AYLA
"Are you sure I was the one he asked you to take to the ranch for horse riding?" I asked in shock, wanting to confirm, and she nodded.
That was the most shocking and, at the same time, amazing news ever. Hopefully, this freedom he was giving me would last, and I would be able to escape successfully.
"What’s your name?" I asked.
"Sandra," she responded, then pressed her lips tightly together, "Queen," Sandra pulled out her phone from the pocket of her uniform, biting her lip nervously. "You said you wanted to call someone."
"Yes. Oh my God. Yes, please." I stretched my hand out for it, but she held tightly onto the phone, hesitating to give it to me.
I snatched it from her anyway and quickly dialed Aunt Dahlia’s number. She didn’t stop me.
The call didn’t connect, and frustration began to consume me.
Oh, no.
That was my only hope of escape. Even if I managed to escape from here, there was nowhere I could go. I hated it so much that I hadn’t gotten the chance to speak to the Werecat King last night.
Footsteps sounded from outside the door, and Sandra quickly collected the phone, shoving it back into her pocket.
A knock sounded on the door. "Good morning, Queen. The King asked me to inform you that he is waiting and that you should hurry up."
"Okay," I simply responded.
Returning my gaze to the food on the cart, I realized I had lost my appetite. My escape plan had just hit a major setback. I needed to find another way to survive outside this place if I eventually escaped—and I would surely escape.
After eating some of the food, Sandra led me outside the pack house, and the moment the shining sun touched my skin, I paused to bask in it. The warm heat against my skin was so soothing. It had been days since my skin last felt the sun, as I had been locked away in that room. I couldn’t wait to finally be free.
People turned to stare as we walked through the pack. Some looked amused, while others looked at me with disdain. I even heard some of them murmuring about how they hated having a werewolf as their queen and that the only reason their King chose me was because I was the Gemini Wolf.
Oh, they only had to wait until they found out that I wasn’t the Gemini Wolf.
We got to the ranch, and my eyes immediately settled on King Ezra. For some reason, my heart rate accelerated, and my foot stumbled as I walked toward him.
He stood beside a majestic black horse with a shiny coat. The horse stood tall and proud. My throat bobbed as I stopped in front of Ezra.
Before he could say anything, I blurted, "Why are you suddenly being nice to me?"
He gestured at Sandra with two fingers, dismissing her.
His arm suddenly wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. Although shocked, my body responded to his touch, and waves of liquid heat danced through my veins.
He leaned in, his warm breath brushing against my neck. "I am not being nice to you. I am only pretending. I dislike you, Ayla. Now, get on the horse. We need to make the people and my mother believe that you are truly their queen."
The first thing that came to my mind was to rebel, but that would do me no good. Should the people find out what had happened, he would be forced to execute me. And I could actually use this situation to my advantage.
Pretend with him. He grants me freedom in the name of pretense. Guaranteed escape.
"Now, mount the horse, and let’s ride!" he ordered. His eyes shifted in a particular direction, and I followed his gaze to his mother, standing at a distance and staring at us.
A smug smile touched my lips as I returned my gaze to Ezra, pressing my palms flat against his chest. "Why don’t you help me up, darling?"
His eyes twitched, and his gaze lingered on me for a few seconds. "Come."
He gently turned me to face the horse. My core tightened and my breath shook as he lifted my leg slightly and placed my foot in the stirrup. Then he instructed me to hold the reins and climb onto the horse.
I did as instructed, but before I could properly mount the horse, I slipped and found myself flying toward the ground. Ezra caught me in his strong arms, the bridal style.
It took me a moment to register what had just happened before a gasp escaped me, my eyes widening in shock.
"Put me down," I quickly said.
He seemed to be in a trance himself, and my words snapped him out of it. He gently lowered me to the ground, but his eyes remained fixed on me.
"Why couldn’t you just listen to a simple instruction? If I wasn’t here, you could have hit your head," he groaned, looking pissed, yet there was an unmistakable hint of concern beneath his anger. Shocking. "Hold the reins and grip the saddle for balance. Grip the saddle."
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I had forgotten that part. But I was still learning, and he should be more lenient with me.
"I’m sure you also made mistakes when you were learning. And you starved me for days." A smile curled on my lips, and I placed my palm against his chest to keep up the pretense since his mother was still watching. "You do not expect me to have enough strength to climb onto a horse."
"You had a platter of food before coming here, didn’t you?" he groaned, the frown still lingering on his face.
"Smile. People are watching," I gritted out. "I only ate less than an hour ago. Did you have no lessons in biology growing up? You starved me for days. One meal isn’t going to magically restore my strength."
"Are you insulting me, my love?" he groaned through a smile.
"It’s not an insult, darling." I turned toward the horse and placed my foot in the stirrup, but he took me by surprise by grabbing me by the waist and lifting me effortlessly onto the horse.
"If climbing onto a horse is your problem, there. Solved," he grunted as he effortlessly mounted behind me.
His bulge pressed against my ass, and I swallowed hard.
"Hold on tight. We’re riding far and fast," he grunted before kicking the horse into motion. "Hya!"