3

Chapter 2

Cedric Raine

“You’ve lost your mind, Cedric!”

I lean back against my desk, arms crossed over my chest, as I watch the three men gape at me. If anybody else spoke to me in this manner, I would rip their heads off for disrespect, but these men are different. I trust them with my life.

Even a king needs people he can trust.

Derrick Fenrin, Edgar Lee, and Rothan Bader. I grew up with Derrick. Edgar saved my life during a battle. And Rothan? He’s the youngest of us all, the son of the head maid in my castle, Harriet. I trained him myself at her request. Their opinions matter to me but not about everything.

“She’s the enemy,” Edgar points out, his demeanor unruffled. “You can’t be serious about this.”

“We proved to the East that the North is not to be taken lightly. Their kingdom fell, and we captured their prized jewel. The girl is not the enemy. She’s a foolish female who can be used as a tool to control the remaining royal family of the Eastern Kingdom.”

“But mating her?” Derrick explodes at my explanation. “Why can’t we keep her as a political prisoner? Throw her in the dungeon. Keep her alive and use her as leverage—”

My voice turns harsh. “Vivian is a symbol within the Eastern Kingdom. Imprisoning her will force the war to continue. I don’t want to waste my time and my people squashing rebellions around our borders. The girl’s uncle is desperate for her freedom. We’ll put him on the throne and make sure they watch themselves.”

“How do you know she’ll even agree to mate you?” Rothan speaks up, glancing at me. “She was terrified of you.”

Silence fills my office, and Edgar frowns. “I was rather unimpressed, to be honest. I was sure she would kick up a fuss. From every account I’ve heard of her, she was supposedly arrogant and prideful. I didn’t see that. I just saw a scared girl, not a seasoned aristocrat.”

“Because she was too busy pissing herself,” Derrick sneers.

I can understand Derrick’s anger. After all, it was his cousin who was killed by Vivian. Not a close relative, but a member of his family nonetheless, and he wants blood. However, as king, it is up to me to maintain balance among the wolf kingdoms, and the North is not equipped to rule the East. I cannot make a decision based on emotions, and I know my friend understands this.

“There’s another problem that Vivian’s presence will solve,” I point out. “She’s a pureblood. No matter which noblewoman I took as my mate, she would not be of royal blood. Vivian fixes that problem. She will bear royal heirs and therefore is perfectly suited.”

Derrick reluctantly agrees. “At least I got to kill her father.”

He doesn’t know the half of it. Princess Vivian is a spoiled little girl. Her father was the true mastermind, attempting to ignite the war so that he could seize control of the mines hidden in the rocky terrain of the Northern Kingdom. Living in his plush palace surrounded by luxury, the old fool did not understand the true might of the Northern wolves. We thrive in harsh conditions. We are giants on the battlefield.

“An eye for an eye,” Edgar murmurs in approval.

Rothan is studying me, a strange expression on his face. “There was something else I noticed, Cedric. When you first saw the princess, I felt something.”

They’ve all sworn blood oaths to me, so I shouldn’t be surprised that they felt a fraction of the jolt I experienced upon locking eyes with the exquisite beauty that is the Princess of the East.

“It’s irrelevant.”

All eyes turn toward me, and Derrick says slowly, “Now that I think about it, I felt something strange, too.”

I had no intention of revealing the truth because I had thought out my plan of how to deal with Princess Vivian before we even launched our attack. However, my men want to know, and there’s no reason to hide it. “She seems to be my fated mate. My wolf recognized her.”

Derrick stills. “That murdering bitch?”

My wolf growls under its breath, but I ignore it. “It’s not a huge deal.”

“Not a huge deal?” Derrick stares at me, pale. “It’s fucking convenient though, isn’t it? You get to mate her, and she stays alive.”

My brows knit together. “It’s not in my hands, Derrick. I didn’t choose her.”

“Then execute her,” he says harshly. “If it’s so irrelevant and you don’t care, just kill her. No one will be the wiser.”

I stare at him while considering the value of the woman. I’m sure there are other ways I can control the Eastern Kingdom. “If that is what will satisfy your desire for revenge, it’s acceptable to me.”

Edgar and Rothan hiss. “You can’t be serious! She’s your fated mate!”

I hold up my hand, calm. “It was Derrick’s family that was harmed. She may be my fated mate, but his desire for revenge is equally important. She’ll be executed at dawn.” Turning around, I gather the papers on my desk and walk over to the shelf behind me to place them there. I can deal with them in the morning. “If there’s nothing further, I think we should all head to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”

I walk toward the door, but Derrick stops me, his voice low. “Hold on.”

Annoyed, I look at him. “Whatever it is, can’t it wait? I want to eat and have a bath. And you smell worse than me.”

He winces. “I’m not sure who smells worse right now, but I don’t want you to execute your fated mate.”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter to me. Not all wolves seek out their fated mates. I don’t like being controlled by the Goddess—”

“Well, I don’t believe that,” my friend says abruptly. “A fated mate is a gift. And honestly, I can’t see any other woman putting up with you aside from your fated mate. You should go ahead with what you were planning.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I walk past him, and he trails after me.

“I don’t want you to kill her, Cedric. I forgive her.”

I pause. “You forgive her? You forgive her the blood of your family?”

“Yes,” he growls. “I believe in fated mates. I don’t want you to miss out on yours. I killed her father. I killed someone precious to her. That makes us even. I can live with that.”

“Maybe you can, but I won’t force you to make this choice based on—”

“Cedric, it’s my decision!” he snaps. “I’m telling you to mate the girl! Not everybody gets to meet their fated mate. No matter your views on the subject, I won’t have you walk away from her for me!”

Edgar and Rothan voice their agreement from behind me.

“Fine.” I glare at Derrick. “You have till tomorrow to change your mind. Now, I need to bathe. Get out of my way.”

He moves aside but not before pretending to gag as I walk past him. That earns him a punch in his gut, and as I walk away, I hear him groaning while Edgar tells him, “You had that coming.”

 

  

A hot shower and a meal relax my muscles, and I head to my chambers. When I open the door, however, I’m assailed by a rich scent that has me stopping in my tracks. My wolf snarls.

Intruder!