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Chapter 56
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Three weeks later
Coronation day.
___
Everything is in place, the procession has led to the wonderful arrangement by the sea side. Cream lights thread colourful garlands, lanterns winding around fluted pillars. From where I stand, I see the mighty throne. On it sits Bowen, here in place of his brother. Beside him is another throne. It's almost the same size as the king's.
"Okay, remember. Go up there, wait for the elder to tie both your hands together. Then he'll place the crown on your head and it's over. You've got this," Umber says.
Still I don't stand from my position with my knees to my chest. Dread is a living thing within me.
I couldn't do this without Malcolm.
I couldn--
Hands grasp my face. Umber pulls my gaze to her's. "Look at me. You," she spells out slowly, "have. Got. This. Say it after me."
My mouth moves. "I..."
She expels a breath, eyes softening. "Gwen. You battled an entire Eld
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MALCOLMOver a month ago.___My being narrows down to the cool press of metal against my throat. "A life for a life!" Elenora screams, har claws holding me in place. My consciousness trickles away like the blood dribbling out of the open cut. I fight to stay lucid, my eyes on Gwen's white face on the stairs.Fury grips me, at Elenora. At myself. Once again, I am helpless to save the woman I love. With that realization, I feel pain fork across my neck. My world slows.When I start to gurgle on my blood, Elenora lets go, leaving me to land limply on the floor, rapidly losing sensation allover my body. I am...dying. When darkness begins to creep around the edges of my vision, I hear an unholy scream. Gwen, I think dimly before I am sucked under.Hours, days, (weeks?), pass by before I float into consciousness. I am in a white room. I look up at the high ceilings, disoriented. Images unblur into focus and through the layer of antiseptic, a
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MALCOLMFive days later.__"Any wider and a fly will be able to get in," I tell Killian.He snaps his jaw shut, chuckling. "Sorry. It's just it...it still feels unreal. You, alive.""So you wanted me dead, then?"He laughs. "No. Not at all."Elias trails in along with the rest. They all take their assigned seats. "They're almost here," he says.I start to respond but lose my train of thought when the fresh scent of vanilla fills the air. Gwen. She's wearing a green dress. The colour makes her eyes pop and it highlights the the shade of he hair as well. There is a glow to her I can't explain. Almost like she's trapped the rays of the sun beneath her skin.But whatever it is, I f*cking love it.From behind me, Killian laughs. "Goddess. Get a room, you both."Gwen draws level with me and kisses me briefly. She starts to draw away when I add pressure to her nape, pulling her in me to kiss her soundly
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EpilogueGWENTen years later___"Tamara!" I snap, then gentle my voice. "Tammy, you cannot put your brother in the water."The little girl with the largest grey eyes looks up at me. "But he's new. And looks like an egg."I breathe in for patience. "An egg?"She nods. "Yeah. When you buy eggs, you put them in the water to see if they float. I'm doing the same to Zizi. If he sinks, then he's a bad egg and should be thrown away."Zion gurgles in the corner, deliriously happy and unaware of his impending doom.The door opens and I breathe out a sigh of relieve, handing the other twin to Umber. "Oh, my God, I'm so glad you're here.""Hannah!" Tammy screeches, running toward her.I call after her, "It's aunty Hannah! Aunty. Hannah."The little devil ignores me, wrapping her little arms around her favorite--and only--aunty--unless you want to add Rylan's wild flings. Umber draws level wi
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EMMA__I will not crack.I will NOT crack.I will NOT CRA--With a whimper, my arm shoots out, knocking items off the cabinet in a desperate rush to grab the pills. I pop one in my mouth, then two, slinking down the stall with the ugly mixture of shame and defeat.My fingers thread through my hair, gripping tight, but I feel nothing, the effects of the drug already working. When a sense of calm engulfs me, the usual question floats in.Will I stop seeing them now?A slow breath leaves me and I stay there, back against the cold tiles, staring at the pills scattered around the floor. I should pack.Just as I decide that, a knock on my door sounds. When I don't answer, it grows insistent, then frantic. The door is pushed open and the clacking of heels is heard rushing in. The pointy soles of my mum's Louboutins fall into my line of vision. My eyes climb up her stick-thin legs to her face. I see the stark
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The reign of Arhuk the first.____THE TRAVELER He had just three things to do.One, infiltrate Necculea.Two, get a message to the king.Three, die.Machovanne pipes heralded the stranger's arrival. His tawny skin was shrouded in black strips of cloth, allowing for only a view of otherworldly eyes and a gruesome scar. The locals, so taken with the exuberant festivities, were oblivious to the danger in their midst.The towering man cut through the merry throngs, blending into the shadows. He wore darkness like a second skin, the essence far more ingrained in his species than other cross-worlders dared to believe.Chants rang into the night. A kaş female glowed in the burnfire as she danced around the flames, the coins strung around her waist jiggling. The king's Watch were gathered around the square as well, burnished plates of armour glinting in the flames. In place of swords were hurtling jhars. The Telks didn't fight with swords, not when the ability to throw lethal objects with t
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All action seized.Golden beams dotted around the giant hall, sapphire chandeliers and ornate marble statues glinting in the large hearth. Above the wide mantle sat a detailed painting of Necculea and its many seas. At another end of the hall, King Arhuk's throne stood tall and proud. At his feet sat nobles and members of his court. The ruthless king leaned over one jewelled chair arm, watching a sphinxe breathe fire into three hoops and juggle it. Only he seemed impervious to the stranger's intrusion."King Arhuk," the stranger bellowed into the silence. "I have a message from my brothers and sisters." He took off his scarf and gasps sounded around the hall. This seemed to catch king Arhuk's attention."A soul-thief. How ever did you manage to get into my kingdom?" To his earlier declaration, the king raised a blond brow, unimpressed. "You mean your dead brothers and sisters? Do you wish to share in their fate...? Oh." His eyes shone with cruel amusement.
The Alpha King's Captive Chapter 63
Present dayRYLAN__The scales grow heavy...Sweat dribbles down my face, an unbearable tightness cramping around my chest--a noose getting tighter by the second.'Help!''Help us!''Here comes the king!''My baby!'A child's squall pierces the air. Guttural yells follow soon after.The voices spill into themselves, merging into a ghastly song of terror. My claws snap out, my beast threatening to rise but unable to do so. I could do nothing in this dream state, a prospect I would never admit terrifies me, thwarting my desperate need to always be in control.Rylan!RYLAN.DUDE WAKE THE F*CK UP!Hands shake my shoulders roughly and I come to with a gasp, causing my friend, Enrico, to lurch back."Shit! I would never get used to that," he says, slack-jawed.I struggle to
The Alpha King's Captive Chapter 64
I towel off soon after. When I make my way back into the room, I draw short on noting Enrico is back. My jaw tightens when I take in his position sprawled carelessly on my bed. Dimly, I trace the creases his weight makes, growing agitated. I look away, tapping thrice against my thigh on instinct. "What are you doing here?""Bro, chill. You look ready to chew my head off.""It's 8am."His lips purse. Crossing his legs, he settles deeper into the bed. More creases. Again, I look away.When I catch his gaze on where my fingers tap my thigh frantically, I withdraw them, feeling a flush rise up my neck. I scowl. Enrico only sighs. "Is this how you plan on getting with Sabrina?" he asks.Sabrina is my fate.Being a king's illegitimate son with no real future, Sabrina, a princess set to inherit a throne--a kingdom--presented something I've unknowingly clamoured for. A sense of purpose.A place to call my own.Enrico ask
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RYLANShe takes wild jabs at me, stabbing the air each time I leap away. Now I land behind her and she spins around, face red from exertion and just the littlest bit of irritation. Falling into stance again, we start a slow dance around each other. My lips twitch."You won't be laughing for much longer," she says. She lunges, focused ruthlessly on my shoulder. Last minute, I block, knocking her wrist with the heel of my palm. The dagger falls to the ground and when she makes a dash for it, I grab her, pinning her to me with just the slightest pressure on her neck.I lean down. "Always," I say against her ear, breathing hard, "have your full attention on your opponent, not on only where you aim to attack."Her elbows come down on my arms and she wrenches out of my grasp. I grin. "Impressive."She picks her blade off the ground, coming at me again. This time I attack, feinting a right just to place the tip of my dagger against the smooth line of her throat.Time suspends.When my eyes s
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RYLANWhen the sound of crushed leaves sound, I look down from my high vantage point. Emmaline.Through the darkness, I watch her advance forward. Her head snaps around, looking for sign of me. Unnoticed, I use the time to look at her. She's dressed in all black, but had forgotten to hide the most important thing. Her blonde beacon of a hair. I stifle an eye roll. She really did choose the right colour.When I jump down. I hear her gasp. But she turns around and releases a loaded breath on realizing it's just me."You sacred me," she breathes."I'm sorry."I notice there are bags under her eyes and there's an air of sadness around her that I can't explain. "Are you okay?" I find myself asking."Yes. Of course."I shrug. Fine then."Come on."We walk for what seems like an eternity. The pen is located at a really remote part of the school. The gatekeeper really took his privacy serious.We walk by moss covered plants, the scent of fresh water and evergreens strong in the air. I look ba
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Once I enter the dinning hall the next morning, I wish I didn't.Sophie is sitting with a group of girls. Among them is Sharlene.I grip the strap of my bag on reflex and start to walk past them, hoping I looked indifferent. But soon that is all I become consumed with. How do I make them realize that I don't give a f*ck? Do I wave at her? Act like I don't see her?Am I waking too straight?My anxiety vanishes. It's replaced with something acidic, and painful. I see Rylan.He's with Sabrina.The wall I'd erected around myself threatens to crack. When I slide into an empty table, I feel irritation at myself well. Why did I think anything between us had changed?He's only helping me out of some misguided responsibility and not because, heaven forbid, he likes me. A hysterical laugh bubbles to the surface but it morphs into a lump and lodges at the back of my throat when Sophie's table breaks out in laughter.What are they talking about?Is it me?My stomach clenches. Did she tell them wh
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Without wasting any more time, I turn on my heels and rush in. The empty room stops me short. Reaching up, I absently start to untangle my hair, drawing out stubborn leaves. My hand freezes mid air when the murmur of a crowd down below becomes audible.I rake my fingers through my hair frantically, desperately hoping I've managed to remove any evidence of being in the woods. Throwing the door open, I rush down the cold halls. The stairwell is suddenly too long, every step I take sending a rush of dread snaking through me.Finally I get to the common room. Following the voices, I make my way to the dinning hall.Up to a hundred pairs of eyes turn to laser on me. I fight the urge to shrink away.The girls wear varying looks of irritation, still in their night wear. Veloria's matron is the last to notice me. The dread in her eyes gives way to shock and then concern before her eyes turn cold. I notice someone shoot up. "Emmaline!"Sophie.She pushes away from her crowded table, heading in
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EMMAShit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.Shit!We leap across another tree, legs pounding down on hard gravel. Rylan still hasn't left my hand, his strong grip steering me relentlessly."Don't let them get away!" A guard yells.When I stumble over the uneven ground, Rylan catches me, wrapping a large hand around my bicep. He hauls me to my feet easily, pushing me in front of him. My breaths tear out of me and the wind whips my face punishingly, sending hair and the scent of evergreens into my nose. Gnarled branches lie low, preventing our desperate escape."Wha--" My gasp is torn when Rylan nudges me in a different direction. The sound of water slapping against boulders become evident.When we get to the raging stream, he shrugs off his bag, throwing it into the river. The practice dummy follows soon after. He spins on me, motioning for my bag. My eyes widen. "My pho--"His voice is unyielding. "Emma. Now."A stab of frustration. When figs crack in the distance, I thrust the bag into his w
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RYLANUsing my boot, I kick off excess gravel and sit. "Our professor says the first step to welding is getting pretty f*cking pissed."She blinks. "Pissed, as in drunk? Or, like, angry?""Furious. Foaming at the mouth."She lifts a brow. "Well, since I don't have rabies, do I still qualify?""Tough, but we'll see."I cross my legs, putting my palms face down on either of my knee in what is known as a thinking pose. Trees sway to the chilly night air, the sound of crickets and crinkling leaves breaking the silence from time to time. Emma mirrors my actions. "So what now?""Take a deep breath."Wrong idea. When she inhales, her breasts jut forward and I feel my mouth dry. "I didn't say suck in all the air," I snap.She trains a glare on me. "I was just following your instructions.""Well, follow them without trying to be a vacuum. Watch."She watches snidely as I inhale. "There," I say quietly. "One small breath in, another one out."She copies my actions for a few minutes then just sto
The Alpha King's Captive Chapter 89
RYLAN_"Quiet," I say when Emma starts to speak behind me.Absently, my brows rise in surprise when she does. I fit a key into the lock, opening the door to my room.We both walk in and I catch my gaze flitting around, wondering what she'll think about my space. I hear the quiet thud of her bag hitting the floor. She is dressed in black, her blonde hair standing out like a beacon. Her heavily-lined eyes look around and her footfalls sound as she goes to my bookcase. A finger trails along the spines of my books.When she chuckles, I scowl, feeling an odd emotion slither through me. What's so funny?She starts, "You know, I'd kind of thought that you were some kind of control freak. But seeing this..."An unfamiliar feeling whips through me. I discover it's self consciousness."Seeing what?" I ask, my skin knotting.She starts to point. "Your skate boards have the same amount of space between them, so do the trophies on your desk. I can't find even a speck of dust on your shelf, your bo
The Alpha King's Captive Chapter 88
RYLANThe mock tournaments mark the wrap of another semester. It's a series of playoffs done by opposing Houses in preparation for the main sports competitions. In mock tournaments or 'mocks', each team gets to weigh the skills of the counter House by undergoing challenges--in the hopes of mapping out a way to use it to their advantage. So it goes without saying that no one goes all out during mocks.Which is why Malkar's coach wanted to rip my head off when I went at Ezra with everything I had, giving him a black eye in the process.I don't want to look into what it is about the amber-eyed fiend that gets my blood boiling. But I know that with each moment I see him and Emma engaged in unending discussions, or laughing together at something either of them said: it f*cking grew. Each time he spoke to her, I wanted to tear his tongue from his skull."Rylan, are you listening?"I bring my attention back to Cal. "What?"He laughs. "You have a thing for Elmloch boys now?"I lift an unimpr
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"Okay, I can't keep quiet anymore," Soph says.She sits cross-legged on the plush cream rug, burning candles on either side of her. Sunlight spills in through the wide windows, adding a gleam to her jet-black hair. "What happened to the 'I Eat Dick For Breakfast' type gal I saw on the first day."I blow out a long-suffering breath, pulling on a pair of tailored slacks. I slip a checkered vest over my head. "The 'type gal' is right here." I cringe into the mirror once the words leave my mouth."I liked that Emma better," she says. "Now you're like some domesticated poodle."I whirl around. "You did not just call me a dog."She laughs. "Technically, you are. You're an animal shifter."A nervous laugh. "Yeah. Got me there." I go back to arranging my hair. I'd dyed it platinum blonde. I'm just in the process of sleeking the pale strands into a bun when she lets out a frustrated noise."Stupid f*cking wind!"I turn, seeing the drapes billowing. My eyes shift to her. Her candles are snuffed
