The Alpha King

Adonis

I hate her foster parents with every fiber of my being. Every fucking fiber. Harper's foster parents front yard was littered with trash. Empty beer cans, fast food trash, empty drug bottles, broken vapes, pens, and multiple other things. The exterior of the house was a crumbling, moldy mess that had a disgusting stench to it. 

It's been three days since she suggested the idea of getting her clothes from her own house, and I've been holding off that idea for as long as I can. But when she pleaded with big puppy dog eyes, I gave in. And I regret it. 

Harper laughs nervously. "It w-wasn't this bad when I- when I left." I clench my jaw. 

"But it was still bad," I snapped. She flinched.

'You fucker! Look what you did!' Hades snapped at me. I sighed deeply and dragged a hand down my face, angry with myself. 

"I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to snap," I said. She gave me a small smile. 

"It's okay," she whispered. She held out her hand tentatively, as if she was scared I was going to reject her. What she doesn't know is that I'm really struggling to not drag her into my chest and keep her with me forever. I gripped her hand softly, careful not to squeeze too hard. 

Harper lead me up the front door. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door. 

The inside was no better. The wall paper was peeling, the floor creaked with every step inside. Trash littered the floor, completely covering it. We passed the living room, and inside was her passed out foster father. 

I watched as Harper eyes widened in fear. Her breathing became more erratic, scared. I bit my lip  to stop myself from lashing out at this man she's had to live with for years. I didn't want to to scare her

"We need t-to hurry," she whimpered. Her small hand gripped onto my fingers tighter. 

She pulled my up a flight of stairs and down a hallway. She pushed open a door. 

Her room.

'Ooh, a bed,' Hades commented. I blocked him out, again. Which seemed to be happening a lot now that I Harper was here. 

"All I n-need is my c-clothing," Harper whispered. She opened her drawers and let out a strangled gasp. "No. N-no. My clothes."

I walked up behind her and snarled in fury at what I saw. Each clothing item that I could see was shredded, burnt or even had something disgusting looking dumped on it. The next drawer had the same thing. Even her closet. 

Harper broke down crying. I pulled her into my chest, making sure my grip was loose enough that she could get out any time she wanted. 

My mate's bedroom door swung open. Cosima Cox stood in the doorway, sneering at Harper's shaking from. "Well, well, if it isn't the little rat. Come to return her already, Your Majesty? Personally, I thought you'd send her back... used, if you know what I mean. Well, I can take that from here, and you can be on your way."

I pressed Harper behind me. "Fuck off, Cock."

The woman sniffled and mumbled under her breath, "It's Cox." 

Harper's small hands pressed against my back kept me from attacking that woman. She had no right-- none-- to hurt any innocent child, including my mate. And even more so now. From what she said at the Ball to now, it took everything in me not to kill her the and there. But knowing that Harper was there and she was watching, held me back. I didn't want her to see the monster in me. It wasn't fair. She had been living with monsters all her life, and now she had traded them with an even worse one. 

'Jameson, contact Alpha Duran that he's getting some new members by tomorrow,' I said through the mind link. Jameson, hopefully wasn't.... busy at the moment. 

I straightened my back. "You are leaving my pack."

"Excuse me?" Cosima Cock screeched. Her boulder of a husband trudged into the room, obviously very shit faced. 

"Did I stutter?" I sneered at the Cocks. "You are going to pack your bags and leave. In two days time, I better not see a single sign that you even lived here. If you step foot in this territory again, I will fucking kill you." 

They backed away. Hades growled at them inside my head. Both people bowed at me, showing their respect before scurrying away from me. 

"Let's go," I said to Harper. Then I shifted. Hades took over, happily trotting over to her and nudging her hand with it hand. He barked slightly at her and motioned for Harper to get on his back. She giggled cutely and obliged. She gripped Hades fur, clutching it tightly. Hades took of running, away from the house. 

***

I took us all the way into my room before walking into my closet and shifting back. I was glad she got to meet Hades, even if it was for a little bit. After I pulled on some sweats, I made my way out to my little mate. 

She was sitting on the couch, poking at something. "What are you doing, darling?"

"Oh! I'm s-sorry. I didn't see you there," she squeaked and blushed. She was too cute. Though she seemed very vulnerable and childish, I had a feeling that she was powerful, she just hadn't found that part of her yet. 

"You shouldn't apologize for something you don't need to be sorry over. Now, if you spilled hot chocolate on me, you probably should say sorry," I said. 

She gave a small nod. "What am I s-supposed to do? About m-my clothes, I mean."

"Leave that to me, okay?"

"Alright." Her stomach gurgled. 

I laughed. "Let's go get you some food."

"I am pretty h-hungry," she admitted. Good, we were getting somewhere. After the night of the Ball, she's been afraid to eat, so I've had to coax her to eat something. Some as the day after, and yesterday. But today, she asked for breakfast, a little hesitantly, and ate hardly anything, but she still asked for some food. And that's progress. 

"Yup, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."