Her Alpha King: A Royal Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance (Royally Mated Book 2)

by Bianca Cole

  She smiles sadly. “You didn’t have to quit college, did you?”

  “Not exactly, I postponed my final year. The college were very understanding about my situation and allowed me to put off my final year until I have the money for it. I’m still working toward that.” I shrug, as if it’s no big deal. It’s not, but it has been hard, trying to feed myself and save enough to pay my last year at college has sucked.

  “I tried to escape this godforsaken place so many times and failed. In the end, I gave up and resigned myself to this fate.” Tears fill my mom’s eyes. “There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of you.” She wipes a stray tear from under her eye.

  I feel the emotion claw at my throat as she pulls me into her. “I missed you, mom.” I start crying, tears spilling down my cheeks as I hug her tightly.

  It’s hard to believe after grieving her loss, all this time she’s been alive. The happiness is beyond anything I’ve felt before, but it’s tainted with deep grief over Rhys. I don’t know if he is okay. I don’t know if he will survive.

  Fate might be playing a cruel game on me. My mom is alive, but Rhys is dying. Have I been reunited with someone I love, only to lose another?

  I tense as that thought passes through me. I only met Rhys less than two weeks ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago. The fact I love him so soon after meeting him is ridiculous, but it’s true. This love I feel for him is as real as any, as deep as any. It has changed me in ways I can hardly comprehend.

  All I can hope is that Rhys has had a chance to heal and can defeat my father, but it’s a long shot. I feel pathetic as I throw myself onto the bed, knowing I can do nothing to help him.

  19

  Rhys

  Pain ricochets through me where Landon struck me. The asshole is using black magic, and I don’t know how. Only witches should be able to harness magic, other than fae, but that’s a different type of power altogether.

  What kind of shit is he pulling?

  It’s dark, that’s something I’m sure of, but there must be a source of it. A trinket he is wearing or carrying, as human flesh isn’t strong enough to hold the power Landon hit me with.

  “Rhys, are you okay?” Karl asks, holding out a hand for me to take.

  I grab it and let him help me to my feet. “I feel like shit.” I glance around. “Where is Anastasia?”

  The look on his face tells me all I need to know. “He took her.” He nods toward a door. “That way.”

  I grab his shoulder. “I need as much help as I can get to stop this bastard. Are you with me?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “Count me in too,” Hugh says, approaching with his head slightly bowed.

  I raise a brow. “Really? Can I count on you?”

  He meets my gaze. “Certainly. I will fight to get your mate back. She saved my life the other night.”

  He’s right. I’m glad he is aware of the amount he owes to Anastasia.

  “Right, let’s go and find her.”

  I head the way Karl signaled, blood pumping through my veins. If this whole ordeal has taught me anything, it’s that I’ve weakened. The only way to restore the strength and power to my pack is to claim my right to rule. The Verne’s will once again sit on the shifter throne in Houston, Texas, the shifters’ original territory.

  First, I need to get my mate back from her crazy, voodoo loving father.

  I use my scent to guide me, but I can’t smell Anastasia. All I can scent is her filthy father. He makes my stomach churn with his putrid, dark scent. I follow it, getting closer and closer with every step.

  All the while, I’m aware of the threat he poses, despite the fact he’s human. Suddenly, the witch who fled earlier appears in front of me. I growl, feeling my wolf ready to break free again.

  She holds her hands up. “I mean you no harm.”

  “Bullshit, you tried to kill me.”

  She smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yes, I did, but that was before I realized the truth of your destiny.”

  I narrow my eyes at her. “What do you mean?”

  She shakes her head. “It’s something you will learn by yourself with time, but I can help you defeat him.”

  I don’t trust this witch. Her stench is dark too, and I don’t trust magic as dark as she practices. “Why should I trust you?”

  She moves closer. “Isn’t it bothering you how a human used magic against you?” She smirks. “He has an arcane relic in his pocket, blessed with dark magic. I summoned it, but I can take it away just as easily.” She clicks her fingers.

  “What do you want in return?”

  She shakes her head. “Nothing, only immunity. I don’t want you or your wolves tracking me down ever.”

  It seems like a fair trade, and I can’t deny that I need the witch. Wolf shifters may be strong, but we are nothing against magic.

  “I don’t trust her,” Karl snarls.

  “Shut it,” I say, glaring at him. “Fine, I accept. You help me, and we won’t ever attack you, so long as I control the shifters of North America, you will have immunity. Tell me your name, witch.”

  She smiles. “Perfect, my name is Seraphina.” She clicks her fingers. “Follow me.”

  Karl gives me a concerned look as she waltzes off down the corridor as if she won the damn lottery. I can’t deny that a part of me is uncertain about trusting her, but we don’t have a better plan. There’s nothing more we can do, but I hope she is true to her word.

  Landon’s scent gets stronger as she weaves her way through the endless corridors of the city hall. This place is too large for my liking, and once I take control back, it will change.

  Why does anyone need so many rooms in a city hall anyway?

  The witch stops suddenly, holding a hand up. “I must not be seen at first. Landon isn’t stupid. Distract him until I get the chance to act.”

  I nod but don’t have a chance to reply as she disappears like a wisp of smoke. “Prepare yourself,” I growl, feeling my wolf break free. I howl as I turn, feeling my bones morphing into the wolf. My two pack members shift too, as Landon comes around the corner.

  He smirks. “Perfect, I hoped you’d follow me, Rhys.”

  I can feel my wolf’s rage spiking out of control as I try to hold him back from tearing him apart. “Where is she?” I growl.

  He laughs. “Somewhere no one will ever find her, not even you, Rhys.”

  I growl, knowing that I won’t be able to hold myself off long. That witch better act quickly or I will end up snapping. “How could you be so cold to your daughter?” It’s what makes me hate him more than I ever did before.

  When he was just the guy I used to pick on at school, I had some sympathy for him. He’d had it tough growing up with jocks like me pushing him about.

  The moment I realized how much he had neglected his daughter, my mate, a dislike turned quickly to pure hatred. A hatred so deep there was no chance I was going to control it, no matter what I did.

  “She is unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and so was her mother. I won’t hurt them, since they are my family, but I will make sure they never see the light of day again.” He shakes his head. “I can’t have them meddling with my plans. Women should be locked away as they are too emotional.”

  I stare at him, trying to process what he said. Anastasia told me about her mother. She told me they found her ripped apart by shifters, which had surprised me since we are the only pack for miles. If a human had been murdered by one of us, I would have heard about it.

  “Her mother is alive?”

  He nods his head. “Of course, I’m not a monster like you, Rhys.”

  I notice a wisp of smoke to the left of Landon’s face. The witch. I keep my eyes off of her, making sure not to alert him to her presence. She needs to get that damn relic to ensure he can’t fight back.

  “I’m no monster, you are,” I growl, keeping my eyes fixed on his. “You abandoned your daughter, and you staged her mother’s death. I w
ould never hurt my mate the way you have hurt your family.”

  He steps forward. “I’m disgusted that my daughter mated to you, a man old enough to be her father. How could you take advantage of a young, innocent woman in that way?” He holds his hands up, ready to hit me again with another blast.

  I smirk, as Seraphina holds up a small, ancient trinket—obviously the relic.

  “Don’t think that’s going to work this time, Landon.”

  He glares at me before noticing Seraphina. “Traitor,” he growls, launching himself toward her.

  She stops him dead with her magic, literally turning him into stone. “That was easier than I expected.” The smile leaves her face. “I wanted to toy with him a bit longer. Maybe I should turn him back—”

  “Wait, you certainly should turn him back, and we will all have our revenge on him, but first, can you help me find Anastasia.” I glance at the stone statue of Landon in front of me. “She will want to witness this, I’m sure.”

  “Fair enough, I’ll take you to her.” She turns and heads the way Landon came.

  I follow, desperate to be reunited with my mate. It’s about time I told her the truth. It’s about time I told her I love her.

  The only complication will be Thera Carmichael, my once best friend, and mother to my mate. I’m thankful she is alive for Anastasia’s sake, but I don’t know if she will accept me as her daughter’s partner. I am the same age as her, and we went to the same high school.

  “Quit your worrying, shifter, she’s your mate.” Seraphina glances back at me. “No one is going to stand in your way.”

  Wow, is that how that feels? I regret revealing the fact I can read Anastasia’s mind at times, as it is an invasion of privacy. “Keep out of my mind, please.”

  She smiles and nods. “As you wish.”

  We continue in silence until we get to a door at the end of a corridor. Seraphina turns to face me. “They are in there.” She waves her hand over the lock, and it clicks open, making my heart pound against my rib cage.

  I can’t wait to be reunited with my mate, but I’m worried about Thera’s reaction. She was one of the ones that pulled away, mainly because her parents forced her too. It wasn’t long until I heard she was dating Landon.

  “I’ll be on my way, but remember your promise to me, shifter.”

  I bow my head. “Of course, you will remain under my protection, Seraphina. Your help here today won’t be forgotten.”

  She disappears in a wisp of smoke, leaving me staring at the door.

  I step forward and set my hand on the doorknob, pulling it open.

  Anastasia jumps to her feet, a smile creeping onto her lips as she realizes it’s me. “Rhys,” she calls my name, rushing toward me.

  I wrap my arms around her and lift her off the floor, pressing my lips to hers. We were separated for such a short time, but it was too long. Any time away from her is too long.

  Thera clears her throat behind us, reminding me that I’ve got to face her. I set her daughter down and glance at my old friend. “It’s great to see you again, Thera.”

  She stares at me for a moment, eyes moving between her daughter and me. “It’s good to see you too.” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you are my daughter’s mate.”

  “Pretty crazy, hey?”

  She nods and then walks toward us.

  I watch as she takes her daughter’s hand and brings it to her mouth, kissing her fingers. “I’ll give you two sometime alone. We’ve still got loads to catch up on, but that can wait.”

  Anastasia smiles. “Thanks, mom.”

  She walks out of the door, and tears are brimming in my mate’s eyes. “I can’t believe she’s alive. Am I dreaming?”

  I cup her cheeks in my hands. “No, it’s real, princess. Your mom is alive, and I’ve got your dad caged in the same cage he trapped me in.” I press my lips to hers. “We will get justice for all he has done to you and your mom.”

  She steps back, staring at me with a look I can’t quite understand. The hurt in her eyes makes my heart ache. “What’s wrong?”

  She shakes her head. “I thought I was going to lose you forever.” Tears run down her cheeks.

  I can understand why she says that, it was close. Landon had more power than I’d ever anticipated, and I promised her she’d never lose me. I know the words I should have told her that day. The words I almost never got to say to her.

  “I love you, Anastasia,” I say, the words choked by emotion. “I love you so much, and I should have said it back in the garden. I just...” I can’t explain why I didn’t. A life of hiding your emotions can make you too hardened to speak them out loud.

  “I love you too,” she says, launching herself back into my arms. I hold her, hugging her tightly to me.

  I never knew it was possible to cherish another being the way I cherish her. She is more precious than anything to me in this world. “I promise to protect you, princess, forever.”

  She nuzzles her face into my neck, breathing deeply. “I don’t need protecting, Rhys, I just need you.”

  I pull back and press my lips to hers, kissing her deeply. This woman is my everything—my world. I can’t wait for her to have my pups and to raise a family with her. That’s my first port of call.

  I want to marry her today. We can’t waste another moment. Life is too fragile, too short. I’m going to embrace everything I’ve got like it’s my last fucking day on this earth.

  20

  Anastasia

  My mind is running at one hundred miles an hour as I stare at the blue cross in the middle of the test. My period was supposed to come three days ago, so I knew something was wrong.

  While in New York City, I managed to slip across the road into a drug store, while my father was being processed into a high secure jail, and buy a few tests.

  Rhys has no idea. It's been an hour since he left for the urgent pack meeting to brief them on what happened. I wanted to attend with him, but it seems bullshit male dominance plays a massive role when it comes to packs and their leadership.

  Rhys insists that I'm his equal to him, but it doesn't feel that way.

  It feels like women get the short end of the stick in shifter packs. I'd love to be able to change that someday, but for now, the pack is getting used to their alpha having a human as a mate.

  Since he left, I've done three early pregnancy tests. All of them show the same result. I'm pregnant. Rhys's child is growing inside of me.

  A part of me is freaking out, but another part of me is strangely happy about it. I want to run and tell him in the middle of the meeting. I want to shout it to the world.

  There's no way I can rock the boat any more than I already have—not yet anyway. I've got a feeling running into a pack meeting and declaring that I'm pregnant isn't a good idea. I set the test down next to the other two on the sink counter and head back into the bedroom.

  My mind and emotions are playing havoc with me as I flop onto the bed, face planting the pillow.

  I wanted my mom to come back with us, but she insisted she will visit in the morning. She was desperate to get home and try to clear her head. I really could do with her support right about now.

  How the hell were we so reckless?

  For two weeks, we've been at it like rabbits with no protection. It was stupid.

  I roll over and glance at the photo by the side of the bed—Rhys's mom and dad. They look like a lovely couple, and Rhys has his dad's eyes. They could be twins. Anytime I've tried to speak to him about them since he first told me, he shuts me down.

  Shifters don't seem to do well with emotion. It took Rhys a while to admit his feelings for me, even though deep down, I knew. When he spoke those words to me, everything fell into place. Our bond feels stronger for it.

  The door opens downstairs, and I jump to my feet, excited to see him again. It's ridiculous. He only left about half an hour ago, if that, and I'm desperate to see him. Then, panic hits, as I remember what is sitting on the s
ink counter in the bathroom. I'm going to have to tell him what happened. I'm going to have to tell him I'm pregnant.

  Rhys bounds up the stairs before I make it to the door. His speed is difficult to get used to at times. He throws open the door and smiles. “Miss me?”

  I launch myself at him, kissing him with all the emotion I can. “Too much.” I sigh. “I wish you would let me come to the meetings.”

  He sets me down on the floor. “Maybe someday. For now, we need to give the pack time to warm up to you.”

  I set my hands on my hips. “Fine, but are you going to fill me in on what happened.”

  He laughs and nods toward the bed. “Take a seat.”

  I walk toward the bed and sit down. Rhys looks nervous as he steps closer. “Well, there was one crucial matter the pack discussed today.” He sets his hands behind his back and I've never seen him more vulnerable than he looks right now. “They've agreed to my proposal.”

  “What proposal?”

  He gets down on one knee, and my heart stops beating. “This one.” He pulls out a small, velvet box and reveals a simple, solitaire engagement ring. “I want you to marry me, Anastasia.” He shakes his head. “It's not exactly standard for mates to marry in the shifter world, but I want to uphold some human traditions, particularly as I want to unite our people.”

  I can hardly think, let alone speak, as I stare at him. Get married. That's one thing I never expected to do. Especially not after my parents' disastrous marriage.

  “What do you say? Will you marry me?”

  I shake my head, and the look on his face breaks my heart. “I-I don't know.”

  “That's not the reaction I was expecting…” He lowers the box and flips the lid back over.

  “It's not that I don't want to marry you, Rhys.”

  His blue eyes snap up to meet mine. “What is the problem, then?”