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Lycan King's Jaded Mate 22.
ZARA.After dinner, I leaned back and watched with genuine interest in my eyes as the entire family laughed and shared inside jokes, the feeling of warmth surrounding me. I’ve never experienced this kind of familial love, and it felt entirely new to me. It felt like I was watching the scene play out while I was in an entirely different room. ‘Is this what it feels like?’ Nia asked from within me and I instantly knew what she meant.‘Yeah! This was what we missed out on,’ I responded. Growing up, I’d watched other people find their way back to family no matter the storm they encountered on the way, it was always a given. Fuck up, family. Break up, family. Graduation, family. First turning, family. Mating, family. Marriage, family. Whatever happened, there was always family at the end of it, and I never had that. Not since my mother died…‘I think we’ve seen enough,’ Nia said. ‘Yup,’ I agreed and pulled myself to my feet, holding my glass of wine with me. Whatever was in it was p
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 23.
We both stood on the balcony, sipping from our glasses and looking up at the sky, not a word spoken, and yet I couldn’t be any more comfortable. It was weird how safe I felt with Chase especially after his nephew had completely shattered my heart. Maybe I deserve this mark on my wrist telling the whole world who I really was. “Does it seem eerily quiet to you?” Chase asked, breaking the silence before I could go through my usual rabbit hole of self-deprecation. I was spending more and more time in that hole and I completely hated it. I shook my head. “I’m starting to have a migraine and I need to sleep.”Chase stretched and stood upright. “Time to go then.”I placed my empty wine glass on the small table on the balcony and walked into the house and sure enough, it was pretty quiet. Suddenly, Ryan bounded down the stairs, his eyes darting around as if he’d stolen a cookie from the cookie jar that no one was supposed to touch. “We’re about to leave,” Chase started. “Where’s everyon
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 24.
Silence descended upon the room, thick and heavy. This would be our second time sharing a room, sharing a bed and somehow every other person under this roof thinks we’re going to have sex. Was that what they expected of me when I got married to Chase? ‘Of course! You guys are married. That’s literally the most basic expectation,’ Nia said, rolling her eyes. Chase and I hadn’t spoken about sexual expectations and I had no idea if that was what he expected. As the silence thickened, I couldn't help but feel like I had to talk to fill it. “It's... um... quite a room,” I finally mumbled, trying to break the tension. Chase chuckled nervously, his eyes avoiding mine. “Yeah, it's... something. They can be a lot sometimes.” His voice trailed off, but his gaze lingered on me for a moment too long, sending shivers down my spine. “Yeah,” I said dryly, tearing my gaze from him. “I can sleep in the living room if you want,” Chase said, reaching to grab a pillow. “No, please don
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 25.
CHASE.As soon as I closed the bedroom door behind me, I pressed my back to it and took in a deep breath. The cool wood did a lot to calm the heat that had been building up within me.‘What the fuck did you just do?’ Drew growled, very displeased with my decision. Both our blood had been boiling and it had taken all the self-control in me to leave the room tonight. All I wanted to do this evening was to draw Zara close and kiss her, to lose myself in the feeling of her warmth. Her scent had filled my nostrils all night and her presence had been intoxicating. It made me drunker faster than the wine we had all drank. But I couldn’t help but beat myself up about everything that had happened.When we were kissing, I forgot everything that clouded my mind for a minute. It felt right, natural, and like it was supposed to happen. But then, even in the haze of passion, I felt a nagging doubt creep in. I couldn’t help but think if I was doing this for the right reasons, or if I was just doi
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 26.
‘Zara doesn’t think you’re a freak,’ Drew said, dragging me back to the present. I sighed. ‘I know.’I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Margaret came down. “Are you okay? I heard pacing,” she asked. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I blurted out before I could stop myself, knowing that there was nothing I could hide from Margaret. “Do what?”I sighed for the millionth time that night. “I think Zara is my real mate. No, I’m sure, but I have to wait for three months so that the bond can truly solidify.”“Oh, my Lumus. That’s great news, Chase!” Margaret said. “How did that happen?”I narrated my findings to her, starting from the first time I’d met Zara and how I always felt around her. It felt good to finally open up to someone about all this. She nodded when I was done. “You should know that the bond isn’t going to treat you nicely when you’re next to her.”I ran my hand through my hair. “That’s why I’m down here. I couldn’t bear to be next to her without holding her.”
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 27.
ZaraSunlight streamed through the windows as I sat by my vanity, preparing for the day. Pamela and Bella scurried about my room as usual, trying to ensure I was ready, but I focused more on what I was doing by the vanity. It has been a very eventful last couple of days, from the elders at the consulate to having to learn about Chase's secret to being invited back to his home. I've always wanted to know more about him and for him to be more vulnerable with me because it seemed like he knew so much about me. Knowing that we were on the same playing field and having that experience has brought us so much closer, which was a breath of fresh air. Although, I must say, I still feel a tiny ping in the chest from him abruptly leaving while we were sharing a kiss. Ugh! It wasn't like we hadn't done much more than kiss almost two weeks ago.Now, two days later, Chase is away to one of the states on royal business, and as much as I would have loved to go with him and avoid all the other busi
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 28.
With that, I got back to styling my hair. The maids were no help in that area because I have pretty kinky, curly hair, so I have resorted to doing my hair myself each morning. I worked my way through my hair, slowly detangling it section by section so I could work a brush through it. As I worked through a particularly stubborn twist, I noticed Pamela and Bella exchange glances through the mirror, their eyes falling on the mark on my wrist and remaining there.'Screwing their noses and looking at their queen in disgust? Oh, they're really bold,' Nia hissed, mirroring the same intense anger I felt. 'I'm sick and tired of people judging me on something that was just a mistake and happened on a whim,' I said to Nia, suddenly feeling heavy. Branded. Because I had dared to sleep with someone else who wasn't my mate. Branded, because I dared to get drunk and act on a whim. Branded, because I was a bond betrayer. Everyone only cared that I betrayed Asher. No one cared to ask how I got it.
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 29.
A quick knock on my bedroom door jolted me from the sugary, sweet thoughts that filled my head. I was now used to feeling that way after I'd spoken or been around Chase. "Yes, come in," I called at the door. The handle moved, and the door was pushed open as Ryan poked his head in. "Ready to go?" I took a deep breath, channeling my confidence immediately after the call. I was Chase's wife and the queen, I thought, repeating the words in my head like a mantra. 'You are much more than that. You are YOU. And that is what matters the most,' Nia said softly and I smiled at the encouragement. "As ready as I can be," I responded, quickly rushing to the mirror to fix the curly tendrils of my hair that had flown out of the ponytail I'd put it in. Ryan stood by the door, his stance very relaxed but vigilant. Ready to pounce on anything that was trying to harm me, and it made my heart melt. I loved that he was the one with me because it was very easy to be myself and let my guard
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Lycan King's Jaded Mate 64.
"What concoction are you talking about?" I asked as I stood up. Was this his way of running away from the conversation or was he playing another trick? "You don't have to lie. I know everything. You tried to get rid of the baby before I even knew you were pregnant!" He yelled. I said nothing. My head was spinning, my mind twirling with thoughts that made no sense. And Chase was raging angry, panting like a lion ready to devour its prey after a quick chase "First of all, it's crazy that no one told me that's why I almost lost our child," I started, keeping my voice calm and steady. "Zara, I..." But I didn't let him finish. "Secondly, I didn't even know I was pregnant, Chase," I repeated what I had told him at the hospital. "It didn't cross my mind for one moment that the reason for my changes was because I was pregnant. So why would I try to get rid of a child I had no idea I was carrying?" Chase shook his head. " Bella said she saw you taking a pregnancy test." My blood ran c
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 63.
The moment stretched on, the silence, albeit thick with tension, provided me a bit of reprieve from everything else. The chaos that just happened and one I was sure would flare up once we decided to discuss things. I wasn't going to meekly wait for him to offer me explanations now. I am done with that! "I am so sorry, Snookums," Chase finally broke the silence, his voice sending a rush of calm through my nerves. Again with the very vague apology. One that doesn't seem to have any meaning. I needed him to tell me what he was apologising for specifically, because as far as I was concerned, he'a done a lot of questionable things in the past week that needed apologies. I also knew that for my mental health and his, I couldn't keep pushing this conversation until I was ready. Because the thing was, I had no idea when exactly I would be ready, considering I wasn't one who was ever comfortable discussing her feelings. I was never one taken serious back home, so I got used to bottling my
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 62.
Zara I watched wide eyed as punch after punch flew between Chase and Ryan. It had all started in a blur. A type of blur that I did not anticipate. Ryan grabbed Chase by the collar punching him and they bumped into the walls, knocked down the coffee table and the tea set on top, breaking the set into a million tiny pieces on the floor. They struggled against each other, both trying to be the one on top, but Chase was currently straddling Ryan and punching him. The fighting made no sense because there was nothing to it. I could tell that Chase was acting completely out of anger because I was talking to Ryan. And Ryan was trying as much as he could to defend himself, while Shane was trying to stop it just like I was. It wasn't going great though, because Chase kept pushing Shane away and plummeting the life out of Ryan. It was a very unfair scene because Chase was ten times stronger than the two men combined. I've never seen Chase this angry and out of control in all the time I'v
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 61.
When I arrived at her room on the first day, I was confused and borderline depressed. I met Isa in the room when I’d walked in and she had said Zara was taking a shower and wouldn’t like to see anyone. Yet, I could smell her close by and I couldn’t hear the sound of the shower running. I wanted to insist on seeing her because I desperately needed answers, but I also knew that I had to give her space even though I didn’t want to. My mind was still pretty set on the fact that Zara had not done what the consulate said, but it was so hard when the opinion of everyone else was in my head. I mean, she didn’t know we were mates, so of course, she didn’t want to keep the pregnancy. We both knew that this might not last long, so the genius plan was obviously to get rid of the pregnancy. I poured myself a glass of whiskey as Shane walked into the room. “Still no luck?” he asked, sitting across from me and I shook my head. “I don’t know what to do right now and who to believe. I really
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 60.
Chase I lingered in front of Zara's room after a long day trip. It was the third day since her return from the hospital and my meeting with the consulate, and I hadn’t been able to see her. I thought about barging in and demanding an audience with her, but I was already on Zara's bad list, and I didn’t want to push her away any longer. Yet, even standing by this door, I could smell her, and my entire body shivered with need. I would do anything right now to hold her, kiss her, and tell her that everything would be alright. I paused for a couple of minutes and knocked on the door, hoping for a response. When none came, I pushed it open and walked inside, expecting to see Isa standing watch by the door and ready to stop me from entering. But nobody was there right now, except for Zara, who was lying on the bed, and I was certain she wasn’t asleep. The sound of her heartbeat resounded in my ears as her scent filled me. Somehow, I am more aware of her now and the mate bond, most
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 59.
ZARA. I walked into mine and Chase's chambers, my spirit down and feeling sadder than I'd ever been in a while. Perhaps ever since I got here. We were expecting a child, and instead of being over the moon and ecstatic, I felt drained and tired. It was heartbreaking that Chase didn't want the child that we were having together, but it was even worse that we might be mates and I had no idea. Because he hid it from me. I sighed heavily and slumped into a nearby chair, my mind a complete mess. These past few days had shown me the amount of love I was surrounded by. I was constantly being doted on, and the one person I wanted to feel a bit of care from was nowhere to be found. Chase and I hardly talk to each other, or better yet, I do most of the avoiding. Learning that we were mates, and he hid that from me broke my heart. It made me question why he chose to hide it, and if I had any right to have the feelings I thought I had for him. Right now, I wasn't sure anymore. First, I was
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 58.
"I was waiting for you," he said. "Everything okay?" I asked, keeping my voice firm as though nothing was wrong. "The consulate has requested a meeting." I groaned. Dealing with the consulate and their whining was the last thing I needed right now. "Can't it be moved? I'm sort of tied down by an emergency as you can tell." "They are pretty impatient." "Alright then. Get the car ready." Throughout the ride to the consulate, I didn't say a word. I was too beat up to speak, my emotions too raw to make coherent decisions or thoughts. I just hope the consulate does nothing to piss me off cause I'm not entirely sure I'd be able to control myself or Drew. In the midst of everything going on and the shambles in my life, however, I was immensely thankful that news of Zara's illness hasn't made its way around the kingdom yet. I'd told everyone that she'd gone on a trip to her mother's kingdom and won't be around for a little while, so I was certain that this meeting with the consula
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 57.
CHASE. My stomach rolled and turned as I made my way to the doctor's office, although not as bad as it had been since Zara began to ignore me three days ago. After our conversation on that day, I had no idea what was in store for us anymore. I felt so confused and disoriented. The question she asked me had caught me off guard because prior to that moment, I hadn't really thought about what it would be like to have a child with Zara. Sure, it was definitely the best thing in the world, but I'd chickened out and she had taken my lack of response to mean that I wasn't excited about the child. Plus, while I do want the child, I don't like the idea of tying her down to me with the pregnancy, when she probably doesn't want to be with me. There's still a month left, no, three weeks until three months have passed and that fateful day before she knows I am her mate. But what if she doesn't want to be mine? The conversation with Pearl urging me to tell her about the mate bond had put more
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 56.
It was the fourth day at the hospital and I was slowly feeling better and a bit happier because the people around me had held me down and had taken care of me throughout the time I was at the hospital. Even if my heart hurts. The days had passed by in a blur of silence and avoidance when it came to Chase and I. I spoke easily to Pearl, Isa, Shane and Ryan, but I barely acknowledged Chase's presence. I don't know how to face him. What to say. How to bring up the conversation of us being mates, so, instead I completely ignored him. Doing my best to avoid him. He stays with me most of the time, and we slept together each day, but I never said a word. Even when he talks, I can't bring myself to answer. The betrayal tore through me, tearing down whatever progress we've made so far. My hand always instinctively reached down and stroked my belly, the mere thought of growing a child within me was too much to even imagine. We haven't spoken about it in depth, and the excitement I had h
