Page 63 of Prey of the Lycan Queen (Unwanted #2)
Chapter Sixty-Two
A FEW MONTHS LATER
The sun’s first rays paint the sky in pastels of pink and gold, heralding the promise of a new day.
As the castle awakens from its slumber, so does its inhabitants.
The hustle and bustle outside contrasts with the tranquility of my personal chambers.
Before the world can demand my attention, I revel in a few moments of solitude.
Perched on the windowsill, I find myself idly twirling a small, silver pendant between my fingers.
A family heirloom depicting the ancient emblem of my lineage—two intertwined serpents, each biting the other’s tail, symbolizing eternity and the cyclical nature of life.
It makes me wonder if that is where my mother came up with her curse.
Lately, I feel as though I’m trapped in a never-ending cycle—facing the council over Slavic’s death, managing internal disputes, and continually striving to prove my worthiness. Did destiny dictate this path for me, or am I merely a puppet in the grand theater of life?
A soft knock on my door interrupts my contemplation. “Come in,” I call, knowing it will be one of my mates, but why they bother to knock when we share a room is beyond me.
Regan steps in, his presence instantly warming the room. His eyes, always observant, quickly notice the pendant in my hand.
“Contemplating the mysteries of life, are we?” he teases, moving closer.
I smirk while dangling the pendant before him. He found it in the basement. In fact, we found an entire room of my parents’ belongings covered in dust. “Merely pondering the threads of fate,” I reply playfully.
He takes my hand, studying the pendant before lifting his gaze to meet mine. “Some believe that fate is immutable, but I’ve always believed it as a tapestry. While some threads might be predestined, it’s our choices, our actions, that shape the final design.”
I ponder his words, comforted by his unwavering belief in the power of choice. “So, in this vast tapestry of life, where do our threads intertwine?” I muse.
Regan leans closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I believe our threads have been entwined from the very beginning,” he whispers. “Even before your mother cursed you to us.” Before I can respond, he captures my lips in a gentle yet passionate kiss.
Regan is my constant, my anchor. With him by my side, I feel equipped to navigate the politics and this life I’ve been thrust into. So I know I made the right decision. I couldn’t do this without him.
“We should go. I was coming to see if you were ready,” he tells me. I sigh heavily, I just want to stay home for one day. Since everything happened, we’ve hardly had a rest. If I’m not dealing with royal politics or my coven’s business, we are rebuilding the city.
“Not really, but I don’t have a choice,” I tell him, and he cups my face with his hand. “I can go by myself. I don’t mind,” he tells me, but I shake my head.
“Would you let me go by myself?”
“Definitely not,” he is quick to reply.
“Then there is your answer, My King,” I tell him.
* * *
A FEW HOURS LATER
As expected, the day ahead is filled with challenges. Meetings with dignitaries, addressing the concerns of the four kingdoms, and planning for an upcoming festival. But throughout it all, the memory of our morning conversation remains with me.
That evening, as I return to our chambers, a small note awaits me on my desk. Unfolding it, I recognize Regan’s elegant script:
In the grand tapestry of life, our threads will forever be entwined, guiding and supporting each other through every twist and turn.
H e must have left it for me this morning. However, as I slip the note back in the envelope, something slips out and onto the floor.
A smile graces my lips as I bend to pick it up, and Zeke’s arms wrap around me, his hands roaming over my huge belly. “Where did Regan go?” he asks.
“To speak with James. Where is Lyon?” I ask, but then I hear the shower cut off, answering my question. Zeke bends down, scooping up what I dropped, and turns it over. He gasps. “You truly broke it,”
“Pardon?” I ask him, hearing his voice choke. “The curse,” he whispers, burying his face in my neck. I pluck the note from his fingers just as Lyon wanders over to give me a kiss in just his towel.
I open it and blink back tears. “We’re having a girl,” I whisper.
“A girl?” Lyon gasps, plucking the paper from my hand. He chokes, “I’m having a girl?”
“Who said it was yours?” Zeke scoffs. “ I’m having a girl.” I roll my eyes, this argument again? Seriously.
Well, I could tell him, but instead, I sneak off toward the bathroom, leaving them to argue. As Regan steps into the room, a silly smirk crosses my face. He growls at his arguing brothers but makes a move to follow me to the bathroom.
“I’m gonna tell ’em, I’m over them bickering.”
“You’ll do no such thing. We all agreed we wouldn’t check, but you couldn’t help yourself.” I swat his chest, trying to pull my dress over my huge stomach, but it is sticking to me like a second skin.
“What did James say?” I ask him.
He shrugs, helping me out of my dress. “Nothing out of the normal. Slavic’s kingdom has been officially dismantled.
My people moved to Lyon’s Kingdom with James, but he’s having trouble with numbers now because too many from Zeke’s kingdom want to go to Lyon’s as well.
Resources aren’t quite enough yet. I’m sending more supplies tomorrow.
The buses will be driving out of Zeke’s tomorrow across all kingdoms to split everyone up that didn’t want to come here or go to James’s,” he tells me.
I nod. This was one of the hardest parts of managing four kingdoms, so we decided to dismantle Regan’s and Zeke’s, then we let the people choose where they wanted to go.
Most of them came to the High Kingdom, but a large amount went to Lyon’s kingdom.
I guess they were sick and tired of the city life.
The rest are being split across all kingdoms.
“We’ll handle it,” I tell him.
Yes, life’s unpredictable, and fate’s designs remained a mystery. But with love as my guide, and my mates at my side, I feel more than ready to weave my own destiny.