The Alpha King's Claim novel Chapter 9

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 9 by desirenovel

Aero

My jaw tensed at the temper simmering inside me. I had no desire to hold a woman’s hand, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to keep up appearances.

The bride, however, lifted her hands up without a second thought and waited for me to hold it.

When the high priest cleared his throat, that was when I realized I hadn’t actually moved yet.

With a deep breath to settle my developing temper, I accepted her hands, enveloping them with my large palm.

“Your Majesty, you may now say your vows,” the old man stated. I gave him an arched brow. What did he say again?

“Start with your bride’s name, Your Majesty, and say your vows loudly for all to hear,” he reminded.

I had to take another deep breath to control the growing turmoil inside me. Fuck! Why must there be vows at a wedding? I should abolish this when I get my hands on paperwork again.

“Se…rena,” I started, my voice toneless. A large part of me was hesitant to speak her name. I was lucky to have remembered her name even. “I offer you a life filled with contentment, of peace and happiness. I offer you protection and safety, and a life filled with bounty and wealth.”

In the back of my head, there were some double meaning in my words. Once she returns to her world, she’d be exactly getting these things.

I wanted to stop right there, but then the high priest cleared his throat again and murmured, “Your vow of love, Your Majesty. Let your people hear it. Give them inspiration.”

My nostrils subtly flared. The audacity of this old man was beyond measure, but again, I had to keep up appearances.

I stared sharply at my bride through the holes of the lace covering so that she’d sense my displeasure. Surely, she was intelligent enough to know that the incoming words I would spew from my mouth didn’t mean a single thing.

Holding her hands tightly, I started again with my voice even louder this time, “You are the woman who captured my heart and chased out the darkness within and for this, I vow to love and cherish you for the rest of my life. I vow to keep you by my side forever. My heart is yours for all eternity.”

Deafening applause suddenly erupted and the cheers of the crowd burst through the air. They were crying out their happiness and as I looked around, there were numerous spectators who actually cried and hugged each other.

I was beyond stunned by their reaction to my vow. Where they really that moved with my words?

It looked like they were.

But a selfish part of me simply snickered. Their overwhelming reaction meant I nailed my acting perfectly. Now, it was my dear bride’s turn to sell her ruse.

The crowd fell silent as they waited for her to speak.

“Your Majesty, King Aero of the Kingdom of Phanteon,” she started in the most fluid, sweetest voice I heard from a woman. “I have none to give you aside from what I have now: my body, my heart, and my love. Take care of me as I promise to take care of you. I will be your conscience, your guide. I will keep your heart safe and sound, and nurture it with my calming embrace. I will protect you as you would to me. I will be the queen your kingdom needs…badly,” she added with a hint of sarcasm, “and I will be the mother to your children…er pups…and promise to take care of them with love and devotion.”

Again, the booming sound of cheers and claps filled the amphitheater. It went on for over a minute until the high priest lifted his hand up to silence them.

He placed his palm underneath our interlocked hands and guided it up to level his forehead and then started chanting. A couple of minutes later, a white light shown from our hands. In the form of a chain, it slithered out of our palms and went over and around our wrists to bind us together. Then, a mark appeared specifically on our right inner wrists. It looked like a crescent moon.

I gaped at the sight of it. Never had I seen this happening in a wedding before. Judging from the surprised look of the high priest and the audience, they thought the same too.

Silence reigned the atmosphere once the white light disappeared.

The woman looked at me with wide eyes, a question forming in her mind. I could easily decipher it as, ‘What the fuck was that?!’

Then, she looked at her right wrist, a frown forming on her face again.

“Hail to the Goddess!” the high priest ecstatically boomed. “What you witnessed seconds ago was proof that our Goddess had blessed this union! We had never witnessed such before. This calls for a greater celebration!”

For the fucking nth time, the crowd cheered again, but this time it was noisier and headache-inducing.

I battled to keep my composure intact. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Whatever this mark meant on my wrist, I had a feeling it would give me problems soon.

Out from the corner of my eye, I noticed a young boy approach us holding a tray of ritual equipment: a ceremonial chalice filled with clear water and a small platinum bowl filled with red power.

The high priest took out the chalice and handed it to me.