Let no King be your mate

"Are you kidding me?" I can't keep the surprise out of my voice, bewilderment getting the best of me. And it slowly turns into anger the longer I watch him. "You think that would resolve anything? I'm your mate, Alpha. How long will you hide that?" I grasp the front of my head, a dull throb setting in my mind at the audacity of this... King.

The King looks surprised at my reaction at first before his expression hardens, a frown settling upon his features and I hate myself for wanting to reach out and smoothen it. "Annabelle, I know the situation I'm putting you in isn't... ideal. But I will have no human brainwashed wolf disrespecting me," He speaks the mocking words in such a calm manner that it gives fire to my rage.

"What did you just say?" my blood boils over, feeling like I will explode from anger with the way my hands clench as I stand up and step forward in front of him.

What was the Moon Goddess thinking giving me such an illogical mate?

My wolf is silent within me as if appalled at the way I stare back at the Alpha King in a clear challenge. I have never been so angry before. "You make fun of the human world but what's good in yours, huh? Alpha? I have gotten only acceptance in the World of Humans when this place has given me nothing but hate." I shout into his face, watching with furious eyes as the steady mask of calmness slowly breaks off his beautiful features. "And now, you want me to hide me again? As if I haven't been hiding all my life..."

The red rings in his eyes get thinner, bleeding closer to his pupils.

And if I were a sane wolf, I would've stepped back the moment I saw him close his eyes as if to compose himself. But I don't. And that's stupid...

Because the next moment, I feel myself colliding with the wall behind me with a force that makes me grunt out in pain, my back feeling like it has just been split in half.

But that's not it, there's a suffocating clasp around my throat, the sparks that explode all over my skin from the contact dulled from the fire that erupts in my veins. It feels like I'm being burned on the inside and I cry out when I open my eyes. But all words die on my tongue when I take a look at the King's eyes.

There's no trace of the grey that I find so beautiful in them. Lava eyes peer back at me, no pupils in sight. And I feel my throat close up from the amount of pressure he applies on my neck. His irises are like two marbles of red, only it's not red. It's fire, I can literally see the lava swimming in his irises and that causes my skin to burst in goosebumps, my hands coming up to push at his chest in a weak attempt to free myself. The former heat I felt emitting from him now nowhere in sight, he's cold, so cold he could beat the vampires. The contact feels somewhat soothing on my burning skin and I clutch his shirt in fists.

I don't understand if I want to push him away or pull him closer to myself.

"Stupid little wolf, did no one teach you how to show respect?" His voice is different. Instead of the deep baritone, now I hear a distorted almost echo-like version of it hitting my eardrums. "Submit." He speaks slowly but the words hold so much power, I can feel my wolf cower and stretch her neck to the powerful Alpha.

But something in me defies, maybe it's the anger still simmering under the flames he has lit inside my body or the way my lungs scream for air or my faint gasps of help. Maybe it's my fright that leaves me hopeless of coherent thought. Maybe it's the feeling of my Alpha not feeling like my Alpha...

When did he even become my Alpha?

That's the last thought in my head as black dots appear in my vision. The unyielding strength he puts into strangling me finally succeeds and as I protest one last time against his hold, death from the hands of my mate strangely feels a little romantic.

Maybe in another universe, someone is writing poetry about this.

And even when darkness engulfs my vision, I keep my eyes open. As if me continuing to defy him would make any difference. I let go of consciousness finally when I hear a bang as if the doors of the heavens open to lead me to the Moon Goddess with one word on my lips,

"Never."

***

A feeling of longing fills me, a deep ache of insecurity settling in my veins. I reach for my wolf when I hear her whimpering in pain, I find her crying in heartbreak. And something in me just feels hollow, like my heart has been cut out of my chest. Like I've run a thousand miles in a single breath. Like I've been set away. Like I've been rejected...

And once the feeling makes sense. Once I remember my mate strangling me to death, I sit upright. I find myself in a room bathed in the natural light of the twin suns peeking through floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides. There's a distinct smell of rain in the room that suspiciously resembles the scent of my mate. My heart squeezes at that thought. Shelves line the walls in front and behind the bed, making the room seem less like a bedroom and more of a makeshift library.

There's a black oak table in front of one of the uncovered windows. Books cover most of its surface in a hazardous mess. I also spot an unfinished wine glass sitting on top of a closed book and the desk chair is turned so it faces the bed. The bed in question is covered in silky black sheets, the fabric feeling smooth and luxurious on my skin clashing drastically with my yellow silk nightie.

Wait, nightie?

My eyes widen when I find myself changed from the red dress I was wearing. And suddenly, the recollection that my mate just attempted to murder me comes back to me, knocking the air out of my lungs. Tears spring into my eyes when I remember the murderous look on the King's face when he choked me. The hollowness in my chest and the sadness of my wolf finally makes sense and I gasp out loud at my misfortune.

The one good thing every wolf has in their lives, having one person that loves and accepts them unconditionally, their literal other halves, I'm not even worthy of that. He wants to hide us, he wants to keep me hidden. Forget all that, he tried to kill me when I went against him.

How pathetic can my existence get from this?

I rub at my face, my body and throat burning as if blistered and I wish I could just go to sleep but the scent of my mate in this room is causing me even more pain. I swing my legs off the bed, whimpering when I feel my body protest but I take a deep breath once my feet touch the floor, fully intended to get off this bed and this weird room with no doors.

But I'm caught off guard when the shelf in front of the bed slides into the wall, creating an entrance and a gentle-looking she-wolf enters through it with a jug of water in her hands. The scent of cherry blossoms intensifies in shock when she sees me though and I barely hold my wolf back from growling at her for overpowering the scent of our mate.

She runs to my side quickly, her brown eyes peering into mine in worry, "Oh Goddess, you're awake finally. Lay down, lay down please," She flutters around me like a fairy, all gentle eyes, and even gentle hands as she pushes me to lay down again. I protest against her, wanting to leave.

"No..." I cough, unable to speak thanks to the dryness of my throat. She hastily hands me a glass of water, urging me to drink it up with an encouraging smile when I watch her dubiously. But I can't let my trust issues in the strange lady and the even strange place I am within keeping me away from water. Especially when even the sight of it makes me salivate. I take one small sip, watching her carefully and when I find nothing malicious in her expression and her scent, I gulp it down before draining the whole glass dry. But the thirst doesn't seem to be satisfied with just that.

On the contrary, it seems like the water makes me even thirstier. So I grab the jug from her hands and drink straight out of it until I've drained it of every drop of heavenly-tasting water. The burning of my body subsidizes a bit finally.

She looks at me surprised, almost in wonder, as if she's looking at an alien. But I don't let that phase me. I smile thankfully when I hand her the jug, "Thank you, I really needed that. I feel much better now," I tell her gently, seeing as her eyes light up when she hears me speak. "I'm... I'm Annabelle, by the way," I add when I realize I haven't introduced myself to her.

The pretty wolf giggles, eyes crinkling in delight, "I know, I've been attending to you after the King brought you out of the Silver Orb. Quite a cleansing you had," she shakes her head as if amused at the fact that I've just recently been attempted to be killed by her King.

And Silver Orb? What even is that place? Cleansing?

"I'm Meredith, I'll be your help during your stay here, Lady Annabelle," She bows to me like I'm some important guest and I'm more confused than ever.

"T-thank you, Meredith. Um, I have a few questions though... What is the Silver orb? What do you mean by Cleansing?" I ask right away, watching as her forehead creases in confusion.

She cocks her head, watching me with a small frown on her lips, "Have you lost your memory due to the cleansing? That has never happened before," She thinks to herself, placing her cold hand on my forehead as if to gauge my temperature. She gasps a second later, pulling back her hand and urging me to lie down, "Oh dear, you're burning up. And I think you might have temporary amnesia. Oh Goddess, I must notify the King and Healers," She mutters to herself as she frets over me, pulling the black silk blanket over me and tucking me in.

And although everything about her and the things she says seems so, so strange to me. I can't bring myself to sit back up, the ache in my body intensifying once more. So I just accept my fate, deciding to rest my eyes before my mate comes to kill me again.

But before she leaves the room, I ask her one more question, hoping at least she can answer one little thing I ask her without confusing me even more. "Meredith, how long was I out for?" I ask, even speaking requires a lot of energy and it seems I have none at the moment with the way my eyes droop.

I sense the she-wolf pausing by the door, "Out? You mean unconscious?" When I don't reply, she answers anyway, "You're waking up for the first time after two months, Lady Annabelle."

***