Mated to the Cold-hearted King.

Chapter 10: By the Brook

"I'm not going to hurt you?" He sighs as I remain at a distance. He stays silent for a moment, staring contemplatively at his reflection in the dancing water, before finally speaking. "I went too far last night. I thought about what you said. For the first time in a long time I'm feeling guilt over something I said. I shouldn't have said that about your pack."

Not at all what I was expecting from him. "Are you... trying to apologize?"

"I guess I am. I've been out here all night thinking about everything. A King sees eye to eye with his people, you say?"

All night? Did he leave after I locked myself away in the bathroom? All of this is almost too surreal, did what I said really get through to him or is this some kind of ploy so he can insult me more? Either way, I don't think I can accept his apology, not after the hateful things he said. As far as I care, he can say what ever he wants about me. But, what he said about my pack, my father...

I'm about to say as much when a snapping twig stops me. Drawing my attention to the noise I see Chris standing there in wolf form. He seemed worried.

"Chris? What's wrong?"

He doesn't say anything, instead he starts grabbing me by the scruff and dragging me away from Cole all while glaring at him. What's with him?

Once we're far enough away I pull myself from Chris. "What was that about?"

"I don't like you hanging around him." Chris mumbled.

"Chris, how many times do I have to tell you, you don't need to worry? I'm not keen on hanging around him either, but until this mission is complete we need to put on this front. I swear, my feelings for you haven't changed since that day by the pond. You're still the one and only mate I will accept. I love you truly and deeply." I give his ears a quick lick before dropping into a play bow. "Let's go, I'll race you back to the stump where I sat my clothes."

We run through the trees, playfully bounding along till we get to the stump and shift. In a matter of moments Chris's arms are around me pulling me close and he's planting feather kisses along my jaw line as we stand bare chest to bare chest. Our lips meet in a blissful kiss but from the back of my mind I hear a whimper. Damnit, stay out of this. This is my life. I return his kiss while ignoring my wolf's objections, running my fingers gently through his copper hair before gripping some in my hand and deepening the kiss.

"Once this is all over and we're safe to return home, let's start a family. What do you say?"

_____________(Cole's POV)______________

As I head back to the Blue Moon pack house I notice that she hasn't come back yet. She must be doing goddess knows what with him. I feel a small tinge of pain in my heart at the thought. I shift and pull on a pair of jeans as I fight the deep urge to go find her. My attention is quickly caught by Sebastian as he comes running up to me with a eureka look.

"You've thought of something?" I ask.

"I still have no idea who your mystery pack could be, but I know a pack who might."

"Out with it then." I mumble.

"You should try asking the Shadowcrest Pack."

"Very well, point us in the right direction then." I respond as I find myself subconsciously turning towards the woods to see if she was coming.

"You see, that's the problem. Shadowcrest is a very secretive pack. All I know is that they wander, staying nomadic with no set territory. Finding them will be next to impossible."

"Great..." My eyes roll and I let an irritated growl rumble from my throat, as if this journey can't be hard enough. "So how do you expect me to be able to find this impossible to find pack?"

"I never said it was impossible. There is another pack to the South near Kansas called Duskfall pack. They're the only pack that has had consistent contact with them. They've formed some kind of alliance I guess."

"Why didn't you just say that sooner?" I grumble, giving him a friendly thump on the back of the head. "I will inform Skylar about this and then we'll be heading to meet this pack."

"Speaking of Skylar, I've been meaning to ask you. You two seem pretty distant as mates. I could sense a lot of awkwardness between you two during dinner. Could it be that you are still hanging on to your bias?"

"It's that obvious? I'm from a greater pack, her a lesser."

"Times are changing my friend. Now it's no longer greater or lesser. Now it's just the packs. You can't let the little things cloud your judgement. Look at me, I met my mate Cassandra from one of those so-called 'lesser packs' and I wouldn't change her for the world."

"My circumstance is different. As a King I can't allow my bloodline to become weakened from lesser blood. Need I remind you of what happened to Golden Moon pack? By letting themselves become mates with wolves from lesser bloodlines they became weaker and weaker with each generation till they couldn't defend themselves against the Darkmoon pack and thus were exterminated. That should be proof enough that the bloodlines should not cross."

For the first time since as far back I can remember, Sebastian raises his voice at me. "Perhaps it's the Moon Goddess telling us that the bloodlines shouldn't be separate! I mean look at what the separation of bloodlines have done. All the bloodshed and war. Perhaps she's trying to even out the playing field. But no matter what the Moon Goddess's reason is, I don't care. She has blessed me with the best mate that I could ever ask for and beautiful children, that are the most important loves in my life and I have no shame of their 'bloodlines'." He growled the last words. In all the years that I've known him, I've never seen such anger blazing in his eyes. "Now I suggest you pull your head out of your ass and look at a blessing that you have been given. "

Did he really just go off on me like that? Where did he find this courage?

Just then, Skylar and what's his name came back and I called everyone over and explained everything that Sebastian had told me.

"So let me get this straight. In order to find the pack that killed mine, we have to go to another pack so that they can 'possibly' point us to the direction of another pack that 'might' know the mystery pack? Sure, sounds foolproof." Her words come out laced with sarcasm. As she says this the wind blows her scent towards me and she is covered in his scent. I suppress a growl.

"Point is we have a lead. So let's get going."

I head to my car and open the door before looking at her.

_____________(Skylar's POV)____________

"Hey Skylar, let's go!" Cole calls out to me as he holds open the car door.

I turn to Chris and then back to him. "Actually, I think I'll take this ride with Chris this time."

I see a flash of something in his eyes. Sadness? anger? Jealousy? Within a moment what I saw in his eyes was gone and without another word, he gets into his car. He may not have said a word but my wolf begins to whimper again as if boldly expressing her feelings "Go with him."