Chapter 4 The Arrival

TEGAN'S P.O.V I watched out the window the entire drive, taking in the beautiful surroundings. I had never imagined how vibrant and beautiful the outside world would look. If I knew what I was missing, I would've snuck away more. With not having a wolf, I did not have the urge to run on a normal basis, so I would just lock myself away in my room with a cup of tea and a nice book. I would often sit in my window seal and read as the sun shined down, giving me a sense of peace. I had never seen anything outside of my pack lands, so the beautiful mountains and roads spoke to my soul on a deeper level. We soon passed a sign 'Welcome to Colorado'. I have lived in Texas my entire life; this was all new surroundings. Texas was hot, while here I saw the white crystals of snow peaking on the mountain tops. We have snow sometimes in Texas, but nothing like this. The temperature adjustments will be something I will have to get used to. Although I did not spend any time outside, I still experienced the Texas heat while indoors, especially when sitting at the window and the rays beating down on me. The sun did not look to be out too much here, which would explain the nippy coldness I could feel on my face as I laid it against the window. After some time of driving, we finally pulled onto a dirt road. I am sure when the snow melted, leaving this street was not an easy task to do. Trees lined the winding road until a humongous home came into view. The house was more like a mansion, suitable for a king, no doubt. It stood tall, bricks on the bottom painted white in color which blended into a wooden structure that was painted a light gray, giving welcoming vibes. The porch was held up by long twisted columns that served its purpose of maintaining the structure of a massive balcony just above. In the driveway stood a beautiful fountain with a wolf in the middle, water coming from its mouth as it went back into the base until it was redistributed. To the side of the pathway is a flower garden leading to the home itself. These were special flowers planted that surprisingly survived the winter's cruelness. There was a variety of evergreens along with other colorful options such as Orcus, Daphne, Camellia Siberian Scilla, Pperis, and even some splashes of a white flower, with the lily of the valley. Everything was breathtaking. No doubt the Queen's doing. The car came to a stop as I looked over my shoulder to the Queen. "We are here." She said as the door was opened for her to exit the car. The driver then went around the back of the car, opening the door for me. I exited the car still looking around at the beautiful scenery. I envisioned myself sitting on the bench in the winding garden with a book in my hand. I hoped they had books here. I live my life through books. They brought me sanity while living my life, they also brought me peace I didn't have otherwise. A light tap was on my arm, my eyes breaking away from the garden to see a small figure in front of me. The girl had brown bouncing hair as it curled around her face, her hands clutching my bag. A hinge of redness on her plump cheeks. She let out a breath, the air in front of her turning to smoke in the coldness of the air. Her brown eyes looked in my own for a moment before speaking. "This way, madam." She said before turning around and trotting away in the direction of the house. I followed suit. When entering the house, I gasped. The interior designers really have outdone themselves with this. It was like a section from home garden magazines. The pale white walls made the inside look bigger, although it didn't need help, it was already huge on its own. There was a big opening that served as the entrance. On each side were stairs that both led to the first floor, a balcony that overlooked the entranceway. At the top was a crystal chandelier that dangled down. Below the balcony was a hallway that led further into the house. I was sure to get lost on my own. It was so entrancing with its beauty. I had never had the pleasure of seeing anything more stunning with my own eyes. I was so caught up in my thoughts about how my life could be, that I almost forgot what was happening. I was sent to serve the King in bed for an heir. I needed to remind myself of that so that I didn't lose sight of the truth. I was damaged and he would never truly want damaged goods like me. The queen found love in her contract, but I had this churning gut feeling that I was entering a loveless contract no doubt. How could I, the worthless, disabled, and useless daughter of an Alpha, ever have true happiness? The answer was, I wouldn't. "Follow me, the King is waiting." The lady from before said as she took my arm within her own. We walked below the balcony before entering a very long hallway. There were several doors along the walls with hidden rooms behind them. We finally reached another huge door that was open. When we entered, I saw many tables cascading throughout the room. It was the dining hall, no doubt. To the side was an open kitchen that had hotplates in a window-like structure, which was separating the kitchen from the hall, used for a buffet, no doubt. I could see a bulky man facing away from us. His back ripped with muscles; you could literally see everything through his tight shirt. In front of him stood the Queen, or previous Queen, Lilyanna. I assumed they were talking, but I couldn't be sure since I couldn't actually hear. His arms moved from his sides to cross in front of his body, making the muscles pronounce even more. He had short raven black hair just like his mother. Would he also have her button nose and beautiful eyes? Or would that part of him favor his father? I had this sudden desire. No. It was more like a need to see his face. Seeing his backside made a sudden desire wash over me that I couldn't explain. Something inside of me begged for my body to move closer, to smell his scent, to touch his ripping muscles. A desire I had never had before. I contained myself, however, he was the king and did not need someone like me grabbing at him, no matter how much I wished I could. The need confused me. But the thoughts of desire consumed me. I needed to see his face. As if he heard my thoughts, he turned around. "You must be Tegan?" I read on his lips. My body went limp at that moment, completely taken back. Shit. Fuck.