Bewitching The Alpha King

Chapter 8

"You have to will your powers to stretch out from your body," Arthur said, watching Elise as she tried to concentrate on the trees again. She has been trying for at least two hours now to make the trees lean towards each other.

Which seemed like an impossible thing for her as the trees looked really strong. It won't budge, she knows that. Yet, she had no choice but to try when the Alpha King had commanded her to do so.

Elise huffed and muttered something intangible under her breath, "I am trying" She grunted, wiping off the perspiration that had formed on her forehead with the sleeves of her t-shirt. She feels like she is embarrassing herself right now. The King's scrutinizing eyes made her feel insecure.

And for some reason, she couldn't give her undivided attention to what she was trying to do now. Not when she could feel the King's eyes burning at the side of her face since they both came into the center of the forest in The Red Pride.

Elise rarely comes here. The forest was misty and ancient with vast numbers of strong sequoia, pine, and dogwood. This part was deep enough and the trees were tall enough that only short beams of sunlight entered through the trees.

How was she supposed to make those trees lean towards each other?

"Well, you might want to try harder" Arthur grunted, crossing his strong arms against his chest as he narrowed his eyes on her pointedly.

Elise wanted to scream in frustration. She wanted to pull her hair off. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. The last she wanted was to have someone behead her for disrespecting the King of all people. She has to put her anger on the side and remember her manners.

"You're asking me to do something I don't even know how to do," She said in a small voice, slumping her shoulders in defeat,"I didn't know I could magically move trees until a few days ago, your highness" She continued, turning her body to face him.

She doesn't feel like staring at the trees and willing them to lean at each other would actually work. She desperately wanted the King to call it off for the day so she can go home and finally relax.

Arthur watched her from far away for a few moments before sucking in a sharp breath. In a flash, he crossed the distance between them and stood there, right in front of her. Their faces were only inches away from each other.

Elise gasped and took an unsteady step behind, startled by the sudden proximity. "You're born with it," Arthur said, his blue eyes were burning into hers, immobilizing her there as he spoke, "You should be able to feel the power surging inside of you," He said softly, his eyes never left her wide ones even once.

He watched her as she blinked as if she was recovering from a trance-like state, "Well, I don't" She shook her head, "I don't feel the power surging inside of me" She said, emphasizing the word surging as if she was mocking him.

If anyone else did that, he wouldn't think twice to punch that person right on their nose but this was his mate. His beautiful, strong, and sweet mate. He rather found the situation amusing.

She looked cute when she was flustered.

Elise noticed the corners of the King's lips curving upwards into a breathtaking smile. She would lie if she doesn't admit that it was one of the pleasant sights she has ever witnessed but right now, this smile seemed to be out of place. Why is he smiling again?

Elise cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Well, if we are done for today, I would like to go home, your highness" She said looking up at him, impatience as clear as the day in her eyes.

"Fine, you leave me with no choice" The King suddenly said before grabbing her hand.

Elise yelled, her eyes going to his fingers that were wrapped tightly around her wrists, "What are you doing?" She asked, looking up at him again, "Please, let me go, your highness" She begged, struggling to yank her hand away from him.

Arthur ignored her meekly attempts to free herself from his vice-like grip, "You're an earth manipulator" He started and Elise stopped struggling automatically, "You don't look up at the trees, you look down at the roots. You have to imagine the roots, visualize them to bend a little" He said, pulling her against his chest.

Elise gasped as her back hit his hard chest. She could feel the contours of his torso and her cheeks started to flush in a lovely shade of pink against her will, "I don't understand what-" She started but Arthur hushed her.

"Sshhhh" He whispered into her ears, making the hairs behind her neck stand upright, "You have to concentrate on the roots" He repeated again, raising both of her hands up in the air, "Visualize the roots, think of it like the roots are bending at a certain angle...." Arthur continued, his tone trailing towards the end, tightening his grip on her hands

Elise frowned and looked at the ground, before letting her mind take control of her powers, and at the same time, Arthur used his powers on her, intensifying her powers just a little to show her what she is capable of.

The familiar golden shimmering hues escaped from Elise's fingers but unlike the previous time, it looked much more profound. It was glaring even. Elise watched in astonishment as Arthur moved her hands in a motion and just like that, the hues went flying towards the trees.

The ground shook beneath them and the trees moved with a creaking noise, leaning towards each other, one by one, and then just like that the strong, tall trees looked crooked like they will fall off from the ground at any time.

Elise knew that happened because Arthur had touched her. She felt her body surging with power as he said but it was the moment he gripped her hands tighter in his hands."How did you-?" She started but stopped herself abruptly, unable to finish the sentence.

Arthur smiled but she couldn't see that "I can increase or decrease someone's power. It is one of my gifts from the Moon Goddess" He answered her unasked question, "Now watch" He said, moving her hands again.

The trees trembled, the leaves were shaking violently, producing a rustling noise and the trees once again moved to stand straighter. Like they never moved in the first place.

The golden hues started to disappear from her fingers. Elise grinned up at the trees, "Wow" She gasped, turning around to face Arthur again when his grip on her hands loosened, "That's really cool. Your powers, I mean. Is this permanent or-"

Arthur knew she would have a million or two questions for him about his power argumentation talent, "I can only alternate it when I am touching the person who posses that power" He answered her, interrupting her in mid-sentence, "But the reason I show you that is to show you what you're capable of. You can do that, even without me helping you like that" He said, his eyes piercing into her.

"There's no way I can do that by myself, your highness" Elise shook her head, her eyes moving up to look at the towering trees.

Arthur put his hand under her chin and moved her head to look at him again, "Yes, you can do that" He said, nodding his head at her encouragingly, "You have to accept your powers, Elise. That's how you will able to use them as you please. If you keep questioning yourself then you wouldn't be able to utilize your powers in the right way" He said, his fingers brushed away the hair that had fallen on her face.

Elise couldn't help but blush at the King's soft gesture. For a moment, she couldn't concentrate on what he had said."I don't know how to do that" She whispered after she recollected herself from the daze, "I don't know how to accept this power when the very power that you said I should utilize in a right way is the reason I should leave my home" She said, yanking her hands from him and stepping away to put some distance between them.

This isn't right. She was a fox and he was the Werewolf King. They are not meant to be and she shall keep reminding herself to not let her weak heart fall for something she couldn't have.

Arthur shook his head, dropping his now cold hands to his sides, "You can't think like that Elise" He said, his voice was vacant of any emotion, "Your powers might be able to save lives one day. Just like you saved your mother's. Do you want to stay here in Red Pride while knowing that people could be dying out there without your help? Knowing you could have saved them?" He asked, scanning her face to look for the answer in her eyes.

Arthur knew she wouldn't be able to sit here when she knows someone is dangerous and she could easily save them. Eliza would never do that. Heck, she sacrificed her life for Arthur. Elise would be no different. She might be Elise but the traits of Eliza were in her.

Elise bit her lower lip in hesitation. She would be the most selfish person in the world if she does that,"I, I don't- Ugh, why do you always mess up my mind, your highness?" She stammered and turned herself away from the King to stomp her feet to the ground like a child, "Isn't it enough that I am already confused with everything?" She asked, crossing her hands against her chest, still facing away from the King.

Arthur keeps forgetting how young she was. She is not eighteen yet and it was understandable why she was acting that way. In a flash, Arthur was standing in front of Elise again.

Elise gasped and stepped away from him again, "You have to stop doing that, your highness" She complained, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him, "You keep startling me. If you do this again, I think my heart will jump out from my chest" She said, putting her hand over her chest.

Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head, "Forgive me, Elise. I didn't know my actions were causing discomfort. I will try not to startle you again" He said with an attractive smirk on his face, "Going back to what we were talking about, I understand it might take some time to get used to your powers and accept it from within but I assure you, some of the greatest warriors out there has to leave their home at one point to save their people"

Arthur smiled, "My point is, some might not discover who they really are or what they can do with their powers until they leave their comfort zone" He continued, watching her eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "Is it what you always wanted, Elise? You always wanted to find out about yourself and your roots, am I right?" He asked.

Elise's lips parted and she watched him in bewilderment, "How did you know about that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes on him. Can he possibly read minds or something?

Arthur's eyes held mirth and mischief when he answered her, "I had an interesting conversation with your brother yesterday" Was his simple answer, "Your powers were given to you for a reason, Elise and I am sure it isn't to stay at the Red Pride," He said before turning away from her and starting to walk towards the packhouse again.

"Where are you going?" She asked him in a frantic voice, not wanting to stay out here in the creepy forest alone. She ran behind him and easily caught up with his pace.

"I am going to talk with your father about a few things" He answered her, "You're done for the day. You may go back to your house to rest" He glanced at his side to look at her, his hard features softening when he realized how exhausted she looked.

She might not exert any power by herself but she looked worn out. "Do you need a lift?" He asked her suddenly, halting his steps.

"What lift?" She asked him, confused.

Arthur grinned down at her before grabbing her gently in his arms and lifting her off from the ground. Elise squeaked but before she could say something, the air whooshed around her, fanning her hair away from her face, and then suddenly, she was there, in front of her house.

Arthur slowly put her down on the ground, "You're welcome" He grinned at her before disappearing from her sight in a flash.

What did just happened?