My Mistakes

Stefan

I haven’t left the port, the ship has long gone, and I hate that I messed everything up. I made her stay with me, and rather than considering the consequences, I didn’t care. I just wanted Harlyn. I got lost in her and didn’t want to lose her, so I forgot about everyone else.

Now, what do I do? All I can do is wait for this guy to show up, then we can go get her and hope that it works. If it doesn’t, then what?

“We need to speak. You can’t stand here until you can leave.” My father taps my shoulder, and I know he’s right. Reluctantly, I turn and walk through the grounds back into the palace.

I stop when I see him. “Why is he here!” He should be dead.

“Because we need to figure this out, and like it or not, as much as you hate it, Harold might actually help.”

Standing, I fight against my mind, which right now wants to rip him apart.

“Son, please sit. Let’s sort this as a family.” My mother looks at me.

“He isn’t family!” Screaming, I glare towards him.

“His son married your sister; yes, he is. Now sit.” She looks at me waiting, but I hate this, I hate that he is sat there comfy like nothing can touch him.

“Stefan, my mother doesn’t know, please.” Samuel looks at me, and I see his mum and Colton looking at me like they are lost over everything.

Sighing, I sit. “In no way does this mean you’re forgiven.” I won’t forgive him.

“Right. The first thing we need to discuss is whether you found out if he was okay.” My father looks at me.

“I got a nod. I’m taking that as he is okay.” It needs to mean he is okay, and I don’t want to consider the possibility that he isn’t. He would have healed within five minutes, but that doesn’t make it right.

“I followed your orders, Your Majesty.” I hear Harold and turn to glare at him.

“If you speak out again saying that, I will take your tongue.”

“Okay, enough!” Samuel shouts. “This is my sister, and you might not care, but I fucking do,” he screams and glares between us.

“Not care? I’ve tried everything to find a way to keep her here.” I’ve given up all my King’s expectations and broken every rule possible.

“Yeah, by getting her in bed; remember the last time you did that? She ended up punished for over eight years.” Samuel stares at me.

I don’t know what to reply to him.

“Okay, she got her wolf, any thoughts on how?” My father looks at me.

“Rather than discussing that, shouldn’t they be updated on everything else?” I point towards her mother and father, they have no idea about anything, neither does Colton.

I watch as my father tells them everything, and Harold’s eyes widen. Is he going to accept that Wayne is from his past or brush it off like it has nothing to do with him?

“Does Harlyn know the truth?” Her mother looks at us. “About her father?” She looks at us.

“I didn’t tell her. I told her nothing about that. So right now, she has no idea about it.” It’s not my place to tell her that Harold isn’t her father, so I wouldn’t do that.

“You said she got her wolf. How?” She looks between us; she doesn’t know.

“Well, your husband attacked Thorin and broke his legs. Apparently, seeing him hurt somehow triggered Harlyn’s wolf to show itself.” I watch her turn and glare at Harold.

“I was...” He stops and closes his mouth. Yeah, I’m fed up with him saying he was following orders; his orders have always been not to touch them.

“So what, we think she got her wolf because she saw Thorin hurt?” My mother looks between us.

“No,” Samuel sighs. That alone couldn’t trigger a wolf just to appear. I think the fact she was with Stefan made her more open to it, and that, mixed with the anger and hurt at Thorin’s attack, triggered it. She was connected with Stefan and his wolf; it made it easier.”

Samuel might be right there, but it still makes no sense why now; she’s gone through years of abuse from her father and never once showed any signs of having a wolf.

“Her wolf was blue mother,” Samuel speaks, and the table falls quiet; no one knows how to process that. “And she’s a lycan.” He adds, and I want to deny it, but I saw her eyes.

Harold’s head falls forward.

“What is your angle of abuse now? She has a wolf, stronger than your own.” I look at him.

“Don’t get off topic. She has her wolf, and that could be a good thing. If her wolf is there and able to communicate, it might sense what Wayne is doing,” my father says, and I nod. I can hope he’s right.

“Wayne isn’t her mate.” I turn, hearing Harold. “Look, when she shifted, I felt the change between them. His claim instantly changed, and the mark he created on her neck changed. Her getting the wolf reset her, so to speak, and I felt the bond between you and her.” He says it in a way that is like he’s admitted defeat, realising that I wasn’t lying.

I was never lying, he just didn’t want to accept she could possibly be my mate and the future queen.

“There must be a reason she is a Lycan, a reason she has the blue wolf. They are only heard of in stories. Why would Harlyn be blessed with that wolf?” My mother looks at us, and none of us have an answer because it’s not possible. It’s only true in stories.

So, how do we work that out? Maybe it’s just a coincidence? Recently, if anything, I’ve learnt that coincidences don’t happen. Wayne looking like Jacub wasn’t a coincidence, and the way I felt when I touched Harlyn wasn’t a coincidence.