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

“The southern borders have been secured, Your Highness. Also, Mr. Knockwood has called in, sir; a complete analysis of the property has finally been done.”

My mind swayed to the matter at hand as I nodded in acknowledgment. The properties and title were irreversible; there was no chance I would be able to relinquish my hold on the title, and to manage that, I needed the properties.

Arriving here only minutes ago, I had only one thought standing strong and proud in my mind: I would have to capture the throne in the UK—well, inherit it.

I let out a puff of air in frustration as I pressed the bridge of my nose.

I did not want to expand my domain! I was perfectly fine with North America. But now, Grandfather had apparently written off everything to me—power and position in tow—without my knowledge.

The meticulously carved grand door came into view as I turned the corner into a new hallway.

Sucking in a breath, I prepared myself for what laid ahead. Hopefully the no-good lawyer had somehow found a way for me to transfer everything to my closest cousin, Benjamin. My life was in America. Theia was in America.

“Am I to assume you have found a way, Mr. Knockwood?”

The fidgeting man instantly began shaking like a leaf. My frown deepened. This man had better have found a substantial method.

“Y-Your highness! It’s a p-pleasure!” The slightly balding tiny man instantly rose from his seat and extended his hand in respectful greeting.

I stood looking down at him, then alternated my gaze between his face and his extended arm for a couple of seconds before grasping the latter and giving it a firm shake.

“What have you found for me, Mr. Knockwood? I’d prefer it if we cut to the chase . . . I do not want this,” I spoke in a mildly business-like tone as I motioned around the room.

“B-but, sir, you will gain more power; you will be the most powerful alpha king! Sur—”

“Do you have a method, or do you not, Mr. Knockwood? You are wasting my precious time.”

Instantly, the man stiffened and moved an inch back in his seat.

I almost growled in agitation. “Again, you’re wasting m—”

It was then that it hit me, earth-shattering pain.

It felt like my entire life was being torn away from me, like my lungs had been hammered, and I could not breathe.

I clutched my chest as I slipped from my chair and bent over on the floor.

Something had happened to Theia.

“Rome!”

“Yes, Alpha!”

Roman’s voice came through our mind link, sounding very submissive. He understood that I was currently his king and not cousin, which was good; I needed submission.

“Where is Theia? Theia is hurt! You were supposed to be her shadow! Get yourself to her!”

“Theia is fine, Alpha! I just dropped her home half an hour ago!”

My anger flared as I clung harder to my chest. My life was being cut in half. I knew she was hurt—badly.

“I said get yourself to her!”

“Okay, I—”

“Theia!”

Matthew’s intrusion into the mind link left me with only one feeling: dread.

“Matthew!”

“Matt!”

“Theia, Theia, Theia! No, no, don’t die on me! Don’t die on me! No, no, Theia, please! Please, Thi! Gotta get to a hospital! Oh my God, Theia!”

My eyes widened as I realized Matthew wasn’t talking to us but himself. His emotions were so all over the place, he didn’t even know whom he was contacting. I could taste the bile pooling in my mouth as I now sat on the floor, frozen.

“Matthew, mate! I’m coming!”

Then Matthew let it slip, and the thin thread snapped.

I saw Theia bloodied and lifeless in his arms as he ran. Everything else seemed like a blur. All that stood out was Theia.

I let a tear fall as my heart cracked and crashed. I let another fall . . . then another . . . And as each tear fell, my anger increased. I let it. I let my beast approach. My restraints were weakening, and my beastly self needed my mate. I needed my Theia.

Matthew unintentionally flashed another image of Theia. She looked just as lifeless as she had a few seconds ago. And that was when I lost it.

I let myself go to my beast.

I could feel as my bones cracked, demanding a transformation, but I didn’t allow it. I would endure the pain. My vision, hearing, and smell heightened even further. The feel of my veins bulging out of my skin left me assimilating my position.

I was the bloody alpha king, and whoever had dared hurt my mate would know just how much power that position gave me. I was going to rip that person’s fucking life out with my bare hands.

I shot up to my feet, and for a second, my vision blurred, and just for that split second, my beast took over completely.

Letting out a livid growl, I grabbed hold of Mr. Knockwood’s collar and moved him in front of me, lifting him up to my eye level.

“I accept—everything. Prepare the damn papers and fly over to my castle. Get your damn self there in a day.”

The already-sweating Mr. Kockwood nodded vigorously, and I dropped him back on the floor before I sped out of the room. Everything was a blur around me as I slammed through the closed door, not even fidgeting when it flew backwards and ripped off of its hinges.

“Alexander!”

“Alpha! R-respond, please!”

I snarled at the sound of Roman’s voice when he began linking with me. It was all his fault.

“When I get back, I’m going to rip your arm off so you can feel a fraction of what I felt when my mate was fucking dying because you couldn’t guard her!”

I could hear Rome’s wolf whimper and break down, but I didn’t care. I knew Roman never cried, and his wolf wouldn’t be found in a weak state even if it killed him, but I didn’t care! My Theia was dying. What if I never got her back! I needed to get there!

I knew I was probably still crying, but I kept speeding past hallways and doors, slamming and smashing everything I went through.

Suddenly, I stilled when I heard Aunt Meryl’s voice break into the pack link with a sob. Her hurt and desperation reached me as she unknowingly linked with me, sending me an image of my Theia on the verge of death, lying on a stretcher.

I let out a strangled growl as I began running towards an open window. This time taking the easiest way down, I leaped out of it. My feet touched the ground, and I sped towards the man I needed.

“Get a jet ready. I need to fly back to Piedmont right now!” I growled as I reached the UK’s royal beta, Hugh.

“No offense, but I—”

I had my hand around his throat before he could even finish his retort. I grinned as I felt my claws sink into his neck, and his eyes began to bulge out with the pressure.

“I am king now! This is my kingdom! And I fucking want you to ready my fucking jet! My mate is dying! Fucking get to it—now!”

***

The closer we got to Piedmont, the more I lost myself to my beast.

By the time we were a minute into landing, I was seeing red.

I knew I was probably going to kill everyone within a meter radius of Theia, and so as much as I felt like ripping a few throats, I let Matthew know I was coming.

I glanced up to see the stars shimmering silver against the moonless night sky as I sped past trees, knocking over a few in trying to sate the anger in me before I’d reach civilization again.

My feet froze when I’d run out of the woods and onto the road. The hospital stood on the other side.

Glancing at my hands, I felt my eyes heat up again. My Theia laid somewhere in there, fighting between life and death.

All this was my fault. I should’ve never left her alone. I traveled a lot, and now it had given my enemies enough time to hurt her.

It was all my fault.

I held back a strangled growl as I sped across the street and into the hospital.

Theia’s scent hit me like a ton of bricks, and I gulped down a sob.

Fucking pussy! I growled at myself as I entered the empty elevator and immediately pressed the button to close the lift door.

“Intensive care unit, son, fourth floor.”

I grimaced as Aunt Meryl’s shaky voice cut through to the link. Curling my hands into fists, I cursed the slowness of the elevator, and when it had finally stopped with a ding, I couldn’t find myself to give a rat’s ass about the humans around me as I sped past them, their slow movements suddenly a blur around me.

I slammed against a door. The scents of other people assaulted my nostrils, making me barely hold in a livid growl as they all mixed with my Theia’s.

I grabbed onto the door handle and pulled the door open.

“Fuck!” I watched the door handle in my hand as I held the now-broken piece.

The door was pushed open from the inside, and I looked up to see a disapproving doctor glancing at the broken door handle.

“I’ll buy you a new door,” I snapped before I looked past him and into the room.

The now-frightened doctor nodded quickly, then made a dash around me.

“Get out.”

“Alexande—”

“I said, everybody, get out!”

One after the other, they piled out of the room: crying Marley, sobbing Mr. And Mrs. Anderson, Aunt Meryl, shamelessly crying Matthew . . .

My anger returned as Roman made a move to get past me. I grasped his shoulder as he did, my claws preparing to inflict all the damage I had planned on inflicting on my way here.

After turning him in a rough swing, I stopped. Roman’s bloodshot eyes and dead expression caught my gaze before his head lowered towards the ground. His shoulders slumped as if in defeat. I frowned.

How was I going to kill someone who already looked as good as dead? How could I inflict pain when he looked like he was feeling hell?

Fuck it!

A growl bubbled out of my chest as I pushed him out of the room and closed the door.

I knew everyone was looking in through the glass, but I didn’t give a fuck. I kept standing frozen, looking at my feet, too afraid to see what my absence had caused my Theia.

I slowly padded towards her, afraid to look at the frail face I knew was on the bed.

My mind ran back to the first time I had caught her scent, the first time I had heard her voice, and the first time I had touched her hand.

My mind ran back to the time when she had accepted me so easily—accepted my beast, loved my beast.

I glanced up and looked at her.

I couldn’t help it; I fell to the floor, insane sobs ripping out of me.

It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault . . .

“No, it’s not; it’s the culprit’s fault—the person who pushed her, the person who tried to kill her. It’s not your fault, son. Theia needs you right now . . . Be strong—for your people, for your Theia!”

Anger bubbled in me as she spoke. She was right; it was the culprit’s fault. And I was going to hunt down whoever it was.

“You’re right. You’re right.”

I swiped the back of my hand across my face as I got up and moved towards the bed, now looking at Theia and nothing else. I was going to make sure her pale cheeks found their warmth again, if that was the last thing I did. I would turn her if that could make things any better.

So, my mind made and my will concrete, I walked around the bed and sat on the chair beside her. Reaching out, I grabbed onto her hand, my lips thinning as I felt the cold instead of her usual comforting warmth.

But her heartbeats were still there, and I knew that as long as I could hear her heart beat, I would fight.

And if, God forbid, it stopped, then I would kill.

I glanced at her comatose, bandaged self again. My grip on her hand tightened.

“I love you, Theia.”

***

Matthew Jefferson

Patrolling sucked, like skunk and rotten eggs—sucked.

My ears perked up at the sound of birds chirping in the far east.

When Rome had informed me that I would have to patrol outside Theia’s home, I did not give it a second thought. Theia was important.

A sigh left my lips as I whipped my tail around a little. My light-brown coat wavered slightly in the wind as I lifted my muzzle up and took a sniff.

Something felt wrong.

My instincts going into hyperdrive, I ran towards Theia’s bedroom, my large paws thumping heavily against the ground.

“Fuck!” I swore as I looked up and saw a hand tipping Theia over and out the window. Golden jewelry of sorts caught my attention but only for a second.

The heavy scent of Theia’s blood had me cringing in panic.

She fell at a great speed, and I didn’t have much time, so I took a shot in the dark and transformed just in time to have her land in my arms.

I watched my Theia with blurry wide eyes as a content little smile eased onto her marred, bloodied, tearstained face.

Her eyes opened an inch as she took a shaky breath.

Our gazes met, and I couldn’t help but let a tear slip down my own face.

“Matthew,” she breathed, then the last remnants of her consciousness left, and she passed out.

“Theia!” I growled loudly. I was mad at her for being hurt, for being alone in her room. Fuck, I was mad at everything!

Her heartbeats weakened, and my breath hitched in my throat.

No. She couldn’t die!

“Theia, Theia, Theia! No, no, don’t die on me! Don’t die on me! No, no, Theia, please! Please, Thi! Gotta get to a hospital! Oh my God, Theia!”

Not giving my state of undress a second thought, I ran. The fucker in her room would pay! I hadn’t gotten a scent, but I would get the person! That fucker would beg for death after I was done with him!

Hell, Al— My eyes widened, and I let out a scared scream. Fuck, Alpha Alexander will go crazy!

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my bicep and pulled hard. A growl left my lips as I felt myself lose my balance but only for a second. There was no way in hell that I was going to let Theia fall!

Digging my heels into the ground, I made a swift turn and crouched low, Theia still in my arms.

I will die protecting you if I have to, Thi. The fucker will not get you so easily again!

“Matthew! Relax, man! Give me Theia! I’ll take her to the hospital, and you go change!”

I broke out of the red haziness when I saw a red-eyed Roman standing in front of me, extending his arms out as if waiting to hold Theia.

I snarled at him threateningly.

“You’ve got to be shitting me if you think I will believe you so easily! For all I know, you could have done this!”

Rome’s eyes hardened as he began walking towards me.

“Don’t you fucking dare accuse me of that again! Just give me Theia! We need to get her to the hospital before she bleeds to death, dammit! This is not the time for your suspicions!”

Glaring at him, I passed sweet Theia into his arms.

Instantly, he took off.

“You better take her to the hospital, Roman! Beta or not, I will fucking hunt you down and watch as Alpha rips into your chest!” I growled behind him as I moved to put on my pants.

Even though I knew he was already halfway to the hospital by now, I also knew he could hear me—the perks of being a royal.

I growled as I hurriedly put on my T-shirt and ran after him.

Hoping Theia would be okay was the only thing on my mind.