60. The Dragon King

I pulled her in for one last kiss, light and soft, my lips lingering over hers for a while before we separated. And just like that, my first and most probably the last date with Annabelle is over. I folded the picnic mat while Annabelle returned the leftover food and wine back into the picnic basket. We were both silent as we strolled hand in hand and when the palace came into view, she snatched her hand away. In the absence of her touch, I felt bereft, lonely, new cracks appearing on the surface of my already broken heart. An unfortunate reminder of how the rest of my life will feel like. Separated from my true mate and alone. "Your Highness, the guests are here." Alfred, the royal butler met us halfway and led us towards the front steps, where a silver Rolls Royce was waiting. Behind it were several SUVs, all in uniform black paint and heavily tinted windows. Mum, Uncle Reynold, Jughead, Arch, Roman, and Trav were already waiting on the step

61. Dinner

The boys doggedly followed me to my room after my scuffle with Dimitri. His betrayal stung me, more than I cared to admit. I thought he was my friend, or at the very least, we have formed a relationship based on trust and respect but it seems I thought wrong. I was a bloody fool to have trusted him. "Annabelle is engaged to King Ahsan?" "What's going on between you and Annabelle?" "Did you know this about Annabelle?" "I thought Annabelle was with you, man." Just as I thought, the questions spewed out of the boys' mouths right after we entered my room. I glowered at them but to no avail. Instead, they returned my stare, Jughead and Roman even had the audacity to roll their eyes. In front of everyone else, they would be on their best behavior, bowing and listening to my every word but when we're alone, Goddess, they're annoying. These boys have known me for almost my whole life. "We are not leaving unt

62. The Final Goodbye

Richard's funeral was graced with blue skies and white tufted clouds, and despite it being the middle of autumn, the weather was sunny and balmy, as if angels had opened up the gates of heaven to welcome the late Alpha King into their midst. The event was held beautifully, the atmosphere calm and reverent. Various bouquets and flower wreaths of different shapes and sizes were placed near the palace gates, making it appear as if the grounds were colorfully bathed in flowers. Flags were hung at half-mast, roads in the city devoid of traffic as shapeshifters from various regions and states lined up the main road from the palace to the royal mausoleum, grieving for the loss of their former king. We returned to the palace to offer our condolences after the procession was over. A somber atmosphere hung in the air, at odds with the castle which was usually bustling with activities. In a few hours, guests and nobles will be readying to leave, now that Richard has been l

63. Royal Stone Guardians

Romeo Price My eyes roamed the figures crowding the small living area adjacent to my private quarters. Dimitri, Gisela, Annabelle, and Ahsan were seated on the sofa around me. While standing at the back of the room were Roman, Arch, Trav, and Jughead. We were gathered for a meeting among the royal stone guardians, the first I've ever attended. Like Annabelle, most of the stone guardians prefer to keep to themselves, and rarely would we interact and establish close friendships with each other. Except perhaps, me and Dimitri. Some might say me and Dimitri are an anomaly compared to the other stone guardians. I used to consider the two of us as good friends or comrades, but that ended when he withheld information of my mate's engagement to the Dragon King. Dimitri made me look like a fool. I had planned for the meeting to be held at one of the bigger spaces, we had many meeting rooms in the palace but Ahsan requested a smaller chamber, one that is protected against magic. The wall

64. The Last Supper

Annabelle Aoki I would have to say the meeting among the stone guardians tonight went surprisingly well, considering we all barely knew each other. I wasn't surprised to find some odd looks thrown at me when Ahsan mentioned that he had a mate before, all of which I blatantly ignored. It's not as if I didn't know about it. He's made the fact known to me since the very beginning. However, with the exception of telling me that his mate is dead, centuries before I was born, Ahsan never mentioned anything else about the late fae princess to me. And I've never asked either, because it's not my business to know. After the meeting ended, Ahsan walked me to my room, a short distance from where we had the meeting, and left soon after. He told me needed to get back to his room where his advisors are currently waiting. They have to discuss their next course of action once we return to the Kingdom of Draconia. Feeling tired and sleepy, I quickly entered the bathroom, getting myself ready for

65. Dinner with Ahsan

Kingdom of Draconia Annabelle Aoki Ahsan took us back to his kingdom this morning and since then he hasn't left his palace. He’s locked in a meeting with his advisors and warriors, drawing names and allocating dragon shifters and fae warriors into different groups. I on the other hand returned to the mansion and occupied my time by checking on the books and paraphernalia that were brought back from the beach house. The servants had dusted and arranged everything systematically in my new library. The space is larger compared to the underground library in the beach house. And with light spilling from tall windows on one side of the room, it's also airy and bright. I am satisfied with how everything turned out. Books are sorted based on categories and titles on one side of the room, while runes and magical items properly arranged and cataloged on the shelves at the other side of the room. A large oak table flanked by ten chairs dominated the center of the room. Placed haphazardly arou

Alle Kapitel von The Alpha's Key: Kapitel 61 – Kapitel 66

60. The Dragon King

61. Dinner

62. The Final Goodbye

63. Royal Stone Guardians

64. The Last Supper

65. Dinner with Ahsan