4. Confronting Him
1078 Words
Serena’s steps were small but confident, or so she hoped at least. She was following her elusive mate from afar, never losing sight of him, and yet never catching up to him.
What would he say?
What should she tell him?
Hell, was approaching him an option at all?
He halted at once and turned abruptly. She had no place and absolutely zero desire to hide. She hadn’t done anything wrong – at least not in her book.
“I never thought that the oh so spoiled dragon princess would be into stalking,” he let out sarcastically, making the distance between seem even greater if that was possible.
“We are predators,” she told him jokingly, on a shrug, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
“I am aware,” he told her briskly.
His husky barked at her once, and when her gaze focused on it, the animal went quiet, almost as if afraid of barking a second time.
Her kind inspired great fear and equal respect. And that was the reason why most of them never owned pets. That would be too harsh of a struggle for the poor animals.
The husky whimpered louder the more she looked at it.
“Shh,” her mate crouched down, and tried to soothe his pet with caresses and sweet words, “She won’t hurt you. You’re making Leslie uneasy. Stop looking at her already.”
At that, Serena focused her gaze back on Gregory. Leslie stopped her whimpering, and then licked her owner’s hand.
“Can we talk?” She asked, unsure of how to word out her desires without sounding too needy.
“What is there to talk about?” He retorted coldly. “I may be your mate,” he said with unconcealed contempt, “but that changes naught.” She opened her mouth to counter that statement of his when he put his hand up in the air, “Can’t you accept that for once you cannot get everything?”
The jab made tears stung her eyes for a brief moment.
She knew she had been deemed capricious and spoiled by the royal court – for the simple reason that she wanted to study and then practice medicine – but she never thought her own mate would think the same of her without even trying to get to know her.
Right off the bat, he wasn’t giving her any chance.
As soon as the tears appeared in her eyes, she got her wits back together, and then glared at him with crimson eyes.
“I, myself, could do without a judgmental mate such as you,” she spat out at him, anger rolling off her in waves, making Leslie start a whimpering hymn, “but as fate would have it, I have been paired up with you.”
“Why, sorry to disappoint your highness,” he let out sarcastically.
The heat of her glare intensified. She only allowed her beast out because there was close to no one around, and the past few days had been too much for her frayed mind to handle.
“Who are you really?” She then asked in a deadly cold tone as she recollected her thoughts and her natural eyes replaced the crimson ones. “There’s no record of Gregory Merrywell that fits your description.”
“Charlotte is a Merrywell. And although I may be her brother, I have never claimed to be one of them,” he deadpanned. “I am the bastard son of the King of Oblivion.”
She inwardly gasped, even as her eyes narrowed in suspicion briefly.
She didn’t sense a lie – he never averted his eyes and his heart didn’t skip a beat or anything of the sorts. Ergo, he was telling her the truth.
“Tell me honestly why you’re so hell bent on not having a mate,” she compromised, her hands basically twitching, wishing she could reach out and smooth out the worry lines marring his forehead. “I want to understand.”
“Must there be a reason?”
He was deflecting and they both knew it.
She wasn’t in a mood to let it slide though. “Yes, there has to be one. I do not believe in coincidence.”
“And I do not believe in the everlasting love you supernaturals seem to be so willing to give up everything for,” he countered, his eyes cold and his gaze hollow. “I have dreams and goals of my own. And I need no distractions from anyone, much less someone I barely know.”
“Tell me more about your dreams and goals,” she all but pleaded. “I could help you. I want to stand by you.”
“Do not get ahead of yourself, woman,” he said in reprimand. “I want no one’s help. My goals need to be accomplished by me, and me alone.”
“I didn’t mean to…” She began only to be interrupted by him.
“You do not know me, and do not understand me,” he bit out angrily, and Leslie barked timidly.
“Help me understand,” she was basically begging as she took a few steps forward.
He stood his ground, and with a hard unflinching gaze, he said, “If you knew and understood me, you would know better than to insist. I do not like persistent women. I can be awfully stubborn.”
She clicked her tongue in dismay, stopping in her tracks, at a few inches away from him.
She sighed loudly and then told him, her tone never firmer, “I am not one to give up easily.”
“Suit yourself, dragon,” he scoffed. “The joke’s on you.”
With that, he turned around and went to walk his husky.
Serena stood there for a few seconds, watching him walk away from her, feeling her heart squeeze, feeling as though every breath she took burnt her lungs…
In the desolate neighborhood, she and her sports car stood out like a sore thumb. And a few passer-by stopped to admire her flashy car, and others to taunt her.
She never paid them any mind. And like the true princess she was brought up to be, her steps were small but confident to her car.
If Gregory thought she’d give up on him just because he had said so, he shall be surprised.
- Writer
