CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE.

(MELIORA'S POV)

It was nighttime and I was walking quietly by myself towards the small cabin. This would be the first night I would sleep there alone, now that all my friends had left with their new mates.

As I made my way across the village green, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was following behind me. A few times I stopped and turned around quickly to look, but I didn't see anybody there in the darkness.

Finally, I reached the cabin door. But just as I got there, I heard a small noise coming from right behind me. I spun around and saw a huge golden wolf staring at me with glowing eyes!

I gasped in fright - how did this wolf sneak up and follow me here without me noticing? Quickly, I turned back towards the door and hastily tried to open it and get inside the cabin.

But then I heard a rustling sound before a deep man's voice called out, "Hey, I didn't mean to scare you." I whirled around again sharply to see who had spoken.

To my surprise, it was the prince who was staying behind to plan a wedding before leaving with his new mate!


"So we meet again, just as I predicted," the prince said, flashing me a small, self-assured smile that hinted at secrets only he was privy to.

I felt a knot of apprehension twist in my stomach. "What are you doing here?" I asked, unable to mask the tremor of fear in my voice over why this powerful male had sought me out in such a private setting.

"Well, I decided to go for an evening run in my wolf form to stretch my legs," he explained casually.

"And wouldn't you know, I caught your unique scent lingering on the night breeze. You made quite the impression on me at last night's ceremonies - one that has yet to fade from my mind."

Panic fluttered in my chest as I tried to discourage his presence without giving insult. "You can't be seen here. If Selene finds out, she'll be furious beyond reason!"

But the prince merely shrugged off my words as if swatting away a pesky insect. "Who cares about her feelings on the matter? You're the one I wish to take back home with me to be my mate."

I shook my head adamantly, needing him to understand the impropriety. "That's just a misunderstanding on your part. Selene already staked her claim on you as her mate before the entire village."

His expression hardened slightly. "That was solely on her part, not mine. I have not claimed nor courted Selene at all - my eyes and intentions have been focused solely on you this whole time."

Pleading with him, I said, "Please listen. I'm not interested in any romantic entanglements right now, I hope you can understand that. Don't cause me any strife with the alpha's daughter. You are only a suitable match for a highborn princess, not a lowly servant like myself."

The prince leaned in closer, his intense amber eyes burning into mine. "I alone choose who is a fitting mate for me. And why would you willingly prefer a life of hardship when you could be living by my side as my cherished lady?"

Scrambling for another deterrent, I tried, "Well, I have a dark past which, if you knew about it, you would surely end up disliking me. That is why I wish to remain unnoticed and live simply."

This gave him pause, his brow furrowing quizzically. "Are you from some kind of witchcraft bloodline then? Or are you perhaps cursed? I must know - would any such curse affect your future groom if we mated?"

I stayed resolutely silent, unsure whether to confirm or deny his speculations about my troubled history.

Finally, I said in a low voice, "Please, I beg you, do not repeat a word of this to anyone else. It is my most closely guarded secret."

The prince studied me silently for a long moment before responding in a tone that brooked no argument. "Since I am quite taken by you, I would never bring you such distress by divulging your secrets to others."

I smiled at him gratefully, hoping his words could be trusted. But then he leaned in until his lips were a hairsbreadth from mine.

"If it were not for my father insisting I take a mate of pure, unblemished bloodline, I would gladly risk binding myself to you because of your exquisite beauty." He said.


"But even if that's the case, why don't you simply come along with me instead?" the prince purred silkily.

"I'll make sure you're given a prime position and accommodations within my pack's lands. That way, you needn't suffer through any further hardships or indignities here."

He promised, holding my gaze.

"I'm quite fine here, good sir. Please, do not take offense," I replied, putting more insistent force behind my tone in an effort to drive home my staunch refusal.

The truth was, I found absolutely nothing appealing about this elegant prince or his attempts to lure me into his bed - be it with riches and comfort or his dubious "protection."


My heart and mind remained utterly resolute, unswayed by such paltry temptations that could only serve to divert me from my one driving purpose in life: discovering the truth behind my father's brutal murder and ultimately exacting vengeance upon those responsible.

No fleeting dalliance, no matter how cushy or opulent, could ever distract me from that all-consuming objective. I was rooted to my mission like an unyielding oak, immovable and undaunted in the face of even the most enticing whirlwinds blowing against me.

The prince seemed to read the unflinching determination etched into my expression. His full lips twisted wryly as he gave a slight shake of his head.

"Very well then," he rumbled in that sinfully deep baritone. "You are a challenge I did not expect to find in such an unassuming package, my lady."

Before I could so much as blink, the powerful alpha male surged forward with remarkable swiftness. One calloused hand clamped around the nape of my neck as the other encircled my waist, effectively trapping me against his powerfully sculpted form.

I didn't even have a chance to voice my protest before his mouth crashed down over mine in a scorching, possessive kiss.

Too stunned to shove him away and risk gravely offending him, I could only remain motionless as his firm lips moved insistently over mine.

But then a sharp gasping sound rent the air, shattering the heated moment. The prince and I broke apart abruptly, both of us searching the shadows for the source of the unnerving interruption.

My eyes darted around in the darkness, trying to see who had caught us kissing. I could only pray it wasn't someone who would report what they saw to the pack authorities. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears as I anxiously wondered whose fateful witness we had drawn.