Page 20 of The Alpha King’s Hidden Mute Mate

I was locked in that gilded cage for five whole days.

I counted the cracks in the ceiling to pass the time—like a map charting the longest wait of my life. Birdsong drifted through the window sometimes, along with maids laughing in the distant gardens. But no footsteps ever stopped at my door.

His Majesty was busy, the guards told me. Too busy to spare a glance at his fated mate.

Fated mate. What a joke.

That day marked the first time I ever laid hands on Leah. Right after the ceremony ended, she came up to me and whispered so only I could hear: "You think you deserve to be the King's Luna? You're not even worth as much as a dog—at least dogs can bark when they're upset."

My best friend. Humiliating me with the most vicious words.

My mind went blank. By the time I came to, my hand had already swung out. The slap landed square on her cheek, the sharp crack echoing through the quiet hall.

Everyone turned to stare. Leah clutched her face, tears streaming down like broken pearls. She said nothing—just looked at me with those wounded doe eyes, as if I were some monster who'd attacked her without cause.

So they locked me in this beautiful prison.

On the sixth morning, the door finally opened. But it wasn't him. A young maid entered, brown hair pinned neatly back, her apron starched white. She carried a tray with breakfast and a pot of tea.

"Good morning, ma'am." She curtsied, voice soft. "My name's Aila. I'll be looking after you from now on."

I stared at her for a moment, then my hands flew up. "Do you know sign language?"

Her eyes lit up. She nodded. "Yes, ma'am. My mother's deaf, so I grew up with it."

I nearly jumped out of bed. Finally! Someone who could actually understand me!

My hands moved rapidly. Take me to the King. Now.

Aila's face changed. She set down the tray, wringing her hands. "Ma'am... are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I've been locked up for six days! I'm his fated mate, not a prisoner!"

"Ma'am..." She took a deep breath, voice dropping lower. "I know you're his fated mate. But everyone in the palace knows... the person the King really cares about is Miss Taylor."

My hands froze mid-air.

"At the Howling Ceremony, he danced with Miss Taylor. Love at first sight." Aila's voice was gentle, like she was stating common knowledge. "Then he heard her sing. They say the song moved him to tears. Everyone's talking about it—soul mates recognizing each other."

I felt my blood turning cold.

The dancing. The person he danced with that night was me.

The singing. Those songs—I wrote them.

But everyone thought it was Leah.

"So you see," Aila continued carefully, "even if you go to him—"

I cut her off, hands moving fast and urgent. "But I was the one who danced with him that night! I wrote those songs! Not Leah—"

I stopped.

Something clicked.

Leah had stolen my identity. She'd claimed she was the one who danced with him at the Howling Ceremony, claimed my songs as her own. She'd packaged herself as Zane's perfect mate, while I—the real one—sat locked in this room, unable to even defend myself.

But what if he knew the truth?