Chapter 47 - Cinderella

Adalyn nearly screamed in surprise.

"Woah, it's me! It's Kai!"

Adalyn sighed a breath of relief realising that it was him. Kai was equally surprised at her reaction. He was trying to work out whether it was him or Matias that had her so on edge.

“Are you okay?” He went to embrace her and Adalyn backed out of his reach.

“Don’t!” she warned him. She was still angry with him and knew that his touch would cloud her judgement.

Kai looked pained at her response. Not being able to touch her felt like torture to him. Being frustrated the whole evening, both he and Pax were seeking comfort that her touch would provide.

“Please don’t push me away. I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you. I should have been up front and told you the truth. I’m sorry.”

Adalyn shook her head “I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m starting to wonder if what Matias said was true or not.”

Kai’s brows furrowed in concern. “What? What did he say to you?”

“He was just being very suggestive?”

“Suggestive?” Matias always had a way of manipulating things. If he was putting ideas in to her head it could only be bad news.

“He was saying something about you adding me to your ‘collection’?

Adalyn tried not to look at Kai. She knew that Matias had meant that Kai had a small harem of woman that perhaps catered to his physical needs.

This practice was not uncommon for some members of nobility, where chosen mates based on politics and mutual gain were more common place. Some males would then take on concubines to fully meet their needs but were required to only have pups with their mate.

Fated mates however were a different matter. Fated mates would often be too obsessed with each other to even consider anybody else and the act of sleeping with somebody else would hurt their mate through their mate bond. Fated mate relationships in royalty or nobility were very rare though as they posed no advantages for their match up and they didn’t have the luxury in just waiting around in hope that their fated mate would suddenly turn up.

“Collection?” Kai repeated, still unsure of what she was getting at.

“You know, other women that you might be with sleeping with.” Adalyn turned her head as she said it. She couldn’t even look at him, just in case it was true.

Finally realising what she had meant Kai sighed deeply. She was constantly doubting his intentions no matter how many times he tried to reaffirm them. He grabbed her by the shoulder then forced her face up to look at him.

"Look at me” Kai demanded.

Adalyn continued to look at the ground.

“Look at me Adalyn" Kai said more forcefully.

Adalyn slowly lifted her eyes up to his face.

“There is nobody else and there never will be. I haven't even looked at another woman since I found you. The only one I want is you.”

Adalyn nodded her head in agreement but she couldn't help but struggle to fully believe him. The niggling feelings of self-doubt felt like a thorn in her side. She'd seen the looks that the unmated women at the ball had given him. Meanwhile, her sexual experience was next to nothing so she questioned if she alone would be enough for him. Kai could instantly see the doubt in her eyes.

"No no no, don't do that. Don't nod your head like you believe me when you don't. Why do you doubt yourself? You commanded the attention of everyone in that room tonight, yet with me you’re full of apprehension and self-doubt." Why didn't she have more confidence in herself he questioned.

"Listen to me, there will NEVER be anybody else. Please. I need you to look at me and truly believe me. Do you?"

As it starts to sink in, Adalyn nods again. "I do."

“Good” Kai exhaled deeply feeling satisfied with the look in her eyes.

The breeze was picking up a bit and Adalyn shivered slightly as it ran over her exposed skin.

Kai took off his suit jacket and wrapped it over the back of her shoulders. The warmth and the smell of it was soothing and Adalyn closed her eyes and smiled in appreciation. It felt like he could read her mind sometimes.

Kai reached out a hand to her face and smoothed a few stray hairs behind her ear. She opened her eyes and looked up at him as he did so. His blue eyes looked at her so adoringly. It made whatever tension she had left in her melt away. Kai tilted her chin up slightly. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He lowered his lips and lightly brushed them against hers to gauge her reaction. He wasn’t sure if she was still angry with him or not but he was keen to test the waters. Seeing that she was appearing to be receptive he deepened the kiss a little and Adalyn closed her eyes as he gently claimed her mouth. After a moment or two he pulled away feeling a bit more satisfied. Adalyn’s eyes remained closed. She was still basking in that sensual kiss and Kai laughed to himself at her expression.

“Are we good now?” he asked tentatively.

Adalyn huffed to herself. “I suppose…” She didn’t make eye contact with him but she couldn’t help but smile out of the corner of her mouth. If he kissed her like that after every argument, she wasn’t going to be able to win many of them.

Just at that moment, some other guests from the ballroom started to enter the courtyard, seeking fresh air for themselves too.

“Come with me...” Kai didn’t want any further interruptions or distractions. He pulled Adalyn off to the side and led her into one of the small rooms just off the courtyard. The room was dark and Kai flicked on a switch which brought the room to life. It was small library filled with old books from wall to ceiling. As she took a look around Kai shut the door behind them. He watched her as she walked around, taking in the unique ambience of the room. She trailed her fingers along the edges of the books as she quickly scanned through them to see if there were any that she could recognise.

“There are some seriously old books here, what is this place?” she asked quizzically.

“It’s my library. I ran out of space to keep them in my office so I had to move them somewhere else." Kai leant against a cabinet in the corner of the room and smiled as he watched her. Seeing her in the palace, in his space felt amazing. From the moment he saw her he had envisioned being able to interact with her like this, and now here she was in his library looking through his books. “Do you like to read?”

“I love to read, literature is going to be one of my majors at university…” Adalyn stopped suddenly and gasped when she spotted one of the books on the shelf. “You have a vintage copy of Rapunzel? No way! No wonder you’re obsessed with princesses.” She laughed then looked back at Kai excitedly, she was desperate to take a look. “Can I?” She wiggled her fingers in anticipation of a yes.

Kai laughed at her eagerness. “Of course, go for it.”

She pulled it out gently from the other books. The red leather that bound it was worn out. She slowly opened it and turned through a few pages. She could smell how old it was. As she started reading, she suddenly felt the warmth of Kai’s body against her back.

“If you like that one, you’ll love this one,” he reached up for one of the books high up on the shelf directly in front of her causing him to press up against her back. Her heart started racing with how close he was to her.

Kai pulled down an old green leather book. Adalyn put back the red book and then turned around to accept this new book from him.

“Cinderella?” Adalyn smiled.

“It’s quite apt for today huh? You even took off just before midnight” he laughed.

Adalyn nudged him in the ribs playfully. “I can’t believe you have this book too. I’d spill blood for this.” She flipped the book over as she examined it.

“Then keep it.”

“No…I can’t do that!” she thrusted it back in to his chest

“Why not? You know it’s a little disheartening having my mate turn down every gift I offer her.”

“The only other gift you tried to give me was a sports car. These are not normal gifts!”

“Fine, then just hold on to the book for me. Books are meant to be read, so I’m sharing the love with this one.”

Adalyn laughed at his poor excuse. She sighed, then pulled the book back from his chest. “Okay, I’ll look after it for you. Just for a little while.”

“Great.” Kai gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

Adalyn’s face suddenly got serious. “Can I ask a question…what’s up with your eldest brother? I sense he has some animosity towards you.”

Kai sighed and rolled his eyes. “That would be a bit of an understatement.”

“He was asking me lots of questions about you and me. I didn’t know what to say to him. I don't think he knows that we're fated mates, but he sensed a connection between us. I think he was trying to proposition me to get at you.”

“Proposition you? What do you mean?” Kai’s face now looked as serious as hers.

“He effectively asked me to sleep with him, just to get at you”

“He did what?!”

“I don’t know whether he actually meant it or not, or if he was just trying to make me feel uncomfortable.” Adalyn was starting to second guess herself and wondered if she perhaps misunderstood him.

Kai started balling his fists and began pacing in the room. “If he did, I’ll kill him.”

“No, calm down. I think that's what he wants. It will just confirm everything to him.

“But still... I can't tolerate him making you uncomfortable like that. I could feel him trying to subdue you with his dominant energy. If Elias hadn’t stopped me, I’d…”

“Really, I'm okay now, the atmosphere was just a bit heavy in there, I just needed some air”

Kai pulled her in to his chest. “I really wish that I didn't have to pull you in to all of this. To anybody that doesn’t know any better, palace life might look like all flowers and roses from the outside, but in reality, it’s not like that all.”

“It's okay. I want to be here. I want to be with you. I mean who doesn’t have family drama?” Adalyn smiled cheekily to try and lift the mood.

Kai could see what she was trying to do. He wondered how he got so lucky with her. With his rage still simmering Adalyn pulled his head down to her level and kissed him softly in an attempt to calm him down.

Heat swirled instantly and they start to kiss each other more passionately, with both of them each trying to reaffirm their feelings for each other through their lips. In the midst of their kiss Kai took the book from her hand and placed it on the side so that he could get closer to her. He pushed her body back against the bookcase and rested one hand against it and the other on her hips. He parted her legs a little with his knee then pushed his thigh in between them to create a little friction for her. Adalyn moaned in to his mouth in response.

“Mmm” Kai hummed in her mouth in response to her moan. “I don’t think Cinderella will be going home tonight…”