The Alpha King Declared Me His Mate Under A Love Potion, But Denying Him Will Literally Kill Him

Part 1

Being invisible was my favorite survival tactic.

Heather sparkled at the center of the grand ballroom.

She was everything a proper lady should be, graceful and clearly interested in making a match.

I was none of those things, and it was wonderful.

I had claimed an uncomfortable chair in the far corner of the room, positioned behind a potted fern.

I mentally counted down the excruciating minutes until I could escape this nightmare.

I just wanted to return home to balancing our family’s meager financial accounts.

This nightmare was the Alpha King’s highly anticipated mating ceremony, the absolute highlight of the entire social season.

Every single eligible noblewoman had gathered in the grand ballroom, hoping to find their true mate tonight.

If a lucky pair bonded during the evening, tradition demanded a royal blessing from the Alpha King himself.

Except the Alpha King was currently nowhere to be seen, and nervous whispers began to ripple rapidly through the perfumed crowd.

“Lady Megan,” a familiar voice murmured near my ear.

Lord Tyler, the broke suitor who had just partnered Heather for a waltz, stepped into my line of sight.

My forced smile probably looked more like a grimace as I acknowledged him.

He bowed low before daring to request my formal permission to court her.

My rejection was immediate and blunt as I shook my head.

Claiming her heart was already taken, I stood and brushed past his extended arm.

The frayed cuffs of his jacket and the scuff marks on his rented boots told me everything I needed to know about his finances.

I physically stepped between Heather and the impoverished lord, glaring until he finally took the hint and backed away.

Seeking a quiet escape from the awkward encounter, I wove expertly through the thick crowd of gossiping nobles.

I slipped out of the crowded ballroom and hurried down a long, quiet, beautifully polished marble corridor.

The walls were lit by flickering sconces that cast dancing, confusing shadows on the floor.

I rounded a sharp corner entirely too quickly and slammed directly into something solid.

The impact knocked the air from my lungs.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist before I could fall to the ground.

I gasped for air and looked up directly into the face of the Alpha King.

He was breathtaking up close, but his thick bronze hair was a wild, messy tangle and his formal jacket was askew.

He looked exactly like he had just awoken from a terrible, debilitating fever dream.

His eyes, which were a bright, burning, inhuman gold, were unfocused at first.

Then his intense gaze locked onto my face, and everything changed.

His pupils suddenly dilated massively, swallowing the brilliant gold color until only a very thin, bright ring remained.

His muscular arms tightened painfully, pulling me flush against his hard, warm chest.

“You,” he whispered, his voice deep and ragged.

“Your Majesty,” I managed to choke out, my heart hammering furiously against my ribs.

One of his large, calloused hands slid slowly up my spine, his long fingers splaying wide between my shoulder blades.

“I will die if I cannot marry you,” the Alpha King declared loudly, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

I gaped at him, my hands trembling as I backed away from the sincerity burning in his golden eyes.

“Your Majesty, I believe you are not entirely well,” I said, pushing firmly against his chest.

“Please don’t leave,” he whispered, leaning down until his lips were mere inches from my own.

Footsteps suddenly thundered loudly down the corridor, shattering the bizarre, intimate moment.

A large group of heavily armed guards rounded the corner, with the massive guard Craig leading the panicked charge.

Two royal healers hurried closely behind them, their faces a perfect picture of complete, utter terror.

“Step away from his majesty immediately,” Craig commanded me, his hand resting threateningly on the hilt of his sword.

“I am actively trying to,” I wheezed, struggling in the king’s powerful embrace.

The two healers moved in swiftly, checking his pulse and examining his dilated pupils.

“His scent,” the older female healer noted, leaning closer to his bronze neck.

“Bloodroot and moon petal,” the younger healer gasped, his eyes widening in absolute horror.

“It is a highly concentrated, illegal love potion.”

The terrifying shift in the room’s atmosphere was immediate, absolute, and entirely directed at me.

My stomach dropped as every single pair of eyes settled accusingly on my pale face.

“Well, it certainly wasn’t me,” I said, hating how defensive and guilty my voice sounded.

“You were alone with him,” Craig said flatly, taking a menacing step toward me.

I protested wildly, throwing my hands up in the air: “For exactly thirty seconds!”

They ignored my desperate pleas, entirely convinced that I had intentionally poisoned the most powerful man in the realm.