The Alpha King

CHAPTER TWO

“Hey! What the hell?” I said as I was dragged along after him then stopped as we were now alone in a part of the house I knew no one would come to.

“Look at me.” He repeated more fiercely now and I didn’t have the strength to refuse him and so I did. The results were terrifying, I swallowed as I examined the deep stormy reflections of his pupils which held me in then and found myself pulled underneath a spell that assured me this was perfect, all was fine and normal.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said as fiercely as I could although my voice came out like a little girl’s.

He smiled as though in consideration, then brought his hand up, high enough that I imagined he was about to caress my face but instead brought two fingers down to the hollow of my throat, pressing gently.

My face was flushed, wisps of my curls that had been once neatly put away now fanned my face as my chest heaved and heart plummeted into deep thuds.

“I can feel your heartbeat.” He said as the pulse in my throat raced under his fingers.

“I know everything you’re thinking, what your feeling...” Those fingers slid up gently up the length of my throat as lightly as a feather, till I was so engrossed in him I forgot myself completely and he simply moved his fingers around my jaw till he came upon my subconsciously parted lips, my body still heaving from the weight of the thick air around.

He looked into eyes with a mischievous twinkle and I believe at that moment he saw straight into my soul.

“I know you’re thinking the same thing.” He said and pulled away abruptly and I found myself quickly exhaling a breath I didn’t know I’d sucked in.

“Your words don’t mean anything to me.” I laughed. “I’m leaving.” I declared, taking off quickly before he could stop me.

“You want to play hide and seek, is that it?” I heard him call out but I refused to stop, I just kept on going up the stairs, down the little hall then into my room and locking it shut behind me.

I had finished packing up my important things and was just positioning myself over the window when the secret passage into my room only one person ever used opened.

“Oh my god! Annie, you scared me.” I exhaled, stopping for a moment.

“I heard what happened and came as fast as I could! Wait, what are you doing?” She said running up to the window.

“I don’t know, I’m scared, I’m tired and I need to clear my head and figure this prophecy thing before I know what to do next.” I sighed. She nodded

“Where will you go?” She called as I began to scale down my bedroom wall.

“The usual!” I grinned at her and she smiled back knowingly. Uncle Rahul, alpha of a neighbouring park was my favourite relative and my go-to place for solace. Dad always knew to find me there and perhaps Annie but no one else.

“If the mate thing works like I think it does, he’ll be coming for you.” She said as a warning and as I descended down with my bag thrown over my shoulder, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head.

He’ll be coming for you.

He’ll be coming for you.

It was now midnight, I’d been gone for a few hours and there was no sign of anybody or alpha king hot on my trail and catching up to me. My breathing was getting heavier and heavier as I sprinted through the forest desperate to successfully escape though it felt like a cowardly thing for me to do.

I thought I might feel Regretful, that the beast within me would scratch and claw my insides for going against my natural instincts but there was only peace. I began to regret not shifting for fearing my wolf would take over as I would have gone much faster. I had to admit that there was a deep seeded satisfaction within me knowing that Mr. High and Mighty could not find me despite the threats made find me.

Then, almost as if karma had decided her revenge for my years of teenage escapades, I crashed into the border of my uncle’s pack, only for the first time the border had a barrier.

I scrambled to figure out what was going on and noted the part of my body that went body first into the invisible fence was in pain. It was only then I noticed the shadows, one or two at first then growing to dozens all slowly surrounding me.

I backed away wondering if perhaps I’d misplaced directions and stumbled into an unfriendly pack territory. But then I blinked and realised the wolves were from uncle Rahul’s pack and they were here to try and capture me. Not today.

You can’t run forever, a voice in my head was saying. But still, as I panted exerting my body and pushing as fast as I could but feeling the weight of exhaustion settle into my limbs. My safe haven had been compromised and for the first time in my life, I was in trouble with nowhere to run.

My current actions would no doubt make Luke mad, I may have gotten my father in trouble as a result of my actions, I really had nowhere to run to which meant I had to find uncle, Rahul. It was the only way to resolve this and fix everything, plus surely my uncle would see my side in things and consider Luke’s statements as unreasonable as I did.

“Halt!” A voice commanded and the suddenness at which I came to a still caused my body to trip and fly forward unto the dirty ground.

Oomph. The force at which I landed caused me to grunt, feeling a pain in my head from the contact against the floor.

"Hello, Sophie." An older man’s voice greeted and I cringed upon identifying the Alpha tone that had forced me to stop dead in my tracks. I couldn’t possibly believe he’d found me so quickly, it had to be some kind of a record and it was morbidly embarrassing, to be honest. The dread had sunk deep into my bones and my small wound made It difficult to pull myself off the floor.

LUKE

I had just finished explaining the entire situation to Sophie’s father, from the prophecy to the fates and the Luna readings of what was to come in the future. The old man now stared dumbstruck into space realising for the first time perhaps that he wouldn’t be able to give his little girl the privileged sheltered life he’d worked so hard for. Whilst giving him a few moments to process all the new information he’d just been given in the absence of Sophie I called to security posted around to ensure everything was under lockdown.

“Francis, I’m sure you’ve sealed off the entrances and there are no troubles to report?” I inquired suspecting they might’ve had some problems especially seeing how the evening had fared.

“No sir, there’s been no troubles at all.” He nodded, maintaining that always serious expression.

“Hmm.” I was surprised she hadn’t tried to break out or anything.

“Well, as you can see, there is urgency in this matter so I’d like to take my leave with her as quickly as possible.” I declared standing up to face the region’s Alpha signalling the end of our conversation.

“That won’t be possible.” I voice I did not recognise from one the guards of this place. “Sophie has gone missing.”

“What?” Her father spoke first, then looked to me bracing for a stronger reaction. I turned to look at Francis, who for the first time showed an expression likened to disbelief and coldly held his eyes till he understood the level of f**k-up this was.

“There is no cause for alarm.” I said gently, regaining myself with a smile at my mate’s father. “This is my own fault.”

“I’ll dispatch a search party right away.” He tried to correct quickly, not trusting that I truly wasn’t furious.

“No, no there will be no need.” I interrupted. “This is my own fault, so I think it more fitting that I find her myself.” I nodded to my guards and immediately they all readied themselves to follow my orders.

“But you don’t know how she thinks; I understand all the territories belong to you but you couldn’t possibly know this terrain well.” He tried, rushing his words. I turned to my head.

“Ask around. She’s a teenage girl, find her best friend, closest confidante or whatever the person she tells her silly, girlish dreams to and bring them to know. Someone will know something.” I ordered.

“You.” I turned to her father, my beast starting to panic and my patience wearing thin. “You’re her father, who would she go to, perhaps a neighbouring pack, who does she trust outside her little bubble.” I squared down at him, looking into his eyes to see whether he’d be brave enough to an Alpha king being an Alpha himself.

Half an hour later, a smallish, red-head was brought to me in a private study. All the other men were out looking but there was no need to act in a panic, I already had word sent to all neighbouring packs not to harbour her and labelling her as a fugitive, a rough night under the forest with nowhere to go would no doubt send her crawling home, that is if my men didn’t find her first.

“I hear your Anne, Sophie's best friend at home,” I said matter of fact, rather than a question. The girl said nothing, bowing her head respectfully and unable to make eye contact with me. She was older than Sophie, also appearing less naïve and fiercely loyal. I appreciated the sentiment but I did not play with my food.

“Where is she Anne? Or can I call you Annie?” I asked, wondering what angle would make her crack.

She lifted her head defiantly, meeting my gaze sharply.

“You ought to leave her alone, she isn’t like other people you know. Keep pushing her and she’ll only feel suffocated.” Anne snapped looking at me and I nodded, mentally taking note of these unfamiliar habits of my mate in absentia.

“Anything else?” I asked folding my arms and she blushed looking down as though surprised at her own bravado. I was uninterested in the back and forth but also keenly amused at the protectiveness of her friend who right now was still struggling to look anywhere but at me.

I was beginning to think that I would have to resort to harsher interrogation methods to get her to spill open what she would never willingly reveal but the labyrinth, as they say, revealed its own gates; the enigma resolved itself as it dawned on me the solution to my problem.

It was almost hilarious and I couldn’t contain my joy as I laugh enveloped me.

“What’s funny?” She asked, eyes alert with worry.

“Oh, wow.” I sighed, containing my laugh as best as I could so I could play my ace and be on my way to finding her.

“How about this huh,” I walked in real close. “you tell me where Sophie is, and I’ll omit to mention that you’re attracted to your best friend’s mate,” I stated plainly.

Her mouth dropped open, a slew of denials and no doubt furious curses frozen in her shock.

“That is not true at all, I would never do-have such fee- besides Sophie would never believe you and even if she did she would never care she hates your guts!” She almost shouted, forgetting whom she was speaking with.

“That may be true now, but you know how mate bonds work, how many days, weeks at the most months before she’s unable to repress her side of the bond, and when that comes how will she ever be comfortable around you? How could she know her best friend fancies her soulmate and still maintain your relationship as it is now?” I was fiddling with the ashtray on the table, wondering if the Alpha downstairs really was a smoker.

“Why you-”

“Or if you think it’s a matter of me lying, look into my eyes now, and tell me-lie to me that I am wrong, that the colour in your skin is from the air not because I’m standing right here.” I took a purposeful stride forward now, invading her personal space till I was staring deep, into those green eyes that trembled now.

“Go on…” I cooed. “lie to your Alpha” I challenged knowing even if she wanted to, my power made it impossible for her to.

She remained frozen, turning as pale as a ghost then finally spoke.

“You” she whispered, with a voice like a ghost’s, “are a monster

I grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.”