Page 18 of Mated to the Crown

Lunch was great, the confusion of what to order on Celeste’s face gave me a pang in the stomach.

She really was more secluded than I thought.

I made a note to make sure to take her to every restaurant in the Valley so she could experience them all.

We left after Nicholas refused to let me pay.

I let it go this time but it irritated me.

“How is the house coming along?” I ask him. The last time I had come down he was working on fixing up a house for them to live in. It wasn’t too badly run down but needed some basic things like the kitchen redone, the windows replaced and the flooring in the bathroom.

“Oh great. I finished it a few months ago and then focused on the bakery. She doesn’t want to admit it, but it was a dump when we got it.” He winks at me and I chuckle.

“I’m glad you are happy. You two are perfect together.” I put my hand on his shoulder, giving it a pat before I see movement out my peripheral vision. Guards. Shit. I move back from Nicholas, feeling someone's hand on my forearm.

I twist in his grip, grabbing his arm and throwing him forward. Adrenaline courses through me as I see all the guards. I immediately sense the fear spike through the bond.

Celeste.

Another guard grabs me and I kick at their knee, sending them sideways. Another grabs my shoulders, pulling me backward as yet another tries to cuff my hands. I kick at the second one, rolling back to punch the other in his jaw.

More of them come and I can hear Daisy shouting at Nicholas.

At one point we bump backs and I know Nicholas is there for me.

It gives me an interesting feeling knowing that he would risk himself for me.

I give him a nod of thanks before being pulled into another fight.

The beast within fights to be in control.

It’s a mental game just to keep him shut up while I focus on the physical.

Soon it is too much to keep going and I get thrown to the ground.

I feel something slice my cheek and the metallic smell of blood fills my nose as it drips down my chin.

I get hauled up, my shoulders wrenched backward until I am up on my two feet.

My eyes meet with Celeste but she seems miles away.

I call to her, my voice hoarse. She doesn’t move, frozen in fear at what is before her.

I try to send calming thoughts down the bond, knowing that she can feel them but it doesn’t make her move.

The main guard grabs my hair, pulling my head up to look at me.

I lock eyes with him and the growl in my chest echoes across the square.

“Let’s go.” He snaps toward the guards.

I look at Celeste as she finally slips out of her trance.

She reaches for me, stepping forward but Nicholas grabs her from behind.

Her scream destroys me. It eats away at my heart as I hear her.

I watch as long as I can until I am thrown into the back of a car.

My arms are bound in the front. As I sit the beast inside me rumbles.

We could have won.

Yes, but we would have put her in danger. That was the last thing I would do. The cars roll out of the Valley in a line, heading up toward the palace.

“So, I can assume my mother put you up to this task?” I lean back in the seat, kicking the back of the seat in front of me.

“Not so chatty now, boys? I will figure it out soon enough. How’s your nose George?

Looks like you took a beater.” I snicker as he holds pressure on his nose.

The blood all over his face and hand look worse than it is, but at least I got a couple of them pretty good.

The ride to the palace drags and I try to reach out through the bond to feel Celeste but I can’t feel anything.

I wonder if she is blocking me or just shutting down.

I frown, hoping she is okay. At least Nicholas was with her.

I test the bond a few more times, sending calming emotions each time I can’t feel her.

We pull up to the palace and my grumble becomes louder.

If there was anywhere I didn’t want to be, it was here.

They haul me inside, hiding me from the servants and any other prying eyes.

I am thrown in my room, cuffs still on my hands and the door slams behind me.

I let out a yell before sitting down on my bed.

I already know who is behind this, my mother.

She has wanted me to take over the throne since she found out I was a shifter.

I remember the first night I felt the urge to turn.

I was in my teens and felt like my skin was crawling.

Something inside wanted to come out. I didn’t realize how painful it would be, to see my skin peeling back and fur replace it.

My nails turned into claws and soon I was covered in a thick, lush, brown and black coat.

My ears turned into triangles, swiveling on the side to catch noises.

My grandmother was a panther when she shifted, large and all black.

I was smaller than her, but still large compared to a normal big cat.

My skin was more evident of my spots than hers, the colors more dynamic than her variation.

It was something I dreaded at first. It was something I couldn’t control.

Knowing the moon was coming and not being able to stop it took many years but soon I was able to control it and keep it locked down.

My beast though, sure came into his own mental voice quickly.

That took much longer to figure out than the physical.

My mother put me in classes with the war room General’s to learn about mental reinforcements.

How to separate the beast and myself and how to stay in control with stressful situations. Situations like this.

I lean back against the headboard, a small smile tugging at my lips as the scent of Celeste fills my nose. It wasn’t very long ago that we were on this bed. A knock interrupts my thoughts and I sit up to see my mother step in.

I have never hated her as much as I hate her right now. Her long black hair settles against her shoulders in a loose braid. Her brown eyes looked darker than usual. A dark red dress hugs her, a black lace shawl over her shoulders.

“Don’t look at me like that, dear. I am doing what is best for you.” She chides.

“What is best for me is to be with my mate.” I spit back, pushing up from the bed to stand. I don’t dare step closer to her because I already feel the beast within fighting me. I glare at her instead. “What is your big idea, hmm?”

“Well if you ever paid attention you would know. You are to be married to Elodie. Tomorrow.” She looks down at me like I am some garbage.

“Like. Fuck. I. Will.” I straighten up, standing about the same height as her. “I’m done playing your games. I am going to be with Celeste, whether that means leaving the family or not.”

She tsks and looks at me, taking a step closer.

“Then I’ll just kill her.” She shrugs. The look on her face is serious, any small type of motherly instinct she has destroyed from her own selfish dreams.

“You won’t touch her.” I growl, feeling the familiar feeling of my beast fighting me.

Let me at her.

“Oh I won’t. I don’t like getting dirty.

I’ll send George. Or actually you broke his nose.

How about Drake? He is not too friendly.

It should be quick.” She glares at me and I realize this woman is not my mother anymore.

A mother should be happy that you found your mate, not threatening to kill your mate.

I could break out of here easily, my beast would destroy these cuffs and easily escape, but that was what she was counting on.

She wanted me to lose control so we could show the rest of the family who I was.

We had kept it hidden for many years, only telling Charlotte. It was her ace up her sleeve.

“Don’t touch my mate.” What could I do? Pretend to go through with the marriage and hope that Nicholas would get here in time? Would he even come to help? I needed to talk to Morgan, get a note out to Nicholas.

“You will be married tomorrow afternoon. Then we will have the funeral for Charlotte a few days after that. No time for you to plan anything funny. At the funeral it will be discovered about your powers and how you should take the throne. Got it?” Her voice deepens as she talks and I don’t even know how to process this.

I snarl at her and she gives me a little wave before leaving my room.

Fuck!

I plop back down onto the bed, running my hands through my hair.

Come on baby, talk to me.

I close my eyes and concentrate again, trying to feel for her.

“Hello?” A soft voice interrupts me again. I go to yell when I see it’s Morgan.

“Thank fuck.” I mutter. He scoots in and locks the door behind himself before rushing over to me. His hands pick up mine as he looks at the cuffs. “We have to get you out of here.”

“I can’t, Morgan.” I whisper. His eyes shoot up to mine. “I found her. My mate. Celeste.”

“The woman who was here?” He speaks quietly, his hands stopping his fumbling with my cuffs.

“Yes. My mother threatened to kill her if I ran. I need to figure out another plan.”

Morgan lets out a deep sigh before letting go of my hands.

“Can you get a note out to Nicholas?” I make a face, knowing it will put him at risk.

“I think so.” He mutters and looks up at me again.

He had been there the night I first lost control.

He had been there for all of my shifts, keeping me safe and making sure nothing bad happened to anyone else.

He had been more like a father than my own.

Him helping me could be his own demise and I needed to keep that in mind.

It wasn’t just him that I needed to worry about, he had a wife too.

“I just need him to know the plan. My mother wants me married tomorrow. At the funeral she will disclose my shifter status.”

Morgan nods, grabbing some paper from my nightstand and writing down some notes.

“I’ll get Charlie to bring it down to him. He is still in the Valley?” Morgan gives me a side eye.

“Yeah, his wife just opened her bakery. Maybe start there.” I watch as Morgan stands up.

He doesn’t walk away, just stands there awkwardly for a moment.

“Thank you for your help, Morgan. I know the damage this could do for you. I appreciate you, more than I have ever said. You have been nothing but like a father to me.”

His eyes meet mine and he gives me a small nod.

“I could care less what happens at the palace. You have always been my priority.” He pats my shoulder and with that he is gone.

Maybe if I did leave it wouldn’t be so bad.

We could build another cottage near ours for Morgan and his wife.

Or maybe he would want to settle in the Valley, be something other than my butler.

I close my eyes, trying to imagine us all happy and free of the palace’s rules and regulations.

A soft tug pulls at the tread and I smile.

There you are, Princess.

I wait a minute, trying to feel what she is sending me.

Determination. Hope. Love. Love. Fuck. I send her emotions back and wish so much we could speak through the bond, but from my reading I need to seal it with a bite.

We have done everything but that part and I can not wait to sink my fangs into her.

Without thinking I send my lust down the bond and smirk as I feel it returned. I wonder what she is doing right now.

I close my eyes and imagine her laying back on the bed, legs sprawled out with her hand between her thighs. Her fingers slip down into her arousal, tracing around until her fingers are coated. She slips them back up to her clit, a small gasp escaping her as she presses against it.

Fuuuck.

If I keep thinking like this I’ll have to fuck my fist. And with these damn cuffs on.

I close my eyes and run my hand over my hardening cock, imagining it is her.

Her fingers continue across her clit, her hips tilting forward as small moans leave her mouth.

I rip my pants open and grab my shaft, sliding my hand up and down.

That’s when I hear it.

Fuck, I need you Malik.

My eyes widen before realizing she was talking through the bond. Her sweet breathy voice came through the thread into my brain.

I fucking want you so bad, Princess. Are you safe?

My hand slips up and down, precum beading down as I move. A bout of excitement surges in the bond.

You better show me how much you miss me.

There is my spitfire. I move my hand faster, the clunky cuffs clanging as I do but I don’t care.

I think of Celeste, one hand pleasuring herself and the other playing with her nipples.

God, I want to lick her so bad. I imagine her fingers moving faster, her hand on her nipples sliding down until she slips two fingers into her wet pussy.

“Fuck.” I groan, squeezing my hand tighter as I move. Her back arches, her fingers plunging in and out and her fingers on her clit move faster until she breaks, calling out into the room.

Malik.

She moans my name through the bond and I lose it, my seed splashing on my pants. I take a few deep breaths, holding in my moan.

Tomorrow.

Her voice is but a whisper and the bond goes silent. If I had any questions about her being my mate, they were gone now. I needed to get back to her.