Rejected By My Mate, Now Mated To The Lycan King Chapter 231

~ ROWAN

A curfew was instated for the pack and judging by the responses I got from Jeremiah, they were not pleased about it.

"Everyone is on edge," he told as we sat in my office. "There have also been a few... whispers."

"What kind?" I asked, sitting up straight.

He didn’t speak imdiately. He just glanced around the room, wringing his fingers in his lap as if debating his next words. I knew that the odds of not liking his next words were high, but I waited patiently for him to speak.

"About the Luna," he continued, his words careful as he watched . "So believe that she is a spy for the king."

"Why would Nyssa ever do that?"

He shrugged. "I don’t think they truly believe that, I think they’re just worried and worried people say shit all the ti. This is very unlike anything we have ever had to deal with, and they’re scared. Hell, I am too."

I pursed my lips tightly. "Focus on the curfew. I need Evelyn in my office before the end of today, and I need soone who knows shit about the vampires."

"Would you like to send my spies out of the pack?" he asked but I shook my head.

"Going out of the border is too dangerous. There has to be soone in this damned pack who is old enough to know sothing about these bastards... sothing that can help us."

"Of course, your majesty," he murmured, head bowed low. "Anything else?"

"For now? No."

He stood to his feet and after one last respectful bow, he walked out.

I waited until the door clicked shut behind him before exhaling deeply. Exhaustion lined the corners of my eyes, and each heavy exhale felt like a weight was being lowered onto my pack.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also concerned regarding the vampires. There was sothing off about the king yesterday, sothing that told he wouldn’t be like any of the other adversaries we had faced.

I wasn’t sure if it was the boredom in his eyes, or the excitent and mirth that danced across his face when Nyssa arrived. It all seed like a ga to him, and that was the most terrifying part of it all.

A knock on the door snapped out of my thoughts and I glanced up as Evelyn walked into the office, her hands folded neatly behind her.

I hadn’t expected her to arrive so soon, not when Jeremiah had only left my office a few minutes ago.

"I was already in the palace... your majesty," the last two words ca out strained, and she bowed low, but her movents were stiff.

I knew I was not her favorite person at the mont. Nyssa told all about her explosion in the hospital.

"Sit," I said simply, gesturing to the seat in front of .

She hesitated for a mont before lowering herself. "I assu this is about the vampires."

I nodded stiffly, not bothering to deny it. "How much did Marlene teach you about them?"

"Not much," she admitted with a shrug. "She said the less I knew the better. She taught how to hunt and feed and occasionally told ab out her ti at the palace, but nothing else. She didn’t like to speak much about it, and I see why now considering that the mont she did... she died."

Her voice was thick with emotion and she glanced down towards the ground as she spoke.

"I am sorry for your loss." She couldn’t hold back her snort. "You do not think I am?"

"I think you are trying to protect your mate," she said simply. "The rest of us do not matter in the grand sche of things. My mother was collateral damage."

"I did not intend for your mother to die, Evelyn. I did not cause it and I sure as hell did not advocate for it."

"But you would let it happen again if it helps you to protect your mate," she said coldly. "And I understand it, I truly do, what I didn’t understand was why you had to send soone to threaten into silence."

My spine went rigid and my mouth pressed into a thin line. "I don’t understand."

"I ca here today to officially remove myself as a mber of this pack. After all, I have served my usefulness to you. I have told you everything I know about vampires."

"You have told nothing—"

"I told your sister," she said, her words landing like a bomb. "She ca to yesterday morning. I presu she ca on your behalf."

I opened my mouth to speak but no words would co out.

I did not send Aria to her. Hell, I did not even know Aria had gone to her. After our last encounter outside her door, I had not laid eyes on my sister. I had no idea what fucking ga she was playing at, but I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Tell what you told her," I said, turning to Evelyn. "Everything."

She sighed and began speaking.

There was nothing that inherently stood out among the things she said, and it was clear she did not know much.

By the ti she was done, I still had my questions.

"Thank you," I paused for a mont before adding. "I truly am sorry about Marlene, and for what it is worth, if I could have prevented it, I would have."

Her eyes widened in surprise but she said nothing, rely gave a tight smile and stood to her feet. She reached the door when she suddenly stopped and glanced over her shoulders at .

"There is one more thing," she said softly. "Marlene always used to tell to be careful about dreams. She said the king was an expert at warping dreams and manipulating them. It’s not a vampire skill set, just sothing he learned over the years."

I leaned forward on my elbows, trying desperately to hide the relief that coursed through . "Tell more about that."