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

Arianna quickly followed the king to Aunt Freya’s tent. It was her very first time stepping inside the older woman’s quarters, and they found a small crowd gathering near the entrance.

Aunt Freya was lying motionless on the bed, with Samantha weeping at her side as if her mother were already dead.

​"Have you called the medicine women?" Kane asked urgently, dropping onto the stool beside the bed and gently chafing his aunt’s hand.

​"N-no..." Samantha stammered, looking utterly lost as she wiped her tears with the back of her hands. She glanced around the room in deep confusion before turning her gaze toward the entrance.

​The moment her eyes landed on Arianna, she rolled them sharply and looked away. It was incredibly obvious that she didn’t want the queen anywhere near her mother’s tent.

​Arianna remained perfectly quiet, watching the absolute devotion the king showed to his aunt. From everything he had just shared with her, he was terrified of losing her.

Aunt Freya and her children were the only real family he had left in the world. It was deeply tragic, Arianna realized, that they didn’t truly care for him the way he cared for them.

​"Get the medicine women now," the king commanded, his tone sharp with rising panic and annoyance.

​"I will," Samantha said, quickly slipping out of the tent. A few minutes later, she returned alone. "They are on their way."

​"What is taking them so long?" he muttered with a heavy frown, continuing to rub his aunt’s hand, terrified it might grow any colder.

​Aunt Freya lay completely still, her eyes tightly shut. According to the whispers, she had been unconscious for nearly two hours.

The household had initially assumed she was just sleeping, until Samantha had come in to administer her regular medicine and realized she couldn’t be woken.

​At first, Arianna had suspected this might all be a grand performance to win back the king’s attention and sympathy. But looking closer at the scene unfolding before her, she realized it was far more serious.

The old woman’s skin had turned as pale and bloodless as snow. She desperately needed medical attention.

​"She has a fever," Arianna found herself saying aloud. She desperately wanted to step in and help using her own medical knowledge, but this was a werewolf... their biology was entirely different from the humans she had treated in the past.

​"The high priest has come instead," one of the maids announced, stepping aside to make way for him to pass.

​Arianna backed away, silently watching the man do his work. It wasn’t a natural way of treating a patient at all. He used magic to soothe Aunt Freya’s burning fever, and after a few tense minutes, the older woman’s eyes snapped open.

​It was the king who released a heavy sigh of relief, leaning even closer to his aunt’s side. He kissed her forehead three times before whispering, "You scared all of us. What were you thinking, Aunt? I can’t live without you."

​"You see... there was nothing special about the way he treated you earlier," a familiar, masculine voice suddenly whispered right against her ear.

​Arianna turned her head, and her lips almost brushed against Ethan’s. A heavy wave of disgust washed over her face as she immediately shifted away from him.

​"Do not make them hear you, or else everyone will find out us..."

​"Keep quiet," she hissed. She was furious, yet she managed to keep her tone low and strictly controlled since the rest of the room was entirely engrossed in Aunt Freya waking up.

​"Come with me," Ethan demanded, grabbing her elbow and trying to subtly drag her toward the exit.

​"No," she refused, fighting to yank her arm out of his tight grip.

​"Do you want everyone to know?"

Arianna bit her lower lip, wishing they were completely alone so she could slap the smirk right off his face. He clearly thought he had the upper hand just because they were surrounded by people.

​With a sharp jerk, she yanked her arm out of his grip and stormed out of the tent. The moment she stepped outside, the biting night air reminded her of just how thin her nightgown robe was.

Quickly, she pulled her fur cloak tighter around her body to cover herself properly.

​Ethan followed closely behind as she walked. She had no idea where they were heading, but she could only hope it was somewhere isolated where no one would see or suspect them.

​He led her toward the edge of the dark forest. It was pitch black beneath the trees, and there wasn’t a single soul in sight.

The moment they came to a halt and faced each other, Arianna swung her hand and slapped his left cheek.

​The blow was entirely unexpected. Ethan felt the sharp sting of it, though the pain faded almost as quickly as it had come.

He stared down at her for a long, silent moment, and a sudden wave of fear turned Arianna’s feet to ice.

​She felt a sudden urge to turn and run, terrified of how a werewolf might react to being struck by a human, but instead, the psycho just laughed. He reached up, casually tracing the place on his face where her hand had landed.

​"I never knew you could get so easily angry and look so hot at the same time," Ethan murmured, biting his lower lip as his eyes roved over her. "You keep surprising me lately, my love."

​Her brows furrowed in deep confusion as she looked at him. He had definitely lost his senses when that slap landed.

​"I am not your love, Ethan. Stop bothering me," Arianna said firmly. She moved to step past him, but he instantly shifted his body, blocking her path. "What are you doing?"

​"What do you think you are doing?"

​"I want to go back to your aunt’s tent. That’s what I am doing."

​Ethan chuckled bitterly, covering his face with his palms. He took a moment to calm the frantic racing of his heart before lowering his hands and turning back to her. "I know we had a bet before you came over to the North. I am sorry for doubting you, Arianna. I swear to gods I am."

​She remained entirely silent, watching him warily.

​"I want us to stop this game... you won the bet, Arianna," Ethan said, taking a step closer. He reached out to hold her hand, but she fiercely yanked it away. "Let’s end this madness and go back to the West where we belong. I promise to love you."

​"W-what about Selena and your child?" she demanded, her voice trembling.

​"We will find a way... she is not my true mate. You are. And if you agree to leave with me tonight, I will go to my father and take whatever punishment he throws at us so that we can finally be free. I love you, Arianna."

​Her lips parted, yet no words left them. Arianna stared at him, genuinely wondering if he actually meant a single word he said, or if these were just more beautifully spun lies designed to fool her all over again.

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