King Sebastian Roarhart growled with impatience. He hated waiting. He paced around the inside of his library like a caged animal. A snort that sounded more like a snarl left him. He was a caged animal.

He’d been trying hard to be the social person his sister wanted, but the truth was, he wasn’t that. Not when those who came to his castle stared at him like he was an alien. That might be easier to live with.

He saw his reflection in the glass of an old family photo and growled. The reminder was always there. Scars. He’d never be rid of them. But he didn’t care anymore. Not really. Instead, he focused on what was coming.

A smile formed on his lips. She was coming. Harper. It had been years since she’d met his gaze that one fateful human event he’d attended. A high school prom. His sister, Sarai, had asked him to accompany her.

She didn’t have a boyfriend and didn’t want to miss out. Since her best friend, Delilah, was human and went to a human school, Sarai had begged their parents to allow her to go there as well. Unable to deny their little girl anything, they’d agreed.

Seeing Harper, standing quietly in a corner, sent a jolt of hunger through him. The animal in him knew she was the one. His mate. But she was a human and he couldn’t react as he wanted.

Taking her home and making her his might not be the best course of action, even if she was barely legal. A brand new eighteen-year-old with a twenty-seven-year-old would look pretty bad for him.

That week had been the best and worst of his life. He’d found the one woman meant for him and lost his parents. A horrible explosion at their lake house took his mom and dad. Two people were to blame. His father’s worst enemy, and the witch he had for a lover.

Sebastian ended up scarred from saving Sarai from the fire and trying to go back to save his mom and dad. But that explosion hadn’t been the only thing his father’s enemy had done to destroy the family. The witch had placed a curse on the Roarhart first born. Him. Sebastian.

The curse had been one he didn’t realize would dictate his life the older he got. She cursed him to need and offspring to live. And not just any child. One by his destined mate or he’d die on his thirty-fifth birthday.

But neither the witch nor his father’s enemy knew who they were messing with. Sebastian Roarhart didn’t cower to anyone. He had found his mate.

His cold heart warmed at the memory of that first conversation with Harper. He’d taken control. Not even telling her his name and trying to find out everything he could about her instead. She’d quietly told him she didn’t like parties and had been talked into going to prom by her mother.

In the dark ballroom, he’d sat with her most of the night, talking, about anything and everything, except who he was and what she meant to him. It had been refreshing and wonderful to get to know the girl that would be his.

Before leaving, she gave him her number and address. As she left the room to meet her mom, she asked his name and he smiled and said, “The only man you will ever belong to.”

Her eyes had widened but she was being rushed out by a teacher to meet her mother at the door. He’d see her soon. After all, she was his. Only his.

After his accident, he’d gone to visit her and met her father. The man had disdainfully yelled at him to leave once Sebastian told him who he was. He said Harper wouldn't have a monster for a husband. He hadn’t fully healed but the words and the venom they were said with fired a fury that had never died in Sebastian. But he’d get the last laugh over Christian Burns.

His phone rang, momentarily pulling him from his thoughts.

“Kellen,” he growled, “is she okay?”

“Yes. I told you, she got car sick but seems better now.”

“Where are you?” He paced his library, wishing he could be there to make her feel better.

“We’ll be there soon. Don’t worry, I’ve made sure she was comfortable. I know what she means to you.”

He had no idea. This was his future queen. The woman that would be his wife, mate, and mother of his children. She owned his heart for the past eight years and there was no way he’d allow anyone to harm a hair on her head.

“Is she asking questions?”

“She seems more preoccupied with not dirtying the inside of the SUV,” Kellen chuckled. “I feel bad for her. I’d suggest the chopper next time, but I think that might be just as bad.”

“I’ll have Mrs. Patty put tea in her room. It should calm her stomach.”

Kellen sighed. “Don’t worry, Seb. We’re almost there. Your mate is coming to you.”

Yes. His mate was coming. He hung up the phone and continued pacing, his thoughts back to Christian Burns and the irony of Harper being his destined mate.

It took many years to realize Christian Burns’ anger wasn’t because he'd been disfigured. No. He was his father’s enemy. A madman hellbent on destroying the Roarhart family. It was Christian and his witch who were responsible for his parents’ death and Sebastian’s curse.

Christian Burns deserved to die a slow and painful death, but instead of killing him, Sebastian had signed on to do business with the man. A deal that Christian thought would bring him millions, brought him ruin, and pushed him to give Sebastian anything he wanted. And he wanted Harper.

Now, he just had to convince her to have his baby. Thankfully, her father had made things easy for him in that department. When he found himself unable to talk his way out of the millions he owed Sebastian, Christian had offered him anything for his life. Anything included trading his daughter for the money he couldn’t pay back. Her life for his.

Sebastian frowned. His mate was on the way. She was coming and didn’t know what Christian had done. She’d need to give Sebastian something only she could. A child. To keep Christian alive, she’d have to do the unthinkable. Make a deal with the devil. He’d finally get the one he craved and she would never leave. Never.

A soft knock sounded at his door.

“Come in!”

He winced at the angry bellow but nothing he could do now.

Sarai poked her head into his sanctuary. “Sorry, Seb. I wanted to ask if you were going to come down for dinner?”

He let out a rough exhale and gave a sharp nod. “Yes. Someone will be here soon. She’ll be staying with us for dinner as well.”

Sarai frowned. “You have a guest?”

“I do.”

She blinked. “A real person?”

He couldn’t fault her for being surprised. He didn’t have guests. The only person who dared come to see him was Kellen, his beta. Kellen handled all the business issues with the pack and Sebastian handled the business aspect of everything. Everything could be done online these days. That made it possible for him to not need to leave home most of the time.

“Yes,” he met her bright blue eyes. “She’s going to be staying a while.”

Curiosity lit in Sarai’s gaze. “That’s nice. Well, I can’t wait to meet her. I guess I’ll have Mrs. Patty set the dinner table for four.”

She left quickly, shutting the door quietly behind her. He loved Sarai. At twenty-three, she was the lady of the house but still managed to live a pretty carefree life of traveling the world whenever she wanted. Sebastian wouldn’t ask her to stay confined to the castle just because he was, that was torture for someone as free as Sarai.

He got up from his desk and left the office. He’d asked for the rooms facing the garden to be prepared for Harper. She wasn’t going anywhere and he wanted her to learn to like it there. After he told her what she had to do, he had a feeling she’d want some solitude.