PROMISED TO HIM, TAKEN BY THEM

CHAPTER 3 - THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Nadia

Everything happened so fast after Alpha Alaric fell. The guests were ushered away as the royal medics carried him out of the hall with Asher trailing behind them.

Right before he left the hall he turned back and mouthed to me that we would talk later. I nodded and took the other door out of the hall, desperate to take in fresh air and be away from the eyes of the onlookers, but mostly to be away from the twins.

The path to the orchard was unmanned by any guards, so I ran into the trees, trying to get away from everything. It was only when I reached the pond that I realized I was being followed.

“Who is there?” I shouted into the darkness, but when I felt the familiar tug in my chest, I figured out who it was. “Leave me alone Caspian! At least for today, just leave me alone!”

He walked out of the shadows and stared at me with a mix of anger and confusion.

“This is what you wanted, right?” He was breathing hard, and I could smell the alcohol from afar. “You wanted us to feel so much pain that you used your stupid powers to make us the mate to filth!”

I scoffed.

“And why the f**k would I ever want to be mated to the evil people who have been nothing more than trouble to me? If I could choose my mates with my powers, you’d not ever be on that list!”

Fuming in anger, he walked up to me and pinned me against the tree. He might have originally planned to hurt me, but the mate bond turned the situation into something else.

“I hate you so much Nadia.”

“And I hate you more, Caspian.” I whispered breathlessly as I felt electrical shocks run through my body from all the points we were touching.

Even if I repeated exactly what he told me, he seemed offended that I would tell him I hated him without thinking twice.

“If you truly don’t want me to be your mate, it means you won’t object to me rejecting you right here and now.” He whispered the words directly into my ear, and I shivered heavily, trying to keep myself calm.

“What are you saying?” I closed my eyes.

“I’m saying that I, Caspian Valequinn, reject you, Nadia… what’s your last name again?”

I groaned in pain as I felt a sharp cut deep inside my chest, and I know he felt it too because he almost lost his hold onto me for a second. Before I could beg him to get off me, I felt a gust of wind as he was sent flying away from me.

My eyes opened, and I saw Zane staring at me directly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t get himself to say it.

“What the hell man?” Caspian groaned, interrupting whatever moment Zane and I were having.

Zane walked up to him and kicked him so hard he fell again, and I just stood there silently, wondering what was going on until he spoke.

“If you ever cause me to feel that sort of pain again, I will kill you and send the pieces of your body to your many enemies.” Zane’s voice, although threatening and venomous, sent a chill down my spine in a positive way, and I had to shake my head to get all ill thoughts out of it.

“Got it!” Caspian gave him a thumbs up from the ground before turning to his side and throwing up heavily.

When he was done, Zane helped him get up and held one of his arms to help him walk away. I stood there silently as Zane paused and took one final look at me before walking away without any more words.

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my lungs released when I couldn’t hear them anymore, and I gasped for air for a few seconds before resting my head against the tree Caspian was just holding me against.

His lingering scent on my clothes made me feel like I was going crazy, so I hiked up my gown and walked pointedly towards my room to get the clothes off me, wash off the scent, and get a good night’s sleep.

* * *

I woke up in a pool of sweat with a million questions on my mind about the night before, but all my questions were answered as soon as I saw the dress Asher got for me hanging on a chair in my room.

“The royal council is meeting miss.” Pearl was standing by my bedside, waiting to help me begin my day.

A part of me wanted to sink into my bed and stay there forever, but this was something I was sure I couldn’t run away from – I had mates.

As I got ready for my day, all I could think about was how Asher was able to reject his mate when he felt all the feelings I was feeling. There was no easy way to reject them, and I knew this just from the heavy joke Caspian had played on me.

I giggled to myself silently as I remembered how Zane had thrown him across the empty space, but I quickly straightened my face to avoid suspicion from Pearl. She must’ve heard about what happened at the mating ceremony, but it was very normal for her to act like there was nothing to talk about.

She caught my eye through the mirror, but quickly turned away, silently telling me she didn’t want to have a say in the matter.

After thanking her, I walked to the dining hall which gratefully was mostly empty apart from Asher. He smiled at me as I took a seat beside him.

“Sleep well?” He asked before handing me a flower as he usually did, but this time, I hesitated before collecting it. It felt a bit wrong.

“I did, thank you Asher.”

“Are you okay?” He was staring at me with concern.

“I am! Why wouldn’t I be?” I filled my mouth with bread to avoid rambling.

“Because I know I didn’t feel too great the next morning after I rejected my mate.” He looked at me pointedly as I choked on my bread. “You haven’t rejected them?”

I took a sip of water and was about to reply when the side door opened, and Elder Fabian walked into the room with his staff announcing his every step.

“Just the future Luna I was looking for!” He smiled at me widely, causing his already crinkled face to have more lines.

“Good day.” I stood up and curtsied to him, grateful for his interruption.

“I heard from the guards that you had come in here, and I came to get you.” He stopped at the table and popped a grape into his mouth. “You too Asher, let’s go.”

“Go where exactly?” I asked as I trailed closely behind him, avoiding Asher.

“To the council meeting of course!” He stopped at the door of the meeting room.

“Alpha Alaric told me that sacred traditions did not allow me to be a part of the meetings until I fully became a member of the pack.” I half-mumbled my statement.

“And now, you are mated to not one, but two Alphas of the pack! What could more make you a part of us?” He opened the door and laughed jovially, announcing our presence to the rest of the council and the twins, who were staring at Asher and I with a look I couldn’t place.

“Your mates have been itching for you!” He whispered it loud enough to make some council members laugh as I turned beet red and avoided Asher’s eyes. “Sit by me Asher. Nadia, there is a seat over there.”

He gestured towards the twins as he pulled Asher in the opposite direction. With the eyes of the entire council trained on me, I had no other choice but to walk down the middle of the room and sit on the only free chair beside Zane.

“Now that we are complete, it is time to address the elephant in the room.” Elder Fabian stood up and walked to the center. “With the worsening condition of the king, and no positive news concerning our deals with other kingdoms, it is time to decide who our next ruler would be.”