The Lycan King's Hidden Mate

CHAPTER FOUR

As I began to search for the truth about my parents’ death, something changed. Lycan King started paying more attention to me than I was comfortable with. He started getting closer to me, smiling at me, and even touching my hand once.

That’s when I realized that he was developing feelings for me. And I wasn’t sure how to react.

I mean, he was still my mate. The one whom I had left. I never thought I would see him again, let alone fall in love with him all over again. But there was no denying that I was attracted to him too. His commanding presence, his subtle scent, and his gentle touches were all too irresistible.

But then there was Lois.

Lycan King’s former lover had always been envious of our relationship. She saw me as a threat to her power and control over him, and she wasn’t willing to let me take him away from her.

One day, when Lycan King was away on a hunt, Lois came to me and warned me to stay away from him. She said that she would do whatever it takes to keep him by her side, even if it meant killing me.

I was terrified and didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t tell Lycan King about her threats, as that would give away my disguise and put me in danger. But I also couldn’t ignore her words and risk getting killed.

I needed to talk to Lycan King and figure out what he felt for me. Was he still in love with me, or was I just a passing fancy that he would soon forget?

When he finally returned to the pack house, I mustered all my courage and approached him.

“Hey,” I said, a little too softly.

He turned around, and his eyes lit up when he saw me. “Hi, Emily. What brings you here?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something important,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Sure, what is it?”

I took a deep breath and took a step closer to him. “It’s about us.”

“Us?” he repeated, his voice a little hoarse.

“I know that you’ve been… showing me more attention lately,” I said, struggling to put my feelings into words. “And I just wanted to know if… if you still love me.”

He looked at me for a moment, his piercing green eyes searching mine. “Of course, I do,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Emily. You’re the one who left me to save my life. I could never forget that.”

My heart swelled with emotion, and tears stung at my eyes. “I never stopped loving you either,” I said quietly. “But… I’m scared, Lycan King. Scared of what might happen if we try to be together again.”

“I know,” he said, taking my hand in his and squeezing it gently. “But we can’t live in fear forever, Emily. We have to face our demons and fight for what we want. And what I want is you. Always has been, always will be.”

I smiled, a little teary-eyed, and leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around me, and we stood like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s embrace.

But then, a loud noise interrupted us, and we pulled away from each other. It was Lois, and she didn’t look happy.

“What is going on here?” she demanded, her voice sharp and accusing.

The Lycan King frowned, stepping away from me. “What do you mean, Lois?"

“I mean this,” she said, pointing at me. “What are you doing with her?”

Before I could say anything, Lycan King stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger. “That’s enough, Lois. You have no right to speak like that about Emily.”

“But she’s dangerous. Can’t you see that?” Lois insisted, her eyes darting between the two of us.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lycan King said, his voice cold and distant. “But one thing is clear. If you can’t accept Emily as part of this pack, then maybe you don’t belong here either.”

Lois gasped, looking hurt and betrayed, but Lycan King didn’t seem to care. He turned to me, his eyes softening once again.

“Come on, Emily,” he said, holding out his hand. “Let’s go somewhere where we can talk more privately. And don’t worry about Lois. I’ll deal with her later.”

I nodded, taking his hand and following him out of the pack house. We walked to a small clearing in the woods, where we could be alone and safe from prying eyes.

There, under the canopy of stars, Lycan King and I talked for hours, about everything and nothing. We laughed, we cried, we reminisced about our past, and we dreamed about our future.

And at that moment, surrounded by nature and love, I knew that I had made the right choice. I had risked everything to be with him again, and I had no regrets. For Lycan King was not only my mate, my alpha, my king. He was also the love of my life. And nothing, not even Lois, could ever change that.

One day, Lycan got to know who I am. He discovered that I was Emily, that I was the stranger he slept with. Ralph had explained everything to him. But now, I was facing him. Lycan, standing in front of me, his eyes piercing through my soul, searching for answers, for reasons why I did what I did. I knew I owed him an explanation, and I was ready to face the consequences of my actions.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lycan didn’t say anything, just kept looking at me, his eyes filled with pain and hurt. I knew I had hurt him, and I didn’t know how to make it right.

“I never meant to hurt you,” I continued. “It was a mistake, a stupid mistake that I regret every day. I thought you killed my father”

Lycan sighed, and his eyes softened slightly. “I didn’t,” he said finally. “Why didn’t you talk to me? I would have explained it to you.”

“I was afraid,” I admitted. “Afraid of what would happen, of the consequences of my actions. I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already did.”

Lycan stepped closer to me, his body towering above mine. He reached out and took my hand, pulling me closer to him. “I forgave you a long time ago,” he said. “But I never forgot. I never forgot about the love we shared, the bond we had.”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I never forgot either,” I whispered. “I love you, Lycan. I always have, and I always will.”

Lycan leaned in and kissed me softly, his lips gentle and tender. I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer to him, and I knew, at that moment, that I was home.

But our happiness was short-lived. Kane, my chosen mate, had other plans. He wanted me back, claimed that I was his, that we belonged together. I didn’t know what to do. I was torn between two mates, two loves.

“I demand that you release Emily to me. She is mine to claim,” Kane growled, his eyes locked onto mine.

Lycan let out a low growl, his protective instincts kicking in. “Emily is my mate, she belongs to me. You had your chance and you threw it away.”

Kane scoffed, taking a step closer to Lycan. “I made a mistake, yes. But I have learned from it and I want to make things right with Emily now.

You have no right to stand in the way of that.”

Lycan’s eyes blazed with anger. “Emily is not a possession to be claimed and fought over. She is a strong and independent woman who should be able to make her own choices.”

I couldn’t help but feel torn between the two of them. Lycan was my true mate, the one I had been destined to be with since birth. But Kane had been in my life for so long, and despite his past mistakes, a part of me still cared for him.

“Enough,” I said, finally speaking up. “I am not a prize to be won or stolen. I am my person and I will make my own choice.”

Both men turned to me, their expressions softening.

“I understand that you both care for me, but I need time to think and decide what is best for me,” I continued. “I cannot be forced into a decision, and I will not choose based on who claims me first.”

Lycan nodded in agreement, while Kane let out a heavy sigh. “I understand, Emily. I just hope that you will choose what is best for you and not let us fight over you.”

I gave him a small smile, grateful for his understanding. “Thank you, Kane.”

As the two men left the room, I was left alone with my thoughts and my conflicted heart. The idea of hurting either of them tore at me, but I knew that I had to make a decision soon.

Days passed by and I found myself spending more and more time with Lycan, drawn to his kind heart and protective nature. Kane still tried to win me over, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that our time had passed.

Finally, one night after a long talk with Lycan, I made my decision. I approached him, taking his hand in mine.

“Lycan, I choose you,” I said, my heart racing with nervousness.

Lycan’s eyes lit up with happiness as he pulled me into a tight embrace. “Emily, you have no idea how happy that makes me. I will spend the rest of my life making you the happiest woman on this earth.”

As I stared up at him, I knew that I had made the right choice. Kane may have been a part of my past, but Lycan was my future. And I couldn’t wait to spend forever with him.