Chapter 2
2198 Words
She walks down the passage feeling the butterflies taking over her stomach! She has barely been able to keep down a bag of blood since Queen Lucille told her that she would be a princess, and here she is in a ball gown, on her way to greet the entire supernatural world, standing at the side of the royals!!! She never imagined her life would turn out this way, especially not while... She shakes her head to get the bad memories to leave her alone.
Her palms were sweaty, and she stopped in the middle of the passage, quickly turning around to go back to her room. She took two steps and then turned back to go to the office. She can’t keep the royals waiting!
No matter how sick to her stomach she feels, she has always been true to her word. Fastening her pace as she walks towards her new future, Emma is reminded of her past and where she came from before she joined the clan.
She quickly wipes the memories from her mind and turns the corner knocking on the door of the office. She can hear all of them laughing and talking and opens the door when Queen Lucille calls for her to come in.
They all sound to be in good spirits.
“WOW!” Magnus is first to react when he sees her. “You are a knock-out!”
He gets a punch in his side from Pearl for his compliment, and she softly growls.
“You look beautiful, darling.” Queen Lucille walks up to her, hugging her.
“I told you to take the black dress.” Pearl joins them in a group hug and Lucille laughs.
“Now for the final touch.” Pearl claps her hands together and excitedly takes the picture off the wall.
Lucille opens the safe and takes out the box, opening the lid, she holds the box in front of Magnus.
“We have always been an unusual royal family.” He laughs.
“But we are family nonetheless, and with this tiara, we officially, non-officially welcome you to our family, Princess Emma.” He puts the tiara on her head and a lock of hair comes to lose from its place falling down the side, next to her ear.
She blushes bright red, and they all come in for a hug.
Edgar appears at the door and clears his throat.
“I'm sorry for interrupting the precious family moment, but your guests are all gathered and ready.”
***
Sighing as he looks over the group of people in the entrance hall of the castle, he wishes he didn’t agree to this damn event. If there were any way, he could have gotten out of it, he would have, but his mother was adamant that he attends.
“Who knows, you might meet the love of your life.” She grinned when she basically commanded him to come.
Luckily, he could stand in the corner and watch his friends bite the dust one by one. He looks at Bowen who was already head over heels in love with her mate! How on earth do you stand there, kissing and cuddling like you have been together forever when you just met five minutes ago?!
The guests are called to order and trumpets start playing.
A plant obscures his view, and he moves out from his corner to see what all the fuss is about. A wolf king walks in the front of the group, followed by two Queens one step behind him at his sides and a young girl behind them.
The moment her black eyes make contact with his, his Lycan screams inside his head.
“MATE!”
“Nicolas! No!” He growls softly.
***
Emma sees him watching her and everyone else in the room disappears. The stomach turns upside down, and she knows she has to concentrate on what is about to happen, but she can’t break their eye contact!
They reach the end of the staircase and the speeches start, bringing her back to the present. She blinks her eyes, and when she looks again, he is gone. Scanning the crowd, there is no sign of him anywhere.
***
Disappearing behind the plant the moment she breaks eye contact, he takes a deep breath to try to bring his heart rate under control. How could this happen?! He can’t let it happen!
“Dude! Here you are! Come on.” Erik grabs him by the arm and drags him into the dining room.
They are seated together as a group, and he tries his best not to look up where his wolf can see her, but that doesn’t make any difference. Nicolas still cries out for her. The bond pulling him towards her to the point where he knows exactly where she is sitting. He can smell the blood on her lips.
He shoves his chair back and walks out of the room. The noise from the people still taking their seats covering his loud and very rude exit.
The gentleman that met them at the front door stopped him at the door and asked that he take his seat.
He feels like he can’t breathe!! Pulling at his tie, he walks back to his seat, picking up the chair and sitting down.
“Hey, what’s wrong, buddy?” Erik taps him on his shoulder.
“Nothing, I just wanted some fresh air.”
Silence falls over the huge room as everyone is seated and someone stands up, taking a seat next to Elizabeth! What the hell?! Were they now playing musical chairs?!
The man that was sitting there just up and took the other seat…
Dinner is served, but the entire time, he has to fight to keep his eyes on his food and not look at the beautiful dark princess that is sitting across the room from him. Her energy drawing him in like a magnet!
How could a vampire be his destined mate?!
***
She doesn’t have time for this! There is still so much to do and prepare before the guests go to their rooms… And the fact that he is just there… Taking what little breath she might have away is driving her to the brink of madness.
“I know you are usually quiet, my dear, but what has your thoughts in such a tangle?” Queen Lucille brings her back to the present.
“Nothing, your Hi… Lucille.” She smiles and nods slightly.
“Nothing won’t make you avoid your food like that.” She nods towards the glass of blood in front of Emma.
“Oh, I had some before the guests arrived. I wanted to make sure I was ready to get through the night without any… Incidents.” She smiles.
“Oh, okay then, but don’t work too hard. You will be a princess soon, and in two days you are going to be inaugurated. Then you will have staff doing it for you.”
“I still don’t understand why you would do this for me. I’m nothing but a slave girl.” She blushes, putting her hands in her lap, growing ever more conscious of his presence.
“I don’t know anyone else in this clan besides you who takes such good care of the rest of us. Just look at this meal you planned for everyone. All of these different clans and packs that we brought together. All the different supernatural creatures sitting together around one table. You are the one who made sure the right people sat next to each other and were served the right type of food. Take a look at how happy everyone is.”
Emma takes the chance to take a quick look, hoping to avoid him, but he is the first person her eyes go to. As if they knew exactly where he was. The moment she sees him, she looks down.
“I wouldn’t leave our family in the hands of anyone else.” Lucille’s voice cut through her thoughts again.
“Thank you for the honor, you… Lucille. I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say yes and thank you.” Lucille smiles.
Fortunately, her attention is drawn away by Pearl, and Emma can relax again.
When dinner is over, she joins the Queens and King Magnus in the precession out of the dining room.
***
He has to set the record straight right away. He can’t let this become something! Jumping up from his seat the moment dinner is over, he makes his way to the doors where the royals will be leaving from. Or so he hopes. He waits there until they pass and only Princess Emma is left, grabbing her by her arm.
“This cannot work!”
She turns her head slowly, her black eyes locking with his.
“Get your hand off me!” Her fangs slowly protruding.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” He let go of her arm and she turned to look at him.
“I don’t care what you mean. If I remember correctly, it takes two people to make a bond, and I don’t feel whatever this is that you are feeling.” Her anger clear in the tone of her voice makes him take a step back.
“NO! She is our Mate!” Nicolas shouts in his head.
“I’m sorry for bothering you, Your Highness.” Christiaan gives her a small bow and waits for her to leave before storming out the door.
He hears Erik and the triplets calling him, but his anger has taken over, and Nicolas is screaming for someone that has denied being his mate! All he can think of is to get out of the castle. He needs to feel the grass under his paws, he needs to feel the fresh air push through his lungs! Ripping his suit jacket on his way out, he shifts and runs into the dark night. Not knowing where he is going. He just wants to go. He needs to go!
***
Emma excuses herself from the Royals and makes her way to the back passages when she notices the figure running down the clearing in the direction of the forest. What is he doing?! Doesn’t he realize he is in someone else’s territory and can’t just go running around whenever he feels like it!!
She moves as fast as the wind. Her tiara dropping on the floor and her dress rips when she jumps through the window, landing on the soft grass. She reaches him just in time before he runs into one of the border patrols of King Magnus.
“WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!” She screams at him, her fangs completely protruding, her nails fully grown, and her eyes the color of blood.
“YOU! You dare tell me what to do a second time? Do you know what and who I am?” He growls at her, circling her.
***
He knew he made a huge mistake the moment he saw her standing right in front of him and started seeing the glowing eyes popping up behind her.
Unable to stop Nicolas, he rushes up to her, pulling her up close to him, keeping eye contact as he shifts back into his human form. The border patrol, the castle, the entire world around them disappeared.
Her soft lips slightly apart, he lowers his lips onto hers, and his heart feels like it’s bursting.
Sparks literally light up between them everywhere their skin touches.
***
Whatever she said earlier is completely forgotten. She feels the pull of his magic, and she can’t resist it when he pulls her in and kisses her. She feels overwhelmed, and it feels as if her entire body has come to life! All the things she thought she knew about men… All out the window in one simple kiss.
How could this be? She pulls away from him.
“This is King Magnus’ territory! You need his permission to cross!” She hisses, and he steps back.
“You kissed me back! You lied earlier! You feel the same way. Don’t deny it!”
She looks at him, turning around to see who might be around listening. The border patrol left the moment they saw them kissing…
“I don’t care if there is a bond between us.” She hisses.
“Like you so eagerly said. It cannot work! Now stay out of the territory that doesn’t belong to you!” She winks at him and disappears before he can say another word.
She cannot let that happen again! She climbs back through the window, picking up her tiara, and notices the tear in her dress. Well, so much for being a princess… At least she had tonight.
***
She keeps on dismissing him as if he is an omega!!! Christiaan growls, turning back towards the castle. Who is this princess that thinks she can play cat and mouse with him?
Well, He isn’t going to be her toy. He will not let her play him like that again!
- Writer
