Warring Mates
4

With my arms crossed and a scowl on my face, I paced around my room. “The dungeon,” I scoffed. As if. Mom would never allow it, and a mischievous smile crept upon my face. If there was anything my dad was scared of, it would be a furious wife.

I strode out of my room in search of my dad’s office and tiptoed to the door, trying to listen to what they were saying as I laid my ear on it. Any word would suffice. But luck wasn’t on my side...

The door opened, the invisible wall protecting me from them disappearing, and I fell to the ground. With a groan, I pushed myself off the ground, my eyes connecting with grandfathers’.

“I guess this isn’t the bathroom?” I asked, an innocent smile playing on my lips.

My mom stifled a laugh as dad glared at her. No one in their right mind would ignore an order of the king, and I was in big trouble. The fury in my dad’s eyes told me so much.

“Nice try, smarty-pants,” Zak said, a snicker leaving his mouth.

My dad took a deep breath, most likely calming the rage brewing inside him as I saw the vein bulging on his forehead. Though the cold look in his eyes never disappeared. “I thought I ordered you to stay away.”

I cringed at his emotionless voice. “I didn’t think Silas would be here.”

He clenched his jaw, every last piece of calmness in his eyes disappearing. “And that makes it all right to listen in?” The venom dripped from his voice.

“N-no,” I stuttered, wanting nothing more than to disappear into thin air. How stupid could I have been? Ignoring a direct order of the king.

“You called for me?” Lachlan asked, and my eyes darted to him. He stood in the doorway, his eyes holding confusion as he looked at me. Silas must have called him to take me away. Not that I would let him.

“Stay with Lexi. Apparently, she needs a babysitter,” my dad ordered as he straightened the papers on his desk.

What! “I do not need a...”

“You will not say another word,” he gritted out. “Now go.”

With my head hanging low, I accepted my defeat and walked past Lachlan, who placed a hand on my shoulder. A hand I shrugged off as his touch burned me. “Don’t touch me.”

His brows furrowed. “What happened?”

I shrugged my shoulders, walking away from him. “Nothing happened.”

“Did I do something?” he asked, stopping me by placing a hand on my arm.

A sigh left my mouth, and I cast my eyes down, watching my feet. “No.” He did nothing wrong. It was my mind that created the worst scenarios. “It’s just... I...” I took a deep breath to think of the right words, but nothing came to my mind.

“How about we go to the roof?” he offered.

I nodded and followed him in silence. Once there, I leaned my elbows on the ledge, my eyes raking over the city. Our beautiful city. Not to mention lively. People sauntered over the streets—all unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows.

“Can you tell me why you are acting so distant with me? Yesterday everything seemed fine and now...” His voice trailed off, the unspoken words hanging in the air.

Tugging a strand of hair behind my ear, I turned to him. “Who was that girl you were with yesterday?”

“Is this why you passed out last night?”

A heavy feeling settled in my chest as I squeezed my eyes shut. “Just answer the question.”

Lachlan turned his head to the city, breathing out forcefully. “She is an old friend of mine.”

Was that the best he could do? She is an old friend of his. Did he think I was that stupid? “We grew up together. I know all of your friends and I know she isn’t one of them.”

“Lexi.” He cupped my cheek, looking into my eyes. “There is nothing between her and me. You are the one I want, not her.”

Doubt clouded my mind as I pulled back from him, and I cast my eyes back to the city. These were going to be the hardest words I ever spoke, “I want to, Lachlan, but I can’t.”

“Okay,” he breathed out, “We can go at your pace.”

Shaking my head, I pulled my hand through my hair. He just had to make it hard. “I don’t think you understand it. I can’t have a relationship with you. It’s too much for me.”

“You just need time. I get it that the rejection of your mate is hard, but with time...”

“No,” I breathed out, my voice cracking. “I don’t need time! My beast doesn’t want anyone else but him. I’m sorry, Lachlan, but I just can’t… And if you can’t accept that, then I think we shouldn’t see each other for a while.” My heart broke as I spoke those words, my lower lip trembling.

“Is that what you want?” he asked, his eyes hardening as he clenched his jaw.

I bit my lower lip, nodding my head. It wasn’t like I could help it. Collin was my mate and would always be. There was no denying that.

The bang of a door had me jumping up, and a sob escaped my mouth as I slid to the ground. I did it. I ruined our friendship and there was no turning back.

“Honey?” Jay said as she peeked onto the roof. “Oh, Lexi,” she breathed out, hugging me close.

“Why can’t I have a simple life?” I murmured as I laid my head in the crook of my mom’s neck.

“I don’t know.” She stroked my hair. “But it’s a question I asked myself when I was young, and looking back on it, I wouldn’t want to change a thing. The war was hard and losing a friend even harder, but it gave me you and a loving husband.”

I scoffed out. “You’re saying I need to have patience and have faith in the Moon Goddess.” Great, what did I do so wrong in my past life that the Moon Goddess had to punish me for?

“I didn’t grow up here and I don’t know a lot about the Moon Goddess… But believe me when I say it will all work out.” My mom kissed my head. “For me it did.”

With a runny nose, I wiped my tears away as I pulled back from my mother. “Will I ever get over him?” It was what I feared the most—him haunting me.

“You will if you give yourself the chance to heal.”

A humourless chuckle left my lips. “And how do you suggest I heal myself?” My relationship with Lachlan didn’t work out. Not to mention I ruined my one and only friendship. I had nothing and no one. How was I ever going to heal myself?

“Well, for starters, lose the attitude.” My mom bumped my shoulder and a ghost of a smile crept upon my face. “Second, live in the now and replace appreciation in the little things.”

I sighed out and took her words to heart. “What about my beast… What if I never shift?”

“You will.” She stood from the ground, eyeing the dark clouds. “Are you coming inside too? It’s going to rain any moment now.”

“Yeah.” My mom left the rooftop, and I sat there on her own, deep in thought. “Live in the moment,” I mumbled. How was I supposed to do that?

The first raindrops fell on my cheeks, and I closed my eyes, dwelling on the feeling. One by one they fell onto my face. Again and again until the rain came crashing down, soaking my clothes.

I hasted inside and wandered through the corridors, passing by guards and servants—all in their own world. And as I walked, my eyes followed the patterns on the wooden floor until I stopped in front of a door. A door that hid my aunt’s old painting room. My second home, and I loved the dedication my aunt put into it. She was an amazing painter.

With new energy coursing through me, I walked inside and placed a canvas on the easel. “What, oh what should I make?” I dipped the paintbrush into the paint.

Slowly and with concentrated strokes, I dragged the brush across the canvas… Again, and again; the movements hypnotising me.

I dashed through the woods, a giggle escaping my lips as I once again slipped past my guards. By now dad should know better than to appoint guards to me. I was eighteen—an adult.

A growl halted me in her steps, my breath hitching in my throat. A stunning silver werewolf stood in front of me and my eyes widened as I felt my beast moving inside my head for the first time. Mate... He was my mate.

The wolf bared his canines at me; the saliva dripping off it as his eyes conveyed his battling emotions..

“I...” I didn’t understand. Why was he so hostile to me? We were mates, werewolf or not. “Why?”

The wolf shifted back; the bones cracking and relocating, and I stepped back, my heart breaking. Mom told me stories about him, how dangerous he was…

“King Collin.” I bowed my head, casting my eyes to the ground as he was fully naked. Not that my beast minded it—she yipped inside my head.

But I knew better. I was mated to the king of the werewolves… The one that swore to kill all the shifters.

Pulling my brush back, my eyes scanned the canvas. A beautiful silver wolf with piercing blue eyes adorned it. Treacherous eyes I wanted to tear out. With a frustrated groan, I threw the canvas across the room. Why was my mind so—so… Goddess, how badly I wanted to just scream it all out.

The door opened, startling me, and I looked up to see my parents walking in, worry etched on their face as they eyed the broken canvas on the ground.

“What?” I growled out. I was not in the mood to deal with one of my parents’ lectures. I knew I was in the wrong earlier today. They didn’t have to rub it in.

Not saying anything, my dad walked over to the canvas, turning it around, and he closed his eyes, a humourless smile adorning his face before he walked over to me. He hugged me tightly to him, murmuring in my ear, “I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I pulled back from my dad and walked away, but didn’t get far as he grabbed my arm.

“Lexi...” He breathed out, the pain clear in his voice. “There is something else I wanted to talk about. Those creatures...” His eyes darted to mom.

I shook my head. My voice stuck in my throat. I didn’t want him to finish that sentence, because there was only one thing that would cause them this distress. “I don’t want to know.”

Mom strode over to me, hugging me as she broke the horrible news to me, “it’s Lachlan... They kidnapped him.”

“N-no... No...” This couldn’t be true. It didn’t happen. He was safe in his room. “You’re lying.”

“Lexi... I’m so sorry,” she breathed out, her own tears rolling down her cheek.

“No!” My knees gave out, and I fell to the ground, my mom’s arms still around me. “I... Oh, Goddess. I said horrible things to him.”

“Hey...” She pulled back, her eyes scanning my face. “Breathe, Lexi, breathe.”

“I... He...” Why did I say those things?

My dad strode over to me, kneeling beside me as he tilted my head to him. “Take a deep breath. He can take care of himself.”

I lunged into dad’s arms. “Promise me you’ll replace him,” I cried.

“We will,” he spoke, stroking my back.