The King's Queen

Chapter 58

The next word that slipped from lips stunned the room into silence.

"Soulmate."

***

The entire room fell quiet, and four pairs of eyes were fixed on Cyrena and CaVaughn.

Soulmates. That's what he said they were. CaVaughn and Cyrena were soulmates.

Years ago, Ashton had explained to me that human-Origen pairings usually discovered that they were soulmates through touch. The soulmate sparks that a human felt after touching their soulmate were the confirmation of the bond on their end. Origen pairings found each other differently through—sound, sight, or smell.

I was still stuck in processing mode after hearing that information. Cyrena stumbled backwards, her eyes going as wide as saucers. She shook her head in utter disbelief.

"What did you just say?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. She blinked rapidly, her gaze boring into CaVaughn. "I must not have heard you correctly."

CaVaughn's eyes snapped closed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh before refocusing his darkening eyes on Cyrena. When he spoke again, every ounce of warmth had evaporated from his voice. "We're soulmates."

"No..." Cyrena let out a humorless laugh. Her lips curled into a sneer, and she immediately covered her nose in disgust. "That's impossible."

If CaVaughn felt hurt by her actions, he didn't let it show. "Apparently it isn't."

"You're a DeLorentes! Your father—" Her voice broke, and her eyes glossed over with fresh tears.

"And you're an Origin."

CaVaughn had nothing against Origins, but he was opposed to being mated to one—mainly because of Malekh.

CaVaughn wasn't the first semi-Origin in history, but there wasn't any recorded information about the others. Malekh was curious about the intricacies of being a semi-Origin, and how differently CaVaughn's body might react to things like a soulmate bond compared to a pure Origen or an Origin.

Malekh had also theorized that since he was a semi-Origin, it was possible that his soulmate could be an Origin. CaVaughn had no interest in being Malekh's guinea pig a second time. Since he had been turned into a semi-Origin against his will, he had no intention of humoring Malekh and mating with an Origin.

CaVaughn had also long since given up hope of finding his soulmate. After being tortured by his father for so long, he had closed his heart to the possibility of ever finding love or being allowed to love anyone.

"I won't accept this!" Cyrena glared at him. "How dare you establish a soulmate bond with me?"

"This isn't his choice, Cyrena." I stepped in before she said something she would regret. "The soulmate bond—"

"I don't want this, especially not with him." She sniffed, brushed her tears away, and returned her attention to CaVaughn. "Quickly, tell me how we can sever the soulmate bond."

"We both have to say the rejection vow. Do you want to do it right now?"

She nodded without a second thought.

For a split second, I thought I saw a hesitancy in CaVaughn's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He gave a curt, yet understanding nod. "Come with me."

***

"I CaVaughn Arman-Ordell DeLorentes, prince of the Crysauralian Empire, reject you Cyrena Damaris as my official and only soulmate."