chapter thirteen - I kept struggling with the creatures

Now speaking of which his eyes haven't left me ever since we arrived. his gaze has been following me about like a hungry hawk and I tried so much to ignore it.

"yes, dear we will leave you to freshen up and have some rest before dinner by 7 on dot. I will get a maid to come and accompany you to the dining room when it's time.

Alright out out out you lots. Let's give Ashley some space to settle down" she said ushering everyone out.

They all started leaving one after the other and when it was Lady Anya's turn to leave, she gave me a strange look before walking out the door leaving Prince Zeid and I alone in the room.

"sooo aren't you going also," I asked him as he was still standing in the same spot he was before.

"Trying to get rid of me so soon," he asked raising his brows at me while walking towards me. As he took a step forward, I take one backward until I was trapped between the wall and him.

"gulp....w...weren't you the one that just said I needed to freshen up and rest," I asked back in return breathlessly. He kept moving towards me until it remains just a few inches between us.

"hehe...yes I did," he said wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger before tucking it behind my ears.

"s...s...so what then are you trying to do" I stuttered.

"testing waters"

"u..uhh"

"do you know how long I've been searching for you, and now that I have you in front of me, you feel so distance away like you are blocking me out...I wonder why is that" he speculates.

"I...i...I don't understand what you mean by that" I said not feeling comfortable with his closeness to me.

"Hmmm...you don't..." he said finally taking a step back to give me a breathing space.

"yeah..." I said breathlessly still affected by his closeness. Most especially my wolf who has been fighting so hard to jump his bones. It took everything in me to rein down my wolf and I was at the brink of losing control before he stepped back from me.

"hmm.. we'll see about that. I will leave you to settle down first and we will continue from where we stopped later Mate" He promised walking out of the room leaving me alone.

The moment the door closed behind him, I collapsed on the floor because my legs were too weak to support me from the effect he just had on me. Is this how the mate bond affects someone so much?. The effect it had on me was so much that it took all my self-control not to give in.

After I was able to compose myself, I stood up and take a look around the room.

The room boasts of the gorgeous tufted headboard and ornate bed coronet making it looks vintage in soft, muted tones that pop beautifully against seafoam green wall. A vintage frame of a wolf was placed above the bed, A large English stand that matches the room was placed beside the bed. Opposite the bed on the other side of the room are two different doors. One leading to a walk-in closet with vanity in it. The closet is as big as the room itself. Inside it is a spiral staircase that leads to where the jewelry, tiara, and all sorts of ornaments are kept. This view left me speechless cause I've never come across a place as beautiful as this not to talk of living in it.

The other door leads to the bathroom. Upon entering it, I fell in love with it. It has a walk-in shower designed with a pebble floor and column making it feel like being on the beach which can contain about ten people altogether. Outside the walk-in shower, the bathroom is designed with lots of white with a touch of green, tons of light with a bamboo roman shade; which works together to give a nice refreshing feeling.

On one side of the bathroom is a door. I tried opening it but couldn't. After several trials, I gave up and decided to take a shower instead.

After the shower, the fatigue of the long journey finally crept up on me and I decided to take a quick rest before dinner so that I would feel rejuvenated by then.

BANG

BANG

BANG

"No...Noo...Nooo...Noooo...Please stop... Pa!!! Ma!!!.... HELP!!!... Where are you taking me... Stop!!!... No... Leave me... Let me go..." I pleaded and struggle trying to escape from the creatures that were dragging me to the forest trying to escape from the creature that was dragging me to the forest.

" ASHLEY!!!" I suddenly heard my parents calling from afar

" Pa!!!.... Help!!!" I called out as I continued to struggle with the creatures.

"Ashley!!!... Ashley!!!" My parents continue to call out and I kept struggling with the creatures as they kept dragging me deep into the forest.

All of a sudden, a brown wolf jumped out from nowhere and attacked one of the creatures, going for the neck by tearing it off the body, killing it in a go.

As a result of this, the remaining four creatures' attention was drawn to the wolf. When they saw this, they all rushed to attack the wolf leaving me alone for a moment. It was then I was able to that the wolf was actually my father. I panicked and tried to go to their midst but was dragged back by a hand. I trace the hand to my mother's face and quickly hug her.

"oh' my darling thank goddess we found you... Let's leave this place," she said as she takes my hand and pulls me away towards the direction I was being dragged from.

"Ma wait what of Pa?" the moment I said this, We heard my father's wolf howl out in agony.

"Father!!!"

We both ran back to where the fight is being held and saw that the creatures have severed the right arm of my father from his body and it's lying down flat on the floor about 3ft away from them.

"Pa!!!...Ben!!!"