Chairman Lee cleared his throat dramatically to get back the king's divided attention.
"We are still yet to make a deal, your highness" he said feigning patience.
Alex was pulled forcefully from his world of fantasies and brought back to a meeting he wanted no part of; to his utter dismay.
Alex glared at the chairman and said angrily in a finality that no man dared argue with.
"I repeat, and I will not again." Alex swallowed a deep breath to calm his temper. "A hundred and four bars of gold or nothing at all and if you don't like the deal, there's the gate."
Alex jutted his chin to the gate with his lips primed.
Alex was done with this meeting as far as he was concerned and he turned to leave only to be stopped by the voice of the chairman.
"Then give us a compensation for wasting our time and resources coming here," The man said defiantly and Alex looked back at him with his eyes narrowed.
It was law that if a meeting was arranged and no deal was made by the party who had made it, a compensation of the choice of the other party would be given to them.
"Make your demand," Alex said. He had expected it to come to this sooner or later.
"I want..." Lee trailed off pretending to be thinking hard as he bit his chin thoughtfully. "We want the gardener."
"What? Chairman Lee-" The group were ready to voice out their protest but were stopped by Alex.
The man was indeed stupid and Alex was sure he had attributed him too much sense.
"Take him," Alex said and made to leave again.
"Not him, her," Chairman Lee said, pointing at the beautiful young gardener the Alpha had been staring at.
She was indeed beautiful and if the King didn't like her enough to keep her and agree to the deal, he would be compensated by such a beauty in his bed. He had heard how good in bed the ladies from this town were.
Alex's temper snapped and his eyes darkened in anger. His veins began to pop out when he saw who the bastard was pointing and smiling pervertedly at–his wife.
Alex didn't know when he stalked to the repulsive human, and raised him up by his neck. His motive was to crush it and that was what he would do.
The foolish man scratched at his hand, struggling to breathe as life was being snuffed out of him.
His human company tried to pry him away from the Alpha's grip, begging and pleading for his life, but Alex was beyond listening. Alex pushed them away, and the force sent them flying across the garden.
They would have tried to save their fellow again, but the angry torrents of power flowing from the Alpha rooted them to a spot. It forced them to submit and it all had them bowing down to him on their knees.
Mia was still taking care of the flowers and watering them when she began to hear some shouts coming from the other side of the garden.
"Anna, do you hear that?"
She asked, a bit concerned but she couldn't be sure she had heard right, it sounded faint.
"Hmm?" Anna looked totally lost in the lily she was tending to "What, your highness?" She asked in oblivion.
"Oh, it's nothing. Must have only imagined it," Mia said, resuming to tend to the plants when a guard came running towards them.
"Your highness, the king is going to kill the humans!" The guard relayed in panic. He did so quickly, that she almost didn't hear what he had said.
Mia knitted her eyebrows into a frown.
Kill? Humans??
She frowned deeper and her mind went back to the people she had seen Alex discussing with earlier and the watering can slipped from hand.
Shit, shit, that was bad.
She took off towards the scene and was beyond shocked to see Alex holding a man by the throat; his legs dangled in the air.
His eyes were almost bulging out of his sockets and his face looked awfully pale and sick.
He was going to die if Alex didn't let go.
Mia didn't think twice before she took off towards them.
When she almost reached them, she felt a wind force pushing her backward and denying her access to them.
"Alex!" She cried out to him, but he couldn't hear her. The wind had become really loud and more intense.
She had to get through the barricade no matter what it took.
She pushed against the wind with all the strength in her, struggling to get to him.
Her hand was placed infront of her to stop the wind from pushing her away but it seemed impossible.
"Alex! It's me, Mia!"
She tried again, but his eyes were fixed on his prey, and he wouldn't let go.
She had to get to him. That was the only way.
The wind grew thicker the more she tried the more her muscles began to hurt. She could no longer see through the wind and dust. But she wasn't one to give up quickly.
She felt shocks as power surged through her just like it had in the river. Her hands began to shake from the force and her inner body grew hot with every passing second.
Everything was happening so fast. Her eyes grew white with light and she could see everything clearly. The force pushing her backwards, suddenly felt like nothing and she reached him in no time.
"Alex," she said softly before putting her hand on his. The very one strangling a man to death.
He looked at her slowly and she saw the hidden fear in his eyes. It had been hidden with so much anger that she hadn't seen it before.
"Let go," she instructed calmly, feeling her eyes tear up with all the pain she could see in his eyes. He also hated how he was reacting. She could tell.
Alex let go of the now unconscious man, locking gazes with her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his lips trembling as he said this. He looked like he was buried in fear and hurt and had spent so long covering it. He was a mess and it was getting harder to hide.
"I know," Mia assured before throwing herself into his arms.
Alex wrapped his arms around her soft body and rested his cheek in her head. She released him then encircled her arms around his neck, causing him to bend to her level.
He tightened his grip around her waist and buried his head in the crook of her neck when he heard her sobbing.
She was sad for him and he could feel all the emotions seeping through the bond.
And for the first time since they were mated, Mia felt all the pain he had buried in coursing through the bond and it was painful... How had he managed to hold himself together?
"I've got you," Mia assured him and he let his muscles relax. He felt the protective walls he had built around himself for years begin to crack as her warmth enveloped him.
They remained so for a while. Mia trying to share the pain she knew he kept bottled up and Alex, struggling to get his emotions under control.
"Are you okay?" Mia finally asked, after what felt like hours.
That seemed to snap Alex back to reality and he pulled himself from her quickly.
Mia felt hurt and disappointed when he briskly walked away from her, completely ignoring and refusing to meet her eyes.