Eden povLazily, I blinked awake and realized I needed to use the bathroom really badly. The thought of running around the forest to find an area I could use sickened me, but it was what it was until we found a proper living space, I had to suck it up. Only… That wasn’t quite the case. I had no idea where I was, but there was a weight pressing me down into something soft beneath me and it felt like limbs were tossed over my body. On top of that, whatever was obviously lying nearly on top of me was so hot, my clothes were sticking to my skin, I was drenched in sweat. Holding my breath, I tried to wiggle out of the vice-like grip someone or something had on me. It stirred and I froze while my heart was beating against my ribcage at such speed, I feared it might stop any moment. Then, came the sharp intake of breath and deep, husky voice. “Where do you think you are going?” A man asked. My head was spinning - where was I and why did I sleep next to a complete stranger? The surviva
Eden povAs the water hit my skin, a sigh of relief left my lips. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper shower, or to be fair, any shower. I spent years using a bucket of semi-dirty water and a rag to wash myself, so this feeling truly was like an out of this world experience. Since Lucius told me I could use the shower, I doubted if I could use any of the products lined along the wall, so I stuck to a bar of soap. When I looked down and noticed how dirty was the water that disappeared down the drain, I understood why he was mumbling about changing the sheets - I was, in fact, filthy. By the time I stepped out of the shower, the bathroom was filled with steam and my skin was bright red. Then, I noticed that there was a neatly folded towel left next to the sink basin. I frowned at it - when did someone enter the bathroom? Did they see me… naked? The very thought of anyone seeing me exposed like this terrified me, so I grabbed the towel and quickly wrapped it around my b
Eden povNo matter how hard I tried to make sense of his words, I still couldn’t understand why this man kept addressing me as his mate. Then, there was the detail that nagged me - Diana addressed me as majesty and Lucius as the King. Did that mean I was in the presence of the King himself? No, it couldn’t be. My guess would be that Lucius was someone crazy rich pretending to be the King, not the man himself. No one really knew much about the King besides the things that were common knowledge. For example: he was a crazed maniac, extremely powerful, literally a one man army no other supernatural could take down. There was a reason why the King ruled over everyone. He wasn’t the King of werewolves or shifters, no, he was the King of supernaturals and everyone feared him more than death for the man was the one who brought it, slowly and painfully. Even the Elders Council didn’t hold half as much power as the King. That man was above everything and everyone, close to a God of a sort.
Lucius pov I needed her close. It was so selfish of me to use the moment and give into my urges, but I needed her more than I needed my next breath. The only way to calm down Xabat was to be as near to her as possible, and that was exactly what I did. After I heard Titus mention that my beautiful, fragile mate had been fated to someone else before I found her made my blood boil. To be honest, as grateful as I was to that fuckface who was incapable of appreciating the gift the Goddess had given him, I was outraged that he had hurt my Eden by rejecting her. But then again, if we were paired, if I was given to her as the second chance, it meant she was strong enough to face him and accept the rejection to break the bond. That thought made me feel such immense pride in her strength and self-control, I nearly lost it. Once I was sure I was calm enough to carry on with our day, I finally looked at Eden and smiled at her. The way her cheeks turned bright red at the simple action made
Eden povThe food Lucius prepared was hands down the best meal I had in years. As if he knew, he didn’t shove eggs and bacon down my throat. Instead, I got some porridge with fruits and a glass of fresh orange juice. “Eat slowly, Eden. You are a divine woman, not a savage.” Lucius laughed at me. All I did was glare at him and raise an eyebrow as if I had the right to challenge the King. But he didn’t take it personally, he just laughed at my attempts to appear intimidating and added some more blueberries to my porridge.On top of already taking care of me, Lucius kept up a small talk about the most random things. He asked what my favorite color was, what foods I enjoyed, what I liked to do for fun and about a million other questions. At one point, he let it slip that he would have to introduce me as his Queen after he marked me, which I won’t lie scared me, but he quickly noticed my reaction and stirred the conversation to another topic. When we were finished with breakfast, Titus
Eden povMy breath hitched, but to my surprise, for all the reasons I never thought were possible. I wasn’t scared to kiss Lucius, but what truly worried me was if I could do it… I mean, the only man I had ever kissed was Asher and truth to be told, I didn’t think it was an actual kiss. It was him who forced himself on me. It was Asher, who tried to kiss me, but I never kissed him back. Although I was sure he had stolen my first kiss, now I wondered if it was true. Had he, really? “Whenever you’re ready,” Lucius chuckled and tapped my butt. My cheeks burned bright red when he placed his hands on my hips and lifted me off his lap as if I didn’t weigh more than a feather. It got worse all too soon, right when I noticed Titus was still present, watching us and grinning like a madman. “Let’s go, not rogue girl, we have a grandpa to see,” Titus offered me his hand. I was about to take it when Lucius’ growl startled me and I jumped back. “Come on, man, I’m not trying to seduce your mat
Titus povEver since Lucius announced that he had found his mate, I was so stupidly blinded by the happiness I felt for my best friend, I never thought of the consequences of letting Eden near the old man. At one point, I was considering keeping them apart for a bit, at least until the man calmed down and didn’t insist that the whole world was against them two and so were we. But now, it was too late. All I could do was stand rooted in my spot and stare as Lucius ran to Eden and dropped to his knees next to her. He was saying something, I knew he was, his lips were moving, but I didn’t hear a word. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the old man was about to try to grab her, so I held him back as Lucius lifted her in his arms and carried Eden to the hospital wing. He barely entered the building and growled at me though the mind-link. “Whatever the fuck happened out there, make it right. I mean it, Titus. If it means you have to come clean with that old fool, so be it. The last th
Lucius povI knew that it was too soon to let her meet that goddamn man. He was making an issue out of everything ever since I told my men to bring him along for questioning. When he claimed he was Eden’s grandfather, I allowed him to stay, knowing she would want to ensure he was safe once she came back to her senses, but now, I regretted it. I had to order Titus to explain to the old fool what he saw and why those things happened, but it was already too late to try and fix it. He had accused Titus of crimes in front of Eden, he spilled everything he saw and heard, all fucking out of context!And because some old fool didn’t know how to mind his fucking business, my mate was in the hospital and I was pacing the halls like a maniac. No one had updates to give me. All I knew was that when she fell, she hit her head against a rock and lost a fair bit of blood until I carried her to the hospital. “Shit,” I hissed as I ran my hand through my hair. What kind of a mate fucking was I if I