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

​Arianna did not expect the king to return to the pavilion with a woman walking so closely behind him.

​She was a striking blonde with piercing blue eyes—much like Kane’s. It was no exaggeration to say that she was easily the most breathtakingly beautiful woman Arianna had seen in the tribe so far.

​Arianna’s heart gave a sharp, painful sting as the woman whispered something to the king. Kane gave a nod, and the woman let out a soft, melodious laugh.

​Arianna subtly balled her hands into fists at her sides, her chest tightening with an unfamiliar pang of envy. Who was this blonde woman, and what on earth was she doing with her husband?

​"Aren’t you curious about her?" a voice slickly whispered beside her, sounding remarkably like a snake coiling around its prey.

​Arianna glanced to her side and met Samantha’s venomous smirk. Why did her sister-in-law care to offer information all of a sudden?

​"No, I am not interested," Arianna replied coolly, taking a small step away. But Samantha was not about to give up that easily.

​"I know you’re dying to know who she is," Samantha purred in a low tone. Stepping closer, her lips brushed near the queen’s ear. "Before there was you, there was her. She drove him to the absolute edge long before you ever existed."

​Arianna’s eyes widened slightly as her gaze flicked back toward the blonde, who was bowing respectfully toward Aunt Freya—only to be completely ignored by the older woman.

​"I don’t believe you," Arianna said, forcing her voice to remain steady.

​"I only wish I were lying to you, Princess," Samantha murmured with a mocking smile before brushing past her and strolling away.

​Arianna swallowed hard, desperately trying to shut out the doubts creeping into her mind. Samantha could easily be fabricating the entire story just to rile her up and provoke a dramatic reaction.

She knew better than to let the little devil win... but the lingering ache in her chest refused to fade.

No matter how hard she tried to push the thoughts away, her mind remained restless as the king walked toward the iron throne and took his seat without casting a single glance in her direction.

​Arianna bowed respectfully, taking her place beside Ragnar. A sudden flush of heat rushed to her face as a prickle of jealousy flared inside her chest.

The blonde woman who had arrived with the king stood toward the back of the pavilion, yet Arianna couldn’t stop turning her head to steal glances at her.

​"Are you unwell, Your Highness?" Ragnar asked quietly, noting the sudden change in her demeanor.

​"No, I am fine."

​"If you are feeling ill, I can request permission from the king so you may return to your tent."

​"I am fine, Ragnar. Thank you for your concern," Arianna insisted softly, her gaze drifting back to the king. He still hadn’t looked her way. It was completely unlike him.

​Was he punishing her for what had happened last night? She had ruined everything when he confessed his feelings for her.

​A heavy veil of guilt wrapped around her heart. Standing just a few feet away from him, the distance between them felt like miles.

​"What is it, Aunt?" the king asked, his expression entirely devoid of warmth. His face was unreadable, signaling he had zero patience for trivial disputes today.

​"I summoned you because you are the only one who can resolve this matter," Aunt Freya began, stepping forward with purpose. "Something unprecedented has occurred in this pack."

​Kane let out a low sigh, leaning his back against the iron throne. "What is it this time?"

​"My jewelry has been stolen—"

​"I will have new pieces crafted for you," the king interrupted flatly. He was already preparing to rise from his throne when her voice cut him off, stopping him in his tracks.

"Forgive me, Kane, but I haven’t fully explained the situation," Aunt Freya said, clasping her hands before her as she spoke with rare humility. "The ring you gave me is missing. I did not misplace it—someone stole it directly from my tent."

​The king’s brows furrowed in confusion as he listened.

​"There is a thief among us," she continued, her tone grave. "And we must root them out, for such a person has no place here."

​Kane stared at her, genuinely taken aback. The idea that someone within his pack would dare to steal, and from his aunt, of all people seemed almost unthinkable. "Are you certain about this, Aunt?"

​"Yes, cousin," Samantha interjected, stepping forward. Kane’s sharp gaze shifted to her as she spoke. "We thoroughly searched her entire tent for the missing items and found nothing. It is painfully obvious that someone among us took them."

​Thievery was strictly forbidden throughout the tribe. The punishment for such a crime was execution by hanging or, if the Alpha chose to show rare leniency, the permanent severing of the offender’s hand.

​"There was no such thing as theft in this pack until new faces began showing up," Samantha added pointedly.

​"And what, exactly, are you implying?" the king demanded, his eyes narrowing as he pressed her.

​"I-I simply mean there are strangers entering the territory to trade these days," Samantha said quickly, smoothing over her words to correct herself. "Any one of them could be the thief."

​Arianna knew precisely what Samantha had truly meant. Ever since they were back in the tent, her sister-in-law had been lobbing quiet, indirect accusations her way.

​"There is no way a stranger could slip into Aunt Freya’s tent unnoticed," Arianna spoke up, her voice calm and firm. "Guards are posted around the tents at all times."

​"Which means the culprit is one of us," Samantha said quickly.

​"We cannot know for certain until a proper investigation is conducted," Arianna said, turning her attention directly to the king. "There was an attempt on my life only recently, and the traitor turned out to be someone from within these lands. Who knows, Your Highness... the thief responsible for this may very well be from your pack as well."

​"Are you certain the items are missing?" the king asked, his focus shifting back to his aunt. He wondered if she had simply misplaced them somewhere or left them in her daughter’s tent.

​"I am absolute in my certainty, Your Highness," Aunt Freya said, nodding with firm confidence. She knew for a fact that she had packed them away inside her box.

​"Samantha, have you checked your own tent?" he asked, pressing to be sure.

​"No, but I watched Mother pack them into the box inside her tent with my own eyes."

​The king studied each of them in turn. He had no desire to rush into rash decisions, but the sooner this matter was resolved, the better. Turning to his Beta, he commanded, "Cassius, take Ragnar with you and conduct a thorough search of every tent. Even if it means tearing through the entire tribe, see it done."

​"As Your Grace commands," Cassius bowed, awaiting any further orders.

​"Furthermore, anyone attempting to leave the territory must be thoroughly searched," Kane added grimly. "The missing items must be recovered before the full moon wanes. I will not harbor both assassins and common thieves within my pack."

​"I thought you had already captured the assassin," Aunt Freya spoke up, confusion flickering across her features.

​The king offered no answer. Rising from the iron throne, he swept out of the pavilion. The blonde woman who had arrived with him immediately followed at his heel.

​Arianna’s chest tightens painfully at the sight of the woman trailing so closely behind him. Driven by an impulse she couldn’t control, she hurried after them. "Your Highness!"

​Kane froze in his tracks, though he didn’t turn around. Arianna quickened her pace, brushing past the blonde woman until she stood directly in front of him. Facing him so suddenly, the words nearly failed her.

​"Can we talk?" Arianna asked softly, her eyes flicking briefly to the blonde before anchoring onto his.

​"Of course, Queen Arianna," Kane replied calmly. He turned to his companion. "Alara, report back to me the moment your work is complete."

​Alara bowed gracefully. "Your Highness... Her Highness. Have a pleasant day."

Arianna watched the woman walk away, her lips curling into a slight frown. She couldn’t quite pinpoint why she felt such an instant distaste for the lady. It was likely Samantha’s poisonous words twisting her thoughts.

​"What is it, Queen Arianna?" the king asked, his voice breaking through her concentration.

​"Who is she?" Arianna demanded, her brow furrowing with a mixture of raw jealousy and quiet anger.

​Kane arched a brow, surprised by her bold confrontation. He knew well enough by now that his queen was far from shy, and when jealousy took hold of her, she made no effort to hide it. "That is Alara. Why do you ask?"

​Arianna suddenly caught herself, wondering why she had blurted it out in the first place. She had no business feeling this possessive, yet the sight of them together had stung. "I... I simply did not care for the way you two walked in together. Or perhaps I am just exaggerating."

​Kane let out a low chuckle, closing the distance between them. He reached up, cupping her face gently in his warm palm. "You are breathtaking when you act jealous. It makes me want to imprint on you right here."

​"Then what are you waiting for?" Arianna blurted out, before her mind could catch up with her heart.

​The moment the words left her mouth, a faint flicker of doubt crossed her mind. Given the fragile state of their bond and all the unresolved secrets between them, rushing into a permanent mark was risky. But looking up into his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to take it back.

​"You truly wouldn’t mind?" Kane asked, his gaze darkening with intensity.

​"No," she whispered, shaking her head as she swallowed hard.

​His hand drifted slowly down from her cheek to the curve of her neck. His thumb traced a gentle path over her pulse point, as if searching for the exact spot where his teeth would claim her as his mate.

​Arianna’s heart hammered violently against her ribs. Every instinct should have told her to put a stop to this before things went too far, but she found herself doing the exact opposite. She had initiated it... and for once, perhaps breaking a few rules wouldn’t hurt.

​Meanwhile, a short distance away...

​Samantha stood hidden, a smug smirk gracing her lips. She was convinced her little scheme had worked—that she had successfully driven the princess to confront the king in a blind rage and accuse him of infidelity. She had watched with glee as Arianna rushed up to demand a private audience.

​I never knew the princess was so foolish, she sneered silently to her wolf. Let us watch how furious Kane becomes when she questions his authority.

​She anticipated a sharp reprimand from the king the moment Alara was dismissed. But to her utter disbelief, no harsh words came. Instead, Kane reached out and drew the queen closer, showering her with undeniable affection.

​Straining her ears to catch their quiet murmurs, the reality of their conversation struck her like a physical blow. The king wasn’t going to punish Arianna . He was preparing to mark her.

​An icy grip of panic squeezed Samantha’s chest. She shook her head in horror, tears of pure frustration pooling in her eyes.

​This cannot be happening, she thought, her mind spiraling into chaos. Kane wouldn’t dare... not with her!

****

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