Mated Enemies

It hurt my heart to think of the damage my running away might do to him, but Annalise and the others were right, it’s not worth risking my life just so that he wouldn’t suffer a miserable existence. Besides, he’s the crown prince. It may be that he doesn’t suffer the same maladies as the rest of us lesser immortals.

I tried to satisfy myself with that resolve but it still didn’t sit well with me. In the back of my mind was the nagging thought that if I run scared I might be running away from the best part of my life.

LUCIEN

I was halfway home when she left her room and headed outside. I didn’t turn back but instead opened my inner eye to watch her as she floated atop the water. The turmoil in her mind was like needles pricking against my senses and I did my best to ignore.

Since it was still night I stayed out on the balcony and let the cooling night breeze keep me calm as I studied her. I had no intentions of taking even a drop of the cognac I’d poured myself when I walked inside my bedroom to turn the stereo on low just for some background noise to drown out my own thoughts.

I wouldn’t risk drinking this close to our mating. Not because I’m afraid that I might hurt her. What I told her was the truth, I’d rather cut off my own arm than hurt her. But it could mean the difference between me preparing her well enough to take me, or going half ass and fucking her raw.

I have no doubt that I have enough self- control not to kill her when we fuck. She might be bruised, battered and sore, but I’m one hundred percent sure that she’d be able to crawl out of my bed once I’m done with her.

She on the other hand, is building this wall of dread and fear around her that no amount of talking seems able to penetrate. So no more talking; the time for words are at an end. I’m just waiting to see if she’s going to be a brave little trooper or run scared.

In the meantime I’ll sit back and take the time to get my shit together. I’d been so focused on her that I hadn’t even given myself a second thought. Typical when it comes to my kind and our women. She too has been so focused on the whole mating thing that she hasn’t given thought to much beyond that. But there’s so much more!

I watched as she finally left the water and pulled the gown on over her head as her woodland friends watched with worry. At least she has a conscience. Though she’d made up her mind that running was the only answer, the decision was weighing heavy on her mind.

No matter, I’m still going to tan her ass for running from me after all the shit I’ve put myself through. After I fuck her of course. I ran my hand over my dick to let him know that I heard him. He’d come awake at the vision of her over my knee, naked, with her ass red from a fresh spanking. ‘Good fuck Lucien not now.’

I walked into my room and walked towards the music system to turn it off no longer in the mood for the smooth strains of Miles Davis. Not even my favorite music was working tonight and I knew that nothing would until I got this thing out of the way.

I had to accept that although it would’ve been nice if she’d cooperated and come to my bed willingly things would’ve gone a whole lot better, it was okay that I might end up having to drag her there kicking and screaming. The morning after is bound to be something to look forward to.

I was restless and out of sorts as I laid in bed thinking until the wee hours when the sun begun to rise. I folded my arms and turned onto my side as I watched her in my mind. Watched and listened to her and her sisters as they planned her escape.

I sent her a flash of my face in displeasure just to fuck with her and watched her freak out as she tried to decipher whether or not I’d heard their little conversation. The mark on her neck had grown even darker I noticed as I found my first smile of the night.

If I couldn’t find her before, my mark on her would make sure that I do now. She was still hiding it beneath her hair so the others didn’t see and so she had no idea that my family crest was even now being imprinted on her skin for all the world to see.