bChapter /bb17 /b

Darius pov

This was supposed to be a simple run- just something bto /bbclear /bmy headb, /ba way bto /bbpush /beverything out of my mind. bThat’s /bbwhy /bI’d bgiven /bbSs /bcontrol, letting him take over in his wolf form while he ran. But not long afterb, /bbas /bwe moved through the woods, I caught that bscent/bb. /bbMy /bbeyes /bsnapped open, and bSs /bcame to an abrupt halt.

b“/bbMate/bb,/bb” /bbhe /bbhissed /bthe bwords/bb, /band I frowned. I wanted to take control bbecause /bbI /bknew how irrational bSs /bcould bbe /baround bthat /bgirl, but the sly wolf anticipated my thoughts. He mmed a force against me, making me bgroan /bas my beyes /bbdarkened/bb, /bmy bre /baimed at nothing but empty bspace/b.

“You bastardb,/bb” /bbI /bhissed under my breath. The force wasn’t enough to bleave /bme injured, but it was strong enough to bweaken /bme for ba /bwhile.

Which meant that I couldn’t take over for a while.

“Mate.” He ignored meb, /brepeating the word as if it were some kind of spell. In the blink of an eye, he surged forward, his speed blurring in a sh of light.

Paws struck the dirt, the sound echoing through the air, making the ground tremble slightly as he sprinted, scaring the birds into flight.

“Stop this instant, Ssb!/b” I growled, though I didn’t fight for control. I knew it was useless. He had caught me off guard, and now he held the advantage. And he knew that.

He gave me no responseb. /b

I narrowed my eyes, irritation bubbling up. This wasn’t like Ss. He was usually obedient, but this was the second time he had disobeyed me, acting out like this. I despised disobedience, even when it came from my own wolf.

“You will heed me, Ss! I am the king, and you are my wolf! You have no right to defy me!” I roared.

Ss immediately froze as a force mmed against him, but I knew it wasn’t the force that stopped him. It was something belse/b.

“Fuck.” His voice echoed through the mindlink, and for a brief moment, I couldn’t move. My eyes were glued to the scene in front of meb, /beverything else fading into the background. The trees, the birds, even the ground seemed to vanish, leaving only her.

“Darius, she-” Ss blurted out. “She’s… mesmerizing.”

My gaze darkened at his choice of words. Mesmerizing. That was the word I had always reserved for her. It was meant for no one belse/bb. /b

b“/bbBack /bdown,” Imanded, my voice cold and sharp. Ss shivered at my tone, but before he could respond, the girl before us blinked, her eyes snapping open in confusion.

The moment she locked eyes with me, her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she took a bstep /bback.

“bK/b–King?” She stammered, probably recognizing me by the silver of my fur.

Before she could retreat further, she stumbled over a stone behind herb, /bgasping as she lost her footing and fell to the ground.

bChapter /b17

b“/bMateb!/bb” /bbSs /bbgrowled/bb, /bband /bin the blink bof /bban /bbeye/b, he bleaped /bforward,nding on btop /bof the girlb, /bwho by /bbwith /bbher /bbsqueezed /bshut bin /bbpain/b.

b“/bbAre /bbyou /bbokay/bb, /bmateb?/bb” /bSs asked through bthe /bmindlink, bhis /bbvoice /bbced /bwith concern.

beyes /b

In the bnext /bmoment, her beyes /bbsnapped /bopenb, /band she froze bwhen /bshe saw Ss hovering over her. Her mouth parted in bshock/bb, /bbut no words bescaped/b, bshe /bsimply closed it again, her gaze locked on him.

Then, bshe /bbscreamed/b, her eyes snapping shut in fright.

“Oh my goddess! Oh my goodnessb!/bb” /bHer body trembled, her voice a mix of panic and disbelief. Her bface /bflushed bright red bas /bshe turned her head to the side, biting her bottom blip /bin an attempt to calm herself.

“Huh?” Ss froze, tilting his head in confusion. “What’s wrong? bIs /bshe really in that much pain?”

bI /bsighed, fighting the urge tosh out. This bwas /bgetting out of hand. I had a mate I never wanted and a wolf who couldn’t seem to think things through. My frustration was mounting, the familiar indifference I normally wore slipping away, reced by raw irritation.

“Ss…” I growled, ready to take control, but what he did next made me freeze, my eyes narrowing into a deadly reb. /b

“Oh! She must bbe /bshy, that’s it. We must appear more intimidating,rger than normal wolves.” Ss suddenly snapped out of his confusion and, without warning, leaned in to lick her face.

The girl’s eyes shot open in surprise, her gaze locking onto Ss, who grinned at her and wagged his tail happily.

He then spoke through the mindlink.

“Hey, mate! Nice to meet you. Don’t be scared of me; I’m not Darius. I’m his wolf. And, if I’m being honest, you look really beautiful right now.”

Her face flushed deeper, if that was even possible, as she blinked at Ss, her gaze flickering down at herself. Before I could register anything, she quickly brought her hands to her face, mumbling under her breath, “P–please, please get off me, your majesty.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, but both Ss and I heard it clearly.

Ss frowned in confusion. “I- did I do something wrong-”

Before he could finish his sentence, I exhaled in frustration and sent a forceful wave crashing into him. In an instant, Ss blost /bcontrol, and I took it back.

bI /bslowly opened my eyes and looked down at her, my gaze cold as I took in her appearance. She was naked, alone in the woods. Did she not care that someone might see her? Or…

bI /btilted my head slightly, frowning. Was she trying to shift? But I’d been told she didn’t have a wolf–and I couldn’t scent one in herb, /bwhich made it impossible.

I sighed and shook my head.

It wasn’t my concern. Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me.

“My king-” she whispered again, breathless.

But bI /bstepped bback/b, stopping just inches away from her, watching bas /bshe slowly lowered her hands from her bface/b. bHer /bbeyes /btrembled as they met mine for a fleeting second before she quickly sat up, covering herself with her arms, her bhead /bbowed

in shameb. /b

“My king, I–I apologize. I didn’t realize you were bhere/bb,/bb” /bshe stammered.

b2/3 /b

I said nothing at first, simply staring at her in silence. Then, after a brief pause, I took a deep breath and shifted back into my

human form and towered over her, as her eyes widened and she raised her head to meet my gaze.