Page 4 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

“But we are,” he murmured. “We cannot deny fate.”

My lips twisted, and I sniffled, fighting to keep the tears at bay. My body felt as if it were being rent in two. My mind screamed to tear myself from this male—to run and never look back. He was the enemy! Prince Drake’s people had killed my brother. Hell, this prince surely went into battle. What ifhe’dmurdered my beloved Xanu?!

Yet, I couldn’t deny that every cell in my body danced at the feel of him, at his nearness. My wolf nearly groaned in pleasure, brushing her pelt beneath my skin, desperate for contact with our mate.

“Fate is cruel,” I whispered. My eyes lifted to connect with his. “How can we possibly be mates? We aren’t even the same Lanair.”

A werewolf and a shadow fae? It was simply lunacy.

The male shrugged one broad shoulder. “Yet here we are,” he said simply. “My body recognizes you as mine.” I winced. Prince Drake invaded my space even more, stepping close till our bodies were flushed from head to toe; our hands bracketed between our heaving chests. His gaze sharpened. “Don’t deny you can feel it too. The bond.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

There it is.

The bond was luminescent, spanning from my psyche in a brilliant flame. It spread outward; the crimson thread melded into another, this one a dark lavender ice—the male’s bond webbing through mine. The bond had yet to circle around each of us; the cord wouldn’t be complete until the willing consummation of the mating bond.

I whimpered at the reality of my plight. The male pressed a soft kiss to my brow. My eyes snapped shut. Then I felt his index finger hook underneath my chin, angling myhead back. My eyes fluttered open to find his boring into my soul. His gaze dropped for a moment to my lips before flitting up to collide with my gaze once more. I was no fool. I knew Prince Drake sought permission to kiss me.

Indecision warred with desire within my tightly coiled muscles. He lowered his head a fraction, then awaited my reply—my move.

My breathing became labored.What does he taste like? Do I want to find out?

Ever so slowly, I closed my eyes in defeat, my lips parting in anticipation of the wet heat of his lips pressed against mine. My heart pounded so hard that I heard the beats ringing in my ears. One heartbeat passed, then two. Two turned into three, then five.

Nothing.

My eyes cracked open, peeking up at Prince Drake. The male’s lips hardened into a thin line. The warmth I had witnessed in his eyes only a moment ago was replaced by frigid ice. My eyes flew open as I sensed the change in the prince. My inner wolf cocked its head, letting out a whimper of confusion. What had come over our mate? The she-wolf wondered.

He withdrew his hand and took a step back. The lack of heat, feeding between our bodies, sent shock rippling through my veins—like ice water dousing my body.

“You’re right,” Prince Drake said, his tone flat. “We are enemies. We can’t—” he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Thiscan’t happen.”

My heart shattered at his words. A tear slipped unbidden from my eye to spill down my cheek. The male’s face twistedwith regret. He swiped the tear away with a thumb, then let his hand fall to his side.

Nodding shakily, I said, “Y-yes,” I sucked in a ragged breath. “You’re right…I should just—yeah—I should go.” I hooked a thumb back to the castle looming above us, to my quarters.

The male nodded with reluctance. His eyes shone with longing, and as I pivoted, I felt the heat of his gaze burning through my back. My steps quickened before I lifted my skirt and set into a flat-out run. Racing back to the castle doors that led into the garden, I sought to put as much distance between myself and the male—mymate—as possible. Though with each step, the shards of my heard fractured into smaller pieces.

“I can’t,” I panted to myself. “I can’t feel this way. He’s the enemy, dammit!”

I paused around the corner of the doors, the castle’s elven guards still stationed at their posts. I allowed the tears to fall freely. My mate, my life. The shadow fae prince’s life. My brother’s life snuffed out too soon.

This world is so screwed up.

Swiping at my cheeks to rid the tear stains, I straightened, smoothed out my skirts in an attempt to gather my composure, and slipped inside the castle to my room.

That night I dreamt of amethyst eyes calling to me and my body cocooned in a warm protective embrace.

CHAPTER ONE: DECISIONS

DRAKE

My heart twisted inside my chest as I walked down the long corridor leading to the Great Hall. The dawn’s rays peeked over the hilly horizon beyond the windows and gilded everything in dusty lavender hues.

Blue eyes, the radiant shade of sapphires, plagued my mind, erasing all other thoughts. The female werewolf I had encountered last night not only possessed my waking hours—she visited me in my dreams the night before. Her shapely body had drawn my mouth to flooding with moisture in want of her. Her scent of jasmine and spring rain had caused my cock to go hard.

I was no idiot, not by a long shot. When I had laid eyes on her at the summit, I knew who she was to me, what she was meant to be—mymate.

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