Reading Between the Lies

Chapter 5

Alaric’s POV

I have been standing in the shadows. Waiting to present myself. Waiting for the perfect moment. She is absolutely breathtaking. She is meant to be a queen. My queen. The way she moves, walks, speaks, holds herself all screams royalty. She doesn’t even know her whole life is about to change.

I knew that mutt had branded her. Even after she explained numerous times she wouldn’t take a chosen mate. He chose for her. Yes, it’s only temporary, but the lack of respect behind it pisses me off.

I saw him walk up to her at the ball and I had to contain myself. He had no idea what he had done. It wasn’t until she had shown him his handy work that he even shown that he felt guilty. He was starting to walk toward her and that’s when I lost it. I sent him flying across the room and pinned him to the wall. I didn’t me to choke the guy but eh… what can you do.

She was scared. She looked over at the mutt and started to run towards him. Before I could even acknowledge what I was doing, I put a force field around her. That caused her to be even more scared then she already was. She doesn’t now that I can hear every word she is thinking. It’s one of my many talents. It’s turning me on hearing what she wants to do to me. It was short lived until she snaps back to reality.

“How did you…” she starts to ask but I cut her off.

“Know what you were thinking?” She just nods . Fear and uncertainty remain in her eyes.

“I am King Alaric Mathers, I’m a warlock, And you are my mate.”

Gasps and whispers can be heard throughout the room. Her eyes widen in shock. A part of me wonders if she can sense I’m her mate. I know interspecies mates are not unheard of, but they are rare. I’m not really sure how it feels for her. I reach for her hand to see if she can feel anything from my touch, but I’m interrupted.

“King Alraric what is the meaning of this. I thought we had an agreement.” It was Alpha Byron. My sweet mates father. I sigh and roll my eyes. The timing was impeccable.

“You know… we did. That was until that gamma mutt in training of yours assaulted my mate, trying to claim her as his own.” Gasps were heard all around. Byron was shocked. His eyes darted to the mutt for any sign that what I was saying was false. Seeing as I had him still pinned to the wall he wasn’t going to get the answers he wanted. And neither was I, so I let him drop…hard. You could hear him gasping for air.

“Carson, what is the meaning of all of this.” Byron demanded using his alpha voice. Carson cowered and turned his head, exposing his neck in submission.

“Alpa…” he says with labored breaths and coughs in between his words “I’m sorry… I didn’t know …I-I-I… I didn’t mean to it was an accident.”

“An accident!” That set me off again. I raised my hand and clenched my fist, starting to choke him again. “She told you SEVERAL times she didn’t want you. That she was waiting for her mate. But you were to selfish to listen to her and had to take matters into your own hands…”

“ENOUGH!” Mia yells from across the room.. still in her force field bubble… oops. I wave my hand to release her and she comes walking over. More like stomping over. She’s hot when she’s mad.

“Alaric what is going on” Byron asked me. He looks between his me and his daughter. Realization shown on his face then it was replaced with anger as he looked down on the mutt.

All of a sudden a huge black wolf came charging from the side grabbing the mutt and dragging him outside.

“Isaac please stop this now!” Mia tried to plead with her brother who was the black wolf dragging the mutt outside.

Carson had shifted at This point and they were both fighting each other in the courtyard. Isaac was much larger than Carson, seeing as he is the next alpha, which also makes him much stronger. On a normal occasion, Carson would be able so hold his own against Isaac for a while. This is not a normal occasion. Isaac is pissed which makes this an unfortunate situation for Carson.

Amelia looked up at me pleading with her eyes, expecting me to do something. As much as I wanted nothing more than to see this mutt get what was handed to him, I appeased my mate and forced the two apart. With a quick wave of my hands the two were sent flying apart. I then motioned my hand down and closing them in a fist causing them to shift back.

“Isaac! Carson! That’s enough!” Byron boomed. He then throws spare clothes at the two.

“He branded her!” Isaac yelled pouring at Carson. Bryon went from angry to full on raging at this point. Understandably so.

“Take him to a cell and leave him there till I can talk to him.” He growled to a guard. “Isaac go get dressed and return to the ball. “ Alaric, Amelia, come with me.” We turned to follow him to his office. The ball continued on downstairs. We reach his office and there waiting for us is his Luna, Current Beta and Gamma.

Mia runs to her mothers arms trying to keep her composure. I want so badly to comfort her and be the one she runs to.

Alpha Byron is the first one to speak.

“Alaric… how long have you known Mia was your mate?”

I turn look at my gorgeous mate. It looks like she doesn’t know whether to love me or hate me.

“I had a hunch a couple days ago, but my hunch wasnt confirmed until last night.”

Byron nods his head but my mate is confused.

“Wait, a couple days? How long have you been here?”

“ I have been on your land for 3 days, and the answer to what you’re thinking is yes. I have been watching you. Only to make sure you were safe.” Her face turns red. I for one am relieved. If she felt my presence watching her then she can feel our bond. “Did you like the flowers?” She looked confused at first then it was like a light bulb went off in her head and her eyes grew wide in realization.

“It was you…” she mumbled under her breath. Then her face switched from surprise to anger. “Why didn’t you show up to my party. Why wait until the Yule Ball if you have been here all this time? And if you knew you were my mate then why didn’t you make your presence known instead of lurking in the shadows? If you had come to me yesterday none of this would have happened.” Mia said angrily. Is she really trying to blame that mutts actions on me? Uh uh not gonna happen.

“I said I had a hunch, a strong one albeit, but a hunch none the less. It wasn’t confirmed like I said until your party but there were other factors at play. I couldn’t just announce myself and walk in like I belong and claim you as mine. If I did that your fathers warriors would have been all over me and would have ended badly… for them. Also, do not blame me for the actions of that mutt. Everything I have done was in the best interest of everyone involved. He was just being selfish. He saw something he wanted, and when those feelings were not reciprocated he took it without even considering your feelings. So if you want to blame someone blame the mutt. Not me.”

She kept eye contact with me throughout my rant. Not faltering a bit under my authority.

“His name is Carson.” That’s all she replied before returning to her mother. The room grew silent for a moment until her brother came into the room. He looked at me with skepticism in his eyes. I knew he didn’t trust me. None of them do.

“So… is it true? Are you really her mate.” Isaac asked. I just replied with a nod. Isaac just huffed with a condescending chuckle. “ Does no one understand how incredibly f***ed up this is. I mean don’t get me wrong sis, I’m happy for you, if he really is your so-called mate, none of us really know, now do we. She doesn’t have a wolf to confirm it. Kind of convenient don’t you think.”

“What are you implying? And before you respond, need I remind you I am a king and outrank you pup.” I responded slowly walking closer to him. He throws his hands up in a mocking display of defense.

“ Look, all I’m saying is she doesn’t have a wolf she never has so she can’t actually confirm it.”

I can’t help but chuckle this. Do they really not know? Can they really not sense it? I just start hysterically laughing.

“Oh, I’m sorry that’s not very kingly of me.” They kind of look at me like I’m a lunatic “ believe me, I mean absolutely no disrespect. Do you guys seriously not know? I mean come on.” Her mother and father shoot me a knowing look. They know.

……………………………………..……………….

Mia’s POV

This night keeps getting better and better. First I find my mate, but only because he sent my best friend flying across the room. Then my mate turns out to be not only a warlock, oh no that would be too simple, he has to be the freaking king of all Magical creatures. Oh but it doesn’t stop there. Then my brother and Carson duke it out in the courtyard. Which kleads us to our little pow wow going on in my fathers office. Now my brother and mate seem to be arguing about my not having a wolf. This is just….awesome.

“Do you guys seriously not know? I mean come on.” Alaric said to everyone. But then he looks over to my parents and realization seems to land on his face. The room goes silent…again. I can’t stand it anymore.

“ Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on? I feel like everyone’s talking in riddles and in circles and.. and.. and I’m tired of it. If it involves me, I want to know. Now what is it that the three of you seem to know and don’t wanna share with everyone.”

Alaric looks at me like he desperately wants to tell me, but I can tell he feels it’s not his place. The I feel my mother place her hand on my shoulder and I turn to face her.

“Sweetheart…” my mother says with concern and guilt in her eyes. “You are my daughter, your father and I love you, so so much. What I am about to tell you may be difficult to understand. But it’s long time you knew.”

I’m getting nervous now. I look over to my dads and he has his head down. My brother looks just as confused as I do. I look around the room and all eyes are on me. What the hell is going on.