Williams POV
“Why would you say that to her?! She’s our mate. You get her back here!” Waylon cried out as William went back into his room.
“I don’t believe in the fated mate,” William growled in return; he was sick of his wolf insisting that Doris was his mate.
“I know you felt it. When she fell into you, the scent and taste of her hair. The touch of her skin. There’s no denying it.”
“Enough. You know what happens when a wolf mates. It makes them that much easier to be killed,” William argued.
“Not all fated mates end tragically like your mother. What if this is different?” Waylon asked, lowering his tone.
“What if it’s not?” William asked in return.
It wasn’t a chance he was willing to take He wasn’t going to allow something like that to happen to him, even if it meant shutting himself off from all potential mates going forward.
“What you have with Melody isn’t the same. You don’t feel anything for her,” Waylon spoke gently this time.
“Which is why it’s better if I stay with her. If I don’t have feelings for her, there will be no damage.”
“You can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.”
(Doris POV)
I nibbled on some food as I waited for Melody and Prince William’s meals to finish in the kitchen. Melody didn’t allow me to eat in front of her, so I had to sneak snacks and meals in between serving her.
I couldn’t stop thinking about my encounter with Prince William this morning. His nearness had the same effect on my body as it had the night he marked me. I could still feel the warmth of his breath on my features when he was only inches from my face.
I touched my fingers to my face and thought about what he said, “I want nothing to do with you.”
What had I done to cause him so much distress? He hated me so much and he treated me cruelly. He was waiting for me with Lady Melody in her chambers for their meals; I wasn’t sure how I was going to face him again.
Had he said something to Melody about how he caught me lurking outside his chambers? Had Lady Jane said something to Melody?
I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach as I made my way up to her bedroom. There was no doubt that she was going to punish me again. Perhaps even worse than she had before. All those ladies, including Lady Jane, saw my naked body kneeling before them. I had never felt more humiliated in my life.
I wanted to cry on the spot; I want to cry now but I knew I couldn’t. I had to serve this food and maintain a strong composure. Melody fed off my weakness and I couldn’t allow her to use it against me.
Not while I was so close to getting that amnesty.
I kept reminding myself to hold on a little longer. Though, it would be a lot easier if I had Beth with me to help keep me grounded and for our daily reminders.
I wondered what she was doing right now.
“Where have you been?” Lady Melody said as I entered her chambers.
She was seated at her small table across the room with Prince William sitting across from her. His arms were folded across his chest and his head was turned away from me as if he couldn’t even bother to look at me. I didn’t mind that because I wasn’t sure I would be able to look at him either.
“My apologies, my lady,” I said as I scurried over to them.
“Prince William has been waiting for ages for his meal,” she scolded as I placed their platters in front of them.
I tried hard to keep my head down and not look over at William; I didn’t think that was going to be an issue until I began pouring their tea. As I poured into William’s cup, I stole a glance at his hardened face and realized he was looking directly at me.
My breath got stuck in my throat as I caught his eyes; the blue satire darkening as his gaze poured into me. He looked at me with such hatred and despair; a look so powerful I had never received it from anyone before.
“Doris!!” Melody shot to her feet, alarmed and angry as tea overfilled William’s cup and spilled on the tablecloth, and scorched my hand.
I placed the teapot on the table and flinched as I held my hand close to my chest. William had also stood up and backed away from the table to keep the spilled tea off his clothing.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Melody hissed; the fire of her wolf was showing through in her eyes as she glared at me.
“I’m so sorry, my lady, and your majesty,” I said, glancing briefly at William.
His expression hardened and his eyes narrowed in my direction.
“Get out,” he said, keeping his tone low and threatening.
After a breath of silence, Melody grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door, her nails digging into my wrist.
“You heard him!” Melody hissed. “Get out!”
She shoved me out the door and I nearly fell in the process of leaving her room. My body shivered as she slammed the door shut behind her; warm tears soaking over my features, and I had to bite my lip hard to keep from sobbing. I tasted a light layer of blood from my lip oozing onto my tongue.
I looked down at my burned hand and touched my fingers to the reddened blistering of my flesh, wincing as the pain coursed through my arm. I couldn’t tell what was worse, the pain in my hand, or the pain I was feeling in my heart.
My body was reacting in such a way I didn’t recognize and didn’t particularly care for. As went down the grand stairs, I stared at the main doorway, which was being guarded by the butler, Roger. Part of me wondered how hard it would be to just run out the front door and keep running. Never to return to this palace.
Run far away from here and obtain that freedom on my own without the King’s amnesty. But I couldn’t just leave Beth; we were in this together and we are getting out of here together. I turned around in the foyer and began walking towards the back room which lead into the gardens.
The gardens were another one of my favorite places at the palace. Well, it used to be until the night I was attacked by William. Now, it’s tainted with those memories I couldn’t get out of my head. But I needed the air and I needed to get out of the palace for only a few moments.
I couldn’t let anyone see me crying.
I stepped outside and allowed the cool air to soften my features; it gave me breath and I was able to breathe finally. I felt as though I was holding my breath the entire time I was inside the palace. It was nice to finally be alone and enjoy my own company. Even if it didn’t last long.
I kept a hold of my burned hand as I found a bench in the middle of the gardens. Sitting down I stared down at my blistered hand; tears burning in my eyes as I thought about William’s hatred lingering in his gaze as he looked at me.
My heart hurt so badly when I thought of it.
What had I done to him to make him hate me so badly?
He treated me so cruelly.
My lips quivered and I had to bite my bottom lip again to keep myself from sobbing too loudly. I couldn’t risk being found out here. I would get in trouble for sure. I just needed a little bit of air. The cold air helped soothe the pain of the burn as well and I was able to relax only slightly.
“Are you well?” An unfamiliar voice said from not far.
I shot to my feet startled as a young man stood in the gardens alongside me. He was handsome in a boyish way. He didn’t seem to be much older than me, maybe 18 or 19 years old. Studying his features, I saw that he had a kind expression on his face. He had a lopsided grin, and his dark eyes were laced with concern.
He was assessing my face for a moment before his eyes fell and saw the burn on my hand. I heard his gasp as he took a step closer to me, reaching out to grab onto my hand.
“You’re injured,” he breathed.
I instantly snatched my hand away and hid the burn from his viewing.
“Please… let me…” he tried to say.
“Pardon me, sir. But do I know you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as tame as I could.
He frowned, confused by my question.
He rose his eyebrows as he looked around my face, before speaking. “You don’t know who I am?”