Page 25 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings (Unwanted #1)

Worry gnaws at me as I follow Regan out of the castle, and when he notices Malachi at the front gates, he stops.

“My King,” Malachi acknowledges, and his eyes dart to me next to Regan. “Zirah.” I give him a brief nod.

“Are you leaving with my father?” King Regan asks. Malachi sighs.

“Regan, you know I can’t provide you information.”

“We’re all family. If there is something you need to tell me, now is your chance, Malachi.” Malachi looks ahead.

“That may be so, but I am loyal to your father. That is all I can tell you.”

Regan growls. “Something is going on, more than he is saying. Is the kingdom in danger?”

Malachi shakes his head.

“Is my father in danger?” Regan asks, and Malachi swallows but says nothing. I can tell that was his way of saying yes without breaking his loyalty to the king, his half-brother from what Shelley told me.

“I wish I could say more.”

“You’ve said enough. But I have one more question. Is this the reason for the urgency behind...” King Regan glances at me. “The human?”

“Your father needs to ensure the kingdoms just in case.” King Regan nods his head once. However, when he goes to leave, Malachi grabs his arm. “Zeke cannot get the throne,” Malachi says slowly.

“He won’t. I’ll kill him before I allow that,” Regan assures him, yet his words confuse me. How could anyone speak that way about their brother?

“No...You don’t understand Regan. Zeke, he’s up to something, he’s—”

“He’s what? What has he done this time, Malachi?” Malachi glances at the castle and presses his lips in a line.

“Nothing I can prove, but what is going on with your father didn’t start until he showed up a month ago.”

“A month ago? Zeke told me and Lyon he only returned for The Maze Games.”

Malachi’s brows pinch, and he shakes his head. “No, Zeke has been here for over a month. His kingdom is being run by his beta.”

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t know?” King Regan shakes his head.

“Check the logbooks. He’s up to something. Ask any of the staff, but your father’s had issues since he arrived.”

“I noticed that he seems...” Regan doesn’t finish.

“Not himself...Yeah, he’s even been forgetting staff names. He’s attacked Shelley twice. He’s not of sound mind.”

“He attacked her?” Regan questions.

“Yes, I had to pull him off her at dinner the other night. It was like he forgot who she was. He called her Litha...thought she.”

“Litha is dead,” King Regan states.

“I know. I was there with you and watched her burn. But. ..I don’t know. It’s like he sometimes forgets what decade he is in.” Malachi worries, and by his aura, I can tell he genuinely loves and worries about his brother.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this. But—I owe him my life,” Malachi says sadly.

“I’ll find out what is going on.”

“And be quick. Zeke is hiding something. You need to find out what it is.” King Regan nods, and Malachi motions for the guards to open the gates. King Regan stomps, and I look at Malachi. “Well, off you go. Keep up.” Malachi smiles.

“You didn’t tell him?” I ask. He looks at me, confused.

“Tell him what?” I pull my sleeve up a little, and Malachi instantly rips it back down to cover my wrist.

“Don’t let them see,” he hisses, glancing around at the other guards, who aren’t even looking in our direction.

“I had a hard enough time ordering the maids to forget. As for the vamps, I took care of them,” he whispers. “Now go and never mention this again.”

Malachi’s words leave me with more questions. I know a witch cursed the lycans, but why, after all this time, do they still hold a grudge? What’s done is done! Shaking my head, I race to catch up with Regan. He is already on the path, and once I reach it, I slow down.

Regan doesn’t seem to care if I keep up with his long strides as we walk into town. He seems to be on a mission to get this over with and get away from me, which is fine by me.

As he pulls further ahead, I stop trying to keep up. Instead, I take my own pace, looking for paths and alternate routes. I’m so lost in my thoughts on escaping that I’ve forgotten all about being in Regna’s care . When I look ahead of me, he’s gone.

Finally having a moment to myself, I pull one sleeve up my arm to reveal the fading rune, and I can’t help but wonder what this means.

In order to revitalize them, I would need someone to point me in the direction of a variety of herbs, including wolfsbane, and a branding iron.

I highly doubt King Regan would do so without asking questions.

Plus, there is the issue of the spell Granny used.

Stopping, I glance at the forest lining the narrow footpath, wondering if I could find any of the herbs here.

The fading rune has lost its normal shade of blue and has turned gray.

The scar beneath is the only indicator of what it once was, yet the magic has faded, and I’m unsure if I can recreate it.

Granny used a spell I never paid attention to because I never understood the language she spoke when she did it.

However, while unsupervised, I decide to wander off the path.

I find some wild currents and pick them, popping them in my mouth and chewing before picking another handful and moving a little deeper.

Becoming absorbed in finding herbs and trying to locate the dreaded wolfsbane in the thick brush, I find crab apples and pick an entire handful of berries and fruit.

“Human!” I hear King Regan snarl, making me jump. He growls angrily, and I can hear him stomping through the forest. I sigh, knowing my mission to find the herbs I need is over. But I got currents! Although they are quite bitter in the wrong season, having them reminds me of home.

“Zirah!” Regan snarls. My arm starts burning again, and I glance down at it, seeing the next rune seem to blink. What is going on with me? Tugging my sleeve down, I turn my head toward the sound of his voice.

He breaks through the surrounding brush with a snarl on his face. “You’re testing my damn patience, girl!”

“And you’re testing my damn legs, Bigfoot. If you want me to remain by your side, remember I have shorter legs! You went ahead, so I detoured,” I retort.

“Your attitude is getting on my damn nerves. Do you think I want to babysit you?” he snaps, grabbing my arm and tugging me back toward the path, using those impossibly long strides and a fast pace that leaves me stumbling to keep up.

When I pull back on my wrist, he jerks to a stop, growls with impatience, then grabs me. A squeak leaves my lips, not expecting to find myself dangling upside down and looking at his plump ass. Not bad, even if I do say so myself.

“I have meetings in an hour. You are wasting my damn time,” he snaps. I glare at the backside of his light gray suit before I snicker. Popping another current in my mouth. I push up, leaving all my weight on his arm, and he growls.

“Current?” I offer. He presses his lips in a line before lifting me higher and tossing me back over his shoulder. I glare at his backside before going to eat another current when I smirk.

Opening my hand, I chuckle and squeeze the currents, mushing them between my palms and turning them a deep reddish purple. I then smear it over the back of his suit, ruining his gray pants.

He stops. “Control yourself and keep your pitiful peasant hands to yourself!” he snarls before slapping my ass. I snicker to myself.

“Sorry, Regan.” I draw out his name, and he jostles me, his shoulder digging painfully into my stomach.

“If you don’t want me to touch it, don’t put it in my face. I couldn’t help myself, so plump, like a peach. My peasant hands just couldn’t resist touching the almighty king of assholiness!” I slap his backside.

Argh, finding it hard like a fucking rock! I shake my hand. It stings me more than him. He snarls and digs his fingers into my thighs.

“Keep that up, and I will leave you with Zeke,” he says. I roll my eyes, digging my elbows into his back and resting my chin on my hands as he trudges through the forest.

“You don’t get along with your brothers?” I ask.

He says nothing, ignoring my question, and I sigh. Such a conversationalist! When we are back on the path, he dumps me on the ground, just tossing me off his shoulder. I land on my hip and ass and graze my elbow. I hiss, rubbing my elbow, and my entire side feels grazed and bruised.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake! Don’t you start fucking crying,” he snaps.

“Over you? Not a damn chance!” I snap back. Now, I am glad I ruined his pants. My only regret is I didn’t have mud to make it look like he soiled himself!

He sighs before moving closer and offering me his hand, but I slap it away, getting to my feet.

“Asshole!” I walk ahead, but his long strides don’t allow for much distance between us.

“I didn’t expect you to land on your ass!” he yells. I stop and raise an eyebrow at him.

“Do I look like a cat? You can’t fucking toss me and expect me to land on my damn feet.” I continue walking toward the town when he grabs my arm.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, letting me go. I glance at him, but he just slows his pace to mine. My hip is killing me, and I can feel the bruise forming.

“Are you? Or are you just worried I will snitch on you to Daddy. Or maybe you’re worried I won’t pick you, then you’d have to answer to Lyon!”

He stops and glares at me. “Lyon?”

“Yeah, well, Zeke stands no chance in hell at the throne if I have any say in it! I’m surprised your father even expects me to go along with that twat.”

“And what makes you think you have a say in it?” he demands.

“Last I checked, I’m the one who picks out of the lot of you. It’s not like you have any options lining up to marry you,” I tell him.

“What, and you do?”

“Three, apparently, you’ve been volunteered. Lucky me. You get a wife, and I get a headache.”

“You assume you’ll live long enough to marry any of us.” He laughs like he finds that the funniest thing in the world.

“Well, I don’t see you trying to kill me.”

He huffs. “Don’t let that make you think I like you. I just know my brothers. I’m not risking my throne when they will do the dirty work for me.” He chuckles.

Stepping into the town square, I find stalls set up everywhere, little boutique stores and grocers, anything and everything you can think of. Now that it is open and bustling with people, I see how large the place truly is.

“Well, hurry up. I have a Zoom meeting soon,” he snaps. I look at him, not sure what he wants me to do. I’ve never been to a store before. He growls, shoving me into the closest store. It has racks everywhere with clothes, and as I walk through the aisles, a lady rushes over.

“Your Majesty.” She bows low, and I look at Regan, who looks at her, annoyed.

“Well, don’t just stand there, help her! I have places to be.” She quickly rushes over and asks what I’m looking for, but I have no idea, then she asks what size I am, and I just stare at her.

“I don’t know. I used to make my own clothes.

” She purses her lips and tugs on my clothes.

She then moves to the racks and pulls some dresses down, holding them up, and I shake my head, seeing they are short-sleeved.

After an hour, I realize they have only airy, flowy dresses made for the hotter months.

“Just pick something!” Regan snarls at me. The woman glances at him before dropping her head.

“Do you have anything with long sleeves?” I ask her.

“But it’s—” I hold up my hand, cutting her off.

“I know, the days are long and hot and the nights freezing,” I sigh.

“You would be more comfortable in—” I shake my head as she holds up a floral dress resembling a daisy explosion.

“I have scars I like to keep covered,” I tell her, not knowing what else to say without saying I’m a witch trying to hide runes!

Yet saying that aloud seems to have piqued Regan’s interest as he looks up from his phone. His eyes flicker, and he looks me over for these scars like he can see through the blouse.

“I’m afraid my store might not be what you are after. Most of my stuff is for spring.” She chews her lip. I nod, about to thank her for wasting her time.

“Maybe try Kelly’s four stores down. She never throws stock out,” she tells me.

“Thank you,” I tell her, and she smiles before her eyes move to Regan sitting behind me.