CHAPTER ONE LEONA POV

When Fiona had informed me that we would be heading to the palace because the Alpha King finally requested my presence, I was momentarily over the moon.

Ever since the mating festival a week back, where I had been declared Alpha Kane’s mate, and his blunt refusal to have me as one because I was ‘crippled’ , and I wasn’t a favorable choice of mate to any and every male werewolf in the entire Crestwood Pack because of my weakness as an omega—technically, no one wanted a burden of an omega who couldn’t use her legs, and certainly not the Alpha King himself who had a lot to look out for than someone who’d rather be much of a burden than a mate—I had broken down into all shades of agony. I turned the laughing stock of the town, and pretty much considered killing myself on several occasions if only Fiona wasn’t always there to prevent that.

Bile rose to my throat. Now, I couldn’t be too excited as I was petrified, wheeling through the narrow hallway of the Christian Castle of Royalty where people dressed in maid clothes looked at me with respite in their eyes, muttering hushed nonsense to themselves as we passed, which all I could do was ignore. Why did Alpha Kane suddenly want to see me after he’d rejected me and tore my heart to shreds?

Did he want to maybe pull off a final rejection that could sever the mating bond between us?

The more I pondered on it, the more terrifying the imaginations invading the sphere of my thoughts, the more icy shrill ran down my veins.

“The King is in his study,” A man—probably one of the magistrates because of the court robe he was wearing—said when he approached us. He only passed me a monotonous look before addressing further. “Follow me.”

The ride to the study seemed like a forever journey to an endless pit of agitation. Once we finally arrived, Fiona tapped me on my shoulder, a sign that she was here for me if I needed her, and she passed me her signature reassuring smile that I could only return with my feeble one.

“Make sure to do everything the King wants, however absurd,” The magistrate said, his brows pulled together at me. I would almost think he was staring condescendingly. “and don’t take luxury in meeting his eyes however you please. He hates defying challenges.”

“Okay,” My reply was a dry mutter. I could almost even scoff. Why would a crippled, rejected omega like me dare to even front a challenge to an Alpha like Kane.

I’d be asking for another death wish; which maybe death would be most likely to grant this time around.

I was left to wheel into the study myself, and the mere sight of shelves stacked with books to the top part of the ceiling stole my breath. A small gasp of awe escaped me as I twirled the chair, taking in the magnificent sight of a study, and the wafting smell of misty cedar that permeated the room, and I couldn’t help the part of me that suddenly felt attracted to Alpha Kane at the sight.

Of course I was attracted to him, but knowing he fancied book reading? Double swoon!

I allowed my fingers to trail along one of the shelves, my eyes scanning through the line of old thick covered books neatly stacked. Out of sheer curiosity, I plucked out one of the books that read “Shakespeare’s poems”, only for a deep, velvety rumble to mutter beside me,

“Did they not warn you pre-hand never to touch my stuff?”

I jolted, the book flying from my grip to the ground as I held a hand against my chest to keep my heart steady from the shock. Turning my gaze, I lost all sense of will when I locked sights with his blue, electrifying eyes. They were as sharp as ice, glazing at me with an irritation that ran through me, and even though I’d seen him at the festival and many other occasions looking as breathtakingly normal under the priming of royalty, I don’t think I’d ever seen this man look so swoon worthy with a disheveled red hair and a casual white button shirt that he’d made no effort to button, and black pants as he leaned his side onto one of the shelves, towering above me.

This man was a walking barrel of gorgeousness.

“Lower your eyes,” he commanded, low and stern, and I realized that I was shamelessly ogling.

No meeting his eyes however you please, Leona. How could you forget that simple warning?

“I’m sorry...I...” I stuttered, unable to find my words. I’d lost myself to admiring his study that I barely recalled he was in here. “I...I just...I lose myself when I see books...”

Or really handsome men.

“I detest stammers,” he spat, like I was a debacle. “Isn’t it punishment enough that you’re already crippled?”

The way he mentioned my condition brought a sour feeling down in my chest as I grated a hole in the ground with my eyes. It wasn’t my fault I was the way I am, like I’d asked for it, yet everyone —him included—made me feel like I’d done a terrible thing losing my legs.

Well, maybe actually, it had been part my fault, but they had no right to ride me over for it.

“Are you about to cry?” he asked above me. Lifting my gaze sharply but careful not to lock gazes, I shook my head, willing back my unshed tears and unclenching my fists I had tightened against the arms of my chair.

“I’m not crying,” I croaked, wincing at the end of my statement for how I sounded. Then I cleared my throat. “Why, if I may ask, did you send for me? Clearly, your words that night were that you wanted nothing to do with me, nor did you want me in your line of sight because of my...disability, and that it irked you.”

At least I can show him I could speak a complete sentence without stuttering. “Yes, I remember my words, Leona... is that right?”

Something bubbled down in my stomach. He remembered my name? Alphas like him were known to forget the names of people who meant nothing to them. Did that mean I had a chance at being desired by him?

Or was it just the fact that we were still bonded? “Yes,” I nodded. “It’s Leona.”

“And they are not going to change, because in fact, seeing you here grates my nerves. Especially meeting you unravel my stuff.” He stated. And by his stuff, he probably meant his book. “But I decided that you would be of good use, and I won’t have to fully reject you to severe this mate bond if you give your full cooperation to what I want.”

I gulped. “And, what do you want?”

The blueness in his eyes dimmed, a darker reflection overshadowing that ran sizzles down my body. He raked me over with his eyes before pushing away from the shelf.

“Let’s not look towards what I want right now, but on what you want ,” He walked over, bending to pick up the book I’d thrown to the ground, and I couldn’t have been more undone by his scent than I had been right then. “I happened to stumble on the knowing that your disability is something you hope to gain revenge for, upon a certain someone who we happen to share same dislike for,”

Blood rushed to my ears. What was he talking about? And what did he know about me wanting revenge?

“And I know a little of your backstory, and how you were the creedsmen’s finest assassin before you lost your glory...and your legs.”

I heaved in a tight breath. How did he know that? Yet, of course, the disgraceful crumble of Haven Lee—which was my pseudonym as a former feared assassin— had been a sparking sensation to the ears of the entire Crestwood, but no one knew what I looked like to spread a rumor about me when I was just a helpless woman with only a sister to care for her, or relate me to being Haven Lee, which I wasn’t.

Not anymore.

“I think you have it wrong—”

“On the contrary,” His sharp tone interrupted my attempt to deflect his inconspicuous interrogation. “I know that underneath this...feeble getup, there’s a hardened woman on the inside who shouldn’t be deterred by her disability.”

“W...what has my past got to do with anything?” I mused, my tone almost a whisper. I couldn’t understand where he was driving at with this, and if he wanted to reject me already, then he should without all these beat-up info’s about myself I’d rather keep buried.

Satisfaction flooded his face as he pushed the book into the space I’d plucked it from, so smooth and meticulous.

“There’s only one way I’ll accept you as my mate and save you the horror of a rejection from your King and the entire Crestwood, which will happen if you don’t do my bidding,” he said.

Anxiety tightened its reins in my chest. Whatever he wanted to ask of me, however, didn’t look so promising.

“Alpha Zane,” The mention of that name was enough to run fearful shudders through my spine as I shot my gaze up at him. He had a cocky smirk on his face. “The Alpha who took your legs. I want you to invade his territory and kill him without raising suspicions. After which, we both can live our lives as mated couples with a happy ever after. A win-win.”

My entire body froze with shock, the weight of his request descending on me like a boulder that I could barely wedge. But gradually as I stared, it morphed into a sickening nausea in the pit of my stomach.

He wanted me, a despised plain Jane, to infiltrate Alpha Zane Karvill and kill him just to have his acceptance of me?

Maybe I was wrong, and I didn’t have to come knocking to death to give a reply, because it was standing right in front of me, offering itself to me on a gold platter. And all it took for it to wrench its hold was one reply.