Just to let everyone know that doesn't already. I have a baby. Which means he is my first priority. Once he goes to bed I am able to get on my computer and write or post a chapter.
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Hearing Caden break down to Nik shocked me to the core. Nik was right all those times he pleaded with me to believe Caden had changed. Seeing him screaming out in pain proved Nik was right.
Realizing I screwed up big time, I hurry towards my new bedroom. My heart is cracked, as is his. We are both hurting because we were irresponsible. I believed he hadn't changed and would rather spend his time with his mistresses instead of me. He believed I rejected him, that I wanted another man.
At such a young age, he frightened me. Though my parents begged me to reconsider hiding from our Prince, his words drove me to do otherwise. At the age of ten I didn't realize the repercussions of running and hiding from your soul mate.
In the beginning they plead his case for him. Sitting me down on my father's knee, my mother explained how he is a young prince with a head full of power. If I were to go to him, he would drop everything at a touch of my fingers. His mind would forget all about causing me harm.
My dad told me, males are all talk and no action when it comes to punishing their mates. In the end it would cause the male extreme pain to lay a harmful hand down on her soft skin.
If I desired to play with dolls he would as well because he longs to appease me. They tried to tempt me with riding on a pony, which I have dreamt of doing for years. The prince would get me as many ponies as my heart desired, they would say.
Still I couldn't get his words out of my mind, no matter what my parents said.
In the end they gave up trying to convince me to show myself to him. Instead they hid my secret.
After my near death experience, they were lost for words. They weren't sure if they needed to push me to go to him or have me reject him. He clearly had other plans than waiting for me.
As my parents, all they ever wanted for me was the best. I knew they stood behind my decisions even if they didn't agree whole heartedly.
Reaching the trap door to my new room, I silently sneak back inside.
"One day those doors will get you into a crap load of trouble, young lady."
Screeching at the new voice I nearly have a heart attack. "Theo Alexander James! Are you trying to scare me to death?" I yell at him. Stupid male.
Laughing he falls to the ground. His fists pounding the hardwood flooring.
"Theo." I whine. "It wasn't that funny." Stomping my foot I stare down at him. Stupid mutt.
"You should have seen your face, Claudia. Where is a video camera when you need one?" Shaking his head he stands up. "Gosh, I've missed you darling."
Rolling my eyes at my best friend's antics, I head towards the Prince's closet. I wonder if while I was knocked out he had my clothes brought up.
"Clearly, the missing part is one sided I see." Whistling he follows me into the closet. "Now this is some nice digs." Pulling out a business suit he places it up against his body. "What do you think? Could I pull the all-powerful business man act off?"
Looking him up and down, I stifle my giggle. "Not in your lifetime, Theo." Skipping down the rows of clothing I come to a summer section. Pulling out shorts and a Hawaiian shirt I hand them over to him. "This is more you than anything else in this extremely vast closet. If you could call it a closet, that is."
"You're absolutely right, sweetheart. This does fit me better." He smirks. "Why don't you try this dress on? We all know you look beautiful in blue." Raising his eye brows up and down, he gives me two seconds to turn around before I see his birthday suit.
"Theo Alexander!" I yelp. "You can't go around wearing the Prince's clothing. Plus this dress isn't mine. Jessica probably stored all her clothing in here, when she believed the Prince was giving her the crown."
"You know that to be a lie. He never once allowed his whores to step foot in his private chambers. He stored them in the other rooms. Plus, these are in your size and look at all the blues. She wouldn't be caught dead in a blue dress," he mocks.
Glancing at the dress, I brush my fingers across the soft material. How I wish I could dress up in dresses like this. My parent's emphasized how the Prince could give me enough beautiful dresses to never wear the same one twice.
"Claudia, try it on. He isn't here to catch you in the act. Plus, I believe his jaw would drop if he saw you in that dress." Spinning me around, he strikes a pose. "How do I look? Handsome? Drool worthy?"
Giggling I push his shoulder. "You're horrible Theo." Glancing back down at the dress, I run over his words. Should I try it on? "No Theo I can't. This is Jessica's dress." She could have snuck in while he was searching for me. He wouldn't have been able to find a full closet of clothes for me in a few hours. No way.
"Do I need to tickle some sense into that mind of yours, my dear oh so gullible Claudia?"
Shrieking, I back up a few steps. "No, don't you dare." Pointing my finger at his chest, I give him my meanest stare.
"Put the dress on and I won't." Grinning evilly he takes two steps towards me. His fingers twitching in anticipation.
Not wanting to be tickled, I push him away. "Fine, you big oaf. Turn around will you."
Without a seconds thought, he does as I ask.
"You know with you being Prince Caden's mate, we could get away with a lot of mischief," he exclaims while searching through clothes a few rows down.
Looking up from the dress, I feel my smile drop. "How did you find out?" Does he despise me for keeping such a big secret from him? Being in this room should have rang a bell in my head that he knew.
"Your family informed me of the news when I entered your family room. After being searched by guards first mind you," he says with disgust.
Sagging my shoulders, I sit down on the golden chair in the corner. "I'm deeply sorry Theo. I truly wanted to tell you. I did. I promise." Tears bubble up in my eyes.
"Why didn't you then? We are best friends Claudia!" Spinning around he stares me down with saddened eyes. "I thought we told each other everything."
"This secret would have weighed on your soul Theo. I knew without a doubt by the Prince's eighteenth birthday you would have told him."
"I would have kept it for you."
"Your loyalty lies with the royal family Theo. When the King demanded information of me during the Prince's birthday balls you would have been obligated to step forward." Crunching the dress up, I let a few tears fall. "I couldn't make you feel as if you betrayed me. I love you too much for that to happen."
"Now I see it wasn't Nikolai I had to be worried about. It's this mutt here," a loud voice boomed. Without looking up I knew who the voice belonged to. The stunning blue dress falls to the floor in a heap of material.
"Your highness." Dropping to his knees Theo bares his throat.
"This piece of trash is my competition?" He sneers. "I'm a prince, what does he have that I don't?"
Staying quite, I bend my knees in a small curtsey. This Caden frightened me.
With no one answering him, he picks Theo up by the throat. "You are not bonded to my mate as Nic is to her. Therefore all my boiling anger can be taken out on you." Smiling he throws Theo against the wall.
Horror struck, I stare at the scene in front of me.
"She is mine do you hear me? Mine!" Growling he kicks Theo in the gut.
When a painful groan reaches my ears, my body unfreezes. Without thinking, I jump on the Prince's back, hitting him over the head. Ignoring the rush of heat my body feels, I shout with anger. "Stop hurting him you bastard. Stop it." How dare he harm a hair on my best friend?
In an instant my body is pulled over his shoulder and thrown down on the floor. Sucking in a deep breath at the sharp pain in my back I let out a small whimper.
"Claudia!" I hear a man scream.
Little black dots graced my vision. My head must have hit the hardwood flooring harder than it felt. Rolling over, I hack up stomach acid.
Warm strong hands lift my aching body and disoriented head up into the air. Gasping as my world spins, I try to reach up and steady my head.
"You bastard. How could you hurt your own mate? Look what you've done?" I believe Theo hollered viciously. "She was right to stay hidden all these years. All you've caused her is unspeakable pain. She deserves a man, not a tormenter."
My body barely touched the fluffy mattress when I heard a furiousness snarl. Within seconds, I hear two wolves attacking each other.
Blinking, I try to clear my vision. Theo is a servant. He stands no chance against the Prince of all werewolves.
Using all my strength I roll myself over. I had to stop them. Caden couldn't kill Theo. It would ruin any chance of forming a loving bond with him.
Standing up on my wobbly legs, I force myself over to the two wolves locked in a heated fight. Clearly without thinking, I throw myself at Theo. Having the worst timing ever, I let out a piercing scream as razor-sharp teeth sink into my shoulder.
Instantly two sets of hands reach out towards me. Trying to shrug them both off became futile.
"Sweetheart, the doctor is on his way," Caden's fogy voice filters through my cloudy mind.
The pain in my shoulder implying my blurred vision.
"Is she alright Caden?" Opening my eyes at the new voice I try to figure out who it belongs to. Seeing four people, I decide to close my eyes until the headache vanishes.
"No, her shoulder isn't healing. Jason grab me and this pathetic mutt a pair of shorts. Once you're done taken him down to the cells. He will join the traitor."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jason questions. "If you continue to lock up her friends, she will not be happy."
"She declared her love for him? What else should I do? I tried to kill him and she stepped in the damn way," he roars with fury. He set me down on the fluffy mattress once more. This time not leaving my side. His hand stroking my black locks.
"What do you expect Caden?" Blinking I try not to fall asleep. "She knows nothing about you. Holding onto people she knows is probably her coping mechanism. You take those she loves and cares about away, she might freak out and cave into herself. Do you want that?"
"You damn well know I don't." His arms tighten around my waist. Holding me securely in case I would leave him.
Miniscule shockwaves travel down my shoulder as his lips kiss around the wound. I may be disoriented, but my body was in heat. Being part wolf my body craves its mates touch. Right now all Annabelle desires is to ride the delicious male body clutching mine.
"She is mine Jason. I can't and won't lose her again." He kisses the side of my head. I feel my heart break at his tone. "I can't lose you Claudia. Please don't leave me for another."
I could feel the tiny trickle of blood flowing fluidly from my shoulder. Black dots graced my vision. Words were all jumbled inside my head.
"She believes the female clothes in your ridicules closet belong to your last whore bag." Not wanting to throw up once more I let Theo's comment slide.
The breathing in my ear quickens. "Sweetheart, they belong to you and only you. I may be screwed up by bedding them, but not once were they allowed inside this room. I designed our bedroom for you. The clothes were never worn."
"There are over three hundred outfits in that closet, my Prince," Theo states with bewilderment.
"And?" The Prince snarls.
"What I am saying, is Claudia wants to know how three hundred outfits came out of nowhere? And why in the world are they nearly all blue?"
A knocking on the door interrupts the conversation. Though I believe I might have missed a few angry words uttered under breaths.
"Enter." Caden speaks with authority.
"Your highness, how may I be of service?" A deep voice questions.
"Your Princess received a bite to her shoulder. It is not healing. Why?" This is the Prince I knew. No funny business.
"May I ask who bite her?"
"Does it matter?" Jason enquiries.
"Yes, it does. If by chance you bit her, than the bite should have already healed. Say if her mate bit her than the wound would heal at a normal human pace." That is not what I wanted to hear. Moaning, I burry my head into the fluffy pillows.
"I bit her on accident." His fingers trace the open flesh gently. "Did you bring supplies to treat the wound?" He asks with shame.
"Of course your highness." As the warmth beside me leaves, my heat roars its ugly head.
Whimpering softly, I reach out for him to calm me down. "I'm right here sweetheart. I'm not leaving you. Never again. I promise." Sighing as his soothing touch settles my body.
"Princess, this is going to hurt. I am sorry." His strong voice shook a tiny bit.
Squeezing Caden's hand I let out a small scream when burning liquid touches my skin. "It's going to be alright, my love. He is cleaning the gash before stitching it up."
Squeezing his hand again I let him know I understand. My head felt healthier, but I didn't want to risk shaking it and causing the black dots to reappear.
Grimacing I bite my tongue when the needle slices through my already sore skin.
"Almost done, Princess," the doctors soothing voice slithers through my ears. Lifting my arm up he wraps a bandage tightly in place. "Your wound will need to be checked daily for infection. Give it two weeks at least until you use your arm."
"Is that it doctor?" Caden questions. His hand softly strokes my face.
"Yes. Keep her from using her arm. If she does, the wound will open up."
"Thank you. You may go." Sighing I feel a warm wash cloth brush tenderly against my skin. "Oh and doctor."
"Yes your highness?" The doctor asks.
"This stays between us. You know what will happen if you disobey." Caden's words leave no room for argument.
"I wouldn't dream of causing my Princess harm. My lips are sealed."
Hearing the door close I wait to see what shall happen next.
A deep breath is taken near my head. "If you promise not to leave me, I will keep Theo out of prison.
Too tired to respond, I lay silently.
"She agrees," Theo barks out with laughter. Always my jokesters.
"How would you know," Caden sneers. In wonder how long it will take for him to relax near my family and friends.
"One thing you should know about our dear Claudia is that she would do anything for the ones she loves. If by staying by your side keeps me and maybe Nic out of prison, she wouldn't think twice about it."
"Nik stays in jail. He will stand trial for lying and keeping sensitive information from me and my family. There is nothing I can and will do for him. He betrayed my trust." I thank the goddess Nic and I have a bond. He won't be sentenced to death for my actions.
"But-"
"Enough! I won't speak further of this. Leave now before I change my mind and send you to the dungeons."
"I will see you later Claudia. Make sure to boss your jealous mate around while you're injured. I better hear of him on bended knees the next time I see you." Smiling I try not to laugh at Theo. He brings brightness to any situation.
"Your friend isn't as hilarious as he believes to be." Caden whispers as the door closes.
Oh yes he is. Wait until he pranks you. Sighing I snuggle deeper into the bed sheets. My mind slowly going blank.
"Sleep well my love. I will stay here until you awake." A delicate kiss graces my forehead. "I will always wait for you."
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Authors Note: Thanks for reading. Don't forget to vote and comment!!!!
Chapter Questions: Oh what will Claudia say once she wakes up?
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If you wish to read more the trilogy, it's on Ream. The link is on my page. Happy Reading!