Chapter 54
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Chapter 54
The room is dead silent except for the sound vibrating out of Alaric’s chest–that low, brutal growl that makes the wooden chair beneath us shudder.
“You are not meeting a man,” he repeats, voice gravel dragged across stone.
I blink at him wondering if he’s lost his damn mind. This is clearly a good strategy. Is he being…jealous right now?
Nope. His eyes are glowing.
Fantastic.
The Elders stare between us look as though they’re witnessing a bomb about to go off and trying very hard to decide which direction to run. I wouldn’t exactly blame them. This is the Alpha King for pete’s sake.
My eyes find Beta Cole in the table filled with elders and he gets the cue as he clears his throat loud enough to snap a neck. “Alright—” He stands, eyes widening meaningfully. “Everyone out p>
There’s shuffling, muttering, a few pointed glares from Elders who clearly want to stay and watch the King explode, but even they know better. They file out. Cole is the last to leave, closing the door behind him as if he’s sealing us into a containment chamber.
It’s just me.
And the feral beast whose lap I’m currently sitting on.
What the hell is up with him?
Alaric’s hands clamp around my hips, holding me still as though I’m about to bolt. Which–honestly–is fair assumption.
I turn to him, cupping his face between my palms. His jaw is tight, ticking under my thumbs.
“Look at me,” I say quietly.
He does. Immediately as the command hit something primal. A small smirk internally blooms in me. I really do have this man on a leash.
“Alaric.” I lean in closer, forehead nearly brushing his. “This is a good thing. I know you know that p>
He doesn’t even blink. “I don’t give a damn about ‘good things. You’re not hosting some welcoming feast for a man who will look at you like p>
“I’m a political asset?” I deadpan. “Wow. Welcome to monarchy. That’s literally my job description p>
This would be good. If I do well on this, I’d get the trust of the elders. I don’t care who this Beta Cassian I’m about to do a welcoming banquet for.
Chapter 54
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His eyes darken. “Don’t joke p>
I sigh and slide one hand into his hair, pushing back the midnight strands from his forehead. He leans into the touch like I’m his oxygen.
“I’m going to be Queen, Alaric,” I remind him softly. “If I can’t handle welcoming an envoy, how the hell do I expect the Elders to respect me p>
“They’ll respect you because I’ll tear out the throat of anyone who doesn’t.” He says it so casually I almost choke.
“That’s… not how respect works p>
“That’s exactly how it works,” he argues, dead serious.
Goddess save me.
How do you even instill respect in a tyrant’s head?
I take his face again, thumbs brushing the edge of his cheekbones. “I don’t want a crown handed to me on a damn platter. I want to earn it. I already told you that p>
His eyes flicker—anger, craving, defiance—then something deeper. Something pulsing under his skin. I could feel his wolf edging to get out.
“You don’t need to prove anything,” he growls, whether it was him or his wolf.
“I do,” I insist. “It’s who I am p>
Being a Luna is engraved in me. I was raised to be one by my father. And I’m gonna find out what happened to him as the Luna Queen.
His jaw clenches again. I soothe it with my thumb. The man is one tantrum away from ripping the table in half.
Before he can speak, I take the initiative to kiss his temple slowly. I let my lips graze his skin before I pull back.
He shivers.
Alaric Hayes, the Alpha King, the walking embodiment of danger–actually shivers under a woman’s touch.
Interesting.
My hand drags down, tracing the sharp line of his jaw, then to the corner of his mouth. The moment my finger grazes his lip, his breath stutters.
“Sorin-” he murmurs. I stare at those blood red gaze as he leans in, lips parting to kiss me-
And I press my index finger right between us.
Chapter 54
His mouth lands against my finger instead, and the way his eyes roll half–shut?
Holy shit.
That’s hunger. Pure, unfiltered, this–man–could–snap–me–in–half hunger.
I keep my eyes open. I want to watch him fall apart.
His lashes flutter as he kisses my finger instead of my mouth. His grip bruises my hips. He’s shaking–not with rage, but with restraint. I could feel exactly how he’s holding himself back from devouring me whole.
When his eyes finally open, they are molten gold. He’s struggling to fight with his wolf as to who would be on this body right now.
I smile, slow and dangerously at him. “You’ll have me when my revenge is quenched p>
His expression shifts almost instantly and my stomach drops. The beast doesn’t like that answer.
Not even a little.
His arm snaps tight around my waist, dragging my body flush to his. The hardness pressed between us punches a sharp exhale out of me. His length is pressing into my stomach and I could feel exactly how much restrait it takes to not bend me over this table and fuck me mercilessly.
“Alaric p>
Oh Goddess, help me.
“No.” His voice is a growl against my throat. “You’re already mine p>
Then his mouth is on my neck–hot, harsh, claiming.
I gasp as his teeth scrape, then sink just enough to leave heat blooming beneath my skin. “Mine.” He growls at he moves to another spot, sucking a bruise into the curve of my collarbone. My hand tangles in his hair because my body betrays me like a traitor.
“All mine…” His voice echoes through the large conference room and this slutty skirt slowly raising up is not helping with whatever high libido he has right now. He pulls back just enough to look at his handiwork.
A satisfied, proud smirk spreads across his face. “Try telling me you’re not mine now p>
I would love to argue.
Really.
But my neck feels is a damn constellation map of possessive hickeys.
You really cannot tame a beast. A monster is a monster, even if it’s draped in silk.
But it’s a monster obsessed with me.
10
Sat, Jan TU
Chapter 54
“You’re impossible,” I mutter, breath shaky.
“Only for you p>
Of course he’d say that.
I open my mouth to fire back when a sharp knock hits the door. Shit.
Both of us freeze.
Alaric growls, “Who the hell p>
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The door pushes open before he finishes, and in marches Headmaid Gerda, all five feet of terrifying elderly authority.
Behind her are Tully, wide–eyed as though she just walked in on murder, and Marg, smirking like the devil’s gossiping sister.
“We’re here to clean,” Gerda announces, unfazed by the fact that the King currently has me straddling him like a scandal in motion.
Tully squeaks. “M–my King–Sorin–uh p>
Marg’s grin stretches even wider when she spots the marks on my neck. “Oh, sweetheart. Busy meeting, I see. So this is what you meant p>
I want to die.
Alaric, of course, is proud as sin.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” he says smugly, arms still firmly around my waist.
Gerda snorts. “Beautiful, yes. But I swear if you two dirty the upholstery I’m retiring early p>
That’s my cue to escape before the ground swallows me whole.
I slide off Alaric’s lap–his hands linger too long on my hips, the bastard–and straighten my clothes as discreetly as possible even though Marg is still giving me that knowing look.
“I need to … start preparations,” I blurt, heading toward the door like a fleeing criminal.
“Headmaid Gerda,” I add, tone strained, “when is the envoy arriving p>
I’m already running through logistics in my head. Decor, food, security, protocol, invitations, a week would be enough though I would need more time to wait for the invitations and-
Gerda folds her hands primly.
“Oh, tonight p>
10:15 Sat, Jan 10
Chapter 54
I stop so fast my shoes squeak against the marble.
“Say that again p>
“They are arriving by moonrise p>
Moonrise.
As in.
a few hours from now.
My stomach drops.
My brain short–circuits.
Oh.
Oh, those sneaky, wrinkly, political bastards.
They handed the banquet to me because they hoped I’d fail with the limited amount of time.
Perfect.
Just fucking perfect.
I inhale and straighten my spine.
This is exactly where I prove myself.
“Alright,” I say, voice sharper than a blade. “Then let’s get to work p>
I’m gonna show those bastards who there queen is.
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