Mated to the Alpha King (A Royal’s Tale Book 1)

Waking up the next morning wasn’t as difficult as I had expected it to be. Considering I had barely slept at all the precious night before, actually, it wasn’t difficult at all.

The alarm rang right on time, and I rose from my spot on the bed and made my way into the bathroom quite gingerly. I suppose it was the lack of sleep that had caused such a sour mood. I only frowned deeper as I dressed myself up, noticing the dark circles showing under my eyes.

After picking up the English and history essays that weren’t due until a couple of days from now, I placed them in my backpack and strode out of the room, closing the door securely behind me. I would make an early submission of those two assignments. At least one good thing had come from my lack of sleep.

I grimaced and almost bit my tongue to hold off a scream as I lost my footing while walking down the stairs. Luckily, my hand grabbed onto the banister, and I saved myself from premature death.

Bryce’s odd behavior was still floating around in the front of my mind. I could not figure out why he was behaving that way. I knew it was no use thinking about it. I wouldn’t find an answer anyway. After all, I hadn’t found any all night. However, I couldn’t help but have a definite feeling that things were going to change now. The Bryce who had visited me yesterday was not my Bryce; something was wrong, and—God save me—I had to fix it.

I jumped off one of the last steps of the stairs and marched into the kitchen, only to stop dead in my tracks.

Instead of Matthew, it was Bryce who was sitting on the tall bar stool today, drinking what smelled like a cup of warm coffee. His cup already inches away from his lips, he stopped for a second as he noticed my presence but then continued as if he hadn’t. I frowned at that, too, but moved further into the kitchen, ignoring him as much as he was ignoring me.

Moments later, Bryce still hadn’t acknowledged my presence. A soft sigh left my lips, and I decided to just jump headfirst into it. My need to know what was bothering him seemed more important than self-respect right now.

“Are you mad about something?” I mumbled, biting my lip, as I finally turned around and lifted my gaze to his.

His dark gaze had stayed on me for a second before it slipped away.

“No. Good morning, love.”

My frown deepened, and I moved closer to him. Now standing beside him, I pulled his dark-gray shirt forward, and he got off of the chair to stand facing me.

Maybe you should have left him sitting . . .

“Don’t lie to me. Why are you here? And why are you mad at me?”

Bryce sighed and met my gaze, then his arms slowly moved around my waist, and with a light pull on his part, he slammed me against him. I could only stare at him, wide-eyed, as he regarded me with his stormy orbs.

He leaned forward, and I could almost taste his lips, then his arms suddenly loosened, and he placed a small peck on my forehead before moving away and taking a seat on the tall chair again.

I gritted my teeth as the heat in my cheeks increased. That was embarrassing.

Letting out a shaky breath, I turned back to Bryce, his strong back towards me. Eyeing the granola bars placed in a bowl on the kitchen island, I then grabbed a couple before turning around and moving towards the door.

If Bryce wanted to be difficult, so be it.

I was just making my way down the driveway when a hand gripped my arm and pulled me to a stop.

“I’m driving you.”

Yeah right, you are!

“It’s fine . . . babe. I’m fine,” I replied as sweetly as I could, making a move to get away from him.

His grip only tightened. “Don’t make me carry you to the car, Theia, because I can, and you can fucking bet I will!”

I stilled, and when Bryce pulled me forward, in the direction of his Jeep, I let him.

***

“Look, Bryce, I need to talk to you about yesterday.”

There, I said it. After mustering the necessary amount of courage throughout the ride from home to school, I had finally said it.

Bryce stopped the car in an empty parking space and turned to me. I almost bit my lip off at the foreboding look on his face.

I sighed nervously and placed a hand on his before intertwining our fingers and bringing his palm onto my lap. His eyes darted to the hand he now had resting on my lap, then to me. His jaw hardened.

“L—”

The sound of his ringtone filled the car, and I bit back a frustrated cuss.

Bryce removed the iPhone from his pocket and instantly smiled, his eyes now on the screen.

“I knew you would call as soon as you woke up,” Bryce said with a chuckle. He looked happier than he had been since yesterday.

He laughed out loud at something the person on the other side had said and cheekily replied, “I miss you, too, beautiful. You know I would give everything to keep you with me, don’t you, love?” A moment later, he continued, “No, you’re the prettiest girl I know. I’ll come by today, okay?”

I stared at Bryce, blurry-eyed. And when a tear finally slid down my cheek, I numbly turned, and after opening the door as softly as I could, I ran.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

Hurriedly wiping the reckless tears now splaying all over my face, I kept on walking in the direction of the library.

“You know I would give everything to keep you with me . . .”

I quickened my pace as the dark doors of the school library came into view but failed to notice the similarly hurrying Diandra moving from a corridor just to my right. Only when we collided and my head snapped towards the person I had collided with, already murmuring apologies, did I notice the unsettled-looking Diandra standing in front of me. Her troubled expression turned into a smug one as she realized my state of mind.

I almost cussed out loud, again.

“Well, well, well . . . look what the dead duck dragged in: little Ms. Queen Luna,” Diandra sneered as she folded her arms in front of her.

I really wasn’t in the mood to play. Between Bryce’s new behavior and him flirting with a girl on the phone right in front of me, as if I didn’t exist, my life was troubled enough; the last thing I needed was a stuck-up, plastic woman putting me down.

“Fuck off!” I snapped and tried to move past her, but then her hand shot towards mine and grabbed it, halting me mid-step.

“Finally found out what a playboy of a mate you have? Well, congratulations. Better now than later. I think it’s fitting, honestly, a whore mated to a player—match made in heaven. Next time, leave my boyfriend alone, bitch! Maybe then karma will be nicer to you!”

A sob shot out of my lips just as Diandra let go and pranced away, looking like she had won a battle. I quickly continued to the library and hurried through the open door, the stabbing pain in my chest now making itself well-known.

When I reached the furthest corner of the library, “the Dark Bend,” I slumped in a chair I had placed there previously and let out full sobs, muffling them as much as I could with my hands.

“H-how could he?” I sobbed, choking in between words.

“Theia?”

I froze. Oh no . . .

“Oh my God, Theia!” Marley went down on her knees in front of me, tilting her head so that she could see my face.

I couldn’t help it; I shot out of my chair and into her arms, pulling her close, and sobbed into her white T-shirt.

“Oh my God, what happened? They’re looking for you!” Marley said, her tone bewildered. She grasped my shoulders and softly pushed me away.

I raised my teary, red-rimmed eyes and locked them with hers.

“You tell me now, Theia Anderson! I want to know who I have to kill!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle in between my hiccups and crying.

“Talk to me. Please?” she pleaded, her soft tone soothing.

I nodded.

***

“What a fucking jerk!” Marley almost yelled, her hands curled into fists.

I nodded, fresh tears streaming down my cheeks. It turned out Marley already knew about werewolves and lycans, with her being Keith’s mate and all. So, when I tried to modify the story, she told me to cut the crap and tell it as it was. I did.

“Okay, enough of the crying. What we need to do is give you a girl’s day out, and you’re staying at my place tonight—no excuses!”

My eyes widened as I stared at her, wiping the tears off my now-blotchy face.

“But how—”

“Well, you need to sneak out. How else?” a stern voice spoke for the first time behind us, and both Marley and I let out a shocked gasp, our heads snapping in the direction the voice had come from.

“Mrs. Priscort,” Marley gasped, her grasp on my arm tightening.

The stern look on Mrs. Priscort’s face softened, and she looked almost kind when she added, “I suggest you both take the back exit, though, dearies; King Wilhem is creating an uproar around the school.”

A minute or two passed, and neither Marley nor I had moved an inch; we both sat staring at the usually stern slender woman, her graying hair complementing her sky-blue eyes, her half-moon spectacles always reminding us of Professor Dumbledore. The horror she usually put students through now seemed dead and gone. It was almost like the overly strict, sharp-tongued, and short-tempered Mrs. Priscort was a different Mrs. Priscort altogether.

“Well, don’t just stand there staring at me! They are going to search the library in a few! I suggest you girls flee before they do. Here”—she shoved a can towards me—“spray it over yourselves before you leave. Covers your scents.”

My eyes widened, and I had almost gaped at Mrs. Priscort before a cold spray hit my neck, knocking me back in shock.

“Dammit, Marley, that is not funny!” I groaned as I glared at her and got up from our position on the floor.

Marley sprayed herself over and quickly pulled a surprised Mrs. Priscort in for a hug.

“Thank you, ma’am. You are my new favorite person!”

Mrs. Priscort had smiled, patting her back, before I hugged her too.

“Now off you go, ladies. Move along before a livid king walks in and kidnaps his own mate—a mate he has hurt without a care. You deserve some time off!” Mrs. P spoke softly as she ushered us from the corner and out of the library, directing us to the back exit.

“The world is full of surprises,” Marley mumbled under her breath, still high from the shock.

I nodded in agreement, moving as quickly as she was—half sprinting, actually—around the school grounds and towards the parking lot where Marley had parked her car.

***

“Let’s get out of here,” Marley had announced, looking at me warmly, before she drove out of the school grounds and down the road.

Our drive downtown would be interspersed with an hour’s worth of things we’d have a great time doing. Marley very smartly avoided bringing Bryce up, and I was thankful for that; the last thing I needed was to be constantly reminded of someone I was stuck with for life who had turned out to be so fake.

I quickly rubbed my eyes as tears started to accumulate again. Dammit, Theia! How are you going to survive this when you’re a puddle of mess!

I almost wished I could go back to being as strong as I had been when Bryce went missing for two weeks. I was able to pick myself up then. This—this seemed different . . . Maybe it was because Bryce had knowingly hurt me this time?

A sigh left my lips as I turned to the window on my side. The less I thought about Bryce, the better.

“Let’s go then.”

“Huh?” I turned to Marley, confused.

She rolled her eyes and, after opening the door, got out. I sighed before following suit.

“Where are we going?” I asked Marley as we entered a mall.

“Shopping.” I tried to respond but Ley stopped me: “You do know that Bryce will find you if you go home today, don’t you? We need to get you clothes . . . and a bikini. We’re going to the beach!”

I sighed and slumped behind her as we entered Forever 21.

An hour and a half later, we emerged from our last stop with bags filled with shorts, crop tops, tank tops, dresses, a bikini, and some lingerie.

“Nex—”

The mild sound of my ringtone rang as I turned on my iPhone to call Dad and let him know where I was going to stay tonight. I switched my cellphone off in fright after Mrs. Priscort had informed us that a livid Bryce was looking all over for me.

“Good thing too,” I breathed. The ever-increasing number of missed calls proved exactly how mad Bryce could be. Glancing down, I sighed as I accepted Dad’s call. Well, here goes nothing . . .

“Theia! Sweetie, where are you?” Dad’s worried voice rushed out almost as soon as I accepted the call.

“I’m fine, Dad. I’m . . . You have to promise not to tell Bryce, okay? I’m going to be at Marley’s, Dad. B-Bryce is . . . He has someone else!” I replied, wiping the tears that were now sliding down my cheeks again.

There had been a slight pause on his end before he replied, “I suggest you stay there for a day or two, Thi. I’ll let Mom know so she doesn’t worry. Let things cool down, yeah? I love you, kiddo!”

“I love you, too, Dad. Thanks.”

“Take care, pumpkin.”

“I will, Daddy.”

I slumped against the car seat as I placed my cellphone down, fully aware of the sad Marley looking at me with worry.

“Ready?” she asked me softly.

I lifted my gaze onto the waves crashing against the shore, the golden sand shining under the heat of the sun.

A soft smile broke out on my lips. I nodded.

“Ready.”

***

An “Aaah!” ripped through my lips as a huge wave crashed against my back, rocking me forward and back into the water.

“Good! You deserved it!” Marley shouted, laughing her ass off, as she sat on the sand, making a very impressive sand castle.

I giggled as an idea popped in my mind. Oh, Ley—sweet Ley—you are in for so much trouble.

I grinned as I seemingly innocently waded out of the water and made a run for Marley as soon as my feet touched slightly drier sand.

“Ayeee! Gerrof me, you!” Marley choked out loudly, in between her fits of laughter, as I sat on top of her, completely wetting her hitherto-dry form.

I was vaguely aware of the eyes that were trained on us, but after such a draining day, I was finally having a bit of fun, and I really didn’t care.

The beach was far from empty; couples and singles, even a few grandpas and grandmas, walked around and played in the water, having a carefree day. The beach seemed to be a good idea after all.

“Dying here! Get off so I can seek revenge!” Marley yelled, smacking my thighs, and I laughed at her before sprinting back to the water as fast as I could.

“Oh, I’ll get you, Theia Anderson!”

“Neve— Uff!”

“Caught cha! Daddy, wuk! I caught the bwed gul!”

I groaned as a five-year-old girl held on to my leg. Her backside towards me, she straddled one of my thighs, her grip on it kind of like a tight hug.

“Woah, sweetie! Good job! Now let go of the lady! It’s bad manners to knock her down, sweetie.”

Still groaning, I glanced at the source of the voice and almost dropped my jaw when my gaze landed on a broad-shouldered tower of a man with blond hair standing just beside me, his form casting a shadow over me, covering me from the sun. His golden wedding band glistened in the daylight. A wide smile formed on my lips. Suddenly, I had immense respect for this bulky man.

“Sorry, love—she tends to get a little frisky sometimes, my little Evangeline.”

I smiled as I accepted his hand and got pulled to my feet. The little girl stepped aside, letting her daddy pull me up.

“She so pweety, Daddy! She can be my new best fwen. Can we take a picture wib her?” Evangeline pleaded, fixing herself around my leg once again.

I bent down and extended an arm towards her. She happily hopped on. I straightened, smiling, as I held Evangeline against me.

Just then, Marley finally caught up to us, panting lightly.

“Sweet dumplings, I really need to exercise more,” she said, huffing, before finally seeing Evangeline in my arms and Mr. Dad beside me.

“Hey, could you be a sweetheart and take a pic of us?” Mr. Dad asked Marley. “I’m Chris, by the way.”

“Sure!” Marley giggled excitedly, taking Chris’ cellphone, then snapped a picture or two as we posed.

“There you are, mate!” a dark, brooding voice spoke behind me, and I turned almost immediately out of curiosity.

Dark hair, hazel eyes, a lean figure, an air of undeniable authority—he had great makings of a sweet serial killer.

“Oh, hey, mate. Sorry. Thanks.” Chris beamed as Marley handed him his cellphone.

I placed a tiny kiss on little Evangeline’s forehead and passed her to her father.

“It was lovely meeting you, Evangeline. I hope to meet you here again someday,” I spoke softly, smiling at the grinning kid, who looked way smaller in her huge dad’s big arms.

“Coh me Angie, or ‘pwincess.’ Eryone else does! I’ll meet you soon, too, mish!”

“It’s Theia. See you around, princess.” I smiled, giving Chris and Angie a wave. I then turned to Marley, and we made our way back to our spot.

“That black-haired, hot dude couldn’t keep his eyes off you,” Marley spoke nonchalantly as we waded back into the water.

“Oh, really? Well, good on him then!” I giggled, splashing water on Marley. We then both broke into giggles while splashing each other like a couple of ten-year-olds and went on like this for a few more minutes.

***

“You sure your folks won’t mind?”

“For God’s sake, Theia, no, they won’t. In fact, they would be quite excited to have their little Marlene bring home a friend for the first time ever.”

I gasped. “The first?”

Marley looked at her lap and nodded. “I wasn’t exactly popular at school, till you and the boys started talking to me . . . All the girls—they . . .”

My lips’ corners lifted as I glanced at Ley. The amount of humbleness she possessed was actually astounding. Even I could not be as modest as she was. Though it wasn’t entirely a bad thing, I knew Marley was more than what she gave herself credit for—way more.

I nudged her with my elbow, and when she looked up, I grinned. “Let’s go meet your folks. I’m sure your parents will be excited to meet your best friend.”

Marley grinned and pulled me in for a hug. “I love you, Thi.”

I smiled as we broke away. “I wub you, too, Ley-Ley.”

“Ready?” she whispered as we stood outside the door of her modern-looking mansion.

I grinned and nodded.

“Okay!” she whispered next before sliding in the key and letting us in.

“Ma! My best friend, Theia, is going to stay—”

“ ‘Best friend’? Oh my goodness, she’s beautiful! It’s lovely to meet you, dear! I’m so happy you and little Ley became friends! Oh my, where are my manners! I’m Judy, dear, Judy Smith, but call me Judy! It’s so—”

“Ma! Stop! You’re embarrassing me!”

I stood wide-eyed and pink-cheeked, beside an equally shocked and embarrassed Marley, while staring at the very pretty, red-headed woman. Mrs. Smith looked every bit the prim and proper homemaker she was, her red locks pulled up in an elegant bun and her simple yet classy green dress complementing her warm green eyes.

Snapping out of my daze when a still-reddish Marley nudged me in my side, I smiled at the bubbly older woman and extended an arm towards her.

“Hi, I’m Theia. I hope you don’t mind me—”

“Of course not, dear! Oh, it’s lovely to have you here! Though, I must ask: On a school day?”

Both Marley and I grimaced.

“Well . . . you see, Ma . . .”

Mrs. Smith immediately frowned and, after taking our hands in hers, pulled us to the nearest couch.

“Tell me everything, young ladies! And be very honest!”

***

“What a jerk!” Mrs. Smith exclaimed, looking as appalled as she sounded when she practically yelled her reaction.

“That’s what I said!” Marley exclaimed outrageously, throwing her hands up in the air.

Mrs. Smith turned to me, her smile very motherly and warm.

“I think Marley and your dad are right, dear. Benny would agree too. You should stay here for a couple of days. The last thing you need is to face King Jerk-a-Lot after he hurt you so badly! Good thing is, though, that he can’t impose himself on us or hurt us because we are humans and it’s against the treaty.”

She turned to Marley.

“I’m proud of you, dear; you did the right thing. Just don’t let Keith know because he would be obligated to tell his king.”

I couldn’t help myself; I reached out and hugged Mrs. Smith. I suppose Marley had the same idea because she jumped in, too, at the same second.

“Thank you, Mrs. Smith,” I murmured softly as we broke our little group hug.

Mrs. Smith smiled. “ ‘Judy,’ dear. And off you girls go. Take a shower; you both smell like seaweed! And I baked some cookies. I’ll bring them up in a few, okay?”

“Thanks, Ma,” Marley yelled as she led me upstairs, both of us giggling at having gotten sand all over prim and proper Mrs. Smith.

“You first,” Marley spoke as we put down the shopping bags.

“Oh my God, you have a friggin’ balcony!” I squealed, rushing past her breezy light-pink curtains to stand with my arms braced on the railing. The view was great, with the sea shimmering silver against the midday sun, the roofs of the many mansions flowing downhill suiting the landscape wonderfully.

“I’m so jealous,” I muttered, grinning, as I padded back into the room before continuing to a door Marley had pointed me towards while throwing a towel my way.

“Well, you bet your knickers you should be! I get to play Romeo and Juliet.”

I rolled my eyes. “They both died, Ley.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. No, Theia, they both died in looove!”

It had been an hour before we were both bathed and dressed up, both our tanned bodies aching from running around at the beach earlier. Dinner at Smith Mansion was truly a delight; Mr. Smith was an incredibly learned doctor with an extreme sense of humor. Him agreeing to me staying over seemed like a blessing. And, before I knew it, dinner and the dishes had both been done.

And, well, now here we were sitting in Marley’s room as she flicked through DVD cases, trying to find a good movie to watch.

“No! I refuse!” I exclaimed in protest, grabbing hold of the DVD case.

“It’s a great movie, Thi! Besides, Ryan Gosling is hot!” Marley cried, making a leap towards the case.

“No!” I slumped back, actually devastated, as Marley held up the case in victory.

“You’re the prettiest girl I know. I’ll come by today, okay?”

“I think I’ve cried enough today, Ley,” I muttered sadly, moving my hands over my eyes in a pathetic attempt at hiding the tears.

“Don’t think about him, Thi,” Marley said softly as she pulled me in for a hug, rubbing my back soothingly.

“I can’t help it. I mean, I was fine all day . . . But now . . . here . . . What am I supposed to do, Ley? How am I supposed to cope with the fact that the person who is supposedly made for me and only me is in love with someone else? I . . . I feel so suffocated! And . . . I don’t know how to break free.”

“Shhh . . . Shhh, it’s alright, Thi; it’s alright. Everything will be fine one day, I promise!” Marley mumbled soothingly.

“You know I would give everything to keep you with me, don’t you, love?”

“I just want to run away.”

Marley stared at me, her sad eyes now wide and frightened. She scowled, then shook her head. Grabbing onto the remote control, she quickly put the disk in and sat back beside me.

“You—”

Taylor Swift’s voice blared around the room, mixing with the sounds from the TV, and both Marley and I grew tense. She glanced at her cellphone, then snapped her head towards mine, mouthing, “It’s Keith; be quiet!”

I nodded and gulped nervously. Somehow I felt like Keith was calling for something more than just talking to his mate.

“Babe?”

My eyes widened when I heard Keith’s voice over the loudspeaker. I almost fell off the bed in fright.

“Hey! I’m sorry I didn’t come to school today—lady problems!” Marley rushed to say, faking a giggle quite wonderfully.

I gulped. In my nervous state, I picked up a handful of chips and stuffed them in my mouth.

“Oh. I hope you’re resting, Ley. Do you want me to stop by?”

Marley’s eyes widened as we stared at each other. “No! I mean, no. I really don’t want to kick your ass. My temper is very unpredictable right now. I think I might just sleep.”

There had been a bit of silence from Keith before he finally replied, “You sure?”

“Mm-hmm,” Marley responded, quite easily.

I shoved another handful of chips into my mouth, my mind trying its best to block thoughts of Bryce.

“Okay . . .” Keith retorted somewhat hesitantly before continuing, “Babe . . . have you, er . . . seen Theia by any chance?”

I gulped down the munched potato chips, looking away from Marley’s gaze.

“No. Is something wrong?”

“Oh . . . Yo—”

A loud growl sounded from the other end of the line. “Where’s Theia, Marlene?”

My heart stopped. I closed my eyes and bit my lip—Bryce.

“You tell me! I barely got out of my room all day! And she hasn’t replied to my text from last night!”

“If you’re hid—”

“Why would I hide her?” Marley laughed sarcastically. She didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Bryce.

I bit my lip harder.

“Fine!”

“I’m sorry, babe. King Alexander is really worried because Theia ran off in the morning. We can’t find her anywhere. He’s gone full beast, ruining the courtyard. The full moon’s close, and he is going crazier than usual. I need to go. We need to tie him up with wolfsbane. Will you come to school tomorrow?”

There had been a second of silence before I heard Marley sigh and reply, “Yes, I’m coming to school tomorrow. I love you. Please take care, okay?”

Keith sighed in relief. His tone sounded happier when he replied, “I love you, too, baby girl! I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Good night.”

“I love you, Theia.”

I smiled sadly, letting one traitor tear slip by.

“Good night,” Marley answered before ending the call and turning to me. “Thi.”

I looked up at her, my eyes blurry from all the tears threatening to flow out.

I had shaken my head, letting a few drops slide down my cheeks, before I quickly wiped them away.

“Let’s just watch the movie, Ley.”