Chapter Thirty-Five

Christopher

Surprise ripples through me as I watch my mate walk off with my ex. I was expecting anger and hostility when they met. Not this. How can she make friends with my ex-girlfriend? Any female lycan I know would be attacking the other out of their jealousy. Not my Celina. Is she that naïve? Does she not understand how vicious Mia can be? Mia excels in mind games, that are specifically designed to tear down her victim’s self-esteem. I have to stop this. I have to protect her.

My father grabs my hand as he watches Celina step out of the room with Mia. “Let her go. If she’s going to survive in the lycan world, she’s going to need to learn how to play this kind of mind game. Besides, she can do with someone putting her in her place.”

I glare at him. “Are you that upset that there is someone you cannot force to submit to you.”

“I’m more upset by the way she talked to me.” He admits while he folds his arms. “No one ever speaks to me like that.”

“She is the Alpha Princess, who is turning into a lycan right now. You cannot force her to submit with your aura. She’s still disconnected from her wolf, so she doesn’t feel that compulsion to submit. Also, she’ll be stronger than you when she’s fully shifted anyway.”

“Which is exactly why we need her bloodline.” He tells me, turning to face me. “Our line has been growing weaker Christopher. Your siblings are significantly weaker than you, and the only reason you’re strong is because you were born a twin. A blessing to our family by the moon goddess. With the death of your brother, mating with Celina is the best thing you can do in order to secure our family as King of the Beasts.”

That surprises me. I look at him while my mind stays on Celina. “What do you mean?”

He smirks, “If you want this nuisance to leave your mate alone, you’ll need to get her to agree to the coronation, and secure our line.”

I gag, feeling repulsed by how nonchalantly he’s speaking of this. “Are you talking about grandchildren? I don’t even want kids yet, and I know she doesn’t.” And I know she doesn’t want to rule yet…or ever. I’m pretty sure the fact that I’m to inherit the throne is what deterred her from me for so long in the first place.

“I know, but the longer she remains as only the Alpha Princess, she’ll be vulnerable. Making her the Crowned Princess of the Beasts will stop any chance of a forced takeover. She’ll have access to countless guards and resources to make sure she is safe.

“You had mentioned that you were barely able to fight off her attacker; so you know that you alone cannot protect her. If her attacker didn’t want to toy with her, he could have easily taken her and forced himself on her while she was in her first heat. You know this. Until she and her beast are one again, she’s more vulnerable than ever. She needs our protection, but there is only so much I can do while she’s only an Alpha Princess.”

His words make sense, but I do not trust my father. Especially because he didn’t reem Celina after she spoke with him. I think he’s trying to remain in her good graces until she’s officially under his rule. He was never like this with Mia, and I suspect it was because she’s his ex-girlfriend’s daughter and isn’t even half his strength. I stiffen at that realization. She’s the daughter of a council member.

“Excuse me,” I tell him, cutting off his continuing argument. I hurry out of the room, following Celina’s scent. Where is Mia taking her? She said to get a drink. What kind of drink? Coffee? Alcohol? Poison? I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight. Especially with Mia. Why did I let her go? I know how vulnerable she is right now. She’s unable to shift, and she’s still in her heat. Please tell me Mia isn’t trying to take her off the palace grounds. That psycho is still out there, and he’s clearly not phased by going after someone’s double-marked mate.

Eventually, I find Celina talking with Mia by the pool, with a small latte in hand. Celina looks perfect, and her smile is enough to make my heart stop. Seeing my fresh marks on her is reassuring, and very arousing.

“Yikes,” Ruben remarks as he comes to stand next to me. “Your ex with your current girl. That’s scary.”

My chest tingles as I work to control my anger. “I’m more worried about Celina. You know how Mia can be when she’s jealous.”

“Do you really think that Mia can take out Celina’s ego?” Ruben scoffs. “Good luck. That girl has the highest self-esteem I’ve ever seen and for good reason. She is the highest female beast on the food chain. You can’t knock her down until she is challenged by a girl stronger than her. That is why you can’t knock Dad down either. Well, until you anyway.”

I watch Celina laugh at something, making my heart instantly warm. She seems amused by something, and I know it’s something ridiculous by the tone of her laugh. “I know Mia will try either way. She doesn’t take competition well.”

“She dumped you, remember,” Ruben says, touching my arm. “If she wanted to be queen, she would be.”

A small smile touches my lips. “I was never going to mark her, and she knew it. I was never going to commit to someone I couldn’t trust, and with her infidelity, and how many times we had gone our separate ways, I never could try.”

“Then why didn’t you break up sooner,” Ruben demands, sounding annoyed. “That woman destroyed you. You were holed up in your room for weeks. The only time I’ve seen you crack a smile is when you met Celina. Even during your and Mia’s relationship, all you did was fight when you visited, or when I did. You and Danny stopped talking because he didn’t like her influence over you.”

I shake my head, thinking of all the time I’ve lost in that relationship. “Rose-colored glass I guess. She was my first love, and when we started to drift apart I was lost in the memories of what we once were. Now I’m just glad it’s over, and I let you talk me into going to the Claiming Ceremony. I wouldn’t have met her if you hadn’t.”

Ruben chuckles. “You’re welcome then. I still prefer Celina over that spoiled wannabe princess any day. Now here is the question; what are they talking about?”

I watch as Celina puffs out her chest while talking before breaking out into laughter with Mia. I smile as she covers her mouth as if she was being naughty. “I’m not sure, but she seems to be enjoying herself.”

“See, that right there,” Ruben says, pointing at my face. “That’s your reaction to watching Celina having a conversation that you cannot overhear. You always got overly paranoid with Mia. There is no way that if you were still dating Mia that you’d be relaxed.”

I shrug, “I feel very secure with Celina. I know where I stand with her, and she’s bluntly honest. I kind of love that about her. Besides, I don’t feel like she’s trying to scheme to get me to do something. She tells me what she wants me to do. I don’t know but I kind of feel like I’m her equal, and not something with a title attached.”

“See, that’s healthy. Not whatever the hell you had with Mia was.”

I raise my eyebrow, “Okay, what is your problem with Mia? You’re trying so hard to sell me on Celina, even though I double-marked her. Celina’s not going anywhere, and I don’t even see Mia as anything other than the manipulative person that she is.”

“She’s manipulative? I wouldn’t go that far.” He says with his voice high.

I groan when it hits me. “You want to date her,” I accuse, honest surprise going through me. They hate each other. “Do you have a little crush on Mia?”

Ruben shifts uncomfortably, trying to see if that’ll make me angry. She is my ex of a five-decade relationship, so I can see why. “I honestly don’t care, but I’ve been in that relationship with her. It’s not easy, and she’s a tornado for sure.”

“Tornado?”

“You can’t control her, and she’ll leave nothing but destruction behind her.” I fold my arms, watching my Celina with Mia. Emilia Bordaga. Daughter of Councilman Amelio Bordaga, and Councilwoman Emma Bordaga. We were in a relationship for five decades. I knew I was never going to spend the rest of my life with her. We both knew. Our relationship was built on love, and an understanding that we would accept it when we came to an end. However, I can never forgive her for how she ended it. I found her having sex on the kitchen counter, on top of the anniversary meal I had made for her with my bodyguard. He was promptly fired, and she was instantly kicked out. I was on the next flight out to go back home.

Looking back on it, I’m glad I did take that first flight out. If I hadn’t, I would never have let Ruben talk me into coming to the Moonlit Ball. I would have focused on the rogue attacks and never would have met Celina. That’s a lie. I would have met her after she was bit at the Claiming. She’d still register as my mate, and I don’t know if I would have been able to kill her.

I nearly laugh. Kill her? Kill my sweet and beautiful Celina? No, that is not something I can ever be capable of. I can’t even fathom laying a hand on her porcelain skin with violence. Her exterior is all rough, but she’s soft once she lets you in. Smart too. I can see why she was a coveted bride, and I’m ridiculously lucky to call her mine.

Mine. I truly do love this woman, and I will destroy anything that ever brings hurt to my mate. If Sephtis’s master wants to take my Celina from me, he’s going to have a hell of a time trying. Even if I’m dead, I will never stop fighting to keep her away from him.

My fists clench in my sudden rage. Rajin lets out a loud roar inside me in his agreement. Celina turns her head to look at me, surprise in her eyes. The others turn to look at me, wondering why Celina has suddenly stiffened. It is then that I realize that my fur is beginning to sprout; Rajin is trying to take advantage of my loose hold on him when I’m angry. My beast is pacing, demanding the blood of the man who calls Celina his. I want it too. More than anything at this moment, I want to shift and track down the boy who thinks she’s his. She’s my mate.

“Chris,” Celina mouths to me, still sitting with Mia. She’s tense, and I know she wants to come to me; but in her current state, she can’t. It’s not safe for her, and my brother wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she turns to face me and tilts her neck to show one of my marks on her. I feel my beast calming as she tilts her head to the other side, showing the other. She watches while Rajin calms and my fur starts to retreat. She gives me a look that questions my sanity before turning her attention back to Mia.

When Celina turns back to her that is when Mia gasps; realizing that I have claimed Celina more than once. This is an unusual thing in our community since it’s rare for someone to be claimed more than once by their human mate. Our beasts will re-mark each other repeatedly. It’s a primal instinct, and they’re more possessive than their human counterparts. No one had seen me bring Celina into my room, and she slept on her side the entire time. No one knew that I had marked her twice. To me, that means I can trust my brother, her brother, and Leroy to be alone with her. Maybe not Leroy, but he has shown he’s trustworthy enough to protect her.

It is when I come to that decision that I smell something so strong, an audible growl escapes me. One male is walking toward Celina with a flirtatious grin on his face with two drinks in his hand; the thick smell of arousal coming from him. Anger defeats my restraint over Rajin when I see this, immediately seeing red. He is going to die for even being near my Celina.