Mated To The King’s Gamma By Jessica Hall

Chapter 66

“I have to take dad for brain scans next week I am hoping the Alpha will come over like he said. He said he would watch them for me,” she sighs

“Brock, what did you have to give to do that?” I ask, and she blushes, not looking happy about that. I click my tongue, already knowing the answer

“No one else?” I asked her, and I could only imagine what she had to do for her to get him over to watch all these kids.

“We can try to help find you some help?” Kyson offers, and she looks at him hopefully.

“Please. No one is willing to help, and I have my exams coming back up.”

“You’re back studying accounting?” I ask her.

“Trying when I get a chance,” she says. I smile sadly before I place my cup in the sink and nod, knowing we will have to leave soon.

“You mind if I look around?” I ask her, and she shakes her head.

“Of course not, but upstairs is a little messy,” she says. Walking back to the main hall and into the living room, I see the kids huddled around the tiny box TV in the corner.

“How many kids are here now?” I ask her.

*111, Katrina answers. I sigh, looking around. The place is falling apart, and suddenly wish I could take them with me. Katrina couldn’t look after them by herself, and this place was falling apart. I swallow, taking the set of steps upstairs, while Katrina tries to settle the kids that were becoming rowdy with afternoon tea approaching.

I look in all the rooms to see they are dusty; the beds are not made, and clothes piled on the floors. “What are you doing?” Kyson asks me, following me around.

“You don’t have to follow.” I tell him. I don’t know why I came up here, yet I swallowed as I stopped at the stairs leading to the attic, dread filling me. That was mine and Abbie’s room. How often were we forced to crawl those stairs after our lashings or our chores? It felt like a lifetime ago, yet also yesterday, everything is still so fresh.

Kyson touches my arm, and I jump, stuck in my memories. “Are you alright?” he asks before turning to Liam and Trey. He nods toward the stairs and they go back down them. “I’m fine,” I tell him, blinking back tears. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I grip the broken banister and force myself to climb the steps. The door handle jiggles in my hand as I push it open.

“Why did you want to come up here?” Kyson asks, looking around at the small space. It was the same, everything left untouched. One filthy mattress we shared, one tiny dirt-covered window, and a bedside dresser. That was it. I went to the bedside dresser and opened the top drawer. I found a spaghetti necklace that one of the kids made for us and an old tunic. I hold it up and look at it. We hated these dresses and the stupid peasant skirts she would make us wear.

“Azalea?” Kyson whispers behind me.

“It’s mine and Abbie’s room” I tell him. My voice sounded distant to even my own ears.

Anger boils in my veins as I peer around the small tight space she kept us in. The other side was used for storage and had a cupboard that Mrs Daley would lock us in.

“Azalea, are you alright?” Kyson asks, and I glance at him. He is turning the wooden chair that sat in the corner. Suppressed memories come back about why that chair was up here. We had broken one similar, trying to get the Christmas stuff out of storage. Mrs. Daley made us hold the damn thing above our heads, saying we needed to know the weight of the burden she carried having to look after us.

Most would think it’s just a chair, but both of us holding two legs each above our heads for hours, we learned even the lightest things become heavy after hours. Each time we would drop it, she would hit the back of our legs with her cane.

Seeing Kyson move it, the sound of it screeching along the floor made rage burn through me. I growl, snatching the chair from him, and Kyson jumps, startled, as I toss it at the shitty little window. Glass rains down everywhere as I stalked toward the chair. Yet my focus was solely on destroying the damn thing, like if I destroyed it, it would erase the memory. Erase Abbie’s cries as her knees buckled from the cane. I picked it back up and started smashing it into the floor. Breaking it to pieces, the wood splintering off with each crash on the floor that shook under my feet until Kyson grabs my arms.

“Hey, shh, shh” he says, glancing down at the chair leg in my hand. He grabs it. “Give it to me, Love,” he says softly before he takes it from me. My hands shook as I caught my breath and Kyson cups my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. His eyes watching my face as tried to regather myself. Yet this place, it was like I never left it. Some part of me would always be trapped in this place.

“I hate this place! Hate her! I hate what she did to us!” I cried, bursting into tears. I hated this place, hated everything about it, hated that one place could haunt and stain so much of my heart of and soul, like it was screaming out to me telling me it would always hold me here and I would never escape it. The floodgates opened like I had been holding everything in for too long.

“She ruined us.” I sobbed.

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Chapter 66

“No, love. She ruined nothing. And you’re safe now. She is dead, she can’t hurt you no more, this place is just a place,” he says, hugging me. I bury my face in his chest, feeling like an idiot. It was just a chair. I broke a perfectly good chair. I inhale his scent, letting it calm me before ! chuckle, knowing how many whippings I would get if Mrs. Daley heard me crying. Kyson probably thinks I lost my damn mind, and even ! questioned that possibility. I sniffle, feeling stupid and childish.

“You okay?” he asks and I nod, wiping my face and glancing around the small space and the broken chair. I needed to leave. I couldn’t stay in here any longer. It hurt too much, and I wanted out, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. I rushed down the steps needing air, feeling like the walls were closing in around me and that I was going to wake up at any moment and everything had been a dream, and I was really stuck here still. Kyson chases after me, and I rush through the kitchen and burst into the living room, headed for the front door. But the faces of the children had my feet halting. Trey and Liam looked over at us, alarmed, and Kyson nearly ran into the back of me as I halted.

Little eyes peered back at me, and Katrina stared also startled. “Azalea, dear, are you okay?” she asks, but I shake my head. I was not okay, but as I glanced around this dump, I was no longer trapped here. But all these children were. I look at Kyson in desperation. He seems to get what I wasn’t asking out loud.

“No!” he exclaims, his eyes going wide. I tilt my head to the side, but he folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head.

“I’m not asking!” I tell him, and his lips part and he glances around at the children.

“No! What am I going to do with all these kids?” he hisses at me, but I ignore him and turn to Katrina.

“Ring the bus depot and find a driver,” I tell her, and she seems confused.

“You want a bus?” she asks.

“Yes. Maybe two. I am taking them with me,” I tell her, and she gasps, rushing over to me.

want to take all the children?” she asked,

tell her, turning to face Kyson. He

and I look at the

they come,” I tell

we going to do with

the Lycan families might take them in”

you think I

castle is big enough,” I tell

“Azalea!” he growls.

say they are coming. Now get on board my King,

you were going

Say no to them, Kyson,” I tell him, motioning toward the kids. He swallows and glances at their little faces and I smirk, knowing very well he wouldn’t or could utter those

growls, and Liam

on, let’s go!” Liam says, waving to all the kids to follow

Follow Uncle Liam!” he says, motioning them to follow him. The kids don’t need to be told twice and rush after an excitable Liam and Trey. I laughed, following

to my Queen?” Liam

There is a bus stop.’ I tell him. Katrina races out on the phone, telling the driver to come

laughed before

the town square, I could see the Alpha still loading the trailer. Alpha

doing here?” he snarls, and Liam growls at him, making him jump, having not seen him. Alpha Brock backs

as you are still stacking boxes, I am assuming you didn’t make the 18 minutes time frame?” I

Chapter 66

box. Everything is there,” he says, pointing

backs up further, “No. Um placing

18 minutes?” his lips part, and he glances at his father when one of the guards steps

done in the timeframe,” he answers, and I nod, turning to

my voice coming out strong along with my aura, which I was finding more effortless and easier to

King. is this really necessary? We did what

Your Queen gave you 18 minutes, and you didn’t complete the task in that time frame.” Kyson answers him as I wander over to the

it?” I ask the elderly woman. She jumps, not seeing me

pointing her withered old finger

I ask

“You! The rogue girl!”

so unless you

question. How much for the lot of

shop?” she asks. I

just the fruit and

just take

send you broke, ma’am. Despite your

and touches my shoulder. “We have fruit at home,” he whispers,

I tell him, turning around, tossing it in the air, and catching it as I walk and

out, and they all turn to face

they rush off,

buses pull up. “Now, to show you the same dignity you showed me, Alpha,” I tell them. Some of the children are eating their fruit while I chuck my tomato at the Alphas. My tomato hit Alpha Brock square in the face, splatting with an audible sound and covering him in tomato juices.

eyes light up with mischief as they toss their fruit and vegetables at the Alphas. Who try to dodge their attacks but can’t step off the small stage. When they are finished, I tell the children to grab more fruit to eat as a snack on

as Alpha until a new one is appointed. And …” I looked at Kyson, needing his help: I wasn’t sure how to strip someone

of the Valkyrie Kingdom, hereby strip you Alpha Dean and Alpha Brock of your Alpha titles! I declare you both the very thing you despise so much. I declare

Wait! I will do better!” Brock begs, wanting to step off the stage, but

and he jumps down and falls to his

he begs, and I look at Kyson, who shrugs and tells me it is up to me. I bite my lip. Yet he had a point. They needed an Alpha. Glancing around, Katrina held up her hand behind Liam. She was technically Beta blood, and she was studying accounting. I smirk, knowing there was nothing more that Alpha

to Katrina now. And until she deems you fit, you remain as rogues. You will also make sure she has time to finish her course and help her any

woman!” Alpha Brock snaps at

Alpha!” I tell him, and Katrina smirks and folds her arms, and I look at Kyson, knowing he was the only one right now that could make this happen. He would have

Chapter 66

stripping them of their mate bond. And

forward and gets her to kneel, and he slices his palm, letting his claws slip out

mouth open,” Kyson tells her, and

letting his blood drip into her mouth. Before he says a pledge, she repeats it before declaring her as Alpha. She gasps, clutching her chest, and falls backward on her bottom, and I could feel her aura slip

at her, and

hung his head, looking ashamed of his son’s behavior. I was shocked at how easy it was for Katrina to command him. I hoped it got easy for me like that, and I would be able to have complete control of

a little giddy. The feeling wearing off as the car started. I glanced out the window as the bus and the cars followed, however the bus headed down a different street, as the orphanage street was too narrow for the bus, with its low hanging trees to fit. We slow a little as

place will never hurt anymore children. I unclip my seatbelt and tap on the window. Trey wound the glass window down and I told them to stop. The car does and one of the other cars follows after the bus,

need to go back in there. There is nothing there for you anymore,” he whispers, but I wanted no remnants of this

he lets me go and sighs. I climb out as do the guards, taking positions

I shake my head, moving toward Liam as

a lighter?” I ask knowing he smoked. He lifts

me and