DENZEL "Your majesty, he's here," Keenan announced, his head bowed. He'd just walked into my study a few seconds ago, his posture stiff.I dropped my pen on my desk and raised a brow."Who?""Kiara's father. He's threatening to cause a scene if Kiara isn't brought to him," Keenan said, his eyes darkening."Take me to him," I said, rising to my feet.We both headed out of my study, and hurried to the courtyard where Kiara's father stood with his bodyguards.His eyes were azure. Just like Kiara's. But, he had wavy black hair and a grim expression on his face.Taking my seat, I signalled the maids to serve us some wine. "You must be Kiara's father. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said and he clenched his jaw. "Where is my daughter? I want to see her," he uttered, his gaze hostile."Why don't you have a seat, your majesty?" I suggested, gesturing at the chair opposite me.The menace in his gaze did not ease up as he sized me up and sat down on the unoccupied seat."I'll cut straight to
KIARA Estella had told me that Denzel had murdered their mother. But she never told me about the pain he’d gone through during his childhood days. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t bring myself to believe Estella’s words.Denzel wouldn’t murder his own mother. He wouldn’t do something like that. But what did Estella mean when she told me I was being deceived by her brother?Although I had so many unanswered questions, I didn’t know what to do.In reality, I dreaded knowing the truth. What if she was right?But, at the same time, what if she was wrong?“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m not ready. It brings back painful memories I would rather bury,” Denzel said to me.I could understand his hesitance. The weight of his past must be tremendous, I knew this because his eyes were filled with so much pain and grief.“It’s okay. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll listen,” I told him. He gave me a weak smile.“Thank you.”I watched him as he dried his hair with a towel. He s
KIARA I awoke with mixed feelings. I didn’t know what to make of Lucas’ frequent invasion into my dreams. But I certainly didn’t want to encounter him again. That morning, I had breakfast with my mate. Again, I consumed a lot of food. After our breakfast, Denzel dropped the bomb on me.“The mating ceremony is in two days.”I paused, scanning his face for any sign of amusement. But found none.“Are you serious?” I asked, my eyes wide. He nodded, leaning back in his seat.“You’re not ready?” He asked, arching a brow.“I know I agreed to go ahead with the mating ceremony. But...are you sure about this? Isn’t it too- “He tsked, rubbing his jaw.“Sudden?”I nodded.“Yes. That’s the word,” I said, clearing my throat.“Unless you plan to change your mind, I don’t see why you should be worried,” he shrugged.“I won’t look good in a dress. I’m starting to feel bloated too,” I told him. He stared at me for a few seconds. Then he rose to his feet. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in
KIARA We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us willing to make the first move. Even so, the reason I was unable to move was probably a lot different from the reason why he remained immobile. Dread had sank deep into me, and my legs just wouldn't move. Denzel had made me promise him that I would run far away if I ever encountered Adam again. But there I was, frozen to the spot, too petrified to run. Slowly, Adam rose to his feet and cracked his knuckles. He regarded me with a languid gaze, his head cocked to the side. I swallowed hard as his gaze roamed from my face to my feet, and back to my face again. The hair on the back of my neck stood stiff, sweat rolling down my spine. Taking a deep breath, Adam turned his back to me with unhurried movements. My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at the familiar sight of Denzel's well proportioned physique- a body that was now occupied by a different entity, against the will of the host. "Run. I'm going to count until ten
DENZELOpening my eyes to find Kiara kneeling in front of me sent a bolt of panic, wrecking havoc on my senses. She had definitely encountered Adam. But she'd stayed. Did he hurt her? Was she alright? These questions crossed my mind. Eventually, my panic was replaced by disappointment. Despite my warning, she had been reckless."I'm sorry... I just...I have no excuses," she mumbled.I lowered my head, shutting my eyes."What were you thinking, Kiara? Damnit, you could've gotten hurt!" I rasped.She sighed, helping me to my feet."You don't have to worry about that. I'm perfectly fine. You should get some rest," she said.I went silent, allowing her to walk me to my room. The awkward silence between us resulted in an icy tension. Kiara didn't say a word until I was settled in my bedroom.She pulled up the blankets to my chin and sat down beside me. The door swung open a few seconds later. Keenan rushed in. His eyes widened when he glanced at Kiara. When our gazes met, he lowered his hea
DENZEL "Aren't you curious to know how he knows? I'm the only one who knows everything. I'm a ghost after all. One that only you can see," she said, her grin widening.Letting out a sigh, I rubbed my forehead and closed my eyes. "What did you do?" I said."I possessed a living vessel," she giggled and my eyes shot open. "Of course I can possess the living, you didn't know that? It only works with weak people though. For example, your beloved mate," she stated, her tone dripping with mockery. This was bad. Not only did I have to protect Kiara from Adam and myself, I had to protect her from Deanna as well. Deanna grinned and leaned against my desk, propping her chin on her palm. "The look on your face is certainly priceless. Don't worry, I won't possess her," she said.Winking at me, she leaned closer and whispered two words. "Not yet."Frustration tightened it's grip on me, fueling my impatience. I couldn't stand the thought of Deanna corrupting my mate's body. "Stay away fro
KIARA A storm was coming. I could feel it. The wild look in Denzel's golden eyes was almost eery. Unable to do anything, I'd watched the shine in his eyes fade, and in its place was a cruel tempest. His rage was growing by the minute. It was overbearing, it was as though it had a life of its own. For the first time, I was afraid of him. And I hated it. His voice was icy when he spoke again."Why? Why did you keep it from me?" His trembling fingers tightened around the curve of my shoulders, to the point where it ached. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. In my head, I went through all the times I could've told him about Estella. The words "I should have" were all I could think about. There was no time to mull over my regrets. Darkness had fallen over my mate's handsome face. I needed to fix this. But what could I say?Truth was, the reason why I'd kept it from him was because there was a part of me that was skeptical. "I see..." Denzel muttered, his grip loosening. My eyes wid
KIARA "Denzel?" I whispered, tapping my mate's arm. When he didn't respond, my heart sank. The figure at the other end of the hallway was approaching us steadily. I had a feeling that this man was Denzel's father. My priority was to keep a good distance between father and son."Don't confront him," I heard Denzel say. His voice was so low, I had to listen closely."Can you stand?" I asked, and he let out a sigh."I don't think so," he breathed."That man is your father, isn't he?" I whispered. He inhaled sharply, his hands loosely resting on my waist."I don't know why...but there's something about him that's familiar. I feel like I've met him before," I told him, and he stiffened."W-what? That's not- ""Coward!" Denzel's father growled. The sunlight spewing from the windows reflected on him. I could see his sharp features. He had graying black hair, which was tied up in a ponytail. His moustache and menacing silver gaze made him look unapproachable. Even so, I could tell that