Page 9 of A Crown of Fates
My wolf stirs as I gaze at her. Every instinct begs my feet to move closer, my canines extending so we can taste what’s ours. My heart pounds as I lose myself in her golden eyes. There’s a promise in them, a glimmer of something that could be joy—a future that seems so out of reach for someone like me.
But then her lips twist, and she clears her throat, yanking me back to reality. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to start explaining what the hell I’m doing here?”
Her words hit like a punch, and my pulse stumbles. “What do you mean? You’re my mate.”
She laughs, but there’s no warmth in it. “You’re kidding, right? You might be able to lie to your advisor back there, but that’s not going to work on me. I’m not your mate.”
“You don’t… But I… I don’t understand.” An unease fills me. I was told I had to find my mate, that Selaris needed its queen so a proper heir could be born—one the previous king was unable to provide—before I would be released from this nightmare. If this pounding in my heart is nothing more than a fabrication, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Estee steps closer, her presence like a heatwave crashing over me. The cape draped over her shoulders floats behind her, ghostly and delicate, but there’s nothing fragile about her as she closes the distance between us.
I inhale deeply, unable to help myself. The scent of pomegranates and orange blossoms fills my senses, and a low growl escapes me.
She pokes a finger into my chest, sharp and insistent. “Don’t you growl at me.” Her touch sends a shock of need coursing through me, but I grit my teeth against the powerful need. “I want answers, Theo. Why. Am. I. Here?”
Gods, why can’t she feel it? How is she resisting what’s so clear to my wolf?
And then the voice I hate most slithers into my mind, dripping with amusement. “Because you have to work for your mate, Theodore. Did you really think I was going to make itthateasy for you? I gave you a crown, a purpose, and now, you’ll entertain me. Unless, of course, you’d rather your mother take that role instead.”
Bile rises in my throat. “You?—”
He clicks his tongue.“Careful. Choose your next words wisely. You now have a motheranda mate to protect.” There’s a pause then a slight moan. “Estee is quite lovely, isn’t she?”
I clench my fists, jaw tight with the effort of holding back. I’ve never won with this monster, and that isn’t going to change today. He’s enjoyed watching me suffer every moment since meeting him, a trickster with his own agenda that I haven’t quite figured out. But at least now I know what he’s doing—blocking the bond between Estee and me, twisting reality to make me fight for what’s mine.
And I will. I have no choice. Losing Estee isn’t an option. Not now that I’ve felt the intensity of the bond pulsing through every inch of my body.
Her chest heaves as she waits for me to speak, her eyes full of fire, and gods help me, I want her more than should be possible.
I don’t want to lie to her. Yet, seeing her now, feeling her wrath, I need to speak carefully if I’m to convince her to stay long enough to show her that maybe… Well, I don’t know what I hope for besides keeping her. Though, a future where everything works out feels nearly possible. I have to at least try now that she’s this close.
“I don’t know why you can’t feel the bond as I do, but I assure you, my wolf isn’t wrong,” I say confidently, drawing on the power of the alpha king that flows through my veins. “You are my mate, Estee Blackwood. Don’t tell me you didn’t feelsomethingthe moment you saw me.”
Her expression hardens, but there’s a glimmer of doubt behind her eyes. Good. If I can pull on that sliver of uncertainty, I may have a chance to break through whatever barrierhe’screated. It’s a long shot, but she hasn’t left yet. That has to mean something.
She shakes her head, and as the long strands move, I catch a hint of purple highlights woven through her dark hair. They’re beautiful—just like the rest of her—and I want nothing more than to reach out and touch her, to prove that what I sense is real.
But before I can, she takes a step back, hands on her hips. “Something is happening here,” she says, her voice low but fierce. “I knew it before I came here, and I know it even more now that I’m standing within the castle walls. I may not understand what kind of game you’re playing, Theo Northcroft, but I’m not going to be a pawn. I’ll figure out what you’re up to, and then, I’ll destroy you for dragging me into this mess.”
Her fire should scare me. Instead, it only makes me want her more. “I know this isn’t conventional?—”
She snorts. “Conventional? This is insane.”
“But,” I continue, determined to press on, “if you’ll just let me try something, maybe I can make you understand.” I take a step toward her, and she moves back two paces for every one of mine. “Estee, please.”
I’m not above begging, especially when the stakes are this high. I can’t lose her. I thought I could, that keeping her at a distance would be better, but being in her presence, everything I thought before has changed.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warns, eyes flashing.
It’s a threat I know I should heed, but I can’t seem to force myself to retreat. “You said you wanted answers,” I counter. “I’m trying to give you something that will lead to them.”
She mutters briefly under her breath, a word that sounds a lot like “Bullshit,” but I ignore her and continue across my office, intent on getting my hands on her if she’ll allow it. If she can’t sense our bond just by looking at me or being in my proximity, maybe she’ll be able to feel it by touch.
Estee stops backing away. Though she’s near the door, close enough to grab the handle and run, she remains still. There’s a slight shake to her shoulders, accented by the embroidered fabric of her dress, and while most of her is covered, I can still see the rise and fall of her chest peeking out between the small opening above her breasts.
As much as I want to wrap my arms around her and hold her close, I know better. Instead, I settle for gently pushing the cape back and trailing my fingers down her forearm until I’m able to capture her hand.
Her creamy skin pebbles, and I expect her to shudder in response, but she stays frozen. I stare at her oval face, transfixed by her beauty.