CHAPTER 4
1793 Words
Kaia’s POV
“As my mate and Qu…,” he proceeded, shooting me daggers.
“My King!” We heard someone call from behind him. He spun around.
“Sorry to interrupt, but the elders are growing impatient…,” he added.
“Oh,” he’d completely forgotten about them. He pulled away from the wall and without another glance at me, left and entered back into the room.
I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and stumbled back to my room. I’d been saved by a bell.
Was he really about to reject me?
Did he detest me that much?
“Miss,” I spun around to see Freya’s maid. “The King has asked to see you at once.”
“What? I thought he was in a meeting. We saw just a moment ago.” My brows furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t know about that but he appears to be in a haste.” She said affirmatively before turning to leave. “He’s in the garden waiting for you.”
What if he wanted to finalize the rejection? But why do it in the garden.
My heart palpitated. Maybe he’d heavily regretted the way he’d just acted.
A broad smile spread across my cheeks and I turned to the mirror beside me, adjusting.
I hurried towards the garden after taking several directions from the servants and it didn’t take very long before I got there…
But there was no Dante, in fact, there was no one there.
I frowned, confused, before I felt strong arms wrap themselves around my body and my mouth before I could let out a scream.
About four men picked me up from my feet. I writhed wildly against them, thrashing relentlessly until I no longer had any sense of direction. They covered my mouth tightly as I was dragged out of the entrance.
Then a black bag draped over my head and suddenly, everything went pitch black.
***
“Let me go!” My continuous muffled screams couldn’t reach any worthy distance enough to be heard yet I didn’t give up. I was trembling all over and had lost all composure at this point while bearing in mind that I was about to meet my late father.
I was pushed into a car and immediately the black bag was removed from my face. I shook my head lightly, trying to leave the haze and adjust to the light.
Those deep green eyes immediately shot me out of my haze.
“Seth!” My heart dropped into the pit already forming in my stomach. Fear drew goosebumps all over my skin.
The car sped off.
“Please just hear me out,” he begged hastily, his eyes filled with… wait, was that remorse?
“I need you, Kaia,” he pleaded. His facial expression was that of a person two steps away from breaking into tears. “I haven’t been the same since you left. I can’t sleep, can’t think of anything else. I’m being tormented by myself…”
Bile rose up my throat from his audacity. “You rejected me,” I spat out bitterly.
“I know. I don’t…,” he gave an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“You don’t say. When you tried to have me killed as well? Or that’s a different thing that came over you.” I was irritated by this conversation.
“Please, Kaia. You have to believe me. All of that is in the past now.” His eyes held a lot of yearning in them.
“You really expect me to believe you? Just yesterday you were trying to have me killed with your side piece and now you so desperately want me back?”
“She's gone, I sent her away. She might’ve cast a spell on me, I swear it! It was only after you’d left that my eyes had opened.” He said and my face dropped. “I can’t afford to lose you, Kaia.”
I paused for a moment, staring at him. This was the Seth I knew. Warmth filled my heart in sudden nostalgia.
“Wait, lemme guess, you discovered that you need actual alpha blood beside you as a Luna before my people would ever accept you…”
“No!” He exclaimed in defense. “You can have it all back. Your position, your honour, everything. All I want is you. I can’t recognize myself without you. It took me long enough to realize how much you meant and I’m so sorry.”
He added and my head rose instantly. My eyes narrowed.
The look in his eyes, the genuinity of his words…
What if he really meant it? What if Seth had really repented?
I lowered my head and swallowed.
“Look, Seth…,” I started.
Images of the previous day and his attack flashed through my mind and I shuddered again. Tears immediately filled my eyes and that fear returned.
I shook my head slowly, “No,” I muttered. My head throbbed painfully and my throat grew sore.
“Please,” he grabbed my hands, “just one last chance, Kaia. I swear to Selene, I’ll never hurt you aga…,”
We flung forwards as the car screeched to a sudden halt.
“What’s going on…?!” Seth scolded the driver while he immediately got down from the car to inspect, but for some reason, he immediately shut up.
My mind etched with curiosity and I immediately squinted through the windshield to observe. Parked in front of us, intercepting us, was a luxury SUV similar to one I’d seen very recently.
Dante!
My eyelids flung wide open as my heart rate almost spiraled out of control. Hope rekindled brightly within me.
“Out of my way,” he threw Seth against the side of the car then swung the door to the backseat open for me.
“Come out of the car now.” He ordered hastily without sparing a glance at me, his features filled with fury.
“Dante…,”
“I said NOW!” He shot me a glare.
I jumped, startled, and hurried out. I took cover behind him, keeping a reasonable distance as I was too frightened to clutch at him for safety.
Suddenly I felt his hands reach for mine as he pulled me towards him, glaring venomously at Seth.
“The next time you do so much as to cross my borders or even touch a hair on her head, would be the last time you'll boast of a pack in your name.” He warned assertively. “I will strip you of all titles and make sure you leave with nothing clinging unto your name. Am I clear?”
Still stunned, Seth was dumbfounded.
“Am I…?” Dante attempted to repeat.
“Y… yes, of course!” Seth immediately responded.
I could feel the tension in the air, the authority emanating from his very presence in this space. My heart swelled with pride. This man had risked it all alone to save me.
He pulled me towards his car and put me in the passenger seat. I spared one last glance at Seth as he watched us drive off with a solemn expression. I stared at Dante as he drove, his face still rigid as steel.
“While growing up, my dad never missed an opportunity to warn me about crossing lycans.” I started, “He said while we ruled over packs, they reigned over both kingdoms and packs. It was like an invincible power over us werewolves which one only recognized but never openly acknowledged.” I smiled in acknowledgement.
Dante remained silent, looking ahead.
“Why did you come for me? Alone too.” I asked.
I jolted and let out a scream as we came to a sudden stop. “How much stupider can you really get?!” He raised his voice as he suddenly turned to me, my heart froze. “Roaming around the perimeters without any supervision. Wandering about insecure areas…”
“I was told you called for me!” I yelled back at him.in frustration. How dare he act like I got kidnapped on my own accord.
“Why on earth would I call for you?” He asked with eyes still gleaming with anger.
“The same reason you came alone to save me. Unsupervised and about ‘insecure areas’,” I retorted.
He turned his face away from me.
“Because we're mates.” I completed, lowering my voice at this sensitive subject. “You refuse to acknowledge it but how else can you explain this. How else did you find me deep within these woods? How can you explain your unwarranted rage…?”
“Enough,” he shunned me sternly before restarting the engine and driving off.
Immediately we drove in through the gates, he called the chief guard. “Call all the guards securing these perimeters to pack their things at once. They're fired.” He instructed curtly. “You included.”
The guards gasped. I did as well.
He parked the car and without a glance at me, headed inside as though he were on a mission.
“Oh, bless Selene! You're safe.” Freya exclaimed as she hurried towards me to embrace me. “You look so pale,” she cupped my face in her hands.
Her eyes were swollen. She'd clearly been crying, upset about it. I pulled her into another embrace, utmostly relieved to see her again.
“Get in and get packing. We're going home, back to the estate.” Dante interrupted.
My eyes widened in shock.
“What…?” Freya was stunned. “All of a sudden. Why?”
“Kaia,” he turned to me. My heart skipped 3 beats at the mention of my name from his lips, “Come to the study. I have something important for you.”
For me?
As though it were an alarm, my wolf immediately grew excited. This was the first time he had called on me, even uttered my name. I had big hopes.
I hurried after him to catch, although a futile attempt as his long legs stretched far enough to leave a remarkable distance between us. By the time I got to his study, he was already seated behind the neatly arranged desk with a single file lying in the center of it.
“Take it,” he said calmly.
My breath withered as I held it in my hands, inauspiciousness wildly churning my stomach.
My eyes squinted to read the letters spreaded boldly on the cover page before quickly relaxing in disbelief.
“A contract marriage?”
- Writer
