book #2 Ice Queen: the snow dragon shifter ***completed***

#5 mate

Scarlett was breaking inside as she knew Liam was leaving soon. his parents had stayed a week gathering as much information from her parents. no one was certain why maleek tried kidnapping both Liam and Scarlett. they couldn't understand what the motive was or who was working with him. clearly there were rogue wolves helping him as well. prince Jonathan had left the day after liams parents had arrived. he had been nice enough, but Scarlett felt uncomfortable around him. she found it hard to have a conversation with him. he really loved talking about himself though. Scarlett just let him since she couldn't find anything else to talk to him about. Liam was now avoiding her. if she were honest with herself she avoided him just the same. she loved him. she always had but her parents had already promised her to the prince and it would help strengthen their kingdom bringing the fire dragon shifters and the snow dragon shifters together. the perfect pairing of fire and ice. their mating would bring together two kingdoms. still Scarlett couldn't help but long for Liam. she knew he would be an amazing mate and love her in way no one else could. she wondered if even a fated mate could make her feel the way he did with that kiss. she played it over and over again in her mind. in a perfect world she could be with him, but this is what her parents wanted. it was what was expected of her. she needed out of the palace.

she could feel her body changing. she was feeling her shift soon. she wasn't even eighteen yet. she shouldn't be feeling this way until her birthday. maybe the stress of everything and her upcoming birthday was forcing her body to change faster. she walked out the palace doors feeling the snowy forest calling for her. there was a need to run and feel the snow between her toes. being snow dragon meant her body was resistant to the cold. she felt the tingling in her body. the electricity coursing through her. it was building a fire in her soul. " run!" she whispered to herself. she felt her body pull her as she sprinted towards the tree line. her eyes were closed as she felt the cold night air whipping through her hair. she pushed herself faster and harder not letting herself stop. her body was changing and she was moving faster than she ever had before. out of nowhere she saw him. her eyes had been closed and she felt someone. her eyes opened as a big black wolf came running next to her. she could feel his raw power as he pounded the earth.

she turned to him as she felt her body shift. as they came to the cliffs edge the wolf stopped and walked out to the edge as she kept running and before she ever even realized it, she was over the edge her body no longer her own. she felt her wings expand and she flew through the sky soaring and dancing along the milky stars. it was the most free she had ever felt. there were no limits here. she flew higher and higher. after a while she landed on the edge near the big black wolf. she watched as he shifted into his human form. " liam" she whispered as she shifted back. he touched her cheek brushing her soft skin. pulling her into his bare chest kissing her gently. the sparks coursed through her body as she gasped for air. "MATE!" she heard him say. she looked at him in surprise. it felt so right being in his arms but she new it was wrong. wrong because her family expected her to mate with someone else.

she felt his lips brush the nape of her neck leaving small kisses. the tingling trailed his touch. she gasped at the feeling knowing she needed to stop this. she wasn't allowed to feel this. she felt his hot breath as her skin prickled at the sensation. she fought a war within herself. a battle she had to win. she pulled away from him instantly feeling the loss of his touch. " Liam.... I want too but I can't. I can feel it...." he stepped back away from her. it was the first time the cold made her shiver.

she took another step away from his warm touch. away from the fate the moon Goddess had wanted for her. she stepped away from the one she knew she had loved since she was four years old. " don't wait until it's too late to stand up for yourself and do what's right." she watched as liamn shifted and ran away.

" LIAM!" she called out to him but it was of no use. he was gone. she dressed quickly walking back to the castle tears staining her cheeks. could she chose her own destiny? would her parents let her? when she finally made it back to the palace she watched as Liams parents were having their warriors pack their bags. she ran to them. " what's going on? I thought you weren't leaving for a few more days?"

queen Abigail and king David looked at each other then at her with sadness. Abby spoke up answering Scarlett. " Liam said he needed to leave. that he found his mate and she rejected him. if you hurry up he is finishing in his room before we leave dear. I know he cares for you and would want to say goodbye. " Scarletts world felt like it was exploding into a million pieces. her heart stopped as it fell, one shattered piece at a time. he wouldn't want to say goodbye to her. she was the one who broke him.

Scarlett walked the stairs to her room. she stopped at liams door. could she really just let him go? could she live without him? she stood there with her hand on his door then stepped back and walked away. praying to the moon Goddess to help guide her to what was right. her heart was aching as she closed her bedroom door. once in the shower she let herself cry. she cried harder than she ever had before. she walked away from a life of happiness and love to do what her family wanted her to do. she got out of the shower and quickly dried off and got dressed.

she was watching Liam load into his parents SUV. she was around the corner hiding. she could feel his eyes look her way. he stopped for a moment and she longed to be in his arms as she watched him step inside and then they were off. as they drove away she felt the urge to shift and be free. to free herself from the chains her family was placing on her. she ran through the trees that lined her territory when she came to the edge she jumped as high as she could shifting mid air into her brilliantly opaque dragon pushing herself high until she could barely breath. she saw him look up at her as he placed his hand on the window then he turned away letting her go. she roared as loud as she could, pain wracking her entire body, making her feel weak. when she finally flew down and shifted she looked one last time at the moon as she walked towards the palace. her mother was there with red puffy eyes. Scarlett tried to feel something. anything at all but the cold had settled into her heart and sent chills throughout her body. she felt like she had let half of her soul drive away. " Scarlett?"

" yes mom" her voice was cold and distant. she could barely recognize the sound coming from her mouth.

" darling I know how sad you are......"

" no you don't know! he is my fated mate and I gave him up for some sick sense of duty to the both of you and this kingdom. the truth is I will never be whole without him and I broke him for you guys." tears were soaking her cheeks as she took her hand and wiped them away. " no you don't know. I hope I have made you proud since you know better than the moon Goddess herself." she walked past her parents,her body felt frozen. ice flowing through her veins. her parents said nothing as she walked away. she walked to her bedroom. she stopped at liams door placing a hand on his door trying to feel him there. she opened the door and looked around. the room was empty. he left nothing in his closet and in his drawers. she started walking out of his closet but something caught her eye. she went to the corner of the closet. there on the floor was a t-shirt and a note. she remembered this shirt it was her favorite and she stole it from him all the time. she brought it to her face taking in his smell. then she picked up the note and cried even harder when she read it.

my dearest rose,

I will wait for you for as long as it takes

love your mate,

Liam