Mated to the Alpha King (A Royal’s Tale Book 1)

“Oh, Theia, what am I going to do with you?”

I grinned, snuggling back into his chest. “Love me, Alexander. Love me.”

Bryce’s chuckle, loud and clear, hung around the slightly occupied room. “I love it when you call me Alexander.”

I smiled into our embrace. “Do you want me—”

“No.”

I tilted my head up to look at him, a surprised expression on my face at being stopped before I could even complete my sentence. Our eyes met, and he smiled, bringing up his hand to lovingly caress my cheek with his thumb.

“I love it more when you call me Bryce. No one else does. No one else can—just you. It’s . . . It’s like a way of showing what you are to me in my life. No one can take your place. You will always come first, Theia. I love you, you know.”

Oh no! I blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the tears.

Bryce chuckled again and pulled me against him.

“I know. I know I’m the most romantic man alive.” He chuckled once more as he held me, and I couldn’t help but break out into half a giggle at that, my voice still cracking, while trying not to cry.

“You’re delusional,” I mumbled, still chuckling at his proud stance. “Henry Cavill is.”

Bryce stiffened at that and turned to look at an amused Rome as I frowned. “Find this Henry Cavill and make him disappear.”

I gasped, “You wouldn’t!”

Bryce turned to me with a wicked grin. “Oh, I would.”

I watched, shocked, as his smile softened and turned into a more serious expression.

“But I won’t. We have more important issues to take care of. I won’t be there at the prom with you visibly, but I will be there.”

I frowned. “Why hide?”

Then my eyes widened, and I asked him the same question for the second time that night: “You— You think something will happen tonight?”

This time, however, Bryce gave me a different reply: “It’s the perfect timing. He will be there. You will be there. Chances are he will do something. But, Theia, if he does, I want you to know that I am here. Just be calm and have faith—in the boys, in me. I will not let any speck of harm come to you. I will not let him steal you.”

I nodded, believing every single word he said, yet I couldn’t help but ask, “What if he takes me away?”

Bryce smiled, caressing my cheeks again. “I’ll be there, in the shadows.”

***

Present

ALEXANDER BRYCE WILHEM

Growing up, I had been an only child. My father and mother had been the epitome of a happy couple, and I—each night before going to bed—had prayed that nothing would ever change. Life had been splendid.

But that was where I got it wrong.

Life is an equilibrium, equal parts—good and bad. And when I’d reached the age of fifteen, the bad had caught up with my family. My parents died. A drunk driver—a drunk bloody driver was all it took to take down one of the most powerful lycanthrope kings in the world and his wife. My mother lost a lot of blood, so much blood that even our advanced regeneration abilities couldn’t help. There was no hope, and my father knew, so he stopped fighting. They went together, in each other’s arms.

Everything changed after that. Overnight, I changed from a boy to a man—a king. But hope remained.

Years passed and I healed. I hoped and waited for my very own mate, my own destiny. Then, Theia came—beautiful, innocent tiny Theia. I saw her through the window, and she was perfect.

But then again, life is an equilibrium, and after all the weeks of good . . . the bad was here to get its due.

I sat in the large chair, watching the dozens of camera monitors on the wall before me with a steely gaze. I watched as a hooded figure slipped out of the bathroom, my Theia in his arms.

A heavy breath left my nostrils, and I stood up from the seat. Andrew Phelps was going to die this very night.

Just then, the door to the monitor room burst open. Matthew, Roman, and Alex filtered in, looking just as deadly and ready for battle as I felt. I watched as all three men bowed, even Rome.

My beast growled in approval. I stepped forward.

“He took her.”

I nodded. “The warriors?”

“Right behind him.”

I nodded again. I grabbed my black jacket and turned back to the boys. Looking each one in the eye, I spoke, “Any one of you have any doubts?”

Alex stepped forward, and I stiffened. “Your Majesty, Agnus Cookings, Theia’s housekeeper, stopped me on my way here today. She made a confession.”

Agnus? No . . .

“Go on,” I growled, impatient.

“She believes the younger maid, Lilly, has something to do with this as well. She found Lilly fiddling in Theia’s room earlier in their employment, right about the time your number got blocked.”

My eyes flared, and I moved towards the door, seeing red.

“Lilly has been missing for a few weeks now, Your Majesty! Agnus kept that a secret because she didn’t want the young girl to lose her job when she came back,” Alex called out from behind me, the desperate need to put out that information evident in his tone.

I stopped in my tracks, my hand on the doorknob. I turned once more to look at the three men behind me.

Roman’s eyes met mine, and he nodded, stepping forward. “Let’s kill the bastard, cousin.”

I looked at the closed door again. Flinging it open, I then marched out, “Let’s go.”

The halls swept past us as we walked at lycanthrope speed. What seemed at day like the safest and brightest of places now appeared to be holding their own secrets in the shadows.

When we passed the open doors of the gym, I suddenly stopped.

“How the fuck is he here?” Matthew growled from behind me, and I agreed with his confusion.

Within another second, Matthew sped into the brightly lit gym, grabbed the man by his collar, and returned in front of us in the dark hallway.

Andrew Sevrik Phelps trembled under my blazing eyes.

“Okay, okay. I give up! I’m a rogue!” he cried, his hands up defensively.

I had my hand around his throat in a matter of seconds, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets as he fought for air.

“Why Theia? Where are you taking her?” I spat out in his face, his fingers clawing at my hand around his throat.

I let go of his throat, and immediately, he slumped to the floor.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a rogue. I’ve been hiding my scent with wolfsbane because I wouldn’t get a job otherwise. I came here with my friend Finn. He’s a nurse. You’ve met him . . . Your Majesty.”

“You’re lying!”

Andrew Phelps stood his ground: “Am I? I view Theia as a student. I wanted to get on your good side so that you would let me join this pack. That’s why I was putting so much care into Theia’s education, I swear! I don’t know what you are talking about.”

I waited for the telltale increase in his heart rate, abnormal perspiration, fidgeting eyes, or anything that would give away his lie to my beast. Instead, my beast smelled the truth coming off him.

I turned to the rest of the men, all of whom looked shocked.

“It’s someone else.” My hands fisted at my sides, I fought myself—my need to throw my fist against the wall.

The rest of the students didn’t need this, so instead, I turned around and stormed towards the exit. Andrew Phelps ran with us, and my beast growled in approval.

If Andrew Phelps was right and had no involvement in this, my kingdom would gain two new wolves by the end of the night.

My heart sparked, and my thoughts turned to the one person who sat on the pedestal in my heart: Theia.

***

THEIA ANDERSON

Nothing—I felt nothing, not even the ropes tightly wrapped around my hands and feet, or even the deadly promises the darkness around me was making. I sat in the awkward office chair quietly as I waited for my impending doom to make an entrance.

It was funny, though; I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten here at all. It was like the past hour had been completely erased from my mind, except for what had happened when I’d decided to go to the bathroom.

But I knew Bryce would get here sooner than later. He was always around, in the shadows.

“He’s not coming, you know.”

I felt myself freeze all over, the chill paralyzing me from the tips of my hair to my toes.

Dr. Lucian walked out of the darkness and under the single light bulb that swung flickering weakly in the dark room. With his slightly disheveled blond hair swept back and his expensive Armani looking less professional by the minute, the man could very well be ten years older than me.

I blinked.

“D-Dr. Lucian?” I mumbled, almost to myself, trying to think over what had happened in the moments I couldn’t seem to remember.

He chuckled as he moved closer. “Don’t trouble your pretty little head, Theia. You won’t remember. I gave you flunitrazepam.”

I cringed as he leaned down towards me and, grasping the handle of the office chair, swung it around.

“S-stop!” I croaked out as I tried to push down the hot bile beginning to fill my mouth—telltale of vomiting.

Dr. Lucian broke into hysterical laughter and, with a sudden hand, jolted me to a stop, his nose barely an inch away.

“A thousand nights I’ve moaned, it seems / your name leaves my lips each night / a strange face graced my dreams / a stranger I knew before a meet.”

I gasped. The text messages . . .

Dr. Lucian grinned and rubbed the tip of his nose against mine. I closed my eyes tightly, moving back in the seat.

“Hello, mate,” he murmured softly, and I almost puked.

“You h-have me mistaken, Dr. Lucian. I . . . I already have a—”

“D-don’t!”

I stopped.

He glared at me, his eyes red and puffy, as tears trailed down his cheeks. “Y-you’re mine. Please.”

I couldn’t help but sob in helplessness as Dr. Lucian fell at my feet, putting his head on my lap.

A few breaths later, I stiffened, a new sense of courage encroaching on my insides.

“No,” I spoke boldly, pushing the fact that I was still crying aside.

Dr. Lucian’s head snapped up, and he snarled, “ ‘No’? ‘No’? Yes! Yes, you are!” More tears slipped down his cheeks.

“No, I am not!” I screamed in his face.

I am not his mate! Where is my mate?

“Oh, poor Lucian. She’s quite a heartbreaker, isn’t she?”

My eyes widened as I watched the next figure move out of the dark and into the light of the bulb. Her green eyes met mine, and I felt everything around me fall down to its death.

Death—she was supposed to be dead.

“A-Amber?”

Amber grinned at me maliciously as she moved closer, her black heels clicking against the stone floor.

Upon reaching us, she extended a hand down to place it on Dr. Lucian’s head before tousling his hair softly.

Dr. Lucian closed his eyes and sank his head further into my lap, humming soothingly.

What the fuck, man!

“You’re a strong one, Theia. After I’d pushed you out the window, I expected you to be dead. Poor Lucian didn’t talk to me for a whole hour, thinking I had killed his mate.”

She sneered the phrase “his mate,” and I almost spat in her face.

I cringed as I felt Dr. Lucian’s arms moving around my waist and his nose nuzzling my lap even more, then I looked at the triumphant-looking Amber, who grinned at me happily.

“You’re supposed to be dead!” I spat out to her, wanting her to hurt, to feel a fraction of what I had gone through for months.

Instead, Amber broke into a fit of loud laughter.

“I was in London when Derek messaged me, telling me to come back to him because Bryce had found his mate. Fool thought I would go back to him! Instead, I began planning, to get rid of you. My maid Lilly agreed to work for you to be closer to you, and per my commands, she blocked Bryce’s number on your cellphone. I hoped that would help, but alas, you worked your dark magic through that too. You two got closer, and I couldn’t stand the thought of Bryce touching someone else, so that day, I made my presence known.

“I thought he would see how hot I had become and take me instead of a fresh virgin like you, but he didn’t . . . All he fucking saw was you!” Her eyes blazed, and she reached out to grab my hair, then yanked it.

I shrieked at the pain, and immediately Dr. Lucian growled and smacked Amber’s hand. Amber reeled back before she threw a punch at Dr. Lucian. I watched, wide eyed, as he fell down on the floor, blood pouring out of his mouth.

“Ungrateful bastard!” she shrieked as she kicked the whimpering doctor. “I gave your delusional ass everything—sanity, sex, hope! And this is how you repay me? I fixed your depressed ass! I gave you your mate!”

“Sanity, sex, hope”? Sick!

Amber suddenly turned to me and smiled. After moving over, she lazily undid the ropes and moved back to look at her work.

“Don’t move a muscle, or I will mutilate you. Thank heavens that I can kill you without killing my Bryce. If someone killed my Bryce, then you would die too. And that wouldn’t be so nice, would it?”

I watched as she turned to look into the dark. Beside me on the floor, the whimpering Dr. Lucian extended a bloody hand towards me, as if wanting to just come closer. Looking at the poor madman, I felt my heart bleed, and I reached over to grasp his hand.

Immediately, he whimpered and moved closer, fresh tears pouring down his face as he leaned against my lap again and broke down in tears, sobbing. I felt myself cry with him, for him, and for myself.

What had Amber molded this man into?

Amber turned to face me, and her grin brightened.

“See? You’re warming up to the man-boy already! Always so compassionate, Theia—always so understanding and compassionate, ready to help the helpless.” She reached over to grip my jaw, then leaned in, her bright green eyes staring into my browns. “Who will help you now?”

“You always were so messy, Amby.”

Both Amber and I stilled in our places. Dr. Lucian, however, continued to cry into my lap, as if completely unaware of his surroundings.

“Hello, Derek! Welcome!” Amber giggled as she did a swooping curtsy. She suddenly stopped and turned to Dr. Lucian and me. “Shut up, Sebastian!”

Dr. Lucian immediately whimpered and buried himself deeper into my lap, quieting down immediately. Despite my disgust and fear, I patted his head soothingly before moving my hand away.

“Another toy, Amby? Really?” Derek chuckled as he moved further into the room, his eyes going through the dimly lit space before finally getting to me.

Amber stiffened and took on a slightly defensive position. “How did you find us?”

“Oh, I didn’t find you, AmbyBamby,” Derek cooed as he moved his weight from one foot to the other, his arms coming up and folding in front of his chest.

“I did.”

My heart did a happy swoop as soon as I heard Bryce’s voice.

A strangled gasp left Amber’s lips. She stepped forward, then stopped. The woman had actually thought Bryce would hug her for a second.

I wanted to run to him, to jump on him, but I was held down.

Dr. Lucian was still whimpering.

A tiny click sounded around the room, and suddenly, the whole room—no, factory—came into clear view. My eyes trailed over Matthew, Roman, Alex, Lionel, Mr. Phelps, and a dozen warriors, all standing behind Bryce, ready for an attack.

Mr. Phelps?

My gaze moved to Bryce, and I flinched at the glare he was sending to my lap. I put my arm around the poor, mad doctor; and immediately, his glare moved to me.

I shook my head.

Dr. Lucian continued to sob. Though, it seemed to be almost over.

As if understanding, Bryce composed himself and quickly turned to the stiff Amber. “Funny, really, I expected to find the maid Lilly here, not the dead Amber.”

At this, Amber giggled, as if Bryce had actually said something flattering and funny. “Oh no, silly, that’s what you were all supposed to think. Poor Lilly laid herself out for slaughter when she agreed to get the plastic surgery done. All I had to do afterwards was kill her, mutilate her, bleed her out, clean her, and lend her a couple bags of my blood. Anything for you though, Alex.”

I watched as the other Alex cringed and mouthed, “Psycho,” to himself. Amber, however, wasn’t done. Motioning to the now-quiet, almost-sleeping doctor on my lap, she giggled.

“Poor Sebastian here was suffering from an alcohol problem—was almost suicidal when I met him. His wolf wouldn’t come out because of all the depression. His human mate was married to someone else. Well, I found him and fixed him. Just a few of those pills that cause delusions, lots of sex, and a little redirecting, and bam, a crazy stalker!”

She turned to Bryce and giggled again, now motioning to all the warriors behind him. “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard here, though, Alex? A whole army going to war with a single royal for a pathetic human? I don’t know if I should be insulted or flattered.”

Bryce moved forward, and Amber breathed when he was almost chest-to-chest with her.

I cringed, not liking the closeness.

Bryce narrowed his eyes and snarled, “All is fair in love and war, Amber.”

Immediately, as if his reply was the cue, all havoc broke loose. A dozen other wolves moved into the clearing from behind us and growled at Bryce’s warriors, who now were also in their beast forms.

Dr. Lucian whimpered against my lap and grabbed my hand, causing Bryce to snarl warningly.

I watched silently as a dozen warriors circled me, protecting me from all the other wolves, who I supposed were on Amber’s side.

“You’re right, Alex. All is fair, love, in love and war. And look, I have an army too!” Amber giggled as she moved towards her large wolves.

“You’re such a delusional bitch,” Derek growled, shaking his head before watching Amber make a futile effort to attack me.

Immediately, Rome reached over and flung her away, then ran after her, leaped, and pinned her down.

I cringed as I heard her shriek.

Derek cringed too. He looked at Bryce, and Bryce nodded. Derek then turned to me and gave me a soft, broken smile; then, he ran away in a blur.

My heart ached for the man who knew that his soul mate was going to die this day. The one who had been made for him—who had rejected him—was going to die.

I knew he couldn’t stay. Despite all the hurt she’d given him, he couldn’t stay and participate in her destruction. I guess in some corner of his heart, Derek still loved Amber.

If only she loved him back.

I sighed as I shook my head and looked down at Dr. Lucian.

Through the chaos in this abandoned factory, the blood being shed and bones being broken, and the rogues being left disabled, Sebastian Lucian had been asleep on my lap like a one-year-old baby.

“We could have had it all!” Amber shrieked to Bryce as she tried to block his attack.

Bryce’s beast leaped forward, and instantly, Amber transformed into her beast as well, her light-brown coat glistening under the light. They both took a blow from each other, moving further towards the open window.

“You’re Derek’s mate, Amber! You still have time! Stop this madness!”

Suddenly, as if that had been the wrong thing to say, Amber ran towards Bryce with a loud shriek. “If I can’t have you, she can’t either!”

“Aaah!” Bryce’s black beast crouched and flung his claw at the brown beast in defense.

I watched with an open mouth as the brown beast flew backwards, and with a loud grunt when a metal rod sticking out of the unfinished wall went straight through her heart. With her dying breath, she lifted her head and turned to me, her knowing eyes dimming and haunting.

I whimpered as the last of her life left her lungs, and her head dropped, her whole body transforming back to her human self.

Derek’s mate was dead.

The whole room fell silent except for Roman, who had not even transformed but broke a large light-blond wolf’s right hind leg before turning to look at what had happened. His head then moved towards me instantly.

I sat still, blank.

As if finally back to his senses, Rome quickly leaped towards and threw a dirty large cloth over the dead woman, blood covering her whole.

“Take all the wolves to the retention center,” Bryce’s beast ordered a dark gray wolf, who immediately transformed into a naked Alex.

I looked away.

“Matthew, Rome, please remove the . . . body.”

Bryce’s beast stalked over to me, and I whimpered when his eyes turned to the bloodied, sleeping man on the floor, whose head was still on my lap.

Bryce’s eyes glazed over with red, and I quickly put my hand over the sleeping, deranged man.

Bryce’s glare moved to me. “Phelps, remove him and take him to the hospital. Take two of my guards.”

Mr. Phelps immediately transformed, and I turned away. Clothed, he finally reached us, and after scooping the sleeping man up in his arms, he stood up.

Dr. Lucian instantly woke up.

“N-no!” His eyes found mine. “T-Theia!”

I shook my head, feeling suffocated and incredibly sad. “One day you will thank me, Mr. Lucian.”

Mr. Phelps carried the crying doctor away, and I looked down at my feet.

I knew Bryce was standing a step away. I knew the rest of the warriors, who had been outside, had now come inside and were spilling kerosene everywhere. But I stood frozen.

“Come here,” Bryce muttered gruffly, and at once, I ran into his arms, my feet taking flight blindly.

I let out a loud sob as my face collided with his chest, and his arms hooked under my butt, picking me up into an embrace. He buried his nose in the crook of my neck, and he sobbed with me.

“I didn’t mean to kill her . . . I was just . . .”

“I know,” I whispered as I kissed the side of his face, holding him even closer to me as he continued to sob—over losing his best friend’s soul mate, his childhood memories, and his former best friend.

We held each other for what seemed like ages before Bryce finally calmed down and pulled his head back to look at me.

“Let’s go home,” he mumbled, his voice gruff and gravelly.

Leaning forward, I placed a kiss on his forehead. “Let’s go home.”

***

Two days later

Memories don’t leave; insane memories most definitely not. They attach themselves to your mind and suck your soul day by day. And one day, when your poor, withering soul cannot take it anymore, it finally claims your life. Insane memories kill you—literally.

Added with guilt, I was on the verge of withering away.

The purples and oranges of the evening sky swirled above the vast green land, and I sat on the window bench in my room, gazing at the castle that sat on the mountains. I was back home, sitting in my room and gazing at my other home.

A sigh left my lips, and I looked down at my lap.

I tried to be happy and not feel guilty for being the reason someone’s mate had died, but the guilt was getting to me.

The lights in my room suddenly turned on, cutting out the darkness. When I looked up, my gaze met my smiling mother.

“Come down for dinner, honey.”

Upon seeing Mom smile, I also smiled slowly and nodded before getting up and moving out of the room after her.

While rounding towards the kitchen, I came to a sudden stop.

Derek grinned at me as he reached over to take my hand in his.

“Great, you’re finally here! We were starving!” He chuckled as he led me into the heavily populated kitchen.

Aunt Meryl beamed as I sank in a seat beside her. Her hand instantly covered mine. “I’ve missed you, deary. Don’t you ever stay away for more than a couple of hours.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I was there yesterday.”

“Exactly! That feels like ages ago!” Roman chuckled as he walked up behind me, then pressed a kiss on my head before walking around the dining table and sitting down beside the still-grinning Derek.

I watched Derek, and his grin dropped a little. When he leaned forward, his hand found mine.

“I’m over it, Theia. It was not your fault. If it hadn’t been her, it would’ve been you; you would’ve been dead. Alexander would’ve been dead.”

It felt like I had a cold bucket of water—the actual sense of his words—crashing on me. I smiled, moving my fingers to grasp his hand tightly.

King Derek Mcgall was a fighter.

“Yeees! I am going to steal half of your dinner!” Matthew exclaimed excitedly as he plopped down in the seat beside me.

I grinned at him immediately. “You wish!”

“Steal her food, and I will cut you Matthew!” Marley scolded Matthew from beside him and sent a wink my way.

I grinned at her appreciatively, but then my smile suddenly faltered.

The whole kitchen was filled with people—Derek, Aunt Meryl, Matt and his parents, Alex and his parents, Roman, Marley and her folks, Agnus, and even Keith. Everyone was here, trying to cheer me up as well as themselves, giving in to a fresh, new start. But the one person I had been looking forward to seeing the most was not here.

I felt my spirits fall.

Bryce had been a little trying, but between getting me out of depression, getting Dr. Lucian into a rehab center, and sentencing the convicted weres, I understood why—kind of.

Derek seemed to have caught my expression because he reached for my hand again. “I’m sorry, Thi. We couldn’t find him.”

I nodded, managing to put on a small smile. “It’s okay. I understand.”

***

“Oh no, sweetie, it’s fine. You kids go up, and we’ll take care of the dishes and table. Go on!” Mrs. Jefferson ushered us out of the kitchen.

All the ladies were already at work with clearing things away while the men took to the lounge.

“Just come back when we call for dessert.” Aunt Meryl winked at us.

Marley moved forward and grabbed the older woman’s hand. “You know, I think I might just be in love with you.”

Aunt Meryl giggled as she shooed us all away.

Rome, Marley, Matt, Alex, Keith, Derek, and I made our way upstairs, Marley and me giggling at the boys as they talked about which football team they liked best.

I sighed as we rounded towards my room. The whole dinner had ended, and Bryce had not shown up.

“Why was Alpha Alexander not here?” Marley whispered in my ear, and I shrugged.

“He’d left before I woke up yesterday, and I haven’t seen him since,” I muttered, I suppose to myself.

But Marley heard it, and she wrapped her arm around me, giving me a side hug. “It’s going to be fine. Maybe he was busy.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged again as I cut through the crowd in front of my bedroom door, then upon reaching it, twisted the doorknob.

I stopped in my tracks, and so did everyone behind me.

Bryce stood near the open window, his light-blue shirt rolled up at the sleeves, two packages in his hand.

“Okay then! We’ll talk to you later, Theia! Good night!” Alex blurted out quite loudly as he and the rest of the gang quickly removed themselves from the scene.

Bryce’s eyes stayed on mine, and after a minute of us staring at each other silently, I sighed. I walked into the room, closing the door behind me.

“I bought Chinese?” Bryce mumbled, still standing by the window.

“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled back, already halfway across the room. It felt like home when I finally slipped my arms around his waist and melted against his chest.

Instantly, his arms came around me to hold me in a hug.

“I love you,” I breathed into his chest, inhaling the musky, expensive cologne that I could only recognize as Bryce’s.

“I love you too, love,” he murmured before I felt him place a kiss on my forehead. “So, dinner?”

My already-full stomach churned in protest, but I moved back and smiled anyway. “Sure.”

Bryce chuckled as he shook his head and made his way to the bed.

I grabbed the remote of my TV and jumped in behind him.

“Here.” He handed me a Snickers bar. “Dessert, after dinner.”

I sent him my brightest grin before reaching over to give him a very sloppy kiss on his cheek. Bryce burst out laughing as I wiped his cheek afterwards.

“This is why I love you; you bring me Snickers!” I said as he opened the Chinese takeaway packs and tucked himself into my bed. I switched on the TV and changed the channel to one playing The Flash.

“So . . . I found these.” He pulled out a bunch of envelopes, and I immediately tensed in my spot.

The replies to my university applications . . .

“Why aren’t these open yet?” he spoke softly, and I shrugged.

They weren’t open because, then, I would have to leave—move away from him.

“You’re going. You do know that, don’t you?”

I sighed and nodded. I knew I wouldn’t give up college.

“Thought I saw Cambridge somewhere in here. You up for studying in the UK?”

My eyes darted towards Bryce, and he looked back at me expectantly. “Well, open it.”

I shook my head. “We’d be so far away.”

He chuckled as he brought another one of those delicious-smelling pieces of chicken up to his lips.

“Nonsense. Open it. We’ll find a way.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, giving in, as my fingers already began nimbly moving along the envelope to open it neatly.

Dear Ms. Anderson . . .

I stared at the letter for a whole minute or two, reading and rereading it over and over just to make sure that what I was reading was correct. I couldn’t believe it.

“Well?”

I looked up, and my wide eyes met Bryce’s. A grin formed on his lips, and he leaned in to place a kiss on my nose.

“Accepted,” I breathed the word as if it were something so alien.

“Accepted,” Bryce echoed; only, his tone was prouder and stronger compared to my disbelieving whisper.

“Just wait here. I’ll be right back,” he whispered. He tossed the empty takeaway packs back into the bag and, at a beast’s pace, sped out of the room and down the stairs.

“Oh, hello, Alexander, dear. You really should start using the front door, you know!”

I heard Mom loudly but timidly scold Bryce, and I chuckled at the thought of what his expression might be.

His response was muffled by the massive distance.

I slouched further in bed, taking a careful bite on my chocolate bar.

It was tradition that my first bite was always in a decent manner while what followed would be savage mutilation.

I wasn’t proud of it, but hey, it made me feel good.

I was just taking another bite when the lights around the room dimmed, except for the various night-lights that came to glow like fireflies. I smiled, knowing Bryce had returned.

When I looked up, my gaze met his as he got into bed from the other side and sat down, facing me.

“It’s been a long two days,” he finally mumbled, and I quietly nodded in response. “You shouldn’t feel guilty, you know.”

I sighed as I looked away at the sparkling yellow lights. “I know.” Hesitating, I looked back at him. “But it still feels wrong.”

He looked at me for a minute, then he replied, “She would have killed you if she hadn’t died. I admit, she could have gone to jail, but what happened was not intentional. It was an accident. Now, we all are lighter. Derek is too; trust me.”

Our gazes never faltered as he spoke, and finally, I nodded, agreeing for the first time in two days.

He was right. I had to move past it. Everyone else had.

“I trust you.”

Smiling, Bryce leaned forward and placed a kiss on my forehead, his hand cupping my cheek soothingly. He moved back, and I smiled.

“I had something made . . . for us.”

Instantly, I narrowed my eyes at my large Adonis of a boyfriend. “What did you have made?”

I watched curiously as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black box. My breath instantly hitched in my throat.

Upon opening it, he looked back up at me. I, on the other hand, looked down.

“Promise rings, because your father would hunt me down if I proposed to his eighteen-year-old daughter.”

Looking back up at him, I couldn’t help but let the laughter flow, then I leaped onto him. “You’re amazing! I love you so much!”

Laughter bubbled around my dimly lit room as we both fell backwards in bed.

“So will you wear it?” he asked as we lay on our backs and looked at each other, smiling.

“Yes—if you make me wear it, that is.”

Bryce grinned as I felt him reach for my left hand and, upon finding my ring finger, slid the crown-designed ring on it.

I knew there was another ring there, but Bryce made no move towards that.

My heart warmed when I realized he wanted it to be my decision whether he should wear his ring.

I couldn’t help but smile at that too, then after plucking the thick platinum band off its cushion and fishing out his hand, I slid it on him.

The night stayed beautiful as the open windows let the light, cool breeze slip into the room, twirling and turning under my night-lights before touching me.

I scooted closer to Bryce.

“You know, I think I’ve loved you from the moment that I saw you from the castle.”

I turned to him, bracing myself by my sides. He turned his head to me, his eyes met mine, and I uttered, “Alexander Bryce Wilhem, you have no idea how much I love you.” I then chuckled as I planted a peck on his nose. “There’s no escaping me now, you know. Theia Wilhem sounds great, by the way, for future ref—”

I couldn’t complete it when Bryce’s lips touched mine, and as a hot growl was emitted from his lips, I smiled into the kiss and pulled him closer to deepen it. At that moment, I couldn’t think of a single thing I would change—from the beginning, through our rocky but exciting journey, to our intense climax, not one single thing. I realized I wouldn’t even change the bads as they also made us who we were.

Sure, our story was far from over. We still had such a long way to go, a long journey to live. But I knew that no matter what became of the ride, our ending would always find us the same—happy and together, forever.