The Kings Mate

Reynolds had moved me to a seat once the growls outside had retreated back slightly. I wasn’t the only female in the room but other than some young boys my guards were the only males in the room. He crouches down near my legs as they others stand around me.

The room is filled with younger and older women some with kids in their arms that need to be calmed and others that are content to sit peacefully at their mother’s feet. After watching them for a short while I notice something unnerving about them.

“They’re used to it.” my voice is quite as I speak my thoughts.

“Attacks from rebels used to be rare one every three years or so but it was four years ago they got more persistent. We reordered that there numbers were higher and they were starting to fight for something other than to just kill wolves. They want the thrown. And sadly yes some of these kids now think of running to these safety places as a routine.” Reynolds is watching me closely as he speaks quietly so everyone else in the room with heightened senses doesn’t know we are talking about them.

“You also keep them calm, Lottie.” Cole says as he comes in closer to me bending like Reynolds is so they’re both at a similar height to me. “Through your mark is a bond to Ryder. They can sense that and that you are our queen. They’re feeding from your strength.”

“They’re your wolves now Lottie. You need to be strong for them.” At Reynolds words I notice a mother trying to get her toddlers attention back to her.

He’s smiling at me from behind a bottle of milk and I smile back at him lightly. When I acknowledge him he takes steps away from his mother. She tries to grab him but she has another little boy snuggling into his chest.

When he gets closer to me Reynolds eyes him suspiciously as if the boy who could barely be two foot tall is a threat to me. Tucking my loose curls behind my ear I look down at the little boy that has presented himself to me.

Just behind the little boy his mum appears and she says something to me in Jordenian that I vaguely recognise as an apology.

“No,” I say smiling at her as she eyes Reynolds and Cole who give her their own look. “It’s fine.”

“Your Majesty,” she says to me in English with a deep bow, the little boy giggling into her chest as she takes hold of her other little boy’s hand. “Come on Rylan. Let’s leave our beautiful queen alone.”

I smile when he waves at me but I can’t wave back at him. The high chance of pregnancy when Ryder and I were to mate during my heat was what mainly scared me. The idea of having a mini version of both Ryder and I made me happy. I needed a reassurance of a good motherly figure in my life before I became my own mother.

Allie had become a mother to me and she had adopted the role becoming a very permanent part of my life. Now it seemed that I had Colette as well. She bought me the hope of memories and the answers of so many questions. She bought me the life that I had dreamt of.

“You’ll make a good mother Lottie, don’t doubt yourself.” Cole says from my side.

Cole and I had a distant relationship but I was still comfortable around him and trusted him. He was always very quiet and reserved the only time when I had ever seen him do something playful was the first time I actually got to look at him, not the first time we saw each other and he practically threw me over the back of Ryder’s large wolf. The time I walked into the training room and saw him bouncing his son on his leg, he was happy with his family.

“I was shocked when I found out El was pregnant. Elijah was an accident but it was the best mistake ever. Everything changes when you hold them in your arms.” His eyes have more of a bright smile in them than his lips do.

“Thank you Cole. I would like to meet Elijah properly one day.” I nod at him fighting the huge grin that’s threatening to spread across my lips.

With another deep echoing of growls I jump lightly and all the guards shoot a look at me and I raise my hand to dismiss there worry. “What about the human tourists?”

“There ears are too weak to hear what’s happening. They’re not stupid enough to start a fight in front of them and risk exposing us.” Reynolds says his eyebrows furrowing.

Just as I begin to ponder the idea of why he’s doing it I’m pushed behind someone and the force of the pushes causes me to land on the ground. Glass shattering and screams are all I hear as I sense my guards shifting into their wolves.

Removing my hands from my eyes as I tried to prevent any glass from getting in them I see three wolves fighting five things that look nothing like what I would have imagined. I know the two wolves that are stood over the top of me are Reynolds and Cole judging by their size.

My eyes move from the rebels wolves that are visibly different from the pack wolves. Their hair is mated and it looks as if a number of body parts have broken or been dislocated and not properly set, deep red healed gashes run across certain body parts. Why would they put themselves through that pain?

An ear piercing scream breaks my thoughts and my eyes roam over all the women as they huddle in a corner all of them making a barrier to protect the kids. Three of the rebels are trying to get to them as Theo and Charlie fight them back, Cyrus going against the two that were trying to get to me and my guards.

“Get them out of here Reynolds.” I say distracted moving closer to Cole. Both of their growls stop in their throats as they look back to me. “Get them to safety.”

Reynolds continues to look at me but Cole turns back to what is going on in front of us growling deeper than before as he steps closer to me again.

‘Lottie, I can’t leave you I’m supposed to protect you.’ His voice is worried in my head and I try to shake of the surprise of hearing someone other than Ryder in my head.

“Now Reynolds,” my voice sounds different when the order leaves my mouth and I can hear the power behind it.

Reynolds shakes his big fluffy head obviously also adjusting to me ordering him for the first time. When he seems to be done fighting the order he gives a nod to Cole before he looks back to me quickly.

‘You better be fine when I see you again Lottie. Stay close to Cole.’

His large body runs over to the other women all of them having heard my order listen to whatever Reynolds is mind linking them. I’m distracted by watching them that I don’t notice that Cole is nudging me with his nose. One of the rebels Charlie and Theo were fighting is mostly likely dead his maimed human form lying in a dark red puddle of blood.

They were fighting only one wolf each now and they were easily out weighing the rebels on strength and speed. They rebels were fighting dirty but my guards were quick to avoid there moves and get their own more calculated moves often sinking their teeth into them.

Cyrus was struggling with the two wolves he was fighting and now I can feel Cole’s need to get me out of here. His nose pushes against my stomach again pushing me to get onto his back. Grabbing a fistful of his fur I pull myself up onto his back. With Cole’s rushes to get me to safety neither of us noticed that one of the wolves had escaped past Cyrus and was heading towards us, me specifically.

When the rebel’s teeth sink into my leg I bury my face into Cole’s shoulder trying to push away the pain as I hold onto him. The rebel tries to pull me from Cole’s back with an incredible force. When Cole suddenly twists there’s an intense amount of pain for a small second. Cole’s muzzle locks around the rebel’s neck.

The rebel is strong and twists out of Cole’s hold but that doesn’t stop Cole from leaping forward to grab him again. He’s careful not to shake me from his back or allow the rebels snaps to come close to me.

A second later Theo has the rebel that was attacking Cole to the ground. When I look from Cole’s fur I see that three more of the rebels are lying in their blood and it is only the one that Charlie is fighting left as Theo and Cyrus both take out the rebel that was against us in seconds.

With a final howl from the now dead wolf the lone one stop its attack on Charlie noticing that he could not win as another three wolfs surround him.

“Stop,” I barley manage to get out the pain of the bite starting to have more impact on me.

Three more wolves enter the room flanking Cole. Ryder isn’t one of them. Another wolf that is of similar height to me with pitch black fur and white tipped paws and ears helps me down off Cole and allows me to rest my weight on them.

“Use him to know what they want.” I say grimacing as I try to put my weight down on my leg.

The rebel growls at me but takes a step back when all the wolves around me growl dropping their heads ready to attack. Heavy footsteps coming up the stairs distract my line of thoughts and I turn to see Reynolds coming back up the stairs in his human form with a number of shorts in his hands.

He growls lightly when his eyes run over my legs. His growl is deeper when he sees that the other rebel is still alive.

“All the other rebels are dead or retreated. Ryder is on his way back here.” He says with a growl as he chucks a pair of shorts at all my guards and they catch them in their mouths before they walk behind me to shift back. With Cole gone I rest my weight on the black wolf and he takes my weight easily without any complaint.

“Are they safe?” I ask him as he stares at the rebel cowering back.

With a sigh he gives me a single nod. “You’re not.”

“She showed us why she was born to be our Queen, Reynolds. Don’t give her shit for it.” Cole says as he walks back past us towards the rebel.

It growls weakly at him but doesn’t try to attack him again in anyway. I hear him say something to the wolf in Jordenian but I have no idea what his words actually are. Reynolds gives my leg another look and he wraps his arm around my waist to get me onto the back of the black wolf.

When I take in a sharp intake of breathe Reynolds hands raise to reassure me. “You need to take the weight of your leg Lottie.”

His words don’t reassure me in the slightest at the contact with a wolf that I don’t know. Reynolds stays next to my side as Cole continues to force something out of the rebel wolf. His eyes glaze over for a second and more wolves come into the room still none of them being Ryder.

Reynolds gives me a look when I fall forward slightly. He grabs Theo’s arm and says something to him quietly. I don’t have time to make sense of whatever Reynolds says as I fall again and Reynolds quickly spins back to slow me down before I smash into the back of the wolfs neck.

“It’s ok Lottie. I’ve sent Theo to get a healer from downstairs. The closer Ryder gets the quicker you heal.” Reynolds says as I shake my head at him lowering me towards the wolves back. “He’s like your dad Lottie. It’s Colette’s mate.”

Reynolds voice is quiet so it’s only the three of us that can hear. Even though I feel as if I’ve sought of just meet this guy I feel comfortable enough to rest against his neck. When my arm falls down Will whines slightly and licks over my hand.

Theo comes back up the stairs followed by a woman in her late twenties. She eyes the rebel for a short second, frozen on the stairs before she notices me. She runs over to me and looks at my leg.

“May I, your majesty?” she asks with a small bow.

Nodding my head she takes my leg lightly her fingers gentle as I wince. She looks over the puncture wounds quickly before she hooks a wolf’s claw where her finger nail should be into one of the holes of the thick jean material as she rips the bottom half away to gain better access.

“They’re not deep, they’ll heal quickly but I need some material to wrap it up so she doesn’t lose too much blood.” The woman says to no one in particular.

Theo grabs a large scrap of someone’s shirt from the ground and passes it to her. She thanks him as she starts to wrap it around my leg tightly. When I wince she looks at me with apologetic eyes but I nod at her to continue.

She takes five minutes to finish wrapping my leg. Once she takes a step back I’m surprised by the arms that wrap around me lifting me up off Will’s back. If I couldn’t tell by the smell than the overwhelming tingles are enough to tell me that Ryder was finally here.

Wrapping my legs around his waist I hold myself to him and he tightens his hold around my waist with a hand sliding up in my hair. Burying my face back into his chest I feel the wounds of my leg starting to heal faster than what they should.

“Make him shift and bring him back to the castle’s cells.” Ryder growls beside my ear.

I hear everyone leaving the room and it’s only then that I’m placed back down on my feet. Tilting my head back I get a look at him. He looks angry but he doesn’t act on the emotion.

“You shouldn’t have done what you did Charlotte.” He says calmly. “I’m proud of you though. I don’t like that you sacrificed yourself but you possibly saved so many people today.”

With a quick kiss he pulls me into his arms and out to the waiting SUV. Getting outside I’m surprised by how the sun is shining and so many people are walking past as if nothing happened though they do eye the half-naked men. The upstairs room of the hotel felt dark and dreary the opposite of what is going on out here.

The ride back to the castle is faster than the one when we left. Ryder has my leg in his lap and is rubbing over the area wrapped in the tee shirt scrap. I can feel the shallow wounds healing under his touch.

When we arrive back at the castle I’m carried to the hospital wing and only Reynolds and Cole follow us before the rest go in the opposite direction. Riley is waiting beside the bed when we walk in. When Ryder is satisfied that my leg is fine and nearly completely healed he’s shoulder’s release the tension that he’s been holding for the last half hour.

“Can you do an ultrasound why we’re here?” When he asks that I look at him confused about what he’s talking about.

Riley looks back at me then to Ryder again. “She’s only been taking the needles for four days but it won’t hurt.”

Ryder had been giving me the fertility needles while I was still asleep because I couldn’t adjust to the pain and because of that I had nearly forgotten that I was having them.

Riley’s eyebrows are raised at me as she waits for me to tell her that it’s ok. When I tell her that it is she asks me to lie back down on the bed as she goes and grabs the machine. With a sigh my thoughts move back to what Cole had to say. Once I held our child in my arms everything that I had worried about wouldn’t matter anymore.

“I think you’d make a great mother as well.” Ryder says softly as he sits down in the chair next to the bed. “I’ve grown up knowing that one day I would find a mate and it wouldn’t be long after I became the King that she would be growing with my pup. Sometimes the thought was the only thing that could get me through the day.” His voice sounded happy but it turned cold in seconds with his last sentence.

When he sees the sad look I’m giving him he chuckles humourlessly. “I know you don’t feel like you’re ready and I didn’t want to tell you this but I’m not ready for it either. I’m not even ready to tell you why I’m so nervous by the thought but when I think about you holding our son or daughter I want it but that doesn’t mean the idea scares the crap out of me.”

Holding my hand out, he takes it with a shy smile as Riley comes back into the room with a machine. She tries not to seem to notice the intimate moment between Ryder and me as she sets up the machine.

With his free hand Ryder lifts up my shirt to rest it half way up my stomach. I keep my eyes on him as I feel Riley step up beside the bed when I feel the cold gel on the monitor press against my lower stomach I flinch slightly.

“So it looks as though there are five matured eggs in both ovaries that I can extract. I will have to leave it for a few days and fit into to your schedule because you’re going to need to be sedated while I do it and Ryder isn’t going to leave your side if I do it.” She says her words are mainly directed to Ryder who is watching something that she’s doing on the other side of me but I keep my eyes concentrated on his face.

“The sooner it’s over and done with the better.” Ryder says squeezing my hand.

I don’t like the sound of being sedated but to know that everything concerning a backup plan heir to the throne will be over is reassuring.

“Two days good?” Ryder questions and when Riley confirms I feel my stomach drop.

“Come on,” Ryder says as Riley leaves and Ryder pulls my shirt down helping me onto my feet. “You wanted to keep him alive so you can come watch the interrogation.”

“What?”

“It won’t take long, the rebel is weak. Will has already mind linked that he’s ready to talk.” Ryder has an arm around my waist leading me down the stairs.

I don’t know what floor I expect to stop on but I’m surprised when we get to the bottom floor foyer and he pulls open another two doors that lead to another set of stairs. When we reach a long hallway Ryder points out that it’s the kitchen and maid services floor as well as bedrooms for the maids who worked long shifts and lived in the castle, apparently there were a lot.

The next level down is the heavily guarded and consists of very thick and heavy metal as well as rock and cement. In other words no one was getting out of the cell’s they had nor could anyone get into the security vault which had the best security behind Ryder and I’s suite and was used by everyone but us. A number of passages lead down here including one in our suite that I was still yet to found out about. It could hold the entire castles inhabitants for a week with food, water and any medical needs.

As we walk down a hallway lined with cells I’m surprised by the twenty guards that line it. When we enter the cell I’m shocked that the rebel looks worse in its human body than what it did in its wolf. He’s been pushed to his knees with his arm puled outwards by the silver chains that are suspending him from the ceiling.

“I didn’t agree to talk to him or his bitch.” When he shots the words out in a rough English, blood dribbles down his chin.

He actually screams when someone behind him brings a whip down against his back. I see the glint of the multiple silver tipped whips. Ryder squeezes my hand when I jump but he releases it when Charlie walks up to flank me.

Ryder squats down in front of the rebel who tries to pull against his restraints, his hand locks around the rebel’s jaw preventing him from pulling back further.

“Insult my mate like that again and I won’t hesitate to kill you.” He says it in a sickly sweet voice and the rebel dares a small growl. “Got it,” Ryder continues with a deep order that causes everyone in the cell but me to flinch at the strength.

When the rebel growls again it sounds more like an agreement to Ryder than a threat. “Why are you attacking us?” Ryder continues in the original voice. The threating sound of it sends goose bumps down my spine and I think he notices it as he tenses lightly.

“Even amongst us we have a king. I broke my bond to you so I wouldn’t have someone fucking me over and what do I get someone threating to kill me if I don’t do his dirty work.” Again his English is rough but I can make sense of what he says.

“You’re working for someone?” I ask stepping forward.

The rebel doesn’t look away from Ryder as he speaks. “The asshole has rounded up all the rebels across the world to take your throne. You already knew that though.” He chuckles and once again blood falls down his chin. “He could do it easily he just wants to get off on the idea of killing her first and make you watch. He would prefer if she was pregnant. He’s stupid but not that stupid to know the no one would be getting close to her when she is.”

When he says that Ryder growls again and Cyrus and Theo join Charlie behind me. Ryder had dismissed Reynolds and Cole for the rest of the day so I only had the three of them at the moment.

“He mustn’t be that stupid if he can get the lot of you to obey him.” Ryder smirks, his hand sliding from the rebel’s jaw to around his neck.

“I don’t take light to people threatening to kill me.” He smirks back at him even as I notice Ryder’s hand tightening.

“I am going to kill you.” Ryder’s claws are starting to extend now and more blood flows down the rebel’s neck.

Much to the dislike of my guards I take another step forward and Ryder is so consumed in his rage that he doesn’t even notice. “It doesn’t sound like you want to kill me.”

Ryder’s head turns when he notices that I’ve gotten closer to the danger again. He stands releasing the rebel and he takes a deep needed breath from the release. Ryder places a hand on my stomach to push me back but the rebel answering stops him. He’s actually looking at me when he replies.

“No.” Ryder has disbelief in his eyes. “Like I said I broke the bond to avoid you. I was rouge, but then I had to deal with your asshole father all the time controlling me like one of his pack members. I don’t like being told what to do but I also don’t like hurting people.”

“Stop trying to make excuses.” Ryder says trying to push me back again.

“He never went for her Ryder.” Charlie says almost lost in thought. “He never went to attack either it was all self-defence.”

Ryder sighs deeply looking down at me like I’m going to be able tell him what to do. He turns back to the rebel before he pushes me behind his back.

“You really wouldn’t have killed her.” Ryder’s voice is tense with the subject of my death but he pushes the sentence out.

“What would I have to gain from it? I was fine with my life before and this guy comes waltzing in. If I had managed to kill her you or one of her dogs would have been close behind to rip me to shreds. Again I don’t want to die.” Ryder’s hand drops back slightly with wonder ignoring the canine comment about my guards.

“Get him some food. Watch him as he eats then chain him back up. Keep the guards outside and leave him alone. He better still be alive when I come back tomorrow.”

“Yes Alpha,” a number of them whisper with a bow as Ryder leads me back out of the cell with my guards behind us. All the guards that are still lining the cell walls of the walk way bow as we walk past them as well.

When we get back to the royal residence floor Ryder finally slows his pace down and he looks down at me as if only just remembering that my legs are nowhere near as long as his.

“What are you going to do with him?” I ask as he holds open the door to our suite.

Almost just realising that I’m still wearing a pair of jeans with the leg ripped of the bottom of them I walk towards the closet Ryder close behind me. When I get into the wardrobe he hands me a white dress with layers of lace like details printed over the waist and the skirt.

“We’re going to eat with the others for dinner tonight.” He tells me as I slowly take the dress from in question.

He turns away from me to get dressed himself since he was still only in a pair of ripped jeans that he found somewhere. Slipping the shirt over my head I pull the dress on quickly, sliding the jeans off from underneath so if he is taking a peak he can’t see anything.

“I can’t let him go baby.” He says softly.

When I look at him I see that he’s in another pair of black jeans but he has on a grey V-neck shirt instead of his usual business like button ups. My eyes move over him lustfully and I don’t notice that his eyes are moving up my legs similarly.

“Ryder,” I say clearing my throat hoping to get his thoughts back to what we were originally talking about.

His eyes meet mine and there’s a bit of a sparkle behind them and it causes me to smile lightly. “I’m sorry. I got distracted.” The smart look on his face doesn’t last as he falls down onto the ottoman. “He’s a rebel. I should have killed him just for breaking the sire bond.”

“But you didn’t. Why?” Sitting down next him I run my hand over his lower back as I unconsciously slide it up his shirt over his skin.

“I understand him. The need to have control in his life, it’s all I want for me and you as well.” He looks down at me with an expression I can’t place.

“Is there really nothing you can do to keep him alive?”

“There is something but I doubt he’d take the idea.” His eyes don’t break from mine when he speaks. He is always keeping eye contact with me. “If he submits to me, which is very hard for a rebel he can rebind the bond and he’ll be rouge. He’ll never look the same but he won’t be in danger of being killed by packs. Never has a wolf taken the option even if it’s for their mates.”

“Are you trying to save him for me?” He looks away from me at that.

“If he doesn’t take the option I’ll let him go after this rebel alpha is dead. Either way he’ll be leaving I’m the king if I want him free he will be.” He’s avoiding the question which tells me that it is more than likely true.

His hands wrap around mine and he quickly pulls me up with a force that causes me to hit his chest. He chuckles lightly his tense emotion leaving him with the contact. His hand pulls my hair over my shoulder so he can see his mark.

“If I tell you, you can never leave the castle again how would you react.” His voice is lost as his eyes continue over the small area of discoloured skin.

“Not well.” He lets out a single laugh as he leans forward to give me a small kiss. “I didn’t think so. Come on.”

“It’s a little early to go to dinner Ryder.”

“We’re going to tell my mother about this first.” He lifts my hand up his finger pressing the back of the engagement ring. With everything that had happened I had forgetting about his proposal and the cool ring that was on a very specific finger.

Three hours later Allie had finally let us leave hers and Alexander’s suite to meet the others for dinner. As soon as Ryder told her about it she screamed almost pulling my arm from my socket as she pulled me in for a hug as my hand stayed locked in Ryder’s.

She had pulled me over to a lounge with her son only a step behind me. She came back with a number of bridal magazines and it wasn’t long before she had ripped out pictures and laid them on the table having pretty much already planned the wedding right then and there.

“You can tell her no, for certain things if you want. It’s our wedding not hers.” He says as we go down a level.

“No, I like her ideas.” Wrapping my free hand around his elbow I lean into his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He squeezes my hand lightly and I smile back up at him.

We are the last two to arrive in the room and it’s different to walk into a room and not have everyone stare at you. A long table dominates the room but it’s the plush chairs and small coffee tables and fireplace that are occupied at the moment while the table is being set by a few maids.

It was almost cliché how the women were sat gossiping around the table with glasses of wine while all the men were standing near the lit fire with what seemed like their own glasses of scotch and whiskey.

With a sigh I make my way towards the group of girls Ryder staying at my side. Two of the girls I have never seen before and it’s them that make me most nervous. Ellie spots me first and smiles as I get close.

A girl with brown hair and blonde highlights that just barley brushes her shoulders speaks first. “About time you two decided to join us.” Her voice is soft as she stands and walks over to me wrapping an arm around my shoulder for a quick hug.

“I’m Haley by the way, Charlie’s mate. Eleanor and Ellie you already know but that is Lena, Theo’s mate.” Haley is pretty much ignoring Ryder but he doesn’t let me go to join the other guys.

Lena smiles at me. She’s wearing a floor length black dress with only thin straps cover her back as it holds the material to her. Her blonde hair is messy pulled up on top of her head and I remember that she likes to help in the kitchen and it’s easily out of the way with the hairstyle.

“This is for women only.” Haley continues her head tilting up to look at Ryder.

He eyes her for a second before he looks down to me asking if I’m going to be safe with these women. I nod at him and he leans down to press a kiss to my forehead.

“You want to come with me then don’t you little man.” When his hand slips from me he bends down to lift the little boy in Eleanor’s arms.

Elijah squeals happily when he’s lifted up and held against Ryder’s chest as his little head buries into my mates chest. Tilting my head I start to wonder what he was talking about when he said he was nervous about being a father. He looks perfect with the little boy in his arms.

“It’s his own that he worries about.” Ellie whispers to me once I’ve found a seat next to her all the other girls in a conversation. “He’s amazing with other peoples kids but even I can see that he freaks out over the idea of you being pregnant and it has nothing to do with danger it could cause you.”

Ryder pretends to drop Elijah backwards and the little boy lets out a stream of giggles at the action. My lips pull up into another smile at how happy and stress free he looks.

Despite the conversation between the other girls I’m too concentrated on Ryder to put in my own input. When dinner is served Cole passes Elijah to me to feed him a bottle. When my chest started to rise and fall rapidly he tells me that I’ll be fine that if I do drop him he’s pretty tough and will bound back quick. It didn’t reassure me at all and Eleanor looked like she was ready to kill him.

If it weren’t for Ryder’s hand on my back I don’t think I would have been able to hold the little boy in my arms. As soon as he feel into the crook of my arm he had started to fall asleep letting out warm breathes as he waited for his final feed for the day.

It’s the first time I’ve ever held a child and with the way Ryder’s eyes are settled on me I couldn’t wait to hold our own even with the idea scarring the shit out of me.