CHAPTER ONE OH TWO

"Do you have the blood?"

Rory lifted his head, pulling two small vials from his back pocket filled with red crimson.

"This is Bastion's and this is mine." He stated plainly, handing them over. I couldn't help but gasp. Why did he have Bastion's blood? How did he even get it? He looked down at me apologetically before meeting the mage again. "What exactly will you be doing here? This isn't going to change her, right?"

"No, sir. We will simply be stripping her mate from her memory. Think of it as hypnotizing, just on a larger degree. She will remember your time together, it will just be altered to exclude the wolf. But you must be careful. Triggers could cause a relapse in the suppression, so she mustn't be around her mate."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

No! They were going to make me forget about Bastion! I didn't want to forget. I couldn't let them do this.

"Rory, I'll marry you!" I shouted, tugging at the restraints helplessly. His eyes went wide and he faced me again.

"What?"

"I swear, I'll pick you! Just don't make me forget him. Please." His eyes were showing the battle in his head, a silent war that would determine how I would live my life from this day on.

After a few moments he sighed, stepping forward so he could brush his lips against mine. I accepted his kiss graciously, in hopes that it would convince him that I could be loyal to him.

But to my dismay, he leaned back with cold eyes, turning on his heels and disappearing into the darkness of the room, leaving me and my promise behind.

.

.

.

A gentle hand splayed across my stomach, a subtle hint of heat flowing through me at the skin-to-skin. It was the familiar and welcoming feeling of my royal, and the absolute perfect way to wake up in the mornings.

My eyes fluttered open, and I turned my head to my love.

His messy blonde waves were pressed against his pillow, his lips formed into a peaceful line as he slept. He was so flawless, so absolutely perfect.

I picked up my heavy hand, turning to my side so I could bring it to his face. I traced the soft contours of his jaw, watching in adoration as he stirred, his lashes fluttering against his ivory cheek. After a few seconds, he opened them, squinting as the light hit his sensitive orbs.

Once they landed on me, they grew wide.

"Aria?" He lifted himself to sit, the duvet sliding off of his perfectly toned torso onto his lap. "Are you feeling okay?" He raised his hand, tussling his dirty blonde locks and turning towards me with what looked like worry darkening his angelic features.

I cocked my head. Why wouldn't I be feeling okay? I was with my royal, the love of my life. He took me back, even after I cheated on him with Lysander. He forgave me. How could I be anything but thankful to him?

"Of course," I answered, climbing onto his lap, my satin top falling back into place, but my shorts riding up. He watched me closely, supporting me by the small of my back as I straddled him. "Are you okay? You seem a little... off."

He shook his head, smiling kindly at me.

"I just had a bad dream. I love you." His smooth and entrancing voice melted me. Why did I ever cheat on him? I honestly couldn't even remember. All I knew was that I did, he left, and then he came back for me and our kids, saying he forgave me for everything. The details were a bit fuzzy, but it hurt my head to think about, so I didn't.

The most important thing was that he was here now. With me. As it should be.

"I love you, Rory Bennet." I ran my hands into his waves, pulling him in for a kiss. He was tense at first, as if he expected me to pull away, but after a few seconds of my lips working gently against his, he relaxed. He tasted so incredible, his tongue gliding effortlessly along mine.

With a hum, he broke it.

"Why don't I start us a bath?" He offered, pressing his lips against my neck, trailing them down to my shoulder. I let out a soft moan, clutching onto his head for dear life. The sensation was a lifeline, one that I had missed daily while he was away.

"What about the twins?" I asked, breathlessly. His groan vibrated against me.

"They're with the nanny, love. We have today for ourselves." Oh, right.

"Okay, then. Hurry, please. I want to get you naked as soon as possible," I purred, tugging on his strands. He chuckled in response, lifting me off of him with ease so he could head into the bathroom. He took his time, which I was thankful for. The way his pajama bottoms hung from his thin hips as he sauntered nearly had me panting.

Once he had disappeared through one of the doors, I took the time to glance around the unfamiliar room. It was gorgeous, in an ancient-beauty sort of way. Nothing looked new, but rather preserved through generations. I felt as if I was in a castle. Hell, for all I knew, I was.

I heard the sound of rushing water and him rummaging through a cabinet, figuring I should get up and head that way.

But before I could get too far, a soft knock on one of the doors stopped me. I glanced back and forth from the bathroom to the origin of the noise, wondering if I should get Rory. I didn't want to bother him, though, since he sounded busy, so I padded over to answer it.

On the other side was a young woman, blonde with green eyes and a provocative red dress hugging each one of her curves tightly. She ran her eyes up and down my pajama-clad body, not bothering to hide her disgust.

"Can I help you?" I squeaked, feeling suddenly insecure under her scrutiny. She shifted from one foot to the other, impatiently.

"I'm here for Rory. Is he–"

At that moment, Rory appeared behind me, pulling me away from the door and behind him.

"What is it, Emily?" She straightened her shoulders, sticking out her chest at the sight of him.

"It's Tuesday, sir. I came to offer you a drink." She licked her ruby lips, her eyes glued to his bare torso. Rory shifted slightly to block my view of her, leaning in to whisper.

"I won't be needing that today. I am with my bride, so I don't want you coming back here."

"B-bride, sir? I didn't know–"

"You are dismissed, Emily." He said abruptly, shutting the door in the woman's face. He paused, probably listening to the pounding of my heart against my ribs.

Drink? He was drinking from that girl? Ha. Based on how shameless she was acting, I was sure they were doing more than drinking. And here I was thinking about how lucky I was to have his forgiveness. I felt like such an idiot.

I was shaking at this point, crossing my arms to try to contain my anger.

"Unbelievable." I snapped, turning to head to the bathroom. He caught me by the waist, pulling me in against his chest.

"Love–"

"No! I don't want to hear it!"

"Aria, I didn't sleep with her. She was only used for blood." I scoffed, trying to pull away, but his grip was too strong, locking me against him.

"Yea, she looked like a meal, alright." He sighed, turning me to face him, but I looked down, unwilling to meet his addicting gaze. I knew that if I saw his face, he would have me convinced of damn near anything.

"Aria, look at me." He urged, but I shook my head, acting like a petulant child.

"Why should I? She didn't even know about me! She didn't even know you had a bride!" He sucked in a quick breath and I clamped my mouth shut, furrowing my brows. Did I just call myself his bride? Was I his bride?

Of course I was. He asked me ages ago to marry him. I said yes, right?

So why did it feel so weird on my lips?

"Love, I swear to you, I never touched her. She tried to convince me to, but I never did. I would never do that to you." My eyes met his hesitantly, finally giving into my temptations.

He was begging me to believe him, and I did. Rory was far too loving, far too kind and loyal to ever have an affair. I knew that.

"Okay." I conceded, and he sighed in relief, pulling me into his embrace, burying his nose in my hair.

"I love you. And I can't wait to marry you, Aria." An affectionate smile touched my lips.

"I love you, too." I stated adoringly, pulling back from his grasp. He furrowed his brow, confused at my retreat, but I cupped his face in my hands. "Let's get married as soon as possible, okay?"

He blinked rapidly, his grip tightening where they rested on my hips.

"Really? You want to?"

"Yes. I want to be Aria Bennet. I want my last name to match our babies'." James Bennet. Lilly... Bennet? Why did that sound strange?

Lilly Bennet. Lilly Bennet.

"Lilly Bennet." I mused aloud, hoping it would sound more natural that way. Rory flinched, gripping my hand and pulling me towards the tub at a quickened pace.

"Come, love. Your bath awaits."