Page 7 of A Crown of Fates
I blink. “What? I’m not your mate.”
“Not you,” she hisses, her gaze darting around. “He’s here. I can smell his scent… Gods, it’s so sweet, like chocolate.”
Oh no.
I’d hoped—really hoped—that Drea would be returning to Polaris with me, but now? If she’s found her mate, who am I to stand in her way?
Before I can say anything, a large figure barrels through the crowd—a warrior clad in black, medals gleaming across his chest. His eyes, dark brown and glowing with intensity, are locked on Drea.
Well, I didn’t see this coming.
Neither of them speak. Drea turns toward him, and in an instant, he scoops her into his arms, kissing her with the kind of passion that makes it clear they’re no longer aware of the hundred people in the room with them.
Her hands move over his dark, shaved hair, and when he gropes her backside, I decide I should intervene.
I step forward, grabbing his arm firmly. He snarls but doesn’t turn toward me. That’s fine—my nails extend into claws, and I dig them into his skin, piercing through his sleeve.
He pulls Drea to his side, and this time, he spares me a glance, his hand twitching as though ready to reach for my throat.
I shake a finger at him. “I wouldn’t recommend that.”
Drea steps between us, panting. “Estee, I’m so sorry.”
I don’t look at her. My gaze is still fixed on her mate, whose burly form practically radiates with possessiveness. “Maulingthis incredible woman in public doesn’t equate to cherishing her. I expect you to respect Drea—mind and body. Whatever the two of you do in private is your business, but here?” I glance around the room briefly. “This isn’t the place.”
The warrior bows his head, grumbling. “Yes, Your Highness. My apologies. It was unintentional.”
I flatten my lips even though I’ve seen the way Isla and Asher are with each other. Desire between mates is typically the furthest thing from rational in the beginning. Still, I want better for Drea if I’m already going to lose her as my companion and friend. “See that it doesn’t happen again.”
His face flushes with shame as Drea giggles softly, her cheeks red but eyes sparkling. “I’m sorry,” she says again, unable to suppress her smile. “This is…unexpected.”
That’s an understatement.
“Why don’t the two of you excuse yourselves?” I suggest, my tone gentle. There’s no reason for her to stay here, not when she’s found her mate. I’m not selfish enough to ask her to stick around for my sake, not when her future’s standing right beside her, practically drooling.
Without hesitation, Drea nods, and they rush off, disappearing into the crowd. Women from Polaris watch with interest, but I ignore them as a trumpet sounds. Great. Now I just have to survive this ridiculous display, feign a headache, and retreat to my room until it’s time to sail back home tomorrow.
I’ll take seasickness over this any day.
“His Majesty, Alpha King Theo Northcroft,” the announcer bellows between the trumpets.
I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t even be curious, but I find myself staring at the vaulted doorway, waiting. This man didn’t exist to me when I last lived in Lunara three hundred years ago, and I told myself I wanted nothing to do with him, yet here I am, wondering what kind of king he is.
King Theo steps through the doorway, a gold crown resting atop brunet hair that’s disheveled, as if he couldn’t be bothered to properly clean-up for the occasion. His dark eyes scan the room before landing on me, and I swear a flicker of disappointment crosses his face.
Well, screw you too, buddy.
I keep my head high, my back straight, refusing to let his reaction affect me. There’s a faint flutter in my chest, a sensation I can’t quite place, but it vanishes as quickly as it appears. Relief washes over me. My future isn’t set in stone. Whatever fleeting connection passed between us isn’t enough to bind me to him.
But then, King Theo nods to the man beside him—the one who introduced him—and steps back into the shadows beneath the archway.
What the hell is going on?
“The king has found his mate,” the man, whom I assume is an advisor, announces. “Everyone may make their way to the dining hall except Princess Estee Blackwood.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
There’s no way. There was no connection. I felt nothing. Well, I mean, there was a twinge, but as I just witnessed with Drea and whoever that guard was, I should’ve felt a hell of a lot more thanthatif he was truly my mate.