8_ the beta's son

Killian 

The man instructed his followers to escort us back to the base of the mountain. In the midst of my contemplation, he boldly declared himself to be my long-lost twin. In my confused and disoriented state, I couldn't comprehend how I had returned to our realm. Despite the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind, I clung tightly to Serena, never letting her go. As we approached Serena's cherished spot, a place that was once my sanctuary in my youth, it now held a deep resentment within me due to this princess.

I began by checking if the horse that Serena had taken from the Alpha was still present. However, my inspection was abruptly interrupted by a powerful punch from the Alpha, jolting me back to reality. As I struggled to maintain my balance, my foot left a mark on the ground. To my surprise, both the Alpha and Battalion were already waiting for us. It seemed that the border guards had promptly alerted them, as I had anticipated. Following the impact, I remained motionless, not because I possessed greater strength than the Alpha, but out of fear of accidentally dropping Serena to the ground. I was well aware that the Alpha was capable of inflicting far worse upon me if Serena were to fall. I highly doubted he would ever forgive me if I allowed Serena to be harmed.

"Killian, what has transpired this time? Why has my daughter been injured? Do not attempt to deceive me, for I can see the trace of her blood upon the chilled ground!" I swallowed nervously and proceeded to answer the Alpha's inquiry.

"I apologize, your highness. You know I would never deceive you. I always keep you informed about Serena's well-being. It is my fault. I believed she was already asleep when I departed from the palace, and I swear that the other guard, Joshaque, the son of our clan's other Zeta, was already present when I left. After spotting the princess venturing into the forest, I followed her, and that is when we were attacked by a rogue individual." I paused, recalling the man's name, Kyzer. I had no intention of lying to our Alpha, but I had a deeper reason for withholding information. After all, he did not inquire if I was acquainted with the assailant or aware of their whereabouts, did he? I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "That would have been the truth if last night Adriana, the Beta's daughter, had not engaged me in conversation before I departed. I did not witness Serena riding Phoenix through the woods. However, upon seeing the stolen horse, I immediately recognized the headstrong princess's handiwork. I chose not to inform the Alpha, as I believe he is already aware of his daughter's actions." The Alpha let out a weary sigh.

"Let's go, she needs to rest," the Alpha spoke in a calm tone after I had finished explaining.

Among all the soldiers he had, the second Zeta's son and I were the only ones he trusted to guard his troublesome princess.

"From now on, you will remain in the princess's room while you guard her, as long as she is in the palace. However, be cautious not to invade her personal space. Instead, maintain a heightened level of alertness. I do not want a repeat of what happened. My enemies have become more aggressive lately. I wish I could impose a harsher punishment upon you, but because you did not let the princess come to harm, I recognize that you went to great lengths to protect her earlier. Your punishment will be three days of solitary surveillance, watching over her for twenty-four hours a day. Joshaque, on the other hand, bears more responsibility for the incident. He failed to fulfill his duties properly and should be grateful to you. Since you saw Serena's escape, otherwise, I cannot guarantee my actions if anything were to happen to my daughter. His punishment will be more severe and will also last three days. Therefore, you must endure the company of Serena alone for these days."

I let out a deep sigh inwardly. After the Alpha's explanation, I even heard Luna pleading with the Alpha to reconsider his decision. However, I believed that this was still a better outcome than being in Joshaque's current position. I glanced at the mischievous princess in my arms. Her disheveled black hair and closed emerald green eyes only added to her undeniable beauty, a beauty that held a touch of danger. I clenched my teeth, feeling a surge of disdain towards this princess. If only I could toss this brat aside without any consequences. Tsk... if only I could.

"Kilian! I'm asking if that's okay with you. If not, then maybe I should come up with another way to punish you." My eyes widened in panic at his words. I quickly shook my head and replied, "I agree, Alpha, it's fine." I couldn't help but jump in panic. The Alpha tilted his head in a serious manner before turning away. I let out a sigh of relief. After escorting the princess to her room, the Alpha instructed me to call a doctor. I nodded hastily and within minutes, the doctor arrived to examine the princess while I waited outside.

Once the doctor had finished her duties, I inquired about the well-being of the brat only once. When she assured me that the princess was now fine, I bid her farewell. I entered the room, expecting to find Serena there, but to my dismay, she was nowhere to be seen. Damn it! Where has this troublesome young lady gone off to now? I checked the closet and the library doors, but she was nowhere in sight. Does she truly want to ruin my life? Frustration washed over me as I ran my fingers through my hair, and that's when I noticed the bathroom door. Without hesitation, I opened it. However, what greeted me was her nearly naked figure. Shit! Shit! I cursed repeatedly in my mind. It was as if I had forgotten why I was there in the first place. It felt like my memory had been wiped clean.

But my senses were abruptly brought back to reality by her scream. I immediately closed the door, feeling as if someone had struck me on the head. I noticed a bar of soap lying on the floor. Did the brat hit me with that? However, because I couldn't get the image of what I had just seen out of my mind, her figure lingered in my thoughts until she emerged from the bathroom once again, almost naked. Fuck! I'm screwed! I'm damned! She screamed again, even louder this time, as if she could drag my soul into a scorching abyss, which I believed was where I had come from. The temperature seemed to drop to unbearable levels, as if I were trapped in a hellish inferno due to my current predicament.

I took a moment to regain my composure, trying to steady my heavy breathing. Once I had calmed down, my initial defense strategy was to show Serena that I had no intentions towards her, which was true. Seeing her naked body didn't change the fact that I couldn't develop feelings for her. She had already caused me a great deal of harm. We argued again as she entered her closet. While I silently admitted in my head that she was indeed perfect, her sharp tongue served as a constant reminder that she was the most stubborn woman I had ever encountered, and definitely not someone I desired.

However, as I stood in the corner of the dining room, listening to the conversations of the royal family and the Beta's family during dinner, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of irrationality knowing that Serena was going to marry the Beta's son. I couldn't explain why I felt this way. But my anger persisted until I escorted the princess to her room alongside Alonzo, the Beta's son. They came to a halt in front of Serena's door, and the brat glanced at me.

"Stay here, Alonzo and I need some time," she commanded. In response, I crossed my arms over my chest.

"That will never happen, the Alpha..." I began to say, but she quickly covered my lips with her hand. "Okay, well, if you want to witness an intimate show, that's your choice," she said solemnly, causing frustration to well up within me. This woman was determined to test my patience!

"You mean you and that guy?" I stared at Alonzo. In truth, I despised him for his arrogance. If his father hadn't been a Beta, he would be nothing. I could easily get rid of him on this planet.

He had a wide grin on his face, clearly relishing the

idea of being alone with Serena.