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

Her eyes snapped shut in frustration and shame the second he called her out. Arianna wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. He must have picked up her scent from the very beginning.

​Kane’s tone sounded dangerously cold, and she knew she couldn’t face his full wrath right now.

​Quickly, she discarded her dress and undies, scrambling into the bathing tub set in the corner of the inner tent.

​"F-fuck..." she hissed through clenched teeth as her warm skin made contact with the harsh, icy water of the North. It felt as though she were submerging herself directly into liquid frost.

​Her instincts screamed at her to jump out and grab a heavy fur wrap before she caught hypothermia, but she forced herself to stay put.

​A second later, Kane pushed past the heavy curtain and stepped into the room. His gaze locked onto her immediately.

​Her heart hammered against her ribs so loudly she feared he could hear it from across the room.

​Arianna forced a tight, delicate smile. "I... I wasn’t expecting you."

​"Is that so?" Kane asked softly, his eyes fixed dead on hers, refusing to stray down to the rest of her exposed body.

​A flash of self-doubt pierced through Arianna. Was he exercising extreme restraint, or was he truly completely unbothered by her naked body tonight?

​"I came in to wash the blood of your friend’s mistress off my hands," she murmured, her slick fingers moving slowly over the column of her neck before trailing down over her chest, trying to draw his focus away from her quick-thinking lie.

​"When did you come in?" he asked, his voice low in the quiet space.

​"A few minutes ago... three, perhaps," Arianna answered, lowering her gaze to hide the flush on her cheeks as she tried to steady her racing heart. "Did I interrupt something important?"

​"N-no... I was just finishing a discussion with Cassius when I heard movement," Kane replied, his eyes slowly drifting down toward her bare shoulders. He swallowed hard before adding, "I caught your scent, but... taking a bath was the absolute last thing I expected you to be doing in my quarters."

​"Do you want to watch me?" Arianna asked, kneeling in the wooden basin and leaning forward, her hands spread lightly against the edge as the warm water lapped against her skin.

​"I thought you refused all distractions until your investigation was complete," Kane countered, arching an eyebrow as he tried to maintain his composure. "What made you change your mind?"

​Arianna rolled her eyes playfully beneath her lashes. He was still trying to play the stern, unbothered ruler even after her explicit invitation.

But she was about to take complete control of him—she would happily let him reign as King of the North by day, but in this tent tonight, she called the shots.

​"I changed my mind. Seeing you like this... it makes me burn," Arianna confessed, her brow furrowing with mock irritation. "Do you really not find me attractive tonight, Kane?"

​"No—of course I do," he admitted quickly, his composure slipping. "It’s just... you explicitly told me to stay away."

​"Well, let’s see how long you can manage to stay standing over there instead of joining me."

​Without another word, Kane unbuckled his fur cloak, letting it drop heavily to the floor, and stripped out of his clothes before stepping into the warm basin with her.

​Arianna smiled as he drew near. Reaching out, his large hand cupped her jaw, tilting her head back to meet his gaze before his lips crashed onto hers.

​He kissed her with a deep, consuming passion. His fingers tangled gently in her wet hair while his mouth explored hers, stealing the very breath from her lungs.

​"Kane... take me," she commanded, pulling back just enough to gasp against his mouth.

​His dark eyes widened in sheer shock at her sudden demand. A fleeting shadow of sadness crossed his features, so quick and raw that it startled her—yet Arianna knew she would rather brave whatever haunted him than keep running from the pull between them.

Without a word of warning, his eyes blazed a dangerous, glowing crimson. The muscles of his face contorted as his jaw dropped open, and with a sharp, terrifying flash, his fangs surged forward, lengthening as they pierced through his gums.

​A icy chill raced across Arianna’s skin as she took him in. This was the first time she had ever witnessed his true apex form...raw, primal, and wild. Her heart skipped a frantic beat, yet she held his gaze without flinching.

​Kane leaned in close, his hot breath brushing against her collarbone as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent deeply.

​Arianna wound her arms around his broad shoulders, consciously willing her tight muscles to relax.

She surrendered herself to the moment, ready for him to claim her at last—hoping that once this threshold was crossed, the walls between them would finally crumble.

​As her thoughts drifted, the cool tips of his fangs scraped tantalizingly against her skin... before sinking in gently.

​At first, the sharp bite carried a sweet, agonizing heat that bordered on pure pleasure. But then he pushed deeper, piercing her skin to the root.

A shockwave of sharp pain ripped through her entire body, making her hands dig desperately into his shoulders.

A quiet cry escaped her lips, yet the overwhelming weight of being marked by him drowned out everything else.

*****

He had not expected Kane to react in such a violent manner. His friend hadn’t even granted him the courtesy of an explanation.

​Cassius stared at his own reflection in the cracked mirror for a silent second, wondering if it was written plainly across his face that he had tried to kill Alara.

​That whore didn’t die—just like the one Kane kept in his bed before her. Neither of those women could seem to stay out of his business.

​Tonight, he had nearly been exposed because of Arianna.

A cold, simmering fury built inside him as his eyes drifted toward the partition leading to the inner tent.

It was painfully obvious she was the one hiding in there, which was why Kane had yet to step back out.

​Cassius wanted nothing more than to leave, but he wouldn’t dare walk away without Kane’s explicit permission. Instead, a dangerous curiosity began to gnaw at him.

What were they discussing in there? Was Kane turning against him? Was it about him?

​Curiosity gripped him tight, his heart hammering against his ribs. Focusing his heightened werewolf senses, he strained to catch their hushed voices over the quiet of the tent.

​It was the single last thing he wanted to hear.

​He was just about to turn and slip out to give them privacy when the terrible realization hit him like a physical blow.

​Kane was marking that damn human bitch.

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