Yes, Your Highness (18+)

28

Questions will always leave their mark, won't they? They linger in the air, shaped by the weight of uncertainty, until finally answered. My greatest question, however, never remained unanswered when it came to the one I was desperate to escape. Admittedly, I was primarily fleeing from his father, the looming shadow of authority that overshadowed us both, but in the end, it was Riley who discovered my hiding place. Even after I thought all remnants of his claim on me had faded, I was wrong.

"I am here to bring you back home, Stephanie." Riley's voice was laden with distress, each syllable echoing his determination. He pursued me relentlessly, now fully aware of the lengths I would go to liberate myself from a life that had never been truly mine. It was a desperate attempt to shed the shackles that had bound me for so long.

"I am home, Riley," I retorted, pain lacing my words like a bitter vine. "You see the truth, don't you? I am not who you want me to be. So why don't you scurry back to your pack where you reign as their leader, while I live on as nothing more than a false Luna?" I voiced this painful reality, savoring the cold air around us, which felt as sharp as the wounds of my truth. I had come to realize that I was so much more than the single story everyone had crafted for me. Chase and Lukas had unveiled the truth—everything happens for a reason, and somehow, I had been shielded from the oppressive gaze of Zeus. My very existence was steeped in secrecy; my biological mother had hidden me away, terrified of the king of Olympus discovering her past.

"Stephanie... don't do this," Riley implored, desperation creeping into his tone. "You are not a false Luna. You are the greatest person I have ever met, someone for whom I hold the deepest feelings. If you turn away now, it will only be your mistake to forgo the opportunity for me to prove that I am worthy of being the father of the child you now carry."

At those words, Rae howled through our link, visibly repulsed by the notion of Riley claiming paternity. I struggled with the swirling thoughts; I didn't want to believe him. "You know nothing, Riley. Get out of here before I make you," I growled, driven by an unexpected wrath as I stomped my foot into the thick, cold snow beneath us. Rae continued to express her frustration, wrinkling her nose, making it deliberately clear she took no pleasure in Riley's claims. Chase stepped forward, further blocking my view of the one I thought I didn't love anymore. But now, Riley was suggesting that I was pregnant?

Think, Stephanie. What had transpired before Chase came to retrieve me? My connection with Rae felt like a lifeline that anchored me amidst the chaos, and even though it felt like she was hiding, her instincts screamed doubts at me. What if Riley spoke the truth? If I bore his child, how could he have known?

"Riley, if you genuinely love her like you claim, then you will do what is best for her," Chase interjected, his tone revealing the protective nature embedded in him as he stood before me, dominating the space with his imposing presence. With each step, he inched closer to Riley, a silent challenge. Yet, Riley's wolf remained unyielding, neither backing down nor submitting. 

"I'll do anything. Just tell me what you need," Riley insisted, the urgency in his voice palpable. Chase softened his gaze, his posture still unwavering, and declared, "Leave."

"What? But I—"

"If you truly love her, you will let her go. She was never bound to your arranged marriage; she sought the means to escape." The voice that emerged was powerful and commanding, reminiscent of Kyle. His aura emanated authority and familiarity to me, even though I had never met him. There was something within him that felt like a sliver of my history, a whisper from a long-lost memory. 

"Riley Augustine, you will return to your pack and allow the princess of night to claim her rightful place among her own. It is her birthright, and you cannot contest her desire to fulfill her destiny." Kyle's words resounded with a force that stirred something deep inside me. I wanted to argue that I wasn't a princess, but I silenced myself, clutching my hand protectively over my stomach. Inwardly, I could feel an awakening desire for something more profound.