Chapter 18 - Have you chosen?

EMMA

*I can’t believe how stupid I am.* My knuckles hurt from knocking on the door for the past hour. Nobody has responded to my pleas. I scold myself for trusting a werewolf for even a second. I should have trusted my gut feeling. There is nothing like a trustworthy werewolf. They're all filthy mutants!

I stop calling out for help and sink to the floor. My heeled sandals slide over the black tiles. The layers of tulle fall in heaps on the floor, like I’m lying in a navy blue cloud. I let my head fall against the tiled wall. Nobody is going to save me, even my brother left me behind. I wrap my arms around my knees. Is this where I’ll die? In the capital of my enemy. On the bathroom floor of the werewolf who betrayed me? I should’ve known. I knock my head against the cold, hard tiles behind my head. *I. Should. Have. Fricking. Known.*

Someone beats down on the door and I perk up. Loud footsteps sound through the hall and fade away. *No, don’t go!*

I scramble from the floor. My heel slips over the tiles and I pull myself up on the marble countertop. I knock loudly on the door. “Help, I’m here. Help. The door is locked.” I shout.

For a second there’s only silence and I feel the hope in my chest slowly diminish, but then the footsteps come closer again. I sigh a breath of relief.

“Stand back.” The deep voice of Prince Hadrian echoes through the door and I freeze.

*The prince is the one who’s here to save me?* I groan and do as he says. *Is this what rock bottom looks like?*

I walk all the way back to the opposite wall and wait. The crash of splintering wood booms through the bathroom as the door opens, and it smashes against the wall. My eyes widen at the display before me. That door didn’t even stand a chance. The hinges are bent, like they’re not even made of metal and there are cracks in the wooden surface. My eyes move from the door to the prince. There’s not even a drop of sweat on his forehead.

He’s dressed in a black tux, complete with a bow tie and smooth back hair. His amber eyes pierce into mine. Even though he just ripped a door from its frame, I find his appearance less scary every time I see him. The fear has been replaced with annoyance and hatred.

Annoyance mostly because I feel like I should thank him. “What are you doing here?” I mutter.

He narrows his eyes at me and takes a step closer. “You weren’t at the ceremony. I came to find you. You’re welcome.”

*The ceremony has already ended? I’m too late.* I feel my legs weaken at this piece of information. Have I failed at the one thing I was supposed to do, show up?

“Have you chosen?” I whisper.

He takes another step closer. “Yes.”

I swallow as I think about the implications for my town and the island. I failed. I could’ve saved them, but now I’ve condemned us all. My stomach turns and I think I’m going to be sick.

Prince Hadrian takes the last steps towards me. Ceder, sandalwood and bergamot envelops me and he places his hands on either side of my head. He leans down and his face is now only inches apart from mine. He is so close but doesn’t touch me. “Have you changed your mind? Have you been hiding out here, so I would choose someone else?”

I send him a glare and I refuse to back away from him. “No, I wasn’t hiding, it was a set-up.”

He examines every inch of my face with his piercing eyes. “Convenient. You should’ve run away, if you didn’t want to be my mate.” He bites back.

I scrunch my nose as I tell him the truth. “I don’t want to be your mate, but I wasn’t running away.”

I don’t back down and stare him dead in the eye. Prince Hadrian moves one hand away from the wall and runs his finger over the juncture between my neck and shoulder. “So, you’re still going through with this then? You’re still going to let me mark you?”

A shiver runs over my skin, starting at the place where he touches me. “You mean, you haven’t already?”

He shakes his head and moves closer to me. “I’m about to.”

His lips graze my skin. “Last chance to back out. Once I mark you, there’s no going back and I won’t be able to stop.” He warns.

I start to tremble and his arm wraps around my waist to hold me up. I place my hands on his solid shoulders. “I’m not backing out,” I say with a shudder in my voice. I grit my teeth as I wait for his teeth to sink into my skin.

I can feel his chest expand under my hands. He inhales deeply and a low growl vibrates through his body. I expect it to hurt, I expect to suffer, but when his teeth pierce my skin, I nearly wail. I feel my muscles tear, when his canines sink deep into my shoulder. The only thing keeping me from crying out is my own determination to not show any weakness.

My nails dig hard in his shoulders. I want him to hurt too, but it only seems to spur him on. He tightens his arm around me and pulls me flush against him. I gasp when I feel his erection press onto my stomach and his tongue runs over the wound in my neck.

*“Mine.”* He whispers in my ear. His voice is husky and ridden with lust. His hand reaches for the skirts of my dress and he starts to hike them up.

I realize what he’s going to do. “Wait,” I say as I try to pull away his hand.

His hand runs over my bare thigh and he growls. He takes my wrists in one hand and holds them over my head. He pulls his head back to look at me and his eyes swirl between amber and black. “What did I tell you, little mate?” His voice seems to echo in the bathroom like two people are talking at the same time.

I’m scared, but I force myself to speak. “We cannot do this here. Someone might walk in.”

This seems to trigger him and he growls. Next thing I know, I’m lifted in the air and hanging over his shoulder. He takes large steps out of the bathroom, through the halls and to the central stairway. People are meandering the halls now. The eyes of the palace guests flash in surprise as the prince walks past them with me over his shoulder. The wound in my neck throbs painfully. The guests around must see it too, because I can see realization dawn on them.

The prince has chosen. And his choice is human.

I spot Gaia on the bottom of the stairs and her face is laced with unadulterated fury. Even though I don’t want to be here, even though my hatred for the werewolves only increases every minute that I’m here, I feel smug. Because her plan failed. She lost from a mere human and that feels good. I stare back at her before we disappear around a corner. Her eyes are black and her canines are sharp. They are threatening with the promise of misery.