Fated As The Alpha King

Chapter3

Triple Betrayal

Katherine drifted in and out of consciousness, her mind swirling in a fog of pain and confusion. She could barely make sense of what had just happened.

Seles, her childhood friend betraying her and trying to kill was something she had never thought would happen in a million years.

Worst of it, Seles had betrayed her because of her own mate, Ace. It was just too much for her to accept even though she had witness the betrayal herself.

There had to be a much more plausible reason for her actions.

"Stay with me, Katherine," Dominic's voice was a rough whisper, laced with urgency as he pressed a hand to her wound. His other arm cradled her, pulling her close to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat; strong, steady, and far too calm for the chaos surrounding them.

"Dom..." she managed to murmur, her lips barely moving. Her body felt cold, the warmth of her blood spilling out too fast. She blinked up at him, her vision hazy, the sharp features of his face blurring into the night.

She tried to recall the last thing that had happened before she had passed out.

Dominic had hidden her in a ditch by the city gates but her scent had given her location away and a fierce battle had ensue between Dominic and Ace men.

She frowned as everything from there became hazy and her head ached madly.

She touched it gently wincing at the pain when her fingers made contact with her swollen forehead.

She looked sideways at Dominic, still massaging her forehead. She tried to ask him how he was still alive but the best she could come up with was what sounded like moans.

"Shh, don’t talk. Just hang on, okay?" His voice was softer now, almost gentle, but there was an edge to it that hinted at something else.

His entire body was coated with spots of blood and he was missing his shirt. Probably shredded it when he shifted.

Dominic’s gaze flicked over her, assessing the damage, calculating her chances. He wasn't a man to panic, even now, but she could see the strain in his eyes—the worry that he might be too late.

Katherine struggled to focus, but her thoughts kept slipping away. Seles… Seles had betrayed her… she had saved her, if only to deliver the final blow herself, after getting her to relax her guard.

The cruel irony of it all gnawed at Katherine’s heart, but the pain of her friend’s betrayal was dulled by the physical agony she was enduring.

She still wasn't healing due to the poison's heightened effect in her.

"I… I didn’t… I didn’t see it," Katherine whispered, her words disjointed, her mind replaying the last moments with Seles.

Dominic’s jaw tightened. He didn’t answer, just kept applying pressure to her wound, his movements precise and focused.

“You’re going to be fine, Katherine,” he murmured, more to himself than to her.

“What kind of poison she use on me?” She asked weakly, wincing in pain at the effort used in talking. Her heartbeat sounded strange to her; slow and too loud.

“I'm not sure but I think it's wolfsbane.” Dominic replied her, his hands ineffectively still trying to slow the flow of blood gushing out of her guts.

Through the haze, Katherine's wolf, Stacy, stirred weakly in the back of her mind. I can’t… I can’t protect us. I’m too weak… Stacy’s voice was faint, tinged with guilt. Katherine wanted to comfort her wolf, to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault, but she could barely keep her own thoughts straight.

The pain was becoming unbearable, seeping into every corner of her being. She could feel her life slipping away, her body growing colder with each passing second.

"No… I don’t want to die," she thought desperately. Not like this. Not without answers. Not without understanding why everything had gone so horribly wrong.

Dominic’s grip tightened around her as if sensing her spiraling thoughts. "You're not dying. Not on my watch," he growled, his tone low and dangerous, but beneath it was something more—a fierce protectiveness that Katherine hadn’t expected.

There was a sudden flurry of movement, the faint sound of footsteps approaching. Katherine’s fading awareness caught snippets of voices—urgent, commanding. Dominic’s pack, she realized. Help had arrived.

Dominic barked orders, his voice sharp and authoritative, but she couldn't make out the words. The world was slipping away, sinking into a suffocating darkness.

"Kat… Katherine, stay with me," Dominic repeated, his voice the only anchor keeping her from drifting completely into oblivion. She wanted to respond, to tell him she was trying, but her body wasn’t obeying. Everything felt heavy.

A new presence appeared above her, someone kneeling beside Dominic. "She's lost a lot of blood, Dom. We need to move fast." The voice was female, clear and professional—one of the pack’s healers, perhaps.

"Can you save her?" Dominic’s voice was strained now, betraying a flicker of desperation that he hadn’t shown before.

"I'll do what I can," the healer replied, already working, her hands glowing faintly as she began channeling her power into Katherine's broken body.

Katherine felt a strange warmth spread through her, dulling the pain slightly, but the darkness still pressed in on her vision. She couldn’t fight it anymore. She was so tired, so ready to let go.

But then, through the fog, she felt something else—something pulling at her. It wasn’t the healer’s magic, nor Dominic’s presence. It was deeper, primal, something that resonated within her soul. The mate bond.

Katherine’s fading mind latched onto it, the connection between her and Dominic flaring to life, tethering her to him. The bond was weak, fractured by the events that had led to her exile, but it was still there, pulsing with an undeniable force. It was raw, unresolved, and now, it was the only thing keeping her conscious.

Dominic’s eyes met hers, as if he could feel it too. His expression softened for the briefest of moments, and in that instant, Katherine saw something in him she hadn’t before—a vulnerability, a c***k in the icy exterior he always wore.

"Don’t leave me, Katherine," he murmured, his voice barely audible to anyone but her. "I can’t lose you too."

It was the first time she had heard him speak with such raw emotion, and it stirred something deep within her, pushing back against the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole.

"Dom…" she whispered, her voice no more than a breath.

The healer continued to work, her hands glowing brighter now, and Katherine could feel her strength returning, just a little. Enough to keep her from slipping away entirely.

But as the moments passed, and the immediate danger of death seemed to recede, a new fear took root in Katherine’s heart.

Seles had tried to kill her for Ace. Ace, who had once been her mate, her love, the man who had exiled her. And now Dominic, the one who had saved her, was here by her side, his emotions laid bare in a way they had never been before.

Katherine's mind swirled with questions. What was Dominic’s role in all of this? Why had he come for her? And more importantly, what was she to him now?

As the healer worked to stabilize her, Katherine's thoughts darkened with the weight of the unknown. She had survived the night, but the real battle was far from over. The truth lay somewhere between Dominic’s loyalty and Ace’s treachery, and she was determined to uncover it.

Meanwhile, back in the Alpha’s king suites, Ace looks through the huge french windows in his bedroom as he listens to the reports of his henchmen, trying his best to hold his anger in.

Bunch of imbeciles! He fumed within. How hard could it be to kill one pamper wolf who has never even seen blood shed before?

“She was rather strong for someone who spends her whole time within her father's mansion.” One of the four stooges said, desperate to save face before Ace.

“She…”

“Stop.” Ace interrupted the next one who was also about to argue their case. It was a single small word but it was potent enough to halt the words from their mouth.

They shut their mouths and stood erect with their hands behind them and feet apart military style. Only a fool would fail to recognize the anger in Ace’s tone.

They waited and still he said nothing. He was too calm, way too calm and in their experience that wasn't a good sign.

“You had just one job, one job…” he said, turning around slowly to face them, his wolf eyes peering out at them despite still being in human form,“...Kill my mate discreetly still somehow you managed to mess everything up. The whole city probably already knows I plan to kill her by now, not just exile her.”

They cast their eyes downwards and looked at their feet in embarrassment. They had really made a fool of themselves by Ace standards.

He walked casually towards them, his muscles straining against the fabric of his suit as his wolf struggled the come out and satisfy it's blood lust.

He looked at them in turns and snickered, shaking his head in disbelief.

“What's to stop me from ripping your throats out right this instant?” he asked in a deadly calm tone, placing his hands in his pockets to hide the claws and veins that had popped out on his hands.

The four henchmen looked at other in bewilderment, realising he was offering them a chance to redeem themselves. Immediately, they got down on their knees before him.

“Look Ace….” the oldest among them began to speak up from their kneeling position but found himself suddenly raised to his feet and slammed against the wall behind.

Ace growled in his face, his teeth now sharp fangs and his eyes glowing.

“That's Alpha Ace to you…or king Ace. I won't tolerate your disrespect next time.” he warned the older lycan, his claws against the lycan’s throat.

“Yes….Yes boss…I mean Alpha Ace.” he hastily stammered. Even though he was a seasoned werewolf, Ace was by far his superior and stronger in terms of strength and physique.

Ace scrutinized his face for bit before letting go, turning his back on him.

He dropped down back to his knees among the others.

“You were saying….” Ace prompted, not bothering to turn around to face them.

The four exchanged looks again and once more they reached a silent agreement that the older lycan should go on speaking.

He cleared his throat and began speaking, proceeding cautiously this time.

“Alpha Ace…she had help,” he stated.

“From who?” Ace asked finally turning around to face them wearing a small frown.

“From Dominic…the late Alpha King bodyguard.”

Ace thought about this for while, offering up a small smile when he saw his men looking at him studiously.

“Then it's all good.” Was all he said.

They exchanged looks again wondering what he was thinking or what the smile meant.

“You guys are…” Ace stopped mid sentence and c****d his head as if listening to something only he could hear. As they watched, he gave a sinister smile, fixing his gaze on them.

“You dogs are in luck…” he imformed them, his anger seemingly forgotten.

He walked towards them and squatted so he could look them in the eye. There was no mistaking the message there; this is your last chance.

“Head over to the healer. You will find her there.” he announced, his eyes taking turns to look at them.

“What should we do with Dominic and the healer?” they asked.

Ace stood up from his squatting position and strengthened out the crease in his pants.

“Take them all out…including Dominic…He has served his purpose.”