My body is sore, and my eyes feel like I rubbed sand in them all night. I slept on the floor, wrapped in the duvet I pulled down from the bed. Not the best idea, but I didn’t want to move once I let go of the hold I had on my emotions. It was a moment of weakness, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had to handle this much stress. My grandmother would have reprimanded me in front of the prince if she had been here.
I get dressed to head down to the gym so I can get my morning workout and wake up before showering and trying to cover up the fact that I cried myself to sleep for the first time since I was released from the hospital. I swore it would never happen again, but here we are. I’m such an idiot.
I’m about halfway through my morning workout when Ivar walks through the double doors and sits down on the bench in front of me. To say I’m embarrassed is an understatement. I was all worked up last night, and I had nowhere to put it.
All it took was a few words to get me to explode, and that’s not like me. I finish my workout and sit up, scooting to the edge of the bench. He looks upset with me, and I don’t blame him. He didn’t deserve my outburst, and then I fled like a coward.
Im really sorry about last night,” I say, lowering my head in submission. That wasn’t fair to you. None of this is your fault. I actually would like to thank you for helping me out of there. You’re right, I don’t know what they would have done to me. I was scared and irrational. I accept whatever punishment you see fit.”
“Sophie,” he sighs and comes closer. He tilts my head back and crouches down in front of me. “I’m not mad at you, and I want to say that I don’t want to punish you, but since you offered so sweetly, I’ll pin it up for later.”
“Are you teasing me, right now?” I glare at him.
“I am,” he laughs. His pretty gray eyes sparkle mischievously, and it makes me miss my brother Oliver more than ever. “All things considered, I think you handled that remarkably. Ragnar always tells me to show no weakness, and that is exactly why they’re pushing. You need to remind yourself that this isn’t your fault. It’s Santiagos. He’s a fucking coward for allowing his parents to control him the way they do.
“We have to be honest with one another. For me to fully protect you for the next three months, you need to tell me what he’s already done. How far is he willing to go to get to you? You are now under the protection of the Lycan King, and these lowborn assholes need to know their place. Can you be honest with me?”
“Of course,” I bow my head so he can’t see the lie. “I really am sorry about last night.”
“Enough of that, he smiles, ruffling my hair. “What if I start? Is there anything that you’ve ever wanted to know but never had the cojones to ask me?”
“I don’t think-”
“Come on. You’re going to be part of my home. As a healer, you’re going to handle some of my most intimate situations. I think we can regard one another as more than just kids who grew up together. Your brothers were my closest friends. The least I can do is protect their baby sister when they can’t.”
I stare at him for a bit, and there is one thing I’ve just recently become interested in. He is the son of a Lycan Omega. His father didn’t marry his mother until after the Lycan Queen had been dead for about six years, and the rumors are that he only did it to keep himself from decaying into feral.
“How is it that you were born between the heir and the second legitimate daughter of the king?” I ask, unable to look up at
him.
“Walked right into that one, huh?” he chuckles nervously.
“You don’t have to answer that,” I dismiss it.
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3:56 pm PDD.
Chapter 10
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“I want to. It’s not a tricky question. Lady Alondra was an alpha, and it was challenging for her to procreate. She and my father tried for years, and the older she got, the higher the possibility of her dying during childbirth went up.
“My mother was brought in so she may give my family an heir. Kind of like a surrogate, and she would have had to give me up when I was born. However, when the blood moon came, Lady Alondra was already pregnant with Ragnar and didn’t know it. It’s why he’s a little older than me.”
“Your mom was okay with that?”
“My mom came from a family in poverty. She did this for them. Of course, my father has helped them a lot since he married my mother, but at the time, it was a small price to pay for the next heir of our race. It is an honor, but all parties were in agreement. Extensive research was done, and Lady Alondra understood it was a last resort.”
“I understand.”
“Now you,” he pokes my cheek.
“I was blindsided,” I admit. “That morning, we had breakfast and did stuff. I went to class. I only had two, like today, and no work.”
“You don’t have work today, do you?”
“I do not, but I have a night class at seven. We can run some of the errands on the royal request.”
“Good. Now continue.”
“I was getting ready to start dinner when I heard it on a live stream. I ran over to the news, and there it was. My mate was getting married to someone else. It was just the preparation, and I texted him,” I reach for my phone and hold it out for him. “This is what he texted back.”
He screenshots it along with some of the most recent messages. The threats and bargaining I didn’t respond to last night, and every other text where he swears I’m the only one he wants. He locks it and hands it back to me.
“Because you are a wolf omega, there is only so much we can do regarding this situation. You are, as of right now, under the protection of the Lycan King because you are the granddaughter of our Major General.
“He still has one hand on your wrist. If he figures out that he can legally claim you with his mark, he will, and it will be considered ownership. However, we both know that he can’t do that until his chosen mate gives him an heir. Otherwise, he can’t impregnate her, and if she’s pregnant, the fetus will immediately be terminated.”
“I know that. I have until we leave to get him to reject me,” I nod.
“I think we can handle that,” he nods. “My mission is to get you home in one piece. Whatever the means, I take my orders seriously.”
“Is that why you’re on babysitting duty?” I laugh.
“Shut up,” he smirks. “I hate vampire wars. Those things are like parasites. I’m hoping Nar figures out that they just want a reaction out of us and signs a fucking ceasefire as soon as possible.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
