All Chapters of The Mate Games: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

ALTHEAThat night, I sit in my room, staring at the wall. My heart feels heavy, and my mind won’t stop replaying the scene in the grove. It all still seems like a nightmare. How else can I explain it? A sharp knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. Madeline peaks into the room. “Your father is back, he wants to see you in his study.” My body feels heavy as I move, every step toward my father’s study a struggle. When I knock on the door and hear his voice call me in, I take a deep breath, trying to steel myself. I push the door open and freeze when I see who else is occupying the room. Lila is already there, sitting primly in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She turns to me with a bright smile. “Good evening , sister,” she says, her tone sweet. But there’s a smugness present in her gaze that I couldn’t miss even I was I blind. I force myself to move, taking the seat my father gestures to. I don’t meet Lila’s gaze. I can’t. My chest fe

ALTHEA“There’ll be no one to hear you cry out tonight,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the skin of my throat. “No one but me.” His teeth graze my neck, and a shiver rolls down my spine. His hand cups me boldly over my jeans, the heat of his touch igniting something wild and reckless inside me. The journey to the bed is a blur of heat and urgency, his hands and mouth leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When he finally lowers me onto the soft mattress, I’m trembling, caught between desire and the faintest flicker of fear. His hand reaches out, his thumb sweeping along my bottom lip. Pulling it down, away from my teeth, letting it plop back in place. It’s delicate, the way his hand then caresses my jaw, reaching behind my neck as his voice softens, “Lay back.” I obey the soft command without preamble, eyes meeting the ceiling as my back hits the bed. A dip forms beside my ribs, where his palm sinks into the mattress as he hovers over me. The other traces up my denim clad thig

ALTHEA When I open my eyes, it takes me a second to remember where I am. The bed feels too soft, the room too quiet. Slowly, the events of last night come back to me. I turn my head, expecting to see him, but the other side of the bed is empty. A strange mix of relief and irritation washes over me. Good. At least I don’t have to deal with the awkwardness of morning-after small talk. But then my gaze lands on the bedside table. There’s a bag sitting there, tied neatly with a thin cord. I pick it up and open it, and my heart sinks. Gold coins gleam inside, a sharp reminder of how much of a horrible mistake last night was. What was this supposed to be? Some sort of cheap pay? Anger bubbles up, hot and fierce. I shove the bag back onto the table, my fingers trembling. I won’t let a single night of foolishness define me. And the only upside to this is that I’ll never have to see him again. I dress quickly, my movements stiff with frustration. By the time I pull on my boots, I’ve

ALTHEADays have passed since the strawberry incident, and I am alive. Barely. The burning in my throat is gone, the rashes have faded, and my strength has returned. But one thing hasn’t changed. The hatred for Prince Asher. If anything, it has only grown. I can still see the cold indifference in his eyes as he watched me struggle, my throat closing, my body betraying me. He didn’t lift a finger. Didn’t care if I lived or died.I push away thoughts of him from my mind, because right now, I have bigger problems.I clench my fists as I stand in the grand hall with the other contestants, waiting for whatever ridiculous challenge they’ve planned for us next. The air is heavy with tension, and my pulse thrums in my ears. The king, dressed in his dark robes, sits casual and disinterested on his throne, sipping from a jeweled goblet. His gaze sweeps over us like we are pawns on a chessboard, disposable and unimportant.“As you all know,” the king begins, his deep voice echoing through the ha

ALTHEA I shift slightly on the branch, trying to get a better look at where the bear went. The forest below is dark, shadows stretching between the trees, making it impossible to see anything clearly. But I can still hear the screams in the distance. Someone else is in trouble. I lean forward just a little— The branch beneath me cracks. My stomach drops. Before I can react, the bark snaps, and suddenly I’m falling. The world tilts. Air rushes past me. My arms flail, trying to grab something, anything, but my fingers only scrape against rough bark. Then I hit the ground. A sharp pain explodes up my leg. I gasp, curling forward as agony flares through my ankle. My vision blurs for a second. It feels like my bones are on fire. “Althea!” Asher’s voice is sharp, alarmed. I hear him moving, branches rustling above me. A few seconds later, he drops down beside me, landing with a rough thud. His face is pale, his injured arm hanging stiffly at his side. “You good?” he asks