Protect Me, Alpha King

“T-that bad?" I asked when I saw the twin’s expression. “What happened to the woman? Did someone kill her? Did the alpha king kill her?” I asked, continuously.

A part of me wanted to figure out what happened to that woman. It seemed like if I knew about her story, I would know more about the alpha king. Knowing more about him would be a must. "Ssshl” the twins hushed. “The guard will hear you! If one of them found out we were talking about her, they were given the power to imprison anyone who mentioned that name.”

“Why?”

Was that woman powerful enough that the alpha king had decided to carry that order?

Flare glared at her sister. “Clara. We are done talking about her. Pretend we did not say anything to River.”

Clara panicked. She drew a couple of breaths trying to control her emotions and the only thing I could do was stare at the two of them.

I did not understand why a single name carried that power even if she was already dead. If only I had acquired the same power as her. I wanted to be like that. To be like Zenith.

“I said nothing. I said nothing,” Clara muttered to herself. "River. Pretend we did not tell you anything.”

"O-okay," I replied.

I froze when a sharp object was suddenly pointed at my back.

“How long will you continue gossiping?”

It was the guard.

"Hey! We are not doing anything!” the twins said in unison.

“Freak!” the guard spat at the twins.

The twins advanced and were on the brink of slapping the guard when I stopped them

“Clara! Flare! It is not worth it!” I exclaimed. They stopped and faced me. “Let it go.”

I thought they would not listen to me because we were both slaves of the alpha king, but to my surprise, they did with Clara muttering curses under her breath.

I sighed.

I hoped I would learn more about Zenith in the dungeon. There was nothing to fear inside if I pry a little more.

My gaze darted to the entrance.

Other guards were guarding the entrance of the dungeon.

"Clara? Flare?" I asked

I stepped back.

My fear started creeping in. My foot was rooted to the ground as images of what I might see flashed in my mind. What if they will abuse me there? Back to my pack, the guards were abusive and thought they were next to Alpha Erik. They acted high and mighty and treated us like we were the lowest of the low and were nothing but dirt in the ground. I remembered one time when one of them forced me to put the rag on my mouth and in fear that they would hurt me, 1 just followed them.

I shivered at the memory.

How long will the ghost of my past torment me?

“This is how far we can go, River,” Flare said.

“Do not worry. We will continue pleading with the alpha king. Changing his mind might be next to impossible, but we have to try.”

I gulped. My eyes shifted from one woman to another.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

They frowned at me. “What do you mean?”

"I was always bullied by others because no one defends me. I was also an easy target because I was an orphan. No mother and father to get my back.”

I was expecting the evil looks on their faces, but instead saw how they pity me.

"Ow. Poor woman. You have us. We also have no one but ourselves. We were thankful that the alpha king did not separate us. If the other thing happened, one of us would go crazy.”

The barrel of the gun was suddenly pointed at my back.

“The three of you are testing my patience,” the guard said again

“Put the gun down!” Clara said, ready to make a fight.

Before a brawl could start, I stepped forward, strolling towards the entrance.

“I will remain strong until you make him change his mind.” I smiled at them, to console them and was met by the two guards.

They held both of my arms and led me into the deeper part of the dungeon

The pungent smell continued to attack my nostril, nearly making me gag

“I can walk,” I said.

"We know but you can escape.”

“l'won't,” I replied. If I tried to escape, I would not win the alpha king's affection. All I needed to do was to be compliant.

They laughed as if I had joked with them. “We always hear that one.”

I nearly poke when the smell of blood was getting stronger. Someone was wounded?

"Did someone hurt himself?” I asked, out of the blue.

Stop, River. That is out of your concern. What do you plan to do next? Heal the wounded? Like a good Samaritan? That is not the reason why you are heard.

"Why do you ask?”

“I can smell the blood.”

“Aye. A man. A rogue who dared to escape the dungeon. We catch him and punish him.”

The only thing that was the source of light was the big candles hanging on each side of the dungeon. It gave me an eerie feeling as if I was being watched.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Whoever was watching will have fun since I was getting scared.

I shook my head.

Whoever was it, I will not let him see what I was feeling now.

“Is he okay?"

The guard gave me a bored look. “Barely breathing. It's his fault for trying to escape and trying to kill the alpha king.”

I did not know but I found myself saying, “You can put me in his cell.”

The guards looked at me as if I had made the foolish decision of my life. Perhaps I did. I did not know what had gotten into me. I blamed it on that tiny voice telling me I should help him. Regardless of the sight of the blood.

"Are you mad?”

“Maybe I am,” I muttered under my breath. “Mad for letting my emotions get over me.”

"Are you trying to make yourself a heroine?”

“I'm not. Maybe that person wanted someone to console him while he took his last breath.”

I mentally scolded myself for saying such cruel things. How could I say that given the seriousness of the situation? Someone might die and we were acting as if it was not urgent to help him.

“If you say so.”

I wanted to change my mind. I really do. But we suddenly stopped in front of a cell. And this time, the smell of blood was the strongest.

I stopped, my vision getting blurred.

Bad decision, River. You're not the heroine of this story.

“Here is your cell. Be sure to say good things before he leaves this world, servant.”

The guard pushed me toward the cell and nearly tripped

Glaring at them, I cursed them. but they paid me no mind.

“The Moon Goddess must have pitied me for bringing you into my cell.”

I froze and faced the source of the voice. And there I saw was a man, sitting, barely breathing, with a dead expression on his face.