Her Forever
Chapter 69

Seth

After Sadie ran off into the woods with Gaia, my shoulders dropped in defeat. Hell, she figured out that I kept some things from her, but it was for her own good. I just wanted her to rest, enjoy learning a new territory and begin her training to be Luna and queen.

Marco put his hand on my shoulder and led me back to the pack house. “Alright everyone, show’s over.” Marco waved everyone off, and we went back to my office. Plopping on the couch, I laid back and threw my large, bulging arm over my eyes. How the f**k did I get here? I should have never kept it from her. It was just a little white lie. I thought nothing of it. I want her to feel safe. That is what mates do, but there was something else. Mates shouldn’t lie.

Her whole life she has fought against something, whether it be a next meal, a vampire, a mating bond, she fought. I wanted her to be happy, just for a few months. How long would have I taken it though? Would I have not told her about it until the threat was eliminated? I honestly hadn’t thought about it. I started groaning and Marco let out a large tongue click.

“Quit feeling sorry for yourself, you big shit.” Marco poured himself a glass of whisky from my stash and sat beside me. I arched my brow and gave him a look of, ‘why are you breaking into my stash?’

“She’s a strong one, Seth. You and I both know it. Now the whole pack knows and now you are in the doghouse. Literally.” He laughed. “I told you not to keep s**t from her.” He took a large drink from the glass and put it on the table.

“You did, now I’m paying for it. Are you happy?” I huffed and walked to the window. I could still smell her anger that drifted from the garden. She was angry for a long time. How long did she know?

“She was in the kitchen when you talked to your father.”

“What?”

“That’s when she found out. Sadie was making pies, and she was laughing at the warriors when they were screeching like little girls about the chocolate silk pie they were gonna get. Then, with her new wolf’s hearing, she heard you talking to your father about King Orion and the dangers that are lurking around. She’s no dumb wolf. She isn’t as innocent in the real world. In your bedroom, she is only innocent. I let out a growl. He was stepping too far, talking about my mate like that. Hell, no one could think about my mate in the bedroom. As innocent as she was, she had opened up a lot with me. She still gave off the innocent vibe, though, blushing all the time. Makes my member fill up real quick. It turns me on so bad I felt the beast get hard at the thought. I doubt she would calm that beast anytime soon.

“Listen, there was a faint smell of rogue as she fought out there. Did you smell it?” I whipped my head around. “What?” My chest heaved.

“Yeah, your mind was on your mate. I smelled a faint smell. It was covered really well, though. It was a high-ranking rogue which has me concerned.” Marco stared at me in the eyes. He will be the perfect replacement alpha once Sadie took the throne. He took care of his own, even if he didn’t have his mate yet.

“I’ve already got some trackers on it. They could barely smell it though. I think it left the territory.”

“It?” I questioned.

“I think it was female. A large female rogue.” Female rogues were rare. It was usually the males we had trouble with. Males had the extra testosterone, an unhinged beast. The carnal nature of the wolf liked to dominate that being more males than female. Females were more motherly, protecting, while the males wanted b***d.

“A female rogue.” I continued to stare out the window, my hands crossed behind my back. “That will make it interesting,” I whispered. “I will tell Sadie when she returns.” Before I could turn around to walk to the door to find her, I felt a nudge in my link. It was my father.

“Son, Sadie has returned, bringing King Orion with her. Seems her little battle earlier has made her come out of her shell and take control of welcoming him all on her own,” he chuckled. Damn it, I never wanted her alone with that fae. He and his conquests were ridiculous. I’ve heard he’s impaled over 500 women in his lifetime and never had the same woman twice. I feel sorry for the mate the Goddess had sent him.

Once outside, I see my mate with the douche King Orion. He had her hand in the crook of his arm, leading her back to the pack house. His own warriors in tow as she finishes laughing at something he said. He smiled brightly at her reaction while she held her hand to her mouth to cover her laugh.

Goddess, my mate was beautiful, but all I could feel right now was anger at the Fae fucker. I know she is completely oblivious to this gesture that the Fae King is doing. Her arm in the crook of his meant she trust him, would be an alliance for him and his Kingdom since she trusted to save her from just a tiny fall. For humans, it is just a way to show closeness to someone, endearing for a friend. Sadie did not know.

King Orion doesn’t ‘touch’ people unless he is screwing them and even then they can’t touch him. I heard women have to lie there while he does his thing. How boring. Not even trying to pleasure the girl. Literally the definition of a f**k buddy. Now he has the balls to touch what was mine.

They both walk up to me without a care in the world. Sadie looks at me, tilting her head, waiting for me to say something. She knows I can’t say much. I’m in the freaking dog house. Hell, my balls might as well be on top of the pack house fridge. She owns me and my damn manhood. Only my mate could ever do that, and she is loving every minute.

“My Luna, I’m so glad you are safe,” I breathed out heavily while looking at King Orion.

“Yes, I’m fine. Like I’ve proven myself before,” she said, laced with ice. Her tone I wasn’t used to, and it made Caspian whimper. Great, he’s whipped for Gaia as well. “I brought King Orion here so we can have him settled on our floor in the guest room, along with his guard and his close friend. I hope you don’t mind.” Her eyebrow was arched, ready for me to question it.

I didn’t plan on him staying in the pack house. We had prepared the royal guest house that her parents often frequent when visiting on business for the future warriors for the palace when they train here. I would not tell her that. She decided.

“Of course, my mate.” I smiled and gave her my best puppy dog eyes I could give her. Holding out my hand, palm up, I silently begged her to take it. She looks at it and at King Orion. She smiled and took my hand. Everyone around us breathed a sigh of relief.

Happy that she came back to me, I also was pissed. Orion had let her use his cloak so she could hide her nakedness from him. Part of me was happy she was hidden from wandering eyes, but now she smelled like fae. I hated how they smelled, like freaking powdered sugar and moth balls.

“If you will follow us, we will lead you to your rooms.” Sadie says gracefully. We took the elevator up to the fifth floor and showed the hallway where our guests would be staying. We all exchanged our goodbyes and said we would meet up for dinner. Once everyone was out of our sight, Sadie dropped my hand and held her head up high, retreating to our bedroom.

I sighed, pulling my hand down my face in dissatisfaction. I am going to be groveling all night.

Sadie

Speaking with King Orion wasn’t bad at all. He was kind and even told me a bit about his childhood. Most of it being his father and mother’s strict rules about how he should rule the kingdom. They had moved away to the other side of this world but come back occasionally. Checking his features from time to time, he looked tired. Not physically, but mentally so.

The entire demeanor about him was a facade. I could see that. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to open up with me, so I often asked him, “Who are you really, Your Majesty?”

“Please, call me Orion.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it. I chuckled lightly and gave him the side eye, knowing what he was doing. “I don’t know what you mean,” he continued walking

“You are not like the mysterious fae king like everyone talks about. I’ve heard a lot of rumors and I don’t think you are even half of the things that go around.”

“Really? What rumors do you think are untrue?” he mused.

“That you are a womanizer, however, I don’t think that to be true.” He stiffened and stopped walking. I hit a nerve. He was uncomfortable with the subject.

“Why would you think that, Little Fox?” he smirked. He was devilishly handsome, just not my Seth.

“I think you are waiting for your mate,” his face paled. “You put on a show that you find all these concubines, but I think you get in their heads and make them think you had your way with them. You seem too docile to have your way with a bunch of women. You are smarter and kinder than that.” Orion looked at me and his eyes softened.

“Curious, you are a curious little one, aren’t you?”

I smiled up at him. I was right, and good thing I read everything I could about the Fae while I was resting from abduction after abductions. Faes were amazing creatures, having certain powers, but they were always hidden. It wasn’t something they discussed or divulged in. They only told their mates what powers they had. It was something intimate.

“You are a royal, a powerful one at that. I figured you might have some mind manipulation,” I gleamed. He huffed as we continued walking.

“My wolf says soon.” I broke the silence. “Selena told her recently. You will find her soon and will end your inner battle.” Orion stopped breathing and I could hear his heart rate quicken. He looked down at me with anguish in his eyes. The man was hurting. He had longed for this. His lips pursed together, and he quickly took a large breath. No one has ever seen the mighty fae king outside the palace much, let alone show any emotion. His eyes became glassy, and he took his hand and placed it over his mouth.

We both stopped and stared off into the woods. I never thought I could help people, but I was seeing it now. Me wanting to please people all my life, within reason that is, was actually my gift. I wanted to see people happy; it made me happy and completed. The mighty fae king had not fallen from grace, but was hovering about an ocean of possibilities. His mate was still there, and he had lost hope. Kept his ship at the dock and dare not venture out.

I walked up to him, holding his robe tightly against my chest. “This conversation doesn’t leave us. I hope to be your friend, dear Fae King. Whatever you need, I’ll be here.” He smiled at me and looked down at my face. Why did I have to be so small?

“You aura is glowing gold now,” he brushed my cheek. “You are a very genuine person. That is hard to find. And so intuitive. Only one other person knows of my gift, and now you are the other.”

He smirked and looked out into the forest. “I hope she will forgive me. All the rumors that are around, almost all of them, are untrue. I’m much softer than my parents wanted as a king, so I had to show them that was to be feared. Spreading the rumors was easy, like oil to a flame. It’s the truth that is hard to spread.” Orion sighed. “I pray she will believe me.”

“She will.” I patted his shoulder.

“Come on,” I lifted my arm up for him to take. “You must be tired. I’ll show you to your quarters.” Without thinking, he took my arm and laid his hand on top of mine. We continued to walk through the forest and, little by little, his warriors gathered behind us.

“You are so easy to talk to and open up to, Princess. You will make a fine queen.”

My wolf sensed Seth just on the other side of the clearing. She was angry with Caspian as I was with Seth. Really, though, he did it to protect us. That doesn’t mean he won’t get punished later, though. Gaia laughed and yipped at me.

Oh yes, we had some big things planned. We grinned mischievously.