Aurelia's POV
"Aurelia...Be mine."
I froze, unable to move a muscle as I stared at the Prince with my jaw hanging loose. His words simply left me in shock. Was this supposed to be a dream? I wondered but his thumb rubbing my lower lip in a slow and sensual manner that sparked discomfort in me was enough to remind me that I was very much awake.
His lips spread into a smile as he slowly pulled my face closer to his own with his hold on my chin. "Why do you look so surprised, Aurelia?" He chuckled like the look on my face was somewhat funny.
"Y-Your H-Highness," I stuttered but his index finger rested on my lips, shushing me.
"I can't help but be interested in you. Have you seen you?" His smile widened. "You grow even more beautiful by the start of each day," he complimented in a voice filled with fascination like he couldn't get over it.
"It's impossible to stay away from you. I tried, Aurelia," his voice took a defeated tone and his shoulders slumped like he had been hurting all these time.
"I tried for years. But I've decided to pursue my feelings and confess it to you,"
I wanted to wake up from this. The way he stared at me like I was a snack, made me feel a type of way. His hold on my hand was tight as if he never wanted to let me go.
The look in his eyes too, how did I miss this? How didn't I notice his attraction to me and when did it become this way?
"I want you to be by my side-"
I shook my head this time and stepped away from his hold.
His hands hung in the air and his lips turned down in a frown. When he lifted his eyes at me, I staggered back as my heart thundered in fear.
He threw an open glare at me and I gulped at his fierce look. As if sensing my fear, Norton fixed his face and I watched as his shoulders rose and fell in a deep sigh.
"Aurelia," he called out my name in a low breath and reached out for me.
My legs trembled and I stared at him with wide eyes. I had no intention of letting his hands touch me but something deep down knew better and my legs moved on their own.
"Why me?" I found myself asking as I stepped within his reach, staring into his eyes. "I am... I am obviously not your mate-"
"You're well aware that my father, the King, has asked me to get myself a bride. It doesn't matter if we're mates or not," he carefully held my chin between his thumb and index finger.
My heart was pounding at a ferocious pace as my thoughts were going haywire.
How would I avoid this and still not be on his bad side? The King and his son have done so much for me already. How would he feel if I turned down his son?
Was this payment for his kindness towards me all these years?
"I choose you," Norton announced again and just like the last time, I was unprepared.
Words failed to surrender itself at my feet to express myself. All I could do was stare in shock and think of a way to buy myself more time in order not to fall on his wrath.
From the look of things, especially how he reacted the first time I flinched, it was obvious that Norton didn't want me to say 'no.'
He expected me to jump into this opportunity with open arms and seize it like it was the best to come.
Any girl would love this. After all, marrying a prince makes one a princess and when he becomes a king, the princess graduates into a Queen. It all sounded like a dream come true.
Except that this wasn't my dream. I've never wanted to be with anyone who wasn't my mate even worse, spend the rest of my life with them.
"Prince Norton-"
"I thought I told you to call me by my name," his brows itched into a frown and I clamped my mouth shut.
"Right!" I nodded. "Right," I mumbled absentmindedly. "I-I am not deserving of you," I began and when he arched his brow and retracted his hand to fold them over his chest, I gulped and continued. At least I had his attention.
"You're the Prince Norton, an Alpha Prince. You cannot possibly pick any woman to be your bride. I am an orphan," I thought of what more to say to discourage him from looking my way but deep down, I could feel that it was futile.
Up until a few months ago, his smile around me became more constant and his demand to spend more time with me was hard to turn down.
"I can't simply let you have me by your side," I told him with desperation in my voice. "I can't-"
"Enough!"
I gasped in shock at his outburst with my chest heaving. I placed my hand on my neck and fiddled with the blue stone pendant.
Oddly, I found it to be a satisfying act.
"You will not speak of yourself in such a degrading tone especially around your soon to be groom,"
Once again, my jaw dropped and I gaped at him.
He was hellbent on this. I doubt there would be any way possible to calmly reject him.
"I like you, Aurelia and, I don't know but I think fate brought us together-"
"Fate?" I recoiled at such an insensitive term to the calamity that had befallen my family.
Had he just called my Pack's unfortunate death 'fate'?
I stared at the insensitive Prince who was supposed to take over from his father someday and I felt an irritation stirr in my heart.
"Yes, my dear," he clasped one of my hands in his and raised it to his lips. "Ever since you started living here, I've been holding myself back. I never would have seen you if what happened didn't happen-"
I trailed off, gritting my teeth in anger. Listening to how casually he referred to my Pack's death as an opportunity to get me only irked me further.
I had never thought of Norton in any way besides the Prince of my pack. I was neither attracted to him nor fascinated by him. He wasn't even in the friend zone. I saw him as a wolf from my pack who had a higher rank.
To consider him for marriage would be a mistake on my part and that was one area I wasn't ever going to make a mistake on.
I would stick with my mate and find him to the ends of the Earth if needs be.
"... I look forward to you walking down the aisle-"
"No!" I yanked my hand away from his hold and jumped away from him like he was a carrier of multiple diseases. My chest heaved but I ignored it.
"No?" He frowned. "What do you mean no?"
I shook my head firmly. "I'm sorry, Prince Norton but I cannot be your bride."
Aurelia's POV"Are you turning me down, Aurelia?" Prince Norton barked. He couldn't control his temper. He clenched down on his jaw till the vein at the side of his head popped out.His Alpha pheromones slammed me like heavy wind in a rainstorm and my knees wobbled threatening to give out."Do I have to remind you who you're standing before?" He scoffed and marched towards me.I staggered back, trying to get away from him but he caught my arm in his tight grip and pulled me against him. His other hand grabbed my chin forcing me to look into his blood lusteyes.I whimpered in fright as I twisted and turned in his grip, trying to set myself free but it proved impossible."You dare to reject me?" He asked with mock astonishment and arched his brow. His breath fanned my face and tears welled up in my eyes."You're hurting me," I whispered the words hoping he would let me go but his expression was bland and unreadable."No," he said with a slow shake of his head. "You're hurting yourself.
Aurelia's POV"The Prince wants the Royal Hall swept and mopped before morning," Maggie informed me. Her eyes were sad and she looked everywhere but me.It has been a week already. Who would've thought that time would fly so fast yet feel so slow when scrubbing the castle grounds and weeding till one becomes very familiar with looking at bloody hands?I turned down Norton a week ago and ever since, I have paid with my blood, my sweat and my tears."Maggi," I called her name in a breathy whisper. "It's 10p.m. everyone knows that the maids retire to bed once it's 10p.m." I clenched my fists by my side and bit down on my jaw. My resentment towards Norton grew inside of me like a tumour.Why wouldn't he just let me be?"I know," Maggie ran her hand up and down her arm as she shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other."But, he called me to his study and told me this. I can't make it up," I knew she wasn't lying and I wasn't saying that she was lying.I was simply on the side that
Aurelia's POVThe sound of the thin cane hitting my back made me jerk but there was nowhere to run to.The two guards who held my arm did it with such power and I wondered if I wasn't as little as I thought I was.Norton grinned maliciously as he watched them whip me with a thin but excruciatingly painful wooden cane."This will teach you not to put your hands on me," he said with satisfaction. In the end, he had dashed out only to return with a few guards to punish me, lying that I had pushed him to the ground.I counted over ten strokes with gritted teeth and when they finally left me, my back was bleeding.I was exhausted but I still had to clean the Royal Hall and I wasn't even halfway done. I cleaned myself up and got to work immediately.* * *"Ow, ow," I winced as the ice touched my shoulders but I had no choice but to relax into it."Sorry, dear, it'll be over soon," Maggie sighed as she watched Barbara, one of the maids I was
Aurelia's POVI stomped my feet on the ground over and over again to get rid of the mud under my worn out shoes. I looked up into the sky with a hand blocking the harsh rays of the sun that had made my clothes sticky with sweat.The sun should be coming down soon and once again, it will be nightfall.I dreaded the hours of the night.Our wolf senses were much sharper and stronger. Norton's guards could be close again to finding me. Our game of hide and seek was a dangerous one that I didn't enjoy but I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.Once Norton found out I was missing, he rolled out guard after guard and in all the three days of my journey, it has been nothing but fear and looking over my shoulders while keeping a watchful eye on coming across any familiar face.My clothes were torn from passing through the most unlikely places in hopes that they wouldn't follow me but their determination went beyond my expectations. I found myself running even in the middle of the night.I h
Liam's POVI ran my hands over the lapels of my dark suit as the maids polished my shoe and dressed me up with shaky hands.I watched and heard them gulp, each one of them afraid to meet my eyes. They kept their heads lowered and their hands moved in haste.I noticed they were trying not to waste my time and I was pleased at how dedicated they were to serving me and making me comfortable but I didn't see the need to hurry today."Take your time,"They jerked in shock at my voice but soon relaxed and bowed their heads before heeding to my adviceThere was no need to rush me even as the ritual wouldn't commence without my presence, I still didn't want to go so early.The Blood Moon Ritual was happening today. It was a day taken out for mates to find each other. This event happens every year but I have yet to find my mate.Every year, I sat on my throne and watched the wolves find their mate while I, their King returned with no one by my side.I felt like a personal Circus for the moon g
Aurelia's POVI felt the air sucked out of my lungs as I stared into those dark eyes that seemed to scan me like I was a piece of art ready to be explored. I wasted no time doing the same.His black hair fell across one side of his face landing on his thick dark brows that furrowed slightly in shock. Those hard jawlines looked sharp enough to cut and his lips were full and inviting.His pheromones were slowly stroking my desire, wanting to fill me with need and longing. I glanced at his arms and admired his wide shoulders and his biceps. He was simply a work of art.His focus was on me and it felt as though I could feel his hands gliding under my clothes. My mate looked like a god on that throne and the way he stared at me left me feeling naked and bare before him.I found him, Mother. I thought to myself as I touched my necklace over my scarf. My lips curled in a smile and I took a step forward in his direction when someone leaned beside him.His eyes grew darker, forcing me to halt
Aurelia's POVThe guards were shaking like a leaf and so was I.We were yet to lay eyes on him but his mere presence and his deep gruff voice was enough to shake us down to our very core."W-What do we do?" One of the guards asked with a frightening tone. He sounded like he was about to piss himself."I've heard about the Purple Sun City. What if... What if the Lycan King-""Shut up! He is definitely too busy to worry about trivial matters like this!""Keep it together! We've come a long way searching for this bitch. We cannot return empty-handed-"They were still arguing when something, with the speed of light, moved past us.The wind blew up in my face, slamming me hard but it wasn't as hard as how three of the guards fell to the floor lifelessly."Wh-What was that!"One by one they dropped to the floor and soon it remained just me and the guard holding me as a shield.I was panting with my heart threatening to fly out. I couldn't recall that werewolves could move with the speed of
Liam's POVAndre shut the door to my study with his hands over his mouth as he stared at me in shock."Swallow it," I turn away from him and head to where a bottle of scotch sat. I poured myself a drink and brought the glass to my lips, emptying the content in my mouth.Even after tasting the blood of trespassers-- If I could remember correctly, I bit one's head off-- I still wanted something down my throat."My Queen?" I mumbled to myself, tasting the word and shaking my head. "Did you, by any chance, smell the mate bond on her-""I apologise, my King. I was overjoyed when she said that," he placed his hands over his crotch area and lowered his head.He was much calmer now than when he blurted that out."But, was she telling the truth?""Oh, I see. We're acting rationally now, are we?" I cocked a brow and folded my arms. Andre looked away. He was most definitely feeling ashamed of his actions."Forgive me, my King. I let my emotions get the better of me," he apologised once again but