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

It’s funny how sometimes, when you least expect it, fear comes and bites you in your bum. Most of the time you escape it, but the other times . . . well, you deal.

I couldn’t help but think about the countless hopeless ways I could “deal” with my fears, especially when Bryce stood in front of me looking like he could announce a bloodbath any minute now. There was no doubt that he had read the text message; his expression said it all.

I was just slightly nervous about how he would react to me deleting it like I had something to hide. I didn’t. I suppose I was trying to be a coward. Things had been going so well tonight, and I didn’t want anything to ruin it. I had thought removing it would get rid of it . . . It was only now, looking at a livid Bryce, that I knew how foolish that was. Fear would always come and bite me in my ass. There was no running here. I was cornered.

“Why did you delete it?”

Nervously, I turned to the still-oblivious Evangeline, who kept giggling at something Harry had said, and the two boys who seemed to be faking not paying attention. I knew they were listening; their tense stances said so.

Feeling a little better, I looked at Bryce again and moved towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“I just thought it was a case of a wrong number. The sender was a private number as well.”

I watched as his eyes narrowed, and he held out a hand expectantly. I placed my phone on his open palm.

Bryce’s frown deepened as he went through my phone. With a mad growl, he handed me back my cell and slipped his arm around my waist, steering me towards the now awkwardly silent Roman and Matthew, and the still-oblivious Evangeline.

“Now I want to promise you something,” Bryce whispered as he pulled me on his lap. “When I find whoever that is, I will break his hands one by one, then I will rip his head off. The whole fucking world needs to know that you belong to the king; you belong to me.” His breath fanned the side of my neck, and I could tell he was trying his hardest to control himself.

Gulping nervously, I could do nothing else but shudder at how fierce he sounded and nod.

***

“That was so much fuuun!” Evangeline chirped and yawned as she finished dragging her “fun” in a funny way.

“Sure was,” I mumbled lovingly, holding her against me, while she rested her head against my chest. It was funny, really, how we were seated: I was still on Bryce’s lap, his arms possessively around me, while Evangeline had crawled on my lap an hour into the movie, so it was really just Evangeline on me while I was on Bryce. He didn’t seem to mind, though, which made me question his strength a whole lot more.

“Did you see how Neville stood up to them? Neville’s bwave! Even Dumbly thinks so!”

My eyes glided to Matthew when he returned from the kitchen, dusting his hands against his pants, and walked towards us. He smiled at the shrinking Evangeline and held out both his hands. “Come on, bug; we need to get you to your mom before she starts hunting for our heads.”

Roman nodded beside him but chuckled when Evangeline moved towards Matthew reluctantly, all the while looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Go on; Emily must be worried, Eva.” I had smiled softly at her, leaning forward to place a kiss on her cheek, before Matthew picked her up and straightened.

“Night, Thi.” Rome reached down to hug me but stopped at Bryce’s warning growl. His eyes widened, and he moved back, his head down. “Yes, Alpha. I apologize.”

I frowned, then turned to Bryce. “Stop it,” I muttered and pulled Roman down and into a brief hug. I knew I was pushing it, but Roman meant me no harm, and I really was not in the mood to go along with Bryce’s possessiveness.

I had felt Roman stiffen in the hug before he quickly pulled away. His head still down, he quickly moved towards the door and out, followed by the blank-faced Matthew and the already-sleeping Eva.

“What was that about?” I hissed, turning around to face Bryce.

The next thing that happened was a blur. One second I was on Bryce’s lap, twisting my head, glaring at him; the next I was pressed against the sofa, Bryce’s large form looming over me.

“You know exactly what it was!” Bryce hissed back, his eyes steely, as he leaned closer.

I gulped nervously, and immediately, Bryce’s eyes followed the motion. His nose then dipped down against the softness of my neck.

“You make me want to mark you so badly. I’m fucking going crazy because of it! Tell me, what am I fucking supposed to do when all you do is tempt me?”

My breath hitched in my throat as Bryce nipped at my neck. He had planted a soft kiss on the heated skin before he let it go.

“Mark me.”

He stilled . . . and pulled away, looking at me with surprise. I felt myself turn deep red and moved to look at his T-shirt.

“You know I—” he groaned, his lips now planting kisses on my collarbone.

“Can’t till we make love, I know. Still, mark me.”

I heard Bryce’s breath hitch in his throat, and he leaned back, looking at me again, this time with hooded eyes.

He stayed that way for a minute or two, until I had finally mustered enough courage and looked at him. I watched, fascinated, as his eyes darkened, but he didn’t lean in.

Lean forward, Theia . . . and just do it! You know you want to!

I would be lying to myself if I said I didn’t want him. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this god of a man to take me because, heck, I did. And just when a tiny bit of shyness in me shed down because of my need . . . I leaned forward and caught his lips with mine.

My hands trailed down his shirt as he nibbled my lip. I tugged at his shirt, and after another quick movement, he had it off and his lips on mine again.

The sound of fabric ripping had flared around the room before warm, soft lips descended upon my breasts. With his moist tongue, he laved one of the tight buds while twirling its twin with his hand. Everything seemed hazy—everything except the feel of him doing things, which I had only read about in books, to me.

He pushed me against the sofa again as his hard thickness rubbed my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. A sharp pain shot across my lower back, and I jerked forward, pushing against his increasing length again. As he stifled a groan, I couldn’t help but wince at the feeling of something sharp pressing against my back. It had to go.

Bryce pressed his lips on mine once more.

“Bryce . . . wait!” I gasped, disentangling my lips from his, the pain from the sharp object increasing slightly as my back pressed against the sofa harder.

“I’m sorry. Fuck!” Bryce growled as he shot backwards, his back colliding with the concrete wall far across the room. I stared, wide-eyed, at the fast-breathing, dark-eyed Bryce, the angry tent in his pants almost too large for me to concentrate on how broken and angry he looked.

I reached down and pulled out a small earring. Almost immediately, I smiled as I realized whom it belonged to. I moved to show it to Bryce, a sheepish grin on my face. But that faded when I realized there was no one in my room except me anymore.

Bryce was gone.

What the hell?

The grin gone and a frown replacing it, I reached for my cell and quickly dialed Bryce’s number.

He picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hello?” I couldn’t help but quiver as my voice broke, yet I managed to stifle a sob. Why did he leave?

“Theia . . .”

Gone was his soft tone of voice. Instead, it almost held a steely edge, as if something was guarded and withheld. I couldn’t help but get angrier by the minute. I was so sick of crying and trying to make him realize that I was here, that I was not going away, and that I wanted to give him everything I could. But he always made this hard; he never gave!

“Why did you go?” I muttered. Although my tone was bland, I knew it was pretty apparent that I was crying. Heck, I knew I was, but that didn’t mean I was any less angry. I wanted to punch Bryce until he stopped hurting me.

In the distance, the tower clock chimed, and I looked through the closed glass balcony door. The nearly full moon illuminated the night, the city shining like stars dusting the ground—red, yellow, blue.

“I’m not going to let you have pity sex with me.”

That’s it!

“What the hell makes you think I would ever give myself to you without wanting the same thing you do? God, Bryce, how can you be so dense sometimes! I hesitated the first time we talked about this because I was scared! It was going to be my first time, for God’s sake! Then you went around acting like you’re doing the right thing trying to push me away and all that crap. How hard is it to see that maybe the girl wants you too? How hard is it to just admit that maybe you should just give in to what you need? But no, you always run and push me away! Why, dammit?”

There was a long silence from the other end of the line, and I almost rushed out to start searching for his room, but then he replied, “You hesitated. I told you, we won’t mate until you’re absolutely sure. Go to bed, Theia. Good night.”

I stared at the phone, mouth gaping, as the line went dead. How could he do this? How could he be a king and be such an idiot? Did alphas lose brain cells when it came to mating?

Anger bubbled in me as I turned to my bed, my fingers dialing Bryce’s number again. I then placed my phone against my ear.

“The number you are trying to reach may be switched off.”

“Fuck!” I let the phone bounce against the bed as I fell backwards, slamming into it.

“Why did I have to get the most complicated alpha king! Why couldn’t I just get Scott or Derek and get it over with! Love is so complicated, dammit!”

My phone pinged loudly, and I almost jolted up in surprise. Its shrill tone broke the silence that had occupied the room till then. I reached for my phone and cringed. A shudder ran down my spine.

Private Number

Please let it be just someone else . . . I thought. Please . . .

I hate that he gets to kiss your lips

You’re mine

Not his

I’ve proof

I’ll fight till death

Rip his head

You’re mine

You’ll see

One day

I miss you. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Can’t wait for tomorrow. I’ll be close.

Goodnight, Theia.

— S

“I don’t even want to deal with this right now,” I groaned, my arm falling over my eyes, as I placed my iPhone on the bed and turned away. My arm still over my eyes, I tried to think of something else, but when that didn’t work, I resorted to counting sheep, until my body finally gave in to sleep.

***

“Theia, please tell me you’re ready!” I heard Rome groan from the other side of my door just as I walked out of the closet. My rosy-pink skirt wavered around in the wind as I slid my feet into the bronze sandals I had found to pair with it.

Waking up in the morning had been a tough act, especially when my whole body rejected the idea of moving, my every muscle protesting it. Needless to say, I stayed in bed for the next half hour, only getting up when the need to pee had increased to the point where I couldn’t stand it much longer. I needed release.

And now, well . . . here I was sighing every two seconds as I made my way towards the door. I couldn’t help but pray silently that I wouldn’t see Bryce today, especially not before school. I was still mad at him.

I pulled the door open before sliding out and shutting it behind me.

“Let’s go,” Roman immediately grumbled, grabbing hold of my hand, and pulled me towards the kitchen.

I sighed for the umpth time as I let him drag me along. “You’re hurting me, you know,” I muttered as we rounded closer to the kitchen.

Roman grunted in reply and continued pulling me along behind him. “You hurt me all the time,” he then said. “Do you see me complaining?”

I froze. What the hell?

“What did I do?” I blurted out, pulling on his hand so he would stop.

Roman sighed again as he stopped walking. He turned around to me with a blank look. “You don’t let me have a proper breakfast, just like you’re doing now. It’s unfair.”

I had no idea why I was feeling so emotional; I suppose maybe it was that time of the month, because I teared up and nodded before continuing towards the kitchen, leaving behind a stunned Rome.

“You can’t expect unmated wolves to stay away from her if you don’t mate with her, Alex; that just makes no sense! Then you just leave? Hell, what business do you even have to take care of so suddenly?”

My feet froze mid-step, and all I could do was stare at the flustered-looking Chris and the suited-up Bryce. Both men’s eyes met mine. Mine, however, stuck to the man with dark hair. Bryce stared back as I almost glared at him.

I could hear the door open and close behind me as I moved closer to Bryce, my senses totally missing the newest arrival that moved beside Roman in the kitchen.

I stopped and stood a step away from Bryce, his steely, blank gaze not once leaving my angry eyes.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes,” he replied, not even blinking once.

My insides ached, but I just nodded, then suddenly feeling a deep need for an escape, turned around, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, and moved back towards the door.

It was only when I reached the door that I stopped. A hand on the handle, the other holding the apple, I shook my head as a bitter, broken smile showed itself on my lips. A lone tear fell to the floor.

“Coward.”

It had been less than a whisper, but I knew the whole room heard. The hitching breaths that followed my bitter whisper proved they had. I didn’t stop, though. After pushing open the door, I marched into the hallway, determined to get back to my room and grab my important belongings. Nobody knew it yet, but I was going back home. I was not going to stay here if he was running away.

Maybe you should call Casey and ask her to stay over for a week or two? Even Angelo seems like a better idea than tolerating cold, empty walls.

The sound of the kitchen door opening and closing bounced off the cold stone walls, and I faltered for a second before continuing to move away.

“I could drop you to school!”

Oh crap, not him!

I stopped and turned around hesitantly. “Thanks . . . Your Highness, but no thanks. Have a good day.”

The wind whipped past me, and I almost jolted back when my gaze met Derek, who now stood an inch away, his warm gaze solely on me.

“You can call me Derek, you know,” he mumbled softly, glancing between his feet and me.

A small smile played on my lips, and I shook my head. “Thanks, Derek, but I’d rather not,” I mumbled back as I tried to move past him.

He stepped forward, cutting my path again. “I insist. Please.”

And there goes your escape plan, moron . . .

I almost rolled my eyes at the sarcastic small voice in my head.

“Alright, thank you, but I need to get a book I forgot first,” I replied, sighing in defeat.

A brilliant smile glimmered on Derek’s face, and he motioned as if to say, “Ladies first.” I could only put up a tight smile and move along towards my room.

***

I almost smiled as Rosenberg High came into view, its cream building standing tall and proud against the gray hues of the sky.

“I suppose the clouds are feeling pretty Christian Grey today,” a deep voice said with a chuckle beside me.

My head whipped towards the amused voice, an automatic grin of my own placed on my lips. “Why do you say that?”

Derek had grinned before he answered, “Well, they are ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ today.”

Damn!

“Good one.” I grinned back, forgetting for a moment that he probably just wanted to woo me for his own twisted reason, even though he knew I was not his soul mate but his friend’s.

His expression turned serious suddenly. He turned away to glare into oblivion. “I leave in the afternoon.”

Heeey, Macarena! Okay, no, that’s rude . . . Ugh.

“Oh . . .”

Derek turned to me, his face still serious. “Do I get a goodbye hug?”

No! Don’t do it, Theia! I, your conscience, demand you not to do it!

He looked at me expectantly, and after a few seconds, my resolve dissolved. Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. “Goodbye, Derek.”

I stiffened when I felt him plant a kiss on my collarbone. My eyes were still wide when he pulled away. “Goodbye, Theia.”

Run, dammit! I told you it was not safe!

As quickly as I could, I nodded dumbly and stepped out of the vehicle. Grasping my backpack tightly, I almost broke into a sprint and reached the school doors in record time. It was only then that I had mustered enough courage to look back.

Derek still sat in the car looking at me. A small smile seemed to light up his lips, and he waved a goodbye before pulling out of the parking lot.

***

Dropping the math book on the table, I quickly fished out the assignments I had missed and began flipping through them, giving them a last-minute check.

“Theia?”

My head shot up, and a genuine smile lit up my face. “Blond.”

“Still stuck on ‘Blond,’ huh?” Alex smirked as he walked around my row before slumping down in the seat before me.

“Never doubt it!” I grinned, my fingers reaching for the assignments once again.

I watched as Alex’s smirk loosened, and he donned a more serious expression. “Hey, look, Theia . . . I’m sorry about . . . well, you know . . . everything. I mean, if there is anything I can do to make it up to you, just ask!”

Smiling at him warmly, I nodded. “Thank you . . . for everything—what you said to Bryce and, well . . . everything. Thank you, Alex.”

“There it is!” He suddenly grinned, leaning forward, as he fluffed my hair.

“Hey! Stop that! What’s where, by the way?” I said, moving backwards at lightning speed, as I tried to halfheartedly fix my hair.

“My name.” Alex sent a wink my way before turning around as the class started filling in.

I sat watching the class fill the room quite quickly, a small grin dancing around my lips when a pissed-off Roman marched in. His gleaming eyes zeroed in on mine, and he quickened his pace before dropping into the seat beside me.

Following him, Matthew marched into the room, smirking slightly at a blonde who “accidentally” slipped in front of him and managed to brush her “naturally” humongous breasts against his arm. He slumped down beside Alex and, with a weary glance at me, began talking to him.

I turned my attention to the still-furious Roman, who was staring daggers at his desk. A frown slipped in place when I noticed his fists that were still bleeding but quickly healing and that he kept clenching and unclenching.

What the hell has he done now?

My hand shot to grab his, and I brought it onto my lap. His eyes darkened when I ran a finger along the quickly healing cuts. It didn’t take much for me to see that the bruises and cuts were bad. Really . . . what had he done?

“What happened?” I mumbled softly, trying to sound as calm as I could. I didn’t let go of his hand.

Roman sighed as he slumped forward. His head hung low. “Mewhaspnchkwjzwohnshbwo.”

“What was that?”

He sighed again, coming closer. “May have punched a wall or two.”

“But why?” I cried out, holding his hand closer to me. “Why the hell would you do such a stupid thing?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Theia.”

“Too bad. I want you to.”

“Fuck, just drop it, okay?”

“Is there a problem, Mr. Naight?”

Both Rome’s and my heads turned to the front of the class. Only then did I realize how loud Roman must have been. Everyone was looking at us with unusual, unshaded interest. My eyes then met Mr. Phelps’ angry ones, and I almost shrank in my seat, letting go of Rome’s hand when I realized that was where his glare was directed.

“Sorry, sir,” I mumbled quickly before picking up my textbook.

“Now that, that is over, could everyone hand in their assignments, please! I wasn’t joking when I said it would be graded.”

Oh, sweet peanut butter and sardines! Thank God!

I grinned as I held my assignment. Oh, the perks of being a nerd!

***

The skies looked like they were about to weep at any minute. The winds were starting to take their toll on me, rolling against me with sharp, crisp breezes, as I made my way towards the bus stop as quickly as I could.

School had ended far too quickly, and naturally, the joy of finally having our break could not be clouded by anything, not even the massive piles of assignments we had received in the name of keeping us “busy” during the break.

I scoffed out loud at the thought of that, then when my eyes drifted to the skies again, a strong hand rested on my shoulder, halting me mid-step.

Oh crap! Busted!

“Theia?”

Oh, thank God!

“Alex.” I grinned, turning around to face the huffing, sweaty blond. He looked like he’d had a good run.

“Where are you going? Roman’s been looking for you ever since the bell rang.”

Oh crap.

Suddenly, a light bulb lit above my head, and I heaved a sigh of relief, looking at Alex with a hopeful expression.

“Could you please give me a lift home, Alex? I miss it, and I really want to just lie down in my bed.”

Alex’s brows furrowed with confusion as he scratched the back of his head. He had seemed to think it over for a second or two before he grinned again and nodded.

My heart immediately jumped at the prospect of being able to go home . . . but I knew I was avoiding the truth, and the truth was that when I lied in the bed I missed so much right now, I’d be missing something else entirely.

I shook my head as I chased his steely face from the morning away, then got into Alex’s Jeep. I turned back to spot a distressed-looking Roman quite obviously looking around for me near the far edge of the parking lot, only after I had secured my seat belt and Alex had moved out of there and onto the street.

Guess you’re finally going home, Thi . . .