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2024-10-29 19:42:56Zara was our mate? How? I mean…
“Uncle Chase!” Asher’s voice cut through my thoughts. “You made it!” He added, bowing before me.“Hello, Asher,” I nodded at him as I pushed my glasses to the bridge of my nose, my eyes still pinned on Zara, who had her head ducked down now, her shoulders slumped in a defeated way.“Sorry. You got here at the wrong time. What a shit show,” he hissed, rubbing his forehead.I ignored him and said nothing as my brother walked up to us, and I bowed in respect. He waved his hand at me, dismissing me like he always did, and stood before Zara.“You are no longer a member of this pack and kingdom. Woe shall be unto you, your family, and your generation. May the wrath and curse of Lumus descend upon you forever for cheating on your mate!” he finished.“It wasn't like I ever wanted her,” Asher grumbled, as he pulled a woman, who had been standing close to him since I arrived, to his chest. “I’ve always wanted Lina, not her.” He added. “The damn mate bond was the only reason I endured being around her. She and I were never a match.”The fucking scumbag!And then he leaned closer to her, bringing his mouth to her ears and whispered.“Your sister's moans and screams were better than yours. She let me have her whichever way I wanted and was more beautiful than you were. I have always been looking for a way to get rid of you, and you handed me just the right card for that.”I had no idea how I was able to hear all of that. Lycans and werewolves have heightened senses of hearing, but I was certain Asher used the blockage to stop anyone from hearing what he was saying to Zara, yet, somehow, I did.“Now stand there and watch as I marry your sister and make her my mate,” he snickered, moved back and smiled at her before he turned to me, schooling his features to show the face of a man who had been cheated on.I could feel a slice of pain pass through me as tears spilled from Zara’s eyes. She looked... emotionless. Betrayed by both her mate and sister. She had been branded a bond betrayer for doing the exact same thing Asher and her sister had been doing for only Lumus knew how long.Whatever happened last night between Zara and I was a set up. Someone did something to her. But I will be damned if I stay and watch them tear my mate apart. It doesn't look like she knows I was now her mate, which is understandable. The law guiding the mate bond reserves three months for a rejected mate to recover from the pain before the mate bond connects to another. While I do know we are mates now, Zara wouldn't know for another three months. Which is fine by me.“Father, I want to marry Lina,” Asher said, squeezing the woman’s shoulders. That was Lina. Zara’s sister.“Why don't we make this more interesting?” I cut through, finally making a decision.“What do you want, Chase?” My brother, Clinton Zapata, Asher’s father and the king of Zakori asked me.I smiled, then shifted my attention to Zara.“Zara,” I started as the entire hall went quiet. I reached out to take her hand in mine and she placed hers ever so gently as I sank onto one knee. “Will you marry me?”The words hung in the air, and I had no idea what her response would be, but I knew if she were a smart woman, she’d grab this opportunity by its horns.And so I waited in anticipation, contemplating what she would say to me and what the fuck I’d done now.Related chapters
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 5.
ZARA.“Father, I want to marry Lina,” Asher said, squeezing Lina’s shoulder.Of course he’d say that. Of course he’d want to marry her. After what he had just finished saying to me? Why was I surprised he made his wish clear?Yet, I couldn't do anything as the tears spilled from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't do anything at the slice of pain that shot through me. Couldn't do shit other than to watch my life get ruined.Okay, so obviously, Asher had every right not to marry me, because what I did was very vile, although I had no idea why I’d done that, but I completely understand him. Even if I shouldn't. Even if I now know he and Lina have been doing it. But deciding to get married to Lina on a whim was what I didn’t understand. Okay, not a whim. They have been together for a while now according to him, which totally makes sense.All the more reason to make me believe that this was planned. I had been set up. What I don't know is if both Lina and Asher planned this, or
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 6.
‘What are we doing?’ Nia asked.‘I have no idea.’ On one hand, I was extremely scared of what was happening, and on the other, I was extremely thankful to Chase for wanting to marry me. Still, my life felt like a scene from a badly rehearsed reality TV show. How did it all turn upside down so badly? “I forbid you from marrying a branded!” The king thundered angrily. “You will not stain Father’s blood with an impure!”“Since when do you care what I do with my life, brother?” Chase asked as he stood up, pulling me to his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “And since when do I take command from you?”“Chase…”“I am a king like you are, need I remind you of that, Clinton?” The biting edge in his voice was chilling.“I am still the eldest and…”“You never took that role seriously all these years. And you want to now? I don't give a flying fuck if I am staining father’s bloodline or not. It is my life, and I do whatever the hell I want with it!” He snapped.“Uncle…”“Not a word
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 7.
Chase and I stepped forward, ready to exchange tokens of our commitment. I swallowed. “I don’t have a token for you. I’m sorry.”He chuckled, which made my stomach do numerous backflips. “Well, I didn’t expect you to have one. All of this has caught you by surprise.”“Oh, I might have something,” I started with a smile, an idea coming to mind. I reached for the pendant that sat on my neck, and one I’d worn since childhood. It was a precious keepsake that carried a lot of memories of love and laughter. I’d wanted to give it to Asher before the wedding, but I could see why I thought against it. “This may not be the grandest of tokens or a wedding band,” I began, my voice trembling with emotion. “But it carries the weight of a lot of love and memories in my life. The love of my mother. I’d like you to have it.” I pulled the pendant from my neck and pressed it into his palm. “Are you sure?”I nodded. “Yes, I am.”“Well, I don’t have a token here, so I guess we’ll just improvise.”He
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 8.
CHASE.The wedding had been chaotic, as chaotic as my whole day had been since I woke up. I had Zara’s pendant in my right pants pocket. I was still trying to contemplate what had happened and what I had even gotten myself into, but my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that the gorgeous woman I’d yearned for was seated beside me on my private jet. As my wife. My queen. My mate.We had left the wedding and gotten to the airport hangar where my private jet was waiting, and now we were on our way back to Betnerd, the kingdom I’d inherited from my mother’s side.“It’s beautiful,” Zara said, dragging my attention back to reality. She was looking out of the window at the forests and landscapes the jet zoomed past.“It is,” I agreed, my eyes on her, taking her all in. She sighed and turned to look at me, and I tore my gaze away. “How are you…a king too?” She asked, and I knew she was trying to find a footing to discuss what really mattered.“Clinton and I do not share the same mother. My
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 9.
ZARA.“Father, I want to marry Lina,” Asher said, squeezing Lina’s shoulder fondly. As I blinked away the remnants of the dream, or rather, the memory. I couldn't shake the queasy feeling that lingered in the pit of my stomach. But it wasn’t just a dream; it had happened, and I remembered it vividly. The events of that fateful night replayed in my mind like a haunting melody: the bachelorette party filled with laughter and tequila shots, the damning photographs that sealed my fate, the branding of my wrist with the mark of shame, and finally, the hasty marriage to Chase. All of it a whirlwind of confusion and chaos. And now, being here in his private jet, wrapped in his arms? I couldn’t deny that it was the best feeling ever, and it was the safest I’d felt in the past twenty-four hours. His embrace was warm and comforting. I’d probably fallen asleep in his arms, and for some reason, I didn’t want to leave. It felt like I belonged there. So I didn't move, even though I was already a
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 10.
As we stepped off the plane, my senses were assaulted by the flurry of activity and all the confetti being thrown into the air around us. “All hail the queen!” they called out, their voices ringing with a solemnity that caused me to wince.I hadn’t expected anything grand and big like what I was currently experiencing. I had not even thought of expecting a welcome. And then, as if on cue, they all bowed before me, their gestures a show of respect that left me speechless. “All hail the queen!” They chorused again, head bowed down with one hand pressed to the chest.. I stood there, frozen in place, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. I’d thought Betnerd was just a small kingdom in the north, but I was shocked by the turn of events. Even when Chase told me about being a king here; I never thought it was something so grand. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself being greeted with such reverence? It was even worse because now, more than ever, I knew I did n
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 11.
I slowly opened my eyes to the rays of sunlight streaming in through the large windows located at the corner of my room. The events of the past day filled my head, giving me a slight migraine. It all felt like a dream, but it wasn’t, and I hated that. I also had no idea that I’d slept that long. It was probably because I was so tired. As I slowly emerged from the depths of sleep, the unfamiliar surroundings of the lavish bedroom came into focus. I was in Chase’s mansion, and I hadn’t even taken it in the previous day because I had a lot to think about. ‘Oh, he’s rich,’ Nia mused as we took in the ornate curtains and the very expensive furniture that adorned the room. It was like I’d been teleported into another dimension filled with wealth and luxury, and then suddenly at that thought I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Did I really deserve all this? It didn’t feel like I did, especially with the brand sitting on my wrist for everyone to see. Blinking away the remnants of slum
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 12.
It was almost instantaneous, the change in their behavior and movement. The warmth and kindness that they’d shown toward me when the day started evaporated immediately, and it was replaced by an icy coldness that chilled me to the bone.It was as if the air itself had turned frigid, and I felt exposed. Without another word, Pamela and Darcy hurried to finish dressing me, their movements frantic and disjointed. It was clear that they couldn't wait to be rid of me, to escape the presence of someone marked by such a symbol of shame and disgrace. And I could see firsthand how everyone who was to come in contact with me from this point would react. It was something I had to carry everywhere with me, and I completely hated it. They quickly excused themselves and practically ran out of the room. I looked down at the branding on my wrist. What would happen now? Is this the same reaction I would get from everyone I came across? I knew that I was already married to Chase, and he assured me
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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
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 55.
He hesitated. "I was careless that night, and a little bit more tipsy than I had known. And the condom tore twice which I found out later. Although, that still doesn't make it easier." And then realisation hit me. That was the night of the bachelorette party and I had been so drunk that I didn't even remember if we used protection or not. I mean, we did use one, but I didn't even know some tore after going more than one round. Shit! 'Oh my Lumus,' Nia screamed within me. 'How did I not... know? How did we miss it?' Beats me. How? I mean, the baby's heartbeat should be the first thing I notice. The first thing Nia notices. That was how lycan pregnancy works, yet we both missed that. My heart pounded quickly in my chest as I tried to take in everything that was happening and it seemed like my brain was moving at snail speed, trying to process it all. "I'm pregnant," I mumbled in disbelief. "You are," Chase agreed. I searched his gorgeous green eyes, looking for any hint of h
