All Chapters of ALL HAIL THE ALPHA QUEEN : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Alina’s POVThe first thing I tasted was fear.Not mine.Theirs.It rolled through the ballroom in invisible waves the moment I truly let myself see. Faces smiled, mouths spoke, but their thoughts screamed far louder than their voices ever could. Awe braided with suspicion. Guilt tucked behind admiration. Greed masquerading as joy. Every single person in that room wore a mask polished to perfection—and every single mask was cracked.I stood still and read them like an open ledger.They think I should be dead.They think prison erased me.They think silence meant guilt.How charming.The chandeliers above glittered like crowns, but all I could see were vultures circling a throne they believed was secure. They stared at me as though I were an interruption to destiny, an inconvenience that refused to stay buried.They were wrong.I hadn’t returned for forgiveness.I had returned for fire and blood.Kael’s thoughts were the loudest.Panic wrapped in arrogance. Memory clawing at denial. He

They didn’t lower their voices anymore. They didn’t need to. The room was already on their side. Luke Thornbrook folded his arms, looking at me with thinly veiled contempt. “So tell us, Alina,” he said, loud and sharp, “what exactly are you doing here?” I smiled faintly. “Enjoying the music.” A few scoffs answered me. Mrs. Thornbrook shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. Are you here to latch onto Kael now that he’s finally made something of himself?” That word—latch—scraped. “You’ve had years to move on,” Luke added. “Yet here you are. Still circling. Still clinging.” Seraphina leaned closer to Kael, her fingers gripping his sleeve possessively. “It’s unhealthy,” she

The room’s patience had frayed. I could feel it, smell it, taste it in the air like copper before a storm. Luke Thornbrook’s jaw had tightened so many times I was surprised it didn’t crack. Mrs. Thornbrook’s hands trembled with irritation beneath her perfectly polished gloves. Even Kael, ever the composed one, had lines of tension etched around his eyes. “You’ve tested every shred of our patience, Alina,” Luke said finally, his voice cutting through the murmurs like a whip. “For the last time, respect what little dignity you have and leave this venue.” I laughed softly—low, deliberate, and full of amusement. “Dignity? From you?” I said. “Do you honestly think you have any authority here? You have no right to throw me out.” A ripple of whispers spread through the crowd. My tone was calm, but it car

 I lifted my hand slowly, enough to still the room. The laughter and whispers halted almost instinctively. “Silence,” I said. My voice carried through the ballroom like glass breaking—sharp, crisp, undeniable. Every pair of eyes turned to me. Every heart caught a little faster in its chest. “Ten minutes are almost up,” I continued, letting the words hang like thunder in the air. “And soon, the owner of this place will arrive. And when he does…” I paused, letting the tension swell. “You will all understand why your assumptions about me are irrelevant. Prepare yourselves.” Whispers erupted again, the room buzzing with curiosity and fear. Luke Thornbrook’s smirk faltered. Seraphina’s eyes widened, the slightest flicker of uncertainty betraying her composure. Kael’s gaze sharpened, his posture tightening as he shifted to the edge of the room, prepared for

The doors opened again, this time with a gravity that silenced the entire room before anyone could breathe. I turned slowly, every sense alert. The air seemed to thrum with electricity as a presence entered that none in the room expected. And then he came into view—Kastiel Valecrest. Time itself seemed to hold its breath. He was taller than I remembered, broad-shouldered, exuding the kind of dominance that didn’t need to shout to be heard. His dark hair was perfectly in place, but the subtle streaks of silver at his temples hinted at battles fought and survived. His eyes—ice-gray and impossible to look away from—swept over the crowd, not landing on any one person for more than a heartbeat. Yet everyone felt as though he could see straight into their bones. Kyle’s mouth fell open slightly. “Kastiel…” he breathed, voice incredulous, disbelief etched into