Crowned by Fate Chapter 140

Leon’s POV

I stood before the mirror in my hotel bathroom, dabbing at the bruise forming at the corner of my mouth.

I savored the memory of Skye's kiss, the sweetness of her lips still lingering on my tongue.

A familiar heat surged through my body, something primal and urgent that I'd never experienced before meeting Skye. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, his agitation bleeding into my thoughts.

‘Why did you let another male take our mate away?’ he snarled, pushing against my consciousness with unprecedented force. ‘She belongs with us!’

"I'm not a kidnapper or a rapist," I muttered aloud, gripping the edge of the sink. "I won't force any woman, even if she is our mate."

My wolf responded with a mournful whine that echoed through my mind, his anguish surprisingly painful.

Despite the winter chill outside, I turned the shower temperature to its lowest setting. The icy water hit my skin like needles, but it did little to cool the burning need coursing through my veins. I needed to wash away this restlessness, this weakness that threatened to derail everything I'd worked for.

Later, lying on the hotel bed, I couldn't stop my mind from replaying that kiss with Skye. The softness of her lips, the surprised gasp that escaped her before she responded. Even memories from four years ago suddenly became crystal clear – the hunting festival where I'd touched her soft skin, felt that first spark of connection before learning she couldn't shift.

‘We should never have rejected her,’ my wolf lamented.

Maya's room was just down the hall. If physical release was all I needed, she would eagerly accommodate me. She'd made her interest clear enough over the years.

But the thought left me cold. My mind conjured only images of silver hair and forest-green eyes. No one else would satisfy this hunger.

The thought of Skye lying in Adrian's bed, his hands on her body, his scent marking her skin – rage exploded through me before I could control it. My fist connected with the headboard with a sickening crack.

The entire bed frame collapsed beneath me with a thunderous crash, dropping me unceremoniously to the floor.

"What the fuck?!" I growled, disentangling myself from the splintered wood and twisted sheets.

I called the front desk, and within twenty minutes, hotel staff arrived with a replacement bed. The service manager surveyed the destruction with a knowing smile that made my skin crawl.

"These things happen, sir," he said with a wink. "Especially between... enthusiastic couples."

Ethan appeared in the doorway just as they were finishing, his eyes widening at the scene.

"Alpha Leon," he said, his voice deliberately formal, "perhaps you should conserve your energy. The third trial is only two days away."

Once the staff departed, I turned to Ethan with a scowl. "I didn't bring any woman back here."

"Of course not," he replied, though his expression remained skeptical.

As he turned to leave, I called out, "Ethan, wait." I hesitated, uncertain how to phrase my question. "What would you think about your sister returning? Since she's my Second Chance Mate, perhaps she would be the best choice as Luna for our pack."

Ethan's face immediately lit up, excitement radiating from him. "You want Skye to come back? That would be amazing!" He grinned broadly. "I bet she doesn't even have a decent dress in that Oasisborn Pack. She always loved pretty things, you know."

His enthusiasm was almost childlike, the joy of a brother imagining his family reunited. But as quickly as it appeared, the excitement in his eyes dimmed. His brow furrowed, and his scent shifted to something more cautious, tinged with worry.

"Wait," he said, studying my face more carefully. "You rejected her when she needed you most. Now that she's shifted, now that she's proven herself powerful..." He paused, the doubt clearly growing.

The change in Ethan's demeanor was immediate. For the first time since I'd known him, he looked at me not as his future Alpha, but as an equal – perhaps even an adversary.

"Why are you pursuing her now?" he demanded, his voice tight. "Is it because you love her, or because she's suddenly powerful enough to be worthy of you?"

His words struck like a physical blow.

"She wandered alone for years," Ethan continued, his pain evident. "No wolf, no money, no family. Do you have any idea what she endured? If you truly love my sister, I'll support you. But if you don't..." He shook his head. "Perhaps letting her go would be your greatest kindness."

I sat heavily on the edge of my new bed, genuinely confused. Did I love Skye? What was love, really?

After my mother's death, I'd focused solely on becoming Alpha King, fulfilling her dying wish. While other boys discussed girls and watched porn, I trained. I studied. I prepared.

I'd had plenty of bedmates but never a relationship worthy of the name.

"Do you love Lily?" I asked him suddenly.

"Of course!" The answer came without hesitation, his eyes softening at the mere mention of his mate's name. The transformation was remarkable – the hard lines of his face gentled, and his scent shifted to something warm and content.

Was that love? That immediate, unquestioning certainty?

I felt desire for Skye, yes. Possessiveness, definitely. But that glow that Ethan carried when speaking of Lily... I couldn't honestly claim to feel that.

‘She is ours,’my wolf insisted, but even he sounded uncertain now, confused by my human contemplation.

Perhaps this burning need was merely the mate bond's biological imperative. A chemical reaction, nothing more.

How could I love her?

I barely knew her now, and what I remembered was a girl too weak to shift, too emotional to control herself during a hunt. The mate bond was simply nature's trick, a biological urge masquerading as something deeper.

"When I become Alpha King," I said finally, more to myself than to Ethan, "when we formally dissolve the mate bond, this feeling will fade."

Ethan's expression was unreadable as he nodded and left.

I stared at the closed door, my determination hardening. I couldn't afford distractions, not with the trials underway. My mother's dying wish had been for me to become Alpha King, to restore our family's ancient legacy. I would not let her down for a fleeting desire, no matter how powerful.

My wolf whined softly, but I silenced him with a thought.

Now was not the time for love. Now was the time for power.