Stronger- #Wattys2019

Part 31

Alexander glanced at his destined mate. He noticed she remained stiff. Hands firmly placed on the arm rests of her chair, Nadine appeared to be holding on to the furniture for strength and support.

Taking the time to observe her through the corner of his eye, he started to see just how different she was. She was strong, yet didn't parade it around. Her preference was to work out in the morning when others weren't there to see her. She never sought him out like others would. Instead, she asked him to reject her. If anything, she seemed to truly not want anything to do with him, his power, or the title of queen.

However, she fought with the conviction of a natural born alpha. Nadine ignored the pride of alphas and walked away to braid hair with children. She exhibited the heart and compassion of a true luna.

Without thinking, he extended his pinky finger toward hers, brushing it softly. It was enough to gain her attention. "Markus was right before." He whispered.

"So I gathered, it's why you spared his life." Her voice was emotionless.

The lack of any warmth toward him snapped his attention. What had he been about to do? Tell her Marcus had been right when he commented on how beautiful she was? He needed to get his head on straight. With a soft growl no one else could hear, he had to correct his mistake. "Understand now that none of this changes anything between you and me. I still don't want this." He stood up and made his way toward Yuri who stepped in the back of the room with a situation update Alexander had been waiting for.

The beta groaned as he rolled his eyes. "What in the hell did you do now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The two men stepped out of the room to talk privately.

Yuri pointed back to the ballroom. "Your mate looked sick to her stomach right as you left."

"She needs to learn to hide her emotions better."

A firm grip landed on the king's arm. "No. From what Anna has said, she's a fucking brick wall most of the time. Bottling up her wolf and emotions, fighting every day to keep her head down and not cause trouble, it took effort. At this point, she might as well have a PhD in stoicism. It isn't healthy. She's only recently started to show emotions now that she's releasing her wolf. It's small, and reserved, but it's there. Then you talk shit about her hiding them? You're being more of an ass than usual. Now, what did you say?"

"None of your business." Alexander growled at his friend. "I'm the alpha here. I'm your king. And I won't tolerate you questioning that."

Running a hand through his already disheveled white hair, Yuri ground his teeth together. "I have no interest in being an alpha or king. But damn do I want to kick your ass right now."

Before he could blink, the alpha had his beta pinned against the wall with his fist around a pale neck. "That will never happen."

"Why do this to her?" Yuri gasped, unwilling to completely submit. It was in his nature to protect his luna, his queen. Even if the harm came from his alpha. "Hasn't she been through enough? Why add to her pain? At this point, you're not much better than the bastard who took her. You might not be hurting her physically, but you are fucking with her emotionally and controling her life."

In an instant, Alexander let go of his friend. Regret and frustration twisted his features. He knew what he was doing. He knew he was doing it for the right reasons. Yet, suddenly he questioned if he had fallen down the slippery slope and started to become the monster of her nightmares?

Spinning on his heels, the king stormed away.

*****

"You look beautiful tonight, Your Majesty." Yuri complimented Nadine as he escorted her to her room.

She quickly frowned disapprovingly. "I'm not a queen. Don't address me like that."

"Not a queen yet, but you will be."

Silver hair danced, drawing attention to the many braids still in her loose locks. "I doubt it. From what I can tell, the king was cornered into the announcement and only giving a show now."

The beta sighed and reached out to stop the girl at his side. "Alexander is complicated. There is a lot he hasn't even told me. Just be patient with him."

Chewing on her lip, Nadine asked something she had been wondering about for a while, but didn't want to ask for fear of stirring something up. "What happened to the king's first mate?"

The question snapped Yuri's attention. He quickly looked up and down the hall before pulling her into a small corner. "You really don't know?" Then his face sags as he seemed to process through several details all at once. "Of course, it all happened when... you were... away." He tripped over how to address her time with Lukas. "Well, Alexander was happier then. He loved her very much, and was looking forward to be a father." Fingers scratched at the back of his neck, uncomfortable with having to share such news with the girl. "A few months after his father died and he took the throne, someone snuck into the royal chambers and poisoned the queen. The child died with her."

Tragic. It was all so tragic.

"Thank you." The words were so soft, he could barely hear them.

"Your Maj... Nadine." The beta started.

However, she cut him off. "Don't. I needed to know. It seems everyone else does and I felt like I was missing something. Now I know what it was."

"Listen to me." He stopped her from walking away. "It happened years ago. And yes, it scarred him. However, you are meant to be together. You might not know him well enough to see it, but I do. You affect him. And he is fighting it tooth and nail. I don't know all of the reasons why, but I can guarantee that this is for the greater good."

She shook her head again. "I can't compete with the ghost of a mate he loved and lost. And the poor child!"

"There is no competition." He growled out. "They are gone. You are here. And you are changing him. You should have heard him in the alpha's meeting, railing on about the treatment of omegas. You drew his attention to a problem and sparked a fire under his ass to fix it."

Pale grey eyes grew wide. "He did what?" Her fingers moved to cover her mouth as it gaped open. Why would he do that?

Throwing his head back, Yuri roared in laughter. "He is so wrapped around your finger and neither of you even see it."

"There you are!" Another voice pulled their attention. "Seriously, when were either of you going to tell me?" Anna stormed up to the two.

"Tell you what?" The beta looked nervous.

Her eyes narrowed on her former roommate. "That I've been sharing a room with Nora Zima! Why am I the last to know?" Then she broke down and ran to hug the girl in question. "This explains so damn much. Especially those nightmares you try to hide."

Well shit.