The Alpha King’s Last Regret

21

Pearl Gem

After years of sorrow and teeth-gnashing, the gates of Castle Royal opened once again for me as the car drove slowly into the long driveway. The last time I was here, we hadn’t made it this far. Back then, Kade King was only a prince. Now, he is King. A man everyone bows to.

The car eased to a stop at the heart of a large circular courtyard where the Great Royal Castle towered in all its majestic splendor. My throat tightened as I looked up at it. Nothing had really changed in the last five years, just a few settings, maybe, but the Castle remained a place of awe and ruthless elegance. A place where Omegas were never meant to belong.

“Please.”

The car door opened, held by a man I recognized instantly. He often stood behind His Majesty like a shadow. Calm, silent, unreadable, with no smile ever gracing his stern, handsome face. He’d arrived alone with the luxurious car to collect me, and I had let him. The moment he opened the door back at the Fortress, Omegas poured out to witness what could only be seen as a miracle. Their whispers still echoed in my head as we left.

Reality yanked me back when he led the way into the middle wing of the castle. From the corners of my eyes, I caught heads turning, nobles moving to balconies to see who had just arrived at the King’s home. This time, I noticed something I’d missed before. There were families living in different wings of the castle. Other royals. Other worlds within this world.

Inside, the hallways swallowed me with silence. I moved carefully, avoiding the walls, terrified of tainting the perfection. Every inch of this place screamed wealth, untouchable and cruel.

Then we entered the dining hall, and I paused.

If only I had come prepared.

There she sat. Her Grace, the Luna Queen beside her son, her face drained of color as she laid eyes on me once again. Time had barely touched her. She was still the haunting beauty I remembered.

My gaze drifted to the woman beside Kade King. Drizzel Uriah. I saw her in daylight for the first time. Her beauty was overwhelming, the kind that made mine feel like mockery. Her fingers laced through Kade’s, her posture elegant, her claim on him undeniable. They looked perfect together. A match carved in gold.

While I was… nothing. An Omega in borrowed skin.

I bowed deeply, not daring to raise my head until the Alpha King spoke.

“Good morning. You are here.”

As I straightened, a sudden shattering of glass pierced the air, making me flinch. I looked up to see Her Grace on her feet, eyes blazing.

“If you think I, as one of your shareholders, will sign a contract allowing a filthy Omega to run Majesty Corporation, you better think again, King,” She spat, every word like a slap.

I should have known. She would never let me belong. Never feel guilt for the lives she’s ruined. I should have known I would never fit in.

Kade King said nothing for a long time. His golden eyes stayed locked on me. Then he rose from his seat and walked toward me, each step pounding against my chest like a war drum.

When he reached for me, I stepped back instinctively, bowing again.

“I told you not to reject my advances,” He murmured as his fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulling me gently toward him. “Didn’t I?”

“We have an audience, Your Majesty,” I whispered.

“We always will,” He said lowly. “And if you don’t want me to get clingy, then stay still whenever I reach for you.”

He guided me to a seat slightly removed from his mother and Drizzel. I sat down, stiff and breathless. His assistant handed him a file, which he set before me.

“Read it. Understand it. It’s your contract.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I won’t sign that contract!” Her Grace snapped, cutting me off. “I will not approve an Omega for…”

“She has a name!” Kade’s voice cracked through the hall like thunder, startling me and everyone else.

Silence followed. The Queen’s face paled with shock. Whispers rippled in the background. It must have been the first time he ever raised his voice to her.

“She has a name, Mother,” He said coldly. “It’s Pearl. Pearl Gem. And if you can’t address her properly, then call her what she is. My Omega. Whether you like it or not.”

Before anyone could respond, the nobles began filing into the room, murmurs trailing behind them.

“The shareholders are here, Your Majesty,” Someone announced.

Kade King didn’t react. He was focused on scribbling his signature on the contract. The nobles bowed and took their seats while he reached for the Royal Seal, an object that silenced even the boldest tongues. Anything bearing that seal was final. Untouchable.

When he stamped it, my heart sank. How would he get the shareholders and his mother to approve this?

“I called this shareholders’ meeting on short notice to finalize the appointment of my secretary,” He said. “This is Pearl Gem. Without delay, I want each of you to sign this contract. No questions. No sweat.”

He approached the first man, a noble seated only a few chairs away from me and placed the contract before him. The man’s eyes flicked to the Queen. One of her man, no doubt.

“Your signature,” Kade King demanded.

“Your Majesty…” The man began, clearly hesitating.

Before he could finish, Kade moved. Swift. Precise. Deadly.

He grabbed a knife from the dining table and, in a blink, drove it straight into the man’s neck.

Blood splattered across the marble floor. Gasps filled the air. Chaos threatened to erupt and I suddenly freeze.

What just… happened?