Regrets

ETHAN'S POV

"A wolfless girl cannot have been destined to be the Queen of this Kingdom. I don't mean to demean your mate, but I think it's obvious that she was fated to die in your place and save us the pain of losing a great King. Tracy will make a perfect wife once you make her your queen. I don't know why that is hard for you to see." Mother confidently says like she is speaking of a sheep that has no right to keep living.

I knew bringing my mate here was a huge mistake. The pressure to sacrifice her life in place of mine has mounted just because she is no longer an unknown person living far away. I have a feeling that she is more than what she seems to be. But that's just me. Her looking weak has lead my family to think that she was meant to die on my behalf and lift the curse.

Not having a wolf now could mean that she could one be like me. But everyone seems to assume that she seems weak because she is not meant to be missed after her death. They all regarded me the same way before I got my powers. Everyone was just waiting for me to be old enough to willingly accept to give up my life. When I got the powers and took over the throne they immediately had a change of mind. No one talked to me about the importance of giving up my life again. They instead wanted me to find my mate as soon as possible and have her sacrificed in my place.

I should have sent her back to where she came from instead of bringing her here. I knew she would never be welcome unless she was willing to die in my place. But she was unconscious when I found her and a part of me was curious to know her more.

Maybe it was her heavenly scent and angelic face that enticed me to carry her home. But once we arrived I was reminded of what a huge mistake that was. Everyone now hopes that I will sacrifice her life so I can keep being their King and make Tracy my chosen mate.

I was always going to make Tracy my chosen mate and Queen of the Kingdom before sacrificing my own life. My mate would live her own life without ever knowing that she had a mate like me. If she had stayed away no one would hate her for not giving up her life to lift the curse.

I plan on sending her back to her home as soon as she is well enough. There is a chance that she may phase into a powerful being like me since she does not have a werewolf like everyone else. But waiting for that to happen is impossible under all the pressure that people are putting on me to sacrifice her life.

If she stays they will make her life here miserable. Nothing would hurt someone's feelings worse than being pressured to give up your life for others to live. Whether or not her life looks valuable to them she deserves being alive like everyone else. Not die to give them the better life they want.

"She is a stranger that has not benefitted in any way from the raids that caused this curse. Only a very selfish person would ask her to give up her life so that we all can keep enjoying the fruits of our evil deeds without feeling the pain." I say and see my mother purse her lips in disapproval.

It would have been better if I had chosen to take my dinner in my room rather than sitting here with them. I gave them the opportunity to air their self-centered thoughts and annoy me more than they have already done.

"Not many wolfless people get the opportunity to save thousands of lives and be called a heroine. What other valuable thing can she do with her distasteful life?" She asks and makes me feel disgusted.

"You're the one that thinks that her life is distasteful. So far she has shown a lot of desire to live. It is not up to you to decide whose life is important." I retort.

She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders in a silent show of contempt. Today they seem quite determined to push me into giving in to their demands.

"I think it's obvious that your life is more important than hers. Stop acting like only gods can figure that out." My younger, irresponsible brother, Jason, mutters angrily.

He rarely participates in any discussion that pertains the running of the Kingdom. Mother says he feels too young to leave alone the fun of seducing girls and involve himself in matters of state. But it seems he isn't planning on being the quiet guy tonight. I didn't know he cared for me this much, because he definitely doesn't care much about the Kingdom or it's people.

"I think your mother is right. There is nothing special about the girl. Goddess Israel must have thought of what is best for this Kingdom and guided her here at the right time. At least she showed up before you sacrificed yourself. Now you can always be King and have Tracy as your beautiful, smart and loyal wife." Father speaks in a hesitant voice.

Tracy would never push for anyone to be killed, she puts other people's concerns before her own. I wonder why they can't see that the Kingdom would be totally safe in her hands.

"My innocent mate will not die to save my life. She has suffered enough already to be burdened with your selfish demands." I say in a tone of finality.

Father and my younger brother now shakes their heads.

"You're assuming that she is completely innocent. I think she is faulty like all of us." My baby brother snorts.

"Would you want to die because of your faults?" I challenge.

"My death wouldn't lift the curse. But yes, I would die for the suffering to end."

I am astounded enough to stay silent for a while. No one would think that my baby brother would speak so selflessly.

"At least you would die having enjoyed living in this palace and your family would still have the wealth earned from the raids. You wouldn't be dying for a Kingdom you have never lived." I point. "And she has done no evils that deserve to be paid for by death." I add.

They all fall quiet, but I know that this isn't over. Hopefully my mate isn't the liar she almost made me think she is. Because then she will give them another reason to pressure me to sacrifice life on behalf of mine.

I understand that one can be hesitant to speak about their real life problems especially when others already think that you're weak. People only travel at night when they are running away from something. I wonder what she was running away from.

Tracy is the only person I can trust with finding out the exact truth. Unlike everyone else she would never push for my mate's death. She always puts others pains and dreams first before her own. As long as she gets me the information, I will know that's the truth.