The Alpha's King Curvy Mate

Mine!

Ariel.

I woke up the next morning with a sense of urgency gnawing at my insides, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision.

The sun had barely risen, casting its faint light over the cold marble floors, but it felt like an eternity since I’d made my choice.

I knew I couldn’t delay any longer. I had to find him, Alpha Magnus. The one my heart ached for, yet the one I had no right to claim.

The tension in my chest made it hard to breathe as if my body was preparing itself for the inevitable.

Every moment I spent here, in this grand fortress, felt like a mockery. I didn’t belong here, and neither did my feelings for Magnus.

He had a chosen mate, a bond he had accepted long ago, and I was nothing more than an inconvenient pull of fate, a fleeting option he was too polite to discard.

I walked briskly through the corridors, my footsteps quickening, as if the urgency of my decision could somehow quicken my pace.

The high ceilings echoed with the sound of my steps as I passed maids and guards who offered polite nods but didn't stop to ask what troubled me.

Their expressions were blank, trained to show no sign of curiosity, but I could feel their eyes on me. I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew why I was walking with such determination.

The staff told me he was in his office, as usual—buried in his endless work. It was a rare moment of peace for him, no doubt, away from the constant expectations of his title.

With a deep breath, I made my way there, my mind racing, each step resonating like a reminder of how tangled our lives had become.

I reached his office door, and my hand hovered over the handle. My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of excitement and dread making me feel as though I might collapse right there.

I knocked softly, the sound echoing louder in my ears than I’d expected.

"Come in," he called out, his voice muffled by the thick wood.

I pushed the door open with an almost automatic motion, my heart beating wildly in my throat. Magnus was sitting at his desk, his strong, commanding presence filling the room even without him turning his gaze to acknowledge me.

His dark hair was tousled slightly as if he had been running his hands through it in frustration, and his sharp features were twisted in concentration as he pored over documents that seemed never-ending.

He didn’t even look up as I entered. His focus was so unwavering, it was almost as if he didn’t even notice my presence. I stood in the doorway for a moment, unsure of how to approach.

The bond between us, the mate bond that tied us together despite the distance he tried to create, pulsed with an intensity I couldn’t ignore.

The pull of it was both a curse and a blessing. It was maddening.

"What do you want?" His voice broke the silence, cold and detached, as though I were just another part of his endless duties.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped further into the room, each footstep heavier than the last. I took a deep breath, gathering all the courage I could muster. I couldn’t let myself falter now, not when I was so close.

"I want you to reject me," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

I felt like I was shattering into a thousand pieces, but I had no choice. This was the only way.

Magnus froze. His pen hovered in midair as the silence between us stretched longer than I was comfortable with. His gaze slowly lifted, his piercing eyes narrowing as they locked onto mine.

"What did you say?" His voice was low and dangerous, a growl in the back of his throat.

The room seemed to close in around me, the air thick with the weight of the moment. My heart raced, but I pushed on.

"You don’t need me here. You already have a mate. So, I want you to reject me," I repeated, my words unwavering despite the storm of emotions threatening to consume me.

Magnus’s gaze didn’t leave mine, his eyes studying me as though trying to decipher the true meaning of my words.

The silence stretched longer, and I could feel his growing unease, though he did nothing to show it.

Finally, he exhaled sharply, almost as if he were releasing a breath he’d been holding. "Is that what you came into my office to tell me?" His tone was dismissive and cold, as though my pain meant nothing to him.

I nodded, the weight of my decision sinking in with a finality that felt both freeing and devastating. "Yes," I whispered.

Magnus didn’t respond immediately. He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.

Then, with a small, almost imperceptible sigh, he leaned back in his chair, as if trying to distance himself from the emotional weight of our conversation.

"Go back to your room," he said, his voice sharp, already returning his attention to the stack of documents before him.

I stood there, my body frozen, as the tension between us hung thick in the air. Part of me wanted to leave, obey his command, and walk out of this room forever.

But another part of me, a deeper, more stubborn part, refused to be dismissed so easily.

A spark of defiance flared inside me, and I stepped closer to his desk. My voice rose, though I tried to keep it controlled.

"You don’t have to hold me here against my will, you know. You could just let me go. Let me find someone else."

Before I could even blink, Magnus was on me. The movement was so swift, so powerful, I barely had time to react. One moment, he was behind his desk, and the next, I was pressed hard against the cold stone wall of his office, his hands gripping my arms with a force that made it impossible for me to move.

His eyes were dark with intensity, burning with something primal and possessive.

The air between us crackled with dangerous energy, and I could feel the heat of his body seeping into mine. I shivered, but it wasn’t from fear—it was from the overwhelming sensation of being so close to him.

"What did you say?" His voice was a growl now, low and dangerous, as though each word was a command.

I swallowed, my throat dry, but I refused to let him intimidate me. I forced myself to stand my ground, even though my heart was thundering in my chest. "You heard me," I whispered.

Magnus inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring as he took in my scent. His lips curled into a faint, almost predatory smile, and for a moment, I thought he might do something I couldn’t handle.

But instead, he leaned closer, his breath brushing against my skin, his lips tantalizingly close to my ear.

"You belong to me, Ariel," he said, his voice a deadly whisper. "And you’re going nowhere."

I could feel the heat of his body against mine, the raw power in every movement he made. It was intoxicating.

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and despite every ounce of resistance in me, I found myself drawn to him. The bond between us—so strong, so undeniable—pulsed with an intensity I could no longer ignore.

But just as quickly as the moment had come, it was gone. Magnus pulled back, his expression unreadable, his cold exterior returning with a force that left me reeling.

"Leave my office," he ordered, his voice sharp and final, the shift in his demeanor leaving me breathless.

For a moment, I stood there, dazed, my chest rising and falling with each unsteady breath. The tension between us was palpable, but the space that separated us now felt like an insurmountable chasm.

I opened my mouth, ready to argue, to plead, but the words failed me. Instead, I turned and walked out, my heart torn between the overwhelming need to stay and the fierce desire to escape.