I had expected this to happen: a rebellion, a huge group of people calling me stupid for not marking my mate and giving her the throne. It was the same group of people that had advised me to marry a suitable woman because the Kingdom needed a queen.

I have always known that a crowd is supposed to be fickle – but never did it hurt me to such an extent before. All the people of this kingdom were calling me names as if I hadn't been serving them since decades and working hard for their sake.

And why, for not leaving a woman who was in a vulnerable state and had been a help to me as well as the entire Kingdom when we did need her? In the beginning, she had done her best to win the hearts of these very people even when she knew she would never be able to take place of the real Luna Queen. She had tried her best to fulfill her role to the throne. In the beginning, she had expected nothing in return.

And they were calling her names as well, now.

Hans had called the Luna Queen and Prime, and it had been a sight to see when I had been staring from afar as she, my Moon, stood protectively in front of Liana. Liana's courage was admirable as well; she had handled the situation in a way quite fitting for a Luna Prime, and had explained things to the people I could not have explained.

But the moment she saw Jaxon, he courage shattered. It just told how huge the misunderstanding between the couple was, and that it was going to take some time, and lots of efforts on Jaxon's side, for undoing all the damage.

My eyes were back - trained on my Queen the moment she stood in front of Liana. I even knew where she was hiding all this time – all of my senses were attuned to hers and I felt it deep in my soul every time she was around me. It was this all-consuming feeling that I had always imagined and craved for since I was a teen, and I could pin-point to where her scent was coming from and where I could feel her scent the strongest.

If Delia hadn't been near me, I could have trapped her with how desperately I wanted her with me. Delia was shaken due to the rebellion, and even though I had asked her to stay back home countless times, she wanted to come to watch and listen to all the names that people had been calling her.

I wished that I didn't have to feel conflicting emotions when I thought about my mate, that I could have felt all of that without feeling any kind of guilt or regret that came along with it. I sometimes even wished that I was a man with no conscience, so it wouldn't have been difficult for me to be around my mate all the time. I would just send Delia her way, pay for child support, make sure she lived in luxury, and that I had a happily ever after with my mate.

Moon wasn't feeling the same way, it seemed.

The moment her eyes met mine, I knew she was furious. When she was talking, I could see the little frown marring her face when Malcolm talked to her. I was extremely pissed at that man – I had expected him to be the one to understand my dilemma but it seemed like he was the one who had instigated everyone against me. He should have understood my situation, especially after how I had explained to him everything the other day.

I could only watch as Moon and Liana handled the matter and asked for some time so that Moon could get acclimatized to her new identity.

When the matter settled down, I could see how very quickly, Moon and Liana tried to escape.

But this time, Jaxon and I were prepared.

We chased the girls down and when Liana was finally away with Jaxon, I decided to torment my mate a little.

My gorgeous, sexy, powerful Queen.

It was surprising how she could run faster than most wolves in her human form and it gave me just the explanation I needed of how I was different from most wolves even when I was a child. Even my human form was strong enough to take down a grown wolf and I prided myself for that. Everything she did, I was intensely attracted to her – it turned me on. She only needed to breathe, for Goddess's sake. Every time I learned a new thing about her, my love for her grew and so did my longing to have her by my side.

The abilities she possessed confused me a little and it made me realize that I still needed to confirm her heritage. It must be important for her to know as well because it would provide answers to a lot of questions she might have in mind.

"Once and for all, just stop it, Adrian! What do you want now? My life?" She growled, very obviously finding out my hiding spot just as I had found hers.

I was slightly taken aback. I knew she had every right to be mad at me, especially because of the way I had been misbehaving with her. I had strangled her and almost killed her for fuck's sake – I had punched Jaxon for strangling her, and here I was, doing the same myself – so I knew exactly what she meant with what she said.

It reminded me of how stupid I was, but I was a man on mission and I didn't want anything to deter me.

"You keep coming back again and again. You were the one who had said that I needed to stay away from you in the first place." She was very, very pissed.

I walked out of the bushes I was hiding in, "Keep your voice low, babe." I cringed a little inside. I knew I was not helping with her anger towards me.

I was shirtless, not really on purpose, but with the look of desire on my mate's face, I knew it was working in my favour

"I would speak as loudly as I wish to." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and she looked so fucking endearing while doing that.

Well, it was time to turn on my charm and use it to turn her on. She never listened without me having to seduce her, and then cursed me when I used our bodies to make her stand still and listen to me. So I did what all cliché males do – I smirked, ran my fingers through my hair, and happily observed the effect it was having on my mate.

Her face was red, her eyes unblinking and wide as she took in everything that was on display. I have never enjoyed being ogled like that but this felt so good to how my esteem had been so shaken since the past few days.

I knew this was not going to last for too long.

"if you want to fight, then we'll do that, but not so loudly and not here – that is, if you don't want another rebellion to start."I shrugged.

"You really want to fight?" She groaned and the sound travelled straight to the south of my body, "No." She muttered.

I wanted to smile but settled for raising a brow, "No?"

"No, I want to go back home."

I cornered her to the nearest tree, and the moment her back touched the trunk, she realized that she was trapped. This happens, when you're not paying attention to your surroundings – only I knew how I had to keep my focus on the matter at hand because the thoughts that were running in her mind were suggesting that her focus was entirely elsewhere. She tried to act so innocent sometimes, but she was such a seductress in her mind that it was forcing me to put a block on my mind.

"Home?" I murmured.

"Yes, home."

"Well, babe," now here came the time when she could punch my face, or just curse me out loud, "I guess it's time for you to change your home." I came straight to the point, "I would be a fool to let you stay alone with the humans without a trained warrior with you. Now that liana stays here, I don't think you have anything left to do across the MoonLine, since you resigned from your job and all."

Her eyes narrowed, clearly telling me that she definitely wasn't look at it with my perspective, to ensure her safety. "And where should I make a new home? Here? In the Were Kingdom? And what would be my job? You have Delia for that at the moment."

Goddess, this woman!

I gritted my teeth, "Will you stop being so stubborn about everything?"

"Do you realize that I have an actual reason to be stubborn?" She countered, her face red with anger, "I'm going back home – to the same place where I've been staying for the past so many years!" She might just as well cross her arms and stomp her feet like a child while she was being irrational.

She needed to understand that she was not any normal human anymore – she was a Luna Queen, a powerful woman but just as much defenseless at the moment. Now how was I going to make her keep aside the issues between us so that she could think about her own safety?

"You're getting yourself in unnecessary danger by going there and living. You'll be safe here, in this kingdom protected by me and the guards – "

Before I could finish my sentence, she had her hold on my throat and now she was the one trapping me against the tree. I would have known what she was thinking about had I kept our links open, but I was glad I closed it.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't turned on at all. My goddess looked extremely hot with her face flushed and her eyes glaring up at me. She was surprisingly strong, but it did nothing to phase my worries about her safety.

I smirked and took hold of her wrists as she kept gritting her teeth and tightened her hold on my neck.

If I died, what a beautiful death it would be.

I carefully pushed her against the tree and trapped her wrists above her head, not being able to take control of any of my emotions anymore.

My mouth went straight for her slender neck and the sweet spot that I knew drove her crazy. I kissed her wherever I could and she could only moan and shiver as I tortured both of us to the point that I knew I would have to stop if I didn't want to take this to the bedroom.

She was a queen and she deserved to be treated like one.

The only problem was that I couldn't stop myself at all.

"No wonder," I murmured, "No wonder my human form has always been stronger than anyone else, even more than that of the strongest Alpha King. Moon Goddess knew that my mate was going to be a difficult one to handle, and my human needed to be stronger than hers."

"Are you a coward?" Her wolf's voice rang through my ears and I stiffened, wondering if I heard her wrong.

"What did you say?" I was pissed. I didn't know what she was implying but I did not like what she was saying.

"I asked," her voice grew stronger, "Is the Alpha King a coward?"

Now that made me laugh, "Coward? Pray tell what made you think so?"

"The simple fact that you are using our mate bond to make me obey you makes me say so. You are, and have always been, using the effect you have on me to get me to listen to you and do as you say. Tell me, do you have enough confidence to come back in the human world and win an argument with me there? Without using our mate bond?"

I released her and took a step back.

I was trying not to let it show on my face, but I was hurt that she thought I jumped on her time and again only so that I could make her do my bidding. It was only because I lost control over myself when I "seduced" her. I never had any intentions of using our mate bond against her in any way.

"I can," I started, calming myself, "I can win you over as a human, as well as a wolf. I can win you over within and beyond the MoonLine," I pressed her up against the tree again, "I can make you mine whenever and in whichever way I want to. Just because I don't want to risk anything and speed up the process doesn't mean I am a fucking coward."

She let out a breath.

"I can never be yours, Adrian; you know that very well, not until you have another marked mate and a pup in your life. You can only choose one, either me or your pregnant Delia. If you chose both, either one of us will end up getting killed at the hands of the other. And in our previous encounter, I already accepted the fact that it isn't me whom you choose or you can choose, right now."

Her words were repetitively stabbing my gut in the worst possible way and they only confirmed my beliefs – how important it was for both of us to clear all the misunderstandings between us.

"I didn't mark her." Here went my very first confession.

"What?"

"I didn't mark Delia, no matter what everyone thinks. I didn't do it."

"What do you mean?" Her brows furrowed, "Was it you who didn't want to mark her or was it that it was actually impossible to mark her?"

"Both." I told her, "I loved her, I really did, but I never had the urge to mark her and make her mine, not even an ounce of how I feel when you are around."

I opened up the mind-link for safety purposes.

"You didn't mark her." Stated, "Then how the fuck did you get her pregnant?"

"I don't know, it was unexpected, but I was so happy until I met you. I still want the child, Moon." I told her.

"This doesn't mean that you won't choose her over me if there is ever a clash between us. Just like I said the last time, please let me go." Her voice was soft when I tipped her chin up.

I never wanted to let her go.

"And what about your safety?"

She sighed, "Look, no one is going to be a potential danger in the human world, at least not of the supernatural kind. I'll be fine until I'm not out of the Kingdom and within the MoonLine, and I don't think I'm going to let anyone drag me here unless it's Liana or maybe you and Jaxon, or maybe Hans."

My chest filled with dark emotions, "Whos is Hans?"

"Out of all what I said, you only caught on the Hans part?" she looked at me.

I repeated my words.

"He is Liana's trusted guard."

Oh. Him. That stupid mongrel.

"Do you even realize how much Jaxon and I felt like tying him upside down and tripling the amount of bones he has?"

"You won't do that, would you?" She looked genuinely worried.

Í scoffed, "No, of course not. No matter how jealous we are that the two of you trust him more than your own mates, it's safe to say that we aren't ungrateful, sadistic assholes. We are grateful to him that he was loyal to you and helped you when we couldn't, no matter how much we want to be in his place."

"You are jealous?" Oh no, "Unbelievable! If a small act of loyalty ,makes you jealous and makes you, as you quote: feel like tying him upside down and tripling the amount of bones he has – what makes you think that I'm not even slightly affected by Delia taking what's mine? You seriously can't expect me to stay here and be all peachy and dandy about it!"

Well, she was right.

"You are right, I'll let you go." It was time for a little negotiation.

"On what condition," she smiled, and my world stopped for a few good moments. Goddess, I needed to make her smile some more.

"I can show up on your doorstep whenever I want to: I need to keep an eye on you." Then I went ahead and told her that she needed to inform me about every single movement. "Also, we are going on a date."

She grinned, and I went weak in my knees. How was I even going to resist her?

"Yes Sir. Wait, a date?"

"Yes, a date." I confirmed, "I think it's high time we sit and talk about the circumstances surrounding us.

"Alright," she nodded, "So...when is this date?"

"Be ready by seven."

Now, it was time to prepare.

It was difficult for me to keep the shit-eating grin off my face – she had finally agreed to sit and talk with me and the only thing left for me was to not fuck it up. My hormones were still driving me crazy, and being around her still made it difficult for me to practice any kind of self-control.

We had a date.

I was now sitting in my office doing nothing, feeling the victory still coursing through me after I managed to negotiate about the date with my mate. What was even better was that even she was excited about the idea of going on a date. The thoughts running through her mind and the flush on her face were enough for me to gauge her feelings about it.

Today was the day I could sit and daydream about my Queen. All these days, my mind had only been focused on how her presence would affect me in a negative way, but after everything today, I felt that little hope in me and started to think about how things would change once this mess was over.

I dreamt of little things, how we would spend the whole night in each other's arms, how we would wake up in the morning together, how we would spend the mornings getting ready for the day, those small kisses I would give her whenever given the chance, and how much I would love her. I imagined making her laugh till she lost her breath, taking her out on dates, taking her to the shelters and watching her lovingly fall in love with all the creatures we were caring for.

I wish I could trade all my money so that I had all of that now.

"Alpha Killian is here to see you, Alpha King." Vance announced at the door of my office.

A warm smile took over my face at the same instant. Right from my childhood, he had always played a strong parental role in my life along with his mate. They were the only ones I could count on for the right advice and they always had my back.

"Why do I have to hear about your mate from others' mouths, boy? I thought we were closer than that." A grumpy voice appeared from the door and then came the man who did not look pleased with me at all. "My wife just threw a huge tantrum. Words of advice: don't go in front of her for a few decades or she'll eat you alive."

"She won't do anything like that," I smirked at him, "She will want to meet for sure, and she loves me."

"You don't have to be alive for her to meet your mate, son. And she is reconsidering the second part." He glared at me.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't tell you," I took in a breath, "I've just been so...out of it lately."

He sat down on the chair in front of us, "It happens when you meet your mate. Your predicament is also far worse than anybody else's, I feel."

I just shook my head slightly.

"Well, have you talked to the girl? What does she say about your entire situation?" He asked.

I grinned, "We have a date tomorrow. Liana has been telling her things so far, but I want to talk to her as well."

He nodded, "I know that everyone had probably been asking you about what you are going to do, so I will spare you the question. Tell me, how do you feel about this situation?"

I leaned back into my chair, "It's all I think about despite trying my best to ignore the recent developments of my life." I paused, gathering everything I wanted to say, "I have never been happier, excited about something – I had always wanted my mate and here she is, waiting to be mine. The bond is everything I imagined about and more."

He was still looking at me to continue further.

"I sometimes wish I had chosen to rule alone all this time – the mating process would have been so much easier if that had been the case." I sighed, "If I didn't marry Delia, I could have been with Moon, right now; I wouldn't have been feeling so much guilt or regret every time I thought about her."

"It's natural to feel bad about what happened, but we both know we cannot change the past."

"And that is exactly why," I started, "I'm trying not to be an asshole here. But whatever I do, I seem to be wrong every time and this is seriously fucking with my self-esteem both as an Alpha King and a mate."