As I left the large room I looked back at the boy in my seat, I noticed him looking at me as well.
I closed the door as I walked out and I started to walk back to my room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No! The princess is to marry my son, Samuel, before next full moon or her crown will be taken!", I heard a woman yelling at the Royal Crowner.
"Mrs. Quill, please understand that this has to be the Queens choice. She has to be with her destined mate. You know the rules of the kingdom.", the man had told her sternly.
I was pressed against a wall, listening to the conversation. Why did I know that name 'Samuel'? Shit! I thought. Absolutely not.
Samuel was my best friend growing up and he and I were inseparable until he had turned before I did, we weren't allowed near each other because he was uncontrollable.
"He could snap her in half simply by hugging her too tightly", his mother had told my father, who was well aware that it was possible. But it's been three years since then and I turned on my seventeenth birthday last year.
"Don't worry, sir, they know each other. It is not like I'm forcing them to marry strangers.", Mrs. Quill said, bringing me out of my dazed thoughts.
"The Queen gets the choice.", the man said before he walked out of the hall.
Since the conversation was obviously over I started to walk to my room, but then someone had grabbed my wrist gently.
"Mae?", I knew that voice and only one person had ever called me Mae. I closed my eyes and sighed before turning to see his face.
"Hello, Sammy," I said quietly, remembering that the palace is full of wolves who here everything.
"Wow, you have really changed.", he sounded like someone was squeezing his throat and forcing him to talk when he couldn't breathe.
"Are you alright?" I asked, I hate seeing him like this. His mother was always extremely controlling of him, Samuel is probably going behind her back to talk to me without her.
"I miss you, and I don't want to stay away from you anymore, but my mother....she is trying to....I don't know. She mentioned you during dinner last night, saying that I was supposed to be in charge of the kingdom...", I looked at him with wide eyes, I believe him. And what I had just heard from his mother, herself, it all made sense now.
"I miss you too Sammy. You don't have to stay away but what your mother is saying....and I just heard her talking about you and I...you know... getting married....it all makes sense now." I had to look away from his face, he looks so disgusted with his mother. I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at him.
"Mae, I don't know what to say. I'm not saying that me and you wouldn't happen but...I don't want it like this. My mother can't be in control of my relationships especially not if it's with my destined mate," he looked away, like he was nervous about something.
"Have you...you know.... found her?" I said looking at the wall.
"Who?" He looked at me confused
"Your destined mate," I couldn't look at him, I focused on a painting of a full moon behind his head.
"Not yet...well I guess I haven't been trying to find her..." He looked into my eyes, his dark brown eyes soft and warm.
"Why's that?" I asked, a little confused.
He didn't answer for a few moments, he was thinking of how to answer and than we heard noise from the other end of the hall.
"Fuck! It's my mom. I gotta go, I'll be back soon, Mae," And just like that he ran towards his mother's voice and disappeared around a corner.
"Good by my Sammy," I whispered to my oldest friend and sighed. I have missed him for years, but he was acting kind of strange earlier, maybe he remembered we were under the surveillance of the kingdoms most powerful guards.
One thing was clear. I still feel the same way for Sammy that I did three years ago.