The Beast And The Blessed

Two: Charlie

Charlie's P.O.V.

I could feel him. His eyes were on me. The hairs on the back of my neck were raised, and goosebumps littered my skin, even as I warmed under the afternoon sun.

It didn't seem to matter how fast I ran or where I turned; he was faster. It was like he didn't want to be found, and since he had been the one to run away, to begin with... I was smart enough to know that might have been the case. I just didn't want to accept it.

The deeper into the trees I went without my clothes or weapons, the more humiliation I felt. What kind of dignified woman, let alone a member of the royal family, goes chasing a man who doesn't even want her?

Water dripped from the ends of my hair, flicking around me when I turned my head quickly at a sound to my left.

I could have let him walk away. I could have given him space, but I didn't know if he was just traveling through or if he lived here. If he were just traveling, finding him again would be difficult or even impossible. I could spend months or years trying to locate him.

I had dreamed about meeting my mate for so long, and I was terrified that if I let him slip through my fingers now, I would never find him again.

It was that fear that kept me moving forward. I couldn't lose him.

Even if he didn't want me, I needed to hear it for myself so I wouldn't spend the rest of my life wondering, 'What if?'.

There was no sign of life between the trees. The thick trunks blocked most of my view, and I stepped to the side quietly as I tried to peer around them. The breeze was still blowing to the southwest, the same direction my mate had taken off in.

It also made it so I couldn't catch the scent of whatever was lurking nearby, but I knew they would catch mine.

A deer stepped out between the trees and into my line of sight, grazing. I felt my chest drop in disappointment. Surely, if my mate were nearby, he would have spooked the animal a while ago. I doubted a deer would be confident and comfortable enough to graze with a bear in its presence.

Yet, I was still aware of the distinct feeling of being watched. I could still feel the heat of embarrassment on my chest, knowing my mate was doing a better job of hunting me than I was him.

I knew how to hunt and stalk creatures of all sizes, yet he was outsmarting me. Just another way for me to humiliate myself in front of him before even getting his name.

When the sun sank down further, and I could hear the sound of one of my men calling out to me, I realized how far I had wandered. My feet had sunk into the soft soil as I continued to stare between the trees. I had been watching and waiting, desperate to see him again.

The deep and gruff shout of my name from Paxton made me turn my head slowly. The darkness that had taken over surprised me, and I looked up and around. How long had I been standing here listening for my mate or hoping the breeze would shift so that I

Charlie! What the hell are you doing out here?" Paxton's eyes widened when he saw I was in my undergarments. It clearly hadn't been what he had been expecting by the shocked look on his face. There was no need for me to be dressed this way as we remained clothed in our skin and were naked in our fur. Any in-between was almost scandalous. "I told you to

was the lady's man of the group, tall and confident. He could make a woman melt

could. I had seen it for myself, but it

trust me, He

was how we

the weirdest pickup line

to laid-back. The way he

female in the bar then, as it was early morning. So, he decided to take a seat next to me. He tried a few more lines on me with no conviction, all of which I shot down. But our conversation after that was

a few more times around the town over the next

and he introduced me to Barley. Barley was the Papa Bear of the group. An older, jolly fellow, taller than most Lycans, but with a bigger gut than them too.

a large and round man move so

Paxton, and I blinked

watched faded away, and I knew my mate was

than that. The things I had dealt with in my life had forced

I had been counting on, the person I was going to love and who would love me unconditionally, that walked away made my heart

kind of pressure on him before I even met him. He could still reject me, or perhaps he had already claimed another. If not, maybe he wanted

bear... not many would be happy about that. But I

be able to see past my mate being a bear for him to give him a chance. If something happened to Killian, I

always in one territory dispute or

free, unlimited by invisible borders and territory lines, while wolves like to establish

you when you didn't come back." He puffed his chest with pride, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

it was, pretend. He put on a good face, but it was mostly just to make himself look good,

odd to move again

smirked, and I knew I was

on his belt of dice, cards, and a bag of six

the chores and jobs that no one wanted to do. We each drew a rock in our closed fists and then