tomorrow 38
1022 Words
chapter 38
Dean POV
I had been in my father’s office for hours.
Hours of talking about the future. About the crown. About him stepping down… and me stepping up.
I was annoyed at first. Restless. The walls felt too tight, the air too heavy. Becoming king wasn’t something I had truly prepared myself for..even if I had been trained for it my entire life.
Father believed I was ready…Mother believed I was ready.
Between the two of them, I knew everything there was to know about ruling this kingdom. Mother had even begun training Penny quietly, preparing her for a role she didn’t even know was coming.
Still… knowing something and feeling ready for it were two very different things.
After leaving the office, I went hunting to clear my head. I found a bear by the river and fed…careful, controlled, taking only enough. I left him alive. When I finished, the hunger was gone, but the weight of responsibility remained.
I returned to the castle and followed Penny’s scent…soft rosemary and lilac…until I found her asleep in the family room.
I stood there for a moment, just watching her…My mate…My peace.
I walked over and kissed her gently. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at me.
“Did he get the box?” I asked.
She blinked, clearly just waking up, then nodded.
“Yeah… he got it. I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep. But… I have a few questions to ask you. If that’s okay.”
For a split second, dread hit me. If she asked about the women from my past… there were too many. Too much meaningless history I’d rather forget…But I would never deny her answers.
“Of course it’s okay,” I told her softly. “You can ask me anything. I have no secrets from you.”
The relief on her face made it worth it..She hesitated before speaking.
“How did Con get to you? Did he come here? Or were you out of the realm? If you were out… what were you doing? I know it’s a lot. I just… I need to understand what I’m feeling.”
I sat beside her, letting the memory surface.
“I remember it clearly,” I began. “I was tired of staying home. Mother kept insisting my mate was here…that I didn’t need to search beyond our realm. But I was frustrated. Restless. So I opened a portal and left.”
I swallowed.
“I had barely stepped into the woods when they attacked me. It was planned. They wanted my father weakened. They wanted the throne.”
I could still feel the sting.
“They trapped me in electric nets. I couldn’t move. And then he stepped forward. I never saw his face clearly, but I felt his claws slice across my face. They were poisoned. It burned. My vision blurred.”..I remembered his voice.
“He said I would die. That my parents would fall after me. That he would be king. That he would wipe out every vampire and hunt down the rest.”
I clenched my jaw.
“I tried to open a portal home, but I was too weak. Then I caught your scent. Rosemary and lilac. I knew it wasn’t vampire… but I didn’t know it was wolf. I aimed for home and ended up in your cabin instead.”
I looked at her.
“I stayed there two days before you found me. I kept trying to leave because I didn’t want you hurt. But when you stayed… when you helped me… when you fed me your blood…” I brushed her cheek.
“I knew I wasn’t leaving without you.”
Her eyes darkened with emotion…anger at what had been done to me, protectiveness. I still didn’t know everything about her past, but I would wait until she was ready.
“Thank you for telling me,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t have left you either. I don’t give up on what I care about… and love.”
My heart stopped.
“You love me?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “It’s okay if you don’t love me yet. Your feelings might grow… or they might not.”..Shock flooded me.
How could she think that?
“Penny,” I breathed, “I loved you the moment you walked into that cabin. I shut that part of myself off until I found my true mate. And when I found you… everything came back.”
She melted against me…Then I sighed.
“There’s something else we need to talk about.”
Worry flashed across her face, so I quickly reassured her.
“Dad is stepping down. He’s over a thousand years old. He wants peace. He wants rest. He’s making me king.”..Her eyes widened.
“And that makes you queen.”..She stared at me.
“Did you just say I’m going to be queen? Dean… I’m a werewolf.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said firmly. “You could be a bear or a wildcat. You’re my mate. That makes you queen. And Mother approves. She’s been training you already.”
She exhaled shakily. “I don’t even have a dress…”
I chuckled. “Leave that to me. Mother will guide you through everything.”
“When?” she asked carefully. I hesitated only a second.
“Tomorrow morning.”.Her jaw dropped.
“Two attendants will come early. They’ll help you get ready. They won’t hurt you. They’ll sing to calm your nerves.”
She nodded slowly, still processing.
“Well… if it’s tomorrow, I should shower and sleep.”
I stood and wiggled my eyebrows. “Need help?”
Before she could protest properly, I tossed her over my shoulder.
She laughed, smacking my back lightly.
“Dean! Put me down!”
“I will,” I said, grinning as I headed for the stairs, “when we’re in our room.”
And for the first time since sitting in my father’s office, the weight on my shoulders didn’t feel so heavy.
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- Writer
