Claimed

Ch. 5: Winning Her Back

“Astrae! Wait up!” Astrae heard Rynon running after her clumsily in his human form. She couldn’t help but smile. He caught up to her and started walking next to her. “Where are you going?” He asked.

“Home!” She said. She finally had gotten away from Demetri and Aristotle let her walk away, sort of. She could go back to earth.

“The palace is that way though.” He pointed in the opposite direction.

“The portal back to earth is in this direction though. Trust me, I know these woods probably better than you do.” She said. Panic hit him as he tried to walk in front of her, hoping she would stop. She didn’t.

“You do know Aristotle will kill me if I don’t go with you, right?” He squeaked. Astrae smiled. She liked Rynon. He was like a little brother.

“Then come with. I can show you europe. Its actually quite beautiful.” She mused. His stomach dropped. Earth? No way he was going to earth! Rynon had never been to earth. He had almost gone once but then made up a piss poor excuse about Senka needing him. He would be vulnerable there, he didn’t know of earths demons.

“I can’t go to earth and you know it.” Astrae was the only one who knew of Rynon’s fear. She shrugged.

“Too bad, guess I’ll just go on my own.” Rynon stopped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. This was one of the moments where Astrae wished she inherited the power of compulsion. Her mom would put her through hours and hours of training, learning how to be a proper vampire. Compulsion was the one that she never got. Her teacher would beat her, and say it would stop when she compelled him to stop. She shuddered at the thought.

“Rynon, I’ve gone through a couple days of hell. I just want to go home and get my life together. This is karma, I understand. But I’m not meant to be here anymore. Hannah is doing a wonderful job. The council notified me not that long ago and said she is coming up with ideas, and they are good ones. I am not needed here.” Rynon was shocked. She knew about the shifter? For years they had thought that she weaseled her way into power by pretending to be Astrae. But this whole time, Astrae know?

“Aristotle needs you. He was a wreck after he learned of your death. He had been hostile ever since.” Rynon felt himself saying. He instantly regretted it when he saw the anger that flashed in her eyes.

“Aristotle needs me?! Are you fucking kidding me Rynon!” She was yelling now. He was sure the entire pack could hear. “He CHEATED on me with some little wolf whore, DAYS after he asked me to be his mate. Who knows who else he cheated on me with.” Astrae was so angry. She was tired of being the bigger person, she was tired of being proper. “He wasn’t just getting me if we became mates, he was getting the entire kingdom. I trusted him with my love, and I trusted him with my people. He betrayed both.” Astrae stomped off.

Rynon waited until he could barely hear her before starting after her. He didn’t want her to know that he was following her again. He did not want her rage directed at him.

Astrae was fuming. The nerve of Aristotle to act as though he had done nothing wrong, to act as though she should run and jump into his waiting arms, grateful that such a strong wolf would want her. As if. She was the ruler of this land for gods sake. She didn’t need a man nor did she want one. All of the men she had run into lately had been pigs. Except of course Rynon and Justin. But that was because they both lived in fear. She could see Rynon becoming something evil, she was just grateful that he was a beta. He was kept in check.

“Why did I know I would find you out here?” Her head jerked over to Demetri. He was leaning against a tree. He had changed into a black rope, with a sword at his waist. He actually looked pretty good.

“Leave me alone Demetri.” Astrae growled. Demetri recognized her anger before she even walked to him. He just didn’t know what she was angry about.

“I’m not going to leave you alone because were getting mated at the palace. Remember?” He sneered. Before she could help herself she stomped over and slapped him. He looked stunned.

He couldn’t believe a queen would slap him. Maybe she is more rogue than he had originally thought. Her anger made him smile, he didn’t know why but when she was angry, she looked like goddess.

“What the fuck is your problem Demetri!” She screamed. “I’m not going to mate with you! Let me go home for christs sake! This game has gone on long enough!” Astrae was yelling again.

Demetri stood up and slammed her against a tree, pinning her against it. “This is not a game little girl. You aren’t queen when you are with me, you are just another slut I picked up off the street. I want to be king and I’m going to use you to get there. Don’t act like we are friends, don’t act like I have a conscience. If we are not mated I will kill you.” He was growling inches from her face.

She never felt fear towards Demetri until that moment. She mostly felt anger and hatred. But he was radiating power, she wasn’t going to argue with him at the moment. She looked down, and he took a step back. He shoved her forward, in the direction of the castle. She would die before she mated with Demetri.

Rynon was buried in his thoughts when Demetri and Astrae started arguing. He was surprised to even hear Demetri, he thought Astrae was leaving him. After the argument was over, he knew the truth. Astrae wasn’t going to be his mate willingly. He shifted into wolf form and ran as fast as he could back to the den.

“Aris! Aris!” Aristotle was angry. He was breaking everything in his path. Most of the pack were cowering in their cabins, or gone on a very long run. He glared at Rynon.

“What the hell are you doing here. I thought I told you to follow Astrae!” Aris yelled. He was in no mood to deal with incompetence.

“Astrae isn’t his mate yet. He is forcing her to mate with him, she doesn’t have a choice.” Aristotle paused as his ears perked up. He was immediately interested.

“If you are lying, I will choke the life out of you.” Aristotle threatened. Rynon didn’t show fear, because he knew what he had heard. “Get the pack. We are going after them.” Aristotle had a chance. She was not mated yet. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He would save her and she would mate with him, forgiving him for Jovanna. He would win her back.