My eyes roamed the room through Drew's, taking in the other elders very shocked looks. Drew had just killed a member of the consulate. And not just any member, but the prime minister, which was something that never happened in the past, so I could understand why they all looked pretty shocked about that. Even Shane and Ryan both looked like they'd just seen a ghost. I rarely ever acted on impulse, and Drew certainly never did. But this was something neither of us could control. I wasn't about to sit back and watch as he disrespected my wife, and neither was Drew. 'He should've been dead a long time ago,' Drew growled. 'I completely agree. He had no business roaming the world and my kingdom with that foul heart of his,' I agreed. He got what was coming to him, and that was all I could say about the issue. Drew suddenly roared at the elders, the sound of the roar, shaking the very old building. The elders who always had something to say or counter during every consulate meetin
ZARA. I wrapped my arms around Chase’s neck as he carried me gently and placed me on the throne with my heart pounding in my chest. Everything had been a complete blur, but now I was feeling much better. I had no idea how the wolfsbane didn’t affect me, but for some reason it didn’t and I was fine which I was happy about. Chase knelt down in front of me, brushing a thumb across my cheek, his gaze searching mine. I could see how much he cared about me and it made my heart melt. He killed for me. No one had ever done that for me before and I’d been so surprised by what had happened. “Are you okay?” he asked, dragging me out of my thoughts. “Does anything hurt?” I gave him a small smile. It was so cute how much he cared about my well being, and how he made sure I knew that he cared about me. I nodded. “I am. And no, nothing hurts.” Not taking my word, I watched him look around my body as if searching for some invisible wound he might have missed or one I might be hi
“Keep your eyes closed,” Chase warned as he led me down a path. I had no idea where we were going and despite the numerous times I had asked, he wouldn't say. “Ow,” I said dramatically as my feet hit a rock. “Be careful,” he chuckled, making sure he held me in place as we continued on. I didn’t want to jinx whatever we had going on, but I would say that it has been pretty good so far. We weathered the storm that seemed unending a a while back, and somehow, we’re here even stronger. Better than I had ever imagined. It had been a couple of weeks since that very heated session in the throne room, and whenever I think about that, my cheeks get hot because of how steamy it was. I never knew that Chase had it in him. From taking matters into his own hands and dealing with the prime minister, to taking me right there in the throne room. On the throne shared by kings and queens of Betnerd for decades. But somehow, it was all we needed. That reassurance and him letting me know he’l
After that, he plated our jollof rice, fried plantains, and chicken, and while I wolfed it down while we talked, Chase kept taking small bites and gulping down milk. He was so adorable. His eyes and nose were red, and he looked utterly uncomfortable as he forced himself to eat the food. It showed to what extent Chase was willing to do things for me. So, I set my spoon down, stood up and closed the distance between us. He looked up at me, confusion blanketing his face before he split into a grin when I sat down on his lap. He adjusted the chair, giving me more space as I wrapped my hands around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss. Just a tangle of tongue and teeths and breath. A bubble of warmth that wrapped itself around us and sunk us deeper into our feelings. Before I finally broke the kiss. “Hey, gorgeous,” his voice was soft, almost raspy, and his gaze never left mine. “Hi, handsome,” I grinned, before burying my face at the crook of his neck. “I needed that k
CHASE. “Do you really have to go in today?” Zara asked from where she lay pouting on the bed. I turned around to look at her as I took in her bed hair which consisted of her curls sticking out in all directions, which made her even more adorable than she already was. She was wearing my T-shirt and the only thing I wanted to do right now was to crawl back in bed with her. ‘Then get back in bed,’ Drew growled within me. ‘It’s not that easy,’ I bit back. ‘We have responsibilities. Things to do.’ ‘But Zara looks so good,’ he whined. She did. And yesterday was perfect. And Zara and I had spent the remainder of the evening eating snacks in bed and talking. It ended with us making love, and I didn’t think anything could really top that. “Are you going to stand there smiling at the air or get in bed with me?” she asked, dragging me out of my reverie. I sighed as I got to the bed. “The only thing I want to do right now is to stay in bed with you.” “And why can’t you do that?”
Finally, we got to the building and I made my way to the head of the table of elders which was unusually quiet. They all greeted me in unison and fell into an unusual silence again. I could tell that they were definitely still reeling from the events of the previous meeting. “How’s everyone doing?” I asked as soon as I got comfortable. “We are all good, your grace. Thank you for asking,” one of the elders answered, their heads still ducked down. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers tapping against the wooden table with a measured calm. “Well, I gave you all time to rest after the ordeal of the last meeting, and I hope that we can move past it and focus on current issues,” I said. Some of the elders mumbled and shifted in their seats as if they had something more to say but wouldn’t dare voice it. But finally, one of them was brave enough to say something. “Your grace, with all due respect, the death of the prime minister came as quite a shock. He was a respected figure, a lo
ZARA. I had tried to convince Chase to stay in bed with me for the rest of the day, but that had only given me fifteen extra minutes of his time. It was the best fifteen extra minutes of my life. Things have been going great with us recently, and I was loving it. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit scared that something would happen out of nowhere. I felt like maybe I didn’t deserve any of this, like Chase or the baby or even being alive. I keep getting agitated, and my anxiety spiking from time to time. Everything seems too easy to be real. To be okay. ‘You deserve all this and more,’ Nia whispered. ‘But it’s hard to think that.’ ‘Well get rid of that thought and enjoy everything you currently have.’ She was right and I was going to do all I could to enjoy the happiness that I was privileged to have right now. I got ready as Pamela helped me. She pulled my hair into a high ponytail and then pulled it together, leaving tufts of my curly hair at the top. She a
ZARA. "Go Zara! Go, Zara! Go, Zara!" The girls all shrieked and egged me on in unison as a dark-haired stripper kept grinding on me. My eyes were focusing on anything clearly because I'd taken one too many tequila shots, and the dimly lit bar we were in seemed to blur around me. I could feel the oontz oontz vibrations of the music pulsating around me, but that was it. The stripper's proximity sent wave after wave of uneven shivers through the entirety of my body, his touch igniting a wild fire within me. My partially non focused eyes caught a balloon hanging from one of the chairs that was pink and shimmery and had the words 'bride to be' on it. I looked down at the sash across my red dress and noticed that it had ridden up to reveal a hint of stocking. There and then, surrounded by the loud music and the intoxicating scent of alcohol, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement mixed with a tinge of nervousness. The bachelorette party was in full swing, the energy was infe
ZARA. I had tried to convince Chase to stay in bed with me for the rest of the day, but that had only given me fifteen extra minutes of his time. It was the best fifteen extra minutes of my life. Things have been going great with us recently, and I was loving it. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit scared that something would happen out of nowhere. I felt like maybe I didn’t deserve any of this, like Chase or the baby or even being alive. I keep getting agitated, and my anxiety spiking from time to time. Everything seems too easy to be real. To be okay. ‘You deserve all this and more,’ Nia whispered. ‘But it’s hard to think that.’ ‘Well get rid of that thought and enjoy everything you currently have.’ She was right and I was going to do all I could to enjoy the happiness that I was privileged to have right now. I got ready as Pamela helped me. She pulled my hair into a high ponytail and then pulled it together, leaving tufts of my curly hair at the top. She a
Finally, we got to the building and I made my way to the head of the table of elders which was unusually quiet. They all greeted me in unison and fell into an unusual silence again. I could tell that they were definitely still reeling from the events of the previous meeting. “How’s everyone doing?” I asked as soon as I got comfortable. “We are all good, your grace. Thank you for asking,” one of the elders answered, their heads still ducked down. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers tapping against the wooden table with a measured calm. “Well, I gave you all time to rest after the ordeal of the last meeting, and I hope that we can move past it and focus on current issues,” I said. Some of the elders mumbled and shifted in their seats as if they had something more to say but wouldn’t dare voice it. But finally, one of them was brave enough to say something. “Your grace, with all due respect, the death of the prime minister came as quite a shock. He was a respected figure, a lo
CHASE. “Do you really have to go in today?” Zara asked from where she lay pouting on the bed. I turned around to look at her as I took in her bed hair which consisted of her curls sticking out in all directions, which made her even more adorable than she already was. She was wearing my T-shirt and the only thing I wanted to do right now was to crawl back in bed with her. ‘Then get back in bed,’ Drew growled within me. ‘It’s not that easy,’ I bit back. ‘We have responsibilities. Things to do.’ ‘But Zara looks so good,’ he whined. She did. And yesterday was perfect. And Zara and I had spent the remainder of the evening eating snacks in bed and talking. It ended with us making love, and I didn’t think anything could really top that. “Are you going to stand there smiling at the air or get in bed with me?” she asked, dragging me out of my reverie. I sighed as I got to the bed. “The only thing I want to do right now is to stay in bed with you.” “And why can’t you do that?”
After that, he plated our jollof rice, fried plantains, and chicken, and while I wolfed it down while we talked, Chase kept taking small bites and gulping down milk. He was so adorable. His eyes and nose were red, and he looked utterly uncomfortable as he forced himself to eat the food. It showed to what extent Chase was willing to do things for me. So, I set my spoon down, stood up and closed the distance between us. He looked up at me, confusion blanketing his face before he split into a grin when I sat down on his lap. He adjusted the chair, giving me more space as I wrapped my hands around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss. Just a tangle of tongue and teeths and breath. A bubble of warmth that wrapped itself around us and sunk us deeper into our feelings. Before I finally broke the kiss. “Hey, gorgeous,” his voice was soft, almost raspy, and his gaze never left mine. “Hi, handsome,” I grinned, before burying my face at the crook of his neck. “I needed that k
“Keep your eyes closed,” Chase warned as he led me down a path. I had no idea where we were going and despite the numerous times I had asked, he wouldn't say. “Ow,” I said dramatically as my feet hit a rock. “Be careful,” he chuckled, making sure he held me in place as we continued on. I didn’t want to jinx whatever we had going on, but I would say that it has been pretty good so far. We weathered the storm that seemed unending a a while back, and somehow, we’re here even stronger. Better than I had ever imagined. It had been a couple of weeks since that very heated session in the throne room, and whenever I think about that, my cheeks get hot because of how steamy it was. I never knew that Chase had it in him. From taking matters into his own hands and dealing with the prime minister, to taking me right there in the throne room. On the throne shared by kings and queens of Betnerd for decades. But somehow, it was all we needed. That reassurance and him letting me know he’l
ZARA. I wrapped my arms around Chase’s neck as he carried me gently and placed me on the throne with my heart pounding in my chest. Everything had been a complete blur, but now I was feeling much better. I had no idea how the wolfsbane didn’t affect me, but for some reason it didn’t and I was fine which I was happy about. Chase knelt down in front of me, brushing a thumb across my cheek, his gaze searching mine. I could see how much he cared about me and it made my heart melt. He killed for me. No one had ever done that for me before and I’d been so surprised by what had happened. “Are you okay?” he asked, dragging me out of my thoughts. “Does anything hurt?” I gave him a small smile. It was so cute how much he cared about my well being, and how he made sure I knew that he cared about me. I nodded. “I am. And no, nothing hurts.” Not taking my word, I watched him look around my body as if searching for some invisible wound he might have missed or one I might be hi
My eyes roamed the room through Drew's, taking in the other elders very shocked looks. Drew had just killed a member of the consulate. And not just any member, but the prime minister, which was something that never happened in the past, so I could understand why they all looked pretty shocked about that. Even Shane and Ryan both looked like they'd just seen a ghost. I rarely ever acted on impulse, and Drew certainly never did. But this was something neither of us could control. I wasn't about to sit back and watch as he disrespected my wife, and neither was Drew. 'He should've been dead a long time ago,' Drew growled. 'I completely agree. He had no business roaming the world and my kingdom with that foul heart of his,' I agreed. He got what was coming to him, and that was all I could say about the issue. Drew suddenly roared at the elders, the sound of the roar, shaking the very old building. The elders who always had something to say or counter during every consulate meetin
CHASE. A gaping hole lodged itself as I watched everything unfold before me in slow motion. It was like I was watching a slow motioned drama, aired on the television. And it took me a moment, a slow agonizing moment, and the feel of my wife's body in my arms to stagger back to reality. This was real. Edward had just attacked my wife. I was in a daze as I cradled her body to my chest. As her blood soaked my white shirt and slipped through my fingers. As the scent of dona fruit hits my nostrils in mere seconds. Fuck! The bastard ate the fruit! "No. No, please Zara no," I cried. I wasn't even sure what my voice sounded like. I was past thinking. Past caring. Just like Drew's only goal was to rip Edward's arms as well. I'd sworn to keep Zara safe, and somehow I was doing a terrible job lately. One minute, she was standing before me, as I stood back to give her space and make her as comfortable as possible throughout the very triggering trial. And the next, I was cradling her bloo
I zoned out, trembling and nails digging into the arm of my throne. For how long, I had no idea. Not until Chase squeezed my hand tighter and his breath fanned my face. I hadn't noticed that he had moved from his throne and was cradling my face in his. I had completely lost it. How could she? How could Bella tell such lies? How could she do that to me? How? Why? I blinked, willing for the sadness to stay put. This wasn't time for me to be sad. I had no such luxury. Bella doesn't deserve such feelings from me. If she could lie so blatantly before me, what use is pitying her? "She's lying," I murmured, my eyes desperately searching Chase's. "I did no such thing. I swear, I..." He kissed me, cutting the words off in the process. "I know," he whispered back. "I know. I never doubted you. And we've already discussed this, Snookums." "But... but..." I swallowed, my heart pinching. "How could she tell such a lie? How could she do this to me?" "Now is the time to find out," he murmured