Ezra's Second Chance

Time is Running Out

Ezra paced the library of the palace. He'd come here for solace. To get his head on straight. Somehow, he still felt a pull to Bridgit, but even the slightest pull toward her reminded him of Aria and he felt sick. The bond was broken, why was he still feeling any sort of pull toward her? He shook his head. The night before he'd walked with her to try to get her to open up to him. She was so small and delicate looking, her voice so sweet and light. Her eyes just drew him in, the same way they did when they were mates. He pulled his hair as if to try to pull her out of his head. He had to keep his cool about this.

Suddenly the libaray door slammed open. Ezra whipped around and saw Aria dashing into the room. She closed the door behind her. She was clutching a paper in her hands. Her hair was hanging loose, something she rarely did in public as a royal. She turned away from the door and startled when she saw Ezra, she let out a little shriek.

"I'm sorry to have scared you," he apologized. She looked frantic, he knew this wasn't because of him. "Are you okay?"

She looked at him with a tear-stained face and held out the paper she clutched in her hand. He took it smoothed it out. "Aria, my mate. I am coming for what is mine. I know where you are, be ready." When Ezra looked at her again, Aria was trembling.

"I thought I was safe here," she said. "I never dreamed he'd come back for me. He left without warning and has been hurting me ever since. Why would he come back?"

"Aria, don't worry about this. If he comes for you, I'll be here. I'll be here to stand between you and danger. Keep your guard near and if you have any inkling of danger you call me immediately. I will come running, do you understand?"

She swallowed hard and tried to compose herself. "I understand. Oh Ezra, I'm so afraid." Her voice broke.

Ezra took her into his arms and held her. He wished he'd feel the mate bond between them... but he didn't. With his bond severed he'd feel it if she were his. He resigned himself to the knowledge that she would never be his.

When Aria had calmed herself enough to leave the room she smiled up at Ezra. "Whoever your mate is will be a very lucky woman." With that she left. She moved so gracefully it looked and sounded as if she floated from room to room.

Ezra sighed. He had been played a bad hand when it came to mates, just as Aria had. Speaking of bad mates, Ezra went to Bridgit's house. She wasn't home so he slipped in. He again, went to her desk and rifled through it. The maps were more detailed this time. They had to be planning an attack on the palace. They wouldn't need these for anything else. He also found a letter saying her package was ready for action and on it's way. She hadn't received any mail. No one had even attempted to get anything to her. That didn't mean there wasn't a smuggler or a system they were going to use for such purposes. Ezra made note of the maps and left. He went straight to the Royal Guard command center and requested someone be assigned to watch Bridgit's house at all times. They needed a log of who was going in and out. Her goings and comings etc. His request was immediately granted.

Day one of his three days to crack the case was over. He didn't feel much closer to his goal.