Chapter 57: Regret.

Bella’s pov.

“Hope we’re not interrupting anything!” Angel grating voice called out as she bursted through my office door, her smirk from earlier still plastered on her face.

I wanted to roll my eyes so badly, but managed to hold it in. She’s the Queen after all. I can’t do that to her.

‘We could,’ Tundra added, making me roll my eyes.

“No,” I said calmly, folding my hands in my lap, “we were expecting you.”

She sneered while looking me up and down, king Karl coming in from behind her.

“Well. Let’s get this meeting over with, I want to return home,” he grumbled, taking a seat and crossing his foot over his knee.

“As I was speaking to Bella earlier… I agree to help you when you need it. I’ll even bring some of our warriors with me if you want. But under no circumstances will I be moving back to the kingdom. It’s not what I want. I hope you can respect my decision. I want to be able to help you, brother. But you are making it hard when you aren’t letting me make my own decisions,” John said slowly, letting the king register every word.

He nodded his head slowly at first, searching John's face as he thought about what he was going to say to John's proposal.

“I hear you,” he started to say, clicking his tongue as he looked towards me, “but… you see, I don’t just want you to ‘help’ me when I need it. I wanted you there, at all times, ready for anything. I know this has to do with her, but do you really think you’ll never find your mate out there somewhere? Brother. You still have time. Do you really want to risk never finding her? What if she’s at the kingdom, we’ve had lots of new members join us recently, you could find her while you’re there. Just listen to reason, John. Just move back home, stop asking so many questions and stop saying no.”

John looked towards me before putting his head down.

I almost thought he was about to agree. About to basically sign his life away to the king, his older brother.

But his fists clenched, and he stood up.

“I told you what I was willing to do. You couldn’t respect that so I guess you should know about this now. There’s no reason to keep it a secret anymore,” he said with so much anger, so much impatience.

I almost didn’t think it was John talking, from the way he sounded and the way he was talking. It went like him at all.

I glanced towards Angel and saw her eyes widened impossibly large, her mouth opening and closing as if she didn’t know what to do, what to say.

“What do I need to know?” The king asked curiously, leaning in towards John.

“I had already found my mate. And she chose another over me, even after our wolves bonded intimately…” he started to say, his voice sounding faraway as he reminisced in his thoughts, “she was beautiful. And I thought she was honest and kind. But I learned her true colours the hard way… she broke my heart, brother. And that’s why I came here in the first place, so you see, I won’t go back there. You can’t make me.”

The king's eyes widened a smidge, just enough that I noticed it.

“What kind of she wolf would do that to their mate? If mine didn’t die before we even met I would’ve never stopped looking for her. That bond is sacred, one of a kind. You don’t usually get a second chance, it’s next to impossible. You hold onto that bond forever, cherish it. What kind of fool would throw it all away? And especially you? You’re the king's second son, the strongest werewolf in the kingdom… who is the fool who left you?”

John looked at Angel, her head shaking repeatedly as her hands waved around.

She was frantic, scared. She didn’t want the king to know.

But I think John had enough of keeping it a secret from his brother.

“She’s… sitting right behind you. My mate, brother. Is Angel, your chosen mate,” he dropped, the king's eyes widening so large, I didn’t think they could get that big.

He turned around slowly, looking at a panicked Angel.

“He’s- hes!” She tried to get out while staring at her mate in fear, gasping for air as she panicked, having no wolf to help her.

“Is it true?” He asked her darkly, his voice laced with rage and betrayal.

“It’s… its…” she stuttered, still not able to get anything out, totally caught up in her lies.

“I’m not lying, brother. She was my mate, and she chose you over me. So you see, I’d hope you wouldn’t make me come back to the kingdom, where the mate who betrayed me for my brother lives,” John said calmly, his body tensed as he watched the scene in front of him.

The king got up. Walking towards John slowly.

John looked at him confused before he grabbed John and pulled him into a tight hug, John's face turning into shock.

“I’m sorry, John. I never knew. I swear I never knew. If I did, I would’ve never taken her as a chosen mate. I’m honestly disgusted with her actions right now. I don’t even want to look at her. What she’s done is unforgivable. I don’t know how I can continue to stay with someone who betrayed my little brother like that. I’m shocked. She was totally deceitful. I can’t believe she tricked me into mating with her, in making her the queen. She doesn’t even deserve the title,” he said with so much sadness, so much regret, “Angel… Please leave. I can’t even look at you right now. Just get out of my sight.

Angel whimpered before she ran out of the door, her cries filtering through the room as she left the door wide open.

“Wow,” John mumbled, “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever hugged me.”

The king laughed, a real laugh. It was full of longing, obviously he missed John…

“Oh, little John. I missed you, my little brother. I’m sorry, let me actually apologize to you. I don’t know how or why… but I let power and greed get to me. And for that, I am sorry. You’ll always be my family, my little John. I’ll take you up on the deal… under one condition,” he said while smiling at John.

I think the first smile he’s ever had on his face.

“And what would that be?” John asked with a small smirk on his face. Prepared for what the king had to say.