Mated: An Enemy King

Longing

Everything was a chaotic mess! Well, Leif still remained happy. Happier than it had ever been in years actually. Apparently Nuela was right. The kingdom perceived my mate as the greatest gift from the gods and the joy that that had brought to the citizens could literally be felt in the air.

I on the other hand, as its king, had gritted my teeth more times than I could count at the situation. Where I should have been the happiest with the presence of my mate, I had been walking around ready to bite off anyone for the least of crimes.

"Anything else?!" I growled, letting through my temper that had been simmering throughout the council meeting.

Someone swallowed hard, their fear bringing me little to no satisfaction in my quest to distract myself from what was truly plaguing me. "There is the matter of your pending engagement-"

"Anything but that." I roared, sending almost the entire council of nobles flinching in their seats. The action was regrettable, but the annoyance I and my wolf felt over the matter was rooted deep in my bones to care.

"Bu-But your majesty, Eldoria, the prince and princess are-"

"I said, anything but that!" My fist connected with the oak table, sending the sad man shrinking back into his seat. Because of this, my own chosen mate had been prowling my castle like a wounded beast, terrorizing everyone in her path, but there was a reason I'd evaded Darla like the plague each moment she'd sought an audience with me over the matter. I was not about to address it here either.

"Now, has anyone got anything else to say that does actually need my attention?"

"Why in God's name did you call for this gathering if you are merely going to terrorize these poor souls?" Zakariel, who'd taken up his usual spot at my side questioned in my mind link, but I merely glared his way. Him of everyone that surrounded me here should have known the answer to that. I did not believe for one moment that his spectacular observation skills of me had chosen this moment to get rusty, leaving him clueless at the moment.

"Fine, but clearly this is not working." He sighed. Why don't we go for a run or something?" Zakariel suggested, but I merely ground my teeth at him. Had he forgotten so soon about everything I had tried already to get myself out of this wretched situation? It wasn't like he'd not been by my side while I ran or swam like one mad or when I'd beaten the hell out of my men while sparring as I tried and failed to rid myself of the longing burning within me.

"I guess that is a no, then." He settled back in his position, but I could see that mind of his working, trying to find another way to ease my foul temper. The endeavor was futile because I and my wolf would not settle for anything less than her presence. Something my mate refused to grant me. I could not even say that Aryn was avoiding me. She simply refused to show her face for some reason and I'd been going out of my mind the longer she insisted on it.

I could have barged into Wrenyth and demanded for her presence too, but that was a matter I was not ready to face yet. And besides, from what I'd come to know about her, such a demand would only send my mate's fiery temper souring to the skies while she did the exact opposite.

Someone cleared their throat, drawing my attention. "Perhaps the trade routes agreement with Xatis-"

"Will not be looked into until further notice." I felt a sense of satisfaction as I delivered that judgement even as surprised faces settled on me. If Aryn wished to make any form of agreement on the matter, she would have to do it in person, on my terms that I had every intention of taking advantage of.

"But your majesty, the princess is already looking forward-"

"Perhaps the heir of Xatis should be the one standing in your place pleading her case." I hissed at the noble who'd rightly thought to bring up the matter. We needed those routes. All the merchants had been eagerly waiting to trade once they heard of the intentions, but I needed her more.

Something had shifted with my mate. How I felt about her. This was no longer just about me desiring that tempting body of hers. I still did not understand what the hell was going on, but whatever it was, it had everything to do with Nuela's suggestion that I step into Leif beside my mate. The thing I was sure to have been the reason I took back my rejection right after.

Everything should have pleased me, if only it did not have the opposite effect when it came to my mate. While I longed with everything in me to be next to her, my mate seemed just fine without me. The thought of it brought on a new wave of annoyance.

"And where the hell is Koberic?!" I shoved back from the table and marched out of the council chambers without bothering to disperse everyone else. Guards were smart enough to avoid my incoming raging self, except for one. Zakariel stuck at my side as though he were afraid that I'd decide to burn down the entire kingdom in the next moment.

Once outside, I shifted and the head of my king's guard followed my lead into the woods without question. I knew he probably thought I was finally taking him up on his offer, but this was no run meant to clear my head or work off my anger. I needed answers.

"Your majesty, welcome." The guard manning the gates to the Doisle tribe bowed lower than necessary. Whether that was to pacify the rage driving my every furious step towards their leader's tent, I simply did not care for it. His decision not to indulge in any chit chat while he accompanied was well appreciated, however.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of his highness stepping into this humble tribe's boundaries?" Of course Nuela would question my presence and I was about to point out how that this remained my kingdom and I her king, but she beat me to it when she bowed, albeit, unnecesarily too. It was surprisingly something that pacified my dorminant beast who'd taken offence at her question.

"I have questions." I declared, to which Nuela merely smiled.

"Tea, your majesty?" I would have rolled my eyes at the offer or requested for something stronger, but after a taste of Koberic's concoction, the beverage was growing on me.

"If it's as good as Koberic's, then yes."

"And where do you think that old wolf got the recipe from?" Nuela smirked as she ushered me into her tent while Zakariel remained guarding the entrance. "Although looking at your state, I will have to ask my maids to deliberately add a little more herbs than usual." The tribe's leader went silent, just long enough to link those instructions, while I chose not to add any comment to her observation that she apparently found amusing. "So what answers do you seek from this old wolf?" Nuela asked as soon as we took our seats.

"The city gates, I feel as though I had missed something." A criptic smile graced Nuela's lips as soon as those words left my mouth and I was tempted to accuse her of treachery. "What did you not tell me?"

"Me? The question I believe is, what did his majesty not hear while this old wolf spoke." I felt scolded by that, but I swallowed my annoyance together with the tea that I could have sworn tasted even better than Koberic's. How the hell had they managed to brew something this good so quickly?

"Why do I desire her presence this much?"

"You mean despite your more than regrettable action that you put your mate through?" For the first time since I'd stepped here Nuela looked displeased with me.

"It was necessary at the time." I sighed, feeling a whole lot less annoyed than I had when I'd first stepped into Nuela's tent. I peeked into my cup of tea wondering what kinds of herbs had been used for such a calming effect.

"At the time?" A brow shot up on the older wolf's face. "And what of now, your majesty?"

"And now I'm here asking what sorcery is this that has left me consumed by my mate."

"And what makes you think sorcery has anything to do with anything? Why not the bond you share with the princess?" Nuela kept sipping her tea while she clearly waited for me to come to some kind of epiphany.

"Oh, I do not know. Because I'd rejected her?" My wolf perked up just to register his dipleasure at what I'd done.

"Do you think the princess accepting your rejection would change anything?"

"She can't!" The fear that had been overshadowed by my anger finally shone through, but if Nuela saw it, she made no mention of it. Thankfully.

"Run with me, your majesty." Nuela suddenly shot up from her seat and before I knew what was going on, she'd shifted into her majestic wolf worthy of a tribe's leader. Having not seen her in her wolf form in a while, I'd forgotten just how awe inspiring those could be. "Will you just stand there and watch or are you actually going to try and beat this old wolf at a race?"

"Try?" I scoffed. Her taunting should have angered me, but I was overwhelmed with a familiarity I had not felt in so long, it made me wish for nothing but to indulge her. And as soon as Nuela broke out in a sprint, my wolf was hot on her tail, bent on asserting his dominance.

"Is that all you have, your majesty?" Nuela taunted some more. She was surprisingly fast, but not that fast for my wolf who reclaimed his lead easily and I would have rubbed my win in her face if only I hadn't been faced with a sight I hadn't seen in a while once we stopped.

"What are we doing here?!" I couldn't help but growl as emotions I'd thought long buried overwhelmed me at the sight of my parent's gravestones.