Page 50 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings (Unwanted #1)

“Zeke, come on. You’re hurting her,” Lyon whispers, his hand grabbing Zeke’s just as the blade cuts the center of my bra.

The bra spills open, putting my breasts on display, and the vial that was between them rolls off my chest onto the table.

The clink of it rolling into the wineglass draws Zeke’s attention.

He tilts his head to the side, reaching for it, and as I move to snatch it back, the blade pierces my breast, making me cringe and clutch it.

Zeke’s eyes dart to mine as he plucks the vial up, holding it up to the light.

“You were going to poison me?” he whispers, and his canines protrude as his temper rises. I shake my head in panic, and he digs the blade into my breast, making me scream. Regan and Lyon both go to grab him, but Zeke is faster, pressing the blade to my neck, making them freeze.

“Where did you get this?” Zeke asks, his eyes going to Regan.

“I gave it to her. Now let her go, Zeke,” Regan admits, and his eyebrows raise.

“You would help her poison your brothers?”

“No, just you. I don’t trust you with her.”

Zeke scoffs. “Clearly, she can’t be trusted with you. Plotting against us? Is Father’s throne really worth so much to you?” Zeke booms.

“No! But she is,” Regan says, and I turn my head to look at him as the blade slices my skin. He swallows thicky.

“I let my mate die to save you...” Zeke snarls. Regan looks away guiltily, and I glance at Zeke in confusion. “I chose you over my mate,” Zeke bellows.

“Our mate!” Regan screams back at him. “Do you think I didn’t want to keep her too?” Regan retorts. Lyon drops his gaze and swallows.

“Of course you fucking didn’t. You fucking killed her!

” Zeke yells. Regan shakes his head. “So this is on you!” Zeke snarls before he drags the blade down my stomach to my pants.

He starts hacking at them, and when I thrash around, he suddenly grabs them, tearing the front apart and revealing the fact I have no underwear on.

“She’s alive!” Regan blurts out and Zeke snarls.

“Don’t bullshit me to save her!”

“I never killed her. I couldn’t do it!” Regan speaks, his hands moving to grip my shoulders. I feel the tremble in them, and I clutch his arms. My breathing grows harsh when Zeke peers down at me, trembling beneath him.

“I swear she is alive. Who do you think I’ve been searching for this entire time?”

“The Oracle! You were looking for the damn oracle!” Zeke yells, lifting the blade and pointing it in Regan’s face.

Regan nods his head. “Because I gave our mate to her,” Regan yells. My heart thuds loudly in my chest, and Zeke stumbles back.

“What?” Lyon stammers, and my eyes move to him.

“I didn’t kill her. The oracle never escaped. Mom helped me free them,” Regan says, dropping his head.

“She’s alive?” Zeke whispers, and Regan nods. Zeke shakes his head as if he can’t believe what he is hearing.

“You didn’t kill them?” Lyon asks, and again Regan shakes his head.

“She was a baby when dad ordered me to kill them. Mom was down there in the cells. She said she wouldn’t let me do it. I wasn’t planning to anyway, but I knew my father wouldn’t let us keep her,” Regan explains.

“Where is she?” Lyon asks, and Regan shakes his head.

“I don’t know. Mom and I got them out, forced them down the river by boat. When we learned of the curse, we knew she had to be the only one that could break it, so we tried to find her, but we never did.”

“That’s why you and Mom were in those mountains?” Zeke asks, and Regan nods his head.

“Yes, but then...” Regan growls. “I couldn’t save her.

” He swallows and drops his gaze to mine, and I know he means his mother.

Heavy silence fills the room, and Zeke tosses the knife on the table.

Regan rips me off it, clutching me to his chest and wrapping his arms securely around me.

My entire body shakes when he grips my ass and hoists me up, wrapping my legs around him.

His grip on me is tight, and my mind races through everything I just learned. They all shared a mate?

“You better not be lying, Regan, or I mean it, I will kill your human pet,” Zeke snaps before stalking out of the room. Lyon is quick on his heel, chasing after him, and I pull away to look at Regan and ask about Litha’s daughter, but his lips crash down on mine.

His mouth dominates mine, his tongue tasting every inch as he kisses me.

Yet, some small part nags at me that this is wrong because they have a mate that is not me.

What happens when they find her? Regan won’t want me then.

Zeke is right, blood is thicker than water, but from what I do know about mates, nothing is stronger than a mate bond.

When they find her, I will be tossed aside and killed anyway.

“Regan,” I mumble around his lips. He pulls away, allowing me to breathe while one hand clutches my face.

“Are you okay?” he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine. I let out a shaky breath, knowing I need to leave before I am killed. With Zeke and Lyon’s help, they will not stop looking for their mate until they find her.

I drop my legs that are wrapped around his waist, and he sets me on my feet. “Zeke and Lyon will look for her, right?”

He nods, reaching for me, but I step back. His eyes darken at my movement. “Yes, you’ll be safe. They’ll be too distracted searching for her.” He reaches for me again, but I step back, bumping the table.

“You all share a mate, don’t you?” Regan makes a strange face like he is trying to understand what I’m saying.

“Yeah, so? It means I can keep you, you’re mine,” he tells me, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and I swallow.

“And once they find her, then what?” I question. That seems to take him aback.

“What do you mean?” He chuckles.

“You want me now, but you won’t then,” I tell him.

He shakes his head. “I don’t care for the mate bond, breaking the curse, yes, but I want you,” he purrs, stepping closer. His hands fall on my hips, and he tugs me against him, dipping his head to kiss me, but he gets my cheek instead.

“Until you find her,” I tell him. Regan pulls away, giving me a questioning look.

“I’ve heard stories from my granny about mate bonds, nothing is stronger than that.

Zeke is right, Regan. Eventually, you’ll see reason because you’ll see her,” I whisper, the words hurting more than they should. Regan steps away, glaring at me.

“Did you not hear what I said? I don’t want her, I want you!”

“Until your true mate comes along, Regan. Then what, are you going to turn her down for a human?”

“I just said I would,” he snaps, but I know he is in denial. Mate bonds are life bonds. I am merely a distraction, exactly what Zeke said. He only wants me because I am the first woman that’s come near him in years.

“It’s fine, Regan, when the time comes and your father arrives, I’ll choose you. But once you find your mate, you let me leave. Until then, I think you need to keep your distance,” I tell him before swallowing guiltily at the wounded look he gives me.

“What?” he questions.

“When you find her, you let me go,” I repeat, and he cocks his head to the side then clenches his jaw. He growls, his eyes flickering darkly.

“I chose you over my brothers!”

“But you won’t choose me over her!” I yell at him. Regan growls, glaring at me, and his mouth opens then closes knowing I’m right. He then turns on his heel and stalks away from me.

I’m watching him leave when I hear him call out to his wolf.

“Gnash, come,” he bellows, and Gnash looks up at me.

I nod for him to go to his master, and he drops his head, whines loudly, and rushes after him.

I fall heavily into the chair beside me, glaring at the ruined dinner on the table, when I notice the vial still laying there among shards of glass and bits of food.

Zeke must have dropped it. I chew my lip, glancing around nervously before snatching it up, clutching it in my hand.

With one last glance at the table, I get up, knowing tonight will be my only chance to escape, and I intend to take it.