Chapter 123: A Royal Invitation

ARIEL

Alex’s eyes peer into mine. No one else can truly see me, my whole being, my soul, like he can.

With one hard thrust, Alex plunges himself inside me.

~Filling me…~

~Stretching me…~

There’s nothing better than this feeling of being so whole. So complete.

The chemistry I have with Alex is ~far~ more intense than a mating bond, because it’s built on trust. On commitment. On love.

And we’re making even more of that love right now.

As Alex moves himself in and out of me, his lips find my neck and latch on tight.

“Alex,” I breathe heavily. “It’s not very queenlike to have a hickey.”

“I need to give you another little mark,” he pants. “Just in case anyone is confused about who you belong to.”

He reaches a hand down past my hips and punctuates each thrust with a gentle circle on my most sensitive spot.

My moaning gets louder and louder until I have to cover my own mouth to stop myself from screaming.

“Oh Ariel,” he says. “You feel so good.”

A ray of sunshine seeps in through the window, casting a perfect glow on Alex’s golden hair.

I run my fingers through his thick, shiny mane, and hold him closer as I wrap my legs around his hips.

Locked together like this, I think we might just fuse into one being.

“I’m yours,” I growl in his ear. “I’ll always be yours.”

At my words, I feel him explode inside me. The feeling triggers my own all-consuming orgasm.

We keep holding each other tightly, trembling as pure pleasure cascades over both of us like the afternoon sun shining through the window.

I look into his green eyes and brush the tip of my nose against his.

Finding another destined mate has only made me more grateful for what I have chosen.

My perfect partner.

As he’s basking in the afterglow, I whisper, “See? You have nothing to worry about.”

“Maybe you can remind me again tonight why I have nothing to worry about,” he says with a big smile.

“Anytime,” I say.

And I mean it.

MATEO

~Oh, mi Diosa.~

~Oh my Goddess…~

This is ~un disastro~.

I came to the Royal Pack to hide from chaos, but it is clear now that chaos follows me wherever I go.

When I changed my name to Matt and put on this pitiful fake accent, I thought I might have a chance at blending in with the crowd.

But on my first day, I find out I am mated to the queen herself!

Every wolf dreams of finding his destined mate.

So why do I feel like I am living in ~una pesadilla~?

~A nightmare.~

Queen Ariel is beautiful, there is no denying it. And she is much kinder than any royal I have ever known.

But when I look into her eyes, I just want to see my true love staring back at me…

~Isabella.~

~Oh, how I long for you….~

When I sleep, I dream of her.

When I wake, I think of her.

When I go about my day, I see her out of the corner of my eye. But when I turn my head, she is nowhere to be found…

Isabella is the only woman I have ever loved.

Her lips are soft rose petals.

Each hair on her head is a strand of the purest gold.

Her skin is fresh cream on a hot summer day.

But even her beauty pales in comparison to the perfect sweetness of her soul.

Isabella is everything I have ever wanted.

And everything I can never have.

It has taken me a month to journey from my homeland and find a position in a new pack.

But now that Queen Ariel has taken an interest in me, I must leave again.

I am doomed to live life on the run. I was a fool to think that I had a chance here, when what I really deserve is to be a rogue.

Reaching under my bed, I pull out my small suitcase.

I fill it with the few remaining items that I have left to my name—everything I could grab when my pack was under siege…

Some clothing, a scarf that my mother weaved, and a faded picture of Isabella.

I look at the photo for just a moment—as long as I can bear—and then I wrap it in the scarf and zip up my case.

I need to get out of this place ~now~, before the queen tries to get to know me better, before my true identity is revealed.

But just then, I jump as I hear a knock at my door.

~Who can that be?~

I hardly know anyone in this pack and certainly didn’t invite any visitors.

I push my suitcase underneath my bed again, walk over to the door, and open it.

A man I have never seen before greets me with a wide, good-natured smile.

“Hello,” he says, “you must be the new guy. Matt, right?”

“Yes,” I say, remembering to put on my American accent. “And you are…?”

“The name’s Dom. I’m the king’s number two. The king’s little shit, if you will.”

“You’re the beta?”

Dom looks nothing like any beta I have ever met. Mine was far more serious and imposing…but he was the best friend I have ever had.

“How can I help you?” I ask him, desperate for him to leave so I can get out of here.

“I came to tell you that the king wants you to join him for dinner.”

~Ay… This is bad.~

~Very bad.~

Clearly the queen told the king about our mating bond.

He very well might have me executed if he is a typical, heartless royal.

And even that would be better than the worst possible outcome…

The king might discover my true identity.

I cannot let that happen. I need to find a way out of dinner without his beta suspecting anything.

“What a generous invitation,” I say.

“It is,” Dom says. “You must be one helluva new recruit to be getting this kind of special treatment.”

I give Dom my best fake smile. “Well,” I say, “let me put on some nicer clothes and I will head over to the palace in thirty minutes.”

~When he leaves me alone, I will run for the woods and never look back…~

“No, no, no,” Dom says. “You don’t need to get all dolled up for our king. He’s honestly just a regular dude. A bro with a crown. Besides, if I walk you over I can give you a little tour of the palace on our way.”

I stand hesitantly in the doorway.

~Oh, mierda…~

Chaos has found me again.

There is no getting out of this now.

Soon, I will sit face-to-face with the king and pray to ~la Diosa Luna~ that he doesn’t recognize me.