Mated To Alpha Kessler

As the footsteps drew nearer, the familiar scent of citrus and vanilla filled my senses, instantly recognizable as my mother’s fragrance. “Mother,” I muttered under my breath, my heart yearning to run to her embrace. But an invisible force seemed to hold me back, keeping me rooted to my seat.

Despite the pull towards my mother, I couldn’t shake off the weight of Kessler’s intense gaze, his eyes locked on me with a mixture of emotions.

As my uncle and mother settled at the table, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. But she completely ignored me, leaving me feeling invisible and insignificant in her presence.

“How are you, my niece?” my uncle’s voice broke through the tension, an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. But I couldn’t muster a response, my disdain for his efforts evident in my silence.

As the table was set and dishes were served, my thoughts raced with concern for my mother. What had my uncle done to her? She sat staring at the food before her, her expression distant and troubled.

“Mum, look at me,” I pleaded silently, trying to communicate with her, but it was as if an invisible barrier prevented our connection.

A heavy silence descended upon the room as everyone began to eat, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch my food. Instead, my gaze remained fixed on my mother.

“You need to think of something fast,” I urged myself internally, desperation creeping into my thoughts. My mother sat right in front of me, yet I felt powerless to help her, trapped by circumstances beyond my control.

“Niece, try and eat something,” my uncle’s voice interrupted my wild thoughts, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that his concern was nothing more than a thinly veiled mockery.

The sudden shift in conversation as Kessler directed his question at my uncle “I heard you haven’t been staying in your pack lately.”

“It’s a pleasure that the king takes honor in keeping an eye on me,” my uncle retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Why the sudden interest in me, is it because of my niece?” he said with a mocking smile.

At that moment, I wished I could stride across the room, seize him by the collar, and slam his head onto the table, forcing him to eat his words along with the food on his plate. But I remained rooted to my seat, even as my blood boiled with fury.

I looked at Kessler, eager to hear his reply, but his smile only deepened as he spoke, his words dripping with mockery directed at my uncle. “I know it scares you shitless not to know what I have in mind for you and your minions,” Kessler continued, “And you can’t figure out what is going on in my mind.”

It was clear that Kessler harbored a deep-seated animosity towards my uncle, driven by his agenda and expectations for me to fulfill.

My uncle was at a loss for words. He wanted to say something, but he ended up opening and closing his mouth again. Finally, he told Kessler, “Let’s talk in private.”

“I don’t think there is any need,” Kessler turned down the offer, enjoying the effect he had on my uncle.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

My voice failed me as I asked a question that seemed impossible. “Please, I want to speak to my mother.”

Kessler looked at me with a lazy look and asked, “What do you have to say to her? Do you miss her?”

His voice sent shivers down my spine. In quick succession, I nodded my head and answered yes. This was the first time he had talked to me since I got to the table. I wonder why his words affect me.

“Take your wife right this minute and disappear out of my sight,” he boomed in anger.

“Wife?” I asked, surprised. It can’t be. My mother can’t be married to my uncle. There was tumult in my mind as I wanted to speak to my mum directly.

“Kessler,” I called out, my voice trembling slightly. His head swiftly whipped in my direction, causing me to almost jump in my seat. “Your Highness,” I corrected myself quickly, adding “please” in a desperate attempt to appease him.

My uncle shot Kessler a look of disdain, then took my mother by the hand and stood up. “Very well then, we will take our leave,” he declared.

“No, you can’t go with her,” I protested, rising from my chair in a rush of adrenaline. “I need to talk with my mother.” The tension in the room was palpable as everyone watched and listened to our little interactions.

My uncle looked at me dead in the eyes and said, “I’m sorry, Lyra. I’ll have to go with her. I can’t risk her safety here in this kingdom.”

Desperation welled up inside me as I turned to my mother, pleading silently for her to say something, anything. But she remained silent, her head bowed in resignation. I stood up and rounded the table to meet her, but a large hand wrapped around my waist, sending a jolt of heat through my skin and causing my heart to ache even more.

“What did you do to my mother to make her like this?” I murmured, trying to free myself from Kessler’s hold.

Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded with Kessler, desperation choking my words. “Don’t let her go. I need to speak with my mother.”

But Kessler remained emotionless, his gaze unwavering. “Why do you have such a strong desire to speak to her?” he asked, his tone devoid of sympathy. “It’s obvious she doesn’t want to.”

Tears blurred my vision as I turned back to Kessler, his blank stare sending a chill down my spine. He showed no interest in my plea, no compassion for my cries. At that moment, I realized I was truly alone.

I knew my mother must be scared about something. She looked at me as if she wanted to communicate something, but didn’t have the willpower.

As my mother stood at the doorway, waiting for my uncle, Kessler’s hands still on mine, I snatched mine away and ran to her.

But Kessler’s arm encircling my waist made me growl in frustration, a thousand spikes erupting in my spine, shooting daggers into my flesh.

My uncle grabbed my mother’s wrist, and they hurried out of the door.

I screamed, scratched, and cried like a deranged woman. “Please don’t let him take her away from me!” I pleaded with desperation, my voice breaking with every word.

“It felt like I was losing hold of my sanity,” I pleaded desperately, trying to break free from his grip. “Please, you need to stop him. He will hurt my mother.”

He turned me around to face him, and I found myself inhaling his scent as I rested my face against his chest, tears streaming down my cheeks. For a moment, he remained stiff, but then he hoisted my hair, tugging my head back gently.

I stood still, meeting his gaze, and saw a twisted satisfaction on his face, as if he enjoyed the turmoil I was going through. With a final, dismissive gesture, he released me, and I staggered backward, feeling utterly defeated.

In that instant, fueled by desperation, I summoned all my strength and sprinted towards the door. Everyone’s eyes followed me, filled with pity, as I raced to the car.

My uncle and mother were already outside as the guard began to close the gate. “Don’t close the gate!” I screamed, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. Tears blurred my vision as I hyperventilated, gasping for air.

Suddenly, my legs gave out from under me, exhaustion washing over me like a wave. Darkness enveloped me as I collapsed to the ground, my body succumbing to exhaustion.