The Alpha King's Claim

Chapter 68

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 68 by desirenovel

Aero

I would have preferred to bring her in my chamber to finish what I started, but as Elijah said, we were

needed at the party.

Serena was quick enough to compose herself once she realized we were back in the stage. Spotlights

immediately found us, giving us no room to talk. She just gave me a meaningful glance just as the

voice-over explained the steps of the ritual. I decided to control my unstable self; promising to question

her for later.

Yes, blessing the snow moon was part of Phanteon tradition. The Alpha King and his Luna were

expected to do the ritual; raising a plate of wheat in the air against the moon’s light together with a

chalice of water and the first pup of the year’s cloth wrapping.

The whole time, I guided Serena through the process since she was still learning our traditions. In the

end, she looked effortless, not rousing any suspicion at all from all who watched her. Well, either that or

the guests were just in awe of us that they didn’t bother on the minute details. For both of us, this was

our first executed blessing.

We ended the ritual with a traditional prayer, asking for a fruitful year of harvest and offsprings. Cheers

erupted in the hall afterward and the voice-over started another round of chants: “Hail King Aero and

Queen Serena!”

The people around us chorused and clapped their hands enthusiastically. I had never seen a genuine

reception like this before even in my father and mother’s hosted party. It was filling me with pride and © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

joy.

But, only for a moment however because just as the party started to go on full swing and the attention

wasn’t on us anymore, I grabbed Serena’s hand and led her to the hidden room at the back of the

stage.

Once we were inside, I trapped her against the door. Her back hit with a thud just as I slammed a palm

onto the hardwood. A considerable splintering appeared around the edges. It worsened when my claws

dug deeper. This was my way of displacing my anger and frustration. Better the inanimate object than

her.

Looking down, our eyes met. Hers was searching. Mine was in turmoil.

With my free hand, I caressed her cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“Help me, Serena,” I whispered, gritting my teeth. “I don’t…know…how…to contain my jealousy.”

Her lips parted slightly in a slow inhale. She angled her head to the side after taking her mask off,

closed her eyes, and sandwiched my palm with both of her hands, looking like she was savoring the

warmth it had emitted.

“Aero, your jealousy is misguided,” she said, then gazed at me with the most serious expression on her

face. “Nothing happened between Hale and me.”

‘I know that, but…’

“Still, I want to know what happened,” I voiced out. “What were you two talking about?”

“Is that an order or a—”

“It’s an order, Serena,” I interrupted, my eyes turning hooded. “When he’s concerned, I want to know

everything, or else this confusing emotion will eat me alive.”

I had seen my father slowly sinking into depression because of the very emotion I was feeling right

now. I didn’t want that to happen to me. I want to save myself from the unneeded hurt and Serena was

my way out of it.

‘If’ she’d be truthful that is.

A semblance of understanding sparkled in her eyes. She tip-toed and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips

consequently quieting, even for a little, the jealousy surrounding me.

“Enemies,” she started then. “He mentioned that you have enemies waiting to strike your back. I asked

him if he knew about the murderer-arsonist, but he gave no reply.”

Nothing surprising in that. I was well aware I’d sooner or later create an enemy with the other realms.

All kings have at least one in their lifetime. I wasn’t exempted.

“He knows that I’m human,” Serena continued, and right after hearing this, my wolf and lycan sides

growled inside. That meant he had indirectly sampled her blood. Possibly while still in his lair. Fucking

bastard… “He tried to blackmail me using this, threatening to spill my identity in front of all your

subjects,” she added.

“That’s not going to help him. Whether you’re exposed or not, nothing will change. You will still be my

queen and I will let my people understand that by force or by reason,” I declared without hesitation.

I was dangerously leaning on the idea that she was more important than my crown and somehow that

didn’t bother me.

She broke out into a relieved smile thereafter and that pleased me.

“What else?” I asked, encouraging her to tell more.

“He offered shelter in his lair. He wanted me to leave you and go with him.”

I scoffed at his desperation. This vampire bastard really was pushing it.

“Let me guess, he wants to drink your blood too,” I stated, sneering at the idea of him biting her.

“Yes, he didn’t fail on reminding me that.”

I sensed a rising frustration inside her so I cupped her face with both of my hands and declared, “I

won’t allow that to happen, you hear me? I will protect you from him and from any other beings that

threaten to hurt you.”

“Ye…s,” she stammered to say. “Thank you, Aero.”

I kissed her forehead again and sniffed her perpetual sweet scent. By this, somehow my jealousy had

lifted. I was freed and I couldn’t be more thankful for her honesty.

Giving her a gentle smile, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards me.

“It’s getting late. Let’s leave the party and rest,” I offered, but then, she quickly shook her head.

“No, wait, there’s more,” she exclaimed and pushed me back whilst knotting her brows towards me.

I was taken aback for a moment, but then I noticed a gradual change inside her.

She was teary-eyed all of a sudden, but she didn’t look like she was about to cry. In fact, her wet eyes

brightened with determination. I was mesmerized. This was my first time seeing this side of her.

“Lord Hale said I was just your tool; a person who secures your throne. My freedom, my decision-

making inside your court, my influence in your rule—he said it was all just a front for your kingdom.”

I gnashed my teeth and instantly, my eyes clouded with fury. I wanted to tear that vampire’s mouth so

badly that instant, but I knew I had to defend myself first.

“Serena,” I whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek. She immediately raised a hand then and

stopped me.

“Don’t worry,” she said, showing me a fleeting smile. “I knew already from the start we were just using

each other for our own gains. It’s just that, things got complicated when you and I…” she blushed and

diverted her eyes on the floor, “…when we surrendered to our desires.”

I clenched my teeth. Hell, how was I supposed to correct her words when they were the truth?

“He…he mentioned about you not marking me. That you won’t…ever going to do it,” she weakly

continued, likely unsure to bring this up to my attention.

Even I was stunned to hear about this matter. Fuck, this honestly never crossed my mind.

Marking a mate…my kingdom called it ′zimet,′ an intimate ritual to seal the bond of two souls. However,

such a ritual for me was unnecessary. An illusion. A foolish agreement between a man and a woman

who thinks they were paired for each other.

For me, marking someone in the hopes that they were that person was a fine line between happiness

and insanity. My father marked my mother in the hopes that she was his person, but it turned out, she

wasn’t, and it ruined him and almost destroyed the kingdom.

Hating women ever since I was young, I didn’t think I would be able to mark someone, but then, enter

Serena in my life and all my beliefs crumbled. She had thought me a lot, made me experience many

things I never knew possible in my self-imposed gloomy life.

Thinking about it now, indeed, she had freed me. She had brought me out of the darkness. She was my

true mate. She was destined for me.

“You’re not going to ask why I haven’t marked you?” I questioned, grabbing her arm to direct her focus

back to me.

I was ready to bleed my emotions to her, ready to spill it all, ready to tell her I was falling for her, hard,

and that at this moment, I wanted to mark her, but then she answered in the most honest way possible:

“I won’t, because I’m not even sure myself if I wanted you to mark me.”

Her words caught me by surprise, and admittedly, it really did sting my heart. However, I couldn’t blame

her. She was in a different world, unsure of her identity, and with a man who still…or now selectively

hates women and could turn into a beast anytime. Sealing our bond meant commitment. Marking her

meant she was ready to submit her all to me, including her heart.

“That’s exactly the reason, Serena. We already had a forced wedding, a forced bond in the first place. I

need to mark you with your consent,” I explained, choosing this convenient reason instead.

“Until you are ready…” I continued and pulled her in for a tight embrace.

’Until you admit you love me…′ my thoughts concluded.

Thick silence filled the room. I didn’t press her to answer, not verbally at least. Tipping her chin up, I

held her gaze, telling her in silence how much she meant to me.

“I know you’re not a very patient man, Aero,” she stated, giving me a partly worried, partly relieved

smile.

“I will try for you,” I said promptly, then seized her lips.

That night, we made love. The third phase of the snow moon was the sole witness of how much my

restraint was tested.