The Alpha King and His Human Queen

My New Home

Alexandra

I am dead.

That’s what awaits me. The wolf is walking towards me, slowly. His fur is impossibly dark, making his bright red eyes even scarier. The closer he comes to me, the faster my heart beats.

I release the grass strands I’ve been holding onto and dig my fingers into the hard ground next to me.

The giant wolf comes to stand right before me, his eyes never leaving mine. I see the high flames burning there. The flames of Infernia.

This wolf is carrying death with him- the blood on his chest, the thick red liquid dripping from his fangs, everything about him is a symbol of it.

But then the thought comes into my head.

What would his fur feel like if I touched it?

I flinch at the thought and the wolf pauses, observing me.

It’s like he knows what I am thinking. I lift my hand and to the unthinkable- I outstretch my hand towards him.

What am I doing….

My hand freezes right before his body. The wolf doesn’t move, either. The flames in his eyes rise. I swear I can smell the smoke from this invisible fire. The air around us is filled with it.

I open my mouth to say something and his eyes flicker to my palm, which is only a breath away from his jaw.

For a heartbeat, I think he will nuzzle against my palm and my breath catches. I am both terrified and thrilled to touch him. I take a careful breath and he stills.

I smile through the fear and something changes in his eyes.

Then my eyes slide down and I see the deep cut on his neck.

He is injured. I am overwhelmed with the need to do something, to help him.

“Does it hurt?”

I whisper, realizing how insane this is. I am talking to the beast who will kill me. I don't even know if he can hear me. What if he is another bloodthirsty rogue? I don’t know anything.

I will never forget the look in his eyes then. It was like he knew me. It was as if there was a human somewhere there and he knew me.

And I knew him too.

The beast’s ears prick and he takes a step away from me. I frown, dropping my hand.

Then I hear the noise the wolf has heard a minute ago.

The black wolf turns in the direction of the sound and then back at me. I am again overwhelmed by the strong feeling to touch him, to stop him.

But he turns his back on me and disappears in the opposite direction to the one the noise and the raised voices come from.

I watch his huge dark body melt into the darkness and a heartbeat later I see the torches and my father’s betas.

“Here she is!”

One of them calls.

“We found her! The princess is here, quick!“

“Come!”

They sound worried. After all, I am still their clan leader’s daughter. They come to me and finally catch up with reality.

I am in the middle of the bloodbath- the human bodies and the pools of blood. The two wolves, ripped to pieces, are lying around as well.

No one asks me questions. The betas wrapped a warm cloth around my shoulders- I must have been shivering.

I let my father’s men help me stand up, and they take me away from the forest.

I didn't ask them what happened to Eliot because they would lie to me whatever the truth was. I let them take me to the palace, I let the maids help me get cleaned and prepared for the journey.

One of the maids makes my hair.

“You are so beautiful, “ she says as she combes my hair. Her words are a distant echo, something from the life I have to leave behind. She finishes with my hair forming it into a pretty hairstyle. Another maid helps me with putting on a long, silky dress.

Everything is underwater, I am just a passive observer. My father sees me when I am ready, and I mutter a goodbye. He doesn’t scold me, no one mentions my running away in the forest.

Laura comes to see me off too, even though it’s the middle of the night.

“You scared us, “ she says through blurry eyes.

“I am sorry. “

I mutter. This is my punishment for endangering Eliot’s life. For being the reason why my mate is suffering.

“I deserve this. “ I tell her, “I deserve to be sold to them. “

“Alexandra…”

my sister whispers, “Don’t see it like this. Besides, I will visit. And you may be allowed to come home from time to time, and…”

“No…” I say quietly, my heart sinking. “We both know what happens from here on. “

She falls silent. No point in pretending the future is a happy one.

“I don’t know if I will ever see Eliot. “ I tell Laura and she takes my hand in hers.

“He is fine.” she reassures me, affectionately, “ I am sure father’s wolves didn’t hurt ihm. “

I shake my head.

“Just promise me you will tell him I love him. “

“I will. “

she swears and takes me in her arms.

Laura and I promise each other to send letters and to meet soon, even though we both know things will never be what they used to be.

I am no longer part of Gelidora.

When I am finally in the carriage that takes me to the palace of the Infernia kingdom, I lean back against the comfortable seat and look through the window to see the sky has started turning grey. And the tears start falling.

They will not be enough to extinguish the flames. The flames that will very soon swallow me.

***

We arrive by dawn.

My father's beats walk behind me as the gates of the royal palace open.

“Alexandra of Gelidora is here, “

One of them announces and the royal guards take us in.

The palace is huge and it feels like we’ve walked for an hour until we reach the main part of the building.

I am taken to a room and told to wait there. Hours pass until an older woman comes.

“Follow me,” she instructs, “you are to be presented to the prince at the feast tonight.”

“What feast?” I ask as I catch up with her. We are walking another long corridor to what seems to be the baths.

“Prepare her.”

The woman orders the servants to line in the bath and I snap.

“Prepare me?”

They exchange a confused look.

“I am not some bed slave!”

The woman presses her lips together. I see the pity in her eyes when she says.

“You are not much more than that either.”

***

I am dressed in a long tunic in white and gold. The clothes in our lands are very different and I feel uncomfortable as I walk towards the hall where the feast will be.

Another set of big, heavy gates opens before me and I feel the warmth of the fire, coming from the tall candles, lined along the hallway.

I get in and realize the hall is full of people and wolves.

Their eyes turn to me as I walk in. I lift my chin up. I will not show them I am scared. I will not obey. I keep walking towards the dice and

the throne in the middle of the hall.

The throne is huge and made of pure gold. It’s also empty.

“He likes to be late. “

I hear the deep voice of a man, standing to my right. I turn to face him. He is older than me- perhaps 30 or 35. Tall, with broad shoulders and bright blue eyes. His hair is black, turning grey at the temples. He is dressed in a long robe, the front knit with gold.

“Or he just never shows up. “ the man says, “So we sometimes begin the feasts without him.”

He walks before me and takes my hand in his.

“I am Sirius. The prince’s uncle.”

He smiles and the expression makes him look even more attractive.

But then I hear the mutters and the whole air in the hall changes. The man looks away from me, his smile turning into something else. Sirius fixes his eyes at something- or someone.

I don’t turn around but I know that he is here. And he is standing behind me.

The prince has arrived.