Charlene
The ride from the restaurant took twenty minutes, and when I arrived, I parked my car in the garage and headed into the hotel.
Throughout the drive, I wondered if I was making a mistake because I never intended to tell Draven about the children.
After what he had done to me, he didn't deserve to know anything about them.
Rubbing my hands together to chase away the nervousness, I approached the marble counter where the receptionist stood, her nails clicking loudly against the keyboard.
"Excuse me," I said softly. "I… I need to see His Highness, Alpha King Draven."
Her head snapped up, and she took one long, dismissive look at me from head to toe. "What business do you have with someone of such high rank?" Her tone was icy, laced with disgust, and I couldn't blame her.
There was no way I could meet with Draven without an appointment.
My throat went dry as I responded gently. "It's urgent," I murmured. "Please…" I lowered my head and rubbed my hands together.
"If you have no business with him," she said, lifting her head again, "there's no reason for me to give you his room number, ma'am."
I swallowed hard and sighed, knowing that no matter what I did, I might never see him. "It's personal, ma'am. If I could make a call and—"
She ignored me as if I wasn't standing there and looked away.
Sighing heavily, I moved to one of the velvet chairs in the corner of the lobby. My legs trembled as I sat, clutching my bag like a lifeline. I should have expected this, but I hadn't prepared properly. I had been unable to get his number.
There had been no reason to contact him—until Damian.
"Oh goodness," I groaned, rubbing my forehead as I stared at the hotel entrance, hoping he might walk in or out. It was only an assumption that he could visit the human king, and I might be lucky to see him.
But I was wrong.
Hours crawled by. The lobby emptied, filled again, and still, no sign of him walking in or out.
By 10 p.m., I couldn't stay any longer and decided to try again tomorrow. By then, I would be prepared to see him, whether by contacting the Alpha King directly or through the hotel manager.
I just hoped it wouldn't be too late, and that he wouldn't have returned to the werewolf realm before then.
A familiar scent hit me just as I was about to leave the hotel. It was wild, and even though I had lost connection with my wolf long ago, I could feel the overwhelming power of the Lycan in the rainforest scent that set me on edge.
This was a Lycan—and a powerful one at that. I froze and turned to find out who it was. Then I saw a tall man walking into the hotel. He passed by me, then suddenly stopped and turned to face me.
His eyes widened as they landed on me. It was Kylan, Draven's beta. No wonder his scent had felt so overpowering.
"Lady Charlene!" he exclaimed, his voice full of shock.
"Kylan," I breathed, walking towards him and ignoring the receptionist's glare. She had been watching me for hours, waiting to see if I would try breaking into the rooms.
"Please—I need your help. I must see the Alpha King. Please…" I quickly told Kylan, praying silently that he would grant me what I wanted.
He furrowed his brows at me, confused at first, then gave a slight nod. "Follow me," he said, and I heaved a sigh of relief.
Finally, waiting for so long had paid off.
We both headed towards the elevator, and as the doors opened, I turned to face the receptionist with a smirk.
"I won," I thought.
As the elevator descended, I rubbed my hands together and tried breathing. I was about to face Draven again, and with his anger issues, who knew what he was capable of doing to me.
My heart hammered hard at the thought of him throwing me out without listening to what I had to say.
"Is there a reason you want to see the Alpha King?" Kylan asked.
"It's regarding my son," I responded. There was no point in hiding it anymore from him.
Kylan turned to face me, his obsidian eyes widening in shock.
I expected questions, but they never came. Instead, he only nodded. At that moment, the elevator doors opened in front of a suite.
Kylan placed a card reader against the door, and it clicked open. "You may go in," he gestured.
"Won't you announce my presence and—"
"I don't have to," he replied, bowing his head gently before walking to the opposite room down the hall.
I was on my own now, and I had to face him alone. A deep sigh escaped me, and I stepped into the suite with a silent prayer on my lips.
I only hoped he would hear me out and not throw me out.
As soon as I entered, the door clicked shut behind me, and I jumped in fear. "It's just a door," I muttered, rubbing my chest gently.
Then I looked up and gasped as the deep scent of cedarwood hit me.
Draven stood near the window, steam clinging to his shoulders and back. He wore only a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. His dark hair was wet, and droplets of water slid down his chest.
As soon as our eyes met, I felt trapped. He was a predator, and I was his prey.
"Charlene." He gave me a questioning look as he turned. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I…" Before I could respond, before I could tell him why I was there, he ran his hand through his hair and let out a groan.
My knees went weak, and I nearly fell. I never imagined that the simple act of him running his hand through his hair could set my heart racing, my body shivering, and my mind conflicted between staring at his perfectly sculpted abs or looking away.
"Charlene," he called again.
I gasped out loud and quickly turned around.
He chuckled. "Don't act like you haven't seen me like this before," he murmured. Suddenly, he appeared behind me, his breath brushing the shell of my ear. "What are you doing here and how did you get in?"
I shivered under his nearness but didn't dare turn. "Please… your Highness," I whispered. "Put something on."
"Really?" He chuckled darkly, his warm breath fanning across my back. "This is my room, and I can wear whatever I want. If I wish, I could go naked right now."
"No," I shouted, still refusing to turn, because I knew Draven. He wasn't bluffing. If he said he would do something, he would. "Please, don't," I said more gently, lowering my head.
"You won't even look me in the eyes," he scoffed. "Well, tell me, Charlene. What is a married woman doing in my room at this hour?"
Married? He thought I was married? What gave him that impression? I wondered, but I didn't respond. I chose silence.
"Well," he laughed. "Are you here to seduce me?"
My eyes widened in shock, and I raised them to meet his ocean-blue gaze. "No!" I yelled, then heaved a deep sigh. "I came here for your help."
"My help?" He scoffed, placing a hand under my chin, his touch sending electric waves through my body.
Even though we had been apart for so long, his touch still affected me deeply. "Well then, what is it that made you come running here? Do you want me to sleep with you?"
I shook my head violently. "No!"
"Then what is this?" he shouted. "Why the hell have you come to my room late at night? Is this some human tradition?"
I couldn't respond, not when he was already on edge.
"Goddess, Charlene, if you are not going to say anything," he removed his hand from my chin, "then leave my room, which I have no idea how you got into!"
I flinched at the command, but I didn't move. My son's face flashed in my mind, and I forced the words out—the bitter secret I had been hiding. "Your Highness," I said, my voice breaking, "please—help save our son!"
The room fell silent. Draven's eyes widened in shock, and he straightened slowly as if struck by a blow.
"Our… son?" he echoed, his voice rough.
Tears spilled over my lashes, and I finally looked up at him. "Damian. He's dying. He needs a kidney transplant. I've tried everything. You may be his only chance."
Draven stood perfectly still, water dripping from his hair onto the marble floor, staring at me with a murderous look. "I have a son?"
"Sons and… a daughter."