《The King’s Tainted Mate》


 Chapter 1

    "You are not dying?" I stared at my older sister, stunned at her wless beauty that greeted me the moment I walked into our small house. After the regrettable night I''d had and the tears I''d cried, I couldn''t put it past my eyes to deceive me.


    It was not that I was so jealous of her and wished her dead, but up until I left our small vige housest night, she had looked almost dead. Eyes sunken, her usually glowing skin was paler than a weed''s bottom that had stayed too long in a wet napkin. Her lips were so cracked, I could not let her smile as I was afraid they''d split into pieces with the effort.


    She had smiled anyway. It was a weak one, but it was enough for me to know that she was grateful for what I was about to do for her. I had finally gathered my courage and decided to do what needed to be done. To do whatever it took to have her with us for as long as the potion would grant her. To save our parents the heartache of burying their daughter ahead of hers and their time. I would save Myrna.


    "Did it work?" Hope flooded my heart at the thought that whatever I''d done, my sacrifice, had not been in vain. But then Myrnaughed. A sinister sound that I had never ever heard leave my sister''s mouth. "Is anything the matter?" Confused, I angled my head as I waited for her answer.


    "Oh my sweet sweet Sh. You were always so gullible." I frowned at the tone my sister used. Something was not right. And why would she say I was gullible? The head I carried on my two shoulders was my pride as it had never failed me or let anyone outsmart me at anything. And yet staring at my sister, she looked more than convinced that between the two of us, I was the stupid one. Had I been...stupid? "Did you like it? Your first time, I mean? Or was it as painful as everyone ims it to be?"


    We had agreed never to speak of my sacrifice. It was not something I wished to remember. Having my sister well was all that mattered. Not the future that I had so selflessly given up and yet here she was, with a smile on her lips forcing me to relieve one of the most painful moments of my life.


    "Was he at least good to you? He promised that he would be gentle."


    Was it possible to be gentle when taking one''s innocence? The man who''d deflowered me was most certainly not. Perhaps it was because he was drunk. I had been drunk myself. The moment I had stepped into the inn where I was to meet him and witnessed all the sinful sights before me, I knew I wouldn''t be able to do it while I was sober. I was a few minutes early than the agreed time so instead of heading to the room where I was to meet him, I lingered in the main hall and bought myself a mug of beer. I had never drunk before, so one mug was more than enough and as I stumbled to the room, I was sure I would feel nothing. But when it came to the moment I became a woman, it had hurt. No amount of alcohol could shield me from that pain, I had realized. Or the pain that came with the shame of my new status. I was forever tainted. Damaged goods not deserving the love of a decent man, the love of my mate. Never to be celebrated the way virgin maidens were the day they wed. I would be lucky if an old widow who''d lost his mate looked my way once rejected by my mate. I had decided not to ponder on that lonely road as long as my sister got to live, but now-


    "He promised to be gentle? How would you know-" My words got stuck in my throat as I willed that good head on my shoulders to think.


    "It was the least I could do for you." My sister shrugged her shoulders and it took me too long to realize what her words meant. And another eternity to piece together what was happening. I had been stupid.


    "Y-You were never dying?" My world shattered with that simple question. "Mother said the poison was too much for your wolf healing and you needed the potion to aid your healing or you would die. Lies... were they all lies?" I couldn''t breathe as the sting of betrayal impaled my body. How could I when I was faced with a possibility of the worst betrayal anyone could suffer. Had my family really betrayed me? A memory of my mother in tears while fatherforted her hit me. They had begged, sold their lie so perfectly I had bought it.


    Something watery and warm fell on the hand that clutched tightly to my dress over my chest. I hated showing my weakness, but this was too much even for the strong willed maiden my mother always imed me to be.


    "Why?" I croaked out. Nothing made sense. My sister loved me. She''d protected me all my life. Comforted me when I neededforting. I owed a lot of who I was to her, that was why as difficult as it had been, as painful as it had been, I had chosen to sacrifice my very essence of being a woman so she could live. I had given up a future with my mate...my mate.


    "I do hope when you find him, he''ll be forgiving. I mean your mate."


    "Why would you do this?!" I spat, hating to be ignored. I needed this to make sense or I would go out of my mind.


    "The prince finally decided to pick a maiden, a chosen mate. You do know he hasn''t been able to find his mate, right?"


    I frowned, wondering what some spoiled royal''s decision had to do with my sister or more importantly me.


    "Must I spell everything out for you?" Myrna rolled her eyes. "This might be the forgotten vige but the moon goddess certainly hasn''t forgotten us." A wide grin formed on Myrna''s face as she pranced about our small living room, causing my frown to deepen. "Because none of the nobledies were good enough in those districts, the prince is now looking for his mate or chosen mate in our little vige, and this is me making certain I''m the only one worthy to be chosen."


    This is me making certain I''m the only one worthy to be chosen. Her words hit me hard and I shook with anger. "You ruined my entire life because you thought I''d be your rival in some stupid bridal selection?!"


    "First of all it''s not stupid. Secondly, yes. You''ve been nothing but a thorn in my side ever since you barged into my life and I wasn''t about to let you take away what rightfully belongs to me." I blinked at my sister, wondering if she wasn''t really poisoned because whatever spewed out of her mouth sounded like the rumblings of a mad maiden. "I had been a thorn in her side?"


    "He promised to be gentle? How would you know-" My words got stuck in my throet es I willed thet good heed on my shoulders to think.


    "It wes the leest I could do for you." My sister shrugged her shoulders end it took me too long to reelize whet her words meent. And enother eternity to piece together whet wes heppening. I hed been stupid.


    "Y-You were never dying?" My world shettered with thet simple question. "Mother seid the poison wes too much for your wolf heeling end you needed the potion to eid your heeling or you would die. Lies... were they ell lies?" I couldn''t breethe es the sting of betreyel impeled my body. How could I when I wes feced with e possibility of the worst betreyel enyone could suffer. Hed my femily reelly betreyed me? A memory of my mother in teers while fetherforted her hit me. They hed begged, sold their lie so perfectly I hed bought it.


    Something wetery end werm fell on the hend thet clutched tightly to my dress over my chest. I heted showing my weekness, but this wes too much even for the strong willed meiden my mother elweys cleimed me to be.


    "Why?" I croeked out. Nothing mede sense. My sister loved me. She''d protected me ell my life. Comforted me when I neededforting. I owed e lot of who I wes to her, thet wes why es difficult es it hed been, es peinful es it hed been, I hed chosen to secrifice my very essence of being e women so she could live. I hed given up e future with my mete...my mete.


    "I do hope when you find him, he''ll be forgiving. I meen your mete."


    "Why would you do this?!" I spet, heting to be ignored. I needed this to meke sense or I would go out of my mind.


    "The prince finelly decided to pick e meiden, e chosen mete. You do know he hesn''t been eble to find his mete, right?"


    I frowned, wondering whet some spoiled royel''s decision hed to do with my sister or more importently me.


    "Must I spell everything out for you?" Myrne rolled her eyes. "This might be the forgotten villege but the moon goddess certeinly hesn''t forgotten us." A wide grin formed on Myrne''s fece es she prenced ebout our smell living room, ceusing my frown to deepen. "Beceuse none of the noble ledies were good enough in those districts, the prince is now looking for his mete or chosen mete in our little villege, end this is me meking certein I''m the only one worthy to be chosen."


    This is me meking certein I''m the only one worthy to be chosen. Her words hit me herd end I shook with enger. "You ruined my entire life beceuse you thought I''d be your rivel in some stupid bridel selection?!"


    "First of ell it''s not stupid. Secondly, yes. You''ve been nothing but e thorn in my side ever since you berged into my life end I wesn''t ebout to let you teke ewey whet rightfully belongs to me." I blinked et my sister, wondering if she wesn''t reelly poisoned beceuse whetever spewed out of her mouth sounded like the rumblings of e med meiden. "I hed been e thorn in her side?"


    "I demand my payment back!" Startled, I spun around at the sound of a deep furious growl. It belonged to a ghastly man who stood in the doorway to our tiny house, hisrge frame barely fitting in the opening. His eyes zed, revealing his angry wolf that I was certain would tear us to shreds if he shifted.


    "You promised me a maiden and you lied." I gulped even though his furious eyes were not set on me. They went beyond me towards Myrna.


    My own predicament momentarily forgotten, my gaze snapped to Myrna at the usation. "Tell me you were not stupid enough to get mixed up with the likes of him." Despite what my sister had done, I worried for her. Owing the likes of the beast that stood in our doorway was inviting misfortune for one''s entire family. The band of brutes that terrorized lone maidens found with no protection while it was still daylight was a nightmare in itself. Was my sister that stupid? The way he marched into our home said she had been stupid indeed.


    "Stupid? I could never be you Sh." I blinked at my sister''s haughty attitude. For the first time in my life, Myrna looked down on me before totally ignoring me.


    "I promised you a maiden and I gave you one. I''m a woman of my word."


    "Do I look satiated to you?" The brute roared so loud, I thought the old roof to our house would cave in. I would have run too but more realization kept me rooted on my spot. She''d sold me to a beast that would have taken me apart and shuttered my very soul. "Were you actually so stupid you walked into a different room?" Myrna was no longer smiling. Rage burned in those eyes that had looked at me lovingly not so long ago. "Sh!" She roared when I didn''t answer, but I only stood frozen, heart breaking with every passing moment. "No matter." Myrna dismissed me like I was an insignificant pest. "You losing your innocence is all that matters. I don''t really care who had you. As for you..." Myrna turned to the brute who had surprisingly been quiet. "Here is your payment. If you did not get your money''s worth, it''s only right that I give it back." Coins clinked when the bagnded in the brute''s hands but I was no longer interested in that exchange. I kept reying my sister''s admission that she had spat so carelessly. The banging of a door snapped me out of my painful thoughts and I found my sister wearing an annoyed look. "If you did not walk into his room, then which low life did you end up in bed with?"


    "You are the low life." I wished to scream, but the heaviness of the lie that had been my life weighed heavier than my need to insult my sister.

 Chapter 2

    "Elian!"


    queen of Xatis.


    I winced at my mother''s scolding tone. Even when I was set to take over the kingdom from my father in a few months, that tone still made me relive my most mischievous childhood days that had earned me some serious scolding and whipping from the king and "Elian!" She called again and I contemted on pretending to be asleep, but knowing my mother, whatever it was she was mad about would only worsen her temper if I so much as tried to ignore her. "Elian!"


    "Mother?" Seeing her domineering form appear in the doorway, I sat up in my monstrous bed and faked a smile. I didn''t have to fake it, but I had the worst pounding in my head and I really hoped her scolding wouldn''t go on longer than necessary. "I would say good morning, but seeing the absence of your lovely smile, I''m guessing it would not be appropriate?"


    "Do not get smart with me, young prince." She sneered before holding up a pile of clothes that resembled mine, except for the filth they were covered in. "What is the meaning of this?"


    Effects of regret, sorrow mixed with cheap wine. "I slipped and fell. Last night''s downpour was a hell of a monster." It did rain, heavily, but even she wasn''t so gullible as to believe my terrible lie. My garments were indeed filthy, but not from having fallen on the muddy ground.


    "They wreak of cheap wine and...oh dear god!" She let out an exasperated sigh before dropping the pile on my bedroom''s floor.


    Cheap wine and s*x? I almostughed at my mother''s modesty except I was hit with memories of my own escapadesst night. I could not remember her face or her name, not even how she smelled, except for how she made me feel once I broke through the barrier of her innocence. It wasn''t the first time I''d had one of those, but something about her, how she''d felt perfectly wrapped around me, how she''d moved once the pain of losing her innocence was over. It had made me wish she was the one. My mate, whom I had spent eternity searching for. Or perhaps it was just the wine that had been talkingst night. Because she was nothing. Just another of those many poor maidens looking to make some money to better their simple lives.


    She had made more than enough with me. As drunk as I was I made certain to pay my dues, handsomely if I might add. I proudly stared at the empty spot on my fingers where the said payment had previously sat.


    What the hell! I stiffened, as the pounding in my head intensified. My eyes had fallen on the wrong empty spot or I had given away the wrong ring!


    "Wipe that stupid grin off of your face. I''m embarrassed enough as it is already." My mother must have not noticed the change in my mood and I used the opportunity topose myself. This was a disaster. Whatever had possessed me to carry around the most precious heirloom of our kingdom.


    "You will be expected to present yourself in front of the king before breakfast." I stiffened even further, forcing my mother toe closer.


    "Elian," she said in her most gentle voice that made me want to curl in herps like a little boy. "We have discussed this already and your father has finally agreed to your request. Please do not anger him any further."


    It was not that I intended to anger the king. I and my father simply held different views over who I wedded. The old man was too impatient to get me to sit on the throne and was willing to marry me off to the first she wolf he saw, while I preferred that she wolf to be the one the moon goddess had gifted me. But after searching for so long with no luck, I could not me him if he decided to line a few of those she wolves and force me to pick one. I had stalled long enough.


    "I have no such intentions mother." I mumbled.


    "Great! I suppose you''ll hear all about it when you meet with him."


    "Of course, mother." I gave her a kiss and walked her to the door. "See you at breakfast." Once the door closed I headed straight to my wardrobe and had a change of clothes as I formted my schedule for the day. Only one thing mattered. I needed to retrieve that ring at all costs.


    "We need to leave for the forgotten vige once breakfast is done." I said as I walked past Rakon.


    "His Majesty will be pleased at the news. I, however, I''m surprised at your eagerness, your highness." My best friend since childhood and now the head of the prince''s guard shed me a mischievious grin. "Was she that good?"


    "It''s not what you think. I lost something." I lifted my hand and pointed to the empty spot on one of my fingers and his eyes widened.


    "Where you robbed?" Instinctively he reached for the hilt of his sword. "I knew I should have escorted you."


    "I wish I had." I sighed.


    "I do not understand."


    "I mistakenly paid for you know..." I cleared my throat before looking around for curious faces. I couldn''t risk my father getting wind of this. Not yet anyway.


    Realization registered on Rakon''s face. "I''ll get the carriage."


    "No need. We''ll run."


    "As important as this is, you still need to do the other thing too. Can''t go looking for a bride in your wolf form, now can you?" Trust my best friend to think of everything. By the time Rakon disappeared from my presence, my father was singing his good morning greeting.


    "I slept just fine, father." I bowed before the king I was meant to rece not too long from now. His mere presence was enough for me to doubt if I would ever fill his shoes. My mother was seated right beside him on the huge dining table looking moreposed than the woman who almost threw a fit in my room earlier.


    "I hear you have every intention to go into the forgotten vige today." Father got to the point, thankfully. Not the point I wished to discuss but it was better than being plunged into the politics surrounding Xatis that would result in a long lecture about being a good king.


    "I do." I nodded, wondering what else he''d heard.


    "I know that this is just your tactic to dy the inevitable, but I''m a fair and just king. I''ll let you have your way, but if at the end of today you still fail to find your bride, one will be chosen for you."


    "But-"


    "No buts! Tonight we shall celebrate your engagement. So either return with a bride or one will be waiting for you once you return."


    "Tonight? That is not exactly enough time for me to-"


    "You''ve had eternity boy and now my patience has run out! Tonight."


    Father dismissed me before I could register anymore protests. This was my fault anyway. I did not believe one bit that my mate could be found in the forgotten vige. There was a reason it was named the ''forgotten vige'', but anything to keep me from being wedded to one of those snobbish highborns who had been happy each time a search for my mate turned out empty.


    I met up with Rakon just as he finished giving out instructions to the little band of soldiers I assumed would be acting as my escort for the day.


    "Ready?"


    "Think you can keep up?" I rolled my eyes as I headed into the forest that surrounded the castle. "I''d worry about you if I were you" I spoke into my mindlink, earning myself a snort from Rakon. We had both shifted and were headed in the direction my sorrow had led mest night.


    The inn looked run down, now that I was in my right frame of mind and as we walked up to the entrance, a man I assumed to be the inn keeper came out to greet us.


    "It''s good to have you back so soon, your highness. I presume our services were somewhat satisfying?" I hoped no one recognized mest night, but looking at the pleased expression on the man''s face I knew it was wishful thinking on my part. "His highness is looking for a maiden." Rakon stepped in between me and the keeper forcing him to maintain an eptable distance.


    Pleased, the man nodded and ushered us inside. After a few minutes of waiting, a line of maidens flowed out of a familiar passage, each one''s eyes widening at the sight of me.


    "Which one of you was I withst night?" I scrutinized each face as everyone got thoughtful for a moment.


    "That would be me, your highness." One of the girls suddenly eximed and I craned my neck to look at her. She was not the one. As drunk as I wasst night, I remembered how nervous the maiden had been and this one was oozing of experience. "No, It was me."


    "You lier! It was actually me, your highness." This thin thing shamelessly shed me a seductive smile. "You did say you had a nice time. Are you perhaps back for more?" I rubbed my temple in frustration, realizing all I had here were a bunch of liers hoping to get in bed with me and receive a hefty reward.


    "Girls! Do not embarass yourselves. His highness can clearly see through all your lies." A beautiful blonde walked up to the little assembly, her body swaying in a sexy manner meant to entice its audience. I, however, had my mind on more important matters. "If his highness has an itch he wishes to scratch perhaps picking someone who knows how its done right is what he should be looking for."


    "I know damn well what I''m looking for!" I growled as I squeezed the maiden''s hand that had dared to touch me. My wolf loathed the action too. "You are not it. And next time you dare ce your filthy hand on a royal,one hand is all you''ll have to please your customers with." The maiden yelped and jumped back, fear recing that hint of seduction that had clouded her eyes.


    "Forgive her your highness. She meant you no harm. Perhaps if you told this servant of yours what it is you seek, perhaps I and the maidens might know which direction to point you to." I was not about to do any of that.


    "Are these all of them?"


    "Yes, your highness. If you seek another, perhaps she was simply a customer looking for a good time." Now that the man mentioned it, I remembered that the person I was withst night had not asked for a payment. If anything they were more eager to get out than asking for a bag of gold. I had slipped the ring in her dress without her even knowing. Damn!


    Realizing this would yield nothing, I marched out of the inn. Rakon was hot on my heels, talking about letting him at the innkeeper to find out what else he knew.


    "The person we are looking for might not even be aware that they possess the ring." I kicked the dirt in front of me in frustration.


    "How so?"


    "Unless they have a habit of searching the crevices of their dress for things they did not put there, they won''t know until they do. And that leaves me with only one choice. Confess to father of what I have done and suffer the consequences while I wait until that person tries to exchange the ring for actual gold."


    "Or you could report it stolen and offer a reward for anyone who returns it."


    "I could never throw an innocent person in the dungeons."


    "Well they are not exactly innocent if they are willingly giving themselves to strangers. Besides, you and I know it will be the quickest way to retrieve it."


    "Not quick enough." I sighed, my mind going to my father''s ultimatum. The sun was already high up in the sky, reminding me of how much little time I had left before my engagement. "Perhaps I should head back and get ready for the inevitable." I started for the castle, when I and my wolf suddenly got curious. The strangest of feelings had me desiring heading in the opposite direction. A sadness that was not my own. "Do you feel that?" I turned before I could get an answer from Rakon and before long I was in a sprint. "Your highness! Elian, damn it!" Rakon cursed after me, but I didn''t care. I was too focussed on the pull that was getting stronger with each step I took.


    "Let it be her." I thought as that feeling brought me to a tiny house perfectly hidden among the trees. Then the scent hit me so hard I howled in jubtion. I did not care who heard me. I had finally found her...my mate. The sugary scent was perfect for me and I couldn''t wait to taste it. To taste her.


    Two figures appeared in the doorway and my wolf screamed the one word I had longed to say for the longest time. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Apparently, everyone''s description of their mates was true. I took a step forward with every intention to have that beauty fill my arms. To get a feel of her body against mine. The mere thought had me instantly on fire, ready to warm my mate in ways only I could.


    "Your highness! To what do we owe this honor of you visiting our humble home?" The one I did not care for stepped forward while my mate stood rooted on her spot. It stung to note that fact. Did she not see me or sense me at all? "Perhaps she has not shifted yet" I resolved. That had to be it. I hoped it was until-


    Anger rolled off me in waves when I noticed why my mate had not moved an inch. She had been crying and I realized it was her sadness that had led me here. Desiring tofort, I dashed to her side and took her hand. Sparks errupted and it took everything in me to keep from giving into my urges right in that doorway. "Who hurt you?" I growled, but my mate simply snapped her eyes at me before jumping back. It was as if my touch burned her. My wolf wimpered. Something was wrong. "I promise I won''t hurt you." I stepped towards her, but she stepped back.


    "You have to forgive my sister, your highness. She''s had a rough night." Anger flickered in my mate''s eyes and I swear it was the most seductive sight. I could spend days gazing into that show of power by one of the most delicate parts of her.


    Focus. I snapped back to the present. So they were sisters. And since my mate seemed reluctant to talk I turned to her sister to get what the hell was going on. "She''s still stuck in a fit of regret."


    "Regret?" I stared at my mate, wonderng what such a beautiful creature had to regret about.


    "She just lost her innocencest night in a less than morus way." Had she been force.d? I instantly got ready to to track down the culprit. I would rip his throat out for touching her. "I guess she had thought it would be sweeter than the painful ordeal she just went through." Her sister shrugged her shoulders and I felt my world shattering. She hadn''t been force.d. She had actually wanted it?


    Suddenly all those rules and derations that had governed Xatis came to bite me. Mate or not, there was no way father would ept her. I couldn''t sit on the throne if I chose her. I had no doubt some distant cousin would be offered the one thing I had been trained for since I was born. I couldn''t have that. I hoped these were just lies.


    "Do you know what the punishment for lies is?!" I turned away from my mate and red at her sister. She had to be wrong. I hoped to the gods that whatever I was hearing was not true. I couldn''t lose her, not when I had just found her.


    "If his highness does not believe me, then do inquire yourself."


    I did not need to. The guilt was oh so clear in her eyes and I had merely been grasping at straws, hoping it was not true. My legs almost buckled from under me.


    I had known pain in my life, but none of thatpared to what I felt when I looked at my mate. She''d betrayed me...us. She took away my chance at happiness. I did this for her. Waited for eternity so I could wed her and together we''d have the strongest heirs Xatis had ever had.


    "Inform my father that there will be an engagement tonight." I turned to my best friend who had finally caught up with me. I ignored his bewildered look, that spoke volumes of what he wished to say.


    "But your highness!" My mate''s sister was quick to protest, while my mate refused to even spare me a nce. She was not going to fight for me. I was not important to her. Wounded by the thought, I reached for her sister''s hand instead, determined to return the favour.


    "What is this your highness?" Her sister gasped, but I knew she was merely being dramatic. I knew her type. Innocent on the outside while treachery filled every bone in their body. She was not someone I would ever consider a potential bride, but if there was something I knew about sibling rivalry, it was that everyone had potential to hate their own flesh and blood if they happened to grab something that belonged to them. Or so I hoped when I uttered my next words.


    "I, Prince Elian, future king of Xatis do hereby reject you..." I trailed off when I realized that I did not even know her name. Fate had not given me an opportunity to even know her name.


    "Sh, your highness," her sister mumbled, snapping me out my thoughts. "She''s Sh and I am Myrna." She curtsied and smiled awkwardly at me, but I acknowledged neither.


    "I do hereby reject you Sh, as my mate and future queen. As for you Myrna, I choose you today as my chosen mate, future queen and the mother to my heirs. Do you ept?" My eyes stayed on my mate but except for the clenching of her fists, she still refused to look my way, shattering my heart even more.


    "Oh your highness! Of course I-"


    "I Sh..." She finally spoke, cutting her overly excited sister off and it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It''sforting tone dripped right into the crevices of my wounded heart and for a moment I could breathe easily. But then it suddenly squeezed, bringing me the worst pain when I realized she was about to ept my rejection.


    "Do you possess anything of value you would wish to bring to the pce? If not, mydy, then shall we?" I would not let my mate ept my rejection, so I ignored her presence altogether and instead offered my hand to her sister. She would not be rid of me so easily. But I on the other hand would, in the most painful way.


    "Just my parents, your highness."

 Chapter 3

    Everyone imed one would never feel anything to do with their mate before their first shift. Not their heavenly scent, the undeniable attraction. Not even the pain of their rejection. But as I sat on the spot I had crashed on moments after the royal carriage had disappeared from my sight, I proved those theories wrong. At least the part about being rejected.


    I felt it. All of it. His anger. His pain. The hate he''d instantly had for me when he realized what I''d done. But above all else, I felt the ocean of pain that rose all over me when he''d uttered the words I thought I could take if it came down to it. How wrong I was. As he spoke those words, my whole world had shattered. My throat had gone impossibly thick while my heart clenched so hard I could not breathe. I realized toote how tightly woven the mate bond was. Being rejected felt as though my own soul that had been entwined with his was being ripped away a piece at a time. And when he''d chosen my sister, that pain pounded on me like waves that constantly sought to devour a rocky shore. Even now, ages after he''d left, my heart still felt like it was being shredded into tiny pieces.


    My own family''s betrayal was like the cherry on top of my cake of pain. They had thrown me away like I was nothing. Like all the years of my life had never existed at all. I could still hear my sister''s excitement as she ran back into our tiny house and went out the back to our small garden to report her news to mother and father. They had both walked back inside, ignored me as they offered their congrattions to my mate. None even bothered to say a simple good bye to me when they dly epted the prince''s invitation to move to the pce. It was as if I had ceased to exist altogether. I was nothing!


    A lone tear escaped my eyes, threatening the whole stream to flow right after, but I held them back. It would do me no good at all and I could not afford to be weak.


    "Now, now, It''s really not the end of the world you know?" I sprang to my feet, recognition hitting me at the sound of that voice. Why was he here? I found myself staring into that ghastly man''s eyes from earlier. Except this time around fury did not fill them, hunger did as they took me in. He''d used the back door this time and I wondered if he had left at all.


    "What are you doing back here?!"


    "Aww, no need to be so hostile little wolf. I''m only here on your ount."


    "My ount?" I felt a cold chill run down my spine. Surely he wasn''t thinking of-


    "Your sister was gracious enough to point out you needed somepany and since we seemed to have been denied our chancest night, I''m here to more than make up for it." He stalked towards me and I stepped back, shocked at his words. There was really no end to the darkness that resided in my sister''s soul. It wasn''t enough that she''d taken everything from me.


    "She was gravely mistaken, as I do not need any one''spany, much less a brute like you." I sneered as I moved closer to the front door, d to have left it open. Those hungry eyes flickered to it the same moment and before all hell broke loose I slipped through it just as the brute leaped at me. He was quick and I barely escaped his grasp.


    I ran out just as a band of royal soldiers were getting off their horses.


    "Oh thank the gods! Please, my lord, save me!" I stumbled and fell at the feet of the first soldier, relief washing over me at their perfect timing. My heart still on a full gallop, I heard that beast cursing right behind me at the surprise that greeted him. "Now why would we save a traitor of Xatis?"


    Traitor? I shook my head and dared to look up at him. "I assure you, my lord, I have done nothing against my own kingdom." This had to be a mistake.


    "Are you not Sh?" The soldier growled, waving a sheet of paper that was rolled up like a scroll in my face.


    "I am, but-"


    "Are you calling his highness, the prince, a liar then?"


    My eyes widened. "T-The p-prince?" I stuttered. He''d sent soldiers and branded me a traitor? "What are my crimes?" I knew what those were. What my one crime was and he was still punishing me for it. It was not enough that he had rejected me. Choosing my sister wasn''t enough too. He would strip me of everything.


    The soldier snorted. "And what makes you think you are in a position to question him? We are here on his orders, that is all you need to know and unless you insist on calling him a liar-"


    "I am no one my lord." I blurted out when I understood the soldier''s intent. Perhaps if I showed my remorse quickly, they would be lenient on me. I had heard how traitors and those used of treason were treated. It was a wonder these soldiers took time to even speak to me. Some of those banished from the kingdom, never even got to set foot out of their homes, let alone Xatis before they met their fate. I wouldn''t be one of those people,I decided as I lowered myself to the ground.


    "You are right. You are no one and by his highness''s order, you are hereby banished from thesends. You are to never show your face to his highness ever again. If you do, it will be yourst."


    I didn''t know what I felt at the pronouncement. I had epted my fate and had no intention of seeing him ever again, but this... it carried with it a finality that broke me in ways I never thought possible. It was as if he was rejecting me all over again and all those tears I had held back since his rejection spilled.


    "She''s all yours." The king''s guard crumpled the sheet of paper he''d been reading from and carelessly threw it at my feet. "Do us all a favour and make it quick. None of us is really interested in escorting her to the borders of Xatis."


    I had no moment to marvel at how my life had crumbled or to wipe at my tears before pleased growls filled my ears. I had just been served whole for the brute to devour.


    "Well now little wolf, it seems you and I are truly destined for-" I did not let the beast finish before breaking out in a sprint. Every born of survival I possessed had suddenlye alive, urging me forward. No one was going to save me. I was all on my own and a little surprise, a little head start, would be the difference between death and keeping the shame of a life I was still determined to hold on to. With no wolf to aid my escape, I had quickly realized how little that difference was.


    I dashed for the covering of the trees, my mind racing faster than my feet.


    "You don''t really think you can out run me little wolf, now do you?" I could hear his heavy breathing and the heavy pounding of his feet on the ground. Twigs snapped easily under them and each time they did, I got a sense of how far back he was. He was getting closer each time and I willed my legs to go faster. I was grateful he thought of me as a weakling and didn''t bother to shift, unknowingly giving me a fighting chance. And he was wrong. I wasn''t thinking of out running him, only out smarting him. I took a sharp turn and headed in the only direction that would grant me an even bigger fighting chance.


    Until today, I had only been here to enjoy it''s beauty, and as I emerged from the woods, I prayed the waterfall would be my saving grace. It was a long way down and I hoped I would not be followed. And if I was, I hoped the water would mask my scent long enough to get away once I came up from the river downstream. I slid to a halt when I came to the edge just as more twigs snapped, announcing the arrival of my persuer too. I ignored my racing heart and the protest in my legs as I peered down below.


    "Do not be crazy little wolf." He''d finally caught up. "You will only be jumping to your death. I promise I''ll make this worth your while. You only have toe with me."


    The dirty smile on his lips only worked to strengthen my resolve and he was wrong again. I was crazy. Crazy to survive. So I jumped.

 Chapter 4

    my saving grace had turned out to be a devil in disguise. The moment I hit the water, it had sucked me in, drawing me down deep and violently taking the little breath meant for the life I was so desperate to hold on to.


    I had kicked, thrashed, fought in its belly, but it would not let go. For a beat, then two and eventually more, leaving it to pronounce its victory. With nothing to hold on to I had given up for the first time that day. My tears blending in with my unlikely enemy as it carried me to wherever those who lost to it were doomed to spend their eternity.


    "You are so far away from home, little wolf."


    Little wolf?! My eyes snapped open to a tall dark figure hovering over me. It turned out the moon goddess had somehow given me another chance. I was alive, but I might as well have been dead. I felt dead...tired. My body was not my own. Not even lying down could mask the aches I felt all over me. And the beast''s eyes who''s gaze on me never wavered reminded me that I was not out of the woods yet. He''d found me!


    My heart leapt in my throat while sweat prickled all over my body that was naked? I was naked, save for a nket that I had surprisingly kept holding on to even as the surge of fear I felt soared.


    gued by the need to escape, my eyes flickered to my surroundings and every drop of my blood drained when I found myself trapped. The ce was small. A shack, barely lit, with a door bolted from the inside. I was his prisoner. After everything I had suffered to get away, I still ended up in the beast''sir. My throat tightened. How much more was I meant to endure? I could feel my fight wavering, heart seeking to surrender to what fate had in store for me. "W-What did you do to me?" I shrunk back in the bed and I yelped when something pricked my naked back.


    "Save your life?" His tone was rough and intimidating, but it instantly had me rxing an inch. I had never heard it before, which only meant one thing. I squinted my eyes to confirm my suspicions.


    "You are not him." Relief washed over me. Despite being locked up with a stranger who could do whatever he wished at any moment, I forced myself to sit up on the bed and let out a breath. It was foolish of me or perhaps it was the words he''d just spoken. "You saved me?"


    "What in God''s name is a young thing like you doing in thesends?" He demanded, his concern surprising me.


    "I live here. My fa-." I stopped myself when I realized what I was about to say. "I have lived in the forgotten vige all my life." A life I don''t have anymore. I looked away from those piercing eyes before a lone tear fell. I shouldn''t have been wasting my precious tears on them, but everything was so very raw and my heart was still bleeding.


    "Except this is no forgotten vige, little wolf. You are a long way from home."


    My eyes snapped back to his. "W-What did you say?" He held my gaze, eyes searching mine as though I was a riddle he was meant to solve. In the dim light, I could not see much of him except his eyes. He was a wolf, no doubt, but without my own wolf, I could not tell any other thing about him. That left me with a dangerous option. Trusting a stranger.


    "What were you doing floating in the devil''s waters?" His voice assumed a scolding tone that had me wishing to offer an exnation. But remembering he was a stranger, I held my tongue. My trust could only go so far.


    "Dying. Until you saved me apparently." Only then did I think of searching my body for injuries. Torn flesh or anything of the sort. There was none. Apart from the aches I felt, I was unharmed.


    "It''s a wonder everything is still intact." He scoffed.


    "Everything?" I clutched the nket close to my chest, my eyes widening.


    "Should I have left you to freeze to death or with some deadly injury hidden somewhere?" He arched a brow, looking every bit unrepentant for havingid his eyes on my naked self. It would make him the second man to see my nakedness and I did not know how I felt about that. Fate seemed determined to make that choice for me.


    "You could have shut your eyes." I red at him and he only rolled his eyes in response before reaching for my dress that had been neatly folded.


    "You would not wake up and were not bleeding on any part of you, I had to make sure you were okay. Hard to do that with my eyes closed." He handed me the dress which I grabbed forcefully. I hated that he kept making sense each time he opened his mouth. "Do you mind?" I raised a brow when he just stood there waiting for me to change. He reluctantly faced the door and once I was sure he would not peek at me, I dropped the nket.


    "You said I was a long way from home." I asked, my hands fumbling to get my garment on quickly. "Where exactly am I?"


    "Dovah."


    I froze. "Dovah?" His earlier concern finally made sense. I had heard tales of thend filled with ouws. And of thieves, murderers and every kind of filth spat out of the worst of ces of kingdoms like Xatis. And were each man was his ownw and death followed you like your own shadow. It was certainly no ce for a youngling like me. I was definitely far from home. "H-How did I end up here?"


    "Must have floated all the way here." I almostughed at the irony of it all. Perhaps the devil''s waters may have had an inkling of fate''s n for me. I was an ouw after all.


    "We are in the outer parts of Dovah. You get some peace and quiet around here, unlike the inner parts." I perceived his words where meant tofort me, but I knew better. No ce was safe in Dovah.


    The man got up and walked up to the door to open it. Light flooded the inside of the shack when he did and one look at him sent me shifting nervously on my spot. I was hit with a clear view of his appearance that fitted the very idea of an ouw.


    He towered over me by what seemed like miles, his own roof was not high enough, leaving him to bend a little while he stood. His hair was shaved off, save for a thick line of locks that ran from the front to his nape where its entire length was braided. Tattoos covered every inch of his shaved head, down to his neck. Scary images of beasts littered theyers of his skin like it was his second skin. His arms where not left out too, making me think the ink could extend to his entire body. His face, however, was surprisingly free of that scary art, save for the scars from injuries sustained in a fight no doubt.


    He caught me staring. "Do I scare you?"


    "No." He should have, but for some strange reason I was not scared. A bit ufortable being alone with him, but that was all. Perhaps it was because he had had every oportunity to do anything he wished to me and yet all he had done was take care of me. Or perhaps that was the naive maiden in me speaking.


    He studied me with those piercing eyes for a moment and I wondered if he could see past me and into my shattered soul. "I have something for you." He opened his hand and took my breath away.


    "........what is that?" I gaped at a very beautiful ring that glistened even in the very little light that covered his little home.


    "A ring?"


    Surely he wasn''t asking me to - "Is that the price I have to pay for you saving me?" Realization sparked in his eyes and they widened.


    "I do not need anyone." He snorted.


    "Then what-"


    "It''s yours."


    "You are giving it to me?" My mind raced, seeking to understand why he would choose to freely give me such a priceless jewel. We had only met and I was no one to him, except a burden he had been forced to watch over by fate. "It fell out of your garment while I sought to dry it."


    My jaw dropped. "I have neverid my eyes on it before in my life."


    "Well, neither have I before it fell out of your garment." When I wouldn''t take it still, he shoved it in my hands.


    "Why don''t you take it?" I blurted out the moment I held it. The ring possessed a heaviness I was not willing to carry around. The heaviness was not in weight, but something else. For some strange reason, I felt bound to it even when I had never seen it before in my life. "Take it as a payment for saving my life." I hastily ced the ring in front of me.


    "I have no need of such fancy things. Besides you look like you need it more than I do. You know, when you leave and all." His words reminded me of my predicament. I had nowhere to go even if I wanted to. I had no family, no ce to call home. I had nothing even when he insisted I owned the precious ring.


    "Do not look so rmed. I have no intentions of chasing you." My eyes flickered to the stranger I had woken up to. His features had softened as he spoke. "You can stay as long as you wish, and you can leave whenever you wish. That is if you can stomach living with a disgusting old wolf."


    I smiled at that. With all the betrayal I had just gone through, it was somewhat refreshing to encounter someone so brutally honest. Against my better judgement, I threw myself at him in a hug that was more for me than him. His kindness overwhelmed me. "Such stupid things get many killed." He snorted. "Trust must be earned, not assumed after a bunch of empty words."


    "My being here is enough trust earned on your part and your words are not empty. Perhaps they are the first honest ones I have heard in my entire pathetic existence." If I was being honest, I was drawn to his forwardness. It served to make mefortable around him and to strangely trust him. It made me wish to stick with him, while I pondered on how to sail through my shattered life. If fate had brought me to him, perhaps this is where I needed to be.


    He angled his head and stared thoughtfully. "Not the response I was aiming for, but it will have to do." He wasn''t going to pry. I appreciated that. "Hungry?"


    "Depends."


    "On what exactly? Are you the choosy type?" He looked almost ready to take back his offer.


    "On whether it''s poisoned."


    His lips twitched, softening his features further. "You are alright, little wolf. This way." He held out his hand and I took it, wincing a little at the pain that came with abandoning my sitting position. "My name is Sh." I mumbled, thinking it would be ungrateful of me to eat his food without him knowing my name, but he stared at me as if I was still insisting on being stupid.


    "Gol."


    "What?"


    "If you insist on being stupid then you might as well call me by my name which happens to be Gol."


    My lips twitched. "Nice to meet you Gol. May I ask for one more thing, however?"


    "Anything."


    "Please do not call me little wolf." His expression changed from surprise to confusion, but like with everything else, he only nodded without another word.

 Chapter 5

    "She did not strike me as someone who would do something of the sort for the fun of it."


    "I do not care!" I growled at Rakon and that was the truth. I did not care about anything that had to do


    I did not care for my best friend''s opinion on the matter either. No matter how much he pleaded for n I had not cared much about anything else the past month since I rejected her, except for my stash of "Elian..."


    "And unless you wish me to pick another best friend to be by my side today, I suggest you don''t menti The wedding was today, which exined my very foul mood. For starters, I was forced to remain sober As the head of my guard, Rakon had enforced that wine ban, only allowing hot beverages to cross the mind. Until I became king, when it came to the crown only my father''s wishes mattered. And the king Secondly, with the wine cleared out of my head, I was pped with all the memories I had sought to That truth had spurred me on to dutifully abide by my father''s wishes without so much as ain The engagement had taken ce just as the king of Xatis had demanded. The people had celebrated family, no one knew of my ex mate. I had preffered it that way. Less questions, especially from my mo instructions to not be disturbed by anyone. And when outside, I had stuck by my father''s side, learnin affairs.


    "I just think it''s odd that her entire family would easily abandon her like t-"


    "Just proves how much of a traitor she is." I spat. "Even her own blood could never stand her." I grabbe I was about to demand that a whole barrel of it be brought to my room, when someone outside of my "Your Majesty." I heard Rakon acknowledge my mother in his serious guard tone. "Don''t you look dashing today?"


    "Not as beautiful as my queen though. I swear every man in Xatis will wish they were his Majesty toda


    ny ex mate. Not her life or where she had ended up after I banished her and definitely not the reasons that had made her betray our bond.


    e reason over how harshly I had treated her. She deserved everything she got and more, which I would bevishing on her very soon.


    at had faithfully helped drown my sorrows. And my bed that had received my intoxicated head at the end of each day of my lonesome drinking parties.


    traitor to me ever again." I lifted my chin so the seamstress could ess the top buttons of my royal wedding gown.


    p from shaming my father, the crown or tainting my own rule before it even began.


    o my bedroom. I had protested, but I also knew how futile the attempt was. Not even my threats to dismember him were going to make him change his had charged him with ensuring I behaved which he was bent on doing despite my protests.


    with it. My mate''s beauty had haunted me and I had been forced to face that dreaded fact that I meant nothing to her. I meant nothing.


    s, but the entire thing had gone by like a blur for me. So had the month set before the royal wedding. And apart from me, Rakon and my chosen mate''s


    t that I had given her an opportunity for anything of the sort after announcing my engagement. I spent my days holed up in my room most of the time with ere was to learn about being a great king. That had delighted the king to no end, he did not even stop to consider why I was suddenly interested in such


    hug closest to me, but hurled it across the room at the feel of its warm contents. I needed my wine!


    om announced the arrival of my mother, forcing me to change my mind.


    "I see your charm has kept flourishing." As Rakon drew my mother into more happy chatter, I worked to tame my temper as I was sure was my best friend''s intent. And when I was certain that I was calm enough to face her, I did. "Mother? What are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be at father''s side?" I agreed with Rakon''s sentiments. My mother was beautiful and seeing her all dressed up to see me wed a chosen mate brought a bitter taste in my mouth.


    "Not when my baby needs me." I stiffened, but quickly forced myself to rx my features when she arched a brow. I knew why she was here and if I wished to convince her that I was fine, being worked up would only achieve the opposite. "Walk with me." She shed me her beautiful smile that banished some of the gloom in my soul.


    I descended from the pedestal the seamstress had me standing on and took the hand my mother had offered. She started for the balcony and I followed.


    "Such a beautiful day today," she sighed in contentment when we stepped out in the sun.


    I merely nodded. I did not share her sentiments. The day may have been bright and beautiful, perfect for a royal wedding, but that beauty eluded me.


    "Elian..." Her pitiful look only reminded me of my misfortune. That was not a look I ever wished to inspire in my mother''s eyes. Not on any day and especially not on the day I wed.


    "I know this is not something you wished for, but you could atleast smile for your mother."


    I did. Well, as much as my broken heart would allow and my mother, as always, saw right through it. She cupped my cheeks and I leaned into her touch as though I was still her little prince.


    "A chosen mate does not spell doom and gloom, my son." As my mother spoke, her pitiful look was reced by a more familiar one. The warmth in her eyes radiated all the way to my troubled heart. Even after so many years, I had never quite understood how she did that. How sheforted me without even trying. It reminded me of why I had been desperate to find my mate. There was just something magical about bonds forged by the most natural means. Like a mother''s bond with her child. It was a thing of beauty. So pure and enchanting. I wished to find something as pure as that with my own mate. Beyond birthing strong heirs, beyond the pull, the attraction and everything that came with the mate bond, I longed for that beauty.


    And she took it away from me...all of it. I felt something in me snap and let loose that temper I had worked to tame. Thinking of what I had lost and what could have been enraged me and it renewed my desire to inflict the worst pain. After today, it would be all she''d know.


    "Just give it a chance, okay?" My mother pleaded and I smiled. I would give it more than a chance. My chosen mate would spell doom and gloom, except, not for me.


    "I already have mother." I squeezed back at her hands that had been working on my clenched ones. "Do not worry yourself as I happen to be grateful to the moon goddess for gifting Myrna to me. I could never wish for another." My mate''s beautiful form shed before my eyes, but I easily swatted away the intruding thought. It was time for me to be wed.

 Chapter 6

    With a grip like that, you will surely be dead meat before you can draw in your fleeting breath." Gol spat as he tried to get me to firm my grip on his arm.


    We''d been wrestling all morning. Or he''d been trying to get me to wrestle him. Something about knowing how to make my escape if ever I found myself trapped in the arms of an enemy. It was unlikely, because he''d forbade me from going anywhere without him. And as long as I remained under his roof, I had to follow his orders which he hadid out inly, together with the consequences of breaking any. He had also taken it upon himself to teach me a few ways I could protect myself while in Dovah, just in case. In the month and days we''d lived together, he''d been like a protective father I never had, so I chose not to argue, but be grateful. Today, however, I was simply not in the mood for any of it. Perhaps it had to do with a strange uneasiness I was feeling deep in my soul. I could not exin it, but it leaned close to being a sense of loss. I had fought to banish the thought many times, knowing I had nothing more to lose even if fate wished it so, but it still lingered and had me distracted.


    "I am but a maiden." I protested, making him huff out in exasperation.


    "Dovah cares not for such things." He scolded, his usual calm tone rising a little. For someone who was usually calm, he fascinated me when his temper red on the most unusual things.


    His arms where huge pieces of bulging flesh. Too big for my tiny hands. How he expected me to get a descent grip around them eluded me. "Again!" I flinched at his sharp tone, but obeyed still.


    This was for my good. I had told myself countless times I had to endure him. For an ouw, my punch was too light, my kick was not lethal, my elbow strike was just not quick enough. And with just two legs and no wolf, I would end up dead in Dovah. Bowing to his wishes, I kicked with every intention to prove him wrong, but Gol blocked my strike midair without breaking a sweat, effectively proving his point.


    "Perhaps I should be training with a weapon. A sword maybe?" I reached for the hilt of his own sword, but winced when something hard pped my hand away.


    "You are a wolf. Your body is a weapon in itself. And until you learn how to use it, you will not be allowed near any weapon of the sort."


    "Did I mention that I have not shifted yet and neither have I had my breakfast?" I pouted and I could swear I saw his lips twitch. "Dovah cares not for such things either."


    I sulked. For a moment, I was tempted to point out that I had not chosen this life. Had not chosen to be in Dovah. I wished to point out that everything had been forced on me by fate. But that would mean peeling off the littleyer that had formed over my wounded soul. It would mean taking away the false sense of healing that helped me to keep going at the dawn of each new day.


    Between us, the past was not something that hade up. And apart from thoughtful stares towards me, Gol had never once hinted at wishing to know what had led me to him. I was grateful for that. Perhaps in the distant future, I would be well enough to speak of the tragedy that was my life. Right now however, I had to concede to the fact that I would never be able to do this. Would never be able to beat him. Not when there was no reason to be fighting him in the first ce. Myck of a violent bone in me wouldn''t let me. "Forgive me, Gol, I just don''t see myself fighting without a reason." I was not one to give up, but how could he expect me to beat him when he was a thousand times my size and embodying a ferocius wolf that had probably won countless battles already. I on the other hand wasn''t even sure if I would get a wolf. I hoped thatst bit would not turn out to be true, because then I''d just die. What was a wolf without its wolf?


    "Gol?" Something strange snapped me out of my thoughts. He''d stopped barking orders at me. I looked up and found his gaze on me. My words seemed to have sparked something in him and he had be deathly quiet.


    "G-Gol?" My heart leapt in my throat when a deep growl escaped his lips. "What is it? Are we under attack?" Frantic, I searched the woods that surrounded our shack, but when I came up with nothing I turned back to him and let out a shrill cry. He''d shifted and was stalking me like I was his prey. How was he that quick?


    "G-Gol, it''s me, Sh." I warily eyed his beast. I had never seen his wolf before, and if I thought he was scary in person, his wolf was worse. Like his face, his wolf was covered in countless scars, revealing years of surviving in Dovah. They gave it a look of death. It was a wonder I could still get words out of my mouth while it stalked me. The beast''s crimson eyes stayed on me, watching my every move, which were not many as I was practically frozen on my spot.


    "Gol!" He leapt at me, his heavy weight sending me tumbling to the ground. He''d gone mad! I winced at the contact, but didn''t linger on that however. Acknowledging that Gol had lost his senses by attacking me, my survival instincts had kicked in effortlessly and I fought him with all my might. His canines and ws sought to s***h, to tear, but I held him at bay. My tiny hands that I thought were not good for anything turned out to be my best weapon. With them and my racing heart, I pushed at his neck and kept those canines froming any closer to my face while with my legs I kicked at his belly as hard as I could. I hoped to give him a painful reason to snap out of his rage and let me go.


    The ordeal, however, went on for a few more painful moments before a scary thought urred to me. What if he''d really gone mad? I had heard tales of wolves who''d lost their minds after a tragedy and they had turned into beasts that could kill mercilessly. What if Gol was like any of those? He did look the part with his huge mouth that was dangerously opening and closing seeking to devour me.


    I would die today! The thought had my head filling with frantic thoughts and I grabbed at those lessons he''d so relentlessly tried to teach me. Right now, he was the enemy and I was trapped by him. I was not even sure if wrestling a man would be the same as wrestling a wolf, but I had to try. My life depended on it.


    With my hands that had been merely pushing back. I grabbed at its throat and squeezed as hard as I could, surprising the beast, and while it was distracted, I kicked at its sides with as much force as my lying position would allow. The beast whimpered. And just as quickly as he had leapt at me, he fell back, giving me the needed space to make my escape.


    Breathless, I crawled away from him as he shifted back. I ignored his nakedness and red at his face that bore a sense of aplishment. Wasn''t he even going to apologize for attacking me?


    "What in God''s name was that?!" I growled at him, as in literally, but didn''t stop to marvel at how I did that.


    "Testing a theory." Gol''s lips curved. They never did that and it infuriated me. He almost killed me and yet he had the audacity to be amused?


    "And what was the result of this so called test?" I let the sacarsm drip with my words as my temper red. My skin prickled too, irritating me even more. "Will you not answer me?!" I red at him when he merely gave me that irritating thoughtful look. And the more he stared, the more I wished to w his eyes out. To jump on him and rip something on his body. To taste his blood.


    "Violence, it''s such a tempting thing isn''t it?" He finally spoke, but whatever he''d said only confused me.


    "What?"


    "So is the need to survive it, don''t you think, Sh? But perhaps it''s the desire to taste the blood of your enemy that draws out the best and worst in us."


    I huffed in frustration. Did he choose this moment to be poetic. He was not making any sense and I was about to snap at him when his eyes dropped to his side. Against my better judgment, I followed his gaze and my eyes widened at the sight of his exposed flesh. "D-Did I do that?" His flesh was already healing, but the unmistakable result of the damage I''d done was oh so clear. My eyes flickered to his throat. It was merely covered in red marks, thankfully. "I''m sorry?"


    "You were defending yourself, no need to apologize."


    "Still-"


    "It''s my pleasure to meet your fierce side."


    "My what?" I blinked in surprise. Surely he didn''t mean-


    "It''s a an unusual way for one to sail through this life, but I guess it will have to do. No need to fix what is not broken."


    "Forgive me, but what are you blubbering about?" He was being cryptic once again and normally I would let it be, but whatever he''d spoken was about me and it nagged me to no end. I needed him to make me understand. I was just an ordinary weak maiden, that was apparently not even good enough for her family. So why was he staring at me as if he''d just unearthed a precious gem?


    He did not speak right away, choosing the moment to reach for his garments and covering himself. My impatient heart couldn''t take the dy so I cleared my throat to get his attention, but he only shed me an apologetic smile. "This is something you''ll have to figure out on your own I''m afraid."


    What was there to uncover? I stared at Gol, that sense of worthlessness that had gued me since my rejection overwhelming me. He was wrong. He had to be. I was not fierce. Not in any way he''d painted me out to be. If I was, I would not have let them toss me aside like I was nothing. If I was fierce I would have held my mate''s gaze. Braved those painful words from his mouth when he rejected me.


    The familiar ache assaulted my poor little heart and I fought to keep the tears from falling.


    But you are fierce. You just refuse to acknowledge it.


    "Get out of my head!" I snapped at Gol when his know it all tone echoed in my head. His words only deepened the ache.


    Wait! What! He''d spoken to the inner me! How was that even possible? I had not shifted, he was not my family. Apart from sharing his shelter, we shared nothing else. There was no bond that would make it possible for him to speak to me in that manner. So how was he doing this right now?


    Eyes wide, I stared at him. "How?" Gol merely stared at me as if waiting for me to have an epiphany. But instead of a flood of understanding, pain ripped through my entire being

 Chapter 7

    "What''s happening to me, Gol?" I hunched over grabbing my middle in a futile attempt to keep the searing pain at bay. Wave after wave of pain pounded my insides, taking my breath away. I felt like I was going to die, or burn or shatter into a thousand pieces all at the same time. Some moments felt as though I was being crushed from the inside out. And why wasn''t he carrying me inside? The sun and everything out here was making everything worse. The light was too much for my eyes, the heat from the sun even though it was still morning was burning my skin, and all those soundsing from everywhere where driving me insane. "Gol!" I cried out, hand''s shifting to my head. I could feel it splitting in two, leaving me breathless and barely hanging on to life. "Let go Sh." Gol kept saying that and it infuriated me. How could I when the pain was eating me alive?


    "I''m dying, Gol." I whimpered. It was all too much. Worse than any kind of pain I''d felt before. My legs buckled and I crashed to the ground, my body writhing in pain.


    "You are not dying." His voice was calm, but it did nothing for me. If anything, it only fed the fear brewing inside of me. No matter how much he said it, I still remained convinced that I was about to meet my end. My sad end, to my lonely life. "You are merely getting your wolf."


    Wolf? What wolf?


    "You are shifting."


    Iughed at his answer. Despite all the pain I felt, Iughed. That had to be the most ludicrous exnation to my predicament Gol could ever give me. Although, I could forgive him for it because he knew little to nothing about me. And the topic about birthdays and family had certainly nevere up in any of our conversations so he wouldn''t really know when I was due to shift.


    "My birthday is but many months away. I can''t be getting my wolf." I groaned an exnation.


    "But you are." His serious expression conveyed his belief. I was about to argue. To point out that that was just not possible when a painful growl escaped my lips. Someone or something was ripping me apart. She was ripping me apart.


    In my mind''s eye, the most beautiful creature appeared, their silver eyes boring into mine demanding to be set free.


    It was then that I really believed Gol. I was indeed shifting. But instead of joy, my belief came with the burning reminder that I was all alone. The realization brought with it a wave of panic and a new set of fears. I couldn''t do it. I couldn''t shift. Not without them. "I can''t." I cried out just as my wolf''s demand to be set free showered me with immense pain.


    "Of course you can." That annoyingly calm voice urged me and I growled at him.


    Didn''t he know? What it meant for a wolf toe of age without her family to help walk the path? Without their blood to bond her to them and make her whole? I knew it. It had haunted my every waking day ever since they abandoned me. The sight of the rising sun each morning spoke of the inevitable as my birthday drew ever so near. I had foundfort in the knowledge that I still had time before walking that road, but now it was here. Without so much as a warning. My life as I knew it was about to change and not for the better.


    If I weed my wolf I would forever be a poor lonely soul with a gaping hole in my heart that would forever be my source of sadness. A sadness that would drive me tomit the worst of atrocities just to numb it. My mate would be my saving grace. Our mate bond would mend that gaping hole, but with my being rejected already, solitude remained my fate. The mere thought brought a heavy ache in my soul.


    "I can''t do it without them Gol." Was it even possible to keep myself from shifting?


    "I''m here." Gol offered me his hand, eyes sparkling with something I had never seen in there before. Something warm and reassuring. He cared for me, more than I thought. His gentle expression wormed its way to that ache in my soul and soothed it. I was not certain it would be enough. Whether what hade to be between us would suffice, but I took his hand anyway. It was already bleeding. For me, he bled, spuring me to risk everything too.


    "Let go, Sh." I held Gol''s gaze as I gave in. His hand tightened on mine while his ws sunk in, drawing blood. This was as intimate as family went. Me and Gol would forever be bonded no matter what happened in our futures or after I shifted.


    My wolf was waiting. As soon as I stopped fighting and gave in to its demands, my body was not my own anymore. I should have been mesmerized by it all, but everything was overshadowed by intense pain as every bit of who I was began changing into the other perfect part of myself. Bones painfully rearranged themselves in an unfathomable fashion, taking away my human form and leaving only the beast. I could feel my bare skin being covered with something thick, effectively shielding me from the harsh sun. I groaned when my delicate hands painfully took on the form of paws. Gritted my teeth when every part of me aligned with my new form and by the time everything stopped, my heart still beat like drums in my chest. Or perhaps that was just my perfect wolf hearing. "Magnificent isn''t it?" Gol had a smirk on his face and I agreed with him. Being in my wolf form was magnificent, awe inspiring and everything beautiful I could think of. The pain was certainly worth it, every bit of it.


    My vision was a thousand times sharper, allowing me to see far and wide. My hearing...I shut my eyes and let myself see with my ears as I picked up the tiniest of sounds. Until now, I had never realized all there was to hear in the woods that surrounded me. But perhaps the best part of it all was that I still remained me. The fears that had gued me had note to be. I felt fine, no hint of loneliness I could spot. If anything I felt whole, more than I had ever felt in my life.


    I knew it was thanks to Gol, so I turned to him, to appreciate all he''d done for me, but all I found where a pair of his hind legs fading from my view. He''d taken advantage of my being distracted and shifted.


    "Show me what you possess, little wolf?" He dared me, his challenge all so clear in my mind. We ran after him without a second thought. Not even caring that he''d referred to me as a little wolf. I quickly learned that in that regard, I and my wolf were different. An insatiable need drove my wolf to beat Gol at everything. Standing up to every challenge he presented us and basking in intense pride at his note of approval. He''d leap over branches and she''d easily match his leaps effortlessly until she couldn''t. It wasn''t an impossible jump, but we came crashing right back down moments after making the leap.


    My wolf whimpered before we even hit the ground. We''d been struck, right in the heart. And as the pain spread, so did the heaviest wave of sadness. Perhaps I had spoken too soon. Perhaps what me and Gol shared was not enough after all.

 Chapter 8

    "Make it stop." I pleaded while sweat and tears rolled down my face. After all the pain I endured while shifting, one would think I could bear just about anything. That was not the case. I was hurdled in a corner inside our shack, desperately clutching onto my chest as wave after wave of pain hit me. I had cried, cursed, pressed, rubbed and even hit my chest in a violent manner, but whatever was lodged in there kept on piercing further. Digging deeper into my heart''s flesh and thickening the sadness and sense of loss I felt. "Please... I can''t bear it, Gol." I looked up.


    Gol merely looked on, a thoughtful look pasted on his face. He''d been like that since he''d brought me back to the shack. He''d merely ced me on the bed, covered me up and stood back. I had hoped for more when it dawned on me that no weapon had actually pierced any part of my body. I had hoped that he would figure out what was wrong with me and help, but all he''d done was stare.


    No amount of begging had shaken him out of his state either, but still, I kept on. Still holding on to the hope that he would do something, anything to ease the pain. I was mistaken, and had I not known how much he cared for me, I would have thought he enjoyed seeing me suffer.


    "It will all be over." He finally spoke, but his words brought me no sense offort. And when I found his eyes once again, a knowing look had reced that thoughtful one, but not even that eased the pain I felt. "You have only to hold on until it stops." Hold on? His words reminded me that I was all alone once again. I and my wolf were left to face this monster of pain alone. She had retreated to the crevices of my mind, but we both shared in the ordeal. Perhaps she felt it even more than I did. Painful howls filled my head each time that wave came crashing in and they lingered long after.


    "How long then!" I snapped, hating that even after knowing what ailed me, the one person who could help me would do nothing still. But before Gol could get a word out, everything stopped and I drew in the longest breath I had since the beginning of my painful ordeal.


    I was no longer in pain. That sharp stab to my heart simply vanished like mist in the presence of me.


    "Are you alright?" Gol stepped forward, hands stretched out, but I merely held my hand up in a gesture to keep him froming any closer.


    "Why did you not help me?"


    "Because I couldn''t." Regret shed in his eyes. "Nothing I could have done would have helped you in any way. At the very least, I could have made your situation worse."


    "And how is that?" He was not making much sense. "You knew what was wrong and yet you let me endure it the same?" I couldn''t keep the usation from my tone, neither could I keep from growling at him. "Because this has the markings of a bond being betrayed."


    I stared at him like he had lost his mind. Knowing what I knew, he had to be mistaken. "I do not have a mate!" I spat, my own words stirring something in my heart. My wolf whimpered too. I did not appreciate the feeling. It was as if I was experiencing everything twice. Everything I felt was mirrored to my wolf and back, but dering that fact couldn''t be helped. Gol had to be mistaken. There was no bond to be betrayed. I had made sure of that or he had made certain of it. The mere memory of it threatened to plunge me into another sea of pain. "There is no bond to be betrayed." My words were barely a whisper. And was that shame or regret I felt? I chased the feeling away and focused on Gol. That thoughtful look was back on his face. Together with something else. Something that unsettled me.


    "Are you sure?"


    I opened my mouth to speak but quickly shut it. It was my turn to stare at him thoughtfully. He''d asked if I was sure. Not if I had met my mate. Knowing I had just shifted, that should have been the most probable question and yet it wasn''t.


    "I am." I merely mumbled, seeing no need in exining how I was sure.


    "How so?"


    "It does not matter." I wrapped myself in the nket before reaching for my gown. I wondered what time Gol had brought it in. It should have remained in the ce where I had shifted and yet it hung right next to the bed.


    "Except it does. If being with another she wolf brings you this much pain, it matters a whole damn lot."


    "Well, not to me, it doesn''t." That was a lie, but I wasn''t about to unearth what I was still wishing to forget. Besides, I was fine now. There was no more pain.


    "Sh..." Gol held me back as I walked past him. "I know what you are thinking."


    "And what might that be?" Wishing to protect myself, I wiggled out of his hold and stood back, arms wrapped around myself.


    "That this will not happen again, but it will."


    "Then I will simply endure it." I bit back. What else was there to do?


    "As long as your bond still remains, each time he takes a she wolf, it will happen. Again and again. With each time being worse than thest."


    I hated the picture he kept painting. More so because I could picture Myrna, with her smug smile, unting how she had gotten everything that should have been mine. I hated imagining my mate buried deep inside her, relishing the pleasure she would give him. I hated being alive and being able to have such visions. But more than that, I hated what Gol was not saying. That truth hidden among his words. He didn''t have to say it and as much as I wished to deny it, I could feel it too. Despite being rejected, I was still bound to my mate somehow. If it were not so, thoughts of him wouldn''t hurt this much. Picturing him with my sister or any other she wolf wouldn''t pierce my soul this much.


    "But how could it ever remain if I was rejected?" There was no surprise in Gol''s eyes over my rejection and I chose not to inquire how he''d known.


    "You would have had to ept his rejection for your bond to-"


    "But I did ept his re-" I froze, thinking back to the moment I had opened my mouth to ept the prince''s rejection. It was so painful, I could not even bring myself to look at him while I spoke. But then, he''d interrupted me...he''d interrupted me! I felt the ground under me shift and my legs want to buckle. "He didn''t let me." I was trapped in the bond... by my own mate.


    "Sh..." I stopped by the door, hand already on its handle when Gol called.


    "Air." I mumbled. I needed something more than that, but I was not about to confess that to Gol. "I just need to breathe." With that I stepped out and I was d he made no other attempt to stop me.


    The sun was high up in the sky by the time I stepped out of the shack. It was midday I assumed, blinking up at the bright hot rays. Despite the heat from the sun, however, I felt cold. On my body, my heart and soul. I pulled at my garment to cover up some more, but as I suspected, nothing changed. Why would it anyway when fate had ensured it.


    I walked away wondering why. Why would he do it? For a moment, something flickered in my heart, but was hastily doused bymon sense. I was the one in Dovah, while Myrna remained at his side. There was nothing there in his heart for me. Except, disdain, hatred and a mighty huge desire to get back at me where it would hurt the most. Revenge... That had to be it. Rejecting me was not enough. Banishing me from the only home I''d ever known was not enough. He had to ensure I suffered in the most painful way and for how long? As long as I lived?


    What kind of person was he to punish someone for the rest of their lifetime? I found myself strangely grateful for what had befallen me. Grateful for being rejected as such a person would never be deserving of my love.


    I had betrayed our bond, but at least I had an excuse for hurting him, what was his?


    My thoughts drew me to a ce behind our shack. To a spot I had promised myself to forget thest time I stood over it. The precious ring was buried there and as I unearthed it, I thanked the moon goddess for it. It still bore that heaviness in my hands, but I chose to ignore it. Whatever it was or meant, I would face itter. Right now, my survival instincts were focused on self preservation. I stood by that spot for God knows how long pondering on what to do until I settled on one choice.


    I knew I could do nothing about the punishmentvished on me by my mate, but perhaps putting a great distance between the prince and I would save me from it. The ring would be my saving grace in that regard. I only needed to exchange it for gold, then I would be free to travel to the furthest kingdom of our realm. But to do that, I had to revisit my past onest time. The capital of Xatis was the only ce I knew where I could do such an exchange without being robbed, without Gol. Or so I thought as I shot an apologetic look towards the shack before deciding to shift. It was ungrateful of me, but I couldn''t risk him stopping me.


    "You need to eat something." I jumped, startled at Gol''s sudden appearance. He knew... I could see it in his eyes when I met his gaze. He knew what I was thinking and he was going to stop me, force me to stay or at the very least force me to consider whatever n I had cooking in my head.


    "I do not feel like eating." That was the truth, but I also needed him to let me be so that I could be on my way. It was wishful thinking if indeed he had an inkling of what I was up to, but I still hoped. "It''s your favorite."


    "What do you think you are doing?" I felt a wave of dizziness when he suddenly dragged me by the hand and almost made me trip. His grip was firm and I wondered if that was to keep me from falling or from escaping. The urgency with which he dragged us back to the shack also left me thinking he was being a little bit weird. It was so unlike him. "Gol?!"


    He paused and appraised me for a moment at my protest before resuming our movement. "It''s been a couple of hours and you have had nothing to eat." He forced me to sit down once we got inside and ced a bowl of rabbit soup in front of me. My very recent favorite food... My stomach growled as if to agree with Gol, but I could not me it either. The aroma was to die for and even if I had a pending engagement, I found myself reaching for the spoon and digging in.


    "It would give me extra strength for the journey." I reasoned as I shoved the spoonful into my mouth. One bite and I was lost. Gulping mouthfuls greedily. I was not one to have favorite foods, but ever since Gol made that soup, I wished to have it every single day. It was the perfect bribe he could offer me. For the time being anyway. "That was delicious." I looked up sheepishly after draining every drop from the te.


    "There is more where that came from." Amusement danced in his eyes and I blushed at how udylike I had just behaved in front of him. It was not that I had been the perfectdy in front of him, but I guessed this was a bit too much. "You do not have to be embarrassed for someone in your condition."


    "In my condition? What condition?" Rejected, yet cursed to suffer at her mate''s unfaithfulness? I stared at Gol confused.


    "You are with child."


    "What?!" I knew he was being weird a moment ago, but this?


    "It is written all over your face. You are glowing."


    "That is ridiculous, even for you." I unconsciously reached for my face thinking whatever he saw there were merely the results of my embarrassment. His assumptions had to be ridiculous.


    "Except I''m not being ridiculous, Sh." The serious expression on his face had me shifting nervously on my spot. "I smelled it the moment you shifted. And well everything else points to that fact." His gaze flickered to the empty bowl of soup and my spoon slipped from my hands.


    "I-Is that why I have been craving rabbit soup?" Craving? My own choice of words left a bitter taste in my mouth. This had to be a joke. It had to be! I couldn''t be pregnant just after one regrettable time. I didn''t even know who the father was... "Among other things, yes. And you should know we are almost out of rabbits the entire forest. I might have to break somews by hunting in those forbiddennds. Should be plenty there."


    "Is this a joke?" I red at Gol for choosing this moment to reveal what I thought was his dark humor.


    "Which part? The rabbit or-"


    "Gol!" I couldn''t take it and sprang up from my seat. I did not believe a damn thing he''d said but a lump lodged itself in my throat still. "Don''t." I swatted his hand that sought to keep me from walking out.


    "Sh..."


    I ran out and was about to shift when I felt Gol''s strong hand on my shoulder. "Perhaps, now is not the time to-"


    "Are you serious?!" I fought the tears that threatened to fall.


    "Yes. Not until a doctor says you can."


    "A doctor? And what do you propose I should pay for those services with, huh?! Ished out, hating that once again I was being forced to walk a path I had no desire to tread. I possessed nothing and yet fate still insisted on burdening me still. My own words surprised me too. It was as if a part of me had epted this innocent life I was not even sure was growing inside of me. "How will I raise-"


    "Breathe." Golmanded. "We''ll figure this out together."


    "Together? He''s not even yours!" I knew he was not the enemy, but I hated how Gol made this sound like it was some simple urence in my life that could be dealt with easily.


    "He?"


    "What?"


    "You said ''he''. Pretty strange for a she-wolf to want a son."


    "Stop distracting me, you know what I mean." I huffed.


    "One day at a time, hmmm?" Gol cupped my cheeks, that fatherly lookforting me instantly. Was this the reason he''de into my life or I hade into his? In this moment, my sanity remained intact only because of his presence.


    "I don''t even know its father, Gol." I wasn''t going to cry, but the thought unearthed all the painful memories I thought I had tucked away. The ones I wished to forget. The ones that the mere sight of this child would bring to my remembrance each waking day. What if


    I would be unable to love this child because of it? Was I even fit to be its mother after the manner in which it was conceived? My mind flooded with every reason this should not have been happening, but as my hand caressed my belly, something warm flooded my soul. Afort I did not anticipate covered me like a warm nket on a cold winter''s night and I smiled.


    Perhaps, in a far awaynd, far far away from the source of all my pain, I would be able to love. My child would be okay. My child... Looking down at my non-existent baby bump, I knew I had a new reason to trade that ring.

 Chapter 9

    "The people are getting anxious, your Majesty." I red at the assembly of council men, seeking to spot whoever had dared to anger me so early in the morning. The sun was not yet up and I had barely put my behind on the seat reserved for me at the head of the table before the culprit dared to open his mouth. It was the usual practice, but my mood this morning was not exactly as usual. It hadn''t been for a while now. I was more beast that human and that person should have discerned that. That is if they wished to keep their head on their shoulders. "Over what exactly?!" I growled, ready to pounce when my zing eyes spotted him.


    "You promised to y nice, Your Majesty." I felt a hand rest on mine as Rakon spoke over the mind link and it earned him a re too. "Remember, this is for Xatis. You can''t keep executing men for simply speaking."


    "I damn well can, even for simply breathing!" I bit back, meaning every word and Rakon only sighed, probably convinced by what had made for my very recent gory past. My hands were stained with the blood of men whom I had not cared for their innocence except for their disobedience. If I shed blood this morning however, that blood would be on Rakon''s hands for insisting I be the politician I was expected to be and attend this useless council meeting.


    The council chambers was not where I wished to be. Not today. If I had my way, I would have been in my bed drowning in wine or catching up on that amount of sleep I had been so forced to give up. But as the new king of Xatis, rising early was a fate I was expected to endure. Sleep was simply a luxury I could not afford and drowning in wine had led kings to their downfall apparently. It was ironic that I could not enjoy such simple pleasures.


    I had taken over from my father. Crowned king in the most majestic ceremony. The whole of Xatis had celebrated for a whole month. Congrattory messages had poured from far and wide. I had no doubt everyone had blessed the moon goddess on my behalf and prayed for my reign to be peaceful and sessful and yet here I was. Out of my bed, seeking to shed the blood of the men charged with ruling beside me while all themoners still remained under thefort of their nkets. It was as if my life had been turned upside down and I was the ve and not Xatis''s king. I was failing and I hated it.


    There was just so much that needed my attention. The trade routes had been met with enemypetion and the kingdom was losing money. That in turn affected the farmers. With no safe way to trade, most of the producey rotting in our barns. And unhappy farmers made unhappy husbands and that trickled further to make unhappy wives. I couldn''t have a bunch of those. No one knew better than me how much trouble an unhappy wife could be, so I had put away the simple luxuries of sleep and rest to avert that trouble. But despite all my efforts, there was always something not going right, someone needing something more, a part of Xatis that was not happy with its king.


    However, what the man was alluding to was something of my doing, entirely. My biggest failure as king or was it fate''s doing? Perhaps that was the reason hearing of my people''s anxiety angered me so much.


    I bored my murderous gaze into the noble who had dared to highlight what I had known since the day I wed my queen. The man swallowed hard, beads of sweat appearing on his brow as he struggled to find the right words that would not anger me any further. What he didn''t know, what they all didn''t know, was that, merely waking up angered me. And that was in no way because of the thousand tasks that awaited me each day or myck of sleep or rest. This was something different, strange too. It was responsible for the beast I''d be. It was something lodged somewhere deep within. In a ce I seemed not to be able to reach. All I knew was that it affected me and my wolf. There was simply no appeasing either of us. Not even with wine. And the fact that the reason for it had kept eluding me no matter how much I pondered on it, had resulted in my constant foul mood that put everyone around me at risk of their necks being shed if they so much as stepped a toe out of line.


    "Well..." the man croaked out, his throat as dry as a twig used to light a fire. "With no announcement of a royal heir''s banquet, everyone is beginning to worry for his Majesty''s and Xatis''s future." I was tempted to roll my eyes at that concern. It was too early for anyone to think I would never birth any heirs, but I understood why my own people would be anxious.


    My chosen mate, my queen, was still without a child in her belly. I clenched my fists at the thought of that reality. Despite having consumated our marriage on our wedding night and each day after that, she still smelled the same. Her scent had not changed to speak of the conception of my heir. It was a disappointing start to my reign and our chosen bond. With no heir conceived on our wedding night, my children would be ordinary princes and wolves. But that did not mean I was about to indulge these hungry politicians in my bedroom affairs.


    I was about tosh out as my anger red, but something odd happened. My raging emotions calmed in an instant and the strangest set of words left my lips. "If my people are anxious, let them seek the face of their king and pour their hearts out in my hearing." Surprise registered on the faces in the council chambers, with a few donning looks of triumph. I knew those snakes that sought to control me and my soft answer must have convinced them of the beginning of their victory. I couldn''t have that. As much as that calmness overtook me, I couldn''t afford to look weak. "Of course, if they are bold in enough to stand in their king''s presence, I hope they are bold enough to endure his verdict too."


    "O-Of course, your highness." The man who''d brought the matter to my attention sat down quicker than he had stood. No doubt afraid that I would be handing out a punishment to him. He would have received one, but even in my anger, I perceived that he was merely a puppet of some strong noble house that would rather hide in the shadows than face me.


    "Cowards."


    "Perhaps if you had marked her on your wedding night, we would not be in this situation."


    That scheming snake! I red at the man who had just spoken, hating that I could do absolutely nothing to him in this setting. Being from one of the notable noble houses, I couldn''t unleash the fate I desired on him. Not if I did not wish for the whole kingdom to rise up against me. The fool knew it too, going by the smug smile he donned. And if not for Rakon''s hand that held me down on my seat, my canines would have sunk in his throat already, damn the consequences.


    "Lord Evarius, since when did your king''s bedroom matters be your concern?" I spat through gritted teeth. He''d been hounding me on the matter but I had ignored him. But now that it was out in the council, this was about to get political. A seed had been nted to highlight my inadequacies and if not dealt with hastily it would lead to many doubting my capabilities as a king and a man. I would have argued that reasoning earlier to keep the matter from getting to this point, but the truth was, neither I knew why I hadn''t. If I had marked Myrna, perhaps as Lord Evarius imed, I would not be in this situation, but something had kept me from doing it that night and every other day and night after that.


    I still did not understand it, but one thing I was certain of was that I owed no one any exnantion over my actions. Whether I marked my queen or not, was a matter between me and my chosen mate and since I knew this to be simply a ploy to highlight my ipetences as a king, I chose to indulge the man. Well, that is if one would call using a man of treason indulging.


    "Did my queen perhaps seek thefort of your bossom over the matter or perhaps you wish for her to bear your mark?"


    "Your Majesty!" Lord Evarius eximed, feigning shock while the rest of the council spoke loudly amongst themselves at the usation.


    "Well that''s one way to get a dog to behave." Rakon chuckled in our mind link, but I found nothing amusing about the matter. I had hit a nerve. Lord Evarius was many things, but he was not one to make his emotions known so carelessly, making me wonder what that disy was meant to hide from me. "Forgive me, your Majesty. It was not my intention to anger y-"


    Noise... That was what that meaningless apology was and it only served to anger me and remind me of my many failures as king. I could not even tame my own council.


    Or perhaps nothing that had befallen me was the problem. Not my enemies in this council or outside. Not myck of sleep or rest. Not the many things going wrong in Xatis. It was her. My wretched mate and her betrayal. Finding her should havepleted me. With her by my side, I would have been perfect at this. Just like father had been with mother at his side.


    Finding my mate however, had been my undoing. My curse. She was the reason everything refused to go right. Even when I had done the worst to punish her, I had found no satisfaction as I had hoped. And as I listened to the mockery of an apology, I sought blood. Perhaps one less enemy would sooth the beast in me. The calm I had felt earlier was long gone and only anger raged.


    "Your Majesty?" I ignored Rakon as I indulged my dark side. My eyes were set on Lord Evarius''s neck, watching as his vein pulsed each time his fearful heart beat in his chest. It was the first time I let the alpha in me loose, making everyone in the council bow as I showed them who was king. Canines elongated on their own ord while my ws itched to tear at that pulsing. My tongue longed to taste the warm metallic taste and just before I leapt I was tackled to the ground. My ws shed and Rakon''s pained growl snapped me out of my daze.


    "Damn it, Elian!" He was on all fours and still in his human form which exined how I had been able to strike him so easily. "Have you gone mad?"


    "Stay out of my way!" I growled.


    "That fool is not worth the trouble."


    "I do not care!" I ignored Rakon once again as shifted my focus back to my treacherous prey.


    "They found the ring!"


    "What?!" The news wiped what remained of my rage instantly. "This had better not be one of your stupid ploys, Rakon!" I warned.


    "Well, we won''t know if you keep insisting on staining the council chambers with bitter blood."


    Hearing that something had finally gone right, I sprang to my feet and was out of the council chambers in a sh. Relief, joy and something I did not recognize washed over me as I itched to get my hands on the long lost treasure. I was already in the hallway leading to my study when Rakon caught up.


    "As per your instruction, the ring and its bearer are already inside your study." I nodded, thinking nothing of his words as my mind readied itself to meet the stranger I had deflowered that night. Was it the same person as the ring bearer? And why was my heart fluttering all of the sudden? My wolf was acting strange too, forcing me to pick up my pace. I had to get in there.


    I was a few paces from my study when a familiar sweet sugary scent filled my nose and I froze. What was she doing here?! Realization had me ring in my best friend''s direction.


    "What did you do?!" Because he was the only one to sing about her innocence and chastize me over what a mistake the fate I hadvished on her was, I held him by his neck and mmed him into the wall. My w marks on the side of his face were already fading and I was ready re-print them if he did not start talking.


    "What the hell?!" Surprise flickered in Rakon''s eyes, but I knew better. If he had dared to disobey me on this matter, his would be the blood I would be spilling right this minute. "What did I do now?" He didn''t bother to fight me and merely stared at me, confusion clouding his eyes. It was unlike him and had I been in my right frame of mind, his state would have convinced me of his innocence. "Whatever it is, I swear I know nothing of this." Rakon finally caught on when I did nothing but re at him. "Someone just mindlinked iming they''d found an ouw, a maiden in the capital bearing your ring. She had been trying to exchange it for gold."


    "An ouw?" That one word brought my whole world to a stop. It couldn''t be! As my mind pieced together every other thing Rakon had hastily spewed out of his mouth, I couldn''t help but think of the first andst time I had been in the forgotten vige. An ouw... that''s what she would be after I banished her.


    "Thats what the message said." Rakon growled, his hand massaging his neck. "What is this? Do not tell me you have changed your mind now that it has been found." Rakon frowned.


    That was definitely not it, but what were the odds of it being what I thought it to be? My legs refused to work, but I willed them to as I took determined steps towards my study. I had to know.

 Chapter 10

    Fate hade to bite me in my behind. The moment I had stepped into my study and had been bathed in waves and waves of that sweet scent, I knew that to be true. It was her.


    She still held on to the ring. That familiar piece of jewellery I had held so many times before while I dreamed of gifting it to the one who''d held my heart even without knowing. My perfect other half...her. "How do you have that?" My voice was barely a whisper but she''d heard it as recognition shed in her beautiful eyes. She had shifted! I wanted to howl in jubtion, just as I had the day I''d met her. "His highness asked you a question!" Someone sneered, but I was too distracted to care.


    She''d pinned me with a hard stare, but I did not care for it either. She was giving me all the attention I had desired the first time I saw her. Her zing silver eyes...those beautiful things dangled her very furious wolf in front of me, making my insides melt. Suddenly I wished to meet her. To meet her wolf. I had every reason to believe hers would be the most glorious thing to ever grace my sight.


    "I don''t know!" Her growl knocked me off my feet. If I thought her voice was beautiful, this animalistic version of it was simply soul melting. I slumped in my seat, unable to take in this magical creature that was my mate. My mate...I blinked, my mind choosing that very moment to remind me of my mistake. She was no longer mine!


    The truth mmed into me, burning every one of my fantasies to ash as her zing eyes and the hate in them thrust me down memoryne anew. Back to the exact moment I made certain of it. Only this time the path wasid with thorns. Briarsced with poison. My own poison. I shifted in my seat as that poison seeped all the way down to my soul. The treacherous things pierced, shed and stung as I was forced to face every bitter word, every usation, the punishment I had so generouslyvished on her...My choice of a chosen mate...


    "I do hereby reject you Sh, as my mate and future queen. As for you Myrna, I choose you today as my chosen mate, future queen and the mother to my heirs.


    If cutting out my tongue would have served to unsay those words, I would have dly begged for the sharpest dagger to get the deed done. Regret did not even begin to describe how I felt as I relived what just turned out to be my worst mistake. I wished I had the power to turn back the hands of time. I was never one to make such childish wishes, but in that moment, as I stared at the royal jewel in her hands, I was as a clueless child wishing upon the stars. I couldn''t help but wish hers was not the dress I had slipped the ring into. I wished the maiden who''d perfectly fit every part of me that night and made me feel things I had not felt before was not her. I wished the memory of that night was a mere fantasy conjured up by my drunken mind.


    "You don''t know? Do you think this is a joke? Your king asked you-"


    "He''s no king of mine. He''s nothing to me!"


    "He''s nothing to me!" Her gaze was every bit bitter, her voice....that sweet sound suddenly turned into the sharpest of weapons, piercing my heart with her deration and making the regret brewing in my soul thicken. My eyes flickered to my best friend. I did not know what I sought there, but Rakon''s apologetic expression spoke of the hopeless situation unfolding before my eyes. I was all on my own...like she had been when I so selfishly tossed her aside without so much as giving her a chance to speak for herself. "How do you have that?" Despite the obvious, my misced hope had me repeating my question as I prayed for my wishes toe to true.


    "I did not steal the damn thing! Neither do I know how it got into my garment and if his Majesty wishes to have it back, he can have it!" My mate growled as the ring she''d thrown my way rolled andnded at my feet. It was a great insult to Xatis, to me as its king, but it wasn''t my pride that was wounded as she confirmed what I''d feared.


    "She just lost her innocencest night in a less than morus way." I dared to look up, sought my mate''s eyes as her sister''s words hit me. The words that had pierced my heart and changed everything. They still rang true. My mate was still guilty. She had betrayed our bond. She was tainted... and I was the reason she had be all that. Me! I had betrayed us and she had paid for it all!


    My wolf whimpered as a sharp pain shed my heart, sending me sinking further in my seat. What had I done? My throat tightened when my gaze fell on my mate.


    She was ring at my soldier, making me realize that I was still putting her through hell with all this unnecessary interrogation. She was no thief. What kind of a monster was I?


    "Are you calling his highness a liar?! You dare insult your-"


    I was on my soldier''s throat before his blow couldnd on her face.


    "Your Majesty!" Rakon was by my side in a sh, eyes begging me to let the man go as he was merely doing was he was charged to do, but instinct to protect my mate over ran every rational part of my being. I didn''t even stop to think how that was possible when I had rejected her. Or was it my sorry attempt at righting all my wrongs against her.


    "Don''t you dare!" My canines sank in the soldier''s flesh and I would have teared at it if not for the presence of another surprising scent that had me and my wolf snapping towards our mate. Now that I was this close, I could smell it. It was still faint, but there was no mistaking it. With my sins momentarily forgotten, I drew closer and inhaled.


    Right in the midst of her sweet sugary scent, hid that natural scent of a pregnant she wolf that I had sought to smell on my chosen mate since our wedding night. Was it mine? I couldn''t help the warm feelings that bubbled within me at the thought.


    I let the man fall to the ground and pinned my mate with my gaze. "Is it mine?" I had no right, but I couldn''t stop myself. Despite what I had done, I wished for that child to mine. And because the thought of another wolf iming her and being the father of her unborn child was driving me all kinds of insane. But instead of the answer I sought, another sharp pain struck my insides as my eyes widened at my mate. With hands clenched at her sides, the sight was a familiar one. ... No! My hands clutched at my chest as I felt my heart shatter. She was in pain too. As cracks formed in our bond, pain seeped through, overwhelming me, but she kept speaking as if it was nothing, making me realize just how much I had hurt her if she could endure this much. "I, Sh, do hereby ept your rejection."

 Chapter 11

    I was caught off guard! Once when the most enticing scent overwhelmed my senses. Twice when he had stepped through that door in all his majestic glory. And thrice when his eyes locked on mine.


    used of stealing from the king of Xatis, I had sworn a thousand times, dering my innocence when the first buyer whoid his eyes on the precious ring had alerted the king''s guard. The man''s excitement was written all over his face at the unusual find, he imed and I was only too happy at not having to struggle to find a buyer in the crowded capital. Little did I know that the buyer''s excitement had nothing to do with the actual jewel, but with the reward that came with finding the jewel. He''d asked to wait for him as he had gone out back to collect my payment. He''d imed the ring''s worth of gold was not something he kept in his little shop, but when the man returned with men dressed in familiar royal colours, I wished I had listened to Gol. I wished I had stayed in Dovah. I was arrested on the spot for simply being in possession of the rare piece of jewellery that I only learned then was stolen. By me apparently. I couldn''t let them drag me to the pce. Not only because I was no thief, but because I knew of the possibilty of meeting the prince, my ex mate and because of the little matter of my being banished from Xatis. I might not have been a thief, but being an ouw in the capital still made me awbreaker that was worse than a thief. And given my past with the prince, I had no doubt he would seek the worst punishment for me.


    I had pleaded with the man who''d bound me like amon thief to let me go, but my pleas had fallen on deaf ears. My precarious position would not let me give up however, as I shamelessly narrated how I hade in the possession of the ring. Of course the menughed. With my not so mourous garment and looks, they had looked me over with distaste, before warning me against tarnishing his highness''s name by what I was insinuating. I had insisted that I spoke nothing but the truth, even offered to give up the precious ring to prove my innocence, but those wretched guards had dragged me to the pce still. Insisting that I was to face the king and only he could dere my innocence.


    The journey was overwhelming as I envisioned all the ways my monster of a mate would have me punished for a crime I did notmit. I could only hope the king was a just man and would hear me out before dering his judgement and that I would note face to face with my mate. Of course I should have known that fate was not in the business of granting me anything.


    I was being held by the soldiers in a fancy study inside the pce when the first of my hopes shattered. It was just the mate bond, but now that I had shifted, the temptation was overwhelming. Citrus with a hint of wine or berries, I was not sure, but the scent was every bit enticing, alluring, a wee pleasuring of my senses and only the guard holding me down kept me from springing up from my seat and dashing out of the fancy room to seek out its source.


    I did not even like citrus, but my wolf and I greedily inhaled as we longed to be bathed whole in it. We did not have to wait too long too. The door opened wide and we got our fill as my wolf howled in my head... mate! The entire room flooded with his scent and I could have sworn a moan slipped out of my mouth as it caressed my senses in ways that made me desire to be touched by him. I had not evenid my eyes on him yet, but I knew his were the only hands I wished to caress every part of my skin, bringing me untold pleasures. Then he finally stepped through and all air was knocked out of my lungs.


    I had never seen a more perfect creature. It was as if I were seeing him for the very first time. Were men said to be beautiful too? Because my mate was. Breathtaking.


    I should have been halfway around the realm, away from him, but all I wished for in that moment was to draw ever so closer to him. Against my better judgement, I had allowed myself to dream. For a fleeting moment, I had indulged. I had let myself be drawn in by his gaze. Eyes deep as the ocean, beckoning me to dive to its depths with a deathly symphony. Everything in me had screamed, ached to be in his arms. Until he spoke.


    "How do you have that?" As sweet as that voice was and as much as it felt like the best caress on my soul, it snapped me back to the reason I had been dragged to the pce. It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to get my head working again, to break out of my daze and see him for who he really was. A monster in my mate''s skin, but when my eyesnded on his crown, I had realized he was something more too. Something that threatened to turn my whole world upside down. He was no longer a prince, but a king! And remembering the soldier''s usation, I had prayed to the gods to spare me more heartache, but I had seen it in his eyes. Realization, regret and a thousand emotions I did not wish to see on his face. Everything screamed of the truth I was ready to deny. Even fate would not be that cruel...


    "If you did not walk into his room, then which low life did you end up in bed with?" Myrna''s words spoke of how cruel fate could actually be. I was its puppet, had been even when I did not know it. And even when I knew that I could not escape it, I chose to fight. "I, Sh, do hereby ept your rejection." I mumbled, ignoring my mate''s question while pain shot up in every part of me. Our bond cracked and it was killing me, but I rode the wave, hoping it would be over soon. There was no way I was letting him anywhere near me or my baby.


    We were both panting by the time everything stopped. And now that I was finally free of him, I did not need to be banished a second time. I stood to leave.


    "No!" His deep growl filled up the entire room before taking menacing steps towards me. I stood my ground, determined to show him and fate that I was done being hurt by either of them, but the bastard simply smiled before yanking me by the arm and pulling me sh to his muscled chest. "Mine!" He growled and I wished to protest. Wished to dere that I was no longer his, but the sparks that erupted with his touch left me with my lips pursed and a painful realization that with fate, nothing was ever that simple.

 Chapter 12

    I was a monster after all...her monster. I brought my cup of wine to my lips, relishing its sweet taste while a sense of victory caressed my insides. She was still mine. She''d cursed, sworn and called on the powers that be to strike me dead, but none of that was going to stop me from keeping her from leaving. How could she expect me to let her go after what I''d learned. We were still bonded! How that was even remotely possible had eluded me. If not for those sweet sparks and the obvious way she reacted to my touch and I to hers, the thought would have never ured to me until it was toote.


    Once she had epted my rejection, there was no doubt of our bond breaking as evidenced by the onught of pain on me and my wolf right after, but once that pain had finally ceased and my wolf had a semnce of control back, the desire to reim her had been instant. For a moment I had thought it was my regret and my desperate need to earn her forgiveness talking, not until I hadid my hands on her and been proven otherwise. The discovery had only served to deepen the desire to reim. I had been granted one more chance!


    Pronouncing a guilty judgement andbelling her a criminal to keep her from leaving was probably not the best way to make use of that chance, but I had my reasons. With the pce walls having eyes and ears, I could not risk letting the knowledge of my mate''s presence falling into the wrong hands. A maiden who had been brought to my study bound and then suddenly seen walking out free would send tongues wagging and wolves sniffing out in ces they had no business sniffing. I only needed a few hours to keep the lie up and she would finally be free.


    Her face was distorted with rage as she was led away and as much as it killed me to see her in that position, I let the lie y out, knowing her natural reaction to my injustice sold it perfectly. It was one more sin against her that I would need atoning for but so be it. The sun was way over the horizon now and as I stared out at the ssh of colour, I couldn''t help the smile that broke out of my lips. Colour... That''s what she was. A ssh of colour to my otherwise bleak existence. My temper had simmered with her presence and anyone would mistake me for a calm king. She was perfect. With all her rage and cursing, she was perfect and I thanked the heavens for granting me one more chance. Somewhere in my thought journey, I had also thanked the moon goddess for letting it be her that had stumbled into my room at the inn.


    I had shamelessly turned the memories of that night over and over again in my head. Reliving the parts I could remember vividly. And now that I knew that the stranger was my mate, I couldn''t stop the raging desire to have her again.


    "Your Majesty." Furyced Rakon''s voice probably because of the awkward position I had ced him in when as the captain of the king''s guard, he had to be the one to drag my mate to the dungeons. "How is she?" I ignored my best friend''s piercing gaze entirely,


    "She still wants your head or something worse." He spat, eyes flickering to my pants in warning. "Now will you tell me what the hell is going on because stupidity has never been your strong suit, your majesty." "She''s pregnant." I ignored his insult too, knowing I deserved it after what he''d witnessed.


    "She''s what?! Are you sure? Is it even yours?" I growled at hisst question. "You know what I mean." He reached for the wine and gulped it all down hastily. "So what was this?"


    "Protecting my mate."


    "You call that protecting her?! And what do you mean mate? Did she not just ept your rejection?"


    "That is what I need Liira for." And talking about the oldest royal-


    "What is the meaning of this, your majesty?" Liira, the only person I could trust with what I needed done stood in front of me, arms akimbo. Her stance spoke of the kind of rtionship we shared.


    "Must it always take a royal summon for me to get to see you grandmother?"


    "Thisd imed it was a matter of life and death." Liira red at the messenger before turning back to me with arched eyebrows.


    "I figured news of my impending death might get you to reconsider."


    She scoffed. "And how did that work out for you?"


    "You are here aren''t you?" She''d taken her damn time, but that was something I had expected, knowing her dislike for the royal pce. It also gave me enough time to prepare for all the scolding that would being my way. "I need you to do something." "Don''t they all." She scoffed as she reluctantly approached me. As the best nurse in the military hospital, attending to more men than anyone, I understood her remark. It was in no way aint, however, as it was her favourite past time. Away from the treacherous walls of the pce. "Out with it." She urged.


    "I need you to do an examination on someone." Being out in the open, my voice was low, making her frown.


    "What kind of an examination?"


    "I need you to determine if the said person is with child and how far along they are."


    Happiness shed in her eyes, but I shook my head. "It is not the queen."


    "Oh?"


    "Will you do it?"


    "You have many midwives in the pce, so why trouble an olddy like me?" Arms folded, she bored her eyes into mine with that unmistakable scrutiny.


    "I wish for no one to know. At least not yet."


    "Hmm. This person, who does she happen to be?"


    I sighed, knowing she wouldn''t let that go and neither could I afford to lie to her. "My mate."


    Eyes wide, she pulled me to the side before scanning our surrounding for intruders. "And you choose to tell me this in the open?"


    "Well, you always did insist that the garden was more-"


    "Not for such a delicate matter, it''s not!" She scolded as she led me away from the garden and into the pce. Many servants cleared the hallways at the sight of her, while the curious ones risked res to get a glimpse of the rare face of the matriarch. Of course, Liira did not bother with the curious eyes as she led me up to my least visited part of the pce. The hallways were quiet, not even the presence of guards. Just as she preffered her wing to be. ording to her, it lessened the possibility of enemies lurking in the shadows. Which mattered less since she opted to spend her days away from the pce. "Now what business have you wedding a chosen mate when you found your true mate?!"


    I flinched at her tone. "It''s a long story I''m afraid."


    She pinned me with a pointed look. "If you expect me to do any of this, you are going to have to do better than that, your majesty." No surprise there. Like a child threatened, I fell into narrating the whole ordeal, while I endured her res, frowns, and scolding looks from her, but by the time my narration ended, she wore a broad smile. That was not the reaction I expected from the woman. At the very least, a speech aimed at scolding would have been fitting, but only because I was a king and raising one''s hand to a king could attract the worst of punishments for the perpetrator. The worst being death if the king so desired. Though I highly doubted it would evere to that as no one would really be willing to carry out such a sentence as it would only expose them to the worse wrath of the matriarch.


    "What is there to smile about?" I raised a brow.


    "Because for once, yourck of control may have just saved you from suffering the worst heartache known to a wolf." Her gaze shamelessly flickered to my bottom garments and it took me a moment to catch her line of thought. When I did, I was still confused, however, and she tsked at my slowness to understand.


    "I do not get it."


    She rolled her eyes. "It means you have this little gift growing inside your mate''s belly for saving your bond." I''d never heard of wolves being bonded by a pregnancy before but that did not make me any less grateful for it. "Of course it doesn''t mean you are out of the woods yet."


    "How so?"


    "If you do not mark her by the time she bears your heir, you can kiss the fragile link between you goodbye."


    "You mean I have as little as the months of her pregnancy to win her heart?"


    "Good luck with that." Rakon scoffed in the mind link and I red at him. Hearing that I could lose her all over again brought a bitter taste in my mouth.


    "From your narration, it''s actually less." I frowned and Liira rolled her eyes yet again. "From what you expect me to discover and ording to your ount, I''d say she''s been pregnant for a little while already. So if you still wish to have her in your life after you meet your son or daughter, I suggest you get on with it."


    If I still wished to have her? That was definitely not a question.


    "You should probably also know that for your bond to bepletely restored, she has to be willing to take your mark. Meaning, you can only mark her after she has marked you." Now that was the question!

 Chapter 13

    Nothing was ever that simple anymore... Why wasn''t it? A tightness invaded my chest at a question as simple as that. Having woken up to the sight of all the luxury I had never known, dressed in the most expensive gown I had ever worn, I longed for simple. I longed for my life that had always been simple. A humble home, loving parents, the best sister. Wecked many things, but never happiness. Even though we lived in the forgotten vige, a ce shunned by many, my days had always been filled with light,ughter and loving embraces. I had been like a bird. Free to spread my wings and fly.


    But now, all that seemed like a distant memory. I was still that bird, but my world was now a cage. The simplicity was gone and with it my freedom, my joy. In its ce a darkness that threatened to swallow me whole had taken root. My once free soul had been plunged into a sea of hate, desire for revenge. A thirst to spill blood...his blood.


    It was his fault. Everything that had gone wrong in my life was his fault. He''d made that darkness to spread when once again he''d chosen tovish on me a punishment I did not deserve. This time, he''d made sure to trap me like a criminal too. An animal in a cage. I was dragged, paraded and bound like amon thief. Locked up in a filthy dungeon. It did not matter that it was empty and I did not get to share it with some other filthy criminal, or that I''d been there for a mere few hours. Nothing would ever change the desperation I had felt when I was left alone in the darkness. When the doors had been bolted and the deathly silence overwhelmed me.


    Forced to face the cruelty of my mate, my heart had shattered anew. My tears had spilled as anguish had devoured me in the darkness. For the longest time only the sound of my sobbing and my wolf''s whimpers kept mepany until they didn''t and I was plunged into a sea of dreams. Nightmares filled with lonely beasts weing me to a life of solitude.


    "Oh, you are awake?" Someone chirped, an unmistakable warmth dripped with their words, but it was not enough to thaw the block of ice that was lodged in my heart, neither was it enough to sway me from the plotting going on inside my head. I needed to get out of here.


    I had been awake, for a while now. My eyes had opened to the beautiful room I was in, but I had not even spared a moment to admire it. I had spent my time pondering on how I could make my escape from the pce...from him and the bond that still bound us. "I apologize on behalf of those fools. Whatever made them think a dungeon was a ce for a maiden in your condition."


    My condition? A growl escaped my lips as my hand fell to my belly protectively. He''d already figured it out?! I had hoped for a different oue. It was one of the reasons I had ignored his question and the desperation that came with it. But again, fate had favoured him once more and it only served to deepen my resolve to make my escape while I could. Before he decided to take my baby away too. Fear gripped me at the thought and both hands wrapped around my middle in a gesture to protect what was hidden there. "You have nothing to fear from me, my dear. I was merely worried that you would sleep throughout the night without eating. You know that is not good for either you or the baby." Despite the gentleness and the semnce of honesty in her words, I shot my visitor a defensive look. It was almost night time and only the fading glow of the setting sun made for the only light in the room I had been brought to, but I could still make out the warm smile on her face. Wide and bright, and strangely soothing to my wounded soul. "W-Who are you?"


    "Oh, forgive me, child. I should have probably introduced myself first." She walked over with confident steps. Everything about her was confident, I noted. "I''m Liira and I''m here to make sure you and the baby are alright. His majesty-"


    That couldn''t be right. How was she a nurse? My troubles momentarily forgotten, I stared at the woman. I might have been ignorant of the matters of royalty, but I knew of hierachy in Xatis and the ranks that came with each family. Her rank smelled higher to be an ordinary nurse. As high as him. She was royalty too.


    I sat up straighter on the bed I had woken up on and appraised her as she spoke. She may not have been dressed in one of those fancy gowns I had seen on many nobledies from the capital, but there was no mistaking her status. She was no servant, which left me wondering why she would be doing this. Had she been put in charge to keep me from escaping perhaps? Everyone knew how strong the wolves from the royal bloodline were and I wondered if that was the reason she''d been brought in to watch over me. The thought brought my guard up instantly. I watched warily as she went about the room lighting up the many candles, determined not to be fooled by the gentleness that she naturally disyed. If it came down to it, she would be an enemy I would have to face if she stood between me and my freedom. But my resolve shook when she turned back to me with that bright smile and uttered thest words I expected to leave her mouth.


    "Firstly, congrattions on your pregnancy." My throat tightened instantly and my eyes stung. Hearing that, disarmed me in ways I had not expected it to. I had been so wrapped up in the pain that had befallen me that I had not stopped to think of what a beautiful thing carrying my baby was. And before I could recover from it, the bed dipped and I was thrust forward into the warmest of embraces that cracked all my defences.


    Against my better judgement, I leaned in and relished thefort that came with it. She was a stranger, a potential enemy, but like Gol she was what I needed in the moment, so I dived in, relishing every bit offort she granted me.


    "There..." Liira eventually pulled back, an expression of happiness and something that resembled relief graced her face. It was as if that embrace was more for her than it was for my ownfort. "You will be d to know that you and the baby are doing just fine." Had she examined me while I slept? "Why wouldn''t we be?" I frowned knowing I had no reason to be worried. I had been feeling just fine despite everything else.


    Liira took my hands before she spoke. "Yours is one delicate pregnancy and given what you have been through already, it''s a wonder that you two are still doing alright. I guess we have fate to thank for that." I almost rolled my eyes at that. Would that be the same fate that had plunged me into all the chaos that hade my way?


    "You said a delicate pregnancy, what does that mean?" She still wore a smile, but there was a hint of concern there too and it unsettled me.


    "First time pregnancies are always hard on any she-wolf, but special rare cases like yours make the journey even more difficult."


    "Special? Rare?" I frowned at the nurse.


    "You do not know?" Surprise registered on her face and my frown only deepened. I was pregnant and that was that. What else was there to know? "Oh my dear." Liira cupped my cheeks and held my gaze. "How many wolves do you know that have been able to conceive a pup before shifting?"


    I froze at the question, eyes boring into Liira''s. Having been brought up in the forgotten vige, I did not know many people, but I knew the answer to her question. None. Our kind would only bear their young after gaining their wolf. Except for a special few. A rare special few. Those blessed by the moon goddess to-. Surely I couldn''t be-


    "What a glorious way for the heir of Xatis to be conceived!" There was pride in Liira''s words, but they only sang of a burden I was unwilling to bear.


    I was carrying the heir of Xatis! I fought from letting that truth sink in, but it did anyway, flooding me with reasons why he would never let me go. This was not just my baby, it was his baby, the kingdom''s baby and its future. He would never let that go. "I need air." I mumbled as a lump formed in my throat. "Please."


    Liira merely studied me for the longest time before pointing towards the door. "Out the door to your right. There is a garden, you''ll be safe." I needed no further invitation as I scurried towards the door. It was huge, but surprisingly easy to open. It couldn''t swing fast enough, however, as the tears spilled from my eyes. I was only too d when I found no audience to witness my melt down. And wishing not to alert Liira to my sobbing, I turned hastily to my right and headed for the garden, hoping to let it all out there. I was already a couple of steps away from the door when the sound of my own footsteps brought me to an abrupt stop.


    Silence. It was everywhere and an instant temptation. A temptation that had me hastily turning my n of escape in my head. I listened for any other signs of life, but there was nothing. Apart from Liira and I, there seemed to be no one here. No one to stop me. My heart raced at the possibilitiesying before me. If the garden was to my right, where would my left lead me to? Freedom?


    I wiped at my tears before retracing my steps. It was now or never...

 Chapter 14

    I scurried down hallway after hallway hoping I was not going round in circles. Having been at it for longer than I had hoped to be, I was beginning to think this would turn out to be a fruitless endeavour. The ce was huge and there was simply no telling which way would lead me to the outside world or which one would lead me into trouble. I had been fortunate enough not to have encountered any royal guards, but the possiblity still made me uneasy each time I came to the end of one hallway seeking to walk down another. The sight of another turn up ahead brought me to an abrupt stop as my heart quickened once again. The lengthy corridors had suddenly began getting shorter and shorter and I hoped that would be a sign of me getting closer to my door to freedom. Hands resting on the edges of the cold wall, I listened before deciding to peek and checking for the presence of guards. Having thought twice about shifting, I had still let my wolf take over my senses, so I would be able to pick even the faintest of sounds. The hallway was empty, thank the gods, but my heart raced still when I noticed the one thing I had been hoping to encounter. A door! Make that two doors. Right at the end of the short hallway, they stood like beacons of hope, making my heart race at a full gallop. I made it! This had to be it. I had encountered many doors as I raced down the hallways, but each one of those had clearly been leading to rooms I did not wish to open and waste precious time on. These two, however, would be the first ones who''s position, appearance and size matched doors fitted in spaces that served as main entrances to buildings. I had definitely made it and all I needed to do was to walk through them. But what if there were guards posted outside? My wolf hearing could help with that, but my own heart was too loud as it thundered in my chest at the opportunity thaty before me.


    I was still worrying about encountering those guards when my wolf perked up. Someone was fast approaching. Two pairs of boots walking in sync. Guards! I couldn''t help think that I had been found out. Had Liira been to the garden and found it empty? The doors burst open before my mind could ponder on that thought, revealing two royal guards. I held my breath as both men swept their surroundings, afraid they were really searching for one pregnant she-wolf. I was only too d when they turned away from where I hid and disappeared from my view. I did not care for where they went either as everything in me was set on slipping through those open doors. Without a second thought, I dashed for the doors and in a few quick strides I breathed in my air of freedom. It was cold as night had fallen, but I was notining. This was my chance to get away.


    Knowing I had no second to waste, I got moving, making use of the shadows to keep from being seen. Not that there was anyone to see me. Just like the inside, this part of the pce was unguarded too. Apart from the two guards I had seen, there were no signs of men keeping watch anywhere. Why that was did not concern me as I was only too d to be able to make my escape. To be able to get away from him. I was tempted to think of how long it would take for him to hear of it but I kept myself from being distracted. Choosing to stay focused on the task at hand, I broke out in a sprint towards the trees. With my little knowledge of the pce, I knew it boasted of having maintained natural boundaries, with guards to patrol the areas. I prayed to the moon goddess to spare me from encountering any of those as I hastily put more distance between me and my mate.


    I had no idea where I was headed until I encountered a familiar road. It was the same one the guards had used when they had dragged me from the capital. I didn''t think twice before heading in that direction. With the many people that flooded the ce, one could easily find means to hide from anyone. I hoped.


    "Well, well, well... Now what do we have here?" I froze, my hairs standing on end. Even in the darkness, I still recognized that voice. It had been a while, but I still recognized the voice that had so carelessly handed out my punishment from my mate. "Do you know what the penaulty is for anyone banished from Xatis and yet found roaming itsnds?"


    I did not bother to answer or beg for forgiveness. From our earlier encounter, I knew this particr royal guard''s interest was my death. A shiver went down my spine at the thought, but I quickly recovered when more than one figure emerged from the shadows. I was surrounded! Had I been followed?


    My eyes sharpened as I scanned every face closest to me. Their sinister smiles only served to point out how trapped I was. There was no way for me to run or fight my way out of here even if I wished to. Escaping from one brute had been one thing, ten trained men... wolves, was another thing entirely. Not to mention that shifting into my wolf and giving us a fighting chance was not an option either.


    Instinct had me cing my hands on my belly protectively while I let regret for leaving the protection I had in the pce poke my insides. In the moment I just thought being trapped by my mate was a lesser evilpared to what I currently faced. I was about to whisper words of regret to my unborn child for what was about to befall us when Liira''s words hit me. I carried the heir of Xatis, these royal guard''s future king. Would knowing that make them relent? I had to try.


    "I am not here of my own volition." My voice shook, but I kept to my defence. "His majesty''s heir grows inside of me." The amused expressions that followed my words unnerved me. They knew and yet they were willing to harm me still...


    "His highness cares not for you or that bastard." One guard spat and for the love of God I let those words sink in just because I had seen it with my own eyes. I couldn''t put it past him to punish me in such a manner. After all, he had Myrna. He could father an heir anytime he wished. That stung, but I knew it to be the truth.


    "We are here to carry out his wishes." Another growled. "And this time you will not live to tell such despicable tales about his majesty ever again!" The whole band of guards shifted right before my eyes and I could only but growl in defence as they circled me ready to attack. The beasts were hungry for blood and the first one leapt at me without warning, leaving me to only brace for impact. It never came. In its ce, however, a whimper of a wolf and a deep possessive growl reached my ears. He was here!


    My wolf was the first to react to his presence as I slowly looked up from my position on the ground. He''d leapt right into the circle with all his majestic glory. The wolf that had aimed for mey dead at his feet with its throat ripped out violently. Two or three wolves nked him but I did not care for those. Only him and the rage that burned in his golden eyes. His need to protect. For the first time ever, I was d to see him. d to see my mate.

 Chapter 15

    A dance of death. That is what it was. As dark as the night itself. I watched as he shed, tore, dismembered his own men with unforgiving intent. He was a beast. A terror. A messenger of death. He was death itself, and yet I found him beautiful. Eyes zing with golden fury, growls as menacing as a deathly beast, his alpha wolf was a sight to behold. Towering over his enemies effortlessly and picking them off one by one in the most mesmerizing show of power and strength that left I and my wolf swooning. Despite our history, the pain, the betrayal, our hearts still puffed up with pride at the sight of our mate. He was perfect.


    It was the mate bond, I knew that, but the way his impossibly thick muscles tensed and rxed, the glistening of his canines in the darkness, the sound of flesh tearing when he pounced on his newest victim, the knowledge that he was killing without a second thought for our sake, melted my insides. Butterflies fluttered in my belly each time his deep possessive growl escaped his throat.


    I wished to draw closer. In the midst of the battle, I wished to be by his side. I stayed rooted on my spot, however, guarded by the wolves that had nked my mate earlier. Whether it was for my own protection or to keep me from escaping, I did not care for it. I was entranced. More so when that wolf shifted into the man I was supposed to despise. I didn''t in the moment.


    He''d won. His victory kept me from dwelling on his sins against me. He''de to our rescue when we needed him and we were safe. I was grateful. Until I was the soul object of those menacing steps and all that fury.


    "How could you be so reckless?" His alpha tone snapped me out of my hero worship moment and plunged me into the reality I had almost escaped. The one that almost got me killed. The one that was entirely his fault! "You put yourself in danger and for what?!" I put his heir in danger. That is what he meant. I needed to remind myself of that. Now that I was not dancing to the tune of our bond and thinking clearly.


    "I could have lost you?!" Again, he could have lost his heir. This was no way about me and when he violently yanked me towards himself, I knew that to be true. If it wasn''t, he wouldn''t let his monster at me so easily. And if it wasn''t for him I wouldn''t have needed to escape in the first ce.


    "It''s your fault!" I roared, pushing myself off of him and clearly surprising him.


    "My fault?! I saved you and somehow that''s my fault?!" Anger burned in his eyes and I surprisingly found satisfaction in riling him up. In standing up to him. I had not conceived such thoughts, but all those pent-up emotions wished to be let loose and I found myself unwilling to hold them back anymore.


    "You did this. It''s always you!" I used, catching him off guard but only for a moment. He wasn''t about to back off either. I noted as the gold in his eyes darkened, awakening something in me. How was it possible to feel so much attraction in the midst of a heated argument? His scent overwhelmed me.


    "Tell me how sneaking off from the pce in such a stupid manner is any way my fault." He stepped into me, his closeness threatening the little resolve that was keeping me from giving into the temptation to lean closer.


    "It''s you. It''s always you. Every time you show up, death somehow follows me!"


    He froze, regret instantly recing anger. I looked away, refusing to acknowledge the surprising emotion. I hated him and regret was not something I wished to see on his face. I wouldn''t let anything erase the picture I had of him. He would always be the source of my pain.


    "Sh..." I turned away before my heart melted at his plea.


    "Perhaps we should all calm down." The only face that had looked at me with pity while I was dragged to the dungeons spoke, his tone calmer than either me or my mate. "Mydy, please understand his majesty. You are with child and wondering by yourself in the dark is clearly not wise."


    Mydy? I scoffed at the formal address but still agreed with this guard''s sentiments. After what had just happened, I could not shake the feeling that this might just turn out to be one out of many attacks aimed at the piece of royalty I was carrying. I was not naive to all the plotting that went on within pce walls. And with the ring back where it belonged, I had nothing to my name. No gold and no way to protect my baby. I hated the only option that stared me in the face, but the pce would grant us protection. If what I''d just witnessed was anything to go by, my mate would protect us. Even if it was for the sake of his heir. But I was not about to thrust myself into that world without some kind of insurance. I needed someone. In the midst of the obvious enemies and monsters within the castle, I would need someone to look out for me. To watch my back. My mate was clearly not that person.


    "If you wish me to return to the pce with you, you are going to have to let mee back on my own terms." It was a deal with the devil, but even I knew it couldn''t be helped. Our lives were forever intertwined. Forever... I had not idea what that looked like. Full of pain, no doubt, but I still chose to do it anyway. For my baby.


    "Which are?" My mate asked through gritted teeth.


    "I have to bring Gol."


    "Gol? Who or what the hell is that?"


    "He is the only one I trust in this world." Something that rsembled pain shed across his face but I did not care for it.


    "He? You''ve been living with a man? And you trust him?" His chest rumbled with a possessive growl.


    "Where else did you think a traitor like me would end up?" I spat, ignoring the fluttering deep in my belly at his possessiveness.


    "No!"


    "No?"


    "I will not have some beast from God knows where to be near you!"


    "And why not, your highness?"


    "You are my mate-"


    "Was your mate, your Majesty." With all the sparks that kept erupting each time we were close, and the obvious bond we still shared, that was not entirely true, but it felt good to point that out.


    A vein ticked. "It''s still a no. I won''t have a brute near my son."


    "Won''t?" Annoyance prickled.


    "You know what I mean."


    "That brute has done more for this baby than anyone ever will." Hurt shed in his eyes at my words, but I refused to acknowledge it. "If he can''te then we have nothing to talk about." I hoped he''d stick to his word and throw me away. Not being chosen again would sting, but I hade a long way. I would endure it.


    "Fine."


    "Fine?" I stared. Surprised at how quickly he gave in. What was he ying at?


    "If that is what it takes to protect you, then fine."


    "What it takes to protect your child, you mean?"


    He stared at me quietly before shifting his gaze. "I''ll send Rakon to fetch this... Gol."


    "It has to be me, no one else." I was hoping for the man to change his entire life for me, the least I could do was be the one to ask for the favour. I wouldn''t let anyone go in my stead.


    "You can''t be serious! Someone just tried to kill you!"


    "What? You think an ouw will just dly roll over like a puppy just because his majesty asked?"


    He scoffed.


    "That''s what I thought. We''ll be at the pce before sundown."


    "Like hell you will, I''ming with you."


    "What?!" That was unexpected.


    "You are mistaken if you think am ever letting you out of my sight." That I expected, but not in the possessive manner it sounded.


    I gaped at him while deep down, in a ce I didn''t even know existed, something leapt at his deration. "I can take care of myself."


    "Right." He snorted before pointing me ahead. "Lead the way, mydy." He pointed to the royal carriage I had not noticed until now.

 Chapter 16

    I wished to hold her. To ensure that she was really alright. That they were both alright. With how delicate her pregnancy was, ording to Liira, a thousand reasons of something having had gone wrong while she ran away from the pce troubled me. She could have tripped and fallen or bumped herself into a tree or she could have simply inhaled some scent that she was not aware she was allergic to, all of which had the potential to harm her in her condition.


    And what if even after ripping apart every one of those traitors that wanted to harm her, something would still go wrong? My fists clenched and unclenched at the thought as I stared at my mate. She was seated in front of me seeming unhurt, but I still longed to have her in my arms and confirm that for myself.


    I wished to be closer than I currently was, to breathe in her scent and calm my anxious heart. I was never one to be anxious or be afraid, but after what had happenned tonight, I had made a stark revtion about myself. I was not as immune to fear as I had initially thought. Not when it came to her. It was quite ironic for someone who''d rejected their mate in the first ce.


    The moment Liira had mind linked me that she could not find her, fear had gripped my heart and for a few precious seconds I couldn''t help all the bloody visions that clouded my mind. Each speaking of a brutal end to my mate that left me paralysed. Finding her surrounded like that in the darkness had unleashed a beast in me that sought to keep those bloody visions froming to pass in the most violent way. And being betrayed by my own men who had taken a knee and sworn to serve me, only served to anger me even more. There was protocol for traitors, ways to punish those who betrayed their king in such a manner. I was their king and alpha and could have easilypelled the guards to stand down with my alpha voice too, but the rage I felt at the thought of any harming to her, any resolution other than death was not eptable to either me or my wolf. Any other action would not be enough to avert my fears and as I ended each one of them, as I spilled their traitorous blood, satisfaction is all I felt while that fear melted each time one of them breathed theirst.


    "Are you alright?" Because I could not take it any longer, I broke the thick air of silence that had filled the carriage ever since we''d stepped into it. We were on our way to Dovah, against my better judgement. Stepping into the city of ouws was risky business, but for her sake, I was. Only because she''d made an offer I could not refuse. Not after Liira''s words and concerns for her delicate pregnancy and wellbeing. The matriarch had warned about forcing her to return to the pce which I was prepared to do with or without my mate''s permission. Even when I knew that it would only serve to alienate her from me even more, the thought of being apart from her was not something I wished to entertain. It was also the only reason I had given in to let this ''Gol'' into Xatis and risk being criticized for making such a dangerous decision. There was a reason ouws were meant to be kept out.


    "Fine." She mumbled without even sparing me a nce and I would be lying if I said that did not sting, because it did. More than I cared to admit. I hated how she was able to do this. To remain soposed, unaffected and as though I did not exist at all while I struggled to keep my hands to myself with each passing second. While it took everything in me to endure inhaling her scent and not being able to do anything about it. I wished to im her, mark her, make her mine, take her in untold ways, and yet she remained soposed as if our bond did not affect her at all.


    I kept my gaze on her, finding my onlyfort in the fact that she''d decided to stay. It was not a deration that she was mine, but it was a start. The sight of my cloak wrapping her little frame added to my joy too. It was as if my own hands were wrapped around her and I could swear there were moments I thought I saw her inhale my scent from it. Oh perhaps it was my own mind ying tricks on me as I desperately wished to see any semnce of being wanted by my mate.


    We slipped back into silence at her one word answer that did not inspire a whole conversation until her stomach growled. The sound, thankfully, got her snapping up at me and the moment granted me an opportunity to hold her gaze which I did desperately for that fleeting moment before she looked away hastily. But perhaps she was not hasty enough as her eyes betrayed her right before and told me tales of what I wished to know that left my heart leaping. She was not as immune to our bond as she appeared to be and as I bent to the side searching thepartment meant to carry food in the carriage, a smile broke out of my lips. All was not lost after all.


    "Here. I''m afraid, this is all there is." I handed her some dried fruit that she only frowned upon."You need to eat something." I urged, just as another meaner and louder growl sounded from her stomach, announcing just how hungry she was, but she merely shook her head in protest.


    "Thank you for your concern, but I cannot." I stared at her incredulously, hating her t tone and the fact that she was choosing to starve herself in her condition.


    "And why not?" I growled and for a moment I thought she might not answer me.


    "Because I just can''t."


    "That is no answer and you know it." I spat, earning myself a re that softened when I shot her with a re of my own.


    "Because that is not what I desire at the moment." She mumbled, more to herself than me.


    And what was it she desired?...I struggled to keep my head from wandering in ces that would unlock my own. "And what is it you desire then?" I inquired instead and she blushed. That feminine look letting my mind loose to wander in those forbidden ces and unlocking a thirst I had fought to keep at bay.


    "Would there be any rabbit instead?"


    "Rabbit?" I frowned, the odd question effectively dousing all the excitement that had threatened to run wild in my wolf skin.


    "That is what I wish to eat."


    "Oh." My eyes widened, but when she mumbled something about it being too much to ask, I merely smiled. "If it is what you wish to have, then rabbit you shall have, mydy." I stopped the carriage before she could say anymore. We''d lose time because of it, but I was too excited to care.


    "I''m going hunting." I announced the moment I stepped out of the carriage, much to the dismay of my men. "Light a fire and wait for my return." Feeling as though I''d been charged with the most important task in the whole realm, I shifted and howled with alpha male pride as I disappeared into the thicket. I had an entire kingdom I was responsible for, but this, providing for my mate was more satisfying than anything else I''d done.


    "Are you not overdoing it, your majesty?" The smirk in my best friend''s tone was evident as Rakon taunted in the mindlink, but I did not care for it. She''d finally asked something of me, that is all that mattered.

 Chapter 17

    It had been too long since I ate. That''s what I thought to excuse the udy like manner in which I was consuming the rabbit. Or perhaps it was the delicious aroma that overwhelmed my nose or the taste of each bite of the perfectly me cooked piece of meat. Or better yet, it was because I was trying too hard to ignore another particr scent that blended so well with the delicious aroma and made me wish I was devouring something else altogether... or someone. I was no cook, but there was something about citrus and wine and berries going perfectly together with the me grilled delicacy. It was a whole tasty meal.


    "There is more if you like." I froze at the sound of his voice. My mouth agape, hand halfway towards it, holding a whole leg of rabbit meat. A glutton, that is how I must have appeared in the moment, but when I looked up, his face held no form of judgement that I would expect a man of royalty who was used to dining with fine nobledies would. Instead, only a gentle warmth that was as strange as hisck of judgement painted his face.


    "Forgive me." He apologized, seemingly after sensing my difort, making him sound even more strange to someone like me who had experienced his monster side more times than I could count. I fought against those memories as they wished to make an appearance. Just for tonight. I only wished to be grateful for being alive. He''d made that possible and he''d scoured an entire forest in the darkness so I could be fed. Even I could be thankful for that.


    "I have just never seen anyone enjoy something so much, I''m almost tempted to hunt this entire forest of its rabbits just for you."


    Just for you... I blushed as I lowered my hand and closed my mouth. What did one say in such circumstances? I was tongue tied, but I fought through the ordeal to mumble my appreciation. "This is the best rabbit meat I have tasted in a long while." Gol would be heartbroken, but I only spoke the truth. It had been a while since I had been in Dovah. And well, my mouth and belly had a tendency to appreciate what was currently making them happy, it seemed.


    "I''m d to hear that." The pride evident in his tone made his words ring true. "And you can have as much as you wish."


    "What of the men?" I turned in the direction of the guards who stood a stone throw away, leaving only me and my mate around the fire that had been lit to tend to the small camp. I did care if they ate, but that was not the reason for my concern. Not in its entirety. The truth was, my mate had smiled with his words and that seemingly innocent split of his lips had not only sent my belly fluttering like it was possessed, but it had transformed his facial features in a way that made me want to reach out and touch and say my appreciation upclose. I was grateful. I, however, was not looking to be charmed into dropping my guard entirely.


    "If they wish to eat, they can go hunt!" My gaze snapped back to his at his sharp tone and growl. Those features that had drawn me in had soured more than a fraction and I wondered if it was something I had said.


    Go hunt? Surely he wouldn''t let his own men go hungry the entire night, would he? My gaze dropped to the fire, to the sight of enough meat there to feed the entire lot, but I couldn''t help think they would not be tasting any of it tonight. Was he expecting me to have all of it perhaps?


    Had I been mistaken when I thought he didn''t think of me to be a glutton?


    I was about to protest, but he beat me to it.


    "You are eating for two now." He mumbled, rendering me speechless. I hadn''t even thought that far.


    "His majesty is right, mydy." Someone spoke from behind. The same guard who''d been part of the two that had guarded me while my mate fought. From how he spoke freely and the absence of contempt on my mate''s face for his interference, I was beginning to think that the two shared a close bond. "Besides, none of us is willing to lose a limb or two for not taming our appetites." The guard received res, but he only rolled his eyes before the two fell into silence, their faces set with serious expressions. Knowing they were probably having a conversation in their mind link, something not meant for my ears, I turned my attention back to my meal because I still wished to have more. Only I decided to consume it with a little grace this time around.


    "We should be in Dovah at daybreak, given our little stop here." My mate turned his attention to me the moment the guard returned to his post. I weed the change in subject, but I was also made painfully aware that I was going to be spending an entire night trapped with my mate in the carriage.


    I could only nod, not trusting my mouth not to blurt out my protests regarding our travelling arrangements that would pretty much serve as our sleeping arragements. I had endured being bathed in his alluring scent without giving into the temptation up until this moment, Dovah wasn''t that far, was it?


    "We leave once you are done." His lips broke out into a subtle smile, but my heart sped up all the same, making Dovah seem further than it actually was.


    "I''m done." I got up before he could protest and headed towards the carriage. At a loss over what to do about the near to impossible task of enduring his presence, I hoped to fall asleep before my mate joined me in the space that had already proved to be too small for my ns to avoid him.

 Chapter 18

    My heart had stung. When she had practically fled from my presence and disappeared into the carriage, I felt that familiar piercing to my wretched flesh. It did not even matter that I had been the one to ruin the beautiful atmosphere my simple hunt trophy had gifted us. I just couldn''t bear hearing of her concern for my men, no matter how well meaning or innocent it was. She was mine and if she was going to care about any man, it would only be me.


    Again, I hated how easy it was for her to just walk away in that manner, when all I hoped for was for the night to never end. To keep listening to that beautiful voice of hers that awakened me in ways I could have never imagined. She would have spoken the entire night and I would have sat there relishing every beautiful sound from her beautiful mouth. A mouth I so wished to devour pretty much like the way she had done with that piece of rabbit meat.


    My lips curved at the thought. She''d been embarrassed about it, but if only she knew how much I relished the sight. If only she knew the sinful thoughts that had been going through my mind while I watched her dive in again and again. I had dined with countless nobledies before. Beautiful ones, sophisticated ones, others who''d shamelessly invited me to their beds, but none of those meals had left me begging for release the way watching my mate had. There was just something about the animalistic way that she devoured that piece of meat that had me wishing to take its ce.


    A weight shifting in my arms made my lips curve even wider, the sting to my heart long forgotten. Having been rewarded with the only thing that was better than listening and watching my mate the entire night, all was right in my world. Well, not all, but finally having my mate in my arms did feel as though everything was indeed right in my world. An endless supply of the most alluring scent to inhale up close to my heart''s content, the feel of her delicate body wrapped in my hands and that asional fisting of her hands in my garments as though she sought myfort desperately had me grateful for her decision to flee.


    I had found her curled up against the carriage''s wall fast asleep, making me realize the real reason she''d left me behind and that so hastily. She''d hoped I''d find her asleep and all the reasons I could think of as to why, had left me grinning from ear to ear and feeling a couple of inches taller.


    She''d thought of everything as he curled up against that wall, no doubt wishing to leave as much space between us as possible too, but thank the gods for the bumpy terrain to Dovah that almost toppled over our mode of transport, sending my mate right into my hands. For the longest time I had sat without breathing or moving an inch, afraid of waking her and being forced to relinquish the best chance I had gotten to having her so close.


    Since then, my eyes had been glued to her frame, taking in her beauty that made me wish to whip myself a million times for almost losing her... for rejecting her. I had my son or daughter in her belly to thank for still binding us and I may have done so a thousand times already. I may have promised to do everything to win their mother''s heart too before I got to meet them. I was not sure how, but I would.


    Her chest rose and fell gently, the peaceful sight making me swear another promise only to her. I couldn''t undo my mistakes, or the pain I''d made her endure, but I would do everything to protect her henceforth. Even when she did not wish to have me by her side yet, I would be her shield, her protector even from death itself.


    My belly fluttered when she snuggled even closer as if to agree with my promises and I wished the moment wouldst for an eternity. But that was not to be had as Rakon chose that particr moment to announce our arrival in Dovah.


    As I had predicted, it was daybreak and as much as I wished for my mate to remain glued to me I needed to wake her to find out which way we were supposed to be headed. I did not wish to stay longer than necessary lest we ran into trouble. It wouldn''t be much of a problem for me and my men, but I was not willing to put her and the baby in any danger.


    "Sh?" I gently shook her, loving the sound of her name on my lips.


    "Go away Myrna. I do not wish to speak to you." I froze at her words. It wasn''t so much about what she''d said, but the hurt that apanied them. Even while she slept, there was no mistaking that emotion that was undoubtedly deep seated in her heart. The one I''d ced there. The one I would continue nurturing now that I decided on keeping her as my mate. I was a fool, I realized.


    "Where are we?" Her raspy voice jolted me out of my regrettable epiphany, making me face her reluctantly.


    "We are in-" She pulled away in a sh and it took me a moment to realize why.


    "I did not mean to." She scooted to the furthest point of the seat. Away from me. If she had awoken just a few moments earlier and done that, I would have held her in ce, but now with the lump forming in my chest at what I''d just learned, I thought it was probably for the best.


    "You do not have to apologize." I mumbled when what I really wished to say was that it was the best night of my life. That having her lean on me made me the happiest man. "The seat was bound to get ufortable. You know with the baby and all." She was about to smile, but my words seemed to keep her from it and I wondered why.


    "You were about to say something?" She looked away, that familiar guard back in ce. In just a few moments, I hadpletely lost the maiden who''d made myst few hours worth living. Knowing it was my doing, I sucked it up and decided to focus on the task at hand.


    "We are in Dovah." She craned her neck to the side at my words and looked through the carriage''s window, a smile on her lips that brought a bitter taste to my mouth. Was she that happy to see him? For a moment, a tiny moment, I considered turning around and heading back to Xatis. "Which way is it?" I all but spat. If she noticed my change in mood, she did not let me know.


    "Right here!" The excitement in her tone, the unmistakable curve of her lips, all served to sour my mood even more. What was it about this Gol? I hated him even before Iid my eyes on him.


    "It''s just around here, we don''t live that far in."


    We? A vein ticked, my fists clenched and only Rakon''s appearance at the carriage''s door kept me from blowing up.


    "Good morning, mydy. Your majesty?" Because he knew me all too well, Rakon arched his brow in a what do think you are doing gesture.


    Not in the mood for his scolding, I ignored him and walked out. "Lead the way then." Again, if she noticed my aggressive tone, my mate did not let me know. Instead she simply pulled my cloak up to cover up some more and started moving. The sight softened my ring temper, but it was not enough to stop my growing need to punch this ''Gol'' for making my mate smile that much. Something I had terribly failed at.


    "I do not speak ''maiden'', but I do know this is definitely no way to win her over."


    "Shut up!" I growled at Rakon, as I watched my mate break out in a sprint when a tiny shack came into view. I on the hand froze at the sight. Was that it? Was that where I had banished her to? The tiny thing was worse than her humble home back in the forgotten vige. The least of my servants'' shelters were pcespared to this.


    "I, uh, um- Is that-"


    "Do not say it." It would not erase the self loathing that overwhelmed me, but I wouldn''t let Rakon put it into words.


    "Where else did you think a traitor like me would end up?" Her words struck me anew, highlighting the monster that I really was.


    "Gol!" My gaze shifted from the shack and to my mate and the approaching figure.


    How was he someone she trusted? I tensed as the savage stopped in front of her. He was huge, towering over her by miles and yet she still held out her arms inviting him for an embrace. "Is she insane?" I growled, deciding to march towards them. If he decided to attack her, I would be toote to save her if I stayed where I was.


    "Wait." Rakon held me back, earning himself a re. "Look." I followed his gaze back to my mate. The savage still stood in front of her, his arms folded while she looked a bit at a loss for words.


    "What is this?" I frowned when no word escaped their lips but I was sure as hell they were having an actual conversation.


    Mindlink! I froze, my mind panicking instantly. I only knew of two ways that our kind could mindlink each other. One of them I was very certain was impossible as she did not have any ties to the savage. Which only left me with the painful obvious one. She would have to take his mark. The mere thought had me seeing red as I struggled against the truth I knew.


    I had spent the entire night staring at her beautiful slender neck, imagining my mark there. I had even had moments when I almost lost it and came close to marking her, but as I stared at my mate and that beast, I wasn''t so sure it still remained unmarked. "Is that what I think it is? Are they actually mind linking?" Rakon was just as shocked as I was, but unlike him, I wasn''t about to remain standing here marveling at something that was supposed to be impossible.


    I marched over and grabbed my mate''s hand and dragged her away from the brute, much to her protests that I did not care for. I needed to make sure before all hell broke loose.


    Without a word, I pulled back her hair, leaving her neck bare.


    Nothing! She was still unmarked! Relief washed over and I let out a breath I didn''t even know I held.


    "What is this?!" She was ready to bite and I couldn''t help wishing to be overtaken by the storm in her eyes. She was still mine!


    "Just checking for something." I mumbled.


    "And what might that be, your majesty?" Her brows drew together in confusion.


    "Nothing." If she had not realized it yet, there was no point in embarrassing myself.


    "Did that satisfy your curiosity?" Amused. That''s what the brute was after my disy. He''d understood my intentions clearly, but I was not about to indulge him. "Are you done here?"


    She scowled at me. "I would be if you hadn''t interrupted me."


    "Be my guest." I huffed before stepping back. The sooner she aplished this, the sooner we could journey to Xatis.


    "You are the only one I trust, Gol." I couldn''t me her, but hearing she trusted some ouw stung. And because I did not wish to have any morepetition in that regard, I hoped he''d decline. I was in for disappointment.


    "I knew I should have let you die." The brute grumbled and only my mate''s effortless smile kept me from punching the man for wishing for her death. "And who is this lot?" The man appraised me with a suspicious eye and while I wasn''t one to sh my royalty, I expected him to tell. if not for anything else, then my fine clothes and the whole entourage I had waiting on us.


    "This is King Elian." I flinched at the t introduction. She wasn''t even hiding the hate she felt for me.


    "Oh! So this is the arrogant beast that broke your heart?" I swallowed the insult for the knowledge that my mate had a broken heart by my hand. It was weirdlyforting after believing she had not cared for me at all.


    "I never said he did!"


    "Didn''t have to." The man dismissed her before focussing on me, his expression serious. "I will do this, but only for her. I will only ever answer to her." I had to admire how my mate had inspired such loyalty from a beast like him. I nodded.


    "And that goes for you and everyone else who might think I am to submit to them."


    My father would throw a fit, but perhaps knowing he would be there to protect his own heir might do the trick. I hoped.


    "Well then, shall we your Majesty?"


    "I''ll ride with him." I stiffened at my mate''s deration and was about to protest when he cut me off.


    "What kind of man would I be for letting a pregnant woman endure an ufortable saddle or a run through the woods?"


    "I''m no damsel." She protested and he shot her a look that resembled a father''s concern for a daughter. He did love her, not just in the way I had imagined.


    "That you are not, but you are still pregnant with that kingdom''s heir. I may not care for that lot, but I do care for that little pup and his future." It was the first time he acknowledged my kingship but I did not care for it, knowing he cared for her and my offspring was enough. Perhaps we''d get along someday.

 Chapter 19

    We were struggling. My wolf and I. To stay calm and to keep frommitting untold atrocities. Each time a smile crossed our mate''s lips, each time she got that far away look in her beautiful eyes, or when she red at nothing in particr, the rage brewing deep within threatened to spill out. She was mindlinking him. The savage I wished to walk through hell''s gates instead of the gates to Xatis. I had never hated that ability like I did now, or considered it something intimate. Now that it was happening between some lowlife and my mate, I couldn''t help imagining it being some little intimate world were the two were cacooned, away from the world. Away from me.


    My chest rumbled at the thought, and the sound of the most beautiful chuckle from her lips didn''t help matters either. I wished to shut it off. I had not figured out how it was possible for them to mindlink yet, but I honestly did not care for the how, only that I put a stop to it. I had considered everything from locking her up in some secluded tower only essible to no one else but me to spilling the savage''s guts out. If only they all didn''t end with my mate loathing me.


    She got that far away look again and this time my heart was pierced with longing. Was it something he''d said? Not knowing was killing me. Not being able to mindlink her, having the two of them keep sharing that kind of intimacy while I watched snapped something in me. I was meant to win her heart, but I couldn''t endure this. Couldn''t endure her choice anymore.


    "Why him?" I growled, startling her. I knew the reason, but for the love of God, I couldn''t help thinking she was not mine enough with him around. Without my mark, she was free for the taking, but then I couldn''t force her to take it either. "I do not understand." Her brows furrowed.


    "Why this Gol?" I spat. Was ''Gol'' even his real name? "You would be safe in the pce. I would ensure it. You would have no need of him. So why would you insist on having him around when he is but a stranger to you? A savage if I might add." I did not know what answer I sought. Or perhaps


    "He maybe a savage and a stranger, but he''svished on me the most kindness and as to why..." She sighed as if it was something that had eluded her too. "Even I do not know why, your majesty. I have not had an opportunity to sit with fate and inquire of it as to why all the things that have befallen me have done so in the manner that they have. I have merely epted each and every one of them, Gol included." She was calm, but every one of her words punched my insides. They screamed of the pain she''d been made to suffer... by me.


    Faced with the painful truth, I was at a loss for words and I could only stare at her, regret washing over me anew. She turned away from me after herst words and I found myself being thankful. Because then I was spared of facing the hurt that was painted on her face even though I was not spared of her feelings of sadness.


    "Uh, Elian? You might wish toe out here."


    "What is it?" Rakon''s tone had me tensing instantly.


    "We have guests. And not the good kind." The carriage came to an abrupt stop, throwing us both forward.


    I regained my stance almost immediately. "How many?" My eyes stayed on my mate as I waited for his response.


    "It would be nothing to be concerned about if it was just you and me, but we have precious cargo." My exact sentiments too, which meant I couldn''t be reckless either.


    "We mean you no harm as long as you hand over the maiden."


    "What the hell? Hand over the maiden? How do they know of-"


    "You better get out here!" Growls signalling theunch of an attack made me lunge for my mate. This was no simple robbery as expected of in Dovah. We''d been ambushed for something more precious than gold.


    "Whatever happens, stay here." Imanded. "B-But-"


    "Stay Sh!" I growled. With how quickly the atmosphere outside had turned chaotic, there was no time for anything else. Not even the kiss I so desperately wished to ce on her lips to make for my promise to keep her safe. "I will not let them take you." With that I exited the carriage and bolted its doors. Not that it mattered much, but one more obstruction to getting to her would serve to buy me time if it came down to it.


    "Wee to the party." I spotted Rakon as he took down two brown beasts. Countless bodiesy at his feet too, but that only seemed like a dent in the enemy''s numbers.


    "There are too many!" I observed as I shifted, easily catching the wolf that had lunged for me by its throat.


    "Someone is intent on being sessful."


    "They will have to go through me first!" I sneered.


    "By the looks of it, that''s what they have in mind." Something heavy barelled into me and knocked me off my feet. I had barelynded before shadows came flying out of nowhere andnded on me with painful blows. It took me too long to realize that the shadows were actual wolves. Their element of surprise served them well, but it onlysted for as long as it took me to regain my position. Once I did, I was but a beast driven by one thing only. Keeping her from being taken by taking down anyone who would. The taste of the blood of my enemies spoke of impending victory.


    I was ripping through the unwee guests, taking down countless victims when I heard the wood to the carriage snap, freezing my blood instantly. Someone got to her.


    Fear coursed through every tiny length of my veins at the thought. I needed to get to her but as many as those wretched wolves as I brought down, more appeared. I had to hand it to the one attacking us. Whoever they were, they knew how to use their resources. Keeping me upied was the only way to get to her. They were like a pack of wild dogs. Recing those falling so quickly, ensuring their attacking numbers remained constant. "Rakon?"


    "I didn''t know Dovah was this popted." My best friend''s answer meant he was just as upied too. And if he was, it meant every one of my men were too and she was alone. Gol... I couldn''t mindlink him, but I hoped he wasn''t as upied and would be able to aid her. I hoped the bolt would hold a little longer.


    "Damn it!" I was knocked down again, but refused to stay down. I couldn''t stay down. Biting and tearing I managed to get back up on my paws, but I was still too far away from being of any help to my mate.


    The wood snapped again, its sound announcing that it had been breached. There were no screams however, only painful howls and wolves whimpering. Were those hers? I charged in the carriage''s direction, but my path only kept thickening with more wolves, effectively blocking me from getting to her.


    But then I got help. Unexpected help! Moving amongst the enemy pack like a ghost in the shadows taking them down one by one. She was insane and she was beautiful and she drove me out of my damn mind! Sh...


    She turned out to be the thing we needed to tip the scales. What I needed. It took me a moment to realize her intent too. She wasing for me. Every wolf she took down paved a way to me. To my heart that was bursting with pride.


    I finally spotted Gol too. Right by her side. The duo looked like the deadliest pair as they cut through the crowd of wolves. But it was her, her wolf and the rage in her eyes that took my breath away. She was glorious. Perfect. So much more than I''d imagined and as she drew closer, I could only do the same. Canines and ws ripping through throats, flesh, until nothing stood between us. Until it was just the two of us in a world I had thought impossible before the attack.


    She shifted first and I followed her action just in time for the hottest embrace yet. Delicious sparks erupted as our bodies made contact threatening the little control I possessed to slip.


    "You came for me." She froze at my words and a search in her eyes that were still shining her wolf''s eye colour revealed panic. As though I''d just reminded her of something she shouldn''t have done. "It''s okay." I sought tofort as I reached up to her face, but she pulled back and because I couldn''t let her run, couldn''t stomach letting go of this beautiful moment, I did the unthinkable. I crashed my lips on hers, the contact crashing my whole world in return. In the most beautiful way. I needed to wait. Until she epted me. I knew that, but it was the only way I could get her to stay. Well, not exactly the only one, but the one I preferred. And as I dived in, as she melted into my hands and gave in to me, all was right in my world. Until it wasn''t, until she fought me. "Sh?"


    "Let me go!" Her cold tone caught me off guard, making me do as she asked hastily. I expected more, curses maybe, but she all but stumbled away from me, making me frown. And before I could put anything together, her steps faltered and she began falling. I caught her, but she was deathly pale, turning my whole world upside down. I couldn''t lose her...


    "I- I''m tired." Her eyes fluttered shut without warning. Not even my shouting could get them to open again.


    Then it hit me. She''d shifted! What was that Liira said about her shifting?

 Chapter 20

    It was a moment of weakness. As earth shattering as his lips felt on mine and as desperately as I wished to hold on, as much as I wished to drown in the hot goodness he''dvished on me, it was just that. A moment of weakness. For both him and I. Something brought on by the threat of loss the deadly attack had plunged us into. I knew that to be true, because I had thrown all caution to the wind when I heard him grunt in pain. The pained sound had shot straight to my heart and the thought of my mate being hurt or worse, had all sense of reason flying from my mind and only a need to aid him, to save him had remained.


    He''dmanded me to remain hidden in the carriage, but I couldn''t. Not when the fear of losing him had gripped my heart so hard I could barely breathe. Each growl outside the carriage had only served to paint the most gory of images that had me breaking my word to him. I could not stay put, wouldn''t sit by while my other half faced death. It was the first time I had ever thought of him in that manner and it had been what I needed to do anything and everything to get to him. Because deep down, in the crevices of my heart, I knew that despite everything, a part of or all of my world would shatter if death won.


    I had shifted without a second thought and broke out of the carriage with ease after struggling with it in my human form. Driven with a need to save, my wolf had pierced the pack of wolves that surrounded my mate like a sharp dagger catching many of them off guard. I had never thought of me a fighter, but something in us raged as I and my wolf tore off limbs, ripped out throats, tasted the warmth in the blood of the enemy to get to him.


    Seeing him at the end of that bloody road had got me drawing in the longest breath and my feet moving of their own ord. Drawing me ever so near, wishing for nothing but thefort of his embrace. And then I got more than I wished for.


    The moment our naked bodies connected, sweet sweet fire engulfed every inch of of my body and I wished for nothing but to be consumed whole by my mate. In the moment I did not care for anything but being his. He would have asked anything of me and I would have dly given in, but thank the moon goddess nothing of the sort came from his lips.


    His awe filled words only served to snap me out of my stupor. The realization that I had risked everything for his undeserving soul had me wishing to run too, but he kept me from taking a single step. Trapping me with nothing but the warmth of his glorious lips that set me aze with a need I had never thought possible. A need that I wished him to fill right there and then, damn every eye that would be watching. Against my better judgement, I had leapt. Plunging right into the sea of want and need for my mate. I wished to drown in him for an eternity, to be reckless for once and take everything he was offering me, but then I got a rude awakening when something sharp pierced my insides, reminding me of the real reason he would even consider touching me at all.


    It was nothing but a moment of weakness brought on by all those emotions that had overwhelmed us. Just the mate bond!


    But as his arms desperately held on to me now, as he pleaded for me to hold on to life, to not leave him, my heart melted as I found myself unable to not give in. Even when I knew that only heartache awaited me in my not so distant future. I held on for him and for the baby he was so desperate to save.


    We were racing towards Xatis as he urged his steed to go faster, while his heart raced at an even faster pace than the beast that bore both our weights. I had been awake for a while now but still kept my eyes shut as I rested my head on his torso, choosing not to give in to the worries that shifting may have caused. I instead gave in to the pull of our bond, relishing the lie for onest time.


    It would be different once we entered Xatis and stepped into his pce. In there, I knew he would no longer be mine because he belonged to another. Mate or not. I would be nothing but the she-wolf carrying her mate''s heir while my sister got all his love and care. While she got to spend every night and each waking moment wrapped up in his arms.


    My heart ached at the overwhelming thoughts and only his scent calmed me enough to keep my senses from spiralling into sadness. On the way to Dovah, I had promised myself that I would not care about such things, but as I inched closer to what was to make my new life, I couldn''t keep my heart from caring.


    "Wee back, your majesty! Is everthing alright?" We were suddenly surrounded by the sound of many hoovesing in from all sides, forcing me to snap my eyes open. Guards. We were in Xatis already. Pouring in from the direction of what I assumed to be the pce, the king''s men fell in step with their king as they matched his speed. It was a sight I was not prepared for. He was a king! And as the army of men flying banners of his kingdom rode by his side, I was in awe of the splendor of his majesty and I suddenly felt small. An insignificant mate. The sound and feeling of being engulfed by an entire army made me feel so small, I wished I had ridden in the carriage, hidden away from curious eyes. What would they think of the bundle in their king''s arms?


    I regretted not having let my mate know I was awake. Perhaps then, I would have gotten my own beast to ride on and saved myself the embarrassment of being carried. Was that his intent? I blushed at the thought, feeling every bit anxious. I had not let that bother me before, but that was when the forest had been the only audience.


    I wondered if it was toote to make the request. Shifting ufortably in his arms however, I was met with resistance. As if realising my intent, his grip tightened, keeping me in ce. Had he been aware that I had been awake all this time?


    "Rakon, have Liira meet me at the gates, inform her of the nature of the emergency." He ignored the guard''s greeting and the concern their in and kept riding. If the guard was offended by it, he did not voice his thoughts. Someone mumbled a ''yes, your majesty'' but I did not get to see who it was either as I was distracted. I had been drawn to the sound of his voice as it rumbled in his chest. It was not his alpha tone, but it oozed of so much authority I couldn''t help but be mesmerized. It was a stark contrast from the gentle pleas he''d mumbled the entire way here.


    I was still distracted when the horn announcing his return red and I felt the weight of my future in the royal pce settle heavily on my soul. There was no turning back and I could only pray that fate would have mercy on my soul.


    The pce gates were already open when we arrived. I expected to be let down then, but he rode past the pce gates and through the pce doors before he brought his steed to a stop.


    "My love!" I froze as my hopes of not ever running into the owner of that voice shattered. Myrna...


    "You are back!" I hated the happiness that coated her greeting at the obvious sight of my mate and I fought from unleashing a possessive growl. He was no longer mine.


    I expected my behind to hit the floor any moment as he made room in his arms for his chosen, but when that did not happen, I looked up at him, my eyes searching desperately for something I shouldn''t have been. And when my eyes found his, I proved myself right

 Chapter 21

    I was this close to making a promation. The moment I had my mate safely in the pce and in one piece, I wished to shout out to the whole of Xatis that I had finally found her. The one meant toplete me. But even I was not that reckless. Not even when I knew that that was what my mate wished for. What she needed. Those beautiful eyes were begging for it as I held her in my arms, giving me a glimmer of hope of a future together. Perhaps she would ask to be marked someday soon. The thought made the temptation even more appealing, but as tempting as it was, I couldn''t let any such words leave my mouth. For her sake.


    Her life and that of my child had been threatened twice already and until I knew by whom, I would keep my promise to her. I would protect her. Even from her own blood.


    I had not missed how her body had tensed at the sound of my wife''s greeting or the rumbling deep in her chest that had left me swooning. And as much as it delighted me to hear her get all possessive, I knew the pain that came with it too. The pain I had caused her.


    Seeing her sister would definitely unearth that pain that was barely buried and that was not something I wished to put her through. I would keep her from facing it for as long as I could. Besides, I needed Liira to tend to her. I needed to make sure everything was alright after the scare. My fears had dimmed a little on our way to the pce when her breathing had eased with no further incidents, but I still wished to have her examined by someone who knew what to look for.


    "Oh husband!" Myrna, my chosen mate, was fast approaching where I stood, descending the flight of stairs with an unusual air of excitement about her. She''d greeted me with just as much enthusiasm too which was also odd in itself. It was not like we had ever been that kind of normal couple. The kind who''d disy their affections in the open. Affections would not describe the intimate moments we shared just so I could have her carry my child and or punish my mate. And yet as she approached, she appeared to be as any normal cherished wife. Eyes beaming, hands clutching her gown as she hastily rushed to wee her husband whom she had missed dearly. Her disy as always was nothing but her doing what she was best at. Pretense.


    Knowing whom I held, I tensed as I hoped she would not utter anymore of those useless endearments she had chosen to call me by.


    I was in no mood for her antics today. I needed to search for Liira who should have been waiting for me the moment I walked through the pce doors. I meant to walk away too if only that would not be seen as me ignoring my wife by the crowd of witnesses that chose that moment to flood the room.


    What was this? I tensed as the familiar faces that I did not wish to see at this particr moment flooded the public hall. Those I did not wish to know about my mate yet. Riding into the hall, I had not expected to be greeted by anyone else except for Liira, the guards or servants at the very least. Thetter were there but wore stunned expressions as their gazes had settled on my bloody look, keeping them from weing me back home. I cared not for their behaviour as I had more pressing matters. Where was Liira? I stared out at the guests whose hands held some kind of drink. A celebratory drink? I frowned because I did not remember of anything that needed celebrating and I sure as hell had not called for any gathering of the sort. Lord Evarius...of course he would be among the nobles present...raised his ss in my direction, a lingering smile on his lips. I did not acknowedge it or him. His action only served to annoy me as I was still displeased with him. "Let me have her." Thankfully, Liira appeared with Rakon by her side. Knowing the little time I had before my wife came up to me, I hastily handed my mate to Rakon. She did not protest. I even suspected she was d to be rid of me as she did not even bother to spare me a nce. I had no time to register my displeasure over the matter however, as Liira step away almost immediately, dragging Rakon with her. I watched them disappear before pasting a fake smile on my face and readied myself to greet the queen of Xatis.. "W-What is this?" Myrna''s smile and excitement seemed to falter once she was close enough. "Are you hurt, my love?" I cringed at how much she overdid her concern for me. I could have sworn she did it to get everyone''s attention which was not necessary as everyone had their eyes on me already. With the dried blood and the unusual bundle I had held, it must have made for quite the gossip among the nobles. Whether that was the reason my queen was working too hard at her pretencious self I did not care. "Oh, God, what happened?" She reached out as if wishing to make certain I was not hurt, but decided against it. Her gloved hand moved to clutch her chest instead in the most dramatic way that almost made me roll my eyes. It was so typical of her. "An ouw in Xatis? In the pce?" Someone eximed and it took me a moment to realise of whom they spoke. Gol stood behind me, a murderous look on that I was sure had been brought on by all those judging eyes and haughty looks. Or perhaps that was his usual look. I had not yet studied the man to know otherwise. I realized that I needed to offer some sort of exnation as to why he was here before conspiracies that woulde back to bite me ignited and spread like a wildfire amongst the power hungry lot. "This man and his daughter are owed a great debt for saving your king." Instinctively my eyes trailed the path Liira had used while she got away with my mate. Only after I had spoken had I realized what a perfect cover it was. It was not far from the truth either. With it their stay around the pce, however long, would be thought of as me repaying my debt.


    "Oh kind sir, how would I ever repay you?" Tears glistened in my queen''s eyes and I had to admit that she was good. Her theatrics worked to even distract those that would have more to say over the matter.


    "Leave that to me, dear wife." I was not about to let her near Gol or her sister. Not yet.


    "But my love...at least let me say my thanks to his daughter then." She protested and I pulled her in before she insisted.


    "Why don''t you tell me about what my dear wife has been up to in my absence instead." I wished to distract her, but I was also genuinely curious about what she had been up to. The absence of my mother and father only left her to be the only possible host of the gathering. It was not that she was forbidden from hosting events, it was just that I had expected a garden tea party with a couple of nobledies. Not an actual event where she''d invited some of the powerful noble houses.


    My eyes swept across the room, noting everyone present before they settled on her. She blushed and seemed to consider her words before looking up at me.


    "Perhaps I should let his majesty take a bath first."


    Curious, I declined. "Why not tell me, then I will see to that bath then join the party. Hmmm?"


    She smiled then and I couldn''t help notice how different she was from my mate. "I know it is probably too early, but you will have to forgive me my love. I couldn''t just bring myself to wait any longer." Her words made me so nervous I reached for a drink of my own. "You might wish to get two or three of those." She smiled shyly, worsening my anxiety.


    "And why would I?" Somehow I couldn''t bring myself to match the enthusiasm in her voice. One would even say my tone was cold, but if she noticed it or was offended by it, nothing of it registered on her face.


    "Because..." She reached for my hand and held on while I fought the urge to escape her grip. Hers were simply not the hands I desired to caress my skin, no matter how innocent the touch. "I know that we would have the midwives confirm it, but..." Midwives? My grip on the cup of wine I held tightened.


    "But as they say, every maiden knows her own body." Her smile grew impossibly wide while I froze at what she could be insinuating. Surely the moon goddess had not chosen this moment to be gracious, had she? "I am finally with child, Elian!"

 Chapter 22

    I was going to hurt her all over again. Despite my good willed intentions and promises I made, I was still going to make her tread that path of pain again.


    reaction to her news.


    I grabbed what would make my fourth, fifth or hundredth cup of wine. I did not care to count as I only sought to wash out the bitter taste that had flooded my mouth at my wife''s announcement. Neither did I care for the eyes watching nor what they thought of my Everything else did not matter except her. My mate. My sweet Sh of whom I should have been working at winning her heart instead of breaking it into even more tiny pieces.


    That is what this news meant. If it was indeed true, if my chosen mate was indeed with child, it would be one more reason for my mate to hate my entire existence. One more reason to widen the gap that separated our hearts and it would be my doing once again. "I have not had an opportunity to sit with fate and inquire of it as to why all the things that have befallen me have done so in the manner that they have. I have merely epted each and every one of them."


    My mate''s words pierced my heart. I did not wish for this to be one more thing that she had to ept, but looking at the maiden I had made queen instead of my mate, there was no doubt in her eyes either. We would need the midwives to confirm it, but looking at Myrna, she was truly convinced that even their findings would not be so different from her own. Was it toote to ask of the moon goddess to change her mind and take back this child? I tugged at my garments that suddenly felt too tight to let me breathe. "Are you alright, my love?" She sought to touch, but I evaded her out stretched hands and reached for one more cup of wine instead and gulped it all down. It was still not enough to wash out the poison that was my wife''s words or the dread that came with my mate getting wind of it.


    Not that I wished to hide any of it, but I turned in Gol''s direction. I did not know what I sought there. Perhaps his word. His promise to keep from poisoning my mate''s mind with what he''d heard and seen. The ouw had an indecipherable expression on his face, but his mere presence seemed to scream my mate''s reason of needing him by her side. I could not be trusted.


    I wished to blurt out that this was not how it seemed, but was drawn to the sound of the many voices that had filled the air around me.


    "Congrattions, your majesty!"


    The entire room had erupted in cheers at my wife''s words and those overly excited nobles had began to line up to offer their congrattions. I wouldn''t be epting any of those. Not just because there was nothing to celebrate as far as I was concerned, but because even if it was true that my chosen mate was with child, this was no way to announce the conception of someone as important as an heir of Xatis.


    "Now let''s not get ahead of ourselves." Because I needed to maintain some semnce of normalcy, I mustered the most gentle tone I could and faked a smile.


    "Forgive me, your highness. It wasn''t my intention at all." If it was possible for Myrna to blush or smile anymore shyly than she currently was, I knew she would have, just to have more of those pitiful looks that she had inspired from her guests. Looks that I had no doubt were meant to sway my words and actions.


    "Even then, this is no way to do it." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears that I refused to acknowledge.


    "You don''t want this, do you, your majesty?" Of course I didn''t, but I was not that reckless to utter such words either. It would just be what those looking to tarnish my reign wished for. Myrna, however, seemed bent on being reckless. One would even say she sought to disy how much influence she had on her king. Her broken tone snapped something in me. This was not the time nor the ce and I was not that kind of king either.


    "I will take that bath after all. And I wish not to be disturbed after." What I really wished for was to seek my saviour out, melt into her arms and forget about all my troubles. I needed my mate.


    "Oh but your highness, surely you wouldn''t abandon your queen on such a joyous asion now would you?"


    Your queen... That soured my mood more than the careless statement from the arrogant noble who seemed not to have learnt anything from ourst encounter.


    "You seem to care so much about my queen, Lord Evarius." I growled, yet not possessively but out of annoyance.


    "O-On the contrary, your majesty." The infuriating man bowed, but it felt more of a mockery. "It''s just that having fathered heirs of my own and having had some kind of experience with my own wife, I do understand why her majesty would do this. It being her virgin conception and all."


    "Well if you know so much about what she wished to achieve, then perhaps you should have advised her clearly on the ways such delicate matters are meant to be handled." Lord Evarius looked as though he''d been pped, but that was nowhere near what I wished to do to him. Luckily for him, I had entertained this long enough and no longer wished to indulge anyone. Not even my wife who looked at a loss for words.


    Against her very many protests, I stepped out of the hall and headed to the only ce I wished to be. The rest would have to wait.

 Chapter 23

    Seeing Myrna, seeing them together had brought it all back. The pain, the betrayal, every dark thing that had befallen me ever since I had fallen victim to her sinister plotting that was unexpected of a sister. Even when I did not wish to, I had been plunged into that


    sea of pain and forced to relieve every one of those single moments I hade so close to death.


    I shouldn''t have looked back, but being handed over to his guard, no matter how gently he''d done it, had pierced my heart. He had chosen her all over again, erasing the little piece of us we''d had for the fleeting time we''d spent together. It was expected but the reality had still barrelled into me with such a force that had me wishing to lock my aching heart away in a deep dark abyss, never to be unearthed again. Perhaps then I would be spared of any more pain.


    They had looked perfect together. Even with him covered in the remnants of the attack and she dressed in the finest clothes I had ever seen on my sister, they still looked perfect.


    The sight hadsted but for a moment before I was carried out of the hall and yet it had been imprinted on my very soul. It had threatened to drown me, every piece of the memory, but thanks to Liira I had been saved. She had been the angel that had kept me from drowning.


    I did not know how she knew, but the moment I had been carried out of the hall she''d held my hand and talked me through the ordeal, prepared me the perfect bath and had whispered the mostforting words to my wounded soul. It had been done in the pretext of saving my child, but none of her words had actually been about the precious life growing in my belly.


    "Mydy, his majesty insists." He hadn''t forgotten about me, but sending his guard to shove his kingly will down my throat so early in the morning was not how I''d envisioned knowing about that truth. He''d stayed away and yet he was insisting on taking care of me still. I felt like the other maiden instead of being the maiden, his maiden.


    Realizing I would forever be just that, the mother to his child, hidden away from his world made my heartache.


    I chose to chase those gloomy thoughts away and stared at the long line of maidens in front of me one more time and shook my head. "I do not need anyone to clean after me, so I must decline his highness''s offer." The maidens were meant to be my own personal servants given to me by the king to serve me in my quarters, but I wouldn''t have it. I may have ended up in the pce, but I was not about to have anyone take care of me in that manner. Having Liira take care of me was only bearable because of her knowledge of medicine and I was already aware of the many guards that had been posted in all those quiet halls for my sake. "It''s honestly a bit too much."


    Instead of being at a loss for words for not being able to convince me otherwise, the guard looked rather amused. "I will let him know of your decision, mydy."


    "And please do call me Sh. I''m nody after all." The formal address had been too much too. I hated being addressed as such.


    "And please do call me Sh. I''m nody after all." The formal address had been too much too. I hated being addressed as such.


    "Unless you wish for his majesty to behead your servant, do not ask me of such things."


    "You are no servant of mine." I snapped at the guard as I began to realize that there were nightmares awaiting me in my pce life that I had not even thought about.


    "Oh, but I am, mydy. And unlike them." The guard said pointing to the line of maidens I refused to wait on me. "You will not be rid of me so easily." Surprisingly, apart from Liira, this particr guard I did not mind having around. Something about him made me feel at ease, safe.


    His smirk made me give up my quest. I would not argue with him anymore because it was pointless, I realized, and we''d done enough of it already. If he could take back everyone of those maidens and leave me be, it would be all I''d need for a peaceful moment. "If I may, mydy, my lord." A short plump girl stepped forward nervously.


    "What is it Astryn?" It surprised me that the guard knew her by name and actually smiled at her genuinely. The said maiden only fumbled with her apron in return as if she regretted having spoken at all.


    "Well," She began, her eyes cast down as if whatever she was about to say wouldnd her in some kind of trouble. "Mydy, will let me stay?"


    "Astryn!" Someone from the line scolded after her bold request. "Forgive her mydy. She''s still in training and has a terrible habit of speaking before carefully considering her words." A rended on the poor maiden and the way she coiled after the scolding ignited something in me, making me speak rather rashly in response.


    "I guess I could do with somepany." I didn''t, but in a way she reminded me of me and perhaps if she did indeed have that terrible habit of speaking, she would be just what I would need to serve as a distraction from my own unwee thoughts. "Thank you Astryn. You might have just saved me from angering the king." Delighted was what the guard was, one would even say this was his n entirely.


    "Oh lord Rakon, you are too kind." The maiden blushed profusely amidst angry stares from the rest that made me think I had made the right decision in denying their services.


    "I will leave you to it then." The guard who I now knew to be Rakon bowed and moved to usher the rest of the maidens out.


    "Oh this is lovely, mydy." Astryn eximed as she ran to therge window overlooking the forest that surrounded the castle. She turned out to be a wee immediate distraction as she did not even bother with introductions. "I have always wished to serve in this part of the pce. So many treasures to unearth." Her dreamy sigh sought to pull me into her fantasies. Whatever those were.


    "I thought this was about me." I stared at her faking being hurt.


    "Oh but it is mydy. Ever since I got wind of your bravery, I knew I had to meet you. I had to serve you, if only for a day."


    "M-My what?" I stared at the maiden whose face bore total admiration for me that unsettled me.


    Ignoring my question, Astryn pulled me down to the bed instead before uttering one of the most ludicrous things I did not expect even from her loud mouth. "Tell me how an ouw and her father saved the king from one of the worst mercineries to gue Xatis? And don''t you dare be so modest in your answer as his majesty has made it clear he owes you the biggest debt anyone can owe...his life."


    It hurt to hear that he''d branded me just his savior, but hearing that he''d bragged about it melted something inside. "It was nothing really." Despite her warning, I couldn''t help sounding modest as the truth was not something I wished to sing about. I expected her to protest, but it seemed something else bothered her. "Is anything the matter, Astryn?"


    "It was a brave thing you did, but it does not exin anything." Her face suddenly set in a deep frown, making me curious.


    "Exin what, exactly?"


    "His highness''s behaviour." I wished to hear nothing of my mate, but making that known would invite more questions from Astryn. Questions I wished not to answer. And besides, I had a feeling that she would tell me anyway. "He''d picked each of us maids by hand and that is just unusual. Lord Rakon has been working round the clock presenting guards to his majesty for his approval, which is equally unusual as he has always trusted his judgement to handle the security around the pce, except this ce, apparently. He''s also had cooks on their feet demanding to have rabbit meat prepared hence forth which is even more unusual." Had he really? I blushed as Astryn remained oblivious to my reaction and kept mumbling. "Of all my lessons in training, I have paid particr attention to anything to do with his highness and not once has he ever asked for rabbit meat and now suddenly he wishes for it to be prepared daily?" The maiden was getting exesparated by the second while I blushed even harder the more she spoke. "I swear if he was no king, I''d think he was with child. Oh my God that is it!" Astryn shot up from the bed, realization coating her every word and I was sure I was about to be used of an obvious crime, but then she broke the little pieces that had remained of my world. "It''s the queen, she might be with child, finally

 Chapter 24

    "Tell me why I''m here?" I sighed in the mind link as I entered the council chambers.


    "Because, even if you are the feared ruler of Xatis, the men before you have the power to make your existence quite troublesome if they so choose or are unhappy." Rakon dly pointed out what I knew and loathed. "And right now your queen being with child is what makes them happy and in their twisted way of thinking, they think they have every right to do the heir of Xatis right. Well, since they haven''t see their king jumping around like a maiden at the news."


    "Do not over do it." I red at my best friend who seemed to be enjoying my difort.


    "Oh but your highness, you know that is the only way to stomach their haughty attitudes." As annoying as Rakon was being at the moment, I had to agree with his sentiments. The heads of the five most powerful noble houses in Xatis after the royal family could be a nuisance if they so wished and if there was anything I had learned from my father, it was that appeasing this lot in anyway I could would go a long way in making my reign bearable. It was not what I wished to be doing at the moment as I had a certain beautiful maiden I wished to appease, if only she''d let me. I tucked away my wishes forter and chose to focus on the men who''d requested for my presence.


    Lord Hadwyn from the first noble house whose lumber business had earned them a great share of the shipbuilding industry and consequently controlled the transportation industry sat with an indicipherable expression. I could bet his temper was still simmering under all that calm that he exuded after my honourable refusal to court and wed his maiden daughter.


    Lord Nevan, from the second most powerful noble house was calm as always. I always thought that was a perfect quality for a man whose family was well vested in the wellness of the people of Xatis. Their knowledge of medicine dated back to generations and they happened to be one family with the most research on how our wolf healing actually worked. It was only fitting that they ran the medicine industry and they did so with outstanding results. For years now, no gues had troubled the kingdom because of their efforts and daily discoveries in medicine.


    Then there was Lord Quent, an enigma of a man from the fourth noble house. Even with no indicipherable expression on, one would never be confident about reading what was hidden behind each and every expression he wore. Rakon always joked that the man was ever turning new patterns and designs in his head that were meant to be the current trend for his family''s textile industry. Having provided linen and dressed Xatis for generations, the fourth house stood proudly for that achievement.


    Lord Rhanes, the man who''d give me an earful whenever all that farm producey rotting in the barns seemed easy going on the outside, but he could be a beast when he wished to and that was one beast I dly appeased each time. Just because I knew that if Xatis went hungry, not even my pce doors would keep those hungry stomachs out. And thus the fifth noble house was one house important house in my books.


    Lord Rhanes, the man who''d give me an earful whenever all that farm producey rotting in the barns seemed easy going on the outside, but he could be a beast when he wished to and that was one beast I dly appeased each time. Just because I knew that if Xatis went hungry, not even my pce doors would keep those hungry stomachs out. And thus the fifth noble house was one house important house in my books.


    Lord Evarius, the thorn in my side that was also heir apparent for the third most powerful noble house wore one of those cryptic smiles I hated. His was not the presence that should have represented his house, but a trajedy in that family hadnded him the position of heir apparent that he had made sure to unt at every given moment. Despite his regrettable attitude, however, the third noble house was just as important. Their manufacturing business had opened Xatis to a lot of foreign trade with neighbouring kingdoms and it was one family that could boast of having shares in all the five industries as the business depended on raw materials produced in Xatis.


    "My lords, how may I be of service to you?" I all but snapped out my request. I knew what they wished for and I also knew they were in for a major disappointment.


    "It is more what we can do for you, your majesty." Excitement coated each one of lord Rhanes''s words. "In the wake of the queen''s very wonderful news, your humble noble houses have a proposition or perhaps you could consider it an early gift if you wish." "Go on." I mumbled even though what I really wished to do was scoff at the idea of being gifted a banquet for my own child.


    "We have decided to throw the banquet in honour of your heir to keep with our traditions."


    "You have decided?" I arched a brow at Evarius. "Is your king that incapable his lords feel the need to hold his hand when throwing a banquet for his own unborn child?"


    "What Lord Evarius means is that, we would dly offer our resources to make the event sessful. And I''m sure you would agree that that would cover up for the embarassing way this news got to our ears in the first ce." Lord Quent borated and I nodded, even though I would not be epting their gift.


    "Perhaps we should wait for the midwive''s findings before you my lords decide to empty your coffers for my sake."


    "You seem rather calm for a man who should be eager to recieve such news. Is there something we should know, your majesty?" I marvelled at their ignorance. It was as if they had forgotten about their own abilities to tell when their mate was with child. Or were they just too quick to believe everything out of my queen''s mouth. And if they were, what would be the reason?


    "Your Majesty, we have news from the midwives." Everyone''s gaze shifted to the entrance of the council chamber where an elderly she-wolf stood.


    "You may approach and shower us with the good news." I beckoned for the messenger to approach.


    "It is not exactly good news, your majesty."


    "How so?" I waited to hear of what I knew already.


    "Well. her majesty the queen is perfectly alright." "However?"


    "She is not with child, your majesty. Every one of our inspections have confirmed it."


    "Thank you. You may leave." I waved the messenger away before turning to the noble lords. "So you see my lords, I was actually right in asking you to keep your coffers locked up. But that is not to say, the gesture is not appreciated." "But celebrations are still in order are they not, your majesty?" Lord Hadwyn suddenly decided to make his presence known and I knew it was nothing good. "Whatever do you mean, lord Hadwyn?"


    "The reason you were not so eager about the midwive''s findings. You are not bothered because either way you still get an heir." I froze, not at the usation, but at the realization that I hadn''t been that discreet and may have made it known that Sh was not only my mate, but that she was carrying my heir too.


    It was not my intention, if anything, the opposite is what I whished for. I had been as a thief in my own pce and around my mate. Knowing she was still cross with me, the night had been mypanion, choosing to slip into her chambers and caressing her while she slept. But perhaps it was indeed time to celebrate.

 Chapter 25

    "We can always try again." I stiffened as unwee hands apanied by a seductive tone slid up my bare torso, leaving me cursing Rakon. Best friend or not, I was going to kill him for letting her in here.


    "Not now Myrna." I stepped away from my eager wife and started to button up my garment. Her entire invitation was as unwee as her hands were on my skin and her presence in my study. After the news from the midwives, she''d cried her eyes out, but once those tears dried, she had been intent on having me bed her and giving her a child. Something I was unwilling to do even if my life depended on it, but she''d kept seeking me out anyway.


    Dressed in one of those flimsy gowns, she''d discarded the cloak that had hidden it and was now freely unting all there was to see through it. But instead of being seduced, the sight left me ashamed of my questionable taste that had led me to r****h her the times that I had. "I have matters to attend to."


    "I do not mean right now, but perhapster when-"


    How could one person be this clueless? "I said don''t!" I caught her hands mid air as she sought toy them on me again.


    "When then, your majesty?!" She spat, arms folded across her chest.


    Never, I wished to say, but I merely stared at her. It wasn''t time yet to reveal my intentions towards her, but that did not mean I would spend my every waking moments before then with her wrapped up in my arms and me doing things to her that I only wished to do to my mate. My blood pulsed at the thought.


    "Clearly you have no problem on the matter," Her gaze flickered to the area below my waist before looking back up. "So then why are you intent on avoiding me? Why won''t youe to my bed anymore?"


    Because it is not you I wish to have and this is clearly not your doing. A vision of my mate plunged me right back into the sea of want and need I had been struggling to escape since that kiss. As fleeting as it was, the sweetness of my mate''s soft warm flesh and the desire it had awakened in me was forever imprinted on my soul. There was simply no way I would desire another after getting a taste of something so damn beautiful. If I was going to be pleasured by anyone, it would be her, no one else. "Will you now force your king to bend to your will?"


    She sighed. "Forgive me, your majesty. But it''s already been too long since I have been ravished by you, Elian and while I cannot force my king to do anything, a wife can surely invite her own husband to her bed, can she not?" She slid her gown down, barring her chest in invitation, but I merely watched her little disy with disinterest. If she noticed that, she ignored it altogether and chose to keep singing her seduction song instead. "Will you touch me, my love?"


    "Don''t!" A growl tore from my throat and it left my chosen mate frozen with fear and her quest to bring my hands to explore her nakedness unfulfilled.


    Her face pale, while her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, she muttered. "E-Elian? Are you rejecting me?" I hadn''t yet, but my wolf clearly had and if she kept at it there was no telling what he would do and I wasn''t so certain I would be willing to stop him either. "I told you that I had matters to attend to."


    "Very well." She mumbled after staring at me a second too long. "I will leave you to it then." She gathered herself and came closer before reaching up and cing a kiss right where my mate''s mark was meant to rest and smiled. "I do hope you enjoy your day, my love." Her happy tone brought a bitter taste in my mouth and the moment her form disappeared through the door, I summoned my best friend into the study.


    "I thought I was clear when I said I did not wish to be disturbed." I growled at Rakon.


    "She''s your queen and you are more capable of appeasing her than I ever will."


    "Appease?" I scoffed at that. "Wishing she could disappear through some magical portal and never return is more like-"


    "Did you learn nothing from me boy?!" The door to my study flew open in a violent manner, revealing a very furious face.


    "Good morning to you too father, mother." I all but spat. It wasn''t my intention, but after the regrettable visit from my wife and the night I''d had, I was not feeling very hospitable at the moment.


    "Good morning sweetheart." My mother floated in with her usual warmth and grace that swallowed up some of my tension and annoyance. "He didn''t exactly have a pleasant night." My mother warned in the mind link which only meant, do not anger him anymore than he is."


    "You will do well to remind him that I''m his king now." My mother''s lips twitched and it was all I needed to rein in my temper.


    "Rakon dear, why don''t youe over here."


    "Why, but of course, your majesty." As my mother and my best friend headed for the neat array of shelves filled with books that made for a mini library in my study, I turned to my father.


    "Why don''t you have a seat father and refresh my memory on this particr lesson I may have missed or forgotten." Skepticism clouded his eyes before opting to take the seat in front of my table.


    "The lords-"


    "Hmm, it seems I gave them too much credit than what is really due to them." I mused cutting my father off.


    "And what is that supposed to mean?" He frowned and I was only too happy to indulge him.


    "I knew they would run to you after that little council meeting, I did not just think they''d have chosen to whine so soon."


    "Elian!" My father red. "You do not wish to get on their-"


    "I am their king!" I roared, surprising the older version of me. "And next time they insult me or wish me to lick their bottoms, I will not be this merciful." My father blinked as if I had just uttered the strangest thing. But as strange as it might have appeared to him, I was king now and it was time he and those wretched nobles acknowledged me as such. I simply refused to be belittled in any manner or bow to anyone.


    "Well, that was...unexpected."


    "I appreciate what every noble house signifies in Xatis, father, what I do not appreciate is every one of those heads thinking their little thrones back in their family home is as good as the king''s throne."


    My father sighed. "It certainly does feel like that sometimes, but son, that is a small price to pay to gain allies-"


    "As small as it is, I am unwilling to pay for it, so they can shove every gift down their throats if they are meant to buy my loyalty."


    "Throwing a banquet for the heir of Xatis was not meant to buy your loyalty. It was a gift."


    "I know you are not that blind father.""


    "Well, it doesn''t matter now, does it? It''s not like your queen will be birthing anything anytime soon." His bitter tone, shifted my gaze to his face. Worry was evident on it as it would any king when his family line was threatened into extinction by his son not birthing any heirs. "My queen might not, but perhaps someone else will." The words left my mouth before I could put a rein on them.


    "And who is this someone?" Worry got reced with confusion and something else that resembled disappointment. Whether he was disappointed in me, I did not care for it.


    "My mate." I announced proudly even when I knew there was a possibility that the news might not be received as I wished.


    "Y-You found your mate?" Deep emotion coated my mother''s words.


    "Yes I did, mother."


    "When?"


    "The day of my engagement." Both my parent''s brows drew together in confusion.


    "Then why in the world would you engage and wed a chosen mate?! Why would you trade a chance to birth strong heirs for nothing at all?" Not the words of blessings or expectation he''d sang when I wed Myrna but I understood father''s reaction and to make him understand my decision too, I embarked on telling the regrettable tale.


    "So let me get this straight." My father''s eyes bore into mine, appraising me with his usual annoyance once I was done. "You did find your mate, only she was no longer pure, so you rejected her and chose a chosen mate in a single dumb breath?" Dumb was not how I would have described the events that fateful day, but hearing them from my father''s mouth, they did sound rather dumb.


    "Yes." I sat up straighter, clearly showing my every intention to own up to my mistakes.


    "Apart from rejecting her, you also banished her?"


    "Yes."


    "But then she somehow showed up on the pce''s doors, bearing your ring and your child?"


    "Yes"


    "By the gods!" My father''s tone lost its annoyance, leaving me to rx an inch, but that changed in a heartbeat. "Do you not know that there are ways to be followed in such a case?!" I was aware, but at the time, they didn''t concern me. But of course I wouldn''t let that be my answer.


    "I did not need some midwife telling me she was tainted. I saw it in her eyes. I knew she''d betrayed our bond." I mumbled.


    "And you were the one to cause her to betray your bond. This is a disaster!" My father shot up to his feet, no doubt pondering on the political implications of my very regrettable mistake. "Are you sure she was, you know, pure when you-"


    "Are you saying she''s a liar?" I tensed at the usation. I did not expect him to take the news that well, but to call my mate a liar was going too far.


    "You are blinded by your bond son and you did say you were drunk that night. So how in the world are you sure she is not after something else?"


    "You know damn well that I can handle my wine just fine, and if you wish for me to narrate the intimate details of how I deflowered that innocent maiden, I will."


    "You have to forgive me son, but I had too ask."


    "You could atleast trust your son."


    "I do, but as I said, you are blinded by your bond."


    "I am not-" My father raised his hand to silence me.


    "What I mean is, you are so focused on your mate and the bliss thates with the mate bond that you haven''t stopped to think about what all this means. To your queen, Xatis, your enemies and perhaps even your mate." I had stopped to think, but perhaps not in the manner my father meant. Just because I had epted her did not mean everyone would do so just as easily.


    "May we see her?" There was longing in my mother''s tone that she had never had for Myrna.


    "That is the thing, mother. She wants to have nothing to do with me or you or Xatis." I couldn''t help sounding like an unhappy child. "She believes I only want her for the sake of the child."


    "Well you did reject her." My father scoffed.


    "Are you?" My mother had an indecipherable expression on her lovely face. My answer was I wanted my mate. Not just her, the child too but I wouldn''t be making such derations yet. Not to them and definitely not when I knew that my father was about to politicize everything.


    "I do not know."


    "What is that supposed to mean?" My mother frowned.


    "I have hurt her once before, so before Iy on her what I want, I wish to make this about her." My father gave me a cryptic smile that unsettled me.


    "Perhaps not all is lost then son."


    "How so?" I had a feeling that whatever spewed from his mouth would be something to sour my mood.


    "This may not be as simple as I would like because Xatis has prided itself in keeping its word to its people."


    "And what has that got to do with anything?" I hated it when father took on that ruthless politician''s expression.


    "Everything." My father''s eyes sparkled as they did each time he was giving me some lesson about politics and as much as I wished not to listen to one right now, I let him speak.


    "You see if a king cannot keep his word to his own queen, how are the people meant to trust such a one? A mistress, however, is something that can be understood and easily eptable even among the noble houses, Xatis and even your queen." "Make her my prostitut.e, you mean?" My temper red.


    "From your narration, it''s not something that she would fail to do. She has served you once before, hasn''t she?" I sought to punch him for even thinking it, but someone broke into my mind link screaming. Only a few could do that. "Where were youst night?!"


    "Liira?" She sounded every bit like a nagging wife and I knew why. Because of the council meeting, I hadn''t spent my night in my grandmother''s wing, making it the first time my mate had slept totally alone ever since I began slipping into her room after she slept. "Is Sh alright?" I panicked as I flew out of my study without so much as excusing myself.


    "She''s fine, but she needs you." My heart fluttered. My mate needed me, for what I was not certain, but a stupid grin graced my lips anyway.


    "Do not waste time here mumbling your greetings. Get in there and tend to your mate." Liira practically threw me into my mate''s chambers the moment I got there.


    The room was flooded with the rays of the bright morning sun, but I frowned at the many things that were out of ce. Her beddings were scattered on the floor while her bed was littered with gowns as if she''d been changing in and out of them or searching for something. A vasey on its side in one corner with its contents spilled over among other things. It was one huge mess and I wondered what had happened in here. I was about to mind link Liira to find out when I caught sight of Sh. She stood quietly in front of her favourite window, staring out at the woods down below.


    My wolf purred at the sight of her while I took her in with an appreciative look. She was perfect. Even with her long silky hair out of sorts, dressed only in her night gown and barefoot, she was still a dream. Did anyone wish to devour their dreams? Because I sure as hell wished to do just that with mine. Only the sight of her teary eyes snapped me out of that fantasy as she turned to face me.


    "Are you alright?" Without a second thought, I rushed towards her, hands stretched out in invitation. Even as I did that, I knew I was in for a disappointment, but perhaps that was not to be had as my mate rushed straight into my arms and held on.


    "Hold me, please!" Her grip tightened while my breath hitched. Had I heard that right? She wished to be held by me?


    It turned out I had as she said it over and over again, much to my delight. It was the sweetest surprise that had me turning to Liira.


    "Not that I''mining, but what is this?"


    "Pregnancy hormones."

 Chapter 26

    This was so much better than his cloak that I had searched for like one mad when I needed it.


    I inhaled and melted some more into my mate''s embrace. Just a few more moments. I would let him go just as soon as I was calm enough. As soon as I had my fill. But then he ran his fingers through my hair and got my wolf purring and me biting back a moan. Perhaps I would need more than a few moments.


    Having awakened to the feeling of loneliness and utter emptiness, I had longed for him. For my mate. The urge was as strong as my need to breathe and it had taken everything in me to keep from shifting and wandering through the pce hallways sniffing him out. I had however ended up sniffing my bed, because, for a very strange reason, I had been picking his scent on the sheets each morning I woke up. It was already fading, but I had still inhaled until it was no longer enough. The urge had be too strong and I needed more. His cloak that he had used to cover me while we headed to Dovah had been my next option, but I could not find it. I had searched the entire room and when I came up empty, I simply broke down and cried. Liira and Astryn had rushed in tofort me, but I was as a little girl who refused to beforted until she got what she wished for.


    Then he waltzed in with all his majestic glory and as if he knew what ailed me, opened hisrge perfect arms in an invitation I could not refuse even if I wished to. I did not think twice as I slipped in, shamelessly begging for him to hold me and when he did, all was right in my world. Well, not all, but every emotion that had overwhelmed me faded with each passing moment spent wrapped up in his arms.


    No more words were spoken and I preferred it that way as I basked in the warmth andfort of my mate. He''d carried me over to the couch and wrapped me in his arms as though I was some precious treasure that he did not wish to slip from his hands. "Have breakfast with me." I froze at his invitation, heart hammering in my chest. Surely he wasn''t really- And was that amand or a request?


    A momentter, I realized that neither mattered except that he actually wished to dine with me. He wished to dine with me? Why would he? I looked up, eyes seeking to search for answers, but then his gaze, that deep mysterious abyss of his captured my every being, making me forget what it was I sought.


    "Will you have breakfast with me, Sh?"


    I knew what my answer should be. If only he would stop staring at me as though he was gazing right into my soul. If only my belly would not flutter so much at the sound of my own name from his lips or if only my wolf would stop howling in my head at the thought of being wanted by our mate.


    "Isn''t that a priviledge reserved for your queen?" The words burned even as they left my mouth, but I endured it. No matter the obvious longing in his tone, I did not wish to delude myself, thanks to a sensible part of me that fought through our bond. He had a chosen mate, a wife, a queen. A pregnant queen. And I was just the mate who carried his heir. Could I even call my child that? His heir? With Myrna pregnant too, I had no doubt she''dbel my child as nothing but a bastard.


    "I wish to dine with you!" Possessive in every way, his growl sent my heart melting in my chest and my resolve wavering. I attempted to pull away, to save myself from drowning in the pull of our bond and the allure of being wanted, but his gentle embrace got reced by a tighter grip that left me trapped by him.


    "L-Let me go." My feeble plea only served to plunge me into the very thing I wished to escape. His grip gentled and I wished it hadn''t, because then his soft caresses that reced it disarmed me in ways that left me at his mercy. Despite all of my troubles, I did not wish him to stop. Instead I longed for more. Much, much more.


    "Please?" His plea tugged at something in me and I found myself nodding, giving in to him. I was right after all. I needed a few more moments... with him, and I did need to eat too.


    "An excellent idea, your majesty!"


    Liira? Had she been listening? Panic washed over me at the thought of having someone else witness my moment of weakness. I was nody, but I knew very well that the position I was in with the king was not decent and I couldn''t stomach beingbelled a loose maiden even if I already carried his child.


    I wiggled in his arms, desperate to be free of him. "Thank you, your higness for..." I blushed when I realized that there was no decent word to describe what had just happened between us. "...I feel fine now."


    "No." My face paled at his protests and I anticipated looks of reproach, but Liira only strolled in, a wide smile pasted on her face. Astryn was equally grinning from ear to ear as she trailed the older nurse. But not even that could put me at ease.


    "Stop trying to escape from me, Sh." His warm breath and his raspymand caressed my insides and left me frozen in the very position I sought to get out of. How could a bunch of mere words weaken me this much? My body burned with desire and I wished for nothing more than to lean back into his chest and letting him caress me in every ce that was screaming to be touched by him.


    "All better dear?" I attempted to escape my mate''s grip again, but just as before, it only got tighter and I could only blush at Liira who shed me an approving smile. She approved? "It''s good to know that you are still good at some things."


    "I-I am?" I mustered some semnce ofposure as I frowned at Liira, wondering what was this thing I was supposedly good at.


    "Not you dear." My frown only deepened when I realized that Liira''s gaze was set on my mate. How was she able to address him so casually? "Now, unless you wish to portray yourself as some uncultured beast and not a gentleman, I suggest you let her go and get changed before your meal." She could also order him around? I marvelled as my mate''s grip loosened and he actually let me go without so much as a word.


    "I will see you in a bit, mydy." He gave me a little bow that sent my belly fluttering and as if he was intent on proving Liira wrong, he bowed impossibly lower than I had seen any of his own people bow to him. "Grandmother."


    Wait, grandmother? Even when there was now a decent distance between me and my mate after gaining my freedom, I felt myself blush all over again.

 Chapter 27

    "Will you rx?" Rakon''s words jolted me out of my thoughts and brought my pacing to a stop. "Even if she did refuse your escort, Astryn assures me that they''ll be here soon. So there is no need for all this panic you are enduring."


    It still stung to know that Sh had adamantly refused my escort, but I knew my mate woulde. If not for me, then for our child. Because she had to eat, Liira would ensure it as her personal nurse. So that was in no way why I was panicking or pacing about so nervously.


    I had invited her for breakfast, wishing only to spend more time with her and seeking to appease my wolf that had whimpered with the loss of contact with our mate, but that simple invitation had turned into something I was not so sure my mate would wee as much as I had. I no longer just wished to stuff my belly while I basked in her presence. I wished for this moment to be our beginning. As awkward as that sounded and with the many sins I still had to atone for, I wished for us to begin our journey anew, right here. Having chosen an intimate garden that overlooked the forest that I''d caught her staring at dreamily, I hoped the setting would ease us into a more friendly flow of a conversation. Lying down on that couch and as I had stroked her hair, I had wished we could have that kind of mundaness. The two of us chatting an afternoon away, or perhaps our wolves having a run in that forest she gazed on so much or better yet, waking up to her lovely smile while she curled in my arms the way she''d done on that couch. "It has been too long since I saw one of those. A genuine one too!" Rakon''s smirk only served to widen my smile. I was not about to argue or offer a smart reply to that as merely thinking about my mate made me wish to break out in song.


    A door opened and my heart sped up as I turned hastily expecting toy my eyes on my mate. But disappointment awaited me when it turned out to be Liira instead. My disappointment, however, quickly turned to utter surprise when I beheld my grandmother d in perhaps one of the least garments I ever thought would flow over her frame ever again.


    "I should have known that it would take my mate to make you step out of the shadows." I couldn''t help but tease her over the unexpected sight. Even after so many years, she still looked magnificent in purple, Xatis''s royal colour for every queen ever crowned. And as the matriarch''s royal gown swayed with everyone of her steps, I couldn''t help thinking of that being Sh. My mate would look just as beautiful...and as powerful.


    "That poor child has been through enough pain tost her a lifetime." I flinched even when Liira''s words were not aimed to me. Knowing I had been the source of that pain was enough. "She needs someone on her side." That would be me! I wished to protest, but my past reminded me of how far I had before I could make such a bold statement.


    "And well, she has kind of grown on me." A broad smile graced Liira''s lips as I pulled up a seat for her on the table that was set for two. "And I absolutely think we do need one more strong she-wolf to keep the royal men in line." I rolled my eyes at that, knowing what that meant. My poor mate would soon be enduring being educated on how that got done for my own torment. Though I had an inkling that Sh would not be enduring that much as she was pretty much there already. And why was I finding that mere thought extremely...desirable?


    "Will you wipe that stupid grin off of your face? I''m here on more important matters."


    "Isn''t this the part where I remind you that you are not invited? I huffed.


    "I need no invitation in my own pce." She sipped her tea like the queen she was, earning a smile from me. "Besides your mate will be a while and why waste a perfectly good moment for some chit chat?"


    "I missed you, grandmother."


    "Me too. Although I must point out that you are wrong for thinking it took your mate for me to get here. Perhaps it took my grandson bing king and his mate is simply a bonus."


    "Father must have been a handful, I suppose."


    "Well, sons are meant to be that, while grandsons are meant to be the sweetest things and if it so happens that they are not, well-"


    "Grandmothers are meant to use any means necessary to ensure that they are." An approving smile slipped out of Liira''s lips, making me shake my head. "You are impossible."


    "I taught you well." Liira beamed with pride to which I scoffed, much to her annoyance.


    "And what is this?" My eyes widened when I saw a familiar figure behind her. "Gol?"


    The savage stood tall behind the closed door that had been opened momentarily by a servant. He''d lost part of his ouw look and was now dressed in a soldier''s garments and instead of my insignia on it, it bore my grandmother''s. "How in God''s name did you get him to do that?!"


    I remembered his conditions of not being answerable to anyone in and outside the pce.


    Liira gave me her mischievous grin. "We have an understanding."


    "An understanding?" I frowned, but her pursed lips kept anything from slipping out. "I''m curious."


    She ced her cup of tea down reluctantly. "Well, I couldn''t have him standing out and if he wished to protect my future daughter inw, which is admirable by the way, he needed to blend in."


    Now why hadn''t I thought of that? "I thought it was something dark." I scoffed, knowing my grandmother''s famed persuasion skills.


    "Among other things." I arched a brow as she beckoned a servant to her side. "Things unfit for a young king''s ears." She shot me a disapproving look. "The less you know, the better."


    Definitely dark things. "I''m beginning to wonder if I should even celebrate your return to my pce."


    "Only a useless king wouldn''t celebrate gaining a powerful ally who would not butter them in any way during their reign and you, my king, I do not consider useless."


    "You do know that I have no intentions of having her stay in your wing for the rest of her days,right? Which means he will not always be at your disposal."


    "With what you have on your te, you will have to prove that my grandchild and its mother will be safe before I let them be by your side?"


    "Let them be by my side, you would keep them from me?" I teased, knowing I wouldn''t put that past her. Fortunately it was something I approved of. As much as I wished to have my mate close, now was simply not the time.


    "I would do worse to ensure the future of this kingdom." I was treated to that deathly expression Liira wore when I hit a nerve and something in me filled with pride to know that I was descended from her.


    "And to think the noble houses think that charge of protecting the future of this kingdom lies with them." I scoffed.


    "It is to our advantage that they keep thinking so. Now will you tell your grandmother what treachery has befallen you so far?" She sat back, face set in a serious expression and I felt like a spoiled child narrating all the evils that had befallen him in his grandmother''s absence just so he could get some punishment for his enemies. I knew Liira better than that, however. My enemies would get their punishment no doubt, but this was more than petty revenge. It was Xatis''s future.


    "You have one strong she wolf for a mate." Pride seeped out of my being at Liira''s statement once I was done. "Not that there was any doubt if her pregnant self was a able to handle her body shifting and a battle without any harming to the child in her belly. And as much as I hate your father''s tendencies to be carried away with being a politician, thinking about his words, I do understand."


    "You agree with him? You would have me take Sh as my mistress" That would be the first and only time I would hear Liira agree with father and his craziness."


    "I understand, there is a difference, child." Liira seeped her tea. "But-"


    "Imagine what value such a strong wolf would fetch with those wretched traders." My chest rumbled at the mere thought of Sh being taken from me. "And God help us if they know that she carries your child that bears those qualities and more. But if she had the protection of the king, however-"


    "It would lessen the number of those who would dare to seek tomit such a crime even from my own pce." I sighed unhappily, now that it all made sense.


    "You would only be doing this because recing your queen is one messy political affair, especially when she hasmitted no crime at all. Not in front of the people of Xatis anyway." "You''ve been keeping an eye on Myrna?" I frowned.


    "What? Do not give me that look. I was not the one with a broken heart. And it''s not like you are innocent either." Liira shrugged and my eyesnded on Rakon who only shrugged too. "I just wish I''d done it sooner, she''s proved to be rather...resourceful too. But no matter, I''m very patient. I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your morning peacefully, now that your guest is here."


    I wished to continue this discussion, but my mate''s scent hit me before Liira finished her statement, plunging me into a sea of need. And when she stepped through the door, I was undone while my wolf howled possessively. Mine! I no longer desired the mundane in the moment, I wished to devour her whole.


    "You do look lovely my dear." Liiraplimented my mate, but I strongly disagreed with her words. Lovely was not it at all!


    "Thank you." She curtsied, perfectly, then blushed and giggled, setting me on a path of destruction. She was beautiful, but this... enchanting, extremely alluring, totally desirable, sexy as hell and I wished for nothing but to drown in her.


    "What did they do?!" With my mouth suddenly dry, I turned to mind linking.


    "I believe the words you seek are thank you, your majesty." Rakon smirked, but I disagreed with him too. That was not it at all either. "Just shout if you need saving."


    I would definitely need saving, I was just not certain that I wished to be saved. Not from the goddess that stood before me.

 Chapter 28

    I had never sweated this much in my whole entire life. It was still morning. The sun had yet to unleash its fury, but sweat trickled over my skin. Just as it would if I was banished to soak up the fury in its rays once it did.


    I could me it on theyers uponyers of very expensive clothing thatyered my simple frame, but I couldn''t. Even if their worth would equal to years and years worth of food a simple family in the forgotten vige would need to survive. A fact that had me loathing the idea of being clothed in such fine apparel just for breakfast.


    The reason for my difort had a more hot reasonable exnation. Eyes stared at me with the glow of the hot golden sun. A golden gaze so intense it threatened to turn the little drips of sweat into streams overflowing from head to toe, making a mess of the impossibly perfect look Astryn and a couple of other maids had achieved on me. And the little audience present only served to worsen my difort.


    Liira, looking every bit as the queen I had no idea she was, was beaming at me, approval glistening in her eyes. But even when I had no doubt she held nothing against me, I still felt ashamed at how I had repayed her kindness by running away. Would this be an awkward moment to offer my apologies? I focused all my attention on her even as I used the moment to escape my mate''s intense gaze.


    A faint growl followed my action and I held on tightly to my gown, hoping to hide my own reaction to his protests. My wolf, it seemed, did not care to be subtle about how much she enjoyed being our mate''s centre of attention.


    "Your maj-" I paused not knowing the right way to address the king''s grandmother. His grandmother. I was still trying to wrap my head around that. While I dressed, Astryn had gone on and on about the fond bond between my mate and Liira. And the more she had spoken, the more I had began to realize how much I had misjudged him. How much I had misjudged his intentions.


    When we got to the pce from Dovah, I thought he had simply tossed me away in that empty forgotten part of the pce, far enough to keep my presence from bringing his queen difort, but now... Discovering that he''d actually tucked me away with one of the most important people in his life and in the safest ce I could be in the pce had softened a part of me towards him. That and thefort he''d granted me earlier. My belly fluttered at the mere thought and something blossomed in my heart. "Forgive me for repaying your kindness with my, uh, foolish act of running away." I gave Liira an awkward bow, but she simply waved me away dismissively.


    "Every one is allowed a few stupid decisions during their lifetime. Besides, nothing was going to keep you here unless you wished to stay." She came closer and took hold of my shoulders. "Whatever happens, you are always wee here."


    My heart squeezed and my eyes prickled at her words. "Thank you." I rasped, eyes failing to hold back the tears. Twice. This would make it the second time a stranger had opened their home to me. I couldn''t help think about my own family that had been quick to abandon me for a life of luxury. It was true that I had a piece of Liira growing inside of me, but like with Gol, I had no reason to think there was more to her words than she was letting on. And if ever I had any doubts, her warm embrace that now engulfed me chased them all away.


    "No more tears now." Liira patted my cheeks, while her smileforted my insides. "I will see youter. And do enjoy your meal. If nothing is to your liking, feel free to say so." I nodded as I lost thefort of one embrace only tond in another. A stronger one that held me both tightly and gently at the same time. He''d given me no chance to choose or to protest, but with his scent totally engulfing me now, protesting was thest thing on my mind even as my difort eased.


    "You look absolutely amazing." My wolf purred at hispliment and me? Well, I melted into his embrace, choosing to have the moment too. My eptance earned me an appreciative growl from him. Mine... His chest rumbled with his deration and it sent my wolf howling in my head and me for whatever strange reason seeking the spot were I was to make such a deration physically clear.


    His neck was hidden under the cover of his cloak and with trembling hands, I reached for the note that held it together. I felt him freeze and I almost did too, but I was like one possessed as I undid the note impatiently seeking that part of his skin. "Sh?" His voice trembled with need even as a questioning look settled on his facial features. I had no answer to give, only a desire to sniff that part of him that drove my every action.


    "I..." The cloak fell and I buried my face in the crook of his neck, finding instantfort there in. He purred at the contact and I found myself being lifted as pleasurable growls rumbled in his chest. I liked it, more than I should have. And when we settled on some kind of a seat, excitement bubbled when he ced me on hisps striding him. I marvelled at how I felt no ounce of shame at the indecent position. It was so unlike me and I wondered if perhaps the tea I had been consuming while getting dressed had beenced with something. Oh perhaps it was just the fate of the bond existing between us.


    Whatever the reason was this morning, I was an unwilling party to fight any of it. Breakfast forgotten, I wished to indulge in the sinfulness of it all, but I was in for a disappointment, however. With his hands caressing the small of my back through theyers of fine apparel and his lips inches from mine, my mate suddenly froze before pulling back away from me in a swift motion that left me surprised. If I expected either one of us to pull away, it certainly wasn''t him.


    His chest heaved as he looked up. "Not that I don''t want this, but perhaps we should slow down."


    Slow down? I met his gaze with annoyance rather than hurt. Was he rejecting me and my advances? My advances? Had I been- His conflicting look pierced something in me and I rushed to abandoning my position on hisps, but he kept me rooted on the spot. "Please...will you just...listen?" He let out a shaky, needy breath. Desiring me was not the problem, I noted and it calmed some of that annoyance. Together with the war I noted raging in his eyes. Him and his wolf wished for this, but for some strange reason he was fighting it and now I wished to know why.


    His gaze went to the door, as if to make sure no one would be listening. I wished he hadn''t, however, because then he exposed something to my eyes while at it that pierced my heart. He''d been marked!


    A growl tore through me as I inspected it, my eyes refusing to look away. Right were I was meant to ce my precious mark on my mate, sat two prints of lips in a crimson colour that I instantly loathed. It wasn''t a wolf''s mark but a mark regardless and it angered me to no end. Did they belong to Myrna? I wished to rip the mark out of his skin and her along with it.


    "What is it?"


    "You''ve been with her." I hissed, sounding every bit like a jealous possessive mate while pain and anger wed at my chest. Was that the reason he was asking to slow down? He didn''t wish to cheat on her...with me! Did he care for her feelings too? Did he care for her?


    Realization shed in his eyes and if only he hadn''t reached up to cover his neck almost instantly, perhaps I wouldn''t have flown out of his embrace and almost endangering our child when I tripped and fell while escaping him. "Sh? damn it!" It had taken him a moment to wrap his head around what was happening and I used the opportunity to rush for the door. Once I slipped past it, Gol and Rakon stood at attention.


    "Mydy?"


    "Keep him away from me!" Were I got the courage to bark orders from, I had not idea, but Gol, Rakon and a few guards posted outside the door to the garden stood up straighter and acknowledged them still. All with a short bow that I had no moment to acknowledge as I broke out in a sprint down the hall, my hands at my sides lifting my gown and aiding my escape.


    He wouldn''t even deny it. My hands clutched the fine material of my garments tighter as the thought burned through my head. In my heart of hearts I knew he would choose her still. He was hers. They were wedded after all. I knew my life at the pce would by no means include him, but seeing the evidence and reality of it thrust me into an unacknowledged desire that had been hidden deep in my soul.


    My eyes stung as I now marched down the hall not caring were I was headed as long as it was far from him. Sounds of heavy growling apanied me, but I did not bother to look back at what he was doing to those I had charged to keep him from following. "Sh!" His voice rang out of the wing almost bringing me to a stop. Pain, anger and rageced it, but I chose not to stop for either and kept going.


    She''d kissed and left her mark on him! Somehow I could not move past that and the more I thought of it the more annoyance bubbled within me just as easily as I had felt the pleasure of burying my face in the crook of his neck.


    The sight of the doors I had walked through the time I had escaped came into view and I practically ran towards them, hell bent on putting as much distance between me and my mate. I needed to calm down. Needed to find myself a distraction as thinking of him and my sister only annoyed me even more. And with Gol whom I expected woulde after me, I knew I could afford to be distracted. That was until I bumped into something, or rather someone. A bitter someone with a fairly familiar voice too. "Are you are so blind you could not see your queening?!"


    Myrna? My first instinct was to scan my surroundings wondering if I had strayed too far from Liira''s side of the pce and ended up intruding where I shouldn''t have. When I noticed the familiar doors once I looked back, I knew I hadn''t which begged a more urgent question. What was she doing here? Searching for him, perhaps? The thought morphed my annoyance into raging anger in a sh and I struggled to keep from growling.


    "Apologize to your queen!" A maiden''s voice demanded and I did agree that an apology was the right and honourable thing to do. I had been the one to bump into her after all, but fate had chosen a wrong moment to reunite me with my wretched sister. Not that there was ever going to be a right one.

 Chapter 29

    My every instinct was on guard, my emotions running high and I had every intention to stand up to her, but I was blown away by the sight of my sister. The sight of a queen. Now that I was this close to her, I was made painfully aware of how deeply buried her desire to be queen had been and to what lengths she would have gone to gain it.


    This is me making certain I''m the only one worthy to be chosen.


    Her words echoed painfully from memory. She did look worthy. Dressed in an exquisite gown in fine purple, a shade darker than Liira''s, Myrna stood with the grace of an actual queen. Back straight, shoulders square, her beautiful neck elegantly stretching out even as she red at me.


    Her hair that I was used to seeing cascading down her back was perfectly pinned together in a manner that made room for the most beautiful crown on her head. She was beautiful. More beautiful than I remembered. Royal life had most certainly been good to her. I would even dare say she was born for it.


    nked by a group of maidens dressed just as exquisitely and a band of guards looking ready to defend their queen at the slightest sign of trouble, Myrna seemed to have it all.


    The thought brought a bitter taste in my mouth and unearthed strange feelings in my heart. Shameful feelings that the Sh I was before being betrayed would never have entertained. Then I had simply adored and worshipped my sister, but now? Now I couldn''t help the desire topare myself to her. To discover what it was my mate was drawn to. What made him defy our bond even when I was finally by his side.


    My answer was, she was perfect. At least on the outside. Even when I was dressed in simr fine clothing and could easily pass for a nobledy, I knew I could nevere close to the figure standing in front of me. If I didn''t know better, she could have passed for a nobledy of a noble birth and heart even in my eyes.


    But I knew better, as her darkness had been the light to illuminate my life ever since she''d conceived the idea of being chosen as Xatis''s queen. And that darkness was now feeding the burning rage that was theatening to consume me whole.


    "Apologize to your queen!" Some maiden with a sharp tongue hissed, sending my fists balling at my sides and my furious gaze colliding with hers.


    "She''s no queen of mine!" I hissed back, my tone surprisingly more menacing than I intended, sending the maiden''s sharp gaze momentarily faltering and gasps erupting around us.


    "How can that be? Is she not from Xatis?"


    "A guest from a far kingdom, perhaps?"


    "Sh?" The shock in Myrna''s tone jolted me out of the deathly staring contest that had ensued with the maiden who had dared to intimidate me. "Is that you?"


    Was she only recognizing me now? I found that quite annoying too as no amount of fine apparel or cosmetics would keep me from recognizing my own sister at first nce and she''d had more than that already. "Oh my sweet Sh!"


    Anger red. Sweet? Her sweet Sh? I was definitely none of those things at the moment. Neither was I feeling anything close to sweetness. I hadn''t been that since the day she made certain my life meant nothing to those I had cared for and thought cared for me


    too.


    "What a pleasant surprise!" Arms stretched out Myrna approached, a pretentious smile pasted on her lips. Did she think I would fall for it. The insult drew a menacing growl tearing from my lips, making her flinch. I could swear I saw her cower in fear too, but she was Myrna. She masked it before the world around her could even get a glimpse of it.


    "Oh, you got your little wolf?" She sneered instead while losing a considerable amount of that gracefulposure she''d held before.


    "Not so little if you ask me." A new maiden''s voice interrupted, amusementcing their words and if I wasn''t so angered by how Myrna attempted to dismiss my wolf too I would have hugged whoever had uttered them.


    "I swear if your mother was not father''s beloved step sister, I would have your tongue cut out right this minute!" Someone scolded and I found myself growling at them too. A noble maiden with fiery red hair that fitted her just fine for the witch she was had been the one to speak. Like Myrna, she stared down at the poor maiden who stood at the back of their little group. "You must apologize to her majesty."


    "Apologize?!" The poor girl''s eyes grew impossibly wide. "But I do not think I have done anyth-"


    "Nobody cares what you think, Carlytte." The witch chided. "Apologize or I''ll have to tell-"


    "It''s quite alright, Kerina." Myrna sounded calm, but I knew better. "Its nothing important. We best be on our way. Giving my thanks to the person who saved the love of my life is more important."


    I could have let her go. Could have stomached her uncaring attitude that she''d put on to hide the shock of seeing me in the pce, but referring to my mate as the ''love of her life'' fueled my anger as Myrna spoke proudly. I was not going to utter anything either, but her haughty attitude, that thing that she used to make me feel like I was nothing but dust and her clear intention to ignore me altogether made me speak up.


    "I have no need of your thanks, his majesty''s-" I paused, feeling every bit vengeful and spiteful, I held my sister''s gaze. "My mate''s safety is all that matters." I dered with more emotion than expected as confusion, realization, shock, disbelief, anger and a whole host of other emotions crossed Myrna''s face before she spoke, or more specifically, roared.


    "You?!" The devil in me smiled at her utter difort. "He''s been singing praises about you?! You are the ouw Xatis is beginning to admire?!" I knew nothing about anyone in Xatis hearing of the attack or care about what they thought of it, but Myrna choking at the news and the expression of disbelief and jealousy forming on her face was so priceless I thanked whoever had carried the gossip out of the pce walls.


    Were her words worth an answer from me? I did not think they did. And just because I wished to give her a taste of her own medicine, I ignored her and resumed my earlier quest.


    "You! You can''t turn your back on me Sh! I am your que-" Her tantrum was cut short and when I turned to understand why, my eyes widened. Her hand was held up in the air by arger armoured one.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, your majesty." Gol! My heart was close to bursting at the sight of him protecting me in the manner he did. Wherever he''de from, I thanked the gods for him too as he''d just saved me from an ugly fight with my own sister. My wolf had been begging to be let at her and if her p hadnded, holding back was not going to be my first instinct.


    "How dare you! How dare you touch the queen of Xatis!" Her wless skin took on a bloody shade as she spat her demands. Gol merely arched a brow as he dropped my sister''s hand and that seemed to infuriate Myrna even more, making her turn to her band of


    men.


    "Defend your queen you imbeciles!" Myrna roared at the guards that had apanied her. "Get this brute out of my sight!" The guards hesistated, getting even me curious. "What is this? You dare disobey your queen too!"


    The guards still made no attempt to heed her demands but threw themselves at her feet. "This brute bearsdy Liira''s insignia and unless you wish to go up against the Matriarch, we cannot touch him anymore than you canmand him, my queen." I had yet to speak to Gol about how he came to be dressed in Xatis''s armour, but with the guard''s words I could guess Liira''s intent and it warmed my heart to no end.


    "What?! I am the queen!"


    "And you are indy Liira''s courts. Uninvinted, if I might add, your majesty." The guard dutifully pointed out and nothing was more satisfying than the look of utter loss that settled on my sister''s face. "Not to mention that the whole of Xatis is truly indebted to thedy here whose bravery has saved the kingdom a lot of heartache." The guards offered me grateful bows that caught me off guard. The reverence with which they did so unsettled me too. I may have saved their king, but this...this was too much. And it seemed I was not the only one to notice.


    "This is not over!"


    Not by a long shot. I wished to say, but settled for Myrna''s not so graceful walk as she angrily marched away from me.


    "I may have angered her highness." I sighed as I watched her go while an unexpected feeling settled in my heart. I hated everything she''d done to me, all the hurt that was guing me still, but I couldn''t help being sad at how this fight reminded me of how much I had lost. And it was only the beginning.


    "From what I witnessed, you were perfect."


    Mustering some semnce of calm, I yfully red at Gol. "Witnessed? You mean you were here all this time and yet you left me to fend for myself?"


    "It is time you learned to do that all by yourself. This ce is worse than Dovah."


    "How so?" I scoffed at the smile that graced Gol''s face, no doubt d about the opportunity to give me one more of his lessons.


    He offered a hand that I dly took. I hadn''t noticed it yet, but all those overwhelming emotions seemed to have taken their toll on me and I felt a little drained of my strength. "In Dovah, your enemy is everyone who is not you and protecting yourself is easier in such a ce. While here, your enemy might be the one you share your bed with."


    I was aware of the treachery that could exist within pce walls but I wondered if he meant Myrna or my own mate. Either way, after the disaster of a morning, treachery was not what I wished to be pondering on. I longed for some peace, quiet and food. But that was not to be had yet as someone suddenly stepped in front of us.

 Chapter 30

    "You stayed?" My eyes widened at the sight of the maiden who had defended my wolf in front of Myrna.


    "Mydy." She bowed impossibly low in front of me, the action rubbing me the wrong way. She was a nobledy who did not need to do such a thing, especially not towards me. I would have scolded her for it too, but I had had enough of that and did not wish to let my emotions run wild all over again. Was I even in the position to scold someone in her shoes? "Please rise. This is so unnecessary." I pulled Gol to the side with every intention to be on our way, but the maiden blocked our way keeping us rooted on our spot.


    "Please, mydy, at least let me have some semnce of good news for my mother who expects me to make allies in the pce."


    I frowned. "Allies?" I turned to Gol who seemed to have understood the maiden''s weird request but clearly refused to get involved.


    "My mother expects me to make allies here." The maiden sighed, her eyes taking in her surroundings as if the whole ce overwhelmed her. "You happen to be the first nobledy my heart has genuinely sought to befriend." A timid smile graced her lips, making me think that in another lifetime, one where I was actually a nobledy, she would be someone I could befriend too.


    "I do appreciate what you did for me and your desire to befriend me, but I am no one, so I might not be the ally you seek." I was not searching for allies, neither did I wish Myrna''s wrath to fall on this poor maiden for my sake, even though I had a feeling that was already toote.


    "If you can put the wretched witch...I mean her majesty in her ce so spectacrly, I care not for your status in this wretched world." She scooted over and sped my hand desperately. "If not an ally, then a friend, please, mydy?" I was at a loss for words and Gol''s refusal to interfere was not helping me at all.


    "Lady Carlytte?" A familiar voice drew all our attention, rescuing me from having to give an answer I did not possess.


    "Astryn?!" The desperate maiden suddenly had her eyes lighting up at the sound of the loudest person I''d met in the pce and what followed left me mesmerized.


    "I thought you''d been sent to the gallows!" The two maiden''s embraced in the fondest of embraces that painfully reminded me of what I had lost. Once upon a time, that was me and Myrna. Best of sisters, best of friends.


    "I would have, if it were up to my aunt." Astryn scoffed before a bright smile graced her lips. "But thank the gods who made me bump into his majesty instead. He was the one to save me as he needed something from me." Astryn turned my way, her face flushed and I growled at the thought of what that could mean. It did not even matter that I was annoyed with him at the moment.


    "He needed something?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could put a rein on them.


    "I swore to never speak of it." Astryn mumbled and I growled, making her open her mouth quicker than I could blink. "Do you promise to protect me if he doese to cut out my tongue?"


    "What?"


    "Well, he did mention that that would be my punishment if I ever did let it out that he wished me to be by your side because you needed taking care of and you wouldn''t be able to refuse me that easily."


    "He needed you to convince me to let you stay?" I felt a little ashamed at the usations I had leveled against Astryn in my thoughts.


    "Well, you can be quite stubbon, mydy. And I suppose his majesty knew that when he sought my help." My lips twitched, making the other maiden rx a fraction. "So it wasn''t about me then?" My stupid heart leapt at the real reason she ever came at all. He wished for me to be taken care of...


    "But it was mydy." The maiden defended fiercely, earning a smile from me. "I knew I had to meet you as I said and his highness''s request could not havee at a better time. And speaking of threats, perhaps it''s time you headed back to the castle and have something to eat asdy Liira will surely have my head if you stay hungry."


    My stomach chose that particr moment to make the most embarassing noise. "My belly seems to agree with you." I muttered. I was not eager to face him, but I did need to eat.


    "Oh thank the gods!" Astryn eximed, earning herself a questioning look that sent her fidgeting with her tiny fingers. "Well, after what just happened I thought I might have had to drag you back there kicking and screaming." Carlytte''s giggles kept me from adding a smart reply. "This is so refreshing!" The carefree nobledy sighed, making me frown.


    "What is?"


    "This pce has finally been graced by real people. Do you know how I have longed for that?" I did not, but as the maiden''s smile grew wider, I knew I had to let her enjoy whatever that was a little longer. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"


    "Well, it would be a little too forward of me and so udylike, but I never did care for any of those rules anyway." Before I could stop her, Carlytte bowed. "I''d be honoured, mydy." I cringed at the formal way she addressed me. "Please do not do that. And my name is Sh. It would please me if you called me by that, instead of all that." I gestured at the formal way she addressed me.


    "If you insist."


    "I do."


    "As you wish." A broad smile on her face, Carlytte straightened up as she reached for my hand but it got yanked away just as the ground disappeared from under me. And before I realized what was happening, Inded into familiar arms. His scent, a wee assault on my senses as my annoyance towards him faltered. I inhaled to my heart''s content, much to my wolf''s delight. I would resume being annoyed at himter.


    "Stay away from her!" His menacing growl sent Carlytte bowing in submission and me pulling back from the pleasureable endeavor and gaping at my mate. He offered no exnation, however, but merely marched towards the pce while carrying me as if I weighed nothing. And as much I loathed his actions at the moment, I knew attempting to escape his hold would be a futile endeavor. I could only wait until I found my feet on the ground again.


    That seemed to take forever as silence stretched between us and questions about his harsh reaction towards Carlytte demanded answers. I did not know the maiden at all, but nothing about her had been questionable to warrant his anger. I made certain to avoid catching the glimpse of his neck too so as not to unearth my own anger towards him.


    "Why do you insist on putting yourself in danger?!"


    Back in that intimate garden, my feet finally found thefort of the ground again, but it was not as peaceful as I wished, nor was Ipletely free. "I am not a child!" I met my mate''s cold gaze with a re. I did not appreciate his scolding tone. "Neither did I ask for you to take care of me." Hurt shed across his face that I was only noticing had several w marks that were almost healed. Had he fought his way to get to me? I fought the warm sensations that sought to creep up on me at the thought. "You are mine, Sh!" He growled. "And whether you permit it or not, I will take care of you. As my mate-"


    "What is this?!" I could not let himplete that deration. Such things weakened me and I couldn''t have that at the moment, so I chose to defend the one I hoped would be a friend, instead of facing another moment that would only prey on my weakness. "Carlytte is my guest!" I was not even sure I was allowed to have guests, but I couldn''t stomach the distrust and rudeness being showered on someone who''d defended me and only sought to be a friend. "You know nothing about her!"


    "I know nothing about you either!" Except all the pain. I sought to push him away, but his grip on me only tightened.


    "Then get to know me, Sh." His tone softened instantly and his fiery gaze turned a shade that glued my own gaze to his, weakening me still. Heart skipping too many beats at a time, I drowned in his gaze. What was he asking of me?


    He cupped my cheeks and I froze as my body reacted, and yearned for something more than a simple touch. "We can start all over again. You do not have to forgive me...just...please give us a chance."


    Start all over again? A chance? Was he asking to court me? My belly fluttered at the thought. It was tempting, but he was no longer mine. Myrna''s mark painfully reminded me of that fact. "I''m hungry." I shoved past him as I headed back to the table. I couldn''t do this on an empty stomach. I couldn''t do this at all.

 Chapter 31

    She could have chosen anyone to befriend and yet she chose Evarius''s niece!" I growled as I paced in my study, betrayal threatening to lodge itself in my thoughts and heart. I was aware of my mate''s innocence in this, but by the gods I couldn''t move past Sh standing for any one who shared any rtions with the one person I loathed and one I would never let near my mate and child. "Is this really about Carlytte, your majesty?" Rakon, who stood guard in his usual position in my study arched a brow that spoke of him seeing right through me.


    "What else can it be?" I copsed in my seat, avoiding his gaze before he saw whaty deeper than the thing I was currenly annoyed about. He was not my best friend for nothing, but perhaps I was not ready to share that part yet.


    "Oh, you tell me. Because we both know that the maiden in question is nothing like her immediate family and she would make a perfect friend to Sh."


    I huffed, knowing that to be true. "Evarius is a sneaky bastard and we both know how persuasive he can be. For all I know, he could be way ahead of me and Carlytte might just be the thing he uses to hit me where it matters the most." My wolf growled in my head at my statement, hating what my every word meant. We may not have imed her already, but the thought of losing our mate for whatever reason roused pain in my chest. I blocked that pain out and focused on my best friend instead, determined to stick with my own version of what was supposed to be angering me.


    I frowned when I noticed Rakon walking away from me and going towards the door. It was by no means him abandoning me because of my sour mood. He''d handled me in worse moods, so instead of demanding for an exnation for his behaviour ormanding him to stay because I did not look forward to being left alone with my troubled mind, I merely watched his actions.


    "Are you sure this is it?" I arched a brow at Rakon''s question. I could not see the one he spoke with, but whoever they where, they smelled of wine and I couldn''t help the smile that spread on my lips. I would hug him for getting me just what I needed, I decided. "Mixed to perfection just as I asked?"


    "Yes, my lord."


    "You may leave then." Rakon mumbled before walking back in, a long pitcher in his hands. "Why don''t we talk about what is really bothering you now your majesty, hmm?" The loud bang with which he ced the pitcher on my table made me smirk. "Father would have your head for providing this kind of intoxication for me."


    "You are the king now, so unless you too wish to have my head, I have nothing to be concerned about." Rakon poured a cup and handed it to me. "Drink up, your majesty."


    I did and once the contents hit my throat a growl tore through my lips. "What in God''s name is this?!"


    Rakon smirked. "Something to loosen you up."


    "More like something to kill me." My body buzzed as I sniffed my drink, taking in its weird smell that matched the unusual taste. If Rakon was not my best friend, I would have thought it to be a poison meant to end my life. "What exactly is it?" "You should care more about what it does for you." Rakon filled my cup and his. "To loosening up." He raised his cup to mine, toasting with a mischievious grin that I knew all to well. This was going to be a long night.


    "To loosening up!" I emptied the cup with one gulp, relishing its taste this time around. And just as advertised, my body buzzed even more, easing the tension I was currently feeling, if only it could ease the frustration of having my mate in front of me and not being able to im her. "Pour." I presented my cup to be refilled and Rakon did without questions asked.


    "She''s killing me." The confession slipped out of my mouth effortlessly after emptying the contents of my cup. I would have thought it a truth potion too, if only I was not familiar with the effects of wine. Whatever Rakon had brought might have tasted strange, but it still remained wine, only more intoxicating. "By she, you mean Sh, I suppose."


    "The most beautiful creature to ever grace my eyes!" I stated proudly as visions of her striding me down in the garden transported me to the very moment, leaving me aching with need. The feel of her body molding perfectly in my hands had gued me the entire day and made me mentally p myself countless times for the stupid suggestion to slow down that I had offered just when she''d been ready to indulge in what I had long thirsted for.


    "I do not know how much more of this I can take." I sighed, my gaze on my cup of wine. The drink was perfection, but I realized it wasn''t exactly what I needed. I longed for my mate. I wished to take her and every moment of her rejecting me was eating me and my wolf up.


    "She''s your mate who happens to be carrying your child and you have the bond on your side, so why aren''t you using it?" I met Rakon''s gaze with surprise. I knew he did not like Myrna at all, but to be careless in such a manner was so unlike him. He only shrugged to my surprised expression. "I''d rather have you happy and focused, than this regrettable version of you that will soon enough put Xatis at risk. And forgive my bluntness when I say that my queen is not the one to give you that." My blood pulsed at his suggestion while my heart hammered in my chest. "I can''t believe you are using the security of the kingdom to sell this ludicrous idea." I gave myself a moment for anything in me to register some kind of a protest. I had wished to be a gentleman after all, not some sneaky bastard who would lure my mate into surrendering herself to me. The very thought sent my blood rushing in the right ces.


    "I can''t believe you have not thought of it yourself." I had thought of it, except, I had not wanted to hurt her even more after what I had put her through. But what if I did not hurt her? What if I could make this the best experience she''d ever had with a man...with me? What if I could show her that Myrna was not the one I longed for? That the mark she''d ced on me meant nothing.


    My hand reached for my neck, brushing the spot. My skin still remained smooth as though nothing was there, but I knew those prints from my chosen mate''s lips still remained. Whatever it was that she''d applied on her lips had stuck like a second skin to mine, ensuring that I could not get rid of it no matter how much I scrubbed. It was the first thing I''d done after my mate''s refusal of my proposition to court her. The mark had been the thing to snuff out all the hope I had seen in her eyes, making me spend the rest of the morning seeking to get rid of it.


    I had to hand it to Myrna for her brilliant idea toy a im on me after my reluctance to mark her. But this would onlyst for the next few hours ase sunrise, someone from the capital would being in to get rid of this problem for me. Until then, I would be taking advantage of the bond I shared with my mate.

 Chapter 32

    I thought being angry at him would be enough to keep my mate from invading my every being. I was wrong. It was most certainly not.


    Even with everything going on with Myrna, I seemed to be stuck in the moment I strode hisps while anticipation at what was toe had left me desiring every bit of him. It did not even matter that he had been the one to pull away. My body seemed not to have cared about that at all as it still indulged in the memory of his strongrge hands caressing my back. Something I had found myself craving for all the way through breakfast which I had consumed with half a mind as the other half had chosen to day dream about the king of Xatis.


    I had hoped that that would be over soon but I should have known better.


    I tossed and turned on my bed. I had done so for hours since the moment I had decided to retire to bed in hopes of escaping my own thoughts and desires.


    No amount of tossing or turning was helping with that however, and after doing it for so long, frustration was beginning to seep right into my bones. I wanted him. I wished to breathe in his scent and if I did not get a grip on my unfulfilled desires I would lose my mind before morning came.


    Getting a grip was not what I wished for however. I longed for release. This was not me at all, but it was as if each interaction with my mate only served to thicken the pull towards him and I found myself stuck in moments where having him close was all I cared about. Was that the moon goddess''s idea to keep mates together even when they did not wish to be together? If it was, then it was brilliant of her and a definite curse for me and my wolf. Because no amount of need or desire would bring our mate to us as he was probably too upied with his chosen mate, leaving us to waste away in our state.


    Bitterness trickled at the thought and I abandoned my bed for therge window that held a sight I hoped would serve as a distraction. Disappointment was waiting for me however when I stared out the window. With the moon long hidden behind the clouds that covered the night skies, the sight of the peaceful forest down below was nothing but an expanse of darkness that even my wolf sight could not prate. Emotions flowed and tears prickled at being denied such a simple thing too. I was probably being silly, but I could not help how I felt.


    "Why do you insist on torturing me?" Instead of insisting on catching a glimpse of the forest, my teary gaze turned towards the heavens as a heaviness settled on my heart. What may have began as a desire for my mate had quickly turned into the kind of t*****e that brought every other misfortune that had befallen me to remembrance, bringing with it a lump that lodged in my throat.


    I had been brought up to believe that the moon goddess was good and yet everything that she hadid out in my path did not speak of that goodness at all. Neither did she have the courtesy to answer my desperate question.


    A knock at the door echoed in my quiet room instead, making me wipe away my unshed tears as I did not wish to have to exin what ailed me to whoever that was. "You may enter."


    Thinking that it might be Gol, I reached for my gown to cover my thin night garment, but the iing citrus scent had me letting go hastily and turning fully towards the door.


    He was here... In all his majestic glory, my mate stood by the entry way as though he''d been conjured up by my own feelings of sadness. Unbelief flooding my senses at the coincidence, my eyes darted between my mate and the skies above. Was this her answer? Had the moon goddess decided that I had been tortured enough? I did not wait for an answer to my thoughts as that citrus scent invaded my space, making me realize that he''de closer.


    "Are you alright?" Of course he would sense my sadness and before I could decide what my reply should be, I got wrapped up in his embrace. Just what I needed. I let out a sigh of relief as I fisted my hands in his shirt and held on. "Sh?"


    At his inquiring tone, I nodded. "I''m alright... now that you are here." I did not know why I added thatst bit. Perhaps it was because it was the truth. A truth that was received with the most alluring smile that got me weak at the knees. It was a stark contrast to the person who had stormed out of the garden this morning simply because his proposal had not yielded the answer he''d sought, among other things.


    I wondered if that was the reason he''d found his way here. Was he perhaps seeking a way to get me to change my mind or perhaps he''d sought me out because he''d been driven by his need too.


    Whatever his reasons were, or whether he was the moon goddess''s gift offort to me, I decided that I would enjoy this moment and everything it would bring my way.


    "I couldn''t stay away." He began, sending my belly fluttering at his confession. "Neither could I sleep." I got pulled away from thefort of his chest and I almost whined if not for the deep golden gaze in his eyes that fed the need pulsing in my bones. He needed me just as much as I needed him! My wolf purred at the realization and together deciding to be reckless and giving in, reached up and brushed my lips against his in invitation.


    The action caught him so off guard I became aware that he had not expected anything of the sort from me tonight. I had not expected anything of the sort from me either.


    The surprise, however,sted but only for a moment as he epted my invitation with a kiss that ignited the ambers of need into a raging storm. A storm only he could calm. And as he scooped me up andid me on the bed, sweet anticipation dripped right into my bones and erased every trace of the frustration I''d felt earlier.


    "God you are beautiful!" He mumbled against my skin, his warm breath sending delicious tingles that only drove me crazy. I had whined when he''d broken off the kiss, but as his lips explored every inch of me that was now exposed to him after ripping my night gown, I could only arch my back, pressing more into him and moaning with pleasure. His own pleasurable growls, groans and grunts were like music to my ears. I relished a whole tune as he expertly kissed his way down my body, lingering hotly over my jewels that graced my chest, earning himself countless moans as I couldn''t seem to keep those from escaping my lips. It was shameless, but honour was not what I cared about in the moment. A beast had been unleashed in me and only he could tame it.


    His assault extended all the way to my belly and I wished it hadn''t because that would be the end of all the pleasure he''d had raging in me as he froze, lips still resting on it.


    I was about to protest but held my tongue and merely watched as my mate eased back and gave my belly a long stare while an obvious conflict ensued. Was it regret about tonight?


    His demeanour was enough to knock some sense back into me, making me realize how close to making a fool of myself I hade. I shifted on the bed, hoping to escape the embarassing situation, but something heavy settled lightly on my belly and when I looked, my mate had his head pressed to my skin as if he were listening for something. It took me a moment to remember that In carried his child and another to remember that his heir was the most important thing to him. Not tending to my needs.


    The sight should have warmed me too. Should have had me relishing what was supposed to be a sweet moment between my mate and the child I carried, and yet only pain came of it.


    I wiggled in his hold, wishing for nothing but a way of escape before the tears fell.


    My struggling caught his attention and when he looked up, his eyes were clouded with an emotion that would have swept me off my feet, if only it were directed at me and not his child.

 Chapter 33

    "I expected you to be in a better mood this morning." Rakon came and stood beside me out on my bedroom''s balcony as I stared out into nothingness. I was in a better mood. If deciding not to be a sneaky bastard and giving up the chance to devour one''s mate in


    one heated night of passion for her sake could put one in such a mood, then I was.


    I shifted my gaze for the first time since I had gotten lost in my thoughts. "I am." I mumbled, a reluctant smile on my face. Rakon only arched a brow at my answer before his gaze fell on the cup of wine I had forgotten to bring to my lips for the longest while now. "Helps with maintaining the mood." I mumbled.


    Because I did not know of any other way to keep from being assaulted by visions of her glorious body that would have definitely made me go back on my decision, I had turned to wine. Not that it had helped. As much as I longed to be intoxicated, wine was just not the thing to do it. I still longed for her. Longed for that sugary scent to fill me the way it had as my lips pressed to every inch of that silky smooth skin. I longed to relish the sound of her moans that rang beautifully in my ears and had my own need souring each time she reacted to my touch. The desire in her eyes and how they sparkled with need. A need for me and my wolf. The whole sight was as sacred as it was arousing. "Hmm. I take itst night did not go as nned then?"


    "It did. Better than I had hoped." The memory of her innocent invitation sparked something in my blood. If only it was not just the bond speaking at the time. "Then why the long face?" Rakon leaned on the balcony''s railing, facing me.


    "Because she deserves better." That was a bitter sweet pill I had had to swallowst night. I realized I would have to swallow a lot of those before she let me into her heart. A price I had decided I was willing to pay, no matter how steep it became.


    The bond would give me her body, but not her heart and that was what I was after, more than anything.The moment my lips had brushed her pregnant belly, that desire had be oh so clear, making me abandon luring her in such a manner. If...when I did im her, love is what I wished to be making to her. I still had no clue how I was going to aplish it. How I was going keep my hands to myself until then, but I was willing to try.


    "Then all hope is not lost."


    "Hope?" I frowned at Rakon.


    "I was afraid your queen may have rubbed off on you." Rakon reached for my cup and downed every drop of its contents. "It''s good to know that my best friend is still in there some ce." "This was a test?"


    "I prefer calling it a war strategy. As it stands and as head of your king''s guard, I needed to be sure that you would not stick to your regrettable path of mistakes and doom Xatis along with it."


    I scoffed. "And you concluded all that after learning about my cowardly exit from my mate''s chambers?" Sh''s pained expression still haunted me. She''d tried to conceal it, but I''d seen right through her mask. I could have given her what she desired, but she would have only resented herself more than she resented me. I couldn''t have that. Of course, I would be needing a way to smooth her over after what I knew she thought was another rejection from me.


    "You are many things, your majesty. A coward is not one of them." Rakon smirked. "And if you are quite done with whatever this is." He gestured towards my lone drinking party. "Your visitor from the capital awaits."


    "That was quick." My gaze shifted to the horizon. The sun was still only peeking out. I had not expected my visitor until way after breakfast.


    "It seems your predicament is something of intrigue as the man couldn''t wait for sunrise and chose to ride for the pce at once, together with the messenger who''d delivered your request.


    My own curiosity at that led me out of my bed chambers and into my private study.


    "Your majesty." A man who was as ancient as history itself and yet did not look a day over most of the young wolves in Xatis stood to his his feet and bowed. "I came as soon as I heard."


    "Cerus." I acknowledged his greeting before taking a seat. "What can you tell me of it." If there was anyone who would know why I could not get rid of Myrna''s mark, it would be him. ''Cerus the wise'' as he was fondly known by those who''d sought him and drank from the vast well of knowledge he possessed.


    "If I may, your majesty." I bared my neck at the old man''s request and held the position as he inspected the mark.


    "Well?" I broke the silence when the man uttered nothing after his inspections.


    "It is a thing of beauty, I must say." He was obviously fascinated, a fact that I did not share and one that made anger bubble.


    "Can it be erased or not?"


    "I do not understand." Confusion spread on the old man''s face. "Why would you seek to erase it at all?"


    "Because it is not meant to be there." I growled as a memory of my mate''s painful look at the sight of it shed before my eyes. I needed to get rid of it and keep all that pain away from her.


    "Was it not ced there by your chosen mate?"


    "It was, against my will." I all but growled.


    "Oh, I see." The man nodded, but still appeared thoughtful.


    "Forgive me, but what kind of mark is it that it refuses to be erased. A pigment or something of the sort perhaps?" Rakon asked from beside me.


    At that the man''s eyes brightened as they always did when he spoke of the treasures that were our past. "It is indeed a pigment of sorts. One found on a very rare tree." I frowned at the simple exnation leaving Cerus''s mouth. But if the man noted my reaction he made no attempt to utter anything about it. "The tree was believed to be a gift from the moon goddess as it had many healing properties that aided our wolf healing, among other things. The pigment being one of those things that in times past those with chosen mates used to mark their mates to mimic the natural mate bond."


    I frowned at that. "Why would they need it when they could easily mark each other andplete their bond."


    "Because my king, for many, a chosen mate was just that, chosen. The maiden''s knew it and because they longed to be cherished just as those naturally mated were, theybined the unusual properties of the pigment together with a bit of sorcery toe up with a seemingly harmless cream that an unspecting wolf had applied on them and the result? I''m sure his highness''s imagination can conjure up a vision of what that might be."


    Everything sounded ridiculous and if this was not Cerus, I would have thought the man in front of me to be totally insane and think nothing of his words. "Would a witch be able to undo it?"


    "Because it is clear that you do not ept this mark, the spell should not have held, it only does because you share share a bond with her.


    "Bond? I share no such thing. Not even my mark rests on her skin." For once I patted myself for dragging my feet over that.


    "I did not mean your mark, your highness. Your having wedded her was enough. That is if that is your queen''s mark."


    "So you mean there is no way to get rid of it?" The dread in Rakon''s voice reflected my own.


    "Am I stuck with this?" I could see my chances with Sh evaporating right before my eyes.


    "Not exactly."


    "Well speak then!" Impatience prickled.


    "Your mate''s mark has the power to erase even the most dark of spells, your majesty. That is if you were ever to find her." An apologetic smile crossed the old man''s lips and it only served to remind me that Xatis had yet to know about Sh. I did not care for it, only that she would be my saving grace.


    "Thank you for taking the trouble ofing all the way out here." I had heard enough.


    "It is no trouble, but an honour, your majesty. It is not everyday that one gets to serve in such a manner."


    "Well, you have my utmost thanks. Rakon here will see to it that you are rewarded for your service" The man bowed and headed for the door, only to stop abruptly and turning back to me.


    "Anything else?"


    "Do not underestimate the power of this spell. There is a reason only a pure mark from your moon goddess''s given mate can counter it. And if you have no intentions of forever belonging to the queen, now would be a good time to keep away from her." I would be keeping away from Myrna, but not just yet.


    The moment Rakon and Cerus walked out the door, I followed suit. Except I headed in the direction of my chosen mate''s chambers, anger driving my every step.


    "Your majesty?" Shock graced the faces of the guard''s faces posted on Myrna''s door as they straightened up. "Wee." They bowed when I only red. I chose not to acknowledge them and barged into the room instead. The moment I did, I froze, realization that I had underestimated the power of the spell even after being warned hit me instantly.

 Chapter 34

    "Rakon, get the hell over here!" I did not care that I sounded desperate as I mindlinked my best friend. Nor did I care that I felt like the coward he''d defended me from. I needed him now. To keep me from that regrettable path of mistakes he''d spoken of because I sure as hell did not trust any part of me right now to aplish that all by myself.


    I did not even like Draxuin, but that bitter poisonous nt had never smelled so sweet and so alluring as it did now. I was bathed in it the moment the doors to Myrna''s chambers swung open, making me and my wolf almost howl in jubtion. It took me biting down on my lips to keep even the smallest of sounds from escaping as the strange rumblings made by Cerus became a reality right in front of my eyes.


    It was not that I had not believed the man, or maybe, perhaps, I hadn''t as everything caught me off guard. Mimicking the bond was not what this was. If not for Cerus''s words, I would have been casting a confused look towards the heavens wondering if the moon goddess had just made a mistake by gifting me with another mate.


    "My love... I had hoped that you woulde by today." Myrna, dressed in nothing but a flimsy gown that hid nothing from my eyes sat up on her bed and smiled. The most seductive splitting of her lips that made everything in me want to devour every inch of her. I was not unfamiliar with her body, but as she swayed seductively,ing my way, it was as if I was beholding her for the very first time. "Do you like what you see?" She stopped and let her gown drop to the floor. Not that that changed anything, but the action, the illusion of her undressing right before my eyes was the hottest invitation to indulge in the sinful view of her nakedness. And what a view it was!


    Blood pulsed, desire raged, my wolf groaned, itching to im the false mate that stood before us.


    A false mate... That should have snapped me out of the false allure, but then she spun around, unting her wless skin, her long hair following the action too, making me wish to touch. I wished to explore every inch of her. I had never done anything of the sort each time I imed Myrna. Not even on the night we wedded. But now...now I wished to start by iming her lips all the way to tasting her very essence. Devouring her until she begged and screamed my name over and over again.


    "She''ll have you go to the depths of hell to search for forgiveness if you hurt her this time around."


    Sh... I blinked, Rakon''s words turning all the heat I felt at the moment into anger as they snapped me back to the reason that had made me march into my chosen mate''s chambers in the first ce. "What did you do?!" I growled. Innocence shed across her face. "Do?"


    "Do not y coy with me Myrna!" I growled, earning myself a mischievious grin from my chosen mate. She seemed to have out grown her pleas for me to bed her and give her a child. I should have known that the distance she had given me only spelled something much worse. A plot meant to trap me.


    Unrepentant, she batted her eyes at me. "And what exactly does his highness think I did?" Myrna resumed her walk towards me, giving nothing of her transgressions away and that only served to anger me even more.


    She was toying with me. This back and forth would just not do, I decided. "What is the meaning of this?!" I bared my neck and exposed the mark just as I stopped her from cing her hand on me. If only I could stop her scent from threatening to overwhelm me too. "It is a thing of beauty, wouldn''t you say?" She smiled sweetly at her handiwork before her face scrunched up. "Though, I was not entirely convinced on where to ce it, but now..." A dramatic sigh escaped her lips. "Now...seeing you wear it like this, I am certain that I chose right. It is perfect."


    "Do you think this a joke?" Her carefree attitude only angered me even more.


    "It most certainly is not, your majesty. Not when it brings you right to me. To my bed. It''s a shame that its not the real thing, but it will have to do until you mark me and I you." She stopped all attempts to lure me and walked back to where she''d dropped her gown. I would have been d about that if only it didn''t speak of my loss to her this time around. While she stood so close to me, tingles had erupted. The desire to have her reignited and almost made the little control I had left slip. I hated how easily that happened even with the knowledge that this was nothing but a spell cast on me.


    I did not understand why she''d given up and walked away either. She''did her snare and I had walked right into it. So then why was she giving up so easily? I frowned.


    "I''m a patient maiden when ites to what I desire, Elian." She peeked over her shoulder as she put her gown back on. It was as if she''d read my mind and understood the confusion that swirled in there. Her demeanour, so sure and her words both a warning and a promise.


    What did she desire, if not to have me in her bed? I could only watch as I sought to understand her. Up until now, she''d only yed the damsel in distress to get my attention. Something had changed. Something that had made the person Rakon had warned me about to rise to the surface. I was ying catch up, but I was determined to uncover what that was. I had an inkling of what or better yet, who that was. If my chosen mate''s refusal to even reference the person in our encounter was anything to go by. "Anything else, your majesty?" "See you at dinner?"


    Surprise shed in her eyes but she masked it just as quickly with a smile. "You wish to dine with me?" This would make it the only time I invited her to share a meal with me. "If you would do me the honours."


    "I''d be honored, my king."


    I marvelled at how easily she epted and all the enthusiasm that came with it. "See you tonight then." I turned to leave, tearing myself away from the pull of her presence. "Dinner? What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Rakon red the moment I stepped outside. "Aren''t you supposed to be running the other way?" "Be a coward you mean?" I arched a brow at my best friend.


    "You know what I mean." Rakon sighed audibly. "Besides, I would understand if you chose the cowardly route, if that would serve any purpose at all." "Would knowing that I have no intentions of dinning alone with her help with your distress?"


    Rakon stopped and shot me a confused look. "What exactly are you nning?"


    "Testing a theory." Cerus''s words had proved to be true so far, but I needed to be sure that that extended to everything else.

 Chapter 35

    "Why do I have to go and dine in the main pce when this ce has enough food to feed a whole army?"


    "Because his highness invited you, mydy." Astryn''s lips broke out in another huge smile. She''d been doing that the entire time since she got wind of my mate''s invitation. "I would think nothing of it, but his majesty is not one to do such a thing. Except for his parents of course. Not that that goes with such a beautiful invitation. Which goes to say a lot."


    "You are not helping." My belly fluttered as my eyes flickered to the simple yet exquisite note that Rakon had delivered to my bed chambers the moment I opened my eyes. It contained nothing extravagant. Just an invitation to dinner and yet after reading it I had gotten lost in a fantasy that spelled something much more. There was just something about him seated behind a table and penning those few words to me that had me swooning.


    I should have felt something else other than what I was feeling right now afterst night, but a dream, one with my mate and the most adorable small versions of ourselves running around in front of the most beautiful cottage had changed all that. And waking up to his invitation had charted the way for my emotions for the rest of the day.


    So then, why was seeing him tonight making me uneasy?


    "They are just nerves, mydy." Somehow I had spoken my thoughts out loud, making me blush. "Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me." Astryn winked, her action deepening my blush. "Ande sunset, nothing of them will remain, I promise."


    I doubted Astryn''s words as that feeling had kept on getting worse each time thoughts of seeing my mate surfaced. And what if that was not it? What if it wasn''t just my nerves making me uneasy. What if it was the frustration that still gued me after what he beganst night that I longed for him to finish. Would I be able to endure being so close to him when I felt that way, or would I make a fool of myself?


    Or perhaps it was fear. Fear of him looking at me the way I had been longing for him to. Not just with desire, but with a more deep seated emotion that I knew went beyond the mate bond.


    What if the look he gave mest night was not for the heir I carried? What if it was meant entirely for me?


    Knots tightened in my belly at each thought and I doubted they would be gone by sunset. I would definitely make a fool of myself tonight.


    "Can I decline the invitation...respectifully?"


    Astryn stopped styling my hair, an apologetic look on her face. "I think you gave up that chance when you let lord Rakon return to his highness with nothing but your lovely smile."


    "I-I... could... send another guard."


    "Someone lower than lord Rakon?!" Astryn''s eyes widened. "Do you wish to have someone''s blood on your hands, mydy?"


    "Blood?!" I frowned at my maid whose face had suddenly gone a shade pale.


    "Being caught lying invites death, which is what that guard''s words would be if he repeated them to the king after his most trusted head of his guard had spoken otherwise."


    "For a mere invitation?" Now it was my eyes'' turn to go wide. "Surely, the king is not that merciless?" His pleas for me to get to know him, for us to start over rang in my ears and ignited a desire to do just that.


    "When ites to you, I believe he would kill for much less, mydy." Astryn smiled, but a vision of my mate''s wolf tearing his own guards apart the night I had escaped from the pce kept me from returning her smile. She was right and all thoughts to decline the invitation melted with that truth. I would endure this. Whether I would make a fool of myself or not.


    "Besides, Lady Liira is many things, and as much as she has warmed up to you, she will not take kindly to you declining the king''s invitation. When ites to matters of the throne, she tends to lose her charm."


    Oh yeah, there was Liira too who had spent the entire morning fussing about what I would wear. Even when my closets were full of fancy gowns, she''d insisted that none of those would do and had gone ahead and brought in merchants who came bearing more fine material together with more seamstresses. Chaos had ensued around me as everyone got to work, jumping and nodding at Liira''s instructions until she was satisfied. The result was something I could never even dare dream of. Perhaps the thought of the king''s reaction when he would see me in the creation had also added to my uneasiness.


    "All done, mydy." Astryn announced as she stepped away from my view of the mirror, leaving me to gaze on my reflection.


    "I love it, thank you." The hair style was as simple as I had wished for. Even though it exposed my neck and gave a view of the beautiful earings Liira had insisted I wear. The beautiful wolf shaped jewellery made the whole style look more sophisticated than I had expected. "And now to get you all put together."


    "May I have some tea before then, please? One of those prescribed by Liira, perhaps?" I called to Astryn before she reached the door. The knots in my belly made me long for the calming tea. They seemed not to be easing up even as the sun lingered on the horizon. "Of course, mydy. I will have everyone hold on until you are done."


    "Thank you, Astryn." An effortless smile spread across my face as I watched her go, thankful that she had pressed me to have her stay as my maid. A carefree soul like her was definitely what I needed to cope with all the royalty and the life that came with it. My mate was right to choose her. A warmth engulfed me at the thought and I wondered what else he''d done to ensure I was happy, or safe or had everything I needed.


    "Your tea, mydy." Astryn pulled me out of my thoughts when she walked back in, a tray in hand.


    "That was quick."


    "Oh, you havedy Liira to thank. It seems she had an inkling of your state and had already ordered for tea and all I did was pick it up."


    A familiar lump formed in my throat. It was just tea, a little thing, but it was these little things that more than anything sang of the fact that I was cared for around here. And it was bing increasingly hard to hold on to my hurt or to the idea that everything was being done because I carried the heir of Xatis.


    "I will be sure to thank her." I croaked out, emotion coating every one of my words.


    "Oh I wouldn''t do that if I were you." Astryn grinned as she poured me a cup. "Not unless you wish to be scolded for mentioning useless things.


    Useless things. I chuckled at that. "You are probably right, I shouldn''t." I had gotten scolded countless times already as Liira still insisted she was the one who was grateful to the moon goddess for bringing me under her care. Something she loved doing without question.


    With those thoughts, I sipped my tea with a happy smile on my face. And by the time I was done, knots had loosened considerably and was ready to get all dressed up.


    Those charged with getting me ready poured into my chambers working round the clock to bring Liira''s vision to fruition. Having no experience with royal fashion, I had been nothing but a spectator, marvelling at how I transformed into someone I hardly recognized. Someone whose beauty I knew I possessed, but had never really been brought forth the way it had been done tonight.


    "Am I done now?" Any more of anyone poking, pulling to ensure everything was perfect was going to drive me insane.


    "With this, you are." His smooth deep voice floated right across the room and straight to my heart, making it quicken in response.


    "Y-Your Majesty?" I turned reluctantly as every other figure exited my chambers.


    "Mydy." He gave me a subtle nod, the appreciation in his eyes making everything I had just endured well worth it. And that citrus scent with a hint of wine was so much better than Liira''s tea.


    I curtsied. albeit awkwardly, but if he noticed it, he did not bother to show it. He instead closed the distance between us in calcted strides that were slow enough for me to take him in whole. He was a delicious sight that had my wolf purring. Dressed in the scarlet colours of Xatis, his kingly crown on his head, he was as delicious as he was overwhelming. Right there I decided that I would never cease to be amazed and overwhelmed by the splendour of his majesty.


    "Forgive me, for having this deliveredte, the jeweller had gotten some details wrong and I insisted it be redone." He opened a fancy looking box and revealed a shiny ne that sent my heart skipping beats. Was it him all along?


    "D-Did you gift me these?" My hands trembled as I reached for the beautiful pair of earings I had thought came from Liira. Staring at the ne, I was sure she was nothing but a messenger as the wolf design in the ne matched those on the earings I wore. "If I may." He guided me back to the seat in front of the mirror and once I was safely seated, he reached for the ne. "I would have delivered them myself, but I was forbidden fromying my eyes on you until you were done." I caught sight of a reflection of a smile and all that uneasiness crept back in. It didn''t even matter that he was so at ease as his hands went over my head and to my neck to sp the ne in ce.


    "Perfect." My mouth went dry at his whisper and the heat in his eyes reflected in the mirror sent tingles shooting up in every part of my body.


    "Tha-Thank you." I shivered when he brushed his warm hands over the naked portions of my skin left by the design of the gown I wore. An action that I realized was more intentional than idental when his chest rumbled at my reaction to his touch. "Shall we?" Hand held out to me in a gentlemanly way, he smiled, the beautiful splitting of his lips that sent my heart fluttering and my hand slipping into his smoothly.


    "Oh! Now, there is something you don''t see everyday!" Liira eximed once we emerged from my bed chambers. "You look absolutely breathtaking my dear."


    "Why thank you, grandmother." My mate intercepted Liira''s hand that was without a doubt headed for me, earning himself a yful look of disapproval. I bit back a smile at that.


    "That was in no way meant for you, even though you are not bad either." Liira scoffed before bringing all her attention to me. "You my dear are simply a dream and forgive this olddy if she refuses to wake from it." A warm kiss on either of my cheekster, I struggled to keep the tears from flowing. All this love... It was as if fate was hell bent on making up for what I had lost and all the pain I had endured.


    "Thank you." I flung myself at her in a desperate embrace and she caught me easily.


    "No need to thank me." She patted my back soflty, spreading more of her warmth in my heart. "Just promise me that you will enjoy yourself." Even when I knew nothing of where my mate was taking me, I nodded.


    "Thank you, grandmother." My mate reimed me from the matriarch in a dramatic manner and led us outside the pce. The faraway look on his face no doubt indicating a conversation in the mind link. I smiled knowing Liira had probably had tones to say over his action.


    "Do we need a carriage to get there?" My eyes widened at the royal mode of transport,plete with well dressed guards in armor. Among them Gol and Rakon.


    "About time." Rakon grinned as he moved to open the tiny door on the side and invited us in.


    I hesitated, but delicious tingles stemming from my lower back, got me moving as my mate led us towards it. Once we were safely seated, I thanked the gods that it was already night time, leaving very few eyes to witness the intimacy I was left to share with the king of Xatis in the tiny space. Though I highly doubted that that was an issue for my mate, seeing how he freely held me.


    Of course the gods forgot to point out that the few eyes I was thankful for would not be the only ones for the rest of the night.


    "I-I thought it would just be you and me, your majesty." Not the whole of Xatis! I gulped, the action so udylike, but it was all I could do when my eyes caught sight of almost every chair on the long dining table filled. When he said nothing, I looked up, my gaze shing with his. There was no heat this time around, but concern.


    "Forgive me. We will have as many of those as you wish..." He brought his free hand and traced the sides of my face gently, sending my eyes fluttering closed as I relished the calm they inspired for my racing heart. "Tonight, there are some people I wish for you to meet."


    "Forgive me, what?!" My eyes snapped open, the calm evaporating instantly. Surely he didn''t mean I would be the centre of attention the entire night?


    He pulled me close, rendering me speechless. Did he not care for who would see him in such an indescent position? With someone else other than his queen?


    His queen! Would Myrna be there too?


    "Do not think too much of this, it''s just dinner." Just dinner? Easy for him to say. My gaze traveled back to the room we had yet to enter, my belly tightening once more over the obvious awkwardness I would have to endure...and the pain. I caught sight of Myrna,ughing and ying the role of host perfectly.


    "Why would you bring me here?" Bitterness trickled as I struggled in his embrace.


    "Because you are my mate and it''s time everyone knew that I finally found you after searching for so long."


    After searching for so long? What in the world was he talking about and what did it matter when he had a queen by his side? I couldn''t be here. "I do not know what you wish to happen here, neither do I wish to be a part of it." I fought to escape, but his hold tightened, making a menacing growl to escape my lips. A growl that apparently drew everyone''s attention to us. "Your majesty? Forgive our manners, we did not descern your presence."


    Someone apologized while I hid in my mate''s embrace as every other gaze from that room burned in my back. "Please..." I pleaded, but my mate chose the moment to tear me away from the only ce that made me feel safe at the moment.


    "I''m here, Sh." Thefort that washed over me at his words had me seeking his face. "Will youe with me?" My gaze flickered to his hand that he held out. I wished to leave here. Wished to head back to Liira''s part of the pce. To hide from the pain, but something in his voice, in the way he held my hand once I took his, gave me the courage to face whatever awaited me.

 Chapter 36

    Her light grip around my fingers tightened, drawing my attention to my mate. We were about to step into the hall filled with my guests waiting to dine with their king. This was one event that those who had the priviledge of being invited to, dly attended. Some using the opportunity to tighten the already existing ties of the noble families to the throne. Others using the moment to get back into the good graces of their king after misunderstandings or in disobedience had severed those ties. The invitation being the biggest opportunity to mend those bridges.


    Still others, those that were bold enough, were here seeking to win the heart of the king or hoped to catch his eye if his heart proved to be out of reach. Young maidens for whom there was simply nothing shameful about winning the king''s heart the old fashioned way which involvednding in his bed first.


    Among my guests was Myrna, my mate''s sister. Someone Sh was not eager to see.


    I hated doing this to my mate. Making her face her family and all the pain, but every one of my ns had changed when Iid my eyes on her tonight. The sight of her had been the one to birth a need for this. Tonight, as with my own guest''s intentions of attending this not just for the food, I too was not here for the food at all. Tonight was for something more important. Something I hoped and prayed to the gods my mate would ept.


    The moment I had stepped into her chambers, I was hit not only by her beautiful scent, but by a certain truth I had not thought of before Myrna''s treachery. While desire and every other strength of the mate bond had been perfectly duplicated by the spell, something unusual had struck me as I entered my mate''s chambers.


    Up until then, the need to im my mate had always been the thing to draw me to her, or so I thought. But more than that, I realized, there was a purity to the bond shared by real mates, which proved Cerus''s words true.


    It was not just desire, but between us,y the gift to protect each other if only we would connect to it.


    After having been gued with thoughts about Myrna and the false bond the entire day, I had been overwhelmed by the heaviness of it all, but once I stepped into Sh''s chambers everything had evaporated as mist before a me. Nothing of what I''d felt or thought lingered. I had proved my theory right there and then and everyone of my ns had changed to what I was about to do now.


    My own grip tightened around my mate''s delicate hand, assuring her of my presence by her side and my heart swirled when her response involved leaning into me for obvious protection andfort.


    "Good evening, your majesty." The usual greetings drew my attention to my guests that had gone deathly silent, there faces bearing varying expressions. Confusion, curiosity, surprise, indifference, fake smiles and genuine ones too, no doubt directed at the sight of intimacy that I shared with one they would all consider an unexpected guest. I did not care for any of those except my mate''s as I led her past the figures and up the grand dining table to our seats in silence. She hated having all the eyes on her. "I''ve got you." I whispered to Sh when unease took over the earlier calm she felt before we stepped into the hall.


    "Oh Elian! She is so beautiful!" My mother gushed as she suddenly appeared before us, her tone full of emotion and catching me off guard. In the midst of everything, I seemed to have forgotten that my parents would be in the midst of my very many guests. "Hold yourself Sarabeth!" My father scolded, clearly not impressed by the sight he was seeing. "This is not the time, nor the ce."


    My mother red. Now that she was no longer queen, she let her emotions show very often in front of guests and before she did more than re at my father who had iting, I held my hand out to her and ced a gentle kiss on it in greeting while I still held on to Sh. "Is your own son invisible, now mother?"


    "Of course not, but she..." My mother held out her hands to Sh, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, making me realize how unfair I had been for not working harder to grant her request. "She is perfect." I lost the warmth of my mate to my mother and while I hated it, the resulting sight was warm enough for my heart. This was so very different from the first time she''d hugged Myrna. The love was still there, but my chosen mate had simply not melted into one of the most loving arms I had known as Sh just had. Myrna had been more concerned with presenting herself perfect than enjoying the warm wee. Sh on the other hand held on to my mother as if her very life depended on it. No words came out of her mouth and yet so much was spoken in the moment. We should have been seated by now, but I waited a moment longer, relishing the beautiful sight until someone else demanded my attention.


    "Son, what is the meaning of this?" My father''s nose red as he mind linked me, but I was not about to indulge him yet. With his views on what I should do with my mate fresh in my head, I knew he would not be pleased with what I had chosen and would fight me on it, so I smiled instead.


    "Hello to you too father. d you and mother could make it." My gaze flickered to the twodies, heart swooning at the sight.


    "Is that all you have to say for yourself?!"


    "Of course not, but this is not the time for such utterances." I replied, making the former king of Xatis re my way. It was all he could do when so many faces were watching our exchange intently. We might have been using the mind link, but our bodynguage was clear for all to see and I knew he was not about to have this conversation in front of everyone.


    "Sarabeth, my dear, now that is enough. Let the poor child breathe." Father tugged on my mother''s arm and she let go of my mate reluctantly.


    "We should have tea soon, my dear." My mother smiled, drawing Sh''s smile too as both my parents got back to their seats.


    "Your... majesty?" I stiffened at Myrna''s voice. Shockced her tone, but by the time I turned to her, nothing of that shock remained on her perfectly put together face. I, however, knew the mask would c***k eventually. It was just a matter of when. Reaching for my mate, I nodded. "Mydy." My greeting felt t even to my own ears. It was also not the appropriate greeting for my own queen, but after what she''d done, it was more than she deserved. But of course, she''d never let that show.


    "I did not know we were expecting more guests." Myrna shed me a seductive grin, that was every bit inappropriate for the asion while she kept the fact that Sh was her sister perfectly hidden from everyone else. Even when I knew of their meeting earlier, Myrna still pretended not to know the maiden by my side.


    She was truly a good actress and being reminded of Rakon''s words the day I chose her, I now strongly felt there was more to what happened on that fateful day. But as I had said to my father, this was not the time nor the ce. I turned to Sh and was taken aback by her demeanour. My mate had lost all the charm and warmth she''d disyed with my mother and only a nk look remained in her beautiful eyes. The same look I despised each time she chose to ignore me altogether. As always, it was so perfectly disyed that for one who knew not the truth, descerning that the two were actually sisters was close to impossible. I was not about to hold it against her, however, as I chose to draw her in and hold her protectively.


    "She is not ''our'' guest, but mine. Now if you will excuse me, this dinner has dyed enough." Confusion graced my queen''s eyes and I fought to keep from smirking. I had no doubt with the bond she''d forced on me, Myrna expected me to pool at her feet in worship, but little did she know of the armor I possessed against her spell.


    Unlike thest time I had struggled in her presence, there was not a single whiff of Draxuin in the air to corrupt my senses except my mate''s heavenly scent.


    "But of course, my love." I stiffened just as a low growl rumbled in my mate''s chest when Myrna linked her own arm in my free one. I seemed to have forgotten that she was not one to give in so easily. It was a wonder that Sh''s hand remained in mine after the action. "What kind of hosts would we be if we kept our esteemed guests hungry or on their feet?" Myrna''s gaze darted towards Sh with every intent to highlight what a fragile thing she might be. Her action angered me and I was about to defend my mate when Shs''s own voice kept my lips pursed.


    "Oh, don''t mind me, I''ve suffered worse." I flinched at my mate''s retort as much as I was surprised. If there was a reply to be had, Sh''s was not one I expected. The words proceeded softly out of her mouth and yet their weight was enough to p the smirk off of Myrna''s face in the most dramatic way. My mate was mad, but kept her emotions so well hidden, making her disy the true qualities of a queen. And if I wasn''t Xatis''s kingden with obligations to the crown and expectations from its people, I would have swept my mate off of her feet and kissed her right there and then, letting her know how proud I felt in the moment.


    Instead I led both women to our seats with Myrna grudgingly taking her usual seat next to mine on my left while I had Sh safely sit on the seat next to mine on the right. She did so without even sparing me a nce and if I said that that did not bother me, I would be lying.


    My actions had not gone unnoticed by my guests either as their curious gazes betrayed what they were itching to discover. I was not about to indulge them yet, however. Reaching for my cup of wine I raised it in wee to everyone who had epted my invitation, which happened to be everyone I had sent invitations to. "Do enjoy yourselves tonight."


    "I''m sorry, your majesty, but what is the meaning of this?!" I was halfway down to my seat when Myrna suddenly sprang up from hers, sending my wolf into alpha mode at the obvious challenge. Bitterness dripped with my queen''s words, her earlier mask cracked open just as I had predicted.


    And I would have ordered her to take her seat, but that would only speak of my reluctance to let my decision be made known when I would reveal itter. So I chose to indulge her at her insistence. But because this was not meant for my queen''s ears only, I stayed on my feet and faced my guests, hand reaching for my mate.


    "As you all know, I had searched for my mate far and wide..." I began while I felt Sh stiffen beside me. In a way it was a silent plea, begging me not to go down whatever path I intended to, but I had no intentions of the sort, even if my mate hated me for it. Although, I hoped she wouldn''t. "...I had given up when my search came up empty, but as it turns out, the moon goddess hadn''t. She still brought her to me. And while circumstances are not as they should have been, I have chosen to ept my mate, officially." "Officially?! As what?!" Myrna''s angry tone rose above the ensuing loud conversations after my announcement. That was a right reserved for me alone and while I let her other challenge slide, this I could not forgive. I let my wolf at her, snarling and threatening, sending her sliding back in her seat and everyone pursing their lips, lest they became the object of my anger next. Except for one regrettable soul...


    "That is wonderful news your highness!" The loud mouth as usual was the first to rip through the silence.


    "If you have nothing significant to utter, keep your mouth shut, lord Evarius." Myrna hissed, a first for me to witness. I couldn''t me my wife however as this was the first time he seemed to stand against her.


    "I mean a mistress is an eptable means to help with the demands on both you and his majesty." Of course he would think that. Just like father, I knew the lords would only see that as the only probable path. That did not bother me as I had expected it. Something else did, however. "Why do you suppose he is too quick to ept this?" Rakon mind linked my very exact thoughts.


    "Did I perhaps ask for your help, Evarius?" Myrna sneered before I could reply to my best friend, making me decide to settle their back and forth before it got out of hand.


    "I have no intentions of having my mate as my mistress, lord Evarius. If she''ll ept me, hers will be the ce that''s always been meant for her." zing eyes met mine when I finally turned to Sh and before I could say one more word, my mate flew out of her seat and headed towards the open doors with Myrna following suit.


    "Let them be!" My mother''s and grandmother''s voices ripped through my mind link at the same time. Liira had barely just stepped into the room.


    "Let them be?" I was inches from following after my mate, a sinking feeling making me think I had lost her and when I shot them a questioning look, both she-wolves only shed me knowing looks as they took over the roles of ying hosts to my guests seamlessly. Conversation flowed soon after, but all I could do was wait impatiently, eyes fixed on the doors my mate had exited moments ago, hoping mother and Liira were right.

 Chapter 37

    What?!" Myrna''s loud protests echoed throughout the dining hall I''d marched back into right after I''d done the exact opposite earlier. "What do you mean you ept his proposal?!"


    That had not been my intention at all. I had had no thoughts of gracing my mate''s dinner with my presence again once I walked out and neither did I have thoughts of epting his proposal that had brought nothing but a heaviness on my heart.


    I had wished for nothing but to escape it all. But when Myrna came after me, when my dear sister had encouraged me to all but keep running like the fragile thing I was, when she made it clear that she was so smart and deserving of the crown while I would forever be nothing but Elian''s stupid mate, something had snapped.


    It wasn''t even my wolf that had wanted nothing but to be let loose so she could teach Myrna exactly who deserved to be queen. No, that was definitely not it at all. It was something more. Something hidden deep within my soul. Something that had stirred to the surface when Myrna sang of all the reasons I did not deserve to be by my mate''s side.


    It was a part of me I did not even know existed until that moment Myrna let out her sinisterugh again. The one that reminded me of all the pain she''d inflicted on me and everything she''d stolen from me because of her selfish heart. It was a part of me that wanted nothing but to give her a taste of her own medicine. Revenge. And what better way to aplish that than to take the very thing she desired the most?


    I ignored my sister''s protests and kept holding my mate''s gaze. The moment I had stepped back into the dining hall his expression had morphed fromplete dread to nervousness to utter surprise. Now it was full of hope and beaming with happiness. I refused to acknowledge those emotions, however. I was doing this for me and no one else. Or so I knew I would keep telling myself from this moment on. Even when a look into my mate''s deep gaze spoke of it being so much more.


    "You do?" Despite convincing myself that this was about getting back at my sister, my heart fluttered at the obvious joy in his simple question and I found myself wishing to make that joyst a little longer with my answer.


    "I do."


    "You possibly cannot be serious about doing this!" Myrna roared, making me reluctantly tear my gaze away from my mate and turning to her. The burning anger that marred her usually graceful face brought me unusual satisfaction. I would have smirked too, just to fuel that anger, but I was not her and I sure as hell was not about to portray myself as the stupid mate she thought and wished to paint me before my mate''s guests. So I pasted on the most innocent smile, ying her pretend game perfectly before addressing her. "What is it sister? Did I disappoint you, yet again?"


    "Wait, sister?"


    "Isn''t the queen an only child?"


    Gasps and whispers erupted all over the table, but I paid them no mind. I did not care for the lies she''d have told to fit in here. Neither did I care for how many noble rules I was breaking by addressing the queen of Xatis so inly. She deserved worse than a in address.


    Myrna on the other hand looked as though she wished for the ground to swallow her before quickly masking the effects of my words. Just as I had known, she cared too much about what everyone around her thought of her. It was oh so clear in the way her haughty attitude attempted to dispel the truth hidden in my words. While she stood next to my mate, a ce she''d held through treachery and one I would be reiming, I marvelled at her futile attempts to maintain the vision of a graceful queen in front of all the guests. I would have let her be too if only I did not see through her intent. If only I did not see through how she would quickly twist that truth to suit her selfish desires or im her innocence.


    "What is it you said again? The moon goddess had not forgotten us down in our pathetic little vige?" Her res mixed with despair suited me just fine as I repeated her own words in her hearing. "Well, it turns out that was true after all." A bitter smile graced my lips at the memory. It would be the first time I would speak of it too, choosing to unearth my own pain while I treaded my path of revenge. "And I must say I have you to thank in part for this." "Thank me? What insane talk is this? Why would I do anything for anyone who is bent on stealing from me?"


    I let out a chuckle as I felt everyone''s eyes on me at my sister''s usation. "Steal from you? Aren''t you being a bit too much, sister? Why would I steal what is already mine?" My gaze found my mate''s and the gold shinning in his eyes singing of his approval made my wolf purr, loud enough for all to hear. It would make it the first time she marked her territory in such a manner. It was not my intent, but when it got Myrna fuming, I smiled. An action that sent that perfect vision of a queen she''d disyed fading.


    "I am his queen! He will never be yours!"


    I growled, hating her deration. Hating her with every fibre of my being. Foreign feelings that I embraced as I sought to clip the wings that made her dare toy a im on my mate. "Perhaps you should have held my hand and made sure I did not end up in his arms that night if you wished that to be as you say."


    Myrna only frowned, confusion flooding her face and I was only too d to enlighten her. "Oh you know, the night I was desperate to save my beloved sister''s life? The night I gave up everything for your sake? His were the arms to cradle me that night." "What did you say?!" Shock graced my sister''s beautiful face but it was quickly reced by a smirk. "You are many things Sh, but a liar?" Myrna assumed her know it all attitude that once upon a time I worshipped as the younger sister and one she''d used to convince many with over different matters. "His highness is equally many things too, but he would never step into such a filthy ce." The guests mumbled in agreement much to my sister''s delight. For a moment it seemed as though she''d found the thing that would render most of my words a lie. That was until my mate spoke.


    "Actually... he would." I snapped my gaze to my mate, surprised that he would reveal such a shameful thing about himself so easily. It hadn''t been my intent either as I knew such matters concerning kings were never spoken of in the open. But as he held my gaze, there was no hint of shame in his eyes and I couldn''t help the thought that he meant that for my sake. Because if he remained unashamed over the matter, no one would burden me into feeling ashamed either.


    "Your majesty?" Myrna''s fight faltered, one would even swear she sounded hurt by my mate''s words. "Why would you be in the forgotten vige at all that night?"


    "To drown my sorrows."


    "Drown your sorrows?" The heavy emotionscing my own voice caught me by surprise.


    "Or so I thought." For the first time since I''d walked back into the room, my mate stepped towards me, his deep unwavering gaze on me, sending my heart racing. This was supposed to be about getting back at my sister, but as he inched closer, I had a feeling it had turned into something else. "I had until sundown to find my mate. But after searching for so long, what were a few hours? I knew then that the moon goddess had denied me the one thing I had forever longed for. So I turned to wine to numb the pain that came with that truth. I should have known that that was simply not so. I should have known that the moon goddess was not that cruel." My breath hitched when I felt the warmth of his hands on mine. "I should have given you a chance." His voice was barely a whisper as regret and pain swum in his eyes and poured into my own heart, making me understand.


    I understood. It did not change anything. Neither would his words erase the pain of his actions, but I understood. "W-What is done is done." I stepped back, needing to get out as my own grief flooded my soul.


    "Then will you do one more thing for me?" He made no attempt to hold me back and yet I stayed rooted on my spot. Held captive by his pleading gaze.


    Wishing to be free, however, I shook my head respectifully. "There is nothing mor-" My words died in my throat as my mate dropped to one knee and held out the one piece of jewellery I thought I would nevery my eyes on ever again. "W-What is this?" My voice trembled even as I got lost in the intensity of his gaze once again.


    "This is the ancient jewel of Xatis." My mate began, his gaze never leaving mine. Somewhere in the background, I heard whispers, gasps and protests, but that world faded as I drowned in the abyss of my mate''s gaze and the allure of his voice. "A royal family heirloom inherited by every heir to the throne once they be of age. It is not the heir''s to keep however, as it is meant to be gifted to their mates once they found them. Many say it is full of magic aside from its beauty. Drawing and binding mates, strenghthening their bonds until a time it is passed on to the next heir. I must confess that while I whole heartedly wished for a mate, I did not really believe in the lore about its magic...until you."


    "Me?" My voice was barely a whisper as I longed for the ending to his tale that had captivated me more than I realized. My mate smiled before taking my hands in his, making me gasp as the strongest wave of tingles yet swept throughout my entire body. Whether that was because of the magical ring that touched both our hands at the same time, I was not sure.


    "Because that night, as drunk as I was, I made a mistake."


    "A mistake?" My heart clenched. Did he now regret our night together? And worse, me it on the wine?


    "That is not it." He smiled yet again, but it did nothing for my heart that was beginning to ache at the thought. "What I mean is, I meant to pay my dues for the night with another ring, but it was this ring, the one meant for my mate, the one meant for you that I ended up slipping into your garments. I did not understand why I had thought to carry it that fateful day, but now I do..."


    That was supposed to be the ending to his tale, but as I stared at my mate and the ring he held, I realized that his very many words were nothing but a beginning. A beginning to a tale that was not only his but mine too. A tale that perhaps neither one of us may have had control over.


    "Sh?"


    "Hmm?" The ground on which I stood swayed, taking me along with it.


    "Are you alright?" I nodded even though I felt rather funny.


    I...

 Chapter 38

    If I was not my own witness to how much I felt for my mate, how much I longed for her, how much I cared, I would think mine was the fate of bringing only pain to her poor soul and ensuring she remained unhappy. Staring at my family heirloom while I paced the silent floors of my wing in the pce, I wished I could undo my actions. I had hurt her yet again. Despite all the promises I''d made, I had gone ahead and hurt her all over again.


    I had been selfish. It was not my intention, but when she''d dered in front of the multitude of witnesses that she epted me, my heart had exploded. Even when I knew that she did so out of spite, the pounding in my chest had drummed with a melodius rhythm, loud enough for every wolf in the hall to hear. I could barely keep from howling in jubtion too as my wolf suddenly wished he could sprout wings and fly at her deration.


    And despite her intentions, I had hoped there was more. When she''d held my gaze, I could have sworn that I saw it. Hidden behind those breathtaking eyes ity and that had spurred my decision to jump at the opportunity. To momentarily turn a blind eye to the shocking discoveries I''d made and make sure she was mine before anymore protests arose, or before she had a moment to rethink her decision and let fate interfere.


    I had thought the moment perfect, but in the end, all I knew was that she had not smiled when I presented her with the most precious jewel I would ever gift her. Her beautiful eyes had only sparkled with something that had given me hope after what I''d witnessed between her and my chosen mate, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me with nothing but dread as my matey limp in my arms.


    "A midnight run will do you good." Rakon mumbled beside me. While I waited for my mate to wake, he''d stayed not only as the head of my guard, but as my best friend too and for once he''d done so, quietly, even when he had all the rights to scold me. He''d been right after all.


    "Not tonight." I shook my head and understanding registered in his eyes as we both slipped back into silence and kept pacing.


    I knew he was right, however. A good run would definitely shed off some of the feelings weighing heavily on me, but I was unwilling to shed any of them. I deserved all the pain resulting from my own misjudgement of my mate''s actions on that fateful day. And while I had rage simmering beneath my skin over the matter, I had chosen to ensure Sh was alright before anything else. I couldn''t bear being away from her either and that run would do exactly that. Being stuck outside my bed chambers, away from her, was already driving me insane.


    The doors to the said chambers swung open and I was before them before whoever meant to walk out did.


    "Is she alright? Will she be alright?" I held my breath as I stared into my mother''s tired eyes. At least they were not sad, giving me a glimmer of hope. She, Liira and a couple of royal midwives had been holed up in my bed chambers attending to my mate for longer than I would have liked. "Mother?" I panicked even more when she said nothing.


    "Of course, dear." A warm smile graced my mother''s lips and every dreadful feeling that had been holding me captive since I caught my mate''s copsing body at dinner loosened its hold. "She will be alright!"


    "Oh thank the gods!" I melted into my mother''s embrace, body bleeding out all the nerves. "She will be alright." I mumbled, holding on tighter as though I were a little child again.


    "It is nothing more than what you would expect when one is carrying the heir to Xatis." My mother reassured me. But until I saw her with my own eyes, until I held her in my arms, that reassurance would not beplete.


    "I wish to see her."


    "Not just yet boy." I had barely taken a step before Liira decided to finally open her mind link to me, snapping hermand. And before I could snap back at her out of impatience and risk being kept out of the room longer, the link went dead again.


    Dread crept upon me and I turned to my mother. "Are you sure everything is alright? What of my child?" Mother had said everything was alright with my mate, but Liira''s actions built more cracks in that reassurance. I couldn''t just assume it extended to the child my mate carried too.


    "Oh he''s strong. Perhaps even stronger than you, son." She grinned, making me rx a fraction. "Of course it is to be expected, but I suspect we are in for a big surprise." My mother''s grin grew impossibly wide, making me frown. "Surprise?"


    "I''ll leave that to Liira."


    "Grandmother? Is that why she insists in making me wallow in my misery by keeping me out here?" Was she ying doctor while I was going out of my mind with waiting? For once I felt like going against my grandmother''s better judgement. Damn the consequences. "Oh you know how she is when she makes discoveries." "Discoveries? What discoveries?" I held my mother''s gaze. Despite knowing that everything was alright, I felt uneasy.


    "Your mate is one special wolf my dear." I knew Sh was special. She was my moon goddess'' given mate, but the glint in my mother''s eyes spoke of something more and I couldn''t wait any longer. I side stepped the former queen of Xatis with every intention to barge into my own bed chambers and make discoveries of my own, but I was held back by my mother. When I almost red at her, she simply smiled. "Will you talk with your mother before you do?" She pulled my now stiffened self away from the entrance to my bed chambers before I could turn down her request. Posted by ; visit us for more free novels.


    Having an inkling of what she wished to speak of, I dragged my feet a little in a subtle protest. Of course that would never deter the woman who''d birthed and raised me when she wished to ensure her son was fine.


    "Are you alright?" Her tired eyes regained some of that usual concern she always had for me when she knew something was weighing heavily on me.


    I nodded. Despite being nowhere near it or wishing not to be after the discovery I''d made when my mate hadid bare part of what I had not known about fate''s dealings the first time we met.


    "I just wish to make sure she is alright, mother." She could read me like a book and I knew my mother bought nothing of the picture I attempted to paint of me being alright. Her understanding smile and the ensuing warm embrace was evidence of that. "You will be alright. Both of you." I wished I could share in her belief, so badly. But as I finally stepped into my bed chambers and beheld my mate''s sleeping form, I was reminded of how easily our happiness eluded us each time and how incapable I was from keeping it from happening despite promising to.


    "Your majesty..." A couple of midwives stepped back from my enomous bed and bowed low, leaving only Liira. My grandmother had a thoughtful look on that morphed into a happy expression once her eyesnded on me.


    "We are just about done here." Liira nodded to the midwives who flowed out of the room with her permission. Once thest one of them exited, she turned back to me, her happy expression reced by a frown. "Will you now remain by the door after your disobedience?"


    "I..." My throat worked, my lips moved, but no words slipped through. My feet refused to work too and I could only stare at my grandmother, unsure if I could approach, unable to inquire of the discoveries she''d made. My mate did look alright...and at peace. I did not wish to take that away from her as I had learnt I was in the habit of doing.


    "Despite what it might look like, or the circumstances, one''s mate and their presence is like a drug like no other." Liira gathered her things as she left me to ponder on her words that I knew to be true. I had experienced that when Sh''s presence had shielded me form Myrna''s spell, but I had a feeling that was not what Liira was alluding to at all. "And the only thing you are guilty of today is making her feel something for you beyond your bond." My grandmother only gave me her cryptic smile when I looked askance at her. Unlike my mother, Liira''s ways offort involved having me focus on what mattered in the midst of the pain. No pampering. But surely she didn''t mean... My eyes found my mate once again while my heart thudded in my chest. She had to be wrong, right? "I will see youter." Grandmother bid me goodbye and I only nodded with half a mind. Her words had renewed my hope and the moment she left my chambers, I stepped closer to my mate, my feet deciding to agree with me.


    Sh...my breath hitched as I took in her beautiful form gracing my once lonely bed. I''d dreamed of this image a thousand times before, but non of those visions couldpare to the utter disy of heavenly beauty that left me in awe of my mate. Her long beautiful hair had been let loose, leaving her facial features rxed and her natural beauty shining in the dimly lit space. The beautiful gown she''d worn for dinner was reced by an exquisite night gown that left my mouth dry and my wolf wanting nothing but to im her. To have the glorious view of whaty underneath. To get a taste of it and not only with my tongue.


    "This is so not the time to lust after her." I chastised my own mind, but the mere mention of it only served to deepen the unbidden desire that was already raging in my flesh. And the longer I stared, the wilder the desire became and the harder it was for me to tame it. I wished to give in. Wished to slip in right beside her and inhale her scent. I wished to wake her and pick up right where I had stopped thest time I had kissed and touched her luscious body to my heart''s content. I wished to do everything I''d dreamt of doing to my mate once I got her to my bed. Everything I had spent many nights turning over in my head ever since Sh had been within my pce walls.


    My wolf was in total agreement as the beast pulsed under my flesh, ready to indulge in the pleasurable dance of love making. He was ready to conquer her body tonight, but this would simply not do and before I made more mistakes with her, I tore my gaze away from my mate and headed for the doors. I needed to calm down. Us both.


    "Elian..." Her tone was soft and mighty at the same time. Mightier than my own, a king''s, bringing me to an instant stop. "Don''t leave."


    I spun around, mouth drier than the desertnds of our realm. Whether that was because of the way my name beautifully rolled off her tongue or the sexy sleepy sound from her lips or the fact that she longed for me to stay after all, I was not sure. "Are you certain?" Because I trusted not myself in her presence, because I knew without a shadow of doubt that if she requested anything of me I would grant it in a heart beat, I needed to be sure she meant her words.


    "....where am I?" Somehow she got distracted, sitting up in the bed as she took in her surroundings.


    "In my bed... bed chambers." I answered distractedly as my eyes took in her female contours that had be even more pronounced now that she was seated.


    "Your bed chambers?!" She snapped, drawing my attention. A bitter expression painted her beautiful face as she struggled to abandon thefort of my bed.


    I was by her side in heart beat, knowing why. "I swear, she has not been in my bed, ever." Even when I believed that my mate had betrayed me, bringing Myrna to my bed had just seemed not right and as I held my mate''s gaze, something loosened in my heart. I had finally done something right. If the stunned expression, mixed with relief on my mate''s face was anything to go by.


    "What?"

 Chapter 39

    "Is everything to your taste?" I looked up, right into my mate''s alluring abyss of a gaze at his question. His protective tone matched the emotion that swam in there, making my belly flutter terribly. It was all it had been doing for the better part of our lone, quiet and wee time in my mate''s bed chambers. Everything was to my taste, surprisingly. After what I would consider a disastrous dinner, my own surprising boldness that inspired my life altering decisions, I felt a sense of satisfaction I hadn''t felt since my world had crumbled down. It was a sweet taste of revenge, but that wasn''t exactly what my mate was inquiring about.


    "It is, thank you." I said of the food set before me that had been prepared at an impossible hour after a mean rumbling of my stomach. Against my protests, my mate had gone ahead and barked orders both to Rakon and whoever he''d chosen to mind link at the awkward hour to prepare something to eat. I had expected a snack at the very least, but when the many servants had poured into his chambers with various tters of food, I was dumbstruck at the sight. Everything was just too much and I had no doubt he''d woken the entire pce kitchen staff to do his ridiculous bidding. The woman I assumed was the head cook had only seemed to rx after my mate had given her a satisfied response once everything was set on a low table that I now shared with my mate. "You did not have to do this much." I mumbled, but as with my earlier protests, myint was met with silence.


    I would have been offended too, but having him wait on me, having him stare at me as though I was his whole world while inquiring ever so often if I was alright, overshadowed my own need to be furnished with an answer and so much more.


    He cared. He''d watched over me as though I was the realm''s most rare gem he didn''t wish to go missing. That had righted more things in my heart. And if any of it was a lie, a pretense on his part, I did not care for it. I would bask in his presence, inhale his scent, relish all he was offering until day break. Until I returned to my own chambers or until I had to face the harsh realities of the world beyond thefort of his beautiful personal space. A space that had surprisingly remained untainted by my sister''s presence. My heart skipped a beat at the memory of my mate''s utter desperation as he sought to convince me of the fact.


    Waking up in the sea of his delicious citrus scent had been a perfect way to re enter thend of the living after my unintended visit to hell''s door, but realizing I had woken up in the very bed he could have shared with Myrna had pierced my heart and I had wished for nothing but to escape the pain that ensued. It was not that I had any delusions that my mate had remained chaste after wedding my sister, I couldn''t just stomachying on the same bed where he could have pleasured her to no end while I wallowed in pain during the very act.


    Hearing that she had never set a single foot in his chambers had loosened many things in my heart and unknown to him, this grand bedroom had instantly be my favourite ce in the whole pce after his confession. It was not for the sake of its grand beauty, but for the fact that in here, while those doors were shut, this felt like our own little private world. Ours to treasure, away from everything that threatened to tear us apart. In here I could forget our past for a moment. And with the way he was staring at me, I could consider his proposal to get to know him. I wished to know him.


    I lowered my gaze hastily, afraid of giving in to the sinful temptation that had been lurking in my mind and body from the moment I woke from my slumber. Knowing him was apparently not the only thing I wished for. Even when a perfect distraction had presented itself in the matter of my mate having shared his bed with Myrna, my body, blood and wolf seemed to have totally ignored that part and kept the desire buried within burning. And once he''d cleared the air about the matter, the trio had simply dragged me and my heart along and plunged us in the anticipation of having that desire fulfilled.


    "Will you try this too?" My eyes widened when a piece of fruit found itself too close to my mouth, his intentions to feed me oh so clear.


    "Liira says it''s good for the baby." Was he mind linking the matriarch for baby advice while I ate? I stared at him, his serious expression rousing something in me. For whatever reason, him wishing to take care of me this way did not sting as before. It did not make me think his heir was his only interest. Perhaps it had everything to do with knowing he''d searched far and wide for me until thest moment or my own admission that I might have been wrong too.


    "T-Thank you." I reached for what he was offering with my hand because there was no way I was eating from his. The mere thought was too scandalous to entertain even in the confines of my own head. Besides, it would be the perfect recipe and shortest route to drown in the temptation that I was already reluctantly wishing to avoid.


    "I promise I won''t bite." He moved the fruit out of my reach, leaving me gaping at him. His expression did not change however and neither did his intentions. And when I merely stared at him, he got up and circled the low table, sending my heart hammering in my chest.


    "W-What are you doing?" My breath hitched when he came and sat next to me on therge plush cushion that served as my seat at the table. He did not have to, we both knew it, but he did and I should not have liked it, but I did. And thanks to my very excited wolf, I did little to hide it.


    "You''ve barely eaten." Concernced his tone and so did something else that got me breathless.


    "As have you." I protested weakly.


    "I''m not the one to have copsed, neither am I the one carrying my child." He cupped my cheek as gently as he made his case, making me lean into his touch and relishing the sparks that erupted at the contact. "What kind of mate would I be if I did not take care of you and our child?"


    Our child... My heart melted, while desire soared and the darkness that graced his eyes only served to entice me even more. My lips parted of their own ord and when he slipped the fruit in, warm fingers tracing the edges, I yearned for something more. Behind the closed doors of his chambers, away from those who would judge, away from everything that sought to keep us apart, away from my own desire for revenge, I longed to be his. And when I held his gaze, eyes pleading, risking to make a fool of myself once more, his answer was immediate. Lips found mine, swallowing up my gasp and every moan that dared to escape my throat. A kiss more ferocious than any he''d evervished on me, plunging me in the very temptation I had been afraid of indulging in. But as suddenly as he''d imed my lips, he stopped, leaving me dangerously close to cursing him. King or no king.


    "Will you let me make up for my failings?" Was he bargaining with me right now? I stared at him breathless, my eyes widening when he slipped out the ring and got on bended knee. "I wish for nothing more than to make you mine right now, to grant your every desire, but beyond this pleasure..." He traced the edges of my lips once more, igniting my desire anew. "I wish to make a promise to you, Sh." I knew that fate decided many things in my life and that promises could be broken, but I still stretched out my hand and let my mate slip the ring on my finger. It was all for revenge, I thought to myself. But when my mate reimed my lips, revenge was the furthest thing from my mind as a strange and more intimate feeling flowed in its ce catching me off guard.

 Chapter 40

    She was perfection and she was mine...finally. Delicate and yet sinfully alluring, dragging me deep into her heavenly core. She was as a siren. That creature of the deep that lured sailors to itsir. With the sweetness of its voice and song, it enchanted its victims, coaxing their bewitched minds until she had them trapped within her clutches. And while they waited to indulge in what she''d promised, her fangs and ws turned out to be their reward. Devouring them soul and body while they fought to escape. I was deep in herir. Lured by her enchanting beauty, intoxicating scent and those bewitching silver eyes. Except I was no sailor and we were no strangers or hunter and prey, but perfect halves of one moon goddess given whole. My mate and I. She''d trapped me, but I longed not to escape. I longed to be devoured by her, body, mind and soul. Her song was but every moan that was my doing. Every touch, every kiss got her singing to my heart''s content while her canines and ws sunk into my flesh, pleasuring me and my wolf to no end.


    "Sh" I whispered her name as I dove in, tongue exploring, seeking to kiss her very soul. And the ensuing moans were as music to mine. A rhythm of sexy notes that threatened to drive me insane with need.


    Her night gowny discarded somewhere on the bedroom''s floor as were my own garments, leaving me with the glorious sight of my mate''s perfect body. Mine to take in, to explore, to devour...


    "So beautiful..." An appreciative growl tore from my lips, earning myself a sexy purr from my mate''s wolf. My own wolf howled in my head in response, pridecing his incredible sound and I longed to join him. To howl until the whole of Xatis heard. Until the entire kingdom knew that she was finally mine. Until they knew that the one my heart longed for nowy in bed, pleasured by their alpha, but I settled for another taste of my mate''s lips instead. Drowning in the taste of her mouth as my hands explored her perfect curves. I''d seen naked maidens before, explored their curves too, but none had ever driven me to the brink of insanity as my mate''s body did. None had left me panting, desiring, thirsting, lusting... None had my blood on a constant rush, pulsing to no end, seeking release. And the more I beheld her, the more I realized how drunk I must have been that night at the inn. The encounter had been more than satisfying no doubt, but it was by no means anything inparison to this. For if it were, even a fraction of it, I would have simply not let her go after a single round of pleasure.


    I diped my head, lips finding the inners of her thighs and she trembled, much to my satisfaction. The action spurring me on as I left featherlight kisses that only made her tremble even more.


    "Y-Your majesty..." Breathless, she pleaded. I would have demanded that she call me by name too, but the way she sinfully addressed me by my title while bucking her hips against my lips, bringing the scent of her need so close I could taste it, kept my mouth dry. "I-" She circled her hips, hands fisting in my hair, her core brushing against my lips ever so lightly, but enough to drive me insane. To abandon my own n of attack and just dive in. I had been aiming to tease, to coax until she was begging, but that would have to wait as my mouth that was dry got deliciously wet as I licked and grabbed and indulged in the sweet flow of her desire. "Y-Your maje- Elian-ahh..." The sound of my name dripping from her lips, coated by pleasurable moans did nothing to tame my insanity or my own raging need as I thrust even deeper. Tongue flickering, licking, exploring, pleasuring until I could taste the pulsing of her core. Hot and rushed, matching her quickened breath and furiously beating heart.


    ws sunk in my flesh as the most beautiful growl tore from her lips, singing of my subtle conquest.


    "I''ve got you baby." I watched with satisfaction and pride as she shattered in my hands. By my hands or more specifically, my tongue. Breathless, flushed and thoroughly sated. A sight that had me puffing up with pride and wishing I could stand on the highest mountain and brag of my conquest.


    "Uh...your majesty...we have a problem." Rakon hesitantly spoke into my mind link, making me curse myself for leaving it open.


    "I''m busy, take care of it." I hissed when those delicate hands reached out and rubbed my entire length as they coaxed me forward, eager to return the favour. Her shyness enchanted me, but these moments of boldness... every time she grabbed, pulled and moved in invitation, she set me on fire. Desire raged, consuming every nook and crevice of my body, leaving me undone and thinking twice about choosing not to bury myself in her.


    "Elian..." She pleaded and I wished for nothing more than to grant her wish, but I couldn''t. After the emotional night she''d had, riding a wave as intense as the one she''d just ridden and in her condition, I would be a selfish animal if I did not let her have a moment''s rest. I imed her mouth instead, plunging right back in and relishing the ensuing moans that escaped her beautiful mouth that was almost sinful to behold.


    Rakon insisted. "I sort of can''t...it''s something that needs your-"


    "Unless Xatis is burni-" I paused, taking the moment to relish the sight of my mate as shey under me, eyes closed, mouth slightly open no doubt lost in the pleasure of my kisses. "You know what? Whatever it is, I do not wish to hear it." "It''s your queen, she''s-"


    "Especially not of her!" I growled.


    "But she''s-Elian-damn it! I shut down before Rakon could say something that would really force me to end this pleasurable journey and hurt Sh one more time.


    Unknown to me was that the journey had ended still, except it had done so under terms that were more than eptable to me. The look of pure ecstasy on my mate''s face brought me immense satisfaction as I beheld her form that had slipped into a peaceful slumber.


    My heart skipped a beat too at the sight and I found myself craving for more. Not just having her in my bed and pleasuring her as I had every intention to, making her minepletely. I longed to earn her trust. She''d epted me, but I was not oblivious to the main reasons why. If Liira was truly right too, mine would be the task to not let that glimmer of hope dim for any reason.


    And as the sun''s rays peeked behind the heavy curtains, promising tons for the day, I made promises of my own to my sleeping beauty.

 Chapter 41

    next few moments.


    I was beginning to get a headache, but whoever was demanding for my attention would have to wait still. As long as I remained in my bed chambers, basking in the reality of my mateying peacefully in my bed, my mind link would remain shut. And with all the heaviness that surrounded the invisible link, I knew someone or a host of them had been trying to force me to answer their calls. But as long as Xatis was not burning, I considered every other reason less importantpared to being with my mate...at least for the I knew I had Rakon to thank too. For holding down the fort and having no one finding themselves at my door, banging and demanding to be let in. I just hoped that the ordeal had not sucked away the entirety of his patience and charm, otherwise I would be faced with a very grumpy head of my guard which in turn would not favour me at all or those who''d been seeking my attention. Because without Rakon to make me see reason if anyone got unreasonable, not even this immense peace I felt at the moment would be able to save them.


    "Perhaps you should bring her along too." My gaze fell on my mate at my mind''s suggestion. And while I should have thought it ludicrous, I found myself considering it...seriously. I''d never considered anything of the sort with Myrna. If I was being honest, apart from the moments I got intimate with my chosen mate just to father my heir, I preferred her far away from me as possible.


    Sh was a different story however. And not for the fact that I was reluctant about being away from her, but because there was just something that felt right and appealing about having her by my side in those endless council deliberations. While I attended to all those matters that gued Xatis and listened to individuals that were less than desirable to listen to.


    Sh would keep me calm no doubt, for the fact that she was my mate, but I possessed a certain curiosity as to how she''d react to important matters to do with Xatis. Would she wee being by side in such a manner? I found myself hoping she would. And if Liira''s fascination with my mate spoke of anything, it was that she would not be the type of queen meant to just have tea and conversation in a pretty garden while she looked pretty herself. The battle in Dovah proved that, making my mind''s suggestion even that much more appealing.


    But then, she''d only just epted me. I couldn''t burden her with such responsibilities just yet. Especially when I hadn''t made her queen yet.


    I had turned the idea in my mind for a while now. Before she epted my proposal, the idea bing a reality was far fetched then, but now, I could almost taste it. I just needed a n of execution of which I''d need Liira''s years and year''s worth of kingdom politics to make it happen. I made a note to see grandmotherter over it and maybe she would share the discoveries she made about my matest night too. I hoped non of those put my mate in a dire situation in any way. "Perhaps if she were awake I would consider it." I gazed, amused at the sight of my mate.


    The morning sun was all the way up in the sky and yet I still waited for those very beautiful eyes to grace me with their enchanting gaze. Sh still remained asleep, albeit peacefully. I did not know whether to attribute that to the fact that it had everything to do with being in my bed or just the in fact that her body had taken on too much and it needed more rest than usual.


    A smile danced on my lips and a warmth spread in my heart at the memory of her shattering in my hands. I probably felt an inch taller too.


    And whatever the reason, I was notining at the moment as the sight of her would serve as inspiration for the little note I was about to pen to her. One I hoped she''d wake up to in the absence of my presence. I did not wish for her to wonder of my whereabouts, or to think I regretted our intimate moment and bolted before she awoke. So I''d decided to leave a note to that effect.


    I meant to make it short and sweet, but I was feeling very poetic. Or perhaps it was because I knew how much she''d enjoyed my little invitation that I wished to pen more words than I had settled for when I invited her to dinner.


    I reached for a new bundle of parchment paper I had delivered from the capital. The merchant assigned to supply it had done an excellent job at selecting the simplest yet exquisite paper that I knew would appeal to my mate if not my own words. I smiled at the thought of how she might stack them in a private ce to read them over and over just as Astryn had narrated to Rakon my mate had done. The maid had innocently narrated the story out of fascination, but unknown to her I got wind of it and now I had every intention of surprising Sh with as many of these as I could pen. The sneaky idea left me feeling giddy too and was d I was still behind closed doors. As the sight of the king of Xatis with an endless stupid smile pasted on his lips would not just do out of the confines of my bed chambers.


    Satisfied with myself after the little deed and after a chaste kiss for goodbye on my mate''s temple, I schooled my facial features before slipping out of the room. I expected to encounter a fuming Rakon but was instead faced with a frowning ouw. His eyes went beyond me and to the door I''d just closed.


    "She lives." I mumbled when he looked at me askance. "Only she''s still sleeping." I kept the fluttering of my belly at the thought of why to myself as the man rxed only a fraction, a hint of unbelief in his eyes. "See to it that she''s not disturbed." Mymand was met with a scowl.


    "She''s my concern so I do not need you telling me what to do." I could live with that so I made no point to argue. Apart from Rakon, he was probably one more person I trusted to keep Sh safe. Despite my dislike for their rtionship, I had no doubt he wouldy down his life for her if it came down to it. Why that was, I was yet to discover.


    "Your majesty." My own guards straightened when I stepped away from the door.


    "Rakon?" I inquired as I acknowledged the greeting.


    "My lord was summoned by former queen Sarabeth, your mother." The guard bowed while I frowned.


    "And what is it my mother required of him?"


    "I do not know, your majesty. Although lord Rakon did say to inform you of his whereabouts once you had awakened since he could not get through to you and neither could her highness."


    Hearing that my mother was among those searching for me, I took down the barrier I had put up. But instead of linking my her, I opted for my best friend just so I could get a hint of what the hell was going on before I walked into a regrettable situation. "Do you favour serving my mother more than your own king now?"


    "About damn time!" Rakon''s reply was immediate and filled with relief. I was d to note that there was no grumpiness in his tone too, despite my actions.


    "What are you, my wife?" I eased into the conversation as I normally would between us.


    "I would choose anything right now, except the bastard who''s keeping the king hidden."


    I let out a chuckle at the exasperation in my best friend''s tone. "And who has used of you of such a crime?"


    "You better get here." Seriousness crept into his voice and I knew the matter could not be ignored.


    "And where exactly is here?"


    "Your mother''s private garden."


    I frowned at Rakon''s answer. "Isn''t mother supposed to be entertaining the nobledies right about now?" I knew this to be true because it was a long standing tradition for the wives of the most influential men of Xatis to meet in such a manner the morning after a dinner as I had heldst night to speak of anything that might have arisen during the meal. Which I seemed to have forgotten was overwhelming after my proposal. A nce at a pce window I''d just passed agreed with my assumption that the timing was just about right. "Why the hell would you be stuck in the midst of a bunch of those? Why would they let you stay at all?" The whole function spelled of secrecy among the nobledies and having Rakon in their midst was more than odd. "Apparently she''s doing more than entertaining and you happen to be the centre of attention. Well, your queen too."


    "Myrna?" I had always dismissed the entire thing as nothing more than a moment chosen by the nobledies to gossip, but knowing Myrna was there too had me heading to my parent''s wing of the pce in haste before whatever this was, got out of hand. The moment I stepped into my mother''s private garden, a weight rammed into me and I was instantly washed by the scent of that bitter nt...Draxuin. I hated how I was hit with a desire to lean in and inhale some more. Thankfully I regained my senses just as quickly.


    "What is the meaning of this, mother? Annoyed by my queen''s reception, I couldn''t help but growl while I pulled away from Myrna, determined to keep her away from me.


    My mother only stared, her lips at a loss for words. A nce around the space revealed varied expressions. Mostly judgemental ones. And if I wasn''t keen on getting an exnation to what was going on, I would have dished out punishments at the noble lot who at the moment thought themselves worthy to judge their king.


    "You''ve been with her?" Myrna did not give me a moment''s rest before she used.


    Not that I had any intentions of hiding the fact, I just did not appreciate her demanding tone and so I hissed. "And since when was I answerable to the queen?" I would be to Sh. I realized that I did not mind that at all.


    Rakon stepped up. "Perhaps we should all sit down before this gets out of hand."


    "This?!" Anger raged as my eyes darted between my best friend, my mother and chosen mate. And only that second look made me see what I had not seen before. "What happened to you?" Utter surprise overshadowed my anger. This would make it the first time I had ever seen my queen not so put together. I doubted she''d taken an effort at all. She was as someone mad with her hair out of sorts. Her face covered in the dried remnants of what I knew to be tears and she was still d in her night gown that could have easily passed for tatters. I was beginning to realize that something was wrong.


    "If only you''d answered when I called, this could have been avoided." My mother finally found her voice and scolded in our mind link.


    "I do not understand. Am I being med for something here?"


    Mother sighed. "Apparently whatever you did or did not do with your uh...mate seems to have plunged your dear wife in immense pain while you were at it." When I only frowned at her, my mother blushed before speaking again. "I know not if this is true, but she ims the mark she''d oh so lovingly ced on you is to me."


    "Her what?" My gaze shifted to Myrna. And while I wished to dismiss my mother''s words as nothing but my wife''s antics to get her way, my chosen mate''s sadness hit me without warning, making me realize that her ims had to have some truth to it and that I had still underestimated the power of Myrna''s spell despite the warning from Cerus. Her and me both apparently. If the misery that now clouded her eyes was anything to go by.

 Chapter 42

    I had waited for a moment after the bedroom doors to the king''s chambers had been shut. Just long enough to ensure that my mate was truly gone and would not be returning, iming to have forgotten something or anything of the sort. And only when I was sure of it did I open my eyes. Thanks to years of perfecting faking deep slumber when I wished not to be woken too early by anyone I was able to convince him that I had truly been sleeping while he watched and waited. Until he gave up.


    I was as a thief, scheming as I sought to avoid himpletely. One would even call me ungrateful for attempting this after how he''d taken care of me. But while I had relished being wrapped up in his arms, being taken care of by him, I wasn''t quite ready to face him yet. Not after what had gone on on his bed in the wee hours of the morning.


    I blushed at the mere thought while my hands grabbed a fistful of the silky bed linen. Even when I was alone, I did, because why wouldn''t I when the whole incidence was just as scandalous even in my mind and still too fresh too.


    I bit back a moan even as visions I had barely been able to keep away flooded in, bringing to rememberance every bit of my own re persuits. Moments I had given in to be pleasured by mate. Moments that were from out of this realm. "Moments I shouldn''t be relishing if I wish to find my way out of here and to my own chambers before he returns." The sensible part of me reasoned, making me abandon the bed. Landing on the carpeted floor, my feet relished the plushfort below, reminding me of the times I hated and cursed waking up and stepping on the cold floor back in the forgotten vige. "No time to think about that either." Right. I stood on my feet and scurried towards the doors, but a few stepster realized that I was dressed in nothing but my night gown. One I had no memory of slipping back on after... I clenched my legs together as if that would stop the swirl of need that assaulted my core at the mere thought that he''d had his hands on me. Long after I had crumbled under the intensity of being pleasured and seen stars while at it. Had he stared? Or perhaps touched me to his heart''s content while I slept? Had I moaned and did he like it as much he''d had when I was awake? Had he...? I froze at the many improper questions that assaulted my mind, hands shy of zing the part of the night gown thatyered over my chest. I was a hot needy mess. Something I thought my shameless indulgence would have taken care of. But s, here I was, ready to touch myself in the absence of his strong hands that I was certain were imbued with some kind of magic. Just because I''d never thought hands were capable of driving one insane in a manner they did me when he stroked and touched.


    The doors opened soundlessly and I yelped when a figure slipped in unannounced.


    "Oh, forgive me, mydy. I did not realize you were awake." A maid bowed as soon as she noticed me. I would have knocked if I had."


    d that it was not my mate and for not being caught in what would have been an embarrassing act, simply waved her away. "It is alright and I was just leaving."


    "Leaving? Will you not have a bath mydy?" Eyes wide, the maid''s gaze darted between me and a door assumed led to the bath before they fell on a tray that she carried. "A few drops of these and your bath will be ready."


    "I...I will. Not just here." My gaze fell on the room looking for my garments in haste. "My gown, where is it?"


    "It has been taken to be washed, mydy."


    "What?!" I snapped. It was not my intention, but I realized that without my gown I was stuck here and he would find me. I couldn''t have that.


    "Forgive me, mydy, but had I known that you would be awake or had a prior engagement, I would have fetched your gowns from the seamstress before I came."


    "Seamstress? Gowns? I have no need of those."


    "His highness already ced an order for more gowns to be delivered to his chambers."


    "He has? He expects me to stay? Here?" I blushed while the maid seemed at a loss for words. No doubt because to every one of my questions she had no satisfactory answer.


    "I will send for your clothes at once, mydy."


    "No need." I couldn''t risk him finding me. "I-I''ll just take this." I grabbed his cloak and drapped it over my shoulders as the maid''s eyes widened.


    "He''ll surely have my head." Shemented. "Mydy, please reconsider and let me get you proper clothes at the very least."


    "If his highness asks, you will inform him that this is my decision and mine alone. That way you will suffer no consequences." My words did nothing to ease the poor maiden''s difort and unfortunately for her, neither did I have time to ensure they did. "What is this?" I reached out to pick up a neatly folded parchment paper that I had not noticed beside the pillow I had been resting on.


    "Mydy?"


    "This? Would you know what it is?" Even as I asked my heart hammered in my chest. Something said I should be the one to know what was contained in that exquisite piece of paper.


    The maid lost her look of horror and blushed instead. "His highness never leaves parchments lying around. If it was on the bed, perhaps it is meant for you. You should unfold it and see what it says."


    "Oh, I couldn''t." I protested even when a part of me was curious. Very, very curious.


    "What if it is something important? Something he might have wished to say but couldn''t since you were deep in sleep?"


    The reminder that I had shared the bed with the king of Xatis at all had me slipping the note in the crevices of his garment and rushing for the doors. Perhaps I would read it...ter. In the privacy of my own chambers. I ignored the impatient part of me that protested my decision. The one that had my belly fluttering and curiosity growing at whatever was contained in the little note."


    "But mydy-" I shut the door before the maid could say anymore.


    "Are you alright?" Gol was by my side in a sh, making me yelp a second time today.


    "Oh goodness, it''s just you." Iid a hand on my chest as I inhaled while Gol studied my face and the oversized cloak covering my little frame.


    "Are you by any chance running away from somethi-someone?"


    "Of course not!" Gol only arched a brow at my reply that was more of a denial. "On second thought you and you and... you." I pointed at a few guards. "Make sure I am not followed...or greeted... by anyone." I pulled at Gol''s cloak and I breathed a sigh of relief when he did not fight me. "You are with me."


    "But mydy..." I stopped hastily, head swinging towards the guard who spoke.


    "What is it?" I hoped he was not about to point out that I could notmand them. Which would be true in essence. I was just the king''s mate. Nothing more.


    "What if the said person is his majesty?"


    My cheeks heated up at the mere mention of him and the poor guard seemed to notice this and he fought to keep his expression neutral. "Especially his majesty." I croaked out before being on my way and before I got more protests. Or before the said king found his way back and decided that I was to be locked up in his chambers, never to see the light of day.


    "He did not rouse any feelings in me to give him a beating when he walked out of the chambers this morning, so why then are you escaping? Was he less than a gentleman perhaps?"


    My mind filled up with all the ways the king had not been a gentleman in the early hours of this morning, making me want to clench my legs as I walked. If only that would not have looked weird and invited questions from Gol and curious eyes from the pce staff. And even when Gol had chosen to speak to me through his mind link, I still nced all around me to ensure no one else heard that. "I am not escaping." I kept my eyes trained at his back and hoped he didn''t choose to turn and study my face. He did. "Uh huh." Skepticism coloured his face and I was d it was that and not a smirk which would have coloured my face scarlet.


    "I am nody, but even I know never to speak of such intimate matters with my gua-uh shack mate."


    "You can say it, you know?" Gol said after a long moment and I was about to protest thinking he meant me speaking of my escapades with my mate. "Being your guard gives me purpose, so never regard this as degrading for me."


    I stopped and stared. So not what I was expecting. At the very least, I expected a few more moments of being taunted about my escape as he called it. "Somehow I doubt that." I scoffed, choosing to lighten the moment that was a perfect distraction from the burning reason I was bent on running. "I would think you spend nights cursing fate for taking away the priviledge of pushing me around in the name of training."


    His lips twitched, making him appear stranger than he did in the guard''s uniform that I still had not gotten to seeing him in. "You only have that prince or princess to thank for ack of that. I''m sure his majesty would dly sanction lessons that ensure his mate''s safety."


    I shook my head at the thought that would definitely be my nightmare. Gol and my mate barking orders at me all day, everyday? "Perhaps we should just keep walking." The sight of familiar hallways made me rx an inch as I realized that we''d finally entered Liira''s side of the castle. I was finally free and could breathe. I took in the different entrance we''d used. "I was not aware there was another entrance into this ce." I spoke to no one in particr, but one of the guards took the liberty to answer me.


    "Mydy would need a grand tour of the pce to know of such." A hint of prideced his voice. One I thought was well deserved. The royal pce was indeed magnificent and it''s inhabitant being proud was expected. "Perhaps his highness will give it to you soon." "I''m sorry, give me what?" I struggled to keep the embarassment away at the thought of the king giving me anything after what he''d given me earlier.


    "The grand tour of course."


    "Or perhaps Liira will." If anyone noted my blush or reluctance at having their king do the honours, none let it be known.


    "The matriarch is a good choice too." The guard who''d suggested the tour nodded before falling into awkward silence.


    I needed the privacy of my chambers before I made a fool of myself any longer. And when they came into view, I practically ran past Gol and slipped in without so much as a word.


    "Well, about time you showed up."


    "Oh gods!" My heart leaped into my throat at the unexpected presence of someone in my chambers.


    "Oh dear child, its just me."


    "Liira?" So not the privacy I had hoped for.


    The matriarch stood to her feet. "I was beginning to think he was nning on having you the entire day and we''d get nothing else done.


    "He wouldn''t-wasn''t-" Was he? I stumbled all over my words, trying to deny the obvious.


    "Rx child. Do not look so scandalized as it is not my intention. Although..." I flinched, unsure of what to expect from Liira''s mouth that curved mischieviously. "It is good for the child you carry." Embarassment morphed into curiosity. "What is?"


    "Intimacy between mates."


    "I-I-we didn''t." Well he didn''t- while I...For all that was sacred, I prayed that my mate''s grandmother would not embarass me any further.


    "We are wolves dear child. No use in denying anything. If not for the lingering scent, your face says it all."


    I paled at Liira''s words as I realized that I just announced to pretty much everyone we''d encountered in the pce of my escapades with their king despite bragging to Gol that I had no intentions of doing such a thing. I should have really listened to the maid and taken that bath and change of garments.

 Chapter 43

    "There is really no need to make a fuss over the matter when all that is required is a simple solution to remedy it."


    "I must say I do agree with you lord Hadwyn. His highness is surely not the first wolf toe across his moon goddess given mate after having chosen another."


    "My lords, at least you must understand his highness'' position-"


    "That we do, lord Nevan. Is it not why all the five noble houses came in haste when the king summoned us?"


    "That and the fear that if this matter is not resolved quickly the consequences might be dire for the whole of Xatis. I''m sure that no one here needs reminding of what the consequences for an unstable kingdom means not just for the royal house but for us all." "What do you propose then?"


    "Ah, lord Quent, I was beginning to think that the fourth noble house had enriched itself so much it did not care what happens to the rest of the kingdom."


    "That perhaps might be the only thing that the third and fourth noble houses agree on, lord Evarius. We both know that there is no such thing as being too rich."


    "Well, bless the gods that we at least agree on that much."


    "Are we all in agreement then?"


    Noise. That is what all this talk about my queen and mate by the five lords was and I''d had enough. Whatever gave them the impression that they had a right to interfere in my personal matters. In my choices.


    My anger raged each time one of them opened his mouth to spew out words that only served to annoy me. And if they spoke so carelessly in my presence, I couldn''t help wonder what kind of convesations they''d had in the confines of their homes when their beloved wives had obviously narrated what had transpired in my mother''s garden.


    It was no surprise that despite what their own ears had heard over dinner, Myrna had still yed the chords of their wive''s hearts and gained their sympathy by portraying herself as the one who''d been betrayed.


    My wife''s treachery or choosing between her and my mate however, was not why I had required the presence of the lords in the council chambers. Well, it was something to do with my mate, just not what they thought.


    "As brilliant as all your words sound, my lords, I regret to inform you that that is not the reason you''ve been summoned today." Confused faces turned my way.


    "My king, if not to speak of her majesty remaining as queen by your side, while her sister remains your concubine, then what else does his majesty require of us?"


    Concubine? I hated the sound of the very word, even more so when it was meant to be attached to my mate. "Lord Hadwyn, perhaps if you had revered your king enough, those would have been your first words out of your mouths the moment I stepped inside the council chambers." I all but snapped.


    "Forgive us, my king. It would appear we have been too ahead of ourselves." Evarius bowed, but it did nothing for my annoyance. "Perhaps, his highness can share his thoughts with the rest of us?"


    I let out a chuckle at Evarius'' words, but it was by no means out of amusement.


    "Did I perhaps anger you, my king?"


    At least the fool was wise enough to pick on my disapproval. "Careful lord Evarius. You make it sound as though I am incapable and are in need of you holding my hand even with my own thoughts." "Forgive me, my king. That was not my intention."


    "If his head is what you wish for today, count on me not to keep you from having it." Rakon mumbled in our mind link. But as tempting as it was, I couldn''t deviate from the important reason I was here for. But before I could utter a word, the doors to the chambers opened and in walked Liira, surprising not only the council, but me as well.


    "Grandmother, I was not expecting you."


    "Well, you did want me in the pce and I''m afraid there is little to entertain me around here."


    I knew that not to be true, but it was pointless to argue. Neither could I kick her out of the council chambers as she had every right to be here as a member of the royal family. And perhaps having her here would turn out to be a good thing after all.


    I watched as she floated in while all the lords rose to their feet in panic.


    "Well, there is a sight I haven''t relished in too long." I most definitely agreed with my best friend. The utter difort on the lord''s faces at my grandmother''s presence was quite entertaining even to my annoyed self. While they enjoyed a certain freedom in my presence whenever I was calm, the lords of the most influential houses had simply never known what to do with Liira. To them, she was as the wind. One they could not determine from whence it came or went and as such never really quite knew how to handle her. Someone put on a brave face and I watched in amusement. "Retirement has been good to you, mydy."


    "Are you calling me old, Hadwyn?" Liira stopped in front of lord Hadwyn, eyebrows raised as colour bloomed on the face of the lord of the first house.


    "Of course not, mydy." Despite his involutary reaction, the lord reached for Liira''s hand and ced a chaste kiss there. "Age has certainly got nothing on you."


    "Well..." Liira scoffed at the obvious charm where she could at the very least have epted thepliment. "What did I miss?" If lord Hadwyn was offended by herck of respect, he did not show it. Neither did any of the lords voice their thoughts at having been ignored by the matriarch as she went to take a seat beside me. "Liira." I bowed to acknowledge her presence.


    "Just get on with it as I''m excited to see how well my own grandson is able to make these perceived powerful men who are nothing but twerps tremble in their own fancy boots." She chirped in our mind link, making me stare at her disapprovingly. "You are impossible."


    "And you love me regardless." I resisted the urge to smile at that and turned to the lords.


    "I was just about to inform the council that the banquet announcing the heir of Xatis will be held soon."


    "Oh, it''s about time Xatis knew of my great grandson." Liira beamed.


    "Is the queen finally with child, my king?" Lord Nevan asked excitedly while the rest of the council looked on, expectation written on their faces.


    "My mate carries my heir." My heart fluttered at the thought while it took everything to not get distracted by the hot memories of her that I had locked away for the moment.


    "But my king, I thought you just said our words over the matter were brilliant. Will you now choose to present a bastard as-"


    Temper red and canines elongated as my wolf came forth ready to punish whoever had dared to insult my unborn child. Liira was quick to distract me however, as she gripped my hand.


    "As entertaining as this might be, a lord murdered by his king at such a time as this will just not do." When I didn''t relent, she added. "The fool will get his day, do not risk everything by indulging in what will turn out to be a regrattable deathly lesson for all of us especially the one I assume is the reason you are doing all this."


    Sh''s face shed in my mind and more than Liira''s sensible words, it calmed the beast in me. Enough to send me back in my seat and breathe easily. "I said they sounded brilliant, not that they were, lord Evarius." I leaned back. "Should I take it that the third house will not-"


    "Of course not, my king." Heart still hammering in his chest, Evarius bared his neck in submission. "The third house will do it''s due diligence for the banquent of the young prince...or princess."


    Evarius'' answer was satisfactory, but I did not acknowledge it as I chose to address someone who clearly did not expect me to. "In light of this, a ceremonial gown detailing our ancestry will be required."


    "And you wish for me to create such an important piece of attire?" The man swallowed hard.


    "Will there be a problem, lord Quent?"


    "Will there be a problem, lord Quent?"


    "Of course not, my king. It is just that you caught me by surprise. That is all."


    "Surprise?" I arched a brow. "Doesn''t the fourth noble house boast of the best designs in and beyond Xatis?"


    The enigma of a man straightened proudly, his expression more open than it had ever been. "It does, your majesty."


    "But?"


    Quent''s eyes darted to lord Evarius as I had expected or hoped before falling back on me "Well, you did refuse my house''s offer to dress the queen when you wedded."


    "Oh that was purely my Queen''s decision." I did not care for it at the time, but after seeing the interaction between Evarius and Myrna, I wished I had. "I was made to believe the third house''s designs were more to her taste."


    "Oh? And is his highness'' mate leaning towards the fourth house then?"


    "My mate cares not for such things, but I have every reason to believe that whatever woulde out of the fourth house will definitely be to her taste."


    Delight and pride painted the lord''s face. "In that case, I and my house would be honoured to do this sacred undertaking."


    "It isforting to know that you understand that the whole undertaking is sacred and not just some event meant to showcase your designs." Liira narrowed her eyes at lord Quent. "I''d hate for anything to go wrong when the moon goddess alreadyid a blessed path for my great grandson when he was conceived before his mother ever shifted."


    Eyes widened at Liira''sst statement including mine. But one in particr unsettled me and I couldn''t help growling at the excitement that shed in lord Nevan''s eyes.


    "My mate shall not be used in any of your experiments lord Nevan!" I all but growled.


    "Of course not, your majesty. But-"


    "But?! You dare defy your king?"


    "Oh great king! It is not so." The man of medicine bared his neck in submission. "Believe me when I say that my house will consider this a true blessing to be enjoyed in our lifetime and as far as studying goes, we will only go as far as his highness sees fit. Assuming this is something the king would be proud of being mentioned of his heir in the history books."


    Truthfully, I hated it, but I also knew it had to be done. And because it infuriated me to no end that I had to bow to our traditions once again, I dismissed everyone so I could understand grandmother''s need for doing this.


    "Why would you reveal such a delicate thing in front of those snakes?" I all but sighed at my grandmother. And only because scolding her would earn me more than a scolding. King or no king.


    "Do you think me immortal that you have now decided to take your damn time to learn from me?" Liira scoffed while she patted the space next to her. "There is a war on the horizon. One meant to shake your reign and this has been done to ensure that once everything hase to pass, Xatis and you will stand proud. And don''t go pretending as if you yourself aren''t doing the exact same thing."


    "I do not know what you are talking about." I feigned innocence.


    Liira scoffed. "We both know how proud Quent''s house is and you granting them the chance to dress your mate for such an important event is more buttering of their behinds than anything. You may have just earned their loyalty and put more strain on their rtionship with the third house."


    "Well, they are the best and nothing but the best for my mate." A smile graced my lips as I sipped my wine that I had not touched until now. "And while I cannot have Evarius'' head yet, I can have his pride."


    "Divide and conquer." Liira took in a breath as though the very words bore a nice fragrance she longed to inhale. "Well yed. I might have been wrong about you taking your time to learn."


    "Of battles and wars, it is always to one''s advantage when they are not seening."

 Chapter 44

    How did one escape or hide from a person they did not wish to see? I stared out of my bed chamber''s window and into the dense forest below, wondering. It is not that I did not know how. Once upon a time I was so good at it. I would even dare consider myself a master. Back in the forgotten vige, it was as a game for me when I was younger. Well, not as young as I ought to have been when ying such games. That I could admit. But never the less, one could never deny how good I was. Disappearing in in sight, hiding in the most unusual ces and crevices, never to be found unless I wished it so. The pce had a lot of those. I had no doubt that even if one could sniff out my wolf scent, I could still earn myself enough time before they found me after I hid and yet I could use none of them as the person I sought to escape resided in ces I could not run away from even if I wished to.


    Elian... The mere thought of his name sent my belly fluttering so much I had to hold my breath while I waited for the wave to fade away. My hands clutched to the edges of therge window as I rode the current wave that was mightier than thest. It was as if the more he invaded my thoughts the more difficult ignoring the king of Xatis became. Against my wishes, he''d slipped into the innermost parts of me, leaving me yearning for him than escaping.


    Revenge...that is what it was supposed to be about, but one night... one hot night filled with untold pleasures had reduced my brave self into a maiden that was always longing, yearning and yet never brave enough to im what she desired the most. I had no doubt he''d be more than d to satiate my lingering thirst, but one night of shameless indulgence had left me too embarrassed to even face the king of Xatis. My every action that was driven by my own thirst that night hade to bite me in my behind. I could not even behold my own reflection without my face blooming with colour. How then would I be able to face him? How would I be able to show my face in the very hallways where I''d made it clear what his majesty and I had been up to.


    Not that that fear had done anything to dissuade my own heart from longing. Days and nights hade and gone. Faithful as they were meant to do by the gods and yet here I was as though today was the very day I had escaped his chambers as Gol had put it. I wished my own growing need to seek him out had been fashioned after the pattern of the rising and setting of the sun. The heavens knew I could do with moments filled without all the longing, but as I had learned earlier on, this was the curse of the mate bond and I sure as hell knew the moon goddess spent her current days wearing a pleased smile.


    "How long will you remain hidden behind these doors, mydy?"


    Astryn''s usatory tone jolted me out of my thoughts, keeping me from letting out a curse at the moon goddess. "I am doing no such thing." Letting go of the window''s edges, I swung around to face the maid. Partly because I wished to convince her of my innocence even when I was as guilty as hell. My attempt was as futile as my own attempts at keeping my mind from dwelling on nothing but thoughts of my mate.


    Astryn studied me before she made it oh so clear that even if what I''d said was not true, she was going to agree with me. "Oh, I''m so d to hear that. I was afraid I might have to drag you for your first engagement this morning."


    "My first what?" I frowned at the maid''s beaming face. I knew not of any engagement and neither did I wish for one. In its entirety, I did not wish for anything that would deprive me of the fauxfort and privacy that came with staying behind my chamber''s closed doors.


    "I was not going to say anything, but..." Astryn suddenly copsed on my bed andy there hands and feet sprawled in all directions while a contented sigh escaped her lips. "I knew my king was many things, but a romantic? That was a total surprise."


    I should have reprimanded her. Saying such a thing about the king was not proper, but the maiden had already asked for forgiveness and I was no properdy to care about her speaking her mind. Besides that, I did agree with her as I was just as surprised too. My eyes fell on his little note, heart skipping beats. It was peeking from under my pillow where I''d ced it reluctantly after reading it for what would make it a thousand times. The moment my eyes had fallen on it, I knew his words would remain timeless and I? I would forever be smitten.


    "I can still not get over the fact that the stone that had the noble maiden''s wish to w each other''s eyes out whenever they were invited to the pce now rests on your finger. But I must say, it''s perfect. You two are perfect." A dreamy sigh escaped Astryn''s mouth, making me blush and regret letting her speak freely at all. Because now I had been plunged deeper in the sea of longing.


    I cleared my throat, seeking to get the maid focused again. "What am I to do over this engagement?"


    "Oh, onlydy Liira knows that. She awaits your presence in her private gardens."


    Private gardens, I hade to understand, were not just ces where the royals enjoyed tea or the smell of flowers. Despite their location being on the outer walls of the bed chambers, they happened to be the safest ce for important conversations to be had. I, however, could not think of anything of importance that Liira would need to speak to me about. But knowing my mate''s grandmother, mine was not the duty to question why, but to grace the matriarch with my presence. And perhaps if I was lucky, our conversation would give me that long overdue distraction.


    I followed Astryn''s lead out of my bed chambers, but our journey was interrupted right at the open doors. Guards were busy hauling furniture along the hallway and disappearing with it into a room a few doors from mine. "What in god''s name is going on?" "Oh, his highness has decided to move his study on this floor."


    "He what? Why?" I couldn''t hide my surprise. Had he done this because I had been avoiding him and he was looking to make sure I couldn''t?


    "Something about being close tody Liira, now that the matriarch has chosen to return to the pce. Did you know that he was always close to her?" Astryn kept casually speaking of my mate''s and Liira''s rtionship, but I was no longer listening, my mind stuck on something she''d said.


    "He''d moved in..." That was all I''d heard. And my stupid heart...that piece of me that I was sure was not a part of me at times, was both fluttering and hammering in my chest at the mere thought that he would be spending days and nights just a few doors down from mine. Would he sneak out in the middle of night and seek me out? Would he even need to sneak out? Or perhaps...


    "Come, I do not wish to keep Liira waiting." I tugged on Astryn''s arm and dragged her away much to her surprise. "Is everything okay, mydy? You look-"


    "Everything''s fine Astryn." I mumbled even when I knew that nothing was. So much for wishing to hide and escape from him

 Chapter 45

    "Should I perhaps summon lord Nevan?"


    I scowled at Rakon''s ludicrous suggestion. I was frustrated, not sick. And the fact that my best friend found my state so amusing as to suggest inviting that insufferable lord of medicine, infuriated me.


    "It was just a thought." Rakon shrugged his shoulders yfully, making me wish I could bite his head off.


    "I did not ask for your help." I snapped before shovelling at the parchments littering my study table. I should have been studying these carefully instead of spending the entire time I had been awake tonight thinking of my mate. Someone who I was sure as hell was not sparing me even a single thought at the moment.


    "Doesn''t mean I cannot offer it. I mean it''s pretty clear you need some intervention of some sort."


    "I am perfectly fine, thank you very much."


    "But are you?" Mischief danced in my best friend''s eyes and as much as I did not wish to sumb to Rakon''s taunting, I found myself giving in.


    "How in god''s name does she do it?" Exasperated, I pushed my seat backwards, the furniture making enough noise to wake the dead on the floor. Whether I meant for it to be heard by her all the way in her chambers, I did not know.


    "How is she not being driven insane by the pull that exists between us?" It had been days since that night. The night I was sure would birth many more like it. The night whose morning my mate had chosen to leave my chambers never to return.


    I had expected to find her lyingfortably in my bed, patiently waiting for my return. Or perhaps lost in the sweetness of the words I had penned to her. My heart had fluttered as the thoughts brought a smile to my face. I was in for a surprise, however. My chambers still held the same lonely feeling. Quiet as ever and with the bed linen having been changed and her gowns washed, not even a whiff of her scent had remained.


    A quick mindlink to the maid who''d been charged with her for the day only revealed the unexpected. Sh had practically escaped my chambers not so long after I had left which only spoke of the fact that she''d been very awake while I still remained in the chambers. She''d yed me.


    "What exactly has she done?"


    Apart from the fact that she''d done everything possible to avoid my presence, she''d rendered my entire move to Liira''s wing utterly useless. I had thought I would outsmart her by having her this close, but the doors to her chambers remained locked, denying me ess even when she slept. She''d made sure to move out only when she was certain I was nowhere nearby. And between me and her, one would think she was the king as she''d gotten nearly every staff on her side, leaving me scraping for anyone willing to furnish their king with what I wished to know.


    As much as that frustrated me, I couldn''t deny the pride I felt too. I did not care about what she''d done or said to inspire such loyalty, only that if she could do such a thing, it was evidence of how perfectly suited she was for me. The mere thought stirred something in my blood and it only served to deepen my longing.


    "How many rooms down the hallway are we?" Ignoring Rakon''s question that had an obvious answer, I got up from my seat and walked over to one of the windows in my study.


    "What madness is this? Don''t tell me you intend to sneak into her room." It was clear Rakon was amused by this.


    "If she insists on ying this game..." I undid my cloak and set it aside before loosening my boots. "Why not?" Excitement reced the frustration I''d felt, my wolf sharing in it too. My heart fluttered at the thought of her reaction. Was she going to scowl, kick me out or melt into my arms?


    "You are insane."


    I was, but more than that I was thirsting for her. And tonight, with my little n, my thirst would be filled.


    "May I remind you that the archers won''t spare a dark figure scaling the walls seeking entry to your mate''s chambers."


    "A matter that can easily be resolved." I smirked as I linked the head of the archers, making my instructions clear. "Done."


    "Or you could just walk over to her doors and knock."


    "And spoil the fun?" Now that I was doing it, I wished for nothing less. I was too excited to consider changing my resolve. But that was not to be had just yet as the doors to my study burst open revealing a less than amused former king of Xatis. "Father?" The man''s gaze took in my form before inviting himself to sit. With that scrutinizing expression that used to drown my confidence when I was younger, he kept his gaze trained on me.


    "I would never peg you for a night owl even in your retirement." Despite my state, I stood straighter, ascertaining my position before he thought me as his son only.


    His gaze took in my new stance before letting out a sigh. "How can I sleep when trouble is looming everywhere?" I had endured sleepless too, but I was not about to admit to that lest father thought the little schemes cooked up by the noble houses was of any significance. Districts all over Xatis were beginning to riot over the most insignificant things. On the surface, it seemed justified, but I was aware invisible strings were being pulled by those who had the most to gain from it. And my sleepless nights had been as the result of deciding what the fitting punishment would be for the culprits. Well, a bit of that, with the rest being taken up by thoughts of one beautiful maiden that had made it her mission to avoid me.


    "Perhaps because it is not your burden to bear anymore?" Annoyance prickled, but if he noticed it, my father chose not to acknowledge it. He instead shifted in his seat, ensuring he wasfortable. His determined look making me know he would stick to his mission.


    "Would it kill you to give in even one single time?" He did not have to mention what I needed to give in to as we both knew what he was referring to.


    "You know it would." The mere thought of what he was asking of me hardened my expression.


    He sighed. "It is not like you have to give her up to appease them and avoid this looming nightmare. She would still remain by your side, but not just-"


    "If that is all you have to say, I''m afraid I do not have the time." I growled, dismissing him. I needed to see my mate, not stand here and listen to my own father speak of a ludicrous decision.


    "Son... You have to believe that I''m on your sid- what in God''s name are you doing?"


    "I will see you father." Having had enough and feeling more annoyed than amused, I went through the window and jumped to the next without a second thought and before the former king of Xatis could say anymore.


    The journey turned out to be shorter than I had thought and thanks to the warm weather, Sh had chosen to leave a window open. I watched for signs of life before I slipped in. Her scent was ready to wee me and I inhaled to my heart''s content before a sudden movement from her bed caught my attention.


    "Your majesty?" She all but squeaked and if I wasn''t still annoyed I would have smirked at her reaction. "I mean, good evening, your majesty." She bowed impossibly low and I instantly hated it. She was no servant of mine to greet me in such a manner and this time around I hated her calling me by my title. But then I realized that she was merely using this to hide from me. She''d been hiding and not avoiding me. I ate up the distance between us at the realization, heart wishing for nothing but to be close. "Please rise." I was no longer interested in ying.

 Chapter 46

    my very essence. I longed to surrender to him.


    I''d tied myself to him. In my quest for revenge, I''d done the very thing I had set out not to do. And now I could not get out. Wasn''t even sure I wished to. Not when the mere thought of him made me feel things. Deep in the crevices of my soul, I longed for him to stir "Your tea is getting cold, child." It was by no means a scolding, but I jolted all the same when Liira spoke beside me. "Do you wish to talk about it?"


    "Forgive me, mydy, but talk about what exactly." I stared at Liira, feeling a little confused.


    "Whatever it is that has been the object of your obsession."


    Obsession? I could hardly call it that. Perhaps intrigue or curiosity. Two things that I would never have thought would be the result of my dreaded encounter with my mate.


    After barely being able to keep our paths from crossing, I''d been awakened by his ferocious growl. Even when sleep still assaulted me, the anger in the sound that erupted from deep his throat had stirred my wolf and I had wished to fly the few doors down to check on him. But then he''d appeared right in my chambers, eyes glittering a fiery gold that sent me bowing in an attempt to escape his piercing gaze.


    "Please rise." He''d said. So softly I would have missed it had it not been apanied by his own clear actions to help me with the task. "Do not bow to me, ever. Such is reserved for my servants and subjects. You are neither of those things." He''d said next, his tone more stern than soft and I''d only nodded. That had seemed to pacify him, if the ghost of a smile to grace his face after my little nod was anything to go by. I''d hoped for it to grow into one of those easy smiles I knew he possessed, but his expression had morphed into something else I did not recognize. And as he led me back to my bed, my heart had hammered furiously in my chest. Thoughts of what might happen at the end of that short journey to the piece of grand furniture had left me feeling uneasy. Having him help me getfortable on therge soft bed had done nothing to ease the hammering either. If anything, it made it worse the longer he worked at such a mundane thing with the utmost care I had witnessed from him yet. And by the time he was done, hammering was not the only thing my heart was doing.


    When his warm hands had rested on my cheeks, cupping them gently, my eyes had fluttered closed in anticipation of what was toe again. What came however, was as much a surprise to me as it was to him.


    "How are you?" Of all the things I had expected it was not that. The most mundane set of words that had my eyes widening in surprise.


    He''d merely sat back andughed at my reaction. A heartyugh that had wrapped me in untold warmth and unearthed a strange desire in me. That desire had been partly fulfilled by the longest conversation my mate and I had shared for the rest of the night. "How was his majesty''s childhood like?"


    "Elian?" Liira studied me as if shocked that that question had proceeded out of my mouth. I couldn''t me her however, as it had caught me by surprise too. I had had no intention to ask so openly.


    "I''m curious." I answered Liira''s unspoken part of her question honestly. Having awakened to an empty but warm space beside me and to the most beautiful memories of a real conversation, a part of me wished to know more.


    "That is one strange request."


    "Strange?"


    "I mean, many only care about knowing how much gold in the royal vaults belongs to him." Liira reached for my cup of tea. "I''ll take that."


    "I do not think I would know what to do with so much gold." I let out a chuckle.


    "And that just adds to how special you are for him. Nowe over here and lie down so I can check on my other grandson."


    Special. My belly fluttered as Iy down and let Liira do what she needed to.


    "Speaking of satisfying your curiosity, I prefer showing you than narrating." "Oh?"


    "This is something I think you will appreciate more than my old crackly voice boring you to death with tales of your mate." Old and crackly were not the words I would use to describe Liira''s voice, but in my time here I''d learnt that it was unwise to question the matriarch on such matters.


    "Thank you." Tucking that away, my gaze shifted to my belly. I was beginning to show and somehow that had made the child I carried more real each day.


    "I''m afraid I will have to ask lord quent to do a weekly fitting from now on and I might have to rethink those uing lessons." Liira scribbled something on a parchment, her expression thoughtful. rmed by the matriarch''s demeanour, I shot up to a sitting position. "Is something wrong?"


    "Oh, gods no, child." Liira cupped my cheeks. "Everything is perfectly fine. You are both doing fine."


    "But lord Quent..." I did not even know who that was, but knowing I would be seeing him weekly made me feel uneasy. Not to mention Liira''s own change of heart regarding the lessons she''d insisted I needed to undergo now that I was to be by my mate''s side. "Quent is nothing but the designer charged with creating your sacred gown for the banquet." "What banquet?" I frowned at Liira. I had not been invited to any banquet. Neither had I heard of any. None that would need me dressed in something sacred either. Whatever a sacred gown was meant to be.


    "The banquet to wee the child you carry of course. Hasn''t he told you of it?"


    "Perhaps he has not had an opportunity to do so." I did not know why I defended him.


    "Oh?" Liira arched a brow.


    "I have seen little of him." I answered sheepishly, knowing the reason why.


    "Still ying cat and mouse I see."


    "We are most certainly not."


    Liira scoffed. "You should know very little escapes my attention around here. But that matters less, such is expected of young love."


    Love? I sought to dismiss the very idea as just Liira''s rumblings, but the fluttering of my heart and the warmth that spread in it roused questions. Those I did not wish to face...yet.


    "But why would he do this? Isn''t Myrna and her child more suited for it?"


    "Child, have you not been paying attention?" Liira''s eyes narrowed.


    "To what exactly?" I avoided the matriarch''s gaze, a familiar tightness forming around my heart. It loosened a fraction when warm hands cupped my cheeks once more.


    "Sh..." Liira''s eyes were no longer narrowed. They were instead wide and at the same time filled with an emotion that spoke of something I did not know but should have known. I couldn''t bring myself to ask what that was. Not knowing seemed to appeal to me more. "Perhaps it''s time I satisfied your curiosity. Why don''t you cover up ande with me."


    If there was one thing I appreciated about Liira it was that she knew when to stop. And as she led me to wherever the satisfying of my curiosity was meant to happen, she dived into conversation that was miles away from whatever had been raised back in my chambers.


    "Looking at him now, one would never think my grandson was once such an adorable child."


    I could. Afterst night''s unbidden conversation that hadid bare a side of him I''d not known, I knew I could. A guard unlocked and swung open two huge doors leading to arge room that suited the size of the wooden doors meant to guard it. The darkness beyond the doors had me turning to Liira.


    "Where are we?" Liira only grabbed onto my hand and stepped in. The room flooded with light with each step we took and for a moment I thought it was magic. Just until I noticed more guards drawing back long drapes of dark curtains.


    "Probably one of my favourite rooms in the entire pce." Liira''s tone turned dreamy and following her gaze, I discovered why. "Here lives generations upon generations of the royals of Xatis."


    I let Liira''s hand go and floated deeper into the room, mesmerized by the amazing disy of art. Potraits upon potraits of kings and queens standing beside their wolves, all the while appearing timeless. No introductions were necesary or perhaps I did not wish to have my show interrupted.


    "But perhaps, this is what you are looking for." Liira pointed to a group of potraits that held an oddly familiar face. One look and I instantly knew why Liira had opted to show me. I drew closer, a smile splitting my lips with each step. He was definitely adorable. With a crown of unruly hair the young prince tugged at my heart.


    In the first potrait an obvious frown spoke of one little boy that had been forced to stay still while the artist struggled to capture his image. He was sharply dressed in a small version of his current royal robes. In another potrait he seemed totally oblivious of the one who''d captured him. The little boy''s attention waspletely taken by something at his feet. In another he seemed to be tugging at his mother''s gown, an unhappy expression pasted on his little face while Sarabeth remained poised. "He really did hate potraits, didn''t he? I let out a chuckle while my heart warmed at the sight.


    "Why are you intent on embarassing me, grandmother?"


    Annoyanceced my mate''s tone and when I turned to face him and spotted a familiar unhappy expression I couldn''t hold theughter.

 Chapter 47

    "I can''t believe you insist on being on your feet after what just happened."


    "I refuse to give anyone any satisfaction of seeing me wallow in my bed." I argued, earning myself a look of disapproval from my best friend which I dismissed in favour of a moreforting sight.


    Staring at my mate, I decided I would never tire of the sound of herughter. Despite being the object of it, a warmth spread in my heart. Seeing Sh disy genuine emotion and a care free side that I knew had nothing to do with our bond was like a breath of fresh air. More so after a night spent together without expectations. I was not even aware that there was anything to be enjoyed about anything of the sort.


    Determined to keep that happy expression on her lovely face, I pulled up my clock, covering Myrna''s mark that I still bore on my neck, together with a recently acquired one before stepping in.


    "d to see that my difort amuses you so."


    "You have to forgive m-" Herughter died down and she closed the distance between us in panic. "You are hurt."


    It was nothing but the bond speaking. She was meant to care if I was hurt. I knew that and yet I couldn''t help reading into it more than I should have. "It''s nothing." It wasn''t, but I did not wish to worry her. "Nothing but a scratch."


    "A scratch should have healed by now." Lines of worry formed on her beautiful face and I couldn''t have that.


    "And it is doing just that." I ignored the pain that shot up were she''d held me and drew her attention back to the many portraits. "Do you have favourites so far?" When I was met with silence, I turned to her. A frown had distorted her lovely features.


    "It''s not as if she has a lot of options." A grinning Liira came and stood close, her distraction more than wee.


    "I thought you said I was adorable?" I scoffed.


    "I''m your grandmother. I''m supposed to say such things."


    I rolled my eyes at Liira before turning to my mate who was still less than amused. "There is someone I wish for you to meet." A figure appeared by the doors after I''d mind linked them toe in.


    "Carlytte?"


    "Oh, mydy! It is so good to see you again!" The bubbly maiden shot for my mate and took her in a good old fashioned embrace before she realized how improper her behavior was for someone like her. Face filled with colour, she bowed impossibly low. "Please forgive me, mydy, your majesty."


    "There is really nothing to forgive." Sh returned the embrace, much to the young maiden''s delight. And if I had reservations about Evarius'' niece being good for my mate, the bright smiles that were exchanged between them changed that. "I have appointed Carlytte as yourdy in waiting."


    "You mean she''ll be my staff?" A displeased look graced my mate''s face and before I could find a fitting answer to her displeasure, Carlytte came to my rescue.


    "Titles are overrated. We could just be friends. Please say yes. You know I have wanted this since the moment Iid my eyes on you." The whole thing was like a bizarre proposal, but it did get my mate nodding and smiling regardless. "Well, now that that is settled, youdies will have to excuse us. I''d like a word with my grandson." I stiffened, knowing what wasing next.


    "Watch over her." I mouthed to Rakon as me, Liira and Gol stepped into the inner chamber of the royal gallery.


    "Where is Sarabeth and Derian?" Liira asked the moment I closed the doors and trapped us in the little sanctuary that was meant to keep everything spoken here secret.


    "Hopefully father and mother are busy somewhere having tea."


    "Elian?!" Liira warned. "You know we cannot be in here without those two. It''s tradition."


    "Technically this is not official. You are here to embarrass me with those baby portraits aren''t you?"


    "They will still see through it."


    "This is the safest ce for what we are about to speak of." My eyes darted to Gol. "A spy inside the pce speaks of no ce being safe."


    Liira only sighed, knowing I spoke the truth. "Let me see what they did to you."


    I undid my cloak carefully before taking it off. Up until the moment I''d stepped out of Sh''s chambers to get a breath of fresh air, the pce and its surroundings had not been a ce one needed to keep looking over their shoulders constantly. Not until something hot and sharp had been plunged deep inside my neck while I stared into the early morning darkness.


    "By the gods!" Liira jumped to inspect the wounds I was nursing under my coat just as I suspected she would. I did not miss Gol''s reaction either. The ouw''s eyes widened before pure hatred painted his face and his fists clutched tightly at his sides. "It looks worse than it actually feels." I flinched when Liira applied pressure to my neck. "The royal physician did all he could."


    "Of course he did." Frustration ate at Liira. "Why in god''s name did you note to me sooner?" She struggled to keep from yelling as she reached for vile after vile from her little pouch, dubbing a little of each on the deep cut on my neck. "Damn it! None of this works! Why did you not say anything?!"


    "Because while I struggled with whoever had dared to attack me, I aquired this." I ced a piece of armor on the table before us.


    "The emblem of Carene?" Gol grabbed at the piece, recognition and shock registering in his eyes. "Why in God''s name would anyone from Carene dare attack the king of Xatis in his own pce and that in the open?"


    "That is what I wish to know." I gave the man a hard stare that he held with one of his own. He was one of the reasons I''d chosen to keep the attack quiet. Somehow after learning about him from Liira, I knew that the man with roots in Carene would be an easy target for the me. That in turn would affect Sh and I couldn''t have that either.


    "You think I''m involved in this?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Is that the reason you let me into this forbidden chamber? To force a confession out of me?"


    "Of course not. We know you have not been back in Carene since the fall of the noble house of Alde."


    Anger, sorrow, hate and every emotion meant to express deep seated grief shed across the ouw''s face before his huge body sunk in the seat that was behind him. It pained me to have to ask him for anything, but it couldn''t be helped.


    "I need your help."A pained gaze met mine. "Any bit would be appreciated." I added, but he merely waved me away.


    "I knew fate was meddling, the moment she washed up on the banks of the devil''s river." A bitterugh escaped the ouw''s lips, but that was not the thing to grab my attention and I hoped to the gods he did not mean who I thought he did. My hopes were shuttered with his next words. "A poor maiden, bearing a very precious ring should have had me running the other way and yet here I am."


    Something stabbed in my chest. "The devil''s river?" My voice was barely a whisper as thoughts of Sh being tossed about in the blood thirsty body of water assaulted me. There was no end to how much I''d hurt her.


    "She was perfectly fine, given what she had endured. That alone should have made me think twice about getiing involved, but no one ever turns down second chances. Definitely not a man who''d hoped and prayed for one."


    Suddenly waiting until my heir''s banquet to strip Myrna of her position seemed too far "Is she a part of it?" Anger burned, but Gol merelyughed.


    "If you think you''ll find a connection between these people and your queen, you are mistaken."


    "You mean Myrna knows nothing?"


    "That is not entirely true. She does and she doesn''t. One does not get a hold of such a sophisticated spell without some help...some serious dark help." Gol nodded at the mark on my neck. "I would not be surprised to discover that she''d have met them way before she set foot in your pce."


    I turned to Liira. My grandmother had that calctive glint in her eyes. "Will you help us?"


    "I will."


    "Oh, thank the gods."


    "In return for something."


    "It''s nice to know you are human after all." Liira sat back, all ears.


    "Revenge."


    I sprang up to my feet. "You wish for Xatis to wage war against Carene?"


    Gol stood to his full height too, but his stance was in no way meant to intimidate. "That is where you are mistaken, your majesty. War has already been waged."

 Chapter 48

    Something was wrong. Even when no one was saying anything, I could feel it. I could see it too. Guards around Liira''s side of the castle had more than doubled. Hallways were littered with guards in armor at every turn. Their postures were ever alert. Gazes, From my chamber''s window, figures kept disappearing into the forest every so often, while a number of them emerged. It wouldn''t take a military man to figure out that the patrols around the pce had intensified.


    scrutinizing. Hands resting on their weapons, ready to be drawn at the slightest sign of an attack.


    And apart from Carlytte, two new maidens trailed me everywhere I went. Samara and Norae were always dressed in typical maid''s dresses and assumed the eptable humble posture, but they were anything but. At least not ording to my thoughts. They''d been brought as new additions to the number of maids Liira insisted I needed, but one look at the two maidens revealed a number of qualities that were odd for a typical maid. The greatest being their insane ability to put themselves between me and any other figure that would find themselves too close while I took a stroll in the hallways or pce grounds. Many times I did not even notice the figures approaching and yet none had ever escaped those two''s attention. It had led me to conclude that my two maids had to be warriors. I however did not understand why I would need so much protection, but ording to Astryn''s assumptions, I needed to be protected upclose and Gol being a man would not just do as I was the king''s mate. I found the whole thing ludicrous but Liira would not let it go.


    If that did not speak of trouble, then my own mate''s continual absence was clear evidence of what I presumed. I had notid my eyes on him since the royal gallery. The study he''d upied down the hall had remained locked and unused. The sheets on my bed hadn''t had any traces of his scent at they would before. A clear sign that even thosete night visits whose knowledge I had identally stumbled upon had totally ceased. It was as if he''d fallen off the face of the realm.


    I sucked in a breath and let it all out to keep myself from thinking too much of the situation. Apparently getting myself worked up even on the littlest of things was not good in my state. Except his absence was nothing little. And no matter how much I willed my stupid heart not to think about him, it somehow found its way to doing just that. Hoping he would show up any moment and dere that all was well. That he was well.


    But that was not to be had, not yet anyway. So I''d decided to spend my days distracted with anything that came close enough to drowning my own longing for him.


    As Liira had said, Lord Quent, who I had learned was the lord of the noble house, had visited me week after week. He''d worked with his seamstresses at carefully taking my new measurements while mumbling amongst themselves about how quickly my belly was growing. They had tried to guess how big I would be by the following week, but it turned out to be useless. The heir I carried seemed to enjoy everyone''s guesses, except me of course. Or perhaps it was because I spent the most part of my day caressing my belly, making me aware of just how big I had be. I did not need a mirror to confirm it either. As I spent long moments staring at my buldging belly. Turning this way and that way while having conversations that I was sure made little sense to the child I carried. "You are glowing." Carlytte beamed as she came into my garden. Yes, I did get my own private garden at Liira''s insistence. And even though I had fought her over it initially, I found that it was really soothing to spend so much time in here. Away from everyone else who insisted on treating me like the royalty I wasn''t. And as long as I could forget that Samara and Norae were ever by my side.


    "You mean I''m getting fat." I pouted.


    "Well, that too." One could count on Carlytte to be brutally honest in that regard. Coupled with Astryn and one could get all the honesty they needed in an entire lifetime. "But I would say your glow is really outshining everything else."


    "Of course you would." I scoffed as I reached for the cup of tea she offered me.


    "Liira guarantees this will do wonders for your aching back." I had been getting a lot those and Liira was always finding ways to ease my difort. She''d attributed them tomy rapidly growing belly. A matter that had the matriarch beaming with pride. "Does she now?" I sipped and loved the taste. "Why can''t she let me in on what is going on around me while she''s at it?" Sounding bitter had not been my intention.


    Carlytte made a show of scanning my surroundings. "Whichever world do you mean?"


    "I''m not blind, Carlytte." I mumbled unhappily.


    The maiden only stared at me thoughtfully. "Even then, I have been charged with keeping you and the heir happy, safe and calm."


    "So there is trouble then? And will you stop referring to my child as the heir?" Even when I knew my child would soon cease being a bastard, the reminder still left me feeling uneasy.


    "Firstly, I said nothing of trouble anywhere. And as for the young prince or princess what do you suggest I refer her or him as, hmmm?"


    A tightness formed around my heart, reminding me of the circumstances that seemed not to dim. Naturally I thought this was the part me and my mate should decide on a name, but I hadn''t seen him for too long. "I do not know. What are the royal traditions regarding names?"


    Carlytte blushed. "Traditions were never my strong point."


    "What nobledy is not interested in learning about her kingdom''s traditions?"


    "Me, apparently. How was the fitting?" The distraction was a clear sign that she did not wish to talk about that particr topic anymore. It was something I hade to know about Carlytte. While she was bubbly most of the times, she had her moments when the cruelty of life seemed to sneak up on her. And in those times she preffered not to indulge.


    "Perhaps if there was anything to fit at all, it would make this ordeal more bearable." I sighed, earning myself a smile.


    "I''m afraid you will have to be extremely patient on that. Not only is the banquet something more than just an event meant to celebrate an heir being conceived, Lord Quent will make sure to take his time. With his noble house''s reputation he will have to ensure your sacred gown is all perfection."


    "I need to go out." I suddenly dered. "All this talk about dos and don''ts will eventually drive me insane." That was the truth. For someone who''d been used to living free as bird in the forgotten vige, doing literally nothing was proving to be a pain. Besides, I could swear even my child was just as bored.


    "Uh-" Carlytte''s eyes darted between me and the maidens behind me.


    "Do not dare stop me." I warned.


    "Of course not. Why would we?" Whatever Samara and Norae''s answer had been, it was not what had been their first thought. Neither was it for Carlytte, but the three maidens joined me anyway as I walked out of the garden.


    Gol straighted up when we all emerged. A smile brightened his features, but it was not enough topletely hide the worry lines. Back at the shack, I would have insisted on him telling me what ailed him and he would have insisted it was nothing. The back and forth would have eventually drawn a smile and erased the lines. I found myself missing that and regretting that I couldn''t do it now.


    "Mydy?" He looked at me askance and I merely smiled and pointed towards the way leading to the world outside the pce.


    The sun was bright, its kisses warm and there was nothing better for my longing soul. I sighed in contentment. "This is absolutely beautiful."


    "Indeed." Carlytte agreed beside me. "One does tend to forget such pleasures once they enter-"


    "Carlytte, how can you be so shameless? Turning your back on your family and associating with the enemy." The serene atmosphere received an unwee individual. The familiar redhead was fuming. Kerina, I decided, was a sad and lonely soul. Why that was I had no interest in discovering. Shifting my gaze, itnded on my sister who had an indecipherable expression on. Beautiful as ever, regardless. I refused to acknowledge her and instead turned to the other fuming maiden. "Unlike you, Kerina, I am d to serve the king of Xatis and if I were you I would be careful as to whom I refer to as the enemy." Carlytte all but spat.


    "Well, you are not me and I do not see his majesty anywhere around here." The proud maiden scoffed.


    "I do not me you. You were always blind. I just hope the future queen of Xatis and the heir will be as forgiving of your insults and mistakes."


    I gaped at Carlytte. She was making threats that had not even crossed my mind. I was not even sure I wished to be a queen. To get back at my sister yes, but to be queen? That was- I did not know what that was. "Come, mydy." Carlytte finally tugged on my arm and I was about to follow, but another sharp voice kept me from doing so.


    "When did you get your wolf?" Myrna had stepped forward. Apparently she couldn''t help herself or perhaps her anger had been stirred by Carlytte''s words. But then none of that was as surprising as her question.


    Samara, Norae and Gol stepped forward too, ready to protect, but I held my hand up to stop them. I had no intentions of making Myrna think I was in any way intimidated by her. My wolf also made certain to ry that fact as she pushed forward.


    I arched a brow. "Why do you care?" Desperation shed in her eyes before her gaze dropped to my belly. Hands clenched by her sides, she studied it furiously.


    The sight would have been satisfying if not for my own surprising realization that hit me. Mouth dry, it was my turn to study her. There was something about her...about me. A pressing matter I needed answers to.


    When she found my gaze again I couldn''t put her facial expression into words, neither could I put my thoughts into words. Not in front of her.


    "This is not yet over!" For the second time Myrna walked away from me, furious, but none of that mattered as much as the discovery I''d made. It was something that had never crossed my mind, until now.


    "Gol? Myrna is my sister right?" My guard merely stared at me confused. So I rephrased my question.


    "Would my own hate for her or the fact that my own family were nowhere to walk me the path when I shifted make me not recognize her wolf?" I knew that I would recognise my family''s scent but until now I realized, I had experienced nothing of the sort.

 Chapter 49

    There are many reasons why one would not feel their connection to their own family, Sh. Liira had kept insisting, but no matter how much she did that, for me, those many reasons only came down to two.


    It was either I was indeed my father and mother''s child or I wasn''t. And I had never before wished for two conflicting statements to be true. I''d thought that perhaps then, some of my own heartache would be quelled. It was not as simple as that however. On one hand, hoping I was not their child, would ease the heartache of being abandoned so easily and it wouldn''t sting so much. But that would force me to face the reality of never having been wanted by my own birth family. Either truth spoke of my own loss that would eventually crush my soul.


    I slumped on my bed, my legs giving up for the umpteenth time today. It was time to leave. To face the dreaded truth. What had began as mere thoughts had ced me on a path to face my past once again.


    Ever since I''d woken up in Gol''s shack, my mother''s and father''s faces were not sights I had desired to gaze upon. Without a conscious effort on my part, I had decided I wished not to see them. But as always, fate found a way yet again to force me to do that which I did not wish to do.


    Knowing everyone awaited my presence, I had meant to step out of my chambers, but my legs simply refused to work. The lump in my throat would not ease up either as fear clutched tightly to my insides. What would I say to them? Would greeting my own mother in any other way apart from the usual warm embrace feel different? Would I cry, would they? Would father call me by the name that only he used? What would they say to me? Would we talk at all?


    Tears spilled as I realized that no matter what today brought, what their answer would be, that loving rtionship we shared was long gone. Gone with the Sh that had braved the waters of the Devil''s river. Their bright light had been snuffed out while I was swallowed up down in the deep. And before I knew it, loud sobs escaped my mouth. Ugly tears apanying the rips forming in my heart.


    I did not care for who would be witness to the shedding of my sorrow. I simply cried. For how long, even I could not tell. It would take the faintest of knocks to draw my attention and make me realize that my sobbing had ceased.


    "Mydy... I hate to intrude but we do need to leave." Astryn mumbled softly from behind my chamber''s doors and I knew I couldn''t stall any longer.


    "Of course." My voice was barely a whisper as I wiped at my face. Even when I knew it was futile to attempt to hide the evidence of my sorrow.


    Another soft knock and I asked her to enter. I willed myself to get up before she did. My legs trembled, I couldn''t bring my hands to stop shaking and then I beheld him. Instead of Astryn, My mate slipped through the barely open doors. Standing in all his majestic glory and even though he bore a somewhat painful look on his face, his mere presence did something for my battered soul.


    "You came?" I did not expect him to. At the very least, I had expected to be apanied by Carlytte and the other maidens. Gol too, but not him.


    "I couldn''t let you do this alone." His hand came up to my face, but stopped shy of cupping my cheek. "If you''ll let me, I would be honoured to stand by your side."He did not need to ask and I wondered what prompted him to. His eyes gave nothing away too. "Please."


    I nodded. "There is no one else I''d wish to have by my side." That was the truth. Despite everything, his was the presence that was perfectly suited. If not for anything else, then for the bond that existed between us. I knew he couldfort me in ways no one could. With no more words spoken, he held out his hand and once I slipped mine in, he led us out of my chambers.


    His scent was everything I needed. The trembling in my legs faded with each step and every deep inhale of his wine scent. The soothing circr patterns he drew where his other hand rested on mine worked wonders too and by the time we stepped outside, I felt more of myself than the emotional wreck I had been in my chambers.


    "We are riding?" Eyes wide, I stared at the royal carriage that was stationed outside the pce doors. "How big is the pce that we have to ride to see my parents?"


    "It is because they do not reside in the pce."


    "They don''t?!" I couldn''t hide my surprise as I found his words extremely weird. They''d abandoned me, I could not argue with that, but Myrna? Why would they stay apart? "Why not?"


    "It was your sister''s choice...their choice?" He shrugged his shoulders in the strangest manner. Or perhaps it was because I had not seen him so unsure of himself before. "I am not entirely sure whose choice it was."


    "Oh..." Deciding it was a question only my parents or Myrna could answer I dropped it and followed his lead towards the carriage.


    "Mydy." Rakon noded and I acknowledged his greeting with a well practiced nod, courtesy of Liira. I''d never noticed before, but with that I noted that the matriarch''s lessons were slowly bing a part of me. Something I knew Liira would be proud of.


    The ride was quiet with me sitting opposite my mate. I would have thought he preffered this type of sitting arrangement because he wished to watch me. I was wrong. His eyes were anywhere but on me. Probably his every focus was on whatever upied his mind that he seemed to have gotten lost in. I was notining, however, as it gave me chance to watch him instead which was the perfect distraction from the nerves that were demanding for my attention the closer we drew to our destination. The sight of him this close left me frowning. For a wolf, he seemed to have aged a century from thest time I saw him. He was burdened with something and I wished to ask how he was doing, but for whatever reason those words couldn''t leave my mouth. So I settled with guessing.


    My mind thought back to everything I''d observed around the pce. The blood I''d smelled on him in the royal gallery. Even though he''d dismissed my concerns as nothing, the sight of him made me realize that it was far from nothing. Was it an enemy in the castle? A war or something close? When was thest time he''d slept?


    "I''m sorry what?" His question jolted me from my thoughts. It turned out that I had spoken my thoughts aloud. I was about to deny what he''d heard but decided against it.


    I straightened up. "When was thest time you slept?"


    "Last nig-" He paused, mind seemingly searching. "I uh...two- no, three... Perhaps-"


    "You have not slept at all?" I couldn''t help my scolding tone to which he only shrugged his shoulders.


    "I have been busy."


    "Too busy to take care of yourself? What in God''s name is going on?"


    "It''s nothing for you to worry about."


    I scoffed. "Doesn''t seem like it to me." It was my turn to stare out of the carriage''s small window. If he did not care enough to share, I wouldn''t care either. Oh so I tried to convince myself. "Nothing!" I huffed under my breath barely moments after deciding I did not "We are here." The carriage stopped and dread instantly overtook me. But thanks to warm hands that covered mine just as quickly, I found my breath.


    care.


    I looked up. "Thank you."


    "Come." He stepped out first.


    "Your majesty! Wee." My father''s happy tone pierced my broken heart. They were happy. Even in my absence they''d still remained happy. In a way I had known they''d gone ahead with their lives without me, but to see it for myself... Suddenly I was not so sure I wished to be here. Deep down I had hoped it was not true. That I had been mistaken, but as my parent''s scent assaulted my senses, my hope was shattered anew. It was as distinct as Myrna''s, but it meant nothing to me.

 Chapter 50

    "Come." I held on tightly to Elian''s hand at his invitation, but made no attempt to move. The weight of what I was yet to discover was as shackles to my feet, keeping me from taking a single step. So was every thought as my mind lingered on my parent''s scents. Searching, still hoping, even for the tiniest thread to tug at my heart and speak of the bond that could have been. Nothing... One would even consider my heart as dead when it came to that. My usually expressive organ remained as still as Xatis'' afternoon air. Hot and unwilling to be blown in any direction. It was a hopeless endeavour. One that left me with only one choice. Taking in a much needed breath, I began my decent from the carriage.


    "Your majesty, wee to our humble home. My quee- Sh?" Both my father and mother froze. Eyes as wide as saucers when their gazes settled on me. It was expected, but their utter surprise was as a knife to my heart. Had they settled to never ever seeing me again? Had they known about what Myrna had nned for me once they left me all alone in our tiny home? Had they ever gone back for me? Even out of curiosity?


    Thoughts I had no business entertaining poured. With every ticking moment, they filled up my heart and broke it anew.


    "Breathe, Sh." My mate''s gentle encouragement drew my attention to him, making me realize how tightly my grip on his hand had be. My breath was barely there. Everything in my chest was tight. Closed up and unwilling to let loose. I was drowning. While I stood there. It was as if I was back in the belly of the devil''s river. The weight of it kept pressing, banishing the little air I had left as I hang on to life.


    "Breathe." His tone was gentle, coaxing, but for the love of God I couldn''t just do it.


    "Sh?!" Not even the sudden panic in his tone could do it. "Damn it!" Warm hands cupped my cheeks as lips just as warm or warmer pressed to mine in a kiss that was desperate yet gentle, chaste yet life giving. Were kisses meant to do that?


    When he pulled back, I gasped as everything loosened, letting in the life that every part of me was now desperate for. "I''m alright." I breathlessly dered when his eyes searched mine.


    "Are you certain?" His gentle touch drew me to the warmth of his hands. "If this is too much, we can-"


    "No." I shook my head. "There is no way I''m turning around. Not when I''m so close." Those words turned out to be more for me than him. With him by my side, they were enough to give me the courage I needed to face them. "I''m ready." The king of Xatis studied me for a long moment before nodding. "Alright."


    "Will you keep your king standing out here in the open?" Rakon''s voice broke through the silence that surrounded us and I was grateful for the distraction.


    "Of course not. Right this way, please." My father jumped before bowing at the head of the king''s guard who invited us to follow after.


    With their backs turned to me, I finally had the chance to look around. Having been shut in the carriage, I had no idea how far we''de or where we were. But one thing was clear. Wherever my parent''s new home was located, it wasn''t a terrible neighborhood. Not at all. At the very least, they were in one of the closer districts to the capital. Home to many noble houses. Just not one of those belonging to the highest nobles in Xatis. Again, my question as to why they never stayed in the pce lingered.


    Their little house was nothing close to our home in the forgotten vige, but it was not the pce either. Definitely nowhere near what was fitting for the people who''d birthed the current queen.


    There were guards littered everywhere, but I could not tell if those were meant for them or if their presence was on the ount of the king.


    "Please." My parents stood in the door way in invitation. Their heads bowed impossibly low, much to me as to the king of Xatis. The sight stirred more conflict in my heart. In a way it was difficult to see them submit in such a manner. My heart ached at the reasons for it.


    "Please rise." The words escaped my lips without a second thought. It took me a moment to realize my mistake. "Forgive me." I turned to my mate. "I did not mean to-"


    "It''s alright." He dismissed me with a smile. "It is your right, never apologize for it." My parent''s expressions were beyond surprised when I faced them again. I also knew that only the presence of my mate kept them from voicing the countless questions I saw swimming in their eyes.


    "Thank you." I mumbled as I moved past them.


    Once inside as one would expect, the best seat was offered to the king. He declined, inviting me to take his ce instead. It was not proper to do this. I could not just take his ce, but more than that I couldn''t decline his offer as easily as he''d done with my father. He offered to take my cloak when he noted my reluctance. Again, I couldn''t turn down that offer either. So I let him. When I sat down, he rested his hand on my shoulders in what was clearly a protective gesture. My father saw it, but only lowered his gaze without a word about it. My mother on the other hand seemed as one who''d just had an epiphany.


    "You are with child?" Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears and what should have naturally been a happy asion only left my heart aching.


    "That is not the reason I''m here for, mother." I was not going to tread that path with her. Not today. Not ever. She''d given up that right. "My moonlight-"


    I tensed, teeth clenching of their own ord. "I do not think you have the right to call me that anymore!" Of all the things that could havee out of my mouth, that deration was simply not it. Neither was the apanying tone. Nor the anger that bubbled, recing my sorrow. My parents were caught off guard too. Clearly at a loss for words, they shifted ufortably as their gazes dropped to the floor. At least they had the decency to be ashamed. To what extent it went only the gods knew.


    "Are you my parents? Am I truly your daughter?" I decided I did not wish to stay here longer than necessary.


    "Why in God''s name would you ask that?" Surprise. I''d known my parents long enough to know they were truly surprised by that. Of this I was confident.


    Because you abandoned me without a second thought? I wished to say. "Because I shifted, mother. And your wolves are as alien to me as any other."


    "Alien? Why would our daughter''s wolf- wait, what did you say?!" My mother''s eyes darted to my father''s beforending back on me. "You shifted? Are you sure?!"


    "Shifting is no easy task mother, making it quite hard to mistake."


    "But- No-" My mother shook her head, denial very evident in her expression. "You still have time. You should not even be able to carry a child yet. Not that I''m not happy, but moon goddess-" She shook her head some more. "This should not be happening. At least not for a while." Herst words were aimed at my father. "She still has time..."


    "That does not answer my question at all, mother."


    "But moonlight-"


    "I suggest you think long and hard before you utter your next words." I turned to my mate, surprised at his use of his alpha voice. The thought that that would be one of the reasons he''d apanied me had not crossed my mind, until now. "We have no reason to be untruthful, your majesty." My father straightened up, oozing that usual pride I had once admired. "She is as much our daughter as your queen is."


    "This is what I had wished for right?" I banished the tears that sought to spill freely at my father''s deration. How could he even be so free to say it after they''d left without so much as a good bye. Who did that to someone they swore to be their daughter?


    "I remember the day I birthed her as clear as day." My mother smiled. The splitting of her lips cut through me as sharp knives. I was familiar with this story. Knew it by heart. It had been told to me countless times. Melted my heart each time. My mother was about to narrate it. It would make the perfect answer to my question. I was not about to make myself endure it, however. Because this time my heart would not melt while she narrated.


    "That won''t be necessary." I stood without warning, heart heavy. "I have the answers I sought."


    "But- Are you leaving? So soon?" Desperationced my mother''s tone.


    "That will be all." My mate shielded me from my mother''s outstreched arms, sending her bowing and retreating. I shouldn''t have felt relieved by that, but I did.


    "May we attend the banquet at least?"


    "You may. I couldn''t possibly keep you from celebrating theing of this kingdom''s heir." The choice of my words was deliberate. "You may do so... Just as any other inhabitant of Xatis." It was by no means an invitation, but that was as close as they would ever be. And as I walked away, as the weight of that truth sank in, only the presence of my mate kept me up on my two feet.

 Chapter 51

    A word my king."


    I tensed. Was there no end to their shameless behaviour? I''d just helped Sh sitfortably in the carriage when the timid request came from behind me. Both her parents stood heads bowed in submission. The very sight of them roused the anger I had swallowed for my mate''s sake since we''ve been here.


    "We promise to take as little of your time as possible." The father insisted and despite my own desire to punish them as they deserved for what they''d done to my mate, I nodded. Because as strange as it would seem, I had had every intention to pay them a visit once I got Sh back safely to the pce. While she may have dered that she''d heard enough, the anguish in her heart that I''d felt as though it were my own had been the one to speak. Not her. I knew she''d merely shied away from facing the ugly truth. I couldn''t me her for it either. Because, what was the point of facing anything that would change nothing of your circumstances but only make them worse? What was the point of getting your heart broken all over again by things one could not change?


    I on the other hand had countless questions. Because while the truth still remained, it did not exin anything of their actions. Besides, something told me there was more than met the eye. And if by any chance it had anything to do with the hell looming over Xatis, I couldn''t let this moment pass.


    My decision made, my gaze found my mate. Sh sat quietly, a far away look in her eyes that intensified the ache in my heart and highlighted my own inadequacies. I was failing her still. While I was doing everything I could to protect her from the trouble that threatened to take her away from me, I couldn''t shield her from the monster that was heart break. The beast had dug its ws in so deep that every attempt to make it let go would result in more heart break.


    It pained me to know that I had been the one to give the vicious monster life in the first ce. I''d tried to vanquish it the besy way I knew how, but that had barely made a scratch on its hide.


    "I''ll keep her safe." Rakon''s mind link drew my attention.


    "Keep your eyes open." I repeated the words that had be our mutual way of parting from one another since my attack. The wounds inflicted may have healed, but that did not exactly mean the danger had been averted. If anything, everything was only beginning. That much I knew and the events that had sprung up all around Xatis and kept me awake and on my toes in the recent days were evidence of it.


    Rakon nodded, eyes full of promise. It was the only way I could step away from them even right now. I gave her onest nce, taking in the motherly figure that was slowly taking over her maiden body. She was beautiful, but also very very broken. "Lead the way." I all but growled at the couple.


    "Most certainly, your majesty." They led me back into their tiny home and therey my very first question, but I was not about to get into it yet.


    "If you think I will go against her wishes, then you can think again." I had noted the longing in their eyes when they noticed my mate''s bulging belly. They couldn''t even hide it when they shamelessly asked to be invited to the banquet. She''d said no. That had caught me by surprise but I understood her regardless.


    "We wouldn''t dare conceive such a thought, your majesty. We have hurt her enough." I only snorted to that. "You have to believe us when we say it was not our intention to hurt her." They both bowed lower than necessary and it only served to annoy me. "Tell me in what realm that makes even the remotest sense."


    They both stared at each other before their gazes dropped to the floor. "Perhaps if my king would listen to our side of the story."


    "Your side of the story?" I arched a brow. "Tell me why I should bother to listen to criminals like you. Do you perhaps hope to sway the sorry image of parents you''ve painted of yourselves by your actions?"


    "Of course not, your majesty. We are aware that no amount of words could ever erase that."


    "Then why bother?! Why would you do this to your own flesh and blood?!" I had thought nothing of it the time I rejected Sh. Blinded by my own rage, I had not cared for their actions. When they had emerged from their little home and offered their congrattions to Myrna and I. Not even when Rakon had pointed it out.


    "A chance at a better life, my king."


    "A chance at a better life?!" Not that I thought there was ever going to be a fitting answer to their regrattable actions, but- "You sold your own flesh and blood as livestock at the capital''s open market and for what?! A chance to eat warm bread?!"


    They flinched at my tone. "We did not say we were proud of it, my king." Their heads hung lower, but it was not enough to avert my growing rage. "Why don''t you tell me how exactly you meant to aplish that?" I growled. I''d been aware of only bits of it from what had been exchanged between my chosen mate and mate.


    "It was always meant to be something to benefit us all." Sh''s father began and the more he spoke the more I realized that referring to them as sorry parents was apliment they did not deserve. "You have to know that it was always Sh''s choice. If only she''d said no-"


    "You preyed on her love for her sister, her love for you! Does that speak of choice to you?!" Silence remained their answer. "You asked to have a word, what is it you seek from me?" Annoyance prickled. "A king''s protection."


    Curiosity reced my annoyance. "Why would you need that and who from?"


    "Your queen?"


    Myrna? "She''s your daughter."


    "And yet here we are." I studied their faces, searching for any indication that he was not serious about it. There was none.


    "Not here. And whether you get my protection or not depends on what you have to say." They had my protection. I''d already decided that. By virtue of my mate''s love for them that I knew had not faded. It was bruised, but it was still there. For her sake I would protect them, but I wasn''t about to tell them of that yet.


    "I do not know if this is of any significance." Something lit up in the man''s eyes. I refused to acknowledge it and kept walking. "There is a reason we call her our moonlight." I could have walked out, but the mention of my mate made me stop and face her father. "The night she was born, a terrible storm was raging and unfortunately she''d needed the attention of a physician if she was to survive the night or survive at all. The roads were treacherous, but having no choice, we braved the bad weather and journeyed for the closest district to the forgotten vige. We''d barely stepped out of the boundaries of our vige when my wife could not go on any longer. The birth, it turned out, had taken a toll on her and her wolf healing was not working fast enough so we searched for shelter. Just something to shield them from the storm while I proceeded to get the physician. Miraculously, there was an empty cottage nearby. But that would not be the only miracle to be had that night. When I did finally return with the physician, the storm had ceased, the moon was shining and right there in the moonlight,y my wife peacefully, our daughter in her arms and in need of no medical attention at all.


    "It was a miracle we''ve always been grateful for. Until now."


    I could have easily dismissed his words asing from someone grasping at straws while they sought to escape the burden of their actions, but I couldn''t. Because whatever he''d said held a hint of significance. Whether it was actually significant I did not know.

 Chapter 52

    "There is absolutely no doubt those wretched beings are her mother and father!" Liira ranted the moment she entered my study. "Even though, after today, I gather they''ll think twice about making it known openly."


    I leaned back in my seat. "Are you certain?" I had seen it in their eyes, felt the conviction in their words. There was no struggle against mymand, but I thought a second opinion from probably one of the best wolves I knew could sniff out a lie couldn''t hurt. Liira had been more than d when I hadid out the entire events leading up to my rejection of my mate.


    "Is that not the reason you''d let me at them?" Liira tugged at her cloak a little too forcefully, an indication of her frustration. "Although, I can''t promise that I stuck to your expectations of me." That meant many things, but I wasn''t going to linger on any of those she''d chosen. Because whatever it was, I was sure it was still less than what they deserved.


    "Well, that settles their surprise at their own daughter having shifted too soon." Rakon mumbled from beside me.


    Liira scoffed. "With what they have done, I wouldn''t put it past them to use that fact for their own benefit." That had been another reason I''d agreed to their request. Despite Sh''s parent''s seemingly repentant hearts, I still did not wish to give them a reason to use their daughter or anything about her as a reason to secure their own safety.


    "Unfortunately, this still leaves us pretty much in the same position." I sighed. It still left Sh in the same position. If not, worse.


    The ride back to the pce had been quiet, with her gaze lost on the world outside. She had not even once asked what her parents had asked of me. I was grateful for that. Because even when I knew that she did not wish for them to suffer, knowing they''d asked a favour of me so soon and that I had granted it would have only added to her anguish.


    Once we got back, she had wished for nothing but sleep and my presence. I had been happy that she''d asked me to stay, but my happiness had faded with the sight of how the events of the visit to her parents had taken a toll on her. She''d tossed and turned almost the entire night when she slept. Her whimpers had filled the vast room of her chambers, not even my touch meant tofort felt enough.


    "Not exactly." Liira wore a satisfied smile. "Your would be iws, as promised, had quite a bit to say besides trying their hardest to convince this old wolf that they spoke the truth."


    "Which is?"


    "Your queen, it turns out, has not always been the selfish piece of work that you wedded. Even though quite ambitious, once upon a time she was just as sweet as theye. Until the day she''d set her eyes on the pce." Liira paused at the sound of a knock on the door while I tried and failed to picture Myrna as anyone sweet.


    "Your tea, mydy?"


    "Oh thank you Astryn." Liira sipped before continuing. "It so happened that after shifting and during a trip to the capital, she caught sight of a prince and fell in love at first sight. Oh so she''d told her parents. The tale would not end there either, as even when she was certain she was not mated to you, she already saw herself by your side."


    The very idea unsettled me. "How in the world did she get exactly what she wished for?" Not even fate was that thorough.


    "That, my dear king, is what brings me to my second point." Liira suddenly lost all her charm as she moved closer to the edge of her seat. "Gol''s theory is apparently not so far from the truth. Fate may have had something to do with how you met your chosen mate, but that is not all there is to it. ording to her parents, it began with simple jewellery, a few fancy dresses, small pouches of gold. It by no means made them rich, but it was enough to entice them into agreeing to her n of being the one to be chosen. Their assumptions ce whoever had been the one to whisper such thoughts into their daughter''s ears right in your pce."


    "That makes no sense. Why drag my mate into their plot? Why couldn''t they do this without her?"


    "I think the question should be why Myrna who happens to be the sister to the mate you almost did not find? The mate they made sure was uneptable even if you did find her." All eyesnded on Rakon, but it was Gol who seemed to have the most ridiculous answer, yet terrifying for me.


    "I think the question should be why Myrna who happens to be the sister to the mate you almost did not find? The mate they made sure was uneptable even if you did find her." All eyesnded on Rakon, but it was Gol who seemed to have the most ridiculous answer, yet terrifying for me.


    "Because whoever it is, knew or knows something about your mate." Memories of the attack in Dovah, the demands the attackers had made rang in my head. I still did not know why they were after Sh. All my investigations had been dead ends. I turned to Liira. "Grandmother?"


    She cursed in response. "Perhaps we''ve been looking at this wrongly all this time."


    "You must focus on every noble house. Important or not." Gol spoke up. I''d done that. A thousand times already and still nothing.


    The riots that seemed insignificant were growing in size each day and the restlessness of the people had be something that could not be ignored. And those strings I knew were being pulled in the shadows, were getting tighter as even those districts unknown to get rattled by such were slowly being sucked in.


    Council meetings held to try to sniff out the culprit holding the other end of the leash had yielded nothing. The noble lords still remained their usual pain, but none had let anything incriminating themselves slip. Not even Evarius had stepped a toe out of line. The only thing unusual was his unwavering support for the uing royal banquet that he seemed willing to empty the entire coffers of his noble house for, just so the event turned out grandeur than those held in times past.


    I could drag Myrna out. Force a confession out of her, but even I knew from history that the enemy never showed their hand so easily. Not if their eyes were set on a high prize like the throne of Xatis. Perhaps I could take a lesson from history once again. I turned to Gol. "Tell me about Carene."

 Chapter 53

    "Carene had always been a safe haven." Gol spoke of the once peaceful yet powerful kingdom that had fallen unexpectedly. In a matter of hours to be exact. Despite the heaviness of his words, he smiled. It was the first time I''d seen him do that in the absence of my mate. The pain was evident on the edges, but it was a smile regardless. "The noble house of Alde was it''s proud protector. Under Alde''s watch, Carene had known peace, abundance."


    I''d learned of Alde. The famed warrior house of Carene as early as I had began my own military training.The house of Alde, descendants of noble warriors and protectors of the royal house. It was a task they prided themselves in generation after generation and with good reason. They were perfect at it. Some even believed that the moon goddess together with the gods had shared their very essence with the first Aldean warrior of whom the house of Alde had descended from. They were gods in their own right. For generations, plots against kings had been foiled, wars waged had been won, battles that raged had been quelled with so much ease that choosing to anger Carene by any kingdom had been considered a suicide mission.


    So then how did a perfect generation of perfect warriors suddenly fail and let its kingdom fall in a matter of hours?


    "Everything had began just as simply. An angry mob here. Unhappy kingdom folk there. Unhappy over the simplest of things. It is such that saddened the king the most and he had wished for nothing than to ensure his own people were always happy." Admiration for his king dripped with every one of Gol''s words.


    "To keep the king happy, one of such had taken me from his side. I''d gone on a diplomatic mission when a seemingly simple boundary dispute had tensions rising between the northern region of Carene and our neighbours. Those present at the negotiations from our neighbouring kindgom had demanded for nothing less than a lord from Carene and being the lord of the house of Alde, I had been the one to ride north.


    Confident of my own expertise and knowing of the approaching feast of the moon, I had only ridden north with two of my best riders. Leaving my brother as per custom to stand in for me as lord of our house and ensure the royal house''s safety. It was the worst mistake of my entire life." Anger came off in waves as Gol narrated what I was already beginning toprehend as the worst betrayal to befall a man, a leader. "The dispute was resolved quicker than I had even nned and armed with good news I had ridden back to the capital in haste. The views of smoke, of burning buildings in the capital had been the ones to greet me on my arrival, however. The news I bore forgotten, I rode for the pce as one mad, all the while trying to link my brother. My mind link has never been as silent as it was that day. It was only when I''d been refused entry to the pce gates that what had befallen Carene had dawned on me." Gol finally held my gaze. His, was marred with pain. The sight of a man who had been burdened by his own failure to do the very thing impressed upon his heart. "It is always those close to you, those that covet what you possess that are the most dangerous. With the entire royal house poisoned during the feast of the moon, my brother had ascended to the throne without opposition. Those of the house of Alde who refused to stand with him were met with the same fate as the royal house. My own household included." A deep painful sigh and he was done.


    I could only store ot the mon thot I now held in deep respect. Not only becouse he was the true lord of the house of Alde, but becouse he''d remoined strong even ofter the poin. Strong enough ond losted long enough to be my mote''s sovior when she''d woshed up in the devil''s river.


    His wos o trogedy. One thot could hove driven mony wolves insone. How he hodn''t gone mod only the gods knew. Whot did one soy to such o mon?


    "Xotis does not hove to suffer the some fote." Liiro declored, thonkfully.


    Gol nodded with more conviction thon I hod expected. "It doesn''t." The sound of o sword ond onother being unsheothed brought my guord up instontly.


    "Drop it, or I''ll send your heod tumbling owoy from your wretched body." Rokon let out o menocing growl os the tip of his sword rested on Gol''s neck. The two men''s movements hod been like o flicker of light. Gol''s own sword glimmered in the light.


    "It is not whot you think, soldier." The outlow did not even flinch, disploying the feorless Aldeon blood thot flowed in his body.


    "Drop it." Rokon moy not hove been o lord nor o descendont of Alde, but the heod of my king''s guord wos equolly impressive. Spurred on by o weopon being drown in the presence of his king.


    "Oh knock it off you two." Liiro scolded ond only then did the two relent, with Rokon returning to my side reluctontly.


    Gol on the other hond took on on unexpected position os he dropped to one knee before loying his lorge sword on the ground before him. Surprised by his oction, my goze dorted to Liiro before folling bock on the outlow. "The house of Alde moybe no more, but I, os its lord, todoy offer to be protector of the royol house of Xotis."


    Liiro grinned, Rokon goped ond me? Well, I couldn''t wrop my heod oround whot would moke him chonge his mind ot oll. I recolled his demonds cleorly when he''d ogreed to remoin by Shylo''s side. His recent ones when he''d ogreed to help in exchonge for revenge. I could only stare at the man that I now held in deep respect. Not only because he was the true lord of the house of Alde, but because he''d remained strong even after the pain. Strong enough andsted long enough to be my mate''s savior when she''d washed up in the devil''s river.


    His was a tragedy. One that could have driven many wolves insane. How he hadn''t gone mad only the gods knew. What did one say to such a man?


    "Xatis does not have to suffer the same fate." Liira dered, thankfully.


    Gol nodded with more conviction than I had expected. "It doesn''t." The sound of a sword and another being unsheathed brought my guard up instantly.


    "Drop it, or I''ll send your head tumbling away from your wretched body." Rakon let out a menacing growl as the tip of his sword rested on Gol''s neck. The two men''s movements had been like a flicker of light. Gol''s own sword glimmered in the light.


    "It is not what you think, soldier." The ouw did not even flinch, disying the fearless Aldean blood that flowed in his body.


    "Drop it." Rakon may not have been a lord nor a descendant of Alde, but the head of my king''s guard was equally impressive. Spurred on by a weapon being drawn in the presence of his king.


    "Oh knock it off you two." Liira scolded and only then did the two relent, with Rakon returning to my side reluctantly.


    Gol on the other hand took on an unexpected position as he dropped to one knee beforeying hisrge sword on the ground before him. Surprised by his action, my gaze darted to Liira before falling back on the ouw. "The house of Alde maybe no more, but I, as its lord, today offer to be protector of the royal house of Xatis."


    Liira grinned, Rakon gaped and me? Well, I couldn''t wrap my head around what would make him change his mind at all. I recalled his demands clearly when he''d agreed to remain by Sh''s side. His recent ones when he''d agreed to help in exchange for revenge. "For her." Gol spoke and I knew who he meant. "Because of her, the house of Alde can once more reim its glory. I no longer wish to run from the ghosts of my past." I could do nothing but nod, yet not out of pity, but out of admiration and respect and the fact that I knew that even though he was one man, he was a worthy ally.


    "Well, that was unexpected." Liira was beaming as Gol and Rakon walked out, so much one would think we had just won the war. I on the other hand was still overwhelmed by what had just transpired and I couldn''t help my mind shifting to my mate. Nonds, kingdoms, not even titles and yet a lord swore to protect me in her name. And what had I done?


    "This should make you happy."


    "It does."


    "It doesn''t seem like it."


    "I am." And that was the truth, but-


    "When will you stop punishing yourself?" Liira looked askance at me.


    "I am doing no such thing."


    She scoffed. "Because burying yourself in all these kingdom matters justes naturally to you and it is something you desperately need to do."


    "Incase you have forgotten, I happen to be this kingdom''s king." I shoved at whatevery in front of me on my table, rearranging them in no particr order as Liira''s words struck a nerve. "You forget that I have known you since before you were barely a pup in your mother''s belly. Spit it."


    "There is nothing to spit and I''m afraid-"


    "You have barely slept in like forever, working day in and day out. Do you perhaps think killing yourself will right your past wrongs and maybe magically mend what has been broken?" "Believe me, if I even thought there was a slim chance that such a thing were possible, I would have slit my own throat-"


    "Don''t be ridiculous." Liira scolded. "If you think that your death would somehow undo what you have done then you have so much to learn about the bond that binds you to your mate." She''d hidden it. To someone who did not know her, they would have clearly missed the quake in Liira''s voice, but I hadn''t. It had been years since grandfather had passed and even when she spoke not of him,ing close to speaking of him in a conversation had always given me a glimpse of the pain Liira had tucked away in the crevices of her heart.


    Lips pursed, not knowing what to say, I merely stared as her words made me realize how stupid my decision to stay away from Sh had been.

 Chapter 54

    I was no cry baby. Even when life got tougher back in the forgotten vige, tears were never my source of relief or an outlet for my frustrations or pain. But that was when I had what I thought was the perfect family. When all I had to do was seek out a sister who''d always listen, a mother who''dfort me with the best embrace, a father who''d help me dust myself up and encourage me to keep going. That was when everything was perfect.


    Now...? Now I was all alone and that perfection was marred with betrayal, leaving me drunk on distractions to keep going each day. To keep the tears at bay, to keep from drowning in the lie that had been my life, I had turned to distractions. Etiquette lessons with Liira, Tea and long walks with carlytte, Naps that Liira imed were good for the child I carried. And right now, I was as a doll draped in fine material.


    "Oh, mydy, this is absolutely beautiful! Total perfecti-"


    "I wouldn''t touch that if I were you." Lord Quent snapped at Carlytte whose hand froze inches away from caressing a piece of cloth attached to my body.


    "I had no such intentions, my lord." The maiden bowed to which the usually calm god of design only snorted.


    "Whatever your intentionsdy Carlytte, keep them away from my very important work." The man dismissed her with annoyance.


    Lips curled in a pout, Carlytte shot the lord a displeased look. "How then is one supposed to admire a master''s handiwork."


    "Your house is well vested in this art, why don''t you go and appreciate your own-"


    "Oh, but lord Quent, Xatis may appreciate being dressed by the third noble house, but nothing ces sophistication, elegance, out of this realm beauty in one garment quite like the fourth house. Please do not let my uncle get wind of his niece singing praises for thepetition." Carlytte whispered thest bit which was quite pointless in a room full of wolves.


    "Well-" Lord Quent paused, his posture suddenly taking on the shape of a man proud of his aplishments.


    And that was how the beast was conquered. I watched with amusement as the noble lord of the fourth house drove himself deeper into Carlytte''s trap as he delved into speaking of the intricasies of patterns and designs. Laying out fancy materials for her to admire, parchments bearing patterns of more pieces that were meant to be added to my gown. And each time her big brown eyes grew wider in fascination it only served to spur the noble lord on.


    "I do not know how she always gets him to loosen up. More so for someone who belongs to a rival house." Astryn observed when she joined me in therge room that had been turned into lord Quent''s work space.


    "It is so much easier than you think." I grinned, thinking of how Carlytte had merely preyed on the man''s pride to get it done.


    "And quite entertaining for you, I see?"


    "Well, I can''t say I am not." My admission of guilt slipped out of my mouth before I could put a rein on them. "That is not proper for ady, is it?"


    "It beats sore eyes and a puffy nose by miles. For you, I''d say it suits you." The understanding that lit up my maid''s eyes warmed my heart. "How did today go?"


    Appreciating the change in topic, I turned to stare at my reflection. "There is finally something to fit. Well, if the bits and pieces that are being pinned to my body count." As the days neared the one set for the banquet, the fittings had be more frequent and a


    bit tiring, but I was notining as they were one more distraction from thoughts I wished not to indulge in. I could do with a break, however. And as if Astryn read my mind, she came to my rescue.


    "I''m afraid dinner will be ready soon." She apologized to a maiden who was about to ce one more piece over my shoulders. "Mydy here needs to freshen up before then."


    "Of course, I will just get these." The seamstress worked with ease as she carefully unpinned every piece of fabric and once I was finally free, a cloak reced them.


    "Will his majesty be joining us?" That perhaps remained the best distraction of all. It was just food and silence and yet in his presence I found the bestfort. Since the visit to my parents, I''d seen less of him during the day, but he''d made sure to dine with me each night. Well, me and Liira.


    "He will." I froze when that did not sound like Astryn at all.


    "Your majesty." Astryn bowed hastily in greeting while all I could do was stare.


    Was it possible for men to dress to impress? Or was it that by virtue of him being our mate, I and my wolf would always find him so...so irresistible?


    There was something about him. He''d definitely had a bath, but that was not was it. Not even thezy way he leaned on my chamber''s door waiting for me, which I found weirdly attractive too and struggled to keep my wolf from purring.


    "Does mydy perhaps wish to dine by herself tonight?" Concern shed in his eyes.


    "Of course not!" I blushed at my own forceful answer. "I merely wished to know if you would be joining me- us tonight."


    "Well, I''m pleased to let you know that I am." He smiled, pointing me straight ahead to the something I thought was different about him. He smiled. He was here. All of him. He seemed more rxed and more at peace. Definitely different from the man who''d seemed as though the weight of the entire realm was on his shoulders the past couple of nights. I wondered what brought on the change.


    "Are you just going to keep ogling his majesty, or are you actually going to walk into your chambers and take that bath after all?"


    "Astryn!"

 Chapter 55

    I needed a distraction from my distraction. As insane as that sounded, it was the truth. My mate''s presence had been the best distraction from my sorrows and every other unwanted thought, but now I was afraid I would make a fool of myself, yet again. Thanks to Astryn''s loud mouth, walking back out to meet him after I''d bathed and being held by him had left me too aware of his presence. It was expected, him being my mate and all, but not to the depth that had left my legs all wobbly. Not to a point where remaining upright was a miracle made possible only by his capable arm that he''d slid around my waist as he led us to dinner. Despite being all here, my mate was awfully quiet still and it did nothing for my erratically beating heart.


    "Your majesty, mydy." Guards straightened up and greeted us on one more turn. And just like thest bunch, those whose eyes strayed to the way their king held me were left eyes wide or clearing their throats unnecessarily while others blushed like maidens. I on the other hand wished I could disappear.


    An appreciative growl rumbled from his chest, drawing my attention and when I looked up to understand why I realized that in my quest to hide from every eye, I''d unknowingly drawn closer than intended to him, leaving our bodies impossibly close. Attempting to pull back and leaving whatever amount of space possible between us was met with resistance. While his gaze was set on the path that led ahead, I learnt that that did not exactly mean so was every part of him. The very idea left me blushing all the way to the dining hall.


    "Wee, your majesty, mydy." A guard swung the doors leading to a room I was now familiar with open.


    "Thank you." I rasped while my mate grunted a response. Liira was nowhere to be seen, but I knew she would be showing up sooner rather thanter. The matriarch I had observed loved making grand entrances but was neverte while at it. My usual seat was a wee sight but judging by the reluctant way my mate let go of me, it clearly wasn''t for him. I watched with relief as he put the much needed distance between us. It was however short lived as he chose to sit right opposite my seat, his gaze meeting and holding mine for one spellbinding moment. No words were spoken and yet my heart fluttered to no end.


    "Have you been waiting long?" Liira waltzed in, followed by a trail of maids bearing dishes of mouth watering food.


    "We haven''t." My mate rose in greeting as did I, but Liira was quick with sending me back into my seat with a disapproving look.


    "Do not trouble yourself child." Her scolding reminded me of something I''d been meaning to ask them both. It would have to wait, however. "Seeing you here looking so beautiful is all the greeting I need." I blushed. Not so much because of the words, but who else heard them. I could feel his gaze on me the entire time. Probably agreeing with his grandmother totally.


    "Shall we?" Liira''s gaze swept across our sitting arrangement, but if she thought anything of it, she did not voice any of her thoughts. But she did shoot her grandson a weird look. It was subtle but I saw it. I wondered what it was about. Their bodynguage after also spoke of them mind linking, but judging by the unhappy look that graced Liira''s face, I knew she was not getting what she wished for.


    "So stubborn." She mumbled before looking up and instructing the maid''s to begin serving.


    The food as always was to die for. The taste matched the aroma in equal measure and for the longest while it held all of my attention. The realm would have exploded and I would not have cared one bit. I was about done when a te got shoved my way. I meant to shove it right back knowing from whom it hade. I really did. But then that smoky vour of rabbit meat cooked on an open me wafted straight up my nose and gave my hands a mind of their own. Didn''t Liira say my cravings should have eased up by now? I cared not for the answer to that as I dug in, tearing, biting at the soft flesh, satisfying my craving. Only the sight of the empty te had me sitting back. "That was-" I bit back mypliment when I was reminded that I was not dining in my chambers and Astryn was not my audience. I picked up a napkin instead and patted my mouth as I should have done while I ate, instead of licking every drop of juice that had threatened to escape my mouth.


    The maids and guards had somehow disappeared, leaving only Liira and my mate to witness the udylike manner in which I ate. And despite their pleased faces, I wished the ground would swallow me at the ensuing feelings of embarassment. I was grateful too when neither thought to say anything over it. When the silence stretched for too long, I couldn''t stand it.


    "I wish to do something..." My voice sounded alien even as it carried in the silence and when it reached my very quiet audience, I was met with raised eyebrows. "...with my time. Perhaps see the capital and..."


    "No!" It was my turn to arch a brow at my mate when he all but growled at my request. His features softened before I could read him. "The capital is dang- it is no ce for a maiden in your condition."


    "I am with child, not an invalid." Annoyance prickled. Being stuck in the pce was simply not enough.


    He sighed. "I did not mean it in that manner. It''s- It''s just that it is not safe."


    "You could apany me." I did not mean to invite him. Was it even proper to do so? My eyes flickered to Liira. The matriarch had a cup to her lips and her gaze seemed to go everywhere but on me and my mate. If she approved or disapproved of my request I could not tell. "Surely the presence of the king would be enough to guarantee my safety." "My presence will only increase the risk of harm to you and the child you carry." He protested.


    "Nonsense! You know she is right and as her nurse, I grant her all the permision she needs. Besides you need a break from that wretched throne of yours."


    He scowled at his grandmother, but Liira paid him no mind and instead turned to me. "I will have Gol and Rakon prepare your day out. And if you must have the whole army of Xatis with you to ensure her safety, then an army you shall have." This she said to my mate and I could have sworn he took that as an insult.


    "I can protect my own family, thank you very much." He all but growled and damn my stupid wolf and heart for swooning at his words. Family...


    "Now that that is settled, I shall call it a night." Liira rose, a satisfied smile on her lips, making me wonder what she had to gain in my request being fulfilled.


    "Would you care to join me gazing upon the stars?"


    "What?" I was surprised by his invitation. Especially after being quiet for almost the entire time we ate.


    "We have clear skies tonight and Liira swears that fresh air after a hefty meal is good for a goodnight''s sleep."


    I knew Liira''s theories were true, but that was not the reason I epted his invitation. "I would love to."


    "Allow me." He helped me up and led me out of a set of open doors just as the maids came back in to clear up.


    The breeze was colder than I expected, but my difort was shielded by his cloak that he ced on me. A smile broke out of my lips. "Thank yo-" My words died down in my throat as I was met with a sight I never thought I would see ever again. My eyes sharpened in the little light wishing to make sure I was seeing right.


    "It is not what you think." My mate was quick to point out and I hoped to the gods it was true. Because anything apart from that would plunge me into another sea of pain that would im my soul anew.


    "You don''t have to." His hand rested on mine, sending those familiar tingles erupting along the entire length of it.


    I ignored them and him. "But I do." I mumbled as I angled my head to get a better look. His jaw worked as my gaze settled on the mark, registering his displeasure at me seeing it. I ignored that too as I drew closer. A set of prints made by her lips. Myrna''s kiss. A growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop myself. I hated the very idea of them sharing such an intimate touch, but unlike the first time I beheld it, I stopped to study it instead of running. I felt tension flow out of my mate''s body too, making me realize he''d thought I would run.


    How was it still here? It had not crossed my mind the first time I beheld the mark. Slipping my hand over it, he shuddered, and purred just as he would if my own mark rested there.


    It was only skin deep and yet could not be erased? "How is this possible?"


    "A spell." Bitterness dripped with his words.


    "A spell? Can it be undone?" My wolf wanted it gone, I wanted it gone and before I knew it my tongue licked the spot and the most pleased growl escaped his lips, but also his grip tightened around me pulling me away. Confusion and anger assaulted me. Did he not wish for it to be erased? He wanted her, more than me apparently. I struggled to get away, but there was no escaping him this time.


    "Sh, damn it! It''s not what you think."


    "Then what exactly is it, your majesty?" Shoving furiously at his chest, tears sought to spill, but I held them back. I wouldn''t give him the satisfaction.


    "If and when you do mark me, I wish for it to be because you wish to spend forever with me. Not because you wish to erase my mistakes or your sister''s."


    I froze at his answer. It sounded honourable, but he was wrong. I wished for that mark to be gone, but not for the reasons he thought.

 Chapter 56

    Despite my protests over dinner and my not so wise decision to stay away from her because of my own guilt, I had found myself looking forward to spending the day by Sh''s side. More so because she had not changed or hinted at changing her mind even after the regrettable way the night had ended. Morning would note fast enough, however. I had tossed and turned a thousand times, but the night was bent on taking its damn time before it let the daylight through, turning my anticipation for the day ahead into anxiety. And when I could no longer take the knots in my belly that only seemed to get tighter, I''d decided to get nning. Which involved nothing but me ensuring that our little intimate journey did not get interrupted by unwanted guests. I would not have a repeatition of Dovah even though it was highly unlikely to happen in the capital.


    An intimate journey... I smiled to myself as my eyes finally weed the dawn of the day meant to be spent in my mate''s presence. Even when I had no idea what she wished to do in the capital, I''d already decided I would make the most of it. That is why I''d sent more soldiers into the capital of Xatis. It was not the whole army as Liira had suggested, but it was a considerable number. Rakon had thought I was insane for doing so knowing how many more guarded the city, but this was my mate and child. I would not be taking any chances, my pride be damned.


    "That''s thest of them." Rakon yawned when he walked back into my study. I had left him to handle the final security details while I proceeded to bathe and dress up. "Woah!" His eyes widened before a smirk settled on his lips. "I''d really hate to be your mate today. What are you trying to have her do, devour you at first sight?"


    That would be very preferrable. My wolf and I would glory in that, but we would settle for the way she''d taken me inst night. The surprise that had morphed into total appreciation, ogling as Astryn had rightly blurted out. If I''d known less was more in her eyes, whatever I worest night and right now would have been my daily gift to her. "That''s okay. You are not that pretty anyway."


    Rakon''s lips curled in a pout. "Perhaps you''d prefer a new head of the king''s guard then?"


    "We both know that will only be eptable with your death." I swung around, eyebrow raised, hand on my de. "Are you offering?"


    "Tomorrow, perhaps." He straightened up, armed with seemingly new determination. "Right now I have to ensure that my king does not trip on his own toes or make a fool of himself in front of my future queen."


    I scoffed at that, but still epted the thing to keep me from making a fool of myself.


    "To you, your majesty. And to your sess at staying on your feet as long as it''s called today." I shook my head as I toasted to my best friend''s ridiculous words.


    Perhaps wine was not the best way to start the day. Or maybe it was having more than one cup of it as I waited for the sun topletely rise before I excitedly rushed to knock on the doors to mate''s chambers. "Your majesty?" Astryn''s panicked gaze took me in before she dropped her head down. "Good morning."


    "I''m here for my mate." I dered with all the enthusiasm in the realm.


    "About that."


    "What, has she changed her mind?" My gaze shot past the maid and into my mate''s chambers, disappointment nipping at my insides.


    "Oh no, it''s not that. It''s just..." The maid craned her neck towards the room before pulling the doors shut. "It''s just that she did not sleep very well and is in a bit of a mood today, so be forewarned. Although, if you are not her sister or say nothing of her sister, you should be safe. I think." The maid''s apologetic look was not very promising, but I was her mate and would definitely not be speaking of my chosen mate. I should be able to calm her down, right?


    Wrong. The doors pulled wide open, the force speaking of the annoyance of the person on the other side. When her gaze met mine, I smiled, but her lips pressed in a thin line. "You arete." I could have defended myself. Could have pointed out that it was still too early for us to be riding for the capital, but I held my tongue, choosing not to have my head bitten off.


    "Forgive me, if mydy is ready, we can leave right away." I held out my hand. A brow lifted, seemingly in protest, but a beat, then two and those beautiful eyes sparkled with appreciation at what she saw. It did not linger for as long as I had wished for before she slipped her arm in mine. Our contact drained out some of the tension as I felt her rx and the edge on her wolf fade.


    "Where exactly in the capital should we be headed?" I took in her beautiful form as I helped her into the carriage. She was dressed in a less formal, almost ordinary gown, but she still looked amazingly beautiful. Something I could swear grew with her growing belly. The only w was that the gown concealed her bulge almostpletely and the sight of it had annoyance bubbling. Just as with every wolf, my wolf and I wished for nothing but to show off the part of us that our mate carried and this gown deprived us of that. "I do not know yet."


    "You do not know?" I noted how she shifted ufortably in her seat and wondered why.


    "I will, by the time we get there." It was a weird way to journey, but I nodded regardless. It was her day after all.


    Advising Rakon ordingly, the ride to the capital began as a slow march out of the pce gates and eventually picked up when we got to the main road. Inside the carriage, silence ensued, with my mate getting lost in the views outside. My gaze stayed on her the entire time. I meant to relish the opportunity to just admire her beautiful face, but every so often her features contorted painfully.


    "Are you alright?" I couldn''t take it anymore. Something was wrong and I was not going to just sit by and watch.


    "Actually, no. My back won''t let me be this morning. It is a bit sore." For someone who was in a bit of a mood, her answer was surpringly calm andpletely unexpected.


    But a bit? It did not seem like it to me. As it was taking her everything to hold on when that spell took hold. "What can I do?" I knew heading back would not be an option if she''d decided to still get in the carriage even with all the difort.


    "Do?" Her eyes widened in response, as if the very idea was preposterous, but I wouldn''t let that stop me.


    "I mean there is something to be done, right? If not to stop it then to ease the difort."


    "There is." The colour that filled her face only meant the thing to be done was something ufortable or improper. At least for her.


    I, however, wouldn''t let her suffer just so she could keep to some useless etiquette. "Well?"


    Her eyes went everywhere but on me. "The carriage is not exactly as my bed chambers."


    "We can stop if space is what is neede-"


    "No!"


    "No?" I frowned. "You did just say-"


    "I will not have the whole world watch their king while he caresses a pregnant she wolf." Somehow I doubted that was her concern at all. I was not about to point it out either, least I made her difort worse by uttering something that would be embarassing. "Why don''t you tell me what it is that needs to be done and I''ll be the one to see how I can get it done.


    "It is nothing more than a message of my lower back." That I could do and before she could say anymore, I positioned myself behind her.


    "What do I do?" I followed her instructions, but nothing seemed to work. She was still in pain, no matter how much I pressed as she''d asked. "Are you certain this is the way to do it?"


    "It is!" She all but snapped, but not because she was mad. "I mean, I''m usually undressed when she does it, but that is definitely the way." I froze, hands resting on her tiny waist while the rest of me got assaulted with visions of her back. Bare and inviting. I swallowed hard, reining in my desire before it ran wild. I could do this. There was nothing to it. If only she wasn''t my mate and I had not spent every night since the day I pleasured her thinking of her naked, in my bed, moaning my name. "May I?"

 Chapter 57

    I was tripping over my toes and I had a feeling I would be doing that for the rest of the day too. I had seen her naked before, but being served with the semi-naked body of my mate, I knew I would be utterly distracted for days on end with no hopes of it ever fading from memory. Nerves and excitement apanied my hands as fingers dug into her lower back. Every moan at the relief she got each time my hands worked, excited me in ways I shouldn''t have been. But what was a mate to do when all that I desiredy in front of me, tempting and inviting even when that was not the intent? Sh on the other hand couldn''t be bothered, surprisingly. Well, she was bothered. But only by the pain I was working to ease and by something else that had nothing to do with the exploration of my hands. Between the moans, the curses and low rumblings directed at my chosen mate had kept her attention the entire time. Astryn had been right. It was one of those rare moments my mate let her emotions about her sister show. I''d sought tofort, but choosing to heed Astryn''s warning, I had held my tongue, concentrating on bringing her the more immediate relief she needed.


    "That is all." She suddenly pulled away, leaving my hands grabbing onto air. "Thank you. I feel so much better already."


    Disappointed at the loss of contact, I nodded. "d I was able to do this much." Despite all the things I''d felt while at it, the satisfaction came from knowing I had been useful and that she was feeling much better. Her new posture spoke of it too. Her lips curved. Just slightly, but perfect still and it did wonders to erase the frown lines that had graced her face moments ago. "Do not think this a small thing. A few more miles and I would have probably asked to have the carriage turned around." At that, her gaze shifted to the tiny window in the carriage and whatever it is she saw, drew that full priceless smile and it brightened her face even more. "How far from the capital are we?" She hastily tugged on the back of her dress covering up and I regretted not having offered to do so for her. Perhaps one more view of that amazing back would keep the longing at bay.


    "How far out are we?" I linked Rakon.


    "Almost there." His reply was immediate. "We are almost there."


    "Perfect!" With her perfect smile still on, she got that look that said she was mind linking someone. "Gol is not here." I said through gritted teeth. It was not my intention, but I still hated the fact that she could link him. And what was it she sought from him that I couldn''t grant her?


    "He is not?" Her disappointment pinched at my heart. There was no reason to be jealous of my new found ally, but my heart seemed not to have embraced that truth yet.


    The tapping of her fingers on the wooden part of her seat drew my attention. "Is there something you need done?" I offered with a smile and she merely looked at me. All of me. As if studying and wondering what to do with me. The mere thought had an interested part of me want to rear its head and voicing a few suggestions of its own.


    "Can you do without your crown?" She pointed to the top of my head where the said crown sat. "And that?"


    "My robe? Why?"


    "Can you or can you not? Just for the day." I liked that she was being demanding at the moment, more than I should have, but her questions still confused me.


    "Perhaps if you tell me why-" She rolled her eyes and it was the most refreshing sight that had me struggling to stifle augh. "I guess I could." I gave in, not understanding why and not caring either. I just had a feeling that I would soon be in for an adventure. Whatever form it took.


    "Great, thank you." She mumbled, excitement written all over her face and I wished I could freeze time just then. Just so that that happy expression remained her forever face for the rest of her days. "Stop, please!" She yelled next and this time I couldn''t help butugh at her prefferred mode of bringing the coachman to a stop.


    "Next time, three taps right here should do it." I pointed at a medium size metallic ring attached to the carriage''s wall, right behind where the coachman would be seated outside. "It''s usually easier than risking to lose your voice by shouting." "Oh, thank you." She blushed when she realized what she''d done.


    "Mydy, we are still a few miles away from the capital." Rakon bowed when the door to the carriage opened.


    "That''s okay. We''ll walk from here onwards."


    "We are what? We can''t do that! You are with chil-"


    "What, your majesty? Can''t take living as amoner just for a day?" She challenged, eyebrow raised and arms folded.


    "You are the one burdened with another life within you."


    "And Liira did say I''m perfectly fine. The walking will actually be good for the baby."


    "She wha-"


    "Oh that reminds me." Rakon interrupted my outburst and I red, but he merely carried on without a care in the world. "This is for you. From Gol."


    "Oh yes, thank you." She beamed at the package that I was tempted to grab and toss deep in the forest. No one gifted my mate anything, but me.


    "What is that?" I frowned when she pulled out an ugly looking cloak.


    "Your disguise of course. I won''t have you distracting the people and ruining our day."


    Our day. I smiled at that. "You do realize my wolf''s scent cannot be disguised by a mere cloak."


    "No one expects your visit today. Especially not dressed in this manner." She stepped back satisfied. "There. Anymore concerns, your majesty?" She wore a mischievious grin and for the second time today I wished I could freeze time. "Lead the way, mydy." "Titles won''t do, your majesty. Just Sh." She pulled up her cloak and was about to begin walking to the capital, but I stopped her. "Your majesty?"


    "That will be Elian to you." I pulled her closer, making her gasp. "And for today, I''m your betrothed."


    "Betrothed?" She frowned. "Isn''t that too obvious?" Eyesnded on my ring that sat proudly on her slender finger. "Why can''t you be my brother or something."


    "I won''t have some pretentious noble ormoner setting their sights on my maiden." She scoffed, but I did not miss the sweet smile that followed.


    The hustle and bustle of the capital left me feeling uneasy. Not because for the first time I was visiting as amoner and I had been almost trumpled on countless times, but because this was a risk. Danger I knew was lurking everywhere. I''d considered ending it, but the sight of her lips curving in that beautiful smile and eyes twinkling at the most mundane things distracted me enough to rx. She was as a different person. So carefree...so happy. I actually dreaded taking her back to the pce where she''d have to face the grim part of her life.


    "If you wish to have it, I''ll buy it for you." I offered when I caught her caressing a piece of silky material, but she merely shook her head as she''d done countless times before. "What is the point then?" She wouldn''t let me buy her anything and yet she''d longingly touched, stared more times than I could count.


    "I do not need it." What I thought was sadness morphed into another smile. "We have the baby to think about and may I remind you that thendlord is a harsh man. We simply cannot afford to spend sovishly." When I only scrunched up my nose at that, she slipped her hand in mine and dragged me to the next store. "We are butmoners, Elian, my love. We fancy things, but they are meant only to please our eyes, never to dig holes in our pockets." She was pretending and it would have been so easy to fall in character beside her, but I did not miss the roughness to her voice as she spoke.


    "Why do it?" The fun was over, I could feel it in the tension that invaded her body, except her next statement made it clear that tension was by no means anything to do with our day''s events.


    "Someone is watching me." I swung around to face the crowd, body tensing at her observation. Her silver eyes were shining, disying her wolf. And if I was not rattled by the implications of her words, I would have stopped to purr at our mate''s wolf. "We have guests." I mind linked Rakon even when my sharp observation skills had notnded on anyone suspicious. "They have eyes on my mate."


    "That is-"


    "I know." I could feel and understand the confusion clouding my best friend''s mind. It was the certainty in her words that was astounding and made me not question what she saw.


    "There." Her eyes went past my shoulders and into the crowd. My gaze followed, but nothing. Whoever it was was as a ghost in the crowd. But then there was no panic in her tone, only deep emotion that left me frowning.

 Chapter 58

    Perhaps exploring the capital in the face ofpany was not the best way to do it. Not the royal kind when I was in desperate need to forget, if only for a moment. My mate was not bad, but he wasn''t Myrna. Not that I wished to be beside my sister while at it either. What I wished for Myrna was to w her eyes out for daring to put a spell on my mate and binding him to her.


    I couldn''t deny, however, that being in the crowd, pretending to be something we were not, was always more fun with her, more fulfilling...more distracting. Of course now that I knew the real her, I''d realized that that was because her pretense went deeper than theughter that the whole experience promised. While I indulged in the fun of it, my sister had gone ahead and coveted, schemed until the pretense became her reality.


    My mate on the other hand, as much as I had relished his presence, had seen it more for what it was not, making the whole reason I''d chosen to visit the capital almost pointless. He was not half as bad, except he said the right things, worried about the right things, worried about me, reminding me of everything I wished to escape just for today. But perhaps I couldn''t me him solely for the unfulfilling experience as the day would not have been the same either way.


    Truthfully, it was strange to have to pretend that we were poor. The very idea was a constant reminder of the change that had graced my life. Forgetting was easier before as we took on roles that were the very opposite of the life we led in the forgotten vige. Pretending to be nobledies dressed in our less than morous garments iming that was so because we came from a far away kingdom, had been fun. Many saw through it, but kept up with the pretense because it was a good source ofughter. As I stood in front of the window to my chambers, eyes staring out into the darkness, I wished I was stillughing now, or still keeping up my pretense. I wasn''t. Because fate had yet again spun its wheel and my life had taken another unexpected turn. One that I had hoped would be a possiblity once, but was now hating with every fibre of my being.


    "Here you go child." Liira handed me a cup of something warm that I sipped mindlessly. She hade running once called upon when we reached the pce. I had insisted I was fine and not to trouble the matriarch, but Elian wouldn''t have it. Not until his grandmother dered the same verdict.


    Someone sighed. My mate perhaps, I was not sure, as my mind could think of nothing else but the presence I''d felt in the market ce. A familiar presence. Family. I had family!


    I had not seen their face, but their scent and their very presence was something that even now was as clear as day in my mind. There was no mistaking it. My wolf had wished to rip out of me, the desire to bond burning, but my fears hade true, yet again. I was not wanted...


    As magically as they''d appeared in the crowd, they''d disappeared too. Leaving me with a gaping hole in my already fragile heart. How unlucky was I?


    "How is she doing?" My mate inquired. It was a simple enough question, but the concern thatced his words eased some of the hurt that had lodged itself in my heart. He did not know it, but his presence and all the soothing words he''d whispered in my ear the entire ride from the capital, had been the thing to keep me sane.


    "She''s strong. They are both fine." There was no hint of worry in Liira''s tone, thankfully. Thest thing I wished for was to have my grief affecting the child I carried. My only true family.


    "Thank you. grandmother."


    "I will see you both in the morning." Liira left and my chambers were once more filled with silence. If only my heart would be as silent too or if only there was a way to keep it from beating at all.


    "Your mother and father have been nowhere near the capital. Neither has your sister." My mate said and I only hummed to that. I had expected it. Fate was responsible for many things that had befallen me, but even I knew that there was no way what I''d felt at the capital had anything to do with my regrettable family. Not that the new one was any better. "The search around the capital yielded nothing too, but that does not mean I will simply give up. Whatever is going on, we''ll get to the bottom of it."


    "Perhaps I''m just unlucky." I let out a painful chuckle. Despite his resolve, the words offort, I still felt as though something was wrong with me.


    Warm hands took mine and spun me around. "No you are not." The conviction in his tone did nothing for the hole in my heart. And the more he sought to dispel what I thought or believed, the more anger bubbled. I had seen it with my own eyes, walked the dreaded path, felt it as life squeezed out of me, leaving me dangling at hell''s doors.


    "How do you exin no one wanting me then?" I held back the tears that sought to spill. I would not cry. Not for anyone who''d not cared about me as they should have.


    "Anyone who lets you go is the fool and the unlucky one. I should know." Regret shed in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. "Besides, we still do not know what the truth is."


    The truth. He kept saying that. Had even begged me not to rush into making any conclusions, but how could I not when everything pointed to the very fact.

 Chapter 59

    "Lord Yanric?!" My father''s eyes were as wide as saucers after the introductions while the subject of his shock remained as calm as ever. "It is Gol now, your majesty." The ouw said with a low bow.


    My father merely waved him away dismissively. "Bless the gods!" The former king of Xatis ate the distance that separated the two men and took him in a fierce embrace that surprised not only me, but Gol too. "The fall of the royal house of Carene was a bitter pill to swallow, but hearing of Alde''s betrayal had left many royal houses'' trust wavering in those entrusted with seeing to their safety. Xatis was not spared either. Our onlyforty in the fact that no particr noble house was charged with watching the royal house. The sight of the lord of the house of Alde and hearing of its innocence serves to restore that trust even if it''s only in this old soul."


    Gol flinched at the praise. "If only my being alive was enough to restore the royal house of Carene and indeed my own house."


    "Mereen and Lavina''s bravery are forever remembered by every nobledy." My mother said with a smile that lit something in the ouw''s otherwise sad eyes.


    "Thank you, mydy. Your words about my wife and daughter are truly a source offort." Gol respectifully bowed in my mother''s direction. "Although, I''m afraid Alde''s betrayal has flourished over the years and it has unfortunately extended to the royal house of Xatis." "What is this?" My father looked at me askance.


    "The reason I requested for your presence here." I reached for the piece of armor I had ripped from the spy who''d attacked me and ced it on the table that separated us.


    "The emblem of Carene?" My father frowned, his eyes darting to every other face present in my study beforending back on me. "By any chance is it supposed to mean anything to me?"


    "A few days ago, I was attacked in the pce grounds. That piece of garment was ripped from the assant''s armor."


    His eyes widened. "And you are only telling me this now?!"


    "Are you alright?" My mother, as expected, fussed more than everyone.


    "I''m fine, mother. Thanks to my wolf healing."


    "Why did you not say anything?!" My father demanded. "A spy in the pce is no small matter."


    "And that is precisely why I did not." I straightened up. "It is not as if the pce of Xatis is so pourous, one from the kingdom of Carene would simply waltz in and stab its king."


    A thoughtful look graced my father''s face. "Do you suppose we have been betrayed?"


    "That is the obvious thought and convenient too."


    "But?"


    "Sh''s parents may not be her parents at all." My mate''s sadness over that discovery still haunted me. I had no part in it, but I was determined to ease the hurt. For whatever reason, I did not share her sentiments of her not being wanted. I was hopeful there was a reasonable exnation. And I hoped to the gods I was right.


    My father frowned. "What has your mate and her parents got to do with anything? And didn''t you just ensure that they were speaking the truth?" My father''s confused gaze settled on Liira.


    "That was before the poor girl''s wolf recognized someone else as her family in the capital."


    "Family? The capital?" Exasperated, my father shot me a demanding look. "Why don''t you start from the beginning, boy. Because it sure as hell sounds like your mate has a lot more do with this than anything." I hated to think of it like that, but with the recent discoveries, my father''s conclusion did not sound so far from the truth.


    "The mercenaries that attacked us in Dovah had demanded that we hand her over and up until Gol''s recent trip to Dovah, I had thought it was one senseless attack with the brutes only seeking to acquire the maiden whom they would sell to those despicable brothels in the ouw city." The mere thought sent my wolf growling.


    "It was not?" My father looked between me and Gol.


    "It so happens that that particr group has enjoyed Carene''s gold coins more than a few times. But whether my brother has any personal interest in his majesty''s mate or not, I cannot say."


    "That matters less when ites to kingdom politics." My father sighed. "Carene has attacked the royal house of Xatis twice. That in itself is enough to wage war."


    "Which I am certain has been someone''s hope." I stated. "The same someone who had not anticipated that Sh would be mated to me in the first ce."


    "The same someone who is very aware of your mate''s origins and is bent on keeping her from interfering with their ns." My father caressed the base of his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if this attack was meant for you at all." The thought had already ured to me, hence the presence of Samara and Norae to apany my mate everywhere she went if I couldn''t be with her.


    "Great! Now that we are on the same page, I think it''s time we extended an invitation to the kingdom of Carene." Liira dered with her usual excitement that came with her mischievious plotting.


    "What on earth for?" Father protested. "Why would you wish to be allied with those traitors? No offence lord Yanric...I mean Gol."


    "Because, dear son, this royal house that you are so proud of may end up just as the royal house of Carene if we don''t."


    "How does inviting them to my grandson''s banquet keep that from happening?"


    "Because, dear son, there is so much to learn when men party and make merry." Liira beamed and I hoped that would turn out to be true. Not only for Xatis, but for Sh. I was hoping that ghost in the crowd would make their presence known as my search back in the capital had yielded nothing.


    "That will be all." I rose to my feet, heart itching to behold my mate. It had taken everything to keep my focus on the matter at hand, but now that we were done, I wouldn''t be wasting anymore time.


    "Mother, father, grandmother." I bid them good bye before either of them stopped me for anything.


    "One look at you and one would think hell was hot on the heels of their king." Rakon wore a smug smile when he caught up to me. I was practically running towards my chambers, mind set on freshening up before I spent the rest of my day with my mate. She had not mentioned it, but I saw the relief in her eyes each time I showed up. And if I was being honest, seeing her eyes light up like that had be the favourite part of my day.


    "It is not my fault you cannot keep up."


    Rakon only scoffed at that. "I guess you will not be needing me then."


    "Not for a while. You are free to take a nap and gather your strength." I grinned before disappearing behind my chamber''s doors.


    "How long will you keep punishing me my love?"


    "Myrna!" I swung around quicker than I could let out a breath, wolf snarling. "What the hell are you doing here?" That much was clear by the little pieces of clothing that made for her garments. "You are my king and I am your queen, surely that should answer your question."


    "Get out!" I roared while I linked Rakon.


    "You do not mean that." Myrna purred as she approached and before I drowned in the iing wave of her invading scent that threatened my very sanity, I held the door to my chambers open. "Escort her to her chambers or wherever she wishes."


    "My king?" Rakon gaped at me. "She happens to be unclothed!"


    "I do not care."


    "You are throwing me out?!" Myrna hissed as reality dawned on her.


    "Be d that is all I''m doing." I red before walking away.


    "But my love-Elian-!"


    "My queen, perhaps you should-"


    "Do not touch me, guard!"


    "Forgive me your majesty, but we cannot find your mate." The urgency in Norae''s tone sent a cold chill down my spine and I was out of my chambers before she could say anymore.

 Chapter 60

    He would find me eventually, I was aware of that. If there was anyone to sniff out my scent even after attempting to mask it perfectly, it would be my mate. But until he did, I would keep going. My feet carried me deeper into the forest while my hands clutched tightly to my gown, lifting it higher to keep from tripping or getting caught on the roots or twigs that littered the forest floor. This was by no means an escape attempt. Well, it was, but not in the very sense of the word. I was escaping, but only from the ghosts from my past and present. Those that wouldn''t let me be and kept reminding me of things I''d rather forget. I was escaping from the pitiful eyes that viewed me as a pretty fragile thing that needed taking care of. While I appreciated all the care that surrounded me, I felt smothered to an extent. I was escaping it all just so I could experience the freedom I''d enjoyed once before. I only wished to breathe without someone inquring if I was alright when I did.


    I knew that by now Samara and Norae had noticed my absence and were probably on their way to report their failure. That is if they had not chosen to mind link their king. I hoped they had chosen the former just because it would give me more time to myself. If only I could find what I was looking for.


    I came to a stop, eyes darting left and right, wondering which way to turn. This had seemed so much simpler when I watched the forest from my chamber''s window. When it had beckoned me with the strangest of feelings to explore it.


    A twig snapped to my right causing my heart to leap into my throat. "Who''s there?" Despite the courage I''d hading into the dense forest my voice shook at the thought of someone stalking me. I knew guards had been tasked to watch the ce, but I had evaded many of them already and doubted they had been the ones to follow. Or had my mate found me so soon?


    "I thought I would have to wait for eternity before you finally decided to leave yourfortable tower ande down."


    The voice was very farmiliar, but so out of ce and what did they mean they thought they would have to wait for eternity? "Zih?" I let my gown fall.


    "Such afort to know you still remember."


    "Of course I remember." Surprised and relieved, I drew closer to the person I''d notid my eyes on in too long but was d to see regardless. Their hair was still so matted, I knew detangling it woulde at a cost of a lot of inches. The familiar old gown they wore was in dire need of a wash. Had no one taken care of her at all?


    The maiden''s entire sight was a vision of one needing a mental physician, but their smile was as bright as ever. "What in God''s name are you doing here?"


    Annoyance marred her facial features that were in dire need of a wash too. "Why do you always ask me that? Do you still not believe that I''m your guardian?"


    "Forgive me. It seems I needed reminding." I pulled her in for an embrace and as always thefort spread in my own soul. Just what I longed for. "How is it that you always find me at the right time?" I had never understood it.


    "I''m your guardian, silly." Her hands were calloused, but against my cheeks, her touch was warm andforting. "I came because you needed me."


    I pulled back, remembering her words. "How long have you been here?"


    "Oh, I do not know." Zih shrugged her shoulders and I knew that was as good an answer as I would get.


    "Not that I''m not happy to see you, but you can''t be here." Despite her state, Zih was intruding and I had no idea how she''d be treated once she was found out. And speaking of which, a familiar growl ripped through the woods, letting me know that I''d lost my advantage.


    My mate was obviously angry, if the way he furiously ate the ground between us was anything to go by.


    Deciding to stand between him and zih, I braced for his thunderous scolding, but he merely watched me, his gaze a golden tempestous sea that seemed to calm only when he beheld the person hidden by my form.


    "Zih?" Of all the things that could havee out of his mouth, Zih''s name would have never crossed my mind and neither would I have ever imagined the ensuing interaction.


    "My prince, or is it your majesty?" Zih showed herself and bowed shyly.


    "You know you do not have to do that."


    "Oh but I do. You are my king now." Zih approached my mate and I was sure he''d growl in warning to keep her away, but I was in for a surprise. Their embrace was as natural as one shared between friends. When they finally pulled back, Zih went away, gigling like a little girl while I fought to keep my jaw from hitting the forest floor.


    "Should I be thanking Zih for keeping you here?" Hurtced his words and my wolf did not like it.


    "I merely sought a moment alone. Away from...everyone." Unbelief shed in his eyes. "The pce can be overwhelming at times." I mumbled and his unbelief morphed into understanding. "Did you find it?"


    I didn''t, but my heart had lost the heaviness I felt. "I found Zih."


    "She always did have a habit of showing up in the most unusual ces."


    "Oh?" I was curious. "So how did you meet? Was she a maid in the pce before royalty drove her insane?" Despite our many interactions, Zih had still remained a mystery to me.


    "Is that what you think?" He gave me an amused look to which I only shrugged my shoulders.


    "If you must know, an apple was the thing to make our paths cross."


    "An apple?" I couldn''t keep the surprise from my tone.


    "She swiped my apple while I was distracted. It was the first time I had ever been to the capital and I had just run away from my nanny. Rakon and I were bent on exploring the busy world by ourselves, but our adventure was cut short by the incident. My nanny was furious, but instead of me being scolded, her anger was directed at Zih. Despite being scolded she took it well as she kept on smiling during my nanny''s speech. I was fascinated by that, so each time I was in the capital I would still sneak out, but only so that I could gift her an apple."


    My curiosity piqued. "How often was this? I mean gifting her this apple."


    "I do not know. Why do you ask?"


    "Just...please try to recall." A sinking feeling gripped my insides.


    "It was so long ago, but perhaps weekly. Sometimes a whole month or more. Whenever father was willing to entertain my endless questions and carried me along. Why do you ask?"


    "Because believe it or not, our paths crossed because of an apple too. Except she did not swipe mine, but offered me one. It was the sweetest apple I had ever tasted and so was every other one she imed to have saved just for me." I stared at Zih who was minding her own business as she pranced about. "I was always worried she was stealing them, but each time she swore she wasn''t and well, I was always hungry when she appeared so I did not dwell on the matter as I should have. I merely ate and relished its taste while I looked forward to having the next." Eyes as wide as saucers stared at me once I was done talking.


    "Do you by any chance think-?" The entire thing was absurd. But what if it was true?


    "She always imed she was my guardian. Of course I never took her seriously. I always thought those were the rumblings of an insane mind. But apart from my family, hers is the only face that has been constant in my life over the years." The realization left me at a loss for words. Was she really it? A guardian? Why would I even need one in the first ce?


    "Whenst did you receive an apple from her?"


    "I do not know." I shrugged my shoulders. It had been a while. "A year or two perhaps. I have notid eyes on her until today."


    "As have I."


    "You found her!" Zih suddenly beamed. "I told you that you would."


    "What is she talking about?"


    My mate merely smiled. "I did, didn''t I? I have you to thank."


    "It was nothing. As long as you are happy."


    "What is this?"


    "Thest time I saw her, it was in these very woods. My heart was heavy, I hade for some air, or perhaps I was hiding. I had no apple with me, but she did not mind. Instead she had something to gift me. A promise."


    "A promise? What kind of promise?" I frowned. Zih always had things to say. Many that made no sense, but she''d never made me a promise.


    "That I would find the one meant for me. My mate." His deep gaze fell on me. "Of course I did not believe a word she said. I assumed they were the rumblings of a crazy wolf." Warm hands cupped my cheeks. "I should have known there was truth in the craziness."

 Chapter 61

    "You are glowing,dy Sh."


    "And fat." I smiled at Carlytte''s reflection behind my own, my chubby cheeks bearing witness of the fact. I sat in front of my chamber''srge mirror while shebed through my hair. It still felt strange to have someone do such simple things for me. All protests over it had fallen on deaf ears. Everyone was bent on making sure I did not lift even a finger to get anything done. I bet if one could breathe on my behalf, they would have willingly done so too.


    "Not that I have served many pregnant she wolves, but you are the first of whom I''ve seen taking that fact with more enthusiasm than usually portrayed." Carlytte shed her usual bright smile that fit like a glove in my mood today.


    "What is there not to like?" I caressed my little bump that was very noticeable in my night gown. "I''m growing someone special right here." While Xatis was excited over their iing heir, my joy stemmed from the simple fact that a part of me was growing inside of me. Someone I would love and who would love me simply. It was the knowledge of that that had brightened my days and helped keep all the sadness at bay.


    Thanks to Zih too. It had been days since I saw her and since she''d said her usual goodbyes that were as strange as her personality. But as always, her visit had left my soul feeling lighter and brighter. While she was known as the vige''s crazydy all over the forgotten vige, she''d been more than that to me. And apparently to my mate as well.


    I hadn''t yet wrapped my head around that fact. Having them share a bond simr to the one I shared with Zih was still as unbelievable as the possiility of it having been shared among the three of us. Of course Zih had merely scratched her head when questioned over the matter, leaving either of us with more questions than answers.


    "Which do you prefer?"Astryn appeared holding two gowns that I thought were beautiful. Both were bright and covered in prints of lovely blooms that reflected the inviting weather outside and my own mood. Either would be fine. But even if they weren''t, they would still be lovelier than the few gowns I possed in the forgotten vige, so I was not going to make a fuss either way.


    "You know I do not care much about that, Astryn. I''ve worn little to nothing and I was never bothered."


    Astryn''s eyes widened. "Oh, but mydy, you are the future-"


    "The mother to the future heir of Xatis, I know."


    "Not what I was going to say." Astryn scowled. I knew what she was she intended to say, but I did not wish to hear anything of it. Simple. That is all I longed for as I went about my day today and all my days in the pce. If I did not need to face the grim and rainy part of my life, I''d bask in the sunshine without apology.


    "You yourself said this was nothing more than a rehearsal, surely I''m not expected to be overdressed for something so simple." I pointed out, but the maid merely shook her head.


    "You do not understand, mydy. Simple is far from it. The rehearsal for the banquet still remains a formal affair and should be treated as such. Besides, his highness will be in attendance." Astryn blushed and I rolled my eyes at the sight.


    "I could be in sack cloth and his highness would still think I was the most beautiful maiden to enter the throne room''s doors." I meant the words to be sarcastic, but as always they seemed to mean something utterly different to the hopeless romantics that surrounded me. Carlytte couldn''t stop her mischievious grin, while Astryn kept sighing dreamily. Even Samara and Norae wore subtle smiles on their faces.


    "You are right. He would not care." Astryn mumbled when she found some semnce ofposure. "But we wouldn''t be doing our duty if his highness only admired and didn''t shake in his boots at the sight of his queen."


    Carlytte was in stitches as I gaped at the maidens that surrounded me. "Has that been your aim all this time?" I''d witnessed the darkening of the gold in his eyes, the utter approval that sent his need souring together with my own, but this was not about enticing my mate. As glorious as it felt to be wanted, I did not wish to make invitations I was not ready to entertain. No matter how much I desired to have him pleasure me to no end. Again and again.


    "Do not look so scandalized, mydy. It is only fitting for one to desire their mate." Carlytte cooed. "Moon goddess knows that once I meet mine, chosen or not, I do not intend to let them stray from my bed." "Carlytte!" Colour bloomed in my cheeks while the nobledy merely giggled.


    "It is the natural order of things among wolves, mydy. Mates especially." Astryn added nonchntly and somehow I knew that with all this talk, facing my mateter would be something of a thirsty challenge. Someone knocked and I was grateful for the distraction. As long as it did not turn out to be my mate. It wasn''t, thankfully. The familiar scent that flooded my chambers still kept my heart too calm to be him.


    "Oh, the purple would be lovely and fitting. Don''t you think?" Liira waltzed in looking every bit like the queen she was and one look at her made me realize what Astryn really meant about the rehearsal still being formal. I was also beginning to realize that royalty was always big on everything. Something that would take me a while to get used to. "Purple is the queen''s colour and as my great grandson''s mother it is only fitting that you wear it."


    Great grandson''s mother and not ''future queen''. That was eptable in my ears. As for being dressed in purple which was basically referring to me as future queen still? That, I realized, was something eptable to everyone else who outnumbered my protests. "You do not understand, mydy. Simple is far from it. The rehearsal for the banquet still remains a formal affair and should be treated as such. Besides, his highness will be in attendance." Astryn blushed and I rolled my eyes at the sight.


    "It''s perfect!" Liira beamed once I was done and I couldn''t very well disagree with her. Because the dress was. I did not hold lord Quent''s expertise, but even I could tell that purple agreed with my skin tone and for whatever reason I couldn''t wait for my mate to see me in it.


    Walking out of my chambers, I was met with another reality my protests could do nothing about. The guards meant to watch over me had more than doubled. And that was apart from Gol, Samara and Norae who watched me like hawks. After my little escape of which Gol had more than a few words to say over, the three would not let me out of their sight even without beingmanded to by my mate.


    The walk towards the throne room left my heart skipping more beats in between the closer I came to seeing him. It had been a few hours since we''d had breakfast that was had over a casual conversation. Mostly concerning what I should expect during the rehearsal for the banquet. The desire to speak of more interesting matters was notcking, save for the courage to do so. In the end he''d left with a sure promise of seeing me soon. It was a simple goodbye that I had not realized meant much more. Up until now, I did not realize how much I had been looking forward to seeing him soon.


    The doors to the throne room were gigantic, towering over our little group by miles, leaving me feeling very small. That coupled with the multitudes gathered inside whose gazesnded on me the moment our arrival was announced. It seemed I had underestimated Astryn''s words.


    "So many people." Anticipation to see my mate faded and I couldn''t help but clutch onto Liira''s gown as though I were a little girl. "Are there meant to be so many of them?"


    "It is usually the case." Sensing my difort, the matriarch reached for my hand and squeezed. "Although I can assure you that most of them are merely here to satisfy their curiosity and get a glimpse of the mother to be before the actual banquet." That did nothing for the cold feet that suddenly gued me. "That is not encouraging." I mumbled.


    "Your highness, mydy." Guards spilled out of the now open doors, each bowing low in greeting.


    Liira acknowledged them before turning back to me. "Remember child, there is nothing to it. You might be the center of attention which can be overwhelming, but that is only because you are carrying the most precious gift Xatis could ever receive."


    "Not to worrydy Liira." I froze at the sweet sound of the voice that had dripped with venom thest time I''d heard it. "As her elder sister, I will make sure she gets it right." Familiar hands slipped into mine naturally, but there was nothing natural about the contact that sent my wolf growling.

 Chapter 62

    "Oh, don''t be shy sister." Myrna cooed, deepening my wolf''s annoyance as I contemted which parts of her I should bite off first. Her stupid mouth that bore her stupid grin while she uttered those stupid words or those hands that dared to wrap me in that very unwee embrace. "The throne room can be quite overwhelming. Take it from one who''s had to walk down its very long aisle once before." Myrna pulled back, faux understanding glittering in her eyes. "Of course, it''s not like you are about to wed my husband or anything, but I do understand and as your elder sister-" She was baiting me. With everyone of her words and fake smile, she sought to drive the knife of betrayal deep into my heart. Deep enough to bring out the beast in me that was barely holding on. She hoped I would give the multitudes a show. I could see it in her eyes. Beyond the pretense she''d mastered so perfectly. I could see her, the sister that never was. Could see the thirst to paint me as the tainted maiden I was. The uncultured beast that was not fit for their king. The unworthy mother whose blood would only taint the royal blood line if the bastard I carried was ever to be epted.


    She sought to make the stark contrast between me and her. The graceful queen versus the other maiden. The one who''d dared to disrupt hers and the king''s love story. The one their beloved queen should hate and yet here she was, selflessly offering her enemy support. She hoped I would p that support in her face ever so dramatically.


    Unfortunately for her, I had been stupid once before. I had fallen head first into her trap of betrayal and lost the most important part of me while at it. I was not about to make the same mistake. And as painful as those memories were, I let them guide the storm brewing in my insides to a surprising calm. A calm that had me mustering the sweetest smile. "Your concern is truly admirable, Myrna, but rather misced, don''t you think?" I peeled her hands off of mine ever so gently, while my wolf whined at being denied a more violent option. And yes, I might have been calm, but that did not mean I was feeling very respectiful to stick to titles or formalities.


    "Misced?!" Temper red before she couldpose herself. But it was toote.


    "I did not mean to anger you, but merely intended to point out that I did not need you to hold my hand. It is merely a rehearsal after all. Besides, I have everyone I need right here. I turned to Liira, refusing to entertain Myrna a second longer. This was about my child, I was not about to grant her a piece of the moment by indulging in a meaningless exchange of words. "I''m ready."


    "That you are." Pride sparkled in Liira''s eyes, making me wonder what I had done to deserve it. "Remember, there is nothing to it and he will be right at the end waiting for you." Liira held her hand out, guiding me to the beginning of my journey while I felt every gaze settle on me. I was tempted to scan my surroundings, but that would only make the easy task that much more difficult. As Liira had said, there was nothing to it.


    My eyes instead, trailed the impossibly long aisle, all the way to the front and met golden ones. They were glowing with something beyond need. Something that seemed to reach deep into my heart and drew out my smile. It was the subtle invitation he needed to disy his own pearly whites. Someone behind me cursed, but I paid them no mind as I focused up ahead. The sight of my mate grounded me and wiped at any lingering nerves, leaving only a desire to be by his side.


    Bells rang signifying the start of my journey that without that golden gaze that held mine would have been a nerve wracking affair. I knew the multitudes were still present. Watching...judging, deciding on whether the gods had truly granted this seemingly simple girl the honourable task to birth their future king. I was the centre of their attention, but I also knew that I was the centre of his attention. That pleased my wolf to no end.


    "Such poise and grace. A true queen if you ask me." Someone marvelled as I walked past them. Apliment that should have left me beaming, but it turned out to be something I did not care for at all as my focus remained on my mate. "Misced?!" Temper red before she couldpose herself. But it was toote.


    Someone chanted in a loud voice. The high priest, I assumed. Whatever words that proceeded out of his mouth were in an unknown tongue. But even if they were in themon tongue, I doubted I would have heard them at all, because with every step, everything around me faded except for my mate.


    This was by no means the wedding march Myrna had boasted about, but there was something about the way he took me in. The continual flexing of his muscles, the clenching and unclenching of his fists that spoke of his own anticipation. Eyes never leaving mine. "Was he perhaps shaking in his boots too?" I blushed at the thought that served to draw my attention away from my mate. It was only for a moment, but when I looked back up, he was no longer there. The spot where he''d stood a moment ago was empty. "What in gods name is he doing?" Liira came to a stop right beside me, her expression disyed the confusion I felt. This was not meant to happen. At least not ording to what Liira had said to expect.


    "Probably realized what a mistake this whole charade is." Myrna spat and only then did I realize that she''d stayed still. For what reason, only the gods knew.


    "This is no time to let that bitter tongue of yours to run wild." Liira red at Myrna, before turning back to me. "Stay here. I''ll see what in God''s name is going on." But before she could take another step, my mate reappeared, sending the whole assembly to their feet and their mouths breaking out in praises to their king. He''d had a change of clothes! Where there sat a much simpler gown on his shoulders before, now sat a more sophisticated royal gown in deep scarlet with a train that covered the entire floor behind him. His head bore the heaviest of crowns while his once empty hands held on to a golden sceptre.


    "My king?" I heard Myrna mumble in surprise.


    "By the gods!" Liira eximed, while I would not even blink as his gaze held mine totally.

 Chapter 63

    Ever since Liira had taken me under her wings, I''d learnt many royal Xatian customs. I''d spent days on end listening to the old matriarch speak of times past, present and future. What had been, what was and what would forever be for the royal wolf house. This, she''d always said was something I would one day repeat to my own sons and daughters. But no matter how much I''d learnt, whatever was unfolding before me was as strange as the tongue the high priest had used while he chanted.


    It was meant to be a rehearsal. Nothing about it was to be ceremonial. Nothing would require the king of Xatis to be over dressed, and yet he had appeared in his ceremonial attire bearing his sceptre. The one thing kings had to possess when derations or pronouncements or anything of the sort was to be made. When a kings word was to be received asw. I wondered which it was.


    The look in my mate''s eyes was equally strange. As I stood frozen by Liira''s side, my gaze holding his, it was as if the entire realm around us had shifted, leaving him bound to only me. We were mated, with a bond that had refused to break twice before, but whatever it was that made his gaze so deep, strange and mysterious spoke of something more.


    "My king, are you certain?" Someone inquired urgently, drawing my mate''s attention. Yet not in a demanding way. A man dressed in a long robe appeared at his side, bearing a little wooden box that appeared to be as ancient as himself. For a wolf whose form was meant to stop aging once they reached adulthood, the man seemed to have aged considerably, making me think him to be really really old. Was that even possible? Perhaps I would inquire from Liira once all of this was over. Whatever this was.


    I watched as the man inched closer to my mate. Long hair framed his aged face and cascaded all the way past the middle of his back. I wondered how long it had been since it had seen a cutting tool. Probably years, I decided.


    "What you seek to do, can never be undone, so I will ask again. Are you certain, my king?" Even as the man asked and bowed towards my mate, I couldn''t help wonder about his questions and how odd the whole sight appeared. With how old the man seemed, I would think my mate was to be the one to offer such reverence. And yet it was not so. My mate remained standing tall in his majestic glory, while the man was as a servant in front of him. "What say you, King Elian?"


    The king''s gaze fell on me once more. "I am." Something shed in his eyes as he said that. "I would not have summoned you ''bond keeper'' if I wasn''t.


    "The bond keeper?" The simple question slipped out of both mine and Myrna''s mouth at the same time, yet the reason for it was by no means the same. Myrna''s tone was full of excitement while mine wasced with confusion and curiosity. I had no idea who the bond keeper was. Myrna on the other hand was grinning from ear to ear as though everything in her world had finally aligned ording to her stars. The sight of it unsettled me and I couldn''t help but turn to Liira.


    "Oh child, it is hardly the time for me to lecture you on such matters." Liira sighed, her voice so low I barely heard it. "But if you must know, the bond keeper is just that. The bond keeper." When I frowned still, she gave in and turned fully to me, voice low. "This is simr to how the moon goddess grants us mates and mate bonds. Except for the royal house of Xatis, as much as we acknowledge the moon goddess and the mates she gifts, we go beyond the idea of epting mates and chosen mates when we do find or wed them. Because many in times past had reached points in their existence where they imed they had no choice in who their mate was, a blood pact was made to signify that choice by both kings and queens. It by no means overides the moon goddess mate bond-" "But also serves to dere for a second and final time one''s undying love and unwavering devotion to their wedded mate for all eternity." Myrna sighed dreamily.


    Was that what he was intending to do? Complete their bond in the face of his people. In my presence? The ground below me shifted at the invading thoughts. It did not even matter that nothing of what he''d done in the days and moments leading up to this had hinted at him making such a decision.


    "You are pale child." Liira looked me over, her gaze scrutinizing.


    "I am alright." I lied, but perhaps I should have known that I could never get away from Liira with such.


    She merely arched a brow and shook her head. "Whatever it is you are thinking, it is not it." I nodded, but only because if she kept looking at me like that I was afraid my own eyes would betray what my heart felt at the moment.


    "Very well then." The man I knew now to be the bond keeper drew my attention, saving me from Liira who opted to take my hand in hers still. It was afort I did not realize I needed as I watched the ancient man''s hands reach into the wooden box and retrieve what I knew was sacred cloth twined by those who wedded.


    Myrna''s gasp did not leave me guessing as to who that particr one belonged to. Two strands. Scarlet and purple. The king and queen''s colours twinning over each other, signifying their marital bond that I despised.


    Carefully, the priest held it on both ends and ced it in front of my mate. When his hands reached for it and caressed it along its length, my heart sank and my wolf whimpered. We were losing again.


    "Oh my love!" Myrna eximed, her voice carrying over the now quiet multitudes in the hall as she raced down the aisle, clutching to her gown. My mate answered her not, neither did he look up from the strands. A part of me relished in that and sparked a flicker of hope. Perhaps Liira was right.


    This was Myrna, however. She still remained underterred by hisck of response or what it meant. I envied her in that regard. She was a maiden who knew what she wished for and went after it. I on the hand could only wish and hope.


    I watched as she approached. Everything about her speaking of her tion at what was to happen next. It was only when the bond keeper drew a shiny de that Myrna''s steps faltered. "My king? Bond Keeper? What is the meaning of this?" For the first time ever, her voice shook.


    But even then my mate remained quiet, his focus on the de that had been handed to him. When he did finally look up, an undecipherable expression was painted on his face. "I Elian, King of Xatis..." I froze. Even when his gaze was not rested on me, I was thrust back in time. To the moment my life forever changed. "...I strip you Myrn-"


    "No!" Myrna''s loud plea was the thing to pull me out of the hurt that had been unearthed by my mate''s pronouncement.


    His pronouncement? Eyes widened when I finally caught on. And despite Myrna''s protests he remained calm, the de in his hand resting on their beautiful chord of colourful strands, ready to server whatever existed between them.


    "No. Please! You can''t!" Myrna threw herself before my mate. Her gracefulposure non existent. "I love you Elian, your majesty. Please do not take that away from me! I...I-"


    Desperation. It echoed throughout the throne room. Something I''d never imagined would be heard of Myrna. And yet it was perhaps the first time I thought she was totally genuine. The reality of that stirred something within me. "Your majesty?" My call was quiet, but he heard me regardless. Eyes meeting mine with that fiery golden glow. He meant to protest whatever was going to proceed from my mouth. I could see it in his eyes. When he dared me to side with her.


    "I am with child, your child... Please do not take this away from me."


    Pregnant? Heads, including mine snapped towards Myrna while gasps erupted from those who''d been quiet. I had expected my mate to be among those taken by her announcement. I was wrong. His approaching figure towards were I stood pointed me to that fact. "Come with me."


    "B-But-" My protests barely registered as he led me out of the throne room in one hand while the other still held his sceptre.

 Chapter 64

    She was all I wished for. For all eternity. I''d known it, but when she stepped through those doors, the desire had be something of a pressing matter, making me wish a rehearsal for my child''s banquet was not what we were there for. Her slow march, that mundane cing of one foot in front of the other, while she held my gaze, had drawn me from this realm and thrust me into worlds unknown. Worlds where she was both my light and my darkness and everything in between.


    Dressed in that purple gown, the sight of her was of perfection. A queen. A vision of a future whose longing went as deep as my bones at the sight of her. By my side, that is where she belonged. There was no doubt about that, only conviction that grew with each step taken towards me. My chosen mate had been by Sh''s side, but she was as an unwanted shadow. An unwee presence.


    "Will you not even stop tofort your pregnant queen?" My mate all but snapped the moment the door to my chambers closed. This was by no means the way I''d dreamed of having her back in my chambers again, but in the wake of what I''d decided, it couldn''t be helped. Well, it could be as between my chambers and the throne roomy many saloons that would have served for this very purpose, but for whatever reason my feet were drawn only to my chambers. And I was d they did. The sight of her, with her growing belly in the confines of this personal space brought memories and painted more visions that had my wolf and I vowing to protect till death. That however, was not the reason I''d dragged her all the way to my chambers. The bitter question she''d asked was a huge part of it.


    I watched as she stared everywhere but me,ying bare what was really in her heart. Despite the obvious bitterness in her tone, she cared. Even when she had no business to, she did. Even when she had all the rights to want Myrna dead and discarded to the very depths of hell, that heart that beat in her chest would not let her. It was as if the gods had made it incapable for her to wish the worst even of her enemy.


    I had seen it in her eyes. The moment my chosen mate''s desperation trickled to my mate''s heart, her expression had been one of pity and not satisfaction as Myrna''s would have been. I had seen the pain of her expectation when she thought I''d choose Myrna again. "I have." I couldn''t help the fierceness in my tone, because it was the truth. She was the only pregnant queen I longed tofort. Hers was the only heart I wished to tend to. She was the reason I''d gone ahead and summoned the bond keeper. Because, damn the consequences, she was the only one I wished to be bound to in any manner, in this realm and the worlds beyond.


    Eyes clouded with confusion and hurt snapped up at me, searching my own. Whatever they found there only deepened those emotions, forcing her to look away as her feet carried her deeper into my chambers. "You shouldn''t have."


    Despite her words, I knew that to be the sort of thing that would crush her. I''d made that mistake before when I chose Myrna, never again. "It was my decision to make."


    "She''s carries your child." Her weak protest struck a chord in my heart.


    She''d believed her. I knew she had the moment those words had left my chosen mate''s mouth. I would have believed it too if not for the reason that I''d not touched her in that manner ever since Sh returned. Because, Myrna was indeed pregnant, the scent was unmistakable once she''d dered it and drawn my attention to her. And if not for my desire tofort, to let Sh know that the child was by no means mine, I would have been having a different conversation right about now.


    "Something that the eptance ritual at the banquet can prove. The child is not mine, Sh."


    "It''s not?!" The utter shock should have angered me, but I could not me her for thinking anything else but me staying true to her. "B-But, she just said- It''s not yours?"


    "I never touched her. Not since you''ve been here." That only added to the shock my mate was currently feeling and again I could not me her. I was d however, when it faded after following a few thoughtful expressions. Perhaps theck of the evidence of it, the pain of me mating with anyone else but her had dawned on her. Whatever it was, I was just d she believed me.


    "Will youplete the ritual?" Her voice was low, unsure, almost timid. "Will you strip her of her position?" I thought that would make her happy, but those beautiful eyes only looked at me askance.


    "I have made my decision, Sh."


    "Can it wait?"


    "Wait?" If I expected her to make any request of me, it was not that I should wait to cut off Myrna from my life. To strip my chosen mate of the position that rightly belonged to my mate. "Why would you ask that of me?"


    "Just until the banquet. You did say it could prove the child is not yours right?" Apparently that was not something I needed to do with her. She believed me. The reality of it had something loosening in my chest. Perhaps we would be alright after all.


    "Besides announcing theing heir during the banquet, a part of it is dedicated to a ritual of eptance. It''s nothing more than a disy confirming that the child is truly of royal blood. So yes, it will prove that Myrna''s child is not mine." "It''s a test?"


    One I was sure she would not fail. "Yes."


    "Then perhaps you should inform the bond keeper that you will be waiting until the banquet. That is if you still wish to-"


    "I do." I closed the distance between us. "More than you know."

 Chapter 65

    One would think me stopping my mate from publicly stripping Myrna of her position as queen was out of the goodness of my heart. It wasn''t. At least not the part of my heart that had my mate thinking of me as one incapable of hating anyone. An angel. I''d seen the curiosity in his eyes each time he looked at me. Eyes wondering how that it was possible for one to be capable of such a noble thing when they had been hurt over and over again. But perhaps that was not the entire truth.


    He was not wrong to think that I still cared for Myrna even after all the hurt she''d brought in my existence. Except that was but a piece of the reality. As it had been known in every realm, the gods gave everything in pairs. Light and darkness. Life and death. Joy and pain. One could not exist without the other, making it impossible to have love exist on its own. Where there was love, hate was bound to be present.


    It was this fact that my mate had overlooked whenever he beheld me and thought me incapable of that dark emotion. I couldn''t me him, however, as the matter was still quite strange to me too. I still marvelled at how calmly I had entertained the thought when it ured to me. When I had thought that the rehearsal was not public enough for Myrna''s downfall. It still surprised me that I had been the one to make the request of my mate too.


    But perhaps it was inevitable after being reminded of her own plots to have me give the multitudes a humiliating show. When she''d lied that she carried his child. It was time she gave her own show. She did love attention after all. Except her show would be something of a final curtain.


    Strong hands firmly squeezed mine, jolting me out of my many thoughts. "Are you alright?"


    I wasn''t. Not in the very sense of the word and definitely not in the tone he implied, but I wasn''t about to speak of any of it, lest he decided to have us turn around and return to his chambers. Not that I dreaded the ce, if anything, stepping into my mate''s bedroom again had left me with a deep longing to return and perhaps stay a little longer.


    "You have barely said a word since we left my chambers." My mate added when I still did not answer him. "Do you still wish to stay ba-"


    "I do not." I ced my free hand over his that held mine in assurance. It did nothing to convince him.


    "If you are tired, or something aches, anywhere at all, please say so and we''ll head back. Whatever I need to do can wait."


    "We are already here." I gestured for the doors leading to the throne room. My action was received with a scowl, however.


    "That is not what I asked." His chest rumbled and I barely held in a purr at that disy of care.


    "I promise if anything of the sort does cause me problems, you will be the first to know." His annoyance still sizzled, but he conceeded anyway, more so because of the appearance of the head of his guard. Rakon wore an unreadable expression, but I had no doubt there was some mind linking going on between him and his king. I assumed they were done when my mate turned to me. "Ready?"


    Was I ready to face Myrna after her little disy? "Yes." I nodded without a second thought. I was ready to watch a disy of tantrums from the usuallyposed queen when she realized how that nothing would go her way henceforth. "I''ll be quick." Lips brushed mine in a surprising motion that left my belly fluttering terribly.


    "Okay." I croaked out. It had been too long, I realized. Too long since I''d had a taste of his lips...a taste of him. And I longed for more! It was an odd time to be desiring more of anything of the sort, but what was I to do when whatever beasty peacefully under the confines of my flesh had been awakened in such a manner?


    "Your maje-" Lips... glorius and warm and delicious took mine in another surprising toe curling conquest. It was as if he''d read my mind, giving me the object of my desires whole heartedly and if he did not stop now there was no telling how much more I could take before I was utterly undone, just by his lips. This was so not part of the rehearsal I had left my chambers for, but-


    "Call me Elian." Chest heaving deliciously, he pulled me close in one swift motion, caging me between his muscled chest and arms. "Not your highness, not your majesty, just...Elian, Sh." His ragged tone slowed and softened at the mention of my name. As though it were his own personal calming elixir. "I will see you soon." That wretched satisfied smile did nothing for my racing heart. And as I watched his retreating back that was still covered by his grand royal gown, everything within me kept screaming that soon would be too long.


    "Mydy?" Rakon cleared his throat and it took me a moment to remember that we hadn''t been the only creatures present in front of the private doors leading to the throne room. "You must not be too far behind him once he re enters the throne room." Rakon''s head remained bowed, as if he couldn''t bear seeing the remnants of his king''s assault of my lips. I appreciated that, because I could not hide them even if I wished to.


    "Right." Heat still flooding my cheeks, I followed the way Elian had gone. Elian... I blushed at the mere thought.


    When I returned to the throne room, everything had remained as it had been before my mate had dragged me out. Well, every being still sat or stood in the positions they had been, as though they''d been glued to those spots. It was quite surprising, knowing how long it had been since then.


    The king, my mate, stood facing his people, his presence domineering. The fact was written on all the faces that gazed on him in expectation. A figure stirred in front of him and a low growl escaped my lips when I discovered who.


    "You came back!" On a dramatic sigh and a smile, Myrna wiped at her tears, before rushing over to my mate''s side. "I knew you would." She cooed while I red at her form that now rested against my mate''s body. Why was I expected to go in after him again? "Will you calm down?" Someone invaded my murderous thoughts and craning my neck to my side I was met with Gol''s steady eyes.


    "I am calm." I snapped even when I knew he was right.


    "The banquet will be held tomorrow-" My mate''s pronouncement brought a stop to the ensuing argument I was about to have with my guard. And the sight of the king peeling Myrna off of him gave me some semnce of control. Just enough to witness Myrna''s look of horror that had only been an assumption on my part when I''d requested to have the banquet set for the following day.


    "Wait, tomorrow?! So soon!" Myrna bellowed. A rare sight for the multitudes gathered. "I mean-" Her tone softened when she realized that. "Why the rush, my love?"


    My love... I hated everything about how that sounded.


    "I''d think this would make you happy. Aren''t you eager to have my son or daughter weed by his or her people?" Elian stood back, arms folded, leaving that wee distance between them. "I know of someone who is."


    Myrna red my way, right before she pasted on a sweet smile. "It''s just that there is so much to do and so little time. Couldn''t we-"


    "Nonsense! What is the point of being queen if you can''t get such simple tasks done, hmmm?" Someone I had not expected appeared at Myrna''s side. Her gentle smile shining.


    "Queen mother?" Myrna was taken aback when the former queen of Xatis embraced her.


    "Oh child, just call me Sarabeth."


    "I can? Really?" Confusion marred Myrna''s features. It was clear this was totally unexpected for her. Just as it was for me. Had my mate linked his mother and they had somehow worked out a n I did not know about? I wished to ask my mate what in the world was going on, but his focus remained on whatever was unfolding before him.


    "Of course, child. Now, seeing that we do not have that much time, I suggest that youe with me." Sarabeth gently tugged on Myrna''s arm.


    "But- his majesty, my king..."


    "Oh, we do not require his presence. Besides, you are the mother, you are the one who deserves all the pampering." Sarabeth cupped Myrna''s cheeks and I could have sworn I saw her flinch at the loving touch. The entire sight was almostughable as Myrna barely let the former queen lead her out of the throne room.


    Once they walked out, my mate turned to the bond keeper who I only noticed then still stood with the wooden box open. My heart ached at the sight of the two strands still twisting over each other.


    "Why don''t you hold on to those. Just until tomorrow."


    The ancient man nodded quietly before closing the box. "As you wish, my king." Elian nodded in acknowledgement.


    The high priest was also dismissed in a simr manner and when he seemed about done, my mate''s gaze found mine. Many emotions swam in that golden gaze, leaving my heart skipping too many beats. And when he stalked towards me, I did not know what to do with myself.


    "Mydy..." Hands took mine and I was certain every wolf before us could hear the senseless rhythm with which my heart hammered in my chest.


    "What in God''s name are you doing?" My voice was barely a whisper which was pointless in a room full of wolves. And before I could be furnished with an answer, someone tugged on my hand.


    "Speaking of pampering, it''s time you came with m-"


    "Uh, about that grandmother, a word?" My mate snatched my hand away from Liira, making both Liira and me frown.


    "Would I-" Golden eyes darted to me and then back to Liira while my curiosity grew. But whatever that was about, I waspletely cut off when the conversation was had in their mind link. A lot of head shaking and scowlingter, Liira let out a huff. "Fine. But one word ofint, anything at all to suggest something was not done right and you''ll hear from me." Liira warned, while I remained oblivious as to the what.


    "What was that about?" I inquired the moment Liira walked away.


    "Nothing to worry about. I may or may not have just assigned myself a role in helping you get ready for tomorrow." Eyes widened, but my mate made it clear he would speak nothing of it.


    "And what was that with your mother? You could give me that at the very least." I protested.


    "Let''s just say the former queen seen openly fussing over her daughter iw will dispel any protests the said daughter inw might have if things do not go her way."


    He was ying her game. That should not have made me smile, but as I said, I had not stopped my mate from stripping Myrna of her position out of the goodness of my heart. "What now?"


    "Now we get ready for the banquet.

 Chapter 66

    The pce had descended into utter chaos. Thanks to me. It still felt surreal that I had been the one to cause such a stir in the usually calm hallways and pce grounds. In a matter of hours, the usually serene castle was no different from the hustle and bustle of the capital of Xatis. Following the king''s pronouncement everyone had been as soldiers that had been given an order to charge at the enemy. Everyone had gone to arms, except their weapons were not swords and daggers or canines and ws. Theirs were kitchen and butcher knives, spoons and pans,rge pots that I was sure could fit a couple of grown men all at once. Maids scurried left and right, carrying linen. Both clean and that which had just been changed. Other''s dusted, while still others scrubbed the floors so furiously one would think it had not been scrubbed for a century. Others polished as though they wished to see their very faces in the stone floor.


    Out in the pce grounds, barrels and barrels of wine were being rolled out of the wine cers by muscled guards.Too many to count it made me wonder if the strong drink was meant to be drunk by the guests or to be drowned in. Fresh farm produce was being delivered by a long line of carts that I was sure spilled out of the pce gates. Maids, farmers and cooks alike stood and inspected the produce, picking out only the best to be served at the banquet. Protesting animals were dragged to the s*******r and I could have sworn I saw a maidservant carrying a crate of wild rabbits too.


    Long drapes of colourful cloth had been hang everywhere I looked. Both inside and outside, bringing out the atmosphere one expected when they attended a banquet.


    It was already sunset. Night was fast approaching and yet everyone and everything surrounding me was as at the break of dawn. Men worked as though they had just left their beds only a moment ago. Breaking a sweat as though they had not being doing so since dawn. I was tempted to offer my apologies. As my mate led me back to my chambers, I was tempted to whisper my apologies to those we encountered for my part in what had plunged them into breaking their backs when they should have been preparing to retire to their beds. But despite how bad I felt, none stared at me with that expected annoyance or me for what had befallen them. No. Only smiles. Delightful and beautiful smiles had graced each face I hade across with many maidens whispering happily amongst themselves once we''d passed by. Many times I had shamelessly eavesdropped on that chatter, just because I had thought to catch them speaking of how they truly felt. I had been disappointed each time as everyone simply gushed about the uing event. Not even one had alluded to the odd situation of having the queen and the king''s mate expecting heirs. In the end I had merely concluded that everyone I''d encountered was perhaps allied to the king and would never dare speak against him. "From our trip to the capital, I do know that you do not despise crowds, so then what is this frown about?" My mate spoke at my side drawing my attention. Without realizing, I had stopped in front of one of the pce windows and had been staring at the multitudes below as they went about the business of the banquet. And had he been observing me while we went up and about in the capital? The expression on his face as he held my gaze said so. The realization stirred my insides and before I drowned in the familiar gold that as always began pulling me in, I broke the eye contact.


    "I did not realize that so many would be forced into doing so much." I mumbled unhappily. "Just look at all these people, wouldn''t they have been happier sitting around their own families hearth, telling stories instead of breaking their backs for me?" The longer I thought of that the more I disliked the very idea. Was their no other way to celebrate my child than getting the whole of Xatis on their toes?


    "Forced is a strong word, Sh." Warm hands cupped my cheeks and shifted my focus back to my mate. Not that I disliked it, but something had shifted in the manner he interacted with me. The kiss he''dvished on me in front of the throne room aside, he''d barely been a few feet away from me since then and made contact every opportunity he got, leaving me so very aware of his manly presence than usual. It was only thanks to the abundant distractions I had thought nothing more of his touch.


    His intense gaze captured mine effortlessly. "Love is the more appropriate word." He pushed back a few stray locks of my hair with more delicacy than required and my heart lurched at the action. "Love for their kingdom, their king, this child..." His hands rested on my belly and I could have sworn I felt a tiny movement there. If only that hand had not shifted to more parts of me that had nothing to do with the child in my belly, awakening them. "Love for you..."


    "They barely know me." With the way the gold in his eyes shimmered, I wondered if we were still speaking of the kingdom folk he imed loved me. "Even then-"


    "Forgive me, your majesty, but mydy here should have been in her chambers getting ready already." Astryn cleared her throat from somewhere behind us, breaking whatever it was that had been brewing between us. "Lady Liira insists." She added when my mate turned to her.


    "Of course." He nodded without protest, surprisingly. "Inform grandmother that we are on our way." He held out his hand in which I slipped mine. We where not so far from my chambers, but I realized that my feet were unwilling to head in that direction all of a sudden.


    "Wouldn''t your chambers do instead?" I blurted out the words catching him off guard. The truth, I realized was that I was not ready to part from him, to be surrounded by countless maids and be subjected to some princessly pampering.


    Eyes stared at me curiously before nodding. "If that is what you wish for, I will let grandmother know to have everything done in my chambers." Cancelling everything until the banquet would have been more eptable to me, but I knew it was simply impossible. I settled for what I could get and let my mate lead us back to his chambers.


    Stepping back into his grand bedroom, I didn''t miss the way my belly and heart fluttered at the memories shared there. And neither did he apparently as I caught him staring.


    Clearing his throat, he pointed to a door that led out of the room. "You could rest here while everything is prepared." Before I could answer someone knocked on the chamber''s doors, making me groan. "I promise you''ll hear nothing of what is going on in here until you have to."


    I nodded and followed, ignoring my wolf''s excitement at the privacy promised. "Oh, this is absolutely beautiful." I marvelled at the view that met me once I stepped outside. Unlike my chambers, out here I could see so much more of the pce and the calm of the forest for miles on end. The view of the sunset was to die for.


    "I will dly share it with you." He patted a space next to him on a lone chair. Thefort of the seat and the relief of getting off my feet was a wee change, but perhaps it did not beat the caring way my mate drew me in and held me in his warm embrace as we both stared quietly at the golden sunset. It was a simple luxury that I chose to indulge in while I awaited tomorrow''s storm. Being wrapped up in the scent of my mate made it even more peaceful.


    "Mydy?" I had not realized how peaceful it was until I was being shaken out of my slumber. "It is time." I was about to protest when the sight of an old woman smiling down at me drew my attention. The priestess meant to aid me on tomorrow''s journey I assumed. "Good evening, mydy. You have been asleep for a while now." It was by no means meant to embarass, but my cheeks heated up anyway.


    "His majesty?"


    "He will be here." A hand extended to me and I took it, feeling more fatigued now that I was awake. "Do not worry, you''ll be as good as new in no time." That I believed without a doubt. Most of what Liira had said to expect was centered on ensuring exactly that. Inside, the most amazing blend of floral scents and bath oils greeted me and as much as I had despised being attended to earlier, the inviting scents had me smiling at the maids that greeted me. Clothes were discarded and reced by a light silky gown as I was led to the bath.


    The woman from earlier sat legs crossed on a mat besides the tub and the moment I slipped into the water, her voice broke out in song, bringing down the most amazing sound that seeped right into my soul, leaving me strangely rxed. But just then a chorus of menacing howls seemed to engulf everything around the pce making me jump. "Are we under attack?" Panic ate up all the calm I had just experienced and yet the olddy did not even flinch. She kept humming with a smile, making me gape at her. "There is no need to be afraid child. It is just his majesty leading the warriors back from a hunt."


    "A hunt?" A lone familiar howl ripped through the darkness outside and drew a growl from my lips. "I''m sorry." My hands flew to my mouth. "It seems my wolf gets a mind of its own too many times." "Answering your mate''s call is nothing to be ashamed of."


    "His call?" I flinched when something prickly pierced the skin on my forearm. How in god''s name did that happen? I stared at a print of two dark wolves now resting on my skin and facing each other.


    "It is a symbol of that ancient old bond shared by mates....true mates." I did not know if that spoke of the magical tattoo or the bond shared with my mate.


    "Normally, your chamber maids are charged with this part, but his highness would not hear of it. He would not have anothery their eyes on you." Seemingly done with her charge, I watched as the woman retreated, leaving me wondering what exactly that charge was. "Wee back, your majesty." The woman bowed before disappearing from the doorway, making way for a familiar figure.


    "You are here." I breathed out, but for the first time today he was distracted. By the very wolves I still had no idea how they ended up on my skin.

 Chapter 67

    The birth mark of the twin wolves was something I would never be able to forget. Well, I had tried to over the years. To keep from being scolded each time I inquired about it when I was younger and to keep the guilt at bay when I was older. I was sessful most times, but it always had a way of bringing itself to rememberance when I least expected it. At the most awkward times usually while other times it haunted me in the confines of my dreams.


    Seeing it in the flesh, on my mate''s body, was more than bringing itself to rememberance. I had pictured a different end to my night with her. Being faced with that mark on her body was miles from it.


    "Perhaps I should have been the one to go. I could have been more convincing." I kept pacing in the inner chambers of the royal gallery feeling as though the walls of the secret room were closing in the longer I waited. "What if they refuse toe? I know I could not hold it against them if they still refuse to set foot inside the pce. It is the ce to have changed their lives after all, but-"


    "Will you calm down." I was surprised to note that my father''s tone did not hold his usual annoyance. "No matter the pain, Florithe and Lydo would never refuse a request from their king. More so since we have honoured their wish all these years." I hoped that was true, but it did nothing for the anxiety that gued me still. "Besides if this is at all what we assume it to be, it is only fitting that we maintain the utmost secrecy around the matter. The king of Xatis appearing on the doors of a noble''s house at such an awkward hour when he should be getting ready for one of the most important asions of his life will be highly suspicious and will definitely send the wrong tongues wagging. Especially if the said noble house is thest ce you are expected to show up."


    If what I had discovered was indeed true, it would change everything or make everything worse. I had not decided which was which yet. "Perhaps you are right, father." I sighed, deciding to take my seat. "It is just so damn hard to have to sit and do nothing when I know our enemies keep plotting and are getting a step ahead each moment we are forced to wait."


    "For what it''s worth, you are doing a fine job. If you could get that hot head of yours under control, perhaps you might even outshine your own father."


    I scoffed at that even when I appreciated my father''s words. "I think I already did that when I beat you time and time again each time we battled."


    "It was merely beginner''s luck." My father scoffed. "Nothing to do with finess."


    "Yeah, right, beginner''s luck... Again and again. For what it''s worth, I learnt from the best. It was not always enjoyable, but worth it." I weed the distraction my father offered from the matter at hand. If I didn''t, I would go out of my mind. "Yeah, you did make the worst student at times. Drink?" The former king of Xatis rose from his seat and headed over to the cab holding the wine before I could protest being served by him. "It will take care of those nerves while you wait." "Yes, thank you. A generous amount please."


    "Oh, now that I cannot do. Your mother and my mother will have my head for getting you drunk ahead of the banquet."


    I arched a brow. "I would never peg you for one to be scared of women."


    A cup of wine was handed to me. "Those are not just women and you will be a smart king if you learned that lesson sooner rather thanter. Your future queen does not strike me as one to be any different either. Especially not when Liira has taken it upon herself to be the one to groom her."


    "Grandmother loves me, she would never deliberately turn my own queen against me." My queen... Would Sh really be that eventually?


    "You have so much to learn." My father shook his head in a solemn manner. I was about to ask why when the doors to the inner chambers opened.


    "How is she?" I rushed to Liira''s side the moment she entered the chambers, inquiring about my mate. I had not seen her since the time in my chamber''s bath. I had every intention to be the one to bath her then, but the appearance of that birth mark had changed everything. She''d caught me staring at it and even when I saw her own confusion, I could not stay or offer her any answers. Because, truthfully, I had none. None that would make sense.


    "Oblivious to how her world is about to change." Liira shot me a disapproving look before she grabbed the cup of wine and downed all the contents. "You should not be drinking." Another disapproving look was sent towards my father who only shrugged his shoulders.


    "The boy needed to calm down."


    Liira red, but said nothing more on the matter as she walked back out. "Lord Nevan is here."


    "Nevan?" I slipped out of my seat and followed Liira into the gallery. The lord of the noble house was staring at the many portraits, but even I could tell that it was by no means because he was fascinated. Perhaps just passing time while he waited. "Your majesty." The man greeted me with a bow which I acknowledged.


    "What brings you here at such an awkward hour?"


    "It may be nothing, but with what is going on, I thought the king might be interested to learn of our findings regarding his mate."


    What was going on? I refused to give substance to what the man was insinuating by asking him what he thought was going on and where. I had still yet to decide who my allies were.


    "And what is it you think might interest me, Lord Nevan?" I asked nonchntly when deep down I couldn''t wait for him to spill whatever it is he''d discovered. Anything about my mate right now was a wee curiosity.


    "Well, apart from what you already know, which is that she''d conceived without shifting, we realize that her shift had nothing to do with her bing of age either."


    "What does that mean then?"


    "We believe the pregnancy triggered her shift so her body could bear with the strain thates with motherhood."


    "Meaning?"


    "Meaning she had no business shifting either as she was still not of age yet."


    "How is that even possible?" I turned to Liira but her expression remained ever so thoughtful.


    "Unfortunately, I am unable to furnish you with an answer to that. But I could point out that perhaps the answer lies in her origins." The lord bowed before excusing himself, leaving every one else in the room deep in thought. "Well, its a good thing we are about to be faced with perhaps the only wolves to know about her origins." Liira stated, but whether it was a good thing I was not sure.


    "Your majesty, we came as soon as we could." Two faces I had not gazed on for too long appeared with Rakon by their side. "Is anything the matter? Has my brother been found wanting? Did our house perhaps error in some way and angered his majesty?" The distress in the man''s tone who I sadly noted had aged for a wolf his age was evident. And suddenly I had one more reason to hope that this was indeed what it was. It was clear that the suffering which I had partly caused had taken a rough toll on the couple and I prayed to the gods that today they would find some peace and joy.


    "It is nothing of the sort Lord Lydo. And do forgive me for making you ride at such an awkward hour. The matter could not wait I''m afraid."


    The man only sighed. One of those sighs that spoke of one having carried a heavy burden for too long. "Forgive me, your majesty, but I do not go by lord anymore. Not after handing that title over to my brother. Are you sure he is not the one you sought to summon?" "I have made no mistake, fortunately. And I do hope that after the banquet you will reconsider your decision to give up your lordship." I hoped it woulde to that, no matter the consequences. "Reconsider?" Confusion marred the man''s tired face. "Why would his majesty ever consider such a thing all of a sudden?"


    "Perhaps before we spend our energies on thinking about reconsidering such grave decisions, may his majesty enlighten us on this delicate matter..." Florithe held on to her husband forfort. "Fair enough." I turned to my father and Liira wondering what the best way to peel off a scar covering a barely healed wound whose roots reached all the way into the soul was.

 Chapter 68

    It would be so easy to be carried away today. By revenge, getting back at Myrna for what she''d done, relishing her fall from grace, but I wouldn''t let myself fall into that trap. I wouldn''t let myself be as my own parents were. Selfish, caring more about their own needs at my expense. Today was about my child. The true heir to the throne of Xatis. I would do this for him as many were already doing.


    The throne room was already filling up, ording to Gol''s reports. The people of Xatis were ready to wee the young prince or princess. Having travelled from afar after the shortest possible notice, they''de. Around the pce many had not seen even a wink of sleep just so they ensured that everything was perfect for the banquet. From the grand reception halls meant to host the thousands of guests, to the tiniest detail of the right kinds of spoons to be used for dessert.


    "I will do this for you." My hands fell to my belly, caressing it in assurance to my child. But despite my resolve and everything that was falling into ce, I couldn''t get rid of the nagging feeling that there was more to it than that. I had never seen iting before, but right now I could feel the wheels of fate turning. Churning my belly while at it.


    I stared at the skin on my arm bearing the tattoo of the two wolves, wondering if they were perhaps a part of what fate was about to throw in my path. Would it be pain or would it be anything as beautiful as the two wolf figures. Was it strange that despite how they had appeared from nowhere, I had embraced them already?


    "Mydy, may we enter?" Astryn mumbled from my chamber''s doors. For whatever reason, she''d felt the need to be granted permission each time she wished to enter my chambers.


    "Of course, you may. No need to ask for my permission." I rolled my eyes. I had woken up to a very quiet atmosphere. It was so quiet I thought for a moment that I was the only living thing around the pce. That was until Astryn had knocked and delivered a hot pot of tea. It would make it the first time she''d refused toe in without my permission.


    "All of us?"


    "All of you?" I frowned, but my I got my answer when a stream of maidens flowed into the chambers carrying various things in their hands with Lord Quent right after them.


    "My apologies, mydy, but we do need to get a move on. The time to head to the throne room is almost upon us." The man was practically panicking and to put him out of his misery, I nodded. "I do hope you have had more than sufficient sleep." I nodded to that too. After all ofst night''s pampering. I''d slept like a baby. That was after I could finally get rid of the image of my mate dressed as a warrior and appearing all kinds of delicious. "Mydy, are you sure you are alright?"


    Astryn''s concern had me turning to the mirror. Noticing the colour flooding my face, I waved her away before it got worse. "Of course I am."


    "If you say so." Astryn turned her focus on whatever she''de in with, but I did not miss the mischievious grin on her face.


    Knowing that asking her what that was about would be to my own peril, I turned to Lord Quent and his seamstresses instead. The bunch, as usual worked with an efficiency that I was sure was out of this realm. Transforming everything about me into something I could never have imagined. My sleeping gown was discarded and reced with beautiful under garments. The beauty, however, was wasted as the garments got covered up by an even more beautiful garment. Having had fitted into it when it was in mere pieces, I was convinced Lord quent was a wizard who possessed a magic wand that had magically stitched it up, leaving the exquisite flowy golden gown that fit me like a glove. Falling freely over my features, I couldn''t help but stare. "With this, the entire ensemble might be a little heavier than expected." Lord Quent said as he ced a golden cloak over my gown. "I''m afraid there is no alternative to the gold inscriptions required to be added to the sacred gown."


    The entire ensemble was heavy, but it''s weight was not in the gold Lord Quent imed to have added or the strange inscriptions Liira had said spoke of the history of the royal line. No. Its weight was in what it symbolized. In what it spoke of me. I was never one to be ashamed of my origins, but whatever I wore had erased every little bit of that. Nothing remained of the Sh from the forgotten vige. As I stood there, even without knowing how today would end, I knew one thing was true. I''d been reborn. I might not have possessed a crown or a throne, but the maiden who stared at me was a queen. A beautiful pregnant queen!


    "Mydy." Astryn''s awe filled voice broke through the silence that suddenly fell over my chambers once I was done. "You look-"


    "Spectacr, if I do say so myself." Lord Quent beamed with pride and with good reason.


    "Thank you." Was all I could say.


    "Oh, no need for that. It was a joy to-"


    "Behold his Majesty the King!" A soldier loudly proimed right outside my chamber''s doors, sending my heart racing. He was here? I knew I would meet him at the throne room so his appearance was a shock. One that had too many emotions overwhelming me. I wished to see him, but then I didn''t. And when that wine scent embraced me, I knew there was nowhere to hide. So I clutched on to my gown and waited, heart racing, galloping and yet never really escaping. Figures slipped out of my room, leaving me alone to face him.


    But then I realized that despite his scent that let me know of his presence, he''d not made a move to approach. Curious to understand why, I decided to look, yet not at him. I searched for him inside my mirror, afraid of what beholding him in person might do to me. I should have known that my choice was no different. I gasped when I was met with the brightest shimmer of the gold in his eyes. His eyes were locked on my figure, silent yet devouring and igniting every part of me with need.


    An appreciative growl, silent as the night, rumbled in his chest and I knew he''d caught it. Caught what he''d done to me. The longing in my centre that needed him and his touch. Rough and gentle. I turned fully, just because his reflection was no longer enough. I needed him and as though he could read my thoughts, he closed the distance between us, making me gasp.


    "You are..." He trailed off while I hang on to his unfinished sentence, longing to know what he saw in words. But he merely watched, albeit painfully, but not in the very sense of the word. Painful because he couldn''t take what he desired, couldn''t give me what I longed for. He drew closer instead. "You are..."


    "Yes?" I answered breathlessly, mouth needing his like yesterday.


    "You, you, y-you''ll be the death of me!" I drowned. Right along with his words as his lips devoured mine, albeit it roughly. And I, shameless and drunk on desire opened up in invitation, taking everything he offered as he kissed every inch of my mouth, leaving me close to asking if anyone would mind if we did not show up at the throne room. "I can''t." He pulled back just as urgently as he''d dived in. Yet there was no hint of regret written on his face. Only desire. Raw and unbidden. "As much as I wish to live every one of my fantasies right here, right now, I can''t. Liira will have my head if you are even a secondte. Later?"


    Now was more eptable to me, but that promise in his eyes...I couldn''t say no to that so I nodded. And beside''s I was sure there would be a lot of disapproval from Lord Quent if I messed up even an inch of his master piece. "Later..." "This is for you."


    "F-For me?" My eyes darted from an exquisite golden crown to his golden gaze.


    "It''s meant toplete this very beautiful ensemble." His strong hands guided me back to my seat and carefully ced the little crown atop my head, taking my breath away.


    "It''s beautiful." My voice was barely a whisper.


    "Not as beautiful as you." A satisfied smile warmed my insides. "Shall we?"


    "Of course." For a moment, that beautiful magical moment, before everything changed, forgetting about everything, I let myself fall, as he held out his hand and brought me to my feet, I let myself be swallowed up in his deep dark abyss. And as he led me towards the throne room I couldn''t help but dream.


    "I will see you in there." We''d stopped and I hadn''t even realized it.


    "Okay." I mumbled as my gloved hand caressed my cheek, right where he''d ced his good bye kiss.


    "I''m the queen, I deserve to go first!" Myrna all but growled, drawing my attention. She stood at the entrance to the throne room, her guards surrounding her. I did not even know how long she''d been there. Had my mate not seen her? Or had he and ignored her altogether?


    She was beautiful as always, but perhaps not as beautiful as me. The unhappy frown that graced her face each time she looked my way was enough evidence of that fact.


    "It does not matter who goes first. Let her be." I mumbled when she insisted. The decision turned out to be something I appreciated. Somehow I realized that I did not wish to have someone behind me ring at me with murderous eyes. And having her draw most of the attention to herself as we went down the aisle gave me enough chance to focus on my steps. That and the priest''s chanting that apanied us all the way to the end of the aisle. My mate wore a serious expression even as he sat on his royal throne, giving nothing away.


    "Your highness." Myrna curtsied, in exaggeration, lips curled in a shameful flirtatious smile. None got acknowledged, thankfully.


    "My queen, mydy, if you may." We were both invited to stand on either side of the king by the priest. The elder maiden who''d sang to me in the bath broke out in song as she hadst night. I let the sound calm me while I noticed an annoyed frown grace Myrna''s face. If she had her way I could have sworn Myrna would have had the maiden kicked out.


    "My queen, shall we?" The priest stood in front of my mate a parchment in his hand and a dagger in the other, ready to begin the ritual. "A mix of the mother''s and father''s blood is of essence for what we are about to do." Hands were held out and the dagger used to pierce. Myrna shed me a wicked grin as she joined her hand with my mate''s.


    Against my better judgement, a growl tore from my lips. I hated the sight of my mate''s blood joining with hers, but I knew it had to be done. His gaze on me the entire time the priest kept chanting served to calm me too.


    The blood dripped. One drop, two, three and the tiny bits of red fell on the parchment, instantly bringing the dead paper to life. It was as if the paper thirstly devoured their blood whole, leaving no trace. Confused at what was happening, I stared up at my mate and Myrna. The maiden I''d known to be my sister my entire life wore a smug smile and dared me to say something. I was not going to waste my breath, however, and focused on my mate instead. His gaze fell back on the parchment and stayed there, making mine do the


    same.


    I did not know how long we waited but suddenly all that blood reappeared as if it had been spat out by the parchment, but instead of dripping to the floor it flowed gently following the many lines that criss crossed the parchment yet never touched any or crossing any.


    "Your majesty..." The priest lifted the parchment and showed it to my mate before lifting it higher and showing it to the multitudes. "Humble people of Xatis, behold."


    My chest tightened not knowing what in god''s name that meant. The gasps and loud mumblings that ensued only made that feeling worse.


    "Mydy, it is your turn." My legs shook as I drew closer, more so when my mate''s expression remained as indecipherable as ever. The piercing of the de was but a sharp painful cut that took me by surprise. The whole action was as before with I and my mate''s blood dripping on the parchment and being devoured just as before. Except when it was spat out, it took a different path than before. It was as if a magical being guided it as it flowed right over the lines that criss crossed the parchment, spreading out in all directions and yet keeping to the pattern.


    "Your majesty..." Just as before, the priest showed the parchment to my mate. Except his voice wasced with something. Pride? Joy? I could not tell. "Humble people of Xatis, behold."


    I expected some mumbling at the very least when the multitudes beheld the parchment. I was not prepared for what came next, however.


    My hands flew to my ears and had it not been for a pair of strong hands that held me, I would have found myself on the floor as the most defeaning noise filled the throne room. It took me a moment to realize that the noise was nothing to do with an attack. The people that filled the room were apparently celebrating?


    "My king?" Warm hands cupped my cheeks and when I looked up that beautiful smile greeted me. "What does this mean?" I seemed to have forgotten whatever it was Liira had said would happen.


    "Our son...or daughter has been weed by the royal ancestors."


    "And Myrna''s?" I couldn''t help but ask, but before he could answer loud protests filled the room.


    "You have to do it again, priest! Something must have gone wrong with the parchment! Or...that dagger!"


    "Enough!" Sarabeth? I could not recognize the once soft spoken queen of Xatis as her eyes red at Myrna. I could have sworn if she possessed a whip, Myrna would have received a thousandshes already. "You carry another wolf''s pup! I suggest you do not utter anymore words to embarass the throne any further."


    "Sarabeth...I swear, it is not what you think."


    "It is queen mother to you." The former queen of Xatis sneered. And if I thought Liira was scary, the usually calm queen was just as scary.


    "Guards, take her away!"


    "Mother!" My heart ached when my mate seemed to protest Sarabeth''s decision. And when he let go of my hands to take Myrna''s it cracked. And only the appearance of an ancient figure by his side kept me holding back the loud sob that threatened to escape. "Do you have it?" My mate''s question was urgent.


    The ancient figure''s long hair swayed in the non existent breeze. "As requested my king." He opened up a now familiar wooden box and held out a sharp de to his king.


    "No! Elian!" When realization shed in Myrna''s eyes, she protested loudly. "My king! Do not do this! I swear, it is not what you think. I did not betray you! Please..."


    If my mate heard her, he made no point of showing it as he reached for the sharp de and cut.


    My eyes widened. There was no hesistation, no emotion... just that-


    "Noooooo!" Myrna screamed as she dove to pick up the two pieces of the twined strands of red and scarlet. And despite what she''d done to me, my heart went out to her as she attempted to reattach them with shaky hands. "No..." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper as her tears streamed down her face, washing away the many cosmetics that had been applied to her face.


    "I Elian...King of Xatis, do hereby strip you Myrna of the position of queen and my wedded wife. And in the presence of the bond keeper do hereby server the bond signifying our union and call upon our royal ancestors to recognize it no more." "Please...you don''t have to do this..."


    "And for your treachery..."


    Wait...There was more? If it were possible for my eyes to go any wider they did as I beheld the slow rising of the king''s golden sceptre. I had not even realized it was now in his hands."... For your treachery in attempting to keep my mate from me...For plotting to kill my mate and my unborn child..." Jaws clenched tightly as he growled those words.


    "Please don''t say it! Forgive me Elian..." Myrna attempted to get closer to the king, but a sword, ready and shiny stood in her path.


    "Don''t." I''d never seen Rakon so emotionless. The head of the king''s guard resembled an immovable pir as he stood between Myrna and his king. "Please..."


    "...You are forever banished from this pce, from Xa-"


    "No! Anything but that my king!" Myrna cried out while my mouth fell open.


    "Be d I did not choose to have your head." My mate''s gaze was murderous when it fell on Myrna. "Be d my mate''s love for you has saved you today." He all but growled before cing his sceptre down. I on the other hand only gaped his way. It was astounding that even when I had said nothing of the sort he''d known. He''d known that I could not bear having her death on my conscience no matter what she had done.


    "You are free to carry everything you possessed while you remained under the pce''s roof." And he was giving her a means of survival while she went out there?


    "I do not care about any of it!" Myrna growled at a couple of guards that shifted to her side, ready to escort her out of the throne room. "I only want you Elian. Let me stay... Please... I promise-Do not touch me!" Her growls filled up the throne room as she protested. I did not know how to feel about the sight of her, thrushing as she attempted to escape the guard''s grasp.


    The multitudes had surprisingly remained deathly quiet. Watching just as I did, not knowing what to do. Even when I had expected it, nothing could have prepared me for the heavy atmosphere that resulted or the punishment that had beenvished on the queen. She was finally gone... Her protests faded with her absence, leaving me with a strange feeling of loss. Was any of this worth it? Was it worth her efforts to get rid of me, the thorn in her side? I did not think so neither did she. That I was sure of.


    "My king." The sound of the high priest''s voice drew everyone''s attention. "It is done." He folded the parchments and handed them over to the bond keeper. "The celebrations can begin."


    And just like that cheers erupted at the high priests deration but their king held up his hand to silence them. I expected him to say something, but he merely turned to me, sending my heart pounding in my chest. And when he closed the distance between us with those sure strides, the floor beneath me shifted and I barely remained upright, thanks to familiar arms that reached out at the right moment.


    "Are you alright?" Breathless, I could only nod to which he smiled. "I would have you rest but this has waited long enough."


    "My king?"


    "There is someone I wish for you to meet." His smile wasforting, promising me something good. But even before he could say who that was, I knew. Their scents engulfed me and sent my wolf howling in my head.


    "Are they really here?" Tears brimmed as I looked at my mate for assurance. I would die if it wasn''t true.


    "Why don''t you find out for yourself." He turned me around and I found myself facing two figures. Strangers, yet familiar at the same time.


    "My baby..." Arms stretched out, coaxing my feet forward. I had been loved my entire life. Well, up until everything went to hell anyway. I had known a parent''s love, that I could not deny, but this...whatever was being offered to me, even with having known them for only but a moment, made me realize that it was more than a parent''s love. And when Inded in their arms it was as if my soul finally found a part I had not even known was missing. "I never thought I would see you again." The woman cried, her hold getting tighter and tighter. I was notining, however. This counted for one of the best embraces I had ever received in my entire life. Unfortunately it was cut short by someone.


    "Brother? What is the meaning of this?" Someone whose wolf I also recognized too growled, their annoyance evident.


    "Evarius." The man whom I knew to be my father even without introductions acknowledged the other man dryly. But if this Evarius was offended, he did not show it, but instead approached still.


    "I did not expect to see you here. When did your taste for this ce change?" Evarius'' gaze shifted to take in the entirety of the throne room when in essense he spoke of the whole pce, I assumed.


    "Not that I owe you an exnation, but as Lord of the third house and grandfather to the heir of Xatis, wouldn''t you think it strange that I woud not be in attendance during such an important ceremony?" A smile lingered on my father''s lips, but I did not miss the underlying anger.


    "Wait, what do you mean lord, Lydo?!" Evarius bellowed.


    "That will be Lord Lydo to you, brother!"

 Chapter 69

    I had finally done something right by her. Even though still seemingly unsure of herself and the new reality that had dawned on her, my mate was happy. Or I hoped she was. I knew it was one thing to find your true family, but another thing to know for sure that what you have known your entire life was a lie. It was that lie that had led me to my chamber''s balcony to ponder over the matter. Many things were right or they seemed to be. But if there was something I had learned from the whole ordeal with Myrna, it was that nothing was as it seemed. "Seeing that you insist on partying alone, Ie bearing gifts." Rakon came and stood by my side, arge pitcher in his hands. "It is known to quench a man''s thirst and dampen sorrows too. Which is your fancy?"


    "I''m afraid I do not know, but I''ll have it regardless." I presented my empty cup of wine to be refilled.


    "Will you not join them?" Rakon inquired. Even without saying, I knew who ''them'' were.


    "Not just yet." I sipped on my wine. "How is she?"


    "If I''d only met her today, I would say happy." Rakon answered, his answer making me frown.


    "And if you had met her way before today?"


    "I would say she was missing something. A certain someone. Her eyes keep searching the crowd. Perhaps for a king?"


    Something warmed at that answer, but I was not about to rush to my mate''s side. "What of my former queen?"


    "She is right where you asked, unharmed. I do not get your decision, however." My best friend turned to me, frowning. "None of those banished from Xatis ever get to see a wink of sleep within its boundaries, so then why does she get to stay?"


    I sipped on my wine as I contemted my answer. "It''s simple really. She may be banished, but I''ll be damned if I will let her run right into the bossom of my enemies. Many who would keep her safely within Xatis''s boundaries." Myrna was many things, but stupid was not one of them. Something told me that her presence at the ritual was going to yield a positive result or at least she thought so. That in itself meant everything was not yet over. "Someone you have in mind apart from the obvious ones?"


    I had a couple, but I was not about to make those usations yet.


    "The whole point of inviting guests is so that you, as their host, can entertain them. Not hide away in some crevice somewhere." My father, surprisingly scolded over our mind link. I had expected such from Liira, but the matriach seemed to have been upied by God knows what.


    "I''ll be there." Not being in the mood to argue, I conceeded. "This lone party has toe to an end unfortunately." I gulped the rest of my drink before setting my cup down.


    "Argh...Do we have to?" Rakon all but whined.


    "Whining does not look pretty on you." I patted my best fried as he dragged his feet towards my chamber''s doors.


    At the door, I was met with an unusual guest.


    "Sh?" She was about to turn back when I emerged. "Where is Gol, Samara and Norae?" I couldn''t help the edge in my tone as I scanned the empty hallway, thinking of a million things that could go wrong just because she''d sneaked away from those charged to watch her.


    "I did not sneak away from anyone." She mumbled as if she read my mind. And when I only eyed her incredulously she pointed down the hallway. "My guards happen to be that way. I merely requested for a little privacy." Colour bloomed in her cheeks when she said that, but I couldn''t even stop to admire the sight as I was still rattled by the fact that she was alone in the pce that was full of potential enemies. Posted by ; visit us for more free novels.


    "Where the hell are you?!" Not that I did not believe my mate, I had to know where Samara and Norae were. Gol too.


    "Down the hallway, your majesty." They answered in unison.


    "I will deal with them. You are scaring your mate." Rakon red.


    My focus shifted back to my mate and only then did I notice that I was almost shifting. Her look, however, was not of horror as Rakon insinuated. It was more...was she sad?


    "Are you alright?" I pulled her in and held on, cursing myself while at it.


    "I am. More than actually, but it is a lot to take in and I just needed a moment." And she''d sought me out? That perhaps was the best thing I had heard the whole day and having her melt in my arms so effortlessly just made it so much better.

 Chapter 70

    I was torn, yet again. One would think my world would be blooming with happiness now that I had been reunited with my family. Well, I was happy, beyond happy, there was no doubt about that, but perhaps the timing had left me overwhelmed with a thousand


    emotions. So much had happened today. Most of which I had not expected at all.


    With the banquet, being Xatis''s centre of attention...I knew this would happen, but perhaps I had not fully understood to what extent that attention would go, or how far the pride of the people of Xatis reached ragarding knowing of the sure future of their royal family. The entire pce resembled a beast awakened from a century''s old slumber and nothing I''d known about the ce was consistent with the happenings that now filled it after the ritual in the throne room. I was but a stranger within its walls as I witnessed and watched everything with awe and wonder. The usual calm had not only been reced with its very many guests that talked excitedly among themselves, but it had also been filled with music, dancing and loud cheers. Wine poured from barrels non-stop as men and maidens alike toasted to the future of Xatis. Both the young and the old, noble andmoner drank and made merry, bringing the usually quiet grand reception halls back to life.


    Outside the pce, men had at some point shifted too, their wolves howling to their hearts content. The resulting sounds, a melody of pride and happiness, singing of sesses of both the current and future king.


    I would have been d to just be a witness to all of this, but that was not to be. Xatis, it seemed, was not only excited and happy about my child. With their queen having been banished, many had turned to me in the most natural and scary manner. I had barelye to terms with Myrna''s banishment and yet many had bowed unnecessarily at the sight of me, smiles wide with their mouths a word short of proiming ''long live the queen''


    And then there was my family that I had no idea I''d lost until today. Tears had been shed, warm embraces shared. I''d been thrust into yet another world that was overflowing with immense love for me that was both beautiful and marred with pain. I''d felt it. The end to my parent''s years and years of pain. It was in every tear shed, in every touch, every gaze, every embrace that was bothforting and a painful reminder of all I had lost.


    Fate had outdone itself and I couldn''t help but wish to escape. If only but for a moment.


    My feet had led me straight to my mate and that moment had turned into one long one. I had had no intentions of staying for too long, but here, by my mate''s side, surrounded by all the silence and his calming scent, I''d failed to bring myself to give that up. We''d said nothing. Well, he''d said nothing, while I had mumbled a few words about the peaceful world made of the widespread vegetation down below. His chamber''s balcony, I had to admit had be one of my favourite ces in the whole pce. Or perhaps it was because it came with his presence.


    He''d sat by my side ever so quietly, but I''d felt his gaze on me the entire time. The brief moments I had been curious and turned to meet it, I''d been plunged into a golden sea of countless emotions that I feared would merely add to my own overwhelming ones, so I''d looked away just as quickly each time. Of course it had done nothing to dim the curiosity I''d had lurking at the back of my mind. While holding his every attention was extremely desirable and very wee to my wolf too, I wondered what it was he was looking for. "This is not meant to be worn for longer than the ritual" He tugged at my gown gently, reminding me that I still wore the gown I''d been wearing before the wheels of fate made its final turn. It was a wonder I''d not felt its weight after so long. But was that what he''d been thinking about? My change of clothes?


    "We should be able to find something morefortable."


    Wait, we? I was scooped up before I could protest and carried into the heart of his chambers. "He only wishes to get me changed!" I chastised my hopeless heart that painted visions of something more. Except that did nothing for my own flesh that had ignited with need at the sight of the very first of those visions, and damn the bond that let him know what I was exactly thinking.


    His gaze was the deepest shade of its golden colour when he gently ced me on his bed that held the secrets of our very first moments of intimacy in his chambers. Secrets that had me blushing all shades of scarlet at the mere memory of them. Secrets that made me wee the surprise warmth of his lips on mine.


    The surprise, however, was not only in the action itself, but in the way my heart thundered in my chest at the contact. And despite the desire that threatened to run wild in my blood, his kiss tugged me into a whole new world. It was by no means chaste, yet it did not plunge me into the familiar fires of desire. There was no rush, no assault, just an almost sacred gentleness that caressed my very soul. How that was possible I did not know. Or perhaps I did not wish to acknowledge it.


    "I-" He broke off the kiss, eyes searching mine with an overwhelming intensity. "I- There should be something lighter among your gowns." He pulled back just as surprisingly as he''d imed my lips, leaving me yearning for more and wondering what he''d really meant to say.. His touch while he made work of the cloak that covered my gown only served to deepen that longing. "Do you perhaps prefer to have Astryn do this?"


    Did I wish for anyone to intrude on this moment? To trade the intensity of his gaze and the feel of his touch with that of my maid? Did I wish to give up the promise of something more once thoseyers of fine material were finally pealed from my body? To give up the chance to indulge in untold pleasures that would effectively distract me from the heaviness of my newfound reality. "No." I reached for his hand, my own boldness surprising us both. "I wish for you to do it." His eyes glowed at the invitation. That alluring golden shade that had me biting back a moan summoned by the mere way he took me in. A change of clothes was clearly not what was on his mind. Definitely not on his wolf''s either, but if he was going to indulge in pleasuring us both, that was a secret he kept closely guarded in his heart as he pulled me to my feet and got to work at relieving me of the burden of my gown.


    I would have imed him instead, but perhaps my own boldness did not stretch as far as seducing kings even if they were my mate. Especially not when the want in their eyes had suddenly been reced by something heavy and unrecognizable. He''d frozen, was distracted, the pealedyer of my cloak still in his hands.


    "What is it?" I followed his gaze, my own eyesnding on the magical tattoo on my arm that had been exposed. His demeanour was a perfect replica of his reaction when he first beheld them while Iy in his bath. "They are something, wouldn''t you say?" I mumbled when I was met with silence.


    "They are." He hummed, finally, drawn out of his frozen state by my words. "And quite unforgettable. Even to a child."


    "Unforgettable?" Curiosity had me shifting my gaze from the tattoo and back to him. "You''ve seen something like this before?" The idea had not ured to me before now. The twin wolves still meant nothing to me, but what if they should have. Were they a family mark or something? I had not seen anything of the sort on my mother or father. But then again, they had kept those parts of their bodies covered.


    A light side caress of my face was his only answer. Coupled with a very thoughtful look that had me rephrasing my question. "Have you seen these before?" My past was not something I wished to dive in just yet. If I had my way, I would choose a more pleasurable endeavor, but the way my mate looked at me stirred a new longing to want to know if there was a possibility that we had a shared past that involved the tattoo. "Of course, they have only surfaced now on my body, but if you have-"


    "I have." That thoughtful look morphed into something that was both thought and a mix of pain. Or was that regret? "A very long time ago." He kept staring. "So long, I should have forgotten, but this image simply refused to fade from memory."


    I did not know what to make of his words even as a strange fear to understand whaty behind them gued me. "Why would you wish to forget?" I inquired despite my fears.


    "Because you''d been lost right within these pce walls the night I beheld them and it was my fault."


    I''d been lost at the pce?! That was...unexpected. And...it was his fault? "How is it your fault?" Hands held mine with a desperate grip at my question. A grip I returned without a second thought. Because, despite his confession, I knew it would never be something I could hold against him. I was an infant when I''d been lost, so if whatever he spoke of were true, he would have been but a little boy himself. And once again here was evidence of our pasts being entwined, speaking of fate''s choice and the impossiblity of running away from it. Did I even wish to run?


    "ording to mother, I''d been so happy when you had arrived that I would not leave the chambers Florithe had given birth in. Being a young prince, they thought I''d do no harm if I stayed around, but I guess they were wrong." Bitterness dripped with his words. I sought tofort, naturally "I''m sure they were right. You were what, a few years older than I was? What could anyone so young do?"


    "Doze off apparently." He chuckled bitterly.


    "Doze off?"


    "Well, I did. It would be the thing to ensure that you and your family experienced so much pain."


    I frowned. "I do not understand. Why would you dozing off have anything to do with my being seperated from my family?"


    "It was night time and the moon was high and bright in the sky. I had wished to thank the moon goddess for the pretty baby."


    "I was born during the full moon?"


    He smiled and held me tighter before continuing with his tale. "Mother says I thought it was the most beautiful moon. As beautiful as the baby thaty in the crib. I''d watched it for a while, because I wished to get back to the crib and tell the baby all about it. I guess no one thought to look out for the little prince that stood too close to therge open window. Mother says when they did, all hell broke loose after they realized I had actually fallen out of the window. Everyone had spilled out of the room that held you and your mother right after. Their focus had been to retrieve the prince. Lord Lydo, your father had led the search. Hoping to find me before father got wind of the unfortunate ident. They found me, unharmed, luckily, still peacefully sleeping, but it was at a huge cost." He fell into silence at that, forcing me to look up at him, having an inkling of what that cost was.


    "Your crib was empty when they returned. Florithe was in a deep sleep, that sheter would not recall how she''d slipped into when she had been left watching over the crib.


    "Well, that exined why my mother had spent the entire time holding on to me after being reunited in the throne room. She''d never had that chance before." I whispered. That was just heart breaking. Now that I was a mother myself, I couldn''t even imagine such a thing happening to my own child. My hand went to my belly as if to wade off any of fate''s ideas if it all it had any of the sort.


    "Florithe med herself for a very very long time for not being able to protect you. Lydo felt much worse. As the lord of the third house he felt as though he''d failed everyone for failing to protect the house''s heir."


    Heir? I was the heir to a noble house?! My heart skidded to a stop at that and given our bond, it did not escape my mate''s attention.


    "Sh?" He held me up, panic filling his eyes. "Are you alright? Is it something I said?"


    "N-No. Well, yes." I croaked out when I finally found my breath, thanks to his panickedmands to get me breathing again. "It was a lot to take in, that''s all." It seemed that was all today had to offer. What fate had to offer. Life altering discoveries that made the life I''d lived seem as a shadowpared to what it could have been. "Which part?" Warm hands caressed my face gently. "I can stop if it upsets y-"


    "Please don''t." I held on tighter in protest. Somehow I knew hearing this from him saved me a lot of tears and heartache that would definitely grip my poor heart if my own parents were to be the ones to narrate this tale to me. "Are you certain?"


    "I am." I nodded. "This is not something I wish for my parents to relieve just because I wish to know my past."


    "You should know they''d dly do it, however." Elian searched my eyes as he sought to assure me of that fact. "They''d do anything for you. They did everything to find you, searched far and wide, but it was of no use. And the more they searched and came up with nothing, the more their hope shattered and grief sank its ws in their hearts. Florithe and Lydo became but a shadow of their former selves even as they chose to withdraw from society. Their loss of you had been too great a battle for them to fight."


    A vision of me running wildly in the forgotten vige''s forest brought a tightness to my chest. A feeling of guilt I did not think possible. I may not have had a noble''s upbringing but I was happy. Happy while my parents drowned in grief day after day. That was just sad.


    "I have grown up knowing their grief. Shared in it too when I was old enough to understand what happened that night." I stared at my mate. Had he med himself? All these years?


    "You were but a child."


    "It didn''t hurt any less when I''d discovered why Florithe, Lydo and the pretty baby never came to the pce anymore. It didn''t even matter when mother had mentioned that I shouldn''t have dozed that night."


    "You shouldn''t have? I do not understand."


    Jaws clenched before he spoke. "It would eventually take Lord Nevan to determine that that was no natural sleep at all when I didn''t wake ording to my usual morning routine. Florithe had also slept deeply for quite a long time. Too long even for a woman who''d just gone undergone the ordeal of childbirth."


    "Wait, it was somone''s doing?!" Anger bubbled. "Who was sick enough to poison a child?"


    "Perhaps not the culprit''s intentions, but the young prince sharing Florithe''s cup of tea had worked perfectly for whoever had been set on taking you away. It created the right amount chaos and the perfect window tomit their crime. They were never caught. It would appear you had disappeared without a trace, until now."


    Anger raged in my soul at the person responsible, whose identity I was not even aware of. They''d kept me from my family and knowing their love. A path I should not have treaded was woven by someone''s selfishness...They''d kept me from my mate! How different would our story have been if I had stayed in my parent''s house?


    It was just not Myrna, not just fate, someone else had been pulling at my life''s strings and I had danced to their tune my entire life! The very thought angered me even more and if I were being honest, I desired to have their blood more than anything.

 Chapter 71

    Taken at barely a day old! Why would anyone do that? The thought had gued me to no end and if I did not stop, a terrible headache would be my sure reward. Except, no matter the possible consequences, I couldn''t bring myself to stop. The need to know the reason such had befallen me had gnawed at me ever since my mate had narrated the ordeal. Not knowing felt like a void in my soul that insisted to be filled. And the longer that did not happen, the deeper that desire to spill the culprit''s entrails dug it''s ws into my flesh. I had barely suckled from my mother''s b****t! They couldn''t even let mey in her bossom even for a day. To relish her warmth before I was snatched away.


    Then there was my magical tattoo which I now understood was no tattoo at all or family mark, but a birthmark. Staring at it, I still found it beautiful, but more than that, I found it strange. Because, how in God''s name did a birthmark disappear for years on end only to reappear now? And why now?


    Someone cleared their throat, barely drawing me out of my unending thoughts. "Mydy, you have not touched your tea." I did not answer to that as another question burned on my tongue.


    "Why would anyone separate a wee child from its mother so cruelly?" Somethingnded loudly on a surface and it took me a moment to realize that that had been my doing.


    "Perhaps you should gulp this all at once." Eyes wide, Astryn shoved a warm cup in my hand before reaching for the head of a very beautiful dagger I had apparently mmed onto the wooden surface of the dresser. "I will keep this...safely. Until you have to step out of his majesty''s chambers or until you are done with your tea."


    Understanding her intent, I sighed. "I would never hurt you." Eyes watched me with scepticism, making me roll mine. "Besides I am not even sure I wish to carry that thing around." My mate had gifted me the dagger. The first of his gifts I had merely stared at when he''d presented it to me. It was beautiful, perfectly crafted and perfect in my hand, but it was still a weapon. And as much as I desired to spill the blood of the person reponsible for snatching me away from my parents, beholding one of the things to aid me in that task had left me shaking. Yet not because it intimidated me, but because in a way it called to me. Or perhaps it was I who was drawn to it. I was not sure.


    My mate had merely given me a knowing smile and wrapped my hand around the sheathed weapon.


    "Have this on you at all times." He''dmanded and I had wished to protest. To point out that he''d made sure I had enough men watching over me and that the pce was safe, but the way he''d looked at me had kept my lips pursed. He did not have to say it as I could see it clearly. Even when he''d tried to mask it, the truth seeped through the gold in his eyes.


    He feared that history would repeat itself. Now that he''d realized that I and the pretty baby were one and the same, he feared I would be snatched away. Not only from my parents this time, but from him too. And I would not be alone this time around. The dagger, I gathered, was his hope of it being myst line of defence if it came down to it. I shuddered at the thought. Thinking of my own child and the possibility that that could happen to us, had me changing my mind. "Perhaps I will carry it after all." "Then please have another cup of this calming tea." Astryn reached for the teapot and got ready to pour, but I pulled my barely empty cup away.


    "I do not need it." I growled, making Astryn eye me with a knowing look. "I''m sure I will be calm after this cup." I conceeded. Partly because even if I wouldn''t be, I hoped my mate woulde and his scent would create enough calm to keep my temper from ring as it had been after learning of my unfortunate past. And partly because, I did not wish to have to keep excusing myself as I sought to relieve myself of the pressure the liquid would put me under if I had too much of it. That was one part of carrying my child I had regretfully realized was not desirable. Liira had said it was because my child was growing bigger and heavier by the day. And while knowing that filled me with immense joy, the side effects still left much to be desired.


    "If you say so." Astryn gave in reluctantly. "Should I link Lord Rakon and inform him that we are done here?"


    "Do we have to?" I whined, my body suddenly craving thefort of my mate''s veryfortable bed. It had been myfort before I had been brutally awakened and reminded that the night was still young and so were the celebrations that characterized the royal heir''s banquet.


    The festivities would be going on for a few more days, but barely two days into the merry making, I already felt too tired to indulge in any of it.


    "As tiring as it is for you, mydy, I''m afraid it has to be done." My maid gave me an apologetic look. "But I''m sure his highness will whisk you away if you so wish at any point." The suggestion coupled with Astryn''s mischievious grin, left me blushing and very reluctant to protest or scold her for even thinking what I knew she was thinking. Because, well, time alone with the king was desirable in so many ways. Thanks to our bond, although I knew that was not the entire truth. Astryn sighed dreamily. "You could ask for the moon and I have no doubt his majesty would-"


    "Uh...perhaps you should link Lord Rakon." I finally agreed seeing as neither one of us was in their right mind to keep from being distracted by the mere thought of the king of Xatis. It did not even matter that Astryn''s and my distraction were oh so very different. "His highness is on his way." Astryn announced just a moment after and that familiar kick in my chest at knowing of my mate''s approaching presence shifted my gaze to the mirror in front of me. I did not know what I sought there. Perhaps to ensure that I looked perfect? Which was quite ridiculous as I knew that the maiden''s who''d gotten me ready for tonight would hardly leave a hair out of ce.


    They were perfect at what they did, and somehow knowing that I was the heir to a noble house, expecting Xatis''s heir and was the king''s mate on top of it all, had left them being extra careful, impossibly gentle. Hell, if I had decided to be readied while I slept the bunch would have only nodded in submission without so much as a protest and still been able to present to their king the wless maiden that now stared back at me.


    "Do not fret, mydy. You are perfect." I agreed with Astryn. "Today the third noble house will be standing an inch taller than the rest of them."


    I frowned at that. "Why is that?" There was no hiding from all the politics that came with my new found position. This I knew from all the lessons I''d had with Liira. I just did not expect to be plunged into any of it so soon.


    "Well, you are his majesty''s mate. You carry the future heir of Xatis. You are practically the queen. All the things the other houses could only dream for their daughters. The things that grant power more than any amount of gold a noble family could ever hold in their vault."


    "More than gold?!" My jaw dropped at Astryn''s words. "You mean-"


    "Oh, you should see just how envious the other maids and nobledies are of mine anddy Carlytte''s position now." Astryn smirked and I could only blink at her. My maid was by no means the stuck up kind and I knew this amused her more than anything. What I did not understand, however, was why there should be so much envy. "Many wish to be you right now, mydy. I bet many noble houses wish you were descended from theirs. They will say nothing of it, but they will surely be thinking it while you get introduced tonight."


    Oh and then there was that. My introduction to the noble society of Xatis. I groaned at the very idea meant to happen tonight too.


    After reuniting with my family in the presence of many kingdom folk, word had already spread far and wide, announcing the return of the daughter of the third most powerful noble house in Xatis. Many knew of me already, but apparently that was not to be had for the elite of Xatis.


    Introductions among noble houses had to be formal and proper. And because my parents simply refused to wait for anything, knowing how quickly precious moments could be taken away, a suggestion by the king to introduce their not so little girl to society was met with their hearty approval.


    It had been decided that since they couldn''t very well hold that fancy ball meant to introduce me in the midst of the festivities, the first royal banquet dinner would have to do. It seemed for this, they did not mind me sharing the spotlight with my child. Of course I wished for nothing of it, but I had realized that with such traditions that were deemed important, I had little say.


    A knock on my chamber''s doors drew my attention. "I''ll get it." Astryn announced as she took short quick steps towards the bed chamber''s entrance. Knowing who that was gave my belly a little flutter. "Your majesty." I was already on my feet by the time my maid acknowledged my mate''s presence. Just in time to note his serious features morph into a very appreciative gaze that raked the entirety of my form, eyes lingering brightly on my belly before stepping inside.


    I too was not without a sight of my own to relish. As my mate closed the distance between us in those sure strides, my own appreciative gaze took him in a manner that was both appreciation and pride...and something else that had my wolf purring. He''d discarded his royal garments in favour of his armour that fit him so perfectly he looked deliciously battle ready. My cheeks heated up at my own thoughts. It was not my fault, however. Because if I did not know where we would be headed once we left his chambers, I could have sworn he was headed into battle. And having seen him battle twice already, I longed to see the flex of those beautiful muscles I knew hid under his armour. Yet not in a bloody battle, but perhaps right here, right now. "Your maje-Elian..." My greeting was a needy sigh that on any other day would have left me embarassed, but not today. Not when he''d let out a needy sigh of his own that was almost painful when he''d finally stood in front of me, barely inches away from my unsteady breath. It was a delight to note that hiscked the usual steadiness associated with the mighty king of Xatis while he battled.


    "You.are.perfect." Astryn had said it. I knew it, but hearing thatpliment from his lips while he stared at me like that, as though he''d devour me whole in the next breath, did things to me. Beautiful things that drew a breathy smile out of me. "Thank you." His gaze settled somewhere where my audible thanks had proceeded from and I wished he''d do more than stare appreciatively. He did. As if he''d read my mind, he took my lips in the sweetest yet consuming kiss that drew me into him and never wishing to let go. I wished to drown for all eternity, but that was not to be had as it ended ever too quickly for my liking. My onlyfort was that I happened not to be the only one.


    On a deep sigh that spoke of regret and annoyance, he gave my hands a warm squeeze. "Ready to meet the stuck up society of your kingdom?"


    A hearty chuckle escaped my lips at his rather unttering description of the most revered members of the kingdom after the royal family. It also did not escape my attention how he''d referred to Xatis as my kingdom. It was a rather ntant way of stating what many of the kingdom folk of Xatis had ryed with their impossible bows at the sight of me. A heavy path that was...well, heavy. "I would never think the king shared such...sentiments."


    Eyes shone with mischief. "Well, it''s hard not to. They can be a pain." I stared eyes wide, still not believing his words that he''d let out so casually. His whole demeanour painted a side of him that I could have never imagined existed. A side I found strangely appealing and totally not what I had imagined each time someone gushed over the prince of Xatis. That time, back in the forgotten vige seemed like centuries ago now.


    Then get to know me, Sh. His pleas to start over echoed yet again and coupled with what I''d just witnessed reminded me that I knew so little of him. Well, the side of him I had not met yet anyway.


    "Shall we?" dly tucking away my new view of him, I slipped my arm in his at the invitation. "Aren''t you forgetting something?" I was about to step forward when the hint of anger in his tone drew my attention to him. His gaze was not on me, however, but on the dresser. Or more specifically on the dagger, that it seemed Astryn had forgotten to put away.


    "I meant to carry that." I simply stated and whether he believed me did not reflect in the manner he reached for it and sought to put it away for me. I watched with a frown as he searched my gown for something. Realizing what the something was, I pointed to the little fold on my gown that opened to a concealed pocket. Liira had mentioned that nobledies tucked such small weapons within their gowns as a protective measure. Mostly to be used if anyone sought to take their virtue without their consent. "I believe it''s meant to be ced right here." I offered, but my mate merely shook his head.


    "That is too obvious." He then crouched low and parted a couple of folds on my gown before he apparently found what he was looking for. An unusual hiding ce that left me blooming with colour as his hands carefully slipped in the dagger.


    "I did not know that was meant to conceal a weapon." Hell, I had not even realized I had been putting on such a pair of scandalous stockings until he''did bare my leg to him. And was it odd that he seemed unaffected by the sight while I, even with the careful way he''d slipped in the dagger, was left feeling hot and bothered?


    Done with his task, he let the gown fall back in ce before holding my gaze. "I chose the design."


    Wait, he what? Had he chosen the stocking''s too?

 Chapter 72

    "Hail to the King!"


    The loud promation from beyond the doors leading to the grand reception hall, jolted me out of my unending thoughts and brought my focus back on my surroundings. We had stopped and I was greeted by the sight of the king''s guards nking us in more numbers than those that had initially escorted us from his chambers. Two more guards pushed open the doors, revealing a fully packed reception hall whose guests cheered happily, ready to receive their king.


    Hand holding tighter to the said king, I shifted my gaze to him and was met with his. The golden gaze was serious and assessing, his form unmoving. He''d lost the carefree side to him that I had a glimpse of earlier in his chambers. And while I understood the need for this change, I wished it had not happened, as having him all serious inspired my nerves to go all rigid with my impending undertaking.


    "Shouldn''t we go right in?" I croaked out even when that was not what I wished to do at the moment. Turning back and walking away felt like the easier thing to do. To remain Sh. The once care free maiden who had not been bound by titles, houses or thrones. It had been what I had contemted once I was able to steer clear of every hot consuming thought of my mate.


    "It gets easier." If there was anything I expected from him, it was not those words offort that were clearly spoken from a heart that had had plenty experience. The mere idea was unfathomable given the figure that stood by my side. Nothing about my mate spoke of having struggled with embracing who he was born to be. A King... Confident, steady, sure of himself. He was the king of not only his castle, but the entire Xatis. And with the way my wolf puffed up with pride as we appraised our mate, there was no doubt that he was a king of so much more.


    Choosing to trust...a first for me when it came to him, but surprisingly not the strangest, I held on tighter, earning myself a reassuring smile. "Ready?"


    "As we''ll ever be." I let out a breath, my free hand caressing my belly. "Wee home."


    As heartwarming as my mate''s words sounded, my throat tightened at the statement. Home... Was I really...home? The thought had not ured to me until now and I could not help but think of what had been and what could have been. Twin lives that had been marred with regret. An undesirable ending and a stolen beginning, both a loss that made the tightness in my throat grow tighter.


    "You belong here." Warm hands wiped at the tears I did not even realize had fallen. "You both belong here." Those warm hands covered mine that still rested on my belly, the feeling stirring something in my heart even as his scent engulfed us both. "Always." I got pulled into a warm embrace then, the strength andfort therein loosening that tightness in my throat faster than any stream of tears. I should have let go then, but I held on, basking in his presence.


    "Perhaps we should proceed." I mumbled when I gave thought to the fact that we were not the only beings that stood before the doors to the reception hall and that hundreds more were probably watching from beyond. My mate, it seemed, couldn''t care less as he chose to ensure that I was really okay first. I was met with his scrutinizing gaze after my words and only when I nodded in assurance, more than a couple of times, did he link whoever was on the other side to continue. I had not even realized that the whole procession hade to a halt because of me. My eyes shifted to my surroundings again, but there was no frown or annoyance on any face as I expected.


    "Introducing Lady Lily. Heir of the third noble house of Xa-"


    My foot that was meant to step forward once my introduction began came to an abrupt stop. "Lily?" I frowned at my mate. "Is there someone else being introduced?" Even when every other piece of information mentioned rted to what I hade to know about myself, the name was simply not me.


    "Lily is your birth name. It''s what Florithe and Lydo have called you."


    "Oh. It''s a beautiful name..." I mumbled. It truly was, but it was just not me and while I knew I couldn''t change my origins, I was not about to lose that part of my identity. My life may have hit an undesirable end with the family I''d had, but that did not mean I regretted all of it, enough to want to erase it entirely. I was still Sh. But then...I was Lily too. The realization birthed something in me that kept me from rejecting the entire name altogether. I could be both. Me and this Lily that like everyone else, I would be meeting once I stepped through the doors to the reception hall.


    "Sh? If it''s a problem, there is no need to insist on it."


    d my mate did not insist on calling me by this new name, I smiled. "I am Sh. Lily too." I tasted it on my tongue before nodding. "Lady Sh Lily. I wish to be introduced as that."


    "Very well then." A hint of a smile graced my mate''s features as he mind linked once more.


    "...Lady Sh Lily, heir of the third noble house of Xatis..." My heart was content. As I fell in step with my mate and let him lead me into my new identity. The crowds still cheered as we headed towards a long line of men anddies whose dressing spoke of their nobility. The loud cheers only ceased once we stood in front of the nobles.


    "Your majesty..."


    "Lord Lydo and Lady Florithe. Lord anddy of the third noble house of Xatis and also your mother and father. My lord anddy, I present to you Lady Sh Lily." I curtsied at my own parents after my mate''s introduction. Their faces held not a hint of resentment over my name choice and it made me d.


    "A, you are so beautiful! Isn''t she Lydo?!" My mother gushed. And as one would expect from a mother who had spent years separated from the child she''d birthed, my mother was in tears.


    "She is perfect." I had not known my father long, but I could tell that if he were no lord, his stream of tears would have flowed as swiftly as mother''s. He stood tall and proud instead. "Wee home." Hands stretched out in invitation and I melted into them as though I were his little girl.


    "I''m d to be back home." Meaning every word, I hesitantly pulled back from the one embrace I knew I would never tire of.


    "Lord Hadwyn, lord of the first noble house of Xatis." My mate resumed his introductions once I reimed my position by his side.


    "Pleased to meet you my lord." I nodded at the said lord in greeting. A man whose presence embodied the word serious. Being from the first noble house, my thoughts wandered to Astryn''s words, wondering if he was indeed one of those who''d be wishing his daughter stood in my ce.


    "The pleasure is mine, mydy." The man bowed, impossibly low, his gesture reminding me of a little detail I seemed to have forgotten. I was above him. At least in rank. I may have been an heir to a lesser noble house, but being the king''s mate and the mother to Xatis''s heir ced me above him. Above all of them. My eyes fell on three more noble lords, whose demeanours were less serious than Lord Hadwyn''s. Among them, Lord Quent who was clearly beaming at me even when he was further in line before his own introduction.


    "... Mydy..." A Lord Nevan, lord of the second noble house followed Lord Hadwyn''s lead and bowed too.


    "... The fifth noble house celebrates with the third noble house today..." A Lord Rhanes reached for my hand and ced a noble kiss there in greeting. It did not matter that it was chaste, however. My mate looked ready tomit murder, but somehow the lord remained unfazed, giving me the impression that the two shared a somewhat close rtionship.


    "...A perfect fit for you, mydy." Of course Lord Quent would gush over his creation. "My house is honoured to serve you."


    "As I am to be dressed in such fine and exquisite gowns." I marvelled at my own eloquency and I couldn''t help imagine Liira''s proud look. I knew the matriarch was watching from wherever she was seated with the former king and queen of Xatis


    "And this is Lord Evarius." I could have sworn my mate''s tone held a hint of sourness at that introduction. "Former heir apparent of the third noble house." The man needed no introduction. He was my uncle after all and I had been the one to take away his right. I wished to say something when the air suddenly got awkward, but my uncle beat me to it.


    "Oh, do not make it sound as though it is such a regrettable urence, your majesty. I probably might be the happiest of us all to have my dear niece returned to us. Just look at how bright the countenances of my brother and sister inw are." The lord stared in my parent''s direction, his strangely delightful infectious smile shining as the sun. It was almost impossible not to smile along, so I did. My mate, however, remained unaffected and merely watched unamused. I wondered why that was. Surely the two weren''t at loggerheads? "No good anyone could do would even stir a hint of happiness on their grief stricken faces for so long. It warms my heart that our house will be filled withughter once again. Giving up being heir to the rightful heir is a choice that gives me immense joy." Hands stretched out in a simr manner as my father''s, but before I could melt into that embrace, a strong hand held me back.


    I red at my mate before I could stop myself. "He''s my uncle." I pointed out, making him release me, albeit grudgingly.


    "I should have known that you''d still grow up with the fire of our noble house in you." My uncle was clearly amused at my little disy, but I was also not oblivious to the fact that he was in a way baiting my mate.


    "I''m afraid it will do nothing to appease the king''s wrath once stirred." I red at my uncle too, my tone surprisingly firm. And for whatever reason the lord bared his neck in submission. It was subtle, but oh so very clear to me and my wolf who acknowledged the action, leaving me flustered.


    "I can see why his majesty insisted on keeping you. Such a rare wolf." My uncle gushed before pulling me right into his embrace. "And nothing makes me happier than to know that it is my own niece whom the moon goddess chose to bestow such a rare honour." A rare honour? I blinked at my uncle. Something had to be wrong. At least with my own expectations. How was he not upset over what just happened? I could understand his wish to willingly give up the title of heir, which was equally a surprise after his earlier protests, but to submit? The urence was strange even for me, and yet he still remained so calm as though nothing of the sort had happened.


    "Your majesty! Such a pleasure. It''s been a while." Still wrapped up in my uncle''s embrace, my eyes went wide at the impossibly soft sound that came from a familiar face. The witch could smile too? And what was she doing standing in line, next to my uncle? She couldn''t possibly be one of my-


    "I''m sure you have met Kerina. She is-"


    "We are sisters now!" I got pulled away from my uncle and into the most awkward embrace after the bitter red head threw herself at me.


    "That would be cousins, actually." A familiar voice snorted, reminding me of the first time our paths crossed.


    "Wait, Carlytte?" With all the stuff I had endured in my recent past, I had forgotten all about her. And now she was what?! My eyes darted between her and Kerina, realization dawning on me.


    "We are cousins actually." Carlytte remainedposed, but I had known her long enough to know that was only because of every eye now present.


    Kerina red at that, but quicklyposed herself, reminding me so much of Myrna. "Well, sisters, cousins or whatever, we are still family, aren''t we? I just wish I had already shifted, then perhaps our meeting would have been less awkward." "Less awkward? Such an understatement!" Carlytte muttered under her breath.


    "We have met." I replied hastily before the situation got even more awkward or before someone noticed my unwillingness to acknowledge Kerina as family.

 Chapter 73

    "I must say, you were right after all." My mind link buzzed, tearing my attention from my mate to my mother amidst the sound of cheer and happy conversation that characterized tonights dinner. Sarabeth''s tone was every bit satisfied and happy as could be expected when every n to host such an event fell into ce. Seated next to father, who was deep in conversation with a dignitary from a city I did not care to remember, her face spoke of her delight too.


    "I would have never expected this cold, empty and forgotten space to spring to life so beautifully." She beamed, reminding me of our not so little argument about breaking tradition. She and father had been displeased over my sudden decision to shift this dinner from the traditional reception hall that had served to host such simr important events in times past.


    "It''s quite remarkable." I noted. But while I agreed with my mother''s new sentiments, the reception hall''s beauty, however, had nothing to do with my reasons for shifting the banquet''s dinner from the usual reception hall to this maiden hall. My decision had everything to do with the one person whose presence here probably mattered more than anyone else''s. It was the beginning of the rest of her life as the noble heir to the third house and the only maiden in my life and I wished for this moment to be perfect for her. That meant not letting even the tiniest of memories of what had been before now to get in the way.


    It had been an assumption on my part, but when Sh had merely eyed the golden tform meant for me and her once the introductions were done, it confirmed what I had suspected.


    She did not wish to be my chosen mate''s recement, at least not in the way sitting next to me in the seat meant for my queen would. With Myrna gone, Xatis had naturally acknowledged her as queen, a fact that had delighted me to no end. She''d needed no crown or royal pronouncements for my people to ept her, but what should have delighted her, unlike Myrna, had only brought her difort. I''d seen every wince and unnatural smile each time many made it known how they perceived her. The difort had only deepened when she''d found out that she was of noble birth too.


    And because I knew I could do nothing to erase the thought from her mind, I''d instead settled to have the event in the one ce I had not shared in any way with my former queen. If only to ease some of that difort. Letting Sh know of that fact had been the thing to get my mate''s feet moving. And while I knew that it by no means erased anything, I was d that it was somewhat enough to make her stay.


    Nodding at my mother, I shifted my gaze back to my mate, my wolf instantly purring at the sight. She''d left my side at her father''s request for a dance and now she was the thing of beauty to grace the dance floor. "Undeniably mesmerizing!" I decided.


    Her beauty was blinding, a sight I could not decide on whether it was so because of her own wless beauty or the protruding belly that sang of my strength as a man...and wolf.


    While music filled the hall, I watched with longing as she swayed beautifully to the soothing sound. There was an innocence to every one of her moves, but not even that could keep my mind from indulging in visions that were anything but. And if wasn''t for Lord Lydo''s delightful smile while he danced with his daughter, a smile I knew the lord had not worn in so long, I would have reimed her already and perhaps satiated my own longing with her closeness.


    But having already decided to let the father daughter duo have their moment, my gaze settled on her form that I would not tire from beholding.


    Lord Quent had outdone himself yet again. The gown he''d created for her was meant to highlight the heir she carried, but unlike the old boring gowns of old which only ensured the protruding belly was visible, Quent had brought fourth not only the belly, but the goddess of a maiden too.


    I did not even know that someone so very heavy with child could be so very alluring...enchanting.


    Her every curve that most would cover up withyers andyers of fabric still whispered sinful things to me just as they had back in my chambers. I still wished to devour her now as I had when I beheld her then. When I noted her own thirst while she''d raked my form with a needy gaze as I walked up to meet her.


    I had had no business kissing her then, but I knew that the night would be too long without a taste of her. Not that that had helped matters.


    I brought a cup of wine to my lips, the liquid doing nothing to quench the thirst that was no longer just in my loins, but in every crevice of my body that beat with life.


    A figure in the crowd caught my attention and my wolf perked up, reminding me of the second reason I had chosen to dine here.


    "What is it?" Rakon stirred beside me, hand still on the hilt of his de.


    "Nothing or something." I could not tell as the hooded figure gave me no other reason to be suspicious once they stopped to greet guests in their path.


    "I will check it out anyway. Just to be, you know...sure." I watched as Rakon stalked the figure. It was probably nothing and I could have asked him to stay, but the unsolved mystery of my mate''s a*******n had kept me on edge. While I thirsted after her, my instincts still remained on high alert too. She was back in the pce and I was intent on ensuring that history did not repeat itself.


    I had not only chosen to dine in this hall whose weaknesses were unknown by my would be enemies and thereby lessening the chances of an attack, but food and wine had been tasted a countless times before it was ced in front of us. Samara and Norae were on serving duty instead of the usual maids who attended to my mate. And apart from Gol, I had guards whose sole focus was my mate at any given point. Hell, I had even decided she needed a dagger on top of all the protection.


    My gaze fell on her at the memory of her scandalized expression when I''d strapped the small de to her thigh. The hiding ce was unusual, but I''d known of many maidens who''d been disarmed way before they could get to their weapon simply because their attacker knew exactly were it was hidden. I would not risk such happening to Sh. And that was not to say my choice was void of benefits or consequences.


    Desire rang out in my bones, speaking of the punishment I''d bestowed on myself.


    "May I have this dance, your majesty?" I would have weed the distraction if only it hade from someone other than the owner of that voice. Kerina, Myrna''s confindante and Evarius''s spawn appeared before me, a flirtatious smile gracing her face. On any other day her bold request would have been unbing of a nobledy, but not today. While Xatis was still in a celebratory mood, it was customary for the king to grant such requests to his esteemed guests. But that did not mean I was in any mood to entertain any close contact with any she-wolf that was not my mate.


    "I''m afraid I have to decline,dy Ker-"


    "Oh, please do not refuse me, your majesty. And it''s just Kerina, notdy-" Three distinct growls sounded when my mate''s cousin dared toy her hand on me. My own that sent her freezing on her spot, Liira''s that registered the matriarchs disapproval of the maiden''s actions and the almost feral one that sought to mark her territory. Sh still danced with her father, but there was no mistaking the murderous intent that hid in the shimmering silver that now clouded her eyes. I gloried in that sight even as she kept ring.


    "I''m sure there are plenty unmated wolves dying to entertain such shameless advances." Liira scolded before either me or Kerina uttered a word. Not that I would have as I spent the fleeting moment assuring my mate from this distance that I would be doing no such thing.


    "Lady Liira." At a loss for words and the obvious knowlegde that she could simply not go against the matriarch, Kerina merely bowed before she retreated in defeat.


    "I can take care of myself." I scoffed at grandmother.


    "You know I never pass on an opportunity to put anyone wishing to overstep in their ce." Liira smirked. "Now, will you ask your grandmother to dance?"


    Desiring to be closer to my mate after her possessive disy, I jumped at the opportunity. "May I have this dance, mydy?" I gave Liira an exaggerated bow that she acknowledged with a wide grin. My grandmother, however, had other reasons for requesting a dance and they had nothing to do with relishing the beautiful sound of music that graced the hall.


    "So, who do you think is the guilty one?" We had barely swayed to the music when Liira spoke, gaze shifting to my future iws that seemed to beforting a sulking Kerina at the dinner table. "One of those did encounter your mate at the capital and yet they did not think toe forth and embrace their long lost heir."


    I stared, knowing I had failed to put a finger on the guilty party. None of the individuals from the third noble house had hinted at anything of the sort. Their faces only reflected the joy they imed to feel at Sh''s return. "I do not know yet." I admitted. "But for the record, I do not believe for one second that Evarius''s world is finally blooming with flowers at the return of Sh and that he is more than d to give up the title of heir apparent. The man had unted that title for far too long to im otherwise." "The roach is as clean as those pesky creatures can be." Liira''s frustrated tone reflected mine. Looking into Evarius''s dealings had revealed nothing as usual.


    "And unfortunately I can''t even re at the man without being scolded by my mate." Interrogations would have been appropriate, but no matter the suspicion towards my mate''s family, that was simply not something that could be done. Not without inviting her resentment that would widen the gap to winning her heart.


    "Oh, she''s turning out beautifully."


    I scowled at that. "You are supposed to be on my side."


    "Not against your mate, no." Liira''s matter of fact tone reminded me of father''s words and I knew arguing was a lost cause. "I would not worry if I were you, however." When I only frowned at my grandmother''s statement, Liira smiled. "Evarius may have won her smile now, but that is not remotely enough to earn her affections. In due time she''lle to realize what her dear uncle truly deserves." I hoped that would be sooner rather thanter. Because no matter how clean Evarius turned out to be, there was still something unsettling about him.


    "What the hell?!" Rakon suddenly linked, the tension in his tone rousing mine.


    "Rakon?" Eyes snapped towards thest ce I had seen the hooded figure, expecting to see my best friend at the very least. I was in for a disappointment that was enough to cut the dance with Liira short and urge my feet towards my mate as I waited for Rakon''s report. "Either your guest is a ghost or they have finally found the magical form for masking their scentpletely and...mastered the art of disappearance."

 Chapter 74

    "That was quite...overwhelming." My mate sighed the moment the doors to my chambers closed. Liira, thest of thedies to have insisted on apanying us had finally left, letting me rx a fraction. The trio that included Sarabeth and Florithe had insisted on being our escorts, both as extra protection and as a distraction for the crowd who would figure out that something was wrong when their king exited the hall earlier than expected. And while thedies'' efforts were appreciated, their fussing over my mate was not. It was understandable, especially for Florithe, but that did not make it any easier to watch the difort it brought Sh and her attempts to conceal it. "I should probably feel guilty for being happy to leave all of it behind, but I don''t."


    At her confession, I mustered a smile, hoping the tension that had wound every muscle in my body because of the looming threat remained concealed too. "I assure you that except those close in rtion to you, the rest of Xatis probably only cares about the delicacies set in front of them right now." My statement may not have held the entire truth, but I was not about to plunge her into the guilt of abandoning her duties as host and the reason the reception hall was filled with celebration. Especially not when I had weed her decision without question.


    Nothing unusual had happened yet, but once Rakon had narrated how he''d lost sight of my hooded guest, I knew I did not wish to have Sh anywhere near what would or wouldn''t happen. Not even the presence of so many guards was enough to get me to change my decision as the vastness of the reception hall would leave her exposed still.


    Her request to abandon the dinner hade at the perfect time. Right after Rakon linked me with feedback, Sh had bid her father goodbye and met up with me as I headed in her direction. For a moment I had thought she''d wished to switch dance partners, but the regretful expression that''d graced her face once I''d offered her my hand and bowed towards her had made me stand up straighter. I''d thanked the gods when her only words indicated that she''d had enough of the banquet.


    "And you...what do you care about?" She blushed even as those words left her beautiful mouth and I couldn''t help but draw closer. More so because I could clearly sense the hint of longing in her tone. And it was the thing to get most of the chords of tension around my muscles to rx. Something about her open curiosity made me think of the request I''d made to her in the garden. Would this be it? Her finally wishing to get to know me? Had she decided to give us that chance....to give me that chance? Her words were merely a question, but I could hope.


    Hand cupping those beautifully tender cheeks, her chest heaving in anticipation, I wondered if she was really ready to know what I cared about. "Is it not obvious?" I hoped it was. I may not have pressed my intentions to court her, but I hoped that my intent since fate brought her back to me had been clear with every deed meant to let her know of that fact.


    "Oh, how silly of me." She wiggled out of my hold, catching me off guard. Was it something I said? "Of course it should be obvious. We are mates after all." Apparently it was something I had said.


    "It is not like that at all." I reached for her before anymore distance could be created between us. "I-" Deciding to swallow whatever had intended to slip from my mouth, I held my mate''s gaze realizing toote that her question was not a mere question. It may have sounded casual, but the utter difort that now graced her face made it anything but. "Forgive me."


    "It''s fine." Apparently apologizing was the wrong thing to say yet again. The bitterness in her tone pointed that out perfectly.


    "Sh..." She flinched. The least reaction I could have expected from my touch.


    "It''ste." She pulled away before I could utter anything more. "It has been a rather long and eventful day, your majesty." Now it was my turn to flinch at her very formal address. And for the longest time I merely watched, helpless as she furiously pealedyer afteryer of her garments.


    She was mad and intent on ignoring my very existence, but bless the gods or was it Lord Quent for those straps that held her gown in ce. Something she clearly needed my help with and before she could shout for her maid''s help, I came up behind her and took the hands that furiously worked at getting the straps loose. "Let me get those for you." Eyes red at me through the looking ss, stirring something in my blood.


    Not the time! I chastized my wolf, but it was as if the beast had developed a mind of its own as it purred at every strap I loosed, stirring my need even more.


    Desperate for distraction, I stole a nce at my mate while I worked at loosening her gown. "I would be lying if I im the bond has nothing to do with anything." Not the words she needed to hear. I knew that, but we would be fools if we took away that fact from whatever it was either of us longed to share between us.


    "The damn thing is a curse." She growled, but somebody else seemed to disagree as they caused her to yelp right after her bitter statement.


    "Are you alright?" I was before her in a sh, eyes assessing every inch of her. My mate, however, was not bothered by all the fuss as her gaze remained on her belly. "Is she-he alright?" Panic washed over me when I realized that whatever it was that had made her yelp had everything to do with the child in her belly.


    Another yelp was my answer. "Did you see that?!"


    The excitement in her tone confused me. "See what?" My gaze dropped to her belly, but I saw nothing unusual. "I can''t-"


    "There!" Her hand wrapped around mine excitedly, drawing my attention. But whatever it was that had gotten my mate so excited had simply escaped my notice. "You didn''t see that?" Disappointment reced her excitement, but only for a moment as she suddenly stood to her feet and wiggled out of her gown.


    And by the gods!


    My mouth went instantly dry at the sight of her in nothing but a pair of those scandalous stockings that still held the dagger in ce. I''d seen her unclothed before, but this...dear God! It wasn''t something I''d considered when I had chosen their design. My interestsy in her having a ce to conceal her small weapon that was not so obvious. Of course a glimpse of them when I''d slipped the dagger in had left me thirsting and cursing the fact that there was a banquet to be attended, but nothing could have prepared mefor this.


    I couldn''t help but entertain visions upon visions of the many ways I could take her. How I could have those slender legs wrap around me as I- "Elian..."


    "Huh..." Gold...deep and dark, as I knew the shade of my eyes would be at this point, met silver. It too shimmered. Just as it had the night I''d pleasured her. The mere memory plunged me into a sea of tempestous need. Desire raged in every inch of me, my wolf wishing for nothing but to im her.


    "I thought you might see better without my gown." The colour that bloomed in her cheeks spoke of her shyness, but it did things to me that stirred me to want to reach out and touch. It took everything in me to focus on the thing she wished for me to see. And I was d I did as the most precious sight greeted me once I really looked.


    A little movement here and there. Almost as if my mate''s heart were beating right in her belly, but at very awkward intervals.


    "She''s...moving?" Emotions rushed in, the wave bringing with it a lump that lodged itself in my throat. And as if the little royal knew that they had an audience, the movements became even more distinct, leaving me in awe of their presence. It was as if those tiny movements were the thing to solidify their existence and my own position as a father.


    I was going to be a father! The feeling was more overwhelming than the day I was crowned king. And the intimacy of it, experiencing this moment with only my mate, in the confines of our chambers made it even more special.


    "Liira had said to expect it, but with all that''s happened, I may have forgotten to be on the look out." My mate wore the most beautiful smile as she reached to touch her belly were it seemed to gently vibrate. "Beautiful..."


    Hand rested on delicate skin and caressed. "You are beautiful." I rasped, emotion coating every one of those simple yet profound words. I could not imagine sharing this moment with anyone else but her and for the first time I thanked the gods for denying Myrna the chance to carry my child. I thanked fate for bringing back the one meant for me even after my very regrettable decision to reject her.


    Those alluring silver eyes looked up at me, the action every bit enticing. And because I couldn''t turn away from the invitation therein, I drew closer and took her mouth, her warmth dragging me down deep at the first contact.


    Herck of protest had me scooping her up and carrying her to my bed. The expanse offort that was covered in the best silky material Xatis had to offer would have to wait however, as I chose to sit at its edge, my mate straddling me. The position had her blushing all shades of scarlet and I had never seen a more glorious sight.


    "So beautiful." Like a kid let loose in a candy store, I longed to explore every inch of her all at once, but in the end I could only stare. And inhale the sweet scent of her desire that in this position was mine for the taking.


    Mine...My wolf dered, earning us a very sexy purr from our mate. It was the thing that got my mouth exploring. Lips and tongue took in every inch of her within their reach, earning me the glorious sound of sexy moans from my mate''s mouth.


    My hands had gained a skill I did not even know I possessed as they explored her naked back, the taut jewels gracing her chest that were fuller than thest time I''d pleasured her.


    "Elian..." She arched that back, bringing closer the fullness of her chest that had my mouth dly taking her in and indulging in the feel of her warmth. The ensuing moans threatened to drain the very essence of my own mind. I did not care for any of it, however, as all I wished for was to drown in her. Body, mind and soul. "Make me yours, Elian..." Her request was soft, yet urgent, sure and everything in me wished for nothing but to fulfil her every desire.


    Gently, Iid her down and made quickwork of losing what was left of my armour. Every inch of it. "So beautiful..." I froze at her statement that was full of wonder at whatever she beheld once I was totally naked. And I could almost swear I blushed a bit too when I realized just how much those silver eyes worshipped the sight of me. I stood up straighter too, mightier even as pride filled every inch of me at her hungry look. I was bursting at the seams and if I did not take her now, I would die.


    What I did not know, however, was that I would die either way.


    Ready to have her in every way possible, I slipped in, iming every inch of her inner walls that recieved me with a glorious promise of pleasure. That, however, would not be as the most excruciating pain imed my neck, making me utter the one name that I knew would tear my mate apart, but one I could not for the life of me keep from my lips.

 Chapter 75

    "Myrna!" Her name from his mouth pierced us both, cracks instantly forming in my heart and by the sound of the pained tone from his lips, those undoubtedly reached somewhere deep within his soul. What should have been a precious moment shared between me and my mate was suddenly marred with pain.


    I''d been lost in the wave of ecstacy even before he''did me down on his bed. Right when he took my mouth, I had slipped from the shores of safety and ridden the wave of want and need with every stroke of his glorious tongue. I''d held on when he scooped me up, heart beating in delicious anticipation of what was toe. But instead of his bed, he had me straddle him, a position that left me blushing, yet not regretting my hasty decision to discard my gown.


    With his lips, tongue and hands he''d caressed every inch of my naked self, sparking desire that had me begging him to take me and make me his. And when he had, by the gods! I did not know what in the realm hit me. Nothing had felt more magical than the feel of his hardness as he filled me in a gentle, yet hasty move that left me undone. With the hungry way he''d taken me in right before he imed me for himself, my name should have been the one to slip out of his mouth as our bodies merged into one, but that was not to be.


    Frozen, I held his gaze as he held mine. It was, however, not the gold I''de to love that stared back at me. It was not the deep that had once before beckoned me to dive to its depth with a deathly symphony. No. What I beheld there was a darkness that still wished to devour me, yet not in the pleasurable manner my mate would have.


    I was not familiar with sorcery, but whatever this was, had the markings of the magical craft written all over it.


    I should have done the reasonable thing at the realization. Got away while I still could. Untangle my naked body from his before the beast I knew lurked in the darkness was unleashed, but somehow I knew that doing anything of the sort would merely have Myrna win. I would let the darkness win and be left with nothing but a broken heart once again. I couldn''t have that. Not when I''d finally gotten a taste of what it meant to be alive. To be imed by my mate. To be filled by him so beautifully. Something that my virgin and drunk self had missed out on when I''d first given myself to the stranger that was him.


    So instead of running, instead of allowing myself to fall into trickery, instead of breaking that pleasurable contact that had my core already pulsing with unfulfilled need, I pulled him in and kissed him, hard, with a defiance I did not know I possessed. Bent on reiming him from Myrna''s clutches, I let my boldness loose. Caressing every inch of him that was within my reach as I sinfully imed his lips.


    Something within him fought me, but I fought for him, for us. I fought for me. He''d wished to pull back, many times. To deny what I was offering, but I held on, drawing him deeper, unwilling for once to let anything or anyone take away what was rightfully mine. It was my turn to pleasure him as he''d done for me that fateful night.


    The mere memory had me tightening around him, iming him for myself and relishing his hardness that still filled me perfectly.


    "Mine!" My wolf growled with a ferocity intended to intimidate even the worst of enemies. It would be the thing to get the gold glowing back in his eyes again. The thing to have him rake me in as he''d done before. With that deep hunger whose fulfillmenty in what or in who the gods had gifted him.


    "Sh-Sh?" His voice was a mix of surprise and a pleasurable moan that drew a satisfied smile out of me. "I-" His hips buckled into me, grinding deeper, leaving me overwhelmed by waves and waves of pleasure.


    I had him. ws sunk into flesh as my wolf howled at the ensuing toe curling sensations, earning ourselves a possessive growl from our mate. He was mine...until he was not.


    "I-I can''t!" Jaws clenched while his hands flew to his neck. "It''s... killing me!" His face contorted in a painful manner even as his wolf emerged. No doubt in a bid to help him bear the pain. It did little to help. ws sunk into flesh, yet not as a means of granting pleasure. My mate furiously wed at the spot meant to hold my mark, drawing blood. Myrna''s mark!


    It took me but a moment to realize just how Myrna, who should have been miles from the kingdom already after being banished had managed to sink her ws into my mate. It exined how her name instead of mine had been the one to proceed from his mouth the moment he''d imed me.


    The print of her lips on my mate mocked me as realization dawned on me. It was no simple mark to speak of her love for him, but a spell, a tether, meant to bind him to her. And keep me away from him while at it. At least when it came to moments such as these. She would not let me be intimate with him. Even when she''d been booted out of our lives, she''d made sure my mate and I would not live to enjoy what was left of it. With this, we would never truly know the beauty of our bond! The thought angered me and I wished for nothing but to snuff out the very life that held her existence in this realm and beyond.


    I couldn''t focus on that, however. Not just yet. Not when my mate withdrew from me and took away all that warmth that had filled me, albeit against his will. The struggle was oh so clear as he still wed at his own skin, seeking to be free.


    "Elian..." Fulfilling my own desires now forgotten, I only longed to ease his pain when I stretched my hand andid it over the ce Myrna had intrusively ced her mark. Not knowing what else to do, I hoped my touch would aplish that task at the very least. What it did, however, left me marvelling at my own simple touch. And if not for his own hand that gripped mine in ce, I would have withdrawn and searched the entirety of it for the presence of magic.


    "Elian..." His name on my lips was but a whisper when gold, the deepest shade yet, took me in with a hunger that sent the entirety of my naked self melting under his gaze and rekindling my own need for fulfilment. It was as if my hand possesed a spell of its own that had rescued my mate from Myrna''s clutches and thrust him right into mine. All traces of his recent struggles were but a memory in time and all that remained was the alpha wolf who only longed to finish what he''d began.


    "Need-you-now..." He breathed out, his rugged tone stirring something in my blood even as he drew closer. I should have done the reasonable thing yet again. Should have held him back until the spell had loosened its hold and we were both clear headed. Enough to figure out what in God''s name had just transpired. But then his free hand fisted into my hair and tugged, bringing my mouth to his in a searing kiss that emptied me of everything but my need for my mate.

 Chapter 76

    Pain and pleasure had taken on a whole different meaning since iming my mate. It would no longer be the famed experience between lovers where one endured pain while ridding waves of pleasure, but a battle of wills. A war against oneself. Two extremes embodied into one that I''d never experienced before and that had threatened to tear me apart. I had never imagined waging war with oneself being possible. When you were both the enemy and the defender. Yet that was exactly what I''d done once our bodies had merged.


    It should have been a pleasurable affair whose only threat should have been drowning in ecstasy. iming my mate, however, was anything but. My chosen mate had made sure of it. I had been stupid enough not to think more over what Myrna had done. I had thought that it would be nothing but a waiting game. That all it would take was avoiding Myrna''s feminine wiles to bed me, until such a time as when my mate would freely mark me. Wrong did not even begin to describe my misjudgement. I should have given my former queen more credit for her dark efforts. Knowing to what depths she''d already gone to be queen, I should have known that she would not give it up so easily.


    A treacherous tether, a dark prison of some sort. That''s what Myrna''s mark turned out to be. And Sh did not know it, but giving myself to her was the only way back. Her kisses had been my lifeline. Back in the void, where a part of me had been cast the moment I uttered my captor''s name, my mate''s kisses and her body''s warmth had been the things to keep me from being swallowed whole.


    After fighting a losing battle against the pull embedded in the spell, I had not thought twice when a voice in the darkness had urged me to surrender. To give up my fight already and my ordeal would soon be over. For a king whose expectation was never to surrender in a battle, I had swallowed my pride and caved. Surrendering whole, yet not to the allure of the darkness, but to the one I knew I could entrust my heart to.


    I blinked at my reflection that had stared back at me with equal intensity since stepping out of my bath. The water had been ice cold and yet sweat still dripped just as it had when I''d reached my pleasurable c****x. The thing to grant me the freedom that had brought me back to my mate.


    Desire still hummed in my bones. Even after the most satisfying encounter, I could not fathom how it was that I longed for my mate still. Having not had release for so long aside, I was as satiated as I was still in need. But then so did the pain. Hidden deep in my bones, it hummed. Just like desire, it still gued me after wrestling against the most potent magic to ever grip my soul.


    The war within still raged, making me realize thating back to my mate was apparently not enough. Choosing her and rejecting the darkness came at a price. One I was willing to pay until she could mark me. I''d already chosen to stick to my word to have Sh make that particr choice. But until then, Xatis needed its king. Because besides pain and desire, I felt something else in my gut. A darkness that was much more than the politics of a kingdom.


    Wiping at the pouring sweat for the umpteenth time, I turned to my mate. She was a picture of being thoroughly pleasured and satiated as her chest rose and fell with a gentle rhythm. She was at peace. A smile tugged on my lips at the sight, d that she had found her release as she''d desired. Seeing her shatter at my doing would always be the best of my aplishments, I''d decided.


    Unknown to her, however, was my predicarment. And I intended to leave it at that. I did not wish for her to be burdened by it. "I will see you soon." I finally said. Fingers caressed her wless skin and that hum of desire intensified effortlessly, making me release her. As much as I still longed for her, there would be none of that. Not just yet.


    "Come to me..." A faint, but alluring voice carried over the quietness of my chambers, drawing my attention and sharpening my senses. Whoever it was, they were bidding me to go to them. It was by no means a voice I could recognize, but something deep in me longed to heed their call regardless. Just as I would my own mate''s call. "Come..."


    I turned to look around as the second call carried with it an urgency, but besides my mate and I, no one else was there. Deciding it was probably nothing or a fiction of my imagination, I turned back to my mate, but still it came. Louder and tugging at invisible chords I seemed to now possess, getting me moving. I longed to fight it as I helplessly watched the distance between my mate and I widen, but for whatever reason I couldn''t. Because whatever drew me felt like a strong tide and going against it just felt unwise. "Are you alright?" Outside my chambers, Rakon stepped in my way.


    "I need to be some ce." I mumbled almost absent mindedly.


    "I shoulde with you." Rakon started to move, but I held him back.


    "No." "But-"


    "You need to watch over her." It was a marvel that I was still sensible enough to make that suggestion. "I will be around the pce. No need to be so overly concerned." I reasoned at Rakon''s appraising look before stepping away.


    "Elian?" Concernced my best friend''s tone, but I did not stop to ease his mind. Or whatever drew me away would not let me. This was by no means like the void where I could fight. I felt more like a puppet and whoever was calling out to me, the puppeteer. My feet moved as I made no attempt to protest, mind set on only getting to the one who called for me.


    The hallways were littered with guards, but remained quiet still. Heads bowed at my presence with neither, as always, not questioning my actions. "Come to me..." There it was again. Calling out to me in the shadows this time around. I stopped to listen before deciding which way to turn. The hallway that would lead me to the path heading down to the dungeons called to me and I mindlessly turned there. A few steps, however, I made another turn into yet another hallway that I could not quite remember where it led. "Your majesty?!" Someone practically snatched me out of my daze and brought me back to my senses, thankfully. Although it would appear that after the short trip, I wasn''t feeling quite like my usual self.


    "Gol?" Confusion clouded my judgement as I was sure the ouw that stood before me had no desire to be found out. His demeanour spoke of it. "Was it you? Did you call me?" I asked even though my mind was clear enough to remember that the voice had been that of a maiden. One couldn''t me me either as it was unexpected to have the ouw anywhere around here. Had he followed me? Perhaps on Rakon''s orders?


    "Call you?" The ouw frowned before his eyes widened at some kind of realization.


    "Well?"


    "I did no such thing, your majesty. But if you woulde with me, I will bring you to someone who might just be able to grant you those answers."


    The man sounded strange as he gave me his hasty reply, but...answers. That sounded like something I desperately needed at the moment as my mind suddenly felt foggy and more sweat dripped. "Answers, you say?" The world beneath my feet shifted and if it wasn''t for the ouw''s quick action, I would have probably kissed the ground, albeit in a less than graceful manner.


    "Yes, answers. Have you been drinking your majesty?" I felt Gol struggle against my weight, making me realize how pathetic my state was.


    "It''s a bloody banquet. Of course I''ve been drinking." I snapped, hating my current state. Something was definately wrong. "It wasn''t enough to be this wasted, however. Besides, I can handle my liquor just fine." I added, wondering what else could have been in my drink. Poison perhaps? Surprisingly, the thought did not rm me.


    "Then take this."


    "What is that? More poison?" Iughed bitterly.


    "I would never do that to Sh." The ouw said through gritted teeth.


    "Yeah right. It''s always about my mate with you, huh?" I arched a brow, to which the ouw only scoffed. "Give it. It can''t be worse than how helpless I feel right now." I held out my hand, trusting him. Actually, it was her I trusted. My mate. I thought there had to be a worthy reason that had made her make the choice to trust and bring the man to the pce. I downed the contents. Bitter as hell, but as potent as the magic that had threatened to devour me. "What in God''s name was that?" I questioned as I found my strength and my feet moments after.


    "The devil''s tonic." Gol appraised me. "Is that better?"


    "I should have this to go with my wine." I eyed the now empty vile with fascination.


    "I''m afraid now is not the time to speak of wines and tonics, your majesty."


    "Oh, yes. Answers." I raised a finger in acknowledgement, but tensed in the same moment when awareness caught up with me. "Sh, I need to get back to her." Finally back in control of my own mind, thoughts of Sh being harmed got my feet moving, heading to my chambers. I couldn''t shake the feeling of her being manipted the way I had been moments ago. For all I knew, they could have her jump to her death through my chamber''s windows. The thought had me practically wishing to fly back in an instance and when Gol held me back, I let my wolf at him.


    "She''ll be fine...for now." The man did not even flinch at my intimidation. It was as if not even death would keep him from aplishing what he''d sought to do. That in itself, made me stop and stare questioningly at the man.


    "And what is that supposed to mean? How do you know she''ll remain unharmed? Are you in on this?!" I sneered at the ouw, not letting his Aldean warrior frame intimidate me. And now that I was paying attention, I noted the tension oozing from his seemingly calm self. "What is that supposed to mean?!"


    "If you would onlye with me, you will get all your answers and more."


    "More?" I frowned, wondering if these were not mere words meant to tempt me. Something meant to lead me away from my mate and leave her unprotected. She is protected. My mind countered, but it wasn''t enough to settle me. "Have Samara and Norae watch over my mate." Knowing I''d made my decision, I linked Rakon with that onest order. With the two warriors having eyes on Sh, I would breathe better.


    "I am not in a position to say anymore. Especially not...here." The ouw searched the surroundings, no doubt aware of walls having ears.


    "Lead the way then." It was too much trust to put in one man, a foreigner at that, but when instinct did not protest, I followed after him.


    "And why in God''s name are we leaving the pce?" I was by no means afraid, but Gol''s demeanour was too odd for my liking. Not to mention the stealth with which he moved and evaded every guard stationed on the perimeter. The Aldean was a weapon in himself that highlighted a weakness in my own pce security.


    "I may have dragged your guest''s behind further from the pce than intended."


    "Wait, guest? What guest?" Surely he didn''t mean the hooded one who''d gotten away from Rakon? I stopped to stare at Gol, but the man chose not to furnish me with an answer and merely scurried through the forest surrounding the pce. I followed, spurred on by the desire to unravel the mystery of my hooded guest. Gol may not have confirmed it, but I knew that it had something to do with that being.


    A hooded figure bound to a tree came into view not long after and something resembling relief oozed from Gol''s frame as he hastily moved to undo the binds.


    "You bound them?" Wondering why, I came closer, senses sharpening in the darkness. I caught sight of the emblem of Carene first and every part of me tensed. Another spy?! An ambush? I was getting ready to attack and defend when the figure once freed, took off the hood of their cloak and revealed the crown atop their head.


    The king of Carene!


    "Your Majesty." The figure gave a little bow, but I was too stunned to utter anything. Not only because I was I not expecting to see the ruler of Carene yet, but because I had never seen such a frail looking man. Especially not a king of Aldean descent.

 Chapter 77

    Rakon was right. Even at such a close a encounter and with all my senses sharpened, I couldn''t pick even the tiniest whiff of the foreign king''s scent. If it were not for the fact that my eyes beheld him, the man would be a pure ghost, if only he could move as stealthily as his older brother did on our way here. The entire idea left me on edge as I couldn''t decide why he''d need to go to so much trouble in the first ce.


    He''d been invited for the banquet. That meant no harm woulde to the wolf even if he were an enemy. As long as he was on Xatis'' soil, every guard in the kingdom was bound toe to his aid in the event of danger. Hell, even I, as king, was bound by the same expectations. It did not even matter that one of his own had made an attempt on my life. So why in God''s name would he have the need to hide his true self and sneak into Xatis?


    And, had Carene fallen on such hard times that its king had been reduced to a form that was that of amoner''s in Xatis? Of course none of this had been heard of the kingdom that had gone into seclusion after the death of its royal house, but with the sight before me, it was impossible not to entertain such thoughts.


    "Forgive my less than gracious entrance, your majesty." The king bowed even lower, while I, still unable to utter a word, stared between the two men who bore an uncanny resemnce, wondering what in God''s name was going on.


    The king, despite his frailty andck of grace in his entrance as he''d confessed to, still held a gracious posture, while the other brother who still held the burly figure of a true Aldean warrior appeared as though every word from the king''s mouth was a bitter pill to swallow.


    "Get to the point, Zastan!" Gol growled at the younger brother, making him flinch. The reaction was subtle, but clearly visible and odd. It was as if the king had no control over it. I wondered if that was because of the less than morous reception the ouw may have granted the foreign king.


    Zastan, however, only shook his head as though the action would shake off the regret painted on his face together with the weight of his older brother''smand. "It is by no means the honourable way to answer to your generous invitation."


    In that he was right and seeking to understand, I finally found my voice. "Why do it then?" The crispiness of my own sound surprised me.


    "It is purely because of the point my brother is so eager to have me get to. But apologies first." Bent on sticking to his royal manners, the king moved, but his intentions to apologize as I would expect, were lost somewhere in the middle of a sword being drawn and a figure slipping inbetween us.


    "I said I would let you speak with him, nothing more." Gol sneered while I only marvelled at what the ouw had just done. He''d vowed to ally with Xatis, but seeing him sticking to his word and his clear intent onying down his life for me was awe inspiring. It made me deathly curious too as to the reason why the king of Carene had sought me out that the ouw felt the need to protect me. I was beginning to realize too that my invitation may have served two purposes instead of one.


    "Right." The man stepped back, subtly eyeing Gol''srge sword with a hint of amusement. "However, you should know that drawing that thing is not necessary." Despite looking so frail, the king of Carene also possessed an annoyance of a younger sibling that going by Gol''s gritted teeth, one would clearly tell how much he annoyed the older sibling. Although, annoyance and impatience were the least of emotions I expected from the ouw when it came to the man who''d dealt him the worst of betrayals. "You should also probably know that even your binds were not necessary. Your order for me not to go anywhere would have sufficed." At that, Gol lifted his eyes to his brother, clearly dumbfounded by what he''d said. I was equally struck by the meaning behind the frail king''s words.


    "What did you say?" Something lit up in the ouw''s eyes and for the tiniest moment I confirmed what it was the king''s words meant. Being an alpha myself, rank was something I was familiar with. And right now, despite the kingly position held by the younger brother, Gol still outranked him. How that was still possible after what Gol had narrated of the tale of Carene, eluded me. It would appear many things seemed to be eluding me yet again. I gave my neck that was feeling a little numb a squeeze as if that would get my own head working as it should.


    "You know for a man who always sang about paying attention, you yourself did a shitty job at it, brother." The king chuckled, earning himself a growl from the ouw.


    "Zastan!" Gol red at the king who only sighed.


    "Did it ever ur to you as to how I was able to do the entire thing?" The king held my gaze, but his question was clearly meant for Gol. But that would not stop me from trying to figure out the ''how'' even when I knew the answer had eluded me from the moment word of Carene falling had reached Xatis.


    "That knowledge changes nothing." Pain and failureced the ouw''s words as it always did when Carene was the matter at hand. "And I did not spare you so that you could dwell on the past."


    Regret. Tons of it overshadowed the king''s face before focussing his attention on me yet again. I couldn''t hide my confusion at the emotion disyed by the usurper of Carene''s throne. Did he now regret his act or had he also done so over the years? The king only offered an understanding smile. "You see, unlike my brother, I do believe that dwelling on the past, having knowledge of what has been, could be the thing that gives power to change the future. Your future."


    My future? Now it was my turn to be impatient as the king''s words sounded more like riddles. Riddles that my now tired mind refused to solve. "Whatever do you mean? Xatis is clearly not Carene." I rubbed at my neck yet again. It felt heavier than numb, making me wonder if this was the effects of Gol''s tonic wearing off. Was it meant to wear off? I couldn''t for the love of God remember if he''d said anything of the sort.


    Abandoning my fruitless endeavor to remember, I turned my focus back to the king. It proved to be one hell of an effort to make, making me realize that something was deeply wrong. And I had not been the only to notice.


    "Your majesty?" The king of Carene rushed towards me, but my bared my teeth and Gol kept him at bay. Or so I thought as I felt a heaviness settle on me. I was slipping. Into what, I did not know. "He got to you too?" The king''s words were filled with horror. They spoke of defeat too. And whatever they meant seemed to have swallowed his earlier determination, leaving only fear as the man eyed me with a knowing look.


    "What in God''s name are you talking about? Who got to me?" I rubbed at that annoying feeling in my neck that was beginning to give me an unusual itch and an unsettling amount of dread.


    "Zastan, what is it?" Gol turned to his brother with a tenderness the ouw had only ever shown to my mate.


    "It is toote." The king merely shook his head refusing to look up. An action unbing of a king in charge of a whole kingdom.


    Feeling infuriated by the entire matter, I eyed the man with indignation. "What kind of king are you that you can only sob in the face of whatever this is?" He was by no means sobbing, but he might as well have been. "You did sneak into Xatis with an intention to change, warn or whatever... and did you just now decide it was all pointless?"


    "That is the thing, your majesty. I am no king." Truth shone in those tired eyes, leaving me utterly confused. "I am nothing but a mere-" "...puppet of the actual king."


    My head, as heavy as it felt on my shoulders, snapped to the side at the sound of that voice. "You!" I growled at a very familiar face and despite the heaviness I felt, I shifted, something that I would consider an overreaction on my part, but instinct decided this was very necessary. Gol followed suit without question and for the first time since I''d walked in here, I regretted not having listened to Rakon.


    "It appears I made a deal with the devil." The king of Carene seemed toment from somewhere beside me. "And as we know of the wretched being, he is out to get everything."


    Everything... Being on four legs should have been better than being on two, but as everything melted into nothing but darkness, so did my wolf form.

 Chapter 78

    The winds of fate where blowing yet again and I had thought they would be less harsh with their dealings this time around. I was wrong...


    "Why did no one wake me earlier?" I red at the bright light from the high noon sun as though it were in anyway at fault. I couldn''t believe that I''d slept this much.


    "Well, afterst night we figured you''d need extra rest and decided to let you sleep in until such a time that you would wake of your own volition." Norae offered her answer with that emotionless face of a warrior, but I blushed still, thinking ofst night and what else the guards may have been forced to endure as they stood guard outside of the king''s chambers.


    And speaking of the king... "His highness?" I tried to sound as casual as possible when I inquired of my mate whose absence when I awakened had been a bit of a prickle to my heart. Only my mind reminding me that I''d overslept and should have not expected him toy around in bed, cuddling while the kingdom awaited on him, kept me from sumbing to the many thoughts of what his absence after our glorious first time together could mean. Our first time...I felt my cheeks heat up as I suspected they would be doing for a long time toe each time I thought back to the moment that everything had shattered into oblivion, leaving only desires fulfilled.


    "Perhaps mydy should bath and eat first-" Before Samara could even finish uttering her thought, the doors to the chambers burst open, letting in a flood of maids led by Carlytte and Astryn. The noble maiden beamed as she floated gracefully to my side while the maid wore a very pleased smile that I did not need guessing as to what its source could be. I wondered how much of the pce knew of mine and my mate''s escapadesst night. The thought left me blushing even more.


    "Sister." I melted into Carlytte''s embrace, loving the genuineness of it and the sense of family that her address inspired. Unlike with Kerina, I did not mind her calling me ''sister'' at all. Apart from my own parents, she was the first in my newfound family that I knew was genuinely happy about my return and I couldn''t wait until we had the chance to really get to know each other and build on the sisterly bond. "Are you alright? How''s my niece, or is it a nephew? Is everything alright? You left the banquet so suddenlyst night and-"


    "I am fine, Carlytte, I promise." I patted the back of the young maiden and only when I felt her rx did I realize that she''d been seriously concerned of my well being.


    "Oh thank the gods." She pulled back and seemed to assess my frame as if wishing to prove my ims for herself. "With everything going on-"


    "Everything going on?" I arched a brow and Carlytte pped a hand over her mouth, realization shining in her eyes.


    "I simply meant that in your state and given what you''ve had to endure in the recent past, being expected to y host to all those guests must have taken its toll." Her observation was correct but somehow I felt that it had nothing to do with the ''everything going on'' she''d alluded to.


    "Mydy, your bath is ready." Astryn did not wait for my reply before she gently tugged me to my feet and started helping me out of my sleeping garment. I couldn''t help thinking this was my maid''s way of distracting me from thinking more about Carlytte''s words. "I took the liberty of cing some fruits next to the bath for your enjoyment and to get the replenishing of your strength started before you can have some actual food." She mumbled as she draped a bath robe on my now naked frame.


    "Thank you." I offered my maid a smile before curiously scanning the rest of the bed chambers. A nagging feeling I could not shake had settled on me after Carlytte''s words. And my own observations of my surroundings would not put the feeling to rest as they made me realize that I was missing something. Or that something was wrong.


    I noted with rm that apart from Carlytte and Astryn, every other figure that had stepped into the chambers, even though dressed as maids where no maids at all. Their warrior like figures and stiff nods as I passed them enroute to the bath betrayed their cover. "Why do I need so many guards?"


    "M-Mydy?" Panicked expressions painted both Carlytte and Astryn''s faces at my question, inspiring dread in my heart when they made no attempt to even deny what I''d observed. And now that I thought about it, Samara had not answered my question regarding my mate either. Had something happened while I slept? An attack maybe that had taken him from my side and forced him to ce such heavy protection to watch over me in his absence.


    "It was his highness'' choice." Norae stepped up, volunteering the information with that emotionless face that gave nothing else away, leaving me feeling a little frustrated. "He preferred his trusted warriors to serve you, unlike the usual pce maids who can easily be infiltrated while the castle is filled with so many guests."


    "So Xatis is alright then?" I asked after the kingdom, when what I really wished to ask after was my mate.


    "Yes, mydy."


    "But you and this precious niece or nephew won''t be if you keep putting eating off." Carlytte dragged me to the bath against my protests. And after warning me not to think anymore of the politics of the kingdom, she helped me in and once I settled, handed me a cup of tea.


    I should not have enjoyed the hot beverage on such a hot afternoon, but whatever was in it tasted like heaven and coupled with the magic of Astryn''s hands on my overworked body, I found my bath time quite rxing. So much that heeding to Carlytte''s warning was the easiest thing to do as peace settled in my soul.


    My bath time ended with brunch that I had apparently managed to eat while I bathed. Thanks to Carlytte who insisted that it was not fair to keep the child I carried waiting after a mean growl from my stomach had filled the room, speaking of my own hunger. "What is this?" I felt the peace I''d gained drain away at the sight of an exquisite gown that wasid out on therge bed for me. It wasn''t its beauty that earned such a reaction from me, however, but its colour. The deep shade of purple made me aware that the winds of fate were blowing yet again and this time around, heavier than before.


    "A gift from the queen mother. She insists that you put it on."


    "Sarabeth insists?" Not Liira? I stared at Samara who stood besides the bed. I realized she had been the one to deliver the gown.


    "Yes, mydy."


    "I can''t." I dered, even when I knew that refusing such a gift was impossible. Because it was no gift in the literal sense, but a symbol of an end of an era and the beginning of another. I''d learnt that much from Liira. Apart from the many deeds to be done, a former queen of Xatis was expected to gift the new queen a gown meant to be worn on her first official engagement. Of course I did not even know whether this was it, but I couldn''t help feeling unusually right to think it was. "You have not been crowned anything yet." Iforted myself, but all that went out of the window when Samara''s words confirmed my fears.


    "Mydy is expected in the council chambers." The guard''s words were expected to sway my decision and ept the gift, but hearing of my presence being waited on in the council chambers only made me sick to my stomach and had me drawing further from the bed and the gown.


    "I think it matches your eyes. Don''t you think so, Astryn?" Carlytte jumped in with her usual charm, clearly seeking to ease my difort. It was not enough.


    "I think it suits mydy perfectly, unlike-" My maid''s eyes widened with realisation, before pping a hand over her mouth. "I-I think you and this gown are perfectly suited." Astryn sighed. "And whether mydy wears it today, tomorrow or a thousand years from now, this is a future that is certain for you." An apologetic smile was cast my way, but I knew my maid was anything but apologetic over her words. Because they were true. I knew it and so did everyone else who surrounded me in the king''s chambers. "His highness, where is he?" Because I was desperate for hisfort, my inquiry was more of a demand than a question.


    "I''m afraid he can''t be here."


    "Right," I nodded at Norae. "Then perhaps I will meet him at the council chambers." At my resolve, a strange look passed between my two personal guards, but before I could catch onto what it meant, they both nodded. And that served to be the cue for Carlytte and Astryn to spring into action, getting me dressed at a speed that had me suspecting they expected me to change my mind at any moment.


    As much beauty as the gown wrapped me in, it also draped me in a heaviness that only increased in weight the closer I was led to the council chambers. And the sight of Sarabeth pacing outside the doors leading to the chambers only served to add to the weight of my burden.


    "Thank the gods you are finally here." The former queen exhaled as she rushed to meet up with my small entourage. "And you look absolutely beautiful." She beamed, but I couldn''t help notice the worry lines on her beautiful face.


    "Thank you. Although, I am not sure why I''ve been summoned or why mydy insisted I be dressed in the queen''s colour." Because not knowing for a moment longer felt like the anxiety in my bones would begin cracking things, I held on tightly to Sarabeth while I hoped for an answer.


    "Well, then, I suppose we should go right in." My hope was deferred as the former queen took my hand and led us the remaining steps towards the council chambers.


    "This is not usual of my son so forgive me, but I have to ask." Sarabeth suddenly stopped in front of the chambers, forcing me to a stop too. "Did you and the king get into some sort of a fight?"


    "Mydy?" The question caught me off guard.


    "Rakon here says the king didn''t seem quite himself when he stepped out of your chambersst night."


    "Last night? He''d left the chambersst night?" I''d spent the entire night alone? The knowledge of that brought a familiar sting to my heart. What was it? Regret? Disapointment? Did the experience not live up to his expectations that he''d had the need to run? "Sh?"


    "Hmm?" My gaze darted between the former queen and the head of the king''s guard. Expectation was written on Sarabeth''s face while Rakon eyed me with a strange look. One I would have never expected from the guard who''d epted me from the moment we met. It was as if he suspected me of having done something. It was that thought that made me turn to Sarabeth and made a confession I wouldn''t have made in front of an audience. No matter how small.


    "I was going to take you up on your offer for tea this morning." When she frowned at my unusual answer, I bit my lips nervously, wondering how to speak of the thought that had been thest thing on my mind as I slipped into dreandst night. "I wished to speak to you about mine and the king''s mating ceremony." Because banishing Myrna had still kept her in our lives, the mating ceremony was the only way I could think of ensuring that the only bond to continue existing would be mine and my mate''s. At least that is what I hoped for.


    "Oh..." The former queen''s eyes brightened, but only for a moment.


    "Why, was I too forward?" I felt my cheeks heat up. "Liira did mention that the king''s mother was meant to oversee the ceremony and-"


    "Liira was right in saying so and you are in no way too forward over it." Hands tightened over mine as the former queen''s voice shook with emotion, rekindling the uneasy feeling I''d felt back in the king''s chambers. "Perhaps, it''s time we went in."


    "Did something happen? Did Elian say something?" Was that why he''d abandoned mest night, why I had been brought before the council? Had he used me of something? My own thoughts made no sense. Neither did my presence here nor the queen''s gown I had been gifted. And Sarabeth was yet to give me a reasonable exnation as to why I had been summoned.


    "I wish he were here to say something."


    "He is not?" I frowned at the council chamber''s doors that were just as heavily guarded as every inch of the route we had used getting here.


    "The king has been missing sincest night. And as his future queen and mother to his heir, your presence in the council will be of utmost importance while he is still yet to be found."


    "Missing?!" A growl tore from my lips, surprising even my own self. The news of my missing mate should have knocked me to the ground or something, but it only served to awaken something else. My tattoo and a beast deep within that wished for nothing but to find our mate. "What do you mean he''s missing?!" Hand clutching tightly to my arm that chose that moment to burn, I ran after Sarabeth as she disappeared into the council chambers. "How can a whole king go missing under the watchful eye of a kingdom''s entire guard and in the middle of a feast?!"


    "That is exactly what we wish to know. Since thest person to be seen with my son refuses to speak to anyone but you." I stopped in my tracks at the former king of Xatis'' address as realisation of where I was hit me. And was that usation in my future father inw''s tone?


    "Me?" Eyes took me in after my noisy entrance. Some with genuine curiosity, while others like Elian''s father, eyed me with that usatory gaze. Liira was there too and I could not decipher the look she gave me even if my life depended on it. The matriarch sat next to a man who looked as ancient as life itself and who eyed me as if I was an enigma. The ancient man, I quickly gathered, was no noble and his prating gaze was not something I wished to endure.


    "Bring in the traitor!" The sound of shackles and painful grunts drew my attention from the ancient man to the chamber''s entrance. Curious to discover the person who would only speak to me, I turned fully. "I should have known that an ouw''s word would always be worthless!" The former king spat, but I paid him no mind as his words ignited panic in my heart. And before I knew it, I was rushing back to the entrance, praying that my ouw was not the one to have betrayed my mate. "Gol?" My own sound was but a whisper when I came face to face with a bloodied face, hands and feet bound by silver.


    "I swear, I do not know what in God''s name they are talking about." He had not lost the fierceness that made him the man I''d known since the day I woke up in his shack. Thatforted me in more ways than one. "Whatever it is they think I know-" His chest heaved as his eyes shut momentarily as though he were searching his mind for answers. "I-I do not know any of it Sh. I maybe an ouw, but I''m no traitor!" Bitterness dripped with his words, slipping right into my heart and unearthed my own. I knew what it felt like to proim your innocence and not be heard. To be used of crimes you had no knowledge of.


    "Release him."


    "B-But mydy-"


    "I.said.release.him!" Canines elongated as my wolf snarled at the guard''s disobedience.


    "O-Of course, as you wish, mydy." The guard looked over my shoulders in apology to whoever had probably given him the orders he''d been following. I did not care for who that was except the familiar clicking of metal as the shackles fell off. "Are you alright?" Not caring for all the blood or the priceless gown I wore, I flung my body at Gol wishing to learn for myself that he was really alright. What I learned however, had nothing to do with my saviour''s well being.


    "Hello my dear..." At mine and Gol''s contact, his mind link ripped through mine with a force that knocked me out of my own reality. Except this would not be a conversation shared as we''d done many times before. No. I had been plunged into what I would only consider to be a sea of memories. His, my mate''s and someone else''s that had been locked away and meant to be discovered by me. As it turned out, the ouw did indeed know who had taken my mate and the culprit had taken the liberty ofying out his demands for his safe return.


    "Dear child, are you alright?" I awoke to the worried faces of Liira and all the noble lords that had gathered in the council chambers. Gol too. They had a right to be worried, but not about my well being.


    "The king of Carene has made demands." I said in a single breath and the knowing faces made me realize that I did not need to exin myself. I was grateful for that because I wouldn''t know were to start speaking of what I''d seen and heard. "Such sorcery! Zastan! What in God''s name does Zastan want with my son? A war?" The former king of Xatis bellowed, breaking the silence that had fallen over the chambers.


    "And how in God''s name did he manage that?" Many more wolves voiced their opinions while I, I only marvelled at everyone as they directed their anger at the wrong person.


    "Who is this Zastan?" That name had been a part of Gol''s memories, but he''d been nothing but a figure in the shadows.


    "The king of Carene, of course! That insufferable twerp had been the one to wipe out the royal house of Carene!"


    The king? He''d wiped out the royal house of Carene? A new dread settled in my belly as visions of my royal mate lying lifeless assaulted my senses. "No, he is not. This Zastan, is not the king of Carene." I shook my head as I struggled to my feet, wishing to let everyone know of the truth that even my own mind refused to ept. "We have all been deceived. Well, except the king." I should have trusted my mate''s insticts, but as usual, I chose family.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Instead of furnishing the former king of Xatis with an answer, I turned to my father as panic washed over me. "Where is my uncle?"


    "Evarius? Why?" A puzzled look graced his face.


    "Because his were the demands left in the crevices of Gol''s memory. He is infact the king of Carene."

 Chapter 79

    Merrymaking had continued around the pce with the guests oblivious to the tension brewing in the host kingdom together with the fate of its king. I loathed the idea of it, knowing my mate, their host, was bound and probably suffering at the hands of my own flesh and blood while they ate, drank and danced.


    It had, however, been decided that it was for the best that the merry atmosphere be maintained. With the guests being continually filled with wine, none or few would notice the absence. It would also speak of Xatis still standing despite the capture of its king. A message clearly meant for his captors.


    "Your highness, my lords anddies, the tenth search party has returned empty handed." Rakon''s strained voice carried over the the council chambers as he bowed before my mate''s father. He''d given the same report over and over again with the former king of Xatis asking to search one more time each time.


    Derian had not believed a word I''d said. Well, the part that named my own uncle as the king of Carene at least. He''d implied that mine and Gol''s narrations were nothing but the ouw''s ploy to keep Xatis from storming the gates of Carene and destroying his own brother. And each time he''d growled his orders to search the pce and it''s grounds again, I merely sat back and waited for his unbelief to waiver.


    I held on to the little sanity that a wolf in my position could possess. It was a wonder how I''d aplished that. Perhaps it was the feel of my mate''s invisible touch I''d held on to from the moment I''d taken his seat at the head of the long table. Or perhaps it was the faux embrace that surrounded my own body by the seat he''d sat in many times before or that faint whiff of his lingering scent.


    Initially I''d refused to take the seat when Liira had offered it, but the matriarch had simply pointed out that I had no choice in the matter. As the mate and future queen to the king, I was meant to hold his ce until his safe return.


    "Lord Evarius anddy Kerina have not been seen sincest night either. Not around the pce or the lord''s residence." That little detail tied in with whatever was hidden in Gol''s memories. My uncle and his daughter still remained the culprits, but the former king of Xatis still seemed to have a hard time giving in.


    "This is madness! Evarius can''t be- How did we not know this?!"


    "My brother has always been ambitious." My father was the one to speak up. "But I thought being the lord of our house would be enough." Being lord was never his aim. I had seen it in the darkness that resided in my uncle''s eyes when he''did out his demands for me. The man desired something much much more. I had realised that that was the reason giving up being heir apparent had been easy for him.


    "And what are these...demands?" Derian spat. The bitterness in the former king''s tone mirrored my own even when it''s roots were not the same.


    "The safe return of his mate and child." My words were met with mumblings around the table.


    "His mate and child?" My father''s confusion spoke for the many around the table. "What have we to do with his wife? And did you not say Evarius was in thepany of Kerina when they took your mate?"


    "He speaks of Myrna..." Her name was as ash on my tongue. "She is his true mate and carries his heir." Gasps filled the room at my statement.


    "Wait, the banished queen?" Liira eximed as more gasps and mumblings carried over the council chambers. "They are mates?" I felt myself stiffen as that dagger of truth pierced my heart yet again. While everyone took in the news with shock, bitterness filled my mouth. She was someone else''s mate, had been banished from the pce, but my mate had kept her...close. When my own wrongful banishment had seen me fighting for my life as I was driven out of the only home I knew. I was never one topare, but he''d done the total opposite when it came to my wretched sister. He''d kept her within the borders of Xatis...thefort of the pce walls. I did not know what to do with that.


    "Shouldn''t he be out there searching for her himself then?"


    I turned to Rakon at Derian''s question. "I believe you know where his highness chose to hide his chosen mate." I said bitingly and the guard at a loss for words, could only offer a regretful expression meant to let me know that whatever I thought, was not so. However, I was unwilling to hear anything of the sort, so I ignored him and pressed for an answer. On a sigh, the guard stood up straighter and nodded.


    "She''s still here?!" My mate''s father bellowed, clearly unimpressed with his son''s actions. It was the first time we agreed on anything since the moment I''d stepped into the chambers. "What in God''s name was that boy thinking by sheltering a traitor?" "Perhaps this might work to our advantage, your highness." Lord Hadwyn''s calm voice drew mine and everyone''s attention. "If indeed, she''s his mate and carries his child, she might be a card to be yed in this predicarment." "We can''t." I hated protecting Myrna, but my uncle''s demands had been clear. "If I wish to see my mate alive, I am to deliver my sister to him. Unharmed." A mate for a mate, he''d said. "That is the other part of his demands." "He''s insane!" Derian shot up from his seat. "He already has my son and now he expects me to just hand over my grandson too?!"


    "Because his ambitions, I''m afraid, go beyond men''s thrones." A familiar voice filled the room, drawing my attention to the chamber''s doors. "Zih?!" Surprise did not even begin to describe what I felt at the sight of the crazy wolf that did not appear...crazy at all? Her old and filthy rags had been reced by a long dark cloak that even from where she stood one could tell was clean. Her usually matted hair had been washed and pulled back neatly. But perhaps those were not the things to surprise me the most. "How are you here? In the pce....the council chambers?" I rose to my feet, the matter at hand momentarily forgotten.


    "You called for me." Her usual smile was aforting sight, but her response made me stare at her in confusion.


    "I did?"


    "Well, not exactly. Your tattoo summoned me."


    "My what?" My eyes widened at the woman. Perhaps I had dismissed her craziness too soon.


    "Your tattoo, it-"


    "Zih?" My father''s gasp interrupted the woman. "Is that you?"


    "Lord Lydo." Zih bowed as a servant would to a master. One she''d served once before.


    "Wait, father, you know her?"


    "She was always meant to be your nanny. Your mother chose her long before you were born, but..." My father, overwhelmed with emotion turned to stare at Zih, deepening my confusion. "...We thought you were dead. The night our daughter was taken-" "Guardian." Zih shed her easy smile at my father. "I always told you that I was her guardian and as you can see, I''m still alive doing that very duty."


    Your mother chose her long before you were born. My father''s words rang in my ears. Zih knew? She knew who I was! "Wait, that was real? Your being my guardian was real?"


    "How else would I be able to heed your call each time you summoned me?"The ground I stood on shifted while waves of emotions flooded, sending me sinking back in my seat at her question. I remembered each time she''d appeared as if by magic. Always ready tofort me. All the times she could have told me who I was. All the opportunities missed where she could have brought me home and ended mine and my parent''s pain.


    "All this time..." a lump lodged itself in my throat as betrayal nipped at my heart. As crazy as I thought her to be, Zih had been my safe haven when life dipped and now? Lies! "You knew and yet you what, pretended to be crazy and for what?"


    She gave me that look that was annoyinglyforting. "Eighteen wolf moons." "What?"


    "That is how long I needed to wait." Another one of those annoyinglyforting smiles. "I had to wait for the right moment. This moment. Your birthday." Eyes beamed. "Happy birthday, mydy. And no, your highness..." Zih lost her smile as she faced Derian. "Evarius does not wish to take your grandson, but your son''s mate."

 Chapter 80

    I''d been drifting. Like a lost soul in the deep dark void, oblivious to the time of day or even their own name. That however, was not the worst part of my newfound reality. It was not the thing that threatened to consume my mind, but the silence. That stillness. The coldness and the loneliness that extended deep into my soul. I''d been stripped of my very essence and left to wallow in the unknown as my mind fought to get back to the light...to her.


    "Rise and shine your majesty!" A voice rang out in my ears, pulling me out of the darkness and into the light. As unpleasant as it was, I was still grateful to be reunited with reality once again. Although that onlysted until I beheld the annoying traitor''s face. Evarius! He was no longer just an annoying thorn in my side, but an enemy. It did not even matter that he was Sh''s uncle. After this, it would be just a matter of time before I severed his head from his body. As memories of my recent past flooded my mind, it took me a mere moment to scan my surroundings and I quickly noted that I was in no dungeon. "How thoughtful." I red at the bastard.


    "I know it''s nowhere near fit for a king, but definitely so much better than a cold and filthy dungeon. Don''t you agree?" Evarius grinned, looking every bit pleased with himself and I couldn''t help the desire to get a taste of his blood.


    "What did you do to me?!" I growled when my attempt to leap and tear his throat apart ended with me realizing that I''d been shackled to a seat. Except, there were no chains. No shackles.


    "Just a little tether. Stronger than before, embedded right there."


    A tether? Stronger than before? I wondered what the traitor was on about. My answer came as a jolt of pain. Something stung in my neck, right were I''d been stabbed by the spy from Carene as realization hit. I was tethered. The attack in the pce...the spy... "It was you!" Still forgetting my predicarment, I lunged at the traitor and this time I was treated to a searing pain that shot through my entire body and left me panting.


    "I needed something to tame the mighty king of Xatis." A pleased look still graced the face of the former heir of the third noble house and I hated the fact that I could do nothing about it. While I could speak freely, willing my body to do anything else proved to be an impossible task. Whatever Evarius had done was working perfectly. And I hated that I had listened to Rakon all those times and let the bastard go, unharmed.


    "Rakon!" The thought of my best friend had me digging deep into my mind, searching for a link to him. Wherever Evarius held me, if I was able to link Rakon, it would be what he''d need to find me. My wolf struggled, but I kept at it. If only I could reach h- "I''m afraid your wolf is useless around here. Which makes your mind link equally useless." I did not wish to believe the bastard, but the unnatural silence in my head was no mistake. What was it? Another spell?


    "Let me go!" I growled, but Evarius only chuckled.


    "You should probably know that your alpha voice means nothing too." I was defenceless and all on my own. That is what those words meant, but I refused to bow to that. I needed to get back to my mate and I would, even if I died trying.


    "I must say magic in the right hands does yield the most glorious results."


    "Magic?" I spat. "Is that where you''ve been hiding your cowardly self? Behind your wall of spells, while your victims do your dirty work?" My current position aside, the real story behind the fall of Carene still had my head reeling and as far as plotting went, I had to hand it to Evarius for the best or rather, the worst plot of any usurper in the history of the realms.


    I thought of the riots that had been springing up all over Xatis and I knew that it would have only been a matter of time before my own kingdom had suffered the same fate. So what had changed? Why had Evarius been forced to alter a perfectlyid out n that won him Carene and instead opted to capture me and reveal himself in the process. I needed to know more. Gol had been right. War had already been waged and if I was going to see the bastarding henceforth, I needed to get in his head. "Why Xatis?" | suddenly asked when a dismissive look had been the only answer to my previous questions. "You have Carene-"


    "Oh, but Carene is but a citypared to Xatis." He offered a dismissive wave to stress his point and I should have been ttered by thement, if only the lunatic had not decided to exercise his lunacy over my own kingdom. "I was never one to aim so low. Carene was only good for the loyalty of the Aldeans."


    "A loyalty you do not have, apparently." I happily pointed out, thinking of Zastan''s words, but the man merely smiled.


    "I am a very patient man, your highness." The smile grew wider, unsettling me. But then again, a thought to his words gave me hope. If Evarius still had to be patient, then Gol, as lord of the Aldeans, must have ensured that that loyalty still remained with the dead royals of Carene. One battle won in the iing war! I did not know how the ouw had aplished that, knowing he''d suffered a simr fate as mine. Wherever he was being held, I and Xatis owed him a great debt. "I''m so d I do not have to fake my smile with you any longer." Evarius suddenly eximed, the split of his lips rousing my anger.


    "For what it''s worth, I never found it pretty." I spat while Evarius broke out in a heartyugh. The sound was as annoying as always.


    "Just so you know, I never held my breath thinking you would. I already knew your taste long before you became king. You found her pretty even when she was nothing but an ugly baby still."


    I froze, knowing exactly whom he meant. Could it be...? "What are you talking about?" I asked as my mind travelled back in time. To that night many years ago. I could not ce his face in the room that night, however. No matter how much I sought to recall, Evarius'' face was simply not among the faces present.


    "Oh, I think we both know what I speak of." Evarius bragged. "She''d only been born. All wrinkly, like she''d just escaped hell, of which, yes, thanks to me, thefort of her mother''s womb came pretty close. But to you, she was the fairest and most beautiful creature your little princely eyes had ever beheld. And right there, I knew that she would be someone important to you. Perhaps even your mate."


    "You knew that from a child''s gaze? How perverse are you?" It had to be him. I thought. Even when I could not ce his face anywhere in the room that night, something told me he was. The bastard had been the one to take her! My current position left no room for doubts. Evarius had been the one to take Sh. Her own uncle!


    "I assume the word you are looking for is observant." I couldn''t argue that he wasn''t. I had hated that quality about the bastard for too long. "And besides, you did make it easy when you insisted on seeing and watching over her each waking day. But I couldn''t have it. My wretched niece, heir to my noble house''s fortune and the prince of Xatis, heir to the throne I coveted the most."


    And there it was...his confession to the age old crime and more, apparently. There had to be more. It couldn''t just be about the family fortune or Xatis'' throne. He already had both in Carene. "It was you." I stated.


    "I''d be ashamed that you were my king once, if you couldn''t figure out this much."


    "It seems you failed." I taunted, knowing we''d both found our way back to each other and because, I wished for the bastard to keep talking and give me more. He had the upper hand at the moment and ying his games was the only way I was going to get anything or anywhere.


    "A regrettable endeavor I''m about to rectify, your highness." "What are you going to do? Kill me, break her heart and take the throne?"


    "That would be the most logical..." The bastard seemed to consider it. "But where would the fun in that be? You should probably know by now that I have a ir for the dramatic." I did not know what could be more dramatic than what I''d suggested. "Of course if only you had kept her away as I had asked. There would be no need for all of this. At least not you and I having this conversation in such a regrettable manner." Somehow I doubted he regretted my position, but that was not what had suddenly put me on edge. "Asked? What in hell is that supposed to mean?" His sinister smile shaved years off of my wolf years. "What do you mean?!" I growled, but the prick was going to take his damn time.


    Finally he said, "You were so much fun to watch when you actually believed you were in charge. Elian, The almighty king of Xatis." He cooed. "I must admit, however, that I liked Derian better. Your father was a more perfect candidate for my ns too, but the presence of Sarabeth made him unsuitable. I would wait for their heir. Besides, I had not found my secret ingredient either. It''s a shame she turned out to be my niece." He looked almost remorseful, almost. I on the other hand could only stare, realizing how far his plotting hade. A day would simply not be enough to know it all. And as eye opening as his confessions were, it was not what I had asked of him.


    "What do you mean when you say you asked?"


    "Oh, there is simply so much to tell your highness." The bastard seemed to sigh at what he perceived to be a mammoth task. "I do not think we have the time-"


    "Evarius!" I growled, but the bastard merely stared, reminding me that I was at his mercy. A fact I would endure for now.


    "Well, if you must know, for my ns toe to fruition, you and my niece could simply not be together. So I had to take her away from you. The n was perfect. Keep her away from you until it was time."


    Keep her away from me? Is that why it took me so long to find her? He''d hidden her? "I know what you are thinking." Evarius pulled me out of my thoughts. "But I can''t really take all the credit for you not finding your mate sooner. Well, I would have, if only that wretched crazy wolf had not crossed my path that night."


    "Crazy wolf? What crazy wolf?"


    "Oh, we both know there is only one crazy wolf that we both know of. At least one of importance."


    "Zih?" I blinked. "What does she have to do with any of this?" Of all the persons that could have been of importance in Evarius'' narration, Zih was the least expected.


    At my question, Evarius lost his pleased look and stepped away from my view. "I do not know how she did it, because storms never broke out so suddenly in Xatis." I knew that about Xatis'' weather, and that was not the thing to get my head spinning as everything began falling into ce. I finally found the significance to Sh''s father''s story. "That night..." Evarius kept narrating while I listened to his every word, not wishing to miss out on a single detail. "As I beheld a sickly young child that was not my niece, while it stormed, I became a father and my barren wife who''d been faking a pregnancy ording to my ns, became a happy mother. It would not be Sh, but Kerina turned out to be quite the yer in what I had set out to do too." His pleased look was back, gracing his face by the time he stepped back into my view. While I, merely stared at him, eyes wide. "The crazy wolf thought she''d won when she switched my niece for Kerina, but she''d merely set my ns back a few years. I knew it would be just a matter of time before I found her again. Thanks to you, that time was shorter than I would have ever anticipated."


    "Me?" I blinked at him.


    "Your meetings at the capital-" Of course. If Evarius was truly watching, he''d have known where I''d snuck off to as he had been the one to apany father on some of those trips to the capital. Although, I wouldn''t put it past the bastard to have hired spies too. "They were too much of a coincidence and so I watched her, hoping she''d lead you to where she''d hidden my niece, but when she did none of that, I settled with following her. I was handsomely rewarded as you know and I could have taken Sh then, but there was no need to fix what was not broken. I simply let her stay hidden in the forgotten vige while I waited for the right time. But then fate interferred and you insisted on searching each district for your mate." Evarius held my gaze. "I couldn''t let you ruin my ns. Not when I was so close. I needed you to reject her, so I asked."


    I should have been more concerned about what those ''ns'' were, but for the love of God I couldn''t shake what he''d said. "You asked me to reject her?" The entire idea was preposterous. I had been the one to reject my mate. It was my choice. Mine. A regrettable one, but mine regardless.


    "Well, not as implicitly as that." He pointed a finger in my direction, a sinister smile forming on his lips. "I simply had to steer you in the right direction.

 Chapter 81

    With everything that had been going on, my birthday hadpletely slipped my mind. Not that I had a reason to look forward to it as everything that excited many she-wolves about their eighteenth moon birthday, I had already experienced. And even as Zih wished me a happy one, I had merely stared at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She had called it the right moment and somehow, with her very surprising presence, the history I was now aware we shared, what she''d uttered about my uncle and my tattoo summoning her, I had known that fate was at it again. And there was no way in hell I could have been prepared by what my eighteenth moon had brought with it.


    That shoe had dropped with a loud thud that I was sure had echoed all the way to the ends of the realm. Sarabeth had given reasons of why I had been summoned to the council chambers, but with the appearance of Zih those reasons had turned out forck of a better term ''false''.


    It was not because I was the king''s future queen or the mother to Xatis'' heir that made my presence of utmost importance in the council. And those were definitely not the things that ced me in a position to hold his ce until my mate returned as imed by Liira. No. It was something else entirely. Something that apparently hade to fruition now that my eighteenth moon birthday had finallye to pass. At least that is what I had gathered from all the strange words spoken by the very ancient wolf that had been summoned by Liira. Cerus, she called him.


    And the more he spoke, the more I felt as though the entire realm was weighing heavily on me. The more I wished to slip out of the council chambers and away from the excitement that graced every other face except mine as the old wolf kept speaking. I wished to get away from the discoveries I was making of my own existence with each word that proceeded out of Cerus'' mouth.


    "So I was right to think she had traces of being an alpha?" Liira''s excitement, the expectation I knew the rest of the council shared, only served to burden me even more.


    "Not exactly." Zih, whose gaze I had avoided for the most part answered. "Referring to her as an alpha is belittling the gift bestowed on her.


    She called it the gift of the twin wolves. What I had known to be nothing but ancient lore about twin wolves who had been charged with being protectors and bnce keepers of the realms, was apparently true. From the woman I had called mother once, hade the narration of the tale, told while we all sat around the hearth back in the forgotten vige. A tale of twin wolves, born of an ordinary she-wolf and yet bestowed with the power to watch over the magical creatures. Both the powerful and not so powerful. Those above the surface, the deep and below the surface.


    The men had walked the realms as ordinary creatures doing that which the gods had charged them with. Until power went to ther heads and they desired to be as gods among among those they meant to serve. Reigning with an iron fist as they sought to subjugate all the creatures they were meant to watch over.


    For that, the gods stripped them of that power and wouldter split it among all the magical creatures. With each species having a chosen among them to carry that power. One deserving in a particr generation and bloodline of the gods'' choosing. For the creatures of the moon, the lot had apparently fallen on me.


    Something Zih imed she''d known I would possess when the tattoo had appeared on my arm all those years ago, making me the chosen wolf. I called it a curse, however, and the root of all my misfortune.


    It was as she imed what my uncle had always been after. The reason I had been snatched from my mother barely hours after my birth. The reason my mate was now in the clutches of my perverse uncle and the reason Xatis and the entire realm faced an evil that threatened their very existence. And it had been what Zih had been protecting more than anything...more than me. I was simply the vessel that carried it. Fate''s pawn. That had left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    "It is more than being able to bark orders at other wolves and having them fall at your feet or do your every bidding. Definitely more than possessing brutal strength." At this, Zih''s gaze fell on me, the conviction therein stirring something within me. "It is about restoring and keeping bnce. And I wouldn''t think of it as traces either. It would only seem so because she has not yete into the fullness of her gift."


    Bnce... I''d never hated a word before, but I did now. Keeping bnce, watching over kingdoms, fighting evil, was what the gods did, not mere wolves. Not me. I only longed for the simple things in life. To smile with the rising of the sun each day. To be free to do that which I loved and more recently, to love... I only longed to be by his side. If I was willing to fight for anything, it was him, the child I carried and the bond that bound us. The one I was unwilling to let Myrna have or anyone else for that matter.


    "And it is because of all that that makes you the perfect wolf to embody the power of the gods." As if she could gaze right into my soul and tell what I was thinking, Zih gave me that reassuring smile that always showered me with the will to keep going, except this time I merely shook my head, unwilling to ept what she termed my destiny. Because despite everything, I realized that I had been the source of pain. Of mine and those close to me. This destiny bestowed on me had been the thing to set the wheels of fate turning and granting me a stake in everyone''s pain that came with it.


    I turned to my father. He wore the smile I''de to love, but the worry lines were evident too and I couldn''t fault him for that. Because we both knew that one way or the other, I would be taken from his side yet again. And whether I would be back there again depended on fighting my own flesh and blood in a war I had only discovered had been years in the making.


    Evarius, as warm as he had seemed, had set his sights on acquiring the seat of power that would ce him above every wolf, creature and kingdom in the realm. And for that he''d traded in his heart for the darkness. For sorcery. And for years he''d patiently waited for the one chosen by the gods to end his madness. But a fight was not what he prepared for while he waited. No. He''d waited for the chosen, because as it turned out, he''d discovered that to have sess in his endeavours, whatever the gods had endowed the chosen with, was what he''d need.


    "How did we not know this? We could have done a better job at protecting the poor girl and stopping Evarius." Frustrationced Derian''s words. "My son would be here right now and we wouldn''t be risking everything by agreeing to that lunatic''s demands." "Every generation brings with it someone with an insatiable apetite for power." Zih pointed out. "And to maintain bnce, it is the gods'' business to whom such secrets are entrusted to-"


    "Except a mere throne is not what he desires, but the vastness of the realms. He longs to be a god and e*****e us all! Surely the gods would have made exceptions so that we were better prepared." Derian let out an exasperated sigh.


    It should have spurred me into epting who I was meant to be and relieve him of that burden, but watching the former king of Xatis grab at straws while searching for ways and means to avert what wasing only added to the burden brewing in my heart. I wanted no part of it. The whole ordeal could go horribly wrong and I could end up giving Evarius the very thing he sought and damn every soul while at it. The guilt of that would consume me whole. "I need a moment." I sprang up from my seat and flew across the room catching everyone off guard.


    "Sh! It''s not safe- will someone stop her!" Derian''s tone was full of panic, but I couldn''t bring myself to stop.


    "I just need a moment to breathe." I told myself as the heaviness of it all kept pressing. "Mydy!"


    "Dear child...you can''t-"


    Pleas to stop rang out in my ears, but I ignored every one of them as I scurried down the hallways seeking any door that would lead me into the open. And if I had doubted Zih''s or Cerus''s words before, the strength with which my feet carried me cracked that unbelief. Together with the hasty way that the sea of guards parted to let me through as I drew near. It was as if an invisible force willed the men to stay out of my way and while I marvelled at the sight, I chose not to stop toprehend it.


    "Oh my lord, is this not inappropriate for a man of your standing?" A maiden''s giggles drew my attention to a couple standing in the shadows. But it was not the indecent show they were putting on that made me turn in their direction. "Pardon me." I slipped past them and towards the open door, hoping the couple''s smell of wine and scent of arousal would at the very least throw those intent on stopping me off my scent.


    The sun was already setting and the air outside was fresh, but the grounds were littered with guests. Drunk guests. And when the first of them slurred a greeting, I shot for the woods, hoping to find solitude there.


    "Dear child, where in God''s name do you think you are going?" My father, with Rakon by his side had been the first to emerge. Followed by Liira, Zih and my personal guards. So much for hoping they''d been thrown off my scent. "There is nothing there except darkness." My father pointed out of the unfamiliar woods I was headed for. I should have stopped, but it only spurred me on, knowing that that was exactly what I longed for at the moment. Solitude. Even if it was to be had in darkness.


    "Mydy, please-" Rakon''s tone held more panic than my father''s, but not even that would stop me. And if I was not so intent on getting away, I could have sworn that another force had been behind my desire to escape.


    "What in God''s name is this?" Liira cursed from behind me. A lot further back than I had expected her to be and when I looked, I realized that she was not the only one. They''d all stopped for whatever reason. I thanked the gods for it and moved deeper into the woods without a moment''s hesitation.


    "Well, well, well. If it''s not the king''s little mate, all alone in the woods." My hairs stood on end as my eyes sharpened at the sound of a familiar voice. I''d heard it only once but it inspired the same fear I''d felt the first time I''d heard it. "Talk of the favour of the moon goddess. Presenting this old wolf with such a precious and delicious gift at this time of day." A tongue licked at the lips of the ghastly one eyed wolf that stood in my path. He had survived! Panic washed over me as I beheld the leader of the vicious ouws I had fought before. When I''d encountered him on our way back from Dovah, he had been a whole man and intent on having me.


    "Stay away from me." Hands resting on my belly protectively, I growed to which the wolf only chuckled.


    "I wouldn''t be that ungrateful to the moon goddess for this second chance,ss. You and that mate of yours caused me a great loss..." He pointed to his missing eye and his small band of wolves. "...why would I throw away such a golden opportunity to get some of that back?"


    Growls filled the air as wolves fast approached and circled me without a moment''s notice. They would not wait to attack, I realized. And even if I could howl for help, no one would get to me in time. Both hands dropped to my belly. Whether for protection or in apology to my child for my recent stubborness, I was not sure. What I was sure of was that I was all alone and being left with only one choice, I hoped, I prayed that this ''gift'' had exceptions as I let my wolf have control.


    It was an odd time to ept whatever I was and as I looked to the gods, I made promises I shouldn''t have. If I and my child would get out of this alive, I would do whatever it was they required of me.


    I shifted and a startling truth hit me almost instantly. My shifting was different. It wasn''t as I hade to know it. There were no breaking of bones. At least not as I had experienced before. Only a warmth that engulfed me as I slipped from one form to the other. Something craddled my heavy belly as it suddenly felt weightless allowing me tond on all fours, growling and snarling at the enemy.


    "It''s not possible! What kind of sorcery is this?!" I could have asked the same thing, but I was was caught off guard when my mind link merged with the wolves surrounding me and I was thrust into their loud conversations that consisted of nothing but fear of the sight before them. I could have shut it off, but I fed off of it as I imed my first victim, their warm blood sending my wolf howling in victory.


    If the remaining wolves had been smart, the sound should have sent them running, but they foolishly came at me, teeth bared and intent on avenging their fallen brother. We were ready. How? I did not know, but my wolf answered to every growl, every snarl before breaking out in the dance of death. Bones cracked under the pressure of it''s canines, flesh tore with ease as the blood of our enemies soaked up my wolf''s fur. Yelps should have inspired my wolf to let go, but they only spurred it on as it saw, drew closer with insane speed and conquered.


    Only when nothing but the silence of the woods remained did my wolf let go and I slipped from one form into another. The bitter cold greeted my naked self whose hand still craddled my belly and reminded me that nightfall was upon me. And as spectacr as my conquest had been, I was unwilling to face another. So I reached for my gown which I slipped on with a little difficulty.


    "Help us!" I was about to turn away when pleas came from behind the bushes, tugging at my heart. I should have been on my way, but something wouldn''t let me take a step towards the pce. "Please!"


    My decision made for me, my eyes darted to the bodies thaty on the ground. Realizing none of those would ever see the light of day ever again, I headed in the direction of the voices as quickly as my feet could carry me.


    The sight of a long line of shackled maidens brought my feet to a stop.


    "Mydy, please help us. Those men..." Fear, more than I had felt a moment ago was burried in the face of the one who addressed me and it made the words I uttered next worth it.


    "You are free now. Those men..." I thought of the dismembered corpses that littered the ground. "They won''t hurt you anymore." As I said those words, relief and gratitude graced the maiden''s faces and nothing was more satisfying. "We will forever be in your debt." The maiden said as I moved to undo their binds, but I merely shook my head.


    "You owe me nothing."


    "Allow us to serve you then, mydy. In whatever way." She pleaded. "Besides, we have nowhere else to go. It has been years since we have seen our families." Because them having nowhere else to go sounded more eptable than a bunch of maidens thinking they owed me their lives, I gave in and invited them along on my journey back to the pce.


    "Mydy, are you alright?!" Rakon stepped forward, tension evident in his whole frame and the hand that held his drawn sword.


    "Dear child, what happened to you? Are you alright?" Liira rushed towards me, Zih too, but they both stopped right next to Rakon. Right where they''d stopped when they''d chased after me earlier. Because I''d wished to be left alone then, I had thought nothing of their choice to stop persuing me, but now...


    "I''m perfectly alright." Unbelief greeted me as eyes took in my bloody gown. "Not my blood. I ran into some uninvited guests." I hastily replied.


    "Uninvited guests?" My father stepped closer, but he too stopped where the others had.


    Knowing Rakon and Gol would understand, my answer was more for them. "The same men we had encountered on our way from Dova. At least one of them was. Their leader."


    "And yet you are here? How did you-"


    "Everyone is dead, my lord." Someone from behind me answered Gol, making themselves known.


    "And how many is...everyone?" Zih''s lips split into a knowing grin while everyone else stared, eyes wide.


    "It is really hard to say, mydy." The maiden replied and I wished she would hold her tongue, but she kept talking, her tone full of pride. "Their state could not really allow for one to count the corpses, but of those that had captured us, we knew they were not less than thirty men."


    "Thirty men?!" Rakon''s jaws dropped. "In your condition, and yet-oh, he''ll definitely have my head when he returns."


    "We saw nothing of the battle, but even with our ears, we knew it was nothing short of fierce. I assure you that mydy was definitely not the one in danger."


    "That is quite enough." I chastized the maiden. "I wish to speak of none of it." I took a step forward, intent on not lingering on the bloody events of my recent past, but loud protests left me rooted on my spot. "You can''t-"


    "What?" I frowned at my father, but it was Liira who answered, letting me know that I couldn''t step back into the pce grounds. The reason they''d all failed to step out.


    "Your wretched uncle has put a spell on the pce, locking us in like cattle."

 Chapter 82

    "Come to me..." My mate invited yet again, but I opted to stand back and behold from a distance that beautiful body that was heavy with child, and yet still possessed enough allure that left me thirsting after her. Denying her request was not my intention. I just did not wish to taint her angelic self with the dark magic I knew now resided in me. Not that I was certain that it was possible for the sorcery to find it''s way out of my body and into hers.


    "He cannot do anything to me. Not now and at least not here." She''d kept on saying that, but I had chosen to be cautious still. Because I did not know how far the bastard''s sorcery could go, I''d kept my hands to myself even in my dreams. For all I knew, this could be another of Evarius'' ploys to get to Sh. I wouldn''t give him the satisfaction.


    But lips, tender and sweet, imed mine in a lingering kiss, deepening my thirst and drowning my resolve. The hands I''d kept at my sides reached out, burying themselves in the silk of her hair as I answered her kiss.


    Just this once... I thought to myself. I would let her go once I got a taste of her. But a taste was simply not enough and I found myself desiring to have her whole. I longed for the warmth of her body, wrapped around me as I drowned in the sweetness of her. "Take me, Elian." She broke the kiss to make her request and I was happy to oblige. Parting her legs gently, I slipped in and instantly found rest for my soul.


    My hands grabbing hold of her well rounded hips, I gave of myself. Intent on pleasuring and satisfying her every need and getting my own release while at it. "I love you." Drunk on my mate, the words I''d long desired to speak in her hearing escaped my lips, but like a whisper, they faded into the darkness. Never to inspire the curve of her beautiful lips or the fluttering of her heart at the sound of them.


    "You don''t look so good your majesty." Evarius'' tone was more of a taunt than a concern and if I could despise him anymore than I did, I would have, but only for cutting short the dream I had been having of my mate and dragging me into a reality that was filled with her absence. "Perhaps you should eat something."


    I red, not bothering to behold the food he was offering. It was not what I needed. My connection to my wolf was. Now that I was awake, I was reminded of the emptiness I felt. The emptiness he''d caused with his darkness. He''d not only blocked my mind link, but my connection to my wolf had been weakening and I was afraid that it would merely be a matter of time before I would stop feeling itpletely. Then Evarius could kill me senselessly or he''d steer me in whichever direction he wished and I would not have the bone in me to fight back. I would be but a puppet in his hands.


    I had wondered if that was what had happened to Zastan. The man was nowhere to be seen, but if his secret trip to Xatis had taught me anything, it was that it was possible to break the binds of Evarius'' tether. If only but for a moment. So before my beast wentpletely quiet, I''d kept fighting for that moment. Even if it was just by the sheer will of mind. I''d held onto the memory of my mate, knowing tearing me from her too would give Evarius exactly what he wished for.


    "If you must know, it''s not poisoned." A reassuring smile that was as odd as the enemy offering it split Evarius'' lips. "She would never forgive me, if when she got here, she was met with a corpse of her mate."


    "When she got here?!" Despite my weakened state, my instincts sharpened even when I thought I had not heard him clearly. Sh wasing?! I''d known his ns revolved around her, but hearing the bastard proim that she would be here....wherever here was...l cursed my position even more. I would be unable to protect her. Surely someone in the pce had the sense to keep her from Evarius! But judging by the sinister smile on the bastard''s lips, I''d say that was not the case.


    "Do not look so surprised or panicked, dear Elian." I swallowed the insult that came with his informal address. "You didn''t really think it was all about you, now did you? Well, it was about you." The bastard considered for a moment before continuing. "Seeing how she cared about my mate even when the maiden had betrayed her, I always knew she would willingly do so much more for her mate. Hence my decision."


    "Your mate?" The bastard had a chosen mate, but somehow I knew this was not about his wife. And I did not dare think about who he meant, because then it would highlight my own failures and the ease with which I''d let his trickery weave its way into my life. "How long have you known that Myrna was your mate?" Despite my resolve, I asked away anyway, feeling every bit dumb each time I was hit with a memory of Evarius standing up for Myrna. Practically shoving her into my arms. How had he done it? Myrna remained unimed and unmarked, so how had Evarius stomached having another wolf touch his mate in his very presence without so much as flinching? Was it sorcery too?


    Learning of this newyer about the man left me feeling uneasy because despite aiming to know my enemy, I''d been confronted with facts that only proved how little I knew of him, his capabilities. And that made him twice as dangerous.


    "Oh, I do not think we have enough time to get into that. My guests will be arriving soon."


    "Soon?" She would be here soon?


    Evarius smiled coily at my question. "You didn''t expect me to wait for centuries now that what I need is within my grasp, did you?" Wait for centuries? I would take that if it would give me the time needed until I was able to protect her. And now I had what? Mere hours before she presented herself in the devil''sir?


    "What are you going to do with her?" I growled, but Evarius just shed me that sinister smile. "What?!" I growled yet again, to which he only chuckled.


    "You and her are truly perfect for each other. I can''t fault the moon goddess over that."


    "I don''t need you telling me what I already know." I sneered at his all knowing tone that was still not giving me what I wished to know.


    "True." He shrugged. "But that just makes my decision that much sweeter when you hear it." It would by no means be sweet. I knew that, so I red, but he merely watched me, amused, before opening his filthy mouth. "Do not fret my king. I won''t hurt her if that''s what you suppose. What I need from her, she can only grant me willingly, so I will have to im and mark her. And to do that, I guess I have to be on my best behaviour."


    "Mark her?" He was insane! "She''s practically your daughter!" I sought to shift and tear his head off at his deration. That sparked a connection with my wolf. It was a tiny thread, but I grabbed hold with everything in me.


    "A minor technicality. I just need what she possesses and then perhaps I might-"


    "Might what?!" I growled. The thought of his canines burried deep in her neck for whatever reason, left me feeling more murderous than ever. There was noing back from being marked. Even if Evarius got what he desired, she would forever be his and no longer mine... Needing to keep that from happening, I pulled at that connection with my wolf, desperately.


    "Definitely not let you ride into the sunset, that''s for sure."


    "You are a fool if you think you can bargain with my life." I sneered. "I''m nothing to her." For the first time I wished that were true. Because then, my being captured would not force her to endure her uncle''s lunacy. Butst night had proved otherwise. When she''d fought for me and given herself to me.


    Evarius probably knew that too, but if only I could convince him that she would not give up herself for me-


    "That is the thing about mate bonds. We love those we hate." The bastard wasn''t going to bite. "Even more so when a part of ourselves is deeply embedded in us." Embedded? My child! The thought of losing them both to the bastard heightened my desperation and that surprisingly had the connection to my wolf growing unusually. My beast and I stirred and growled. It would be the thing to help me make a startling discovery too.


    Evarius flinched! With all his ims about my wolf being useless around here, the man flinched at my furious growls. It was so subtle I could have sworn even Evarius wished I had not noticed it. But I had and something more was already brewing deep within as realization that that was the thing I needed to break the binds of Evarius'' tether settled in.


    Masking his momentary loss of control and the surprise that came with it, the bastard smiled. "Oh don''t look so restless. I happen to be a good host and will probably let you see her when she does get here. And do not worry, your little bastard will be well taken care of too. That is, once all this is over. He''s after all my flesh and blood too and a part of my future mate. I wouldn''t wish for her to be sad over such a loss." Evarius kept mumbling, but I was no longer listening as I focused on what he''d said. He would let her see me! Of course I knew that I couldn''t trust his word, but I hoped he would keep it. Even if it would be meant to unt my loss and his victory. Or I hoped Sh would ask that of him. And however that went, it would be my window. If I was going to save her... them from whatever evil he had nned, that would be my opportunity. And I hoped to the gods that Sh would forgive me once it was done.

 Chapter 83

    I''d dreamt of him yet again. And this time, my mate had finally given in to my request. He''d finally taken me, but curse whichever wretched soul had decided to wake me before I could find my release.


    My body still ached with desire and was in dire need of release when I finally opened my eyes.


    "Good morning, dear child." Eyes blinking, I took back my curse when the wretched soul who''d woken me turned out to be Liira. "I''m sorry to wake you, but it can''t be helped. I need to ensure that you and the child are still alright."


    "I feel fine." I dered. Well, except for my own excess desire for my mate.


    "Oh, thank the gods." The relief in Liira''s tone made me frown.


    "Did something happen while I slept?" Nothing in my body pointed to that fact, but the receeding worry lines on Liira''s face where enough to make me think so.


    And instead of furnishing me with an answer, the matriarch merely watched me before focusing on whoever stood behind her. "Should this be happening?" I expected to see Astryn or Carlytte, so when Zih and Cerus appeared instead, I shot up to a seating position, hands craddling my buldging belly.


    "Should what be happening?" Apparently Liira thought something was wrong. I felt it in her tone and it was enough to rouse my own worry.


    "She''s perfectly alright. This could just be the normal transition from slumber to wakefulness." Zih smiled. "Her copse had nothing to do with crossing the spell''s threshold around the pce."


    The spell''s threshold around the pce? Faint memories of my legs giving out from under me gued my mind, making me dig deeper into that state of wakefulness Zih had mentioned. What I discovered left me eyes wide and clearly understanding Liira''s worry. It seemed that for a moment I had forgotten the recent happenings in my life.


    "She was simply too tired." Zih continued. "It appears even the chosen can do that after over exerting themselves as you did in the fight." The chosen? If my eyes could get any wider they would have as pieces to the puzzle in my mind fell into ce.


    "It was not a dream?!" I knew it wasn''t, but I still stared from one face to the other, hoping one of them would tell me that all the memories flooding my mind were nothing but a dream. Neither did, making me shoot to my feet and rushing to the bed chamber''s balcony. I did not know what I sought to see. Perhaps the realm covered in fire and ash? When I was greeted by the familiar sight of green and peace, my heart rxed. Just a fraction. I still had time.


    "Dear child, calm down. Think of-"


    I couldn''t. Even when Liira''s tone was close to begging, I couldn''t. Now that I was awake, the dire situation the realms were faced with was all so clear. The fight. The spell. All the people...my family, all the dignitaries from faraway kingdoms that had been trapped by my uncle. His insane ns to rule all the realms. Elian...my mate...it all came back to me. My own promise to the gods...I was the chosen. I swung back to stare at the figures that had remained quiet as realization settled in my soul. "I am the chosen." I dered, not because everyone stared at me differently. I felt it. I was different.


    "You are." Pride and warmth filled Liira''s tone. And for the first time, it was not fear of the burden that I felt. No. As eptance of who I was settled deep in my soul, so did a familiar warmth in every part me, leaving me unusuallyfortable in what I felt was new skin. My wolf stood taller too. Pacing the recesses of my mind with a grace it had never known.


    "And we are here to serve you." Zih bowed.


    "All of us." Liira followed suit. Their actions should have felt too quick and too soon, but I felt none of that as I nodded at the matriarch, my wolf epting their submission without question.


    I, however, should have known that ''all of us'' did not exactly mean all of Xatis or the entire realm. At least not all of the men who still thought that their experience gained through fighting wars for years on end outweighed the gift gained by a she wolf who''d barely sniffed at her eighteenth moon birthday.


    The council chambers were full to bursting with lords and dignitaries alike. With the threat having spilled to foreign kingdoms, it had been decided that they too be included in the ns meant to foil Evarius''. But looking at all the angry faces and arguments that filled therge room, those ns would birth little to nothing if each wolf only longed to agree with what suited them.


    "Selfish pricks. You''d think all these old fools would have learnt a thing or two about putting their egos aside when faced with amon enemy." Liira scoffed before going silent. I realized she was mind linking someone when her son perked up and stared in my direction.


    "My lords, the chosen is finally here! My son''s mate and future queen of Xatis." Derian''s voice carried over the gathered wolves and brought them to silence. His tone dripped with pride that I''d not known before. I wondered what had finally made him a believer. "This is her?" A burly figure suddenly stood up and stared me up and down. The distaste in his gaze stirred the beast in me that wished to put him in his ce. "You mean to say the fate of the realms lies in the hands of this-this child? A mere child?!" "Make that a heavily pregnant child." Another wolf sneered.


    "I highly doubt the tales of her recent conquests are quite...urate." Someone scoffed and besides me, someone drew a sword.


    With their intent to protect oh so clear, Gol and Rakon marched towards the wolves who had dared to insult me. "If you are quite done with your insults-"


    "That is enough." I may have longed to put the wolves in their ce, but I was not about to allow bloodshed for a few insults from a couple of unguided wolves. Of course, my wolf was not as forgiving. A menacing growl tore from my lips catching me and the entire council chambers off guard. And more than having my wolf act independent of me, the postures of every wolf present in the room left me picking my jaws off of the chamber''s floors.


    "Forgive us, mydy." The man who''d been the loudest now bowed with his head so low he could practically lick the ground. "I...we did not mean to disrespect-"


    "Liira, Zih?"Stunned by the turn of events, I turned to the two she wolves, seeking an exnation. They too were bowed impossibly low and they only lifted their eyes when I asked them to.


    "It is part of the gift, mydy." Zih smiled. "Every wolf is bound to you. Regardless of who happens to be their alpha."


    Every wolf is bound to you... How could she smile when uttering such grave words when the mere thought of them left me wishing to escape the skin I had so generously epted a moment ago. My eyesnded on every man in the chambers, their postures bearing witness to Zih''s words and that burden I no longer felt, crashed in, pressing ever so heavily.


    It was not about keeping the bnce. I was meant to be the bnce.

 Chapter 84

    Merry making had finally ceased around the pce as news of the chosen reached more and more ears than I would have liked. It seemed I had underestimated how much pce gossip could travel around the royal abode and how many believers in the chosen Xatis actually had. Not even the spell that surrounded the castle had kept that news in the confines of it. That was evidenced by the multitudes who had now flocked around the spell''s barrier wishing to get a glimpse of the chosen. Although, for some I suspected it was out of fear after what had transpired in the council chambers. It seemed knowing about the chosen and actually meeting them had inspired different emotions. The disy of fear on some of the wolf''s faces in there was still etched in my memory. It was by no means how I wished anyone to rte to me. Gift or no gift.


    "My life will never be the same, will it?" I sighed as I hid behind the curtain drawn over a window that overlooked everyone who longed to have a glimpse of me. Some powerful chosen I was.


    "Our lives are never meant to be the same, mydy." Astryn pointed me to my seat,b ready to style my hair for what could be thest time. With my impending journey from the pce, I was aware that this could be thest time I would be seeing and hearing my maid speak her mind in my presence. And the sadness that came with it had caught me off guard. Blocking out the undesirable emotions, I walked towards her as she continued speaking. "And rather than be afraid of failing, we can only do our best." At that, I almost smiled. Because for once, my maid was wrong. I was not afraid of failing, but of something much worse. "What if it changes me? This gift, what if-"


    "Is it not toote to worry about such things, mydy?" Astryn frowned at my reflection, making me sigh.


    "That is not exactlyforting."


    "Forgive me, mydy." My maid''s frown morphed into an apologetic look. "What I mean is, it''s not like you can ask the gods to take any of it back."


    "That, she cannot." Liira walked into the king''s chambers I''d retreated to, trailed by Zih, my mother and more maids carrying all sorts of items I was sure I did not need but Liira would insist otherwise. The entire entourage made it appear as though they were on a mission to ready a bride for her wedding banquet when what they were here for was not even close. "Because then she''ll doom us all. And that is by no means meant to scare you, child." The matriarch offered one of thoseforting smiles that did little to hide the excitement she was feeling. Despite the looming war and the burden it ced on me, one I had barely been able to ignore, Liira had been beaming with confidence in my capabilities and my sure victory. Her only regret was that she would not be there to see my uncle''s downfall or to be a part of it.


    "And perhaps this makes for a right moment to let you know that you do not have to do this alone."


    "I don''t?" I faced Zih wondering what she meant. Up until now, she''d not mentioned anything of the sort. I was aware that with every wolf being bound to me, I could easilymand armies of my own. Even with everyone trapped within the pce, many still remained free outside the spell''s threshold, but I''d already decided against it. Until it became absolutely necessary I would not be cing anyone else in danger.


    "It is a burden you can choose with whom to share. Different magical creatures have once before chosen to share it with their given mates. Once they mated or epted each other, a part of them, if the chosen wished to, transferred part of their gift. But being free to do so means you can share it with whomever. And it is by that fact that Evarius hopes to get his hands on your gift."


    "Wait. Does that mean my own uncle wishes me to mark him? To be mated to me instead of fighting me for the gift the good old fashioned way?" I was beyond appalled by the very idea.


    "Evarius would mate with my daughter?" My mother''s voice boomed in the chambers. An unlikely disy from the usually calm woman.


    "We can assume, that is the reason he captured your mate. In exchange for him, he hopes you''ll willingly give yourself to him." Zih replied, making me think that to be the stupidest n yet. And if Evarius was even remotely banking on my cooperation then therey his downfall.


    "Of course, underestimating the fool is what got us in this predicarment in the first ce." Liira warned, but underestimating my uncle was by no means the reason that sense of victory had washed over me and drawn a smile out of my lips. It was Evarius'' own underestimating of the mate bond. His own actions so far ced him at thinking I would do anything for my mate because of the mate bond. Of which he was quite right.


    "Astryn, have Lord Rakon ready the former queen. We''ll march to wherever my uncle wishes once I''m done here."


    "So soon?" My mother rushed to my side, distress gracing her face. "We have barely said our goodbyes."


    "It cannot be helped, mother." I marvelled at the unusual calm I felt after having been unsure of myself. Perhaps it had everything to do with knowing that I could choose not to do this alone. I could have him fight by my side. Despite our past, and apart from Gol, there was no one I''d rather have standing by me. "The sooner we journey, the sooner this madness has a chance of ending."


    "You say that as though it were some minor quarrel." My mother protested, making me smile.


    "I thought you had faith in the chosen. In your daughter."


    "You just came back to us." Warm trembling hands cupped my cheeks. "So forgive my reluctance to let you face that mad man all alone. And besides-" Those trembling hands dropped to my belly. "You shouldn''t be doing this in the first ce."


    "I shouldn''t, but I am. And I wille back to you. I promise." I got up before my mother could protest some more and proceeded to readying myself.


    "I''m afraid there has been no progress with the spell surrounding the pce, so you will have to journey alone." I simply nodded at that. They didn''t know it, but Zih''s words were a source offort as I knew that apart from my mate, everyone else I cared about would be safe. Even if it meant them being trapped behind the pce walls.


    With my newfound abilities, I would not need it, but the dagger gifted to me by my mate was the first thing to find it''s way on my body while I dressed. Well, make that the second thing as I couldn''t very well strap the dagger to my body without the stockings. In my state, they were a bit ufortable, but I had Astryn help slip them on for reasons that my heart demanded. I missed him.


    And if it had not been a sensible thing to take a moment to think before giving in to my uncle''s demands, I would have indulged in a senseless rescue just so I could inhale my mate''s scent again.


    "Because Lord Quent will not be able to stand by your side, he hopes you will ept his gift." Liira handed over an exquisitely wrapped gift box that once opened revealed one more of Quent''s brilliant designs. The gown was quite unusual. Seemingly metallic, but to the touch it was as any other precious material. "It has protective properties, but besides all that, the man insisted you need to look the part." Liira rolled her eyes, making me smile.


    "The fourth noble house has my gratitude." I bowed while Liira took up the honours of slipping the gown on me. And a look at the resulting image had even me looking twice at my own reflection. I did not just look the part. I embodied the chosen, the queen... And as heads bowed one after the other, those of former kings, of lords andmoners alike, it made for the most glorious of goodbyes to a once insignificant maiden that could have never dreamt of having the realms look to her for their safety. Gratitude instead of pride still gripped me as I stepped into the carriage meant to slip me and Myrna out a secret gate, away from all the multitudes gathered around the pce.


    "You took your damn time!" The bitter greeting from the former queen of Xatis was to be expected. What I did not expect, however, was the usation that seemed to have been festering right until the moment I sat facing her. "Are you here to gloat?" Huddled in a tiny corner, Myrna sneered, looking every bit like a crazy wolf. "Did he make you scream? Moan at the top of your lungs while he imed you? Did you like it, Sh? Writhing with pleasure, knowing very well how much pain you were putting me through?" Yes, would have been my answer to every one of her questions, but I refused to entertain her misced grievances. She was my prisoner after all and catching up was the least of things I''d be indulging on the journey. So instead I turned to Rakon, asking the head of the king''s guard to ensure that her shackles would not being loose for whatever reason.


    "You would have me remain shackled?" The shock in her tone was actually amusing, making me stop to marvel at her.


    "How should traitors be treated then, dear sister? Perhaps leave you unchained, but have a brute defile you before snuffing the life out of you? Would your own ways be preferable to you?"


    "So what is this? Revenge?" She smirked and dared to look at me with her haughty attittude. But I wouldn''t be having that today and before she realized, I let my wolf at her. Growling and snarling, right into her mind link.


    "You would have to be someone important for anything of the sort."


    "W-Wait, h-how did you do that?" If she could find refuge in the carriage''s walls, the traitor would have begged the wood to swallow her up and keep her from the terror my wolf seemed to have inflicted. And I should not have enjoyed the sight, but seeing Myrna not know what to do with me for once was unusually satisfying.

 Chapter 85

    Horns, trumpets and battle ready men met our carriage''s arrival at our unexpected destination. Of all the ces Evarius could have crawled under to hide, this particr ce would have never crossed my mind. And going by the disy of military power, my uncle was not exactly hiding. My wolf was exceptionally pleased at the sight. Something about not being underestimated by the enemy. While I, I was gripped by the sad reality of what could have been. I hadn''t yet been to my parent''s home, but the emblems flying high on every raised banner was a familiar figure in my eyes that had me recognizing what would have been my childhood home. The beauty of the grounds against the golden sunset painted just the right amount of outdoor magic that would have appealed not only to the younger me, but the older too.


    "It''s mine now." Myrna mumbled, drawing my attention. It seemed to have taken the entire journey and my silence for her to find herposure once again. Or at least the part of her that still thought could draw the jealous bone out of me. "All of it. Now that my mate will make every one of you insignificant lot pay for-"


    I scoffed. I had resolved not to let her have a reaction out of me, but I couldn''t help but scoff at Myrna''s delusions. Did she actually believe that Evarius and her would end up victorious and be the ones to rule the realms? The smug look she now wore even when she remained shackled seemed to say so and I couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.


    "Stop the carriage!" Ignoring Myrna''s haughty attittude, Imanded the small band of guards Evarius had waiting for me and Myrna once we had exited the pce walls to stop. Their work was done and henceforth began mine. And perhaps I couldn''t pass the opportunity to p Myrna with the truth of who was actually in charge in the face.


    "Mydy, this is not exactly were the lord is expecting you." If the guard who seemed to be the head of the small group could look anymore apologetic, he would have as he ryed his orders as though they tasted like sand on his tongue. "He was very specific in his instructions."


    "As lord of the third house, I''m not here to bow to Evarius'' wishes."


    "Lord?" The surprise in Myrna''s tone should have been satisfying, but I ignored her as I straightened up once my feet touched the ground. My words seemed to have caught the guards by surprise too. But once recognition settled in, there was no doubt in their eyes about my ims.


    "Lord L- I mean, Lady Lily?" Relief graced the features of all the guards as they finally took me in in light of my own introductions. "We thought-" The head of the guards nervously scanned his surroundings before focusing back on me. "Surely Lord Lydo wouldn''t have let his long lost daughter back here?" The warning was clear in the man''s tone making me realize the men where not on Evarius'' side even though they were carrying out his demands.


    It was a little matter I could not celebrate however, as I was aware that with all the sorcery at his disposal, that fact could change at any moment. And until I knew for sure how far his sorcery could go in manipting these wolves, I wouldn''t be letting my guard down for whatever reason. No matter how safe I felt among my people or despite this being my home, I still had to remember that this remained the devil''sir. And until I had my mate by my side, I was but one wolf surrounded by what could turn out to be a problematic enemy even for the chosen.


    "Letting his only daughter back here? Of course not. You know the man well enough in that regard." I smiled at the men who''d since straightened up and were ording me the due respect of lord and not just the nobledy they''d been told to escort. "B-But-" Strange looks passed from one man to the next. "Then how is it that you are here? Surely Lord Lydo should know that his younger brother has gone mad and that this is no ce for the only heir to the third noble house to be. Not if the Lord does not wish for his line to end with him."


    "Because as the chosen, I maybe the only one capable of curing my uncle''s madness." Jaws dropped as figures dropped to their knees in awe.


    "Forgive us, mydy." The head of the guards'' countenance was shinning with excitement when he looked back up. "We thought the chosen was still within the pce walls and did not realize how great a presence the gods had graced upon us while we journeyed. If we have offended you-"


    "You are the chosen?!" I''d thought she was not listening, but Myrna''s shackles rattled as she cut off the man''s apology. "Is this some kind of a joke?" Not waiting for my reply, sheughed bitterly and if she could curse at the heavens she would have as she red at what I assumed were the gods. "Wait, is that how you were able to get into my head?" Suddenly that realization had her sinking back into the carriage and I would have relished the terror that filled her eyes if not for the heavy presence that made itself known, forcing my wolf to be more alert than before.


    Evarius stood with arms open wide in a weing gesture. And if one did not already know the dark reasons that had brought us together, they would easily mistake the smile gracing his face as of one extremely happy to wee a long lost daughter of the house. "Now there is a sight that could warm a man''s heart for all eternity." I cringed at the odd greeting, knowing of the man''s intentions. Evarius on the other hand wore a victorious grin as he rode towards our carriage.


    "Oh, Evarius, my love! See what they did to me!" Naturally, Myrna assumed she was the centre of attention, but this time around, I chose not to fault her for it, but used the opportunity to observe any weaknesses my uncle might have.


    It turned out that he was not immune to the mate bond. If the death res thatnded on his mate''s shackles were anything to go by. But that did not mean he''d let it control him. The man was impressive when with just one more look at his shackled mate and hisposure settled in effortlessly.


    I did not need to face Mryna to know how much that shattered her. The whimpering that followed her mate''s choice was enough to let that fact be evident.


    "I can see that you honoured my terms." Evarius observed with a tone I did not appreciate.


    "I don''t exactly see you doing the same." I growled and theck of cracks in hisposure told me exactly what I needed to know. Whatever he''d done was working perfectly against my gift. Bringing him into submission was out of the question. But that was something I''d expected.


    "I must say you have grown since thest time I saw you." The way he took me in had my wolf growling and itching to mark some kind of boundary. Evarius was not wee or more importantly, he was not worthy. And while that was a total surprise to me and something that let me know that there was no way in hell my wolf would let him mark us, Evarius seemed to be aware of it.


    "No matter, I''ll be worthy...eventually."


    "Eventually?" I was missing something. Something important and I couldn''t help but ask.


    "First things first, dear child." Instead of furnishing me with an answer, the man turned to his shackled mate, making me ready myself to reject his request to let her free. But her freedom wasn''t exactly what Evarius was after. "I, Evarius, do hereby reject you Myrna..."

 Chapter 86

    Evarius, I realized, was no different from the men in the council chambers when it came to how he perceived me. He''d made the same mistake they all had. Drunk on the experience and sesses the traitorous wolf had enjoyed over the years, he didn''t think me capable of matching what he''d acquired plotting, winning and gaining his current position. At the very least, he thought me nothing but the gods'' pawn. A clueless one at that and one easy to beat. It exined his reasons for trapping within the pce walls those he deemed more experienced and would willingly fight by my side, leaving me to face him alone. To Evarius, all that remained was an unguided chosen, who''d not yete into the fullness of her gift and his niece. Everything that would have him easily take what he wished for. I wasn''t about to let him think otherwise. Not yet anyway.


    "You will not be epting his rejection." I mind linked Myrna once Evarius was done rejecting her. I''d had no intentions of using my newly acquired gift just yet, but when I realized that Evarius was already ying his pieces in this game of war, I naturally responded, against him.


    Lips still trembling, her face marred with pain, Myrna nodded at me once, without question. "Thank you!" She linked back, a smile full of relief graced her lips and left me feeling almost guilty. Almost. This was by no means something I had done for her sake. She was nothing but a pawn in my hands that I had simply yed with the same intentions as Evarius. Turning back to her mate with faux determination, Myrna shook her head. "No."


    "No?" The man was taken aback, surprise gracing his features before masking it. "My love-" He scooted to her side. "...you have to ept my proposal."


    Proposal? I gritted my teeth at the man for reducing such a painful ordeal to something as simple as a proposal that he expected his mate to simply say yes to. And even if I thought Myrna deserved everythinging to her and more, I couldn''t stomach Evarius making light of rejecting his mate in such a manner. Greedy bastard!


    "What of our baby?"


    "He''ll always be taken care of." Evariusid his hands on Myrna''s shackles, his face devoid of any consideration for his mate. The bastard was merely interested in manipting her and getting his way. The sight both angered and justified my own actions. "You have no need to worry about him or yourself. I did give you my word, did I not?"


    That seemed to brighten Myrna''s countenance and for a moment I thought she would give in, until she shook her head. "I trust you, my love, but I cannot simply do it."


    "And why the hell not?" Temper red as Evarius reached for her only for him to let go of Myrna''s hand so hastily one would think he''d been scorched by it. His action was followed by a string of curses from his lips, giving me a glimpse of the man hidden behind the mask. The entire disy was quite enlightening. More so when the man seemed to piece together what had just transpired right under his nose.


    "What is this?" Evarius swung around to face me, his re morphing into an unintended smile that seemed to c***k on the edges. He had no intentions of angering me, I realized. Was that how he intended to win me over? To gain his worthiness? I would have scoffed at the idea, but instead, my serious gazended on Myrna.


    "She still remains my prisoner. A traitor still on Xatis'' soil. Surely you don''t expect me to simply hand her over so easily for you to do with as you please?"


    A deep breath and that smile appeared more smooth and genuine. I had to hand it to Evarius for how effortless he made that seem. "You are right. I did say a mate for a mate after all." At the mention of my mate, the longing to be close to Elian that I''d been masking ever since I''d gotten into the carriage threatened to make itself known, but I was quick to mask it, yet again. Evarius'' eagerness to note the change in my demeanour did not go unnoticed either. I had no doubt the man was very interested in my reaction to the news of my mate. He was after all banking on the weakness that came with the mate bond to get what he desired. I was not about to give him that either. "Right this way, chosen one." Masking his disappointment, he invited instead.


    I let him lead the way while I let my gaze wander to the world around me. Admiring my home, however, was not the reason for it. Stratergy had everything to do with it. Between me and my wolf, we knew that a bloody future was on the horizon. And whether the realms and its people would see the light of day yet again would depend on every one of our actions. No matter how simple.


    Guards nked my sister at mymand, ensuring she kept her distance. Despite her earlier submission to me, she''d red and looked to her mate to do something. But nothing about her state seemed to bother Evarius enough to care for her. I even suspected he was happy she''d remained shackled for my sake. He was trying too hard.


    "Allow me." I frowned at my uncle''s extended hand that forced me to a stop while he merely smiled. "Wouldn''t wish for my beloved guest in that delicate condition to miss a step." His gaze went from the flight of steps leading to my home to my heavy belly. "I''m perfectly alright." Knowing his intent and refusing to indulge him, I grabbed onto my gown and began the short climb. Stepping into my family home was overwhelming and also left me on guard. The inside was beautiful, but it was the burly figures standing guard in almost every ce that grabbed my attention. And for whatever reason, they reminded me of Gol.


    "What do you think of my warriors?"


    His warriors? Pride was evident in his tone and it was the thing to remind me of the little detail I''d momentarily forgotten. Evarius was a king. And while he was lord beyond the walls of the mansion, something I had wondered why it had remained so, inside my home he was a king. The atmosphere spoke of it and I should have been intimidated by it, but I wasn''t. For some reason the loyalty of the men he imed to be his warriors did not strike me as one naturally given and I''d decided it would be easy to overturn it. I did not know how, but that would be one surprise I was certain Evarius would be in for when it came down to it.


    "My mate." I demanded instead of answering his ludicrous question. This was not a social call after all and now that I was this close, I couldn''t wait a second longer.


    "Right this way." Evarius continued leading the way, making everything seem so easy, but I was not oblivious to anything as I followed silently. Until I got to my mate, I would y his game. My heart rxed a fraction when every turn into a new hallway did not lead to a dungeon. Yet not for myself, but for the sake of whoever would have decided to imprison my mate in such a filthy ce. "I figured cing him in what would have been your room was appropriate." Evarius beamed as he gestured to one of those burly figures to open the doors. Once he did, I was instantly hit with a wave of my mate''s scent and how long it''d been since we''d been together. I missed him more in that moment when he was right before me than any of those moments when wishing to see him was all I had. And I would have rushed in like the lovesick mate I was, but I remainedposed, much to Evarius'' surprise. That did notst however, when the reality of what Evarius imed to be my room turned out to be worse than a dungeon.


    "What did you do?!" One look at Elian...my Elian and myposure cracked. Saying he was a shadow of his former self would have been an understatement. A menacing growl tore from my throat and I could have sworn the room shook with it. Evarius, however, remained unfazed as he shrugged his shoulders. "I merely evened out the ying field, chosen one." His answer was unsatifactory and insulting.


    "Evened what?! You are killing him!" I lunged at Evarius without thinking, catching both myself and the wolf off guard. And despite my mindless action, mine was a perfect aim. The wolf gagged as my ws dug into his side, taking his breath away. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, sister."


    "Kerina?" I red at the red head whose presence I only became aware of once she''d spoken. Myrna stood unshackled by her wretched sister''s side, a smug look on her face. I ignored it and focused on the maiden who''d dared to intimidate me. Kerina merely waved me away. "Let father go. It hasn''te to that kind of violence yet."


    "Yet?!" I thundered, my ws digging deeper into Evarius'' flesh, making the wolf whimper.


    "It''s not yet time for my king to leave yet or for my father to meet his end." Kerina caressed an invisible wall that seemed to hold my mate prisoner. "Of course, all that depends on you." A painful groan, deep and full of anguish eminated from beyond that invisible wall and straight to my heart. Elian... Whatever spell bound him, I felt it. And not that I had been familiar with sorcery, but the darkness behind it exined his powerless state. "Oops. Didn''t mean to do that."


    My eyes widened as realization hit me. It was her. She was the one behind the spells. Evarius'' witch! And the pain in my side at the moment. Blinded by rage, I let my uncle fall to the ground before every one of my wolf instincts focused on Kerina. She retreated and I would have dly stalked my prey, but with her retreat came painful growls that filled the room and drew my attention. He was dying! The sight of my mate gasping ripped something in me and I felt both mine and my wolf''s control slipping. I would have thought I was shifting, but this was not it. The heaviness of it engulfed and pressed, but instead of being buried by it, the strange sensation only intensified and seemed to flow out of me like a river and spreading all around. "Kerina, that is enough! Do you wish to get us all killed?" Somewhere in the room, Evarius'' breathless growl drew my attention. The man was ring at someone and just as suddenly as I''d lost my control, it all stopped.


    I was just as breathless myself while I wondered what in God''s name had just happened? My gaze fell on my hands, but whatever evidence I sought there was simply non existent, making me wish Zih was by my side to guide me.


    "Are you alright, my dear?" The genuineness in my uncle''s tone was surprising. Whatever had just transpired had caught Evarius off guard too and judging by the unguarded look on his face, he did not wish to have a repetition of it. He seemed even more willing to appease me than he''d been before. But I cared not for it as I sought to catch my breath and ensure that the child I carried remained safe. And my mate... Elian remained in his seat. Calm once again. That evened out my breath quicker than me taking deep ones.. "Leave me." I demanded.


    "Very well. But you will have to forgive me for the barrier, child. I have to ensure that you two stay apart." Evarius spoke, his words not exactly meant to appease this time around. And while he''d imed I would get my mate for his mate, this was not exactly it, but I cared for none of it as I only longed to be left alone with my mate.


    "You should probably know that this is much worse, or should I say better than the spell around the pce?" Kerina bragged, but I ignored her and merely waited for her annoying self to leave me alone.


    "I would also suggest that you make the most of this moment too, Sh. Because after this, I''ll ensure that your mate...our mates, will be nothing but distant memories." At that, I lifted my gaze to my uncle. His figure was thest one in the room, a vision of the future toe.


    I would definitely be making the most of the moment, not just in the manner Evarius so carelessly assumed. As soon as we were alone, my gaze fell on my mate. And despite Kerina''s warning, my feet moved of their own ord as a familiar tug drew me closer to him. It was faint, weak, but with every step it was as if our souls remembered each other and that tug grew stronger. It was not enough to get my mate off that seat, however, but his eyes found mine, the gold in them lighting up instantly and revealing a longing in them thatforted me in ways I had not been aware I''d needed.


    "Sh?" My name from his mouth was like a siren''s song that drew me in without a care for the dangers I''d been warned about. Something knocked out a piece of me, but it was not enough to keep me from him.


    "Elian..." I had not been aware of my own tears until I was inches away from reuniting with him.


    "I''m sorry," he whispered. And while I frowned, seeking to understand what in the world he was apologizing for, his form, unbelievably frail andcking in strength straightened up and filled in those inches seperating us. His touch felt alien, but only for a moment. Only until the searing pain that invaded my neck sent me spiralling into a world unknown.

 Chapter 87

    Sh had appeared like a vision from one of the many dreams I''d had of her. Except she''d not looked like the usual sweet and shy mate I''dst seen. She was a queen, but more than that, she''d oozed of something else. Something that despite the spells that bound and imprisoned me, had caressed my soul and awakened me.


    I had thought that I would die beforeying my eyes on her, so when she''d appeared, I had not waited before gathering my strength to do the one thing I had promised to do. I would make her mine before Evarius had a chance to sink his filthy canines into her flesh. And I had done it, but the limp body of my mate had left me wallowing in regret. What had I done?


    "Sh?" I called again, but she onlyy in my arms without so much as stirring at the sound of my voice. I held on to her, tighter, not knowing what else to do. My strength had returned. Perhaps a hundred fold than before. And my connection to my wolf had never felt stronger. My wolf had never felt stronger. I could literally feel our strength pulsating, but instead of celebrating that fact, the lifeless body of my mate had all my attention. Her breath barely there.


    What if she''d given her life for me? Or had my decision to mark her been the thing to drain her of that life?


    The thought had my hands gripping her tighter as I craddled her. I did not even care to stay on guard. Even with the possibility of Evarius marching back in with more orders for Kerina to chant one more spell to make me his prisoner again.


    "We do not have much time your highness." The doors to the room I''d been held prisoner in flew open, revealing an imposter.


    "Time for what?!" I growled, hating that anyone would interrupt my efforts to get my mate toe back to me.


    "Before all hell breaks loo-." Zastan''s determination faltered when he beheld my mate. "Are we toote?" The fake king of Careen held the door wider and familiar faces poured in. I was especially grateful to see my family led by Liira. Father and mother''s faces held unmistakable relief which soon faltered at the sight of my mate. Norae and Samara looked ready to jump into battle at mymand. Rakon''s absence spoke of something being very wrong. I knew that already, but I wasn''t about to focus on that. Not just yet. "Did Evarius-" Dread filled Liira''s face as she stepped further into the room, eye''s taking in my lifeless bundle.


    "She won''t wake up." I reported like a child.


    "Sh?" Someone shoved to the front. The sight of Florithe and Lydo deepened my feelings of guilt.


    "She-" I struggled to find the words to exin how their child had been taken away from them a second time. This time by my own hands.


    "What happened?" A familiar voice asked.


    "Zih?" There was a sight that I would have never expected. Even after learning what I had from Evarius, seeing Zih in her right mind was more than a little surprising. If it weren''t for everyone standing before me after what I''d endured, I''d have thought her to be a hallucination. One of the many to have gued my mind when I was under Kerina''s spell.


    "Your majesty, you must tell me what happened." Zih''s tone was not demandiing, but it had an edge I had never heard from her before. One that willed me to answer her.


    "She came for me." My gaze shifted back to my mate. "I do not really know, but I think she may have stepped beyond the spells threshold to get to me." And I''d hated the very idea of that sacrifice.


    "I''m afraid, that is the least of our worries right now." Liira suddenly announced, her gaze on my mate.


    "She''s waking!" I eximed when Sh suddenly moved.


    "No, she''s having this baby!"


    "She''s what?! Is it even time yet?" My shocked gaze went from my mate, to the matriach and back to my mate. "She can''t- you can''t-" My fatherly instincts kicked in and I felt like scolding my son or daughter for choosing such an unfavourable timing to be born. "She cannot have this baby now...not here."


    "I''m afraid that is not up for debate right now." Liira''s frantic gaze searched the room, but as I had known, she came to the same conclusion as mine. Even though my protests of Sh birthing my child here extended beyond the unprepared room we stood in. "Lily''s nursery still remains untouched and it might be the safest ce here." Florithe suggested, her hand holding on tightly to her daughter.


    "I can get you there without being seen." Lydo offered.


    "I can help." Zastan received curious gazes from Lydo and Florithe, to which he merely rolled his eyes. "This might be your home, but the men who''ve been forced to defend it against you are of Carene and for reasons I still do not understand, Evarius has let them keep thinking I''m their king. So until my brother can figure out a way to break past the spell they''ve been put under andmand them, I can be of help." Gol was here too? Hearing that the ouw was already working on freeing the Aldeans from Evarius'' clutches put the ns about the impending war a notch ahead after I''d pushed them aside to focus on my mate.


    "The man is right." My father patted Lydo''s shoulder when Sh''s father looked unimpressed at someone telling him what to do in his own home. "Besides, I think he has proved himself to be quite resourceful after rescuing us all."


    "Rescuing?" I looked at my father askance. "Why would you need rescuing?" Tension built up within me as I realized how far behind Evarius being imprisoned here had ced me. And I cursed the fact that I wouldn''t be catching up soon. Not until I ensured my mate and child were safe.


    "This is not the time nor the ce." Liira scolded. "Why don''t you all lead the way. This child''s arrival will not wait for any of your arguments."


    I wished to know more, but I agreed with Liira''s sentiments and I hastily followed after Zastan and Lydo at the matriarch''s prompting. As promised, and much to Lydo''s annoyance, Zastan got us past many of those Aldean soldiers and to the nursery safely. I hadn''t been to Sh''s home in a while, but the heaviness that now filled it was clearly not part of the warmth that it had possessed once before.


    "This is perfect." Liira got to work and while I awaited her further instructions, I craddled my mate and stared.


    When Florithe had said the nursery had remained untouched. I had expected the ce to have been covered in linen to protect every inch of the room and it''s furniture from dust, but that was not the case. The room was pristine, as though Lydo and Florithe were the ones expecting to give birth at any moment. I agreed with Liira too. It was perfect. It was not the one I''d secretly been working on and nned on surprising Sh with, but given the circustances, it would have to do.


    "It''s the closest we had of her and we couldn''t bear tearing it apart all these years." Florithe, seemingly noting my surprise said as she pointed me to arge bed. I walked over and reluctantlyid my mate down. I hated the loss of contact and my mate seemed to as well. If the subtle frown that crossed her facial features was anything to go by.


    "I''m here." I whispered even when I doubted she''d hear me at all. "How will she have this baby if she won''t wake?" I turned to Liira after the longest moment of observing my mate, seeking an acknowledgement of her having heard me.


    "Get me these." Liira listed a few items and handed them to Zastan before turning back to me. "Her eyes maybe closed, but her body seems to be awake enough for what is toe. Although, I''m really hoping herbour pains will be enough to awaken her and make everything that much easier." My mate''s body seemed to convulse barely moments after Liira''s words, bringing on another surge of anxiety in my bones.


    "What can I do to help?" I needed to do something. Now that my arms where free of my mate''s body, I could not hide the nerves guing me.


    "Right now? Stay out of thedies'' way." My mother, carrying a basin of steaming water walked past while Liira shoved me to the side. I wished to protest, to let all of them know that I would not be missing my own child''s birth, but someoneid a hand on mine. "Perhaps we can speak of other pending matters." Zih invited. I nodded, but made it clear that that would have to happen right there in the nursery. Even with all the impending chaos, there was no way I was leaving Sh''s side. Being a few feet from that bed was already too much for me and my wolf.


    "I can see she has your mark." It was by no means a question.


    "You marked her?" From Sh''s side, my mother frowned, making me stand up straighter.


    "I know what tradition dictates and forgive me for not honouring it, but I couldn''t let that bastard make her his."


    "And yet you bear no mark of hers." Zih observed with what seemed a lot like regret.


    "Taking my mark seemed to have taken a toll on her." I hadn''t expected it to. Hell, I was still unsure it was even the thing responsible for my mate''s current state.


    "What does this mean?" Sarabeth''s gaze shifted from me to Liira and to Sh. "If this childes without her marking him-"


    Liira paused. "Oh my, I hadpletely forgotten about that."


    So had I. "I do not care for it right now." I hoped our bond would remain. Or that she would choose me in the end if it didn''t, but all that could wait. I was more concerned about her health more than anything. "Whatever the case, your marking her saves us some time." Zih appeared thoughtful and whatevery at the heart of her thoughts stirred something in me.


    "Time?"


    She smiled then. Her sane smile I noted was no different from the one she''d shed me many times before. "I do not know why you were not rejected. Perhaps because she is your mate or she had already chosen you." "Rejected?" I did not understand. Did she mean Sh meant to reject me a second time?


    "Your mate, it turns out is much much more than we all thought." My father came forward a somewhat smile on his face. "Her tattoo, the mark of twin wolves,es with the power too."


    "The mark of the twin wolves?" My jaw dropped at that. I knew what that was. Me and Rakon had a hundred times before role yed as the twin guardians that had been entrusted by the gods to watch over the magical creatures. The tale had been fascinating and now- "It was all true?" I stared at my father before shifting my gaze to Zih who merely smiled.


    "And now that you marked her, part of her is now embedded in you and once you take her mark, you will be the chosen''s other half." Speechless, I blinked for what felt like a million times. "I-wait, is that what Evarius is after? His secret ingredient? The power to rule every wolf in the realms?" Suddenly I did not regret marking her. For once I felt I had made the perfect decision when it came to my mate.


    "And right now, you took it from him. Although not yet fully as she needs to mark you toplete the ritual." As Zih spoke, I stared at my mate in awe. She was the chosen? "Unfortunately, until she does, it''s free for the taking by anyone who can."


    "The gift is vulnerable?" It was by no means a desire to hold on to what rightfully belonged to my mate, but hearing that my decision to mark her had made it free for the taking renewed my feelings of regret. Had Evarius known? A splitting headache served as my


    answer.


    "You''ve got to love it when a nes together." My mind link burned when Evarius'' sinisterugh rang through it. "Come now my little king and serve your master." I wished to growl at him in protest, but for whatever reason my wolf wouldn''t. The will to submit to the bastard weighed heavily.


    "Not just yet!" A wee growl tore through my mind link too. Sh! She was awake and apparently...fighting? I could feel the pull towards her once she''d issued hermand. My feet that moments ago had intended to head wherever Evarius was, now stepped in my mate''s direction. "Child, you are awake." Liira eximed from somewhere in the room.


    "And where do you think you are going?" Florithe panicked, but my mate paid her no mind. Still d in nothing but a birthing gown, her gaze stayed on me, a hand on her belly, the other stretched out, bidding me to go to her. Everything in me epted that invitation. It was by no means a feeling of longing, but of desire. To submit to her and do her every bidding. Except sending me on her errands had not been her intention at all. Her canines being driven deep into my flesh and bringing me unusual warmth in every inch of my being made me realize that fact. Our bond wasplete!


    Breathless, I stared at her. "I never pegged you to be one to be so spontaneous mydy." Despite her state, her eyes glowed, dangling her very satisfied wolf and it stirred desire in mine.


    Well..." Licking her lips dry, she stared at her handiwork and the glint of possessiveness in her eyes deepened my desire. If she wasn''t in the process of birthing our child or the little audience we had, I would have taken her right there and then. "My king, needed saving." With her words, I realized that I could no longer feel the pull towards Evarius. "Besides, I do not fancy a chosen mate." With that she headed back to the bed as though she''d not just turned around the fate of all the realms. Her demeanor left me confused too. It was as if she''d been waiting for a particr moment to mark me.


    "Do we need to tie you to this bed for you to stay in it?" Liira''s scolding woke me from my confused state and plunged me into my newfound status. She was mine and I was hers...we were one! And I needed to be protecting her...all of them, Xatis, the realms. I shared in her gift as much as I shared in her duty and the desire to fulfil it.


    "I hate to leave you, but I''ll be quick." I cupped her cheeks and her understanding smile drew my lips to hers.


    "Evarius is mine."


    Still drunk on the sweetness of her lips, I managed a re at her deration. "You can''t possibly be thinking of joining in after all this?" I gestured to her state, but she merely shifted to the side.


    "He waits for you in the family''s great hall."


    "And how could you possibly know that?" I longed to protest her decision some more, but apparently I had been dismissed. And while I headed to that family''s great hall, I cursed my newfound need to grant what she wished.


    "You look well. A benefit I intend to enjoy thoroughly, I suppose." The sound of Evarius'' voice effectively drew my attention from the annoyance I''d felt towards the gift. And it appeared my own distraction with that had managed to fool him. The bastard was convinced he''d been the one to draw me here and I had never seen an enemy more satisfied with their scheming. "Forgive the less than grand reception." I watched like the obedient wolf I was pretending to be as he gestured to the noble house''s great hall. Except for a few guards whose origins I did not know, the ce was unguarded and given how Evarius had kept me in line before, I had no doubt he counted Kerina enough protection around him for the moment. He was in for a surprise. Although, given our history, I was not oblivious to the possibility of surprises of my own. "We would have met at the pce, but I''m in no hurry to take up my position there." So that was his n? "Besides some pesky and unguided guards seem to think they can hold me back." Rakon! The bastard had chosen to stay behind and defend my home. I would certainly be kissing the head of my guard once all this was done.


    "My love!" From wherever she''d appeared from, Myrna ran to me, her arms spread wide, ready to wee as though we were still bound to each other. "Shouldn''t you bevishing all this love on your actual mate?" Catching those hands in a tight grip and keeping her away from me came as a natural reflex. "What?" Confusion filled her face and instead of her usual reactions, she turned to look back at her mate and sister. "Kerina?"


    "What is this?!" Evarius sprang to his feet, before the red head could utter a word.


    "What, throne getting itchy so soon, Evarius?" I smirked as I dropped Myrna''s hands. It took the bastard a fraction of my actions to realize his predicament.


    "You assured me that he would still be bound to you and your sister and that ''she'' wouldn''t wake for anything once she crossed that barrier until we were done here!" Evarius growled and I couldn''t decide which pleased me more. The fear that still showed in his eyes even after trying to mask it, or the fact that my mate was the reason for the hammering in the older wolf''s chest. She wasn''t even here.


    "Get the Aldeans here!"


    "I-I''m afraid that is not possible."


    "What?!" Evarius roared at the witch.


    "Th-They do not answer to me anymore." Kerina mumbled and just then the doors to the great hall flew open, revealing Gol and I decided he could not have chosen a better time to p Evarius with his first surprise.


    "Your majesty." His armor already drenched in blood, chest heaving and eyes thirsty for revenge, the ouw took a knee and bowed, the burly figures behind him following their lord. "The aldeans are yours and the chosen''s tomand."

 Chapter 88

    "Push, child!"


    I was the chosen, endowed with the power of the gods, but for the love of God, birthing another life left me powerless and cursing myself for letting Elian go away from my side. God knew I needed him. If not to ease my pain, then to keep me from falling into the temptation of using my gift to get Liira to shut up. The matriarch, after narrating their escape from the pce had turned into a beast of a midwife. It was as if she''d decided that not even I would keep her from holding her great grand child today. And apparently I couldn''t justmand the little wolf who''d taken residence in my body toe out.


    "Just a little more, my child." My mother''s tone was softer, but for the love of God, I was beginning to think her version of a little more must have meant something else in her world. She''d been uttering those words all along, but instead of finding rest, my ordeal only seemed to take longer each time. And those wretched bouts of pain were nowing quicker than I could actually breathe. The sweat would not ease up either.


    "Onest push, child." I red at Liira, but did as she asked. Hands gripping my mother''s tighter, gaze holding Sarabeth''s as her beautiful smile offered me unusualfort, I pushed. Giving it my all and with the loudest of growls my world quietened. Except for the loudest of cheers from the noble women who''d journeyed with me on my path to motherhood and the most precious cry of an infant. I crashed back on the bed, taking in the longest breath of my life. I had done it!


    "It''s a girl!" I longed to shut my eyes and drift away in thefort of the bed, but that deration had me looking up and stretching my arms towards Liira.


    "Let me see her."


    "Of course, child." The matriarch wore the widest of smiles as she ced the little bundle in my arms and one look at what it contained made me understand why.


    I''d already decided to join my mate in taking down Evarius. While Iy down with my eyes closed, that n had formed clearly in my mind, but beholding those little innocent golden eyes, awakened the ruthless protector in me. Getting rid of Evarius would not be enough. For her sake, the realms needed to be more than safe. For this little bundle of precious life, I would give mine and a thousand more.


    "She''s beautiful..."


    "Just like her mother." I was a mother! The magnitude of that overwhelmed me and burst open the dam of tears.


    "I hate to interrupt this joyous moment." My father was tense as was Derian by his side. "But my daughter and grand daughter cannot stay here."


    "You are sending me away?" I had not been aware of anything of the sort and I got ready to protest all of it. I had no intentions of hiding.


    "Just until Xatis is safe."


    "You are sending me away from Xatis?"


    "With Carene already conquered, it is thest ce Evarius and his allies will go looking for this kingdom''s heir." I red at Zastan, but I also had to agree with his sentiments. And I had to hand it to them, their n was brilliant even without knowing how great the number of Evarius'' allies actually was.


    "Okay." I breathed out, eyes falling back on my child. This was going to be my hardest sacrifice yet.


    "Okay?" My mother rushed to my side, relief painting her face.


    "Yes, mother." cing a kiss on my child, I took one longing look before cing her in my mother''s arms. "You never got a chance to watch over me, now you do."


    "I do?"


    "Child, what do you think you are doing?" Liira, quickly understanding my intent, red.


    "I am the chosen and I have no intentions of running. She will be safe in your hands. All of your hands." And because I was not in the mood for any arguments, I did not give them a chance to put any across. "We will defend her with our lives."


    "I know you will, father." I smiled at the Lord who now stood straighter, his promise all so clear..


    Fighting a second nce at my daughter that I knew would certainly have me changing my mind, I turned to Liira. "I might need help getting ready." She nodded even when disapproval was written all over her face. Apparently she shared her views with her grandson. "Everything is ready. If we leave now, we will be able to slip through unnoticed."


    "You areing too?" We''d just stepped out of the birthing partition after Liira tied thest note on my garments when Gol walked in. Tears prickled at the sight of him. I knew my family would definitely take care of the little princess, but the ouw watching over my child settled something in me. "Was it your idea?" Because I couldn''t keep myself from doing it, I flung myself at Gol.


    "It was his highness'' actually."


    "Elian?" I pulled back, hands wiping at my tears that had decided to fall.


    "He-" Gol paused, eyes searching mine and I knew he saw past what everyone hadn''t. "I will give my life for her if I have to." He vowed, making me chuckle, albeit tearfully.


    "I''d prefer it if you didn''t, but you have our utmost gratitude." I melted into his embrace onest time, hoping, praying it wouldn''t be thest.


    Deciding not to do the same for everyone else, I mumbled my good byes while my hand rested on the doors to the nursery. Just because, chosen or not, duty or not, my heart was breaking at the reality of parting from everyone.


    "Mydy, his highness insists that you stay with everyone else." Rakon flew in my way the moment I stepped out of the nursery, forcing me to a stop. His eyes took in my less thandy like attire with a simr disapproval as Liira''s. "And are you here to stop me?" I arched a brow at the head of the king''s guard whose gaze darted to the doors leading to the nursery before falling back on me. "Well?"


    "The prince...or is it-"


    "Princess, Lord Rakon."


    "By the gods!" The guard''s lips curved into a smile before sobering up. "Uh...the princess needs you, mydy and-"


    "...and she also needs her father." I red. "So if you have no intentions of aiding me in ensuring that he gets toy his eyes on her once all this is done, then move out of my way. Or do you prefer to have me make you." The guard chose the former, much to his protests.


    "He''ll definitely have my head. Forget that I actually did save the pce from ruin or that my queen can practically make me do anything." Rakon cursed from behind me, the loud stomping of his boots making me realize he''d chosen to apany me. On any other day his demeanour would have drawn a smile out of me, but the sound of battle had me hastening my steps, my wolf barely holding on to shift as we passed one empty hall after another. Whatever had transpired here had cleared all the burly figures I had passed before when I''d walked into the mansion. And the thought that they now fought my mate had me practically flying out of the main doors once they came into view.


    I expected it, but the sight of blood staining the grounds I had not so long ago passed heading into my parent''s home, left me in awe. More so because of the figure that stood covered in it and surrounded by too many guards. The sight reminded me of the night he''d ripped his own men apart when they had dared to attack me.


    "Surrender peacefully or suffer the consequences!" His growl carried over the open space. Heavy and threatening.


    "We would rather die than be bound to a she wolf. A child!"


    I red at the clueless bunch. The fools were resisting him and adding insult for their own peril. It would have been better for them if they''d kept their mouths shut.


    "Then so be it!"


    "By the gods! Who or what the hell is that?" Beside me, Rakon marvelled and he was not the only one. I should have joined in, but I stayed rooted on my spot, staring. Even when I knew the intensity of what we both now carried, I couldn''t help but marvel at how perfectly my mate wielded that gift.


    He was a beast. My beast. A part of me. A force meant to annihte those who would dare to upset the bnce of the realms. Switching form at an insane speed, his own enemies knowing not which to expect. Whether sword, canine or w as he ploughed through their ranks, leaving nothing but entrails that would never again be tucked away safely in their owner''s bodies.


    And once he''d made sure none of those bodies would awaken toy im on the organs that had brutally been severed from them, he shifted in my direction in a calcted move.


    I felt his gaze more than I saw it. It went from my face and to my belly, a possessive growl tearing from his lips almost instantly. Yet not out of loss, I realized.


    "Why are you here?" He marched forward, and even with all the anger, the rage and the blood dripping all over his form, I drew closer too. The sword he''d picked up sometime during his reign of terror dropped to his side as his bloody arms opened up in invitation. I melted into them without reservation, relishing the familiar traces of his body.


    "She''s beautiful, Elian." I croaked out as waves of emotion overtook me.


    "She?" I was pulled back, albeit forcefully and if it wasn''t for the most tender look in his eyes, I would have thought my own mate regretted me birthing a daughter.


    "She has your eyes." I smiled. "And they are the most beautiful things I have ever seen."


    "Are they now?" A pleased growl rumbled from his chest as I got pulled in for a kiss, but relishing the taste of his lips would have to wait.


    I felt the danger behind him way before the attacker leapt. Shoving my mate to the side, I shifted without a second thought and met the enemy mid air, canines making for the most beautiful aerial greeting.


    The she wolf whimpered when our bodies found the ground again. My feet were steady as my wolf stood proudly on all fours, hovering over its prize.


    "Hello, dear sister." I linked.

 Chapter 89

    The smell of battle had never felt this exciting and enticing. I should have gotten my fill after all the wolves I''d in, but my wolf and I were only getting started. And now that our mate was here, the thirst to spill blood had been mixed with a desire to protect and impress as tension twined with pride. "You don''t deserve it. Any of this! And I''m going to take it all away!" Myrna, who''d barely stopped bleeding from the wound inflicted by Sh, growled in warning and only my mate''s previous warning for me to stay away stopped me from acting on my ex queen''s threat. Sh, on the other hand, merely stood over her sister. Eyes steady. Her alpha aura that I was sure would have knocked me out too if I didn''t share a part of her gift, nketed the air, sending every other wolf, whether friend or foe, to their knees. The grounds of the mansion that had a moment ago been covered by dead bodies only, had once again filled up with more wolves. Many had been drawn out by Myrna''s growls. Guards who were Evarius'' allies within the castle and my army had emerged with the intent toe to their queen''s aid, but the presence of my mate had left them with no choice but to take a knee and bow to a greater queen.


    The Aldeans who''d been back at my side, ready to follow my lead had followed suit too. So had those who''d marched with Rakon from the pce once he''d determined the ce was no longer Evarius'' immediate target.


    The sight was awe inspiring. As she tormented her prey with nothing but her mere silver gaze, my mate embodied everything scary under the realm''s suns. She was fear and she was terror. And she was mine!


    I watched with pride as she sucked up every bit of confidence her sister once possessed and I couldn''t help but marvel at how far she hade. From the maiden who''d sat helplessly in that tiny house in the forgotten vige. How far they had bothe. Myrna, once a proud queen, nowy cowering before her sister. It was not a sight Sh would''ve have preferred once before. Of this I was sure. But everything had changed, as had she.


    "I won''t let you have any of it!" Myrna thinking this was anything she could keep Sh from having was quiteughable. And I couldn''t decide whether it was her own greed or stupidity that kept her from realizing that even her tongue stayed in her mouth simply because her sister was not her.


    "I thought you''d be long gone by now." Sh finally spoke, her voice still, but carrying with it the heaviness of the gift that now resided in her.


    "Then the gods really did waste their efforts choosing you." Myrna spat and I wished for nothing than to punish her for insulting my mate. Sh, however, remained unfazed, much to her sister''s annoyance.


    "It''s funny that you mention the gods." My mate craned her neck to the side, looking for nothing in particr. Or so I thought. "They too had a lot to say about you, dear sister. What did they call you again?" Sh seemed to think for a moment while I merely stared, wondering when and how she''d have had that conversation. "The unsatisfied one? Yes, that''s sounds about right."


    Myrna red. "I refuse to live a mundane life like you. You were always so content with everything ridiculous while I...I deserve the best the realms have to offer."


    Sh chuckled, but nothing about that sound spoke of amusement. "Funny how you say that as though you will be seeing the dawn of another day."


    "Let.her.go!" A possessive growl ripped through the grounds, making Sh''s attention turn fully to Evarius who seemed to havee out of nowhere and caught me off guard too. I would have marvelled at how he finally behaved as a true mate would too, but I was furiously growling at him for taking that tone with Sh. That and the sight that greeted me with his presence.


    "What the hell?!" I mentally cursed as my eyes took in the reason the bastard had been bold enough to assume that tone. Allies! Is that where he''d disappeared to? When I couldn''t find him after pursuing and tearing apart the wolves who''d dared to stand against me for him, I knew the bastard had escaped my wrath, but would show up eventually to try and reim the part of the gift I possessed. Except, I had not expected him to turn up this battle ready. Posted by ; visit us for more free novels.


    He had not bothered with any armor, but the multitudes who''d marched in behind him while he led as though he were their king, had. And even though they were all cloaked in armor, it took me mere seconds for recognition and realization that something was wrong to register. The bastard had not stuck to his own kind! He''d saved his best surprise forst!


    "How in Gods name did he manage that?" Rakon''s guard went up notches when he caught up with Evarius'' treachery.


    "Definitely not with sorcery. One would still need more than that to get these kinds to assemble in the same room, let alone fight on the same side."


    "Zih? I thought you were on your way to Carene."


    "My ce is by her side. By both your sides." The woman stated proudly and one more ally to fight with us should have made me think our odds for winning this war had gotten better, but not with the surprising sight before me.


    Witches, fairies, dragonfolk and God knew how many more realms had pledged their allegiance to Evarius. I could not even remember thest time it was heard of of the different magical creatures standing together as one.


    Tension weaved its chords tighter, making my wolf itch to make his appearance. The odds of this war had changed and chosen or not, it was one we could not win. And while I was not one to entertain regret on the battle field, an innocent face with golden eyes made me wish I had gazed on her even for a fleeting moment. I wished I had stayed long enough to gaze on the vision of the beautiful family we had created.


    It was that regret that birthed an even stronger desire to maintain the bnce of the realms. For my mate and that little piece of us we had created, I would fight to the death.


    "Protect your queen!" Deciding to even the odds with a surprise attack, I linked every wolf as I sought to shift. Something, however, or rather someone, held me and every wolf back.


    "Not yet love..." Her voice was ever so sweet, but when I beheld her, nothing of that sweetness could be seen on my mate''s face. And even when she had been the one to address everyone of her allies, her gaze still remained on Evarius who appeared extremely pleased with himself.


    "Ah, dear uncle, I was beginning to think you wouldn''te. Thought you had abandoned my dear sister." Sh had definitely noted the change in the calibre of the enemy that now surrounded us, but one could marvel at how her demeanour remained unchanged. And instead of giving in to Evarius'' demands, She merely turned to Myrna, a pitiful look on her face.


    "He would never abandon me." Myrna spat and apparently that seemed to be the reaction Sh was aiming for. "Unlike your dear mate who never even thought twice to reject you." The truth of her words punched me in the gut, making me look at my mate. I expected Sh''s expression to be bitter, but it was strangely calm, making me wonder what she was ying at. Was she even ying? I couldn''t tell a damn thing. It was as if I did not know her at all.


    "What is this?!" Evarius demanded.


    "Oh, but wouldn''t he?" Sh ignored her uncle, making Myrna frown at her and honestly so did I. And if she had noted our confusion, Sh did not acknowledge it. Instead she asked. "Did I ever answer your question about how I had ended up in Elian''s room that night back in the forgotten vige?" It was an odd question that not only deepened my frown but left me surprised that my mate chose to relieve those painful moments at all. Pain, however, was not what was written on her face when she furnished her sister with an answer. "I had been drunk and merely stumbled into his room."


    "You were no saint after all." Myrna scoffed.


    "Oh but you did not let me finish-"


    "I honestly do not have time to reminisce about your stupidity-"


    "The kind of stupidity we both shared even though we were never sisters by blood." Sh smiled, the edges of it clearly taunting her sister. "Except my stupidity had me walking away with the most precious gift, while yours had you losing the one thing that would have treasured you always."


    "You were always the stupid one, Sh." Myrna stated matter of fact. "And I honestly do not get where you are going with this little speech of yours."


    "Did your mate perhaps invite you to celebrate his perceived victory?" Sh seemed to ask out of nowhere and I wondered where she was going with this. I did not miss the growl from Evarius either. Something that Sh ignored totally.


    "If you must know he did." Myrna said proudly. "And I wasn''t stupid enough to indulge in any alcohol. Unlike you."


    "That would have even been better for you...and your child." Sh suddenly turned to Evarius who had be surprisingly quiet. "Would you like to tell her or should I, dear uncle?"


    "Tell me what?" Myrna, now seemingly aware to have missed something, shot Evarius a confused look.


    The man sighed with annoyance, but faced his mate still. "It was for the best, my love. I couldn''t risk our child binding me to you. We would have tried for another, once I-"


    "Wait, I''m not pregnant anymore?" For whatever reason Myrna turned to her sister, eyes begging for what she''d heard not to be true.


    "Your kiss once before bound my mate to you. Didn''t you ever think about what more such sorcery could aplish?" Myrna did not answer as she reached for her lips with one hand and her belly with the other. "No one could me you for wishing to kiss your mate after all."


    "My baby...?" I never thought a day woulde when Myrna would shed a tear. A real one. Unlike the ones she''d shed many times before me to get me to do her bidding. "You took my baby away from me?!" She lunged for her mate.


    "Oh sis, do not be so dramatic." Kerina appeared, stepping out from among the crowd of Evarius'' allies. "You knew the sacrifices required of each one of us."


    "Sacrifices? And what would you know about sacrifices, you witch?" Myrna roared, her anger making me realize what Sh had just done and I could only marvel at her wless execution. She was infact ying. With the only difference being herck of finding amusement in the whole matter. She still did not wish to spill blood. At least not more than necessary. It was even more astounding that Evarius'' allies had stood to watch instead of attacking.


    "Try posing as a daughter to the man you love, while he beds another each night and carries another in his heart. Try impressing him by giving up your very essence and bing something you never intended, just so he could look at you even with one ounce of love-


    "Enough Kerina!" Evarius roared, before turning to Sh. "I really hoped we could do this peacefully, my dear."


    "Why?" Kerina hissed before Sh could answer. If she was ever going to. "Why, my love? Don''t want to hurt your pretty little mate? What about me? Your chosen mate?"


    "Your what?" Myrna growled at Evarius, but she was ignored as the man lunged for Kerina.


    "I said shut up!"


    "Don''t, I carry your child." Kerina cried out, making Evarius freeze.


    "What in God''s name are you talking about?"


    "You slept with her?!" Myrna growled, but neither Evarius nor Kerina even nced her way.


    "You can still be a father. Once all this is done, you can have the chosen''s power, but also a family who will willingly love you." Kerina begged, but her pleas were met with a heartyugh.


    "And what makes you think that that will be you and that bastard you carry? Why would I give up the chosen for you?"


    "Wait, you won''t even deny it?" Myrna butted in, but she was ignored.


    "Because unlike my sister, you are nothing without me. You can''t get the chosen''s power without me." Another heartyugh from Evarius sent Kerina''s confidence wavering and her feet retreating at an unusually fast pace. The events that followed left me begging my mate to let me at Evarius and Myrna screaming out in horror. Kerina''s body, or what was left of it fell with an ugly thud. Whether by sorcery or Evarius'' hands I could not tell. It made me brace for a different type of war.


    "See what you made me do." Evarius feigned regret as he straightened some imaginary creases on his garments with an appalling confidence before turning to my mate. "Now where were we, my dear?" I would have lunged at him then, but my mate''s request still held me in ce.


    "Proving to your innocent followers what a despicable wolf you are."


    At that Evarius turned to his allies, realizing his mistake toote. "You cowards, what do you think you are doing?" I hadn''t noticed it yet either, but many of his allies had retreated, leaving him panicked. And as always, he masked his emotions before they ran wild. "This changes nothing, my lord!" Someone growled of those that remained, making Evarius stand even taller.


    "And apparently separated the scum of the realms while at it." Sh let out a menacing growl, the sound instantly lifting whatever limitation she''d ced on me and the other wolves. It was time. Finally!


    Fur sprang up in the ces where those on our side stood as howls filled the air. She did not need topel anyone, her growls were enough as battle cries and when she shifted, I shifted too, along with every other wolf, following her lead as she struck down the enemy.


    Evarius had run, Myrna by his side, making me wonder if Kerina''s words had been true. Was he really nothing without his witch? The coward would let men die for him once again. I wouldn''t let him. And I was not the only one.


    As she''d dered, my mate''s focus remained on her prize and knowing what it was, me and Rakon nked her sides and watched her back as she fought her way through to im it.


    Evarius'' allies got in the way, but with every stretch of muscle, with every one of her movements, Sh disyed what it meant to be the chosen. A deadly force none could rekon with. If her enemies saw hering, their dead bodies definitely spoke of them having no chance to proim her presence. Hell, she could not give me a moment to marvel at her deadly attacks either before iming her next victim.


    "Finish it!" Myrna''s pained growl brought me to a stop and turning to where it came from.


    "How?" I blinked at the sight before me. I could have sworn those two where still on their path of escape thest time I checked. Well, their momentary path of escape. Now Myrna''s throat was in between Sh''s jaws, making me marvel at how she''d managed that. "Don''t tell me you are still pathetic even when you are the chosen." Myrna baited her, grief coating her voice and speaking of someone who had nothing to live for. And even though one would say my ex mate deserved the inevitableing to her, the sight still remained a sad one and my heart went out to my mate.


    "Sh, don''t-" My plea came a moment toote. At least for Myrna. The death of his mate had surprisingly brought Evarius charging towards my mate like the beast that he was. All the confidence he''d oozed before had been shredded off and he''d remained but a man who''d lost everything important.


    Sh and her wolf had been ready. Meeting Evarius mid air, before both wolves tumbled to the ground. And even though I knew how capable she was, for a fleeting moment I had thought she''d been hurt when both beasts still stayed on the ground after the crash. But then she''d stood, a big chunk of flesh between her jaws.


    "You would shed your own blood so easily?" Evarius, forced to shift back to his human self by his injuries, coughed up blood, a sight of definite defeat.


    "Does that really surprise you, dear uncle?" Sh, having shifted too, chuckled, but her tone betrayed the nerve Evarius had struck. And now that she''d finally stopped, I could see the death of Myrna weighing heavily on her as much as the sight before her. Reaching for an abandoned sword, I came to her side and pulled her into my arms, shielding her from what I was about to do. She fought me, but I could not let her see, even if I knew she would know the moment the bastard breathed hisst.


    "Ah your majesty, it must please you to finally pluck out the thorn from your side." The bastard mind linked me while shing me his annoying smile, but for once anger was not exactly the thing to inspire my actions. Not when a dying wolf begged me to end his suffering. And despite his treachery, he still remained a noble lord and my mate''s uncle. I could afford him a little dignity.


    "I can''t say I will live to regret it." I linked back, my lips curving in farewell as the de gleamed in the sun, aiding the man to breathe hisst.


    "He was not yours to take!" Sh red, but I could still see the cracks hidden in the anger.


    "I owed the bastard his end-"


    "I am the chosen-" Her voice cracked, a total opposite of the fearless warrior who''d just ensured the safety of the realms.


    "And I''m your other half, your chosen half." The truth of that had not hit me until then. "Is that not why you chose me?"


    "I did not exactly choose you. I couldn''t even reject you." She huffed, albeit tearfully.


    "Not as your mate, no. But as your chosen half-"


    "It''s the same thing."


    "We both know it''s not. And I''m by no meansining. I''m actually honored that you did. I know I do not deserve it, so I''m d to have your trust." "You don''t think I''m a coward?" Her heart bled through her tears and I could only hold her tighter.


    "Heroes are never cowards." And as if to agree with the sentiments whispered to my mate, the world around us erupted in victorius cries. We''d won. She''d won.

 Epilogue

    "I''m all yours now." Elian''s deration as he made his way back into the king''s chambers made my heart flutter. I knew he meant it for the night, but I couldn''t help but think of forever. He was mine! Not for a day or a moment, we were forever bonded! Not even our change of hearts could undo the twinning of our souls. Perhaps the gods? "You certainly did take your time." Choosing to make him suffer a little for abandoning me for this long, I reached for a robe and covered up another of Lord Quent''s scandalous night gowns. A lot of those had gotten delivered to me, together with more exquisite garments than I cared to have. My protests had been met with a very reasonable answer from the fourth noble house. No amount of service would ever be enough for what the chosen had done. Which meant it was up to the fourth house''s discrection when and how they chose to dress their future queen. In a side note, the noble lord had admitted to how I made his designs appear wless and prettier than they actually were, which was good for business. And I apparently was too weak to let a family business suffer the loss of their most preferred customer. Even if I was not a paying one.


    "My apologies, but I couldn''t help but be entranced by the most gorgeous being." Warm lips covered mine in a sweet kiss that made me want to rethink my decision altogether. He''d been tending to our daughter after all.


    When the two had finally met, it''d been love at first sight. And since then, none of her cries went unnoticed or unattended to if Elian was around. He''d scared maid''s off that duty more times than I could count too. "I thought I was the most gorgeous being." I pouted.


    "Are you jealous, mydy?" Strong arms wrestled the robe from my hands before I couldpletely cover up. "It doesn''t suit you." He shed me that mischievious smile and I knew I had lost my little game when my heart melted.


    "I''m more impatient than jealous." My entire body shivered under my mate''s heated gaze that''d gotten darker after beholding what I''d attempted to cover up.


    "Not that I hate being the object of my mate''s desires, but I thought that after thest time, mydy would be fully satiated or at least be a little more patient." And each time had been glorious, but the intensity of my desire had merely made each one feel like a little scratch, leaving me longing for more and still miles further from being satiated.


    "When is having my mate fill me up ever enough?" I inquired boldly as I leaned into his hand that had somehow found its way in between my thighs and was now gently teasing me.


    "That is certainly a blessing I would forever be grateful for to the gods." His hand came closer, teasing, taunting and driving me insane.


    "You and I both." Barely holding on to that sanity, I reached out and touched too, giving him a taste of his own medicine.


    "Damn Sh!" He hissed, much to my delight. "If you keep up with that, I won''t be held ountable for my actions." His warning was barely a whisper now and I relished in still being able to stir his need this much even after so long.


    "Neither do I have any intentions of holding my king ountable for anything he might deem appropriate to satiate his maiden."


    "I must say I do like the sound of that, chosen." His lips went to my neck, tongue licking his mark, drawing wicked moans out of me. "Are you sure you wish to be doing this, however? The sun is almost up."


    I barely hid my displeasure when he stopped his assault. "What is this? Are you trying to keep me from what rightfully belongs to me?"


    "Never..." I squealed when I lost my footing and found myself being carried to the bed. "But I wouldn''t be a good mate if I didn''t at least warn you about the day ahead." Honestly, I did not wish to think about any of that. Because as it turned out, being the chosen hadn''t magically made me fall in love with politics or being around multitudes. But then that didn''t mean everyone thought the same. I was the chosen after all and had duties to the realm.


    "You''d think restoring the bnce would buy me a few years of freedom." I scoffed.


    "It''s not that bad." Elian looked at me, amused.


    "It will be if you keep me from what I really want."


    His lips curved. "I wouldn''t daremit such a crime, mydy." With every intent to give in to my demands, lips crushed on mine and drew me miles away from this realm and all its expectations. To one where only him and I mattered. Where pleasure rained in my blood at his touch. With every one of those simple yet arousing touches, he caressed my body, awakening me in a whole new way again and again. Showing me new worlds as he made love to me.


    It was this Elian I hade to love over the months we''d spent getting to know each other. He''d asked to court me again, which I had thought was totally absurd since we were now bonded twice and couldn''t really get away from each other. But with my positive answer, he''d gone ahead and proved that being mated was not all it took to fall in love. Our past still remained. With its hurts and pain, it remained a part of us. With Elian grabbing any opportunity to make up for it even when I did not hold it against him anymore. "Ready to fly with me, my queen?" I wasn''t. I wished for more, but the sound of his delicious voice that spoke of what I too had done to him, made me want to spread my wings and fly. To ride the winds of our lovemaking to the highest peak before letting go. I did just that. Arching my hips into him, meeting him thrust for thrust and loving his grunts, curses and moans that ensued. I wasn''t innocent of them either as I clung to him while he carried us both to the edges of ecstacy before plunging us right into the sea of it, over and over again until sleep finally wielded its power and caught up with us...


    "Our daughter is quite the princess." Contentment, pride and every other thing I''d never dreamed I''d see painting my mate''s face shone when I opened my eyes to the dawn of a new day.


    "Is she now?" I grinned, happy to have this face to wake up to. Even if I knew by his words that he''d sneaked out during the night to watch over our daughter and would t*****e me with everypliment he could shower on her. "Are you sure you would have not preferred a son?" The thought had crossed my mind and bothered me a little even after seeing how Elian kept fawning over our daughter.


    "Have you met the fierce women of this royal line? I have no doubt she will be just as fierce. So to answer your question, no." Truth dripped with his words and I couldn''t help but smile, knowing he was right about our daughter too. Aryn was already wrapping many hearts around her little finger barely months after being born and she already had a way of demanding for attention when she wanted it too. A trait I thought she took after her great grandmother more than me. "Are you ready?" Elian suddenly asked, making me sigh at the reminder of whaty ahead.


    "Do we really have to?" My gaze fell on the window letting in the morning sun. I was home. Back in Xatis, but I couldn''t help the longing for the ce were I''d stayed hidden for several months after fighting my uncle.


    Carene had been truly a beautiful ce with the most beautiful skies. Or perhaps I merely thought so because it was and free of the blood I''d so generously shed in Xatis and had served as my escape during the months while I battled my demons of war. It wasn''t without its troubles, but the people swore they had never known a better time since the death of its royal house.


    Now blessed with another, it''d be a part of Xatis and had been dubbed the chosen''s city. My protests against naming it so had fallen on deaf ears as many in Carene had sworn their allegiance to the chosen, to Xatis and its king.


    "You know they could wait for centuries if the chosen asked." That they would and it was the reason I had not protested the request toe home, back to Xatis in the first ce. That and the toll I knew riding between Xatis and Carene was slowly taking on my mate. Elian had stayed with me in Carene until his duties as king couldn''t wait on him anymore. But even after returning to Xatis, he''d ridden to Carene, to me and our daughter as often as he could.


    The sound of trumpets and insistent knocks on the king''s chamber''s doors drew our attention.


    "I did tell the maids to link me if there was any danger to Aryn." Elian frowned.


    "You and I know the sound of those has nothing to do with our daughter." I wiggled out of Elian''s arms and got ready to meet our early morning guest whom I knew we could not turn away even if we wished to. "The sun has been up for hours already!" Liira''s exasperated tone had me jumping out of our bed and grabbing a gown to cover up and look more presentable. Or was it less guilty of our deeds?


    Elian did not bother, his amused smile speaking of how he did not care if his grandmother knew what we''d been up to almost the entire night. "You do know she''s a wolf and can probably tell-"


    "That doesn''t mean we should unt...aargh!" I eximed while he merely sat back, a stupid grin on his face. I was all alone in this show of pretense and I couldn''t help suspect he''d known about this visit too. The door opened and revealed a small entourage led by thedy royalty of Xatis and I wished for the ground to swallow me right then.


    "You might possess the chosen''s gift, but you will still respect your elders." I blinked at Liira, my mother and Sarabeth, ready to defend or offer apologies, whichever woulde first or would sound reasonable for this unknown crime, but Liira''s re morphed into that warm smile that made the matriarch more approachable. "Sh dear, it''s so good to have you home." Home...my heart settled at that as if Liira''s words were exactly what I needed. And her warm embrace made me realize just how much I had missed her since the day she''d departed from Carene.


    "It''s good to be back-" I paused at the frown on Liira''s face. "Is something the matter?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing...nothing there." She patted my belly and stepped back, leaving me confused. A fierce Liira I could understand, but an odd one?


    "Nothing, there?" My frown deepened at her odd demeanour.


    "She''s looking to have another grandchild." Elian''s stupid smile made me catch up quicker than I would have.


    "She''s what?!" I pped a hand over my mouth when I realized that I''d spoken out loud. Had she expected me to be with child so soon? Wasn''t Aryn still too young?


    "Aryn is such a sweet child, child. All the more reason to have another." A mischievious smile graced Liira''s lips while I blushed terribly. "Perhaps a little more than one. We might get lucky afterst night or tonight. If the gods will it." She donned a thoughtful look before waving her thoughts away as if it were nothing, while I wished the ground could swallow me whole. It was one thing for the matriarch to be aware of our love making and totally another to have her refer to it so openly in front of everyone else. "Is she being serious?"


    "About which part? Having a few more babies or about you ending up with a pup or two in your belly after your mating ceremony?"


    "Oh my God, you too?" The smile on Sarabeth betrayed her thoughts too and I couldn''t get anymore flustered.


    "As she said, Aryn is a sweet child, who wouldn''t wish for many more of those?"


    "Mother!" I eximed, but Florithe merely shrugged, making me sigh, defeated. "The next one might just be an impossible child-"


    "And we will still love him or her the same." Liira grinned as did my mother, Sarabeth and the maids who''d apanied them, making me realize that I wouldn''t be able to escape this.


    "Maybe I should be having this conversation with gods." I thought. "And what is this about a mating ceremony?" I turned to Elian, but he was gone.


    Although escaped sounded more appropriate when a search around the chambers only revealed Astryn and Carlytte who stood beaming at me and acting odd at the same time. It wasn''t as if we had not seen each other over the months I had been in Carene as they had been right there with me, but the two behaved as though that were the case.


    "What is it?"


    "Uh...nothing." Both Carlytte and Astryn walked further into the room, but instead of heading in my direction as they usually would, they stopped in front of my mother and only then did I notice the gown bag they carried. "Don''t tell me that is from Lord Quent." I sighed.


    "Actually, this is from us." My mother undid the belts used to keep the bag closed and revealed the most gorgeous gown I''d ever led my eyes on. The shiny white pearls that covered it sparkled even more when the sun''s rays hit it. "It is a gift from us. Something from your own house. We hoped you''d wear it today."


    "Wait, there is really going to be a mating ceremony today?" I had thought my return to Xatis was meant for that pending huge gathering of all the important dignitaries from all over the kingdoms wishing to speak of the future now that the chosen was among them. But even if that were not the case, wasn''t this too fancy for a gown meant to be used for a mating ceremony?


    "And we do not wish to keep anyone waiting." Liira headed me into the bath before I could ask anymore.


    All the oils that had been poured into the bath water were meant to rx and calm, but none of that happened as I suddenly got nervous. Now that I was paying attention at the chaos unfolding before me as everyone worked to get me ready, I noted a few things that were off. Not only about some of the things that were not consistent with what I remembered of Liira''s lessons over the matter, but Carlytte and Astryn would not quite meet my eyes. And for more than once I was tempted to mind link them andpel them to reveal what they were hiding.


    "You look absolutely beautiful." My mother smiled. Albeit tearfully as she stared at my reflection once I was done. I agreed with her. With everyone whose eyes were now fixated on me after their efforts. I''d many times been d in exquisite gowns, but this- it brought on waves of emotions that a mere piece of fabric shouldn''t have. And it was by no means merely because my family had gifted it to me. No. It drew me to something I had not cared about, but was suddenly craving. My own wedding ceremony. We''d never spoken of it and now that I thought about it, my mate had never even hinted at wishing for it. My heart surprisingly ached at the fact.


    "Time to go." Liira suddenly announced and I was grateful for the distraction from my own thoughts. Themotion that ensued right after as everyone took ces was a wee distraction too.


    Out in the hallway, guards d in more ceremonial armour lined each side as per the custom, but it was a familiar face I did not expect to see here that drew my attention. He stood with that serious demeanour he''d always donned when I''d first met him. "Gol?" Breaking away from my entourage, I flung myself at the lord of the Aldeans as though it hadn''t just been mere hours since I''dst seen him. "You are here?" Now that he''d gotten a second chance, I did not see him stepping out of the kingdom he''d once failed to protect.


    "Isn''t this unbing of a queen?" Gol mind linked, feigning displeasure while his arms that wrapped me in a warm embrace spoke anothernguage.


    "I am the chosen. Besides, no one in Xatis will judge me for embracing the man who would have not thought twice aboutying down his life to protect this kingdom''s heir. And you do happen to be one of the king''s most trusted allies after ensuring his daughter''s safety." I grinned, eyes darting to his Aldean armour that now bore the markings of both Carene and Xatis while he merely rolled his eyes. He still hated being praised for his bravery that he and Zastan had portrayed when their little entourage had been ambushed on their way to Carene. And if it weren''t for the others, Liira especially, that tale would have never been repeated in our hearing.


    "Zastan assured me that he''d behave himself." Gol finally pulled back, breaking our private conversation too. And to be clear, his response meant he''d probably scared the daylights out of his younger brother such that the former king of Carene had vowed not to even dare of dreaming of stepping a toe out of line. Gol had probably not even needed his authority as lord to get his brother who''d sworn to make up for all his misdeeds to do his bidding.


    "That is...nice of you." Their rtionship was still on the mend and they were probably too far from gaining the trust they once shared, but even I could tell that reuniting with part of his family had mended much more in Gol''s heart than getting Carene back. "I needed to be here. I''m sworn to protect my king and queen. Besides, I wouldn''t miss this for anything." His lips curved. Albeit faintly, but I saw it and it strangely was the thing to get me to calm down.


    "I''m so d you came." With onest embrace, I let him take his ce ahead of us while the rest of the guards followed after.


    The sound of the guard''s boots characterized our little journey and now that I was calm, I focused on getting to my mate. I couldn''t help how giddy I suddenly felt and the smile that formed on my lips at the thought of him and me at this mating ceremony. Once upon a time, it was something I''d thought would prove that I had chosen him. But now I guessed it would be something we''d do for the sake of fulfuling the royal customs. And perhaps fulfil Liira''s wishes? I blushed at the thought.


    "Are you okay, child?" Liira''s voice jolted me out of my thoughts, making me blush even more.


    "Yes, I-" I paused, frowing at two gigantic doors that stood before our small entourage. I had not even realized that we had stopped. "The throne room?" Weren''t mating ceremonies supposed to be held in the woods surrounding the pce? I turned to Liira, wishing to make an inquiry about it, but the sound of trumpets sounding from what felt like every corner of Xatis drowned my thoughts as did the sight of everyone bowing towards me.


    Confused at the turn of events, I waited for the sounds to die down before turning to Liira, but she was no longer by my side. Neither was my mother or Sarabeth or the other maidens who''d been a part of my entourage. If it weren''t for the many guards that still surrounded me, I would have thought everyone may have been snatched away by an enemy.


    "My queen, it is time." Gol''s words and his unusual reverence caught me off guard and before I could think more of it, the doors to the throne room opened, revealing an unexpected sight which had nothing to do with the multitudes almost flowing out of the huge room with their heads bowed towards me. Or the ceremonial d¨¦cor in both the king and queen''s colours of scarlet and purple that made the ce unrecognizable.


    I had expected a bare torso, some skimpy skirt made of faux wolf''s skin covering his nakedness and some ancient beads hanging onto my mate''s neck while he waited on some grassy patch, a priest by his side, but as with my exquisite gown that did not fit a typical mating ceremony, he too was dressed in his royal garments. And not just any formal garment.


    My heart skipped several beats as I beheld him in his royal gown in deep scarlet with a train that covered the entire floor behind him. Something that ording to Liira, was worn by the king on the most important of asions. Something I''d only ever seen him wear once. Memories of the moment shed by, but I let them pass, just like I had learned not to think of any other memory that included Myrna.


    I couldn''t help but marvel at the heavy crown atop his head. And the hand that hadst night done scandalous things to me, held on to a golden sceptre. I would have blushed at the thought, but his deep gaze found mine. The yfulness in his golden gaze was long gone. It was no wonder that I could not picture the man who''d passionately made love to me justst night?


    Rakon stood by his side, dressed in a simr, but more subtle attire and looking so ufortable as though he''d have preferred his armour to the fancy dressing. I would have been amused at the sight too, if only my heart had not decided to beat right out of my chest at what this could all mean.


    "Gol, what is going on?" I turned to the man I''d chosen to trust when I''d had no one else, but he was not were I expected him to be. His ce was upied by my father whose hand was stretched out to me. "Father?"


    His warm smile greeted me. "Your mother did make a beautiful bride when I wedded her, but you Lily-"


    "Wait, bride? I-I am here to-" I snapped my gaze towards my mate before my father could utter another word. Elian had been distracted. By my presence and I would have relished the appreciation in his eyes, but- "Y-You wish to wed... me?" I mind linked, grateful to have that privacy.


    "Does that surprise you?" Even with the distance, I felt the heaviness of his words. The pinch of pain at my unbelief. But to be honest, it did surprise me. I mean, there was no need for it if we were mated and marked, right? Besides, I''d only craved it because of the gown that beautifully covered my frame- How long had he?


    His fierce gaze definitely spoke of it being longer than the moment the thought had ured to me. That and the appearance of a very ancient figure by his side.


    The bond keeper! For the first time I let Myrna''s words echo in my mind. Words about the ancient man and the reason for his presence.


    "For a second and final time one deres their undying love and unwavering devotion to their wedded mate for all eternity."


    Was that it? I searched my mate''s gaze.


    "I love you Sh and if you''ll have me, eternity is all I wish for."


    If... On any other day I would have scoffed at that. Because this was by no means a question of ''if''. And as I ced my hand in my father''s, while I let him lead me down the long aisle, towards my mate, while I beheld Elian''s sigh of relief, his breathtaking smile, while my own heart fluttered and my wolf howled, I also knew that it was not a question of simply being mated. I loved him... and eternity was all I wished for too.