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82. The Marking
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2024-01-21 07:48:55
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Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 83. The Return
Baka could scarcely believe how healed she was already. Her broken wrist and fingers had righted themselves and she barely felt any pain around her body. It felt like seeing a miracle. But she knew it was their bond at work.They were heading back to the palace in the same car they had used to go to Avenue City. Baka couldn't believe how close the cabin was to the palace and yet no one had an inkling because of how buried it was in the woods.It was a little past midnight the next day. Tatum had said it was best to return to the city under the cover of night since she wasnโt particularly dressed appropriately, being in his shirt and small boxer shorts. She loved how comfortable his clothes were on her skin given how baggy they felt. And secretly, she loved the feeling of wearing something that belonged to him. It was as intimate a thing as ever.He had told her that the marking had made them one in every sense of the word, that they now shared the same scent, and that it would be not
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 84. The Picnic
Tatum sat at his desk reading a couple of reports Thorin had left for him. For all accounts, the city was doing well despite his short absence. Heโd seen Aisha Aetheliteโs note on what she intended them to do for the day; a small picnic near the bank of the river within the woods. Sheโd chosen a quiet, intimate setting. It gave him a little glimpse of her character and he hoped he was not mistaken as he had been with Tamara. But it didnโt matter. He simply didnโt want to spend the day with another intolerable woman. He didnโt want his happy mood ruined. The events of the past few days spent with Baka still felt surreal to him. But one thing was for certainโshe was the only person he wanted to do anything intimate with.Her attack on Aja had surprised him. He knew she was fierce but he had no idea she could be that fierce. Violence was one thing he did not condone and only allowed when necessary. Yet he couldnโt blame Baka. If it were up to him, he wouldโve allowed her to continue
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 85. The Outburst
Bakaโs mother never seemed to run out of tears as she held unto Baka like her life depended on it. She inspected her daughter thoroughly trying to check for any wounds and wouldnโt let go of her. Baka let her hold unto her for as long as she wanted to. She had missed her mother so much. Missed her scent and her voice and her crushing hugs. She would never forgive herself if anything were to happen to her mother because of her.It was just shy of curfew and they both sat together on the floor in the room they once shared. This was the only time they could meet without arousing suspicion. But it was only a matter of time before the other girls joined them too.โThorin has had his eyes on me like a hawk,โ her mother was saying. โIโm not sure what to think about it, except that it cannot be good.โTatum had told her he had left a trusted friend looking after her mother. Baka knew it had to have been Thorin. โDonโt worry, Mother. Weโre safe.โโDonโt worry? Child, you were gone for days wit
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 86. The Rose
Baka made her way upstairs as quietly as she could. The house was asleep but anyone could still be awake at this point. Habit had her walking into the slaves quarters before she remembered she was supposed to make the Alpha Kingโs bed.He was out on his date with Aisha Aethelite and she suspected he wouldnโt be back till much later in the night. She had only stayed with him for one night since the incident with Aja. It wouldโve been too suspicious even with Aja recovering at Freyaโs shop.She often saw Emily throw weird glances at her, eager to question her. But for whatever reason, she hadnโt made her questions known. Wasting no time, she headed for the stairs. Her hand rested on the newel cap and she started her ascent.โBaka,โ someone whispered behind her. She turned around and saw Eugene looking back at her. Her palms became clammy. Sheโd almost forgotten he was still around, having delayed his departure to be of some help to Tatum after what happened to her. A part of her was
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 87. The Hunt
Of course Wonjo Wesley had chosen hunting. In all the years Tatum had known her, sheโd always enjoyed the wild. Always enjoyed doing wild things.He had been blinded by her beauty and charisma in his youth and it had taught him a painful lesson, however short.They had killed three rabbits and a deer, and Wonjo was eager for more. โWe should eat. Iโll collect the firewood.โWonjo smiled beside him, putting away her bow and arrows. โJust like old times.โShe followed him as he searched around them for wood to make fire. Tatum enjoyed the silence and dreaded having to make conversation with her, even though he knew it was inevitable.When they had collected enough firewood, they sat down on cobblestones as they made the fire. They were going to cook the rabbit first. A part of him had missed living so wildly. It catered to his baser instincts and fuelled his wolfโs appetite. โHow have you been, Tatum?โWonjoโs sultry voice pierced his thoughts and he looked up at her from the fire. โW
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 88. The Tragedy
Bakaโs eyes burned as Emily sliced onions beside her. The tears falling down her cheeks made her face itch and she wanted nothing more than to wash it. But she continued cutting meat into tiny chops.โYouโre crying,โ Emily laughed, shaking her head at Baka. Her face was as clear as day.โAnd youโre not. You never cry. How is that possible?โEmily shrugged as she sliced the onions faster. โIโm not immune, you know. I just have more endurance. Both my parents were chefs. I use to help them a lot in the kitchen.โโI didnโt know. Did they own a restaurant?โโThree. Ever heard of The Garden of Eden?โโYou mean the one from the bible?โ Baka teased and Emily made a face. โAlright, Iโve heard of it.โThey were quite famous. Her parents lost everything. Restaurants were one of the first establishments to go out of business during the war.Carlton appeared in the doorway just then, followed by Eugene. His eyes landed on Baka immediately with a broad smile. โSomething smells good. Iโm famished.โ
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 89. The Reunion
The news of Gabrielโs untimely demise had circulated around the city. It had been nearly a week and the city was still abuzz with the tragic deaths of his wife and children. So many of his people were already preparing to travel to Sunset city for the funeral while others sent Eugene many tokens and well wishes.Apparently, Gabriel was a loved king. Tatum wasnโt surprised. As long as he had known Gabriel, he was a reasonable man. To know his life was snuffed out from him so brutally made his blood boil.If Tatum ever got his hands on any member of the Judgement, they would wish they had never been born.โSo, whoโs our next Luna queen?โ Takoda asked from beside him. They were sitting at the courtyard watching the guards train under the noon day sun.Tatum stared at him. โHow can you think about that right now? A friend and his entire family just died.โโKilled. They were killed. And I feel terrible about it but life must go on. Or do you suggest we stall our lives just because weโre in
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 90. The Lost Teddy
Baka had kept herself busy all day since she had nothing to do and couldnโt return to the palace until the Alpha Kings and their Alphas had gone. She made a nice meal and waited for her mother and the girls to join her. They had been so happy to know she had returned to them even though she had told them it was only for a short while.It was a little past curfew so they should be back any moment now. Baka served the food in a bowl and left it covered on the table. The girls would be tired and hungry when they got back.She heard multiple footsteps approaching and smiled.Then a more sorrowful sound emerged. Someone was cryingโand loudly.The door sprang open as the girls walked in with a hysterical Mosann. Baka flew to her side in an instant.โWhat is it?โBut Mosann was crying too hard to make any coherent sentence. โShe lost her teddy,โ Bessia answered.โMr Holmes? How?โโIn the market. Some idiot bumped into us but we didnโt think anything of it. It was not until we had gotten ha
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-01-21
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Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย Epilogue
Baka stared at her wedding gown, captivated. It was a gown made for royalty and it looked like it was painted on her body. It flowed into a delicate train that pooled around her feet. The floral embroidery on the train was accentuated with tiny pearls and ruffles which covered the bodice and sleeves of the form fitting gown, tapering off on the trumpet skirt.Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail with two strands of hair framing each side of her face.She could hardly recognise herself. The more she looked, the weirder she felt. In the best way possible.Henry appeared in the doorway, carrying little Dream in his arms. Theyโd become inseparable since Roheyโs unfortunate passing and he had taken it upon himself to become a father to her.โStill admiring yourself in the mirror?โ Henry chastised. โBy the time youโre done, Tatum will be on his deathbed.โDream, who was playing with his curls, started giggling.Baka glared at Henry through the mirror. โDonโt influence the little gi
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 100. The Sacrifice
โWell, well, well,โ Takoda whistled, slamming the door shut. โWhat do we have here?โ He sauntered into the cell, his gaze fixed on each of them, barely lingering on Aksanaโs still form. โMy disgraced brother, his lover, and her lover. I came to pay my last respects and this is the scene Iโm greeted with.โBakaโs heart sank. They were too late. Her gun was useless, and her dagger was with Eugene. Aksana was too far away from her for her to grab her daggers. She was out of weapons and out of time.Eugene grunted. โI tried to stop them but as you can seeโฆโ he pointed towards his injured thigh.โInteresting,โ Takoda barely whispered, staring at him. โI thought you two were friends.โโAnd I thought we were brothers,โ Tatum spat, his body trembling underneath Bekonโs arms. โYou killed my wife and child!โโAnd you stole what was rightfully mine. Weโre even, don't you think?โ Takoda argued without missing a beat.Tatum brushed Bekon off him and stepped forward menacingly. โNo, Tatum,โ Ba
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 99. The Bargain
Someone was clapping. Loudly. The figure leaned off against the wall and sauntered towards them. โI gotta say Iโm impressed.โBaka blinked. โEugene?โ She looked behind him, briefly wondering who else was hiding in the secret dark corners of the prison cell. โWhat are you doing here?โEugene didnโt answer immediately. He seemed to look past her to Tatumโs cell, as though trying to confirm something.โWhat are you doing here?โ he countered. โYou should be at the safe haven. And whoโs this?โ He added, pointing demurely at Bekon. โA friend.โ Baka didnโt have time for introductions. โIf youโre going to help us, great. If not, please pretend you didnโt see us.โโOh, I have no intention of doing either.โHis tone sent chills down her spine. Baka lowered Aksana on the ground slowly but did not release her grip on her throat.โPlease, donโt stop on my account,โ Eugene advised with a strange smile. โNever liked that toad. Feel free to finish her off.โWith her free hand and a wary eye on E
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 98. The Infiltration
Baka watched the guards make rounds on the ground and the rooftop, waiting for her opportunity to sneak in undetected. The last time sheโd come through these gates, sheโd been in a truck. This time she was exposed, dressed to blend into her environment.This was suicide. She knew it. Her brother had said as much. But she wasnโt going to let Tatum die.โNow what?โ Bekon whispered beside her. Of all people she didnโt think would come with her on her little rescue mission, Bekon was in the top five. His hatred for the king was well known to her. But when he and Henry had seen that she wouldnโt be convinced out of coming, theyโd chosen to come with her. She believed she had a way in. When sheโd been captured by Ares, sheโd noticed that the cells had small air ventilators that led outside. They were big enough to house a human being. So somewhere behind the city was a direct way into the prison.โWe need a distraction,โ she replied. โOne of you should distract the guards while me and th
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 97. The Turncoat
Tatum was thirsty. As he sat in the stinking cell his brother had left him in, he tried to ignore all the things nature demanded. In truth, he didnโt understand why his brother hadnโt killed him yet. Heโd gotten what he wanted. A seat on the throne. Tatum was of no further use to him.Unless he was keeping him around to relish in his humiliation. By now his people and all the territories knew of his connection with his slave. Heโd been spared the worst, having been locked up for the most part. His brother had been here a couple of times to gloat. Yet Tatum couldnโt deny that a part of him was relieved that his secret was out. He may not have liked how it got out but there was such a weight lifted off his shoulders now that it was. After Fortune had gotten the truth out of him, he didnโt stand a chance. Takoda had succeeded in convincing the Alphas that his loyalties were divided and they could no longer trust him with the throne, the city or its secrets. But that was the least of
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 96. The Word
Days passed and Baka learnt to fall into the routine of their settlement. She checked on Rohey often even when Rohey had shouted at her to stop babysitting her. The girl was too independent for her own good.Bakaโs house, House Phillipi, were on kitchen duty today. She and the girls in her house, which included Mosann, were hard at work washing the dishes they had just used for lunch. The food made here held no candle to the palace food she had grown used to, but it was still pretty good.The girls did their chores in awkward silence as some of them didnโt know Baka and Mosann well enough to strike a conversation. Baka didnโt mind. She needed the peace of mind which ironically always came when working, especially doing something so mundane as dish washing.The boys fetched the water they were using to wash the dishes and some of them hung around waiting for them to finish washing so that they would return the plates back into the kitchen.โIs it true that you were Alpha King Tatumโ
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 95. The Toilet
Baka walked into the armoury where young boys were assembling a few weapons while others cleaned it or trained with it. Rohey wasnโt in the kitchen nor was she in her room and someone had told her to check in here. She spotted her brother talking quietly with a boy called Hassan. Theyโd been introduced during the week sheโd been here. Sheโd found him to be a little weird.โHave you seen Rohey?โ She asked once she reached them.Her brother turned to her sharply. โWow, no hello or hi?โโSorry,โ she mumbled, sending an apology to Hassan with her eyes. โIโm in a hurry.โHenry stared at her for a second and then turned to Hassan, patting him on the shoulders. โWeโll finish our discussion later.โTurning back to Baka, he led her away from the armory and into the pathway towards the tree in the middle of their settlement.โWhatโs wrong?โ Henry asked once they sat on the cemented floor. โYou look worried.โBaka decided she didnโt have time to hide the truth from him. Heโd only press her fu
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 94. The Safe Haven
A week had passed since Baka left Khandom City behind. Her stay at the safe haven with the rebel group hadnโt been unpleasant. It was small yet spacious, hidden deep inside the woods with lots of armories and underground tunnels. There were about a hundred people living in the settlement and they were all divided into houses. House Philippi, house Rome, house Ephesus, house Thessalonica and house Corinth.They had a day-to-day schedule with routines on the upkeep of their environment, exchanging duties on a daily basis. It was very Henry to come up with such an arrangement. He was a big organizer. His idea brought order to their community.Baka was in house Phillipi. The community had been excited to have the sister and mother of their leader join them. They had welcomed them with open arms and ensured that they wanted for nothing. It was nothing short of amazing.It was as though Baka had regained her family again. It felt so similar to old times she could imagine it exactly as it
Marked by the Alpha Kingย ย ย 93. The Vote
The room became more tense as the Alphas looked from the high priestess to Tatum. The high priestesses were known for one thingโpower beyond imagining. The most powerful ones could inhabit the full power of the moon goddess herself. One of those special abilities was the power of confession. With one touch, they could get a man to spill any secrets, even those he believed he would take to his grave. It was a horrible invasion of privacy and the kind of sentencing they only gave to traitors who had committed high treason.Tatum had once witnessed a man being confessed when he was a teenager. It was both a fascinating and terrifying sight. It was as though the man had lost all free will, his tongue had loosened like running water, and he simply wanted to please the high priestess who had merely touched his cheeks.It was said that it worked differently for everyone. The weakest of men could become slaves to the high priestess until her death released them from her hold and vice ver
