Chapter: four

Aylin woke up around three in the morning. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep. The room was pitch black, and she felt out of place.

Not knowing what else to do, she left her room. The hallways were empty and as cold as a prison cell. A shiver ran down her spine.

She took a left out of her room, hoping to find an exit. She couldn’t stay in this place where a heartless king was her mate, and he was with some other woman.

It would be like watching Daemon kiss Ophelia all over again. Her heart couldn’t handle that kind of rejection twice.

She followed the hallways until she heard a noise in the distance. As she got closer, she saw a light on under a door.

She approached cautiously, scared of what she might find. The closer she got, the clearer the noise became—loud moans and groans.

She peeked through the crack in the door and saw something that made her stomach churn: the king was having sex with the woman who had been standing next to him in the throne room.

She gasped and quickly turned around, running back to her room. She slammed the door shut, slid down it, and started crying. She had seen the truth. He didn’t care about her, not even a little bit.

If he did, he wouldn’t be doing what he was doing. Quill was wrong; his intuition was off.

She couldn’t say anything, though. If the king found out she had left her room and caught her, she’d be in trouble.

She picked herself up off the floor and walked over to the window. There was a ledge big enough for her to sit on. She looked up and watched the moon from her window.

Before she knew it, the sun was rising.

***

There was a soft knock on her door early in the morning. She ignored it; she didn’t care who it was. All she wanted was to get out of this nightmare. Maybe Quill could help her escape.

“Aylin?” Quill called out. He looked at the bed and panicked for a moment until he saw her sitting on the ledge. “What are you doing?”

She didn’t answer.

“Please say something,” he pleaded.

“I saw him.”

“What did you see?” he asked.

She looked at Quill, tears filling her eyes. “The king,” she sobbed.

Quill knew immediately what she was talking about. Anger bubbled up inside him. ~How dare he?~ “Bastard,” he muttered.

He was about to storm out of the room when she jumped off the ledge and wrapped her arms around him. “Please, don’t.”

Quill was confused. Despite seeing Ezekiel with Ana, she still didn’t want him confronted? Her actions didn’t make sense.

Why would she want to protect Ezekiel from his own shame? Was she trying to protect Quill or herself?

He turned around in her arms and started stroking her hair, promising her that he wouldn’t say anything. “I was going to have you come to breakfast, but I’ll have it brought to you. Is that okay?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes. “Thank you.”

He acted calm when he left her, but he was seething. Seeing how upset she was by the king’s thoughtlessness made him furious. What did he have to do to make Ezekiel realize he needed to stop being so selfish?

He went to the kitchen and asked Audrey, the head chef, to make breakfast for Aylin and take it to her. He had lost his appetite.

As he walked through the dining room, he glared at his brother.

“Not hungry this morning, Quill?” Ezekiel asked curiously.

“Not really, Zeke.”

As Quill walked past his brother, Ezekiel sniffed the air, and his vision went red. “Why do you smell like her?” he growled.

Quill stopped with his back to his brother and laughed. “Are you serious? Why do you care?” he asked over his shoulder.

Before Ezekiel could answer, Quill walked out the door and headed to the training fields to work off his anger.

Ezekiel was left standing there, wondering what had caused such disrespect from his own brother. He couldn’t figure it out. He turned back around and saw everyone had frozen in their spots.

When he sat down again, Ana reached over and touched his hand, but he pulled it away quickly.

Audrey came out of the kitchen with a tray of breakfast for Aylin.

“Audrey, where are you going with that?”

She stopped and turned to face her king nervously. “Quill asked me to bring this to Miss Turner, Your Majesty.”

Ezekiel paused before waving her on, and she continued on her way.

Aylin was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard, with the comforter pulled up over her knees. She couldn’t get the images from last night out of her head.

The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if the window opened wide enough for her to jump out of it.

Just as she was about to stand up, there was a light knock on her door, and she had to abandon her plan.

She opened the door carefully and saw a middle-aged woman in a loose maroon dress standing there.

Her hair was in a bun, and there were slight wrinkles around her warm brown eyes. She had a small smile on her face. “Miss Turner?”

“Yes?”

“My name is Audrey. I’ve brought you some breakfast, as per Delta Quill’s instructions.”

She opened the door wider and stepped aside to let the woman in.

Audrey set the tray down on the nightstand and took off the lid.

The smell of the food reached Aylin’s nose. There were eggs, pancakes, sausage, and hash browns.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Audrey said kindly.

Aylin’s stomach growled in response.

“I guess you are.”

Audrey handed Aylin a knife and fork. She sat on the bed and put the plate on her lap, being careful not to spill anything.

She took a bite of the eggs and savored it. She had never tasted anything like it. The combination of flavors was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Then she bit into a piece of sausage and had the same reaction—it was unreal.

“I guess you like it?” Audrey joked lightly.

Aylin hadn’t noticed how hungrily she was eating. She stopped, swallowed her mouthful, and felt her cheeks heat up. “Yes, thank you.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.” Audrey smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to this place.”

Aylin dropped her gaze. She didn’t want to get used to it. She wanted out. “Is there an exit to this place?”

Audrey froze. “E-exit?”

“Yes, I want to leave.”

Sweat began to form on Audrey’s forehead. “I’m sorry, honey. I can’t help you.” Then she hurriedly left the room.

After setting the plate back on the nightstand, Aylin moved to the window. She looked out at the world; the sun was shining, and birds were singing.

All she wanted was to leave the castle; she had no reason to be there. Hearing a noise, she looked down and saw Quill training with some other warriors.

Suddenly, the one man she didn’t want to see walked onto the field, shirtless. The sight was breathtaking. Even from her height, she could see the definition of his muscles.

As much as she wanted to despise the king, she couldn’t. As his second-chance mate, Aylin still felt a pull toward him; it was clearly one-sided. She opened the window slightly. She needed some fresh air.

She went to her wardrobe, took off her dress, and looked for something else to wear.

Opening a drawer, she found a pair of yoga pants. She put them on along with a loose-fitting green sweater.

A loud growl startled her. She rushed back to the window and looked down to see the king looking directly up at her, his eyes as black as night.

***

Aylin’s heart pounded in her chest as she locked eyes with the king.

His chest was heaving, and his gaze remained fixed for a moment. With fists clenched, he walked back inside, not finishing his training session.

Quill watched his brother’s movements carefully. He half expected Ezekiel to scale the wall and burst through the window. A smile spread across his face, watching their distant interaction.

As he looked up, Aylin directed her puzzled expression down at him. He shrugged his shoulders, playing innocent.

Ezekiel stormed up the stairs, thinking about the newcomer in his castle.

He should have followed his instinct and had her killed immediately. Instead, he let her live, and now he had to deal with the anger he felt for other males smelling his mate.

He only knew of her scent because other unmated males had caught her scent from her slightly open window. His howl had pulled them away from their prying eyes.

Reaching his room, he slammed the door, trying to control his desire. The sound of the shower pulled him from his thoughts.

Whipping the door open, he saw Ana’s silhouette behind the glass doors. Even seeing her naked form, he didn’t feel the same way he had when he saw Aylin, even though he had only seen her from a distance.

Ana noticed his presence and turned off the water. Then, sliding the door open, she stood there in all her naked glory. “See something you like?” she purred, seductively licking her lips.

In his haste, he stalked toward Ana, threw her over his shoulder, and tossed her roughly onto the bed. After tearing off his pants, he crawled over her, immediately thrusting himself into her.

Without any regard for her feelings, he slammed himself into her as hard as he could. Though he was rough, Ana didn’t mind. She was used to him being rough with her.

Looking down at her, Ezekiel saw not Ana but Aylin. Leaning down, he did something he had never truly done before—he kissed her. Not just any kiss, one full of passion and longing.

He pulled back, realizing what he had done.

Ana was confused. “What’s wrong?” She panted.

Getting off her, he started pulling at his hair, pacing back and forth. Ezekiel was so flustered he let out a roar.

Ana recoiled in fear, covering herself with the sheet. “Zeke!” she yelled.

Whipping around, he glared at her. “Get. Out,” he said through gritted teeth.

Without a word, she ripped the sheet off the bed and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Ezekiel punched the wall in frustration at how much that woman upset him. Everything he knew seemed to be falling apart.

He didn’t want to be an unfeeling brute anymore; but that was all he knew how to be. Honestly, he didn’t know any other way.

Being a king meant he had to be ruthless to protect what was his. But it also angered him to know that his little brother was spending time with the woman who was supposed to be ~his~ mate.

He stepped into the shower, trying to wash away all his thoughts about Aylin. It wouldn’t work. She was just a lost young wolf questioning her own existence.

As it stood, there was no way she could be queen. He was a brutal, harsh leader, showing no mercy to anyone who crossed him.

Ezekiel was sure he would break her before she even had a chance.

He paused. Something occurred to him that hadn’t before. Maybe he was capable of showing her a softer side. Just smelling the beautiful scent of jasmine and roses drove him crazy.

His mind immediately filled with thoughts of the things he wanted to do for her and to her. He saw flashes of a life that was possible if he would just lighten up a little, at least with her.

She was good for him, not just for his kingdom, but for his own well-being.

~“Quill!”~ he called through their mind-link.

~“Zeke,”~ Quill responded coldly.

~“I need to speak to you. I’m in my room.”~

~“On my way.”~

After slipping on a pair of gray sweatpants, Ezekiel waited in his room for his brother to arrive. If anyone could help the king figure out his mate, it was Quill.

“Zeke!” Quill called.

“It’s open.”

When Quill opened the door, he noticed the large hole in the wall and his brother pacing back and forth on the far side of the bed. “Sooo, what’s going on?” he asked, puzzled.

“Can you tell me… how do you manage to talk to Aylin so easily?”

Quill scratched the back of his neck, puzzled by the sudden question. “What’s this about?”

“Just answer the damn question, will you!?”

“Zeke, calm down. I’m just wondering why you’re asking.”

Turning to face his brother, Ezekiel saw genuine worry etched on Quill’s face. “Because… I want to try. I want to make an effort.”

Quill gave Ezekiel a skeptical look, then glanced back at the hole in the wall and the anxious look on his brother’s face.

“Look, she’s not hard to talk to, but you need to be gentle. Whatever she’s been through, it’s still raw for her.

“That means, brother dear, no losing your temper, no yelling, and definitely no punching walls.” He pointed to the hole next to his head.

“So, what should I do?”

“Try to make her feel safe, comfortable. Since she’s been here, all she’s done is stay in her room, scared out of her mind.”

Ezekiel’s heart ached at the thought of Aylin being so frightened. He wondered if he was to blame, then remembered their first encounter in the throne room.

Of course he was to blame. He slumped onto the bed, feeling defeated. “Do you think I can even do this?”

Quill stood in front of his brother, arms crossed. “Do you want her to waste away? Because that’s what’s happening to her now.

“~You~ need to make a real effort if you want her to open up.”

What Quill really wanted to say was that Aylin had walked in on Ezekiel fucking Ana and now wanted nothing to do with the king.

But he’d promised Aylin he wouldn’t tell, and he intended to keep that promise.

Ezekiel stood up, resolved to start treating not just his guest, but his mate, better. “I’ll get dressed. Can you bring her to my office so we can talk?”

“Sure.” Quill turned to leave the room. Just before he reached the door, he looked back. “Remember, Zeke, be gentle.”

Quill left Ezekiel and headed to Aylin’s room to share the news. He couldn’t help but smile as he neared her room.

This was exactly what his brother needed to do: make a good impression on the girl.

When he reached her door, he found it slightly open. He pushed it wider and saw Aylin sitting on the window ledge, looking out. The same spot he’d found her that morning.

“Hey, Aylin.”

She was so startled by his voice that she fell off the ledge.

“Oh shit!” He rushed over to help her up. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, dusting herself off.

“The king wants to see you.”

Aylin’s eyes widened in surprise at Quill’s words. “Wh-why? What did I do?”

He chuckled a little at her reaction. “You didn’t do anything, sweetheart. He just wants to talk.”

Her hands started shaking and she broke out in a cold sweat.

Aylin wrapped her arms around herself, unsure if she wanted to be alone with the king. She was terrified of what might happen. “I-I don’t know,” she stammered.

Quill gently placed his large hands on her small shoulders, looking her straight in the eye.

“I promise you, nothing will happen. He just wants to chat. I wouldn’t put you in a situation you couldn’t handle. I swear. Do you trust me?”

She nodded. She had no reason not to trust Quill. He hadn’t lied to her yet.

Once they’d reached an understanding, they left her room, heading in the same direction as the night before. Her heart pounded so hard it was almost unbearable.

When they reached a light oak door, Quill stopped. “This is the king’s office. Just knock and remember to breathe.”

He could probably hear how fast and hard her heart was beating.

“Relax, Aylin. You’ll be fine,” Quill disappeared down the hall, leaving her alone.

Aylin stared at the oak door, trying to calm her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” a deep voice said.

Her hand shaking, she slowly turned the knob and peeked inside.

The king was sitting at his desk. Bookshelves covered half of the right and left walls, and the desk was directly in front of her.

It was a beautiful mahogany desk with intricate swirl designs on the front. An oriental rug partially covered the floor, tying the room together.

After taking in the room, her gaze landed on the king.

He was wearing a black button-up shirt with the first two buttons undone, and his hair was still damp from a shower.

His hands were flipping through paperwork on his desk; she hadn’t realized how large his hands really were.

“Y-Your Majesty?” Aylin stammered.