The Queen's Forbidden Mate

Monike Monike woke up tied belly down to a rock in the middle of a dark forest. Her body remained exposed to the elements with only a flimsy excuse for a cover and she had no memory of getting there. She had survived her ex- the Rogue King- Liam's crushing rejection. She had survived her own father’s monstrous punishments and her half sister, Melinda’s vicious schemes. She had survived losing every single thing she had spent her life fighting for. She would survive this, too. She had to. S - N - A - P Monike instantly froze, her muscles locked painfully. The distinct sound of a twig snapping had come from somewhere just beyond the tree line. Her pulse immediately doubled as she tried to peer into the darkness. But she was only human and no amount of intent could surpass the fact that she had only average human vision. "Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing weakly into the void. The weakness in her voice felt alien and unsettling, but shivering against that stone all alone, she couldn’t help herself. What greeted her desperate question was … Silence. "Who's there?" She tried again. Nothing. Not even a movement! The forest remained dead still. Even the wind seemed to have died, as if the air itself was afraid to move. The hair on the back of her neck rose. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. She pulled at her restraints in a last ditch attempt to see if she could break free. The sense of dread intensified when she noticed the glowing anomalies on the rock that she hung against. Hundreds and thousands of them. Intricate symbols were etched into the stone all around her body. They began to pulse with a faint, hostile red light beneath the canopy of trees that she was under. Then the glow started alternating in colours … Black … Red and Gold. Ancient, jagged shapes that her human brain couldn't comprehend surrounded her. Now the symbols stretched across the entire clearing, forming a massive, flawless ritual circle. Her stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. "No ..." Magic. This was real magic. Not the kind humans joked about on television. Not fairy tales or fantasy novels. It was real, and terrifying. She was almost certain that it was here to hunt and she was the prey. Her thoughts moved fast. Is there a witch involved? Was it Ira, her ex’s f*****g fated mate? Had the b***h come back to avenge the attack that Monike herself had orchestrated? Suddenly, a laugh echoed through the trees interrupting her thoughts. A deep and rough male voice resonated through the area around her as if amplified by magic. It seemed totally unnatural in the dead silence of the forest surrounding her. The hair on her neck prickled fiercely in response and her heart raced. This wasn’t Ira. This was someone else. She couldn't recall ever meeting a male witch or warlock in her entire life, be it in the real world where she had left her ex or this world where she had landed by some wicked twisted fate. The laugh sounded horribly amused. Monike's blood turned to pure ice. The sound seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once, continuing in a slow, patient rhythm. It was the laugh of a predator that knew its prey had absolutely no way to escape. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. "Show yourself, asshole! You have no idea who you have wronged! The King will take your f*****g head!" Her voice shook at the end. She hated herself for letting it shake. The laughter abruptly stopped. For a few agonising seconds, there was only the heavy, oppressive silence of the woods again. Then, a figure emerged from the dense darkness. He was cloaked in heavy black robes, a deep hood pulled forward to completely cover his facial features. In his right hand, he gripped a massive scythe that looked wickedly lethal. He stepped into the clearing, closing the distance until he stood directly in front of her face. Far too close. She could smell him which did not help with her nausea and she retched. Monike instantly wished he hadn't stepped close to her. She strained her neck backwards, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of a face beneath the shadow of the hood. The man was tall… far taller than Liam. There was an aura radiating from him that felt dark and contaminated. The kind of unnatural offensiveness that made every base human instinct scream at maximum volume. Predator. Danger. Run-Run-Run. Hide. Get away. A slow, sickening smile curved his exposed lips. Monike's stomach clenched as every survival instinct she possessed told her the exact same thing … This man was evil. Not just cruel, or selfish, or arrogant. But purely, utterly evil. Monike completely hated the way his gaze mapped her trapped form. She could feel his eyes tracking the lines of her bare body, boring into her exposed back. Like she was a complex puzzle. A prized possession or a treasure he had finally unearthed. Monike pulled viciously against her restraints which only made the man smile widely. "Finally, the princess is awake!" The stranger's sharp voice rolled through the clearing making her flinch in disgust. The smoothness of the voice was carefully cultured, and terrifyingly calm. "I have waited a very long time for this exact moment." Monike stared, her pulse pounding in her throat. "Who the f**k are you? What do you want?" His eyes gleamed from the shadows of his hood. "I want YOU." The answer came instantly, without a shred of hesitation or an ounce of shame. Goosebumps of fear rose on her cold skin. A violent chill ran through her entire body. She looked at the stranger as he slowly stretched out a hand as if to touch her. Monike immediately jerked her head away, but his long fingers managed to brush a stray strand of hair from her cheek. The brief touch made her skin crawl with intense revulsion making him chuckle in a low creepy voice. "Beautiful. My men will be joining us shortly." The revolting words filled her with dread. "What men?" Monike glared, masking her terror with venom. "If you are planning to kill me, stop being so f*****g dramatic and get it over with!" The smile vanished from his face. For the first time, a flicker of genuine interest crossed his hidden features. "Fascinating." His gaze traveled slowly over her facial structure. "You are remarkably different from the others. No wonder you were chosen to be the Queen Consort." "Others?" Monike’s head did a quick juggle through her memories trying to comprehend what he was saying. His smile returned, but this time, it looked completely demented. "There have been many attempts before this." Monike's stomach twisted into painful knots. "What the f**k are you talking about?" The stranger ignored her completely. Instead, he lifted his face towards the canopy above almost reverently, as if offering a prayer. As though listening to a voice only he could hear. A chill slithered down Monike’s spine for no reason at all. “Here they are,” he murmured. The words barely left his lips … Before shadows began emerging from between the ancient trees that surrounded her at a distance. One after the other the shadows moved closed in on her, covered in black robes until a dozen men stood around her. She knew instinctively that these were men. She could feel their burning gaze on her body. Monike’s pulse instantly doubled. Their robes were identical and slithered lightly on the ground as they stepped silently into the clearing and formed a perfect circle around the stone. Now when she thought of it, she realised it was some sort of a ceremonial altar. The only difference was that she wasn’t lying face up. Instead she was bent over the rock with hands spread, tied on either side to the nearest trees and legs dangling with her toes hardly touching the ground. Her bum must have been facing the hooded men invitingly and she despised her current situation. None of the shadows spoke. Then the first guy raised his scythe and the men who had recently joined around her bowed. Their heads remained bowed as if participating in some sacred ceremony. Monike’s insides gripped in fear but she willed herself to stay still and composed. This looked like a cult. Bloody wonderful! I have been kidnapped by a bloody cult on my engagement to the Vampire King! Fantastic. Just when she thought her life couldn’t become any more ridiculous. The stranger raised his scythe further up and it began to glow. Golden light erupted from the blade. She had to strain her head to continue to look at him. The entire clearing illuminated. “Welcome, my brothers.” His voice echoed through the forest. “I, Palladona the Third, First Sovereign of the Dark Brood, welcome you to the Royal Rising.” The robed figures immediately dropped to one knee. “Hail the First Sovereign.” The synchronised chant rolled through the trees. Monike’s stomach sank. Every single one of them sounded utterly devoted. What kind of indoctrination was behind this insanity? Palladona slowly turned towards her, and smiled creepily. “Behold.” His voice boomed and silver eyes gleamed. “The Queen Consort.” A murmur swept through the gathering. Dozens of heads lifted and their hungry eyes settled on her. Monike suddenly wished she were wearing more than a flimsy piece of fabric. She lifted her chin anyway. Her defiance was her only armour now. If she was going to die, she wasn’t giving these lunatics the satisfaction of seeing her cower. Palladona began circling the altar. At a slow pace with all the patience in the world. It looked like he was confident that they would not be found. How had he managed this from right under King Adrian and his second in command Elijah’s nose? Like a predator he savoured every second. “You don’t understand your significance yet.” His gaze traveled over her face. “But I do.” In spite of herself, a shiver raced down her spine. “You are f*****g mistaken. If you even touch me, the King will annihilate you,” she spat. His smile widened. “No, I am not.” The word came out frighteningly certain. “I spent decades searching.” He continued to move without breaking stride or rhythm. “Decades studying and waiting.” His voice dropped lower. “And then the cosmos delivered you.” Monike’s mouth went dry. This no longer looked like an obsession. This was worship. The worst kind of worship where she was going to be the sacrifice. Palladona stopped beside her. Close enough that she could smell him. Ash, blood, smoke of suffocating herbs, and sweat. The cocktail made bitter bile rise into her throat and she gulped. “Do you know what kings fear, Queen Consort?” Monike refused to answer. His smile deepened. “They fear replacement.” He laughed. “They fear an uprising!” Then lowering his voice he murmured in her ear. “Tonight you will breed for us and create an army that will destroy King Adrian and his kingdom.” The cultists began chanting. Softly at first. Then louder and louder. The symbols surrounding the altar ignited. Black, red, and gold. Power rippled through the clearing. Those ancient symbols looked nefarious and hungry. Monike’s heart slammed against her ribs at impossible speed. The air around her filled with vibrations. Palladona spread his arms. “The age of the Kings is ending.” The cultists repeated the words in exactly the same tone. “The age of the Kings is ending.” Palladona laughed in a terrible cackle and roared with a victorious sound. “The Royal Rising begins tonight.” The chanting intensified. Monike’s panic finally cracked through her anger. This was neither a performance nor some fantasy. Whatever these people intended to do … They truly believed they were changing their world. “HELP!” she screamed with all her might but her sound came out lower than what she had expected. No one moved nor did they react. The chanting only grew louder, masking her screams completely. “Somebody help me!” She did not give up. If her voice reached Elijah, he would definitely save her. But she got no response. The forest swallowed her voice and for the first time since waking on that rocky altar, genuine despair hit her. Hot tears burned her eyes. She thought of her ex … the Rogue King - Liam, her father … the human prime minister Co Ma, and her half sister … Melinda. She thought of her country … Australia as she knew it. Of Adrian and her engagement that hadn’t happened because she was abducted. And then… As much as she hated herself for it… She thought of Elijah, her own fated mate. Those red eyes. That infuriating smirk. The way every woman in the kingdom looked at him. The way he looked at her … As if he already knew something she didn’t … As if he had accepted a truth she kept trying to outrun. Mate! The word echoed through her mind. A dangerous word that had made it impossible to enjoy her victory. Yet as terror closed around her throat, it was Elijah she wanted. Neither a crown, nor a kingdom could give her the power and freedom that she got when she was with Elijah. Lying on her deathbed, she knew … Only Elijah was enough. And that realisation frightened her almost as much as Palladona’s antics. Totally petrified and dejected, she looked around the dark but illuminated clearing. This must be my punishment. My karma for orchestrating the attack on my ex’s mate Ira. Tears born out of regret spilled over her cheeks. But I never wanted her to suffer like that. I only wanted her out of my way. She wept, the weight of her past mistakes crushing her spirit. *****