Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell ~ 'Destined Lovers' Book 7

Chapter 3 - Winter's Embrace

Chapter 3 - Winter's Embrace

Ville turned away from his father as he departed to look out the dining halls' windows. He didn't need reminding about his duties as a prince... or as a mate now he'd found his destined lover. Yes, he knew what had to happen. But, as she was still human, she would not feel her feelings as deep as Ville did for a little while yet...though Alana was receptive enough of his attempts to court her for the moment.

Alana...

Movement in the courtyard below caught Ville's eye and he leant forward on the window sill to better see what had moved below. A slight frown creased his brow as he recognised Alana, wearing one of his mother's dresses and hooded cloaks, coaxing several young blue-birds towards herself with seeds. As Ville watched, his frown turned into a gentle smile as the young birds became brave and flitted up into her hands where she held the seeds, chucking when he saw Alana laugh as they all flew about her head when they'd had enough to eat and playfully flew back to their tree.

It was that moment, as her laugh trailed off, that she looked up and caught him watching her. Ville took a half step back from the window, not wishing to alarm her. But she surprised him. A gentle smile tugging at her lips as she stood and, moving to stand beneath the tree the birds were hiding in, waved timidly up at him.

Ville's smile grew as he waved back. The mating bond was working... she was falling in love with him already.

***

Ville stopped dead as he picked up Alana's sweet scent and looked towards the library's open doors; the sound of a fire crackling merrily away within the paper-covered walls. Ville walked silently into the library, closing the doors behind himself as he began his search for his mate within the cavernous room. Row upon row of age old books and scrolls passed him as he looked for Alana, but he smiled as he came to the end of the room and saw her curled up on the long plus lounge in front of the fireplace.

With a smile he strolled over and, after watching her for a second, swung his legs over the back of the lounge to plonk down at the end by her feet; peeking at the cover of the book she was so engrossed in with a cheeky smile.

"Ah, Wuthering Heights..." Ville remarked as Alana looked up. "If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be..."

"And if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger..." Alana finished the quote, closing the book

"I think our roles might be reversed though." Ville couldn't help the smirk that crept across his face at the appalled look Alana gave him.

"Oh I'm Heathcliff?!" she scoffed, tossing a cushion playfully at him. "You really think you could pull off Cathy?" she laughed. "Mister 'dark and brooding'."

"They felt so deeply for each other they couldn't go on without the other... but," Ville looked her over for a moment. "Their love was an addiction..."

"Heathcliff was fixated on Cathy..." Alana nodded. "He felt he had a right to love her-"

"The only right to love her." Ville amended for her quickly.

Alana smiled knowingly at him. "Remind you of anyone?"

"Hey now...that's not fair..." Ville's voice was soft as he spoke to hide the hurt in it.

"Isn't it?" Alana looked up at him from the other end of the lounge. "This could've been done slowly... but I've been taken from my home... from everything I know, and thrown into a world that, until quite recently, I believed to simply exist in films and novels..." Ville looked away as she sighed. "And you think you have the right to tell me what I say isn't fair? I didn't get any say in being brought here..." Ville didn't speak. He'd been expecting this... though not in the calm manner she was talking to him in. She was right... but nothing could've prepared him for what she said next... "But you were right..." his head snapped around to look at her again. "This feels right..." she looked up into his eyes and froze for an instant. "And after being alone for so long... it's nice to know I don't have to be anymore."