All Chapters of Mated to the Alpha King: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

"No." The question confused him. "You being strong is good. Means you can protect yourself when I'm not there." "Most alphas would hate their mate having independent power." "Not most alphas." Ezekiel's mouth almost twitched into something resembling a smile. "I'm the Alpha King. Strong mate makes me stronger." This time Winter's laugh was genuine. Surprised but real. "That's the most logical thing I've heard since getting here. Everyone keeps acting like I have to choose between being wolf or witch. Like I can't be both." "You're both." Ezekiel stated it like the simple fact it was. "Half and half. That's what makes you unique. Powerful." "Sophia says I need to choose my mother's people. That werewolves only bring death." Winter's fingers twisted together again. "But I don't want to choose. I want both parts of myself. Is that possible?" "With me, yes." Ezekiel's golden eyes held hers. "Don't care about wolf or witch. Only care about you." Winter was crying again. But these t

Winter's expression shifted into understanding. "That's why you watched instead of talked. Why you communicated through actions." "Yes." Ezekiel met her eyes directly. "But now I can tell you things. Use actual words instead of grunting commands." "I didn't mind the grunting." Winter's mouth twitched. "It was kind of endearing." Ezekiel's laugh surprised him. The sound came out genuine. "Endearing. That's a word I've never been called." "Get used to it." Winter shifted slightly. "What else is different?" "Everything." Ezekiel focused on cataloging the changes. "My heart actually beats. I can feel temperature properly. Hunger. Thirst. Before the curse, those were just vague signals. Now they're real." "What about emotions?" That question was harder. "Before, emotions were muted. I could intellectually understand that I should feel angry or sad, but the actual feeling was distant. Now everything is immediate. Intense. I'm not sure how to process it all." Winter was quiet for a m

Ezekiel's mouth twitched. "Tell her what? That I love you and you love me and we're leaving together?" "that sounds terrible when you say it out loud." "It is terrible." Ezekiel kissed her forehead. Quick and gentle. "But it's ours. Our terrible decision. Our impossible situation. Our choice." Winter leaned into him, her head resting against his chest. Right over his now-beating heart. "Your voice is different. Less rough. More human." "The curse affected everything. Speech included." Ezekiel's hand stroked through her hair. "Is it strange?" "A little. But I like it." Winter's fingers traced absent patterns on his chest. "I liked the grunting too. But this is nice. Getting to hear your actual thoughts." "I'll probably still grunt. Alpha habit." Ezekiel smiled against her hair. "But now I can also tell you things. Like how you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. How watching you learn shadow magic made me proud. How losing you nearly destroyed me." Winter was quiet for

Sophia's expression didn't soften. "Pretty words from someone who's had decades to perfect manipulation." "I was cursed with a stone heart for twenty-two years." Ezekiel's voice had gone rough again. "Manipulation requires emotional intelligence I didn't possess. All I had was instinct. And my instinct said protect her. Keep her safe. Make sure nothing touched her." "Because she's yours. Your possession." "Because she's mine and I'm hers." Ezekiel's golden eyes were steady on Sophia. "Mutual. Equal. Not ownership." Winter felt her throat tighten. Hearing Ezekiel defend their bond with actual words instead of grunts and silence made everything more real Sophia must have seen something in Winter's face because her expression crumbled slightly. "Baby. Please. You don't have to do this. You can stay here. Learn your magic. Be safe with people who understand what you've been through." "I don't want to be safe in a cave." Winter's voice wavered but stayed firm. "I want to be with Zeke

The ravine opened into a small clearing. Jax was there with maybe a dozen wolves in human form. They looked ready for battle. Weapons drawn. Expressions hostile. Jax's face flooded with relief when he saw Ezekiel. "Thank fuck. We felt the wards break and thought--" He cut off when Winter emerged behind Ezekiel. "You found her." "She's coming back with us." Ezekiel's tone brooked no argument. One of the wolves stepped forward. Rasmus, Winter remembered from brief glimpses at the citadel. His expression was ugly. "The witch girl? You're bringing the witch girl back to the citadel?" "She's my mate." Ezekiel's voice had dropped into that dangerous register. "And she's half-wolf. Watch your tone." "Half-witch is still witch." Rasmus spat on the ground. "We don't allow magic in our territory. It's law." "Then the law changes." Ezekiel moved to stand slightly in front of Winter. "She stays. Anyone who objects can challenge me for the position." Rasmus's hands clenched but he didn't mo