An hour later, Caleb was convinced that the woman was his mate. He was immortal, which meant, if he lost his first mate, he would have another so that he wasn't cursed to walk the earth alone for eternity. This Charlotte was truly his mate.
He slammed the book shut. Why? He had made his plans, and now she had come along and messed them up. Not only did he not want another mate, but he most definitely did not want a fragile human. He was the Alpha King. The most powerful Werewolf in the world, and his second chance mate was a human?
He could reject her. His wolf growled in his head at that idea, and Caleb knew Storm was right. He could not reject her. To do so would destroy them both. He had already lost one mate. Losing this girl would pretty much end him mentally.
He would not complete the mating bond with her though. No one needed to know she was his mate. Not even Charlotte herself. She was human after all, and while she could feel the bond, she wouldn't know what it was.
'Dumb idea,' Storm argued.
'We don't need any threats against her. This way she is protected. If we marked her, and she died, it would be very bad for us,' Caleb reminded him.
He sighed. He had to find a place to put her. She belonged to him, and he needed to protect her and keep her close for Storm's sake.
Storm rolled his eyes. 'How did I get stuck with such a stupid idiot? You need her as much as I do. Plus, we still need an heir.' Storm reminded him of Charlotte's naked body and he grimaced.
'I don't think we should sleep with her,' Caleb said. He knew that wasn't going to go over well with his wolf.
'And you'd be right. Do you really think you can live with her for the rest of her life and never touch her?' Storm asked, swishing his tail back and forth.
Caleb thought back to his brief moments with her earlier. It was truly the best thing he'd experienced in the last five years. But still, he couldn't claim her, and she definitely wasn't producing his heir.
Storm rolled his eyes. 'We will argue about this later. First, you need to find a place to keep her. Close by where we can protect her. Like in our Queen 's quarters,' Storm suggested.
The Luna Queen's quarters was the most obvious choice. She'd be close to him and hopefully keep his wolf somewhat soothed. His pack didn't keep human slaves, and it seemed rather odd to him that Alpha Aydan would gift him one. He knew it was common practice in Aydan's land. It was also a good cover for her. She would remain his slave.
'I'll put her there, but she's not our queen,' Caleb reminded Storm.
'She is.' Storm rolled his eyes.
'She's our slave, and that's all she'll ever be. She will not be queen or my Luna,' Caleb reiterated.
Storm growled but didn't reply.
Caleb mindlinked Brianna to come to him. She appeared a few moments later.
"Yes, Alpha?" She bowed her head.
"Brianna, I'd like to thank you for all of your hard work during the Summit. It has not gone unnoticed," Caleb said.
She smiled. "Thank you, Alpha."
"Alpha Aydan gifted me a woman," he watched her frown at his words, but she wouldn't question him. "Her name is Charlotte. Are you aware of her?"
"Yes, Alpha. I'm aware of her."
"What do you know about her?"
"Not much, Alpha," Brianna admitted. "I've been too busy with the Summit. I do know she's English."
This gave Caleb pause. He'd bet Charlotte was a well-born lady. Her skin was too fine. If this was the case, most English families would not want her back. She was compromised and would become an old maid, unwanted by Society. She would forever be an outcast, even if she returned home a virgin. No man on the aristocracy would want her. She was better off here where she would be accepted without judgment. But Caleb needed to make sure that his guess was correct.
"Find out what you can about her and report back to me. Also, move her into the room in the South tower."
Brianna looked surprised. "In your quarters?"
"No," he replied, knowing what she was thinking. Caleb was moving a human slave, a random woman into the Luna Queen's quarters. He knew it would raise suspicion. But he was King, and he didn't care. "Charlotte is in the departure meeting room."
"Right away, Alpha," She bowed to him and left the room.
Brianna was suspicious. This was the nicest she had seen the Alpha in a very long time; since his Luna had passed. Why was he putting a human girl in the Luna Queen's quarters?
Brianna knew that the Alpha needed an heir. Had he chosen this girl to bear his pup? Was that why Aydan had brought her? She sighed. She would probably never know.
Brianna mindlinked a few of the pack warriors to get the girl's trunks moved up to her new quarters. Word would definitely now spread. By the end of the day, the entire pack would be aware of these unusual circumstances.
Brianna arrived at the meeting room and knocked on the door before opening it. Charlotte was standing in front of a chair, a long blue cloak pulled firmly around her.
"Charlotte? I'm Brianna. We met the day you arrived," Brianna greeted her warmly. The poor girl looked nervous.
Charlotte forced a smile. She had started to think the Alpha had forgotten about her. "Yes, I remember you."
"I'm here to take you to your new rooms. I'm already having your things moved," Brianna moved to the door.
"Okay," Charlotte followed Brianna out of the room and through a maze of corridors. They reached a staircase and began to climb.
"So you're from England?" Brianna asked.
"Yes," Charlotte answered.
"Do you still have family there?"
"No," she whispered.
Brianna heard the catch in her voice and stopped, turning towards the other woman. She saw the tears in her eyes. "Tell me," she said softly.
Charlotte told her everything, sobbing her heart out at the end. Brianna wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight.
After a few moments, Charlotte pulled back. "I'm so sorry," she said, wiping at her tears.
"No, don't apologize. I'm the one who is sorry. Sorry for your loss. You haven't even had a chance to grieve properly. And your life has been turned upside down," Brianna's heart ached for her. "Just know that you have a home here. I know this is hard and we're all strangers, but you will get to know us. We're a big family, and glad to have you join us."
Charlotte attempted a smile. "Thank you."
"Come on. Let's get you settled," Brianna wrapped her arm around Charlotte and finished climbing the stairs.
At the top was a small landing. The evening sunlight streamed through a window above the staircase. There were two doors, one on either side. Brianna turned to the left and opened the door. "This is your private sitting room," she said.
The room was done in cream and gold, with a small table on one side, and a few comfy looking settees. Brianna crossed the room, and opened another door. "And this is your bedroom."
Charlotte walked in and stopped, looking around. The room was much larger than her room at home. A bed sat off to one side with a fireplace close by. There was another small table and chairs in a corner. A window with a seat dominated one wall looking out over the forest. The seat had several cushions and a blanket. Perfect for reading, Charlotte thought.
There was another door on the right side, and a looking glass on the wall. The looking glass was the finest one she had ever seen.
Brianna crossed the room to the door and opened it. "This is your closet," she said. "Come. I need to show you inside."
The closet was very large and long. She noticed her own trunk against the right wall. Above it was a long rod. On the other end, Charlotte noticed a bunch of clothes hanging.
At the opposite end was another door, and on the left were 3 more doors.
"This first door leads to a personal maid's quarters," Brianna explained. "The middle door leads to a private staircase. If you follow it down, you'll find a bath house you are welcome to use."
"And the other 2 doors?" Charlotte asked when it seemed as though Brianna was finished.
"The third door is for the Alpha's manservant. It's currently unoccupied. The door on the opposite end leads to the Alpha's bed chamber," Brianna told her.
So was this room what she thought it was? The room for his mate, and he was giving it to his concubine? She would be easy for him to discreetly visit whenever he wished. She blushed.
"Brianna, am I staying in...?" She stopped, not daring to voice what she was thinking.
"The Luna Queen's quarters," Brianna finished for her. "It's the Alpha's wish."
Brianna stopped and a dazed expression appeared on her face for several moments.
Charlotte frowned, watching her. Her eyes suddenly snapped open. "Sorry. The Alpha wishes that you remain up here during the rest of the Summit. It'll be over in a few days. Of course, we'll have some stragglers who will stick around for a week. You can still visit the private bath house. No one else is allowed to use it except the Alpha."
Charlotte nodded. "Thank you, Brianna."
Brianna gave her a hug. "I'll check on you later. I've got to get back to work." She turned to leave the room, then stopped. "If you need anything Charlotte, don't be afraid to ask. I'm the head housekeeper here."
Charlotte smiled as she watched Brianna leave. At least the housekeeper had been kind. Charlotte felt like she had done a great job of embarrassing herself today.