Protect Me, Alpha King

Alpha Wade gritted his teeth, his facade nearly slipping away. If there was something he didn't like, it was when someone would go to his room. He believed his space was sacred and deserved for himself only. Even his son was forbidden to do so. Only a few servants were permitted to clean his room, and I was never included. He did not trust me that much.

By asking about his room, I wanted to know if he had changed.

“My room, you say?"

I shrugged my shoulders and folded my arms in front of my chest, and smirked at him.

"Yes, your room, Alpha Wade. I did not know age had taken a toll on your hearing.”

Alpha Erik stiffened beside his father.

Acting as if he was unaffected by my teasing, he answered, “It's not yet clean, Your Grace.” “Unclean? Really? Or do you not want us to use it? My, my. I am not yet proclaimed the queen, yet you dare to defy me? Careful, Alpha Wade. The kingdom may think this is some disrespect against the kingdom of Vernice.”

Alpha Wade chuckled. “Disrespect? You have a hyperactive imagination, you got there, Your Grace.” “I won't think about that if you are willing. But you are not.”

He looked at me hard. It did not slip my gaze that he put both hands at the back of his shoulders. I smiled inwardly. Maybe he was picturing himself strangling me.

“Fine. If you insist, you can use my room during your stay. Don't tell me I didn't warn you about it being unclean.”

I clapped my hands. “Excellent decision you made so far in your life, Alpha Wade.”

I tugged the alpha king's hand as we followed him, as he led the way even if I already knew where it was. I still remember every building and room of this pack like the back of my hand.

And together, we went to his room. It was situated on the north side, opposite Alpha Erik's room. After a few turns, we arrived at his room.

Grinning from ear to ear, Alpha Wade looked at us. He was the only one giving us that smile, while his son looked as if he was constipated.

"Here it is. You may enjoy your stay.” Alpha Wade opened the door, and we stepped in. “Dinner will be ready a couple of hours from now. I will order the servant to inform you, Your Majesty.”

The alpha king nodded, and together we stepped inside.

The strong scent of a fruity scent wafted through the air. A painting of an Alpha Wade prominently seated on a chair with Alpha Erik beside him hung above his majestic bed. He looked like a king in that painting, while Alpha Erik was his prince.

The theme of his room was black, and it complimented his black and twisted personality.

Contrary to what he had said, I never saw a single dust on the floor. He did not want us to occupy this room as if he was hiding something from us.

“If this room is to your liking, we will leave you here, Your Majesty.”

Alpha Wade softly closes the door leaving us.

When the alpha was already out of sight, my knees gave out, and I leaned on the chair for support. The alpha king rushed to my side, his eyes coated with worry. “Are you alright?”

Shaken, but I could still handle it.

“I'm fine, Your Majesty,” I whispered.

I drew some air a couple of times and released it. It felt like I had just escaped death earlier.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let me handle this one. I can manage,” I lied.

I wondered where I gathered the courage earlier to pretend I was strong in front of the ruthless alpha that I was not shaking inside. That his mere presence was not making my stomach churn. His smile reminded me of his abuses towards me and the others and how he never pitied us whenever he punished us because of our mistakes. In reality, I was the same weak child who constantly punished me whenever I committed a small error.

I must commend myself for doing a great job of acting.

"You sure?”

I glanced at him. “Yes, Your Majesty. Don't bother yourself. Thank you also for allowing me to handle the situation earlier and for lying that I would be your future queen. It means a lot.” I would lie again if 1 had to if the situation asked for it—countless times.

The alpha king's eyebrows furrowed. “Lying? I did not lie on that part, River. I will proclaim you as my future queen when we return to the palace.”

A gasp escaped my lips. “What? Why would you do that? Are you out of your mind, Your Majesty?" Disappointment crossed his handsome face. “That's not the answer I was expecting from your mouth, River.”

I distanced myself away from him and sank onto the bed. It was softer than cotton. “Do you want me to dance happily after what you did, Your Majesty? First, you hide the fact that we were mates. Second, you hide about Zenith. If I do not push myself to investigate, you will never come clean.” “It was a mistake, River.”

"And my greatest concern is your people. They would never accept a slave as their queen, just like what happened to your first love. Did you see my packmate’s eyes? They were mocking me. If not for you, they will refuse to honor and respect me as their future queen. Think first before you jump into something hasty, Your Majesty.”

I bit my fingernails.

No one would accept me. No one. Not even his people.

He sat beside me. “I think about that a couple of times. It's time to move on. Zenith will always be my first love. No one could replace her in my heart. But I have to think of the present situation, River.”

No one could replace Zenith in the alpha king's heart. That was the most painful statement I heard that day. My heart was bleeding.

Ultimately, I was nothing but a tool—a decoration in his kingdom.

I smiled bitterly. “Did the Council force you to have an heir now that they know we are mates?” The alpha king looked away.

After falling asleep during the Council's meeting, the alpha king never asked me to join again. He was afraid might sleep again, putting humiliation on him.

"Why did the two of you never have a child, Your Majesty?” I asked. “You've been staying for quite some time, but the two of you were childless. Care to explain? Or do you want to hide it from me again? Fine. Bring your secrets to your grave; I don't care,” I spat.

The alpha king lay silent beside me in deep thought.

His shoulders were slumped, and he was sighing now and then as if carrying all the world's burdens. “Forget about what I asked. Never mind. Allow me to go outside. I want to catch some fresh air,” I announced. His silence was suffocating me. The pain that it brought to my heart was frightening. How much did he affect me? Why could we not share the same feelings? Why was I always the one who was always hurting? Why?

Realizing I wouldn't get an answer from him, I stood on the verge of walking away when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his lap. My back was towards him, but I could hear the fast beating of his heart. His scent overpowered the scent from Alpha Wade's room.

“You want to know the answer?”

“If you want to...but if not, I don’t want to force it out of your mouth.”

He scoffed. “Your mind wouldn't stop asking questions, River. The only thing that the two of you resembled were your faces. However, to you, Zenith never asked a lot. She would always accept what I say and was obedient.”

As if I will be submissive to him. No way.

“You would not answer me anyway.”

He rested his face on the hollow of my neck, where my mark was located. It tingled because of his touch.

"We were childless because...Zenith does not want to bear a child. The Council got impatient and gave me a group of women that would bear me a child. They were Nora's group—my concubines.”