Chapter 25
I can feel the mounting pressure closing in on me, suffocating me from all sides. Carina’s father calls, his voice a sharp icy demand that sends a shiver down my spine.
“I want this treaty backed up with my grandchild, Xandros. And unless you give Carina one, you are to stay away from Sienna,” he commands.
The tension in the castle is palpable, a heavy weight that threatens to crush us all.
I know I should comply, do what is expected of me, still I can’t bring myself to do it.
I can’t sleep with Carina, can’t even bring myself to get aroused in her presence.
It feels like a betrayal, a violation of the bond I share with Sienna.
I stand in my grand office, the walls seeming to close in on me as I hold the phone to my ear. The chilling voice of Carina’s father echoes in my head, his demand for a grandchild piercing me like a dagger.
“We’re postponing the wedding,” I find myself saying. The words hang heavy in the air, a declaration of defiance. It’s a risky move, one that could easily backfire. I need time – time to figure out what I truly want, and how to protect Sienna.
There’s silence on the other end of the line, and I can almost hear the gears turning in his mind. “Postponing?” he repeats, his voice dripping with venom.
“Yes,” I reply firmly. “We… we are trying to find a way to break the bond. It’s causing complications.”
The lie slides off my tongue smoothly, though it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I have no intention of breaking the bond with Sienna. It’s the one thing that’s real, the one thing that’s mine in this twisted game of power and politics.
My words seem to appease Carina’s father, at least for now. “You better fix this, Xandros,” he warns. “This treaty is crucial for our kingdoms. Do not let your personal feelings interfere with our plans.”
His words hit me hard, a stark reminder of the tightrope I’m walking on. I’m torn between my duty to my kingdom and the mate bond, the invisible tether that ties me to Sienna. Every day, the conflict within me grows, the two sides pulling me in opposite directions.
As I hang up the phone, a sense of dread settles in my chest. I’m caught in a web of lies and deceit, and with each passing day, I’m sinking deeper. I can only hope I find a way out of this mess before it’s too late, before I lose not only Sienna forever, but our kingdom.
The treaty. It’s been the backbone of my reign, the only barrier keeping my kingdom from crumbling into chaos.
When my mother went on a rampage after the death of my aunt, slaughtering thousands of humans while hunting Sienna’s parents, it was Carina’s father who saved us.
He stepped in and threatened the Elder Council with war if they dared to tear down the Lycan Kingdom.
In the world of supernatural politics, collateral damage is an accepted part of the game, and those residing in my city would have been exterminated without a second thought. It’s happened to kingdoms before, when their rulers lost control, and I couldn’t let it happen to mine.
So, I made a deal with the devil—Carina’s father. In exchange for his protection, I promised to marry his daughter. That was before I found my mate. Before Sienna walked into my life and turned it upside down.
I’ve heard the stories, of course. Lycans driven to the brink of insanity because they couldn’t find their mates. No one ever warned me that finding my mate could be just as devastating. The mate bond is a force of nature, powerful and unyielding, and it’s pulling me in two directions.
On one hand, there’s Sienna - my mate, my other half, the one who makes me feel complete. On the other hand, there’s my kingdom, my people, who rely on me for their safety and survival. There is also the betrayal of my mother; she hates Sienna, and she has reason to. However, Sienna is my mate.
Caught between the rock and the hard place, I find myself struggling to keep my head above water. Every day is a battle—a fight to keep my kingdom safe, while protecting the bond with my mate.
As I sit in the silence of my office, the weight of my responsibilities pressing down on me, And the worst part? I have no idea how to fix it.
The only thing I know for sure is I can’t lose Sienna. She’s become my beacon in this storm, the one thing who keeps me sane amidst the chaos.
For her safety, I have stayed away. I don’t visit her at night, haven’t in days, though I can feel my absence tearing her apart, even though every fiber of my being yearns to be near her.
I can’t risk giving my mother, or Carina, a reason to hurt her, to lock her away in the cells again.
The thought of her suffering because of me is unbearable—a constant, throbbing ache in my chest.
The distance between us only serves to amplify the pain of the bond, and I know I can’t keep this up forever. Sooner or later, something will have to give. The weight of the world is bearing down on me, and I’m not sure how much longer I can hold on.
With each passing day, as the pressure mounts and the stakes get higher, I wonder how much longer can I keep this up ? How much longer until I’m forced to make an impossible choice? And when that day comes, who will I choose? My mate, or my kingdom?
And in the end, will it even matter?
I push the heavy, mahogany door of our master bedroom open, stepping into the softly lit room.
An unexpected sight freezes me mid-stride.
Carina, once a symbol of immaculate perfection, now sits on the edge of our oversized bed, a picture of ruin.
The traces of her expensive mascara are smeared across her cheeks, and her usually impeccable hair is disheveled, her skin blotchy.
She looks far from the composed, impeccable woman I am used to.
The phone in her hands feels like an ominous sign of what’s to come, knowing whoever she just spoke to has upset her. That person probably being her father.
The entire room, usually reflecting our immense wealth and power, is tainted with an uneasy, chilling tension.
It is so thick I can almost taste the salt of her tears in the air.
The bedposts carved from ebony stand tall, the gilded mirror reflects the flickering flames from the fireplace.
The room, as decadent as it is, screams death, and the flames emanating from the fireplace resemble my life burning around me with no way to extinguish their existence; even the plush carpet feels unnaturally cold under my bare feet.
Carina’s blood-red eyes lock onto mine, their depths swirling with a storm of emotions that unsettle me.
Betrayal. Hurt. Anger. Fear. They all claw at me as she meets my gaze, leaving invisible scratches on her hardened exterior.
If fire had a face, it would be hers at this moment, her eyes matching the burning embers of the fireplace.
“I just got off the phone with my father, Xandros,” she hisses, her voice a grating whisper against the pressing silence. “You’ve postponed our wedding!” she clenches her teeth.
I divert my gaze, the guilt coiling like a venomous snake inside me. I’ve always been able to face consequences head-on, this time, the confrontation is unwelcome. I know she is hurting, so am I. So is my mate.
My throat tightens, but I manage to maintain a calm facade. “I thought we needed more time to sort things out,” I respond, trying to keep my voice steady, not wanting to fight with her, not tonight.
“More time?” she laughs, the sound sending a chill up my spine.
“I thought it was for the best…for us until we figure things out,” I retort defensively, the words scraping my throat raw.
Carina erupts into a cold, haunting laugh, the sound echoing in the room like an icy death. Her phone lands with a thud on the silk duvet. “This isn’t about ‘us’, Xandros. It’s about that damned girl. That little mutt you’re so fond of.”
“Carina,” I warn, a cutting edge to my voice.
“No,” she cuts me off, rising from the bed. “That bitch is ruining everything. Everything was fine until you found her!”
My heart pounds against my chest like a drum, matching the tempo of my mounting anger. “Her name is Sienna,” I snarl, my canines baring instinctively.
Her burning eyes turn deadly, frosty even. “I agreed to let you keep her, Xandros. But I won’t let her steal you from me. Marry me, or I promise, I will remove her from the picture myself. I won’t lose to that little whore!” she screams angrily.
Her words ignite a rage within me, hotter than the roaring fireplace nearby.
“You lost to her the day I laid my eyes on her, Carina!” I snarl, her face twisting at the betrayal of my words, clearly stinging more than any physical blow.
She slaps me, her hand striking my cheek with a force that sends my head reeling sideways.
I press my lips in a line, my hands fisting at my sides, anger coursing through me. Yet her hand wasn’t totally undeserved.
With that, she storms out of the room, slamming the door so hard it rattles the paintings on the wall, making one fall to the floor.
A heavy silence fills the room. Alone and furious, I make my way to my office, the scent of rich mahogany and old books comforting me as I step inside the huge room.
The floor to ceiling bookcases take up most of the space; this place has always been a sanctuary to me, just like my library.
I sit down at my desk, the cool leather of the chair a stark contrast to the burning anger within me.
I need to figure out what to do. I try to untangle the web of problems, spinning in my mind when a knock on the door intrudes my solitude.
Lifting my head, I glance up to see my father stepping into the room. Despite the situation, a sense of warmth washes over me. No matter how tough the circumstances, he’s always been a rock for me, at least when my mother isn’t watching.