The Alpha King's Claim

Chapter 69

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 69 by desirenovel

Aero

“Brother!” Elijah’s voice boomed across the receiving room the moment I heard the main door swung

open. I already knew he’d be visiting me this early morning after my show of possessiveness last night.

He was either happy that I got hitched for real or angry that I didn’t tell him sooner. I was curious to

know which reaction he’d show.

Finishing up the buttons of my coat, I stepped outside my bedroom and faced him.

“Hey, what I saw last night, that was real right?” he asked in a hurry, his face completely curious.

My mouth curved into a small smile.

“Keep your voice down, Serena is still asleep,” I replied.

Slowly, he stretched his head and looked past me to the double doors I had intentionally left open.

“Ha! I knew it!” he exclaimed in a joyful tone. “I knew you’re going to surrender.”

Then, he gave me a smirk, one that was really vexing.

“And you’ve come here to gloat,” I stated, sighing. “Couldn’t you wait for me in the throne room?”

“Erm, I apologize, but I can’t brother.” He followed me when I strode towards the main door. “I’m feeling

over the moon since last night. I needed your confirmation, but seeing Serena sharing your bed—that

made it official.”

As brothers, any changes of the heart could have been easily sensed by the other, but I hid mine so

well. I was privy to my emotions and he understood that.

“So, now that you both consummated your marriage, what happens to the agreement then?” he asked,

walking beside me along the hallway going to the throne room.

“It’s void,” was my swift answer.

“Okay, good, then that means she’ll stay?”

“Yes, indefinitely.”

“Why’s that?” his brows furrowed quickly. “You’re subtly telling me she could still return to Earth

anytime. You’re supposed to answer that she’ll stay for good.”

I wanted to fill in the gap, but I also was curious to see if he’d notice.

“Wait, you haven’t marked her yet?” he asked, blocking suddenly my path.

There.

I gave him a blank expression in response. Hell, I wanted to last night, so much so that my wolf and

lycan sides were clawing to the surface, howling and getting aggressive by the minute Serena and I

were together. Now that I had fully recognized my feelings for her, I realized my beasts had long ago

wanted to mark her. I was just stupid enough to keep a blind eye to it.

“You should mark her!” Elijah shouted, knotting his brows further. “If you did, then all this discussion

about returning to Earth will end!”

“Elijah, I prefer not to be hasty,” I stated, walking past him with still a blank expression on my face.

“You love her, don’t you? Don’t deny it. I could see it in the way you kissed her last night.”

I released a deep sigh.

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Had you told her you love her?” he continued, returning to my left.

“Not yet.”

I gritted my teeth. Not until she loves me too. I didn’t want to force her into loving me, a beast-man. She

had to learn and discover it for herself. I was ready to restrain myself, ready to accept all the struggles

that lay ahead just for this.

“Hmm, you really are just a baby in terms of starting a relationship,” Elijah mused whilst shaking his

head.

I frowned at him.

“This is my first relationship, what else should you expect?”

“Yes, point taken, but a word of caution, you got yourself a good competition.”

I knew exactly who he was talking about and I couldn’t help but laugh blandly.

“It’s not a competition if Serena doesn’t like vampires, or Hale specifically,” I voiced out.

He nodded at my statement, but still sported this calculating expression on his face.

“I agree, but he could still steal her away from you and do those kinds of vampire shit towards her,

willingly or not,” he remarked.

Somehow, this affected me. Thinking about Serena in Hale’s arms, beguiled and under his spell—it

made my stomach lurch.

“I’ll die first before that happens,” I growled.

But in the midst of my heightened emotion, Elijah just remained cool and was even grinning at me.

“Aw, you really have changed, brother. I’m happy you finally see how much a woman is worth,” he said.

Dying for a woman? I scorned, spit, and mocked on that idea in the past. Never in my life had I thought

I would be willing to do that for a woman.

Now, I guess, my views had changed and all because of Serena.

Serena

I woke up finding Aero’s presence absent, but he left me a note on the bedside table informing me he’d

be in his throne room doing court duties. Spending almost every morning together, I found this change

a bit unusual.

An unwelcomed negative thought crossed my mind, thinking that maybe, he was displeased with my

answer last night, but I quickly shut the thought away. Now wasn’t the time to doubt him.

I left his chamber wrapped in his bedsheet. In one arm was the ball gown that had been ripped in two

with Aero’s claws last night and in the other was my mask and stiletto.

I went to my chamber and dump them in a basket before going to the bathroom. In there, another

thought crossed my mind.

Tomorrow would be the day the fire victims get to transfer to their new houses and businesses. I was

very excited about that. Last night, Aero told me I’d be heading the opening and the blessing, and that

meant I’d give a speech too.

A speech…for them, my mind commented.

I didn’t think it was a difficult task, but still, this left me on edge. What if Lord Hale executed his threat?

What if he already told some of the guests at the party that I was a human? What if the whole kingdom

now know it?

If he did then, that would be a big problem.

I couldn’t even verify for myself if I am a human since these insects still kept on surrounding me.

Recalling what Aero said, that he’d have his people accept me by reason or by force, I bit of ease filled

me. Maybe by reason, I’d be fine with that, but by force? Oh no, I couldn’t allow it.

Phanteon’s people…or erm, werewolves have every right to choose freely and to give their opinions.

The queen position wasn’t exempted from their judgment.

So, with this in mind, stepping out of my bath, I decided to prepare a speech—a speech that would

make all jaws drop. It took me half a day to compose it, redoing the flow of the sentences, choosing the

best words, making it as sincere as possible. By the time I finished, I went to the south wing mess hall

to get Rhea’s comment. She was unfortunately not there and hadn’t been since this morning which I

found rather odd.

I decided to safely tuck the paper inside my dress’s hidden pocket for later use and focus on helping

out the volunteers in preparing lunch.

By afternoon, Rhea didn’t come too and I was left wondering why until night time came. Maybe she

was with Elijah or maybe she was busy with another errand. It was, for me still odd, however. It wasn’t

like her not to inform me or the volunteers about her whereabouts.

The same went for Aero too. I tried to visit him inside the throne room but he wasn’t there. I also

checked his study and received the same result. I tried asking William and his other Alphas who I was

able to come across in the hallways, but none of them knew where he was.

At one point in my search, I saw from the hallway window, Elijah and Alpha Aaron mounting their

horses and leaving the castle together. I crinkled my brows. Here I thought he was with Rhea, but I

guess I was wrong.

By evening, I was in the mess hall again when William approached me. Dinner with the King, he said. I

was so enthusiastic to meet him that I opted out on bathing first and changing my clothes.

When I entered the dining room, Aero was already in his seat like always, but the difference this time

was that a female servant with wavy, pony-tailed hair stood close to him, speaking in a hushed tone.

This was my first time seeing him welcoming another female into his personal space. I was supposed

to feel happy about it, but something inside me pricked—especially when that said female servant

looked at me awkwardly and left in haste when I sat on my chair.

I noticed his plate already half empty and I figured he had started eating before I came in. Again, this

was a first. He usually waited for me to arrive before starting.

A gnawing feeling left a bitter taste in my mouth when Aero acted as if nothing was amiss. He just

raised his wine glass and drank its contents liberally. His gaze flitted to me as he did so. Our eyes

locked and just like that, my heart shrunk. His usual loving gaze now turned cold and lifeless.

Not like I wasn’t accustomed to this in the past. It was just that, I didn’t expect I’d see this kind of dead

gaze again after we created a bond.

“Uhh…” I mustered up the courage to speak, but suddenly, a shadow appeared on my left.

“Excuse me for the intrusion.”

Glancing at the source of the female voice, I realized it was Rhea.

“May I speak with you, Your Majesty, in private?” she asked, her attention fixed to the king. She didn’t

even care to give me a glance or a smile on my way. She looked uneasy and rather shifty, definitely

unlike her usual self. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I wanted to ask if she was okay, but Aero stood up from his seat, interrupting me.

“Continue with your meals, Serena,” was his stern reply and this, he did without hesitation.

Again, my heart sunk.

“Okay,” I answered, but truth be told, I didn’t have an appetite anymore.

When they left to who-knows-where, I counted to fifty before leaving the table. Going straight to my

room, I decided to take a shower and hoped that maybe all these negative thoughts swimming my

head would be washed away. I didn’t want to think about it, but the idea that Aero was indeed

displeased with my answer last night had battered my consciousness.

I couldn’t also piece out what was wrong with that female servant, Rhea, and Aero. Why the damn

secrecy?

However, again, I want to be optimistic. Maybe…it was kingdom-related. Aero hadn’t really allowed me

to get involved in most of the problems in the kingdom.

Then again, still, this secrecy was pulling me down. I had to know. I had to ask him straight to the point

whatever it was they were hiding from me.

So, after changing into my white chemise, I decided to stay inside Aero’s chamber and wait for him

there.

Like always, I confidently strode towards his chamber, acting at home and relaxed. His receiving

room’s fireplace was unlit and even the chandelier was unlit just like the usual. However, this time,

before I could open the bedroom door, I noticed a faint glow of something inside a glass cabinet.

Furrowing my brows, I neared it and found that the faint greenish-violet glow came from the fist-sized

stone included in his collection. Ehnrelil—it said in the label below it and this time, I understood what

this word meant. It was the origin of the stone.

I stared at it for a few minutes, weirdly feeling calm and satisfied. There was something about the stone

that attracted me so. Something that captured my consciousness. For a moment, I was tempted to

open the casing and touch it, but then, a very loud, very erotic voice of a woman caught my attention

and it came from no less than Aero’s bedroom.

Instantly, a wave of chill ran down my fingers and toes. My heartbeat immediately sped. My pulse

increased.

I didn’t want to believe that that sexual sound surfaced from the same place where Aero and I always

make love. I wanted to unhear it. I wanted to deny what I was hearing, but I knew the sound was real.

As real as the dread I was feeling.

My attraction to the stone was gone in a snap and was replaced with the need to open the double

doors of Aero’s bedroom. With my lips trembling, I slowly twisted the knob open and to my great

surprise, Aero’s nakedness greeted me—his face a picture of ecstasy as his hips thrust wildly against a

woman’s ass.

But no, it wasn’t just a woman.

It was Rhea.