Ch. 25：Sabrina's Secret

I hadn’t seen Killian since that night and even two days later, I still walked funny. He’d been too rough and at that time, I’d liked it enough to encourage it but now I was the one suffering the setback.
Sabrina gave me a back massage earlier today so I felt a bit better, or at least good enough to take a walk around the main palace. I’d be moving to the queen’s quarters soon as Killian already kicked Queen Cordelia out. Well, he sent her to a smaller palace at the back but it felt like she’d been kicked out.
Although I didn’t know the layout of the main palace, I still went out alone. I was about to give up my stroll after I got lost when I heard voices that made me pause. They were familiar voices. I recognised Sabrina’s soprano first and then Mary’s authoritative voice.
“Are you kidding me, Sabrina? Have you switched camp so soon?” Mary was saying, anger shimmering in her tone.
“N – No,” Sabrina sounded pathetic and when I peeped, I could see her head bowed as she kicked her feet. “But she’s – she’s so nice.” On instinct, I knew they were talking about me so I hid.
“Nice? Isn’t Miss Scarlett nice?” Mary demanded. “She is working hard to get your brother out of prison. Isn’t she nice enough!” Mary shouted.
“Y – Yes b – but – “
“But what?” The highhanded omega hissed. “Or do you want your brother to rut in prison for the rest of his life?”
“No!” Sabrina howled. “But Lady Amethyst is one of us.”
“She’s no lady!” Mary snapped. “She is just a village girl so don’t call her a lady. Didn’t the slave choker look fitting for her?”
I touched my neck and almost laughed. It pricked me how she fell to her knees that day to lie on my behalf but she’d been lying to me. I felt as if I had been cornered by the queen all of a sudden but it wasn’t just a feeling. She planned that little drama beforehand to force my hand.
The queen must have known that Scarlett had a spy around me. Of course, she knew. She was in cohorts with Scarlett. They sent Sabrina to me and she’d played me, knowing I would be forced to do her bidding if she threatened someone precious to me.
“Yes, she – But, Mary, don’t you think it would be good if someone like us becomes the queen? La – Amethyst is nice so she’ll definitely fight for us if she becomes the queen.”
“Will she get your brother out of prison?” Mary countered.
“No? But, maybe –“
I heard a sharp sound so I poked out my head to see that Mary had hit Sabrina across the face. The other girl clutched her cheek as she staggered.
“I knew you were stupid but I didn’t think you would be this stupid,” Mary sneered. “Miss Scarlett brought you to this palace from the trash you call a pack. She recommended you to the queen and this is how you want to repay her kindness? By choosing the side of her rival?”
“B –But Mary, she’s the King’s mate and he loves her. You’ve seen how – How His Majesty acts around her and I – I told you about the love bites on her skin–“
“Shut up,” Mary snapped. “Goddess, I should have given this task to Emma! At least that one has a better sense of loyalty than you ingrate.”
“I’m not an ingrate, I just –“
“I said shut up!” She roared, the sound ferocious enough to make me flinch. “Do you think the king can love a nobody like Amethyst?” She asked with a sneer in her tone. “If I didn’t like you, Sabrina, I would let you grab a rotten and then I would laugh when you fall but I won’t do that.” Mary’s tone became calm and condescending.
“What – what do you mean?” Sabrina got nervous.
“Since you can’t think, let me explain things to you.” I saw Mary pat Sabrina’s shoulder. “Scarlett is an Alpha she-wolf, the next Alpha of Dark Moon pack, the largest pack in the kingdom. The king is a bastard without any political support and thus no real power.” Oh, how she insulted Killian whose eyes she could never meet. “The king is infatuated with his supposed mate now but he needs a strong woman by his side and not a useless she-wolf. He knows that and that’s why she doesn’t wear his mark till now. Who do you think the strong woman would be when the time comes?” She asked in a falsely patient tone.
“Miss Scarlett?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes. You’re not as dumb as you look, after all.”
“But does the king really need any political supporter? Doesn’t he kill anyone who opposes him?” Sabrina asked innocently.
“Goddess, you’re stupid!” Mary screamed. “Do you seriously think the king can do away with Alpha Hawke!?”
“N – No?” Sabrina didn’t sound certain.
“HA! You are too dense! If you don’t want your brother to die in prison, you better do as Miss Scarlett asks. Watch her closely and report everything about her to us. Do you hear me?”
“Y – Yes –“
“Who are you eavesdropping on?” I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a voice in my ear and felt a breath on my skin.
“W – Don’t sneak up on me like that!” I exclaimed, clutching my chest as I turned to see Killian right behind me. When I straightened, my back brushed his front and my skin flushed.
Ignoring my body’s reaction to his, I peeped to see if the girls had found me out but they were done with their conversations and were walking away.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Killian as I turned back to him.
“You are forgetting I am the king.” His red eyes darkened and I swallowed. “Is there a place in this palace that I cannot enter?” I shook my head.
Arrogant bastard.
“I was told you had trouble moving about. You seem fine now.” His eyes trailed down my body and heat spread through me.
“Y – Yeah.” I fought not to duck my head.
“Hmm.” He hummed. “Walk with me.”
“I –“ I’d rather not. The refusal died on my tongue when he raised a brow as if daring me to refuse.
Time and time again, I had to remind myself that I was powerless against this man. He could do away with me if I proved too troublesome and I didn’t want to die until I repaid Noah in his own coin.
“Did you know you snore in your sleep?” He said with the same tone another man would use to discuss the weather.
“N – No.” I lowered my head as my eyes reddened.
“You do.” He made a sound of disapproval at the back of his throat.
“Sorry.” The apology came out sounding bitter. “I will be moving to the queen’s palace soon so beat with me a bit.”
“Who is giving you the queen’s palace?” He looked down at me with amusement sparkling in his eyes.
“But – You said –“ He drove the queen from the palace with the excuse that he’d given it to me. I’d assumed he was uncomfortable sharing his room with me and was thus going to send me to the other wing of the main palace.
“You thought I would give you the queen’s palace, really?” He didn’t laugh but he might as well have.
I bowed my head lower, feeling foolish. He’d used me as an excuse to shake up his enemies from the beginning but why was I surprised that he’d done it again?
“The queen’s palace is an unnecessary expense so I am shutting it for now.”
“I see.” The words were dull and impassioned.
“Did you want it?” He asked and I shook my head, feeling anger bristling inside me.
“Do as you wish,” I muttered. He hummed, his hands clasped behind him as we entered the main palace.
I followed beside him in silence the way he wanted me to and in no time, we got to his room.
“Why – why haven’t you marked me yet?” I asked this question because of what Mary had said.
It’d raise suspicion if we claimed to be in love but still hadn’t mated yet. Was he really keeping his options open for the future?
“Do you want my mark?” I stepped back as his eyes darkened. “We are not true mates so the mark will fade. I planned to find a witch to create a fake mating mark but since you are asking, I’m not unwilling to mark you every night.” His voice went low and he stepped closer to me.
“W – What? You want to have sex when you disappeared after the last time we did it?” I blurted and his eyes sparkled. He seemed to be in a good mood today.
“Did you miss me?” He tilted his head to the side with a smile. The smile widened as I spluttered. “If you must know, the position of the Alpha King is tasking. I did not abandon you, I was simply too busy.” He reached for me as he spoke, his lips drawing closer to mine. I leaned away. “If it makes you feel better, I thought of you ever so often. You moaned so prettily, Amethyst –“ I kissed him to shut him up, a chaste kiss that he tried to deepen.
“Can you stop?” I muttered, leaning away as his lips chased mine.
“How can I when I know you want me as much as I want you?” He murmured, kissing my knuckles. “Your scent gives you away.” I pressed my legs together, shame colouring my cheeks as my body betrayed me.
In the two days I spent cooped up in the room, unable to attend any of the various feasts to celebrate the new monarch, I’d thought over why he wanted me and it was simple. He could not have anyone else. It would raise brows if he was seen with another woman after claiming me as his mate so I was his only option. I explained away his sudden desire for me but I had no reason to want him the way I did, in a way I had never wanted anyone.
While he kissed my knuckles, an idea struck me and I blurted it out. “If we do this, you’re going to grant a prisoner of my choice a royal pardon.”
“Are you bargaining with your body, right now?” His gaze sharpened but he didn’t deny me so I shrugged. “Alright.” I blinked at how easily he agreed. “As long as their charge is not grave.”
“Any prisoner of my choice,” I pressed but his eyes narrowed.
“Do not push it.” Then he said something that almost had me fainting in embarrassment. “I am tired. Can you ride?”
Sabrina better be useful to me.