The Cursed Alpha King's Secret Baby

Everyone knew that the Alpha king was cursed. Not only was he cursed, he was the cruelest one yet to walk this earth… I stood in one corner of the ballroom, sipping my drink. Almost everyone else was paired and doing one of their ridiculous dances to one of the most ridiculous songs I’d ever heard with all the most ridiculous looking men in the pack. Not a single man was good looking, yet all the ladies were damsels. What was the moon goddess thinking? It was probably the same kind of thoughts that made her leave me mateless at 19. I looked up and found my stepfather glaring at me from upstairs in annoyance and I immediately comported myself, wiping the look of disgust from my face. We were at the King’s home tonight for the first feast of the season and he wanted me to be proper, hoping that maybe then I'd find someone interested enough to mark me. I said nonsense to that. These horrid-looking fellows should be the ones acting properly for me to have my pick. “He’ll never show his face here.” I heard one of the few unpaired girls whisper amongst themselves. Immediately, my ears came to attention. I loved gossip, especially the kind of the King. “I heard that he’s so handsome that if he does, all the men could wage war against him.” Another girl added with an odd accent. I almost burst out laughing. “Nonsense! Like our powerful King could be fazed by such. He’ll wipe them all with a swing of his fist.” I couldn’t hold it any longer. I burst out into laughter. Where on earth had they heard such nonsense? “Shut up, orphan!” They shouted at me in annoyance and I laughed even louder, “Who cares what you think anyway?” They walked away, leaving me alone in my corner as I tried to regain my composure. Everyone had come here to see the king, who hardly ever showed his face, while some could swear that he was monster and that was the reason he hid, the few who had actually seen him argued strongly with that. But everyone knew that the Alpha king was cursed. Not only was he cursed, he was the cruelest one yet to walk this earth and hence, no man of a prominent status wanted his daughter for him, so he remained unmarried. No one knew for certain what this curse was, but it was rumoured that he could never have children. I don’t know what frightened the rest, but it sounded like a sweet deal to me. The thought of kids terrified me. My father was one of the elders and most noble men of the pack, we lived as one of the elites, respected by all, but everything changed after his death 12 years ago. My mother got remarried to a gambler, who gambled away all of my father’s money behind our backs and used loans to cover it up until her death 7 years ago. After that, all hell was let loose and all the loan sharks came to take everything from us, leaving only the house which my stepfather had refused to sell, so now, we were peasants living in a mansion with barely even enough to feed. I looked up and saw him having an intense discussion with a man covered in heavy armour. I wondered what they were talking about. My stepfather must be glad to be fitting in. It was all he ever wanted, according to him: ‘Powerful people make connections and connections make money’. “We want to thank everyone for attending this first feast of the season at the King’s home. We are all honoured to have you all here, but due to a few unforeseen circumstances, the King is unable to join us to dine tonight. We wish you all safe trips home and goodnight!” the king’s steward announced from the high table. The entire room filled with grunts and murmurs as they ‘nobly’ trooped out of the mansion. I looked up to find my stepfather again but he was gone. Suddenly, I felt someone spin me around, it was him. “Let’s go home.” The little man said. “What were you talking about with the armoured man upstairs?” I asked. I was eager to tease him tonight. “Shut up. That’s no way a lady should speak.” “Oh, I’m no lady. Living in a fancy house doesn’t make me one.” “Shut up, whatever we were discussing is none of your business.” “Oh, I hope so. That it’s not another loan that’ll put my life in danger.” “…” I regretted saying that the moment which I did. When the loan sharks had come to clear everything out, I was alone at home at the time, tiny, frail and helpless. According to them, that was how they liked their women and I was raped. I bled for days in the hospital and, as wicked as my stepbrother was, I could swear I saw him shed a tear or two. The walk home was quiet; we couldn’t afford a ride. When I got home, I took off my uncomfortable gown and began sobbing. I couldn’t even understand where the tears had come from but they flowed so easily. This was why I never wanted children. I couldn’t afford to bring them into the world and then die, leaving the helpless things behind only to suffer. I’d rather not have them at all. How I wished my parents had never had me at all. Suddenly, my door opened and I immediately fell on my pillow to cover my teary face. My stepfather walked in. “Pick out your prettiest gown, we’re returning to the King’s mansion first thing tomorrow morning.” He said, then turned to leave. “We already went there tonight. What are we looking for there by tomorrow morning.” I asked, spinning around. He accessed me for a while before giving me an answer. “You’re going to be the queen of this pack soon. I’ve made all the arrangements.” Silence filled the room heavily for minutes as we stared at eachother before I burst out laughing. His jokes were always so abstract. But his expression remained unfazed, this little man wasn’t joking. “I’m laughing but it isn’t funny,” I said defiantly. “It wasn’t meant to be.” He replied, closing the door behind him. The next morning, my stepfather had basically delivered me like a package to the armoured man and left with a luxurious ride, a great big package in hand and a big, bright suspicious smile on his face. The bastard literally just sold me off to be the wife of the deadliest and most brutal king of all history. I wanted to strangle him. The armoured man gently led me into the dining room where the King backed me from where he sat. He looked rigid and I could only see his defined jawline from this angle. “My King, the lady you requested has arrived.” The armoured man informed him. “Good!... and her father?” His deep voice thundered through the room, it sent slight shivers down my spine. He didn’t turn back. “He left immediately, your majesty.” “Tell her to come dine with me.” He ordered as if I wasn’t standing right there. Everything about this man I hadn’t even met properly made me uneasy. I walked towards the table and sat on the chair adjacent to him. I looked up to meet the gaze of bright green eyes, almost piercing through my skin. My breath seized as my eyes feasted on his impeccable facial features. The people weren’t wrong, this man was too gorgeous to be seen by just anyone. “You’re staring.” He said, driving me back to earth. “I wonder. How was it so easy for you to accept my proposal? Hadn’t expected you to arrive this quickly.” The way he spoke was so menacing, like he could tear off your head if you hummed without his consent. I was never one to be intimidated by a man, but this one… “Umm… I don’t think any girl in the entire kingdom could resist such an amazing offer.” I wasn’t lying, every girl would die at the offer to be her queen, but no noble father would let her. “Really? This offer?” He scoffed at me ludicrously. “Yes… I mean to be queen, of co…” “Queen?” He interrupted, his full eyebrows knitting together in confusion. I couldn’t understand it. He burst out in laughter, his hearty laughter rang through the halls. Was everything about this man so powerful? “Why’re you laughing? I’m confused” I said, growing annoyed. “Oh…” He breathed, trying to regain his comport. “James, take her to her chambers. I’ve had enough amusement from this one for a day.” “Yes, my king”, the armoured man replied. The king stood up and, without another glance at me, strode gallantly up the stairs. James came up to me with a look of worry on his face. “Who told you that you were to be queen?” He asked. “My stepfather, he said the king wanted a wife and he…” I started with enthusiasm. I was eager to vindicate myself, I hated being laughed at. “You weren’t sold to be his queen i***t, you were sold as his breeder.” James interrupted angrily. “A s*x slave… one to bear him children.” For a while, the words didn’t make any sense in my head, but once they did, I wished they never had.