3.

CHASE.

You know what they say about chaos knocking on your door and you falling for it?

That was exactly what I did. Falling into the arms of a lycan I had never seen before until yesterday. And now, she has vanished!

I’d nearly forgotten that Asher, my nephew’s wedding was today. All because my brain had been fucked with by the woman from last night. Just what was I thinking?

I hissed as I hurriedly got dressed so I could rush to the venue.

‘So, Whose fault was it?’ I broke the silence between Drew and I. ‘I mean, you kind of went berserk the moment we saw her, and I think you pushed me into taking her. And now she’s gone.’

‘We will find her,’ came Drew’s short reply. ‘Nothing to worry about. We need to find her. I need her again.’

‘Well, too bad she left no contact details. Or did she leave one with you?’ I snickered, as I buttoned up my crisp white shirt.

‘We will find her,’ he said again, sounding more determined. ‘I will find her.’

I said nothing to that as I finished dressing up, then typed a quick message to Shane. Being away from my kingdom means I can't mindlink, just like everyone else, so I resorted to text messages.

‘Set up a meeting with the consulate. I will be back in five hours.’

His reply was quick. Short. And direct to the point. He was still angry that I chose to travel alone without security or him. But I needed him to stay back at the kingdom, because I trusted no one but him.

S- ‘Yes, Your Majesty. Is there anything else?’

C- ‘No, see you soon.’

I tucked my phone into the pocket of my suit, and finally stepped out to go to my nephew’s wedding.

But what I saw as soon as I got there was not what I was expecting one bit. As I entered the venue, I scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces in the sea of guests. But when they landed on the bride and groom, my heart skipped a beat, and my breath caught in my throat.

Fuck me, Lumus!

The woman I’d had the passionate night with. The woman who vanished on me. The woman both Drew and I were hung on to, turned out to be my nephew's mate and wife-to-be. I slept with his mate. Her touch had ignited a fire within me that I’d only felt with my ex mate, and it completely caught me off guard.

Now, she watched me walk in, and I don’t know what to say. Had no idea how to react. What to do.

‘Her. That’s her!’ Drew said, sounding a bit dazed. ‘We found her.’

We did. But in the most damning situation.

And then I watched it unfold, realizing that she was in the middle of being questioned. For betraying the bond. She stood with her head held high, back straight, and her eyes emotionless as she spoke.

“I, Zara Emmett Dawson, accept your rejection. May the bond between us be severed for eternity.”

Asher had rejected her. And she had just accepted. What the fuck have I done? Yet, I couldn't deny the thrill that had shot through me at the mention of her name. Zara. What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.

The wedding that was supposed to be going on was suddenly called off, and I watched on, as my elder brother, the king of Zakori, pronounced Zara as a whore. And as whispers of scandal and betrayal swept through the room, I knew that the repercussions of our one-night stand would be felt for years to come.

Suddenly, the brand appeared on her wrist, the brand which told the world that she’d slept with someone beside her mate and was a bond betrayer.

I watched as her face fell and yet she looked absolutely gorgeous with her twist packed up.

Her rich, cocoa-colored skin was glowing underneath the roof’s mirrors. While her almond-shaped eyes, framed by long, delicate lashes, held a silent challenge to those who dared to judge her.

In the world of werewolves and Lycans alike, where fidelity and loyalty were held in the highest regard, such a betrayal was considered unforgivable. Wolves and lycans were inherently possessive creatures, bound to their mates by a bond that transcended time and space. To betray that bond was the worst betrayal ever.

Our wild night had tarnished Zara’s image before my very eyes, while I stood unmoving, unable to fathom the fact that I had slept with a mated woman. A woman mated to my nephew.

Dear Lumus!

Finally deciding that I had had enough, I took slow strides towards where Zara stood. I needed to take her away. My heart hurt seeing the anguished look on her face. The empty look in her eyes. She had been shattered. Broken. But again, she did come at me strongly, as though she was possessed.

Was she in heat last night? Could that be the reason why? But as a mated lycan, she wasn't supposed to be in heat until it was close to her cycle. Or was it?

Damn! Something was going on.

I closed the distance between us and reached out to touch her, my fingers brushing against her arm. A jolt of electricity shot through me, engulfing me tightly as something akin to a ‘zing’ zapped through my whole body, setting it on a raging inferno that could not be quenched. It was as though a floodgate had been opened, unleashing a torrent of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

And then, as if on cue, Drew stirred within me, his presence filling my mind once again, so powerful that it felt as though he was struggling to take over. ‘Mate, mate, mate!’ He chanted, his voice echoing in my head.