FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

I was so scared as I looked at Janet. "The King's quarters was my station, you f****g b***h," she spat before raising her hand. I saw her hand come straight for my face. My eyes widened, but the guard moved quickly and gripped her wrist. I had never seen him interfere before. I assumed he wasn't allowed, but then again, she had never gone to hit me either. Maybe they could stop violence because it would cause a disturbance.

"Ma'am, the King is waiting for you," the guard told me.

"Let go of me, how dare you touch me," Janet said, but I didn't wait around; instead, I escaped into the hall only to run into the Beta. I bounced off his chest, not seeing him, and he gripped my arms to steady me.

"Where is your guard?" he asked, confusing me. Did he mean the guard in the bathroom? I glanced at the door as Janet suddenly rushed out. Her face streaked with tears. The guard stepped out behind her before nodding to the Beta. Beta Dwight, however, was watching Janet rush down the corridor.

"Excuse me, do we need to have a chat?" He asked the guard, who nodded.

"I take full responsibility, Beta. I should have spoken up earlier," the guard said. I furrowed my brows, wondering what was going on with him and what he was referring to. He had always followed me, but he never spoke. He occasionally smiled and had moved a couple of times - once to pick up a broken piece of glass and another time to point me in the right direction. However, it was the first time I had heard his voice.

"I see," Beta Dwight said, and the guard nodded, showing no emotion as he stood staring straight ahead.

"This way, Ania," the Beta said, placing his hand on my back and pushing me back the way I came from outside. The guard followed, and as I walked out, the King appeared angry about something. I lowered my head, and he motioned for me to get into the car without saying a word. I slid into the car while he remained outside talking to his Beta.

The driver shut the door, and I watched the guard follow Beta Dwight to the black car in front before they both climbed in.

My attention was pulled back to the King as he leaned over me, fastening my seatbelt. Our eyes met for a second, but he didn't say a word.

The first twenty minutes of the drive were awkward as we sat in silence. Then, the King unclipped his seatbelt and moved to the other side of the limo. He rummaged through a small cooler before grabbing two glasses and returning to me. He pressed a button, and a little tray popped out between our seats.

"Have you ever had wine before?" I shook my head.

"You can speak, Ania. Your silence is maddening," he said. I watched as he filled a wine glass with the deep red liquid before handing it to me. I sniffed the wine; it smelled fruity and sweet. Then, I watched as he poured whiskey into his tumbler.

"Drink," he said, nodding at the glass in my hand. His command washed over me gently, but even though he barely used it, I couldn't fight it. I hated how easily I was commanded, even though I was a rogue. I was glad that the servants never commanded Rina and me. Zara had done it before, but it was almost like a motherly nudge rather than an outright command. The King had also ordered me to eat or drink before, but he never made me do anything else.

The King ordered me to finish the glass before pouring another, but I felt woozy and too hot. He watched me as I shook my head. The drink had kind of snuck up on me. It tasted sweet, but its effects seemed to creep up slowly before taking me out.

"Why is he insisting that I drink?" I wondered, feeling nauseous. My hand trembled as I reluctantly raised the glass to my lips. I drank four full glasses, each one larger than the last, before he went to pour more.

"Arman, please, no more. I feel sick," I pleaded with him, my stomach feeling heavy and my face burning hot. I couldn't understand why anyone would enjoy feeling like this. I felt terrible. He raised an eyebrow at me before placing the bottle back in its holder. I had lost count of how many whiskeys he had consumed, but they seemed to have little to no effect on him.

As I leaned heavily against the door beside me, my words slurred and my vision blurred, I struggled to comprehend why people would willingly subject themselves to this feeling.

"I won't tolerate lies from you again," he said, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The car felt unbearably hot, and I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window.

"I don't enjoy punishing you, so please don't make me," the King continued. He handed me another glass of wine, but my lips felt like rubber and my mouth was dry from the previous drinks. I shook my head, trying to refuse, but he commanded me to drink it.

"Drink it now!" he ordered, tapping on the window to signal the driver to slow down. I swallowed down the sickly sweet wine, but my stomach lurched, and I struggled to keep it down. I gagged, and the limo came to a stop.

As I stumbled out of the car, I nearly tripped over my own feet, but the King grabbed my arm to steady me. I tried to pull away, but it was too late, and I vomited all over the ground, barely missing our shoes.

"Why do you keep asking me that and saying it that way, Your Majesty?" I asked as I heard car doors opening. The King handed me a handkerchief and my surroundings spun. I wiped my mouth, feeling somewhat better but very unsteady on my feet. My vision was terrible, and my head was pounding. The only thing I could make out was that I was on the side of the road, with greenery and the scent of the forest on both sides.

The Beta approached me with a bottle of water and opened the lid before handing it to me.

"Please get her toothbrush and toothpaste. I think she wants to get rid of the taste completely," the King told him, and he walked away. I drank the water quickly before the Beta returned with a cloth and toiletries bag. One of the guards also brought another bottle of water over. I leaned heavily on the King, unable to hold myself up, while the Beta grabbed my arm.

I felt my entire body become heavy and hot, and I welcomed the King's cool touch as he wet a cloth and wiped my hair back and the back of my neck. He then proceeded to wash my face, and I felt like a ragdoll as he moved me around.

"I think she learned her lesson, my king," the Beta chuckled, and I stared at him, still confused.

"I had to improvise," the King said, and I felt even more lost.

"I don't understand," I slurred.

"You lied to me," the King said simply, and I shook my head, trying to remember if I had lied.

"I have another bottle. Would you like to drink that too?" the King asked, and I realized that he had been making me drink as a form of punishment, but I didn't know what I had done wrong. I quickly shook my head.

My legs wobbled under my weight, and Beta Dwight's grip tightened on my arm. As I looked around, I saw that all the men had gotten out of their cars and were looking at the forest and the road. Suddenly, I realized that all those people had witnessed me throwing up.

"Would you like to brush your teeth?" asked the King, and I nodded even though the task seemed daunting. I needed to get rid of the taste in my mouth.

"I threw up," I slurred, struggling to form my words. I knew what I wanted to say, but they didn't come out correctly.

"Yes, you did," the King replied as he led me back to the car. I didn't want to get back into the stuffy vehicle; the cool air was refreshing. The King's Beta handed me the toiletry bag, but my fingers fumbled as I tried to open it.

The King took the bag from me and retrieved some mouthwash. After unscrewing the cap, he handed it to me and said, "You can brush your teeth when we get to the hotel. For now, just rinse your mouth." I sighed and nodded, finding his behavior a bit strange. I heard his Beta chuckle when I followed the King's command, and I glared at him before spitting the mouthwash into the small cup he handed me.

"She's feisty when drunk," the beta observed.

"It certainly seems that way," The King chuckled, taking the cup from my hands. One of the guards retrieved it from him, and he gestured for me to get into the car. I shook my head.

"No?" he inquired.

"It's too hot," I informed him, although I'm not sure if the words came out that way. However, he had no difficulty understanding what I meant.

"I know; I had the driver turn on the heater," he laughed. I blinked at him, wondering why he would do that when it was already oppressively hot.

"Get in the car, Ania," he ordered.

I lifted my legs and turned to get into my seat, shuffling heavily. Leaning against the other door, I waited as Arman entered the car and turned on the air conditioning and a little fan. Once his Beta had climbed into the car beside me, Arman tapped on the glass and spoke to the driver before winding the window down and then back up again.

His Beta handed me another bottle of water, and I drank it thirstily, gulping it down.

"Gosh, it's hot in here," the Beta said, and I gasped at his language in front of the King. My shock must have been evident because the King laughed before tugging his shirt off over his head.

"I agree, it's too hot to sit in here," the Beta named Dwight whined.

"I turned on the air conditioning," the King informed his Beta, but the Beta shook his head and jumped out of the vehicle without waiting for dismissal.

"I noticed that he swore, but you didn't punish him," I remarked. The King chuckled before reaching for me, causing me to realize I had spoken out of turn.

The King pulled me onto his chest, directly under the cool air from the air conditioning, as the limo began to move.

"Dwight is my best friend, and he can do as he pleases, just like you," I tried to shake my head.

"You're calling me a liar?" he questioned, and I nodded while still draped over his chest, enjoying the refreshing cold air blowing on me. The King started pulling off my shirt, and I was too heavy to stop him and too miserable to care.

"When did I lie?" the King inquired.

"I didn't want to drink, you made me," I told him, and a growl slipped past my lips before I could stop it, startling even myself. But the King only chuckled softly in response.

"Did you just growl at me?" he asked, his amusement evident. I felt my pulse slow as he didn't become angry.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Don't be," he said, and I nodded in relief.

"Technically, what I did wasn't a lie. It was a punishment. I would have preferred spanking you, but somehow I think that would have traumatized you more," he continued, and I couldn't believe the outrageousness of his words.

"But I didn't lie," I protested, aware that I sounded whiny. I should be grateful that he hadn't left me on the side of the road after I nearly puked on him.

"You did lie. I asked you earlier if you liked Janet, and you never told me she had been giving you trouble," he pointed out. I shook my head in denial, but this time he growled before wrapping his arms around me, holding me in place when I tried to get up.

"So, do you like Janet?" he asked, and I paused to think. I didn't hate her, and I wasn't one to hold grudges.

"I don't think she likes me," I answered.

"That's not what I asked; I asked if you like her," he clarified.

"Well, I don't dislike her; I just don't know her," I told him. He nodded and pulled me closer, pressing his nose to my cheek. I buried my face in his neck, savoring his scent as he began to purr. I loved the sounds he made, except when he growled. I adored his scent and wondered how much it would hurt when he inevitably discarded me like everyone else had. I questioned whether I could go without smelling his aroma everywhere.

"I like when he does that," I thought to myself, and he chuckled.

"Is there someone else I should know about? Any competition I'm unknowingly up against?" he teased.

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked, mortified.

"Yes, it had better be me you're talking about. If I catch anyone else purring at you, I'll remove their vocal cords and lungs," the King chuckled before kissing the side of my mouth.

"Why are you-" I mumbled, my words becoming harder to form as he continued to purr.

"Sleep, Ania. I'll wake you up when we get to the hotel, and then you can tell me everything you want," he said before I felt myself slipping under his command and drifting off to sleep.