Dark Alpha: A Fated Mates Novel

7: I'M NOT QUEEN

~VANNIE~
A powerful wolf never shied away from eye contact. It was their way of asserting dominance. Something was up with this situation, and Vannie had no patience to play the waiting game.

"What is happening here?" She barked, a little afraid now. Why was she on this comfortable bed instead of her windowless cell? Why was the Beth bowing to her and avoiding eye contact?

Maeve smiled slightly. It was an idle twist of the corners of her lips, more ironic than amused. "I'm afraid, I cannot answer that. When the King gets back, he'll see to everything you want."

Her head began to pound louder than it had been minutes ago. Think, Vannie. Something significant happened within the space of stabbing herself till now, or she wouldn't be here. She'd be dead.

A shift had occurred. She only had to recognize what.

She glared at Maeve, determined to get answers from her when the door came open. A young girl who had to be nothing more than seventeen came in dressed in pure white robes. A Seer, Vannie thought, exasperated.

Why was she here? Seers were people who could predict past and future events, and they usually stayed in their caves to avoid socialization. For this one to be out here, it must mean Alpha Sin was paying her a fortune.

This one was fae, but Vannie refused to feel admiration or affinity with her. Anyone who belonged in the Inlands pack or worked for them was the enemy.

The young girl focused her wide, unblinking gaze on Vannie, and she realized the girl was blind. Film coated eyes were lit with an unnatural glow, solidifying that theory. A blind Seer. How ironic.

The girl bowed. "Warrior, healer, daughter of the Goddess. The Realms have never seen a greater Queen."

Something was pushing against Vannie's head, a niggling memory begging to be remembered. But what was the girl talking about?

She saw Maeve shift uncomfortably, and followed the girl's white eyes as they shifted to the Beta. "You haven't told her yet?"

Told her what?

"The King ordered we wait for him."

The girl tsked, seeming much more advanced than her years with the movement. "I believe His Majesty will thank us if we told her first." She faced Vannie and gave the bow she was already getting pissed of by. "Queen of the Inlands, I am Zara, Seer of the third order, and only ever at your service."

"Back up and repeat the part of Queen—Queen? Of the Inlands?"

Zara gave a little nod. "You're the King's mate."

No one in the room couldn't say they weren't expecting the incredulous laughter that came from her. "This—this is some sort of elaborate joke, right?" Ice-cold fear finally took the place of her amusement, followed by rage in its wake. "Where's he? Sinclair?"

The two women froze as the name spilt from her lips, but she honestly couldn't care less. If rumors were right and her calling him that could get her killed, all the better. Death was better than this unfurling nightmare.

She saw anxiety visibly cloud their faces. Maeve said, "The King went to take care of some pack business. He'll be back very soon."

"Great. I'll really appreciate it if none of you said anything about being his—mate anytime soon. I'd rather talk to the King myself." The word, mate, came out with so much anger that Maeve shivered.

Zara narrowed her eyes at her. "He is the other half of your soul. You denying that will make no difference."

Violence surged through Vannie— by the goddess, I'll throttle this child if she says another word. She'd have expressed her displeasure in words she was sure Zara had never heard before, but the girl suddenly sniffed the air. "You're half-Lycan, but I smell no wolf. Where is it?"

"Dormant," she spat. "And it's your King's fault."

Sadness clouded the girl's face. "Oh, Your Majesty."

Shut up, shut up. If they kept implying this nonsense, Vannie would go insane. "Don't call me that ever again."

Maeve was watching the exchange with an impassive expression. "Would you like anything to eat?"

She took a minute to think about her answer. Whatever they gave her could be poisoned. The stranger it was, the better. "Yes."

The Beth strolled out, leaving Vannie in the uncomfortable presence of Zara. "How long was I out?"

Zara didn't hesitate. "A month and some days."

Enough to heal the Alpha's wound without her blood. Vannie tried not to let her panic show. "How did the scars on my throat and chin disappear?" She asked, unconsciously touching her neck.

"The King gave you his blood."

She stopped. His blood had its own healing qualities, she knew that. When he gave his blood to a lupus, it gave the wolf strength to heal. But it shouldn't have had an effect on her, seeing as her wolf had been dormant for almost two moons. "How come his blood can heal me?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably. "Because he's your mate."

She was going for the girl's throat, had made a move towards her when Maeve entered, looking at both of them with wary eyes. An Omega girl who strolled in a tray filled with food. Enticing food. Eggs and lots of meat with fruit and bread thrown to the mix. Each arranged in a clockwise motion. She especially wouldn't mind being poisoned if the food that housed it looked like that.

She dug in, effectively closing out the people in the room, and began to plot her escape in the case that the food couldn't kill her.

She would investigate those ceilings some other time. If she was ever left alone by these hovering mutts. Before she could continue the train of thought, a wave of weakness surged through her, and some part of her was disappointed that she'd predicted this.

"Really? This was the most creative way you could come up with?" Her voice was slurred, and she wasn't even sure that's what she said.

She'd fallen back to the bed before she could make sure she was properly understood.