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2024-04-21 07:01:17Zara 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
Last Updated : 2024-04-21Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-04-21Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-04-21Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-04-22Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-04-29Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-04-29Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-05-06Lycan 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
Last Updated : 2024-05-06
Latest chapter
Lycan King's Jaded Mate EPILOGUE
I gripped the leather of the car seat so tightly I was certain my nails would leave marks. The pain I felt was one I’d never felt before in all my life and I was trying… and failing terribly… to keep it together. I couldn’t catch my breath. My vision blurred with tears, and all I could do was gasp, clutching my belly as if I could somehow contain the ache that tore through me. Okay, I’d heard tales about childbirth and even Margaret had scared me with one a couple of days ago, but I didn’t think that it would be this painful. Beside me, Chase was handling the whole situation even worse than me. He was practically yelling at the frightened driver and I was just hoping that we don’t end up driving up a tree with how much tension filled this car. “Can’t you go any faster?” Chase said to the driver, his hand reaching for mine. I could feel his worry, but I couldn’t comfort him right now, not when I was clinging to what little composure I had left. He rubbed my hand. “It’s okay,
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 88.
ZARA. My heart was pounding when Chase and I got into the car, making our way back to the airport. This entire day has come as a shock. I mean, I had no idea that Chase was planning this. I sat in the car, watching the gorgeous trees in the kingdom I'd call home all my life blur past. Tears were stinging my eyes, but they were not falling. I simply held my husband's hand and from time to time, felt him give me a reassuring squeeze. Still, in the midst of everything, I was still in disbelief and couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Asher and Lina had gone to those lengths to get rid of me. They had been having an affair since the beginning of our relationship and I had no idea because Asher had gone extra lengths to make sure I wouldn't know he was cheating. And I almost married him. Almost merged my life with his. And to rape me? Really? Had I never meant a thing to them? Had I always been a thorn in their sides? Was that it? Had they hated me that much? To be able to g
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 87.
I took a step away so that everyone could focus on the bouncer as I walked behind Zara’s chair to keep her company for a while. My hands found her shoulders and began gently massaging. She seemed so stiff and in shock and I wanted to do anything to make her feel better. Maybe a kiss. Or a hug. Anything to take off the tortured look on her face. I leaned down to her ear as I whispered. “I’m sorry.” She squeezed my hand on her shoulders and blinked, the words she said shocking me a bit. “I love you, Chase. More than you’ll ever know.” “You’re not upset? I did this without you knowing?” She looked up to smile at me. “I love that you’re protecting me and that’s all that matters.” I squeezed her shoulders again and lifted my head to face everyone once more. “You can speak now!” I ordered the bouncer. “I was hired to make Zara…” I cut him off quickly. “That’s queen Zara of Betnerd to you.” He cleared his throat. “I was hired to make queen Zara look compromised,” he said, look
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 86.
CHASE. Lina’s voice cut through the council again, shrill and annoying and I was seriously getting tired of her screaming. “So that’s it, isn’t it?” she spat. “You’ve always been the whore. You and Chase, together that night, carrying on like you had some claim to him.” The whore word again? When was she going to learn? Maybe never, because that was why she opened her mouth to Edward and told him about Zara cheating on the bond when they visited. It was why he had the guts to insult her moments before I killed him. And now, even after being caught in a lie with her vile husband, Lina was still going to war for him. I was very impressed by how loyal she was no matter what was thrown their way, but she’d called my wife a whore and I wasn’t going to let that slide, not even one bit. Before she could spit out another vile word, I was already moving. I held out my hand as I grabbed Asher by the collar, and before anyone could blink, my fist crashed on his jaw again. He gasped in pain,
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 85.
Chase held the pendant, looking around as his eyes met mine. “This necklace held a spell that stopped Zara from feeling any pain when Asher was cheating on her. It was why she never knew.” I swallowed, the hurt and betrayal becoming more painful by the second. “All of these are lies,” Asher spat out, but Chase was not yet done. “Shut your mouth before I order the kingdom priest to step in,” Chase said. “You can do that then,” Asher mumbled, even though I could tell he was scared. “I will. But I also spoke to the priest's daughter who said that he’d made this spell for you, Asher. And how this spell was shattered on the night of Zara’s bachelorette party.” I sucked in breath without moving as the priest was ushered into the room. He’s old and had been the priest of the kingdom for as long as I could remember. The priest greeted the king by bowing his head as he sat on the table with us. Asher and Lina looked petrified. “So, what do you have to tell us about this?” Chase as
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 84.
ZARA. Excuse me? It took me a moment to process what I had just heard. A whole moment to figure out the rate of my heartbeat. This whole thing looked like a badly written movie script and I had no idea how much I could take in before I began to scream. It started like a play, with Chase revealing Lina’s branded mark, and how everything was slowly making sense. I replayed the night of the bachelorette party in my head, pieces of the puzzle slowly clicking together. I hadn’t been black out drunk that night… at least, not in the way I made myself believe. The truth was, I wanted to fall into someone else’s arms, to escape, even if just for a moment. It was a farewell to my freedom, a desperate attempt to hold on to something I could control before I got into a marriage that felt like a trap. Even if at that moment, I hadn't thought of it that way. Months before that, maybe even a year, Asher became a completely different person. I slowly started noticing that he was not the man I’
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 83.
Gasps filled the room as everyone took in the mark on her wrist, the shock most evident on Asher and Lina’s faces. But they didn’t gasp or flinched because they’d both known this all the while and had kept it a secret. I let go of her wrist as she tried to regain her composure. I looked at her and then Asher with satisfaction on my face. “Would you like to explain why you’re wearing a mark that only appears when someone’s slept with another wolf that isn’t their mate?” Lina’s eyes flashed with anger. She tried to hide her hand deeper into her coat, but everyone else had already seen it. The damage had already been done. “What are you playing at, Chase?” My brother yelled, clearly pissed. “What sick game is this?” “You!” Lina screamed at me, her index finger pointed shakily at my face. “You did something to me. You… you’re trying to set me up. That mark you just showed up now. It isn’t real.” “Then why are you desperately trying to make them believe you? Take out your hand and
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 82.
CHASE. The meeting hadn’t begun officially, but I was already livid. I couldn’t wait to put Asher and Lina in their place and make them pay dearly for everything they’d put Zara through. In a way, I was grateful for them because they were the main reason I was able to find my mate, the love of my life. My queen and the mother of my child. Hopefully, children. But still, it doesn’t dismiss what they’ve done and how much they’ve made her a laughing stock in her own kingdom. ‘Make sure to put them in their damn places,’ Drew growled. I tightened my palms together until it turned into a fist and clenched my jaw. ‘I fucking intend to.’ I knew that organising this meeting meant digging up past trauma for Zara, but it had to be done. Especially given the fact that she had no idea what I was doing. Seeing their ashen faces was the highlight of my mood right now. Gripping the table more, I asked again. “I asked you both a damn question!” I snapped. “Would you like to do the honors or
Lycan King's Jaded Mate 81.
I blinked at nothingness as the words kept repeating in my head. I was struggling so hard to come to terms with what I had just heard. It has been months since I've been back here, after I was thrown out like scum of the earth and then Chase had stood up for me. But now, I had no idea why I was here. I decided to leave Zakori behind and never look back, but for some reason, that didn't happen. For the longest time, this place had felt like home to me and I didn't know anywhere else. I barely traveled out of the kingdom and state because I didn't need to. I was content with the life I had here. Until the day of the wedding. The day my entire world came crashing down and I couldn't stop it. The place I'd grown up in, the place that used to feel like safety. Now felt like judgment. Like I was stepping into a trial. I wasn't ready for that again. I turned to Chase now, my eyes filled with questions. "Why are we here? I thought we were going to a tropical state or something?" My voi
