The Intrusive King

Rasmon

As soon as Aunt Verona entered my office, I faced her fully and glared at her.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she sighed as she sat on the empty chair across from me, almost like she was exhausted. Reaching for a cigarette, she added, “Your breeder is back in her room. Locked, of course. I made sure of it.”

“Why would you do that?” I questioned. “I asked you not to intervene, Aunt. You’ll give that slave the wrong impression of me. That will never happen again, do you understand me!?”

“Rasmon, you might be the Alpha of this pack, but you don’t give me orders. I won’t take it. You forget who took care of you all these years. I’m practically your mother. I raised you.”

“Mother or not, you can’t disrespect me, much less before the staff!”

“Agatha will never mention what happened in the kitchen. If she does, she’ll have her head cut off. They all know the rules. What we should be addressing here is your inability to listen and rationalize.”

I scoffed and stared at her in disbelief. “What the hell is this now?”

“The girl won’t budge,” she mentioned coldly. “She’s stubborn, much like someone I know. I could see it in her eyes that she was prepared to die for what she believed, and what would you do then if that happened? You bought this woman because you need her, Rasmon. Don’t forget that.”

I clenched my jaw and offered no retort. She was right—I needed that damned slave. Without her, the plan I’d been working on for years would go to shit.

I had no use for her death.

“What do you suggest I do, then? Let her have her way? Change rooms with her? Give her the title of Alpha while I grovel at her feet?”

Aunt Verona smiled as she sucked on the end of her cigarette. “Close enough.”

I couldn’t take her seriously.

“With kindness, she’ll get there,” she claimed as soon as I turned my back to her. I needed a drink. Badly. “You can’t fight fire with fire. Use her guilty conscience against her. Do favors for her and—”

I tipped my head back and gulped my drink before slamming the glass down.

“Rasmon, are you listening?”

“No.”

I heard the scape of the chair against the wooden floor and glanced at her. Aunt Verona was on her feet, glaring at me with all her might. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Rasmon. Unfortunately, all you’ll ever be is an ignorant and stubborn fool! When the girl dies and you lose your opportunity for revenge, don’t come crying to me. I won’t pick up the pieces, not ever again!”

She turned on her heel and left my office swiftly. I was left alone with my thoughts, and of course, even through the walls of stubbornness that dwelled deep inside of me, I knew she was right.

I couldn’t lose this slave.

I had to come up with a better tactic.

Humiliation coursed through me, though. I’d never failed to get someone under my control. People cowered when I was close by. I had bootlickers all around me, hoping for a chance to be acquainted with me.

So, who did that slave think she was?

Angrily, I made my way outside, my glass in hand. I stared at the moon and tried to think. Nothing helped clear my thoughts. Not the drink. Not the cool air. Not even the sight of the moon, which I always found therapeutic.

In the end, I had no choice but to head back inside. I still had no clue what to do.

***

I was summoned to the Alpha King’s court very early in the morning and had no idea why.

Whenever Arius asked for me in such an abrupt manner, it was never anything good. I was curious to know what he wanted from me when we’d talked just yesterday and he didn’t bring up any concerns. Our meeting was routine like it usually was.

We’d discuss new laws, transgressors, and of course, the uprising of rogues just beyond the horizon.

A mess was what it all was, and ironic, too. Once upon a time, we’d been the rogues that the old alphas discussed incessantly. We were the ones who threatened their peace. And now, it was the other way around.

Truly—life never ceased to amaze me.

Arius was in what he called the pleasure room surrounded by his consorts. Other men called them breeders, but Arius had no intention of mating with them even though he was the Alpha King. An heir wasn’t a part of his plan, not now.

When the child came of age, he’d fight his father for the throne.

Such was the way of rogue wolves. And he’d be a rogue regardless of whether or not he was born in a golden cradle.

As soon as I entered the room, I grew disgusted. He was fucking all four of them at once, their sounds permeating the air. Clenching my jaw, I stepped closer to them, clearing my throat and saying, “Alpha King, you called for me?”

“Rasmon!” Arius said, panting. With his hands still on the hips of the woman before him, he turned to look at me. I kept my eyes trained on his face, determined not to look anywhere else. “You came!”

Rising, he slapped the rear of the woman and then ordered all of them to leave while he got dressed. I waited for them to leave before saying, “I didn’t need to see that, Arius. Don’t ever again summon me when you’re busy. I can wait.”

“I was just about done,” he claimed, winking as he shrugged his robe on.

“What’s the matter? Why didn’t you talk to me about whatever it was yesterday when I was here?”

Arius walked around his room, searching for his glass of whiskey. There were several wet spots on the carpet where he just had sex with all his consorts, and the sight intensified my unease. “The letter arrived for me just this morning. Mind you, it was a formal one. We haven’t received one of those in years.”

I automatically started imagining the worst. “What happened?”

“Do you remember Alpha Ernst?”

“The one who settled near the eastern borders? What about him?”

“Well, his daughter is of age now, and they’re looking for a suitable husband. The woman is beautiful—he sent a photo of her. Would you like to take a look?”

“No, because I’m not interested in marrying anyone. I have enough on my plate.”

Arius arched a brow. “What? Still in love with Lorena?”

“No, this has nothing to do with her.”

“Good, because she’s been in everyone’s bed since you broke things off with her,” he claimed. “She’s not fit to be anyone’s bride.”

“I’m not interested in this union. You can think of someone else.”

“I already told him you agreed.”

I glared at him. “And why would you do that?”

“Because I want you to be happy, old friend. You’ve been through enough. You need to settle down with a beautiful woman who will help you lead your pack. This loneliness will carve you from the inside out.”

“That’s my concern, Arius, not yours!”

“Rasmon, your stubbornness will kill you. Literally. They’re on their way. They’ll arrive tomorrow. Get to know her. Then, you can make a decision.”

I wanted to refuse, but I knew it would only make him insist more. Arius smiled suddenly, then asked, “When were you planning on telling me that you bought yourself a breeder?”

I grew cold. He wasn’t supposed to find out, not yet at least. “I see news travels fast.”

“I’m the King,” he shrugged. “It’s my duty to find out what happens around these parts. And? Why did you get one? I’m shocked that you of all people would go for one.”

“A man has his needs, doesn’t he?”

Arius laughed and slapped my shoulder. “You’re not as cold as you seem, are you? Well, then, now you’ll have a breeder and a bride. Fitting, don’t you think? Only, make sure you knock up your breeder after your wife. It’ll bring less complications.”

Sarcastically, I said, “Thank you for the extremely wise advice.”

Arius chuckled and I left his room. My jaw was clenched the entire time, and I had to suppress the urge to kill him on the fucking spot.