Rejected By My Mate, Now Mated To The Lycan King-Chapter 168

~ NYSSA

I made the choice of a venue while high on my emotions, but the longer I thought of it, the more perfect it seemed to be.

As we walked round the back of the house, it all came together perfectly, I could see it unfolding right before my eyes.

The beautiful water view would make a perfect place for the ceremony to hold, and the back of the house was big enough to hold our friends for the ceremony. It was intimate, and it was just us.

"I wish we could do it today," I blurted out as we sat in the swing.

My legs were pulled up to my chest, my head resting against his shoulder as his hand rested around me, his lips ghosting the top of my head.

The sun was already beginning to set, and we sat quietly, listening to the sound of the birds chirping in the distance.

"Me too," he agreed. "It would be so fucking perfect with just the two of us."

I could honestly picture it, an intimate ceremony, just us and a random priest. "Aria told me about the coronation."

He exhaled deeply, his spine going straight. "It’s nothing to worry about."

"How big does it have to be?"

"Ideally the other Alphas will attend. It holds in the ballroom of the palace."

I sat up instantly. "The palace has a ball room?"

His lips curled. "Of course, little wolf. It’s a fucking palace, what did you think. It even has its own dungeons, gym and more rooms than any building should have."

I let out a deep breath, running my hands through my hair.

Unease bubbled in my stomach as tiny butterflies fluttered inside, making my insides churn. The idea of being Queen sounded amazing, but having such a large ceremony in front of so many people was daunting.

"You don’t have to worry about the coronation right now," he said softly, pulling me into his side. "Let’s just focus on the mating ceremony, okay?"

"Okay." I paused for a moment before adding. "Do we have to return to the palace today?"

He nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Five days," I murmured, pulling myself to my feet. "Then we get to be here."

"Five more days," he agreed.

On the drive back, I was so exhausted that I immediately curled up on my side, turning my attention to the greenery as we drove by. The sun was already beginning to set and the night was so peaceful, with wind blowing in the distance and nothing but empty streets ahead of us.

Soft music hummed in the car and I began to drift off slowly when I saw it—dark fur in the trees to the side of me. My eyes flew open immediately and I leaned out through the window, trying to get a glimpse of it again.

"What’s wrong?" Rowan asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "Are you alright?"

"I thought I saw a wolf in the trees." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Oh, you probably did. We have guards stationed everywhere. Some of them choose to patrol in their lycan form because it gives them the chance to use better senses."

I glanced out the window once more, at the trees behind us. "What I saw looked like a werewolf, Rowan, not a lycan."

"We have wolves as guards too."

I collapsed back in my seat, willing my heart to return to its regular rhythm, but I still couldn’t shake that feeling of panic that crawled on my skin when I saw that flash in the woods. It reminded me of what I saw earlier... at the venue. The fur was practically the same color.

"Maybe I need a run," I mumbled to myself. "I haven’t shifted in a while."

"We could run together," he offered immediately. "Like we did that day... if you want that is."

I glanced at the palace up ahead and the trees to our right. "Can we do it before we get to the palace? It’s like once we’re within those walls, duty calls every minute."

He didn’t respond but he pulled the car to a stop on the side of the road immediately, turned off the engine and turned all his attention to me. "Let’s go."

I squealed, hopping out of the car with more excitement than I should have and rushed into the woods, shedding my clothes as I ran. I didn’t bother about being seen, I knew Rowan would never risk letting his guards see me naked.

Once my clothes were on the ground, I shifted, relishing in the way my bones stretched and cracked and my skin pulled taught.

As my paws hit the ground, I took off into the woods, howling as Rowan ran after me on two feet, his heavy footsteps echoing behind mine.

We ran until the sun set, stopping only for a few minutes to rest and get a drink from a little pond.

By the time we returned to our clothes, I was equal parts exhausted and refreshed, and my wolf was sated inside of me, excited at the prospect of getting out.

I managed to pull on my underwear and reach for my shirt when warm hands rested on my hips. I felt Rowan’s lips on my skin, his tongue darting out as he licked my throat.

My shirt fell from my hands, a moan slipping from my lips as I rested my head back against his bare chest.

"Beautiful," he murmured, brushing his nose against my skin. "Have you ever been fucked under the stars, Nyssa?"

I shook my head. "It sounds fun."

He began to speak when a loud sound echoed, like the slamming of a door. I jumped, pushing off him but his arm wrapped around my hips, pulling me into his chest.

"Grab your shirt," he whispered, releasing me slowly.

I did as he asked, pulling my clothes on in record time as he stepped forward to investigate the sound.

I followed behind him towards the main road, expecting to see another car there but it was just ours, sitting exactly as we left it.

"That’s weird," he noted.

He sounded completely at ease whereas my heart was hammering wildly in my chest as I searched our surroundings for any sign that we were not alone.

"Maybe we should go," I mumbled. "It’s late anyway."

Rowan hummed, leading me back to the car, his lips turned down into a frown the entire time.