Before returning to our room, I make it a point to take a bath. Thus, it's already past mid-morning when I ask the servant if Theo is alone in the room.
"I think the King is waiting for you, Miss Kaiya," one servant adds.
"He's been looking for you the instant he woke up," another adds.
"He's not in a good mood," the other shares again.
The corner of my lips turns upward. This won't be good. I move towards the closed door and knock, "King Theo, I am back."
I hear the shuffling of feet inside. I look at the other servants. They bow at me and start to scurry away from me. I am still watching them leave when the door opens, and someone pulls me inside. Then it's followed by the deafening crash of the door against its frame.
"Where have you been?!" Theo screams at my face. "You are supposed to be back last night!"
I look away. "I had too many drinks and fall asleep somewhere," I say.
He smashes the door beside my head. "I've warned you not to drink! Who are you with?!"
"It's not important. Besides, I returned last night, but you are too busy with Princess Kissa so I decided to stroll around the palace instead."
"Kissa left around midnight!"
I snort. I turn my attention back to him. "Are you being proud that you fucked a princess until midnight?"
His jaws move in anger and misplaced jealousy. "You know what I feel about being with other women. You know that if I can choose, I will always want to be with you."
"But you didn't choose that," I say, and push at his chest.
"Kaiya-"
"I have a headache, Theo. So please, stop nagging me."
"I'm not nagging you. I just want to know if you are still mine alone."
I roll my eyes at him and take my side of the room. I lean on the wall and close my eyes. It didn't take long when I sense Theo kneeling before me. I open my eyes just in time before he cups my face. There is a pained expression on his face.
"Don't touch me," I warn him.
"Kaiya, don't walk away from me."
"I will, if you touch me," I say.
He clenches his jaw and pulls back. "Fine. Just know that we will leave today so, prepare your things."
I already know we will leave early, as Seth had mentioned. But today? He's being too fast. "I thought you still want to learn more about concubinage?"
He frowns at me. "Why are you asking? Do you want to stay here?"
"I am tied to you. So, I have no say in the matter," I answer, retracting my words.
I push at him and stand up. I have very few clothes so it's easy to take care of my things. When I turn my attention back to him, he is looking forlorn. There is a hunched look on his shoulders and there is the pained expression that had never left his face. And yet, since he promised he won't pursue me, he is fighting against himself.
"Should I also take care of your clothes, my King?"
"Let the servants do it."
"I am also your servant so I should do it."
I start to take care of his clothes when he strides toward me and touches my hand. "Kaiya…" There is the sound of begging in his voice again. But that's all he can do so, I snatch my hands from him and move away.
"I will call another servant then," I say. I dash to the door and order a servant so they can take care of his things.


******************
The sun is high when we reach Orttenburg port. I see familiar faces again. Ami is on the side of the ship, holding a rope that's connected to the mast.
"Let me help," I offer when I approach her. I take the rope from her, but she snatches it again from me.
"You can't," she whispers.
"I am supposed to help you with the navigation, right? As payment for teaching me wind magic?"
She points behind me, and I follow her gaze. Theo is glaring at us.
"The King specifically ordered that you will not be allowed to do other tasks. He ordered that your task will be… protecting him. I'm sorry, Kaiya, but we can still talk every time you are free."
I turn my attention back to Theo. This time, Princess Kissa is hugging his arms to her voluptuous chest. Don't tell me he wants to make me jealous until I break?! That heartless man! I stride toward him, to tell him I need other things to do other than protecting him, but then the sound of fanfare booms on the port.
I move past Theo and Princess Kissa and look at the chaos. It's Seth and Darius! Seth waves at me and asks to be allowed into the ship.
"Kaiya!" he exclaims. "You are escaping me too early!" He embraces me and then he whispers, "You forgot some of my gifts."
"Gift?"
"Bring it up," Seth orders.
And then a cart of bookshelves comes up into the ship. I exclaim, especially when I realize that the books on the shelves are mostly limited editions based on their spine.
Seth takes my hands and says, "I've read all of them already. I enjoyed them and so I want to give them to you. Maybe in that way, once you are back in Pitchford, you will remember what we talked about here."
"I…" I have nothing to say. This gift is just too much! But I don't want to return it either. I want them. I want to read these books. "T-thank you, Seth," is all I could say with this overwhelming sense of gratitude.
He grins. "I have more." He leans towards me and whispers, "But if I give you more, I doubt your king will allow the books to be onboarded. I'm sure he'll say something about maximizing the load."
"Is that what he's thinking now?"
"He's currently calculating the weight of the books. But knowing that he can't use that. He plans to accidentally burn them."
"He can't do that!"
"Oh!" he exclaims. Seth looks darkly at Theo. "He wants to break you to the point that you have nothing and no one else but him…" He shifts his attention back to me. He looks apprehensive and his hands on me tighten. "I… Don't go with him, Kaiya. You will suffer. Stay here with me."
I smile sadly at him. If only I can. Besides, I am not surprised that those are his thoughts. He had already hinted at those to me.
"I will be fine. I can handle him," I say. Although, I think it should be more apt to say that I think I can handle him. I broke once, so I don't have proof of my ability to handle him.
"Then be rest assured, I will visit you in Pitchford soon. I will check up on you and when that day comes, don't hesitate to tell me if you need to leave him. You don't need to be by my side but I will still help you," he grins and then adds, "Although you will be safer with me. It's also my wish to have you as my Queen."
I smile at him and squeeze back at his grip. "Thank you, Seth."
Knowing that nothing will change my mind, he says, "Darius also wants to show his respect before you leave."
Darius climbs into the ship and approaches. Then he kneels before me and raises a knife above his head.
"Kaiya, please accept this farewell gift. This is a special knife that can cut through everything. I am giving this to you, hoping it will protect your life."
Trembling with gratefulness, I take the handle of the knife. It is beautiful. There are strange carvings on the blade and somehow, I knew that this gift is related to me being the Alpha Queen.
"Thank you," I whisper, hugging the knife to my chest. I try to keep my tears from falling, in fear that the other Pitchford citizens will take it negatively.
Darius stands up and gives me a small smile, the most I've seen in him.
"Seems like you are being so free in giving gifts to my personal guard," Theo comments.
I am too happy that I never noticed his approach. Then, I glance at Princess Kissa who is still hanging in his arms. I clench my jaws as I stop the pain in my heart. I look uncertainly at both Seth and Darius.
"We will take our leave," Darius says.
"I wish you safe travels, Kaiya," Seth says.
Princess Kissa untangles herself from Theo and embraces her older brother. "I will miss you."
They are still speaking, when Theo pulls me to him and places a quick kiss on my lips. He separates from me the instant Kissa turns her attention back to us.
Instead of feeling happy about it, I feel even worse. It feels as if I am someone so beneath him that he cannot show others the way he kisses me. I will just be someone kissed behind closed doors.
So when Kissa goes back to Theo. I make my distance and hug myself. I just can't believe that mate bonds can be this painful.
Suddenly, Seth passes Theo and Princess Kissa, and in front of everyone, he lifts my face and kisses me full in the mouth. Something that I didn't know how to respond to, so I freeze instead.
"I am also a King of a powerful nation, Kaiya," he whispers. "So, don't feel so undeserving of love."
"You s-said you can't read a w-werewolf's mind," I say, my voice cracking.
"I don't need to hear your mind to know what you are thinking," he says and lets me go. He bows a bit to Theo and Princess Kissa before leaving.
When Seth and Darius are out of earshot, Princess Kissa squeals. She holds my hands and says, "My older brother likes you! I have never seen him act like that with a woman! Much less kiss a woman! Ah! I think he loves you! I think you will be my sister soon!"
"Kissa!" Theo's voice comes. "I will show you our room."
She grins. "Talk to you later, girl."
She runs towards Theo and I close my fist. Theo says 'our room' and I am certain what room he is referring to–the same one he and I previously shared, the one we shared our passions. I clench my jaws and have no choice but to follow them. But making sure I keep my distance while my heart is continuously being shattered by pain.