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

Fall always seemed like a pleasant time for me. It seemed like I could just breathe whenever the autumn rain decided to hit the city.

It was peaceful, it was calming, plus as it neared, so did the start of a new school year, as well as freedom from the one before it—the end of my senior year.

It was late spring now . . . and after summer, fall was coming.

With it . . . came prom.

I suppose that was why Tuesday evening found me smiling as I inhaled the lighter gust of winds and gazed at the already-weakening leaves.

I glanced down at the packaged ball gown in my hands before heading at a quick pace towards my SUV.

June was ending, and so was my last year in high school. The smile on my face faltered as the memory of the five college applications that were tucked under my pillow settled in my mind, together with the scholarship responses.

I was currently screwed.

I knew that I’d have to open them . . . but I was just scared to know.

My gaze met my car, and I slowed my footsteps in relief. It was still parked in the same spot I had left it in, in the same condition.

I shook my head as I disregarded the awful worries I had, had only a couple of minutes earlier.

Somehow, being on the same sofa as Matthew and Roman while they played Grand Theft Auto last night had taken its toll on me.

Not before I was only a few steps away from my SUV, I quickly unlocked it, then got in.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I quickly turned to put my things in the passenger’s seat.

A loud gasp ripped through my lips when I moved back.

I could hear my heart thumping in my chest as I stared, wide-eyed, at the smirking man already occupying the seat.

“I see you’re already mated to Alpha Alexander. Knowing him, must have taken a lot on his part not to hurt you. Pity. How are you, Theia?”

I frowned. “Alpha Derek . . . Don’t you think this is a very inappropriate place to visit someone?”

Derek chuckled as he reached out to quickly rip my things out of my hands before turning around and placing them in the back seat. Waves of panic crashed in my stomach as I continued to watch him, wildly thinking about what he might be up to and how I could escape.

“There is no escape.”

My eyes snapped to Derek’s.

He smiled. On normal occasions, I would have found that smile normal as well—just like any other friendly nonverbal gesture—but this time . . . I found it weirdly frightening.

“I suppose that’s what you were thinking of. Am I right? Don’t worry, Theia—I’m not here to cause you any harm.” Derek stopped for a second. “Tell me, what was the date of the official commencement of your being the luna?” he continued, his eyes now gazing out the window at the other parked cars in the lot.

I scoffed at him as I pushed down the bile of disgust and the familiar burn on my cheeks, then I moved away.

“You must be crazy to think I’m going to tell you!” I snapped to him and continued to control the shaking that had begun in my hands.

I thought that after that reply, a threat would be hurled my way, or at least a brutal retort, but Derek surprised me when he just chuckled humorously. He then shook his head.

“Well then . . . let me have another go at the guessing game, eh?”

He paused for a second or two and mockingly tapped his temple. I watched—shocked—as he did a poor performance of pretend thinking before clicking his fingers and turning back to me, as if he actually had my answer.

“Three days.”

I couldn’t speak.

I could hide the shock on my face, and his smirk widened as he took my openly worn expression as confirmation.

“Correct then?” he asked with a grin.

I felt like breaking out of the car—like rushing out and breaking the door while at it, if it meant my freedom. I felt like punching Derek in the face and seeing it hurt him—or maybe just calling Bryce . . .

Oh God . . . Bryce.

“I’m telling you nothing!” I snapped as I turned away.

Then it hit me: What if . . . Derek was my stalker?

I froze.

Then, I screamed!

A pair of livid golden eyes stared right at me as the creature around them ripped the car door open and threw the vehicle against a wall.

The collision was as injurious as its accompanying bang, but the large black beast pulled me against itself, shielding me from it.

A gasp left my lips as the beast let out a deadly snarl, and I looked up at its face.

My brown eyes met his strong jaw, and I smiled softly. Bryce, on the other hand, kept his eyes on the threat—as if evaluating a prey—challenging him to make a move first.

“I feel wounded, Alex. Is that how you treat an old friend, mate?”

Bryce growled louder and crouched forward, encasing me in him. His claws elongated further, and I stared in wonder at their deadliness.

Turning my head, I caught Derek bring his hands up in surrender and take a step forward, his now-bright golden eyes glowing at Bryce. “I’m not here to rouse a fight; I’m just here to help, to avenge Amber.”

I frowned. Why would he avenge a mate who left him for his best friend? Was the mate bond this strong?

Bryce, however, seemed to act on a plan of his own as he leaped from behind me and pinned Derek to the ground.

“You’re really pushing it, mate,” Derek gritted out as he bared his teeth at Bryce. Bryce bared his back.

I didn’t know what happened next, but suddenly both kings stilled and looked at each other. I could only conclude that they were communicating.

I watched as they seemed to be having a long conversation, occasionally growling and snarling.

Bryce suddenly got off Derek and extended a hand towards him.

Derek took it. “You better go change before some human sees you, Alex. Driving a car is certainly not a good thing in the book of beastly indulgences.”

Bryce grunted beside Derek. He dragged himself towards me and, after grabbing my arm, pulled me towards a dark corner.

I sighed as Bryce’s body transformed from his beast to his human form right in front of me, the thick black coat of fur covering his body instantaneously receding into his skin, leaving it as its original self.

“You’re hurt,” Bryce muttered quickly as he sped his way to me, then immediately pressed his fingers on my forehead. I placed my hand over his and smiled at the warmth it always seemed to bring.

“You should probably wear that before someone catches you standing here nude, you know?” I mused, pointing at the pants tied to his thigh.

Bryce’s grimace returned, and he hurriedly undid the tied pants before putting them on.

***

“So . . . what do you deduce?”

All four heads—except mine—turned to face a calm-looking Derek.

The three men made moves to speak first, but Aunt Meryl beat them to it.

She glared at Derek. “Well, my dear, I deduce I smack your head with a frying pan for scaring the poor girl to death! Theia could have been badly injured!”

Bryce shot up as he snarled at everyone in the room before ripping me out of my seat between Roman and Aunt Meryl and placing me on his lap.

Derek chuckled awkwardly. “Now, now, Meryl, don’t be so crass! I was only having a laugh!” He turned to face me, then he looked at Bryce.

I found myself moving back into Bryce’s chest.

Derek, however, did not notice. “Does he do that a lot?”

Bryce snarled at Derek in warning, and Derek immediately brought his hands up as a white flag.

I rolled my eyes. Oh, you have no idea, Derek—no idea at all!

“If I may speak, Alpha?” Matthew asked, breaking the glaring spell between Bryce and Derek.

“Yes, go on, Matt.”

Matthew nodded. “If what Derek says is true—and it seems to be, with the text messages to prove it—then I believe Amber had revealed her accomplice’s identity before she died, which suits our suspicions, Alpha Alex. We have our man.”

My eyes snapped to Derek’s. What text messages?

“What text messages?” I muttered, looking at everyone. They were still not telling me, even when it concerned my well-being!

My eyes stopped at Derek. He looked amused. I wanted to punch him to Argentina and back. “May I see the text messages?”

“No!”

I stiffened. “I didn’t ask you, Bryce.” My gaze turned back to Derek. “May I?”

I ignored Bryce’s low growl as I reached out to take the iPhone from Derek’s hand. Looking down, I found what I’d been asking for.

I fear time is less, but I must tell you before I leave, I have made a big mistake, Derek. I was wrong to choose Alex over you. He has found his mate, and I am alone. I’m scared of telling you this, but I just have to tell someone: I did something terrible. I pushed the girl out of her window. She’s dying.

Derek, I know you hate me, but please don’t. I just wanted Alexander, and you know me. I didn’t like to lose. I had someone helping me. He wanted Theia. And now that Theia’s hurt, he’s going to kill me.

I’m texting you instead of calling you because I’m a coward, Derek. I can’t face you after all that I’ve done. I don’t want us back. I just want forgiveness. Please.

It will probably be the last thing you ever give me—the last thing anyone will ever give me.

I forgive you, Am. But who is the accomplice, Amber? We can’t hurt Alex. He is our best mate! Please at least pick up the call!

I can’t, Der. I’m in hiding! But I’ll give you the name, which just might be the only good thing that I could do before dying: Andrew Sevrik Phelps.

Please tell Alex I’m sorry! Thank you, Der. Thank you.

The whole world around me crashed down.

Mr. Phelps? The man whom I had been around for so many hours per day? The man who had been to my home to tutor me for my math finals just a day ago?

I didn’t feel the phone slip off my fingers until it landed on the rug with a soft thud. I was too shocked to think of anything but what I had just found out.

Suddenly it all made sense—him taking personal interest in tutoring me, the leeways in class, appearing out of nowhere when I had, had that encounter with the stalker in my house.

I groaned as I brought my fingers to grasp my hair, closing my eyes at the impact of the revelation.

My math teacher was a psychotic maniac. And I still had school for another two weeks.

“That’s it! I’m calling the cops,” I exclaimed as I made a move to get up.

Immediately, Bryce’s arms around me tightened and pulled me back against him.

Aunt Meryl jerked up in her seat, her warm, concerned eyes on me.

“It’s not that easy, Theia. He is human for all we know. We have not found any traces of a beast in him. He will directly involve the human authorities and the media. I admit, although all the powerful people know of our existence, it would not be wise to mingle with the whole human population,” Roman murmured on his side of the sofa as he turned to me with a look that spelled pissed off.

“Yeah, especially those crazy scientists!” Matthew chimed in. He leaned forward, a disgusted look on his face.

“Also, love, we have no proof. We need to catch him red-handed. Brutal confrontation—however much I want to break every bone in his body one by one—is not a wise choice.”

I heaved a frustrated breath before ripping myself out of Bryce’s embrace and walking to Aunt Meryl. I kept eye contact as I neared her. “What would you do?”

Aunt Meryl smiled. “I’d plan dear. I’d plan.”

A sigh left my lips as I nodded, then walked out of the room. Before closing the door, I put my hand up and gave the audience in the room a wave, but I didn’t turn around. “Good to see you, Derek. Thanks for helping!”

***

The view from the castle windows was marvelous: dots of sparkling gold down below and silver stars high above. It was enchanting gazing at the night-lights of the city and the neighboring villages from this height.

I smiled as I watched a golden sparkle make its way slowly around what I thought was the highway.

My toes curled into the black sheets of Bryce’s bed. My smile faltered as I looked back down at them.

Why can’t things just be simple for once?

A short scream escaped me when, suddenly, I was pushed back against the covers, and a pair of lips landed on mine. A soft moan escaped my throat, and I could feel Bryce smile into the kiss, pushing himself closer to me.

It had felt like a while before Bryce, after nibbling on my lower lip softly, broke the kiss and leaned back a little, a soft small smile on his face. “Okay now?”

Despite the blush that was blooming on my cheeks, I scoffed, “Your kisses don’t hold that much power, Wilhem.”

Bryce grinned as he leaned back in, his blues humorously piercing my browns. “Want to try again?”

I couldn’t help but let out an amused laugh at that. “You’re insatiable!”

My blush deepened when Bryce groaned theatrically and hid his face against my neck, planting a soft kiss on my shoulder in the meantime. I could feel the amusement dripping out of his lips as he spoke the next words: “Well, it’s good then, because you love it!”

We laid in bed dimly for what seemed like an eternity, undisturbed—for yes, people had finally learned to knock or not disturb us at all while we were in the room—and completely calm, until Bryce broke the peaceful yet worrying silence.

“It’s okay to feel afraid, you know.”

I sighed as I looked away, the sparkling white diamonds in the sky seemingly more interesting now. “I don’t want to talk about it, you know.”

My lips pursed when I heard Bryce slip out a determined breath beside me.

He turned onto his side to face me. “Well, we have to, love. It’s okay to feel scared, but you should always know that you don’t have to. You’re not getting hurt again. We’ve got it all planned, really. It’s all a matter of sitting back . . . and waiting for Phelps to strike. We’ll be waiting.”

“Planned”?

All the endless number of wheels in my mind turned as I shifted to look back at Bryce, a soft, confident smile appearing on his face. I couldn’t help but smile back. “Well? What’s the plan?”

***

“You ready, love?”

I watched as the students around us, outside of Bryce’s black Lexus NX, walked towards the school, looking as oblivious as I wished I could feel today.

Turning around, I smiled at Bryce before turning back to face the two boys behind us. “I’m ready. You guys ready?”

Roman grinned as he leaned forward, bringing a confident-looking Matthew forward with him.

“Always. Let’s get this plan started!”