ARIANA'S POV.
{A FEW DAYS AGO}
I sat, with my knees to my chest, tears streaking silently down my face, as I tried to get peace from the water streaming along gently.
A sniff escaped me, and my arms around my knees tightened, as more tears burned their way down my pale cheeks.
Someone sat next to me, and I jumped, startled.
But after seeing the familiar green eyes, I relaxed, and more tears squeezed out, as my pout became prominent.
"Why are you here crying alone?" Michael asked, taking my hand gently in his.
"I cry here every day, remember? Those girls never fail to make me come here."
"What did they do today again?"
"I'm going to run away." I said, stubbornly.
"Hey." He laid his hands on my shoulders, and turned me to him. The wolf prince. The man with the mesmerizing eyes. He was just a year older, but he was everything to me. Michael was the one who'd heard my cries over time.
He was the one who'd given me the numerous hugs I needed. Loving him was the only rainbow streak in the gray sky called my life.
However, it was difficult to love him. Michael was perfect, except for one thing…
"What am I going to do if you leave?" He asked.
Hold up. Wait a minute. What was that look in his eyes?
"Whenever those girls bully you, just come to me. You can always cry with me. I'll be there to hug you. What did they do to make you want to run away?"
"They…" I paused for a while, still trying to understand why he looked so crazed.
"They ganged up to strip me naked."
For a second, rage flashed through his eyes, but it was a fire immediately quenched by water. I turned away from him, and went back to hugging my knees.
There was nothing Michael could do about it. We weren't supposed to be seen together, so he couldn't even try to defend me.
I already had it set in my mind to run away.
"I'm sorry." He muttered quietly. "But please don't leave."
"It would be better for both of us. You won't have to hide whenever you wish to talk to me. You won't have to send secret letters, and…"
"What if it pleases me? What happens when I want to see you? Who gets my secret letters if you leave? Who do I comfort and hug? Ari, are you really going to leave me?"
"You can adjust. You're the prince. You can have all the friends you want. One weak, human, female friend taken away will not put a dent on you or affect you in any way." I snapped, and he went mute for a while.
"I never thought of you as a friend." He replied, and I looked into his eyes. "Did you see me as a friend, Ariana?"
"Uh?"
"You were never a friend. You're something more. Ari, you're the only unusual thing in my otherwise predictable day. Do you really think I'm a friend? Have you seen me befriend any other female?"
"I don't understand. I'm a human. What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I love you."
My jaw fell, and I simply stared at him, as butterflies bloomed in my chest. Michael… he… my god. He had feelings for me. It wasn't true! Me? A human? The weakling among the wolves?
It seemed like a rainy sky suddenly turning white with clouds. Like sunshine piercing through the dark like a knight in shiny armor.
My cheeks reddened, and I turned away, so I could smile. It was unbelievable. Michael loved me.
"You don't like me?" He asked, and I folded my hands.
"Who said I didn't?" I asked, trying to sound strong, and he hugged me from behind. You should have seen me. I was ice.
"I knew you liked me. You can't stop blushing whenever you see me."
I folded my lips, in a futile attempt to stop smiling.
Of course, I could take it all! Even if the ruthless wolves gave me a thousand chores to kill me, or stripped me naked in public. Even though they used me as their basketball hoop, punching bag, or as the rabbit in their 'chase' game; heck, I could take it all!
Michael and I walked out of the woods, holding hands, and smiling as we suddenly became shy with each other. My cheeks were hurting from smiling too much.
However, when we walked out, and saw a few of my bullies coming, he immediately threw my hand off, and dragged me by the collar, leading me to them.
I stumbled, and tried to pry his hand off, but he was too strong.
He shoved me at them, and I fell to the floor, my hair crowding around my face, as my knees grazed the soil.
"Found her sulking in the woods." He said.
"Ooh, already acting like a King, before coronation day, aren't you? Fishing out the traitor for us?" Laura, one of them asked.
"I forgot my coronation is in a few days. Am I already acting like the Alpha? By getting the runaway bunny? Why, you flatter me too much. Catch you later." He said, and walked away.
I stared at the ground, feeling my heart grow heavy. Eunice bent.
"You think you can run? Why? We're not done playing yet, darling," she said with devilish sweetness, "Girls. Take her."
Yes, that was the problem with Michael. The reason he wasn't perfect. Apart from being unable to be seen with me in public. He had to join the others in ridiculing and making life hell for me to sustain his cover.
That day, I was thrown naked in ice-cold water, tied to a rock like a fish caught in the fisherman's trap.
It took hours before I could free myself, and I feared I'd die hours later of pneumonia. However, when I stepped into my room with its blinking bulb, bed made of ripped cartons, and tattered blankets, I saw Michael waiting for me on a little moth-eaten sofa.
He got up immediately, and threw a blanket around me.
"I will have tea brought up immediately, and a really hot dinner. Are you okay?"
Obviously not. Seriously I was sick of everything, but I simply leaned in towards him, demanding one of the hugs that always soothed my soul.
He hugged me in return, and placed a hand on my head.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered, and I smiled.
I said I could take it all. Yeah, I could. I'd be a fool as long as he loved me.
He would be crowned soon on his birthday, which was around the corner, so he'd be free to show me to the world as his lover. Yeah, I could do that.
For days, Michael and I sent even more secret love letters, conversing though letters, symbols, and special numbers known to us alone.
I was just about the happiest twenty-year-old in the pack whenever I was with him.
The dark times got more unbearable, but I could take it. Yes, for Michael, I would. After all, I loved butterflies, and he was the only one who could make me a butterfly.
~
I stepped into the hall in the patchwork dress I'd sewn myself from collecting different clothes the noble wolves had trashed. It wasn't much, but it was my best yet. Even if everyone snorted, Michael wouldn't.
Every single person in the pack was present. It was a sea of dazzling dresses, and amazing suits. Laughter, and merriment rung through, and I placed myself off to the side, wanting none of my bullies to notice me.
They'd promised to offer my naked body as a show to surprise Michael on his day. It was better I slunk off into the shadows, so they wouldn't remember me.
Michael finally made his appearance, and my heart beamed. It was beating too fast, and too hard. I couldn't help the smile on my face. How could he manage to look so handsome? He was killing me.
The ceremony spanned on, and my eyes were for him alone. It was long, and painfully boring, but finally, the time came.
The time for Michael to sense his mate. Boy, he was twenty-one already. I looked around the hall at all the beautiful ladies. Michael wouldn't leave me for his mate, right? We would sort something out, right?
Michael caught me in the shadows, and winked when I smiled. Okayy, he was definitely still mine.
However, he kept looking around the silent hall, until his eyes came to rest on me again. A look of confusion seeped into his eyes, and I stiffened, as everyone began to trail his line of sight.
The shadows suddenly felt useless, as every eye came to rest on me. I swallowed, and held on to the sides of my dress.
It was me.
I was Michael's mate!
My heart thrummed in joy. We could finally be free! Jeez, my God! Is it true? I was the wolf prince's mate? Was that why he took an instant liking to me?
We no longer needed to hide? I no longer needed to be bullied?
It was a whole damned lie! My heart skipped in joy, and I could barely keep myself from rocking on my feet.
I looked at Michael with a rising smile, but his eyes…
The look in them had changed.