The Alpha's Eternal Mate

Chapter Ten: What is your name?

Kathryn's POV

Crap.

My hands shook as I climbed to my feet and slowly stepped on to the podium where he stood waiting for me. His Beta, and the two other guards directed side glances at me, letting me know they had their guard up. I glanced around the room, seeing that everyone had gone and I swallowed nervously.

“Leave us,” My eyes widened as Marcus commanded his guards.

The guards hesitated for a moment, their eyes flickering between Marcus and me, before bowing their heads slightly and exiting the room. The Beta gave me one last hard look, his gaze heavy with suspicion, before following suit.

Now, it was just the two of us.

Marcus stood tall, his imposing figure dominating the room. His piercing eyes pinned me in place, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

“What's your name?," he asked, his voice low but filled with authority.

"I…I…my name?," I stammered, clutching my trembling hands together to stop them from shaking. He raised his brows with a slight smirk playing on his lips. How did I stupidly skip on looking for a befitting name for my new character? I had to think fast. “My name is No...Noses.”

"Your name is Noses.” He stated, wearing an incredulous look and looking like he was trying his best not to laugh.

I swallowed hard and nodded. How on earth did I think up such a stupid name? Noses? Oh Goddess help me!

"Good," he said, leaning down slightly, his eyes boring into mine. "Then tell me…why were you stealing food Noses?"

My face heated as I scrambled for an explanation, but my brain seemed to have abandoned me. "I... uh... wasn't stealing. I was just…borrowing. Yes, borrowing! With... every intention of returning it," I blurted out, immediately regretting the stupidity of my words.

Marcus arched a brow, the smirk on his lips growing. "Borrowing food? Interesting concept. Tell me, Noses, how exactly were you planning to return what you borrowed?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. I was sure I looked like a fish gasping for air. Why couldn’t the ground just swallow me whole?

“Wait…wait. I didn't steal the food!” I regained my senses and denied, fuming about how distracted I was by his nearness and overwhelming scent.

Marcus took a step closer, and I forced myself to stand my ground, though my knees felt like they might give out at any second. His scent, warm and woodsy wrapped around me, making my pulse quicken.

I couldn’t help but wonder... Did he recognize me? Could he somehow sense who I really was beneath this disguise? I had hidden my scent, and as it is under all the dirt and sweat, it couldn't possibly give me away.

But if he did know, why was he toying with me?

I glanced at his face, searching for some clue. The smirk playing on his lips and the teasing light in his eyes made my stomach twist in knots. He was flirting. Marcus, the feared Alpha, was flirting with me,or at least with the person he thought I was.

Did this mean he…swinged the other way in this life?

No. That couldn’t be. Could it?

“I didn’t steal the food,” I repeated, more firmly this time, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. “You’ve got it all wrong.”

“Oh?” Marcus drawled, tilting his head as if humoring me.

“I…I was just passing through,” I lied, cursing myself for not coming up with a better excuse. “I got lost. That’s all.”

“Lost?” His tone was skeptical, but his smirk widened. “Interesting how you managed to get lost right where the bread was freshly baked, hmm?”

Heat rushed to my face, and I struggled to find a response. But before I could speak, Marcus’s expression shifted. His playful demeanor evaporated, replaced by something colder.

He straightened, taking a deliberate step back, and the sudden distance between us felt like a slap.

“You’re not a very convincing liar, Noses,” he said, his voice now icy and detached. The flirtatious glint in his eyes was gone, replaced by something unreadable. “But it doesn't matter. Your excuses don’t interest me.”

The abrupt change in his tone left me reeling. What had just happened?

“I’ll deal with your... borrowed food later,” he continued, his words clipped. “For now, stay out of trouble, or next time, I won’t be so lenient.”

As he turned and strode away, I was left standing there, utterly bewildered.

I replayed the encounter in my head, trying to make sense of his actions. One moment, he was leaning in close, smirking and teasing, and the next, he was colder than ice.

“Great,” I muttered under my breath, finally stepping off the podium. “Not only am I an i***t named Noses, but now the Alpha thinks I’m some food-stealing guy he can flirt with.”

Still, as I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Marcus’s coldness wasn’t just about my supposed crime. He knew something I didn't.

I slipped out of the hall as quickly and quietly as I could, avoiding the main corridors. The house was huge, but I knew the layout well enough to navigate the hidden pathways. My disguise may have fooled everyone, but after that encounter with Marcus, I couldn’t risk being seen again.

I made my way to the garden, my breath catching as the cool night air hit my skin. The shadows stretched long under the moonlight, and I ducked into the overgrown hedge maze that bordered the eastern wing.

There it was…the hidden path I’d discovered years ago. The narrow passage wound through the dense greenery, and I pushed through it with practiced ease. The leaves snagged at my clothes, and stray twigs scratched my arms, but I didn’t stop until I reached the small wooden door at the end.

The creaking hinges protested as I pushed it open and slipped inside the servants’ wing. It was quieter here, the hum of business from the main house barely audible.

Once I reached my room, I shut the door softly and leaned against it, exhaling a long, shaky breath.

“i***t,” I muttered to myself, dragging a hand through my hair. “What were you thinking?”

I crossed the small room and sank onto the bed, letting my head fall into my hands. My heart was still racing, and my cheeks burned with the memory of Marcus’s teasing smirk. ‘Noses? Borrowing food?’ I groaned inwardly, cringing at how badly I had handled the situation.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I’d been so careful to stay unnoticed, to blend in. And now, thanks to one stupid mistake, I’d drawn the attention of the one person I didn't want to face.

I sighed softly, lifting my head to stare at the ceiling. “I’ve got to do better than this,” I whispered. “No more slip-ups.”

The faint sound of footsteps jolted me from my thoughts.

My entire body stiffened as the footsteps grew louder, echoing down the hallway. They were heavy, deliberate and they were sounding louder, closer.

Before I could even think of moving, a sharp knock sounded on my door.

“Kathryn,” a deep, commanding voice called from the other side.

My heart stopped.

Then came the announcement, loud and clear: “The Alpha is here!”

I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears. Marcus.