The Alpha Princess And Her Dragon Mate

The Dragon's Possession

Alaric didn’t come to see her again. Two weeks passed slowly, and Sabrina realized far earlier than she wanted to admit that the King was ignoring her. Which, she told herself, was completely fine. Sabrina didn’t want to see him either—not after pouring her heart out to him, only to have her hopes crushed. Truly, he had no reason to help her, and she should have expected as much.

But that didn’t mean the rejection didn’t sting. Especially when she understood that, no matter what she did—even if she somehow convinced him to love her as much as he loved Rosaline—he still wouldn’t have helped her. Sabrina was just another woman, and Alaric could have his pick of any woman he fancied, whether within or outside his kingdom. He was good-looking, powerful, wealthy, and possessed an aura that made women weak at the knees. He was perfect—and Sabrina hated him for it.

God, she hated how weak she felt. She’d never relied on anyone before, aside from her father. She prided herself on being independent. She’d managed the pack single-handedly in her father’s absence and raised her younger sister after their mother’s death. But maybe she’d done something wrong with Eleanor. Why else would her sister have turned out so vain and bloodthirsty?

Sabrina quickly realized she’d failed in more ways than one. She hadn’t lived up to her father’s expectations of becoming a future Luna, she hadn’t raised Eleanor well, she wasn’t truly independent now, and she couldn’t even win Alaric’s affection. His heart was cold toward her, thawing only for Rosaline.

To say she was jealous was an understatement. Seeing Rosaline succeed where she herself had failed made Sabrina want to crawl into a hole and disappear. She was ashamed, bitter, and so unbearably miserable. Each day Alaric ignored her felt like a fresh wound. He was her last hope, and she had lost him. Why had she thought telling him the truth was the right decision? Why had she let her emotions get the better of her?

“I heard His Majesty the King is off on a hunting trip,” Sabrina overheard two women discussing during one of their weekly classes.

“Really? Did he take Rose with him?”

“Of course he did. His Majesty has only ever taken one woman besides Rose on his hunting trips,” one of the women replied, glancing toward Sabrina. “And that was only because Rose wasn’t feeling well that day. Now that she’s better, there’s no need for a substitute.”

“Haha, and we all thought King Alaric was showing interest in the new girl. Turns out he was just using her as a stand-in. How shameful.”

Sabrina tuned out their harsh words. She wasn’t one to be easily provoked, but this particular conversation struck something deep within her—her pride. She’d always carried herself with the confidence of an Alpha, but this was the second time she’d been used as someone’s substitute. First, she’d been used to fill Eleanor’s place in Edwin’s heart, and now Alaric had done the same. What had she been thinking? That he truly cared for her? It was nothing but wishful thinking.

After class ended, Sabrina didn’t return to her room. Instead, she went to her father’s gravestone—the poor excuse of a gravestone, anyway. She pulled out the weeds growing around the resting place of the man she cherished most.

Dirt clung to her fingers, but she ignored it. She didn’t even care that her dress was getting dirty. She hardly noticed when a shadow fell over her crouched form, only realizing Allen was there when he spoke.

“That’s very inappropriate,” he said condescendingly. “As the King’s woman, you should at least act with some decorum.”

“f**k off,” she hissed, not even bothering to look back at him.

“What are you doing?” Allen was as persistent as an annoying fly that refused to be swatted away. Sabrina glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was standing too close, his leg almost brushing her back. “And how long has that been there?”

“None of your business,” she snapped, wishing he would leave her alone. She wiped her hands on her dress, prompting a disgusted expression from him. “Go away.”

He scoffed but lingered. Minutes passed in silence. Finally, Sabrina glanced back fully to find him staring intently at her.

“You’re very beautiful,” he said suddenly, startling her. She blinked, confused, as he smirked down at her.

“W… What?”

“I like you,” he said with a shrug, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. “And I’m willing to take care of you. I can’t compare to the Dragon King, but at least you won’t have to compete with 15 other women every day. Think about it.”

“You must have lost your mind,” Sabrina said, more shocked than offended. There had been no indication of romantic interest from him in the past. And knowing that he was Rosaline’s close cousin, she suspected Rose might be behind this. Did she want Sabrina out of the palace that badly? Why bother, when Alaric wasn’t interested in her anyway?

“I’m serious,” Allen said, his tone light. “If you ever get tired of being trapped in these walls, I can take you out of here. The King is my godfather. If I declare my interest in you, he’ll give you to me.”

“I am not something that can just be given away!”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Allen sighed. He seemed to realize that pushing the matter would only rile her up further. “Just think about it. It’s an option.”

Sabrina stood, hating how he towered over her. “I’ll never be that desperate.” She brushed past him, ignoring the amused curl of his lips.

Later that evening, after dining with the other women, Sabrina retired to her room. She didn’t expect to find Alaric there. After weeks of avoiding her, he had suddenly appeared. If he didn’t own the palace, she might have considered kicking him out. What right did he have to reappear in her life whenever he pleased?

“Your Majesty,” she greeted him, masking her fury as she bowed.

Alaric waved dismissively at her formal greeting. “I heard you and Allen are close friends now. When did that happen?”

“I don’t think that’s any of Your Majesty’s concern.”

“Oh, but it is. Imagine my surprise when my godson came to me, requesting your hand in marriage. He claimed you felt the same way about him. So, tell me, little Luna, is that true?”

Sabrina’s hands clenched at her sides. The nickname was demeaning, but the fact that Alaric dared to ask such a question made her blood boil. If she said yes, would he hand her over like a commodity? Did she mean so little to him? Out of spite, Sabrina replied, “He’s a good warrior, and his attention isn’t hard to earn. Being with him would be far better than being trapped in this cage.”

Alaric smiled, though there was no amusement in his eyes. He stalked toward her like a predator cornering prey.

“Silly girl,” he growled. Alaric gripped her jaw, forcing her to look into his blazing golden eyes. “Did you forget who you belong to? You are mine, pretty Luna. Even if you beg me, I won’t let you go.”