Protect Me, Alpha King

I could feel the stares of my packmates as they bade goodbye to King Maxxwell. They did not understand why the alpha king accepted me as his mate when in fact there were others out there who were more gorgeous and sexier than me as Alpha Erik said.

Unknown to them, I already sold myself to this person in exchange for showing Alpha Erik that someone still wanted and desired me.

"I wish for your safe journey, Your Highness. The coach was already prepared. But if you want a horse, I could offer you to find horses that you can use on your journey.”

"Coach is fine since I have River with me. I don't want him to be uncomfortable on our journey.” He drew me closer to his body and the women sighed in envy.

"Are you really sure about this, Your Highness? Perhaps there was something wrong with the Mating Ceremony last night. There was no way that woman could be your mate.”

I stilled.

"Your words carry some weight, Alpha Erik. Explain. Are you River's mate?"

Everyone held their breath. Including me.

Alpha Erik looked around and saw everyone was watching him, waiting for his answer.

Alpha Erik gave everyone a nervous laugh. "Me? The servant's mate? There was no way the Moon Goddess would play a prank on me, Your Highness."

"Then does it mean the Moon Goddess played a prank on me? River is my mate.”

The others nodded.

I gaped at the alpha king. Why was it easy for him to admit we were mates? Was it because we were not true mates?

Alpha Erik nervously laughed. "That's not what I meant, Your Highness."

"It is, to me. Regardless of River's status, I will accept her as mine since I have been looking for her my entire life.”

I couldn't fathom why High Highness was doing this. I was nothing but a mere servant, so why? "My apologies for the interruption, Your Highness but the carriage is already waiting."

"We have to go then.”

King Maxxwell turned his back and I followed him. I felt Alpha Erik's burning stares but tossed it aside. With one last glance, I looked at the pack and vowed I would be back.

The journey to the kingdom was uneventful. My bottom was hurting from the bumpy road and King Maxxwell was all silent. I also never dared to have a conversation with him for fear that he would get furious at me.

I thought throughout the journey nothing would happen, but the coach came to a sudden stop. I fell forward from the impact but before my face hit the front, King Maxxwell put his hands on my shoulders,

My heart beat faster as I uttered my thanks to him and peered at the window for a possible commotion.

"Who dared to disturb our journey?" King Maxxwell asked.

He put his arms in front of his chest and glared.

On instinct, I put a safe distance between us.

"I see nothing, Your Highness," I said.

"Rogues, Your Highness," the driver answered

"I do not—" I trailed off my words when I saw a group of men with a mask on their faces only allowing us to see the upper part of their faces. And boy. They were holding guns and swords.

The terrain was dusty and rocky. However, the road was cemented. Other than the cactus beside the road and a few kinds of grasses that live in this kind of environment, I did not see any more signs of life.

Were we now in the kingdom's territory?

I looked at King Maxxwell. There were visible lines on his forehead and he clenched his palms into fists.

"Bastards. They dare to show us now when I am in a hurry?"

Even though the group screamed danger to me, I still had the guts to ask, "Who are they, Your Highness if I may ask?"

"Rogues. The long opponent of the kingdom who brought nothing but death upon themselves.”

It was my first time seeing one. Usually, rogues were werewolves who did not belong to any pack. When they gathered together, they created a group. Sometimes, they stayed in the mortal world and lived peacefully, but there were also some whose hatred against the kingdom ran deep that they wanted to avenge themselves for the unfairness of life, blaming the kingdom for what had happened to them.

"Do you know them? Personally?" I asked.

"They don't deserve any attention, River." To the driver, he said, "Kill them and we will go on."

My eyes widened. "Your Highness..."

"What?" he snapped. "Do you pity them? You did not know how they managed to get inside the kingdom and kidnapped a child and killed him? They abused the women and the weak. Tell me if they deserve your pity, River. A lot of blood has been spilled. I don't see any reason why I need to have a peace talk with them.”

King Maxxwell's lips pressed in a thin line.

"Perhaps they wanted something and if you will give it to them, they will stop.” He narrowed his eyes on me. "I don't want to pry of the affairs of the kingdom, Your Highness. Forgive me if I overstepped boundaries. It was not my intention to do so."

"You do not know how long the kingdom had been battling for generations, River. That's why it is easy for you to say.”

I bit my lips. "I know nothing, Your Highness. It is not like I am defending them.”

"You are defending them as if you know them personally. Let me make it clear to you. They are our enemies, River. Put that in your thick skull. And if you insist on talking with them, it would be better if you immersed yourself with them.

"Oh. Perhaps that is a good idea. You will pose as a rogue and infiltrate their group. Then you have to gain their sympathy and trust and tell me about their daily activities. You will continue doing that until we finalized our plan of defeating them in one go. How is that?"

I chuckled nervously and could not look him in the eyes.

"I-I am not fitted to the role, Your Highness." I also did not have the courage to live with them. All I knew was living inside the pack. Not outside the pack.

Living with the rogues? A total immersion with them? I was not yet out of my mind.

"Kidding. I know you cannot do it. You're one scaredy cat. You're not fit for the task.”

He said he was joking, but I did not see any happiness in his eyes.

Secretly, I released a sigh of relief. "You are right, Your Highness. I am not up to the task."

I looked again outside and found the lifeless body of the rogues. That fast?

"The driver is the gamma of the king. One of the best warriors I have. It is understandable that the fight was brief.”

I stared at the rogues again. I did not know but why did my heart still go to them?

"Don't pity them, River. They deserved it for trying to assassinate me. Anyone who tried to harm the king in any way deserved to be punished by death itself.”

I want to tell him that the rogues did not do anything to him. But it changed when a gunshot was fired towards our direction.

Instantly, King Maxxwell's hand was on my neck and forced me to duck as I heard him mutter a curse. And said it again. My ears bleed at his profanities.

My heart beat wildly as I was scared for my life.

"This is what I said, River. They will not hesitate to kill us now.”

And I paled.