Page 37 of A Crown of Fates

I chuckle and shake my head.“You’ve been here less than an hour. How would you know what I’ve done?”

“A fellow queen always knows.”Her corresponding wink makes me laugh harder because while I already know she’s an incredible leader to Polaris, she’s only been in the role a month, yet acts as if this has always been her life.

“I’ve missed you.”

She looks over at me and smiles brightly.“Not more than I’ve missed you.”

We keep walking through the castle, the men not commenting on our silent exchanges that I’m sure they’re more than aware of. I glance up at Theo and hope like hell that I can trust him. I have no doubt about his sincerity, but something I’ve tried not to think about since accepting that he truly is my mate is the fact that he’s allowed himself to be controlled by Orix for the last three years.

I might understand how he got to where he is, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect my decisions. I told him before that I also needed time, but not because I don’t want to be with him. I just need to be sure that he isn’t going to say one thing but wind up doing another. While I might believe he wouldn’twantto hurt me, that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to prevent that from happening with a god linked to him.

He’s been under Orix’s thumb for years now, and I don’t fault him for that, but that doesn’t mean I won’t protect myself from the potential fallout. I can’t give him all of me if there’s a chance he’ll never be able to do the same with his heart. It’s not fair to either of us, but it’s the reality of our situation for now.

Something I’ve been trying not to think about while missing him over the last few days, but also it’s a truth that I can’t avoid for long.

“It’s going to be okay.”Isla’s calm tone takes me by surprise.“I’m your Alpha Queen. I can sense your unease even more than I could as your sister.”

Well, that I didn’t think about, but I also shouldn’t be surprised.

She continues, “A mate bond is sacred, and I know why you’ve been hesitant, especially under the circumstances, but your walls are cracking and I don’t want to see you sabotage yourself. Trust in your heart and in fate. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what he’s done. It matters how he treats you now and what he’s willing to do to make things right for your future.”

Her welcome words chip away at my defenses, but before I can thank her for them, she manages to mentally throw a punch at me.

“We’re going to figure this out, and you’re going to be queen. Everything you didn’t know you wanted is coming to you.”

That reminder makes me stumble a little and has her chuckling. I’ve admitted to her many times how glad I am that it’s her destiny to be queen in this lifetime and not mine. I’m sure this is a small payback that I’ll continue to get for the foreseeable future.

Theo and Asher glance over at us, but neither say anything. Smart men.

It’s not that I don’t want to help Selaris—I’ve been doing that since I arrived. But to rule over an entire pack? To stand at Theo’s side and bear the responsibility of a kingdom? That still feels like a future I’m not ready for.

I never expected to lead. Now, things are different. I have to wrap my head around this new path, but for today, we need to focus on Orix.

We arrive at Theo’s office, and Jerome is waiting for us at the door. He bows respectfully to our guests then addresses Theo. “The room has been prepared, and a new cloaking spell has been laid, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Jerome. I’ll let you know when we’re done.” Theo enters first, his grip on my hand an anchor.

The office is different, rearranged for the visiting royalty. The two chairs aren’t in front of the desk any longer. Instead, the only seating options are four throne-like chairs positioned on the left side of the space. Two of them are larger than the others, and that’s where Theo leads us to sit, a statement of his higher rank since we’re in Selaris.

“While you’re here, this will be the safest place for us to speak,” Theo says as the four of us get settled.

“How many of those cloaking spells do you have?” Asher asks, looking around as if he might find something amiss. “And where did you get them? They’re not all that common these days with most of the other worlds not being as welcoming to supernaturals.”

I glance over at Theo, who doesn’t answer straight away, making me wonder if he’s speaking telepathically with Jerome.

“My advisor tells me that we have about a dozen left and that they were stolen from a group of witches by King Airik’s mercenaries.”

Asher raises a brow. “Mercenaries?”

Theo’s voice is steady, even though the subject has the potential to cause tensions. “The previous Alpha King may not have raised issues with the rest of the islands, but I believe that was because he preferred to be left alone to do as he pleased. I didn’t reside here in the city before taking the crown. In fact, Ilived as far from here as possible with my own pack. We knew things were bad, but it wasn’t until I was coerced into killing Airik that I understood the full extent of his treachery.”

Asher’s growl is deep, reverberating. Isla places a hand on his arm, a silent plea for restraint, but the strain in the room tightens like a frayed bowstring.

“You did what?” Asher leans forward in his chair, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Theo meets Asher’s intense gaze without flinching or shying away. He’s no longer hiding his past indiscretions—a choice I deeply respect and that has me speaking up for him.

“My mate has done things he’s not proud of, Asher,” I interject confidently. “He’s killed when he had no right to, and he’s ignored his people, but for the better part of three years, he’s been under the steady and tainted influence of a god. One more despicable than anything you may be thinking about Theo right now. Killing King Airik wasn’t something he willingly did, but I also believe it ended up being what was best for Selaris.

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