Yes, it's the one and only Fred. Wanna bet how this is going to play out?
"Hi. I heard you came back yesterday" "Uh what... why... how..." I stop because I'm not making any sense. His hand is still around me and if I could, I would have already pushed him away. But as it is, I don't think I can continue standing without his help. How the hell did he find me? I don't remember telling him I was part of Bittercrest let alone that I was coming here."I joined the pack two weeks ago" Yeah, I definitely need him to continue holding me up. "You joined the pack? As in left yours to join this one?" "Yes" "What about your family? Your mate and kids?" He hauls me up his body, his other hand coming up to the back of my head, cradling me gently."You are my mate" he bites out, his tone sharp "I am so angry with myself for not waiting. I never should have agreed to be with Anais. We got together for the wrong reasons which is why it didn't work out between us" So he decided to seek me out? Too late buddy. Suck it up and take care of your kids. I'm about to tell him
"You went too far" Leander admonishes, moving to stand beside me by the window. Across the field, Sophia is smiling at Upton, and something inside me twists. I don't need Leander to point that out. I know I shouldn't have used a command but Sophia doesn't need gentle. If I coddle her right now, her condition will only get worse. She needs a firm hand and if that makes her hate me, then so be it. As long as she gets better. "Says the person who accepted that moron's admission. How many more members are you planning on accepting?" "He's an enforcer. A good one at that. I couldn't refuse his application. Besides, he's... You know who he is. There's no way I could send him away. " Dammit. Why him? Why did he change his mind? I thought I'd never see him again. If he didn't come here, our paths wouldn't have crossed. Not if I could help it. "Did you know he was her fated?" "Yes" "And you're letting him get close to her? Aren't you afraid of losing Sophia?" "I won't" she's angry and co
"Is it fun butting heads with Kaden?" Leander starts and I almost regret coming to see him. I thought he was at least going to apologize for what Kaden did not upbraid me."If this is what you wanted to talk about then I'm not interested" "You've changed, Sophia..." "And he hasn't?" I snarl remembering this morning and getting angry all over again. I will get him back for that. I will find something he cares about and use it against him. It occurs to me that Leander might be able to help me find his weakness and getting angry with him won't benefit me. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath then let it out before opening them "Has he always been like this? So demanding and bossy and oppressive?" "Oppressive?" "Fine. So demanding and bossy" He leans back on his chair smiling "Kaden has always been cold and aloof. He rarely came to the main house until you arrived. I saw more emotions on his face in a week than I had in ten years" "What do you mean? Are you saying I'm the one who's
"Don't touch me. I can walk on my own" I glare at Kaden's outstretched hands. Finn, the doctor who came from Solar Pride bound my ankle and suggested I refrain from putting weight on it for a few days. Since His Highness decided I have to eat every meal or he will humiliate me, I need to get downstairs. Without his help. Now that I have his attention, I find that I don't want it. Ugh, how great would it be if I could get my emotions to go back to how they used to be? I hate how everything is so extreme. From revenge to hate to self-loathing to wanting him and not wanting him. I'm so tired. "Don't be ridiculous. You can't get downstairs with that leg" "For the hundredth time, none of your business. FRED!" He's at the door in seconds. I guess he feels guilty for what he did. Hopping on one leg, I open the door "Turn around" "What?" "I can't walk so you're going to carry me downstairs" "Of course. Hop..." He trails off, straightens, and then leaves. "Fred? Fred where the hell..." I
Two Years Ago "Welcome back, your majesty" I look at the crown in my hands, the chair I just sat on, and the people kneeling in front of me. Surely, they're not referring to me."Is this some kind of joke?" "No, your majesty" Merlin rushes to say, still on his knees "You are the first person to sit on that chair in a hundred years" "Well then, I'm honored," I say getting up and putting the crown where I found it "But this isn't the reason I came here. You look like intelligent people. I'm sure you can find someone more suited to sit there" "It doesn't work like that, your majesty" "Stop calling me that and get up. All of you" Merlin slowly comes to his feet and with his hands behind his back, he tells the others to leave. "All this is new to His Majesty. I imagine he needs time to come to terms with his new reality" I don't and he'll find that out soon enough. I'm only here to find Camden and make him undo what he did to Sophia. Once the room clears, Reign closes the door while
"What plan?" "It was put in motion only after Iridessa got pregnant. The witch helped them turn one baby into two then they put the second baby in Celosia""What do you mean by turn?" Merlin shakes his head "They were keeping an eye on Iridessa and knew she was pregnant before she herself did. So they took the fertilized egg and split it into two. Celosia carried the second one and gave birth to Camden" "So what you mean to say is that Camden is my twin brother?" "Yes and no. You look alike but Celosia is his birth mother. There is no way you two are twins. Lycans have never given birth to twins because our genes are incapable of producing twins. The fact that you survived only goes to show how strong you are" This is ridiculous. How could someone use witchcraft to steal a baby? But it also explains how he was able to approach Sophia and erase her memories. If we do look alike, then she must have thought it was me. Which means, if he wants to, he can continue seeing her while pret
I was out with Fred taking a walk because Camden said distancing myself from the pack would help. Being around a lot of people was confusing me. Their emotions were affecting mine and making them worse. So he advised that I should stay away. I've only been going to the main house for meals and leaving right after I'm done and it worked. Since the day I met him, I haven't had a single outburst. Until today. Looking down at my bloody hands, I try to remember what happened. There's no way I lost my shit and killed that woman. How could I do it when I don't even know who it is? Her face was too deformed for anyone to identify her. Could she have been a trespasser or a rogue? "You think or you did?" Kaden asks. I glance up at him and see all the progress I've made for the past few days melt away. I'm back to being the messy, pathetic woman he'd never look at. And it makes me angry because he's not giving me the benefit of the doubt. He's already decided I'm guilty. "What do you think? You
"Tell us what happened" Bria, one of Avalon's friends steps forward "We were going for a walk. Avalon always insisted on going for walks but we knew she only wanted to look at the mansion. She kept insisting that one day, it would be hers. Today, we bumped into Sophia. She looked like she was coming back so Avalon stopped her and asked where she was going" She stops to take a breath then continues "Sophia told her she was going back to the mansion. Avalon told her not to get too comfortable and she tried to leave but Avalon blocked her way. She was angry because... Because..." "Stop stammering and speak properly!" Leander snaps. He's standing behind the desk with Kaden and a few guys including Fred. Bria and Gala are standing to my right while I'm on my own. No one is on my side. Gala takes over "Because Kaden rejected her. She told us how she tried seducing him but he was obsessed with her" she points at me "Avalon swore she would make him forget her. Since she was angry, we though
"Is this a kingdom of Lycans or werewolves? Ever since that king arrived, he's turned our kingdom upside down. I'm begging you, join me so we can send him away and return things to how they used to be" "You mean go back to the days our houses were falling apart while you lined your pockets with more gold?" Someone from the crowd asks. "Are you not ashamed of yourself, Perrin?" Another one adds "What right do you have to preach such nonsense? If it wasn't for his majesty, we would be begging for morsels of food at your doorstep. Go away. No one wants to listen to you" "Shall I make him leave, your majesty?" Reign asks."It's not necessary. He has nothing better to do so let him run his mouth" "Your Majesty!" Perrin calls out making all eyes turn to me. He drops his microphone and runs to kneel in front of me "Your Majesty, please take me back. Without you, I'm lost. Please, your majesty. I promise to be your loyal servant from today onwards" "That is up to the people. I don't decid
"Hands off. I don't want to be late for dinner" "I can be fast," Kaden says his hands sliding up the back of my thighs to rest on my ass. "Later. Is that what you're wearing?" "I would like to spend time with you without those two interfering. They know we've been mated for a while and still insist on inviting us to dinner every two to three days. I'd rather spend my free time with you than them" "They only want to bond with you but you keep giving them the cold shoulder. They're your parents, Kaden. Why are you being so cold to them?" It's the third time Dessa invited us to dinner. The first two times, we arrived, Kaden pushed around the food on his plate then told them he was busy and left. He keeps saying he doesn't care about them abandoning him but turns around and acts like a child. I'm not forcing him to like them or accept them. But since he decided we'll be living here, can't we be civil with them? Not that Dessa is any better. At least Atticus tries to talk to him. She, o
I wake up to soft breaths fanning my neck and Sophia's body half lying on top of mine. She's in one of my T-shirts while I'm naked. A sense of calmness washes over me knowing this is how I'll wake up for the rest of my life. Our lives. I will protect and love her until my dying breath. Although, now that she got her memory back, will she change her mind? I won't allow her to leave me. We already completed mating. Granted it was different than I'd expected it to be. Aside from being able to connect our thoughts, nothing else happened. Her mark on me disappeared while mine is still visible on her neck. Is this the first time a Lycan has mated with a werewolf? I'd like to know if this is the end or if there will be more changes in the future. But first, I have to get her to stay with me. Sliding her off me, I get up and throw a robe on then go in search of Merlin. He's in the main living room and he jumps to his feet when he sees me. "Your Majesty, you're awake.
My hand flies to my mouth, shock rendering me immobile. Is this the reason Kaden didn't want to talk about that day? I never understood why he was reluctant to tell me what had happened. He'd even forbidden Leander and the rest from talking about it. I thought it was because he didn't trust me but I now I know it was because he felt ashamed and guilty. It's written all over his face. Camden instigated the attack but Kaden had just turned eighteen. I doubt he knew what he was or how powerful his beast was. Newly turned wolves have a hard time controlling their wolf side. I can't imagine how harder it is for Lycans. Camden took advantage of that and it led to the demise of Kaden's family. But why? (He can keep the throne. I'll take everything else away from him) I can't believe he fooled me into believing he was the good brother. I wish I'd stuck all the iolites Iridessa gave me in his back. She slipped them to me earlier and told me their effect on Lycans. Th
The first memory I have is of Celosia forcing me to lift the crown. I was around three or four. She took me to the throne room and told me not to leave until I had succeeded. The naive little boy in me wanted to please her so I promised her I would do it without realizing it was impossible. I thought I could thaw her coldness towards me if I did what she said. She left me there for a whole day and night without food or water. By the time Jovita, my nanny found me, my hands were bleeding because I refused to accept I couldn't do it. It was the first time my mother had paid attention to me. I couldn't disappoint her. The memory is still so vivid because it was also the first time I suspected she didn't love me. I wondered why she didn't send someone to bring me a cup of water. To be able to do it, I needed strength. Feeding me once would have sufficed. A few years later, I found out that she didn't care about me at all. She was telling Morena how useless I was a
I've been expertly avoiding these people for more than two years. I can't believe all it took was one word from Sophia and I agreed to attend this banquet. She'd better hold up her end of the bargain or I will be very pissed. My eyes bounce around the room until they land on her. She's laughing together with other women while her hands make gestures. I believe the woman standing next to her is Iridessa. I'd bet my money that she strong-armed the others into being nice to Sophia. I'm not blind. I saw the way the servants were treating her and when I had Reign investigate it, he found out Ellinor had threatened them. Claiming that when she became the queen, anyone who was nice to Sophia wouldn't be spared. I wonder why she was so bold as to actually think I would agree to make her the queen. Even without Sophia, it wouldn't have been her or anyone for that matter. My mind was made up when I decided to be the king. It's Sophia or no one. I project more erotic image
"She tricked me too. I didn't even know she was your mother" "Find her and tell her to cancel it. I'm not going" "The invitations have already been sent out" Kaden huffs in annoyance and I know it's because he doesn't like these kinds of parties. I crawl onto his lap and wrap my hands around his neck "We can sneak out tomorrow night and go to the other side" "Because they can't find us there and drag us back?" "Then just attend it. I've never been to a black tie event" "How do you know that?" "I'd never forget something like that" "But you can forget me?" "You're being a big baby. Stop sulking and find yourself a tuxedo. I'm going to try on the dresses your mother sent me" I try to leave but his hands go around me. Holding me hostage. "On one condition" "Name it" "Let me fuck your ass when we get back" Goodness, is it me or is he horny all the time? I do want to dress fancily and attend those types of parties. But Kaden's reason isn't bad either. "Your wish is my command,
"What's with the turtle neck? If I didn't know you, I'd think you were trying to cover up my mark" "That's because I am" I snap my head toward him "You are? Why?" "To avoid gossip" "Are you kidding me?""Stop right there. It's not what you think" he says adjusting his sleeves. He's an ass but a hot ass. I wouldn't be surprised if women threw themselves at his feet. But now that we've marked each other, they should know he's taken. Why is trying to hide it? "Unlike wolves, our marks don't remain visible. It'll disappear in a day or two" "Then all the more reason you should display it for all to see. Unless you don't want anyone to know about it" "Correct" Ugh, I knew sooner or later, he was going to start showing his true colors. He asked me to be his queen but it's not even a day later and he's already going back on his words. I'm not stupid. It's obvious no one will accept me as their queen and I'm fine with that. Being with him is enough. But if he
I didn't think it would happen so soon. This feels like a dream. It was all so easy that I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm normally confident in everything I do but when it comes to Sophia, there are times I find myself hesitating. Even though I claimed her and we marked each other, it doesn't guarantee that she'll stay once she regains her memory. It was foolish of us to do this now but even if it was just for a day, I wanted her to be mine in every way. With no worries about the past or the future. It's selfish of me to wish she never remembers. I'm tempted to make sure she forgets the past forever but I can't bear to hurt her. Her mind has already been manipulated enough times. If I damage her further, I'd have no one to blame but myself. Besides, she just managed to get her wolf back. I can't let her efforts go to waste. "What are you thinking about?" She asks drawing drawing circles on my chest with her finger. I've lost count of the number of times I've made l