My True Mate

In Secret

Rue’s POV

Rue feeds into Manny’s kiss as long as she can before he pulls back and leans his forehead onto hers.

Tears are falling down her face, but this time in joy.

She couldn’t explain it, but, even with her wolf claiming both Darian and Manny as her mate, she felt so much safer with Manny. She wanted to stay in his arms forever. There was no burning, only the sweet, and angelic feeling of being in his embrace.

She didn’t want to say anything, she didn’t want to break the spell of this version of Manny. But she also knew they were in the garden and any minute now a pack member could stroll by.

As if reading her thoughts he lets her go and distances hisself.

The warmth of his body furthering from Rue makes her feel cold.

“Manny..” Rue starts, but he places a finger to her lips and looks around.

“I need to go.” He says lowly. And before she can demand otherwise, he turns on his heels and is out of her sight faster than the blink of an eye.

She stares in the direction of where he went when she hears footsteps closing in on her.

“Princess, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” Bonnie tries to scurry the other way but Rue holds up her hand, still not facing her.

“What did you see?” Rue asks, her eyes still locked on the path Manny took as she relishes his scent still surrounding her.

“I..I..” she stutters, “Um..well..probably more than I should have honestly..”

She finally turns towards Bonnie and can see her eyebrows scrunched together as she rubs her arm. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

Rue nods.

Bonnie takes a step closer to Rue. “Can I say something?”

Rue does not respond but she feels Bonnie step closer.

“I know it isn’t my place..but..well..“ Bonnie nervously stutters.

Rue slowly turns around. Her eyes dare the girl to continue but also confirmed that it is in fact not her place to say anything about her..at all.

Before she looses all her courage Bonnie quickly blurts out, “Manny is way too good of a guy to be hidding in the shadows! That kiss! That’s a true mate’s kiss! The way he looks at you! It’s how my dad looked at my mom! That’s how..”

Rue covers Bonnie’s mouth and shushes her.

“It’s complicated. And you’re right! It’s none of your business. I’m..I..Look. I would never hurt Manny intentionally. He’s my friend and I..” Rue feels flustered herself as she looks at Bonnie.

“And he’s my brother. Manny is the most amazing person I know. After our parents died he took care of us without so much as a question. Do you know how hard it is to have the world on your shoulders at his age?”

She pulls Bonnie by the hand out into the main garden and eyes Darian who is near the entrance playing chess with her father.

He catches her eye before looking at her hand holding Bonnie’s before eyeing her again. Even from afar she can see as his body tenses.

She turns to Bonnie and says quickly but firmly, “I need your help.”

Darian’s presence is felt before she hears him make his way to her.

Rue was ready though, and before he could see her face she had a small smile take its place on her lips, “Thank you for checking on me Bonnie. I am still feeling dizzy, but I think laying down a bit should help.”

Darian places his hand in her shoulder. Looking at only Rue as she turned and met his gaze he courtly says, “Yes thank you Bonnie. Now if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to help my mate to her bed.”

Normally Rue would love his playful banter but this time her stomach flipped and felt like fire. She focused on keeping the polite smile on her face, but also silently hoped that Bonnie wouldn’t say something stupid.

For a moment Bonnie just stared at the two of them, but then her eyes trailed past them and she absent-mindedly responded, “Of course Princess.” while slightly curtsying before scurrying off.

Rue sighs deeply before saying, “I appreciate you my love,” as she also tries to get away, “but I don’t want to interrupt you. I can walk myself to my room.”

Darian grabs her arm and through clenched teeth says, “Nonsense, I wouldn’t want my mate getting lost. Not after just announcing our wonderful news.” He pulls her close and looks in her eyes.

From the outside anyone else would think these two were doing as mates do, getting lost in each other. But here, up close, Rue knew that wasn’t the case at all. Darian’s stance was not protective, it was past possession, it was control. And the threat in his eyes confirmed that she needed to follow suit.

He leaned into her and placed a surprising soft kiss on her temple as he gruffly whispered, “I smell him on you. I thought I told you, you are mine.”

Rue scanned around the garden and noticed everyone was too distracted to pick up what was occurring. Her heart raced and as she tried to push Darian back. “Darian, you are hurting me.”

He held her tightly a moment longer before sliding his hand down her arm and laces his fingers with her. Tingles traveled down her arm but a trial of fire followed them that lead to Rue gasping and grabbing her arm.

Darian sees as the Queen looks over to them with an eyebrow arched.

Darian pulls Rue towards the castle and coldly states, “Let’s go, to your room.”

The walk to her room Darian held her hand as tightly as possible, as if terrified she flee at any moment, but the anger that radiates from him felt not like fear to Rue.

Once in her room he slams the door and pushes Rue to her bed.

“Mine.” He growls at Rue.

“Darian!” She angrily shouts, trying to recover from falling backwards. Darian’s eyes flashed specs of gold and she knew his wolf Jru was attempting to surface.

“Darian!” She tried again.

Darian and Jru had never lost their temper with her. She’s witnessed Darian get mad over things with classmates. I mean, he was a star athlete at school, she’s witnessed what he could do when tackling someone in friendly competition, nonetheless for something serious.

He stood over her with both arms on either side of her before leaning in to her and pouring his kiss into her. He began mumbling to himself, “Mine. Mine. Mine.”

Rue didn’t know if she should push him away or pull him closer. The mixture of tingles and fires had her mind in a tornado. That is until she felt something wet hit her cheek.

She opened her eyes she didn’t realize she had squeezed close. She saw as the tears rolled from Darian’s eye.

He heart softened and this time she wrapped her arms around his head and whispered, “Darian.”

He pulled her as close to him as he could and kissed her again.

This was the Darian she knew. She tried to ignore the fire and focus on the tingles.

A year she has known Darian. A year she had loved him. She knew she owed him an explanation, or at least the chance to be the mate he and her wolf believed him to be.

“Rue,” he whispered back. And then he added in a cracked voice, “I love you.”

She didn’t say anything back at first as she held her breath. But as she looked into his eyes the man she had known to love looked at her so intently that she felt her heart would break if she didn’t hold him closer in this moment. “I love you, too.”

“Then be honest. What’s going on Rue?”