Rapunzel

2

The scent escaped the wolf as he ran right outside the ruling family's land. A sweet scent, that was mixed with the disgusting scent of a witch's blood, had caught his attention while returning home after he traveled into town for his father.

He had just missed the source by about an hour and he grew frustrated upon smelling the Prince's scent had interfered with it. He would never know what the source of that wonderful smell was now that Prince Eldric had his hands on it. Huffing, the wolf turned and ran back to his father's manor.

A man with brown hair and coal black eyes stood at the door, watching the approaching wolf. Halfway across the room, the wolf became a man dressed in the finest clothes that the Duke could get his hands on. Duke Henry greeted his son with a scowl.

"Where are the scrolls I told you to get from the library?" The Duke asked coldly.

"The library would not let me take out such important and old scrolls, Father. You had to have known that."

In a flash, the Duke had his son pressed against the wall, forearm digging into his throat. The younger man struggled against the stronger force that he knew as his father. "I didn't ask you to get them if the library let you take them, I told you to take them. That means by whatever force necessary. Do you understand?"

"I am not going to steal some scrolls for you, Father. If you want them, get them yourself. I am done being your lapdog!"

He shoved his father back enough to slip away. His father's cold laugh halted him in his steps.

"You know that you can't just get out of it like that, Noah. I will kill your mother."

The man turned to face the Duke with anger pouring out of him. "You have made that threat thousands of times. She is your mate, so I can't believe that you'd actually do anything to harm her. Mother roams freely around the top floor as you do not allow her downstairs, thinking you've tricked me into believing she's in the dungeons. You are all talk, Father."

With one last glance at his father's shocked face, Noah turned and stormed up the stairs to his chambers. He knew that the man was a heartless bastard to everyone, but he would never have the balls to doom himself and kill his mate, Noah's mother. They were made for each other and the bastard knew that her death would make him weak. The Duke couldn't afford to be weak when he is trying to find a way to kill the royal family.

"Noah," a female voice purred.

The man turned to face the daughter of Lord Archibald, Alice. She had it in her head that she was to marry Noah, but he knew that she was not his mate. He was not one to take on a mate of his choosing, but rather wait to find the one destined for him. Alice was convinced that she was his mate and had tried everything to make him believe it as well.

She was currently wearing only a thin satin robe that hung open in the front, leaving nothing to the imagination. With what he assumed was her attempt at a seductive smile, she grabbed his arm and pressed herself against his side. His patience had been shot after dealing with his father, so it was no surprise to him that he reacted so harshly to Alice's advances.

"What do you not understand when I tell you that we are not mates? Your attempts at trying to lure me into your bed show me that you are nothing more than a power-seeking wench! I have no respect for you after this display tonight, and I strongly suggest that you stay away from me from here on out! I have a mate out there in the world waiting for me, and you are not her! Leave me alone before I tell your father of your inappropriate advances. I'm sure he'd love to hear of that."

Her face was pale with shock, but quickly flushed with anger. Before she could open her mouth, Noah shrugged her off of him and slammed his door shut in her face. He sighed and ran a hand through his thick black hair.