The Kings Mate

A scream rips through my throat as I sit up in the bed. My hands instantly rubbing at my wrists, desperately wishing that the tightness I felt around them would disappear. The tight holds of the hands are gone but I still feel them.

My head snaps up when the growls enter the room. The two wolfs that are nearly the same height as me look around the room as their eyes flatten back against their head as deep growls roll from their mouths.

They both look to me. Their ears straightening out as they give a quick look over my shaking and sobbing body. They look confused and afraid to leave me alone in the state I am.

Throwing the sheets back my hands run over my legs that are still clad in the jeans that I had put on last night to follow after Ryder. Jumping from the bed I run to the bathroom shutting the door behind me.

I hear the foot falls of the two large wolves but I ignore them stepping back on the cool tiled floor I look around the room, my hands sliding up into my hair as I try to calm my breathing. Looking into the dark closest I make my way in there sitting down on the plush carpet relaxing against the wall.

What I had just seen was one of the worst things. I hated it. I don’t want to close my eyes because I was afraid that I was going to see it again.

I’m sat in the dark closest for nearly ten minutes before I hear the door of the bathroom open and close and someone’s feet coming towards me. I don’t have to guess at all to who it is because if my guards where to come in here Ryder would have been insanely pissed.

He kneels down in front of me my eyes instantly meeting his hazel ones. His hands slide up and down my forearms gently before they lock around my shaking hands bringing them up to his lips to press a small kiss against them.

“What did you see?” he asks lightly with a breathe fanning over my knuckles.

Shaking my head strands of my hair fall in front of my eyes but I use the little courage I have to continue. “Your dad,”

Ryder’s eyes drop slowly and he sighs before he kisses my knuckles, his eyes meeting mine again telling me to continue. “I’m glad I didn’t see your dream.” I chuckle but he doesn’t seem amused. “He had his guards holding me down on the table and some were holding you back. He started undressing me and I kept screaming for your help. You couldn’t move and the guards forced you to watch as he–as he,”

“Stop, stop.” Ryder says his voice comes out in a growl. He releases my hands and pulls me into his lap, his shaking hands holding my body to his chest.

Ryder seems more shaken by my dream then what I do. His hand runs through my hair to keep his anger at bay with his other gliding over my mark.

After a short time he stands up with me still in his arms placing me down on my feet. He wipes my hair behind my ears as he looks down at me a lost look in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Are you okay?” I ask him knowing that his relationship with his father wasn’t the best and seemed to get easily worked up over me.

“What I said last night, I’m not changing it. You’re not leaving mine or your guards’ sight and I’m increasing the number of your guards as well.” I drop my head against his chest with a sigh.

My guards were close to me and I think Ryder had noticed that I wasn’t comfortable when I first meet him and I was even more uncomfortable around my guards and was still getting use to them. I didn’t want anymore.

“Lottie you’ll have the same guards don’t worry it’s just going to be a different rotation but I’ve set up a tutor for you.” My head snaps up to look at him at that and he smiles lightly. “It’s not till next week but it’s after lunch from one to four and it’ll be in my office downstairs so I can keep an eye on you at the same time.”

“A tutor, do I really need one?” School was as bad as what I had experienced at Carlett but magnified by the number of people that were there to inflict emotional pain.

“There are things you need to know about Jordena before you’re queen and she’ll be able to teach you. That’s all that you really need but I thought she could help you with your literature and other basics as well.” His fingers combing through my hair as he speaks softly, “You can meet your tutor if you want I did a lot to found out who she is.”

“Who is she?” I ask leaning away from his touch.

“Do you want to go meet her now?” He asks helping me onto my feet. “She works at the library so I can take you down to the town to see her.”

When I feel the smile pull up on my lips he smiles at me as well. When his eyes move down my body in a lustful manor I let out a breathless sigh. “I should get dressed.” I say to him forcing him out of the dressing room.

I can still feel him lingering on the other side of the door and I laugh lightly all the worries I had felt before dissipated from his caring hold. “Wear something casual.” He says in a groan.

“Are you going to go away?” I ask already knowing that he won’t and he confirms it with a childish ‘nope’.

Walking around the large closet I try to locate something to wear as I feel Ryder pacing outside the door after not being able to concentrate enough to find something I walk over to the door and open it. Ryder freezes and when his eyes skim over my body he notices that I’m still dressed.

“Close your eyes.” I say and he smiles lightly as he comes back into the room. “I don’t know what to wear.” I continue as my eyes move over his tall frame. His wearing a dark pair of skinny jeans and a dark grey collared button up rolled up to above his elbows.

“Those jeans should be alright but you’re going to need a new bra and shirt.” He says digging through the draws. He passes me a black bra and a plain black t-shirt.

“I’m not looking.” He smirks as he walks over to the other side and leans down slipping of his black shiny shoes to slide on a pair of white canvas sneakers.

With one last look at him to check that he isn’t looking I pull the shirt I had slept in up over my head. Pulling my hair around my shoulders I feel his eyes on my back. Little liar, I don’t call him on it though.

Slowly I slid the straps of my bra up my arms almost taunting him. It has the desired effect as I’m trying to do up the clasp his fingers slide up my spine. His head comes down to kiss at my neck as he helps me with the clasp.

His hand is soft on my hips as he gets me to turn to face him. His eyes don’t look anywhere other than into my eyes as he slips the soft and warm material of the clean shirt over me. “I can’t wait till you’re eighteen.”

“If we’re going to be together for the rest of our lives what’s the point of waiting.” My hand slides down his chest.

“Are you ready for it?” Swallowing I look back up at him shaking my head.

“I want it but I’m scared.” I liked the way his hands felt against me. Last night being proof enough to what he could do to me with the slightest touch.

“It’s our traditions to wait till our mates are of age. If we wait till then you’ll feel better about it trust me and if you are completely sure about it before then, I’m not going to stop you.” His lips are back against mine when he’s finished, giving me a slow kiss. “Till then, I’m sleeping with you in my arms every night.” He smirks now that he’s pulled back.

“It’s only nice when you’re actually there. I can’t sleep without you.” He sighs as he leads me out of the room before he grabs a pair of shoes similar to his.

“I can’t stay with you all the time when you’re sleeping. I might not get into the room till late or I might have to leave early or in the middle of the night but I’ll figure something out ok, don’t worry. You’re guards will always be around though, just relax and breathe, remember your connected to me now your emotions will be all over the place, just breathe.” His fingers run over my cheek in a soothing manor.

***

For ‘security reasons’ Ryder hadn’t allowed me to sit on the window side of the large SUV he had helped me into. Reynolds was sat on the opposite side of me, with Cyrus, Theo and Charlie behind us and Cole and an unknown driver in front of me. If that wasn’t enough security for us the other SUV behind us was.

Ryder had an arm around my waist so I was nearly sat on his lap instead of being anywhere close to Reynolds. My head was against his shoulder with my free hand interlocked with his as I looked out the window at the beautiful scenery.

It’s half an hour of heavy wooded forest greenery before the car slows and we hit the town. I bury my head further into his chest as I recognise the area was where I was attacked by his wolves. I feel the small growl rumble through his chest and his arms tighten around me further.

“Nothing more is going to happen to you I swear.” He whispers before pressing a small kiss beneath my ear.

“Nothing probably would have happened in the first place if you weren’t such an asshole.” I hear Reynolds grumble behind me and it’s the first time Reynolds actually releases my waist to hit Reynolds side.

Ryder growls at Reynolds as Reynolds tries to avoid his hit. I let out a small laugh and squeeze his hand to get his attention back to me. Ryder looks back to me with the reassurance of my touch and I hear Reynolds mutter something along the lines of him being whipped and all the others trying to stifle a laugh.

“I like it.” I whisper trying to distract him it only works slightly but when I press a small kiss just above his collar bone I have his full undivided attention on me.

When my eyes look back out the window I see people walking up and down both sides of the street and when our cars go past they look at them almost knowing that they’re king is inside. When the car pulls up to the curb in front of a large white building, Reynolds and the others get out of the car waiting near the door that Ryder hadn’t opened yet.

Through the window I can see that nearly everyone that walks past drops there head in respect to my guards but others walked past with strange looks wondering what was happening.

“Wolves are going to look at you and recognise you as there queen. They won’t talk to you or approach you but they will acknowledge you with respect. The human tourists are different though, they tend to stare and what is happening but Reynolds will always be by your side of I’m not so no-one will come up to you at all.” He says carefully looking down at me. “Are you okay with that?”

Nodding lightly at him he wraps a hand around my neck before he pulls me into a deep kiss. When his tongue pushes into my mouth and pulls me up into his lap I don’t fight it. With both of our seatbelts off we don’t have any restrictions and he holds me against his chest not allowing me to pull back from the kiss.

Only when there is a knock against the window does he finally release my lips from his with a growl. Lightly sitting me back down next to him he opens the door slightly to see Reynolds blocking the gap from anyone to see in.

“She already smells like you enough in the first place. Now she smells aroused.” Reynolds eyebrows shot up at Ryder looking like he was quite intent to call him out.

“Excuse me?” I question looking to Ryder my chest tightening at Reynolds words.

“You both smell like you’re seconds away from finishing the mating process. Ryder’s done it to show that you’re his and no one else should be looking at you.” Reynolds explains to me before Ryder gets the chance but he quickly follows with his own explanation his eyes meeting mine genuinely.

“I love you Lottie. I kissed you because I wanted to. You’re mine but I wasn’t kissing you to show everyone else.”

With a sigh I accept his hand as he holds it back out to me. When Reynolds takes a step back with a sentimental smile Ryder gets out and before I follow him I see the way that a majority of those react to him. They seem to freeze caught with the awe of seeing there King so close but they quickly recover and they dip in respect a bit more than what they did to the guards.

When Ryder senses a gap in the number of people that are walking past he helps me down onto the pavement. As soon as my feet are on the ground I’m being pulled in the direction of the buildings door by Ryder with Cole and Reynolds flanking us.

My eyes catch a group of older women as they exit a boutique close to us. They look over at us and when they rise from there bow towards me I see a look of pride in their eyes as they look back between Ryder and I.

When Ryder releases an almost silent chuckle I turn back to him. “My mother’s friends, she doesn’t come down here often but they are together a lot at the castle. Every time I’d accidently walk in on their conversations I would have to listen to them complaining about how I hadn’t found you. They should be happy now.”

Walking through the doors to the library my jaw drops at how beautiful it is. Ryder releases my hand with a kiss to my cheek. “I’m going to find Colette don’t go too far.”

Before he leaves I hear him he telling Cole and Reynolds to not let me out of there sight or allow anyone to come and talk to me. Before he’s even finished talking I’m walking across the shiny polished floor to the closest bookshelf. My guards following footsteps are delayed but with a growl from Ryder they are quick to catch up.

Its fifteen minutes later that I had collected five books to read and Cole had offered to hold them all for me that Ryder had returned with a tall, lean dark haired women around the same age as Allie at his side. I actually recognise her.

“You were there the night on the street.” I say as Ryder pulls me in close to his side as the three of us move to a more secure study area, Cole and Reynolds staying outside.

She nods her head in respect to me before she starts speaking. “I am. I’m sorry I couldn’t have been of more help my mate, William is a high ranked general and he knew of Ryder’s orders. If I had known you were our queen he wouldn’t have stopped me.”

“Why did you try to protect me though?” I ask my eyes finally moving down to look at what she has in his hands.

“I recognised you the moment I saw you.” She begins quietly looking down at her hands. “You looked so different. You were scared.” I’m confused than her eyes flick up to me. “It was my mate William and I that found you in that park.”

My chest tightens as my eyes move back down to what she has in her hands. I can still feel her eyes on me as my shaking hands take the object from hers. It’s the pink cashmere blanket with Charlotte stitched in silver on it.

When I feel the first tear slip down my cheek Ryder’s hands help me down onto one of the couches. I can’t stop shaking with the news that I was just presented with. Colette sits down on the couch across from us with Ryder’s hand stroking through my hair softly.

“Will and I were taking a walk through Hyde Park and I heard something. Will tried to get me to ignore it saying it was nothing but I heard it again. I followed the noise and I found you. You were so small and cold.” She chuckles lightly but doesn’t stop. “You were in a stroller and it wasn’t a cheap one either. The closer I got to you the more that you started to cry. I tried to use my senses to see if anybody was still around but I couldn’t sense anyone and neither could Will.

“The first thing I noticed about you was your scent. It was different. It definitely wasn’t a wolves but it also wasn’t human. We took you to the hospital to check that nothing bad had happened to you. You had some bruising but other than that you were fine. The police showed up after that and they took you to Carlett.”

“They wouldn’t let me take you home with us. Will was reluctant to take you as well, but after I got a job at Carlett and I became your career he was more pained than what I was when we had to leave you behind.”

My fingers slide over the embroidery of my name my chest still yet to calm down. Ryder fingers dance delicately over my spine as he tries to get me to relax.

“Why did you leave?” I ask as I sink further into the comfort of my mate’s chest.

“Will has always been a general for the royal pack but we were in London to work with the British monarch. We got called back her to serve Alexander though when I asked if we could bring you he had said no because we had determined you as human. At this point I was also pregnant which gave Alexander further need to not allow you to come with us.”

Through her speech I feel Ryder tense next to me. If it weren’t for his father my life would have been completely different.

“Can you leave us for a second please, Letty,” It’s not a question it’s an order and she gets up from the couch and leaves the room.

“Are you okay?” He wraps his hand around my legs to pull them over his. My hand comes up to caress his cheek.

“Thank you,” I whisper tears still falling from my eyes.

He scoffs at my reply. “It took me a lot to figure out that she was that for you and I just wanted you to have some part of your previous life with you, she’s still a very good tutor though.”

Nodding my head I agree to the question he hadn’t asked. His hand comes up slowly to wipe away the tears that were slowly sliding down my cheeks. Once my cheeks are dry I drop my head to his chest to breathe in his scent.

“What are you thinking about?” He questions after a while of having me just sitting in his arms.

“How different the both of our lives would have been if I could have come here with Colette and Will.” It’s the only thing I could think about when Collette had told me who she was.

“I know.” He whispers back burying his face against my mark. “I’ve know them and their son since I had shifted. To think that I could have recognised you back then frustrates me so much because it was my father who prevented that. It’s his fault that you stayed in that orphanage and went through what you went through.”

With him pushing the thoughts into my mind I can’t help but take another deep breathe to calm me down. “Our relationship would have been so different though.” He continues. “I told you on my eighteenth that I had to sleep with some to keep my wolf’s new power in control.” I nod forcing him to continue. “I would have mated you no matter how hard I could have resisted my wolf and I would have tried anything to get to you, killing anyone who stood in my way. You would have been twelve.” He finishes tensely.

“You wouldn’t have Ryder.” Lifting my head up I look into his pained eyes. Behind them I can see the scenario playing over.

“I like to think I wouldn’t have but the only thing that would have stopped the power would have been me getting some out source of relief and I would never betray you like that.” With my hand pressed to his chest I can feel the growl grumbling from deep within him.

Ryder’s hands that had been holding my hips as he kept me securely on his lap where tightening and I could feel the sharp pinching pain off his claws that where puncturing through my shirt. Groaning lightly from the pain I ignore it as I place both of my hands to press against his cheeks forcing him to look at me.

His deep growls are leaving his throat now but I don’t back away from the sound. He doesn’t scare me. When I finally get him to look me in the eyes I see that there is not a single trace of the hazel that I have grown to love. They’re black, like his pupil has swallowed up his iris.

“Ryder,” I begin my voice wavering slightly. “It’s ok,” he shakes his head between my hands but I don’t stop speaking. “It didn’t happening and it’s not going to. When you mate me it is going to be the best moment of my life. Do you want to know why?”

He’s shaking beneath my hold and even though he can’t seem to say anything to me I can tell with the way his eyes look into mine, even through the pitch black he wants me to tell him why.

“Because I love you,” I breathe out my tears starting again. “You will never hurt me. The night we mate you will make it perfect for me in every way that you can. You’ll try to make me comfortable but no matter how hard you try I’m going to be nervous and I’m going to be scared and it’s going to hurt but none of that is going to matter to me because its’ going to be with the love of my life, the other half of my soul, you.”

He shakes his head again but his hands are gentle as they wrap around my waist to push me against his chest. His face is back buried in my neck his lips pressing against his claim as I feel small drops of wetness drop against my shoulder.

When his hands slide up beneath my shirt I don’t stop him. I try to pass it off as me being selfless allowing him the comfort of having his skin against mine but I like the pleasant warmth of the touch that is shot through my body before it bundles up between my legs.

“I love you.” his words are mumbled but I still smile at them as I press a kiss against the first place I can find which happens to be his neck.

After a short while he pulls back his eyes still watery but I let out a deep sigh when I see they’re returned to their normal hazel. Running my thumb over his cheek bones I continue to soothe him as I keep my eyes locked with his to calm my own racing heart over what had just happened.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers, “I hurt you.” his hands don’t move but his eyes move down to look at the area of where he held a tight grip on me.

“It’s okay,” I whisper not wanting to speak to loudly around him.

“It’s not. I never want to hurt you even when we mate I don’t want to hurt you but I know it will and I can’t stop it.” His voice stays low and soft as his hands started to move against my back lightly.

When his hands skim over the back of my bra his eyebrows furrow in frustration over the fact he can’t access all of me. In retaliation for me laughing at him he undoes the clasp and runs his fingers down the entire length of my spine with one hand while the other holds my crotch to his.

I moan quietly at his touch but also the feeling of him growing hard underneath me. “I may not be able to take your pain away when we mate but I will make sure you feel the most pleasurable you ever will.”

A knock on the door distracts me from the sexual line of thoughts as Ryder pushes me back to sit more on his knees and to relieve the pressure against his lower region.

“Ryder if we don’t leave soon you’re going to miss your reservation. We already have Lottie’s books for her.” Reynolds voice is easily heard and Ryder sighs deeply to get out the last of his frustrations.

***

The restaurant Ryder had a reservation for was the entire second story patio area of what looked to be one of the most prestigious restaurants in town. Ryder and I were sat on a lounge seat and table near the black iron banister that was intertwined with fairy lights and strongly fragranced red roses. That wasn’t what made it so beautiful though, it was the woods and the pristine coloured lake that it overlooked.

When Ryder had ordered food and it had been bought out to us he made sure to watch that I ate more than half of it before he started his own. My body weight had gone up since I had been with him but with how low it was I still hadn’t returned to normal. Ryder could nearly wrap his thumb and pinkie around my arm just below my elbow. He had big hands already but my arms were just bone with skin wrapped around them.

When I actually finish eating everything on the plate Ryder gives me a questioning look. “It was nice.” I retaliate as I quickly steal a chip from his plate since I had been put on a strict health diet by Riley and I was carving something fatty.

“Excuse me,” he laughs not actually really caring even as I take another chip. “I’ll talk to the chef so you can have it more often.”

Ryder tells me he’s finished eating when he slides his plate back over to me and I finish of his chips as well and some of the vegetables to. After a while Ryder seems to zone out and he looks me up and down questionably.

“What?” Looking up at him he concentrates back on me when I speak and with a quick look over his shoulder I can see some of the guards over at the other table looking towards him telling me that they were just mind linking.

“It’s nothing.” He says exhaling a breath that he’s been holding. “Well it’s nothing you need to worry about at the moment but I like that I’ve found something you like.”

The waitress comes out and takes the plates and she bows at us again. With the table cleared Ryder pulls me in so I’m pressed back to his side. He’s about to say something but he stops out of nervousness raising his free hand to run through his hair quickly.

“Before we mate you’ll need me be coroneted as queen so all wolves will know who you are. It’s not all that has to happen and I’ve been begging my mother to hold back on talking to you about till I thought you were ready, till I knew I was ready and I am.” His voice is soft and I look back up to his eyes to try and read whatever is roaming through his mind.

“I wanted to do this simple because I think theatrics will scare you but like you said to me this morning we’re going to be together forever and that’s exactly what I want.” I’m still questioning what he’s doing when his hand falls on my lap forcing me to look down at it.

My jaw drops at the sight of the black velvet box that is housing a thin white gold ring with a large vintage looking diamond. My eyes move back up to his and know I can see the smile in them. “I want to give you my surname, I want to tell people you’re not only my mate but my wife and every day I’m the one that gets to wake up and fall asleep with you right there next to me, to tell you that you’re perfect and that I love you more than anyone else.”

He tilts his head and I meet his eyes us he asks me the actual question. “Will you Charlotte, please do the honour of marrying me?”

Nodding my head I wrap my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss a hand sliding up to lock into his hair. I feel him smiling and chuckle against my lips but he doesn’t stop the kiss.

Trying my hardest I think of seeing myself in his mind as I give him an answer in words. ‘Yes,’ I don’t know if he hears it but he confirms when I hear his voice back in my own mind. ‘I love you so much Charlotte Connolly.’ He doesn’t break the kiss until there’s a round of applause from the other table as I feel something cool being slid onto a very specific finger.

“I like the sound of that.” I say quietly against his lips when I’ve pulled back away from him.

He smiles at me lightly before he his face gets serious. “The coronation like the wedding will have to be televised.” He says it very slowly to me and I feel a scowl developing on my lips because of it. “The coronation would have to be live but the wedding will be whatever you want. We can keep it small and private and have it televised later but the two will happen consecutively. Once the reception is finished you’ll be coroneted. If we do this a day or two before your birthday we can be on our honeymoon for when you enter heat.”

He continues trying to calm me and he does a good job at it, like always. “Do I get any input on the honeymoon?” I question trying to avoid the tension I feel about being on television.

“Nope and my mother will be the one you will have to deal with the wedding planning and you will have to include purple and orchids since that is our country’s colour and flower. Is that all ok?” His hands slide over my sides.

“I want you to help me.”

“Really,” He seems genuinely confused, “My mother planned her wedding all by herself but I would be glad to help you.”

Planting another small kiss to my lips he strokes a hand back through my hair. “In six weeks’ time you’re going to be a Connolly.”

The moment seems perfect but it doesn’t last as Ryder quickly tenses and lifts me from the seat and rushes me inside with the guards behind us. He sets me down on my feet and kisses me quickly. “Stay here I’ll be back. I love you.” Then he’s out the door with the other guards that aren’t mine.

Deep growls appear just outside the door and I know that my mate and future husband is in danger.