Mates

Xiomara tried hard to look up at the man. Her eyes were blurry, yet she managed to shake off the feeling. To show her weakness before the enemy was a humiliation that her pride couldn't handle. Unfortunately, her pride would have to wait until she was on her top game. For now, she had to buy more time until the effect from the wolfbane fades away completely.

Arya watched from a distance, feeling both proud and irritated. Proud because the girl was lying on the floor helpless and untidy. Irritated as well, since the said girl managed to attract the men's attention anyways. She clenched her fists, trying to maintain the neutral look on her face.

Her gaze moved from Xiomara to the three young men standing by her side. The youngest prince in the Lupus realm stood regal and admirable. Unlike official events where he donned the signature royal garbs, he wore casual wear that accentuated his handsome face.

Behind him stood a man in a guard's uniform, stoically looking into space. The last of them was a man with a prominent scar on his left cheek. Like the guard, he spotted a phlegmatic look of his own. Arya assessed the situation for a while before she decided to use Xiomara's state to her advantage.

"Oh my, heavens! What happened to you, Mara? Are you alright?" She walked elegantly towards the girl that lay feebly on the floor. Mara cursed in her head. Of Course, the witch was going to use her to earn brownie points. Who was she putting up the act for? That was the golden question that needed an answer.

As Arya's hand moved to touch Mara's body, the girl expertly deflected her touch. Her strength was getting retained by the second. She had around three more minutes before she could fully function again. " I am alright, miss. Do not dirty your hands. This servant is not worthy of your help."

Arya's voice was alluring to listen to, but Mara's was deep and sexy. It had an enticing lilt to it even when she was struggling to talk. Maddox's felt his wolf stir at the sound of Mara's voice.

He had led the others to this place because he got a whiff of Lavender scent that drove his wolf almost insane. His heart was beating like crazy in his chest up until he set his eyes on the girl.

At first, he wanted to bend down and help her up, yet his arrogance couldn't let him. He was a prince. Why should he help a mere Servant up? His wolf, on the other hand, had a different reaction to his human. The wolf was struggling to come out and protect the girl on the floor.

'Mate! Mate! Mate!' The words rang continuously in his head.

He suppressed his wolf and watched Xiomara with interest in his eyes. How could such a lowly girl be his mate? He was a prince, for crying out loud. Why would fate pair him with a useless person? He was busy pointing out all her flaws in his head when his gaze collided with hers.

Xiomara was finally back to her original state. She felt a bit lazy to stand up and look at the people around her. Instead, Mara used her earlier weakness as an excuse to stay relaxed in a yoga position. She had higher senses than most wolves and immediately knew that the man before her was her mate.

Emerald gaze clashed with hazel eyes. She was taken aback by the man's beauty. Contrary to her mind acknowledging his physical appearance, her heart was still like a stream. There was no rise in body temperature or goosebumps on her skin. Her heart rate remained normal as well.

She used that opportunity to check out the man before her. He was eye candy to her despite the lack of response from her body. Being his mate gave her more right to observe him up close. Diamond-shaped face, a beautiful Romanesque nose, and thick brows stood out from the rest of his features.

As she scrutinized his face further, she discovered well-defined jaws and kissable heart-shaped lips. Moving Down further, a masculine body fit in the finest of silk blessed her eyes. As she made to look down south, a hand covered her eyes. Arya had enough of the girl's insolence.

What made her angrier was that Maddox was doing the exact thing that Mara had done: Admiring Xiomara's features. Initially, he had found fault in his mate, but seeing her, Maddox felt his heart skip a beat. She was not an average girl. Just one look and he already knew she would easily win if they held a beauty contest.

That about sums up his feelings about her physical appearance. A frown graced his features when Arya covered those soul-searching emerald sparkling orbs.

" Let go of her eyes. I want to see more. " The guard who initially appeared stoic finally showed some emotion. He almost let a gasp escape his lips. It was the first time that his prince had admitted to wanting to see a woman more.

The strange bit was that it was his wolf that has spoken. Iker had grown up with Maddox and knew to differentiate between the wolf and the prince. Could it be that the girl was? Impossible. His eyes finally looked at Xiomara, and so did Ian's eyes.

Well then, I get it. The girl was a rare beauty. She didn't need make-up nor beautiful expensive clothes to look good. She was ethereal in her rugged clothing.

Emerald twinkling eyes, thick curly ginger hair, a small moon-shaped face, and a pouty thin lip were her identifying features; the perfect face that had ever graced their kingdom. He knew this since he had the courtesy of walking around with the prince for almost all his life. 'Wow!' he thought as his gaze moved to observe Ian by his side.

Ian was also mesmerized by the girl on the floor. He kept his feelings and opinion to himself. He watched the show that was taking place before his eyes. Arya was no different. She was afraid of the inevitable.

She had warned Xiomara because of her insecurity in the morning. Who would have known that the man would go in search of her himself? Was she his mate?

That would be the only plausible reason to explain the reason he led them here looking for her. Would he acknowledge her? The question was prominent in all their heads, including Xiomara's.