4 - AJAX'S POV

She bit her bottom lip and took a shaky breath.

"C-Callista," she stuttered out with a broken and raspy voice.

"Callista," I repeated her name and let the syllables roll over my tongue.

It sounded perfect and right.

"You are shaking, Callista," I stated and reached my hand out to touch her pale cheek.

I wanted to comfort her and assure her she was safe with me.

She slapped my hand away before my fingers could even graze her skin.

The sharp sound of her hand hitting mine echoed loudly over the music.

The musicians stopped playing their instruments and the entire ballroom went dead silent.

Several nobles standing nearby gasped in absolute shock and covered their mouths.

No one ever dared to strike the Alpha King in public or in private.

My royal guards instantly drew their broadswords and stepped forward to arrest her.

"Stand down!" I roared at my men and held my hand up to stop them.

The guards sheathed their weapons but they glared at the girl in the red dress.

I stood frozen in place while my mind struggled to process her reaction.

The fear in her silver eyes vanished and shifted into something else.

Raw and burning hatred stared back at me.

She looked at me with a level of disgust that made my chest ache with real pain.

"Do not touch me," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"You are my mate," I demanded while my wolf snarled at her blatant rejection.

"I do not care who you are," she spat back at me and took another step away.

"I am the King of Argyros and you are my chosen Luna," I declared loudly so the entire room could hear.

She let out a bitter and broken laugh that echoed loudly between us.

"I would rather die than be your Luna," she whispered with venom dripping from her words.

My jaw clenched and my hands curled into tight fists at my sides.

"You will show me respect," I warned her and took another step into her personal space.

I wanted to establish my dominance and make her understand her place by my side.

I am the Alpha and she is bound to me by the will of the Moon Goddess.

She refused to back down or submit to my authority.

She stared straight into my eyes and did not flinch when I released my Alpha aura.

"Fuck... stay away from me," she stammered while hot tears welled up in her eyes.

She hiked up the heavy layers of her red dress and spun around on her heels.

She ran straight out the open terrace doors and into the freezing rain.

I stood there and stared at the empty space where she just stood.

My pride stung and my anger flared hot in my veins.

I am the absolute ruler of the seven kingdoms.

I command massive armies and dictate the laws of the land.

My own fated mate just cursed at me and ran away into the storm.

My wolf howled in protest and demanded I chase after her to claim what was ours.

I did not think about the nobles watching me or the rumors they would spread tomorrow.

I did not care if my mother reprimanded me for my poor manners later tonight.

I lunged forward and chased her out into the dark gardens.

The cold rain soaked my hair and dripped down my face immediately.

The storm raged around us and mirrored the chaos inside my mind.

Lightning flashed across the sky and illuminated the dark statues scattered across the lawn.

"Callista!" I shouted her name into the downpour.

I saw her running down the gravel path toward the tall hedge maze.

Her red dress dragged in the mud and slowed her down significantly.

She kept looking back over her shoulder with wide and terrified eyes.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her to escape me.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed back at me and pushed through a low hanging branch.

The sharp thorns of the rose bushes tore at her dress and scratched her bare arms.

She did not stop or even slow down to check her injuries.

I moved much faster than she did and closed the gap in three long strides.

"Stop running from me!" I roared over the loud crash of thunder.

She ignored my command and pushed harder to escape my grasp.

She slipped on the wet stones and almost fell to her knees.

She scrambled back up and let out a frustrated sob.

I reached out and grabbed her bare wrist with my large hand to halt her escape.

The exact second my skin made contact with hers a massive shockwave hit my body.

A violent and searing electrical spark of the mate bond ignited between us.

The shock traveled up my arm and settled deep inside my chest.

She gasped loudly and stumbled backward from the intense surge of energy.

I tightened my grip on her wrist and pulled her chest flush against mine.

She struggled against my hold and hit my armored shoulder with her free hand.

She kicked at my boots and tried to pry my fingers off her arm.

"Let me go!" she cried out and thrashed wildly in my arms.

I wrapped my other arm around her waist and locked her against my body.

Her heart hammered against my chest in a frantic and erratic rhythm.

She gasped for air and pressed her hands flat against my chest to push me away.

I looked down into her wet face and saw genuine agony in her expression.

"You belong to me now, so why the hell are you looking at me with so much fear?" I growled down at her.