OUTCAST: THE ALPHA KING’S BELOVED BY BLUE TEARS
CHAPTER 58 COOPERATION
Caroline’s POV:
The next morning, I woke up with a severe headache and a hangover. But when I saw the bruises all over my body and Austin’s sleeping face next to me, I wanted to die.
Why I was in Austin’s bed and why were we both n*ake*d? Also, where did these bruises come from?
I tried to recall what happened last night. I got a vague memory of me breaking into Anthony’s room.
The person next to me wasn’t Anthony. Had I mistaken Austin for his brother? I didn’t want to remember how the rest of the evening went.
My mind felt scrambled. I was only sure that I could never let Anthony hear about this. Keeping an eye on Austin, who was still asleep, I picked up my clothes from the floor and hastily put them on.
“Where are you going, Caroline?”
I had a hand on the doorknob and was about to leave the room when Austin spoke up from behind me. I turned and watched him get out of the bed. He didn’t seem to care that he was n*ake*d. He strode over and grabbed me.
“Austin,” I whimpered. He grabbed the collar of my outfit.
Before I could even react, Austin dragged me back to the bed.
Oh my God! Why was this happening? Austin must have taken advantage of me because I was drunk. The person I wanted to marry was Anthony, not Austin. I couldn’t help but feel disgusted at the thought of what had happened last night.
Although Austin was the king, the one I loved was Anthony. How could this have happened? I must be going crazy.
Austin made me sit next to him on the bed. Because he was still n*ake*d, I could see his erection. When I tried scooting a little further, he pulled me back.
Memories of last night flooded me like an overflowing dam. I thought that I had successfully broken into Anthony’s room and had s*ex with him. I realized now that I had the wrong person all along. However, I couldn’t deny how big Austin’s c*oc*k was. I remembered the pleasure that it brought me.
Austin looked me up and down casually. I felt intimidated by his gaze. When he finally opened his mouth, he asked, “You hate Jennifer, am I right?”
I nodded, but I felt something was off. Why did he ask me that?
I was feeling flustered and confused because Austin was a person I considered my older brother yesterday. Today, he was just a man. But the one I wanted to marry was Anthony, not this bastard who had s*ex with me when I was drunk.
On second thought, Austin was of noble blood. Maybe he could help me get rid of Jennifer.
“Do you want to strike a deal with me?” I asked him, br@vely looking him in the eye.
He must have noticed that I was just putting up a front because he snorted. He then put forward an attractive condition.
“I might be willing to cooperate with you,” he said.
I looked at him and got a suspicious feeling about whatever he was going to say next. I had some ideas but what he said next left me stunned.
“Actually, Jennifer is a direct descendant of the late Alpha Lewis Smith of the Rainbow Pack. Circumstances have led her to downgrade her status. That means the Rainbow Pack is unlikely to take her back.”
“I didn’t expect that b*itch to be an Alpha’s daughter,” I muttered.
This b*itch had such a complicated background; but now that I knew her secret, it would be easier for me to deal with her. Moreover, since she was an outcast, I might be able to make use of the Rainbow Pack.
I looked at Austin anxiously and asked, “How do you plan to deal with her?”
After pausing to think, he replied, “Right now, your biggest obstacle is not Jennifer, but the one in the royal family who wants Anthony to marry her.”
“Do you mean…Mom?” I was shocked by this realization. Did Austin want me to get rid of Elizabeth?
What a terrible idea!
“No way!”
I exclaimed before pushing Austin away and running out of the room.
“If you don’t agree, just wait and see. One day, you will see that I’m right,” Austin called out from behind me.
Even when I arrived at Marge Island, Austin’s words continued to play in my head. One of Elizabeth’s attendants approached me, asking me to see my adoptive mother.
Elizabeth was replanting some flowers in the yard. When she saw me, she stopped what she was doing and asked, “Caroline, your behavior yesterday was very strange. Do you like Anthony?”
Hope fluttered in my heart. Did that mean I still had a chance?
I nodded. I a*s*sumed that she would help me win Anthony’s heart.
But she didn’t. Instead, she held my hand and told me, “Jennifer and Anthony are mates. As long as I am alive, I will make sure that she becomes my daughter-in-law. You’re an intelligent young woman. I think you know what you must do.”
It was as if cold water was poured over my head. Any joy I felt earlier was mercilessly extinguished. I had not expected her to root for that b*itch, Jennifer.
I now understood why Austin said that Elizabeth was my biggest obstacle. She considered me her daughter, but she did not even stop to consider helping me win Anthony’s heart. It was unbelievable how badly she wanted Jennifer to be her daughter-in-law.
“I know, Mom. From now on, I will treat Anthony as my brother,” I said through gritted teeth.
Jennifer’s POV:
I woke up in Anthony’s arms in the middle of the night. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I recalled the nightmare that jolted me awake.
I dreamed of a bloodied Anthony lying in my arms. He was killed by his brother, Austin. That nightmare left me feeling uneasy. After several encounters with Austin, I had a feeling that there was more behind his casual facade.
Anthony woke up after I did. “What’s wrong, Jennifer?”
“I dreamed about you and the king. You two were like fire and water, and he…” I trailed off, but Anthony guessed what I couldn’t say.
“Did you have a bad dream about us?” he asked me.
I nodded, “I think your relationship isn’t as simple as it seems.” I had been doubting their relationship all this time.
Surprisingly, Anthony didn’t deny it. He reached out and stroked my hair to comfort me.
“Stay away from him,” he warned me with a serious expression.
His eyes averted my gaze.
“Are you hiding something from me?” I demanded.
After some hesitation, Anthony finally admitted, “I suspect that Austin killed our father, but I haven’t been able to get enough evidence to prove that. Austin has always been afraid that I will seize the throne. That’s why he’s so guarded around me.”
“Does that mean you’re always in danger?” I couldn’t help but worry about him.
“I have been slowly but surely gaining power so that I can defend myself against him. Your brother is be one of my confidants. The main reason why I decided to host a training program on Marge Island was so that I could have an army of elite werewolves at my disposal.”
Anthony had been hiding many things from me. He must have struggled all this time just to carry out this special mission of his.
“Honey, I didn’t mean to hide all this from you. I was afraid to get you involved and put your safety at risk,” Anthony explained as if he was worried that I would get angry.
“I’m not mad, Anthony. I just think that what you are doing is very dangerous. I want to help you—just like how you’ve helped me.”
Anthony wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. “Jennifer, what I want is for you to protect yourself well. Knowing you are safe is enough to put me at ease. Once Austin learns about our relationship, who knows what he might do to you? You need to be careful around him.”
“I will,” I promised Anthony.