All Chapters of Alpha King's Caged Mate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

COLEMr. Barrett arrived in less than five minutes, and as Flynn led him into my study, I watched his chest rise and fall. Breathless, exhaustion painted the head servant’s face, and pity swelled within me. He seemed to have aged significantly over the past few days. White hairs had sprouted from the sides of his head months ago and they appeared to have multiplied.The whim of the Luna Selection had undoubtedly burdened the entire palace, and Lady Georgina’s sudden death was the final blow.Despite this, Mr. Barrett managed to maintain his composure. His lips were stiff and though his jaw was tensed, his posture did not falter or shrink. It was admirable to say the least. Perhaps that was why my father had appointed him as the head servant here. Mr. Barrett had held the position for as long as I could remember and my father trusted the older man deeply.However, for some reason, I did not share that trust. It was nothing personal against him, as I had never witnessed any signs of tre

EVELYNI suddenly felt a pang of anxiety at Leila’s bluntness. It was as if lightning coursed through me and my hands began to shake. I peered around nervously, suddenly nervous.“Lady Leila,” I reminded her quietly, my eyes darting around us. “I must remind you that here in the garden, we could be overheard by anyone passing by. The hedge may shield us but sound still carries.”Leila’s eyes narrowed and then she shrugged nonchalantly. “Then we shall walk.”I was impressed by her casual air and dutifully followed her as she rose from the bench and ventured away from the pond.We wandered silently as we wove through the garden and then, as we approached a succession of flowering bushes, Leila spoke again.“This palace is a cage,” she uttered, her gaze shifting to the castle beyond us. “Its wall looming above us like bars and stripped bare of sincerity, trust, honesty, and kindness. Its corridors are filled only with endless conspiracies.”A cage. That was often how it felt.A shiny, lov

EVELYNBefore I could grow too considered by Leila’s warning about Elsa, the sky darkened further and it appeared as if a heavy rainstorm was approaching.“We’d better return inside at once,” I advised, worried about Leila getting caught in bad weather. It was my duty to keep her happy and satisfied and though we’d grown closer, I had to remember my place as a maid.So, I led her back into the palace, and per the instructions given by Mrs. Porter, we went straight back to Leila’s chamber. Just as the door to the room closed behind us, the sound of thunder rang out, and Leila rushed over to the window. She stared out in wonder and for a moment, she appeared like a young girl rather than a highborn lady.“We’re lucky we came inside when we did,” she remarked, turning to face me with a grin. Just as I smiled back, Leila crossed over to her bed and fetched a leatherbound history book from her bedside, a book she told me she’d been reading whenever she was in this room.“I’m well past the

EVELYNI crashed to the ground with an awful thud and cried out as I collided with the cold marble floor. My ankle cried out in agony and I quickly shifted my position to avoid harming it further. My heart pounded like a dream and heat spread through me as I anticipated being found by Lady Anna.But to my surprise, no gasps, screams, or admonishments were heard.The room was empty, save for me and my injured ankle.I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat away from my forehead. I was certain I was about to be caught but now that the threat of Mrs. Porter’s inevitable wrath was avoided, I gingerly touched my ankle.It was slightly swollen but as I examined it, I knew it was only a sprain at most. It was a massive relief and I breathed a sigh. A broken ankle would have raised too many suspicions and would have sent me right back to the maid’s quarters. A swollen ankle I could handle. Broken bones were hell to a maid in the palace.I glanced around the chamber. The vast room was s

EVELYNEven though every part of me hated the idea, I obediently followed Flynn down the corridor. The Beta strode quickly, and I had to lengthen my gait just to keep up with him. The effort brought me a good deal of pain, but I didn’t dare complain. The circumstances were too dire for my injuries to matter, so I shoved my feelings aside and forced a calm expression.As we descended a flight of stairs, we encountered a patrolling guard. He stared at me in shock, his eyes fixing on my bloodied uniform, but focused when Flynn demanded his attention.The Beta issued some brief orders, and the guard saluted him obediently before hustling away.To protect the privacy of the ladies, there were no guards on the third floor wherethey were accommodated. Now, after this attack, it seemed like a significant risk and oversight.As we reached the ground floor, Flynn stopped abruptly. I nearly lost my footing and bumped into him but I steadied myself before I could crash.The Beta’s expression was