Chapter 5 Edged

Alexander’s POV

Control was a fragile thing.Easily breakable.And I had learned that the hard way.

The entire hall stood silent, but it was never peaceful. Power like mine didn’t allow peace. It demanded vigilance, dominance, blood if necessary. The lesser Alphas and their spies circling my borders didn’t need an invitation to test me. They smelled weakness like vultures.

And rumors—they fed on those.The cursed king who has no control on his rage.Who mutilates and breaks everything that he touches.

My jaw tightened.Little did they know that they only talked because I let them talk.None of them had the spine to face me.I could snap all their necks faster than a twig between my fingers. But truth was,they were not wrong about the curse.

This curse…it was different.It wasn’t fear of them that pushed this farce of a “soother.” It was about my self control.

Or the lack of it.Faces flickered in my mind—blurred, fragmented. Women brought in trembling. Voices begging. The moment the scent of fear mixed with blood—And then—Nothing.Just red.The recurring cycle of destruction.And the deafening silence after.

I exhaled slowly, forcing the memory down.

Weakness.That’s what it was.And I did not tolerate weakness.

The doors opened.

“Bring her in.”

I heard the sound of chains dragged against stone.I didn’t bother looking immediately.Another offering.Another attempt to “fix” something no one understood.

But then something hit me out of the blue. Like a thunder clap under a cloudless sky.

It was a scent.It swept in like a cool breeze, like snow over steel.It cut through everything—the noise in my head,the restless agitation clawing under my skin.

My wolf,always prowling, always on edge,simply stopped.Just… stopped.

My head snapped up.And as the guards dragged her forward,for the first time in a long time—I felt something shift inside me.

“Lift your head.”

She did.Slow.Unhurried.And when her face came into view—My breath stilled.

Not because she looked delicate.She wasn’t.

Not because she was untouched.She clearly wasn’t.Bruises marked her skin. Her lips were split. There was exhaustion in the way her body held itself together—

But her eyes struck me.They didn’t belong to someone broken.They burned.Dark!Steady!Looking straight at me like I was not her painful end.More like just another obstacle.

My wolf surged,violently possessive all of a sudden. “Mine!” The word wasn’t a thought.It was a declaration.“Mate!” A low growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it.

Impossible! And yet—my gaze dropped, assessing.

The dress clung to her mauled body, revealing far too much. Clearly the intent was humiliation rather than beautification.

My expression darkened.

“…This is the soother we brought, Alpha King,” a very irritating voice slid in,too sweet for my liking.

I didn’t even look at her.My focus remained solely on the girl kneeling before me.

“My King, she likes acting rough,” the owner of the irritating voice continued, stepping closer, too bold for her own good.An heedless Luna I could tell from her attire, “But she’ll learn. Omegas like her always do,they just need a little doze,with the right instrument!”

Her hand reached out,grabbing my mate’s chin,forcing her face up.Like a fucking toy!

Something in me snapped.“Remove your filthy hand.”

The hall went still.The woman froze.“My King, I was only—”

“I don’t repeat myself.” My voice dropped instead of rising.It carried weight that pressed into bone.She let go immediately.Good for her longevity.

I stood up slowly.The movement alone shifted the air.

“Heavy-handed,” the arrogant woman tried again, laughing softly. “But she’s just a stray. You can shape her as you like—”

That was it! Just a fragment of my true power rolled out of me.It was enough to crush everything. It slammed into the hall like a storm breaking.Guards dropped.Heads bowed.Breaths hitched.

The air thickened and then thinned, under the weight of my Alpha presence.Submission wasn’t asked for, it was taken.

Every single person bent—Except her.My mate remained motionless.

She was still kneeling but her back was straight,head lifted,eyes locked on mine.No fear.No submission.No attempt to resist—But no attempt to yield either.

A slow, dangerous interest curled in my chest.

So,she didn’t break easily.This stirred my curiosity. “Leave.I want to inspect this offering in private!”

No sooner the word left my mouth, they scrambled out—every single one of them, to the last man, even the guards. They usually knew what followed after. I did not. I only heard stories and recollections, apart from witnessing the aftermath of the massacres.

I didn’t need to look at her to know that she felt threatened. The threat was understood.

The doors shut.Silence followed. I stepped down from the throne—each step measured,controlled.Until I stood directly in front of her.

Up close, the scent was stronger.It settled something inside me that had been clawing for release.Dangerous! That alone made her dangerous.

I crouched slightly, bringing myself level with her.Close enough to see the details now.The bruising along her collarbone.The faint tremor she refused to acknowledge.The stubborn set of her mouth.

“You don’t bow,” I said.It wasn't a question it was an observation.

My gaze held hers, unblinking.Most people broke under this distance alone.She didn’t.Interesting!

I reached out.Just enough to tilt her chin upward again—this time on my terms.Her skin felt warm under my fingers.My wolf stirred again,watching her hungrily. “Mate!” He bellowed once more.

My grip tightened just slightly.“Do you not understand where you are,” I asked quietly, “or do you simply not care?” My voice was clearly edged. “Because those are two very different mistakes.”