Rejecting My Lycan Mate: The Throne (Three Lycan Kingdoms Series Book 3)

Madeline’s POV

I groaned as I turned my head to my right. Every part of my body hurt.

What the hell happened to me? Was it the pregnancy? I had no idea that your body could feel like you’d been hit by a train. I had no idea that your head could hurt like someone stabbed a knife into your temples. Would I have to go through 6 months of that?

“Hello, my little bird,” someone said softly.

The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I could have sworn that I had heard it before, but I had no idea where.

I was probably dreaming.

I gulped and felt around for Dimitri. I wanted to press myself closer to him. The pain would be gone as soon as I was in his arms.

I couldn’t find him, though. Did he get up already?

“I am here, little bird,” the voice said and I felt a large hand cover mine.

I didn’t feel tingles. I didn’t feel sparks. I knew Dimitri’s hand and this wasn’t it. Whose hand was that? Where was I?

My heart raced a little.

The hand squeezed mine gently and I felt someone’s fingers on my forehead.

“Open those beautiful eyes, little bird,” the voice said quietly. “I missed them so much.”

A strange feeling in my stomach made me listen to him. I wanted to know who he was. I wanted to know where Dimitri was.

I opened my eyes slowly and the first thing I saw was his small smile.

“Hello, Madeline,” he said, caressing my cheek. “How are you feeling?”

I furrowed my brows a little. I knew this man. Where did I know him from?

And then it dawned on me…

“Kade,” I mumbled, my voice hoarse.

He smiled brightly and leaned in to kiss my forehead.

“Hello, my beautiful mate,” he said. “I am so happy that you recognized me. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

Mate?

He looked back down at me and I glanced behind his shoulder. I was in a strange room. This wasn’t my room in my packhouse.

“Where am I?” I asked quietly as I looked back at him.

He sighed and smiled. “You are home, Madeline. You are finally home.”

Home? That wasn’t my home.

I felt tears burning the corners of my eyes. Dimitri wasn’t here, was he? This man took me from him, didn’t he?

“Do you remember what happened before you woke up here?” he asked as he caressed my cheek again. “I think that my mom gave you too much wolfsbane.”

I wanted to move from him, but I couldn’t feel my body. I could only feel my heart beating faster and faster as seconds went by.

I tried to focus and I tried to remember. We were getting ready to start the second challenge. I was talking to the Lunas and…

I gasped quietly as memories started rushing back. The rogue attack. Dimitri taking me to our bedroom. Dimitri telling me not to open the door for anyone other than Will or him. Dimitri leaving. Ali and I staying alone. Someone knocking on the door. Me opening the door and…

My heart felt like it fell into a bottomless pit.

“Maria,” I mumbled quietly.

Kade sighed and gave me a small nod.

“I am sorry she had to do that, my love,” he said. “But I wasn’t sure if you would agree to go with her.”

My stomach turned. It was her? She was the traitor? I trusted her. Why would she do that?

“Oh, I missed you terribly,” Kade mumbled as he leaned closer and placed a kiss on my cheek. “I couldn’t wait to have you back.”

He missed me? He couldn’t wait to have me back? I didn’t even know he knew I existed. He never spoke to me when I lived in his pack.

“You are so beautiful,” he said quietly as he rubbed his nose up and down my jaw. “You are beautiful and you are mine.”

My mind was screaming at me to move away from him, but my body was completely frozen. I couldn’t feel my arms or my legs. I was in shock. I was in denial. I was refusing to accept that this was really happening. It had to be a dream. It had to be a nightmare. I would open my eyes soon and I would wake up in my mate’s arms. Dimitri would smile at me and he would kiss me softly. He would caress my lower belly and tell me how happy he was to become a dad.

“Did you miss me too?” Kade asked, looking up at me.

He furrowed his brows and wiped the tears from my face. I didn’t even realize I was crying.

“Why are you crying, beautiful?” he asked. “Are you in pain?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and let a small amount of air into my lungs.

“Why are you doing this, Kade?” I asked. “Why did you take me?”

He sighed and ran his fingers through my hair.

“Because you are mine, Madeline,” he said. “You belong to me. You were supposed to be my fated mate. I am just correcting a mistake the Goddess made.”

My heart clenched painfully.

“I am not…,” I spoke, but his growl interrupted me.

“Careful, Madeline,” he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I won’t tolerate disrespect.”

I gulped and tightened my jaw. Did he really believe that I was his mate? I tried to read his mind, but I couldn’t focus enough to do it. I was still in pain. I was still in shock. I simply couldn’t calm down enough to focus on his thoughts.

“Kade, please…,” I said quietly, but he interrupted me again.

“Nothing you say will make me change my mind, Madeline,” he said, caressing my cheek again. “You are mine and I am not giving you up. I will have everything now that I have you.”

“By everything, you mean the throne?” I asked and he smiled.

“That’s only an added bonus,” he said. “You are the main prize.”

My stomach turned again.

“It will take a while, but you will get used to everything, my beautiful mate,” he said. “I am a patient man, don’t worry. I will give you time.”

He stood up and smiled at me.

“I am going to get you some food,” he said. “You need to eat.”

I watched as he walked to the door. He looked around the room before he looked back at me.

“Feel free to get up and look around the room,” he said as he opened the door. “Tell me if you don’t like anything. We can change whatever you want. I want you to be comfortable here. This is your new home.”

He walked out and closed the door behind him.

I placed a hand over my mouth to stop a loud sob that tried to escape me. I forced myself to stand up and I walked to the window. My eyes fell on a thick forest that surrounded the house. It looked endless.

“Dimitri,” I cried out as I placed a hand on my lower belly. “Come get us, please. We need you. Your pup and I need you.”