Playing The Alphas

Chapter 59: The Aftermath

SAMANTHA

The way events turned around blew out of proportion.

One moment, Leslie was being dragged away, screaming and crying. The next moment, the king was offering me a villa. And now, I was being assigned to Darlington like a piece of property changing hands.

I was flabbergasted. Too powerless to object. How pathetic could I become? I felt like a mere pawn, tossed into Darlington’s care by King Lionel’s icy rule. My fate was not my own. It never had been.

Darlington seemed taken aback. His eyes widened slightly. His lips parted. But then he recovered. He offered a gentle smile. It was meant to reassure me, I think. But it did not.

"Why does she have to go to his quarters first?" Jayce’s voice cut through the air angrily. It was filled with disbelief. His gaze was sharp like a blade. "As I said, I have an interest in her too."

King Lionel rubbed his temples. His face was filled with frustration. His jaw was tight. His eyes were closed.

"Are you done with this foolishness?" he asked. His voice was low. Tired. "If you ask your king any more questions again, I will ground you for a month. How dare you challenge your king, Jayce?"

"I..." Jayce stuttered.

He could not speak. He knew he could not defy his father. His father’s threat was enough to silence him. Jayce was arrogant, cruel, reckless and everything evil one could think off. But he was not stupid. He knew when to push and when to stop.

Finnian remained silent. His silver eyes were fixed on the floor. But then he cast a look down my way. His gaze lingered. His mind seemed filled with thoughts. I could not read them. I did not want to.

King Lionel scoffed. He surveyed the disarray of the room—the broken furniture, the shattered glass, the blood on the floor. His lip curled with disgust.

Inside my head, Cece jumped out from wherever she had been hiding. She took a peek and asked if everything was alright.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I do not know."

"What do you mean you do not know?"

"I mean I do not know if I am okay. I do not know what is happening. I do not know what will happen next."

"That is a lot of not knowing."

"I am aware."

I ignored her. I did not have the energy for her cheerleading.

King Lionel’s gaze settled on Daisy. She was standing near the door, her hands clasped in front of her, her whole body trembling.

"Daisy," he said, "you have failed in your duties. I will withhold your salary for four months as punishment."

Daisy’s face went pale and her mouth fell open. Her hands dropping to her sides.

"Your Highness..." Her voice shook. She tried to defend herself. "I have nothing to do with this. I was not fighting. I was not causing trouble. I was only trying to—"

"Be quiet!" Lionel cut her off. There was this bass and temerity in his tone that only an Alpha king could carry. Authority that could not be questioned.

Daisy’s mouth snapped shut.

Lionel turned to his servants. "Clean this place immediately," he said. "These women will train tomorrow. No delays."

With that, he showed no interest in lingering. He turned and walked toward the door. His robes swished behind him.

The three princes, scared of making their father angrier, followed him out. Jayce went first, his shoulders stiff, his hands clenched. Finnian followed, his face blank, his eyes cold.

Darlington walked past me.

He slowed. He turned his head. He offered a reassuring smile. It was small. Soft. It calmed my nerves, just a little.

My heart shook. Anticipation coiled in my stomach. I did not know what would come next. I averted my gaze, overcome by shyness. My cheeks burned. My eyes dropped to the floor.

As I looked away, I saw Jayce.

He had stopped at the door. His head was turned. His golden eyes were fixed on me. A malicious grin spread across his face. His lips moved. He mouthed words I could hear in my head even without sound.

"I will not go easy on you."

I nearly lost my breath. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

My head dropped in panic as I pretended to be ignorant.

A dark premonition loomed around me. Like a time bomb ticking. Jayce’s threats echoed in my mind. His potential for harm seemed imminent.

As all the royal figures disappeared through the doorway, only weaklings like us girls remained in the room.

One woman timidly raised her hand. Her voice was timid. "Ms. Daisy," she asked, "will training resume tomorrow?"

Daisy’s head snapped toward her. Her frustration was evident and her face, red. Her eyes were blazing.

"Be quiet," she snapped.

The woman shrank back.

Daisy glared at me. Her eyes burned with anger. I knew deep down inside her, she was blaming me. She thought this was my fault. Maybe it was? I did not know anymore.

She waved her hand at all of us, dismissing today’s lesson.

"All of you should leave immediately!" she commanded. "And be punctual for training tomorrow! Anyone who is late will be punished!"

Relief washed over the women. We all moved toward the exit with no one speaking or looking at each other. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

I walked out of the training room and went back to my room.

I needed to rest. I needed to think. I needed to figure out how to survive whatever came next. I couldn’t just stay here like a pawn. Watching myself being thrown from post to post .

When I entered my room, I had to stop abruptly in my tracks.

A servant was inside. She was busily packing my belongings. She folded everything neatly and placed it in a wooden chest.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

The servant looked up. "The king’s orders," she said. "You are being moved to the new villa. The penthouse in District A."

This was so surreal. So, I was really going to a new house, not a shared dormitory. Somewhere close to the princes’ residence.

Wow.

I did not know whether to be grateful or terrified.

The servant finished packing. She closed the chest and lifted it with some effort.

"Follow me," she said.