ARIA
The past few days have been a rollercoaster ride of emotions for me. After my brief encounter with Alpha Lyall, it had both shattered and angered me. He was my first kiss, one that would have been magical had I not found out that he was married.
The rest of that night had been terrible for me and his coming to save me from being humiliated confused the hell out of me. He was everywhere in my memory. I could smell him. I could feel his hand on my waist, his lips on my lips, kissing me like he wanted to burn through my soul.

How had things gone wrong on the day I found my mate? Second, he was the Alpha King, the Alpha of Alphas and totally ruthless, and he had bought me as a slave. It was all too confusing for me to take in. Thinking of the fact that my mate was married to another woman tore through me in searing pain. I had yet to see this woman he was married to, but I had started to nurse a deep hate for her.
My wolf had intentions of ripping her apart as soon as she set eyes on her. Ardana could be a savage when it comes to things belonging to her and this was our first time feeling the mate bond, so it must have hurt very badly. I could feel it.
She had taken Alpha Lyall from me. She was an obstruction to my happiness, a thief and a man-snatcher. She must have seduced him into getting married to her or, worse, cast a spell on him.
I could barely sleep without waking up from dreams of him being pulled away from me by another woman who claimed him to be hers. How I had fought a faceless woman in my dreams several times, only to be greatly injured by her.
The next morning, I woke up with a jolt that had Daneesha worried. She had woken up before me, brushing back her lush hair and tying it behind her head.
"Aria?" She called, standing on her feet as she walked over to my side of the bed with a worried look. "Are you good? You look like you woke up from a nightmare."

I was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, but I regained my composure and smiled at her. "It's nothing. Just a regular nightmare I've been having for years."
She didn't seem to believe me, but she nodded anyway. "Are you sure?"
I nodded and climbed out of my bed, feeling embarrassed that I was having stupid dreams about a man who wasn't mine. "Yes, I am fine."
"You can talk to me if you want." She said, but I couldn't. I smiled before hurrying away before she could ask me more questions.

I arrived back to the room, and I was glad she hadn't brought back the topic and I gracefully got dressed in silence while my thoughts wandered far. We went to our different duties. I was assigned to clean the drawing room.
By the time I finished, it was afternoon, and I was making my way out of the drawing room when I heard the thud of boots and a familiar deep voice. I immediately hid by the corner and held my breath, closing my eyes until he was gone. I didn't want to see him. I wasn't sure I could stand it. I wasn't sure I could look at him without getting sad that he belonged to another woman. Besides, I was way out of his league, a mere slave who had been bought to serve in the palace.
But the more I avoided him, the worse my feelings became. I was miserable, unable to concentrate and, several times, I was called out for not properly carrying out my duty.
At lunch break, I ate absent-mindedly as the other maids chattered about different things. As for me, I was on a different high, replaying the kisses I had shared with the King over and over again and wishing there was a way I could save the taste of his lips in my mouth.
I hated being away from him and the only thing that hadn't led me to his chambers was self-respect. As much as I hated his strange wife, I couldn't just disrespect her. It would be awful to do that.
So I decided to cast the blame on Alpha Lyall for kissing me, for not waiting for me or finding me sooner. Hell, I didn't even know his age, but he looked roughly in his late twenties.
Sighing, I leaned back against the wall.
"You're never going back home, so you had better get used to this place."
I looked up to see one of my bullies, Shensea, looking down at me in amusement. "Thanks for the heads-up."
"That's not what I meant, fool." The other maids burst into laughter and I sighed before returning to my food.
For the next few days, I kept avoiding him while my body kept yearning for him. I thought I could live without the memory of that night, but it seemed really futile. I watched him from hidden windows, taking him in and watching him speak to other people, and he seemed perfectly fine to me. Only once had I caught him off guard. Someone had been speaking to him, but he was barely listening.
Sighing, I leaned against the wall of the great hall and closed my eyes, pressing my hand into my chest as I thought of how hard it was to be away from your one true mate.
No matter how hard I tried to avoid him or run from him, I realized that there was no hiding place from him. He was everywhere. He was in the halls, in the throne room and in every fvcking room. How was I supposed to function properly or avoid him if he was everywhere? It was starting to become an impossible feat.
I'd just finished wrapping up my daily duties a certain evening when a throat cleared behind me. I turned to see the chief maid standing before me.
"Good evening to you, ma'am." I bowed slowly.
Her eyes raked over my body and she shook her head. "I don't know what he sees in you."
In confusion, I asked, "Who are you talking about?"
She ignored the question. "The King wants you to serve him tonight. In his chambers."
"What?" I gasped, the rag in my hand falling to the ground.
"You heard me. I will not be repeating myself again. I expect you to be in the kitchen in less than ten minutes, so round up with this."
With those words, she left. I was confused as hell, wondering why Alpha Lyall had requested my presence. I mean, it was quite clear, but wasn't he supposed to be married?
Or maybe I was overthinking it. I thought of ignoring his request, but I wasn't ready to face the punishment that came with it.
As I finished up, I planned on quickly serving his food and leaving his chambers before anything else happened. It was going to be that easy.
Twenty minutes later, I carried the tray to the west wing where his chambers were located. I'd never been here before, but I could tell where he slept.
I finally got to the large double doors, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. The beat of my heart against my chest was so loud I believed the guards by the door heard it too.
The door was pushed open, and I walked in, trembling. I found him leaning against his window with arms folded like he was waiting for me and as soon as he saw me, he leaned away from the wall.
It took great strength for me not to crumple to the floor as my wolf became suddenly alive.
Swallowing, I spoke. "Where do I keep your dinner, your majesty?"
The tray was ripped away from my hand in one move. It clattered to the table behind me. Pressing his hands on my hip, he pushed me against the wall.
"Your dinner is a mess. Let - let me get you another."
His eyes darkened as they rested on my lips in a heated moment. "I'd like to have you for dinner instead."