Chapter 17
“What is it, Ibrahim?” Ralphine asked and Miroslav looked at her, pondering over how he was supposed to ask that particular
destion.
Ralphine looked calm, ready for whatever this King could send her way. She had lived in times when her silence gave her more peace than her voice and she had loved being the silent one. Granted she hadn’t been here for a long while, but she that the King who had just had an outburst was waiting for something from her.
knew
Perhaps he wanted to send her away, something that Ralphine wouldn’t object to, after all, it was her decision to leave home that had made her a rogue. Sure, it wasn’t like she had had that many choices, but compared to the wrath of the Lycan King, Ralphine knew she was better off being out there trying to survive as a rogue.
“You’re free,” the Lycan King said after a short silence, making Erasthai look at him in confusion. Surely that had to meant something else, right? This man, who had been adamant about her staying in the same room for literal weeks, was suddenly letting her free?
Was he in the right mind? Or perhaps this was a test to see what her reaction would be, right? Then again, Ralph knew the King hated testing people’s loyalty. She was aware that Miroslav always broke people first before he asked questions but then she was not hurt. In fact, it was the opposite. So, what was his expectation really? Was that statement supposed to hold some weight?
“What do you mean I am free?” Ralphine spelled out carefully, worried that her reaction could easily make the barbarian retract his words. Then again, there was an ounce of sincerity in the King’s voice.
It was encouraging to a point and at that moment, Ralphine hoped that this would mean she wouldn’t be stuck in these walls like a prisoner waiting for her master to come and free her. She wasn’t opposed to it, but many times, she had hoped to see the sunlight, outside and not through the rays that sneaked into the room
“Yes, Ralph Free. You’re free to do whatever you want and go wherever you wish to. If you want to get out of here, free to move around, free to leave if you find this place suffocating.” King Miroslav said, much to his Lycan’s disappointment. There was just no way that Miroslav Ibrahimovich was letting the woman go. She would probably choose to reject the bond and from the looks of it, the dark King wouldn’t be opposed to it.
“I–You never wanted a mate, huh?” Ralphine said as she looked at the Lycan King. She had heard the whispers in the corridors, she had learned the truth about what Miroslav was and who he had protected his people. She knew it wasn’t an easy task and she wasn’t going to make it any harder for him. Perhaps he was right. She was free to leave and she would take that chance, yeah?
Miroslav looked at her confused. He was handing her her freedom and yet the only thing she could think of was the fact that she had never expected to get a mate, something that had been translated to him not wanting a mate because of his brutality. But was that really it? Was that how everything would be for them, ending before it ever really began?
“I don’t want to lie to you, Ralphine. I am dangerous. I am terrible. I am not a good person and if I were you, I would take their chance to be free. I won’t send my warriors after you, and I won’t blame you for wanting your freedom. Hell, I would run away from me if I could,” the Lycan King said earnestly as he looked at the woman on his bed.
King Miroslav was a lot of things, but for his Erasthai, he wanted a real relationship, a genuine one, not one that they had because the universe had paired them together or because the Lycan Kingdom needed a queen. He didn’t want to be selfish with Ralphine, even if that meant breaking his own heart. Maybe that made him a different person,
but he was doing this, for her. He wanted to be good, for her.
For weeks he had sneaked into this very room when his Erasthai was asleep just to watch her sleep softly. He knew it hadn’t been the right thing to do, but then he was a King worried that his dangerous self would cause her pain. He didn’t want to be the reason she was hurt again. He couldn’t stand it.
“That freedom means I can choose what I want, right? You won’t take it back and come after me? You won’t stop me if I choose to leave Asmoria Ralphine asked and she could swear she heard Miroslav take a deep breath like he was trying to remind himself that this wasn’t a terrible idea, even though it really was one.
A kingdom without a queen was weak in so many ways, however powerful the King was. The fact that the Lycans had already started getting accustomed to having a queen was also going to be hard factor in this and yet the Lycan King had ignored all that and decided to give his mate a chance at a new life a life that didn’t have the filth of his past or the dangers of his future. not to mention the cruelty of his present.
cording to the damaged King he had nothing that could get anyone to stay. Maybe that was a fault, or maybe, he had lost
too many times that he couldn’t see himself getting attached again because he knew any attachments would lead to separation and he couldn’t deal with that. Not anymore.
“Oh shit What if she stays the King suddenly wondered while his friends watched him in silence.
They had seen him transform into someone different because of her and they loved that transformation. They loved that he was also becoming humane and all the woman had to do was exist in his life. Sure, they were worried that she would not want to stay, but at the same time, they were glad that Miroslav had matured enough to know that sometimes, there was beauty in letting people go, however important they were to each other.
“Exactly What will you do then?” Viktor asked.
“If I say I don’t know, again, will that make me a terrible King?” King Miroslav asked, making his friends let out chuckles. This was getting interesting and if they were honest they were loving every bit of this conversation more than the last few times.
“No, brother It makes you human However, you also need to think and think well, because she is not your usual kind of
oman. She is different Miro Anyone can see it even Polina, Heion said.
“I guess I’ll just wait for her to make her decision then, the King said before they changed the subject and went on to their uncial conveniations that didn’t involve women and war
Meanwhile, in the king’s chamber, his queen was packing.
18
