Chapter Thirteen

Xeros Romanov

I faced the council of elders, their curious eyes gleaming, excited to learn about their future queen. Their inquiries lingered in the atmosphere, escalating in urgency with each one.

“How is she adapting?”

“Has she shown signs of accepting her role?”

“When will we meet her?”

My jaw tightened as I gripped the table's edge, my knuckles turning white. Everyone was aware that she was not prepared for this situation.Not after what she had been through. And yet still, they pushed.

“I will not answer any more questions,” I growled, the deep rumble in my chest silencing the room.“Your Queen is unprepared for any of that and will be taking her time until she is ready.”

They shared worried looks and furrowed brows, but not one of them had the courage to confront me.

They knew better.

“She has been through enough,” I continued, my voice steady. “She needs time.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” one of the older and more sensible elder ultimately stated, lowering his head in obedience. "We only desire the best for the pack"

I gave a brief nod and waved my hand to dismiss them.“The meeting is over. I will call for you when i am ready.”

I stared at them as they left the meeting room, their whispers became quieter, I let out a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair. All the pressure bore down on me, causing me to feel completely exhausted for the first time in a while.

I headed towards my office and sank into the chair at my desk. I felt the throbbing of my head from exhaustion, with tension felt in every muscle. It was not solely the stress of being in front. The person in question was her. Cassie.

I shut my eyes, her shaking body, her frightened demeanor, her cries consumed my thoughts. The way she stared at me made me feel responsible for all the things that had occurred to her. My wolf longed to console her, but I was unsure of how to do so.

Not without scaring her even more.

A soft knock pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see Anakin, my Beta, standing at the door. He stepped inside, his eyes scanning me, no doubt noticing the weariness etched across my face.

“You look like hell, king,"he said, his tone light but concerned.

“I feel like it,” I muttered, leaning back in my chair. “What do you want?”

He shrugged, pulling up a chair across from me. “Just checking on my king. You’ve been on edge for days. I can't be Beta if my King dies on me now...”

I didn’t respond at first, my mind still spinning. I usually didn't hide anything from Anakin because even at a young age, he possessed wisdom that many so-called elders could not dream of having.

“It’s Cassie,” I finally admitted, my voice low. “She… she’s terrified of me, Anakin. I don’t know how to reach her.”

Anakin agreed with a nod, reclining in his seat." The queen has experienced many difficult situations. It will require some time."

"I am aware of that," I responded, my voice starting to show a touch of irritation. "However, it goes beyond just that. Every time I try to get near her, she recoils. And when my wolf senses her fear, it only motivates him... He doesn't understand how to restrain himself. "

Anakin regarded me carefully. “You know this isn’t something you can just fix, right? This is something you’ll have to live with ,for a while at least. She’s been broken, Xeros. You can’t just put her back together with force or dominance. You’ll have to love her in her own way.”

I exhaled, staring up at the ceiling. “She doesn't just hate me, Anakin, she loathes my presence."

The words burned like a brand in my heart and It felt like tears would come to my eyes the more I thought about it.

Anakin was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, his voice softer. “You’ve always been ready to fight for what’s yours, but this is different. Winning her love is not a battle you can win with strength alone.”

“I know,” I replied, clenching my fists. “But there are other battles I’ll have to face. Her father… I’ll have to formally introduce myself to him.”

The very thought of that man sent a surge of rage through me. My fangs elongated, and my hands gripped the arms of the chair until I heard the wood creak. That bastard had destroyed her, broken her in ways I couldn’t even imagine.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. “You’re not planning on killing him, are you?”

“I can’t make any promises,” I growled, my Lycan rising to the surface again. The idea of introducing myself to the man who had made her life hell made my blood boil. “He deserves to suffer for what he did to her.”

“He does,” Anakin agreed. “But right now, Cassie needs you more than she needs revenge.”

I forced myself to calm down, my claws retracting as I exhaled deeply. He was right. Cassie’s healing came first. Her father’s time would come later.

“And then there’s the pack,” I muttered, my thoughts shifting to the other challenge looming over us. “I have to introduce her as their queen.”

“They’ll accept her,” Anakin said confidently. “Once they see she’s strong enough.”

I grimaced. “She doesn’t feel strong. Not yet. If she shows even a hint of weakness, they’ll dismiss her. They’ll deem her unfit.”

“Do you care what they think?” Anakin asked, crossing his arms.

I shook my head. “No. She’s my queen. No one will ever take her place. But I don’t want her to feel like she’s being rejected all over again. She needs to feel accepted.”

Anakin’s expression softened. “Then you wait. You introduce her when she’s ready. The pack will understand, and if they don’t—”

“They’ll face me,” I finished, my voice cold. “They’ll learn why I’m the Alpha King.”

“Exactly.”

I stood from my chair, pacing the room as my thoughts continued to race. “For now, I’m postponing all the meetings. I won’t subject her to that until we’re both ready. And the Nightwolf pack… if I meet with them before I’m ready, I can’t guarantee I’ll leave anyone alive.”

Anakin nodded, standing as well. “I’ll make the arrangements. The meetings can wait.”

I stopped pacing, rubbing a hand over my face. “Thanks.”

He smirked, clapping me on the back. "I've got to deal with a rogue problem, Now get some rest, Alpha. You’ll need it if you’re going to deal with all this.”

I nodded, watching him leave, the door clicking shut behind him. Alone again, I sank back into my chair, my mind already returning to Cassie.

Would she ever love me, even if it was just an inkling of what I felt for her?