The Alpha King’s Human Mate

“Hunger drives the wolf out of the wood.”

German Proverb

It was completely silent.

Nob*dy moved. Nob*dy spoke.

I was frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights or like a lamb spotted by the

wolf.

No.

No.

No. Nope. No way.

This is not happening. He can’t be talking about me.

Although I remained still, my eyes darted around the room, looking for some other person that the prince must’ve been talking about his real mate. Clearly, I was mistaken. There was no way he was talking about me.

But there was no one else.

He was looking at me.

And, when I say looking at me, I mean it.

His dark eyes roamed over my b*dy, drinking me in like a starving man dying of thirst. I wondered if he could hear my heartbeat. I knew wolves had superior senses, and right now, it felt like my heart was trying to beat right out of my chest.

–

We both just stared at each other for a good minute me in horror and him in something, I’m not sure what. O

When he finally did move, it happened so fast I wasn’t expecting it.

One moment I was sitting in my chair, trying not to have an anxiety attack, and the next, he had scooped me up and pressed me into his chest.

I gasped but the sound was muffled since my face was pressed into his shirt. I felt.

–

his hands all over me stroking my hair, my bare arms, and my lower back. Although I barely had time to register it, his hands felt divine. Everywhere that his hands met my skin seemed to tingle under his touch. 5

He smelled good too. Earthy. It wasn’t the smell of some cologne or perfume -1

could tell it was just his natural scent. I wanted to roll my entire b*dy in his scent.

Oh, God.

What is happening to me?

Is this the mate bond doing this to me?

“Mate,” he growled and I felt the noise deep in his chest. “Mate. Mate. Mine. My mate.” He kept repeating the words over and over again like a broken windup toy.

I was practically trembling in his arms but I don’t think he noticed.

I felt him nuzzle his face into my hair and inhale. He clearly liked my scent as

much as I liked his. @

“Griffin!”

The King’s voice thundered throughout the room, darker and scarier than I’d ever heard it. Instinctively, I jumped, curling closer to Griffin’s chest.

Griffin growled loudly but he didn’t turn around to face the King. He continued to nuzzle into my hair like we were the only two people in the room.

“Griffin!” The King growled, “What is this meaning of this? What are you doing with that girl?” The last word came out like a hiss and from the rumble in Griffin’s chest, I could tell he didn’t like it.

“She’s my mate,” Griffin said but he still didn’t turn to face the King, “What do

you think I’m doing?”

“You cannot be serious!” The King roared. I couldn’t see his face but it was pretty

clear he was not happy about this turn of events.

“She is a human!” The King continued, “A weak, pathetic human. I will not allow my son to take a human for a mate. My bloodline will not be sullied by one of her kind. Do you realize she is human, Griffin?”

Griffin stilled and his grip on me tightened to the point where it was almost painful. I bit back a whimper.

I had barely registered any of what was happening, but in that moment, I feared for my life. Was Griffin about to kill me? Would he end my life here and now so that he wasn’t mated to a “weak” human?

I didn’t want a mate bond but I also didn’t want to die.

Instinctively, I tried to pull away from him but Griffin’s grip on me didn’t budge. He must’ve felt my fear because he began stroking my hair. “Hush. It’s okay, little mate,” he whispered to me, his voice barely above a growl. @

I didn’t know if his words actually comforted me, but at the very least, it sounded

like he wasn’t going to kill me.

“Do you hear me, Griffin? She is human! If you do not kill her, I will!” The King shouted again and it practically shook the walls. Q

This time, Griffin didn’t ignore it. I hadn’t even processed the fact that the King

had just threatened my life by the time Griffin spun around, pushing me behind

him.

For the first time since Griffin had scooped me up into his arms, I saw what

everyone else in the room looked like.

The King stood at the end of the table and he was seething. I’d never seen such

unadulterated rage on another person’s face before he looked more like a wild

animal than a man.

And his eyes were trained on me.

A whimper escaped my throat.

This man wants to kill me.

Oh, God. I’m going to die today.

–

Please I don’t want to die yet.

I couldn’t bear to make eye contact with the King anymore so my eyes darted around the room. The guards that had been stationed at the room corners were now completely alert like they were ready to fight. As to who they’d been fighting for, I had no idea. 4

Every Alpha kid in the room was staring at me, Griffin, and the King some in disbelief, horror, and others in plain fear. I caught Lily and Sebastian’s eyes last. Sebastian was gripping his seat so tightly that his knuckles were white and Lily looked terrified.

“Are you threatening my mate?” Griffin asked, still standing in front of me. His entire posture was rigid and his voice was low and dangerous. It might’ve been scarier than the King’s, but since Griffin wasn’t actively trying to kill me, I couldn’t say for sure.

“Your mate?” The King spat, “You call that creature your mate? Humans are weak, pathetic things and I will not –

16

The King never finished his sentence.

Griffin moved in a blur.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

I didn’t see his claws come out.

I didn’t see him attack the King.

But I did see the King’s head roll onto the floor, his dead eyes still full of rage.