Chapter seven

”Killian!” Sapphire gasped, her heart lodging in her throat. “What are you doing here?!”

He lifted a sardonic brow. “It’s the weekend mate, where else would I be but at an amusement park?”

She seethed. The icecream vendor was asking her for her order but she could barely hear him. 

“Yes, but this particular amusement park?!” She asked him in a furious whisper. “Why does it have to be when I’m here? Are you following me?!”

He scoffed. “Look at you jumping to conclusions. It’s an amusement park meant for everyone. We just happened to run into each other.”

“How fucking convenient.” She gritted out, her mind racing. 

Her kids! She had never imagined her kids and their father would be within such a short range. There was no way he saw them right? She watched his every expression with anxiety. 

“That’s a lot of icecream you were ordering just now, are you here with someone?” He asked her and she released her breath shakily. He didn’t see the kids. He didn’t know about them.

“Mind your own damn business.” She snapped and turned away, leaving him behind. She couldn’t go back to find her kids yet, what if she led him straight to them? Her stomach turned with anxiety and she didn’t even care where she was going, just away from her kids. 

He left the icecream shop behind and followed her, increasing his pace to match hers when she sped up. 

“Why the fuck are you following me?” She gritted out, refusing to spare him a glance. 

“I’m new here, you clearly know your way around more than I do.” Killian said with amusement in his voice. “And you’re also far more interesting than the games here.”

“Sounds like you have no business in a park. Perhaps you should leave.” She said, slipping between a thick crowd. 

“I will,” he replied from right behind her. “-if you’ll come with me.”

Her finger curled with the urge to scratch his eyes out. It’s like he was choosing to hear only what he wanted to hear. 

“If your plan is to convince me to run away with you, then annoying the shit out of me is definitely the wrong way to go about it.” She hissed.

Sapphire finally came to a stop on the other side of the park after drawing him as far away from the kids as she possibly could. Despite her efforts, her heart still beat with fear. This could go so wrong in a flash, all her efforts to keep her kids safe in the last three years thrown out the window. 

He frowned and she staggered back when he took a step forward. 

“Are you okay? He asked, reaching for her. 

“I’m fine.” She snapped, slapping the hand away. 

“Oh my goodness he is so fine!” A girl giggled and stared at Killian with stars in her eyes. 

“He’s gorgeous!!” Another sighed and Saphire rolled her eyes.

“You can have him.” She called to them, making them startle and scurry away. 

“Let’s have lunch.” He offered suddenly. “Away from all these noise.”

“No.” She replied immediately. “You can take your lunch and shove it up your ass.”

She turned away from him but her eyes widened suddenly when she spied Mrs. Persimmon a long distance away obviously looking for her. She ducked, and looked up to find Killian looking at her like she was insane. 

“Is there a prob-“ He searched around with a frown. 

“Hey!” She yelled and grabbed his arm, pasting a smile on her face as her heart pounded out of her chest. His eyes narrowed at her odd behaviour and he tried looking around again. 

“Did you say lunch? I’m starving.” She said urgently and marched for the exit and a slow smile spread took over his lips. 

She was such an oddball, this mate of his. For whatever reason she changed her mind, he counted his blessings and went after her. 

Surreptitiously, she pulled out her phone and sent the nanny a text. She should get the ice-cream for the kids instead and take them home immediately after. After apologising for the abrupt change of plans, she put away her phone and surrendered herself to the torture of lunch with the one person she swore to avoid. 

...

Her nails clicked on the table as the waiter set their food down and left. 

“So tell me.” She went straight to the point. “What is it that you truly want? Is it sex?”

He put his fork down and watched her. “If you’re offering sex I won’t turn you down.” He replied and she scoffed, shoving down the images that his words pushed into her head, a night she couldn’t forget. Their mingled moans, entwined fingers and the ecstasy she felt as he consumed her. Her cheeks heated but she blew it off. 

“Not at all. I am off the table.” She replied and he suddenly leaned in, interested. 

“Don’t tell me... have you not been with another man since that night?” He asked her with a smirk. 

It was true, but she would rather bite her own tongue than admit it. 

”What do you take me for? A nun? There hasn’t been a single week that’s gone by without me fucking.” She replied. “Not that it is any of your business.”

His smile died. “You have done what?!” He exploded, turning several heads to their table. She ignored his outburst and folded her arms. 

“The real reason why you are here stumps me. Is it redemption? Then you are wasting your time. I will never forgive you but you can start with an apology.”

He glared at her like he was thinking of skewering her. “I’ll never apologise for my takeover.” He snarled and she stilled. 

“What did you say?” She whispered. 

“I put an end to a war that dragged on exhaustively for centuries, depleting both of our kingdom’s resources.”

Sapphire stood, eyes flashing and her body shaking with anger. 

“That goddamn takeover ruined my life and all of my pack’s.” She gritted out. “Everything they said about you is true. You are a dark-hearted bastard and a blight upon the realm!”

Her raised voice was drawing glances but she didn’t care. She didn’t know it was possible to hate him more. 

“Sapphire-“ He stood. 

“Don’t call my name!” She snapped. “Three reasons why I will never go back with you? I hate your guts. Just the sight of your arrogant face makes me want to puke. You are so evil that you make my skin crawl. And you, you bastard, you have my people’s blood on your hands.”

“You can be sad and miserable all you want but you will be coming back with me.” He told her confidently. 

She laughed maniacally and her claws flicked out, ready to rend flesh. It was angled away from the humans but he couldn’t miss it. 

“Try me, barbarian king. I’m no longer the naive little girl I used to be. The day you let your guard down with me, I’ll rip out your throat and gorge on your blood.”

She grabbed her purse and stomped out of the restaurant, never touching her food and he folded his arms and watched her go. 

He was under the impression that the wolves of Diamond pack were born with ice in their veins and their wolves muzzled to death but apparently not her. She was filled with so much fire that not even the human world could dim her brilliance. He adjusted his pants over his straining dick and sat back down to finish his lunch. 

His mind was whirring as he ate and he finally picked his phone and made a call. 

“Killian!” The other person exclaimed on the other end. 

“We need to meet.” He replied curtly. 

He put the phone down and stared at the seat she vacated. The real reason he didn’t come after her three years ago was the shame of it. He had been working towards the moment he would conquer Diamond pack with its cold, snobby werewolves who believed they were better than others because they pretended at being human. There was no love lost between their packs. 

Just as he claimed his victory, he realised the princess of that demented pack was his mate. There could be no crueler fate. For the first time he muzzled his own wolf and watched her run. It would have been better to live without a mate than to claim her. 

Now, he entertained the thought that he might have been hasty with his decision. No matter, he still hated their pack and wanted nothing to do with her. He would bring her back with him  only to save his people from extinction. Beyond that, he didn’t have any more use for the snobby princess.