CHAPTER 09: Northern Duke’s Only Son

Seeing him so eager to get me like I was something he had spent a lifetime searching for, something precious he had never dared to hope he would hold I felt nothing but confusion clawing at my chest. Why? Why would I have another mate? The bond I had known was supposed to be my only one, forever. I had been asking myself this question over and over, my mind spinning with every possibility, every doubt, every fear that had settled deep in my bones since the day I was cast aside. I was so curious, so desperate to understand what was happening to me, why fate was stitching my life to someone new when I was still bleeding from the last one.

He took a slow step closer, his movements fluid, almost gliding, like his feet never quite touched the earth. His dark eyes burned with a quiet intensity that made my breath catch, yet there was no threat in the way he looked at me only a hunger that felt different from anything I had ever known. Not the greedy hunger of someone who wants to use me, I thought, watching him warily. Something else entirely.

“I think you should ask me more about how I want to cherish you more,” he said, his voice low and rich, like velvet dragged over stone. It wrapped around me, soft and warm, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

I shook my head, pulling myself back from the edge of whatever spell he was weaving. Trust did not come easy now not after everything I had endured. I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze straight on, even though my hands were trembling at my sides. “What is your name? And what are you doing in this place? I want to know more about you before I even think of trusting you. I won’t just give myself away to a stranger who says I’m his.”

He didn’t look offended. If anything, a faint, proud smile touched his lips, like he was glad I was not easily swayed. “Fair enough. My name is Edward Lee. I am the Northern Duke’s son their only son, and heir to everything they rule. I found you because you are mine, and I will not let anyone harm you ever again. I want you to come with me. I will explain every single thing, answer every question you have, once we arrive at my home. It is safe there safer than any place you have ever known.”

I hesitated, my mind racing. To go with him meant stepping into the unknown, into a world I had only heard whispers of. To stay here meant waiting for my former pack to find me again, or for the wild things in these woods to finish what they had started. I looked down at my tattered clothes, at the bruises darkening my skin, at the embroidery on the scrap of cloth I still clutched in my hand the only thing I had left of my birth parents, the only clue to who I really was.

“My name is Lily Collins,” I said at last, my voice steady despite the fear coiling in my gut. “My adoptive parents gave me that surname. They said they found me with nothing but this piece of clothing, stitched with a word I could never quite read. But before I go with you… you have to promise me something. Promise you will never deceive me. Promise you will always be truthful, no matter what. If you can’t give me that, then let me walk away right now.”

Edward’s expression softened, and he held out his hand to me, his palm upturned, open and honest. “I swear it on my life, on my family’s name, and on the bond that ties us together. I will never lie to you, Lily. I will never hide the truth from you, no matter how hard it may be to hear. I will give you all of me every part, every secret, every burden. Now come with me.”

I stared at his hand for a long moment, then slowly reached out and placed mine in his. His skin was cool, yet the warmth that spread up my arm felt like it reached all the way to my heart. “Okay,” I whispered. “I will go with you.”

The moment our hands touched, the world around us blurred. The trees, the mist, the broken earth beneath my feet all of it melted away in a swirl of silver light. My stomach flipped, and I stumbled, but Edward’s arm was around my waist in an instant, holding me steady against his side. I clung to him, eyes squeezed shut, until the feeling of motion stopped and the air settled around us, cool and sweet with the scent of winter roses and old parchment.

When I opened my eyes, I gasped.

Before me stood a mansion so grand it looked like it had been carved from a dream. Its walls were pale stone veined with silver, rising high against the sky, and its gates were wrought from pure silver, etched with patterns of thorns and stars that glinted in the light. A long pathway paved with deep crimson stone stretched from the gates to the great oak doors, and lined along both sides were servants so many of them, I counted nearly fifty in total all standing perfectly still, their heads bowed low as we appeared.

The women wore crisp white blouses and long, flowing skirts of deep midnight blue, their hair pulled back neatly. The men were dressed in sharp black suits with silver buttons, every line of their posture rigid and respectful. Not a single one lifted their gaze, not even to glance at me.

Edward walked with me, his hand never leaving mine, his grip firm and reassuring. I looked up at him, at the sharp line of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the way his dark hair fell just so over his forehead. He was breathtaking so handsome it almost hurt to look at him and my heart began to hammer against my ribs all over again. What if they don’t accept me? I wondered, panic flaring in my chest. I’m nothing but a battered, rejected she-wolf with no family, no status, nothing to offer. What if they laugh at me? What if they turn me away?

The pressure of it all settled heavy on my shoulders, weighing me down. I kept my eyes fixed ahead, but I couldn’t help stealing glances at the mansion as we drew near high arched windows, balconies draped with ivy, statues of silver and marble standing guard like silent sentinels. It was beautiful, yes, but it was also terrifyingly grand. I felt small here smaller than I ever had before.

Edward stopped at the bottom of the steps, and his voice rang out, clear and commanding, echoing off the stone walls. “Listen well, all of you. I bring before you my other half my destined mate, Miss Lily Collins. You will show her the same respect you show me, for she is equal to me in every way. If I hear of anyone speaking ill of her, or treating her with anything less than the honor she deserves… you will know exactly what consequences follow. Do not test me.”

A ripple of fear went through the assembled servants. I saw their shoulders tense, heard the sharp intake of breath from those closest to us.

“Yes, Master!” they answered in perfect unison, their voices trembling but steady.

I stared at them, then up at Edward, my mind reeling. He spoke to me with such gentleness, such soft care, but to everyone else he was cold, unyielding, a force of nature no one dared cross. Am I just imagining it? I wondered. Am I only seeing what I want to see? Or am I truly different to him?

“From this moment on,” Edward continued, his tone still sharp with authority, “you will attend to her every need as you would attend to mine. Her word is law within these walls, just as mine is. She wants for nothing. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly, Master!”

The air around us felt thick, charged with power and warning. I looked up at Edward, my voice small as I spoke. “Sir… what if you regret this? What if you realize you made a mistake choosing me? I have nothing to give you. I have nothing at all.”

He turned to me at once, his expression softening instantly, the fierce edge melting away into something tender, something so warm it made my eyes burn. “Why are you calling me ‘sir’?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair from my face with a touch so light it barely felt real. “I want you to call me ‘honey’. Or ‘Edward’. Or whatever you wish, so long as it is my name, and you say it like I am yours. You are not nothing, Lily. You are everything. You are the one I have waited for my whole life. I will do everything in my power to give you all that you deserve and more.”

I was stunned into silence. I couldn’t find the words to say, couldn’t make my mouth form a single sound. He was so bold, so open, so unashamed of how he felt. I glanced quickly at the servants, but every face remained impassive, eyes still cast downward. Not a flicker of surprise or curiosity crossed their features. They were loyal to him completely utterly devoted.

“I… I can’t,” I stammered, heat rushing to my cheeks. “I can’t call you that. Not yet. We only just met. It feels… it feels too fast. I’m so shy, Edward. I don’t know how to be like this, not after everything.”

He nodded at once, no trace of disappointment in his eyes only understanding. “I respect that, more than you know. Take all the time you need. Call me Edward for now, if that is what you are comfortable with. But… may I call you ‘honey’? Just for me? I am so happy I found you. I can barely contain it.”

My heart gave a soft, painful throb. “Y-yes,” I whispered. “If that is what you want.”

“Thank you,” he said, and his smile was like the sun breaking through clouds. “Come inside now. You are cold, and you look worn thin wearing my cloak.”

Before I could say another word, he bent down and swept me up into his arms as easily as if I weighed nothing at all, holding me against his chest like a bride on her wedding day.

“Edward put me down!” I protested, clinging to his shoulders, my face burning bright red. “How can you do this? Everyone is watching! You are so shameless!”

He didn’t slow his pace as he carried me up the great steps. “No,” he said simply, his voice steady and sure. “I will not put you down. I have waited centuries for you for this moment. Now that you are here, in my arms, I will never let you go. Not in this life. Not in any other.”

He walked so fast the world seemed to blur around us, yet his hold was gentle, careful, like he was afraid I might break. What a coy vampire, I thought, shaking my head even as I leaned a little closer against him, drawn in by his warmth and the quiet strength of him.

When the great doors swung open before us, I could only stare in awe. Everywhere I looked there was gold glinting from the carved frames of portraits, winding around the banisters of the grand staircase, inlaid into the marble floors, trimming the velvet draperies that hung from floor to ceiling. Chandeliers made of crystal and gold hung from the high vaulted ceilings, casting a soft, shimmering light over everything. It was opulent beyond measure, every detail speaking of old, ancient wealth and power—exactly what I had always imagined a vampire noble’s home would be.

Edward carried me through wide corridors lined with tapestries showing battles and hunts and figures with eyes like rubies and amethysts, past rooms filled with bookshelves that reached to the ceiling, through halls lined with statues of his ancestors. I couldn’t stop looking at him at the sharp line of his profile, the way his dark hair caught the light, the strength in his arms that held me so carefully. He looked like something out of a fairy tale, something too perfect to be real.

But as the adrenaline of the journey faded, the exhaustion I had been carrying for days came crashing down on me all at once. My limbs felt heavy, my eyelids like lead. I tried to fight it, tried to stay awake, but the warmth of his arms and the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear lulled me into darkness. The last thing I felt was his hand brushing my hair back from my forehead, and the last thing I heard was him whispering, “Sleep now, my love. You are safe.”

 

I woke to the feeling of cool fingers brushing gently over my arm, and the soft sound of water splashing. The air smelled sweet of roses and fresh lemon, clean and bright. I stirred, blinking my eyes open slowly, and found myself staring straight into a pair of vivid purple eyes, bright and clear, fixed intently on me.

I screamed, scrambling backward until my back hit the edge of a large copper bathtub.

“Get away! What are you doing? Why are you bathing me? Are you some kind of pervert? Have you no shame?” Tears spilled over before I could stop them, hot and fast. I pulled my arms tight around myself, trembling all over. How could he do this? How could he take advantage of me when I was so weak, so helpless?

Edward froze at once, his hands lifting away from me, his face stricken. “Lily honey please, do not cry. I did not mean to upset you. I only wanted to clean the dirt and blood from your skin. I only wanted to take care of you. I would never do anything to hurt you, or anything you do not want. I swear it. There is no malice in my heart for you only love.”

I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of deceit, any flicker of wrong intent. All I saw was genuine regret, and a deep, aching sorrow that I felt in my own chest. Still, I could not bring myself to lower my guard. I had learned too well that trust was a weapon others could use against you. I would not hand it over so easily again not to any man, not to any other species.

Then his gaze fell to my arms, to the dark bruises, the fading cuts, the marks left by fists and claws and words that had cut deeper than any blade. His eyes darkened, and I saw a faint wisp of silver smoke curl from his lips.

“Who did this to you?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous, shaking with suppressed rage. “Tell me their names. Tell me who hurt you like this. I will make them pay. I will erase every mark they left on you, and I will make them regret ever laying a hand on what is mine. Just say the word, and I will bring them to their knees before you.”

“It was my former mate,” I said, my voice cracking. “And his second the one he chose over me. They did this. The whole pack stood by and watched. I will never forgive them. I will make them pay back every hurt, every tear, every bruise a hundred times over.”

Just speaking of it brought it all rushing back—the shouting, the blows, the way he looked at me like I was nothing, like I had never mattered at all. My breath came in short, sharp gasps, and my hands curled into fists in my lap.

Edward watched me, his expression darkening further. “It happens more often than anyone dares admit,” he said quietly. “Too many werewolves too many of all our kind throw aside their true bonds for power, for status, for gain. They do not understand what a gift a destined mate is. But I am not like them, Lily. I will never be like them.”

“I do not want your revenge,” I told him, lifting my chin even as tears still tracked down my cheeks. “Not yet. I want to be strong enough to do it myself. I want to look them in the eye and make them see exactly what they threw away. I want to be the one to destroy them. That is my priority now becoming capable. Becoming someone no one can ever hurt again.”

Before he could answer, a soft, hesitant knock sounded at the door. “Pardon the intrusion, Master,” a man’s voice called out, respectful and careful. “There is word from the border lands. A strange epidemic has broken out. It drives members of every species werewolves, vampires, fae violently insane. It is spreading fast, and no one yet knows how to stop it.”

Edward’s jaw tightened. “I will attend the council meeting immediately,” he called back. “Give me a moment. I will see to my beloved first.”

“Of course, Master. I will wait outside.” Footsteps faded away down the hall.

He turned back to me, his hand brushing my cheek gently. “This changes things, my love. But it also makes what I said all the more important. I will help you train. I will help you become stronger than you ever dreamed possible strong enough to protect yourself, strong enough to take your revenge, and strong enough to stand against whatever this sickness brings.”

He lifted me from the bath and wrapped me in a soft, thick towel, his movements careful and respectful, never lingering where he should not. He led me into a bedroom that was as vast as the great hall below. The bed was large enough to hold ten people, draped in sheets the color of deep crimson shot through with gold thread. Everything was soft, warm, and luxurious.

He pulled back the covers and helped me sit on the edge of the mattress. “Rest now,” he said. “A maid will come soon with fresh clothes for you. I will not be long. Lock the door if you wish no one will enter unless you invite them. You are safe here.”

I nodded, too tired to speak, and watched him go. When the door clicked shut behind him, I pulled my knees to my chest and let the silence wrap around me. For the first time since I was cast out, I felt truly safe and that scared me almost as much as the danger I had left behind.

I lay back against the pillows, and exhaustion pulled me under almost at once. But sleep brought no peace. I was back in the clearing, surrounded by the pack, watching the man I had loved stand with her at his side. I felt the blows land all over again, heard the words that shattered my heart echo in my ears. I tried to run, to fight, but my limbs felt like lead, my voice trapped in my throat.

“Lily! Honey, wake up! You are safe wake up!”

I gasped, bolting upright, and found Edward leaning over me, his hands hovering near my shoulders, concern etched deep into his face. He had been about to kiss my forehead to calm me, but pulled back at once when I stirred.

“Stop don’t!” I cried, wiping tears from my eyes. “I was just… just dreaming. I was back there, with them. Nothing more.”

His eyes blazed with cold fury. “They will pay for this. For every tear you shed, every moment of fear you still feel. I swear it on my immortal soul.”

For a moment, despite the darkness of his promise, he looked more handsome than ever passionate, fierce, utterly devoted. I could not find the words to answer him.

He sat down beside me on the bed and took my hands in his, his grip steady and warm. “This sickness… it is not just a rumor. It makes our kind lose all reason, all sense of who they are. It turns even the kindest hearts to madness. I am taking every precaution to keep it far from this house, and far from you. But I will not lie to you it is dangerous out there.”

He lifted my hand and pressed a soft kiss to my knuckles. “I will teach you to fight. To use your wolf’s strength, and more for there is more to you than you know, Lily. But first… you must be ready. Ready to stand tall, ready to take back what is yours, and ready to face whatever comes next.”

I looked into his purple eyes, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a spark of hope ignite in my chest. “Then let us begin,” I said. “I am ready. I am done being weak. This is the real deal now and I will not fail.”