Forbidden Lovers

Not Little Mate Anymore

Evelyn let the tears down her face as she stood at the small balcony of roses, never bothering to wipe them off. Did it even matter now? She had lost her mate.

Without even having him in the first place.

Her eyes drifted to the dark starry sky in front of her. It reminded her of his eyes. So immensely black and so mysteriously beautiful. Like they held too many secrets into them, secrets she'd never be able to figure out.

Her breath got caught on her throat instantly. It looked like she would never have to turn around to feel whenever he was near her. Her body could tell it all.

"Your grace." His voice was pained, yet still breathtakingly deep. This is how he was going to call her now? Not 'little mate' anymore?

Evelyn didn't have the courage to turn and look at him. However, he seemed to have some left to approach her in slow steps and stood right in front of her. She looked at him, but said nothing. What was there to say anymore? He had just found out she was about to marry the one he saw as a father. Things couldn't get worse from here.

However, Evelyn took her time to scan him entirely now that he was in front of her. There was something about him that made her never want to stop looking. And she knew it wasn't only because of the mating bond.

Oh, he was so devastatingly breathtaking. So tall and built, his skin in a beautiful tan color, his features dark and strong and sharp. His dark brown hair in shoulder length, tied in a low ponytail as some waves fell on his face messily because he had ran his hand around them constantly, his strong face covered by a dark three days beard. He was intimidating. Strong, dangerous, and extremely pulling.

Only now that his black eyes were boring into hers intensely she was reminded she should wipe the tears from her face. Not that he hadn't looked her crying. It had been only some hours since they first met and he had witnessed things revolving her no one had before.

"Sir." Her voice was more of a whisper, but he heard.

He looked away, her ocean eyes almost burning him in desire. "Did it have to be you? Out of anyone else in this whole world, why you?" His voice was pained, yet the question didn't seem to be directed to her. Maybe to the gods that decided this fated bond, if they were out there in the first place.

Evelyn shrugged and sighed heavily. "I'd make the same question actually; why you?"

Both had no answer to that.

Arthmael made some other slow steps towards her, closing their distance, and raised his hand slowly, brushing a string of her black hair behind her pointy ear. That simple touch made him feel things no woman before was capable of making him feel, and that was scary. And the way he could get lost to her big ocean eyes was scary too.

He removed his hand from her hair abruptly, like he had touched the most forbidden thing in the world. He had actually.

She was the most forbidden thing in the world. The only one that could never be his. No matter what fate had decided for them since the beginning.

"I can't do this." Desperation was obvious in his voice. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." He shook his head as to convince himself he couldn't, before losing control and taking her in his arms. He had kissed her once. He had felt her sweet lips in his. There was no going back from that.

Evelyn felt like someone had pierced her chest with a silver knife, but she couldn't blame him.

She slowly turned her back at him and started walking towards the ballroom once again.

"Evelyn." She had no idea how he had the courage to call her by her name, but it sounded so beautiful in his lips it made her knees weak instantly. "I'm really sorry," he whispered.

Her eyes filled up with tears, but she didn't turn back to look at him. "It's not your fault," she answered. "It's not our fault."

                                       ***  

"Alpha." Arthmael bowed down. He had waited for a good opportunity to stay alone with Robert and try and change his mind all night long, and now that the ball had ended, he finally had one. 

But he knew it was already impossible to do so, the announcement was already made. And it made a lot of sense why he had decided for this. Arthmael knew what a wise and ambitious man king Robert was, and how much the marriage with Princess Evelyn would benefit him. Not only they would stop blaming him about King Evander's death, but he'd be the first king known in history for making the first step to bring peace between two kingdoms. Arthmael was one of the very few who knew his real motives; King Robert wanted to create the Council of Peace once again, of course with himself as the leader of it. The leader of the council held so much power in the whole Mysticland, his decisions could be indisputable. It was said, he could rule the world.

And what better way to do it than marry a beautiful young elf? King Robert was known as a womanizer too.

"Tell me, Arthmael." Even from his voice, Arthmael could distinguish how happy he was. How good things were going for him. Exactly like he had planned.

It's not like Arthmael didn't wish happiness upon his King, however forcing someone into a marriage, especially someone whom you've murdered their father, wasn't exactly what he could portray as the perfect father figure.

"The marriage news..."

"A surprise for you too, right?" He chuckled.

"That would be an understatement," Arthmael said, looking him straight in the eyes as he spoke. "But... are you sure, Alpha?"

"What do you mean?" Robert narrowed his eyes. "Of course I am. Don't you see how much it benefits us? Besides, don't you see princess Evelyn? I never thought she had grown up to be this... desirable."

Arthmael had to bit his lip to the point it started bleeding to stop a loud growl from escaping his mouth. He was talking like that about his mate. His mate!

For a second, Arthmael considered telling him the truth, but he got these thoughts out of his head immediately. It was no use. The only thing he'd gain from this was being forced to reject her, or even worse, being kicked out of the castle. Or Evelyn being closed up in a room where she couldn't be anywhere near him. Things of these sort.

No, he couldn't tell him this. He couldn't risk Evelyn.

"I think it's clear she's against this marriage, Alpha," Arthmael answered in his serious, intimidating voice. There was never a problem showing his honest opinions to his Alpha considering how close they had always been, however by the angry look in Robert's face, he realized he wouldn't take his word in this matter.

"Does it matter what she wants?" Robert said. "Her queen is more than happy for this alliance with us."

For the first time in his life, Arthmael doubted the respect he held for this man. "The Queen doesn't seem to care one bit about the Princess, though. She's just using her."

"And that's not our bloody problem, Arthmael," Robert growled. "Why are you caring about the princess all of the sudden? Why does it matter to you if she wants this marriage or not?"

Arthmael gulped and looked away from his intense gaze. Why did he care?

Was there a goddamn reason not to? Was there a goddamn way to get out of this mess now? To stop feeling about her?

Arthmael didn't think so.

"Because she's innocent." This was just a small fragment of the truth Arthmael didn't need to hide. "To say that she hates you would only the tip of the iceberg."

"Once again, who bloody cares?" The threatening behind his growl only intensified, making Arthmael frown. Robert had never treated him this way. On the contrary, Arthmael's opinions mattered to him the most. "She'll want me, soon enough she will. She'll beg for me."

Arthmael's hands turned into fists on his sides and with everything in him, he was able to stop his wolf from coming out and ripping the man apart. The man he had never thought would have this murderous feelings about, until this morning.

He could regret later, now he wanted nothing more but to stop this madness. Get Evelyn for himself. Claim her his.

She was meant to be his. Yet she wouldn't be.

Without even bothering to bow to him, Arthmael walked outside furiously, trying to calm his racing heart and the blood boiling in his veins.

Then her scent hit his nose and his legs stopped walking by themselves. She wasn't that near, yet his wolf could smell her clearly.

He raised his eyes and watched her standing at the balcony of her room, only in a cream nightgown, brushing her extremely long wavy black hair. She didn't seem to notice he was there, her eyes focused at the sky full of stars above their heads. He took his sweet time to scan her with his eyes only, imagining a million things he could do to her if only she could be his. Oh, she was forbiddingly pulling.

Tears filled up his eyes. The last time he had cried was when he was thirteen, watching two elves killing his mother in front of his eyes while he stayed hidden on the basement of his house.

And he was crying now. He wasn't ashamed of it, though. The thought of her not being his would tear him forever, there was no doubt about it.

He couldn't stay there when her ocean eyes met his. Not without drowning in them.

So he shifted in his wolf form immediately, not caring about his gentleman clothes, and ran and ran and ran until his lungs could take no more. A painful desperate howl tore from the depth of his throat.

And then another.

His wolf sat down on the ground as tears ran down his soft black fur of his face.

His mate already belonged to his Alpha and there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing left to do now was give her up. No matter how much it was going to hurt.