CHASE.
The wedding had been chaotic, as chaotic as my whole day had been since I woke up. I had Zara’s pendant in my right pants pocket. I was still trying to contemplate what had happened and what I had even gotten myself into, but my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that the gorgeous woman I’d yearned for was seated beside me on my private jet.As my wife. My queen. My mate.We had left the wedding and gotten to the airport hangar where my private jet was waiting, and now we were on our way back to Betnerd, the kingdom I’d inherited from my mother’s side.“It’s beautiful,” Zara said, dragging my attention back to reality. She was looking out of the window at the forests and landscapes the jet zoomed past.“It is,” I agreed, my eyes on her, taking her all in.She sighed and turned to look at me, and I tore my gaze away.“How are you…a king too?” She asked, and I knew she was trying to find a footing to discuss what really mattered.“Clinton and I do not share the same mother. My mother was the queen in Betnerd when she married my father, and she didn't give up her crown, neither did she agree to merge the kingdoms. When they separated a few years after I was born, I spent most of my time with her and a few here in Zakori. I took over when she died. As the only heir.”“I see,” she nodded. “That made a lot more sense now.” More silence. “So now we’re out of Zakori, and we really need to talk,” she finally broke it.I nodded. “Yes, we do need to talk.”She swallowed and started. “I know you did this out of pity—““Not out of pity,” I cut her short. “Well, not entirely,” I added.“Then why?” Her big brown eyes were on mine, urging me to say something.Fuck me, Lumus!She was absolutely breathtaking, and it was taking everything in me not to pull her to me and kiss her senseless. It was taking everything in me not to tell her she was my mate. Asher had always been such a child; he couldn’t even handle a woman like her if he needed to.“Because I’m partly to be blamed and also a bit out of pity.”She placed her head in her hand and groaned. “This was not how I expected my wedding day to go at all. I have no idea what happened.”“Yeah, I understand.”“So what happens now? I mean, you’re basically a god in your kingdom, and going back there with a new bride who has been branded a bond betrayer on her wrist isn’t really a wise political choice,” she retorted.“I would say it’s not the best political choice I’ve made,” I mused.“I’m extremely thankful for you helping me save face, and as soon as we land in your kingdom, I’ll find my way,” Zara let out.‘No, no, no! We can’t let her go just like that. We need her!’ Drew practically screamed.“Will you be able to survive out on your own in a new kingdom?”Zara thought about it for a couple of seconds. “I could wait tables and carry out other menial jobs until I found my footing.”I reached for her wrist and lifted it, my hand wrapping around her delicate wrist. “What about this?”We both looked at the brand on her wrist, dark and bright. A Lycan devouring another lycan under the red light of a moon eclipse. It could be identified from a mile away.“I could always wear long-sleeved clothes or lots of bracelets or…” she trailed off, knowing that whatever she was saying wouldn’t cut it.“It’s dangerous, Zara.” Her name rolled off my tongue like butter. “And you can’t give up on the search to find out what happened to you.”She groaned. “Oh, yeah. That too. But being branded and subtly banished isn’t really the right motivator right now.”“Well, I have a common ground for the both of us. We both want to uncover the truth of what happened that night, don't we?”Zara's eyes widened in surprise, a glimmer of hope flickering to life within them. “I suppose we do. I know I do.”“I have the power and connections to uncover whatever happened that night, and if you need revenge, then I’ll help you,” I said to her.She shook her head, confused. “I’m sorry, but this is too good to be true. Why are you helping me again?”My mind went blank because the major reason I was helping her was because I knew that this beautiful Lycan next to me was my mate, and I couldn’t possibly let her go.I’d already given up hope of ever finding my mate, but what I currently felt for her was something nothing could ever describe. Not words. Not actions. Nothing but the loud thumping in my chest and the buzzing in my ears. I bet some would argue that I am too old for her. If she was with Asher, then she’s probably the same age as him or a few months older. I am turning 38 years old in two months, which makes us at least, just shy of a 12 years difference.Not that the mate bond ever cared about the age difference. Neither do I. I plan to make her mine wholly. Whatever it takes.‘Three months,’ Drew started, ‘we just need three months with her by our side before she finally feels the bond.’“Because I need to know what happened too. You’re going to stay married to me for just three months, and if we haven’t found out who did it, then you can go about washing dishes and waiting tables.”I stretched my hand towards her. “Deal?”She observed my hand in front of hers and then stretched hers to mine. “Deal.”We shook on it, and she settled into her seat with a sigh.I quickly composed a message to my Alpha beta and Alpha delta, my fingers dancing across the screen as I typed out the urgent announcement.C- ‘Preparing to bring home our new queen. Ensure everything is ready for her arrival.’I sent off the message, eager to introduce Zara to the pack. Almost immediately, my phone buzzed with a response from Shane, a string of questions and inquiries about the text I’d just sent.C- ‘No need for questions and no time to explain. Just be ready.’I commanded and tucked my phone away. I couldn’t help but steal one last glance at Zara, her head nestled against my shoulder as she dozed off peacefully.‘She’s so beautiful, and she’s ours.’ Drew growled in a somewhat feral manner.I’d never felt like this for anyone before, and now I had this animalistic need to protect a woman I barely knew. Gently, I adjusted my position, careful not to disturb her, as I settled back into my seat.With her sleeping soundly beside me, I felt very protective over her. A soft smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I watched her sleep, her peaceful expression filling me with warmth.CHASE.The wedding had been chaotic, as chaotic as my whole day had been since I woke up. I had Zara’s pendant in my right pants pocket. I was still trying to contemplate what had happened and what I had even gotten myself into, but my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that the gorgeous woman I’d yearned for was seated beside me on my private jet. As my wife. My queen. My mate.We had left the wedding and gotten to the airport hangar where my private jet was waiting, and now we were on our way back to Betnerd, the kingdom I’d inherited from my mother’s side.“It’s beautiful,” Zara said, dragging my attention back to reality. She was looking out of the window at the forests and landscapes the jet zoomed past.“It is,” I agreed, my eyes on her, taking her all in. She sighed and turned to look at me, and I tore my gaze away. “How are you…a king too?” She asked, and I knew she was trying to find a footing to discuss what really mattered.“Clinton and I do not share the same mother. My
As we stepped off the plane, my senses were assaulted by the flurry of activity and all the confetti being thrown into the air around us. “All hail the queen!” they called out, their voices ringing with a solemnity that caused me to wince.I hadn’t expected anything grand and big like what I was currently experiencing. I had not even thought of expecting a welcome. And then, as if on cue, they all bowed before me, their gestures a show of respect that left me speechless. “All hail the queen!” They chorused again, head bowed down with one hand pressed to the chest.. I stood there, frozen in place, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. I’d thought Betnerd was just a small kingdom in the north, but I was shocked by the turn of events. Even when Chase told me about being a king here; I never thought it was something so grand. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself being greeted with such reverence? It was even worse because now, more than ever, I knew I did n
I slowly opened my eyes to the rays of sunlight streaming in through the large windows located at the corner of my room. The events of the past day filled my head, giving me a slight migraine. It all felt like a dream, but it wasn’t, and I hated that. I also had no idea that I’d slept that long. It was probably because I was so tired.As I slowly emerged from the depths of sleep, the unfamiliar surroundings of the lavish bedroom came into focus. I was in Chase’s mansion, and I hadn’t even taken it in the previous day because I had a lot to think about. ‘Oh, he’s rich,’ Nia mused as we took in the ornate curtains and the very expensive furniture that adorned the room. It was like I’d been teleported into another dimension filled with wealth and luxury, and then suddenly at that thought I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Did I really deserve all this? It didn’t feel like I did, especially with the brand sitting on my wrist for everyone to see. Blinking away the remnants of slumber,
It was almost instantaneous, the change in their behavior and movement. The warmth and kindness that they’d shown toward me when the day started evaporated immediately, and it was replaced by an icy coldness that chilled me to the bone.It was as if the air itself had turned frigid, and I felt exposed. Without another word, Pamela and Darcy hurried to finish dressing me, their movements frantic and disjointed. It was clear that they couldn't wait to be rid of me, to escape the presence of someone marked by such a symbol of shame and disgrace. And I could see firsthand how everyone who was to come in contact with me from this point would react. It was something I had to carry everywhere with me, and I completely hated it. They quickly excused themselves and practically ran out of the room. I looked down at the branding on my wrist. What would happen now? Is this the same reaction I would get from everyone I came across? I knew that I was already married to Chase, and he assured me
“… that building has been around since Chase, Shane, and I were children. We made a bet that it’d collapse ten years ago, and yet, here it is still standing,” Ryan said, pointing at the rickety building in front of us. The building looked like it was going to collapse at any moment, and I wondered how it was still standing. The brick wall was crumbling in on itself, and the sagging roof spoke of how the building had weathered through the time that passed.Ryan had taken me around the pack house to give me a much-needed tour, and I didn’t know if it was because he noticed I looked a bit sad after hearing that I was going to see the elders tomorrow or if he just wanted to do something nice for me. Either way, I really appreciated it. “It's hard to believe this building is still standing. It looks like it’s going to fall at any given moment," I said. Ryan nodded in agreement. “I remembered when we used to dare each other to go inside.”I chuckled, feeling a little bit lighter. “Really
ZARA.“Go Zara! Go, Zara! Go, Zara!” The girls all shrieked and egged me on in unison as a dark-haired stripper kept grinding on me. My eyes were focusing on anything clearly because I’d taken one too many tequila shots, and the dimly lit bar we were in seemed to blur around me. I could feel the oontz oontz vibrations of the music pulsating around me, but that was it. The stripper’s proximity sent wave after wave of uneven shivers through the entirety of my body, his touch igniting a wild fire within me. My partially non focused eyes caught a balloon hanging from one of the chairs that was pink and shimmery and had the words ‘bride to be’ on it. I looked down at the sash across my red dress and noticed that it had ridden up to reveal a hint of stocking. There and then, surrounded by the loud music and the intoxicating scent of alcohol, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement mixed with a tinge of nervousness. The bachelorette party was in full swing, the energy was infectio
The first rays of sunlight shone down on my face, stirring me awake from my sleep. I blinked groggily as I opened my eyes and tried to take in my surroundings.The room seemed to blur into focus, revealing itself in all its unfamiliarity. There was minimalistic dark artwork on the walls, and the room was filled with beige and neutral tones. A sleek modern dresser stood against one wall, its surface cluttered with different items. I glanced around the room, searching for any familiar trace, any sign that I had been here before. But as I took in the clean lines and unblemished surfaces, it became painfully clear that this was a place I had never set foot in before until now. Dread filled me, and I tried not to panic. Where was I? What was going on? How had I ended up here, in this stranger's room, on my wedding day?Then, slowly, snippets of the previous night began to flood my memory, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. Rodrigo dancing on me. Excusing myself to go t
CHASE.You know what they say about chaos knocking on your door and you falling for it? That was exactly what I did. Falling into the arms of a lycan I had never seen before until yesterday. And now, she has vanished!I’d nearly forgotten that Asher, my nephew’s wedding was today. All because my brain had been fucked with by the woman from last night. Just what was I thinking?I hissed as I hurriedly got dressed so I could rush to the venue.‘So, Whose fault was it?’ I broke the silence between Drew and I. ‘I mean, you kind of went berserk the moment we saw her, and I think you pushed me into taking her. And now she’s gone.’‘We will find her,’ came Drew’s short reply. ‘Nothing to worry about. We need to find her. I need her again.’‘Well, too bad she left no contact details. Or did she leave one with you?’ I snickered, as I buttoned up my crisp white shirt.‘We will find her,’ he said again, sounding more determined. ‘I will find her.’I said nothing to that as I finished dressing u