"Sorry?"I blinked. Okay, maybe I read the signs wrong? "The sinking...""Fucking yes, I want to." He answered before I could even finish voicing the question.I knew there was no going back now and whatever I was going to say would determine what happened between us in the future. But I couldn't ignore the way he made my body tingle with need. This feeling of need surging through me was... consuming. The best fucking feeling I've ever felt in this situation. It was primal. Almost reaching down into the very center of my core and tugging at a wild, untamable hunger.I want him to sink in me. Deeper than anyone ever had.'This is wild! Have him touch you. I need something. Anything.' Nia howled, as though in pain."Show me if you can," I breathed.He regarded me for a moment, his eyes heating up, I could totally feel them on me. I mean, they were that expressive."Is this going to be a forever kind of thing?" He asked, his eyes trailing the contours of my mouth.I had no idea why he ha
CHASE.My pried my eyes open, sunlight from the windows streaming into the room. Zara was nuzzled in the crook of my arm as I wrapped my arm around her. I watched her for a bit, the remnants of the night we spent together left a pleasant ache in my muscles which I loved. We had a very wild and eventful night. One I had no idea was going to happen until in the heat of the moment. Until I took what I had wanted for so long.Last night had been...different. Not just the raw intensity and passion that Zara and I shared, but also the vulnerability that was so evident from the both of us. I remembered how she had clung to me, moaned my name and whimpered that I go faster or slower. I'd listened to her, our bodies moving in sync and the passion growing with each minute that passed. I trailed a finger down her face, promising myself to keep her safe and not let any harm befall her. Because she was always mine. Always. I moved a little, lifting my head with my hand, and resting it on the pi
I shifted my attention back to Zara, not that it ever left. "The elders want to see us."She stopped chewing her pancakes. "They do?""I guess they've finally come to a decision. Don't worry, I won't let them disrespect you anymore."She said nothing and simply nodded her head. I could tell she wasn't exactly eager to see them. Neither am I. But duty calls.We quickly got ready after we finished breakfast, and headed out of the room, hand in hand, our faces bright. On the way, we bumped into Asher and Lina, with Sabrina in tow.Asher and Lina bowed, muttering their greetings. It was obvious our time with them yesterday had set them in place, and somehow, it seemed they were both wary of meeting our gazes."Well, well, well," Sabrina drawled, her voice dripping venom. "If it isn't the king and queen." She bowed, her body facing me, but not Zara."And your queen?" I asked, unable to hold my frustration at bay."Definitely not mine. I do not care for a branded...""You will not say anyth
ZARA.The large kitchen at Chase's family home was filled with the familiar scent of fried blended tomatoes, scotch bonnet, onions, garlic, and ginger. I took a deep breath and felt my nerves calm. Chase was currently on another business trip, and instead of letting myself run mad with overthinking back at the palace, I decided to spend some of my free time with his family. They always make me feel welcome, which I needed after putting up with Asher and Lina's antics for days. After putting them both in their place during dinner, they didn't wish to stay any longer because it was certain neither Chase nor I wanted them there. Their departure had been swift and unannounced, and I'd thought they would stay longer, but their leaving when they did was basically what I wanted. I wasn't sure I could stand being in their presence any longer.Pearl passed me the rice she'd been washing by the sink, and I scooped it into a pot of sauce that had been simmering for the past seven minutes on
'We don't want that, do we?' Nia asked, restless. 'Of course not,' I responded, scowling.She paced the confines of my mind, her growls muffled but insistent. 'Then what are we going to do?'I sighed. 'We can't make a baby from scratch now, can we? It's something Chase and I have to be intentional about. We're both in a very vulnerable place with our feelings, and adding a baby into this would only make it more difficult.''But we have to do something soon. I can't be away from Chase and neither can you,' Nia growled. She'd never been this attached to someone before and it surprised me. But on the other hand, I understood what she meant by not being able to stay away from Chase. My feelings had been all over the place since he left on his trip and I couldn't go long days without inhaling his scent. It was becoming a habit that I had no control over and I didn't know what to do. This, us, wasn't permanent. I knew it would have to end sooner or later, but I didn't know when. And I a
A wide smile filled my face at the sight of him. "You didn't tell me you were returning today?" I said, getting up to hug him. As he wrapped his arms around me, I took in the familiar scent of his cologne and aftershave. The smell of him always did something to my senses, and this time, it wasn't any different. His scent, as always, calming."I wanted it to be a surprise." He pulled away and winked at Pearl. "And I wouldn't miss your jollof rice for the world."I shook my head with a playfully gasp. "So you two are keeping things from me?"Chase shrugged. "I needed the surprise to be perfect."After the pleasantries, we all sat down for dinner, talking in between. Hands clasped together under the table. I loved it. When we were done, and I'd taken in all the compliments I received for the meal Pearl and I prepared, Chase and I moved to the balcony. "It's a beautiful night," I said, taking in the crisp evening air. "It really is," Chase agreed. "We never really had consistent eveni
I placed a slice of apple pie on my plate as the maid standing next to me at the buffet table quivered in fear. It had been two days since dinner at Chase's family home, and we were both back to our royal duties.Wanting to still familiarise myself with the way of the kingdom and getting to know the palace maids more, I'd decided to throw a small party for all the maids at the palace. Pamela and Bella had helped me plan it and they were ecstatic about the idea. I noticed that the maids always planned parties for the royals and served at said parties, so I decided I wanted to do something for them in return. Something that was just about them. "You can have anything you want," I said to the maid with a smile. She looked at the long table filled with food, her eyes wide. "Really?"I nodded. Then she reached out to serve herself a slice of cake. "Starting with dessert first, I admire your spirit."She chuckled and scurried off, giving me a lopsided smile. All I wanted was for the ma
Sabrina was quickly escorted out, her screams and protests echoing fading beneath the music. I felt a sense of peace as I ate my pie in silence, watching the maids dance, chatter amongst themselves and have the time of their lives. All acting as though nothing just happened now."You are my role model," Bella said softly as she grinned. "I won't let anyone unworthy step on me.""Don't let a branded be your role model, Bella," I teased."Your majesty!" Both Pamela and Bella chided, but I simply smiled and waved at them, joining some of the maids in dancing as I ate my pie.However, once I was done eating, I suddenly felt tired and lightheaded. I signaled for Pamela and Bella so we could leave, but before then, I needed to address the maids."Thank you all so much for accepting my invitation," I began once their attention was on me. "Like I said in the past, I don't just want to be a queen, but a friend and companion to you all. Your being palace maids says nothing about your worth as h
"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
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
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
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
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
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
"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
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
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