Queen of the Beasts✅

39

**Chelsea POV***

Warm fingers trailed lightly over my skin, hovering at specific places and points that had me staring at my mate with suspicion.

"Rowan," I warned, watching his dark eyes roam over my clothed body, an innocent smile on his lips. They of course did not reach his eyes. Nothing was innocent about the royals in this house..

He smiled, "What mate? I am just admiring your skin," he continued on as I took his hand in my own. He frowned, as I kissed his fingers and then placed them back on his chest. To believe that I would have such affection for a royal...a pure bred and that he could have affections for me was infathomabke. It made no sense yet here we are... It has been so many months now and it seems like just days ago I was begging Esmerelda to keep me away from Rowan. "What is wrong?"

I had many concerns. For the now bed ridden Esmerelda, for the still after many months now bed ridden Sarah. It was all to much. " You are not worried of what is to come?" I questioned as I began to sit up in our bed, him following my movements.

He yawned loudly, cracking his bones as he did so. "Of what?"

Was he mad or just jesting with me? Rowan knew what I spoke of...he could play coy with me but I knew it. "Of your duties to Sirus, Rowan. You will have to have him imprisoned..."

He nodded his head, a hand going over his chin, as a smile slowly crept up along his lips. "You just worry about Esmeralda. I will deal with my cousin."

I did not admire Sirus at all but I did feel bad for what Rowan was about to do to him. "Are you sure? After the last time...what if he would like to-"

"-It is against tradition and dangerous for Esmerelda and yourself, Chelsea. When have you suddenly softened your heart towards my cousin? Is there a reason?" He questioned, his voice going many octaves deeper, his eyes beginning to glow as he looked me over as if I have done something. Something with the King! I despise royalty why would I want to willingly indulge in one?!

Anger tore into me as I attempted to control my tongue. "How could you think I would be capable of ever going against you, Rowan? My love is for you, not for Sirus. I just pity him, that is all," I explained as he stroked my cheek.

"I do not pity my cousin. Actions have consequences, yes I feel bad that his actions have awful effects in the past and present but you should not pity, Sirus. He is a man, a king. Waste your pity on your friend," he told me as I gave him a quizzical look, until it dawned on me that he meant Esmerelda.

I sighed, as I could hear her soft cries every now and again. They sounded so painful...and they seemed to be getting closer and closer together. "Do you think he loves her?" I questioned Rowan as he watched me closely. It was a simple question. I already knew it was a no...the things he has done and then to say love. It just does not add up..

"The way I love you? No, Sirus cannot grasp that kind of love but in his own way yes, he does love her," he explained to me as I wondered how things would differ if Sirus had taken a different path in his quest to have Esmeralda.

"Do you think he loved her?" I asked, watching Rowan's body visibly stiffen at the mention of the deceased Queen. Sirus's past mate. I had heard the rumors and knew what everyone else knew about her. But that was all.

"He tried to love her but she was mad with hate for him. You think that Esmerelda has given him a hard time...I know you've heard the stories. She was conniving, she attempted to put Sirus and I against one another." Rowan was visibly becoming more upset the more he spoke of her. His eyes had darkened and his teeth were slowly elongating. It sounded as if her and Fiona were cut from the same cloth! and I wished to know more...I always heard awful rumors and Rowan talked about her a few occasions but we never really spoke about her so clearly.