TIANA’S POV
“Miss Aldridge, Your highness asked that we delivered these to you,” A frail looking girl carrying a hand full of clothes drops them on the bed, and another girl follow behind her.
“Thank you,” I mouthed to them and they smiled genuinely. “Wait,” I quickly stop them before they leave. “I was wondering if you knew Rose?” They shook their heads simultaneously “Nora?” They look at each other and shook their heads again. Then I just sigh and wave them off.
When they left, I go to inspect the clothes they brought for me. Expensive clothes. Each one had a label on them indicating they had just been bought and I gushed over how beautiful the dresses are and the price tag on them. I don’t think Prince Ryder picked out these outfits for me, they looked really girly and classy, something a lady would pick. Anyway, Mr. Scary t
“What are you all doing here anyway?” I ask, glancing around the room.“Come, ” Sadie pulls my hands and start to lead me outside, the other two following behind us. I can’t begin to describe how big and beautiful the werewolf palace is. This particular building is not as big as Prince Ryder’s and it was divided into several beautiful sections. It is about two stories tall and I want to explore more areas but I don’t have much time. I want to spend the hour catching up with them and telling them about my own experience too. I also need to speak to Layla.When we exited the room, they take me to a much smaller area, it’s like a mini parlor with awards and medals scattered all around and about six single chairs.“I think the best thing that happened to us was coming here, ” Rose commented, taking the first sit and I followed suit. Sadie took the chair close
I’d barely spent five minutes with the girls when I start to feel funny. I notice a change in the atmosphere and then there’s that fluttering in my stomach accompanied with excitement as well as dread and my wolf is back and panting in my head. She had never spoken to me or showed her presence except when we are with our mate and I knew he was approaching. I start to panic, and the girls immediately noticed. I inhaled his sweet scent just two seconds before the door bursts open and he’s standing there, glaring at us, at me in particular, his presence filling the room, causing the girls to bare their necks to him. I stared at the floor because I couldn’t bear to look at his face. The deep scowl on his face and anger radiating from him made me wish I could disappear. Behind him is his bodyguard Mr. Scary and then I hear the click of heels on the hard floor and I didn’t bother to look because I already knew who it belonged to. “Ryder!” Princess Elsie exclaimed b
I stared at the bulk of clothes I had gotten. I and Elsie spent a lot of time shopping for dresses that I don’t think are necessary. I know having dinner with the royal family is a big deal but I ended up buying too many clothes that I could wear for another two months without a repeat and Elsie made me do it. I haven’t had so many clothes all my life and the fact that every penny I spent was from the prince’s credit card made me worry.Elsie assured me that he wouldn’t mind and might not even notice. She even added that he would be pleased if I looked good always. I doubt if anything I did would please Prince Ryder but I didn’t voice out my thoughts.What I didn’t like however, was the fact that each item I bought were carried to the Prince’s room. I also found out that a portion of his closet had been cleared out for me and I’m not sure under whose orders. Elsie did not see anything wrong in it and I didn’t want t
I remember Elsie telling me to get used to having my meals at the royal table but right now, I don’t think it’s possible to get used to it. The king sat at the head of the table, scrutinizing and glaring at me like some leech he would like to end it’s life. His domineering presence and piercing gaze made me want to bolt from the dining hall and never be seen again. It was not so bad at first when he didn’t respond to my greeting because Elsie had told me not to expect a response. To his right is Prince Louis, and across from him is Prince Ryder who I am seated next to, then opposite me is Princess Elsie who was occasionally casting apologetic looks in my direction. Next to Elsie is a dark-haired man who introduced himself as Adrian and Ryder’s beta. He looked friendly to me and I took an instant liking to him because he wasn’t as scary looking as the other prince’s on the table. A long line of nobles and royals are also at the table. Some of them I have seen
Once we were inside his room, he slammed the door shut loudly and let out a low, frustrated growl. I was a little scared to go close to him in this mood, so I stood with my back to the door and just watched him pace the room until his anger started to deflate. “You had a mate before me?” He asked with irritation. How convenient of him to act like I committed a crime when his father just listed his women and told me how unbefitting I was to be his son’s mate to my face. “Yes,” I swallowed as I remembered Jordan for the nth time today and he looked angry for a second but his anger is short-lived and his eyes grow soft and then all the anger was gone instantly. “What happened?” He asked me. I looked away because it’s something I never discussed with anyone. I wanted everything that had to do with Eclipse pack buried forever. When I didn’t respond immediately, I felt his anger brewing again. “He didn’t want me,” when I said it, I realized I felt nothing b
Ryder’s POVThe Red rock pack alpha was found dead a few minutes ago with the same note as all the others. The wound on his neck was targeted at the same spot to make their point and again, there was the same note.…justice or nothing.The western wolves which comprises of an aggregate of twenty four packs seem to be their major target. In the eastern regions, only one pack has been affected but the other twelve deaths have been within the western regions.Right now, news just got to me that the other packs within the western region are scared to death and they request more protection and stronger warriors to help guard their territories and leaders.The leader of the western wolves have been quiet all along but he sent a direct message this time, apparently scared for his own head. Coward. I don’t give a fuck about him, but I’m worried for the people. It seems like whoever is behind this have picked
Tiana’s POVI need to get him off my mind but that’s almost impossible with his scent all around me. That kiss was a bad idea, I should have protested but I couldn’t help myself, now it’s the only thing that has been on my mind and it left me craving for more. Shit. I’m in deep shit. It was difficult sleeping with him next to me but tonight, it seems even harder to fall asleep without him.I close my eyes and try to think of something else, anything but the arrogant prince that annoyed the hell out of me, but I can’t help myself whenever I’m around him. My eyes fling open when my phone starts blaring and I quickly rush to get it. Good thing Prince Ryder was not here, I had almost forgotten about the phone.I stared at the unknown number calling me, it didn’t look familiar and no one ever called me except Layla of course, so when I pick the call, I wait for the caller to speak first. It takes about ten
I started to feel uncomfortable in my sleep, someone was watching me. The realization, coupled with the fact that I’d had bad dreams all through the night jerked me awake and I gasped and sat upright. Strong hands held me tight and that’s when I realize Prince Ryder was seated right next to me, his emerald green eyes peering into my face. I’m not sure whether to feel relieved or not, but as usual, my body reacted to his touch and I stared at his palms on my exposed skin before looking back up to meet his gaze. He’s not in a good mood as I can see and I hope I hadn’t crossed the line again. Maybe he found out about the cell phone? Or did it have anything to do with the case he was working on? Whatever it is, I don’t like the look on his face. “What’s your relationship with Jordan?” He asked hoarsely. That question caused my heart to race even faster. I struggled to find my voice for a few seconds, and when I did, I didn’t even know what to say. That so
We had just given the closing remarks when I finally caught a glimpse of Layla. She waved at me from behind the crowd, a wide smile on her face. I’d have been mad if I wasn’t surprised at how broadly she smiled and waved at me. It was hard pulling away from Ryder to go to her when my hands were trapped between his.When he finally let go, Layla was walking up to me same time as I was walking to her. A closer view revealed her flushed cheeks and bright eyes.“Someone looks overly excited. Where have you been?” I smiled as she pulled me into a tight embrace.“First, I’m sorry I haven’t been beside you,” She says with a little giggle, I doubted if she was really sorry.“And you are supposed to be my best friend,” I pouted childishly which made her laugh more.“I know, but I couldn’t help it,” she giggled “You look absolutely amazing by the way. I’ve never seen a
We recited our oaths before going into the ritual proper, and then the mating process had to come before the crowning ceremony. It was a rigorous exercise with Ryder taking his oath first, and then I followed suit.The king slits his left palm with a royal dagger, and Ryder does the same. Then they shook hands and the crowd bared their necks while the exchange of power was ongoing, with the kinsmen reading out the vows for Ryder to repeat.Once that was done, he had to go on his knees to receive the crown from his father. I knelt with him as his father proceeded to crown me with his mother’s crown once he was done with Ryder. I repeated my vows too and swore my loyalty to my people and to Ryder, to rule alongside him and put the welfare of my subjects first.Then it was time for the mating proper. My wolf was giddy with excitement, she had waited for this a long time. To be joined with her mate forever as one. It was midnight already and the moon was at hi
I smiled at the girl in the mirror and she smiled back. Tears glistened my eyes, but I had to hold it in, or else Elsie would go ballistic on me. ‘Don’t you dare ruin your make up’ she’d warned countless times. I laughed childishly as her eyes pried into mine through the mirror, the warning very evident in them. I can’t believe this is happening. I am just a few minutes away from being crowned the werewolf queen. Clad in the royal attire, and adorned with the most expensive jewelries, I looked nothing short of a Queen. Nora, Sadie, Rose and Layla had just exited the room to join the crowd outside. “You look absolutely stunning,” Elsie wiped her own tear before it dropped. “You know how much this means to Ryder,” she sniffed. “It means everything to him,” I nodded my head. I didn’t doubt Ryder wanted this as much as I did, or even more. “My mother’s crown has been laying around for years since her demise. It was her dying wish
The following days passed in a blur. There seemed to be too much to do under very little time, and I would not have been able to hold it off, if not for Elsie’s help. I didn’t know the first thing about organizing anything, and I wanted this to be perfect. I can’t afford any lapses.Ryder was enveloped in a pile of work himself, and we had little time with each other. Many nights, he didn’t return to bed and had to work through the night. He wouldn’t allow me to assist knowing I was pretty exhausted myself, but I fell asleep very frequently in his office and woke up in his room.The royal suite had been cleared out in the main castle for us while his father moved to the building behind that had been created for the purpose of his retirement. Our things had been cleared out and arranged in the royal suite and it would be our last night here. Louis will be moving in here once we moved out, and I knew I would miss this place so much.T
Right now, I’m super exhausted and I just want to crawl into bed and sleep, even though the evening is still young. I and Elsie have been on a shopping spree all day, trying to put a few things in place in preparation for the mating ceremony. There is a whole lot to be done before that day and I only just realized we have little time. Elsie had too much energy for one person, and if I hadn’t insisted that we continue tomorrow, we would have still been out by now.The regained my strength the minute I stepped into Ryder’s house and noticed he was home. He’d called earlier, but we hadn’t talked much. I climbed up the stair to the room with speed. Our bodies and minds were connected. I knew he could feel my presence the minute I walked into the building, just like I felt his.He was just stepping out of the shower when I walked in, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, and I drooled over his body. Tearing my eyes from his chest and biceps
We returned back to the royal palace that same day and by the following day, things were being put in place to shut down Eclipse pack. I didn’t stay back to see it though, my job there was done, and I was back to the royal palace. Many members of Eclipse pack will not like me, because they wouldn’t understand this was in their best interest, but I was used to them not liking me, I lived with that all my life, only difference now is that I have upper hand. I hurried to meet Elsie who had been waiting for me downstairs for a while. As usual, I had woken up to find Ryder’s side of the bed empty, and the disappointment that followed was totally beyond my control. I had to remind myself that the fact that he had marked me now didn’t mean that he would have lesser responsibilities, and he only just informed me about his father’s decision to retire in less than two weeks, so there is a lot that needed to be done before the handover ceremony. To my surprise, Louis was beside
It’s a long ride from the royal palace to Eclipse pack and I would have dreaded the journey if not for the presence of my mate besides me. The last time I had to travel this long was when I left the royal palace to hide from Ryder, a very foolish decision as I have now noticed. I could never do without him, and I don’t even want to try.We pulled into the pack gates and looking round, a lot has changed from when I was here. The warriors on guard saluted and stood in position as we entered. From behind the tinted side glasses of the vehicle, I can see mothers carrying their young pups and hurriedly running to shelter, for fear of the Alpha Prince.The pack has been under the governance of the royals for the last few days, and a lot of things have changed since I remember. The atmosphere around the pack was unusually gloomy, and even the warriors wore sad faces. The walls of the packhouse look duller than I can remember and the trees and plants that decorated
Dungeons are really scary. We had a small dungeon in Eclipse pack where I spent a couple of nights in the past. I remember Alpha Simeon had me locked there for two weeks straight one time he said I had disrespected his Luna. It was the longest time I stayed in a dungeon at a stretch and it was a horrific experience. I think I was about thirteen then.I swallowed as one of the guards led us to the cell where Jordan was. Ryder’s hands were positioned at the small of my back, and apparently, he didn’t like the idea. I could feel his emotions and I know he can feel how uncomfortable I am here.I have never seen a dungeon so large before. It rested many feet underground with several cells lined up opposite each other. I couldn’t walk the lengths of the cell, because it was separated into several sections. Some cells were smaller than some and the crime committed would determine the cell one gets. I know this all too well from my own experience.I co
TIANA’S POVFor obvious reasons, I felt relieved when I heard about the news of Simeon’s death. I know my mate would have wanted a more severe punishment for him, but I could care less. I was more than happy that the case would finally be closed and that my mate can have a little rest and move on to other things.My father had to go back to get himself ready to move here fully, and he said he would be here in a couple of days. I am glad that he would be around me from now on and that we would finally be able to be part of each other’s life. Meeting Ryder was the best thing that happened to me, and I don’t want to envision a life without him.I want to be more involved in the work going on around here, and most importantly I want to go back to training, although Ryder is not hearing any of it. It is late in the night already and we were laying on the field by the lake side, gazing at the star