The Alpha's Villainess

Chapter Eighteen

Who the hell was Alistair? How could someone as important as this not be mentioned in the book? Wouldn’t his existence alone have stopped Victor from ascending to the throne with Aurora?

...And then I remembered something. Something I’d read over quickly around the start of the book, not paying much attention to it as it seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of the story. When Aurora and Victor first met, it had been not far outside the Capital’s walls. Victor was out there looking for something, investigating an incident into the death of someone close to him. Was that person... Alistair? His very own brother?

But if Alistair was alive now... and I had saved him from dying... didn’t that mean I’d now unintentionally prevented Aurora from ever taking the throne? She wouldn’t become the Queen Luna, Victor wouldn’t become the Alpha King, and they wouldn’t get to command the royal armies or rule over Aeredale together.

...I’d completely changed the storyline.

But it wasn’t just that either. I hadn’t only saved the eldest son of the Alpha King.

I think I’d saved... my mate.

A mate who apparently couldn’t even look at me. Not since he’d first entered. Did he not want his father to know? Was he saving me from feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed in front of all of these people?

Surely, that was it... right?

My chest ached as I stared at him. I knew the reaction I was having to him was purely from the magical chemicals messing with my brain, making me think that he was the most perfect man to exist, and yet the part of me that was desperately trying to rationalise what was happening couldn’t help but agree that he was. No matter how hard I tried to remind myself that he was a stranger, that we hadn’t even spoken and this was all in my head, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling like I already knew everything about him.

He didn’t look like one of those normal overly promiscuous book cover Alphas I’d seen countless times. The sleek, conventionally attractive, muscled male types, like what Liam had been. Somehow, he seemed infinitely more attractive to me. More... unique. More human. His black hair was longer, a curl to the strands that fought against his attempts at combing it back. His face, though still with a defined jawline, had a more rounded shape with full lips. And then there were those sharp eyes. That intense golden colour which was framed by lashes I would have killed for in my first life. Yet underneath, I could still see the small shadows that loomed, evidence of tiredness or stress.

He was stunning. Distinctive yet flawless. Or, at least, almost flawless. Because marring across all of that, like a piece of fine art that had acquired an imperfection, though still making its appeal infinitely better, was a deep red scar that ran across the left side of his face. It was mostly healed, but I knew it was from the recent battle. I could vaguely recall how the injury looked when it was fresh, seeing it briefly in one of the flashes of memories.

Was he... mine? Wasn’t that how the matebond worked? Giving you someone who was your other half and who would love you unconditionally?

I’d known that this was a possibility one day, especially if I continued to somehow stay alive in this insane world, but it felt surreal to feel it actually happening.

“Alistair, aren’t you going to introduce yourself to our honoured guest?” the king spoke, finally catching on that the silence between us was strange.

“No need for introductions. Her name is Scarlett, a rankless girl from the Easthaven pack. Alpha Liam Pyre’s territory. We’ve already met once before.”

I froze, suddenly getting a bad feeling about this.

Because if he knew who Scarlett was, knew anything about the kind of person she was or her history, then....

Oh no. Suddenly his stony attitude towards me was making a lot more sense.

“Previously of Easthaven,” I hastily added, as if that information would miraculously help me in this situation. “I... I left and no longer have ties there... it’s a long story. Umm...”

His eyes snapped to me as I spoke, a coldness in his gaze that made me wish he was still avoiding eye contact with me.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...

Why couldn’t I have thought of something more intelligent to say?

“Was the correction necessary? Which part of describing your origins was incorrect?”

“A-apologies,” I stuttered out, feeling so small. I immediately looked down and bowed my head, hoping he wouldn’t be offended. Everything about this situation was incredibly overwhelming. I just wanted to curl into a ball and hope that everyone forgot I existed.

“I didn’t mean it that way. Really,” I quickly continued, rambling the words from my mouth. “I just... I’m finding it hard to think properly. You know... because of all these people here and meeting the Alpha King immediately after waking up from a coma. There’s a lot going on. I certainly didn’t expect to meet my mate this way and—”

A gasp went out throughout the crowd and Alistair’s eyes went wide, as if he was in disbelief I’d really just said that. In response, I flinched a step backwards. I didn’t know what was happening, but as the whispers started to spread amongst the people, I realised that I’d accidently word-vomited the one thing he’d clearly been trying to keep hidden.

“Your mate...?” the king asked in surprise, looking to Alistair to confirm.

Only, he seemed adamant on not answering, instead turning his head to the side stubbornly. Apparently, that in itself was confirmation enough for the Alpha King, or at least enough cause to investigate further. He quickly waved his hand at the crowd that were quietly gossiping and directed them towards the door. “Everyone... please leave us.”

A private talk with his father. Okay. Great. They could talk it out, air any sort of grievances or misunderstandings, and then someone could come break the news to me later that he was going to reject the matebond. Just the thought of that happening made my chest hurt, but it was better than the alternative. Being mated to someone who clearly didn’t like me, whilst his younger brother and sister-in-law also probably wanted me dead. I just hoped he would make it quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid. Anything to make this nightmare end already.

I turned and started to join the crowd that were leaving the room, but before I could get a few steps away, the Alpha King’s voice then stopped me.

“Not you, Scarlett. You stay.”

Please... no....

And I died a little inside.

With a steep breath in, I sheepishly returned to where I was, envious of everyone who got to leave.

“Why would you hide this from me?” the king asked Alistair. “What is your reason for rejecting the one who saved your life?”

“Because even if she is my mate—”

“—NO!”

We all immediately looked up towards the voice that yelled out, the person who interrupted arriving whilst the doors were still opened. She stood in the doorway, having overheard the last part of the conversation, and must have realised what was happening.

And a situation I thought couldn’t possibly get any worse, then suddenly became ten thousand percent more terrifying.

It was Aurora.