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65. The Preference
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Marked by the Alpha King 66. The Suspicion
From the bantaba, Tatum could see quite a lot. While it was obscured by trees, nothing obscured the rest of the world from it.He had seen Eugene and Baka fetching water from the well in a manner that can only be described as too friendly. Jealousy had crawled up his gut and now resided in his chest in a simmering anger. There was nothing to be angry at, he knew. Yet Baka had never been so friendly with him. In fact, she had been rather cold the past couple of days.Why was it Eugene who got her to giggle and laugh like a lovestruck school girl?She had never once laughed in front of him, he realized. She wasn’t comfortable around him enough to let all her defenses fall. Her hackles shot up around him as tall as the sky. She may have let them down a little, but never all the way.Why was it Eugene she got to do that for? Did she like him? He knew he liked her, anyone with half a brain could see that. But was it reciprocal? He needed to know.“You look a world away, Brother,” came Tak
Marked by the Alpha King 67. The Purification Ceremony
Tatum was irritated. He had been sitting under the white canopy for hours in ridiculous attire, waiting for news to come from the tent about each Luna candidate’s purity when he couldn’t care less about it.The sun was hot, his clothes had begun to itch, and worst of all, he had seen no sign of Baka. Shouldn’t she be here, attending to him?Aja and Emily were both here attending to their mistresses. So why was Baka nowhere to be found? Eugene wasn’t here either. The thought enraged him as he wondered if they were still hanging out together.Annoyed, he turned to Emily. “Where is Baka?”From her position beside Tania, she straightened. “I don’t know, my lord.”“Maybe her little feet are up to some more mischief, Tatum,” Tania piped in, smiling slyly as she did so. “Why are we talking about a slave when there is a purification ceremony going on?” Mother Tina chimed in as she glared at Tatum. “Shouldn’t you be focusing on the Luna candidates?”“Beats me,” Tania clucked.Tatum realised t
Marked by the Alpha King 68. The Moody Master
“You’re quite the celebrity, Stephan,” Baka marveled as she sat down beside him in Healer Freya’s shop. “I hear you have about six wives already.”“And counting,” he bragged with a charming smile. He looked so much better than when she had last seen him. His wounds were healing nicely and color had returned to his face. He was even sitting! Something he was barely able to do before.“They’re all lovely. Especially Yandeh.”“Yandeh?” Baka asked in bewilderment.“Yes. Tall, black beauty—““I know who she is. Why her?”He smiled. “Honestly? Her height. Never been with a girl as tall as me. I’m excited to see how it turns out.”Baka couldn’t help but giggle. “Well, best of luck.”“Thanks, Sweets. And you?”“What about me?”“No man has caught your fancy?”Oh, dear. What was it about men asking her personal details about her life these days? She mused, remembering a similar question from Eugene.“Who has the time? Too busy being a slave to tyrants.” She had whispered the last bit. The walls
Marked by the Alpha King 69. The Book
Baka knocked softly at the door to the Alpha King’s room and waited for the confirmation to enter. When she heard nothing, she knocked again.“Enter,” came his coarse response.That didn’t sound promising. Swallowing hard, she entered the room. He was sitting on his bed reading a book she couldn’t decipher from so far away. He didn’t look up at her as she walked the rest of the distance between her and the desk and placed the tray on top of it.Clearing her throat, she turned towards him. “Your dinner, my lord.”Nodding, he asked, “What is it?”He still wasn’t looking at her. “Rice and stew with fried chicken.”“That’s generous.” He glanced at his wrist watch. “And late.”She bit down on her lower lip as she’d seen Emily do only a few minutes ago. “I’m sorry, my lord. I went to see Stephan and didn’t pay close attention to the time.”“Indeed.” He flipped a page. Was he really reading? His monosyllabic responses and unbothered facade were beginning to gnaw at her. Hadn’t Aja said he had
Marked by the Alpha King 70. The Ruby Necklace
Early the next morning, Baka woke up to loud screams. Alarmed, she scrambled out of her bed, all sleep flying out the window as Emily and Aja pointed frantically at a rat scurrying away to hide in a dark corner. They stood in their see-through nightgowns, utterly hysterical. “Look! A rat!” Aja was visibly shivering as she recoiled in disgust. “It ran over me. Oh my God! I can still feel it’s disgusting little feet on my bare skin.”“It’s gone under those tables!” Emily cried.Baka stared at them as though they had sprouted horns on their pretty little heads. They couldn’t be serious. “Really? You’re afraid of a little rat.”“Little?” Aja echoed in wonder.“That thing was not little!” Emily defended, pointing harshly at where the rat had scurried off to. “It was a giant rat. I’ve never seen anything like it.”Baka rubbed at her eyes and glared at them. Mosann was a better roommate than these two. “That giant rat is afraid of you but clearly it shouldn’t bother. I know a little girl w
Marked by the Alpha King 71. The Hideout
When the games were over and the people began to disperse, Tatum couldn’t help but train his eyes at Baka. He had sensed her presence the moment she joined the scene, just in time to see the ruby necklace. He felt the weight of her emotions upon discovering it was his favourite.Her look told him she suspected why. He could sense it the moment her eyes landed on him. Yes, he wanted to say through their untested bond. It’s my favourite because it bears your name.She didn’t know what she meant to him. Not yet. But she will.He caught Eugene waving frantically at her. Either she hadn’t seen him or she pretended not to, because she turned away quickly. But Eugene only followed after her, running in front of her and she came to a halt. Then he embraced her. In front of everyone who cared to watch.Tatum couldn’t control the reverberating rage that soared through him as his wolf growled deeply within his cage. It was livid with rage and jealousy, threatening to burst through him at any sec
Marked by the Alpha King 72. The Snob
Morning came, and with it, a foul mood. Tatum had returned home a little later than he had expected last night. It hadn’t been as easy hiding in plain sight as it had been when he moved around in his dark cloak. He had still called some unwanted attention to himself but had managed to avoid causing a huge scene. His stay at Healer Freya’s shop had been long but thankfully Stephan had slept through it as she had given him a sleeping drug for some pain he still suffered from.Tatum had been relieved to find the palace asleep. The last thing he needed was to run into someone nosy enough to ask him questions.It hadn’t been up to ten minutes before he too gave himself to deep sleep. His dreams had been about Baka. He couldn’t be free of her.Maybe that was what had him in a foul mood this morning. He couldn’t afford his disposition. It was unacceptable. He was spending the day with Tamara Trinity, the winner of the games. She wouldn’t appreciate his mood. He wouldn’t appreciate his mood.
Marked by the Alpha King 73. The Trap
When Baka had finished her chores for the day, she made her way to Tatum’s room. He still wasn’t back from his date with that Trinity girl. What a nightmare she was. A beautiful one. In fact, she might be the most beautiful werewolf girl Baka had ever seen.And Tatum was out on a date with her.She hoped he was having the worst date ever recorded in history.She couldn’t deny that a part of her had felt jealous, watching them strut off together into the sunset and knowing he would spend the whole day with her. She had tried to keep the thought of them together out of her mind as she busied herself with her chores. But they eventually found their way at its forefront every now and then.Opening the door to his room, Baka found Eugene hovering over his desk. His eyes were glued to the documents laying open on it. Nothing in his expression gave anything away. It was his body language. It was stiff. Engrossed. So unlike his usual flexibility. Her hackles immediately shot up.He snapped h
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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
