Queen of His Heart

The Romanovs harbor a secret.

They've accumulated wealth through various business ventures. Their legacy was the royal crown of Russia in the late 1600s.

Isabela Petrovic from Romania was wed to Tzar Adriano Romanov of Russia. Despite their marriage being arranged, they found happiness together, learning to love each other.

But one day, his hand struck her face in a fit of uncontrollable anger.

His abuse escalated, but Isabela’s loyalty to their marriage remained steadfast. Her role was to uphold and preserve the alliance between their two countries.

She carried out her duty with courage and dignity. She endured his beatings at night and played the part of his loving, devoted wife during the day.

She gave birth to a son, Adlaric, who would later become the king of lycanthropes.

She loved herself and knew she didn't deserve such treatment, but she also understood that her social standing was tied to her marriage to the tzar. No one would believe a queen over a king.

The Romanovs harbor a secret.

His family was aware of their curse. Aleczandar, Adriano’s father, knew that his children would transform into fearsome beasts during every full moon.

Their backs would snap, their toes would morph into claws, their faces would twist in agony, and then, their true wolf forms would emerge.

Aleczandar led a fulfilling and sane life because he had found his mate. She satisfied both his political obligations and his primal needs. She soothed him when he was on the verge of lashing out. She held him when he was falling apart.

She was everything his wolf yearned for.

Adriano had met his soulmate, but he never mated her. Instead, he married Isabela, and gradually his sanity eroded, and his wolf became increasingly restless.

Every lycanthrope is born with a mate. A mate forms the connection between the two consciousnesses: wolf and human. The longer a lycan lives without its mate, the more savage its wolf becomes.

After many years, the Romanovs finally learned how to control the beast within them, but it was too late. Adriano, in a fit of rage, attacked his devoted wife and was executed.

The royal rule in Russia was overthrown, and it became the Russian Federation. Adriano and Isabela left their only son to claim the throne of lycanthropes.

King Alpha Adlaric Romanov harbors a secret; he’s over three centuries old, and his control is slipping.

***

He was suffocating.

He hadn’t been able to breathe properly since he turned one hundred and twenty. Every day was a constant struggle to keep the beast within him at bay.

He could feel his self-control fraying, snapping like brittle twigs.

He could feel his cherished humanity slipping away.

When he turned three hundred, he gave up. He stopped traveling the world in search of the one person who could calm the raging storm inside him.

Adlaric believed with every fiber of his being that they never truly existed. He’d searched for hundreds of years.

He knew that, eventually, any control he had would vanish, and the beast within would take over. Adlaric refused to become a complete animal.

“My king,” an elder greeted, entering the boardroom. He was followed by many other wolves in human form, all of whom took their seats in front of their king.

The purpose of the meeting, while not explicitly stated, hung heavily in the room. The discussion was long overdue, and it was time for Adlaric to address the issue that haunted his realm.

It seemed ironic to him—the part of himself that gave him strength was now his weakness.

“Good afternoon, elders,” the king greeted.

Adlaric was a wise leader. He didn’t punish without remorse. He didn’t kill without a trial. He didn’t favor those who could benefit him the most. He ruled with a firm but fair hand.

Everyone respected him not only for his formidable strength but also for his compassionate and generous nature.

Truly, the king loved his kingdom. He loved it more than he loved himself.

“I believe you are all aware of the proceedings for today, yes?”

Each elder nodded sadly. They loved their king, but they all knew that because he had not found his mate, King Adlaric would have to be executed.

Their alpha did not deserve to live in such torment, and their kingdom did not deserve to be ruled by it.

Adlaric’s jaw clenched as his hand tightened on the arm of the chair. His dark, unruly hair was held back by a bronze crown that rested on his head.

“When will it be done?”

His dark eyes snapped to the woman who had spoken, and with a firm voice, he replied, “The next full moon.”

“That’s January twentieth, my liege—in three days,” the same woman responded, her voice filled with shock.

Adlaric nodded. Unlike the council, he was certain of his fate and his duty as alpha.

The elders began to speak over each other, pleading for more time and praying for Selene to grant their king a mate.

Each was concerned about the events that would follow their king’s death. Who would rule? Where would he be buried?—mates were buried together. Why hadn’t he been given a mate?

Adlaric allowed the uproar over the news he’d just shared.

His hand tightly gripped the glass in front of him. He brought the cup to his lips and savored the cool taste of the water.

Would he miss something so simple?

Would he be in a place where he could enjoy such a simple pleasure?

Where exactly would he go?

Mates went to the afterworld, but him? He was alone. He would embark on this journey by himself.

He showed no emotion on the outside. It was his duty to be strong—to work tirelessly, to care, to be diligent, to live as a king and alpha should.

Internally, he wondered what he had done to deserve such a curse. He’d tried to live his life as ethically as he could, but he must have failed somewhere during his long life.

He had dreams too.

He dreamed of waking up next to the love of his life. He dreamed about protecting his mate with every fiber of his being. He dreamed of being loved as he would love them.

He dreamed of having children and singing them to sleep at night. He dreamed of their eyes.

He dreamed of being lifted when he felt like he was sinking. He dreamed of having someone to share the burden with.

He dreamed of living…and then dying, with his mate in his arms, whispering sweet nothings in their ear.

His dreams were nothing now. He would be nothing. He would leave no heirs. He would leave no family. He would leave as he was born, in a chaotic, trauma-inducing rage.

“Quiet,” Adlaric commanded. The room fell silent instantly, all attention returning to him.

He set the standard for others to follow: if he showed you respect, you returned it.

“Beta Dimitri will step in as temporary alpha until he finds his mate and has a child. The kid will be raised as an alpha’s offspring. I’ll get my affairs sorted out. I won’t leave any burdens for you.”

“Even in death, you’re still looking out for us,” an elder remarked, a melancholy, reminiscent smile on his face.

Adlaric responded with a tight-lipped smile. “My wolves are my legacy.”

“Alpha, maybe you could take another trip…”

“Elder, I’ve journeyed as far as Antarctica in search of my mate. I’ve visited every country over and over, more times than I can remember.

“I promise you, no one has tried harder than I have. It seems now that they either never existed or—”

The words choked in his throat. The mere thought was enough to loosen his control over his wolf. “Or they’re dead.”

The council fell silent once more. The room was heavy with a somber mood.

Adlaric stood, buttoned his coat, and cleared his throat. “Make yourselves comfortable. If you’ll excuse me.”

Quickly, the solitary alpha headed for the double oak doors, pulling them open and stepping out. He was met by his dark-skinned beta.

“Dimitri,” Adlaric greeted, not slowing his pace.

Beta Dimitri easily kept up with his alpha, his hands clasped behind his back in a military stance as he followed his king through the castle halls.

Without a word, they made their way to Adlaric’s office. When they reached the mahogany doors, Dimitri opened them for his king. Adlaric responded with a curt “thanks.”

“The elders want to throw one last ball,” Dimitri mentioned, sitting on the gray couch with one ankle resting on his other knee.

Adlaric usually didn’t mind hosting a party, but lately, all he wanted was to sleep and escape his miserable reality.

For once, Adlaric wanted to prioritize himself—he wanted to be happy. But happiness, it seemed, wasn’t in his cards.

The alpha sat down behind his desk with a stiff posture. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Adlaric said, his finger transforming into a claw to tear open the envelope in his hand.

“Adlaric, everyone wants to see their alpha king one last time. The northern wolves want to bring their unmated females—”

Adlaric sighed and shook his head. Dimitri continued, standing up, his voice tinged with excitement. “The southern wolves are begging for one last salsa and to bring you colorful kaftans.”

The king ignored his friend and discarded the remnants of his mail. Dimitri moved forward to his desk, his eyes alight with determination.

“The eastern wolves can’t wait for you to taste their anmitsu.”

“Dimitri, a party is the last thing I want.”

“The western wolves want to play their soul music for you. Let’s party like we used to,” Dimitri suggested with a playful smirk.

For a moment, the two indulged in a nostalgic memory of them wrestling and drunkenly singing as they roamed the castle.

Adlaric looked up at his oldest friend. He would miss Dimitri deeply, almost as much as Dimitri would miss him.

Dimitri knew he didn’t have alpha blood. The title of alpha would be a heavy burden for him. He wasn’t meant to be king; he and his children were destined to be betas. It felt wrong to mess with destiny.

For the first time in a long while, Adlaric smiled and gave a subtle nod. “One last time then,” he agreed, standing and walking to the counter at the edge of the room.

He picked up two glasses and brought them back to his desk, setting them down on the edge. Dimitri stood and approached the front of the desk as Adlaric poured brandy into each glass.

They toasted each other before bringing their glasses to their lips and downing the fiery liquid.

Dimitri sighed contentedly and pointed at his king with a grin.

“The ball will be in two days. Human families will be there too, since some have worked hard for our empire, but remember, not all humans know about our world.”

Only a few humans knew about the existence of lycanthropes, but those who did were as valued as any other lycan in Adlaric’s eyes.

These humans served as intermediaries to prevent news of lycanthropes from spreading. If a shifter accidentally revealed their wolf, humans would step in with logical explanations or cover stories.

“This ball was planned before you came here tonight, wasn’t it?”

Dimitri simply smiled at his king and winked before setting his glass down and heading for the door. “My job is to always anticipate your next move.”

“Your job is to predict my first move and react accordingly. You didn’t know I would agree.”

“Didn’t I?” Dimitri retorted, opening the door. All humor left his eyes as he looked back at his king.

A wave of solemnity washed over him as he watched Adlaric clean the glasses and put them away.

The king’s eyes were empty with despair, and while Adlaric always maintained a brave front, Dimitri saw how he envied mated couples. He noticed when Adlaric excused himself from mating ceremonies or pup greetings.

“You didn’t deserve all the shit life threw at you. You deserved a mate. I’m sure she would have been as amazing and beautiful as you imagined. I’m sure she would have been very happy with you.”