The Alpha's Mark

The low, flat tone of his voice sliced through the remnants of her deep sleep.

Odesse’s eyelids fluttered open weakly. The room was dim, but the familiar, massive silhouette of her husband loomed over the edge of the bed. For a fraction of a second, a soft, groggy smile touched her lips. "My king..." she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

But the smile faded the instant she felt the temperature in the room; the air felt heavy and thick.

Valex’s eyes were not cool or welcoming at all; they were dark, fixed entirely on her left arm. He was holding her hand, his thumb slowly, rhythmically caressing the skin of her wrist—right over the angry, dark red finger marks Eryx had left behind.

He lifted his head, his gaze locking onto hers. "Who did this to you?"

The question acted like a bucket of ice water. Panic surged through Odesse’s veins, instantly clearing her mind. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she scrambled backward, sitting up quickly and sliding her legs over the opposite side of the bed. Instinctively, she tucked her bruised wrist behind her back.

"My king... what..." she stuttered, her voice high and breathless. "What do you mean?"

Valex didn’t rise to chase her. Instead, he sat down slowly on the edge of the mattress, his large frame relaxing just a fraction as he looked at her frantic expression. Seeing her fear seemed to rein in his wilder instincts. The brutal tightness in his jaw melted, his face softening into a pure, deeply concerned expression.

He held out his hand toward her, his voice dropping into a low, gentle plea that completely bared his soul. "My love," he said softly, his eyes searching hers. "Whose hands did this to your wrist?"

Odesse looked at him, her face nervous as she said, "My king... this... this was..." She paused, and he urged, "What happened, my love? Who touched you?" She struggled to speak, thinking, "If I tell him... given how his aura was earlier—he might kill Eryx. I need to think of something. I need to understand why Eryx acted that way."

Valex’s voice sounded again, soft but firm. "What are you thinking about?"

Odesse snapped back to reality, looking at her arm and then back at Valex. She stuttered, "Oh, this... my king, I have been having nightmares."

He raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Nightmares?"

Odesse smiled nervously. "Yes, my king. You know that when I have nightmares, it usually affects reality. That’s why I have a mark on my wrist." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He glanced at her wrist, noticing her hands shaking uncontrollably. "What did you encounter that gave you such a beastly mark, my love?"

Odesse laughed softly, wavering. "It was nothing too dangerous; I was able to defeat it."

Valex smiled brightly. "That’s my wife, a very brave woman." She smiled as he came closer. "You do not need me to protect you all the time."

His eyes changed into something darker as he said, "But if I need to, I will make sure to render them helpless and send them to hell."

Odesse choked on her spit, coughing loudly. He flinched and said, "My love, what is wrong?" Struggling to speak, she watched as he grabbed a glass of water from the table and helped her drink it.

"Here, slowly. Do not rush, my love," he instructed gently.

Odesse looked at him as he helped her, thinking, "I am not trying to protect Eryx, but there must be a reason he said all those things. Someone is planting an evil seed in his mind about his highness, and he has gone delusional. But who?"

Valex smiled as he lowered the cup from her mouth and placed it on the bedside table. Odesse wiped her mouth slowly and said, "Thank you, my king."

Valex took her hands, and she looked at him as he said, "It is my duty as your husband to protect you, my love. Now that you are pregnant, I do not want you to stress or do anything that causes you stress."

Odesse smiled. "Do not worry, my king. In the spirit realms, I do not feel heavy, and it does not feel like being pregnant."

He replied, "I am not talking about your dreams or the spirit realms, but about reality—this palace. You have the authority to send anyone who does not allow you to have peace into exile. Remember, you are a queen, and not just that—a wolf of immense power. Your enemies will always be people closer to you, those whose natural scent you have known. It is easy for them to disguise themselves and fool you."

Odesse looked into his eyes as he spoke. His voice was soft yet sharp, comforting but serious. He touched her face gently. "Do not trust everyone who talks to you. You have a very soft heart, and it is easy for anyone to get into it. But remember, just because you are soft does not mean you cannot be cunning or manipulative."

She asked softly, "Why are you saying all this, my king?"

He pulled her slowly closer to his chest and hugged her softly, gently caressing her hair. In his mind, he thought, "Whomever has done this to your wrist, no matter how hard you try to hide it, my love, I will find that person and make them pay."

Odesse, on the other hand, had thoughts of her own. She thought to herself, "His highness, his aura is different. I know he does not believe what I told him. I have to find out why Eryx spoke like that before his highness discovers it was Eryx who did this to my wrist."

The room was silent, and the quiet grew longer as they remained in each other’s arms. Odesse gently pulled away and looked up at Valex, touching his chest as she said, "My king, you must be tired. You should have a bath and rest."

Valex wrapped his arm around her and drew her closer. She looked at him in shock and said, "My king..." He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the neck, sending a thrill through her. Odesse’s ears turned red, and he chuckled as he looked at her flushed face, teasing, "My dear wife still gets flustered when I get close to her." Odesse pressed her lips together in embarrassment and replied, "Of course, not. It was just unexpected."

He moved his face closer, smirking, and said, "Is that so?" Her breath hitched, and her heart started racing. Valex pulled back a little, a smile tugging at his lips, and said, "Alright then, my love. Why don’t you make me blush tonight instead?" Odesse looked at him, shocked, and asked, "What do you mean?" Valex replied, "You must be tired of being the only one sensitive to our physical touch, so tonight, I want you to make me sensitive too."

He leaned in closer, whispering in her ear with warm breath, "Tonight I’m yours. Use me as you like." Odesse’s neck flushed red at his words. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips as she stood up slowly. Valex watched her with a smirk as she knelt before him. The rustle of her skirts broke the heavy silence. Her fingers moved deliberately, slipping the first gold button from its silk loop. Valex let out a low breath, his gaze locked on her face as cool air hit his chest. She undid all the gold buttons and separated the fabric, slowly touching his chest.

As she stood up and removed his shirt, she placed it by the bedside. He looked at her, unable to contain his smile. She got onto the bed, her skirt rustling as she knelt behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest and sliding upward while kissing his neck. Valex responded by kissing her back and turning to face her. Their eyes locked as she softly said, "Get ready to be sensitive from my touch, my king." She pulled him closer as their lips collided.

Valex could no longer hold back. He pulled her on top of him, their lips still entwined. His hands lingered at her back, making their way to the corset. He loosened the laces, while Odesse pushed him softly onto the mattress. The neckline of her dress slipped off and the stiff silk of the dress slipped easily down her arms, revealing her chemise. She stayed above him, looking down as he drew her closer, their lips colliding with a fervor that made the air hot and the night even spicier. They melted into each other’s bodies, like two souls trying to tear each other’s flesh apart and keep it to themselves.

...

The next day was quiet; the air was soft, and the wind blew briskly. Even though the sun was not out, the atmosphere was warm. Valex was in his privy chamber with Kael. He sat behind his desk as Kael stood in front of him. With a sharp and commanding voice, Valex said, "I want you to find out where the queen was yesterday before her evening rest." Kael looked at him as Valex continued, "I want to know who she was with and what they did. Ask every servant and guard about this."

Kael hesitated for a moment before saying, "I apologize for overstepping, your highness, but if I may ask, what is the reason for the interrogations?" Valex stood up, pushing his chair back, and walked to the long window, staring outside. He said, "Someone in the palace laid a finger on her highness. I can tell it’s from this palace; the scent is familiar. But she is trying to protect them, and I need to find out who it is." He turned to Kael and added, "If you discover anything about them, let me know."

Kael nodded and said, "Yes, your highness," as he walked towards the door, opened it, and closed it behind him. Valex gazed out the window and noticed Eryx passing by, leading a horse. Valex rubbed his jaw as he watched him go by.