Chapter 6: I’m No Queen
Aira’s POV
“You do not understand; I am no one’s queen. Honestly, there has to be some kind of mistake,” I said to them as they led me to God knows where.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.
“You may not be aware of it now, but you are our queen. Our oracle is never wrong,” the tall man explained, but I continue to shake my head in denial.
This is just too much to comprehend. Is today some sort of nightmare? How can all of this happen in a span of twenty-four hours?
“Maybe. But I am telling you now that you have the wrong person. Your queen could still be somewhere within this forest; do not waste your time with me and go find her,” I said. Turning on my heel, I attempt to leave, but two large men blocked my path.
“We are certain that you are the one. We have searched this entire forest twice and have not come across a single soul except you. And our oracle informed us of how you would look, and you fit every description, your highness.” He finishes, and I just look at them like they have all lost their minds.
Actually, they most certainly have lost their minds. Gosh, to think I felt relieved for a moment that I was rescued, yet I am now in the hands of a bunch of lunatics.
Clenching my fists, I feel my frustration reaching its peak. But I do my best to keep it under control because the last thing I want is to upset them. “My name is Aira, and I am telling you, I am not your queen.”
The huge man grins in a way that makes him appear quite handsome. His forest green eyes trickle with amusement when he says, “We will let our alpha decide that.” He turns to his men and says, “Take her.”
My eyes widen with horror, and I try to make a run for it. It’s a shame that I do not even manage to get anywhere before my arms are grabbed and I am being pulled harshly away. I try to plant my feet on the ground, but they only scrape on the dirt as they drag me away.
Even though I know it is futile, I struggle to set my arms free, but their grip does not budge one bit. “Let me go! You can’t do this to me! This is kidnapping!” I scream, still attempting to set myself free.
All of them ignore me as they lead me into the forest. I continue to scream out in frustration, and I feel my eyes begin to sting with tears.
“Please, I promise you that you have the wrong person. I have had a very bad day, and I just want to be left alone. Please…” I sob, and the tall man looks over his shoulder. Our eyes meet, and I see a spark of empathy within his.
They harden once he directs them to his men. “Be careful, you idiots! You do know what will happen to all of us if you so much as leave a bruise on her skin. Or do any of you wish to face the alpha’s wrath this faithful evening?” He asks, and I see fear overtake them all.
Their grip on my arm loosens, but it is still firm enough to prevent me from escaping. After a while, I stopped struggling. I give up. I bow my head and let the tears trickle down my cheeks as they continue to lead me to God knows where.
When they stop, I lift my head to find a convoy of luxurious cars. Some BMW’s and others range rovers. The men help me into one of them and cage me on both sides. The tall man, who I am starting to believe is the leader of this group, takes the passenger seat. One of the men takes the driver seat and fires the engine. Soon we are driving down to a place I know nothing about.
I sit silently at the back, sandwiches between these huge, muscular men, as you think about everything that happened today. Who would have thought I would find myself in this situation?
I lost my mate to my own twin sister, my home, my money, and almost my life. Now I do not even have my freedom because of these strange wolves that think I am their queen. Sincerely, I just hope all of this is just a bad dream and I will soon wake up.
The large man angles his body in the passenger seat to meet my eyes. “My name is Arnold, by the way. I am the beta of our pack.”
At first, I considered not responding to him, but I have to remember that these men have the power to snap my neck if I piss them off even a little bit.
“Aira,” I say simply, and his grin widens. It isn’t an excited or happy grin, but rather one filled with mischief.
“I know. I also understand that all this must be confusing to you, but trust me, this is all a good thing. You are the queen our kingdom has been waiting for for over a decade now, the key to bringing our kingdom peace and prosperity. Our alpha’s mate. Certainly, once you see him, I am sure you will feel the spark and all will be well,” he says, and I want to scream at him that he has the wrong person.
I already have a mate. Or should I say had.
I got rejected just a few hours ago; there is no way I am their alpha’s mate. A part of me wants to tell him all of this, but another part of me wonders if, if I do find out I am not their queen, they will kill me. So I stay silent.
What does it matter anyway? I know that once I see their alpha and he realizes that I am not his mate, he will have me killed on the spot. I am just heading towards my own execution. Again.
The car comes to a stop, and all the men step out. Arnold comes up to my side and helps me out of the vehicle. My jaw practically hits the floor when my eyes fall on the magnificent palace situated before me.
It has about five stories and stretches on for miles. The lush gardens that surround the perimeter and the beautifully trimmed shrubs and lanterns give the whole place a royal look. The men lead me up the grand stairs, and my mouth remains agape as I take in the grand pillars that appear ten feet taller than me.
Two guards stand by the metal, silver doors; they open them for us once they see us approaching. They bow as we pass, and I refuse to believe that it is because of me.
“Where is the alpha?” Arnold asks one of the guards.
“In the throne room,” he replies, and Arnold nods. He leads the way to the throne room, and I feel my heart rate accelerate the closer we get. We walk through the picturesque hallway, and I am in awe at the various paintings and artworks that hang on the crystal-white walls.
My gaze falls on the golden double doors at the end of the hall and two guards standing on either side.
They bow as well before opening it for us. A shiver goes up my spine as I stare into the dark room. I almost did not notice it, but I felt the two men standing by my side grow rigid. Arnold is the first to step in.
“We have returned your highness,” he says into the darkness.
The voice that fills my ears nearly brings me to my knees. It freezes every drop of blood in my veins and takes away my ability to breathe. I have never heard a voice so deep and so menacing.
“Where is she?”
The guards pull me in, and the deeper I walk into the room, the clearer my vision becomes. I find the silhouette of someone-not a man but a god-sitting on a throne. His silver eyes are his most prominent feature, as they pin me to the spot.
For a fraction of a second, I see something flash within them, an emotion I am unable to recognize. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Instead, his silver orbs brim with rage. A growl so powerful escapes from his chest, and the walls around us tremble.
“What the hell is this?!” He roars, and my feet take an involuntary step back.
Arnold visibly gulps, and for the first time since I met him, there is a tremble in his voice. “I’m, your mate, your highness?”
“But she is a damn wolf!” he growls, rising to his feet and grabbing a nearby vase and smashing it against the wall. A scream leaves my lips as the pieces fly in every direction of the room. I look at the alpha’s mighty form with horror. I can feel his rage vibrating off him and slipping fear into my bones.
I knew it.
I knew all of this was a mistake.
Arnold immediately goes down on his knees and begs for mercy. “I am truly sorry, your highness. We simply followed the directions of the oracle.”
Another growl escapes the alpha’s throat. He marches up to us, and with every step he takes, I feel myself grow heavier with fear. It feels like there is this weight on my shoulders that only grows the closer he gets to me.
He steps into the light, and I am unable to hold back my gasp when his face comes into full view.
By the moon goddess, he is beautiful.
His midnight black hair falls above his silver eyes in a way that leaves this mystery to him. His jaw and nose are sharp enough to cut through anything, and those lips… My God, I have never seen one as pink and luscious as his.
He tilts his head to the side, his eyes still trained on me, when he asks, “Are you pregnant?”
My eyes widen with surprise. I am certain I have not started showing yet, so how the hell did he know that?
Swallowing the bile that has risen with my throat, I say, “Yes.”
That one word alone is all that it takes for him to snap. He grabs one of the guards by my side by the throat and effortlessly flings him across the room. My mouth falls open at his strength, and I have to commend myself for not fainting.
“What the fuck?!” the alpha yells. He looks like he is about to punch through something, and I subconsciously take another step away from him.
“Your highness, I was not aware that she was pregnant. Perhaps we made some sort of mistake; we will make sure to dispose of her immediately.”
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on her.”
Just when I thought he could not get any more intimidating,.
“Throw her in the dungeons instead,” he continues, and my face twists with disbelief. He meets my eyes once again; there is not a hint of emotion within those silver orbs when he says, “She can rot for all I care.”
And with that said, he storms out of the throne room.
My knees meet the cold marble floors, and once the dam breaks, tears cascade down my cheeks.
At this point, death would be a luxury.