Unwanted Mate Of The Lycan Kings (by jessica hall) novel Chapter 32

Worry gnawed at me as I follow Regan out of the castle when he stops noticing Malachi at the front gates.

“My King,” Malachi acknowledges, and his eyes dart to me next to Regan.

“Zirah.” I give him a brief nod.

“Are you leaving with my father?” King Regan asks him. Malachi sighs.

“Regan, you know I can’t give you information.”

“We’re all family. If there is something you need to tell me, now is your chance, Malachi.” Malachi looks ahead.

“That may be so, but I am loyal to your father. That is all I can tell you.” Regan growls.

“Something is going on, more than he is saying. Is the Kingdom in danger?” Malachi shakes his head.

“Is my father?” Regan asks and Malachi swallows but says nothing, yet I could tell that was his way of saying yes without breaking his loyalty to the King, his half brother from what Shelley told me.

“I wish I could say more.”

“You’ve said enough. But I have one more question. Is this the reason for the urgency behind…” King Regan glances at me. “The human?” he sneers.

“Your father needs to ensure the Kingdoms just in case.” King Regan nods his head once. However, when he goes to leave, Malachi grabs his arm.

“Zeke can not get the throne,” Malachi says slowly.

“He won’t. I’ll kill him before I allow that.” Regan assures him, yet his words confuse me that he would speak like that about his brother.

“No… You don’t understand Regan… Zeke, he’s up to something, he’s…”

“He’s what? What has he done this time, Malachi?” Malachi glances at the castle and presses his lips in a line.

“Nothing I can prove, but what is going on with your father didn’t start until he showed up a month ago.”

“A month ago? Zeke told me and Lyon he only returned for the Maze trials.” Malachi’s brows pinch and he shakes his head.

“No, Zeke has been here for over a month. His Kingdom is being run by his Beta.”

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t know?” King Regan shakes his head.

“Check the logbooks. He’s up to something. Ask any of the staff but your father’s had issues since he arrived.”

“I noticed, he seems….” Regan doesn’t finish.

“Not himself… yeah, he’s even been forgetting staff names, he’s attacked Shelley twice...he’s not of sound mind.”

“He attacked her?” Regan questions.

“Yes, I had to pull him off her at dinner the other night, like he forgot who she was. He called her Litha.. thought she.”

“Litha is dead.” King Regan states.

“I know. I was there with you and watched her burn. But… I don’t know it like he sometimes forgets what decade he is in.” Malachi worries and, by his aura, I could tell he genuinely loves and worries for his King.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this. But—I owe him my life.” Malachi says sadly.

“I find out what is going on.”

“And be quick. Zeke is hiding something; you need to find out what it is.” King Regan nods, and Malachi motions for the guards to open up the gates. King Regan stomps and I look at Malachi.

“Well, off you go. Keep up.” Malachi smiles.

“You didn’t tell him?” I ask him. He looks at me, confused.

“Tell him what?” I pull my sleeve up a little and Malachi instantly rips it back down to cover my wrist.

“Don’t let them see.” he hisses, glancing around at the other guards who aren’t even looking in our direction.

“I had a hard enough time ordering the maids to forget. As for vamps, I took care of them,” he whispers. “Now go and never mention this again.”

Malachi's words leave me with more questions. I know a witch cursed the Lycans, but why, after all this time, do they still hold a grudge? What’s done is done! Shaking my head, I race to keep up with the King. Yet he is already on the path and once I reach it, I slow down, giving up.

King Regan didn’t care if I was able to keep up with his long strides as we walked into town; he seemed to be on a mission to get this over with so he could get away from me, which is fine by me.

However, as he gets further ahead, I give up trying to keep up, instead taking my own pace, looking for paths and alternate routes, so much so I lose track of him completely as he disappears. He seems to forget I am supposed to be in his “Care”

However, I have other things on my mind besides escaping this luxurious prison I have found myself in. One of my runes is fading, making me wonder what that means and how I am going to get what I need to revitalize them. That is not something I am looking forward to, and I highly doubt King Regan would point me in the direction of wolfsbane, branding iron, and the herbs I need without asking questions. Plus, there is the issue of the spell granny used.

Stopping, I glance at the forest lining the narrow footpath, wondering if any of the herbs are here and if I just need to find them. Pulling my sleeve up, I see the fading mark. The blue is gone, and it has now turned gray. The scar beneath is the only indicator of what it once was, yet the magic has now faded and I’m not even sure if I can recreate it.

Granny used a spell, one I never paid attention to because I never understood the language she spoke when she did it. However, while unsupervised, I decide to wander off the track. I find some wild currents and pick them, popping them in my mouth and chewing before picking a handful and moving a little deeper.

Becoming absorbed in my task of finding herbs and trying to locate the dreaded wolfsbane in the thick brush, I end up finding crab apples and have an entire handful of berries and fruit when I hear his furious voice.

“Human!” I hear King Regan snarl, making me jump. He growls angrily and I can hear him stomping through the forests. I sigh, knowing my mission to find the herbs I need is over. But I got currents! Although they aren’t very tasty and quite bitter since it is the wrong season for them. But still, it reminds me of home.

“Zirah!” Regan snarls. My arm starts burning and I glance down at it, seeing the next rune seems to blink. What is going on with me? Tugging my sleeve down, I turn my head in the direction I hear him coming from.