10- QUEENLESS KINGS

LYRA'S POV

I blink, trying to peel my eyes off Zade. Away from the man that has made my heart break at every second despite how much I try to forget. Forget how good he used to make me feel up till the moment he cheated on me.

I shift my gaze to Jillian and say, " I need to see Kymon—please."

But, Zade speaks next. " It's been quite a while since I've seen you. No hugs or kisses?"

" Not now Zade." Jillian chides, rolling his eyes but Zade just keeps smirking at me which makes my guts twists.

Seconds later, he avarts his gaze to his uncle and says, " Why don't you head back in, I'll handle matters here? You've had quite a rough day."

Jillian says nothing. He looks at me, his gaze switching expressions from confusion to anger to warmth to something calculating. He hums a response and disappears into the house.

As far as I've known, Jillian is the closest to Kymon and Zade. He treats them better than their father ever did. I've heard rumors from the workers at the mansion that Kymon used to get maltreated by his father. I have seen a huge amount of the scars stamped on the upper part of his body when I got a chance to see him shirtless.

The sight still makes me shudder. It was so many. So deep. I can just imagine the pain he must have gone through— and now, I think he deserves it. I think his father must have realized the demon his child was before everyone else did.

" Earth to Lyra."

My gaze shifts to Zade and I remember what I'm here for. I remember Cas is still in the hands of those spineless demons.

" Open the damn gate."

He crosses his arms around his chest, rest a hand on the gate and winks. " Say please, my love."

Something is crawling in my stomach and I hate it so much.

" Please, open the damn gate." I say through gritted teeth.

He shakes his head dismissively and stands straight. " No…" he pauses, looks at Cas's mother who is behind me then looks at me. Scans my face and his jaw slightly loosens. " You've been crying? Why?"

Patience. Patience.

" Zade, open the gate."

" Not until you tell me why you've been crying."

As if he cares. As if he hasn't been the cause of my tears for the past months. As if he stopped making love to that girl when I was standing before him, crying and begging him to stop.

He makes me sick. This whole place does.

" Zade, can you just open the freaking gate!" I snap and he flinches slightly at my outburst.

" I'm sorry but I can't open the gate for you unless the Alpha permits me to. You are forbidden from entering here unless he gives his permission, remember?"

Of course, yes. Before, I could visit this place as much as I wanted even though Kymon wasn't happy with me around. Anytime, I stayed for breakfast or dinner, he'd skip coming to the dinning hall. When he heard Zade's pathetic lie against me, it was very easy and relieving for him to restrict me from coming here.

" Meanwhile, what business do you have seeing my brother? We both know he loothes your presence."

I almost tell him his brother killed Bryn and blamed it on Cas but he's the least person I can ever trust.

KYMON'S POV

Three moves forward and a move to the left and the king has fallen.

" That's unfair Kymon!" Heidi whines, staring at me with wide eyes for the fifth time since I defeated her five times in less than thirty minutes. " At least, take a free fall for a lady."

I gesture for the chess board to a guard. He nods and packs it up while I sit straight. " Maybe for a lady but definitely not my fellow Alpha. Future Alpha."

" There's no pity in rulership Heidi." I assert and she tries to hide it. She tries to hide a smile.

" This is a board game!"

" That's the reason you lose every time. You see it as a board game and I see it as my pack."

She stares at me. Her eyes are soft and everything far from when I've seen her talk to her people. " But then you must agree that a king without his queen is living a life full of danger and angst."

I play with the ring on my index finger and stare at the fire burning on a torch by the right corner of the room.

She's infact true. I have been a wreck without Freya. The whole world seems like bats hiding in the forest at midnight, watching me. But, I am too prideful to admit that and she's only saying this because she wants me to move on which I can't.

For a year now, she has been proposing we marry and join packs but even as much beautiful and endowed she is, I can't marry another female. Death is meant to see me single.

" Leave us." She says and there's silence for a few seconds before all her accompaniment leaves the room and it's just us. " That's why you killed your queen so quickly. You are not ready to embrace a new queen?"

I look at her and she's puffing on a pipe placed on her lap.

" Isn't it killing you to be celibate or without a woman for years?

" I was born alone. I don't need a woman for any sort of pleasure or satisfaction."

For some reason, she blushes. She drops the smoke and looks at me, pursing her lips. " You are a very composed male. It would be very lovely to have you as my better half. Kymon, you have no clue what two of us would be capable of if we were together."

Her eyes are filled with desperation which makes me regret accepting to play chess with her. I know she isn't the right woman for me because the only woman I'd forever be enchanted by, body and soul is dead.

There is a knock on the door and I'm glad because I have an excuse not to turn her down again.

" Come in." I say and one of the gatekeepers saunters into the room.

" Lyra Reyes is seeking for you."

My gaze moves to the five footed window.

Finally,

I have been expecting her.

" Is she alone?"

" No, she's with an old lady and your brother." He responds and I nod.

" Tell my brother to bring her into my lounge." I instruct and he nods and leaves.

As soon as I get to my feet, Heidi gets up and looks at me in confusion. " Lyra Reyes? I thought you prohibited her from coming here."

I'm not sure how that information got to her but I won't say I am surprised. She knows everything about the women I speak to and the woman I which I could never have anything to do with.

There's something intangible about Lyra that reminds me so much of Adena.

" Except when my permission is granted." I say and leave the room for the lounge.