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14 - The pretend-mate agreement - part 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 15 - The pretend-mate agreement - part 2
(Kaan’s POV)I close the door of my room behind me with a sigh. It’s barely eight in the morning and I’m bloody exhausted. I’m trying to keep it together because I’m a grown-up and a f*cking lycan with noble king ancestors. I’m a businessman who can destroy a competitor’s life’s work without batting an eyelid and still sleep well at night, as if it’s just another day. Dealing with women shouldn’t be this hard, right?Wrong.Right now, there’s nothing more I’d like to do than bang my head on the door, but Raya might hear and worry about me. To be honest, I really need to be alone right now. To get dressed for work. To process what I just did and ponder upon my life choices. To calm my soldier down.What have I done?What was I thinking, offering her such a tacky proposal? Pretend mate? I sound like a f*cking romance novelist. Where the hell did that come from!? What the hell happened to my sanity this morning? Why did I go through with it!?Why did I kiss her?Why…why did it feel so…go
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 16 - She's the one..?
(Kaan’s POV)My father's eyes shift away from mine, and for a moment, he seems unsure of what to say. Finally, he sighs and meets my gaze once more.He admits. “Your mother didn’t send me. I told her I have an important meeting to attend. I came here to see if you’d be here.”I lean back on my chair. “Why?”“I was worried about you,” he says, his voice tinged with concern.“Why?” I ask again, genuinely perplexed. My father looks at me intently, his eyes searching mine. “You didn’t look like you found your mate.”“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say finally, my voice low. “I didn’t realise there was a particular way I should look like…I must have missed the memo when it got out.”“I meant happy, Kaan. You didn’t look happy. That’s how I wanted to see you when you finally found her.” My father says firmly. “You claim that she’s your mate…but what I saw this morning tells me a very different story.”I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. My father's words hit a nerve, and I f
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 17 ~ Armored for battle
(Raya POV)“...will you let me court you?”I stare at him suspiciously, unable to stop the snort that escapes quite inelegantly from my nose, breaking the magical moment. “Right.”His eyes fill with amusement at my unorthodox reaction. “What? You know, sometimes I feel like you never take me seriously because I'm good-looking—”The intercom cuts his teasing remark short and he frowns as he turns to answer it. “Yes?” He asks curtly.Melissa nervously clears her throat. “Um, sir, I’m very sorry to intrude, but the investors have started to arrive and we still have to go over some of the details for the presentation…”Kaan sighs, distracted from our conversation. "Alright, Melissa. Just give me a moment, and then we’ll start. But first, please tell Elijah to come in here."Melissa gives a relieved affirmative before the line goes off.He whispers to me. “Don’t tell anyone about our agreement, not even Elijah,” he mutters something else under his breath but before I can ask him to repeat
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 18 ~ Asleep?
(Raya POV)I don’t even try to cook dinner anymore. I don’t want a repeat of this morning’s episode of ‘Kitchen from hell’. I can’t get fired from this ‘job’ as well. It’s all I have at the moment, my only chance for a new start and, frankly, if I lose this, I might as well just give up. But I do wonder what Kaan and I will have for dinner. Maybe he has already eaten out, considering it's getting late... but what am I supposed to do? Should I wait for him? Should I just order dinner for myself and leave something for him in case he hasn't eaten?Half-past nine and he’s still not here. “Where are you, Kaan?” I whisper.I’m really getting hungry so I go to the kitchen to see if there’s anything I can eat that does not require cooking and I find a stock of cereals. That should do. I’ve had worse dinners, really.We really should work out some sort of schedule and what-to-do lists.He finally comes home at quarter to ten and I sigh in both relief and annoyance. Now I know how a dog feel
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 19 ~ fire and wall
(Kaan’s POV)As the morning sun gently filters through my window, I stir from my sleep, feeling revitalized and utterly rejuvenated. It was the best sleep I've ever had in my entire life.I take a deep breath and a familiar scent wafts into my nostrils.I frown as I open my eyes, baffled. Did I accidentally fall asleep in the wrong bed? My frown deepens when I find Hiraya sleeping peacefully beside me, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each breath. She has a serene expression on her face, and her tousled hair frames it like a messy halo. I can't help but smile at the sight, feeling a surge of affection for this beautiful woman lying next to me, the sight of her first thing in the morning a welcome view indeed.I take a moment to savor the serenity of the moment, grateful for this quiet and intimate time with her. Although… What happened last night remains a mystery and it is starting to bother me.Turning my gaze away from her lovely face, I look around. Relief washes
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 20 - Running
(Raya’s POV) I quickly slip back to my room while Kaan is still taking a bath, heading directly to the shower. With a sigh, I stare at myself in the mirror, noting my flushed cheeks and bright eyes. “I’m done for.” I groan. “I caught the love bug and my heart is doomed.” It shouldn’t be that bad, right? I mean, he’s a nice and good-looking guy. Might as well enjoy the experience. Even if it doesn’t work out, I can just treat the heartbreak as some sort of ‘occupational hazard’. A hard lesson to be learned that will help me grow as a person. “What a load of bollocks,” I mutter as I turn away to take a shower. Maybe a cold one will help wake me up from my deluded fantasy of being strong enough to handle this. Not that I have a choice. I need to be able to. Ten million dollars is nothing to sneeze at. I’m just getting out of the bathroom when Kaan knocks on the door. “Hiraya? Are you awake?” Just hearing his voice is giving my heart a serious workout. “Um, yeah…? Just…got out of th
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 21 - Pest control
(Raya’s POV) My eyes find his and I raise an inquiring eyebrow. What the hell is this? He stares at me intently, trying to convey a message that I cannot understand. I don’t think he looks thrilled, but neither does he look annoyed or impatient. “I met Miss Westley on my way back here. She told me she wished to join us on our run.” He explains, staring at me unblinking, which looked painful and unnatural, so he must be doing it on purpose to tell me something. “She wants to run with us?” I repeat slowly, as if tasting the words. “And yet…you carrying her suggests that that’s not going to happen.” “She turned her ankle on the way here…” He explains. Both my eyebrows spring up, almost reaching my hairline. How convenient. I’d bet my last cents that that delicate foot doesn’t even hurt a tiny bit. Somewhere behind the pitiful, pained expression, a triumphant smirk surely lurks, unashamed and unrepentant. “What a pity,” I murmur, trying my best to keep a straight face. “That must ha
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 22 - Leaving the nest
(Raya’s POV) "Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" I ask Kaan, feeling a mix of curiosity and slight frustration. We've been in the car for a couple of hours now, and despite my attempts to figure out our destination, I remain clueless. "I told you already. Out of town. I'm tired of the city," he responds, his tone slightly evasive. A mischievous smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he glances at me before looking back to his cell phone, enjoying the suspense he's created. I can't help but roll my eyes, sensing that he's purposefully being vague. "I get that, but where exactly are we going?" I persist, desperate to uncover the mystery destination. "You'll see," he replies playfully. "Just trust me, will you? I promise, it's going to be worth the wait." I let out a sigh, a mixture of exasperation and anticipation. As much as I want to extract the information from him, there's a part of me that appreciates the element of surprise. There's something exhilarating abou
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In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 71 - FINAL EPILOGUE: One and the same wish
(Raya’s POV) I stare at the face of my little prince as he sleeps peacefully beside me. “You’re so beautiful, my darling boy,” I whisper as I caress his tiny hand planted possessively on my cheek. He likes sleeping this way. He looks just like Kaan in his baby pictures and I wonder if, as the years pass, will he look more like him or like me? Or something in between? Oh, I can’t wait to see! And yet I can’t bear for this wonderful version of him to be gone either! I’m so torn! I couldn’t help but kiss his cherubic face, the plump cheeks that drive me nuts. He’s so cute! I hear Kaan chuckle as he enters our room. “Are you obsessing over Alarick again?” He whispers. “I can’t help it, Teddy’s so freaking cute!” I whisper back. He rolls his eyes at the nickname Teddy I insist on using for our firstborn, whose name is Alarick Theodulf. He says it’s not very princely. I make a face. “Oh, and Kaan is?” I tease him. He grins. “I’ll have you know that Kaan means King of Kings. You
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 70 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love part 7
(Lila's POV) She sighs. “Go ahead…” “As mate of the king’s guard, you will be able to do more for your sister than being here, working yourself to exhaustion every single day. My position as the king’s guard opens doors that not even that Jack-ass she was mated to could ever dream of. You will be an honorary member of the royal family. Your sister’s future is as good as secured. And well, there’s the added bonus of having a good-looking mate who loves you as much as you love him.” He winks at her, making her smile despite herself. “Is that all?” She asks. “What about my shop? I have yet to finish saving up to pay for the capital that Alpha Seth and Luna Marie lent me.” He smiles sheepishly. “You owe them nothing. That was money I sent for you, so you will lack nothing ever.” He covers her lips with a finger when she starts to say something in protest and grins. “I know, I know…I shouldn’t have—but it was my allowance that I put aside from what was promised to my parents by the king
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 69 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love part 6
(Orthros POV)“May I ask why?”Lila takes a deep breath and stands up so he follows suit. She walks to the kitchen and offers him something to drink which he declines. “Lila—”She prepares a cup of tea for herself. “You wanted me to build a life with Maeve here. I did.” She frowns and turns to look at him. “I upended my life at the lycan court for you years ago, Orthros, because I believed we were going to be together. But you left me here and moved on. I made a life for myself and my sister now, we have set our roots and worked hard to get the shop going. Maeve is going to be big someday. She’s very talented and I know she’ll go the distance. So, forgive me but…I can’t and I won’t leave everything behind just because it’s convenient for you now.” She tells him tartly.He stares at her, torn between frustration and amazement. He is impressed by how level-headed she is, how firmly she is handling him and sending her message across in a very clear manner.Lila has changed. She is no lo
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 68 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love part 5
(Orthros POV) She stares at him as if she’d seen a ghost and inwardly he winces. He can’t really blame her for this reaction, it has been several years since they last saw each other and even though he kept tabs on them through Alpha Seth, he dared not establish direct communications with her or Maeve. It was difficult enough to stay away when he knew she would not be waiting for him. To find that she was still hoping for him to return, or even just to hear anything from her hinting that she needed him…it would have broken his concentration—and he would have come back running, to hell with the consequences that could ruin their lives. However, Alpha Seth assured him that Lila and Maeve were doing great, that they have been integrated well in the small town and were busy rebuilding their lives and setting up a home and a shop as dressmakers. I sent him money to ‘lend’ the two sisters so they will be able to have anything they need without being a burden to the pack, and asked Alpha
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 67 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love part 4
(Lila POV)It still hurts to remember that day, even though she’d put on a brave face, for the sake of her sister Maeve. She had cried herself to sleep many nights after that separation until there were no more tears to shed.But then, as always…life goes on and time waits for no one. She learned to wipe away her tears in the morning as if they were never there in the first place. And then, before she knew it, she stopped crying all together.As she became busier and busier building a new life with Maeve, she realized one important thing that made everything…a little better. The beautiful and poignant truth:He loved her too. For just as she was willing to break the fated bond—if they were indeed destined for each other—and let him find a better mate, Orthros chose the hard path to make sure she and Maeve will be safe… that they will live a better life.It only saddens her to think that Orthros might have been thinking that he was not worthy of being loved anymore, just because he ha
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 66 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love part 3
(Orthros POV) She stood there with a basket of berries, so beautiful she made his heart ache for he longed to touch her and kiss her strawberry red lips. It was his dream, to finally claim her as his, fated or not, for lycans have the gift of free will to choose their own mates. But how could he do that to her? How could he condemn her to a life of misery, of being shunned by everyone and laughed at for having a cursed mate? How could he risk giving her pups that might have the same affliction, punished with the same fate for daring to reach for the stars? “Orthros?” She whispered before rushing to embrace him. The moment their skins came in contact with each other, her thoughts came flooding in and his fears were confirmed. She loved him so much that she cared not about his terrible fate and was only too happy that he was meeting her eyes again. He closed his eyes as he hugged her back tightly, breathing in her lovely scent, and allowing himself to dream for a second longer, befo
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 65 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love part 2
(Lila POV)Lila watches her younger sister go, her heart aching for the pain she knows Maeve is currently going through. If only she has done more to make sure her sister had not given that jerk more than he deserved, perhaps Maeve wouldn’t be so…broken.Luna Marie sighs. “Poor girl…I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes right now—such pain she must be going through…so much that she cannot speak because words have failed her—but perhaps it’s for the best. I never liked that boy Jack. He would have only held her back from her potential and hidden away her brilliance under his barrel of self-worth.” She hooks her arms in Lila’s, gently pulling her away. “Your sister has something great in her future. Do not worry so much, Lila…she’ll heal, like many of us who went through something similar.”Lila glances at the luna of the pack that has accepted her and Maeve when they needed a home. Luna Marie has always been so kind and supportive, and loves the alpha so much that it’s hard to imagine any
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 64 - Epilogue 3: The two-headed lycan's first love
(Orthros POV) “Don’t say no yet. The offer stands until the day before we leave.” Former King Wayan tells him jovially, slapping him amicably on the back. Since abdicating the throne in favor of his son Lakàn, the old king seems to have regained a little bit of his youth. His excitement over his incoming world tour and ‘second honeymoon’ with his mate has obviously done him wonders. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Former Queen Freya smiles at him. “You have only two weeks to convince the girl. Best be on your way now, child. It'd be a shame to choose someone else less trusted to travel with us.” He bows. “I will try my best, Your Majesty.” As he walks away, he winces at the assault of thoughts that he can hear from the people around him. Ever since his extra wolf Lethe has left him, his wolf Levi is finally able to breathe and use his powers to its full extent. He has no idea how much the parasitic and incompatible bond between Levi and Lethe has been holding him back. He sighs as
In love with a lycan: Star light, star bright 63 ~ Epilogue 2: Abdication of the King
(Kaan's POV)“I’m stepping down.”We are at my parents' mansion, currently enjoying a bountiful Christmas dinner when my father invited me to his office for a glass of whiskey.He said those three words right when I'm drinking and I almost choked. As it is, I started coughing and my eyes watered from the effort to clear my throat.“What the—what do you mean you’re stepping down!?”My father only chuckles and raises his glass, watching me turn pale as I realize he’s not joking.“Dad—”He turns his back on me and faces the window. “I want to travel the world without the weight of my people on my back. To really feel the sand under my feet when we go south or the cold breeze on my face as we head north… To dance with your mother while I still can.” He turns to look at me with raised brows. “I do believe you are ready now. And dear Raya will be there to help you.”“Dad, I…”“Kaan, I want to live before my time in this world is over.”What do I even say to that? How do I refuse when I know
