The Alpha King's Heart - Chapter #4 - Free To Read

The Alpha King circled me, and I shivered when I felt his nose on my skin. He was inhaling my scent like it was a drug he was addicted to. His finger reached under my chin and tilted my head up. His eyes showed shock, and I could tell he was startled but kept his composure.

"What's your name?" his voice remained calm.

"A- Adira, Adira Wade," I stammered, my heart still pounding in my chest, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"You're extremely gorgeous, really beautiful," he said. My cheeks flushed. I had never thought of myself as extremely beautiful as he put it; I felt ordinary. I was thin and not curvy like other girls. His fingers caressed my cheek.

"Why haven't you shifted yet?"

"I- I don't know, sir," my voice sounded alien to my ears. Most of my peers had shifted at age eighteen, but I didn't.

"How old are you, Adira?" My heartbeat was irregular, and I loved how my name sounded on his lips.

"Twenty years old," I murmured, my voice so low, but he heard it.

"Are you scared of me?" He asked. I didn't answer his question. Who wouldn't be scared of this dominating figure? He had a fearful reputation, and I was still stunned by this information. He sighed and went back to his seat, then called me to the high table. He frowned when I hesitated, and he growled, making everyone uneasy with his dark aura. I didn't want to anger him, so I approached slowly. Surprisingly, he pulled me onto his lap and placed a kiss on my shoulder.

The crowd was shocked, and my gaze remained lowered to the ground. I heard his cold voice, "It's rude to cast your gaze down in front of so many people. Face your subjects, my Queen."

My gaze first went to my Alpha and Beta; their gaze was icy, making me feel like I had done something wrong. Grayson was livid, gripping a table knife so tightly that his hand turned white, and the Steven girls looked terrified. I smirked inwardly. I was the Alpha king's mate, and no one could treat me like that again, at least not these incompetent individuals. The party continued with just one hand gesture from the king, and the drop-dead silence was filled with chattering.

"Tell me about yourself, mate," he asked.

"There's nothing to tell, my king," I replied.

"There's always something..."

I'm an orphan, and I went to community college. I have a diploma in teaching, and I'm a pack fighter. I used to help train the young ones," I tried to make my words clear and loud for him to hear. I was still frightened of him.

"That's impressive. Do you have any relatives?" he asked, and I nodded.

"I have a brother, Lucas. He's twelve years old, and I'm the one taking care of him," I told him. Lucas was my cousin, but his mother died in childbirth, so my parents adopted him since we didn't know his real father's identity. He urged me to eat, and only then did I realize I hadn't eaten since last night. I picked up the closest fruit in front of me, a pear, which happened to be my favorite. I took a bite of it while he watched me. I wanted so much to get off his lap; it was so embarrassing in front of everyone, but his hold around me made it clear he wouldn't let me get up.

"What is your name?" I asked, and he chuckled.

"I'm Wyatt McMillan." His name was nice and suited him. His fingers gently caressed my arm, helping me feel at ease.

'Is he our mate?' I asked my inner wolf, Kira. She was also confused as we had not shifted yet, and we could only truly know for sure when I shifted for the first time.

'Let's wait for the Blue Moon, but I can feel the faint sparks.' The Blue Moon is when shifters find their fated mate.

'Yeah, me too.'

The party continued, and I was tired; at this point, I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I leaned against him as darkness enveloped me.