Chapter: five

Aylin found herself standing in the king’s office, her mind a whirl of questions. She had no idea why he’d summoned her. She tried to steady her nerves, just as Quill had advised her to do.

Easier said than done.

“You wanted to see me, Majesty?”

He looked up from his paperwork, his gaze landing on her.

She was dressed in a loose green sweater that slipped off one shoulder, black leggings, and thick socks. Her hair was a bit tousled, but it suited her.

He noticed she had her head bowed, a sign of submission. It was the norm for others, but Aylin was an exception.

“Look at me, Aylin,” he said, his voice firm yet gentle. She lifted her beautiful blue eyes to meet his, and he felt his resolve wavering.

She jerked her head up, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. The king had said her name. Why? “Did I do something wrong, Majesty?”

Ignoring her question, he gestured to the black leather chairs in front of his desk. “Please, sit.”

She chose the chair on the right, still puzzled about why she was in the king’s office.

“I understand you’ve been spending time with Quill, my brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Yes. He didn’t tell you?”

“No, Majesty.”

Ezekiel felt a twinge of annoyance, but he knew it wasn’t Aylin’s fault. Quill probably didn’t want to be associated with her, given her fragile state.

“It’s not a big deal. I was just curious.”

“He’s been very kind to me, Majesty.” Aylin wasn’t sure if sharing this was wise, but she wanted to be honest. Lies would only lead to trouble.

“I still don’t understand why he didn’t kill me when he found me in the woods.”

Ezekiel knew the answer, but she wasn’t ready to hear it. He was certain she had an inkling, though. Aylin was a werewolf, after all.

Deciding not to delve into painful memories, he steered the conversation elsewhere.

“You’ve been here for a few days now, and I’ve noticed you haven’t left your room much. I thought I could show you around, give you something else to think about.”

She nodded in agreement.

They left the office and walked down the hall, past his bedroom. They stopped in front of two large double doors, similar to those of the throne room.

When Ezekiel pushed the doors open, Aylin was greeted by a room filled with towering bookshelves. Leather armchairs were scattered around, and a movable ladder allowed access to the highest shelves. A metal walkway ran along the upper level.

Large windows encircled the room, letting in a flood of sunlight.

“This is the library. It doesn’t get much use. My mother used to spend a lot of time here.”

He watched as Aylin ran her fingers over the spines of the books. She was clearly fascinated, and it made him happy. “You’re welcome to come here anytime you want.”

She was overwhelmed by his kindness. No one had been this nice to her since her parents died. Certainly not anyone from her old pack.

The feel of the books under her fingers brought her an indescribable joy.

She had to say something. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Majesty.”

He chuckled lightly. “How about we make a deal?”

She tilted her head, waiting for him to continue.

“You can call me Zeke, but only when we’re alone. There’s one condition, though.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to get stronger.”

His words took her by surprise. Why would he want her to get stronger? Was there some hidden agenda? Was he planning to sell her?

Fear crept in, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t know if I can.”

“When was the last time you communicated with your wolf?”

“That day in the throne room.”

“What’s her name?”

“Kaia.”

“Don’t you think Kaia will need to stretch her legs at some point? And you’re too thin. I can see your bones.”

She dropped her head, feeling judged. She didn’t want to eat because she didn’t want to live.

Audrey had brought her breakfast, but she’d only managed a few bites before feeling sick. “I’m sorry, Majesty.”

He heard the tremor in her voice. “Please don’t see that as criticism. It’s concern.” She hugged herself tighter, and he regretted his words.

A question popped into his mind, and he had to ask. “What happened to you before you came here?”

She lifted her head, and he saw tears in her beautiful blue eyes. “I-I was rejected by my mate!” she sobbed.

Before he could move toward her, Aylin darted past him, out of the library and down the hall. He could only watch as she disappeared.

Now he understood why she didn’t want to live, why she didn’t care about her health. What kind of werewolf would reject her? She was perfect.

Aylin ran all the way to her bedroom, remembering the way. Just as she was about to open her door, two strong arms wrapped around her—Quill’s arms, not her mate’s.

“Let me go!” she pleaded.

She struggled against his grip, but he held her tighter.

“Calm down, Aylin.”

Eventually, she stopped fighting, and he picked her up. He kicked her door open and set her on the bed. “What happened? Did Ezekiel hurt you?”

His eyes darkened with anger.

“No,” she sniffled, shaking her head. “It wasn’t anything the king did.”

“Then what was it?” he asked, his fingers gently brushing the hair from her face.

“I...I can’t tell you.”

“I swear I won’t tell a soul.”

She pulled her knees up to her chest, her mind churning as she wiped away her tears. “I left my old pack because my mate rejected me.”

Quill’s eyes darkened, but he kept his cool, seeing Aylin’s distress. He knelt in front of her, his hand cupping her cheek. “Then he was a fool—”

A growl, sharp and piercing, echoed from behind him. Quill had left the door ajar, and Ezekiel had seen him touching Aylin.

Ezekiel’s eyes were a deep, inky black, his muscles taut, fists clenched.

Quill raised his hands in a placating gesture, trying to defuse the situation. “Wait, Zeke. Let me explain—”

But Ezekiel lunged at Quill, ready to show him no mercy. Quill should have known better than to touch what was his.

Ezekiel’s punch landed squarely on Quill’s face, sending him sprawling onto the bed.

Aylin scrambled away just in time. She watched in horror as Ezekiel and Quill fought in her room.

Quill was taking the worst of it. It had to be stopped, but how? Only one thing could halt an enraged king.

Ezekiel was gripping Quill’s collar, ready to land another punch, when Aylin rushed over and placed her hands on his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Sparks danced under his skin at her touch. He looked at her, seeing the tears welling in her eyes.

He let go of Quill, his gaze falling on the damage he’d inflicted on his own brother. He couldn’t bear to think what she must think of him now. He was a monster, nothing more.

“Zeke, please stop,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Hearing his name from Aylin’s lips made his heart swell. But the feeling was fleeting as he realized she would probably never want him. She had seen what he was capable of, even to his own brother.

~“Angus!”~

~“Majesty?”~

~“Come to Miss Turner’s room and take Quill to the pack doctor.”~

~“Yes, Majesty.”~

Aylin was shaking, the sight before her too much to bear.

Ezekiel was at a loss. Should he take her away from the scene, or leave her there? Trusting his instincts, he gently led Aylin away from the room.

“What about Quill?” she asked, hoping it wouldn’t trigger his anger again.

He grunted, his voice icy. “He’ll be fine. I’ve done much worse to him.”

Silently, Aylin followed Ezekiel, keeping her head down. She prayed he wouldn’t take out his anger on her.

With her head down, she had no idea where they were going. The creak of a door made her look up.

“Come in,” he said. The door shut abruptly behind her, making her jump.

She looked around, taking in the room. It was stunning.

Large cross-hatched windows, a king-sized bed with black silk sheets, a four-poster bed frame, deep wood furniture, a large mirror above the dresser, and a plush red rug under the bed.

Everything was as beautiful as the man who lived in the room.

Ezekiel turned on the bathroom light, closing the door behind him. He was scared to face Aylin, scared she might see him as a monster.

Looking at his reflection, he saw his eyes were still dark. His anger hadn’t subsided, not after seeing his brother touch his mate.

He took a deep breath, turned on the faucet, and rinsed his bloody hands.

Aylin listened at the bathroom door, wondering what he was going to do. Would he explode again? Or would he calm down?

She was surprised at how quickly he had calmed under her touch. Gathering her courage, she turned the knob and entered the bathroom. The smell of blood hit her immediately.

Ezekiel didn’t notice her at first. It was only when her small hands joined his, helping him wash away the blood, that he realized she was there.

She lathered her hands, cleaning his. He was struck by how small her hands were compared to his, like a doll’s.

He stopped moving his hands, but she didn’t. Aylin continued to wash the blood from his knuckles.

A tingling sensation shot up his arms at her touch. Ezekiel’s gaze was fixed on her beautiful face. Was she accepting him for who he was?

“There’s a small piece of wood in your knuckle. Can I take it out?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, he nodded at her.

She carefully removed the small shard of wood. He winced in pain, and she frowned. “Sorry.”

She dropped the wooden piece in the sink but continued her work. As she rinsed his bleeding knuckle, she gently ran her finger over it, making sure she hadn’t missed a piece.

She turned off the water and moved to the other side of the sink, grabbing a hand towel. After wrapping his hands, she gently patted them dry.

“I’m sorry,” Ezekiel whispered, his head bowed in shame.

“So, what does this mean?”

He was silent, not understanding her question.

“I mean, I feel it. You must feel it too. What do we do about it?” She removed the towel, noticing the cuts were already beginning to heal.

If Ezekiel was honest with himself, he didn’t know how to answer her. There was an obvious answer, but he didn’t know if it was an option after his outburst. “I’m not sure,” he lied.

Aylin knew what she wanted to hear, and it wasn’t the answer he’d just given her. Trying to hold back her tears, she folded the towel neatly and left it on the sink. “I’m going to the library.”

Once again, Ezekiel watched Aylin walk away and did nothing. How foolish did he have to be not to admit what needed to be done?

Aylin was everything Ezekiel needed in a partner. She had set aside her own fears to take care of him, and yet, he had allowed her to leave.

But this time, he wouldn’t let her go so easily.

The library doors were wide open, and Aylin was standing by the farthest window in the round room, gazing out at the world. Her soft sniffles echoed all the way to the entrance.

Ezekiel hesitated before stepping in, aware that he needed to handle the situation delicately. He was unsure of how to approach her. To ensure they had privacy, he gently closed the doors behind him.

Usually, the sudden noise would have startled Aylin, but she didn’t react this time.

Ezekiel slowly approached her. “I think I understand what you wanted me to say,” he began. “I just don’t know how to give you what you need.”

“You don’t have to.”

Ezekiel was taken aback. He didn’t know how to respond to her.

“Just let me go.” As if on cue, Aylin could hear the sound of Ezekiel’s fists clenching.

“And why would I do that?”

She turned to face him, and there was only one answer she could give him. “Because I’m not worthy of a king.”