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Chapter 6 - This can't happen!

Arora

We made our way out of the forest and back to the castle. When I was finally back in my room, I looked at myself in the mirror. I was covered in blood and dirt and had a few scratches and bruises. My father wouldn’t even have recognized me out there! My hair was tied back into a braid. My wounds will heal soon enough. Unfortunately, nothing would fix my clothes.

By the time my father returned from the fight, I had been cleaned up and dressed up again. He didn’t have any idea that I was out there fighting. I rushed downstairs to where the nurses were taking care of the wounded and arrived just in time for my father to see me tending to someone. He was shouting orders at Luke as he gave me a sidewards glance and walked right past me.

I breathed in Luke’s scent as it drifted over and my heart skipped a beat. How the hell was I supposed to meet future possible mates in the morning?! My heart already belonged to someone else! I shook my head and forced myself to focus on the task in front of me. I was there now, so I might as well help the ladies to take care of the wounded.

One or two warriors gave me an acknowledging nod. Nobody dared to talk about the fact that I had been fighting with them. If only I could find out why we were being attacked! If only I could stop the war! I knew it was coming. If I could stop it, I could prove to my father that I could rule our kingdom.

I was hoping if I became the best warrior we had, it would prove that to him. It was clear that wasn’t going to work. My father would be furious if he found out I was fighting like a commoner!

My mind drifted to Luke. A relationship built on physical attraction alone can’t work. Eventually, he would get tired and then what would I do? If we never really talked about things … If we never really got to know the other person. What our likes and dislikes were …

That was what the mate bond was, after all. It was just a physical attraction that werewolves believed was some kind of destined bond. We believed it was given to us by the moon goddess! I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was angry at Luke for the way he talked to me and now I was taking it out on my beliefs.

My father had yet another damn ball planned when we were supposed to be out looking for whoever it was that wanted to kill us. I did as I was told and got dressed. A short while later, I was inside the ball room feeling as if I could scream! I was one of our best warriors! The guards who fought with me knew it. They helped me to hide the fact that I was going out. I believed in fighting with my men! I wasn’t planning on becoming as weak as my mother was! We were on the verge of a full-scale war. I wasn’t just going to sit back and pop out heirs!

Luke

SHE WAS THE MOST AMAZING thing I had ever seen! I saw her long before she realized I was there. The way she moved. The way she fought. It was pure poetry. If she was born a male, she would be the perfect king. Hell, she was going to be the perfect ruler, no matter what her gender. If only her father could see it.

She disappeared and my heart broke instantly, but I forced my feelings down. We fought the last of the intruders. We didn’t kill all of them. Ramon wanted me to interrogate some of them. I stayed for a while making sure his orders were followed. When we walked inside, she was sitting beside a warrior tending to his wounds. I had to fight the urge to drag her away from all the single males.

If her father found out I was her destined mate, it would ruin both our lives. He would have me killed! To make sure she didn’t do anything about it, he would have me killed in front of her. Her father was a good king, but he was cruel. He blamed her for her mother’s death. I tried my best to make up for it by being a friend to her. A decision I was now beginning to regret.

Thankfully, Ramon’s orders and our prisoners were going to keep me busy for a while. It meant I wouldn’t have to see her or think about her. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I nearly beat a prisoner to death just to get her out of my mind! I had to get out of there. I had to breathe fresh air!

I walked across the clearing at the back of the castle. I caught her scent in the air instantly. Dammit! She was out here somewhere! I followed her scent right back to where the ground was still stained with blood. Thankfully, that smell dulled my senses a little. Just enough for me to keep the urges under control.

I wanted to take her in my arms and mark her the moment she turned around and glared at me. I wanted to rip her clothes from her body and make her mine! I immediately shook the thoughts from my mind and walked to where she was giving orders.

“What are you doing here?!” I growled, gripping her arm, but she ripped it out of my grip and glared at me. “If your father sees you …”

“But he won’t! We both know he is hiding in his office like the damn coward he is!” She growled back. Her eyes started to dart around. She took a deep breath. I caught a glimpse of her breasts as they moved. Damn, she was beautiful! She was the spitting image of her mother. It was no wonder her father acted the way he did. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

“Arora, you have to be more careful.” I knew I didn’t have to say more. We both knew what he would do to her.

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