“You really need to get over her,” my Beta, Jared, said, sitting down next to me. “It’s been years, Caden.”
I ignored him and downed the rest of my beer. When I was done, I finally spoke. “I fucked up the best part of my life, Jared, allow me to mourn it as I see fit.”
“I’m not arguing with you on that point,” Jared said, signaling for a beer from the bartender. “I’m just saying that you have to accept at some point that you were the one who broke the mate bond with Chloe, which means that you are responsible for no longer being with her. I get it; it sucks. But she’s married and has a couple kids. She’s never coming back.”
I stared morosely into my empty mug. “I’m scared that I’m never going to find my second chance mate. I want my Luna, Jared.”
ChloeI was kneeling before the yawning hole that would hold my mother in just a few moments. Just as soon as I worked up the courage to lower her down into it. I glared up at the sky, waiting for it to open up and rain down on me, mirroring my own pain.I couldn’t help but compare this funeral to the one only a few months ago. The differences were stark. When we’d buried Conson, the whole pack had shown up. It’d been standing room only to say goodbye to the Blackstone Pack Beta. I didn’t blame anyone for this. Conson was many things, but he was as kind in private as he was in public. He’d taken his role as Beta very seriously and was well respected for his level-headedness. Losing him truly was a blow to the pack, and I knew everyone felt it.My mother married Conson almost seven years ago, and we had a mostly happy life together. I knew my mother and Conson weren’t mates, but they’d had a loving relationship, and it had been worth tolerating his daughter Leah to see my mother happy.
Chloe“Why?” I whispered, feeling as if I’d just been punched in the stomach.Dr. Friendman glared at me. “I refuse to help such a heartless woman.”I stared at her, shocked. “Dr. Friendman, you know my mother. How can you believe that?”She raised an eyebrow at me. “I am a woman of science, Chloe. Bruises and wounds don’t lie. Leah has been abused, and there is no reason to doubt that it was your mother. Conson wouldn’t have touched her, and besides, he’s been dead.”“But-,”The doctor ignored me and turned and opened the door. “It’s time for you to leave, Chloe.”“Sell me the medicine then! I’ll pay for it! I’ll do whatever. Please, Dr. Friendman, just let me help my mother!”“I’m afraid we can’t do that.” She was already halfway out the door.“Dr. Friendman!” I was practically in tears as I followed her out into the hall, running right into a large chest.“What’s going on?” a deep voice said.I closed my eyes in desperation. Please, please don’t let it be who I think it is. I opene
ChloeA tall, thin man stood behind me, a black cloak wrapped around his shoulders. He looked like he was a villain who’d stepped right out of one of the cheesy romances Mom had always had lying around, half-started. The memory shot an arrow of pain through me, and I only realized after a heartbeat that he’d been speaking, and I hadn’t heard a word he’d said.“Pardon?”The cloaked man gave me a small smile. “I asked if you are Susanna’s daughter?”“I am,” I said slowly, rising to my feet to put myself on a more even footing. I smelled him, and I knew he was a wolf, but he wasn’t a member of our pack, which led to the question – who’s pack was he a part of? Or was he a rogue?“I’ve finally found you!” He said under his breath, more to himself than to me. “You are a hard woman to track down, Chloe.”I stared at him, the lack of sleep and emotional pain I’d been suffering from for weeks making me dumb. I wished we were having this conversation after I’d had a good night’s sleep – maybe I
ChloeI don’t know how I made it home. I wasn’t even aware that I was putting one foot in front of the other, let alone heading in the right direction. There was nothing left for me to do besides go home, although the space didn’t feel like home anymore.It only vaguely registered that the car was back in the driveway, meaning Leah was home. Was she still living here? Was I going to be forced to live with her? The thought made me sick.When I opened the door, I ignored Leah, who was sprawled across the couch and went directly to the kitchen to wash the mud and blood off my hands. I heard her get up and saunter into the kitchen, leaning against the doorway.“What do you want, Leah?” I finally sighed, turning to her as I dried my hands.“Oh, nothing,” she chirped.Something broke inside me at her nonchalance and I hissed, “Why the fuck did you do it, Leah? Why are you so hateful?”She raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t replyI turned away from her, disgusted. I turned back to her a mome
Caden“Now, now, Omega, that’s no way to clean the floors,” Jared hissed at Chloe, who was on her hands and knees cleaning the floor with a rag. My knees ached at the thought of having to crawl across the tile like she had been doing for the better part of an hour.Chloe ignored him and continued to dip the rag in the sudsy water. I could tell from the mean glint in Jared’s eyes that he wasn’t about to give up. I wanted to stop him, but I didn’t. It wasn’t my place anymore.“You’re doing it wrong,” Jared smirked before kicking over the bucket, soaking both Chloe and the floor in soapy water she now had to clean up.I jerked in their direction before I managed to control myself.Part of me wanted Chloe to fight back, even if it wouldn’t make anything better. The old Chloe, who’d been my mate, had always been spirited, even if a little quiet sometimes.Jared walked off, laughing his head off.Before I could make my way over to Chloe to do something, anything to help, Mariah poked her he
ChloeI hadn’t slept this well in months – since before Conson died. Ever since that night, it’s been one fitful night’s sleep after another, and it’d only worsened when Mom got sick.“I think she’s waking up!” somehow whispered.“Let the poor girl wake up in her own time,” a different voice chastised. “She doesn’t need your screeching.”“Boys,” a deep voice sighed. “Can we shelve this until Chloe is awake?”I started to my name, my eyes flying open. I was in a grand bed, surrounded by four men, three younger and one old enough to be my father. I paused at this thought, squinting at the older man who was sitting next to my bed. There’d been something about my father… information I’d just learned recently… I traced the man’s features as we stared at each other. We had the same nose and the same hazel eyes. They were even shaped similar to mine.In a rush, the last few weeks came back to me, and with them, the knowledge that King Charles was my father.“You’re King Alpha Charles,” I cro
Chloe“I understand that your mother has passed on,” King Charles said gently.I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The pain was still too real.“I think I owe an explanation to you, Chloe. You may hate me afterward, but I feel like you deserve to know the truth.”I doubted I could ever hate the wolf sitting beside me, still clutching my hand. He might be the King Alpha, but he was… safe. My wolf felt safe with him.“I searched for many years for my mate, but I never found her. It was a different time, then, and with court politics… well, it was important there was a Queen Luna on the throne next to me, so I married a political friend. In many ways, she was suited for the throne better than I was, and I hoped to someday grow to love her. While she was everything a Queen Luna should be, I didn’t. There was always something missing, and we weren’t anything other than friends. I thought I was okay with that; I really did. But I did have a habit of slipping out of the palace and relaxi
ChloeThe moment we stepped down the first step, the whispers started. Well, they weren’t really whispers with my superior wolf hearing.“Who is that?”“Is that Prince Adrian’s bride?”“He never escorts anyone!”“She must be special!”“They think we’re together,” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth, making sure to keep my bright, coached smile in place. I’d learned it in one of my many lessons on how to be a Princess.Adrian ignored me just as surely as he was ignoring the whispers. I shouldn’t be hurt, but I was. As if sensing my unhappiness, Adrian whispered at the halfway mark, “They’re just upset because you’re beautiful, and they can’t place you. Wolves are gossips – they all want to be the first person to figure out who you are.”I was stunned, not by his pronouncement, but because he’d called me beautiful. And he’d dropped it so casually as if it was the most natural thing in the world to say. I wanted to turn and see if he was looking at me, but I didn’t dare take my gaz
Caden“You really need to get over her,” my Beta, Jared, said, sitting down next to me. “It’s been years, Caden.”I ignored him and downed the rest of my beer. When I was done, I finally spoke. “I fucked up the best part of my life, Jared, allow me to mourn it as I see fit.”“I’m not arguing with you on that point,” Jared said, signaling for a beer from the bartender. “I’m just saying that you have to accept at some point that you were the one who broke the mate bond with Chloe, which means that you are responsible for no longer being with her. I get it; it sucks. But she’s married and has a couple kids. She’s never coming back.”I stared morosely into my empty mug. “I’m scared that I’m never going to find my second chance mate. I want my Luna, Jared.”
Adrian“You know I don’t remember being Crown Prince as this exhausting,” I sighed, tearing off my tie.Chloe lounged in bed already, half asleep. She’d been in meetings all day and I knew she was exhausted. “I think being Crown Prince and being King Alpha are two different things, Adrian.”“Well, I’m tired.”Chloe shot me a sleepy smile. “Me too. Are you ready to come to bed yet, oh great one?”I chuckled. She’d started calling me that after I’d been crowned and while I normally would have balked at someone calling me that, with Chloe it was different. I knew she meant it only with love, not mocking at all. “I am ready.”I crawled into bed and collected Chloe in my arms. She felt so right pressed against me. If I wasn’t so tired I’d be all ov
KnoxI came home from my travels just long enough to watch Chloe and Adrian be crowned King and Queen. Over the last couple of years, I’d traveled to 43 countries and met more shifters than I’d ever imagined. Some were werewolves like me, but I also met leopard shifters and dragon shifters, entire cultures with their own legacies and rules. It was incredible, and I felt like I’d grown so much as a person since I’d left.“I guess I have to call you Your Highness now,” I laughed, patting Adrian on the back.He shot me a bright smile. He looks happier than he has in years. Alexander and I made the right choice; Adrian should have always been on the throne. It was never our place. “You can just call me Adrian.”“Not brother?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.He rolled his eyes. “That works too, I suppose.&r
Chloe"You don't usually ask to see me without the kids," I teased Alexander as I sat down next to him on the bench. We'd agreed to meet at our favorite spot in the gardens, one we’d frequented often in the years since Adrian, and I moved our family back here at Father’s request. He hadn’t really needed to convince us; we loved the idea of our children being raised with their grandfather and uncles."There's something I need to speak to you about," Alexander sighed, unusually serious. He seemed more and more serious as of recently and I worried about him. He seemed to be wearing thin."Is everything alright? Did Father's cancer return?" I knew he'd just had some routine scans done and no one had mentioned the outcome. Maybe they’d been keeping them from us on purpose?"No, nothing like that. No, it's something completely different." He closed his eyes for a moment as if he was gathering himself."I'm all ears," I said, leaning back. I was nervous about what he wanted to speak about.A
ChloeI debated for hours on whether or not I wanted to take the pregnancy test on my own or tell Adrian what I suspected. I’d been alone the first time with Charlie, and I’d been terrified, but things were different this time. I was married to my mate, and we lived in the Capital City near my father who doted on his grandson. In fact, both Alexander and Knox took their roles as uncles very seriously. I had a whole support system this time instead of just Caden.I almost told him I was going to take it but before I did I called Caden. He’d been around the first pregnancy, and I knew he’d give me good advice.“What’s up, Chloe?” Caden said when he answered the phone.“I think I might be pregnant,” I said in a rush.Caden was silent for several heartbeats. “Am I supposed to be happy or… supportive?”“Happy,” I laughed. “I’m happy about the idea. But I don’t know whether I want to take the test with or without Adrian.”“Oh,” Caden said, understanding. “I see. Well, there isn’t one right a
AdrianI had never been as nervous as I was standing at the altar waiting for Chloe to walk down the aisle.Alexander leaned over. I had chosen him as my best man, although I had been close between him and Knox. “You look like you're about to puke,” Alexander said.“Gee, thanks,” I said. In reality, I thought I was about to pass out.“Nerves?” Caden asked from beside Alexander. I had chosen him as one of my groomsmen as well. To my surprise, we actually got along really well, and I considered him a close friend now, not to mention an uncle to Charlie. He loved my son, and I couldn't stay mad at anyone who loved my son.“Don't worry if you pass out, I'll pour some water on you,” Knox offered.I ignored them and focused on trying to calm my breathing.The music for the bride started and we all turned towards the giant double doors, glancing over our 500 closest friends and family members that had been invited. The door swung open, and Father stepped out with Chloe on his arm. She was abs
ChloeI stared at the dress in the mirror, feeling absolutely helpless. “How many wedding dresses do I really have to try on?” I asked aloud.“Until you feel like a Princess,” the seamstress said. “Really, I don't remember any client being this difficult before.”“I'm sorry,” I sighed. “It's nothing with your design, though. It's absolutely beautiful. But ever since I gave birth to Charlie, I just don't feel comfortable in my skin anymore.”The seamstress gave me a sympathetic smile. “I understand,” she said. “I felt that way after the birth of all of my children. Don't get me wrong, I love them all very much, and I would do it 1000 times over if it meant I got to keep them. But it's hard adjusting to the new body you have as a mother.”“I just want my body to go back to the way it was before I gave birth,” I admitted. In fact, I hadn't admitted this to anyone, and it was a relief to get it off my chest.The seamstress tutted. “The sooner you get rid of that notion, the happier you'll
AdrianI really really didn't want to go see Elizabeth she had haunted my doorstep for years and the thought that I was about to enter her house was too much for me to bear.Unfortunately my wife had other ideas, and I couldn't tell her no.I didn't bother sending Elizabeth any warning that I was on my way. I didn't want her to get anything ready for me. With her, who knew what she would come up with.I knocked on her front door and when the Butler opened it his eyes widened in shock. “Prince Adrian. It's been a while.”“So it has. Is Elizabeth home?” I askedHe nodded slowly. “Are you sure you would like to see her?”“I would,” I confirmed.He led me into the drawing room and motioned towards the couch to sit down. “I'll go grab the lady.”The couches were made for style more than comfort and I was still shifting around trying to get comfortable when Elizabeth rushed into the room. It was clear that she had sprinted from whatever other part of the house she'd been in in order to get t
AdrianAs I watched Chloe prance down the hallway of the palace, I realized there were few things in this life that I loved more than her. In fact, I couldn't think of any besides Charlie, who I loved just as much as his mother. I couldn't believe my life had gotten so bright. I never would have been this happy as Crown Prince and I knew that although Chloe feels somewhat responsible for me stepping down, it was one of the best decisions of my life.“Chloe,” I called after her when she was halfway down the hall.She paused and glanced back at me. “What?” she asked.“You're going the wrong way,” I pointed out.Chloe frowned at me. “What do you mean? The practice area is out back behind the gardens.”“It is,” I said. “But the gardens are this way,” I said, pointing the opposite direction of where she was headed.Chloe looked at me, embarrassed. “Sorry, I only had just gotten the hang of the palace when I was here the first time, and I've been gone for so long, and with pregnancy brain I