“Get away from her, Alfred,” he thundered, the steel in his voice resonating in the gloomy forest. I jumped away from Alfred’s grasp, instinctively wiped at the juncture of his hand in mine, and rushed to the side of Alonso.
“Why do you take so much pride in deception, Alonso?” Alfred asked coldly, his emerald eyes sparkling in the twilight. “You know you won’t marry her and yet you deceive her.”
Alonso scoffed, grabbed me, and placed me behind him, his large arms tucking in front of his broad chest. “Perhaps, I will like you to enlighten me on the kind of deception you mean, Alfred. Because between the both of us, you are the one who has lived your life based on deception… since you want this, how about you tell us why you rejected your mate you found while in your outrageous exile.”
Alfred’s arrogant gaze deflated to be replaced by disbelief. “Wh-you don’t know what you are saying…”
“Oh, I don’t?” Alonso asked impishly. “Well, don’t forget I am the Alpha King and I know everything I chose to. You rejected your mate and now you have set your eyes on mine. But you know what? I would rather die than to allow you to lay a finger on her…” There was something about the way he said it that sent nerdy tingles splotching through my body.
“So you stalked me while I was away?” Alfred asked quietly in an inquisitive note, his brow arching at the top.
“I never stalked you, Alfred. Only found out what I wanted.”
“Anyways, I didn’t reject my mate. Your spy is an idiotic one since he or she didn’t tell you that I killed her,” Alfred said casually, my heart twisting at his heartless confession. “You see, brother, I don’t enjoy eating maggots. So if the goddess thinks she could make me eat one against my wish, I will squash it, and then, when I see what I want, even if it is in the possession of a kinsman…” He stepped near to us, his calculating eyes and an irritating smirk on full display. “I take it.”
Alonso also drew closer until their noses were merely touching, their twin eyes piercing each other. Their strength while they coldly battled was cavorting all over the atmosphere- even if Alonso surpassed his brothers due to the power engulfing his personality and his rank. I grabbed his forearm and tugged gently. I don’t want any trouble. I have already told Alfred what was in my mind and come what may, I am sticking to it.
“Don’t forget on whose land you tread, Alfred. You might think you are wise and of loose mouth. Mother might have your back by supporting all your treacherous excesses, and you may very well be plying a destructive path of darkness, but as I said earlier, you will not take my throne… or, my woman…” He reached out and poked Alfred’s shoulder with his index and my hold on him strengthened. “I will destroy you Alfred if you dare. Don’t forget, I am a monster. Don’t test me.”
Alfred chuckled and spat by the side. “Yet, the vampires kidnapped her at night and you weren’t awar-oh, they induced you with wolfbane…” He began laughing hysterically.
“How did you know that? You weren’t there…” Alonso’s voice cut his laughter short.
He shook his head, his laugh receding but still retaining the smiley face. “News, brother. News travels with the wind…”
Ugh, Alfred. I keep saying there is something off about him. Which wind travels? Is he conniving with the vampires against his brother? To take me? But no, he didn’t know back then I was Alonso’s mate so he couldn’t have. But… there is something.
Something profound.
And Alonso knows it. I can see it in the way he examined his brother thoroughly, not falling for his sly lie.
“I solely hope for your sake you are not conniving with the enemy to destroy all father has worked for, all for greed and power, Alfred. This Kingdom is mine! Through blood and sweat, I paid the ultimate price. I made sacrifices while you were away or underneath mother’s skirt playing her boy, I killed men and destroyed Kingdoms that had risen to break us! Don’t fuck with me. Because, Alfre…”
“Ally…” I implored him, the pain in his heart getting to me. I could literally feel it as though it was happening to me. He was furious and bitter with his twin brothers’ misdemeanor.
“I will kill you without thinking twice,” he finished, spat in return at the side, and whipped around to clutch my wrist.
Alfred snorted. “You are a fool, Alonso. You only have a threat, and nothing more. Your powers died with Hilda. And soon, if you don’t take time, the vampires will defeat you, and take her.” He nodded at me. “If I don’t, then they will. Mark my words.”
When Alonso wanted to whirl back to him with a comeback, I yanked him forcefully forward, not giving him space to do so.
We walked in quietude until we were at home and I stirred him to the mansion. I knew he was pondering his brother’s words, just the way I am.
“I will be in the study,” he told me and matched that way, without sparing me a glance. I stood watching him from the lobby, deciding between going to my room and going after him.
The latter won and I ambled to the study, knocked, and entered without his permission. His glass was nestled in his hands as he swirled the content mindlessly. “Go to bed,” he ordered without a glimpse at me
“I can’t sleep even if I do,” I slurred as I slipped into the black couch. I eyed the bottle on the table having the zeal to join him.
“Don’t think about it…” He snagged, catching my thought.
“Please, just a little. I’ve had it multiple times anyways.” I rolled my eyes when he glared at me. “This is not our problem, is it?” I went to pick a glass from the wine bar, waked back, and poured a little.
“Where did you go this evening?”
“I went to see the sorceress and ask her what she discovered from Paisley.”
“Oh, I thought so too.” He took a rapid swig from his glass and tilted it, same with his lip, with his eyes on mine in askance.
“She isn’t pregnant,” I informed him.
…