The Royal Brothers' Mate

Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

*****

I sat up breathing hard as beads of sweat ran down my face. My eyes darted around me as I tried to orientate myself and I realised I was in my room. I looked beside me to see Rowan still soundly asleep before I traced my gaze around the room’s floor. I was too scared to wonder about why he was sleeping beside me. Jacob was still asleep on the floor, not far from him were Olivia and Kennedy. I covered my mouth feeling my eyes burn as I stared at him. He was okay. I still could not bring myself to believe that despite knowing full well the images of his death were just part of a nightmare. I got out of bed and stepped over to him quietly before I poked his chest. He stirred a little to mumble about not wanting breakfast yet before he turned over and went back to sleep. I sat down on the floor and leaned against my bed relieved that he was alive.

Even with the relief, I just could not shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen or had happened. I froze before I reached over to grab my phone from the bedside table and slowly crept out of the room, keeping my eyes on Rowan to make sure he was asleep. I walked into the hall and then looked around trying to figure out where to go next, I decided the easiest place was right across my room. Gently taking the door handle, I slowly pushed the door to Corin’s room open. Luckily it did not make a sound. I stepped into his room shutting the door before I sat on the bed and dialled his number.

It rang a couple of times before it was answered by a husky, sleep-hazed whisper.

“Corin.”

“Hey.” I spoke softly.

“Eden?” He cleared his throat, sounding more awake, “It’s so early. Are you okay? What’s wrong? What happened?” His voice was alarmed.

“Nothing.” I gave a breathy laugh.

“You’re calling me at two in the morning and you sound off. What’s wrong?” He spoke, still sounding worried.

“Uh…” I gave an embarrassed half-laugh, “It’s stupid… I… I just wanted to… check on you…”

“Did you have a nightmare?” He sounded like he had calmed down, his voice lowering again.

“Yeah…” I mumbled.

“About what?” I bit my lip at the question. I could not tell him it was about his father beating him up and then basically ripping my friend’s head off. “Don’t want to talk about it?” He asked.

“Yeah.” I mumbled. I heard him chuckle and raised my brows.

“You say yeah a lot.” I smiled, “Tell me something else then.” He said.

I thought about it. “Um… Rowan invited my friends over. Remember the girl you ordered the brownies from, at the restaurant?” I asked.

“Ah, those brownies.” I bit my lip smiling at the slight moan in his voice, “I ate it in the car on the way home because I knew I would never be allowed to have it at home. It was so good.” He chuckled as I laughed softly, “Yes, I remember her.”

“Yeah, so we have her and our friend Kennedy over here.” I said.

“That’s nice. I hope I can meet them soon too.”

“What about you?” I asked.

“Um… there is not much to tell. I’m in a hotel, we had a press conference downstairs earlier.” He sounded off.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. He chuckled.

“Nothing, just every interview I’ve had recently is about those restaurant meetings and when I’ll be announcing my engagement and wedding date.” He said. “I’m getting good at avoiding direct answers though.” I smiled. “I brought you to the palace but we’ve hardly spoken, I just left… I’m sorry.” His voice was soft.

“It’s okay, no one’s been marked.” I joked.

“Marked?” He asked, “What’s that?” I sat up straight hearing the question.

“What?” I asked completely baffled. No way.

“You said no one’s been mar… oh… is – is it a mate thing?” He sounded adorably embarrassed. I began laughing. “Eden, this is not funny.” He groaned making me laugh more while my heart picked up at how attractive the deep groan sounded. Why did he sound so attractive when he was tired? I wondered what his face looked like, was it all red right now? Was he squirming because of his embarrassment?

“Yes, it’s a mate thing. It’s like… marriage?” I furrowed my brows.

“Really?” He sounded unconvinced. Right, there was more too it.

I titled my head. “You really don’t know?” I asked.

“My parents aren’t exactly mate-enthusiast, no one’s ever explained any of this to me… well, Rowan kind of has… explained things he learnt from werewolves he met in the city when he snuck out of school. Never got to this marking thing. What is it?” He asked.

I moved back, bringing my legs onto his bed so I could cross them in front of me as I tried to think of a way to explain mating. I laughed to myself as I thought about how this was like humans giving the s*x talk to a little child. “Well, basically, you find your mate, you accept them and then you bite their neck during s*x which leaves a unique mark on your neck that is only identical to your mate's and –”

“Oh!” He cut me off in an excited hiss, “That’s what the mark is? I thought it was just something all common wolves had.” He said.

“Common wolves?” I asked.

“Well, no one royal has it, I’ve seen Edwin’s and a few of the palace guards, the chef.” He said.

I bit my lip. Of course. You could only mark another wolf after you found your mate, it would be involuntarily then and you would mark whoever you first had s*x with after meeting your mate. Once your mate died, the mark disappeared. The King and Queen must never have met their mates… or their mates were dead. I felt my stomach twist uncomfortably as the heavy feeling from earlier filled my chest again making it hard to breathe. I did not want to keep being in the palace, it scared me.

“Eden… Are you still there? I can hear you breathing… Did she fall asleep?” I laughed softly hearing him mumble the last sentence to himself.

“No, I’m… What happened to your parents’ mates?” I asked, mostly to see what he knew about the palace mating rituals.

“I don’t know. They’ve never spoken about mates. I never knew much about it, they just dismissed Rowan when he did ask once and we neverspoke about it again. Maybe they are mates?” He asked. I looked at the roof finding his naivety half confusing and half cute. I always thought being the prince he would know everything, this made him much less intimidating than I thought he was when we first met.

“They’re not, they would have been marked. Your parents haven’t met their mates or... Corin… I mean your high –” He chuckled.

“Call me Corin, Eden.” He said.

“Okay, Corin... Have you heard any rumours about what happens to people mated to Royalty?” I asked.

“There are rumours? I guess not… What are they?” He asked. I glanced at the door feeling Rowan’s pull move closer to me. I considered saying goodbye to Corin and hanging up, afraid of Rowan hearing me talk to his brother. For some reason, I decided against it.

“According to rumours, people mated to Royals get killed.” I said. I felt Rowan stop and looked at the door as I waited for Corin to say something. He gave a scoff after a few minutes of silence.

“No way.” He said. I bit my lip.

“You don’t know anything about mating, Corin. Royals never marry their mates, it’s not easy to go your entire life without meeting your mate and marking someone. Lots of people in this country think the King and Queens in the past have killed their heirs’ mates to keep the royal bloodline strong. Like your father said at breakfast…” I drifted.

“I doubt that’s true. It can’t be. Though, that explains why Brandon did not want you leaving with me or staying at the palace, but Eden, I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

“Good luck with that.” I looked up surprised as Rowan appeared in front of me grabbing my phone. I had not even heard him open the door because of how fast he had moved coming in here.

“Wait –”

“Corin, you may not know this but people usually have one mate and clearly I’m better suited to be her mate. I will protect her because I can, you know you cannot. Please refrain from calling her in the middle of the night.” He hung up.

“Rowan –” I began but he lifted his hand as he put his knee on the bed so he could lean close to me.

“It’s true.” I stared at him wide-eyed, “Those rumours. I’ve read the secret family journals my father keeps hidden. They killed her in front of him.” He looked terrified as he seemed to think about it while he stared down at me before he lifted his hand to place it on my cheek and gave me a reassuring smile, “Eden, I’ll always be right beside you and they would have to kill me first to get to you. Corin… means well… but he’s been brought up to be the next king, as obedient and quiet, everything he does is to strengthen the throne. He may seem set on protecting you now but if he ever has to choose between you and what he was born and raised to be, he’s going to choose the throne. But I’ve already chosen.”

I watched his eyes as they ran over my face, he looked so afraid and I swallowed looking down. Of course he was, I did not want to lose either of them and I could feel how the thought of not having his mate choose him was terrifying him. I felt so guilty knowing I was making both of them feel that way. My phone lighting up in his hand drew my eyes to it as it silently announced that Corin was calling. Rowan sat down in front of me, staring at the screen for a few seconds before he ignored the call and put my phone down.

He was kind of right, I had barely seen Corin since I got here. Even so, the King was not just going to let Rowan and I be together if I chose him. I shut my eyes feeling my chest ache, I really wish I had not met them. I tried to ignore my wolf as she wined. Why did this have to be so complicated?

I sat up suddenly remembering my dream.

“Ken and Olivia should leave as soon as they wake up.” I said.

“Why?” Rowan asked.

“I don’t know, I feel like they have to.” He smiled.

“As you wish, Mate.” He winked. I groaned pushing him away as I yawned. He instantly got up and grabbed my hand to pull me off the bed making me look at him confused, “Like hell you’re sleeping in this room.” Oh. I felt my face heat as I nodded and we made our way back to my room.

When we woke up, we had breakfast with the others before Rowan told my friends they had to leave because his parents would be home soon. They agreed, both finding the thought of meeting the king and queen to be terrifying. Once they were gone, Jacob and Rowan went to train again leaving me on my own. I figured I would train after they were finished because I still was not comfortable training with Rowan. I decided to explore the palace instead and was happy to find a library on the third floor beside Rowan’s Art Studio. There were more rooms up there too, another kitchen for some reason and there were guards blocking the stairway that led to the fourth floor so I began exploring the first floor and found a ballroom, not surprising. It was pretty beautiful because one wall was entirely made out of glass and showcased to the garden outside.

I did some reading while I waited for the gym to clear and settled into one of the couches in the library with a book. I looked up a while later when I heard footsteps approaching and waited until Rowan moved around one of the shelves and into my view.

“Mmm. You’re here.” He said.

“You don’t read?” I asked in surprise.

“Of course I read… sci-fi and thrillers…. Not usually these science and history books, I barely ever come in here.” He looked around.

“Oh great, that would have been a definite reason to reject you.” I said. He laughed as he reached to take the book from my hand, “Paint with me?”

“I have to train.” I replied taking the book back so I could note the page number before I closed it.

“I’ll train you.”

“Painting it is.” I stated getting up.

 “Eden.” He frowned at me but I shrugged as I walked out. He followed me and we left the book in my room before we went upstairs to the art room.

Rowan brought out one of the biggest canvases I had seen in my life and got to work while I decided to draw instead and sat at the table across the room. Occasionally, I looked up and would watch him. He looked so engrossed in what he was doing, it was fun watching him do it. Eventually he turned to me smiling.

“Eden, would you come over here and have a look at this?” I made my way over to his canvas and furrowed my brows at the very light pencil lines across it. I guess he was drawing an outline to paint into? I could barely see it though. I leaned in closer to the canvas trying to decipher what he had drawn but let out a shocked gasp when something cold and wet suddenly hit me from behind and splashed onto the canvas in front of me.

I stood frozen as I felt the paint drip off my back, blue from what I saw on the canvas. I turned around to face a grinning Rowan.

“Like it? It’s a painting of you.” He smirked.

“My… you… My hair!” I yelled at him. I screamed as he reached for another can of paint and my face barely dodged it as he flung it at me, the paint landed all over my jean and shoes though. “What are you doing?! Sto –” I covered my face as he just splashed more paint at me, this time with a brush after dunking it into some paint.

I launched at him and he let out a cough as he fell back onto the ground when I tackled him.

“Eden! This shirt is silk!” He yelled out.

“Why –” I began but he rolled us over and grabbed more paint. I shoved the little bucket upwards so it splashed back into his face before I froze hoping he had kept his eyes and mouth shut as it dripped from his face.

“I don’t really like yellow, Eden.” He rubbed his sleeve over his eyes to look down at me.

“Well, I don’t really like being drenched in paint, Rowan.” I replied.

“I guess I could clean you up in the shower.” He smirked.

I groaned trying to shove him away from me but he wiped some paint off of his face with his hand and began to reach out to me.

“I swear to god if you put more paint in my hair…” I glared up at him. He leaned down close to me and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at his yellow face.

“You’ll what?” He asked trying to sound serious but I burst out laughing. He chuckled as he cupped my face, effectively wiping more paint onto me. “You look really good in blue by the way.”

“Shut up, this isn’t going to come off of my shoes.” I groaned. He chuckled lightly and I blinked as his lips met mine for a second.

“They look better now.”

“You’re a jerk.” I pouted.

“Don’t do that.” He did not give me time to reply as he kissed me again, this time longer, “It makes me want to kiss you.” He added. “You taste like paint.”

“No, you do.” I pushed him off me so I could sit up and grab a cloth before I turned back to him and wiped it across his lips. I paused wondering why I was clearing them, did I want to kiss him again? Of course I did. But… Corin…

“You think too much.” Rowan took my hand to pull me to him so he could kiss me. “This feels so gross.” He mumbled against my lips.

“Hey!”

“My shirt – it’s so wet.”

“No –” I began but he had already pulled the shirt over his head, not bothering to unbutton it before he threw it aside. “I’m not doing that.” He laughed at what I said. I would rather feel grossly sticky. He leaned closer to me again and my eyes fell onto his tattoo because of the way it seemed to contort with every movement he made. I furrowed my brows seeing a streak of red going lower down his abs. Pack tattoos weren’t usually in colour. I reached out to see if it was real and he tensed lightly, letting out a soft gasp as my fingertips touched his skin softly. I looked up at his eyes as he cleared his throat, they were a deep, dark shade of red.

“Ma-maybe don’t do that.” He whispered in a hoarse tone, his voice mixed with his wolf’s, which made my heart basically explode.

My heart racing in my chest, I once again felt my wolf’s overwhelming excitement run through me, but she was not fighting to control us or mark him, it just felt like I needed to touch him. I could also feel his wolf and it made me wonder what would happen if I touched him more considering that just my fingertips seemed to send both him and his wolf into a frenzy.

I pushed forward and the second my lips met his seemed to ignite the need I had to be close to him and touch him. He responded instantly pushing his tongue into my mouth as he pulled me against him. I lifted my hands between us only to run them over his hard chest, making him moan lightly which only made me more excited. I smiled against his lips, amused at the effect my hands seemed to have on him.

‘Don’t get cocky, pretty sure I could do the same to you.’ I felt my face burn as he linked to me.

I tensed despite feeling butterflies burst into my stomach as his fingers slipped under my shirt against the skin of my waist. I loved the feeling and it felt so right to be near him, but I suddenly felt worried. Even though it felt so natural and so good I felt sick. What about Corin? I felt like I was cheating on him. It made my eyes burn and I felt like a wreck because of all the conflicting emotions going through me at once.

I froze suddenly feeling like Corin’s pull become strong. He was near. Wait. He was here. I pushed Rowan back, breaking the kiss just in time to let out a scream when Rowan was pulled further away from me and his face instantly met with a harsh blow from Corin’s knuckles causing his face to emit a loud crack. Corin threw another punch immediately, followed another, and another. I winced every time I heard a crack or snap. I cried out as he shoved Rowan back into a stack of paintings, smashing the frames and canvases as he did and sending splinters of wood everywhere. He was not slowing down, even when Rowan was on the ground, Corin gave him no time to respond to the blows he was dishing out. Rowan was basically covered in blood at this point and a bunch of guards rushed into the room. I wanted to yell at Corin to stop but I was frozen watching the amount of rage he seemed to be consumed in, none of the guards were able to get him from his brother and just ended up with bloody noses themselves.

Do something.

I shook myself out of my terrified trance.

“Corin!” I called out, he ignored me. “Stop! Please, stop!” I screamed and still received no response.

The scene of Corin being forcefully tugged away from Rowan and thrown into the wall across the room was so fast it was almost a blur even though the eyes of a werewolf. Rowan jumped to his feet and Corin immediately tried to get back to him but everyone in the room froze when their father let out a loud ‘Stop!’ command in a growl that sounded almost deadly.

He turned to me and I unintentionally began stumbling back as he walked towards me. Two figures instantly stepped in to block his path to me and I felt hot tears burn my eyes as I tried to hold them back unsuccessfully before they rolled down my face as I saw the amount of blood both of them were covered in, Rowan looked like a mess that was in no way ready to fight anyone. I winced when he popped his shoulder back into its socket as he straightened in front of his father.

“Are you both just stupid?” The king asked his sons.

“You will not harm her.” Corin’s voice was terrifyingly cold and stern.

The king almost seemed to laugh as he stared at them before he looked past them, his angry eyes meeting mine and I stepped back slightly further wanting to hide from him but I could not seem to tear my gaze from his angry eyes. The room seemed to have gone deafeningly silent and I felt like I was going to suffocate on the thickness of the air between everyone. Still, I could not look away from him. It was like he was somehow keeping my eyes on his and they had me frozen in place.

‘You’re going to regret ever being born.’ He linked to me.

I was finally able to tear my eyes from his and instantly looked at my paint covered shoes feeling completely shaken and convinced that he was right.

*****