Kemira

I don’t know where my voice has come from. But I feel more confident when I speak to the lycan king.

I am standing in this beautiful bedroom. I don’t understand why this is where he took me and not my actual room with the staff.

“Why am I here? Is this the room you need me to start cleaning? If you can just give me a new uniform, I can get to cleaning up.” I keep talking, and he seems to get more frustrated with every word.

“Kemira, you weren’t brought here to clean the castle. You are here to heal.” Takoa runs his fingers through his hair. Giving it the tussled look. Goddess, it looks good on him. I feel as though I stare at this handsome man way too much.

“So, no cleaning?” I am so confused.

“Correct. Only healing. Rest. Whatever you want to do.” Takoa continues to give me space. Keeping distance between us, yet for some reason, I wish he were closer. That being said, I’m still confused.

“Then will you send me back?” I try to keep the trepidation out of my voice.

“Do you want to…” He begins.

“Please just give me a straight answer. Why are you keeping me here? Why are you helping me?”

“Because my wolf and I needed to take you from there.” He begins.

“Why? Why you and no one else?” I counter

“Everyone should have fought for you.” He answers as if it makes total sense.

“But only you did.” It’s a statement of fact at this point. Not a question

“Yes, my wolf, Fin, helped me find you.”

“Oh, with your lycan powers.”

“No, with the mate bond.” He blurts out. I’m speechless.

“What?” Did I hear him correctly? “What mare bond?”

“You are my mate. Kemira, you are my mate. My wolf found you in that pack house by your scent.” Takoa tells me.

“Mate? Oh … okay, well, you can go ahead and reject me.” I slide into the armchair next to me.

“What? Why would I do that?”

“I was rejected already. You are my second chance, mate. So I understand you are rejecting me. You are the Lycan king. Why would the moon goddess give an omega like me to someone so powerful?” Goddess, first an alpha and now a lycan king? The moon goddess has a sick sense of humor.

“Wait. Who was your mate who rejected you? When?” He asks, and I can feel his jealousy peeking. I’m going to make a run for it. I have to. The minute I tell him who my mate is, he will be even more disgusted with me.

“It’s not important.” I place my hands on my lap.

“Name. Please.” Takoa asks as some of his aura slips out, but once again, I feel nothing. “Was it Alpha Leopold?” I pause at the mention of his name. My hands instantly clutch my leggings.

“No, his son Alpha Lev. He realized I was his mate, and he rejected me instantly. I mean I’m just an omega…”

“Wait? What? Hold on. First off. Alpha Lev?” I hear him growl. It must be his wolf. I nod in agreement. “Then, secondly, why do you think you are an omega?”

“Both of my parents are betas. My father is the beta of the pack. My brother is a beta and next in line.” I begin feeling more open to talking to him.

“You are the beta's daughter?” He repeats my words as if he can not believe them. I nod.

“But I never got my wolf at eighteen. So I was put to work in the castle. So again, you can reject me so you can get on with your life. Maybe you will get a second chance, mate.” I tell him. Now Takoa has taken a seat in the other armchair next to me

“I don’t understand why you have been told this information. Kemira, you aren’t a werewolf. You are a lycan. We don’t get our lycan until we turn twenty.”

“What? No, that doesn’t make sense. Both my parents are wolves? How could I not be a wolf?” I question out loud.

“Good question. We can look into it for you. Do you want to see them? Your parents. So you can talk with them?” He asks as I freeze up. Anyone related to that pack knows how horribly I was treated, and my family stood by and assisted.

“No. I don’t. Can you please just reject me so we can get it over with? Please?” I ask. My heart starts to pick up. It feels like heartburn. He looks at me with concern.

“Hey, relax. Take a breath. Here. Drink this.” He grabs water from the mini fridge. He opens it for me and holds it steady. I try and drink as my hands shake. The door opens, and Chelsea appears.

“Hey, doll! Heard you were missing me already!” She walks over to me and kneels in front of me. Even in my turmoil, she brings me comfort, and I almost smile. I think I’m having a panic attack. “I’m going to hold your hands, okay?”

I nod as she covers my hands with hers. It soothes a little, but I’m still trying to remember how to breathe. All of this new information. How am I a lycan? Why did no one ever tell me? Why won’t he reject me? My head starts pounding. I close my eyes to try and tune out the noises in my head.

“Kemira.” I hear his deep voice. But right now it’s even deeper. It must be his wolf. I open my eyes, and Takoa holds his hands out, offering them to me. I place my hands on top of his, and warmth shoots through my body. Like a large heated blanket swaddling me. I exhale as calmness takes over my body. I look at him with a puzzled expression. He smiles at me as I squeeze his hands. Then I hear a voice in my head. “Mate”