STOLEN BY THE ALPHA KING

CHAPTER 9 - OUR MATE

DRAKON'S POV

"I have never seen anyone as stubborn as she is," I muttered to myself as I sat on the couch.

*You think she is?* My wolf growled.

That was Raziel.

He has always defended her even when she is wrong. A mind link was how I spoke to others. Raziel didn't need one. He lived in my head, and I never made it obvious to her that someone else was talking to me.

I had left that door open on purpose. I told myself it was a lesson she needed. Then I watched a pack of Lycans circle her in the trees, and my lesson had nearly cost me everything.

*You let them near her,* Raziel snarled. *Never again.*

Raziel has threatened to take over if I don't tell her about him, but I didn't, and I also didn't let him take over.

"You would never agree to that because of how obsessed you are with her. I don't need to waste my breath explaining anything to you," I said to Raziel as I loosened my tie.

*Oh shut up. Tell me you don't like her too,* he said.

My chest tightened. My fingers clenched into fists, and a weird feeling washed over me.

My face twisted with disgust. "Hell no," my voice came out sharp.

"I would rather beg on the street than to like someone like her," I said.

Raziel was already pissing me off with all those things he was saying.

That girl is a very stubborn one, but I'm still surprised that I'm able to cope with her troubles.

*She is ours whether you like it or not. Our mate. You can feel it, her scent is strong and it smells so good. Stop trying so hard to resist,* he snarled.

A mate was the one person a wolf chose for life, and Raziel had chosen before I ever agreed. Zeiah didn't know the word yet, and I intended to keep it that way.

"Tsk, get out of my head please, you are pissing me off," I got annoyed and went upstairs.

He was quiet for a while.

I entered my room, changed into a baggy t-shirt and joggers, and threw myself onto the bed.

*She is way better than that thing called Tiffany. She disgusts me so much.* His voice was deep and sharp.

Raziel hated Tiffany, my childhood friend, who was due back from abroad in two weeks' time. She clung around us too much, and he had almost killed her for it once before I stopped him. I had never raised a hand against her, and he had never forgiven me for it. She knew he didn't like her, but she kept coming anyway.

I hesitated. "Don't bring her into this," I said, low.

*Oh please, cut me some slack,* he snarled.

*By the way,* he said. *We owe our mate something after this morning. Take her shopping.*

"She is not our mate, Raziel," I calmly said.

He didn't say anything.

I sighed, closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead.

*Everything in that wardrobe is something you picked,* he said at last. *Let her pick something for herself.*

I hated that he was right.

"Yeah, but we will go later. She needs to rest and I have work to do now," I pointed out as I stood and walked to the desk in my room and sank into the chair as I drew my laptop close to me.

*You better start being nice to her if you don't want to die,* he said with a serious tone.

"Force me if you can," I smirked, my gaze fixed on my laptop's screen as I worked.

He huffed, *Don't push me, Drakon.*

*I hope you know that if I had wanted to take over, I would do it with no stress, right?* He said, trying to remind me that the wolf is the stronger half of any Alpha.

*I have been letting you do whatever you want to do, but things are going to change.*

I had nothing to say to him again so I just went mute while he kept making noise.

I had a lot to do, and Raziel is less important right now.

After an hour, I finished what I was doing and leaned back on the chair to rest my head.

A knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked coldly.

"It's Selena, sir," she said, her voice shaking a little behind the door. "I just came to let you know that lunch is ready."

"I'll be down," I said, quieter than I meant to.

She hurried away, her shoes clicking down the hall until they faded, and my stomach decided to show itself.

It growled loudly leaving me flustered.

*You are hungry anyway, so am I. So, get up let's go have some food,* Raz said.

I hissed and got up, walked to the door and flung it open as I walked out of the room.

On getting to the dining table, I met her seated there. Zeiah.

Raziel purred softly, *She looks so hot.*

I ignored him.

She was scrolling through her phone, and I had a good idea what she was reading. I had called Catherine myself after the ambush. Once she heard steps she looked up and met my gaze.

She froze. Her lips slightly parted before she quickly cleared her throat and shook her head.

She looked different this afternoon. She looked more beautiful, and alluring.

My eyes trailed her from head to toe. The dress she wore hugged her tight, bringing out her shape.

"Hey," she said, swinging her fingers across my face.

I snapped back into my senses. "Hey," I said, far too softly.

The moment the word left my mouth, I realized how different I sounded. I quickly cleared my throat and straightened my face, hoping she hadn't noticed.

She looked at me with a look of surprise. She never expected the cold Alpha to look and sound this soft.

*What? Did you just say hey to her like that,* Raziel chuckled.

"Shut up, Raz," I said out through my teeth, but she heard it.

"What? What did you just say?" She asked, looking confused.

I put on a serious face. "I wasn't talking to you. I was just thinking out loud."

"Sure you were," she said, eyeing me.

My brows went up as I looked at her. I picked up the cutlery and began to eat.

She did the same too.

It was a very quiet lunch.

*Are you going to tell her about the shopping or not?* My wolf interrupted the silence.

"I will, but let me finish up my meal," I said in my head.

*Don't waste time.* He added.

A few minutes after lunch she stood up to leave then I stopped her.

"Zeiah," I called.

She looked surprised. Yeah I know I have never called her Zeiah after the night I rescued her.

Now it sounded a bit awkward. I kept my face steady.

"Yes, what is it?" she glared at me.

"Can you, for once, not argue with me?" My jaw tightened, my nails slightly digging into the table.

She looked at my fingers on the table and said, "As if you haven't argued with me since I got here."

*Well she is right,* Raziel added.

"You are not helping matters," I growled at him silently.

She kept looking at me trying to figure out what I was doing because I was acting weird.

I inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"I want to take you shopping today," it was hard but I said it anyway.

"Wait what! You?" She laughed out loudly brushing her hair backward.

I swallowed a lump, "Yes me. Is there anything wrong with that," my face turned cold.

She immediately stopped laughing because she realized I was serious.

"The clothes in your wardrobe are all my choices," I said. "I want you to pick some of your own."

She hesitated before she spoke, "well" she twisted her mouth, "I will think about it, but come get me when you are ready." She turned and ran upstairs.

I forced my hand open and tried to shake off the embarrassment I'd just put myself in.

"Raz, I'm going to kill you," I snarled.

*Hahaha, I want to see you try,* he erupted into laughter.

I fumed in anger, then calmed down again.

*I can't wait to talk to her myself. I know she would love me because I won't be mean to her,* he said, playfully.

"Shut up. We all know that you are more cold and ruthless than I am. So, how are you going to do it?" I said, curling my lip, my eyes narrowed.

*Stop underestimating me, I'm way better than you,* he growled, making me fall to my knees.

"Calm down, wolf," I smirked as I teased him.

"Do you want our mate to come see us like this?" A smile tugged by the side of my mouth.

His anger subsided, and I got up and adjusted my joggers.

"Now let's go get her," I said to him then he purred happily.

I stood in front of her room and knocked on the door like a gentleman.

"Yes, who's there?" she asked softly.

"It is me, Drakon," I answered.

"It's time, let's get going."

"Alright, I will be out in a minute. Let me put on my shoes." She said loudly.

I went back downstairs and waited for her.

She came downstairs with the same dress, her hair packed in a ponytail.

"Let's go," she said. It seemed like she was excited about the shopping idea, and that made me feel happy too. Weird.

I nodded and got up. We got out, entered the Rolls Royce and zoomed off. Two cars of my warriors had left ahead of us to sweep the route, and a third trailed us at a distance. I was not giving anyone a second chance.

It took a while to get to the boutique. The annoying creature had refused to stop purring inside of me.

He kept talking about her non-stop till we got to the boutique. Even while she was shopping he kept doing that.

And that made me chuckle.

She kept glancing over her shoulder in the first store, her fingers tight around the strap of her bag. I stayed close without being asked. Somewhere between the third dress and the fifth, she stopped looking.

She stood in front of a rack for a long time without touching anything.

"Pick what you want," I said.

"Everything in that wardrobe," she said quietly, "you chose."

"Yes."

"None of it felt like mine." She finally pulled a dress off the rack, a simple one, nothing like the ones in my wardrobe, and held it against herself. "This."

"Then take it."

She came out of the fitting room in it a few minutes later, and I forgot every word I knew.

*Say something,* Raziel hissed. *Say anything.*

"It's fine," I said.

"Fine?" She raised a brow.

*Idiot.*

"It's... good," I corrected, and she laughed, a real laugh, the first I had heard from her, and something in my chest loosened.

We finished from the boutique and entered other stores before heading home. The night was already approaching.

She looked excited and pleased throughout everything, and I found my stupid self being happy just because she was smiling.

Raziel has infected me with his stupidity. I found all those feelings stupid and weird.

But the truth was, I didn't hate seeing her happy.

And somehow, that bothered me more than anything.

My phone screen lit up.

A call was coming in.

I glanced at the screen.

Tiffany.

Zeiah noticed the name. She looked at my phone, then at me, and something small and sharp crossed her face before she smoothed it away.

"Aren't you going to answer?" she said, too lightly. "The childhood friend?"

*Don't you dare,* Raziel growled.

I let it ring out.

Then it started again, almost at once.