What's he doing here? What does he want? I couldn't help the questions that flooded my mind as I stare at him. I couldn't help but question why I felt fear as well as a certain excitement. I felt a strange connection to him and I didn't know why.
On the other hand, he stood watching me without saying a word, his eyes were strangely not the shade of emerald green they were before or even yellow, but an intense sliver that glared deeply into my soul with such great ferociousness and primal desire making me weak and unable to move from where I sat on the bed even though the voices in my head kept telling me to run or perhaps it was the knowledge that I had no where to run to that kept me rooted to my spot.
This man was dangerous, his aura was dark and imposing just like Cardan's, maybe because he wasn't human, they weren't humans.
"Mate," his deep and soothing voice suddenly broke the deafening silence that had initially enveloped the room, then he began walking toward to me, slowly, slowly, until he was just an inch away and while I watched him, I couldn't help but wonder why he addressed me as such, before my thought wandered back to the reason he was here.
It couldn't be that he wants to devour me. He's a beast afterall, a werewolf... At the thought I shivered, while my heartbeat resounded against my ears, it was almost deafening.
"Pl... Please don't kill me," I managed to voice out, clutching the bed sheet tighter. I saw his eyes change back to green and when he looked at me, there was this tenderness and warmth, unlike before.
"I'd never do that, believe me."
And I did, just like that I believed him, maybe because of the sincerity in his eyes and words, I was convinced that this man wouldn't kill me and I felt like slapping myself for feeling this way. he's a beast for God sake, there's no telling what he could do.
"Leilani," he sudden called out my name, as if he saw the way I was trying to convince myself to not trust him and his voice, there was something about his voice and the way he said my name that made my heart fluster_ I must be going insane.
"I'm so happy to see you, no, I'm overwhelmed."
"you are?" His words surprised me and I couldn't stop myself from asking. Tilting my head to the side, I looked intently at him. Why was he happy to see me? Why's he overwhelmed? We've only just met, but the thing is, I was also overwhelmed.
"I am, Leilani. you have no idea," he said the last part in a whisper and my gaze followed the movement of his hand as he brought it forward to touch my face.
At the contact, my eyes unintentionally closed and a fluttering feeling surge within me as his fingers grazed my skin, trembling slightly.
"God, you're perfect," he suddenly pulled away as if being burnt, turning around he quickly left the room without another word or even a backward glance and I didn't know why I was disappointed.
*RHYSAND*
I felt like I was loosing my mind, every second I was close to her, only a few seconds with her felt like heaven. Her scent was intoxicating, driving me insane and when I touched her skin, it felt as though a flame was lit inside of me, consuming me whole. I wanted her in every possible way, I wanted to mark and claim her, over and over again, yet I had to force myself to leave her side before I do something drastic.
"Are you okay?" Raelys suddenly stepped in front of me with a concerned look, scrutinizing me for a second before her gaze moved behind me.
"You didn't do something drastic did you?"
"No Raelys, I didn't and I'm fine," I retorted, before quickly walking away from there, because I could still perceive her scent and Fury kept crawling toward the surface, trying to take control of my body.
"Go back, do not leave our mate, go back now" he growled.
"Not now fury, she's human, you need to take thing slow besides we still have to deal with Cardan," I was able to calm Fury before leaving Cardan's quarters. All the while Raelys quietly trailed after me. I could tell that she was worried as well as amused, after all, there haven't been any excitement in the palace for the last couple of months now, Cardan and I tried as much as we could to avoid each, it was best not to cross paths to avoid fights and things were going perfect until he showed up with my mate.
As if on cue, the blood sucking creature appeared before me. Cardan had a mischevious smirk on his face as he approached me alongside his right hand man, Ezekiel.
My blood boiled just by seeing his face, I wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face with a punch or probably get rid of him by putting a stake through his chest, or maybe give him the moonsbane poison, it would slowly damage his insides, however he'd heal as he was a vampire. While I think of thousand ways to get rid of my brother, he came and stood before me.
"What brings you to my quarters? It couldn't be that you missed me right?" His annoying voice broke through my thoughts, bringing my attention to him. His word dripped with sarcasm and his gaze held a taunting glint.
"Your love for me knows no bounds, brother," he added to futher irk me.
"I have no time for you...
"Of course you don't, you're probably here for your sweet little mate who's in my custody. How does it feel Rhysand, how does it feel knowing your mate stays in my quarters, she's my prey and at my mercy. who knows I might devour her sooner, I can already imagine what her blood would taste like_ sweet, she's a sweet little human after all."
"Cardan," my fist connects with his face pushing him two inches backward, yet the mocking smile never left his face.
"You should worry less about me and more about the werewolf elders. Do you think they'll let you take a human mate?"
With that said, Cardan made his way past me, winking at Raelys before he disappeared from my sight.
As I left Cardan's quarters, I kept replaying what Cardan said. He was right I had completely focused on him while forgetting about the werewolf elders, who were driven by pride and power. If they find out about Leilani which I'm sure they already have, they wouldn't want me to take her as a mate because she was a human, a creature considered to be weakest amongst all others, there were also human hunters who were colliding with witches to wipe us from existence, then there was also an internal war in the kingdom between, us and the vampires, where both wanted to proof their superiority_ as an alpha king who ruled over all werewolves, the elders would expect a Luna queen, who's on par or almost on par with me.
Yes I am the king and have the final say, however, Leilani's life would be at great risk. She would always be targeted by the werewolf elders.
I was so overwhelmed by the mating bond and Cardan's hold over her that I completely ignored other important details.
"Brother, what do you intend to do now? Are you still going to take her as your mate?" Raelys asked pulling me out of my thought. By now we were back in my office and she sat across me like before, staring at me with curiousity in her gold eyes.
"Rae, nothing stops me from taking her as my mate, regardless of the obstacles."
This may sound selfish, but I'll rather bear whatever is to come, than be away from her.
"Alpha king, are you there?" My beta, Knox cuts through my conversation using mindlink, and he sounded urgent.
"Speak knox."
"Alpha king, the elders have arranged a mate choosing ceremony for you, you have to choose a mate from one of their daughters...