The Cursed Alpha King's Mate

Chapter 13

Isla

I tried to focus on my breathing, which had become rather rapid and shallow all of a sudden, as the Alpha King made his way back to his seat. Ashis words hung in the air like a suffocating fog, I couldn't help but notice the flicker of his gaze towards his Beta. The two shared a weighted glance, as if some unspoken secret danced between them. The Beta's eyes darted back and forth, betraying his uncertainty.

"As I said, rejection is not an option," the Alpha King repeated, his focus returning to me with an intensity that made my skin prickle with both fear and something else entirely.

"Your place is now with the Sovereign Claw pack," he said, his voice laced with authority. "You will move to the Sovereign Claw pack. You will take your place as my mate... and provide me with an heir." His declaration settled over me like a death shroud, cold and suffocating. My heart hammered against my ribcage, each beat a drum of war, calling me to fight or flee. But there was nowhere to run; his words were chains, binding me to a fate I never asked for. An heir? He wanted me to have his child? I couldn’t have a child with a werewolf, my body was not strong enough, my own birth mother was proof of that. Werewolf pregnancies were harder on the body, even apparently when resulting in a human child such as me. I felt my mind going numb at what he was saying. It was a death sentence of cruelty.

"Please, my king," my father's voice cracked like thin ice underfoot, betraying his mounting terror. "Consider what you're asking. My daughter is a human. She cannot survive bearing a werewolf child. It would kill her!" His plea hung in the air, raw and desperate, and for a moment, I saw the Alpha King's mask of control slip. A flicker of something, conflict? Regret? Passed over his features before the iron shutters came crashing down once more.

"Silence," the Alpha King's command sliced through the tension-filled dining hall, a blade of finality severing any hope of reprieve. His gaze was an unyielding force upon my father, quelling his protests with an authority that echoed against the stone walls.

"Your opinions are as inconsequential to me as dust motes in a sunbeam," he declared, his voice devoid of warmth or mercy. "It would be prudent for you to remember your position while I consider the extent of your transgressions."

“Tristan, baby.” The woman who had come with the Alpha King had been standing in the corner glaring at me the whole time. Now she practically purred his name, and I was shocked that somewhere deep inside me I had the feeling that I wanted to rip her eyes out for addressing him so casually. I couldn’t help glaring at her as she slunk towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I hate to agree with the human,” she started, and I rolled my eyes at the obviously forced sweet tone in her voice. “But surely rejecting her would be the right thing to do. Then you can truly be with me and I will make a much better and much stronger Queen at your side.”

“Oh please,” I scoffed to myself at the scramble of manipulation that she was exhibiting. I looked to the side to see the Beta with an amused expression on his face. He arched an eyebrow at me and I realised he had heard me. The growl from the Alpha King brought my attention back to him just as he pulled the b***h’s arms off him and moved her away from him.

“Mind your place Bianca,” he growled. I was pleased to see the shocked look on her face. “Unless you want to be at the mercy of my wrath as well.”

“But Tristan-” she started, and he growled again.

“Alpha,” he growled, “Do not address me so informally.” I couldn’t help the small smile at her being shot down so publically.

“All I am saying is that this piece of trash is below us and will weaken your rule, I’m just trying to look out for-” My eyes widened as the Alpha King jumped out of the chair, letting it crash to the floor and wrapped his hand around her neck and slammed her against the wall. I could feel the anger radiating from him and while I couldn’t see his face the look of fear on her face was enough to tell me I didn’t want to.

“I told you to mind your place,” he snarled, his hand tightening around her throat, enough that her face was starting to turn red. “And you do not speak of my mate in such an insulting way, she is not below you. She is my goddess given mate and you will respect her as your superior.” The fury of the words sent fear down my spine, but there was something else there, a seed of something that each one of his words fed, something that grew warm inside me, a heat that I hadn’t experienced before. I glanced at the Beta again, half wondering if he should stop his Alpha from killing one of their pack members, and found the Beta was watching me. He raised an eyebrow and subtly sniffed the air, an action I was used to seeing from my family and friends. I realised what amused him so. It wasn’t that the b***h in the red dress was getting put in her place, it was that he could scent my reaction to it. My face flushed with embarrassment as I realised I was turned on by what was happening and the Beta had caught the scent of my arousal. I closed my eyes in horror. Oh my goddess, how f*****g embarrassing.

I heard a chuckle and looked back up at the Beta as he winked before he turned towards his Alpha and walked over to him. He whispered something in his ear and I saw the Alpha King’s grip on the woman’s neck loosen. The Alpha King sniffed the air, and I saw his profile as he half turned his head towards me. He took a deep breath and dropped the woman to the floor, in a crumpled mess.

“Go back to the pack, I will deal with you later,” he growled at her and a warrior stepped forward to pull the woman to her feet. I watched her as she tried to smooth out her dress and walk out of the room with her head held high. I also caught the glare from her as she passed me, and couldn’t help but smile smugly in return.

I turned back to look at the Alpha King and found him staring at me, our eyes locked, his gaze dark and fathomless, a tempest of rage and lust that both terrified and mesmerised me. That seed inside me grew stronger, and I knew that somehow I was reacting to his power, and my reaction terrified me the most. I could tell I could get swallowed up in the energy that seemed to pass between us. The Alpha King was the one who broke the stare, as he turned to the warrior who had brought me in the room..

“Lucas, see to it that Bianca is held in containment until I can deal with her.” The Warrior glanced at me, a weight of something in his eyes, something that was different from before. He turned back to the Alpha King and gave a small nod.

“Yes Alpha,” he said and turned to leave the room.

The Alpha King moved back to the table and picked up the fallen chair, tucking it back underneath without sitting down. He turned and looked back at me, a mask of calm on his face, but his eyes still held a world of emotions.

"An hour," he spoke again, his voice a dark melody that played upon the strings of my fears and desires.

“What?” I asked, fear flooding my body again.

"One hour, my little human. Pack your belongings. Then we go home."