The Alpha King and His Human Queen

Who Are You

Alexandra

This is him. My eyes widened with surprise. I am unable to hide it and keep staring at him, forgetting to fight and forgetting my useless attempts to get out of there.

I try to speak but the other man’s hand is still pressed on my lips.

The man standing opposite me is the one who was with Nathaniel in the grand hall.

Did Nathaniel send his men after me?

The man is looking at me, but his expression doesn’t betray anything.

His platinum blond hair looks like liquid silver here in the dark. The only light that shines in this corridor comes from the tall windows and the full moon peeking through them.

Out here he looks… unhuman.

His eyes are the same golden colour I saw earlier, only somehow darker now. More mysterious. And even though the colour is like late autumn leaves, they look cold. Scheming.

Somehow cruel.

What is he…

I don’t have time to think about this, though, because the man who is holding me starts walking.

“Yeah, let’s move, “ the blond man instructs, only this time his tone is lighter. He sounds… amused?

Seriously? Taking a woman against her will amuses them?

Monsters… They are just like the prince they are serving.

I keep struggling when the man carrying me pauses before a door. It’s dark and I can’t see him well but now I know I have seen him too.

This is the guy with the tattoos, the prince’s henchman.

The door opens and he puts me back to my feet. The moment he does it I try to speak, but I feel a very light touch, it’s only a feather on my lips.

I stare in horror as I discover the blond man is very close to me. When - and how - did he move so fast? He’s almost placed his finger on my lips. And he is grinning.

“I would advise you against shouting, Alex.”

I grit my teeth

“Who are you to call me Alex?” I hiss.

No one calls me Alex. No one. Besides my mother - and she is long gone. I feel like everyone stopped calling me that way back home - they do it exceptionally rarely, only because they know it would remind me of Mom. And that would make me sad.

Did. They did this because I don’t know when will be the next time I speak to any of them…

I haven’t heard my name pronounced this way in so long that it takes me a moment before I shift again and continue, more confidently and trying not to show too much emotion.

Showing your emotions never takes you far.

The blond man lifts his palms in surrender and takes a step away.

“Noted. “ he glances towards the huge guy and nods at him.

“This is Lave. And I am Blade. “

“Blade? “I snort, “What kind of name is this?”

The moment the words leave my mouth I learn what a mistake I've made as before I even exhale, there’s a thin, sharp blade right next to my sleeping artery.

“I would also suggest you don’t move too much. “ he says, again in a tone that suggests he is amused. I can’t nod because if I do, the blade will pierce my skin.

I only close my eyes and wait for the blade to be safely away from me. Once the blond guy puts it back he smiles wider.

“That’s better. Now, where was I?”

“Introductions, I guess. “

I offer dumbly when the big guy laughs. The laughter comes out so strangely. He doesn’t look like someone who laughs easily- or at all, so I stare at him. It’s semi-dark in the room, but I notice the tattoos are covering every part of the skin on his hands and neck. He’s rolled his sleeves and I can now see the tattoos continue on his forearms as well. His braid keeps his thick long hair in one place but from this close, the man looks… not so frightening.

I get the feeling the blond mane is much more dangerous, that much I’ve learned for the few minus I’ve been here with the two of them.

“This is Lave, “ Blade says, “He is the nice one. “

I was right, then. I think and press my lips together.

“Yeah, I can tell. “

“It’s that obvious, isn’t it?” the blond man lifts an eyebrow and the two exchange a look.

“I am just very observant,” I comment and cross my arms.

But as I do so my tunic opens to the front and I regret the gesture immediately.

However, the big guy- Lave- takes off his coat and offers it to me. I stare stupidly at his hand, outstretched towards me.

“I suggest you take it. “ Blade nods and I accept the cloth stupidly. I wrap the heavy cloth around myself and feel somehow better. More confident. Protected in a very strange way. Which is stupid considering the situation I am in. I also realize I’d been cold, so I wrap my arms around myself and look at the two men.

Lave’s only in a light shirt now which outlines his hard muscles. I begin to wonder if his entire body is covered in tattoos when Blade speaks.

“Where were you going?” he asks and I look at him confused. The atmosphere is tense, even though they have been surprisingly nice. Okay, Lave was nice, but Blade was… confusing.

“I… I got lost. “ I admit. Blade doesn’t react in any way. But Lave closes his eyes and I know something bad is about to happen. It's like I gave the wrong answer.

I start walking backwards when suddenly Blade’s hand closes around my throat so hard I get dizzy. I wrap my hands around his wrist as if that would make him let go of me.

He doesn’t relax his hold in any way and my vision blurs. I can’t breathe and my heart is beating so fast it’s going to break through my ribcage.

“I don’t like liars, “ he says in the same low voice he used earlier and the tone makes me more dizzy.

My vision is blurry.

Is he doing something to me? I try to keep my eyes open but I am unable to. I realize I am speaking without considering my words.

“You…. what… what are you?” I hear myself say when the hold around my neck tightens. Blade is not just a wolf, just as I had thought earlier.

He is something else… something powerful and unfamiliar.

I struggle, not sure what I am fighting for. It’s like I want to admit everything to him, tell him I left the stupid hall because I felt so alone I couldn’t stand it.

At the same time, I know I have to fight against it. To not speak. I have to fight against him. Against what he is doing to me and my head.

I squeeze my eyes shut aware if this continues I am going to die. My teeth are clenched so tightly I might break one.

And then it happens. The fog in my head lifts. My thoughts settle, it’s like they become mine again.

The hold form around my neck disappears too and I stumble backwards. My back hits the nearest wall hard and I am coughing, choking from the air that’s trying to move from my throat to my lungs.

My head is spinning but I am beginning to distinguish shapes and outlines again. Blade takes out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands. It’s like he is disgusted by me, feeling dirty after he has touched me.

He wipes his hands and frowns, not even looking at me.

“She is useless. “ Blade says, not to anyone in particular.

Then he puts his handkerchief back in his pocket and turns to me.