Chapter 4

Lydia’s Pov

 

His words seemed to wake some fire in me, and I rushed to quell it. What am I doing? Drusilla’s handwork no doubt.

 

I drew back from him suddenly with a hiss.

 

“No, thank you, Control yourself, big pervert,”

 

He chuckled in amusement, and Drusilla begged me to draw him back in and beg him to make good on his offer.

 

“You too, little pervert,” I murmured, and his smiled as he heard me.

 

“You know, our wolves are the truest, purest form of our desires. They say and want the things we’re too scared to go after. If your wolf likes me, then that’s a pretty good indication you like me too. That makes me happy,” He said softly, still staring at me with those eyes.

 

No. I shook my head in rapid disagreement as the thought of liking him left a bitter taste in my mouth.

 

“It shouldn’t make you happy because it doesn’t matter. I don’t like you because I’m not into OLD men,” I said, emphasizing the old so he could understand that this marriage was to be in name only.

 

“Wow, that’s hurt.” He made a funny face.

 

“But why?’He asked like he genuinely wanted to know the answer, like I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out.

 

Just like his stare, the attention unnerved me, and I blinked, flustered.

 

“I just don’t. I’m very fast, and I don’t think an OLD man can catch me up. People always say I’m childish so I wouldn’t be compatible with an older man anyway and I…” I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

 

When I had declared my dislike for older men, I hadn’t actually intended for him to ask me why.

 

“I see,” He said softly as he came closer to me, bridging the gap I had put between us before.

 

“About speed, I’m the rogue king. Extreme power and speed come with the position. I have never seen you move in action, but I should be able to match you. If I can't, I’ll just train until I can,”

 

Oh, why does he behave like my words had actually mattered and not been typical Lydia nonsense.

 

“And, I don’t think you’re childish,” He said so softly, tears filled my eyes at the tenderness in his words.

 

He was pushing past all my defenses so fast that I shook my head and stepped back quickly, searching for the first thing I could say to make him back up.

 

“Doesn’t matter what you think. I’m in love with Wilson anyway,” I said in haste.

 

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew they had been the wrong ones.

 

King Darwin, stilled so suddenly, the only indication that he was alive and not some over-dressed Greek statue was the storm in his eyes.

 

I watched open-mouthed as his eyes flashed rapidly between, black, grey, and yellow?

 

“PROMISE ME!” He growled in anger as he grabbed my arm.

 

“Promise me this will be the last time, you say something like that,” He commanded, but it sounded like a plea.

 

I looked into his eyes, uncertain how to respond.

 

“LYDIA,” He growled as he looked into my eyes, waiting for his promise.

 

I trembled softly, unable to speak. I was about to cave and give him his promise when the anger in his eyes grew, and for a second, his wolf fully took over.

 

I gasped in horror as his eyes turned fully yellow and his grip tightened around my arm, his claws digging into me.

 

It was gone as quickly as it happened, but it didn’t stop my heart from racing due to the fear.

 

“Are you okay?” I panted as I tried to reach for his face.

 

Aching, to understand why he had lost control of his wolf form, but he shoved me away from him so suddenly, my heart lurched.

 

I stumbled in surprise and spun around to give him a piece of my mind when he suddenly howled at the moon and shifted into a massive wolf.

 

Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong, for behind those yellow eyes were no traces of the man who had been bantering with me, mere moments ago.

 

I wanted to bolt so badly, but that would only paint me as a target, so I did the next best thing.

I called out for Wilson.

 

“WILSON! HELP ME!” I screamed in terror, hoping in my heart that the mate bond would prevent him from hurting me, even if he had suddenly gone crazy.

 

But that was a fatal mistake because, while the wolf had been watching me, the moment it heard Wilson’s name, it growled angrily and pounced on me.