Claimed By The Alpha King

Chapter Five: The Deal

I stared at the Beta.

Surely I heard him wrong.

"The Alpha King wants to see me?"

The Beta nodded.

"Now."

I frowned.

"Why?"

The Beta looked annoyed.

"Do I look like the Alpha King?"

I rolled my eyes.

Rude.

"Fine. Give me a minute."

The Beta crossed his arms.

"You have five."

Then he jumped down from the window and disappeared.

I quickly grabbed a coat.

My heart was beating fast.

Why would the Alpha King want to see me?

We had barely spoken.

The only thing he knew about me was that I had just been rejected.

Not exactly impressive.

A few minutes later, I quietly climbed out of the window.

The Beta was waiting outside.

"Finally."

I ignored him.

"Lead the way."

The Beta started walking.

Soon we arrived at the edge of the forest.

A black SUV was parked there.

Two guards stood nearby.

And leaning against the vehicle was Lucien.

My steps slowed.

Even standing there doing nothing, he looked dangerous.

His golden eyes landed on me immediately.

For some reason, I became nervous.

The Beta walked away.

Leaving me alone with him.

Great.

Just great.

Lucien stared at me.

I stared back.

Neither of us spoke.

The silence became awkward.

Very awkward.

Finally, I broke first.

"You wanted to see me?"

Lucien nodded.

"Get in."

I blinked.

"That's not an answer."

"It wasn't supposed to be."

I frowned.

This man was impossible.

"I'm not getting into a car with someone I barely know."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"You came into a forest at night with someone you barely know."

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it.

Good point.

Unfortunately.

Lucien opened the car door.

"Get in."

His voice wasn't loud.

But somehow it sounded like an order.

I hated that.

Still, I got in.

Lucien sat opposite me.

The moment the door closed, the driver started moving.

I looked outside.

The pack was getting farther away.

Wait.

Farther away?

I immediately sat up.

"Where are we going?"

Lucien looked calm.

"My estate."

"What?"

I nearly choked.

His estate?

"No."

Lucien looked at me.

"No?"

"I'm not going."

"You already are."

I stared at him.

He stared back.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then I groaned.

"I don't even know why you brought me here."

Lucien remained silent.

"I've done nothing to you."

Still silent.

"Are you planning to kill me?"

That finally got a reaction.

A small smirk appeared on his face.

"No."

"Good."

The smirk disappeared.

"Because if I wanted you dead, you would already be dead."

My eyes widened.

Then I moved farther away from him.

Lucien looked amused.

I didn't.

Not at all.

After a while, I finally spoke again.

"Why me?"

Lucien looked out the window.

For the first time, he seemed distracted.

Then he answered.

"Because I have questions."

Questions?

What questions?

Before I could ask, the car stopped.

I looked outside.

And my jaw nearly dropped.

A massive mansion stood before us.

The place looked like a palace.

Guards were everywhere.

The gates alone were bigger than my house.

"Wow."

The word escaped before I could stop it.

Lucien walked past me.

"Come."

I quickly followed him.

Inside was even worse.

Or better.

I couldn't decide.

Everything looked expensive.

The floors.

The paintings.

The chandeliers.

Everything.

I was still staring when Lucien suddenly stopped.

I walked straight into his back.

"Ouch."

Lucien looked down at me.

For a second, I thought he was about to laugh.

Then his face became serious again.

"What room should we prepare, Alpha King?"

A maid had appeared.

Lucien answered immediately.

"The room beside mine."

The maid froze.

The guards froze.

Even I froze.

The room beside his?

Why was everyone acting weird?

The maid quickly bowed.

"Y-Yes, Alpha King."

Then she hurried away.

I looked at Lucien suspiciously.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing."

Definitely something.

But before I could ask again, another voice interrupted.

"Alpha King."

An elderly man approached.

He looked nervous.

Very nervous.

His eyes moved to me.

Then suddenly widened.

The old man looked shocked.

Just like Lucien had looked shocked earlier.

My heart started racing.

Why was everyone reacting like that?

The old man looked at Lucien.

Then at me.

Then back at Lucien.

"Alpha King..."

His voice shook slightly.

"It can't be her."

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Lucien's face became cold.

Dangerously cold.

"Leave."

The old man immediately lowered his head.

"But—"

"I said leave."

The old man quickly walked away.

I looked between them.

Confused.

Frustrated.

And honestly a little scared.

"What is going on?"

Lucien looked at me.

His golden eyes unreadable.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he finally spoke.

A single sentence.

One sentence that made my heart stop.

"Tell me, Elena."

His gaze dropped to the birthmark on my wrist.

"Who gave you that mark?"