His destined mate
Chapter 75: Reunion with the betrayer

Emily's

POV

A cold wind blew across my face as I passed the palace gates, my heart heavy with a mixture of anger and frustration. Bianca had taken everything from me my spouse, my status, my home.

I replayed the story in my mind, and while Ethan looked at her affectionately. My fingers clenched at the memory. I was meant to be his queen. The farther I got, the darker the forest got, but I enjoyed it. The shadows seem to understand my pain, and their words are comforting.

"You are stronger than we are," they seem to say. "Take back what you have." But where do we start? I thought I could handle Bianca's magic or Ethan's energy. not yet. My mind raced as I plotted my revenge. If I couldn't defeat them exactly as I should, I would do something great.

My first step was to make friends-some of the ones that hated Ethan and Bianca. Word of my blasphemy had spread, and though it hurt, it also brought wolf creatures who held their own hatred. Derek!

Derek was always the dog Ethan wanted to forget. He was dismissed swiftly and brutally, the first event in Ethan's reign as king. But Derek was also the first to see me not the queen I was destined to be, but the woman behind the title. Not that it matters anymore. I didn't like Derek. I never got one. But I needed it.

The cave was well hidden, a narrow opening in the cliff face that led to strange paths. Over the years I'd heard whispers of Derek's whereabouts, but it wasn't until Ethan broke our relationship that I bothered to track him down. There is no disappointment. I wasn't some girl begging for a savior.

No, this was about control-about getting back what was stolen from me. And Derek, too? Derek always wanted what Ethan had.

He had not changed much in the years since the exile. His hair was long, his frame broad, but his golden eyes-those piercing eyes that once stared at me as if I were the center of the world-were the same. "Well," he said, drawing back. "Other than Emily, the Queen of Scrap." I approached him and ignored Jab.

"I've come to your suggestion." Derek laughed, the sound dark and dangerous. "Any thoughts? Because of a rotten woman in captivity playing domestic games with my dear brother." "I didn't come here to repeat the past," I whispered. "I came out because you want me to: destroy Ethan." His smile widened at that.

"Will you destroy it? Honey, I want to *own it*. It's all about him. In the kingdom. His power is. And..." His eyes fixed on mine, lingering just long enough to brush against my skin. "It's the queen."

Derek had always been good at playing with words, but I had no intention of controlling him. "Not here to shake me," I said in a sharp voice. "I'm here to keep you company. Together we will bring Ethan to his knees." "And what's in it for you, Emily? revenge? potential?" I didn't get an answer right away. The truth is I wanted both. I wanted to see Ethan suffer for what he did to me, but I also wanted to reclaim the throne that should have been mine.

"I want what's mine," I finally said. Derek studied me and turned his head. "And you think I'm just in line? To forget the years you played duty mate in this wilderness?" "I guess," I said, moving closer until we were only inches apart, "that you've waited as long for this moment as I have." His breathing hitched, almost, but I noticed.

"You always knew how to get under my skin," he complained. "And you always wanted what Ethan had," I protested. "Well, here's your chance." The silence between us was heavy, and unspoken words filled the air. I could feel his gaze, feel the flashing memories in his mind. I had been to Derek privately, when I was Ethan's mate. Not because I love him, but because I can. At the time, I was overconfident, convinced that nothing would affect my seat next to Ethan

. Derek was a distraction, a way to get to my frustrations. But for him? To Derek, I was something more. "You used me," he said suddenly, his voice soft but steely. "You used me too," I shot back. "We both got what we wanted." "What have we done?” he asked. he asked. His gaze was intense, his golden eyes searching mine for something I was unwilling to give.

"Because it seems to me, you went there unharmed. I have lost everything." The accusation hung in the air, but I refused to be surprised. "And now you've got a chance to take it all back. Will you make peace or will you fight?" Derek's jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he was going to deny it. But then slowly a smile crept onto his lips. "You were always doing nothing," he said. "Punishment. I'm playing your game. But don't think for a second that I've forgotten how this all started."

We spent the next few hours putting together the beginnings of a plan and making plans. Derek's knowledge of Ethan's strengths was invaluable, and his opinions were as brutal as they were effective. But there was something else underneath, something I can't quite put my finger on. Derek's eyes lingered too long, his words coupled with knowledge that made my skin crawl.

"You're too excited about this," I elaborated on a particularly nasty trick. "Of course I do," he replied. "This is the moment I've been waiting for. Time for Ethan to realize he's not untouchable." "And me?" I asked, testing the water. "Am I just another part of your board?" Derek leaned back, his smile fading, almost laughing. "You were always more than that, Emily. But that doesn't mean I trust you."

As the tension between us grew, a low roar echoed through the cave. Derek froze as his eyes widened as he made his way to the door. "Did you bring anyone with you?" he demanded, in a sharp voice.

"No," my heart pounded. The thunder came again, closer this time, and the shadow stopped at the door. A figure appeared, tall, with eyes that shone like molten gold. Derek cursed under his breath. "They have to make fun of me." The man stepped fully into the light, and his presence commanded. "Theron," Derek growled, his voice venomous. The stranger smiled, a cold, calculated look on his face that sent shivers down my spine. "Does it remind you of me?" Theron said, her voice weak and menacing.

I glanced at Derek, his face a mixture of anger and relief. "Who is he?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. trouble," Derek said