The Alpha King's Mistress Chapter 96: Present

I downed the last of my drink in one gulp, the liquid fire providing a burst of determination. Leaving the balcony behind, I scanned the crowded hall for Layla's familiar figure, but she seemed to have vanished into the sea of faces. As I made my way to the hall's main door, I exchanged pleasantries with those who greeted me.

Approaching the door, our eyes locked – Nicholas's and mine – until the moment was quickly interrupted by the council members vying for his attention. The guards on the door bowed at me and I just smiled at them as I walked down the hallway. Moving through the corridor, the echoes of the party faded into the distance until I reached a guest room.

Standing in front of the guest room door, I hesitated, sensing an eerie stillness in the dimly lit corridor. Everything felt odd, confirming my suspicions of a trap.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I utilized my shifter ability, focusing on sensing the faint presence of three people inside the room.

Taking a steadying breath, I turned the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open. Expecting to find unfamiliar faces, I was instead face-to-face with Mr. Agares, the birthday celebrant and council member. Two bulky men flanked him, triggering alarming bells at the edges of my awareness.

"Mr. Agares," I greeted, trying to mask the surprise in my voice. "I apologize. I think I might be in the wrong room. My apologies."

Mr. Agares smiled, a calculated gleam in his eyes. "Ah, Florence. No need for apologies. You're right where you're supposed to be."

Confusion and a growing sense of danger flickered within me.

"I was looking for Layla. Must have taken a wrong turn. Please, excuse me."

As I turned to leave, the two bulky men moved with surprising agility, blocking the door. Then Mr. Agares's commanding voice cut through the air.

"Stay right where you are, Florence."

My expression had gone from soft to cold in an instant as I slowly faced the old geezer.

"Mr. Agares, I really think I've misunderstood the situation. I'll just—"

He interrupted, his cruel laughter echoing in the confined space. "Misunderstood? Oh, Florence, there's no misunderstanding. I know exactly who you are – a wolf-less gold digger, trying to claw your way into the royal pack."

Raising a brow, I questioned, "Mind telling me what's happening, Mr. Agares, that you think you have the audacity to speak to me like that and even stop me from leaving the room?"

"Samantha gave me the best present tonight," he smirked, his eyes gleaming with sinister satisfaction.

My jaw clenched at the revelation. That woman. "You, Florence. You're my present. Samantha offered you up, and I intend to enjoy my gift," he added.

Anger instantly coursed through me, and I warned him, "Touch me, and you'll regret it. Nicholas won't stand for—"

"Who would he believe, Florence? A member of the council or a mere gold digger like you?"

Keeping my voice calm, while controlling my wolf—Nasya, who was demanding the blood of this vile man, was a hard task.

"Mr. Agares, your image as a council member will be tarnished if you go through with this. Nicholas will punish you," I tried to explain calmly.

He scoffed, the arrogance evident in his tone. "Nicholas won't be Alpha King forever. Someone will replace him eventually. Power shifts, Florence, and when it does, I'll be in a prime position."

"Is that why you're aligning with someone? Maybe Keith Caldwell? Hoping to be his right-hand man when he takes over?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Mr. Agares's face, and for a brief moment, I sensed fear from him.

"W-what are you saying, you whore! I am not associated with him!" he shouted, swallowing hard.

"Why are you shaking so much, and you sound scared just now?" I remarked a hint of sarcasm in my tone. "Did I get the name right?"

"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"But I know one thing. Trust me, Keith Caldwell will betray you in an instant. You're disposable to him, just a stepping stone to his own ambitions."

Mr. Agares's confident facade wavered, a sliver of doubt clouding his expression.

I seized the moment, my voice steady and cutting. "Nicholas may not be Alpha King forever, but aligning with someone like Keith won't secure your future. Betrayal begets betrayal, Mr. Agares. Choose your alliances wisely."

Unable to tolerate my words, Mr. Agares spat out, "Shut up, whore! Bring her to me."

The two bulky figures moved with quick obedience, sending a chill down my spine. I snapped my head to them, backing away. I was about to run to the window when one of them grabbed my hair and painfully pulled me back.

"DON'T FCKING TOUCH ME!" I snarled and kicked the man so hard that his knees gave out and his grip on my hair loosened.

"GET HER!" Mr. Agares ordered panickily.

I didn't waste time and quickly spun, punching the man in the face, and grabbing the nearest vase to hit him on the head. Porcelain shattered everywhere, blood trickling down his eyebrows, while my palm started to bleed.

As I turned around, I felt a Taser coming in contact with my skin sending an electric shock sent through my neck weakening my body for a moment. It was even a strong one. My legs wobbled, and the other man harshly threw me onto the bed. The room seemed to spin as they forcefully pinned me down.

"Shit," I muttered.

As Mr. Agares approached with sinister intent, his smile caused goosebumps to crawl on my skin.

"I didn't know the Alpha had a feisty mistress, but it's futile since you cannot outstrength my men," he laughed maniacally.

Gritting my teeth, I attempted to rise, but the two men firmly held both of my arms. My gaze shifted to the wounded man who glared at me. Though I tried to pull my hand away, the two men aggressively pinned it to the bed.

Turning my attention to the wounded man, I smirked, "That was fast."

My blood boiled even more when Mr. Agares began climbing on top of me, straddling me. With a sinister smile, he reached out to my dress, eyeing my chest.

"You have such a marvelous body. I can't wait to see it. Alpha was really lucky to have you. Now you will be mine," he laughed maniacally.

I stayed still and shouted in his face, "F*CKING DREAM ON, YOU FILTHY AND UGLY OLD HAG, YOU F*CKER!" before raising my feet and delivering a swift kick to his bald head. The force made him stagger for a second before dropping to the side.

“Boss!” one of the men shouted, visibly distracted.

Seizing the opportunity, I bit the hand of the other man who screamed loudly. The pain pierced my ears, but I moved quickly the moment his grip loosened for a second, headbutting the other man in his nose. I sat upright, and jumped off the bed, heading towards the door when Mr. Agares grabbed my foot, causing my dress to tear up to my thigh. Damn this perverted geezer!

“I WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY,” he shouted, nose bleeding, clawing at my feet.

I gritted my teeth, “DON’T F*CKING TOUCH ME!” I was about to kick him in the face this time but found myself being pushed against the wall by the men I had bitten, choking me.

The man shouted in my face, “YOU B*TCH! I WILL KILL YOU!”

I grimaced as his saliva sprayed onto my face, prompting me to quickly move my head sideways. It was then that I noticed his eyes glowing gold, mirroring the other man who was wiping blood from his mouth. The manifestation of the beast's genes was evident. I gripped the man's hand, feeling the chokehold tighten, contemplating the summoning of my own beast—Nasya, who clawed within my mind, eager to take control. Just as I was about to give in to the primal urge, the familiar scent of sandalwood wafted in.

My eyes snapped to the door, which swung open, revealing Nicholas himself. His gaze zeroed in on me, trailing down my body. A moment of intense fear struck me as his eyes transitioned from blue to black in an instant.

What on earth? His eyes weren't gold; they were black.

And he was on the verge of breaking loose.