The Alpha King's Mistress Chapter 97: Rage Part 1

***A few moments ago……***

**Nicholas's POV**

"I can't believe he would do that."

"Alpha Jason looks to be a responsible leader. It is such a waste" someone murmured nearby, their words barely registering as I felt an insistent pull, an inexplicable urge to find Florence.

My thoughts were consumed by the need to see her. Something felt amiss, and a growing concern for her gnawed at me, and at my beast—Berion.

"Excuse me," I casually said, trying to hide the concern growing within me.

"Is everything okay, Alpha King?" one of them asked.

"Yes, I just need to do something," I replied, turning around and walking away from the group.

Excusing myself, the council members exchanged curious glances. Navigating through the lively crowd, I searched for Florence, the tension in my nerves mounting with every passing moment. The sea of faces blurred, but there was no sign of her, and my worry deepened.

Approaching Layla and Clifford, I didn't waste time asking, "Have any of you seen Florence? I can't find Florence anywhere."

Layla exchanged a concerned glance with Clifford, shaking her head. "No, Alpha. We've been looking for her too."

Clifford added, "I checked the main hall and the balcony, but she's not there."

"Just where is she?" I muttered, fishing my phone out of my pocket.

As I exchanged worried glances with Layla and my beta, Samantha appeared.

"What's going on here?" Samantha asked.

With a furrowed brow, Layla answered her, "We're looking for Florence. Have you seen her?"

"No, I haven't. Why? Is something wrong?"

Suspicion lingered in Layla’s gaze. "I find it hard to believe you don't know where she is. Did you see her at all tonight?"

I think that was my last straw. I was about to excuse myself to go outside to call Gayle to find Florence when Samantha held my wrist. I looked at her half annoyed and frustrated.

"Alpha, how about we forget about all that happened today? Maybe a dance?" she said, her grip on my arms tightening.

I knew she wanted to play it off what she did earlier but I was past being patient with her. I remove her hand from me, "I don't have time to dance—"

The atmosphere suddenly shifted. The tension spread among the partygoers, their gazes locking onto me. My beast—Berion, powerful and untamed, threatened to take control.

‘What do you think you're doing?’ I asked my beast through my subconscious.

‘Let me take control,’ he growled in my head, ‘Find. Mate.’

Samantha suddenly stepped back from me. Fear replaced the unease in her eyes as she felt the presence of my wolf. The dance floor, once alive with celebration, became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.I know Lycans and council members alike, sensed the presence of my beast. I can't blame them; my wolf rarely resurfaces, only at times when there is war and blood involved. He is untamed and more primal than the rest around me.

To think he was fighting me for control says much about what might be going on.

My eyes were shifting from green to black, a clear sign of Berion's dominance taking hold. Soon after, gasps of panic erupted on the dance floor. I shut my eyes tight, my jaw clenched as I fought my inner beast.

‘Back off, Berion. Let me handle this’ I ordered and my wolf growled at me but gave in.

I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, my eyes back to their original color. Whispers and worried glances were exchanged among the guests.

"That’s fcking scary," someone murmured, their eyes wide with fear.

"Did you see his eyes? They turned black," another voice added, the fear evident in their tone.

Unable to trust the control I have for my beast side, I stormed out of the room, leaving the party in disarray. My eyes shifted from black and green, a clear sign of Berion's dominance taking hold again. And he was just chanting in my subconscious the same thing over and over again.

*'Find mate'

'Find mate'

'Find mate' *

A realization struck – Florence, my mate, was in danger. Panic bubbled up through me, and my instincts forced me to move faster, to reach her before it was too late.

"Alpha, I contacted Gayle. She said Florence is in one of the guest rooms," Clifford reported.

Walking down the hallway, I was accompanied by Clifford, Layla. and Isaac. The worry etched on their faces mirrored my own anxiety. Each passing second felt like an eternity.

"Alpha, what's happening?" Layla asked in concern.

I continued to walk down the hallways, practically running. The tie around my neck felt like a noose, constricting my breathing. With impatient fingers, I hastily loosened the silk knot, throwing it to the floor with a frustrated thud.

"I also don't know. I just know one thing. My wolf wants to find her, and the uneasiness is telling me something," I gritted.

Panic surged through me, and my instincts urged me to move faster, to reach her before it was too late like last time that happened to my cousin. I was too late to save him.

Suddenly, I heard that familiar scream, shattering any semblance of control I had.

Being Lycans, our enhanced hearing allowed us to perceive sounds from far distances compared to normal wolves, and those screams unmistakably belonged to Florence.

"Is... Is that Florence?!" Layla exclaimed in horror.

As I sprinted through the hallway, my speed left my other warriors behind, with only Clifford and Isaac able to match my pace.

Unable to hear anything except the rushing of my own heartbeat, I focused on the intensifying scent, driven solely by the need to find her. Bursting into the room, the sight before me shattered any shred of sanity left in my mind.

Mr. Agares was atop Florence, his hands around her throat, her dress torn, and her hand bleeding.

At that moment, I let my wolf take over. A red haze danced in my vision, and my wolf carved blood more than ever.

A bone-chilling growl escaped my lips as my bright gold eyes locked onto Mr. Agares with a dangerous gaze. He froze, eyes widening. Without hesitation, I threw him away from Florence, sending him crashing into the wall while Isaac and Clifford took care of the other two men.

"You should not have touched her," I snarled, my wolf occupying half of my consciousness.

……

**Florence's POV**

I was utterly shocked to witness Nicholas bursting into the room, my eyes widening as I saw his eyes shift from green to black like darkness engulfing him. What the heck? So, all the rumors are true, and Alpha Kings have black eyes for their beasts, not gold like the others.

And what the heck is he doing here?!

Everything happened so fast before my eyes that I found myself pulled into a corner. Glancing behind me, I saw Layla, sternly guarding me.

"Layla?" I mumbled in shock.

"You're safe now," she said, but there was something in her eyes—a mix of anger and relief. Her hands were tightly clenched.

While I can fend for myself and have no desire to attract unwanted attention, their unexpected presence fueled more worry than relief.

A loud scream from Mr. Agares drew my attention.

"ALPHA, PLEASE LET ME EXPLAIN—"

Before Mr. Agares could finish his sentence, Nicholas ruthlessly and with quick, deadly motion, tore off Mr. Agares's head. Nicholas, eyes ablaze in gold, stood before the headless body, blood spilling onto the floor, the old man's eyes open.

"Shit," I absentmindedly muttered.

In a split second, the room erupted into the anguished cries of the two men.

"NOOOOOO!"

Two other men, their eyes reflecting the primal nature of their shifted wolf forms, attempted to attack Nicholas from behind. Are they crazy? They will die.

"STOP! DON'T—" I shouted, not because I was worried for Nicholas—far from it. My concern was for the potential repercussions it might bring upon him when he killed the other two men.

However, my warning fell on deaf ears as Isaac and Clifford growled and confronted the two men, their eyes glowing in gold but not as brightly as Nicholas's. Their claws were visible, and they easily slashed the two wolves in their bellies, killing them instantly.

The two wolves wailed and cried in pain, and I felt my skin crawl, reminiscent of the times I witnessed brutal killings during my espionage work. Isaac and Clifford ruthlessly ripped off the limbs of the two wolves until their cries transformed into defeated silence.

I surveyed the room, swallowing hard. It looked like a canvas painted with red splatters of blood everywhere. Glancing at Nicholas, I saw his eyes glowing a brilliant gold, and he breathed heavily, his face and clothes splattered with blood.

"Get her away from here," he ordered, but his voice was different—more rough, dark, and low, like a growl.

"I...you..." I stammered in shock, realizing that what I was seeing was not Nicholas but his wolf. I didn't have time to say anything else before Layla firmly pulled me away from the room, her grip strong as she led me away from the gruesome scene.

Isaac joined us on my left. "Is...that's not Nicholas, right?" I needed confirmation.

Isaac looked at me and nodded. "Yes. It's his beast, but the Alpha still has some control. However, earlier, the beast seemed to gain a bit more dominance. It was ruthless in every aspect."

I let the information sink in, realizing that the rumors about Nicholas's beast were true.