The Princess and Her Secret Mate

Chapter 4

After my dad started to mingle with the guest I snuck out the back and sat at the edge of the pool removing my heels and dipping in my feet. It’s peaceful out here. I can still hear the chatter from inside but not enough to destroy the beautiful star-lit sky. I lean back on my hands and gaze up while my feet twirl around in the water.

“Beautiful out here isn't it?” I stare over at the voice, it's my bodyguard Liam. I smile up at him and nod my head.

“It is,”

“May I join you?” He asks and again I nod my head.

As both sit in silence for a few minutes he however scoots closer towards me. “Your a beautiful girl Red,”

“Thanks,” I say, something about the way he’s looking at me seems off and like he’s going to…Holy s**t he’s leaning in he is going to try and kiss me.

I turn my head just in time as his lips kiss my cheek. “I can't, I'm sorry. I’m in love with someone else,”

“Pst, you are in love with Lennox who is the same age as your father. That’s gross Red,”

“At least try to kiss me. It would make Lennox jealous. After all, isn't that why you picked me?”

Yes.

“I said no Liam,” I moved away from him but he grabs my arms, “listen hear b***h. You will let me do what I want with you or I’m going to tell your father about Lennox,”

Before I could even think I slapped him right across the face that angered him more and he threw me into the pool I yelped before I went under water. When I came up for air Liam was also in the pool. He went under pulling me under with him as he held my face tight between his hands and he roughly slammed his lips to mine. Bubbles come from the nose. I need air. I try my best to fight against it but I need to breathe the water burns as it fills my lungs black dots fill vision and I saw my mom. Her beautiful face was the last thing I saw.

“Breathe,”The voice sounds familiar but it's faint and goes in and out.

“She’s not dead,” another voice says, “ill try,”

Try what?

That’s when I felt it. Sparks.

“f**k, Red, breathe,”

I coughed and water came out of my mouth. After the coughing fits I suck in air and burn my lungs as I inhale deep greedy breaths.

When I opened my eyes my dad helped me sit up. I look around and there’s a lot of people surrounding me. My mate could have been any of them.

I see it then. Liam’s lifeless body laying by the pool.

“Oh goddess, Liam, he…” my words tail off as my dad pulls me close to my chest. Liam tried to kill me.

“You’re safe now, Princess. I don’t know what I would have done if Lennox hadn’t saw that bastard trying to drown you,”

My eyes snapped to Lennox, he’s dripping wet. He must have jumped in to save me.

“Who touched me just now?” I asked my dad.

“A few people were trying to get you back. Why?”

“I wanted to thank the person that saved me,” lie. I wanted to know who touched me last because that person was my mate.

“Lennox brought you back to me princess,” He said.

My eyes snapped to him and he was already staring at me.

“Daddy, can I please talk to Lennox alone,”

“Princess you need rest,”

Lennox doesn’t say anything as he strolls over to us and lifts me into his arms. The sparks are strong tingles and his touch shoots them through my entire body.

“I’ll take her to room so she can rest,”Lennox told my dad and he nods, “I’ll come see you after I get everyone to leave, ”My dad told me.

I nod, “okay daddy,”

Lennox walked past everyone they were asking if I was okay but he never stopped for me to answer them. He turns down my hallway upstairs and he slows his pace.

“How long?” I asked, his eyes stayed straight ahead not even glancing down at me. He doesn’t even say anything back.

He opens the door to my room and he walks us in and he kicks it shut and he places me down on my feet. Both of us were soaking wet and his crystal blue eyes were wild and crazy with gold swirling through them.

“How long have you known that you were my mate, Lennox?”

“A while,” he replied. Before I could say anything else he was heading for the door.

“Wait,” I grab his arms and the sparks feel like electricity through my fingers that are barely holding on his arm.

“Don’t, Red.”

My lips part to say something when the muscle in his clenched jaw tics.

“But I don’t want you to go,” I tell Lennox and he grabs my hand, the one I was holding on his arm with and he pushes me backwards.

“My leaving isn’t up for debate. Just because you know that I’m your mate changes nothing between us Red, do you understand?” My back presses against the wall as Lennox towers over me. I’m five feet five inches tall but Lennox is six foot three inches tall and never really noticed just how tall he was until now as he hovers over my small frame.

My chest squeezes at his words how- how does us being mates not change anything? Because it changes EVERYTHING.

“It changes everything,” Truth, because it does change everything besides I’ve loved this man for as long as I can remember and this is just a sign for me that the moon-goddess does in fact answer prayers because I prayed for Lennox to be my mate and now he is.

His jaw tics again and I reach out to touch it and snatches my hand and he places both hands in his one and he traps them both above my head. “Listen to me Red, and listen carefully to what I’m going to say to you,” He pauses, bringing his free hand to face and he strokes my right cheek softly. My eyes fluttered close and my heart rate accelerated.

“Do not provoke me and do not take my warning lightly. Stay away from me and stop trying to flaunt yourself in dresses like this,” He tails off running his forefinger down my cheek and throat making sure he goes slow between my breast and down my abdomen and over my….

My breath hitched and I clamp my mouth shut to fight back the moan that was about to escape.

Holy f*****g hell.

“Will get you nowhere with me but a heat of trouble with many others. Take your bodyguard for instance,” He said, bringing his hand back and twirling a strand of my still damp red hair between his fingers. I’m jealous of that strand of hair right now.

“Don’t you care even a little that I died tonight?”

“I brought you back,” He said instantly.

“If you don’t want me as your mate then why save me? Why not just let me stay dead?” I asked, I’m glad he saved me but I need to know if he cares for me at all.

His jaw clenched and he tilted his head to the side.

“Jasper had just lost his wife I wasn’t about to let him loose his daughter too,”

Oh, it’s because of my dad.

He released my hands and he took a step back putting space between us.

“I saw my mom when I was dead, I saw her,”

His palms fisted and his clenched jaw tics, “If it wasn’t for the death of your mother I had planned to reject you but then she died and I couldn’t do it not while you were vulnerable and then that motherfucker attacked you it just seems best if I wait a while longer,” He said, the tears slid down my cheeks.

“But you only get one mate, there is no second chances,”

“I know,” He nods.

My stomach drops and another piece of my heart breaks. He’s serious; he would rather live without a mate than mated to me.

“Just reject me then. If that what you want do it,”

He shakes head, “Not now your weak,”

I use both my hands and hit his chest, “I don’t f*****g care just do it. You don’t want me I get don’t be a coward just f*****g do it,” I got his chest twice more.

“Enough,” He said, grabbing my hands again but this time I pulled away and backed up away from him.

“Red,” He said my name and I shook my head at him. “No Lennox, you broke me enough for one night,” I was crying full blown.

His jaw was clenched so tight that it looks like he would break a tooth he steps towards me when the door opens and my dad walks in.

He looks at Lennox and then at me and he raises his thick black eyebrow.

“What’s going on here?” He asked, and I glanced at Lennox as I answered my dad. “I told Lennox that I saw mom,” with those words my dad rushed to me and wrapped me into his arms.

“I thought I lost you forever tonight Princess,”

“You will never lose me daddy,” He might not lose me but once Lennox is done with me I’ll never be the same again. I’ll forever be forced to live mateless.

Skyler walks in at the moment and tears fill her eyes and she places herself in the middle of mine and my dads hug.

“I’ll help you get out of this dress and into a hot bath and then into a warm bed your lips are blue,” Sky says, walking into the bathroom to get the tub ready. My dad rubs my head down to my cheek then places a soft kiss on my forehead.

“I’ll come to check on you a while later,” He said, and walked back to the door. He looked over at Lennox who was still standing like a statue.

“Coming Lennox?”

Lennox nods, “I’ll be in the office in a minute. I’m going to say goodnight to Skyler,” My dad nods and leaves my room without uttering another word.

“Red,” Lennox said, stepping towards me.

“Please don’t,” I shake my head, “please Lennox, don’t make this harder for me as it already is,”

He turns and heads for the door and pauses. “This is what I didn’t want to do, hurt you,” he said.

“Then don’t hurt me,” I said letting my gaze meet his and for a second something flashed in his eyes but he still left, closing the door to my happiness behind him.