Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Defeaning silence filled the air. Thalina can feel the chill run down her skin as the words of King Thaddeus keep on repeating inside her head like a broken cassette.

She was dumbfounded wondering if she heard it correctly or if her ears were just playing tricks on her.

Out of shock and fear, she took a step back and desperately shook her head.

“You must be mistaken, King Thaddeus. I cannot be your mate. I am mated to your half-brother, Alpha Magnus,” she said filled with desperation.

The side of King Thaddeus' lips rose for a smirk completely entertained by what he heard. A she-wolf dares to deny their bond, something that he never expected to happen.

Every she-wolf in the kingdom was desperate to marry him but Thalina denied their bond without even thinking.

“Are you saying that my wolf was wrong?” he sarcastically asked folding his arms on his chest while raising his right eyebrow.

Thalina shook her head once again completely lost on how she should explain her side without offending the king.

“All I am saying is, it was impossible King Thaddeus. I am mated to Alpha Magnus-“

“But he already severed your bond,” King Thaddeus fired back not wanting to lose in an argument.

“He did but a mere werewolf cannot sever the bond. Only death can separate the werewolves mated by the Moon Goddess King Thaddeus, you know that. I am mated to Magnus so it would be impossible that I am mated to you too,”

“But it was your scent that brought me here. It was your scent that made my wolf go crazy. Should I just go insane and ignore my wolf’s desire?”

Thalina felt hopeless. She doesn’t have any idea if the King is just playing tricks on her or telling the truth because it feels impossible.

How can she be possibly mated to two werewolves and worse to Alpha Magnus' half-brother, King Thaddeus?

‘Did Magnus successfully sever the bond?’ she thought to herself.

“Then reject me King Thaddeus and sever our bond,” she bravely uttered facing King Thaddeus who was looking at her intently as if he planned to melt her.

He fell silent upon hearing those words. He is receiving an indirect rejection something that he has never received in his entire life but instead of getting mad at Thalina, he finds himself even more entertained.

“You will die if I reject you Thalina. Your wolf was too weak to accept another rejection. Will you choose to die than have me as your mate?”

It was Thalina’s turn to fall silent. She felt like she hit a dead end with no route to take.

She wanted to run away and escape the situation but she was cornered and was left with two choices…to die or let go of the man she loved for her entire life and be with the man she just met.

“Magnus will take me back,” she firmly uttered refusing to choose between the options she was given.

King Thaddeus' mouth gape upon hearing Thalina’s answer. He looked at her filled with amusement but at the same time, his ego was hurt unable to accept the fact that a mere she-wolf wasn't happy to be mated to him.

“You are making this fun, little wolf,” he said then bent down to make their faces on the same level. “How about this? If Magnus took you back then I will accept your rejection but if he didn’t then I will claim you,”

Thalina felt a lump formed on her throat but despite the fear, she bravely nodded. After all the betrayal and pain Magnus had inflicted on her she still holds on to the love they had shared.

Maybe he will be swayed once he sees her in the arms of another man. Maybe he will change his mind and finally realize that he made a big mistake.

“Let’s hear Magnus’ answer then. Let’s see if he will take you back,” King Thaddeus replied offering his hand to Thalina.

Thalina was hesitant to take it but she chose to swallow her fear and took the hands of King Thaddeus.

Despite Alpha Magnus' order not to let her in, she managed to set foot inside the mansion once again because who would dare to block the King’s way anyway?

As they made their way towards the garden where a party was held every werewolf they passed by bowed their head.

Thalina felt small beside the King. Seeing him confidently make his way toward the crowd made Thalina wonder what kind of power she would have once she accepted him as her mate…but it wasn’t what her heart wanted because despite the pain she knew it still belonged to the man who had betrayed her.

When they got closer to the stage where Selene and Magnus were standing Thalina immediately hid herself behind King Thaddeus.

She could feel her knees weaken as their voice became clear. She hid herself even more but King Thaddeus had a different plan.

He held Thalina’s waist and proudly showed her to Magnus and Selene whose eyes are now widened on what they are seeing.

“Why are you together King Thaddeus?” Magnus asked fear evident in his tone. His gaze shifted to Thalina who bowed her head afraid to show her face. “Why are you here Thalina?”

Thalina slowly lifts her head meeting the gaze of the man she loves. She was about to open her mouth to answer his question but before that could happen King Thaddeus spoke.

“You want my blessing right Magnus?” he asked making Magnus's attention shift to him and without hesitation, Magnus nodded.

“Yes, King Thaddeus,” he politely responded.

King Thaddeus held Thalina’s waist tightly, possessively wrapping his arms around her as if he was already claiming her.

“I will give you my blessing but on one condition…let me have your ex-Luna, Magnus,”

The crowd gasps and murmurs fill the entire garden but King Thaddeus doesn't show any care for their reaction because all he wanted was to take the woman whose scent makes his wolf go crazy.

"Are you talking about Thalina, King Thaddeus?" Magnus asked confirming if he heard the King's request clearly and without any hesitation King Thaddeus replied with a nod.

"Yeah...Thalina," he spoke turning his head to the woman who was watching them silently.

"That woman is useless King Thaddeus. She's weak and can't even give you an heir. She cannot bear a child. What will you use her for?"

Pain registered on Thalina's face when she heard those words come out of Magnus's mouth. She wanted to butt in and defend herself but she couldn't find the courage to do so because Magnus's words started to dig into her mind making her think that maybe she was indeed useless.

"That is no longer your business Magnus," King Thaddeus responded, annoyance filling his system just by listening to Magnus continuously spitting nonsense. "I get to decide whether she's useless or not so what do you say? Will you let me have your ex-Luna to have my blessing?"

Magnus fell silent and for some reason he found himself getting confused. The woman was nothing to him but letting her go doesn't seem as easy as he think it would be.

"Magnus just say yes. Thalina is nothing anyway. She will just create chaos in your pack. Just let her go. Maybe King Thaddeus wanted her as a maid," Selene urged then turned to King Thaddeus with a sweet smile plastered on her face. "You want her as a maid right?"

King Thaddeus just smiled refusing to let them know the reason why he wanted the woman. The truth is he wanted her to satisfy his wolf because he knew that her scent was already tattooed in his mind and the only way to make him sane was to claim the woman and mark her.

"My time is precious Alpha Magnus, you have to decide now or I will leave,"

Magnus swallowed the lump formed on his throat and glanced at the woman who was looking at him pleadingly. He hesitated but despite that, he still nodded agreeing to the King's condition.

"I already warned you, King Thaddeus. That woman won't bring you any good,"

Ignoring the warning King Thaddeus just smiled and nodded before turning to Thalina whose eyes glistened with tears.

King Thaddeus held her face and gently caressed her cheeks before leaning. "You lost. Your beloved ex-mate no longer wants you so whether you like it or not, I will claim you Thalina. Don't you ever think of running away because no matter how hard you try to hide I will always find you. I rule the Kingdom, remember that," he firmly uttered before signaling the palace guard to take the woman away so he could start the ceremony.