Chapter 51 Forbidden Mate
We’re still in the air. The large bird carrying Kaizer is leading the way, while the one Travis and I are on and the one Randall is on keep pace with it.
Travis and Randall are chatting about all sorts of things, while Kaizer and I stay quiet. But soon I notice the two vampires exchanging looks that only they understand. Why don’t they want Kaizer and me to hear?
Randall moves his bird closer to ours and whispers softly to me.
“What’s the big problem with Kaizer Alaric? Why won’t he sit next to you? I thought you two were okay now?” he asks, glancing occasionally at Kaizer up front.
“He’s mad, Randall,” I answer quietly.
I won’t force Kaizer to notice me like before. I know he’s angry, and if I rush to make everything go back to how it was, he might pull away even more. The important thing is he still talks to me when I ask him something.
“Mad huh?” I hear Travis say from behind me.
“Kaizer! Want to exchange positions?” Travis shouts loudly, making my eyes widen.
Fuck! Doesn’t he understand Kaizer doesn’t want to sit next to me?
We wait for the Ice Prince to answer, but minutes pass and he says nothing to Travis. Damn it, Travis shouldn’t have spoken up. My eyes start to burn again. Fuck. This is my fault, this is what my decisions brought me.
“You’re being stubborn, Kaizer! Pay attention to Saera, you’ll give in first anyway!”
I gape at Travis’s loud shout. What the fuck? Don’t they know Kaizer’s in a bad mood?!
“Always gives in,” Randall laughs.
But less than a minute later, Travis quickly pulls my head down to avoid something flying toward us, Kaizer’s sharp ice.
“Damn it! Kaizer almost hit me!” Randall complains.
“Shut up. Where’s Astrid?”
I swallow hard at Kaizer’s question. Should I tell him Astrid found her mate? Will they accept that the man destined for Astrid isn’t from their kind?
“I’m here, brothers,” Astrid answers quietly. We all turn to look at her at once, and I hear the Lancasters mutter together.
“Who the hell is that dog with Astrid?” Randall shouts loudly. How did they know right away?
“You smell like him,” Travis scoffs.
“Do you think Larkin will let him live?” I gape at what Kaizer says.
Astrid stays quiet and doesn’t even try to look at her brothers.
“Should I hunt him down?” Randall asks Kaizer.
“I’ll go with you,” Travis says coldly.
“Wait!” I cut in on the siblings’ conversation.
They all stare at me and wait for what I’ll say.
“He’s Astrid’s mate, you know what that word means, Kaizer. How can you talk about killing your sister’s destined partner?”
The three Lancasters frown at what I say.
“Astrid is a princess, Saera, a crowned princess. It would shame the entire empire for her to be with another race. A race that can never get along with vampires, and I know you understand that, Astrid,” Kaizer says seriously.
“I know, I was just playing with that wolf,” Astrid answers quietly.
I almost frown at what she says. Playing? Can she really say that?
“If only you could use that excuse on Larkin, Astrid,” Travis says coldly.
“Alright! Fine, open the path for us, Astrid. I don’t want to spend three months in the air,” Randall complains.
They let Astrid’s bird go first, and soon she releases thick red smoke. Our huge birds start passing through it.
When we finally get past the thick smoke, I almost stare in shock as I see the whole Wisteria palace below us.
“You’re amazing, Astrid,” I say with a smile.
I thought we’d be traveling for a month like I expected.
“Am I? I don’t think so, Saera…” Astrid says meaningfully.
I don’t get to answer her because her bird flies ahead to land at the palace.
Soon we land too. When we go inside, the remaining Lancasters greet us right away, the Majesty, Elliot, Enid, and Chase all with furrowed brows.
Astrid walks ahead first, and when she reaches Larkin, she kneels down immediately, shocking me. What the hell is happening?
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, I gave in to my emotions. I promise I’ll forget the wo—”
She doesn’t finish speaking before Larkin slaps her hard. My body almost trembles at what’s happening.
What the fuck is going on?
“You know the rules, Astrid!” Larkin shouts harshly. This is the first time I’ve heard him raise his voice, he’s always calm, and I never thought he had this side to him.
Is this still about Astrid’s wolf mate? Why can’t they understand it’s not Astrid’s fault if a wolf is destined for her?!
“Why did you let this happen?!” Larkin asks firmly, looking at the three Lancasters who have now knelt before him too.
I stay behind, shocked at what’s greeting me.
“This is my fault, Your Majesty, let me end the wolf’s life,” Kaizer says firmly.
What the fuck?! Is killing always the solution?
“Larkin! Let me go back to Avirife,” Randall shouts loudly.
“Let me kill the bastard,” Travis adds.
Can these Lancasters hear what they’re saying? It’s like they’re killing Astrid too if they kill her destined man.
“Wait, what if there’s a child? Astrid could be pregnant, would you kill the baby’s father?” Enid cuts in.
I feel like I’m about to faint at their conversation. Pregnant? Did Soren and Astrid already do something? How did they know? My god! Is this why the Lancasters are so angry?
“No child will come, I’m sure of it,” Astrid answers her siblings before standing up and running away, wiping her tears as she goes.
I watch the remaining Lancasters’ reactions, none of them bother to go after her. They stay quiet until Larkin finally comes to his senses.
“Welcome back, Yvaine.”
Instead of smiling back at the first prince, I speak right away.
“Aren’t you being too cruel to Astrid? That wolf is destined for her, Kaizer, don’t you understand your sister’s situation? You of all people should understand her, since you have a mate like hers.”
Don’t they know Astrid is hurt hearing her own brothers want to kill her destined man? Don’t they know what they’re doing to her?
“Our situation is different from Astrid’s, Saera. If Astrid keeps seeing the wolf, it will only cause conflict between our races. Because we can never accept each other. Astrid and the wolf would only fight their own kinds and that could cost them their lives,” Kaizer explains to me.
“Will you let Astrid be miserable?” I ask him weakly.
“This is for her own good, Saera,” Elliot cuts in.
The Majesty doesn’t let us finish talking before leaving, and Chase follows too.
Kaizer and I keep staring at each other.
“Our situation is very different from theirs, Saera. Because what Astrid is fighting is the principles, rules, and beliefs of our kind, passed down from our ancestors. But do you know what you’re fighting, Saera? My love for you, love that I no longer know how to prove.”
I freeze at what Kaizer says. I can’t find an answer because I know he has good reason to say this. I stay quiet until he turns his back on me completely.
His brothers follow him right away, and only Enid stays to keep me company.
“Don’t mind them, that’s just how the Lancaster men are. I’ll take you to your room now.”
I just nod at her, and as we walk to my room, Kaizer’s words stay in my head. Damn. How do I fix things between us?
We reach “my” room where I can rest for now. I’m surprised right away, before, Kaizer never let me sleep in another bed. He wanted me to sleep only in his room, even if he didn’t stay next to me. Damn. So much has changed.