My body was being shaken as slight tingles flood down my arms. It took my a few moments to realize I had yet another nightmare. I was completely flushed, my skin sticking to my pajama shirt.

The King was beside me, worriedly trying to wake me up. My eyes shot open and he sighed in relief, rubbing my back up and down, in attempt to comfort me.

"Shh, it was just a dream." He soothed. I wrapped my arms around my knees, afraid that the dream was my reality and being safe was just my imagination. I had to make sure that it wasn't real, that I wasn't there.

I've never had a nightmare that vivid. It scared me to have to go through that knowing there's nothing I can do to stop it.

He took his time calming me down until my cries were just mere hiccups, "Please, just go." I croaked, my voice raw from straining my voice.

For a moment he paused, almost debating. He reached out to brush my hair away from my face and I flinched upon instinct. In the dim light, I could see his face change. My back pressed against the headboard as I tried to place as much distance between us as possible.

He nodded silently before leaving the room, shutting the door softly.

****

After I was done showering the next morning, I walked back into my room only too see the King already there, holding my notebook. He flipped through my sketches one by one, pretending as if I wasn't watching.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "What do you think you're doing?" I asked, quickly moving to snatch the book back from his hands

"Looking," He said blankly, his face was as stoic as mine. Obviously he was snooping around. He made no move to touch me, which I gladly appreciated.

"Well you can leave now." Flipping the notebook cover closed and placing it back into the desk I had found it from, my eyes lingering on it, thinking about how much time I had spent on it. He stood up and walked closer to me, too close for my liking.

I squirmed under his gaze, feeling trapped as I stood between him and the desk. I clasped my hands, fiddling with my thumbs as I avoided his eyes. "Charlotte," He began, "are you afraid of me?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" I said, mostly to myself. "You—"

I paused, "—I have done nothing to you." My voice began to raise in volume as did my anger. "Yet you hurt me, and not once did you apologize! How could you possible expect me to not be afraid of you?"

"You don't understand the world I live in, Charlotte. It's dangero—" He was clearly frustrated with me as he spoke.

"That has nothing to do with it! People like you and your warriors disgust me; I was never given the chance to even explain myself before th-they" My voice became choked up.

"Before they what." The King demanded.

"Before they beat me. Before they chained me to the wall and whipped me until I couldn't take it anymore."

Stop talking, Charlotte, I told myself. This was going to end badly, and despite my knowledge of that, I continued to yap.

"And above all of that you throw me with the Omegas the second you see me," I spoke angrily. "You hate me, and you don't even have the guts to admit it." What have I done?

My words seemed to have taken him aback as his hardened expression seemed to soften, "Charlotte, I don't..."

I breathed, shutting my eyes. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I overstepped." My voice was a strained whisper as I tried to prevent an onset of tears.

I knew the routine. Piss off the Alpha now, face the consequences later. I braced myself for any punishment I may receive.

He tried to speak up again but I held out my hand to stop him. "It's fine. You clearly don't want me as your mate and I respect that. I don't need your pity." I looked back up at him through glassy eyes once more before he left, leaving me more lost than ever.