The Royal Alpha King's Mystical Surrogate

Chapter Six

P.S. - The chapter contains a scene of an intense assault. It is quoted under the hash (#) sign. You can skip if you wish to.

RAYLEIGH

**

I was not expecting to fall victim to Giselle’s other one of her swindler moves. But I tumbled, nonetheless.

I was walking carefully with the tray in my hands, which had a plateful of fresh and hot grilled sausages. I had sworn to just drop the plate on the table and rush back to the kitchen, but the entire mishap that took place in the dining hall was a nightmare.

I didn’t want a bit of attention, but I had garnered attention from the Alpha King twice, already. I knew the third time was a strike. I wanted to remain away from him because, after his departure, I would face a lot if I made any of Giselle's actions known to the people of the Royal Pack.

It was still fine when the people from the pack didn’t speak to me or treat me right, but Giselle was the only one who despised me to the guts. She found pleasure in destroying my happiness and ruining my tasks. I would never understand why, but until I was here, I didn’t want to come out to people as a victim.

I had to stay alert and careful.

After the Alpha King ordered me not to clean anything, I had to cease, despite my urge to clean it and scatter away. I stood there until Giselle cleaned up the place and made it spotless. Luna Emily asked me to leave and I did that gladly.

I dashed out of the dining hall and entered the kitchen where a struggling Crystal was present. Roxy had put her leg in a compression sock and she didn’t seem to enjoy that.

“Did she c***k it?” I asked her, trying to normalize my breathing. I wanted to indulge in a normal conversation so I could forget that the Alpha King had caught Giselle’s action and taken my side.

“She did! It hurts!” Crystal yelled, dramatically, looking up at my face. “Something happened, Ray?” She asked and my eyes fell onto hers again.

“I…Giselle…” I stuttered, still unable to believe that the incident had happened.

“Tell me, Ray. Don’t make me anxious,” Crystal urged. I thought back to the time and what was going on with me.

FLASHBACK

--

I was just concentrating on walking when I felt a leg touch my ankle and I just tripped, tumbling onto my knees and elbows. The plate in my hands fell, breaking into hundreds of fragments and the tray made a loud clatter.

The clattering sound brought back memories that were not pleasant.

Like the time when I was locked in darkness and heard the metal clanks and belt whips. The time when all I wanted and prayed for was to be set free of the cage.

My body shrunk to a protective position on its own accord. I knew how to protect myself at that time, letting my back take all for me and then just giving up.

Pearl – “Rayleigh, listen to me. It’s alright. Nothing happened. Calm down, Rayleigh.” She tried to talk to me but her words could only fall on my ear and could not be registered by my brain.

My body had frozen and all I could see was darkness. I quivered at the haunting visions and sensations. I focused on my breathing because my surroundings were a blur. I couldn’t envision myself in reality and I wanted to get out of this darkness.

Pearl – “You are stronger than this, Rayleigh. You know we have come far from that place. Open your eyes, Rayleigh.” Pearl kept saying words to guide me out of this darkness but it was proving difficult for me.

“Can’t you look where you are walking?!” It was Giselle’s harsh voice that knocked on the exit door for me. I followed her voice and sprinted to the ray of light. It took me a moment to register my surroundings and my position.

When I glanced up at Giselle, I knew she was the one who had purposefully tripped me and made this entire chaotic mess, but somehow her voice guided me out. No matter how much she detested me, she helped me this time.

Pearl – “You don’t have to see the good in this situation. She is the one who put you in trouble!” My wolf yelled at me, but I didn’t have time to respond to her logical thinking, since I was on the spot and all eyes were on me.

--

END OF FLASHBACK.

I didn’t even realise how the situation from there had turned out to be in my favour, as it was supposed to be, but it did — all thanks to the Alpha King.

“All that happened?” Crystal gasped as I finished narrating the story, prompting the entire part where I had been transported to another scary illusion of my own.

“Alpha King is really sharp,” I commented. “Though he is a man of fewer words, he was ruthless to her. Exposed her right there.” I told Crystal.

“Serves her right!” Crystal scoffed. “For a b-i-t-c-h like her, she should be executed.” She cursed and I chuckled. Somehow, her cursing the situation made me relax and come out of the trauma that I faced. She was so dedicated to her part that I could forget about all the incidents.

“Let me take you to the maid's quarters, where you can rest,” I suggested, and she nodded, putting her hand on my shoulder and standing up with my support.

“I’m sorry.” She suddenly apologized as we started walking. “You have to work more now that I have to rest.” She completed her statement and then I understood what she insinuated.

“You deserve the rest,” I told her and continued to walk out to a path that didn’t come across the dining hall.

“You deserve the rest more than me, but you keep working for something I don’t understand,” Crystal whined, and I only offered her a small smile. I couldn’t tell her about what my past consisted of, so she only kept guessing.

“Nothing that other people don’t work for,” I answered and swatted off her doubtful look. “Now, let’s just get you back,” I told her and she nodded.

“Oh, shoot!” Crystal yelled all of a sudden when we were about to take the stairs. “I completely forgot to tell you to bring me a new pair of blankets, since mine were put in the recycling storage.” She told me and I recalled the blanket that helped me in the night.

Well, it would be better if she wasn’t aware that I was locked in.

“Oh. I did see a pair of blankets when I was tidying up.” I told her and she nodded frantically.

“I was to get one from the new storage but completely forgot. I even took permission from Luna Emily for it.” She said, pouting.

“Do one thing, you try walking up slowly and I’ll go and get you a pair?” I asked-suggested to her and she nodded in agreement.

“That sounds better. Come back soon, I need your help.” She said and I hummed with a warm smile. I let go of her and she took her hand back.

“I’ll be quick since I know where the new blankets are,” I told her and she gave me a thumbs up. I quickly rushed to the exit and sprinted towards the storage room.

It was close to the pack house since we usually needed to bring and keep items. The new storage had a key under the pot, for emergencies if Luna Emily asked for anything. I took the key and quickly opened the door.

I walked in and removed the new blankets, keeping them on the table. I recalled that I needed to get a new apron so I pulled one of them for myself. I’ll report to Luna since my apron had torn after the earlier mishap.

I was about to take those and go away when I heard a yell. It sounded like a familiar voice, so I let the items go inside and rushed outside.

The moment I went out, I felt like I shouldn’t have exited the storage room at all. I came face to face with a very angry and red-faced Giselle. She caught my scent before I could run and hide.

##

“You! You little c-u-n-t! Come right here or I’ll bury you alive!” She yelled at me and I just obeyed her words. I slowly walked to her and kept my head hung low. Every second was making me anxious about what might happen.

“Because of you! I was so humiliated today!” She yelled in my face and pressed my shoulders in a death grip. I struggled to fight her but couldn’t break off from her anger directed towards me.

“I’m sorry but I didn’t take your name there so it wasn’t my fault,” I told her, but instead of understanding my statement, her hold got so tight that her nails dug into my skin. I felt pain graze over my body and I tried to push her off but she pushed harder, making me fall to the floor, on my knees once again. I doubled over in pain.

“I won’t let you go this easily!” She yelled at me and then I felt a hard strike right on my belly. I gasped a noiseless gasp and held my breath in despair. She had kicked me.

“I hate you!” She yelled and again her leg stomped on my shoulder where she had recently scratched. Tears of pain fell down my blurred eyes but I could only try to protect myself, covering my face with my arms.

“Please, don’t do this,” I begged, wanting her to stop inflicting pain on me. I had thought that I had experienced all the pain that was in my destiny, but once again, I was on the receiving end of pain and hatred.

“You deserve this!” She yelled and continuously kept kicking wherever she could. I had lost sensation in my body from her hits and could only try to protect myself.

“No!” I cried and, somehow, I felt her leg coming close to my face, so I just held it, hoping to shield myself from the hits, but she groaned.

“You don’t learn, do you, rogue?!” She spat and then I felt angry slaps on my arm and my head. She pulled my hair and that made me let go of her leg. She took this opportunity to turn me a little and then slap me a few times and then I felt her choking my neck, but I struggled against her, which made her graze my neck with her wolf nails.

I coughed a little and took deep breaths, trying to regain my breath and maintain my oxygen level. I held my neck and looked at my hand to see blood on my fingers.

“Please, don’t.” I pleaded, wanting to release my soul from this shell of a body and let go of this pain, but I remembered the motive that I was living for. I couldn’t give up so I kept holding myself through this pain.

“I want you to just die!” She spat and, with one more hard kick, she halted. I took deep breaths but was also scared that more of the hits were to come, but they didn’t.

##

“I wish you would disappear forever.” Her harsh words were engraved in my heart and they hurt deeper than the beatings that she had given me. I heard her footsteps and knew that she had gone.

A painful and lulling cry escaped my mouth and I could only try to numb the pain in my heart.

“Why doesn’t anyone want me? Am I that dispensable?” I asked the Moon Goddess that had created me just to be exploited everywhere. “Why would you do that, Moon Goddess?” I asked, my voice losing its power and just turning into an inaudible whisper.

“Rayleigh!” I heard a strong voice and then I felt warmth on my shoulders, but the warmth burned me and soothed me at the same time. I didn’t know how that was even possible.

“What happened? Who did this?!” I heard the voice ask me in a calm, questioning manner, but I felt a lot in that voice. I opened my eyes to witness the Alpha King in front of me.

Third time. I believe this was a strike. I might’ve hit the home run with this sight of mine.

“I can’t,” I told him and he seemed to have understood because it appeared like that with my blurry and teary vision. He pulled me and made me sit up. Even though it was blurry and dizzy, I tried my best to stay in that position.

“I have a hunch,” He said and was about to get up when I held his hand. I somehow knew why he was leaving and I had to stop him from doing anything that would bring me another wave of pain. I wiped my eyes with the back of my free hand and looked up at him.

“Please, don’t. I’m going to be here even after you depart.” I begged and something struck in his eyes. “Please let this go. I’ll recover and be okay.” I told him. He kneeled in front of me and it felt better to look at him from this angle as it didn’t stress my neck.

“Does Alpha Leo know?” He asked me and I shook my head in denial. “Who does?” He asked and, once again, I shook my head.

“No one,” I told him and looked up at him with a different imploration. I wanted someone to know me, my past, my pains and my struggles, but I didn’t dare to expose my vulnerabilities to anyone. But somehow, he made me want to be vulnerable in front of him.

“You are coming with me.” He announced with such authority that it blew me away.

“Where?” I asked him. I didn’t know what I was expecting him to say, but it surely should bring me peace and comfort.

“To my pack.” He answered and my body just stumbled, not caring or knowing the destination of its fall.