The Royal Alpha: Aden

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

"Master!"

Damien called out loudly, running toward them as soon as he spotted them from a distance.

"Master?"

Laura repeated the word quietly in her mind, understanding what it meant. Then she looked back at the man, and realized his face was only inches away from hers.

When Damien reached them, the man gently lowered her back to the ground. Damien immediately stepped forward to support her.

"What happened?" Damien asked, his voice filled with concern.

"This is exactly what I’ve been telling you," the man spoke up. "From now on, we don’t have to just care for ourselves—We have to take good care of this fragile one too."

After that, he turned and walked ahead, heading back toward the small house.

"Master!"

Damien called out.

"Master?! So that was the man from last night?! Master?!"

Laura repeated the word again and again, as if she could not believe what her eyes were seeing, as if her mind was playing tricks on her.

Damien smiled at her reaction.

"What this means is that he has accepted you. You are allowed to stay here as long as you wish—because he lets you see what he is really like."

While Laura was still processing the truth she had just learned, Damien furrowed his brows, his gaze sweeping slowly from her feet all the way up to her head.

"Seriously? What exactly happened out there?"

A playful smirk curved Damien’s lips, and Laura could tell that his mind was already weaving amusing assumptions about what had taken place.

"Sir, please... Could you stop looking at me like that? It is not proper," Laura stated coldly, realizing her messed up appearance turning her steps toward the door to enter the house. Little did she know that the surprises were far from over.

Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor and her eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Upon stepping inside, the small cottage she had seen from the outside transformed into a space as vast and grand as a palace.

She was greeted by a grand staircase featuring an elegant curved design of black and gold. Glittering ornaments, resembling pure diamonds, hung suspended from the high ceiling.

Captivated by the sculpted images of wolves adorning that lofty ceiling, her smile grew bigger on her lips.

Everything her eyes fell upon was touched by gold and diamonds—things she never in her wildest dreams imagined she would ever see in her entire lifetime.

Each step she took echoed softly against the gleaming marble floors, which were so polished they perfectly reflected her image the moment she glanced down.

"Wow..." she breathed out almost in a whisper, slowly taking in every corner of the magnificent residence with wide eyes.

"Tell me this is not a dream, Sir," she said softly, sensing Damien’s presence growing familiar beside her. The man simply followed quietly behind her, wearing a satisfied smirk at her every reaction.

"It is so beautiful... if I am dreaming, please don't ever wake me up," she whispered.

"Do not worry, Lady. You are wide awake, and this is no dream," Damien assured her with a grin.

Laura turned her gaze back to him and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

He was wearing completely different clothes compared to the simple garments she had seen him in earlier. Now, he looked every bit a prince—immaculately dressed and carrying himself with true dignity and respect.

The man smiled broadly at her.

"I suddenly feel shy with the way you are staring at me like that," he chuckled, lowering his head slightly to avoid her intense gaze.

"Wow... so this is how you really look?" Laura asked in amazement.

At her words, Damien lifted his eyes back to her.

"So what are you? Who are you really? This disguise... this sudden change... is it even possible? Do you two possess magic?

"If I am not dreaming, then what is all this? Is there anyone who can explain this to me?"

Laura’s brow was slightly furrowed, yet the look of wonder remained in her eyes. However, Damien could clearly see the confusion and disbelief lingering behind them—she simply could not believe what was happening.

In an instant, Damien moved to the corner, knowing full well the answers to her questions, yet uncertain if he was truly allowed to reveal everything to her.

"Haven't you two had enough of your nonsense? If you are quite finished, might we discuss important matters now, Sir?"

From the top of the staircase on the second floor, both Laura and Damien instinctively looked up. Standing there was Alden—the man Damien called Master.

His wavy hair cascaded down, partially covering his right eye. It looked messy and unkempt, yet it suited him perfectly.

He wore a dark navy blue long-sleeved shirt with a few buttons undone at the chest, paired with fitted pants. His hands were casually tucked into his pockets, and his gaze was cold and piercing.

The color of his eyes shifted, turning into a lighter shade of gray whenever the light hit them directly.

This was the very first time she was truly captivated by a male image—he looked absolutely perfect in her eyes.

He was the perfect embodiment of a man who carried authority and power in every single movement he made.

The moment their eyes met, a strange warmth seemed to course through Laura’s veins. It was a feeling she had never experienced before in her life, one she simply could not find the words to explain.

"Y-yes, actually, I was just on my way," Damien stammered. He winked playfully at Laura before hurrying up the stairs.

Laura couldn't help but smile at his antics, but in response, Aden shot her a dark, furrowed look from where he stood above, before turning his back and walking away.

It was a thought that caused turmoil in her mind, wondering if he truly agreed to let her stay with them. She simply sighed and tried to shift her attention elsewhere.

"It is alright. Just prove to him that you are worthy of being his slave," she told herself. Her brow furrowed slightly at the last word—slave.

Truth be told, there was nothing she needed to prove. A slave would always be a slave, even if her master happened to be the most powerful being ever created in this world.

"Enough of that!" she scolded herself, then looked around, searching for something to do to keep her mind busy.

As she wandered around, she found the kitchen.

At first, she moved cautiously, thinking there might be other people there. But eventually, she calmed down and accepted the truth: in this enormous house that felt like a palace, there were only the three of them.

The house was fully equipped with everything she needed—tools for cleaning and utensils for cooking were all present. Yet, everything looked brand new, as if they had never been used even once.

She started by sweeping and polishing the gleaming marble floors, even though they looked spotless and didn't seem to need any cleaning at all. She ran her fingers over the windows and countless doors, but failed to find a single speck of dust. She simply could not find any reason to clean, because everything was already perfect and in order.

Meanwhile, inside a vast and spacious room were Aden and Damien.

The room was lined with walls filled with countless bookshelves. There was a massive desk made of heavy wood and a swivel chair where Aden sat, his gaze fixed intensely on his Beta. Damien tried to act casual, pretending not to notice the thick tension building between them, but in the end, he could no longer bear the weight of the Prince’s stare.

"W-what?!" Damien stammered, acting as if he had no idea why Aden was so furious. The reason was clear: Damien had made a major decision without ever asking for Aden’s opinion or permission.

"Sir, please... could you just let this one slide? I promise it won’t happen again. B-but it’s fine, isn't it? She is just a weak woman, after all."

"A weak woman who now knows the very secret we have been protecting all this time," Aden replied in a chillingly calm voice.

"B-but sir—"

Aden did not let him finish his excuses. Instead, he smoothly shifted the conversation to another matter.

"What is the latest news regarding the rogues in the East?" he asked seriously, twirling a ballpen in his hand and clicking it repeatedly, creating a nerve-wracking sound. Damien knew instantly that the time for excuses was over; it was time for business.

"I encountered some of them last night, Sir, but they are not the ones we are looking for."

"Do those rogues require me to personally deal with them myself?"

"Of course not, Sir! I will take care of everything. They are not nearly as strong as the ones we eliminated before." A dark, determined glint appeared in Damien’s eyes as he spoke.

"Do it quickly... and quietly," Aden commanded. A sharp smirk formed on Damien’s lips.**

The issue of the rogues was nothing new to them. Even now, these outlaws continued to wreak havoc—from invading smaller packs, to killing the innocent, and even trading slaves.

For years, Damien had been hunting down these troublesome groups, yet they seemed to sprout like mushrooms everywhere, impossible to wipe out completely.

Aden knew that there was a powerful being pulling the strings behind them, but whoever it was remained elusive and slippery. That was the very reason why Aden had to go out and disguise himself as a commoner—to personally see and understand what was really happening in his world.