But, of course, Elijah was the total opposite of an asshole. It was difficult to hate him. And if he continued showing me this kind of luxury, it would become more complex. After a couple seconds, I said, ''Can I say something, Elijah?'' I asked while clutching the pendant. ''Yes. You may. Do not hesitate to say what is in your mind, River.'' ''Why are you doing this?'' His forehead knotted. "Doing what? I don't follow you.'' I sighed. ''Why are you being good to me? It's confusing on my part. Is that because you also see that woman in me? If we don't have the same similarity, will you still treat me like this?'' What was the point of not saying it out loud? If he wanted honesty, he should be able to handle my question. My gaze went back to the servants. They were still looking at us while pretending to sweep the ground. "Are we thinking about the same woman?" "None other than." He fell into deep thought and confessed, ''I never liked that woman, to begin with. If you resem

The alpha king raised his brow, disbelief in his eyes. "So I am right. You did plan something, River. I hate to break it to you, but you will not succeed."It would be a silent battle between us—an ongoing one. "I did not say I have plans, Your Majesty."I grabbed the bar of soap and asked, "May I?" He nodded. With that, I rubbed the soap all over his chest. He remained silent, not saying anything, as I continued rubbing the soap. Using the bubbles, I scrubbed the dirt and dried blood all over his body. He moaned, savoring the comfort I was giving him."At last, you finally did your job, River."The hemline of my clothes was already wet as some water splashed towards me. "This is my plan, Your Majesty. To serve you. I want to redeem myself. If you are thinking of other things, you are mistaken." He opened one of his eyes. "You know what it is. Don't play dumb with me."I chuckled and returned the bar soap. "You never believe what I say, do you, Your Majesty?"He leaned his head on

The alpha king's bite on my shoulder blade was burning, and then it was replaced by pleasure as if he had just penetrated me. Our minds were suddenly interconnected, feeling each other's emotions. Desire. Passion. I didn't even know if it was coming from me or not. Everything felt surreal. Then, I saw a black wolf staring back at me and howling. Was it the alpha king’s wolf? The scenery changed, and I saw myself with the alpha king. No. It was not me. The woman had no curls on her hair. It was the opposite. Zenith? Did I see the flashback of the alpha king’s memory?I shuddered in his arms while he supported my weight. Giving his final touch, the alpha king licked the wound and pulled away. "Congratulations, River. Now, you carry my mark and scent for the rest of your life. And like I said, aside from power, you will also gain enemies. My enemies, they will be after your life. And I cannot protect you at all times. This is the consequence that my mark bearer will face."Feeling ligh

After a few minutes, the twins, nearly bathing in their sweat, returned and informed me that the carriage was already waiting for me outside. "River, do you want to change your mind?" Clara and Flare asked in unison after checking if I had forgotten something. Their eyes were still in worry. "You don't know how dangerous it is to travel alone.""I have the coachman," I joked, trying to appease their mind. "Stop fussing for me. I can do it perfectly.""But….""Nonsense. Why don't you cover for me, and if the alpha king happens to arrive first and looks for me, tell him I am running an errand."They looked at each other. "Are you sure about this?"With all honesty, I was not that certain if I could pull it off. Going back to the slave auction house brought many painful memories not worth keeping, but I still had to go. "I'll come back if I will gain nothing from there.""Do you know whom to look for, River?""Master Henderson, the one who was supervising the auction house." The man al

Master Henderson's eyes twinkled, watching the bag of gold. I smelt his greed, making me smirk."Ah. This is getting heavy. I wonder who is the luckiest person who will hold this for me. I still had a lot stored under my clothes."I touched my shoulders and made circular motions while silently looking at him."Woman. You know how to make a bargain.""Money can move mountains, Master Henderson.""We are on the same page, woman. Why don't we talk somewhere...private?" Master Henderson said in the end.I beamed and motioned for him to lead the way. "That would be lovely."His eyes narrowed, and he said, "Follow me. Hurry."I ran after him. His steps were long and fast as if someone was hunting him.When we reached his office, I was sweating like crazy, and the shawl wrapped around my shoulders was not helping. However, I could not take it off. "That was a long walk. And sweaty."I stifled a laugh when he faced him. He was sweating worse than me. His shirt was dripping with sweat. And wi