Chapter 2: His Queen

-Roman-

I stood on the expansive balcony facing the front of the enormous mansion, watching as people streamed inside. Their voices floated up to me, carried by the wind. There were so many of them, all expecting great things for tonight—a new queen. Daphne hadn’t officially been named queen yet. I hadn’t marked her either. Tonight was just her introduction as my queen. Much still needed to be prepared for the official ceremony, and then there was the marking.

I was still young for a lycan, though, not yet thirty—just twenty-eight. I knew many might find it strange that I was so quick to choose a queen. Why not wait a little longer? What was the rush? I was a young king, having taken the throne before I even turned seventeen. But why shouldn’t I take a queen fast? I knew how short life could be.

“Father?” I called, searching for him throughout the castle where we lived. But he was no longer the same man now that his true mate had died in a rogue attack. That’s why I knew I had to keep my eyes on him.

“Father?” I called again, turning a corner.

I kept searching and searching, but for some reason, he was especially hard to find tonight.

“Father?” I called once more, only to catch a strange scent in the air. Was that blood? I hurried forward, sprinting toward the source until I found where it came from. I tried to push the door to my mother’s favorite room, her painting room. It was locked at first, so I knocked it down. But I was met by a horrible sight—I gasped as I saw my father lying on the floor.

“Father!” I shouted, running to his cold body. I grasped him, shaking him. “Father!” But he didn’t respond. He was already gone.

I sighed, tightening my grip on the stone railing before pushing away. I turned the family ring on my middle finger, twisting it around and around—a nervous habit. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about this party. It wasn’t that I hated parties. I just didn’t enjoy them much either. But this one made me anxious.

Knock. Knock.

I turned to look over my shoulder as someone knocked at my door.

“Enter,” I called.

The door opened, and the scent of rain wafted in. I knew immediately who it was. Daphne stepped inside, wearing a stunning white dress that hugged her slim, tall frame. She looked amazing, her blonde hair cascading down her back. A smile lit up her face as she walked closer to me, stopping by the open balcony doors. She leaned against the frame, taking me in. The look in her eyes shifted, and I sensed her concern.

“Are you okay, Roman?” she asked.

“Just fine,” I replied.

I leaned against the stone railing behind me and glanced over my shoulder.

“Seems like we will have the house filled tonight,” I said.

I turned to Daphne, and she was smiling happily.

“It’s exciting,” she said, and I tried to smile a little.

“You’ve always loved these things.”

“Yes, but there’s also a lot of food,” she teased.

I chuckled softly, knowing she was trying to make me laugh and ease my worries. Daphne stepped out onto the balcony, running a hand through my hair in an attempt to calm me.

“You know I can always tell when something’s bothering you, right?” she inquired.

I nodded. I knew she could. She had told me many times.

“What’s going on?”

“I just… feel like this party isn’t a good idea,” I admitted. “I mean, we’re inviting everyone!”

“We are,” she replied, leaning against the railing.

I turned to her, my worry evident. “It’s like telling our enemies, ‘Look here—hit her right here, and you’ll see the king go down’. I’m scared this will just give them something to use against me.”

“Do you think someone will just assassinate me at the party?”

I shrugged. “We don’t know who all those people are,” I reminded her, gesturing toward the ground where guests were still streaming inside. “We’ve invited wolves and lycans from pretty much every corner of the world! Why aren’t you more worried?”

“Because I trust you’ve arranged the security,” she joked lightly.

I sighed and shook my head. “This isn’t the time for jokes… but yes, I did,” I added quickly.

She chuckled, and the sound brought a smile to my face.

“You know you worry too much,” she said.

“That’s not true.”

“You can’t have fun.”

“I can have fun!” I defended.

“Oh, well, Your Highness, how about you prove it then?” she challenged, crossing her arms. “Go down to that party. Smile. Laugh. Enjoy!”

“Are you giving me commands already, my queen?” I joked.

She chuckled and nodded. “You’d better get used to it.”

We both laughed, and the energy between us was refreshing, but I still struggled to let go of my worries. I cared for Daphne deeply, and I didn’t want her to get hurt. She easily could.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, placing a hand on my arm. “You’ll see.”

I nodded slightly and tried to smile. “I’m glad you’re so calm.”

“Well, someone has to be,” she teased.

I pushed away from the railing and positioned myself in front of her. I cupped her neck and drew her closer, kissing her. This wasn’t our first kiss. We had shared a few before. To me, it felt more like a duty—something to get used to, knowing there would be more. I felt a pang of guilt each time I pulled away, seeing her eyes glisten with a desire for more, more than I could give. Still, I kissed her, moving my lips against hers and savoring the taste. She tasted good, and the kiss itself wasn’t bad, but it would never be more.

As I slowly pulled back, I noticed that same glistening look in her eyes. She smiled back at me, and I stroked my thumb over her bottom lip, watching her eyes heat with emotion.

“Okay, let’s go down to the party,” I said. “But you stay by my side.”

“Where else would I be, my king?” she teased.

I held out my arm for her, and she took it as we left my bedroom to join the throngs of guests who had arrived.