Chapter 2
Strange Emotions
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POV: Shea Vestine

Everyone in the pack was trying their best to clean their garden as well as their own home – dressing up to their best, or they might be trying to impress the King instead.

But no matter what they were doing now, Shea felt like she was terribly nervous about facing the King. It was two days before her birthday, and she didn’t want to die in the hands of a horrible and wicked King. She was hoping that it wasn’t the case, though.

She heard from Carrie that the Hill Clan was being held prisoner in their own house, and they weren’t allowed to go out – not until this day. Lexi, too, was taken aback when she heard it and promptly locked herself in her room.

It was a blessing in disguise for her anyway. She had a lot of things to do. She was just grateful – well, a bit – because the Alpha’s family were asked not to communicate to anyone, even to the servant omegas like her.

With that, she was spared by Connor’s mockeries – even for that day. She heaved a deep sigh as she was choosing her own dress to welcome the King – and the newly assigned Alpha, which she didn’t know whether it was the truth or not.

She was looking at herself absentmindedly in the mirror when a loud knock from her door brought her back to reality.

“Shea, are you done?”

It was her mother who was calling her. She instantly opened the door for her. Sandra looked at her from head to toe. She saw the love and gentleness in her mother’s eyes.

“Mother, what is it?” She softly asked her.

Sandra swallowed hard as she tried to compose herself. She smiled at her mother’s reaction.

“You looked stunningly beautiful, my daughter.” Sandra gently said, as she moved towards her and held her head.

She was wearing her floral purple and white sundress that reached her knees. It emphasized her fair white skin. She paired it with a white slip-on strappy sandal. She braided half of her long dark chocolate-colored hair into a bun, letting some strands fall freely at the sides of her head. She wasn’t wearing any of the make-up except face powder and a cherry lip balm.

“Thank you, Mother.” She replied and gave her a small smile.

“You are so beautiful, too.” She honestly added.

Her mother was truly an epitome of beauty, regardless of her age. She still looked so gorgeous. She was wearing a simple midnight blue chemise dress that reached under her knees. She matched it with a simple black slip-on shoe. Her ash blonde curly hair was now tied into a high messy bun. She was wearing light pink lipstick and a natural light-colored blush on, to just give color to her pale face.

“Are you ready?” Her mother’s soft voice was making her feel at ease, but knowing what might happen later, she couldn’t find the real peace inside her.

Shea held her mother’s hands.

“M-Mother…” She nervously called her.

Her mother looked at her with the unspoken question plastered on her face.

“Uhmm…” She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t speak the words that were running through her mind.

She closed her lips and opened them again – but she couldn’t really find the right words. She just smiled at her mother.

“Uhm, nothing, Mother. Are we going now?” She carefully inquired.

Sandra heaved a deep sigh.

“I know that something is bugging you, Shea. What is it?” Her mother simply told her.

It was really true that her mother knew her in every way. She couldn’t even hide her uneasiness and curiosity from her.

Shea mentally let out a deep sigh before looking directly at her mother’s forest green eyes.

“Well, uhm, about that… I am t-thinking about what could possibly happen w-when the K-King arrives.” She nervously asked.

Shea bit her lower lip as she said the question that kept on popping into her mind. Sandra heaved a deep sigh.

“To be honest, I really don’t know, sweetheart. We are just servant omegas, and we aren’t allowed to talk about it, nor to mention any of it, either.” Sandra sadly stated.

Shea felt like her fear was intensifying.

“We are just hoping for the best now.” Sandra added.

Her face was also reflecting worry and nervousness like her.

“Hey, let’s go!”

They both heard Leandro call them. Sandra nodded at her and held her hand before closing her room. They saw Lexi, who was wearing a sexy black bodycon dress that only reached half of her thighs. While her stepfather was wearing his light blue button-down shirt and was tucked into his black pants. He was also dressed formally in his gleaming black shoes.

Lexi’s eft brow shot upwards and smirked mockingly at her. But before she could say anything, they all heard the loud clanking sound of the bell – alerting everyone to gather on the vast lawn near their Alpha’s house.

“They must be almost here. We must go.” Leandro seriously spoke before storming out of the house.

Lexi and her mother followed him. Shea heaved a deep sigh before she finally went out of the house. She immediately closed it and looked at the members of their pack who were gathering in the place where they were asked to wait for the King.

“Shea!” Carrie called her.

But her mind was drifting again because of nervousness. Her palms were already getting cold, and her heart was thumping so fast that it was as if it wanted to go out of its cage.

“Hey!” Carrie placed her arm on her shoulder as they walked towards where their parents were.

“You are really pretty.” Carrie smilingly commented, and she just gave her a small smile.

“You, too.” She replied.

Honestly, it was true. Her best friend was truly beautiful.

She was wearing a simple light blue shirtdress that reached her knees and matched it with the same-colored doll shoes. She let her blonde-colored curly hair flow freely behind her. Like her, she wasn’t wearing any make-up but face powder and lip balm.

Shea remained silent as Carrie started to talk about anything and everything under the sun. She just couldn’t comprehend what she was talking about. Her mind was preoccupied with something else – something about what might possibly happen to them.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Carrie asked her as they stood beside their parents.

She was about to reply when the loud neighing of the horses resonated near them. It was the King’s royal carriage. She couldn’t believe that he had those. He might really be the Alpha King because having a carriage like this would instantly protect him from any possible attack.

Aside from that, four more carriages were with the royal carriage. She instantly felt the tension, especially when they saw how the sentinels – or the palace guards – opened one of the carriages and carried out a golden throne.

A man with a cold expression and burgundy hair stood in front of the golden throne. He was good-looking, and she would give that to him, but his aura was just so impossible to ignore that it was making her uneasiness grow.

Shea swallowed hard, and the royal carriage opened up.

“Give respect to the Alpha King, King Levi Storm.” His cold voice thundered – giving her a shiver down her spine.

Every one of them bowed their heads. She couldn’t deny how her legs trembled in fear, but she knew that it wasn’t just her – but everyone around her. No one dared to talk nor to create any sound as they felt a man with a glowing aura encircling the entire place.

Shea swallowed hard.

“You may now stand up.” The cold voice of the man with burgundy hair said and they all straightened out.

She bit her lower lip as she saw the man with long blonde hair was sitting on the golden throne. A golden crown was resting on his head, and he looked like a royalty, based on his luxurious clothes.

‘He must be the king.’ Shea mentally guessed.

His face was boredly looking at everyone, but when he saw the Beta of their pack, Beta Wilson, his face suddenly darkened.

Beta Wilson bowed his head to pay his respects before facing the King.

“Where are they?” The King’s low but menacing voice made everyone gasp in silence – including her.

Then, the sentinels followed. With them, were Alpha Conrad and his son, Connor. But what shocked them the most was that they both had bruises all over their faces and bodies. They truly looked awful.

“Y-Your M-Majesty…” Alpha Conrad whispered – fear was visibly heard in his tone of voice.

His tears began to flow from his eyes, but the King was just too merciless that he just smirked at him.

“So, you are the one who dared to break the rules, huh? I must say that you have guts.” King Levi mockingly stated – making the Hill trembled in terror.

He lifted his index finger and looked at the man with burgundy hair. And the sentinels instantly put Alpha Conrad and Connor in one of the carriages that had a prison inside. They were both sobbing uncontrollably.

Shea felt a sudden pity for the two. They might really break the rules and not be good people, but they were still the Alpha of their pack.

“But they must pay the consequences of their actions. That should remind you not to cross the line that I drew, okay?” King Levi ominously stated – making everyone agree with him.

“B-But who will lead the pack now, Your Majesty?” Beta Wilson politely inquired.

Shea mentally heaved a deep sigh. She knew that their Alpha was a bad person, but he was way worse than he was. He was a cunning and sly man who only thought of himself instead of the pack. But no one could ever contradict the King, especially when he finally designates him in the vacant position.

The King suddenly chuckled at the beta’s question and slightly shook his head.

“Why? Are you interested about it?” He mockingly asked.

Beta Wilson swallowed hard but the eagerness to get that power was visibly written all over her face.

“I-If you will grant me the position, Your Majesty, then, who am I to say ‘no.’” He acted so innocent, but Shea wanted to groan in disagreement because of how ungenuine he was.

Even her inner wolf – who was trying to hide inside her because of the fear, agreed with her, too.

“You could’ve said ‘no.’ I might have spared your life.” He mercilessly stated – making everyone gasp in shock.

“Y-Your M-Majesty…” Beta Wilson stammered and swallowed hard.

“You think I am that stupid? You might be the one who told us about your Alpha’s escapades, but I know what you are trying to do.” He wickedly said – making Beta Wilson’s eyes bulge in shock.

And before he could even utter another word, the man with burgundy hair instantly knocked their beta and was left unconscious before carrying him into the prison where Alpha Conrad and Connor were.

“Now, everyone must listen. Your Alpha, his son, and your beta will be executed in the palace after deliberation with the council. In the meantime, let me introduce to you, the new Alpha of your pack.” The King seriously announced.

Shea couldn’t help but to stare at their King, who seemed amused by something. But her eyes widened when she saw that he was staring directly at her!

Her legs instantly trembled and she bowed her head down.

No, it was impossible that he was looking at her. She might be dreaming.

“May I call in the new Alpha of your pack, Denvereaux Thorne.”

Shea felt something strange that her eyes move in front. But what’s more peculiar was her heart suddenly beat so fast the moment she took a glimpse of the man with tall man with a well-tone body and slightly tan skin. His dark brown hair was almost touching his nape. But what caught her attention more was his soulful gray eyes.

Right there and then, Shea felt so drown with her own emotions.