Midnight Blue

21 / Malakai

Rose only screamed for a moment. At first, the King grew panicked, thinking she was in pain once more. Then, however, he realized that it was a scream of fear more than anything else. The memory of the pain she had felt as she had succumbed to darkness.

He reached out but she flinched under his touch. Her eyes were wide, startled - like those of a frightened deer. 

He pulled his hand away. 

Once Rose's brain finally slowed enough to see, she realized just who was in the car with her. She was acutely aware of the pressing sense of power that was overtaking the space and, as the fog began to clear it became even more evident. 

The Alpha King noticed this. He saw how she went to move in to some semblance of a bow. Panic was rolling off her in waves and he supposed he could understand why.

Rose could barely lift herself up - let alone move. But she couldn't believe that she was lying down (sleeping no less!) in front of the most powerful man in the world. 

"Don't." He said. The short word made her stop. "Stay as you were."

Rose obliged. It wasn't as if she would disobey but the idea of shifting from her comfortable position was not a welcome one anyway. 

"How are you feeling?" He continued. 

For a moment, she didn't realize he was speaking to her. But his earnest expression was pointed in her direction and suddenly, she did.

"Good," her voice was barley working "Thank you for asking, Your Alp-"

"Malakai" Two pairs of eyes stared at him in shock. Then, "That's my name. Although you probably shouldn't use it..." 

He furrowed his eyebrows. This wasn't going well. His beta protested across the mind-link and although he knew that it was simply an attempt to make the girl more comfortable, Malakai himself wasn't sure why he had announced it. He rarely gave his name to anyone and yet, here he was. Granted, her panic and unease was unsettling for him. Being in such close confines and away from Royal lands meant that he could feel much of what she was feeling and if a name would help to humanize him...

He regained his composure - although neither of the others present in the car could tell that he had ever even lost it. Turning so that he was fully facing Rose, he said "There are thirty minutes left until we reach Royal lands." Those words made any colour that was left drain from Rose's face. Royal lands? Her heart raced as she wracked her brain to figure out which of the things she had done had landed her here. But surely the Alpha King wouldn't be sitting here with her if she was about to be punished? "You have questions," Malakai continued, "Until then you may ask them. Speak freely." 

Zachariah glared between him and the girl. What was he doing? He tried to argue with him but the King had closed off his mind link and he didn't dare to do it out loud. 

"I would make good use of this time. As soon as we cross the border you will reprise your..." He wasn't sure how to put it. "Things will be back to normal." He finally finished.

But moments passed without Rose saying a word. In fact, the girl was trying to silence even her breaths. Her eyes cast downwards, panic coursing through her veins. 

"You're not speaking." The King's patience was running out, his words clipped.

"I-I'm sorry, Your-"

"Freely." Malakai emphasized. Beside him, his beta scoffed. But Malakai didn't care. There was something about this girl - something from that night - that had made him feel in a way he had not in a long time. Perhaps it was simply the feeling of not being the Alpha King for just a short while. But that time in the kitchen when they had first met was like a breath of fresh air. He knew he could never recreate it - not with her, especially not like this - but he had less than half an hour before he was back and he wanted to try. 

Rose noticed his impatience. She could tell he would soon grow angry. And so, she managed to get out the first question that came to mind. "Why am I here?" 

Malakai pulled his attention away from the window he was staring out of. A part of him had not expected her to actually speak. And just then, he wished she hadn't. Of course he should have known that this question was coming but he wasn't sure how he should answer it. But his kindness was wearing off and he didn't care much to sugarcoat his words. "Your Alpha was planning to kill you." 

If it was possible for Rose's panic to grow, in that moment it did. 

"He - wait, what?" 

Malakai cocked an eyebrow at her outburst. Perhaps he hadn't been giving her enough credit. 

"You are coming to the palace. I will warn you that there are not many omegas there-"

"- more like none." Interrupted Zachariah. Rose's attention flew to the man sitting beside the King. Despite his obvious power, she hadn't been paying him much mind. After all, when in the presence of the Alpha King it is hard to focus on anything else.

The King, however, ignored him. "So you will have to...get used to that quickly. I am sure that you are more than capable, given your previous situation." 

Rose just nodded. She wasn't sure what to say and whatever previous confidence she was feeling was now quickly leaving her under the hard stare of Zachariah. 

"Thank you, Your Alpha Majesty." 

Malakai noticed the shift, too. He realized their short lived conversation was over. This was not that night and things were already far too different. He was foolish to have thought that an omega would be able to be comfortable in his presence. That night he was invisible. Now he was anything but. 

They were drawing nearer Royal lands. He could feel it in every beat of his heart. He let his eyes shut momentarily, relishing in these final few moments. There was a little time left but it didn't count now. 

He turned to his beta. "Thank you." 

Zachariah just nodded. He knew the words that Malakai didn't say. 

And then, the Alpha King mind linked the driver to pull over. He pushed open the door and, without even letting his feet set on the ground, jumped and shifted mid air. 

Rose stared in some mix of shock and fear and a million other things as his wolf ran through the darkness until he could no longer be seen through the glow of the headlights. 

Zachariah shut the door and the car pulled off.

Rose had never felt more alone in her life. 

A/N

Either this chapter is very clunky or I am very tired.

What do you think of Malakai? 

What do you think will happen when he enters Royal lands?