A Kiss With The Alpha King: Owned By The Alpha Mate

CHAPTER 1 - WEDDING BELLS

VENUS

Weddings were supposed to be a joyful time, a time to rejoice, to wear elegant clothes and of course, to try dancing without crushing anyone’s toes.

However, as I hid behind the last pew in the great Memorial Hall of Alphas, watching the lovely pair standing before the officiator, joy was the last emotion I was feeling. It was ironic though because the beautiful bride mopping away tears as her mate started reciting his own vows. She is my two year elder sister, Ansley Vinley. She and I had been close once before she became a part in the scheme to cheat me of my happiness.

My hands shook lamely as I drew the corners of my favourite shawl closer around my head and examined the hall. Seats were filled to the brim by numerous guests from various packs, far and near. Decorations of lilac and cream hung from pillar to pillar.

I was not supposed to be there. Father had warned me with strict orders to stay away from the ceremony. According to him, I was bad luck, a stain on his reputation and his greatest regret.

The officiator was the oldest wolf in Clawride Pack. He smiled at the couple before him, joining his hands in a solemn clasp. You may now kiss your mate, he proudly announced, his voice a bit thick with emotions.

He innocently called them mates, a lie spread to cover up the injustice against me. I bit down on my lower lip to stop myself from screaming. I choked on a whimper, forbidding myself to cry over a lost cause. I had been happy once, when I was to be mated to Wren. He had been only two years older than me but was to be our future Alpha.

I had not known then but it turned out that he had known about us being mates two years ago and had kept it from me. But I was too happy when I turned 18 to find out we were mates, happy enough to forgive his deliberate silence on the matter until my world came crashing to my feet.

Every wolf naturally shifted for the first time at age thirteen and mine was no different except for one thing. My wolf was a ferocious looking animal with inky black fur and sharp talons that I had no control over. In the midst of grey wolves, brown ones, even ash furred wolves, my wolf stood out, huge and awkward. It had taken tranquilizers and the pack’s strongest men to keep me down. I thought the shame of that day was forgotten until it came up again to ruin my life.

Father had come home some days later with a message from Alpha Keller. Wren had refused to have anything to do with me but would take another daughter from our family.

At least, he did not turn his back on our entire family, Father had reasoned selfishly, frowning at my uncontrollable tears. He has chosen your sister, Ansley, as the new Luna for Wren instead. You must do your duty for our family’s sake. You must forget about Wren.

And I did what he said, stepping aside for my sister to take what was mine. Father was a general in the Alpha’s army and in my family, his word was law. Mother never tried to challenge him and preferred to keep to herself. Despite the fact that the he always favoured Ansley over me, he and I had the same forest-green eyes, mysterious and cool.

Ansley beamed brightly and went on tiptoe, too eager to wait for her groom. He lowered his lips to meet her halfway and I slipped off my seat, falling onto the cold tiled floor.

There and then, my heart broke all over again, pain tugging at my chest as I pounded my fists silently on the ground. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out, just a pitiful croak. My sister was kissing Wren Maddock, my mate, well, ex-mate, the one precious gift I was forced to give up. All I could think of as they finally came apart was: it was supposed to be me.

Blood rose to the surface of the bruised flesh and I blew on it, wincing when it stung like a bitch. Normally for a werewolf, open wounds sealed up in less than a minute but two had passed and I could still feel the pinching pain. Not only had I been forced to give up my mate by my imposing father but as a result of my agreement, my inner wolf, Bly had been muted and with it went my supernatural abilities. The day I felt her silence, it was like my soul had walked out the door.

Our wolves were an important part of us and without them, we were mere shadows of ourselves. She was still there inside me but could have no real connection with me. Bly might be wild but she was mine, all I had and I needed her to be whole. The only way I could get her back was a rare but ridiculous solution: a second chance mate. Like I was ever getting another one after my beastly wolf had successfully driven away the first one.

Still feeling wronged and in despair, I knocked over a pot of white lilies on my way out unintentionally and stooped low to put them arrange them back in the ceramic pot. Just then, I heard the swish of curtains closing and I turned around towards the line of suites for special guests. Alpha Keller had used his influence to invite as many important people as possible and renovated some old buildings into temporary suites. They had previously been slave quarters some centuries back but I heard it now boasted of modern facilities and equipments.

Clearly, whomever was behind the curtains had been spying on me without my knowing it. Weird. I arose, moving with purpose to a nearby bin. Uncovering the bin, an impatient bark snarled at me followed by a leap out of the uncomfortable container.

Drew! I yelped, amused yet taken by surprise. The displeased ball of fur let out another bark of relief to see me and proceeded to lick the sweat off my face. Strange that the only one ever excited to see me was a terrier. Drew was also the only creature I loved unconditionally, second only to Alpha Wren. Sometimes, when the pain got too much, when my father’s harsh words kept me awake at night, I would sneak out my small whittling knife and thought of just ending it all.

My death would do my father, for one, a lot of good. Goddess knows, he sought ways each day to finally get rid of me. His current plan was to push me onto one of the older wolves, anyone too sex crazed to notice that I was nothing special. Ansley would no longer have to pretend she was guilty for stealing my mate and soon, they would all forget about me. My mother was a neutral individual and was neither for nor against my happiness.

Drew nuzzled his head under my chin, sharing in my pain. He had been a gift from my Grandma Gina. Drew had been one of the pups birthed by her bitch, Esme. She was long gone but I missed her terribly, the only one ever in my corner. Whenever I closed my eyes, the memory of Ansley looking beautiful in white and Wren utterly handsome in his dove grey tuxedo reminded me why I couldn’t kill myself and let them be happy. Besides, Grandma had made me promise to always take good care of Drew.

No, I won’t think of suicide anymore, I said to Drew, convinced that he could understand me. I scooped him under my arm and gave the hall one last look.

I couldn't die while there was still a chance. All I had to do was find my second chance mate and get my wolf back. How hard could it be?

CHAPTER 2 - RED STREAKS

RHYS

I can’t believe you came all this way to attend this wedding and you plan to spend your time here,

Mars, my annoying yet loyal Beta nagged me as soon as we got out of the sun. ‘Here’ was a modern private suite put together just for me by the Alpha of Clawride Pack. It was not as furnished as any suite back in my pack but still comfortable. Smooth crafted wooden chairs were arranged next to an antique drawer and a wide bed took up most of the space in the room.

My pack, Plum Paradise, was the biggest and the richest in the country. That in turn made me the supreme head, the Alpha King and the other packs paid their respects to me. Constantly, packs sought out help in fighting wars and protecting their territories. It was a huge responsibility which rested solely on my shoulders, nothing I couldn’t handle, of course.

I can’t believe I came all this way to attend this wedding. Period. I retorted, examining the room I would be staying in for at least a day. How Mars and Matilda, my old caregiver had managed to convince me to even leave my room for this wedding was still a miracle to me.

Alpha, this is for your own good. Clawride Pack is known for their beautiful and fertile women. We might be lucky to find a solution to your… condition here. Don’t give up hope yet. I haven’t and neither has Matilda.

I paced the room, looking for what to do with my hands and tried not to lose my temper. It was an embarrassing truth but the fact was that I had never gotten hard before, as in, never ever. My pack was filled with beautiful females of various sizes but none of them had ever gotten me sexually excited enough to have an erection. It was distressing, the one flaw in me that was too big for me to overlook.

Tilly, as I fondly called my old caregiver, partnered with Mars had searched for numerous concoctions, potions, anything to help but it was hopeless. I could not be fixed and no matter how hard I tried to act like it didn’t matter, it ate me up from the inside, making me doubt myself. How could I possibly be a man if I could not perform the basic intimate task required from all men?

I really think you should come. You should get to know the people who pay homage to you. The fight was out of his voice, his tiredness now obvious from his slumped shoulders.

I kicked my shoes off my feet and attacked my bowtie. You and I know that Keller did not invite me to his son’s wedding because he and I are best friends. He is merely trying to win my favour or to prove to his guests that he has connections in high places. Don’t be fooled by this cheap establishment.

Mars opened his mouth to protest but I held up a finger to shut him up. Mars was my Beta and also the closest thing I had to a friend. However, he knew his place and never disrespected me, despite all the weird things I made him do for me. Since I could not satisfy them, Mars slept with my mistresses on my behalf, keeping them blindfolded and ignorant. That way, my secret remained safe from the world.

My feet took me to a tall, vertical mirror standing beside a window. I was wearing an old navy blue suit with white pearl buttons that Tilly said had belonged to my father, the former Alpha King, a great man who had died from heartbreak. It was sad that something as small as that had defeated a warrior like him.

I was only twelve then when I returned from a fishing trip with friends only to find my mother in the arms of another man. My mother, Serena was without doubt a very attractive woman and many said she was a replica of the Moon Goddess. She was also adventurous and confident and added to the fact that they were mates, Father had fallen helplessly in love with her. Nevertheless, his love for her had become a weakness and eventually, his downfall.

The day I saw her moaning in pleasure, pleasure derived from a man that wasn’t my father was the day my hatred for women was born. Women were manipulative creatures, weaving their charms around you until you became their slave. They made you feel special and then stabbed you in the back. My fists formed balls of fury as I remembered how my father had died alone and it was a reminder to me to never let any woman get to me. I had carved out my heart and buried it with my father, determined to never die the way he had: broken and less than a man.

Okay. If you won’t come to the wedding hall with me, at least, promise me you would take your concoction.

Don’t you know when to give up, Mars? Nothing ever works! Not now, not a change of environment, not even your silly potions can help me. I have kept countless mistresses, sexy women have offered me their bodies yet nothing! I only agreed to come here so I could have some rest. Go have fun and leave me alone!

I watched him through the mirror, his lips in a thin line. At last, he removed our overnight bags from the chairs and took them to a closet. He arranged my nightwear on the bed, kicked my shoes under the bed, working in silence. Immediately he slammed the door behind him, I sighed from the depths of my troubled soul, my huge shoulders slumped in defeat. My head ached from where my long hair was bound by a string. I tugged at it roughly and my hair fell onto my shoulders, heavy and as dark as midnight.

My reflection stared back at me as I undid the first two buttons on my shirt. Old scars and heavy tattoos decorated my chest, each one having its own significance. No one had seen my face, no one knew what I looked like except Tilly and Mars and I hoped for it to remain that way. My pack members made up for their lack of knowledge about their Alpha by spreading rumours about me. I heard most of the rumours from Mars, not that I really cared about the gossips.

Some said my eyes were cold enough to freeze hell over. I agreed that my eyes were a bit odd. Not many people had amethyst eyes, that I knew of. They said the reason I hid within the walls of my palace was probably because I had an awful scar or I was a flesh eating monster. The rumours were endless and some were wilder than the other.

I wasn’t bothered by the rumours, anyways. I was more concerned about fixing myself. If there was no solution, I would never feel the warm body of a woman underneath me. I would never taste the pleasure, the sheer pleasure of having a woman at my mercy. I would never be complete. It was a fear that consumed me and the thought of it made me crazy. Emotions had no meaning to me and I could not imagine myself obsessing over a woman but it was like there was something out there that I was missing out on.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside the window. Taking two steps to the left, I saw a young woman bent over a pot of flowers. She was dressed in simple clothes, and her blonde hair had red streaks in it. Her lower lip was caught in between her teeth as she put the flowers back in place, focused on her task. Once she was done, she ran her tongue over her lips and I imagined myself biting down on that full lower lip. She stopped for a second and raised her head and as if planned, our eyes met. A heated sensation ran down my back and I gasped softly in shock.

Forest green eyes clashed with mine and acting on impulse, I pulled the curtains close. My hands were shaking for no reason and I felt excitement in my belly. Who was she and why did she have such an effect on me? I gripped the window bars so hard that they squeaked. Blaming the stress from the long journey, I finished undressing myself and slipped into the bathroom to steam off. As water spilled onto my face, I closed my eyes and my mind brought up her image again. Her lips, her eyes, her hair like fire burning a wheat farm, all in my head. Goddess, who was that woman?

CHAPTER 3 - THE KISS

VENUS

The wedding banquet had begun and I could hear the pleasant music from where I sat on the pavement. My shawl was back on my head, protecting my identity. Ansley was there, living the life initially meant for me, being the Luna instead of me. I had to go home before Father found me around the premises. Wedding or no wedding, he would not delay in punishing me. In the past, he had proved on countless occasions how little he cared for me.

After my first shift at thirteen, Father had locked me up in my room, forbidding my siblings from going to see me. He did not fail to tell me how much I had embarrassed him, cursing the day I was born and I was ordered by the Alpha never ever to shift again.

Locked indoors without any hope of getting out, my love for books grew and I read anything I could lay my hands on. I wrote a poem for my Father’s fiftieth birthday but he burnt it over