Chapter Twelve

Christopher

“Christopher,” Father snaps, pulling me from my sudden realization. “Get dressed and go get your brother.”

I glance down, just realizing I’m fully nude and covered in blood. Why can’t I remember marking her? Did my beast mark her when he overpowered me? I blacked out for only a few seconds. Did he have time?

“Chris,” Father orders, grabbing my arm, “are you stupid or something? Go get your brother and clean yourself up.”

Stiffly, I nod, walking away from him, lost in my thoughts. How-how did I even mark her? When did I mark her? Why do I not feel the mate bond? Is it because it was only Rajin that marked her? He was the only one that was in control.

“Chris?” Ruben asks, catching me while I’m going up the stairs. When did I get to the stairs? He puts his hand on my arm. “You okay?”

“Ce-Celina,” I try to start, but I can’t wrap my head around it. My beast marked her wolf. My beast did. Shouldn’t I have marked her too?

Ruben gives me a sympathetic look. “I heard it was gruesome. It had to be bad if you’re this bad.” He pushes me up the stairs, and I numbly follow, still in shock. Still, in a daze, Ruben helps me into the shower. It isn’t until the water hits me that I begin to recover.

After I shower, I start to fully understand what happened. Exhausted, I wrap a towel around my waist and go sit on the couch. It’s like a bad hangover. Flashes are coming back to me. My anger. My rage. My beast. Rajin. He is the exact definition of a selfish bloodthirsty killer. He doesn’t understand weaknesses or courtesy. He sees an opportunity to get what he wants and takes it. This is why I’m always the one to voice reason and remain in control. It’s also why I am the future ruler of all beasts.

I rub my face and hear Ruben enter my room, smelling fresh and whistling happily. His whistling abruptly stops before plopping next to me. “I killed eight lycans and two ex-alphas that were hunting our dear princess. How many did you kill?”

“Seven,” I tell him, leaning against the back of the couch and putting my head back to hang over it. “Seven lycans. She killed one, and I counted at least seven suitors she took down on her own, including one lycan.”

Ruben whistles. “No wonder she was in such bad shape.”

I shake my head. “That lycan she killed had injected himself with so much Wolfsbane, that she nearly killed herself in the process of taking his life.”

“Oh shit, is she going to be okay?”

“Eventually, but she’s in critical condition.”

“Okay, so why do you look like you’re the one lying in the hospital bed?”

I take a deep breath before answering, realizing once I say it, it’s going to become real. “Because my beast marked Celina’s wolf.”

“What the fuck,” Ruben yells, jumping to his feet. “How the hell did you let that happen? Dad’s going to murder you.”

“I know,” I groan, fully aware of this. I’ve never gone against him before. “My beast took over when Rue was about to mark her. I lost control for a moment, but it was long enough for him to mark her.”

“What in the goddess’s name, would have possessed you to do that?”

I lift my head and give him a serious look. “She’s my mate, Ruben.”

“How is that even possible?”

I give him a hard look, “You know how.”

Ruben’s eyes widen when makes the connection. “Oh, you’re screwed. Dad is not going to want you to tell her that Danny is your identical twin brother. If you don’t tell her, she’s never going to accept you. If you tell her, Dad will straight up disown you and murder you. Also, it might actually start a war, even if Danny was out of his mind.”

I groan, “I know.” I put my face in my hands. “I have to tell her the truth.”

“Are you mental?” Ruben says, pulling my hands away so I can look at him. “Look, there is being honest, and then there is going against the Lycan King.”

He’s not wrong. If I want to maintain relations between the werewolves and the lycans, it might be best to keep this quiet; especially considering how many lycan rogues appear to be from one of the many boards in the Beast Kingdom.

“Have you told dad?” Ruben asks, giving me a firm look. “I wouldn’t do anything until you told him you were the one that marked the princess.”

“This is a nightmare,” I groan, throwing my head back, feeling sick; torn between telling my father and breaking the news to Celina. She’s on a respirator but I’m confident she’ll still kill me.

“Yeah, that’s tough,” Ruben says, patting my leg. “Now get dressed and let’s tell Pop he has a new daughter,” he says, tossing me some clothes. When did he get up?

After getting dressed, I follow Ruben to the Alpha King’s office. The tension between them is almost visible. My father is leaning against the desk, and the Alpha King is sitting in the chair with his head in his hands.

“There you two are,” father growls, glaring at me. “What took you so long?”

“We had to get cleaned up,” Ruban answers quickly; sounding perfectly at ease. He’s always been good at lying. “We did kill quite a few lycans after all.”

“How many,” he growls, looking at me with rage in his eyes.

Why is dad so mad? Unless… “I killed seven personally. Ruben, what about you?” I ask, diverting his attention quickly.

“Eight, and two rogue alphas,” Ruben says, gladly covering for me. He’s usually the screw-up. I’m dying being in this mess. I don’t regret marking her, but I hate this situation. If it wasn’t for the rogues, this would be celebrated.

“The last one was Rue,” I say quickly. “Every single one of them was a prestigious member or part of a prestigious family.”

“I knew it,” Marcus yells, getting to his feet, “your beasts are using wolves to go after you. Your incapability to rule your own beasts are causing this.”

“Careful,” Father growls, his eyes flashing gold. “You’re hurting right now, but I will not allow that kind of disrespect one second longer.”

“You’re concerned about disrespect?” Marcus yells, his eyes flashing as he leans toward my father. “You’re not the one who has a rogue mutt mated to their daughter because of lycan rogues.”

Ruben shoots me a hard look while I mask my face. I open my mouth but am interrupted by Marcus. “And don’t say she killed the one that marked her. She still wears that pathetic being’s mark.”

My eyes flash gold at that insult, snapping all attention to me when my aura pushes out. “It is my mark she wears,” my beast growls out. Well, at least it came out of my mouth.

“Christopher,” my father bellows out, making the ground quake as his eyes flash; his canines descending. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Marcus turns his fury towards me. His neck is bending forward, trying to control his shift. “You marked my daughter?”

“Technically, my beast did,” I tell him, unrepentant of my beast’s actions. “He made his claim when he was stopping Rue from marking her.”

“Well break it,” Marcus and my father yell, leaning toward me.

“Never,” I growl, pushing my aura toward them. “She’s mine.” I have to dig my nails into my palm to help control my beast. “She’s my mate.”

Father stiffens while Ruben pulls Marcus out of the room. “King Marcus, I insist we go somewhere where you can calm down,” Ruben says while yanking him out; fur already beginning to spread.

“Your mate,” Father growls the moment the door closes. “Your mate? No, she was Danny’s mate.”

“My identical twin brother’s mate,” I growl. “You knew there was a ninety percent chance we shared the same mate.”

“Break the bond. Now! Before she’s conscious.”

“No,” I snap; wanting more than anything to rip out his tongue for even thinking that was an option. “What is wrong with being mated to Celina? She’s the definition of a powerful being.”

“She’s the Alpha King’s daughter. Tensions are already high enough because of these rogues. Marking his daughter, unwillingly I might add, is not going to help.”

“She’s still mine to claim,” I say, glaring at him. “She’s my mate, Father.”

“She’s a wolf,” he folds his arms. “I’d accept her for Ruben, but not my son.”

I have to control my beast before he takes over; rage nearly breaking me. “She’s. Mine.”

“You’re the Crown Prince of all beasts, not just a prince like your brother.”

“She’s the Alpha King’s daughter, and she’s the most powerful wolf out there. She’s killed a lycan who was tainted with Wolfsbane. Not to mention the wolves and the lycan she defeated during the Claiming. That’s just in one day. Her track record has shown more kills of lycans than even some in our royal guard.”

“She would have lost today had you not intervened.”

“Because she was poisoned,” I cry. “She managed to kill him. If anyone deserves to be my mate, it’s her.”

“No, not her,” Father says, showing me his canines.

“What is your problem with her?” I demand from him. “You were hellbent on no one marking her. You’ve never cared about my partners before either.”

Father’s fists clench. “Because that girl is the only reason we’ve found a way to find those traitors. They want to mark her, and they appear willing to do anything to do it. You said so yourself. Everyone was related to the damn council. I one hundred percent believe that attempt yesterday was to keep her from participating in the Claiming. Never, in our beast history, has the council tried to assign a werewolf a mate. Their lifespans are too short to get involved with. That can only mean one thing. The Council is behind this!”

I give him a confused look. “When was the last time you slept?”

“Three days ago,” he says, waving me off. “Ever since I learned of Celina’s attack. It has to be the Council behind this.”

“If it was them, all they would have to do is vote you out. It might be some, but it’s not all.” I touch his arm to try to calm him. “Dad, they are all newly appointed or only related to the council members. It’s someone strong who they have to think would be a better king.”

Dad groans and rubs his face. “You just had to fucking mark her.” His eyes flash to mine. “Do not tell her that Danny was her mate. Under no circumstances are you allowed to do this. Do not mark her further until I say so, or I will break you.” His eyes flash as he pushes his aura over me; overpowering me until I’m forced to submit.

Dad gives me a triumphant smirk, eying my bared neck in his victory, “Go and check on your mate.”