Chapter 274: Respect

Words : 1643 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 274: Respect Natalie~ Elder Yvonne’s gaze lingered on me with a strange softness that made my stomach churn. Her braided hair fell like an dark waterfall over her shoulders, the silver-embroidered symbols on her dress shifting with each breath she took. I watched her lips part, waiting for the answer I craved so badly. But all she said was, "Forgive me, Princess, but... we cannot tell you yet what else this test proves." My brows knitted together. "Why not? You just tricked me into healing a dying man and resurrect two corpses in front of an entire room of strangers. Don’t I at least deserve to know why?" She lowered her head again. "All I can say is... now that everyone here is convinced that you are the Celestial Princess, a mandatory five-day celebration and ritual must take place." Five days. I sucked in a breath, Jasmine pacing anxiously within me. "Five days? Here we go again Mara..." Memories from my past life trickled back – golden lights, chanting voices, me kneeling in front of elders, a sharp blade pressed to my palm as I vowed to protect the realm. But that was two millennia ago. Traditions evolved. Species merged. Power shifted. I didn’t know what to expect this time around. Before I could open my mouth to press Yvonne for more details, the king raised his hand in a sharp, commanding gesture that sliced the room into silence. His golden robes shimmered as he rose from his throne, the thick golden crown perched on his head catching the chandeliers’ light. "That is enough, Elder Yvonne," he said, his deep voice echoing across the throne room walls. His eyes, as pale and fierce as a wolf’s under the moon, turned to me. "Princess Natalie. Everyone gathered here must understand what these next five days entail." I swallowed, feeling the room shrink around me as all eyes bore into my skin. My heart pounded against my ribs so hard I was sure it would burst out and flop onto the marble floor. "The five days," the king continued, his gaze sweeping across the gathered crowd with regal intensity, "will be divided into three main sections. The first: the royal wedding." My eyes widened so far I thought they’d fall out of their sockets. Right. The Royal wedding. With everything going on, I had totally forgotten about that. I turned sharply to look at Zane. His usually composed face now looked like someone had slapped him across the cheek with a dead fish. The king’s voice droned on, "Preparations for the royal wedding and mating ceremony are already in place." I could practically hear Jasmine gagging. "All I hear is Wedding. Mating ceremony. What is wrong with these people? They didn’t even ask if you wanted to make any input on the preparation or something!" Before I could muster up a sarcastic comeback, the king continued. "The second section will be the official crowning of the Celestial Princess, conducted by all representatives of the supernatural realm." He paused, letting that declaration sink in like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. "And the third section..." His lips curled into a smile so secretive I wanted to punch it off his face. "...will remain hidden until then." I didn’t even realize I was shaking until I felt Zane’s warm, voice slide into my mind, grounding me. "Breathe my love." My fingers curled at my back, wishing I could seek his warmth, his solidity, right now. I tore my gaze away from the king and whispered through our mind link, "What the hell is going on, Zane? Everything is moving too fast." "I... I don’t know, love," he replied, his mental voice laced with disbelief. "I’m just as lost for words as you are. I didn’t know about this." I bit my lip, trying to process everything. Wedding? Mating ceremony? Crowning? And an unknown third section? Was this really happening or had I fallen asleep during breakfast and was now drooling all over Zane’s imported Egyptian cotton sheets? We hadn’t even sat to discuss any of this. I was about to ask more questions – because let’s be honest, my curiosity was borderline homicidal at this point – when the king suddenly stood up from his throne entirely. His robes fell around him like molten gold as he placed both hands on his chest, bowing his head low before lifting it to look directly at me. "My dear Celestial Princess," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I cannot express how lucky I feel... how grateful I am... that you have been reincarnated in my lifetime and have also come into my family. I promise you this – your remaining stay amongst mortals will be filled with honour, protection, and joy from this day forth." He bent forward then, bowing his crowned head so low that the tips of his white hair brushed against his golden chest plate. I blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. Was...was the king bowing to me? Before I could finish wrapping my head around that, every single person in the throne room stood up from their seats. The scraping sound of chairs on marble rang out like a metallic chorus. And then, as if choreographed by the Moon Goddess herself, everyone bowed to me. Every elder. Every guard. Every noble. Even Zane, my beautiful, cold, lethal Zane – the feared Alpha Lycan – bent his head, his blonde hair falling over his forehead as his broad shoulders curved in reverence. And my little Alexander, sitting by his father’s feet, copied them with a goofy smile, dipping his tiny head until his golden curls hid his pretty eyes. My lips trembled. Tears pricked at my eyes, blurring the dozens of bowed heads before me into a watery mosaic of colours and light. Never... never in this life had I been honoured like this. Not when I was born into a horrible pack. Not when I was marked against my will. Not when I was rejected by my mate and thrown out of the pack like trash. But here I stood, and they bowed to me. I felt Jasmine press against my chest from within, her voice thick with pride. "The world finally sees you, Mara. They finally see us." I swallowed back a sob and whispered silently to myself, "Thank you, Mother." When the ceremony ended, the guests flooded the palace halls, mingling and laughing, their ornate clothes trailing behind them like colourful shadows. They were hosted by the king in the massive palace, feasting on golden platters and goblets of moon wine as they awaited the coming ceremonies. Zane and I slipped out of the throne room, my hand tucked securely into his. Alex stayed behind with his grandfather, giggling as he climbed onto the king’s massive golden throne like it was his personal playground. As we walked down the endless marble corridor towards Zane’s chambers, neither of us spoke for a long time. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was... stunned. Finally, Zane chuckled under his breath, shaking his head as he pushed open his bedroom door. "Well... that was unexpected." I let out a bark of disbelieving laughter as I stepped inside. "Unexpected? That was batshit crazy, Zane! I just resurrected corpses and got declared princess of the freaking universe." He closed the door behind him, locking it with a metallic click before walking over and pulling me into his chest. I felt his heart thudding steadily against my cheek. His scent – dark pine, fresh rain, and something purely male – enveloped me like a comforting blanket. His lips brushed against my hair. "You were amazing, Natalie. Absolutely breathtaking." I snorted softly. "You’re just saying that because you’re contractually obligated to mate me now." He chuckled, his chest rumbling under my palms. "Perhaps. But even if I weren’t... I’d still say it. Because it’s true." I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the warmth blooming in my chest. I looked up at him, searching his icy blue eyes. "Zane... what happens now?" His expression darkened slightly, his jaw tightening. "Now? Now we survive whatever they throw at us next. Even if it’s a wedding we have no say in." We fell into silence after that, the exhaustion of the day crashing over us like a tsunami. We changed into comfortable clothes, thankfully! Him in grey sweats and a black tee that hugged his broad chest; me in one of his oversized hoodies that smelled like him. We curled up on his massive bed—even though we weren’t supposed to sleep on the same bed until our mating ceremony—my back pressed against his front, his arm draped protectively around my waist. For a while, we just lay there, staring at the silver moonlight streaming through the balcony doors, laughing softly at the ridiculousness of it all – the wedding, the mating ceremony, the secret third section. It felt like a cosmic prank. But then... I heard a sound. It was sharp and sudden. My eyes snapped open. My ears perked up instantly, Jasmine bristling within me. "Did you hear that?" I whispered through our mind link. "Yes," Zane replied, his voice sharp and lethal now. He was already sitting up, his wolf raising to the surface and appearing in his eyes. We heard footsteps. Multiple. Soft but rushed. Muffled whispers outside the door. I sat up too, my heart slamming into my ribs. "Do you think it’s... another test?" I whispered to Zane aloud, my voice trembling. Zane’s eyes flicked to mine, his wolf flashing behind his gaze with dangerous fury. "I don’t know," he said, his voice low and deadly. "But either way... we’re ready." And in that moment, as the shadows moved outside our door, I couldn’t tell if this was another test... or if this threat was real.

Chapter 274: Respect

Comments (0)