A bite from an Alpha King

Book 6 Chapter 7: Rain

-Evan-

Up. Down. Up. Down.

I had lost count of how many pull-ups I’d done. Time seemed to stand still when I was down here, pushing myself to the brink, almost to the point of self-torture. I would push so hard that the ground beneath me would sway like waves, and my stomach would churn, though not much came up.

Food tasted like ash in my mouth, and eating was nothing more than a necessity. I often wondered why I continued to eat—why persist? I still didn’t have an answer… or maybe I did now.

My wolf projected an image into my mind, one I had tried to bury: the beautiful Madeleine, gazing at me with her sweet blue eyes that hid so much innocence. She had been sheltered her entire life. Unlike Kate, who had experienced the outside world—transforming from an upper-class woman to running a somewhat shady bar with two other wolves, revealing she knew more about life than her sister.

Suddenly, I heard the door behind me open. The queen entered, her presence a familiar comfort. She liked being down here as much as I did. She, too, needed an outlet for her restlessness, and I didn’t mind her company. We didn’t talk, and that suited me just fine. I had made sure the speakers were playing music, so the workout was accompanied by a soundtrack.

“Are you going to get her?”

I didn’t let myself drop to the ground as the queen spoke. Despite my arms shaking, sweat pouring from me, and the sensation that my arms were barely attached, the pain was something I was accustomed to blocking out.

But why was the queen now speaking to me? I decided to ignore her, hoping she would leave me alone. But then she moved in front of me. Her long, raven-colored hair was braided down her back, and she wore only a tight sports bra, training shorts, and running shoes.

“Evan!”

I kept my focus on the pull-ups, ignoring her. Up and down. Up and down. I should have known she wouldn’t give up easily. She smiled cruelly, as if acknowledging my clear rudeness. She pulled back her arm and delivered a punch to my stomach.

Damn! I had forgotten just how strong she was. The blow knocked the air out of my lungs. I dropped to the ground, placing a hand over my stomach and growling, showing my long canines. Technically, I could be killed for threatening her.

It was a good thing Valerio wasn’t here—he’d kill me not for the law, but because she was his mate, and no one was allowed to bare their teeth at her. Yet she only smiled, as if she’d just won a game and didn’t seem to mind.

“So?” she asked.

The room filled with the pounding beat of “Monster” by Skillet as we stared at each other in the ensuing silence.

“Are you going to get her or what?”

Why did she care? Was she playing cupid now? I slowly shook my head.

“She’s going to England,” I said.

I preferred keeping my answers brief—mostly yes or no. But this required more.

“And?”

“And?” I echoed back, puzzled.

What did she want from me? Did she think I was someone I wasn’t?

“You can’t just let her get away. She’s your mate!”

I turned to walk away, unwilling to discuss it further.

“Evan! You only get one f*cking chance! Don’t be stupid like me!” the queen shouted after me.

I didn’t respond. I simply left the room. Pulling a black t-shirt over my head, I remained in my training shorts and shoes and headed for the nearest exit. It was cold outside, with rain pouring down, but it was exactly what I needed—air, freedom, and a break from feeling so confined. Yet, there was no running from my thoughts or my wolf.

Let’s go get her!

I had no idea why he had suddenly become so talkative. He was always as quiet as me—more so, even—just growling or grumbling inside my head. But since Madeleine, he had a lot to say, and it was always about her.

“No,” I said simply.

My favorite answer.

What do you mean, ‘no?’

I sighed, leaning my head back, choosing to ignore him as the rain dripped down and washed away the sweat from my body. Just then, my ears picked up a sound in the distance. I lowered my head and looked towards the gate, which had suddenly opened.

I hadn’t heard of any visitors, and this car was unfamiliar, but the border patrol wouldn’t let a potential threat inside. So, I stood there, watching carefully as it came to a stop at the stairs leading up to the castle entrance.

A few seconds passed, and then a man stepped out and held the door open for someone…

“Sh*t…”

Mate!

Yes, it was her. She was thanking the man as she leaned back into the car to retrieve a large overnight bag. What the hell? I hadn’t heard anything about her sister inviting her back. What was she doing here?

“Will you be all right?” I heard the man ask.

It had me already hating him, just for asking one stupid question. She smiled kindly at him and nodded.

“You can leave. I’m sure I’ll be okay,” she said. “I hope so, at least.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

She nodded, and he dove back into the car. She stood there, watching as it drove away, the rain pouring down on her. What is she doing? I wondered. She would be drenched soon, yet she remained standing there, only occasionally glancing at the doors in front of her.

Go inside!

But she continued to stand there, just looking, until suddenly she turned her head. Her blue eyes finally locked onto me, and I felt a sharp intake of breath as I saw them widen with surprise. She looked so sweet that I was almost tempted to walk over to her… and then what? Do what exactly? Do what I had imagined?

I was broken. Let’s not forget that. But still, I wanted her. I wanted to know every part of her, every secret of her body. I wanted to discover what made her squirm, what made her moan and scream and beg for more. I wanted to know just which buttons to push. Yes, I craved all of that, but I couldn’t… I would break her.