Marked by the Alpha King's Vengeance

Another Dreadful Day

The next morning started with screaming. I groaned, stretching my body a little to get rid of the sore muscles.

A shriek echoed through the hall just outside my door, followed by what sounded like furniture being dragged.

I didn't want to know what they were doing. If I did, I would probably get involved in one way or another.

I sat up in bed, dazed. I ran my hands through my hair, and I could already guess that a disaster was sitting up there due to the multiple strands of hair that poked out at different angles on my head.

“Day 3. Still here. Still without a phone,” I muttered. How did people live without phones here? It wasn't easy adjusting because I could imagine myself eating pizza while watching a new movie that just came out or a new season of my favourite series.

There was a light knock at the door, which opened before I gave permission. Talk about privacy.

Three maids entered with identical fake smiles and death grips on a hairbrush, a dress, and something that resembled a corset but looked more like a spine crusher to me. How was I going to fit into... that?

“Good morning, My Lady,” one chirped with the energy of someone who was definitely on a sugar rush.

“Hi.” I raised a brow. “Before you lace me into that dress that would definitely cut my air supply short, can you tell me where I am going?"

The tallest maid, Letta, I think her name was—held up the dress. “Your meal will be served after morning preparations. His Majesty has summoned you.”

“Oh, he has?” I said, clutching the blanket tighter around me. I definitely didn't want to go.

Letta didn’t blink. “He expects you to look presentable.”

“Ah, of course he does." It didn't help that they all just stared like they had been asked to carry out an assassination and not dress me up, which was definitely weird because I could dress by myself.

Thinking of the dress now, maybe I couldn’t. I would probably break a bone or something while trying to put it on due to how clumsy I am.

What followed was a thirty-minute wrestling match between me, my dignity, and their wardrobe of royal death traps. My arms were shoved up, down, twisted. My hair was tugged, braided, unbraided, and sprayed with some sort of flowery mist that smelled like roses.

When they were done, I looked regal but at the same time, horrified from what I had just experienced. I couldn’t wear these things forever. The only breathable things here were probably the night wears.

They escorted me down yet another dark hallway lined with dim, flickering lights. If people didn't live here, I would think this was a haunted house.

Every person we passed either looked surprised to see me or looked like they wanted me dead. Or both.

“Does no one here smile?” I asked. “Is it against the rules or something?"

Letta stayed silent.

We stopped in front of massive doors, and I suddenly didn't feel like going in anymore.

“Can I opt out?” I asked.

Letta glanced at me but then ignored my words. Typical.

The doors opened, and I walked in reluctantly.

I was in awe by what I was seeing here. It was a kind of throne room. The walls were painted a dark grey and golden lights were situated in different parts of the room.

Right in the middle was a large throne made of gold with another smaller one planted right next to it.

If I ever managed to find a way to get back to the future, I was definitely going to come in here and try to scrape out as much gold as I could.

I waited to be acknowledged since the alpha was speaking to another man in a black cloak.

I waited.

And waited.

“You know,” I said loudly, “where I’m from, we say hi when people enter rooms. It's called being polite, actually."

The man in black twitched. The Alpha didn’t even turn around. He continued speaking to the man and ignored me like I was air.

Cool. So we’re still in the “I hate you so much I won’t even look at you” phase.

After a while, the man he was speaking to left but not without a glance at me. There was something in his gaze that made me feel like he knew me well.

I snapped out of it when I heard the Alpha speak. "Walk with me."

Walk?

With him? Like… together?

I hesitated before following behind him. We walked for a while before we reached what looked like a training courtyard. There were several men and even women, sparring against each other with swords and other weapons I couldn’t name.

Everyone stared at us immediately our presence was noticed. Or stared at me, to be more exact.

Their expressions ranged from shock to disgust.

“What exactly did I do?” I asked under my breath.

The Alpha didn’t answer. He just walked, expecting me to keep up in heels that were one bad step away from a twisted ankle.

“Okay,” I continued, “Let's pretend that you actually gave me food to eat this morning. What exactly are we doing here?”

He stopped.

Turned.

His eyes pierced right through me. “You’re weak.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve been bedridden for weeks, and now you act like you don't even know how to shift."

That wasn’t entirely wrong because I didn't know how to shift or whatever it was.

And, I was bedridden for weeks? I mean, Nova was? Why? As if I didn't already have enough missing pieces to fit into a puzzle I didn't even understand.

“You want me to spar?” I asked, glancing at the soldiers. “I don’t know how to hold a sword. I don’t even know how to hold a grudge, and you clearly have a PhD in it.”

He said nothing. Just nodded at one of the guards, who handed me a wooden staff.

“Seriously?” I muttered, taking it. It was heavier than it looked. "Isn't this a way to murder me without doing it yourself?"

“You’ll fight her,” he told a soldier.

The soldier, a tall blonde woman with arms that could bench-press a bear, nodded.

I raised a finger. “Wait, wait. Can we talk this out over tea?” I thought they did that here.

The Alpha stepped back.

Blondie lunged.

I yelped and stumbled, barely dodging a swing to the ribs. I tripped over my own feet and fell flat on my back.

This was so unfair. I was in a dress, which probably weighed more than I could imagine and heels that I barely knew how to carry.

I wouldn't win if I wasn't in any of the two, but I needed an excuse for myself.

The crowd snickered. At me. I stood, dusting the dress even though the damage had been done and took off the stupid heels in anger.

I groaned, staring at the sky. “This is why I don’t do mornings.”

The Alpha loomed over me.

I stared up at him. No ‘are you okay’? or any concern of the sort. I shouldn't have felt disappointed at that, but I was.

He turned and walked away.

Letta helped me up, muttering something about herbal compresses that would help.

Later in the day, as I lay on my bed. I couldn’t help but wonder about what Nova had done. It was like I barely thought of anything else now.

I had to continue reading that journal to find out more, and even if there wasn't enough information in there, I would scout this entire place until I found the answers I was looking for.