AGAIN MY HEART: Her Alphas Regret

LEILANI The heavy footfalls of Lady Malcolm's heels echoed in the kitchen as she marched through the doorway. Her gaze immediately fell on me. “You, Omega, come here,” she called, and I immediately stepped forward. It doesn’t surprise me that she couldn’t be bothered to remember my name, even though I’ve been working with her crew of helpers for the past two years. I am a common omega, an orphan, whose existence holds no weight in this pack, nor the kingdom of Eitbjorn at large. I was a nobody to her, and it didn’t help matters that I wasn’t Eitbjorn born. Every distinct feature on me, from my mismatched eyes, fiery red hair, to my pointy wolf-like ears, even in human form, and the odd mixed colour of my wolf, was everything that set me apart from every other Eitbjorn citizen. I was an outsider. I have always been an outsider, and it only worsened after the death of my foster parents. They were the only ones who had treated me like I mattered, showed me unconditional love, even though I wasn’t their bio-daughter. They loved me from the minute they found me in the woods when I was two, and they raised me with love until death decided to be so cruel and took them away from me when I was fourteen. “Take this to the headmaster and headmistress in the ballroom for inspection. Whatever they say, make sure you report back to the head chef. Those pastries will be served to the king’s most distinguished guests tonight, and they need to be perfect.” “Yes, Ma’am,” I responded, and hurried toward the large tray of pastries, gently picking it up and making my way out of the kitchen. I’ve been working with Lady Malcolm’s crew for the past two years, and it’s one of the things I am most grateful for because it provides me with the luxury of one sure meal a day and the chance to save whatever I have left. The best part is how the pay varies depending on the job we are called on and the location. Most jobs in the capital paid more, but I know for sure this would pay more than any job I’ve ever worked under her. I wasn’t sure where we were headed this morning when I joined the crew van, but then the van stopped, and we got out, and I didn’t need to be told where we were. I may not have been here before, but I’ve heard stories of the great Eitbjorn palace and the magnificent opulence it exudes. My late foster Mom, the beautiful soul who raised me, had told me several tales of her time as a maiden and the balls she attended whenever the palace gates were opened to the people of Eitbjorn. Never in my lifetime did I ever imagine finding myself inside the palace of Eitbjorn, but here we are. I wasn’t sure what the occasion was. One thing about working for Lady Malcolm is that we don’t ask questions, ever. Follow instructions, do your job and get your pay at the end of the day. Was the royal family having a party? A banquet? I knew little about the Eitbjorn royal family, but I had heard the rumours, and if the rumours were true, it was just the king. And as far as the rumours go, he might’ve killed his parents. I round the corner leading to the ballroom when a truckload of citrus bergamot and vanilla scent suddenly invades all my senses. My heart hammered to a sudden stop as I inhaled sharply and dragged in a mind-numbing dose of the sweet spiciness that caused my vision to blur. I barely had the time to shake off the sudden fog in my brain when my knees gave out, and I wobbled forward. The tray of pastries I had carried out of the kitchen for inspection slipped out of my hand, clattering to the floor as I unceremoniously fell forward. Loud gasps of shock echoed through the hall amidst the sound of broken glass and liquid splattering everywhere. I scrambled on my hands and knees, mortified, while wishing the ground would open up and swallow me upon realising that the gasp wasn’t merely due to my fall but because I had dumped the contents of the tray on whoever was standing before me right now. The sight of the polished black shoe in front of me, now covered in cream, sprinkles and chocolate, had my heart slowly dip into my stomach. I didn’t need any expertise to know those shoes belonged to an elite, and the price was worth more than my life as a common omega. “Goddess help me!” I muttered in horror, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” I chanted as I crawled over, wiping the shoes with my dress. I could tell the owner of the shoes was saying something, but I couldn’t hear past the ringing in my ears and the spicy-sweet scent of bergamot and vanilla that was hell-bent on turning me into a useless, thoughtless bumbling mess. “What have you done? You filthy omega.” Lady Malcom’s voice bellowed behind me, and I knew I was done for. She’s going to fire me after this if I don’t clean up my mess. I repeatedly mumbled apologies as I tried to clean the stains on his trousers as best as I could. The closer I got to this person, the stronger the onslaught of pheromones invading my senses. I shook my head, attempting to get rid of the haze crawling up my head as I wiped upward. ‘Mate. Mate. We found our mate.’ Aina, my wolf, chanted happily. ‘Concentrate. Concentrate, Aina,’ I said mostly to myself, even though every nerve in my body urged me to stop wiping the stains and look up at my mate. Just one glance at his face before Lady Malcolm rips into me. ‘Mate,’ Aina whined, her need bleeding into me, and my resistance broke. My hands moved to wipe his crotch area while my head slowly tipped upwards as curiosity and need consumed me. I was met with the most beautiful sparkling grey eyes that had me locked in place. For a moment, time seemed to stop as I became enraptured by his startling beauty. Are men supposed to be this beautiful? Saying he was handsome felt like a slap to the face, yet he wasn’t feminine-looking, but beautiful still. Roguishly beautiful with a rich brown skin that glowed like sunlight. My throat was parched with thirst as his scent seeped into every open pore of my body. I could feel a heat pooling in my lower stomach, and invisible strings seemed to snap into place the longer we maintained eye contact. It was as if that single moment of connection was all fate needed to bind us together. His lips moved, but the blood rushing to my ears prevented me from hearing a word. And then he growled, the force and authority behind it snapped me out of my hazy daze. I was blinking rapidly, trying to get my senses back on the right track, when I felt the force of his foot connect with my chest as he kicked and knocked me several feet away from him. “Get your filthy hands off me!” He snarled with vitriol, his voice dripping with venomous hate. Pain shot up my spine as I landed hard on my butt, and I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped me. “Is this how you train the omegas who work for you?” My mate sneered as he turned to Lady Malcolm, who rushed to his side. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness. This has never happened before. My girls are usually not like this. I’m so sorry.” She bowed repeatedly, apologising on my behalf. And for a moment, my mind blanched again. Your Highness? I blinked, then swallowed as my gaze panned back to him. He is the king!? The Alpha King of Eitbjorn is my mate! My eyes widened at the revelation, elation and fear thrumming through my veins. “Sorry? Did you bring that thing here to seduce me? Faking a fall, having her hands all over me? What the f**k was that?” The King thundered, voice bouncing off the ballroom walls, and I flinched as his angry gaze snapped my way. Despite the fury burning in his gaze, I couldn’t look away, and for a split second, I could’ve sworn I saw a shift in his expression, and his eye changed from those sparkling grey to a crimson red. But the shift vanished as quickly as it came. Seeing my stare at him, he growled again, and I immediately cast my gaze down. “Forgive me, Your Highness, this wasn’t intended. That lowly omega is a clumsy ditz, and I should’ve known better to assign her elsewhere.” Lady Malcolm’s gaze snapped in my direction, sneering. “Apologise to His Highness.” She barked. I shifted on my knees, biting the inside of my cheeks as pain flared up my spine from the action. “Forgive me, Your Highness.” I bowed, head to the floor. “It was my fault for not paying attention. This servant takes responsibility for her clumsiness and will gladly accept whatever punishment His Highness deems necessary.” I bowed a second time, and then a third. Minutes passed without any response from him, and I raised my head to see him watching me. I could see his hatred for me behind those eyes, but there was something else this time, he seemed— confused? His eyes switched from grey to crimson, and this time, I didn’t miss it, nor did I miss the way his pheromone seemed to spike My wolf, Aina purred, and she stirred, wanting to push forward, wanting to be near him, but I pushed back against her need. There was a mix of anger and something I couldn’t quite place my finger on as he watched me with those fiery crimson eyes. Out of nowhere, he took a step forward. My eye widened as he took another step. I blinked, gaze darting from his face to his legs and then back up. Was he going to punish me out here in front of everyone? He took the third step, my eye locked with his, and there was something gentle, almost tender, behind the crimson eye that was staring back at me. Instead of panic, something inside me remained calm, assured that he wasn’t coming over to hurt me. But then he stopped abruptly, my gaze landed on his hands, and I noticed his fists were clenched and trembling by his side. Confused, I looked up at him, and he seemed to be having an internal battle with himself. His eyes flickered back to his beautiful greys. “Get her filth out of my sight.” He snarled, glaring down at me. I flinched, unsure of what to make of what just happened. That split second of him walking towards, what was that? What could that mean? “Get your useless ass upstairs and start cleaning all those rooms.” Lady Malcolm’s voice snapped me back to the present, and I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the pain travelling down my lower back as I limped out of sight with a heavy weight pressing on my chest. *** Hours passed, and I still couldn’t shake off the ache in my heart. Despite trying to focus on all the dirt and grime I was tasked to clean, my mind kept trailing back to the moment when his leg connected with my chest, and he kicked me off him. I was too stunned in that moment to clearly process what happened, and being left alone with my thoughts brought it all back. The brief moment of joy I felt when our eyes met was quickly replaced with a heart-warping pain that refused to leave. Had I been rejected without even realising it? He had called me filthy and low. I mean, I know compared to the Alpha King I was nothing, still, he was my mate. Shouldn’t he have accorded me more grace? I sighed, shaking my head as I hung the hand towel and stepped out of the bathroom. I was leaning over the bed to smooth the sheets when the door creaking open caught my attention. My body froze before I could straighten to see who it was, but I guess I didn’t even need to turn to know. The onslaught of targeted lustful pheromones hit me like a lightning bolt, momentarily cutting off my train of thought. My body swayed forward, my eyes became hazy, and my head felt lighter. ‘MATE!’ Aina whined, pushing to the surface before I could stop her.