Chapter 29

The stone walls of the castle seemed to grow colder as Prince Rowan and I walked through the corridors to our new chambers. I clung to his arm, feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

"Here we are," Rowan said, his voice warm and reassuring. "Our new home. It's larger, better, closer to the central castle so we won't have to walk for so long to get to the halls."

He pushed open the heavy wooden doors, revealing a lavish chamber that took my breath away. The room was enormous, adorned with rich tapestries and opulent furniture. A large bed with a canopy stood in the center, and a balcony with tall glass doors offered a stunning view of the mountains and the sheer cliff edge below, there was a sofa, some throw pillows, a shelf with books on it, a small bar with drinks, a leisure center table, a large vanity room with a walk in wardrobe and a piano by the balcony.

Rowan led me to the balcony. "Look at this view, Ariadne."

I looked at it and smiled. I could see the whole of the Zairean landscape and mountains from the balcony.

"No more long walks from our former chambers too. We'll be right where the action is."

I nodded, feeling the weight of our new circumstances. "It's beautiful, Rowan. But why the sudden change? Why are they bringing us so close?"

He turned to me, his expression serious. "I have my suspicions. I am very sure they want to keep a closer watch on us. But don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on them too. We must be careful, especially around the servants, they could be spies."

As if on cue, a group of six people entered the room, claiming to be assigned to our chambers. Rowan introduced them to me, a handmaiden for me, two serving girls, and three other servants. They bowed and curtsied, and I forced myself to smile.

Rowan turned back to me, taking my hands in his. "Remember, don't reveal anything to them, don't talk about anything important next to them. They could be spies."

"I understand," I replied. "I'll be cautious."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting this morning. I'll be right back."

With a final squeeze of my hands, Rowan left, his duties calling him away. I watched him go, feeling a pang of loneliness. I turned back to the room, taking in the opulence and the unfamiliar faces of the servants.

A light knock on the door drew my attention. My handmaiden stepped forward, speaking softly. "My lady, we would like to dress you for breakfast."

I nodded, allowing them to lead me to a dressing area. One of the serving girls reached for my hair, but I instinctively stopped her hand mid-air.

"Never touch my hair," I said firmly. "I will style it myself."

They all froze, then nodded quickly. "As you wish, my lady."

If they touched my hair, then they would find out that I had been hiding my otsayak mark on my forehead with my hair. I would never let them touch it.

........


Pacing back and forth in our new chambers, I felt my anxiety gnawing at me. The sun had long risen, and there was still no sign of Rowan. He had been gone for two days, I wondered if I should report his absence. Where could he be? The hours dragged on, and my mind conjured up every worst-case scenario imaginable. The royal family's sudden interest in us had already set me on edge, and now this unexplained absence was too much to bear.

I had no one but him, I couldn't hear the thought of anything bad happening to him, after all that he had been through.

Finally, the doors swung open. There stood Rowan, muddy, shirtless, and slick with sweat. Relief and horror surged through me simultaneously. I rushed to him, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Rowan! Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" I could barely keep the panic out of my voice.

He looked at me, a mix of guilt and exhaustion in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I went out to try and connect with my wolf. When I shifted, I lost track of time while running through the woods."

I stared at him, anger bubbling up inside me. All this while I had been worried something bad had happened to him. That he had been crippled again and he had simply been out running?!?!

"You didn't think to inform me? I've been here all morning, worried out of my mind, and having to hide it just so they wouldn't suspect anything was wrong. Do you realize how careless that was?!”

Rowan sighed, stepping closer. "I know, Ariadne. I'm so sorry. I didn't think it through. I just... needed to feel that connection again. You know... it's been so long...."

I felt tears prick at my eyes. "I was scared something terrible had happened to you Rowan! You can't just disappear like that. You have to tell me, always."

"We promised we would tell each other everything!"

He reached out and took my hands, his touch warm and grounding. "I'm sorry. Truly. I promise, I won't do it again without letting you know."

Slowly, he looked down to my lips.

A look of guilt and love mixed together spread across his face. It was intoxicating. I could smell the grass on him. I could smell his wolf. And I could definitely smell the power and adrenaline still rolling off from him.

He was still reeling from the rush that came from being in his wolf, he was half man half wolf, barely human enough, but for some reason I was rooted to the spot.

I wasn’t scared. And without even realising what was going on his lips were pressed onto mine. I kissed back. I had no control over my body whatsoever. It was moving by itself and so, my hands slowly slid up his arms, my hands tangling themselves in his hair. He pulled me closer and closer and closer.

His kiss was full of frustration but surprisingly, mostly love. Gentle and passionate love. He pulled away.

"It’s been years since I shifted, I felt weak, I had been trying for some days and it’s been unsuccessful. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to worry you about it. I went out yesterday to try again, because I have to get stronger, for us. It’s not enough for me to walk again, I also have to be strong. So I stayed out and made myself shift. And when it finally worked, it was euphoric… I couldn’t stop. The feeling is unlike anything I can describe to you...", he started with a sad smile plastered across his face before finishing with a smile.

“I know I should have told you and I'm so, so sorry... but I didn’t want you to worry, especially if it didn’t work. I couldn’t bear the thought being useless again."

Tears stung my eyes again. "We promised we’d tell each other everything. You should have told me. I never thought you were useless. I never saw you like that." It was the truth. It was the whole truth. Even when he was a cripple, I never saw him as useless.

“You mean a lot to me Ariadne, I just want to be able to protect you.”

I leaned back in and planted my lips onto his once again, a little rougher, more passionately.

Rowan pushed me against the wall, then he slowly planted sweet and hot kisses down my neck until his lips met with my collarbone.

A soft moan escaped my lips, plump and red from kissing. It felt like time stopped and we were spinning in circles.

Everything evolved around us and only us.

He slipped out of his pants and threw it somewhere. Slowly, he traced his fingers along the buttons of my sheer pink nightrobe and opened them. It gave me goosebumps. I was showered with wet kisses trailing along from my chest to my bellybutton. He undid the buttons until there was nothing left and I let the robe fall off me. His warm fingers brushed my bare naked skin. His warm hands touching my naked and cold body made me shiver. His hands touched my left breast and he fondled it slowly, he bent down a little, taking my left breast in his mouth.

I gasped at his warm mouth on my breast. It gave me goosebumps. He flicked his tongue over my nipple, each tiny movement sent me on edge, made me aching and begging for more. His hands travelled from my waist down to my thighs. His fingers gently grazed my inner thigh. I needed him. I needed him right there. I needed the satisfaction. The satisfaction of him being inside me. The memory of that night we shared at the inn ran through my head.

I needed him like that.

In one swift movement, Rowan’s arms gathered me and carried me to the large bed. As I landed on the pillow soft bed, his hands roamed all over my naked skin.

In one swift motion, he was inside of me. I gasped out in pain and pleasure. It was absolute heaven. I felt like I was in the clouds. Rowan’s touches were gentle and rough, his hands gripping me so hard that I felt it draw blood, his growls so loud in my ear that I couldn’t hear anything else, not even the sound of my own voice. I felt tingles all around my body. Everywhere our skin met as he thrusted inside me. Electricity pumping throughout my body.

“Rowan." His name was the only thing on my lips. The only thing I repeated like a prayer. He picked up his pace and thrusted into me with more power, depth and speed than I had thought imaginable whispering sweet nothings into my ear. Our moans and groans filled the room.

His face buried in the crook of my neck, leaving small kisses. I felt the knot inside my stomach grow harder and I knew I was about to approach that climax where I would reach the height of my pleasure.

"Rowan...", he cut me off.

“I know my love. Me too.”

I was close. So close to reaching the end and I felt he was too. His thrusts were getting faster, out of rhythm.

My walls were clenching, everything reached an elevated height.

And then, we both collapsed into each other, I could feel Rowan inside of me, spilling inside of me. He pulled out of me and I whimpered at the empty feeling that came with.

His hands reached for me, pulling me into an embrace. I closed my eyes and I fell into a dreamless sleep.