Nicholus's POV:At the dinner table, I was cutting through the steak in front of me when Damon chirped, "Wait, what's all that?"I lifted my head to find him looking at the door with curiosity.A moment later, three maids started entering the dining hall with their hands full of packages and boxes. One of them stepped forward and answered him, "These are for the Queen."Ember's eyes shone as she smiled widely, "What? They're already here?"The maid bowed her head, "All the orders placed from the castle are of top priority and are usually delivered in a day."Luna swallowed her bite and looked at Ember, "Even though your excitement is making me curious to know what's in there, don't worry, I won't ask," she winked.Ember rushed out hurriedly, "Oh, I'd ordered all these items for Milo. I'd very much like to show it to you later on, Luna.""Is that...is that a catio?" Damon pointed at a big box.Ember chuckled sheepishly, "Yes. I'm planning to place it in my balcony so that Milo can enjo
Nicholus's POV:"We are wrong. For each other. Maybe we shouldn't have..."These were the words that have been haunting me for the last few days."We are wrong. For each other. Maybe we shouldn't have..."No matter how hard I tried to get rid of them, they just kept swirling in my mind, chasing me everywhere."We are wrong. For each other. Maybe we shouldn't have..."What did she mean by that? I told myself, over a hundred times, that she didn't mean that, that it was just a slip of the tongue due to rage but...how?How could she?I was known as the ruthless Alpha of the North, the most barbaric of all. People trembled under my rage.Rebels were everywhere after our mating ritual, opposing alphas have been talking shit about my dignity, people have been raising questions about this mate bond and I can't remember the number of times I've been consumed with rage due to all that but never once I'd even thought about the words she said so easily."We are wrong. For each other. Maybe we sh
A little before 5, I made my way into the Guest Hall. Spotting a maid in there, I inquired, "Is she not here yet?"She bowed her head, "Alpha had already sent a car for her. She'll be here any minute now."Nodding my head, I walked deeper into the hall and sat on the couch. Continuously nibbling on my bottom lip, my eyes remained fixated on the wall clock. It took me a long time to notice that I was sitting on the very edge of the couch, my posture was erect and my right leg was continuously shivering.My heartbeat was a ticking bomb. It wasn't like I was going to meet her for the first time but after our last meet-up, this one seemed even more difficult and my nervousness was the living proof of that.Getting up with an abrupt movement, I started moving toward the balcony to inhale some fresh air, hoping for it to do its magic.My heart clenched tightly as I suddenly craved the warmth of my mate. Had he been here, I wouldn't be such a mess of nervous energy. Even last time, if not ph
Ember's POV:Sprinting through the corridors, I ran straight to my bedroom. Flopping on the bed, I buried my face into the mattress, and let it all out.My shoulders shook as sobs rocked out of me. I couldn't believe what had been happening for the last few days and how things escalated so fast. Fat tears flowed out of my eyes as I tried to wrap my mind around everything.Just two days ago, I was the happiest girl in the whole wide world who was loved and adored by her mate. But now, his indifference, angry glares, and harsh words had reduced me to the saddest girl alive.My heart felt so heavy. It's sad how we associate our happiness with someone else, how we depend on others for peace, and as long as they shower us with love and admiration, we are happy and at peace but the moment they turn their backs on us, we're compelled to question our whole existence. But the saddest part? When you fall in love, you know it, even acknowledge it but still can't do anything to change it. You hav
Ember's POV: With a tiny body clad in my arms, I turned around to head back into the castle. The wheels in my mind were already churning as I made a list concerning the kitten. We needed to bathe him, feed him, get him vaccinated, build him a home, keep him warm, and... My footsteps came to a sudden halt as soon as I lifted my gaze and spotted Nicholus. He wasn't coming from the woods actually. Instead, he was standing in the window of his office. Discovering the kitten in the backyard must have made me miss his arrival. With a hand tucked in his pocket, he was standing upright and rigid. My heartbeat turned erratic as I realized his gaze, hard and intense, was fixated on me. I wondered for how long he had been staring down at me. At us, actually. Damon came up behind me and started ruffling the fur of the kitten, "I'll help you build him a home." Nicholus's eyes narrowed into thin slits. My sharp gaze was enough to see the clenching and unclenching of his jaw as his glare
Ember's POV: To be honest, I really wanted to shift and go into the woods to find Nicholus. I needed to talk to him and apologize for my words. But, at the same time, I also knew it wasn't a good idea to go into the woods at night because danger or no danger, it'd infuriate him to no extent. So, I decided to wait for him but I didn't want to go back into the castle as I knew I'd only be mopping around like a ball of anxious energy. Having nothing else to do, I agreed to Damon's suggestion. Turning around, he waved his hand forward, "After you, princess." Forming a small smile that surely didn't reach my eyes, I complied. Damon fell into steps beside me as we made our way to the gazebo. Climbing up, he offered me his palm, "Allow me." Rolling my eyes, I chuckled slightly, "There are stairs and a railing. I think I can do it on my own." Retreating his hand, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry...it's just an instinct to help a woman." Planting my hand on the railing,
Ember's POV:After Nicholus left so abruptly, I didn't have any appetite left to indulge in breakfast so after only a few bites, I grabbed my cup of coffee, stood up, and excused myself."You didn't each much today," Luna noticed.I scrunched up my nose, "I feel full. But don't worry, I'll have a snack later," I added before she got worried.With my fingers around the cup handle, I strode out of the castle and made my way into the lush green lawn to soak up a bit of the sun.Tilting my head toward the sky, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I relished the feel of fresh air rushing into my lungs but it did nothing to ease up the restlessness that was zinging inside me.Ever since yesterday, I have been feeling so restless. There was one thing, one particular moment during the attack yesterday, that was still stuck in my mind. No matter how hard I tried to nudge it to the back it was still there, replaying again and again."You felt it too, right?" even Aria couldn't ignore it any
Ember's POV: When my mind processed everything and I came back to my senses, the first instinct was to comfort him but I resisted the urge to go after him. He was very angry and I didn't want to add fuel to his rage. Deciding to give him some time to cool off, I took off the bathrobe and changed into PJs. With slouched shoulders and a foul mood, I walked into the bedroom and flopped onto the bed. After such a hectic day, sleep kicked in the moment my body touched the mattress. The spot beside me was cold and empty. I missed his presence. I missed how he'd either spoon me or hug me. I missed sleeping to the sound of his heartbeat beside me. I forced my eyes open and decided to wait for him. I kept glancing at the clock. It struck 12, then 1, and then 2 before my already tired body couldn't take it anymore. With the thought of waking up in his arms, I finally drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the window. As soon as my eyes open
Ember's POV: After showering, I tied the bathrobe around myself and tiptoed toward the closet room. I was going through my PJs when the hair on the back of my neck stood taller. That always happened when he was nearby. Would my body ever get used to his proximity? He was lingering at the doorway, waiting for me to acknowledge his presence and when I didn't, he let out a deep sigh, "For how long are you going to keep ignoring me?" Not making any attempt to answer him, I kept sifting through the clothes in the almirah, pretending to be busy deciding what to wear. All of a sudden, a chill ran down my spine as he came up beside me, too near that I could feel his hot breath on my cold skin as he said tightly, "I am talking to you, Ember." Yanking the random PJ set out, I snapped sharply, "And can't you see I'm not interested in talking to you?" Slamming the almirah door shut, I jerked around. Without bothering to cast him a glance, I just walked around him. But I had just taken