The Alpha King's Claim novel Chapter 22

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 22 by desirenovel

Aero

The travel to the Kingdom of Viacronis was smooth, fast, and uneventful. Nothing beats me entering their realm dressed in Phanteon’s official royal uniform and crest. These items spoke of my stature. No questions would be asked whenever I come and visit a realm wearing these. The guardians would always think it was for business purposes. And I want them to think of it that way. I didn’t want them to know I came to the vampire realm for a woman.

Half an hour earlier while I was changing into my royal uniform, Elijah couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“No, don’t even think about it,” he said, frowning. He was supposed to leave my room while I changed, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept a close watch on me likely afraid I might run the other way and abandon her.

“What?” I asked as I slipped into my trousers.

“I know what you’re thinking, brother, but it won’t happen. Whether you like it or not, we are going to Viacronis to get the queen.”

“How about you get her instead?” I suggested, my face lacking any picture of concern. “Why must I go there too?”

He hissed loudly and shook his head. “You of all people exactly know why. Not only because you are the King of Phanteon but you are also her husband!”

“Tsk, the marriage was staged,” I huffed. “There was nothing real to it except for this fucking mark so I think you using the word ‘husband’ is premature.”

“Urghhh,” he massaged his forehead, no doubt losing his patience, “just…change and fast. If we’re lucky, she won’t end up as Hale’s dinner.”

At the mention of the vampire lord’s name, my lycan side growled. The fuck…of all the vampires to purchase her, must it be the dark lord himself?

Learning of Hale’s involvement in this situation, I was beginning to think my ‘unfinished business’ alibi was actually turning into a valid reason.

Zuir Hale Lioncourt had always been shrouded with mystery. Nobody could decipher him. Nobody could read his thoughts. In the many inter-realm meetings of all the leaders, this vampire master was the most silent and secretive of all. Because of this, many had been wary of him, including me.

Nobody knew how he ruled his realm and not even a rumor about him has circulated. His subjects were privy to it and tight-lipped. Or…at least if there was, it hadn’t reached my ears.

We knew however about the human blood auction happening in his territory. The guardians, the other leaders and I kept a blind eye to it as long as it didn’t tip off the balance of the realms. Plus, the humans enslaved were quite happy and contented about serving such blood-sucking creatures.

But now, as thoughts of his fangs possibly sinking into that woman’s neck, my perspective has changed.

“Mine,” my wolf growled out again and again as Elijah and I hopped realms. It was behaving badly inside me. I tried to calm it down. I didn’t want to end up shifting in the vampire realm and risk creating a misunderstanding.

Vampires and werewolves have had a heated relationship in the past long before the realms were created. A werewolf’s presence inside a vampire realm would surely upset the carefully-erected truce and war might break out between the two realms.

Sure I’d love to exercise my battle prowess on some army of vampires, but I didn’t want that kind of headache for now. That woman’s unnecessary presence was already enough to occupy my time. Plus, for a war to actually break out between realms just because of a woman was absurd at best. I wasn’t that stupid. Let the vampires have her for all I care.

However, my beast side thought otherwise. It wanted the woman. It wanted to save her. I could feel the desire to rescue her stat.

“You know already how vampires have irresistible charms,” Elijah reminded me as we entered Hale’s castle made of mostly black marble. I hadn’t been in this area of the realm before, or more technically, I had stepped foot in this realm only twice.

The first was when I was a teen, holding the position of an apprentice. My father brought me to all the realms including Viacronis to learn more about it. Second was to personally visit its guardian, Kerus, when I became the official King of Phanteon, bringing one dead female vampire found in the outskirts of my territory. I left it to Kerus to fix the problem and shall we say, that case hadn’t been solved yet.

The vampires were a bunch of messed up creatures if you ask me.

“What’s your point for bringing that up?” I lashed at him, looking ahead on an enormous portal already opened to welcome us. Next to it was Hale’s well-known errand man, the butler.

It seemed like his master was already expecting us.

“Well nothing,” Elijah answered, catching my attention. He was grinning at me suspiciously. “I am just curious how you would react if you find out Serena’s been charmed by the Dark Lord.”

Despite my better judgment, I inwardly hissed upon hearing it. She could find a man whoever, whenever, and wherever for all I care, but why do I feel as if a part of me had just been pierced at the thought of her with another man?

Fuck. This must be the work of the Goddess’s mark. A month had past and I was yet to learn what this meant for me and for her. Unfortunately, after consulting Hindall again and all the seers of the other realms, no one could erase it from my wrist.

I was indefinitely bound to this mark by force. I hated it.

“If she did, then it only means she has a weak heart,” I smoothly changed the subject instead. “How shallow of her if she only sees a man in his physical appearance.”

“I heard Hale is a gentleman though.”

My brow quirked up briefly.

“And a smooth-talker. He is also good in bed.”

“Where did you say you heard these rumors again?” I growled at him, gradually feeling pissed.

“You forget, I have a lot of lady friends, brother,” he answered smugly. “They talk and you would be amazed how much intel you could gather in each of the realms from them.”

Displeasure was evident on my face upon hearing it.

“All the more reason why I steer clear of women. They don’t have any filters in their mouths.”

I hurried my steps, intent on ending our conversation that instant. When I reached the entrance portal, the butler lowered his head and gestured to the foyer.

“Your Majesty, King Aero, I would like to extend my master’s happiness to have you in his abode. I would be honored to lead you to his meeting room.”

“No, that’s not necessary,” I shook my head. “I’m sure he knows why we came here. I don’t want to waste my precious time, so release the wom—”

‘Brother,’ Elijah mind-linked me suddenly, ‘Call her by her name or refer to her as your queen wife. You know the consequence already if you won’t.’

I released a long, controlled sigh.

“I’m here for my…wife—the Queen of Phanteon. Send her out this instant,” I rephrased, putting careful consideration on the woman’s fake title.

“That’s not the proper way to behave in my territory, King Aero,” I suddenly heard Hale’s disembodied voice linger all over the foyer. It wouldn’t have been a big deal. However, I could scent the woman’s smell sticking on the dark lord.

Right away, my wolf senses reacted and went into overdrive.