Raina's POV

He moved in closer, and his lips met mine. I gasped. It all felt so strange to me—the way his hand came around my neck, his warm breath against my face. I shut my eyes tight.

I loved the feeling, but I didn't know what to do. I felt his tongue glide against mine. The burning heat was sensational.

Soon, he pulled away from me. I could feel Fiona whine in my head.

"I want him," she said.

Me too.

If this man rejected me, I wasn't sure I would survive it.

His eyes stayed on me like a magnet as he took in a breath.

"You won't reject me?" I asked a little too timidly.

He furrowed his brows at me.

"Why would I ever do that?" The pure disbelief in his eyes warmed me. I couldn't help but smile sheepishly.

"Well, I stated all the reasons."

I stared at him. He was watching me. Always had been.

"I can't concentrate if you keep looking at me like that," I said, and he chuckled.

"Concentrate on what?" he asked me.

But I had no answer to that.

"Marry me, Raina." I heard the words, and my head shot up immediately.

"Huh?" I asked, unable to believe my ears.

"Be my wife."

He was saying it, but I pulled away immediately. The thought of it suddenly terrified me.

I'd always wanted that for my people, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for it. And I couldn't be queen. I wasn't...

I was shaking my head.

"Raina," I heard him call.

"The elders won't allow it. It can't be... I can't..."

"We burn their rules to the ground. I am king," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"We've heard rumors about the king too. King Xander—heartless and cold, a puppet in the hands of the elders. The old bachelor, forced to get betrothed and..."

I suddenly stopped when my eyes met his cold expression.

Regret instantly took over me.

"I'm sitting here right in front of you because I tried to change the whole concept of that. Why do you think I was shot by a poisoned arrow?"

"You know, don't you? It was an assassination attempt. You know that, right?" he asked.

I looked down and nodded.

"Would you believe baseless rumors or the man in front of you?"

I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

He didn't have the right to say that.

We had been in hiding for a while, and yet the king had done nothing to liberate us. The rumors were all true.

I shook my head, my eyes stinging.

"My dad died at the hands of the Black Fang pack," I whispered as tears rolled down my eyes. I saw his gaze falter.

"Every year, we lose most of our loved ones. We starved. Our women were raped. Our children were abused. That is what I've seen," I sobbed.

"If the king wasn't one who cared only for himself, why would he watch us suffer that way and not do anything about it?"

I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I didn’t care if I looked stupid. That was my pain. Why had he not done anything about it?

Why?

"Raina, I'm really sorry. I don't want to make any excuses, but I had no idea what was going on."

It was a sorry excuse, and it made me scoff.

"You are king. You said so yourself."

He shook his head like I wouldn't understand a thing he was saying.

"It's not been as easy as you think, but I can't explain any further. How do I make you understand?"

His hand reached out to me, and I pulled away immediately.

"You can't ask me to marry you if you don't make me understand," I said and stood up.

"Samantha will bring you the medicine," I said, wiping my tears. I stormed out of the room.

Xander’s POV

I watched her leave the room, my heart filling with the familiar pain that had become a part of me—until I met her that night in the forest.

How do I make her understand?

I couldn't be without her. She helped me in ways I couldn't explain. She seemed too familiar. It wasn't going to be hard to love her. I felt like I'd known her all my life.

But she felt like I'd hurt her all her life.

Cyrus entered the hut just then. He had probably seen the tears on Raina's face. But knowing Cyrus wouldn't ask, I spoke first.

"Raina is my mate," I told him. I could see his shock.

He shook his head. I thought he was in disagreement.

"You don't approve?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"That's not it," he said.

"I also found my mate, but it's strange. She doesn't recognize me," he said, and I raised my brow.

Was this destiny?

"They gave a low percentage of wolf's blood. Do you think that's the reason?" I asked.

"It would make sense. I'd never heard of such a pack before," he said, and I nodded.

I didn't understand why I couldn't tell Raina that I had no idea their pack existed.

A whole pack that couldn't shift?

"The elders played you hard this time," he said.

"Fourteen jurisdictions. None of them called..."

"Mundane," he said.

Cyrus had gotten all the information already, so I wasn't surprised when Raina had told me.

"We can't stir them now. They wouldn't approve of Raina, though," he said, and I turned to him.

"Not stir them?" I asked.

"Just before we lost you, Lancelot tricked me into moving away from you, saying there was a big catch. Of course, I didn't suspect anything. But it all doesn't sit right that you were shot by a poisoned arrow."

"It was planned. Assassination. Tyranny to kill the king."

"That is why you can't be with Raina," he said, and I shook my head.

"She called me a puppet king, Cyrus. Do you want me to prove her right?" I asked.

He exhaled. But that wasn't the problem in my mind.

How could I not know they had planned to kill me? How could I not see the tyranny?

How did I let things go wrong...

When I had the ability to read minds through touch?