Mated To The Barbarian King Who Is My Ex-husband's Father.

​"Hand over the position to her?" Arianna was utterly surprised, staring at the king with her lips parted.

She had expected many things to happen when they came here, but never for a second did she think this authority would be handed directly to her.

​"Your Highness? What are you doing?" she asked in a low, hushed tone, stepping closer to him. "This position belongs to your aunt. Why are you giving it to me?"

​"It is the natural responsibility of the Queen, not of my aunt," Kane replied firmly. "Since there was no queen before now, I handed it over to her. But things have changed."

​Arianna had no idea what to say next. In truth, even if she could have found the words to speak in the old woman’s favor, she wouldn’t have.

​"I understand that I have upset you and stepped outside of my bounds, Your Highness," Aunt Freya said, stepping forward to face him directly. She looked up at him, desperately hoping a touch of kindness would reach his heart and move him to forgive her. "I promise to discharge these duties with competence and due diligence from now on."

​Kane looked down at her for a silent moment. "Aunt, you must understand that you cannot abuse your power because of a personal grudge. It is completely unacceptable and I will never tolerate it in my pack."

​"I promise it won’t happen again. I am truly sorry, my child," Aunt Freya apologized, lowering her voice.

​Arianna almost rolled her eyes. She noticed immediately how the older woman subtly took advantage of her maternal role in his life just to get her way.

​"I am not going back on my decision, Aunt," Kane insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This change will allow you to rest and focus entirely on your duties in the High Hall." He turned his attention back to his wife, effectively closing the matter. "This new responsibility may seem overwhelming for now, Arianna but as time progresses, you will get used to it."

​"I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, Your Highness," Arianna said, offering a brief curtsy. As she looked up at him, she caught the faint, warm crinkle around his eyes...a silent smile just for her.

​"As you wish, Your Highness," Aunt Freya murmured, bowing against her own will. "I have grown old and this duty is best suited for the queen. I should have handed it over a long time ago."

​"I am glad you finally understand, Aunt," Kane told her, even though they both knew her age had absolutely nothing to do with it. "Tomorrow morning, I would like to meet with the entire royal family for breakfast, and I want you to personally take charge of organizing it."

​"I will do as you say, Your Highness," Aunt Freya replied tightly. "If you will excuse me, I would like to take my leave."

​Kane nodded, watching her walk away with her entourage. But when his wife turned to leave as well, he stopped her. "And where do you think you are going?"

​"I... I..." Arianna paused, realizing in that exact moment that she didn’t actually have a specific destination in mind. A small, self-conscious smile crept onto her face as she looked back at him. His thick, stern brows finally relaxed as he returned her gaze.

​Kane didn’t say a word to her, yet it felt as though an entire conversation was passing between them. The silence stretched out, lasting much longer than she had expected.

​Arianna cleared her throat, suddenly eager to escape the intensity of his stare and return to the safety of her tent. "I will take my leave, Your Highness."

​"Sure, my wife," Kane said, but then he leaned in to add, "Do you happen to have those books with you?"

​Her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what he meant, but she forced her brows to knit in confusion as she asked politely, "What books, Kane?"

​He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he closed the gap between them, stepping close enough for her to feel his warmth, though he didn’t actually touch her.

​Arianna’s eyes darted around nervously. What was he doing? Did he not realize that there were more than fifty people around them? Even his right hand, Cassius, was standing right behind him.

​"The ones you brought from the West," Kane clarified quietly. "The ones you told me about on our wedding night."

​The sex books! Kane hadn’t forgotten about them, no matter how stressed he had been lately. She desperately wished she had kept her mouth shut that night. Clearly, he wasn’t going to drop the matter until she handed them over.

​"I have them in my chest," Arianna told him quickly, her cheeks burning. "If you want them, I will give them to you tonight."

​Hoping to distract him, Arianna looked around and noticed a familiar face staring intensely at them from the training grounds.

While the other werewolves were busy drilling, this particular woman had stopped entirely, standing with her arms crossed as she glared at them.

​A sudden, sharp reminder hit Arianna. The lady was Samantha, the king’s cousin. But why on earth was she staring at them with so much hatred?

​"You will read them to me, since I cannot read," Kane told her.

​"I will," Arianna nodded automatically, her attention completely divided. She couldn’t help but wonder what was going through Samantha’s mind. Was she jealous?

​"With illustrations... I don’t need to explain much because I know you will be an excellent mentor," he added, leaning down to plant a swift kiss on her lips.

​She hadn’t expected him to do that, not here, and the sudden heat in the air left her nearly breathless.

​Arianna quickly offered a hasty curtsy and began to walk away. The more she replayed Samantha’s facial expression in her mind, the more her suspicions grew. Did the lady actually desire her own cousin?

​There had been so much raw jealousy and hatred burning in Samantha’s eyes. It was entirely possible that she harbored romantic feelings for Kane.

​Could that be the real reason why Aunt Freya despised her so much as well?

Arianna sighed heavily as she finally met up with her waiting maids. Her mind raced with a flurry of questions about Samantha and the mystery man she was supposedly in love with.

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