During dinner, Theodore announced to his parents and siblings that he was leaving and going back to the estate.
His mother’s reaction was a sneer of sorts. “Why must you leave?” She spluttered indignantly.
“I have business to take care of,” he deadpanned, unfazed by her attitude.
“You’ve been taking care of them just fine from afar,” she protested. Then, she added almost in afterthought, “Besides, Liam needs you by his side.”
“Not at the moment, he doesn’t,” he shot back, not missing a beat. “Everything has been settled. He is now king, and the nobles, no matter how much they whine, wouldn’t dare do anything about it.”
Emily, who had been told by Serena that Queen Alexia was previously the sole dragon princess, and thus she had to get into an arranged mating when she was of age with the previous king, understood better why she was so vocal about every little thing while the king was more laid-back. He basically allowed her to rule since he was a nobleman who had ascended to the title of king, and not a royal himself.
Emily couldn’t help but wonder whether she would have been just as spiteful had the tables been returned, and she had been the noblewoman instead.
One cannot change the past, she told herself as she watched the previous queen interact angrily with her eldest.
“My decision is final, mother,” Theodore told her after allowing her to rant some more.
“Let us enjoy our last evening together as a family then,” Tatiana said cheerfully as she looked at Emily with glee.
She remembered how she had told her she wouldn’t want a pregnant woman caught in the crossfire, and her heart warmed at that. She was such a kind person. Whether she was werewolf or dragon royalty didn’t matter much. What mattered the most was that Emily might have found a friend in the most uncanny circumstances.
Serena leaned over to look at Emily and breathed out a sweet, “I will miss you, dearie.”
Even though everybody could hear her, Serena sported a proud smile on her face, albeit tears gleamed in her eyes.
“I’ll miss you too,” Emily whispered back, struggling to get the words out.
It wasn’t long before everyone retired to their bed chambers.
When Theodore and Emily entered their bed chambers, the latter finally allowed herself to heave a sigh. Theodore turned to her with a raised eyebrow, “Is something the matter, dorogaya? I thought you wanted to leave the palace.”
“I did,” she was quick to say as she nodded at him, “I do. But despite everything that has happened over the past few weeks, I have come accustomed to the place, I guess. I became friends with Serena, and even Liam and Tatiana – dare I say. I am going to miss them so much.”
“I know,” he softly kissed her forehead. “But right now, I have other priorities,” he said before placing his hand on her tummy which had yet to become too prominent not to notice.
She understood what went unsaid better than anyone.
They were more than just two mates so in love, they were ready to abdicate the throne. They were now a family of three and they had to protect their little one.
She nodded at him and blinked away the tears, moved as she was by his words and gestures.
Good god, how could it be possible to love someone so much?
Hell, how was it possible he had come to love her so much?
The mystery remained.
“Let us rest, dorgoy,” he then said. “We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow.”
She nodded at him, and it wasn’t long before she was sleeping soundly, nestled in his arms.
** ** ** ** ** ** **
The morning came soon enough, with its rays of sunshine peeking into their bed chambers, dancing across Emily’s face.
She stirred and then nuzzled her mate’s body.
“Do not tempt me so in the morning, dorogaya, lest you want to be ravaged.”
His threat sounded more like a sweet promise to her ears. And she carried on with her ministrations.
“Dorogaya,” he groaned as he put some distance between them. “Behave. We have a plane to catch.”
She pouted at the loss of contact. “I’ll be a good girl,” she rasped out. “Besides, it’s your own private jet.”
“You’ll be the death of me one day,” he said in a murmur, as if he was soliloquizing.
He gave in almost immediately, and it wasn’t long before he was making sweet love to her.
When all was done and said, and after they took turns to shower, Emily was stretching out in front of the mirror before dropping the towel inconspicuously and getting dressed, when she heard him groan.
“Are you trying to give this old man a heart attack?”
“What did I do?” She inquired innocently, tilting her head to the side.
“You dropped your towel to the floor, and then bent over and struggled to get that flimsy underwear in place,” he let out breathlessly. “I am just a man, dorogaya.”
She stood speechless for a moment there before saying arrogantly, “Well, serves you well, Theodore King. This way, you’ll remember who you belong to.”
“I’ll have you know, miss, that I belong to no one but my dear mate, Emily Nill,” he said sweetly. “Have you seen her by any chance?”
She couldn’t help but giggle at that before turning to the mirror anew.
Theodore took the few strides that separated them and embraced her from behind.
“Do not ignore me, dorogaya, lest you want to be reminded who exactly you belong to as well,” he whispered huskily.
“Can we afford to go at it another time?” She answered back with a question of her own as she leaned back into his embrace.
“It’s my own jet… you said so yourself,” he shrugged.
She bit on her bottom lip, feeling like a carefree teenager in love.
“I love you, Theodore King,” she told him in a soft tone as her eyes stung with unshed tears.
“Why are you crying?” He asked. “Has something or someone upset you?”
“No,” she shook her head negatively and then turned into his embrace and cupped his face with both hands. “You drive me nuts at times, but I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“Same,” he said simply before leaning in and claiming her lips gently.
An hour later, and they were ready to bid the royal family goodbye.
Serena had tears in her eyes as she hugged Emily and then her brother.
“I promise to visit you,” she basically choked out on the words.
“We’ll be waiting for you,” Emily cooed at her.
“Take care of her, Theo, and don’t you dare hurt her,” she then looked at her brother through narrowed eyes.
“I would never,” he vowed.
“She is a keeper, Theos,” Tatiana told him simply, her words carrying more threat than Serena’s somehow.
He nodded at her curtly and said, “I know.”
Liam on the other hand merely ruffled Emily’s hair and said, “Take care of my grumpy older brother, will you?”
“I will,” she beamed at him.
This was how a family ought to treat one another, unlike Queen Alexia’s cold dismissal earlier.
This was Theodore’s family. This was also to be the family of the unborn child growing inside of her.
She vowed to stand by them no matter what. She vowed to love them and support them even from afar, and to welcome them with open arms should they come to the estate.
And then, the couple left in the direction of the woods.