Page 130 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
I step forward, and the world narrows to this single moment of retribution. My wolf is howling for blood, demanding justice for our mate, and I don’t fight it.
Before anybody can react, I thrust my hands into the chests of the two guards with the whips and rip out their still-beating hearts.
The satisfaction that floods through me is dark and primal. These men hurt what’s mine. They deserve this. They deserve worse.
Their bodies slump to the ground with wet thuds. Blood pools on the pristine marble floor, spreading outward in viscous, crimson rivers.
A collective gasp echoes through the throne room. Someone screams. Several nobles press their backs up against the walls, looking frantically for the fastest escape route.
I let the hearts drop from my hands, and the soggy splats echo in the sudden silence. Blood drips from my fingers, and I look around to see who should be next. Let them all witness what happens to anyone who touches my mate.
The beast inside me wants to tear apart every person in this room. They allowed this to happen. They stood by and watched. They cheered for her pain.
But Astra needs me more than my wolf needs vengeance. The bond between us thrums with her agony, her confusion, her desperate need for safety. She anchors me, pulling me back from the edge of complete savagery.
I drop to one knee beside her. Her wrists are bound with thick ropes, the fibers cutting into her raw skin. I slice through them with a claw, steadying her as she sways to her feet.
“You’re safe now,” I murmur, my voice gentle despite the violence I’ve just committed. “I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore.”
She’s quiet, but through our bond, I feel everything. The humiliation. The pain. The bewilderment about who I really am and what it means for us. This hurt cuts deeper than any physical wound.
“Seth,” I call without taking my eyes off Astra.
“Your Highness?” Seth appears at my side, his expression grim but unsurprised at the carnage.
“Find a healer. Now.”
He nods and rushes from the throne room.
“Let go of the traitor.” My father’s voice booms across the throne room, cold and commanding.
I look up at him, this man who raised me, who taught me duty and honor and the weight of the crown. “Did you not hear me refer to this woman as my mate?”
His pale eyes narrow. “I heard you, yes. But I also know that she has used dark magic on you to seduce you. Lady Zari has provided compelling evidence—”
I laugh. The sound is sharp and angry, echoing off the marble walls. “Dark magic? Father, I want you to summon every royal magician in this palace. Have them examine me for any trace of dark magic. Any at all.”
“Lucian—”
“Do it.” My voice carries the authority of the crown prince, the weight of command I’ve learned from years of leading armies. “All you’ll find is that Astra is my fated mate. That’s why I’ve been taking my time in returning. I’ve been busy wooing my mate.”
Gasps echo from every corner of the throne room. Nobles whisper frantically among themselves.
An outraged cry tears through the air. Harper steps forward, her face red and twisted with anger. Her composure completely shattered, she points at Astra.
“That useless thing can’t be his fated mate!” Her voice cracks with hysteria. “She’s a fraud! A traitor who defied the crown! How could someone like that possibly be destined for a prince?”
I look between Harper, Alpha Gareth, and Zari, who has gone as pale as death. The pieces fall into place, and my red-hot fury shifts to something colder, more calculating.
“The three of you,” I say icily, “have cooked up quite the conspiracy.”
Zari lifts her chin defiantly. “I don’t know what you mean.”
My father’s voice suddenly cuts in. “Is it true?” he demands, staring at me. “What you said about this woman being your fated mate?”
I meet his gaze steadily. “I am not a liar, Father. Astra wears my mark. I’ve already claimed her as mine.”
“You can’t do that!” Zari’s poise finally breaks completely, her voice sharp with rage and desperation. “I am your intended! You belong to me! The King promised you to me! Our families have been discussing our engagement for months! I am the one qualified to be crown princess, not that country bumpkin of a traitor!”
