Taming Her Beastly Mate
The Lycan Princess Chapter 17

“Janna?” Aiden asked, as he quirked a brow up at Diana. “What about her?” He smiled as he stared into her silver eyes. “I went to a couple of dances with her, but I was never even her boyfriend. She is a brat. She hated that I didn’t spend all my time fawning over her. The dimwit thought she would make me jealous and started making out with another guy, knowing I would see them. I didn’t even acknowledge it. I just kept walking by. Since then, she has been the one doing everything she can to get me to look her way. I think she thought up until I found you, she had a chance to be with me.” Aiden chuckled, but then stopped as he noticed the serious look on Diana’s face.

“She still does.” Diana said in a matter-of-fact tone. She wasn’t upset about this. It was just the truth. What she wasn’t expecting was the darkness that clouded Aiden’s eyes. His lips curled up, revealing his canines as a low growl escaped from him.

“What. Did. She. Say?” He knew that no one else was delusional to think that he wanted Janna.

“Look at you getting all protective.” She smiled at Aiden, who calmed down as he chuckled quietly. They both stared at each other and the s****l tension began to build again. Diana cleared her throat and said, “She really didn’t say anything. She said that she wanted you to get angry on her behalf. And that she ended up causing a problem between the two of you. She wanted me to let you know it wasn’t what you thought you saw. Basically, she said she saw that I wasn’t marked so—” She shrugged as the murderous glare from Aiden returned.

“I’ll—”

“It has already been handled, Aiden. I told her that I would eviscerate anyone who tried to take my mate from me. Kurt and Jamie also had a few words for her. Let’s see if she was able to gain any clarity from it. All I wanted to know was if there was anything that I needed to be aware about, like a person like Janna. You lived your life before you found me. Just like how I was engaged to take a chosen mate before—” Aiden’s growl cut her off as he curled his lips up angrily.

“That man was never worthy of becoming your mate.”

“Actually…” Diana whispered and turned her head away. She stared at the fallen feathers on the floor as her lips curled down. “I was the one not worthy of being his. I doubted him. I hated him… and he had stayed loyal to me. He loved me… even after he found his fated mate. It wasn’t him that betrayed the lycans. It was his identical twin brother who took on his identity. I saw it all… the memory of everything played in my mind. Endymion showed me what really happened.”

“Diana…” Aiden whispered as she turned her head to look at him. He could see the pain in her watery silver eyes and his heart clenched at the sight. He took a step forward, wanting to comfort her.

“Shaun’s direct descendant is Sion Faust, the Alpha of the Chance pack.” Diana said as Aiden stood still, staring at her.

Aiden’s body went rigid. His mind whirled with what she was wanting to say. Shaun Faust didn’t betray Diana and now she was telling him about his direct descendant. What did this mean? Did she want Sion? The thought of another man even looking at her had rage igniting in his veins, making them bulge beneath his skin. Recrimination pounded through him like waves crashing on a shore and his heart raced faster than a wildfire on a dry summer night. Jealousy burned hot within him as he envisioned another man laying a finger on his beloved mate. He wouldn’t stand for it; he was ready to fight for her.

“Just a bit ago, Endymion asked Lycaon to bring me to him.” Diana whispered, looking back at the scattered feathers on the floor. Her heart raced as she thought of the consequences her rash decision could have. What would Aiden say when she told him she promised their son to another? Aiden was everything she knew in this world. His home was her home. His officers were her family. What would she do if Aiden didn’t want her after this? She also wondered if she deserved Aiden. Guilt consumed her insides for having ever doubted Shaun before. She knew she had to replace faith within herself again so that she could pledge complete loyalty to Aiden or else it would never feel right.

“I met his Luna there. She is also the sheya your father has been talking about.”

Aiden relaxed on his heels and inwardly sighed. Sion already had a mate, so he wasn’t after Diana. However, Diana refused to look at him. With a heavy heart, Aiden realized that Diana was so overcome by guilt that she simply couldn’t look him in the eye. What was it that she was regretting right now? He was beginning to feel anxious, and he shifted his weight from each foot.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to help her and outsmart the gods. I made a rash decision without you.” Her voice came out like air.

Aiden’s thoughts spun like a hurricane inside of him, desperately searching for some sort of clarity. Every possible outcome weighed on his mind until he was sure he would break under the pressure. His fingernails dug into his palm as his gaze roved over Diana’s delicate features; her eyes were shuttered away from him, and her perfect face held taut with strain.

He couldn’t stand it any longer. With a sudden burst of passion, Aiden reached out and took Diana’s face in his hands, pulling her towards him. Their lips met in a fiery k**s that left them both breathless. Aiden poured every ounce of love he had for Diana into that k**s, trying to communicate to her that she was everything to him. For a moment, everything fell away as they were lost in their love for each other.

When they finally parted, Aiden looked into Diana’s silver eyes, his own green eyes full of overwhelming emotion. “Diana, you are my mate. Nothing will ever change that. You have my heart, my soul, and my loyalty. Whatever decision you made, I will stand by you and love you unconditionally,” he said, his voice soft and full of love. “As long as you didn’t promise yourself away, we can work through it.”

“Aiden…” She reached her hand to his that was resting on her face. He was trying to reassure her, but she already knew Aiden was going to be upset about this news. Though hope flickered that he wouldn’t turn her away, she still knew he would be upset. And rightfully so. She squeezed his hand gently as she lowered his hands from her. She stepped away from him so she could see him fully. She also wanted to give him the space he may need after she broke the news.

Reluctant but resolute, she took in a steadying breath. As a leader, she made a decision. Even though she wished she had made it with Aiden, she still felt it was the right one. Even without the gods, this would be a strong union. With one final exhale, she drifted into the role of the Lycan Princess.

“Aiden, I made an unbreakable vow with the Luna of the Chance pack. If we have a son together and they have a daughter… they will be arranged, chosen mates. They will be a strong union and what is needed for the future. I wish we could have made this decision together, however, I do feel that it was the right one.” She watched as Aiden closed his eyes and let out a breath. She noticed how his body seemed to tense as his jaw drew rigid.

For a moment, the room was silent. Aiden turned and walked over towards the window. He felt a mixture of emotions as he tried to process what she had told him.

“If we have a son and they have a daughter… they’ll be arranged mates.” He said, his voice deadly calm. His knuckles grew white as he stared at the window. “You promised our son away.” He turned to look at Diana with a mixture of anger and pain.

“I did.” Diana’s unwavering gaze was fixated on Aiden. She held herself upright and strong, though inwardly she was drowning.

“I won’t pretend I am not upset about this. I love you Diana, and nothing is going to change that.” His gaze softened as he looked at her. “This just caught me off guard. Arranged mates… Diana…” He muttered as he shook his head.

“I watched my sister go through this. Her whole life she was promised to the vampire prince. She suffered a lot through the engagement and often felt unwanted. She didn’t get to experience normal events since she was promised to another. She lucked out, and Derek ended up being her fated mate—” He shook his head and pursed his lips together. “There were times though… I hurt for her. I could see the pain she tried to hide. I hated the arrangement my parents made. I swore I would never— and now that you have…” He winced and looked down.

“If… if you aren’t with me, the deal won’t stand.” Diana said in a shaky breath. The walls of her leadership faltered as she thought of losing Aiden. “There is no deal without you.” Every ounce of confidence and surety she had once held disappeared into thin air, collapsing like a house of cards in his presence. She didn’t want to walk away from him, but if letting him go would spare him pain, she wouldn’t hesitate.

Aiden’s emerald eyes trailed over his mate. Her tiny body suddenly looked tense, and he could see the fear in her eyes. There was no future for him without Diana in it. The truth is… Diana was right. He had heard about the Alpha of the Chance pack in Elysium. He was not a normal Alpha, but now a new type of beast. Levi had also mentioned that he was a minor god now. This bloodline would carry the strength needed to rule and fight in the wars to come. In truth, Diana was a better leader than he was. She could lead with the strength of her mind and overrule her heart. While his emotions guided him too much.

“Diana—” He rushed to her, not wanting her to feel insecure for another second. His hands gripped her h**s tightly as he brought their faces together. He stared into her silver eyes and the white sparkle that danced in them. He spoke with a passionate fervor that was meant to pierce through her very soul: “You didn’t make the wrong decision. It’s just one I wouldn’t have made… couldn’t have made. I need you by my side. I need you to help me lead, but above all of that, my heart chooses you. Even with you being my mate… I chose you — not because I have to, not because it’s the right thing to do—but because my heart yearns for you.”

Her body trembled as she felt the heat of his breath on her face. His burning scent invaded her senses and pulled her into him. Each breath from him sent tingles over her body. His eyes were blazing with a fierce intensity that left her struggling to breathe. His eyes were so dark they were like wells of molten lava that threatened to consume her whole being. She could feel his desire for her even after learning what she had promised.

“You’ve been trained to be a strong leader. You make the tough choices that a true leader needs to make. We may end up disagreeing a lot, but that will never mean I don’t want you by my side. Even if we fight over a decision all day… our nights will always be passionate. That is the one place where we are not leaders. We are lovers. We won’t bring that into our bedroom. I don’t like the agreement of arranged mates, but that doesn’t affect us. WE are another matter entirely.” Aiden stared into her silver eyes that glistened with her tears.

“Aiden… I understand that the situation with your sister makes what happened more difficult for you.” She paused as she studied his face. “What if I am only good at being a leader? I want to be a good mate too. I need to take your feelings into consideration when I make decisions. I keep thinking about how much I have hated Shaun for something he didn’t do. I didn’t believe in him and in the end, he still loved me. He felt like he was betraying me by being with his mate. I didn’t have that loyalty to him…” She watched as his emerald eyes softened. His fingers brushed over her cheek, and he tilted his head to the side.

“Trust… is built… it doesn’t happen overnight. We have been together longer than you knew Shaun. You didn’t have time to build trust with him. It was new and fresh. That stuff would have come. Our bond together will only continue to grow. It will be ironclad, unbreakable, and something you can always trust. Diana—” He brushed his nose over her cheek and tenderly kissed her skin. “Our bond isn’t fragile. You will lean on our bond and believe in it. I want you to get to the point that you would know that, even after making an agreement that I would disapprove of, I will still be by your side. The fact that you thought I might not want us anymore because of that… well, it means we have a lot of room to grow.”

“It has caused you pain—”

“Sometimes the right decision isn’t the one with the least amount of pain. I can’t just will myself into liking the idea. It will take time to get used to it, even if I can rationalize it was a smart arrangement. I know what might play out… the potential pain this might bring upon our son. Because of that—”

“Because of the fated mate pull I am here with you. I was woken up from my slumber when I didn’t ask to be. And had you asked me then I would have rather stayed asleep or been dead. It has taken me time to get used to all of this. The world now. Not having my family… and you. This won’t be a shock to our son. From the moment we know we have a son, and they have a daughter they will meet. We will visit often, and they will be raised to be each other’s mate. Unlike how things were with Lucy, they will see each other regularly. Not just visits in the summer and NEVER with a fake stand in. That was a different situation than the one we will create. Because of that, our son will not have that potential pain that you witnessed with Lucy.”

Aiden looked at Diana with a newfound respect and admiration. She had thought out everything, and he realized that he had been selfish in his own pain. Looking into her eyes, it was obvious that she had thought about their child’s happiness as well. The decision she made on her own was difficult. Hearing Diana’s plan for their son brought peace to his heart. It wouldn’t be the same as his sister’s situation. They would make sure of that. Their son wouldn’t have to feel unwanted and he would know his mate. They would grow up together. The Chance pack wasn’t far away and both sides could visit often.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead before pulling her into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” Aiden said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Thank you for thinking about our son, for wanting to protect him from the pain that Lucy went through. I’m sorry I didn’t consider that before. I was so consumed with my own feelings about the situation.”

“No, you have every right—”

“No, I should have trusted you more. Like I said… we have room to grow. I’m not perfect either… do you still want me?” He said in a teasing tone. Her fingers dug into his back, and she buried her face into his chest. He felt her press her nose into him as she held him close.

Her body trembled as her beast threatened to take over. She was using Aiden’s scent to calm herself, but it only seemed to provoke her feral nature more. Claiming Aiden was no longer an option but a need. “Aiden…” she whispered as she lifted her head up to him. She clenched her jaw as she forced herself to take a small step back.

He gazed into her dark stormy eyes that threatened to swallow him whole. His heart rate accelerated in response to the hunger she was showing him.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She breathed out as she licked her lips.

“Then don’t make me wait another minute longer… because waiting to mark you… is painful. It’s agony. The force of my beast is growing stronger. I need to be closer… I need to take the restraint off of him. It’s time I take what is mine.” His voice was husky as his heart raced. He narrowed his gaze on her as his beast roared within him. He stepped into her space, claiming it as his own, as a growl reverberated in his chest.

Her heart thundered in her chest as her own beast stirred in frustration. She reached her hands up as he stepped into her fingers. “Well?” She breathed out as she stared into his darkness. “Take the restraints off.”