| CHAPTER 23 : PERFECT BEACH PARTY |

My mouth fell open with my heart beating fast as King Alpha casually threw the demon's head away, now walking towards me.

"Nooo!" I exclaimed turning around and trying to run away but he appeared in front of me like a jack in the box before I could even take two steps.

"Okay, okay!" He said irritably. "I won't kill you. Stop running."

"I won't kill you, my ass." I took two steps back. "You killed him!"

"Yeah, killing supernatural creatures isn't really a big deal."

"How would you know? You're immortal."

"That's right I am. But if I would have let him go then he would have gone to his king, spreading the news about you."

"Wow, I feel like a celebrity."

"More like a number target."

"What do you mean?"

"Creatures are gonna try possessing you. Plus point if they know your human. Ace already got to you."

"And...why would they do that?" I raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged, "To get back at me of course."

"For what?"

A grin lined his lips, "You really wanna know?"

I opened my mouth but then closed it and shook my head before speaking, "I don't see how me getting abducted bothers you since me being gone will only be a weight off your shoulder."

"I know, right. Especially when you don't stop fucking talking." He stated shooting me a small frown, "I think that's why you're so dense. Haven't you heard a single word I said back at Saludom?" He asked, his ice-blue eyes darkening to a glare. "The witches bonded us to become mates. The witches gave you to me. You're my property now and only I decide what you do and who gets you. Your fate is my decision, or worse, me. Hence, no one gets to touch you."

"Do you feel that?" I asked.

He furrows his eyebrow, "Feel what?"

"The toilet getting jealous of all that crap coming from your mouth."

He gave a flat look.

"Honestly, you're wasting your time and mine. I have a brother to save in case you didn't know, and I need to find a dog repellent since Ace's barrier isn't keeping you ten miles away from me."

"A brother to save?" He frowned in confusion.

I glared, "Don't act like you don't know."

"Oh right because I'm keeping tabs on the world news so I would know everything that's going on." He rolled his eyes.

"You seriously don't know?"

"I think my whole sentence earlier meant a clear 'no'."

"Ace has Collin and if I want to get him back then I have this thing to find."

"What thing?"

I opened my mouth to say, 'Lucretia's Crown' but quickly changed my mind and choice of words, "I have no clue." I decided to lie.

He raised an eyebrow, "Well then does he expect you to give him a truck full of crap so he can choose what he wants?"

I sighed rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palm, "I don't know."

"Why did you even go to him?"

I snapped my eyes to him. "Excuse me? I didn't go to him! He just came out of nowhere while you were killing me. And it was him who poofed me into nowhere to his office."

"You ever gonna forget that I tried killing you?"

"Yeah, bang my head into a truck then I might forget."

"Your sarcasm isn't really helping my mood tonight."

"Oh I'm sorry," I scoffed, "it's just that no one taught me how to speak with psychotic murderers in the middle of the night."

"Are we really gonna argue the whole night or sit like civilized people and figure out everything that's going on?"

"You." I thrust a finger at his face, "do not say the word cee-vee-lized."

"I take that as a 'no'."

"A big fat whale-sized 'no'."

"I don't get it," he said jamming a hand through his hair, "I kill people and creatures all the time! No one's bitching about it as much as you are."

"Why? You cut off their tongues too?"

"Sometimes."

I shook my head, "You're impossible."

He opened his mouth, but I quickly interjected, "Na-uh, no more cocky comments."

He narrowed his eyes but crossed his arms in front of his chest, keeping his mouth shut.

"Right now, I would like some sleep and probably some food." I said starting to walk, "I'm going to Jade's. For god's sake, do not follow me."

"You can't order me around." He glared. "I'm the king."

"Oh right, the big bad King Alpha." I mocked with a funny face but didn't stop walking.

It was silent for a while.

I knew he was staring at me. His eyes were leaving holes in my back. But I didn't turn around to see.

I walked only ten steps before his voice called out to me.

"Going to Jade isn't going to solve your problems."

"Yeah, it won't." I stopped and turned around. "But it would give me a break from all this supernatural shit."

He only stared at me. His eyes penetrated mine making it harder for me to keep eye contact. I lowered my gaze and turned around, not before glancing at him once. I started walking again.

I didn't even take two steps before, arms grabbed my waist, and everything jumped before my eyes. I was in the air, in a person's arms, jumping through the wind, and launching towards the sky before abruptly being thrown to the ground.

Pain shot through my head and entire side.

"What the fuck." I exclaimed rolling over to my other side, clutching my arm.

"Look who's joined us," King Alpha cheered stuffing his hands in his pockets with a dark grin plastered on his face, "Katia deary here to save the day?"

Katia lay coughing and wheezing on the ground a few feet away from me. Her arms and chest were marked with angry red open marks as if someone burned her.

"What the—" I stumbled to my feet, dashing towards her.

But she flinched away from me, covering her face, "Don't touch me!"

For a moment, I stared at her in confusion and anxiousness before it dawned upon me. Ace's barrier.

Damn, I thought it only worked on King Alpha.

"Are you okay?" I asked, eyes wide.

She wheezed a little, "Y-yeah. Just...just give me a...moment to heal."

"I forgot to ask," King Alpha opened his mouth, "How ya doing, Kitty Kat?"

I kneeled beside her waiting with my heart in my throat. The red marks slowly dimmed down in a few seconds, turning blue for a while before proceeding to heal and going back to the smooth tanned complexion of Katia's.

"I'm doing perfect," She sat up, straightening her short red summer dress. I couldn't help but eye her long tan legs for a split second.

"You have a barrier on you." She said to me, standing up.

"Yeah." I stood up along with her.

She frowned in confusion, "How?"

"Ace put it on me."

At that, a frown was quick to her face, "Ace? As in the warlock Ace?"

"Yeah, that shithole." King Alpha remarked earning a look from both me and Katia.

"Yeah him," I responded.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "When did you meet him?"

"I think just an hour ago."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "How did you find him?"

"I didn't. He just came out of nowhere and poofed me to his office."

"Aren't we having a lovely recap?" King Alpha interjected, "Ezlynn and I were just discussing how to have the perfect beach party. You want an invite, Katia? I heard you look absolutely horrible in a red bikini."

"Actually," Katia tilted her head to the side with a certain sass, "I'm here to take Ezlynn with me so we can continue on our...quest."

"Quest?" King Alpha scoffed. "You still talk shit? I told you it doesn't suit your mouth."

What's going on...?

It felt as if I don't exist anymore between them.

"You wouldn't know," Katia spoke, "after all you abandoned me all those years ago."

He scoffed pointing a finger at himself, "I abandoned you? It was you who was ready to abandon me after you got mated to that asshole witch who doesn't give a crap about you."

"Aren't you a caring person?"

"Nope, I'm not."

"I'm taking Ezlynn with me to find her brother in exchange for getting you back."

"What the hell are you even talking about right now?" King Alpha frowned.

"Yeah..." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, "you lost me at the 'getting you back' part. I mean I'm already lost with whatever you guys beefed about but that just got me more lost-lost."

"Ezlynn is going to be your redemption," Katia stated.

King Alpha raised his eyebrows. Amused. "I'm seconds away from making fart sounds."

"What are you talking about Katia?" I asked.

"Waaait a second." King Alpha held up his hands, looking at me. "You trust her, but you don't trust me?"

"What do you mean by that?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" King Alpha smirked at Katia.

I looked at Katia but she just gave a roll of her eyes in his direction.

"Tell me what?"

"You know when I told you a little birdie told me that you were my mate?"

"Yeah...?" I responded.

"Well, here she is," He gestured towards Katia with his hand, "my little sister."

◃───────────▹

Date: 27 July 2021