56

Ian’s POV

I paced around the house, running my hands through my hair in anxiety. I had come back from my mini vacation with Sophia two days ago and now Jacob and I were going to the realm with Mike and Lyanna.

Sophia was a quick learner, and now I was sure she knew how to fight and how to defend herself. If I wasn’t sure of that I wouldn’t have left her here all by herself and be going to the realm.

We had spent most of our time at the island training and now she was more or less like a pro now and that was what gave me peace of mind. I trusted her to take care of herself and Jenny while we were gone. I didn’t have to worry about her for a while.

However, what I was worried about was the realm. It has been a year since I last went there and now I didn’t know if things had changed and how many people now hated me since I left. I’d be stupid to think that I didn’t gain some haters when I left the realm.

I knew I had gained haters. And even more when I marked Sophia. But I was their king and they had no choice but to make do with whatever decision I made.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and continued pacing about the house.

“You need to calm down,” Lyanna murmured.

“I can’t be calm. I’m going back there after a year, a lot has changed and people might attack us,” I snapped.

“People will attack us,” Jacob’s deadpanned. “Maybe if you didn’t leave in the first place…”

“Now is not the time for you both to start attacking yourselves,” Mike grumbled, walking down the stairs. “Let’s go to the portal now.”

“You seem eager to be going back,” I noted and he shot me a look..

“I’m eager to get this over with and come back to me life here. I’m only going with you so I can protect you. Not like you cannot protect yourself,” he answered flatly, narrowing his eyes at me. “Now, if we have nothing else to do here, let’s go.”

“Sophia and Jenny—”

“Will be fine,” Lyanna cut me off with an impatient tone. “Mike is right. Some of us have a life here. I can’t stay in the realm forever and the earlier we get this done, the better.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

The car ride to the vampire portal was quiet. The portal was in a forest that people barely visited because of it’s population of snakes and very wild animals. We didn’t mind because it was safe for us. Snake bites and animal bites weren’t dangerous for us. We could survive those. The lycanthropes weren’t allowed here. Thanks to the witches, even when the lycanthropes came here, they loosed their ability to turn and remain human until they left here.

The portal was a stone. It would go unnoticed to a normal human eye but we the supernaturals could see it.

Jacob looked at me for a split second, and then he crouched, touching the stone and he was gone. Mike wasted no time in doing the same.

“Are you gonna go first or should I go?” Lyanna asked flatly when I remained standing in front of the stone.

“You go first,” I answered and she touched the stone immediately. She was gone.

I told in a deep breath and then touched the stone too. I was sucked into an infinit darkness and all of a sudden, I was there.

The city was just like I left it. Not much as changed. Just everyone going about their business which stopped the moment they noticed us.

It was the locals, and they knew better than to affect us. They all dropped to their knees one by one and it felt weird to me. This was something that I had forgotten all about when I was in the human world. There was no one bowing or going on their knees to respect me. But now I was back here and I had to get used to those again.

In a second, Lucian, Jacob’s most trusted man, was here. “Your Grace,” he said to Jacob, bowing slightly. Then he noticed me. He went stiff, his jaw slacking. “Your—G—Grace,” he stuttered, going on his knees.

“You’re back here,” he added. “It’s been…a year.”

“I know how long it’s been, Lucian,” I said, forcing myself to be calm and keeping my temper in check. “It’s good to see you again, Lucian.”

“I’ll take you to the castle now,” he said, turning around and leading us. People were lined up on the streets, waiting to see what was going on. I could hear the whispered of what they were saying. I could hear what they were talking about.

‘The king is back’ they were whispering. ‘King Ian and Prince Jacob are back.’

I had the insane urge to turn around and leave right now. This was the last place I wanted to be. And I didn’t have the patience to make the walk past all these people down to the castle. I exchanged a look with Mike and I knew he felt the same way. We vamped off to the castle.

It had been two days since we were here and the realm had been in chaos but they had finally accepted me as their king once again and today was my coronation.

The last two days had gone better than I had expected. I had thought that they would attack us but at least they were lenient with us.

I was dressed up in the ceremonial clothes and I was walking down the church to the priest who was supposed to crown me as the king.

I said my vows and it was all over. While people were celebrating, I had gone back to the castle to speak to the council members on how to rule.

Currently I was sitting in front of them, and they were all looking at me like I was going to vanish within the blink of an eye.

“Well, I must say, you really amaze me, Ian,” one of the council members said. Jacob, who was now part of us, made a face but remained quiet.

I stared at the man and corrected. “Your Grace.”

“My apologies, your grace,” he replied and I just leveled him with a stare.

“Your Grace, what about the human girl?” Another member asked.

“She’s no longer human,” I replied curtly.

“You killed Freya for her,” one grumbled. “You risked war because of her.”

“She dared to harm what was mine,” I snapped. “Does anyone have something better to talk about?”

“The people want to see her,” one said flatly. “We’re hearing whispers about it. They want to see her.”

“I’ll think of it. Now can we talk of an actual issue?” I demanded. God. We’re these the kind of people Jacob had to tolerate for the past year?

“Your Grace,” one person began. “I know you have plans to go back, so when do you plan to leave?”

The council room went quiet instantly and everyone’s eyes were on me. I took in a deep breath, wondering how best to answer that question. “I will leave once I have straightened every issue in the realm. But I will keep coming back. I spend four days over there, and three days here.”

Someone opened their mouth, probably to object but then thought better of it. I shot them grim smiles and got up. “Well since no one has anything to say, we’ll meet tomorrow.”

I went straight to my chambers and took of the annoying clothes I was wearing. I changed into a shirt and shorts and there was a light knock on my door before Mike came in.

“How was the meeting?” Mike asked.

“What did you expect?” I replied with a tight smile. “I can’t believe they’re all such a bunch of dumbheads in the council. They all have nothing important to say. All they wanted to talk about was Sophia.”

“And what did you say?” He asked.

“I answered them in the way they deserved,” I answered. “I just want to fix everything and leave.”

“It’s not that easy,” he told me, shaking his head slightly.

“I know that. But I just want to get all of this done with and go back. It’s weird being here,” I told him. “And they want to see Sophia. They want her here.”

“Then bring her here,” he replied casually and I shook my head.

“It’s too risky. I can’t trust them with her life. What if they hurt her in retaliation of what happened to Freya?” I answered.

“They won’t,” he assured me.

“We can’t be sure,” I reminded him. “You know how ruthless they can be. I can’t trust them. Not yet.”

He gave me a nod. “You should rest.”