CheckMate

Chapter Three

“You are so obvious right now! You are going to be spotted!” my wolf, Caterina, warns as I pull open the heavy door.

I pull the cloak around my body a little tighter and tug the hood over to rest just above my eyes as I run down the steps rapidly.

As my feet touch the dusty stone hallway, I look up ahead of me briefly to make sure no one is around.

I charge down the corridor as quickly as I can in order to reach my destination without being seen.

Just then, a man comes around the corner, holding a large basket of laundry in his hands.

I dip my head down low under my hood as I pass him by. Thankfully, he doesn’t look twice at me.

I stop in front of the wooden door and wait patiently for the man to disappear out of sight.

As soon as he does, I knock on the door gently.

There is no reply.

Shit.

She’s got to be here.

“Jules! Jules! It’s me!!” I hiss against the door, rattling it again, this time with more vigour.

“Jules!!”

“It’s open!” she calls back in return.

I twist the door knob quickly and throw myself inside the dimly lit room.

“Do you have any idea what time it - oh holy f**k!-“ I gasp as I turn away from the sight in front of me. “Jules!!!”

“Come on Chess… it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. You’re no angel!” Jules chuckles in amusement.

I turn back around slowly to see her dab out her cigarette in the ashtray by her bedside.

“Maybe not… but I have no business seeing that.” I state, nodding my head towards the naked man lying face down on her bed with his ass on full display.

Jules laughs lightly in reply.

“Okay Sparky… wakey, wakey!” she says, smacking the man’s ass hard.

I turn away again, partly because he would probably die if he saw me standing here and partly to give the poor guy some privacy whilst I stifle my laugh.

“What the- Jules what time is it?” I hear him ask groggily.

“Late gorgeous… you might have missed training. Better do some grovelling to Commander Henry.” she replies apologetically.

“s**t!!”

The sound of commotion follows as the man grabs his clothes, tossing them on and flying out the door like a bat out of hell.

His hurry to leave means that he barely even spares me a glance.

“You decent?” I ask Jules with a grin.

“Yep!”

I turn around to see her flattening out her dress over her body and reaching up to fix her wayward hair.

“We have a dress fitting in fifteen minutes. I had to come get you… you know you’ll be in deep s**t with Mrs Wade if you’re not there.”

“Urgg. Good call. What would I do without you, Chess?”

“Get yourself fired obviously.” I laugh in reply as I take a seat on the stool by her bed.

“Well, I appreciate your help vacating the male from my room.” she states, bowing down jokingly.

“No problem… I know you’d do the same for me.” I snicker in return.

“Oh yes, I have done… Many a time.” she winks at me.

I open my mouth in mock horror.

“It hasn’t been “many” times!!” I protest in return.

She laughs and winks at me again.

Juliet is my best friend and has been since we were little. However, despite being completely inseparable and living under the same roof for our whole lives, it’s fair to say our experiences in life have been somewhat different.

She’s a servant.

Technically.

Although we don’t see each other as anything other than best friends and when we are alone, we are free to be exactly who we are with each other.

She has always had my back, helping me navigate this crazy world at Royal court, whilst I have kept her out of trouble and saved her ass more than a few times from being fired.

“Oh s**t, how could I forget!” she says suddenly, rushing over to grab me up into her vice- like arms. “Happy birthday Chess!!”

“I… can’t… breathe…” I reply with a grin.

“Here!” she declares, grabbing a small bag from the bedside table and handing it to me enthusiastically.

“Jules… I told you not to spend your money on me.” I scold her with a frown.

“I didn’t spend any money!! I swear!!”

I open the bag and put my hand in to pull out a small wooden object.

It’s a chess piece… the queen piece, to be exact.

It brings a smile to my face instantly.

“Turns out that guy I was seeing last week was a carpenter. I had him whip this up. If you ever need to be reminded of who you are Chess, just look at this… you are a f*****g queen.” she states proudly.

“Come here.” I say with the biggest smile, grabbing her into another hug.

The both of us laugh heartily as I quickly wipe away a stray tear from my face.

“Don’t go all soft on me Chessy… well, we better go get your gown fitted before Mrs Wade has a fit!”

“Yes, let’s-“

Just then, I am hit with a waft of an earthy scent that reminds me of the forest in spring.

I lift my hand to my chest and automatically my heart behind to beat faster.

My breathing isn’t far behind and soon I’m struggling just to stay on my damn feet.

“Mate!!! It’s our mate!!” Caterina calls out in my head, leaping around in a frenzy.

Jules’ eyes widen as she looks over me.

She knows me so well that she doesn’t even have to ask.

“You’ve scented your mate?” she asks me hurriedly, gripping me by the shoulders.

I nod my head in a complete daze.

“Yes…”

“s**t!! He can’t meet you here!! The king will flip!! We have to get you back upstairs! Now!!” she orders, dragging me towards the door by my sleeve.

I let her direct my movements whilst I try to get my head straight.

“I can’t believe this!! Surely he can’t be a servant!? Maybe it’s a visitor here for the ball? Yes it’s got to be!” she declares as she opens the door slightly to peer out into the empty corridor.

I shake my head and take a deep breath, trying to block out Caterina who is trying her best to take over my body right now.

“The coast is clear! Let’s go…” Jules whispers as she drags me into the corridor.

I can smell the scent getting stronger and the sound of footsteps begins to echo around the stone walls.

He’s on his way.

Goddess above…

“Wait.” I say sternly, pulling my arm from hers. “Maybe this is the perfect place to meet him.” I hand her the small gift bag and prepare myself.

“What!? Chess you can be ser-“

“MATE”

…………..

The word hangs in the air around us and seems to stay there, ringing in my ears as I look away from Jules towards the man who is standing at the other end of the corridor.

My mouth drops open slightly at the sight before me and I let out a breath as his handsome form moves towards me rapidly.

I can’t help it when my legs begin to carry me to him in return.

I have no control over what I’m doing. It’s like some part of me deep inside is in charge and I’m powerless to fight against it.

To be honest, I’m not even sure if I want to.

The seconds tick by like weight filled minutes as my body aches all over, itching for him… this stranger…to take me into his arms.

And then we collide as one. Right there in the servants' quarters.

He lifts me up into his embrace and pulls me into his body like I’m his most cherished possession.

Euphoria washes through me like a powerful drug and I’m completely lost in the emotion of the moment.

I am in the arms of my mate.

The man who I am supposed to spend a lifetime with.

The soul who was chosen to pair with mine for all eternity.

I take a few seconds to bask in the unfiltered joy and relief before realisation settles in.

It is then that I lean back to look into his bright blue eyes that search my face frantically.

“Mate… you’re my mate…” he whispers in disbelief, a wide smile stretching over his face.

I can’t help the burst of happiness that enters my soul at that very moment.

He’s happy to see me.

My mate wants me and the wolf in me is beyond satisfied. Caterina purrs like a damn kitten in my head.

He sets me down on the ground and lifts his large, strong hands to my face.

“You’re so beautiful.” he says quietly, a look of awe etched across his face before his brows knit together.

I can’t answer.

I’m too busy studying him as though he were some intricate sculpture.

His face is chiselled and masculine and yet there is such softness and light behind his bright blue eyes. His skin is lightly tanned, making his eyes stand out even more. My vision drifts up to his dirty blonde hair that he has swept away from his face and I swear I have to resist the urge to rub my fingers through it.

He is huge. Muscular and tall, telling me straight away that he is a man of high rank. There is also the fact that the clothes he is wearing, although smart and casual, look expensive.

“You’re beautiful too.” I eventually choke out.

He laughs lightly as he shakes his head.

Delightful sparks tickle my cheeks gently as his hands drift softly from my face.

He takes my hands in his tightly.

“Sorry… I got carried away when I saw you… I just…”

“I know what you mean… I did too.” I answer in reply, pulling my hands from his softly.

I reach up and pull my hood down from my head. The cloak suddenly suffocating me in the heat of the moment.

His eyes run over my long red hair slowly.

“Wow…” he whispers, a lopsided smile playing on his lips. “Sorry… My name is Gabriel Knight. I’m here on business for the king.” he says calmly.

“Are you an Alpha?” Jules asks curiously from behind, making me jump.

If truth be told, I forgot she was f*****g there.

“Yes… I am.” he answers honestly, casting his eyes back to me.

I stand there like a statue.

“Can I ask your name?” he smiles, revealing his perfectly white teeth yet again.

“Sorry…” I say, shaking my head before holding it up confidently. “My name is Juliet Woods.”

Jules almost chokes out loud behind me but I ignore her.

He nods his head and smiles again.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Juliet… finally.”

I smile widely in return.

“And it’s good to meet you too… uhm…”

“Gabriel.”

“Gabriel.”

He laughs gently.

“Gabriel, I know we just met but I really do need to go. I have something important to do.”

“Really? Can it wait? Can I help you with-“

“No you can’t I’m afraid… we are servants to the princess and she needs us right now, but I can meet you tonight.” I offer hopefully.

“Tonight… no problem. Where? Is this your room?” he asks, nodding his head towards the door.

“Yes, but not here… I will find you. I promise but I have to go.” I state, stepping backwards.

He furrows his brows as he takes a small step towards me.

“Later… I promise.” I say reassuringly before I rush towards Jules, grabbing her hand and pulling her off towards the stone steps.

“Keep moving!” I order her through the mindlink. “Don’t stop.”

***

I stand there staring at myself in the mirror as Miranda the Royal dressmaker makes the finishing touches to my hem.

She asks me something but I’m too caught up in my own thoughts to hear it.

“The princess won’t be needing a purse with this gown, thank you Miranda.” Jules states with a smile, bowing her head respectfully.

The door clicks shut and my eyes connect with Jules’ in the mirror as she stands behind me.

She walks over and lets out a sigh as she drapes her arms around me, resting her chin on my shoulder.

She looks at me seriously in the mirror.

“Okay spill… what’s going on in your head? because if I’m not mistaken… you just gave that man, YOUR mate, MY name. Now don’t get me wrong, Chess… I wouldn’t kick him out of bed but-“

I accidentally let out a growl from between my lips, causing her to scoff in amusement.

“Urggg, your wolf is possessive of him already. This is too adorable…”

“I just wanted to see how he would react…”

“How he would react if you were a servant, you mean?” she asks knowingly.

I nod my head.

“Sorry for using your name Jules, I panicked but I just had to know.”

She smiles widely.

“Well he didn’t give a s**t, so it’s fair to say he passed your little test with flying colours!”

“He did…” I smile proudly.

I turn to face her and she grabs my hands in hers.

“Jules he’s…he seems like such a sweet guy. This is crazy. I know nothing about the man… but wow… I just never knew that it would feel like this.”

She grins and she squeezes my hand.

“Then what’s the problem?”

I let out a breath as I turn back towards the mirror.

“You know what.” I look down to the floor for a brief second before pulling myself together. Jules fiddles with the straps on my dress affectionately.

“He’s damn gorgeous though. I don’t think I’ve seen a man like that before… urggg I can’t even!”

“Chessy, you are sexy as hell too and don’t you forget it babe!”

“Yes but him… Goddess, it was all I could do not to climb on top of him right then and there!”

“Hot!” she exclaims loudly, letting out a loud laugh. “When I meet my mate, I’m telling you we won’t leave the bedroom for the rest of the day.”

“Hmmm.” I answer, drifting off into a sordid little daydream.

“I get a kind of virgin vibe from him though, do you?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Who Gabriel? Virgin? Are you serious?? That man is no virgin. Did you see him!?”

“Of course I did, but hey you know my radar has never steered me wrong before!”

“Well it’s got to be way off this time.” I chuckle as I look back towards the mirror. “You heard him speak for like ten seconds!”

“That’s all I need to get the measure of a man, babe… and from him I got:

1.Hot as f*****g molten lava.

2.Wholesome good guy.

3.Virgin as hell just waiting for the day that his little world is turned upside down by his pocket rocket princess.”

She wiggles her eyebrows jokingly.

“You talk so much shit.” I laugh, shrugging her off.

I let my hands drift over the champagne coloured material lightly as I examine the look once again.

“Well he’s going to f*****g die tonight when you walk into the ball wearing this… let’s send him to the after life with a smile on his face! Come on! Hair and make-up! Now!”