Chapter 7 - Strike Back

Fiona’s POV.

When I return to the meeting room with Micah, I find that a delicate-looking woman has joined us. She is sitting next to Jeremy and he has an arm draped around her shoulders. The king watches them with approval, even as his eyes narrow with scorn when he sees Micah and I enter.

“If only you could have chosen someone like Leah, I wouldn’t be getting such a headache right now.” He says to Micah, his voice heavy with disapproval.

Leah.

The Royal girl who Jeremy abandoned me for. Weirdly enough, I no longer feel as heartbroken as I once was. However, Jeremy clearly thinks otherwise as he looks at me with a smirk. He squeezes the girl to his side, causing her to look up at him in adoration. Meanwhile, his eyes are trained on me as if waiting for a reaction.

I don’t give him one as I quietly sit back down.

“Lucky for me then, that the woman I marry needs to appeal to me and not you, father.” Micah says smoothly but there is an edge to his words. For a moment, I have the urge to gasp and my eyes flit to the king in panic who has his lips pursed.

Something foreign trickles in my heart as I look at Micah. Nobody has stood up for me like this in my entire life. Somehow, it makes me more determined to win this vote that the king seems sure that I will lose.

Tell the king that you won’t marry Micah now. Save yourself the humiliation of being kicked out by a vote and let my brother bear the brunt of this stupidity. Do this, and I will still let you warm my bed.

The color drains from my face as I hear Jeremy’s mocking words in my head through the mind link. I look at him in shock. I can’t believe he has a woman at his side and he is still threatening me right in the middle of everything.

You think you can win this vote? Even if our grandmother votes for you, the king and the queen never will. I sure as fuck will not. You won’t have the support of the majority and you will be kicked out of here like a stray dog. So, help yourself Fiona. Tell them this was Micah’s idea and save yourself. After all, I know you did all this for me and now your job is done, you have my attention.

His words make me sick and I cannot believe his audacity. He thinks I am still in love with him after the way he brutally broke my heart and ruined my life. He thinks he knows me and believes I would never stand up to his contempt.

Something rises in my chest. Maybe, in the past I would have let myself be bullied by him but now, the idea of throwing Micah under the bus when he is the only one who has shown me some respect, makes something break within me.

I am going to win the vote, Jeremy. You will be the one voting for me and you will convince your mother as well.

I say the words to him softly through the mind link and watch him scoff. It’s clear that he doesn’t take me seriously. But, I need to show him that he should.

Slowly, I turn towards Leah.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Leah. News about you marrying Prince Jeremy is everywhere...”

Immediately, Jeremy frowns, not liking me addressing his fiance. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that Jeremy cares more about appearances than anything. Right now, he has the favor of the king because he is marrying the woman most suited to his status. Anything jeopardizing that will be his downfall. Jeremy would never stand for it.

The only thing he is forgetting is that I can ruin his image in a few seconds.

Leah blushes softly at me and my heart immediately feels heavier. I am not built for schemes. I don’t want to hurt her in any way. I know I am bluffing. I won’t really go through with telling her about my relationship with Jeremy. I am just hoping Jeremy thinks I will so he stops from ruining my marriage with Micah.

What are you doing? I hear Jeremy’s angered and slightly panicked voice in my head but I ignore it.

“It’s a good thing too. Now, the news of your union has completely overshadowed all rumors of Jeremy’s terrible breakup with his ex.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I see Jeremy turn to stone. Leah frowns softly, not understanding where I am coming from.

“Really? But, Jeremy told me his last relationship was two years ago.”

Stop this nonsense right now, Fiona! Jeremy’s voice is like acid in my head. Don’t you care about your father anymore? His crime case will be judged in a month. If you go back on your words now, I’ll still help you.

My heart sinks at his words but I don’t back down. I know now that if you show submission to people like Jeremy, they will hurt you more. They will keep taking from you until there is nothing left.

“Oh really? That’s not what I heard. Just yesterday somebody told me-”

“Well, people have nothing to do with their lives than talk trash about others!” Jeremy’s voice cuts me off. “My last relationship was two years ago and everything else is just mindless gossip.”

He says, his voice barely restrained. Slowly, I look at him and I find him looking back at me with pure malice.

Fine. You win this time. He whispers harshly to me through the mind link. I will vote for this stupid marriage and I will convince my mother to as well. But, this is far from over and you will pay for this.

I swallow hard, trying to control my nerves. I don’t take Jeremy's threat lightly but the fear of his threat is less than the relief that overcomes me.

Finally, the king conducts the voting and I sit there with my heart in my throat, waiting for the results.

After a beat too long, the King looks at me and Micah, with his face full of fury.

“For some stupid reason, my family has decided to accept you, Fiona. As king, I cannot go back on my word so you shall marry Micah to continue this joke of a marriage.”

With that he stomps out of the room. Soon, one by one, they all leave the room, leaving me alone with Micah.

When I finally lift my face to look at him, there is an intense expression on his face. Slowly, he leans towards me until I can feel his minty breath on my face. My heart starts to pound and heat rushes to my face.

“There’s more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there, little dove?”

His whisper comes out both devilishly seductive and icy cold at the same time. I want to hide as well as stay rooted in the spot.

“I watched you. You did something that had Jeremy scared shitless. You made the vote work in your favor, didn’t you?”

He raises an eyebrow and there is amusement in his eyes as they trace all over my face. I feel nervous because of his attention. Does he think less of me now that he feels like I did something out of character? For some unfathomable reason, I feel a deep need for him to like me.

Hating this side of me, I slowly lower my eyes. I have only just averted my head when strong, slender fingers grip my chin until I am forced to look back at Micah. My lips part involuntarily at the look on his face.

“I have decided I like it when you make things go your way, sweetheart.” The indirect complement makes my heart feel a million times lighter and I unconsciously lean into his touch.

Slowly, he bends down until his lips are on the shell of my ear and when he speaks, my entire body shivers.

“However, make no mistake. No matter the result of that stupid vote today, nothing and nobody would have stopped me from making you my wife.”

This time, I do gasp at the sheer possessiveness lacing his words. It causes me to jerk back and look at him with wide eyes. He laughs at my shock and lightly chucks me under the chin. Then, just like that, he takes my hand and leads me out of the room.

I feel boneless as my body follows him without a word.

I fear that at this moment, I would follow him to hell if he took me there.

____________________

Third Person POV.

When Queen Alara comes back to her chambers, she finds her husband, the Lycan king furious.

"Alara," he growls, his voice hard. Instantly, she feels fear run through her. She wasn’t happy when her son mindlinked her and convinced her to vote in support of that wretched Fiona. The girl was blackmailing Jeremy with their past and they had no choice but to accept her marriage with Micah even when they knew the king was completely against it.

"You and Jeremy went against my wishes," His words trail off, but his eyes burn with accusation.

Alara's heart skips a beat. She couldn’t possibly tell him about Jeremy’s past with Fiona. It will irreparably harm her son’s reputation and destroy any chance of him at the throne. So, she stays silent, hoping his anger passes.

His expression twists into a sneer. "Do not think your cunning goes unnoticed, Alara. I see through your schemes. You and Jeremy believe you can play this game without consequences. I know you voted for that commoner so that Micah loses the chance to gain power by marrying in an influential family. You are undermining his chances for succession, I see that as clear as day."

Alara's pulse quickens. She knows she must tread carefully. While her circumstances were not ideal and she’d rather that girl Fiona was thrown far away, she can’t deny that hurting Micah’s chances at the throne and causing the king to dislike him did appeal to her. However, she tries her best not to show that on her face.

"I would never do that, my king! I only voted for her because Prince Micah felt so strongly about it. I only wanted him to be happy and I have nothing but the best intentions for the kingdom, my lord."

The Lycan King steps closer, his hand suddenly shooting out to strike her cheek with a resounding crack. Alara's head snaps to the side from the force of the blow, her cheek stinging with pain.

"Your intentions are irrelevant if they do not align with mine," he hisses and then walks out without sparing her a second glance.

She watches him go with a twisted expression, resentment bubbling inside her. How dare he strike her like this?

This was all because of that bloody Fiona!

She clenches her fists, blame simmering within her. If it weren't for that woman, none of this would have happened.

Summoning a maid with a curt gesture, Alara's eyes gleam with malice.

"Tell me, have Miss Fiona and Prince Micah settled in the palace?"

The maid, taken aback by the sudden edge in the queen's voice, stammers, " Y-yes, Your Highness."

Alara's lips curl into a calculated smile.

"See to it that she remains undisturbed... for now."

The maid nods hesitantly and scurries off, leaving Alara alone with her thoughts. As she stands there, a plan begins to take shape—a way to shift the tides of fortune back in her favor and make that filthy commoner pay for what she deserves.