The Alpha King's Claim novel Chapter 83

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 83 by desirenovel

Serena

Aero said to dress up so I did, going straight to my closet and rummaged its contents. Expecting a fight soon, I figured I needed to wear appropriate clothing. Luckily, I was able to find one in my wardrobe: a three-toned, gray, black, and red, leather-like coat-dress that looked nothing formal or fancy.

It had a pirate-ty vibe to it with the big buttons and wide waist strap, but it certainly wasn’t meant to be worn by a sword-swinging buccaneer. It was more similar to the suits in Assassin’s Creed, only that it was a female version of it. I paired it with black leggings and wore knee-length boots to finalize my outfit. I may not know if this was what the other she-wolves wear in their human form during a fight, but I was pretty sure this was totally the best ensemble to kick that bitch Sofia’s butt.

Rhea, after Aero ordered a servant to summon her, helped me prepare. She was very worried about what was happening in the kingdom and I could also pick up the concern in her eyes for me. Confident of my plan, I reassured her that everything would end up…well, less bloody. She gave me a big sisterly hug and wished me safety before I left her.

When I went back to my husband’s chamber, Aero was already standing in his receiving room’s balcony. It seemed we had the same idea in mind because he wore a battle suit of the same leather-like material, paired it with black gloves that would have been a BDSM tool under different circumstances, a heavy-looking dark blue coat, and a pair of black combat boots. His overall aura made him look deliciously dangerous, for me at least.

He lifted his hand palm up and invited me to take it.

I did and before I knew it, we were in the Salviste Lake, under the gloomy morning sky.

Aero took me to the spot where we used to stay when we were but forming our innocent friendship in the past. He motioned for me to sit on one of the big roots jutting out from the ground near the tree trunk while he stood in front of me, spearing me with his deep gaze.

“Wait here,” he said just as he took his coat off and tossed it onto another jutting root nearby.

I lifted a confused brow at him while he turned around and strode to the shoreline. To my surprise, he didn’t stop there. He moved forward until the lower half of his body was covered in the glowing water.

“Aero!” I cried out whilst standing up, unable to understand his actions.

He didn’t reply. He just continued with whatever he had in mind and dove into the water.

‘Wait here,’ he said earlier and like an obedient mate, I did, but I counted down the seconds—all seventy seconds of it—until he resurfaced and dragged his wet form into the land.

The first thing I noticed when he was partly out of the water was the piece of flat wood he held on his right hand. It was three rulers long and two rulers wide. I furrowed my brows in additional confusion, but as I stared at it more and as he moved closer to me and lifted it up, it became clear what it was.

“The painting!” I gasped, my eyes turning to saucers. I couldn’t believe I was looking at the mirror image of that painting I bought on Earth, the one where it transported me to Phanteon, in Aero’s bed to be exact.

It looked the same: from the mixture of colors, the vividness of the mountains, trees, and castle, down to the complexity of the brush strokes. The fact that he hauled it from the depths of the lake and it still remained unspoiled blew my mind. There must have been some magic imbued in it for it to be immune to the elements.

Dripping wet, my husband flashed a coy smile at me and confessed, “I made this myself. This was supposed to be my gift to you that day, but when it became clear you weren’t going to show up, I decided to throw this painting into the lake.”

“Oh Aero…” I cried out, suddenly feeling teary-eyed again.

I stepped closer to him, touched the painting first giving it idle strokes, then directed my attention on my husband’s handsome profile, and palmed his cheek.

“I would have cherished this with all my heart,” I said, slightly sobbing.

He cupped my hand and pressed his face more against my palm, relishing the warmth it had emitted.

“Honestly, I had Lord Mage Aizen put a spell on this, a spell that would allow you to leave that damn tower with just a touch of the painting and be in my arms. I would have confessed my feelings to you that day. This painting would have allowed us to be together always.”

“And create a whirlwind forbidden romance between a werewolf prince and a priestess in training?” I added, giving him an understanding smile, “That would have been one hell of a story.”

“I was desperate for your love, Serena,” he fired back making my heart do somersaults as a result. Who could have expected a cold prince who basically expressed hatred with the female race would fall helplessly in love with one in the end.

“I hadn’t known love until you came,” he went on, putting the painting down just as he half knelt in front of me. I was partly worried for him since he was still drenched and all, but at the same time, I didn’t want to interrupt his confession.

“Women for me were evil creatures. My mother never once spared me any attention or love. She was too preoccupied with her self, her greed, and lust. When she did spare me some attention, it was to force me into her fetish. I was six when she started locking me up in a room where her handmaidens would fuck in front of me. They’d give me an orgy show. Since I was royalty, of course, they couldn’t touch me, but they waited until I would cave in. They waited until I would join in with their salacious games. Hell, I never did. They saw me as an innocent boy, but they were wrong. Their actions only sparked a hatred within me. Their wicked laughter, their repulsive moans, and disgusting bodies fueled my anger. I thought I would never see a woman past all those evil images in my head, but then, I met you…and you brought me into the light. Maybe, that early in our relationship, I had sensed you to be my true mate. I just didn’t want to admit it yet.”

I felt a lump in my throat whilst hearing his words. I wasn’t there when he was mentally abused, but I sure felt his pain and suffering now. It was raw and real and understandable. Those bitches, her mother included, deserved to go to hell. I hope they did. Damn them for hurting my mate.

Aero traced the frame of the painting and stopped when his fingers reached the middle bottom part. A clicking sound was heard and then he opened a small hidden compartment.

To my surprise, he pulled out a ring with a platinum-looking band and a diamond-encrusted middle and held it out in front of me.

“I…uh…went to Earth to buy this for you back then. I didn’t want to give you just a painting. I wanted something to encompass my devotion to you, so…here it is.”

The Alpha King of Phanteon who showed me his rude, icy attitude in the past, now looked sheepish and unsure. Huh, what a milestone indeed.

Trying to contain my giddy self, I lifted my right hand up and stretched my fingers. “I’ll gladly accept your gift this time Aero.”