Zion

The night is a blurred memory, from the moment the ring slid onto my finger to the moment where I now stand beside Zion, my skin paling as I watch Elijah approach. It’s been two hours since I gave my answer, and now I stand beside a man I hardly know, who is way older than me, who says he did not kill my parents, and I am not engaged to.

Elijah’s smile doesn’t help either as he gets closer, his smile on the verge of becoming a smirk. My left hand is behind my back, I’ve been trying to keep the ring as hidden as possible, not wanting any drama for the night. “My dearest Sybil,” Elijah greets, his toothy grin making me wonder what he is up to.

“Elijah, good to see you,” I reply, feeling Zion tighten his hold around my waist as he chats with a noble. “Did you bring Zelda?” I ask, referring to his mate as another song plays in the background.

He cocks his head to the side, his eyes leaving me and towards a beautiful woman who chats with Lord Kane. The woman is breathtaking, her locks of black hair cascading over her shoulders, her bright and blue eyes almost glowing. Clad in a beautiful silver gown stands the woman who I want to ask how she puts up with Elijah. “She’s beautiful.”

“Indeed she is,” Elijah smirks. “Not to mention Zion hates it.”

“Why?”

“Cousin of the King, the one I had talked oath him about when we first met,” Elijah explains as I remember his comment after he fell in the water, how he pulls bang her twice as hard when he saw her again. “She’s back from New Zealand thanks to the ball.”

Nodding my head, I watch as Elijah extends his gloved hand to me, asking me for a dance silently. As I feel Zion’s eyes look at me, his hold loosens up and I’m let go to dance with his best friend and on the verge of crazy one as well. This morning one of the maids helping spray tan me commented that Elijah had taken down all of the massive curtains of the dinning room and sent them off to a tailer to be made into a suit. They later explained that he was high off of some herb in his tea.

No surprise there.

I’m pulled into the sea of people dancing to anther classical piece, my fingers shaking as I notice my left hand will be on display no matter what. Right away, I turn the ring around, causing it to look like a smile band as my hand is placed upon his shoulder.

“I guess you want to keep it a secret as long as possible?” Elijah inquires, raising an eyebrow as he mentions the ring. “But congratulations no matter what, no everyday something like that happens to someone like you.”

He’s right, it’s not everyday that a rogue is engaged to an Alpha King. It’s not everyday the Alpha King even cares for a poor rogue. “I just don’t want people knowing about it tonight, just that more attention would be drawn and drama arise.”

“You truly are wiser than most your age,” Elijah comments, taking the first steps into the dance as I follow around. “No wonder Zion picked you, he needs some more mature but still having a cooky side.”

“Cooky?” Elijah smiles, twirling me around, and as he does, I meet Zion’s stare with a short gaze. He’s chatting with a group of three royal women, smaller tiaras upon their golden heads as they try and flirt. Zion is mine? Is he? He has basically declared his undying love for me, but does that mean I can claim possession like a mate does? “Well, becoming rogue at a younger age does make you grow up faster,” I point out as I’m facing Elijah again, a few people catching the merino of me being rogue as they shun their eyes and scoff.

“Don’t worry about them.” I look around at all the people, the sea that floods. Many Alphas dance with either their mates or those with higher titles. “Besides, you’ve earned their respect, enough to let them put a major part of the war planning in your hands.”

“And I bet most of it will be scripted. I bet Zion will have some officials writing down my every speech. I may have won their respect, but not their trust.”

“You have won Zion’s trust,” Elijah points out, taking me for a dip as I feel gravity pull at me. Gravity trying to pull me down and back to the life of someone low. Elijah pulls me back up as the dance becomes a slower waltz, making me happy as the heels ache still. “And believe me, he will let you speak freely, unless you screw up.”

As the dance comes to an end, Elijah walks me back over to Zion, parting as I watch Zelda pull him off to the floor for a dance. I do believe, that our of everyone here in the palace, Elijah is my only friend. Penelope? I’m still undecided upon. Keva? I have no clue in the world what she is to me, but I know she doesn’t want to become friends, nor enemies. Keva wants to help, and I guess I’ve done her an injustice by accepting Zion’s proposal. A big one at that too.

“I think it’s time for the last toast,” Zion states as I regain my position beside him, an arm around my waist. “Short and simple, or-

“Short and simple, my heels are killing me and I bet some people need to get home before they turn out too drunk to walk,” I reply, motioning towards a small group of Lords by the alcohol as they laugh and do impersonation. Zion chuckles, agreeing with me as one of the guards rushes over to him, handing him another glass of champagne as I am given one as well.

As multiple people see this, they pause what they are going and footmen rush around handing out glasses for the last toast.

As Zion begins to speak, something catches my eyes. A woman stands by the archway of the garden, far in the back, hidden from everyone else. She’s in gold again, her signature color, those eyes watching me with a presence that makes me shudder.

The glasses are raised as I raise mine as well, focused on the woman as she remains still and unseen. As the taste of the alcohol fills my mouth like everyone else’s, I each as she disappears into those flakes of gold within a second. She’s gone once more.

And she knows the secret. The secret of my to-be marriage to a man she has warned me of.

As the time passes bye, people begin to depart from the palace or just the room in general, laughter still happening. I’m escorted by Zion down the familiar hall, the silence between the two of us making me wonder if it is out of sheer tiredness, or something else? “Great party,” I comment, killing the silence as Zion takes a left turn. I follow in pursuit as the familiar bookshelf comes to sight, Zion opening up the door as I’m let in. “Does the Senate go back in session tomorrow?”

Thankfully he answers this one, letting no silence be present. “We do, at eight to let some people kill off the buzz of alcohol. Potions will be delivered to help as well.” I nod, walking down the hallway as my door nears. “You will be there tomorrow, to help with the rogue ordeal.”

“I’ll be there,” I respond, grabbing ahold of my doorknob. Just as I turn the knob, I’m spun around, pulled forward into a hard chest. With my ear pressed against his chest, I listen to the King’s heartbeat, one that makes me think that although he seems like someone who would never die, who holds all of this authority, who seems unbreakable, this one organ is his weakness. No, not because of some cliché love drama, but because it’s a kill spot. It lets me know he is as vulnerable as me when it comes to the heart.

Zion steps away, taking my arm as I’m led further down the hall, right to the massive oak doors. As they open, I get another peek at the massive and dark room. Just like before, the room is one massive chamber, the four poster bed in the center with a deep crimson duvet, the curtains pulled shut, the fireplace crackling, and the room feeling like an isolated tomb.

I’m pulled in, though much on my own will as the smell of spices hit my nose. Zion let’s me go, heading over to his fireplace as he takes off the crown and his sash, throwing them onto a beautiful chair. Next to go is his suit jacket, and then, he stops, walking back over to me as he rolls up his sleeves.

Taking my left hand, he kisses the back of it, looking deep into my tired eyes as the only noise I can hear is the pounding of my heart. He pulls on my hand, leading it towards the center of his chest, allowing me to feel the beating of his heart. “Do you feel that?”

I nod. “Soon, our two hearts, will be one.”

It’s both romantic and true at the same time. Once two individuals are bound together as mates through the mating process, their hearts literally become one.

As my hand is let go of, Zion circles around me, pulling my hair down from its bun, the locks running free. “I’d better be going, Zion, it’s a big day tomorrow and is almost one in the morning,” I explain, about to walk away, only for fingers to wrap around my arm, not tight, but enough for me to sense it.

“I’m not asking for anything else, Sybil, I just want to sleep next to you for once.”

My heart skips a beat. Never did I think I would hear that, how nothing else would be expected. I bet he wants it, the something else, and hell, I bet I want it too, but we are both too tired to even hint at it really.

Nodding my head, I kick off my shoes, Zion following in pursuit. As I take a seat on the heavenly bed, I take off the jewelry, leaving the ring on, and slide under the covers that feel like clouds. Once I close my eyes and slow my breathing done, I feel an arm wrap around me, pulling me closer to the middle, Zion laying on his back as I on my stomach. “I’m not switching my stomach sleeping for you,” I mutter, the pillow under my head feeling amazing.

“I don’t expect you to.”

As the minutes tick bye, I only remember those lavender eyes. She warned me to leave, to get out of here, even giving me a dagger. But do I want to leave? I’ve made it as a rogue before, I’ve lived on my own and had no one to love because I knew I would always be moving around. And now, now that I have found a place that welcomes me and someone wants me here until the sky falls and the oceans burn, I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to become a rogue once more.

As I hear the light snore come from the Alpha King, it’s clear he is asleep, gone into a state where his dreams will only entertain him. I turn my head to the side, looking at the King in the dark as he lays there, completely vulnerable once again. How does he sleep at night? A whole kingdom in his hands with countless enemies and he just falls asleep quickly.

I scoot closer, my head inches from his as I scan his face in the dark. Even in the darkness he looks completely drool-worthy. My fingers feel the ring, the sign of a promise. It scares me yet excites me. Months ago I would have said I would only get married after a year or four of dating, though I only wanted my mate even though he hurt me so much. Now, here I am, beside a man I’ve know for about two months, engaged, and lying in the same bed. What has gotten into me really?

Closing my eyes, I concentrate on my breathing, paying attention only to it as I rely upon it to let me fall asleep. By how can I when I know I face a hundred Alphas tomorrow as war is discussed. Sebastian’s Beta will be there, no doubt it is Trent Greene, Sebastian’s best friend. Trent was someone I once crushed on as a child, only for him to grow up living the life of a popular kid I could never talk without, and when I finally got my chance, he told me I was a nobody. Middle school drama, but it still hurts me to this day. And maybe, well, definitely, Trent will see me as someone important now.

Sighing, I do something I never thought I would do, ever. I wrap an arm around his torso, pulling my body closer as I rest my head upon his chest. As my head falls and rises with his breathing, I find shelter in being beside the Alpha.

I can almost sense a smirk upon the King’s face as his snoring slightly seizes, letting me know I slightly woke him up. But that’s where I’m wrong.

Suddenly, I’m flipped over, a pair of lips upon mine as I welcome them happily. As his warmth spreads through me and my arms wrap around him, I open my eyes as the Alpha King pulls back. “Never knew you had it in you.”

“To what?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as he smiles in the darkness.

“To actually be beside me like that.” I reply with a smile, one that mirrors his as we welcome the silence. As he lays down upon me, barely any weight upon me, his head resting in the crook of my neck, I run my fingers through his hair, happy.

Once more we close our eyes, wanting sleep to find us as a yawn escapes my mouth. Maybe I’ll let him mark me, let him sink his canines into me as I allow a scar to be there. But what of his mark? The one upon his neck from his true mate. It’s faded for sure, but he covers it still.

Deciding to let it go, I allow myself to fall asleep, the King’s arms around me as I have never been happier.