All Chapters of When My Mate Chose Another, the Lycan King Chose Me: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Natasha’s POVMy head was spinning. Thoughts crashing into each other, one more unsettling than the next. What had I done wrong? Was this about earlier? Was there some law I’d unknowingly broken?I stood in the middle of the room, frozen, still clutching my phone. I looked down at myself. I was still in my silk robe, the soft kind that felt like air against the skin but did nothing to make me look put together. My hair was tossed up carelessly with a claw clip, some strands already loose around my neck and face. No makeup. No jewelry. I didn’t even have slippers on. I looked like someone who was halfway through crying herself to sleep.My fingers trembled slightly as I reached behind the door and pulled the long dark gown I’d hung there hours ago. I threw it on over the robe and adjusted the sleeves quickly. It didn’t fix much, but it gave me something to hide inside. I didn’t even try to fix my face. I just tied the robe tighter underneath and reached for the door.I opened it slowly

Lucien’s POVShe walked in like the kind of calm that comes before something powerful—slow, steady, but you could feel it pressing at the edges. She didn’t need to be loud. Her presence did something to the air around her, softened it and made it sharp at the same time. I didn’t expect it to hit me like that. But it did.The first thing I noticed was the dress. That deep red I’d asked them to make. The exact shade. I hadn’t even known I remembered it was her favorite until I caught myself picking it without hesitation. It looked like it belonged to her. Fit her in a way no one else could’ve worn it. It clung, but not to show off. It moved with her like it had been made from her skin.Her skin caught the lantern light like it was made for it. Her hair wasn’t overly styled, just loose enough to look untouched but graceful. She wasn’t trying. That’s what got me. She walked toward me like she didn’t know what to expect, but she didn’t shrink. She stood there waiting. Her eyes met mine, st

Lucien's POVThe room was quiet, too quiet for a room full of suits and polished shoes. Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, bouncing off the gold-rimmed files laid across the long mahogany table. The kind of silence that came when money was talking, and no one wanted to speak out of turn.I sat at the head of the table, fingers linked, back straight, eyes half-lowered but seeing everything. Their mouths moved, all of them talking about projections, shares, expansion plans, acquisitions. I nodded when needed, gave a tight smile when expected. But I wasn’t really there.Something felt off.It started minutes ago. A slow crawl under my skin. Like a bad scent you can’t place. Restlessness coiled around my spine, wouldn't let go. I couldn't name it, couldn't shake it either. My Beta stood near the door, quiet as always, scanning the room like a shadow that moved only when I willed it.“…we believe with this partnership, Your Majesty, your estate will gain not just value but s

Lucien’s POVShe said Ashley’s name like it burned her tongue. I saw it, that flicker of something raw behind her eyes. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cracked the air all the same.“Ashley was there,” Natasha said, her lips trembling just enough to show the weight behind her words. “She watched me struggle and didn't try to help. Not until she heard people coming.”For a moment, I didn’t speak. I just sat there, hand still curled around hers, my jaw tight. Her skin was warm again, but barely. I could still feel the cold trying to fight its way back. And now this?I stood without thinking. The chair scraped back against the tiled floor, sharp enough to draw eyes if anyone else had been here. I didn’t care. I turned to the guard just outside the door and my voice came out like gravel.“Get me Ashley!”The guard bowed and disappeared down the hall, boots thudding. I turned back to Natasha. She looked exhausted already.I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to believe Natasha was just disorie

Natasha’s POVThe night was colder than it should be. Not outside. Inside me. Like the water had carved a home beneath my skin and refused to leave. I was shivering again. My body trembling in slow, uneven waves that no amount of blankets could stop. I had felt this before. The coughs that wouldn’t stop. The fever that came and went like it had a mind of its own. Pneumonia. My mother had battled it with me so many times that I lost count. She used to say my lungs were too proud to ask for help until they were drowning. And now, they were doing it again.But she wasn’t here now.The thick robe wrapped around me felt useless. I had thrown it over two other layers of clothes, but still, the cold found its way in. It felt like I was sitting outside, in the rain, with nothing but my own breath to keep me alive. My hands were shaking as I reached for the bell rope beside the bed. It took more strength than I had to pull it, but I did. The chime echoed through the room, soft but urgent, lik