LOGINShare
21 - The Selfish Decision
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Marked by the Alpha King 22 - The Judgement
“What do you mean there’s been an attack?” Tatum asked his brother as they stood together on the balcony.It was early noon and Tatum had been preparing to go to the courtyard for his usual run when Takoda had pulled him aside into the balcony with urgency.“Exactly what I said,” Takoda grumbled, folding his arms and lowering his voice an octave lower. “Yundum City is in ruins. I heard their Alpha King suffered serious injuries and might not make it.”Tatum furrowed his brows in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Yundum City had one of the largest territory and werewolf communities with at least twelve werewolf packs. Their Alpha King, Lee, a formidable and powerful werewolf had been one of the generals who had led them to victory during the Great War. No one in their right mind would ever wage war against him or his people. He was a feared man. Even Tatum’s late father did not hold a candle to him. Yundum City had been indestructible. Or so he thought.“Who was behi
Marked by the Alpha King 23. The Broken Bond
The market was not as busy at noon time as it was in the morning. There were few people and even fewer stalls were open. Baka hoped David’s stall was one of them. As she traipsed further into the market, she decided to take a shortcut. She noted the stalls as she passed them— Jerry, the potato seller, Aunty Haddy who sold avocado and banana, Michael, the pepper and garlic seller. David’s shop was right after Aunty Inola’s who sold cassava flakes and sugar. In all the opened stalls she passed, she noticed a considerable minimal amount of products. The decrease in food supply was beginning to have a serious dent. She briefly wondered how soon they would seek help from the other werewolf territories.As she took a left turn, an arm grabbed her with careful force and pulled her into a small corner. She almost yelped.“It’s me. It’s me. Don’t scream,” Bekon announced as he slowly removed his hands from her person. “I’m so glad I caught you.”Baka’s nostrils flared as she glared at him.
Marked by the Alpha King 24. The Menace
The field of crops was a mess. Tatum could hardly believe what he was seeing. Alpha Wally had not been exaggerating. The plants had lost their vibrant green color. It was now a sickly dull brown with faded patches of discoloration. Most plants had fallen lifeless to the earth. Others were barely standing upright.At least a third of the crops had gone bad, only a measly amount looked edible and worth harvesting.He stood rigid as he stared at the dying plants left in utter disarray.“This is a disaster,” he commented, shaking his head this way and that.“Quite right, my lord.” Alpha Wally was carrying his daughter, Winnie, while his son stood by his leg, hugging it.They were toddlers, about two or three years old. Winnie was staring straight at Tatum with open curiosity. She had her father’s brunette hair and straight nose. Winner looked more like their mother with his dark curls and oval face.They were adorable, but from many observations, Tatum knew they could be quite wild.Shift
Marked by the Alpha King 25. The Infinity Symbol
News of the attack on Yundum City had spread like wildfire in Khandom City and just as Baka had predicted, their werewolf oppressors tightened their leash.Curfew had been moved from 8pm to 6pm in the evening. Anyone seen outside after 6pm was locked up in the cells located under the city for questioning. If the guards believed them to have ill intent—which was almost always—they were killed. They were also randomly searched when running any errands, and no one was allowed into Kotu without Alpha Takoda’s express permission.This meant that Baka sometimes had to go days without seeing her mother or the girls. She had tried to reach out to Bekon but he had been giving her the cold shoulder since their argument the last time they met.The werewolves' hatred towards them had skyrocketed beyond comprehension. Baka heard more reports that some slaves owned by Alphas suspected of being part of the human rebel group were killed without question.Each day Baka heard news about her people’s se
Marked by the Alpha King 26. The Search
“Mother Tina, be reasonable,” Tatum tried once again. He was tired and had a lot on his mind. The day had been a long one and he just needed rest to prepare for the journey ahead. The last thing he needed was to spend the rest of the day conducting a search, especially over something so minute.He remembered the broach she spoke about. It was emerald with silver stones decorating its interior. Tia knew of her Mother’s love for jewellery and was almost always gifting them to her.Mother Tina had worn this particular broach during Tia’s funeral.“You have other gifts from Tia,” he added after she shook her head firmly.“It's not the same. She gifted that broach to me the day before she died. It's her last gift to me. It's priceless. Do you understand, Tatum? Priceless.” He sighed. “Fine. When did you last see it?”Mother Tina furrowed her brow in thought. “Yesterday. It was on top of my dresser.”“Maybe it fell under. Did you check?”The glare Mother Tina gave him could've turned him i
Marked by the Alpha King 27. The Missing Broach
Baka’s breath caught in her throat as she stared in utter disbelief at the broach. Surely, she was imagining it. She blinked twice, fully expecting the broach to disappear. But it was still there. “Whose bed does this belong to?” the Alpha king asked, making them turn around to face him.Aja and Emily looked at her with pity and lowered their heads. Did they truly believe she was the thief?Moments passed and no one said anything.“The Alpha king asked a question,” Takoda interjected with a deadly tone. Still, no one spoke. They all kept their heads lowered. Baka’s heart pounded so rapidly within her chest she thought she would explode. The girls were visibly shaking next to her, and she could hear Emily silently murmur what sounded like a prayer.“Very well, then,” Takoda continued with a cynical smile. “If no one speaks by the time I count to three, you will all die. One… two—”“It's mine, my lord,” Baka blurted out.“I knew it!” Mother Tina exclaimed, her bony arms lifted up in
Marked by the Alpha King 28. The True Broach Thief
Tatum was still shocked at his recent discovery. He had known Mother Tina could be manipulative and a little over the top. But this was diabolical. This was another level of darkness. Having an innocent slave killed because of a perverse feeling of jealousy and entitlement?He realized then and there that he truly did not know his mother-in-law like he thought he did. He never would've thought her capable of this. He could now understand where Tania had gotten her character trait from. But how could such a woman be the mother of his loving late mate, Tia? They were nothing alike.Tatum had to hand it to her. She had played her part well and managed to fool him up until this point. This was how far she was willing to go to get her way. It was truly an eye-opener for him.Now the problem remained what was to be done. He couldn't very well accuse her of stealing her own broach and framing a slave for it. She would just deny it and no one would believe it. He didn't want his household d
Marked by the Alpha King 29. The Dress
The car was old, that was the first thing Baka noticed. It looked as though it hadn’t been used in decades. She wondered if the Alpha king had another vehicle because she was certain this one would prove to be an issue along the way.Not that she knew much about cars. Her brother had been the knowledgeable one. If he were here, he would've been talking non-stop about the model of the car, when it was created, who had created it, and other boring details she couldn't care less about.“She’s not a beauty, is she?” the Alpha king commented from behind her and she stiffened. She hadn't realized he had been standing there. Her breath caught in her throat and she almost took another step further away from him. “It hasn’t been used in over seven years, I think,” he continued, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort. After the whole debacle with the broach yesterday, he had returned a little past midnight. She had pretended to be asleep then.He had his own key and had walked into the room ve
Latest chapter
Marked by the Alpha King Epilogue
Baka stared at her wedding gown, captivated. It was a gown made for royalty and it looked like it was painted on her body. It flowed into a delicate train that pooled around her feet. The floral embroidery on the train was accentuated with tiny pearls and ruffles which covered the bodice and sleeves of the form fitting gown, tapering off on the trumpet skirt.Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail with two strands of hair framing each side of her face.She could hardly recognise herself. The more she looked, the weirder she felt. In the best way possible.Henry appeared in the doorway, carrying little Dream in his arms. They’d become inseparable since Rohey’s unfortunate passing and he had taken it upon himself to become a father to her.“Still admiring yourself in the mirror?” Henry chastised. “By the time you’re done, Tatum will be on his deathbed.”Dream, who was playing with his curls, started giggling.Baka glared at Henry through the mirror. “Don’t influence the little gi
Marked by the Alpha King 100. The Sacrifice
“Well, well, well,” Takoda whistled, slamming the door shut. “What do we have here?” He sauntered into the cell, his gaze fixed on each of them, barely lingering on Aksana’s still form. “My disgraced brother, his lover, and her lover. I came to pay my last respects and this is the scene I’m greeted with.”Baka’s heart sank. They were too late. Her gun was useless, and her dagger was with Eugene. Aksana was too far away from her for her to grab her daggers. She was out of weapons and out of time.Eugene grunted. “I tried to stop them but as you can see…” he pointed towards his injured thigh.“Interesting,” Takoda barely whispered, staring at him. “I thought you two were friends.”“And I thought we were brothers,” Tatum spat, his body trembling underneath Bekon’s arms. “You killed my wife and child!”“And you stole what was rightfully mine. We’re even, don't you think?” Takoda argued without missing a beat.Tatum brushed Bekon off him and stepped forward menacingly. “No, Tatum,” Ba
Marked by the Alpha King 99. The Bargain
Someone was clapping. Loudly. The figure leaned off against the wall and sauntered towards them. “I gotta say I’m impressed.”Baka blinked. “Eugene?” She looked behind him, briefly wondering who else was hiding in the secret dark corners of the prison cell. “What are you doing here?”Eugene didn’t answer immediately. He seemed to look past her to Tatum’s cell, as though trying to confirm something.“What are you doing here?” he countered. “You should be at the safe haven. And who’s this?” He added, pointing demurely at Bekon. “A friend.” Baka didn’t have time for introductions. “If you’re going to help us, great. If not, please pretend you didn’t see us.”“Oh, I have no intention of doing either.”His tone sent chills down her spine. Baka lowered Aksana on the ground slowly but did not release her grip on her throat.“Please, don’t stop on my account,” Eugene advised with a strange smile. “Never liked that toad. Feel free to finish her off.”With her free hand and a wary eye on E
Marked by the Alpha King 98. The Infiltration
Baka watched the guards make rounds on the ground and the rooftop, waiting for her opportunity to sneak in undetected. The last time she’d come through these gates, she’d been in a truck. This time she was exposed, dressed to blend into her environment.This was suicide. She knew it. Her brother had said as much. But she wasn’t going to let Tatum die.“Now what?” Bekon whispered beside her. Of all people she didn’t think would come with her on her little rescue mission, Bekon was in the top five. His hatred for the king was well known to her. But when he and Henry had seen that she wouldn’t be convinced out of coming, they’d chosen to come with her. She believed she had a way in. When she’d been captured by Ares, she’d noticed that the cells had small air ventilators that led outside. They were big enough to house a human being. So somewhere behind the city was a direct way into the prison.“We need a distraction,” she replied. “One of you should distract the guards while me and th
Marked by the Alpha King 97. The Turncoat
Tatum was thirsty. As he sat in the stinking cell his brother had left him in, he tried to ignore all the things nature demanded. In truth, he didn’t understand why his brother hadn’t killed him yet. He’d gotten what he wanted. A seat on the throne. Tatum was of no further use to him.Unless he was keeping him around to relish in his humiliation. By now his people and all the territories knew of his connection with his slave. He’d been spared the worst, having been locked up for the most part. His brother had been here a couple of times to gloat. Yet Tatum couldn’t deny that a part of him was relieved that his secret was out. He may not have liked how it got out but there was such a weight lifted off his shoulders now that it was. After Fortune had gotten the truth out of him, he didn’t stand a chance. Takoda had succeeded in convincing the Alphas that his loyalties were divided and they could no longer trust him with the throne, the city or its secrets. But that was the least of
Marked by the Alpha King 96. The Word
Days passed and Baka learnt to fall into the routine of their settlement. She checked on Rohey often even when Rohey had shouted at her to stop babysitting her. The girl was too independent for her own good.Baka’s house, House Phillipi, were on kitchen duty today. She and the girls in her house, which included Mosann, were hard at work washing the dishes they had just used for lunch. The food made here held no candle to the palace food she had grown used to, but it was still pretty good.The girls did their chores in awkward silence as some of them didn’t know Baka and Mosann well enough to strike a conversation. Baka didn’t mind. She needed the peace of mind which ironically always came when working, especially doing something so mundane as dish washing.The boys fetched the water they were using to wash the dishes and some of them hung around waiting for them to finish washing so that they would return the plates back into the kitchen.“Is it true that you were Alpha King Tatum’
Marked by the Alpha King 95. The Toilet
Baka walked into the armoury where young boys were assembling a few weapons while others cleaned it or trained with it. Rohey wasn’t in the kitchen nor was she in her room and someone had told her to check in here. She spotted her brother talking quietly with a boy called Hassan. They’d been introduced during the week she’d been here. She’d found him to be a little weird.“Have you seen Rohey?” She asked once she reached them.Her brother turned to her sharply. “Wow, no hello or hi?”“Sorry,” she mumbled, sending an apology to Hassan with her eyes. “I’m in a hurry.”Henry stared at her for a second and then turned to Hassan, patting him on the shoulders. “We’ll finish our discussion later.”Turning back to Baka, he led her away from the armory and into the pathway towards the tree in the middle of their settlement.“What’s wrong?” Henry asked once they sat on the cemented floor. “You look worried.”Baka decided she didn’t have time to hide the truth from him. He’d only press her fu
Marked by the Alpha King 94. The Safe Haven
A week had passed since Baka left Khandom City behind. Her stay at the safe haven with the rebel group hadn’t been unpleasant. It was small yet spacious, hidden deep inside the woods with lots of armories and underground tunnels. There were about a hundred people living in the settlement and they were all divided into houses. House Philippi, house Rome, house Ephesus, house Thessalonica and house Corinth.They had a day-to-day schedule with routines on the upkeep of their environment, exchanging duties on a daily basis. It was very Henry to come up with such an arrangement. He was a big organizer. His idea brought order to their community.Baka was in house Phillipi. The community had been excited to have the sister and mother of their leader join them. They had welcomed them with open arms and ensured that they wanted for nothing. It was nothing short of amazing.It was as though Baka had regained her family again. It felt so similar to old times she could imagine it exactly as it
Marked by the Alpha King 93. The Vote
The room became more tense as the Alphas looked from the high priestess to Tatum. The high priestesses were known for one thing—power beyond imagining. The most powerful ones could inhabit the full power of the moon goddess herself. One of those special abilities was the power of confession. With one touch, they could get a man to spill any secrets, even those he believed he would take to his grave. It was a horrible invasion of privacy and the kind of sentencing they only gave to traitors who had committed high treason.Tatum had once witnessed a man being confessed when he was a teenager. It was both a fascinating and terrifying sight. It was as though the man had lost all free will, his tongue had loosened like running water, and he simply wanted to please the high priestess who had merely touched his cheeks.It was said that it worked differently for everyone. The weakest of men could become slaves to the high priestess until her death released them from her hold and vice ver
