27

Chapter 27

Corey's POV

I knew my cousin was in an uproar about their arrival, wanting everything prepared and in order for when they finally got here. He takes after his mother in that way, always on edge when visitors came to the castle, especially when the elders arrived. Their only purpose was to inform him of the need for a queen, lecturing him before departing. This pressure is the reason he resists the idea of a mate; the constant coercion leaves him with no room to choose for himself. He has spent years searching for his mate, mentioning just the other day that if he doesn't find her within three years, he will select one. I sincerely hope it isn't Angie; she is power-hungry, spreading lies among the females here and positioning herself as the soon-to-be queen. Lucas is likely exposed to her deceit, and I realize I haven't seen Angie around the castle lately. She must be scheming to catch the king's attention.

When the anticipated mindlink finally arrived, Lucas turned to us to announce their arrival. I could see his eagerness to greet them, yet he composed himself with a few deep breaths before heading to the door. As we stepped out onto the castle porch and descended a few steps, Sasha presented flowers to the women. It was a kind gesture, though unnecessary. As the Duchess, she loved taking part in such customs, whereas I, as the Duke, maintained my composure.

Three black SUVs rolled up the driveway and parked. The first man who emerged was robust and dressed in all black, likely the alpha. He acknowledged us with a nod and proceeded to open the door for the women. A beautiful woman stepped out, followed by another who bore a striking resemblance to the man and his apparent mate. Sensing that she was with pup, I couldn't help but curse silently at her presence. A gasp from Lucas caught my attention, and I saw the shock in his eyes as he sniffed the air. Could that pregnant female be his mate, even though she already had a partner? The other SUVs parked, with mostly men exiting, and only one female, a hybrid of witch and wolf. I could sense she meant no harm. Lucas seemed to be holding his breath, so I mindlinked him to remind him to breathe.

“Lucas, get it together, man, we have guests. Go and greet them like the king you are,” he nodded, then began to breathe again. I could tell that things are going to be pretty weird from here on out. We walked down the stairs together to greet them. Sasha handed the women flowers.

“It's so nice to see that you finally made it here. I hope the drive was pleasant and that you like the flowers.”

“It was a long drive, but we are finally here. Your home is beautiful. Thank you for inviting us. I wish it was for different reasons, but maybe next time.”

“Indeed, maybe next time. Why don't all of you come inside? I'm sure you want to sit and eat a home-cooked meal instead of road food.” That's when Lucas finally found his voice and started talking right away.

“I'm sorry for not speaking earlier. I’m King Lucas. Thank you for coming to our home. Like Sasha said, please come in and have a seat at our dining area. I'm sure you must be hungry. My name is King Lucas. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Kayla POV

We were finally here, and I was exhausted. I mean, the only thing I did was ride in the backseat, but it's still exhausting. I knew there were wolves running in the woods. It was time for target practice, but Mom said no, they were trackers from the king. I rolled my eyes, thinking that the only king is my grandfather, Mercury Black. Yes, I know he told me he was the king of the mafia until he gave the title to my dad, but still, to me, my grandfather will always be the king. This guy is just a wannabe, that's all. We finally arrived at the gate, and I saw the guy's eyes cloud over, then opened them. We all nodded at them. I was surprised they didn't ask who we were and why we were here. That's a big mistake because we could be here to attack. I'll bring that up when we have this soon-called meeting he wants us to attend. We drove up to the driveway, parked, and then got out. His castle was beautiful. He had the color just perfect, white with blue trimmings, many windows with white curtains. I couldn't wait to get inside to look around. I was so excited about this. I was already walking up the steps when this guy, Jan, stopped me from opening the door. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Excuse me, let me open the door for you.” Oh shit, was this the guy that calls himself King Lucas of the lycans? Yeah, okay, we will see about that. My grandfather is the only king, and I'll make that clear to him.