KIARA
The stranger crouched in front of me. With his big hand, he cupped my face. Wide eyed, I stared at him, mesmerised by how beautiful he was.A pair of dimples popped out on his cheeks when he smiled. He smelt of roses and vanilla. It was strange. I'd never met a man who smelt like that. But, again, I had only met a few men."Where's your friend?" The stranger asked softly. I couldn't look away."Cassy... she's down there..." I stuttered, pointing towards the direction I'd come from."Sit tight for me, okay?"I found myself nodding like a little child. There was something about him that made me lower my guard. But, a part of me disliked this because it reminded me of Lucas.The moment he began to walk away from me, the Lycan's appeared, carrying an unconscious Cassy with them. There were so many of them, I couldn't help but worry that the stranger would fail to take them down all on his own.Struggling to my knees, I reached out for Cassy. Exhaustion hit me and I collapsed to the ground, vaguely aware of the cries of pain and the cracking of bones filling in the air."Please, be safe... Cassy" I muttered, feeling myself slip into darkness....I was warm. Comfortably so. Peeling my eyes open, my gaze rested on the high ceilings of an unfamiliar room. A pleasant scent hit me. It made me sit up on the bed with curiosity."You're awake."I blinked, startled by the sight of the man standing by the window, his arms folded across his chest.It was him.For some reason, his scent was stronger. I felt the urge to touch him. To bury myself in his scent.I shook my head to get rid of the thought."Are you feeling better?" He asked, approaching me. He sat down on the chair beside the bed.I stared at him, my lips parted. Up close, his features were gorgeous.With a swoon worthy face, killer dimples, mesmerizing eyes and a hair full of raven hair, this man was such a beauty."What's wrong? You're not saying anything" he said, bringing a hand to my forehead.My breath caught in my throat at the feeling of the heady sparks that I felt when he made contact with me.'Our mate. Ours' Allure whined in my head and I froze."No...how is this possible?"The words slipped out of my lips before I could stop them.He furrowed his brows, confusion stirring up in his golden eyes."You don't have a fever..."I cut him off, glancing around the room."Where am I? Who are you? What is this place?" My anxiety had peaked.All I could think was that this man could hurt me. He could've saved me for a selfish purpose."Calm down. I won't hurt you..." His voice trailed off as he stared at me, his frown deepening.The word I'd intended to say was probably written all over my face.Liar."Look, the last thing I would do is take advantage of anybody."I refused to believe him. No matter how much I wanted to.He rose to his feet, an expression of hurt spreading over his features."You must be aware that you're my mate. I do not know why you feel uncomfortable around me. But, I want you to know that you can trust me," he said to me.I lowered my gaze, gripping the bedclothes tightly."Where's my friend? Did you...did you save her?" I asked, unable to look him in the eye."She's safe. She will come to you soon. Until then, try to get some rest. Lunch will be brought to you soon"I kept my head lowered as he walked towards the door."Let me know your name, at least" his sudden statement startled me into looking up.He watched me from the door with a warm gaze.I hesitated a little. Notwithstanding, I knew I owed him that much. Considering the fact that he'd rescued Cassy and I."Kiara."He inhaled sharply."Kiara," my name rolled off his tongue in a way that sent butterflies swarming in the pit of my stomach.Once he was out of the door, I groaned in annoyance.Just when I'd decided that I was better off without a mate-"My lady!" Cassy breezed into the room and swept me into her embrace.Her shoulders shook as she broke down into sobs."I'm so glad you're okay" she breathed."I was afraid that I was going to lose you" I confessed, a lump forming in my throat."That man...he saved us. I heard he's the king of the rogues."My eyes widened."What?!""That's right. He's a demon werewolf. A very powerful one. There are rumours that he was originally the heir to the throne of the northern werewolves."I gaped at her, shocked.Was this my fate? From a Lycan King to a Rogue King?What about my child?What does the future hold for us?"Wait, what's wrong?" Cassy asked, her brows knitted into a frown."He's my mate.""Good goddess, what?!""He probably isn't aware that I'm pregnant. But, he knows that I'm his mate. What do I do, Cassy?"The knock on the door caught my attention. A tall brunette stood there, a tray of food in her arms.She had an inviting smile on her face. She walked in, shutting the door behind her.I watched her as she placed the tray of food on the nightstand."Wow, you're even prettier than I'd imagined" she said."Sorry...who are you?" I said."My bad. My name's Wren. I'm Denzel's little sis" she responded.I raised a brow, confused."Oh... you don't know? It's his name... I'm talking about the man who rescued you."'Denzel, so that's his name' I thought.His name suited him."He didn't want to tell me about you. But, I have my ways. I made him talk. I'm so happy for him, you know. Ever since he lost his first mate-"Cassy interrupted her."He had a mate before now?"Wren nodded, a sad look in her eyes."He did. She was really pretty and nice. It was sad. He's been struggling ever since. They say when your mate dies, a part of you dies with them" she said.I gulped, my heart sinking.He must have been happy to meet me.Yet, I had treated him with such distrust."How did she die?" Cassy suddenly asked.I nudged her, shaking my head."She was murdered" Wren said and I stiffened."What?!" Cassy and I echoed."Denzel-" Wren started to say."That's enough."A cold voice interrupted her and we all turned to look at the figure standing by the door.It was Denzel. His stormy eyes were filled with rage. Wren had gone pale."Denzel, I-I can e-explain" she stuttered, rising to her feet."Get out," he ordered frigidly.She scampered out of the room and he stormed in, grabbing the tray of food on the nightstand."You didn't touch the food, did you?" He asked, calmly."I-I didn't" I stammered."Good" he stated and started to leave."Is she really your sister?" I asked and his feet came to a halt.He turned around, his eyes clouded by hostility. I held my breath, waiting for his next statement."She's no sister of mine.""Is it true? Was your mate murdered?" Cassy blurted out and he stiffened.DENZEL Wide eyed, my mate stared at me. I clenched my fists, frustrated. If she knew the truth, would she stay with me? She already seemed uncomfortable around me. I should have known that Wren would try to pitch my mate against me at the slightest chance she got. "Denzel? You don't have to say anything. It must've been painful for you. I apologize for my friend's insensitivity" Kiara said, giving me a smile. I stared at her, surprised. It was the least I'd expected her to do. Naturally, she was curious, I could tell. Nevertheless, she was more concerned about my feelings. A while ago, she'd refused to look me in the eye. This was good progress. "I'll take my leave now. A maid will be here to serve your meals" I said and she nodded. Her gaze followed me until I was out of the door. Terah, my wolf, growled in my head. He desired to spend more time with her. I did too. But, I knew I had to take things slow. Down the hallway, Wren was waiting for me, her head bowed. She w
KIARA He was warm and he smelt so good. Regardless of how hesitant, I was, I didn't want to leave his embrace. "Please," he whispered and I swallowed hard. His sincerity oozed from his words. He was tugging at the strings of my heart with so little effort. A few seconds slipped by and he pulled away, enough to look at me. "Your mate... the one you spoke of...is he the king of the Lycans?" He asked. Every muscle in my body went frigid.When I didn't respond, he sighed. "I didn't leave out that information on purpose. I didn't know how to tell you" I mumbled. With the pad of his fingers, he wiped away the tears on my face. I looked up, my gaze meeting his gentle ones. A few locks of his hair had fallen over his face. "Well, you're in luck. As long as you're in my territory, he will never get his hands on you again" he said, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "Now, go. You can ask the maids to take you around the palace. I have issues to attend to."I nodded and quietly left h
KIARA "Kiara?" He breathed, pulling away. I nodded, dragging in a shaky breath. "Yes, It's me. Can you smell my scent?" I whispered. Slowly, he moved away from me and got out of bed. He stood under the glow of the moonlight, staring at me with glistening obsidian eyes. His hair danced with the rhythm of the cool breeze that swept into the room, making him seem ethereal. Recognition flashed in his eyes. Next came the appearance of guilt that clouded his eyes."Kiara... I'm sorry. I didn't-"I cut him off, sitting up on his bed. "You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't hurt me, it's okay" I said. He brought a hand to his head, his chest heaving. "You shouldn't be here" he winced. "Your majesty? You should lie down" the green eyed stranger said as he approached Denzel with his hands outstretched. "Kiara, please... just... leave" Denzel croaked, leaning against the stranger who steadied him the moment his knees buckled. I fought the urge to stay there. Quietly, I walked out
KIARA "W-what? It's not possible," I said, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. Melissa shook her head, her short blonde hair disheveled by her rapid movement. "I'm telling the truth, I swear. No one else knows. I saw him do it," she insisted. I stared at her, torn. There was no way Denzel could have murdered his own mate. He was gentle and kind. "He's not who you think he is. He has succeeded in fooling everyone else. Not me though.""Why are you telling me this?" I croaked. "You deserve to know the truth before it's too late. You must keep this from Denzel. If he finds out that you know about this, he's going to get rid of the both of us." "What?" I gasped, struggling to wrap my head around what she'd just said. "If you wish to know more, you can call for me. I'll tell you everything I know. For now, I have to go." She hurried out of my room before I could stop her. Right then, my knees gave out and I sank to the ground. The door opened and Cassy walked in, a puzzled loo
DENZEL My wolf was uneasy tonight. I couldn't figure out why. Every now and then, my claws would emerge. It was unsettling. I glanced at the moon through the window of my study. It was crescent shaped tonight. This meant that the power of the moon was at it's lowest. I saw no reason why my wolf was growing edgy. 'Your majesty! You need to see this!' Keenan's voice pierced through our mind link. I leaned back on my seat, furrowing my brows. Any time he called for my attention like this, the situation was never a good one. 'What's going on? Where are you?' I asked.'A scout reported that he saw the princess heading towards the cliff' he responded. I shot to my feet, confusion stirring within me.'The cliff? Why would she do that? Why didn't he stop her?' I demanded, storming towards the door of my study. 'He reported that he tried to stop her but she subdued him. He claimed that she'd appeared as though she was in a trance.'I gritted my teeth, my hands tightening into fist
KIARA "They're coming," Denzel said, his expression impassive. The words had barely left his lips when two Lycans stepped into my line of vision. A couple more joined a few seconds later. "What is this? Werewolves in our territory?" One of them drawled, his beady eyes twinkling with amusement. "I don't think they're just any kind of werewolves. Their auras are way too powerful," a red head said, eyeing us with disdain."The woman looks so fragile. Look at her, her skin is so fair. Look at her eyes, they're so innocent. Those eyes are asking us to ravage her," another Lycan said, licking his lips in anticipation. I could feel the rage stirring up within my mate. It was only a matter of time before he would completely lose control. This would result to blood shed. More Lycans would end up swarming to the scene once the smell of blood reached them. I didn't want this to happen. "We don't want trouble. We just want to go home," I blurted out the words without thinking. They bli
KIARA "What do you mean by brides?" I asked, clutching at the fabric of my loose night dress. Estella shrugged, flipping her hair over her left shoulder."It's just as I said. Denzel has made it his habit to murder his brides on the night before their wedding. Terrible, isn't it?" She said, chuckling darkly."Tell me more," I choked out, tears blurring my vision. "Not yet. Once I'm sure that you're on my side, I'll tell you. For now, I'll leave." She winked at me and turned away from me."Wait-""I'll come to see you soon. In the meantime, you should find out as much as you can. Bye," she said. Right after this statement, she snapped her fingers and vanished into thin air alongside her bodyguard. My eyes widened when I realised that the room had also changed. I was back in my room in Denzel's palace. This meant I'd never left the room in the first place. Estella had simply created an illusion of a different room. However, I had no idea how she'd entered the palace without being n
DENZELFew hours before, By the goddess, my mate was stunning. Immense desire stirred within me as I cupped the side of her face. I wasn't one to lose all sense of reasoning. But, while I gazed into the depths of her sea green eyes, I stopped thinking. My gaze drifted to her slightly parted heart-shaped lips. Still entrapped in a daze, I leaned closer to her. When she didn't protest or pull away, my desire grew stronger until I was barely a few inches away from her lips. However, before I could kiss her, a blinding pain struck me. My vision blurred and tremors racked my body. It was an all too familiar agony, one which never failed to disrupt my day. Pulling away from Kiara, I straightened. "Take some time to rest, Kiara. You should go to the garden if you don't feel better," I said. I needed to get away from her. If I didn't, a disaster was bound to happen. So, I strode towards the door. I didn't want to alert my mate about my sudden poor health. But, when I got to the