The Alpha King's Hybrid Mate

Chapter Ten

****Allison’s POV****

Elijah asserts, “You’re coming back to the palace with me.” I’m taken aback and stare at him in disbelief. Who does he think he is to dictate my life and decisions? It’s starting already. I haven’t even accepted him as my mate, and he already believes he can control me. I can’t allow that. I’ve been under an Alpha’s control for too long. But he’s not going to let me go so easily.

Elijah stands in the doorway, gazing at me, while Hailee sits beside me, also waiting for my response to his demand. I don’t even know what to say. I know what I want to say, but I fear as to how he will react.

I turn to Hailee, who shrugs, then back to Elijah, meeting his gaze as I take a deep breath.

“I won’t be coming with you,” I state calmly.

“You have to come,” he argues annoyingly.

“I’ve made my decision, and I’m not going,” I firmly declare.

He sighs in annoyance and buries his face in his hands before meeting my gaze with a pained expression.

“We can argue all night, but you are my mate, so you will be coming with me. It’s the only way I’ll be able to keep you safe.”

Although he appears genuine, I am unsure if I can rely on him. Trust is something I struggle with, except when it comes to Hailee. Due to my inability to recall the first seven years of my life, I have been wary of trusting others. Unfortunately, when I did let my guard down with Malcolm, I regretted it. The Alpha and many pack members have treated me similarly, leaving me with little faith in their intentions, including Elijah’s. I have been disappointed too often, and I will not allow it to happen again.

As I gaze at Hailee, I yearn to be able to mind-link with her. I am eager to know what she thinks about the matter at hand. Although I have a hunch as to what her response will be, I need to know what her honest opinion is. I anticipate that Hailee will encourage me to give Elijah a fair opportunity and accompany him to the castle.

‘You can mind-link her,’ Alina tells me.

‘What? How can I do that?’ I curiously ask. I shouldn’t be able to have that ability yet. I thought I was unable to mind-link with Hailee because I have not yet shifted into my wolf. Even if I had, I would still be unable to mind-link with her because wolves can only mind-link with family members and mates. Only Alpha’s, Beta’s, and Gamma’s have the ability to mind-link with every member within their pack.

Alina pleads for me to trust her. ‘You can do it. You just need to focus.’

I inhale deeply and close my eyes, directing my thoughts towards Hailee. The concept of mind-linking has always intrigued me, but I have never been able to accomplish it. While focusing, a tingling feeling appears in my forehead, and a faint voice that isn’t Alina’s echoes in my mind. It’s Hailee’s voice, and when I glance at her, she appears equally shocked as I am.

‘Allison? How are you doing that?’ she asks in astonishment as I stare back cluelessly.

‘I have no idea,’ I reply.

I glance over at Elijah, who appears stunned by something. Gradually, his expression shifts from disbelief to wonder, and he starts to approach me while extending his hand out to me. Once he reaches me, he gently cups my cheek with his hand, and I freeze. My heart starts to race as he locks eyes with me, but I’m unable to pull away or react in any way.

He murmurs, “Absolutely beautiful.” I remain completely still as he asks, “How do you do that?” When I don’t answer, he pleads, “Please tell me.”

Hailee speaks up, realizing I have frozen in place, and says, “She doesn’t know.” Despite their continued conversation about my glowing eyes, I do my best to tune out their voices.

‘I’m confused, Alina. How can I mind-link with Hailee?’ I inquire.

‘Well, you have a unique connection with her,’ she replies, but I am still perplexed.

‘Isn’t it only possible for wolves to mind-link with their family, pack members, and their mate once they’ve shifted? I haven’t been initiated into the pack, nor have I shifted yet,’ I explain.

‘I’m not sure how it’s possible,’ Alina admits.

‘Then how do you know that I have a special connection with her?’ I question.

‘I just have a feeling,’ she responds vaguely.

‘Alright, what kind of bond is it?’ I ask sceptically.

‘I’m not certain,’ Alina replies, but I sense she’s not telling me everything.

As I open my eyes, Elijah remains in front of me, his hand resting on my cheek. He gradually lowers his hand to mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. I feel the sparks when our skin meets, causing me to instinctively try to withdraw my hand. However, he tightens his grip, and I pause briefly before allowing Elijah to hold onto me. I find myself feeling a peculiar sense of solace and support from his touch, so I let him hold onto my hand for the time being. Our fingers interlock effortlessly as we gaze into each other’s eyes, and a faint smile graces Elijah’s lips.

As he touches me, I feel a deep sense of belonging and safety, something I’ve never experienced before.

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” Hailee says as she rises from her seat, snapping me out of my trance.

“No!” I shriek. “Please don’t leave me,” I plead, and Hailee sits back down beside me.

‘Please don’t leave me alone with him,’ I say to her through our mind-link.

“Okay,” Hailee reassures me with a hand on my shoulder. I immediately feel more at ease, and when I look at Elijah, I try to ignore the pained look on his face.

‘Why do you not want me to go?’ Hailee asks in my mind.

‘I still don’t trust him,’ I admit.

‘It didn’t look like that before.’

‘No,’ I state. ‘I don’t know what that was. I don’t know what came over me.’

‘It’s the mate bond,’ Hailee states. ‘It’s getting stronger.’

‘How? I haven’t even accepted him as my mate.’

‘Mate bonds are a bit more complicated than that,’ Hailee explains.

‘How so?’

‘Well, you don’t accept a mate bond in the same way you reject one,’ she clarifies. ‘The more time you spend together, the stronger the bond gets. And the stronger the bond gets, your feelings for each other intensify until you eventually feel the urge to mark each other.’

‘When will that urge happen?’ I ask with fear in my voice.

‘It’s hard to say. It varies for each wolf; every bond is different,’ she answers.

I open my eyes and look at Elijah, who has a confused look on his face.

“What?” I ask him.

“Nothing,” he says as he shakes his head, but I don’t believe him. “I’ve been so worried about you,” he says softly.

“Why?”

“Because I saw what that bastard did to you,” he growls. I jump back in fright at his vicious growl; I clutch my chest as my heart races and try to catch my breath. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, and I quickly withdraw my hand from him.

“What do you mean you saw what he did?” I question.

“I watched him beat you to a pulp,” Elijah admits.

“Then why didn’t you do anything?” Hailee angrily asks.

“Because it looked like she was handling it just fine at first,” he sighs.

As I realize Elijah has witnessed my abilities, my heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach. I never intended for anyone to find out about them, not even Hailee. Though I try to remain calm, my mind races with thoughts of the potential consequences of his knowledge. The possibilities seem endless, and I can’t shake the feeling of dread that settles in the pit of my stomach. I know I will have to confront Elijah eventually, but for now, I must keep up my façade and hope he doesn’t reveal this information to anyone else.

“What do you mean it looked like she was handling herself?” Hailee asks curiously.

Elijah looks between me and Hailee, and I panic as I realize he’s about to tell her what happened and what I can do. It makes me quite anxious to keep this a secret from Hailee, but I’m afraid of what she might think when she finds out what I’m capable of. Hailee has always stood by my side while everyone else called me half-breed or a witch, but Hailee didn’t believe any of it. She always told me that I was just gifted, but I don’t know if she will still think that or reject me and think me a freak too.

I have to think quickly, and I say the first thing that pops into my head. “I’ll go with you.” It’s too late to take it back once I realize what I said.

Elijah’s face lights up with happiness as I say this. He can’t contain his excitement, and his smile grows by the second. It’s clear that the words I just spoke has made his day and that he has been waiting for me to tell him this.

“Really? That’s amazing!” he exclaims as he stands up straight.

I smile weakly at him, and my heart sinks as he walks toward the door. “Where are you going?” I ask him.

He turns around and looks at me with a smile still spread across his face. “I just need to make a phone call. I’ll be back in a minute,” he answers.

I sigh as I spin around on the bed and lean back with my head on the pillow. The weight of my situation is heavy on my mind. The last thing I want to do is leave with him, but I’ve already said I would, and it’s too late to go back now. I wish I could take back those words, but I can’t. But I also don’t want to stay. I can’t stay, and Elijah might be my only way out of here. I am very conflicted and don’t know what to do.

“What do you think?” I ask Hailee as I look at her.

“About what?”

“About Elijah,” I clarify. She pauses for a brief moment as she looks down into her lap and starts playing with her fingers.

“I think you should go with him,” she admits with sadness in her voice. She keeps her head down and doesn’t look at me as she says this.

“Why?” I question.

“Because he’s your mate,” she answers, but her eyes still remain staring into her lap.

“Do you trust him?” I inquire.

“I believe his intentions are good,” she responds vaguely.

Her answer doesn’t really clarify whether or not she trusts him, which is frustrating for me because I really need to know her true thoughts on the matter.

“Hailee, that doesn’t answer my question.”

“What does it matter what I think?” she snaps back. I sit up and look at her in confusion. Hailee should know why I need her opinion. I’ve told her several times that I don’t want a mate and don’t want to be owned ever again. She should know what is going through my head right now.

“Your opinion matters because you have a better sense of character than I do, and I still don’t know if I can trust him.”

“I trust him,” Hailee responds in a quiet voice.

Even though I don’t fully trust him, she seems to have faith in Elijah. However, I can’t shake the feeling that something is bothering her. She seems distant and lost in her thoughts, and I want to help her, but I don’t know how if she won’t open up to me.

“Then what’s wrong?” I ask her.

“Nothing,” she insists.

“Don’t lie to me,” I sternly say to her. “Tell me what’s wrong.” Hailee sighs heavily, and I feel a knot form in my stomach as she looks at me.

“I just don’t want you to go,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’re my best friend, and it feels like everything is changing. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.” She pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know you have to do this and go with Elijah, but I can’t help feeling like I’m going to lose a part of myself when you go.”

I gently place a hand on Hailee’s shoulder and deeply look into her eyes.

“I know this is hard,” I say softly. “And I’m not going anywhere without you.” Hailee sighs deeply and looks at me with tears in her eyes.

“I can’t,” she sobs. “I can’t go with you.”

“Why not?”

I just can’t imagine my life without Hailee. She is my best friend and confidante; she has been with me through thick and thin. We have shared so many memories together and have formed an unbreakable bond. Whenever I have ever needed someone to talk to or just someone to hang out with, Hailee has always been there for me. We have laughed together, cried together, and have supported each other through everything. Without Hailee, my life just wouldn’t be the same.

“I can’t leave my mom,” she answers. “She needs me.”

“We’ll figure something out,” I assure her, holding both her hands in mine.

“How?” she asks as I stand up.

“I’ll speak with Elijah,” I reply while heading toward the door. Before I exit, I glance back at Hailee, who is staring at me curiously. “I have a feeling that he’ll do just about anything for me,” I say with a playful wink.

As Hailee laughs, I open the door and leave the room.

“Allison? Where are you going?” Queen Lilianna inquires as I close the door behind me.

“Oh, um, I-I was just looking f-for Elijah,” I stutter, averting my gaze to the ground.

“Allison. Look at me,” she instructs. I do as she says and meet her gaze while fidgeting with my fingers. She tries to take my hand in hers, but I instinctively flinch back from her. “You don’t have to be afraid,” she assures me as she gently takes my hand. “I’m not going to harm you.”

“I’m sorry,” I say apologetically.

“You don’t need to apologize, Allison,” she laughs. I weakly smile and nod my head.

It’s frustrating feeling like I’m constantly on edge, waiting for everyone to point out my mistakes and shortcomings. But I never receive it from the Queen.

“Where did Elijah go?” I quietly ask her.

“He went into one of the empty rooms down the hall,” she answers as she gestures down the hallway.

“Thanks.”

I walk down the hall, searching for Elijah in the empty rooms. I peer into each one as I walk past, hoping to see him in one of them. The silence is eerie, and I can’t help but feel a little bit uneasy. As I reach the end of the hallway, his scent of vanilla and jasmine hits my nose. I turn around the corner and follow his scent until I reach the room that Elijah is in. The door is half-open, so I stand there and wait for him to finish his phone call. However, I can tell from his serious tone that he is speaking to someone important., and I wonder who he could be speaking to with such intensity.

“Thank you, Luke,” he says into the phone. “Also, if you find Brenden, tell him to call me.”

“Yeah, will do, Elijah,” I hear someone answer on the other end of the line.

Elijah hands up the call, and I go to walk into the room, but his phone immediately starts ringing. He looks at the screen and sighs before he answers the phone.

“Stacey,” he says into the phone, and my heart drops into the pit of my stomach.