Daughter Dearest...Why Is There A Werewolf In Your Bed...?

A few sparse birds chirped as the last of the evening light slipped over the evergreen walls. The moon began to gain light and I felt Miles tense next to me. I looked at him and then up to the sky.

It was a three quarter moon.

I felt his chest spasm with held back laughter and I smacked his shoulder.

“That was not funny! I was concerned!” I looked at him incredulously, but his laughter broke through and I couldn’t help but smile at the situation.

Huffing, I crossed my arms and looked away from him so that he couldn’t see my grin. His arms snaked around my waist and he leaned his chin on my shoulder. Miles’ warm breath tickled my skin as he tried to see my face, but I turned to the other side.

His mouth brushed the skin on my neck lightly, bringing a sudden shiver from me. He paused and brushed his lips across my neck again, slowly. I shivered again and felt him smile into my skin. Miles took one hand from my waist and turned my head towards him, in my disbelief, I let him.

His grey eyes shined like silver in the moonlight. It was nothing like the shine that Cian’s eyes had, Cian’s were cold and hard, more like steel than silver. Miles’ eyes were warm and welcoming, comforting even. In my stupor, my eyes flicked from his gaze to his lips that were closing in as the seconds slowly past. I looked back up to his stare and found that the emotion in them was tender and caring. I didn’t recognize it at all.

And then, I was kissed for the first time. It was...strange, but in a good way. His hand moved to the back of my head and he applied a little pressure to draw us closer together. I shifted so that I could wrap my arms around his neck and let myself go.

Then I realized, What the hell am I doing?

I pulled back from him and stuttered an excuse to get up and leave. Only a few seconds after I ran out of the garden, I felt a hand encircle my wrist and I turned back to see Miles’ confused face.

“What’s wrong?” His eyes searched my face.

Shaking my head quickly, I tugged my arm, but he kept his grip. It frustrated me that he was gripping me lightly and yet I couldn’t break free. He wrapped his other hand around my waist and drew me to his body.

“Did I do something?”

There was no holding back the memory now. Not when the circumstances were so similar.

It was about two years ago when I had apparently gotten to the age to be married off. My mother hated the idea, but it was a law made by my the ancestors of the royal family and it would be treason to go against it.

The suitors began to line up and I was very nervous. What if I made a fool of myself? The boy would surely report it to his family and I would be a shame to the family. I made sure I was very courteous and careful with my actions. I remembered one boy who had caught my attention, but I never knew his name. He had never told me.

He was very kind and respectful, and I felt myself beginning to like him. I told my mother about it and she was skeptical at first, but she never questioned me. She had told me that it was up to me to decide, it was my heart’s choice and she could not interfere with that.

I went off to find him and that was when I heard it. His voice talking to his parents about how he wanted to leave, how he couldn’t stand being with me. He hated being forced into this situation.

I felt tears sting my eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a growing rage. My blood boiled and my eyes turned red. I blacked out and when I woke up my father and brother were holding me down and the room that the boy and his family had been staying in was destroyed. The walls were full of holes and the sheets and drapes were ripped to shreds, laying about the room like pale green snowflakes.

The parents of the boy were huddled in a corner of the room cradling their son, who was unconscious. I had beaten him within an inch of his life.

After that day I held in all of my anger and went to my aunt’s cottage before anything drastic happened. That was what I was told to do from that moment on.

The thought that remained in my mind was that all men were alike. They were in the same situation I was, they were forced into this. I forced myself to be cold to the other suitors and it became easier, it didn’t hurt as much, but now I was showing a weakness and I was terrified that I would be betrayed again.

I didn’t want to be hurt, or hurt Miles. I just couldn’t go through that again.

I forced myself to look at Miles, “I just have to go.”

He took a moment to stare into my eyes, trying to see if I would change my mind, but no matter how much I wanted to, I was still scared.

“Do you think that I didn’t mean that kiss?”

I struggled against his grip again, I didn’t want to hear anymore, I wanted to run to my room. I wanted to be somewhere, anywhere, so that I wouldn’t hear his words.

“Rayne look at me.” I stared at the ground behind my right shoulder. He sighed.

I want to leave.

“Rayne.”

No.

“Listen to me.”

Stop talking.

“I want you to know.”

Please...

He paused as he searched for the right words.

Please don’t say it...

“I like you. I just want you to know that.”

Stop it!

“I-I think....”

I felt the tears well in my eyes as I heard him take a deep breath. Don’t...

“I think I’m falling for you.”