The King's Return

7. I'M A MAN OF MY WORDS

LOGAN'S POV

"You promised to play with me today. You never break your promises, that's what you told me remember?" How do I make him understand? He's still a child and there are things he will never understand until he grows older.

"I know champ but your brother has a very important matter to attend to right now. How about we play later? I will make it up to you." He looked at me like he was trying to understand what was more important than playing with him. See, I told you, he will never understand.

"Is it because of that lady that came here two days ago? I saw her when she came." Ok, maybe I underestimated him.

"I have to talk to her, you see, she's been avoiding me. She's your sister-in-law."

"I've heard Emma and Emily calling sister Bella their sister-in-law. They say it's because she is their brother's wife. Is that lady your wife too? Why is she not staying in your room then? I thought married people stayed together in one room." Huh?

"Who told you that?" Who would tell a five-year-old boy those things?

"No one. I've seen married people living together, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm five years old." Someone, please tell me I'm just dreaming and this is not real.

"Brother-in-law and sister Bella live together and so does brother-in-law's parents. Is that lady going to stay with you too?"

What do I tell him?

"She's not your sister-in-law yet but she will once we get married. I just need to talk to her for now so that she becomes your sister-in-law very soon. You would love that right?"

"Why not? She is beautiful and she looks very smart too. I like smart people." Well, that's a relief!

"Well, in that case, I'm going to see her right now and we will play later, okay?" He gave me a thumbs up.

I went to look for my mate and didn't find her in her room so I decided to check her friend's room. She could be there.

"How many times should I tell you? Mate or not, I don't want him." What the hell? Surely she's not the one who said that.

"Why? Is it because he is a king or what? I thought you never wanted a mate because you thought he would be someone who would abuse you as your father did to you and your mother. Do you think your mate is like your father? Your sister-in-law asked you to give him a chance, are you going to just ignore him?"

"The princess is not my sister-in-law. I don't even see a reason why I should listen to what she has to say."

"How about the fact that she knows your mate better than you do? They are siblings, she would not lie to you about him. What would she gain by lying to you? It's not like she owes you anything or her brother for that matter."

"I can't believe you're taking their side, you are my best friend Maya, you are supposed to be on my side all the time."

"Don't try to blackmail me with the best friend s**t, it's getting old. Every time when I try to talk some sense into your head you always pull this s**t.

"Will you grow for once? Use your head, Amira. Not everyone is out to get you. Charlotte always told us that we have to grow up someday and today is that day.

"Go to your mate, get to know him before you do something you will regret for the rest of your life. You surely don't want to end up living your life on a maybe."

I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped but I wanted to know what they were talking about and since it involves me, I have a very good reason to listen to everything.

I had no idea the matter was this serious. I did know that my mate is scared of me for some reason but I had no idea she didn't want me anywhere around her.

I wonder what her father did to her and her mother that she had to take that decision. I have waited for over five years for her and now that she is finally her she wants nothing to do with me.

Why am I so unlucky? I never wished for a human mate but now I wish she was human, at least she would have no idea about mates and I would have to win her heart.

It would have been easy that way. I don't even have experience when it comes to girls to begin with and more importantly, I have no experience with mates.

I thought your mate was supposed to love you at first sight but I guess my source of information was rubbish.

If I knew something like this would happen, I would've prepared myself a long time ago. Now I don't even know where to begin with.

"You don't know how lucky you are, your mate wants you, unlike me. Julían didn't even think twice before rejecting me and you know the pain I went through after that.

"You may not want to reject your mate but as soon as you leave this place, you will experience that pain and it will be like no other pain you've felt in this life."

I didn't know my mate's friend got rejected, maybe it is also the reason why Amira doesn't want me. She is scared I would reject her eventually.

I didn't even realise I was walking towards them until I heard them gasp. Maya looked at me wide-eyed. Amira, well Amira just stood there frozen.

"Your Highness, forgive my friend and me, we didn't mean to talk about you." Maya bowed her head after she got up from the bed.

"You don't have to apologise for that Maya, I'm glad I got to hear what you guys think of me." She opened her mouth to say something but then decided against it. "You want to say something? Say it, you don't have to hold back."

"I'm just surprised you remembered my name, Your Highness."

"Why wouldn't I remember your name? It is a beautiful name if you ask me."

AMIRA'S POV

Why does it hurt so much when I see my mate talking to Maya like they are the best of friends? It shouldn't hurt, in fact, I should be happy he is not paying attention to me.

I didn't even know he was listening to my conversation with Maya. I wonder how much he heard. It shouldn't matter to me what he heard but sadly it does and there is nothing I can do about it.

I was planning to leave this castle today again but Maya kept telling me that I shouldn't leave, instead I should give the king a chance to prove himself that he is nothing like my father.

My mother said that my dad was not like that when they met too. She said that he was very loving in the beginning and that things started to change after they got married and that they never went back to normal.

I don't want to be like my mother, at least for her she was just a wife and a mother. As for me, things would be difficult, I wouldn't be just a wife and a mother, I would be a queen too and it wouldn't be easy to leave.

I don't want to put myself in a position I know it would be difficult to run from if things go south. I love myself too much.

"So you're from Spain? Born and bred?" I forgot he was still here.

"Yes, Your Highness. My mother moved to America after getting pregnant with my elder sister but came back after she died. That's when she met her mate, my father and they got married.

"They had two daughters, Charlotte and me but they died and left us all alone. My sister got married five years ago and left me. Her mate is from America so she had to move in with him."

"I think I may know your sister." How would he know Charlotte?

"Really?"

"You look a lot like her you know. She has two kids now, I think one of them is Jason if I'm not mistaken. Her mate is Blaze right?"

"Oh my god! That's her, Blaze Decker is indeed her mate. Jason is her younger son, Liam is the eldest. I miss them so much. Where did you see them?"

"They're here, they came here a few days ago and asked to join my pack and I agreed. I didn't know she has a sister but I did think you looked familiar the first time I saw you. You can go meet them if you want."

"Really? Where are they?"

"Jake will take you there, I'm sure your sister will be very happy to see you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Call me Logan, I would like to believe that I've made a friend today." Huh? I can't even call him by his name but Maya gets to call him by his name?

Maya hesitated for a second before she spoke again. "Thank you, Logan."

"No problem, Jake is already waiting for you downstairs."

She didn't even look at me before running out of the room. And then she calls herself my best friend. Who would leave their friends in a situation like this?

"We need to talk and I'm not taking no for an answer." This is the first time he touched me and I have to admit, the foreign sensation did melt my heart. I don't even know why I thought if I left the room he would leave me alone.

He went to the door and locked it. I looked at him, shocked by his sudden change of mood. He was smiling just now when he was talking to Maya but now his face is unreadable.

The thought of being alone with him in a locked room shouldn't affect me like this but unfortunately or is it fortunately? It does and there is nothing I can do about it.

"I heard what you said to your friend and I want you to know I would never keep you in this castle against your will. I have no idea what you went through back home and I'm not going to pretend that I understand because I don't.

"What I can say though is that I am nothing like your father and I never will. I hate people who abuse women and children, if I knew any one of them, I would kill all of them. If you want, I can kill your father for you and I want you to know that I'm a man of my words.

"I'm not going to lie to you and say that I would willingly let you go if you choose to leave me one day but I will not force you to stay either.

"You are my mate Amira and I want to promise you that I would never hurt you, now or ever. I would rather hurt myself than do that. I also want to ask you to give me a chance to prove to you that I'm not what you think I am.

"If you could just give me a chance to prove myself to you then you'll see for yourself. If you wake up one day and decide that I don't deserve you, I am not going to stop you from leaving.

"Instead, I will follow you everywhere you go, just to win your love."

I didn't know he could talk like that. He looks like a one-word kind of guy.

He is asking me to stay here and give him a chance. Keyword being ask. He is not forcing me, which is what I appreciate the most.

There won't be a problem if I decide to stay. I can get to know him and just as Maya said, I wouldn't have to live my life in regrets or on a maybe.

I don't what possessed me but I found myself nodding, which earned me a hug.

I have to say, it feels good to be in my mate's arms.