Chapter 10: Frustration
Alexander’s POV
“You can’t do that!”
The little girl’s words have raised my eyebrows slightly. This girl’s confidence amazes me as much as I hate to admit it. Who the hell does she think she is to talk to me in such a manner? Has she forgotten who I am?
Perhaps I would need to remind her.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“Yes, I can, and I will. I am the alpha, and my word is law,” I say with finality. The guards file in to take the maid away. Aira blocks their path, but they walk past her like she is nothing but thin air.
Despite that, she struggles and fights them. “No! You can’t take her! She did nothing wrong! Take me instead!” She pleads, but my guards turn a deaf ear toward her. as they should. They knew better than to go against my orders. Unlike this little girl, they are personally aware of the consequences.
Once she sees that speaking to the guards is completely pointless, she comes to me. I am not going to lie; I had expected her to get down on her knees and beg for her friend. But instead, she stands tall, fists balled and eyes filled with rage.
This girl, her spirit, It is quite admirable. But it changes nothing. It is such a shame she is not a Lycan.
“I have been treated like shit ever since I was dragged here. I have been overworked, starved, and even had some women try to kill me! For God sake, I am with child! Even if it is not yours, it does not change the fact that I am your mate and-”
“Silence!” I snap, feeling my wolf take over. She flinches back and looks up at me with horror and fear. “Never, and I mean ever utter such a thing again. I will do whatever I please with you, and anyone that tries to go against me will be punished.”
I spin on my heel to leave, but she does something no one in this kingdom has ever dared to do.
She grabs my wrist.
But it is not just that; something happens when she does. There is this sensation; it is like electricity shooting up from the spot she touched straight to my heart. It courses through my veins and brings my body to life.
My wolf stirs within me at the contact. He purrs with satisfaction and yearns for more. Hell, I yearn for more.
Fuck!
My head snaps in her direction, and I do not know what I feel when I see tears streaming down her cheeks. Usually I love watching my subjects cry and beg for forgiveness, but it is different with her. Her tears are like drops of acid landing where it hurts most.
On the heart I never knew ever existed.
Her bottom lip trembles as she says, “I beg you, no one can survive that long without food. She does not deserve such a punishment. She has been nothing but kind to me; if anyone deserves to be punished, it should be me for not being able to perform my tasks properly.”
My gaze travels down to her hand holding my wrist. “What did I say would happen if you were to ever touch me again?”
The color on her face drains, yet she bows her head in defeat. “I am ready for whatever punishment you have to give me.”
There is a moment of silence between us. Now that I have taken the time to look at her, there is a fact I cannot deny. She is actually quite beautiful. Despite the tears rolling down her cheeks and distress in her eyes, I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her.
My jaw clenches, and I feel my rage grow immensely. I do not know what angers me most-the fact that she is a werewolf or because she is pregnant for another. It is most definitely the latter.
Someone touched what was mine before me!
I need to find out who he is and rip his head off his shoulders. Certainly, that will bring me peace, even if it is a little bit of it.
“Your friend will be sentenced to one month in the dungeons; my rules still apply.”
Her eyes snap up to mine. “No! Please! I said, Punish me!”
“That is your punishment,” I growl, then free my wrist from her touch. A part of me regrets it, because instantly I am left with this feeling of hollowness. I storm out of the room, and her cries follow me all the way to my room.
Slamming my door shut, I am engulfed in a deafening silence. But why can I still hear her crying?
My wolf stirs within me. He is angry. Well, so am I.
He slowly crawls up to the surface, and my canines and claws elongate. The roar that escapes my lips shakes the walls around me. Who is this girl? Why is she in every corner of my mind?
I have watched my own mother cry, and it did not even bother me this much. So why her?
Is this what it is like to have a mate?
A frustrated growl rumbles from my chest. My fists ball, and without thinking, I slam it into the nearest thing, which happened to be a brick wall. It cracks from the brute force, but my anger is in no way satisfied.
The sight of her crying is engraved in my mind; it bothers me. and I hate that it does.
I kick down a chair and throw my table across the room. I do not know how long I spent trashing my room, but once I was done, everything was either broken or torn. There is this strange sense of defeat in me. I leave my room and order one of the guards to get me Grace.
“You called for me, your-oh my,” Grace stops, her wide eyes taking in the condition of my room.
“Get some of your girls to come clean this up, then tell Rufus to replace everything that is broken and…” I cannot believe I am about to say this. “Get the guards to release the maid I had detained today.”
Grace’s eyes grow even wider with surprise. “But your majesty news got to me that you had ordered that she be locked up for a month and-”
“Who the hell do you think you are to question me?!” I snarl, and she shuts her mouth.
She bows her head and says, “My apologies, your highness.”
“You may leave,” I say, and she does just that. I have no idea how I ended up on this balcony. I cannot seem to get my eyes off her.
Aira is in the courtyard, shoveling some dirt into a hole that once held a tree. I know that is the work of our gardener, but I suppose Grace must have run out of challenging tasks to give her. I have been watching her for the past hour.
Occasionally, she would get down on her knees and cry. Whenever she did that, I would get this urge to call someone to help her. but then I see her get back on her feet and continue. Her breakdowns are at thirty-minute intervals.
At times, she would hold her stomach and mutter a few things before wiping away her tears and continuing. If there is another undeniable fact, it is that she is strong.
What am I even doing here, watching her? I have other things to do.
It takes every bit of my willpower to draw myself away from the balcony. I return to my office and bury myself in work; there are still so many papers and contracts to be signed. My need for a mate is getting quite paramount.
My thoughts are disrupted by a knock on the door.
“Come in.” The door opens and closes quietly. I do not need to look up to know who is standing before me. “What do you want, Mira?”
Her soft laugh fills my ears, and it makes my skin crawl. Mira is one of the maids, and at a certain point in my life, she was my favorite. Even in bed.
“I thought I should remind you that your dinner is at seven… It’s almost nine now.”
“I am not hungry,” I say dismissively. I sense her drawing closer to me, and I hope she realizes that I am not in the mood for whatever it is she is about to do. It has been a while since I snapped someone’s neck.
“Even for me?” she asks teasingly, coming to my side and taking a seat on my table. My eyes meet her seductive blue one through my thick lashes. If this had been a month ago, I would have had her pinned against the wall, slamming every inch of me into her as she begged for forgiveness.
Now I can’t even look at her.
I tear my gaze away from hers and say, “Especially for you.”
“Oh, come on,” she purrs, caressing my chest softly. She perches herself on my lap and brings her lips dangerously close to mine. “I know you want this. It has been so long since we have been in bed together, and I am sure that wretched mate of yours”
She does not get to finish her sentence because I throw her off my lap. A gasp leaves her lips as her body slams into the floor. Mira looks up at me with shocked, wide eyes.
My eyes remain cold as I repeat my words from earlier with gritted teeth: “I said, I am not in the mood.”
I see tears well up in her eyes, but she nods in understanding. She gets to her feet hurriedly and excuses herself. Once I am left alone, I release a sigh.
I need some fresh air.
I make my way to the only place I go to find tranquility. The garden.
I strictly forbade everyone from coming there by this time because I loved to turn there. The moon was always most beautiful in the garden. But it seems someone has violated this order.
There is only one person who would be that stupid.
My eyes fall on Aira, sitting by the fountain. The moon’s gentle glow illuminates the side of her face as she pays with the water. She looks so at peace.
She resembles a goddess.
A ghost of a smile lifts her lips. I… I want to keep it there forever.
Unfortunately, it vanishes when her eyes connect with mine.