RYDER’S POV “Ryder, we just found Simeon’s body,” Adrian reaches me through mind link. “It’s suicide,” “Son of a bitch chose the easy way out,” I cursed.I tried my best to conceal my emotions from my mate knowing fully well that she could feel all of it through our mate bond. Not like I didn’t want her to know the coward of an alpha killed himself, I just wanted her to have this time with her father and not disturb her with any of that for now.I could feel all her emotions while she was with him. She was uncertain at first and I like that she is gradually warming up to him. I excused myself to allow them some time together. I also needed to get the details about Simeon. I’m not exactly happy that he died so easily.I hate to leave my mate even for a second, but I know we cannot always be together e

Dungeons are really scary. We had a small dungeon in Eclipse pack where I spent a couple of nights in the past. I remember Alpha Simeon had me locked there for two weeks straight one time he said I had disrespected his Luna. It was the longest time I stayed in a dungeon at a stretch and it was a horrific experience. I think I was about thirteen then.I swallowed as one of the guards led us to the cell where Jordan was. Ryder’s hands were positioned at the small of my back, and apparently, he didn’t like the idea. I could feel his emotions and I know he can feel how uncomfortable I am here.I have never seen a dungeon so large before. It rested many feet underground with several cells lined up opposite each other. I couldn’t walk the lengths of the cell, because it was separated into several sections. Some cells were smaller than some and the crime committed would determine the cell one gets. I know this all too well from my own experience.I co

We returned back to the royal palace that same day and by the following day, things were being put in place to shut down Eclipse pack. I didn’t stay back to see it though, my job there was done, and I was back to the royal palace. Many members of Eclipse pack will not like me, because they wouldn’t understand this was in their best interest, but I was used to them not liking me, I lived with that all my life, only difference now is that I have upper hand. I hurried to meet Elsie who had been waiting for me downstairs for a while. As usual, I had woken up to find Ryder’s side of the bed empty, and the disappointment that followed was totally beyond my control. I had to remind myself that the fact that he had marked me now didn’t mean that he would have lesser responsibilities, and he only just informed me about his father’s decision to retire in less than two weeks, so there is a lot that needed to be done before the handover ceremony. To my surprise, Louis was beside

The following days passed in a blur. There seemed to be too much to do under very little time, and I would not have been able to hold it off, if not for Elsie’s help. I didn’t know the first thing about organizing anything, and I wanted this to be perfect. I can’t afford any lapses.Ryder was enveloped in a pile of work himself, and we had little time with each other. Many nights, he didn’t return to bed and had to work through the night. He wouldn’t allow me to assist knowing I was pretty exhausted myself, but I fell asleep very frequently in his office and woke up in his room.The royal suite had been cleared out in the main castle for us while his father moved to the building behind that had been created for the purpose of his retirement. Our things had been cleared out and arranged in the royal suite and it would be our last night here. Louis will be moving in here once we moved out, and I knew I would miss this place so much.T

We recited our oaths before going into the ritual proper, and then the mating process had to come before the crowning ceremony. It was a rigorous exercise with Ryder taking his oath first, and then I followed suit.The king slits his left palm with a royal dagger, and Ryder does the same. Then they shook hands and the crowd bared their necks while the exchange of power was ongoing, with the kinsmen reading out the vows for Ryder to repeat.Once that was done, he had to go on his knees to receive the crown from his father. I knelt with him as his father proceeded to crown me with his mother’s crown once he was done with Ryder. I repeated my vows too and swore my loyalty to my people and to Ryder, to rule alongside him and put the welfare of my subjects first.Then it was time for the mating proper. My wolf was giddy with excitement, she had waited for this a long time. To be joined with her mate forever as one. It was midnight already and the moon was at hi