PhillipaI couldn’t remember much about the trip back home. I remember flashes of waking up and having people around me and finally being loaded onto the boat, but I don’t remember much. I remember my mother’s panicked voice when I arrived home and, after that, everything just went dark.I woke up in my room in the middle of the night and my entire family were sprawled out around me. My mother was sleeping on the chair beside my bed with her head resting on her arms while my father and brother were on chairs in the corner of my room. It was the first time in I had no idea how long that I felt wide awake. As I tried to get out of bed, my mother stirred.“Oh, thank the goddess! Oliver! Eli! She’s awake!” My mother gasped and I sighed.“Hi mom. Hi guys. What happened?” I frowned, and my mother quickly explained everything. I sat listening as my shame grew. I have been the cause of a lot of people being woken in the middle of the night.“She said you drank some tonic!” My mother exclaimed
Phillipa“Let him go!” I shouted, feeling confused. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on here. I was the only one who said it and he looked just as confused as I felt. I could tell from his scent that he was a wolf of some kind, but I also quickly figured out that he wasn’t a Lycan. His scent was different. Almost like … My eyes grew wide at the realization of what he was!He smelled a lot like my mother! He was a werewolf! My mind ran a mile a minute. All I could think of was my father and his hatred for all the werewolves that weren’t my mother. How on earth was I going to tell him he missed one and that one was my mate?!!! I waited for the wolf to say something, anything that would indicate he recognized me as his mate, but there was nothing. I wanted to know more about him. Did he have a pack? Did they have territory here? Was he a rogue?“Bring him.” I ordered my guards. Thankfully, we were planning on staying here for a couple of days before I was moving on to the next town
PhillipaI couldn’t tell my parents not to come! I also couldn’t allow them to come and meet my mate!“Mom, he didn’t recognize me as his mate. There is no need to come. The stories have been greatly exaggerated as usual!” I don’t miss the slight sound of panic in my voice and neither does my mother!“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t think I heard that right. If he is your destined mate, he would have realized it instantly.” She hesitated and I rolled my eyes. “It’s because of those witches! I’m sure of it!” My mother and I had a huge blow out with the witches, and it just got worse when she found out about the love spell. My omega told the doctor about it in the hopes that it would help with whatever was wrong with me! The only way my father could get us to make peace right before I left was to agree to disagree and never to speak about it again.“Mother!” I sighed deeply.“What? I didn’t say anything. I just think that whatever they had you do has now come back to bite you.” My m
Phillipa“Andre, I know why you don’t want to say anything. I understand, but someone has told my parents and now my mother is on her way to meet you.” I got it out before I lost my nerve! His eyes showed a quick sign of recognition, but it disappeared again so fast that I wasn’t sure.“Listen, I don’t know how things work in the royal household, but here people have free will.” He got up and started shaking his head, sounding a little offended. I frowned. I wasn’t trying to offend him! Why was this so damn hard?!!AndreI hated seeing the confusion and pain in her eyes. I hated more that I was the one causing it, but I pushed those feelings deep down. I had a plan and I had to stick to it if I was going to save my pack. I was ready for her parents to show up. I knew she wouldn’t allow them to hurt me. Our bond would force her to protect me even if I didn’t feel it.The problem came in that I did feel it! It was incredibly strong. I was fighting every nerve ending in my body. I couldn
Andre“She what?!!” The news that the princess left in the early hours of the morning spread like wildfire through the town. Why would she just pack up and leave? I sighed deeply, wondering if I had pushed her too far. “How long ago did they leave?” I felt like an idiot! I didn’t expect her to just give up! I grabbed a shirt and put it on, rushing out of the door before my beta could answer.According to what he was telling me through our pack link, the princess and her entourage left before sunrise. I had missed them by a couple of hours and now all I could do was pray that I could somehow convince her to come back! Realizing I was so far behind that there was no way I would make it in my human form, I had no other choice but to shift! I had to catch up with her!PhillipaMy mother didn’t look happy when she heard we were moving on. She knew better than to ask in front of the staff, and she waited until we were alone in the car on the drive to my next destination. I paid the owner of
Phillipa“Fine,” He turned his back on me and walked away just far enough that we could talk and nobody would hear it, but still too close for comfort! “Why did you leave?”“What do you care? We aren’t mates, remember?” I raised a brow. Why did he care? If we weren’t mates like he said, surely it wouldn’t have mattered whether I stayed or left!“I overheard some of the town's people talking. They like having you around. I was just wondering why you cut your visit short so suddenly.” He crossed his arms and shrugged.“I ask again, why do you care?” In the blink of an eye, it became a challenge. I wanted to know why he came running after me and he wanted to know why I left. Neither of us is willing to tell the truth or to budge on answering the questions. He sighed.“Look, I don’t want to be the reason people are disappointed. Please, come back and stay. I will stay out of your way. You won’t have to see me at all, but don’t disappoint the town because of me.” I studied him for a moment
AndreI was relieved that she agreed to return. I knew it couldn’t have been easy for her to leave. On the other hand, she could be playing me. I couldn’t help but think back to what life and my father taught me. I thought back to that first moment I found out that the princess was my destined mate. My first thought was that at least she wouldn’t want to be with me just because of my power as an alpha.I didn’t want to allow the hope to fester, only for it to be smashed to pieces. I was scared, and I wasn’t ready to admit it out loud. I didn’t want to hope for love or the fairy tale. I just wanted my people to be safe. I didn’t care if it meant I had to live a certain way for the rest of my life. As long as my people were safe, I could fake it if I had to.PhillipaI was excited about showing my mother around town, but I could hear the whispers. My sudden departure and return fuelled them, of course, but I pretended that I didn’t hear. I showed her the beautiful chapel, which was my f
PhillipaTiredness seeped into my very bones the next morning as I got ready for the day. With my mother here, I had no idea what our day was going to look like. I loved my mother dearly, but she was throwing a spanner at my works!“What is wrong with walking away from something when you feel it isn’t going to work for you?” I mumbled to myself while putting on the last touches of my make-up.“If it’s just something, then nothing.” I didn’t even realize my mother had been leaning against my door frame. She pushed away and walked over to where I was sitting. “It’s when you try to run from your destiny that things go a little haywire, sweetheart. You can’t run from your destiny. It will find you anywhere you go. Ask me!” she shrugged, and laughed. “Your father crossed the ocean to find me.” She sighed and smiled. I rolled my eyes. I had heard that part of the story a million times while growing up.“I wasn’t running from my destiny, mother.” I lied, and we both knew it. “Anyway, what do