《The Alpha King’s Human Mate》


 Chapter 1

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    <h3 ss="text-center book-header">Chapter 1


    ¡°Fate is not an eagle, it creeps like a rat.¡±


    ¨C Elizabeth Bowen


    If you were to ask my parents to describe my older brother, they¡¯d tell you he was a natural leader. Fearless and courageous, the kind of man born to lead armies.


    And if you asked them to describe my sister, they¡¯d gush about her sweet disposition and her selfless heart.


    But me?


    There¡¯s only one word my parents would use to describe me: human.


    You might not think that ¡°human¡± could be used as an insult, but somehow, I¡¯ve spent my entire life wearing this word like a badge of shame. When I showed up on my Alpha father¡¯s doorstep at twelve, he told the rest of the pack that I was there because of my human mother¡¯s failure. I was thrust into the wolf pack ¨C literally ¨C but my status as the only human there made me an instant outcast. I couldn¡¯t run or wrestle or shift into wolves like the rest of the neighborhood kids. I¡¯d never meet my mate or experience that instantaneous true love that mated pairs had.


    I was still the Alpha¡¯s kid, and while that might¡¯ve saved me from the bullies, it didn¡¯t mean I fit in. The werewolf world was drastically different from the human one, and to them, my humanity was a weakness.


    My father never told me he was ashamed of me, but I could still feel his disappointment ¨C it hung in the air every time he called me his human daughter or exined that I was the product of a short affair with a human woman eighteen- years-ago. 2


    My stepmom, my father¡¯s true mate, did try to make me feel included. She was the epitome of the perfect Luna ¨C gentle and good-natured ¨C but I could still tell she was ashamed of me. If there was ever evidence that her family wasn¡¯t perfect, I was living proof of it. Every time she looked at me, she was reminded that her mate had cheated on her.)


    Try as they might, none of this made a good recipe for the perfect family. I¡¯d spent


    six


    years living under my father¡¯s roof, in his pack, and in the werewolf world, but I¡¯d already epted that I¡¯d never fit in there.


    *Or so I thought. *


    Despite making ns to go to college far, far away from the pack that had no room


    for me, my life was about to changepletely. Something technically,


    someone


    ¡ª


    was about to ensure that there was plenty of space in the werewolf world for this ordinary little human.


    *Dear rk Bellevue,


    After carefully reviewing your application, it is with regret that we inform you that we are unable to offer you admission into the University of Florida at this time. We appreciate the time and effort put into your application, but unfortunately, this year¡¯srge pool of applicants has made our decision difficult and we have limited space for each admitted ss. (2


    We are confident you will go on to achieve great things in your studies, and we wish you the best in your academic journey!


    *Best Regards,


    Dean of Admissions


    University of Florida*


    ¨C


    I read the rejection email at least five different times, my eyes darting across the screen for something I might¡¯ve missed. Unfortunately, there was no hidden. message to be found it was just another generic rejection email from another college that didn¡¯t want me. My senior year of high school was ending, and although I had applied to an endless list of colleges, I¡¯d only received three rejections and one waitlist.


    ¨C


    Most of the schools I applied for were state schools with decent academic records


    but really, all I cared about was finding a college that was far away. Somewhere far enough where I¡¯d have an excuse not to make it home on the weekends or for most holidays.


    Given that I lived in cold, rainy Washington, Florida¡¯s sunny (and distant) climate would¡¯ve been perfect ¨C but it didn¡¯t look like that was going to happen.


    ¡°rk!¡±


    My pity party got cut short by the sound of my sister, Lily, yelling my name. I barely had time to exit out of my Gmail screen before Lily was bursting into my room without even a knock.


    ¡°rk, I¡¯ve been calling you for the past five minutes,¡± she sighed, leaning against my door frame, ¡°Were you watching another trashy reality show or just tuning out my voice?¡±


    Although we were half-sisters, Lily and I hardly looked alike. She was tall, fair- skinned, with long, blonde locks that never seemed frizzy or out-of-control. Her and my brother both shared my father¡¯s bright, blue eyes. Her eyes were her best feature, and they constantly seemed like they were trying to poke beneath the surface.


    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t trying to tune you out, Lil,¡± I said, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Her piercing blue eyes narrowed, but she seemed to ept my apology. ¡°Dad wants to see us, there¡¯s a big meeting tonight at the pack house. A bunch of people are going to be there.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed. Pack meetings weren¡¯t unusual for our pack, but I wasn¡¯t


    usually required to attend. As cktooth Pack¡¯s only resident human, I wasn¡¯t a huge part of pack business. I couldn¡¯t shift, which meant I couldn¡¯t participate in patrols or defend the pack.


    ¡°Why is dad asking for me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Lily shrugged, ¡°He just told me toe get you. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s for a


    good reason, dad wouldn¡¯t bring you around if it wasn¡¯t. Come on.¡±


    Lily didn¡¯t waste any more time waiting for me, and I watched her strut out of the


    room.


    Not even the golden child knows why I¡¯m being summoned, I thought, this must be important then.


    I followed Lily out of my room, and we descended the stairs in silence. With high ceilings and hardwood floors, our family house was one of thergest in the pack a perk that came with being part of the Alpha¡¯s family. Photos of Lily and my brother, Sebastian¡¯s, aplishments hung on the walls like the trophies they were: Lily as a baby, Seb at his first pack football game, Lily at prom with her friends. 5


    As I expected, Dad, Seb, and Grace were all waiting in the living room. Dad lounged in the recliner like it was his throne with Grace perched on hisp while Sebastian stood awkwardly by the mantel.


    ¡°Ah, girls, there you are,¡± Dad said, and his booming voice echoed around the room, ¡°We¡¯ve got a pack meeting tonight and we¡¯ll need both of you there.¡±


    Even in his forties, my dad didn¡¯t look a day over thirty. He shared the same fair hair and blue eyes as Lily, and his strong jawline and intimidating frame made him look every bit like the Alpha wolf he was.


    My older half-brother, Sebastian, was just as tall as my dad, but he got his chestnut brown hair from his mother, Grace. Grace ¨C or Luna Grace if you weren¡¯t her step-daughter was my dad¡¯s true mate and Seb and Lily¡¯s biological mom. She was the final piece to this picture-perfect family my dad had created. (3


    ¨C


    ¡°Why is rking to the meeting tonight?¡± Sebastian asked, ncing over at me. He didn¡¯t mean it as an insult ¨C like me, he knew I was rarely needed (or wanted) at pack meetings.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it at the meeting,¡± dad said, standing up with Grace, ¡°Is everyone ready? It¡¯ll be starting soon, we should head over.¡±


    We all nodded.


    ¡°Oh, rk, honey,¡± Grace piped up from my dad¡¯s side, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to change? That outfit might be a little casual for a pack meeting.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    I nced down at my jeans and in ck t-shirt ¨C it wasn¡¯t exactly morous, but nob*dy else was dressed up either. Seb had on a t-shirt and shorts, and Lily rocked a jean skirt and some sort of ruffle top.


    ¡°If it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just wear this,¡± I said. Grace nodded, but I could see her eyes do another sweep over my outfit. 4


    It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to be the center of attention here, I thought, the elders will be too busy with dad, the pack warriors are going to have their eyes glued to Lily¡¯s a*s, and any unmated girls will be flirting with my brother.


    ¨C


    If I was lucky, I¡¯d blend into the background and frankly, that was exactly where I wanted to be at these sorts of events.


    ¡°Enough hanging around, let¡¯s go,¡± My dad grumbled, taking Grace¡¯s hand. He led the way out of the house, Seb, Lily, and I trailing behind him like puppies


    ¨C no pun intended. We walked in silence, and I took a moment to appreciate the scenery.


    Our pack lived in its own forestedmunity, which meant that most ces, like the pack house, were still within walking distance. Family houses lined one side of the street, but you¡¯d eventually run into a pack-run grocery store and infirmary if you kept walking. Pack members were allowed to leave whenever they wanted, but the setup of ourmunity meant that you rarely needed to.


    And, if you did need to, you¡¯d still have to answer to the guards that protected our borders. They wouldn¡¯t keep you in, but they did make it much harder to sneak out.


    The little residential part of themunity was just a small part of the pack,


    though ¨C most of our territory was just wooded areas where wolves could run, y, and shift anytime they wanted to.


    For werewolves, this was the ideal setup.


    As a human who wouldn¡¯tbel themselves as ¡°outdoorsy,¡± living an hour from the nearest town wasn¡¯t exactly a high point. I wasn¡¯t a prisoner by any means, but there were times when living in cktooth territory did make me feel trapped.


    With guards running every inch of the property, it was hard to juste and go as I pleased. And since I wasn¡¯t a werewolf, I couldn¡¯t just shift and run through the woods on four legs like my siblings could whenever I wanted some fresh air.


    Whether I wanted to be or not, I was a human living in the wolf¡¯s den.


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 Chapter 2

    ¡°Outcasts always mourn.¡±


    ¨C Oscar Wilde


    The walk to the pack house was short, and within ten minutes, we were walking through its massive foyer. The pack house was the biggest home in our territory, and since it was used for meetings, parties, or other pack events, it was made to house close to a thousand people if needed. It was designed like one massive log cabin with chairs, couches, bean bags, and other furniture scattered throughout the living room.


    From the moment we walked in the door, there were people.


    *Everywhere.


    The elders of our pack were seated on the couches, sipping their coffee and engaging in small talk. A couple of mated couples cuddled up on love seats and chairs,pletely tuned out to everything but each other. Some of the pack warriors stood aroundughing and joking in groups, most of them unmated or keeping their mates at home.


    As soon as my father stepped through the door, a gradual silence swept over the room and all eyes fell on us. The conversation ceased and many people inclined their heads in respect for my father.


    I could feel curious gazes on me too most of them were probably wondering why the human girl was at the meeting, just like I was. While Grace disappeared to one of the couches to sit with some of the female elders, my dad and Seb took front- and-center in the room. Lily and I both snagged an empty couch, although she was already waving some of her friends over.


    Unlike me, my sister was a social butterfly, and as the Alpha¡¯s daughter, she might¡¯ve well have been the pack princess. Girls wanted to be her friend, and boys. crossed their fingers that they¡¯d be lucky enough to have Lily as a mate.


    Lily hadn¡¯t met her mate yet, but at eighteen, it could happen anytime. Werewolves could identify their mates at sixteen, and it wasn¡¯t unusual for most wolves to find them within a year or two. By eighteen or neen, most of the unmated wolves I¡¯d met were antsy about finding their ¡°true loves¡± ¨C they wanted to get married and start popping out babies immediately. 2


    For a brief moment, I wondered if that would happen to Lily too. If my headstrong, good-natured sister would turn into another docile wife with a pregnant belly by the end of the year. That was the expectation for female werewolves, but for some reason, the thought unsettled me.


    ¡°Attention, everyone,¡± my dad pped his hands together, although all eyes were already on him, ¡°I¡¯ve called you here today to discuss something important something that has already begun affecting our pack.¡±


    As my dad spoke, my brother stood strong beside him, arms crossed and ready to back up whatever he said. (2


    ¡°As


    you may have heard whispers from other packs, there are tensions rising in the werewolf world,¡± dad said, ¡°Two of thergest packs in the country, the Crescent Moon pack and the Pacific Rock pack, have been on the brink of a war for the past two months. If their conflict does escte, it won¡¯t just be blood from their packs that get shed. Both packs have alliances across the country ¨C we¡¯ve even got a long-standing alliance with the Pacific Rock pack, and if they call upon us to help, I¡¯ll have to send warriors to fight.¡±


    I could hear a few gasps across the room, and some of the elders began to whisper.


    ¡°What even started this conflict? Why is the Crescent Moon pack at odds with the Pacific Rock wolves?¡± One of the younger male warriors piped up from the side of


    the room.


    My father sighed. ¡°It started the same way that most of these conflicts start: by wolves trying to im things that aren¡¯t theirs. The Crescent Moon¡¯s new Alpha is ambitious and he¡¯s been trying to expand his packnds since he took over. For the past few months, they¡¯ve been steadily creeping into Pacific Rock territory.¡±


    While I¡¯d heard my father grumbling about thistest conflict to Sebastian or Grace at home, this was the first time I¡¯d heard about it in such detail. It wasn¡¯t unusual either since I¡¯d been living in the werewolf world, I¡¯d heard countless stories of packs trying to take over other packs or warring for territories.


    Werewolves were possessive about everything, and that included theirnds.


    However, this was the first time I¡¯d been subject to a conflict that might affect my own pack. My father was a good Alpha, and he¡¯d spent his entire rule trying to stay out of territory disputes and other conflicts with nearby packs.


    ¡°I know this must sound worrying,¡± my father continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t believe it


    will escte to a war. The Alpha King is aware of the dispute, and he doesn¡¯t want


    this to turn into an out-of-control war with both sides trying to call on alliances. He believes that both Alphas cane to an understanding as long as they meet on neutral ground with the King himself present.¡±


    Ah, the mysterious, all-powerful Alpha King. At least this guy is finally doing his job.


    Ever since I¡¯d been in the werewolf world, I¡¯d been hearing about the Alpha King. I¡¯d never met the guy or even seen a picture of him, but from what I understood, he was the closest thing the werewolves had to a monarch and a celebrity.


    ¨C


    He had his own territory and pack, but he ruled over everyone. He was the Alpha of Alphas wolves the one that ruled them all. His word was final, and while he didn¡¯t usually get involved in pack business, he might step in special cases. Like, you know, to prevent a war.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Last I¡¯d heard, the current Alpha King was around my dad¡¯s age, but he was grooming his son to take over when he died. I didn¡¯t know much about the King¡¯s son either, but then again, it¡¯s not as if I was the hub for all-things-werewolf- knowledge. Besides what I heard around the house or the bare-bones exnation my dad gave me about pack hierarchy and wolf biology when I started living with him, I was still pretty clueless.


    ¡°This is good news then,¡± said one of the elders, a wrinkled, old man gripping onto his coffee cup for dear life, ¡°The Alpha King will surely cate both packs. Is there something else you¡¯re worried about, Alpha?¡± (2


    My dad sighed and crossed his arms, ¡°There is one other thing. In fact, it¡¯s the main reason I¡¯ve gathered so many of you here tonight.¡± Briefly, he made eye contact with me.


    Guess we¡¯re about to get to the good stuff here then.


    ¡°The Alpha King sees this as an opportunity to strengthen alliances and understandings for every pack not just the Crescent Moon and Pacific Rock wolves. He¡¯s asked each Alpha to send their children as diplomats.¡±


    Beside me, Lily inhaled sharply and I watched Sebastian¡¯s eyes widen.


    ¨C


    I¡¯d watched my dad leave for diplomatic trips and meetings before, but never my brother or sister most packs wanted to deal with the current Alpha, not the future one.


    ¡°Why Alpha children?¡± The same elder asked, ¡°Sebastian is still years from taking over your position. What benefit would it be for us to send such young wolves?¡±


    A couple of people nodded in agreement across the room, and I couldn¡¯t disagree with the elder¡¯s logic. As long as my dad didn¡¯t die unexpectedly, Sebastian wouldn¡¯t be the Alpha for years toe and it didn¡¯t make much sense to send Lily either. As a female wolf, she maybe had a small chance of bing Alpha if dad and Seb both died ¨C but that would only be after she proved herself to the pack.


    I guess the only upside here is that if Lily and Sebastian have to leave on some diplomatic wolf mission, I¡¯ll get the house to myself (and free reign of Lily¡¯s closets).


    ¡°The Alpha King believes that it¡¯s important for the future of the werewolf world to


    learn how to cohabitate now before they¡¯re handed real power and given titles.


    He thinks teaching them to be diplomats might prevent further disputes like the


    one we¡¯re in the midst of now.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± The elder asked.


    ¡°Well,¡±


    my dad said, and I could see he was reluctant to say this next part, ¡°That was the reasoning he¡¯s given us as Alphas, and I do believe it exins why he wants the future Alphas there. However, I have a feeling there¡¯s another ulterior motive at y. The King has asked for every Alpha child, including our daughters. His son has just turned twenty-five and he¡¯s still mateless. I believe this is another opportunity for the prince to search for his mate.¡±


    ¡°Ali Alpha daughters?¡± Another elder spoke, and almost every eye in the room


    No, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m included in this. O


    I¡¯m human, that¡¯s an automatic pass out of most werewolf events, especially diplomatic pack meetings.


    My dad turned to me, his eyes full of concern. ¡°Unfortunately, yes, that means that he¡¯ll want to see my human daughter, rk, too. She¡¯ll be attending the meeting.


    with her siblings.¡±


    Oh, no.

 Chapter 3

    *¡±Werewolves are much moremon animals than you might think.¡±


    Daniel Pinkwater*


    Whispers spread across the room like wildfire.


    My human ears couldn¡¯t make anything out any of the murmurs from other pack members, so I just tried to focus on keeping calm. 1


    Did I want to attend some uber-important diplomatic meeting filled to the brim with short-tempered wolves?


    No.


    Did I have a choice in the matter?


    Also no. I might not have been the hub for all-things-werewolf knowledge, but even I knew that the Alpha King¡¯s word was final. If the guy told you that he wanted you at a meeting, you were going to be there.


    ¡°Okay, everyone, let¡¯s settle down,¡± Dad¡¯s voice boomed through the room, and the chatter ceased immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted one of the Alpha King¡¯s


    contacts about rk¡¯s attendance. The King aware that she¡¯s human, but she¡¯s also an Alpha¡¯s daughter, so he¡¯s not willing to make an exception.¡± (10


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be pissed or ttered. Part of me was touched that my dad had already gone out of his way to get me out of this whole ordeal, but part of me was pissed that he hadn¡¯t said anything to me. He¡¯d clearly known about this meeting for a little while if he had enough time to try and contact the Alpha King, so why was I just now learning about this?


    A little heads up would¡¯ve been nice, that¡¯s all.


    But then I nced over at Lily, who had gone pale, and remembered that I wasn¡¯t the only one in the dark. Neither of my siblings had any idea about this meeting


    either.


    ¡°You okay, Lil?¡± I asked my sister, touching her shoulder. She was still pale, wide, blue eyes fixed on herp.


    At my touch, she looked up and schooled her expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry,¡±


    she said.


    I didn¡¯t quite believe her, but I didn¡¯t want to push ¨C especially here, in front of the rest of the pack.


    I looked up at Sebastian. His face was stoic, but even from across the room, I could


    see his furrowed eyebrows. He was worried.


    He was just as much as part of this as Lily and I was, although his presence at a diplomatic meeting made more sense. He was next in line to be Alpha. (2


    The meeting is on short notice,¡± Dad continued, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending Sebastian, Lily, and rk off next week. I will not be able to apany them, but I will send a few pack warriors for safety. I¡¯ll speak with those I¡¯ve picked for that role in private this week. Now, moving on, Healer Ren has informed me that we¡¯re running low on a few medical supplies¡­¡± 2


    The rest of the pack meeting passed in a blur, with dad covering routine, normal pack business. Despite the change of subject, I still felt plenty of eyes on me.


    Once dad finished talking, most of the pack began socializing with each other, much like they¡¯d been doing before we showed up.


    Lily immediately disappeared into a throng of her friends, and I awkwardly kept to myself on the couch. I had always felt a little socially awkward, but after dad¡¯s big announcement, I felt even less like socializing.


    ¡°Are you worried, rk?¡±


    A raspy voice broke my train of thought, and I looked up to see one of the male elders had approached me. I recognized him, he was one of our oldest pack members, but I couldn¡¯t remember his name.


    ¡°I¡¯m, uh, just surprised,¡± I confessed, ¡°I understand why the King might want future Alphas there, even future Alpha daughters that might be his son¡¯s mate. I guess I just feel as if my presence might be unnecessary.¡± I tried to choose my


    words carefully. Although the elder had kind eyes, he was still a werewolf, and I didn¡¯t want too trash talk the King too much.


    ¡°If I had to specte as to why the King insisted you be there, despite your human status,¡± The elder said, ¡°My guess would be that he doesn¡¯t want to take any


    chances.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Take any chances about what?¡±


    ¡°About his son, rk,¡± he said, and he almost looked amused, ¡°Your father said it himself, this meeting is only half about diplomacy. It¡¯s also about getting every Alpha daughter in the same room, and giving the Prince an opportunity to find hist


    mate.¡± 3


    ¡°Right, but I¡¯m human. Doesn¡¯t that automatically disqualify me from having a


    mate?¡±


    The old man¡¯s l*ps twisted upwards. ¡°Not exactly. You¡¯re an unusual case, rk. You don¡¯t have the wolf gene, but you¡¯ve still got Alpha blood running through your system. While it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯d have a mate, let alone the future Alpha King,


    there¡¯s still a chance. A miniscule one.¡±


    It felt like my world had been rocked twice in one night.


    When my dad had given me my werewolf biology lesson all those years ago, he¡¯d never mentioned the possibility of me having a mate. He¡¯d exined that the mating process happened between two wolves that their inner beasts called out


    to each other.


    ¨C


    It had been afort to me, the idea that I would never have to worry about being chained to some territorial, domineering wolf for the rest of my life. D


    ¡°How does that even work, a wolf mating with a human?¡± I asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard. of that. I thought mating happened when two people¡¯s inner beasts choose each other. But someone like me doesn¡¯t have an inner wolf.¡± E


    The elder nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Yes, that is how it usually happens,¡± he said, ¡°Two inner wolves call out to each other. Our inner wolves are intuitive, and they know who is right for us upon first nce. This is why mates recognize each other the first time they make contact. The bond is forged immediately, and there¡¯s no going


    back. (7


    However, there are rare cases. I have seen human-wolf pairings in my lifetime, but only a few times. As I said, it¡¯s rare. Having a human mate carries the risk that you¡¯ll end up with children that have wolf blood, butck the actual gene.¡±


    ¡°Like me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And most humans are simply not strong enough to survive in this kind of


    world, they do not understand our pack mentality. Most inner wolves recognize this. It¡¯s in our nature to seek strong mates, ones that will bear strong children.


    But there have been times, very rarely, when a wolf has recognized a human as worthy of mating. I¡¯m not entirely sure why, that is beyond my wisdom. Only an inner wolf can decide who is the right mate. But from what I understand, human- wolf pairings are exceptionally difficult.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A werewolf spends their entire life learning about the mate bond, and they desire


    exist in our world. The desire for your mate is so strong, no wolf could possibly fathom being away from them. But humans don¡¯t have an inner wolf, they don¡¯t


    feel the bond the same way. I¡¯m not sure if they experience a pull, but if they do, it¡¯s nothing like what a wolf feels. And from what I¡¯ve seen, human mates don¡¯t get


    handled the same way that regr mates do.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡± 7


    The elder smiled ruefully. ¡°Having grown up in this world, you already know how possessive wolves can be, especially male wolves,¡± he continued, ¡°Most wolves are naturally territorial of their mates. It¡¯s in our nature to be protective and dominant of what¡¯s ours. The higher ranking the wolf is, the more possessive they¡¯ll be.


    Alphas are the most possessive, and while I¡¯ve never met the Alpha King or the


    Prince, I assume they¡¯re even worse than normal Alphas. As you know, humans are


    more fragile than werewolves. Your senses aren¡¯t as good, you break more easily,


    take longer to heal, and you get sick. Having such a fragile mate would put any wolf on edge ¨C any possessiveness or protectiveness they¡¯d feel just gets amplified ten times over. Several decades ago, one of our pack warriors had a human mate.


    He was beside himself with worry about her most of the time, even when she was fine. He wouldn¡¯t let her leave the house by herself. He hardly let her cook, he was too worried that she¡¯d cut herself with a knife or burn herself on the stove. He¡¯d


    keep her on b*d rest for days if he even thought she was getting a cold.¡±


    He shook his head and sighed, ¡°That poor girl. I¡¯m not sure how she ever


    functioned like that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see my own face, but I must¡¯ve looked pretty freaked out because the old man put aforting hand on my shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, rk,¡± he said, patting my arm, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. As I told you earlier, human mates are so rare, they almost never happen. The chance that you¡¯d be a wolf¡¯s mate, it¡¯s almost impossible.¡±


    Impossible, yes.


    ¨C


    There¡¯s no need to make a big deal out of this, rk. You heard the man ¨C human mates almost never happen, and if they do, it¡¯s probably just to uber-special humans.


    I took a deep breath, and tried to hold onto that thought.


    Everything is going to be okay.


    There¡¯s no way I have a mate.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°The idea of a soulmate is beautiful and very romantic to talk about in a movie or a song, but in reality, I find it scary.¡±


    Vanessa Paradis


    I hardly slept that night.


    When I did finally doze off, I dreamt of a man.


    ¨C


    I couldn¡¯t spot his face or hear his voice, but I saw his hands they wererge, with long, nimble fingers that could¡¯ve belonged to a pianist and visible veins running from his knuckles down to his arms.


    I could make out his forearms too, but more specifically, therge tattoo that covered his left forearm. It sort of looked like a bird, but the b*dy was something else


    a panther or a lion, maybe? 3


    ¨C


    The shrill sound of my rm woke me before I could get a closer look.


    ¡°rk!¡±


    As if the loud beeping from my rm wasn¡¯t enough, I had a second rm today: Lily.


    ¡°rk! Turn that shit off, it¡¯s been beeping for more than a minute!¡±


    What a perfect way to start my Monday morning.


    1


    I didn¡¯t need to open my eyes to notice that Lily was ring at me from my doorway. She was even less of a morning person than I was, and everyone in the house¡¯knew it. We¡¯d all faced her early morning wrath more than once, but me (and my loud rm) was a frequent target. 2


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m doing it,¡± I mumbled sleepily, and I fumbled with my phone until 1 hit the snooze button. I rubbed my face a few times before peeking one eye open. Just as I¡¯d expected, Lily¡¯s sharp re could¡¯ve cut ss.


    ¡°Is there a reason you need to set your rm so loud?¡± Lily snapped, ¡°I could hear that thing a mile away. It practically makes my ears bleed.¡±


    I was too groggy to argue with her not that it would¡¯ve done any good. ¡°Sorry, Lil,¡± I yawned, ¡°I¡¯m a heavy sleeper. Not everyone has sensitive wolf ears, you know.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily rolled her eyes, ¡°Just get up. I¡¯m supposed to meet Ashley early by the lockers today, so if you¡¯re not downstairs in twenty minutes, I¡¯m leaving without you.¡± She stomped off before I could reply. 5


    As much as I would¡¯ve loved to haveid in bed a little longer, I knew it wasn¡¯t an idle threat. If I didn¡¯t make it downstairs on time, Lily would take the Jeep and leave me to walk to school. Her and I shared a Jeep, although she used it more often than not. The girl collected extracurricr activities like books ¨C if it wasn¡¯t cheer practice or warrior training, she was bouncing between parties or friend hangouts. 2


    So as not to get left behind or end up walking to school, I got dressed as quickly as I could. My outfit of choice was my favorite well-worn jeans, a blue tanktop, and my favorite cotton zip-up hoodie. I didn¡¯t bother with makeup, but I did pull my thick, red hair into a ponytail and give myself a final nce in the mirror.


    My hair was probably my best feature, although it distinguished me from the rest of the family. I had the same hair and eyes as my mom: dark brown eyes and long, frizzy red hair that I could never manage topletely tame. In fact, it was more than just my eyes or my hair. My mom and I also shared the same pale skin that burned too easily and scattered freckles on our faces. (6


    As a kid, when I still lived with my mom, people used toment that we were identical. When I showed up to live with him, my dad had made a simrment. He¡¯d told me I was the spitting image of my mother.


    I still remembered the moment I saw my dad for the first time. I was eleven.


    My mom drove us to his house, although she never say we were going to see my father.


    All she¡¯d told me was that she was going away for a little while, and that I was going to stay with family. That wasn¡¯t unusual. When my mom said she was ¡°going away for awhile,¡± it really meant that she had met a new guy and they were going to run off to god-knows-where and get high together. Even at eleven, I knew that was happening ¨C and I knew the various friends that my mom pawned me off on while she was gone weren¡¯t really ¡°aunts¡± and ¡°uncles.¡±


    When we ended up on my dad¡¯s doorstep instead, I assumed he was just another friend of my mom¡¯s. He had looked shocked to see her. His whole face went white,


    and he barely managed to stutter out an invitation inside.


    Grace had been there too, and we made chocte chip cookies in the kitchen while


    my mom and dad talked in hushed voices in the other room. They were in there awhile, long enough for the cookies to bake and eat them out of the oven. D


    1


    When they did finallye back into the room, my dad still had that same shocked. look on his face, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. This time, I was the one who got pulled aside. He exined to me that he was my dad, and I¡¯d be staying with him for good. He¡¯d said my mom was leaving to figure some things out, and I wouldn¡¯t be seeing her for awhile. @


    He was right.


    Seven yearster, and I still hadn¡¯t seen my mom again. (4


    She disappeared that night, and my dad and Grace had been the only parents I¡¯d known since. Q


    I took a shaky breath and turned away from the mirror. I tried not to think about my mom or that night too much, but sometimes, it snuck up on me anyways.


    I had been so confused then, although my dad tried his best to break things down for eleven-year-old me. He was very angry after that night ¨C not at me, but at my mom. She had never told him about me, so he had no idea 1 existed until that night. He told me several times that I would¡¯ve been living with him sooner had he known, but since he hadn¡¯t, we were just going to have to make up for lost time.


    @


    I had never known about him either. I¡¯d asked my mom questions about where my dad was a couple of times, but she had always deflected. She told me that he wasn¡¯t around, that he was apart of a whole different world I didn¡¯t need to be involved in.


    1


    To be fair, she had been right-my dad was apart of apletely different world. Iter learned from Sebastian that I was the result of a drunken one-night-stand


    between my mom and my dad.


    1


    It was the only time he ever cheated on Grace ¨C that one night he met my mom in a bar and went home with her. He¡¯d alreadye clean to Grace about the encounter years before I ended up on their doorstep. They were mates, so of course, she forgave him ¨C although I doubt my presence helped her forget.


    Not only did I look just like my mom, but I was a breathing reminder of the fact that Grace and dad¡¯s rtionship wasn¡¯t perfect, that my dad had done something


    awful that caused a lot of hurt.


    Grace never said these kinds of things to me, but I still felt them. Q


    She tried to include me in the family as much as possible, but there were still times when I¡¯d catch her looking at me with this dejected expression on her face.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I took another deep breath, and pulled on my jacket.


    Way to set the mood for a Monday, huh, rk? Just rehash the past until you depress yourself.


    ¡°rk! Last call ¨C I¡¯m literally leaving this second.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming! Just hold on!¡± I grabbed my backpack and took the stairs two at a time. Lily was positioned at the front doors, keys in her hand, and the same angry


    scowl on her face.


    ¡°I told you that I had to meet Ashley early today,¡± she grumbled as we walked out the door, ¡°I literally haven¡¯t seen her all weekend. If I¡¯m going to be gone next week, she¡¯s got to fill in for me as cheer captain, and that¡¯s not easy, so¡­¡±


    I turned out Lily¡¯s lecture about my tardiness as I climbed into the Jeep, and we headed towards school.

 Chapter 5

    *¡±I was a handful growing up.¡±


    Olivia Wilde*


    ¡°Were we supposed to have a test in Biology today?¡± Lily asked as she drove.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s on the anatomy of the wolf form, and what gic factors. y into the size of someone¡¯s wolf form.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Lily cursed, ¡°I totally forgot about that. Guess I¡¯ll just have to copy off Brody. He¡¯ll let me do it, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s obsessed with me. I can practically see his canines drooling whenever I walk by.¡± (3


    I rolled my eyes yfully, although Lily was right. Brody was definitely obsessed with her, and he salivated like a dog or more like a horny werewolf whenever


    ¨C


    ¨C


    she walked by.


    Ugh, I am definitely not in the mood for a test or school today. 7


    Remember how I said that the pack had its own grocery stores and infirmaries? Those weren¡¯t the only things on packnds we also had our own school too:


    cktooth Primary School.


    Here¡¯s the thing. When you¡¯ve got hundreds of adolescent werewolves with heightened emotions and the ability to shift at will, you can¡¯t exactly throw them in public school. Sooner orter, someone would shift in front of the humans and expose werewolves to the rest of the world.


    Apparently, some former Alpha King made aw hundreds of years ago that dered each pack had to provide its young werewolves with an education.


    Packs made their own school curriculums, of course. Why teach teenage werewolves calculus when you could teach them warrior training? Why bother with World History when you could teach Werewolf World History?


    You still got most of the bare-bones sses you¡¯d get at any other school ¨C like math, history, science, and English ¨C but most of them had a werewolf twist.


    The custom curriculum made plenty of sense for the werewolves, but


    unfortunately, as the only resident human in the cktooth pack, I was just along


    for the ride.


    When I started living with my dad, he insisted I attend the werewolf school with my siblings and the rest of the pack. I had protested about it for a long time. Living with my dad had already broken most of my ties to the human world, and thest thing I wanted to do was leave my human friends behind too.


    We fought about for a while, but eventually, he got his way.


    I tried to keep in contact with some of my human friends, but without any real way to see them, those friendships eventually faded.


    ¡°You¡¯re so quiet this morning,¡± Lilymented, ncing over at me from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°You¡¯re being sulkier than usual.¡±


    ¡°Sulky?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sulky,¡± she said, ¡°I can always tell when you¡¯re sulking, which is most of the time, by the way. So, what is it this time? Are you worried about this big diplomatic meeting next week?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m worried,¡± I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to worry about ¨C not like you and Seb do. Am I dreading it? A little bit. I could think of better ways to spend my weekend than locked in a stuffy room with a bunch of angry wolves.¡± Lily smirked at thatst sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll go fine for you,¡± She said, and then she paused. ¡°I¡¯m kind of dreading it too.¡±


    I looked over at Lily, surprised. Her eyes were fixed on the road, but from her furrowed brows and the way she chewed her l*p, I could tell she was being honest.


    She was worried.


    ¡°Really? Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Lily sighed like she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to open up.


    ¡°Promise not to say anything to anyone, not even Sebastian?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­there¡¯s a good chance that my mate will be there,¡± she said, ¡°I already know my mate isn¡¯t in cktooth, I would¡¯ve met them by now. So that means they¡¯ve got to belong to another pack. And this weekend? Every single future Alpha, not including any pack members they bring with them, is going to be there. That ups my chances of meeting my mate by, like, at least 50%. Maybe more.¡±


    As she talked, I could see Lily¡¯s knuckles tighten around the steering wheel until they were white.


    I processed her words slowly.


    Lily and I had never talked about the ¡°mate¡± thing much. As a werewolf, we both knew she had one her and Sebastian both. I had heard fantasizing with friends about who her mate would be over the years, but she¡¯d never confided in me personally about it.


    ¡°Are you nervous about it? The idea that you might meet your mate this weekend?¡±


    I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lily said, ¡°It just seems very soon, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± I confessed, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you aren¡¯t ready yet, that would be


    normal. I mean, we¡¯re not even out of high school yet.¡±


    Instead offorting her, my words seemed to set Lily off.


    ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t ready,¡± she snapped, ¡°I just said it seemed soon. I know when


    I¡¯m ready to do things. I¡¯m already eighteen years old, and I¡¯ve got Alpha blood running through my veins. Whoever I¡¯m destined with, I¡¯m more than ready for them.¡± She was scowling now, and I heard the steering wheel crack under the pressure of her fingers.


    I didn¡¯t say you weren¡¯t ready yet, Lil,¡± I replied, ¡°I just said it would be okay if you weren¡¯t ready, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes, but I could see her grip on the wheel loosen up. ¡°Whatever,¡± she snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not sure why I was even talking to you about this, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve got to worry about this. You¡¯re human, you¡¯ll never have a mate.¡±


    So much for a little sisterly bonding.


    Although her words had clearly been intended as an insult, I only felt relief. She was right. I was human, and that met my life would never have to change just because I made eye contact with a stranger.


    Before I could drum up some sort of response that wouldn¡¯t antagonize her further, Lily was already pulling into school. She parked in the same front spot she always did ¨C perks of being the Alpha¡¯s daughters.


    Lily stormed off to find her friends almost immediately, but I took my time getting. out of the Jeep. It was nearly ss time, and there was a constant stream of students swarming into therge, brick building.


    This was one of my least favorite things about school: the noise. I might not have had sensitive supernatural hearing, but it still felt like my ears were getting assaulted. All around me, there was just constant activity.


    There was some guy who had gone shirtless in the parking lot, and his friends were egging him on to shift into his wolf form. Just a few feet away, some mated couple. was in the midst of a screaming match. I had no idea what they were saying, but the girl was pointing fingers and the guy had his teeth bared at her.


    Beside them, there was another mated couple aggressively making out.


    Going to a school full of werewolves was sensory overload.


    Take a deep breath, rk.


    Just as I did every school morning, I took several deep breaths before I felt calm enough to exit the car and join the swarm.


    Nob*dy paid me a second nce, but I didn¡¯t mind.


    It was time to head to my first ss of the day: warrior training.

 Chapter 6

    *¡±Skill and confidence are an unconquered army.¡±


    George Herbert*


    ¡°Keep running! I want twenty moreps before ss is over!¡±


    You¡¯d think that if being human could ever work in my favor, it would probably get me out of warrior training ¨C the mandatory ss that trained young werewolves inbat and fighting.


    But you would be wrong.


    Despite the fact that I could not turn into a werewolf (nor would I ever be a pack warrior), I still had to take warrior training with everyone else. I had tried to talk my dad into letting me skip the ss more times than I could count, but he was resolute. He thought it would be a good way for me to feel included, to feel ¡°strong like a wolf.¡±


    Unfortunately, it often made me feel the opposite.


    For a werewolf, running twentyps around the big, open field we practiced in was no biggie. For a human who wouldn¡¯t call herself an athlete, it was hell. My ssmates continued to pass me on the track,ughing and talking like it was no more than a leisurely jog.


    My legs burned and every breath felt like a lead weight in my lungs. I was more than twops behind everyone else, but fortunately, I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Right beside me, my closest friend, Kara, kept pace with me. Unlike me, she wasn¡¯t gasping for oxygen. Had she not been deliberately running at my speed, she probably would¡¯ve been twops ahead like every other wolf.


    ¡°I cannot believe you get to meet the Alpha King,¡± she said, yfully ring at me. Her curls bounced as she ran, and there wasn¡¯t a single drop of sweat on her dark skin. We¡¯d been friends since freshman year, and she was one of the few people who didn¡¯t avoid me.


    ¡°Well, who knows if I¡¯m actually going to be face-to-face with the guy,¡± I replied, gasping for air, ¡°It¡¯s just some diplomatic meeting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s a diplomatic meeting with some of the most powerful Alphas in the world.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware,¡± Iughed breathlessly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good thing though. A bunch of Alphas in the same room? The whole thing is going to turn into some big dick-measuring contest.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Karaughed, ¡°I¡¯m still jealous. I wonder if you¡¯ll get to meet Prince Griffin. I hear he¡¯s super hot.¡±


    2


    ¡°Oh, yeah? My dad thinks this meeting is a cover so that the prince can look for


    his mate,¡± I told her, and Kara¡¯s eyes widened. (@


    ¡°Really? Ugh, now I¡¯m super jealous. Imagine the lucky girl that gets to be his


    mate.¡±


    Kara continued to gush, but I stopped in my tracks.


    ¡°Wait, Griffin?¡±


    Images of an olive-skinned arm with arge griffin tattoo shed through my


    mind.


    Don¡¯t freak yourself out, rk. It¡¯s just a coincidence.


    Kara stopped as soon as she realized I was no longer running. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, ¡°Just catching my breath. But you said his name was


    Griffin?¡±


    She stared at me with raised eyebrows, but nodded. ¡°Yeah, Prince Griffin. You didn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°You know me,¡± I grinned, ¡°I don¡¯t exactly keep up with all the werewolf gossip.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kara rolled her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s really hot but he still hasn¡¯t found his mate. He¡¯s been looking for, like, nine years. Can you imagine? It¡¯s been


    two years for me, and I already feel like I¡¯m going stir-crazy without my mate. I can¡¯t imagine having to spend an entire decade mateless.¡±


    Although I had never felt the pull myself, I knew that werewolves were able to recognize their mates on sight at sixteen. Most of them found their mates within two to three years ¨C it was rare for a wolf to go much longer than that without. finding their mate.


    ¡°He must be desperate,¡± I said, ¡°Especially if he¡¯s making the King gather all the Alpha daughters in the same ce.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll work?¡± Kara asked, and then her eyes widened, ¡°What if he finds


    his mate? Wait! What if Lily is his mate?¡±


    ¡°I mean -¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡± Kara continued, ¡°Your sister does have Alpha blood, and so does.


    Prince Griffin. They¡¯re both powerful. Your sister would be the literal queen.¡±


    I tried to picture Lily sitting on the throne, a crown perched on her head, but the thought felt wrong to me. It left a sour taste in my mouth, although I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°Maybe, who knows?¡± I shrugged, and I tried to push the image out of my head.


    ¡°Ladies! What¡¯s with the chit-chat? You¡¯re supposed to be runningps, not having a gossip session!¡± From several feet away, our teacher, Beta Jones, pointed at Kara and I. He was a middle-aged man with short, buzzed hair and a long scar running across his face. O


    ¡°Sorry, Beta!¡± Kara called back, ¡°rk was having trouble breathing, so we were just resting for a minute.¡±


    Even from a distance, I could see the scowl on Beta Jones¡¯ face. ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching you for more than three years, rk,¡± he sighed, ¡°And you¡¯re just as out-of-shape as the first day.¡± O


    His voice was loud, and a couple of the other studentsughed.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the blush from spreading across my face, but I didn¡¯t reply to Beta Jones.


    Although nob*dy bullied me directly I was still the Alpha¡¯s daughter ¨C I knew most of my peers felt one of two ways about me: either they found it funny that my human b*dy struggled so hard just to keep up with them or they pitied me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure which one was more embarrassing.


    ¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Beta Jones pped his hands, ¡°Find a partner, we¡¯re going to spar.¡±


    Several of my ssmates cheered at his words, and I held back a groan beside Kara. Hand-to-handbat might¡¯ve been fun for werewolves, but for me, it just meant. I was going to get my a*s kicked.


    ¡°Hey, partner,¡± Kara grinned, grabbing my arm. ¡°You want thest mat?¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    We walked to one of therge assembled mats at the end of the field. Kara was definitely about to kick my a*s, but at least the mat would break my fall.


    Everyone else paired up, and Beta Jones stood in the center of the field. ¡°Today, we¡¯re doing to hand-to-handbat in our human forms,¡± he said, ¡°There may be times when you¡¯re not able to shift, and it¡¯s important to know how to defend yourself. Now, does anyone know the quickest way to kill a werewolf when they¡¯re


    in their human form?¡±


    Kara¡¯s hand shot up instantly.


    Of course, Miss-Know-It-All has the answer, I¡¯d expect nothing less.


    ¡°Yes, Kara?¡±


    ¡°You need a silver knife or sword to injure a werewolf in their human form,¡± she exined, ¡°If you try to stab or hurt them with a regr knife, they¡¯ll just heal. But silver weakens us, it¡¯s the only thing that¡¯ll actually kill us.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Beta Jones agreed and he turned to the rest of the ss. ¡°It¡¯s important to remember that. It doesn¡¯t matter how good of a fighter you are. If you don¡¯t have some sort of silver de on you, you¡¯re not going to be able to kill your opponent. Now, as I said, we¡¯re focusing on hand-to-handbat today. First one to knock your partner off their feet wins.¡±


    I turned to Kara, who was grinning at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll go easy on a weak, little human?¡± I teased, positioning myself into a fighting form.


    ¡°Sorry, rk,¡± she smirked, ¡°You know I love you, but I¡¯m still going to kick your


    a*s.¡±


    My a*s was t on the mat only seconds after she finished the sentence.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.¡±


    Bob Dn


    When I finally made it home after school, my b*dy was still bruised from warrior training. The house was quiet when I walked in, but that wasn¡¯t unusual. My dad and Sebastian were mostly likely handling some sort of pack business, and Grace liked to spend her afternoons helping in the pack nursery.


    That was fine by me my b*d was calling. I desperately needed an afternoon nap after the a*s-kicking from this morning.


    ¡°rk?¡±


    Just as I was about to ascend the stairs, a voice stopped me in my tracks.


    I turned around to see Sebastian standing in the living room, looking even more serious than usual. I was surprised to see him here. In the year since he¡¯d graduated high school, Sebastian had been spending less and less time at the house. My dad was grooming him to take over the Alpha position, and that meant keeping Sebastian glued to his side.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.


    As he¡¯d gotten older, it seemed that Sebastian¡¯s face was permanently stuck in the same serious, concerned expression. I¡¯m not sure if it came from the responsibility of being the next Alpha or just the firstborn son in a werewolf family.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I hopped down from thest stair and followed him into the living room. ¡°Is dad home or is it just us?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just us.¡±


    He sat in my dad¡¯s favorite recliner and I plopped down onto the couch.


    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±


    Sebastian sighed and I saw him gesture to an open envelope on the coffee table.


    UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA was stamped on the front.


    Oh no.


    I could feel the blood drain out of my face, and I took another look at Sebastian¡¯s grave expression. I didn¡¯t need to read the entire paper to know it was a rejection. letter. I¡¯d specifically requested for any eptances and rejections to be sent to my email address just so I could avoid this very scenario, but I guess not every college. was paying attention.


    ¡°You want to exin what this is?¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was calm andposed, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t happy. He¡¯d clearly read the letter, and he knew I was applying to colleges across the country that I was trying to leave.


    ¡°Well, uh,¡± I scratched the back of my n*eck, ¡°It¡¯s a rejection letter from a potential college. I¡¯ve been applying to those, you know. It¡¯s almost that time.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to the University of Washington, that you were going to justmute from home,¡± Sebastian said, crossing his arms.


    It was hard to exin that I¡¯d lied to dad. Our father had made it pretty clear he wanted me to stick close by, and if I¡¯d told him I was applying to colleges across. the country, he would¡¯ve talked me out of it. So, I hade up with a little white lie ¨C I told him that I was only applying to local colleges that would allow me to live at home, like the University of Washington. Q


    To be fair, I did get an application from the University of Washington, I just didn¡¯t fill it


    out.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been broadening my search, you know,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ve lived in Washington my whole life, Sebastian. I just want to explore, maybe spend some time in a ce that¡¯s a little sunnier.¡±


    ¡°You want to leave the pack.¡±@


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯d be gone forever,¡± I told him, ¡°Going to college in another state doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d nevere home to the pack. There¡¯s still holidays and the asional weekend.¡±


    Sebastian had the same piercing blue eyes as my dad and Lily ¨C the kind of eyes that made you feel like he was looking straight through you whenever he made eye


    contact.


    And knowing Sebastian, he was definitely seeing straight through my excuses.


    ¡°Come on, rk,¡± he sighed, leaning back into the recliner, ¡°You and I both know this isn¡¯t about you exploring or getting a little sun. You want to get away from the pack, from your family.¡±


    There was plenty of hurt in his tone, and a pang of guilt ran straight through me. It sounded so awful once Sebastian said it out loud. I didn¡¯t want to sound ungrateful for what my dad or the pack had given me. Deep down, I knew my life was much better here than it would¡¯ve ever been with my mother. Life with my mom had been cheap hotel rooms, fast food, and getting handed off to ¡°aunts¡± and ¡°uncles¡± like candy.


    I might¡¯ve felt like an outcast, but life with my dad had always been stable. I had two sober adults that loved me, a homecooked meal on the table every night, and there were no strange men hanging around.


    ¨C


    Actually, I should probably rephrase there was no shortage of strange men


    See? Look how great your life is here. You¡¯re really going to leave that behind?


    I swallowed down the guilt.


    Stick to your guns, rk. You¡¯re eighteen, you should be allowed to explore and experience the world. Most people your age aren¡¯t chained to a werewolf pack.


    ¡°Seb, you know I love you,¡± I said, ¡°You, the family, even the pack. I care about everyone, but this had to happen sometime. I¡¯m not like you guys. Once I graduate, there won¡¯t be anything for me here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®not like us?¡±¡± Sebastian narrowed his eyes. His face was


    nk, and I inwardly cursed my brother. It was times like these that I wished he


    was easier to read, but he¡¯d learned how to hide his emotions from our father.


    ¨C


    He wasn¡¯t like me I wore every emotion on my sleeve. Or, to be urate, my


    face.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m not a werewolf, Seb. I know I¡¯m still part of the pack and I¡¯ll always be part of the pack, but there¡¯s not an actual ce for me here. I won¡¯t be an Alpha like you and I won¡¯t have a mate like Lily. Sooner orter, I¡¯ve got to leave the nest.¡±


    His expression remained nk for another moment, and then I saw him sigh and run a hand through his hair. ¡°God, I hate how much I sound like dad right now,¡± he said, ¡°This whole conversation¡­I¡¯m not trying to be your parent, rk, I


    swear.¡± 3


    I felt a twinge of sympathy, and I moved closer to rest my hand on Sebastian¡¯s arm. As much as I felt like the odd one out, I knew Sebastian¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t easy either. He was the golden boy, the firstborn son that had to live up to everyone¡¯s expectations. A world of responsibility rested on his shoulders all the time, but he grit his teeth and bore it with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ve pretty much mastered dad¡¯s raised eyebrows,¡± I teased, trying to lighten the tension. Sebastian let out an airy chuckle.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, Seb,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t straightforward with you about the college stuff. To be honest, I knew dad would be pissed if I told him and I didn¡¯t want to put anyone else in the position of lying for me.¡±


    Sebastian squeezed my hand, ¡°Sometimes I forget that you¡¯re not tethered to this world the way that Lily and I are¡­but I hope you know that this pack will always be your home.¡±


    Sebastian looked up at me with a smile, and I couldn¡¯t resist hugging him. As little as I saw him these days, feeling my brother¡¯s strong arms around me soothed something deep inside.


    ¡°You know dad is going to be totally pissed when you tell him, right? You might want to wait until after this big diplomatic meeting.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t n to tell dad until my car is already packed and the engine is running.¡±


    Sebastian rolled his eyes yfully as he pulled away from me. He grabbed the rejection letter in his hands and crumbled it up. ¡°I¡¯ll throw this away for you.¡±


    J


    Sebastian got up to leave, but before he could walk away, a random thought popped into my head. I wasn¡¯t sure what possessed me to ask ¨C maybe my conversation with Kara had sparked an interest earlier but the words were out of


    my mouth before I could stop them. ¡°Hey, Seb, what do you know about the Alpha


    Prince, Griffin?¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, he was just as shocked to hear me ask as I was. I rarely asked questions about anything regarding the werewolf world, let alone a mysterious Alpha King or Prince I¡¯d never met.


    ¡°Griffin Bardot, you mean?¡± Sebastian asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never met him. I¡¯ve heard some. stuff about him, but that¡¯s about it. Why the sudden curiosity?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to tell Sebastian about my dreams of a man with a griffin tattoo ¨C it was probably random, and I didn¡¯t want to see Sebastianugh at me when he


    confirmed that.


    It was just a dream, rk. It¡¯s not any more meaningful than when you dream about living in a mansion made of candy canes. Just because the guy¡¯s name is Griffin doesn¡¯t mean he has a griffin tattoo ¨C that¡¯d be a little on-the-nose.


    ¡°Kara was talking about him during ss today,¡± I finally said, ¡°And I figured he¡¯ll probably be at the diplomatic meeting. The guy¡¯s a literal prince, so I guess I just don¡¯t want to embarrass myself or give him a reason to tear my throat out.¡±


    That exnation seemed to satisfy Sebastian.


    ¡°Well, I know he¡¯s twenty-five,¡± Sebastian told me, ¡°He¡¯s next in line to be the Alpha King, but probably not for a few years. From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s done a lot of military and diplomatic stuff, fought in pack disputes, and helped settle pack conflicts. Apparently, he¡¯s pretty ruthless. I heard he took off some guy¡¯s head just for looking at him wrong once.¡±


    ¡°Wow, sounds like a charmer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor, of course,¡± Sebastian rified, ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if it were true. He is next in line to be Alpha King and he can¡¯t look weak, otherwise, someone might challenge him for the throne. And he hasn¡¯t found his mate either so that probably has something to do with it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You might not have learned this in school, but the longer a wolf goes without. their mate, the more hostile and aggressive they be. The guy has spent nine years without his, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s got plenty of pent-up aggression.¡±@


    Great. I¡¯m going to spend next week in the same room as a guy who tears people¡¯s heads off for looking at him the wrong way.


    Might as well tell my dad about college now, because who knows if I¡¯ll being


    home next week? 5


    The fear must¡¯ve shown on my face because Sebastian quickly back-tracked. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t mean to scare you, but you did ask. There is a good chance we¡¯ll meet him next week, but nothing¡¯s going to happen to you. If dad¡¯s theory is right, he¡¯s going to spend the entire time scouting the ce for his mate. He won¡¯t care about anything else. So, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I nodded and mustered up a smile before Sebastian walked off.


    His words should¡¯ve reassured me, so why was there still a pit in my stomach? *

 Chapter 8

    ¡°A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.¡± (14)


    Jean de La Fontaine


    You know that old saying about how time speeds up when you¡¯re dreading the future?


    Yeah, there¡¯s definitely some truth to that.


    The final week before Seb, Lily, and I¡¯s trip seemed to sl*p through my fingers until it was the morning of our flight and I was trying to zip up my overloaded backpack.


    Maybe I should¡¯ve just caved and used an actual suitcase instead.


    ¨C


    We were only supposed to be gone for three days today was the day we were flying out, tomorrow would be the meeting, and then we¡¯de back the next morning. Easy. Simple. Just three days and then I¡¯d be back home and able to resume my life, free of warring Alphas and mateless Princes. Q@


    ¡°rk!¡±


    I turned at the sound of Lily¡¯s voice. She was standing in my doorway, clutching


    two sundresses in her hands. ¡°Which one looks more appropriate for an Alpha


    meeting?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Are you really asking me about werewolf dress code at a diplomatic meeting?¡±


    ¡°Hm, good point.¡±


    ¡°I like the blue one though,¡± I said, ¡°It brings out your eyes.¡¯


    ¡±


    She smirked as if she¡¯d been expecting thepliment and folded the dress over her arms. ¡°What did you pack? What are you going to wear to this shin-dig?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too crazy, I¡¯m dressingfy. We are going to Canada after all.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily rolled her eyes, ¡°Please tell me you have an outfit for this meeting. You should wear that mint green romper you have, it goes with your


    skin.¡± 2


    ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t picked anything specific¡± I scratched the back of my head, ¡°I kinda. just figured I¡¯d sort through my options when I got there.¡±


    ¡°You are so unprepared, rk,¡± she scoffed, ¡°Just because you don¡¯t know what the dress code is doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be one.¡± Before I could drum up a reply, she


    turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.


    I knew she was right. I didn¡¯t have to pack alone. I could¡¯ve asked for help from Lily, Grace, or even my dad. But the thought of Grace or my dad sorting through my clothes, lecturing me on which items would make me look like a presentable Alpha daughter it made me cringe.


    Trying to look the part wouldn¡¯t change the fact that I wouldn¡¯t belong, and the minute I walked into the room, every wolf would know it. They¡¯d be able to smell.


    the fact that I was only human.


    Look at you getting all angsty again, a voice in my head (which sounded suspiciously like Lily) piped up. (17)


    I walked over to my dresser. With a final sigh, I pulled out the mint green romper and shoved it into my backpack.


    1


    ¡°Lily! rk! You¡¯re going to bete for the ne if you don¡¯t get your asses in gear,¡± Dad shouted from downstairs. Almost immediately, I heard Grace¡¯s soft voice scold him for hisnguage.


    ¡°Coming!¡± I shouted back, heaving my backpack over my shoulder. Given that we were only traveling today, I had kept my attire simple: a in pair of jeans, a faded band t-shirt, and a thick green army jacket. 4


    Although the leaves were only starting to change here, I didn¡¯t doubt that the weather would be much colder in Canada. That was where the Alpha King and his pack lived ¨C southern Canada. ording to Lily, the King, his family, and their


    pack lived in some sort of fancy castle or pce in the mountains.


    The whole thing seemed ridiculous at first, but then again, the guy was a literal


    monarch. Why wouldn¡¯t he have his own pce to rule from? Alphas did love power, and nothing symbolized power more than a throne.


    I adjusted my backpack on my shoulders a final time and stepped out into the


    hallway. Lily was positioned at the top of the stairs, trying to manage all three of her suitcases. ¡°Come help me,¡± she hissed.


    I wrangled one of the suitcases out of her hands, but not without grinning.


    ¡°Where¡¯s all that crazy wolf strength when you need it, huh?¡± I teased her.


    She red at me, and her blue eyes could¡¯ve cut ss. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t lift


    them, they¡¯re just toorge to carry at once.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only going for three days, why all the luggage?¡±


    ¡°I need options. Not all of us can fit our entire lives in fanny pack.¡±?


    ¡°It¡¯s a backpack, not a fanny pack.¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks just as ridiculous. At least I look like I¡¯m going on a trip, you look like you¡¯re packed for a hike.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    I rolled my eyes but didn¡¯t retaliate. @


    We descended the stairs together, and as soon as they saw us, Sebastian and dad


    took Lily¡¯s suitcases off our hands.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Dad asked, his expression just as stern as ever.


    All three of us nodded.


    ¡°Oh, look at you guys,¡± Grace piped up from beside my dad, and I could see tears forming in her eyes, ¡°You look so grown up.¡±


    ¡°Mom, do we have to


    ¨C


    Whatever Sebastian was about to say was immediately silenced by one of my dad¡¯s


    icy res..


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know it¡¯s cheesy,¡± she said, wiping away a tear. She turned to Sebastian. ¡°It feels like just yesterday I was teaching you to walk, and now you¡¯re an adult. You¡¯ve grown into such a strong young man. I know you¡¯ll look out for your sisters while you¡¯re gone, Sebastian.¡± Grace gave him a hug, and although Sebastina looked mildly ufortable with the emotional disy, he certainly


    didn¡¯t protest.


    7


    ¡°Of course, mom.¡±


    Grace embraced Lily next. ¡°Oh, honey, you look so beautiful. I remember the day


    you were born, what it was like to hold you in my arms for the first time. You had such bright blue eyes, just like your father. I knew you were going to be the light of my life and you still are.¡±


    Watching Grace¡¯s emotional goodbyes to Lily and Sebastian almost made me want


    to avert my eyes ¨C like I was intruding in on a private family moment that I had no business being apart of. (2)


    In some ways, I guess I was.


    Grace hugged mest. It was brief and she didn¡¯t cling to me like she had with Seb and Lily. ¡°rk,¡± she said, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want to go, but this will be a good experience for you. You¡¯ll see.¡± 12


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it will be.¡±


    Grace retreated back into my dad¡¯s arms, and he gave us all a small smile. ¡°I want


    you three to make me proud,¡± hemanded but there was no hard edge to his voice, ¡°I¡¯ll see you kids in three days.¡±


    *Just three days.


    72 hours.


    4,320 minutes.


    259, 200 seconds.¡±


    Three days is nothing. I¡¯ll be home in three days. (1


    I repeated that mantra all the way to the airport, and even when I boarded the ne and buckled myself into the seat.


    At the time, knowing I¡¯d be home and sleeping back my b*d within three days soothed some of the anxiety. 3


    Unfortunately, it ended up being an emptyfort. I didn¡¯t realize it then, but I wouldn¡¯t be home in three days. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t being home for a very long time.


    If I had known then what actually awaited me at the Alpha King¡¯s pce, I know wouldn¡¯t havee. I would¡¯ve done something ¨C anything ¨C to get me out of the trip. Maybe I would¡¯ve faked being sick or snuck off for a couple of days, I¡¯m not


    sure.


    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.


    I didn¡¯t realize it then, but my destiny was sealed the moment I ced my feet on Canadian soil. The second that I stepped into his world, there was no longer anywhere I could run. Nowhere I could hide. He would find me and drag me back, kicking and screaming.


    As I sat on the ne, contemting which movie I wanted to watch, I waspletely unaware just how much my life was about to change.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Fate will find a way.¡± (2


    Virgil


    The moment my feet touched Canadian ground, there was a change in the air.


    I couldn¡¯t put words to it, but I felt it in my bones ¨C and it wasn¡¯t just the freezing Canadian breeze either.


    As we headed to the sleek ck SUV that was supposed to transport us to the King¡¯s castle, I had the instinctual urge to run. To climb back into the ne and beg the pilot to take me home. What was wrong with me? Sure, I¡¯d been dreading this trip for the past week, but now that I was actually here, it felt like someb*dy had shoved my b*dy into flight-or-fight mode.


    Now is not the time to freak out, rk.


    Pull yourself together.


    I took a long, deep breath and climbed into the SUV after Lily and Sebastian.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡±


    Our driver was a thin, old man with wispy white hair who barely greeted us at the airport.. He was all business, and he kept his eyes on the road as he drove. I hadn¡¯t even realized that the Alpha King or more likely, one of his pack members ¨C would arrange transport for us, but it made sense. The pce was in the middle of the snowy Canadian mountains, so it¡¯s not like we could just take a taxi there. CCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°How long is the drive?¡± Lily asked. She was seated between Sebastian and I and she was already pulling her fluffy pink travel pillow out from her suitcase.


    ¡°Two hours,¡± the driver replied, and his voice sounded just as old as he looked.


    I guess the Alpha King isn¡¯t big on retirement ns or 401Ks. (8


    ¡°Cool,¡± Lily muttered, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. If my head ends up on anyone¡¯s shoulder, too bad. You can deal with it.¡± Sebastian and I shared an eye roll, but neither of us said anything.


    At least someone is getting sleep here. (4


    The ne ride had only been a couple of hours, and although I had wanted to sleep, I couldn¡¯t bring my b*dy to settle down enough. My heart was pounding and my stomach was twisted in knots. It¡¯s like my b*dy had recognized some sort of invisible threat, but my brain hadn¡¯t caught on yet. 3


    ¨C


    There was a part of me that wanted to speak up to tell Sebastian or even Lily how incredibly anxious I was, but what was I actually supposed to say? I couldn¡¯t pinpoint anything that was specifically causing me anxiety, and if anything, I wasn¡¯t the one who should be worried.


    Most of the pressure was on Sebastian¡¯s shoulders. He was the one who would be expected to interact with other Alphas, to say the right thing during the meeting. All it would take is one bad joke to the wrong Alpha to end an alliance or make an


    enemy.


    Lily was in the line of fire too. Every single Alpha child above the age of thirteen


    was going to be here, and there was a decent chance Lily would meet her mate. That would be at least thirty different kids, and since most of them would probably be men, that gave her nearly thirty opportunities to meet her mate. C


    As much as I was anxious, the real burdeny on Seb and Lily. Whatever my stakes were, theirs were ten times higher.


    With that thought in mind, I tried to push the anxious feelings away and focus on something else ¨C like the gorgeous Canadian scenery.


    I¡¯d never been outside of Washington in my life, and while the circumstances might not have been my favorite, I couldn¡¯t deny how beautiful this ce was.


    The afternoon sky was covered in thick, dark clouds and it was snowing. As far as the eye could see, there wererge Evergreen trees that led into a forest. It was snowing too hard for me to see beyond that, but I could tell it was expansive. We


    it hadn¡¯t made it to the mountains yet, but judging by how rural the area was,


    couldn¡¯t have been far.


    As I watched the scenery blur by, I felt a sudden pressure on my shoulder.


    I nced down ¨C it was Lily. She was passed out, her eyes screwed shut and her hair syed in her face. I guess my shoulder made a morefortable position. than her travel pillow did. Beside us, Sebastian was shuffling through some sort of folder about pack business that he brought from home.


    Gently, so as to not wake her, I brushed some of the hair out of her face and used my other hand to pull my earbuds out of my pocket. She might¡¯ve turned me into her designated pillow, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t entertain myself with music.


    7


    Seeing the castle for the first time left me speechless.


    As the driver pulled up to arge iron gate with several security guards, I must¡¯ve looked like an idiot my eyes were wide and my jaw had gone ck. It was massive, bigger than I thought it would ever be.


    It looked like the kind of castle you¡¯d see in a Fairytale ¨C it was situated on a literal mountaintop, and the actual castle was all white stone and stained ss windows. The entire pce was coated in snow, but from a distance, it almost looked like powdered sugar.


    3


    Below the castle and all down the mountain, there was a forest covered in


    ¨C


    Evergreen trees. It was beautiful and secluded. For a moment, my brain.


    registered just how isted this ce was. Thest hour of the drive had just been windy mountain roads under the thick cover of clouds, snow, and trees. No wonder the Alpha King wanted to live in the middle of the Canadian mountains. Nob*dy was going to be able to leave without his say-so. 3


    Stop being paranoid, rk. This ce is probably easier to navigate if you¡¯re a wolf. These people actually like the outdoors, they¡¯re not indoor hermits like 2


    you.


    All three of us sat in the back seat in silence as the driver spoke with a brawny


    security guard or what I assumed was a security guard. He was one of manyrge men that stood in front a massive, closed iron gate. ¡°I¡¯m transporting three guests from the cktooth Pack,¡± our driver said.


    ¡°Names?¡±


    ¡°Sebastian Bellevue, Lily Bellevue, and rk Bellevue, son and daughters of Alpha Marcus Bellevue.¡± (1


    I could only peer at him from the window, but I saw the security guard nod before he looked away and his eyes zed over. It looked like he was just zoning out, but I¡¯d been around werewolves long enough to know better he wasmunicating through a mind link. Pack members couldmunicate telepathically with each other in both human and wolf forms.


    That had always fascinated me, but from what I understood, the mind link was only used formunicating pack orders or business not casual conservation.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the guard finally responded, ¡°You¡¯re all set to go through. Your escort has been notified of your arrival, and they¡¯ll be waiting for you at the south entrance.¡± The driver nodded, and I watched as therge iron gates creaked open. Not only was the gate massive, but it was borate too. Intricate designs covered the top of each bar, although it was hard to make them out since they were coated in snow.


    Beside me, Lily and Sebastian were just as in awe as I was. Lily had woken up twenty minutes ago from her power nap.


    As soon as the gates openedpletely, the SUV was entering the castle grounds. The gates nged shut behind us. 3


    Even though everything was hidden beneath ayer of thick snow, I could tell the castlewn was beautiful and well-kept. There was arge fountain that was frozen on one side and an borate garden on the other.


    The Alpha King really took the monarch thing a little too literally, this ce makes me feel like I time-traveled back to the middle ages.


    It took us close to twenty minutes just to reach the south entrance of the castle. Up close, the baroque architecture was even more incredible. The battlements felt like sky-scrapers and the towers were so tall that they disappeared into the clouds.


    ¡°This ce is really something, huh?¡± Sebastianmented.


    Lily nodded, still taking everything in, and I made some sort of noise of agreement.


    The SUV stopped in front of what must¡¯ve been the south entrance a wide, arched wooden door that must¡¯ve been at least ten feet tall.


    ¡°Wee to Lupine Castle,¡± the driver said, ¡°You can get out here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the ride, we appreciate it,¡± Sebastian replied, but the driver merely grunted in reply.


    Not a big talker, this guy.


    It took us a few minutes to grab our luggage and mor out of the car. After spending two hours in a heated SUV, the bitter Canadian cold felt like a p in the face.


    I definitely should have worn my thicker jacket.


    I pulled my jacket closer and tried not to shiver. Almost immediately, Lilytched. onto my arm, her teeth chattering.


    ¡°Geez, this ce is fuh-reezing,¡± she ground out. She was even less dressed for the cold than I was just a pair of ripped jeans and one of her favorite designer hoodies.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± I muttered back, trying to absorb as much of her b*dy heat as possible.


    I might¡¯ve been from Washington, but Canada was an entirely new level of freezing ¨C especially during this time of year. 2


    ¡°You kids are certainly not used to the cold, are you?¡±


    All three of us whipped our heads around to see a middle-aged woman approaching us. I¡¯m not sure if she came from the castle, but I hadn¡¯t heard any


    doors open.


    She was tall with fair skin and dark hair that was just starting to grey. She wore a kind smile a maroon wrap dress with no jacket. If she was cold, she certainly didn¡¯t show it. Everything about her screamed dignified. Her back was straight and she heid her head high.


    ¡°I¡¯m Esther,¡± she said, smiling at us, ¡°I¡¯ll be your escort during your stay in the castle. Why don¡¯t we get out of this cold and move inside?¡±


    None of us needed to be convinced. Esther used the intricate iron knocker to open therge wooden door, and all three of us immediately scurried inside.


    It took me a moment to soak in the precious heat before I registered what the inside of the castle looked like. We were standing in an arched hallway. The ceiling. must¡¯ve been at least twenty feet high, and the walls and floors were both smooth stone. I could make out a couple of pirs in the distance and there was arge statue at one end of the hallway. Judging by the marble crown sculpted into the statue¡¯s head, I figured it must¡¯ve been a former king.


    ¡°Incredible, right?¡± Esther smiled at us, ¡°People are always taken aback during


    their first visit here.¡±


    ¡°This castle is beautiful,¡± Sebastian said. E


    Esther turned her an


    to him. ¡°You must Sebastian,


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    correct?¡±


    ¡°And that must make you Lily,¡± she said, and my sister nodded.


    Finally, her curious eyes settled on me. ¡°And you¡¯re rk, the human.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say it in a mean or condescending way


    any other fact.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± I gave her an awkward smile. Q


    ¨C


    it was just as if she was stating


    She grinned brightly and pped her hands together. ¡°Perfect, I¡¯m so d all three.


    of


    you made it without dy. As I said outside, I will be your escort while you are here. Any questions you may have while you¡¯re here can be directed to me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all tired from your travels.¡±


    We nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. The diplomatic hearing will not be until tomorrow, but the Alpha King is hosting an intimate dinner party tonight. He has selected a few guests to join him and he¡¯s requested the presence of you three.¡±


    My throat went dry.


    There¡¯s no way thisdy just said we¡¯re having dinner with the Alpha King tonight.

 Chapter 10

    *¡±There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.¡± @


    ¨C Jerry Seinfeld


    Before


    my brain could process Esther¡¯s words, Lily let out a strangled gasp beside


    me and all attention turned to her.


    ¡°The Alpha King wants to dine with us?¡± she asked skeptically, ¡°Like in the same


    room? At the same time?¡±


    Esther¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade for a moment. ¡°Yes, Ms. Bellevue. There are more than fifty different Alpha children here from across the world. The King won¡¯t have time. to meet with everyone, but he¡¯s hand-selected a few Alpha children he¡¯d like to get to know better.¡± (2


    The possibility of having to sit across from the actual Alpha King and eat dinner with him ¨C certainly didn¡¯t help my anxiety, but it¡¯s not like it was a total shock. I knew there¡¯d be a possibility that I¡¯d see the Alpha King at some point. I had just figured it would be while I was blending into the wallpaper at the diplomatic meeting, not during an intimate dinner party. 5


    In a weird way, it helped that I wasn¡¯t the only one anxious about dining with the king. At least Lily seemed just as freaked out as I was.


    ¡°Who else will be there?¡± Sebastian piped up. As usual, his face was absent of emotion, but I knew him well enough to know he wasn¡¯t feelingfortable with the idea either.


    ¡°The Alpha King has selected four Alpha children to join him,¡± Esther replied, but she didn¡¯t borate beyond that. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve answered your questions, may I take you to your rooms?¡± (2


    Deep breaths, rk.


    It¡¯s just three days.


    Without waiting for a reply, Esther turned on her heel and began leading us down the long, stone hallway. The farther we walked, the more magnificent the castle became. We passed therge marble sculpture I¡¯d seen on the way in, and it was even more impressive up close. It was of a towering man with a long beard, a crown on his head, and a human heart in his hands. (4


    Well¡­that¡¯s an interesting artistic choice. 2


    On the bottom of the sculpture, the inscription read: King Xavier Bardot the Ruthless, 1783


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re as charmed by the artwork of our castle as I am,¡± Esthermented, pointing to the sculpture. (2)


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, nice,¡± I told her.


    There was more artwork too. We passed by a giant portrait of a man turning into a wolf in the woods. There was an oil painting of a young man and a woman holding a newborn baby in their hands.


    ¡°That one is the current Alpha King and thete Queen,¡± Esther said, ¡°Queen Cate died during childbirth with Prince Griffin. The Alpha King was ¨C and is devastated by the loss, and he had this portrait done in her honor.¡±


    ¨C


    I had to admit ¨C thete Queen was beautiful. She was painted in a dark green


    dress thatplimented her olive skin and green eyes. Her smile was wide and


    kind, entirely focused on the baby in her arms.


    The king beside her was just as radiant. With dark hair and a golden crown on his head, the painted king held his Queen close but his eyes were focused on the baby


    too.


    ¨C


    I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it maybe it was because it depicted a dead Queen but there was something haunting about the image. It was supposed to look like a happy family, but there was something missing.


    ¡°And here are your rooms,¡± Esther¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. She was standing in front of another arched wooden door, but this one was smaller than the


    one at the south entrance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been given a suite to stay in,¡± Esther said, opening the door. We trailed behind her and I sucked in a gasp when I saw the inside of the suite. Q


    Despite itsrge size, the bedroom had a cozy feel to it. The floors were shiny dark marble and maroon wallpaper covered the walls. However, the most eyecatching feature were the tworge, king-sized b*ds on each side of the room. Each b*d had its own canopy. There was an impressive vanity for the b*d on the right and arge window cloaked in dark curtains on the left.


    ¡°This room is for the girls,¡± Esther pointed out, leading us farther into the room. ¡°The bathroom is just to your left, and Sebastian¡¯s room is connected by the doors.¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but one the walls was made up of a sliding ss door. The ss was opaque, and judging from Esther¡¯s exnation, that would be Sebastian¡¯s side of the suite. (2


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you three to get unpacked then,¡± Esther said, smiling widely again, ¡°Dinner is at 8pm sharp. I¡¯ll be back to escort you to the dining room.¡± With that said, Esther departed the room, the door nging shut behind her.


    There were several minutes of silence between us as we explored our rooms. Lily imed the b*d by the vanity and I took the one near the window.


    As Lily unpacked herrge suitcases, I couldn¡¯t take the silence or the tense awkwardness anymore I had to say something. Awkward silences had never been my strong suit.


    ¡°So, that Estherdy. She¡¯s real smiley, huh?¡±


    As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Lily scoffed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s one word


    for it,¡± she said, ¡°There was something weird about her. She was too nice if you ask


    me.¡± 1


    ¡°She was just doing her job,¡± Sebastian said. He leaned up against the vanity, watching us unpack. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m more curious to know why the Alpha King decided to have us, out of everyone here, at this dinner party. He only picked four .others.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious why he wants us there?¡± Lily asked, and her eyes narrowed at me. ¡°I bet he¡¯s curious about rk. She¡¯s human, he¡¯s probably going to poke and prod at her like a doll.¡± O


    ¡°Me? You really think he wants us there because of me?¡± I asked. Not a lot of


    wolves had human children, I knew that ¨C but was I so unusual that I peaked the Alpha King¡¯s interest? Q


    So much for blending into the background like I was hoping.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Lily said, and she began pulling out clothes, ¡°But I think it¡¯s a distinct possibility. Let¡¯s be honest here. Not a lot of Alphas have affairs. with human women, let alone pop out a child with them.¡±


    Almost immediately, the air grew thick with tension.


    Dad¡¯s affair with my mom was a taboo subject at home. Sure, my siblings might¡¯ve teased me about being human, but we never discussed why I was human. I knew it was because of Grace, although nob*dy ever confirmed that. Talking about my mom meant that Grace would have to think about how her husband, her mate,Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    cheated on her.


    My mom might not have been the Dark Lord, but she was certainly She-Who-


    Must-Not-Be-Named for the Bellevue household.


    I scratched the back of my head nervously, and turned away to begin unpacking my own bag. ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true,¡± I said quietly. I wanted to say something else, but my tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of my mouth.


    ¡°Lily,¡± Sebastian hissed.


    ¡°What?¡± Lily snarled, ¡°I know that our family loves to pretend that it didn¡¯t


    happen, but dad did have an affair with a human. rk got dropped off on our


    doorstep when I was twelve and you were fourteen, Seb. Whether we want to admit


    it or not, our family is f**ked up and the entire werewolf world probably knows it.¡± O


    Her words were harsh, and I felt a stir of anger in my gut. It wasn¡¯t my fault that


    I¡¯d been dropped into this world, I couldn¡¯t help it. I hadn¡¯t asked for it, so why did it feel like her anger was directed at me?


    ¡°You know, Lily,¡± I suddenly piped up, ¡°Our family is f**ked up, you¡¯re right. But


    it¡¯s not because of me. Dad is the one at fault, not anyone else. And I¡¯m very aware that I don¡¯t belong here, you don¡¯t need to remind me.¡±


    There was a pause.


    I kept my eyes on the clothes I was unpacking. I didn¡¯t want to see her face, but I could still feel her piercing gaze.


    ¡°rk,¡± she said, and I heard her sigh, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to sound like I was ming you for what dad did. I¡¯m just on edge right now, I¡¯ve been on edge since we left the f**king airport. This ce is cranking my anxiety up to ten.¡± 6


    She plopped down on the b*d, and the anger in my gut dissipated. Lily was a hothead and she often said things she didn¡¯t mean in the heat of the moment. I knew that and I couldn¡¯t hold it against her ¨C especially when we were stuck in an isted mountainous castle in the middle-of-nowhere Canada. 3


    I approached her b*d and hugged her from behind. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lil,¡± I said, ¡°We¡¯re all on edge. Must be something in the air here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she snorted, squeezing my shoulders, ¡°Definitely something in the air.¡±


    ¡°Not to interrupt this Hallmark moment,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°But Esther said the dinner¡¯s at 8. We should probably start getting ready.¡± (4


    Right, how could I forget?


    We¡¯ve got a date with the Alpha King at 8.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°At a dinner party, one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too


    wisely.¡±


    ¨C


    5


    As we stood in front of the door that led into the dining room, all I could think about were how mmy my palms were. What if the Alpha King wanted to shake my hand? Was I supposed to give him my mmy hands? Werewolves had heightened senses, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t notice if my hands were mmy.


    Pull yourself together, rk. Thest thing you needed to be worried about is sweaty


    palms.


    I wiped my hands on the light blue dress I was wearing for the thirtieth time since we¡¯d left the room. The dress wasn¡¯t anything borate, but I hoped it would be appropriate for a dinner party. When Lily saw what I¡¯d brought in my backpack, she¡¯d dered all of it unfit for the dinner party and handed me this dress instead.


    I had to admit Lily¡¯s taste in clothes was top-notch. The dress was form-fitting. with spaghetti straps and it stopped just above my knees. It looked good. Beside me, Lily and Sebastian were also dressed to the nines. She wore an above-the-knee velvet ck dress with straps below the shoulders and Sebastian wore ck dress. pants with a blue button-down that matched his eyes.


    ¡°You all look marvelous,¡± Esther said as she approached the dining-room door, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be nervous. It appears nob*dy else has arrived yet, you¡¯re the first guests.¡± To prove her point, she threw open therge, intricate wooden door and disappeared inside the empty room.


    We trailed in after her and I nearly stopped walking when I saw how borate the


    dining room was. The ceiling stretched more than twenty feet high and the floor was all white and gold marble. Corinthian columns lined each door into the room and there was even a firece. Arge portrait of Queen Cate, who looked just as young as she had in the other painting, hung above the mantle. The entire room. reminded me of something you¡¯d find in an art museum or the Sistine chapel ¨C but then again, we were in a castle. At a certain point, I¡¯d probably have to get used to all the over-the-top decorating. O


    In the middle of the room, there was arge mahogany table with matching chairs and fine china. The ce settings were already there and Esther directed us to our seats. She exined the Alpha King would sit at the head of the table surprises there- and Sebastian would be ced on his right. Then, I was beside Sebastian and Lily was beside me.


    ¨C


    no


    ¡°Go on,¡± Esther urged, ¡°Take your seats. I imagine the other Alpha children will be showing up any minute now. The King will likely best, he loves to be fashionablyte.¡±


    We did as she asked and I was surprised at just howfortable the chair was. Even though it was wood, there was a plush cushion on every seat.


    ¡°Would you three like anything to drink?¡± Esther asked, ¡°The kitchen staff will provide water for everyone but I¡¯m sure I could put in a request for wine or another beverage.¡±


    I guess werewolves don¡¯t have any qualms about offering alcohol to underage teenagers.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡±


    Esther nodded and left the room.


    ¡°Excuse you?¡± Lily hissed, leaning over to re at Sebastian, ¡°Way to talk for the entire table, Seb. Maybe I wanted some red wine.¡±


    Sebastian red back. ¡°We¡¯re about to have dinner with the Alpha King, Lily. We should all be as clear-headed as possible.¡±


    Lily scoffed. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯re werewolves, you know? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to get drunk on a couple of sses of wine.¡±


    Sebastian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was trying to calm himself down. I didn¡¯t see Seb lose his temper often, but when he did, it was usually the same culprit. ¡°Look,¡± he ground out, ¡°Just not tonight, okay? You can ask for all the wine you want on the ne ride back home.¡±


    Lily huffed but she didn¡¯t protest.


    Before my siblings could continue their banter, the wooden door opened again and three new faces approached. I could tell immediately that they were the other. Alpha kids: there were three boys and one girl. They all looked like teenagers, close to Seb, Lily, and I¡¯s ages. ()


    ¡°Well, hello. We were not expecting anyone else to be here yet,¡± one of the guys, anky Indian boy with curly hair and an ent spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m Aakesh, son of Rayaan and from the Vrka pack in South India.¡± He extended his hand for Sebastian to shake and smiled at Lily and me.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Ezra,¡± the next boy interjected. He was just a hair taller than Aaekesh with chestnut brown hair and green eyes, but the most noticeable thing about him. was his British ent. ¡°I¡¯m from the Lock Heart Pack in Ennd.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to shake anyone¡¯s hands but he shot a charming smile at Lily. a


    Beside me, I heard Lily exhale and it sounded like relief.


    Thest guest was a tiny sl*p of a girl. She looked around my age, but she was tiny. She didn¡¯t look any taller than five-feet and her tinum blonde hair was styled into braids.


    While Ezra and Aakesh didn¡¯t hesitate to introduce themselves or take their seats, the girl hung back by the door and avoided looking at anyone.


    ¡°That¡¯s Angel,¡± Ezra piped up, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s painfully shy. Come on, Angel. Looks like you¡¯re supposed to sit next to me.¡±


    Even from my spot at the table, I could see Angel¡¯s face flushpletely red as she scurried to her seat. She reminded me of a house mouse or a kitten who was


    startled by loud noises.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°I¡¯m Sebastian. These are my sisters, Lily and rk. I heard there were four other guests. Is someone elseing?¡±


    Aaekesh shook his head. ¡°Yes, her name is Alessia. She was supposed toe, but I guess she wasn¡¯t feeling well after her flight, so she passed on the dinner invitation.¡± Q


    Sebastian nodded.


    I looked over and as soon as Ezra locked eyes with me, his eyes widened in delight and his grin grew positively wolfish. ¡°rk,¡± he rolled my name on his tongue, ¡°I can smell it, you¡¯re the human one. I heard there would be a human here but I


    didn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Instantly, I found myself wanting to shy away from his predatory gaze but I did my best to hold eye contact. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. The human one,¡± I said, and my tone came out a little more sarcastic than I intended it to.


    you,¡± he


    Ezra¡¯s grin only grew. ¡°This must be such an overwhelming experience for said, ¡°Humans are so fragile. You must feel like the little mouse caught in the wolf den.¡± His tone was mocking, and I knew he was trying to intimidate me.


    Not likely, asshole.


    His voice made my skin crawl and I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could respond, Sebastian stepped in. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t speak to my sister that way,¡± he said, his voice low and hard, ¡°If you¡¯ve got a question, you can direct


    it to me.¡± 5


    In any other circumstance, I might¡¯ve been annoyed with Sebastian¡¯s.


    overprotective older brother routine. But for once, I was grateful to have him there


    to back me up. I was out of my depth here, and Ezra was only the first reminder of


    how some of the wolves would see me here!Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    as prey.


    ¨C


    ¡°Of course, I hope I didn¡¯t offend you,¡± Ezra apologized but there was nothing


    genuine about his words. Sebastian narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Angel,¡± I said, trying to change the subject before Sebastian ended up in a brawl, ¡°I love your dress. Where did you get it?¡± It was ame misdirect but it worked. Angel, who had been staring at herp since she¡¯d sat down, finally looked up. When I caught sight of her face, I understood her name with big, green doe-eyes and l*ps shaped into a cupid¡¯s bow, she definitely looked angelic.


    ¡°F-from my closet,¡± she stuttered out and her cheeks flushed red again. Her voice


    was light and tinkly, like a fairy. 4


    I heard Lily quietly scoff beside me, but she didn¡¯tment.


    ¡°Well, uh, it¡¯s very pretty,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t sure what else to say but at least I


    bur


    wasn¡¯t lying. Her white sundress was cute, and if anything, it onlypleted her


    heavenly vibe. @


    There was a pause of awkward silence, but it didn¡¯tst long. The door on the other


    side of the room opened and an older woman in a maid¡¯s uniform stepped through. ¡°I am now announcing the arrival of Alpha King ric II and Beta William.¡±


    I heard heavy footsteps stamping on the smooth marble, and then a man entered


    the room.


    My breath caught in my throat.


    It was the Alpha King.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°If every fool wore a crown, we should all be kings.¡±@


    Proverb


    Silence descended on the room like a thick nket and the only sounds that could be heard were the clomping of boots.


    The Alpha King was a tall, broad-shouldered man that stood at least 6¡¯4. I could tell it was the same man from the painting ¨C he had the same dark eyes and russet skin, but his hair was thinner, grayer and his face was stern.


    He wore some kind of dark blue military uniform with gold buttons and the Bardot crest emzoned on the front. ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯mte to my own dinner party,¡± he said, stopping in front of his chair. His voice was far deeper than I thought it would be and it left an unpleasant knot in my stomach.


    This guy is as intimidating as it gets. 2


    Almost immediately, Sebastian, Lily, Aakesh, Ezra, and even Angel stood up, their chairs nking against the marble floors. I scrambled up after them and hoped that the King hadn¡¯t noticed my dy. Everyone sat back down once he was seated.


    Why did nob*dy tell me there¡¯s an entire royal etiquette at y here?


    ¡°You¡¯re alwayste, ric,¡± another voice boomed, and I turned to see the other middle-aged man who had entered behind the King. He was just a hair shorter than the King but he was even brawnier in the chest and shoulders. He adorned the same dark blue military uniform but this onecked the Bardot crest.


    Unlike the Alpha King, there was nothing stern or hostile about this man. Hist


    greying red hair stuck out like a sore thumb and his eyes and smile were kind. He approached the chair at the other head of the table. Nob*dy stood up for him. O


    ¡°So are you, Beta Williams,¡± the Alpha King grinned, ¡°But I don¡¯t hold it against


    you. I¡¯d like a ss of wine please ¨C and one for my Beta too.¡± Although he hadn¡¯t addressed anyone directly, another kitchen staff member seemed to materialize


    out of thin air with two sses of red wine.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get on with the first course please,¡± the Alpha King pped his hands. together, ¡°I¡¯d like to meet all my wonderful guests.¡± Although he was smiling, his piercing stare put me on edge as his eyes raked around the room.


    1


    Several more kitchen staff entered the room, trays of roast chicken and raw fish in their hands. They scooped it out on our tes and I tried not to grimace at the fish. I¡¯d never been able to stomach raw fish, not even sushi, but it didn¡¯t feel like I had


    a choice here.


    I dove into the roast chicken first and it was more decadent than I¡¯d imagined. The vor from the chicken and its lemon sauce practically exploded on my tongue.


    I can certainly get used to cating like this.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You must be Aakesh,¡± the Alpha King turned to the Indian boy and I exhaled


    quietly. I was d that introductions were starting on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Aakesh smiled, ¡°I¡¯m honored to be in your presence tonight.¡± If Aakesh was nervous that he was bearing the full weight of the Alpha King¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, he certainly didn¡¯t show it.


    The King continued to look at Aakesh for a moment and then he smiled. ¡°Yes, as am I. Your father and I go way back. I¡¯ve saved his life a few times, you know.¡± He took a long sip out of his wine ss and then turned his stare to Ezra. ¡°And you


    must be Ezra of the Lock Heart Pack.¡±


    Ezra wasn¡¯t quite asposed as Aakesh was. He seemed to squirm underneath. the King¡¯s stare, and for the first time tonight, I felt a twinge of satisfaction.


    Good.


    Now he knows what it feels like when someone is trying to intimidate you.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. My father has talked about you quite often,¡± Ezra smiled but it didn¡¯t meet his eyes, ¡°He thinks very fondly of his visit to the castle five years ago.¡±


    ¡°Doe¡¯s he?¡± The Alpha King took another sip of wine and swirled the liquid around his ss, ¡°I must confess, I hardly recall him. He was not a memorable man, much like his son.¡± (3)


    Beta Williams left out a loud guffaw from the end of the table.


    Ezra¡¯s smile dropped instantly and he gaped at the king like a fish. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    Well, nob*dy could use this dinner party of being boring.


    The King didn¡¯t acknowledge him, he¡¯d already turned his attention to his next victim: Angel. Although I wasn¡¯t the one under scrutiny, I definitely felt sympathy for the small girl. Angel¡¯s eyes were still on herp.


    ¡°Look at me, child,¡± the King¡¯s voice was stern but not hostile.


    Slowly, Angel looked up, her face flushed red and her doe eyes darting around the


    room.


    The Alpha King grinned widely, his pearly whites on disy. ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± he said, ¡°I prefer to make eye contact with those I¡¯m talking to. You are from the Blue Ecl*pse pack. Angel, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± her voice was as timid as ever but she kept her eyes on the King.


    ¡°You are astonishingly beautiful,¡± The King remarked, and Angel blushed even redder, ¡°That is all an Alpha can hope for when he has a daughter, that she will be beautiful and submissive. If he is really lucky, she will also have a strong mate.¡±


    The delicious roast chicken began to taste sour in my mouth. 1


    Why are you surprised, rk? You¡¯re in the wolf den.


    ¨C


    as submissive baby-


    7


    You¡¯ve always known how these people have viewed women makers who need protecting. This is just the first time you¡¯re hearing someone say it so


    tantly.


    I expected Angel to continue blushing, but for the first time that night, she spoke without prompting. ¡°I have not met my mate yet,¡± Angel said, ¡°But I hope I will soon. My father said there would be many strong Alphas here, so I¡¯m hopeful that I will meet him. I look forward to pleasing my mate.¡± She smiled gently and I could


    tell she meant every word. 7


    There was a part of me that wanted to shake Angel until she saw how insane her own words sounded, but I knew it wasn¡¯t her fault. When you spend your entire life learning that the sky is purple, you¡¯re going to think it¡¯s purple, regardless of what anyone else tells you.


    ¡°It¡¯s so charming to meet a female wolf who understands her ce,¡± The Alpha King smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure you will make a great mate for someone, dear.¡± Angel practically preened under his praise. O


    ¡°Do you feel the same?¡± The Alpha King turned, his stare falling onto Lily. ¡°As the daughter of a powerful Alpha like Marcus Bellevue, I assume he¡¯s taught you the importance of being a good mate.¡±


    My heart sped up. I was nervous for Lily. She hadn¡¯t expressed a lot of excitement as the thought of meeting her mate and she was far from the docile type.


    Please don¡¯t say anything that could get you hurt, Lily.


    To my surprise, Lily kept her cool. ¡°Of course,¡± she said, giving the King the same smile she¡¯d give the elders whenever they tried to give her unsolicited advice. ¡°Both my father and mother have taught me how important a mate bond is. I look forward to the day I get to experience that.¡±


    The Alpha King chuckled. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure your father has a lot to say about how serious mate bonds are. After all, we¡¯re all looking at evidence of just how seriously he took his own mate bond.¡± 17


    The Alpha King¡¯s eyes fell to me.


    Great.


    Guess it¡¯s my turn.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who


    do.¡± 2


    Isaac Asimov


    ¡°rk, is it?¡±


    I¡¯d watched almost everyone deal with the brunt of the Alpha King¡¯s stare, but now that I was the one feeling it, I understood just how crushing it was. It made me feel like I was on stage in front of a hundred people trying to deliver a speech, only I had no idea what th speech was about. 1


    I almost felt a little sympathetic for Ezra almost.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The honorific felt foreign on my tongue, but thest thing I wanted to do was go back home in pieces because I used the wrong title.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± the Alpha King leaned back in his chair, sipping his wine, ¡°How does it feel to be so fragile?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¨C


    I¡¯ve spent enough time


    ¡°Fragile. Breakable. Delicate. Whatever word you fancy around humans to know weak your kind is,¡± the Alpha King said.


    d to know he thinks so highly of us. 1


    I felt like I was treading on thin ice. Judging from the way the King had talked to Angel and my general knowledge of male werewolves, I knew they didn¡¯t think highly of humans ¨C let alone human women. We had even less to offer than a female werewolf did, and no matter what, I couldn¡¯t allow my distaste for the werewolf world to show. I didn¡¯t know much about the Alpha King, but I was pretty sure badmouthing werewolves was a one-way ticket to the dungeons.


    With my heart thumping in my chest, I finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can answer your question urately, Your Majesty. I¡¯ve only ever been human, but I have witnessed the immense strength that werewolves do. It¡¯s amazing what your kind is capable of.¡±@


    The Alpha King hummed thoughtfully but he didn¡¯t look displeased with my answer. ¡°Yes, I suppose you¡¯ve had plenty of time to see how incapable humans are. How long have you lived with your father?¡±


    ¡°About six years.¡¯


    ??


    ¡°You know,¡± the Alpha King chuckled, looking at Beta Williams, ¡°This story has always fascinated me. There were plenty of rumors floating around about Marcus Bellevue¡¯s affair with a human woman and their human child. A powerful Alpha cheating on his destinated mate with a human of all things? It¡¯s almost unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°It is quite unusual,¡± Beta Williams replied, ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of that happening. I¡¯ve known werewolves that have had affairs with human women and gotten them pregnant ¨C but never a powerful Alpha and never a mated one.¡± (2


    I tried not to squirm in my seat at the direction the conversation had taken. If the Alpha King¡¯s goal was to make me as ufortable as possible, he was definitely exceeding. 3


    ¡°Why did he cheat on his mate?¡± The Alpha King turned back at me. He was genuinely asking me as if I had some sort of secret insight into my father¡¯s psyche.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure,¡± I stumbled out, trying to keep myposure, ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t a long-term thing, but he¡¯s never told me much about it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. A one-night-stand left him saddled with a child?¡± The Kingughed,


    ¡°How unfortunate.¡± He took another long sip of his wine ss and I prayed that my


    part of the interrogation was done. I hated feeling everyone¡¯s eyes on me, waiting


    to see if I¡¯d keep my cool or sl*p up and say the wrong thing.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯m curious about, rk,¡± the King continued and my


    stomach dropped. ¡°Humans do not have mates, do they?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡±


    He looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered what that must be like,¡± he said, ¡°To not have the pull of a soulmate like us wolves do. You don¡¯t even understand what you¡¯re missing, I suppose.¡±


    I held my tongue ¨C although a part of me wanted to tell him that I had seen how their supposed soulmates treated each other and thest thing I wanted was to have some flesh-and-blood anchor weighing me down.


    ¡°Then again,¡± the King mused, ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll never have to experience the crippling loss of a mate either. I lost my own over twenty-five years ago and the pain feels as fresh as yesterday. My own son has never met his mate and I see how it weighs on him ¨C it¡¯s like missing a limb you¡¯ve never had.¡±


    ¡°You almost sound poetic, ric. Your love for thete Queen is inspiring to all mated couples,¡± Beta Williams said, ¡°Where is Prince Griffin tonight?¡±


    Yes, let¡¯s direct this conversation to someone else¡¯s family.


    The Alpha King sighed deeply. ¡°Who knows?¡± He said, ¡°My sons less and less time around the castle these days. He prefers to go settle pack disputes in person, he likes to get his hands bloody. That¡¯s at least one trait he¡¯s picked up from his father.¡±

 Chapter 14

    The King grinned.


    ¡°Will he be at the meeting tomorrow, Your Majesty?¡± Sebastian asked. It was the first time he¡¯d spoken since the Alpha King walked into the room.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Alpha King said, ¡°He has a vested interest in the meeting. I have no


    doubt he¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Well, that just confirms that most of this meeting is just a rouse for the Prince to find


    his mate.2


    Fine by me.


    If the Prince is too busy hunting down his mate, I can do what I do best at these sorts of things and make friends with the wallpaper (and hopefully whoever is in charge of the food).


    Suddenly, my mind shed back to my conversation with the elder from the pack.


    the old man who had told me that there was a miniscule chance I could be a


    wolf¡¯s mate given my bloodline.


    No, there¡¯s no way.


    If I was someone¡¯s mate, I¡¯m sure I would¡¯ve felt it some sort of mate pull like the


    wolves do.


    I¡¯m only human, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to end up someone¡¯s mate, let alone the prince of wolves.


    It¡¯s such a miniscule chance, and as unlucky as I may be sometimes, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m unlucky enough to be the mate of some possessive werewolf prince. That¡¯s the kind of stuff you see in books and TV shows, not real life.


    4


    But no matter what I tried to tell myself, my stomach was in the knots the rest of


    the dinner party.


    ¡°I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.¡±)


    Mary Shelley


    You¡¯d think if there was any time that you¡¯d be able to sleep like a baby, it¡¯d be when you¡¯re lying on a luxurious king-sized bed with sheets that probably cost. more than my college tuition would.


    But I was wide awake that night.


    Lily was snoring just feet away from me, in the other bed of the castle suite. Sebastian was probably asleep too, although I couldn¡¯t tell since he was separated by therge sliding ss door. {1}


    Since the dinner party, I¡¯d been riddled with anxiety and I couldn¡¯t articte the source of it. Was I nervous that my biology meant I could end up saddled to a werewolf forever? A little bit. But really, I just felt out of my depth at this ce. It was like I was walking on pins and needles everywhere. People like the Alpha King and Ezra saw my gic makeup as a weakness, something they could poke and prod at like a science experiment.


    There was nothing I could do about it, not really. All I could do was wait it out. Once I was back home and away from the castle forever, I was sure I¡¯d feel better.


    But what I am going to do about sleeping tonight?


    I took another nce at Lily. She was out like a light and Sebastian was probably passed out even harder.


    When I had trouble sleeping at home, I¡¯d drink a cup of tea and walk around the pack grounds. It was safer than it sounded. My dad ensured that cktooth¡¯snds were patrolled by wolves around the clock, so there was no real danger for me to encounter.


    It¡¯s not like I could take a walk here. I didn¡¯t doubt that the ce was guarded, but I didn¡¯t know my surroundings. Thest thing I needed was to get lost or encounter someone like Ezra, who thought it would be fun to mess with the human.


    I could step out on the balcony though.


    On the way back from the dinner party, I had spotted a door that led out to a


    balcony. I doubted anyone would be out there in the middle of the night, and it was close enough to the suite that I was confident I could find my way there and back. without getting lost.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It only took me a moment to make up my mind. As quietly as I could, I threw off the thick covers and sat up. My pajamas, one of Sebastian¡¯s old t-shirts and a pair of cotton shorts, were definitely not very royal but hopefully, nob*dy was going to see me in them.


    I kept my eyes on Lily¡¯s peaceful face the entire time I put on my sl*ppers and tip- toed out the door. I couldn¡¯t hold back my cringe when the door squeaked as I was opening it, but thankfully, Lily kept on snoring.


    Time to find that balcony.


    As I maneuvered the hallways, I couldn¡¯t believe how beautiful the castle was at nighttime. There weren¡¯t any electric lights that I could see but moonlight shone. in through the big, stained ss windows and bounced off the hallways. It looked magical.


    Up ahead, the door to the balcony came into view.


    Sess! And not a single soul had to see me in my old Pls.


    Fortunately, the door was unlocked and I closed it behind me, savoring the fresh


    air. Don¡¯t get me wrong it was freezing out. There was still snow on the ground from our earlier arrival, but the cold didn¡¯t feel so biting right now. If anything, the chilly air in my lungs and the goosebumps on my skin felt marvelouspared to the suffocating castle.


    I dug my fingers into the polished stone railing. The balcony was at least two stories, if not more, but it was hard to make out much of the view. There was a reflection of the moon in the snow, but other than that, it was all inky darkness.


    That might¡¯ve freaked me out on another day, but right now, the istion felt nice. There were no rude Kings or annoying wolves to deal with out here. Just me, the moon, and the below-freezing temperature.


    Just two more days, rk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen someb*dy look so happy standing in zero-degree weather in a t-shirt,¡± a female voice piped up from behind me.


    3


    I whipped my head around immediately and spotted a neer on the balcony.


    Guess I spoke too soon about getting to enjoy my time alone out here.


    The first thing I noticed about her was the scar on her face.


    It stretched from her eyebrow to her chin, and although I could see that she was smirking at me, the scar seemed to tug her skin into a frown. The girl didn¡¯t look hardly older than I was. She had dark hair that hung in ringlets about her face, startling green eyes, and tawny brown skin.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you,¡± she continued to smirk, taking a few steps. closer to me. She must¡¯ve had at least five or six inches on me and the height difference became apparent the closer she got.


    Despite being caught off-guard, I tried to recover quickly. ¡°No worries,¡± I said, ¡°I was just taking a bit of ate-night walk. I didn¡¯t expect anyone else to be out


    here.¡±


    She nced up at the moon, crossing her arms. Unlike me, she was dressed a little. bit more appropriate for the weather. a leather jacket, jeans, and thick boots.


    ¡°Me either,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m rk.¡±


    Perhaps I should¡¯ve been uneasy around a stranger on a secluded balcony, but some instinctual gut feeling told me this girl didn¡¯t mean me any harm.


    there was a


    ¡°You¡¯re the human, right?¡± she asked, and her eyes lit up with curiosity, ¡°I think I was supposed to meet you tonight. Well, you and a couple of others dinner party for the Alpha King, but I didn¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Yep, resident human here,¡± I said, unable to keep the sarcastic tone out of my voice, ¡°The dinner party? Wait a second¡­you must be Alessia. I think I remember them mentioning your name, but they said you weren¡¯t able toe. You were sick. or something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I told them,¡± she said, rolling her eyes, ¡°But really, I had no interest. in spending my evening at some stuffy dinner party getting interrogated by the King. That guy is an a*s.¡± (


    Theugh flew out my mouth before I could stop it.


    Alessia grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t like him either?¡±


    Deep down, I knew I should be careful about badmouthing the King with anyone,


    especially a werewolf I didn¡¯t know. But after that fiasco of a dinner party, all I felt was sheer relief that someb*dy else felt the same way.


    ¡°He¡¯s, uh, interesting,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°Let me guess. He found a way to ask you super personal questions that would


    make anyone ufortable and you had no choice but to answer.¡±


    ¡°Uh, pretty much¡­yeah. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve met the guy.¡±


    A curl fell into her face and Alessia huffed, moving it out of the way. ¡°Yeah, a


    couple of times,¡± she said, ¡°They haven¡¯t exactly been the mostfortable encounters. That man definitely enjoys trying to make his guests as ufortable as he can. I think he gets off on the power of knowing they¡¯ve got to be nice to him,


    no matter what crazy shit he says. He¡¯s a sadistic dick.¡±


    ¡°Given how I just spent my evening, I think you¡¯re 100% correct.¡±


    Alessiaughed. ¡°Oh, and by the way, it¡¯s technically Alpha Alessia.¡±


    Wait, Alpha?


    There¡¯s no way this girl is an Alpha, right?


    Female Alphas are extremely rare and she¡¯s practically my age!


    ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to look so shocked,¡± she smirked, ¡°Most people don¡¯t believe me


    when I tell them that.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a woman or because you¡¯re a teenager?¡±


    ¡°Usually both,¡± she shrugged.


    I gave Alessia a second nce. I wouldn¡¯t have pegged her as Alpha without her


    telling me, but now that she¡¯d said something, I could see it. She was lean and well-built and she held herself like most Alphas did like she had all the confidence in the world (and she¡¯d tear your throat out if you suggested otherwise). The scar certainly added the toughness factor too.


    ¡°Nah, you definitely look like an Alpha,¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯ve got the signature re down pat.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°d you think so.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how is it possible you¡¯re an Alpha?¡± I asked, ¡°My


    dad always told me that female Alphas were extremely rare¡­although I will admit. I¡¯m not Werewolf Wikipedia, so I might be missing something.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s smile dropped and her face became nk as she stared at the moon. ¡°No, you¡¯re not missing anything,¡± she said, ¡°Female Alphas are rare. It pretty much never happens, even when you¡¯ve got the right blood. I was my dad¡¯s only child, the only heir with Alpha blood in my veins. I spent my entire life training and preparing for the Alpha position, but when he died, it didn¡¯t matter. All the pack elders wanted to give the position to my dad¡¯s Beta. They insisted that I¡¯d be happier ¡°not on the battlefield.¡± That¡¯s code for them telling me I needed to stay inside the house, find a mate, and pop out a bunch of babies like a docile female


    wolf.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s face was nk but I could see the rage burning in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, ¡°That¡¯s awful that they tried to toss you aside like that. But if everyone was against it, how did you manage to be Alpha?¡±


    Alessia¡¯s mouth twisted into a bloodthirsty grin as she turned to look at me. ¡°That Beta they wanted to put in my ce? I ughtered him in front of the pack. They changed their tune pretty quickly after that.


    My jaw hit the floor.


    I was not expecting that.


    6


    It took me a moment to regain myposure after that bombshell. ¡°Oh, I¡­see.¡±


    Alessiaughed like she¡¯d been expecting that reaction. ¡°Come on, rk. I know you¡¯re human but don¡¯t tell me a little bloodshed makes you that ufortable. I¡¯ve heard about you, and if the rumors are right, you¡¯ve spent too much time around wolves to have a weak stomach. Or are all humans just weak?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromshing back at her ¨C even if it probably wasn¡¯t the best choice to give attitude to a girl who had just described her kill to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not weak,¡± I retorted, ¡°And humans aren¡¯t either. We might not have the physical manpower but at least most of us aren¡¯t still living in the 18th-century with a monarchy. Human women are actually allowed to hold positions of power without murdering someone for it¡­or at least, in the past twenty years they can.¡± O


    As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wondered if I¡¯d made a mistake. Was she going to physically retaliate? Even the hot blood and adrenaline pumping through my veins didn¡¯t give me enough confidence to think I could stand a chance against her.


    ¨C


    I might¡¯ve had held my tongue in another setting, but I wasn¡¯t tired of feeling pushed around like I was somehow inferior for just existing. What was so bad about being human? At least humans had options. We could carve out our own destinies, some more than others. Wolves would never have that power. Everything


    was bloodlines and hierarchies and dominance to them.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± Alessia whistled lowly, ¡°You have more bite than I thought. Maybe


    not all humans are just weak babies.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that she hadn¡¯t taken any real offense to my


    words. ¡°Gee, thanks. What a highpliment.¡±


    ¡°Coming from me, it is. I promise.¡±


    There was a lull in the conversation, and for a moment, we both just took in the bright moon and the inky night sky.


    ¡°So, why were you on ate-night stroll?¡± Alessia asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. Walks usually calm me down, but I didn¡¯t want to get too lost, so


    I ended up here. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I followed your scent out here,¡± Alessia said, shrugging casually.


    I whipped my head around. ¡°Wait, my scent? You followed me out here?¡±


    Alessia closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t trying to stalk you but I caught a whiff of your scent in the hallway. You smelled ridiculously good and I


    was curious.¡± [2


    ¡°I smell good? In like a ttering way, or in a you-would-like-to-eat-me-for- dinner kind of way?¡± (3


    Alessia seemed to ponder the options as if she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°More in a ttering way. I almost thought you were my mate for a second if I¡¯m being honest but the scent wasn¡¯t strong enough and I would¡¯ve known when we made eye contact.¡¯


    I blushed.


    12


    ¡°But there is something about you. It¡¯s like your natural scent is fine but it¡¯s mixed with something else something that smells amazing,¡± Alessia looked at me curiously, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡±@


    I knew enough about mating bonds to know that a wolf¡¯s mate was supposed to


    smell irresistable to them.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯vee across a few different wolves while I¡¯ve been here,¡± I said, ¡°Maybe I interacted with your mate along the way and that¡¯s what you¡¯re smelling?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Alessia hummed, and then began to walk back to the door, ¡°I think I¡¯ve gotten enough fresh air for tonight, and unless you want to add ayer of frostbite to those jammies, you might want toe in too.¡±


    Although talking with Alessia had been a nice distraction, the goosebumps were starting to reappear on my skin and my teeth were beginning to chatter. D


    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right. Will I see you tomorrow at the meeting?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Alessia shrugged, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided whether I¡¯m going to be ¡®sick¡¯ or not. Either way, I have a feeling I¡¯ll definitely be seeing you again, rk.¡±


    ¡°Funny. I¡¯ve got that same feeling, Alessia.¡± O

 Chapter 15

    ¡°I am no bird, and no ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.¡±


    Charlotte Bronte


    After my impromptu walk and my conversation with Alessia or Alpha Alessia as I¡¯m sure she¡¯d rather be called ¨C I was out like a light.


    That night, I dreamt of the same man I had a week ago. I couldn¡¯t see his face but therge griffin tattoo that wrapped around his forearm was as prevalent as ever.


    I wanted to see more of him. If I could just see his face then maybe


    ¡°rk! rk! rk!¡±


    The screeching sound of my lovely sister¡¯s voice felt like a dose of cold water pulling me from my dream. I screwed my eyes shut and groaned into my pillow. ¡°Just five more minutes, Lil.¡±


    For a moment, she didn¡¯t respond and then I suddenly felt her snatch the covers


    out from under me.


    I shot up in bed, trying to grab them back before I felt the morning chill on my bare skin. My human reflexes were no match for Lily, of course, and she moved back before I could snatch them from her. (1


    ¡°Did you have to take the covers?¡± I whined, ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± I hugged myself to preserve what little warmth I had left and red at Lily¡¯s smirking face.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, rk. The meeting is in a couple of


    hours and there¡¯s only one bathroom in the suite. I¡¯m not going to bete just because you wanted to sleep in.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled but I knew she was right.


    As her words sunk in, I felt another wave of anxiety wash over me. Today was the day. It was the big meeting. I¡¯d be stuck in a room with forty other Alpha kids, the Alpha King, and the Prince. I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was worried about. The meeting had nothing to do with me, nob*dy would be looking at me. It¡¯s not like they¡¯d be asking my opinion on the pack dispute. D


    Maybe you¡¯re just worried that you¡¯ll identally say something stupid and someone will rip your throat out. 4


    That¡¯s always a possibility.


    ¡°I call dibs on the shower first,¡± Lily called.


    ¡°Toote!¡± Sebastian shouted back, ducking into the bathroom before Lily could stop him.


    ¡°Seb! You better not use all the hot water!¡± She snarled but I could already hear the water running. O


    I rubbed my eyes, still blinking away thest moments of sleep and Lily plopped onto her bed.


    It was quiet for a moment and then she spoke. ¡°rk?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think the Alpha King is right, do you?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About the fact that Alpha daughters only make their families proud if they¡¯ve got some strong male wolf as their mate,¡± she said. I turned to look at her and there


    was an emotion I didn¡¯t see on Lily¡¯s face very often. Insecurity. G


    ¡°No, of course not, Lily,¡± I said, ¡°The Alpha King may believe what he wants but


    it¡¯s not the reality. You¡¯re more than just who you¡¯re mated to.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s right, isn¡¯t he?¡± she said, furrowing her eyebrows, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to do, right? It¡¯s why I¡¯m at this meeting because there¡¯s a possibility I might be the Prince¡¯s or the mate of some other Alpha son.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a say ining here,¡± I shot back, ¡°If it was just up to dad, I¡¯m sure you and I wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡±


    She huffed. ¡°Please, let¡¯s be honest. If it was up to dad, you might not be here but he¡¯d love for me toe back home with some strong future Alpha on my arm.¡± Her face scrunched up like the idea disgusted her. O


    I wanted to tell her that wasn¡¯t true, but if I wasn¡¯t sure. I¡¯d watched the kind of pressure that my parents put on Lily growing up. I had never experienced the


    mate pressure¡± myself but she had. When Lily turned sixteen and gained the ability to recognize her mate, my dad had lined up every of-age boy in the pack for her to look at.


    ¨C


    When that hadn¡¯t turned up any results, dad and Luna Grace were thrilled. I remember them telling us over a family dinner that this was good news it meant Lily might be mated to an Alpha or even a future Alpha from another pack. A strong mate could mean a strong alliance.


    So, as much as I didn¡¯t want to admit it, Lily had a point. If she came home with an Alpha on her arm, our dad would be thrilled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to end up with an Alpha?¡± I asked.


    She looked down. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯mpletely against the idea¡­but mates are supposed to be perfect for you, right? They¡¯re your other half. Knowing me, I just don¡¯t think my other half is going to be some strong Alpha. I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. The dinner party just got the wheels turningst night and I just realized that I¡¯m probably going to end up disappointing mom and dad.¡±


    My heart ached. I knew that feeling all too well what it felt like to be a


    ¨C


    disappointment, to never measure up to what you thought dad wanted you to be. Lily didn¡¯t deserve to feel like that. She didn¡¯t deserve any of this.


    ¡°Lily,¡± I said, and I moved from my bed to hers, ¡°You¡¯re not a disappointment. I don¡¯t know what the future holds but the BSing out of the Alpha King¡¯s mouthst night? That¡¯s exactly what it was. bullshit. You¡¯re so much more than just who you¡¯re mated to.¡±


    ¨C


    Lily looked up at me and I could see her blue eyes wet with tears. ¡°You think so?¡±


    I hugged her. ¡°Yeah, I know so. I¡¯m your sister, I know you better than anyone. You don¡¯t need some strong mate to make dad or anyone else proud. You¡¯re going to great things regardless of who your mate ends up being.¡± (2


    Sheughed and hugged me closer. ¡°God, this feels like such a rom moment right now,¡± she said, ¡°You are literally the cheesiest person I¡¯ve ever met, rk. Maybe you should write motivational posters or something.¡±


    She pulled back and her expression seemed a lot lighter. ¡°But thanks¡­I guess I needed whatever motivational mojo you just pulled out of your a*s right there.¡± O


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Yeah, whatever. I¡¯m going to find my clothes for the meeting. Your wanna do my makeup? I wouldn¡¯t want my dark circles to reflect poorly on the


    pack.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m definitely doing your makeup. We don¡¯t need you looking like a troll.¡±


    I smiled and grabbed my suitcase. As I sorted through my clothes, I couldn¡¯t get my mind off what Lily had said to me. All this pressure that she and every other female werewolf felt? It was real and as long as someone like the Alpha King was in power, it¡¯d never stop. There would never be progress. 4


    At least Lily could recognize that she didn¡¯t want to be defined by her mate. What about girls like Angel? She wasn¡¯t self-aware to realize what kind of S**ist teachings had been shoved down her throat, and why would she? When she did find her mate, he¡¯d probably just enforce everything she¡¯d learned.


    Maybe there will be a shift in power one day and someone will change this kind of


    stuff.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    If I was Queen, that would be on top of my to-do list.


    But I¡¯m not, so I¡¯ll just settle for getting the hell out of dodge the minute I graduate.


    the


    Lily, Sebastian, and I marched to the diplomatic meeting like we were marching to war. Esther was our guide and she was just as smiley as she¡¯d been the first two times I¡¯d seen her. I wondered if she could pick up on the tension in the air way I kept rubbing my sweaty palms on my green romper, how Lily kept clicking her teeth, or the stiff way Sebastian walked. 4


    She must¡¯ve sensed our nervousness but she just kept on smiling, smiling,


    smiling.


    ¡°When we get there,¡± Sebastian said, turning to Lily and me, ¡°It¡¯s probably best if none of us speak unless we have to. I don¡¯t mean to sound like an a*s, I¡¯m just not sure how intense this whole thing¡¯s going to be. I do know there¡¯s going to be a lot of people there.¡±


    ¡°You mean the King and the Prince, right?¡± Lily said, ¡°We already know that,


    Sebastian.¡±


    ¡°Not just them. Forty other Alpha kids are going to be in that room too plus the Alphas who are actually in this pack dispute. I doubt they¡¯re going to be a couple of happy campers. Just stick close to me, right? I¡¯m supposed to protect you guys. I just don¡¯t want anything bad to happen.¡±


    I nodded. I had no ns of speaking or trying to do anything other than sitting quietly for this entire meeting. No protests here.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily said but she didn¡¯t argue. Her face waspletely nk again, bordering on a scowl. There was no trace of the girl who had tears in her eyes just an hour before.


    It felt like we¡¯d been walking for hours but finally, Esther stopped in front of arge, ornate door.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she said, and then her eyes zed over. She was using the mind link. ¡°Look like almost everyone is inside. You can enter now, the Alpha King is ready for you.¡±


    Here we go.


    I took a deep breath as Esther opened the door.


    Little did I know my life would never be the same after this meeting. Had I known what was going to happen, maybe I would¡¯ve yed ¡°sick¡± like Alessia had the night before.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°A bond between souls is ancient ¨C older than the.¡±


    Dianna Hardy


    When Esther opened the door to the meeting room, every eye was on us. The first thing I saw was a gigantic conference room table, and the Alpha King was at its


    head.


    There was an empty chair beside him, and on the other side, there were two men. One of them was middle-aged with greying hair and the other looked like he was in


    his mid-twenties.


    My eyes raked over the rest of the room. Almost every other seat in the room was taken by kids of varying ages, genders, and races ¨C some of them looked like they were my age while others looked closer to twelve and thirteen. These must¡¯ve been the children of Alphas, the other kids invited to this meeting. It was startling to see that some of them were so young but I guess I couldn¡¯t be surprised. The directive was for every Alpha child over the age of thirteen.


    Even from the doorway, I could see stern-faced guards stationed at every room corner. They didn¡¯t look at us, but I had no doubt they were watching us closely.


    ¡°Ah, ourst guests have arrived,¡± the Alpha pped his hands together, ¡°Sebastian, Lily, rk ¨C pleasee in. You make take your seats.¡± He pointed to three empty seats near the end of the table and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least we weren¡¯t seated anywhere close to the Alpha King. 2


    As we approached our seats, the entire room was silent ¨C all eyes were on us, the


    The tense silence and staring made the hair on the back of my n*eck stand up. You know that feeling when you walk into ss ten minutes toote and the teacher is already feeling? It kind of felt like that ¨C but amplified by ten. (3


    Out of us three, I was thest to snag my seat. Sebastian sat at the very end of the table, Lily was between us, and then there was me. I nearly groaned when I saw who was sitting on the other side of me.


    Ezra.


    He grinned at me as I took my seat but I avoided eye contact. I didn¡¯t want to encourage whatever sick fascination he got out of taunting the only human around.


    ¡°I believe that is thest of our guests?¡± the Alpha King asked Esther, who was still standing by the door.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Esther. You may leave,¡± he said. I noticed that the Alpha King looked


    a lot more put together today than he had at the dinner party. He was wearing a simr military uniform but this one was even fancier. There was no wine ss in sight either.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve all arrived,¡± the Alpha King said, ¡°I believe it¡¯s time to discuss why we¡¯re here. I¡¯ve called this meeting today to resolve the pack dispute between Alpha Abel from the Pacific Rocks Pack -¡± He paused to gesture to the middle- aged, greying man beside him, ¡°And Alpha Liam of the Crescent Moon Pack.¡± This time, he looked over at the other man in his twenties.


    Now that the Alpha King was getting the ball rolling, it felt like I could rx. The attention was no longer on Seb, Lily, and I¡¯s entrance to the room.


    As he spoke, I let my gaze roam over some of the other faces in the room. I didn¡¯t recognize most of them but I did spot Aakesh and Angel a few seats down. Angel¡¯s eyes were on the floor


    no surprise there


    and Aakesh faced the Alpha King like


    ¨C


    a diligent student taking notes in ss.


    ¡ª


    Unfortunately, Alessia was nowhere to be found.


    Guess she decided to y ¡®sick¡¯ after all.


    I looked around the room again.


    Is the Prince here?


    I had no idea where the thought came from but it did. The Alpha King himself had said his son would attend the meeting, but looking around, there was no Prince in sight. Granted, I had no idea what he looked like but I doubted he was the


    fourteen-year-old boy squirming in his seat across from me.


    Well, there is an empty seat beside the King. Guess he decided to y hooky today.


    It was odd, considering that this meeting was half-orchestrated so that the guy could find his mate. But it¡¯s not like I wasining. The less drama, the better.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get into the specifics of this dispute,¡± the King¡¯s voice boomed around the room, ¡°Alpha Abel hasined that you¡¯re encroaching onto his territory, Alpha Liam.¡± Alpha Abel nodded from his spot beside the King. He looked tired. like this entire affair was exhausting him.


    ¨C


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alpha Abel said, and even his voice sounded tired, ¡°My patrols have found his pack members on ournd several times. We¡¯ve asked them to politely leave but they¡¯vee back time and time again. Thisst time, one of his pack drew the blood of one of my warriors.¡±


    There were a few murmurs around the room at thatstment. Even I knew that attacking someone from another pack was a big no-no. It was practically a deration of war.


    ¡°I see,¡± the Alpha King, ¡°Alpha Liam, what do you have to say about these


    ims?¡±


    Although he looked so much younger than Alpha Abel, there was nothing youthful or innocent about Alpha Liam. His face was hard and sharp and he looked bloodthirsty. He wasn¡¯t even looking at me and I felt the hair on the back of my n*eck stand up.


    1


    ¡°Thosends once belonged to the Crescent Moon Pack,¡± Alpha Liam said, ¡°A


    former Alpha gave them up to the Pacific Rocks pack hundreds of years ago. I want them back and I think I¡¯ve made it clear. If Alpha Abel wishes to keep them, perhaps he should defend his border better.¡±


    Whispers broke out across the room. There were a few gasps and a couple of kids


    even chuckled.


    ¡°Alpha Liam,¡± the King boomed, ¡°Do you really think harming another pack is an


    appropriate way to reim yournds?¡±


    Alpha Liam didn¡¯t look the least bit sorry or regretful.


    ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty,¡± Alpha Liam said but his voicecked any kind of sincerity, ¡°It¡¯s just that wolves are territorial by nature and I let some of my instincts get the best of me. I should¡¯ve talked to Alpha Abel about reiming hisnds.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should have,¡± the King said, ¡°But if anyone understands possessiveness, it¡¯s an Alpha. Topensate Alpha Abel for his lost pack members, you¡¯ll give two of your own to his pack. You¡¯ll also stay off hisnds. Whether they belonged to your pack hundreds of years ago or not, that¡¯s irrelevant now.¡±


    Alpha Liam nodded, but even across the room, I could see the rage simmering in his eyes. He was barely keeping it together, and I had a feeling he would¡¯ve attacked Abel if this exchange wasn¡¯t happening in front of the Alpha King.


    ¡°Good, good,¡± the Alpha King nodded. If he saw how unhappy Liam was, he didn¡¯t say anything about it.


    Well, that was quick.


    The King¡¯s eyes suddenly zed over he was using the mind link.


    It was quiet for a few moments and then he gestured to one of the guards. ¡°My son has just arrived at the south entrance. Please escort him here.¡±


    I guess the Prince will be making an appearance after all.


    More whispers across the room but this time they were excited whispers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw many of the girls fixing their hair or their clothes. I didn¡¯t need to be a genius to figure out why.


    They want to look good for the Prince in case they¡¯re his mate. ?


    The effort felt kind of fruitless to me. The prince was only going to have eyes for his mate, and one of these girls happened to be the lucky winner, it¡¯s not like he was going to turn her away over a few loose hairs or a wrinkly shirt. But then again, I wasn¡¯t the one throwing my hat in the ring.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to fix your hair?¡± a teasing voice to my right asked. Ezra.


    Great, it¡¯s the literalst person on the I feel like talking to.


    I almost just ignored him, but I had a feeling Ezra would just keep bothering me until I talked.


    ¡°Should I be?¡± I asked tly.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Ezra grinned, ¡°A puny human like you has zero chance of ever being a wolf¡¯s mate, less alone a prince.¡±


    Before I could retaliate with something snarky, the doors to the meeting room opened and every eye turned to the entrance.


    Two burly guards entered first and then I saw him.


    Prince Griffin.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The first thing I noticed about him was his height. He was tall, even for a werewolf, and he must¡¯ve been at least 6¡¯4 or 6¡¯5. He held himself the way that most Alphas did like he had all the confidence in the world. But there was something different about his demeanor.


    You could usually only see the power that most Alphas had when they expressed it


    ¨C usually by barking orders at their pack or through physical brunt force.


    But this guy?


    He exuded power.


    It rolled off him in waves, you could feel it in the air.


    I had never seen another werewolf exhibit power like that, not even the actual Alpha King.


    The second thing I noticed about him was just how beautiful he was. He had bronze skin, dark hair, and dark eyes that were trained on the Alpha King.


    Even just looking at him turned my stomach into knots.


    ¡°My son!¡± The Alpha King said, gesturing him over, ¡°How lovely of you to join us, Prince Griffin¡­only several minuteste.¡±


    He strode across the room, not even sparing a nce at any of the Alpha kids, me included.


    ¡°I had to deal with a few rogues on the border,¡± he told the king, stopping just before his father. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I made it at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, all that matters is that you¡¯re here now,¡± the King smiled but there was an odd tension between them. The King¡¯s smile was forced and the prince didn¡¯t even bother to try and fake one.


    I also noticed how casually the prince was dressed too. Instead of the formal military uniform that I¡¯d seen the King and several of the guards wear, the prince was in jeans, a dark t-shirt, and a nnel.


    Well, I guess you can wear whatever you want when you¡¯re royalty.


    Suddenly, the prince¡¯s head snapped up and his nostrils red, like he¡¯d caught a


    scent.a


    As his b*dy turned, I caught sight of his arm.


    He had a griffin tattoo.


    1


    I let out some sort of strangled gasp and his eyes met mine, widening.


    ¡°Mate.¡±


    Oh no. 24

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Hunger drives the wolf out of the wood.¡±


    German Proverb


    It waspletely silent.


    Nob*dy moved. Nob*dy spoke.


    I was frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights or like amb spotted by the


    wolf.


    No.


    No.


    No. Nope. No way.


    This is not happening. He can¡¯t be talking about me.


    Although I remained still, my eyes darted around the room, looking for some other person that the prince must¡¯ve been talking about his real mate. Clearly, I was mistaken. There was no way he was talking about me.


    But there was no one else.


    He was looking at me.


    And, when I say looking at me, I mean it.


    His dark eyes roamed over my b*dy, drinking me in like a starving man dying of thirst. I wondered if he could hear my heartbeat. I knew wolves had superior senses, and right now, it felt like my heart was trying to beat right out of my chest.


    ¨C


    We both just stared at each other for a good minute me in horror and him in something, I¡¯m not sure what. O


    When he finally did move, it happened so fast I wasn¡¯t expecting it.


    One moment I was sitting in my chair, trying not to have an anxiety attack, and the next, he had scooped me up and pressed me into his chest.


    I gasped but the sound was muffled since my face was pressed into his shirt. I felt.


    ¨C


    his hands all over me stroking my hair, my bare arms, and my lower back. Although I barely had time to register it, his hands felt divine. Everywhere that his hands met my skin seemed to tingle under his touch. 5


    He smelled good too. Earthy. It wasn¡¯t the smell of some cologne or perfume -1


    could tell it was just his natural scent. I wanted to roll my entire b*dy in his scent.


    Oh, God.


    What is happening to me?


    Is this the mate bond doing this to me?


    ¡°Mate,¡± he growled and I felt the noise deep in his chest. ¡°Mate. Mate. Mine. My mate.¡± He kept repeating the words over and over again like a broken windup toy.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I was practically trembling in his arms but I don¡¯t think he noticed.


    I felt him nuzzle his face into my hair and inhale. He clearly liked my scent as


    much as I liked his. @


    ¡°Griffin!¡±


    The King¡¯s voice thundered throughout the room, darker and scarier than I¡¯d ever heard it. Instinctively, I jumped, curling closer to Griffin¡¯s chest.


    Griffin growled loudly but he didn¡¯t turn around to face the King. He continued to nuzzle into my hair like we were the only two people in the room.


    ¡°Griffin!¡± The King growled, ¡°What is this meaning of this? What are you doing with that girl?¡± Thest word came out like a hiss and from the rumble in Griffin¡¯s chest, I could tell he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mate,¡± Griffin said but he still didn¡¯t turn to face the King, ¡°What do


    you think I¡¯m doing?¡±


    ¡°You cannot be serious!¡± The King roared. I couldn¡¯t see his face but it was pretty


    clear he was not happy about this turn of events.


    ¡°She is a human!¡± The King continued, ¡°A weak, pathetic human. I will not allow my son to take a human for a mate. My bloodline will not be sullied by one of her kind. Do you realize she is human, Griffin?¡±


    Griffin stilled and his grip on me tightened to the point where it was almost painful. I bit back a whimper.


    I had barely registered any of what was happening, but in that moment, I feared for my life. Was Griffin about to kill me? Would he end my life here and now so that he wasn¡¯t mated to a ¡°weak¡± human?


    I didn¡¯t want a mate bond but I also didn¡¯t want to die.


    Instinctively, I tried to pull away from him but Griffin¡¯s grip on me didn¡¯t budge. He must¡¯ve felt my fear because he began stroking my hair. ¡°Hush. It¡¯s okay, little mate,¡± he whispered to me, his voice barely above a growl. @


    I didn¡¯t know if his words actuallyforted me, but at the very least, it sounded


    like he wasn¡¯t going to kill me.


    ¡°Do you hear me, Griffin? She is human! If you do not kill her, I will!¡± The King shouted again and it practically shook the walls. Q


    This time, Griffin didn¡¯t ignore it. I hadn¡¯t even processed the fact that the King


    had just threatened my life by the time Griffin spun around, pushing me behind


    him.


    For the first time since Griffin had scooped me up into his arms, I saw what


    everyone else in the room looked like.


    The King stood at the end of the table and he was seething. I¡¯d never seen such


    unadulterated rage on another person¡¯s face before he looked more like a wild


    animal than a man.


    And his eyes were trained on me.


    A whimper escaped my throat.


    This man wants to kill me.


    Oh, God. I¡¯m going to die today.


    ¨C


    Please I don¡¯t want to die yet.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to make eye contact with the King anymore so my eyes darted around the room. The guards that had been stationed at the room corners were nowpletely alert like they were ready to fight. As to who they¡¯d been fighting for, I had no idea. 4


    Every Alpha kid in the room was staring at me, Griffin, and the King some in disbelief, horror, and others in in fear. I caught Lily and Sebastian¡¯s eyesst. Sebastian was gripping his seat so tightly that his knuckles were white and Lily looked terrified.


    ¡°Are you threatening my mate?¡± Griffin asked, still standing in front of me. His entire posture was rigid and his voice was low and dangerous. It might¡¯ve been scarier than the King¡¯s, but since Griffin wasn¡¯t actively trying to kill me, I couldn¡¯t say for sure.


    ¡°Your mate?¡± The King spat, ¡°You call that creature your mate? Humans are weak, pathetic things and I will not ¨C


    16


    The King never finished his sentence.


    Griffin moved in a blur.


    I didn¡¯t see his wse out.


    I didn¡¯t see him attack the King.


    But I did see the King¡¯s head roll onto the floor, his dead eyes still full of rage.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°The most part of all princes have more delight in warlike manners and feats of


    chivalry than in the good feats of peace.¡±


    ¨C


    Sir Thomas More


    Lily screamed first.


    And then a lot of other people screamed.


    There was a lot of ruckus.


    The guards who¡¯d been standing near the doors and the corners suddenly swarmed the king¡¯s b*dy or what was left of it. None of them tried to touch or attack


    Griffin, although they did watch him with wary eyes. I don¡¯t think any of them.


    really knew what to do. I imagine there¡¯s training and protocol for when a rogue or an enemy attacks your King, but what about when your Prince decapitates him?


    I didn¡¯t scream.


    I didn¡¯t cry.


    All at once, a cold sweat broke out over my entire b*dy as if the room had turned to


    ice. My b*dy certainly felt like it was frozen I couldn¡¯t move or think the way I wanted to. All I could see was the fallen King¡¯s head and his lifeless eyes.


    He beheaded the King.


    He beheaded the King.


    Oh


    my God, he beheaded the King.


    Those words ran on an endless loop in my mind as I stood in the same spot, my


    feet stuck like glue.


    ¡°rk! rk! Can you hear me? rk!¡±


    Someone was trying to grab my attention.


    Sebastian. He was suddenly in front ofBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    me, his hands on my shoulders and his blue eyes wide. He looked terrified.


    ¡°rk, are you okay?¡± I could hear what he was saying but his voice felt distant. and muffled


    like someone had plunged me underwater.


    God, am I going into shock?


    Is that what this is?


    Why does it feel like my b*dy is numb right now? I just watched someone get their head chopped off, I should be feeling something!


    It took every ounce of strength I had to focus on Sebastian and not retreat into my own head. ¡°Seb,¡± I choked out and it was barely above a whisper.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± he said, ¡°Just keep looking at me. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. ¨C I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Protect me?


    Protect me from Griffin? 2


    Instinctively, my eyes searched the room for the man in question. He was still standing above the remains of his father¡¯s b*dy with long, dark, and bloody ws protruding from one hand. He was staring at his father but not in any kind of terror or horror like you¡¯d expect just dark eyes analyzing the fallen king. Like he was


    analyzing his next move. 2


    All of this had happened in mere seconds.


    the beheading, the screams, Sebastian.


    checking on me, and Griffin standing over the b*dy. It was just seconds and it felt


    like hours.


    And then, those seconds were over.


    Griffin¡¯s head snapped up, we made eye contact, and he started to walk toward me.


    Oh, God.


    My b*dy trembled and Sebastian instantly pushed me behind him and assumed a defensive position.


    Griffin paused when he saw the way that Sebastian stood in front of me and his eyes narrowed. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked and there was a hard edge to his voice.


    Had I not lost all the feeling in my limbs and been capable of actually speaking, I would¡¯ve told him that Sebastian was just my brother and that he was only. defending me.


    Instead, all I could do was watch helplessly as Sebastian growled defensively.


    Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed even more and he growled back. It was louder, deeper, and it exuded power. Several of the wolves whimpered in response. Even from behind, I could see the way that Sebastian shook at Griffin¡¯s loud growl but he didn¡¯t back.


    down.


    ¡°She¡¯s my sister,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt her.¡±@


    Griffin paused. ¡°How noble,¡± he said casually, ¡°But you¡¯ve seen what I do to those who stand in the way of my mate. Back down, cub, or your head will end up next to my father¡¯s.¡±


    No.


    Please no.


    Something in me broke through the shocked, numb haze I¡¯d been floating in. It couldn¡¯t let Sebastian die protecting me. No, I wouldn¡¯t let his blood end up staining the floor.


    ¡°No!¡± I choked out and I forced myself to move.


    No no no. Sebastian can¡¯t die!


    My legs felt like stiff cardboard and I stumbled past Sebastian, falling into Griffin¡¯s arms. My b*dy was shaking like a leaf, but he caught me and pulled me into his


    chest.


    I felt a purr of approval deep in his chest.


    Thest thing I wanted to do was be anywhere near Griffin but I wasn¡¯t about to let Sebastian die. I had just seen what Griffin was capable of if that meant I had to throw myself at his feet to appease him and spare Sebastian¡¯s life, I¡¯d do it.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I whispered, my face pressed into his shirt, ¡°He¡¯s my brother please don¡¯t.¡±


    I was d that my face was hidden. It meant that he wouldn¡¯t see how terrified of him I actually was.


    ¡°Hush,¡± Griffin said, and I could feel his bloody handsbing through my hair, ¡°You¡¯re with me. You¡¯re safe. Nob*dy will hurt you.¡±


    I wanted to scream. No not me, you lunatic! My brother! Please don¡¯t hurt my brother!@


    ¡°Y-your Majesty,¡± a distant voice spoke and it sounded like one of the guards. Griffin growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± the guard continued, ¡°B-but what would you have us do with the former King? We¡¯ll need to dispose of his b*dy.¡± D


    Former king.


    A terrifying realization dawned on me in that moment.


    Griffin was the prince, the sole heir to the throne ¨C and in seconds, he¡¯d eliminated the only thing that stood between him and that crown.


    I wasn¡¯t mated to the prince of werewolves anymore.


    I was mated to the Alpha King.


    No.


    No no no.


    A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over me and dark spots danced in my vision. I felt my head lull farther into Griffin¡¯s chest ¨C oh God, am I fainting right now? 3


    The world went dark. 3

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage.


    Richard Lovce


    The first thing I noticed as I awoke was just how dry my throat was. It felt like I was swallowing sand as if I hadn¡¯t had a sip of water in days.


    ¨C


    The second thing I noticed was that the soft silk sheets I was lying on were not my own. As nice as my bedroom at dad¡¯s house was, he wasn¡¯t splurging for Egyptian.


    cotton.


    Wait, is someone stroking my hair?


    Still half-asleep, I forced my eyes to open and tried to blink the blurriness away. It took a second, but slowly, an unfamiliar room and b*d came into view. This borate bedroom was ten times more luxurious than my castle suite. Dark furnishings and expensive art hung on the walls, and to my right, there was arge ss window where you could see the castle grounds sprawled out below.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Before I could take in any more of my surroundings, the dryness in became overwhelming and I started to cough.


    ¡°Would you like some water?¡±


    I nearly jumped out of b*d when I felt Griffin¡¯s hand rub my back.


    When did he get here?


    my throat


    I managed to nod my head once my coughing fit ended and I watched him disappear into what I assumed was an in-suite bathroom.


    Where am I?


    As soon as he was out of sight, I whipped my head around, trying to discern ast much about the bedroom as possible. It didn¡¯t feel like a guest bedroom. The furnishings were toovish and all of the decorations felt personal.


    This must be his bedroom.


    Oh, God.


    I¡¯m in his bedroom.


    He must¡¯ve taken me here after I fainted.


    Like a tidal wave, the events of the past few hours came rushing back all at once


    Griffin dering me his mate, the King¡¯s threats, the beheading, and my fainting


    spell.


    Anxiety wed at me and I threw the covers off.


    I have got to get out of here.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± My feet hadn¡¯t even touched the floor before Griffin was at my side again, a ss of water in hand. ¡°You need to get back into b*d, sweatheart.¡± In one fell swoop, I was back on the b*d andying underneath.


    the covers. 4


    Geez, he¡¯s fast. @


    ¡°Come on, little mate,¡± he said, ¡°You need water.¡±


    Well, he is right about that. I could definitely go for some water.


    I¡¯ll drink this and then I¡¯ll be on my way.


    I tried to grab the ss from his hand but he pulled it out of the way. I gave him at questioning nce ¨C was that not for me?


    A teasing smile yed at Griffin¡¯s l*ps, and I¡¯m ashamed to admit this, but the sight actually gave me butterflies.


    Stupid mate bond.


    Still keeping the water out of reach, Griffin pulled me up with one hand and that arranged himself so that he was behind me on the b*d. In other words, I was practically lying in hisp. O


    Alright, this is embarrassing.


    I made another grab for the ss of water but he jerked it away from me ¨C again!


    Okay, what is this guy¡¯s deal?


    If his goal was to keep me dehydrated while simultaneously touching me as much as possible, he was certainly achieving it.


    ¡°Are you done being stubborn?¡± Griffin asked but his voice was light and teasing. I wanted to scoff or roll my eyes ¨C anything that would avoid amusing him more but I was also incredibly thirsty.


    So, I nodded my head.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he said, his voice low and smooth.


    God, his voice is hot. I could just


    ¨C


    No, no, no! Stop it right there, rk! This isn¡¯t you talking. It¡¯s the mystical, stupid mate bond that¡¯s making you feel this way.


    You need to keep it together. You need to get out of here.


    Slowly, Griffin brought the ss to my l*ps and tilted it just far back enough for me to drinkfortably. I gulped the water down like a hungry animal and drowned the ss within seconds.


    ¡°You really were thirsty,¡± Griffin said, cing the ss on the nightstand beside us. I expected him to get up but he remained behind me, petting my hair.


    His hands were soft and gentle, and just as I was beginning to rx in his hold, I remembered what he¡¯d done with those hands earlier today.


    He beheaded his own father in front of everyone.


    I stiffened and Griffin must¡¯ve felt it because he stopped petting my hair.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, love?¡± he asked.


    Where do I begin?


    ¨C


    Should I start with the facts that it¡¯s absolutely ridiculous I¡¯m mated to you or how youmitted regicide earlier? O


    I knew I had to tread carefully here. Although Griffin hadn¡¯t given any indication. he wanted to hurt me, I¡¯d known him less than a day and most of our interactions had been bloody. He wasn¡¯t just unpredictable, he was also the most. powerful werewolf in the world right now. Thest thing I needed was me or someone I knew ending up without a head.


    ¡°Earlier today,¡± I started, swallowing down my anxiety, ¡°You killed the King.¡± Your father, I added in my head.


    Griffin hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, turning my head around to look at him. His dark eyes were unreadable and his face was nk. ¡°I know he threatened my life, but he was your family, right? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    I don¡¯t understand how you could murder your only living parent and then sit here, acting like it was nothing.


    ¨C


    Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, he was my father,¡± he said, ¡°But you said it he threatened your life. I know him more than anyone. It wasn¡¯t an idle threat and I would never let anyone put my mate in danger not even my own father.¡±


    His words sent a chill down my spine.


    ¨C


    I¡¯d heard all my life about the mate bond ¨C how werewolves would do anything for their mates, but this was the first time that I was seeing anything in action. And even worse, I wasn¡¯t a bystander here. I had a front row, center stage seat.


    ¡°You must understand something, little mate,¡± Griffin said, and his face softened, ¡°I have waited nine years for you. That¡¯s nearly a decade that I¡¯ve felt this emptiness inside me. Part of me began to wonder if you didn¡¯t exist or you¡¯d already died. And then I found you, right inside my own home.¡± (@


    He used one of his hands to stroke my cheek and tingles erupted everywhere.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart. Not other wolves, not my drunken father who¡¯s barely held himself together the past twenty years, not your family and not even you.¡± (14)

 Chapter 20

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting with bated breath to hear that silver tongue of yours.¡±


    Jodie B. Cooper


    Before I could respond or even properly think about what Griffin¡¯s words meant, there was a knock on the door and Griffin¡¯s eyes zed over as he used the mind


    link.


    Someone¡¯s here. Maybe Lily or Sebastian?


    I didn¡¯t even say anything but Griffin still squashed my hope. ¡°That¡¯s the castle healer,¡± Griffin told me, ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, I want to make sure your physical health is okay, given your reaction earlier today.¡±


    You mean when I fainted after watching your father¡¯s decapitated head roll at my feet? Was there a more appropriate reaction I should¡¯ve had to that? Q


    I bit my tongue as the door opened and a middle-aged woman with a medical bag approached. I tried to squirm out of Griffin¡¯s hold so that I could greet the woman or just get a little space but his arms felt like iron. He clearly had no qualms about PDA, and judging from the healer¡¯s quiet, meek demeanor, she wasn¡¯t going to say anything about it. 6


    ¡°Your Majesty, will you allow me to approach your mate?¡± the healer asked. Griffin stiffly nodded and the woman perched herself on the side of the b*d. ¡°May I touch her?¡± Another nod. The healer held my chin in a gentle grip as she examined my pupils.


    It didn¡¯t escape my notice that the healer never talked to me directly during the entire exam. She never asked me for permission for anything. Every move she made got the seal of approval from Griffin ¨C as if I was an object he owned or a toddler incapable of speaking.


    6


    Anger settled into my stomach and grew as the exam went on. By the time the healer had finished and dered my fainting spell a minor stress reaction, I was practically seething. I waited till she closed the door and asked Griffin for another cup of water. I wasn¡¯t even thirsty but I just needed a minute to think without his tingly little touches or his hulking presence looming over me.


    Was this the kind of treatment that I could expect from a mate bond? I knew wolves were territorial and possessive ¨C especially over female mates but it was another thing to experience it firsthand.


    ¨C


    A previous conversation popped into my head. It was the talk I¡¯d had with one of


    the pack elders at the meeting where I learned that I¡¯d be going to the castle. That old man was the first person to warn me that humans could have werewolf mates. although I hadpletely dismissed the idea of it ever happening to me. He had also exined just how possessive werewolves could be over their human mates. I


    recalled his words:


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I had asked.


    The elder smiled ruefully. ¡°Having grown up in this world, you already know how possessive wolves can be, especially male wolves,¡± he continued, ¡°Most wolves are naturally territorial of their mates. It¡¯s in our nature to be protective and dominant of what¡¯s ours. The higher ranking the wolf is, the more possessive they¡¯ll be. Alphas are the most possessive, and while I¡¯ve never met the Alpha King or the Prince, I assume they¡¯re even worse than normal Alphas.


    As you know, humans are more fragile than werewolves. Your senses aren¡¯t as good, you break more easily, take longer to heal, and you get sick. Having such a fragile mate would put any wolf on edge any possessiveness or protectiveness they¡¯d feel just gets amplified ten times over.¡±


    I took a deep breath. I wasn¡¯t just mated to a wolf. I was mated to the Alpha of Alphas. Within one day of meeting him, he¡¯d already beheaded hisst living parent for threatening me and made a werewolf doctor ask his permission to touch


    No, no, no. This cannot be my life.


    There¡¯s got to be a way I can get out of this.


    Maybe I can reason with him he just met me and the bond is fresh, so maybe there¡¯s


    still time to convince him that he doesn¡¯t want a ¡°weak human¡± when he could have a


    strong werewolf mate?


    Even I could admit that my n wasn¡¯t great but it was all I had.


    ¡°Are you okay, little mate?¡± Griffin popped back into the room, a full ss ofProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    water in hand.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± I said, trying to hide my anxiety. I took the water from him, and this time, he let me. ¡°Actually, I was wondering if we could talk. I have some questions.¡±


    Griffin looked curious and sat next to me on the b*d. To absolutely nob*dy¡¯s surprise, he took the opportunity to touch me again by rubbing my back. O


    ¡°So, you know I¡¯m human,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m not a wolf like you.¡±


    Griffin nodded with narrowed eyes like he wasn¡¯t sure where this was going.


    ¡°And you¡¯re werewolf royalty,¡± I continued, ¡°You¡¯re the heir to the throne.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the heir anymore,¡± Griffin said, ¡°I hold the crown, little mate. After my father¡¯s death this afternoon, I am the King now.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯re the King and that¡¯s a ton of responsibility. I guess I¡¯m asking, where do I fit into that equation?¡±


    Griffin tilted his head as if I¡¯d just asked him if the sky was really blue or if the sun.


    was yellow. ¡°You fit exactly where a King¡¯s mate should,¡± he said, ¡°You will rule beside me as my Queen.¡± He smiled like he was picturing it in his head.


    ¡°And as Queen, I would be free to do what I wished? Like, say, go to college or take the asional solo vacation as long as I came back?¡± I asked. Although I already knew what the answer was going to be, I had to at least ask. I wanted to know just how broad the boundaries were how much Griffin thought he could restrict my freedom.


    Griffin narrowed his eyes and I heard a low rumble in his chest. ¡°You¡¯re asking if


    you¡¯d be allowed to leave me?¡±


    ¡°Well -¡±


    ¡°The answer is no,¡± his voice was sharp and hard, leaving no room for argument. ¡®I spent nine years waiting for you and I¡¯m not going to let you leave me, not for iny reason. You will be my Queen. There will be those that wish to harm you because of me, and your human status will only encourage them. You will stay here, under my protection and with me.¡±


    Griffin turned away, and I¡¯m pretty sure he thought the argument was over. And, hey, the guy was royalty. People took his word asw, but I wasn¡¯t so easily


    convinced.


    I had not waited this long for freedom to go to college, to feel human in at human world again ¨C just so a paranoid Alpha King could take it from me. I understood that it wasn¡¯t his fault, not really. He didn¡¯t ask to be mated to me, but even so, why did my life have to end so he could have a little peace of mind? 3


    Time to turn on that ssic rk charm (although charm is probably a strong word).


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯re the King, so people are going to be after you and in turn, be after me. But wouldn¡¯t it be easier if you had a mate you didn¡¯t have to worry about all the time? I¡¯m human, I could break my n*eck walking down a flight of stairs or die of cancer when I¡¯m, like, forty. That¡¯s not including anyb*dy who actually tries to hurt me to get to you. I can¡¯t hold my own against a werewolf, I¡¯m done-zo if there¡¯s an assassination attempt. Is that really the kind of Queen that you want or that your people deserve?¡± [5


    He stared at me, not responding. Once again, his expression was nk and


    ¨C


    unreadable I had no idea what he was thinking, but hopefully, he was mulling


    my words over.


    Alright, time to drive your point home, rk.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Alpha King,¡± I said, ¡°You deserve a strong mate that can rule by your


    this bond that we side and take care of herself, not some weak human. And us


    have it¡¯s new. There¡¯s still plenty of time for us to part ways so that you can find a mate that¡¯s truly worthy of you and your people.¡±


    I watched with bated breath as he continued to stare at me.


    There was silence.


    Finally, Griffin spoke and I noticed an odd twinkle in his eyes. ¡°I think you¡¯re


    right, rk,¡± he said, ¡°I do deserve a worthy mate. Someone who can rule by my side.¡±


    Wait, really?


    That¡¯s it?


    That convinced him? Q


    Hope blossomed in my chest ¨C maybe my life wasn¡¯t doomed after all.


    A cunning smile spread across Griffin¡¯s face. ¡°My Queen will be someone who is


    ¨C


    like a fox clever and sly. Even too clever for her own good. What do you think, little fox?¡± (


    The hope in my chest extinguished. O


    Danger! Danger! If my b*dy had warning sirens, they would¡¯ve been ring. 2


    As I made a move to lean away from him, Griffin¡¯s smile became predatory and he pounced. One moment I was sitting up in b*d and the next, he was on top of me, his dark eyes only inches away from mine.


    ¡°I had no idea you were such a tricky little thing,¡± Griffin said, and then he leaned. down to brush his nose against my n*eck. ¡°Did you really think that would work? That I wouldn¡¯t see your maniption?¡±


    My heart was beating a hundred miles per minute and with his face in my n*eck, I wondered if he could feel my racing pulse.


    ¡°I figured it was worth a shot, you know. And it¡¯s not like it wasn¡¯t true.¡±


    Griffin tore his face from my n*eck so that he could look me in the eyes again. I couldn¡¯t recognize the expression in his eyes, but whatever it was, it unnerved the


    hell out of me. 2


    ¡°You seem to be unclear about how I feel about you and our mate bond,¡± Griffin said, and his voice was barely above a growl, ¡°So allow me to clear things up for you. You are mine, little fox. It does not matter to me if you are human or not. You are mine and I take care of what belongs to me. If someone wishes you harm, I¡¯ll ughter them. If I have to lock you in a room and throw away the key to keep you safe from others or yourself ¨C I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¨C


    6


    He paused and I watched his sharp canine teeth gleam in the light. ¡°And if you¡¯re stupid enough to think you can run from me, I will chase you to the ends of the earth.¡± 18

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.¡±


    David Ogden Stiers?


    As I stared into his dark eyes, I didn¡¯t doubt he was telling the truth.


    If I ran, Griffin would surelye after me.


    There¡¯s no getting out of this. O


    Even as the frightening realization washed over me, I couldn¡¯t look away from him. He was staring at me in a way that nob*dy had ever looked at me


    with pure devotion. As if I hung the stars or the moon in the sky with my very breath.


    with


    I¡¯d seen that look plenty of times. I saw it in the mated couples at school, at pack functions, and even in the way my father and Grace looked at each other. Mated couples seemed to exist in their own orbit, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I¡¯d never been jealous.


    It¡¯s not that the idea of a soul mate wasn¡¯t appealing, it was all the baggage that came with being chained to a wolf. D


    I¡¯d long since epted that nob*dy was going to look at me with pure devotion and I was okay with that. The trade-off was an easy human life, where I¡¯d be free to do and go as I please.


    Griffin continued to look at me with hungry dark eyes.


    My breath hitched.


    His eyes flickered to my l*ps.


    Is he going to k*ss me?Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I should¡¯ve protested or turned away but I felt almost hypnotized by his gaze ¨C all


    I could see was him and all I could smell was his damned natural scent.


    He leaned in.


    I closed my eyes, waiting for his l*ps to touch mine. [2


    And then suddenly he was off me, sitting on the other side of the bed.


    ¨C


    My eyes flew open and I stared at him. what the f**k was that? Surely, he was about to k*ss me right there?


    My frustration must¡¯ve shown on my face because Griffin smirked. ¡°Sorry, did you think something else was going to happen, little fox?¡± 4


    My face went tomato red. Of course he had been messing with me. I had just tried to convince him he¡¯d be better off with someone else, and only secondster, I¡¯m practically putty in his hands. O


    All because of what? A look?


    Pull yourself together, rk. It¡¯s not you, it¡¯s the mate bond.


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t look so upset, little fox,¡± Griffin smirked, reaching over to cup my cheek. His tone was mocking. ¡°I just wanted to see if the mate bond affected you at all since you¡¯re not a wolf. And now I have my answer.¡±4


    I wanted to tell him that I¡¯d felt nothing, but the proof was in the pudding ¨C he¡¯d seen the way I¡¯d closed my eyes, ready to k*ss him. And had he actually k*ssed me, I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve pulled away.


    Still, I hated feeling embarrassed and I was not about to let him think I was some obedient little mate just because I happened to let my guard down.


    ¡°First of all,¡± I said, practically hissing at him, ¡°My name is rk. You can use it,


    you know. Second of all, that doesn¡¯t prove I¡¯m affected by the mate bond ¨C it just proves I¡¯m attracted to you. You¡¯re hot, I¡¯m sure you already know this. I would¡¯ve been affected the same way had another hot guy been up in my face.¡± (14)


    I was so caught up in making my point that I didn¡¯t see the yful smirk fade from Griffin¡¯s face or the dark expression that reced it.


    When I did finally stop talking and I caught sight of Griffin¡¯s threatening expression, I shakily swallowed.


    Alright, he¡¯s pissed ¨C what did I say now?


    Surely he¡¯s not mad that I called him hot? That was apliment if anything! D


    ¡°And have you, little fox?¡± Griffin hummed, leaning closer to me.


    ¡°Have I what?¡±


    ¡°Have you let other men k*ss you?¡±


    Oh, great of course my possessive Alpha mate wants a breakdown of my S**ual history.


    I¡¯m an idiot. Why the hell did I ever think it was a good idea to mention other men around him?


    My face drained of color and I racked my brain, trying to think of a response that wouldn¡¯t piss him off. Although I¡¯d known Griffin less than a day, one thing was abundantly clear: he was possessive. Probably more possessive than any other wolf I¡¯d met if his speech earlier was any indication.


    Most wolves were possessive by nature anyway. In the cktooth pack, it wasn¡¯t against the rules to have s*x with people you weren¡¯t mated to, but it was heavily frowned upon. I could still remember being thirteen, sitting in the back of the werewolf version of s*x ed as the teacher exined it to us.


    In addition to awkwardly exining how s*x worked, she¡¯d also told us that we should save our first times for our mates. She¡¯d said that innocence was a virtue and the ¡°purer¡± we kept ourselves, the happier our mates would be. Even at thirteen, it had felt like a lot of BS to me ¨C but I hadn¡¯t argued. It¡¯s not like I ever thought it would apply to me.


    And yet here I am.


    So how do I get out of this one?


    ¡°Well, uh,¡± I finally said, avoiding his dark gaze, ¡°Does it really matter? That¡¯s all in the past the future will be different.¡±


    ¨C


    Yeah, the future is going to be me getting the hell out of dodge and hopefully away from you.


    ¡°Of course it matters,¡± he growled, ¡°If you let others touch you, I want names.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait!¡± I said, ¡°Let¡¯s not forget ¨C I had no idea about this mate thing, so you can¡¯t exactly hold any of this against me. You don¡¯t see me asking for all the d*rty details of your S**ual history and I highly doubt you were some innocent. virgin all these years.¡± [5]


    Griffin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject. Tell me ¨C I want to know who there was before me.¡±


    It was pretty clear that Griffin wasn¡¯t going to let this go regardless of how much I tried to reason. I guess I could¡¯ve lied and said I¡¯d never dated anyone but something told me he would¡¯ve seen right through me.


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you but you can¡¯t get mad about it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see,¡± he scoffed. (2


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever had one boyfriend and the whole thing was pretty short-lived,¡± I said, and another blush came over my face, ¡°Lasted a few months I was sixteen.¡±


    ¨C


    Griffin¡¯s expression darkened even more. He stood up and approached where I was sitting on the bed, leaning over me again. His face was so close I could smell his minty breath and his eyes were locked onto mine.


    Well, this feels familiar.


    ¡°Did he touch you?¡±


    I swallowed.


    ¡°Not s*x,¡± I said quietly, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I wanted to think clearly but with Griffin so close, it felt impossible. His entire presence was overwhelming.


    ¡°How far did you go with this boy?¡±


    ¡°Just making out, that¡¯s it,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t bear the intense eye contact anymore


    so I looked away


    until I met his eyes.


    only for Griffin to gently grab my chin and tilt my head back up


    ¡°And his name?¡± His voice was low.


    Can he hear how fast my heart is beating right now?


    ¡°Aiden,¡± I said.


    Griffin smirked, hisrge hand caressing my cheek and leaving tingles everywhere


    he touched. ¡°Good girl, that¡¯s all I needed to know.¡±


    He stepped away from me and I breathed out a sigh of relief. With him out of my orbit, it felt like I could finally breathe and think.


    Stupid, stupid mate bond. C


    I had told him the truth too. Aiden had been my only boyfriend. I¡¯d known him as


    a kid, back when I still lived with my mom. I had definitely had a crush on him, but when I moved in with my dad, we lost touch. (a


    A couple of yearster, he popped up on my Instagram and we reconnected. He had only grown cuter, and it didn¡¯t take very long for our rtionship to turn romantic. He lived two hours away, so seeing him was a bit of a challenge. I never told my family about him, and on Friday nights, I¡¯d sneak out to see a ¡°movie¡± in town ¨C but really, I was making the trek to see Aiden so we could make out in his


    car and stargaze.


    I had liked him a lot, but after a few months, things got tooplicated and I had


    to break things off. Aiden started asking questions about why he couldn¡¯t visit my home or meet my family or why I couldn¡¯t introduce him to my friends.


    I couldn¡¯t let Aiden get dragged into a world he knew nothing about.


    ¨C


    I wonder why Griffin wanted his name so bad surely, he¡¯s not nning to hunt Aiden down just because he happened to date me before Griffin even knew I existed?


    Nah, there¡¯s no way. Aiden is toomon of a name and it¡¯s not like he can kill them all. O

 Chapter 22

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. Just not today.¡± (2


    ¨C Unknown


    Before Griffin could grill me any more about my S**ual history, there was a knock. on the door. Griffin sighed, pulling his eyes away from where he¡¯d been staring at


    ¡°Yes?¡± He barked.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a muffled male voice spoke through the door, ¡°Sebastian and Lily Bellevue are asking to see their sister. Shall I let them in?¡±


    Sebastian and Lily!


    My heart sped up, the thought of talking to my siblings felt like renewed air in my lungs. I hadn¡¯t been able to speak with either of them since the meeting. I wasn¡¯t


    sure if it was the possibility of finally interacting with someone who wasn¡¯t Griffin, getting advice about this mate thing, or just seeing my siblings again that excited


    Griffin stared at me with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Seems your siblings are a little pushy about seeing you,¡± he said. I wondered if heBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    could see the excitement on my face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about sharing you with others, especially after only just meeting you.¡± @


    2


    Sharing me? I¡¯m not a cup of coffee ¨C I¡¯m a human being with an entire life that


    didn¡¯t start when I locked eyes with him. [3


    As much as I wanted to say that, I held my tongue. If I pissed Griffin off, I doubted


    he was going to let me see my siblings.


    1


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, taking a deep breath, ¡°We have plenty of time to get to know each


    other and it would make me¡­very happy to see my brother and sister. If nothing else, I can at least share the good news.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to lie to me, little fox,¡± Griffin chuckled, ¡°I know you¡¯re not happy about our bond. not yet. But you are right. We have an entire lifetime with each other, so I suppose the least I can do is allow you a little time with your family.¡± ¦§


    I wanted to roll my eyes at him but I managed to restrain myself.


    Keep your cool, rk.


    ¡°They cane in,¡± Griffin addressed the guard on the other side of the door. O


    As soon as he said it, the door opened and I watched Sebastian and Lily cautiously walk in. They both looked guarded and nervous. They took a quick nce at me but mostly kept their eyes on Griffin ¨C perhaps waiting to see what he¡¯d do or say next.


    He¡¯s not going to stand there and supervise this whole visit, is he?


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Sebastian was the first to speak, ¡°Thank you for allowing us to see


    our sister.¡±


    Griffin smiled but there was nothing kind about it. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, I understand you want to make sure she¡¯s alright. I remember you you¡¯re the one who stood in front of her trying to defend her from me.¡±


    ¨C


    Sebastian nched and I felt my own heart speed up. Surely Griffin wasn¡¯t upset. about Sebastian defending me at the meeting? It¡¯s not like he attacked him. Seb was only trying to make sure I didn¡¯t meet the same fate as the king.


    Former king now, I suppose.


    ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°What happened at the meeting¡­it all


    happened so fast. I just wanted to make sure my sister didn¡¯t get hurt. I didn¡¯t


    mean to offend you.¡±


    Griffin hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright. I respect the way that you stood up for your sister. That kind of loyalty is admirable. Well, I won¡¯t intrude on your little


    reunion.¡±


    Griffin strided across the room, stopping until he was standing in front of me. I was still sitting on the b*d, so he had to crouch down to make eye-contact with me. Once again, I met his intense gaze and it felt like we were the only two people on the earth. Everyone, even my own siblings that were standing just a few feet away, seemed to vanish when I looked into Griffin¡¯s eyes. 2


    He smiled at me but this time, I could tell it was real and soft. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to catch up with your siblings, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a little bit to collect you and we can have dinner together. Be good for me.¡¯


    ¡± 3


    He leaned forward and k*ssed my forehead. His l*ps were soft and gentle, and just for a second, I wondered what it would feel like if he was k*ssing my l*ps instead.


    God, what is wrong with me? I need to pull it together. O


    When he pulled back, Griffin gave me onest smile before departing the room. The door thudded shut behind him and the air seemed to change immediately it¡¯s like the tension and awkwardness seemed to evaporate with him.


    Lily let out a long sigh, flopping down on the b*d beside me. ¡°Well, I never thought I¡¯d see the day I¡¯d be in the King¡¯s bedroom,¡± she said, ¡°Or former bedroom, I¡¯m sure. Now that he¡¯s King, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be getting an upgrade.¡±


    More urately, now that he¡¯s killed his father, he¡¯ll be upgrading his rooms.


    ¡°Certainly can¡¯tin about this b*d though,¡± Lily chirped, bouncing lightly on the mattress. It caught me off-guard but Lily seemed to be in a great mood, especially considering the day we had all had. Sure, I was the only one who met my mate but everyone saw the king get beheaded. O


    ¡°You sound¡­chipper,¡± I said, eyeing her.


    ¡°Well,¡± Lily said, smiling, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make this whole thing about me, your mate being the Alpha King? This is great news for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how so?¡±


    but


    ¡°Remember that conversation we had earlier today?¡± she asked, ¡°About how I was worried mom and dad would be disappointed if I didn¡¯t end up with some strong Alpha mate?¡± O


    I nodded. I did remember, but truthfully, that conversation felt like a million years.


    ago.


    Where is she going with this?


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡± she said, smiling widely at both Sebastian and


    could understand why.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Me having to worry about finding some strong Alpha? That¡¯s a thing of the past now ¨C I don¡¯t have to worry anymore,¡± she said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve literally found your mate in the Alpha King and good job snagging that one, sis


    it really


    ¨C


    doesn¡¯t matter who I end up mated to. Our pack has already made the strongest


    long-term alliance they could possibly ever make.¡±


    Lily looked positively gleeful, and while I was d someone could benefit from my mate bond, thest thing I wanted to think about was ¡°long-term alliances¡± with


    Griffin.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d this has worked out for you,¡± I replied dryly.


    ¡°rk, are you okay?¡± Sebastian piped up from where he was leaning against the wall. ¡°What happened today that was intense. This whole thing is going to be intense¡­and I know it wasn¡¯t exactly your n.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say it but I knew Sebastian was referring to my n to move away after college. Being mated to the Alpha King and stuck at the castle was going to put a major wrench in that especially since I¡¯d already tried to talk Griffin out of this. whole thing.


    ¨C


    Now that I was alone with my siblings, I felt a wave of emotions rise to the


    surface. Everything I had been hoping for college, a human life, a normal human.


    boyfriend seemed like it was vanishing before my eyes.


    ___


    My fate waspletely controlled by Griffin now.


    As he had been so willing to tell me earlier, he could lock me up and throw away


    the key if he wanted to.


    God, why didn¡¯t I just stay home? I could¡¯ve faked being sick ore up with some excuse and this never would¡¯ve happened.


    This cannot be my life. I cannot be stuck with some possessive Alpha who treats me


    like an object there has got to be a way out of this for me! 2


    ¡°Am I okay?¡± I repeated, ¡°No, I¡¯m not okay. My entire life has been turned upside down. This is not how I want to live my life. I don¡¯t want to be mated to some possessive Alpha or rule over a group of people that aren¡¯t even mine. Please, Sebastian, Lily ¨C you guys have got to help me get out of this.¡±

 Chapter 23

    ¡°You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.¡±


    Abraham Lincoln


    ¡°Get you out of this?¡± Lily scoffed, ¡°Are you crazy, rk? We¡¯re not talking about


    you¡¯re talking about trying to escape your mate. The literal


    getting out of a quiz


    Alpha King. And you¡¯re trying to drag us down with you!¡±


    Sebastian remained quiet, eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to escape with me or do anything that


    would actually put you in danger. I¡¯m just asking for some ideas here. You two know this world better than I do isn¡¯t there some way for me to get out of this?¡± @


    ¡°By this,¡±¡± Lily snapped, ¡°You¡¯re talking about a mate bond with the most.


    powerful Alpha in the world, rk. Mate bonds are unbreakable, you can¡¯t get rid


    of them.¡±


    ¡±


    2


    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no way?¡± I asked, ¡°I already tried to convince Griffin that he¡¯d


    better off without me earlier but he didn¡¯t seem to care. But that¡¯s it then? This is


    forever?¡±


    ¡°You tried to convince your mate, the Alpha King, to be with someone else?¡± Lily


    ¡°You already know the mate bond doesn¡¯t work like that, rk,¡± Sebastian said


    softly, ¡°You may not feel it the same way a wolf does, but you¡¯ve been around the pack long enough to know that a mate bond never goes away. Once you meet your mate, you¡¯ll be drawn to them forever. They¡¯ll be the only person you want, the only person you truly desire until you die.¡±


    I knew he was right. I had never seen a pair of mates that didn¡¯t end up together. The cycle was pretty straightforward you meet your mate, instant love, get married, have kids, and then you grow old together.


    And when mates did grow old and eventually die, thest one left standing usually


    wasn¡¯t far behind.


    Your mate was supposed to be the only person you could ever be with and I¡¯d


    ¨C


    never seen anyone challenge that well, except one.


    ¡°What about dad?¡± I asked, ¡°I know it¡¯s a touchy subject in our family but if mates


    are supposed to be your one and only forever, why did our dad cheat on your


    mom?¡±


    I hated bringing it up, but my dad¡¯s affair had hung over me my entire life. If that fact could finally be of use to me, it¡¯d be a wee change. U


    Lily and Sebastian were both silent. Sebastian¡¯s eyebrows were even more furrowed and Lily just looked lost.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sebastian finally said, ¡°You know that dad has never talked about


    regrets it deeply.¡± He paused and then his eyes widened. ¡°The affair, I mean! I know he regrets the affair and the pain it caused, but not you, rk. He doesn¡¯t -regret having you.¡± (1


    11


    I almost felt likeughing. I might¡¯ve sulked about it on any other day, but today had been eventful enough. I had far bigger concerns than wrestling with my own daddy issues.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Seb,¡± I told him, ¡°I know what you meant. Dad never said much to me.


    about it either, but doesn¡¯t it prove my point? Clearly, there¡¯s got to be some level


    of choice here. Dad chose someone who wasn¡¯t your mom.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for a one-night stand,¡± Lily scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to rain on your parade


    but just because dad chose to get his dick wet by someone else eighteen years ago doesn¡¯t mean anything for your situation, rk. You¡¯re mated just like the rest. of us will be one day soon. And to the Alpha King too. Do you know how many female wolves would love to be in your position?¡±


    T


    ¡°Yes, I do!¡± I told her, practically shouting, ¡°And I would love to give the opportunity to any one of them. Seriously, bring me a line up!¡±


    Frustration bubbled up inside me. I knew that Sebastian and Lily probably wouldn¡¯t be able to actually help me, but a small part of me had hoped they¡¯d at least understand. Or maybe brainstorm ideas for a potential escape, I¡¯m not sure.


    But you¡¯re the only one who feels trapped here, I thought to myself. Lily and


    Sebastian see the mate bond as just another fact of life like getting older or doing taxes. They don¡¯t realize the freedom they¡¯re giving up because they¡¯ve never had it at


    all.


    ¡°Look, rk,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not happy about this. I know it¡¯s not


    what you wanted, but there¡¯s nothing you can do but ept it. Lily and I should probably go soon, Esther has strict instructions for us to pack for the flight back. But if it makes you feel any better, I¡¯ve still got to call dad and let him know what happened. Maybe he¡¯ll be able to provide some perspective.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±


    The thought of my siblings leaving me here alone sent a wave of panic through me. If they left, I¡¯d truly be alone who knows when I¡¯d see them again?


    Sebastian walked over to hug me and his arms felt warm and secure. ¡°You know 1


    love you, right? I wouldn¡¯t be leaving you here if I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be safe¡­but if anything, you¡¯re going to be the safest person in the world from now on. And if that changes, if he somehow hurts you, I¡¯ll be ready to wage war. You¡¯re my sister and I¡¯ll always protect you, rk.¡±@


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I whispered but with my head burrowed in Sebastian¡¯s shoulder,


    it was muffled.


    I wasn¡¯t big on cheesy disys of emotion, but now that I knew my siblings wereProperty ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    leaving (and I wouldn¡¯t be going with them), it felt like the embrace wasn¡¯t nearly. as long as it should be.


    As I pulled away from Sebastian, I caught Lily¡¯s eye. Her chipper smile had vanished and she looked dejected. Sad even. I watched her approach me and pull me into a hesitant hug.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, rk,¡± she sighed, ¡°I know I¡¯m probably not the most sensitive


    to this stuff, but if anyone gets how much this mate thing sucks, it¡¯s me. You¡¯re gonna be okay, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± O


    I wanted to scream No! I wouldn¡¯t be okay. Please don¡¯t leave me here alone with


    nob*dy but strangers.


    It wouldn¡¯t change anything. Sebastian and Lily had to leave regardless and I had to stay. Protesting more would just make them feel guilty.


    My siblings couldn¡¯t help me get out of the mate bond, I knew this now. And frankly, it would be too dangerous to get them involved. They didn¡¯t need to end up the same way the king did. I was back at square one but I wasn¡¯t going to give up.


    I was going to leave this castle ¨C and my controlling mate ¨C behind. It was just a matter of time.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry always gets the best of the argument.¡±


    Richard Whately


    After Sebastian and Lily left, loneliness crept over me like a nket. There was no denying it now ¨C I was alone here now. My siblings would be in apletely different country in a few hours. In fact, everyone I knew would be in apletely different country. 2


    What was it that Ezra had said to me at that dinner party?


    That I was stuck in the wolf¡¯s den?


    Although he had just said it to intimidate and tease me, there was some truth to


    but more importantly, I was in the biggest, baddest.


    wolf¡¯s den of them all.


    ¨C


    I curled up in Griffin¡¯s b*d for a while, alone with my thoughts.


    I drifted off at some point and it was only the knocking on the door that awoke


    Griffin?


    No, he wouldn¡¯t knock to enter his own room.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I called, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s Esther. May Ie in?¡±


    I was definitely surprised to hear my castle ¡°guide¡± on the other end of the door, but at least it wasn¡¯t Griffin. Of all the people who could be visiting me, Esther was far from the worst.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, and not a momentter, she was walking through the door. I expected Esther to look as cheery as always, and while she had a smile on her face, she looked nervous too.


    Surely she¡¯s not nervous to talk to me? Maybe she thought Griffin would be here too.


    I slid off the b*d, trying not to think about what a mess I must¡¯ve looked like to her. My hair was knotted and frizzy from my cat nap, my makeup had definitely smeared hours ago, and the green romper l¡¯d worn to the meeting was full of wrinkles. [3


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Esther said, ¡°The King has asked that Ie and inform you that he¡¯d like to see you in the dining room in an hour. I¡¯ve brought some of your belongings from your old room.¡± She waved her hand and a burly guard entered the room, carrying my backpack.


    Your Majesty.


    That certainly doesn¡¯t feel right.


    Esther using that title only made me feel like an imposter. I was no Queen or any form of royalty ¨C I was just a teenage girl who happened to make eye contact with the wrong person. Absolutely nothing about me qualified me to be a queen. Not only was I a teenager with limited knowledge of werewolf customs, but I wasn¡¯tCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    even a werewolf.


    Esther didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with addressing me as royalty but I wondered if she could see through me ¨C see how unfit I was for that title.


    I didn¡¯t let any of my inner turmoil show. Instead, I squared my shoulders and forced a smile. ¡°Thank you, Esther,¡± I told her.


    She didn¡¯t move from her spot. ¡°Do you need any help, Your Majesty? The King has instructed me to help you with anything you might need. I could draw you a bath if you¡¯d like?¡±


    I might not be fit to be a Queen but I¡¯m at least more capable than a toddler.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± I told her, ¡°I think I can manage just fine. Thank you for


    bringing my belongings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at your service, My Lady,¡± she said, and she bowed her head, ¡°You are my Queen now, the Luna of Lunas. If there¡¯s anything you need, you must simply just ask. i will be back within the hour to escort you to the dining room.¡± With that, Esther left the room, the burly guard behind her.


    Luna.


    I¡¯d heard that word before ¨C Lily and Sebastian¡¯s mom was the Luna of cktooth pack. It was a title given to the mate of an Alpha. Lunas were like housewives on steroids. They took care of their own children but they usually helped take care of other pack children too. They¡¯d run daycares, organize pack functions, and make food for pack members and all with a smile on their faces.


    ¨C


    I had seen Grace do it for years. My dad might¡¯ve been the Alpha, but behind closed doors, she was the one who kept the pack functioning. She was the real caretaker and she worked tirelessly at her ¡°job.¡±


    Personally, I was never sure how she was able to do it. She got respect as the Luna but not in the same way that my dad did. Nob*dy was asking her opinion on pack disputes or asking her to go to diplomatic meetings. She did it all without much gratitude, and what did she get in return? A mate who cheated on her.


    For the most part, being a Luna was a thankless job and while I knew Griffin¡¯s pack structure wasn¡¯t the same as a regr pack, I didn¡¯t want any part of this Luna stuff. 2


    If Griffin thinks I¡¯m going to spend my time with crying babies or making potluck dinners for hundreds of people, he¡¯s got another thinging. 12


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Sighing, I opened up my backpack and began searching for something fit for dinner. Given that I¡¯d only packed for three days and most of that was heavy jackets to bear the Canadian cold my options were very limited. The wrinkled green romper wasn¡¯t an option either. That outfit had been through enough today, and if I¡¯m being honest, wearing the outfit I¡¯d watched a man get beheaded felt kind of morbid. O


    Why does it even matter?


    Why am I trying to look nice for this guy?


    It¡¯s not like this is a real date or someone I¡¯m trying to impress. What difference does it make if I show up in jeans and an old t-shirt?


    Although I hated to admit it, I couldn¡¯t deny that a small, teeny, tiny, absolutely


    minuscule-part did care. That traitorous part of me did want to look nice for Griffin ¨C for him to think I was pretty.


    Stupid, stupid mate bond.


    Just as I was about to shove that part of me away and settle for a pair of jeans, I found a dress folded into the bottom of my backpack.


    I didn¡¯t pack this.


    I pulled it out


    ¡ª


    it was a white and blue floral sundress.


    This is Lily¡¯s. She must¡¯ve put this in here.


    Lily wasn¡¯t one to lose track of her clothes so leaving the dress must¡¯ve been intentional. Maybe she was leaving me a reminder of home or just took pity on my limited clothing options, I¡¯m not sure. Either way, the gesture brought a smile to my face.


    I pulled the dress close and took in the scent ¨C it smelled exactly like Lily. (4


    It smells like home.


    For the near future, this is one of thest things I¡¯ll have of my family. At least until I can find a way out of this. 1


    There was a lump in my throat and I tried to will the tears away. I didn¡¯t want to cry. This wasn¡¯t the end. I was going to get out of this mate bond, and once I did, my life would feel like my own again. (2)


    With that in mind, I tugged the dress on.


    Time to get ready for a date with the big, bad wolf.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°They were two halves that together formed a magical whole.¡± (7


    ¨C Dick Button S


    As Esther led me to the dining room where I¡¯d eat dinner with Griffin, I felt like a little girl ying dress up. We¡¯d pass guards or people walking in the hallway and they¡¯d bow to me, averting their eyes.


    Did they not see I was just an imposter? Just a teenage girl stuck in a situation she had no say in? 4


    The dining room that Esther led me to was different than the one I¡¯d dined with Seb, Lily, and the former Alpha King in. The mahogany door wasn¡¯t nearly as ornate.


    She stopped in front of the door, her eyes zing over as shemunicated through the mind link.


    Then after a moment, she opened the door and gestured for me to go inside. I took a deep breath and walked past her.


    As I¡¯d suspected, the room wasn¡¯t quite as borate as the other dining room was but it was still fancier than anything else I¡¯d dined in. The biggest difference was the size this dining room table was smaller, more intimate. It was clearly meant


    ¨C


    to only seat two or three guests.


    And at the head of the table, Griffin¡¯s dark eyes raked over my b*dy. He clearly had no shame in staring, and if the smirk on his face was any indicator, he at least liked what he saw.


    And I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t like what I see either. (2


    I tried to hide the flush on my cheeks as Griffin stood up from his seat and I got a full look at his outfit. He had cleaned up in dark dress pants that hugged his thighs and a light blue dress shirt that popped with hisplexion. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that his sleeves were rolled up and the griffin tattoo on his forearm was on full disy.


    That damned tattoo.


    I should¡¯ve known something was off when I started dreaming about a hot guy ¨C I


    never dream about hot guys.


    3


    ¡°You may leave now, Esther,¡± Griffin said, but he didn¡¯t take his eyes


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    off me.


    I remained nted near the door, but as soon as the door clicked shut behind.


    Esther, Griffin was striding across the room to me.


    He stopped only inches from me, and this time, I couldn¡¯t stop the flush from


    creeping onto my face. It was just his intensity. Everything about him was intense and powerful the way he talked, the way he walked, and most of all, the way he


    looked at me.


    ¨C


    ¡°You look beautiful, my little fox,¡± Griffin said, and he tugged my chin up until my


    eyes met his. I had no choice but to stare back at him ¨C or really, I should say up at


    him. Given the height difference, I was more eye level with Griffin¡¯s chest.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Despite the intense eye contact, I managed to keep myposure. ¡°You don¡¯t look


    so bad yourself.¡±


    Griffin smiled as if I¡¯d just told him he was the most beautiful man alive, and moved his other hand to the small of my back. ¡°I¡¯m d you approve, little fox. Here, why don¡¯t you take a seat?¡±


    He led me to the chair opposite his and pulled it out for me. The gesture felt. romantic and I was d he could no longer see the blush on my face as I sat.


    He slid into his own chair next, his eyes back on me. I averted my gaze to my empty


    te.


    Someone really loves eye contact.


    ¡°Why do you do that?¡± he suddenly asked. [1


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Look away from me,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re afraid to make eye contact with me for more than a second. Are you afraid of what you might feel if you do?¡±


    You mean this stupid mate bond I have no control over?


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just not big on eye contact,¡± I retorted, ¡°The real question is, why do you feel the need to make eye contact with me all the time?¡± My response was


    probably a little snarky, but judging by Griffin¡¯s chuckle, he didn¡¯t seem to take.


    offense.


    ¡°Why do I look at you?¡± he asked, his tone yful, ¡°How could I not look at you? You¡¯re stunning, little fox.¡± For a moment, his smile seemed to disappear and I was drowning in his eyes again just dark intensity that left an odd knot in my


    stomach.


    ¨C


    ¡°You only think that because of the mate bond,¡± I said, looking away from him again, ¡°If we weren¡¯t mates, you wouldn¡¯t look twice at me.¡¯


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    1


    I knew I was treading a thin line here. Dinner hadn¡¯t even started and I was already broaching a sensitive subject, but now that I¡¯d started, I couldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± I asked, ¡°If the mate bond didn¡¯t exist, I wouldn¡¯t even be an


    option for you. You¡¯d pick someone else. someone on your level. It¡¯s why I struggle to buy into this stuff. You only think you feel things for me because of the bond, not because you actually know anything about me.¡±


    Griffin regarded me carefully. His expression was unreadable. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was still treading the line or if I¡¯d stepped over it. ?


    ¡°Do you understand what a mate is, little fox?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course, I know what a mate is. I¡¯ve learned all about.


    H


    ¡°No,¡± Griffin interrupted me, his voice low and dark. I snapped my mouth shut immediately. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask if you knew what a mate was. I asked if you understood what a mate is.¡±


    His tone made me feel like a little girl being lectured and it was all I could do not to squirm ufortably.


    He clearly wasn¡¯t waiting for a response because he just continued talking. ¡°A mate isn¡¯t just a random person that you¡¯re linked to,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Your mate is your perfect other half. A matepletes you, they bnce you. Everything about you will bnce me, even if neither of us knows what those things are yet. I don¡¯t need to know anything about you to know that you¡¯re perfect for me, little fox. My wolf knows you¡¯re my other half. I feel it in my soul¡­and every interaction that I have with you only confirms it. But don¡¯t misunderstand me. I have every intention to get to know you and someday soon, I¡¯ll know you better than you know yourself. In fact, I¡¯d like to start right now.¡± @

 Chapter 26

    ¡°Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.¡±


    Tony Robbins


    I would haveughed if someone had told me a week ago that I¡¯d be spending my evening with the Alpha King at an intimate dinner party. Well, I would¡¯ve startedughing, and then I would¡¯ve faked appendicitis or food poisoning to get out ofing to the diplomatic meeting. That way, I could¡¯ve spent my evening the way it should be: in b*d with a tray of snacks and something on Netflix ring in the background.


    Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20 not that anyb*dy was warning me to begin


    with.


    Instead of binging thetest season of Ozark or The Vampire Diaries, I was sitting across from the most powerful werewolf in the world. 4


    Griffin had just finished telling me that he wanted to get to know me (better than


    myself apparently), which made me a little nervous. When he had tried to ¡°get to know me¡± this afternoon, all he¡¯d wanted to know was my S**ual history. What was


    he going to ask next? For a map of my entire family tree?


    ¡°Tell me about yourself, little fox,¡± Griffin said, a small smile on his face.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s vague.


    Before I had a chance to fumble for an answer, the door opened and a couple of kitchen staff appeared. They were wearing the same uniforms I¡¯d seen at the dinner party with the former Alpha King and they carried trays of food in their hands some sort of meat that looked too fancy for me to identify at first nce. It also looked like way too much food for two people, but I wasn¡¯t about toin.


    ¡°Honey roast duck andtro-soaked rice, Your Majesties,¡± a young staff


    member said, her voice timid and small. ¡°Would either of My Graces like a ss of wine?¡± She kept her eyes on the bottle of red wine in her hands the entire time she spoke as if she wasn¡¯t allowed to make eye contact.


    Maybe she isn¡¯t.


    While I wasn¡¯t normally a big drinker. or really one at all a ss of wine to settle my nerves and make it through this awkward dinner sounded wonderful.


    ¡°I would like a ss of wine please,¡± I piped up and I could see Griffin raise an eyebrow out of the corner of my eye.


    If I¡¯m going to be spending in a castle for the foreseeable future, I might as well take


    advantage of some of the perks like fancy, expensive wine.


    ¨C


    Besides, the drinking age is 18 in Canada.


    I expected the girl to start pouring the wine into my ss, but instead, she just


    looked at Griffin. He shook his head slightly and she left without another word


    my wine ss still empty.


    Annoyance crept into my veins. Did having a single ss of wine really require hist permission? And why did everyone seem to know that but me?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a ss of wine?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes. ¡°You said you


    wanted to know stuff about me well, fact number one, I sometimes like wine


    with dinner.¡±


    ¨C


    An amused smile made its way onto Griffin¡¯s face. He could obviously sense my


    annoyance but it didn¡¯t upset him ¨C he must¡¯ve thought it was hrious that he had the final say on my drink decisions. Q


    ¡°It¡¯s our first dinner together,¡± Griffin said, ¡°I¡¯d rather you not be intoxicated for


    it.¡± 2


    I rather would be. 2


    ¡°It was one ss of wine,¡± I countered, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize what I put in my b*dy needed your approval first.¡±


    Griffin smiled and I caught a glimpse of his sharp teeth. ¡°Oh, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°Everything you put in your b*dy requires my permission.¡± (@


    My face flushed red I hadn¡¯t meant it like that!


    ¨D


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to make an innuendo,¡± I said, and my frustration only seemed to amuse him more. ¡°And it was just one ss. Not even my father cares if I have a ss of wine, you know.¡±


    Griffin smirked and I swear I saw his eyes darken. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not your father, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°But at some point, I suspect you will be calling me Daddy.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even pretend to hide the tomato red blush on my face or the way my thighs seemed to squirm at thatst part. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the reaction he wanted.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Quick! Change the subject, rk!


    ¡°You said you wanted to get to know me,¡± the words stumbled out of my mouth, and I tried to pretend that he couldn¡¯t see just how much he affected me. ¡°So ask me something and keep it PG-13.¡±


    ¨C


    2


    If therge smirk on his face was any indicator, Griffin knew exactly how off-


    ¨C


    bnce he¡¯d thrown me and he loved it. He took a bite of his roast duck, his eyes thoughtful. O


    As he thought of a question, I finally began cutting up my food. The S**ual innuendos had made mepletely forget about the heavenly-smelling food. sitting in front of me.


    And, after taking a bite, I realized the duck tasted just as divine as it smelled.


    ¡°When did you learn of the existence of werewolves?¡± he finally asked, curious and


    dark eyes on me. I was surprised by the question ¨C I had been half-expecting something S**ual and way too personal.


    ¡°When I was eleven,¡± I told him, ¡°That¡¯s when I started living with my dad. He


    told me almost immediately. There was just no way to hide therge furry wolves that kept running by the house or why everyone kept referring to my dad as


    ¨C


    Alpha.¡±


    4


    Now it was Griffin¡¯s turn to look surprised. ¡°You didn¡¯t know until you were


    eleven?¡± he asked, ¡°I knew you were human but I was under the impression that you¡¯d lived with wolves your whole life.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I lived with my mom until I was eleven,¡± I said, ¡°I found out about the existence of werewolves and the fact that I had a dad within the same week. What about you, when did you learn about the existence of wolves?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Griffin raised an eyebrow, still smirking, ¡°I¡¯ve been a wolf my entire life, little fox.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I said, ¡°But like, you never had questions as to why you could. transform into a big furry wolf as a kid? I thought that would at least warrant a conversation.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Griffin¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he said, ¡°I shifted for the first time when I was fifteen, but I¡¯ve known I was a wolf before I could talk inplete sentences. He exined what being a werewolf would entail, and even more, he


    told me I would rule the wolves one day.¡±


    A dark look suddenly passed over Griffin¡¯s face. ¡°He wasn¡¯t very gentle about it, either,¡± he said, ¡°It didn¡¯t matter to him that I was just a kid. He wanted to make sure I knew everything.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t exin why I was so interested in Griffin¡¯s history with his dad maybe it had to do with the fact that he¡¯d beheaded the guy earlier but I wanted to


    know more.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked gently.


    ¨C


    Griffin looked up at me, a bitter smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much you know about my family¡¯s history,¡± he said, ¡°But my mother died in childbirth with. me. She was my father¡¯s mate, he was hysterical about her death¡­he never really recovered. He could never understand that her death was just an unfortunate tragedy her b*dy just wasn¡¯t physically strong enough to handle it.¡±


    ¨C


    5


    He paused before continuing. ¡°He had to find some exnation for it someb*dy to me. From what I understand, he started with the healers who helped deliver me. He was convinced they had done something wrong that caused her death, and even when he wasn¡¯t able to find a mistake, he killed them anyway.¡±


    my throat.


    I barely suppressed the gasp in my


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t satisfied,¡± Griffin said, and then he averted his eyes, ¡°Pretty soon, he stopped ming the dead healers and started ming me. As soon as I was old enough to speak English, he made sure I knew I was the one who caused her death.¡± (2


    I felt a pang of sympathy for Griffin deep in my chest. Regardless of anything else, nob*dy deserved to be told that. Especially not a child. For a brief moment, I was actually d that the former Alpha King was dead. He¡¯d never be able to spit vitriol like that at my mate ever again.


    Wait, my mate? 2


    Where did thate from?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told him, ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve to hear that to be med for something that was an ident.¡±


    Griffin barely smiled it was almost too small for me to see but I could tell it was genuine. ¡°It¡¯s okay, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°For as long as I¡¯ve known him, my father has been a man full of hatred. He¡¯s never been able to realize that most of that hatred is self-inflicted so he had to take it out on everyone else even his own son. Since my mother¡¯s death, he¡¯s been obsessed with snuffing out weakness. He thought making me aware of every harsh truth of the world or what he viewed as truth ¨C would eliminate any weakness I had.¡±


    ¨C


    He was gripping his fork so hard that his knuckles whitened and the metal fork actually began to bend.


    I¡¯m not sure what possessed me to do it, but I suddenly reached over,ying one of my hands on top of his. ¡°No offense, but your dad sounds like a total dick.¡±


    Griffin stopped for a moment, just staring at me with a look so intense that it left me practically shaking.


    And then he startedughing. Q

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.¡± @


    Buddha


    The rest of the dinner party didn¡¯tst long.


    Before I was even halfway through my duck, a burly man in a military uniform entered the room, looking frantic. He whispered something into Griffin¡¯s ear and I noticed that he didn¡¯t look at me once it was like I wasn¡¯t even there.


    I would¡¯ve been offended but I had a feeling he wasn¡¯t trying to be rude. After the


    wine ss incident, I was pretty sure that people were just afraid to interact with me if they didn¡¯t first have Griffin¡¯s explicit permission.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me, little fox,¡± Griffin said, ¡°But there¡¯s a situation I need


    to address immediately.¡±


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked. Griffin didn¡¯t seem upset but the guy next to him.


    looked freaked out.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Word has begun spreading about my actions this afternoon. After all the witnesses this afternoon, most of the werewolf world has already learned that I¡¯m King now¡­and the way that it happened has not sat well with


    everyone.¡±


    Trantion: not everyone is super happy you killed your dad in a room full of people.


    2


    Griffin stood up from his seat and closed the distance between us in one stride. ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to leave you,¡± he said, and he rested hisrge hand on my cheek, ¡°But the sooner I ease the worries of our people, the sooner I can return to you. If nothing else, we¡¯ll spend the day together tomorrow.¡±


    Your people, I wanted to correct him but there was no point. (


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said instead, ¡°You should just deal with whatever you need to deal


    with.¡±


    Griffin gave me a soft smile and then leaned down to press a chaste k*ss on my forehead. I tried to pretend that his soft l*ps didn¡¯t leave my entire face tingling. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, little fox. In the meantime, you should finish your meal here and then Esther will escort you back to our room at least, what is our room for the


    time being.¡±


    ¨C


    I nodded and watched Griffin leave the room, the other man whispering beside him the entire time.


    Griffin hadn¡¯t given me the details


    maybe he didn¡¯t even know himself ¨C but I


    wondered how upset the rest of the werewolf world was about the change in the power. Surely,mitting regicide wasn¡¯t encouraged


    human mate.


    especially not over a


    The thought that my presence could put Griffin in danger left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn¡¯t like it. I didn¡¯t want Griffin in danger.


    Before I let the thought unsettle me even more, I decided to finish off my duck. Just because the dinner got cut short didn¡¯t mean the food had to go to waste.


    As I finished up thest few bites, I heard a knock echo from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Esther called, ¡°I¡¯m here to escort you back to your rooms. May Ie in?¡±


    I swallowed thest piece of duck. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    She entered the room momentster, looking as cheery and as nervous as she had when she dropped me off.


    Does thedy ever do anything but not smile? (2


    ¨C


    The walk back to my rooms. ¨C Griffin¡¯s rooms, I mean was short. Esther tried to make polite conversation about some of the artwork on the wall but I felt like I was zoning out. Was this my life now? Stuck waiting in a room for Griffin to return and being escorted everywhere?Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Everything about the situation felt uncertain and the worst part? After spending most of the day in Griffin¡¯s presence, I could no longer pretend to hate him. Whether it was the mate bond or not, I liked being around him. I never knew what


    he was going to say next and every touch, every forehead k*ss, every stroke of my cheek felt like a swarm of butterflies pping in my stomach. (2


    Nob*dy had ever made me feel like that before.


    The longer I was around him, the more I worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to dig. myself out of the hole I was sinking in. I had dreams things I wanted to do with


    ¨C


    ¨C


    my life that I already knew Griffin wouldn¡¯t let me pursue. He¡¯d already told me that college was a no-go, and if he wasn¡¯t going to let me walk back to my room by myself, I doubted he was going to be cool with a career.


    What worried me the most is that sooner orter, I¡¯d no longer care about those things. Every interaction with Griffin made it harder for me to dislike or detach. myself from him. Was I going to just wake up one day and not care about anything but him? Would the mate bond just take over one day? Would I end up like most female werewolves in a couple of years? Just a glorified housewife with a pregnant belly who took her mate¡¯s word asw?


    As Esther continued to ramble about some painting on the wall, all I could see was my dreams dissipating into smoke. (5


    Just as I felt like I was on the verge of some nervous breakdown, I caught at glimpse of dark curly hair rounding the corner


    Alessia!


    ¡°Now, this image is supposed to represent the moon goddess¡¯ unconditional love for ¡±


    ¡°Esther,¡± I cut her off, ¡°As much as I love hearing about this, would it be okay if I walked the rest of the way alone? I can already see the door in the distance.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± she said with furrowed eyebrows, ¡°The Alpha King instructed me to -¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I said. I could already see Alessia disappearing in the other direction and I didn¡¯t want to lose her. ¡°It¡¯s just a few feet and I¡¯m feeling kind of bloated from that dinner. Not sure the duck agreed with my stomach.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure why I was so hellbent on talking to Alessia, but there was a huge swell of relief upon seeing a familiar face.


    She looked like she was still considering it but after a moment, she sighed and nodded. ¡°Please be careful, Your Maj -¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I was already speed-walking away from her, determined to catch up to Alessia before she vanished from my sight.


    I rounded the same corner she had, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    Where did she go?


    I nced around but this part of the hallway was empty. I was just about to wander off when I caught sight of a familiar door ¨C it was the same door that led out to the balcony where Alessia and I first met.


    How much do you want to bet she¡¯s getting a little fresh air?


    I didn¡¯t think too much about striding over to the door and pulling it open. The bitter Canadian cold hit me like a punch to the stomach and I immediately began rubbing my bare arms.


    1


    Why did I think it was a good idea to go outside without at least a jacket?


    ¡°You look cold,¡± Alessia¡¯s voice cut through the cold and I turned to face her. She was leaning against the other side of the balcony with a smirk stered on her face. Her hair was blowing in the chilly breeze and the moonlight illuminated the long scar on her face.


    Despite only wearing a leather jacket, she didn¡¯t look the least bit cold.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, and then she shrugged off that same jacket, ¡°Here, take my jacket.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to -¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± she said, smirking at me, ¡°I could never allow my Queen to be cold, could I?¡±

 Chapter 28

    ¡°I¡¯m not running away. I¡¯m moving on.¡±


    Irvine Welsh


    It wasn¡¯t the first time someone had referred to me by that title, buting from Alessia¡¯s mouth, it made me feel like even more of an imposter. It didn¡¯t fit ¨C I knew it, and given the amused expression on Alessia¡¯s face, she knew it too.


    ¡°We could just go inside and talk, you know,¡± I said, taking her jacket, ¡°That way, nob*dy has to stand out here with no jacket.¡± Although it still couldn¡¯tpare to the Canadian cold, the jacket definitely helped me tolerate the freezing night.


    Alessia rolled her eyes. ¡°Please, there are guards everywhere,¡± she said, ¡°You want the entire castle to hear our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± she said, and then she gave me a teasing smile, ¡°So, your Queen now, huh?¡± (3


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you heard,¡± I told her, ¡°I didn¡¯t see you at the meeting earlier.¡±


    ¡ª


    It was weird to think the meeting had only been a handful of hours ago it felt


    more like months.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± she shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like going. A room full of territorial Alphas fighting over a pack dispute? No thanks. But the castle has been in an uproar given all the drama, I kinda wish I wouldn¡¯t have missed it.¡±


    ¡°By drama,¡± I said dryly, ¡°You mean Griffin recognizing me as his mate and then killing his father in the span of five minutes? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d ssify that as


    drama.¡±


    I guess so,¡± she chuckled, ¡°So, how does it feel?¡±


    ¡°How does what feel?¡± I asked.


    ¡®


    ¡°Being Queen, being the mate of the Alpha King ¨C whatever you want to call it. Had I known you were going to be such a big deal when we talkedst night, I would¡¯ve k*ssed your a*s more.¡±


    ¨C


    I couldn¡¯t stop theugh from bubbling up. Although I didn¡¯t know Alessia well at all, something about her wasforting. She wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with the scar on her face proved that but she wasn¡¯t fake either. She wasn¡¯t afraid to tell me the truth, and in turn, it made me feel like I could be honest with her.


    ¨C


    ¡°You want the truth?¡± I asked her, leaning against the balcony.


    She nodded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what¡¯sing from me and what¡¯sing from this stupid mate bond,¡± I confessed, ¡°When Griffin recognized me as his mate, I was horrified. I know mates are supposed to be a good thing, and for werewolves, I¡¯m sure they are. But I had a life, things I wanted to do¡­like go to college.¡±


    ¡°And if you¡¯re chained to the King for the rest of your life,¡± she said, ¡°You never


    will.¡±


    ¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I said, ¡°And every part of me wishes I could justpletely hate him¡­but I can¡¯t. This mate bond or whatever it is it¡¯s like my feelings only grow


    the more I¡¯m around him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the mate bond for you,¡± Alessia said, ¡°Not that I would know from firsthand experience or anything, but that¡¯s usually how those things go. I imagine it¡¯s more subdued for you since you¡¯re human, but it sounds like you¡¯re still feeling


    it.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m worried that if I spend too much time around him, I¡¯m going to forget about everything else going to college, seeing my family, doing normal human things. I¡¯m worried I¡¯m going to lose myself. I¡¯ve seen mated couples before. They pretty much revolve around each other and that¡¯s it. But it¡¯s not like I can do anything to stop it, I¡¯m trapped here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say you were trapped,¡± she said with that same teasing smile, ¡°I mean, by yourself sure. You don¡¯t stand a chance of getting away from the King or his pack on your own. This ce might be a castle but it¡¯s an isted fortress


    ¨C


    too. Unless you know how to navigate all that forest


    ¨C


    which you don¡¯t, I¡¯m


    guessing you¡¯re screwed. The only other way you¡¯re getting out of here is if you leave undetected with someone else who¡¯s allowed to leave.¡±


    She spoke as if she was just thinking out loud but it did get me thinking. Alessia was right. I was smart enough to at least realize I couldn¡¯t navigate the forest on my own. I regrly got lost on the way to school, there was no way I¡¯d make it through a thick Canadian forest alone. If I didn¡¯t die of hypothermia first, Griffin or one of his pack members would most likely just find me and bring me back.


    My best chance was hitching a ride with someone who was already leaving the


    castle ¨C someone who wouldn¡¯t immediately find me and report me to Griffin. Someone I could reasonably trust more than a stranger.


    Someone like Alessia.


    As soon as I thought it, I was turning to Alessia with frantic eyes. ¡°Alessia,¡± I said, ¡°I know we don¡¯t know each other very well but you could be my ticket out of here. You¡¯re visiting just like everyone else, which means you¡¯ve got to go home to your


    pack soon I coulde with you!¡±


    Alessia looked at me like I¡¯d grown three heads.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± She hissed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to give you ideas, rk! There¡¯s no


    way it would work, and even if I did agree to help you, I¡¯m pretty sure my head would end up on the floor like the former Alpha King¡¯s did once your mate found


    out.


    ¡°Not if we seeded,¡± I told her. Suddenly, the gears in my head were turning as I


    tried to think this is through. ¡°You would just have to smuggle me out of here.¡±


    ¡°And how do you suggest I smuggle you out? You¡¯re the literal Queen,¡± she said,


    crossing her arms.


    1


    ¡°Only as of today,¡± I said, ¡°Some people know about me¡­but it¡¯s unreasonable to


    think that everyone would, right? Like whoever drives you to the airport? I doubt word has spread that far. You could just say I¡¯m part of your pack one of your warriors sent to protect you. Once we make it onto that ne, you¡¯re home free.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°And where are you going to go after that?¡± she asked, ¡°My pack is in California and there¡¯s no way you¡¯re staying with me.¡±


    California.


    That¡¯s where my mom lived. Or that¡¯s where she used to live as far as I knew. It¡¯s not like I had a current address for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay,¡± I said, ¡°I have family in California. I just need you to get me out.¡±


    Alessia scoffed, shaking her head. ¡°Look, I sympathize with you, girl ¨C I do. I wouldn¡¯t want to be in your position, and normally, I¡¯d be all for sticking it to the monarchy but not when ites at the price of my own head.¡±


    Realistically, it was hard to argue with her. I knew that helping me was a big risk. for her, and it¡¯s not like I had much to offer in return.


    Guess I¡¯m on my own.


    ¡°What is that smell?¡± she suddenly asked. She sniffed the air with her eyes closed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± she said, and her eyes narrowed. She walked closer to me, nostrils red. ¡°It¡¯s the same scent I caughtst night ¨C it¡¯sing from you but it¡¯s not actually you. God, it smells so good. It smells like mate.¡±


    Her eyes gleamed in the darkness.


    Mate? How could I smell like her mate if I¡¯m not actually her mate? It must¡¯ve been someone I interacted with or shared clothing with or


    Reality suddenly dawned on me. D


    I couldn¡¯t believe I hadn¡¯t pieced it together before. Last night, I¡¯d shared a bedroom with Lily before I talked to Alessia. Today, I was wearing Lily¡¯s dress thatBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    she had left me.


    I wasn¡¯t Alessia¡¯s mate. [2


    But my sister was. 6


    Granted, it was just a theory but it made sense. Who else had been in such close contact with me today andst night? Not even Sebastian had gotten that close and her mate certainly wasn¡¯t Griffin.


    ¡°Alessia,¡± I said, ¡°What if I told you I could you offer something in return? For


    helping me?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Oh? Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like the name of your mate and where they are. I have a pretty good idea of whose scent you keep smelling.¡± O


    She growled. ¡°You know my mate?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure the scent you¡¯re smelling belongs to your mate, then I know who it


    just the teensiest, tiniest favor in return.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± she huffed, ¡°You tell me the name of my mate and I let you leave


    the castle with me. Tell the driver and anyone else we encounter that you¡¯re a part


    of my pack.¡±


    Coercing Alessia¡¯s help felt maniptive but she was my only shot out of here. I didn¡¯t know her that well but I at least knew her better than the other forty Alpha kids who had made an appearance at the diplomatic meeting.


    And if worst came to worse, I¡¯d protect her from Griffin. I wouldn¡¯t let her head up on the floor. She wouldn¡¯t suffer for me. I¡¯d throw myself at his feet and beg his forgiveness, lock the chains on myself I¡¯d do whatever I needed to protect Alessia from his wrath.


    But it won¡¯te to that. @


    You¡¯ll get away and nob*dy will get hurt. It¡¯ll all be worth it.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it then? I help you and you tell me where my mate is,¡± she said. Her face was nk again, unreadable.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the deal.¡±


    She sighed, looking up at the moon. ¡°Moon goddess help me,¡± she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this because you know the name of my mate. And I want to stick it to the monarchy. And also¡­you¡¯re kind of okay.¡±


    I grinned. Relief flooded me ¨C I was going to get out of here. I could be in California by this time tomorrow.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty okay too, Alessia.¡±

 Chapter 29

    ¡°By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.¡±@


    Benjamin Franklin


    Alessia and I sat on the balcony for more than an hour fine-tuning the n. I


    learned very quickly that Alessia was a natural strategist. Maybe it came from her Alpha heritage, but either way, I was d to have her in my corner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you by your rooms at 11:30,¡± Alessia told me, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet my


    driver by the south entrance at noon, so that should give us enough time to get


    there. You¡¯re sure that the King won¡¯t be in the room with you?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± I said, ¡°He¡¯s dealing with some crisis regarding the incident with the Alpha King. He explicitly told me that he¡¯d see me tomorrow. It would surprise me


    if he was back in time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good,¡± Alessia said, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going through with this if the King


    is with you. If I run into him, you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    Even I could realize that our n was dead in the water if Griffin showed up early. I couldn¡¯t say for sure that he wouldn¡¯t be back before Alessia was set to leave, but it was a risk worth taking. This was my one shot out of here and I wasn¡¯t going to


    waste it.


    ¡°We should exchange numbers too,¡± Alessia said, ¡°It¡¯ll be easier for you to just


    ¨C


    text me if something¡¯s wrong that way I don¡¯t have to exin why I ended up at your bedroom door.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    We did just that and then Alessia and I parted ways.


    Fortunately, Griffin¡¯s bedroom was too close for me to get lost and the room was empty when I entered. Alone in the dark with only the moonlight illuminating the room, it felt lonely.


    It¡¯s definitely not because Griffin isn¡¯t here.


    I approached the b*d and almost did a double-take there was a white sl*p of


    ¨C


    paper lying on one of the pillows. Upon further inspection, I could see it was a note


    written in someone¡¯s eiegant handwriting.


    I wish I didn¡¯t have to be away for our first night together, little fox. But once I¡¯ve dealt


    with this minor inconvenience, you¡¯ll spend every night in my arms.


    Yours, Griffin Bardot


    ¨C


    There was something sweet about the note that he hadn¡¯t forgotten about me. Although I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d call soothing the entire werewolf world after beheading my father a ¡°minor inconvenience.¡± (2


    As sweet as the note was, it left me with guilt as heavy as lead weight in my


    stomach. I had told Alessia that nob*dy would get hurt if we enacted our n, but


    that wasn¡¯tpletely true. Griffin would get hurt. He was definitely expecting me to be here when he returned and he¡¯d definitely be upset that I was gone.


    3


    Suddenly, I recalled our conversation that we¡¯d had earlier in the day when I


    had first tried to convince Griffin he¡¯d be better off without me. Griffin had said


    that he wouldn¡¯t let anything keep us apart, not even me.


    But if I ran, would he really chase me? (22)


    Maybe he¡¯d be upset initially, but he had a kingdom to time to hunt down a human girl. O


    ¨C he wouldn¡¯t have


    And, after a little bit of time, he¡¯d probably just move on to


    Omeone else. Someone more suitable for him. A strong female wolf capable of running the kingdom by his side. Someone who would love to be the Queen and Griffin¡¯s mate.


    Even as I thought it, the thought of Griffin looking at someone the same way he looked at me left a hollow feeling in my stomach.


    That¡¯s just the mate bond talking, rk.


    You need to get out of here, don¡¯t let a little jealousy stop you now.


    Leaving is what¡¯s best for you and what¡¯s best for Griffin. He may not realize it yet but he will once I¡¯m gone.


    The argument felt empty, but it¡¯s what I continued to tell myself as I changed into some PJs I¡¯d brought and snuggled into b*d. I tried not to think about how much the b*d smelled like GriffinCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¨C


    or how this would probably be thest time I smelled


    his scent.


    ƽƽƽ


    I got up early the next morning and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the room


    Griffin hadn¡¯t returned.


    was still empty


    I packed my sparse belongings back into my backpack and changed into somethingfortable and low-key. I didn¡¯t want to draw attention to my appearance in case some of the guards recognized me or had been told what I look like. Given my natural red hair, it was a little harder said than done hoodie, a pair of jeans, and a tight bun certainly helped. O


    My phone dinged.


    All clear? A text from Alessia read.


    Still good to go, I texted back.


    but afy


    I still had twenty or thirty minutes until Alessia was supposed to arrive, and I watched the door with bated breath. I was in the home stretch now. thest thing I needed was Griffin to return just a few minutes before I managed to leave.


    Every pair of footsteps outside the door left my heart drumming, but fortunately, none of them were Griffin.


    I stared at the note he¡¯d left on the b*dst night.


    For some reason, I had the urge to leave him a note too to let him know that I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt him by leaving. It wasn¡¯t his fault, not really. Maybe things. would be different if he wasn¡¯t a King or a possessive Alpha or even just a werewolf. If Griffin were human, I had no doubt that I¡¯d give him a chance. (5


    It was all the baggage that came from being mated to a wolf that held me back.


    I sighed and grabbed a ck pen from one of his nightstands. I fl*pped the note over to the nk side and didn¡¯t hesitate to start writing.


    I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not your fault. You deserve someone capable of being your Queen and I need my freedom.


    As I heard Alessia¡¯s knock on the bedroom door, I ced the note in the same spot where it had been. Q


    And then I left. 2

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Some people just disappear from our lives as if they never came at all.¡±


    Unknown


    ¡°Can you stop twitching? You¡¯re going to draw attention to us. We¡¯re supposed to be flying under the radar!¡±


    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not twitching! I just have some nervous energy


    ¡±


    ¡°Please, you¡¯re twitching, rk. Your ¡®nervous energy¡¯ alone is going to make us


    both look suspicious.¡±


    Alessia was right ¨C I was practically twitching with anticipation but I could hardly


    help it. We strode down the castle corridors together, trying to look inconspicuous.


    as possible.


    So


    far, things had gone to n. I had left the note on Griffin¡¯s pillow, Alessia had shown up at the bedroom door to collect me, and now we were headed towards theProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    south entrance. There, we¡¯d meet the driver that was supposed to take Alessia


    and now me ¨C to the airport.


    Although most of the hallways were empty and nob*dy seemed to look twice at us, the sheer amount of nervous energy I felt didn¡¯t lessen. It felt like Griffin could return any moment just to catch me in the act of escaping, and I¡¯m not sure I could lie my way out of this one. I was wearing the backpack that contained everything I¡¯d brought with me and I had left a note for him on his b*d. 2


    Just a couple of hours and you¡¯ll be home-free, rk.


    Alessia was a lot calmer than I was. Although she did seem to have her guard up, she wasn¡¯t shaking or giving herself whish every time she heard what sounded like a footstep in the castle hallways. She walked through the castle like she belonged here and I could only hope some of her confidence rubbed off on me by the time our escape n was finished.


    Every step felt like a step closer to freedom, and by the time the south entrance came into view, I was digging my nails into my palms so hard that I drew blood. (2)


    ¡°I see someone,¡± Alessia whispered, and my stomach dropped. ¡°That¡¯s my escort ¨C Benito. Don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll do the talking.¡±


    Sure enough, a tall, middle-aged man stood by the door to the south entrance. He reminded me a lot of Esther. He had the same cheery smile stered on his face.


    ¡°Alpha Alessia,¡± he greeted her as she got closer, ¡°Are you ready to depart to the airport? A car and driver are waiting for you outside.¡±


    As we got closer, his gaze shifted to me. ¡°Oh, who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with me,¡± Alessia answered curtly, ¡°She¡¯ll be leaving with me.¡±


    Benito raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Nob*dy arrived with you, this must be a new friend you made while you were here.¡± I tried my best not to make eye-contact.


    Two things were clear: one, Benito wanted an actual exnation of who I was, and two, our original lie was slowly unraveling. Alessia and I had originally nned to say that I was part of her pack, but since Benito had been Alessia¡¯s escort at the


    castle, there was no way he¡¯d buy that. He knew she hade alone.


    Despite Benito¡¯s curiosity, Alessia shut him down in a very Alessia-like fashion.


    ¡°Look,¡± Alessia snapped, ¡°Her pack is in California. She needs a ride and I said she coulde with me that¡¯s the whole story, okay? Is that a problem with you? All the Alpha kids have to be out by this afternoon anyway. Do you really want another guest stuck here?¡±


    I held my breath.


    This was the moment of truth. Either he was going to let us go or he was going to hold us up and ruin my one shot of getting out of here.


    Benito¡¯s eyes zed over for a moment and then he looked back to us, smiling. again. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for another ne ticket for your friend, but in the meantime,


    there¡¯s a driver waiting for you outside.¡±


    He opened the door for us and Alessia immediately pushed past him. ¡°Thanks,¡± she muttered. I wasn¡¯t far behind her, and I tried not to make eye contact with Benito. He was looking at me closely, like he was trying to see if he recognized me.


    5


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, and then I walked into the crushing Canadian air. It was even colder than I expected, but fortunately, a ck SUV was only steps away. The driver was at the ready to help us with our bags but Alessiapletely ignored him, throwing her bag and my backpack into the trunk.


    As I climbed into the SUV, I finally let out the breath I¡¯d been holding.


    I¡¯m in the car. This is it, I made it.


    Alessia sidled in next to me while the driver slid behind the wheel.


    Okay, let¡¯s get this show on the road I want to leave this castle behind as soon.


    as possible.


    I looked out the window. Benito was still standing in the open doorway, staring at us with that same chipper smile. The SUV rumbled to life and we began moving.


    2


    Finally!


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± Benito waved to us, ¡°Safe travels, Alessia and rk!!¡± (19


    I gave him an awkward smile and Alessiapletely ignored him.


    ¡°That was f**king close,¡± she muttered to me, ¡°I was lying my ass off to that guy.¡± Her voice was low, and had I not been next to her, I wouldn¡¯t have heard her. Now, in the confined space of the SUV, Alessia felt like the nervous one. She wasn¡¯t as shaky as I was, but I could read the anxiety in her b*dynguage.


    ¡°You did good,¡± I whispered back, ¡°You¡¯re good on your feet.¡± She scoffed but didn¡¯t reply.


    Although I was still practically trembling, it felt like my nervous energy was dissipating with every mile we put between us in the castle. The driver was silent and I watched the dark evergreen trees pass in a blur.


    I¡¯m out of his castle, and once I¡¯m on that ne, there will be no way for him to


    stop me.


    It wasn¡¯t until we were halfway to the airport that I felt a startling realization wash over me like cold water.


    How had Benito known my name?


    I had never told him my name, so that meant one thing: he had known who I was.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°If we act like prey, they¡¯ll act like predators.¡± ¨C Alyxandra Harvey


    For the remainder of the two-hour drive to the airport, I was on edge. Benito knew my name ~ he knew who I was. Did that mean that


    I¡¯d been caught? Did Griffin know I¡¯d left? Was he on his way to stop me? \*)


    ¡®The car waspletely silent but it felt like the driver was going to pull over any minute now and tell me the ruse was up, that


    Griffin was on his way to drag me back. Or even worse, that Griffin would be waiting at the airport for me and ready to stop me from


    getting on that ne. (¡°)


    Although I felt like a bundle of frazzled nerves, Alessia spent most of the drive napping. Since we had gotten into the car, her anxiety


    seemed to disappear ~ she clearly thought our escape attempt wasCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    a sess.


    Thad two options. I could wake her up and tell her that something was wrong, that Benito shouldn¡¯t have known my name. Of course,


    we weren¡¯t really alone. The driver was only a few feet away from us and he¡¯d definitely hear the entire thing. If Griffin wasn¡¯t


    already alerted to my disappearance, he probably would be. Any chance we


    might still have at an escape would be ruined. |)


    The second option was that I could remain silent and hope Griffin wasn¡¯t waiting at the airport, ready to pull the rug out from under


    me. And if he was, I¡¯d deal with it then.


    I decided to go with option two.


    It¡¯s going to be okay. You might still be able to get away. You don¡¯t know for sure that you¡¯ve been caught, I told myself. While it did


    little to actually help my anxiety, I still repeated that to myself the entire rest of the ride. *


    ¡°alright, passengers. You¡¯ll find your oxygen masks located in the overhead bin. Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will


    drop down. Please ce the mask over your own mouth and nose before helping others.¡± The flight attendant¡¯s voice was monotone


    and tired as shezily demonstrated how to use the oxygen mask. It was clear that she gave this same speech several times a day.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll being around to make sure you¡¯ve gotten your seatbelts fastened,¡± she said, ¡°We¡¯ll be wheels up and on our way to


    LAX in less than ten minutes.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief. Alessia and I had made it to the airport. Not even just the airport ¡ª we had already boarded the ne.


    When we had arrived at the terminal, we had two tickets waiting for us ¡ª one for her and one addressed to rk Bellevue. Given


    that Benito had addressed me by name, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that he had put the ticket in my name either.


    That still made me uneasy, but there had been no sign of Griffin or any of the castle guards at the airport. I had kept my eyes peeled


    the entire time. Alessia had berated me for being too paranoid, but I could tell she was on her guard too.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right,¡± Alessia suddenly muttered beside me. We were already in our seats, seatbelts fastened. I watched her eyes


    narrow as she scoped out the rest of the passengers. (7


    Up to this point, she hadn¡¯t made a singlement about our escape so I was surprised to hear her speak up.


    ¡°That ticket,¡± she said, gesturing to the paper in my hand, ¡°It¡¯s addressed to you. Your full name.¡±


    Benito used my name


    rk. He kne


    dn¡¯t even catch that. Something is definitel


    npletely sure we¡¯d seed


    h of guards or Griffin to show up out of thin air and drag me back.


    leave? Wouldn¡¯t he


    fully. ¡°Definitely. Le


    ike signing his own dea


    ess w


    l like she was trying to decide if s


    mind link just before he let us go. I thought he was letting someo


    fact that you


    s ze over too, but I hadn¡¯t considere


    inking Griffin. Why wouldn¡¯t he stop me?


    unlikely he would change his mind so quickly, but then again, it¡¯s not like I knew him very well. We had literally only spent one day


    to


    the mate bond, but maybe he assu


    s the case, he


    I wanted to believe it but the exnation felt empty. As little as I knew Griffin, he did


    to soothe the guilt. I knew I was leaving Griffin high and dry ¨C I could only hope he¡¯d understand my reasoni


    recements


    urning to me, ¡°But I don¡¯t think y


    ou asked why Griffin would let y


    inking him,


    odd


    ing you a headsta


    eadst


    t it, rk,¡± she said, ¡°How would you rathe


    *) ¡°Personally, I¡¯m not


    urselves. And Griffin is an Alpha wolf like me. He¡¯s a predator. Huntin

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Running away is easy. It¡¯s the leaving that¡¯s hard.¡± Samuel T. Herring


    Alessia¡¯s ¡°theory¡± stuck with me for the entire five-hour ne ride ~ long after we stopped talking and she fell asleep


    again. Her words sent a chill down my spine. Was Griffin really going to hunt me like prey?


    A couple of hours into the ne ride, I ended up falling asleep too


    but it was gued with nightmares.


    In my dream, I was a fox sprinting across the foggy forest. I was running away from something ¨C I didn¡¯t know what ¡ª


    and tried to hide in a hollowed-out tree. I could hardly make out my surroundings while I was tucked in my little hiding


    spot, but then I saw it: the monster that was chasing me.


    It was arge ck wolf, bigger than anything I¡¯d ever seen with piercing dark eyes and sharp canines. Its familiar dark


    eyes met mine, and I knew it had me trapped. There was nowhere to run, and all I could do was watch as it stalked closer


    and closer. And then it pounced, razor-sharp canines headed for me as I ¨C I shot up in my ne seat, heart pounding.


    That was a hell of a dream. But it wasn¡¯t real ¡ª it was just a dream. *)


    I normally wasn¡¯t one to dissect dreams, but even that nightmare felt a little too on the nose to me. I had been running in


    the wolves as a literal fox ¡ª which was Griffin¡¯s favorite nickname for me ¡ª and the predator chasing me had been a wolf. Could the meaning get any more obvious than that? (¡ãProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Clearly, I¡¯m freaked out about what Alessia told me before I fell asleep


    and now my fears are manifesting in my dreams.


    My heart continued to pound. Although Griffin and I were probably hundreds of miles apart by this point, the thought of


    him still managed to put me on edge.


    ¡°Passengers, please make sure you¡¯re seated with your seatbelts on. We¡¯re beginning our descent, and we¡¯ll be wheels


    down at LAX in minus twenty minutes,¡± the pilot¡¯s voice croaked through the speakers.


    The feedback from the speakers roused Alessia from her own cat nap. Judging from the way shezily stretched out, it


    looked like her dreams had been a lot better than mine.


    ¡°are we already there?¡± she asked me. ¡°They said less than twenty minutes till we get to the airport,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± she muttered, smiling. ¡°I hate flying. I want to put my feet ¡ª and my paws ¡ª on some solid ground.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Not the paws part, of course ¡ª but definitely my feet.¡±


    At my response, Alessia looked at me, her smile vanishing. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re almost there, it¡¯s time to fess up.¡±


    ¡°Fess up? About what?¡±


    Her eyes burned into mine and I could feel a shift in the air. The light friendliness between us was gone and I was


    suddenly reminded of who I was sitting next to: Alpha Alessia, who had ughtered a member of her own pack to rule it.


    She meant business.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to tell me about my mate, rke,¡± she said, her face nk.


    Oh, that¡¯s what she wanted. Did you forget about your own deal, rke? Geez, I suck at this stuff.


    Mark that down for reason #497 for why I wouldn¡¯t make a good q ueen. I suck at negotiating.


    It¡¯s not that I was trying to withhold information or act coy, but I¡¯d been so wrapped up in my own escape attempt that


    I¡¯d almost forgotten what I had agreed to divulge for that escape attempt.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, ¡°Sorry, I just woke up like you. My brain is still a little fuzzy. I¡¯ll tell you who it is.¡±


    She stared at me with unblinking eyes. Her entire b*dy was tense, and it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why. This was lifechanging information for her.


    And not just for her. For Lily too.


    ¡°You said you could smell your mate on me multiple times,¡± I told her, ¡°You said it the first night we met and then you


    smelled the


    scent on my clothes yesterday too.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah, the scent was faint but it was there. It wasn¡¯t you but it clung to you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said, ¡°It had to be someone I interacted with pretty closely then.¡±


    I watched her grab the armrest until her knuckles turned white. ¡°Just get to the point, rk,¡± she rolled her eyes, ¡°No


    offense but the thought of you ¡®interacting closely¡¯ with my mate kind of makes


    me want to tear your throat out. So, just tell me who it is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, got it,¡± I said, eyeing her white knuckles, ¡°In that case, I¡¯m about 99% sure you¡¯re mated to my sister.¡±


    There was silence. Alessia pausedpletely, like she was frozen in time. ¡°Your sister?¡± she repeated, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Hear me out. Remember the night we met?¡± I exined, ¡°I was sharing a room with my sister, Lily. We had also spent all


    day together too ¡ª she sat next to me on the ne and next to me at


    dinner. It makes sense why we¡¯d smell like each other.¡±


    Her eyebrows were furrowed like she was trying to process my exnation.


    ¡°Butst night is what confirmed it for me,¡± I continued, ¡°Even though I spent most of the day with Griffin, you were still


    able to smell her scent on me. Lily and I didn¡¯t interact that much yesterday, but I was wearing her dress.¡±


    Alessia was silent but I noticed that she was no longer clutching the armrest so tightly.


    ¡°Lily,¡± she repeated, ¡°Her name is Lily?¡± There was a softness in her eyes that I had seen before, but never on Alessia. It


    was the look that my dad and Grace exchanged. It was the look that Griffin had given me just yesterday.


    Don¡¯t you dare start thinking about Griffin right now, rke. He¡¯s part of the past now, you¡¯re leaving that chapter of your


    life behind.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°She¡¯s like half a year younger than me, and she just turned eighteen. Had you gone to the dinner party or


    even the diplomatic meeting, you would¡¯ve met her.¡± *)


    Alessia sighed. ¡°I should¡¯ve known,¡± she said, ¡°Of course it makes sense. You didn¡¯te alone and I kept smelling that


    scent on you


    ¡ª I should¡¯ve figured it out sooner. I could¡¯ve actually met her.¡±


    ¡°Well, you still can,¡± I said, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind a road trip. She lives with my dad, just like me ¡ª or just like I used


    to, I guess. Our pack is in Washington, they live on cktooth territory. And hey, now you can meet her on your own


    terms. As someone who found their mate in the middle of a crowded meeting, it wasn¡¯t ideal.¡±


    ¡°Lily,¡± she repeated again, ¡°in cktooth territory. And you¡¯re sure about this?¡± I could see suspicion in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re


    not trying to screw me over, right?¡± There was a dangerous edge to her voice as she spoke thatst part. I guess I


    couldn¡¯t really me her for being cautious, but since Alessia wasn¡¯t shy about violence, I also didn¡¯t


    want to give her any reason to think I was lying.) ¡°No, I promise I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± I said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even put any of this


    together until yesterday, but based on what you¡¯ve told me, it¡¯s got to be her. There¡¯s nob*dy else I came in close contact


    with at the castle besides Lily and Griffin, and we all know it¡¯s not thatst one. I guess there¡¯s a chance it could be my


    brother but ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely not,¡± Alessia groaned, ¡°It¡¯s definitely got to be the sister. I¡¯m not into anything that has a dick attached to


    it.¡± (


    ¡°Well, that settles it,¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯re mated to my sister¡­and I guess that makes us family.¡± Although I¡¯d known Alessia was mated to my sister for about a day, the information felt like it was just now sinking in.


    Her connection to my sister would forever tie us together. Images of Alessia at family dinners and pack events ran


    through my brain like a movie montage ¨C and honestly? I didn¡¯t hate it.


    Thad always known that Lily was going to end up with a mate and I had dreaded it. I didn¡¯t want to see my sister


    transform into some submissive shell that only lived to take orders from her Alpha mate.


    And, sure, Alessia was an Alpha but I had spent enough time with her to know she wasn¡¯t like the rest. She hated the


    traditional Alpha system as much as I did. Truthfully, there wasn¡¯t a better person I could think of to be my sister¡¯s one


    true love. (7


    ¡°Well, I guess if we¡¯re going to be family,¡± Alessia smirked, ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m helping you out here. Gotta look


    out for the fam, right?¡±


    I chuckled.


    ¡°although I highly doubt I¡¯ll be seeing you at any family functions anytime soon,¡± Alessia added, ¡°I mean, have you


    thought this through? Long-term? Or do you just n to be on the run from your mate forever?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, not forever¡­but definitely for awhile. I can¡¯t go back to my dad¡¯s ce for awhile either, I know


    that. That would be the first ce Griffin would look, but it¡¯s not like I n to never see my dad, sister, or brother again. I


    just got to stay away long


    enough for Griffin to lose interest and move on.¡± .¡ã)


    And to make sure I don¡¯t get stuck living in cktooth pack forever.


    Alessia rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯d tell you that you¡¯re delusional, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d believe it,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told


    you ¡ª there¡¯s no way your mate is just ¡®losing interest¡¯ or ¡®moving on.¡¯


    That¡¯s not how this works, but whatever helps you sleep at night.¡±


    Although Alessia didn¡¯t believe me, I couldn¡¯t imagine that Griffin would hold onto someone he didn¡¯t even know


    forever. He was the king of wolves ¡ª he¡¯d move on to someone more worthy of him


    forever. | And when the heat dies down, maybe I cane back and visit my dad


    and the rest of the cktooth pack.


    After I¡¯ve already gotten to experience a little bit of a human life, that


    is. ¡°Alessia,¡± I said, ¡°Can you promise me something?¡± ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I assume now that I¡¯ve told you about my sister,¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯ll be going to meet her soon, right?¡±


    Alessia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Are you kidding? I¡¯ve got my mate¡¯s name and location ¡ª as soon as I get back to my pack


    and tell them


    what¡¯s going on, my a*s is on the first flight to Washington.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good,¡± I said, ¡°You already know I can¡¯t go back to my dad¡¯s side of the family ¡ª not for a little while. And on the


    off-chance that Griffines looking for me there, I can¡¯t let them know


    where I¡¯m goin,


    ut I don¡¯t want them to worry either. I want them to know I¡¯m safe.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Alessia rolled her eyes, ¡°You want me to ry the message when I go to meet your sister? That you¡¯re


    safe and not dead and dying in a ditch somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Fine. But just for the record, you¡¯re on the run from the most dangerous werewolf in the world, rke. I wouldn¡¯t exactly ssify you as ¡®safe.¡± (1

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33 Chapter 33


    ¡°Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain the same.¡±


    Unknown


    As I stood inside the crowded LAX terminal, I couldn¡¯t remember


    thest time I¡¯d felt so lost.


    After Alessia and I had gotten off the ne, our goodbye was brief. She¡¯d promised me that she¡¯d tell my family I was


    safe and wished me happy hunting ¡ª I¡¯d rolled my eyes at that ¡ª and then left. Apparently, one of her pack members was already waiting outside the terminal for her, so she had no reason to wait around.


    And now I was alone in a state I hadn¡¯t been in for nearly seven years ~ not since I¡¯d lived with my mother. (7


    When Alessia had first told me her pack lived in California, it had felt like fate. It was the state my mom lived in, the state


    I¡¯d lived the first eleven years of my life in. However, now that I was actually sitting on a bench inside the LAX airport, the


    whole thing felt ridiculous.


    Thadn¡¯t seen my mom in seven years ~ I hadn¡¯t even spoken on the phone with her since she¡¯d dropped me off at my


    dad¡¯s house all those years ago. She¡¯d made it clear she wasn¡¯t interested in any contact with me, so why did I think


    she¡¯d take me in now?


    She knows about the existence of werewolves, so maybe she¡¯d be willing


    to hear me out if I told her I was trying to escape from one. *


    There was a small part of me that didn¡¯t even want to contact my mom at all. If she could go so long without even a


    phone call, did she really deserve to be in my life now?


    But whatever pride or ego she had wounded with so many years of no contact would have to wait. I was desperate. I


    didn¡¯t have a lot of


    options.


    Unfortunately, I also had no current address or phone number for my mom. When I had lived with her as a kid, we spent most of our time on the move ¨C living in shitty apartments, motels, or just crashing on the couch of some ¡°aunt¡± or


    ¡°uncle.¡± There was no telling where she¡¯d be now. It was even possible that she might not live in California anymore but I


    doubted it. My mom had lived in California her entire life, and she had never been fonding of leaving


    those roots behind. .*! I bet Uncle Steve knows where she is.


    Given myck of current contact information for my mom, I knew my best shot at getting in contact with my mom or


    finding her whereabouts was through Uncle Steve.


    Steve ¨C or Uncle Steve as I¡¯d always called him as a kid ~ was a family friend of mom. They had gone to school together


    and stayed in touch throughout the years. Living with my mom had never felt very stable as a kid, but Steve was one of


    the few things that didn¡¯t change. No matter what motel we were staying at the week or what new boyfriend she had,


    Steve stuck around. |


    Sometimes he¡¯d bring us food or babysit me while my mom was strung out on something. There were even a few times


    when he¡¯d run off some of her unsavory boyfriends.


    Most people considered Steve to be the point of contact for my mom too. You could never trust that my mom was living


    in the same ce or that she had even paid her cellphone bill, but you could always trust Steve to know where she was.


    (*)Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When she used to drop me off at friends¡¯ houses so she could go on a bender or splurge with some new boyfriend, I


    always had Steve¡¯s number in case I needed something. I¡¯d had his phone number


    memorized by the time I was ten.


    I can only hope Uncle Steve and mom are still running in the same circles.


    Given that it had been seven years, I couldn¡¯t rule out that things changed ~ maybe they¡¯d had a falling out or just didn¡¯t


    talk as much anymore.


    However, Steve and my mom¡¯s friendship had gone back twenty years before I was even born. He was the only constant


    in her life then, so I could only hope he¡¯d still be one.


    And if he doesn¡¯t know where she is, maybe Uncle Steve would be willing to let me stay for a while. (*


    With a final sigh, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. There were a couple of text messages from my family, but none of


    them were urgent. They didn¡¯t know I¡¯d left the castle yet. Still, Lily and Sebastian had made it back yesterday ¡ª which


    meant my dad and


    Grace knew that I was now the mate of the Alpha King. I skimmed through the list of text messages. Is everything going


    okay? That was from Sebastian.


    Told mom and dad about your mate. Pretty sure dad almost had a heart attack but I think he¡¯s proud, Lily had written.


    Please call me when you get the chance. We should talk about what this means for the pack. That was from my dad.)


    I scoffed at thatst one. Of course, he wasn¡¯t worried that his human daughter was chained to a werewolf forever ¡ª he


    just


    wanted to know how he could use this to his pack¡¯s advantage. ¡°= 1 ignored every message and dialed a number ~ the


    same number


    T¡¯¡¯d had memorized since the age of ten.


    With bated breath, I listened as the phone rang. By the third ring, I was beginning to worry that he wouldn¡¯t pick up or


    maybe he had a


    new number when ¡ª ¡°Hello?¡±


    It was Uncle Steve. His gruff voice was unmistakable. | almost couldn¡¯t believe it, and I felt my throat go dry. God, what


    did I say toa man I hadn¡¯t spoken to in seven years?


    ¡°Hello? Is someone there?¡± Steve repeated. ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up n


    ¡°Uncle Steve,¡± I finally said.


    Now he was the quiet one. Silence hung over the line but it was


    louder than ever.


    God, he probably doesn¡¯t even know who Iam.


    Maybe this was a mistake.


    ¡°rk?¡± He whispered, his voice hoarse. ¡°rk Marshall? Is that you?¡±


    I felt my chest go tight. Thadn¡¯t heard someone call me by thatst name in years ¡ª my mom¡¯sst name, that is. I had


    been rk Bellevue since the minute I¡¯d stepped into my dad¡¯s house. Hearing Marshall felt foreign but not unwee.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me,¡± I said. Now that I was on the phone with him, it felt like everything I wanted to say had fallen out of my


    head. I couldn¡¯t remember the original exnation I¡¯d concocted.


    ¡°I can hardly believe it,¡± Steve said, and I could hear the disbelief in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve heard your voice,


    kid. You sound


    so grown-up now.¡± ¡°You sound exactly the same,¡± | told him.


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®suppose so,¡± he chuckled, ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever hear your voice again.¡±


    Yeah, me either.


    ¡°Uncle Steve,¡± I said, ¡°I know it¡¯s been a long time, but you wouldn¡¯t happen to know how to get in contact with my mom, would you? I need to reach her.¡±


    ¡°are you okay, rk?¡± he asked, ¡°You¡¯re not in any trouble, are you?¡±


    I guess it depends on whether you consider escaping from the most


    dangerous werewolf in the world to be ¡°trouble.¡± I didn¡¯t want to scare Steve or get him too involved in my mess so 1


    tried to choose my words carefully. ¡°I¡¯m okay, it¡¯s nothing too serious,¡± I said, ¡°But I do need to reach my mom. I know


    it¡¯s been a long time, so if you don¡¯t know ~¡±


    Steve chuckled. ¡°Oh,e on, kid,¡± he said, ¡°You know me. How


    long have I stuck by your mom¡¯s side? That hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief ¡ª thank God. Steve having current contact information for my mom made my life a hundred


    times


    easier.


    ¡°In fact,¡± Steve continued, ¡°She¡¯s been staying with me for a little while now. I know that she¡¯d love to see you. I could


    give you the


    address if you want toe by.¡± ¡°)


    It was slightly surprising to hear that my mom was living with Steve (and it certainly ruined any ns I had to keep him


    out of this mess), but at least I knew where she was. This was a good thing.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯d love toe by. What¡¯s the address?¡±


    As the words came out of my mouth, I couldn¡¯t believe that I was about to see my mom for the first time in seven years.


    And ording to Steve, she would love to see me. (2

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34 ¡°There is nond like thend of your childhood.¡± Michael Powell


    My heart was a drum pounding in my chest as I stood on the porch of a tiny white house. It was tiny and tucked into the


    suburbs, so much so that even my Uber driver had missed it. There wasn¡¯t anything morous about it but I could tell it was well-loved. The tiny garden by the front of the house was blossoming and the white picket fence looked freshly


    washed. |)


    This was the address Steve had given me. It was nearly an hour from the airport in a tiny, suburban town called Yorba


    Linda. It was a rtively easy trek from the airport even if the Uber ride had been costly.


    This is it, rk. Just ring the doorbell.


    As I pressed the doorbell, I could feel the adrenaline pumping


    through my veins. Fight or flight, rk? It¡¯s not toote.


    Part of me wanted to turn around and take off. Where I¡¯d go, I¡¯m not sure. But now that I was actually standing in front of


    the door, all I wanted to do was flee. I feltpletely unprepared. It had been seven years ¡ª what was I supposed to say


    to the woman who abandoned me seven years ago?


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have any more time to mull it over. I heard the echo of footsteps on the other side, and then


    suddenly, the door opened and I was face-to-face with Uncle Steve.


    Fight, it is.


    A knot settled into my stomach. He looked almost identical to what Iremembered him to be ¨C with just a few more wrinkles and a thinner face.


    ¡°rk!¡± His deep voice boomed, and then he pulled me into a crushing hug. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you, kid! You look so


    grown up!¡± I managed to wrap my arms around hisrge frame, and inhaled his scent. He smelled just like I remembered


    too ¡ª like tobo smoke and citrus. The man had always had a thing for citrus fruits.


    Steve was arge man. Not as tall as my dad or most of the male wolves I¡¯d known, but he made up for it in bulk. He was


    a gym rat and even with my head buried into his shoulder, I could tell his biceps were still as big as tree trunks. *)


    His bald head and heavily-tattooed arms didn¡¯t make him look any


    less intimidating either. While I¡¯d always known him as a big softie, he certainly looked the ¡°tough guy¡± part.


    ¡°Uncle Steve,¡± I breathed, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± He pulled back and I caught a glimpse at the big, wide smile on his


    face.


    ¡°You have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you, kid,¡± he said, and I could see tears pooling in his eyes, ¡°But enough of this


    sappy stuff. Let¡¯s get inside. I¡¯m sure you could use something to eat or drink.¡±


    After hours of traveling, | couldn¡¯t deny that a homecooked meal sounded divine.


    I followed him into the house and took in my surroundings. The interior was just as cozy as the outside, and the house


    definitely looked like it had seen a woman¡¯s touch. Was Steve seeing


    someone?


    ¡°You got a secret wife or girlfriend you didn¡¯t mention, Uncle Steve?¡± I asked, eyeing the pink plush pillows on the couch.


    For as long as I could remember, Steve wasn¡¯t much of a rtionship guy. He spent too much time looking after my mom


    to really devote a lot of his time to anyone else.


    It¡¯s been seven years, rk. A lot has clearly changed.


    Steve flushed and scratched the back of his n*eck. ¡°Well, there is someone,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯ve been together for, uh, awhile.


    Years,


    really. We can talk more about thatter, but she makes me happy, rk.¡± \*


    Ismiled. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy, Steve,¡± I said, ¡°I used to worry about you as a kid. You were also rescuing my mom from


    every little piece of trouble she got herself into. I¡¯m d you found someone


    for yourself.¡±


    Steve gave me a half-hearted chuckle. ¡°Speaking of your mother,¡± he said, ¡°She¡¯ll be getting home from work any minute. Why don¡¯t you take a seat at the table and I¡¯ll whip you up some food? I can practically hear your stomach growling from


    across the room, kid. You still like box mac and cheese?¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± I said, taking a seat at the small wooden


    kitchen table.


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the smile, it did sound wonderful. Box mac and cheese had been one of my favorite meals a kid, and


    one of the first things [¡¯d learned to cook for myself. I couldn¡¯t always count on my mother to provide dinner when she


    was on a bender or just running around with another boyfriend, but I could always count on the cabs to have at least


    one box of mac and cheese.)


    However, once I moved in with my dad, the days of box mac and cheese were over. Worrying about dinner was no longer


    my responsibility. That was now Grace¡¯s responsibility. | traded Kraft mac and cheese for homecooked roasts and steakBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    with mashed


    potatoes. If we did have macaroni and cheese, it was always made from scratch. I think Grace would¡¯ve had a heart attack


    before she


    willingly made her family box mac and cheese. \¡ã)


    I watched Steve prepare the mac and cheese in content silence. He hummed while he did it, and I tried to wrap my head


    around the fact that I was even sitting in this kitchen with Steve. For so long, I had worried that I¡¯d never see him again ¨C


    or anyone else I had known before I stayed with my dad.


    When I had firste to live with him, my dad hadn¡¯t liked talking about my mom, Uncle Steve, or anyone else. He was


    upset for a long time that she had kept me from him, and it felt like he just wanted me to forget about her. I learned


    pretty quickly that discussing my


    mom or bringing up Uncle Steve at the dinner table was a no-no.


    And, after awhile, I stopped wanting to remember. When months went by without so much as a phone all or a visit, I just


    felt abandoned. I didn¡¯t want to talk or think about someone who would just abandon me without another word.


    At least now I can get some answers. I can ask her why she never bothered to call.


    The sound of the door opening and footsteps entering the house echoed around the room. Steve looked up from the


    stove and


    smiled. ¡°That would be your mother,¡± he said. ¡°In here, May!¡±


    The door to the kitchen swung open and I caught my first glimpse of the mother I hadn¡¯t seen in seven years. She had


    aged but I could tell it was her. The same red hair, brown eyes, and freckles were unmistakable.


    We¡¯re still the spitting image of each other.


    Her own eyes widened as she looked over at me. ¡°rk? Honey, is that you?¡±


    ¡®There was a lump in my throat that I barely managed to swallow. ¡°Yeah, mom, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Her eyes were watery as she smiled in disbelief at me

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35 ¡°a mother¡¯s love endures through all.¡± 7 Washington Irving


    For a moment, we were both frozen. Her eyes roamed over me like she was taking in every new freckle or strand of hair


    that had grown since we¡¯d seen each otherst.


    And I was doing the same. She definitely looked older than thest time ¡¯d seen her, and yet, she didn¡¯t look quite as


    tired as I remembered. There was a youthful glow to her, a spark in her eyes that Pd never seen before. Although it was


    clearly her, the amount of life in her felt unrecognizable. This was not the tired, strung-out woman I¡¯d spent the first


    eleven years of my life with. This was someone else.


    ¡°My God,¡± she whispered, ¡°You look¡­so grown up.¡± Her eyes had been watery before, but now, she was actually crying.


    There was a tight feeling in my chest. Every part of me was overjoyed to see her ¨C and yet, a tiny voice continued to whisper in my head. She abandoned you, remember? She didn¡¯t even bother to call.


    Still, that little voice seemed to fade into the background when she sped her arms around me and squeezed.


    The warm feeling in my stomach spread all the way to my toes. I was hugging my mom. In the flesh. And she smelled


    exactly like I remembered ¨C like the vani perfume she always wore.


    ¡°You have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she pulled back and I


    saw the tears streaming down her face. She had missed me?


    The fear of rejection that I¡¯d had abouting here, that my mom was going to turn me away, seemed to evaporate. I


    felt like I was a little girl again, clinging to my mother. She had missed me as I¡¯d missed her.


    ¡°Come on, May,¡± Steve interrupted, sliding a bowl of mac and cheese toward me, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give the poor girl a moment? She¡¯s got to eat. She¡¯s been traveling all day.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± mom said, smiling at me with teary eyes. She cradled my face like she was afraid I was going to disappear


    right in front of her. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here. I was worried that¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but instead,


    looked away and pulled out a chair.


    But she didn¡¯t need to, | knew what she meant. She was afraid she¡¯d never see me again.


    But why was she afraid? All she had to do was pick up the phone or swing by for a visit.


    Thad every intention to ask her, but after another stomach growl, my b*dy reminded me of its priorities. Food first,


    answers after. Ishoveled mac and cheese into my mouth and had to hold back a smile. How could something so simple


    and easy taste so good?


    ¡°How was work?¡± Steve asked, taking the seat opposite my mother. She continued to stare at me like my poor table manners were the best thing she¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Oh, it was fine,¡± she tore her attention away to look at Steve, ¡°Same as usual.¡± Just then, I noticed she was wearing


    scrubs. Steve had said she wasing from work, so she must work at a hospital or doctor¡¯s office


    now. Well, that¡¯s definitely new.


    When I used to live with her, my mom had bounced from job to job but she was usually too strung out to keep anything


    for too long. She certainly didn¡¯t look strung out now. She looked clean, and that was a way I¡¯d hardly ever seen her


    before.


    ¡°You work at the hospital now?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯d be proud, rk,¡± Steve boasted, ¡°Your mom went back to school a couple of years ago and got her CNA


    license. She¡¯s been working at the local hospital ever since.¡±


    My mom smiled sheepishly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡±


    ¡°It is, May,¡± Steve smiled, and I watched him take hold of her hand, ¡°You should be proud of yourself. I know I am.¡± I


    stared at their conjoined hands and a realization suddenly washed over me. Steve had said my mom was staying with him


    and that he was seeing someone ~ God, could my brain work any slower? (7


    Steve is seeing my mom. ¡®My mom is seeing Uncle Steve. =)


    When the hell did they start dating? I know that was never a thing when I was around.


    The confusion on my face must¡¯ve been evident because Steve actually chuckled. ¡°Oh, right,¡± he said, ¡°This must look a


    little odd, huh? Me and your mom together?¡± |!


    ¡°[ don¡¯t understand,¡± | said, ¡°I thought you guys were just old friends¡­ was this going on when I was around?¡± I wracked


    my brain, trying to remember moments where Steve and mom¡¯s rtionship might¡¯ve been romantic but I couldn¡¯ find


    any.


    Now it was my mom¡¯s turn tough. ¡°Oh no!¡± she chuckled, ¡°Steve and I didn¡¯t get together until about five years ago. It


    was after | finished my time in rehab and was starting my CNA license.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯d had a thing for your mother much longer than that,¡± Steve said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her.¡±


    ¡°More like you were waiting for me to get my life together,¡± mom rolled her eyes. There was a lot to process here, but all


    I could think about was ¡ª


    ¡°Wait, you went to rehab?¡± I asked. ¡°And you¡¯re dating Uncle Steve. And you have a CNA license.¡±


    All the anger and rejection that I¡¯d been feeling earlier rose back to the surface. Clearly, my mom was doing just great on


    her own. She went to rehab, had a steady job, and was even dating Uncle Steve. She had ¨C as she¡¯d already pointed out ¨C


    gotten her ¡°life together.¡±


    But why did she have to dump me off at my dad¡¯s house and abandon me to be clean? Was I such a burden that


    she needed to discard me so that she could focus on herself? Was it so hard to parent me that she couldn¡¯t even call?


    The mac and cheese tasted like lead in my mouth.


    My mom sighed. She wasn¡¯t crying anymore but there was a sadness in her eyes that I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°rk,¡± she


    said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot I need to tell you. There are things I couldn¡¯t tell you before, but now that you¡¯re here, I can actually


    be honest with you. I know you must be angry with me -¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± I spat out, ¡°Look, I¡¯m d that you were able to get clean and pull yourself together. Really, I am. And if you


    had to drop me off at dad¡¯s for a little while to do that, I would¡¯ve understood. But that doesn¡¯t exin why you never


    came to visit or bothered to call. You just disappeared from my life! You abandoned me.¡± Now that I had opened


    the floodgates, it felt like every bit of anger and resentment I¡¯d been feeling these past seven years was pouring out of


    me. My mom sat there in silence but flinched at my words. ¡°rk,¡± Steve piped up, ¡°You don¡¯t understand ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I cut him off, ¡°You didn¡¯t check on me either. You were like a father figure to me for eleven years, and then you


    disappeared just like her. Did you ever care about me at all or were you just trying to impress my mom?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I stood up, and Steve and mom watched me with wide eyes. ¡°I thought this was the best ce for me to go¡­that it might


    actually be good to see you after all this time,¡± I said, ¡°But maybeing here was a mistake.¡± | pushed the half-eaten


    food aside and took a few steps


    toward the door. All I could feel was anger and rejection. It didn¡¯t matter if she was my mom. If that wasn¡¯t enough for


    her to pick up the phone for the past seven years, so it wasn¡¯t enough for me to stay and hear her out now.


    ¡°rk!¡± She shouted after me, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Her eyes were wide and pleading. ¡°Listen to me, honey,¡± she said, ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, but myck of contact all these


    years? It wasn¡¯t by choice.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Your father wouldn¡¯t allow me to contact you,¡± she said, ¡°Not to visit, not to even call you on the phone.


    When I dropped you off all those years ago, he made me promise I¡¯d never reach out to you again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­why wouldn¡¯t dad let you contact me?¡± @


    She sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and if you sit down, I promise I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    Although I was still angry and resentful, I wanted answers. If there was a missing piece to my mom¡¯s story, some actual


    reason as to why she


    abandoned me, I wanted to know.


    I hesitated for a moment and then I took a seat.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36 Chapter 36


    ¡°Growing up happens when you start having things you wish you could go back and change.¡± (¡°)


    Cassandra re | *


    Steve had brewed herbal tea for both mom and me, but none of us had taken a sip yet. She stared at her hands, wringing


    them together and I watched the steam rise from my tea. I knew she was gearing up to tell me something big, so I didn¡¯t


    rush her.


    I was still trying to make sense of what she had said about my dad just a couple of minutes ago. He had stopped her


    from contacting me ~ could that really be true? I didn¡¯t want to believe it, but I couldn¡¯t help but think of every time he¡¯d


    brushed me off when I asked about my mom.


    I knew she ¨C and the fact that she¡¯d hidden my existence from him for eleven years was a sore spot for him. But had he


    really told her never to contact me?


    ¡°[ guess I¡¯ll just start from the beginning,¡± mom finally spoke, and her eyes were ssy with unshed tears, ¡°You


    remember when we were living out of that dingy little motel on Burke Street? When you were


    eleven?¡± ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± I smiled, ¡°I remember that old little TV in our room. It only got, like, two channels and you had


    to keep the satellite in the perfect position.¡±


    My mom smiled ruefully. ¡°God,¡± she said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe we really lived there ¨C that I let you live there for so long.¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay,¡± I said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad. We had food and electricity


    ¡°Oh, rk,¡± she cut me off, ¡°It was that bad, honey. You were just a kid, and I was doing my best to hide it from you, but I


    was spiraling. My drug addiction was getting worse. I could hardly keep food on the table for you. My debt was so bad


    that the only ces I could live were off friends¡¯ couches or dingy motels like that one. And it was only going to get worse from there.¡±


    I sat in silence and let her talk.


    ¡°Steve was the one who finally got through to me,¡± she said and ced her hand over his. They exchanged smiles.


    ¡°When I called to borrow money from him for the thousandth time, he finally gave me a bit of tough love. He told me I


    couldn¡¯t continue on like this, and if I did, he couldn¡¯t watch me do it. He told me I needed to get help. Real help ~


    rehab.¡±


    ¡°All I knew,¡± Steve added, ¡°Was that I was watching the woman I loved hit rock bottom and drag the kid I love down with


    her.¡± ¡°Well, you were the first one to get through to me,¡± she told him and then turned back to me, ¡°But the only


    problem with rehab was that I couldn¡¯t take you. Most programs were six months and that was too long for me to let you


    stay with a friend I trusted ¡ª even Steve. I needed someone that could be your actual parent, your legal guardian while I


    was away. It only left one option.¡± (7


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said, ¡°My biological father.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, rk,¡± she said, practically pleading. ¡°You have to know that I never wanted you to be involved with his world. With


    werewolves.¡±


    I looked up at her in shock, ncing at Steve. He lookedpletely unfazed. I had been pretty sure my mom knew


    about the existence of werewolves, but I had no idea that Uncle Steve was also aware.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised, kid,¡± Steve said, chuckling, ¡°Your mom has told me everything. I¡¯m well aware that your


    biological father shapeshifts into a giant furry dog.¡± ¡ã)


    I cracked a smile at that.


    ¡°and if you have to know,¡± my mom continued, ¡°Had I known what your father was going to do, I wouldn¡¯t have brought


    you to live with him. I¡¯m not sure what I would have done, but I would¡¯ve figured something else out. I wouldn¡¯t have just


    let him take you like that.¡±


    At that moment, she looked fragile and broken in a way that couldn¡¯t have been faked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, ¡°Why


    did he just take me like that?¡±


    It was definitely a question best saved for my dad but I wasn¡¯t here with him. I was here with my mom.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been around wolves,¡± my mom smiled bitterly, ¡°You know what they¡¯re like. Possessive and territorial. They want to be in control of everything ¡ª including their kids.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes.


    ¡°Pm sure it didn¡¯t help that I kept your existence from him for eleven years,¡± she said, ¡°He was incredibly angry with me. I


    think cutting off contact was his way of punishing me for keeping you away so long.¡±


    A tush of anger flooded through me. ¡°Punish you?¡± I repeated, ¡°You¡¯re my mom! And it wasn¡¯t just you he was punishing.


    Keeping you away punished me too.¡± |¡±)


    My mom nodded and I watched her close her eyes, like this conversation physically pained her. ¡°I know. Trust me, you


    have no idea how much I wanted to talk to you all these years. How much I just wanted to hear your voice. I even made


    Steve drive me to the border of your dad¡¯s pack a few times, but the guards would never let us past the


    entrance.¡±


    My heart constricted. How could my dad do that? How many times had T been within a few miles of my mother and not


    even known about it?


    ¡°Thave to ask,¡± I said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell him about me? Why wait eleven years?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know much about the night I met your father.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not really,¡± I said, ¡°He¡¯s never talked about it, but my brother ¨C Sebastian ¡ª he said it was a one-night


    stand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but there¡¯s more to the story than that,¡± she said, chuckling awkwardly, ¡°I used to work at this bar in Northern California Your father came in one night, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. That was more than eighteen years ago. He was definitely more handsome then.¡±


    I cracked another smile and I saw Steve roll his eyes.


    ¡°He starteding in a couple of times a week at first and then it was every night,¡± she said, ¡°And he confided in me. He


    didn¡¯t tell me a lot of specifics at first, but eventually, he opened up. About everything. About the fact that he was a werewolf and had just be the Alpha of his pack.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°And that didn¡¯t send you running for the hills?¡±


    ¡°It certainly surprised me,¡± she shrugged, ¡°But I came around to it. I bought into your father¡¯s entire story ¡ª how he was


    terrified to let his pack down, how much pressure he was under. And I think he liked talking to me. I had no idea about


    any of that stuff, so I was just an unbiased third party to hear his side.¡±


    ¡°A pretty third party,¡± Steve chimed in.


    ¡°That too,¡± my mom smiled, ¡°Everything started out tonic between us but I did have a little crush on him. And then


    one night, he came in and I could tell he¡¯d had a rough day. He drank more than usual and he started sweet-talking me.


    One thing led to another and, well¡­he ended up back at my hotel room.¡±


    It was definitely awkward to think and hear about my parents having S**, but I was also d to have some answers. The


    subject had always been so taboo before. But there was one thing I was still curious about.


    ¡°Dad was with Luna Grace when he met you and you guys had the one- night stand,¡± I said, ¡°Did you know he had a mate?¡±


    My mom chuckled bitterly. ¡°This is where the story gets a littleplicated. Your father told me that werewolves had


    soulmates but he conveniently left out the part about already meeting his¡­until the morning after our little one-night


    tryst.¡±


    Traised my eyebrows in shock. ¡°Wait, what?¡± My mother took a sip of her tea. ¡°Yeah, the morning after¡­ woke up in


    your father¡¯s arms, thinking this was the start of something special. As I said, I had a little crush on him. But when your


    dad woke up, he just started freaking out. He began carrying on about how our one-night stand was a mistake and


    should¡¯ve never happened¡­and that¡¯s when he decided to open up about how he already had a mate, someone he was


    committed to. I was heartbroken about it, but I wasn¡¯t going to worm my way into his life if he didn¡¯t want me there.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she continued, ¡°Two months and two missed periodster, I realize I¡¯m pregnant with you. I knew it was


    your father¡¯s. I hadn¡¯t been with anyone since¡­that¡¯s when I decided I was going to go at this alone. On my own.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you think he deserved to know about the pregnancy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t think about it, rk,¡± my mom sighed, ¡°But your father had made it clear our little affair was a


    mistake and that I should stay away from him forever. And frankly, I wasn¡¯t thrilled about forcing you into that kind of world. The way he had exined things to me¡­I didn¡¯t want that for you. I was also scared that your father would take


    you away from me and try to pass you off as this other woman¡¯s kid if I told him. I wanted to be the one to raise


    you¡­even if I hadn¡¯t realized how ill-fitted I was for the role.¡±


    Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to grow up in the wolf¡¯s den either, | thought to myself.


    Mom¡¯s story was a lot to process. I had only ever had bits and pieces of my origin story growing up, but finally, I had the


    whole tale. Her logic and her actions weren¡¯t perfect but neither was my dad¡¯s. They¡¯d both chosen to keep me from theProperty ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    other one, stealing and locking me away like I was a toy.


    ¡°But now that I¡¯ve spilled my guts to you,¡± mom said, looking at me with curious eyes, ¡°I want to know why you¡¯re here,


    rk. Don¡¯t get me wrong ¨C 1am more than overjoyed to see you, but I also know something must¡¯ve driven you here.


    Your father would¡¯ve never let youe willingly.¡±


    I sighed. This had been the part I was dreading, but my mom was right. If she could tell the truth about what happened


    with my father, I could tell her I was on the run from the most powerful werewolf in the world.


    ¡°Well, remember how dad told you about mates?¡± I asked, and she nodded. ¡°How werewolves have their one true mate


    that they recognize at first nce?¡±


    ¡°wait, is that really how it happens?¡± Steve asked, ¡°They make eye contact with someone, and suddenly they¡¯ve got a soul mate? That¡¯s all it takes?¡± He looked incredulous, and clearly, my mom hadn¡¯t given him an in-depth history lesson about werewolves.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I told him, ¡°That¡¯s it. A little eye contact and suddenly you¡¯ve got the person you¡¯re spending the rest of your life


    with.¡±


    ¡°How do you know if someone is a suitable life partner based on eye contact? Is it just me or is that a little shallow?¡±


    Steve scoffed. * |


    I barely held back augh. I had only ever heard people hype up the sanctity of mates my entire life, so it was nice to see


    someone be a little skeptical.


    But you¡¯ve felt it yourself, rk. You know what all the tingles and the sparks and the butterflies feel like.


    Don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t. |


    ¡°Look, I can¡¯t tell you how it works,¡± I said, looking at both of them, ¡°But here¡¯s my problem. Even though I¡¯m human, I


    somehow still have a werewolf mate¡­you can me it on Dad¡¯s Alpha blood, it doesn¡¯t really matter. What does matter


    is that I ran away from him and I kind of need somewhere toy low for a while.¡±


    Both mom and Steve stared at me with wide eyes and ck jaws.


    Guess they weren¡¯t expecting that revtion.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37 ¡°There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.¡± Jerry Seinfeld


    I told mom and Steve everything ~ how I got roped into attending a diplomatic meeting in Canada, meeting Griffin,


    deciding to run, and then leaving with Alessia.


    By the time I was done recounting the story, they were both staring at me in disbelief. I couldn¡¯t really me them. The


    past week of my life had been crazy, like the plot of some romance novel you found thrown in the clearance section at


    Barnes & Noble.


    Except this wasn¡¯t fiction. Werewolves, royalty, and possessive mates ~ this was my actual life.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± my mother muttered, and she exchanged nces with Steve. ¡°rk, I¡­don¡¯t even know what to say.¡±


    Steve looked just as shaken.


    ¡°L know it¡¯s a lot,¡± I said, ¡°And if you don¡¯t want me here, I would understand. It¡¯s a risk asking you guys to get involved.


    I could find somewhere else to go.¡± ¡°What? No,¡± Steve¡¯s voice boomed across the room, ¡°No way we¡¯re letting you fend


    for yourself, kid.¡± He turned to my mom, and she nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Steve is right, rk,¡± she said, ¡°I know firsthand how dangerous the world of werewolves can be, and it sounds like


    you¡¯ve got one of the most dangerous at your heels. Our home is always open to you, and you¡¯re wee to stay here as


    long as you like.¡± \*


    A wave of relief flooded through me. Whatever anticipation and fear that I¡¯d had abouting here ¡ª like my mom not


    wanting to see me or throwing me out once she heard about the trouble I was in ¡ª was rapidly disappearing.


    In fact, I felt the most rxed I had in the past week. Not only was I surrounded by other humans for the first time in


    years, but there were no possessive mates anywhere to be found. No werewolf politics to


    worry about. (1)


    It was just me, my mom, and Steve ¨C the way it was meant to be all


    those years ago.


    ¡°You have no idea how grateful I am,¡± | said, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be a burden. I just want toy low for long enough until


    I¡¯m sure Griffin isn¡¯t going toe after m


    My mom reached over and squeezed my hand. ¡°Honey,¡± she smiled at me, ¡°You¡¯re my daughter. You would never be a


    burden to me. And it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. It¡¯ll give us time to actually catch up.¡± ¡°and maybe you can sample some of


    my cooking,¡± Steve piped in, ¡°Your mother is on this vegetarian diet, and I¡¯ve got nob*dy to tell me if my ribs are any


    good.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Uncle Steve,¡± I grinned.


    Although I hadn¡¯t seen my mother or Uncle Steve in years, it only took me a few days to settle into a routine. Life with


    them was simple and predictable. My mother worked at the hospital during the day while Steve ran his own construction


    business, and then we¡¯d have dinner together every night.


    It was an easy routine, but it was a wee one. In Yorba Linda with my mom, there were no pack functions to worry


    about, no patrols, and most importantly, no possessive mate hanging around.


    I stayed cooped up in the house the first four days I was there. I was too paranoid that if I left, someone might be waiting


    to drag me back ¨C maybe Griffin, maybe my dad, maybe even one of my siblings.


    It didn¡¯t help that I started getting texts and calls from my family around day three. My dad left me several urgent


    voicemails. Apparently, Griffin and several of his guards hade to the packhouse, inquiring to know where I was.


    In each voicemail that I didn¡¯t respond to, my dad got increasingly angry. He was the angriest in voicemail number five. ¡°I


    can¡¯t believe how selfish you¡¯re being right now,¡± he spat through the line, ¡°You¡¯ve been given an honor that most


    female wolves can only dream of, and what do you do? You run away like a child! I want to know where you are right this


    second, rk. You wille home and fix this. ¡®m ashamed to even call you my daughter right now.¡±


    I¡¯d be lying if I said his words didn¡¯t sting. Having my dad say he was ashamed me wasn¡¯t a great feeling, but I also had


    no desire to talk to him either. Not after learning the way he had willingly kept me from my mother for seven years. (*)


    Besides, if I go back to the pack, he¡¯ll just hand me over to Griffin. This isn¡¯t about him being worried about my safety¡­it¡¯s


    about me embarrassing him. 2)


    Sebastian left a single voicemail too, but his was just concerned. I didn¡¯t have the heart to call him back, but I did text


    him to let him know I was safe but I couldn¡¯te home right now. |!


    Lily¡¯s voicemail on day four just made meugh. ¡°Did you forget to mention that you met my mate and you wereBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    chummy with her, rk?¡± She had hissed into the phone but there was no real venom in her voice. ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯ve met


    Alessia. She arrived yesterday, and she already knew who I was ~ she said you were the one who told her. While I¡¯m d


    you got to meet my soul mate, rk, it would¡¯ve been nice if you would¡¯ve told your actual sister about it! Anyway,


    you¡¯re being stupid right now. Running away won¡¯t solve your problems. Come home.¡±


    Teven had a voicemail from Luna Grace by day three. No doubt my dad had pressured her into calling and trying to guilttrip me intoing home, but it wasn¡¯t very effective.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re scared right now, rk,¡± her gentle voice had spoken through the phone, ¡°But there¡¯s no reason to be.


    Having a mate is a wonderful experience, and you should¡¯ve seen how worried the King was when he came to the pack ¡ª especially when he discovered you weren¡¯t here. If youe home, we can talk about all of this. We¡¯re here to support


    you, honey, no matter what you want.¡±


    Thad rolled my eyes at thatst part. Grace¡¯s words might¡¯ve sounded sweet but they were hollow. I¡¯d lived with my dad


    long enough to know that his support came with terms and conditions. If you weren¡¯t doing things his way, you didn¡¯t


    get support. And me running out on my ¡°role¡± in the werewolf world definitely wasn¡¯t ¡°his way.¡±


    If I came back to the pack, there would be nothing to decide. My dad would just keep me there until Griffin came to


    collect me.


    I guess dad will just have to get used to being ashamed of me. I¡¯m not going back.


    With that thought in mind, I resolved to stop isting myself out of paranoia and actually enjoy my new surroundings. I


    had been here for about a week. If Griffin knew where I was, he would¡¯ve found me already. Until I knew otherwise, I was


    safe.


    ¡°rk, you want to go grab some coffee with me? There¡¯s a cute little cafe in town,¡± Mom¡¯s voice suddenly rang through


    the room. She stood in the doorway, still wearing her scrubs from work.


    Enjoying your new surroundings means getting out and doing things, rk.


    ¡°Yeah, coffee sounds good,¡± I smiled at her, ¡°Let me just grab my shoes.¡±


    Even something as simple as grabbing coffee with my mom felt so freeing.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m actually free here.


    What I didn¡¯t know at that moment was that my freedom would be very short-lived.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°Your first love is your first love. It cannot be analyzed, exined, or forgotten.¡±


    Aisling Bea


    My mom had been right about the little cafe in town ~ it was cute and cozy. They also just had good coffee, much better


    than the ck sludge that Steve was drinking in his thermos every morning.


    After I¡¯d gone with her that first night, I started going there on my own. Sometimes I¡¯d take a book to read, and other


    times I would just people-watch with steaming hot coffee in my hand. \¡ã)


    Yorba Linda was definitely a small town, there was no denying that. Besides a grocery store, a movie theater, a library, and


    the little cafe, there were just houses here. (*


    But it was also peaceful and the people were nice but not intrusive. I was used to living in a small town ¡ª if you could


    call the cktooth Pack a town ~ but the pack had never felt peaceful.


    Everyone had heightened emotions, mates were all over each other, and people thought they were entitled to know


    every aspect of your life. It probably had to do with their ¡°mind link,¡± but as a human, it wasn¡¯t great. Yorba Linda


    might¡¯ve been small, but nob*dy bothered you. People


    went about their business and didn¡¯t inquire about yours. It was nice. )


    After ten days in the little town, I found myself spending another afternoon in the coffee shop. This time, I was equipped


    with some mystery novel I¡¯d pulled off mom¡¯s bookshelf. Her collection was sparse, so I would need to make a run to the


    local library soon.


    I walked up to the coffee shop counter to ce my order. The shop was a little busy, and I watched the barista ~ a


    college-aged girl with dyed purple hair whose nametag read Amber ~ multitask like a pro.


    Geez, she really moves fast. (: She slid someone¡¯s mocha down the counter and then turned to me. Despite how quickly


    she seemed to be working, there wasn¡¯t a hair out


    of ce. She didn¡¯t seem to be breaking a sweat. (=


    ¡°What can I get you?¡± she asked with a bright smile, and I saw her eyes


    widen when she looked at me. ¡°Woah,¡± she muttered under her breath. )


    My cheeks instantly flushed. Why is she staring at me like that? ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. She was still staring. ¡°Do


    I have still


    breakfast on my face?¡± Before she could reply, I swiped my shirt sleeve across my face several times. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Amber


    said, smiling awkwardly, ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry ~ I wasn¡¯t trying to stare. It¡¯s just¡­you reminded me of someone for a second. I


    kinda thought you were her.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said, ¡°She¡¯s a redhead with freckles? We kind of all look the same.¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°Yep, you got it. Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel awkward. Anyway, what can I get you?¡±


    ¡°Steaming hot Americano with cream.¡± ¡°Coming right up!¡±


    After procuring my drink, I settled into one of the armchairs by the window to read my book.


    I was nearly fifty pages in when a voice broke through the silence. ¡°rk? rk Marshall? Is that you?¡±


    My head whipped up instantly, my b*dy on high alert. I took a sharp inhale when I saw who it was.


    ¡°Aiden?¡±


    He definitely looked older than thest time I¡¯d seen him two years ago. I could tell he was taller, his hair was shorter, and


    he was less scrawny


    ¡ª but there was no mistaking the same blue eyes and fluffy blonde hair. ) This was Aiden, my first boyfriend.


    The one who Griffin insisted on knowing about, and interrogated me about whether Aiden had touched me.


    For a moment, all I could do was stare at him with wide eyes. Of all the people who could recognize me in public, Aiden


    was far from the worst ¡ª but where had hee from? What was he doing in a tiny town like


    Yorba Linda?


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you,¡± Aiden said with a bright smile and he plopped down on the empty chair across from me, ¡°I


    couldn¡¯t even believe it was you when I walked in. I thought I was seeing things.¡± *


    His blue eyes were even bluer than I remembered them to be and I couldn¡¯t help but blush. Suddenly, I felt all too aware


    of how frizzy my hair was or how big Steve¡¯s jacket must¡¯ve looked on me.


    Of course, I¡¯d run into someb*dy I know when I look like I just rolled out of b*d.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s me,¡± I told him, ¡°You¡¯re not seeing things¡­but what are you doing here?¡±


    His smile didn¡¯t falter for a second. ¡°In this coffee shop or Yorba Linda, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yorba Linda,¡± I said, ¡°Not that I¡¯m not happy to see you. I guess I just really wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± ¡°I could say the same


    about you, you know,¡± he grinned, ¡°Last I remember, you were living in Washington with your dad. But to answer your


    question, my folks moved to SoCal about a year ago. I¡¯ve been going to the local college a town over, but I always stop


    here for coffee ~ nothing beats the pour-over here.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s exnation made sense. From what I remembered about him, his parents frequently moved for his dad¡¯s job. He


    had lived in California when we were kids, relocated to Oregon when we started dating, and now it seemed like he was


    back in California. ¡®)


    Just in time for me to run into him, it seems.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± Aiden said, sipping his own drink, ¡°How¡¯d you end up in Yorba Linda? Last I remember, your dad was pretty


    strict about your whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Lm visiting my mom for a while,¡± I said, ¡°We¡¯re catching up.¡± It wasn¡¯t technically a lie, I was doing those things. It just wasn¡¯t the real truth.


    Aiden nodded, and I saw him nce at his phone. ¡°Shoot¡­I¡¯ve got to go. I¡¯ve got ss in twenty,¡± he said, and then he


    paused, ¡°But I don¡¯t suppose I could see you again? It¡¯s been two years ¨C I¡¯m sure you and I have a lot of catching up to


    do too.¡± \¡±)


    Is he asking me out? *


    Red colored my cheeks. Aiden was cute, we had a brief history together, and he was probably the only person ~ besides


    mom and Steve ¨C that I knew in the area, Could going out with him really do any harm?)


    The offer should¡¯ve excited me, but something was nagging at me ¨C some sort of gut feeling telling me that going out


    with Aiden was wrong. \¡ã


    Griffin¡¯s face shed through my mind.


    Stop thinking about him, rk. He¡¯s a thing of the past. He¡¯s probably already moved on from you, shouldn¡¯t you do the


    same?


    Aiden must¡¯ve sensed my hesitancy because he quickly rified. ¡°Geez, sorry,¡± he awkwardly chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to


    come on too strong like that. I meant as friends. Catch up as friends.¡±


    Itried to push down the nagging gut feeling I had. This wasn¡¯t cheating ¨C going with Aiden as friends wouldn¡¯t be doing


    anything wrong. Griffin and I had never been in an actual rtionship anyway. Those require both parties to be willing,


    and I had never been willing to ept the mate bond.


    With another sip of my drink, I mustered a smile. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay,¡± I said, ¡°Id love to catch up as friends.¡± (#


    ¡°Great,¡± Aiden sent me another blinding smile, ¡°Here, you can put your number in.¡± He handed me his phone. ¡°I¡¯m not


    sure if you¡¯ve been there yet, but there¡¯s a movie theater in town. They y a lot of the ssics. I remember you were


    always a secret Hitchcock fan. They¡¯re ying Psycho next Friday. You down to go?¡± Just a friendly movie


    between¡­friends. Human friends that you haven¡¯t seen in years.


    I nodded and dialed my number into Aiden¡¯s contact list. ¡°Yeah, sounds great,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯¡¯m surprised you remember


    that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯d be surprised what I remember about you, rk Marshall,¡± he teased me, standing up. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll see you


    Friday.¡± He gave me a wink before departing the shop. (¡¯


    It was still weird to hear people refer to me with my mom¡¯sst name. It felt like I was sinking back into an old identity, an


    old version of myself, That¡¯s what people like mom, Steve, and even Aiden knew me as: rk Marshall, the regr girl


    who liked ssic movies and mystery novels.


    It was refreshing more than anything. It felt like I was shedding the skin of what I¡¯d been forced to be for seven years:


    rk Bellevue, the human.


    This is good though. Catching up with Aiden will be good for me. (¡ã


    Still, I couldn¡¯t shake that nagging feeling that I shouldn¡¯t be interacting with Aiden.


    As I shoved my face back into the book, I didn¡¯t see the way Amber¡¯s eyes stuck to me like glue. I certainly didn¡¯t see theBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    way she¡¯d been watching my entire exchange with Aiden either.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39 Chapter 39


    ¡°Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life¡± (2


    Mark Twain


    It had been nearly two weeks since I¡¯d arrived in Yorba Linda, and each day that passed without incident allowed me to


    slowly rx. I felt like I was slowly sinking into the easy routine that came with living here.


    Neither my dad nor Griffin had shown up, banging on the door and ready to drag me back. Even if my dad had known I


    was visiting mom, he still wouldn¡¯t have found me ~ not unless he¡¯d been keeping close


    tabs on her whereabouts for the past seven years.) There¡¯s no way Luna Grace would¡¯ve been cool with that.


    And if Griffin hadn¡¯t been able to find me yet, maybe he¡¯d already given up. I knew he¡¯d gone to cktooth Pack a week


    ago ¨C that¡¯s how my dad knew I was even missing at all ¡ª but I hadn¡¯t heard anything more about him since.


    He¡¯s probably already moved on. Maybe he¡¯s taking applications for his new Queen. |!


    Somehow, that thought didn¡¯t feelforting to me. By the time Friday, the day I had agreed to see the movie with


    Aiden, rolled around, I was more rxed than ever. It no longer felt like Griffin was going to be waiting to abduct me


    every time I left the house.¡°


    Steve and mom seemed to pick up on my rxed mood too. ¡°So, tell me about this boy,¡± mom said teasingly.


    She was chopping up an onion for dinner while I washed dishes. 1 couldn¡¯t deny that her cooking skills had vastly


    improved in the past seven years.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to tell,¡± I told her, ¡°He¡¯s just an old friend. We dated for, like, a couple of months two years ago but it


    never went anywhere. We ran into each other at that little cafe and he asked me to catch up ~ as friends.¡±


    I left out the part about how Aiden and I had been frequently texting since our reunion at the coffee shop. Most of it was


    casual, but there was some light flirting too. 7


    ¡°Hm, okay,¡± mom said, hiding a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re settling in and making friends here. I was a little worried


    about you those first few days. You were very jumpy and nervous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I am on the run,¡± I told her, ¡°Coming here was a risk. Part of me was terrified that Griffin was going to just


    show up and drag me back to the castle, but it looks likeying low has paid off. I¡¯m in the clear.¡± ¡°Griffin,¡± she tested his


    name out like she was sampling a new dish, ¡°That¡¯s your mate? And he¡¯s the King?¡±


    I nodded. It felt weird to discuss Griffin with my mom. Truthfully, thinking or talking about Griffin left an odd,


    ufortable feeling in my stomach. It also inevitably led me to think about things I shouldn¡¯t ¡ª like how expressive his


    dark eyes were, how lean and tall he was, or his infuriating nickname for me.


    I wanted to leave Griffin in the past. That¡¯s where he belonged now.


    ¡°What was he like?¡± she asked.


    Despite how ufortable I was with the subject, my mom didn¡¯t seem to pick up on any of my unease.


    It took me a moment but I managed to answer her. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know him that well,¡± I said, ¡°I only spent a day with him


    before I left. But he was definitely domineering¡­but still affectionate. He always had his hands on me.¡± I hadn¡¯t meant to


    say thatst part out loud, but


    somehow, it still sl*pped out.


    ¡°Wolves are always domineering,¡± she told me with an eye roll, ¡°Your father was that way too, even though we spent most of our time as


    friends. It can be hard to handle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you got that right.¡± As it turned out, the movie theater that Aiden wanted us to meet at was within walking


    distance. Yorba Linda was that tiny of a town.


    But I didn¡¯t mind. The temperature was just cool enough to warrant a jacket but not ufortable, and the fresh air felt


    nice. Since this was definitely not a date, I¡¯d kept my outfit casual: a light dress and a cardigan from my mom¡¯s closet.


    Since I¡¯de here with only a backpack to my name, I¡¯d been stealing a lot of her clothes and making a few visits to


    the thrift store.


    I¡¯d brushed my hair and done a little bit of makeup but nothing too time-consuming. Minimal makeup for my definitelynot-a-date-night.


    As I turned theer to see the tiny movie theater and its bright lights, I smiled ¨C Aiden was already here. He was


    leaning against one of the pirs, staring at the bright screen of his phone.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called out and he looked up. He was dressed just as casually as me in a hoodie and jeans. He gave me a bright


    smile as soon as he saw me and I tried to pretend like I didn¡¯t notice the way his eyes roamed over my b*dy.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, ¡°You, uh, look good.¡± As soon as I reached him, he leaned over to give me a quick hug. I barely had time


    to think about


    how awkward it was before he was pulling away.


    It was clear that both of us felt awkward and a little out of ce. We hadn¡¯t seen each other in two years and most of our


    original time together had been making out in his cramped Honda. And now we were both seeing a movie ¡°as friends,¡±


    even though the charged air felt more like a clumsy first date.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I gave him a small smile, ¡°You look good too.¡± Aiden practically preened at my praise, and I was struck again at


    just how blue his eyes were. They were so unlike Griffin¡¯s dark ones.


    Why are you thinking about Griffin right now? You¡¯re hanging out with Aiden.


    ¡°You wanna grab our tickets?¡± Aiden asked. I nodded and he directed me to the booth.


    We both paid separately and I almost let out a sigh of relief when Aiden didn¡¯t offer to pay for mine.


    We made small-talk all the way into the theater. Aiden told me about what he was studying in school ¨C economics ¨C and we chatted about how pricey the concession stand was. None of it was very deep, but by the time we were seated in our


    chairs, I definitely felt more rxed. It felt like we were finding our groove and some of the awkwardness had dissipated.


    There was even some banter.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I remember when you made me watch, like, ten of Hitchcock¡¯s movies two years ago,¡± Aiden whispered to me as the


    previews yed. We tried to stay quiet given how full the theater was. I was surprised to see so many people here, but


    then again, it was a small town. It¡¯s not like Yorba Linda had clubs or bars to hang out at.


    ¡°Oh, please,¡± I hissed back yfully, ¡°It was ten. We watched, like, three. You were just such a drama queen.¡± )


    Aiden chuckled but the title credits began to y so he didn¡¯t reply. )


    I tried my best to pay attention to the movie and ignore the way Aiden¡¯s hand kept brushing against mine or how he


    shifted in his seat like he was mustering up the courage to hold my hand.


    Please don¡¯t.


    To silently make my point, I moved my arm from the armrest to myp. He stopped fidgeting after that and I let out a


    silent breath, fixing my eyes on the ck-and-white screen.


    But it was halfway through the movie when I felt it.


    Suddenly, the hair on the back of my n*eck stood up and my entire b*dy tensed. | felt exposed and vulnerable, like prey


    sitting out in the open while her predator waits in the bushes.


    Something is off


    I didn¡¯t want to make a scene, so I tried to discreetly turn my head to look around. Nob*dy was paying attention to me.


    Everyone, including Aiden, waspletely engaged in the movie. I peered into the dark corners of the theater but there was nothing there. Nob*dy was looking at me. 7


    Still, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was different. Every bit of rxation I¡¯d felt before had been sucked from


    my b*dy. All I


    could feel now was the twisting of my gut and the beating of my heart.


    Just as I¡¯d decided I was just being paranoid and anxious for no reason, I felt it again.


    A change in the air. Like some powerful predator had stepped into the room and we were all exposed sitting ducks. (1)


    My stomach dropped.


    I recognized that power, that tangible tension that came from a certain someone¡¯s presence. I had felt it before.


    Griffin.

 Chapter 40

    ¡°Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they¡¯re in the game.¡± (¡ã


    Paul Rodriguez Now I was the one fidgeting in my seat.


    My heart was pounding a million miles per minute and I whipped my head around the theater.


    Where is he? Tcan feel him. God, why can I actually feel his presence?


    A part of me wanted to brush it off as paranoia, but deep down, I knew it was more than just anxiety. The mate bond. I


    could feel it. Thrumming beneath the surface, like my entire b*dy was yearning for him.


    As my eyes swept around the dark room, I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. The crowded theater was full ofughing families


    and cuddled-up couples but there was no Alpha King in sight. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Aiden suddenly whispered next to me. Given that I¡¯d suddenly taken to squirming around like a mad woman, I couldn¡¯t be surprised that he was concerned.


    Oh, God. Aiden.


    If Griffin is really here, he¡¯ll kill him.


    Immediately, my mind shed to a certain decapitated head. If he was willing to behead his father, I couldn¡¯t imagine


    what he¡¯d do to someone like Aiden.


    Someone who currently looks like he¡¯s on a date with me.


    Tneed to get out of here ¡ª and alone. If Griffin is here and going to make his presence known, Aiden can¡¯t be around for


    it.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not feeling so hot anymore,¡± I told him, clutching my head, ¡°I really feel a migraineing on, I get these


    sometimes. I should get home before it gets worse.¡± |!


    I started to stand up but Aiden grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Hey, wait,¡± he said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t walk home alone. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No!¡± I said it louder than I intended to and a


    couple of people nearby turned to look at us. More quietly, I added, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You should


    stay and enjoy the movie. I won¡¯t walk, ¡¯ll call my mom.¡±


    That was a lie of course. If Griffin really was here and waiting in the shadows, I wasn¡¯t going to involve anyone else.


    And if I¡¯m somehow just making this all up in my head and freaking out over nothing, the fresh air will probably do me


    some good.


    Aiden looked hesitant to let me go. Even in the dark, his concerned blue eyes seemed to gleam.


    ¡°[¡®m okay, really,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯¡¯m sorry our night had to be cut short. Had I known I was getting a migraine, I would¡¯ve never


    come.¡±


    More like ¨C had I known my possessive Alpha mate was going to show up, 1 would¡¯ve nevere.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± he asked.


    Inodded and he slowly sat back down. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I promise,¡± I told him and I managed to muster a smile.


    He finally nodded. ¡°If you say so. Guess we¡¯ll have to do a raincheck on movie night then.¡±


    Yeah, assuming Griffin doesn¡¯t drag me back to Canada.) ¡°Of course, we will.¡± Probably not.


    With a long breath, I strode out of the theater, my eyes searching every dark crevice for an indicator of Griffin. But there was none. Unless he¡¯d mastered the art of invisibility since I¡¯d seen himst, he didn¡¯t appear to be in the theater.


    So why can I still feel him?


    Outside of the theater, my eyes took a minute to adjust to the harsh fluorescent lighting of the hallway. Besides the lone


    ticket attendant sitting at the counter and the popcorn littered on the floor, even the hallway was abandoned.


    I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my cardigan and made my way to the exit. ¡°Have a good night!¡± The ticket


    attendant called after me but I was too nervous and amped up to even pretend to be polite back.


    The air outside was just as brisk as it had been an hour ago. Although the theater was located downtown, only a sidewalk


    and a twone roady between me and a heavily forested area.


    Thad hardly noticed it before. It didn¡¯t look out of ce with Yorba Linda¡¯s cozy atmosphere. But now, all I could think


    about was how easy it would be for Griffin to hide in them. Was he there now? Gleaming eyes and sharp teeth, ready to


    grab me at a moment¡¯s notice?


    The thought sent my heart in overdrive and I picked up the pace. God, I need to get home, pack, and get out of here.


    What am I going to tell mom and Steve? They¡¯re having their own date night out tonight, they won¡¯t even be home. 1


    can¡¯t leave without saying goodbye. I¡¯ll have to text or leave a voicemail. I don¡¯t have time to wait for them. I pulled out my phone and began drafting a rushed text to my mother.


    Hey mom. Something came up and I gotta leave town for a little while. I¡¯ll be back sometime but I¡¯m not sure when. It¡¯s


    about that trouble I was involved in. I¡¯ll be okay, I just don¡¯t want you to worry. Thank you for taking me in. I love you.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My fingers were trembling so hard that I couldn¡¯t hit the keys right. My message came out looking like gibberish at least


    two times before I managed to get it right. It was far from the goodbye that my mother (or me) deserved after seven


    years apart, but it would have to do for now. Just until I get out of town, somewhere that Griffin wouldn¡¯t find me. And I


    meant the part about returning. Although I wasn¡¯t sure when, I knew this wouldn¡¯t be myst meeting with my mom. We¡¯d see each other again.


    Just as my thumb hovered over the ¡®send¡¯ button, my b*dy smacked into a muscled wall.


    My phone fell from my hands, shattering on the ground. Walls don¡¯t have muscles, rk. =)


    ¡°Hello, little fox.¡± My stomach dropped.


    I looked up, meeting dark, expressive eyes.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41 Chapter 41


    ¡°The world consists of predators and prey. You are either hunting or running.¡± (1


    Unknown


    Lused to volunteer at the animal shelter with Uncle Steve when I was seven or eight. Most of my time there is a blur, but I


    remember how we captured feral cats so they could be spayed or neutered at the shelter.


    We¡¯d buy those live traps, stick a little cat food inside, and wait for the next hungry stray to wander by. I remember how


    those feral cats would look when they stumbled upon the trap.


    First, they¡¯d wander into the trap cautiously and sniff out the food. There would be a split second where their animal eyes would light up, and you could tell they thought they¡¯d just found the cat-version of the lottery.


    But just as they began digging in, the trap would swing shut. The cats always knew they were trapped immediately. They would paw at the door and hiss when you got too close. But they knew they were caught.


    The terror in their eyes used to bother me as a kid ¡ª even if Steve was always quick to remind me that we were helping


    these cats. Sometimes I would wonder what it felt like to be that afraid, to know there was no escape.


    But as I stared up at Griffin, I felt exactly like one of those feral cats. I¡¯d wandered into a trap without realizing it, and just


    for a moment, I had believed I¡¯d gotten away with it unscathed. I had believed that I could live a life away from


    werewolves and mates and crowns.


    But now that I was looking into Griffin¡¯s eyes, I knew there was no escape. Nowhere for me to run or hide. He¡¯d caught me.


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I breathed his name out. As scared as I was, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how gorgeous he was. The streetlights of


    Yorba Linda illuminated his bronze skin and highlighted his dark hair. His jawline was sharp enough to cut ss, it madeProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    him look like some kind of beautiful sculpture crafted by an artist, not a real person.


    He was also dressed just as casually as the first time I¡¯d met him ~ a hoodie, light jacket, jeans, and boots.


    I didn¡¯t miss the way his eyes lit up when he heard me say his name. ¡°Little fox,¡± he said, and I¡¯d forgotten how husky his


    voice was.


    He looked like he was about to say something else, but just as he opened his mouth, aughing couple walked by us.


    There was one of the outdoor benches just feet away and they looked like they were making a pitstop there.


    Adrenaline was pumping through my veins. Fight or flight, rk?


    I barely had time to think, but just as Griffin¡¯s eyes flickered to the strangers walking by, I stepped back.


    Flight it is. I pivoted on my heel, getting ready to run. But I never got the chance.


    Just as I tensed my b*dy to run, Griffin¡¯s hands ensnared me like a cage. He pulled me back toward his chest, and I felt


    him push his nose into my hair, breathing in my scent. (2)


    My heart continued to pound like a drum, and I wondered if he could hear it. Probably ~ werewolves did have


    heightened senses.


    ¡°| wouldn¡¯t do that if 1 were you,¡± Griffin whispered in my ear. I held back a shiver but it wasn¡¯t one of fear. It was


    something else his voice was doing to me. ¡°You can¡¯t see them, but I have my guards surrounding us. You won¡¯t get


    away from me, not again.¡±


    I practically deted in his arms. I had known it was fruitless even to try, but part of me had been hopeful after seeing the


    strangers walk by.


    But I also should¡¯ve known he wouldn¡¯te alone. Of course, he¡¯d bring guards with him.


    Griffin¡¯s grip on me was gentle but firm. His hands were running up and down my arms and I tried to pretend I didn¡¯t


    feel the sparks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to go home now, little fox?¡± He whispered and I could feel his breath on my ear.


    I couldn¡¯t judge if he was angry by his voice ~ his tone was even and calm. But I couldn¡¯t imagine that he was happy


    after chasing me across the country.


    The time was fighting was over. He had me now. (1) So, I just nodded.


    I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I could practically feel his smug smile. Just as I knew I¡¯d been beaten, he knew he¡¯d won.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, and then he turned me around to face him. I had to crane my n*eck upwards to make eye contact, but


    just as I¡¯d suspected, he was wearing a victorious smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± (2


    He removed his arms from me, and instead, grabbed my hand in his. I hated to admit it, but hisrge hand felt soft and warm and utterly perfect in mine.


    ¡°How are we getting back?¡± I finally asked him. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to call the castle ¡°home,¡± but I assumed that¡¯s where he was nning


    to take me.


    Griffin¡¯s eyes flickered to the main road and I watched as a sleek ck SUV pulled up to the sidewalk. It wasn¡¯t unlike the


    ones I¡¯d ridden up and from the castle in.


    Of course he has a car waiting.


    As he tugged me towards the car, I took onest nce back at my shattered phone sitting on the sidewalk. I¡¯d never


    gotten to send that message to my mother, and now, I was going to just disappear into thin air. How was I supposed to


    contact her and let her know I was okay?


    I didn¡¯t fight or protest when Griffin ced his hands on my hips and helped me into the SUV (even though I totally did


    not need it).


    I slid back into the leather seat closest to the far window and watched Griffin climb in after me. Even in a spacious SUV,


    his broad form and height were more than noticeable.


    ¡°Wee back, my queen,¡± the driver suddenly spoke and I felt my face go red with embarrassment when I saw who it


    was ~ the same driver who had driven Alessia and me away from the castle. (*)


    Had he known who I was the entire time?


    Griffin closed the car door behind him and it felt like he was sealing my fate. I¡¯d never get away again, I could feel it. If he was willing to chase me to another country, he wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    I should¡¯ve just listened to him the first time when he told me that he¡¯d never let anything get between us. Clearly, he


    hadn¡¯t been lying. (! Part of me felt like I should¡¯ve stopped the entire escape n when Alessi


    escort recognized us. It would¡¯ve saved me plenty of time.


    But then you would never have gotten to spend time with your mother. )


    That was something I¡¯d never regret. No matter how short our time together had been, I would always be d that I got


    to see her again ¡ª and to know the truth.


    Thinking about my mother only made me think about how worried she¡¯d be when I never came home from the movie.


    Maybe she¡¯d connect the dots about my disappearance, but maybe not.


    My phone is dead, but maybe there¡¯s still a way for me to contact her.


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, and he immediately turned to me. ¡°I know you must be angry at me right now, and I don¡¯t me


    you¡­but I was hoping I could ask for a favor.¡±


    Griffin raised an eyebrow and his eyes lit up with amusement. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not angry with you, little fox.¡±


    That surprised me. The guy had just spent the past couple of weeks tracking me down and he wasn¡¯t angry? I found that


    incredibly hard to believe.


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± I asked him with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°No,¡± Griffin said, and then he smiled at me. It wasn¡¯t a happy smile. It was the smile of a predator who¡¯s finally ensnared


    his prey. His ¡®no¡¯ did nothing to ease my mind. It felt like he was trying to lure me into some false sense of security so he


    could pounce on meter.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re not mad?¡± J asked again.


    Griffin brought his hand up to caress my face. His fingertips left tingles everywhere they touched. ¡°No, little fox,¡± he


    repeated, ¡°But I am disappointed in you.¡± 7


    My stomach dropped.


    I suppose you could argue that disappointment was better than anger, but somehow, I could just feel that Griffin¡¯s


    disappointment was going to be worse than his anger.


    ¡°Now, what was the favor you wanted to ask of me?¡±


    After hearing that he was disappointed in me, I felt foolish for even asking. In fact, I just felt embarrassed. How could I


    have ever been so naive to think I¡¯d get away from him? Everyone had warned me that he wouldn¡¯t let me go, wouldn¡¯t


    give up so easily, and I¡¯d just ignored them. ¡¯d been too blinded by the possibility of a life without werewolves and mates.


    Pull yourself together, rk.


    Despite how much I wanted to just curl up into a ball and hide my face in the corner, I managed to swallow down my


    embarrassment and speak. ¡°I was wondering,¡± I said, not meeting his eyes, ¡°If I could possibly just text my mother from


    your phone to let her know I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Griffin was silent but his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°[ know you¡¯re disappointed in me right now,¡± I said, ¡°But I¡¯m with you¡­for good now. I didn¡¯t get the chance to tell her


    I¡¯m leaving. I just don¡¯t want her to worry when I don¡¯te home.¡±


    Griffin remained silent and after a few moments, I wondered if he just wasn¡¯t going to answer me. But then he sighed


    and pulled out his phone. ¡°Here,¡± he said, ¡°Text your mother. Tell her you won¡¯t be able to see or speak to her for a


    while.¡± (¡ã


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed, grabbing his phone before he could change his mind. Fortunately, I had my mother¡¯s new


    number memorized and it only took me a few seconds to type out a simr version to what I¡¯d been trying to send


    before my phone shattered.


    T handed the phone back to Griffin when I was done and he pocketed it.


    ¡°Driver,¡± he suddenly said, and he tapped on the back of the driver¡¯s seat with his hand. The driver didn¡¯t respond but I watched as a privacy partition ~ something I hadn¡¯t seen before ~ separated the backseats that Griffin and I were in from


    the front seats. (7


    I could no longer see or hear the driver anymore, so it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that Griffin wanted privacy with


    me. For what?


    ¡°Come here, little fox.¡± I didn¡¯t have a lot of time to dwell on it as Griffin reached out and tugged me into his side.


    The move happened too quickly for me to even think about squirming away, but even as he tucked me into his side, I


    didn¡¯t try to get away. He was warm and being pressed into his side fel


    ¡°You have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you,¡± Griffin sighed, digging his nose into my hair and inhaling my scent. ¡°I


    didn¡¯t get nearly enough time to look at you before, to touch you. That¡¯ll change.¡± As if to make his point, one of his


    hands ran up and down my arm while the other yed with my hair.


    ¡°Do you know how it felt when I came back to an empty room and you were no longer there?¡± Griffin asked. There was a


    hard edge to his voice but also sadness too. I could hear in his voice that my absence had affected him deeply.


    The thought of upsetting Griffin ¨C of disappointing him ¨C felt like a heavy weight on my chest. It was ufortable. Now


    that I was here with him, I could no longer pretend that leaving hadn¡¯t affected him. I¡¯d told myself that he had probably


    just moved on, but that wasn¡¯t reality. This was reality.


    ¡°Lm sorry,¡± I blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry | left. I¡¯m sorry I disappointed you.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s hand stopped ying with my hair for a second and I could tell Thad surprised him with my apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯re my mate, I will always forgive you.¡±


    That weight on my chest seemed to lessen ~ was it really that easy to earn his forgiveness?


    Man, he¡¯s more even-tempered and patient than I realized.


    ¡°But once we get back to the castle,¡± he suddenly added, ¡°I¡¯m still going to have to punish you.¡± 2


    Okay, I definitely spoke too soon.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature¡¯s inexorable imperative.¡± HG Wells


    Punishment?


    He¡¯s going to punish me?


    Griffin had said it so casually, like he was telling me about the weather or asking me my favorite food.


    ¡°Punishment?¡± I echoed, craning my n*eck to look up at him. Tucked into his side, it strained my n*eck to make eye contact with him but I managed.


    A slow smirk spread across his face. My reaction didn¡¯t seem to surprise him at all, and if anything, he just looked


    amused.


    What a sadist. He enjoys freaking me out like this.


    ¡°Yes, little fox,¡± he said, and his tone was almost mocking, ¡°If I don¡¯t punish you, how will you learn your lesson?¡±


    Oh, God. He¡¯s actually serious, he¡¯s not just joking. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­how would you punish me?¡± I asked. I couldn¡¯t


    possibly imagine what Griffin¡¯s ¡°punishment¡± would entail. Was he nning to lock me up in the dungeon or something?


    Or was this more of a time-out-sit-in-theer sort of deal? Both options didn¡¯t seem appealing, and the very thought


    of a ¡°punishment¡± made me feel like a misbehaving child. Maybe that was the point. (¡ã


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it once we get back to the castle,¡± he said, and he went back to ying with my hair, ¡°For now, I¡¯m just


    happy you¡¯re in my arms again. But we¡¯ve got a long night and a long flight ahead of us. You should probably get some


    sleep.¡±


    For a brief moment, my mind shed to the airport. Of course, we¡¯d be taking a flight back to Canada! Maybe I could


    escape at the airport. There would be people there, people who would never let some random man drag a kicking,


    screaming girl onto a flight.


    As if he could sense what I was thinking, one of Griffin¡¯s hands came up to cup my jaw and turn my attention back to him.


    ¡°I already know that clever little mind of yours is trying to hatch a second escape n, little fox,¡± he said with narrowed


    eyes, ¡°But I¡¯m going to stop you right here. Don¡¯t even try.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I feigned disbelief, ¡°I was not thinking about trying to escape. I was thinking about what snacks I¡¯d get at the


    airport. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Iwas a terrible liar and the unimpressed look on Griffin¡¯s face proved it. I wasn¡¯t fooling him. He sighed, his eyes roaming


    over my face. There was some sort of emotion on his face ~ sadness or guilt, I wasn¡¯t sure which. ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to


    come to this,¡± he said, ¡°But I knew it would. Even with my private jet, I can¡¯t take any chances with you.¡±


    I was too confused by his statement to notice how he rummaged around his pocket or moved his other hand to hold my


    jaw still.


    And then I felt it.


    He moved quickly, far too quickly for me to shove him away or fight back. Suddenly, there was a sharp pin-prick in my


    n*eck. (=


    Instinctively, I tried to move my head away, but Griffin held me steady with one hand.


    And then I managed to catch a glimpse at what he was holding in the other hand: arge needle that he¡¯d shoved


    between my n*eck and my shoulder. The pin-prick I¡¯d felt? It was him jabbing the needle into my n*eck, emptying some


    cloudy substance into my veins.)


    It only took him a few seconds, and by the time I¡¯d registered it, he was already done. ¡°What was that?¡± I gasped as soon


    as he pulled the syringe out. I sped my hand over the spot he¡¯d stabbed, but it was toote.


    Griffin pulled me close.


    ¡°Pm sorry, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. Just to make sure you don¡¯t cause any scenes out in public. By the


    time that wears off, we¡¯ll be home.¡± Before I could argue or fight or throw some sort of fit, I began to feel it.


    My limbs started to feel heavy, too heavy for me to hold them up on my own. I copsed into Griffin¡¯s side, and he began


    to stroke my hair.


    He just drugged me.


    Oh my God, he just drugged me.


    I wanted to yell at him, but my tongue was heavy with a sweet chemical aftertaste. My vision began to get blurry until


    Griffin, the driver, and the


    open road ahead of us began to fade into colorless shapes.


    Thest thing I registered before the drug pulled me under was Griffinying my head on hisp and pressing his l*ps to my forehead.


    Yeah, that was definitely guilt on his face. (2N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    The first thing I noticed when I woke up was just how much my head hurt. It felt like a splitting dehydration headache


    times ten.


    The second thing I noticed was silk sheets underneath me. The third thing my drug-induced brain noticed was that I wasn¡¯t alone.


    That final observation was enough for me to force my heavy limbs and sluggish brain awake. | blinked my eyes rapidly


    and it took several seconds before my surroundings became clear.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a gravely, ented voice spoke nearby. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I managed to twist my aching head around to see where I was and to who that voice belonged. I wasying in a massive


    bed with navy blue silk sheets, a dark headboard, and a literal canopy.


    The room was massive, more luxurious than anything I¡¯d been in before ~ including Griffin¡¯s old bedroom. This was an


    entire suite with gold and navy fixtures, an impressive vanity, and a couple of doors that seemed to lead¡­somewhere.


    While I was sprawled out on the b*d in the same cardigan and dress, a stout old woman was perched next to me. She was wearing a thin white coat, and from the medical supplies next to her, I could only assume this was a doctor or healer.


    * )


    What happened to me?


    ¡°You were out for twelve hours,¡± she said, and her beady eyes peered down at me. She had arge hook nose that I tried


    not to stare at. ¡°Do you remember what happened, Your Majesty?¡± \¡¯


    I tried to open my mouth and form words, but my throat was so dry that I immediately started coughing. She quickly


    handed me a ss of water and I downed it in seconds. Do I remember what happened?


    Iremember being with Aiden. We were at the movie, I walked out and then¡­


    I couldn¡¯t suppress the gasp. The previous night¡¯s events rushed through my brain in a sh ~ Griffin finding me on the


    street, bringing me into the car, sticking a needle in my n*eck.


    That bastard drugged me! +


    ¡°From the expression on your face,¡± the woman said, ¡°I can tell you remember. I told him not to use the


    diphenhydramine. No woman wants a needle in their n*eck like that or a nasty drug hangover ~ which is what I assume


    you¡¯re experiencing right now.¡± The more she spoke, the more I was able to recognize her ent. Russian. (*)


    I managed to nod. ¡°What did he give me?¡± I asked, and my voice was still croaky, ¡°Diphenhy ~ what was it you said?¡±


    ¡°Diphenhydramine,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s a sleep aid and you had a pretty big dose of it. The King wanted to make sure your


    trip here was¡­ uneventful.¡± (4


    Uneventful. More like Griffin was afraid I¡¯d make a scene in public and escape again.


    ¡°Is your head hurting?¡± she asked me. One of her bony hands came up to touch my forehead. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°It feels like


    I¡¯ve got the start of a migraineing on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a side effect of the drug,¡± she said, and then she turned to rummage through her bag, ¡°Here. Take this. It¡¯s a pain


    reliever.¡±


    She handed me two little white pills, but I only eyed them. After being jabbed with a needle, I felt a little hesitant to take


    unnamed drugs.


    The woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Please, it won¡¯t hurt you, Koponesa. It¡¯s a weak opioid. It¡¯ll help your headache.¡± Although


    the idea still didn¡¯t thrill me, my head was pounding. If it meant getting rid of the hammering in my head, the risk might


    be worth it.


    With the same ss of water, I swallowed the pills down and the old woman smiled at me. ¡°Good, good,¡± she said, ¡°My


    name is Dr. Inessa by the way. I apologize for not introducing myself, but I¡¯m one of the King¡¯s personal healers. He¡¯s


    dealing with a little bit of business, but he asked me to check on you and make sure you were alright.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well thank you,¡± I told her. I watched her pack up her medical supplies. ¡°Do you know where I am? What this room


    is?¡±


    Dr. Inessa turned to look at me like I was a moron. ¡°Where do you think you are, nama? These are the king¡¯s personal


    quarters.¡± That was the second Russian nickname that Inessa had called me, and I could only hope they were positive


    ones.


    I nodded. That made a lot of sense. Griffin was king now, of course he¡¯d have new rooms. And I highly doubt he¡¯d be cool


    with me waking up in anyb*dy else¡¯s b*d but his.


    ¡°You should feel better very shortly,¡± she continued, making her way to the door, ¡°But if not, just ask one of the guards


    standing outside to see me. In the meantime, please rest well, ama.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I called as Dr. Inessa closed the door behind her.


    True to her word, I did begin to feel a lot better within the next few minutes, The pounding pain in my headpletely


    subsided and my limbs no longer felt like they were weighed down by lead weights.)


    still felt a little sluggish and numb ¨C like I hadn¡¯t been able to emotionally process what had happened over the past


    twelve hours. The thought that I was back where I started after a failed escape attempt? ¡®Well, it wasn¡¯t one that I wanted


    to linger on. | |


    Instead, I decided to explore the new rooms. I started by checking out the vanity, and the thought of Griffin sitting down


    to do his makeup actually managed to make me smile. 4


    Next, I went straight for the three closed doors. There was a separate door that Inessa had used to leave the room, but


    these three doors were different.


    One led to an impressive marble bathroom with the biggest shower and jacuzzi tub I¡¯d ever seen. The next door was a


    walk-in closet full of Griffin¡¯s clothes and shoes. There were plenty of casual clothes like the ones I¡¯d seen him in, but also


    much fancier stuff too. Dark, tailored suits and soft dress shirts with pants that probably cost more than my entire wardrobebined.


    And then I saw the other side of the closet. It was decked out in women¡¯s clothes ¨C casual jeans, pretty tops, sundresses,


    and more expensive ballgowns than I¡¯d ever seen in my life. As I got closer, I began to realize that they were all in my size.


    This is for me.


    Ibed through the clothing gently. It wasn¡¯t just random stuff. I could tell that these outfits had been selected with


    care ¨C with me in my mind. A lot of the casual stuff fit my existing style.


    The thought of Griffin picking out clothing for me left a blush on my cheeks and a warm feeling in my chest. Of course, I would need clothes to stay at the pce (and maybe Griffin hadn¡¯t even picked any of these out himself), but the gesture


    still felt sweet. If | had to be trapped at a fancy castle, at least I¡¯d look good. (=)


    I spent a few minutes pawing through the clothes before I managed to tear myself away to see what was behind door


    number three. Since I¡¯d already seen the closet and the bathroom, I had no clue what could be behind this one.


    And yet, when I opened the door, I couldn¡¯t believe what I¡¯d found. Canvases hung on easels, drawings littered arge


    table, and sketches hung everywhere ~ this was an art studio, (*)


    However, an art studio in Griffin¡¯s private bedroom wasn¡¯t the most shocking thing. 2


    No, what shocked me was that most ¨C if not all ¡ª of the artwork was of me.(?)

 Chapter 43

    ¡°The most seductive thing about art is the personality of the artist himself.¡± (=


    Paul Cezanne


    Ive never thought of myself as explicitly beautiful. Pretty, maybe ¨C if I was having a good day. But I had never seen myself


    as a supermodel or even the kind of gir! that people looked twice. Growing up around tall, thin and chiseled people for most of my life might¡¯ve had something to do with that.


    However, as I stared at the art studio littered with paintings, sketches, and drawings of me, I couldn¡¯t help but think I


    looked beautiful in them. The artist had captured my likeness from every angle ~ there was arge oil painting of me


    sprawled out in b*d, a sketch of me smiling in the distance, and many more. Some of them were done in different styles


    but all looked like candid moments, like the artist had been there and recreated them from memory.


    Istared at a particr sketch of me staring down at a dinner te. I recognized the food in the photo and the dress I was wearing. That had


    been taken the night of the dinner party with Griffin.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Oh my God¡­he made these. He made all of them. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that he was the artist. I


    doubted that anyone else would consider me such an interesting subject, and now that I was looking closer, these were


    all moments I¡¯d shared with Griffin in the castle.


    All I could do was stare in awe. What were you supposed to do or say in a room full of beautiful artwork¡­that¡¯s of you?


    He was so talented, it felt like I¡¯d sl*pped into Van Gogh or Picasso¡¯s private studio.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I whipped my head around. Griffin was standing in the doorway of the studio with intense eyes.


    Td been so caught up in my analysis of the artwork that I hadn¡¯t heard the door open behind me.


    For a moment, we just stared at each other. There was an emotion in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t recognize but I could feel


    the tension in the air. ¡®Was he nervous?


    ¡°These are of me,¡± I said, ¡°You made these?¡± I already knew the answer but I needed to hear it from him.


    Griffin nodded and that¡¯s when I clocked the intense emotion in them. Vulnerability. He averted his eyes from me but


    there was a dark blush coating his cheeks. I¡¯d never seen Griffin act embarrassed or bashful as long as I¡¯d known him,


    and that in itself was almost as surprising as the room full of artwork. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± I told him. ¡°You¡¯re incredibly


    talented¡­I just can¡¯t


    believe they¡¯re of me.¡±


    I could almost see Griffin sag with relief from across the room. Like he¡¯d been gearing up for some rejection or tantrum.


    Had he expected me to tell him that I hated his art?


    Regardless of how I felt about him, I couldn¡¯t deny that the work was stunning ¡ª he¡¯d captured my likeness in a way that was even brighter than real life. The girl in the paintings and the sketches were supposed to be me, but she was a vibrant


    and more beautiful version of me.


    ¡°lm d you like them, little fox,¡± he said, and slowly approached me, ¡°Although I don¡¯t think theypare to your real


    life beauty.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the blush from covering my cheeks at that remark ¡ª even if it was definitely not true. ¡°Did you do all of


    these since we met?¡± I asked, ¡°How long have you been an artist?¡±


    Griffin hummed thoughtfully and came up behind me, pulling me to his chest. I didn¡¯t protest or try to fight his touch,


    and if I¡¯m being honest, being pressed against his toned, warm chest struck something


    in me.)


    ¡°Since I was a child,¡± he said, rubbing his hands up and down my arms, ¡°But I¡¯ve done it less and less the past few years.


    I¡¯ve been too busy with my duties as the heir andcking any kind of real inspiration.¡±


    Suddenly, he twisted me around to face him until we were only inches apart. His dark eyes were on fire with some sort of


    emotion, and I felt my heart go into overdrive.


    What is this man doing to me?


    ¡°And then I met you,¡± he continued, ¡°From the second I saw you, all I wanted to do was paint you. Capture you at every


    angle, every position. You¡¯ve been my living, breathing muse, rk Bellevue. Even when you left me, I could see your face


    so clearly in my mind. Every beauty mark on your face, every wrinkle.¡±


    My face was definitely on fire now and Griffin¡¯s expression was so heated that I had to avert my eyes. The way he was


    speaking, what he was saying to me ¨C I had never had anyone make me feel this way.


    He was igniting me.


    As Griffin leaned in, every thought about the past twenty-four hours vanished. The fact that he¡¯d hunted me down


    thousands of miles away, drugged me, and essentially kidnapped me didn¡¯t seem to matter at that moment. |¡±


    It was just me and Griffin ¨C the man who set my heart aze. Griffin, who had an entire art studio filled with paintings of


    me and who¡¯d just called me his muse.


    ¡°[ have a feeling,¡± he continued, ¡°That even after a lifetime together, I¡¯ll still have your face etched in my mind. I¡¯ll be


    trying to capture your beauty on paper for as long as I live, little fox.¡± He was so close that I could feel his breath on my


    l*ps, and even up close, his eyes were just as dark. Just as heated.


    T nced at his l*ps. They¡¯re so full. I wonder what he tastes like.


    Before the logical side of my brain could pipe up and tell me that I was just letting the mate bond get the best of me or


    being swept up in a grand romantic gesture, I closed the gap between us.


    Griffin was so tall that I had to practically jump on my tip-toes to reach his l*ps, but as soon as I did, he was hauling me


    up and pulling me close. |


    And the k*ss?


    It was sparks, it was fireworks, it was every magical, cliche description that you could use to describe a k*ss. It was nothing


    like the k*sses I¡¯d shared with Aiden when I was sixteen. That was just two people awkwardly mashing their l*ps together. |


    But Griffin was an excellent k*sser. His l*ps were soft and firm against mine, and we seemed to find our rhythm almost


    instantly. There was no learning curve, no initial awkwardness. Like we¡¯d been made for each other. 7) I hadn¡¯t even


    realized that I¡¯d tangled my hands into his cropped, dark hair but it felt soft to the touch. And while I kept my hands in


    his hair, Griffin¡¯s hands roamed across my n*eck, my lower back, and any piece of skin within reach.


    He swiped his tongue against my bottom l*p, and instinctively, I gave him ess to my mouth. And he took it. With no


    hesitation, Griffin¡¯s tongue explored every inch of my mouth, tangling his own tongue with


    mine.


    When he started sucking on my tongue, I couldn¡¯t help but moan. God, what is he doing to me?


    Is k*ssing supposed to always feel this good?


    At the sound of my moan, Griffin paused and pulled back but kept a tight grip on my waist. He rested his forehead


    against mine, and we were both breathing heavily. His eyes were blown and wild.


    ¡°My God,¡± he whispered, ¡°If I don¡¯t stop myself, I¡¯m going to take you right here, little fox.¡± (=


    The impulsive, hormonal side of me wanted to tell Griffin to keep going, not to stop. If his l*ps felt practically magical,


    what did other parts of him feel like? Would every physical interaction be this consuming and heated?


    ¡°But I have a feeling you¡¯re not ready for that yet, little fox,¡± Griffin continued. He screwed his eyes shut like the idea of


    stopping was physically painful for him.


    While part of me certainly didn¡¯t want to stop, I also knew he was right. No matter how I felt in the heat of the moment, I wasn¡¯t ready to take that step with him yet. I hadn¡¯t even made my up about him yet.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± I agreed, and then I pulled myself away from him. Every part of my b*dy practically screamed for his touch,


    and if I didn¡¯t put a little bit of space between us, I was going to do something I¡¯d regret.


    Pull yourself together, rk. Yes, k*ssing him felt amazing but you¡¯re not an animal ¡ª you can ignore your impulses and


    hormones.


    The extra space between us seemed to clear Griffin¡¯s head too. His eyes looked a little less wild now. ¡°Besides,¡± he said,


    and he smiled crookedly, ¡°There¡¯s another matter we need to settle between us¡­and I doubt you¡¯re going to like me very


    much afterward.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Griffin¡¯s crooked smile widened.


    ¡°T still need to punish you, little fox.¡±

 Chapter 44

    ¡°Punishment is not for revenge, but to lessen crime and reform the criminal.¡±


    Elizabeth Fry


    Suddenly, everything that my brain had momentarily forgotten about ¡ª Griffin hunting me down in California, drugging


    me, dragging me back to the castle against my will ¨C smacked me in the face.


    Punish me? Is he insane? What does that even mean?


    I took another step back from him and Griffin just watched me carefully. His hair was messy, a side effect of the way I¡¯d


    tangled my hands in it during the k*ss.


    God, I can¡¯t believe I k*ssed him.


    Tk*ssed the man who drugged me and kidnapped me ~ what is wrong with


    me? Even worse, part of me hadn¡¯t wanted him to stop!


    Heavy shame settled in my gut and I knew my cheeks were red ¡ª this time from embarrassment. I couldn¡¯t believe I had


    let myself get so carried away. And for what? Because he¡¯d called me his muse and drew pretty pictures of me? This was


    not a fairytale and Griffin was no prince charming, regardless of what kind of title he held.


    ¡°You can¡¯t punish me,¡± I snapped at him, crossing my arms, ¡°You drugged me and brought me here against my will.


    That¡¯s kidnapping! If anyone deserves to be punished here, it¡¯s you.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have had to kidnap you if you would¡¯ve just stayed here in the first ce,¡± he said, ¡°You


    chose to run. That action has consequences.¡±


    He took another step closer and I jumped back. Okay, he¡¯s not reasonable ~ time for a new approach!


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it was wrong of me to run,¡± I said, throwing my hands up in surrender. Griffin cocked an eyebrow, clearly


    unsure where I was going with this. ¡°But I¡¯ve learned my lesson. I will never run from you again, okay? I¡¯m yours. I


    understand my mistake. No punishment needed.¡± (7


    Griffin looked amused. ¡°As much as I appreciate the apology, little fox,¡± he said, taking another step, ¡°You and I both


    know you don¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re saying that to cate me. If you were given another opportunity to run right now,


    you¡¯d take it. The only way you¡¯re going to actually learn your lesson is with a¡­helping hand, I should say.¡± (7) I took


    another step back. ¡°You want me to ept the mate bond, right? How am I supposed to do that if you hurt me? That¡¯s


    going to be making progress in the wrong direction.¡±


    Griffin took another step and I went to retreat, but my back hit one of the walls in the art studio. I was officially stuck and


    he knew it. Griffin loomed over me, his arms caging me in.


    His eyes danced with amusement. ¡°Oh, little fox,¡± he said, and he brought one of his hands up to cup my chin, ¡°Just


    because I¡¯m going to punish you doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to hurt you. Not really.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± I asked. That felt a little bit like relief, but the word ¡°punishment¡± still had plenty of bad implications. Was he


    going to lock me in the dungeon? Refuse to feed me?


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯d never you hurt, rk. Not like that.¡± He paused and then that same crooked smile


    reappeared on his face. ¡°Il still be a punishment but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to hate it at all.¡±


    Before I could ask what he meant by that, Griffin wrapped his arms around me and tugged me over his shoulder in one


    swift movement. I barely had time to let out a gasp ~ he really carrying me over his shoulder fireman-style.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I snapped at him but all I could see was his lower back. ¡°Just relocating.¡±


    He ¨C or we, I should say ¨C exited the art studio in just a few strides and then Griffin gently set me down on the b*d.


    We¡¯re relocating¡­to the b*d?


    I sat up straight on the silk sheets and Griffin stood a few feet away, arms crossed. I could no longer read the expression


    on his face, it was nk.


    My heart was beating a million miles per minute. | knew Griffin wasn¡¯t


    going to force s*x on me ¨C or anything else that would actually hurt me = but what he was actually nning? And why


    did it need to take ce


    on the b*d?


    He was silent for a few moments and the anticipation felt like it was killing me.


    Maybe this is the punishment. Maybe he¡¯s nning to torture me with silence and anticipation.


    Finally, Griffin seemed to move. He moved to sit down on the b*d beside me, stretching his legs out. ¡°Alright, little fox,¡±


    he said, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    He patted his knee and looked at me like I was supposed to understand that gesture. I stared at him in confusion. ¡°Time


    for what? What do you want me to do?¡± Was being cryptic and confusing also part of Griffin¡¯s punishment?


    Griffin narrowed his eyes for a moment ~ like he was trying to figure out if I was just being difficult ¨C and then he


    chuckled. ¡°Sometimes, I forget how innocent you are, little fox. Comey over myp. I¡¯m going


    to spank you.¡±


    My face immediately flushed red and I lurched back from him. ¡°What? No!¡± I said, ¡°You want to spank me? I¡¯m not a little


    kid.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Griffin said, narrowing his eyes again, ¡°But you have been my disobedient little mate and you need to


    learn your lesson.¡± 7


    I could feel my face heat up. There was no way I could blush harder


    than I was right now. He can¡¯t be serious. ¡°You can¡¯t spank me,¡± I pleaded with him.


    ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡± He asked with raised eyebrows. From the amused look on Griffin¡¯s face, he was enjoying my


    embarrassment.


    ¡°Because¡­because,¡± I sputtered, trying toe up with an exnation, ¡°I¡¯ve never been spanked before!¡± ¡°)


    ¡°Good,¡± Griffin practically purred, ¡°Then I¡¯m sure this will teach you your lesson.¡± He started to move closer to me, but I


    shoved my hand into his chest to stop him. I knew my strength was no match for his, but


    Griffin still stopped.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there¡­some other way you can punish me?¡± I practically had to force the word ¡®punishment¡¯ out of my mouth ¨C it


    felt like d*rty to say it.


    ¡°Well, there are other ways¡­but you¡¯re not ready yet,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Now, enough stalling. It¡¯s time, little fox.¡±


    Before I could do any more arguing, Griffin grabbed my arm and pulled me over hisp in one fell swoop. I had no


    chance to fall over him, my


    chest and legs digging into his thighs. Oh my God.


    He¡¯s really going to spank me.


    For a moment, all I could do was chastise myself for not wearing pants. Why had i worn a dress for my date with Aiden?


    At the time, it had felt light and airy for California¡¯s warm breeze, but now, it was just going to


    give Griffin easy ess. ()


    ¡°Griffin!¡± I yelped when I felt one of hisrge hands brush over my clothed a*s.


    ¡°Do you know what it felt like when I learned you were trying to run from me?¡± Griffin asked, his hands flittering over my


    thighs and lower back, ¡°I was in the middle of a meeting when one of my escorts mind- linked me. He told me you were


    at the entrance, trying to leave with one of the guests. He asked me if I wanted him to detain you.¡±


    My breath hitched. So, Griffin had known about me leaving. The escort knowing my name¡­it all made sense now. He¡¯d


    known from the start.


    ¡°You knew?¡± I breathed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop me?¡± From the position I was lying in, it was too much of a strain to see Griffin¡¯s face.


    ¡°T thought about it,¡± he said, ¡°After waiting for you so long, I couldn¡¯t believe you would just leave like that¡­leave me


    behind like you¡¯d never even met me.¡± There was obvious pain in his voice and I felt my heart constrict.


    I hadn¡¯t known that leaving would Griffin. Well, that wasn¡¯tpletely true. I had known it would hurt him but not this


    deeply. I had told myself that Griffin would just move on from me, forget about me even¡­ that was an easier thought to


    stomach. But it had been a delusion. I had been around enough mates in my life to know they didn¡¯t move on from each


    other. |¡±


    ¡°But I also thought about how stubborn you were. You¡¯d been fixating on this idea that we weren¡¯t meant for each other,


    that I¡¯d find someone more suitable,¡± he continued, ¡°And I realized that I needed to prove you wrong. There are some


    people that you can tell things and they listen. And there are some people that only listen when they¡¯ve been shown


    something. You¡¯re the second type, little fox. That¡¯s why I decided to let you leave with that girl. I wanted you to think you


    could get away, that I¡¯d maybe even forget about you ~ and then I¡¯d hunt you down and bring you back.¡±


    id there, processing his words. ¡°How did you find me?¡± I finally asked.


    ¡°Iwaited a couple of days after you left to start hunting you,¡± he said, ¡°and then I went to your father¡¯s pack. I didn¡¯t


    think you¡¯d be stupid enough to just go home ¡ª and I was right. But I thought maybe he¡¯d know where you had gone,


    have some sort of idea. When he didn¡¯t, I sent out the werewolf-version of a missing person¡¯s report.¡±


    Iopened my mouth to ask what that meant but he continued before I could, ¡°As the King, I can mindlink any wolf in the world. I mindlinked every Alpha in North America with your description and let them know Iwas looking for you. They


    spread word to their packs, and after a week or so, I got word of you. Some female wolf in this kitschy California town


    found you at a coffee shop of all ces.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t suppress my gasp. The coffee shop? Amber!


    It must¡¯ve been her. She was always my barista and she¡¯d always look at me weird. She told me that I reminded her ofProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    someone. 2)


    ¡°And that¡¯s when I came to find you,¡± he said, and one of his hands tightened on my thigh. Not painful but firm. ¡°Only to


    see my mate on a date night with someone who isn¡¯t me.¡± |* ) ¡°Tt wasn¡¯t a date,¡± I corrected him, ¡°He was just an old


    friend that wanted to see a movie.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I felt so strongly about making sure Griffin knew it wasn¡¯t a date ¡ª


    maybe I was just trying to save my own a*s. Pun intended.


    ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t?¡± He asked, disbelief in his voice. ¡°So you didn¡¯t k*ss him? You weren¡¯t physical with him at all?


    ¡°No, no,¡± I said, ¡°I would never!¡± ¡°and why not?¡±


    My brain went nk. Why hadn¡¯t I done anything with Aiden? He was cute, had seemed interested in me, and most likely would have reciprocated if I¡¯d made a move.


    ¡°L know why you didn¡¯t,¡± Griffin said, his voice low, ¡°It¡¯s because you knew you were mine, Maybe not consciously, but


    deep down, you did. You knew you had a mateing after you, you knew you had me.¡±


    I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, that had nothing to do with why I hadn¡¯t made a move on Aiden, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Because each time Id tried to think about Aiden romantically, Griffin¡¯s face had shed in my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re still mine, little fox. You always will be. Till the day I die. You can¡¯t run from me, there is no denying the connection


    between us.¡±


    Griffin fl*pped up my dress and exposed my pantied a*s. I wasn¡¯t wearing anything overly s*xy ¡ª just in ck panties.


    ¡°We belong to each other, little fox. And now I¡¯m going to remind you.¡±


    I barely had time to process his words before I felt the first p on my a*s. It was fast and stung so much that I gasped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Griffin said, and his voice was huskier than it had ever been before, ¡°I¡¯ll go easy on you this time. I won¡¯t


    even make you count or call me Daddy.¡±


    His words should¡¯ve disgusted me, turned me off, embrarrassed me ¡ª done anything but send a thrill a straight to my


    core.


    God, is this actually turning me on right now?


    I didn¡¯t have much time to think about it because Griffin spanked me again. This was even harsher, but when he


    massaged the spot he¡¯d spanked immediately after, | almost groaned in relief.


    This happened eight more times. He¡¯d deliver a harsh, stinging p and then gently rub the bruised skin. But as my


    punishment went on, I realized something unexpected was happening to me ~ I was getting tumed on.


    It hurt but each p sent a new thrill to me. There was a warmth in my belly that I¡¯d only ever feltte at night, with my


    hand under the covers. By the time he¡¯d delivered thest smack ¨C the tenth one ¨C my fingers were digging into his thigh.


    But it wasn¡¯t from pain or fear, it was to prevent me grinding against his legs ¨C from turning the warmth in my belly into


    release.


    God, what is this man doing to me? He just fl*pped me over his knee and spanked me and I actually liked it.


    Griffin pulled me off hisp and into his arms. My face was red with humiliation or embarrassment or lust¡­or some


    combination of all three. Either way, I couldn¡¯t bare to look him after he¡¯d just spanked me so I dug my face into his chest.


    Even worse, Griffin¡¯s heightened senses meant he must¡¯ve known how much | actually liked it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, little fox. You don¡¯t need to be ashamed about liking it,¡± heforted me, his hand stroking my hair, ¡°I knew


    you would.¡± (*)


    ¡°You did?¡± How could he have possibly known that? Even I hadn¡¯t expected I¡¯d like that, not in a million years.


    ¡°Of course. We were made for each other.¡±

 Chapter 45

    ¡°Buy the ticket, take the ride.¡± Hunter S. Thompson


    It took a few seconds for the sheer embarrassment of what had just happened to settle over me. Not only had this man


    just spanked me over his knee like a disobedient child, but some twisted part of me had actually liked it. Had been turned


    on by it. And he knew it.


    Griffin continued to stroke my hair andfort me ~as if that was supposed to make up for ¡°punishing¡± me.


    How dare he?


    He might¡¯ve been sad I ran away from him, but he drugged me and spanked me ~ he¡¯s the twisted one here, not me.


    With red on my cheeks ~ both sets, I was sure ¨C I shoved him away forcefully. Griffin must¡¯ve been surprised by my movement because he actually moved with my push, and I scooted back on the bed.


    Of course, with a stinging ass, trying to scoot back on my butt was not my smartest move. I swallowed a hiss of pain. I


    didn¡¯t want Griffin to see that his punishment had actually caused me pain, but I couldn¡¯t lie to myself ~ the spankingBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    had hurt. Unfortunately, I must not have done a very good job of schooling my expression because Griffin saw right


    through me.


    ¡°Are you hurting, little fox?¡± he said. His tone was full of mock sympathy and he was smirking ¨C the bastard actually had


    the audacity to smirk. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s causing you pain. I¡¯ll k*ss it better.¡±


    As if he doesn¡¯t know exactly what b*dy part is aching right now.


    ¡°f**k you,¡± I growled, moving further away on the bed. I was careful not to put any weight on my actual ass, I didn¡¯t


    need a reminder of what had just happened.


    ¡°Oh, I have every intention of f**king you,¡± Griffin said and his voice was husky and low again. ¡°But not today. We¡¯ll wait


    until your ass is a little less sore.¡± (2


    ¡°Do you think this is f**king funny?¡± I snapped at him. All I could feel was embarrassment, rage, and a stinging ass. ¡°You


    hunted me down like an animal, took me from my mother. I was happy without you. Then you drug me, bring me back


    here, and ¡®punish¡¯ me for it. In what world does that make sense to you?¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes actually darkened (which I didn¡¯t think was even possible). He lost his smirk and I could tell I¡¯d pissed him


    off. Good.


    He shifted closer to me on the bed and I felt very much like a prey caught under her predator. With gleaming eyes and


    arms caging me in, he certainly looked like one. ¡°You want to talk aboutmon sense?¡± he whispered. His voice was


    low and dark but controlled. Yeah, he was definitely pissed.


    I could feel my own heart drumming in my chest. I wanted to look away from his intense eyes, but it felt like he had


    trapped me with his gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how little sense your escape attempt made,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯ve been around mated pairs most of your life,


    little fox. You know what they¡¯re like, what they mean to each other. You may not feel the bond as I do, but you do feel


    some of it. More importantly, you know what it looks like. You know that mates don¡¯t move on from each other ~ they


    never leave each other. And if one of them does die or leave, they never recover. Yet you still thought you could run from


    me, from your destiny. What did you think was going to happen to me?¡±


    He was silent, waiting for my answer. I swallowed. I knew he was right and my feeble exnation felt ridiculous. ¡°I


    thought maybe you would move on eventually,¡± I told him, my voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡°How could you possibly think that?¡± He asked, eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Mates are forever. There is nob*dy else for me. I


    could never want anyone else.¡±


    The answer came to me before I¡¯d even really thought about it. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not true?¡± ¡°That you¡¯d never want someone else, You can¡¯t possibly know you¡¯d never want anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s confident, instantenous reply only angered me more. It triggered something in me, like this entire conversation


    was digging up something I didn¡¯t even know I had.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± I snapped back. I didn¡¯t even know why I was so insistent to prove him wrong, to make him see that he wasn¡¯t being truthful ¨C but I couldn¡¯t stop myself now.


    ¡°And why do you think I don¡¯t know that?¡± He asked. His eyes were narrowed and I could tell even he was confused as to why I was pressing so hard.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen it!¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m the literal result of someone who decided they wanted someone else other than their mate ¨C even if it was only for one night.¡±


    The confusion on Griffin¡¯s face suddenly cleared and I felt my face go red ¨C again, It felt like I¡¯d just stumbled on some


    sort of epiphany. Was I reluctant to believe Griffin¡¯s dedication to me because of my dad? Because he¡¯d had an affair with


    my mom?)


    God, did my trust issues really just boil down to daddy issues?


    Griffin was silent for a moment but there was a new look in his eyes. Understanding.


    When he did finally speak, his tone was gentle and soft. ¡°rk,¡± he said, ¡°Ineed you to understand something. I would


    never do that to you. Never. Not for anyone in the world and certainly not just for a quick fuck. Do you understand that?¡±


    When I didn¡¯t reply, he continued to press forward. ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before, little fox, but I¡¯m going to continue to say it


    until it gets through that thick skull of yours. You are mine. You¡¯ll be mine until you take yourst breath and even


    beyond that. And just as you are mine, I will always be yours. My b*dy belongs to you as yours does to me. You are it for


    me, little fox. It doesn¡¯t matter if you fight for me for the next fifty years, if you try to escape again ¨C I will never give up


    on you. And more importantly, I would never betray you like that.¡±


    All I could do was sit in stunned silence, my breath caught in my throat. Griffin was never shy about sharing his


    dedication to me, but this¡­this was next level. I could tell he meant every word of it, and hismitment was so real that


    it almost felt suffocating.


    ¡°And I know that you¡¯d never betray me like that either,¡± he continued, and I saw the predatory gleam return to his eye,


    ¡°Because if you ever tried to be with another, whether it was one night or more¡­I¡¯d f**king kill him. ¡®d kill him and I¡¯d


    make you watch. And then I¡¯d fuck you until the only word you could remember was my name.¡±


    T could feel every word he spoke and there was no doubt in my mind that he was telling the truth.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46 Chapter 46


    ¡°Love cures people ¨C both the ones who give it and those who receive


    i?@ Karl A. Menninger


    Griffin got called away shortly after our little talk ¨C the one where I¡¯d identally confessed that I was scared he¡¯d cheat


    on me like my father did his mate (and where he threatened to kill anyone I cheated on him with).


    Griffin getting called away for kingly duties seemed to be constant trend with us. We¡¯d have some sort of intense moment and then he¡¯d have to go handle Alpha King business.


    But this time, I didn¡¯t mind. My mind felt like it was at war with itself. I could no longer brush away this mate bond, not


    the way I¡¯d tried to do when I fled to California. If there was one thing I could be certain about, it¡¯s that ignoring or


    pretending Griffin (and the bond) didn¡¯t affect me was a losing battle. He affected me. Everything he said, he did¡­it felt


    like he was burrowing inside of my heart, slowly attaching himself like a parasite.


    Geez, I never thought I¡¯d describe a love interest like a parasite.


    Then again, I never thought I¡¯d have a possessive werewolf mate either. The other part of me, the logical side, was


    screaming that I needed to pull myself together. I¡¯d spent thest seven years trying to flee from this world and Griffin


    was directly responsible for pulling me back in ¡ª and trapping me here. Was I really so weak that I was ready to throw in


    the towel, give up college and a human life, just because some man with a few nice muscles were getting under my skin?


    Before I could ruminate on it any further, a knock on the door sounded. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Dr. Inessa, Koporea.¡± ()


    The tiny elderly woman with the thick Russian ent ¨C I remembered her. Hadn¡¯t I only seen her a couple of hours ago?


    She¡¯d given me the painkillers for the drug-induced hangover I had, but why was she back?Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Twas certain she wouldn¡¯t have any bad intentions so I called her in. Dr. Inessa entered promptly wearing the same


    serious expression and whiteb coat I¡¯d seen her in a few hours ago.


    She looked over at me and I tried not to fidget under her intense stare ~ or think about how ragged I must¡¯ve looked. I


    was transported to another country, drugged, and spanked all in the same outfit. My hair and my wrinkled dress certainly weren¡¯t holding up that well.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± I asked her, eyeing the box of medical supplies in her hand. ¡°His Majesty asked me to look over


    you again,¡± she said, ¡°He said you might need some¡­lotion to ease the pain.¡±


    Oh, God. Did Griffin really send her here because of my bruised a*s? Was humiliating me in front of other people also


    part of the punishment?


    From the way she hesitated to say ¡°lotion,¡± I could tell she was just as ufortable with the situation as I was ¨C but she


    did hide it better. She certainly didn¡¯t go red in the face like I did.


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s okay,¡± I stammered, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t need lotion.¡± My aching a*s wanted to scream in protest but there was no way I was going to lift up my skirt and let another person see my reddened a*s ¡ª healer or not.


    Dr. Inessa raised her eyebrow, not convinced I was ¡°fine¡± by my fidgeting or the way I sat without putting any real weight


    on my


    backside.


    ¡°Well, how about I leave it for you?¡± she said, pulling a tiny white bottle out of her supply box, ¡°Just in case you change


    your mindter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Inessa turned to leave, and I¡¯m not sure what possessed me to call out to her, but I did. ¡°Dr. Inessa? Can I ask you


    something?¡±


    She stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. She didn¡¯t speak, just waited for me to talk.


    ¡°Have you ever felt like you¡¯re at a crossroads?¡± I asked. ¡°Like you¡¯re torn between something you¡¯ve wanted most of


    your life and something that feels like you can¡¯t escape from?¡± Much quieter, I added, ¡°And maybe you don¡¯t always want


    to escape from it.¡±


    Although I¡¯d given no real details about what I meant, Dr. Inessa seemed to read between the lines wlessly. She raised


    another eyebrow ¨C Iwas beginning to realize that was her signature move ¨C and pursed her l*ps. ¡°Yes, Kopoaesa. At my


    age, I¡¯ve faced many hard decisions in


    my life¡­including ones that aren¡¯t so dissimr to the ones you¡¯re


    facing right now.¡± ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded, and then a small smile graced her l*ps, ¡°I know your human senses don¡¯t pick it up, but I am not¡­like


    others here. I am like


    you.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t say the word, but my brain filled in the nks anyway. Human. Dr. Inessa was human.


    If she¡¯s living in the werewolf world, then she must have a mate.


    ¡°I found my mate when I was twenty,¡± Dr. Inessa said, ¡°Well, he found me. [ used to be a nurse in the human world, and


    he came into my hospital one day. Followed my scent and everything. He told me that he was a werewolf, that I was his mate, and that we were destined to be


    together. Naturally¡­I tried to admit him into the psychiatric unit.¡± 7


    I couldn¡¯t stifle myugh. Although werewolves had never been a surprise to me, it was nice to hear from someone who¡¯d


    also had the mate bond thrust upon them.


    ¡°But eventually,¡± Dr. Inessa continued, ¡°He won me over. He was working as one of the King¡¯s guards, so I became a


    healer at the pce.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it bother you? That you had to give up your entire human life for him? I¡¯m sure you had hopes and dreams before


    your mate. Human things you wanted to do with your life.¡±


    Dr. Inessa smiled fondly like she was picturing a memory I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Of course I did. I wanted to be abat


    nurse eventually and treat soldiers¡­you can only imagine how quickly my mate shot that idea down. I was upset initially. I


    thought I had to give up my dreams and my life to be with him, but Iter learned that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±


    ¡°Tt wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t losing my hopes or dreams to be with a werewolf, but I was gaining new ones. I was


    carving out a new path for myself ¨C one that involved a man deeply dedicated to me. Being abat nurse was never my


    destiny or my fate, I only thought it was. But really, my mate, being a part of the werewolf, bing a healer¡­that was


    my true path. I just had to change my perspective.¡± (¡ã


    Dr. Inessa¡¯s words echoed through my brain. Was she right? Were the things I wanted ¨C going to college, traveling, living


    like a human ¨C just part of a path I wasn¡¯t meant for?


    ¡°It does you no good to hold onto the past, Your Majesty,¡± Dr. Inessa said, ¡°You can fight against fate, you can try to run


    from it. But its ws are already in you. It¡¯s just a matter of how long until you adapt and ept what¡¯s been meant for


    you all along.¡±


    I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hardly noticed when Dr. Inessa sl*pped out the door.


    Although I certainly wasn¡¯t ready to wear a crown or fall into Griffin¡¯s b*d, I couldn¡¯t deny how much sense her words had


    meant. I¡¯d already spent a lot of time fighting Griffin and everything he stood for.


    Maybe it was time to see what eptance and a little adapting could do for me.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47 ¡°Happiness can only exist in eptance.¡± George Orwell


    Later that evening, when Griffin returned to our rooms, I decided to put my new attitude into work. I¡¯d already tried


    running away and fighting fate. For the time being, it was time to see where actual eptance might get me.


    So, when Griffin entered the room, I didn¡¯t turn away or try to argue with him like I might¡¯ve done a couple of days ago.


    Instead, I turned to him and actually smiled. The gesture still felt forced and I could see Griffin raise his eyebrows almost


    immediately ~ he clearly hadn¡¯t been expecting me to look happy to see him.


    ¡°Hello, little fox,¡± he said, bounding across the room and taking me into his arms. ¡°I missed you.¡± His embrace was warm


    and firm, and rather than pull away, I let myself sink into his arms and hug him back.


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I told him. It wasn¡¯t aplete lie. Other than Dr. Inessa, Griffin had been primary human interaction for


    the past day. Even if he¡¯d spent a good portion of that time ¡°punishing me,¡± his presence was better than nothing.


    In response, Griffin only stiffened under my touch. Was he expecting me to reject his touch?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked as Griffin stiffly pulled away from me, staring at me with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°What are you trying to pull?¡± he asked, his voice low and barely above a growl. 2)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That smile when I walked into the room,¡± he said, ¡°Telling me you miss me too, hugging me back¡­what sort of game areBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    you trying to y with me?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even be offended that he was so suspicious of me. After all, I had literally run away from him and constantly


    questioned the mate bond. If I was him, ¡¯d certainly be suspicious about my intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pull anything,¡± I replied. My eyes bore into his and I tried tomunicate every ounce of sincerity |


    felt. ¡°I can see why you might think that, but seriously, there¡¯s no ploy here. I¡¯ve had pretty much the entire day to think


    about this. Us. The mate bond. Whatever you want to call it.¡±


    Griffin raised his eyebrows, but I could¡¯ve sworn I saw something sh in his eyes. Hope? |


    ¡°and?¡± he questioned. ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing,¡± I started. Suddenly, it was all I could do not to look away from him. I felt


    shy and vulnerable in a way that I¡¯d rarely felt before. It was the heart pounding, sweaty-palm feeling of possible


    rejection.


    Just days ago, I would¡¯ve done everything I could to break this bond, and now I¡¯m worried that he may try tough in my


    face if I tell him I want to give this a try.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve been pretty against this whole thing,¡± I said, ¡°And while I¡¯m definitely not thrilled about how things have


    gone down, I can recognize that I probably didn¡¯t handle my part too well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean running off at the first opportunity you get?¡±


    Defensiveness swirled in my gut. ¡°Well, yes,¡± I said, and I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from stopping, ¡°I was scared


    that being with you meant my entire future might end up sl*pping away. A human future. But I was reminded today that


    my path may be different than what I thought and I owe this whole thing a shot ¡ª or, at least, I owe you shot.¡± My face


    burned in embarrassment and I couldn¡¯t bear to make eye contact with him. \*)


    Griffin didn¡¯t let me shy away. sping my chin in his grasp, he turned my face towards his and I nearly gasped when I


    saw the look in his eyes.


    Pure and total adoration¡ªthere was no mistaking it. I¡¯d seen that look in mated couples a million times. Undying


    devotion¡ªlike I¡¯d just told him he won the lottery or like I was proposing marriage. ¡°T knew you woulde around,


    little fox,¡± he whispered, ¡°I knew you¡¯d see that you belong to me eventually. There is no fighting fate. Any path you


    could take leads to me.¡±


    I swallowed down thest of my vulnerability. His possessive words didn¡¯t terrify me the way they used to. I didn¡¯t know


    if that was because Twas trying to ept the mate bond or I¡¯d just heard him tell me that I belonged to him too many


    times.


    ¡°For the record,¡± I rified, ¡°I need to take things slow. This kind of stuff¡­it¡¯s new to me. You can¡¯t throw me into some


    kind of role and expect me to roll with it. I¡¯ll just disappoint you. I need time to get used


    to you, to actually get to know you as a person.¡±


    Griffin smirked. ¡°Oh, little fox. I highly doubt you could ever disappoint me, but if you did¡­well, you¡¯d just end up over my knee like you were earlier today.¡±


    I wanted to roll my eyes and tell him that wasn¡¯t helpful but I managed to refrain. .¡¯)


    ¡°Exactly how slow would you like to take things, little fox?¡± Griffin asked.


    ¡°How about we start with a date?¡± I asked. ¡°I know that¡¯s not how you guys usually do things, but I¡¯m not a wolf. I want


    to get to know you as a person. Not just because you¡¯re my soul mate or I¡¯m supposed to love you. I want us to choose


    each other.¡± I hadn¡¯t meant to say thatst part but it was true. If I was going to try and ept the mate bond (for now,


    at least) there had to be some bnce. I didn¡¯t want to end up like most of the mated couples I knew¡ªpregnant and


    barefoot within a year. I wanted to know everything about him. I needed to know that the connection between us wasn¡¯t


    just some cosmic fluke, but that we actually worked as people.


    Another part of me, a small part that I¡¯d never dare say out loud, wanted to know that Griffin was worthy of me¡­and that


    I was worthy of him.)


    Arge smile¡ªnot a smirk¡ªovertook Griffin¡¯s face.


    ¡°A date it is,¡± he grinned. >)

 Chapter 48

    ¡°Having perfected our disguise, we spend our lives searching for someone we don¡¯t fool.¡±


    ¨C Robert Brault


    When I told Griffin that I wanted to go on a date, I hadn¡¯t expected him to work so quickly. But I guess he hadtched


    onto the idea and wanted to make things happen as quickly as possible. And he did.


    Griffin insisted that I get ready immediately and he¡¯d back within the hour to ¡°pick me up.¡± Before I¡¯d had time to protest,


    he was out the door and I was back in an empty bedroom¡ªagain. While part of me felt all too nervous to spend the


    night with Griffin, my grumbling stomach wasn¡¯tining. Getting drugged, dragged across the continent, and fed


    painkillers wasn¡¯t easy on the stomach. I was more than ready for a little sustenance. |*


    For a moment, | stood dumbfounded in the room. How did Griffin expect me to ¡°get ready¡±? I had none of my things.


    You have none of your things from home but there is a gigantic closet full of clothes in your size, my brain reminded me.


    (7


    Before I could begin sorting through the mess, there was a knock on the door. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s Dr. Inessa again. I


    don¡¯t think I can handle another surprise visitor today. That feels like all I do. Sit in this bedroom and wait for people to


    knock on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My name is Mary, Your Majesty,¡± a soft feminine voice spoke from the other side of the door, ¡°His Majesty mind linked


    me and asked that I help you prepare for the evening with anything you may need.¡±


    Hearing people call me ¡°Majesty,¡± being waited on¡­it was all so new. Part of me wanted to outright reject Mary and tell


    her I¡¯d be fine, but I stopped myself.


    You¡¯re epting the mate bond and everything thates with it, remember, rk? Having someone wait on you is


    ¡°everything thates with it. Besides, having a second opinion on an outfit might not be the worst thing in the world.


    ¡°Sure,e in,¡± I called back. ¡®As soon as I gave the go-ahead, Mary entered the room, head bowed. She was nothing more than a little sl*p of a girl and she couldn¡¯t have


    been much older than me. Although she kept her head bowed, I could make out bright green eyes from across the room.


    Is every werewolf in the world just exceptionally beautiful?


    Mary kept her gaze on the floor and stood silently like she was waiting for instructions. ¡°Well, hi,¡± I said, scratching my


    n*eck awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s


    nice to meet you. I appreciate the help since I¡¯ve got several hours of


    jeg and sleeping pills to get rid of.¡± If Mary noticed my slide remark about being drugged, she certainly didn¡¯t say


    anything. |


    ¡°Lm honored to help, Your Majesty,¡± she said, ¡°Would you like me to prepare the bath for you first?¡± (*


    ¡°That actually sounds wonderful. Thanks, Mary.¡±


    Even with her head low, I could see her beam at the praise as she scampered off into the bathroom.


    It only took her a few minutes to return and I had to practically beg her to wait in the bathroom while I bathed in Griffin¡¯s


    ridiculously-sized jacuzzi tub. Mary had insisted on ¡°helping me wash,¡± but that was just a touch too far for me. I¡¯d need


    to be ny-years-old and frail before I¡¯d let another human being bathe me.


    Even Griffin? My mind piped up and I couldn¡¯t stop the blush. Where were these thoughtsing from? Was it my new


    eptance of the mate bond or just the fact that I was back in his presence after a few weeks away?


    I soaked in the bath for around twenty minutes. There was no shortage of room and Mary had used some sort of


    soothingvender scent that I couldn¡¯t stop breathing in. It was the first time I¡¯d felt truly rxed since arriving at the


    castle. Of course, Mary rapped on the door at the twenty-minute mark to let me know my time was winding down. I


    stumbled out of the soothing bath, wrapped in a fluffy towel. Mary was waiting for me in the bedroom, a couple of


    outfitsid out on the b*d. Her head was still bowed, not daring to nce at me. * )


    T couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. I knew people were going to refer to me as ¡°Your Majesty,¡± whether I wanted them to or


    not but I wasn¡¯t Medusa. I wasn¡¯t going to turn anyone to stone just for looking at me.


    ¡°Mary,¡± I said, and she hummed in reply, ¡°It¡¯s okay to look at me, you know. We can make eye contact. I know you¡¯re


    trying to be respectful and all, but we¡¯re basically the same age. You don¡¯t need to stare at the ground. Please look at me.¡±


    Mary hesitantly obeyed my request, her green eyes meeting mine for the first time since she¡¯d entered the suite. Just as


    I¡¯d expected¡ªshe, like every other werewolf I¡¯d met, was ethereally beautiful.


    I gave her a smile when her eyes met mine and she smiled back. ¡°If you allow it, Your Majesty,¡± she said, ¡°The castle help


    is often taught that ¡®we¡¯re not allowed to make eye contact with any of the Royals, especially the Queen.¡±


    ¡°Why ¡®especially¡¯ the Queen?¡±


    ¡°Because you are for the King¡¯s eyes only,¡± Mary said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. (2 Great. More


    possessive werewolf etiquette that I had no idea about and I definitely will not be abiding by.)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s kind of dumb,¡± I replied, ¡°Everyone can see. Unless the King is going to keep me locked in this bedroom all


    the time, I¡¯m not just for ¡®his¡¯ eyes.¡± As soon as the words were out my mouth, I almost regretted them. Thest thing I


    needed was to give Griffin more ideas.


    I walked closer to the b*d and examined the three outfits that Mary hadid out for me. They were all dresses. There was


    a blue, form-fitting dress, a ck one with spaghetti straps, and a mint green number with straps that fell below the


    shoulders.


    ¡°T hope you don¡¯t mind, Your Majesty,¡± Mary cut in, ¡°But the King instructed that you only wear a dress tonight. I


    thought these might be a few good options.¡± I nearly rolled my eyes at that¡ªof course Griffin wanted me in a dress.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which one¡­they¡¯re all pretty.¡±


    ¡°Tf you don¡¯t mind me saying,¡± Mary interjected, ¡°But the blue would go beautifully with your hair and your eyes. The


    color would bring out your skin tone too.¡± Mary¡¯s voice got soft and low at the end, like she was embarrassed of her own


    opinion.


    ¡°No, I think you¡¯re right,¡± I said, eyeing the blue dress, ¡°I like that one. Pll wear that.¡± I could see Mary¡¯s beaming smile


    from the corner of my eyes, (2 ¡°Would you like me to do your hair and makeup, Your Grace?¡± (7


    ¡°Yes, please. I¡¯m pretty hopeless at anything that¡¯s not a ponytail or


    mascara.¡±


    I settled into the chair in front of the vanity as Mary gathered an impressive supply of makeup and hair care products. I


    guess I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that Griffin had even supplied makeup and hair stuff, but I was. The man had


    thought of everything¡ªlike he was ensuring there would never be a reason for me to leave. .¡¯)


    ¡°Your hair is so beautiful,¡± Mary murmured as she brushed through. She was a lot gentler than I ever was with my hair,


    and surprisingly, it didn¡¯t turn frizzy and chaotic under her touch. For once, my hair seemed to obey.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You must feel so special,¡± Mary continued, ¡°To be the King¡¯s mate. That is an honor that every young female werewolf


    wishes, even those with ranks like mine.¡± I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to say to that. I knew Mary was right, but it was odd to


    hear how about how ¡°lucky¡± I must be to have an honor I didn¡¯t even want. I didn¡¯t feel special. | felt incredibly


    misced.


    I didn¡¯t bother saying all of that to Mary though. Instead, I just nodded and tried to muster up a smile that didn¡¯t look so


    awkward.


    I expected the conversation to end there but Mary continued. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here now. I won¡¯t have to hear the other


    castle girls gossip about the King any longer. It bes very tedious very quickly.¡±


    ¡°Gossip about the King?¡±


    ¡°There are some girls in the castle,¡± Mary exined, ¡°That think they¡¯re special. Like you. They know they aren¡¯t the


    King¡¯s mate, but if he showed them just a night of attention, they would begin to daydream. They¡¯d brag that the King


    likes them and they may be the next Queen.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to be a rocket scientist to read in-between the lines. A ¡°night of attention¡± from Griffin was a one-nightstand, and he¡¯d clearly had plenty of them with the ¡°castle girls.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why that made me upset¡ªI knew that


    Griffin was no virgin before me¡ªbut I still felt jealousy bubbling in my chest. It was one thing to know it and another to


    hear about it.


    And to think he was all over my case about Aiden. Meanwhile, he was just whoring himself around the castle. Where does


    he get off being jealous about one guy I made out with a few times while he was making his way through the castle?


    Mary must¡¯ve picked up on my sour mood because she immediately tried to backtrack. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Majesty,¡± she


    said, eyes wide and cheeks flushed, ¡°I did not mean to upset you¡­I spoke out of turn. I forgot myself. I should not have


    been discussing your mate¡¯s, or my King¡¯s, past¡­ventures like that.¡± ¡°You can be honest with me,¡± I told her, jealousy still


    bubbling beneath the surface. Part of me knew I should just change the subject but now that she¡¯d opened this can of worms, I wanted to know. ¡°Was he¡­popr with the castle girls?¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    She hesitated. ¡°Just a few,¡± Mary said, lowering her gaze, ¡°Only a few that I know of. Most of his ventures that I heard


    about were with pretty diplomats and ambassadors that visited the castle. Or that¡¯s what the gossip was¡ªI¡¯m so sorry,


    Your Majesty. It was not my ce to talk about this.¡± She continued to stammer out apologies as she fixed my hair and


    makeup but they fell on deaf ears.


    As much as I wanted to pretend that I was above jealousy, especially past jealousy, I couldn¡¯t stop picturing Griffin with


    other women. Ethereally beautiful women like Mary. One thing was for sure¡ªI was starting this date out ina sour mood.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49 ¡°It is not love that is blind, but jealousy.¡± |


    Lawrence Durrell


    By the time that Griffin arrived at the suite to pick me up, decked out in a dark blue shirt and dress pants, I tried to


    swallow down my jealousy. This was supposed to be a fresh start for us, and I didn¡¯t want to start it with conflict.


    Especially with something that I knew wasn¡¯t actually his fault but my own irrational feelings. Whatever Griffin had done


    in the past was his business, not mine. ¡°)


    Not that he was considerate when he grilled me about my past S**ual experiences.


    It took a few deep breaths to shove the thought from my mind, but eventually, I was able to ster a smile on my face


    and look excited to see him.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You look gorgeous, little fox,¡± he said, dark eyes roving over me. There was a hungry look in his eyes, like he wanted to


    eat me alive.


    ¡°as do you,¡± I replied. He did look good; I couldn¡¯t deny that. The blue of his shirt matched my dress, and for a moment, I wondered if Mary¡¯s opinion about the blue dress hadn¡¯t been nned. Griffin matching me couldn¡¯t have been a


    coincidence.


    Griffin didn¡¯t outwardly acknowledge my praise but I could tell it pleased him by the way his posture straightened and


    his face rxed.


    God, is it that easy for me to read him? Is it just because of the mate bond that it feels like I can tell what he¡¯s thinking or


    because I¡¯ve spent so much time in confined spaces with him?


    ¡°Come, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve had one of the dining rooms prepared for us. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re hungry?¡±


    At the mention of food, my stomach grumbled and Griffin smirked. ¡°Well, that answers my question.¡±


    It took almost all of my self-control not to bite back that being drugged hadn¡¯t exactly given me time to eat.


    Fresh start. Remember, rk? You¡¯re trying to ept the mate bond here.


    So, instead, I just said, ¡°Food sounds delicious.¡±


    We walked to the dining room infortable silence and I tried not to let the borate twists and turns disorient me. I


    suppose I¡¯d have to learn this ce sooner orter, but not right now.


    When we did finally make it to the dining room, the borate marble and gold decorative fixtures hardly surprised me.


    I¡¯d been in enough rooms at the castle to know that most, if not all of them, were too extravagant.


    Griffin pulled my chair out for me and I smiled. This wooden table was much smaller than anything I¡¯d sat at before.


    Instead of Griffin sitting across from me, he was beside me. Close enough to touch. Close enough that I could feel his warmth.


    No sooner than we¡¯d sat down did another door to the room open, two young girls carrying serving dishes. Even in


    kitchen uniforms, they were just as stunningly beautiful as Mary had been. Big, doe eyes, shiny hair, and long legs.


    For a moment, I wondered if Griffin had ever given these girls a ¡°night of attention,¡± to use Mary¡¯s phrase. They were


    certainly beautiful and young enough to catch anyone¡¯s eye, maybe even Griffin¡¯s.


    ¡°Your Majesties,¡± the first girl spoke, her voice soft and tinkly, ¡°The chef has prepared chicken pot pie as instructed.¡± She


    set down two tes in front of us, revealing steaming,rge pot pies.


    ¡°Comfort food isn¡¯t what the castle is used to preparing,¡± Griffin said, looking at me, ¡°But I figured you¡¯d like something


    a little more filling and less showy.¡±


    I smiled at him, my grumbling stomach begging me to take a bite. ¡°Well, you guessed right. I¡¯m definitely afort food


    kind of girl.¡±


    As | looked over at Griffin, my smile immediately dropped. One of the girls who¡¯d brought our food was still leaning over


    him, big eyes looking up at him. Her uniform wasn¡¯t indecent by any means, but the way she leaned over and pressed


    her arms together definitely entuated her chest.


    ¡°Do you need anything else, Your Majesty?¡± she asked, her soft voice low and sultry. (=


    Is she really doing this in front of me right now? I know he¡¯s the king but I¡¯m literally right here and she¡¯s still trying to


    catch his attention.


    Before Griffin could even reply, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from answering for him. ¡°No, he definitely doesn¡¯t need anything


    from you,¡± I told her. I tried to keep the venom out of my voice, but by the surprised look on the girl¡¯s face, I don¡¯t think


    I¡¯d done a very good job.


    My hostile tone was enough to get her to back off, straightening up and giving him some space. Good.


    ¡°Q-of course,¡± she stammered, and I noticed that her cheeks flushed, ¡°Just call if you need anything.¡±


    She, along with the other girl, scampered back into the kitchen and I let out a breath. The heavy lead weight of jealousy


    had reappeared in my stomach, weighing me down again. So much so for leaving the past in the past. Griffin hadn¡¯t even


    done anything, but it was clear that being mated wasn¡¯t going to deter everyone. 2)


    Maybe the chicken pot pie will help me feel a little less grouchy. ¡°What was that?¡± Griffin asked with raised eyebrows. I


    dug into my first bite and swallowed it down before I answered.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That little¡­disy there,¡± Griffin said. His eyes were narrowed but his tone was teasing, The bastard was amused.


    ¡°Disy?¡± I echoed. ¡°You mean when that girl practically threw herself on you and was trying to give you ¡°f**k me¡¯


    eyes?¡±


    Griffin chuckled. ¡°Is that jealousy I hear, little fox?¡±


    He was right. I was jealous and I hated it. | hated the anger simmering in my gut, the way that I wanted to throw myself


    on top of him and hiss that he was mine.)


    Geez, rk. You sound like the possessive werewolf right now. (2


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t jealousy,¡± I told him, ¡°I was just answering her question.¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± Griffin smirked, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you know. I know I¡¯m quite handsome but you have nothing to worry about.¡± His


    mocking tone only infuriated me more. Of course, this was a joke to him, but was it a joke when he interrogated me


    about my past S**ual encounters? Questioned me about Aiden? He hadn¡¯t beenughing then.


    ¡°Right,¡± I rolled my eyes.


    The door opened again and just as I prepared myself for another encounter with the doe-eyed girl, a curly-haired boy


    about my age stepped through. He had a ss pitcher of water in his hands.


    He walked over silently, filling our water sses. As he reached mine, I noticed that his eyes strayed down to my formfitting dress¡ª particrly to my chest. His gaze onlysted a second before he returned his attention to the water


    pitcher, but he couldn¡¯t hide the blush on his cheeks. He¡¯d been checking me out. (*


    Before I could give myself some sort of mental ego boost, my eyes


    strayed over to Griffin. His smirk was gone and his dark eyes were narrowed on the boy. His teeth gleamed in the light, he


    was enraged.


    Okay, that¡¯s not good.

 Chapter 50

    apter 50 (4 ¡°It¡¯s amazing the rity thates with psychotic jealousy.¡± (¡°) Rupert Everett


    The enraged expression on Griffin¡¯s face was one I¡¯d seen a few times¡ª namely, when he had forced me to talk about


    my romantic past with Aiden.


    Sitting at the dinner table together, he looked every bit as territorial and possessive as he¡¯d been that day. And the boy,


    the one who¡¯d barely even nced at my cleavage, was shaking in his boots¡ªliterally. He didn¡¯t dare make eye contact with Griffin or I, but his hands were shaking so bad that I thought he might spill the water. He knew he¡¯d made a mistake.


    An even smaller mistake than that kitchen girl had. If she¡¯s allowed to throw herself at Griffin and walk out of here without a scratch, so should this kid. He wasn¡¯t even intentionally hitting on me.


    Just as | thought Griffin might make some sort of move, I ced my hand over his forearm. He was warm to the touch,


    like his jealousy had actually boiled over.


    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± I said, trying not to cringe at the sound of the endearment out of my mouth. I wasn¡¯t practiced with the pet


    names.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Given my limited romantic history, I wasn¡¯t great with that sort of affection, but if there was ever a time


    to try, now seemed like a good choice. Maybe appealing to Griffin¡ªand the mate bond¡ª could help the boy walk out of


    the room alive.


    The endearment had the intended effect. I watched Griffin¡¯s eyes immediately slide to mine, surprised. He hadn¡¯t


    expected it from me.


    Fortunately, in the few seconds I¡¯d managed to redirect his attention, the kitchen boy was able to sl*p out of the dining


    room, unscathed.


    I let out a breath. At least he was able to get away. Thest thing I wanted was to see another head roll on the floor,


    especially while I¡¯m trying to eat. I could only hope that he wouldn¡¯te back and Griffin wouldn¡¯t hunt him downter


    ¨C but hopefully Griffin would forget once his initial anger vanished.


    ¡°lm fine,¡¯ Griffin practically snarled the words, entangling his hand with mine. Even though the kitchen boy was out of


    sight, Griffin was still on edge.


    Now, this is the part where I royally f**ked up.


    Had I been a little more logical, I would¡¯ve continued to soothe Griffin until his jealousy was sated. Touched him,


    reassured him that it wasn¡¯t a big deal and that I was all his. I¡¯m pretty sure that would¡¯ve been the ¡°good mate¡±


    response. |!


    That¡¯s not what I did though. |?


    Instead, my brain decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to tease him¡ªmuch like he¡¯d done with me only


    minutes ago.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked him, trying to keep the teasing tone of out my


    voice.


    ¡°What was what?¡± He replied, saying the exact same thing I¡¯d said to him. It felt like d¨¦ja vu in reverse.


    How does it feel to be teased about your jealousy now?


    ¡°That little¡­disy there,¡± I said, and I could no longer keep the mockery out of my tone. It was the exact same thing


    he¡¯d said to me about the kitchen girl, and by the way that Griffin narrowed his eyes at me, he knew I was poking fun at


    him.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Little fox,¡± he said, his voice barely above a growl. He was warning me, I could tell. But of what? Him? I wasn¡¯t doing or


    saying anything he hadn¡¯t said to me! He wasn¡¯t the only one who could have a little fun.


    This should¡¯ve been the point where I stopped and realized that pissing off a werewolf that¡¯s already in a possessive mood might not be a good idea.


    But I didn¡¯t. Antagonizing him sent a thrill through me. There was an excited adrenaline in my veins, like prodding the


    bear to get a reaction.


    Well, this isn¡¯t a bear. This is an angry wolf and that might be worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you know. I know I¡¯m quite beautiful but you have nothing to worry about,¡± I echoed his own words back to


    him. |!


    Silence. Oh, he definitely knew I was mocking him now.


    ¡°Little fox,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s already taking everything inside me not to bend you over this table so that the entire kitchen


    staff can hear who you belong to¡­do you really want to end up over my knee again?¡± (>)


    My face went red and there was a dark satisfactory gleam in Griffin¡¯s eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was satisfied that he¡¯d


    already flustered me again or if he really wanted me to keep pushing. Although the thought of having s*x with him


    definitely made me nervous, it also left some sort of hungry curiosity too.


    Is this what trying to ept the mate bond does? Just make me super horny for him? I pictured it in my mind ¨C him


    bending me over the table, lifting up my blue dress, and taking me how he pleased. The sounds he¡¯d make. How he¡¯d


    feel inside me.


    Almost unconsciously, I ground my thighs together and swallowed down a whimper. My eyes fluttered shut. Him on top


    of me, his strong hands covering every inch of my skin ¡ª


    ¡°Little fox,¡± Griffin rasped and my eyes sprung open. His jaw was clenched and his eyes roved over me like a hungry


    animal. ¡°I can smell you. It¡¯s taking every ounce of my self-control not to f**k you right


    now, rk.¡± (1) Crack!


    I watched the edge of the wooden table suddenly break under his grip, his eyes still trained on me. He was still gripping


    the jagged, broken edge with his fist, his veins bulging beneath his skin.


    God, what would those hands feel like on me?


    What would they feel like on my face?


    Or my throat?)


    That was thest thought in my brain before I felt myself move. I


    reached over, tugging his face closer to mine and closed the gap between our l*ps.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°T have what it takes to im what I want.¡± Robin York


    Kissing Griffin was just as intoxicating as I remembered it to be. His full l*ps moved in sync with mine, like we were


    speaking our own physicalnguage. I¡¯d never realized that a k*ss was something that could turn you on or leave you wet


    ¨C I¡¯d always considered it the preamble to the real forey.


    But k*ssing Griffin was different. When his tongue licked my bottom l*p and then entered my mouth, I could feel the warmth in my stomach. I had one hand pressed to the side of his face, the other resting on the table to support my weight.


    It wasn¡¯t enough though. I wasn¡¯t touching enough of him.


    As if he¡¯d had the same thought, Griffin reached over and pulled me into hisp in one movement. I made some sort of


    noise in my throat ~


    a mixture between a squeal and a moan ~ as he moved me. He¡¯d picked me up like I was weightless.


    Thrust into hisp, it was almost impossible to keep my hands off him.


    I could feel so much more of him now ~ hisrge hands settled on my waist, his rigid abdomen pressed against mine,


    and my hot thighs perched on top of one of his. I¡¯d never wanted to touch someb*dy like I wanted to touch Griffin right


    now. I wanted to feel all of him.


    Griffin¡¯s tongue in my mouth was consuming. I tried to keep up with his speed, explore his mouth the way his tongue


    was mine, but he wouldn¡¯t let me. His tongue was simply dominating mine, and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was intentional or


    not.


    I could feel the warmth in my belly expanding and I wanted, no needed, more. I needed friction, and before I could stop


    myself, I ground myself into his thigh I was sitting on.


    Griffin immediately growled, moving his thigh closer so I could have better leverage and pulling back from my l*ps. His


    eyes were as dark as T¡¯¡¯d ever seen them, pupils blown out. Still, there was a victorious smirk on his face, He didn¡¯t speak


    but continued to hold his thigh in ce, watching me grind against him.


    The hot pressure of his thigh against my core was the perfect amount of force against my core ~ I could feel it hitting my


    clit every time. Moaning, I closed my eyes and threw my head back. How could grinding against someone¡¯s thigh feel this


    good? It shouldn¡¯t feel this good, this hot.


    Just as my eyes fluttered shut, Griffin grabbed my chin and tilted my head back down. ¡°Now, now, little fox,¡± he teased,


    ¡°Did I give you permission to get yourself off?¡± (7


    He was still keeping his thigh in ce, letting me move my hips and grind.


    Permission? He¡¯s the one who moved his thigh and gave me better ess!


    That¡¯s what I meant to tell him, but instead, some sort of breathy whine escaped my throat instead.


    God, I must look and seem like an animal right now ¨C I¡¯m literally getting myself off by humping his thigh!


    In response to my whine, Griffin¡¯s hands gripped my hips and stilled them. ¡°As beautiful as you look right now, getting


    yourself on me,¡± Griffin said, his voice raspy and low, ¡°I get to decide when you please yourself. Not you.¡± ¡®*)


    I should¡¯ve been offended by that ¨C or at least rolled my eyes at the notion of someone else getting to control myProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    pleasure ¡ª but all I could feel was expanding heat in my lower stomach. It was actually turning


    me on more.


    ¡°Please,¡± I barely recognized the quiet groan as it left my throat. I didn¡¯t say it, but I knew what I was ¡®pleasing¡¯ for ¨C more


    of the friction, more of the hot pressure in just the right spot.


    ¡°Please what?¡± (2)


    His eyes bore into mine, waiting for some sort of answer.


    ¡°Please, Griffin.¡± The words came out automatically.


    The corner of his l*ps lifted into a smile but his hands stayed exactly


    where they were, preventing my hips from moving. ¡°Nice try but wrong answer.¡± Wrong answer? What the hell does he want me to refer to him as?


    ¡°Please, Your Majesty.¡± That was the next one that came to mind and I almost had to mutter it out of embarrassment.


    Please tell me the literal King doesn¡¯t have a kink for being referred to as


    such.


    ¡°Hm, | almost like that one,¡± Griffin¡¯s eyes danced with amusement,


    ¡°But still wrong.¡±


    Seriously? He doesn¡¯t want his title and he doesn¡¯t want his name. What


    could he possibly want me to call him?) And then the answer went off like a lightbulb inside my brain.


    ¡°Please, Daddy.¡± My voice felt small and quiet, and my cheeks flushed. Id remembered him saying it a few times in the


    past, but I never thought I¡¯d actually be calling him it.


    His eyes lit up.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he praised me, ¡°What are you begging me for?¡±


    My cheeks got even redder. He knew what I was begging for ~ he was the one making me beg! For a moment, I just


    stared at him in defiance. He was already making me call him Daddy, making me ask permission to get myself off ¡ª did


    he really want me to beg too?


    As if he could read my rebellious thoughts, Griffin¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°Oh, is something wrong?¡± Everything about his tone was condescending and mocking.


    What a jerk!


    You know what? He can take his stupid hot thighs and his stupid big hands and go f**k himself. I don¡¯t need his


    permission for anything, I can manage just well on my own. (*)


    Pm not sure what possessed me to make my next move ~ maybe the rebellious little brat inside ¡ª but I thrust my hands


    into his dark hair and pulled as hard as I could.


    The movement took Griffin by surprise and he growled. Automatically, his hands loosened their grip and I began grinding


    against him again.


    My minor sess onlysted a second or two. He realized what I was doing and grabbed my hips again, his grip tight.


    ¡°My little brat,¡± he growled, ¡°That¡¯s what I should be calling you instead with the way you just tried to distract me like


    that. You think you can just get your way.¡±


    I should¡¯ve realized I was approaching the danger zone, but I couldn¡¯t help but push him one more time.


    ¡°Please,¡± I managed to roll my eyes even though my cheeks were bright red, ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission for anything.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes were bright. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± he purred. There was something in his tone, something dangerous.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I ground out with narrowed eyes. His grip tightened on my hips even more, just shy of being painful.


    ¡°My little fox,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯re going to regret that. You¡¯ll be begging for my permission by the end of the night.¡±ffuck

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52 Chapter 52


    ¡°A gentleman holds my hand. A man pulls my hair. A soulmate will do both¡±)


    Alessandra Torre


    Td seen werewolf speed in action before. In ss, in training, and even in my home. But I¡¯d never actually felt how fast


    they were ¡ª how the wind whips through your hair or the dizzy spell you get when they set you down.


    At least until now, that is.


    One minute, I was sitting in hisp in the dining room and the next, we were back in his suite. I had hardly felt the movement, the running, but I certainly felt the wave of dizziness when he set me down on the silk sheets.


    I barely had time to recover before Griffin was on top of me, his mouth moving in sync with mine. The way his tongue


    explored every inch of my mouth was impossible to keep up with, but I had a feeling he liked it that way.


    Suddenly, Griffin pulled back, his dark eyes gleaming.


    ¡°God, you have no idea how long I¡¯ve thought about this,¡± he


    whispered. His eyes raked over my face like he was trying to memorize every line, every wrinkle.


    ¡°Thought about what?¡±


    ¡°How you¡¯d feel beneath me. How your l*ps would feel against mine. How your hair would feel in my hands,¡± he said, his


    fingers tangling into my long, red hair. ¡°How you¡¯d taste.¡± At thatst remark, I felt one of his hands travel down to the


    bottom of my dress, resting on my thigh. That same hand began to gently rub the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, but


    never going beyond that. ()


    I could tell what he was thinking, what he was waiting for. He didn¡¯t directly say it, but I could tell he was asking for


    permission to go down on me. To make sure I was okay with it. (¡ã)


    My heart was pounding in my chest ¡ª out of excitement or nervousness ¡ª I wasn¡¯t sure. I¡¯d never thought too much


    about having someone touch me like that, but now that Griffin was resting on top of me, I desperately wanted him to.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I could actually say it out loud, so instead, I just nodded my head.


    Griffin got the message loud and clear. He shed me a predatory smile before diving in and capturing my l*ps again. His


    mouth molded to mine but only for a moment before he was moving on, running his warm l*ps down my n*eck.


    I¡¯d forgotten how sensitive the n*eck could be, especially under someone as expert as Griffin. He sucked at the sensitive


    curve of my n*eck, and while I couldn¡¯t actually see for myself, I could feel him leaving a mark.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, little fox,¡± he rasped, hot breath on my n*eck. ¡°For as long as I live ¨C as long as we live. I will never let you


    go.¡± His mouth continued to work expertly ~ like he¡¯d done this a thousand times before. He knew every spot that would


    elicit a moan, every sensitive


    little expanse of my n*eck. Maybe he has done this a thousand times before.


    Suddenly, the conversation with Mary flew through my head. How Griffin had been with girls in the castle and visiting


    female werewolves. A spark of rage and jealousy flickered in my stomach. How could I ever be okay with being his if I wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be mine? I would not be another docile little wife, oblivious to what her husband does and just


    happy to follow orders.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking,¡± Griffin said, dark eyes boring into mine. He still hovered over me, his l*ps only inches away from my


    n*eck. ¡°What are you thinking so hard about, little fox?¡±


    ¡°Tm thinking about you,¡± I said, and my voice came out a lot stronger than I thought it would, ¡°How you always say I¡¯m


    yours, that I belong to you. But do you belong to me?¡± (¡°)


    I could see Griffin¡¯s eyes widen, He hadn¡¯t expected me to say that.


    If I¡¯m going to ept this mate bond, it has to be equal. He has to belong to me as much as I belong to him.


    I¡¯m not sure what overcame me at the moment, but while he was caught off-guard, I managed to shove Griffin down


    onto the other side of the b*d. Now, our positions were reversed ¨C me on top, him lying beneath me. He didn¡¯t fight me


    or try to shove me back down. Instead, he merely watched me with surprised, curious eyes.


    I knew that he could overpower me at any moment, but he just watched me, waiting to see what I¡¯d do next. Frankly, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do next. All I knew is that I felt this innate desire to show him that I could be just as


    possessive as he was. There would never be another castle girl, never another disy of flirting as long as I was his mate.


    ¡°If you want me to be yours,¡± I told him, ¡°Then you have to be mine. Every inch of you. You¡¯ll belong to me as much as I


    belong to you.¡± Griffin went to move his head, and almost instinctively, my hand reached out to settle around his throat. Not choking, just holding him in ce.)


    Griffin¡¯s eyes widened and I could see a pleased smile pulling at his l*ps. ¡°My little fox,¡± he said, ¡°I will always belong to


    you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll never give another castle girl ¡®attention¡¯? You¡¯ll never let another kitchen girl flirt with


    you? You¡¯re so possessive of me, even about things that happened before you. I can be just as territorial as you.¡± As I


    pictured the events in my head, my


    hand tightened around his throat.


    ¡°No,¡± Griffin said, smiling wider. Despite my tightening hand, he didn¡¯t look the least bit ufortable or phased. He


    looked pleased. Satisfied. ¡°Lam yours, rk Bellevue. I can¡¯t change my past ¨C the things that I did to try and fill the void


    of being mateless ¨C but I can promise you this. For as long as I live, you will be the only person to ever have my attention.


    You are everything to me, there is nothing for me in this life without you. I will never disrespect you nor will I let anyone


    else disrespect my Queen.¡±


    I could feel electricity buzzing in my veins. I stared at him for a moment ¡ª just brown eyes shing against brown eyes.


    And then I leaned down, using my hold on his throat to pull him into a k*ss. His l*ps melded back to mine, feeling just as warm and soft as ever.


    ¡°You are mine,¡± I whispered against his l*ps, and he made some sort of noise of agreement. ¡°Say it¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m yours,¡± he growled.


    Then, before I could register what he was actually doing, Griffin¡¯s hand sped around the hand holding his throat. ¡°And


    I will always be yours, little fox,¡± he said, pulling back, ¡°But I will also always be in control.¡±


    In one movement, he fl*pped me back over. It happened so fast that I could feel another dizzy spell but it onlysted a moment.


    Griffin¡¯s l*ps traveled down my b*dy, leaving warm k*sses across every


    inch of exposed skin. When his mouth reached my inner thigh, he paused and looked up at me. There was a dark smileProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    on his face, one that almost looked sadistic.


    ¡°Now, where was 1?¡± he said, and there was a teasing note to his voice, ¡°I think I said I¡¯d have you begging by the end of


    the night.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53 Chapter 53


    ¡°You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway.¡±


    Steve Mariboli


    When Griffin said the night would end with me begging, he¡¯d meant it. After what felt like several agonizing moments of


    him licking and biting every inch of my exposed inner thighs, he¡¯d finally worked up to my panties. Beneath my blue


    dress, I wasn¡¯t wearing anything particrly S**y ¡ª just a pair of blue cotton panties that matched the rest of the outfit.


    Had I known where his mouth would end up, I might¡¯ve chosen differently.


    ¡°God, I love your scent,¡± Griffin sighed, pressing his nose against the front of my panties. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­you.¡±


    My cheeks flushed. A part of me wanted to hide this part of myself, stop this sensual act before it had begun. It wasn¡¯t


    because I didn¡¯t want it to happen. No, now more than ever, all I wanted to feel was Griffin¡¯s tongue.


    Really, my embarrassment was fueled by a fear of rejection. What if Griffin started and then didn¡¯t like it? What if there was something wrong with me?


    As if he could sense my inner monologue, Griffin paused and looked at me, dark eyes shining. ¡°Little fox,¡± he said, ¡°There


    is absolutely nothing more that I want at this moment than to taste you. All of you.¡±


    The sheer devotion in his voice was enough to quell any anxiety or uneasiness I felt. With a soft nod, I watched Griffin


    pull down my panties, taking his time. ¡°Look at you, little fox,¡± he grinned, ¡°Already wet for me.¡± I knew it was true. I


    could feel my own wetness, feel it in the panties he peeled off me. I¡¯d been wet since the moment I started grinding on


    him in the dining room.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± Griffin stared at me ¨C more namely, that part of me. ¡°Every inch of you. I knew you would be.¡± I¡¯d


    never thought that part of me, or anyone, could be beautiful but I didn¡¯t doubt Griffin¡¯s words. He wasn¡¯t giving me l*p


    service. He meant it.


    Then, before I could register it, he beganpping at my folds. Almost immediately, my head fell back and my eyes


    fluttered shut. God, why did nob*dy tell me that head felt this good?


    Griffin¡¯s tongue was soft, warm, and used just the right amount of pressure. He started at my l*ps, and even there, my


    b*dy felt sensitive and tingly. I wanted more, but when I bucked my hips, Griffin¡¯s hands settled firmly on my thighs and


    pressed them into the b*d.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± he said, ¡°Did I tell you that you could move?¡±


    With my eyes still shut, I managed to shake my head. God, please just put your tongue back on me. That¡¯s all I want.


    But instead of moving his head back down, Griffin¡¯s fingers just dug into my thighs. ¡°Use your words, little fox.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even bare to look at him. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t say I could move.¡± ¡°No, what?¡±


    Is he really going to make me say it?


    His fingers digging more sharply into my thighs was my answer.


    ¡°No, Daddy. You didn¡¯t say I could move.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Texpected the phrase to embarrass me ~ and it did ¡ª but it did something else too. It turned me on. I could feel the heat


    in between my legs.


    Please don¡¯t tell me his daddy kink is rubbing off on me. That¡¯s humiliating.


    Griffin dove his head back between my thighs, his warm tongue pressing gently and firmly on my clit. I knew I was wet ~


    soaking, really ~ but at this point, I didn¡¯t know what was me and what was Griffin¡¯s saliva. He hadn¡¯t been shy about


    tasting everything.


    ¡®What was the most surprising part is how good he was at it. Once again, there was no learning curve, no trying to guess


    what I already liked. He already knew. If my b*dy was an instrument, Griffin was an expert musician. |


    Is this the mate bond too? Nob*dy ever told me the S** was this good! I might¡¯vee around sooner if I knew it was


    going to be this great.


    To no surprise, it only took a few minutes for Griffin to get me all worked up. My entire b*dy was warm and flushed, my


    lower belly a bundle of hot nerves. Sometimes, he¡¯d brush directly over the most sensitive part of my clit and I¡¯d have to


    stop myself from bucking my hips. I so desperately wanted to move my hips in tandem with him, but I knew he¡¯d stop if I


    did.


    The bundle of hot nerves in my stomach felt like it was unraveling. I could feel myself on the edge, I was close, just a little more ¨C


    Suddenly, the pressure stopped. Griffin pulled back.


    My eyes shed open, staring at him. His head was just inches away from my thighs and he was looking at me with a


    shit-eating grin on his face.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± My voice was quiet and raspy, most likely because I¡¯d spent the past several minutes moaning. ¡°I-I was close.¡± I¡¯m not sure


    why I felt shy about saying thatst part, but I did.


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Griffin smiled sardonically, ¡°But did I say you coulde,


    little fox?¡±


    This time, I didn¡¯t bother shaking my head. I knew he¡¯d want a verbal answer.


    ¡°No, Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Griffin rasped, a pleased glint in his eyes, ¡°You catch on fast, little fox.¡±


    As if my clit was already aching enough from the loss of pressure, that only seemed to make it worse.


    He said he wanted me to beg, right? As humiliating as that is, I¡¯m desperate enough at this point. Anything that gets his


    tongue back on me.


    ¡°Please, Daddy,¡± I said, and I knew my entire face was beat red. ¡°Please touch me again. I want to feel you.¡± |?)


    Griffin¡¯s eyes lit up but that same sadistic smile remained. ¡°Do you? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re begging hard enough, little fox.


    You were such a little brat earlier tonight. Telling me you didn¡¯t have to ask permission for anything. Is that still true?¡±


    Of course, he has to bring that up. What a dick!


    Averting my eyes, I managed to whisper, ¡°No.¡±


    That must¡¯ve been good enough for Griffin because he gave a pleased


    hum and began moving his tongue back over my clit. Immediately, | let out a loud moan. As turned on as I was, every


    brush, every movement of his soft tongue felt like he was lighting my nerves on fire.


    ¡°Keep making those noises, little fox,¡± he ground out, ¡°I want the entire castle to hear you.¡± (2


    Another time, that thought might¡¯ve sent me down a rabbit hole of wondering if the entire castle really could hear me,


    but right now, all I could think about was reaching my climax. So, he didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. Loud moans escaped


    my throat before I could even think about reeling them back in.


    This second time, it took even less time for Griffin to bring me to my edge. I tried to be quieter this time, less obvious


    about the fact that I was close. If I could just get a little more pressure, then


    He stopped. I couldn¡¯t suppress the whine as he left me aching again.


    ¡°I told you,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who controls when you get toe. Don¡¯t think you can get away with being sneaky


    like that. I sense everything, little fox ¡ª the way your breathing picks up when you¡¯re close, how your heart speeds up.¡±


    (1)


    Damn werewolf senses.


    ¡°Please,¡± my back was arching off the b*d, but there was no way for me t


    o get friction. ¡°Please. Please. Please, Daddy.¡± Thatst part sl*pped out, but I was far too desperate to feel embarrassed


    about it. I was already begging him.


    Griffin hummed again like he was thinking it over. I didn¡¯t need to have my eyes open to know he had that same sadistic


    grin on his face. This


    bastard was loving every second of this.¡¯ )


    He didn¡¯t answer verbally, but his tongue started running stripes down my clit and l*ps again. The third time, it barely


    took a minute for him to work me close to the edge. My skin felt hot and sticky and my back felt strained from the way


    I¡¯d been arching off the b*d. This time, I didn¡¯t even bother trying to bypass his rules. This was Griffin¡¯s game, and he¡¯d


    already proven twice that he could outmatch me every time.


    ¡°Please, Daddy,¡± my voice was a mixture between some sort of whine and a moan, ¡°Can Ie?¡± (¡°)


    ¡®There was silence for a moment, and I wondered if he was really going to deny me a third time ¨C I wasn¡¯t sure I could


    handle the aching pain of denial again.


    ¡°You cane, little fox,¡± he finally said, and then he continued swirling his tongue in just the right spot. I came undone


    almost immediately. The tangled knot in my lower belly uncurled, my breaths were nothing more than quiet moans, and I


    only felt rippling pleasure between my legs.


    Whatever orgasm I¡¯d ever had on my own didn¡¯tpare to this one.


    Those had been sad excuses for an orgasm ~ nothing like the continous pleasure I was experiencing now.


    As I rode out thest of my orgasm, Griffin continued to lick every inch of exposed skin. It wasn¡¯t like he was just


    sampling me ¨C there was nothing hesitant about the way hepped at my folds. No, he tasted me like he couldn¡¯t get


    enough of me.


    As soon as he¡¯d had his fill of me, he moved up to cradle me against his chest, his gaze fixed on mine. Part of me wanted


    to hide my face from him. I knew I must¡¯ve looked like a sticky, sweaty mess embedded into his sheets. I knew my hair


    was wild with frizz and the blue dress would need to be peeled off me.


    But Griffin didn¡¯t shy away from me. His gaze was full of something I¡¯d rarely seen directed at me ¡ª pure, unadultered


    admiration.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful when youe undone for me, little fox,¡± Griffin reached forward to cup my jaw with his hand, ¡°The


    way you look, the sounds you make ¨C I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to get enough of you.¡±


    Iwas still trying to recover from the aftershocks of my orgasm, so I didn¡¯t have the energy to drum up any kind of


    intelligent response to his sweet words.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t seem to need verbal answers this time. ¡°Do you know what happens now?¡± he asked, and I felt his


    fingers stray down from my jaw.


    Even the lightest touch of his fingertips seemed to leave my skin on fire, and when they reached the junction between my


    n*eck and shoulder, my skin practically sizzled. That particr area felt sensitive and even more attuned to his touch, like my b*dy was trying to call out to his.


    ¡°Now, I leave my mark on you,¡± Griffin answered, his dark eyes brimming with some sort of emotion I couldn¡¯t recognize.


    Something primal. As if to drive his point home, his fingers tapped the sensitive area between my n*eck and shoulder ¨C


    the traditional spot of a iming bite. ¡°And when I¡¯ve done that,¡± he continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to make you my Queen.


    OfficiallyN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 Chapter 54

    ¡°Time flies when you grow fangs and fur.¡± ¡ã) Dianna Hardy


    I was not ignorant about iming bites. Although I had slept through plenty of werewolf education in my life, the lesson


    about iming marks and bites wasn¡¯t one of them. It was a hard lesson to miss, especially when I was used to seeing the


    evidence on every mated female wolf I saw.


    iming bites were just that ¡ª bites that represented the im of a wolf on another. It was standard practice for male wolves to leave them on their female mates, and in cases of same-s*x mates, the dominant wolf would leave one on the


    submissive wolf. Even learning about it in school, I¡¯d never liked the practice. |)


    It had always felt so one-sided to me. Just another way for male wolves to show their mates off like property, even parade


    them as such. The female wolf never got to leave her mark on the male wolf, she could only ever wear the mark. |


    At school, the female wolves used to gossip about what it would be like to wear their soul mate¡¯s iming mark. To


    them, it was an honor. They didn¡¯ once they¡¯d met their mates and gotten their marks, every mated


    just ept the disy of possessiveness, they wanted it. And


    woman I¡¯d known had bore her bite proudly.


    T¡¯d seen the evidence countless times ¨C most notably on Luna Grace. It wasn¡¯t always visible around the house, but


    whenever she interacted with pack members, she¡¯d wear shirts or dresses with low cors that left my dad¡¯s mark visible.


    You could always the indent of his teeth, the exact spot he¡¯d sunk his canines into her. The mark had obviously scarred


    over but it never faded. It always seemed to shine in the light and even more on full moons.


    I didn¡¯t understand the werewolf biology that went into iming bites perfectly. They all looked like bite marks to me,


    but to a wolf, it was supposed to smell like your mate, It was irrefutable evidence that you were taken and imed by


    someone else.


    So, when Griffin brought up the idea of iming me, I practically bristled. My brain barely registered the second part of


    the sentence ¨C the part about me bing his Queen. I could freak out about thatter.


    ¡°You want to im me?¡± I gaped at him, ¡°Like with a iming bite?¡± He was syed out beside me, hair tousled and half


    the buttons on his dress shirt undone. I could hardly me him for his disheveled appearance ~ after the way he¡¯d just


    eaten me out, I was sure that I looked ten times more dibobted.


    ¡°Is there another way you¡¯d prefer me to im you?¡± Griffin asked, his eyes shining with amusement. ¡°I suppose I could


    get you a cute little cor if you¡¯d prefer. Maybe one with a bell ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I cut him off. The picture that my mind conjured up was definitely humiliating but notpletely awful. But


    certainly not a realistic way that I¡¯d ever want anyone in the castle, even the werewolf world, to actually see me.


    ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re against wearing my mark?¡± Griffin asked. He still looked rxed and amused but there was an


    edge to his voice now.


    I tried to pick my next words carefully ¨C I didn¡¯t want to risk offending him or his animal instincts. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not you,¡± I


    said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you specifically¡­it¡¯s the bite itself. Maybe I¡¯d feel differently if I was a wolf, but I¡¯m not. I


    don¡¯t understand why I need to have a physical indent of your teeth on my n*eck.¡±


    It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to fly under the radar anyway. I suspect everyone in this castle knows whose mate I am by this


    point.


    Griffin seemed to take my hesitancy in stride, which was a surprise. If anything, it seemed to amuse him. ¡°¡®A physical


    indent of my teeth¡¯¡± he echoed, shaking his head lightly, ¡°Is that all you think iming bites are, little fox?¡±


    ¡°aren¡¯t they?¡± I shot back. ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of them when I lived at my dad¡¯s pack, I don¡¯t need one. I already live in your


    castle, spend plenty of time with you. Everyone here knows I¡¯m your mate ~ I don¡¯t need a bite too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, little fox,¡± Griffin said, and something primal shed behind his eyes, ¡°A iming bite is more than just a


    mark or a scar. It¡¯s protection. It¡¯s a warning system for any wolf who tries to go near you. They¡¯ll smell my scent on you,


    they¡¯ll know you¡¯re mine. No other wolf will ever be able to mark you, they won¡¯t even want to try. Argue all you want,


    but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you roam around these halls ~ or anywhere else ~ without my mark.¡±


    I knew Griffin well enough to know that he wasn¡¯t bluffing. Still, I continued to push. All I could think about was the


    ted girls at school, who gushed over their iming bites like they were new jewelry or clothes. And while they got


    stuck literal fang marks in their n*ecks, what about male wolves? What did they have to show for their mating? There was


    no mark, no bite they were expected to disy.


    No matter how hard I tried, the implication didn¡¯t sit well. I would not tum into another dumbstruck submissive mate, just


    happy to be shown off and follow orders mindlessly. Regardless of what my destiny might¡¯ve had in store for me, I knew


    that wasn¡¯t it. (>)


    ¡°Look,¡± I ground out, trying to keep my voice even, ¡°I think there¡¯s something we need to get straight here. About us.


    About iming bites, about this mate bond.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, and what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°1 know you have traditions and expectations, but I spent part of my life in the human world,¡± I told him, ¡°I have


    expectations too. I¡¯m not going to be your mindless little housewife that you can store on the shelf like your other


    possessions. If that¡¯s what you think you¡¯re getting here or what you¡¯re going to turn me into, then you¡¯ve got another


    thing


    coming. I know that¡¯s how a lot of mate bonds work, but this one can¡¯t. T won¡¯t let it.¡±


    The words spilled out of me before I¡¯d even thought about saying them, but they were true. I readied myself to be met


    with some form of protest from Griffin, but to my surprise, he just stared at me in awe. It was as if I¡¯d just told him I¡¯d


    hung the moon and the stars.


    Well¡­hopefully, that means he isn¡¯t offended.


    That awed, dumbfounded look remained on his face for several moments before he finally pulled himself together. Griffin


    reached over to cup my jaw, his face still full of admiration. ¡°You never cease to surprise me, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°Every


    moment I spend with you feels like I¡¯m discovering new ways that you¡¯re my perfect match.¡±


    I certainly hadn¡¯t expected him to say that, and I had to fight not to avert my eyes. His gaze was so intense, like I was


    swimming in his eyes. ¡°[ have never wanted some mindless little housewife,¡± he continued, ¡°I have no need for one. What


    I need is a Queen. Someone who can rule beside me, who won¡¯t crumble under the weight of this world. I¡¯m not sure


    how you ever doubted we weren¡¯t right for each other ~ can¡¯t you see how perfect you are for me? For this castle? For


    this world? You so clearly belong to me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that Griffin had called me his, but this time felt different. There was a lump in my throat ¨C I wasn¡¯t


    sure if it was from his sweet words or the way he¡¯d alluded to me belonging to the werewolf world. I had always been an


    outcast to the werewolf world,


    never someone who belonged. That was before Griffin, my mind countered.


    That was it, wasn¡¯t it? Maybe my ce in the werewolf world hadn¡¯t been with my father¡¯s pack but here. With Griffin. I


    didn¡¯t need to be anyone else, to measure up to some impossible standard that I¡¯d never meet as a human, Me ¡ª in all


    my humanness ¡ª was already good enough. I was already an equal. |¡°)


    And if I¡¯m Griffin¡¯s equal, then I want others to know it too.


    ¡°If belong to you,¡± I finally managed to say, ¡°And you belong to me, then I¡¯ll wear your iming bite.¡± Griffin¡¯s eyes lit up


    and I could see a smile tugging at his l*ps.


    ¡°On one condition,¡± I continued, and I could see his eyes narrow, ¡°I want to im you too.¡± |

 Chapter 55

    ¡°You are the fire burning inside me.¡± Kelvin O¡¯Ralph


    If ¡¯d had a camera or a phone nearby, I would¡¯ve snapped a photo of the look on Griffin¡¯s face when I told him I wanted


    to im him. He looked like I¡¯d just told him I was secretly an alien or lived on the moon ~ or some other impossible


    thing. 7


    With his jaw hanging open, Griffin finally managed to speak. ¡°im me?¡± he said. ¡°Like with a bite?¡±


    I knew the idea sounded ridiculous. I wasn¡¯t a wolf. I didn¡¯t have fangs that could magically leave scars. But I did have


    teeth and canines. Maybe they weren¡¯t as sharp, but they could still sink into someb*dy¡¯s n*eck. They could leave scars


    too. |¡±)


    That thought ¨C of me sinking my teeth into the pulse of Griffin¡¯s n*eck ~ sent the blood rushing through my veins.


    Has the mate bond messed me up so much that biting into someb*dy¡¯s n*eck like a vampire turns me on? (2)


    Well, not just anyb*dy ¡ª Griffin. My mate.


    ¡°T hate to state the obvious here,¡± Griffin said, ¡°But as much as I may call you my little fox, you¡¯re still human. You won¡¯t


    be able to leave a iming bite.¡± (1)


    ¡°Why not?¡± I snapped back, and I tried not to sound like I was pouting. ¡°T have teeth too. Some of them are sharper than


    they look.¡±


    ¡°Pm sure they are,¡± Griffin said, sounding amused. ¡°But I have supernatural healing abilities. Unless your teeth are made


    of silver, the


    mark will just fade. Probably within seconds.¡±


    Logically, I knew he was right. Werewolves healed much more quickly than humans. They weren¡¯t even capable of getting


    scars, not unless they were made through silver des or weapons.


    Still, that didn¡¯t stop the possessive thought from running through my mind. If Griffin was going to leave his mark on me,


    was it so crazy that I wanted to leave mine on him?


    ¡°You know what I¡¯vee to realize about you, little fox?¡± Griffin said, breaking me from my train of thought. I looked up


    at him and his eyes were shining with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re more wolf-like than you realize.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, you may be human,¡± Griffin continued, and I felt one of his hands stroking through my hair, ¡°But there¡¯s no mistaking the Alpha blood in you. You might not be able to shift or turn into a wolf, but that Alpha blood finds other


    ways of expressing itself.¡±


    ¡°My Alpha blood?¡± I asked, eyebrows raised. ¡°Are you just saying that because I wanted to mark you? Who says that has


    anything to do with my Alpha blood? Maybe I¡¯m just weird.¡±


    Griffin rolled his eyes but a teasing smirk yed on his l*ps. ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s everything about you. Had I


    been mated to any other wolf, things would¡¯ve gonepletely differently. Any female wolf would¡¯ve epted the bond


    immediately and let me im them.¡±


    Irritation sparked in me. I could tell that Griffin was trying to make a bigger point, but it almost sounded like he was


    unhappy with how things turned out. Like he would¡¯ve preferred somepletely submissive girl, ready to do all of his


    bidding.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t immediately fall at your feet,¡± I rolled my eyes. I turned my face away from him, but Griffin


    immediately grabbed my chin with his hand and pulled me back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look away and roll your eyes at me, little fox,¡± he said, and his tone had an edge to it now, ¡°Do that again and Ill


    take you over my knee. I wasn¡¯t trying to say I was unhappy with you or that I wanted something else. All I meant is that


    you weren¡¯t what I expected.¡±


    Knowing that Griffin would probably make good on his threat, I tried to shove down some of my attitude and let him


    properly exin. ¡°I expected the mate bond to be easy. But then I found you ¡ª and we both know that you were far


    from easy. You were challenging me from the moment we made eye-contact. You ran from me the first chance you got.


    You fought back, you stood your ground.¡± (*


    He paused and that same awed look came over his face again. ¡°You were nothing like I thought. You were so much


    stronger than I ever expected a human to be ~ than I ever expected my mate to be. I¡¯ve spent most of my life around


    people who would¡¯ve done anything to be mated to someb*dy in my position. I¡¯ve gotten a lot things in my life through


    my birthright, I know that. But you, little fox? You¡¯re the first thing that has ever truly challenged me. You forced me to


    prove myself to you as a mate, you made me feel like I had to earn it.¡±


    As I stared into Griffin¡¯s eyes, there was a hungry look in them that made my chest feel tight.


    ¡°That kind of strength,¡± he continued, ¡°That¡¯s the strength of an Alpha. As human as you may be, it¡¯s so in to see how


    deep your Alpha bloodBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    runs.¡±


    Was Griffin right? Was it possible that my Alpha blood could express itself even if I wasn¡¯t a wolf?


    ¡°You make me sound a lot stronger than I actually feel,¡± I told him, and I tried to keep my voice from wavering. It was


    hard to keep my tone steady when he looked like he wanted to devour me. ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten the appeal of a soul mate,


    you know. I didn¡¯t want someone to care about me because some cosmic universal force was pushing us together. T wanted someone to care about me because they understand me. Because they¡¯ve chosen me. And with you, I needed


    you to prove that you actually wanted me and not just the idea of a soul mate.¡± _)


    I paused. ¡°Maybe it was the Alpha blood in me, but I guess you¡¯re right.


    I did need you to earn it.¡± Something glimmered in his eyes. ¡°And? Have I earned it, little fox?¡± I swallowed down a lump


    in my throat. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Before I could register it, Griffin¡¯s l*ps were on mine, ravishing me. It was like he couldn¡¯t get enough of me and it was all


    I could do to keep up with him, His hands tangled in my hair, to the point where I could feel him pulling it.


    This went on for several seconds ¡ª just his warm l*ps on mine, his soft tongue exploring my mouth. Just when I was


    starting to feel a familiar knot in my lower belly, he pulled again with wild eyes. ¡°rk,¡± he growled. His voice was lower


    than I¡¯d ever heard it before, like he was barely controlling himself. ¡°I¡¯m going to mark you now.¡±


    Someone notifying me that they wanted to stick their canines into my n*eck probbaly should¡¯ve sent me running, but I


    didn¡¯t feel an ounce of hesitation. I knew there was no turning back now. Taking Griffin¡¯s mark meant we¡¯d be connected


    forever. That thought would¡¯ve floored me a couple of days ago, but I had more rity than ever now. I knew this was my


    path.


    So, I nodded. That was all the permission that Griffin needed.


    With a firm grip on my hair, he nudged my face to the side with his


    nose and buried himself in my exposed n*eck. And then I felt his fangs.


    I expected the iming bite to be a lot more painful than it actually was. The sharp pain onlysted for a second and


    then it just ached, like he¡¯d bitten into a sore muscle.


    Pulling his canines out my n*eck, Griffin growled and pulled me close. ¡°Mine.¡±


    That triggered something in me, something primal. I didn¡¯t think about what I did next ¡ª it was just instinct. With fresh


    blood oozing from the iming bite, I leaned forward and sunk my teeth into Griffin¡¯s n*eck.


    ¡°Mine.¡±

 Chapter 56

    ¡°actions speak louder than words.¡± *) Aleksandra Land


    I could hear Griffin grow! in surprise as I bit into his skin ~ he hadn¡¯t been expecting it. Still, I kept my teethtched onto


    his warm skin, digging into the flesh.


    It was only when he utched his teeth from my n*eck and I could no longer feel his teeth embedded in his skin that I


    stopped biting him.


    Surprisingly, I could feel very little pain from the iming bite. There was a dull ache and I registered something hot and warm running down my shoulder ~ blood? ~ but that was it. It certainly didn¡¯t feel like someone had just sunk their


    fangs into me.


    ¡°What a little wild fox you are,¡± Griffin whispered, his eyes still wide in surprise. There was something else there too ¨C


    amusement. ¡°Biting me like that. | didn¡¯t think you¡¯d really do it.¡± As if to prove it was really there, Griffin reached up to


    touch the mark I¡¯d left on his skin.


    Although it was less than a minute old, I could already see the mark fading on his bronze skin. The swollen indent of my


    teeth was beginning to fade to purple. It would bepletely gone within minutes. Chapter 56


    I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t know what would happen. I¡¯m not sure why I expected it to stay or why I¡¯m so disappointed it won¡¯t.


    While | stared at the fading mark, Griffin leaned down and began licking at my own iming bite. I wasn¡¯t prepared for


    the wave of pleasure that rocked through me as soon as his hot tongue met the mark, It went straight to my core ¡ª like


    he¡¯d set every nerve ending on fire.


    ¡°My God,¡± I moaned, my head falling back to give him better ess.


    I felt Griffin grin against my n*eck. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you? There are a few¡­side-effects thate with a iming bite.¡±


    ¡°No, you did not,¡± I hissed. ¡°Nob*dy did.¡± It was hard to stay mad when every touch against the mark left me a tingly mess.


    How did werewolf s*x education manage to leave this part out? They didn¡¯t think it was important to tell us that


    touching the mark literally turns you on?


    ¡°My poor little fox,¡± Griffin¡¯s tone was mocking. By the way he continued to drag his tongue across the mark, I could tell


    he wasn¡¯t sorry at all.


    ¡°Does it¡­does it feel like this every time someone touches the mark?¡± I asked, and I had to strain to get the words out. It


    was hard to focus on anything but the sensations Griffin¡¯s touch was bringing out in me. Chapter 56


    Griffin growled and I felt him nip at the mark ~ just enough to make me gasp. ¡°No,¡± he growled, ¡°Only I can make you


    feel this way when I touch my mark. If someone else so much as tries to touch you here ¨C or touch you at all ¨C ¡¯ll kill them,


    little fox.¡±


    That statement might¡¯ve rattled me a little bit more, but as he continued to nip and lick at my n*eck, I could feel my


    eyelids grow


    heavy. My limbs started to feel like lead weights and I slumped over, letting Griffin support my weight. We were


    practically chest to chest.


    As I did so, I felt Griffin¡¯s tongue leave my skin.


    ¡°God, why do I feel so¡­ Tired, I wanted to say.


    The exhaustion was hitting me like a freight train. My brain was jumbled, unable to coherently form sentences.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, little fox,¡± Griffin whispered, cradling my head against his chest. It could¡¯ve been my exhausted brain imagining


    things, but I could¡¯ve sworn his touch felt more maic than before. ¡°This is another side-effect of the iming bite. It makes you tired. Your b*dy is epting the bite, it¡¯s normal.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t force my brain to try and remember if that was covered in werewolf s*x-ed, but it sounded right. As fatigued as


    I was, it felt right too. Chapter 56


    ¡°Go to sleep, little fox. I¡¯m right here.¡±


    As my eyelids began to droop, one of my fingers reached up to touch the spot where I¡¯d bitten Griffin. I felt him tense


    under my touch as I traced the non-existent bite mark. It waspletely gone now ~ just smooth, healed skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± I mumbled. That was thest thing I managed to say out loud before my eyes got too heavy and sleep


    imed me.


    When I woke up, I could feel the sun on my face and the emptiness of the b*d. I was alone in the suite and Griffin was


    nowhere to be found. The curtains were drawn on one of the windows that overlooked the snowy forest and I could see


    the sun shining.


    I must¡¯ve slept through the night.


    Man, I was so tired afterst night ¨C after the iming.


    Wait, the bite!


    My fingers reached up to feel the spot where Griffin had marked me. There was no soreness in my n*eck and it didn¡¯t feel


    like an open wound. Although my limbs felt a little stiff from sleeping for so long, I


    managed to drag myself out of b*d and into thevish bathroom.


    I turned the light on and gasped when I caught sight of the iming Chapter 56


    bite. It waspletely healed and it looked nothing like I¡¯d expected.


    Td seen plenty of iming bites in my life. They were all visible but most of them weren¡¯t obvious. If you weren¡¯t looking


    for the scarred indent of someone¡¯s teeth marks, you¡¯d probably miss them. Some of them were barely visible at all, but


    others, like Luna Grace¡¯s mark, seemed more obvious.


    She¡¯d told me that was because my dad was an Alpha. The higher a wolf¡¯s position in the pack, the more obvious the bite.


    It wasn¡¯t intentional, but a more powerful wolf meant more powerful magic seeping into the bite.


    Thadn¡¯t thought much of it, but now, I could see the truth of that clear on my n*eck. The healed iming bite gleamed


    silver in the light, but no matter which way I turned, you couldn¡¯t miss it. It wasn¡¯t just his canines either ¡ª it was every


    tooth, every little indent. It looked every


    bit like someone had put their entire mouth on me and bit down.


    It was more noticeable, more eye-catching than any other iming bite Pd seen in my life.


    Well, there¡¯s no hiding this.


    As big as it was, it wasn¡¯t ugly. There was something beautiful about it, like a stamped mark of Griffin¡¯s love.


    I never thought I¡¯d hear myself say that about a iming bite. I¡¯ve always thought these things were eyesores¡­until now.


    Chapter 56 Before I could poke and prod at the bite any longer, I heard the bedroom door open.


    ¡°Little fox?¡±


    ¡°In here!¡±


    Theard Griffin¡¯s footsteps enter the open bathroom door but I didn¡¯t turn to look at him. I was still mesmerized by the


    bite.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s already healed like that,¡± I said, ¡°You only gave it to mest night. Shouldn¡¯t it be an open wound or


    something?¡±


    ¡°iming bites don¡¯t work like regr wounds,¡± Griffin said, ¡°They¡¯re magic. When I bite you, the magic seeps into your


    skin, sealing my scent there forever. Besides, you were out for an entire day, so it wasn¡¯t exactlyst night.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I slept for an entire day?¡± I yelped, twisting around to face him. No wonder I had felt so stiff when I woke up.


    Stupid wolf magic making me tired.


    When I turned to look at Griffin, my eyes widened. He was wearing a fresh set of clothes and his hair was styled but that wasn¡¯t what caught my eye ~ it was the white bandage stuck to his n*eck with tape and


    gauze. (>)


    I moved before I even realized it, rushing to stand in front of him. Chapter 56


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, staring at the bandage, ¡°What happened to your n*eck? Are you hurt?¡± My eyes swept over his b*dy, but I


    couldn¡¯t see any other bandages. He didn¡¯t look like he was injured or in pain, he looked fine.


    ¡°| appreciate the concern but I¡¯m not hurt, little fox.¡± I reached my hand up to peel off the bandage and he let me.


    My breath caught in my throat when I saw what was underneath ¨C a bite mark? No. It was a tattoo. A tattoo of a bite mark. A tattoo of my


    bite mark.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    It was the exact outline of my teeth, the same exact spot where I¡¯d bitten him. The tattoo looked extremely fresh, the skin


    was still raised and swollen around the fresh ink.


    ¡°You got¡­a tattoo. Of my bite?¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the mark.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Griffin said, and I could feel his eyes on me, ¡°You said you wanted to mark me. Since you can¡¯t actually leave a


    iming bite, this was the next best thing.¡±


    My throat felt tight and I could hardly get the words out. ¡°But 1 thought werewolves could only get tattoos before they


    shift for the first time as teenagers. Before their full healing capabilities kick in,¡± I said, ¡°Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t stay.¡±


    Griffin grinned. ¡°Yes, that is true,¡± he said, ¡°I got my other tattoo when I was fifteen.¡± He gestured to the half-sleeve


    tattoo on his forearm. The same griffin tattoo I¡¯d dreamed about before meeting him. (?


    I shook my head in confusion. ¡°So, how did you get my mark tattooed then? How is it not healing as we speak?¡± It


    looked like any other fresh tattoo you¡¯d spot on a human. Not a powerful werewolf with supernatural healing.


    ¡°The ink is infused with silver,¡± Griffin exined, and he took my hands in his, ¡°It¡¯s very unorthodox, but the artist


    ensured me that it would stay. The silver will prevent it from fading or healing.¡± I peered up at his n*eck. The inmed skin


    around the tattoo suddenly made sense. It wasn¡¯t just swollen from fresh ink ¡ª it was the silver irritating his skin.


    ¡°silver?¡± I echoed, looking at him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt you? If it¡¯s


    infused in the ink¡­doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯ll always hurt?¡± \*


    Griffin didn¡¯t look the least bit like he was in pain. He just continued to grin at me, his dark eyes full of something intense.


    ¡°It hardly hurts,¡± he shrugged, ¡°And the pain is worth it. It reminds me that it¡¯s there, that


    you¡¯ve left your mark on me.¡±


    There was a lump in my throat ¡ª yes, I¡¯d certainly left my mark on him. Even if it wasn¡¯t directly.


    Possessiveness swelled in me. Looking at the mark, at the indent of my own teeth, satisfied something primal in me.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter $7


    ¡°A queen offers her hand to be k*ssed, and can form it into a fist while smiling the whole damn time.¡±


    Elizabeth Acevedo The next three days passed in the same mindless blur.


    Griffin would leave early in the mornings to handle some sort of kingly business and I¡¯d upy myself around the


    bedroom. Sometimes with one of the books already in the room or with a movie on the big, tscreen in Griffin¡¯s suite.


    Some servant who couldn¡¯t make eye contact with me would bring me breakfast and lunch. .*)


    Then, once evening came around, Mary or another castle girl woulde to help me get dressed for dinner.


    I¡¯d dine with Griffin for dinner, usually in one of the manyvish dining rooms throughout the castle.


    After dinner, Griffin would return to more of his kingly duties. It wasn¡¯t untilte at night that he¡¯d sl*p back into the room


    with me, cradling me close in b*d. I was usually still awake when he wandered in, so there¡¯d be enough time for touching


    or making out ~ but that was about as far as it went. I had a feeling he was just too tired from his long days to go much


    farther. Chapter 57


    Inever thought living in a castle would be boring, but in reality, this new routine felt like a snooze fest. And this was


    coming from someb*dy who lovedzy days. But there were only so many movies I could binge- watch on Netflix, only


    so many books on the shelf in Griffin¡¯s room.


    So, by day four, I was determined to do something that wasn¡¯t counting the marble flecks on the b*droom floor. Part of me was nervous about venturing outside. Griffin hadn¡¯t forbidden me from leaving the bedroom, but he also hadn¡¯t


    encouraged it either. Besides the one I shared with him, my meals were brought to me. He¡¯d told me that if I needed


    anything, I could just ask the guards stationed outside the door or talk to Mary.


    Considering how territorial he was, it all felt like another subtle way for Griffin to show his possessiveness. Keeping me


    stuck in here, hardly interacting with anyone but him.


    But if I spend another day stuck in this room, I¡¯m going to go stir-crazy.


    I decided to explore the castle. .\)


    After a hearty breakfast, I dressed in somefortable sweatpants and a long-sleeved zip-up shirt. It would protect me


    from the chilly Canadian breeze, even if it did hide the iming bite.


    Oh, well. Griffin isn¡¯t here to be mad about it.


    It¡¯s not my fault that he lives in Canada, thend of long sleeves and turtlen*ecks. Chapter 57 Just as I was feeling


    caffeinated and ready to take on the day, I met my first obstacle standing outside the bedroom door: two guards.


    I forgot about them!


    How could I forget that there are always guards out here?


    I tried to mask the surprise on my face when I came face to face with the tworge, burly men. They both had stony


    expressions, some of the broadest shoulders I¡¯d ever seen, and stood nearly as tall as Griffin.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the guard on the left greeted me, ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Okay, you¡¯ve got to y this right, rk. Say the wrong thing and they¡¯ll just contact Griffin again.)


    I tried not to falter as I met the left guard¡¯s piercing stare. ¡°No, just a little fresh air,¡± I said.


    The guards exchanged nces with each other, like they were trying to piece together how to handle this. For all I knew,


    they were even mind linking each other.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­you would like to wait for the King to escort you for some fresh air, Your Highness?¡± The guard on the left


    asked, sounding


    uncertain.


    ¡°Lm sure the King is very busy,¡± I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to pull him Chapter 57


    away from his work. Maybe one of you wouldn¡¯t minding with me?¡± The idea of lugging around a burly b*dybuilder


    all day wasn¡¯t the most appealing thought, but if I had topromise to get out of the bedroom, I¡¯d do it.


    Another uncertain look passed between the two.


    ¡°We have strict orders not to leave our posts, Your Majesty,¡± the guard on the right chimed in. ¡°We could contact the


    King and see if he could


    send someone else to escort you.¡± Geez, does every decision have to go through Griffin around here?


    Ican¡¯t me them for not wanting to get in trouble, but thest thing I want is to wait all day just for a supervised walk


    with Griffin.


    ¡°You know what?¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve already talked to the King myself, and he¡¯s fine with me wandering


    on my own. No need for an escort or to even contact him at all.¡± >)


    Neither of the guards looked the least bit convinced that I was telling the truth. I didn¡¯t know if that was because I was a


    terrible liar or if they just knew Griffin too well.


    ¡°seriously,¡± I continued, ¡°It¡¯s all good. You guys don¡¯t need to worry. Pll be back in less than an hour. If anyone questions


    you about it, you


    can just me it on me.¡±


    Not that anyone will be. I¡¯ll be back here before anyone, including Griffin, r Chapter 57


    ealizes I went wandering alone.


    The guards still didn¡¯t lookfortable about the exchange, but after another beat of silence, they finally nodded.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure the King won¡¯t mind,¡± the one on the left said, and he let me pass by. I almost felt bad for deceiving them,


    but once again ¨C I¡¯d be back before anyone even found out.


    No harm, no foul, right? ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± I called onest time, leaving the guards in the dust. .¡¯)


    Griffin would most definitely mind, but you know what? It¡¯s perfectly reasonable not to be locked up in a bedroom all


    day. I¡¯m not a pet that¡¯s content to sit at home and wait for him all day. Even a fox, which he¡¯s so fond of calling me, would need more stimtion than this.


    I dashed down the hallway before the guards could change their minds and decide they did need to check in with Griffin


    before letting me leave.


    After passing through two separate hallways, I¡¯d finally begun to rx. The hallways were almostpletely empty, save


    for the asional servant or guard. Some of the servants would ask me if I needed something as I passed by, but most of


    the guards just eyed me warily.


    Even in casual clothes that hid my iming bite from sight, most of them seemed to recognize me immediately. | wasn¡¯t


    sure if that had to Chapter 57


    do with the red hair or their wolf-y senses picking up on the fact that I


    was human. And they all knew who the only human in the castle was. )


    Still, none of the guards came to take me back to the room ¨C so I counted that as a win. It meant that none of them were mind linking Griffin about my presence in the castle.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    As I rounded another corner of the castle,motion reached my ears. It sounded like urgent voices and scuffling, and it


    bounced off the wide,rge walls of the stone hallways.


    I debated turning back for a moment, but curiosity won out.


    I could tell the noise wasing from an open door, and with quiet footsteps, I peeked my head in just enough to see.


    ¡°Again! Correct your form!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d been expecting to see, but it hadn¡¯t been this. Standing inside a massive room that looked to be


    some sort of mini- gym was a man and several young boys. The bald man was middle-aged with the frame of a


    b*dybuilder and a sharp, angled face. He was standing off to the side with crossed arms and periodically yelling at the


    young boys.


    The teenage boys were performing push-ups at a supernatural rate while the middle-aged man watched on, looking


    thoroughly


    unimpressed. The scene resembled some of the warrior sses I¡¯d had to participate in back home ¡ª but much more


    intense. The instructor Chapter 57


    looked like he was training them for battle and the boys looked like they were preparing for it.


    Geez, they¡¯re fast.


    I¡¯d seen werewolves in action countless times, but it still took me by surprise to see just how fast they moved ~ even


    young boys like this. None of them looked older than fifteen.


    ¡°You! You there!¡± The ented voice of the middle-aged man broke me


    out of my stupor and I nced over at him.


    He was bald but he had some of the bushiest eyebrows I¡¯d ever seen, and his re looked like it could kill. Unfortunately,


    that re was also currently fixated on me.


    Well, that¡¯s just great. Guess I¡¯m not as quiet as I thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re interrupting a private training session!¡± The middle-aged man snapped, pointing his finger at me. His yelling had


    drawn the attention of the boys, who had stopped their push-ups to stare at me.


    ¡°Lm sorry,¡± I said sheepishly, shuffling my feet in the doorway, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. The door was open and I just


    happened to be walking by. Sorry again.¡± I could feel the heat of embarrassment on my cheeks. All I¡¯d wanted was a little


    fresh air, and I¡¯d somehow managed to be the center of attention. Chapter 57


    Just as I was about to scurry away and pretend the entire exchange never happened, the man called out to me again.


    ¡°Wait! You are human?¡± he gasped, disbelief coloring his voice. His


    nostrils were red and his eyes narrowed ¡ª he must¡¯ve sniffed me out. )


    Is this the part where he realizes who¡¯s human I am and calls Griffin to collect me?)


    My stomach sunk at the thought. I could only imagine Griffin would be even less happy about this than a quick stroll in


    the hallway.


    There was no point lying to the man or any of the boys who were watching me with eager eyes. So, I just nodded my


    head.


    The man just scoffed, muttering something under his breath. ¡°To think they¡¯d just let humans wander around here on


    their own,¡± he rolled his eyes. I couldn¡¯t identify his ent but it was definitely European. ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re the mate


    of some low-ranking guard and you¡¯ve got nothing better to do than twiddle your thumbs all day¡­so you¡¯re going to


    come here and interrupt my training session.¡± ( )


    Now I was just confused. I didn¡¯t expect the entire werewolf world to recognize me, but I thought that word had spread


    to the entire castle by now. Most servants and guards seemed to recognize me on sight. Either this guy hadn¡¯t gotten the


    memo or he wasn¡¯t tuned into the gossip.


    Before I could even refute his statement, he continued talking. ¡°This is just my luck! I¡¯m in the midst of training this


    castle¡¯s next generation of Chapter 57


    warriors and guards. And now, not only have you interrupted my training session, but I¡¯ve wasted even more time trying


    to exin this to auseless human.¡± There were chuckles and gasps from the ss of boys as the instructor¡¯s loud voice


    echoed throughout the room. If my cheeks weren¡¯t red before, they certainly were now.


    The instructor¡¯s words sparked rage in my stomach.


    Auseless human ~ that¡¯s what he¡¯d called me. He probably had no idea what kind of old, festering wound he¡¯d just poked


    but I did. How many times had I heard that over the years, felt that same superior attitude from my dad¡¯s pack members?


    (¡ã


    A year ago, I probably would¡¯ve shrugged his words off and sulked about it in private. But right now, staring at his smug


    face, all I wanted to do was prove him wrong. I wasn¡¯t sure how, but I wanted to. I wanted to


    wipe that smug superiority right off his face.


    So, instead of shrinking into myself, I did the opposite. I squared my , ¡°You¡¯re the


    shoulders and met his re head-on. ¡°For the record,¡± I sa one who wasted your time talking, not me. And just because


    I¡¯m human doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m useless.¡±


    I could see surprise flit across his face, but when a couple of the boys began chuckling, the instructor¡¯s re returned.


    ¡°Actually, it does. If you¡¯re human, you¡¯re useless.¡± (¡°)


    That flicker of rage that he¡¯d lit in my stomach became an entire forest fire. Chapter 57


    ¡°Sounds like you haven¡¯t spent a lot of time around humans,¡± I snapped back. ¡°We¡¯re more durable than you think.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He raised an eyebrow, ncing over at the group of boys. The entire ss looked like they¡¯d scored front row


    seats to a boxing match. They were eating up every bit of our argument. ¡°If you¡¯re so convinced, why don¡¯t we put it to


    the test?¡±


    I faltered momentarily.


    He grinned at me, sharp teeth gleaming in the light. ¡°Spar with me ¡ª we¡¯ll see how useful you are ina fight.¡± 2

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58 ¡°Fight d*rty but fight bravely.¡±


    Chloe Gong


    I could only stare at the instructor in surprise. His proposition had thrown me off guard ¨C I hadn¡¯t expected him to


    actually challenge me


    toa fight.


    ¡°Come on, little human,¡± he goaded me, a smug smile on his face, ¡°You want to prove you¡¯re not useless. I¡¯ve got my


    entire ss here. You can


    teach me a lesson in front of them.¡± = He¡¯s just trying to get a reaction out of you, rk.


    He¡¯s a werewolf and a trained fighter. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d stand a chance


    sparring against him.


    ¡°Or perhaps you already know that it¡¯d be pointless,¡± he continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need to embarrass yourself after all.¡±


    Although I knew he was prodding for a weak spot, his words were still hitting the mark. If I backed off now, I wouldn¡¯t


    just be admitting that he was right. I¡¯d be setting an example for all the young boys watching us with eager eyes. They¡¯d


    grow up thinking the same thing that so many werewolves already did ~ that humans were useless. (7) Chapter 58 You


    could wipe that smile off his face in another way.


    Show him your mark, reveal that you¡¯re mated to the King. He¡¯ll be too afraid of Griffin to even think about fighting you. ?)


    If the mark could evere in handy, it would be now. With a little more confidence than before, I stood up straight,


    raising my eyebrows at the instructor. ¡°Trust me, I wouldn¡¯t be embarrassing myself,¡± I said, keeping my tone cold. ¡°You


    don¡¯t know who you¡¯re dealing with here.¡±


    Slowly, I reached up to pull my shirt down and reveal Griffin¡¯s mark. My eyes bore into the instructor¡¯s and I could


    already imagine the way his face would drop when I revealed it. When I revealed that I wasn¡¯t some useless human, I was


    the mate of his King. 2)


    And then I stopped.


    My fingers stopped moving, although they were still gripping the material of the shirt.


    Is showing off this mark really going to aplish what I want?


    Revealing the mark doesn¡¯t prove that humans are useful¡­it just proves that I happened to win the soulmate version of


    the lottery.


    I could practically feel the mark pulse under my skin. As if the magic of Griffin¡¯s bite was begging me to expose it.


    No, I don¡¯t need to rely on Griffin or anyb*dy else to prove I¡¯m useful. If t Chapter 58


    his guy wants his a*s handed to him so bad, then I¡¯ll happily use my own human fists.


    My mind shed back to every warrior training ss I¡¯d ever taken. I used to dread getting my a*s kicked in those sses,


    but for once, I couldn¡¯t be more thankful my dad had made me take them. .¡¯ |


    I¡¯m not a fighter by any means, but doesn¡¯t several years of training with wolves at least mean I probably won¡¯t


    embarrass myself too bad?


    ¡°Well?¡± the instructor barked. That smug smile was still on his face, but I could tell my hesitancy was starting to annoy


    him. ¡°Are you up for a challenge or are you going to leave and stop taking up so much of my ss time?¡±


    I took a deep breath, my stomach slowly twisting into knots. In the


    back of my mind, something whispered that Griffin would absolutely


    kill me if he found out about this, but it wasn¡¯t loud enough to stop me. 2)


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The dark, wide smile that spread across his face didn¡¯t reassure me. Neither did the way the young boys cheered at my


    answer. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were cheering because they got to watch a fight or they were just so excited to see me end


    up with a bloody nose. (*


    You¡¯re being generous, rk. This guy looks like he wants to break a few bones, not just give you a bloody nose. Chapter


    58


    I watched the instructor walk to the end of arge, springy mat. It looked simr to the practice mats we¡¯d have in warrior


    training, just muchrger.


    As I stepped to the other side of the mat and faced him, I tried to steady my shaking limbs. I didn¡¯t want to look like a


    scared little leaf. I wouldn¡¯t win this sparring match that way.


    Across the mat, he turned away from me to face one of his students. ¡°Zeke,¡± he barked, and I watched one of the young


    boys scramble to the edge of the mat. ¡°You¡¯ll referee the match. We¡¯ll be following standard rules for practice sparring.


    Do you know them, human?¡± By the way he raised his eyebrow at me, I could tell he expected me to be clueless.


    ¡°No using fangs, ws, or transforming into wolf forms. The match is over when the first opponent taps out,¡± I said,


    rolling my eyes. Not only had I participated in countless matches like this during warrior training,


    but I¡¯d watched them too. I could list the rules in my sleep. .)


    Surprise shed through his eyes, but it onlysted a second before it was gone. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t need to waste time


    exining them to you,¡± he grunted in that European ent of his, ¡°Not as if most of those rules apply to you anyway.¡±


    I watched him lower into a fighting stance, his feet spread wide and his arms out. ¡°Zeke,¡± he snapped again, but he


    didn¡¯t take his eyes off me. ¡°You call the start of the match.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Instructor Ivan,¡± the boy muttered, standing off to the side. I Chapter 58


    didn¡¯t dare look away from Instructor Ivan, but I knew all the attention was on us. We were the main act.


    ¡°Round 1, begin!¡±


    There was enough adrenaline pumping through my veins to power a car. The sound of my own heartbeat was all I could


    hear, thumping away in my ears.


    Thump.


    The instructor lurched forward, preparing to tackle me.


    Thump.


    I managed to miss hisrge, bulky b*dy by inches, barely stumbling out of the way. I heard his b*dy hit the mat behind me.


    Thump.


    In the midst of sidestepping the instructor, | tripped over my own weight. The t of my palms hit the mat but I caught


    myself. Instantly, I scrambled back up, whipping around to face the instructor.


    Thump.


    He was already back on his feet, looking like a predator ready to pounce. ¡°You¡¯re quick on your feet,¡± he hissed, and I


    could see the surprise in his eyes. He hadn¡¯t expected me to dodge him. ¡°Is avoiding a


    hit all you know how to do?¡± There was that smug smile again. Chapter 58


    I knew he was goading me, but in the heat of the moment, I took the bait. Anything to wipe that smile off his face.


    Thump. As I moved to punch him ~ right in the mouth ~ I tucked my thumb over the middle finger of my fist. The same


    way I¡¯d been taught in warrior training.


    Thump.


    My punch nevernded.


    The instructor caught my fist mid-air, twisting me and pushing me back onto the mat. Inded face-first, and the force of


    the mat against my chin rattled my jaw. That was going to bruiseter.


    Thump. ¡°How can you expect tond a punch on a stronger opponent when you don¡¯t have a good base?¡± TheBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    instructor said, and I could hear every bit


    of smug condescension in his tone. ¡°Now, are you ready to tap out? You¡¯ve given it a good eff ¡ª¡±


    My leg shot out, aimed right between his legs. ¡°Oomph!¡±


    The instructor doubled over, clutching himself. I knew it was a d*rty


    move, but if he got supernatural speed and strength, didn¡¯t that entitle Chapter 58


    me to a few d*rty moves? Thump.


    Still on the mat, I watched the instructor¡¯s face contort in anger. If 1 hadn¡¯t been screwed before, I was definitely screwed


    now.


    ¡°Why, you little ¨C ¡± Whatever insult the instructor had been about to


    throw at me was caught off by a loud growl rattling through the room.


    It seemed to shake the walls, the floor, even the very mat we were on. ia)


    Oh no.


    A few of the young wolf boys whimpered at the sound.


    I craned my head to find the source of the sound and my stomach dropped. I could no longer hear my heartbeat in my


    ears ¡ª I was pretty sure it had stopped beating altogether.


    Griffin was standing at the entrance of the door, looking royally pissed. }

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°When we love someone, we make it our business to protect them.¡± Donna Goddard Griffin moved too fast for my eyes to follow his movement. One moment, he was standing near the door, seething.


    The next, he¡¯d positioned himself in front of me, growling deep and low in his throat. My heart caught in my throat ¨C I¡¯d


    heard that growl before. It was the growl I¡¯d heard the day I met him, just moments


    before his father¡¯s head rolled on the floor. It was the growl of a wolf


    protecting his mate.


    Every wolf in the room seemed to cower beneath Griffin¡¯s raw power ¡ª the instructor included. He¡¯d stumbled to the


    edge of the mat with wide eyes, his hands thrown up in surrender.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Griffin¡¯s voice boomed across the room. He looked ready to pounce on the instructor.


    ¡°What were you doing to my mate?¡±


    The instructor looked like he¡¯d just stumbled into a den of vipers. ¡°M- mate?¡± His eyes flickered over to me, where I was


    still t on the mat. If his jaw could¡¯ve dropped to the floor, I had a feeling it would have. Chapter 59


    As soon as he looked over at me, Griffin growled again. ¡°Don¡¯t look at her!¡± The instructor immediately obeyed, his gaze


    falling to the floor. If I could feel Griffin¡¯s raw power as a human, I could only imagine how strong it must¡¯ve been for the wolves. In the background, several of the young boys continued to whimper and stare with wide eyes ¡ª but none of


    them spoke.


    My limbs felt frozen. This felt all too reminiscent of the first day I¡¯d met Griffin.


    Am I going to have to stare at the instructor¡¯s dead eyes the same way 1 had to stare at the king¡¯s?


    That thought alone was enough to spur me into action. Scrambling up, I grabbed one of Griffin¡¯s arms. His attention was


    immediately on me and tried not to falter under his intense stare. Man, he was pissed. His eyes were wild and dark, but


    he still reached up to entangle his hand with


    mine.


    ¡°Griffin, it¡¯s okay,¡± I murmured to him, ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to hurt me.¡± )


    Griffin¡¯s hand tightened over mine, another rumbling in his chest. ¡°Oh, he wasn¡¯t?¡± He snarled. ¡°I felt your fear through


    our bond, little fox. I walked in as you were kicking him away from you. If that wasn¡¯t his attempt to hurt you, what was


    it?¡± His eyes felt like they were burning into mine. No matter how upset he was at the instructor, I had a feeling Griffin


    was almost as angry at me. Chapter 59


    I nced over at the instructor. He didn¡¯t dare make eye contact with Griffin ¨C let alone me ~ but I could tell he was


    hanging onto every word. He was probably wondering if I was going to sell him out, tell Griffin everything he¡¯d said.


    Well, he certainly doesn¡¯t have that smug smile on his face now.


    Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t really how I nned on making him eat his words.


    1 swallowed, trying to find an exnation that wouldn¡¯t end with the instructor¡¯s head on the floor. Finally, | settled on


    the truth ¨C a watered-down, sugar-coated version of the truth, that is.


    ¡°We were just practice sparring,¡± I finally said, and it took all of my courage to meet Griffin¡¯s gaze, ¡°I stumbled upon this


    room by ident during his ss. I got curious, and he offered to show me a few moves. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes slid over to the instructor, whose wide eyes were still stuck to the floor. Even across the mat, I could see his


    hands trembling. He was scared out of his mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Griffin asked me. It felt like his dark eyes were trying to peer into my brain and pluck out the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s


    Minus all the trash talk about me being human, which caused the fight in Chapter 59


    the first ce.


    Griffin reached his other hand up to cup my jaw, his eyes softening. His fingers fluttered over the sore spot of my jaw that


    had hit the mat moments ago. ¡°Okay, little fox. If you say so.¡±


    Tlet out a sigh of relief. Thank, God. He bought it. ¡®Then his hand left my jaw.


    ¡°You, boy in the front,¡± Griffin suddenly snapped, pointing at Zeke.¡° You saw this encounter?¡±


    Oh no.


    Now that he was the center of Griffin¡¯s attention, Zeke looked like he wanted to throw up. The color left his face, and he


    shakily nodded.


    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± Griffin said. I tensed beneath Griffin¡¯s grip ¡ª so much for him buying my exnation.


    ¡°S-she identally came into our lesson,¡± Zeke said, stumbling over his words, ¡°A-and the girl -¡±


    ¡°Your Queen,¡± Griffin cut him off, his voice hard, ¡°She¡¯s not ¡®the git!¡¯ She is the mate of your King and as such, she is your Queen. You will address her correctly.¡± Chapter 59


    ¡°Y-yes, Your Majesty!¡± Zeke squeaked, bowing his head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Majesties. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°The Q-queen came into our lesson,¡± Zeke stammered, ¡°And Instructor I-Ivan was not happy with her. She apologized,


    but he recognized her as h-human.¡± Zeke continued to recount the entire event one stutter at a time. He didn¡¯t leave out


    a single detail either ¡ª from the way the instructor had made fun of humans for being useless to every moment of the


    actual fight.


    Has Zeke not been shaking in his boots throughout the entire exnation, I might¡¯ve been annoyed at him for ratting me


    out. However, I knew he was just doing what his King had ordered him to.


    Even if it gets his teacher killed.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    When he was done, Griffin turned to the instructor, growling lowly. ¡°You¡¯ve been a worthy warrior and a good teacher to


    these children, Ivan. But I cannot allow you to disrespect my mate and live.¡±


    Griffin moved in a sh, gripping the instructor¡¯s throat until he sputtered. I gasped when I saw he wasn¡¯t just choking


    him ~ his ws were out, digging into the flesh of the instructor¡¯s n*eck.


    This guy may be an asshole but he doesn¡¯t deserve to die. Not over a fight that I willingly epted. Chapter 59


    I moved without thinking. I crossed the mat (much slower than Griffin had), and I ced my hands on Griffin¡¯s arm ~ the


    one holding the


    instructor by the throat. ¡°Griffin!¡± I said, ¡°Please. Please don¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Even as he continued to gasp for air, I could see the instructor¡¯s eyes widen. He hadn¡¯t expected me to fight for his life.


    Unfortunately, Griffin barely spared me a nce. ¡°He insulted you, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°Then he tried to hurt you. Nob*dy


    hurts my mate.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know I was your mate,¡± I countered, tugging on his arm. Not that my strength was any match for Grifin¡¯s. ¡°He


    assumed I was just a regr human living in the castle. And I let him assume that. I never told him differently. And, yes,


    he was kind of an asshole ¡ª but he wouldn¡¯t have mouthed off to me if he¡¯d known I was your mate.¡±


    The room was silent except for the sound of the instructor struggling for air beneath Griffin¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Griffin, please,¡± I said, ¡°This misunderstanding is my fault¡­and he¡¯s learned his lesson, He doesn¡¯t need to die. Spare his


    life.¡±


    As an afterthought, I added, ¡°For me.¡±


    There was another beat of silence, and I worried that Griffin was just going to let him asphyxiate. And then, to my utter


    relief, Griffin released him. Chapter 59


    The instructor fell to his knees, sputtering and gasping for air. I barely got a glimpse of the w marks embedded into his


    n*eck before Griffin tugged me to his chest, breathing in his scent. ¡°Just for you,¡± he breathed. It was so quiet that I barely


    heard it.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesties,¡± the instructor whispered, his voice crackly and raw. ¡°Thank you.¡± He was still clutching at his


    throat, but with werewolf healing abilities, he seemed to be recovering quickly.


    AIL could feel was relief. Assuming Griffin didn¡¯t do something impulsive, the instructor was going to live. His head wasn¡¯t going to end up on the floor and I counted that as a win in my book. (7)


    ¡°My Queen,¡± the instructor said, and Griffin growled when he addressed me.


    Griffin¡¯s arms were like steel around me, but I managed to turn around and face the instructor.


    ¡°My Queen,¡± he repeated, looking up at me. There was something intense in his eyes ¨C admiration or respect, I couldn¡¯t


    tell. ¡°You have my undying gratitude. Thank you for sparing my life.¡± Still on his knees, he bowed until his head was


    touching the mat. ¡°And my loyalty.¡± ¡°)


    As if that wasn¡¯t intense enough, every boy in the room followed his lead ¡ª getting on their knees and bowing to me. My breath caught in my throat. I¡¯d been called royalty several times now, but it was another thing to watch people


    literally bow before me. Chapter 59


    ¡°Yes, she will have your loyalty,¡± Griffin¡¯s voice cut through the room,


    ¡°And you will never disrespect her again.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the instructor nodded hastily, ¡°Never.¡± He rose from his


    knees, rubbing his throat.


    ¡°Good,¡± Griffin nodded, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time you get back to your lesson, Ivan. You¡¯ve wasted enough of your students¡¯


    time acting foolishly.¡±


    Before I could even wrap my head around thest five minutes, Griffin had scooped me up into his arms and begun


    striding out of the room. He held me to his chest bridal-style and I wound my arms around his


    n*eck.


    Although we¡¯d left the training room, I could still feel the tension in the air ¡ª Griffin was pissed. When I shifted in his


    arms, Griffin¡¯s furious eyes settled on me. I had to stop myself from cringing. His gaze was always intense, especially


    when he was mad.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I sighed, ¡°This little stunt has earned me a punishment?¡± ?


    Despite how angry he was, a small smirk settled on his face.


    ¡°Ivan may have learned his lesson, but it¡¯s time you learn yours, little


    fox.

 Chapter 60

    ¡°all work and no pay makes a housewife.¡± Evan Esar


    By the time Griffin had carried me back into our bedroom, he was still seething. Even as he deposited me on the bed, the


    rage continued to roll off him in waves.


    There was nothing but tense silence between us. I didn¡¯t dare make a sound ~ Thad a feeling I¡¯d already gotten into


    enough trouble with him. Instead, I crossed my arms and watched him pace across the room.


    Griffin looked like he was barely restraining himself, and after several tense moments, he finally turned to me with zing


    eyes. ¡°What the hell were you thinking, little fox?¡± He hissed, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Well, uh, I ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± he cut me off, ¡°I knew you were a stubborn little thing, but agreeing to a fight? With


    one of my lead trainers? What possible exnation could you have for acting so irresponsible with your own safety? I


    don¡¯t even understand why you were venturing around the castle at all ¨C you were perfectly safe in this room.¡± Chapter


    60


    Safe? I wasn¡¯t safe in this room, I was just cooped up for his own peace of mind!)


    With anger simmering in my gut, I narrowed my eyes at Griffin. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that agreeing to that fight wasn¡¯t my smartest move,¡± I said, ¡°But 1 just wanted to take a stroll around the castle. It¡¯s not like I was walking into a war zone.¡±


    ¡°You walked into a literal fight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yes,¡± I said, ¡°But Zeke told you what Instructor Ivan was saying ¡ª he was trash-talking humans! Maybe a physical


    fight wasn¡¯t the best way to prove him wrong, but what should I have? Just let him insult my entire species?¡± |)


    Griffin¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°You should have told me. I would¡¯ve handled it for you. Ideally, you should have never left this


    room at all.¡±


    The frustration from being cooped up for three days felt like it was finally boiling over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I snapped, ¡°But you


    can¡¯t just lock me up ina bedroom for days on end and expect me to be content. I¡¯m not a pet ~ I need more than food


    and water to thrive. I need fresh air. I need social interaction. If | were a house nt, I¡¯d be wilting right now.¡± (7


    Griffin growled, his dark eyes locked on mine. That intense stare might¡¯ve intimidated me any other time, but right now? I was too frustrated to be intimidated. He could take all his dominance and his threats of punishment and shove them.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not a pet,¡± Griffin said, ¡°But you are human. Even this castle can be dangerous for you ¨C today is proof of


    it. Look what kind of trouble you got in without me. You need me to protect you.¡± (7


    I desperately wanted to roll my eyes at that, but somehow, I managed to restrain myself. I had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t go


    over well.


    ¡°A Queen, especially a human one, is vulnerable,¡± Griffin continued. ¡°If Thave to be worried about you getting into


    trouble all day, I won¡¯t be able to focus on my responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°and as Queen, what are my responsibilities? What does a Queen of wolves do exactly?¡± I asked, my tone biting.


    ¡°A Queen handles domestic duties. It¡¯s what my mother did and her mother before her,¡± Griffin exined. ¡°You¡¯ll arrange


    dinner parties when important guestse to visit and oversee party nning. You can direct the castle if you want, and


    make renovations. But more importantly, you¡¯ll be the mother of our children. You¡¯ll be helping me raise the next


    generation of royals.¡± A soft smile crossed his face.¡±


    My stomach dropped at Griffin¡¯s exnation of my ¡°domestic duties.¡± It felt like someone had dropped a lead weight on


    me in the form of a terrifying realization.


    God, he¡¯s just like all the others.


    Thad known how posessive Griffin was. Hell, he¡¯d chased me into another country. I had known how overprotective he


    was, how stubborn Chapter 60


    he was about my safety. Today was proof of that.


    What I hadn¡¯t known ¨C or maybe I¡¯d just been in denial about it ¡ª was that he bought into the same patriarchal bullshit


    that every other werewolf did. He was just like every other Alpha I¡¯d ever met. He might¡¯ve liked my defiance in private,


    but ultimately, he still wanted the demure trophy wife that raised his kids and greeted him with a smile after a long day.


    How stupid of me to think he was any different.


    How stupid of me to think that some sweet words and a tattoo on his n*eck meant our mate bond would be any different.


    I could feel my chest tightening. A series of images shed through my brain ¡ª Luna Grace greeting my dad with hot


    dinner and a clean house when he returned from pack duties or how she¡¯d ¡°entertain¡± the women and children while my


    dad talked business with the pack warriors. I¡¯d watched the submissive housewife routine most of my life. I certainly


    didn¡¯t want to reenact it.


    If Griffin thinks I¡¯l be another meek little mate who busies myself with ¡°domestic duties¡± while he does the real work, he¡¯s


    got another thinging.


    ¡°So, in other words,¡± I said, ¡°You want a trophy mate. Or Queen, I guess.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s face looked pinched and irritated. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be a trophy,¡± Chapter 60 he said, ¡°You¡¯d be doing what every


    other Queen of wolves has done.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t sound like they did much. I mean, most of those ¡®domestic duties¡¯


    you just listed off could be handed off to an assistant


    or something. When you told me I was going to be your Queen, I thought that meant I¡¯d get to rule this world beside


    you.¡±


    ¡°You will be ruling beside me.¡±


    ¡°No, not from your exnation,¡± I snapped, ¡°You get to do the real


    work, I¡¯m delegated to party nning duties.¡± ¡°Did you miss the part about raising our children?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I didn¡¯t,¡± I muttered, ¡°First of all, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re even having this conversation for a couple more years.


    I¡¯m only eighteen¡­ Pm not even halfway ready for kids. But when that does happen, you¡¯ll be raising them alongside me.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°[ never said I wouldn¡¯t be,¡± Griffin bristled.


    ¡°Look, if this is going to work, our mate bond has to be different,¡± I said.


    ¡°Different how?¡±


    ¡°Different as in¡­equal,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit here twiddling my thumbs and nning parties while you make the


    important decisions. | want to be your equal in every way. That¡¯s the only way this is going to Chapter 60


    work.¡±


    ¡°You are my equal, little fox,¡± Griffin said, ¡°But I can¡¯t allow you to get hurt. If anything happened to you, I¡¯d never


    recover. I¡¯m not even sure Td be able to live with myself.¡±


    ¡°Tm not asking you to throw me out on the battlefield. I¡¯m just asking to be in on some of the meetings,¡± I sighed, ¡°I mean, you disappear for most of the day and I have no idea where you even go.¡± |¡±)


    Griffin was silent as he processed my words. He looked tense and ufortable, and while I knew he didn¡¯t love the


    idea, I wasn¡¯t going to back down. Even though I¡¯d epted the mate bond, I still needed to do things my way. If Griffin wanted a timid Luna who¡¯d n his parties and make menus for his dinner parties, well ¡ª he could take that up with


    fate.)


    Griffin finally sighed, drawing close to me. ¡°As if I¡¯d ever let you on a


    battlefield,¡± he grumbled, k*ssing my forehead, ¡°But if you need to be


    more involved, fine. You can go to meetings with me. Just don¡¯t me me when most of them put you to sleep.¡±

 Chapter 61

    ¡°What state do you live in? Denial.¡± Bill Waterson


    Griffin¡¯s warm l*ps lingered on my forehead for several seconds until he pulled back, his eyes zed over.


    Someone must be mindlinking him.


    After a few moments, he blinked. ¡°Speaking of meetings,¡± he sighed, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve got another one in less than an


    hour. Would you like to


    join me?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled and Griffin¡¯s eyes softened. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get an opportunity to participate this soon, but I wasn¡¯t


    comining. Even if the meeting did, as Griffin joked, bore me to sleep, I just wanted to be there.


    If [was going to make any kind of real impact as a Queen, I needed to embrace this role. That meant attending meetings


    with Griffin, no matter how boring they might be. I needed to be in on the action, so to be speak.


    Even if that action is just listening to be a bunch of stuffy werewolves ramble on about border disputes. Chapter 61


    ¡°Well, I guess I should probably get dressed in something a little more professional,¡± I said, ncing down at my longsleeved shirt. After my tussle with Instructor Ivan, it looked like it could use a good wash. ¡°What does someone even wear to a werewolf meeting anyway? You don¡¯t seem like you dress up.¡± My eyes roamed over Griffin¡¯s dark t-shirt and


    jeans.


    No man should be able to rock a t-shirt that well.


    ¡°Jeans and a blouse should be fine. You don¡¯t need to dress up for these people,¡± Griffin grumbled. He reached out to


    pull down my shirt, revealing the bite. ¡°But wear something that shows this off. I want them to know I¡¯ve imed you.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I rolled my eyes, sliding off the bed so I could head to the closet.


    Just as my feet touched the floor, Griffin grabbed my hand and pulled me back ¨C right onto hisp. ¡°Not so fast, little


    fox.¡± He leaned down and captured my l*ps in his.


    His l*ps molded with mine like they were made to, but when his tongue swept over my bottom l*p, I pulled back. ¡°We


    only have an hour. I think we¡¯re going to have to continue thister,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Griffin said, but there was an odd gleam in the eye. Something predatory that turned my stomach in knots. ¡°But we still have


    unfinished business.¡±


    Unfinished business? Chapter 61


    I tensed in his arms ~ was he really talking about what I thought he


    was talking about?


    ¡°Unfinished business? Are you sure? Pretty sure we¡¯ve finished everything we need to.¡±


    Griffin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, really? There was nothing else? No punishment I promised you?¡±


    ¡°No, I have no recollection of you saying anything about that. Absolutely no memory of that at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve got a sharp memory,¡± Griffin said, amusement dancing in his eyes. ¡°Because | distinctly


    remember telling you that I¡¯d be teaching you a lessonter.¡±


    ¡°Pve already learned my lesson,¡± I argued, ¡°We talked about this earlier. You¡¯ll allow me more freedom, I won¡¯t be


    agreeing to any more fights. See? Lesson learned!¡±


    A smile tugged at the corner of his l*ps. ¡°Yes, and imagine how much more that lesson will stick after I¡¯ve punished you.


    Besides, we both know you didn¡¯tpletely hate itst time.¡±


    As if I need to be reminded that I¡¯d gotten turned on thest time he spanked me. This is exactly why I don¡¯t need a


    repeat of that!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Griffin said, ¡°I have a feeling that you¡¯ll like it even more this time, but you¡¯re wee to pretend you


    don¡¯t.¡± Griffin stood up Chapter 61


    and walked to the other side of the bed before he could see my jaw drop. Was he reading my thoughts?


    He opened one of the nightstands and began rifling around. What is he doing?


    Before I could ask, he pulled something out of the top drawer and I got my answer loud and clear. He¡¯d grabbed a rope.


    What the hell is he nning to do with that? It wasn¡¯t a lot of rope, just a couple of feet.


    ¡°Uh, what is that for?¡± I eyed the rope as he approached the bed. Griffin smirked. ¡°Hold out your hands and you can find


    out.¡±


    I kept my hands in myp. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that being part of the punishmentst time.¡±


    ¡°This time isn¡¯t going to be likest time,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Now, hold out your hands. We can do this the easy way or the


    hard way, little fox.¡± (7)


    I debated finding out what the hard way was, but I had a feeling my defiance would be pointless. Deep down, I knew


    Griffin would never do anything to actually hurt me. He seemed to have a shockingly good understanding of my limits ¨C


    even more than I did.


    So, with a sigh, I held my hands out for him. Chapter 61


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Griffin wasted no time looping the rope around my wrists and tying them together. To my surprise, the rope was


    incredibly soft. I had expected it to feel coarse or rough, but it feltfortable against my skin¡­even pleasing. The knot


    he tied was firm enough that I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to loosen it, but not ufortable.)


    After he¡¯d finished restraining me, Griffin stood back and admired his handiwork. When his eyes finally met mine, there was something hungry in his gaze.


    ¡°Was there a reason you needed to tie my hands up?¡± I asked, rolling my eyes.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Consider it a reminder of whose in charge here,¡± Griffin said, and then he knelt to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m going to take your


    pants off now, little fox.¡± His hands rested on my thighs, but he didn¡¯t move until I nodded.


    I watched him slide my sweatpants down, his eyes raking over my bare legs. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll


    never get tired of looking at you.¡±


    My face flushed red. You¡¯d think I would¡¯ve gotten used to Griffin¡¯spliments by now, but my b*dy seemed to react


    the same way every time. My face would go red, my stomach would flutter, and my heart would go into overdrive.


    It¡¯s a wonder he hasn¡¯t given me a heart attack by now. Chapter 61


    After discarding my sweatpants on the floor, Griffin settled back on the bed, pulling me over hisp in one swift motion. I


    couldn¡¯t suppress the tiny gasp that left my mouth ¨C or the way that | immediately flushed when I realized I was sprawled


    over hisp.


    This certainly feels simr.


    ¡°You wore such cute little panties, little fox,¡± Griffin said, his finger brushing over the ckce underwear I had on.


    ¡°Were you hoping to get punished today or was that just a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Definitely a coincidence,¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes. His hands stilled. ¡°That¡¯s three.¡± ¡°Three?¡±


    ¡°Three times you¡¯ve rolled your eyes at me since we¡¯ve been in this


    room,¡± he said, ¡°And three more ps I¡¯ve added to your punishment.¡± )


    ¡°Wait,¡± I whined, struggling to turn around and face him. On my stomach and with tied hands, it was a lot harder to move than I expected. ¡°You didn¡¯t say you were keeping track of my¡­eye movements. You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Griffin teased. ¡°I told you ¨C you¡¯re not in charge here.¡±


    That sentence would¡¯ve infuriated me in any other context, but


    sprawled across hisp, all I felt was heat collecting in my belly. Chapter 61


    ¡°Lm going to spank you thirteen times,¡± Griffin continued, his handszily stroking my bare thighs, ¡°You¡¯re going to


    count each one.¡± =


    As if | wasn¡¯t red enough, Griffin¡¯s extra stiptions only embarrassed me more. Still, I wasn¡¯t in a position to be


    protesting, so I just nodded.


    He delivered a soft p to my right cheek ¡ª not hard enough to actually hurt but enough to surprise me. ¡°Use your words, little fox. Tell me you understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± I muttered. I desperately wanted to hide my face in my hands, but Griffin had taken that option from


    me.


    Another p.


    He didn¡¯t need to tell me what I¡¯d left out this time. ¡°Yes, I understand, Daddy.¡± 7)


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    One of his hands rubbed circles over my a*s, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy the feeling of his warm skin touching


    mine, rubbing ¨C


    p! The first spank stung enough to leave me gasping. Griffin certainly wasn¡¯t messing around this time. The sting


    surprised me, but I still


    managed to stammer out a, ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Good girl. You¡¯re already doing so well for me, little fox.¡± Chapter 61


    ¡®As much as I wanted to pretend that those words didn¡¯t make me wet, I had a feeling that Griffin could tell. There was a


    rumble of approval in his chest, something that sounded dangerously close to a putt.


    Stupid wolf senses. It¡¯s not fair that he can smell whenever his words affect me. He shouldn¡¯t get the satisfaction.


    The second p was barely softer than the first. ¡°Two,¡± I ground out.


    I managed to take the first five ps without making a single sound ¡ª besides the counting ¡ª but the sixth spank stung.


    ¡°Ow! You dick!¡± The words tumbled out before I could stop them and I froze in Griffin¡¯s grip. His hands stilled over my


    a*s. .¡ã


    ¡°What was that, little fox?¡± ¡°Uh, I mean to say, six, Daddy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what | thought.¡±


    I didn¡¯t make that mistake again, but by the tenth p, I¡¯d given up on staying silent. Each hit stung worse than thest,


    but more than that, they only contributed to the heat in my belly. I knew my panties were soaked, and I couldn¡¯t help but


    press myself into Griffin¡¯s thigh. I wasn¡¯t shameless enough to grind into him, but the pressure certainly felt nice.


    p! Chapter 61


    ¡°Thirteen.¡±


    Griffin immediately tugged me into his arms, cradling me against his chest. ¡°It¡¯s over now, little fox,¡± he murmured, ¡°You


    did so well for me.


    Pm so proud of you.¡±


    In response, I just curled closer to him. With Griffin¡¯s b*dy heat and his firm muscles pressed into me, | forgot about


    everything else ¨C including my sore a*s and my restrained hands. (¡°)

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62 Chapter 62


    ¡°Diplomacy is the art of saying ¡®nice doggie¡¯ until you can find a rock.¡± )


    Will Rogers


    After several minutes of cuddling, a quick shower, and some lotion for my burning a*s, it was finally time for Griffin¡¯s meeting. After my shower, I changed into nice jeans and a pretty purple blouse. I still felt underdressed, but Griffin


    assured me that the dress code was casual.


    Well, what he¡¯d actually said was, You¡¯re my Queen. Nob*dy cares what you wear, and if they look at you too long, I¡¯l kill


    them.


    I figured that was basically the same thing. (2 At least he was dressed just as casually as I was.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the meeting about? Do you know?¡± I asked as we walked toward the meeting room. Griffin¡¯s long stride was


    almost impossible to keep up with, and with his hand in mine, it felt like he was almost dragging me along.


    ¡°One Alpha has be aggressive towards his neighboring pack,¡± Griffin told me, ¡°He¡¯s been getting bold. The council wants to discuss possible methods for dealing with him.¡± Griffin seemed to notice that Chapter 62


    he was practically dragging me and slowed down.


    Griffin hadn¡¯t told me a lot, but ording to him, he spent of these meetings with his council. The council was made up


    of a small group of experienced wolves that provided Griffin with information about disputes of the werewolf world. They


    also used their experience to advise him on possible solutions to these disputes. (7)


    While my dad¡¯s pack didn¡¯t have a council, it did have elders ¨C and Griffin¡¯s council sounded simr.


    Griffin¡¯s pace slowed down even more as we approached arge mahogany door.


    Griffin turned to me, cupping my face with one of hisrge hands. ¡°Are you sure you really want to sit through a boring


    meeting?¡± he asked, ¡°These aren¡¯t always brief.¡±


    ¡°The subject matter doesn¡¯t sound very boring,¡± I said, ¡°Besides, it can¡¯t be more boring than waiting for you in an


    empty bedroom.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, little fox.¡± When Griffin removed his hand from my face to open the door, I could actually feel the loss of


    heat.


    God, am I that addicted to his touch?


    I didn¡¯t have too much time to ponder that ¨C Griffin pushed the door open, and my breath caught in my throat. Chapter


    62


    he was practically dragging me and slowed down.


    Griffin hadn¡¯t told me a lot, but ording to him, he spent of these meetings with his council. The council was made up


    of a small group of experienced wolves that provided Griffin with information about disputes of the werewolf world. They


    also used their experience to advise him on possible solutions to these disputes. (7)


    While my dad¡¯s pack didn¡¯t have a council, it did have elders ¨C and Griffin¡¯s council sounded simr.


    Griffin¡¯s pace slowed down even more as we approached arge mahogany door.


    Griffin turned to me, cupping my face with one of hisrge hands. ¡°Are you sure you really want to sit through a boring


    meeting?¡± he asked, ¡°These aren¡¯t always brief.¡±


    ¡°The subject matter doesn¡¯t sound very boring,¡± I said, ¡°Besides, it can¡¯t be more boring than waiting for you in an


    empty bedroom.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, little fox.¡± When Griffin removed his hand from my face to open the door, I could actually feel the loss of


    heat.


    God, am I that addicted to his touch?


    I didn¡¯t have too much time to ponder that ¨C Griffin pushed the door open, and my breath caught in my throat. Chapter


    62


    It wasn¡¯t because there were several middle-aged men sitting around therge conference room. It wasn¡¯t because all of


    those middle-aged men look very confused about my presence.


    No, it was because I recognized this meeting room.


    Tt was the same room I¡¯d seen Griffin kill his father in. The memory shed through my brain ¡ª how the king¡¯s head


    rolled at my feet, his eyes still open wide.


    How does he look so unbothered by this?


    This is the room he killed his father in.


    While I could hardly hide the shock on my face, Griffin¡¯s expression was nk as he tugged me into the room.


    This probably isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s been in here since his father¡¯s death. He¡¯s probably been taking all his meetings in


    here.


    My eyes wandered to a specific spot on the marble flooring. It looked spotless as always ¨C not at all bloodsoaked like it


    had been that day.


    Twonder how long it took them to pick the King¡¯s b*dy off the floor. That very thought sent a chill down my spine.


    As we entered, I watched the councilors stand up and bow to Griffin and 1 Chapter 62


    ¡°Your Majesties,¡± one of the councilors spoke, keeping his head bowed. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll ever get used to all this bowing.


    Griffin nodded at him, and the wolves took that as a sign to rise. Griffin barely spared them a passing nce as he


    tugged me to our seats. \¡¯)


    His was at the head of the table and mine was positioned on his right. He pulled out my chair for me, and I wordlessly sat


    down. I almost felt crazy for having a reaction ~ nob*dy, not Griffin or the other wolves,


    seemed perturbed about the room we were sitting in. When Griffin took his own seat, I felt my gut churn again. He¡¯s


    sitting in his father¡¯s chair.


    Obviously, the seat was meant for the King, but did it really not bother Griffin to sit in the same ce he¡¯d decapitated


    his father?


    I must¡¯ve been staring at Griffin too hard because he leaned over, pulling my hand into his. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be


    nervous, little fox,¡± he whispered.


    Twouldn¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m nervous. There was no way I was going to bring this subject up in the middle of a meeting, so


    instead, I just nodded my head. That seemed to cate


    him and he turned to address the other wolves in the room.


    Since I wanted to focus on anything besides myst visit to this room, I Chapter 62


    turned to look at the other wolves too.


    They were all men, looking anywhere from their thirties to forties. They also all shared the same stern expression on their


    face, gazes fixed on Griffin. I noticed that none of them stared at me ~ I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t out of rudeness, but to


    avoid Griffin¡¯s possessive wrath.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± a man at the end of the table spoke with a grave expression, ¡°The situation has escted since ourst


    meeting.¡±


    ¡°How so, Councilor Johnathan?¡± Griffin asked, leaning back in his chair. His entire posture went rigid, like he¡¯d suddenly


    donned the mask of a ruler.


    ¡°alpha Liam hasunched a full-fledged attack on Alpha Abel,¡± the man, Counciler Johnathan, continued. ¡°We¡¯re still


    waiting on updated reports, but his forces are strong¡­I¡¯m not sure that Alpha Abel will be able to hold him off.¡±


    Wait a second. Alpha Liam, Alpha Abel ~ I recognize those names.


    When I came to the castle with Lily and Seb, it was to witness the dispute between Alpha Liam and Alpha Abel.


    Another memory shed through my mind. This time, it was of Alpha Liam¡¯s sharp, disgruntled face as the previous


    Alpha King ordered him to stop invading Alpha Abel¡¯snds. Alpha Liam hadn¡¯t looked happy


    about the verdict then, but he had agreed to the Alpha King¡¯s decision. Chapter 62


    ¡°He¡¯s bing bold, Your Majesty,¡± Councilor Johnathan said, ¡°You need to strike him down quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he certainly is getting bold,¡± Griffin scoffed. His hand was still resting in mine under the table and I felt his grip


    tighten. ¡°This is direct disobedience of my father¡¯s order. The question is why.¡±


    ¡°If I may speak freely, Your Majesties?¡± Another man piped up, his voice soft. I couldn¡¯t tell if that was just his voice or if


    he was just that nervous addressing Griffin.


    ¡°You may, Councilor Rodrick.¡±


    The man let out a loud breath and adjusted therge sses on his face. ¡°The past month has been a chaotic one for wolves everywhere,¡± Rodrick said, ¡°There¡¯s been much upheaval¡­a lot of uncertainty. 1 believe that Alpha Liam is using


    this uncertainty to his advantage.¡± Rodrick¡¯s eyes flickered to me briefly before settling back on Griffin.


    Uncertainty. Well, that¡¯s a polite way of talking about how Griffin killed his father, became King, and took a human mate


    in less than a month.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind giving him a reminder of what happens to Alphas that step out of line,¡± Griffin said, and a dark smile


    shed across his face. ¡°As for the rest of the wolves, they¡¯ll simply have to adjust to this uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°Most wolves are more than happy with the changes that this past month has brought,¡± Rodrick said, ¡°Your father was


    not a popr ruler Chapter 62


    amongst most packs, and with you finding your mate, they finally have a Queen again. However, as you know, some wolves are traditionalists. The idea of a human ruling them is¡­not preferable.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a traditionalist?¡± I asked. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them, but when everyone


    turned their attention to me, I felt like cringing. None of the men looked angry or irritated, just curious that I¡¯d even said


    anything at all. I couldn¡¯t really me them. Pd been as quiet as a mouse since the meeting started.


    ¡°Traditionalists are wolves that believe we should stick to traditional werewolf values, Your Majesty,¡± Rodrick exined to me, his tone gentle, ¡°They believe that women should not hold positions of power in a pack, outside of being the Luna.


    They also believe that humans do not hold any ce in the werewolf world at all.¡±


    So, traditionalists are just the werewolf version of mysogynists.


    ¡°What about human mates like me?¡± I asked. ¡°They don¡¯t think we have any ce?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Griffin was the one who answered this time. His voice was barely above a growl. ¡°Tradionalists believe that wolves who discover they have a human mate should kill those human mates. They even think that the moon goddess will


    reward them with a new strong wolf mate if they ughter the human one.¡± (7


    My breath caught in my throat. Chapter 62


    So, in the other words, there¡¯s an entire group of werewolves who think Griffin should¡¯ve ughtered me the first time we met?Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Good to know, I guess.


    ¡°They¡¯re insane,¡± Griffin continued. His thumb was rubbing circles on my hand as if tofort me. ¡°But they only make


    up a small portion of werewolves, and most people recognize them as the radicalist nutjobs that they are. You have


    nothing to fear, little fox. I¡¯d never let anything happen to you.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes met mine for a brief moment, and I felt warmth in my chest.


    ¡°I cannot say for sure,¡± Rodrick piped up, ¡°But I suspect that Alpha Liam may be a traditonalist. I¡¯ve heard reports that


    he¡¯s very radical and harsh, and histest actions only add fuel to the fire.¡±


    ¡°all the more reason to deal with him,¡± Griffin said, ¡°I¡¯ll send Beta Williams and some of our finest warriors to Alpha


    Liam¡¯snds. If he surrenders, I¡¯ll imprison him. If he resists, I¡¯ll give Beta Williams permission to kill him.¡±


    Guess that¡¯s settled.


    Councilor Johnathan cleared his throat. ¡°Now, onto the next order of business. There have been a lot of whispers about


    your father¡¯s funeral. Moreso, they¡¯re wondering if you¡¯re going to hold one.¡± Chapter 62


    Grifffin tensed up, his eyes narrowing. ¡°A funeral? Why would 12¡±


    ¡°Well, it is standard practice, Your Majesty,¡± Rodrick answered, ¡°Every ruler of the werewolf world has had avish funeral.


    It¡¯s always a big affair. Thest one was your mother¡¯s funeral. Almost the entire werewolf world attended to show


    solidarity for your father and grieve her death. It would be unusual not to acknowledge his death in some way, regardless


    of how that death might¡¯ve happened.¡±


    The air in the room suddenly became stifling, like a weight on my chest. I¡¯d felt this feeling before ¡ª it was from Griffin¡¯s


    power. It was radiating off him in waves and I could see every one of the councilors tense up. They were feeling it too,


    and probably ten times more intensely as I was.


    Does he do this on purpose? Or is he just that powerful?


    ¡°F**k tradition. My father doesn¡¯t deserve avish funeral,¡± Griffin said, and I watched a dark grin cover his face, ¡°He


    earned his death by threatening my mate. The only acknowledgement he¡¯ll get is at her coronation when I crown her as


    Queen.¡±


    Nob*dy dared voice a word of disagreement.

 Chapter 63

    ¡°Fathers ¡ª half of anyone¡¯s life seems to be about who fathered them.¡± Nancy Springer


    Although I could tell that some of Griffin¡¯s councilors looked uneasy at the thought of not being able tomemorate


    his father¡¯s death with a funeral, none of them voiced their disagreement.


    As | listened to one of the councilors continue to drone on about a minor pack dispute, the situation nagged at me. I


    knew Griffin and his father didn¡¯t have a close rtionship. He¡¯d confided in me that his father med him for his


    mother¡¯s death, how his father spent most of his time in the bottom of a bottle.


    And there was clearly enough distance between them that Griffin could slice the former Alpha King¡¯s head clean off and


    not even bother to give the guy a funeral. He¡¯d said it was because the former King had threatened me ¨C and maybe that


    was part of it ¨C but I knew Griffin¡¯s disdain went much deeper. Whatever it was, it was more than just resentment for a


    neglectful father.


    Iwas curious, but I also wasn¡¯t going to question him in the middle of a meeting with his councilors. Even I knew that wasn¡¯t going to end well. Those questions could wait tillter when we were alone. Chapter 63,


    Instead, I kept still and tried to soak up as much information from the councilors as I could.


    If I¡¯m going to be Queen, I¡¯ve got to know everything about this world. 1 didn¡¯t take my werewolf education very


    seriously when I lived with my dad, and I¡¯ll probably be paying for it now.


    But in my defense, I had no idea I¡¯d end up here.


    By the time the meeting was over ~ almost two hourster ~ I had a splitting headache from focusing too hard. I asked a


    few questions about some of the disputes the councilors brought up, and as far as I could tell, nob*dy seemed upset that


    I was trying to learn. And if they were ~ well, at least they were smart enough not to be frustrated


    with me in front of Griffin.


    ¡°told you that the meeting would be boring,¡± Griffin said as we walked back to our bedroom. When we reached therge


    set of bedroom doors, he dismissed the guards standing watch and led me inside.


    ¡°[ mean, it wasn¡¯t all bad,¡± I said, following him in, ¡°Some of those


    pack disputes seem like real issues. Especially that Alpha Liam guy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be dealt with soon enough,¡± Griffin said. He walked towards the closet and began shedding his clothes like it was


    no big deal.


    Technically, it shouldn¡¯t have been a big deal ¨C I¡¯d been sharing a bedroom with Griffin for almost a week now. I¡¯d seen


    him strip down a couple of times, and each time, the sight of Griffin¡¯s bare skin always Chapter 63 seemed to fluster me. I wish I could¡¯ve med my red cheeks or the quick beating of my


    heart on the mate bond, but I was pretty sure I¡¯d be having this reaction even if Griffin wasn¡¯t my destined mate.


    Griffin was attractive. There was no denying it. The moonlight creeping through our open window cast soft light onto his


    dark hair and bronze skin. Even across the room, I could clearly see the outline of his toned abdomen and his sharp


    jawline.


    I didn¡¯t often think of men as being beautiful, but Griffin was beautiful.


    ¡°something distracting you, little fox?¡± Griffin¡¯s teasing voice tore my eyes away from his b*dy.


    Guess I wasn¡¯t as subtle as I thought.


    Before I could reply, Griffin ¨C still shirtless ¨C crossed the room in a few strides and pulled me into a searing k*ss.


    ¡°T love knowing that you¡¯re affected by me the same way I am by you,¡± Griffin said when he pulled back from the k*ss,


    raking his eyes down my b*dy.


    Focus, rk! Yes, he is shirtless but there are actual things you wanted to talk to him about. You can make out with him


    any time you want.


    When Griffin went to capture my l*ps in another k*ss, I pressed my Chapter 63,


    hand into his chest, stopping his movement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, worry flickering through his eyes.


    ¡°As much as I want to continue this,¡± I said, ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Your dad, actually.¡±


    Griffin raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m trying to k*ss with you, and you¡¯re thinking about my dad? You¡¯re wounding my ego, little


    fox.¡± Despite his teasing tone, I could see Griffin¡¯s b*dy tense up at the mention of his


    father. If I didn¡¯t want him to shut me down, I¡¯d need to tread carefully. )


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I started. I moved to take a seat on the b*d, but he didn¡¯t join me. He remained standing and watching me like


    he was trying to figure out where this was going. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pry into something you¡¯re not ready to talk about, but


    the stuff with your dad¡­it seems like it¡¯s weighing on you. You¡¯re not even entertaining the idea of a funeral.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°You want me to give him a funeral? After he threatened your life in front of me?¡± He crossed his


    arms over his chest, ring at me. ¡°If anything, you should be happy that I¡¯m not giving him a funeral. You shouldn¡¯t


    have to attend the funeral of someone who threatened you.¡±


    It felt like I was trying to navigate through a minefield, but I continued to press on. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t deny that your dad was


    a dick,¡± I said, ¡°I Chapter 63,


    mean, clearly he was¡­and I¡¯m d you protected me that day. But I also don¡¯t think this is just about me. And even if it


    was, I¡¯d never want you to call off a funeral just because of me. But if I¡¯m being honest¡­1 don¡¯t think you¡¯re calling off the


    funeral because of me. I think it¡¯s because of your own unresolved baggage with him, which is okay. I just want you to


    know that it¡¯s okay to talk about it, whatever that baggage


    may be.¡±


    Griffin stared at me for several moments, his b*dy still tense and rigid. ¡°When I killed him,¡± he started, and there was a


    tightness to his voice that I¡¯d never heard before, ¡°I thought I¡¯d be able to leave him behind. Forget about him and move


    on with my life. I¡¯ve never told anyone the entire truth about him. There¡¯s nob*dy alive that can remind me of him, and


    yet, he still feels like he¡¯s haunting me. My own councilors want to throw somevish celebration of his life ¨C as if there¡¯s


    anything to truly celebrate.¡±


    Griffin moved to sit beside me on the b*d, and I grabbed one of his hands. I wasn¡¯t sure if holding his hand would be


    muchfort to Griffin, but right now, it felt like one of the only ways I couldfort him, He didn¡¯t reject the gesture. He only wrapped his other hand on top of mine.


    ¡°Keeping those memories to yourself isn¡¯t going to erase the pain he caused,¡± I said gently, ¡°It¡¯ll just make you feel more


    alone.¡± While I¡¯d never experienced the kind of neglect Griffin seemed to have gone through, I was speaking from


    experience. How many years had I internalized my father¡¯s disappointment? Or his pack¡¯s disregard for me


    just because I couldn¡¯t shift? Chapter 63,


    If there was one thing I¡¯d learned recently, it¡¯s that you couldn¡¯t shut out an entire part of your life and move on. One


    way or another, you¡¯d have to confront it eventually.


    It¡¯s a bit ironic that the person who taught me that lesson is sitting across from me, trying to learn it all over again.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Griffin said, and his grip tightened on my hand, ¡°I told you that my father med me for my mother¡¯s death


    and spent too much time drinking¡­but that¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg.¡±


    I stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue talking. Griffin¡¯s face was twisted into a pained frown like he was fighting to


    even form words at alll.


    ¡°L never knew my mother so I can¡¯t say for sure if he was a good man


    while she was alive,¡± Griffin told me, ¡°But he certainly wasn¡¯t one after her death. Much of my father¡¯s views aligned with


    the traditionalists ¨C he thought humans were weak and a female wolf¡¯s ce was breeding and pleasing her mate. He


    believed that male wolves could never show weakness, not to their mates and not to their packs.


    My eyebrows rose at that. The former Alpha King had struck me as traditional the two times I¡¯d interacted with him, but I


    hadn¡¯t realized he was that radical.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t allowed to be as radical as he would¡¯ve liked as King,¡± Griffin continued, ¡°The council would¡¯ve fought against


    him. But in private, he tried to instill those same beliefs in me. Even as a child, he Chapter 63,


    would not tolerate the slightest bit of weakness ~ or what he perceived as weakness ¡ª in me. Showing affection or being


    vulnerable? My father thought those were some of the biggest weaknesses a man could have.¡±


    I swallowed the lump in my throat.


    ¡°When I reached the age of twelve, he began taking me on trips abroad to settle pack disputes,¡± Griffin said, ¡°On one of


    the trips, we helped a pack hunt down a group of rogues that had been stealing from them. They weren¡¯t vicious or evil,


    just a group of hungry people who didn¡¯t have anywhere to go for supplies. But that didn¡¯t matter to my father. He wanted to turn them into an example, so he pulled me aside and told me to kill their leader. I was horrified. I was just a


    kid ¨C one who hadn¡¯t even shifted yet. I didn¡¯t want to kill anyone, especially not a rogue who was just trying to survive.¡±


    Griffin paused for a moment, clutching my hand so tight that it was starting to be ufortable. ¡°When I tried to


    tell him that we should show mercy,¡± he exined, and his tone became bitter, ¡°He told me that showing mercy as a King


    was a form of weakness that people would take advantage of. To punish me, he killed the entire group of


    rogues himself.¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress the gasp that made its way out of my throat.


    ¡°That was just the start,¡± Griffin continued bitterly, ¡°There were a lot more lessons toe, all like that one. When he


    discovered that I skipped a training session so I could draw, he tore up my entire studio and every piece in it. As I got


    older, it got easier to deal with him. I Chapter 63,


    could go on missions by myself, find reasons to stay out of his way.¡±


    The hardened expression on Griffin¡¯s face left my chest feeling so tight that I had to blink away tears.


    ¡°That man has done nothing good for me ¨C or the werewolf world. Threatening you was thest straw,¡± Griffin finished,


    his dark eyes meeting mine, ¡°That¡¯s why I refuse to have a funeral for him. There¡¯s nothing to celebrate as far as I¡¯m


    concerned.¡±


    ¡°Lm sorry you went through that,¡± I told him.


    My words seemed to have the opposite effect than what I¡¯d intended. Griffin dropped my hand and turned away from


    me, even sliding farther down the b*d to put more distance between us.


    ¡°Griffin?¡± | asked, eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°| don¡¯t need pity, rk,¡± he said, ¡°I just wanted to exin why I vetoed the funeral.¡± (*


    I watched the tick in his jaw, but it felt like I was really watching Griffin close himself off. I never thought the sound of my


    own name in someone else¡¯s mouth would actually upset me. But in Griffin¡¯s, it just meant he was putting his guard up. He¡¯d just experienced true vulnerability ¡ª maybe for one of the first times ever ¨C and now he was trying to push me


    away.


    And I¡¯m not going to let him push me away. Chapter 63,


    Funny ¨C that¡¯s another lesson that Griffin taught me.


    Without much thought, I closed the distance between us and pulled Griffin into a hug. My arms wrapped around him and


    I buried my face into his n*eck. Griffin simply kept still, letting me hug him.


    ¡°Just because he¡¯s dead doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not still affected by him,¡± I murmured into his skin, ¡°There are some things


    that we carry with us for a long time¡­but you don¡¯t have to carry the pain he¡¯s caused you alone.¡±


    Griffin was silent for a moment, and then I felt him shift, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me so tight I could


    hardly breathe.


    ¡°T love you, little fox.¡±

 Chapter 64

    ¡°Sex is an emotion in motion.¡± Mae West


    Wrapped in Griffin¡¯s arms, the air in the room felt heavy with emotion and lingering vulnerability.


    He said he loves me.


    Ican¡®t be too surprised ¨C he got my bite mark literally tattooed on his n*eck,


    But do I love him?)


    Griffin and I had known each other for a grand total of a month, and I¡¯d spent half that time running from him. I¡¯d also


    spent half that time fighting him and the mate bond that connected us.


    I knew that mates usually moved quickly, much faster than normal rtionships. There was no point in taking things slow


    when you had absolute certainty the rtionship was going to work out. Combine that with all the dopamine and raging


    hormones that wolves got after meeting their mates, and it was no surprise that some of them even dropped the L-bomb


    the same day. Chapter 64


    But I didn¡¯t want to make that mistake.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I didn¡¯t want to mistake love for the feelings I got from the mate bond. I wanted to love Griffin as a man, not my mate.


    ¡°can practically feel you thinking, little fox,¡± Griffin¡¯s voice broke my train of thought, and he pulled back from our


    embrace to look at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to be thinking so hard.¡±


    Before I could respond, Griffin swooped down and k*ssed me. His l*ps were hot and soft against mine, just hard enough


    to make me want more. I responded eagerly, swiping my tongue against his bottom l*p to ask for entrance.


    Rather than letting my tongue into his mouth, Griffin did the opposite. He pushed his into mine. There was no asking for


    permission, no gentleness ¡ª just his tongue dominating mine. That move alone pulled a soft moan from my throat.


    It¡¯s unfair how good he is at this. Just k*ssing him shouldn¡¯t have me moaning like this.


    At the sound of my moan, Griffin stilled and I wondered if I¡¯d done something wrong.


    Was that too far or something? It¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t done before.


    I got my answer when Griffin growled and shoved me t onto the bed, never detaching his l*ps from mine. If anything,


    he began k*ssing me Chapter 64


    harder ~ to the point where I just sumbed to his touch and let his tongue explore my mouth. The feverish k*ssing


    didn¡¯t seem to satisfy him for much longer though.


    His l*ps moved to my n*eck, running his tongue over every inch of exposed skin. When his l*ps brushed over the iming


    bite, I practically came undone. I wasn¡¯t prepared for the wave of pleasure that ran through me like an electric shock,


    leaving me breathless.


    ¡°Does that feel good, little fox?¡± Griffin asked. His l*ps still hovered over the bite and just the feel of his hot breath on the


    sensitive skin had my hips bucking.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed. The warmth in my belly was slowly growing.


    I could feel his smile before he re-attached them to the bite. He spent several moments like that, justpping and sucking


    at the bite. Each touch lit me up with pleasure, but soon enough, it wasn¡¯t enough. I needed more.


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, but it came out more like a strangled moan.


    ¡°What is it, little fox?¡±


    ¡°I need more. | need you.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say what I wanted him to actually do it, but as he leaned back to


    look at me, I could tell he


    knew what I meant.


    ¡°rk,¡± he rasped. He looked like he was barely holding himself Chapter 64


    together, his eyes wild. ¡°Are you sure?¡± \¡±)


    In that moment, I wasn¡¯tpletely sure I knew my full name, but I did know one thing ~ I wanted to feel Griffin inside


    me. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of fear or doubt. Even now, as he looked like he was on the verge of losing control, he still


    made sure I was okay. This was a man that consumed me, yet made sure I was fine every step of the way. This was a man


    that had opened himself up to me tonight, trusted me with a part of himself he¡¯d never shown to anyone.


    This was a man I was falling in love with.


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, and his eyes looked wild, ¡°I love you.¡±


    The happiness and awe that shed across Griffin¡¯s face left me breathless. I¡¯d only ever seen that intensity on his face


    once ¨C when he¡¯d recognized me as his mate for the first time. *)


    Tt was beautiful.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get to dwell on it as long as I would¡¯ve liked because Griffin¡¯s l*ps were back on mine, moving


    passionately. ¡°I love you so much, little fox,¡± he mumbled against my mouth, ¡°I¡¯m going to make you feel so good, I


    promise.¡±


    Then he paused for a moment, and he looked almost awkward. ¡°Are


    you¡­


    ¡°Pm on birth control, yes. I had the shot.¡± (¡°) Chapter 64


    That was the only confirmation he needed. . |


    He shifted his b*dy so that he was straddling me and his hands found the waistband of my pants. Effortlessly ¨C far more


    effortlessly than I¡¯d expected ~ he managed to pull both my jeans and my panties down. My blouse and bra were next,


    and I waspletely bare beneath him.


    He discarded them on the floor and then he just looked at me. His eyes roamed over the exposed skin, drinking me in. I


    realized that Griffin had never seen mepletely n*ked, and the thought brought a blush to my cheeks. (7


    I felt exposed and more vulnerable than I ever had before. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, little fox,¡± he said, and that only made me


    blush harder. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to get flustered about. You¡¯re the most


    beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    As if he intended to prove just how beautiful he found me, Griffin¡¯s mouth found its way to my inner thighs.


    My breath hitched.


    Griffin took his time k*ssing and sucking the sensitive skin of my thighs, but eventually, his tongue brushed against my


    clit.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if the buildup had made me extra-sensitive or it had something to do with the iming bite, but that alone


    had me bucking my hips into his mouth. Chapter 64


    Griffin¡¯s tongue was exactly the right pressure against my clit, and it didn¡¯t take long before that warmth in my belly


    expanded into heat. Just as I thought I was getting close, one of Griffin¡¯s fingers sl*pped into my folds.


    The intrusion wasn¡¯t painful or ufortable. I was far too wet for there to be any resistance, and it only added to the


    pleasure. He started slow, working his finger in and out of me in tandem with his tongue on my clit.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± I breathed. I tangled my hands in his hair and felt myself tip over the edge. The tingly, wave of pleasure


    that rode through me was intense. I bucked my hips farther into Griffin¡¯s face as I finished, pulling on his hair. He kept his


    tongue on me through it all. Like he was trying top up everything he could.


    The aftershocks left me breathless, but even as I tried to catch my breath, the movement of Griffin¡¯s finger inside me


    didn¡¯t stop. He moved his head up to look at me and I could see that his eyes were wild.


    ¡°You taste so good, little fox,¡± he growled, leaning down to k*ss me. I started to move my tongue against his eagerly. This


    was the moment that Griffin chose to add a second finger.


    I felt the stretch this time. Even as wet as I was, it took him a few moments to work them both infortably. ¡°You¡¯re so


    tight,¡± he murmured against my mouth. Chapter 64


    If it feels tight with two fingers, what is it going to feel like with the real thing?


    As if he could read my thoughts, Griffin answered me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ fit. You were made for me, little fox. Every part of


    you.¡± I felt his fingers touch deep into me, and I let out some sort of sound between a squeak and a moan.


    For several more moments, Griffin continued to k*ss me while his fingers worked to stretch me. But he eventually leaned


    back, removing his fingers from me too.


    This is it.


    I wasn¡¯t having second thoughts, but I could feel myself bing nervous. This was new territory for me. Not just with


    Griffin, but with anyone. I¡¯d heard horror stories about girls losing their virginity ¨C of excruciating pain and bloody sheets. Was it going to be like that?


    I watched Griffin pull off his pants and his boxers in one swift movement, and I caught sight of him ~ all of him. I didn¡¯t


    have a great frame of reference for what was big or small, but even so, I knew Griffin was big. He was thick and long


    enough that it had me reevaluating whether I really was ¡°made¡± for Griffin. >)


    At least, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m made for that part of him.


    ¡°Will it hurt?¡±1 asked him. Chapter 64


    His eyes were soft as he looked down at me, and one his hands brushed through my hair. ¡°Maybe a little at first,¡± he said,


    ¡°But I¡¯ll go as slow as Ican. If it gets too much, just tell me.¡±


    I nodded, taking a deep breath.


    Griffin positioned himself above me, capturing my l*ps in another k*ss. As his mouth moved expertly against mine, | felt


    the tip of his cock brush my folds.


    True to his word, Griffin did start slow. He spent several moments just working the tip in. The stretch was ufortable,


    but not painful orpletely unpleasant. Once he¡¯dfortably worked the head in, he pushed a little more. A little more stretch. He pushed a little more. A little more stretch.


    Griffin¡¯s mouth never left mine, but I could feel the way his b*dy shuddered on top of me.


    Once he was more than halfway in, Griffin started to slowly move inside me. By this point, the stretch had transformed


    into a pleasurable ache. Td never felt so full in my life.


    ¡°You really were made for me. You feel unbelievable, better than I ever imagined¡± Griffin whispered, his hot breath on my mouth. I felt him lean back slightly. ¡°Look at me, little fox.¡±


    My eyes shot open. Griffin¡¯s eyes were wild and intense, his pupils blown wide. I tried to keep eye-contact with him, but it


    was hard to Chapter 64


    focus on anything but the way his cock felt inside me.


    He was beginning to speed up now, pushing himself into me a little more. At one particrly hard thrust, an


    embarrassingly loud moan left my mouth.


    Griffin immediately grinned. The smile was feral, and there was something primal behind his eyes. ¡°Nob*dy else will ever make you feel this way. Or sound this way. You¡¯re mine, little fox.¡±


    There was another hard thrust that drew a loud moan out of me. ¡°Say it.¡±


    Although I barely felt capable of speaking, I managed to stammer out, ¡°Pm yours.¡±


    ¡®There was a satisfactory gleam in his eyes as he leaned down, swiping his tongue at the iming bite again.


    A wave of pleasure rocked through me, only intensified by the fact that he was inside me. I could feel more heat in my


    belly.


    Griffin¡¯s mouth continued to suck on the iming bite and one of his hands moved down to rub against my clit, still


    thrusting into me. He was moving faster now, more desperate.


    And I felt like I wasing undone beneath him.


    I barely had time to register how good it all felt before I was crashing Chapter 64


    over the edge again. I clenched around Griffin, and a soft growl filled the air as he came undone with m

 Chapter 65

    ¡°Morning without you is a dwindled dawn.¡± Emily Dickinson


    The next morning, I woke to Griffin¡¯s l*ps pressed to my n*eck, and his limbs tangled with mine. As he spooned me from


    behind, I could see the sun rays filtering in through the window, the snowy Canadian terrain lying just beyond the


    window.


    ¡°Good morning, little fox,¡± Griffin whispered to me, his morning voice husky and deep.


    Half-asleep, I registered two things: one, I¡¯d had s*x with Griffinst night ¨C and for the first time ever.


    Secondly, this was the first morning I¡¯d woken up in a b*d that wasn¡¯t empty. For as long as I¡¯d been at the castle, Griffin


    had never been able to spend the momings with me. He¡¯d disappear to do kingly business before the sun hade up.


    Scratch that, this might be the first morning ever that I¡¯m waking up in a b*d with someone else.


    It¡¯s not as if Iwas regrly sleeping around before Griffin. Chapter 65,


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I replied groggily. I managed to free one of my hands from Griffin¡¯s snug grip to rub my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m


    surprised you¡¯re still in b*d with me¡±


    Pressed against me, Griffin rubbed circles on my back. ¡°Oh, did you think this was a one-night-stand kind of deal, little


    fox?¡± He teased.


    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡¯ I replied, ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for you to turn your back so Ican grab my clothes and sneak out.¡± (7


    At that remark, Griffin growled yfully and attached his l*ps to the iming bite. I couldn¡¯t stop the moan that escaped


    my mouth as tingly pleasure rocked through me.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Griffin growled, but I could still hear the teasing tone in his voice, ¡°I chased you down once. I don¡¯t mind doing


    it again, but I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll let you get as far asst time ~ or that the punishment will be as nice.¡±


    Nice? I wouldn¡¯t call being pulled over someone¡¯sp and spanked ¡°nice.¡±


    Of course, with the way he was sucking andpping at the iming bite, I wasn¡¯t able to actually form that thought.


    Anything snarky or sarcastic that I wanted to say was lost in the trantion of the pleasure rolling through my b*dy.


    It was almost unfair how much pleasure I got from just Griffin barely touching the bite. It¡¯s as if the bite was a direct line


    to the nerve ending in my clit. Part of me wondered if, given enough time and stimtion, Chapter 65


    Griffin could make me orgasm just from touching the mark.


    With a few more licks of his tongue, Griffin pulled away from the bite, his b*dy still wrapped around me. ¡°Once you


    passed outst night,¡± Griffin said, and I could practically hear the smile in his voice, ¡°I canceled my meetings for the morning. I didn¡¯t want you to wake up without me. I was worried you might be sore fromst night.¡±


    Even though Griffin had been inside of me just hours ago, I still blushed at his response. No matter howfortable we


    got with each other, he could still fluster me just as well as the first time I¡¯d met him.


    And once Griffin mentioned soreness, I realized he was right ~ I was sore, It wasn¡¯t unbearable, but whenever I shifted, I


    could feel a sharp ache between my legs.


    Griffin must¡¯ve seen the wince on my face because he said, ¡°Let me draw you a bath, little fox. It¡¯ll help you feel better.¡± With a k*ss on my forehead, he untangled himself from me and headed into the bathroom.


    I snuggled deeper into the nkets, feeling some of the heat loss from Griffin¡¯s absence.


    J just had s*x for the first time. And it was nothing like I ever expected it to be.


    If you had asked me a couple of months ago what my first time was going to look like, I would¡¯ve told you that I¡¯d


    probably lose my Chapter 65,


    virginity at college. I¡¯d wait until I met someone I liked and trusted enough to consider my boyfriend, and then I would¡¯ve just let it happen naturally.


    But here I was, and that prediction couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth. I wasn¡¯t at college and I wasn¡¯t with some


    human boyfriend. In the span of a month, my entire life had done a 360-degree turn. The life path I thought I was on


    before ¨C the one that lead to an easy, human life ¡ª was a lie. My path didn¡¯t lead to a simple human life, it never had. 7


    All paths led to Griffin. Ican¡¯t even bring myself to be upset about it either.


    Part of me balked at the idea that I¡¯d given into Griffin and this new life so easily. I¡¯d taken irreversible steps with him ¡ª


    letting him im me, letting him take my virginity. Yet, when I thought about doing those things with him, it only left a


    fuzzy, pleasant feeling in my chest.


    He¡¯s starting to feel like home. (2


    ¡°The bath is ready for you, little fox,¡± Griffin¡¯s voice interrupted my train of thought. I looked up to see him at the foot of


    the b*d, bathed in the morning light. With an easy smile on his face and as n*ked as he wasst night, he looked more


    serene than I¡¯d ever seen him.


    ¡°What are you looking at, little fox?¡± Griffin asked, his head cocked to the side. Chapter 65,


    ¡°Just you,¡± I murmured back.


    Griffin raised an eyebrow, and I could see a smirk beginning to form on his face. ¡°Well, if you keep looking at me like this,


    I might have to make you a little sorer than you already are.¡±


    My cheeks went red at that and I averted my eyes. I didn¡¯t have a snarky reply to that, so instead, I began sitting up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Griffin asked, immediately at my side.


    ¡°Well, you said the bath was ready,¡± I said, ¡°I want to get there before the water goes cold.¡±


    Before my feet could touch the floor, Griffin had scooped me into his arms, holding me bridal style. The movement was


    jarring and brought another wave of achiness between my legs.


    ¡°What are you ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d make my sore mate walk on her own afterst


    night?¡± Griffin asked, a soft smile on his face. ¡°Your feet aren¡¯t touching the floor today.¡± He began striding into the


    bathroom, and | reluctantlyN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    wrapped my arms around his n*eck.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that sore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too sore to walk.¡± Chapter 65,


    ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡°Your mate,¡± Griffin replied, a teasing smile on his face, ¡°Regardless of what you feel, I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re too sore to walk.¡± (=


    We entered the bathroom and he gently ced me into therge, jacuzzi-style tub. The hot water felt like instant relief


    on my entire b*dy, including the sore parts. I leaned back instantly, letting out a sigh.


    I peeked one eye open as Griffin climbed into the tub and positioned himself behind me. Asrge as Griffin was, sharing


    a tub would¡¯ve been a cramped experience in a regr bathroom. However, this tub was


    large enough that it could¡¯ve amodated three or four people easily.


    ¡°Did you use scented oils in here?¡± I asked. The water smelled strongly ofvender, and that alone helped rx my


    muscles.


    Griffin answered as he encircled me in his arms from behind. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and I could¡¯ve sworn there was something


    bashful in his tone, ¡°The staff used to add it when they prepared baths for me as a child¡­1 thought you might like it.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± | hummed.


    You know, Griffin is probably used to having people draw his baths, not the other way around. It¡¯s weird to think about,


    but I just had a literal king draw my bath for me. Chapter 65,


    As I pondered that odd realization, Griffin grabbed a shampoo bottle and poured a dollop into his hands. ¡°Lean back,


    little fox,¡± he said, ¡°Your hair needs to be wet before | put this on.¡±


    I did as he instructed, and when I¡¯d soaked my hair in the water, Griffin began massaging the shampoo into the locks.


    There was a blush on my face the entire time ¡ª and not just because his hands in my hair felt dangerously good. (


    I¡¯d never bathed with anyone else before, and doing so with Griffin (while he washed my hair) felt incredibly intimate. He was taking care of me in such a simple way. Not to mention, we were bothpletely bare and I could feel just about


    every part of him against me.


    When it was time to rinse, he doused my hair with more water. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± he instructed, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get


    soap in them.¡±


    He¡¯s even demanding and dominant in the bath.


    Next was the conditioner ¨C which followed almost exactly the same procedure. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you


    about, little fox,¡± Griffin said as he worked the conditioner through my hair. To my surprise, he didn¡¯t make any blunders with the hair products ¡ª he didn¡¯t use too much shampoo or apply a bunch of conditioner to the roots.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯vepleted our bond in every way that we¡¯re supposed to,¡± he started, ¡°The final step is to make you my Queen ¨C officially. With a coronation.¡± Chapter 65,


    ¡°Coronation?¡± I knew what a coronation was, and even so, I still found myself asking. I didn¡¯t know what a werewolf


    coronation was supposed to look like.


    ¡°Every Queen has a coronation,¡± he exined. ¡°It¡¯s a huge event. Most of the werewolf world will show up, or at least


    every Alpha in the world who is avable to attend. There¡¯s a small ceremony where | will crown you, and then the rest is


    just a celebration.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­intense.¡±


    Griffin dipped my head back to rinse out the conditioner, his fingers working through each section of my hair. ¡°I suppose


    it is,¡± he said, ¡°But it would be to celebrate you, little fox. To solidify your ce beside me as a ruler of this world. And this world would see that yourepletely mine. Now and forever.¡± I felt one of his fingers brush over the iming bite.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. The thought of standing in front of a bunch of powerful Alphas ¨C maybe some who I¡¯d just seen a month


    ago ~ didn¡¯t sound appealing. But it also didn¡¯t sound like something I could just pass on either. I couldn¡¯t really involve myself in all the werewolf diplomacy and meetings if I didn¡¯t even have the title to go with it, right?


    ¡°It will also be a chance to see your family again,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Your family is part of the ceremony. Your father is an


    Alpha, so he¡¯d be invited either way. But you¡¯d also get to see your mother again too.¡±


    Putting my biological mom and dad in the same room for the first time in s Chapter 65,


    ix years? That sounds like a recipe for disaster.)


    The very thought of seeing my father again after what I¡¯d learned at my mom¡¯s sent a a rush of anger through me. I


    hadn¡¯t even talked to him since I¡¯d met Griffin. He knew I¡¯d run away from Griffin, and he¡¯d even texted me while I was at my mother¡¯s, but I never replied. After the secrets he kept from me, I didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with him.


    Well¡­J guess this will be a family reunion to remember. (=

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66 Chapter 66)


    ¡°They say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.¡± (=


    Andy Warhol


    After nearly an hour in the bath with Griffin, the water got cold enough to force us out. Of course, this wasn¡¯t until after Griffin had gently cleaned every part of me ¨C and I do mean every part ¨C with some expensive floral-scented shampoo


    that looked like it cost more than my entire wardrobe.


    However, I couldn¡¯t deny that the bath had done wonders for my sore muscles. I could barely feel the effects ofst night


    ¨C although I wasn¡¯tpletely sure if that was from soaking in the bath or because Griffin refused to let me do anything


    for myself. He even insisted on carrying me to the bed and toweling me off.


    Thad initially protested, but after a few minutes, | could tell he wasn¡¯t going to budge. ¡°I like doing it,¡± he¡¯d merely said


    as he wrapped my hair


    in a towel.


    I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that he¡¯d done the hair wrap wrong. As he walked into the closet, I fixed it myself.


    ¡°T¡¯m going to the training grounds today,¡± he called from the closet, ¡°I Chapter 66


    do quarterly checks on the progress of the wolves in training. You said you wanted to be more involved. You¡¯re wee


    toe with me, but it will be cold.¡± )


    Tspend so much time in this castle that I forget I¡¯m in Canada and it¡¯s still freezing cold outside.)


    ¡°I would like that,¡± I called back, ¡°The training¡­isn¡¯t that what I saw the other day? With that instructor and his students?


    Or is this something different?¡±


    ¡°Instructor Ivan is just one of my trainers,¡± Griffin said, and I could¡¯ve sworn I heard his voice darken at the name. ¡°There


    are several of them, and they¡¯re responsible for training new pack warriors. Instructor Ivan is one of the best ~ as pigheaded as he is.¡±


    Griffin emerged from the closet, fully dressed in dark jeans, a long- sleeved ck henley, and a thick jacket. In his arms,


    he held another bundle of clothes that I could only assume were for me.


    ¡®As he approached, I reached out to take them but he pulled them away. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to get dressed?¡± I asked,


    raising my eyebrows.


    There was a teasing look on Griffin¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily want you to get dressed, but if we¡¯re going to make it out


    of this bedroom today, I think you¡¯ll need to.¡±


    I tried to grab for the clothes again, but it was no use ¡ª Griffin kept Chapter 66


    them out of reach. What is he ying at right now?


    ¡°Okay, well, in that case¡­are you going to hand them to me anytime


    soon?¡±


    That teasing expression never left his face. ¡°No. But if you sit down and be good, I¡¯ll put them on you.¡±


    My face flushed and annoyance flickered through me. Does he have to find every opportunity to embarrass me? ¡°I can


    put my own clothes on, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he shrugged, ¡°But I like taking care of you, little fox. It soothes my wolf. It makes me feel like a good mate.¡± (=


    It was hard not to lose my edge when he said that.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good mate, Griffin,¡± I told him, ¡°You already take care of me. You don¡¯t need to dress me just to prove that.¡± (7


    His eyes softened. ¡°I¡¯m d you think so, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°Now raise your arms so I can put this shirt on you.¡±


    There¡¯s no winning with him.


    Irolled my eyes as I lifted my arms up as instructed. (: Chapter 66


    With a satisfied smile on his face, Griffin began pulling a warm longsleeved shirt over my head.


    Thad never realized just how big the castle¡¯s grounds were, especially when they weren¡¯t covered in a thickyer of snow.


    Behind the castle, severalrge fields stretched into an evergreen forest.


    On the field, severalrge groups of young werewolves were lined up, practicing various forms of sparring. An instructor


    stood in front of each group, their loud voices carrying across the fields.


    This looks like one of the warrior training sses I took back home ~ just on a muchrger scale, The sses at home


    didn¡¯t have more than twenty students at a time, there must be close to 200 wolves training here.


    Although most of the wolves, save for the instructors, looked like young teens, their faces were intense and serious. None


    of them were goofing off or joking around ¡ª every single student was solely focused on the instructor.


    Of course, that changed the moment that Griffin and I began striding toward the top of the field. Well, Griffin was


    striding with me in his arms. Despite protesting that I waspletely fine to walk across the


    fields, he refused to let me out of his arms.


    At this point, I think his refusal to let me walk has less to do with me being ¡°sore¡± and more with him getting to keep his


    hands on me all day. Chapter 66


    As wide as the open fields were, you could feel the shift in the air as soon as the other wolves sensed Griffin¡¯s presence.


    The instructors stopped teaching and the young wolves straightened up, bowing their heads.


    ¡°Your Majesties,¡± a middle-aged, dark-haired man at the top of the field greeted us. He bowed his head, so I didn¡¯t get a


    good look at his face, but the heavy scars on his arms and legs spoke for themselves. This man had seen action.


    ¡°Instructor Benjamin,¡± Griffin addressed him,ing to stand beside him. As he did so, Griffin gently ced me on the


    ground, but he immediately put a hand around my waist.


    Although I was dressed warmly, it was still cold enough that I found myself snuggling into Griffin¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting your visit,¡± the man, Instructor Benjamin said. He finally raised his head and I noticed that his face was scarred like his arms. ¡°What do you think of the students, Your Majesty? This batch has been making good progress. I


    expect good things from them.¡±


    Griffin looked out at the rows of tense students with bowed heads. ¡°Good,¡± he finally said, ¡°Now more than ever, trained


    warriors are important.¡± Instructor Benjamin merely nodded his head in agreement.


    Iwonder if he¡¯s referring to the tension that¡¯s been building with Alpha Liam. Does Griffin think that conflict could


    escte into some sort of war 0 Chapter 66 r battle? ¡°You may return to your ss, Instructor Benjamin. If you¡¯re pleased


    with their progress, so am I.¡± Instructor Benjamin gave us another bow and headed back to a group of students waiting


    for him.


    I could tell the entire field of instructors and students were still on edge with Griffin¡¯s presence, but slowly, Instructor


    Benjamin was able to coax them back into regr training.


    Griffin and I remained at the top of the field, watching the lessons go on. ¡°What do you think, little fox?¡±


    ¡°Well, their training certainly looks more intense than what I¡¯m used to,¡± I said.


    Yet, as I watched the young boys spar with each other or listen to their instructor, something nagged at me.


    ¡°There is one thing I¡¯m curious about,¡± I said, turning to look at Griffin. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any girls training to be warriors? All of these students and instructors look like men.¡±


    It was the truth ~1 couldn¡¯t spot a single girl on the field. There was enough testosterone in the ce to power a rocket. I


    knew that female warriors were unusual in most packs, but even at my dad¡¯s, warrior Chapter 66


    training had been mandatory for everyone.


    ¡°Well, the ss isn¡¯t off-limits to women,¡± Griffin shrugged, ¡°But parents are the one who send their children off to be


    trained. We simply work with what they give us.¡±


    ¡°And they don¡¯t give you daughters?¡±


    ¡°Usually no. I can¡¯t remember thest time I saw a girl at one of these lessons.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s kind of a problem?¡± I asked.


    Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed at me. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising,¡± he exined, ¡°This training is for future warriors, and most female wolves won¡¯t be warriors.¡±


    I could feel myself treading on dangerous territory. The direction of the conversation was beginning to work me up, but I


    didn¡¯t want to have a blow-out fight in front of hundreds of other wolves.


    ¡°And why won¡¯t they be warriors?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°For a variety of reasons,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Many male wolves are very protective of their mates. They don¡¯t want to have to worry about them dying in battle, it would just drive their wolves mad. Not to mention, most female wolves just don¡¯t want to be warriors, not when they¡¯ve got a family to take care of.¡± Chapter 66


    Griffin¡¯s exnation felt like a diplomatic version of the same misogynistic bullshit I¡¯¡¯d been exposed to since I¡¯d been


    dropped into the werewolf world. He could dress it up however he wanted, but it all summed up to the same thing:


    female wolves were expected to stay home and pop out a few kids while the male wolves got to handle the real danger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t female wolves have to worry about their mates dying in battle too?¡± I countered, ¡°I mean, the risk is the same


    regardless of which mate bes a warrior. If a female wolf dies in battle, she¡¯s leaving her family without a mother. But


    if a male wolf dies in battle, he¡¯s leaving his family without a father. Either way, it¡¯s still dangerous ¡ª but women should


    be able to take that risk if they want to.¡±


    I could tell that Griffin was beginning to get annoyed that I wouldn¡¯t drop the topic. ¡°Yes, but we only train willing


    warriors,¡± he said, ¡°We can¡¯t train female wolves if they don¡¯t sign up. They¡¯re wee to take the risk, but they¡¯ve got


    to be the ones to do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe they¡¯re not signing up because they¡¯re not being taught that it¡¯s okay to. If you spend your entire life


    learning that you¡¯re supposed to be a housewife, you¡¯re not going to wake up one day and be a soldier. Not without


    a little encouragement.¡± ¡°)


    Griffin remained silent, assessing me under his hard gaze. I couldn¡¯t tell if my words were actually sinking in or if I¡¯d just


    royally pissed him off. Maybe both.


    ¡°Your Majesties,¡± an ented voice suddenly cut through the tension. Chapter 66


    Both Griffin and I turned around around.


    When he caught sight of who had interrupted us, Griffin immediately growled, tugging me behind him.


    Instructor Ivan stood several feet from us, his head bowed and his hands held up in surrender. He was practically shaking


    under Griffin¡¯s stare, but he held his ground.


    ¡°I mean you no harm, Your Majesties,¡± he said, and he momentarily looked up to lock eyes with me, ¡°There¡¯s somethingBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    that I¡¯vee to


    talk to you about.¡±

 Chapter 67

    ¡°In this life, to earn your ce you have to fight for it.¡± Shakira


    The hesitant, submissive man in front of us looked nothing like the scowling instructor who had trash-talked humans and


    challenged me to a fight. That man had been full of arrogance. This man looked like he was a few growls or res away


    from groveling on his knees.


    I guess he¡¯s still freaked out by what happened after our sparring session. )


    ¡°What is it, Ivan?¡± Griffin asked. His tone was cold ~ Instructor Ivan must not have been the only one to remember the


    fight.


    ¡°Your Majesties,¡± Ivan started, his eyes flickering between us, ¡°Our previous encounter has been weighing on me. I


    disrespected my Queen


    toa grave degree, and you spared my life out of kindness. I¡¯ve realized that it¡¯s not enough just to ask your forgiveness ¨C


    I¡¯d like to earn it.¡±


    For once, I was d to be partially hidden by Griffin¡¯s hulking frame. Otherwise, Ivan might¡¯ve seen the dumbfounded


    look on my face.


    Earn our forgiveness?


    I¡¯m not sure what this guy is trying to suggest, but if he keeps Chapter 67


    reminding Griffin that he kicked my a*s in a fight, I¡¯m not sure there will be any life left to spare.


    ¡°My Queen,¡± Ivan addressed me in that European ent of his, ¡°I¡¯d like to give you private self-defense lessons. Our


    encounter proved that you have potential, and with the right training, I believe you could be a fiercebatant. Not that


    I suspect you¡¯d ever be in a position where you¡¯d need to physically protect yourself.¡±


    He wants to train me? To fight?


    My mind shed back to the warrior training sses I¡¯d taken with my dad¡¯s pack, and I almost felt like cringing.


    Although Kara had made the ss bearable, I spent most of that ss getting my a*s handed to me. Watching the other


    students cast me pity looks as they passed me in the field or groan when they got paired with me as a sparring partner.


    Griffin immediately growled. ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡±


    Ivan lowered his head in submission immediately. ¡°I understand, Your Majesty.¡±


    Before Ivan could dismiss himself, I butted in. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Both Ivan and Griffin turned to look at me. Ivan looked surprised that I¡¯d spoken at all and Griffin just looked annoyed.


    Iwas almost as surprised as Ivan. I hadn¡¯t even nned on speaking or opening my mouth. Chapter 67


    If anything, I should feel relieved I don¡¯t have to train with wolves anymore.


    But private lessons with one instructor would be nothing like those old sses, This is a chance for me to do something


    on my own, rely on myself for a change.


    ¡°{ don¡¯t think you should dismiss this idea so easily,¡± | told Griffin. It¡¯s not as if I¡¯d had tons of time to think about it, but I


    did know two things: one, Ivan¡¯s offer was genuine. There was real regret in his eyes. I had no doubt that he felt bad


    about what happened, and since he was a fight instructor, maybe he felt like this was the only real way for him to atone.


    Secondly, he had a point. Despite taking years of warrior sses, none of that training had actually helped when I went


    toe-to-toe against Ivan. That wasn¡¯t surprising ¨C those sses were meant for wolf-on- wolfbat.


    I didn¡¯t expect to be some fierce warrior, but learning a little self- defense against werewolves? That could be useful.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ridiculous idea,¡± Griffin countered, crossing his arms and looking at Ivan. ¡°Do you think so little of me that I can¡¯t


    protect my own. mate?¡±


    Ivan¡¯s eyes widened and he began floundering. ¡°No, Your Majesty! Of course no -¡± Chapter 67 ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, cutting off


    Ivan¡¯s string of apologies. ¡°Nob*dy is saying you can¡¯t protect me. But wouldn¡¯t it at least be good for me to learn


    how to protect myself? In case you¡¯re not around to do the protecting.¡±


    ¡°Tl always be around to protect you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for sure,¡± I said. I moved closer to him, grabbing his hands. ¡°Think of it like an insurance policy. Just


    in case.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you alone with another man,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Even a mated


    one.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll train with a female instructor,¡± I replied, and then I paused.


    ¡°Oh, wait. You don¡¯t have any.¡± Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Little fox.¡±


    That was a warning, but I still couldn¡¯t stop the amused smile fromBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    tugging at my l*ps. He knew I was right.


    ¡°What¡¯s the harm in at least learning?¡± I said, ¡°Obviously, we got off to


    a rocky start. He wants to make up for it.¡± ¡°If you want to learn to fight so badly, I can train you.¡±


    ¡°With what time? You spend most of your days in meetings,¡± I retorted,


    ¡°Are you going to pencil me in at 2AM?¡± Chapter 67


    Something flickered through Griffin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I suppose not. I¡¯d rather be doing other things with you at 2AM.¡± =


    Why should I be surprised that he isn¡¯t afraid to make innuendos in public?


    As inappropriate as it was, Griffin¡¯s response only supported my argument. ¡°Maybe we could just try one or two lessons,¡±


    I said, ¡°If I don¡¯t like it, then that¡¯ll be it.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s face looked pinched, like he was trying to find a good excuse to say no.


    ¡°Please, Griffin.¡± His face softened and he sighed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say no when you beg like that, little fox,¡± Griffin said, and I felt my cheeks heating up. Ivan wasn¡¯t that far away ¨C


    definitely within earshot.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Griffin continued, turning toward Ivan. The softness on his face vanished, reced by a stern expression. ¡°I¡¯m


    willing to allow you to teach my mate self-defense only. Nothing dangerous or too physically exhausting. You¡¯ll give me


    detailed reports after every session.¡±


    Ivan¡¯s face was nk but I could see the surprise in his eyes. He bowed his head. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 67


    ¡°I am trusting you with my mate, Ivan. If shees back with the slightest injury at all By the way that Ivan¡¯s eyes


    flickered nervously to mine, he understood the threat, 7)


    Griffin didn¡¯t even need to finish his sentence.


    I did too.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. If the Queen is not busy, I¡¯m able to begin lessons with her within the week.¡± Ivan bowed again


    before making his exit.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like this,¡± Griffin grumbled beside me, ¡°The thought of another man touching or interacting with you makes me want to w his eyes out.¡± )


    Well, that¡¯s violent. ¡°If you w his eyes out, how¡¯s he going to teach me to fight?¡± 7)


    There were no guarantees that learning from Ivan wouldn¡¯t end in disaster, but the thought of being able to do


    something besides sit in a bedroom or follow Griffin around like a lost puppy was exciting. This


    was something for me, something I could learn and utilize on my own. )


    Inever thought the idea of physical exercise would actually excite me, but it did. This time, | wouldn¡¯t have to worry about


    an entire ss of students casting me pity nces as they ranps around me.


    The only person I¡¯d be embarrassing myself in front of was Ivan, and Chapter 67


    after Griffin¡¯s threat, I had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t dare make fun of me. Not if he wanted to keep his eyes.


    Author¡¯s Note: I¡¯ve seen somements asking about a chapter in Griffin¡¯s POY, and I just wanted to tell you guys that


    it¡¯sing! I¡¯m just saving Griffin¡¯s POV for a specific moment in the story. Thank you all for continuing to read and


    support this story! :)\\*

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68 Chapter 68


    ¡°Pain was the b*dy¡¯s way of telling them they¡¯d pushed themselves to their limits ¡ª which was exactly where they were


    supposed to be.¡±


    Richard Marcinko


    True to his word, my first training session with Ivan beganter that week. Although I knew he was going to teach me


    self-defense, I had no real idea what that entailed. I¡¯d never taken private lessons before, and certainly not with anyone of


    Ivan¡¯s caliber. Would he be a harsh teacher? He had seemed pretty strict the first time I stumbled upon him yelling at a


    room of young wolves.


    Griffin did threaten him pretty heavily though.


    Ivan had only given me two instructions for our first session: dressfortably and have one of the guards to escort me


    to the second training room in the East Wing at 3PM sharp.


    His directions were easy to follow. I¡¯d dressed in sweats that didn¡¯t restrict my movement and had asked one of the


    guards stationed outside of Griffin¡¯s suite to escort me.


    When we arrived at the open wooden door, the guard didn¡¯t linger. He simply nodded at Ivan, bowed his head to me,


    and left. Chapter 68


    Ivan stood in the center of the room, standing tall with his arms behind his back. ¡°Pleasee in, Your Majesty.¡± The way


    he addressed me waspletely different than it was the first time we met. He had been nothing but mockery and


    arrogance the first time we met.


    Today, he was stiff and respectful ¡ª like he was afraid that looking at


    me wrong might cost him his life. (7 Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t apletely irrational fear.


    I strolled into the room, the door banging shut behind me. My eyes roamed over my surroundings ¨C this training room


    was much smaller than the one I¡¯d first seen him in. It was still spacious with big mats covering the floor andrge


    windows that filtered natural light into the


    room. ¡°This room is designated for private lessons,¡± Ivan told me. ¡°Do you do a lot of private lessons?¡±


    ¡°Not often,¡± he said. He still looked stiff and ufortable, and I


    noticed that he avoided eye contact with me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your typical teaching style is,¡± I said, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to look so¡­uneasy. I¡¯m not going to turn


    you into Griffin if | end


    up with a paper cut.¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond to that, but the sharp angles of his face seemed to soften. Chapter 68


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± he finally said, clearing his throat. He stood up even straighter like he was settling into the role of a teacher.


    ¡°During our first sparring session, | made a few observations that I¡¯d like to test today.¡±


    ¡°And how are we testing these observations?¡±


    ¡°Ld like you to see if you cannd a hit on me,¡± he exined. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me striking you at all. This


    isn¡¯t an official sparring session. Your only objective is to hit me.¡±


    I nodded. The fact that I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about dodging a hit was a relief, although I already knew Ivan wouldn¡¯t


    be an easy target to hit.


    The only hit I¡¯d ever managed tond on him had been a fluke ¨C and probably not something I¡¯d get away with a second


    time.


    We both moved to the center of therge mat. Once we¡¯d positioned ourselves a couple of feet apart, Ivan gestured for me to attack him.


    I didn¡¯t put a lot of thought into my attack. I simply dove for him, my closed fist preparing to meet his face.


    It didn¡¯t.


    Ivan effortlessly dodged me, and | stumbled past him instead. I managed to catch myself before I fell onto the mat, but


    even so, my cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. Chapter 68


    ¡°Try again.¡±


    I did. This time, I tried tond the hit on his stomach, but he dodged that too.


    ¡°Try again.¡±


    I made two more attempts ~ both failures. By the time he¡¯d dodged the fourth attack, I was even more embarrassed and


    breathing heavily.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Ivan finally said, ¡°You proved my observation.¡± ¡°And what observation is that?¡± ¡°That you have no idea


    what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± I said. Ivan handed me a water bottle and I took a few gulps.


    ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you don¡¯t have any fight training,¡± Ivan said, ¡°You are human.¡±


    ¡°Well, despite my terrible fighting abilities,¡± I said, ¡°I did attend a bunch of warrior training sses back home. So I do


    have some training, just not good training I guess.¡±


    Ivan¡¯s eyes narrowed, and it looked like he was mulling this new information over. ¡°No, definitely not good training,¡± he


    said, ¡°Although it does make sense.¡± Chapter 68 ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You fight like you¡¯re a wolf,¡± he exined, ¡°Not a very well-trained wolf, but a wolf.¡±


    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s supposed to be apliment.


    ¡°Had you actually been as strong and as fast as a wolf,¡± Ivan continued, ¡°Those attacks might¡¯ve been a little more


    sessful. But you¡¯re not a wolf. You¡¯re a human and you need to fight like one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what fighting ¡®like a human¡¯ means. That¡¯s kind of what I thought I was doing until you said otherwise.¡± (*)


    Ivan shot me a frustrated look, and I had a feeling he would¡¯ve been yelling if he didn¡¯t think it would cost him his head.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re human,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯ll always be at a disadvantage when you¡¯re fighting a wolf ¡ª no matter who it is.


    Your opponent will always be bigger and stronger. You can¡¯t rely on brute force to beat them like a werewolf would. But


    there are other ways you can take


    down someone stronger than you.¡± ¡®) ¡°Like?¡± ¡°Like fighting d*rty and aiming for sensitive targets.¡±


    I handed him back the water bottle and Ivan ced it aside. ¡°I thought ¡®fighting d*rty¡¯ was frowned upon. Not good fight


    etiquette or Chapter 68


    whatever.¡±


    Ivan rolled his eyes. ¡°Maybe in human movies or boxing matches, but in this world, you should never be afraid to fight


    d*rty. Remember our first sparring match? When you kicked me?¡±


    I nodded, smiling sheepishly. I certainly remembered kicking Ivan right between the legs.


    ¡°That was a good example of fighting d*rty,¡± he said, ¡°And it worked too. For a moment. You surprised me. Had you been more of a trained fighter, you could have used that opening to incapacitate me further.¡±


    ¡°So, I should just aim to kick a guy between the legs if I¡¯m ina fight?¡±


    ¡°Tt may not work every single time,¡± he said, ¡°But if it¡¯s an option, you should take it. The groin is one of the most


    sensitive areas of the b*dy. There are other pressure points you can target too. I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Standing in front of me, Ivan ced his hand on his abdomen. ¡°Hit me here. Aim your hit upwards¡±


    Thesitated for a moment, but when he didn¡¯t move away, I shot my fist out. Ivan didn¡¯t even stumble but he did flinch.


    ¡°That area you just punched,¡± he said after I¡¯d struck him, ¡°Is where the kidney is ¨C right below the ribcage. There are no


    hard bones there and it doesn¡¯t take much force to inflict damage.¡±


    Ivan moved his hand to the middle of his abdomen next. ¡°This is the Chapter 68


    sr plexus, located beneath the sternum,¡± he said, ¡°Another weak spot. Hit me here.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate this time. Once


    again, there was no visible reaction besides a slight flinch when my fist connected with his skin.


    ¡°This next one won¡¯t require a demonstration to show you where it is,¡± Ivan said, and he touched his own n*eck, ¡°A throat


    punch is one of the easiest ways to incapacitate your opponent. Most people aim for the face, which is where your


    attacker will expect you to target as well. But striking the throat is much more effective. Most people can take a hit to


    the face, especially from a human. A hit to the throat? Not so much.¡± )


    I felt like a sponge, trying to absorb the information that Ivan was providing me with. A punch to the kidney, the sr


    plexus, the throat ~ Itried to memorize it all.


    ¡°No matter what you do,¡± Ivan said, ¡°When you are fighting a wolf, you cannot forget they are stronger, faster, and


    superior.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Traised an eyebrow at thatst adjective ¨C it reminded me of the elitist attitude that Ivan had the first time we met.


    Ivan seemed to understand how it sounded too and he jumped to immediately correct himself. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in a


    demeaning way,¡± he rified, ¡°Strong people don¡¯t win fights, desperate people do. And as long as you can remember


    that you¡¯re at a disadvantage, you¡¯ll be the desperate one. Fight like you¡¯ve got nothing to lose and strength won¡¯t matter.¡± Chapter 68


    Before I could respond to that, Ivan turned away and gestured for me to follow him. We walked across the room and I


    noticed that a punching bag hung from the ceiling, situated in one of the corners. It looked exactly like one of those


    punching bags you¡¯d find in some old-school gym. It was covered in a thinyer of dust too, like it had barely been used.


    ¡°You want me to punch this thing?¡± I asked, ¡°I thought you said strength didn¡¯t matter. I just had to hit the right spots.¡±


    Ivan rolled his eyes, and for the first time since we¡¯d started the training session, he actually looked rxed. Like he was


    dealing with any other student, not a human Queen he¡¯d been threatened into treating well.


    ¡°That is true,¡± he said, ¡°But you still need to be able to hit well to inflict damage. The punches younded on me a


    moment ago were


    sorry excuses for hits.¡±


    Good to know Ivan isn¡¯t so scared of Griffin that he can¡¯t be brutally honest with me.


    His words didn¡¯t hurt. He was honest, and I¡¯d spent most of my life feeling weak and fragilepared to those around


    me. The only difference now is that maybe, in some small way, that would be changing.


    ¡°This will help,¡± Ivan said. He paused for a moment, looking me over. ¡°We¡¯ll make¡­something of you. Not a warrior, but


    maybe a human who Chapter 68


    will be able to stand her ground long enough to scream for help.¡± (!¡±)

 Chapter 69

    ¡°If we act like prey, they¡¯ll act like predators.¡± Alyxandra Harvey


    By the time my first training session with Ivan was over, my muscles felt like jelly and my knuckles were swollen. Ivan had


    wrapped them in bandages before he taught me to use the punching bag, but they were still bruised.


    I didn¡¯t realize how weak your human healing capabilities were, Ivan had told me. He hadn¡¯t even meant it an insult. If


    anything, he looked a little uneasy when he examined my reddened fists ~ like the slight bruising might bring Griffin¡¯s wrath down upon him, He¡¯d even insisted Lice them for several minutes.


    It wasn¡¯t until I¡¯d ensured Ivan several times that I¡¯d be fine (and ice


    them for the rest of the evening) that he ended our training session.


    Thad no idea what time it was but judging by the moonlight filtering through the castle windows, it was well into the


    evening.


    Ivan had mind-linked one of the guards to bring me back to my rooms, and by the time I got back to the suite, I was more than ready for a nap.


    Well, maybe some food first and then a nap. Chapter 69


    I closed the bedroom door behind me, thanking the retreating guard for escorting me as I did so.


    ¡°How was your training session, little fox?¡±


    I whipped my head around to catch sight of Griffin sprawled out on the b*d. Judging by the untucked dress shirt he wore, he hadn¡¯t been here long.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been busy this entire week.


    You usually don¡¯t make it back until I¡¯m half-asleep.¡±


    Griffin smiledzily. ¡°My meetings ended early,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about itter. For now, I want to hear about this


    training session. How did it go?¡±


    I tried to be careful as I described the training session to Griffin. Thest thing I wanted him to do was assume that Ivan was being too mean or too hard on me, and cancel the self-defense lessons. Or do something worse.


    ¡°It was informative,¡± I said, plopping down on the edge of the b*d, ¡°He showed me some moves that might help me take


    down a stronger opponent in a fight. You know, like a werewolf.¡±


    Griffin raised an eyebrow at me, and I could see a teasing smile tugging at his l*ps. ¡°Oh, really? Perhaps I should be wary


    of making you mad then, little fox. Now that you¡¯re a trained fighter, I wouldn¡¯t want to invoke your wrath.¡± Chapter 69


    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right,¡± I said, rolling my eyes ¡°Maybe you should be


    wary. I know how to take you down now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he said. Griffin spread his arms across the top of the b*d like he was inviting me toe close. ¡°Well, what


    are you waiting for then?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You said you know how to take me down now,¡± he grinned, ¡°So, show


    me these moves. Take me down.¡±


    ¡°You want me to fight you?¡± I asked with wide eyes. Was this some kind of trick? Was he trying to goad me into a


    punishment?


    Not that ending up over hisp again would be the worst thing, some small voice inside of me whispered. \*


    But Griffin didn¡¯t seem mad or disappointed. There was amusement dancing in his eyes ~ and something else too, but I


    couldn¡¯t put my


    finger on it.


    ¡°Think of it like an opportunity,¡± he shrugged, spreading his arms wider, ¡°You¡¯ve learned these moves, and now you can


    see if they work.¡±


    ¡°What if I hurt you?¡± I countered. Griffin seemedpletely at ease with the idea of me fighting him, but would he feel


    the same way after a punch to the throat or the kidneys? Chapter 69


    Griffin chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s cute, little fox,¡± he said, ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry about hurting me.¡±


    I could feel mypetitive spirit re to life. He doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m actually capable of inflicting any damage.


    You know what? Screw being cautious about hurting him ¨C maybe he does need a good punch to the throat.


    ¡°| wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± I snapped back, ¡°I told you ¨C I learned how to incapacitate a stronger opponent. I mean, you guys


    heal quickly but I don¡¯t think you want me to ¡®take you down.¡±


    Something shed through Griffin¡¯s eyes as he leaned forward. ¡°Is that a challenge, little fox?¡±


    rk, you¡¯ve had one self-defense lesson and he¡¯s the strongest werewolf in the world, There¡¯s no way this ends well. (2


    ¡°You bet it is.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for Griffin to respond. I merely pounced.


    Despite acting quickly, my movement wasn¡¯t thoughtless. I remembered what Ivan told me. I couldn¡¯t pretend like we were at equal strengths, I needed to fight d*rty. Desperate.


    So, I aimed my fist upwards and under his ribcage ¡ª right for his kidney like Ivan had shown me. Chapter 69


    Griffin was quicker.


    Before I couldnd the hit, Griffin¡¯srger hand wrapped around mine. He didn¡¯t even bother to duck out of the way. He


    just pulled me closer until I was straddling hisp and our faces were inches apart.


    I stared into Griffin¡¯s dark eyes, practically dizzy from how quickly he¡¯d moved.


    ¡°Sorry, was that supposed to be one of these great moves intended to incapacitate me?¡± he asked sarcastically. The


    mocking smile lit a spark inside me.


    Does he really think I¡¯d just give in after one failed hit?


    I didn¡¯t bother responding out loud to him. Instead, I used my free hand to swing for his throat.


    Griffin snagged my hand before I even made it close to his throat. He didn¡¯t even look like he had to try. Like fending me


    off or dodging my hits was no more taxing than a cat batting at a mouse. For him, it


    probably was.


    Now, with both of my hands in his grip, Griffin¡¯s teasing smile got bigger. ¡°Your eyes give you away, little fox,¡± Griffin told


    me, leaning in until I could feel his cool breath on my l*ps. ¡°Right before you strike, your eyes flicker to your target.¡±


    ¡°Wait ¡ª¡± Chapter 69


    I didn¡¯t get the chance to finish my sentence. Griffin¡¯s l*ps were on mine and he was pressing me into the b*d, his hands


    still pinning mine above my head. He moved so fast that it made my head spin even as he pulled back to look at me.


    ¡°See? You can¡¯t let your opponent know your next move,¡± he teased. There was a victorious smile on his face ¡ª he knew


    he¡¯d won.


    ¡°You gave it a good effort, little fox,¡± he continued, that same mocking smile on his face, ¡°But you never really stood a


    chance.¡±


    I might¡¯ve been willing to forgo the y fight had he not said thatst part, Something about those words had my


    competitive spirit rearing back to life.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I said. Griffin opened his mouth ¨C probably to tease me more ~ but he didn¡¯t get the chance to


    speak.


    I lifted my knee quickly, catching him in the shin as hard as I could.


    I saw the surprise sh across his face briefly. He didn¡¯t flinch or release his hold on me, but from the grow! that rumbled


    in his chest, I knew it must¡¯ve hurt.


    ¡°Sorry, what was that about not letting your opponent know your next


    move?¡±


    Griffin narrowed his eyes but the smile never left his face. If anything, it only got bigger. More predatory. Chapter 69


    He released his grip on one of my hands and brushed his fingers across my cheek. ¡°You really are a little wild thing,¡± he


    said, and my breath caught as those same fingers suddenly wrapped around my throat.


    He wasn¡¯t choking me or applying any pressure, just letting the weight of his long fingers rest over my windpipe. ¡°Since


    you like to aim for the throat so much,¡± he murmured. ¡°I guess Ill just have to keep my hand on yours.¡± |)


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was our little fight, Griffin¡¯s hand wrapped around my throat like a n*e, or even just being in his


    presence but I could feel myself getting turned on. There was a fluttery warmth gathering in my belly, but more than that,


    I knew I was getting wet.


    Please tell me he¡¯s not able to tell.


    Griffin¡¯s nose twitched and I knew it was toote ¡ª we were too close and his senses were too good for him to miss the


    scent of my arousal.


    The satisfied look in his eyes sent a pleasant chill up my spine.


    Right now, he looked every bit like the predator who had caught his prey.


    And as he leaned down to steal my l*ps in another k*ss, I realized he didn¡¯t just look like a predator ¡ª he was one. And


    he¡¯d always be one, no matter how many self-defense moves or tactics Ivan taught me.


    Griffin¡¯s mouth moved hungrily against mine, his hand still wrapped around my n*eck. I did my best to keep up with the


    passionate pace he¡¯d Chapter 69


    set, and I used my free hand to tug at his shirt. I need to feel his skin on mine.


    As if he could read my mind, Griffin leaned back just long enough to pull his shirt over his head. There was barely enough


    time for me to admire his toned chest before his mouth was back on mine.


    After a few moments, Griffin released my other hand to tangle his in my hair. I took advantage of that freedom, sliding


    my hands across the


    expanse of his bare chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly fair that you¡¯re still wearing a shirt,¡± Griffin mumbled against my l*ps. I heard the tear of my shirt before I felt


    it. I looked down and gasped.


    The tip of Griffin¡¯s finger had transformed into a long, dark w. That w had torn through my shirt (and my sports bra)


    like tissue paper, leaving me bare for him to see. |!)


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Griffin rasped, and his eyes took in my bare chest like a starving man. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, little fox.¡± I watched his w recede back into his skin until it was just his regr human fingertip.


    I¡¯d never seen that kind of transformation so closely before, but Griffin¡¯s mouth was on mine before I could think about it


    anymore. And as if his k*ss wasn¡¯t consuming enough, his hand ~ the same one that had a w protruding from it


    moments ago ¡ª was now trailing down my chest. (= Chapter 69


    His touch left tingles everywhere he touched and I wanted to return the favor. I wanted him to feel just as consumed by


    me as I felt by him.


    I k*ssed him back with renewed passion, my hands twisting into his hair and jerking hard. Griffin growled in response, and


    his hand tightened around my throat until | let out some sort of muffled squeak.


    ¡°You¡¯re not in control here,¡± Griffin said, and his mouth moved from my l*ps to my n*eck. I would¡¯ve replied ¨C had his


    tongue not immediately swept over the iming bite and left me feeling like a tingly, jelly mess. Griffin¡¯s tongue gently


    sucked on the bite and I bucked my hips in response.


    It¡¯s not fair how good it feels when he touches the bite.


    ¡°[ need to be inside you, little fox,¡± Griffin pulled back briefly, but I could still feel his breath on the bite. His hand inched


    down past my chest and under the waistband of my sweatpants. |


    ¡°You¡¯re so wet,¡± he grinned against my n*eck, ¡°Do you want me inside you?¡±


    It was almost embarrassing how quickly I nodded, but could you me me? The tingly warmth in my belly was beginning


    to transform into an ache ~a pulsing ache for release. For Griffin¡¯s cock.


    ¡°If you want me inside you,¡± Griffin said, ¡°You¡¯ll need to ask nicely.¡± As he spoke, he continued to lick and k*ss the bite.


    Chapter 69 ¡°Ask nicely?¡± It was a wonder I managed to form those words at all


    with the constant stream of pleasure Griffin was causing me.


    Griffin hummed in response. ¡°Ask like a good girl. You know how to do that, don¡¯t you, little fox?¡±


    In that moment, I wasn¡¯tpletely sure I knew how to do that but if it meant having Griffin inside me, I would try.


    ¡°Please, Griffin,¡± I murmured, ¡°I want you inside me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could address me by my name.¡± To drive that point home, | felt his hand momentarily tighten aroundBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    my throat.


    ¡°Please, Daddy.¡±


    That¡¯s all it took. In the next moment, Griffin¡¯s pants werepletely off and the head of his cock was brushing against


    my wet folds.


    Griffin started slow, but not as slow asst time. He gave me enough time to adjust to his size, and as wet as I was, it


    didn¡¯t take long at all. His mouth returned to the iming bite as he began thrusting and his other hand began to toy


    with my clit.


    I lost myself in the haze of pleasure.


    The stimtion was almost too much ¨C Griffin¡¯s mouth on my mark, his hand on my clit, and his entire length inside me.


    All I could do was lie back and moan, letting the sensations overwhelm me. Chapter 69


    And just as I thought I might be getting used to all the stimtion, Griffinpletely switched positions. In one fell


    swoop, he fl*pped us over so that I was on top, straddling hisp. The position drove him deeper inside me and I couldn¡¯t


    swallow the squeal that escaped my throat.


    He leaned back against the headboard to look at me with his dark, wild eyes.


    Had I not been overwhelmed with pleasure, I might¡¯ve felt self- conscious about how I looked. But there was no time to


    think or ponder or worry about anything besides how full he was making me.


    ¡°You have no idea how good you feel, little fox,¡± Griffin groaned, ¡°How tight.¡± His pace suddenly sped up as did his


    ministrations on my clit. Had it not been for his tightening fingers on my throat, I would¡¯ve thrown my head back.


    But Griffin didn¡¯t let me. He¡¯d positioned his hand so that I was forced to look at him, forced to make eye contact as he


    made mee undone.


    ¡°[ think -¡± I think I¡¯m going toe.


    I knew I was close. The tingly warmth had spread into a fire, and I was dangerously close to the edge. If Griffin kept


    thrusting that way, kept rubbing clit like that, I would be a goner. Chapter 69


    Thadn¡¯t even gotten the full sentence out, but Griffin seemed to understand what I meant. ¡°Cum for me, little fox. I want


    to feel you clench around me.¡±


    The words were barely out of his mouth before my orgasm hit. I felt like I was unraveling in front of him, waves of


    pleasure crashing one after another.


    My muscles tightened around him, and suddenly, Griffin wasing with me. His fingers only tightened around my


    throat, leaving me to do nothing but choke out my moans.


    We both came down from our highs together too. Griffin¡¯s fingers gradually loosened and both of his hands wrapped


    around my torso, pulling me to him.


    I suddenly felt the weight of exhaustion wash over me, almost as strong as the orgasm I¡¯d just had. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was


    the S** or the long day of fighting I¡¯d had ¡ª probably both ¡ª but all I wanted was to take a nap.


    Even my own eyelids felt heavy.


    Griffin must¡¯ve sensed my tiredness too. He hugged me closer and tucked my chin into his chest. ¡°Get some sleep, little


    fox,¡± he whispered.


    Thest thing I remembered before sleep imed me was the brush of his l*ps against my forehead

 Chapter 70

    ¡°Things go away to return, brightened for the passage.¡± AR. Ammons


    The next time I woke up, morning sunlight was filtering through the room. Groggily, I rubbed my eyes and stretched my


    sore muscles. They had felt like jellyst night, but today, they felt painfully stiff.


    At least I don¡¯t have another training session until tomorrow.


    I turned my head to block out the sun and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion when I caught sight of Griffin¡¯s side of the


    b*d. It wasn¡¯t surprising to see that it was empty ~ there were very few mornings when I woke up to Griffin.


    No, the surprising part was the nk paper lying on his pillow. Did he leave me a note?


    I fl*pped the paper over, my breath catching in my throat. It wasn¡¯t a note but a sketch. Of me. A n*ked sketch of me.


    It was done from the waist up with my bare breasts on disy and my head thrown back. Chapter 70 Did he draw this


    picture today? This almost looks like it¡¯s supposed to depictst night.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    I whipped my head around. Griffin stood in the doorway, a tray of fruit and croissants in his hand.


    I clutched the sketch to my chest. ¡°Is this me?¡± I knew it was a dumb question. Although the girl in the drawing seemed


    far more beautiful


    than I¡¯d ever felt, there was no mistaking the long hair or the freckles


    on her face. It was me. .*


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s you,¡± Griffin said, walking over with the tray and setting it on the nightstand. ¡°So, do you like it?¡±


    Griffin was smiling as he said it, but there was something vulnerable and open about his expression. As if he was offering


    me a part of himself and waiting to see what I¡¯d do with it.


    ¡°Griffin, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± I replied. ¡°Is thisst night?¡±


    Relief seemed to flicker through his eyes and he nodded. ¡°The way you camest night has been practically engrained in


    my brain,¡± he said, ¡°I woke up this morning itching to capture it on paper.¡±


    A blush swept over my face and I looked down at the drawing again. Was this really what I looked when I orgasmed? It


    was hard to believe that the girl with zed eyes in the drawing could really be me. Chapter 70


    ¡°You know,¡± Imented, ¡°If this king thing doesn¡¯t work out for you, you could always be an artist.¡±


    Griffin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, you think so?¡± He sat down next to me on the b*d, handing me a bowl of fruit.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded, and I picked up a strawberry. ¡°We could go to Paris, see the Louvre and all the art. Spend our mornings


    at little cafes. I could sip coffee and you could sketch the view.¡±


    The image brought a fond smile to my face. I¡¯d always wanted to travel ¡ª especially to Europe. I¡¯d always told myself I¡¯d


    do it after | graduated college. Once I got my degree, I¡¯d dedicate an entire summer to backpacking through Europe and


    seeing the sights.


    Back then, the image had only ever included me (and asionally some nameless and attractive European guy I met


    along the way).


    But now as I thought about it, it was hard not to picture Griffin next to me.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Not that it really matters. Griffin is too busy to even wake up next to me most mornings, let alone take a vacation with me.


    ¡°Even if I was in Paris, I¡¯m pretty sure the only view I¡¯d want to sketch is you.¡±


    I smiled and tried to forget about the ache in my chest. As much as T loved Griffin, those old dreams and fantasies still


    sometimes swept in. Chapter 70 ¡°Little fox,¡± Griffin said, drawing my attention back to him, ¡°There¡¯s


    something I need to talk to you about.¡±


    Half-chewing on a piece of cantaloupe, I turned to look at Griffin. He looked somber for the first time since he¡¯d walked


    into the room. I also noticed that he was fully dressed, which was a little odd if he¡¯d just woken up to sketch and steal


    some fruit from the kitchen.


    I swallowed down the lump in my throat. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The council called me into a meeting this morning,¡± Griffin said, ¡°You remember the situation with Alpha Liam?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I sent Beta Williams to handle it,¡± he exined, ¡°But once he got there, he believes the situation is more dire than


    anyb*dy thought.¡±


    More dire? What could Alpha Liam be doing that¡¯s raising such rm bells?


    ¡°alpha Liam haspletely overthrown Alpha Abel. Beta Williams even believes that Alpha Liam may be working to


    convince other Alphas to join him, especially those that already have traditionalist leanings.¡±


    My eyes widened. What had started out as some pack dispute seemed to be turning into much more than that.


    ¡°Do you know what he wants?¡± I asked, ¡°Is it power? Morends?¡± Chapter 70


    Griffin grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers together. The gesture wasforting, although I wasn¡¯t sure if it was meant tofort me or him.


    ¡°For now, morend,¡± he said, ¡°He¡¯s already overtaken Alpha Abel¡¯snds. But if I had to guess, I¡¯d suspect he¡¯s gunning


    for my power. Probably for my position.¡±


    My stomach sank. It shouldn¡¯t have been surprising. Of course a power- hungry Alpha like Liam would want to gain as


    much power as he could. And currently, the person holding the most power was Griffin.


    The very thought of Alpha Liam overthrowing Griffin in some violent, bloody way made me want to throw up every piece


    of fruit I¡¯d eaten.


    ¡°He can¡¯t do that, right?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, even if he tried, he couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Griffin shook his head, looking far calmer than I felt. ¡°The only way he could be King was by killing me and every


    single one of my warriors. Even then, there¡¯s no guarantee that the rest of the werewolf world would ept his im. He


    has no birthright to the throne. It would be a very risky move, but Alpha Liam¡¯s recent actions have convinced me that he


    might just be crazy enough to do that. A man like that won¡¯t be satisfied with morend. He¡¯ll want more. It¡¯s why I need


    to go and strike him down before he bes a legitimate threat.¡±


    If my stomach had sunk before, now it felt like someone had dropped a rock in it. Chapter 70


    ¡°Woah, wait a second,¡± I said, ¡°You just said that Alpha Liam¡¯s endgame is probably killing you, and you want to go after


    him? Won¡¯t you just be giving him a prime opportunity to achieve that goal?¡±


    Griffin smirked. ¡°It¡¯s cute that you¡¯re worried for me, little fox, but you don¡¯t need to be. No matter how bloodthirsty he


    is, Alpha Liam would never be able to kill me. He¡¯s simply not strong enough. But I do need to go and nip this problem in


    the bud.¡±


    Griffin might not have been worried about a potential fight with Alpha Liam, but I wasn¡¯t so easily convinced.


    ¡°It has to be you? I thought you sent Beta Williams and your best


    warriors.¡±


    ¡°I underestimated just howrge Liam¡¯s forces are. I don¡¯t want to risk losing my men to some delusional, power-hungry wolf. When I go, I¡¯ll be joining Beta Williams and the warriors I¡¯ve already sent. I can help ensure their safety, but I can


    also send a message to the rest of the werewolf world.¡±


    ¡°And what message is that?¡±


    ¡°That ¡¯m not my weak father willing to let these Alphas get off with a p on the wrist. That those who f**k with my rules


    don¡¯t get to live.¡± There was a hard edge to his voice. It reminded me that Griffin wasn¡¯t just the strongest werewolf in


    the world ¨C he was the king too.


    And even if the idea of him walking into a fight made me nervous, he Chapter 70


    was strong enough to handle himself. I guess this is part of the job description after all.


    ¡°won¡¯t be gone long, little fox,¡± Griffin said, and his fingers cupped my chin. His face was soft, and I could tell that he


    didn¡¯t want to leave me. ¡°Less than a month. The council wants to have your coronation next month, and I¡¯ll be back


    before then.¡±


    The thought of a month without Griffin left an odd hollow feeling in my chest, but I knew he had no choice. ¡°A month


    isn¡¯t that long,¡± I said. Iwas lying ¨C I was pretty sure a month would feel like an eternity. *


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Griffin said, and he reached over to k*ss my forehead, ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it. I love you, little fox.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    I just hope you¡¯re as capable as you are confident, | added silently but did not say

 Chapter 71

    ¡°Romantic love is an addiction. A perfectly wonderful addiction when


    it¡¯s going well, a perfectly horrible addiction when it¡¯s going poorly.¡± )


    Helen Fisher


    The hollow feeling in my chest never dissipated.


    If anything, it only seemed to get worse the farther Griffin got from me. Every time that I thought about him ¨C which was


    quite a lot ¨C the iming bite on my shoulder pulsed. Like it yearned for Griffin¡¯s touch.


    Deep down, I knew it was the mate bond making me feel this way. It had to be. As little attention as I paid in my werewolf


    education sses, I¡¯d remembered that. Once youpleted the mate bond, it became stronger. It got harder to spend


    time apart.


    But hearing about in a ssroom couldn¡¯tpare to how it actually felt. As cheesy as it sounded, it felt like Griffin had


    packed my heart into his suitcase. \¡±)


    And even thinking that felt embarrassing.


    Even with the mate bond, I¡¯d hardly known Griffin more than a month. Amonth ¨C that¡¯s all the time it had taken for him


    to burrow his way Chapter 71


    into my soul like he¡¯d always lived there.


    You survived eighteen years without Griffin, surely you can stand another month.


    So much for wanting to be independent.


    The worst part was the nightmares that started a couple of days after Griffin left.


    I dreamed of Alpha Liam and Griffin in a stand-off, like one of those old Western movies. Instead of guns, their ws were


    unsheathed.


    I always woke up at the same part ~ right when Liam sliced Griffin¡¯s head clean off his b*dy. I usually woke up gasping in


    a cold sweat too, and it would take me a moment to realize that the dreams weren¡¯t reality. That was Griffin was still alive,


    and had he died, | would¡¯ve known. Not only would the castle be in an uproar, but I was sure that I would¡¯ve felt it


    through the mate bond.


    Suffice to say, I wasn¡¯t sleeping that well these days. There wasn¡¯t even a reliable way for me to contact Griffin either. He¡¯d be traveling, meeting with Beta Williams, and possibly walking into a fight. That didn¡¯t leave a lot of time for casual


    texting, although it¡¯s not as if I had a phone to text him on.


    Pretty sure my phone is still sitting cracked on the pavement of Yorba Linda. Chapter 71


    Still, I didn¡¯t want to wallow in the anxiety of Griffin¡¯s absence. I knew that moping around would only make the time


    pass slower, so I threw myself into one of the few distractions | had: training with Ivan.


    If nothing else, Ivan¡¯s sharp criticism kept my mind focused on something besides Griffin.


    ¡°Is there a reason you can¡¯t seem tond a punch today?¡± Ivan asked, his ent sharp and harsh. He held the punching


    bag in ce for me even though my hits hardly seemed to move it anyway. ¡°You look like you¡¯re half-asleep. You hit like it


    too.¡±


    After a couple of sessions with him, Ivan¡¯sfort level with me seemed to dramatically increase. I¡¯m pretty sure he


    realized I wasn¡¯t going to tattle to Griffin every time he offered a little criticism.


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s probably because I feel like I¡¯m half-asleep,¡± I said, reaching for my water bottle.


    ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow, ¡°Are the king¡¯s quarters not luxurious enough for you? Can¡¯t get a


    good¡¯s night sleep?¡± Ivan¡¯s tone was sarcastic, but I¡¯d learned that was just him. Brash with no filter. Maybe it was the


    sleep-deprivation talking, but I didn¡¯t mind it these days. He was about the only person currently in the country who


    didn¡¯t tip-toe around me, afraid they¡¯d offend their Queen.)


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°It¡¯s these¡­well, can I ask you a question?¡± Chapter 71


    ¡°What is ii


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re mated, right?¡± Ivan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Have you guys ever been separated before?¡± I asked, ¡°Like, for a week or longer.¡±


    Recognition crossed Ivan¡¯s face ¡ª he knew where I was going with this line of questioning. ¡°A couple of times,¡± Ivan said,


    ¡°When I was in my prime, I asionally went on missions to settle pack disputes. I had to leave my mate to do so.¡±


    ¡°How did you deal with it?¡±


    Ivan¡¯s face twisted, like he was remembering something awful. ¡°It is¡­ not easy,¡± he said, ¡°There are no shortcuts for the


    absence of the mate. You must simply endure.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever have¡­nightmares?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t sure why I was so


    hesitant to say it. Maybe it just felt like I was admitting something vulnerable about myself.


    Ivan paused, looking me over in what it looked like pity. Or, at least, the closest that Ivan could get to pity.


    ¡°During my absence, I dreamt of my mate dying in odd ways,¡± Ivan confessed, a pained look in his eye, ¡°Sometimes in a


    fire. Sometimes in Chapter 71


    a rogue attack. Sometimes just in a mundane way, like of a heart attack.¡±


    So, it¡¯s not just me. Is this just a mate thing?)


    I certainly don¡¯t remember vivid, haunting nightmares being part of the package when everyb*dy was bragging about


    the mate bond.


    ¡°It made for some long nights,¡± Ivan continued, ¡°But eventually, I found the source of it.¡±


    ¡°The source?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the mate bond,¡± he exined, ¡°It¡¯s the bond¡¯s way of trying to force you back together. Cause enough panic and


    you won¡¯t want to leave your mate¡¯s side again.¡±


    He was silent for a moment and then he asked, ¡°What is it you¡¯re seeing?¡±


    I debated on answering Ivan, but he¡¯d been truthful to me. I could to the same.


    ¡°I see him fighting Alpha Liam and losing,¡± I said, ¡°Getting killed.¡± When Ivan didn¡¯t immediately reply, I continued


    talking. Every anxiety


    and worry that I¡¯d experienced over the past few days spilled out of me. ¡°I know that it probably wouldn¡¯t happen. That if


    Griffin and Alpha Chapter 71


    Liam did fight, Griffin would be the victor. But it still keeps me up at night. The scene reys like a constant loop in my


    head.¡±


    ¡°This is the burden of the mate bond,¡± he said, ¡°The moments together are euphoric. Addicting. Yet it only makes the


    moments apart all the more painful.¡±


    ¡°You know, most humans would that call that withdrawal, which isn¡¯t usually a good thing,¡±


    ¡°What do you humans know about mate bonds? Their view of love is heavily skewed,¡± Ivan sneered, and then after a moment, he added, ¡°No offense.¡±


    Trolled my eyes. ¡°Well, say what you want, but I can tell you that most humans don¡¯t get vivid nightmares when their


    partner goes on a business trip. Human love is very different from the way werewolves love. Granted, everyone is


    different¡­but most humans like being independent. They don¡¯t feel the overwhelming need to be possessive over the


    people they date. They also don¡¯t pick life partners as soon as they make eye contact for the first time. They spend years


    finding out if someone is the right fit for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I pity them,¡± Ivan said, ¡°They will never experience the deep connection of a mate bond. They will never know


    what it feels like to meet the other half of your soul, to feel love so deeply that losing it would cost you your life. Humans


    put so much emphasis on separation. Of being independent of those they choose to spend their lives with. Wolves do


    the opposite. We have no desire to separate ourselves from Chapter 71


    our mates.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t it scare you?¡± I asked, ¡°You said it yourself. Losing a mate could cost you your life, or at the very least, your


    sanity. Are you not scared of losing your own mate?¡±


    ¡°Pd be a fool not to,¡± Ivan said, and I was surprised to hear him confess it so openly. ¡°But I¡¯d rather live in a short life


    having experienced the consuming love of a mate than a long one without it. You are one of the lucky ones, Your Majesty.


    You get to experience this kind of love too ¡ª in a way that most humans will never be able to fathom, let alone


    experience.¡±


    There was more passion in Ivan¡¯s voice than I¡¯d ever heard before, and it felt like I was seeing a new side of him. And had


    I not been so sleep- deprived, maybe I could¡¯vee up with an equally great response to his speech.


    Instead, I just nodded and turned back to the punching bag. Ireeled my arm back to make a fist, but Ivan raised his hand.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough training for today. We¡¯ll pick this back up tomorrow, ¡± he


    said.


    raised an eyebrow. We hadn¡¯t even been training for an hour, and most of sessionssted several.


    ¡°Wh ¡ª Chapter 71N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°You¡¯re useless when you¡¯re so sleep-deprived like this,¡± Ivan grumbled, and he began putting the punching bag up, ¡°You


    can hardly listen to. instruction, let alone throw a decent punch. Tomorrow, I expect to see you well-rested.¡±


    I just nodded. I knew he was right, I just hoped that I¡¯d actually be able to get some rest.


    I turned back to gather up my water bottle and the jacket I¡¯d brought with me.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Ivan called out, and I looked back at him. I was prepared for his final piece of criticism or back-handed


    compliment ~ but it never came.


    ¡°ask the staff to brew you a cup of valerian root tea,¡± he said, and then his face softened, ¡°The nightmares won¡¯tst


    forever, my Queen. It will


    get better.¡±


    Thope so.

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Night is when feares to us at its fullest, when we have no way to fight it. It will do everything it can to seep inside


    you. Sometimes it may seed.¡±


    Samantha Shannon


    Ivan¡¯s valerian root tea trick seemed to only be a temporary bandaid. It worked for a week, but eventually, the nightmares


    returned ¡ª even with the tea.


    I found myself in the middle of a dark forest surrounded by wolves on all sides. None of them looked at me or reacted to my presence ~ as if I wasn¡¯t even there. They were circled around something, staring ahead with bloodthirsty eyes.


    I didn¡¯t think twice about pushing my way through the circle to see what they were staring at, and when I did, I gasped.


    Griffin had been pushed to his knees, blood running down his face and his clothes, He was clutching his side too ~ no


    doubt another wound. The worst part wasn¡¯t the physical wounds I saw on him though. It was the broken look in his eyes


    like he¡¯d already lost the fight.


    Standing above him, Alpha Liam looked even more menacing than Ir Chapter 72


    emembered from the meeting. His face was painted with a victorious smirk and he loomed over Griffin looking every bit


    like the conqueror he was.


    J tried to move, to rush to Griffin¡¯s aid, but I found that my feet wouldn¡¯t move. They were nted into the soil.


    I could only watch in horror as Alpha Liam smiled and sliced his ws along Griffin¡¯s throat in one fluid movement. Griffin¡¯s eyes rolled back and he slumped forward, clutching and grabbing at his slit throat.


    I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. And that¡¯s when I woke up.


    The first thing I registered ¡ª besides the darkness of the room ¨C was my own heart beating wildly in my chest.


    That wasn¡¯t real. That wasn¡¯t real.


    I tried to picture Griffin¡¯s face alive and happy in my mind, but all I could see was the version bleeding out on the forest


    floor.


    My entire b*dy had broken out in a cold sweat, and theforter suddenly felt suffocating. I fl*pped it off my b*dy,


    leaning over the side


    of the bed.


    That wasn¡¯t real. Chapter 72


    I knew that the nightmare was just an illusion, a deep-seated fear that my brain plucked from somewhere deep inside.


    Ivan had said as much ~ that the mate bond did this to force the mated pair back together.


    But that knowledge didn¡¯t make it any less terrifying.


    There was a tiny part of me that wondered if it was real. If the mate bond could give me nightmares, why couldn¡¯t it give me visions of the present? Maybe this was the bond¡¯s way of alerting me that something was seriously wrong, that


    Griffin¡¯s trip had ended in some violent, bloody way.


    No, Ivan said he experienced dreams like this too. It¡¯s not real, and even if it was, you would know. If Griffin really was


    dead, I¡¯d feel it. There would be no question.


    And then I felt it.


    A.warm, fuzzy feeling bubbled up inside of me, right in the middle of my chest. It was if someone had injected me with a


    sedative or a narcotic ~ everything just suddenly felt fine.


    I shed all the anxiety and the unease and let the warmth roll over me like a soft coat.


    What is this?


    ¡®Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t me. The new emotions were too strong and felt too foreign to be mine. Chapter 72 Is this a


    bond thing? Are these Griffin¡¯s emotions? The fuzziness really did fee! like a sedative, and after a few moments, I


    felt the warmth lulling me back to sleep. This time, into a dreamless one. |¡ã


    When I met Ivan for our training session the next day, the first thing I did was ask him about the warm, fuzzy feelings I¡¯d


    gotten after the nightmare. Maybe it was our previous conversation we¡¯d had, but Ivan had begun to feel like my go-to


    person for questions about the mate bond.


    ¡°It felt ¡®warm and fuzzy?¡± Ivan asked me with raised eyebrows. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Could you pick more unhelpful descriptors? What exactly is a ¡®fuzzy¡¯ emotion?¡± he snapped. (*)


    Irolled my eyes. ¡°Fuzzy as in, like, the anxiety seemed to melt away. I felt fine all of the sudden ¨C even to the point where I was able to fall


    back asleep. Kind of like that buzz you get after a couple of sses of


    wine. | just felt mellow.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°And this came directly after the nightmare?¡±


    I exined to him how I¡¯d woken up feeling so anxious I¡¯d even begun Chapter 72 to question whether Griffin was alive.


    As soon as I said that, Ivan¡¯s eyes lit up with recognition. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he said, ¡°I understand what happened now.¡±


    ¡°And what happened exactly?¡± ¡°You opened up the bond.¡± ¡°I opened up the bond?¡±


    ¡°They never taught you about this in school? Didn¡¯t you get a werewolf education?¡±


    ¡°Apparently not a very good one,¡± I shrugged.


    Ivan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he started to talk. ¡°Think of the mate bond like a hallway with two closed


    doors. You¡¯re behind one closed door, the King is behind the other. Most of the time, those doors stay shut. The more


    that a mate bond matures, however, it¡¯s possible to open those doors from time to time. It¡¯s usually in times of high


    stress or heightened emotions. I¡¯m sure that the anxiety you feltst night is what triggered it. You temporarily opened


    the King¡¯s door.¡±


    My eyebrows shot to my hairline. ¡°So¡­the warm, fuzzy feelings. Was I feeling Griffin¡¯s emotions?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Ivan shook his head, ¡°You were feeling his part of the bond. The mate bond is the strongest bond someone


    can have, and as Chapter 72


    you described it, ¡®warm and fuzzy.¡¯ What you felt was the connection between you too, which is strong and growing


    despite the distance. Had something actually been wrong with your mate, you would¡¯ve felt that too.¡±


    ¡°|¡­didn¡¯t realize I could do that.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I. I¡¯d assume it¡¯s harder for humans to aplish than. wolves. You don¡¯t feel the bond as much as a


    normal wolf would.¡± +)


    ¡°So, does this mean I could just tap into our connection whenever I want? Like if I have another nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Not likely,¡± Ivan replied, ¡°As I said, it¡¯s difficult to trigger the mate bond like that. I¡¯d be surprised if you could do it


    again, at least not without feeling some very heightened emotions.¡±


    I nodded, trying to soak in everything he told me. Lately, it had begun to feel like I learned new things about the mate


    bond every day. These were things I¡¯d never been told growing up and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was because I was human or


    if these were just the kind of things you had to experience for yourself to understand them.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve used me as your personal encyclopedia,¡± Ivan said, pping his hands together, ¡°Are you finally ready


    for the actual lesson today?¡±

 Chapter 73

    ¡°Make peace that there will be those who b*tch no matter what you do.¡± )Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ariel Meadow Stallings


    Two weeks into Griffin¡¯s absence, I was called into a meeting with a woman named Nadia. Apparently, she was in charge


    of preparations for my coronation, which was news to me. I¡¯d known someone ¨C or someones ~ was handling the


    preparations, but I hadn¡¯t known more than that.


    Truthfully, the idea of the coronation ¨C as well as my parents being in the same room for the first time in more than six


    years ~ made me nervous. I wasn¡¯t sure which thought made me more uneasy: Griffin getting hurt or killed while he was


    away or my coronation turning into a family bloodbath. |¡±)


    Still, this Nadia woman had requested to meet with me and I wanted to cooperate. That¡¯s why I¡¯d agreed to meet her in


    of the spare conference rooms after another grueling training session with Ivan. (!)


    I almost felt bad for meeting her like this ¡ª still in training clothes with sore muscles and frizzy hair. It probably didn¡¯t


    give the best impression, but as packed as Nadia¡¯s schedule was, this was one of the few times she¡¯d been able to pencil


    me in. Chapter 73


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Your Majesty,¡± the guard who had escorted me to the meeting room said. Like many of the guards who


    waited outside the bedroom suite or just escorted me around the castle, he was stone- faced.


    I wondered if that¡¯s how they were trained. If they were just taught to say everything with a straight face or discouraged


    from showing emotion.


    The guard opened the door for me and I walked in, catching sight of who must¡¯ve been Nadia. She was a thin woman with long, glossy ck hair and high cheekbones, sitting on one side of the conference table.


    She looked up when she saw me enter, shooting me a wide smile. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Nadia said, bowing her head. ¡°Please


    sit.¡± She gestured toward the head of the table. I noticed immediately that she had a European ent ~ it reminded me


    of Ivan¡¯s.


    As I sat down, I nced at the blouse and pencil skirt she was wearing, feeling more underdressed than ever. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m


    a little underdressed,¡± I said, ¡°I just came from a training session.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I know,¡± Nadia smiled, and then I watched her take out arge binder, fl*pping through it at a speed I could


    barely follow.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been using to organize the ns for your coronation,¡± Nadia exined, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how familiar you are with a Queen¡¯s


    coronation. We had thest one over thirty years ago ~ long before I ended up at the castle.¡± Her eyes flickered to the


    side as she said it as if she was remembering something she didn¡¯t say.


    That would¡¯ve been the coronation for Griffin¡¯s mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much,¡± I confessed, ¡°I know that a lot of people are usually invited to them. That¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nadia said, ¡°Usually every Alpha in the world as well as their immediate family are invited to the coronation ~


    although not all of them may attend. Those who don¡¯t will s to wee their new Queen.¡±


    ¡°Gifts?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Nadia said, ¡°The crowning of a new Queen doesn¡¯t happen very often so it¡¯s a huge deal. Some wolves don¡¯t


    live to see a coronation in their lifetime, you know.¡± Nadia paused for a moment and then looked me over. Her dark


    brown eyes assessed me silently.


    ¡°Usually the guest lists for these events are very cut and dry,¡± Nadia said, ¡°We extend formal invitations to every


    established pack in the


    werewolf world and just wait for the RSVPs to roll in. But you, your


    human heritage, add an extraponent here.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯re not used to inviting humans to coronations.¡± Chapter 73


    Nadia nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unusual. I wanted to confirm with you about which family you¡¯d like to invite ¡ª if you¡¯d even like


    to invite your human family at all.¡±


    When I didn¡¯t immediately reply, Nadia kept talking. ¡°Your human


    family¡­they know of the werewolf world?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they do,¡± I said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just my mom and her boyfriend. I consider him family too, he¡¯s certainly been around


    long enough. ¡®They¡¯re very aware of the existence of werewolves.¡±


    Nadia took a moment to ask a few more questions about my mom¡¯s name and address, presumably information they¡¯d


    use to contact her or invite her to the coronation.


    I mulled over whether it was a good idea to invite her. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to see my mom or Unele Steve, but I


    also wasn¡¯t sure how the encounter with my dad would go either. Would he or Luna Grace be hostile toward my mother?


    Should I even take the risk? I would already be throwing my mom into a room full of werewolves. I didn¡¯t want her to get


    hurt.


    But it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to ever get the chance to have a coronation again. This will be one of the most important moments of my life ¨C I want her there for it. Who knows when I¡¯ll even get to see her next?


    ¡°You can go ahead and invite her,¡± I told Nadia. ¡°I want her there, but I want to make sure she ¡ª as well as my Uncle


    Steve ¡ª feel wee here.¡± I knew all too well how it felt to feel out of ce in the werewolf Chapter 73


    world, even if my mom would only be hanging around for a few days. )


    Maybe can have a talk with my dad too, Make sure he behaves himself


    The conversation I¡¯d had with my mom shed through my mind ~ the one about how my dad had kept me away from


    her all those years. He¡¯d led me to believe she¡¯d simply never cared to reach out, but that hadn¡¯t


    been the reality. It¡¯s long overdue for my dad and I to have a little chat anyway. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±


    Nadia spent a few moments fl*pping through her notes and silence crept over the room. ¡°So, did you enjoy your training


    session?¡± she asked, finally breaking the quiet.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I said, ¡°It was good. Hard but good.¡± ¡°And your instructor? Do you like him?¡±


    I thought of the way Ivan had spent a good five minutes yelling at me to ¡°stop punching like a weakling¡± during today¡¯s


    training session. ¡°He¡¯s, uh, growing on me.¡±


    Nadiaughed a little harder than I expected her to at my words.


    The smile stayed on her face as she fl*pped the binder closed. ¡°Well, I believe that I can handle it from here, Your Majesty.


    Thank you for the Chapter 73


    information about your family, and if I have any further concerns, I¡¯ll let you know. The coronation will take ce in three weeks.¡±


    Three weeks? That feels soon, especially since Griffin isn¡¯t even back yet.


    He¡¯d been gone long enough that he should being back any day now ~ not that I had any contact with him to stay


    in the loop.


    I shook off the thoughts of Griffin and stood up from my chair, Nadia following my lead. ¡°It was so lovely to meet you,


    Your Majesty,¡± she said, ¡°My mate speaks highly of you.¡±


    My eyebrows shot into my hairline. ¡°Your mate?¡±


    The amused smile on her thin l*ps grew wider. ¡°Yes, I believe you know him as your instructor. He¡¯s been teaching you


    self-defense.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°Ivan? He¡¯s your mate?¡± | wasn¡¯t sure why I was so surprised. She looked to be around the same age as


    Ivan and she even had a simr ent. They even both worked in the castle, so the logistics made sense. Not to mention


    that Ivan had mentioned having a


    mate to me before. Maybe I should have clocked the simrities before.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°We¡¯ve been mated for, well, decades at this point. We


    both hail from Russia, but we¡¯ve been living in the Canada and working for the crown for several years.¡± As she spoke, I


    tried to picture her with Ivan. Although Nadia was a lot more polite than Ivan ever seemed to be, Chapter 73


    the image of them together¡­fit.


    ¡°Ivan told me he was mated,¡± I said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t realize you also worked in the castle. So, I guess you¡¯ve probably heard


    all kinds of trash-talk about me from your mate, right?¡± I could only imagine some of theints Ivan might have


    about me.


    Nadiaughed. ¡°Oh, no! Quite the opposite. He really only has positive things to say about you, my Queen. He¡¯s very


    impressed with the progress you¡¯ve made, and he considers it an honor that he gets to work with you.¡±


    Well, this is news to me.


    I wasn¡¯tpletely sure that Nadia wasn¡¯t just BSing me for the sake of being polite, but something about her felt


    genuine.


    Nadia¡¯s smile turned a little sheepish. ¡°I know that my mate is a bit of a¡­hard man,¡± she said, ¡°You must understand that


    he¡¯s spent most of his life having to fight for everything he has. The pack we grew up in was ughtered by a powerhungry Alpha, and we ¨C but mostly himm ¨C lost everything. He has no sympathy for those he considers weak, who aren¡¯t


    able to w their way up like he was.¡± Humans, was the word I could tell she wanted to add but didn¡¯t.


    ¡°But you have challenged those beliefs,¡± she continued, ¡°You have provided him with a new perspective. You have grown


    on him as well.¡±


    I¡¯d had no idea about Ivan¡¯s past, but in some ways, it made sense. Chapter 73


    From everything I¡¯d seen, Ivan had a hard shell. People weren¡¯t born with those hard shells. They were made, built from


    constantly


    scratching yourself on the sharp edges of life. I saw Alessia¡¯s face in my mind ~ she¡¯d built herself a hard shell too.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d to know he doesn¡¯t totally dislike me,¡± I said, ¡°I havee to respect your mate quite a bit. He¡¯s a good


    teacher and I¡¯m d to have him ¡ª no matter how rocky our beginning might¡¯ve been.¡±


    Nadia bowed her head again. ¡°We are the lucky ones, Your Majesty. It makes me happy to know that my Queen is just as


    kind and forgiving as Ivan described.¡±


    Okay, either Ivan is a total softie on the inside or Nadia is exxagerating. I simply cannot imagine him talking me up so


    much ~ the man literallyughed when I tripped in our lesson today.)

 Chapter 74

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Chapter 74 Chapter 74


    ¡°Maybe if you can¡¯t get someone out of your head they were never meant to leave.¡± .*


    Shannon L, Alder It happened only two after my meeting with Nadia,


    I¡¯d just finished getting ready for another night in an empty b*d when I felt it: a warm tug deep in my chest. It reminded me of the warm, fuzzy feeling ¡¯d felt after the nightmare several nights ago, but this was different. That feeling had been


    general warmness spreading across my b*dy until I¡¯d rxed.


    This was something else ¡ª it was centered, grounded in my chest.


    This has to be the mate bond, but I didn¡¯t do anything to trigger it.


    Does that mean Griffin has triggered it?


    I stood in the center of the bedroom suite for several minutes, d in fuzzy pajamas and rubbing my palm over my chest.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why it


    was happening, but it was the first time ¡¯d felt connected to Griffin in days. I didn¡¯t want it to fade or disappear.


    A knock on the door suddenly echoed throughout the room. Chapter 74


    ¡°Your Majesty? Are you still awake?¡± It was the muffled voice of one of the guards stationed outside. I felt my heart speed


    up ~ the guards never bothered me once I headed to b*d. Was something wrong? Was Griffin hurt? Was that why I was


    feeling this way?


    No, don¡¯t panic, rk, Don¡¯t panic until you know what¡¯s going on. ¡°Yes!¡± I called back. ¡°You cane in.¡±


    Not a momentter, one of therge doors opened and a tall guard walked past the threshold. He was as stone-faced as


    ever, his face betraying nothing.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been informed that the King as well as his warriors have just re-entered the grounds. Would


    you like me to escort you to him?¡±


    let out a soft breath I hadn¡¯t known I was holding. Griffin was back? Was that why ¡¯d felt the tug in my chest? Was my


    own b*dy recognizing that my mate had returned?


    I didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Yes, please,¡± I said. The guard nodded and he gestured for me to follow him.


    We started down the long, hallways and I noticed that there was more activity than usual. At this time of night, it was rare


    to encounter anyone in the castle beside the guards. Yet as we weaved through the castle, headed somewhere I didn¡¯t


    know, I could see plenty of people Chapter 74


    out and about.


    Some of the castle staff were bustling about in a hurry, others hovered in small groups to whisper. There were more


    guards too, more than the normal amount I¡¯d see patrolling the halls.


    This must be for Griffin¡¯s return. These people seem as anxious to see him asm.


    ¡°Do you know if he¡¯s okay?¡± I asked the guard. ¡°Like if he¡¯s injured or hurt at all?¡±


    ¡®The guard nced down at me. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve been informed of, Your Majesty.¡±


    Relief spread through me. Not only had Griffine back, but he¡¯d hopefully made it back unharmed too.


    It took several minutes of walking, but eventually, we made it to a massive room where a crowd of people had gathered.


    I¡¯d never been in this room before, but I recognized its purpose immediately ¨C this was


    the throne room.


    There were marble floors andrge pirs ced around the room, but that wasn¡¯t the most impressive part. It was the


    two empty thrones sitting atop their own tform that caught my eye. The throne on the right was ced high andrge


    with the golden wolves¡¯ heads carved into the arms. No doubt that was the King¡¯s chair. Chapter 74


    Beside it, the Queen¡¯s throne was even more elegant with tiny little moons all over the arms and backs of the chair.


    J can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never seen the actual throne room. To be honest, 1 wasn¡¯t even sure there was a throne room.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± said the same guard who escorted me, snapping me out of my thoughts, ¡°Would you like to sit down


    while you wait for the King?¡± He nodded towards the Queen¡¯s chair.


    Logically, I suppose I could¡¯ve sat down. I was the Queen ¨C even if I hadn¡¯t been crowned yet. But something felt awkward


    about sitting in that chair right now, especially with all these people in the room. There were all sorts of castle staff and


    guards milling about, no doubt waiting for Griffin¡¯s arrival. Sitting on the throne would only draw more attention, and


    that¡¯s not what I was here for. I just wanted to see Griffin.


    And I don¡¯t think I need to make my fuzzy pajamas the center of attention anyway.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s alright,¡± I told the guard, ¡°I¡¯ll stand.¡±


    He nodded, positioning himself a few feet away with one of the other guards. Although I recognized the uniforms, most


    of the faces in the room were new. They were all talking in hushed, excited whispers, and for a moment, I felt like the


    socially-awkward, out-of-ce human


    again. Chapter 74


    ¡°My Queen.¡±


    I whipped my head around to find Ivan standing behind me, a grumpy look on his face.


    ¡°Ivan,¡± I greeted, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m doing the same thing you and everyone else in this room are doing. Waiting for the King.¡± He


    stepped closer to me, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°I was nearly half-asleep when I got mind-linked about his return.¡±


    Ivan¡¯s face portrayed just how unhappy he was to get dragged out of b*d at this hour.


    Looking at Ivan, I was reminded of the meeting I¡¯d had with Nadia a couple of days ago. I¡¯d learned a lot about him then.


    Not just the fact that Nadia was his mate, but also that Ivan was from a war-torn pack in Russia. I¡¯d never thought much


    about Ivan¡¯s past, but knowing what I knew now, it was hard not to look at him in a new light. His cold exterior wasn¡¯t


    just a personality trait ~ it was something he¡¯d forged to protect himself from the world. |!


    ¡°Pm surprised you even got up at all,¡± I told him.)


    ¡°Well, there are warriorsing back too, some that I¡¯ve trained,¡± he exined, ¡°I wanted to be here to wee them


    back.¡± .!)


    I nodded.


    There was a moment of silence between us and then Ivan said, ¡°So, Chapter 74


    you¡¯ve met my mate.¡± I was surprised to hear Ivan bring it up, but it was a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°She¡¯s very nice,¡± I said, ¡°She said you guys have known each other for a long time. Decades.¡±


    Ivan nodded sharply. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist using this opportunity to tease him a bit. me that you constantly tell her how great I am.¡± (:


    Ivan whipped his head around to look at me, his eyes narrowing. ¡°I have done no such thing.¡± =)


    ¡°Not ording to her,¡± I shrugged, smiling yfully, ¡°So does this mean we¡¯re friends now?¡±


    Ivan looked offended at the very thought of that. ¡°I do not have friends. And if I did, they would not be my students.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it kind of sounds like we¡¯re friends now.¡± \¡ã


    I would¡¯ve continued teasing Ivan, but then I felt it again ~ a sharp tug in my chest. Griffin. He was close, I could feel it.


    I kept my eyes locked toward the entrance, waiting for any physical sign of him. The people around me continued to


    carry on, but Ivan seemed to pick up on my sudden awareness. He turned his attention to the door too. Chapter 74


    My entire b*dy was practically buzzing with anticipation, my stomach light and fluttery. Although Griffin always had an


    effect on me, it seemed to have grown with his absence.


    Not a momentter, the doors opened and my breath caught in my throat.


    Griffin was the first one through the doors, a couple of warriors and Beta Williams following close behind. The chatter in


    the room ceased as


    soon as they saw Griffin, but he seemed to the crowd very little mind. }


    His eyes roamed over the room, searching for something. Or someone.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    And when theynded on me, I saw his dark eyes light up. I hardly registered the fact that I¡¯d started approaching him as


    if the tug in my chest was physically pulling me to him.


    Not that I got very far ¡ª in a matter of seconds, Griffin had closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms.


    I sunk into his embrace. His head fell to the crook of my n*eck, breathing me in and grazing the bite.


    ¡°Lve missed you so much, little fox.¡±

 Chapter 75

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    ¡°v¡¯s not over till it¡¯s over. And when it¡¯s over, it just begins again.¡± Kate McGahan


    Given howte it was, Griffin didn¡¯t stick around long to talk to those who had gathered to meet him. He made just


    enough small talk to satisfy the castle staff and the guards, most of them just happy he¡¯d made it back safely. I tried to


    get out of Griffin¡¯s way while he spoke with the others, but he hadn¡¯t let me. He simply tightened his grip on my waist,


    refusing to let me out of his arms. Not that I really minded. It was the first time in weeks that I¡¯d felt those arms around me.


    He carried me all the way back to our rooms with his nose buried into my n*eck, and it wasn¡¯t until we passed the


    threshold that one of us spoke for the first time.


    ¡°I know I was only gone for a couple of weeks,¡± he said, ¡°But without you by my side, I can promise you it felt much


    longer.¡± Griffinid me down on the b*d, and as soon as he¡¯d kicked his shoes and jacket off, he joined me.


    The way that I curled against his chest felt almost instinctual ¨C like I was trying to make up for the past couple of weeks


    by soaking up as much physical contact as possible. ¡°I missed you too,¡± I said, ¡°I worried


    about you a lot.¡± Chapter 75,


    Griffin¡¯srge fingers ran through my hair. ¡°I worried about you too, little fox.¡±


    At that, I turned to look at him. ¡°You worried about me? You were the one chasing down a power-hungry Alpha. I was


    sitting in a heavily guarded castle. What could you possibly have to worry about?¡±


    ¡°Pll always worry about you as long as we¡¯re apart. No matter how guarded this castle is or how safe you seem, my wolf


    is only soothed when I¡¯m the one protecting you.¡± *)


    His eyebrows furrowed, his face twisting into frustration. ¡°And it ended up being a pointless chase anyway,¡± he said,


    ¡°When I got there, Liam was gone. Hisnd was empty and there was no sign of his pack. He must¡¯ve known I was


    coming and gone into hiding.¡±


    I felt my stomach drop ¨C he hadn¡¯t caught Liam? When Griffin had walked through those doors, I¡¯d simply assumed he


    wasing home because he¡¯d put the threat to rest.


    But it sounds like it¡¯s not over. ¡°Is that why you came home?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes and no. Leaving you ~ as well as this castle ¨C vulnerable too long is always risky. It also became apparent after a


    couple of weeks that Liam had hidden too well,¡± Griffin sighed, ¡°As much as it pains me to say it, we¡¯ll have to wait till he


    sticks his head out of the ground again. And he will. He¡¯s too power-hungry to hide underground like a rat Chapter 75,


    forever. Eventually, he¡¯ll try to conquer morend, recruit more people to his cause, and when he does¡­that¡¯s when I¡¯ll


    put an end to his little power trip. For good.¡± (¡°)


    The stress on Griffin¡¯s face was clear as ever. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders ¨C


    even more burdened than when he¡¯d left.


    And I doubt that stress is going to disappear until Liam is gone for good.


    I moved one of my fingers up to his face, tracing the curvature of his furrowed brow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to deal with this.


    You haven¡¯t even been King a year and you¡¯re already putting out fires.¡±


    Griffin stared down at me, his dark eyes thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s part of the job description. Besides, it¡¯s hard to be too upset


    when I¡¯ve got my mate in my arms.¡± As if to prove his point, he pulled me closer to his side.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I gave a small smile. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Did you have nightmares while you were away? Like about me?¡±


    Griffin¡¯s frown deepened and he was silent for a moment. ¡°Yes,¡± he finally said, ¡°I dreamt that Liam¡¯s disappearance was


    a ploy, that he¡¯d managed to sneak into the castle while I was gone and kill you. It kept me up at night.¡± Chapter 75,


    So it hadn¡¯t just been me. Griffin had been affected by bad dreams too. Instead of bringing mefort that I wasn¡¯t


    alone in my experience, it only made me feel worse. I remembered how anxious the dreams made me ~ I didn¡¯t want Griffin to go through that.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Griffin said, looking down at me, ¡°How do you know about the dreams?¡±


    ¡°Thad them too,¡± I confessed, ¡°I dreamt that Liam managed to kill you while you were away.¡±


    His l*ps twisted into a snarl. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure he wishes,¡± he said, and then his hand cupped my jaw, ¡°But that would never


    happen, little fox. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t expect you to have those kinds of dreams.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°T¡¯ve heard that mates experience nightmares when they¡¯re apart,¡± he said, ¡°But this is the first time I¡¯ve dealt with it. 1


    was almost prepared for it, I suppose. But you don¡¯t have a wolf. I didn¡¯t think you would even have nightmares.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we learn new things every day,¡± I said, ¡°At least we both know now. Next time we¡¯ll both be prepared for


    them.¡±


    ¡°God, the very thought of having to leave you again kills me,¡± he groaned, ¡°I know I¡¯ll need to again ¨C to put down Liam


    at least.¡± I couldn¡¯t say he was alone in that thought. I¡¯d just gotten Griffin back, Chapter 75,


    and the thought of having to spend another couple of weeks without him felt unbearable.


    God, I feel so co-dependent.


    What was it that Ivan said? That I¡¯m lucky to experience this kind of love? I suppose he¡¯s right, even if it does make me


    feel needier than I¡¯ve ever felt in my life.


    Griffin suddenly leaned down, pulling me into a searing k*ss. My l*ps immediately molded to his, and he tasted just as I


    remembered him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about leaving you right now,¡± he whispered against my l*ps, ¡°I just want to think


    about being here with you right now.¡± He paused, and I felt one of his hands brush against my thigh. ¡°And making up for


    lost time.¡±


    And make up for lost time, we did.


    Twice.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76 Chapter 76


    ¡°Home is people. Not a ce. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there


    anymore.¡±


    Robin Hobb


    I wish I could say that the next couple of weeks were spent in peaceful, easy-going bliss with a newly returned Griffin.


    Unfortunately, I cannot say that.


    The next couple of weeks were spent bouncing from one obligation to the next with little downtime. When I wasn¡¯t


    training with Ivan, I was meeting with Nadia to discuss more details of my coronation ~ from the decorations in the


    throne room to the dress I¡¯d wear and the seating arrangements.


    Part of me just wanted to throw my hands up and tell her I¡¯d be happy with anything, but I didn¡¯t want to shirk my royal


    duties. It was my coronation ~ the first of any in decades. | needed to be involved, even if Thad no real opinion on


    preference for having dusty pink or rose pink bouquets.


    My time with Griffin felt far too little. He spent most of his days cooped up in conference rooms with warriors and


    councilors, trying to figure out Liam¡¯s next move. The only time we were able to spend together


    was at night, but even then, I could tell that the Liam situation weighed Chapter 76


    on him heavily. As soon as my coronation was over, I knew he¡¯d have to


    leave again. But after Liam is dealt with, we¡¯ll get to spend more time together. T think.


    Thope so at least.


    My mother used to tell me that time flies when you¡¯re having fun or dreading something. I was doing the second. Not


    only was I dreading another bout of Griffin¡¯s absence, but I was dreading the inevitable reunion with my family.


    More specifically, my father.


    We hadn¡¯t talked since I¡¯d left for the diplomatic meeting. I had nned to, but then I learned that he was the one


    responsible for cutting my mother out of my life for so many years. That was a hard pill to swallow. Thest thing I wanted to do was deal with his anger ¨C or even worse, his attempts to use my new position to further his pack¡¯s standing


    in the werewolf world. But I knew I had to face him eventually. At least it would be in a crowded room full of other werewolves and my mate. You know, the kind of ce where he wouldn¡¯t be able to ream me out with a lecture.


    And as much as I was dreading the temporary future, time did fly. Before I knew it, it was the morning of my coronation


    and some of the female castle staff were dressing me in the gown I¡¯d be crowned in. Chapter 76


    ¡°Mary, hold the sides of the dress please,¡± the older womancing up the back of the dress said. Mary, a staff member I¡¯d


    met once before, did as she instructed. (!


    And I didn¡¯t do anything except stand still with my arms out, letting them poke and prod at me. The gown was more


    luxurious than anything Pd ever worn ¡ª or probably ever seen ~ in my life.


    It was a baby blue gown with straps thatid below the shoulder, a n*eckline that dipped enough to show off a little


    cleavage, and a skirt that red out. There was even a long train that trailed behind me, but the finishing touch was the


    whitece crescent moons sewn onto the skirt.


    I felt like a princess. Or a queen, I suppose.


    Td picked the design out a couple of weeks ago with Nadia. All of the options she¡¯d shown me were beautiful, but this


    one had caught my eye.


    Well, it¡¯s good to know that my taste isn¡¯tpletely terrible. I think even Lily would be impressed with this one.


    Or will be impressed, I should say ~ I¡¯ll be seeing her in a couple of hours.


    Since it was the day of my crowning, werewolves from all over the world would be arriving at the castle shortly. My own


    family included. ¡®d asked a couple of the guards standing by the entrances to alert me Chapter 76


    when my my mother got here. ¡°You look so beautiful, Your Majesty,¡± Mary said, smiling at me.


    ¡°You really do,¡± the castle girl on my right said. She was currently pinning my hair into some borate updo.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, blushing. And I did feel beautiful. More beautiful than I could ever remember feeling in my life.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Although I can admit that my confidence is definitelying from this gorgeous dress and the makeup, not my natural


    features.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the King will be able to take his eyes off you, Your Majesty,¡± the old woman said, a teasing smile ying on


    her l*ps. That statement only made me flush more, but deep down, I hoped she was right.


    Griffin hadn¡¯t seen the hours of work that had gone into my coronation outfit yet. Apparently, that was part of the


    tradition of a coronation ceremony ¨C the King didn¡¯t see the Queen until the moment she walked into the throne room to


    be crowned. When Nadia had exined that to me, I couldn¡¯t help but think of how simr it sounded to a human


    tradition. A human wedding tradition, that is.


    Not that I¡¯m getting married or this is even remotely simr to a wedding. Griffin is just crowning me. This is about the werewolf world, I¡¯m doing this for them. Chapter 76


    ¡°Okay, just one more pin, and I think¡­¡± the girl working on my hair poked at my scalp with a bobby pin, and I withheld a


    wince. ¡°We¡¯re done!¡±


    The three women moved back, examining me. ¡°I believe that was the final touch, Your Majesty,¡± the old woman said,


    ¡°You¡¯repletely ready now. You look every bit like the Queen you will be crowned today.¡± She bowed her head as she


    spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s only due to your work,¡± I said, ¡°Without you three, I doubt I¡¯d be looking even a tenth what I do now. So, thank


    you.¡±


    ¡°Tt was an honor getting to dress you, Your Majesty,¡± Mary piped up, ¡°We still have a little bit of time before the


    coronation starts. Would you like us to keep youpany or would you like a few moments to yourself?¡±


    The thought of being alone ¨C even if it was just to worry about the impending family reunion ¨C was too good to pass up.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be


    alone if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    All three women bowed their heads to me as I thanked them again and they made their exit.


    I sat down on the edge of the b*d, sighing. Well, there¡¯s no turning back now, rk. You¡¯re in this for real.


    It¡¯s not just about Griffin or epting the mate bond anymore. You¡¯re Chapter 76


    committed to the werewolf world now ~ to the people you¡¯ll promise to rule over today.


    I assumed that thought would terrify me, but it didn¡¯t. Was I nervous that I¡¯d royally mess up ruling the werewolf world?


    Of course. I was still a teenager, someone who had spent a good portion of my life trying to escape this world. | hadn¡¯t


    grown up thinking I¡¯d rule my entire life as Griffin had.


    But amidst that anxiety, something about the situation just felt¡­right. Like I was putting together another puzzle piece of


    my life, one I hadn¡¯t known I was missing.


    Aknock on the door startled me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the muffled voice of a guard filtered through, ¡°You asked us to inform you when a family member arrives.


    I¡¯ve just been


    mind-linked that your mother and her mate havee through the south entrance. Is there something you¡¯d like us to


    do?¡±


    Theld back a chuckle when the guard referred to Steve as my mother¡¯s mate. Maybe he was in some ways, just not by the werewolf definition.


    ¡°Could you have my mother escorted here?¡± I called back. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn¡¯t even sure why the thought of seeing my mom soothed my anxiety so much, but it did.


    My coronation Chapter 76


    might¡¯ve been a werewolf event, but it felt wrong to walk through the throne room without seeing my mom first. I wasn¡¯t


    even sure why I felt that way. She had missed plenty of pivotal moments in my life, so why was this one any different?


    Maybe I¡¯m just making up for lost time.


    It took at least ten minutes, but eventually, there was another knock. ¡°rk?¡±


    Mom. Her soft voice was unlike any of the guard¡¯s.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I called back. Instinctually, | went to get up but then I was reminded of the heavy fabric I was wearing. ¡°So, uh,


    I¡¯d let you in, but I¡¯m afraid to rip or wrinkle the dress I¡¯m wearing right now.¡±


    That was all it took for my mother to crack open the door, sl*pping into the room. As soon as she¡¯d closed it behind her,


    she was taking me into her arms and squeezing me tight.


    She smelled of vani perfume ¡ª just as I¡¯d remembered.


    ¡°Oh, rk,¡± she said, and I could hear her voice waver. She was barely keeping it together. ¡°You have no idea how happy I


    am to see you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me either,¡± I said, pulling back to look at her. She was wearing a pink dress ¡ª or dusty pink as Nadia would most


    likely say ¨C and her hair was pulled back. Chapter 76


    ¡°You look so beautiful,¡± she said, and her eyes roamed over the dress. ¡°Like a¡­well, a Queen.¡± Sheughed a little at the


    end, wiping at her watery eyes. ¡°God, you look so grown up.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look so bad yourself,¡± I countered. Emotion swelled in my chest. Having my mother here only made all


    of this feel more real. It made me want to cry more, and if it wasn¡¯t for the fear that I¡¯d have to spend my coronation with


    mascara running down my cheeks, I might¡¯ve.


    ¡°Oh, please,¡± she chuckled, ¡°This old thing? It was collecting dust in the closet. I think Steve was just happy I finally had


    the asion to wear it¡±


    She paused for a moment and then she looked at me, her expression more serious than it had been before. ¡°rk,


    honey,¡± she said, ¡°I need to know¡­are you okay? Like, you want this?¡±


    There was no hesitation in my answer. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that not so long ago,¡± she continued, concerned eyes looking down at me, ¡°You were running from this whole world, from the idea of being locked down for the rest of your life. 1 know that I haven¡¯t been there when you needed


    me, but I¡¯m here now. And if this isn¡¯t what you want, if you feel forced into this at all¡­you can tell me, honey. I¡¯ll help


    you. I¡¯m not exactly sure how I¡¯ll help you, but I will. I mean, thatst text you sent me? And now you¡¯re getting crowned


    Queen? It¡¯s a bit of a fast turnaround, honey. | want to make sure this is what you want, and not something you feel


    pressured into.¡± Chapter 76


    There was something almostical about the idea of my human mother helping me run from the guards or fending


    Griffin off with her purse. Comical but sweet.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really okay,¡± I said, ¡°I know that I was dead set on leaving this world thest time we saw each other, but back


    then, I hadn¡¯t really given any of it a chance. Griffin and I had a rocky start, but now that I¡¯ve seen what this world is really


    like and what my ce in it will be, I know that this is what I want. I think I need this, and maybe this sounds dumb, but¡­I


    think maybe this world needs me too. Just a little bit¡±


    My mom smiled, and | could see her visibly rx. ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± she said, ¡°That¡¯s all that matters. I just want you to be


    happy, rk.¡±


    ¡°Lm sure,¡± I replied, ¡°But are you going to be okay? I mean, there¡¯s a reception after the coronation. You¡¯ll be in the same


    room as dad. Are


    you going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± she brushed me off, ¡°Besides¡­ think


    your father and I are long overdue for a talk.¡±

 Chapter 77

    ¡°Heavy is the head that wears the crown.¡± William Shakespeare


    My mother spent close to the next hour in the bedroom suite with me, catching me up on the intricacies of her life and


    demanding to know mine. Oddly enough, hearing about how Uncle Steve had restored his old motorcycle or taken her to


    that new restaurant kept my mind off my


    own anxiety.)Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°a grown man challenged you to a fight?¡± she asked, her eyes widening. ¡°and now he¡¯s teaching you self-defense?¡±


    ¡°Tt sounds weird, I know,¡± I said, ¡°But turns out, he¡¯s a pretty okay guy. He just had to get over his prejudice against


    humans.¡± She didn¡¯t look convinced, but she didn¡¯tment on it further.


    Unfortunately, the alone time with my mom ended far too quickly for my liking. Just as she¡¯d begun to tell me about the


    flowers she was nting in her yard, there was another knock at the door ~ this time, it was Mary.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Mary called, ¡°I¡¯vee to collect your mother and take her to the throne room. Your coronation will


    begin shortly.¡± Chapter 77


    My anxiety spiked. Had time really flown that quickly?


    My mom seemed to pick up on my nervousness. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, rk,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how these things work, but this is your moment. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± She squeezed my hand and then stood up from the b*d,


    smoothing down her dress. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting in here for you, sweetheart,¡± she continued, ¡°And if you get nervous, just look


    over at Steve and I.¡±


    I nodded, and I managed to stand up halfway without bunching up my dress to give her a hug. ¡°I will,¡± I replied, ¡°I love


    you, mom.¡±


    ¡°T love you too, rk.¡±


    She gave me a final reassuring smile before she sl*pped out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts. There was a Jump in


    my throat, and as much as I tried to swallow or hack it up, it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Can I really do this? Can I really stand in front of an entire room full of werewolves from around the room and pledge to


    rule them?


    They know I¡¯m human. What if they don¡¯t ept me?


    Deep down, I knew that Griffin wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to disrespect me at the coronation ~ nor would most wolves


    probably be stupid enough to do so. Still, it didn¡¯t stop me from worrying about what they¡¯d think. They knew I wasn¡¯t


    one of them. I had nevermanded respect from werewolves before. They respected me now because they had to,


    because they knew that they might face Griffin¡¯s wrath if they didn¡¯t. Chapter 77 But respect from obligation was very


    different from eared respect.


    Thaven¡¯t earned their respect yet, but I can. With enough time, I think I can.


    That¡¯s what I told myself as I took a deep breath, smoothing down invisible wrinkles on the dress.


    Mary¡¯s knock came again.


    ¡°My Queen,¡± she said, cracking open the door, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to be escorted to the throne room.¡±


    I did my best to swallow down the anxiety and hold my head high. As nervous as | felt on the inside, I didn¡¯t want it to


    show. I didn¡¯t want the first impression that I gave to these Alphas to be one of doubt or insecurity.


    What¡¯s that phrase people always say? Fake it till you make it? I suppose Tl just need to fake the confidence until I really


    feel it.


    With another deep breath, I stood up from the b*d with Mary¡¯s help. She led me out of the room, situating my dress and


    my train so that it trailed behind me like it should. There were no guards standing outside anymore, so I waited for Mary


    to escort me but she didn¡¯t move.


    Just as I was about to ask, a Russian ent spoke from behind me.


    ¡°My Queen, are you ready?¡± Chapter 77


    I whipped my head around to find Ivan there, dressed in a fancy military uniform adorned with metals and pins. There was no smile on his face, but his eyes looked soft. |¡±)


    ¡°Ivan,¡± I said, ¡°What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be in the throne room like everyone else?¡±


    ¡°The Queen should not be escorted by a couple of low-ranking guards to her own coronation,¡± he said stiffly, ¡°I bribed


    Nadia into letting me walk you to the throne room.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the amused smile from breaking onto my face. Ivan looked so ufortable at having to exin he¡¯d


    made voluntarily


    made a sweet gesture, but that¡¯s exactly what it was. A sweet gesture. )


    ¡°Thank you, Ivan,¡± I said sincerely, ¡°A familiar face is nice.¡±


    He gave me another stiff nod, holding out his elbow for me to grab. I did and we began walking slowly so as not to mess


    up my dress.


    ¡°see they¡¯ve cleaned you up nice,¡± hemented as we made our way down the empty hallways. When I say empty, I


    meant it. There wasn¡¯t a stray guard, castle staff or guest in sight.


    ¡°Is that your way of saying I look pretty?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly a change from the sweaty, frizzy look you have after


    training,¡± he rolled his eyes. Chapter 77


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong,¡± I said, ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t there any guards in the halls? I thought the coronation increased


    security.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± he said, ¡°But the guards go where the guests are ¡ª to the throne room, andter on, the reception hall. They¡¯ll


    have their hands full at night, just waiting to break up any brawls or pissing contests between Alphas that have had one


    too many sses of wine.¡±


    ¡°T see.¡±


    Nadia had told me that the reception after my coronation was the real celebration ¡ª the party to celebrate the rise of a


    new Queen.


    A bunch of drunken possessive Alphas in the same room? My family drama will be the least of my worries.


    The further we walked, I could tell we were getting closer to the throne room. I could already hear the excited murmuring


    of the guests waiting for me.


    You got this, rk. You can do this. You¡¯ll be okay.


    You know that feeling you get right before public speaking? How your stomach twists into knots and your heart jumps


    into your throat? That¡¯s what I was beginning to feel, the emotions only heightening with each step.


    ¡°There is no need to be anxious,¡± Ivan said quietly, ¡°You will do fine. These wolves are just excited to see the first Queen


    they¡¯ve had in Chapter 77


    decades. You could be a vegetable and they¡¯d still find you fascinating.¡± )


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m human?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not just human, you know,¡± Ivan said, ¡°You may not have a wolf, but you do have Alpha blood. That means


    something.¡± *


    Before I could ponder more on that sentence, we¡¯d arrived at therge wooden doors that led to the throne room. I could


    hear quiet chatter inside, people shuffling around ¨C this was it.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked. Another deep breath. I squared my shoulders, letting go of Ivan and nodding.


    His eyes zed over, and a momentter, the guards on the other side of the door swung it open, revealing the crowded


    throne room.


    Author¡¯s Note: Things are about to majorly HEAT up, guys! I know the past ten or so chapters have probably felt a little


    slow, but a lot of those small interactions and details are about to be very important. Thank you for reading and


    supporting this story!

 Chapter 78

    ¡°Crowns belong to those who serve.¡± (! Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel


    The doors opened to the throne room and it took all of my willpower to prevent myself from visibly shaking.


    Deep breaths, rk.


    Every eye turned to look at me, and there were a lot of eyes. People were packed into the throne room like sardines with


    guards at every corner, but in front of me, the path had been cleared with a thick red


    velvet carpet. Not a single person stood between me and the throne, Except Griffin.


    He stood at the base of the King¡¯s chair and dressed in an borate military uniform that looked simr to Ivan¡¯s but


    covered in even more ribbons and medals. I¡¯d never seen him dressed so formally before.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    I¡¯m not sure when Ivan sl*pped into the crowd, but halfway across the


    room, I realized I was walking alone.


    Deep breaths. Chapter 78


    Although I could feel the stares of what must¡¯ve been more than a hundred wolves, the only eyes I cared about were Griffin¡¯s. Looking at him made everyone else in the room fade away like background noise ¡ª like it was just the two of


    us.


    I continued to look up at him even as I reached the base of the throne, standing a step below him. Slowly, I kneeled


    down, my dress spreading out around me. For the first time, I was grateful they¡¯d carpeted this part of the room for my


    coronation. It cushioned my knees and kept me from having to kneel on cold marble.


    Griffin kept his face neutral as he looked at me but his eyes were soft, softer than I¡¯d ever seen them. |)


    Well, the hard part is over. I made it across the room without tripping or falling on my face.


    Nadia had exined the coronation process a hundred times, even brought me to the throne room and physically


    walked me through it. This was the part where Griffin would swear me in as Queen.


    Even though I knew what would happen, my brain seemed to turn to mush as I stared up at Griffin. Despite how many


    people were standing in the throne room, it was silent. They were all watching and waiting, their eyes trained on Griffin


    and me.


    ¡°rk Bellevue, daughter of Alpha Marcus,¡± Griffin¡¯s voice boomed across the room. Griffin¡¯s power fell across the room


    as he spoke ¨C that raw Alpha power I¡¯d only felt a handful of times before. It was Chapter 78


    manageable for me, but I could see a couple of the Alphas stumble out of the corner of my eye. ¡°Today, you are sworn in


    as Luna Queen of werewolves. Do you promise to be a just ruler, to uphold your duty to those you¡¯ve sworn to serve?¡±


    Luna Queen.


    Hearing that title left goosebumps on my skin. This was it. I wasn¡¯t just promising to be Griffin¡¯s mate or live in the castle


    today ~ I was promising to be their Queen. To rule them, to make decisions for a group of people I¡¯d never met. There was something utterly terrifying about that.


    The weight of Griffin¡¯s words hung heavy on me, but I swallowed down the lingering anxiety. I didn¡¯t want these Alphas


    to think I was nervous or unsure of my decision. If I was going to rule, I needed to look strong.


    I looked up at Griffin. ¡°I do.¡± As silent as the room was, my words echoed throughout the crowd.


    Griffin¡¯s l*ps twitched like he was holding back a smile, and he nced over at a council member standing a few feet


    away. The old man ced something into Griffin¡¯s hands, and | realized it was a crown.


    My breath caught in my throat. Nadia had told me that Griffin would crown me, and yet, I hadn¡¯t thought much about


    the crown itself. This


    ¡®was so much more than I could¡¯ve imagined.


    As elegant as it looked, the crown was smothered in diamonds that Chapter 78


    encircled rubies and sapphires. I was pretty sure I¡¯d never even looked at anything so expensive in my life.


    Still, it looked delicate in Griffin¡¯s hands ¨C like the wrong move or flex of his fingers would break it in half.


    As pretty as that is, I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s just for show. If I had to wear that all the time, I¡¯d be too worried about breaking it.


    ¡°With the Alphas that stand witness today,¡± Griffin continued, his voice carrying over the room, ¡°I crown rk Bellevue as


    the new Luna Queen.¡± A momentter, | felt the weight of the crown on my head, Griffin¡¯s fingers lingering in my hair.


    ¡°Rise.¡±


    As he spoke, Griffin outstretched his hand and helped me on my feet. It was a wee gesture considering how many


    layers my dress had. There was going to be no way I¡¯d be able to gracefully get up without a little help.


    So, with Griffin¡¯s hand in mine, I rose and faced the crowd as Nadia had instructed me to.


    One by one, the stone-faced Alphas sank to their knees and bowed to me. There was no hesitancy, no distaste on their


    faces that they were bowing to a human ~ just subjects bowing to their ruler.


    My eyes scanned the crowd and then a momentter, I spoke, ¡°Rise.¡± I tried to make my voice asmanding and as


    powerful as a Queen¡¯s should be. I wasn¡¯t sure I seeded, but the Alphas listened to me. Chapter 78 They rose, staring


    back at me with something foreign.


    It was respect, something I¡¯d never gotten from werewolves before. ¡°Long live the Queen!¡± (2


    I wasn¡¯t sure who shouted it, but a momentter, someone else yelled, ¡°Love live the Queen!¡± That started a chain of


    voices, with every Alpha


    in the crowd echoing the phrase until it rippled across the room.


    For the first time since I¡¯d walked into the room, confidence stirred in me.


    Beside me, Griffin murmured just low enough for me to hear, ¡°Long live the Queen.¡±


    Long live the Queen indeed. (*)


    Chapter Comments POST COMMENT Mariel Joseph


    thank you for this update. rk is officially the queen @ can¡¯t wait 6 for the next, her parents¡¯ interaction @


    Lina Fullbuster o


    beautiful @ love this chapter. thanks for the update

 Chapter 79

    ¡°You are enough to drive a saint to madness or a king to his knees.¡± Grace Willows


    You¡¯d think a coronation wouldst for hours, but all things considered, the ceremony was rtively short. When Nadia


    had told me that Griffin was only crowning me, she meant it.


    I wasn¡¯tining though. Having so many eyes on me was unsettling, and the less time I had to spend in front of a


    crowd, the better.


    After the Alphas had finished bowing to me, I saw Nadia emerge from the crowd. It was the first time I¡¯d seen her during


    the coronation, although frankly, | hadn¡¯t really seen anyone. I didn¡¯t recognize most of the faces and I wasn¡¯t trying to.


    Seeing someone I knew ¡ª like my father or Uncle Steve ~ might just trip me up when I was already nervous enough. I wanted to save those interactions for the reception.


    ¡°Please make your way to the exit,¡± Nadia said, pping her hands together to get their attention, ¡°You¡¯ll see several


    escorts posted by the doorway. They¡¯ll take you to the reception ¨C we¡¯ll have food, drinks, everything you need. The King


    and Queen will join you shortly.¡± That was as much encouragement as most Alphas seemed to need. Chapter 79


    The heavy air of the room seemed to lift as well as the silence. The important part was over. Gradually, the Alphas began


    to move toward the doors, conversation picking up between them. As they passed, many of them bowed their heads to me again and | inclined mine. If they were going to show respect to me, I wanted to show it back.


    As soon as thest Alpha had walked out of the throne room, I took a few steps toward the door but Griffin¡¯s hand


    sped over mine to stop me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked, looking confused. His face looked much softer now than


    it had a few minutes ago, and I had no doubt it was because we were alone now.


    Whenever we were around other people, especially other Alphas, Griffin wore a mask. Not a literal one, of course ~ but a


    facade to keep his face from betraying too much emotion.


    When we were alone, the mask sl*pped off. He didn¡¯t feel the need to put up a facade around me. Since I¡¯d epted the mate bond, I didn¡¯t either.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a reception?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s where everyone is going.¡± ¡°There is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to go too?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, the reception is to celebrate the coronation.¡±


    An amused smile spread across Griffin¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind getting started without us,¡± he said, and then he


    pulled me into a Chapter 79


    long, lingering k*ss.


    My hands flew to his biceps, and I had to restrain myself from pulling him closer. It took almost all my willpower to pull


    away but I did. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked. Griffin¡¯s smile was even more teasing now.


    I nced around the room ¡ª at least we were alone. Not a guard in sight and someone had closed the throne room


    doors.


    Well, that¡¯s totally not suspicious.


    ¡°Lm just enjoying my Queen,¡± Griffin said, and then he leaned down to graze his l*ps over the iming bite. The spot was


    as sensitive as ever and I barely held back a moan. ¡°Do you have any idea how beautiful you look in this dress?¡± He


    fingered one of the blue straps.


    My cheeks flushed


    ¡°When you walked in and I saw it,¡± he continued, his l*ps ghosting over my n*eck and the shell of my ear, ¡°All I could think


    about was how gorgeous you looked. And then I thought about how I wasn¡¯t the only one seeing you in this dress, and I


    considered whisking you away so that I was the only one who could look at you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t,¡± I managed to say, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have been crowned if you whisked me away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, and his tongue ran over my iming bite until I moaned, ¡°That¡¯s why my second thought was just


    to w out all their Chapter 79


    eyes. That way, the coronation could go on but they wouldn¡¯t be able to look at you.¡± (*)


    He couldn¡¯t see it, but my eyebrows shot to my hairline at that sentence. I hoped he was kidding, but with Griffin, I


    couldn¡¯t say for


    sure,


    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t w out their eyes,¡± I said. | wasn¡¯t quite sure what to say to that, but Griffin didn¡¯t seem to mind. He just hummed in response, continuing his assault on my n*eck.


    Griffin¡¯s l*ps and hands felt more passionate than ever, like he couldn¡¯t get enough of me.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    What triggered this? The coronation?


    ¡°And when you were on your knees in front of me,¡± he said, pulling back to look at me, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t want to know


    what I was thinking.¡± If the animalistic look in his eyes was any indication, I had a pretty good idea.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what triggered me to say it ¨C probably a lingering confidence boost from the coronation. ¡°If anyone should


    be on their


    knees, it¡¯s you,¡± I teased him, ¡°I just got crowned Queen after all.¡±


    My breath hitched as soon as the words were out of my mouth. I was teasing but Griffin was unpredictable.


    Is he going to punish me for saying that? Chapter 79,


    The very thought sent an electric thrill down my spine. Amusement only danced in Griffin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I knew that I was treading a dangerous line, but I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, smirking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to show some loyalty to the new Queen?¡± My heart rate thumped dangerously


    in my chest.


    Something unreadable passed through Griffin¡¯s eyes, and for a moment, I wondered if I¡¯d crossed the line.


    Then, a soft, teasing grin overtook his face. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never bowed to anyone in my life,¡± he said, ¡°People bow to me, not the other way around.¡±


    Just as I was getting ready to roll my eyes at that sentence, Griffin¡¯s next move left me with a ck jaw and wide eyes.


    With his gaze trained on me, he bent down until he was kneeling on the cold marble flooring.


    I stared at him and I could feel my cheeks beginning to turn hot again. ¡°T thought¡­¡±


    ¡°But I would bow to you,¡± he said, his eyes brimming with emotion, ¡°Only you. My Queen.¡± He reached for my hand,


    pressing his l*ps to my


    palm. (9)


    Iwas speechless. There was a lump in my throat that wouldn¡¯t go down, Chapter 79


    and I grappled with finding the right words for the gesture.


    Werewolves, especially Alphas, did not bend the knee easily. And rulers, kings like Griffin, did not bend the knee at all.


    This was him disying a new kind of vulnerability ~ a vulnerability that only I could see.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bow to me,¡± I finally said, and I tried to keep my voice from cracking with emotion. His l*ps continued


    to pepper k*sses along my hand and the pulse point of my wrist.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to, but I would,¡± he said, ¡°I have never bowed to anyone in my life, never thought I would. But I¡¯d bow to


    you, my mate.¡± His mouth ghosted over my palm.


    I took a moment to soak in the image of him kneeling there, merely content to stay on his knees for me. Griffin was so


    tall that the height difference between us seemed shorter when he was kneeling than when he stood at full height.


    ¡°Rise,¡± I said and he did. | *


    As soon as he was on his feet, I was practically throwing myself at him, my l*ps on his. ¡°You bow to me,¡± I said, pulling


    back, ¡°Just as I¡¯d bow to you. Equals ~ as we should be.¡±

 Chapter 80

    ¡°Nothing like watching your rtives fight, I always say.¡± Rick Riordan


    Eventually, after several more minutes of k*ssing and touching and running my hands through Griffin¡¯s hair, we finally


    made our way to the reception hall. Griffin had wanted to finish what we¡¯d started, but I also didn¡¯t want to miss my own


    coronation party. That was just bad taste, right?


    So, with Griffin leading the way, we made our way to the reception hall ¡ª another part of the castle I hadn¡¯t seen yet. Nadia had briefly mentioned the room in meetings before, but this was the first time I wasying eyes on it.


    Really, it wasn¡¯t so much a room as it was a ballroom. (¡®)


    With marble floors that shined so brightly I could see my reflection in them, I wasn¡¯t sure what the most impressive part


    of the space was. If it wasn¡¯t the grand staircase that led into the center of the room, it was the high, coved ceiling and


    Corinthian columns. It looked like something you¡¯d find in a fairytale.


    Well, I do live in a literal castle built centuries ago. Chapter 80


    As Griffin and I made our way down the staircase, the chatter and activity of the room ceased to a momentary halt. ¡°Your


    new King and Queen,¡± Nadia¡¯s voice carried over the room and many of the Alphas began pping for us.


    I managed to spot Nadia and the sight of her ¨C and who she was with ¡ª made me smile. She was tucked into Ivan¡¯s side,


    smiling and greeting those around her. Ivan looked less enthusiastic about being here, more like a grumpy guard dog on watch duty.


    Griffin and I descended the stairs together, but as soon as we¡¯d reached the bottom step, Alphas that I did not recognize were gunning for his attention.


    ¡°My King,¡± a middle-aged bald man with a thick beard said, seeming to appear out of thin air, ¡°There¡¯s a matter I wish to


    discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°actually, if there¡¯s something I could get your opinion on first, Your Majesty,¡± said an Indian man who popped up from


    the other side.


    They were like hungry dogs nipping at his heels and desperate for his attention.


    A little bit of annoyance sparked in me. We¡¯d only gotten here and they were already trying to steal my mate away. But


    then I remembered that these men didn¡¯t get to see Griffin all the time, not when some of them lived across the world.


    Getting to speak with the Alpha King might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of them, so it was


    understandable they¡¯d want to monopolize him. Chapter 80


    Griffin looked down at me, and I could see the silent question behind his eyes. He was asking if it was okay to leave to


    deal with whatever this royal business was.


    I simply nodded. While the thought of navigating a room of mostly strangers on my own didn¡¯t sound appealing, I


    reminded myself that they wouldn¡¯t be strangers for long. These were my people now.


    Besides, Queens aren¡¯t supposed to get socially anxious¡­right?


    ¡°Pll be back shortly,¡± Griffin said, leaning down to peck my l*ps, ¡°If you need anything, if anyone bothers you¡­I¡¯m here.¡±


    The hard edge of his voice said it all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said, lightly pushing him away. He shot me onest look before joining the two men. I could


    see them beginning to babble into Griffin¡¯s ear although their words got lost in the chatter of the room.


    Sighing, I turned back to the room full of strangers, scanning the room for my mom and Steve. As the only two other


    humans in the room, I could only imagine how out of ce they felt amongst the wolves.


    Where are they? ¡°Oh, rk! You looked so beautiful up there!¡±


    I barely had time to turn around before the scent of vani perfume and pale arms enveloped me. Mom. Chapter 80


    Well, that answers the ¡®where¡¯ question.


    After squeezing me in a hug hard enough to rival wolf strength, she pulled back to look at me with misty eyes. ¡°You


    looked so strong up there, sweetheart,¡± she said with a watery smile, ¡°You have no idea how


    proud I am.¡±


    ¡°Your mother was getting all kinds of looks because she couldn¡¯t stop crying,¡± Steve suddenly butted in,ing up


    beside mom. He was decked out in a suit and a tie that matched her dress.


    ¡°Hey Uncle Steve,¡± I said, giving him a hug.


    To see both of them here, happy and unharmed, brought me more relief than I¡¯d expected. Their embraces were


    comforting and familiar, and the fact that they¡¯de all this way for me left my heart full.


    ¡°You did look good up there, kid,¡± he said, tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my hair. ¡°Real grownup and


    everything.¡± He paused to look around the room full of Alphas. ¡°Besides your mother, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the most


    good-looking one in here.¡± |?)


    ¡°Considering the room is mostly full of middle-aged men,¡± I said, ¡°Not sure that¡¯s a super high bar, but thanks.¡± (1)


    ¡°That Griffin is a looker too!¡± Mom said, lowering her voice as if she was confessing a secret, ¡°You two looked good


    together. I was a little confused about one thing though¡­¡± Chapter 80


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Is it werewolf custom for the King to crown the Queen? I thought he was getting crowned too,¡± she said, furrowing her


    eyebrows. ¡°Just seems. a little odd to me, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no coronation for the King or anyone in the original royal line,¡± I told her, echoing the same exnation that


    Nadia had given me


    when I¡¯d asked weeks ago, ¡°But it¡¯s a big deal when the heir or heiress has a mate, so that¡¯s why there¡¯s a coronation


    only for me.¡±


    My mother nodded at my words, her l*ps forming a small ¡®o.¡¯ I could tell she was still a little confused, but she seemed to


    ept my exnation.


    Before I could rify, a new voice spoke from behind me. ¡°rk¡±


    My stomach dropped.


    I knew that voice. Dad.


    I swiftly tuned around to find the two people I¡¯d dreaded seeing at my coronation ¡ª dad and Luna Grace.


    My father looked just as stern as I remembered him. After a few months away from his house, I¡¯d forgotten how piercing


    his blue eyes were or


    how it seemed like they were always trying to poke beneath the surface.


    Tucked into his side, Luna Grace¡¯s soft features were aplete Chapter 80


    contrast to his seriousness.


    Beside me, mom and Steve stiffened, and he ced a hand around her


    waist. My father¡¯s eyes darted to the two, widening just enough for me to know that he recognized my mom. Even after


    all those years, it was


    unmistakable that she was my birth mother. We looked too much alike, and if nothing else, her human scent would give


    her away.


    Dad¡¯s face twisted into something between a forced smile and a frown. ¡°May,¡± he said, and the word sounded like it


    came from gritted teeth, ¡°I was not¡­expecting to see you here.¡±


    My mother didn¡¯t bother to hide her frown and neither did Steve. ¡°It¡¯s


    been a long time, Marcus,¡± she said.


    ¡°This is¡­May? rk¡¯s mother?¡± Luna Grace¡¯s soft voice interrupted them, and her face went white as a sheet. *


    ¡®An awkward pause settled between us, and then I watched my mompose herself and muster up a smile. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she said, and she offered up a hand to Grace, ¡°You must be Marcus¡¯ mate.¡±


    A lesser woman might not have handled meeting their husband¡¯s one- night stand so well, but this was Luna Grace. For


    as long as I¡¯d known her, a polite smile was her favorite essory. She could teach a master ss in faking them, and she


    had years of experience learning not to embarrass my father in public.


    So, it didn¡¯tpletely shock me when Grace schooled her features and Chapter 80


    ced her own dainty hand in mom¡¯s. ¡°Yes, I am Marcus¡¯ true mate,¡± she said, and there was an edge to her voice.


    Another awkward pause, but this time, Steve was the one to break it. ¡°Look, uh, we all know this is a little awkward to meet like this,¡± he said, sounding sheepish, ¡°But we¡¯re all here for rk, right? That¡¯s what matters ¡ª celebrating her.¡± I


    sent a grateful smile his way. At least I could count on Steve to try and keep the peace.


    ¡°lm sorry, who are you?¡± Dad asked, narrowing his eyes at Steve. ¡°I¡¯m here for my daughter, but I¡¯m not sure who you


    are.¡± 7)


    ¡°Our daughter, you mean,¡± mom said, her eyes shing angrily, ¡°Not


    that you seem to remember my contribution to her life.¡±


    ¡°Your contribution?¡± Dad asked, his voice barely above a growl. ¡°You¡¯re going to lecture me about contributions? After


    you kept her from me for nearly twelve years?¡±


    Mom stepped closer to my dad, leaving Steve¡¯s umbre hold. To my surprise, Grace reacted first, stepping in front of my


    father like she was physically protecting him from mom. The polite smile had dropped from her face and was reced by


    something like anger ¡ª or as close as Grace could get to expressing anger.


    Mom didn¡¯t seem to be intimidated in the slightest by Grace. ¡°Oh, please,¡± she scoffed, ¡°You did the same thing! As soon


    as I did tell you about her, you did the one thing I was worried you would. You cut her off from me and isted her from


    her mother.¡± Chapter 80


    ¡°No, I kept her away from a drug addict,¡± dad shot back, ¡°And it was the right choice.¡± >)


    ¡°Do you even see how far up your own a*s you are, Marcus?¡± Mom said, ¡°Even after all these years, you haven¡¯t changed.


    Goes to show you what happens when you¡¯re surrounded by people who do nothing but k*ss your a*s all day.¡±


    ¡°Who are you to speak about who he is or how¡¯s he changed?¡± Grace said, and her facadepletely cracked, showing


    just how livid she really was. ¡°I¡¯ve known him for two decades. You knew him for one night. You were just some random


    woman who approached him at a bar and happened to catch him in a moment of weakness. I will not just stand here and


    let you talk down to my mate.¡±


    It was silent for a moment and then my mother quietly said, ¡°Is that what he told you?¡±


    Grace just blinked at her. ¡°rk may have been the result of a single night, that¡¯s true,¡± mom said, ¡°But Marcus and I were friends for months before that. I even


    thought I was falling in love with him¡­God, I was naive.¡± She let out a bitterugh before continuing. ¡°I had no idea you


    existed, you know.¡±


    ¡°May,¡± dad growled. (¡°)


    ¡°At least not until after he¡¯d gotten into my pants,¡± mom added, ¡°That¡¯s when he finally told me he had a mate waiting


    for him at home ¨C that Chapter 80


    he had you. And do you know what he said when he finally told me about you? That some part of him had wished he was


    free to choose his own destiny. And his own mate.¡± (=


    Whatever remnants remained of Grace¡¯s polite mask chipped and fell away, leaving pure devastation in their wake. She


    looked broken as she pulled herself away from my father¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Grace,¡± he said, reaching for her, ¡°Please¡­¡± As angry as he was, there was desperation in his eyes now. My mother had


    taken a baseball bat to the carefully constructed lies that my father had been feeding Grace for years.


    Suddenly, my childhood made a little bit more sense ¨C why we never talked about my mom, why he never talked about


    how he knew her. He was pretending she was a stranger he¡¯d met to preserve Grace¡¯s feelings.


    It took a moment but Grace managed topose herself, forcing her face into nkness. ¡°I think I need some air,¡± she


    said quietly, beginning to move away. My father turned to follow her but she shot him a withering stare. ¡°Alone.¡±


    Dad didn¡¯t look happy about Grace disappearing into the crowd, but as soon as she had, he was turning back to my


    mother. If looks would kill, he would¡¯ve suffocated mom to death with his re.


    From the corner of my eye, Steve tugged mom closer to his side.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Dad growled, his eyes shing dangerously, Chapter 80


    ¡°As if ruining my chance at a rtionship with my daughter wasn¡¯t enough, you¡¯ve got to take your shot at the one with


    my mate too.¡±


    Mom¡¯s hands were balled into fists at her side and I knew she was gearing up for a fight. My parents were beginning to make a bit of a scene too, with some of the nearby Alphas ncing our way.


    So, before my family drama became the main event of the night, 1 finally stepped in. ¡°Both of you need to stop,¡± I said,


    pushing myself between them.


    ¡®They both nced at me like they were remembering | was there for the first time ever. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve got a lot of


    bad blood between you,¡± I continued, ¡°But you only have to tolerate each other for one night and then you can go back


    to pretending each other don¡¯t exist.¡±


    Dad red at me. ¡°You expect me to y nice with her after what she just said to your stepmother? That woman kept


    you from me for years and poisoned you against me. She did everything in her power to damage the rtionship


    between us. I cannot understand why you¡¯d even bother speaking with her, let alone invite her to an event like this.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t poison me against you,¡± I said, ¡°And you did a pretty good job of causing damage to our rtionship all on


    your own, so you don¡¯t need to me mom for that.¡± Anger flooded my veins ~ the kind of cold, hard anger that builds


    up over time and then finally overflows.


    ¡°You -¡± Chapter 80


    ¡°You resent her for keeping me from you,¡± I cut him off, ¡°But you did the same thing. As soon as you found out about


    me, you cut me off from my mother so you could punish her.¡±


    ¡°I was doing what was best for you,¡± he interrupted, ¡°She was a drug addict. You didn¡¯t need that kind of influence in


    your life.¡±


    ¡°But did you ever think that I needed my mom?¡± I asked, ¡°Regardless of what she was going through, she was still my


    mom¡­and she was trying to better herself so she could be a better one. She might¡¯ve gotten the chance if you weren¡¯t


    so determined to make her pay for keeping you in the dark about my existence.¡±


    Dad opened his mouth to argue, but I didn¡¯t give him the chance. The floodgates had opened now. ¡°I mean, she was justBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    gone,¡± I sai never even told me why. You were so angry, so worried about Grace¡¯s feelings¡­you wouldn¡¯t even talk about


    her. I thought she abandoned


    ¡®You


    me. I thought she didn¡¯t want me anymore, that maybe there was


    something wrong with me. And you let me think that. Cutting off mom


    might¡¯ve punished her, but it punished me too. I didn¡¯t deserve that.¡± 2)


    For once, my dad was silent. His face was nk but his eyes were brimming with an emotion I didn¡¯t know. My mother


    ced her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Oh, rk -¡±


    ¡°and you,¡± I said, whipping around to look into my mother¡¯s watery eyes, ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t get a choice in the way


    that dad cut you Chapter 80


    off from me these past six years, but you had a choice before then. You made the choice to keep me away from dad, to


    never even give him the opportunity to get to know me.¡±


    My mother¡¯s face contorted into a sad expression, but it didn¡¯t phase me enough to stop talking. As angry as I was with


    my dad, she wasn¡¯t innocent in this either. ¡°Not getting to know my father for eleven years?¡± I continued, ¡°That affected me too. I deserved to know my dad was before I hit puberty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± mom said, grabbing my hand and squeezing tightly, ¡°I thought I was doing what¡¯s best for you, but it was


    out of fear that he¡¯d take you away from me. That wasn¡¯t right.¡± She paused to nce up at my father. ¡°Even if my fear


    turned into reality.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to cate me, May?¡± Dad sneered, ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize for putting a roof over my daughter¡¯s


    head and three meals a


    day into her belly ~ something you could never do.¡± 1)


    Steve stepped in. ¡°She¡¯s still the mother of your child,¡± he said, ¡°And you¡¯ve done nothing but disrespect her tonight.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe her respect,¡± dad shot back, and then he turned to me, ¡°I¡¯m done having this conversation, rk. We have


    other things to talk about.¡± His crossed arms and stern tone were tell-tale signs that he was gearing up for a lecture.


    Three months ago, I would¡¯ve had no choice to listen to him.


    But now? I was on more than equal footing with my father and his Chapter 80


    Alpha-ness didn¡¯t intimidate me. I¡¯d dealt with more than enough of that in the past several weeks.


    ¡°Oh, and what¡¯s that exactly?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with the way you¡¯ve ignored me for weeks,¡± he said, ¡°Or how about the way


    you embarrassed your pack by running away from your


    responsibilities.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak but I was cut off by a new voice joining the conversaton.


    ¡°alpha Marcus.¡±


    Dad¡¯s eyes widened and he bowed his head instantly. A hand slid over the small of my back, a familiar scent enveloping me.


    ¡°Your Majesty, | -¡± ¡°| think we¡¯re long overdue for a chat, don¡¯t you, Marcus?¡± Griffin said.


    ¡°Maybe we should start with the disrespectful way you like to speak to my mate and your Queen.¡± ?)

 Chapter 81

    ¡°a dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.¡± Mary Karr (2


    Having your parents meet your boyfriend for the first time was stressful enough. Add in werewolves, an Alpha dad, and a


    royal boyfriend¡­well, it didn¡¯t get any better.


    When I had run away to my moms house, I¡¯d learned that Griffin went to my father¡¯s pack house to inquire about my


    whereabouts. Several of the pack warriors had been dumbstruck by the unannounced presence ¨C and the visit quickly got


    back to my dad, who¡¯d been out at the time.


    He¡¯d been furious, of course. Not only to learn that I¡¯d embarrassed his pack by ¡°running away from my obligations,¡± but


    by missing a major shot to meet Griffin and build alliances.


    Secretly, I wondered if that was part of the reason he¡¯d evene tonight ¡ª not to celebrate me or see the daughter who no longer lived with him, but to form an alliance with the new King.


    As he scrambled to pull himself together in front of Griffin, it certainly seemed that way. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, erasing


    the anger from his face, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you in person. You have no idea how regretful I am that I missed you the


    day that you came to visit my Chapter 81


    pack.¡±


    You mean when he was hunting me down and wanted to grill you for information about my whereabouts, | added


    silently.


    I wanted to roll my eyes at the way that my father¡¯s mood shifted so suddenly. Only moments ago, he¡¯d been ready to


    lecture me about my


    behavior like a child, but with Griffin here now, he was nothing but a respectful subject.


    Thankfully, Griffin didn¡¯t seem to buy my dad¡¯s act either. ¡°I did not visit your pack to see you, Marcus,¡± he said, his face


    nk, ¡°I was only there for your daughter. My mate.¡±


    His t tone didn¡¯t seem to deter my father.


    ¡°Yes, I do apologize for her actions,¡± dad said, ¡°Running away like that¡­that¡¯s not the kind of behavior I instilled in my


    daughter.¡±


    I scoffed, drawing the attention of the group. Was he serious? Apologizing for me to Griffin like I was an errant child?


    ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± I asked.


    Dad narrowed his eyes, and I could tell he was trying to keep his cool in front of Griffin.


    ¡°rk -¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get to stand here and put on this act,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m not Chapter 81


    twelve years old anymore. I¡¯m an adult, and if you can¡¯t treat me as such and be happy for me, you can leave.¡± (>)


    The words came easier than I expected them too. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was because they¡¯d been a long timeing or


    Griffin¡¯sforting hand rested on my back.


    Dad was silent for a minute, just staring at me like he was trying to figure out his next move. His eyes nced between me and Griffin, and finally, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on Grace.¡± With another fleeting look, he disappeared into theN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    crowd, leaving just me, Griffin, mom, and Steve. (1)


    I let out a sigh of relief as I watched him go. I knew better than to expect an apology from my father, but if nothing else,


    he hadn¡¯t continued to try and disrespect me.


    ¡°Well, you must be my daughter¡¯s boyfriend,¡± Mom suddenly chimed, turning to face Griffin with arge smile. ¡°Or is mate the correct term? I¡¯m not used the werewolf terminology.¡± Now that dad was gone, both her and Steve seemed morefortable too.


    She held her hand out and Griffin shook it lightly, returning her smile. ¡°Either one is fine,¡± he said, ¡°You must be rk¡¯s mom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    Steve wasted no time introducing himself either. ¡°I¡¯m Steve,¡± he said, ¡°T¡¯ve known rk¡¯s mom for a long time and rk


    as well.¡± Chapter 81


    It felt almost surreal to watch this interaction happen like I was watching two world merge. The human one and the werewolf one.


    ¡°rk has mentioned you, both of you,¡± Griffin said, ¡°I¡¯m d to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± mom replied, ¡°It¡¯s a shame we didn¡¯t meet the first time¡­ when you came to California.¡± Her tone was light


    and teasing, but there was still an edge to her voice. Even if she epted Griffin as my mate, there was no denying the


    rocky start when he traveled to Yorba Linda to drag me back. (?


    ¡°Right,¡± Griffin said, and he at least looked a little sheepish. Good. I hid my amused smile.


    ¡°My King,¡± a new voice said, and | turned to see another Alpha approaching us, ¡°May I have a moment of your time to


    discuss the dispute about my pack borders?¡±


    Griffin sighed and I realized that this was bing a trend. This may have been a party, but it was essentially a political


    event too. He still had to do his part as King ¨C as much as it sucked to spend the majority of the night without him.


    He k*ssed my forehead, bidding my mom and Steve goodbye before joining the Alpha.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a busy one, isn¡¯t he?¡± Mom asked as soon as he was out of earshot. Chapter 81 ¡°Yeah, ites with the job


    description I¡¯m learning.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds like it won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re in the same boat,¡±


    she said, ¡°Give it a few years, let people befortable, and theyll be grappling for your attention at every party


    you attend.¡±


    I cracked a smile. ¡°Maybe. Not sure I¡¯d mind that.¡±


    I took a look around the room. It felt even more crowded than before with castle staffing around with drinks and


    finger food as well as


    guards stationed at every exit.


    The room was hot enough to leave my skin sticky too ¨C or maybe that was just all the thick fabric weighing me down.


    ¡°| think I need a little bit of fresh air,¡± I said, ¡°Just a lot of people. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Mom and Steve nodded, and this time, I was the one disappearing into the crowd. At least it wasn¡¯t to avoid an awkward


    conversation like my dad or Grace.


    As I navigated through the throngs of people, someone¡¯s arm brushed against mine. I tried to keep on moving, but their


    fingerstched onto


    my wrist.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re Queen and all, but you¡¯re too good to say ¡®hi¡¯ now?¡±


    I recognized that voice. Chapter 81


    I whipped my head around, my face breaking out into another smile. ¡°Lily,¡± I said, and then I was enveloping my sister


    into a hug, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you were here.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯d miss my own sister¡¯s coronation? That¡¯s kind of a big deal. Pretty sure this makes you the most sessful


    one in the family now,¡± Lily said. | pulled back from the embrace and examined her.


    She was wearing a blue cocktail dress that matched her eyes and she¡¯d curled her blonde hair into long ringlets. Although


    she wore her signature scowl, her eyes were soft.


    ¡°You look good,¡± she said, looking me over, ¡°I mean, I was a little afraid you¡¯d show up to your own coronation in


    something ugly, but¡­you look good.¡± (2)


    Irolled my eyes, Even in all the change that had taken ce recently, Lily hadn¡¯t changed much. That was good.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so bad yourself,¡± I said. ¡°Is Seb here too?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, he wanted toe but dad made him stay behind to watch over the pack.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that, but it would¡¯ve been nice to see my brother.


    Guess I¡¯ll have to make a separate trip home to see him at some point. Chapter 81


    ¡°I gotta say,¡± Lily continued, ¡°You¡¯ve surprised me a little bit, sis.¡± I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Oh? And how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t that long ago that you were sitting in a room with Seb and I, begging us to help you find a way out of


    this,¡± she said. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting crowned Queen. Willingly.¡±


    I shrugged and smiled, thinking about the simr conversation I¡¯d had with my mother earlier today. Even though it had


    only been a couple of months, the day I met Griffin felt like it had been ages ago. My life had changed so much then. I¡¯d


    changed so much since then.


    And for the better I think.


    ¡°To be fair,¡± I said, ¡°I did try the whole running away thing. Didn¡¯t really work out for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me, I¡¯m aware,¡± a new voice piped up. I grinned. Alessia.


    She came up behind Lily, wrapping her arms around her waist. Much like my sister, Alessia was all dressed up for the


    coronation too. Decked out ina red dress with spaghetti straps, the four-inch heels she wore made her even taller.


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised to see you here,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Alessia.¡± Chapter 81


    She wore her signature smirk too, but there was something different about her ¨C and Lily too. Both of them had a light in


    their eyes ¡®d never seen before, and they practically glowed in each other¡¯s presence. No doubt a side effect of the mate


    bond.


    I wonder if that¡¯s how people see Griffin and I.


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t miss the coronation of someone whose basically my sister-inw,¡± Alessia said.


    ¡°T guess that¡¯s true. You guys look happy,¡± I said.


    The two nced at each other with matching smiles. When she looked at Lily, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Alessia


    didn¡¯t smirk, she actually smiled.


    ¡°We are,¡± Lily answered, ¡°As pissed as I was that you didn¡¯t give me a heads up about Alessiaing my way, it was a


    good surprise¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been this happy in my life.¡±


    I remembered how anxious Lily was about meeting her mate, but


    looking at her, none of that stress remained. ¡°Yeah, me either,¡± Alessia said, pecking Lily on the forehead. ¡°Meeting you was definitely worth aiding your sister in her failed escape


    attempt.¡±


    Irolled my eyes but didn¡¯tment. Chapter 81


    I spent some time catching up with Lily and Alessia. Much like me,


    they¡¯d been going through their own changes. Dad had only been upset


    about Lily being mated to a girl for about three seconds, which is about


    how much time it took him to realize that Alessia was an Alpha herself. )


    He¡¯d tried forming alliances with Alessia¡¯s pack, but she hadn¡¯t been interested. Instead, Lily moved in with Alessia and


    became the Luna of her pack. (7)


    Still, after about ten minutes, I could feel the suffocation of the crowd returning and I decided to return to my original


    objective: get some fresh air.)


    Tjust need a little time-out.


    With a nce back to make sure nob*dy wasing my way, I sl*pped out of the reception hall doors. =)

 Chapter 82

    ¡°There¡¯s always a calm before the storm¡­¡± Heather Graham


    If there was one thing I¡¯d learned, it¡¯s that there was no better way to recharge than by breathing in a little bit of the brisk


    Canadian air.


    With nothing but empty hallways and moonlight to guide me, I somehow found my way back to the balcony ¨C the one I¡¯d


    found the very first night I slept here. The one I¡¯d met Alessia on.


    It was the same as I remembered it, and even with the chilly air nipping at my bare skin, it was the quietest it had been all


    night. Out here, I was far enough away from the party that I couldn¡¯t hear any of the chatter.


    Thank God I didn¡¯t run into Grace or dad on the way here¡­that would¡¯ve


    been embarrassing.


    Wherever my dad and Grace had run off to, it wasn¡¯t this part of the castle.


    T¡¯m sure he¡¯s consoling her about all the lies he¡¯s been feeding her for years. I don¡¯t doubt that Grace will forgive him. If


    she can overlook the initial affair, she can probably overlook this too.) Chapter 82


    Part of me was relieved that I¡¯d gotten to confront him ~ even if he didn¡¯t seem to understand what he¡¯d done wrong.


    Maybe he never would realize what he¡¯d done wrong, not as long as he held onto that Alpha pride so tightly.


    At least I tried. I can move on with my life knowing that I tried.


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. I whirled around just as the ss doors to the balcony


    opened, revealing a tall boy.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, staring at me with wide eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize anyb*dy was out here. Especially the Queen. I just wanted a little alone time away from the fuss. I¡¯m not disturbing you, am I?¡± Even as he said it, the door slid shut behind


    him. He had a British ent, no doubt one of the guests for my coronation.)


    He looked to be about my age with rich brown hair and green eyes, and the longer I looked at him, the more familiar he


    seemed. I couldn¡¯t put a name to his face, but I swore I¡¯d met him somewhere.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not disturbing me,¡± I said, and then I glimpsed the two sses of champagne in his hands. ¡°I thought you


    said you wanted alone time. You¡¯re holding two drinks.¡±


    He smiled sheepishly and held one of the sses out for me. ¡°I suppose you caught me. I saw you disappear from the


    party all alone, and I was a little curious. Figured you might want somepany.¡± Chapter 82


    ¡°From a stranger?¡±


    Thadn¡¯t meant it toe out in a rude way, but my tone was harsh enough to make him cringe.


    ¡°This was a stupid idea, wasn¡¯t it?¡± He said. ¡°Here ¨C keep the drink. I¡¯ll


    leave you be.¡± He started to turn away but I called out, ¡°No, no¡­it¡¯s fine. You can stay if you want. I¡¯m not going to be


    out here long anyway, I only wanted a


    few minutes of fresh air.¡± +


    And also Griffin may kill you if he finds us out here alone, | added silently. }


    The smile returned to his face, and once again, I was struck by how familiar he was.


    Who is he? I know I¡¯ve met him before. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing me the second ss in his hand. I took it but ced the


    drink on the edge of the balcony.


    Silence fell over us, and then he said, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me, do you?¡±


    ¡°You look familiar, but I can¡¯t remember your name. So, we¡¯ve met before?¡± I asked. Chapter 82


    He nodded, the smile on his face getting bigger. I hadn¡¯t even taken a sip of the drink yet, and already, I could feel my


    stomach twisting in knots.


    ¡°We met when you visited for the diplomatic meeting. I even sat next


    to you the day you met your mate,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m Ezra.¡± The puzzle pieces clicked in my brain ¡ª Ezra. I did remember


    him. I remembered meeting him the night of the dinner party with the former Alpha King. He¡¯d been another one of the


    visiting Alpha kids. I also remembered disliking him immediately. He¡¯d made a snidement about me being human.


    With narrowed eyes, I replied, ¡°Right. I remember now.¡±


    Ezra chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. ¡°Judging from the tone of your voice, I didn¡¯t make a good first impression, did I?


    I was a bit of an ass. Sorry ¡®bout that.¡± Despite the apology, there was no sincerity in his tone.


    Annoyance sparked in me. ¡°Not really,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit chilly. I think I may head in.¡±


    I went to move but Ezra moved quicker, draping his suit jacket over my


    shoulders. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave on my ount,¡± he sai


    The weight of Ezra¡¯s jacket felt foreign on my shoulders, but I didn¡¯t want to be rude and remove it. Something about the


    gesture felt so off Chapter 82


    to me. Something about Ezra just felt off to me, but I couldn¡¯t put my


    finger on what. ¡±¡±) Give it another five minutes and I¡¯m definitely going inside.


    I took a long gulp of the drink Ezra had given me as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re very different from the first time I met you,¡± he


    said.


    ¡°Oh, and how¡¯s that?¡±


    Ezra grinned and | could see the moonlight reflecting off his sharp, gleaming canines. The sight only twisted my stomach


    up even more, but I tried not to let the unease show on my face.


    ¡°The night I met you at the dinner party,¡± he started, something unknown shing through his eyes, ¡°You were nothing


    but a scared little thing, practically shaking as the Alpha King interrogated you.¡±


    My eyes narrowed and I resisted the urge to step back. I didn¡¯t want him to think he was intimidating me.


    ¡°and now look at you,¡± he said, ¡°You get a crown and a mate and suddenly you think you¡¯re all that. Well, I can see


    beneath those things ~ [still see you for the cowering human you are. You¡¯re nothing special. Every single of you, every


    human out there, you¡¯re all the same. Weak.¡± The smile on his face began to twist into something more sadistic. (7


    I red at him, my mind running a million miles an hour. Something was seriously wrong here. Ezra might not have liked


    me, but to insult Chapter 82


    me so openly at my coronation?


    Technically, you¡¯re not at the coronation. You¡¯re on a balcony alone with him, which is why he thinks he can talk like this.


    Topened my mouth to say something ¨C I wasn¡¯t sure what ¨C when a realization washed over me. Like gears clicking into


    ce, Ezra¡¯s hostile attitude suddenly made sense. Only one type of werewolf would openly insult humans like that.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of them,¡± I said, ring at him. ¡°One of what?¡±


    ¡°The traditionalists,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re part of the group that thinks humans are too weak to be part of the werewolf world.¡± My heart had begun pounding in my chest. Whether I was right or not, | still needed to get out of here. Could I outrun


    him in the empty hallways? Probably not¡­but it was worth a shot. (7)


    Ezra¡¯s eyes lit up and he let out a breathyugh. ¡°Guess they¡¯ve been teaching you a few things, haven¡¯t they?¡± He said. He took a step toward me and I took a step back. ¡°Can¡¯t say I expected you to realize it so quickly. I didn¡¯t even get to


    the fun part yet ¨C 1 was going to tell you that I think the King should¡¯ve killed you the day he realized you were his mate.


    Chopped your head off instead of his father¡¯s. I mean, to kill another werewolf, let alone a ruler, over a human? And then


    letting that human rule beside him like she¡¯s one of us? That¡¯s insanity.¡± Chapter 82


    So, Iwas right. This is even worse than I thought. Be smart about this, rk. One wrong move and he may try to just off


    you right here.


    Ineeded to make an escape, get somewhere with people or guards or just someone who wasn¡¯t actively wishing for my


    death. I went to take another step from Ezra but my back hit the edge of the balcony.


    Adrenaline should¡¯ve been coursing through my veins, but if anything, my limbs just felt heavy and weighed down.


    What are you doing, rk? Run!


    Ezra only walked closer, caging me in. Up close, his green eyes were practically rabid and I wondered why I hadn¡¯t seen it


    when he first walked out.


    ¡°You want to talk about insanity? What you believe is the real insanity,¡± I shot back. My voice was firm and clear despite


    the growing lump in my throat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway. It doesn¡¯t change anything. I¡¯m the Queen whether you want me to be or not. And if you stop and leave right now, this doesn¡¯t have to end badly.¡±


    ¡°Badly?¡± Ezra chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not the one who needs to be worried about this encounter ending badly. This little reception


    party¡­there ¡®was no better time to corner you.¡± .¡¯)


    J inhaled sharply as Ezra continued to talk. My brain had started to turn foggy now, and I tried my best to blink it away.


    ¡°See, all the guards that would normally be patrolling the halls are stationed in the reception hall. The King is tied up with


    political affairs and negotations, no doubt,¡± he said, ¡°And that just leaves you. Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t even sure how I¡¯d get


    you alone¡­but then you came out here all on your own. It¡¯s the perfect spot too ¨C far enough away that I could kill you


    before anyonees running.¡±


    Topened my mouth to scream but Ezra¡¯srge palm pped over it before I could. ¡°No, no, none of that,¡± he said, pulling me to his chest. I


    struggled against his grip but my limbs were so heavy they felt useless. )


    The fog wasn¡¯t getting any better either, my brain was even more of a cloudy haze now.


    Come on, rk. You have to fight back. ¡°See, 1 ¡ª¡±


    Whatever he meant to say next became a pained grunt as I bit down on his palm as hard as I could.


    ¡°You little b*tch!¡± He grunted.


    I tried to scream but my tongue felt like lead in my mouth, All I could muster was a quiet groan that got carried away in


    the wind.


    Why can¡¯t I move? Why can¡¯t I scream? >)


    ¡°You put up more of a fight than I expected,¡± Ezra hissed, digging his Chapter 82


    nails into my arms, ¡°But you were never going to win. I drugged the drink¡±


    Oh, God.


    Tracked my brain for some self-defense tactic that would help me, but Ivan had never prepared me to fight a werewolfBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    while drugged.


    I fought to keep my eyes open but ck spots danced around my vision. Had it not been for the heavy sedation, I think


    my heart


    would¡¯ve been in my throat.


    No, someb*dy has to find me. They have to know it was Ezra who tried to hurt me.


    As I went ck in Ezra¡¯s arms and his grip loosened, he didn¡¯t notice as I shrugged his suit jacket off my shoulders. The


    garment fell to the stone floor of the balcony. It took thest ounce of strength I had, but with legs that felt like


    heavyweights, I kicked into theer. Out of Ezra¡¯s line of sight.


    The dark spots in my vision only gotrger. I tried to blink them away, but it was no use. I sl*pped into foggy


    unconsciousness, but as I did, I could¡¯ve sworn I heard Ezra mutter one


    last thing.


    ¡°alpha Liam will be so happy.¡±

 Chapter 83

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Chapter 83 Chapter 83


    ¡°Bad things happen whether you¡¯re scared or not, so you might as well not bother being scared. It¡¯s a waste of time.¡±


    Louise Rozett |* It was the pounding in my head that finally woke me.


    For a moment, that pain was all that I registered as my blurry eyes blinked away foggy unconsciousness.


    Where am I? What happened?


    The next thing I noticed was the feel of an icy stone floor beneath me ~ colder than anything I¡¯d ever felt at the castle.


    I¡¯m not at the castle.


    That thought circling in my brain was what finally gave me the push to open my eyes and find ¨C darkness? Just darkness.


    I blinked a few more times until the darkness gave way to murky shapes and my stomach dropped. Chapter 83 Twas ina


    cell.


    It was still too dark to make out most of the room¡¯s furnishings (orck thereof), but it was obvious this was a prison cell.


    The only source of light in the room was an open slot in the door, just barely big enough for me to stick my hand


    through. The door itself was tinged with rust but it looked silver and heavy. There was also no bench or chairs, just the


    cold stone floor covered in thickyers of dirt and grime.)


    Why am I here?


    My brain felt like a hazy mess pounding against my skull. Thest several hours were a blur. I remembered the


    coronation. Griffin crowning me Queen, the reception party where I confronted my parents, going to get some fresh air


    and ¡ª


    I gasped aloud, the sound echoing through the dingy cell. Oh God.


    Ezra.


    That man cornered me, drugged me, and¡­brought me here?


    My heart began beating rapidly in my chest. This wasn¡¯t good. This wasn¡¯t good at all. I was alone and away from the


    castle, from Griffin, from anyone who could possibly help me. Chapter 83


    My brain swam with questions. Where was here? And what did Ezra ¨C or whoever he worked for ¨C intend to do with me? Were they going to kill me? Or use me as bait for Griffin?


    A lump settled in my throat at thatst thought. To think I¡¯d be used to lure Griffin out and possibly harm him ¡ª no, I won¡¯t let that happen.


    I¡¯ve got to get away. I don¡¯t know how but I will.


    Before I could spiral any further, the click of the lock on the heavy metal door sounded throughout the room.


    My breath caught, looking for something to protect myself with but there was nothing. Not even a stick or a piece of


    debris I could wield.


    So, I did the next best thing, scrambling to stand and putting as much distance between myself and the door. The wall


    was just as cold and d*rty as the floor, but with my eyes locked on the opening door, I barely registered it.


    After another click, the door swung open and the open light from the hallway nearly blinded me. I forced myself to keep


    my eyes open, and slowly, arge, looming figure walked through the door.


    It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light enough to make out more than a silhouette, but once I did, my


    stomach twisted into knots. Chapter 83


    There was no mistaking the familiar sharp, angled face. Alpha Liam.


    His mouth was stretched into a sadistic smile, and he looked like a man who¡¯d just conquered the world, Nothing about


    that made me feel better about my current situation.


    ¡°By the look on your face, I¡¯m guessing you know who I am,¡± he said, his voice low and raspy. His eyes raked over my


    form. I could only guess how disheveled I looked.


    I was still wearing the dress I¡¯d been in crowned in, but it was wrinkled and covered in grime,pletely ruined. I


    might¡¯ve cared about the state of the dress had my current conditions been different. If anything, it was a relief. Being in


    the same, dirt-covered dress meant that nob*dy had tried to change me while I was unconscious.


    The elegant updo I¡¯d had at my coronation was also falling apart with d*rty clumps of my hair stuck to my face. My crown was missing too, and I could only suspect that Liam or maybe Ezra had taken it.


    ¡°[ know who you are,¡± I said, keeping my voice firm. As terrified as I was, I didn¡¯t want to give Liam the satisfaction of


    cowering in front of him.


    Liam¡¯s twisted grin only widened and he stepped closer. I got a much better look at him now that he wasn¡¯t cloaked in


    the bright light of the hallway. Just like the day I¡¯d first caught sight of him in the diplomatic Chapter 83


    meeting, his cheekbones and jawline were sharp enough to cut ss.


    He was young too ¨C or at least younger than you¡¯d expect a megalomaniac werewolf to be. He couldn¡¯t have been much


    older than his mid tote twenties, but there was nothing soft or youthful about him. His eyes were the worst part


    though. They were dark enough to remind me of Griffin¡¯s, but unlike Griffin, Liam¡¯s eyes only glimmered with bloodlust.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked like a man drunk on power and that was nothing but dangerous for me.


    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯ve brought you here?¡± Liam asked.


    ¡°No, but given my living conditions here, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t want to be friends.¡± .*


    Liam¡¯s eyes danced with dark amusement. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be so hasty now,¡± he chided, ¡°There¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t develop


    a friendship¡­of sorts.¡±


    My breath hitched but I let him continue talking. ¡°And you¡¯ll have to forgive me for the poor living conditions,¡± he said,


    and his eyes swept over the dingy cell, ¡°But you¡¯re a bit of a security risk right now, and this is the most secure ce I


    have. This prison was built centuries ago on my pack¡¯snd to hold rogues, but you can take sce in knowing


    you¡¯re the only prisoner down here.¡±


    Knowing that did not give give me sce. Chapter 83


    ¡°Let¡¯s just cut to the chase here,¡± I said, ¡°What do you n to do with me? Are you trying to kill me? Are you nning to


    use me to lure Griffin out?¡±


    Liam chuckled. ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    My eyes narrowed, and beneath the terror, I felt anger swelling in my gut at Liam¡¯s nonchnt attitude.


    ¡°Well, you kidnapped me from my home,¡± I bit out, ¡°And from everything I¡¯ve heard about you, you¡¯re not the biggest


    fan of humans. Which means you¡¯ve either taken me to kill me or as some sort of bargaining chip against my mate.¡±


    The smug expression on Liam¡¯s face never wavered, and I wondered if it was just stuck there permanently.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re almost right,¡± Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m not the biggest fan of humans, you¡¯re correct about that. The werewolf world


    has enough issues, and we certainly don¡¯t need your weak-willed species muddying the gene pool.¡±


    I crossed my arms over my chest defensively, but I didn¡¯t respond to the insulting remark. I¡¯d had this argument enough


    times with enough people, and I knew better to think that I could change Liam¡¯s mind. I was better off saving my energy


    for something worthwhile ¨C like an escape.


    ¡°And as for you?¡± Liam said. He narrowed his eyes at me, and for a Chapter 83


    moment, that smug facade dropped. I got a glimpse of the crazed rage thaty beneath his mask, but within a blink, the


    grin was back. ¡°You¡¯re the worst one,¡± he continued, ¡°Never has a human held power in the werewolf world¡­until you.¡±


    He took a step closer, and had I not already pressed myself against the wall, I would¡¯ve retreated. ¡°Not just power, but a


    crown,¡± he said, a hard edge to his voice. ¡°That would¡¯ve never have happened a hundred years ago ¡ª hell, it would¡¯ve


    never happened before him.¡± He said thatst word out with enough venom to make me cringe. We both knew who the


    ¡®him¡¯ was. Griffin.


    ¡°That weak-willed boy will lead the werewolf world to its demise,¡± he spit, ¡°He murdered the rightful ruler of werewolves


    to protect a tiny sl*p of a human. He¡¯s done nothing but fawn over you ever since, even going so far as to put a crown on


    your head.¡±


    I wanted to shout that he was wrong about Griffin, that he wasn¡¯t weak-willed but the bloodlust in Liam¡¯s eyes gave me


    pause. If I wanted to get out of here and get back to Griffin, I needed to survive long enough to do so.


    So, I barely managed to bite back a few insults of my own. ¡°So, what? You want to take the throne from Griffin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I certainly can¡¯t let my kind be brainwashed by the kind of weakness that boy promotes,¡± Liam retorted, ¡°It¡¯s not


    just humans like you that are the problem ¡ª the issues run far deeper than that.¡± Chapter 83


    I didn¡¯t need to even ask what he meant because Liam barely paused in the midst of his ranting. ¡°The werewolves of


    today¡¯s world are a poor excuse of what they used to be,¡± he continued, ¡°There was a time when everyone knew their


    ce. Women didn¡¯t dare step foot on the battlefield. It was a man¡¯s responsibility to protect his mate.¡± 7)


    His face twisted into a frown. ¡°And now we¡¯ve got female Alphas. running around, and male wolves left at home to care


    for their pups,¡± he snarled, ¡°There is nothing natural about that.¡±


    Despite telling myself I wouldn¡¯t engage with Liam¡¯s traditionalist beliefs, I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Does it matter?¡± I


    asked. ¡°If they can do the job, why should matter which gender leads the pack?¡±


    ¡°Because they can¡¯t do the job,¡± Liam hissed, ¡°It goes against natural instincts, and as long as today¡¯s wolves continue to


    deny their own biology, we¡¯ll never be as strong as we could be. We¡¯ll be vulnerable to


    those that may try to infiltrate our ranks ¡ª like you.¡± ¡°So, you do want the throne,¡± I said.


    Liam¡¯s dark eyes assessed me. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°And I will have it. Your capture will ensure it.¡±


    My heart continued to thump away like a drum inside my chest. Tam fucked.


    Unless I get out of here, I¡¯m fucked. Chapter 83


    ¡®My gut was nothing but a cocktail of anger and fear swimming together. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill me,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t a


    question. Whether he used me as bait or ripped my throat out this very second, there was no way Liam didn¡¯t want my


    head.


    And yet, his nextment floored me. ¡°No, I don¡¯t n to kill you,¡± Liam said. (¡°)


    My eyes widened. What?


    ¡°Well, I suppose I should rify,¡± he told me, ¡°Your fate is up to you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Tl admit that my original thought was to kill you,¡± Liam said, ¡°But then I did my research on you, rk Marshall.¡±


    ¡®The sound of my mother¡¯sst name, the name I¡¯d gone by until I started living with my father, was foreign in Liam¡¯s mouth and it made every muscle in my b*dy freeze. ¡°From what I¡¯ve been able to gather,¡± he continued, ¡°You never wanted this mate bond. You even tried to run from the werewolf world, to live a human life. Is that right?¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°and perhaps none of us would¡¯ve ever heard your name again had it not been for that mate of yours,¡± he said. Chapter


    83


    I couldn¡¯t piece together what my history with Griffin had to do with my current predicament, but I let Liam keep talking.


    ¡°Pm going to offer you a deal,¡± he said, ¡°Consider this a small mercy. One I¡¯m only offering because it¡¯s clear your disdain


    for werewolves matches the one I have for your kind.¡±


    ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°[ will let you go,¡± Liam told me. ¡°I will release you into the human world and you will be free to live the boring little


    human life you¡¯ve always wanted without worrying about werewolves hunting you down. I¡¯d fake your death and lead


    your mate and family to believe that I killed you. You¡¯d be free to live your life away from werewolves, growing old and


    gray and frail as long as you never returned to my world.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat. This wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d expected. As I mulled Liam¡¯s deal over in my head, I realized a


    ring w.


    ¡°You know how the mate bond works,¡± I countered, ¡°Griffin would know that I¡¯m alive. He¡¯d be able to feel it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be dead,¡± Liam shrugged, and my stomach dropped.


    Of course. That was the real end game here, wasn¡¯t it? Liam wanted the crown on his head and Griffin¡¯s on a tter. I was merely a bargaining chip here, someone that Liam was willing to spare because he didn¡¯t see me as a legitimate threat.


    Chapter 83 ¡°Don¡¯t answer now,¡± Liam said, and then he began striding towards the


    heavy silver door, ¡°Think on it.¡±


    The lock clicked shut behind him, and I could¡¯ve sworn it sounded like Liam sealing my fate.

 Chapter 84

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Chapter 84 Chapter 84


    ¡°Having something and losing it, it¡¯s much crueler than never having had it?)


    Victoria Schwab


    Griffin knew one thing: he hated ying politics. It was one thing to get your hands (and fur) d*rty in the midst of dealing


    with a political problem, but standing in a room with middle-aged men droning on about insignificant disputes?


    He would rather tear his hair out with his ws.


    Unfortunately, ying politics came with the crown, It was tolerable most days, but tonight, he was feeling particrly on


    edge. This night was supposed to be for his mate, his little fox. Every moment that he was away from her side felt like an


    eternity, and the balding man


    rambling about pack lines in front of him certainly didn¡¯t help.


    When this conversation is over, I swear I¡¯m throwing her over my shoulder and taking her to the bedroom. I don¡¯t care if


    the entire castle hears¡­ actually, I do care. There¡¯s no way in hell anyone besides me will hear what my little fox sounds


    like when she moans, Griffin thought to himself.


    In the back of his mind, Griffin felt his wolf stirring awake. Chapter 84


    You could just tear off all their ears, his wolf rumbled inside of his head. They don¡¯t need them. That way, we¡¯ll be the only


    ones who ever hear the


    lovely sound of her voice again.


    At that moment, Griffin couldn¡¯t help but think that didn¡¯t sound like a terrible n. It¡¯d be worth it as long as he got to


    be buried inside his little fox¡¯s p**sy, got to hear the way her breath caught when she orgasmed.


    And now he was hard ~ great.)


    Not that the man in front of him ¡ª Alpha John? Alpha James? ¨C seemed to notice that Griffin¡¯s mind had strayed. It was


    only when he could no longer hear the man¡¯s monotone voice that Griffin realized he was waiting for a response.


    ¡°The pack lines have been drawn for centuries,¡± Griffin said, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to move them now. You¡¯ll be encroaching


    on someone else¡¯s territory, and unless you get clearance from the neighboring Alpha, they¡¯ll stay where they are.¡±


    Alpha John ~ or James, whatever the f**k his name was ~ seemed satisfied enough with his answer. And if he was


    unhappy, he certainly wasn¡¯t stupid enough toin about it in front of him.


    No, just stupid enough to take away time I could be spending at my mate¡¯s


    side, Griffin grumbled silently.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all,¡± Griffin sai


    , ¡°I have a mate to get back to.¡± Chapter 84Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the man nodded profusely, ¡°Thank you for your time, Your Majesty. Your opinion on this matter is


    highly-valued.¡± He bowed his head in respect a final time as Griffin made his exit.


    Now, I¡¯ve just got to find my mate.


    The room was far too crowded for Griffin¡¯s liking. So many people, so many scents masking the smell of his little fox. Her


    scent was unlike anyone else. He had tried many times to put a name to her unique scent, and the only way he could


    describe it was the smell of fresh air. More specifically, the scent of clean, fresh air he¡¯d smelled the first time he¡¯d shifted


    into a wolf and trekked deep into the forest. It was pure and clean and it had consumed his senses, like waking him up


    for the first time. (2)


    Since that first shift, he¡¯d never been able to catch that fresh scent again no matter how hard he tried or how deep he


    ventured into the


    forest.) He¡¯d even forgotten about it ¡ª until his little fox, that is.


    He could still remember, as clear as yesterday, the way he¡¯d walked into that meeting and got smacked in the face with


    the scent of clean, fresh air. Even more potent than he remembered and almost addicting.


    The fact that he was smelling clean forest air in a stuffy room full of teenagers and his father had only confused him for a


    moment. Almost immediately, his wolf had gone stir-crazy in his head, howling and shouting about their mate. Chapter


    84


    And then his eyes had met hers.


    The emptiness inside of him, the ck pit that had only been growingrger and more prominent with each passing year


    he spent alone, had disappeared within an instant. He had stared into his little fox¡¯s big, wide brown eyes and his world


    clicked into ce. Whatever ties tethered him to this world ~ his father, his pack, his crown, his subjects ~ might as well


    have been ribbonspared to the thick, steel cable tying him to her.


    He hadn¡¯t even known her f**king name then, and he would¡¯ve given them all up just to hear her voice.


    And when his father had threatened to harm her? Well, killing him hadn¡¯t been the hard choice that so many of his


    subjects seemed to think it was. At that moment, he hadn¡¯t viewed his father as blood or the man who raised him ¨C he¡¯d


    only viewed him as a threat to his mate. His wolf practically sang in approval when he¡¯d sliced his father¡¯s head clean off.


    No, it had been an easy choice.


    Everything was an easy choice when it came to his mate.


    The decisions he¡¯d made these past few months to protect her or keep her at his side were some of the easiest decisions


    he¡¯d made in his life.


    His mate came before everything, even his own crown.


    The only choice he¡¯d never been able to make was letting her go. Chapter 84


    It had been almostughable (and kind of adorable) when she¡¯d tried to convince him that he didn¡¯t want her as a mate.


    That he should mate with a she-wolf instead, and let her go on to live a human life.


    As if it was that easy ¡ª as if he could trade in mates like used cars or real estate. As if everything about her wasn¡¯t his


    perfect match, crafted by the Moon Goddess for him and him for her.


    He knew it had been selfish to hunt her down and keep her with him, but he was okay with being selfish. Being selfish


    meant that his little fox stayed safe, in the castle and away from a dangerous world. |!


    Griffin¡¯s thoughts only made him more eager to find his little fox in the crowd, Whenever he thought about her ~ which was most of the time ~ it only made him more anxious to be with her. To scent her. To touch her. To see his mark on her


    skin.


    He made his way through the crowd, but there was no sign of his little fox. He was beginning to get annoyed now ¨C even


    amongst all these people, she would¡¯ve stuck out like a sore thumb. She was the most beautiful woman in the room.


    And then he spotted someone. It wasn¡¯t his mate, but it was someone who could potentially lead him to her ~ Lily


    Bellevue. The blonde girl was seated at one of the back tables, curled against her mate, Alpha Alessia.


    Oh, Griffin knew exactly who Alpha Alessia was. Not only was she the woman who¡¯d helped his mate leave, but she¡¯d


    made quite the name for Chapter 84


    herself in the past year. She was a female Alpha, and that was rare in itself, but the way she¡¯d gained power was memorable too. ughtering her father¡¯s beta and seizing power by force? It was enough to unsettle most wolves,


    especially other Alphas.


    But as someone who¡¯d also seized power by force, Griffin couldn¡¯t help but respect that about her.


    Without a second thought, he strode over to the pair.


    As soon as she was in sight, he watched Alessia straighten up, Lily following her lead. He was used to this behavior now. Most people, with the exception of his mate, tended to throw up their guard whenever they sensed his power. Even if


    they didn¡¯t know he was the king, their wolves could still sense raw power.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Alessia said, her eyes narrowing just a fraction. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Her posture wasn¡¯t


    hostile, but Griffin hadn¡¯t missed the way she¡¯d tugged Lily closer to her.


    ¡°Have you seen my mate?¡± he asked.


    Lily nodded. ¡°Just a few minutes ago actually. She said she was going out to get some fresh air.¡±


    Griffin suppressed a growl.


    He should¡¯ve been surprised that his little fox would try to skip out on her own party, but he wasn¡¯t. That was very incharacter for her, Chapter 84


    sl*pping away from his line of sight just as he turned his back.


    ¡°And did she take a guard?¡± He asked, his voiceing out a little harsher than intended.


    Lily and Alessia shrugged. ¡°Not sure,¡± Alessia said, ¡°But ~¡±


    Whatever Alessia meant to say suddenly turned into background noise as Griffin felt his wolf suddenly jerk to life inside


    of him, howling and growling and snarling with a force he¡¯d never felt before.


    Mate! His wolf screamed. Mate is in trouble! Help mate!


    It wasn¡¯t just his wolf yowling in his head, it was the shot of fear that swept through him so suddenly he almost lost his


    bnce. It was fear that didn¡¯t belong to him.


    Griffin didn¡¯t think. He simply took off, letting his instincts guide him.


    And as soon as he was out of the reception hall, his nostrils red and he smelt it ¡ª clean, fresh air that wafted through


    the halls.


    He sniffed again and then he growled.


    His little fox¡¯s scent wasn¡¯t the only one in the hallway. There was another scent too ¨C the musky odor of an unmated


    male.


    Griffin barely registered that his ws hade out or that they were Chapter 84


    digging far enough into his skin to draw blood.


    Find mate! Mate needs us!


    He followed rk¡¯s scent like a trail of breadcrumbs, and it only took him a minute to reach a small balcony. He pushed


    the ss door open so hard that the ss shattered on impact, scattering across the stone floor of the balcony.


    It was empty.


    It was f**king empty. Where the hell was she?


    ¡°Where¡¯s my sister?¡±


    Griffin didn¡¯t bother to turn around to address Lily or Alessia. To be honest, he hadin¡¯t even realized they¡¯d followed him


    out here until Lily said something.


    He snarled something in response to Lily¡¯s question that was supposed to be an ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    Mate! Help mate!


    His wolf was unrelentless in his head, and it did nothing to help Griffin¡¯s anxiety. (7


    His eyes scoured the balcony and he felt his stomach drop when he caught sight of something on the balcony. Chapter


    84 Wordlessly, he walked over and picked it up, his wolf screaming in the


    back of his mind the entire time.


    It was rk¡¯s crown, which was supposed to be on her head. Not sitting on the edge of a balcony, somewhere he knew


    his mate would never leave it.


    But the crown only kept his attention for a moment, because a secondter, he saw the note lying underneath it.


    I think we have something that belongs to you. Alpha Liam will be in touch for negotiations.


    One of Griffin¡¯s hands, which had been gripping the stone balcony, crumbled the edge into dust.


    His panic skyrocketed ¡ª his mate was in danger. She¡¯d been taken, kidnapped under his own nose.


    The grow! he let out was deafening, and had he turned around, he might¡¯ve seen the way that Lily and Alessia cowered at


    the sound. The people in the reception hall didn¡¯t hear, but they felt it ¨C the tremor of his raw power rocking through the


    entire building.


    Griffin knew one thing: Alpha Liam was a dead man walking.


    Author¡¯s Note: Hey everyone! I¡¯ve made a Facebook page for this book (and future stories I¡¯ll be posting) that you can


    follow if you¡¯d like! I¡¯ll be posting Chapter 84


    updates about this book, future books, and other announcements there. That way, I don¡¯t have to keep bugging you guys


    with these ANs ?? You can find me there under ¡°HC Dolores Books.¡± As always, I appreciate the support! (

 Chapter 85

    ¡°I need to stop getting into situations where all my options are potentially bad.¡±


    Jack Campbell


    If you had told me three months ago that I could leave the werewolf world behind forever, | would¡¯ve jumped at the


    chance ¡ª no questions asked. Or, at least, very few questions asked.


    But that was three months ago. Before I got to actually know Griffin, before I re-examined what kind of life 1 wanted for


    myself, and before I vowed to serve the werewolf world as a ruler.


    And even as I sat in the filthy prison cell in my coronation dress ¡ª which was practically unrecognizable with all the dirt


    and grime ¨C I didn¡¯t even consider Liam¡¯s deal for a moment.


    The rk that had wanted to live apletely human life was not the rk I was today. I¡¯d gotten a taste of what my life


    could be when I


    wasn¡¯t feeling sorry for myself at dad¡¯s house, and I didn¡¯t want to leave that. I didn¡¯t want to leave Griffin.


    But 1 also need to get out of here.


    If Liam¡¯s deal is legit, I could get out of here and find Griffin on my own, P Chapter 85


    ossibly prevent Liam from using me as leverage.


    Right now, that seemed like my best shot ¨C possibly my only shot. If I could convince Liam that I was just as unhappy with mate bond as ¡®d been a couple of months ago, maybe he wouldn¡¯t think twice about letting me go.)


    But even as I ran through the n in my head, it all seemed¡­too easy. Liam could very well be lying about all of it. Maybe


    he was only proposing this ¡°deal¡± to lure me into a false sense of security about my circumstances.


    Every possibility, every worst-case scenario I could think of, ran through my brain on an endless loop for the next several


    hours, Or what felt like several hours ¡ª with no real windows besides the tiny slot in the door that led into the hallway,


    there was no real way to tell time. It could¡¯ve been an hour or it could¡¯ve been five since Liam hade in


    to talk to me.


    My brain was still foggy from whatever Ezra had drugged me with, and eventually, I felt myself dozing off. There was


    nothing restful about the sleep, and every few minutes, I¡¯d find myself jolting awake. Every shadow and every sh of


    light put me on high alert, and the ufortable stone walls didn¡¯t do much to help.


    I jolted again when I heard the heavy metal door creak open, and this time, I couldn¡¯t dismiss it as a figment of my


    imagination. Someone wasing in. Chapter 85


    Much likest time, I scrambled to stand up and press myself against the wall. I was still blinking away the remnants of


    my cat nap when the door opened the rest of the way, revealing a¡­woman?


    She¡¯s even smaller than I am with d*rty blonde hair and blue eyes, and even in the dim light, she looks like she could be


    close to my age too. She¡¯s wearing casual clothes, and in her hands, she holds a small stic baggie.


    She walked father into the room, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said cautiously. The woman nces at me quickly before averting her eyes ¡ª almost like she¡¯s afraid to make


    eye contact with me.


    I waited for her to speak but after a few moments, I realized she wasn¡¯t going to.


    ¡°Js there a reason you¡¯re here?¡± I asked. I could only assume she was somehow involved with Liam if she was entering my


    cell.


    It takes her a second to speak, but when she does, her voice is soft and meek. ¡°I was tasked with bringing you something


    to eat,¡± she said, and then she holds the stic baggie up for me to take.


    I took the baggie from her cautiously and examined the contents. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My stomach


    turned. It wasn¡¯t because of the sad-looking sandwich though. It was as if my stomach had just registered the idea of


    food for the first time in hours, and since I was Chapter 85 still recovering from the drugs, it just made me more


    nauseous than


    anything else.


    ¡°Is this one drugged?¡± | asked and the question came out a little harsher than I meant it to.


    The girl looked up at me with wide eyes. ¡°What? No!¡±


    I still wasn¡¯tpletely convinced, but her tone was sincere enough that I didn¡¯t immediately hand it back. Even if the


    thought of food made me want to throw up right now, I didn¡¯t know when the next time Pd be fed was. (2


    And if I¡¯m going to get out of here, I¡¯m going to need the energy for it.


    The girl nced toward the door, but before she could make her exit, I asked her, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think she meant any real harm, but while she was here, I might as well learn as much as I could about where here was.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She didn¡¯t look like she wanted to answer me but she did anyway. ¡°Aria,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Lm rk,¡± I told her. ¡°Are you working with Liam?¡± That question seemed to unnerve her and she nced at the door


    again. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m supposed to be¡­talking to you,¡± she murmured. She reminded me of a nervous little rabbit,


    anxious that the wrong step Chapter 85


    would be herst one.


    ¡°sorry, I don¡¯t want to get you in trouble,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ve just been down here awhile with nob*dy to talk to. And you¡¯re the


    first woman I¡¯ve


    seen.¡±


    She is silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m part of Liam¡¯s pack,¡± she replied, ¡°I¡¯m working for the cause.¡± (2


    The cause? What a totally harmless name for the way Liam is trying to kill


    Griffin and keep me in a prison cell.


    ¡°Can I ask why?¡± As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized I¡¯d been too pushy.


    Her eyes darted toward the exit again. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, I can¡¯t be talking to you.¡± She scurried out the door before | could


    get another word in, locking it with a heavy ng.


    I slid down the wall, the stic baggie still in my hands. My stomach turned again.


    Yeah, I¡¯ve really got to find a way to get out of here.

 Chapter 86

    ¡°We don¡¯t shout ¡®don¡¯t panic¡¯ to anyone who¡¯s in panic!¡± (+ Toba Beta


    Griffin used to think that the emptiness he felt before finding his mate was the worst it could get. All those nights he¡¯d lie


    awake in bed, wondering if he¡¯d never meet her, if maybe she¡¯d already died in some horrific way and he hadn¡¯t been


    able to protect her¡­all of that anxiety paled inparison to what he was feeling now.


    The anxiety of the unknown was nothingpared to what it felt like to know that his mate was in real danger. Not


    imaginary danger his brain conjured up when he was alone and anxious, but real, palpable danger.


    And it was his fault.


    She might as well have been taken directly from his arms. They ¨C the traitorous spies working for Alpha Liam ~ had stolen


    her right out from under his roof. To think he¡¯d only been a few hallways away the entire time, that he could¡¯ve prevented


    this if he hadn¡¯t been too busy ying politics.


    You should rip out their throats. All of them, his wolf growled inside of his head. Chapter 86


    Since he¡¯d discovered his mate¡¯s disappearance hours ago, his wolf had spent most of the time growling and whimpering


    ¨C sometimes both.


    ¡°T want to know how the f**k this happened,¡± Griffin snarled. ¡°I want to know how my mate got kidnapped in a castle


    full of people.¡±


    He was standing in a room with his most trusted advisors and the guards who¡¯d been on duty when rk disappeared. He stood at the head of the table, his ws digging into the wood until it splintered beneath his sharp nails.


    The room was dead silent.


    None of them dared to meet his gaze. Most of them looked nervous and panicked, whether that was because their


    Queen was kidnapped or they were just too afraid to elicit his wrath, he wasn¡¯t sure. He didn¡¯t care. None of it really mattered ~ nothing but finding his mate mattered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    The voice that broke the silence didn¡¯t belong to any of the guards or the advisors, but to the curly-haired girl standing


    in the corner: Alpha Alessia. Her face was twisted into a frown, and like Griffin, she was still clothed in the same outfit


    she¡¯d worn to the reception.


    Griffin hadn¡¯t said a word when Alessia and Lily Bellevue sl*pped into the meeting he¡¯d called with his advisors or guards.


    He might¡¯ve forced them out if it had been anyone else, but this was rk¡¯s sister and sister-inw. They deserved to


    know what was happening to their Chapter 86


    family, and if nothing else, they could be assets in the search.


    When Griffin didn¡¯t immediately reply, Alessia kept talking. ¡°I mean, this was the perfect opportunity to kidnap


    someone,¡± she exined, ¡°All of the guards were stationed where the guests were ¨C at the party. And it¡¯s the biggest


    event of the decade, with most of the werewolf world being invited. nting someone or even a couple of people at the


    party? That would¡¯ve been a piece of cake for Alpha Liam. All his little spy had to do was get her alone and subdue her.¡± )


    Griffin hated that she was right ¨C that he hadn¡¯t been able to see the ring w in having such a public coronation. This


    was his fault. He should have waited until he¡¯d been able to hunt down Alpha Liam and kill him before crowning his mate.


    But he hadn¡¯t, and his own impatience to make her his queen had painted a target on her back.


    I¡¯m going to kill him. I¡¯m going to rip Liam¡¯s throat out with my teeth.


    That violent thought hade from Griffin this time, not his wolf ~ although the beast was growling in agreement deep


    inside his mind.


    Before he could respond to Alessia¡¯s words, the door to the meeting room opened and two guards stepped through.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± one of them, a burly guard, said, ¡°We searched the balcony and hallway as you requested, and found this.


    It was discarded in the corner of the Chapter 86


    balcony.¡±


    He clutched a dark suit jacket in his hands, and ced it gently on the table for the rest of the room to take in. Griffin


    narrowed his eyes at the fabric. It must¡¯ve been from a guest, but the fact that they¡¯d found it on the same balcony his mate disappeared on?


    ¡®That couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. ¡°Wait, let me see.¡±


    Pushing her way through a couple of advisors and guards, Lily Bellevue didn¡¯t even bother asking for permission before


    she grabbed the jacket and took a long whiff.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Griffin asked, and his voice came out a little harsher than intended. Not that he really cared ¡ª he had no


    time for pleasantries or politeness right now.


    ¡°This scent,¡± Lily said with red nostrils, ¡°I¡¯ve definitely smelt it before.¡± Alessia crept up behind Lily, keeping a hand on


    the small of her back.


    Lily took another long sniff. ¡°It¡¯s familiar¡­give me a second,¡± she said.


    She stayed like that for a moment, pressing her face into the jacket and


    keeping her eyes closed in concentration.


    Several feet away, the anticipation was practically killing Griffin. He just wanted a name ¨C a f**king name he could hunt


    down and kill. Chapter 86


    ¡°I remember now,¡± Lily finally said, opening her eyes and looking at Griffin, ¡°The first night I came here with my siblings, we had dinner with your father. There were other people too here¡­and this scent was there. I remember it.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s heart pounded. This f**ker had been in his home before this?


    She took another sniff. ¡°And he sat close to us at the meeting,¡± she continued, ¡°God, his name¡­Elias? No. Ezekiel? No.


    Ezra! That¡¯s it! Ezra of the Lock Heart pack. He had a British ent.¡±


    Ezra of the Lock Heart pack.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Griffin didn¡¯t know this Ezra, but he knew of the Lock Heart pack. Their Alpha had been close with his father long ago,


    and they shared some of the same traditionalist beliefs. Clearly, that pack hadn¡¯t given up on those beliefs ¨C not if they were willing to side with Liam,e into his home and kidnap his Queen.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that¡¯s the scent?¡± Griffin asked, and for the first time since he¡¯d entered the room, his skin was no longer


    crawling.


    Lily nodded.


    As if he could sense Griffin¡¯s intentions, one of his advisors butted in, ¡°Your Majesty! Don¡¯t you think we should proceed


    with caution? This situation isplicated enough. We may have a lead, but the note says Chapter 86


    that Alpha Liam wants to negotiate. Shouldn¡¯t we wait to hear his demands before we act? We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re walking into!¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lily cut in, pressing her face into the fabric, ¡°There¡¯s something


    else too. It¡¯s faint, but¡­I smell my sister¡¯s scent on this jacket.¡± That was all the confirmation Griffin needed.


    He didn¡¯t say a word, but something stifling and powerful fell over the room. His raw power. Nob*dy spoke, they didn¡¯t


    dare say a word. Griffin¡¯s ws dug further into the wood of the table, splintering itpletely.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not waiting,¡± he finally said, his voice dangerously calm, ¡°¡¯m not going to negotiate or hear demands. There¡¯s


    nothingplicated about it at all ¨C I¡¯m going to find my mate and then I¡¯m going to kill everyone involved.¡±


    If anyone had any objections to that, they didn¡¯t voice them.

 Chapter 87

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Chapter 87 Chapter 87 ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the power of being underestimated.¡± )


    Tim Fargo


    I¡¯d begun to notice a pattern when Aria visited my cell. She came three times a day, always with food and a bottle of water. Most of the time, it was just sandwiches or leftovers ¨C probably scraps from wherever their kitchen was.


    It was three meals per day, and after six visits, I was able to piece together a time frame: it had been two days since I¡¯d


    been kidnapped. Her visits barelysted a minute, and while I would try and make conversation with her, she was too


    flighty. She looked like a deer in headlights whenever I asked a question, and she¡¯d usually just ignore me.


    But I wasn¡¯t done trying.


    The initial panic and terror I¡¯d felt upon realizing I¡¯d been kidnapped


    had dulled, especially since Aria was the only person I¡¯d seen for the


    past few days. Alpha Liam never returned after that first conversation,


    so I could only assume he was giving me more time to ¡°think it over.¡± } Chapter 87


    Spending all my time in a dingy prison cell wasn¡¯t pleasant, but it at least gave me time to think. Time to think about how


    I was going to get out of this situation. Time to think about how stupid I was to ept a drink from a stranger. (*)


    Come on, rk. You¡¯re a teenage girl. What¡¯s the number one rule at parties? Don¡¯t ept drinks from strange men.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    That doesn¡¯t change just because you¡¯re around werewolves or a Queen.


    I reyed that moment over and over again in my brain. Each time, I did something different. Sometimes, I would take


    the drink Ezra offered, throw it in his face, and scream for the guards.


    Other times, I never even left to get fresh air at all.)


    But hindsight could do nothing to change my current predicament, and Thad to force myself to stop thinking about it. I¡¯d


    have plenty of time to ruminate on my stupid decisions when I was out of here, but first, I needed to figure out my


    escape n.


    When Aria entered the cell with my dinner that night ¨C a turkey sandwich with chips and a water bottle ¡ª I was more


    determined than


    ever to make use of the limited human interaction I got.


    ¡°You said you worked for ¡®the cause,¡± I said as I sipped the water. Aria practically froze on the spot, her blue eyes widening. ¡°How did you get involved with Alpha Liam?¡± I knew it was a personal question, but I had to start somewhere. Maybe if I got Ariafortable enough to open up, I could probe her for information that would help me get out of


    here. Chapter 87


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not sure if I¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry,¡± I cut her off, ¡°It¡¯s not as if I can do anything with what you tell me. I couldn¡¯t even get you in


    trouble if | tried ¨C you¡¯re the only person who visits me.¡±


    Aria still looked hesitant so I continued. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer either,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡¯m down here alone. The


    istion has been making me chattier than normal.¡±


    Aria bit her l*p, ncing at the open doorway. I began to wonder if this was another failed attempt when she finally


    spoke, her voice just as meek as I remembered. ¡°Alpha Liam is a family friend of my father,¡± she murmured, ¡°He¡¯s an


    Alpha too. I¡¯ve known Alpha Liam my entire life, he¡¯s been sharing traditionalist views with my family for as long as I can


    remember. Now that I¡¯m old enough, I can finally help.¡±


    ¡°and how do you help?¡±


    Aria averted her eyes to the dirt-coated stone floor. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to be giving you details¡­¡±


    I knew I was treading a thin line. If I pushed her too far, Aria would m up and leave ¡ª and possibly tell Liam I was


    fishing for information.


    ¡°Look,¡± I told her, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much you know about me, but I¡¯m not exactly a threat to you or your cause. I¡¯m


    stuck down here for as long as Alpha Liam wants, and if I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t know that Chapter 87


    much about the traditionalists. I guess I¡¯m just a little curious to know what¡¯s got everyone so worked up that they¡¯d


    kidnap a Queen and overthrow a King.¡±


    My exnation seemed to soothe some of Aria¡¯s hesitation because she started talking again. ¡°I help the cause in the


    ways I¡¯m allowed,¡± she said, ¡°I cook for the warriors and split up the domestic duties with the other women here. It¡¯s an


    honor to be able to serve the way I was meant to.¡± Her tone was full of sincerity, and from the way that she squared her


    shoulders, I could tell she was proud to ¡°serve¡± the cause.


    Even if serving this cause means serving up food and freshly-cleanedundry, I guess.


    I suppose I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. After all, traditionalists believed that women were only capable of handling


    domestic duties. Why would Alpha Liam run his pack any differently?


    ¡°and you¡¯re happy with that?¡± I asked, ¡°Cooking dinner or bringing down meals to a prisoner while the men handle all


    the ns and the fighting, I assume.¡±


    Aria bristled. ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I shrugged, ¡°I guess if it were me, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be satisfied with that.¡± I knew I probably should have


    shut my mouth and stopped talking. There was no way I wasn¡¯t going to upset her by saying that, but I couldn¡¯t help


    myself. There was some twisted curiosity inside me that wanted to know how far these traditionalist beliefs and their


    brainwashing ran, especially in a girl who couldn¡¯t have been much older than me. (+


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not one of us, so you wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Aria shot back, and her voice was as hard as I¡¯d ever heard it. She


    was definitely pissed off, that much was obvious. ¡°But for female wolves, we can only be happy when we¡¯re serving our mates, our packs, or our Alphas. Not that I¡¯d know much about that first one yet, but one day I will.¡± ()


    ¡°But don¡¯t you ever want someone to serve you? You know, something that feels a little more equal?¡±


    ¡°They do serve me,¡± Aria said, ¡°The men in this pack protect me. They protect all the women here. Without them, without


    Alpha Liam, we¡¯d be vulnerable and alone.¡±


    ¡°What is he protecting you from?¡±


    ¡°From the world, of course,¡± Aria snapped, and her voice began to rise, ¡°The world is dangerous, but it¡¯s men like Alpha


    Liam that know how to keep us safe. You asked me if I was happy to serve, and Iam ¨C I owe him everything. He¡¯s willing to


    put his life on the line to lead and protect women like me from the dangers of this world.¡±


    ¡°So, he protects you from the world and that means you¡¯re stuck spending the rest of your life ironing his shirts and


    doing his dishes?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to serve Alpha Liam in any way that I can ¨C the kitchen, theundry room,


    his b*d.¡± She Chapter 87


    immediately stopped talking, her eyes going wide. \¡¯) His b*d?


    From the way that Aria¡¯s face began to turn red, I could tell she hadn¡¯t meant to say thatst part.


    ¡°His b*d?¡± I repeated, ¡°Are you his mate?¡±


    ¡®The red was starting to spread down to her n*eck, and she could no longer look me in the eye. ¡°No, I¡¯m not lucky


    enough to be his mate,¡± she murmured, and there was no more fire in her voice, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t serve him


    when he needs it. He spends so much time protecting us, trying to better this world¡­he has needs like any other man.¡±


    There was a pause, and then she added, ¡°I¡¯m happy to do it¡­really. I told you ¡ª I owe him everything.¡±


    My stomach began to twist into knots, and whatever appetite I¡¯d had was definitely gone now.


    Aria took a step back, clearing her throat. ¡°You have your dinner,¡± she said, ncing down at the untouched sandwich in


    my hands, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    She scurried to the door, but she stopped at the threshold of the room to look back at me onest time. ¡°Clearly, you¡¯ve


    had a lot of time to think,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Alpha Liam will be happy to hear that ¡ª he¡¯s been waiting to talk to you


    again.¡± Chapter 87


    My stomach was a pretzel by the time the door shut and her footsteps echoed down the hall.

 Chapter 88

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    ¡°Be careful what you wish for. There¡¯s always a catch.¡± Laurie Halse Anderson


    Aria hadn¡¯t been wrong when she said I had plenty of time to think during my captivity. I did think a lot. I thought about


    escape.


    The door was all silver, minus the doorknob. It was clearly locked from the other side, but even if it wasn¡¯t, it was far too


    heavy for me to move on my own. My only shot of making an escape from the cell was waiting for someone else to open


    it, and then overpowering them.


    Thad very little faith I¡¯d stand a chance against someone like Liam, but Aria was smaller than I was. She was still a werewolf, and definitely stronger than me, but she was skittish enough that I might be able to catch her surprise. (*


    The only problem was that I didn¡¯t know what was waiting on the other side of the door. Liam had said I was the only


    prisoner in these cells, but that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t guards patrolling outside.


    If I did manage to escape, I had no idea what was I walking ¨C or running ¨C into.


    Unfortunately, all of this hinged on Aria¡¯s next visit ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t Chapter 88


    the next person to enter my cell. It was Alpha Liam.


    Theard his thunderous footsteps echo down the hall, and by the time he¡¯d opened the door, I had already swallowed


    down my fear. I wish I could say that my mind was sharp or at its best, but after three days in dark istion, I certainly felt


    rough around the edges.


    And if the pleased smirk on Liam¡¯s face was any indication, I didn¡¯t look much better either.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, his tone mocking, ¡°I trust the amodations have been to your liking?¡±


    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± I bit back sarcastically, ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t been troubling your chefs with all the gourmet meals.¡± I


    gestured to the water bottle and half-eaten turkey sandwich sitting in a stic baggie on the floor.


    Liam just grinned. ¡°Well, I¡¯d offer nothing less to a Queen,¡± he said, and then his voice took on a hard note, ¡°Or at least


    someone who likes ying dress up as one. Those of us who actually rule know it¡¯s more than just putting on pretty


    clothes and a crown.¡±


    Ihadn¡¯t nned on responding to that insult, but then my mind shed back to Aria and what she¡¯d let sl*p to me during


    ourst conversation. (7) Chapter 88


    ¡°and does ¡®actually ruling¡¯ include getting S**ual favors from young girls?¡± I shot back, ¡°I mean, you can call me what


    you want¡­but I¡¯ve never forced any of my subjects into my b*d.¡± 2


    The smirk dropped from Liam¡¯s face, and with it, my heart began beating like a drum inside my chest. Had I gone too far?


    ¡®There was a beat of silence between us, and then Liam¡¯s l*ps curled into a snarl. ¡°I¡¯d watch that mouth of yours,¡± Liam


    said, his voice barely above a growl, ¡°That boy may tolerate disrespect, but I don¡¯t. You may find yourself in a simr


    position as those ¡®young girls¡¯ if you aren¡¯t careful.¡± |!)


    My stomach dropped.


    I would like to say that Liam¡¯s threat didn¡¯t terrify me, but it did. I was alone, powerless, and at his mercy. He could very well make good on any threats he wanted, and there would be nob*dy here to save me.


    Liam seemed fully aware of that too. The snarl on his l*ps had curved back into a smile ¡ª he knew he was in control of


    the situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put this unpleasantness aside,¡± he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and taking a step towards me, ¡°I offered


    you a deal. Do you


    want it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll really let me go if I agree?¡± I asked, ¡°Just let me back into the human world as long as I promise not to return?¡±


    Even as I said, I had no intentions of following through with the deal. Chapter 88


    If Liam gave me the chance to get out of here, I¡¯d use to find my way back to Griffin.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the basic idea,¡± he said, ¡°Of course, this all hinges on the fact that you¡¯d disappear forever. I¡¯m not so sure


    you haven¡¯t be attached to the werewolf world, to that boy.¡± He paused, staring at me. ¡°Ld like to be able to release


    you, rk¡­I¡¯m just not sure you¡¯d hold up your end of the deal.¡±


    It took everything in me not to scoff and roll my eyes. I should¡¯ve known Liam wasn¡¯t serious about the deal ¨C it had


    been too good to be true.


    But maybe there¡¯s still a chance to convince him that he doesn¡¯t need to worry about me.


    If can just convince Liam to let me out of here, then I¡¯ll be able to get back to Griffin.


    He just needs to believe that I don¡¯t want anything to do with werewolves.


    Pd spent enough time resenting werewolves that I had no problem putting on a show for Liam even if my feelings didn¡¯t


    ring true anymore.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± I said, and | tried to muster up as much sincerity as I could,¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I never wanted any of this -¡ª living with werewolves, having a mate, being Queen. | wanted to go to college, spend time with


    my human mom.¡± Chapter 88


    As I spoke, the words felt hollow. Three or four months ago, I would¡¯ve believed them ¨C that having a human life would


    be enough for me.


    But I knew better now. Iwas done denying the part of me that belonged to this world.


    Liam raised his eyebrows, ¡°Is that so? Even after being crowned Queen, you still want to leave?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, ¡°I never belonged in the werewolf world. I¡¯m human. T want to live a human life.¡±


    ¡°And that boy?¡± Liam asked, ¡°The one who calls himself King? You¡¯d be fine to leave him behind to face my wrath?¡±


    It took everything in me not to cringe at the idea of Griffin facing down Liam, but I managed not to. I had to keep my


    true feelings out of my voice and off my face.


    ¡°He¡¯s done nothing but try to force me into a role I don¡¯t want,¡± I said, ¡°I tried to leave, and he just dragged me back. I¡¯ll


    be better off without him. I hate him.¡± There was a bitter taste in my mouth as I talked about Griffin that way, but I


    reminded myself that there was no other way. |¡±)


    If I ever wanted to see Griffin again, I had to sell this. Liam was silent as he mulled over my words, and I held my breath.


    ¡°Lm d to hear you feel that way, rk,¡± he finally said, and there was Chapter 88


    a new glint in his eyes, ¡°It seems we¡¯re on the same page. I¡¯ll have no problem letting you go off to live your sad little


    human life.¡±


    He bought it. T think he bought it. Had Liam still not have been standing there, I would¡¯ve jumped for joy.


    ¡°And your resentment for that boy,¡± he continued, ¡°That¡¯s good. That means you¡¯ll have no problem helping me with the


    last part of my n.¡±


    My stomach dropped.


    ¡°What do you mean? I thought you were going to let me go,¡± I said, barely managing to keep the panic out of my voice.


    Liam chuckled. ¡°Oh, I will,¡± he said, ¡°But I still need to kill that troublesome mate of yours, and if I¡¯m to lure him here, I¡¯ll


    need you to act as bait.¡±


    ¡°Bait?¡± I repeated. ¡°Yes, bait,¡± he said, ¡°If Griffin knows that | have you, he¡¯lle to negotiate for your freedom. That¡¯s when I¡¯ll kill him, and after that,


    you¡¯ll be free to leave this world.¡±


    I should¡¯ve known it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as getting to leave right now. Of


    course Liam just wants to use me as bait. Chapter 88


    When I didn¡¯t immediately reply, Liam kept talking. ¡°Consider it one final task in the way of your freedom. We¡¯ll discuss


    the details as the dayes upon us, but if you hate him as much as you say, then you should have no problem helping


    me with this.¡±


    Liam began walking to the door, but just before he left, he turned to look at me onest time. ¡°You should consider


    yourself lucky,¡± he said, and his tone was full of mock sympathy, ¡°The death of a mate incapicitates most werewolves, you


    know. Our wolves go insane with the severed bond. But you humans¡­I¡¯ve heard your too weak to even feel any of the mate bond. You can¡¯t ess it, feel it, connect with it like we do. When I kill that mate of yours, you¡¯ll be able to move on with your life without any of those nasty feelings to worry about.¡± \¡±)


    With that, the heavy door shut behind Liam with a ng and I was left alone in the dark. The thought of Griffin dying, of


    being forced to participate in it, made me sick.


    Hisst words rung in my head. Mate bond or not, I¡¯d never be able to just move on with my life if Griffin died.


    And Liam is wrong ~ I¡¯ve felt the mate bond before. I gasped, the sound echoing through the empty room. Oh my God.


    The mate bond. That¡¯s it. I can ess the mate bond.


    I remembered the dreams I¡¯d had when Griffin had left the castle, how Id felt the mate bond soothe me one night. Ivan


    had told me that it Chapter 88


    was possible to ess the mate bond when emotions were high enough.


    If can ess the mate bond, maybe it¡¯s possible I can get some sort of message to Griffin. Maybe I can let him know


    what Liam is nning.


    Thest time I¡¯d essed the mate bond, it had been an ident. I wasn¡¯t even sure how to go about it or if I¡¯d be able


    tomunicate


    with Griffin, but I knew I had to try.


    It was my only option right now.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 89

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    ¡°Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.¡±


    Rumi


    As it turned out, essing the bond was not as easy as I thought it would be. I tried everything ¡ª picturing Griffin¡¯s face


    in my mind, thinking about us physically together, even imagining some psychic thread that tied us together.


    None of it worked.


    Iwas no closer to essing the bond than before, and the only thing Pd gotten was a headache.


    I¡¯d never really wished to be a werewolf, but at that moment, all I


    wanted was a wolf. If not for the supernatural strength that might give me a solid shot against Liam, then just so I could


    have a little spiritual guidance. A wolf spirit in my head telling me what to do? Yeah, that¡¯d be very helpful right about


    now.


    Come on, rk. You can do this. You essed the bond once before. You just have to figure out how to do it again.


    I took another shot at picturing Griffin¡¯s face in my mind, thinking Chapter 89


    about what I¡¯d tell him if he was here. Still nothing.


    Briefly, | wondered if I could ess the bond without feeling it, but dismissed that idea pretty quickly. The first time I¡¯d


    done this, I had definitely felt it.


    What was it that Ivan had told me? That it was possible to ess the bond with heightened emotions? Maybe that¡¯s what I need to do.


    Thad tried my hardest to stay calm these days, thinking that I needed to keep a clear head if I wanted to escape. But


    maybe the key wasn¡¯t burying those negative emotions, but embracing them, letting them overwhelm me.


    With a deep breath, that¡¯s exactly what I tried to do.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I thought about the possibility that I¡¯d end up rotting away in this prison cell, that Liam¡¯s n might work and Griffin


    could die. And Griffin would probably only die in pursuit of saving me, of trying to rescue me from Liam. His death, and


    anyb*dy else who died trying to help him, would be my fault.


    My heart sped up in my chest, a knot forming in my stomach but I didn¡¯t stop.


    I pictured the way this world would look after Griffin¡¯s death, no doubt a world oppressed by a bloodthirsty tyrant.


    My stomach continued to twist into knots, and my heart had begun beating so fast that I felt like I could hardly breathe.


    Oh, God. I think I¡¯m about to have a panic attack.


    I pressed on, thinking about the way I¡¯d be stuck in this cell while it all yed out, just another one of Liam¡¯s pawns.


    My shallow breathing echoed throughout dark room, and as I tried to catch my breath, my skin was crawling.


    Yeah, I¡¯m definitely about to have a panic attack. I just need ¨C And then I felt it.


    The bond opened up inside my mind, covering me like a warm nket of tranquility. My breathing immediately calmed


    and so did my brain ~ it was as if someone had just shot me full of sedatives.


    It was even stronger than I remembered it, but as much as | just wanted to bask in thefort, I knew I couldn¡¯t.


    With closed eyes, I could feel the bond so clearly that I might as well have been physically looking at it. It was a strong, warm chord connecting us. I couldn¡¯t see Griffin, but for the first time in days, I could feel him. I could sense his presence


    on the other side, almost close enough for me to reach out and touch him.


    There was so much I wanted to say to him, but I didn¡¯t. Chapter 89


    I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d be able to keep the bond open, so I had to make sure I got the important information


    through. The J love yous and I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m such an idiot who went and got kidnapped could be saved for when I saw him


    in person.


    I wasn¡¯t even entirely sure how tomunicate with Griffin either. I could feel him, but it¡¯s not as if I was on the phone


    with him. The mate bond hadn¡¯te with a user manual.


    So, I did the only thing I could do ¨C I let my intuition guide me.


    I saw the chord connecting us in my mind, and with hesitant fingers, I reached out to touch it. To my surprise, the chord


    responded immediately to my touch, rippling underneath my fingers like water. 1)


    Well, that did¡­something.


    If Griffin was on the other side of that bond, then maybe I could ¡°send¡± images or thoughts his way.


    No harm in trying.


    This time, there was no hesitancy as I grabbed the chord with all five fingers, gripping it tight. As soon as I felt the warmth sped in my fist, I pushed every thought I could into the bond ¨C pictures of my surroundings, my conversations


    with Liam and Aria, every experience Pd had since getting kidnapped.


    The bond rippled with each thought as if it was picking them up as Chapter 89


    clearly as it had the touch of my fingers. When I was done, I let go of the chord,


    I stared at the connection as the bond finally steadied and became still again. I waited for Griffin to send something back,


    but nothing came way.


    I¡¯m not even sure how long I stayed like that, but it was long enough that it felt like my concentration was sl*pping and


    the warmth of the bond had begun to fade.


    Come on, Griffin. Please. Give me a sign that you saw that, felt it ~ something!


    There was no answer to my silent pleas.


    The warmth continued to fade and I could feel our connection waning, the bond closing.


    Griffint


    Had I lost my one shot to warn Griffin about Liam¡¯s ns? Had my attempt been for nothing?


    The warmth was almostpletely gone now, and with it, the chord Pd seen so clearly in my mind was thinning too. It


    had be a string, barely there.


    And then I felt it ¨C the warmth of the bond returned in onerge wave Chapter 89


    and thergest ripple I¡¯d ever seen made its way down the bond. ) ¡°My little fox.¡±


    His voice, clear as day, came through the connection.


    Before I could respond, the connection was gone.


    The bond closed between us with a harsh snap! and suddenly, I was back in my prison cell, the warmth all disappeared.


    That should¡¯ve upset me, but all I could feel was relief. If Griffin was able to send his own message, then surely, he¡¯d


    heard mine. All I could hope was that my thoughts had been enough of a warning for him to decipher Liam¡¯s ns.


    I basked in that relief for a few moments, but familiar footsteps echoing down the hall cut right through thatfort.


    Great. What now?

 Chapter 90

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Chapter 90 Chapter 90


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a person in this city more dangerous than a wolf whose mate is in danger.¡±


    Patricia Briggs 7)


    Although Griffin had no ns to negotiate with Liam, his ¡°demands¡± came the next day. Those demands came in the


    form of a boy, who couldn¡¯t have been older than thirteen, showing up on the border of the royal territory.


    He¡¯de with nothing but the clothes on his back and a message for Griffin: Alpha Liam will meet you in two days at


    Lock Heart territory. Come alone. He¡¯s prepared to hand over your mate and let you live in exchange for your willing


    surrender of the crown.


    That message had beenughable, even when Griffin heard it from the child¡¯s own l*ps. Did Liam really think it would be


    that easy? That he¡¯d just show up,pletely alone, and bend the knee to a tyrant? That might as well have been a


    suicide mission.


    If Liam had even half a brain cell, then he knew there was no surrender. Not for anyone. Perhaps Liam would try to


    surrender when this was all said and done, when Griffin had taken out his entire army and those who supported him, but


    it would be pointless. There was no possible oue where Liam came out of this situation alive. Chapter 90


    And those around Griffin seemed to agree ~ especially Lily and Alessia.


    ¡°Does he think we¡¯re stupid?¡± Alessia scoffed. All three of them stood in one of Griffin¡¯s meeting rooms. He¡¯d call a


    meeting with his advisorster, but for now, he only cared to update those who cared just as much about rescuing his mate as he did: her sister and her sister¡¯s mate. .*


    Not to mention, both women had proved themselves quite valuable these past few days. As resourceful as they were, he


    didn¡¯t mind using them as a sounding board for his ideas.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± Griffin growled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he used a little boy to deliver his message,¡± Lily added. ¡°How sick is this guy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s his own version of a fail-safe,¡± Griffin exined. ¡°If he handed over one of his warriors, he¡¯d be losing a soldier and


    it¡¯s possible we could torture him for information.¡±


    ¡°A child isn¡¯t as ¡®valuable¡¯ to Liam¡¯s cause,¡± Alessia continued, ¡°Plus,


    he¡¯s counting on the fact that we wouldn¡¯t hurt a child.¡±


    And he was right. Griffin had no ns to hurt the child. That¡¯s something his father might¡¯ve done, but not him.


    He was only a sl*p of a boy anyway, clearly terrified and just following orders. He¡¯d put the boy up in one of the guest


    bedrooms under guard, and sent Nadia in with something to eat. Chapter 90


    If the child did have information, Griffin was sure he¡¯d be much more


    willing to give it to them under a few nkets than under a knife.


    ¡°What¡¯s crazy,¡± Alessia said, her face twisted into a dark frown, ¡°Is that Liam expects you to believe he¡¯d follow through


    on his demands. Even if you did go there alone and surrender in exchange for rk¡¯s life, there¡¯s no way Liam would let


    you walk out alive.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Griffin replied, ¡°He¡¯s trying to seize the crown by force but you don¡¯t dethrone a king unless you Kill him. I


    know that better than anyone. I have no doubt that Liam intends to kill me and my mate.¡±


    Even as he said it, the thought of his little fox dying was like a gut punch. That would not happen, Griffin would not allow


    it. If he had to take down Liam¡¯s entire army with just his own ws and teeth to keep her alive, he would.


    These past few days, he had tried to channel the anger and panic he felt over her capture into the rescue mission. It


    didn¡¯t make the agony or panic go away, but at least he could put them to use. They kept him sharp and constantly


    aware, thinking of how he was going to save her. He hadn¡¯t slept in three days, and he¡¯d only eaten enough to keep him


    on his feet. Every ounce of energy he had went towards nning her rescue.


    ¡°The Lock Heart pack,¡± Lily suddenly said, her eyebrows furrowed, ¡°That¡¯s Ezra¡¯s pack. Liam is trying to meet you on


    Ezra¡¯s territory¡­ why?¡± Chapter 90


    ¡°If Thad to guess,¡± Alessia answered, sliding her hand onto the back of Lily¡¯s n*eck in a soothing gesture, ¡°It has to do


    with logistics. Ezra is Liam¡¯s biggest ally ¡ª the Lock Heart pack is huge, so he¡¯s got the biggest army there.¡±


    Alessia was right. The Lock Heart pack wasn¡¯t just the biggest pack in Ennd but in Europe altogether. (7)


    ¡°And that¡¯s what he¡¯s going to use if you show up,¡± Alessia continued, ¡°If that f**ker has his own pack, Ezra¡¯s, and


    whoever else he¡¯s managed to brainwash¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll outnumber my own pack,¡± Griffin finished. He didn¡¯t have the same numbers as Liam, but he doubted Liam¡¯s


    soldiers were as well- trained as his were. Only the best of the best could serve as warriors under the King.


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t just be your pack,¡± Alessia cut in, ¡°Lily and I have warriors too. Our pack isn¡¯t asrge as some, but they¡¯re well-trained and loyal. They won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°and my dad¡¯s pack,¡± Lily added, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt in my mind that my father would give you every single one of my


    soldiers and my brother if you asked, and you should ask. cktooth is one of thergest packs in the US.¡± +)


    With three packs behind him, his numbers would equal Liam¡¯s. And with better-trained soldiers than Liam¡¯s¡­ Chapter 90


    Well, Griffin was one step closer to severing Liam¡¯s head from his b*dy and reuniting with his mate.


    ¡°How soon can you gather your warriors, including your father¡¯s?¡± Griffin asked them.


    The girls looked at each other. ¡°If they shift and run here¡­then tonight,¡± Alessia said. ¡°I¡¯ll mind-link my Beta


    immediately.¡±


    ¡°And ¡¯ll speak with my father and brother,¡± Lily said. ¡°Dad¡¯s worried enough as it is about rk, and my brother will want


    to go with us. I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯


    Griffin nodded. ¡°Good. We leave tonight then,¡± he said, and then he paused. ¡°I hope you know that your help to save


    your Queen doesn¡¯t go unnoticed.¡±


    For a moment, there was a crack in Lily¡¯s worried expression as she rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so stiff with us,


    you know,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to save my ¡®queen¡¯ ~ I¡¯m here to save my sister. They just happen to be the same


    thing. Not to mention, we¡¯re all family here.¡± 2)


    Griffin nodded. She was right. They were family, and that felt like a foreign concept to him. The only family he¡¯d ever


    known was his father, and there hadn¡¯t been much love there. To think his circle had expanded to include inws was


    something he was stilling to terms with. Chapter 90


    ¡°You know,¡± Alessia suddenly cut in, and her voice was quiet and full of something that Griffin couldn¡¯t identify. ¡°This


    rescue mission for


    rk¡­I think you should prepare yourself for the possible oue.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The oue? There is only one oue of this situation ¨C my mate, back in my arms, and Liam


    getting torn to shreds.¡±


    Alessia shook her head, her face stoic. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Even Lily looked confused by what Alessia meant.


    ¡°[ think you should consider that rk may not be the same when shees back to you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Griffin asked even though some part of him, deep down, had a feeling he knew.


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Alessia said, ¡°Liam hates you. He can¡¯t take that hate out on you, but he can take it out on rk, You may get her back alive, but you should prepare for the possibility that Liam may not have been kind to her in captivity.¡±


    (*)


    The growl that tore from Griffin¡¯s mouth rocked the room, and Lily and Alessia barely managed to keep their footing. His


    ws came out, but since he¡¯d been clenching his fists, they only tore into his own skin.


    He barely registered the blood that dripped onto the floor as he Chapter 90


    thought about Alessia¡¯s words.


    It¡¯s not as if he hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that Liam would hurt his little fox in any number of ways. He wasn¡¯t a moron. He knew that Liam would take any chance he could to humiliate and hurt him.


    The problem was that if he thought about it ¨C actually thought about the ways that might happen ¡ª for more than two


    seconds, he was afraid he¡¯d kill whoever was unfortunate enough to be standing close to him.


    Panic and anger only do you good when you¡¯re putting them to use, he reminded himself.


    It took just about every ounce of willpower he had to push the thought of Liam hurting rk to the back of his mind, but


    he managed to do it. Instead, he held onto the one thing he knew ¡ª that she was alive. He¡¯d feel it through their bond if


    she died, he was sure of that.


    That¡¯s all that mattered to him. She was alive. And he was going to make sure she stayed that way. ¡°Right now, all I care


    about is getting her back,¡± Griffin finally ground


    out, ¡°Whatever might¡¯ve happened to het my arms.¡±


    Il fix it when she¡¯s back in


    Alessia didn¡¯t look very convinced, but she didn¡¯t press him further.


    Griffin took another deep breath to calm himself down when suddenly, Chapter 90


    he felt it. The bond. .¡¯)


    It was as if someone had reached into his chest and tugged on his heart so hard that he actually felt himself stumble. He


    steadied himself almost immediately, but Lily and Alessia were both on alert.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lily asked with wide eyes.


    Griffin would¡¯ve answered had it not been for the assault of images that shed through his mind ~a prison cell with a


    heavy silver door, Alpha Liam standing in the doorway, a familiar dress caked with dirt, and a petite girl holding water.


    They onlysted a moment, but there was no mistaking the source. His little fox.


    They were from her. Somehow, she¡¯d reached through the bond and sent them his way. She¡¯d essed the bond, she¡¯d


    actually done it.


    The connection wasn¡¯t strong, but it was there ¨C she was there. She was alive and capable of essing the bond. Before


    he felt it fadepletely, Griffin attempted to reach out and call to her. The connection was gone before he could tell if it


    ever reached her, but he¡¯d hoped it had.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Alessia asked, just as rmed by Lily. They couldn¡¯t see the bond or feel it, but from the way


    he¡¯d lurched forward, Chapter 90


    they must¡¯ve known something had happened. ¡°It was her,¡± Griffin rasped, ¡°The bond¡­I just felt her.¡± Lily gasped. ¡°rk?


    Is she okay?¡±


    Griffin ryed the images to them with as much detail as he could, although his voice turned into a growl once he


    mentioned Liam. She¡¯d clearly interacted with him, but he couldn¡¯t tell much from just the sh of an image.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Alessia said once Griffin had finished talking, ¡°That prison cell¡­it had a heavy silver door? And no


    windows? Like it was underground?¡±


    Griffin nodded. ¡°From what I could tell, yes.¡± Alessia was silent for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°What are you thinking, sweetheart?¡± Lily asked, turning to her mate with concern.


    ¡°The Crescent Moon Pack, Liam¡¯s pack, built an underground prison system a couple of centuries ago. It¡¯s the most


    impressive prison I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± Alessia exined, ¡°To be honest, I only know this because I was considering


    something simr for mine, so I did some research a while ago.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lily said, ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s where he¡¯s keeping rk? At Chapter 90


    his pack? In his message, he wanted Griffin toe to Ennd ~ that¡¯s an ocean away from where you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°ve been to Liam¡¯s territory,¡± Griffin cut in, ¡°Before the coronation. I took some of my warriors with me, but when I got


    there, thend was abandoned. Perhaps he¡¯s gone back and set up camp again ¡ª it¡¯d be an easy way to throw me off


    his scent.¡±


    ¡°But if Liam and rk are in America,¡± Lily said, ¡°What¡¯s waiting for you at Ezra¡¯s pack, where he wants you to


    surrender?¡±


    ¡°an army, most likely,¡± Alessia spat, her l*ps curling into a snarl. ¡°Of course, a coward like Liam wouldn¡¯t want to go headto-head with you himself. He¡¯ll let his soldiers do the d*rty work, and even if they lose, he¡¯ll still have rk as leverage.¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± Griffin said, ¡°Gather your packs tonight and P¡¯ll gather mine. We leave tonight, and tomorrow¡­I¡¯ll end this


    for good.¡±


    The bond had already closed, but Griffin still called out to her in his mind.


    My little fox. I¡¯ming to save you. I promise.

 Chapter 91

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Chapter 91 Chapter 91


    ¡°It¡¯s not the pain and the wounds that are the worst. The worst is the humiliation.¡±


    Pascal Mercier


    I could tell almost immediately by the soft footsteps that echoed down the hallway that it was Aria who¡¯de to visit


    me, not Liam or anyone else. That was only confirmed when she ducked into the cell looking as nervous as always.


    But any relief I might¡¯ve had about not dealing with Liam became trepidation when I saw that Aria wasn¡¯t holding food in


    her hands, but a stack of clothes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. ¡°You brought¡­clothes?¡±


    Aria looked even less enthusiastic than I did, which was an aplishment these days. Then again, ourst conversation


    hadn¡¯t gone well, and most of that was my fault. I¡¯d been too forceful about getting her to see she wasn¡¯t being treated


    right. I¡¯d pushed too hard.


    Aria could hardly meet my eyes. ¡°Alpha Liam has requested for you to change and join his party,¡± she murmured.


    If there was any sentence that could make my stomach drop, it was Chapter 91


    that one. ¡°His party?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aria said, keeping her eyes on the floor, ¡°Alpha is throwing a party in honor of his allies. He likes the girls to serve


    drinks and food at these events, and¡­he asked for you to serve too.¡±


    ¡°Why does he want me? He hasn¡¯t asked for my presence once since I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my position to question hismands,¡± Aria told me, thrusting the pile of clothes into my arms, ¡°But you¡¯ll


    need to follow me upstairs so you can clean up. Alpha Liam said he¡¯d like you to look pretty.¡±


    A lump made its way into my throat, and I didn¡¯t move from my spot on the floor. I wasn¡¯t sure what Liam¡¯s ¡°parties¡±


    entailed, but I could only assume this was a humiliation tactic. If he was asking me to serve food and drinks, it wasn¡¯t


    because he was short-staffed ¡ª it was because he and whoever else in attendance wanted tough at me. They wanted


    to watch the human Queen debase herself in front of them.


    Or worse. I didn¡¯t want to think about what worse might be.


    ¡°You need to follow me,¡± Aria said, her voice a little firmer this time, ¡°I don¡¯t want to force you, but I will if I have to.¡±


    For a brief moment, I considered resisting. I considered pushing Aria against that heavy silver door and making a run for


    it. But just as soon as I thought about it, | realized it was impractical.


    Maybe I could overpower Aria, but I had no idea what awaited me beyond this cell. If Liam was throwing a party with all


    of his allies, then this ce was probably packed full of wolves who would love to sink their teeth into the human on the


    run.


    Escaping was a nice thought, but it wasn¡¯t time. Yet.


    Instead, I grabbed the clothes and heaved myself off the floor, following Aria out the door. After several days in the dark,


    the lit hallway was almost blinding. It took me a minute to adjust to the light, and Aria said nothing as she waited for me.


    Once I was no longer blinded, I got a full look at my surroundings for the first time.


    This ce really is a dungeon built hundreds of years ago.


    The halll had the same d*rty stone floor, and despite the brightness, the only source of light was the torches lining the


    wall. Down the hallway, I could see several silver doors that looked identical to mine, and most likely, they led to cells


    identical to mine too.


    I didn¡¯t get a ton of time to study the dungeon before Aria was urging me on. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said quietly and gestured


    to a steep stairwell I hadn¡¯t seen before. Following her lead, I began to ascend the stairs. Chapter 91


    As we walked, the muscles in my legs were already burning and I realized that sitting on a dungeon floor for days had


    done me no favors. I¡¯d likely lost a chunk of the muscle mass I¡¯d built in the self-defense


    lessons with Ivan. .¡ã) Just another reason why making my escape now isn¡¯t the best choice.


    When we reached the top, Aria nced back to make sure I was still with her. She led down another hallway, but this one


    didn¡¯t look like it belonged to a dungeon ¡ª it had hardwood floors and realmps.


    We¡¯re in a pack house, | realized.


    They¡¯ve been keeping me in a pack house this whole time. Liam¡¯s pack house, I assume.


    It didn¡¯t look quite the same as the one at my father¡¯s pack, but it was simr enough for me to recognize the structure.


    T almost made a snarkyment about Liam having a medieval dungeon in his basement, but I managed to hold my


    tongue. I had a


    feeling Aria wouldn¡¯t appreciate any backtalk about her Alpha.


    There were several doors in the hallway, all of them closed, but Aria stopped in front of one. This one just looked like a


    regr door, not like the heavy silver ones in the basement.


    Another nce back at me before Aria turned the doorknob, revealing a small bare bedroom. There wasn¡¯t anything


    decorative about it ¡ª just a Chapter 91


    twin bed with white sheets and a vanity on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Is this your bedroom?¡± I asked. She¡¯d begun pulling out all sorts of makeup products andying them out on the vanity


    table.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s not just mine ¨C a couple of girls share it¡±


    I gestured towards the twin bed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that get a little cramped?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t sleep here very often,¡± she confessed, ¡°And when we do, it¡¯s usually one at a time.¡±


    I was about to ask where she did sleep when I realized I didn¡¯t need to ¡ª she¡¯d already told me. She slept with Liam. I


    assumed the other girls must¡¯ve too or maybe with someone close to his status.


    Aria walked to another door I hadn¡¯t seen in the room, one that led to a bathroom. ¡°You can take a shower in here,¡± she


    exined, ¡°There is some shampoo and conditioner in the shower. Please make it quick though. I¡¯ll be right outside.¡±


    The bathroom was just as bare as the bedroom. Just a small shower, sink, and toilet with white tile floors. Not even a mirror to look at yourself in. However, as Aria shut the door behind me, I realized it was the first opportunity I¡¯d had to


    clean myself in days.


    Thest time I¡¯d showered or even changed my outfit had been right before the coronation. The dingy cell I¡¯d been


    sitting in hadn¡¯t been Chapter 91


    much either. Dirt and grime clung to my skin like a secondyer, and my hair was so knotted that I was afraid it might


    permanently stay that way.


    A small part of me knew this was only happening so that I could look presentable enough to humiliate at Liam¡¯s party,


    but I wasn¡¯t about to turn down my first opportunity for a shower in days.


    Still, I kept it as quick as I could to appease Aria. I scrubbed at my skin until it rubbed red, and tackled the rat¡¯s nest that


    had be my hair.


    The hot water was heavenly on my bare skin, but not even a locked bathroom door and a shower curtain could make me


    feel secure. I was still at Liam¡¯s pack house, and he ~ or anyone else ¨C could tear off the lock and walk in whenever they wanted. I doubted Aria would do much to stop them.


    That thought alone had me finishing the shower much sooner than I would¡¯ve liked. I toweled myself off quickly and


    turned to assess the pile of clothes that I¡¯d gotten from Aria: a in pair of panties, a bra, and a sundress that looked way


    too short.


    When I pulled the sundress on, that was confirmed ¨C the dress dipped low enough to show off plenty of cleavage and the


    hem barely reached the top of my thighs. It wasn¡¯t as form-fitting as I thought it would be, and the bottom even red


    out. It wasn¡¯t the kind of dress you¡¯d wear toa club, but something you¡¯d dress your 1950s housewife up in. Really, the


    most impressive part of the dress was that it contained pockets. Chapter 91


    It wasn¡¯t my style by any means, but I also didn¡¯t want toin. Who knew what they¡¯d give me if I caused a fuss?


    So, with a sigh, I tugged the dress down as far as it would go and opened the bathroom door. Aria was sitting at the


    vanity, dressed in a simr sundress and doing her makeup. ¡°How do you like the dress?¡± she asked, and her eyes swept


    over my outfit.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­fine,¡± I replied, ¡°I guess this is the uniform for parties?¡±


    Aria nodded. She¡¯d said Liam wanted his girls to ¡°look pretty,¡± and I guess this was his interpretation of that. The outfit was more feminine than anything else ~ definitely the kind of taste I¡¯d expect from a S**ist megalomaniac.


    ¡°You can give me your old outfit,¡± Aria said, gesturing to the d*rty coronation dress I held in my arms, ¡°I¡¯ll throw it out for


    you.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Instantly, my hands clutched the fabric tightly. She looked at me with wide eyes.


    Thadn¡¯t even meant to react that way, but I wasn¡¯t going to give this dress up. Maybe it was d*rty and ruined, but it was


    also the only thing I had left of my status as Queen. I¡¯d worn this on what was supposed to be one of the best days of my


    life. I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone just toss it away, especially not my captors.


    ¡°The dress is ruined anyway,¡± Aria told me, ¡°And you know¡­you¡¯re not Chapter 91


    Queen anymore.¡± I red at Aria.


    ¡°You¡¯ve agreed to Liam¡¯s deal,¡± she told me softly, ¡°You know it¡¯s true. Besides, women like you and me ~ we¡¯re not meant to hold those kinds


    of positions.¡±


    I swallowed down the anger that threatened to bubble up.


    Don¡¯t engage, rk. It won¡¯t change anything.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve epted the deal,¡± I said, ¡°But¡­ want to keep it. Just as a token. Haven¡¯t you ever wanted to hold onto


    something from a previous life?¡±


    When Aria didn¡¯t immediately reply, I added,* ¡°Please.¡±*


    She sighed. ¡°Alright¡­but you can¡¯t tell anyone I let you keep it. Alpha Liam would probably be furious with me.¡±


    I bit back thement I wanted to make about Alpha Liam. I¡¯d gotten to keep the dress ~ that¡¯s all that mattered right


    now.


    ¡°/¡¯m about finished with the vanity,¡± Aria said, ¡°You cane do your makeup. Nothing crazy. Women should look


    modest but not indecent.¡± Her eyes trailed over the frizzy, knotted mess of my hair, ¡°But perhaps. you should put your


    hair up.¡±


    Not indecent? What does that even mean? I wasn¡¯t aware that makeup c Chapter 91


    ould make a woman look ¡°indecent.¡±


    Still, I took a seat at the vanity and began applying natural makeup. As Aria instructed, I didn¡¯t apply much but just


    enough to enhance my features. With each stroke of the mascara brush or the l*pstick tube, my stomach turned to knots.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I wanted to take this mascara brush and shove it into Liam¡¯s eye.


    Iworked on my hair next, and as I did, Aria fiddled with something in the closet. There wasn¡¯t much hope for brushing it


    out, so I searched the vanity table for some bobby pins and a scrunchie.


    My fingers swept through the products, and then I froze. My breath hitched. Is that what I think it is?


    I nced back at the closet to make sure Aria was still upied before pulling it out for examination.


    That¡¯s exactly what I think it is.


    It had been stuffed into the vanity table like something long forgotten, but as I held it in my fingers, there was no mistaking what it was: a solid silverb.


    It had a few fake rhinestones on it, but the actualb was all silver.


    Well, I know that silver hurts werewolves. Chapter 91


    Tcould use this as a weapon.


    The bristles weren¡¯t knives by any means, but if I stuck someone hard enough, I might be able to impale them.


    ¡°are you finished with your makeup?¡±


    At the sound of Aria¡¯s voice drifting behind me, I moved quickly, shoving theb into the pocket of my dress as


    inconspiciously as possible. And as she walked over, she didn¡¯t appear to have seen my


    movements.


    ¡°Yep, just about done,¡± I told her. I grabbed a couple of bobby pins and pulled my hair up.


    Aria smiled at me softly. ¡°You look good. Are you ready to serve?¡±


    I fingered the silverb in my pocket as I nodded.


    The drunken, boisterousughter of Liam and his allies carried down the hallway, and it was a familiar sound.


    It wasn¡¯t unusual for the men, especially the warriors, to get a little drunk and have a good time after pack meetings. But


    I¡¯d never felt ufortable around them, not for a moment. More often than not, I blended in with the wallpaper, but


    I¡¯d never feared for my safety.


    Liam¡¯s men sounded nothing like the men from my father¡¯s pack after Chapter 91


    they¡¯d had a six pack. What Liam¡¯s men sounded like were my mother¡¯s drunk or high ex boyfriends, who looked at me a


    little too long when I wore a tanktop or touched my hair and told me I was starting to look all grown up.


    And as I stood in the kitchen with Aria and several other girls dressed in simr outfits, I tried not to focus on the


    familiarity of the sound. I needed to mentally prepare myself for whatever I was about to walk into. Liam wanted me here


    to, no doubt, humiliate or embarrass me in front of these men.


    Liam still needed me alive as ¡°bait,¡± but there was no guarantee he nned to leave me unscathed. |!


    It¡¯s going to be okay. No matter what happens, it¡¯s going to be okay. It¡¯s just one night.


    You¡¯ve dealt with plenty of embarrassment in your life, and their opinion


    does not matter. Nothing they say or do matters.


    That¡¯s what I told myself as I tried not to let the bundle of nerves in my stomach overwhelm me. I just needed to get


    through a couple of hours, maybe less ¡ª that was it.


    ¡°Here, take these drinks,¡± an unfamiliar girl said, shoving a tray of beer into my hands. Most of the girls here looked quite


    young, my age or Chapter 91


    only slightly older. She looked to be the oldest of the bunch ~ maybe herte twenties ¡ª so it made sense why she was


    in charge.


    None of the girls paid me much mind either. They didn¡¯t seem to notice (or care) that Liam had pulled a prisoner out of


    the cells to work the party with them.


    The woman handed out more trays to Aria and two other girls. ¡°Take those out to the men,¡± she instructed us.


    With a deep breath that didn¡¯t seem to do much to calm my nerves, I followed the other girls through the door into the


    main room.


    The room looked even more boisterous than it sounded. Liam had one of thergest living rooms I¡¯d ever seen ~ even


    bigger than the one at my dad¡¯s pack house ¨C and it was filled to the brim with men. Most of them were Liam¡¯s age or


    older, although I spotted a few teenage boys hanging around their fathers. These must¡¯ve been his warriors.


    In the midst of all this chaos was Liam. He sat at arge table ying poker with some of the other men,ughing loudly. Next to him, I spotted Ezra looking just as rxed.


    Well, definitely drunk. That¡¯s for sure.


    | felt like a gazelle entering into a den of lions ¨C or wolves, in this case. Once again, I fingered the silverb in my


    pocket. That, more than anything else, felt like a safety nket. Ast resort if I had to defend myself. Chapter 91


    Somehow, I forced my feet to move and followed Aria as she approached Liam¡¯s table. My heart hammered in my chest


    as Liam finally turned to look at us, his cheeks flushed with alcohol. Aria was the first to approach him, setting down


    Liam¡¯s drink first.


    ¡°Here you go, my King,¡± she said quietly, leaning over the table.) I froze when I heard that.


    King? He¡¯s already forcing his pack members to use a royal title? Thad to hold back a scoff when I heard that.


    ¡°Thank you, sweetheart,¡± Liam leered at her, his hand venturing below her waist. Aria didn¡¯t say a word about it and just


    smiled at him.


    Liam¡¯s gaze fell to me next and I watched his eyes light up. ¡°Everyone,¡± he suddenly shouted, ¡°If I could have your


    attention for a moment.¡±


    As the men quieted down to pay attention to Liam, I was all too aware of the outfit I wore. I had no way to adjust it with


    the tray in my hands, and I could only hope it wouldn¡¯t ride up.


    ¡°Lm not sure if you all know this,¡± Liam¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°But we¡¯ve got a special guest with us here tonight! You wouldn¡¯t recognize her, but ¡®we¡¯ve got a Queen in ourpany tonight!¡±


    Heughed and most of the room followed suit, chuckling and snickering at the way I was dressed up like one of their


    serving girls and Chapter 91


    holding a tray of beer.


    All I could do was square my shoulders and keep my head high.


    ¡®Their words mean nothing. Their opinion means nothing, | told myself. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like much of a Queen to me,¡± one


    voice shouted, and that incited another round ofughter. Liam kept his stare on me the entire


    time, and I could see the sadistic glee in his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t let the outfit fool you,¡± Liam shot back, ¡°This human is an esteemed ruler of werewolves!¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s capable of handling a dick, much less a kingdom,¡± another voice chimed in.


    I took a deep breath. Nothing. Their words mean nothing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll teach her,¡± Ezra sneered from beside Liam. His eyes swept over my b*dy in a way that made my


    skin crawl. (2


    Liam chuckled. ¡°Settle down, Ezra. Come here, Your Majesty. Serve us our beer.¡± There was even moreughter at that.


    Another deep breath.


    My legs felt like lead weights as I walked, but I slowly walked over to Liam¡¯s table. I was cautious of the way I walked to


    ensure the dress Chapter 91


    wouldn¡¯t ride up, but leaning over the table to hand out their beer? That was another problem entirely.


    I managed to hand the first two men their drinks, and besides snickering at me, they didn¡¯t mess with me.


    It didn¡¯t be an issue until I got to Ezra. I leaned over as little as physically possible to hand him his beer.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so stiff,¡± he smirked, ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to f**k you right here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother replying to that, but with a low voice, he added, ¡°But I may have to change my answer once that mate of


    yours is dead and the rightful ruler is on the throne. I¡¯m just not sure I can resist f**king you into your rightful ce.


    Which is on your knees, by the way.¡±


    His hand brushed my hip and I stilled. It had nothing to do with his vulgar words. Ezra¡¯s hand was barely inches away


    from the pocket that held the silverb. If he so much as grazed the pocket, he¡¯d feel it and they¡¯d know I had tried to


    sneak a weapon past them.


    But just as I could feel his fingers inching further, one of the other men grabbed his attention and his hand fell away. I let


    out a shaky breath as I delivered the rest of the drinks and disappeared into the kitchen. (¡ã


    I passed by Aria as she was assembling another tray of drinks, and she didn¡¯t say a word when I found the kitchen pantry


    and locked myself in for the next hour. I could¡¯ve sworn I saw pity on her face, but I couldn¡¯t Chapter 91


    say for sure.

 Chapter 92

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    ¡°From the n*eck up is where you win or lose a battle.¡± Anthony Joshua


    Although I spent most of the remaining party hiding in the pantry or trying to fade into the wallpaper, the pit in my


    stomach never went away. Aria eventually took me back to my cell after several hours, but I never rxed. Whether that


    was because I was too anxious or the sundress did little to provide me with warmth, I¡¯m not sure.


    Whatever it was, | didn¡¯t sleep.


    With no natural light or even a clock to go by, there was no reliable way for me to keep track of time in the cell. Seconds


    might as well have been minutes and minutes might as well have been hours. |)


    If anything, my stomach was the closest thing I had to a watch. I¡¯d gorged myself on finger foods at Liam¡¯s party when


    nob*dy had been looking, which must¡¯ve been hours ago. The growl of my stomach was plenty of confirmation that


    some time had passed.


    Liam must be nning to carry out his schemes sometime soon.


    Unless he ns to just keep me down here indefinitely, like a bargaining chip he can dust off when it suits him. Chapter


    92


    And just when I was beginning to wonder if I¡¯d end up rotting down here before I got an opportunity to escape, all hell


    broke loose.


    You know when you¡¯re sitting outside on a cloudless summer day, and then out of nowhere, you feel the storm brewing?


    The sky is still blue, but you can feel the electricity in the air, the wind picking up right before the clouds roll in and the


    thunder cracks.


    That¡¯s exactly what I felt as I sat down in the dungeon. The storm brewing.


    All of the sudden, I was hit with a cocktail of emotions that didn¡¯t quite feel like they belonged to me ~ sadness, guilt,


    and anger. So much anger. Really, that wasn¡¯t even the right word ~ it was pure, unadulterated rage that called for blood.


    Griffin. These are Griffin¡¯s emotions.


    This is the first time I¡¯ve felt his emotions like this, so he must be close. He must be here.


    Immediately, I was on my feet with fresh adrenaline pumping through my veins. There was still no way for me to get out


    of the cell without someone opening the door on the other side, but I was ready. >)


    For a minute or so, all I did was wait.


    And wait. Chapter 92


    Was I wrong?


    Maybe I¡¯m going crazy. Being stuck in a cell for days and humiliated surely can¡¯t be good for your mental health.


    Gotta admit that I thought I¡¯d hold out a little longer than this though. Then abruptly, I heard the distant sounds of


    shouts and screams. Well, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m imagining that.


    It sounds like a battle out there.


    And if there¡¯s a battle, that means Griffin really is here. He¡¯se for me. )


    For the first time in days, hope swelled in my chest.


    Heavy footsteps were the next thing I heard and my breath hitched as I pressed myself against the wall.


    Please be Griffin. Please be Griffin.


    The heavy silver door swung open with a loud bang and my heart plummeted when I made out the silhouette standing in


    the doorway.


    It wasn¡¯t Griffin who stood before me, but Ezra.


    And he was enraged. Chapter 92


    ¡°You,¡± he growled. He crossed the room, and the next thing I knew, I was unable to breathe.


    Ezra had grabbed my throat, crushing my windpipe beneath his fingers like it was nothing more than flimsy paper. All I


    could do was choke and gasp under the painful pressure, my hands wing at his.


    ¡°This is your fault,¡± he growled.


    ¡°1-1 don¡¯t ~¡± I could barely make the words out beneath Ezra¡¯s crushing grip, and to my surprise, he actually loosened


    his hold on my n*eck.


    I took in mouthfuls of air as he began to speak. ¡°He wasn¡¯t supposed toe here,¡± Ezra said, his tone frantic, ¡°He wasConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    supposed to be an ocean away, distracted by my army. Not here!¡± (¡°)


    Although I was still recovering from the way he¡¯d just choked me, I realized three things at that moment. One, that Liam


    had probably never intended to use me as active bait. Ezra had said it himself. They had intended to trick Griffin, and kill


    him off with some army without risking their own lives.


    Secondly, using the bond had worked just as well as I¡¯d hoped if Griffin was here. |!


    And third? It wasn¡¯t just anger I was seeing on Ezra¡¯s face but panic. He was terrified. ¡ã) Chapter 92


    Perhaps it was the oxygen loss but what I did next surprised me as much as it surprised Ezra.


    I burst outughing. (=


    Ezra was so startled that he actually dropped me, and I fell to the floor,ughing so hard that it left me gasping for air


    again.


    ¡°You know, I see it now,¡± I managed to say between bouts ofughter, ¡°You¡¯re not some evil mastermind capable of


    taking over the world. You¡¯re just an idiot. Aplete and utter mor ~¡± My throat was in Ezra¡¯s grasp again, and I began


    to see stars in my peripheral vision.


    ¡°You¡¯re human,¡± he growled, ¡°You should never have been able to ruin our ns like that.¡±


    Whatever I wanted to say to that came out in nothing but choked squeaks.


    Beneath the anger and panic, a sadistic smile curled on his l*ps. ¡°Well, our ns aren¡¯t lost yet,¡± he said, ¡°They just need


    to be changed. If I kill you here, you might take that mate of yours with you into the afterlife.¡±


    The pressure on my throat increased until my head began to pound. My nails wed at his fingers, but it was futile. He


    simply pressed down harder, and the pressure mounted until | worried that my head just Chapter 92


    might explode.


    The edges of my vision became darkness.


    God, is this it?


    Am I going to die like this?


    Is Ezra¡¯s smug face really going to be thest thing I see?


    I could feel it ~ my own life draining away under his grip. Even the panic and the fear that I¡¯d felt was fading too, draining


    into


    nothingness.


    I expected to see my life sh before my eyes, but I didn¡¯t. There was nothing but Ezra¡¯s sneer.


    My fingers became too heavy to hold up, too heavy to work and my hands fell to my side.


    Oh, God. This is it. I¡¯m going to die.


    And just as I could feel that darkness closing in, a single memory shed through my head.


    Really, it was a voice, Ivan¡¯s voice. . )


    Strong people don¡¯t win fights, desperate people do, he¡¯d told me at our first training session. Chapter 92


    As if someone had pumped a syringe full of adrenaline into my veins, I suddenly regained the use of my arms.


    My fingers wrapped around the silverb sitting in my sundress pocket.


    And then I embedded thatb into Ezra¡¯s throat with as much force as I could muster.


    Surprise shed through his eyes as he let out a strangled gurgle. I fell to the floor, free of his grip and panting for air.


    He copsed in front of me, more blood pouring out his n*eck than I¡¯d ever seen.


    As red gushed onto the floor, he weakly reached up to pull theb from his n*eck but he never got the chance. |


    My fingers reached theb first, digging it harder and deeper until I felt the crunch of bone.


    Strong people don¡¯t win fights, desperate people do.


    I could feel warm, hot blood on my hands, but I never took my eyes off his.


    Ezra choked helplessly.


    ¡°For the record,¡± I said, my voice raspy and weak, ¡°I¡¯m not just human. Chapter 92


    Pve got some wolf in me too.¡± His eyes went ssy and he stopped gasping for air.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was sure he¡¯d taken hisst breath that I pulled the blood-covered silverb from his n*eck.


    And still panting for breath, I ran.

 Chapter 93

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    ¡°Violence is never the answer until it¡¯s the only answer.¡±


    Derek Landy


    Ionly made it a few steps out of the cell and away from Ezra¡¯s dead b*dy before I keeled over, gasping for air. No amount


    of adrenaline


    could hide that I¡¯d almost just been choked to death, and each deep breath only hurt worse than thest.


    Somewhere, deep in my oxygen-deprived brain, I registered the fact that ¡®d just killed a man. I¡¯d just taken a life.


    No, you can¡¯t fixate on this right now.)


    You have to get out of here. There¡¯s no guarantee that someone won¡¯t wander in and finish what Ezra tried to do.


    It was only the sound of another distant scream that spurred me into action.


    Griffin was here and I needed to find him.


    With several more painful deep breaths, I stumbled my way up the stairs I¡¯d followed Aria up yesterday, the silverb


    still clutched in my Chapter 93 fingers. I tried not to think about the slick liquid it was coated with. As I emerged at the


    top of the stairs, I realized that the pack house was


    empty. There wasn¡¯t a soul in sight, but the shrieking and screaming only got louder and I saw that the front door was


    wide open.


    That¡¯s when I got my first glimpse of the battle happening outside.


    There were wolves battling everywhere ¡ª some in human form, some in wolf form. There were wolves tearing out other wolves¡¯ throats, and others tearing off legs and b*dy parts. I recognized some of Liam¡¯s men falling like dominos in the


    chaos.


    It wasn¡¯t just a battle ¨C this was a massacre.


    Neither Griffin nor Liam were anywhere to be seen.


    Most of them were moving too fast for me to recognize them, and coupled with the exhaustion I was already feeling, just


    looking at the carnage made me dizzy.


    I¡¯ve got to find Griffin.


    They might as well have been lead weights but I forced my feet to move.


    Iwobbled my way to the front door, but just as I made my way to the entrance, I heard soft whimpering. It wasing


    from the entry-way closet, and I¡¯d already opened the door before I thought about the fact Chapter 93 that whoever might be inside might not be on my side.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    If it hadn¡¯t hurt my throat so much to do it, I might¡¯ve gasped when I saw who was curled up in that closet.


    Aria. (J


    She peered up at me with wide, fearful eyes and her gaze darted to the blood-coveredb in my hands.


    ¡°Please,¡± she whimpered, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me. Please. I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    The irony of the situation was that, as far as I could tell, she posed more of a threat than I did at the moment. Besides


    looking terrified, she appeared unharmed and she had supernatural strength on her side.


    Iwas currently missing both of those advantages.


    Clutching theb tightly, I asked, ¡°Where is Liam?¡± As I spoke, I turned to the side so that I could keep an eye on that


    open door. Thest thing I needed was to be taken by surprise by one of Liam¡¯s minions.


    She shook her head, and I spotted tears running down her face in the darkness, ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she cried, ¡°I really don¡¯t, I


    promise. I¡¯d tell you if I did.¡±


    Had I been in better condition, | might¡¯ve found the situation a little funny. Justst night, Aria had been delivering meals


    to me in a prison Chapter 93


    cell and referring to Liam as a king. Today, she would¡¯ve given up without a second thought.


    And as I looked at her tear-stained face, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to muster up any anger. It was clear that she was


    nothing but a terrified


    girl, one who¡¯d never wanted any of this in the first ce. ¡°Have you seen Griffin?¡± I asked.


    When she shot me a confused look, | tried to rify. ¡°Uh, super tall guy, dark hair, dark eyes, probably looks very, very


    angry.¡±


    She shook her head again.


    Before I could ask her anything else, I spotted a man scramble through the entrance of the house from the corner of my


    eye. Instinctively, I wielded theb like a de, brandishing it out in front of me.


    I prepared to make a hit or a strike, but he stopped a few feet in front of me, holding his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°rk! I mean, Your Majesty! Sorry, force of habit,¡± he said, and that¡¯s when I got my first look at him.


    Irxed immediately ~ I recognized him.


    He was one of the warriors in my father¡¯s pack. I couldn¡¯t put a name to his face, but I knew he was one of my father¡¯s men. I¡¯d seen him at


    plenty of pack meetings. Chapter 93


    I didn¡¯t have to think about how my father¡¯s men got here, I was just thankful they were.)


    I let the hand holding theb fall to my side.


    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re alive,¡± he sighed, ¡°Are you alright, Your Majesty?¡± His eyes swept over my form, checking me for


    injuries. His eyes lingered on my n*eck, the very spot where Ezra had attempted to drain the life out of me.


    ¡°Pm fine,¡± I said, and I swallowed back a wince. Every breath, every word hurt.


    ¡°We need to find the King immediately,¡± he said, holding his hand out for me to take, ¡°Please follow me. I¡¯ll keep you


    safe.¡±


    I stepped forward to take his hand, but just as I did, I remembered we weren¡¯t alone in this house.


    I turned to look at Aria, and now that the warrior had arrived, she had cowered even further into the closet. Could I really


    just leave her here? If another one of Griffin or my father¡¯s men entered the home and saw her, there was a good chance


    they¡¯d just kill her. They¡¯d know she was a part of Liam¡¯s pack.


    Forcing back another wince as I began to talk, I looked at Aria. ¡°You need to make a choice now,¡± I said. ¡°Either you can walk out this alive and on the right side or you can take your chances in that closet. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Chapter 93


    I expected a little hesitation or even a t-out refusal, but Aria just mored out of the closet. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± she said,


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me behind.¡±


    Inodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m d ¡ª¡±


    A strangled cry cut me off, and I whipped my head around to find that the very warrior who¡¯d just offered his help¡­was


    now missing a heart. )


    My stomach dropped and | let out some sort of raspy gasp. Ariatched onto my arm, her nails digging into my arm as


    she cried.


    It wasn¡¯t the sizable hole in the warrior¡¯s chest or his ssy eyes that I was staring at.


    It was the person holding the heart in his hands.


    Liam.

 Chapter 94

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, I¡¯m usually about to die.¡± (*)


    Rick Riordan


    Td thought the first time I¡¯d encountered true fear was when Griffin


    killed his father. ¡®d been sure there was no way I was going to survive a man who¡¯d just taken his father¡¯s head off in a


    crowded room.


    And then Ezra had tried to kill me, had tried to drain the life out of me. That had been only minutes ago, and I wasn¡¯t


    quite sure how I could fear death more than with a man¡¯s hands crushing my throat.


    But both of those encounters seemed to pale inparison to the dread that bubbled in my stomach as I faced Liam. He


    took a step into the pack house, his hands still clutched around the heart and a sneer on his face.


    ¡°Well, look at what P¡¯ve stumbled upon,¡± he said, his l*ps curling into a snarl. ¡°Bait.¡±


    He nced at Aria briefly before adding, ¡°And a traitorous whore.¡±


    He dropped the heart onto the floor like it was nothing more than garbage, letting it fall onto the dead b*dy of the


    warrior thaty Chapter 94


    between us.


    An ache tore through my chest for the warrior whose name I did not know.


    She let out a sob, curling into my b*dy as if I was her very own human shield. \*


    At that moment, I supposed I was.


    I still held the silverb in my hands, but I wasn¡¯t stupid. It had given the element of surprise against Ezra, but my


    chance of pulling that move against Liam?


    I didn¡¯t like my odds. You can¡¯t win this fight, rk.


    But if you don¡¯t do something, there¡¯s a good chance you and Aria will be joining that warrior on the floor in a few


    seconds.


    There was no real n, no genius idea that went through my head ~ I just started talking. If I couldn¡¯t kill Liam, at least I


    could distract him long enough for some form of help to arrive.


    ¡°So, I heard all about the failed ns from your friend, Ezra,¡± I told him.


    Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chapter 94 ¡°You know, I gotta say¡­you guys have a terrible track record of


    underestimating humans.¡±


    Despite my efforts, Liam didn¡¯t seem as if he cared to have a conversation. Instead, he took a step toward me like he was


    ready to end this.


    I stumbled back with Aria in tow, words tumbling out of my mouth. Anything to distract him, anything to buy some time.


    **


    Griffin, please.


    I didn¡¯t have time to meditate or tap into my emotions, but with as much concentration as I could muster up, I pictured


    the bond in my mind.


    And I yanked on the chord as hard as | could. .* |


    ¡°[¡®d tell you to ask Ezra about it,¡± I babbled, ¡°But he¡¯s lying dead on your prison cell floor.¡±


    Liam stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°[ think it¡¯s just time you face the truth here,¡± I said, ¡°This didn¡¯t go the way you want it, but maybe it doesn¡¯t have to


    end with your death. If you surrender now and tell your men to stand down, perhaps there¡¯s a


    way you could walk away from this. Alive.¡±


    Liar, | thought. (2 Chapter 94


    Liam didn¡¯t seem any more convinced by my lie than I was. ¡°As if ¡®d ever surrender, and to the likes of you? I think the


    time I kept you in that prison has made you delusional, human.¡±


    ¡°Delusional?¡± I repeated, ¡°No. Maybe a little homesick though. I mean, do you ever wonder how my mate found out


    about your real whereabouts? Why he was able toe here and didn¡¯t bother going to whatever trap you set up?¡±


    His eyes turned to slits. ¡°I¡¯m willing to admit I underestimated that boy as well as what kind of counsel he might seek


    from his advisors.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I rasped, the strain of my throat making me wince, ¡°You underestimated me. I was the one who used the bond and


    got through to him. If you underestimated anyb*dy in this equation, it was me.¡±


    Liam scoffed. ¡°You used the mate bond? For a human to have a mate is already a mistake made by nature. You can¡¯t even


    feel the bond, let alone ess it.¡±


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re dumb enough to believe something doesn¡¯t make


    it true,¡± I said, ¡°And haven¡¯t you gotten the memo? I¡¯m half-wolf too.¡± )


    Liam let out a growl, and I saw his eyes sh with something animalistic.


    ¡°Pve had just enough out of you,¡± he boomed, ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing you talk. I think it¡¯s about time I cut out that pesky


    voice box of yours.¡± Chapter 94


    His nails transformed into long ws, and I knew the time for distractions and talking was over.


    My breath hitched as the sounds of the battle outside faded, and there was nothing but the ringing in my ears.


    Liam took a step towards us, and I prepared to wield the silverb as ast-ditch attempt to distract him long enough


    to bolt.


    Liam closed the distance between us, pulling back his wed hand to strike.


    I stumbled back into Aria, looking for an opening to stab him with theb. * |


    And then there was a growl.)


    Not from Liam, not from Aria, and certainly not from me ~ but a familiar growl so thunderous that I could¡¯ve sworn the


    house shook.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Liam froze where he stood, his eyes widening as he tried to find the source of the threat.


    But he never got a chance to look.


    Liam turned his head.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw the blur of a dark shadownd on Liam. Chapter 94


    It happened faster than I could blink, but by the time I realized what had happened, my jaw had gone ck.


    Standing over Liam wasn¡¯t a shadow but the biggest ck wolf I¡¯d ever


    seen in my life.


    The wolf held most of Liam¡¯s torn throat in its mouth, the remnants bleeding onto the pack house floor. |¡±)


    I barely registered Aria¡¯s cry from behind me as the wolf locked eyes


    with me, its dark eyes familiar.


    Griffin.

 Chapter 95

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Chapter 95 Chapter 95


    ¡°Congrattions. You have survived the war. Now live with the trauma.¡±


    Unknown


    Thad seen plenty of werewolves shift into their wolf forms in the years Pd lived at my father¡¯s pack, usually in training. However, I¡¯d never seen one quite thisrge. Griffin¡¯s wolf form was massive and rippling with muscles underneath his


    dark fur.


    Of course, I only got a moment to take in his shifted form.


    One second our eyes had locked ~ my jaw ck and Griffin still clutching what used to be Liam¡¯s throat in his mouth ~


    and the next, Griffin had shifted into his human form and was crushing me in his arms. In the process, Aria was pushed to


    the side.


    His face nuzzled into the crook of my n*eck as my arms automatically wrapped around him.


    ¡°Mate,¡± he growled into my n*eck, ¡°Mate. Mate. Mine. My little fox.¡± It felt like deja vu ¨C thest time I¡¯d heard Griffin


    sound like a wind-up toy, it¡¯d been the first time we met.


    But this time, there was no fear as he cradled me into his chest, Chapter 95


    breathing in my scent.


    AIL felt was safe.


    We were both safe, and the threat was gone.


    I¡¯m not sure how long I stayed like that, wrapped up in Griffin¡¯s arms until he pulled away to look at me. His eyes were as


    intense as I¡¯d ever


    seen them, shining with something dark and wild.


    As soon as he pulled away, I craved the warmth of his arms but I let him look at me, let his eyes roam over my b*dy. ¡°Are


    you hurt?¡± he asked, his voice barely above a growl.


    ¡°Ym fine,¡± I rasped, but from the way his eyes lingered on my n*eck, I knew it was already toote for that lie.


    His fingers brushed against my throat, but as light as his touch was, I still flinched.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fine,¡± he growled with narrowed eyes. ¡°Who did this to you?¡±


    ¡°His name was Ezra,¡± I said. His eyes widened just a fraction. ¡°Was?¡± ¡°Was,¡± I repeated.


    Understanding dawned on his face, and perhaps it was my imagination, Chapter 95


    but I could¡¯ve sworn I saw something else in his expression ~ respect.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak,¡± he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to aggravate the injury anymore, not until a healer has looked at it. We can talk


    about it after that.¡± He paused before adding, ¡°If you want.¡±


    I nodded, ignoring the sting of pain as I did so.


    Griffin rose from the floor of the pack house, using one of his hands to pull me up and envelop me in his arms again.


    This is when I realized something I hadn¡¯t before: Griffin waspletely n*ked.


    I suppose it shouldn¡¯t have shocked me. Wolves were always n*ked whenever they shifted back to their human forms,ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    and any clothes they¡¯d been wearing before were usually torn to shreds. For this reason, most packs kept extra sets of


    clothing in the woods.


    Griffin didn¡¯t seem bothered by his n*kedness, not even when one of his warriors burst through the door.


    The warrior immediately averted his eyes from us, bowing his head. ¡°Your Majesties,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯ve rounded up the


    enemies as you instructed, My King. We¡¯re just waiting for you.¡±


    I spotted the bundle of clothes in his arms as he handed them to Griffin, and I expected him to pull away to change, but


    he kept me as close as he could while sl*pping on the shirt, pants, and jacket. Chapter 95


    ¡°We¡¯ll be out in a second, wait for me outside,¡± Griffinmanded. The warrior bowed again and left. Griffin turned to me, his eyes full of intensity as he cupped my face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to see this next part,¡± he told me softly, ¡°You can wait


    here, I¡¯ll leave some warrio ~ ¡°No,¡± I cut him off hoarsely. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    I expected some sort of pushback from him, but to my surprise, Griffin only nodded. There was that understanding


    expression on his face again.


    Without another word, he pulled the jacket off his shoulders to cover me.


    He looked over me onest time before his eyes strayed to the only other person in the house ~ Aria.


    She was still pushed against the wall, her eyes wide like Griffin might take her head off the second he realized she wasn¡¯t


    actually part of the wallpaper. When his eyes met hers, she whimpered.


    ¡°Were you with Liam?¡± Griffin asked her.


    After a pause, she nodded and sputtered, ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t hurt anyone. I promise!¡±


    ¡°But you wereplicit,¡± he shot back, ¡°You did nothing while they Chapter 95


    kept my mate captive.¡± |) Instead of responding, Aria just began crying.


    Beneath all the numbness and the exhaustion I felt, a twinge of sympathy tugged at my heart. Like me, she was a


    prisoner in her own way, but only one of us had known our true situation. She wasn¡¯t some mastermind ¡ª she¡¯d only


    been doing what she was told.


    She didn¡¯t deserve to die for that.


    Griffin went to take a step towards her, but I ced my hand on his arm.


    He looked at me with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, ¡°She¡¯s on our side now¡­isn¡¯t she?¡± I looked pointedly at Aria and she began nodding furiously through


    the tears.


    Griffin assessed her silently before nodding. ¡°Alright.¡± He didn¡¯t spare her another nce as he threaded his fingers


    through


    mine and pulled me through the open door of the pack house, but I still heard her footsteps behind her. *


    Outside, I was immediately hit with the re of the sun but once my eyes adjusted, I took in my surroundings with wide


    eyes. The warrior hadn¡¯t been lying when he said they¡¯d ¡°rounded them up.¡±


    Lined up like prisoners on their knees were several men ¨C Liam¡¯s allies Chapter 95


    ~ in the clearing in front of the pack house. I recognized many of their faces from the night before when they¡¯dughed


    at me as I served them drinks.


    They weren¡¯tughing now.


    Many of them were bloody and bruised and the look in their eyes was unmistakable ¡ª defeat. They knew they¡¯d lost,


    that Liam was dead. Beyond the clearing, I could see where bodies littered the ground leading into the forest.


    Griffin¡¯s soldiers surrounded the remainin men, watching them closely to make sure they didn¡¯t try anything sneaky. Many of the warriors


    stood on the sidelines too, waiting for Griffin¡¯s orders.


    Griffin led me to a group of his warriors standing on the sidelines, and turned to look at me onest time. He didn¡¯t ask


    or say anything, but I could see the question behind his eyes: are you sure you want to watch


    whatever is about to happen?


    I gave a small nod, and he let go of my hand. The warriors standing beside me instantly crowded around me like my own


    group of human ¨C or werewolf ~ shields. I¡¯m not sure there was anything to protect me from at this point, but I


    appreciated the gesture nheless.


    I watched as Griffin approached the rounded up men. I could see a few of them begin to cower and I held my breath.


    It¡¯s not as if I didn¡¯t know how this was about to end. The air practically Chapter 95


    smelled of it, but¡­some part of me needed to watch. I needed to know that it was over. For good.


    ¡°All of you know why you¡¯re here right now,¡± Griffin¡¯s voice boomed across the clearing. ¡°You rebelled. You chose to


    follow an Alpha who wanted to take the throne. You gave him your armies, your packs, and your loyalty.¡± He paused


    before adding, ¡°But you failed.¡±


    There was no gentleness or softness in this Griffin. He wasposed as he paced in front of the men, but I could see


    fiery rage lurking beneath the surface.


    Before he could continue speaking, one of the prisoners cried out. ¡°Please, Your Majesty! Have mercy on me. I will never


    go against your word or your rule again. Please don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Griffin regarded him with cold, dark eyes. ¡°Your Majesty?¡±¡± he chuckled, but there was no humor in his voice. ¡°A day ago,


    you were plotting to overthrow me, and now you¡¯re addressing me with titles?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re the rightful king,¡± the man continued frantically, ¡°You have my loyalty, my life¡­anything you want. All I ask


    is mercy.¡±


    ¡°Your loyalty?¡± Griffin scoffed, ¡°I have no need for the loyalty of a man so willing to give up his beliefs just because he¡¯s


    afraid.¡± He stepped closer to the man until he was towering over him.


    ¡°But your life? I will take that.¡± Chapter 95


    In the blink of an eye, the man¡¯s head had been severed from his shoulders by Griffin¡¯s ws. I watched numbly as his


    head rolled onto the grass, his eyes still wide open.


    If any of the men hadn¡¯t been cowering, they certainly were now.


    ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to plead for their life? Offer up their loyalty?¡± Griffin asked sarcastically. None of the men


    on their knees answered.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay,¡± Griffin answered as he came to a stop behind the next man in line, ¡°That was really more of a


    rhetorical question anyway.¡±


    The next man¡¯s head rolled onto the grass just as quickly as the first man¡¯s.


    And the third. And the fourth.


    Griffin sliced through each man¡¯s n*eck as if they were made of paper, not flesh and bone. His soldiers watched on silently


    as did I.


    It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d cut through thest man that some of the soldiers moved,ing closer to collect the bodies. Griffin


    didn¡¯t say anything else, not that he really needed to. The ws and the decapitated heads spoke for themselves. \¡¯)


    It was only when he made his way toward me that he finally retracted his ws,ing up to cup my face with the hand


    that wasn¡¯t bloody.


    ¡°are you okay?¡± he asked softly, resting his forehead against mine. I nodded.


    He suddenly lifted his head, his eyes roaming the crowd. ¡°We need a healer!¡± he ordered, ¡°Now.¡±


    Oh, right. I¡¯ve got a damaged throat. ** At least I got out of this with a throat.¡¯


    The crowd parted for a middle-aged woman with a sharp face and a bag of medical supplies. She already looked frazzled,


    no doubt from dealing with injured soldiers. Part of me felt like protesting ¡ª surely, there were soldiers more injured and


    in need of medical attention than I was.


    But even as I thought it, I realized there was no point. Surely there were other healers on the field, and even if they weren¡¯t, I doubted Griffin


    was going to wait any longer for me to have my throat looked at.


    And even as the healer led me to the pack house steps to poke and prod at my throat, Griffin hung over us like a dark


    shadow the entire time.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± he asked sharply.


    I tried not to wince as she lightly touched the area, especially since


    Griffin growled in displeasure each time she did. Chapter 95


    ¡°It will heal,¡± she said, ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky. A little bit longer and I¡¯m not sure we¡¯d be having this conversation. You¡¯ll need


    to ice it for the next several days, and I¡¯ve prepared a salve for you to put on it at night. Itll minimize swelling, but it will


    probably still hurt to talk for a week or so. I¡¯ll provide you with some painkillers to deal with the difort.¡±


    If I could¡¯ve nodded, I would¡¯ve.


    It took her about twenty minutes topletely examine me ¨C although that time could¡¯ve been cut in half had it not


    been for all of Griffin¡¯s questions. He seemed to determined to understand every aspect of my treatment.)


    By the time she was done, she¡¯d provided me with a soft ice pack, plenty of salve and a dose of painkillers.


    Fortunately, she did eventually make her exit, leaving Griffin and I alone. He enveloped me in his arms again as we watched the clearing. Well, I watched and Griffin buried his nose in the crook of my n*eck.


    Now that justice had been carried out, it was time to treat the wounded. The healer who¡¯d dealt with me as well as


    several others had begun moving on to treat the soldiers.


    It¡¯s over.


    It¡¯s really over. Chapter 95 I was positive there wasn¡¯t anything else that could surprise me today when I caught sight of a


    familiar face.


    Sebastian?


    My breath hitched at the sight of my brother, who I hadn¡¯t seen in weeks, He was standing amongst the warriors and


    letting one of the healers examine him, but his surprise appearance amongst the soldiers wasn¡¯t even the most surprising


    part.


    No, what truly gave me pause was the look in his eyes. It was a familiar look, one seen plenty of times. It was the look of


    someone who¡¯d just found their mate.


    And the person he was staring at?


    Aria.

 Chapter 96

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Chapter 96 Chapter 96


    ¡°The human brain works slowly; first the blow, hours afterward the bruise.¡±


    Walter de Mare Tm not sure when I passed out.


    I remembered Sebastian locking eyes with Aria. | remembered being wrapped in the warm cocoon of Griffin¡¯s arms as I


    drifted off.


    When I opened my eyes again, I jerked awake,


    All I could picture was being back in that cell, my heart hammering as Ezra choked the life out of me.


    My hand shot up to protect my own n*eck just as I registered my surroundings and realized two things: one, I was lying in


    Griffin¡¯s b*d and no longer in the cell. And two, I was alone. There was no Ezra lurking about in the shadows of Griffin¡¯s


    b*d, no Liam waiting to rip my heart out.


    I¡¯m safe.


    That¡¯s what I told myself as my fingers lightly touched my throat, still


    moist from whatever salve the healer had given me. Fortunately, the Chapter 96


    painkillers seemed to have been doing their job as the pain had lessened from an intense sting to a dull ache.


    I¡¯m safe.


    That thought echoed through my head again as the door to the bedroom suddenly swung open and I caught sight of


    Griffin. He was wearing fresh clothes and as exhausted as he looked, his eyes lit up when he saw me.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he said, striding towards me.


    He stood in front of my side of the b*d, examining my throat. ¡°You were out for about ten hours,¡± he told me, ¡°I applied


    some more of the salve to your throat, but you¡¯re definitely due for another dose of painkillers soon. How do you feel?¡±


    Ten hours?


    I could hardly believe that I¡¯d slept through an entire trip back to the


    castle¡­but I¡¯d also been hurt and barely sleeping for days in that dark cell. Perhaps my captivity and arge dose of


    painkillers had caught up to me.


    My throat was tight as I formed the words. ¡°A little better,¡± I said, ¡°Less painful. When did we get back?¡±


    ¡°A couple of hours ago,¡± he said, sitting down on the edge of the b*d. He took one of my hands in his. ¡°After we did a


    head count and the Chapter 96


    healers treated the injured warriors, we headed back. Things have been


    settling down ever since.¡±


    ¡°Pm surprised you¡¯re not tied up in meetings,¡± I confessed, ¡°To think things have already settled down so soon after a


    rebellion.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about meetings,¡± Griffin said sharply, ¡°You are my only priority right now.¡±


    ¡°Ym fin -¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not fine,¡± he cut me off with narrowed eyes, ¡°You were kidnapped and hurt. They hurt my mate.¡± Thest word


    came out as a dark growl as his eyes roamed over my injured n*eck. ¡°I want to know how it happened.¡±


    His eyes softened and he added gently, ¡°Please. I need to know.¡± )


    I swallowed sharply. ¡°There¡¯s not much to it,¡± I said, ¡°They kept me alone in the same cell most of the time I was there,


    onlying down to bring me small meals. That¡¯s how I was able to use the bond to contact you ¨C I had a surprising


    amount of free time on my hands. And when you came to save me¡­Ezra came into my cell to confront me about it.¡±


    Something dark shed through Griffin¡¯s eyes as I recounted the event to him. ¡°He was as angry as you¡¯d expect¡­and he


    thought maybe he could kill you by killing me first. He did some damage, of course¡­but I managed to get a lucky shot at


    thest minute.¡± Chapter 96


    I could see the rage boiling underneath his skin, but he didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°I¡¯d gotten ahold of a silverb the night


    before, and I managed to put it through his n*eck.¡±


    His eyes widened in surprise. ¡°A silverb? You killed an Alpha werewolf with ab?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It was a lucky shot¡­but I do think those self-defense lessons with Ivan paid off.¡± Even now, I could still hear


    Ivan¡¯s voice echoing through my head as | embedded theb into Ezra¡¯s n*eck.


    ¡°You killed an Alpha with ab,¡± he repeated again. The look that Griffin was giving me now was something I¡¯m not


    sure I¡¯d ever seen before ~ sheer amazement. *)


    ¡°as I said¡­lucky shot.¡± Suddenly, he was on top of me, his l*ps pressed against mine fervently.


    T¡¯d never felt so much passion from him ¡ª not when we¡¯d k*ssed for the first time, not even when I told him I loved him


    for the first time. There


    was passion in his k*ss, but there was also desperation.


    I could feel it in the way his l*ps moved against mine and his hands gripped my arms like I¡¯d disappear from his grip if he


    let me go. I tried to keep up with his pace, the desperate movement of his l*ps, but he was practically devouring my l*ps.


    Then, just as I thought ¡¯d finally caught up to his speed, he pulled Chapter 96 away quickly. He was breathing heavily as


    he rested his forehead


    against mine.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± he whispered. His eyes were closed, eyebrows scrunched together.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Them taking you,¡± he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    This time, | pulled away, cupping his chin as he finally opened his eyes to look at me. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I said.


    He let out a half-hearted scoff. ¡°Of course it is,¡± he replied, ¡°They took you out from under my own roof. With me here. With my guards.¡±


    Before I could respond, he added so quietly I almost didn¡¯t hear him, ¡°I failed to protect you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t fail to protect me,¡± I immediately said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who. saved me. You killed Liam. You did protect me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he growled back, ¡°Had I protected you the way that a mate should, you wouldn¡¯t have been taken in the first


    ce.¡±


    Topened my mouth to refute that, but he stood up suddenly and began to pace around the bedroom. His eyebrows were


    furrowed again. ¡°You know, the entire time they had you,¡± he said, ¡°All I thought about was getting you back. How I¡¯d


    never let you leave again, that maybe I¡¯d just Chapter 96


    keep you locked up in this bedroom where nob*dy but me could ever see you again.¡±


    I certainly didn¡¯t like the sound of being locked up in Griffin¡¯s room like I had when I¡¯d firste here, but I had a feeling


    he wasn¡¯t done talking, so I let him continue. ¡°But I¡¯ve already proved that I can¡¯t protect you in my own home,¡± he said,


    ¡°If I can¡¯t take care of you in the basic way that every mate, let alone a King, should be able to, what good am 1?¡±


    ¡°Griffin


    ¡°I think you should leave,¡± he cut me off. He turned away so his back was facing me and I couldn¡¯t see the expression on


    his face.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I was capable of feeling trepidation after how I¡¯d spent thest several days, but that sentence made my


    blood run cold.


    ¡°Leave?¡± I choked out.


    He nodded, and I could see his fingers form into tight fists, his knuckles turning white. ¡°When we first met,¡± he said, his


    voice strained, ¡°You wanted to go to college, to live a human life. I didn¡¯t think I could bear the thought of that ¡ª of you


    being out in the world alone, where I was unable to protect you, to see you, to spend time with you.¡±


    My heart hammered in my chest as I listened to him talk.


    ¡°But now I wonder if you might be safer out there,¡± he finished quietly, Chapter 96


    ¡°away from me. Away from my enemies, those who might wish to do you harm to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that anymore,¡± I shot back tightly. ¡°And where would I go?¡±


    There was silence and then he said, ¡°You could live a human life without werewolves. Go to college. Settle down in some


    nice little town. I¡¯d pay for everything. You¡¯d never want for anything, and you¡¯d be safe


    ¡°It¡¯s safe for me to be with you,¡± I said. ¡°This is where I should be. How many times have you told me that? That I belong


    here?¡±


    ¡°Lve changed my mind,¡± he said and turned just enough that I could see the side of his face. His expression was all


    twisted up like it physically pained him to say this. ¡°Your siblings came back with us. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want to see you. After


    that, we¡¯ll work out the details of your departure.¡±


    ¡°Griffin, please,¡± I said, and I managed to stumble off the b*d to reach for him but by the time my feet hit the ground,


    the door had closed behind him

 Chapter 97

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Chapter 97 Chapter 97


    ¡°There are wounds that never show on the b*dy that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.¡±


    Laurell K. Hamilton


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to reach for the door, to follow after him even though I had a sinking feeling that he was long gone. I


    opened the bedroom door and walked through ~ only to walk straight into Sebastian.


    His hands grasped my shoulder instantly, steadying me before I could stumble. ¡°rk,¡± he said with relief in his eyes.


    ¡°Seb,¡± I said, hugging him. I forgot about everything for a moment ¡ª the kidnapping, killing Ezra, even Griffin ordering me to leave. For a moment, | just lingered in the safety of my brother¡¯s embrace.


    We stayed like that for a while, but eventually, he pulled away with reluctance. ¡°rk,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you.


    I want to talk to you.¡±


    My eyes flitted to the empty hallway where Griffin had most likely disappeared. I wanted to find him and make him


    understand that he was wrong about me being safer in the human world.


    But as I looked into Sebastian¡¯s eyes, I had a feeling he needed me even Chapter 97


    more right now. ¡°I saw you out there,¡± I said, ¡°You found your mate, Aria¡±


    ¡°aria,¡± he repeated like he was savoring the name on his tongue. ¡°So that¡¯s her name.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t asked her name?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I mean, I was told it¡¯s been ten hours. I would¡¯ve thought


    you would¡¯ve gotten past first names at least.¡±


    He sighed as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. ¡°She won¡¯t talk to me,¡± he said with a strained voice,


    ¡°She came back with us and I know she knows that we¡¯re mates, but she won¡¯t even speak to me. All she seems is


    terrified of me. She won¡¯te near me, won¡¯t even make eye contact with me.¡±


    He paused, and with something like hope in his eyes, he asked, ¡°You spent time with her, right? She was there.¡± His l*ps


    curled up into a snarl at thatst word. By ¡®there,¡¯ I could only assume he meant Liam¡¯s pack.


    ¡°she was there,¡± I told him, ¡°But she was more scared than anything else. I don¡¯t think her being there was¡­much of a


    choice. Even if she feels differently.¡± I wasn¡¯t quite sure how deep Aria¡¯s brainwashing ran, if she still revered Liam the


    same way she had before he¡¯d tried to kill both of us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to interact with her,¡± he confessed, ¡°I¡¯ve waited years for my mate, but I¡¯m not unrealistic. I didn¡¯t


    expect to have some Chapter 97


    high-ranking female wolf or have some innocent virgin who¡¯d waited for me. All I wanted was someone who wanted me


    at least half as much as I wanted them. I never expected my mate to be terrified of me.¡± |


    My heart ached for my brother.


    Sebastian had never been vocal about wanting a mate, but it had been clear for as long as I¡¯d known him. It¡¯s what all wolves wanted ¨C even if they didn¡¯t say it.


    ¡°She¡¯s only terrified because her world has been turned upside down,¡± I exined, ¡°Two days ago, Liam was forcing


    everyone in his pack to refer to him like a king. Today, he¡¯s dead and she¡¯s stuck with people she¡¯s supposed to hate.¡± I


    paused before adding, ¡°I think it¡¯s just going to take some time, but sooner orter, she¡¯ll realize that she belongs with


    you.¡±


    I swallowed. In some ways, Aria wasn¡¯t so different than me. I¡¯d never been abused like she was, but I¡¯d been terrified of


    Griffin when I first met him. And even after I¡¯d even realized he wouldn¡¯t kill me, I was terrified he¡¯d trap me with him


    forever. That I¡¯d miss out on the real adventures of life because I was stuck with some possessive werewolf.


    And now that possessive werewolf is the one who wants me to leave.


    Funny how the tables turn like that. I¡¯m the one fighting to stay here, not the other way around.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°I want to help her, but I¡¯m not sure how Chapter 97 when she practically shakes whenever I walk into the room.¡± ¡°One of these days,¡± I replied, ¡°Perhaps she¡¯ll be the one telling you


    about why she shakes. It¡¯s just going to take time to get there, but if anyone is equipped to handle it, it¡¯s you, Seb.¡± 1)


    ¡°You think so?¡± he asked.


    I smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯re my brother. I¡¯d like to think I know you pretty well. You¡¯re patient and gentle¡­and that¡¯s what Aria


    needs more than anything right now. The fact that you¡¯re trying to help her? That¡¯s more than some wolves would do.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could do more,¡± he said, ¡°Help her in some worthwhile way.¡± )


    ¡°The patience and gentleness are worthwhile,¡± I said.


    He nodded. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re righ didn¡¯t want to bother you ~ especially after what you¡¯ve been through these past few


    days.¡± His eyes flitted to the bruises on my n*eck. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    hank you for listening to me. I


    ¡°A little sore but it¡¯s not so bad,¡± I said. The biggest sore wasn¡¯t physical right now. I needed to talk to Griffin. I needed


    him to see that he was wrong, that he hadn¡¯t failed to protect me.


    ¡°Dad was so worried about you, you know,¡± Sebastian suddenly said, drawing my thoughts away from my mate. ¡°When


    he heard you¡¯d been taken, he sent every single one of his warriors into battle to save you. Chapter 97


    I¡¯m pretty sure he was gearing up to take Liam¡¯s head off himself.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    My mind shed to thest conversation I¡¯d had with my father ¨C the way we¡¯d fought.


    That could¡¯ve been thest conversation I¡¯d had with my father. Iwas so angry, but that could¡¯ve been thest time I¡¯d


    talked to him.


    ¡°When my n*eck isn¡¯t so sore,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll call him and talk to him. We fought thest time we talked but¡­he¡¯s still dad. I


    know he loves me even if I wasn¡¯t happy about some of the decisions he made.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been perfect,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°I didn¡¯t always see that but I do now. He was so intent on keeping you in the werewolf world that I think he forgot you were half-human too.¡±


    ¡°Or human at all,¡± I said, ¡°And to make up for it, I think I forgot that I was part-wolf. I¡¯m both. I belong in both worlds.¡± 2)


    But I belong with Griffin most of all.

 Chapter 98

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Chapter 98


    ¡°Pm a lover, not a fighter¡­but sometimes those things ovep.¡± Unknown


    It took talking to three servants, two guards, and nearly an hour for me to finally hunt Griffin down. I¡¯d been expecting


    him to be in some sort of meeting, surrounded by advisors, but that¡¯s not where I found him.


    Instead, he was holed up in some office I¡¯d never seen before, stacks of paperwork in front of him. His head shot up when


    I opened the door and I could¡¯ve sworn they looked puffy.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked, his voice raspy. His face was nk, portraying no emotion. It stung. He didn¡¯t lookN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    at me with softness or yfulness like he usually did ¡ª right now, he was looking


    at me like I was just another subject.


    ¡°I wanted to talk,¡± I said. My voice came out meeker than I intended it to.


    ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About ourst conversation,¡± I said.


    He looked down at his paperwork. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about,¡± he Chapter 98


    said with a t tone, ¡°Although I suppose we can discuss the details of your departure now if you want.¡±


    That sentence might as well have been a punch to the gut.


    For the past hour, all I¡¯d felt was sadness and desperation. Desperation to work this out, to make him understand that he


    didn¡¯t need to send me away.


    But suddenly, I felt that sadness and desperation give way to anger. Rage swelled up in me like a wave. How dare he? He


    couldn¡¯t even look me in the eye as he nonchntly discussed sending me away like you¡¯d rehome a misbehaving puppy.


    ¡°The details of my departure¡¯?¡± I repeated. ¡°Why don¡¯t you call it what it really is?¡±


    Griffin didn¡¯t even nce at me. ¡°And what is it really?¡±


    ¡°You being a coward,¡± I said. >


    That got his attention. Griffin looked up at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°I¡¯m doing what¡¯s best for your safety,¡± he said, ¡°If


    you¡¯re able to disappear into the human world, nob*dy will be able to use you against me.


    Besides, you wanted a human life not so long ago.¡±


    ¡°What would you know about what I wanted? It¡¯s not as if you¡¯ve asked me what I¡¯ve wanted since I returned. All you¡¯ve


    done is tell me what I need to do and tell me what¡¯s best for me,¡± I seethed, ¡°In fact¡­that¡¯s Chapter 98


    pretty much what you¡¯ve been doing since the moment we met.¡±


    From across the room, I could¡¯ve sworn I saw Griffin¡¯s gaze harden. Perhaps I should¡¯ve stopped there but the pent-up


    emotions were spewing out of me now.


    ¡°Do you remember what you told me when we met?¡± I asked. ¡°You said you¡¯d waited almost a decade for me. That you¡¯d


    spent enough time without me and you weren¡¯t going to let anything keep us apart¡­not other wolves, not your father,


    and not me -¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I failed!¡± Griffin cut me off with a growl. ¡°I was supposed to keep you safe ¨C the one thing any mate should be


    able to do ~ and I failed at that. I thought that I could be enough to protect you, but I realize now that I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± he said, ¡°You were kidnapped. I couldn¡¯t even protect you in my own home. I didn¡¯t sleep for days, wondering


    if I¡¯d be able to save you in time, if they were going to hurt you in ways I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop¡­¡± His voice cracked as


    he trailed off, and he averted his eyes from me.


    I took a few steps closer until I was standing right in front of his desk. ¡°You did save me in time,¡± I said, ¡°You keep saying


    you failed, but you didn¡¯t. You saved me. I¡¯m standing here right now because you saved me, and you¡¯re still trying to


    send me away.¡± Chapter 98


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way I can make sure that nob*dy will ever be able to use you against me again,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s the only way I


    can ensure your safety.¡±


    I took a step around the desk until I was just inches away from him. He turned to look at me. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to


    leave, but I¡¯ll make sure you never want for anything. A house, college, anything you want


    No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± he repeated, raising an eyebrow.


    I crossed my arms. ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving.¡± (2 ¡°You can¡¯t ~¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± | cut him off again. | moved even closer ¡ª our faces so close | could feel his cool breath on my l*ps. ¡°You said


    you¡¯d let nothing keep us apart ¨C not even me,¡± I continued, ¡°Well, I think that includes you too.¡± i


    He didn¡¯t reply, but I saw his eyes flicker to my l*ps.


    ¡°I never got to choose, you know,¡± I said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get to choose living with my dad or knowing about werewolves. I


    didn¡¯t get to choose having a mate. | didn¡¯t get to choose when you dragged me back here. Even right now, you¡¯re trying


    to take my choice away again by thinking you know better.¡± Chapter 98


    I paused before adding lowly, ¡°But you don¡¯t. I¡¯m making this choice, and I¡¯m choosing to stay. I¡¯m choosing you.¡±


    He nced at my l*ps again, swallowing. ¡°I ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to hear it. I don¡¯t want to hear whatever justification you have for trying to send me away. I don¡¯t care.


    You¡¯ve spent most of this mate bond fighting for me, and right now, I¡¯m going to fight for you.¡±


    I leaned even closer, my l*ps brushing against his. ¡°You said you¡¯d chase me across the world if you had to. You don¡¯t


    think I¡¯d chase you too? Even if you managed to send me away, I¡¯d juste right back. P¡¯d never give up. I would chase


    you until you sawmon sense, until you got it through your thick skull that you¡¯re my mate and I¡¯m never leaving.¡±


    I could see a war in his eyes, the mask he¡¯d tried to put up cracking between us. He tried to turn his head and look away,


    but before he could, I grabbed his chin with my fingers and held his face in ce. He looked surprised by the gesture,


    but he didn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°Lam your Queen,¡± | continued firmly, ¡°You bowed to me. You gave me your loyalty and devotion when you left this


    iming mark on me and when you crowned me. I didn¡¯t get kidnapped and sleep in a dungeon just so you could try


    and throw all that away. Do you und ~¡±


    It was his l*ps on mine that cut me off. Chapter 98


    His soft l*ps moved against mine fervently, and I could barely keep up with his pace. His tongue swiped against my


    bottom l*p for entrance, and I didn¡¯t even hesitate in giving him ess. I wanted to be able to taste as much of his mouth


    as I could.


    The argument we¡¯d just had, Griffin trying to send me away ¡ª all of it seemed to fade into the background as he k*ssed


    me passionately.


    My hands roamed his hair and n*eck, touching every inch of skin I could manage. When Griffin pulled me onto hisp, I


    didn¡¯t resist. If anything, I tried to move closer. To be as close as I could to him.


    By the time he pulled away, we were both breathing heavily. His pupils were blown wide as he looked at me.


    We both breathed in silence for a moment, and then he whispered, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± I murmured. ¡°Pm yours,¡± he said, ¡°And you are mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to try and send me away then?¡±


    He shook his head, and for the first time since I¡¯d walked into the room, I saw the maskpletely shatter. I caught a


    glimpse of the raw pain thaty underneath, of just how much guilt he¡¯d been wracked with. Chapter 98


    ¡°Lm sorry,¡± he finally said, his voice low and strained, ¡°The one thing Pve always prided myself on as man, as a mate, is


    my ability to protect. I thought there was nob*dy in the world that could protect you like I could, It¡¯s how I justified some


    of those choices I made in the beginning ~ like bringing you back to the castle when you went to see your mom. Even if


    you hated me forever, I told myself it¡¯d be okay because you¡¯d be


    safe. I¡¯d keep you safe.¡±


    He swallowed, and his grip on my waist tightened. ¡°But the night you got kidnapped, that changed,¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t


    keep you safe. Even worse, I couldn¡¯t keep you safe in our home, the one ce you should¡¯ve been safe.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have predicted what happened that night,¡± I told him, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just you here. There were guards,


    guests¡­nob*dy could protect me, not even myself. If you want to me yourself for that night, then you have to me


    me just as much. You have to me me for walking out on that balcony alone, for talking with Ezra at all, for taking the


    drink he offered¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t me you,¡± Griffin said firmly.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t me you either,¡± I replied.


    ¡°But I still failed.¡±


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, ¡°Being able to protect me is not your only worth as a


    mate. If protection was all I wanted, I would¡¯ve just stayed with my dad¡¯s pack. But you do so much more than protect me


    ¨C you challenge Chapter 98


    me, you teach me things, but most importantly, you make me happy. Even if you were human, even if there was no mate


    bond, I think we would¡¯ve still ended up together. You probably would¡¯ve had to chase me a few more years, but it would¡¯ve happened eventually.¡±


    I could see the faint outline of a smile, not a smirk, on his face. ¡°You make me happy too,¡± he said, ¡°And I think you¡¯re


    right. I would¡¯ve eventually won you over.¡± He leaned in to k*ss me again but I pulled back.


    I could already tell where this was heading, but we were also sitting in a small office with an unlocked door. Not exactly


    the best ce for s*x.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go back to our bedroom?¡± I asked, ¡°There¡¯s no space in here and anyone could walk in.¡±


    I saw his wide smile before he captured my l*ps with his again. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± he murmured against my


    l*ps, ¡°Never again. You¡¯re mine, little fox.¡± *

 Chapter 99

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Epilogue ¨C Part I Epilogue ¨C Part I


    ¡°Pve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart.¡±


    Griffin Bardot (¡°) 3 Years Later ¡°Madame, here¡¯s that cocktail you ordered.¡±


    1 took the light-colored cocktail from the bartender without hesitation and took a sip. The crisp, citrus vor hid the


    alcohol more than I expected. 7


    ¡°You like it?¡± he asked, his French ent thick. He must¡¯ve been mid- thirties with a thick mustache and bright eyes. He¡¯d been the only one working as long as I¡¯d been sitting at the bar, but he flitted from customer to customer with ease,


    even going out of his way to make me a cocktail he thought I¡¯d like.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied, taking another sip, ¡°What did you call this again?¡±


    ¡°French 75,¡± he answered, ¡°It¡¯s what I make for all the American tourists who look like it¡¯s their first time in Paris.¡±


    I smiled sheepishly. ¡°How did you know? Was it the ent that gave me Epilogue ¨C Part 1 away?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°That and you¡¯ve got that wide-eyed look about you that I see on all the tourists¡­let me guess, you¡¯re fresh


    out college¡­maybe


    twenty-two, wanting to travel on your own for the first time. Paris has


    always been on the bucket list and now you¡¯re here.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Something like that. I just turned twenty-one though.¡±


    The bartender smiled, draping his arm across the bar. ¡°I¡¯ve got an eye


    for picking out the doe-eyed tourists.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe you just use that same line on everyone who walks in here with an American ent,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Just the pretty ones,¡± he smiled. In the dim light of the bar, his blue eyes were unusually bright. ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯ve


    already seen the Eiffel tower or you¡¯re nning to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the agenda.¡±


    ¡°Everyone always wants to see the Eiffel tower,¡± he rolled his eyes, ¡°But the view isn¡¯t even that great. You want the best


    view in Paris? Go up the steps of the Sacre Coeur. A bit of a workout but the beauty of the city is worth it¡±


    ¡°Pll have to add it to the list,¡± I said.


    He leaned forward slightly. ¡°Perhaps I could show you. You shouldn¡¯t Epilogue ¨C Part | enjoy the beauty of Paris alone ~¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be.¡±


    The bartender paled immediately as soon as he saw who¡¯d just cut him off, but I didn¡¯t even blink as a tanned hand


    found its way around my waist. Instead, I leaned into the warmth and smiled when his full l*ps pecked me on the cheek.


    ¡°I missed you, little fox,¡± he murmured into my ear, and I pulled back to look at him.


    Three yearster, Griffin was just as handsome as the day I¡¯d met him ¨C dark hair that he¡¯d been growing out, and


    perhaps it was my imagination, but it seemed as if he¡¯d only gotten bulkier throughout the years. (5


    His signature smirk and his nickname for me had never changed.


    Griffin¡¯s dark eyes assessed me for a moment before he turned to the bartender. ¡°What was the ce you mentioned?


    The Sacre Coeur?¡±


    The flirty expression on the bartender¡¯s face had vanished, leaving only unease and fear. I couldn¡¯t really me him. He


    might not have known he was talking to the king of werewolves, but even as a human, I was sure he could still sense


    Griffin¡¯s natural power.


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± the bartender stuttered out. Epilogue ¨C Part |


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to check it out,¡± Griffin said,pletely unbothered,


    ¡°after all, she shouldn¡¯t be enjoying the beauty of the city alone, right?¡± )


    Even from the other side of the bar, I could see the way he swallowed


    nervously as he nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for the suggestion,¡± Griffin added, and just when I thought he might be ready to leave, he gave the bartender


    a scathing re and growled out, ¡°But if I ever catch you flirting with my wife again, it¡¯ll be thest time you use that


    tongue.¡± Even in the dim lighting, I caught the sh of Griffin¡¯s fangs as he spoke.


    I didn¡¯t think it was possible for the bartender to get paler, but somehow, he managed. ¡°Wife?¡± he stammered. His eyes


    flickered to mine. ¡°She¡¯s not wearing a wedding ring and -¡±


    ¡°Iv¡¯s our one-year wedding anniversary, it¡¯s why we¡¯re on this trip,¡± Griffin cut him off with narrowed eyes, ¡°I¡¯m recing


    her ring with a bigger one.¡±


    ¡°But you said you were fresh out of college,¡± the bartender said, ncing at me again, ¡°Here as a tourist.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s what you said,¡± I told him with a smile, ¡°And I am fresh out of college.¡± Of course, | left out the part about


    how I¡¯d graduated college. There was no point in exining that I hadn¡¯t actually lived in a dorm room or attended


    lecture halls filled to the brim. That¡¯s what everyone expected when they heard you went to college. Epilogue ¨C Part!


    They weren¡¯t expecting me to tell them that my werewolf-mate-now- husband had hired some of the best professors in


    the world toe to our home and give me private lessons. All the individual attention had worked wonders for learning


    hard subjects, and I¡¯d graduated with my bachelor¡¯s degree in a semester less than what it normally took most college


    students.


    Three years ago, I never thought I¡¯d get to go to college.


    Now F¡¯ve graduated with a degree in political science, and my husband hasN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    whisked me away to Paris to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary. }


    College hadn¡¯t been the only change in the past three years. After the kidnapping and Alpha Liam¡¯s death, there had


    been peace in the werewolf world. Given the way that Griffin had cut down Liam and those allied with him, nob*dy had


    dared to try and take the throne since. That day, they¡¯d learned he could be a ruthless ruler if he needed tobe.


    Although Griffin had initially tried to send me away to live a human life where I¡¯d be safer, it¡¯d only taken one


    conversation to convince him otherwise. Monthster, he¡¯d confided in me that he wasn¡¯t sure he would¡¯ve been able to


    actually go through with sending me away.


    After that conversation, things changed. Pethaps it was the kidnapping, killing a man, or just getting older, but I grew into


    the role I¡¯d been born for. These days, I knew enough about werewolf politics that I could


    take meetings and make decisions without Griffin¡¯s oversight. Epilogue ¨C Part!


    As for our rtionship, Griffin was still overprotective as ever. I didn¡¯t think that was ever going to change, but he didn¡¯t


    try to make decisions for me anymore. I wasn¡¯t just his human mate in need of protecting, but his Queen ~a real one. I


    was his equal, and I could tell that I had his respect as a leader now.


    A year after I¡¯d been kidnapped, Griffin proposed to me. I hadn¡¯t been expecting it, mostly because werewolves rarely


    married. There was no


    need for marriage when your mate had a giant bite mark on their n*eck. )


    Yet, to my surprise, he took me on a surprise vacation to visit my mother and proposed at dinner one evening. When I¡¯d


    asked him about it, he¡¯d told me: I¡¯ve imed you in the werewolf way. Now I want to im you in the human way. ¡ã


    And a year after that, we¡¯d married. Perhaps we were both still a little scarred from giant parties, but we decided to elope,


    just the two of us.


    There was no family drama to focus on, just both of us under a full


    moon with a priest that Griffin paid off.


    ¡°[-I really didn¡¯t know, Monsieur.¡± The bartender¡¯s wobbly voice brought me out of my thoughts.


    He was only getting more pale as Griffin¡¯s re deepened, and I decided to cut hima little ck. He was right ~ he


    hadn¡¯t known I was taken. Had he known I was married ¡ª especially to someone who looked like Griffin ¡ª I had a


    feeling the encounter would¡¯ve gone much differently. Epilogue ¨C Part!


    ¡°Griffin,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m starting to get hungry. Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡± )


    Griffin looked down at me. I could tell he knew what I was doing, that I was distracting him from terrorizing the poor


    bartender, but he still gave in. ¡°Alright,¡± he nodded, leaning down to pull me into a long, lingering k*ss.


    We didn¡¯t spare the bartender another look as we made our way out of the bar. The cobblestone road we were on was lit


    up by street lights that cast an orange glow on Griffin¡¯s face as he turned to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m hungry too,¡± he said,


    leaning down until his l*ps were on my n*eck. My hands clutched at his biceps to keep myself steady as he began his


    assault on my n*eck.


    ¡°Just not for food,¡± he whispered, his teeth grazing the iming mark. I moaned.


    ¡°You know what I think?¡± he asked.


    I tried to respond but my words only came out as another quiet moan.


    ¡°I think you liked seeing me jealous in there,¡± he said, his l*ps on my n*eck, ¡°I think you liked teasing that bartender,


    pretending I wasn¡¯t just outside on the phone.¡±


    ¡°And what if I did?¡± I pulled back with a yful smile. ¡°Maybe some part of me just wanted to see what you¡¯d do.¡±


    Epilogue ¨C Part!


    Griffin¡¯s eyes were dark and hungry as he looked me over. ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous game to y, little fox,¡± he murmured,


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve ripped his tongue out for speaking to you like that? I resist the urge to kill men on the street whenever they look at you too long.¡±


    Suddenly, he swung me up into his arms bridal style and I nearly let out a yelp at the surprise movement.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If I stay here any longer,¡± he said, beginning to walk with me in his arms. ¡°I may just go back in there and do what |


    threatened him with. So, I think it¡¯s about time I take you somewhere I can properly ravish you.¡±


    ¡°Like our hotel room?¡±


    A dark smile shed across his face. ¡°No, I was thinking more like the Sacre Coeur.¡±

 Chapter 100

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Epilogue ¨C Part IIConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Epilogue ¨C Part II


    ¡°Human, wolf, you are what you make of yourself.¡±


    rk Bellevue


    8 Years Later


    ¡°Mommy! Mommy, did you see that? I got my first battle wound!¡±


    A freckled boy with dark hair and eyes stared up at me with a proud smile. He presented the scratch on his arm to me like


    a trophy as we stood at the dining table. Griffin was in a meeting tonight, so the table was only set for three. =)


    ¡°and what¡¯s this from?¡± I asked with raised eyebrows. Even as I inspected the scratch, I could see that it was already


    beginning to heal, his pale skin knitting itself back together again.


    ¡°Training ss,¡± he said, ¡°Instructor Ivan said it wasn¡¯t a real battle wound, but daddy said it was! He said I¡¯ll be ready to


    go into battle


    before no time!¡±


    ¡°Instructor Ivan is right,¡± I told him, ¡°And your father is a bit of a moron if he thinks you¡¯ll be going into battle anytime


    soon.¡±


    The seven-year-old boy pouted, a look I¡¯d seen on Griffin plenty of Epilogue ¨C Part II


    time. If it weren¡¯t for his pale skin and freckled face, he could¡¯ve been the spitting image of his father.


    Even after seven years of pouty, puppy-dog faces, I was still a sucker for them. At least when they came from my son. I¡¯d


    grown immune to Griffin¡¯s pouty face years ago. ¡°Look,¡± I sighed, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get to go into battle one day, but not


    today. Like when you¡¯re king, decades from now. Now, if you¡¯re done with your dinner, you can go y.¡±


    That answer was enough to satisfy him, and with a quick hug, he took off running. Although he hadn¡¯t shifted yet, he¡¯d


    already begun to show early signs of being a werewolf ¡ª better strength and speed, better healing. It was only a matter


    of time until he shifted.


    How time has passed. Iruminated on the past eight years as I finished off my own dinner.


    I was already twenty-nine now. A queen, a mate, and a mother to two beautiful children. Griffin had wanted to start a


    family since we¡¯d gotten married, but I¡¯¡¯d been the one who needed more time. I wanted to graduate college first and


    travel together as a couple before we added a third person to the mix.


    And we did.


    After making our way through most of Europe on an extended vacation for our anniversary, I stopped taking birth


    control. Epilogue ¨C Part II


    It happened only a few months after that.


    Griffin had known before I did. Even before the morning sickness and the weird cravings began, his supernatural hearing


    had caught onto something I hadn¡¯t ~ a third heartbeat. ¡±)


    He¡¯d been overjoyed, of course. The only other time I¡¯d ever seen him that happy was on our wedding day. To no


    surprise, his protective nature became a thousand times worse once he realized I was pregnant. I couldn¡¯t leave the


    bedroom without at least two guards flocking me like hounds, let alone the castle. =)


    It had been a suffocating nine months, but at the end of it, I¡¯d gotten something more precious than my own life: my son.


    Adjusting to parenthood hadn¡¯t been easy, but with Griffin by my side, we managed to figure it out. Together, we tried to


    be better parents than we¡¯d ever had.


    I smiled when the dining room door opened to reveal the person who the other ce setting was for ~ my five-year-old


    daughter. She shared Griffin¡¯s dark hair and tan skin, but she was just as gangly as I¡¯d been as akid.


    ¡°Mommy?¡±


    Theard the sniffle from across the room, and instantly, I was on alert.


    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± I said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Epilogue ¨C Part Il


    She didn¡¯t hesitate to run over to me, practically copsing into my arms and sobbing into my shirt. She began to talk,


    but it took at least five minutes before she¡¯d calmed down enough to tell me whatever had made her upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s the other kids in my training me with big brown eyes. ¡°They made fun of me today.¡± Her bottom l*p wobbled as she


    spoke.


    s,¡± she finally said, looking up at


    Inside, I was already fuming and nning to find out whose kids had made fun of my daughter and which trainer had


    allowed it to happen. But on the outside, I kept my cool and asked, ¡°And why did they make fun of you?¡± (2)


    ¡°I can¡¯t run as fast as them!¡± she said, ¡°Or fight as good. Or do anything as good. They think it¡¯s funny. They think I¡¯m


    weak.¡±


    I cursed Griffin inside my head for ever letting him convince me that it¡¯d be a good idea to put her in a group training


    ss. She¡¯d been taking private self-defense lessons with Ivan previously, but Griffin had tried to tell me she¡¯d do well in a


    group.


    All the kids her age do group training, he¡¯d said. I want my daughter to be the best.


    I should¡¯ve known what group training would lead to, having gone through it myself.


    ¡°They also said I¡¯m not going to grow up to be like them,¡± she Epilogue ¨C Part II


    continued, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    I sighed. There was no getting around this one. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. You¡¯re not going to grow up to be like those kids in your


    training ss.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll always be weak?¡± she asked, and from the way her l*p continued to wobble, I knew she was on the verge of


    sobbing again.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that,¡± I said, ¡°Of course you¡¯re going to grow up to be strong. You just won¡¯t be strong in the same way


    your ssmates are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, mommy.¡±


    I brushed some of the dark hair out of her eyes. ¡°You know we live around werewolves,¡± I exined, ¡°That¡¯s what your


    ssmates are going to be, that¡¯s why they¡¯re so strong. You¡¯ve seen your dad shift and one day, your brother is going to


    shift too.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to be a wolf,¡± she sniffled. ¡°I want to be a wolf. I want to be strong. I don¡¯t want to be weak.¡± \¡¯)


    ¡°and you think being a wolf makes you strong?¡± I asked. ¡°That you have to be a wolf or you¡¯ll be weak?¡±


    She nodded as she sniffled into my shirt and I took that as my cue that she was listening. ¡°You¡¯re human,¡± I said, ¡°Just like me.¡±


    Her big eyes peered up at me. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have a wolf? Like at all?¡±


    I shook my head with a soft smile. ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a Epilogue ¨C Part Il


    wolf, but I grew up around them. Spent a lot of time wishing I could be strong just like them, and you know where it got


    me?


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Tt got me nowhere. And it took me a long time to realize that I could still be strong without a wolf,¡± I told her. ¡°True


    strength doesn¡¯t mean you can run faster or heal more quickly¡­true strength is something thates from inside you. Only you can make yourself strong. And when it counts, when you need that strength, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re a werewolf or a human.¡± (?


    ¡°So, I can still be strong one day? Like you?¡± she asked. ¡°I want to know how you got strong.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°ll tell you the story of how I met your father and became Queen, how I made myself strong¡­but not today.¡±


    She pouted. ¡°Why not today?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a little young for it, but when you¡¯re older, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡±

 Chapter 101

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1) Chapter 1 ¨C Aria & Sebastian


    ¡°a good woman follows tradition.¡±


    Lebo Grand


    Warning: this chapter includes themes of S**ism as well as grooming of a minor.


    Aria Thomas had grown up her entire life learning how to be a good ¡®woman, but it wasn¡¯t until the age of twelve that


    she learned what a bad woman was. She could still remember the way that Lucy Warner, who was only two years older,


    cried and screamed as they did it.


    On the weekends, Lucy liked to sneak away to a local bookstore, where she¡¯d meet her human boyfriend, Bryan. Aria


    didn¡¯t know anything about Bryan ¨C really, she didn¡¯t even know he existed ¨C until it happened.


    Aria¡¯s father, the Alpha of their pack, called for a mandatory pack meeting. That was rare. Most of the time, Alpha


    Thomas preferred to keep pack business where it belonged: behind closed doors with his most trusted advisors and


    warriors. Aria sometimes heard their loud, booming voicesing from his home office, although she never listened in.


    Aria couldn¡¯t shake the pit in her stomach the day her father called the Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1)


    mandatory meeting. She stayed tucked under her mother¡¯s arm the entire time, Luna Thomas¡¯ hands shaking as they


    clutched her.


    Lucy looked rather confused as they led her out in front of everyone, and she kept looking back at her parents with


    confusion. Most people looked confused ~ until they brought out Bryan.


    He was scrawny, even for a teenager, and he couldn¡¯t even hold himself up when a pair of pack warriors threw him at


    Lucy¡¯s feet. Her eyes had immediately widened with fear.


    Although she hadn¡¯t shifted or gotten use of her full abilities yet, Aria could smell the fresh blood that tainted the air.


    ¡°You have grown up learning the ways of our pack, just like everyone else here,¡± Alpha Thomas had boomed. ¡°And yet,


    you chose to break one of our cardinal rules ~ having rtions with a human.¡±


    Gasps rippled through the pack, and Aria watched as those confused looks turned to disappointment. Lucy looked


    horrified.


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Alpha Thomas said, crossing


    his burly arms across his chest. The hard look in his eyes made Aria¡¯s stomach turn. She¡¯d never seen that hard look


    directed at her, but he¡¯d


    given it to her mother from time to time. Lucy was shaking like a leaf, her brown eyes glistening with tears.


    ¡°alpha,¡± Lucy said, and Aria could see her bottom l*p wobbling from Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1)


    several feet away. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to break your rules, it was just -¡±


    ¡°But you did,¡± he cut her off, ¡°You not only disrespected your pack, but your future mate as well. You sullied yourself with


    a human of all things.¡±


    Lucy began sobbing, choking out apologies in between her cries. None of it phased Aria¡¯s father.


    As broken and bloody as Bryan already was, his death was quick. His n*eck snapped like a toothpick in the hands of her


    father.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Aria didn¡¯t look away once during any of it. Nob*dy told her that she had to look, but everyone else was watching. Once


    Lucy had copsed over Bryan¡¯s lifeless b*dy in a puddle of tears, her father finally sidled up to them and regarded Aria


    with cool eyes.


    ¡°Did that scare you, Aria? What I did to that boy?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aria said meekly. The words tumbled out like they¡¯d already been sitting on the tip of her tongue, ready to use.


    ¡°Lucy should never have been with a human,¡±


    ¡°She should never have been with anyone who wasn¡¯t her mate,¡± her father added harshly, ¡°You can learn a lesson from


    this too, Aria. A good woman is supposed to be pure and untouched. Nob*dy wants a bad


    woman.¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &amp; Sebastian (1)


    Nob*dy wants a bad woman.


    Thest thing Aria wanted to do was end up like Lucy ~ a bad woman. ¡®The world was a dangerous ce, and one day,


    she¡¯d need her mate to protect her. If she was a bad woman, her mate wouldn¡¯t want her.


    Aria would be a good woman. She¡¯d make sure of it. When Aria was sixteen, she met Alpha Liam for the first time.


    She¡¯d juste back from the nursery, where she always spent her afternoons, to find him parked at her kitchen table


    with her father. Her mother stood over them, and Aria didn¡¯t need to use her supernatural senses to know she was


    dishing her homemade potato casserole onto their tes.


    ¡°Aria!¡± Her father boomed, gesturing her over. He looked nervous, but Aria wasn¡¯t sure why. Her father was too strong of


    a man to ever be nervous. Still, she took hesitant steps over.


    ¡°This is my daughter, Aria,¡± her father said, ¡°She just turned sixteen.¡±


    The man beside her father was much younger. He was handsome too, with brown eyes, brown hair, and a sharp jawline.


    Aria¡¯s eyes only met his briefly before she averted her gaze. If he was dining with her father, he must be important, and


    she didn¡¯t want to be disrespectful. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1) ¡°aria,¡± the man said, and she couldn¡¯t stop the


    blush from blooming across her cheeks, ¡°Have you shifted yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡±


    She nced at her father, and she didn¡¯t miss the sh of disappointment on his face. He must¡¯ve been hoping she¡¯d be


    the mate of this man, whoever he was.


    If only I¡¯d be so lucky.


    ¡°You can address me as Alpha Liam,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯ve just taken over my father¡¯s pack.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aria murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were an Alpha.¡±


    Alpha Liam¡¯s handsome face cracked into a crooked smile. ¡°An obedient one, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Her father chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s turning into a good woman, I¡¯ve made sure of it. Made sure she¡¯s nothing like those wild


    she-wolves running around these days,¡± he said.


    ¡°Most packs have no regard for the qualities of a good woman these days,¡± Alpha Liam said, ¡°They let their girls run wild


    and be bad women. That¡¯s exactly the kind of backwards thinking I¡¯d like to stop, but I need allies. Other


    traditionalists.¡±


    Alpha Thomas nced at Aria. ¡°Go help your mother in the kitchen, Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1)


    will you?¡± She nodded and scurried away without another word.


    As she turned her back on them, she could hardly suppress the excitement. Her father was proud of her ~ he thought she was turning into a good woman and introduced her to that young, handsome Alpha. She was bing a good woman,


    he¡¯d said.


    That smile didn¡¯t leave her face for the rest of the night. DoDI


    For the next few weeks, Alpha Liam continued to return for regr dinners at their house. He mostly conversed with her


    father, but whenever she refilled their drinks or made up their tes, his eyes would slide over her in a way that left her


    blushing.


    If only she¡¯d gotten lucky enough to be the mate of a man like Alpha Liam.


    One night, after another dinner with Alpha Liam, she hummed quietly as she finished off the dishes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a beautiful voice.¡± Aria startled, nearly dropping the te she¡¯d been cleaning. She turned


    around to face Alpha Liam, her face already turning a tomato red. He leaned up against the entrance of the kitchen, that


    same crooked smile Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1)


    on his face.


    ¡°Oh, you scared me,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were still here, Alpha Liam.¡±


    ¡°Your father had to handle somest-minute pack business,¡± he said,


    ¡°And your mother wasn¡¯t feeling well. Guess that makes you my host. ¡°I suppose so,¡± she said, ¡°Would you like


    something to drink?¡±


    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t need to do alll that,¡± he waved her off before raising an eyebrow. ¡°You really are a polite little thing.¡±


    If Aria¡¯s face wasn¡¯t red already, it was now. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you are,¡± Alpha Liam took a step into the kitchen, his eyes fixed on hers, ¡°You¡¯re modest. You do as you¡¯re told


    withoutint. That¡¯s all I could want from a woman.¡±


    Her heart pounded in her chest. Was it possible Alpha Liam was flirting with her?


    No, he¡¯s far too handsome to be flirting with someone like me, she thought to herself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how rare it is to find a good woman these days,¡± he continued, ¡°Even my own mate wasn¡¯t a good woman.¡±


    Aria perked up. Alpha Liam had a mate? He hadn¡¯t mentioned a mate in Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (1)


    all the time he¡¯d spent with her family.


    ¡°Alpha Liam, I don¡¯t want to pry, but¡­¡± Aria trailed off, averting her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, sweetheart,¡± Alpha Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind sharing with you. You¡¯re quite easy to talk to.¡±


    He had a mate, he¡¯d just said so. Aria really didn¡¯t want to think he was flirting with her ¡ª even if the thought of it sent a


    thrill of excitement


    down her spine.


    ¡°[ had a mate,¡± Alpha Liam exined, closing the distance between them until he was leaning against the counter beside


    her. Aria continued to half-heartedly wash the dishes although he had every ounce of her attention. ¡°But the Moon


    Goddess picked wrong for me. She picked a bad woman. My mate¡± ¨C he practically spit the word out ¡ª¡°was closeminded and unwilling to listen to reason. I was willing to give my loyalty to her. Protect her with my life. I wanted to raise


    a family together. She wanted none of it. She would¡¯ve tore my heart from my chest and stomped on it if she could.¡±


    Aria could hardly believe what she was hearing. What woman didn¡¯t want a family with her mate? Or protection? That


    was the kind of thing that little girls dreamed of.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t grow up the traditionalist way that you and I did,¡± he continued, ¡°And she was unwilling to even understand


    our beliefs. To understand me. I tried to work with her, but eventually, it became clear Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian


    (1)


    she was never going to learn. So, we parted ways, so to speak.¡± Aria¡¯s skin prickled. It must¡¯ve been the water turning


    cold. ¡°Pm so sorry,¡± she murmured, ¡°You must¡¯ve been heartbroken.¡±


    Alpha Liam leaned a little closer. ¡°It¡¯s not something I like to dwell on, but yes.¡±


    Without warning, one of his hands came up to flick away a soap bubble that hadnded on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a very


    beautiful girl for your age, Aria,¡± he said, his voice much quieter this time, ¡°Obedient. Untouched.¡±


    Aria¡¯s breath hitched.


    ¡°Lve be quite fond of you,¡± he went on, ¡°Your father and I have been in negotiations about warriors andnd for the


    past few weeks, but I¡¯ve asked for something else too. I told him I want you, and he agreed.¡±


    Her heart raced with excitement. Alpha Liam had asked for her? He wanted her? She could hardly believe it. To think such


    a handsome, sought-after Alpha wanted her.


    ¡°When I return to my pack in a week¡¯s time,¡± he said, his gaze finding hers, ¡°You¡¯ll return with me. You should count


    yourself lucky. I¡¯m picky about those who I bring into my cause, especially women

 Chapter 102

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (2) Chapter 2 ¨C Aria & Sebastian


    ¡°authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.¡±


    Anne Bradstreet *Warning: This chapter contains depictions of S**ual assault. *


    For close to three years, Aria watched the girls that scurried out of Alpha Liam¡¯s b*d every morning. She¡¯d roll her eyes


    and gossip about them behind their backs, but deep down, she desperately wanted to be one of them.


    Well, that wasn¡¯tpletely true.


    She didn¡¯t want to be another notch on Alpha Liam¡¯s post, another flushed girl running out of his room in the morning.


    She wanted to be his girl ¡ª the only one in his b*d. And even if she didn¡¯t want to be just another hookup, sometimes


    she wondered why she wasn¡¯t good enough to at least get the offer. She knew it wasn¡¯t a proper thought. She wasn¡¯t


    supposed to think this way of anyone but her mate.


    If only I¡¯d been his.


    Did he not think she was appealing? Aria knew it wasn¡¯t very modest to dwell on her physical appearance, but she liked


    to think she was at least Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (2) pretty. She saw the way male eyes lingered on her as she


    walked by. If only Alpha Liam¡¯s would.


    And then, one night, things changed.


    She was bringing Alpha Liam his after-dinner scotch in his office as she always did. Usually, she found him reading or


    doing paperwork, but tonight, she found him with his eyes closed and rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your drink, Alpha,¡± she said quietly and tried to pretend like her heart didn¡¯t skip a beat when his eyes met hers.


    ¡°Thank you, sweetheart,¡± he said, smiling dryly when she ced the ss on his desk. There were two more empty


    scotch sses next to it.


    Aria turned to leave like she always did, but his voice rang throughout the dimly lit office. ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha?¡±


    He just stared at her for a moment before sighing. ¡°Nevermind, I shouldn¡¯t trouble you. This is a man¡¯s issue.¡±


    There was no hesitation in her answer. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be troubling me, Alpha, whatever it is,¡± she said, ¡°Perhaps I could


    not contribute the way


    your advisors can, but I can lend a listening ear.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    He took a long sip of his drink like he was mulling it over before Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (2)


    patting the recliner in front of his desk.


    Her heart skipped a beat as she took a seat.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the news, I assume.¡±


    ¡°That we have a new King?¡± she asked.


    Alpha Liam¡¯s mouth curled into a snarl. ¡°I would hardly call him a King,¡± he growled, ¡°He¡¯s a usurper. To kill the rightful


    king, and for


    what? Some human he ims is his mate?¡±


    Alpha Liam finished the scotch in one long gulp and threw the ss against the wall behind her head.


    It made a sharp crack as it shattered against the wall. A pit formed in her stomach.


    No matter how many times she saw him angry, it still made her uneasy. She understood why he was angry ¨C he had far


    too much responsibility on his shoulders. Not only was he running arge pack, but he was busy forming alliances and


    trying to change the world. Of course he was angry sometimes.


    Anyone would be, she told herself. ¡°Do you understand what this means?¡± he scoffed.


    ¡°Tt makes our work harder ¡ª¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (2)


    ¡°Tt makes my work harder,¡± he cut her off, ¡°Not only has that boymitted regicide, but if the rumors are true, he¡¯s


    going to put a crown on some human¡¯s head. He expects us to be ruled by a human.¡± His face twisted in disgust at that


    last word.


    ¡°[ heard the human isn¡¯t happy about it,¡± Aria replied, ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll try and reject the bond.¡±


    ¡°Oh, as if it¡¯d be that easy,¡± he rolled his eyes, ¡°Humans can¡¯t feel a mate bond, let alone reject one. And as soon as she


    catches a whiff of what it¡¯s like to live like a Queen, she won¡¯t want to. Humans are greedy, simple creatures like that.¡±


    Aria had never met a human ~ besides Brian, and she didn¡¯t think he counted ¡ª but she didn¡¯t want to have to follow


    orders from some greedy human who didn¡¯t understand their culture.


    ¡°[ll need to move quickly,¡± Alpha Liam said, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was talking to her anymore. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult, but I


    only need a few more alliances to make my move¡­and this human may prove beneficial. If that Doy is so hellbent on


    protecting her, we can use her against him.¡±


    ¡°Pm sure -¡±


    Whatever Aria meant to say was cut off by Alpha Liam¡¯s l*ps smashing against hers. It took her a minute to recover, but


    once she did, she did her best to match his pace. She didn¡¯t have any k*ssing experience, so she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what


    to do, but she tried to let instincts guide her. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (2)


    His tongue sl*pped into her mouth without any warning, exploring her mouth like a man dying of thirst. She let out a


    sound of surprise but opened her mouth wider to amodate him.


    After several minutes of exploring her mouth, he pulled back. His breath smelled like alcohol, and his pupils were blown


    wide as he looked at her.


    ¡°Bend over the desk,¡± he ordered.


    Aria¡¯s heart was pounding a mile a minute as she scrambled to do as he asked.


    She leaned against the desk, the back of her thighs brushing against the wood. Her uniform, as was most of the women¡¯s, was a tight t-shirt and ck skirt when they were working.


    He let out a condescendingugh as he looked at her. ¡°No, sweetheart, the other way.¡±


    A blush spread across her cheeks, and she turned over until her


    stomach was digging into the wooden edge. Liam was on her immediately, his back pressing her even further into the


    desk. His alcohol-stained l*ps covered her n*eck, and she moaned


    when she felt his fangs skim the area where a mating mark would be.


    ¡°could if I wanted to, you know,¡± he whispered into her ear. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (2)


    Her breath hitched.


    And then his fangs were gone, and his hands were pulling off her skirt and panties.


    She heard him spit, and a momentter, he entered her.


    The obtrusion wasrge and ufortable, but she bit her l*p to keep from crying out. She didn¡¯t want him to think that


    she wasn¡¯t good at this sort of thing ¡ª not when he¡¯d finally decided he desired her this


    way.


    Still, there wasn¡¯t much time to adjust. He started moving immediately, his hips bucking into her and moaning low in his


    throat. The movement of him inside her burned and the desk was still digging into her skin, but she was pleasing him.


    That¡¯s what mattered.


    He started speeding up after a minute, mming into her so hard that Aria couldn¡¯t contain her cries. It felt like someone was shoving a knife deep inside her.


    And just when she wondered if she¡¯d be able to bear any more of it, he shuddered and stilled inside her. He stayed like


    that just long enough to


    catch his breath before he pulled out, leaving her bent over the desk.


    He patted her a*s. ¡°You¡¯ve got a tight p**sy there, sweetheart,¡± he chuckled, ¡°Now, how about another drink?¡± ¡¯ )


    Aria pulled on her panties and skirt and nodded.

 Chapter 103

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    ¡°The free wash is the brainwash.¡±


    Sol Luckman


    Aria and Liam fell into a blissful routine together.


    She¡¯d bring him his evening drink in his office, he¡¯d f**k her over the desk. The moments that Aria cherished, however,


    happened after. They happened after he¡¯d helped her clean up the mess they¡¯d created together, when he pulled her into


    hisp and vented his frustrations to her. She¡¯d listen and let him stroke her hair.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t help but notice the parade of flushed, half-dressed girls that would leave his room in the morning. She


    knew he wasn¡¯t the only one he was having s*x with.


    But there was no way Liam was venting to those girls the same way he did to her. No way he was holding them close and


    stroking their hair. Aria didn¡¯t know, but she knew.


    She was special.


    She had to be.


    Unfortunately, that blissful routine onlysted a handful of months. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    Things changed when she came.


    ¡°She¡¯s my bargaining chip,¡± Liam told her, his eyes lit up as he stroked her hair. His excitement was infectious. When Liam


    was happy, she was happy. She¡¯d hardly noticed when he¡¯d left w marks on her hips this, time, she knew he hadn¡¯t meant to.


    ¡°With her in my possession, he¡¯ll do whatever I want,¡± Liam continued, ¡°I could make him a puppet king if I wanted.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to kill him,¡± she said quietly.


    Aria saw some of the light in his eyes dampen, and her stomach dropped. She¡¯d said the wrong thing. She¡¯d questioned


    him. She should¡¯ve known better ~ a powerful Alpha like Liam didn¡¯t need her questioning his decisions.


    ¡°Lam going to kill him,¡± Liam said, his voice tinged with annoyance as he took another sip of his drink. This was his third


    one in the span of an hour, but he was celebrating.


    ¡°I¡¯m just considering the possibilities now that I¡¯ve got a king in my pocket,¡± he said, He paused and looked at her. ¡°See?


    This is why ¡®m going to rule ¨C I consider the possibilities, all of my options.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be a great ruler,¡± Aria replied automatically.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll need to keep that girl under wraps,¡± he said, and he was almost slurring his words. ¡°She can¡¯t die ~ not yet. No major injuries, Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    she¡¯ll need at least one meal a day.¡± His eyes found Aria¡¯s again. ¡°You¡¯ll take care of her, won¡¯t you, sweetheart? You can


    do this favor for me?¡±


    One of his hands squeezed her hip as he spoke, and Aria held back a


    wince. She also didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Of course, Alpha. Whatever you need.¡±


    He gave her a dry smile. ¡°That¡¯s what | like about you, sweetheart. You¡¯re always so eager to please. Obedient. I know IConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    can trust you to


    keep an eye on her.¡±


    Liam¡¯s praise sent her heart pounding.


    The girl had not been what Aria was expecting.


    Well, Aria hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect of a human girl, but this wasn¡¯t it.


    ¡°You said you worked for ¡®the cause,¡± the redhead said, sipping from a water bottle that Aria had brought. She looked


    d*rty and worn down, and Aria wondered if the dirt from the cell kept that dress glued to her skin. She could imagine it


    was beautiful when it was new, but it was nothing but ruined now. She¡¯d need to discard it ¡ª not that she¡¯d ever get the


    chance to. ¡°How did you get involved with Alpha Liam?¡±


    Aria didn¡¯t like all the personal questions from this girl, but she was Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    convincing. It¡¯s not as if she could tell anyone, and Alpha Liam had said to take care of her.


    She hadn¡¯t meant to let it sl*p that she shared Alpha Liam¡¯s b*d. She especially didn¡¯t like the pity that shed through


    the human girl¡¯s eyes ¡ª who was she to pity her? She wasn¡¯t the one sitting in a cell.


    Maybe it was because of that pitiful look that she decided to tell Alpha Liam the girl had enough time to think.


    He nodded thoughtfully when she told him that night in his office, perched in hisp like usual.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll choose to return to the human world?¡± Aria asked.


    Alpha Liam let out a breathy chuckle. ¡°Maybe, but it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said, ¡°I can respect a human that knows her


    ce, but I¡¯ll never let her leave. She has too many connections to this world, even once I kill that boy. But it¡¯s easier to


    let her think she could get out of this alive,


    prevents her from getting desperate.¡±


    Aria wasn¡¯t sure why, but something about that made her awfully sad. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but deep down, she wanted


    the human girl to live.


    And then everything went to hell. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    Griffin had seen through Alpha Liam¡¯s ns. He¡¯de to kill Liam directly, he hadn¡¯t been lured to Ezra¡¯s pack like he


    was supposed to.


    They were under attack, and Aria felt frozen.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen ~ she wasn¡¯t supposed to fight. Alpha Liam, and the men who followed him, were


    supposed to protect her. When she saw one of the other girls get their throat torn out, she did the only thing she knew


    how to do: hide. (*


    The closet was cramped and dark and she could still hear the bloodshed outside, but at least her throat was still intact.


    When the closet door finally opened, she prepared for someone to slit her throat or attack her. She wasn¡¯t expecting to


    find the human girl, rk, peering at her with wide eyes.


    ¡°Please,¡± she whimpered, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me. Please. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± She wasn¡¯t even sure what she was saying as the words spilled out of her, but she knew she was begging. She didn¡¯t want to die like this.


    When rk asked her to make a choice between her side and Liam¡¯s, that self-preservation won through. At that


    moment, she was only terrified, and rk offered some semnce of protection.


    That protection felt very fragile, especially when Liam killed the only other werewolf with them. Aria had burst out


    sobbing at the sight of him all bloody. He wouldn¡¯t kill her, right? Not after all those nights they¡¯d spent together. He


    loved her. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    ¡°Well, look what I¡¯ve stumbled upon,¡± he said, and there was more rage


    in his eyes than Aria had ever seen. ¡°Bait.¡±


    His eyes found hers, and hope swelled in her chest for ¡ª ¡°And a traitorous whore.¡±


    That hope vanished.


    There was no love in Liam¡¯s eyes, no semnce of affection for any of the time they¡¯d spent together.


    A realization crashed over her. She wasn¡¯t special. This man didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t love her. He was going to kill her right


    then and there, and all she was ever going to be was just another one of his girls.


    She didn¡¯t hear anything else Liam and rk said to each other ~ there was a loud ringing in her ears. She was going to


    die.


    Everything else happened so fast.


    Griffin killing Liam. Griffin threatening to kill her, rk standing up for her, Griffin killing the same men she¡¯d spent the


    past several years around. She expected to feel some sort of deep sadness when she watched those men die, but it never


    came.


    All she felt was numbness.


    She couldn¡¯t even feel the cold or the nket that the healer had wrapped around her when she¡¯d said she was shaking.


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (3)


    Aria was alive, and yet, her life was over.


    She was useless now. Just another one of Liam¡¯s girls.


    She nced around the clearing, her eyes taking in the survivors. Or the victors, she should say. There were no survivors


    from Liam¡¯s side ¨C except her. .¡¯)


    And she didn¡¯t belong on Liam¡¯s side anymore. Or to Liam.


    As she nced at the crowd, her eyesnded on one particr man. He was tall and broad-shouldered with rich brown


    hair and blue eyes.


    Her heart sped up.


    She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever seen such a handsome man in her life. She wondered what those strong arms would feel like wrapped around her.


    Her wolf agreed, purring deep in her head. The man turned his head, and then, their eyes met.


    Mate.

 Chapter 104

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4)


    ¡°A true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that¡¯s holding you back, the person who brings you


    to your own attention.¡±


    Elizabeth Gilbert


    Of all the things that Aria thought she¡¯d do when she met her mate, fainting was not one of them. And yet, the moment


    her eyes met the icy blue ones of her mate, her world went dark.


    The next thing she knew she was waking up alone, in a room that felt far too fancy to be anything that belonged to her. Her limbs felt heavy and her head pounded.


    There was a window in her room and if the snowy mountains were any indication, she was a long ways from home.


    Home.


    She wasn¡¯t quite sure what she considered home to be. The past three years, she would¡¯ve said it was with Alpha Liam¡¯s


    pack ¨C or anywhere that he was ~ but that wasn¡¯t a possibility anymore.


    Her mind shed to thosest moments, when he¡¯d spat vile words at her and tried to kill her. Bile threatened to rise in


    her throat, but somehow, she managed to swallow it down. She didn¡¯t want to make a Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian


    (4)


    mess over the silk sheets she wasying on.


    The sound of the door opening interrupted her thoughts, and her breath caught when she saw the tall, lean frame that


    entered.


    Her mate. She had a mate now.


    Up close, he was even more beautiful than she¡¯d realized. Rich brown hair, icey blue eyes that could¡¯ve cut ss, and a


    sharp jawline.


    However, despite his sharp features, the expression on his face was soft and gentle and it made her heart clench.


    Why was he looking at her like that?


    The way his eyes lit up, it was if he¡¯d stumbled upon the rarest treasure in the world. Like Aria was the rarest treasure in


    the world.


    She wanted to throw up again.


    He shouldn¡¯t have been looking at her like that. She didn¡¯t deserve to have a man that beautiful look at her like that.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, and his voice was like warm honey. It set something aze in her lower belly, and she fidgeted on the


    b*d. ¡°You¡¯re awake. I brought you some tea. Not sure if you like chamomile, but it¡¯s what the castle staff rmended.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4)


    It was only then she noticed the porcin tea cup he cradled in his hands.


    Aria opened her mouth to say something, but her throat was too dry and it just triggered a coughing fit.


    The man was by her side in a minute, rubbing his hand on her back. Unfortunately, the touch did the opposite of


    comforting Aria. As soon as she felt the touch of arge man¡¯s hand on her back, she


    instinctively flinched back.


    The man removed his hand immediately. He set the the cup on the nightstand, and moved back a few paces.


    Aria registered the hurt in his eyes immediately ¨C of course he¡¯d feel hurt. She was his mate, she was supposed to ept


    his touch whenever he offered it, not reject it.


    Guilt twisted in her stomach.


    He must¡¯ve thought she was a terrible mate.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you, I just thought¡­¡±


    Aria wanted tofort him, to tell him that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. He wasn¡¯t the problem. She was.


    Instead, all she managed to get out was, ¡°Thank you for the tea.¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4)


    His eyes lit up momentarily, and he nodded in acknowledgment.


    Silence hung in the air between them, and Aria wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Her brain felt like someone had rubbed the entire


    thing with soap. Just as she¡¯d grab a thought, it¡¯d sl*p out of her fingers again.


    ¡°So,¡± the man broke the silence between them, ¡°I guess I should introduce myself. You must feel a little weird not


    knowing my name.¡± He scratched the back of his n*eck, and when Aria didn¡¯t reply, he continued. ¡°My name¡¯s Sebastian,


    I¡¯m twenty-years-old, and I¡¯m next in line as Alpha for my pack.¡±


    ¡°Sebastian,¡± Aria breathed. She hadn¡¯t meant to say his name out loud, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. It was a perfect


    name. Fitting for a strong man. A strong mate.


    Her wolf purred deep inside her head, the most active she¡¯d been in months.


    Sebastian shivered. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Aria asked.


    He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°No, you, uh¡­¡± Something in her eyes must¡¯ve deterred him from what he


    started to say because he


    suddenly shook his head and chuckled. ¡°Nevermind. Yes, I was cold.¡±


    Aria got the feeling she¡¯d just missed something ¨C it was the same feeling she got whenever one of Liam¡¯s men would


    make a vulgar joke, Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4) and the rest would crack up. They never exined the jokes ~


    not that


    she wanted them to. She wasn¡¯t supposed to think vulgar thoughts.


    At the thought of Liam, a lump formed in Aria¡¯s throat. She was never going to see him again. Three years of her life, at


    his side, serving him however he needed¡­gone. At the ws and teeth of the Alpha King.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    And even if Alpha Liam was here, he would¡¯ve just killed me. I meant nothing to him.


    And now I am nothing.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± Sebastian asked, snapping Aria out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s, uh, Aria,¡± she replied.) ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful name,¡± Sebastian said, smiling softly at her.


    Her wolf purred in her head ¡ª her mate was pleased with them ¨C but Aria wanted to scream. He shouldn¡¯t have been


    smiling at her at all. He shouldn¡¯t have been pleased with her or thought her name was beautiful.


    Couldn¡¯t he tell? She was d*rty. When he found out the things she¡¯d done for Liam, for a man who didn¡¯t even care about


    her, he¡¯d want nothing to do with her.


    She was d*rty. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4)


    Filthy. Soiled.


    Aria¡¯s chest felt unbearably tight, and she couldn¡¯t get air into her lungs. She clutched at the silk sheets, fighting against


    the tightness and


    ¡°aria,¡± Sebastian¡¯s honey-like voice cut through her thoughts like butter. ¡°Are you okay?¡± His warm hand was on her back


    again,


    pleasurable tingles spreading over her skin and down her spine.


    She wanted nothing more than to lean into his chest and ept thefort, but she couldn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t be


    comforting her if he knew what she¡¯d done.


    Sebastian deserved better.


    He didn¡¯t need or want d*rty, filthy, soiled goods.


    ¡°Get out,¡± Aria said. Her tone was soft and quiet, but Sebastian froze, retracting his hand.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t look at him, She didn¡¯t want to see the hurt in his eyes, and she certainly didn¡¯t want to see that hurt turn to


    disgust.


    ¡°I said, get out,¡± she repeated, ¡°Please. I want to be alone.¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (4)


    She could practically feel the rejection emanating from him, but she didn¡¯t dare look his way. She curled in on herself and waited until he¡¯d shut the door behind him before she broke down.


    Sebastian was better off without her, and soon, he¡¯d see that.

 Chapter 105

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    ¡°Rivers know this. There is no hurry. We shall get there someday.¡± A.A. Milne


    After downing the cup of tea Sebastian had given her, Aria drifted off to sleep again. It was if her b*dy was trying to make up for lost time. The mattress in the guest room was probably the mostfortable b*d she¡¯d ever slept on. It was


    much cozier than her childhood b*d, and it was about ten steps up from the bunk b*d she¡¯d had at Alpha Liam¡¯s pack.


    At least she¡¯d gotten a bunk b*d. The women had slept ten or fifteen to a room, and only the favorites got bunk b*ds.


    The rest had been relegated to thick mats and nkets on the floor.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t a very restful sleep ¡ª she had nightmares of Alpha Liam.


    Weirdly enough, she didn¡¯t dream of thest moments she saw him or when he¡¯d threatened to kill her. No, she dreamt


    of their first moments together ¡ª when he sat at her father¡¯s kitchen table and his dark eyes slid over her, and when he


    cornered her in the kitchen alone.


    For some reason, those were the moments that made her shoot up in Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    b*d, gasping for air.


    Her heart was beating like a drum, but when she realized Liam wasn¡¯t actually there and she was safe, her boddy sagged


    with relief. She could no longer see the snowy mountains when she looked outside either, it was just the inky darkness of


    the night sky. She must¡¯ve slept through the rest of the day.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    Aria gasped again when she heard another voice, but she almost immediately rxed when she recognized her mate¡¯s


    voice.


    She turned to look at him, and her eyebrows furrowed when she saw he was sprawled out on a recliner next to the b*d, a


    light nket in hisp. From the way his dark hair stuck up and he rubbed his eyes, she could guess that her nightmare


    had woken him up too. He wore a tight tank-top that strained against his broad chest, and she tried not to think about


    how beautiful he looked half-asleep.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked, but there was no real malice behind her words. Just confusion. If the Alpha King


    could grant her ~ a traitor from the other side ~ a guest room, surely he could provide amodations for Sebastian.


    ¡°Pm sleeping,¡± he replied, raising an eyebrow, ¡°Or was sleeping, I should say.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but why?¡± she asked, ¡°Did the King not give you your room?¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Oh, are you intimidated by him?¡± Aria asked. She wasn¡¯t even sure why she was pressing, but the thought of her mate


    not beingfortable made her cringe. ¡°I can understand why you might be ~ he¡¯s quite scary. But I might be able to


    ask the Queen.¡± She fiddled with the silkforter on her b*d before saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call us friends, but I am


    familiar with her¡­perhaps I can ask if she¡¯d be willing to give you a room.¡±


    He blinked at her.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a supply problem, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving up this room,¡± she finished nervously. ¡°The Queen is quite nice¡­and


    forgiving. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be willing to arrange something for you, especially since you helped save her.¡±


    He continued to stare at her, and then suddenly, burst outughing.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The noise startled her, but not in an unpleasant way. Sebastian¡¯sugh was deep and smooth, and it sent a flurry of warmth straight to her lower belly.


    Heughed for at least a full minute, and when he was done, he was still smiling wide. Aria¡¯s wolf purred deep in her


    brain ¨C she¡¯d done something to make her mate happy¡­even if she wasn¡¯t sure what it exactly was that she¡¯d done.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t mean tough at you,¡± he finally managed to say Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    between chuckles, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­you¡¯re so cute.¡± Her cheeks warmed. ¡°Cute?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re so considerate, and I guess I should¡¯ve mentioned it when I introduced myself, but I¡¯m, uh,


    quite familiar with the Queen myself.¡±


    Aria wasn¡¯t expecting the surge of jealousy that coursed through her veins when he said that.


    Familiar? What does he mean by that?


    Logically, she knew that it probably didn¡¯t mean what her worst fears thought it did. If he was familiar with the Queen ¡ª


    at least in that way ~ the King would¡¯ve killed him.


    ¡°Familiar?¡± she echoed, and she tried to keep the jealousy out of her voice.


    Amusement shed through Sebastian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yeah, familiar ¨C as in, family. She¡¯s my little sister.¡±


    All at once, the jealousy turned to relief and then horror.


    ¡°Your sister?¡± she whispered almost to herself, her wordsced with panic,


    The amusement fell from Sebastian¡¯s face immediately. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡± he asked. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    ¡°She¡¯s your* sister,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Yeah, rk¡¯s my baby sister,¡± Sebastian said, and then his posture seemed to change. He straightened up a little bit, his


    eyes narrowing. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a problem!¡± Aria replied, her hands clutching at the silk sheets, ¡°God, you must hate me. I helped Alpha Liam


    keep her there ¨C I brought her food and water. I was an aplice.¡± Tears threatened to fall down her face, but


    somehow, Aria held them back.


    She¡¯d known that her mate would probably reject her once he found out how she¡¯d been sullied, but this¡­his connection


    to the Queen only made it worse. He wouldn¡¯t just think she was damaged goods ~ he¡¯d hate her. He¡¯d probably want to


    kill her.


    Aria whimpered.


    He moved from the chair in a sh, and she flinched when she saw his hand reach for her ¨C but he only ced it on her


    back. He began to rub soothing circles on her skin, and she clutched at the sheets harder. Why


    wasn¡¯t he taking his anger out on her?


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t need to be scared,¡± he said gently, ¡°I can hear your heart beating a million miles in there ¨C I¡¯m not angry,


    and I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± she whispered. ¡°I deserve it.¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (5)


    Sebastian growled, and Aria nearly jumped. When she gained the courage to look at him, she could see anger sh


    through his eyes. ¡°No,¡± he said, and his voice was much firmer than she¡¯d ever heard it. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she countered, ¡°I wascent in the kidnapping of your sister, of holding her prisoner.¡± ¡°¡±)


    When he spoke again, Sebastian¡¯s voice was back to that gentle tone. ¡°From what my sister told me,¡± he said, ¡°She wasn¡¯t


    the only one being held prisoner there. She was just the only one in a cell.¡±


    Aria didn¡¯t reply, and after a moment, Sebastian continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what you went through while you were


    there, Aria, but I need you to understand something. Look at me.¡±


    She did. His eyes were full of something so intense it made her breath catch. Nob*dy had ever looked at her like that.


    ¡°You will never deserve to have anyone, especially me, hurt you,¡± he exined softly, ¡°And I know you may think


    otherwise right now, but it¡¯s not true.¡± He paused before adding, ¡°And when you¡¯re ready to talk about what happened


    to you at that ce, I¡¯ll be here.¡± He got up and settled back into the recliner, pulling the nket back over himself.


    ¡°Literally.¡±


    Aria felt much warmer when she crawled back under the covers, but the feeling was short-lived. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &


    Sebastian (5)


    As soon as Sebastian closed his eyes and begun softly snoring, the doubts crept in again. She wanted to believe him, she


    really did.


    But she knew the softness in his eyes would turn to disgust once he figured out what she¡¯d really done and what she


    really was.


    Damaged goods.

 Chapter 106

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    ¡°There are two things in life you cannot choose: the first is your enemies; the second is your family.¡±


    Carlos Ruiz Zafon The next time Aria woke, she was alone.


    Daylight filtered through the windows, and for the first time in what felt like years, she didn¡¯t feel exhaustion settling into


    her bones.


    She felt¡­refreshed.


    Logically, she could¡¯ve chalked it up to all the extra sleep she¡¯d gotten the past few days, but part of her had to wonder if


    it had more to do


    with the proximity of her mate. Was it a coincidence that she¡¯d gotten the best sleep she¡¯d ever had in years on the same


    night her mate slept


    only feet from her? He¡¯s good for us, her wolf said.


    Her wolf had been doing that a lot these past few days ¡ª talking. She¡¯d barely uttered a peep the three years she¡¯d


    spent with Liam, buttely, her wolf was more vocal than ever, as if she¡¯d been roused from a deep


    sleep. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    Just as she finished putting on a fresh set of clothes that had beenid out for her, there was a knock on the door. She


    didn¡¯t need to hear his voice to know who it was ¨C Sebastian. She could sense his presence before he¡¯d ever touched his


    fist to the door.


    ¡°Is it okay if 1e in?¡± His soft voice filtered through the closed door.


    Aria¡¯s response was automatic. ¡°Yes.¡± She hadn¡¯t even meant to sound so eager, but¡­


    Sebastian entered the room without hesitation, looking even more beautiful than Aria remembered him. This time, his


    tousled brown hair had been styled and he was wearing a sweatshirt with a leather jacket and boots.


    ¡°Lm d you found the clothes,¡± he said, and he didn¡¯t seem too shy about letting his eyes roam over her b*dy.


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re quite warm,¡± Aria said, and she wasn¡¯t lying. Whoever had left the clothes, whether it was Sebastian or some


    part of the castle staff, had clearly dressed her for Canada¡¯s chilly weather. Not that she was as sensitive to the cold as


    humans were, but the insted long- sleeved shirt, jeans, and warm coat were a nice consideration. (7


    It also let her assume that someone had ns for her to leave the bedroom.


    ¡°Iwas hoping,¡± Sebastian said, scratching the back of his n*eck in what looked like nervousness, ¡°You¡¯d maybe want to go


    on a walk with me.¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    Everything in Aria screamed at her to say yes ~ of course she wanted to spend more time with her mate ¡ª but that little


    voice in the back of her


    head started whispering to her.


    Is spending more time with him a good idea? You¡¯ll just get attached, and then it¡¯ll hurt more when he discards you.


    She must¡¯ve hesitated too long because Sebastian piped back up, ¡°Hey¡­it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to go on a walk. We


    can just stay here or I can even leave you alone if you want.¡± She could tell he was trying to hide it, but he was hurt. He was taking her silence as a rejection.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She started to say something, but she couldn¡¯t quite get the words out of her throat.


    No, it¡¯s just that if I spend anymore time with you, I might not be able to stop¡­and then it¡¯ll only hurt worse when you


    decide you¡¯re disgusted with me.


    That¡¯s what she wanted to say, but didn¡¯t for obvious reasons.


    ¡°aria,¡± Sebastian¡¯s gentle voice drew her from her thoughts, and she turned to look at him. His eyes were soft again ~


    they were always soft. ¡°You don¡¯t need to justify yourself or do anything you don¡¯t want to do. It¡¯s okay. We can wait


    another day.¡±


    Aria should¡¯ve just nodded her head at that and let him leave, but just as he started to turn away from her, she blurted


    out, ¡°Wait!¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    He whipped around to face her, his blue eyes alight with hope.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± she started, fidgeting with the drawstring of her borrowed coat, ¡°A walk might be nice. I¡¯ve been feeling a


    little cooped up in this


    room.¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s smile was so wide that it made Aria¡¯s stomach ache ¨C God, he was so beautiful. She never wanted that smile


    to leave his face.


    And as she followed him out the door, she tried to pretend that it


    wouldn¡¯t.


    VOU


    ¡°You know, Washington isn¡¯t as cold as this ce¡­but the weather can be pretty tumultuous throughout certain parts of


    the year,¡± Sebastian told her as they strolled through the castle grounds. There was no snow on the ground, but Aria was


    grateful for the warmth of her new outfit and coat ~ it certainly helped her fight off some of the chill.


    Despite the size and grandeur of the castle, it was hard to focus on anything but Sebastian¡­especially when he still had


    that breathtaking smile on his face the whole time.


    ¡°Really?¡± Aria said, ¡°I¡¯ve never been, but it sounds nice¡­despite theN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    weather.¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± Sebastian asked, ¡°Like your family. Your pack.¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    ¡°Texas,¡± Aria said. ¡°It¡¯s always hot there. Even in the dead of winter,


    you never really escape the heat.¡± ¡°That sounds kind of miserable,¡± Sebastian replied lightly.


    ¡°You get used to it,¡± Aria said, and then her l*ps curved into a fond smile, ¡°When I was a kid, my mom used to make these


    giant batches of strawberry lemonade in the middle of the summer and pass them out to all the men patrolling our


    borders. The drinks were only supposed to be for our border patrol, but she¡¯d always let me sneak a ss.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get to try some of her strawberry lemonade one of these days,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°And you can show me


    around your home.¡±


    Aria frowned. Home.


    She hadn¡¯t been home in more than three years, hadn¡¯t talked to her mother or father. Thest time she¡¯d spoken with


    them had been right before she left with Alpha Liam, and she was pretty sure that her ¡°desire to serve the cause¡± was the


    closest her parents hade to being proud of her.


    But I failed their cause. There¡¯s no way they would wee me home now.


    The face of Aria¡¯s father shed through her mind, disappointed and disgusted, and her gut clenched. Bonus Chapter ¨C


    Aria & Sebastian (6)


    Damaged goods.


    ¡°[ think P¡¯d like to go back now,¡± she said, stopping in her tracks. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough fresh air.¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hey, did I say something wrong?¡± he asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you ufortable.¡± He


    reached for her hands, but Aria pulled away, and it felt like someone was twisting a knife in her stomach when she saw


    the hurt on his face.


    Damaged goods.


    Understanding dawned on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked about¡­¡± Sebastian swallowed. ¡°Let¡¯s get


    you back inside.¡±


    Careful not to touch her, Sebastian began leading Aria back the way they came, a heavy silence descending upon them.


    Aria wanted to tell him that it wasn¡¯t his fault, he didn¡¯t know her family was such a sore subject, but once again, the words never made it out of her mouth.


    It was better this way.


    They¡¯d made it nearly halfway back to the room when they turned a corner and two of the most beautiful women she¡¯d


    ever seen in her life came into view. The first girl reminded her of one of the dolls she used to ce with as a kid ¨C tall


    and lean with glossy blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    The girl next to her was only slightly shorter with thick, curly hair, tawny skin, and a long, thin scar that ran across her


    face. She was just as beautiful as her counterpart, but there was something deadly about her ~ maybe it was the


    confident way she walked or just the guarded re on her face, but whatever it was, it made Aria want to cower behind


    Sebastian.


    She hoped neither of the women would notice them as they passed by, but luck didn¡¯t seem to be on her side today.


    ¡°Seb!¡± The blonde girl called out, and something twisted in Aria¡¯s gut as she noticed the way the blonde¡¯s eyes lit up


    when theynded on her mate. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    Seb?


    She knows who he is, and she has a nickname for him? Who is this woman, and why was she looking for my mate?


    Aria didn¡¯t have a good reason for it, but suddenly, she despised this beautiful blonde woman. There was a swell of


    possessiveness inside her. She wanted to w this woman¡¯s eyes out so she could nevery eyes on Sebastian again. She wanted to tackle her to the stone floor, and break her nose, do something to make her just a little less beautiful to look


    at, and ¨C


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop staring at my mate, I¡¯m going to make you,¡± a low growl snapped Aria from her violent thoughts. It


    was the curly-haired girl who¡¯d spoken ¡ª she was staring at Aria with narrowed eyes and a Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &


    Sebastian (6)


    snarl on her face. Aria¡¯s heart raced with fear, and she took a step back instinctively.


    Sebastian was by her side in a sh, stepping in front of her with his hands raised. ¡°Hey, calm down,¡± he said, addressing


    the curly-haired woman, ¡°There¡¯s no need for threats right now. You¡¯re scaring my mate.¡±


    ¡°Well, did you see the way she was looking at my mate?¡± The woman shot back. ¡°Tell her to keep her eyes to herself.¡±


    Wait, mate?


    Aria nced between the two women, confusion settling over her. The blonde girl was her mate?


    ¡®To her surprise, the blonde woman nced at Aria over Sebastian¡¯s shoulder and smiled. Well, it looked more like a


    smirk than a smile, but it was a smile nheless. ¡°So, you¡¯re my brother¡¯s mate,¡± she said, ¡°Sebastian told us about you.


    Truth be told, I¡¯ve been wanting toy eyes on you myself, but Sebastian¡¯s been a little possessive. Won¡¯t let anyone see


    you. I¡¯m Lily by the way. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but you¡¯re cute.¡±


    Brother?


    Understanding dawned on Aria. This was Sebastian¡¯s sister ~ his other sister, the full-blooded wolf. Now that her


    thoughts weren¡¯t clouded by jealousy, she could see the resemnce. They both had the same sharp Bonus Chapter ¨C


    Aria & Sebastian (6)


    jawline and icey blue eyes, although Sebastian¡¯s always looked soft and Lily¡¯s eyes looked like she was trying to size you


    up.


    She probably was trying to size Aria up.


    The realization that this was Sebastian¡¯s sister and not some sort of lover sent relief rolling through Aria. Lily was still


    staring at her, sizing her up, and although she wanted nothing more than to hide her entire b*dy behind Sebastian, it felt


    like she needed to say something.


    ¡°Pm Aria,¡± she spoke meekly, ¡°And t-thank you.¡±


    The curly-haired girl scoffed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not impressed,¡± she said, crossing her arms over her chest, and Aria could see the


    way her wiry muscles strained through her shirt. ¡°The little thing can¡¯t even get a sentence out without stuttering.¡±


    Lily turned to the woman, and through clenched teeth, said, ¡°Alessia, be nice.¡±


    Alessia rolled her eyes. ¡°I am, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Were you guys really looking for me?¡± Sebastian asked, and Aria had a feeling he was trying to break up some of the


    tension between the group. He was still standing in front of her though, and Aria didn¡¯t mind the protective stance. It made her feel safe.


    Lily nodded. ¡°Yeah, rk invited us to dinner tonight. Me, you, and our mates, You¡¯reing, right?¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C


    Aria & Sebastian (6)


    Sebastian nodded. ¡°That sounds nice. You can count me in.¡± He nced back at Aria, ¡°Would you like toe with me?¡±


    Aria¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± Sebastian cocked his head. ¡°Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t 1?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She swallowed down what she started to say, and instead, replied with, ¡°Okay.¡±


    It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d give me a choice, is what she really wanted to say.


    Usually, she didn¡¯t. Back home, her father was the one who decided what kind of events their family attended. It was just


    her mother¡¯s job ~ and hers as she got older ~ to smile and look nice when he invited another family over for dinner or


    dragged them out of the house.


    Maybe it was just for show because his sister is here, I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve been upset if Isaid no.


    However, Sebastian¡¯s smile was so bright and genuine when she agreed that it was hard to believe he was capable of the


    kind of rage she¡¯d seen men disy all her life. She couldn¡¯t imagine his voice booming throughout the house like her


    father¡¯s, or the twisted fury she¡¯d see on Liam¡¯s whenever he didn¡¯t get his way.


    And she didn¡¯t want to. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (6)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled,¡± Lily said, ¡°We¡¯ll see you guys tonight.¡± She smiled at Aria again. ¡°It was good to meet you,


    especially now that you¡¯re part of the family.¡±


    Alessia gave her one more once-over before the two girls were on their way, leaving Sebastian and Aria in the stone


    corridors.


    ¡°Pm really d you said yes,¡± Sebastian told her once they¡¯d disappeared from view, ¡°I know you¡¯ve already my other


    sister, but¡­¡± He scratched the back of his n*eck. ¡°The circumstances were less than desirable, so I think this dinner will be


    a good thing.¡± ¡°)


    Unfortunately, that sentence did nothing to ease her anxiety. Not only was Aria going to have to sit through a dinner with


    Lily and Alessia ¡ª thetter who didn¡¯t seem to like her at all ¡ª but she was


    going to have to face the Queen and the King again.


    Yeah, she was not looking forward to this dinner.

 Chapter 107

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    ¡°after a good dinner, one can forgive anyb*dy, even one¡¯s own, rtions.¡±


    Oscar Wilde


    Aria wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever felt so much like a helplessmb headed into a den of starving wolves. Or, in this case, werewolves. In preparation for the dinner party, she wore the blue cocktail dress she¡¯d found on her bed when she


    returned from the walk with Sebastian ~ a gift from his sister, Lily.


    Aria didn¡¯t want to reject the gesture, especially since it was a beautiful dress, even if it only made her more anxious. She


    was staring in the mirror, fiddling with her hair for the thousandth time, when a familiar knock sounded on the door.


    Sebastian, His delicious scent gave him away every time.


    ¡°You cane in,¡± she called quietly, ¡°I¡¯m decent.¡±


    He walked through the door, decked out in a blue button-down shirt that matched her dress (and his eyes), and froze as


    soon as he saw her.


    Immediately, Aria felt her stomach drop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Even as she asked the question, she was already using her bare


    arms to cover up as. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    much of her b*dy as possible. ¡°It¡¯s the dress, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t have worn this ~ she knew it. She knew the blue b*dy- con dress had been too revealing. It showed too much cleavage and outlined every curve of her b*dy¡­of course her mate would think it was


    inappropriate.


    She should have asked for his approval or maybe asked him to pick out her outfit ¡ª that would have been the safe


    option. That¡¯s what her mother would¡¯ve done, what a good mate would¡¯ve done.


    Sebastian swallowed, unable to take his eyes off her b*dy. ¡°¡®Wrong¡¯?¡±


    She could practically feel her b*dy folding in on itself, and she wanted more than nothing than to crawl under the covers


    and nevere out. ¡°Pm sorry,¡± she muttered, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have worn this, I know it¡¯s notdylike and I should have


    asked your permission first, it¡¯s just your


    sister -¡±


    Sebastian was suddenly in front of her, hisrge hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. ¡°Woah, slow down,¡±


    he said, a smile cracking on his face, ¡°I¡¯m not upset. Like at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± She peered up at him, suddenly aware of the height difference. He really was quiet tall, but he didn¡¯t throw


    his size around like most Alphas did. It was only times like now, when they stood face- to-face (more like face to chest)


    that she was reminded just how much taller he was. |!) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    Sebastian shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Of course not. Why would I be?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­you came in and you were staring at me,¡± she said, looking anywhere but him, ¡°And I know this isn¡¯t the


    kind of dress that I should¡¯ve worn, but your sister left it, so I just thought it¡¯d be okay¡­ but I should¡¯ve waited for your


    permission before putting it on.¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s face had slowly transformed into a deep frown as she spoke. ¡°aria,¡± he said, and she tried to suppress the


    shiver that rolled through her when he said her name. ¡°You don¡¯t need my permission to wear a dress, regardless of


    where it came from. I would never be mad at you for what you wear.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it embarrass you?¡± She asked. ¡°If I wear something inappropriate around other people, then I¡¯m making


    you look bad.¡±


    Sebastian looked bbergasted, like she¡¯d just asked him to solve aplicated math equation in his head. ¡°No,¡± he


    said, his tone tinted with confusion, ¡°Why would I be mad or embarrassed about what you wear? You¡¯d look great in


    anything.¡±


    Her mind shed to a specific memory, when she¡¯d been nine years old and her mother wore a tanktop during one of


    those scorching Texas summer days. She¡¯d been tending to the garden in the light, low-cut top and a pair of shorts, Aria


    helping her pull out the weeds.


    It been a pleasant day¡­until her father returned home from helping the warriors trained. She could still vividly recall the


    way his face Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    twisted with anger as soon as he caught sight of her mother, and the way he pulled her up by the arm, shouting that she


    needed to change immediately.


    Her mother had started sobbing almost immediately as she hurried off to do as he¡¯d asked, leaving Aria to cry in the


    garden with her father. He¡¯d squatted down to her height, wiping away her tears. ¡°Are you scared?¡± He asked her.


    She¡¯d nodded frantically.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be,¡± he¡¯d said, his voice much gentler this time, ¡°Your mother made me act that way. I wouldn¡¯t have


    had to yell if she hadn¡¯t tried to embarrass me like that. What do you think would¡¯ve happened if some unmated male


    had walked past the house while she was dressed like that? He might not have been able to control himself, and you or


    your mother could¡¯ve gotten hurt.¡± He ruffled her hair. ¡°You


    understand, don¡¯t you, Aria?¡± She¡¯d nodded.


    ¡°aria,¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice snapped her back to the present, ¡°I need you to understand something. I would never get upset


    at you for something as trivial as what you wear. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s absolutely nothing you could put on your b*dy


    that I¡¯d dislike.¡±


    She blushed, and no longer feeling so anxious about her outfit, she asked, ¡°Nothing at all? Not even if I wore a trash bag


    outside?¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    ¡°[¡®m sure you¡¯d find some way to make even a trash bag look lovely,¡± he said with a lopsided smile.


    Aria wasn¡¯t sure why she said what she said next ¨C she knew it was pushing her luck, but the words were spilling out of


    her before she could stop them. ¡°And if I wore nothing at all? If I just decided to do my grocery shopping topless, that wouldn¡¯t upset you?¡± (7


    Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise ~ he clearly hadn¡¯t expected her to say that either ~ before they narrowed yfully.


    ¡°No,¡± he said lightly, ¡°I may have to w out the eyes of anyone who tries to stare at you, but I certainly wouldn¡¯t be


    upset.¡±


    As if he¡¯d been discussing the weather with her, Sebastian took her hand. ¡°We should probably head to the dining room,¡±


    he said, ¡°I¡¯m. pretty sure we¡¯rete for dinner.¡±


    They headed out of the room, hand in hand, and Aria felt a new emotion swell up inside of her. Something she hadn¡¯t felt


    in so long that she almost didn¡¯t recognize it.


    Safety. GI9IOP


    The dining room was grander than she could¡¯ve imagined ¡ª certainly more luxurious than any part of Liam¡¯s pack


    house. What surprised her more than that, however, were the kitchen staff. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    There were plenty of kitchen staff, both men and women, bustling in and out of the kitchen and the hallways, and none of


    them wore revealing outfits like the women at Liam¡¯s pack had.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    By the time they were escorted into the dining room, everyone else was already seated. Lily and Alessia were both seated


    beside each other on the left, thetter looking even more unimpressed than she¡¯d seemed earlier.


    However, Aria¡¯s stomach rolled when her eyesnded on the other two inhabitants of the room: King Griffin and Queen


    rk. Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but linger on the Queen, and she almost couldn¡¯t believe how different this woman looked


    from the first time she¡¯d met her in that cell.


    It wasn¡¯t just the fact that she was no longer covered in dirt and grime or wearing a soiled dress.


    The most striking difference was her countenance. Back at Liam¡¯s pack, the Queen practically reeked of terror and


    paranoia, her face almost always riddled with anger or anxiety. Like she might have to fight for her life any second.


    This woman looked nothing like that. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of fear on her face or a single frown line. Queen rk


    looked peaceful. Content. Her green dress made her red hair shine in the light of the dining room, and without a sheen of


    dirt on her face, Aria could make out the smattering of freckles that covered both of her cheeks. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &


    Sebastian (7)


    Aria was almost afraid to look at the man attached to her side. King Griffin was handsome, there was no denying that, but


    everything about him was intimidating and big and too much. Whereas Sebastian¡¯s dominance felt soft and quiet, the


    King¡¯s felt overwhelming and suffocating. His power leeched out of every pore, nketing the room in a heaviness that


    made her wolf want to lie down and submit.


    She had no idea how the Queen dealt with it.


    As if he could feel her anxiety, Sebastian squeezed her hand and led her to the remaining empty chairs. The King and


    Queen sat at the head of the table, Sebastian to the Queen¡¯s right and Alessia and Lily directly across from them. Alessia was across from her seat, and she ignored the woman¡¯s leveled stare when Sebastian pulled out her seat.


    It wasn¡¯t just Alessia¡¯s stare she could feel on her ~ it was everyone¡¯s. She could feel Lily¡¯s curiosity, the King¡¯s


    judgement, and even the


    Queen¡¯s gaze.


    She really didn¡¯t want to be here, but instead of dashing from the room, she just squeezed Sebastian¡¯s hand.


    He squeezed back.


    In front of them, they all had sses of what smelled like white wine, but their tes were still empty.


    ¡°Seb, d to see you made it.¡± It was the Queen who broke the silence first, smiling lightly at Sebastian. Bonus Chapter ¨C


    Aria & Sebastian (7)


    He smiled back. ¡°Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to miss a family dinner, especially one as fancy as this.¡±


    ¡°You guys remember thest dinner we had in this room?¡± Lily spoke, and then she huffed. ¡°Griffin, I don¡¯t know if you


    know this, but your dad was a major dick to us.¡±


    Aria froze. Had Lily really just said that? Addressed the Alpha King so informerly and insulted his father?


    To her surprise, the King didn¡¯t seem the least bit offended by thement. Instead, he just smirked, taking a sip of


    wine. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure he was. Dear old dad didn¡¯t have a polite bone in his b*dy.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Alessia piped up, taking a swig out of her own wine ss, ¡°Pm a little upset that I yed hooky and never


    got to go to this dinner.¡±


    Lily turned to her with a smile. ¡°Why, because you would¡¯ve met me sooner?¡±


    ¡°Well, that,¡± Alessia replied, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her mate¡¯s face, ¡°But also so that I could tell


    everyone I saw the former Alpha King when he still had his head.¡±


    King Griffin chuckled, his smirk widening. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t miss much¡­and he was much betterpany without


    it.¡±


    ¡°Pve got to agree,¡± Queen rk said, ¡°Mostly because the man was Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    actively trying to kill me.¡±


    Aria¡¯s breath hitched ¡ª she knew the rumors, she knew what King Griffin had supposedly done to his father¡­but how


    could they all sit around and joke about it?


    King Griffin suddenly turned to the Queen, and his gaze became serious. ¡°As if | would¡¯ve ever let him touch a hair on


    your head, little fox,¡± he murmured to her, but with Aria¡¯s supernatural senses, she heard just fine.


    Something intense and intimate passed between the two, and Aria had to look away ~ she felt like she was intruding on


    something private.


    Fortunately, a round of castle staff entered the dining room just then, their hands loaded with silver trays that smelled


    divine. A castle boy ced Aria¡¯s dish down, and she saw what she¡¯d been served ~ a juicy rib-eye steakrger than her


    head, whipped mash potatoes, and green beans.


    Once all the tes had been served, Queen rk raised her wine ss to make a toast. ¡°I know it¡¯s a little cheesy,¡± she


    said, ¡°But since we¡¯re all here with our mates, I do want to say something.¡±


    She paused to make sure she had everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The past several months have really been¡­something,¡± she


    started, ¡°A year ago, I was applying to colleges, hoping to live a human life where the only werewolves I regrly saw


    were in the movies. Everything changed the first time I came to this castle.¡± She turned to King Griffin. ¡°You Bonus


    Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (7)


    changed things. I wasn¡¯t happy about it, and I probably dragged too many people into it trying to get away from you -¡±


    She nced at Alessia. ¡° ¨C But the fact that I get to sit here right now with my mate and family¡­there¡¯s nowhere Id rather


    be.¡±


    The Queen¡¯s eyesnded on Aria. ¡°I know change can be scary when you¡¯ve only ever known one thing, but sometimes,


    you just need to embrace that fear. Lean into it and see where it takes you. You might be surprised where you end up. I was.¡±


    Aria¡¯s chest felt heavy, and it wasn¡¯t until the Queen finished her toast by clinking sses with everyone else that she


    finally felt like she had room to breathe.


    Lean into the change, See where it takes you.


    In an effort to ignore the real meaning behind the Queen¡¯s words, she dug into her food just like the rest of the table.


    There was a few moments of peace and quiet as they all savored the delicious food, but Aria had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t


    last.


    Something told her this dinner was just getting started.

 Chapter 108

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8)


    ¡°The good news is that you survived. The bad news is that you¡¯re hurt, and no one can heal you but yourself.¡±


    Clementine Von Radics


    Just as she¡¯d expected, the moment offortable silence was short- lived. Just as Aria was spooning mashed potatoes


    into her mouth, Alessia broke the quiet. ¡°So, Aria,¡± she started, ¡°We all had to deal with that loser Liam, but you¡¯re the


    one who had to actually live with him. What was that like?¡± The question was phrased so casually, like she was asking Aria


    what the weather was like ¨C and not loudly announcing her greatest shame.


    Everyone else at the table tensed immediately ~ Aria, Sebastian, the King, and the Queen. Alessia might as well have


    presented a ticking time bomb for dinner.


    To her surprise, it was Sebastian who answered. ¡°Alessia,¡± he said, his voice low and frustrated in a way that Aria had


    never heard it. ¡°We don¡¯t need to talk about that.¡±


    Alessia shrugged. ¡°What? I¡¯m curious. I want to know if the guy was as delusional in private as he was to the rest of the world.¡± She leaned closer to Aria from across the table, her eyes lit with curiosity. ¡°So¡­was Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &


    Sebastian (8)


    he?¡±


    Aria wasn¡¯t sure why the mashed potatoes in her mouth ¨C which had melted against her tongue moments ago ¡ª now


    tasted like she was trying to choke down sand. ¡°I -¡±


    ¡°Sebastian is right,¡± Queen rk cut her off, shooting Alessia a pointed look. ¡°We don¡¯t need to talk about it. Aria


    doesn¡¯t need to exin anything to you.¡±


    Alessia rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. She doesn¡¯t have to do anything. She could tell me to f**k right off if she wanted to,


    but the poor girl hasn¡¯t been able to get a word in edgewise since I¡¯ve met her. Everyone around her treats her like


    ss.¡± Her voice was taunting as she turned to Aria. ¡°Is that what you are, Aria? ss? Are you going to break into a million pieces if someone says Liam¡¯s name?¡± (!


    Part of Aria ~ no, most of her ~ wanted to crawl under the table and nevere out. She wanted to hide from the curlyhaired girl¡¯s hard gaze and her taunting tone.


    But another part, much smaller, wanted to wipe that cold, teasing smile off her face. (¡°)


    ¡°Alessia, this conversation is over,¡± Sebastian said, his eyes dark and his


    voice a growl.


    ¡®The sound of his anger sent Aria¡¯s heart racing and her stomach twisting into knots. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian


    (8)


    Alessia rolled her eyes again, but she stopped pressing the topic. It took every bit of Aria¡¯s courage to pick up her


    silverware and keep eating her now-bitter mashed potatoes with shaking fingers.


    The rest of the dinner passed in uneasy silence.


    GPLOIOP


    Aria almost felt bad when she dodged Sebastian¡¯s hug after dinner and scurried back to her room, but the relief of being


    alone again was palpable. That dinner had to have been one of the most ufortable experiences she¡¯d had in years. Going into it, she¡¯d been worried about the King and Queen¡­but they hadn¡¯t made her feel anxious.


    If anything, Queen rk continued to show her a level ofpassion she was sure she didn¡¯t deserve.


    And Sebastian ¨C he¡¯d stood up for her.


    Aria knew that¡¯s what he¡¯d been doing. He was only trying to protect her, and yet, when he got upset on her behalf, she¡¯d wanted to crawl


    under the table and hide.


    No matter how good his intentions, no matter how gentle he was, he


    was still capable of anger.


    And that meant he was capable of being angry at her. It would only be a matter of time before she pushed him over the


    edge, and he was growling at her, not Alessia. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8)


    She tried to push the thought from her head as she changed into a pair of pajamas, but a knock on the door made her


    freeze in her tracks ~ especially when she realized the scent on the other side wasn¡¯t Sebastian.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She called out. ¡°Alessia,¡± a gruff voice answered, and her stomach dropped.


    What did she want now? Had shee to continue taunting her now that Sebastian wasn¡¯t here? Alessia must have felt


    her hesitation from the other side of the door, and Aria could almost imagine her rolling her eyes as she said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m


    not here to piss you off. I¡¯m here to apologize.¡±


    Whatever she thought was going toe out of Alessia¡¯s mouth, it wasn¡¯t that. Was she joking, and just trying to


    convince Aria to open the door so she could insult her again?


    Or was she really trying to make up for the tension at dinner?


    She still didn¡¯t want to open the door, but it might upset Alessia even more if she rejected a genuine attempt at


    reconciliation¡­


    ¡°Come in,¡± Aria said, sitting on the edge of the b*d with her back straight. Whether her intentions were good or not, itThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    was probably best to just get it over with.


    Alessia strolled through the door, her footsteps heavy and her hands in Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8)


    her pockets. Aria didn¡¯t miss the gir!¡¯s easy confidence ~ or the way that she entered every room like she already owned


    it.


    Alessia took in the guest room as well as Aria¡¯s casual PJs. ¡°Sorry to interrupt your bedtime,¡± she said, her voice tinged


    with sarcasm. ¡°I


    didn¡¯t really want to do this.¡±


    Frustration swelled in Aria, and she fisted the expensive b*d sheets as she replied, ¡°It¡¯s no problem. You said you wanted


    to apologize?¡±


    Alessia¡¯s face twisted like she¡¯d just swallowed an entire lemon. ¡°Right,¡± she said, and she averted her eyes to the decor.


    ¡°Your mate cornered me after dinner, and told me I should apologize for how I pressed you at dinner.¡± Aria¡¯s breath


    caught. Even after the way she dodged him, he¡¯d still asked Alessia to apologize?


    ¡°and Iughed in his face, of course,¡± Alessia said, her full l*ps curving


    into a smile.


    Aria¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, but Alessia wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°But then,¡± she continued, ¡°My mate told me I needed to


    apologize to you, and well.


    she¡¯s a lot more convincing.¡±


    Alessia heaved a loud, dramatic sigh and stared at the window behind Aria¡¯s head. ¡°So, this is me¡­apologizing,¡± she said,


    making it sound like the very word pained her. ¡°Sorry if asking a couple of innocent questions triggered you. You were


    shaking like a scared kitten for the rest of dinner. It was pretty pathetic ¨C you even got my mate¡¯s pity, which isn¡¯t the


    easiest thing to obtain, trust me¡­but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be out Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8)


    of the doghouse once I tell her we¡¯re cool.¡±


    Alessia sighed again before finally turning her bored gaze to Aria. She remained silent, clearly waiting for the blonde girl


    to reply.


    Aria blinked at her, and then she started shaking ¡ª but this time, it wasn¡¯t from fear.


    Anger, fresh and hot, ran through her veins.


    Before she could reel it in or swallow it down, that anger, for the first time in years, boiled over like a pot on the stove.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± She hissed, standing up from the b*d and marching over until her and Alessia were only a few


    feet apart. ¡°You call that an apology? Your questions at dinner weren¡¯t innocent, and you know it! You were taunting me,


    and now, youe in here, do it again, and expect me to just nod my head and hug it out?¡± She pointed her index


    finger at the door. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t. I have no desire to hear any kind of apology from you, especially one as poor as that.


    So, if that¡¯s all you have to say, you can leave now. And no, we¡¯re not cool, regardless of what you may try and tell your mate.¡±


    By the time she was done, Aria was breathing heavy, her finger still pointed towards the door.


    It took her a moment to realize what she¡¯d done, but as soon as it registered, her eyes widened and her heart jumped


    into her throat. Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8)


    She¡¯d just yelled at someone.


    And not just someone, but a woman with enough muscles to break her in half like a toothpick.


    She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d ever lost control of her anger like that, and for it to be now¡­


    She was screwed. Alessia was going to tear out her throat.


    Aria opened her mouth to begin stuttering out apologies, but as she looked at Alessia, she realized the curly-haired woman didn¡¯t look like she was about to break her in half. She didn¡¯t even look angry. At all.


    Alessia was grinning ~ and not a sadistic one ¨C but a genuine grin that pulled at the skin around her scar.


    Aria nearly jumped when Alessia let out a low chuckle, her grin widening. ¡°There you are. I knew you had it in you.¡±


    Although she was still cautious that Alessia¡¯s ws mighte out any second, she couldn¡¯t help but meekly ask, ¡°Had


    what in me?¡±


    Alessia¡¯s hazel eyes glittered. ¡°I knew you had a backbone in there somewhere ~ just had to push the right buttons for


    you to use it.¡±


    Aria flushed. ¡°That¡­you intentionally antagonized me with that


    apology?¡± Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &amp; Sebastian (8)


    ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯ve been ¡®intentionally antagonizing¡¯ you all night, starting at dinner,¡± she replied.


    Fresh anger swelled in her, but she managed to swallow it down. ¡°Why? Just to get me angry?¡± She asked, ¡°If so, mission


    aplished.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Alessia shrugged, ¡°I still meant what I said at dinner. Since the moment you got here, everyone has been


    treating you like ss, especially that mate of yours¡­and you let him do it. You let him treat you like this meek little thing


    that might just shatter on the floor if he says the wrong thing or looks at you a certain way. I guess I just wanted to see if


    you really were made of ss.¡±


    ¡°[¡¯m not ss,¡± Aria retorted. She was beginning to hate that analogy.


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Alessia cut her off, ¡°Right now, you just proved you weren¡¯t. But you know what else I think?¡±


    Alessia didn¡¯t bother waiting for a reply, and instead, moved closer to Aria until they were face to face. ¡°I think if you


    don¡¯t start trying to get better, you¡¯re going to actually shatter one of these days.¡±


    ¡°Better?¡± Aria echoed, ¡°I¡¯m doing my best.¡±


    Alessia scoffed. ¡°No, you¡¯re not, and we both know it. You float around this ce like you¡¯re a ghost, constantly stuck in


    some pity spiral. I get it ¨C you¡¯ve had a rough go of it. But guess what? That victim mentality isn¡¯t going to help you.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (8)


    Aria sputtered. ¡°Victim mentality? I -¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Alessia cut her off, ¡°You¡¯ve had a rough go of it, I¡¯m sure. You were essentially living in a cult led by a


    megalomaniac. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got enough trauma to pay some therapist¡¯s bills for the next decade. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re


    f**ked up and you think that makes you unlovable.¡± She narrowed her eyes at Aria. ¡°But I¡¯m going to tell you something


    nob*dy else has the guts to.¡±


    Alessia inched closer until Aria could see the green specks of her eyes. ¡°Your pain doesn¡¯t make you special. We¡¯ve all


    been through pain. We¡¯ve all got trauma and we¡¯re all f**ked up ~ just in different ways. What matters is your


    perspective. You can keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing. Tell yourself you¡¯re a victim whose too damaged to ever move


    on, and spend the rest of your days letting everyone else treat you like ss. Eventually, you¡¯ll be it.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± she continued, ¡°You could remind yourself that Liam is rotting dead in the ground right now, and you¡¯re not his


    victim anymore¡­ you¡¯re a survivor.¡±


    Alessia finally stepped back, and Aria felt like she could finally breathe again as the curly-haired girl pulled open the door.


    Before she stepped outside, she turned back onest time, her eyes intense. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Aria,¡± she said, ¡°Victim or


    survivor?

 Chapter 109

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    ¡°Changing is what people do when they have no options left.¡± Holly ck


    Victim or survivor?


    Those three words rattled through Aria¡¯s brain for the next few days as she avoided anyone with a pulse, including her mate. She knew that it hurt him ~ he¡¯d knocked on her door a few times per day, but after several minutes of no reply


    from her, she¡¯d always hear his footsteps echo away.


    Victim or survivor?


    Aria wondered if it was really that simple. Alessia had made it sound so easy like fl*pping a switch.


    And maybe it was, but Aria had no idea where that switch was.


    On day three of her self-imposed istion, Sebastian came knocking


    again ¡ª and this time, he didn¡¯t take no for an answer.


    ¡°aria,¡± he said, and she swore she could hear the frustration in his voice, ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, I know you don¡¯t want to


    talk to me¡­or


    anyone else, but we need to.¡± AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9) Sheid in the guest b*d, curled into the


    fetal position and ready to wait till he left, but his next words made her freeze.


    ¡°aria, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Her breath caught ~ leaving?


    She didn¡¯t say it out loud, but he answered her unasked question anyway. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but I¡¯ve been here much


    longer than I was supposed to,¡± he exined, his muffled voice floating through the closed door. ¡°My father and my


    pack need me, and I can¡¯t dy any


    longer. I have to leave in the morning.¡±


    Something cold and paralyzing shot through her as her wolf howled inside her head ~ he¡¯d be gone in less than twentyfour hours.


    He was leaving. Leaving her.


    Sebastian¡¯s voice cut through her internal spiral once more. ¡°I came to ask if you¡¯de with me,¡± he said, and there was a new tinge of nervousness to his tone. ¡°I know that we¡¯ve had a¡­rocky start, but


    we¡¯re mates. We¡¯re meant to be together. I want to show you my home. I


    want it to feel like yours.¡± So, he wasn¡¯t leaving her. He wanted her toe.


    There was a moment of relief as she realized he didn¡¯t intend to leave AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    her there ~ only to have it followed by crushing fear.


    shes of her father and mother ran through her head, of the way her mother was never allowed to leave the groundsPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    without their father¡¯s permission.


    And then shes of her, just as trapped at Liam¡¯s pack. Is that what it would be like with Sebastian? She wondered.


    For the first time in days, Aria spoke just loud enough for him to hear it through the door. ¡°A-are you ordering me to


    come?¡± She asked, and she barely recognized her own voice.


    She¡¯d have to go if he said yes ¡ª of course she would ¨C but the thought of being trapped like she¡¯d been with Liam¡­


    She wasn¡¯t sure she could handle it. There was silence on the other side.


    Just when she was beginning to wonder if he¡¯d heard her, he answered. His voice was quiet and sad, like a kicked puppy.


    ¡°Order? No,¡± he said.


    ¡®Then, even more quietly, he said, ¡°After all this time, you still think I¡¯d order you to do something you didn¡¯t want to?


    The choice is yours, it was always yours. I thought¡­¡± He paused. ¡°I thought you might want toe with me because


    you were willing to try with me.¡± (7)


    Oh. AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    At once, the crushing fear was reced by guilt as she realized that Sebastian hadn¡¯t been trying to trap or lock her


    away the same way she¡¯d been with Liam. He hadn¡¯t been trying to leash her the way her mother had been leashed her


    whole life.


    He¡¯d wanted to give her a choice, let her choose toe solely because they were mates.


    She opened her mouth to say something ~ she wasn¡¯t sure what ~ when his dejected voice floated through the door. ¡°I


    know you want to be alone,¡± he murmured, ¡°So¡­ll leave you to it.¡±


    She listened to his footsteps echo through the halls, and a massive lump swelled in her throat.


    Why had she said that? He¡¯d proposed it like a question, not an order. She¡¯d been the only one to call it that.


    Sebastian wasn¡¯t Liam or her father ~ he hadn¡¯t acted like either of them for a single second.


    He wasn¡¯t a monster, and she wasn¡¯t sure why her brain constantly made him out to be one.


    GI9OIOP? Suffice to say, Aria did not sleep that night.


    She tossed and turned with only one thing on her mind: Sebastian¡¯s AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    offer.


    She knew that he had good intentions. He was offering her toe with him because he wanted to work things out ¡ª


    although Aria wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to ¡°work things out.¡±


    Her life felt like a mismatched puzzle, half of the pieces missing, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to put it back together again.


    Sebastian might¡¯ve been willing to try, but he¡¯d give up eventually.


    Victim or survivor?


    Alessia¡¯s words sliced through her train of thought.


    ¡®Was it really that simple?


    Could she just decide she wanted to be a survivor, and that¡¯d solve everything?


    And even if she did, what would a survivor do in this situation? Probably swallow down all their fears and anxieties and


    leave with Sebastian.


    But surely she couldn¡¯t do that¡­right?


    She could choose victim, although part of her wondered if she¡¯d been choosing that since the moment she arrived at this


    castle.


    And what would I be if I continued to stay here? A victim forever? AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    That thought sent a chill down her spine. As safe as her isted little guest room might¡¯ve felt most of the time, she


    knew it wasn¡¯t feasible forever.


    One day, she was going to want to venture outside, to see if she could put the pieces of her life back together with


    Sebastian, but it could be toote by then.


    She knew she had to choose new.


    And as the rays of dawn filtered through her window, the choice became clear.


    She¡¯d be a survivor today if it meant not staying a victim forever. But Sebastian said he was leaving this morning¡­what if


    I¡¯m toote?


    The thought of him heading home, still convinced she thought him to be some monster, was enough for her to open her


    bedroom door for the first time in days. She was only wearing pajamas, but that hardly crossed her mind as she sped


    through the hallways.


    There was no sign of Sebastian. Had he left already?


    She turned a corner and nearly ran into what looked like a burly castle guard.


    ¡°Sebastian,¡± was all she got out, ¡°Where is he? Has he left yet?¡± AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    The guard looked startled by the abrupt question as well as her urgency, but after a moment, he said, ¡°¡®Bout to leave by


    the west gatest time I checked.¡±


    He seemed to catch onto her next question because he added, ¡°I can escort you there.¡±


    She nodded frantically, and let him lead the way.


    Her heart was pounding a million miles per minute. What if she was toote? What if he¡¯d already left? Would he still want toe even after yesterday?


    She was practically hyperventting by the time they made it to arge arched entrance. The guard threw open the


    double doors, and the cool Canadian air hit her all at once.


    Her bare arms bristled under the cold, but she hardly noticed. She scanned the empty snowywn for any sign of him,


    but there was nob*dy there. Not even a car to take him down the mountain ¨C she must¡¯ve missed him.


    She had been toote.


    I should¡¯ve found him sooner, made this decisionst night.


    He¡¯d left, probably thinking she hated him, and ¨C


    ¡°Aria?¡± AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9) His voice almost felt like a dream, but as she whipped her head


    around


    and caught sight of him, she knew it wasn¡¯t.


    He was standing behind her, in the doorway, with flushed cheeks from the cold, a puffy jacket, and his hands stuffed in


    his pockets. His eyes roamed over her immediately. ¡°What are you doing out in the cold like that? It¡¯s freezing.¡± He was


    taking off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders before she could reply. It smelled like him, and Aria had to resist


    the urge not to nuzzle her nose into the clothing.


    The same lump swelled in her throat again, but this time, she managed to swallow it down. ¡°I thought you left,¡± she said.


    His eyebrows furrowed together. ¡°I was about to, I was just waiting for the driver to arrive. I stepped inside to get out of


    the cold.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she saidmely. Survivor.


    Survivors didn¡¯t let fear consume them ¨C they said what they intended


    to.


    With that growing lump in her throat, she managed to say, ¡°I was hoping to catch you before you left.¡±


    Something that looked like hope sparked in his blue eyes. ¡°You were?¡±


    She nodded. AKHM ¨C Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (9)


    ¡°I¡­¡± She could do this. It was her choice. ¡°I thought about your offer.¡± ¡°You did?¡± He asked, and she could hear the


    hopefulness.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°And I was thinking¡­¡±


    She was a survivor. She was choosing to be one.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not toote,¡± she finished, ¡°I thought maybe I coulde with


    you. Back to your home.¡±


    She readied herself for rejection, for him to tell her that she¡¯d taken too long to decide or he was tired of her, but it never


    came.


    Instead, a breathtaking smile overtook his face as he replied, ¡°Of course it¡¯s not toote.¡± He stepped forward and took


    one of her hands in his. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Aria.¡±

 Chapter 110

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    ¡°At the end of the day, it isn¡¯t where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere I¡¯m going and never have been.¡±


    Warsan Shire


    Aria had always thought the most beautiful ce in the world was Liam¡¯s pack and home. However, from the moment


    she stepped into Sebastian¡¯s pack, she realized just how wrong she¡¯d been


    Liam¡¯s pack was a bleakparison to the vibrant beauty of Sebastian¡¯s home. After a short ne ride, where she¡¯d


    somehow managed to fall asleep on Sebastian¡¯s shoulder, a car and a driver had been waiting for them at the airport.


    The driver had stared at her curiously, but he didn¡¯t ask who she was ¨C and a single look from Sebastian, and the driver


    didn¡¯t look at her for the rest of the ride


    Sebastian made small talk with her most of the way, pointing out coolndmarks or ces he¡¯d been to. His voice filled


    the empty space of the car, and Aria found it soothing


    A wee distraction from the fact that she was, once again, leaving


    behind everything she¡¯d known to go somewhere new


    Except this time, it was no one¡¯s choice but her own


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    Her parents weren¡¯t forcing her, Liam wasn¡¯t ordering her to leave. She was in the driver¡¯s seat ¡ª metaphorically, of


    course


    The ride itself had been long, and Aria couldn¡¯t help but notice how different Washington looked than Texas, where her


    family lived


    In Texas, everything was t and spread out with a dry heat that never seemed to go away, even in the dead of winter


    Washington was refreshing


    For once, she didn¡¯t have the constant reminder of the sun beating down on her. Here, it was tucked behind a heavyyer


    of clouds and thick trees. And as they drove, civilization became scarcer, the roads got narrower, and the trees gotrger


    Eventually, the driver turned onto a dirt road cloaked byrge pine trees, and Aria caught sight of what she assumed to


    be a few pack members on patrol. They were in the tree line, in their wolf forms, and one of them nodded at their car as


    they passed through


    They drove further in, the gravel of the road crunching under the tires of their SUV, until the trees cleared and ¨C


    There it was


    Sebastian¡¯s pack


    It was much bigger than she¡¯d expected, bigger than her parents¡¯ pack


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    and even Liam¡¯s


    There wererge residential wooden cabins as far as she could see as well as moremercial buildings: a convenience


    store, arge infirmary, and even a building that looked like a school in the distance


    People walked along the road or the sidewalk, mothers held the hands


    of their children as they crossed the street, teenagers gathered in small groups to gossip


    ¡°Woah,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but mutter


    Sebastian, who¡¯d already been staring at her, raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    She swallowed. If she strained, she could hear bits and pieces of their conversations ¡ª the teenagersughing about


    their crushes or the parent asking their child what candy they wanted from the story


    ¡°The people¡­¡± she started


    ¡°What? Your pack didn¡¯t have people?¡± Sebastian asked, his voice teasing


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­everyone seems so happy here.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to look at him to know he was looking at her like she was a pitiful puppy who¡¯d been caught shivering in


    the rain


    It didn¡¯t change the truth of what she¡¯d said


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    When she¡¯d lived with her parents or Liam, nob*dy had ever seemed truly happy or rxed. Both her father and Liam


    had enforced stringent rules on their packs, but especially on the women. How to dress, how to talk, how to please their mates


    And while she might¡¯ve been eager for Liam¡¯s approval, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d ever been rxed like


    these people were, content to just go about her business


    She tried to shake off these depressing thoughts before her mood took a nosedive for the rest of the day. This was


    supposed to be the start of something new and exciting, of her and Sebastian¡¯s life together


    With that in mind, she grabbed Sebastian¡¯s hand and forced the biggest smile she could. ¡°Your home is lovely,¡± she said,This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Where to first?¡±


    He didn¡¯t lookpletely convinced by her sudden shift in mood, but he seemed to realize it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to dwell on. So, he replied, ¡°Well, I was thinking we could stop by my family¡¯s home first


    You could meet my parents.¡±


    ¡°Your parents?¡± She echoed


    ¡°Yeah, they know you¡¯reing,¡± he said, and he must¡¯ve read the panic on her face because he was quick to add, ¡°They


    know all about you, and I promise they¡¯re excited to meet you. My mom¡¯s thrilled honestly ¡ª she¡¯s been waiting for me


    to meet my mate since the day I turned sixteen.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    It was hard for Aria to believe that Sebastian¡¯s parents would truly be excited to meet her, knowing her background, but


    he seemed genuine


    ¡°Really?¡± She asked


    ¡°Really,¡± he smiled, and squeezed her hand, ¡°My mom is just going to be excited to have another girl in the family,


    especially with my sisters living in other ces now.¡±


    As he said it, Aria noticed that the car turned onto a private drive, even more gravel crunching under the tires


    The house they arrived in wasrge, probably thergest house she¡¯d seen so far. It must¡¯ve easily been three floors,


    although she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. Sebastian¡¯s father was the Alpha, of course he¡¯d have the biggest house in


    the pack


    ¡°Here we are,¡± the driver told them, the first thing he¡¯d said the entire drive


    Sebastian nodded, opened his door and then gestured for Aria to follow him out. She took his hand without question,


    but as they walked up the drive, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Sebastian stopped in his tracks immediately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°lm not¡­¡± She gestured down to her in cotton pajamas, the same clothes she¡¯d left the castle in. ¡°I¡¯m not dressed in


    the right attire for meeting your parents.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    The worst part was that she didn¡¯t have anything to change into. She¡¯d entered the castle with nothing but the clothes


    on her back, and left that way


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°My parents won¡¯t mind. If anything, my mom will want to share her entire wardrobe with


    you.¡±


    Aria nodded, but her stomach still continued to twist in knots as they came closer to the door. She inched closer to her mate as he opened the


    door, and ¨C ¡°WELCOME HOME!¡±


    Aria nearly lept out of her skin when she realized that it wasn¡¯t just Sebastian¡¯s parents standing in the foyer of the home,


    but what must¡¯ve been at least thirty people, crammed into every inch of the hallway


    Aria curled into Sebastian¡¯s back immediately, and he straightened up, stepping in front of her to hide her from view


    Arge man broke away from the crowd, and Aria identified him as Sebastian¡¯s father, Alpha Bellevue, immediately: he


    was just an inch shorter than her mate and with blonde hair, but their eyes were the same piercing blue. He had arge


    grin on his face, and Aria¡¯s assumption was only confirmed when he pulled Sebastian in for a hug, pping him on the


    back. ¡°Wee home, son.¡±


    Sebastian was not smiling


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (10)


    ¡°Dad, what is this? Why is everyone here?¡± More quietly, he added, ¡°I thought I told you that I wanted just you and mom


    here.¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s father shrugged. ¡°Well, yeah, but everyone knew you wereing back. Everyone was worried about you,


    you know. Going off to battle for your sister¡­you¡¯re lucky the entire pack wasn¡¯t waiting on your doorstep.¡±


    Before he could reply, a smaller woman sidled up next his father and pulled Sebastian into a close hug. No doubt his mother, Luna Grace ¡ª they shared the same rich brown hair color


    ¡°Oh, my baby,¡± she breathed, ¡°You have no idea how worried I was about you.¡±


    They embraced for a moment longer before Sebastian pulled away, and Aria could make out unshed tears in Luna


    Grace¡¯s eyes


    That was only the start of the reunion


    One by one, every pack member crammed into the house took their turn weing Sebastian back, some armed with


    questions about the castle or the King or Queen rk:


    So¡­our little human is really the Queen then? And she¡¯s still human? She didn¡¯t have some sort of dormant wolf?


    Is it true that she ran from the King after she found out she was meant to be Queen? What was she so scared for? She¡¯s


    lived around us for most of


    her life, we practically raised that girl!


    Sebastian answered every question to the best of his ability, but Aria could see that thements grated on him. Queen


    or not, he was still clearly protective of his little sister.)


    Aria was so focused on Sebastian¡¯s conversations and blending into the background that she hadn¡¯t noticed Alpha


    Bellevue approach her. He stood next to her, arms crossed and with a look she couldn¡¯t quite read as he said, ¡°So, my son


    tells me you¡¯re to be the future Luna of this pack. Aria Thomas, I presume?¡±


    She¡¯d never wanted to melt into the wallpaper more

 Chapter 111

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)


    ¡°There will never be anything as nerve-wracking as meeting your partner¡¯s parents for the first time.¡±


    Unknown


    It took Aria at least ten seconds to ovee the sheer panic that wasing face-to-face with Sebastian¡¯s father for the


    first time. She whipped her head around to find Sebastian, and her stomach sank when she caught sight of him,


    completely engaged in conversation with one of his pack¡¯s elders


    It didn¡¯t look like he wasing to save her anytime soon


    So, with a lump in her throat, she mustered up every bit of courage she could to look Alpha Bellevue in the eye and say,


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Aria.¡±


    He looked her up and down, his arms crossed. It wasn¡¯t a lecherous look like she was used to getting from men, but he


    certainly was assessing her. Sizing her up like she was a cut of meat, and he was trying to figure out if she was good


    enough. Or good enough for his son, that is


    ¡°T¡¯m not too familiar with your father,¡± Alpha Bellevue said, ¡°I can¡¯t remember our paths crossing.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)


    ¡°They probably didn¡¯t,¡± she replied, ¡°My father liked to¡­¡± It took her a moment to find the words before she settled on,


    ¡°Keep to himself.¡± What she wanted to say was: my father isted himself and our pack from anyone else who didn¡¯t


    share his traditionalist views, which is why your paths never crossed


    Still, Alpha Bellevue seemed to pick up on the subtext just fine


    ¡°Sebastian has told me about you and your family,¡± he said, and his eyes narrowed, ¡°I know your father was a


    traditionalist, but do you share his views?¡±


    The question felt like a p to the face. Not a harsh blow, but definitely


    a question she hadn¡¯t been expecting


    However, before she could even think of a response, he continued, ¡°Traditionalists breed weak, oppressed women, which


    is not what my pack needs.¡± He leveled her with a stare. ¡°It¡¯s not what my son needs


    either.¡± (3 Now, that felt like a harsh blow


    Aria wasn¡¯t sure what to say. What could she say to that? Alpha Bellevue¡¯s gaze felt suffocating, and fiddled with her shirt


    cor nervously. There were too many people crammed into this room, too many bodies, too many ¨C


    ¡°T think that¡¯s enough,¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice cut through her stifling thoughts, and his immediate presence was like a weight off her chest


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)


    She could breathe again


    His hand found its way to the small of her back, and she couldn¡¯t help but lean into his warmth


    Alpha Bellevue¡¯s eyes cut to his son


    ¡°Aria isn¡¯t weak,¡± Sebastian said, and suddenly raised his voice so the entire room can hear, ¡°I know some of you are


    curious about my mate, but I ask that you show her the same respect you¡¯ve always shown me


    She¡¯s still adjusting, but¡­¡± Sebastian nced at his father. ¡°She will be your future Luna.¡±


    There were murmurs of agreement and nods throughout the crowd, and even Alpha Bellevue turned away to disappear


    into another conversation


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sebastian asked, peering down at her with worried eyes. ¡°I know you weren¡¯t expecting to deal with all


    these people, and honestly, I wasn¡¯t either. I thought it was just gonna be my parents.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, even if she didn¡¯t feel that way. She took another look around the room. The pack was mingling


    amongst themselves, but she could see the way that some of them were peeking at Sebastian, eager for their future


    Alpha¡¯s attention


    But he was too busy making sure she wasn¡¯t crumbling under the pressure


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)


    ¡°You know what?¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude, but I¡¯m exhausted from all the traveling. Do you think there¡¯s


    somewhere I could take a nap?¡± It wasn¡¯t aplete lie. She was tired from all the traveling, but it was mostly an excuse


    for her to get out of Sebastian¡¯s way. She could tell she was the odd one out, and as long as she was down here,


    Sebastian wouldn¡¯t truly get to enjoy time with his pack


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered immediately, ¡°My mom already set up one of the guest rooms for you, and I can help you get


    settled in too, send these people home -¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± she cut him off, cing a hand on his arm, ¡°If you point me in the right direction, I¡¯m sure I can find it.


    You should stay down here, and catch up with your friends and family. They¡¯ve missed you, and they¡¯ll want to hear


    about your sister too.¡±


    Sebastian didn¡¯t look particrly happy about that. ¡°Are you sure? I have all the time in the world to catch up with my


    friends, but I want to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°T¡¯m okay,¡± she repeated, a little more forcefully, ¡°Really.¡±


    He stared at her for a moment, and although he didn¡¯t seem convinced by her exnation, he eventually let up. ¡°It¡¯s up


    the stairs, the second bedroom on the right.¡±


    Aria nodded, and just as she made to walk away, he ced a hand on her shoulder. ¡°If you need anything, you¡¯!! call for


    me, right?¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)


    She smiled, ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that, she followed Sebastian¡¯s directions ¡ª up the stairs, second bedroom on the right. She didn¡¯t miss the


    wandering eyes that stared at her curiously as she passed by, but she wasn¡¯t brave enough to greet any of them. She wanted to be though


    As she walked up the stairs, creaky and worn from years of use, her eyes were drawn to the photos on the wall. More


    specifically, the baby photos of Sebastian. Sprinkled between framed photos of what had to be his sister, Lily, were


    snapshots of his childhood: him as a chubby- faced baby, him as a toddler running through the woods, him receiving


    some certificate at school, and him in what looked like graduation photos


    There was something so endearing about seeing her mate in each stage of life, and it took everything in her not to linger


    in the hallway for hours


    Eventually, she made her way to the second bedroom on the right, and when she flicked on the light, she stopped in her


    tracks


    Was this the bedroom Sebastian meant? Surely, it couldn¡¯t be..


    She poked her head out into the hallway, and counted again. This was, in fact, the second bedroom on the right


    But it wasn¡¯t a bare guest bedroom like she¡¯d been expecting


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    This room, if the scent and framed photos were any indication, belonged to his younger sister


    This was rk¡¯s bedroom


    More urately, her Queen¡¯s childhood bedroom


    It was more modest than she could¡¯ve imagined. The room was rtively small with a full-sized b*d, a inforter,


    and only a sparse amount of photos and decorations. The open closet had a few hanging outfits in it, but they looked like


    jeansm and t-shirts. No fancy dresses or ballgowns


    It felt wrong to be standing in this room


    Not only because this room used to belong to the Queen, but also because of her history with rk


    She didn¡¯t deserve to be in this room


    But Sebastian said the second bedroom on the right


    She supposed that it made sense they¡¯d offer her this bedroom. She knew Sebastian well enough to know he¡¯d never


    push to sleep in the same b*d, and this was a vacant room. She doubted the Queen would be returning anytime soon


    But as she stared at the photos lining the desk, her stomach began twisting into knots. rk didn¡¯t look particrly


    happy in any of the


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (11)


    framed photos she had in here, even the ones where she was smiling


    There was a photo of rk standing next to her parents and siblings, but her smile looked forced. In another photo, she was seated next to


    werewolf ssmates, and she was frowning,


    She looked miserable


    And Aria recognized that look ¡ª she¡¯d seen it on rk¡¯s plenty of times in that cell


    Her skin started to crawl


    She really didn¡¯t want to be in here


    She didn¡¯t deserve to be in here


    Without another thought, she scurried out of the room, shut the door


    behind her, and ventured further down the hall


    All she could think about, all she could see was her Queen¡¯s grimy, frowning face stuck in that cell


    She was so stuck on that image that she didn¡¯t even realize when she


    found her way into another bedroom down the hall


    She wasn¡¯t sure when she copsed on the king-sized b*d in the unfamiliar room or when she dozed off, buried under


    covers that smelled exactly like her mate

 Chapter 112

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    ¡°You could fill three lifetimes with the things people say about you when you¡¯re not there.¡±


    Stewart Stafford


    Aria woke with a jolt to someone stroking her hair. For half-a-second, her sleep-addled brain thought she was back in


    Liam¡¯s domain, stuck in her bunk bed or his bedroom


    Her anxiety spiked ¡ª but only for a moment until she realized she wasn¡¯t with Liam anymore, but her mate. The


    comforting scent enveloping her was Sebastian as was the soft touch to her hair


    ¡°Are you okay? I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡± He must¡¯ve realized she was awake because his hand stilled in her hair, and


    Aria had to bite back a whimper. She liked his touch


    She shifted to look at him, rubbing the sleepiness of her eyes. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯t mean to actually fall asleep, but I


    guess I was more tired than I thought from the trip.¡±


    Sebastian, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and still dressed in the same clothes, gave her a cheeky grin. ¡°Oh, I


    have noints


    You did fall asleep in my bed, after all.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    What? Aria shot up like a wire. ¡°Wait, this is your room?¡±


    She nced at her surroundings, and berated herself for not realizing it before she¡¯d passed out. The room was all dark,


    neutral colors but the personal touches were undeniably Sebastian: several family photos of him with both his sisters, a


    photo of his parents, and a couple of unwashed t-shirts scattered on the floor


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough confirmation, the room reeked of him. Not in an unpleasant way ¡ª more like a wanting-to-roround-in-his-sheetsforever kind of way


    She flushed. She hadn¡¯t meant to end up in his bedroom, but after rushing out of rk¡¯s room, she¡¯d just followed the


    comforting scent to¡­here


    Sebastian must¡¯ve seen the red decorating her face because he said, ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no need to be embarrassed. Finding


    you up here, wrapped in my sheets, was like waking up on Christmas morning. You looked beautiful.¡±


    Her cheeks became redder, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at him as she asked, ¡°Do you think I could have some water? My throat is feeling a little dry.¡± It wasn¡¯t true, but it was the first thing she could think of to change the subject


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sebastian said, and then he stood up, ¡°There¡¯s still some


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    pack members mingling downstairs with my parents, so I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± He shot her another smile before stepping out


    of the room, leaving the door cracked


    She waited until his footsteps echoed into the soft noise of voices downstairs before she grabbed the pillow ¡ª his pillow ¡ª and inhaled deeply


    Her eyes fluttered shut


    He smelled so good


    She could live in these sheets, in this bed


    ¡°T can¡¯t believe our future Alpha has a mate now.¡±


    Aria¡¯s eyes popped open at the unfamiliar, tinkling female voice she could hearing from down the hall. She didn¡¯t


    recognize it, and she hadn¡¯t seen anyone on the second floor ¡ª but maybe one of the guests had wandered up?


    ¡°Yeah, and did you see her?¡± A second female voice joined in, just as distant as the first


    Did they know she was also upstairs? She didn¡¯t think so, not if they were all the way down the hall


    ¡°Yeah, more like a mouse than a future Luna,¡± the first girl replied, her voice mocking. ¡°You know what I heard?¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    ¡°What?¡±


    Aria¡¯s stomach clenched. She knew she could¡¯ve gotten up and walked out of the bedroom to alert them of her presence


    anytime she wanted, but she didn¡¯t. She curled further under the covers, and strained her ears to listen to what they had


    to say about her


    ¡°T heard,¡± it was the first girl¡¯s voice, and she could hear the smirk. ¡°She came from weird traditionalist pack all the way


    down in Texas, and Sebastian pulled her out of Alpha Liam¡¯s cult.¡±


    ¡°No way! Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, apparently, she¡¯s all traumatized and shit. That¡¯s why she was hiding behind Sebastian downstairs, and wouldn¡¯t


    talk to anyone.¡±


    Aria flinched. So this is what Sebastian¡¯s pack thought of her, how they saw her. She knew she was pathetic, but to hear


    strangers talk about it so openly..


    ¡°Poor Sebastian,¡± the second girl¡¯s was syrupy with faux-pity. ¡°He¡¯s been waiting so long for his mate and our future


    Luna, and then he gets stuck with someone who probably flinches at shadows.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something tells me he¡¯ll be more of a caregiver and less of a mate,¡± she sighed, ¡°Oh, well. He¡¯s stuck with her now. Nothing he can do to change it.¡± That was thest thing they said before they moved on to gossiping about another


    member of their pack


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    Underneath the covers, Aria felt paralyzed


    It felt like her worst feare to life


    Since leaving Liam¡¯s pack and meeting Sebastian, Aria had spent many nights,ying awake and agonizing over the fact


    that she didn¡¯t deserve a mate, let alone one as good as Sebastian


    And though he¡¯d denied it, the girls gossiping in the hallway only proved that others saw how undeserving she was too


    They¡¯re right. Sebastian takes care of me, makes sure I¡¯m okay, soothes my anxieties, and does all of it withoutint


    He¡¯s the most patient man I¡¯ve ever met, and what have I ever done for him? Ignore him and express my doubts?


    He¡¯s been the best mate there is, and all I¡¯ve ever done is be an ungrateful burden. Those girls are right. He might as well


    be my caretaker


    And although she knew Sebastian didn¡¯t see it that way, some part of her wondered if, deep down, he felt that way. Some


    part of him ¨C even a small part ¡ª had to be tired of constantly being patient, of constantly looking after her. And if he wasn¡¯t, she was sure he would be


    ¡°Here¡¯s your water,¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice suddenly cut through her spiral as he swung the door open, and strode up to the


    bed, a full ss of water in his hands. ¡°Sorry it took me so long. I got roped into a conversation with one of the Elders who wanted my opinion on border


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    disputes. It was absolutely riveting, if you can imagine.¡± He sat down on the edge, sitting the ss on the nightstand


    Aria grabbed the ss of water and drank greedily to hide the fact that she couldn¡¯t even force a smile


    All she could hear was those girls¡¯ words circling in her brain, of Sebastian being stuck as her caretaker for the rest of his


    life


    Her heart pounded furiously


    He¡¯d probably neverin, but how long until he began to resent her? Began to resent that he gave her everything,


    and she had nothing to offer him?


    Well¡­there was one thing she could offer him


    As suddenly as the thought came, she didn¡¯t hesitate


    She plunked the ss back on the nightstand so fast that water sloshed over the sides, closed the distance between her


    and Sebastian, and pressed her l*ps to his


    The feeling was almost indescribable


    Her l*ps molded to his like they were meant to, and her entire b*dy tingled with something warm and pleasant until the


    feeling settled in her lower belly


    Sebastian was frozen for a moment, and then, he started to k*ss her


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    back


    His mouth moved slowly against hers, letting her set the pace


    She pressed into him until she was practically on hisp, and his hands found their way to her waist to steady her


    She waited for his hands to wander lower, but when they didn¡¯t, she took one of hers ¡ª which had been wrapped


    around his n*eck ¡ª and started to trail it lower


    First, over his corbone and chest until her palm sped over the bulge in his pants. Just as she began fiddling for the


    zipper, he stilled


    At once, Sebastian pulled away from the k*ss with furrowed eyebrows


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She flushed. ¡°Well, I was going to¡­you know, take care of you.¡± The air was beginning to fill with tension, but her fingers


    remained in ce, gripping the zipper of his jeans


    The furrow of his brow deepened. ¡°Take care of me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, and she was pretty sure her entire face had turned beet red. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he was


    questioning her or why he was so upset. Wasn¡¯t this how these things went? Had she done something wrong?


    ¡°Tm sorry if I did it wrong,¡± she apologized, ¡°Should I have just skipped


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    the k*ssing and just gone straight for¡­you know? I¡¯m not very experienced with it and I know most men don¡¯t like it, I just


    thought it would be nice.¡±


    Realization struck him, and Sebastian suddenly look disturbed by her apology. He stood up in a sh, turning away from


    her, and her hands fell uselessly beside her


    Something tight began to settle in her chest. She¡¯d been trying to show Sebastian that she did have something to offer


    him, and instead, she¡¯d only upset him. She still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she¡¯d done wrong ¡ª only that it must¡¯ve been


    something big


    And she hated that he¡¯d removed himself from her. She hated every inch of the physical distance between them


    She tried to exin herself one more time. ¡°If you just tell me what I did wrong, I promise I¡¯ll be better at it next time.


    Sometimes Liam had to tell me -¡±


    ¡°Tam not Liam.¡±


    He was shaking, just barely, and his voice was colder than she¡¯d ever heard it. He whipped around to face her, that same


    disturbed look on his face. ¡°Is that¡­is that what that was?¡± He ran his hand through his hair again. ¡°Did I do something?


    Did I make you think you had to do that to¡­please me?¡± He looked sick even saying it


    ¡°What? No,¡± Aria protested, ¡°It¡¯s just, you¡¯ve been so good to me. All


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    you do is take care of me, and¡­¡± She struggled to find the words. ¡°I wanted to show you that I was more than just a


    burden, that I had something to offer you too.¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s face softened, and he slowly approached the bed, taking her hands in his. Her b*dy visibly calmed at his


    touch


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± he said gently, ¡°That you¡¯re a burden to me? That¡¯s not ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you can say it¡¯s not true,¡± Aria cut him off, ¡°But I know it is. You may not see it yet, but I do and so does everyone


    else.¡±


    His face pulled into a frown. ¡°Hold on. What do you mean by ¡®everyone


    else¡¯?¡±


    Aria froze. She hadn¡¯t even meant for it toe out, but in the heat of the moment, it had. ¡°I just meant that I¡¯m sure


    everyone else feels the same way. They think you¡¯re stuck taking care of me for the rest of my life because I¡¯m all


    traumatized.¡±


    Something dark shed through his eyes. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Nob*dy ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he cut her off, his voice firm but not loud. ¡°Who said that to you?¡±


    Aria could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn¡¯t going to let up


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (12)


    until she exined herself, so eventually, she admitted, ¡°When you were downstairs getting water for me, I heard a


    couple of girls talking in the hall. I didn¡¯t see them and I don¡¯t know who they are, but they were saying how traumatized


    I was, and how you¡¯re stuck as my caregiver now that we¡¯re mates.¡± She could see him getting visibly upset the longer


    she talked, so she added, ¡°I don¡¯t want them to get in trouble. I don¡¯t think they knew I was listening in, and they were


    just speaking the truth.¡± |?


    Sebastian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You can let me worry about these girls, but in the meantime, you need to know something.¡± He squeezed her hands


    ¡°You are not a burden to me, Aria. You say you have nothing to offer me, but every moment with you¡­you make me so


    happy. It¡¯s not a chore to spend time or take care of you ¡ª if anything, it makes me feel good. Knowing that I make you


    feel safe and like you can rely on me..Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    that¡¯s all I could ever want from you.¡± 2)


    He leaned down to k*ss her forehead, and then leaned back, his face just inches from her. ¡°So, I don¡¯t want you to ever


    feel like you have to offer up your b*dy or please me physically ¡ª I never want things those out of obligation, and


    certainly not in a way that¡¯s reminiscent of how you were taken advantage of before. When we decide to be physical, it¡¯ll


    be because we both want it and feelfortable and ready.¡±


    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be ready for it?¡± Aria asked, although even voicing the question made her heart


    pound with anxiety


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it upset you to have it wait?¡±


    Sebastian only smiled softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand, mate. I¡¯d


    happily wait decades for you.¡±


    And she could tell, from the look in his eyes, he meant it

 Chapter 113

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    ¡°Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological rtion.¡± Robert A. Heinlein


    Although Sebastian¡¯sst words about waiting for her, as long as that may be, were nothing but reassuring, she didn¡¯t


    see much of him after that


    She was almost sure he was avoiding her


    He¡¯d been nice enough to allow her to keep sleeping in his room while he spent his nights in the empty bedroom of his


    sister, Lily


    It was a kind offer, although Aria began to resent the separate bedrooms almost immediately. Not only had Sebastian¡¯s


    scent be stale on the sheets, but sleeping in a different rooms only made it easier for him to steer clear of her


    He was gone by the time the sun sl*pped over the horizon, and didn¡¯t return till the middle of the night


    Most of the time, the only reminder of his presence was the pillow she slept on and the quiet turn of the doorknob at


    odd hours


    His absence was beginning to make her restless, but she didn¡¯t want to


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    draw him away from whatever pack business kept him busy sote


    The only thing that helped were the books


    She¡¯d discovered her mate¡¯s small collection of human books by ident when she¡¯d bumped into his nightstand, and


    the bottom drawer popped out


    And although she meant to leave them alone and shut the drawer, curiosity won out


    That¡¯s how she read the entire Harry Potter series in five days. Once she¡¯d started, her eyes were glued to the worn


    pages, which smelled faintly of her mate


    Like everything else that belonged to him


    After that, she moved onto the next series about a group of siblings sl*pping through a wardrobe, and finding a new


    whole world. .?)


    The characters in each book were human ¨C or at least assumed human ¡ª but she loved them anyway


    She¡¯d never had ess to this kind of writing back home, and especially not with Liam. Her mother had taught her to


    read with Keeping a House: A Woman¡¯s Guide to Being a Good Mate ¨C as was standard for most little girls in their pack


    The only other reading material she¡¯d found around the house was


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13) simr, and she¡¯d lost interest in reading several years ago


    But these were true stories, not manuals or guides she needed to memorize


    Unfortunately, two weeks into their new routine, she¡¯d devoured every book in the house (of which there were fifteen)


    and she was suffering from a severe case of boredom


    Just as she was halfway through re-reading the first Harry Potter book one afternoon, her stomach grumbled


    That meant it was time to sneak down into the kitchen, and scavenge the fridge for something to eat for lunch. It was a


    little lonely to eat her meals alone, but at least the fridge wasn¡¯t empty, even if the house was


    She strained to listen for Sebastian¡¯s footsteps (on the small chance he might actuallye home at a decent hour), but


    when she didn¡¯t hear them, she sighed and began her trek downstairs to the immacte kitchen


    Aria pushed open the kitchen door and froze


    The kitchen was, in fact, not empty


    Leaning over the counter with a tray of cinnamon rolls was Sebastian¡¯s mother, Luna Grace


    Since entering Sebastian¡¯s home, she hadn¡¯t had a single conversation


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    with the woman ¨C unless you counted that first day, when Aria watched from the background as she hugged her son


    Luna Grace turned around as soon as she heard the door open and gave her a genuine smile. ¡°Oh, Aria,¡± she said, ¡°I was


    just going toe up and ask if you¡¯d like a roll. I baked them for the nursery workers, but I always make a few extra for


    the household.¡± She punctuated the offer with a wink


    Aria nced at therge, homemade cinnamon rolls she was icing


    They smelled even more delicious than they looked


    ¡°Really, don¡¯t feel shy,¡± Luna Grace added, ¡°There¡¯s nob*dy else here to eat the extras except me, and Goddess knows I


    don¡¯t need all of them


    My husband¡¯s been away, negotiating with a neighboring pack, and Sebastian¡¯s been so busy picking up his ck.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you have extra,¡± Aria finally agreed, and the older woman¡¯s smile widened as she began ting one of the


    freshly-iced rolls for her


    Luna Grace slid the te onto the table, gesturing for her to sit down


    Aria did so with little hesitation, and took her first bite


    It was divine


    The warm, sweet roll practically melted in her mouth, perfectlyplimented by the sugary icingThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13) She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d had a homemade pastry


    Probably not since she lived with her parents


    ¡°T¡¯m guessing it turned out okay?¡±


    Aria popped one eye open ¨C she hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d closed them ¡ª to see Luna Grace still standing at the counter, an


    amused smile on her face


    She swallowed the rest of the bite. ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s delicious,¡± she said with slight pink dusting her cheeks


    ¡°lm d it has at least one stamp of approval before I give it to thedies in the nursery,¡± Luna Grace said, turning back


    to the sheet pan of remaining rolls with a sigh. ¡°Now I¡¯ve just got to package the rest of these up.¡±


    ¡°Would you like some help?¡± Aria asked


    ¡°Oh, no, I couldn¡¯t ask you to do that.¡± ¡°You can,¡± Aria replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to be useful. Please.¡±


    It was a genuine request. As much as she loved the books she¡¯d found in Sebastian¡¯s room, she missed being productive.


    Being here without providing any real contribution to the household felt¡­wrong


    Luna Grace looked at her for a moment before she broke out into


    another smile. ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re sure. That¡¯d be great.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    Aria nodded and gobbled up the rest of the delicious cinnamon roll before joining Luna Grace at the counter


    ¡°Just grab some Tupperware from that bottom cab and start cutting these out with a spat if you would. I¡¯ve got to mix up another batch of icing,¡± the older woman instructed


    There was a beat of silence between them as they started their own tasks, and it felt more awkward than Aria would¡¯ve


    liked. She wanted to talk to her ¡ª she was Sebastian¡¯s mother after all ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how


    She¡¯d never been in the same room alone with the woman until this moment


    Fortunately, Luna Grace was the first one to break the silence. ¡°You know, I¡¯m sorry we haven¡¯t gotten to chat until now,¡±


    shemented lightly, ¡°Normally, I¡¯m at home more, but the pack has had a bit of a baby boomtely and I¡¯ve taken up more responsibility in the nursery


    It¡¯s been more time-consuming than I thought.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Aria replied, ¡°Nursery work is always time-consuming..


    and exhausting. My mother used to manage our daycare almost entirely on her own, and she¡¯d be dead on her feet by


    the time she made it home some days.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mean to bring up her mother, but the memories


    Luna Grace arched a curious eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Sebastian has told


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    me much about your mother. Do you talk with her often?¡±


    Anxiety twisted in her gut as she separated one cinnamon roll from another on the tray. ¡°Not so much these days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Luna Grace must¡¯ve sensed her tension, and changed the subject quickly. ¡°I know Sebastian hasn¡¯t been


    around much either since he¡¯s taken over for my husband. I¡¯ve been hearing him stomp through the door at all hours of


    the night¡­although I suppose I can hardlyin when I¡¯ve been walking in at my own odd hours.¡±


    ¡°Are thesete hours normal for the Alpha of this pack?¡± Aria asked, tucking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her hair


    ¡°Oh, Goddess, no,¡± Luna Grace chuckled, ¡°If that were the case, I¡¯m not


    sure I would¡¯ve had time to make Sebastian or his sister.¡±


    Aria¡¯s cheeks went pink again, and after Luna Grace was doneughing at her own joke, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sure what¡¯s taking


    up most of his time these days is preparing for our Bonds without Borders party this weekend. After that, you should see


    him around more often.¡±


    Her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Bonds without Borders? What¡¯s that?¡±


    This time, Luna Grace was the one to look perplexed. She paused in the middle of whisking to nce at Aria curiously.


    ¡°Sebastian didn¡¯t tell you about that? We have it every two years. It¡¯s arge party with the entire pack in attendance as well as the two packs we share borders with. It¡¯s our turn to host this year.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    Aria could only stare at Luna Grace in confusion. If it was this weekend, then it was only two days away, but Sebastian


    hadn¡¯t said a word


    Granted, she hadn¡¯t spoken with him much these past two weeks, but..


    ¡°The entire pack attends?¡± Luna Grace nodded. ¡°Sebastian really didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°No.¡±


    Had he just forgotten, too consumed with the extensive nning the party probably required? Did he not want her


    there?


    Or, even worse, maybe the awkward moment they¡¯d had a few weeks ago had affected him more than he¡¯d let on. It


    certainly seemed like he was doing everything he could to avoid spending any real time with her


    As if she could hear the spiral of Aria¡¯s thoughts, Luna Grace quickly assured her. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sebastian just didn¡¯t want to


    pressure you,¡± she said, ¡°The party is supposed to strengthen the alliances we have with our neighboring packs, but I¡¯ve


    attended enough of them to know they¡¯re usually just an excuse for people to get drunk and stupid.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Thest one I attended was a bonfire, and they identally set a small portion of the forest on fire. Fortunately,


    Sebastian is hosting ours inside.¡±


    Aria nodded. Regardless of what his intentions might¡¯ve been, it stung


    ¡°Yeah, maybe he didn¡¯t want to pressure me,¡± she agreed, ¡°He knows I


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    don¡¯t like crowds, and being here¡­I¡¯m still learning how to deal with the judgement of all these people.¡±


    But he still could¡¯ve told her


    ¡°You know,¡± Luna Grace said, quieter this time, ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I understand, it¡¯s being judged.¡±


    Aria almost asked what she meant by that until it dawned on her


    Sebastian¡¯s sister, Queen rk, was not Luna Grace¡¯s daughter. And since she was Sebastian¡¯s younger sister, that meant..


    ¡°How did you deal with it?¡± She asked, and after a moment, she added, ¡°Why did you deal with it?¡±


    Luna Grace¡¯s eyes were kind as she said, ¡°When rk¡¯s mother drove that girl here and left her on our doorstep, I knew I


    had a choice. I could refuse to raise another woman¡¯s daughter and force my husband to make a terrible choice. I could


    leave my family¡­or I could wee her into our home, knowing I¡¯d probably face scrutiny from every


    werewolf we came across for years toe.¡± ¡°You still chose the third option.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luna Grace said, ¡°And not without anger or resentment, but I tried my best to keep it behind closed doors. I still


    faced plenty of scrutiny in public. There was no hiding that my mate had done to me what so many thought a mate could


    never do. And you¡¯d think my


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (13)


    husband would bear the brunt of that scrutiny, but¡­people always find a way to me the woman.¡± ||}


    Aria¡¯s heart twinged with sympathy. She certainly couldn¡¯t argue with that logic ¡ª she¡¯d grown up in an environment where every bit of shame was carried by the women, whether it was theirs to bear or not


    ¡°But you asked why I stayed,¡± Luna Grace continued, ¡°And I think, at first, I stayed for my children. Including rk. She


    deserved to know her father, and she deserved to be loved. I¡¯m not sure I always did the best job at that second part, but


    I tried. Eventually, I started staying for my mate again too ¡ª but not without years of him making it up to me


    He¡¯s still making it up to me.¡±


    She began icing the cinnamon rolls as Aria dished thest one into a container. ¡°I saw the fear in your eyes when you


    looked at my son the first day he brought you here. You¡¯re scared he¡¯s going to tire of you, of whatever you¡¯re trying to work through together, but there¡¯s no reason to be afraid. Mates are not perfect, but when I tell you that the mate bond


    can survive anything, I mean it. Mine survived. Yours will too.¡±


    Aria smiled, wide and genuine. ¡°Thank you, Luna Grace.¡±


    The petite woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Please. You don¡¯t need to call me Luna, not when it¡¯s a title you¡¯ll hold before too


    long. You¡¯re my daughter now. Call me mom.¡±

 Chapter 114

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    ¡°If you tell me I can¡¯t do something, it just makes me want to do it


    more.¡± Josie Maran


    It wasn¡¯t until the day of the party that Aria finally got the chance to confront Sebastian


    Not that she was trying to confront him ¡ª maybe that was a poor choice of words


    Talk


    She just wanted to talk to him


    She tried to remember her conversation with Grace (or Mom, as the woman insisted on being called, but she couldn¡¯t


    bring herself to do


    She¡¯d settled Grace instead). \¡¯)


    Sebastian might not have told her about the party, but knowing him, it probably was for a good reason


    ¡°Aria? You¡¯re in the kitchen?¡± She heard his footsteps echo through the house, and a momentter, he swung open the


    kitchen door


    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    ¡°Tf you tell me I can¡¯t do something, it just makes me want to do it


    more.¡± Josie Maran


    It wasn¡¯t until the day of the party that Aria finally got the chance to confront Sebastian


    Not that she was trying to confront him ¡ª maybe that was a poor choice of words


    Talk


    She just wanted to talk to him


    She tried to remember her conversation with Grace (or Mom, as the woman insisted on being called, but she couldn¡¯t


    bring herself to do


    She¡¯d settled Grace instead). \¡¯)


    Sebastian might not have told her about the party, but knowing him, it probably was for a good reason


    ¡°Aria? You¡¯re in the kitchen?¡± She heard his footsteps echo through the house, and a momentter, he swung open the


    kitchen doorThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    She paused, turned and looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re back much earlier than usual.¡±


    He didn¡¯t waste a moment closing the distance between them, and pressing a l*p to her temple that left her skin tingling.


    ¡°You¡¯re baking,¡± he blinked down at her


    Her cheeks turned pink. She could only imagine how she looked, coated in a thinyer of flower and sugar, and an apron


    she¡¯d borrowed from his mother


    Still, there was a swell of pride in her chest as she said, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re cinnamon rolls. Or they will be, once I roll out the


    dough. I got the recipe from your mother.¡±


    The smile on Sebastian¡¯s face was breathtaking. ¡°That¡¯s great, Aria. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be delicious.¡± He used a thumb to


    swipe at a dusting of flour she¡¯d missed on her cheek, and her breath caught. ¡°What do I need to do to convince you to


    save one for me?¡±


    She swallowed. Better now than never, she supposed


    ¡°Actually,¡± she cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. I¡¯m making them. For the party tonight.¡±


    He tensed immediately


    ¡°Your mom told me,¡± she said, ¡°A few days ago.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was no anger in his tone, only guilt, and she wasn¡¯t sure why that felt worse


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked


    Sebastian¡¯s blue eyes were brimming with apology as he sighed. ¡°I was going to mention it today, I just didn¡¯t want to


    stress you out ahead of time¡­or make you feel as if you had to attend a huge, crowded party just because our pack was


    hosting it. It¡¯s a diplomatic thing, but honestly, I¡¯ll probably spend the night babysitting a bunch of wasted werewolves. I


    didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be your scene, especially considering¡­¡±


    That she¡¯d seen enough drunk, wild men in her life. He didn¡¯t need to say it. She¡¯d been stingy with the details she


    shared of her time at Liam¡¯s pack, but since the night she¡¯d tried toe onto him, he seemed to have a deeper


    understanding


    He¡¯s just trying to protect me, she thought to herself


    Of course he was


    Sebastian didn¡¯t have some underhanded ulterior motive. He was just trying to look out for her. Keep her from dealing


    with, as he put it, a bunch of wasted werewolves


    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right,¡± she finally said, ¡°It¡¯s not really my scene.¡±


    Sebastian¡¯s b*dy visibly rxed, and his smile seemed to return now that his head was no longer on the chopping block.


    ¡°You know what the


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    good news is?¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Once this party is over, we¡¯ll finally get to spend real time together..


    which I think we¡¯re way overdue for,¡± he told her, ¡°I won¡¯t have to put in such crazy hours anymore. Plus, my dad gets


    back next week, which means | won¡¯t have to fill in for him either. You¡¯ll have me all to yourself.¡±


    Her heart thrummed at the thought of having him all to herself. She nced at the tight-fitting t-shirt and worn jeans he wore, and something warm fluttered in her lower belly. She definitely wanted him all to herself


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she said, her cheeks turning pink. Sebastian hadn¡¯t been physical with her ¡ª at least not more than k*sses


    on the forehead or the asional hand on the waist ¡ª but since their conversation a few weeks


    ago, her thoughts had been turning less and less innocent


    She¡¯d begun thinking about what it¡¯d be like to have him sleep beside her, not down the hall


    What his l*ps would feel like on his skin


    What he looked like under that shirt


    It was a dangerous train of thought, and not one she needed right now, but thankfully, Sebastian¡¯s next words stopped


    her from spiraling too


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    far. ¡°I got you something.¡± With a grin, he pulled something from his back pocket and presented it to her


    She hurriedly wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron before examining it


    It was a small paperback, capable of fitting in the palm of her hand, called Pride and Prejudice. The name was familiar to


    her, and she was sure she¡¯d heard it before, but she couldn¡¯t ce it


    ¡°You got me a book,¡± she said, ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    His grin turned sheepish. ¡°I noticed you burned through my sad little book collection, which I¡¯m d someone¡¯s been


    getting use out of. I figured you might like something new to read.¡±


    She fl*pped through the pages mindlessly. ¡°That¡¯s so thoughtful of you.¡±


    ¡°T¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll like it,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s a little different than what you were reading before, but I know it¡¯s supposed


    to be a ssic. The girl at the bookstore rmended it to me.¡±


    She shed him the widest smile she could, and couldn¡¯t resist wrapping him a hug, and sinking into his warmth


    He pulled her into his arms immediately


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure I¡¯Il love it.¡±


    His l*ps touched the crown of her head. ¡°Of course.¡± Then, he sighed, ¡°I


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (14)


    hate having to leave you, especially with such little time we¡¯ve gotten together, but there are a fewst minute


    preparations I need to finish for tonight. I promise, as soon as the party¡¯s over, you¡¯re all mine, okay?¡±


    Her heart stuttered. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He gave her one more nce before the kitchen door swung shut behind him, leaving her alone again


    She sighed, cing the book on a portion of the counter where it wouldn¡¯t get covered in flour before turning back to


    the dough


    Now that she¡¯d talked to him, actually seen him, she felt so much better


    His exnation had made sense. He wasn¡¯t embarrassed or trying to hide her, he was just trying to look out for her


    Perhaps she¡¯d spend tonight reading her new book


    That sounded a lot more fun than a wild party


    Sebastian was right


    That wasn¡¯t her scene ¡ª there was no way she was going to attend something like that

 Chapter 115

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (15) Bonus Chapter: Aria & Sebastian (15)


    ¡°You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.¡±


    William Faulkner


    The party had started an hour ago, right as the sun sl*pped below the tree line. Aria could hear it, even nearly a mile


    away, tucked in Sebastian¡¯s bedroom with the new book he¡¯d gotten her


    There was some sort of lively music and an endless chorus of whoops and hollers, which only seemed to get more


    animated the longer she listened. She wondered if Sebastian was having fun. He¡¯d said he¡¯d only be babysitting a bunch


    of drunk werewolves, but surely, it couldn¡¯t be that terrible. He was probably socializing with people from other packs


    Socializing with men. Women


    Jealousy burned in her stomach ¨C she knew it was irrational. Sebastian would never do anything to hurt her, she knew


    that, but would other people offer her the same courtesy? After all, he was the Alpha-to-be, and without a mate by his


    side, seemingly single..


    She swallowed down the lump growing in her throat. She had to stop thinking about this. She was supposed to have a


    quiet night in, away from the chaos, and enjoying the new book her mate had given her


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (15)


    With a sigh, she opened the book to thest page she¡¯d dog-eared and tried to continue reading. She liked the book ¡ª


    it was a refreshing change from the ones she¡¯d read in Sebastian¡¯s collection. Many of those had been about children


    going on adventures, but this was an actual romance. She didn¡¯t understand much about human romances, but she knew


    they didn¡¯t have mates¡­or most of them didn¡¯t. There was no mate bond, no intuition that led them to their soul mate.


    They were driven solely by their hearts and their own choices


    Werewolves had it easy, she supposed


    Severalughs echoed in the distance, and she sighed. Those people, and her mate, were probably having tons of fun.


    Even Grace was there!


    With the exception of a few nursery workers taking care of the newborns, she had to be the only person in the pack ¨C and


    probably the surrounding packs ¡ª not attending this party


    And it was more than just jealousy. At its core, this event was supposed to be diplomatic¡­and she was supposed to be


    the future LunaThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Sebastian¡¯s priority might be protecting her, but how would these people evere to know her, to respect her, if she


    never gave them the chance?


    These people weren¡¯t Liam


    Her mind shed back to the voices in the hallway who¡¯d gossiped about Sebastian being her caretaker. If she didn¡¯t do


    something, the rest of the pack would probablye to think the same


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (15)


    She let out a determined sigh and closed the book. There was a very good possibility this might end disasterously (and in


    tears), but she had to try. If she expected these people to ept her, she needed to show them she was worth epting


    And that started with showing up


    Aria tugged at the magenta dress she¡¯d put on, feeling more exposed than ever. The strapless garment was far from her


    usual wardrobe, but it was actually one of the more conservative options she¡¯d been able to find in Lily¡¯s closet


    It was a certainly a better pick than wearing one of Sebastian¡¯s shirts or a pair of pajamas


    She felt a little bad about taking the dress without anyone¡¯s permission, but it¡¯s not as if Lily had need for it anymore


    With a sigh, she began her trek to the pack house, following the raucousughter and hollering. Her chest tightened a


    little at all the drunk maleughter that sounded eerily familiar


    But these are not Liam¡¯s men. They¡¯re not here to hurt me or any of the other women present


    Her ts crunched on the gravel walkway all the way to the pack house, and when she got close enough to see it, her


    breath caught


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (15)


    There were so many people


    People lounging on the grass with drinks in their hands, families ying cornhole with their kids, and mated couples


    taking upwn chairs. Fortunately, the crowd was sorge that none of them seemed to notice her sudden appearance ¡ª


    and wearing the dress seemed to be the right choice. She blended in with the other women all dolled up here


    I can do this. It¡¯s just people


    It took a little maneuvering through the crowd, but eventually, she was able to sl*p in through a side door


    Unfortunately, the inside of the pack house was even more crowded, with wolves packed in like sardines. She took a long,


    deep breath, and tried not to think about how cramped the ce felt. She could do this


    This was like exposure therapy. That¡¯s something people did to ovee fears and anxieties, right?


    She didn¡¯t recognize anyone in this room, so it was impossible to tell who was from Sebastian¡¯s pack and who was from


    another


    ¡°Well, you look beautiful tonight.¡±


    Aria nearly jumped at the unfamiliar voice, and turned to find arge man practically hovering over her. He couldn¡¯t have


    been much older than her with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an untucked shirt that reeked of booze


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria &amp; Sebastian (15) ¡°Can I get you a drink?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t drink,¡± she replied, and her voice came out quieter than she would¡¯ve liked


    The man leaned close to her, and her entire b*dy tensed. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you that well with all these people in here,¡± he


    said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go somewhere a little quieter?¡±


    Aria¡¯s eyes darted around the room. Where was Sebastian? She¡¯de here for him, and so far, he was nowhere to be


    seen. She was alone, and this man was too close to her, and ¨C


    ¡°Hey, did you hear me? I asked if we could go somewhere with a little less noise,¡± the man repeated. ¡°What¡¯s going on in


    that pretty little head of yours?¡± He used a finger to reach for a strand of her hair, and tug on it


    Something in Aria snapped


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she growled, and pushed him off her. She hadn¡¯t meant to use so much force, but it sent him


    staggering backward


    A couple of people nearby turned to stare at themotion, and her cheeks burned. She hadn¡¯t meant to make a scene,


    but it was done now


    And he was no longer invading her space


    She sl*pped back into the crowd before the man could recover


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (15)


    After dodging various drunk werewolves rough-housing or making out, she made it to the living room ¡ª and her heart


    sunk to her stomach


    There was Sebastian, lounging on arge L-shaped couch, with a soda in his hands and a tight, dark t-shirt that hugged


    every bit of sinewy muscle in his torso


    However, none of that gave her pause


    It was the petite brte perched on the arm of the couch with one of her manicured hands on his shoulder. She had a


    large, stic smile on her face, and from across the crowded room, Aria strained to hear the conversation


    ¡°Has anyone told you how good you look tonight, Alpha?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was practically a purr. She was dressed in


    a ck, strapless dress that stuck like glue to every curve on her b*dy and dipped low on her chest


    ¡°T¡¯m not the Alpha yet, you don¡¯t need to address me like that. Besides, I¡¯m not even your Alpha,¡± he replied tly


    Sebastian, to her immediate relief, didn¡¯t appear to be giving the woman any real attention. He wasn¡¯t even looking at


    her, and when she tried to trail her fingers down his chest, he shifted farther down the couch


    Aria didn¡¯t move. She should¡¯ve ¡ª she should¡¯ve walked over, and let Sebastian know she¡¯de to see him


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (15)


    But she didn¡¯t


    Although he didn¡¯t seem interested in the woman¡¯s advances, some part of her was curious. Would he give in? Would he


    reciprocate her attention here, in a crowded room where she wasn¡¯t supposed to be and there was nob*dy to hold him


    ountable?


    It was like standing in the middle of the road, waiting to see if a car would hit you


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want a drink, Alpha?¡± The woman seemed undeterred by his disinterest, and only scooched


    closer. ¡°Anyone of age is drinking tonight ¡ª it¡¯s what makes these events more fun.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, and he was looking at a pair of wildly drunk werewolves attempting to y beer pong. ¡°Someone


    needs to remain alert in case anyone gets too rowdy.¡±


    Aria could swear the woman actually fluttered her eyshes at that


    ¡°You¡¯re so responsible, Alpha.¡±


    For the first time since Aria had been watching them, he turned to face the beautiful she-wolf. ¡°It¡¯s Sebastian, not Alpha,¡±


    he told her with frustrationcing his tone


    The woman giggled like she¡¯d just been paid apliment. ¡°Right. I suppose there¡¯s no need for any formalities then,


    Seb?¡±


    Red, hot anger rushed through her veins


    Seb? Was she really calling him that?


    Aria had heard that nickname before ¡ª from Sebastian¡¯s sisters, from people who¡¯d earned the right to address him so


    intimately


    This woman had earned nothing, and it made Aria burn with outrage


    that she thought she had


    This was her mate


    She¡¯d earned nothing


    She¡¯d already crossed half the room before she¡¯d realized she¡¯d taken a step at all, and a momentter, her palm was


    connecting with the


    woman¡¯s face. |

 Chapter 116

    The Alpha King¡¯s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16) Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16)


    ¡°Find the things that matter, and hold onto them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go.¡±


    Lauren Oliver


    The p might as well have been a gun shot or a siren with the way the room immediately quieted at the sound


    Any other night, any other time, Aria would have felt embarrassment


    She probably would¡¯ve blushed tomato red, and sunk into herself like a turtle trying to retreat into its shell


    But tonight, the red on her face came from rage


    ¡°What the hell?¡± The woman cradled the side of her face, which now sported a glowing red handprint


    Maybe it was wrong to admit, but just looking at the mark brought her a little satisfaction. She liked looking at it farBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    better than she liked looking at her cleavage or the manicured hand that had stroked Sebastian¡¯s chest


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to touch my mate,¡± Aria growled, ¡°Or call him nicknames.¡±


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16)


    The crowd erupted in low murmurs, and the woman¡¯s eyes widened momentarily before narrowing again. ¡°Mate?¡± She


    said it with disbelief, like she was the delusional one here


    It made Aria¡¯s blood boil with something primal


    A territorial urge she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever had before


    She took one big step toward the woman, who was hardly taller than her, and pointed in Sebastian¡¯s direction. ¡°Yes, mate,¡± she hissed, ¡°He¡¯s


    mine.¡± The woman scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t ¡ª¡±


    Aria growled, low and deep in her throat. ¡°Unless you want more than a handprint, I¡¯d back off.¡± Her hands tensed, as if


    readying for a fight


    A flicker of fear shed through the woman¡¯s eyes, and she took a step back, looking around at the crowd that had


    gathered to watch the spectacle unfold


    ¡°Fine,¡± she sneered, fl*pping her long, glossy hair over her shoulder


    ¡°lm going to get a drink.¡± Just as she turned to walk away, a tall man and a muscr woman stepped out from the


    throng of people to block


    her path


    ¡°T think you should leave,¡± the man said, crossing his arms over hisNext Page


    chest


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16)


    ¡°Leave?¡± She repeated, ¡°I was invited here. With my pack. Why the hell should I leave?¡±


    This time, it was the muscr woman who answered, ¡°Because you¡¯re making our future Luna ufortable, and we


    don¡¯t want you here.¡±


    Future Luna


    It took Aria a moment to realize they were talking about her. It wasn¡¯t Sebastian¡¯s honor they were sticking up for, but


    hers


    As their future Luna


    The very thought of it made her chest warm


    ¡°Or we could just kick you out,¡± the man added with narrowed eyes


    The woman scoffed again, and peered around the room, as if searching for someone to stand up for her


    None of them did


    One by one, they all stared at her with the same stony expression that left no room for argument


    ¡°Fine,¡± she snarled, ¡°I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    And she did. Once she realized that nob*dy wasing to her defense, she clicked her tongue and stalked away. People


    parted like the red sea, leaving her a clear pathway to the door


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16)


    The door had barely mmed shut before Sebastian¡¯s l*ps were on hers, frantic and passionate


    She did her best to match the pace of his l*ps locked against hers, and after a moment, he pulled away. ¡°Aria,¡± he said,


    and his voice was thick with some emotion she couldn¡¯t identify. His face was only inches away, his eyes full


    of¡­something


    Is he mad at me?


    Maybe he thinks I acted out of line, and now he¡¯s upset


    Should I apologize?


    The thoughts trickled in like drops of poison, but as soon as they did, Aria realized they didn¡¯te with the crushing


    guilt they usually did


    She¡¯d pushed a man off her, pped another woman, acted like a possessive wolf, and yet ¡ª she didn¡¯t regret any of it


    The little voice in the back of her head was still there, whispering that she needed to apologize for the way she¡¯d acted


    out, but she didn¡¯t feelpelled to listen anymore


    More than that, she was beginning to realize that the voice sounded a lot like her father


    And Liam


    But it didn¡¯t sound like her


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16)


    ¡°Aria,¡± Sebastian said again, and his soft voice cut through her train of thought. ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± she cut him off before he could finish. She didn¡¯t mean to say it, but suddenly, the things she¡¯d always wanted to say but didn¡¯t began rushing out. ¡°You¡¯re mine, and where you go, I go. I¡¯ve spent too much of my life cooped


    up indoors to stay that way.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure when she¡¯d grabbed his hands, but she suddenly realized that she¡¯d


    intertwined her fingers with his


    ¡°Tam yours,¡± he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ve always been yours. Just as you¡¯ve always been mine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see it now,¡± she said, ¡°We belong to each other. I know I¡¯ve been scared and anxious and fragile, but I promise you


    don¡¯t need to handle me with kid gloves anymore, Sebastian. I¡¯m ready. For all of it.¡±


    The smile that broke over his face was absolutely breathtaking as he shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve never been fragile, Aria. I


    never thought so. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the strongest person I¡¯ve ever met¡­and watching you defend me like that?¡± He


    let out a breathless chuckle. ¡°You have no idea what I want to do to you right now.¡±


    Desire pulsed in her lower belly


    ¡°Then perhaps we should go home,¡± she breathed


    As she stared into his eyes, the rest of the room faded away


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Aria & Sebastian (16)


    The rest of the world faded away


    It was just him and her, and she was starting to think the emotion in his eyes looked a lot like love


    ¡°T love you,¡± she said, and k*ssed him. There was no hesitancy, no fear ¨C just the maic pull of the mating bond


    drawing them together like it was the very first time they¡¯d ever locked eyes


    ¡°T love you too,¡± he said when she finally pulled away, his eyes still brimming intensely. ¡°It feels so good to finally say


    that out loud. I love you, Aria Thomas. I love you as you were, as you are, and as you will be.¡±


    And he did

 Chapter 117

    The Alpha King''s Human Mate


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1) Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    "Everything I''ve ever let go of had w marks on it."


    David Foster Wace


    There had never been a thing in Alessia''s life that she hadn''t had to fight for. That was one of the first lessons her father instilled in her, long before he taught her anything else about the world


    "You''re my only child, Lessie," he''d told her when she was barely six-years-old, perched on hisp, and licking chocte sauce off her fingers. One of thedies in their pack had dropped off a chocte cake an hour ago. Alessia wasn''t sure why, but she wasn''t the first a lot of women in their pack liked to bring baked goods to her father. They''d usually bat their eyshes and ask toe in, although her father never let them


    "That means you''re my heir," he''d continued


    "What''s an heir?" Six-year-old Alessia had asked. It sounded a lot like air, but she didn''t think her father was calling her that


    "Tt means you''re the next in line to take my ce as Alpha," he''d exined, "One day, I''m going to be gone like your mother, and these people are going to depend on you."


    AKHM Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    "T don''t want you to leave," she''d pouted, twisting her body around to look at him, "Not like mom. You have to stay. Forever."


    She didn''t miss her mother - not the way her father did - but it was only because she''d died the same day Alessia came into this world. It was hard to miss someone she only saw in framed photos around the house


    "T can''t do that, Lessie," he''d replied, his eyes softening, "Nobody can


    That''s why we need to prepare you for what happens when I do."


    "So, I''ll be your heir?" She''d asked. She still didn''t quite understand what that meant, but it sounded cool. She saw the way people looked up to her father, and her chest swelled when she thought of them doing the same to her


    He''d nodded firmly. "Yes, but it''s more than that."


    She''d blinked at him curiously as he wiped the remaining chocte sauce from her face with a napkin


    "Things would be so much easier if you''d just been born a boy," he''d said, "Or if you''d just had a brother I could teach these things too."


    Even so young, Alessia had felt the disappointment for something she had no idea how to change


    "But you weren''t," he''d continued, "You''re a girl, which means that none of this will ever be easy for you. You''ll have to fight for your


    AKHM Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    birthright, and protect it from people who try to take it from you. You''ll have to prove yourself to the pack, even once you''re Alpha. It never stops. You''ll have to spend every day fighting to make up for the biology you weren''t born with." His voice had been hard and cold, like he''d drill these words into her brain if he could


    And for the first time in six years - but not thest - Alessia had wished she''d been born a boy too


    ese


    At twelve-years-old, Alessia wished she''d been born a boy for the


    second time. This time, it had nothing to do with her father or her birthright¡ªit had to do with girls


    "T can''t wait to meet my mate," Elise said one morning in warrior training ss. Alessia wasn''t sure she''d call Elise a friend she didn''t have friends - but she was probably the closest thing to one. She didn''t mind spending time around Alessia, even when she was grouchy or ina bad mood


    "Why?" Alessia snorted. Their instructor waste, which meant everyone in ss had been freezing on the grass field for about twenty minutes. When she got her hands on Instructor Roman, she was going to kick his ass


    And since herbat skills were leagues above the other kids her age, she might be able to


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    "Because he''s going to love me," Elise continued, her blonde braids pping in the breeze. "And protect me. Don''t you want someone to love and protect you, Lessie?" Her big blue eyes peered up at Alessia, and she could''ve sworn something in her chest flip-flopped


    "No," Alessia scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would I want some gross boy to love or protect me? I can protect myself. And you. You don''t need a boy to protect you when I can do that."


    Elise rolled her eyes. "But that''s a mate''s job!" She suddenly turned to where some of the other pre-teens had gathered on the field and sighed dreamily. "I hope Arthur is my mate. He''s so cute. And he looks strong." The boy in question, a freckled, red-headed boy with gangly arms, wasughing with his friends


    Alessia scrunched up her nose in distaste. "You want Arthur? He couldn''t protect a fly, let alone you." She couldn''t imagine what Elise might find appealing about Arthur- or any of the boys in their ss


    Almost all of them were scrawny like toothpicks. Some of them were taller than her, but she''d gone head-to-head with all of them on the mat. She was still stronger


    Before Elise could jump to Arthur''s defense, Instructor Roman finally showed. He was arge, bulky man with a shaved head and biceps the size of her head. "I know I''mte," his deep voice boomed across the field, "The previous ss ran over, but I appreciate you waiting."


    "What about Instructor Roman?" Elise whispered into her ear, and she was so close that Alessia could smell her vani perfume. "Surely, you''d


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    want him to protect you."


    "T want his muscles," she retorted. She wondered if people would take her more seriously if she had biceps like that


    "Today we''re going to do more one-on-onebat," Roman exined, "YI be pairing you up randomly, so I don''t want to hear anyining about who you''re fighting."


    There was a murmur of excited and less-than-excited murmurs from the group of students


    "Alright, here are the pairings," Instructor Roman continued, and began listing off the pairings before anyone couldin


    "- Arthur and Alessia." She could hardly believe her luck


    Arthur nced at her, his throat bobbing nervously. They''d never fought each other, but he had to know she was undefeated amongst the ss


    She grinned back at him


    When it was their turn, they both stepped onto the makeshift mats set up on the grass. Despite having at least three inches on her, Arthur''s walk onto the mat was filled with plenty of hesitation


    "You can take her, Arthur!" One of the boys he''d beenughing with


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    shouted from the sidelines. "She may act like an Alpha, but she''s not one."


    Alessia blood boiled, and she turned to the heckler, hissing, "I am an Alpha."


    "No, your father is," the boy shot back


    "Which means I will be one day too."


    The boy''s smile widened. "I doubt it. When our current Alpha dies, the Elders will just elect a new one, and it''s not going to be a girl."


    Just a heads up: NovelDrama.Org is the only ce to read theplete version of this book for free. Don''t miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey!


    "That''s enough," Roman''s voice cut through their argument, "Keep your eyes on your opponent, Alessia." His gaze fell to the boy who''d been heckling from the sidelines. "And I don''t want to hear anymentary."


    With anger still burning up her veins, she turned her attention back to Arthur


    He looked terrified, even more than when he''d first stepped onto the mat. He could probably sense the rage brewing inside her


    Good, she thought


    "Okay, you kids remember the rules now," he said, "Clean hits, and the fight is over when one of you taps out."


    And then Instructor Roman pped his hands together, signaling the


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    start of the fight


    Arthur struck first


    His blow was sloppy and uncoordinated, and it took hardly no effort at all for Alessia to dodge the blow


    Arthur stumbled, and she took that opportunity to sweep his legs


    He went sprawling on the mat with a grunt


    Before he could get up, she tackled him to the ground, driving all her weight into him


    His eyes widened in horror, and he tapped the mat three times the signal that he was tapping out of the fight


    Alessia sneered. He was giving up that easy? She hadn''t even hit him yet, and he was already trying to surrender. Was this really who Elise wanted to protect her? Over Alessia?


    Instead of letting up like she was supposed to, she dug her knees into his stomach until he coughed. "You''re pathetic," she sniggered at him


    He did nothing but tap out again


    "Get up, Alessia," Instructor Roman called firmly, "He tapped out. The fight is over."


    She knew she should, she was supposed to, but..


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    Arthur wasn''t even trying to fight back or throw her weight off. He was just lying underneath her, limp, defeated, and weak. Surely, Elise saw how ipetent of a boy - of a mate - he was now


    "Alessia! Up now!" Roman growled more sternly this time


    She exhaled. "I''m going. I''m going."


    She jumped up, removing the weight of her knees, and watched him cradle the section of his stomach where she''d driven her kneecaps in


    He didn''t look angry or even disappointed in himself, which is how she usually felt when she didn''t perform well


    He just looked scared, like a wounded puppy who''d been kicked too many times


    Just a heads up: NovelDrama.Org is the only ce to read theplete version of this book for free. Don''t miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey! Pathetic, she thought again, and fresh anger filled her. Why did someone like Arthur get to be so weak when she constantly had to prove herself? Why did he get Elise''s admiration over her?


    He began finding his footing just as the fury boiled over


    And she punched him


    There was a loud crack that set him stumbling back to the ground, and a series of gasps from the other students


    "Alessia! Off the mat! Now!" Roman''s voice was a roar as he rushed to Arthur''s side. His nose had blood spurting out of it, and he was crying


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1) now. Some of the other kids crowded as close as they could to see the


    extend of the wound


    She''d probably broken his nose, but she couldn''t bring herself to feel sorry about it as she stepped off the mat, her fist throbbing


    The other students parted for her, and pride swelled in her chest. Oh, they were taking her serious now


    On the outskirts of the crowd was Elise, trying to peer over the other students'' heads to look at Arthur


    She strode over to her friend. "See? Arthur would make a terrible mate


    He can''t protect you. He couldn''t even protect himself." She wasn''t sure what she expected


    Maybe for Elise to jump into her arms and proim that Alessia had been right-that Arthur was a terrible mate, and someone like her was a much better protectorPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Maybe for Elise to fuss over her throbbing red fist, or talk about how amazing of a fighter she was


    But none of those things happened


    Instead, Elise turned to her with big, teary blue eyes. "What is wrong with you? You didn''t need to do that. He tapped out."


    A lump settled in her throat, and she took a step closer - only for Elise


    AKHM - Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (1)


    to immediately back up with new fear in her eyes. Like she might do the same thing to her that she''d done to Arthur


    "Elise" She started, but Elise had already turned away, making her way through the crowd


    "Arthur? Are you okay?" Even several feet away, Alessia could hear her soft voice as Elise settled next to Arthur''s side on the mat, cradling one of his hands. "Would you like me to take you to the infirmary?"


    Alessia had never heard Elise sound like that, and certainly not with her


    She felt angry again, like she might just burst if she didn''t sink her teeth into something and destroy it


    I need to get out of here


    The other students and Instructor Roman were too busy fussing over Arthur to notice as she stomped away. If they wanted to fawn over some weak boy and me her, that was fine


    All she''d done was expose his weakness, and prove that she was not


    Her father''s old words rung in her head


    Yes, things certainly would be easier if she''d been born a boy

 Chapter 118

    The Alpha King''s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    "The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is


    trying to make you be someone else."


    EE Cummings


    From the time she could talk, there were a few things Lily Bellevue


    knew for certain


    One: she was a werewolf


    Two: her father was the Alpha of one of thergest packs in the Pacific


    northwest


    Three: one day, she''d grow up to have a mate


    Four: the greatest gift she could ever give her father, and her pack, was to be mated to a strong Alpha. Someone that could forge a new alliance


    with her pack, and make them stronger


    That was her purpose


    Her brother would grow up to be a powerful leader, and she''d grow up to marry one. She''d felt the pressure her whole life, but it got extensively worse the day she turned sixteen and shifted for the first


    time


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    That''s when the clock really started


    When she didn''t mate with any of the warriors in their pack, her father was ecstatic. It meant she was even more likely to end up with another pack''s Alpha or soon-to-be Alpha


    All Lily felt was dread


    She wanted to feel the same excitement her friends did whenever they gushed over their future mates. She wanted to be thrilled about the possibility that she might end up as some powerful, swoon-worthy Alpha''s Luna, but..


    She didn''t


    The thought of some muscled man curling his arms around her at night or filling her belly with babies did nothing but make her stomach sour


    Of course, she could never tell anyone that especially not her father


    She''de to terms with who and what she liked long ago. Being gay wasn''t a revolutionary concept, at least for humans


    But for a werewolf with the weight of family expectations and pack alliances resting on her back?


    It was a problem


    Lily realized her time was up at seventeen-years-old


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    "...however, I have a feeling there''s another ulterior motive at y. The King has asked for every Alpha child, including our daughters. His son has just turned twenty-five and he''s still mateless. I believe this is another opportunity for the prince to search for his mate..."


    Her father droned on, but Lily hardly listened. She could already read between the lines and figure out this "diplomatic meeting" meant nothing good for her


    She didn''t like to admit it, but it was a good y from the Alpha King


    The pool of eligible Alpha children of age was probably pretty small, but Alphas tended to mate with other Alphas. The chance of his son''s mate being amongst the group, however scarce, was high


    And gathering them all in one ce? Well, that was just convenient - it saved the Prince the trouble of traveling to every corner of the world to find his mate


    "Oh my God, Lily," one of her friends, M, gushed. "Are you excited? What if you''re mated to the prince?"


    "ve heard he''s gorgeous," Camille sighed from besides M. "Plus, he''s the strongest werewolf in the world. Imagine the sex..."


    Lily, who could feel her face growing pale, smoothed her features into the carefree smirk she''d mastered years ago. "Who cares about the prince?" She shot back. "It''s being Queen that matters." She yed with a coil of her blonde hair as she added, "Besides, I''m not the only Alpha


    nning your weekend reading? Ensure you''re on 000005s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively avable on our site. Happy reading!


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    daughter in attendance. There''s going to be girls from all over the world. I doubt I''ll be the lucky girl." She made sure to give a dejected sigh, as if she really was disappointed


    "Even if you''re not mated to the prince, you''ll probably find your mate there," M pointed out, "There''s still going to be plenty of future Alphas there. I wouldn''t be surprised if one of them is your mate."


    Oh, right


    It wasn''t just the prince that Lily had to worry about, it was also the gaggle of future Alphas who''d spend the entire time in a metaphorical dick measuring contest


    Yeah, thest thing she wanted was to be mated to one of those


    She caught her father''s eye across the room. There was a gleam in his eyes, the same gleam he''d had the day she turned sixteen


    Lily swallowed and looked away


    Across the room, rk was engaged in conversation with one of the elders. She looked white as a ghost, probably from the revtion that she''d need to attend this trip too


    As to why, Lily couldn''t say


    It''s not like she had to worry about these things not really


    rk didn''t carry the pressure of pack alliances or a strong mating


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    bond like she did. You''d think she did with all the moping she did, but she got off easy. She got to spend a few days in a castle, ande home without some testosterone-driven Alpha riding her ass


    Lily wasn''t sure she could say the same


    "Prince or not, what do you think your mate will look like, Lily?" Camille asked


    "Handsome, of course," she said


    "And?" Camille pressed. "Handsome is so generic. You''ve got to give details!"


    "Fine...tall, curly hair, and nice eyes," she said. She''d spent years convincing her friends that she was just as boy crazy as they were. She knew the right answers to these questions


    "And a big dick," M added with a giggle


    nning your weekend reading? Ensure you''re on 0005s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively avable on our site. Happy reading! "I bet Warner has one," Camille sighed dreamily, gesturing to one of the pack warriors speaking with Sebastian


    "Whoever mates with Warner is a lucky girl," M said


    If there was such a thing as a pack hearthrob, Warner was probably it


    With dark, curly hair and sun-kissed skin from long days of training the new wolves, he could''ve easily been a model if he was human


    He must''ve felt the gaze of the three girls because he turned to look


    Bonus Chapter - Alessia & Lily (2)


    their way, blushing when he made eye-contact with Lily


    "He totally likes you," Camille whispered, "You''re stronger than I am. I would''ve jumped his bones the first time he looked at me like that."


    "T would never," Lily saidPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    That was a lie


    She had jumped Warner''s bones. Last summer, she''d flirted with him at a pack party, and then ended the night tangled in the sheets of his twin bed. It had been an impulsive, one-time thing that had left Warner trailing after her like a puppy dog ever since


    The whole thing had been more of an experiment than anything else


    An opportunity for her to see if sex with a boy might awaken some


    dormant attraction in her


    It didn''t


    And if sex with the hottest boy in their pack hadn''t changed her mind about men, she didn''t think some powerful Alpha or a prince would


    She couldn''t tell what scared her more spending the rest of her life with a man who''d never truly make her happy, or mating with a woman and disappointing her entire pack

 Chapter 119

    The Alpha King''s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1) Bonus Chapter: rk & Griffin (1)


    "Love is not in the ring. Love is in the heart."


    Michael Bassey Johnson


    1 Year following rk''s rescue from Alpha Liam


    "God, I forgot how good the California sun feels," I said as I exited the private jet, my arms spread wide to soak up as much sunshine as I could. "It''s January, and it''s still sixty degrees."


    Arge, tanned arm looped around my bare waist. "I love any environment where I get to see you in as fewyers as possible." One of his fingers tugged at the tanktop and pair of shorts I had on the first time I''d gotten to wear them in months


    Unfortunately, Canada''s winters were not as forgiving as California


    I turned and craned my neck up to meet Griffin''s eyes. "If you really want to see me in as fewyers as possible, maybe we should find a nude beach to go to."


    Griffin''s eyes darkened. "Sure," he said, "As long as you don''t mind me wing out the eyes of anyone who looks at your body."


    I rolled my eyes, a teasing smile on my face. "You''re so jealous. I was


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1)


    just joking." You''d think - after nearly a year and a half together - Griffin''s protective nature would''ve softened


    It hadn''t


    At least most people at home knew not to step on his toes. Here, amongst humans who had no idea he was a werewolf or that I was his mate, I wasn''t so sure


    "It''s a good thing you were joking," he said, leaning down to kiss me softly. "Because I wasn''t." With thatment, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number for a private car


    I sighed


    Here''s to hoping the trip to my mother''s house went off without a hitch


    "rk! Sweetheart, it''s so good to see you." The scent of my mother''s familiar perfume enveloped me. She squeezed me tightly, and I returned the hug without hesitation


    "Honey, you''re going to squeeze the life right out of her," said Steve, who shook Griffin''s hand firmly


    "Sorry," mom chuckled, finally releasing me. "You look so good, rk." Her handsbed through my frizzy curls. They mirrored hers,


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1)


    although I could see that her roots had started turning gray


    Once she was satisfied that I was all in one piece, she hugged Griffin, who had to crane down to reach her. "Thank you for bringing my daughter to me," she told him, "I''m so d you guys finally found the time to visit. It''s been so long." My stomach knotted as I thought of thest time I''d seen my mother and Steve - at my coronation, only minutes before Ezra drugged meConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    As if he could sense the direction of my thoughts, Griffin rubbed soothing circles on my back. He didn''t like talking about Liam or Ezra - it made him too angry-but he was never afraid tofort me when I thought of my imprisonment "Of course," Griffin said smoothly


    My mom exhaled, a bright smile on her face. "Well, why don''t you guyse in and get settled? Steve will show you where to drop those bags off, Griffin." Our only luggage two designer duffels with enough clothes for two or three days were slung effortlessly over Griffin''s shoulder


    We entered the small home, and Griffin followed Steve while I settled into one of the kitchen table chairs. "Would you like something to eat or drink?" Mom asked, and she was already reaching for the refrigerator handle


    "We had catered food on the ne," I replied, "But I wouldn''t mind a


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1)


    drink."


    She nodded. "We''ve got water, Diet Coke, orange juice, lemonade, and greens?"


    "Greens?"


    She rolled her eyes. "It''s all Steve''s doing. Now that we''re getting older, he''s on a health kick. He''s convinced we need to be drinking our greens


    Twice a day."


    "Water is fine. Griffin will probably have the same once Steve is done talking his ear off."


    She nodded, and though her back was turned, I smiled


    Two years ago, my mother had been nothing but a ghost - someone who''d abandoned me to chase her own high


    And now..


    Now she was drinking greens. Twice a day


    "So, give me the update," she said, sliding the ss of water over the


    wood table. "How''s the family?" I raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know?"


    "Your father and I have our issues," she said, "But I want to know about your life, and he''s part of it."


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1)


    "Well, there''s not that much to tell," I shrugged, "Dad and Grace are doing just fine...or, at least, I think they are. Those two y it so close to the vest that it''s hard to tell sometimes." And since I hadn''t been home in over a year, I only received my family updates via phone calls and text messages


    "Lily''s preupied with her mate," I continued, "From what I know, her and Alessia are really happy. I think they''re considering kids, maybe in the next couple of years."


    Her eyes brightened. "Oh, I''m so happy for her. And Sebastian?"


    "He''s got his mate too," I said, "Honestly, I think we were all a little unsure how things would turn out with Aria, but they''ve really warmed up to each other. She''se out of her shell in the past few months, and she''s..." I paused, looking for the right word. "She''s good for him, I think." Sebastian had initially been hesitant talking to me about Aria, afraid that she''d remind me of the darkest point in my life, but I''d put that fear to rest quickly


    Sebastian''s Aria was apletely different Aria than the one I''d met in that dungeon


    Mom nodded just as Griffin and Steve turned the corner. Griffin''s eyes were glued to his phone as he pulled out the chair next to me


    nning your weekend reading? Ensure you''re on 05s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively avable on our site. Happy reading!


    "Everything okay?" I asked


    He didn''t look up at me, his fingers typing furiously. "Yeah."


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1)


    "There''s not a crisis at the castle, is there?" "No." I waited for him to borate, but he didn''t


    It was unusual for Griffin to be so distracted by his phone - especially because his advisors usually just mind-linked him - but it was even more unusual for him to keep me in the dark


    Maybe he just doesn''t want to say anything in front of mom and Steve. I''m sure he''ll tell meter


    With a sigh, he pocketed his phone and directed his attention to my mom


    "Here''s some water, honey," she said, and ced an ice cold cup in front of him. "Let me know if I can get you anything else."


    He smiled at her. "No, thank you. This is great." It was nice to see him like this without the stern mask that he often had to wear as the Alpha King


    Here, I could just be rk, and he could just be the boyfriend I''d brought home to my mom


    Is boyfriend the right word? It feels inadequate, and I guess we''re already married by werewolf standards


    Steve quickly engaged Griffin in a conversation about cars while mom


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (1)


    gave me thetest gossip on all her co-workers


    I woke to a rapping noise on the window, which turned out to only be rain pattering against the sill


    I let out a relieved sigh, ncing at the clock, which read: 3:05am


    I hadn''t realized how noisy the guest bedroom at mom''s house would be. I turned to Griffin''s side to see if the rain had woken him up too, only for my heart to drop


    Griffin was nowhere in sight, only crumpled sheets where he''d been a few hours ago


    Maybe he got up to go use the bathroom


    I settled back into bed, only for one, two, five, ten minutes to go by and no sign of my mate


    Okay, I''m going to check on him


    I''d already tossed off the sheets and pulled on a pair of slippers before I''d even decided to get up


    Fortunately, mom''s house was fairly small, so there weren''t a lot of ces for him to be. The bathroom was my first stop, but to my surprise, that was empty


    Bonus Chapter - rk &; Griffin (1)


    nning your weekend reading? Ensure you''re on 00005s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively avable on our site. Happy reading! I checked the living room next


    No Griffin


    The kitchen also showed no sign of my mate


    I stood near the kitchen counter, scratching my head in confusion when


    I caught movement by the back door


    I squinted


    What the hell?


    Griffin was standing on the back patio, in the rain, his phone pressed to his ear. His back was turned to me, so I could only make out his pajama pants and his rain jacket pulled over his head


    What phone call could he possibly need to take at this hour?


    As quietly as I could, I tip-toed toward the screen back door till I heard


    his low voice filter in


    "Of course I need you," he murmured into the phone, just barely loud enough for me to make out what he was saying. "You''re all I can think


    about right now. You''re upying every single thought I have."


    My heart plummeted to my stomach, and I could only stand, frozen, as


    I processed his words


    Surely he didn''t mean what that sounded like..


    Bonus Chapter - rk &; Griffin (1)


    "What I need is to see you right now," he growled, "Whatever you need to get here, I''ll make it happen." There was a pause and then, "No, of course rk doesn''t know about this. And as long as you''re discreet."


    My entire body went cold and numb. Someone could have reached inside my chest and pulled out my heart, and I''m not sure I would''ve felt it


    Hell, I was pretty sure someone had


    Because, standing in the darkened kitchen of my mother''s house, I was pretty sure I''d just heard my mate cheating on me


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 Chapter 120

    The Alpha King''s Human Mate Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2) Bonus Chapter: rk & Griffin (2)


    "The single biggest problem inmunication is the illusion that it has taken ce."


    George Bernard Shaw I couldn''t listen to it anymore


    The sound of Griffin''s voice murmuring that he needed whoever was on the other end of the phone - that she upied his every thought - made me sick to my stomach


    I hardly remembered the walk back to the guest room; my brain was running through every possibility to exin...that


    Not that I could really find a good exnation as to why Griffin would be sneaking off in the middle of the night to tell someone how much he "needed" them or reassuring them I had no idea about any of it


    But this is Griffin. I''m his mate, mates don''t cheat on each other


    Except, I realized with a pounding heart, they did


    I was living proof that a werewolf could cheat on their mate


    As my thoughts continued to spiral, the bedroom door creaked open,


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    revealing Griffin. His eyes widened when he saw me sitting up,pletely awake


    "Little fox, what are you doing awake?" He asked. I noticed that he''d shed the rain jacket, making it less obvious that he''d been standing out in the rain


    I crossed my arms over my chest. "I had a bad dream that woke me up


    Where did you go?" I tried to keep the suspicion out of my voice. Maybe this was still a misunderstanding, and Griffin was going to clear things up right now


    "Thad to use the bathroom," he lied, shuffling under the covers and pulling me close


    Any other time, I would''ve basked in his warmth. Now, every inch of his skin touching mine felt like it burned too hot


    "That''s all you did?" I asked


    Griffin was always honest with me...at least, I thought he was. It''d be one of the things I loved about him his unwavering honesty, no matter how direct or brutal


    "And I got a ss of water from the kitchen," he said. There was a pause, and then, "Are you okay, little fox? I can feel how upset you are through the bond."


    I could''ve confronted him about the phone call, but if he really was


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    cheating on me with someone else, I wanted absolute proof. Something he''d have to fess up to something that he couldn''t exin or lie his way out of


    "Tt was just the dream that upset me," I said. "It''s okay though it was nothing."


    "Well, nothing or not, I''ll always be here to protect you." He kissed the top of my head, and for the first time, I didn''t believe that he would


    I wondered what she looked like


    Was she tall and slender with model-like features? Or maybe petite and slight with an air of innocence about her? No matter how I tried to picture her in my head, she was always prettier than me


    My brain ran circles trying to figure out when it might''ve started, when I might''ve started missing the signs. Griffin and I spent a lot of time together, but there were still meetings he took on his own or the asional solo business trip


    Maybe he met her when he was traveling on a diplomatic trip. She could''ve been some Alpha''s daughter. A beautiful, strong werewolf he couldn''t resist or a -


    "rk, honey, are you okay?" Mom''s voice cut through my train of thought. She reached over the restaurant table to ce a hand on my


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    arm. "You seem really out of it this morning. Do you want me to ask the waiter for more coffee?"


    "No, it''s okay," I said before she could g down the waiter


    We were sitting in one Yorba Linda''s brunch diners. The food was delicious or it would''ve been if I could bring myself to eat more than two bites of scrambled eggs


    "Mom, can I ask you something?"


    Fortunately, Steve had dragged Griffin off to help him look at a used motorcycle he wanted to buy, which left me alone with my mother


    Griffin had been reluctant to leave me, but I was grateful for the space


    It meant I could finally think


    "Sure, what''s up?"


    "Why do you think dad cheated on his mate with you?"


    Mom paused mid-bite to stare at me with wide eyes. "What?"


    "Sorry if this sounds like it''sing out of the blue," I said, "But dad was young and freshly-mated when he met you. He had every reason to be happy with Grace. Why do you think he chose to sleep with you?"


    Mom paused, swallowing a big mouthful of juice before she answered


    "Honey, I''m not sure I''m the person you should be asking. This might be a question better suited for your father."


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    "Dad hates talking about this," I told her. "He hates being reminded of what he did to Grace."


    He''s never said it, but he''s carried guilt about a single night for years


    But Griffin...he didn''t sound guiltyst night


    "Well...I can''t pretend as if I understand your father or his motives, and that was so long ago, but..." Mom looked like she was struggling for the right words. "Sometimes when you''ve spent your entire life trying to be perfect, you find a reason not to be. I think I was his reason. A little escape that nobody had to know about."


    "Until me."


    "Until you," she said with a smile. "And I''m d it did. I''d have no idea


    what my life would be like without you."


    Mom probably assumed I was just reminiscing about the past, but I turned her words over and over in my head. Was that happening to Griffin? Was he using someone else as an escape from the stress of his


    life? From me? The thought filled me with so much bitterness I could hardly stand it


    "Are you sure everything is okay, rk?" Mom asked. "You''ve seemed really out of sorts all morning, and now you''re asking about your father


    If there''s something going on, you can talk to me."


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    I opened my mouth to tell her what I''d discoveredst night, but the words died as soon as I caught sight of Griffin and Steve walking back into the restaurant


    Griffin''s eyes lit up when he saw me, and it took everything in me not to re at him. He didn''t get to look at me like that¡ªnot when he was whispering sweet nothings to some girl on the phoneConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    He took the chair next to me and leaned in for a kiss, but I turned my head so his lipsnded on my cheek. He pulled back. "Everything okay, little fox?" His eyesnded on my te, and his eyebrows scrunched together in concern. "You need to eat more."


    "Tm not hungry."


    Steve had monopolized mom''s attention with details about the motorcycle they went to see, so neither of them noticed the tension growing between us


    "T didn''t ask if you were hungry," he murmured close to my ear. "I said you need to eat more."


    Any other day, I might''ve given in to Griffin''s overprotective nature


    nning your weekend reading? Ensure you''re on 00005s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively avable on our site. Happy reading! But not today


    "T said I wasn''t hungry," I shot back, pushing the te away. I nced at my mother. "Mom, didn''t you say you wanted to go shopping? I think the strip opens soon. We should get going." Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    As Griffin gged down the waiter for the check, I did my best to pretend I didn''t see his eyes boring a hole into the side of my head


    As mom made her way through every boutique in Yorba Linda, Griffin continued to pester me about my bad mood. It didn''t help that I had a giant bite mark on my neck that gave me away


    "What''s going on?" He whispered. We were standing in a small boutique, mom and Steve yapping with the clerk on the other side of the store


    "Tm fine," I ground out between gritted teeth, and went to walk away


    I barely made it a step before Griffin''s handtched onto my wrist, and he spun me around. My backnded gently against the wall, his dark eyes staring m down


    "Stop lying to me," he growled lowly, "I want the truth. Now."


    I considered telling him what I''d heardst night, but he''d already lied to me once, and until I had real proof he was cheating on me..


    "Tm just not feeling well," I lied. "I''ve had a really bad headache all morning, and I think it''s just put me in a bad mood."


    Griffin''s eyes softened. "Why didn''t you say something earlier and let me take care of you?"


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (2)


    I shrugged. "I didn''t want to ruin the day with my mom. Our trip here is already short enough as is."


    His soft lips grazed my forehead. "I''m sure your mom and Steve won''t mind taking you back to the house so you can get some rest. You''! have plenty of time to see your momter."


    "And you?" I asked. "You''reing back to the house too, right?"


    My stomach dropped as his eyes darted to the door, almost as if he was nervous. "Actually," he said, and I already knew whatever came out of his mouth next was going to be a lie. "I have a few work calls I need to make, so I''ll be home in a little bit."


    My eyes narrowed but I tried to keep the suspicion out of my voice


    "What work calls? Why can''t you just make them at the house?"


    He brushed a stray curl out of my face. "I don''t want to disturb your rest, little fox. I want you to feel better."


    For a split second, I considered arguing with him before an idea lit


    If he wants some private time to make some "work calls," then I guess I''ll just have to follow him, won''t I?

 Chapter 121

    The Alpha King''s Human Mate


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3) Bonus Chapter: rk & Griffin (3)


    "It''s not what you know, it''s what you think you know." Steve Martin


    I felt a little bit like a teenager again, sneaking out of my mother''s house as soon as I''d settled into the guest bedroom with promises of taking a nap. The Tylenol she''d given me for my headache still sat on the nightstand, unused


    I''d waited until I heard her and Steve settle onto the couch for a movie before I popped open the window andnded in the grass, nearly missing one of mom''s well-groomed rose bushes


    Thank God we''re on the first floor


    The next part of my n was finding Griffin, but I had my iming mark to thank for that. Over the past year, I''d gotten much better about tapping into the bond between us, which meant I only needed to concentrate on the mating bond to figure out where he was


    Within a few moments, I was waiting on my cab


    "Where would you like me to drop you off, miss?" The driver peered at


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    me through the rearview mirror as we circled the block of a five-star hotel


    He was cute too - exactly the kind of guy Griffin would''ve lost his mind


    over not so long ago


    Now, he was probably losing his mind over the girl on the other end of the phone. Did she have a mate she was cheating on too? Or was she biding her time with mine until she found hers?


    It''s possible she might not even be a werewolf at all. It''s not like Griffin is opposed to humans..


    Before I spiralled any further, I swallowed and said, "Would you mind if we parked here for a few minutes? I''m, uh, looking for someone. Ill tip extra."


    "sure," the driver agreed without hesitation, "Tell me what he looks like, and I can be on the lookout for him too."


    "He''s really tall, dark and intimidating-looking," I replied. The word ''beautiful'' was on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn''t sure he deserved thepliment no matter how true it might be "Like that guy?" The driver tilted his head toward the front of the hotel, and my stomach twisted at the sight of Griffin waiting outside


    Waiting for someone


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    "Yeah, that''s him."


    "Want me to g him down for you?" The driver asked, already rolling down his window


    "No, no, please don''t. I don''t want him to know I''m here...yet." He paused, ncing back at me. "Is this a stake-out?"


    "Not an official one," I admitted, "But that guy we''re looking at? He''s my boyfriend, and he''s been lying about his whereabouts. I guess I just wanted to see what he''s been up to." "Want me to get a little closer so you can see better?" "You don''t mind?"


    The driver shrugged. "I don''t have any other riders to pick up right now, and if there''s a good tip and five-star rating in it for me, I''ll do it."


    I gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. That''d be great." I don''t mind giving him the best tip of his life. I''ll use Griffin''s credit card


    True to his word, the driver inched the sedan closer, giving me a much better view of Griffin as he waited outside


    Waited for her


    About two or three minutester, I saw him pick up his phone and start


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    talking to someone. I was too far away to hear, but a momentter, he ended the call


    And that''s when I saw her


    Even amongst the beautiful Californians, she stood out


    Turns out, tall and slender was exactly Griffin''s type


    As she strutted down the sidewalk, her glossy, dark hair caught the wind and made her look like she could be in one of those shampoomercials. She had dark eyes framed by darkshes, and sun-kissed skin only hidden by her ck pantsuit


    My fears were only confirmed when she greeted Griffin with a bright smile and a hug. She had a briefcase in her hand, but I assumed it was


    probably just luggage from her flight


    Griffin must''ve booked her a red-eye flight to CaliforniaConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    We''re only here for three days, and he can''t stay away from his mistress


    He even booked them a hotel together


    He opened the big ss door for her, and the pair disappeared inside, leaving me to only imagine what they''d do next


    Tears welled up in my eyes


    "Well...I guess I have my answer," I muttered. I didn''t want to lose it in front of the driver


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    "Tf it makes you feel any better, you''re far more beautiful than she is," the driver said


    I chuckled without humor. "You really think so?" "Well...I still want that tip." As heartbroken as I was, I could admire that kind of work ethic


    A few minutester, I climbed out of the cab and he drove off with an extra two grand in his pocket


    I debated on waiting outside the hotel, but the air had a chill to it, so I headed for the lobby instead


    The hotel truly was beautiful and certainly the kind of ce Griffin would choose to wine and dine someone he was interested in. My sneakers squeaked across the glossy marble floors, and though the woman waiting at the front desk eyed me oddly, but didn''t say anything when I plopped down on one of the plush couches in the lobby


    I was prepared to wait and I did


    For three hours


    With the tick of the clock and the fading sun streaking across the horizon, I could feel my anxiety rise


    Bonus Chapter - rk &; Griffin (3)


    I pictured what they were doing in that room, and when that made me sick to my stomach, I pictured what I''d say to him when he finally emerged. He wasn''t going to be able to lie himself out booking a hotel room with another woman Finally, just as I was sure the woman at the front desk was going to ask me to leave, the elevator dinged- and out stepped my mate with his mystery woman right behind him


    Griffin''s eyes met mine, confusion written all over


    I stood on trembling legs


    "Little fox?" He asked. I waited for the guilt to show on his face but it didn''t


    "Don''t call me that," I said, and I hoped my voice didn''te out as shaky as I felt


    He paused before his eyes darted between me and the mystery woman, and I could see the realization strike him. His eyes went wide, the confusion morphing into shock. "No, little fox, it''s not -"


    "T told you not to call me that!" I cut him off sharply, my raised voice drawing a few stares from other staff and hotel guests. "I heard you on the phonest night. I heard everything...and I also heard you lie about it"


    He took a step toward me, as if to pull me into his arms, but I stepped


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    back just as quickly. "Don''t touch me."


    "Excuse me." The woman from the front desk looked very ufortable to be interrupting our conversation. "I don''t mean to intrude, but there are some raised voices over here and -"


    "Here." Griffin pulled out a ck card and shoved it at her. "Comp all their rooms on this card, and don''t disturb us again."


    Her mouth dropped open but she took his card and scurried away without anyint


    "L''ve spent all day, wondering if there must be some misunderstanding," I said


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    "There is a misunderstanding," he said firmly, "If you would just let me exin."


    "You told someone her, I''m guessing - all about how you needed her and she upies your every single thought. And then I waited for three hours for you to finish what it is people do in hotel rooms. So I don''t see any room for an exnation here."


    Griffin face-palmed and growled in frustration. "God, this is going so much worse than I ever could''ve imagined it. You weren''t supposed to hear that phone call."


    "I''m sure I wasn''t," I scoffed


    Bonus Chapter - rk &; Griffin (3)


    The woman, who''d been watching us with nothing but wide eyes, finally stepped forward and ced a manicured hand on Griffin''s shoulder. "Our business is concluded," she said softly, "Perhaps I should let you two sort this out..."


    I wasn''t sure if it was the hand on his shoulder or the audacity of her to say that their "business was concluded," but something in me snapped


    Before I''d even made the conscious decision to do so, I was lunging for her


    "He''s mine, get your fucking hands off him!"


    The woman stumbled back just as Griffin''s arms wrapped around me, tugging me away. I fought against his grip, but no matter how much of Ivan''s training I might''ve had, I was still no match for an Alpha King


    Eventually, I ceased my fighting and slumped in his arms


    "How could you do this to me?" My voice was quiet, absent of the fire I''d had a few moments ago. "After all this time, I really thought...you let me believe" I could hardly choke out the words


    Griffin spun me around, his dark, intense eyes boring into mine. "Listen to me," he said, and there was an edge of desperation to his voice. "I have not and would never cheat on you, little fox. Please just let me exin." I tried to pull away, but hisrge hands cupped my face just firmly enough to hold me in ce


    Bonus Chapter - rk &; Griffin (3)


    "What possible exnation could you have for this?" I shot back, and pointed toward his mistress, who''d stepped back to give us space


    Or avoid another attack


    "Is she the only one? Are there more?" God, I wanted to hurl all over his expensive shoes


    He muttered something under his breath that sounded like a string of curse words. "Shit, this is not how I wanted to do this."


    Do what? End things with me? "Don''t bother," I said coldly. "I''ll leave right now and-"


    A low growl rumbled in Griffin''s chest and I felt his grip on my face tighten. "You are not going anywhere. Over my dead fucking body."


    He suddenly released me and stepped back till there was about an arm''s length between us. His eyes were wild and frenzied, and it almost looked like he was...nervous?


    What the hell is going on? And then he dropped to one knee


    "rk Bellevue," he said, and there was a slight tremble to his voice


    "Would you do me the honor of bing rk Bardot?" He reached into his jacket pocket and produced an engagement ring with the


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    My mouth dropped open. "I don''t...I don''t understand."


    "T wasn''t cheating on you," he said, and the look on his face was intense, begging me to believe him. "The whole reason I brought you on this trip was so that I could propose." He nced around at the extravagant lobby. "Not in a hotel lobby, of course. I wanted you to be surrounded by your human family when I asked you to belong to me


    The human way."


    My heart lurched. "But the..."


    "The phone call?" He finished for me. "Your ring, this ring -" He gestured to the massive diamond sped in the ring holder." - had to be imported from Russia, but there was a dy and the ring didn''t arrive at the castle in time...so we had to leave for California without it


    What you heard on the phone was not me speaking to a lover. It was my frustration about the situation, about needing the ring here before you found out what I was nning."


    "And her?" I tilted my head towards the beautiful woman carrying her briefcase. "Why did you disappear into a hotel with her for hours?"


    "Ca was delivering the ring personally so it''d be here on time,¡± he exined, "And when you''re carrying a two million dor engagement ring, you don''t want to be pulling it out at a coffee shop."


    nning your weekend reading? Ensure you''re on 000005s.org for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively avable on our site. Happy reading!


    "And your hopefully soon-to-be-fiance," Ca added, "Wanted to pick a


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3) few other pieces to go with the ring. That''s why it took so long." She


    gestured to her briefcase


    Oh


    The realization hit me like a train, and it was a wonder I didn''t have whish from all the conflicting emotions over the past day. Anger, betrayal, confusion, and now..


    Embarrassment


    My head began to pound. "I..." "Say yes," Griffin told me. "Say yes, little fox. Be mine."


    There was no hesitation as I nodded. "Yes. Of course. I''m already yours, you''re already mine."


    He was back on his feet in a sh, pulling me in for a sensual, passionate kiss that left my stomach fluttering. I hardly noticed the ps and cheers that erupted from around the lobby - we clearly had an audience


    When he pulled back, Griffin slid the massive rock onto my finger and I examined it. Though there was no disguising just how big the emerald cut diamond was, it was encrusted by smaller gems, making it look surprisingly delicate


    It was weighty too - I could feel each carat weighing down my ring


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    finger


    "Do you like it?" He asked, and I could see the vulnerability shining in his eyes


    "Tt''s beautiful," I murmured. "But if you wanted to marry me, you didn''t have to be a two million dor ring, you know that, right?"


    "Just wait till you see the ne and earrings I picked out to go with it. I want everyone to know you belong to me," he responded, his voice low and husky. "Not just werewolves - humans too. I want them to look at your finger and realize they''ll never have a shot in hell with you."


    My cheeks flushed. "I''m d you still think that way. I was worried..."


    "Worried that I was cheating on you with someone else?" He asked with raised eyebrows. "I can''t me you for assuming the worst. If I''d heard you on whispering on the phone to someone in the middle of the night, I''m not sure I would''ve been able to stop myself from tearing out that guy''s throat...no matter how innocent the conversation was."


    I turned around to apologize to Ca for the attempted attack, but she was nowhere in sight. "Where''d the jeweler go? I wanted to say sorry."


    "You don''t need to be sorry," Griffin told me, and one of hisrge hands gripped the slope of my jaw


    "Well, I did try to fight her."


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    His eyes darkened, and his grip tightened. "Don''t be sorry about that," he said, "I pay Ca too much for her to care, and more than that, you had every right."


    My eyebrows shot to the sky. "What do you mean?"


    "I''m yours, little fox," he murmured, "Just as much as you''re mine. I belong to you the werewolf way, and after today, I''ll belong to you in the human way."


    I pulled him in for another kiss. "Don''t ever scare me like that again," I breathed. The relief that he wasn''t discarding me, that history wasn''t repeating itself, was staggering


    His lips found their way to my neck, to the same bite mark he''d given me over a year ago. "As if you''d get rid of me so easily. You''re stuck with me for life, little fox. You own me. My heart. My body. It''s all yours, no matter what you choose to


    do with it."


    My hands wound their way around his neck. "Good."


    "We should get back to your mother''s house," he said, "We''re going to bete."


    "Late? For what?"


    Asmirk curled his lips. "I told you - I wasn''t nning to propose this way. There''s a real proposal and celebration waiting at your mother''s house."


    Bonus Chapter - rk & Griffin (3)


    With that, he took my left, jeweled hand in his and led me away


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