Trapped with the Alpha King (Althea) novel Chapter 52

A Pawn

Wilma stopped abruptly, turning to Uriel with wide eyes. “She’s powerful?!”

Uriel nodded slowly. “Earlier, she used her inner energy. Just a fragment of it—to shield her body from taking the worst of the lashes. And the light in her… it was pure. No darkness, only strength. Stronger than I expected.”

Wilma’s breath hitched. “Then… that means she can expel poisons from her body?”

“Of course,” Uriel replied firmly. “That would be child’s play for her. Mages can’t heal themselves, but they can fortify their bodies. And with the Alpha King’s mark on her, she gains faster recovery. His lycan essence strengthens her, just as it makes him immune to poison.”

Wilma clenched her fists, her face twisting in frustration. “So the poisons won’t work on her at all!” she snapped. She had been so focused on destroying Cain’s daughter that she never considered the possibility that Gavriel’s mark would shield her. Still, the thought of Althea’s hidden magic gnawed at her.

“Unless Gavriel rejects her, those poisons you’ve been so eager to use may never take effect.” Uriel sighed, his tone softening. “Aunt, why are you risking this? You saw how possessive Gavriel was. The lycan in him won’t let anyone harm her. Please, just wait until Cain is captured—then do whatever you want with him.”

His expression darkened as memories clawed their way back. “You know as well as I do what the lycan inside Gavriel is capable of. It kills without mercy, even those he once cherished. I barely survived that night. You saw me.”

Wilma’s face crumpled. Her voice shook, heavy with grief. “But that woman is Cain’s most treasured daughter, Uriel. And my poor Riela… Do you really expect me to stand by and do nothing? Every time I see your cousin like that, my heart breaks anew. It’s worse than death. Yes, Riela lives—but the state she’s in now is worse than visiting her grave!”

Her body trembled as tears welled in her eyes. Uriel quickly pulled her close, holding her tightly.

“I know… I know,” he whispered, his voice low and soothing. “I’ll never stop searching for a cure for Riela. I’ll do everything in my power to bring her back, Aunt. I promise you.”

He stroked her back gently, offering what little comfort he could.

“Come, let’s see Riela. I want to know her latest condition,” Uriel hummed, gently guiding the Queen Mother back toward her palace.

But even as he walked beside her, his mind was elsewhere… on Gavriel’s mate.

Before returning to the royal estate, Uriel had already dug into Althea Grayson’s background. He couldn’t shake the feeling he had when he first saw her. The way her energy flared faintly, the way she recoiled from being examined, her fear was palpable. Something about her unsettled him.

The more he investigated, the more curious he became. Cain’s favorite daughter, yet oddly hidden from the spotlight. She spent most of her time in her pack’s apothecary, surrounded by herbs, medicines, and poisons. Strangely enough, she concealed her true ability, even from her own people.

To them, she was nothing but a weak, worthless hybrid who had inherited only her mother’s fragile humanity.

Uriel’s stomach twisted. Those very meetings he had helped make possible had only given Cain more opportunities to weave his lies tighter around Riela’s heart. It was through those stolen nights and honeyed words that Cain secured her trust, and with it, the perfect weapon against the crown. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Uriel’s nails bit into his palms as he regretfully thought, ‘I should have seen it… I should have stopped her.’

It made Uriel wonder if fate itself was mocking them… or if Althea was the last remnant of Cain’s deception waiting to unravel.

“Now, I fear Gavriel will be wrapped under that whore’s hands!” Wilma grunted, her face twisting with bitterness.

Uriel exhaled slowly, refusing to mirror her outburst. “Gavriel never trusts easily, Aunt. When Cain played us all, Gavriel was the exception,” he pointed out firmly. “Cain may have fooled me, fooled you, fooled even Riela… but not him. Gavriel’s trust is earned through fire and blood, and Althea hasn’t even scratched the surface of it yet.”

Wilma’s lips pressed into a thin line, but Uriel pressed on. “If Gavriel keeps her by his side, it’s not because of blind affection. He’s weighing her, testing her, watching her every move. That’s how he’s always been.”

It was why the crown remained on Gavriel’s head today.