Wrongful Move

Stefan

What has he done? Everything, he’s done everything. He’s looking at me like he’s innocent. He knows that he isn’t innocent. He knows what he has done but is playing dumb. He’s acting.

“Harlyn, leave,” I shout, not bothering to look at her. I need her gone, out of the way. Some were safe away from him. She needs to leave.

“Your Majesty, I still am unaware of what I have done to warrant your attack.” He repeats the same damn question, yet I swear his eyes say he knows. Does he know she is my mate?

“Do you realise who you were just about to claim?” I ask, waiting and watching him.

He smiles at me and looks behind me. I don’t like that, and I don’t like the way he looks at her. He smiles and points behind me.

“Oh, you mean her?”

I turn behind me, and she is still standing there. I assumed she would have walked away by now, but her defiance just annoys the hell out of me. Anyone else wouldn’t refuse, but she does. Why?

I hate the look in her eyes for him even more. She cares for him, even though he is likely using her to win some war. Then what will he do? If his plan is that, will she survive?

“Your Majesty, you understand that Harlyn is my fiance and future wife, and we’re marrying. She agrees. She’s my love.”

His love! His fiance...No she isn’t, anger curses through me, she’s not him, he’s brainwashed her, and nothing I can do will change that until I can prove it to her.

“Stop talking!” My hand moves, my claws dragging across his side, and he screams. I won’t allow him to use them, not for revenge against my father and hers.

“Don’t hurt him!” I hear Harlyn’s scream. Would she be saying that if she knew the truth? How can she ask me not to hurt him, like she expects me not to be hurt by what they were doing right here, in our spot?

“Stay out of this, and leave!” I shout at her, hoping that she listens. She needs to do what she is told, not what she wants.

“Your Majesty, do not shout at her.” Wayne’s words have my body still.

“What?” Did I just hear him right? He’s telling me what to do. I stare at him, shocked.

“I said. Do. Not. Shout. At. Her!” His words are growled.

“Are you giving me orders now?” I ask. Shocked by how brazen he is being right now.

“You can do as you wish to me, but Harlyn, no. I will not stand here and let you shout at her.” He thrashes in my hold. “I will not stand by and watch a single person hurt her again.” He growls, trying to rip his body out of my hold.

Is he defending her? Why? I stand confused.

“If you continue to shout at her, I will not be quiet. Do what you wish to me, but leave Harlyn out of this.”

Ghost jumps to the surface. Something about him defending her against me just makes his anger worse. I force Ghost back. I can’t kill him with her here and wanting.

“Your Majesty.” The words are muted below my anger. I fight to control Ghost, but he’s winning.

“Stefan, stop!”

“Enough, Stefan.”

The shouts surround me. So many shouts.

“Stefan, you’re going to kill him. Release him.”

I can’t.

“Please! Stefan, please don’t do this.” The voice breaks through, and I turn to see Harlyn crying. Samuel holds one of my arms back, and my other is gripped around Wayne’s neck.

When did that move? I see my father, mother, and the Earl, and my eyes go back to Harlyn.

I’m hurting her.

“Please, stop!” She looks at me crying, and my grip around his neck loosens. I hear him coughing, and I step back slightly. I don’t want to hurt her.

Everyone stares at me oddly except my mother. She knows I love Harlyn, so this reaction won’t be confusing to her. Yet everyone is standing in confusion over my actions.

Seeing I released Wayne, Harlyn runs over.

“Are you okay?” She looks at him and holds him in her arms.

“I’m fine; of course, I am, Harlyn.” Wayne smiles at her, but his eyes glare at me. I step back slightly to stop myself from gripping him again. I shouldn’t do that. I would need proof of why I killed him.

“What happened? What caused this?” Father looks between us, and I stay stuck for words. I don’t want Wayne to know the true reason behind this. There’s a chance he has no idea we know, so for now, I would rather not speak.

Harlyn looks between us and stares at me with a determined look. Is she going to tell them the truth? The truth would be that I found her half naked, with him trying to claim her.

“Stefan just att—” Her words stop, and she looks between me and Wayne. Her gaze stays on him, and he smiles at her and gives her a reassuring nod.

“Nothing. This was all a simple misunderstanding. Nothing needs to be worried about, right?” Wayne looks at me, waiting for me to confirm that he is speaking the truth.

I want to deny it, but what would I say? That I was jealous that Harlyn was about to let Wayne, her fiance, claim her? That she is my mate, and I hated the thought of him touching her?

No one knows that, and no one knows the truth, so how can I tell them? I can’t tell them until I tell Harlyn how I feel. She should hear it first, not at the same time as everyone else.

Reluctantly, I nod, agreeing with him, which only makes his smug look grow, and I swear he knows she’s my mate and is doing this as a way to torment me.