ZARA.
“Father, I want to marry Lina,” Asher said, squeezing Lina’s shoulder.Of course he’d say that. Of course he’d want to marry her. After what he had just finished saying to me? Why was I surprised he made his wish clear?Yet, I couldn't do anything as the tears spilled from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't do anything at the slice of pain that shot through me. Couldn't do shit other than to watch my life get ruined.Okay, so obviously, Asher had every right not to marry me, because what I did was very vile, although I had no idea why I’d done that, but I completely understand him. Even if I shouldn't. Even if I now know he and Lina have been doing it. But deciding to get married to Lina on a whim was what I didn’t understand. Okay, not a whim. They have been together for a while now according to him, which totally makes sense.All the more reason to make me believe that this was planned. I had been set up. What I don't know is if both Lina and Asher planned this, or if Lina did this alone since she provided the pictures. Perhaps, even the stranger may have had a hand in it. Because how can anyone explain any of this?!I was still processing my thoughts and what was going on when the strange man began to speak.“Why don't we make this more interesting?” he said.“What do you want, Chase?” Clinton Zapata, Asher’s father and the king of Zakori, asked him as I just stared in bewilderment.He smiled, then shifted his attention to me.“Zara,” he started as the entire hall went quiet. He reached out to take my hand in his, and I placed mine ever so gently as he sank onto one knee.‘Oh, my Lumus. Oh, my Lumus. Oh my Lumus,’ Nia shrieked within me, completely giddy with excitement, as well as panicking. I, on the other hand, have no idea what the hell was running through my frozen, muddled brain.“Will you marry me?” he finished, leaving me completely breathless as gasps and whispers instantaneously filled the hall once more. But I zoned everything out. Everything except for the words I kept repeating.The words hung in the air, and I had no idea what to say, but it didn’t look like a bad opportunity to me. Unless, of course, this was also planned. To get me to marry the stranger, who was Asher’s uncle, and ruin my life. I’d just been branded a whore, and no lycan, despite being one myself, would even look at me twice after what had happened today spread around the kingdom. Neither would a wolf. My reputation was completely ruined, and this might be the only chance I get to revive it.I don't trust Chase. Not even a bit. He had to have known this was going to happen. It was the only plausible explanation for this insanity. Because who in their right mind would marry someone who’d just broken her mate bond and was branded a bond-betrayer?It felt like my whole world was sinking, crashing into each other, and there was barely anything I could do about it.Chase looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine. There was something about the way he looked at me that completely unnerved me. Nia and I had never felt like this for anyone before, not even with Asher.But Chase was granting me a chance of reprieve, a means to where I don’t have to be shamed any longer for the branding on my wrist. Even if I can't trust it.He squeezed my hand in his, and an array of flutters exploded from every single pore on my skin, leaving me with goosebumps.‘Did you feel that Zara?’ Nia asked urgently.‘I did. I fucking did. What’s going on?’I turned to Chase, furrowing my eyebrows at him. Surely, he doesn’t know what it means to marry me. A woman who had been branded a bond betrayer on her wedding day. He would have to live with embarrassment as long as I am his. It was even worse, given that we aren’t mates.So I asked him the one question I had. “Why?” the word spilled from my lips in a breathless whisper. “Why would you marry me?”“Because,” Chase started, his eyes locked on mine. “Because it just feels right,” He looked around with a small smile playing on his lips as if he was telling me a secret only the both of us knew. “Besides, I feel like I’m partly to be blamed for all this.”I smiled a little. I knew that it wasn’t entirely my nor his fault because I wasn’t myself last night, but I didn’t know what it was. And I wouldn’t deny that I wasn’t attracted to Chase.I stopped my eyes from roaming his body as I knew that this was a very crucial time.Before I could respond, he was already talking. “And I want to try to make things right, to protect you from the shame and humiliation that has been unfairly thrust upon you. And if you are thinking that I had a hand in any of this, which is definitely a ploy, then I swear to you I don't. I wasn't part of whatever plans they made to ruin you.”I let out a loose breath as something heavy lifted from my chest, stirring something deep in me that I couldn’t quite name. Was it gratitude, relief, or perhaps something else that I didn’t know? I trusted him. I believed what he said, and while I cannot explain how that was possible, I was still relieved I got it.“I’m not fit to be anyone’s wife,” I said quietly. “I have just been branded.”“Zara,” he started gently. “I know this may seem like an impossible choice, but please consider what is best for you. Will you allow yourself to be swept away by shame and humiliation, or will you stand up and fight for your happiness?”Of course, I wanted to stand up and fight for my happiness. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I found out I might not have acted completely of my own volition and the fact that Asher and Lina are slithering snakes.For a long time, I’d allowed myself to be controlled by what other people thought of me, but not anymore. Now, I was faced with a choice that could change the course of my life forever, and I knew I had to be brave enough to take on the opportunity for a fresh start, no matter how uncertain the path ahead may be.“I am a king,” Chase continued, his voice a low whisper just for me like we had been talking all this while. “I will protect you with everything in me,” there was a certain tone of conviction in his voice, and I wondered if it was partly because he blamed himself for what had happened to me. “Together, we will get to the bottom of all this. And you can do that while holding that title of a queen, right? Which is better than the title of a princess you’d have gotten.”Of course! Oh Lumus! This makes perfect sense! And so, with a sense of determination coursing through my veins, I turned to Chase, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and hope. “Yes,” I said softly, my voice trembling with emotion. “Yes, I will marry you.”‘What are we doing?’ Nia asked.‘I have no idea.’ On one hand, I was extremely scared of what was happening, and on the other, I was extremely thankful to Chase for wanting to marry me. Still, my life felt like a scene from a badly rehearsed reality TV show. How did it all turn upside down so badly? “I forbid you from marrying a branded!” The king thundered angrily. “You will not stain Father’s blood with an impure!”“Since when do you care what I do with my life, brother?” Chase asked as he stood up, pulling me to his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “And since when do I take command from you?”“Chase…”“I am a king like you are, need I remind you of that, Clinton?” The biting edge in his voice was chilling.“I am still the eldest and…”“You never took that role seriously all these years. And you want to now? I don't give a flying fuck if I am staining father’s bloodline or not. It is my life, and I do whatever the hell I want with it!” He snapped.“Uncle…”“Not a word
Chase and I stepped forward, ready to exchange tokens of our commitment. I swallowed. “I don’t have a token for you. I’m sorry.”He chuckled, which made my stomach do numerous backflips. “Well, I didn’t expect you to have one. All of this has caught you by surprise.”“Oh, I might have something,” I started with a smile, an idea coming to mind. I reached for the pendant that sat on my neck, and one I’d worn since childhood. It was a precious keepsake that carried a lot of memories of love and laughter. I’d wanted to give it to Asher before the wedding, but I could see why I thought against it. “This may not be the grandest of tokens or a wedding band,” I began, my voice trembling with emotion. “But it carries the weight of a lot of love and memories in my life. The love of my mother. I’d like you to have it.” I pulled the pendant from my neck and pressed it into his palm. “Are you sure?”I nodded. “Yes, I am.”“Well, I don’t have a token here, so I guess we’ll just improvise.”He
CHASE.The wedding had been chaotic, as chaotic as my whole day had been since I woke up. I had Zara’s pendant in my right pants pocket. I was still trying to contemplate what had happened and what I had even gotten myself into, but my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that the gorgeous woman I’d yearned for was seated beside me on my private jet. As my wife. My queen. My mate.We had left the wedding and gotten to the airport hangar where my private jet was waiting, and now we were on our way back to Betnerd, the kingdom I’d inherited from my mother’s side.“It’s beautiful,” Zara said, dragging my attention back to reality. She was looking out of the window at the forests and landscapes the jet zoomed past.“It is,” I agreed, my eyes on her, taking her all in. She sighed and turned to look at me, and I tore my gaze away. “How are you…a king too?” She asked, and I knew she was trying to find a footing to discuss what really mattered.“Clinton and I do not share the same mother. My
CHASE.The wedding had been chaotic, as chaotic as my whole day had been since I woke up. I had Zara’s pendant in my right pants pocket. I was still trying to contemplate what had happened and what I had even gotten myself into, but my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that the gorgeous woman I’d yearned for was seated beside me on my private jet. As my wife. My queen. My mate.We had left the wedding and gotten to the airport hangar where my private jet was waiting, and now we were on our way back to Betnerd, the kingdom I’d inherited from my mother’s side.“It’s beautiful,” Zara said, dragging my attention back to reality. She was looking out of the window at the forests and landscapes the jet zoomed past.“It is,” I agreed, my eyes on her, taking her all in. She sighed and turned to look at me, and I tore my gaze away. “How are you…a king too?” She asked, and I knew she was trying to find a footing to discuss what really mattered.“Clinton and I do not share the same mother. My
As we stepped off the plane, my senses were assaulted by the flurry of activity and all the confetti being thrown into the air around us. “All hail the queen!” they called out, their voices ringing with a solemnity that caused me to wince.I hadn’t expected anything grand and big like what I was currently experiencing. I had not even thought of expecting a welcome. And then, as if on cue, they all bowed before me, their gestures a show of respect that left me speechless. “All hail the queen!” They chorused again, head bowed down with one hand pressed to the chest.. I stood there, frozen in place, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. I’d thought Betnerd was just a small kingdom in the north, but I was shocked by the turn of events. Even when Chase told me about being a king here; I never thought it was something so grand. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself being greeted with such reverence? It was even worse because now, more than ever, I knew I did n
I slowly opened my eyes to the rays of sunlight streaming in through the large windows located at the corner of my room. The events of the past day filled my head, giving me a slight migraine. It all felt like a dream, but it wasn’t, and I hated that. I also had no idea that I’d slept that long. It was probably because I was so tired.As I slowly emerged from the depths of sleep, the unfamiliar surroundings of the lavish bedroom came into focus. I was in Chase’s mansion, and I hadn’t even taken it in the previous day because I had a lot to think about. ‘Oh, he’s rich,’ Nia mused as we took in the ornate curtains and the very expensive furniture that adorned the room. It was like I’d been teleported into another dimension filled with wealth and luxury, and then suddenly at that thought I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Did I really deserve all this? It didn’t feel like I did, especially with the brand sitting on my wrist for everyone to see. Blinking away the remnants of slumber,
It was almost instantaneous, the change in their behavior and movement. The warmth and kindness that they’d shown toward me when the day started evaporated immediately, and it was replaced by an icy coldness that chilled me to the bone.It was as if the air itself had turned frigid, and I felt exposed. Without another word, Pamela and Darcy hurried to finish dressing me, their movements frantic and disjointed. It was clear that they couldn't wait to be rid of me, to escape the presence of someone marked by such a symbol of shame and disgrace. And I could see firsthand how everyone who was to come in contact with me from this point would react. It was something I had to carry everywhere with me, and I completely hated it. They quickly excused themselves and practically ran out of the room. I looked down at the branding on my wrist. What would happen now? Is this the same reaction I would get from everyone I came across? I knew that I was already married to Chase, and he assured me
“… that building has been around since Chase, Shane, and I were children. We made a bet that it’d collapse ten years ago, and yet, here it is still standing,” Ryan said, pointing at the rickety building in front of us. The building looked like it was going to collapse at any moment, and I wondered how it was still standing. The brick wall was crumbling in on itself, and the sagging roof spoke of how the building had weathered through the time that passed.Ryan had taken me around the pack house to give me a much-needed tour, and I didn’t know if it was because he noticed I looked a bit sad after hearing that I was going to see the elders tomorrow or if he just wanted to do something nice for me. Either way, I really appreciated it. “It's hard to believe this building is still standing. It looks like it’s going to fall at any given moment," I said. Ryan nodded in agreement. “I remembered when we used to dare each other to go inside.”I chuckled, feeling a little bit lighter. “Really