Chapter Five

Chloe could feel her legs tremble as she staggered back. Her jaw had dropped and a thousand thoughts were flitting through her mind. Could it really be true? Or was he messing with her? 

      

    "Hey, are you okay?" This time his brows was raised with shock as he closed up the distance between them. Chloe felt her pulse rise as he held her arms. She felt the usual tingling feeling whenever he was close to her. 

        Had the moon goddess really given her plotless life a chance? Was she really going to be a mate to the Lycan prince? 

Why bother herself with all these brain question when the answer was right before her very eyes. Of course Aiden could give her answers to those questions that shot up her spin like a log. But was she ready to believe them? His deep blue eyes reached deep into her soul, to her wolf. 

          "Chloe," he breathed, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears. "I know you are quite shocked to hear me tell you about such sensitive thing and at this moment in time too. Trust me, I know it's a whole lot to handle and I'm pretty sure you're struggling to believe me. But it's true. The moment I saw you, I knew you were what my heart has been yearning for."

     Chloe couldn't stop herself from looking directly into his eyes and down to his full pale pink lips. His blue eyes were glimmering with desire and the way he was staring at her was unexplainable. There was something compelling about his gaze. That made her want to wrap her arms around him and take in his scent all day. 

      "What about the seer?" Her lips trembled and her stomach rumbled once she brought herself to reality.

            "Why are you asking about the seer?"

"Did she find out about me too? Does she know I am not mated to Liam and does she know that I am your mate?"

"You ask too many questions, Chloe" Aiden pulled back and slipped his hands into his pockets. Chloe shook her head and licked her lips nervously. He didn't understand the implications of his confession. 

     "Of course the seer should be the first to know about this right? I mean she is a seer like you just mentioned. She sees beyond the eyes that we do. But I also told her about you and my confirmation that you were unmarked."

          The words shattered Chloe's heart. The seer knew which meant that she would be kicked out of the pack. "How could you tell her that? Do you know what you have done?" She cried, taking steps back. 

      Aiden moved closer to her with concern etched across his face. He had expected her to be happy about being his mate but she wasn't. "What is it, little one? Why are you sad and scared?"

  

    "What is the seer going to do? Would she confront my Alpha?." She retorted immediately. "Tell me that she is not going to bring it up." 

Aiden narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. From the way her feet was tapping nervously against the ground and the trembling of her lips, he realized that she was only scared. 

      "The only reason you ask too many questions is because you are scared.  You are scared about everything that might possibly happen to you if I publicly announce that you are not marked by Liam or that you're my mate." He said and watched as her eyes widened. "Did they threaten you? Tell me and I will deal with every one of them."

        "But my fears are confirmed, aren't they? I owe my pledge to my pack. They needed me to be here with Liam on a special day like this even if we aren't yet marked, and I proved my loyalty. If the seer reveals our secret, I will be kicked out of the pack."

       "Exactly my point my dear Queen," the word Queen had not settled in her head before he pulled her hand into his. "If you don't want them to be punished for treating you cruelly, then come with me. When they kick you out of the pack, come and live with me in mine. Let me treat you like you deserve. Let me show you the world beyond embarrassment and fear."

Chloe hesitated for a moment. She had dreamed of a day that she would hear these words from her mate. The day that she would be treated like she deserved and it had finally come. But was she ready to give up on her pack? 

"I—I really want to—Liam is—" Aiden put his finger on her lips and smiled. 

       "I know you are supposed to be Liam's mate, but who wouldn't mark their mate immediately they find them? Why would anyone wait further before marking their mate, and when you talk about being loyal to your pack, do you mean being forced to do something? These people made you come here and pretend to be his Luna right? He rejected you, didn't he?"

     "There's no discussion here my prince. That information you seek is confidential for my pack and the Alpha's family. You can't expect me to give up everything when I just met you today."

     "Then I would wait and make you accept me. I am not a coward to let my mate go after a struggle to find her. I won't let you go."

     His voice was low and sensual. But also, they were full of warmth and trust. He didn't speak harshly to her like Liam but only sought to make her feel better. Indeed the goddess had spared her a chance but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. 

    Aiden continued. "I am not going to force you to come with me or accept me. He is your mate and I know the wolf bond between you two is stronger. But I will wait till you make that decision. I will wait till you can feel the same way I feel about you. I will wait till you look at me and your eyes are filled with desire for me. And then I will claim you and make you mine forever."

          Chloe stood listening to him like a zombie. In all her life, no one had ever made her feel like she was worth waiting for. But he did. In just one night, he was able to make her know that he desired her greatly. But why was everything happening at a time she was unprepared? 

Aiden couldn't stop coming close to her and at every chance he got, he would slide a finger into her palms while talking. She felt so relaxed and happy around him and it felt quite odd.

On the other side, she was gone for too long and she was starting to get worried that someone in the palace might come looking for her. And she was right. 

  "Come over here!" Emily yelled to the maid that was an inch away from her.  "Have you found her yet? Where on earth would she disappear to?"

 "Your highness, she excused herself quite long ago. She wanted to go use the rest room but she is not there. No one knows where she is."

  "She better not be busy somewhere trying to push what is not hers and would never be." Emily shook her head angrily. 

 Standing up from her comfy arm chair where she had initially clutched behind the prince and grinning, she whispered a few words that only made meaning to the prince and herself as the prince nodded and waved her off.

The maid followed her quickly as she exited the hall to find Chloe. 

"Hold up my purse and lead me to the rest room." She ordered the maid who quickly obeyed her instructions. 

When they got to the rest room and didn't find Chloe there, Emily was furious. "Where is she?" 

After questioning some maids who disclosed they saw Chloe close to the garden, Emily headed off there. 

 "Stop shuffling your feet or stop walking at all." She whispered to the maid while pulling her head down.

"I am sorr—"

"Shut up!" Emily ordered quietly, her eyes gleaming with fury. She balled her hands into a fist and her jaw set as her eyes were fixed on a direction in the garden. 

"Is there a problem your highness? You look very worried about something? Have you seen her?"

"Look over there," she pointed to where Chloe stood with Aiden in the garden. "isn't that Chloe? What is she doing standing over there and in that manner with the prince? I knew it, a cheap little thing she is."

         Emily was beginning to boil up so badly that her face turned red. She grabbed the maid and moved closer to where Chloe stood as if she could be able to hear what they were talking about.

       "I don't think we would be able to hear them without getting caught, come on let's go." Emily grabbed the edges of her large ball gown that fell heavily to her legs.

          "Liam." She screamed under her breathe as she forced her steps back to the palace.