Chapter 4

                                  Aro

Goddess she was beautiful. I was stunned when she threw herself on me in the cells, but I knew she didn't really have a choice either. It had taken all of my willpower not to have her right then and there. My father may have been a cold-hearted, evil bastard, but I was thankful in that moment that his abuse had taught me how to reign in my urges and maintain control always. Fated or not, I don't think she would have ever forgiven me if I had succumbed to the primal need to have her.

She had surprised me during the skirmish. The seer had said a band of soldiers was coming to assassinate me, had given the location that would be easiest to subdue them, but he hadn't said anything about a woman. I had seen her glowing before I even landed and knew that if my men hadn't had the situation in hand, I would have been slain while I stared at her. I had reacted in a rage to my soldier who had bashed her in the back of the head. I knew he was doing his duty to protect me, hell, I hadn't even seen her face until her hood fell away as she collapsed, but the drive to protect her was there the moment I saw her light.

Fated mates were rare for our kind, most believed them to be legend, only existing in reality for the Lycan. My parents had been fated mates though, so I knew they existed, I just never believed I had one. I knew from the letters I found as child that my Father had been kind until my mother died in childbirth. They wrote about the light around one another and the sparks when they touched. What I had felt with Miriam surpassed everything they had described in those letters. I finally understood why my father had been such a monster my entire life, if the ache of losing my mother was anything like what I felt being in a different room from Miriam, it was a miracle he had even survived it.

I wanted more than anything to go back to the suite I had left her in and just be next to her. I had seen in her face that she was uncertain and alarmed by her body's response to me though, so rushing back to her side would only alarm her further. She had surprised me by allowing me to hold her hand on the way to the suite, that would have to be enough for now. Goddess help me, I need her to see I'm nothing like my father, so she won't reject me.

There was a light knock on my door followed by my advisor entering my suite.

"Aro, we have just received word back that the Queen of the Earth clan and the King of the Air clan have met the same fate as your Father. We haven't had word from the Spirit clan yet."

My shoulders slumped forward. I had been hoping that I was wrong, and the four main kingdoms weren't being pitted against each other. It was suspicious that we hadn't received word from the Spirit clan yet, though I couldn't come up with a reason for them to be behind this. They kept to themselves for centuries. To my knowledge, there was no record of anyone leaving their kingdom for any reason since the clans' split millennia ago, they definitely hadn't left their kingdom in my time. I shook my head, clearing the thought from my mind. No, they weren't involved even if someone were working to make it appear they were once their initial plot was discovered.

"I expect we will find them unresponsive and our messenger still at their border seeking entrance." I finally replied, "Send someone to fetch him back. I doubt Spirit clan is involved in this at all considering no one has ever been allowed to cross their border."

"Should I send word to the Water clan? At least let them know their Princess is safe?"

"I don't think they would believe it coming from one of ours Fredrick. Maybe see if any of her soldiers in the cells are feeling cooperative and are willing to carry a message. Let her parents know that she is here and safe and invite them for a summit with the other kingdoms leadership."

"I will send word first thing, Aro. Once I have the summit arranged and word sent to each kingdom, I will let you know."

"Thank you, Fredrick, get some rest. You've done great work today!"

"You as well, Sir. Try not to stay awake all night pining for her highness." Fredrick chuckled as he left the room.

Pining indeed. The need to be near her was an aching weight in my chest. I couldn't help but wonder if she was feeling it too.