‘What are we doing?’ Nia asked.
‘I have no idea.’On one hand, I was extremely scared of what was happening, and on the other, I was extremely thankful to Chase for wanting to marry me. Still, my life felt like a scene from a badly rehearsed reality TV show. How did it all turn upside down so badly?“I forbid you from marrying a branded!” The king thundered angrily. “You will not stain Father’s blood with an impure!”“Since when do you care what I do with my life, brother?” Chase asked as he stood up, pulling me to his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “And since when do I take command from you?”“Chase…”“I am a king like you are, need I remind you of that, Clinton?” The biting edge in his voice was chilling.“I am still the eldest and…”“You never took that role seriously all these years. And you want to now? I don't give a flying fuck if I am staining father’s bloodline or not. It is my life, and I do whatever the hell I want with it!” He snapped.“Uncle…”“Not a word from you, Asher. She's no more a concern of yours now.”“If you allow me to say something, your Majesty. But Zara is not fit to be a …”“I don't remember asking for your opinion now, do I?” Chase cuts Lina off. “You’d do well to remember the etiquette of speaking to a royal, woman.”I watched as Lina’s face fell, then a look so familiar crossed her face before her fake smile returned. Okay. Okay, listen, this shouldn't be fun, nor exciting. Yet it was, and it helped wash away a bit of the ache in my chest. It was the first time someone had stood by me so fiercely, and the feeling was warm and foreign at the same time.“Shall we proceed or do I need to find a new offiante?” Chase’s voice cuts through my thoughts.“Of course, Your Majesty.”Asher, Lina, Chase, and I both stood in front of the elder who would be officiating the ceremony. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I had no idea what would happen next.‘Phew, what’s going on?’ Nia asked.The elder turned to Lina and Asher.“Do you, Asher Clinton Zapata, take Lina Emmett Dawson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and honor, to protect and defend, for as long as you both shall live?”I watched Asher glance at Lina with admiration in his eyes, something I’d never noticed. Was I completely blinded that I didn’t see what was happening between them?“I do,” Asher said with a certainty that made all the years of us being together feel like nothing, and I fought back the tears that stung my eyelids.‘That jerk.’ Nia cursed.The elder turned to Chase and me.“Do you, Chase Zapata Brown, take Zara Emmett Dawson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and honor, to protect and defend, for as long as you both shall live?”“I do,” Chase responded, his voice confident.What if I don’t sound as confident? Of course, I won’t be as confident; I barely even know what’s going on.“And do you, Lina Emmett Dawson, take Asher Zapata Brown to be your lawfully wedded husband, to stand by his side through all trials and tribulations, to share in his joys and sorrows, for as long as you both shall live?”“I do,” Lina responded with a squeal, and I tried my best not to roll my eyes.The elder was looking at me now. It all boils down to me and my decision, and I was scared shitless.“Do you, Zara Emmett Dawson, take Chase Zapata Brown to be your lawfully wedded husband, to stand by his side through all trials and tribulations, to share in his joys and sorrows, for as long as you both shall live?”I glanced at Chase, who stood beside me, his shoulders high in the air and his confidence almost suffocating. His gaze was filled with a determination that made me even more confident in my choice.“I do!” I said.“And with the ancient rites passed down through generations of our noble lineage,” the elder continued. “With the power vested in me by the kingdom of Zakori and King Clinton Zapata Brown, I now pronounce you man and wife.”Lina squealed again as Asher slipped my ring on her finger, breaking my heart the final time. I’d endured all the show today mainly because I genuinely thought I was getting pranked, but now, reality stared right back at me.Chase and I stepped forward, ready to exchange tokens of our commitment. I swallowed. “I don’t have a token for you. I’m sorry.”He chuckled, which made my stomach do numerous backflips. “Well, I didn’t expect you to have one. All of this has caught you by surprise.”“Oh, I might have something,” I started with a smile, an idea coming to mind. I reached for the pendant that sat on my neck, and one I’d worn since childhood. It was a precious keepsake that carried a lot of memories of love and laughter. I’d wanted to give it to Asher before the wedding, but I could see why I thought against it. “This may not be the grandest of tokens or a wedding band,” I began, my voice trembling with emotion. “But it carries the weight of a lot of love and memories in my life. The love of my mother. I’d like you to have it.” I pulled the pendant from my neck and pressed it into his palm. “Are you sure?”I nodded. “Yes, I am.”“Well, I don’t have a token here, so I guess we’ll just improvise.”He
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
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