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

CHASE.It's been more than six hours since she fainted, and the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting a soft glow of the moonlight peeking through the window blind.I watched Zara sleep; her features softened in the gentle glow of the moonlight. Watching her be in indescribable pain before slumping on the floor of the garden filled me with a rage I didn’t think was possible. I was even more angry that I couldn’t do anything about it, nor did I know why or how it happened. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath, her hair spilling across the pillow in a sea of black, thick curls. Gently, I reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, my fingers lingering against her skin for a moment longer than necessary. The longer I sat there, I noticed there seemed to be something that pulled me to her, a feeling I couldn’t explain or control. And just like the last few times I’ve touched her in this state I could feel subtle tingles of the mate bond whe

Zara.I stirred gently in my sleep and opened my eyes briefly, taking in my surroundings. The past few days seemed like a blur and I barely remembered what happened. ‘Where are we?’ I murmured to Nia, trying to get everything into focus.‘I believe this is our room,’ she responded, reeling from dizziness. She too was trying to piece together the events of the previous day, or however long we were out for. Very soon, everything began to look familiar. The vanity table that had a pinkish hue which I’d gotten ready at a few days ago, the thick velvet rug that covered almost half of the flooring in the room, the high ceilings, and the gorgeous chandelier in the middle of it. It was the room Chase had prepared for me. I tried to sit up when I felt a gentle pressure on my body, and I looked to my left to see Chase sitting on a chair by the bed, his head and arms on the bed beside me, fast asleep. ‘He’s asleep,’ Nia said, more of a statement than a question. There was a hint of amusement

I could feel how much Chase was fuming just by standing next to him. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes flashed with barely contained rage as he stared at the elders. Most of them cowered from his anger, but they tried to stand their ground. “How dare you speak such words about my queen in my presence?” Chase’s voice was a low growl, his words dripping with authority. “Zara is my queen and therefore yours by proxy. Chosen by me and worthy of respect and honor regardless of your narrow-minded prejudices.”The elder remained unfazed as well as the others. “She bears the mark of a whore, Your Majesty. A stain upon you and the honor of our kingdom. We cannot accept her as our queen.”I couldn’t say anything because for one I had nothing to say and the only thing I felt was pure and undiluted anger, and also because Chase had instructed that I remained silent and to let him handle things before we got here. He wanted me to trust him, and I plan to do so. I had thought the meeting at the

For a moment, there was only the sound of our shallow breaths mingling in the silence. His eyes met mine briefly, but he quickly averted his gaze, his expression unreadable. “So are you going to tell me what just happened?” I asked when I noticed he was a bit calmer. “It’s nothing,” Chase said as he got to his feet and began to button his shirt. “It’s not nothing. You looked like you were in genuine pain or on fire.” I tried to stop myself from staring at the length of his torso, but it was pointless. He looked extremely gorgeous, and I tore my eyes away when he caught me looking. He sighed as he fixed his cuff links, and for some reason, I found the act endearing. He looked so sexy, and I wondered what it would feel like if he…‘Earth to Zara,’ Nia called out, dragging my attention back to what was happening. I blinked, suddenly aware of the heat rising to my cheeks as I tore my gaze away from Chase's body.“What happened, Chase?” I asked again. Chase exhaled deeply, his expre