Chapter 12: Say My Name
1278 Words
Addy’s POV
“Annabelle?” I repeat incredulously. “Who the f**k is Annabelle?”
A silence falls over the room, and I can feel the guards’ eyes boring into the back of my head. King Elijah immediately withdraws his hand, his brows furrowed together in confusion.
He stares down at me for a moment with a look of utter shock on his face, as if my words have made him visibly recoil.
Which is why what happens next leaves me the one confused instead.
He throws his head back and laughs. A laugh that begins deep in his chest and rumbles through the entire hall, disarming me completely.
“I’ve heard tales of your beauty, Lady Addison,” he finally says, composing himself. “I know my predecessor paraded you around proudly before his disappearance.”
“Hold on,” I say, rising to my feet. “If you know my name is Addison, then why did you call me Annabelle just now?”
“The resemblance between you two is uncanny,” he answers, and a wistful expression crosses his face. “Forgive me for my momentary lapse in manners. My name is Elijah.”
He reaches for my hand, bringing it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on my knuckles. His touch sends a shiver down my spine, which isn’t entirely unpleasant.
But still, I pull my hand away.
“You mentioned your predecessor,” I say, changing the subject. “Do you mean Nicholas? Do you know where he is?”
“No, but my men are looking for him now as we speak. It seems that when they went to capture him, they found you instead.”
I feel the anger boiling up beneath the surface, threatening to explode as I stare into those icy blue eyes.
“So, you’re the one that almost killed us?! How dare you? Who the hell do you think you are, taking over his throne like this?!”
Another chuckle rumbles deep in his chest as his eyes study me with an intense curiosity.
“You certainly have the face of a goddess, Lady Addison. But your mouth is filthier than a chamber pot. I can see why he was so drawn to you.”
There’s a heat rising to my cheeks, and I resist the urge to turn away from him. I can’t back down from him now, and I certainly can’t let him see my embarrassment.
“Where is Prince Matthew?” I demand. “Shouldn’t the throne have gone to him instead of you?”
I cross my arms and give him a pointed look, waiting for an answer.
However, it takes him a long time to respond. Instead, he begins to walk in a circle around me, examining me from head to toe with that piercing gaze of his.
“Hey, I asked you a question!”
“I am not deaf, Lady Addison. I am simply taking my time to admire the view. It is my prerogative as the king to do as I wish.”
“You are not the rightful king! Nicholas is!”
Suddenly, his hand grabs my face, spinning me around to confront his gaze. It’s no use struggling against him; his grip on my chin is so strong and steady that I can’t move.
Or is it those eyes that have rendered me immobile?
Our faces are only inches apart, and I can feel his hot breath fanning my face when he speaks.
“Nicholas abandoned his throne,” he says roughly. “When my predecessor disappeared, the realm descended into chaos. Prince Matthew was ill-equipped to handle the pressures of power, and the werewolf packs saw an opportunity to rise to power. But it was I who came out on top as the strongest in the land. And in this world, the strongest are the ones who hold the keys to the kingdom.”
“What happened to the other Oureys?”
“Matthew went into exile after I put a price on his head. The disgraced Queen Mother lives under house arrest in the countryside, along with the surviving children.”
Surviving children? A knot forms in the pit of my stomach at his words, and a part of me is afraid to ask what he means by that.
“Rumor has it that you left him to return to your homeland, leaving him bereft and heartbroken. They say that in his grief, he ended his life. He would have rather been dead than alone.”
He inches his face closer to mine as if trying to read my thoughts.
“But as the new king, I needed to be certain that he would not come back to claim my throne. I’ve been scouring every corner of the realm for him until my sources followed a lead to a place called Earth. When I sent soldiers to bring him back, it looks like they caught his mate instead.”
I meet his gaze challengingly, unwilling to give him any additional information about Nicholas or his whereabouts.
“But I know the power of the mate bond more than anyone. It’s only a matter of time before Nicholas comes to the castle in a desperate attempt to rescue you. And when he does, I’ll kill him on sight.”
His grip on my chin tightens, but his other hand begins to run his fingers gently through my hair, taking me by surprise. His touch is both firm and tender, and as he steps even closer, I wonder if he’s going to kiss me.
But he stops just short.
“Perhaps, when he is dead, I will take his mate as my own.”
His eyes close as he burrows his nose into my hair, taking a deep breath to inhale my scent. The proximity between us is alarming, but I’m helpless in his strong embrace. The thick stubble on his jawline brushes against mine, sending another shiver through my body.
I realize I’ve been holding my breath this entire time.
“I will never be yours, Elijah.”
His fingers, which are laced into my hair, tighten their grasp. Pulling my head back, he once again pierces me with that frosty stare.
“Say my name again.”
What the hell!?
“Say it. Say my name.”
“E-Elijah…”
He closes his eyes, as though he’s savoring the very sound of my voice. I’m not quite sure what to make of him – he seems rough and aggressive, but the way he’s touching me and reacting to me says something else entirely.
“You sound…just like her. How is this possible?”
“I’m not Annabelle. I’m Addy, okay? Now, let me go.”
Acquiescing to my request, he finally releases me from his grip. Turning around quickly, he seems to be purposefully avoiding my gaze as he heads back up the platform toward his throne.
“Take her upstairs,” he says gruffly. “Put her up in our finest guestroom and assign her a lady’s maid. From now on, she is my guest – not my prisoner.”
His command thunders around the room with the gravitas of a man who is accustomed to power. He might not have been a king until recently, but I have no doubt he was raised to be a man in charge.
I feel one of the guards stepping forward to escort me from the room. With one last glance over my shoulder, I get one more look at Elijah’s back before I leave.
Who are you, Elijah? What am I to you?
- Writer
