas whispering to one another, ignorant that they now held the king's attention as the phrase "The king’s gone soft. Bet he couldn't hold his own like the old days." was uttered amongst them.

Bain's body tensed as if he was about to start a war, pivoting on his heel as he faced the brash young alphas. Others immediately took notice of their leader's stance, pausing their training as they knew the king had some new prey to put in their place.

"*Soft* am I? For a bunch of *recruits* those are *bold* words to be sayin' about yer *king*. Come, let's see if yer *right*." The recruits immediately looked shocked that he had heard them to begin with, their confidence deflating as they refused to look him in the eyes.

His lip pulled back in a faint snarl. "I *said*. Let's see if yer *right*. Not let's dawdle and waste our king's time. *Come at me*!" He reached behind him, pulling out his dark oak bow that he always kept on him. The young alphas glanced between each other, hesitant before they raised their blades. The tallest of the three took a few small steps before dashing towards Bain, starting to raise his sword.

Squelch

An arrow suddenly pierced both of the alpha's forearms, pinning them together and forcing the man to drop his sword to the ground as he fell to his knees in agony. Bain lowered his bow, shocking many of the recruits from how fast he nocked the arrow and released it.

The second alpha of the group was smaller, making her much faster than the previous recruit as she charged Bain, making the king look down at her, his crimson eyes gleaming in the sunlight. Just as she encroached his personal space he used his bow to swipe her away, only making her jump back. His attention was pulled behind him as the third alpha made their move to launch their attack while his back was turned.

As they got close enough he reached back, holding his bow by its limbs as he hooked the string around their neck and using the momentum to haul the alpha over his shoulders and throwing them into the female, knocking the both of them down. He nocked two arrows, aiming them at their throats as he glared down at them. "*Respect* is not optional in *my* kingdom. If I hear a *word* from *any* of ye about me goin' *soft*. We'll have some new trainin' dummies to practice on."

After a few more seconds he finally pulled back, putting the arrows back before looking out to the rest of the recruits. "Let that be a lesson for the lot of ya! Now continue! I did not give you *permission* to stop." He turned from the scene, giving a nod to the instructors to increase their training as punishment before heading back to the castle.

The moment he was out of sight from everyone he let out a haggard breath, using his bow to lean on slightly. That final move of tossing that alpha over himself pulled at already sore muscles and made them feel as if they were on fire. A faint groan left him, leaning back to stretch the muscles out a bit.

He continued to walk, albeit a bit slower than before. Just as he was about to pass a chamber, he noticed how the door was slightly ajar. He peered inside to be greeted to the sight of his two children with their tutor. The normal scowl he had on his face softened as it normally did whenever he saw them.

He had leaned against the doorframe, watching them for a moment. Liam was eagerly answering each of the tutor's questions, obviously enjoying the subject about the kingdom's history. Kiera, however wasn't paying attention as she doodled across the parchment in front of her with a piece of charcoal.

Even though the both of them were alphas they didn't have that aggression most typically had. While it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it certainly made it harder for him to connect with them.

A familiar scent came across him, his eyelids drooping slightly as he took a deep breath, that sweet honeyed smell mixed with the iron tinge of blood never failed to completely enthrall him. He moved away from the door, leaving the kids in the hands of their tutor as he followed his Omega's scent through the halls. The pain he was feeling seemingly dulled the closer he got to where she was.

He found her in her study, opening the door as quietly as he could. It took every ounce of his restraint not to let out a growl, her scent completely overwhelming his senses. After leaning his bow against the wall he stalked over to her, completely ignoring any last bit of soreness before he suddenly scooped her up, one arm under her thighs and the other supporting her upper back.

A rumbling chuckle left his smirking lips at the sound she let out, securing his grip on her. "Ye sounded like a wee rabbit with that noise. If only ye were as nimble as one, eh? Wasn't it jus' yesterday ye nearly took a tumble because ye tripped over the rug?"