The Alpha King’s Broken Mate

The potatoes slipped from my arms and hit the pantry floor with a heavy thud. “s**t,” I muttered, crouching to gather them before anyone came in to see the Alpha’s stepdaughter on her knees cleaning up a mess like a kitchen hand. “Namiko.” I turned at the sound of that voice, warm, deep, threaded with amusement. “Ethan!” I shot up, grinning, all thoughts of the Alpha’s upcoming visit evaporating. I ran straight into his arms, the scent of pinewood and something darker wrapping around me like a comfort I hadn’t realized I needed. “You’re back,” I said against his chest, my voice muffled. He held me tight, his lips brushing my temple. “Five days felt like a month.” “I thought you said you’d only be gone three days,” I scolded, but my arms didn’t let go. “I nearly went insane. I was starting to think you wouldn’t come back,” I whispered. He pulled back to cup my face, his thumb grazing my cheek. “How could I not? I had to see my future wife.” The words hit me like a balm. Future wife. Just a few more weeks. Just one successful royal visit. “And I would have even come sooner, but my cousin decided to have a breakdown mid-visit.” His hand stroked my back. “I had to play therapist.” I pulled back enough to look into his face. Calm. Too calm. Always unreadable, that was Ethan’s charm, and his curse. His eyes were the only thing that gave him away, dark, focused, like I was the only thing anchoring him. “Everything okay?” I asked. His lips twitched into a smile. “Now it is.” He bent and kissed me, not the teasing kind he often used to stall me, but deep, possessive, and slow. The kind that turned my legs weak. My back hit the pantry shelf behind me. The scent of dried herbs and flour mixed with him. I moaned softly into his mouth. goodness, I have missed him so much. I pressed my body into his, felt the hardness through his jeans. “Ethan…” My voice was already breathless. “I want you so much.” His hand slid down my side. “Namiko, We have talked about this.” “I know. But I don’t care. I want you now.” I caught his wrist, guiding his hand down to my pu$$y, where I needed him. “Please, take me.” He let me, just for a second. His fingers hovered there, heat radiating through the fabric of my pants as he stroked me through my panties. Then he pulled away. “No.” I stared at him. “No? Again?” He didn’t move, just watched me with that still expression, like he was calculating something. “You’ve been working too hard. You’re tired, Namiko. Stressed. And we said we would wait.” “I know what I said. But we’ve been together a year, Ethan. I’m not a little girl.” “And you’re not mated yet,” he said. I flinched. “Don’t bring that up.” “I’m not trying to hurt you,” he added quickly. “But… we said we would wait until we’re married. Until your stepfather, the pack’s alpha, gives his blessing.” “He only cares about the Alpha King’s visit,” I snapped. “As soon as that’s over, he’ll grant it. He said so.” “Then wait a few more weeks. Don’t beg me like this, you are making it hard to resist you, Namiko.” He stepped forward again, catching my chin between his fingers. “You’re worth waiting for.” “You make me feel like a child, Ethan.” “You make yourself feel that way,” he said the words gently, but that still did not do anything to make me less hurt. He lifted me again, bridal style, and I didn’t resist. I curled against him, burying my face in his shoulder as he carried me down the hallway. The packhouse was dim and quiet, everyone else busy with preparations. The Alpha King hadn’t visited a small pack like ours in over a decade. My stepfather was in a near-constant state of panic. My mother, his Luna by title, had been fluttering like a bird since morning, trying to make things perfect. It had fallen to me to organize the food, the quarters, the guest list. It was a power move, really. A way for him to show the King that his stepdaughter, while not of his blood, was worthy of responsibility. Or maybe it was a test. Ethan nudged my door open with his foot. “You need rest,” he murmured, laying me on the bed. “I can’t,” I sighed. “There’s still the food order. . . ” “I’ve seen what you’ve done already. It’s perfect.” He brushed my hair back. “The Alpha King won’t care if the potatoes arrive six hours later than expected.” “You don’t know him.” “No, I don’t,” he said. “But I know you. And if anyone can keep this house standing through his visit, it’s you.” I’ve been tasked with overseeing the preparations for the Alpha King’s visit, a monumental responsibility, especially considering my sudden rise in status and my age. My mother married the Alpha three years ago, after his human mate died from complications during childbirth. She was trying to give him an heir. If anyone asked me, I’d say the Alpha was selfish. Everyone knows how much strength it takes for a human to carry a werewolf child. And yet, the only thing he seemed to care about was what he had to gain. There should’ve been better care in place for the late Luna during her pregnancy. She shouldn’t have had to endure that alone. But what do I know? I was barely sixteen at the time. Yes, the Alpha was devastated by the loss, but I’ve never been sure whether it was the death of his wife that broke him, or the fact that his only heir died with her. He didn’t waste much time grieving. He found comfort in my mother and married her almost immediately. He chose a naïve but beautiful young woman, one who already had a child and was eager to please. She gave him everything he needed, status, a sense of family, a willing partner. And she threw herself into that life without hesitation. Still, there are parts of their union that I don’t hate. My mother has been happier than I have ever seen her. And for a while, I felt free, at least, as free as I could be under someone else’s rule. Ours is one of the smaller packs in the region, but we’ve always held our own. The Alpha often says that once he and my mother have a child, the two packs will merge, his former pack and ours, giving him greater territory, more responsibility, and more influence. But not a single werewolf couple has been able to conceive in years. Long ago, there was a war. A brutal, bloody war born from greed, betrayal, and revenge. Rogues turned on Alphas. Alphas failed the Packs they vowed to protect. The result was devastation, countless werewolves left dead or Packless. Since then, werewolves have scattered, forming smaller Packs under the governance of the Alpha King. And now, it’s said that the Alpha King could visit our pack at any time. The ruthless Alpha king. So, when I say my stepfather, the Alpha, is stressed beyond reason, you’ll understand why. He doesn’t even have an heir yet. And time is running out. I let my body go limp against the sheets. “I haven’t had a full night of sleep in a week.” “Then I brought you just the one thing that will help with that.” He went to his bag on the floor and pulled out a cloth pouch. “Medicinal tea. Got it from a trader in the North. Helps you sleep like the dead.” I sat up. “You brought me drugs?” He laughed. “Herbs. Not poison. Relax.” He prepared the tea in silence, moving with such ease, it almost lulled me. He handed me the mug, and I sipped without hesitation. Chamomile, lavender. . . and something I didn’t recognize. It was bitter but warm and soothing. “Don’t go,” I mumbled. “I won’t. Not until you’re asleep.” I yawned, the mug slipping from my fingers. He caught it before it spilled. “Goodnight, Namiko” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I woke up late. Sunlight poured in through the windows. My clock read nearly ten. Shit. I sat up abruptly. My head felt light, but my body was heavier… sore, even. I frowned, shifting under the blankets. My pants were still on. Shirt too. No visible signs of disarray. And yet. . . There was an ache, low in my abdomen. An unmistakable tenderness between my legs. I stood slowly, blinking. I hadn’t had s*x. I remembered last night clearly, Ethan had said no. Like he always did. So why did it feel like. . . I shook the thought away. Just stress. Just dreams. Probably a vivid one, brought on by that strange tea and my feelings for Ethan. I bathed quickly and hurried downstairs to check on the pantry. The kitchen was already buzzing. “You’re late,” Mara, the head cook, scolded. “I overslept.” She raised a brow. “That’s a first.” I smiled weakly and rolled up my sleeves. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * That night, Ethan stopped by again. This time, he didn’t try to kiss me. He asked how the day went, listened patiently, and then offered to make me another cup of the same tea. I hesitated. “Come on,” he coaxed. “You slept great, didn’t you?” “I did.” “So?” He was right. I’d slept better than I had in weeks. Maybe that was all it was. I drank the tea. And I slept like the dead again. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * When I woke up the next morning, the ache was worse. It wasn’t the same kind of sore that comes from running drills or overexerting myself in the garden. It was intimate. My heartbeat quickened. I checked my body again. No marks. No missing clothing. But something was off. My skin was too sensitive. My breasts ached. The same dull throb between my thighs returned, unmistakable now. I walked to the mirror and stared at my reflection. Same face. Same girl. But the gnawing suspicion wouldn’t leave. I hadn’t been touched… had I? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ethan came again that night. The tea was already steeping before I could speak. “Wait,” I said, voice thin. “What’s in it?” “The same as before.” “But what’s in it?” “Chamomile. Lavender. Some valerian. Something my cousin called wolf’s ease.” He looked at me strangely. “You okay?” “Just tired,” I lied. I stared at the tea in my hands. He watched me drink it. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I didn’t sleep that night. Not really. Somewhere between the dream and the waking world, I felt it again, hands on my skin. A breath against my neck. Pressure between my thighs. And a voice. Low. Gentle. “You will give me what I want, Namiko. You just don’t know it yet.”