King Novel novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The market is chaos, a sensory overload that makes my head spin in the best and worst ways

Vendors scream over each other, their voices blending into a symphony of desperation, their voices rising above the laughter of children and the clinking of coins.

The air smells like roasted chestnuts and something I’d rather not identify.

Enoch’s eyes are darting everywhere, wide and curious, his head swiveling as if he’s afraid he’ll miss something if he blinks,

I glance at the list Seraphina handed me. It’s crumpled, a little sweaty from being shoved into my pocket, and looks about as appealing as her personality.

Who the hell needs this much fabric for one Mating Ball

The items on it are annoyingly precise–yards of silk, decorative orbs, floral arrangements from some overpriced pack boutique. Because of course. Seraphina would demand nothing less than extravagance.

“Is this woman planning a ball or staging a hostile takeover?” I mutter, cringing at the sheer expense of it all.

Enoch doesn’t respond. He’s too busy examining a display of flower crowns, his hulking frame towering over the vendor’s stall like a toddler.

His wide emerald eyes dart around, taking in the world with an innocent curiosity that makes him look seem a kid at their first carnival.

“Really?” I raise an eyebrow as he picks up a crown of daisies and plops it onto his head.

The effect is absurd–this massive, intimidating man–child with daisies framing his wild hair–but his grin is so pure I can’t even laugh

“Cute,” I deadpan, biting back a smirk. “Very… ethereal warrior.”

He grins wider, and I swear the sun gets jealous.

“Alright, big guy, let’s keep moving,” I say, tugging his sleeve, but not before grabbing another headband and sticking it on my own head. Might as well join the circus, right?

We keep moving, dodging elbows and carts piled high with everything from handmade jewelry to jars of mysterious pastes that I’m definitely not brave enough to ask about.

A few steps later, a flash of silver catches my eye. A simple bracelet, nestled among a mess of mismatched trinkets at a vendor’s table.

It’s nothing fancy–just a thin band with a single charm with the sape of a crescent moon–but something about it feels… right.

I hesitate, my fingers brushing the few coins in my pocket. My savings have taken enough of a beating lately, thanks to Seraphina’s endless lists and my own bad habit of stress–buying tons of groceries.

But Enoch, with his clueless grins and puppy–like loyalty, deserves something

“Hold still.” I say, slipping it onto Enoch’s wrist..

Enoch stares at it as though I’ve just handed him Excalibur. His green eyes widen, a strange glint flashing through them- something intense, almost feral, that makes the hair on my neck stand on end.

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You’ll wear near me kaytay Hying to take off the worse

му

The nods, big adening on my hand dough here scared I’ll take it back

Alrig, fersey putting him along again “We’ve got shit to do

The crowd thickens at we move, the noise turning into a roar. My eyes dart around trying to spot anything that might

esde the ridiculous item beraphina’s be when something stops me cold.

Abouty poster, pinned to a weathered wooden post.

The royal ing

is stampet boldly at the bottom, and above it, blocky letters announce a reward for anyone who can Locate the missing Alpha King

“If they’re sejou slour finding him, they should’ve put his damn face on it,” I mutter, shaking my head at the wboundary

Enodi freezes beside me

What’s up with him?

I glance up frowning

His gaze is locked on the insignia, his fingers reaching out to trace it as if it holds some kind of secret. His jaw is tight, his entire body teme in a way that makes me nervous.

“Enoch?” I tug his sleeve, but he doesn’t move. All of a sudden, his eyes begin to shift from its dazzling green to that lethal crimson that still haunts my dreams.

It’s unsettling, seeing him like this. Usually, he’s all smiles and puppy energy, but now… now he looks like he’s trying to remember something, and it’s scaring the hell out of me.

I swear the air around us shifts, growing heavier, colder.

“Let’s go, I urge, sharper than I intended.

Before he can move–or I can figure out what the hell is happening–a man steps out from the crowd, blocking our path.

He’s wearing a hoodie, the shadow of the fabric obscuring his face, but the way he moves–calculatedly–sends alarm bells ringing in my head.

My grip tightens on Enoch’s arm. “Excuse us,” I say, trying to sound casual, but my voice wavers just enough to betray me.

The man doesn’t budge. Instead, he tilts his head slightly, the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

“It’s you” He murmurs, his eyes glinting with recognition as he looks up at Enoch. There’s an edge to it that makes my skin crawl.

Enoch steps forward, and for the first time, I feel the full force of his presence. His massive frame seems to grow even larger, his eyes narrowing as he steps in front of me, shielding me from the stranger.

The man might be the one blocking our path, but Enoch is the one commanding the space now,

His green eyes are locked on the stranger, unblinking, his shoulders squared, ready to pounce.

I glance at Enoch’s hand, the bracelet still gleaming on his wrist, and for a moment, I’m not sure which one of them I should

be more afraid of

The man takes a step back, his smirk faltering, anddor a moment, the entire market has gone silent.

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11:41 Sat, 15 Mar A 60

Chapter 11

“Let’s go,” I whisper, tugging Enoch’s arm again.

This time, he follows, his steps slow as we push past the man and back into the chaos of the market.

My heart is pounding, my hands trembling, but I force myself to keep moving, refusing to look back.

to know.

Whatever just happened. I’m not sure I want to

We push through the market, weaving between stalls and ignoring the confused looks from vendors. But no matter how fast or erratic our path, the man keeps appearing.

Casually leaning against a fruit stand one moment, pretending to browse trinkets the

Fuck, who even is he?

My stomach churns.

“Don’t look now,” I mutter to Enoch, my voice low, “but we’re being followed.”

Enoch doesn’t respond, but when I glance up, his expression is darker than I’ve ever seen it.

His expression is something unfamiliar–dangerous. His jaw is tight, his shoulders rigid, and his green eyes have lost their usual softness, replaced by a storm I don’t recognize.

Oh, no.

He definitely noticed.

A shiver runs down my spine.

I pick up the pace, dragging Enoch along as my heart pounds a war drum. The crowded market feels suffocating now, the noise too loud, the people too close.

“We should head home,” I whisper, more to myself than him. “This place is-”

I stop mid–sentence as Enoch stiffens beside me, his body rigid as stone. My gaze darts to the side, and there he is–the same man, closer this time. Too close.

“Alright, what the hell is your problem?” I demand, whirling around to face him.

The man’s smirk vanishes, replaced by something far more sinister. Before I can react, he lunges forward, shoving me aside as if I’m nothing more than an inconvenience.

“Ah!” Pain flares through my palms as they scrape against the rough cobblestones.

“Hey!” I shout, scrambling to my feet, but it’s too late.

The air shifts.

One second, the man is stepping toward Enoch as though he’s got something to prove, and the next, Enoch is on him.

It happens so fast I barely register it.

The market falls deathly silent.

Enoch’s hand flies to the man’s throat, lifting him clean off the ground like he weighs nothing.

His eyes are no longer green; they’re dark, wild, and utterly terrifying.

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Chapter 11

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“E–Enoch,” I stammer, my voice shaky

The man’s legs dangle, his hands clawing at Enoch’s forearm, but it’s useless. Enoch’s arm doesn’t waver, his expression is

now carved from stone

The change in Enoch is terrifying

Gone is the gentle giant who tried on headbands and marveled at bracelets. His face is a mask of cold fury, his eyes glowing with an intensity that makes my knees weak.

“E–Easy, big guy,” I say, inching closer despite the warning bells screaming in my head. “Let’s not murder anyone today, yeah? You promised me.”

Enoch doesn’t move. His focus is laser–sharp, his chest rising and falling with slow, controlled breaths. It doesn’t even seem like he’s even himself right now.