His destined mate

Emily's

POV

"You're just a pathetic tool, being used until your value runs out," I sneered. "Do not delude yourself into thinking otherwise, girl."

I leaned in until my face was mere inches from hers. Her breath came in sharp pants,

eyes wide with undisguised fear. Good. Let her finally understand the severity of her situation. "The King grows restless and enjoys his little games," I stated in a terrible purr. "But you'd be wise not to entertain any fanciful notions about his motivations. He will soon get tired of sullying himself with your kind. And when that time comes..."

I looked at her with clear dismissal. "Let's just say your temporary importance will end very unpleasantly if you get in the way of him realizing where he truly belongs - by my side, as it was always meant to be."

The girl swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing. For a moment, it seemed like she might argue back.

I raised an eyebrow challengingly, silently daring her to be that foolish. After a tense pause, she seemed to think better of it, dropping her gaze in a forced display of submission.

"I... understand," she said in a shaky voice. "You've made your point, Emily." Sneering, I stood tall again. "Remember that. This situation is temporary. I am eternal. Cross that line, and no magic or being in this world will protect you from my revenge." With that final warning, I turned and marched away, unable to bear the sight of the pathetic wolf any longer. Let her think about the seriousness of her actions. I had eternity to fix this mess the King had created so carelessly.

Sooner or later, Bianca would understand her true place here. And if she didn't... I couldn't wait to teach her that lesson myself.

As I stormed back toward the castle entrance, the King himself stepped into my path, his pale eyes narrowing at my furious expression.

"I can smell trouble coming from the gardens," he said in a low voice. "I hope you haven't been foolish enough to confront my mate already?"

I lifted my chin defiantly. "I've just made things clear to her. She's temporary, just a passing fancy to satisfy whatever whims you have at the moment." I sneered. "But we both know she'll never truly replace me by your side, my mate."

The King's jaw tensed with suppressed anger, but I saw a flicker of unease in his eyes. Seizing my chance, I circled around him slowly, letting my power radiate.

"You can play your little game for now, satisfy whatever urge you have," I said smoothly. "But we both know how this ends. No matter what you do, no matter who you try to replace me with..."

I trailed a sharp nail lightly along his jaw. The King stayed still as a statue, but I felt him shudder slightly under my touch.

"You can't escape me," I whispered in his ear. "We're bound together by fate itself. This connection can't be broken, no matter who you try to hide behind."

For a moment, the only sound was our breathing, heavy with the weight of destiny

hanging between us, as inevitable as the turning of the worlds.

Despite his efforts to deny it, the King understood the truth of my words as much as I did.

We were bound by forces greater than us both.

At last he mates my gaze, resignation and defiance warring in his pale eyes.

"Do not push too far, Emily," he warned, his voice low.

A cruel smile spread across my lips. "Don't worry, my mate. You can enjoy your little game for now with your toy. But in the end?" I leaned in close. "You'll come back to me. It's inevitable."

With that promise, I walked past him, letting my power envelop him like the relentless tide. I left him to ponder my words and their undeniable truth. The King could try to build barriers against our bond, but we both knew Bianca was just a temporary obstacle. The King stayed in the same place for a long time after Emily left, her last mocking words repeating over and over in his mind. As much as he disliked admitting it, there was some truth to what she said about their lasting connection.

No matter how hard he resisted or what tricks he tried, Emily always seemed to force her way back into his life. Her obsession with claiming him as her destined mate had become toxic and harmful over the years. She refused to respect his boundaries or personal freedom anymore despite how she had mistreated him and cheated on him in the past years.

That's precisely why he had entered into this risky scheme with Bianca - to finally push Emily's jealousy goes too far. To show her, once and for all, that her possessive entitlement had no power over him. That he was not some mindless follower she could endlessly control.

Of course, using Bianca as the key part of such a risky plan came with its own dangers. She was an unknown factor, a relative stranger he had pulled into the complicated emotional chaos with Emily. Would she prove strong enough to withstand the scorned Emily's inevitable angry outbursts and schemes?

The King frowned, recalling Bianca's pale, fearful face after her confrontation with Emily in the garden. She had handled their initial interactions well, but now she would need a backbone of iron to withstand the path his "true mate" was on.

Scanning the horizon through narrowed eyes, the King noticed movement on the castle balconies above. There stood Bianca, silhouetted against the setting sun, her hands gripping the stone railing as the evening breeze played with the dark strands of her hair. Even from a distance, he could see the tension in her shoulders and feel the waves of distress emanating from her. She had likely witnessed part of his confrontation with Emily and drew her own troubling conclusions.

"You heard my exchange with Emily, I presume," he stated without preamble.

Bianca flinched almost immediately before giving a small nod. The King watched a mix of emotions in her eyes-uncertainty, fear, pride, determination-all swirling like a storm behind her gaze.

"I know you didn't ask for this mess, Bianca," he said more gently. "You weren't prepared for this situation with Emily and me."

He paused, observing her closely, seeing her swallow hard before lifting her chin in a show of resolve.

"But you agreed to be my mate, even if it's temporary," he reminded her. "That title and everything it means can't be easily ignored, no matter how short-term it is." Reaching out with one rough hand, he gently traced the line of her jaw. He felt her pulse

racing beneath his fingertips and saw both fear and longing in her eyes.

"Don't let Emily's threats scare you," he murmured, letting a hint of his alpha power seep out to reassure her. "You are under my protection for the duration of our agreement. Trust in that, if nothing else."

Bianca's shoulders seemed to straighten at his words and presence. Though uncertainty and vulnerability still flickered in her gaze, a new resolve also burned there.

"I-I understand," she said in a stronger voice than he had yet heard from her. "I gave you my word, Your Grace. I won't break it."

A faint smile curved the King's lips as he saw her show some backbone. Closing the final distance between them, he pulled her close against his powerful frame.

"We will face this storm together, my mate," he rumbled, the term carrying a weight of possession as natural as breathing.

Then, without further hesitation, he claimed her lips in a searing kiss. This was not the clinical display for his household, but a merging of desire and implicit promise.