The Bastard Princess

29.

-HIM-

Both the kings stood and watched us as silence screamed. Father's jaw clenched as he finally stepped in front of me. I was silent. All the sense had left me for then.

My cheek stung before the sound of the powerful slap shushed the silence. I clenched my fist as the humiliation washed over me. I closed my eyes and ground my teeth.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Father growled at me. My wolf was pacing with rage and anger. He wanted to be let out but I controlled him. It was my father and the king of wolves. There was no way, I was going to attack him.

"How could I tell you?" I uttered, opening my eyes to find an identical pair of silver eyes filled with rage. Instead of staring into them for long, I lowered my eyes. I didn't want to challenge the king.

"Why?" He demanded.

"Even if I told you, had you accepted her?" I questioned him without looking him in the eyes. His chest instantly vibrated with a growl before he stepped back.

"Inanna must have good reasons to pair that thing with you," He grumbled before walking away. Ezekiel continued to watch me warily before he followed my father.

I was left with August and my scattered thoughts.

"I am going back to Zaeris with you tomorrow," He spoke, stepping aside me and clutching my shoulder. I left without speaking another word.

The humiliation and anger drove away any possibilities of sleep. I stayed awake all night, pacing and thinking. I was angry at my mate. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with her when I see her next but I was sure that accepting her would be the last thing.

I wasn't anticipating all this as the coast of having her as my mate. I wouldn't keep her if it costs me my dignity and loyalty to my kingdom and wolves. They were my priority. I'd choose them over her... always.

The sun rose with my determination to reject my mate. I don't care if my decision made Inanna upset. It was her duty to give me a mate... not a terrible thing like her.

I was armed with strong reasons to reject her. She had tried to kill my mother and the possibilities of her belonging from an enemy empire hung heavily above her head.

The air was tensed when I met Ezekiel and father in the morning. August was there by my side, trying to keep me company and stop me from falling into my dark side so soon.

"Here are my best sorcerers that you asked for," Ezekiel presented five lycans to father. The latter examined them before nodding. He didn't look at me once as he talked to Ezekiel. This pushed my rage further.

My wolf was all the while silent inside me. He was slowly starting to acknowledge the reality and I couldn't be grateful enough for that. At least, I wouldn't end up doing anything inappropriate when we go back.

On the way back, no one spoke except silence. The tension was still in the air, making it hard for me to breathe. I wanted to end this already. It had been only a couple of days and she had already managed to cause big havoc.

Now that father knew that she was my mate, I wondered what was going to happen once we returned. I was surely going to reject her but what was going to happen after that? Would father get rid of her?

I knew that she had something bad in store for her. She tried to kill my mother, the queen of Zaeris. Father wasn't going to let her go very easily. She'd have to pay a high price for the crime she committed and I wasn't going to save her from that.