Protect Me, Alpha King

The clock continued ticking, but Alpha King Maxxwell stood still. His breathing was labored while his hand rested on my shoulder—trembling.

Damn.

He was fighting for control. That was not what I wanted. I wanted him to lose his con—nothing else. My neck was already straining, and I started feeling the pain, but I managed to stay calm and act sweetly.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty? I am waiting.”

"This is not supposed to happen,” he said in disbelief. He mumbled to himself, and I could not decipher what he was saying anymore.

My heart sank when he retreated, putting a safe distance between us, took off his shirt, left his undershirt, and threw it in my direction without looking at me.

"Wear that, River. I don't want any males seeing you in that state.”

I glanced at it momentarily and fisted on the clothes as I looked at him with disbelief. The cold never bothers me anymore.

"Tell me what's wrong, Your Majesty. I can fix it for you.”

I did not have bad breath. So why? Perhaps it was on how I kiss.

"Put on that shirt," he ordered, which I obliged after a moment of debating. His scent surrounded me and oddly calmed me. The shirt reached past my knees, which made it more like a dress.

After straightening it, I announced, "I'm decent, Your Majesty."

That was the only time he looked at me.

He was calm now. Recollected.

A few buttons of his pants were loose, and in an attempt to fix it, I strolled towards him, but he stepped back.

Rejection. I was again rejected.

Just like how Alpha Erik renounced me.

My heart felt like tiny needles pierced my heart, but I set them aside, not wanting to be affected. I will only allow what I will feel.

"Do you want me to call Nora for you, Your Majesty?" I asked, hiding my pain from my smile and pretending it was okay to be turned down for the second time by the different nobles.

Instead of directly answering me, he said, “Let's pretend this never happened, River. It was a mistake, to begin with. You are my personal servant. Not my sex slave.”

I smiled bitterly. This was more painful than Alpha Erik's rejection. This felt like I was rejected the second time. If I had a wolf, she would be howling by now.

"Do you hate it that much, Your Majesty? You're not even looking at me directly. I did not do well, right? I should have asked Nora how to kiss a man. Forgive me. I had never been kissed except by you."

Nobles were only for noble mates and never for enslaved people. We did not have the right to make them ours. That was my reality.

He finally looked my way.

"You're a virgin?"

I chuckled while feeling the bitterness inside. How could I chuckle at times like this? I did not also know the answer to that.

"No one ever wanted an enslaved person, Your Majesty. Even if I offered my body for free, no one would ever take it. Your kind deeply hates enslaved people like me. Funny right? It only shows how desperate I am. Perhaps I was made for a second.”

I stepped back and wiped my lips using the back of my hand.

The way he kissed me was still fresh in my memories as if he wanted me badly. However, I knew it was only because he had forgotten himself. He had forgotten about Zenith and Lady Juliana his responsibilities.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

"You are not a whore, River."

"I'm not? I forced myself on you a while ago. Doing whatever I can for you to mark me, Your Majesty. And I was not even ashamed of that. I am brazen. As bold as Nora.”

My eyes landed on my thorn clothes. I bent and picked it up and stood, only to see the alpha king staring at my bottom

I cleared my throat and got his attention.

"This is getting awkward, Your Majesty. Could you allow me to return to our chamber and wear other clothes?"

Our chamber.

Something warm touched my heart the moment I said those words. I did not know if everything would get back to normal between us now that the memories of our kisses were already imprinted on my mind. Mind as well ask Elijah where he earned his tats and also tattooed two lips kissing to make it more memorable.

He turned his back. "You can. You can also rest. As of the moment, I don't need your service anymore."

Service? What kind of service was he about? Whoring service?

"Before I go, Your Majesty. I want to ask one question.”

"I am not in the mood to entertain questions now—"

"Did I kiss that bad?"

His shoulders stiffened. "You were a bad kisser, but it's acceptable.”

"Really. I am a bad kisser, yet you still manage to return my kisses, making me wet down there—" "Enough!" he roared. "Go, now. Before I change your mind."

"You can change your mind, Your Majesty. I am still here."

He drew a sharp intake of breath and faced me. And in an instant, closed the distance between us. He cupped my face, and I felt how his hands trembled.

"Why do you keep on challenging me, River? Don't you know how much I struggled to restrain myself from taking you here and then like a mindless beast? My wolf desired you. Wanted a taste of you."

His wolf did? His wolf approved of me? It only happens when...no. Impossible. His wolf perhaps took pity on me.

Not wanting to make me feel proud about it, I gave it a half-shrug. "I don't understand what you are talking about, Your Majesty,” I breathed. "Perhaps you could enlighten me?"

Desire flashed again in his eyes

Silently urging him more to give in to his emotions, I pressed my body into his, making him groan. "You won't stop?”

"I won't," I answered. "I want to become a good kisser, so you will stop rejecting me."

And with that, I tiptoed, snaked my arms around his neck, and dipped my lips into his.

The kiss was slow but more erotic and addicting to me. It sent shivers down my spine.

My hands slipped into his hair, forcing him to lean closer.

"You will regret this, River," the alpha king said between kisses. "I will make you realize you will regret it later.”

I looked away from him, testing if he wanted more, and he did cup my face again and forced me to look at him.

"I won't." Or perhaps I will. I no longer know. My mind seemed to shut down at the onslaught of emotions I had right now.

Who would have thought Black Heart could be like this? Soft. Compliant. And melted along my touches.

"Do you want me, Your Majesty?"

He did not answer. Instead, he slipped his hands under my shirt (which was his, to begin with) and cupped my breast.

Breaking the kiss, I bit my lips and stopped myself from moaning. He was so good at this. He made me feel as if my body was on fire.

The alpha king's hand slowly went to my mound, which halted me for a moment, and he felt it. Heart racing, he asked, "Do you want me to stop?”

I felt like a bucket of cold water was suddenly thrown at me.

I looked up and saw his pupils were dilated. I felt his hardness on my stomach, but he paused and asked me, considering my feelings. He was not that much of an asshole for someone who had a high position.

Inhale. Exhale.

"S-stay away from me," I said when I gathered myself.

Hurt flashed in his eyes before his expression hardened.

"You're only good at starting the fire, River, but you don't know how to sustain it."

"I-I have to go, Your Majesty.”

Thank you for giving me a good time, but I suddenly realized I was not ready to give myself. Was it necessary to add that statement or not?

He turned his back once again. "Don't let me show your face until I tell you so. Go."

Not wanting to allow him to utter his command twice, I clutched my clothes tightly on my chest and strolled towards the door as if someone was after me—trying to harm me.

But before I could open the door, he said, "Fix your hair first. Others may think you are already my whore."