102. Let's Go, River

I massaged my forehead while I continued looking at Dawn, banging on the door.

No matter how much I tried to stop her, she wouldn’t let me.

“Dawn! This is embarrassing,” I muttered. The twins did not even attempt to stop her.

“I am not embarrassed. This is about your happiness we are talking about, River. All I want is for you to be happy together with your mate. So you have to tell him what you feel, okay?”

I groaned. Right now, I had no plans of telling anyone about how I felt toward the alpha king. I was not comfortable saying it.

“The alpha king has another mate, okay? Why can’t you understand that? Stop that. Let’s go back to our room.”

Dawn stomped her foot as if she was a child. “I want you to be paired with him. No other woman.” She faced the door again. “What took them so long? Your Majesty! Alpha King Maxxwell! Open the damn door.”

“Luna Dawn. That’s not locked. You can barge in,” Clara urged, which earned her a pinch on her side by Flare. “What? I am only suggesting. I am rooting for River and the alpha king. Not the other woman.”

Beta Valentine threw his hands in the air.

“Woman! Have you no shame? That is the alpha king we are talking about. Let the two rest!” Beta Valentine’s voice boomed across the hallways.

“I’m not talking to you, mutt!” she replied.

Which the beta did not take lightly anymore. His nostrils flared, and before we could react, he strolled towards Dawn, yanked the woman’s wrist, carried her, and put her on his broad shoulders. Dawn looked like nothing but a sack of potatoes as she hung upside down against his back.

The twins and my eyes bulged while covering our mouths using our hands.

“Mutt! Could you put me down this instant? This is a disgraceful position. I can perfectly see the mold of your butt.”

Beta Valentine’s cheeks were tainted with red.

“Mutt! Want me to pinch them for you?” Dawn asked sweetly.

She positioned her two hands, but before she could carry out her plans, the beta smacked the woman’s bottom.

Dawn gasped and, when she recovered, pounded the man’s back. The beta flinched, but that was not enough to change his mind. “How dare you!”

“You do not have the right to meddle in anyone else's relationship.”

“Like the fuck I care, mutt?! I care more about River than your pathetic opinions.”

Beta Valentine sighed, and it seemed like he had no desire to free the woman. “What a stubborn leech,” he said and walked away with her.

“Put me down! I said!”

Dawn continued wriggling, but the more Beta Valentine tightened his hold on her ass, went to the beta’s wing until we could no longer see them.

The twins and I exchanged glances.

I opened my mouth, but the door opened.

“Who is bold enough to disturb the alpha king and me?” Zenith said while glaring at us. “You.” She adjusted her robe. She seemed sober now compared to earlier. “What do you want? Tell me. Maxxwell and I had some important business.”

Maxxwell.

I was taken aback.

Now, the alpha king was allowed to call him using his given name. That was fast.

My chest tightened, but I tried to disregard the pain I was feeling right now. I had no time for that.

“It was not me.”

Zenith’s face flushed with anger. “Liar.”

“That is true, Your Grace,” the twins stepped in, suddenly in my defense. “Beta Valentine wanted to talk to the alpha king, but we told him you two are resting. But Luna Dawn did not believe and pounded on the door. It was not River, Your Grace.”

Zenith slapped the wall.

I cringed. That must have hurt.

“I don’t care who the culprit is. Next time, if it is not life and death, do not let anyone disturb us. I mean anyone. That includes you, River.”

Such malice in her eyes. She was threatening me as if I was her greatest enemy. She regarded me as a threat to her position.

What are you trying to do, woman? my mind asked.

“You can suck the alpha king as you want, Your Grace.” The twins giggled. “I don’t care. I never wanted to talk to you and see your face to begin with.”

“What? You!” Zenith tried to attack me, but another voice echoed across the hallway.

“That’s enough! Are you not yet done picking a fight with River, Zenith? You are so childish. I’m tired of constantly reminding you.”

Zenith gave me one last glare before she pouted and faced the alpha king. “Your Majesty. I am not trying to pick a fight. It was River’s fault for disturbing us!”

“What did the two of you do, then?” I asked, out of the blue as I folded my arms in front of my chest.

Zenith lifted her chin, her hands stroking the alpha king’s chest as if she wanted me to feel jealous.

“Are you curious? What else would we do? What do couples usually do behind closed doors?”

“Zenith…” the alpha king warned.

The woman smiled at the alpha king sweetly. “What? I am only asking her, Your Majesty. There’s no harm in that.”

“Nice try, Your Grace. If you think that is enough to make me jealous, you need to do more,” I lied.

I turned my back to them. “You can continue what you two were doing.”

“River. Can we talk?”

“Maxxwell!” Zenith’s eyes went round. “What will you talk about?”

“Something only the two of us, will know. Go back inside and let me talk with River. This will not take longer than you will imagine. Shall we, River?”

The alpha king offered me his arms, unbothered at the fuming Zenith behind him.

What was his deal? “Will you offer me again to be your concubine, Maxxwell? If that will be it, I will decline because—”

“That’s not what we will talk about, River,” the alpha king said, cutting off my words.

My brows furrowed. “What, then? You're still drunk, Your Majesty.” I can smell the liquor every time he speaks despite the distance between us. “You should sleep now. If you want to talk to me, let’s do that tomorrow.” Even if I will not be able to sleep thinking about what you will say to me, I wanted to add. “If you will excuse me.”

He was not the one I wanted to talk to right now. It was Zenith. All I was asking was for an excellent opportunity to speak privately without anyone eavesdropping on us.

I stopped when he suddenly grabbed my wrist. “No. Now.”

“Maxxwell!” Zenith called, gritting her teeth. “I hate to admit it, but that woman is right. I will allow you to talk tomorrow.”

“I don’t need your permission, Zenith."

Hurt registered on the woman's face. Her lips trembled as if she would cry.

"Let’s go, River.”

As much as I hate saying this, but I felt sorry for Zenith. If she was my blood relative, I did not want her to be hurt.

My words died from my mouth when he dragged me in whatever direction.