Four

LUCA

Her violet doe eyes budged in their sockets, her face turning pallid. I let my gaze rove over her delicate features. She had plump red lips, a slender nose and innocent eyes. Right above her left eye brow were three small, identical moles.

Despite how exhausted she looked, she was beautiful.

It was a miracle. It was the first time I was actually seeing a face, and registering all of its features. For as long as I could remember, I've had to live with face blindness. This was my secret.

I found it strange that my mate had failed to recognize the bond between us.

Although I couldn't clearly remember everything that had happened between us, the feral beast within me wanted to taste her again. I had given up the hope of finding my mate, centuries ago, especially since I couldn't tell faces apart. I wasn't cursed.

But, living as the ruthless Lycan king for centuries had made me feel like I was cursed.

"Isn't there a chance that you're... mistaken?" the strange woman asked, her voice strained.

"What's your name?" I questioned.

I was curious. I wanted to know her. I wanted to know why she was so terrified of the fact that she was my mate.

"Just let me go...I do not wish to remain locked up in here. Whether you believe me or not, it's up to you. I am not a criminal. If anything, I'm a victim here."

She lowered her gaze, her shoulders slumped.

"You still haven't told me your name" I insisted, folding my arms across my chest.

Heaving a sigh, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her right hand.

"Sienna," she mumbled.

Dragging in a deep breath, I said, "Look at me, Sienna."

She went still for a moment. Then, she looked up, her teary eyed gaze locked with mine.

"If what you say is true, I need to know the details. You told me you were running from something. Make me understand you."

She parted her lips, her brows knitted into a frown.

"But...why? Why are you interested in me?" She breathed.

"You're my mate, Sienna. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe you were not sent by the werewolves."

Sienna softly bit her lower lip, her eyelids briefly fluttering close.

"I was merely a slave. I don't even have a wolf. What can I possibly do to harm the Lycan king? I was just so tired of being a slave, it's why I ran away..." She murmured, opening her eyes.

As she stared up at me, I felt a tinge in my chest. This situation felt unreal.

How was it that I had a fated mate of werewolf origin?

For so many reasons, I knew the royal court wouldn't approve my union with a werewolf.

The feud between werewolves and Lycan had subsided. However, that didn't mean it had completely died off. The slightest conflict would definitely lead to a spark of war.

I needed to think. This was a fragile matter.

The moment I turned away to leave, Sienna grabbed my gloved hand to stop me. I halted, sparing her a glance.

The sight of the helplessness ingrained in the depths of her doe eyes made my heart squeeze.

Somehow, she was stirring up my heart with such little effort. I guess it was the effect of the mate bond.

"Help me" she rasped, her eyes brimming with tears.

Those words lingered in my mind even after I'd left the dungeon. For the rest of the day, I was distracted.

Sienna didn't strike me as the vicious and pretentious type. I had a feeling she was telling the truth. At least, I wanted to believe it.

The knock on the door of my study pulled me out of my thoughts and I straightened in my chair.

"Come in."

Andrew, my beta walked in, greeting me with a brief bow.

"Your majesty."

"Lady Maureen is here to see you," he announced. He was worried. I could tell from how rigid his posture was.

Maureen was the chief healer in the palace. I'd made her examine me three days before. I'd suddenly lost my sense of smell and had been unable to shake off the constant throbbing in my head. Frustrated, I'd gone to the bar to knock myself out. There was only one bar that sold a drink capable of knocking me out, hence... I used to frequently visit the place. However, ever since my encounter with my mate, my discomfort was long gone.

"She seemed rather anxious" he continued.

I could feel his anxious gaze fixated on me.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm perfectly fine" I said, leaning back on my chair.

"I don't think so, your majesty" Lady Maureen said as she walked in.

"Now what?"

"Your energy is completely out of balance. It has worsened. It needs to be fixed. You could be devoured by your negative energy, your majesty."

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"How can it be fixed?" I questioned.

She exhaled sharply.

"It isn't so easy. It's why I can't help but worry. You'll need to take part in the nine soul sealing ceremonies with your bonded mate."

Andrew sighed.

"That's not going to be easy" he mumbled.

"I'll be fine," I deadpanned.

"Is there something you're not telling us? Come to think of it, you seem to be in a great mood. What's this?" Lady Maureen stated.

"It's none of your business" I responded, rising to my feet.

I had made up my mind to set Sienna free. Andrew and Maureen didn't ask any more questions. They knew better.

Sienna was curled up on the ground when I got to the dungeon. After requesting for the cell to be unlocked, I walked in.

She sat up immediately, her eyes bleary.

"Are you here to execute me?" She asked in a small voice.

I snorted, holding out a hand to her. She stared at my outstretched hand for a moment. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in mine. Then, I pulled her to her feet. She stumbled towards me and ended up leaning against me.

She blinked, her cheeks turning pink.

"I'm here to set you free, Sienna" I told her.

Her eyes lit up like a thousand stars, a grin tugging at her lips.

"Really?!"

We stared at each for a moment. Slowly, her grin faded and she pulled away from me, awkwardly coughing into the palm of her hand.

"Sorry, I couldn't hide my excitement" she mumbled.

"It's okay. You told me you were running away from your pack. You can stay in the palace. You don't need to serve anyone" I told her.

"B...but..."

"Let me handle all of your worries, Sienna."

"Thank you so much, your majesty" she breathed, her eyes glittering with tears of gratitude.

...

"What's your name? I realize that I don't know your name yet," She asked, smiling at me.

"Luca" I responded. Her smile widened.

We were both taking a walk along the palace garden a couple of days after Sienna had settled down within the palace walls.

She was adorable. Her innocence and pure heart undoubtedly drew me closer to her.

It worried me to know that someone as pure as her was once subjected to cruel treatments.

I found myself looking forward to the time of the day when I would get to see her.

"Luca. It's perfect. I love it" she hummed, tucking a few locks of her hair behind her ear.

"How long have you been king?" She asked.

"Since I was twelve" I told her. I wondered how she would feel if I ever told her that I was over seven centuries old.

"You still haven't told me why you were at the bar that day" I pointed out.

"Right. I told you I was running, didn't I?" She said.

"Of course."

"I ran away from my pack. I was sick of living as a slave. So, I decided to chose the life of a rogue." she explained.

"The life of a rogue can be much more difficult than you can ever imagine, you know?" I pointed out.

She shrugged.

"I was convinced that I'd gone through the fire and nothing could faze me. After all, I survived the rejection from my first mate..."

"Sienna..."

She looked at me, her lips curved into a grin.

"Yes?" She quipped.

"How long have you been a slave?"

"Since I was six."

"It must've been hard."

She nodded.

"It was. I'm grateful that you decided to let me stay here. Is there something you want me to do for you?"

This was a chance for me to tell her that I needed her to marry me and complete the nine ceremonies with me.

Still, I didn't know what the future would hold for us. If I ended up losing my mind, there would be no turning back. The last thing I wanted was for Sienna to spend the rest of her life with a mad man.

"Tell me. Anything. I owe you. So, spit it out" Sienna urged.

"Well, recently...I have been having trouble with my senses. The healers told me it can be fixed if I bond with my mate..."

Sienna wrapped her arms around herself, her expressions shuttered.

I didn't want her doing anything she wasn't cut out for.

She had gone through a lot. Protecting her was what I desired to do.

"I'll do it" she said, gazing at me with warmth in her eyes.

My eyes widened as I stared at her, startled.

"Sienna....are you sure about this?" I asked.

She smiled at me, her eyes filling up with a thousand glittering galaxies.

"I'll marry you. You're my mate, let me do this for you. Let me fix you."

I stared at her, flabbergasted. She leaned closer to me, gazing up at me with sparkling eyes.

"So...that's settled then, mate" she breathed. I blinked, trying to ignore the warmth radiating within my chest.