Chapter 1
KING LYCEUS’ POV
“Your Highness? Your Highness, the princess has arrived. She and her parents are waiting for you in the parlor.” My servant bowed to me as he stepped through the threshold of my dressing room.
Today, I am preparing to meet with the woman I will marry. Our wedding is in two weeks. I have tried, but I haven’t been able to shake this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have been living with this unbearable feeling for a while now. The pain has become a regular part of my life. It all started when I was forced to leave the woman of my dreams - my soulmate.
“I’ll be there in five minutes. Where are my mother and father?”
“Their majesties are heading to the parlor to greet the princess and her parents.”
I nodded, then waved the servant out of my room.
I watched in the mirror silently as four more servants helped ready me for the gathering. The princess and I have known each other for a very long time. We practically grew up together. But I never intended to make her my queen. It was always supposed to be my fated mate.
Princess Analuisa is a beautiful woman. Her tall, slender frame, raven-colored hair, and big, expressive eyes make her one of the most desirable maidens in the land, even though she is human. She has always been sought after by both unmated humans and wolves. Analuisa always turned them down, however. She once told me she had only ever had eyes for me. As beautiful as Ana is, still, she could never compare to my stunning mate.
“Your Highness? Are you alright?”
A soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked down at the small woman, and she examined me with concern. I felt a single tear cool against my skin as it reached my cheek. I quickly wiped it away and stood up straight.
“Yes, I’m fine. That’s enough. You can all leave now.” I tried my damnedest to hide the turmoil that threatened to reveal itself in my voice.
I was no longer the man I used to be. I remember being carefree and at ease. I was a prince, so anything and everything was at my disposal without the responsibility of ruling an entire kingdom. That version of me is now gone.
I didn’t like making responsible decisions. I enjoyed doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to. Then, one conversation with a mystic suddenly forced me to make the most significant decision of my life. That one decision has haunted and tortured me for the last three years.
I will never forget the day I found her- my soulmate. I will also never forget the day I was forced to leave her. One minute, I was on cloud nine- the happiest I had ever been. Then, as quick as a flash, I lost the better half of my soul. My entire being is broken. Any good I thought was in me disappeared the day I walked away from her. But I had no other choice. It was for her own good.
“Xanatos?” I called to my wolf. He has been mostly silent since I abandoned our mate. I wondered if he would ever speak to me again.
As werewolves, we have more than just the ability to shift into wolves. We also have wolf spirits that dwell within us. That part of us is our pure animal instinct. If Xanatos had anything to do with it, we would have stayed with our mate, and she would have probably ended up dead already. That is why I had to make the choice alone.
“Xanatos, we have to do this. Our kingdom is massive, and the human world is becoming more and more violent as time goes on. We must fortify our borders by strengthening our alliances. This union will strengthen our alliance and keep our region safe.”
I heard my wolf grunt, but he said nothing.
I do not blame him for his disdain for me. Every single day for the last three years, I wonder if I made the right choice in walking away from her, from my Ephiny. I wanted to be selfish and keep her close to me forever. But the words of the mysterious mystic rang like a bell in my head. I could not take the risk. My happiness would never be worth her life.
“Lyceus? Are you ready, my dear?” My mother poked her head into the room before stepping inside. I watched her through the mirror as she floated gracefully towards me. When she reached my side, she placed her small hand on my shoulder and smiled brightly.
“It will be fine, my love,” Mother said timidly. She could always tell when something was bothering me, even without my breathing a word about it.
I stayed silent, looking down at my feet like a nervous little boy. Mother stepped in front of me and lifted my chin gently.
“You are thinking of her again, aren’t you?”
I walked to the other side of the room before collapsing into a chair.
“Lyceus, you will not be able to forget about her until you mark another. You should have done it ages ago.” My mother sighed as she took the seat beside me.
Mother was the only one who knew about Ephiny. I told her I had found my mate and planned on spending my life in the human world with her. However, my life with Ephiny was cut short.
My mother told me I should have marked someone else right away- that ignoring the bond between us would be futile. But I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. I just hoped that the distance between us would allow Ephiny to live a peaceful life without me, no matter how much pain it caused me.
“My son, I know you love her very much. And I understand why you left her. You are the strongest man I have ever known. I do not know anyone who could walk away from their mate and keep living as you have. But it is time to close that chapter and be happy. I am sure she would not want you hurting this much for this long.”
The truth is, I have not been living. I have not lived since the day Ephiny and I parted ways. I have only been existing. Nothing has felt right since the day I left. And even though it has been three years since I have seen her or smelled her sweet, comforting scent, the pain has not lessened. It has not gotten any easier. The nightmares haven’t ceased. I have not stopped thinking about her.
I stood up and stomped towards the door, wary of this conversation. I opened the door and crossed my arms, waiting for my mother to exit. She looked at me momentarily, then shook her head and sighed without another word.
As we approached the ballroom, I could hear laughter. Analuisa and her mother giggled as my father and her father laughed loud and heartily at whatever corny joke my father was telling this time.
“Ah, Peppa,” Father said as he reached for my mother, gesturing for her to join them. My body grew stiffer than before as I saw Ana looking at me with her friendly smile. I do not wish to do this, but it is my duty as a king.
After leaving Ephiny, my father got sick and decided it was time for him to step down. For the last two years, I have ruled Dinaria as king and managed to avoid the topic of marriage or taking a queen up until recently. To keep Dinaria strong, I must give my people a queen and produce an heir.
The thought of that makes Xanatos crazy with rage. The only person he ever wished to bear our pup is our soulmate.
’Hello, King Lyceus,” Analuisa said as she curtsied. I bowed to her and her parents. They did the same.
While Ana is fully human, her parents are not. Abandoned as an infant, King Jey and Queen Catherine took her into their home and raised her as their own. When we were kids, she had trouble accepting that she would never be able to shift like us werewolf kids would one day. But she has come to terms with her differences and has been a proper princess.
Even as a human, she has the respect and adoration of her pack. However, most of that is probably because King Jey will severely punish anyone with anything negative to say about Ana.
The rest of the day was as I expected- long and uncomfortable. We finally sat at the long, extravagant table to have dinner, and the unstoppable chatter continued. Our parents get along just fine, and the idea of our union excites them all. Analuisa is a sweet girl, but I still cannot get over the love I left behind. I feel bad because, no matter how much time goes by, no matter how much time I spend with Ana, I will never be able to love her —at least not the way I still love my mate.
Towards the end of our meal, my father stands up and taps his wine glass with his dessert spoon, clearing his throat. We all look at him. I, of course, am more worried than the rest of the table. My father always had a habit of blurting things out without thinking or consulting me first.
“I just want to say how excited Peppa and I are to have this lovely young lady as part of our family and kingdom. Lyceus is also elated to have such a wonderful woman as his queen. Now, I know this may be quite unconventional, but nothing about this union is traditional, considering you’re human and all. No offense, my dear,” Father addressed Ana with a chuckle.
“Not at all, Your Majesty,” she giggled, bowing her head slightly.
“Princess Ana, Lyceus would love to have you move into our castle as soon as possible…before the wedding!”
Ana’s mother and father looked at each other excitedly and clapped their hands.My mother cringed as she looked at me, seeing the outrage on my face. I bit the inside of my cheeks to stifle the growl I felt coming on. To say I was angry would be an understatement. Even after two years as king, my father continues to make decisions without consulting me first.
“Is that true? Do you wish me to move in immediately?” Ana asked with soft eyes and a giant grin on her lips.
“NO!”my wolf yelled in my mind. But I couldn’t respond like that. Besides, his anger has nothing to do with Analuisa. He misses our mate, as do I.
I swallowed my fury and forced a smile, nodding in response. She took my hand, and I flinched. Damn it. All these years and another woman’s touch still makes me uncomfortable.
After dinner, my mother and I stood on the staircase and waved them off as their limo drove out of our land. Once the car was out of sight, I stormed back into the castle to confront my father in his study. ha
“FATHER! What the hell was that? How many times do I have to tell you to STOP SPEAKING FOR ME!?” I roared. He waved his hand to dismiss me, then lowered himself into his overstuffed chair by the fireplace.
“Oh, pipe down, Lyceus! I was only trying to help! I knew you wanted to be with the girl sooner rather than later. So I just gave you a little push.”
It was clear that my father didn’t know what I wanted. He was blinded by his need for me to take a chosen mate and produce an heir that he never noticed that I had been in distress all these years.
“I am the king now! I will make my own decisions without your help!” Before he could respond with more nonsense, I trekked out of his study, slamming the door off its hinges behind me.
I slammed the door to my room and threw myself into a chair near the window. I am twenty-six years old, yet sometimes I feel like a child. My father wishes me to rule this kingdom, yet he meddles in things that do not involve him.
I roared, hoping that the random outburst would help relieve some of the anxiety I felt about this situation. It didn’t. I sank into the chair and pinched the bridge of my nose as I sighed in frustration.
“Once that woman is here, and you mark her, I will never speak to you again. You will be a wolf-less alpha,”Xanatos threatened.
