FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

"Gosh! I dozed off for two hours?" I exclaimed, my voice rising in shock. I glanced at the small alarm clock and gasped, quickly jumping to my feet.

"I'm sorry, I must have dozed off. I haven't slept. I'll do it now," I apologized to Zara.

"What do you mean you haven't slept?" she asked.

"Rina and I have been up since 3 AM yesterday morning. Well, Rina fell asleep in the car on the way here, but I couldn't sleep. Then we had to work," I explained. Zara sighed and shook her head.

"I didn't know, but get your butt in there. I tried to clean the king's room, but he said it's your job, so you have to do it," she instructed me.

"Is the king angry? Am I in trouble?" I nervously asked.

"Of course he's angry; he's the king. You made him wait for a rogue servant," she replied with a sad smile. I sensed her disappointment and, as she stepped closer to pat my back in a comforting gesture, I hissed and jerked away in pain.

"Pull yourself together, Ania. You're the king's servant, and I'm trying to help, but I can only do so much," she scolded, and I nodded in agreement. Zara then left, and I followed her out of my room. It was a mistake to lie down; the stiffness added to my discomfort. I hesitantly approached the door to knock on it.

"Come in," he said before I even knocked. I took a deep breath and forced my legs to move forward. He was sitting on the chaise, reading under the lamp when I entered. He was wearing blue pajama pants, and his chest was bare. I quickly looked away and went to do the task at hand. My hands trembled as I cleaned up the mess on his table. His aura told me that he was angry with me, but I fought the urge to cower under it. I could feel his gaze on me as I placed everything back on the tray.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying out at the pain of standing upright. I was impressed that not one noise escaped me, even though I wanted to scream with each movement. Only then did I look up, and the king was still watching me. I swallowed, dropped my head, and walked to the door.

"Come back and see me when you're done," he spoke before returning to his book.

"Yes, sir," I answered, turning and walking out. I made the horrendous trek down the steps, wondering what my punishment would be. As I walked, I spotted the guard again. Maybe it was a statue? He hadn't moved at all. How was that possible? I waved my hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction, no facial twitch, not even a blink. Shaking my head, I walked off towards the kitchen.

"Dinner," Zara said, pointing to the plate on the bench when I entered.

"I can't. The king asked me to go back and see him," I replied.

"Very well, off you go then. Don't make him wait; you already did that," she said, and I nodded. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. It wasn't the first time I had gone hungry, and I was sure it wouldn't be the last. I used the banister to help force my legs up the stairs for the hundredth time today. This was a joke. Maybe, if he didn't kill me, he would let me keep some supplies in my room to save me from walking up the steps every time I needed a cloth or broom. I could only hope.

The king opened the door before I had a chance to knock. Dread twisted my stomach; this was it. I was about to be hurt or killed for my mistake. He stepped aside, and I kept my eyes on the floor as I passed him. I stood as Lucy had trained us, hands behind my back, looking straight ahead. Everything burned and ached from standing like that.

"Did Zara give you your orders?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, sir," I answered.

"So you chose to ignore them?" he inquired. Tears pricked the back of my eyes, and I shook my head, attempting to explain but quickly shutting my mouth. I knew it was my fault, and I had no good excuse for neglecting my chores.

"You didn't answer," he stated, and I swallowed. Was I allowed to argue my side? Lucy never gave us that chance.

"Well?" he demanded. I chewed my lip, and my fingers fiddled behind my back.

"I fell asleep; it won't happen again," I stuttered out. King Arman rubbed his chin and jaw before moving to his chaise and sitting down. I watched as he placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

"I have a strict schedule for a reason. My days are entirely mapped out. I can't have a servant who can't follow simple rules and stick to a simple timetable. Understood?" The King asked as he kept staring at my face, which made me feel nervous. I saw his eyes narrow slightly at my split brow, but he said nothing. Why would he? I was a servant; he was the King. I should be grateful that I was still standing and not chucked in a cell for my laziness.

"I understand, Your Highness," I told him, nervously biting my lip as he sighed in response.

"And you also forgot to clear the washing in the bathroom," he added. I nodded, ready to set to the task, but he waved me off when I made a move to leave.

"Forget it, I already had Janet come and take care of everything while you were sleeping," he said, and I looked down, feeling guilty. I was already in trouble, and now Janet had gotten her wish to be his servant again. She could have the job; I didn't want it. I would rather do slave labor outdoors than feel like I was constantly walking on eggshells, waiting for the king to catch me making a mistake.

"You can go," he said dismissively, and I made a quick escape back to my room. Upon opening the door, I saw a sandwich wrapped in cling wrap and another maid outfit. Zara must have sneaked them up to me. Relief flooded me, and I sat down on the bed, peeling off my new shoes. My heels were bleeding, and I desperately needed a shower, but the task felt impossible.

I sniffed myself and smelled clean, thanks to all the cleaning products. I settled onto my bed, being careful of my back, and picked up the sandwich. It felt like so much effort as I forced myself to chew and swallow. I was starving and exhausted. Why did I have to be the king's servant? I already knew that this would be the loneliest job in the castle.

𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

As I watched her leave the room, I couldn't help but feel disappointed in her performance. I realized that I had made a mistake in letting Janet go and replacing her with Ania, who seemed inexperienced and unfamiliar with the duties of a personal servant. I should have known better than to put her in such a position without proper training.

At the same time, I was reluctant to ask Janet to train her, as the idea of her being in someone else's chambers or working with the male staff made me uneasy. I couldn't explain why I felt that way, but the fact remained that I had made a poor decision.

My thoughts kept returning to Ania, and I found myself dwelling on the lashings she had received on her back at the pack house. I was appalled that Richard had allowed such treatment and wondered if that was why she was struggling to perform her duties. Perhaps she was in pain, and it was unfair of me to expect her to work without considering the trauma she had suffered.

As I sat there reading, I realized that I had made a mistake in hiring Ania without fully understanding her situation. It was foolish of me to assume that she could simply step into the role of personal servant without any prior experience. I needed to reassess the situation and find a way to support her, rather than criticizing her for something that was beyond her control.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts of the girl sleeping in the room across from me, which was easier said than done.

Could she be my mate, as Dwight believed she was? Was my mate still alive, secretly kept under Richard all these years? Why did I stop feeling her through the bond? Did they use some kind of magic to break the bond? I know I did my part in erasing the bond, using Ivan's magic spell and vampire abilities to compel us to forget everything about our mates, not even their names were left in our minds.

I didn't remember anything about her except for the fact that I had a mate and she died under unclear circumstances alongside Dwight's mate. But the woman across from me felt really familiar. I remembered how Ivan used his magic to change our appearances, showing just how powerful witches could be. I had taken an oath as king of the Arman kingdom, earning the name Arman, and over the years, I had risen to be the alpha of kings. But now that Ivan was dead, I had no one to ask for answers.

I recall Ivan telling us that if she were still alive and if the Moon Goddess made our paths cross again, I would know her. And if she were dead, the Moon Goddess would grant me another mate. At that moment, I was unsure whether she was my mate whom the Moon Goddess had given us another chance to be together or if the Moon Goddess had given me another mate. My thoughts were all over the place. All the mates I had before, I instantly knew they were the one - this one, however, my wolf never growled, MATE.

Unable to get my thoughts off her, I got up and pushed the door open, walking out of my room. I stood near hers for a few seconds, gathering enough courage before pushing it open and slightly peeking through the gap. Relief washed over me, and I let out a breath when I realized she had fallen asleep. She had half of a sandwich in her hand, but she was out cold, sitting upright on her bed.

It must be too painful for her to lay on her back, and I shouldn't be the one changing her dressings because she is a servant. Someone else should tend to her, but the urge to care for her overwhelmed me; I wanted to be the one looking after her. I didn't want anyone else touching her. The possessiveness I felt towards her was becoming ridiculous; I was losing my mind. How could she affect me so much?

Trying to stay quiet, I slipped further into the room and took the plate off her lap and the sandwich from her hand. I placed them on the bedside table. Ania didn't even move. When I tried to pull her blanket up, I realized she was lying on it. As I looked around the small room, I didn't see another blanket, and then I noticed her feet. Her heels were covered in blisters, and the skin was red and angry. A few of her toes were even blistered and bleeding.

I looked down at her shoes and let out a sigh before walking back to my room. I grabbed a spare comforter from the chair and a few pairs of my thick bed socks, knowing they would be warmer than the thin ones she had been wearing. I draped the blanket over her and she shifted in her sleep, her face contorting in discomfort. I froze, hoping she wouldn't wake up and catch me lurking in her room like some kind of creep. I placed the socks next to her shoes and her maid's outfit.

The urge to touch her was overwhelming. I wanted to run my fingers through her luscious, wavy hair, but it was tied up and out of reach. As I turned to leave the room, I noticed a cut across her brow.

I stepped closer to her and brushed her cheek gently with the back of my hand. Then, I licked the pad of my thumb and used it to trace across the cut. It healed quickly, my saliva closing the wound and leaving only a small scar. I leaned down, but then quickly snapped out of my trance, realizing what I was about to do. I forced myself to leave her room.

"What is it?" I asked Dwight as I climbed into bed and settled between the sheets. I had already spent more time than I should have in the maid's quarters, and I certainly shouldn't have been there while she was unaware. It wouldn't look good for a king to be found in his maid's room, especially after what happened with Janet. I didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea.

"Dwight, what's going on?" I asked again, my mind racing with possibilities.

"Richard has filed a complaint against you, claiming that you took away his sired mate. The council has received the report," Dwight replied.

I cursed under my breath. This was not good news. I knew I had to handle the situation carefully, or it could have serious consequences.

"What did you say?" I growled, and Dwight repeated himself.

"Arman?" Dwight called out when I went silent.