His Miracle Mate

Chapter 43

"Yes."

Breath caught in my throat. I had never even thought about the possibility of him having been engaged. Because since the first day I met him, he was there with me, for me. The thought that he would have been someone else's just made my heart ache, but it also sparked a flare of jealousy.

"It was years ago," he said. "After my mother fell into coma, my father and I were... we just weren't the same. We were ghosts walking around. My grandparents went around making arrangements that suited their tastes. I think they were sort of glad about the curse that kept me from finding my mate. That meant they could chose the future queen to their taste. I've never even met the person they were talking about."

He rubbed his face. "God, I keep screwing up with you. I should've told you, but it totally slipped my mind. I wasn't going to go through with it, anyway. A year or so after my mother went unconscious, I realized that my grandparents were serious about it. They tried to talk me into meeting Alpha Michael's daughter. That's when I snapped out of it."

He stopped and gave me a sad smile. "Even knowing that I didn't have a mate, I couldn't bring myself to consider making someone my queen. Besides, Alpha Michael's daughter would have a mate out there, I couldn't take that chance away from someone.

"So I told my grandparents that they can take their plans and shove them up their royal ass."

I snorted. "In those exact words?"

"Close enough," he said. "My father understood. The queen is an important person in the werwolf kingdom, but he supported my decision."

"What about the royal line, though?" I asked. "Shouldn't there be an heir?"

He shrugged. "That was one of the reasons my grandparents wouldn't take no for an answer. But Zach had found Ashley by then, their kids would ensure the royal line continued, and one of them would ascend to the throne after me," he said. "Well, that was before. Now that I found you, I think we should get to working on those heirs-"

I slapped his arm. "You're unbelievable!"

He chuckled and hugged me to him. "I'm sorry. I know I should've told you this. I just genuinely forgot. The engagement was never on my mind."

I sighed. "Okay. Are you sure you don't have anything else to tell me? A secret girlfriend? Another fiancé? A wife?"

His embarrassment flitted through the bond. It was endearing.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I just really never think about it, the engagement or Joanna or anyone else. And after I met you, you're all I think about."

I chuckled against his chest. His warmth and smell banished the weight of his grandparents' words. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you trying to smooth-talk yourself out of trouble, your highness?"

"I'm just telling the truth," he said. "Is it working? Are you still mad?"

"I wasn't mad," I hesitated. "Okay, maybe a little. I just wish you told me before."

He pulled back and framed my face with his hands, looking into my eyes. "I'll try my best. I promise. But there's no secret girlfriend, no fiancé, and no wife."

I smiled. "Good."

"Good."

He kissed me, and the last of this evening's stress faded away.

Ten minutes later, Ezra and I were snacking on a box of chocolate truffles he brought from the kitchen.

"Won't someone look for it?" I asked even as I picked a white chocolate covered piece.