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

Arianna still couldn’t believe she had been marked. Her cold fingers gently traced the skin of her neck, feeling the fresh, warm blood. Pain lingered, but it was far overshadowed by a rush of exhilaration.

​Kane’s red eyes slowly shifted back to normal following the bite. He smiled down at her softly. "Do you like it?"

​"Yes, my love," she nodded, locking her gaze with his. "It feels... incredible."

​"You are mine completely now...no other man can ever touch you. If you ever harbored thoughts of leaving me, it is impossible now." He gently booped the tip of her nose with his index finger.

​Arianna forced a smile that failed to reach her eyes.

​"Are you alright?" he asked, noticing the subtle shift.

​She nodded quickly, even though she was practically freezing to death. Her legs had gone completely numb from the icy bath, but she refused to let him suspect her lie. Her instincts screamed at her to climb out of the tub, but she held her ground.

​"The night is still young," Kane murmured, "and in two nights, the full moon will be upon us."

​"Will you find her?" she asked, her voice laced with quiet curiosity.

​"I don’t know," he replied honestly. "If you ask me, I’m not desperate to find her, my love. I am more than content with you by my side."

​Arianna’s brows furrowed as she shook her head gently. "No, my love. She is the key to your happiness and your true freedom. I won’t be selfish and hold you back from breaking your curse."

​"You are not selfish, my queen." Kane leaned down to kiss her forehead, his fingers trailing down her neck to her back. He dipped his hand into the water to scoop some over her shoulders, but recoiled the moment he felt the temperature. "This water is freezing! Can you not feel how cold this is?"

​She merely shrugged, her jaw tight, but a sudden draft of northern wind swept through the tent, causing her entire body to shiver violently.

​"No—I’m getting you out of here now." Kane stood up immediately and grabbed a thick white linen towel from the basket, wrapping it securely around her as he lifted her out of the tub. "You are freezing to the bone! Why didn’t you say something? Why did you even get into cold water in the first place?"

​"It wasn’t that bad," Arianna murmured, clinging tightly to the linen draped around her body.

Kane’s chest radiated warmth and she pressed closer against him, craving the heat of his skin.

​"It is! Can’t you see how pale you’ve become? Were you planning to commit suicide?"

​"Stop complaining so much," she muttered, rolling her eyes—a move he caught immediately.

​"Should I take you back to that icy water? It seemed like you loved it," he teased, stopping in his tracks.

​"N-no! I am cold, Kane," she said quickly, fluttering her lashes up at him to play for his sympathy.

​"Oh, now you look too cute for me to toss you back in," he chuckled. He carried her into the main tent, only to spot Cassius standing quietly in the corner. Kane startled slightly. "You scared me. What are you still doing here?"

​"I was not dismissed, Alpha," Cassius replied, keeping his gaze glued to the floor.

​Kane sighed, wondering how many insane people he was going to have to deal with tonight. "Go outside and find me the real culprit, Cassius. You’ve wasted enough time already. Give me a single reason not to punish you."

​"Thank you, Your Highness. I won’t disappoint you this time." Cassius bowed deeply before turning and striding out of the tent.

​"I swear, I am the one being punished here," Kane grumbled, carrying Arianna over to the large bed. He set his wife down gently and began rubbing her icy feet. She was still shivering like a leaf. "What were you thinking, Queen Arianna? If I hadn’t noticed the water, you would have sat in there freezing to death."

​Arianna opened her mouth to defend herself, but ended up letting out a fit of coughs instead—only proving his point. She swallowed hard, hastily avoiding his sharp gaze.

​Kane shook his head, stood up, and disappeared into the inner tent. When he emerged a moment later, he was fully dressed.

"Guards..."

​At once, two guards entered the room with their heads bowed in respect.

​"Tell the cook to prepare medicine for my wife. She has caught a cold," Kane instructed sternly.

​"It’s really not that bad," Arianna chimed in. Her shivering had finally subsided. "I feel better, so there’s no need for..."

​She couldn’t even finish her sentence before a violent cough cut her off, this time leaving a sharp pain in her chest.

​Kane looked at her, exasperated and at a complete loss for what to do with her. He turned back to the guards. "Prepare the pavilion at once. I will be moving there tonight."

​"As you wish, Your Highness," they bowed before quickly excusing themselves.

​"Do I look that terrible?" Arianna asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

​"Of course, my love. And I am mad at you."

​"I’m sorry, Kane... Am I going to die from a cough?" She looked genuinely worried, and the sudden fear in her voice struck a chord in him. No matter how brave she tried to be, her inner anxieties still managed to take control.

​"It’s just a cough. The medicine women will treat it, and by tomorrow morning, you will be strong again," he assured her gently. "Let me help you get dressed. We are going to the pavilion."

​"To do what?"

​"You shall see," Kane replied with a subtle smile, walking over to where her trunk of clothes was stored. "Do you have a particular color in mind that you want to wear?"

​"You can choose for me," Arianna murmured.

​He opened her box and pulled out a rich purple satin gown. "I like this one on you," he said, walking back over and sitting beside her on the bed.

​Arianna ducked her head forward so he could slide the dress over her head. After a few careful minutes, he was done, and she immediately pulled the bed blanket around herself to stay warm.

​Kane walked over to where his heavy furs were hanging, unhooked a soft one, and handed it to her. "Wear this."

Her lips parted, yet no words came out. If she wore this, people would drag her for wearing a royal fur reserved strictly for the king. "No... my own fur is somewhere—"

​"I insist," he said firmly, draping the heavy fur around her shoulders anyway.

​Arianna fell quiet as he scooped her up into his arms. They stepped outside into the chilly air and made their way to the pavilion. When they arrived, she couldn’t believe how the space had been transformed.

​A roaring fire crackled in the hearth, filling the room with deep, inviting warmth. Arranged close to the flames was a plush, thick mat alongside a low-level table laden with various dishes, fruits, and steaming bowls.

​"Wow, Kane..." she breathed, her eyes darting across the room in awe. The pavilion felt less like a regal throne room and more like a private sanctuary.

​"Do you like it?"

​"Yes! Of course. I truly needed this."

​"I’m glad you like it," Kane said softly, lowering her feet gently back to the ground.

​Arianna instantly felt the cold begin to melt away. She hurried over to sit by the fireplace, stretching her palms toward the open flames to absorb the heat.

After a few moments, she pressed her warm hands against her cheeks and let out a soft laugh.

​"You are behaving like a child this evening," Kane teased, settling down on the mat beside her. "Eat your soup. It will help you recover faster."

​Arianna nodded, picking up the bowl of soup from the table. Then, her original mission resurfaced in her mind. Things hadn’t gone strictly according to plan, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip away entirely.

​"What happened between you and Cassius?" she asked casually. "You seemed very pissed off when you came to find me in the inner tent."

​Kane turned his head toward her, his gaze cool and unreadable. "Just a little discussion with a friend... Did you eavesdrop on us, Arianna?"

​"N-no, Your Highness. Why would I do that?" She shrugged, doing her absolute best not to look away, knowing that avoiding his eyes would only make her seem more suspicious.

​"We were just discussing his failures. I lost my temper at one point, but I am glad you interrupted—I was on the verge of stripping him of his titles."

​Her eyes widened in shock, though she felt no real sympathy for Cassius. She couldn’t bring herself to care after everything that had transpired tonight. "Do you suspect him of anything?"

​"No. He is my best friend and my Beta. Alara is the woman he spent years with...he would never hurt her."

​"So what do you think happened to Alara? Did she offend anyone that you know of?" Arianna asked, taking a small sip of the warm soup.

​"I blame myself for what happened to her."

​"Why?"

​"This afternoon, I asked her to help me identify the person who tried to harm you that night," Kane explained heavily. "I gave her a piece of evidence... and she was attacked shortly after."

​Arianna’s heart skipped a beat. Whoever had attacked Alara was either the exact same person who tried to murder her, or someone deeply connected to the plot.

She hated to entertain the thought that Cassius could be behind it, but the pieces were starting to align.

​"What was their relationship like, exactly?" she probed softly. "I mean... Cassius and Alara."

​"They were supposed to get married before his family called it off. They loved each other deeply—though Alara always loved him more."

​"Really?"

​"Yes. I didn’t pay much attention to their love story, but I knew for a fact that she loved him... I was disappointed in Cassius. He didn’t even fight for their relationship when his parents called off the wedding."

​"That doesn’t sound like love to me, Kane. What about you? Did you do anything to help them, as their friend?"

​"No. I could have easily arranged a wedding for them with or without their families’ consent, but I thought better of it," Kane said, his gaze fixed on the dancing flames in the fireplace. "Cassius isn’t a good match for Alara. She is too good for him, and even if I wed them, he would have ended up in a brothel that very same night."

​That wasn’t love. Alara had been blinded, foolish for believing a man like that truly cared for her. Arianna had been in that exact situation before; she knew the signs all too well.

​Cassius never loved Alara. He never cared, masking his true nature from everyone around him. And tonight, perhaps Alara had finally discovered that he was the assassin. She must have gone to confront him, and he tried to silence her permanently.

​Maybe that’s how Cassius got wounded earlier.

​"What if the assassin is someone you know?" Arianna asked out of nowhere, her voice dropping as she searched his face. "What will you do then?"

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