Chapter 23: Feelings Don't Matter

ELAINE

I hadn’t slept a wink, and Connor’s antics had me in a sour mood.

I couldn’t figure out what was going on with him lately, but it was getting to me, and not in a good way.

Quite the opposite. Connor’s presence was a constant in my life. It wasn’t just his body, his voice; it was everything about him. Sometimes, he was all I could think about.

I could feel his damn desires through our bond, and it was ridiculous. He had no qualms about letting me know how he felt, how much he wanted to be inside me.

I wasn’t sure if he was oblivious to it, or if he was just playing dumb.

“Are we ready?” I asked, glancing at my brother who was busy scratching his head and avoiding my gaze.

There were more pressing matters than sex. Connor wasn’t taking our situation seriously. And these shackles were making things more difficult every day.

I knew there was a rumor going around the castle that the king and queen couldn’t keep their hands off each other, that we were hypocrites since we supposedly hated each other.

But here we were, acting like animals, filling our plate with nonsense, which was more than a little annoying.

“I asked you a question,” I growled.

“Yes,” my brother mumbled, heading in the opposite direction.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the nearby jeep, where Connor was talking to Sorin. I opened the car door and stashed my weapons bag under the seat.

“If anything happens, call us. And don’t let our parents anywhere near the castle grounds. Got it?” Connor commanded. I just listened, ignoring him as usual.

Sorin nodded, scribbling something in a book. If things went the way I wanted, maybe I could ask Sorin to be my mate soon—forget about this mess and move on with my life.

“We should leave before the sun comes up,” I suggested, earning a smile from Sorin.

“Yes, let’s go,” Connor agreed, his eyes clouding over.

Once everyone was in their cars, we said our goodbyes and left the castle grounds. I yawned, pulled out some headphones, and closed my eyes. I was exhausted.

Feeling Connor’s gaze on me, I glanced his way and raised an eyebrow.

“Need something, my king?” I asked.

Connor chuckled and turned to the driver. Leaning in, he kissed my cheek.

I frowned in confusion.

~“Don’t look at me like that,”~ Connor said through our mind link.

~“What are you doing?”~ I asked, puzzled.

~“You should smile more,”~ Connor suggested.

~“Smile? Connor, I don’t owe you a smile,”~ I retorted in my mind.

Feeling his hand on mine, I glared at him. Connor just smiled back. He tugged on my hand, pulling me closer.

What was he up to now?

“Connor, back off,” I hissed through gritted teeth. I pulled my headphones down, not wanting the guards in the front to hear our argument.

I shot the guards a warning look. If they so much as glanced our way, they were dead.

“Enough of that,” Connor said suddenly, pulling me onto his lap.

I gasped and smacked his chest, earning a chuckle from him.

~“Put me down!”~ I growled in his mind. ~“I’m not in the mood.”~

~“You’re never in the mood.”~ Connor leaned in to kiss the mating mark.

I stiffened at the pleasure. Cursing under my breath, I gripped his arms until he winced.

“That won’t make me let go,” Connor said with a smile. “Now stay still. I don’t want to fuck you here in front of our warriors.”

“Connor!” I shrieked, knowing they heard him.

His laughter made me give up. This was what I was talking about. He was getting under my skin, and not in a good way.

His behavior was tormenting me. We couldn’t afford this, not when all of this was a charade. Not when I didn’t have any feelings for him.

***

Our first stop was the Vemrose Pack, a three-hour drive away. It was the smallest pack in our territory.

We’d only be visiting the pack for a day at most before moving on to a larger one.

Our goal was to find out which packs had been attacked by hunters, which ones had received threats or had their pups stolen.

I knew few would talk out of fear, but we needed all the information we could get. We needed to know who had betrayed us, or if this was all a trap.

If the hunters claimed we were to blame, it would mean war. And we hadn’t had a war in five centuries, thanks to our peace treaty.

“You seem lost in thought,” Connor murmured, his hand on my thigh.

“Yes, I’m thinking about the hunters,” I replied, gazing out at the snowy forest.

The view was stunning. Snow blanketed the entire mountain range like a fluffy white quilt. It was so peaceful. I wanted to sleep and never wake up.

It was a sight to behold. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out,” Connor said, resting his head against mine.

“I have to worry, Connor. I need to know who the traitor is,” I snapped.

“It’s our duty,” Connor murmured. “Not just yours, Elaine.”

I didn’t care what he said.

This was ~my~ duty. I wanted to keep my pack, my people, safe. I didn’t fight my way here for nothing.

Connor sighed and rested his head on mine instead of the seat. I continued to stare out the window, my head nestled in the crook of his neck.

***

“Welcome, my king, my queen.”

We both smiled at the warm welcome from the Vemrose alpha and his warriors.

“Appreciate the hospitality,” Connor said, his smile broad and warm. His presence was commanding, a natural assertion of his authority.

“Absolutely. You must be exhausted. Let us show you to your rooms,” the alpha offered, leading the way.

Connor’s hand found mine as we trailed behind him into the pack house. I took a quick look around.

The pack lived in wooden houses, with smaller buildings scattered throughout the dense forest that encased them.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the tree houses. The Vemrose Pack was one of the few that built their homes high in the trees. Each family member had their own little house.

The alphas, naturally, had their home on the ground, typically a two-story house, perfect for a large family.

My gaze swept over the few faces nearby. I knew the Vemrose Pack had members patrolling the area.

The ones left were responsible for other tasks like running restaurants, cafeterias, schools, or hospitals.

The place was well-maintained and didn’t lack modern conveniences. I spotted security cameras and a few sleek cars parked at each house.

Feeling a gentle pull, I turned my attention to the pack house ahead. I furrowed my brow at the unusual structure.

“The pack house is nestled in the trees?” I asked, puzzled.

“Yes, it was an elder’s idea. We made some changes, and now it looks like this. I hope you like it.” The alpha smiled. I nodded back, my excitement evident.

“Welcome,” the alpha said, opening the doors of the pack house.

The scent of wood and cinnamon filled my nostrils. It was fresh and oddly soothing.

Leaning into Connor, we continued our journey to the second floor of the house.

“These are your rooms,” the alpha explained. “The last room over there is for you, my luna and alpha.”

Connor expressed his gratitude, allowing us to unwind.

I took in our surroundings. It was quite nice. A canopy bed, a TV stand off to the side, a fireplace, a bathroom with a walk-in closet, and a balcony with a view of the pack’s forest.

“You may leave,” Connor announced as the warriors left our bags near the door. Once the doors closed, Connor moved closer, pressing himself against me.

“Should we rest for a bit?” Connor whispered in my ear. I hummed in agreement, my eyes still fixed on the view outside the window.

The fresh scent of wood brought a smile to my face.

“Come here,” Connor said, lifting me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him without a word.

I could feel the fatigue setting in, which was unusual.

Gently laying me down on the satin sheets, Connor followed, pulling me close to his chest. I quickly pushed him away. This was too much.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice sharp.

“Sleeping?” Connor replied, his brow furrowed.

“Yes, but you stay on your side; I stay on mine,” I retorted, moving away from him.

Connor grumbled something under his breath but didn’t argue.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I checked for any messages before deciding to take a nap. The only one was from Sorin, asking if we had arrived at the pack.

I quickly typed a reply, then placed the phone on the nightstand.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes, letting sleep claim my weary body.

***

CONNOR

My fingers played with Elaine’s hair as I watched her sleep peacefully. She looked so tired, I couldn’t resist leaning over to kiss her. I stopped myself just in time.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly pulled away.

What was I doing?

With a weary sigh, I sat up, careful not to wake her. I rubbed my face before glancing at her once more.

Was I losing my mind? I was like a lovesick puppy, consumed by thoughts of her.

Nothing good would come from developing feelings for her.

I looked down at my wrist, at the shackle glowing faintly. The dim light was a reminder of why I was stuck with her in the first place.

It wasn’t just about Elaine; it was about finding my freedom and becoming the one true king. But there was this nagging feeling in my chest, like it was trying to tell me something.

Getting up, I grabbed our bags and moved them to the closet. I quickly rummaged for a change of clothes.

The alpha had mentioned a welcoming bonfire later tonight. We needed to be ready.

Also, the first snowfall was imminent, which meant the first night of heat was near. I quickly undressed and hopped into a warm shower. As I washed my hair, I heard a loud thud from the room.

What was that?

Hearing a groan from the room, I grabbed a towel and rushed out. My eyes landed on the figure on the floor.

“Elaine?” I called out.

“What?” Elaine choked out, pushing herself up to her feet.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the door frame. A smile tugged at my lips as I watched her struggle with the sheets.

“Don’t you dare say a word!” Elaine warned. I raised my hands in surrender, but couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

“I should get back,” I said, turning to head back to my shower.

Once done, I returned to find Elaine undressing. I raised an eyebrow as I took in her bare back. With a groan, Elaine turned, sensing my presence.

“Where are my bags?” Elaine asked, her hair covering most of her bare chest.

“In the closet.” I pointed back into the bathroom. Huffing, Elaine pushed past me.

Scratching my head, I glanced back at her. I was tempted to follow her.

Deciding it wasn’t the best idea, I started to move away, but then I caught a whiff of her intoxicating scent. I stopped in my tracks and took a step back. The sound of running water came from the shower.

I clenched my jaw in frustration. With a sigh, my eyes landed on her naked body behind the glass door, wet and steamy from the hot shower.

I swallowed hard.

~No, Connor~, I told myself.

I took another sniff of the air and quickly undressed again. I knew this could end badly, but fuck it. With determined strides, I opened the glass door and cornered Elaine against the gray tiles.

“Connor?” Elaine gasped as my body pressed against hers. I couldn’t suppress the possessiveness I felt in that moment.

My body was on fire for her, craving her. I yearned for her curvaceous form to fit against mine.

“Damn, Elaine,” I rumbled near the mating mark. My hands were braced against the tiled wall in front of Elaine. “I need you.”

“Connor, no,” Elaine responded, her voice breathless. But I could sense her desire, her arousal. She wanted me too.

My hands curled against the slick tiles, sliding down her wet body. I cursed myself for the weakness I’d been feeling these past few days around her.

Elaine pressed her body forward as I traced the contours of her flawless waist.

Gripping her breasts, I pulled her closer until her moans drowned out the sound of the running water in the confined space.

I tried to push Khan out of my thoughts. The jerk was forcing himself to shift.

I knew the trigger. It was the warm, tingling sensation pulling at my chest.

“Elaine,” I murmured against her skin. “Let me—”

I stopped as my thoughts began to whirl. Stepping back, I looked down at her flushed face. What was I doing? I was behaving like a beast.

Frowning, I let out a frustrated groan and stormed out of the shower, but I didn’t make it to the door before I felt a searing sensation on my wrist.

Looking at it, I winced. Confused for a moment, I glanced back.

I hadn’t noticed it before, but the distance between the closet and the room was quite far, so why hadn’t I felt anything earlier?

I must have been so exhausted that I hadn’t noticed it until now.

Hearing that, the water stopped running. I turned away from Elaine.

“Elaine…,” I began, turning back, but when I saw her face, the words escaped me.

I stood there, staring at her. My mind was in chaos, while my heart felt unsettled. I groaned and walked out. Taking a seat on the bed, Elaine followed silently, standing on the other side of it.

We both remained quiet for the rest of the afternoon. It seemed we both needed to sort some things out, especially the misunderstanding.