The Alpha King's Claim novel Chapter 25

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 25 by desirenovel

Aero

Hale couldn’t be more predictable. He stayed hidden in the shadows as if I couldn’t sense where he was, but I did. Clearly, I could see him leaning against a column in the second floor, just near the grand stairs, looking down at me in that sickening vampire red eyes.

He was condemning my attitude, huh. Like I cared pleasantries.

“Would you rather I bring my army instead?” I threatened, my voice cool and composed but filled with a promise of disaster. “I could smell my wife’s blood on you. What have you done to her?”

Again, my wolf clawed inside me, trying to surface and control our conversation. It was feeling restless at the smell of her against his skin. It didn’t like it. My lycan side didn’t like it. And as crazy as it sounded, I didn’t like it.

Just what the fuck had he done to her?

With utter difficulty, I kept my wolf in a tight leash. It howled and clawed, trashed, and snarled inside me, disliking my delaying to shift. My lycan side joined in the picture and growled at me, ‘Let’s kill the blood-sucker,’ it said.

I was tempted to do so but in the end, I restrained my wolf and kept it contained inside me. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind I’d enjoy ripping this vampire’s throat apart, but for now, I behaved. I still need to know where he kept her. From the stinking blood everywhere in this castle, it was hard to trace the woman’s scent apart from what I could already smell from Hale. He was nearest me after all.

“No need to worry, Aero. Your beautiful wife is fine. Still warm and alive despite what happened earlier,” he voiced out, the words reverberating in my mind.

“Expound,” I growled, the thought of him possibly sucking her blood just didn’t sit well with me.

Seconds later, Hale’s full frame emerged from the spot I had determined earlier. His eyes were still trained on me and mine on him. He looked the same as he did when we last saw each other a decade ago, plus a new set of clothes. I scoffed when I saw his infamous cape behind him. He was always the guy who wears this outrageous accessory.

“There was an incident you see,” he started. “Honestly, you could have prevented it from happening if you came here early.”

I read the fine print in his words and saw that he was questioning my lateness. It would have been easy to explain my side, but I wasn’t a person who liked to explain.

“Quit it with your puzzles, Hale,” I growled. “Where is she and what happened to her?”

He tipped his head up, pointing to a hallway on the second floor.

“Follow me.”

Elijah and I exchanged glances.

‘I got your back, brother,’ he mind-linked.

‘We will be ready for whatever surprise he had in store for us,’ I replied.

After releasing a deep breath, I climbed up the grand stairs with Elijah behind me. Hale was already a couple of paces away, so we hurried our steps to reach him. If I knew already where she was, I would have transported myself there. However, vampire lairs, especially this one, have certain enchantments that prevent that.

Hale proceeded to guide us to a particular room at the end of the hallway. As usual, the extravagances of a vampire was evident when we entered the said room’s living space. Don’t get me wrong. I love fine things too, but this one was just too much to handle. Too red and too dark for my taste.

“Queen Serena is just behind that door,” Hale informed, gesturing for a female servant to open the portal for us. She had blonde hair, fair skin, and reeking of the smell of human blood. It seemed that this woman here hasn’t been bitten by her master yet.

As she opened the door, I watched a flicker of worry in her eyes for the person lying on the bed. I stared at that same person and realized it was Serena; a bit pale, under deep sleep, and with small laceration wounds on her cheeks and forehead.

My wolf immediately howled. Feeling the sudden worry and pain, I spun around, faced Hale again, and in a flash, my semi-transformed hand was around his neck.

“What had you done to her!” I growled.

Elijah shouted in my mind, ‘Brother no! You’ll risk war!’

‘Fuck it!’ I shouted without thinking.

“My apologies, Lord Hale!” Elijah quickly knelt on one knee beside us, “We could smell the Queen’s blood on you. We couldn’t avoid thinking you had bitten her.”

“I did not,” Hale managed to say despite my tight grip on his throat. His eyes were bloodshot staring at me, but I could see he was telling the truth.

Not a second more, I released him and he struggled for a moment to keep his balance.

“I…” he cleared his throat, no doubt feeling the tightness of my grip, and then went on, “saved her from an attack of one of my subjects who held an undying grudge on you.” He highlighted my involvement without hesitation.

I didn’t take offense but I was thoroughly curious.

“Undying grudge on me?” I worded, my anger still simmering on the surface.

“Upon further questioning of the vampire, he said the dead female vampire you dump on Kerus’s lair decades ago was his betrothed. He claimed you killed her.”

“I did not,” was my fast reply. Funny how this word became overused in a matter of seconds. “I won’t waste my time on trivial things, but I had the decency to personally deliver the dead body on Kerus so I may also reprimand him on his leniency over your realm.”

“Hm, I figured as much,” Hale remarked. “But this vampire is dead-set on killing your queen as payment.”

I snarled. Just the thought of that woman’s lifeless body gave me a twisted stomach. Heck, I hated it.

“You do realize I will have to bring that vampire in my kingdom and charge him with treason and a sentence of death for attacking my wife.”

There was not a hint of emotion on Hale’s face when he just simply answered, “Do what you see fit, but I will have to give you his dead body instead. He broke my house rule first and had to suffer my wrath.”

I was aware this dark lord was merciless, but for him to beat me from the pleasure of having to punish the said vampire left a bad taste in my mouth. I could have done better in tormenting this shitty vampire for attacking my woma…er…that woman.

And speaking of which, I turned to look at her again and after a really long, really deep breath, I neared the bed.

The blonde woman was just silent, taking all of the scenes in, but I sensed she was nervous and curious.

Elijah behind me was the same and surprisingly, I sensed him to be quite aroused by the presence of the blonde. This was the usual occurrence whenever he was nearby the opposite sex, but somehow, it was more potent.

“I’ll take her with me,” was my announcement, aiming for my fake wife.

“And I’ll take her with us,” was Elijah’s immediate addition, no doubt aiming for the blonde.

Hale and I both stared at him.

“For the Queen. She needs special attention. I hear humans are good in caring the sick,” he reasoned and quite smooth at that.

Looking at the dark lord, he didn’t seem to catch the hint, or if he did, he cared less.

“I want to go too!” Then the blonde exclaimed, clasping her hands against her chest. “Please!”

She looked at me, then to Elijah, then to Hale, her eyes now brimming with tears. She was desperate.

“If you take her, I’ll expect some kind of payment…” Hale insinuated.

“Name it and we’ll be even,” was Elijah’s quick words.

I brought my brow up. The hell he…

As my royal adviser, he had every right to undergo business on my behalf but with me present? He wasn’t supposed to. I sensed it was all because of this human female near him.

Arhg fuck. Now his penis was doing the talking.

“I’ll claim the payment in a different time,” Hale expressed, smirking. “For now, your main concern is the queen.”

He neared the bed too, closer than I could, and even went as far as to grab her limp hand and caressed it with his thumb. “Though Queen Serena hadn’t lost that much blood from her wounds, she hit her head on the floor. She could have concussed.”

“My healers will give her the best medical attention,” I exclaimed, moving closer to her on the other side of the bed. My eyes gave his hand a sharp glare, not at all hiding my apparent…dislike on the contact of their skin.

Hale must have sensed it because he at first chuckled, released her hand, and then stepped back. “I have great faith your healers will, King Aero. It was a pleasure to be graced by your…very special…queen even for just a short amount of time.”

“I doubt she feels the same way on your realm, Lord Hale,” I lashed. Being honest wasn’t necessary when clearly being attacked and threatened wouldn’t make for a good memory of his realm.

“Understandably acceptable,” he grinned.

Acting like a worried husband still, I swooped in and wrapped my arms around her. Then, in just a blink of an eye, I was back in my castle with her with me. Elijah was left on the vampire realm with the blonde. I wasn’t concerned about him. He could easily find a way back to our realm.

Conveniently, the place I transported us two was in my chamber. Despite disliking it, I had to place her here to continue our ruse. My council still thought we were on our honeymoon after all.

‘William, get the best healers in the kingdom stat,’ I mind-linked at my beta whilst arranging her on my bed.

‘As you command, Your Majesty,’ he quickly replied.