Staying close to Adam on the tree, I couldn’t help but breathe in his scent. It was intoxicating, making my head swim.
I fought against the urge to press my lips to his neck; the desire was strong, but I knew I had to maintain control. I also knew that we couldn’t just be friends; not with this much tension between us. I sensed Adam’s heart racing, even though he tried to hide it, to still it. His feelings for me were undeniable. He was feeling the same way I was feeling.
Then, he made it worse, by swerving to look at me. His words which had been on the tip of his tongue-for he had turned to speak to me-got lost entirely. He just stared at me, stared at my lips intensely. And when he moved tentatively to close the distance between our lips, I gave no indication that I wanted out. Well, because I wanted in…
But then the Queen came into the clearing, catching my attention. So, instead of sinking into the goodness that was Adam, I drew myself away from the romantic suspense, and pointed to the Queen, who stood at the clearing, her eyes fixed on the path where she had just come out from. She was waiting for someone. Who?
I didn’t have to wait long to find out.
The Lycan King came into our view a few seconds later. The sight of them made my pulse quicken with apprehension. We both knew the delicate balance we had to maintain in their presence.
“Are you sure here is safe for a discussion? Couldn’t you wait till we get to the palace?” The King asked, deftly looking around the vicinity. Adam and I remained as still as a mouse on the tree.
The Queen shook her head. “I can’t wait till then, Brekan. I need to know what you are doing in my community, without a notice. What is your game plan?”
Mr Brekan sighed, and looked around again. I wondered then if he was perceiving our scent.
Quickly, to be on a safe side, I conjured a subtle magic shade around us with the help of El. It was a protective barrier that masked our words and heartbeats from the rulers below.
Adam’s gaze held mine-he knew what I had done, and I saw a mixture of determination and concern in his eyes. He knew the risks we were taking, but there was also a flicker of something deeper-a longing that mirrored my own.
The tension between us was still palpable, like a current of electricity crackling in the air. No, we couldn’t just be friends.
Adam leaned closer then, his voice barely above a whisper. “Would it hold? We have to tread carefully, Dora…” he cautioned, his tone tinged with urgency.
“I know,” I murmured back, my voice barely audible. “But the shield is strong enough to keep our presence away from them. And I’m sure we can navigate this.”
Adam’s hand found mine, his touch surprising, yet grounding and reassuring. “Always,” he whispered, his gaze never leaving mine.
In that moment, suspended high above the royal court, we were united by our perilous circumstances. In that moment, with his hand over mine, with his gaze enveloping me like I was the only in his orbit, I let the revenge mission go.
Then the queen’s voice drifted up to us, carried on the wind. “Stop looking around, Alpha. There’s no one here. And it’s not like my community memebers have the sensitive ears of your kind. State your business, Brekan.”
The Lycan King shrugged his shoulders complacently. I could see where the boys had gotten the attitude from.
“My boys told me there was a competition happening in the pack, which your daughter would be a part of… well I was curious to see my future daughter-in-law in action. I needed to know if I had made the right choice for my boy. There was no hidden agenda, Aliana. Just a father looking after his son.”
I looked at Adam, and noted his turned up lips as if he was disgusted with his father’s charade. I didn’t know their story, and this wasn’t a good place to ask about it, so I kept mute and returned to the duo under us.
The Queen perused the Lycan King for a while, before sighing loudly. “I see. So, what do you think?”
“I’m not sure. Why did you do that tonight? You know… try to snuff out Dora’s winning…” The Lycan King’s deep voice cut through the air as he questioned the Queen about her recent actions in front of the community. I watched as she gave a vague, evasive reply, her demeanor tense and defensive.
“She used magic for her dress.”
“Well, if your daughter hadn’t stolen hers, she wouldn’t have done so. You are destroying your credibility in front of your people because of a lame competition, because of your daughter… it’s not worth it.” The King said, looked around the vicinty again, and then continued.
“When a few of my elders had condemned my sons for bullying a wolfless orphan in my pack, I wasn’t happy having my sons under the heat, neither had I cared for the girl in question, but there had been no choice but to dilute the situation. I didn’t defend my sons. I worked rather to appease the girl and send her away. That way my credibility as a ruler wasn’t questioned. You should borrow a leaf from that, Aliana.”
I was aware of Adam’s uncomfortableness just then, hearing his father speak about me in such detestable manner, but I didn’t care for it, or care for my emotions. Rather, I fixed my gaze on the Queen who looked deep in thought.
“Did the girl leave?” She finally asked, softly, like she was tasting the words.
The Lycan King shrugged his shoulders again. “She disappeared into thin air, from the holding cell. It created another ruse in the pack, but I managed to quell it before it had developed into something else. I also forbade my sons from talking about her. Adam suddenly wanted her. I was actually glad that she had disappeared…”
“I see…” The Queen muttered calmly, causing my heart to dip into my stomach. Did she really see now? Was she connecting the dots already?
The King chose then to broach the topic of Adam’s alliance with Rachel.
“I don’t think I can continue with the alliance, Aliana. Rachel isn’t as …”
The Queen’s reaction was immediate and visceral. She cursed angrily, vehemently rejecting what she was hearing, causing my breath to catch.
“You must be joking!” Her words were sharp with disbelief and defiance, echoing through the clearing.
I glanced at Adam, searching his face for any sign of how he felt about the revelation. His expression was unreadable, his features schooled into a mask of neutrality. I wondered if he had anticipated this turn of events, or if it caught him off guard as much as it did me.
The King, unfazed by the Queen’s outburst, merely shrugged his shoulders. His next words sent a shockwave through me.
“I believe Dora should be the next Queen,” he declared calmly, his gaze shifting to me. “She possesses greater magic and strength than your daughter. It would be wise for you to work with that reality. Adam will not be marrying Rachel. Dora will be his consort. You will do well to adopt her into your plans.”
My heart pounded fiercely in my chest. The weight of the King’s words settled on me like a heavy cloak. It was a proposal, a decree almost, and one that carried immense consequences for everyone involved.
I struggled to process the implications of what the King was suggesting. Me, a Queen? It seemed unfathomable, yet here they were, discussing my future as if it were a foregone conclusion.
The Queen’s earlier defiance shifted to resignation, and her expression hardened with resolve. Was she agreeing that easily?
The King wasn’t done however. “Rachel can be with Noah, or Daniel.” And then he walked away, without another word.
As he walked away, I watched his retreating figure with a mix of awe and apprehension. Just who was this man?
Adam’s hand still lingered in mine, but the connection now felt strained, fraught with unspoken questions and uncertainties. I could sense his his gaze darting between me and the retreating figure of his father. What was he thinking?
My emotions churned within me like a turbulent sea. Just a few minutes ago, I had chosen to let go of the past hurts, to forgive Adam for his previous actions. Yet, now, I couldn’t deny the lingering doubts and insecurities that resurfaced, not even with the temptation of marrying me; something that had been a dream when I was with him in the pack.
Below us, the Queen gritted her teeth in anger, her fury palpable in the air, her calm facade dissolving.
I couldn’t help but shrink back, a cold shiver running down my spine. What would she do next? Would she blame me for the King’s decision, for taking her daughter’s place?
When the Queen finally stormed away, her footsteps echoing into the distance, I waited a few moments longer, grappling with the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. The decision weighed heavily on my heart, threatening to suffocate me with its implications.
Finally, I made a decision. With a deep breath to steady my nerves, I jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on the forest floor. Adam joined me afterward.
“I am not getting married to you,” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.
Without waiting for his response, I turned away, and left him.