A bite from an Alpha King

Book 6 Chapter 2: Portrait

-Madeleine-

“Chin up. Turn a little more, and smile… smile!”

“Madeleine, are you not listening? He said, smile,” my mother insisted.

My mother had decided it was time to renew the family portraits, even though I preferred painting them rather than being in them. Kate’s portrait had, of course, been taken down, and everyone acted as if she had never existed. Perhaps because, after her mating with Chris, it became widely known that she wasn’t dead. This had made my mother look quite bad among her “friends”.

“Madeleine,” my mother repeated. “Smile!”

I tried my best, but I couldn’t even manage a fake smile.

“Madeleine, is that really the best you can do?” she asked.

I sighed and finally dropped the awkward pose I’d been holding: straight-backed on the golden couch with my hands in my lap, slightly turned. It felt ridiculous. I felt ridiculous.

“Let us take a break,” the painter said.

I nodded gratefully and stood up, stretching my sore, aching body from sitting in that uncomfortable position for over two hours. You’d think after everything my mother had put me through, this would be minor, but it still hurt.

“Madeleine, the portrait is only half done,” my mother said.

“Only half?”

She nodded. She was seated on a couch behind the painter, a martini in hand. She had been drinking more since her exclusion from her friends.

I sighed deeply. I didn’t want to do this anymore. I was tired—exhausted, actually.

“Madeleine—” My mother was about to say something when I heard a ding from my phone on the table in front of her. She glanced at it but didn’t dare look at it the way she used to. It was strange to see how much she had changed.

I walked over and picked up my phone. It was a text from Kate. It had been almost two weeks since I last heard from her.

Hey Maddy, hope you’re doing well. How about dinner here at six? Are you in?

She was inviting me to dinner. Why? The text came out of the blue, and I was confused. Kate had tried to get me to call her or even suggested we meet. I had ignored her, but now she was inviting me to dinner at the king’s territory.

It seemed strange, and yet… as I looked at my mother, slowly sipping her martini, and then around at the quiet, empty house, I thought, why not? It wasn’t like I enjoyed staying here. The place was dreadful, and I would soon meet Hunter and get mated to him. Why not see my sister one more time?

I’m in.

I replied before turning off my phone and returning to the couch, letting the painter continue his work. Two more hours passed before I could finally see the finished portrait. I hated it. It wasn’t that the painter had done a poor job—he was clearly very talented—but I loathed the person in the portrait. She looked so… sad. Was this really how I appeared?

My long brown hair cascaded over my shoulder, and I wore a deep purple dress that covered me well, paired with dark purple shoes. The moonstone hanging from my neck, returned to me by my father, was also depicted.

“Beautiful!” my mother said from behind me.

The painter said his goodbyes after packing up his things and left the house, leaving just my mother and me alone. I had no idea where my father was. He hadn’t been home much lately, and I suspected he was with this mysterious Evelyn—whoever she was.

“Mother,” I said.

My mother had returned to the couch after seeing my portrait, now sipping her drink and flipping through a magazine. She had one leg crossed over the other, and she looked surprisingly elegant, her blue eyes meeting mine as she glanced up.

“Yes?” she inquired.

I straightened my back, preparing to speak my mind. “I’m going to the king’s territory,” I told her.

“Why on earth would you go there?” she asked.

“To see Kate, of course.”

Her face darkened at the mention of my sister’s name. She tossed the magazine onto the coffee table, finished her drink, and set it down with a thud.

“No, you’re not,” she said firmly.

“Mother—”

“You are not going to see that… that… You are not seeing her!”

My hands clenched at my sides, and I took a deep breath. It wasn’t worth fighting over, but that didn’t mean I would comply.

“It wasn’t a question,” I said calmly.

She stared at me, visibly shocked as we locked eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I said. “It wasn’t a question.”

“Madeleine!”

“I’m going. And you can’t stop me.”

“I am your mother!” she said, her voice rising.

“When have you ever acted like my mother?” I retorted.

It felt liberating, even though it made my mother’s face turn a bright red and caused her to clench her hands in her lap, as if she were preparing to hit me. She could go ahead if she wanted. It wouldn’t stop me.

“Madeleine, the people your sister lives with—”

“Are what?” I interrupted. “Kind? Sweet? Caring?”

“They are not like us. They live completely different lives, and I don’t want your sister to corrupt you!”

“Corrupt me?” I almost laughed. “Mother, haven’t I sacrificed enough? Haven’t I proven myself? I’m giving you and Father everything you’ve ever wanted.”

She struggled to counter that. Although she had lost some status among her friends for lying about me, being mated to Hunter would restore her position. She depended on me, and it was evident.

“Madeleine, I think it’s a very bad idea,” she said.

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not the one going, isn’t it?” I replied.

“Madeleine, listen to me!”

“I am. You’re the one not listening to me,” I snapped.

She looked ready to explode.

“I’ll see you later tonight!” I said and walked out.