Chapter 2

Sapphire's pov

I woke up in a bed that wasn't mine, next to a man who looked like he'd rather bite my head than kiss me.

“Who are you!” He demanded.

“Who are you?” I asked, pulling the sheets to my chest. 

“What's that supposed to mean? You're the one in my room!” He barked, sitting up on the velvet sheets. 

“What?” My forehead throbbed as I tried to remember what happened last night but my mind was blank. I was just as confused as he was.

The man grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. That was when it hit me. His scent — sandalwood and hint of cinnamon. Was he my - -

I had barely completed my sentence before he gave me a shove and I fell from the bed to the floor. 

“Get dressed and get the hell out of here.” The stranger growled at me.

I gasped in shock. What kind of gentleman treats a lady like this?

“Marcus!” He called out in a loud voice.

The mahogany double doors parted and a middle-aged man strolled in. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. You summoned me.” The man, I assume is Marcus, said with a bow. 

The stranger opened his mouth to speak but the words were muffled. My attention was on his drool-worthy body — toned muscles, tanned silky skin, a magnificent wolf tattoo on his chest and upper arm. A head full of black, curly hair and eyes deeper than the ocean.  

I was enthralled. He was divine. No man in the Silvermoon pack had such looks. No man except...

My eyes fell on his tattoos again and the scales fell off my eyes. 

Goddess, what have I done?

The tattoo — the head of a menacing black wolf, the black colour so dark it looked like it was inked with blood. The only man with that tattoo was…

Just then he looked at me and I held my breath. 

“... Yes, King Dimitri.” Marcus concluded and bowed again. 

I swallowed hard when he walked towards me. 

“What are you still doing here?” He asked in the calmest, yet dangerous voice I had ever heard.

“I'm sorry.” I gathered the sheets and my clothes and ran without looking back. 

As I bolted through the door, I heard him yell. “Somebody find Larisa!”

Oh no.  

What the heck happened?

My heart raced in my chest as I ran. 

How the hell did I need to be in King Dimitri’s bed? 

Why can't I remember anything? 

A voice cut through my thoughts and I halted to a stop. 

“Sapphire!” 

I turned back and my eyes fell on the green ones. 

Shit. I'm screwed. 

“Father wants to see you,” she said. “And he isn't happy.”

I couldn't speak. I knew the words to say but they felt trapped in my throat. 

She sized me up with narrowed eyes and I instantly knew what she was looking at. 

My hand flew to my neck. Someone should kill me right now. King Dimitri marked me? 

“Where is Sapphire!” I heard father's thundering voice from behind the door.

I couldn't go in there. He'll skin me alive.

“Go.” Larisa said with no emotion whatsoever.

I swallowed nervously and walked to the door. 

Before I knocked on the door, a loud “Come in” sent a shiver down my spine. 

I heard the metallic handle and twisted the door knob open. 

Goddess save me.

The moment I entered father's study, all eyes fell on me — both friendly and unfriendly. I had never felt so terrified in my life. 

Just then the door behind me opened and closed quietly. Larisa was here. 

“What is this I'm hearing, Sapphire?” Father asked, hunkered behind his desk.

“What?” I asked, confused.

He slammed his fist on the desk, obviously irritated by my question. “How did you end up in the king's bedroom?!”

Just then a reclining chair swiveled and I could see who sat on it — The Lycan King himself – Dimitri.

“She came into my bedroom. I don't know how she got past the guards,” Dimitri said. “I don't know how she did it but she took advantage.”

Wait a minute. Was he saying I raped him? 

“Answer the question, Sapphire!” Father yelled again.

“I don't know. I can't remember anything from last night. It's all a blur to me.” I replied truthfully.

Gasps filled the room. 

“What?”

“That can't be true!”

“She's lying!”

The Council elders yelled. They have never been on my side to begin with. 

“I know what happened.” A quiet voice interrupted the chaos.

I turned to see Larisa walking towards father's desk.

“You know what happened?” Dimitri asked with narrowed eyes. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Larisa replied.

Thank Goddess. She'll prove my innocence. I don't remember myself being ballsy enough to walk into a man's room and sleep with him, not less than the Lycan King himself.

Larisa began. “Sapphire always had eyes for King Dimitri…”

“I have?” I was stunned.

“What?” Father sat up on his chair.

Larisa went on. “Yes, father. She told me last night.”

“You're lying. I never did.” I yelled. How could she say that? That was a lie. 

Dimitri scoffed. “How do you know she's lying? You just said you can't remember anything from last night.”

My heart sank. He was right. I don't remember anything from last night. My mind was still foggy from pleasure, pain and alcohol.

Larisa looked at everyone and resumed her ‘lies’. “I told Sapphire she couldn't have Dimitri to herself. I told her he was my mate but she wouldn't listen. She… she forced herself on him.”

Father's desk scraped on the marble floor and he rose to his feet.No one needed to tell me father was angry.

“What did you just say?” Father raged. Then he turned to me. “What have you done, Sapphire?”

I shook my head. Something wasn't right. I didn't do anything wrong. Why was Larisa lying to me?

“What do we do now? Princess Larisa is my intended bride but I've already marked her sister?” King Dimitri rose to his feet. 

Father dragged his hand through his salt and pepper hair. “I … We have to contain this. We… I have to save myself and my remaining dignity. Tour Majesty, you have to marry Sapphire instead.” 

“What?” I stepped forward. “I can't do that!”

Father shot me a glare. “You have been marked by the Lycan King, Sapphire. What do you want us to do apart from let him marry you? Huh? Tell everyone of your infidelity?”

‘Infidelity’. I never thought I'd ever hear that word or ever hear my father use it on me.

Dimitri came up beside me and I froze. Sandalwood and cinnamon. It was the same scent from before. 

He looked down at me from his soaring 6’5 height and furrowed his brows. Did he feel something too?

I felt a strange pull when his fingers brushed against mine. What did mom used to call it? Mating bond? Did he feel it too?

“I accept your proposal, Alpha Ragnar.” Dimitri told father in the bone-chilling voice or were my ears hearing the wrong things?

I’d convinced myself that I was hearing the wrong things — the vows at our wedding, our sighs in the bedroom, Dimitri's screams when I annoyed him. I convinced myself none of it was real. I was stupid to.

Despite feeling the mating bond, Dimitri remained blind to it. He formed this unfathomable hatred for me to the point where he told me not to breathe the same air he did. And how do I even do that?

One time I was fed up with his cold and demeaning attitude and decided I would confront him.

I regretted my decision the second my sandals hit the persian rug. 

His fingers circled my throat and he tightened his grip. “For a woman from a cursed bloodline, you sure are ballsy.”

I thrashed at his arms, hoping one scratch would scare him off. But I was wrong. He was as strong as a bull. 

Dimitri leaned forward till our faces were a few inches from each other. “You'll regret setting foot in my life, little girl.”