Recognizing the mate bond

Recognizing the mate bond

Damon's P O V

I chuckle as I watch her run away from me, her face red in embarrassment. She's an interesting girl and I hope she turns out to be my true mate.

It'll be fun living with her.

I lie down on the bed to sleep but her image kept on preventing me from sleeping, after much effort, sleep overtook me.

*

I stand in front of the dressing mirror and let my servant dress me up properly.

I haven't seen and perceived Aria's scent today. Maybe she's still embarrassed about last night. I chuckled and looked down at my shoe.

"My prince, you are laughing." I lift my head to stare at him.

"So? Am I not allowed to laugh?" I groaned at him.

"No, please don't be offended. It's not what I mean. It's just that, I've never seen you like this. I've been working for you for more than 10 years, I haven't seen you looking so lively."

I know what he is saying is pure truth but I chose to ignore him.

I got informed this morning that I need to meet up with my father at the hunting ground.

All this is tiring but, what can I do? Nowadays I dress myself up without the help of my servant but because of the king's invitation, I had to let him dress me.

He picks the best dress suit for a prince.

"Sir, you are ready." He steps backwards and announces.

Is the horse ready?

"Yes, my prince." He salutes.

I turned and left my room, meeting Matthew who was already waiting for me.

"Where is Dave?" I ask him.

"Dave left early this morning, saying his mother is sick." He wants to check up on her and return.

I nod my head at the information and he follows me out.

I don't think Aria will step out today so she's going to be okay. I just hope that a pretentious friend of hers does not harm her. Although I doubt that, if she was going to kill her, she could have done that before now.

I mount the white horse prepared for me and Matthew also mounts his. We set off to the hunting ground with guards running after us.

We got to the hunting ground where my father, Betty's father and other high ranking officials were waiting.

I greeted my father and some officials that I'm friendly with before my father said a few things about the rules of the game.

Of course, I know the rules of this game and as the prince, I'm expected to catch the biggest game.

Matthew is there to help me even if I don't catch any game which I doubt. I'm good at hunting but Matthew is better at it.

Father announced the start of the game and we all raised off with our horse to the woods.

"Do you think you can catch any game?" Matthew who was following behind implored.

"If I don't hunt down any, you'll do in my place."

He chuckles at my reply. I expected that.

"But why did the king suddenly set this? You weren't even notified beforehand."

"I don't know. It might be Betty's father, I don't know why my father listens to that old cunning bastard. The bastard's intention is clear, he wants the throne but since he can't have it, wants his daughter to get it in his place." I frowned at the thought.

"You know the man who once saved the king's life, you shouldn't speak ill of him." I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I saw a deer.

I stretched out my hand for Matthew to hand me the arrows and he did.

I target the deer and shoot it but the deer runs away. I started chasing the deer as it ran to the outskirts of the pack.

I stop when the deer crosses to the next pack.

"You're lucky." I grimaced and turned to go back but heard a familiar voice that I knew.

A fear-filled voice.

I jumped down from my horse and Matthew jumped down with me, he also heard the voice.

I followed the sound of the voice until I saw the terrible scene in front of me.

Aria? What's she doing out here?

"Aria!" I yelled and she turned to look at me.

3 humans are surrounding her, her dress is thorn. They are trying to hurt her, those sick bastards.

I ran speedily towards them as one poked her with a silver knife.

I lifted the man and threw him away. I fixed my hand on the two remaining men's necks and broke it, killing them instantly.

I bent down to examine her injury.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I'm so fûcking worried about her, my wolf is going crazy. It wants to come out and kill those men a second time if that was possible.

I could let him come and eat their flesh if not for Aria sitting on the floor, looking terrified.

"Arrggg!" I heard a scream behind me and turned to see the human I had fling away rushing to me with a dagger laced with wolfsbane.

He also wants to kill me.

These silly humans.

I reach out to him and snap his neck, also killing him instantly. But that didn't satisfy me so I reached for his eyes and poked them out. I also reached for his tongue, I pulled it out and dropped it on the floor. Then I went for his intestines, my brain reminded me that I will be punished seriously if my father finds out that I killed humans but I ignored it and concentrated on ripping the man apart.

After scattering his flesh on the floor, I do the same to the two remaining men before I become satisfied.

I turned to look at Aria whose eyes couldn't leave mine as I misbehaved.

She shook her head, her eyes are still full of fear.

I walk to her, ignoring my bloody hands and body.

She continued shaking her head as I got to her.

"Why?" I asked, I was curious about the reason she kept shaking her head. Then I saw it, I saw them. The group of wolves watching me from a distance, my father is with them.

I'm in deep shit.

My father and a few other high ranking wolves sat on their horse and continued watching me. Even Matthew stood a mile away, speechlessly gazing at me.

"Damon, what are all these?" Father grunts, his eyes darkening in rage.

I'm expecting every reaction I get from him, I just killed three humans without remorse, tore them to pieces like they were feathers. But how dare they mess with my mate-? Wait, my mate.

I snapped my head towards her direction to see her still sitting on the floor.

What's wrong? I bent over and made to lift her but she pointed at the chains around her legs. They were silver chains.

I understand and immediately removed the chains from her, ignoring the burns it caused my hands.

"Damon!" Father snarled, his strong aura almost suffocating me.

"Father, they touched what they shouldn't have. They touched what belongs to me!" I groaned, looking pissed.

I just had to protect my mate.

"Guards!" Father yelled and numerous guards stepped forward.

"For breaking the law of the land you'll be put in a pagoda for a year." He orders.

The guards moved forward to arrest me but I drew back from them, taking Aria with me.

Matthew shakes his head, letting me know that I was making a mistake and I might as well lose my title as a future king if I run away.

But these are not my concern. She's my mate, I can feel it very much.

My main concern right now is connecting with her. Claiming her, my wolf is awakening, meaning that he has recognized her. Whatever curse was placed on her has been broken that instant and all I want now is to mark her and stay with her.

I can't afford to go to the pagoda and stay there for a fûcking year. I can't afford to lose my mate.

"No!" She shakes her head as she understands what I was planning to do.

"No, obey him." Tears run down her cheek as my grip on her hand tightens and I continue backing away.

If it were to be a normal wolf, the guards could have cornered him and probably beaten him till he is weak but because of my title, they hesitate a bit to do anything harshly.

"I give you the full order to seize him. Beat him if he tries to escape or fights back." Dad commands the guard.

My eyes scan my father's face and then my eyes move to that of Betty's father's face. A smirk was plastered on his face, a well-knowing smirk.

That bastard. I doubt that he has no hand in this.

The guards attack but I'm too quick to defend myself. Matthew joins me in fighting them off, of course, he'll find it hard to disobey the king but I'm his Alpha.

His beta instinct will force him to protect me.

I pick Aria up and disappear into the woods and eventually cross the border to another pack where my father's guard won't find me.

I stop to examine Aria.

I drop her to her feet and examine her wound.

"Are you okay?" She shakes her head negatively.

"Why? Why did you disobey the king? Why did you even kill those humans? Why did you do this to yourself?"

She is pissed and curious. I know.

I look down at the floor for a brief second.

"I was trying to protect you. If the king puts me in a pagoda, who will protect you, huh?"

"Why do you worry about that?" She raised her voice.

"Is that even a question? You should know by now that you are my mate!" I snapped.

She stills at my outburst, tears started rolling down her cheek again. Her eyes are wide in shock.

"I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for realizing it late too. And I'm sorry for yelling just now," I move and cup her face.

She keeps crying as she looks at me.

"Do you expect me to feel happy now? Now that I've brought trouble to you?" She sobbed, her sobs becoming louder and louder.

"No," I shook my head.

"I chose to do whatever I did, Ria."

She looks away, feeling angry at herself for being the cause of our current predicament.

"Look at me. Look at me!" I raised my voice a little higher when she refused to look at me the first time.

"You are my mate and I must protect you. I will protect you even at the expense of my own life." I whisper and join my forehead with hers.

She resumed her sobbing again. Holding my shirt tightly with her hands.

I'm glad. I'm relieved to learn that she is my true mate. You only get one mate in a lifetime.

I need to cherish and love her till the day I die. That's all I care for right now, loving and protecting her.

She rested her head on my chest after a while.

No wonder, I keep feeling the way I was feeling because of the mate bond between us. Because we are mates.

"Yes," I whispered and kissed her neck.

"So, will you return to your father?"

I didn't answer the question but kept quiet.

"Let's go back. Apologize and he might forgive..."

A loud growl escapes my mouth as my wolf threatens to come out.

"No!" I snapped, angry with the thought of leaving her.

"Then what are your plans right now?" She looks up to me and questions.

I haven't honestly thought of that but I'm not returning to him. He'll only keep me away from her.

If it hadn't happened in front of other high ranking officials father might lessen my punishment, but because it happened in front of many wolves. Nothing can be done, even the mother will do little to help the situation.

"I know what to do.

We'll leave, we'll settle among humans for a while. Later, when I'm sure he is calm, I'll go ask for his forgiveness and explain the reason for my action." She stares at me for a while before nodding in agreement.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning."