Alpha Kings Gifted Mate

Silvia's Pov

"I can't believe you guys are doing this." My voice trembled, the words slipping out before I could stop them.  

The woman, standing just a few feet away, tilted her head, eyes glinting with a cruel amusement. "If you'd be kind enough to hand over the stone, we'd be on our merry way."  

"Wh...what?" My heartbeat thundered in my ears, my mind racing, desperate for an escape.  

"Right after we kill you," she added, almost casually, as if we were discussing the weather. "You know, since you might kill us later."  

Another voice, harsher, cut in. "We should just kill her and take it from her."  

"You fool," she snapped, eyes flicking to the man beside her. "If we kill her, we'll die."  

"I can't stand this anymore-" His frustration came to a head, and before I could blink, the strangest thing happened. The woman was suddenly in front of me, her eyes wild. And then...  

A knife plunged into my stomach.

Shock drowned out the pain at first, but then it hit me like a wave. The world seemed to tilt. My vision blurred, and my knees buckled as warmth spread across my torso, soaking my dress. 

*This is how it ends?*

Memories rushed at me in fragments-moments of misery, of struggle. But there, hidden among them, was one particular face. One person I wished I never had to leave. Someone who, in this moment, I'd give anything to see again. *Why did I let them go?*

*My life... what have I done with it?* I never went to college, never got the chance. Just mountains of debt to show for my miserable existence. I don't even own a car. If I survive this... God, if I survive... I swear I'll slap that useless thing I call a boyfriend so hard, his whole life will flash before his eyes.

Oh, you must be wondering how I got here, right? Well, let me tell you-it all started with a stupid date.

---

It was a slow day. The kind where time drags, each minute a sigh. No bonus for me, just my minimum-wage shift dragging on as I watched the only customer left in the café sip her coffee like she was some princess in Buckingham Palace. 

She'd been sitting there for forty-five minutes, and I swear she'd been sneaking glances at me the entire time. At first, I thought it was my hair-people love my hair-but no, this was different. It was like she was studying me. I tried to shrug it off, telling myself I was overthinking it. I was on a "positive mindset streak" lately, trying to avoid spiraling into dark thoughts. 

But there was something about her that unsettled me.

I caught her glance again. *Maybe she likes me,* I thought, smirking to myself. Not that I'm into women-hell, I barely even tolerate men these days-but still, I'm a catch. At least in my own opinion. And maybe some creep's who doesn't understand the concept of personal space. But don't worry, I've introduced a few to my knees and elbows before. I can't fight, but I can scream-very, very loud.

Still, something about her felt... off.

Just as I started staring back, my alarm rang. Shift over. *Thank God.* I packed my things, trying to shake off the weird vibe as I waited for Sara to take over. She showed up in under two minutes, as always. After some quick small talk, I got the hell out of there.

I had a date to get ready for. Yeah, with *him*-my boyfriend. It had been a while since we went out, what with all the recent fights. We'd even taken a "break" for a bit. But we were still together. And that was all that mattered, right? All couples fight, after all. It didn't help that he was the only person in my life. I loved him, and I thought-*no*, I convinced myself-that he loved me too. In his own way.