Page 51 of The Alpha King's Fate

‘The Circle is supposed to share their power equally, but this man believes himself their leader because he’s the strongest,’ Jax said in her head. ‘Don’t piss him off.’

‘We’re going to let them get away with trying to kill us?’

The muscle in his jaw ticked, and his eyes flashed briefly.

‘Yes. As strong as we are, we still can’t touch them. Especially at a trial. That’s a death sentence.’

She looked back at the entrance as the door opened and the man stepped through. He was tall and lean, but she could tell from how his expensive-looking dark blue suit moulded his body that he was muscular. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and his skin had that radiance that came with being something other than human. He was so handsome he probably had women falling all over him wherever he went, but the closer he got to her, the more she sensed that disturbing aura around him. She wouldn’t touch him even if her life depended on it.

Two men in similar clothing walked behind him, and she guessed these were his Second and Third. Jax has explained the structure of the little circles that made the whole. Becausethey used so much dark magic, three people were required on each team to control the magic. The power of three, like a witch triangle. They were supposed to be equally important, but she could see Jax was right. She could sense the power from the man walking in front; the other two only had a fraction of it. She couldn’t mess with him even if she wanted to.

They didn’t slow down as they walked past them, but the man looked at her and smirked. She only saw it briefly before Jax’s massive frame blocked her from the man’s view.

Their footsteps stopped. She felt Jax’s tension rise but couldn’t see the cause of it. Jax only relaxed when the steps resumed.

When she finally had the guts to look around him, the men were disappearing through a doorway at the back that she hadn’t seen when they had checked in.

‘I told you to keep your head down.’

And yet he’d not done the same.

But this wasn’t the time to start arguing with Jax about his blatant ignorance of her feelings. Maybe he was right, though. She’d had no idea that vampires existed until one had snuck into their room, so the Circle was capable of much more than she could imagine.

There was a soft ding, and some elevator doors opened beside the hallway that led to their room. She looked back and watched the three men who walked out of it. Lincoln, Hugo, and someone who’d replaced Finn, if she had heard Jax right. She didn’t miss the way they paused when they saw her. The shock had been so clear on their faces that she didn’t have to guess where their late-night present had come from.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” the one called Lincoln said as they walked towards them.

Like with the mysterious trio that had just walked in, she knew he was the strongest of the three.

“I trust you slept well?” Lincoln continued.

“Like a baby,” Jax replied.

Someone’s heart started racing, and she realised it was the third man, the only one with his head lowered.

“That’s great news. I wouldn’t want you to be tired when the trial begins. It’s your life on the line.”

“Thank you for your concern... Lincoln,” Jax said.

And this time, it was Lincoln's heart that raced when his anger rose. Lincoln clearly resented being called by his name. Jax told her to keep her head down, but he antagonised them left, right and centre.

Lincoln looked away from Jax and met her gaze. He tilted his head to the side as if he had forgotten his anger and was studying her.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?”

“We’re not breakfast people. But thank you for sending it to us,” Jax answered in her place.

And that seemed to anger Lincoln more. He didn’t look away from her when his lips started to turn up into a snarl. Once again, Jax moved and blocked her from them.

“Oh, don’t worry, Your Majesty. I have no interest in your human.”

“I’m sure you don’t. That’s why you didn’t tell them what she did to you when you tried to attack my pack.”

Her eyes widened, and she looked around Jax at the three wolves in front of them. Was that true? The rest of the Circle didn’t know she’d choked Hugo and ordered them to leave?

Lincoln’s heart didn’t miss a beat when he said, “Of course we did. Why else would she be here?”

“There was no mention of it on the summons, but my ‘transgressions’ were listed clearly.”

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