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.

my head slowly. The darkness that had taken over surprised me, and I looked up and around. How long had I been standing here

shocked look on his face. There was no need for me to be

man of the group, tall and confident. He could make a woman melt by flashing his

for myself, but it had never worked

tried. Oh, trust me,

was how we

bar where I sat, caging me in, and leaned forward with the weirdest pickup line about loving women with

made him flip like a switch from seductive to laid-back. The way he

bad for him, I was the only 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

around the town over the next few days, and we got to

was the Papa Bear of the group. An older, jolly fellow, taller than most Lycans,

large and round man move so quickly and fluidly with

of Paxton, and I blinked my dry eyes once as

feeling of being watched faded away, and I knew my mate was no longer around. My chest dropped

The things I had dealt with in my life had forced me to have a harder shell and be

one person I had been counting on, the person I was going to love and who

I even met him. He could still reject me, or perhaps he had already claimed another. If not,

bear... not many would be

see past my mate being a bear for him to give him a chance. If something happened to Killian, I would take the throne, and having a bear at

always in one territory dispute

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

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

at playing the selfless hero. But that was all it was, pretend. He put on a good face, but it was mostly just to make himself look good, especially if he

white stone?' I stepped forward. It felt odd to move again after standing with my body tense

and I knew I was

bags on his belt of dice, cards, and a bag of six stones. Five

wanted to do. We each drew a rock in our closed fists and then opened them at the same time. Whoever had the