Protect Me, Alpha King

The guard bowed at the alpha king while I stood, waiting for him to fully enter the dungeon.

Hope flourished in my heart. Did he have a change of heart? Did he finally take pity on me? Or did he miss me? The latter would be impossible, so it must be the former.

"Your Highness," I declared.

His eyes darted around.

"Your Highness," I said again when he did not acknowledge my presence. "It is a pleasure to see you here."

"Are you really?" he asked.

His steps echoed along the four walls of the dungeon.

As if they had awakened from their slumber, I felt a sudden movement among the prisoners. The iron bars shook and made a screeching sound.

"Black Heart!"

I gasped. They did not even hesitate to call the alpha king by that name.

Lips curling, the alpha king said, "Black Heart? If I did not visit this place, I wouldn't know I have another moniker."

The iron bars vibrated and the captives started cursing the alpha king for imprisoning them inside the dungeon

The other guards were all over the cell, scolding the prisoners for disrespecting the alpha king, and poking their hands using their sticks. However, they did not stop shouting and wanted to be let out. They wanted one thing—the alpha king's life. Too bad, but the alpha king did not even care about them.

"Silence!" the alpha king's voice roared. "If you continue making noises, I will not give you any food on this day."

Starvation seemed like the best way of punishment because the prisoners listened and silence came after.

I eyed the alpha king warily.

Black Heart.

Did he deserve that title? When did the prisoners start calling him that?

King Maxxwell gazed boredly at the place and stopped in my cell. His nose scrunched in disgust when he sniffed the pungent smell coming from us.

As moments passed by, my sensitive nose had already adjusted to it.

His eyes landed on the stranger, my cellmate who was still sprawled on the ground.

"I came to check if you are reflecting on your actions, River.”

Another guard was suddenly on his side.

"She is, Your Highness," the guard earlier said. "I will make sure of that, Your Highness. She will learn her lessons and she will fear committing mistakes again.”

The alpha king glanced at him. "Don't talk if I did not ask you,” he ordered.

The guard nodded and stepped aside.

"Who is the person beside you, River?"

My heart jumped when I remembered I had someone with me. I focused too much on his arrival Using that opportunity, I stepped forward.

"Your Highness. I know you are merciful, please let the pack doctor look at his wounds. I think he is also dehydrated. Please show your merch, Your Highness."

"Why do you concern yourself with someone like him, River?"

My head hung low.

"I pity him, Your Highness. That's all."

He must never know I healed the rogue.

"Are you sure?"

I looked up, not understanding what he was trying to say.

"I barely know that someone, Your Highness. I don't want someone to die while I reflect on my wrongdoings.”

Alpha King Maxxwell nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

"Guard. Call the pack doctor and let him check every prisoner. And I want you to bathe all of them. They stink like rotten animals. Excluding River. Let her be.”

I secretly sighed in relief.

I don't know what to do if he includes me. I never wanted someone to bathe me. Besides, I did not smell bad. I bathed earlier.

"Your Highness, the pack doctor is busy now," the guard said. "Some of the warriors arrived from the North. And he is currently treating them now. He has a lot on his hands.”

I glared at the guard.

"Are you only saying that because they are prisoners? A doctor never chooses his patients. Regardless if they are rogues or not. Enemies or not," I interjected

The guard growled at me, baring his fangs

I held myself, refusing to be intimidated. I had no idea how long I would stay in the dungeon, and if I showed him I was weak, he would take advantage of that. Just like how the strong take advantage of the weak.

Alpha King Maxxwell narrowed his eyes at him.

"Do we only have one pack doctor?"

The guard gulped. He paused. "No, Your Highness. We have a lot. I'm talking about the chief pack doctor."

"Then call anyone who is available. I want to talk to the chief of this dungeon. He has a lot of explaining to do why this place suddenly turned into Death's den.”

The guard paled. "Your Highness, he is doing everything—"

"Are you the chief?"

"No, Your Highness."

"So shut your mouth. You are not the right person to answer me."

"Understood, Your Highness."

"Go. Before I lost my patience and punished you, instead.”

"Right away, Your Highness. I will call the palace doctors.”

"Call the other servants and let them clean the dungeon. This place looked like a pig's house."

The guard gawked at him.

It was rare for an alpha king to ask someone to clean the dungeon.

"Do you have anything to say?" Alpha King Maxxwell asked when the guard did not move. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Tell me if you do not want to follow my command and I will put you in one of the cells.”

The guard's face became white.

"No, Your Highness. I will call every available servant right away. Please excuse me." The guard bowed and left in a hurry as if someone was after his life.

I hugged my body when the cold started seeping into my skin. This place was cold as snow. And my clothes were not even helping in my situation.

If you're cold, how much more to the other prisoners? I asked myself.

Right. I had to bear the pain and coldness. I need to win the alpha king's affection so that he will take pity on me. But how? The rogues called him Black Heart. And they had their basis on why they had called him that.

Think, River. Use that brain of yours.

Gathering my courage, I looked at him and said, "Your Highness, I am afraid you are not fit in this place. You will only get filthy and will smell everything that is not fit for the alpha king.”

Alpha King Maxxwell cocked an eyebrow. "And where do you think I should be, River?”

In here. And see how they suffered and what the prisoners had to deal with during their stay here. But off course, those were only on my mind.

I smiled sweetly at the alpha king. "To the garden. Or in the safety of your chamber. Or in your palace. We cannot deny the fact that these people hate you and want you dead. So it is better you stay away from the dungeon, Your Highness."

He opened his mouth but closed it when someone shouted.

"A painful death for Black Heart!" the prisoners chanted followed by the rattling of the iron bars.

I squinted when the noise persisted.

The guards tried to stop them, again but the more they wanted to be out. When I entered the dungeon earlier, it seemed like we were the only one alone, but with the alpha king's presence, everything seemed strangely lively.

Unbothered by the noise, the alpha king watched me, as if he was observing me and we were like that. For a moment.

The prisoner chanting for his death continued making the stranger inside the cell move.

"Do you want me dead that much?” King Maxxwell asked and scoffed.

"Yes! Yes! Death to Black Heart! You killed our family! You snatched our lands! Curse you, Black Heart!"

I gulped.

If this continues, the prisoners might break their cells. Hatred could do something more serious. "Everything is all your fault!" King Maxxwell shouted. He roamed his eyes at each of them.

As I watched him from the side, I realized how powerful his presence was. His movements were calculated and did not let his emotions control him. He knew when to open his mouth and when to close it. And when he did the former, everyone was forced to listen.

Amazing

"Silence!"

And they did.

I inhaled sharply. Such power. So this was the difference between an alpha and an alpha king. The gap was so big that it was exhilarating.

"You did this on your own. So why are you blaming me? I was not at fault for why your pathetic life became like this. Stop blaming others.”

He turned his back.

"Your Highness," I uttered, grabbing his attention. "What about me?"

"You will stay in this place until I tell you."

My heart sank when he walked towards the exit of the dungeon.

My knees gave in and slumped to the floor.

"That's why we call him Black Heart. His heart is already dark and never pities anyone."

I located the source of the voice and found out it was from the stranger I healed earlier. He was already awakened!