Chapter 1 - Desire

The Night Before

I was not all too pleased to know we had to attend a ball held by the Wandering Foes pack. The only thing that got me dressed and ready was the fact that I had someone to look forward to.

A very special somebody.

A woman.

My lady.

Or my soon-to-be lady.

Just the thought of her put an extra bounce in my step.

The crier announced our presence and my family walked into the purple themed ballroom. I searched the room, looking for the reason to keep disdain off my face. My brother, Derrick, walked past me, hand-in-hand with Marla, his mate.

I tore my eyes away from them.

Must they always mock me?

I was the oldest child of my parents yet my younger brother had found his mate before me. The townsfolk spoke of that as a shame upon my head.

I sighed. I would find mine soon.

I looked up. That is when I saw her. In all her beauty and grace, she walked to me. I held my breath as she curtsied before me.

Gently, I kissed her hand. They were just as soft as I remembered.

"You are beautiful." I said to her.

"Me or the dress?" She asked coyly.

Her dress was a lovely shade of pale pink. It especially accentuated her delicate waist and ample bust. Her voluminous brown hair made her doe eyes stand out. Her lips were bold red and her nose so snub.

She was beautiful.

"You are beautiful." I repeated.

She giggled and hid her blush, warming my heart. Her mannerisms were so wholesome.

"Thank you my Lord. You do not look bad yourself. Dare I say, you are the most dashing Prince I have ever laid eyes on."

"You flatter me."

"As you do to me. I mean it My Lord."

And she did, I knew that. What I wished she knew was that our love story did not depend on what we felt.

"Do my words displease you My Lord?" Princess Svannah asked with a slight frown.

I smiled at her.

"How can you displease my heart? Come, let's have a dance before the night ends."

"I remember my Lord saying he was not a good dancer." She teased as I led her to the center of the ballroom.

"For your pleasure, I will make a fool out of myself." I said to her, locking her eyes in mine.

She blushed. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her waist. We swayed slowly to the music.

Everywhere she touched tingled with pleasure. I wished so badly that she would lay her head on my chest but I knew that would be frowned upon so I made myself content with the closure I had now.

Throughout the night, I managed to keep the truth out of my mind. I could not face it. I should not when there is still hope.

There is still hope.

At the end of the night, I bid her goodbye. I missed her the minute she walked away from my sight. I longed for just another moment with her. I longed for her; her sweet scent, her soft skin, her eyes I loved to drown in.

I would wait restlessly for the night that would bring us back together for another dance.

"How did the night go, My Lord?" Savi, my personal manservant, asked me after we were alone in my chambers.

"The bond is yet to reveal itself to me."

I took off my coat and handed it to him.

Without looking at him, I noticed he was resisting the urge to speak.

"You can speak freely when we're alone, Savi." I reminded him.

"Thank you My Lord. Forgive me, My Lord, but I believe she is not the one in whom the bond dwells."

I turned to face him. We were almost the same height but I was taller by a hair's breadth. It was little but it offered me comfort.

Savi lowered his gaze, not meeting my eyes.

"Why do you say so? Speak now." I said, my time daring him to voice out his thoughts.

"You're the Crown Prince, My Lord. Princess Svannah is human."

That was all he needed to say and it was all he said. I let him undress me without a word after he had spoken.

It was only after my bath and I was dressed in my sleep wear that Savi spoke once more.

"I apologize if my words were hard to the ear. Have a good night, Crown Prince."

I did not have a good night's sleep. I did not get any sleep at all for my thoughts refused to give me a single moment of silence.

They reminded me how much I had sacrificed for Svannah to be mine.

So what if she was human? Was she not fit to be a Queen? Was she not a princess herself?

Who else has such excellent qualifications?

I nearly dared the Moon Goddess to answer that question.

Besides, I loved her. I could not imagine myself with anyone else.

If she could not be mine...

If I could not be hers...

I turned to my side.

No, I must not allow such thoughts to wander in my mind lest they become my reality.

Princess Svannah will be mine. The bond would reveal itself soon and we would be together.

She would make an excellent Queen and the people would love her too.

I would not give them any other choice.

That was the end of it.