11

Tara was my soul mate and after more than a hundred years she was suddenly there. She appeared out of nowhere and threw me off balance.

I would be lying to myself if I denied that she stole my heart. The way she tried to fight me awakened more in me than just my lycan. Yet love had no place in my life, governing required tough decisions and I fell one against myself.

I went back to Elisane's office. Damage control, was all that went through my mind. I couldn't upset her. Above all, she wasn't allowed to know who Tara was.

I was annoyed that Tara was here. I had chopped off that subject, I had one goal, to appoint a queen, so that my corrupt brother could not contest my title and continue to wreak havoc.

Tara made it abundantly clear to me two months ago that she didn't recognize me. She was a wolf who could sense more than a human and yet she looked back at me as if I were a nobody.

No one had ever rejected me, nor questioned my decisions, in front of the Alaisters. To make sure no one found out, I just took the Alaisters with me. They were supposed to stay in Paris until I decided what to do with them and now here they were.

I was annoyed with myself that my best friend Callum obviously knew. He'd given in too quickly when I told him I was on my way here and then his call just before I got here.

He knew Tara was here and hadn't told me. I should have known better when he was so amused when we spoke on the phone yesterday. This bastard. If he always thought ahead and weighed everything up carefully, he let me run straight into her arms without thinking about the consequences.

I was annoyed that I didn't know anything about Tara. I shouldn't have buried her in my thoughts, should have found out more about her. I could have avoided all of this.

Still, I had made my decision and I had to stick to my decision. There was too much at stake.

I couldn't commit to her, nor put her life in danger. It was better that nobody knew who she was to me. I felt her pain, but it wasn't as strong as mine and I was amazed that she felt so little for me.

If I was able to wipe it away two months ago, I was able to do so less and less with every hour that she was near me. My lycan sought her close more than I would let, and I found myself on thin ice.

I was always lonely, it was up to me to decide the fate of others as mine. Luna tipped me off, but my responsibility was more that of an alpha protecting his pack. I had many packs and could not look down on a single one, not even my Erasthai.

Elisane was rummaging through her papers when I came back to her office. I looked at the door, which I closed behind me, and leaned my forehead against it. Coming here was a mistake. A mistake that cannot be corrected.

Elisane looked at me more than dissatisfied when I turned around. Her black hair was tied back tightly and her brown eyes were brimming with hatred. They always looked like this, no matter who she was looking at. Superficially, she smiled in everyone's face, but those who looked closely saw her arrogance, selfishness, and contempt for the people she was of no use to.

She was just here to meet the next generation of alphas, to see who could be of use to her. Probably also to let them warm the bed, I wasn't interested.

I felt ridiculous to myself. What had I ever found in this woman? My decision had been a rational one and she knew it. She knew I had no feelings for her. I didn't even have to bring it up or ask her, it was what she had wanted from me for years.

"What's the matter with her?" she asked me through narrowed eyes and I didn't want to answer her.

"With who?" I asked innocently. She looked at her papers. She didn't know Tara. All the better.

"Do you know her?" She tapped her finger on a name on a piece of paper. "Tara Stone?"

"No," I lied. Elisane was dangerous. Even though I decided to take her, I still didn't want her to harm Tara. What she was capable of, what we Lycans were capable of, three Alaisters couldn't stop, as much as they wanted to protect her.

I hadn't missed the care they showed her. That was more than an order from Callum that they were carrying out. The three had feelings for them, which surprised me, since I was with them at the time to mediate between their pack and Tara's.

When I found them, they had been around for a long time and I could feel the pain they were trying to hide from me. It wasn't evenly distributed and I could see why. They felt among themselves what was going on in the other.

"I can't understand why you chose her. I wouldn't have chosen a strong alpha if that was your concern." Elisane gave me a searching look. She might be able to penetrate other people's feelings and thoughts, but not mine.

"Not because you couldn't catch him, more so as not to damage his reputation. But her? Then it's game over after three hours," she grumbled, but I had a hard time concentrating on what she was saying.

I wanted to go to the Alaisters, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy their presence made me. One of them was definitely more for Tara, why didn't I realize that before?

"Three hours," I unintentionally mumbled loudly.

"If anything," she etched.

"It's enough. It's just a silly game. Can we go now?" I didn't want to argue with her anymore about anything Tara involved. Ultimately, there was a small risk that I would give myself away in the end.

"I'm sorry she insulted you in front of everyone. I'll report them." Report? To the Lycan Council? I was the Council in the last resort.

"Leave it alone," I waved him off.

It didn't bother me, not in the least, that she defied me. On the contrary, it tempted me to reconsider my decision and I couldn't afford to do that.

"No way, I'm going to let this maggot get away with it. You are the king." For Elisane, the topic was not over yet.

"What if I can't handle a little wolf?" I countered. "The Council? Isn't that a bit exaggerated, Elisane?"

"You are a king and she an insignificant child." I wanted to rip her throat out. Nobody talked about my Erasthai like that.

"Exactly, she's a kid, she doesn't know what she's doing." My words felt like bile on my tongue.

"True, and some minor ones at that." My head snapped towards her and I saw on her face that I was giving myself away.

"Exactly," I repeated my words, but it wasn't enough for her. I reached out and stroked her cheek to distract her. Everything in me was reluctant to touch her, but it was for Tara's safety. It was the only thing that could distract Elisane.

I should have left when I had the chance yesterday or just taken Tara with me.

"I'll find a way to punish her," I told her, looking at her satisfied smirk that only disgusted me. Because, I was doing exactly that right now while embracing Elisane.

"Leave that to my worries," she chirped. What worries? I had worries. I could crush her neck right there and endanger thousands of wolves because her family would seek revenge.

I could tell her that I have an Erasthai, that Tara is my Erasthai. She would never accept it and would find ways to kill Tara.

I thought I had all the time in the world to find a way to get back to Tara. I hadn't thought about it until I met her again yesterday and today I'd only made things worse, but by the looks of it, not bad enough.

"Come on, I know how to distract you." Elisane stepped in front of me and I felt nauseous.