Her Unwanted Mate On The Throne
Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Chapter 76 I think we‘re lost.

“I said I’m going to be the next king.” William repeated with a bit of imitation in his voice at her lack ofunderstanding. She understood what he said, she just couldn’t believe it. “I… don’t know what you’resaying. Prince Martin is the crown prince. He’s the next in line to be king.” Doris felt a bit of unease settlein her stomach when she saw the look on his face. As if what she said was only temporary and it wasabout time she learned that. William rolled his eyes and stood from the bed. His shirt was ripped wideopen and she forced herself not to stare at the muscles on his chest—this was definitely not the time forthat. “Prince Martin doesn’t know anything about how to properly rule a kingdom. He’s been groomed tobe a carbon copy of my father and nothing else.” “You plan to take his place? How?” Doris asked,completely bewildered. This was why he came to the north? “I think he will have no choice but to handthe crown over.” William said simply and moved to get a new shirt. “I plan on uniting the kingdom with therogues. Even Prince Martin isn’t foolish enough to stand in my way. And if he is, I can’t say I will feelsorry for whatever happens to him.” Doris swallowed. “What do you mean by that? He’s your brother.”William slipped off his ruined shirt and casually pulled on the new one. He looked over at her with a sortof lopsided smirk that screamed sinister intentions. “It’s politics, Doris. My brother and I have never seeneach other as family. It’s always been a competition for the crown even when I was in the darkness andhe didn’t suspect me.” “Are you saying you would… harm your own brother for the crown?” “Don’t soundso shocked. You’ve worked at the palace long enough to know how it goes. Luna Queen tried to haveyou blamed for a poisoning just to pin it all on me. It’s all a game.” William buttoned up his shirt and ranhis fingers through his messy hair as he turned to her. “We’ll make history. Doris.” “We? I think you’remistaken.” Doris took a small step back. William furrowed his brows as he if didn’t understand her words.Did he expect her to jump on him with joy? “I don’t want to help over throw Prince Martin.” His eyesdarkened, it felt as the room dimmed with his mood as he took a step closer to her. She mirrored hissteps with one back. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” “What? Of course not! I don’t want him to dieor be forcefully overthrown.” Doris clenched her hands into fists. “Forgive me, but I’m not interested inpolitics. Especially when it hurts others.” “His plan to rule will match my father and whatever Luna Queen

wants. I wouldn’t let that happen.” “He’s still your brother,” Don’t you want a better life for yourself?”William shouted. Doris flinched at his voice. “Yes, and I’ve been working towards that every day since Icame to the palace. A better life is freedom.” William opened his mouth to respond, and froze. She couldsee the realization behind his eyes as he took in her words and considered all the things she meant bythem. It was the simple truth. She didn’t want to be held down by him and his politics. She wanted herfreedom and she didn’t care if her inner wolf insisted he was her mate-she wanted her freedom. No mancould tempt her enough to make her change her mind. No matter how handsome, no matter how muchcontrol he had over an entire kingdom. “Right.” William snarled and grabbed his jacket from the dresser,knocking over a glass pitcher in the process. He stared at her as if he didn’t care that he brought glassshattering to the floor beneath them. His boots cracked over each shard as he stepped closer. “I don’tneed a pathetic maid to be at my side anyway.” 1 She watched him leave with tears burning the back ofher eyes. They threatened to escape and name her as weak as she felt in that moment-but she did herbest to hold them in while he slammed the door closed. Did he expect her to fall at his feet as all thewomen he’s had before had? Did he expect her to be another… pet for him to play with until he decidedhe was bored and sought out a new one? She was no one’s property. She was a person. He may thinkhe owned her, but she had spent every day for the past five years trying to work against that. He wouldnot unravel it for her now. She refused to stand at his side as something for him to toy with. He hadn’tmentioned Melody once this entire trip, as if she didn’t matter to him in the slightest. She would not benext on his list of conquests.cz Doris felt a strange pain in her heart. She rubbed her chest and winced atthe strange feeling. It felt as if he wounded her with her words, as if her heart was close to breaking justat the thought of their fight. She’d never felt anything for another man before, she wouldn’t start now. Notwith… him. Doris grabbed her jacket and treaded out into the snow to replace a bit of fresh air and peace.“Why would you ever deny our mate like that?” Cordelia whispered inside her, a bit of rage wrappedaround her words. Doris glanced around and saw several people near enough to hear her. She went offa back path and set out for some privacy before she dared to respond “If you knew me at all, you’d knowthat freedom matters more to me than a so called mate.” Doris whispered. She shoved her hands deepin her pockets to warm them and watched as her feet dipped in the thick snow. A bit of wind blew her hair

back away from her face, but she was too distracted to notice. Her mind was wild with the look of hisface and the sound of his words trying to drag her down. “You should at least hear out his plan beforeyou make judgements.” Cordelia hissed. Doris rolled her eyes at how shallow her wolf was being. Sheneeded a bit more self respect. Doris only recently allowed herself a bit of her own on this journey. “Hejust admitted he would do whatever it takes to overthrow his own brother from the throne. I want nothingto do with that, or any future kingdom business. It won’t matter to us soon.” Doris swayed a little whenthe wind picked up. She held her ground and squinted her eyes. It was getting a bit more foggy than sheexpected. “Are you crazy? You only get one mate. You could travel the whole world and you would neverbe able to replace him, ever. You’ll only replace men that are less than him.” Cordelia sounded angry in hermind, but Doris couldn’t bring herself to care. Life wasn’t about living for someone else, it was aboutliving for herself. “I would much rather live for myself than a man. He would never be faithful to us,Cordelia. Even if I stayed for him. Once he lost interest in me, I would be swept aside like all of his pastlovers were. Some of them even scrub toilets for the public just to survive.” Doris glanced around whenshe lost sight of the path she was on. Where was she? “You heard the story of his father. You know howwild he was for her and how he wanted no one else. William wouldn’t dare stray from us.” Cordeliainsisted. Doris snorted. “You must not have been listening. He doesn’t want anything to do with a mateand he never has. He protects me and takes care of me, but at the end of the day I am just a silly maid tohim. That is not what I want for my life. When we return to the palace, the king will hopefully have alreadysigned the amnesty and we will be long gone before William even sets his plan in motion.” “You’reabsolutely mad! You would dare leave your mate during a dangerous time in his life?”

“We don’t owe him anything! He stood there while his real lady almost killed me and only told her to do itin private next time. Don’t fool yourself just because you’re attached to his wolf!” Doris shouted. Shequickly looked around to make sure she was alone. She quickly realized she was not only alone, but lost.She couldn’t see a foot in front of herself and the wind drowned out any noise she made. Her eyesstarted to water and sting with how harsh it grew. Doris wrapped her arms around herself. “L… I thinkwe’re lost.”