OWNED BY CASPIAN

Chapter four:

Caspian watched as the young girl walked in the room, gingerly. From where he sat, he could see her features perfectly. His gaze traveled from her neat red hair that he noticed was in a long braid down her back to her now clean and petite features in the dress.

"I can't see.." her small voice came as she tried looking around and making out his features in the dark.

He stood up, startling Rose again as he began moving around. In less than a second, the fire place she did not notice was lit and so we're two other candle stands filling the room with light.

He was wearing a loose white shirt, folded at the elbow and dark trousers like the ones he had been in. His hair looked like he had swept his fingers across as they fell across his face in long dark curls.

In this moment, he looked so ruggedly handsome not beautiful and composed like before. Rose couldn't understand how a person could easily be both.

"Staring again?"

Her head snapped up to meet his eyes, "No..no..I wasn't…I.."

She heard him chuckle before going to sit at the edge of the big and draped bed, pulling a chair from the mahogany table next to it.

"Come closer."

She gulped as she took a few feeble steps forward.

"That's not close enough."

She took another one and waited.

"Rose."

Another step and she was right in front of him, he put out his hand and she slowly put hers in them, watching him pull her to sit in the chair, right in front of him.

His gaze lingered on her face, making Rose's face grow red with every passing second.

"The bath did wonders." He said, "I can finally see your face underneath all those dirt and I must say, you're stunning Rose."

Her face became even more red and she wasn't sure how to respond, "Th–Thank you, Alpha…."

"Caspian." He said, still not letting go of her hand. "My name is Caspian."

"Thank you, Alpha Caspian."

He didn't respond as he kept looking at her, "Now that we're alone, Rose.."

Her head shot up immediately. "H–huh?"

"Now that we're alone," he repeated, "tell me what happened."

Rose face became even more red in embarrassment, causing Caspian to chuckle in amusement.

"Goodness, I wonder what goes on in that head of yours. What did you think I was going to say?"

"No…nothing.."

"Nothing? Now, that's a lie Rose." His expression shifted a bit, causing the whole room to appear colder.

Rose looked at him, her hazel eyes wobbling slightly. "I..um.."

"So, what happened?" He switched again, causing her to sigh internally with relief.

"My father was going to sell me so I ran away."

"Geez, you must have a shitty father." He shrugged, "so why'd he do that?"

"I..I don't know."

" I see," he said, letting go of her hand to stretch and lean back on the bed with an arm behind him. "And your mother?"

"She…died." Rose said, her voice tinged with sadness, "Before she died she told me to travel to Wolfbane to stay with my father. She thought it was safer and better."

"Ah," Caspian stretched again, his expression a mixture of interest and slight nonchalance, "Why is that?"

"Well, she didn't want me to leave alone and she thought a change of scenery would do me good…"

"Because of her death?"

"That and.." she paused, not so sure if she should continue.

"And?" Caspian pressed.

"And, I had just gotten rejected by my mate. So..so she thought it would help get my mind off it."

There was a little pause, silence as Caspian began to contemplate her words. Rose thought that he was about to show empathy towards her but was surprised when the next thing she heard was a laugh from him.

"Now that's sad," he laughed even more, his eyes grinning wickedly at her, "You must have been so miserable."

…What?