Royally Rogue

Mate

We moved in slow motion and it seemed like even the moon paused its light over us.

We stared at each other, and I opened my mouth to speak. I wanted to say something to make him stay, but we both knew he couldn't. He was a trespasser, dangerous, a criminal. If my parents found him, they would kill him on the spot without question.

And I would be alone for eternity.

"Please-" I strained, but didn't move. I couldn't. I was instilled with morals and responsibilities since I was five, and the psychological barrier was too hard to break. All I could do was go out on a whim that I felt deep inside.

His chest rose and fell heavily, and the veins in his neck and forehead popped, as if he was facing the same dilemma as me. His cold, dangerous, reserved decor had melted away, revealing this conflicted man in front of me.

"I can't." He chocked, eyes fluttering behind me. My ears seemed to twitch.

It was as if I was right next to the door, hearing the faintest creak and breathing of a familiar scent.

Roman was back.

"Princess-"

An overwhelming force within me took over my senses. My body whipped around, a fierce protectiveness coming over me to defend my mate at any cost. Even against Roman. I snarled, feeling my humanity slipping away to an animalistic part of me.

A chill came over me, and I suddenly felt weak, which could only mean one thing.

In a panic, I spun back around to look at the place the man once stood.

There was an eerie breeze, his scent faint and soon gone as the wind took it away.

I felt my jaw quiver, eyes prickling with tears.

He was gone.

I heard the sound of a mourning, depressed howl. It was buried deep inside of me, causing my knees to buckle. I went limp, the air inside of me feeling like it has been forcibly pushed out.

"Princess Arabella!" Roman said hurriedly, his loud footsteps crunching against the gravel. The sound would have defanging if I wasn't so focused on the slight indents in the ground in the size of my mates footprints.

His hands were around my waist in an instant, and there was an intense burning where he was. He caught my limp body, my knees barely grazing the ground as he lifted me up bridal style.

I hissed at the heat that surged inside of me where his hands and body touched me. Looking up at him, I saw deep concern and confusion.

"Ara..." He said murmured.

I lowered my eyes, feeling like I shouldn't be this close to Roman. I gulped down the sizzling pain I had when I heard a deep, angry growl in the distance. It made my heart flutter, and I knew my mate couldn't be far away. If I escaped Romans grip, I could run after him.

I shook my head to myself. He needed to leave my land, to save himself from a terrible death.

Roman said my name again, harsher this time. "Arabella."

I had to strain to look away from the garden, a useless search for the caramel eyes. I looked back up to Roman, the burning I felt all around me increasing.

"What." I said in a snappy voice, glaring at him. He bit his lip cautiously, looking away.

"I can sense your wolf." He said, voice cracking at the last word, not making eye contact with me.

My heart dropped.

"My...wolf?" I gasped, eyes instinctively snapping back to the garden when I heard another growl, this time, definitive. Roman stiffened, and I could tell he heard it too.