CHAPTER THREE

NICKOLAS

I walk to my room, my footsteps leaving a trail of blood as it drips from my clothes. One of the witches in my army just teleported us back to my territory. My room is dimly lit with moon light slipping through the dark curtains, casting shadows across the walls. A king-sized bed, draped in luxurious grey linens and white pillows, sits in the center of the room. To the left of the bed, a large fireplace stands tall with a comfortable armchair and ottoman sit nearby. A large desk sits in one corner, covered in papers where I spend many long hours working to bring the lycan kingdom back its glory. I take off my shirt, sighing, annoyed with how everything played out tonight.

“Fuck!” I roar, throwing my shirt to the floor. I can’t believe that bastard Nathaniel got away after everything I fucking did to make sure I could kill him tonight and finally avenge my father. And to make matters worse, he was able to get away because of his daughter, who turned out to be my mate. My insides churn as I call her my mate.

After thousands of years of believing I was cursed to walk this earth alone, the universe decided to prove me wrong, and fucking gave me the werewolf princess as a mate. What the fuck?

“We will get him next time,” someone says as they enter my room.

“Who the fuck dares enter without knocking?” I retort, swiftly spinning around and thanking heavens I haven’t taken off my vest. It’s one of the reasons I even wear it underneath my shirts for situations like this. I can’t fucking have people seeing what they aren’t supposed to.

“That’s no way to speak to your uncle, boy,” Uncle Leo says, walking up to me.

“Hello, Uncle,” I greet, discarding my pants and tossing them onto the same pile as my shirt.

"Today, your father would be standing here, proud," Uncle Leo asserts, his hand finding a place on my shoulder, squeezing in reassurance.

"But that bastard still breathes," I retort, the frustration evident in my voice.

“As I said, we will get him next time. You have his daughter. Once he recovers, he will definitely come for her. And then we will get him.”

“Let’s not forget his daughter is my ma...” I suck in a breath, my fists clenching as my tongue feels heavy, refusing to acknowledge her as my mate. She might be, but I will never accept her.

I’m not surprised he knows everything, even though we just returned. Ava, his mate and Queen of Witches must’ve made it possible for him to watch what was happening while we were there. He would have been there if he had his way, but I couldn’t risk it. I had already lost my father. I couldn’t bare something happening to him, so I asked him to stay and guard the kingdom while I was away.

Uncle Leo remains silent, his gaze filled with pity as he looks at me.

"Not you too, stop," I growl, the memory of Eric's sad eyes upon hearing Amelia say 'mate' echoing in my mind.

"I can’t help it," he responds, his voice softening. "You’ve been mateless for centuries, and then your mate ends up being a descendant of Jane. Her being Nathaniel’s daughter isn’t even as fucked up as that."

I sigh, running a hand stained with dried blood through my dark hair. "I need to shower," I say, tired of having this conversation.

“I will be home if you need me,” he says, exiting my room.

"I'll be home if you need me," Uncle Leo states, exiting my room.

As I prepare to remove my vest, the door creaks open, causing me to pause. I expect to see Uncle Leo walking back in, but I see someone else.

"How many times have I told you to fucking knock," I growl, relieved I hadn't removed my vest yet.

Ember, using lycan speed, appears before me in a blink of an eye. "Thank heavens you’re fine," she says, disregarding my complaint, and staring at my face as she rests her hand on my arms stained with blood.

“You can see I’m fine, so you can leave” I swap her hand off my arm.

“I missed you, baby” Ember touches my face with her long nails and runs her hands through my hair. “Are you about to shower, my love? Why don't I join you?” she asks, stepping back and moving her hand to the strap of her dress.

"Ember…" My words get choked in my throat as her dress drops to the ground, revealing her naked body underneath. My dick pulses. I fucking hate the bitch, but I couldn't deny she had the body that could bring men to their knees.

"You were saying, baby," Ember teases, closing the distance between us and sliding her hand to my waist, lowering my boxers. She grabs my dick, and I groan.

"Ember," I moan as she begins to stroke my slowly hardening dick.

"Yes, baby," she responds, gradually descending to the ground, positioning her mouth at my throbbing dick. I halt her midway, seizing her arm and lifting her off the ground. I wasn't in the mood for foreplay right now. I needed to fuck after how messed up today went. Spinning her around, I bend her forward. I see her pussy pooling with her wetness already. I haven’t even touched the bitch, but only the thought of me fucking her has her wet. I begin to position my dick at her entrance when suddenly a pair of baby blue eyes filled with tears flash in my mind.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” I mutter, closing my eyes in an attempt to drive away the image of them, but they only intensify. I see her whole body that has all the curves in the right places. Her tiny tits but perfect for her size, and her big round ass. Fuck! I pinch the bridge of my nose, cursing the heavens for that stupid thing called the mate bond. Why the hell am I thinking about her now?

"Is everything alright?" Ember inquires. I open my eyes to find her facing me.

"Get out," I bark.

"Did I do something wrong?" she questions, confusion etched on her face.

"No, just leave."

"Baby, please tell me what I've done wrong. I don't like it when you're angry with me," she pleads, placing her hands on my arms and searching my eyes for an explanation.

I release her hands from my arms. "Nothing, just leave." Stepping away, I head towards my bathroom door.

"Should I come by later?" she queries, trailing behind me.

"No!" I retort, entering the bathroom and slamming the door in her face, ignoring her questioning pleas.