Chapter 183

Lewis pov

"Get the fuck, away from my mate!" I didn't even have time to react to Dylan's words before a loud gun shot sounded out, and not even a second later I was blasted in the face by warm, thick blood. It made my sight go slightly blurry, and caused me to gag ever so slightly as the splash landed slightly in my mouth. I did, however, realize what had happened fairly quickly, when the thud of the executioners' dead body hit the floor. 

"Welcome back... My Queen!" Josh's smug words hit the ears of everyone and numerous, thunderous growls sounded out. I tried to awkwardly wipe the blood from my eyes on my shoulder but stopped when the kings voice sounded out again. "You know, Your aim has gotten rather good, I suppose I'll have to break your hands too, to stop..." his sentence was cut off by another gun shot, Dylan's sight never wavering from the kings. However Warren had launched at my girl, right before her finger pulled the trigger, sending the bullet flying directly past the kings cheek, missing him by an inch, while in turn sending her weapon crashing to the floor along with her own body following suit. "WARREN!" The kings yell made Warren jump off my girl right before Oliver or Gilliard could interfere. The king's hand shot up, preventing another attack from taking place, while Dylan too halted her own sides actions. "I said, no one is to touch her, negotiations are happening... Now, now, let's not be foolish." I didn't like the growing tension, one bit. The heated atmosphere was about to explode and I was trapped, shackled down, unable to do a goddamn thing but watch and wait for their reunion to turn violent. "Come home, my queen, and your little tantrum can be put behind us." The king's smug, smooth voice riled me up as he goaded my Dylan who had picked herself up off of the floor nonchalantly and began glaring at the king once more. 

"I would rather die here than go anywhere near you!" I truly wasn't sure where she got her courage from but it was mesmerizing. This man in front of her, in front of everyone, had made her life a living hell. He had tortured her, brutally abused her, and he had made it all very public, yet there she stood, so brazenly confident.

"You always know exactly what to say and do to hurt me, don't you?" He sighed, holding his hand up for everyone to quiet down. "I have to admit, I'm loving this new look..." A loud growl sounded out across the clearing and only after a few heads met mine had I realized it was in fact, me making those growls, he had absolutely no right to be commenting on her anything. "What bought about such a mesmerizing change? You actually resemble a Lycan queen now." 

I glanced over to Warren who was standing with his claws out ready to pounce on my mate at any given moment, but I will admit that every single thought in my head seemed to suddenly cut themselves off as I snapped my blood splattered face up to hers in genuine shock and surprise. Her words had seemed to suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. 'Get away from my mate'. I admit that my mind had been extremely slow to acknowledge the fact that Dylan, my beautiful, stubborn and extremely closed-off Dylan, had called me her mate! 

Not her boyfriend or her partner, not just Lewis, but mate, her mate. 

It made my heart flutter uncontrollably despite the dire situation. My Dylan had just prevented my execution, and she had done so effortlessly. Not only that but she had finally acknowledged our mate bond for the first time. 

"What would you like me to do, my queen? Is it a simple apology that you crave? Do you want me to say that I'm sorry for all the punishments you have received? Do you want me to?.." I was angry, and I felt sick to my stomach at the sheer gall of the man in front of me. How dare he mock her in such a way. An apology from him now, would just be pathetic and pure manipulation. 

"Don't you dare, apologize to me... it's disgusting!" The venom in her voice took me aback, never mind the king who visibly gulped and clutched onto his chest slightly. I have to admit, I swelled with pride seeing her stand up for herself in such a way. She had always been out spoken, and determined, but right now she was showing the entire world that she had zero time for the man claiming himself as king. The last time she did that resulted in her mothers murder, so I was surprised she possessed the gumption. 

"Why you ungrateful little bitch..." Warren's anger was worse than the kings at this point. I suppose it was rather admirable to an extent, his loyalty was definitely unquestionable. 

"Warren... No one is to interfere... me and my queen need to have a frank... discussion..." the entire area went silent once again as the eyes of everyone landed on the two monarchs that stood 10 feet away from each other. 

"Tell me, my queen... what does he have that I don't?" Josh pointed to me, all the while everyone around simply listened to the conversation, waiting on pins for something to snap the tension and cause the war to rage out. His eyes began to take on a certain unhinged craze that made him seem all the more dangerous. "Why accept him, and refuse me? I am your KING!" Josh's anger was rising dangerously, which caused me to begin to struggle in my restraints. 

Goddess, please don't let Dylan break again, not from this, don't let her crumble under his presence. 

"Do you really not know?.. Or do you just really want me to say it?" Her voice was strong, and powerful it held everyone captive, just waiting for her to confirm her rejection. Damn it, why did I have to get captured? I was supposed to be saving her. Not the other way around. When the fuck did I become a damsel? "Do you want me to say that I fell in love with someone... and much to my surprise that person is a lycan... and that Lycan isn't, nor will he ever be, you!"  

Gasps of shock sounded out, but my mind was still reeling with the words that had left her lips... She loved me?! She had never spoken those simple three words to me before, and with them, I felt my chest ache, my wolf form was edging into release with a fury that I never thought I could possess. 

I never believed anyone would find it in their hearts to make room for me, especially not after the death of Iliana. I had all but deemed myself unloveable, even more so whenever I thought about the destruction I had caused in the past. Not to mention I had previously done everything in my power to deny the connection I had to Dylan, out of respect and hope for Josh... But no, she loved me! 

"I love Lewis more than life itself..." Not only had I no idea how strong her feeling were towards me, but I never thought her capable of staying them so freely, and so openly, until that moment. With her confession I felt my body radiating nothing but love and affection for the girl currently staring at me, my girl... my one true mate. 

I'm not too proud to admit that I had fallen for her the moment I set eyes on her. Her attitude and wittiness were simply mesmerizing, especially when you think about everything the new world had put her through. However, hearing her say that she now held strong mutual feelings for me, filled me with nothing but euphoria. 

Murmurs sounded over the many warriors that were present, my girls words lingering on everyone. While the stupidest grin found it's way onto my face. 

"What!..." Josh suddenly became still as he looked at Dylan, his face showing nothing but betrayal and anger at her words. She was blatantly standing up to him. She wasn't even officially rejecting Josh this time, she had done that before and had no reaction from him, but now her words were a deliberate attempt to make him realize that she had absolutely no intention of ever being with him. "Someone... KILL HIM NOW!" Josh was borderline crazed as he shouted, his eyes were wild, his breathing was erratic and his claws jolted out of his fingers abruptly, proving to the world that he had allowed himself to be consumed by his anger. 

My arms jolted in the restraints in an attempt to save myself as Warren charged at me, only he never actually made contact with my body...

Oliver's large wolf form towered over my bound body in a protective stance, only to be knocked over by a now fully shifted Warren. They instantly began tearing at each other while I continued to try and free myself. 

Gun shots also quickly began to sound out and the loud noises of the kings men shifting filled the area before lycans and humans from both sides began to leap into the throes of battle. 

I heard some groans and cries, and I saw body's flying through the air, blood splattered to the floor and hundreds of gun shots sounded out all the while I was absolutely powerless to do anything while my hands were still bound. I fought, and pulled at the chains that held my limbs, but to no avail. My movements simply caused pain to shoot through my skin. 

"Lewis?!" I heard and my head shot over to that of Dylan's friend Ryan Clarke. In his hands rested a gun, and in a holster on his waist lay a large knife. He ran over to me quickly, dodging thrown bodies, and bullets as he went before settling down next to my beaten-bound form. He quickly began to fiddle with the silver restraints, only to let out a large sigh. “Shit, we’re going to need Alan.” I sighed with the man I disliked and nodded my head, knowing Alan was the best option to pick the locks. 

“Where’s Dylan?!” I was quite frantic looking around at the many fighting forms to try and locate my mate, the girl who had expressed her desires for me, but I couldn’t see her. 

“She’s just…” his head to darted around, as he tried to find her, but even he frowned when she couldn’t be seen. “She’ll be fine. Right now we need to…” His eyes seemed to widen at something he had spotted, his excitement soon turned to me as he rushed out two simple words before taking off in a sprint. “Sit tight!” 

Sit tight?! What else was I supposed to do? That bastard, I didn’t care if he was Dylans friend. I didn’t like the guy. I growled loudly when a bullet quickly tore through my left shoulder and my wrists jolted yet again, while a searing pain took over me. 

I was a sitting duck, who had been marked for death by the king himself. The woman who had shot me simply looked smug as she raised her arm up, ready to finish the job, when she instead took a bullet. 

Ryan returned, there was now blood coating his hands, however the sight and scent told me that it wasn’t his. He bolted over to me and grinned widely before holding up a set of keys. He’d located the Lycan who had incapacitated me, and took the keys that would grant me my freedom. He unlocked my restraints quickly before nodding to me out of respect. 

“Thanks…” I stated before looking at my wounded arm. “Now… take the bullet out!”