A King's Rogue and a Princess

06 In The Presence of Royalty

In an instant I am ripped from the arms of my mate and face first in the dirt.

"Are you okay princess?" One of the guards asks.

"I'm fine! Release him!" Willow commands.

"No can do... your father has been worried sick with your constant disappearing act. Were taking him with us. Your family will want answers." He responds.

"No!" I yell at him. "I can't go! I can't enter pack territory!" I panic.

"Take off the kid's shirt." He orders the guard that is pinning me. In a second I am pulled to my knees and my shirt is torn from my chest revealing my mark.

"Rogue!" He growls. "What have you been doing with the princess?" He asked and I look to Willow.

"He's my friend." She answers.

"Make better friends." He responds and begins beating me. "He's a no good Rogue! Grandfather marked him as such!" The man lectures Willow as he kicks me in the stomach.

"He's not like that! Please stop!" She begs trying to get to me but her other guard holds her back.

"How do you know!? You question the King?!" He yells delivering another hit to my abdomen.

"Hes my MATE!" She yells sobbing and in an instant the blows stop.

"Take him." The man says as he walks over to my mate and the other guard let's her go and throws me over his shoulder.

I can see the tears in her eyes as her guard pulls her along behind him and it breaks my heart. I don't want her to be in pain. My entire body hurts as I am brought towards the Royal pack territory. I guess I'll be seeing the King again.

During the walk to the Royal's mansion I could feel the panic setting in. I'm meeting my mate's family and I'm being carried in because I just got beaten bloody by her guards. I can't even stand on my own right now. Eventually I'm dropped on the floor in an office. Well I guess it's better than the cells. I push myself up onto my knees as the door flies open and a massive man storms in. In a flash he has me pinned to the wall by my throat.

"What are you doing with my daughter!?" He growls in my face.

Willow's POV

I struggle against Brenton's hold the entire way home.

"Is he really your mate?" He mind links me. I growl at him as I try to get to Faolan. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but I panicked. He's my mate! I wanted to help him and it did! Brent stopped but now we have to deal with the family.

"Leave me alone Brent! Let me go!" I link back shooting him an evil look.

"Not gonna happen princess. Uncle Ash has been on me for losing you. I'm taking you home." He responds.

"Will you stop calling me princess! Dang it Brent I don't call you prince!" I yell at him.

"Nope! You're the only girl among the cousins so you're the pretty little princess." Brent grins at me and I roll my eyes.

"Hurry up jerk!" I yell noticing how far ahead Faolan has gotten.

Faolan is on the floor of grandpa's office when I get there. Before I can get to him my dad comes crashing in and grabs him by his neck.

"What are you doing with my daughter?!" He yells as my mate gasps for air.

"Put him down!" I yell grabbing my dad's arm. "Please Daddy." I beg him. He looks down at me and I can see why people are afraid of him.

"He got you to leave the territory! He's a rouge! I should just kill him!" He roars. I'm going to have to do it again. I promised not to tell but I need him to be alive even if it means breaking that promise.

"He's my mate." I tell him and he drops Faolan on the floor. I drop down and hold his head in my lap. "You're okay. I got you Way. It's all gonna be okay." I whisper stroking his hair.

"Willow?" Grandpa asks as he enters the room. "Can we talk about this?" He keeps his voice calm and steady unlike the other men in my family.

"Alone." I say not looking up from my injured mate.

"Willow." My Dad says trying to argue.

"No." I respond sternly. "I will only speak to the King and only if my mate agrees. It's not my story to tell and you've already hurt him. I'll see you later."

Soon everyone leaves except for grandpa.

"So Faolan here's your mate?" He asks.

"You... you remember me?" Faolan asks sitting up.

"In spite of what you may think I don't mark many people as Rogues... and your case still concerns me... are you ready to tell me why?" Grandpa asks and Faolan looks to me. I hold tightly to his hand and he nods.

"Yes." He sighs as he stands up with my help. I move him to a chair by grandpa's desk and sit beside him. He still seems reluctant to speak about his past. Grandpa seems to pick up on this as his first question is more current.

"When did you two meet?"

"About two months ago." I answer and he gives me a look.

"Willow I'm talking to the boy and I want him to answer. If you stay I need you to keep quiet... please princess I need him to speak for himself." Grandpa says and I close my mouth and nod.

"Six weeks, sir." Faolan answers.