His Lost Lycan Princess

Should I?

Danisha

"You're here!" Anika exclaimed with a broad smile on her face when I rang her bell. She pulled me into a tight hug before inviting me inside.

Grinning wide, "hey," I greeted her back. "Of course, I am here. I was looking forward to seeing you."

"That's great! Come and relax in the living room while Jasper and I set the table. We just finished cooking," she said.

I smiled as I watched her sashay towards the kitchen. So Jasper helped her prepare the lunch. That was sweet. At least Anika seemed to have found a good man.

I was sitting on the couch when the doorbell rang.

"Can you get that? That must be Jasper's friend who he invited for lunch," Anika called out from the kitchen.

"Sure," I responded and walked towards the front door.

What I saw knocked the wind out of my lungs. Looking fabulous in a plain grey t-shirt and a pair of blue faded jeans, Xander stood at the door with his hands tucked into his pocket. My jaw dropped. How could anyone look so good? It must be illegal to be so handsome.

He offered a cheeky grin that made my heart skip a beat.

"Hi, it's nice to see you here," he cheerfully said.

Stupefied, I stared at him with my mouth hung open.

"Umm… aren't you going to let me in? Jasper invited me for lunch," he said after some time.

"Oh," I blinked. "Yes, sure," I stepped away from the door so that he could enter.

"Please, sit down," I mumbled, pointing towards the couch in the living room.

When he relaxed, I fidgeted on my feet unsure if I should take a seat beside him. Thankfully, before I did something stupid, Anika strolled into the living room. Jasper followed her while wiping his hands using a tissue.

Anika walked right up to me while Jasper approached Xander and bowed down as though he was showing respect to someone of royalty.

"Your Highness," Jasper whispered, but I heard him clearly.

My lips parted as I recalled what he told me on the day Anika introduced her mate to me. Xander was the lycan prince. And not just any prince, the Crown Prince.

Right. He was another royal shifter. I shouldn't be too excited about him. I plastered a polite smile on my face as he cast a glance in my direction.

"Uh, please meet Anika, my mate, and her human friend, Zara," Jasper said, his lips twisting in an awkward smile.

Xander looked at Jasper with a furrowed brow. I couldn't help but notice how cloudy his eyes were. It reminded me of when Cadmus' eyes would change colour. This, however, was different.

I drew a breath and averted my gaze. I should not be concerned. They weren't humans. They weren't dragons either. Yet they were intriguing creatures with otherworldly abilities. Unlike us, they were very powerful and magical.

Cadmus' memories surged back, sending shivers down my spine. I was duped for two years. I thought he was the ideal gentleman. He only revealed his actual face to me when I resisted his decision and fought for my child.

I shuddered as I blinked away my tears. Losing a child would never be easy. How would I ever be able to forget what Cadmus put me through.

What if Xander and the wolves aren't any different? Perhaps accepting this invitation was a mistake…

"I'm so glad you came, Zara."

Anika interrupted my thoughts, making me glance in her direction.

Forcing a smile, "yeah… I can't say no to you anyway," I told her as I desperately tried to ignore my racing heart.

"Zara," Jasper scratched the back of his neck. "This is Alexander. We call him…"

"I know, Xander. He came to our restaurant a couple of times," I said, smiling at him.

I was trying to pretend that everything was perfectly normal. That I wasn't intimidated that they weren't humans. That I wasn't triggered by those horrible reminiscences. I strived to remain calm and collected, yet I wasn't sure if I had attained anything. They most probably could sense my anxiousness.

Xander stood up and walked up to me.

"As I said before, it's nice to meet you here," he said, holding his hand out. "Can we be friends?"

Silence followed as I blankly stared at his hand.

"Please?"

His little whisper made the hair on the back of my neck rise. Heaving a breath, I looked into his handsome face. He looked so pure. He seemed to be the kind of guy who wouldn't hurt a fly.

But… should I trust him? He too was a beast, just like Cadmus. Well, not a dragon, but still…

I shook his hand nonetheless. It was rude to say no especially since he was being so polite and was friends with Jasper and Anika. Though I didn't know much about Jasper and Xander, I knew I could trust Anika and my other fairy friends. They were sweethearts and honestly, they were the reason why I was able to stand up on my feet in such a short span of time.

Besides, being friends couldn't hurt, right?

Jasper, Anika and Xander spoke a lot about miscellaneous things during lunch. It was evident that Jasper and Xander were well bonded. Though Xander was of royalty, he didn't seem to be proud and obnoxious, unlike Cadmus.

Jasper, as far as I knew was just a simple soldier, yet, Xander didn't seem to have any problem in having lunch in their home and joking with him.

Anika too seemed to be comfortable around them. Well, she and Jasper were soulmates. I wasn't sure what that meant, but apparently, it sounded nice and it seemed to mean a great deal to them.

As time passed, I found myself getting comfortable around them. I loosened up and started to enjoy their chatter.

"Zara had taken the whole day off, right?" Anika asked as she cleared the table.

I nodded my head.

"That's great! Why don't we all go to the carnival that opened this week? The one you were talking about. You were eager to go there, right?" Anika said.

"Oh… yes… but I thought… um," I glanced at Xander. Would a royal prince really want to go and enjoy with the crowd?

"Yes?" Anika's eyes sparkled as she looked intently at me.

"I thought… what about Latifa and Farah? Won't they come?" I asked.

"They have left for the fae land already. Besides, if they return during the weekend, we can always go back. Just the girls. But let's go now. These wolves must learn how to have fun too," she squealed, beaming at her mate.

"Wolves…" I whispered under my breath.

"You will come with us, right?" Anika looked at Jasper who nodded his head to confirm.

"Your Highness…"

"Jasper," Xander sighed. "You don't have to call me that here and yes, I would love to go. Especially if Zara is going," he replied.

Astounded by his reply, I stared at him with ample eyes.

"Me?" I gasped.

Anika giggled as she pulled me from my chair and pulled me towards the room.

"Yes, you honey. Now let's put some makeup on that pretty face before we leave!"

Though I did make up before leaving, I didn't mind getting a touch up. Besides, I needed some space. Sitting beside Xander was making me breathless. The mere sight of this sinfully hot man made me want to melt into a puddle. It was strange that he could make me feel hot and cold at the same time.

I could seriously use some space to calm my erratic heart.

She made me sit on the chair while she rummaged through the drawer of the vanity table. With her forehead creased, she cast a glance at me.

"White top and jeans, huh? This colour will be perfect!" she exclaimed as she picked a light pink lipstick.

"I'm fine, I don't need that," I protested when she started to curl my eyelashes and apply mascara.

"Well, you are in my room now. So my rules," she chuckled.

I pulled my lips together and remained silent, knowing that she wouldn't let me have it my way.

"What gives?" she mumbled as she applied the eyeliner.

"What?"

"You seem to be tense."

Sighing, "I am okay," I told her.

"Don't lie to me woman. You are not fine. Don't make me use my magic to find out what happened to you," she threatened.

"What is it? Something happened at work?" she asked when I didn't say anything.

My lips pushed into a little pout while a scowl contorted my face.

"You can say that, I guess," I muttered.

She stopped what she was doing and gave me her full attention. Her brilliant violet eyes penetrated my blue ones. There was no lying to her. She would eventually find out.

"Spill," she said.

I summarised what had happened from the beginning to the end. By the end of it, she was fuming.

"That asshole! I'll make sure that he pays!" she hissed through her gritted teeth.

I knew it. She was like my sister and the truth would infuriate her.

"The police took him away. I doubt that he would be able to resume working in the same place after what had happened. Mike wouldn't allow it. Mike may be tough, but he also was a good man," I told her.

"I know. But as soon as the fucker is set free, I am kicking his ass. Now, let's go. Our men are waiting for us," she winked.

Our men…

I cringed.

"Our men?" I asked her as she turned around to leave.

"Yeah. He sounds like a nice guy and you look good with him," she stated nonchalantly.

Grimacing, "but I don't think I'm ready," I whispered.

She slowly turned around to look at me.

"I don't think I am ready to be in a relationship yet. After what Cadmus did… you know why I escaped the dragon kingdom. And after yesterday's ordeal I think I am better off single," I told her, with my head hanging submissively.

She stared at me for a while. Her ever-smiling face was wilted as she gazed at me in concern.

I laughed humorlessly while shrugging my shoulders. "Besides, we are just friends."

"Oh, honey," she whispered, stepping closer to me. "I hate those men who scared you like that. I swear, I wish I could punish them. But not all of them are bad."

She wrapped her arms around me.

"Maybe we should focus on having some fun today. Like humans usually do. Perhaps that would help lighten up your mood," she suggested.

Nodding and smiling to myself, "yeah. I hope so," I said.

I felt a little better after sharing my experience with Anika. It truly had lightened the burden that was weighing me down. As time passed, I found myself enjoying the carnival with them. It was truly a breath of fresh air after spending most of the days working hard in the restaurant. I really needed this break.

"Look! The roller coaster! And the queue isn't too long! Let's go!" Anika screamed and pulled me towards the ticket vendors.

She bought the tickets and soon all four of us were settled. Jasper and Anika sat together leaving me with Xander. I didn't mind sitting beside him. Spending time with them had helped me relieve tension a little bit. Regardless of being a royal, he was pretty cool… unlike Cadmus…

The ride started. All I knew was I screamed and laughed in excitement. It was fun. I didn't realise that I had grabbed his arm during the ride. It was only when the staff arrived to remove the buckle did I fathom that our fingers were interlaced.

Horrified, I cast a glance at him. What would he be thinking?

"Sorry," I mumbled, hastily removing my fingers from his, but he tightened his grip a bit.

"No, please. Don't be sorry. It is okay. I don't mind," he said softly before letting go of my hand.

My cheeks heated up as I quickly averted my gaze.

"Th… thanks…" I stuttered.

The sun was setting by the time we walked out of the carnival. Xander offered to drive me home, and I couldn't say no to him. Anika and Jasper left, and we went on our way.

The entire ride was eerily silent. I couldn't think of anything proper to say. He must have thought that I was such a klutz.

"Thank you for being my friend," I blurted out, but as soon as I did, I mentally face palmed.

Really? Ugh! I could have come up with something better than that.

My nervousness increased when he started to laugh.

Great! He really thinks I am a clod!

I scolded myself, as my face heated up.

"Don't mention it. How long have you been working here?" he asked.

I swallowed my embarrassment and cleared my throat.

"One year," I said.

"So are you living with your family?" He asked.

"Sorry if I am being nosy. You don't have to tell me if you aren't comfortable," he quickly added when I cast a glance at him.

I chuckled. "That's okay. That's a normal question. Actually, I don't know where they are. I… kind of… I live alone," I whispered the last part out. I couldn't tell the entire tale to him. That would be absurd.

"I see," he mumbled while his eyes were glued on the road.

"So you're a royal lycan?" I didn't beat around the bush.

He pressed the brakes so hard that the car screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. Thankfully the road wasn't busy. He looked at me intently.

"You know."

Shrugging my shoulders, "yes. I'm aware of the magical world. I was… I kinda…" I shook my head, wondering if it was okay to tell him everything.

My forehead creased. It wasn't safe to tell him. What if he was friends with Cadmus? Once again, silence filled the air.

"I like you," he suddenly said, breaking it.

Shocked, I snapped my head at him. My heart was doing somersaults in my chest. He liked me? But… wasn't it too soon?

"Can I have your number? Or if you would call me that will be fine too," he added.

I sucked in a breath. "I… uh…"

"It's okay. I don't want to rush you. But can I see you at least?" he pleaded. My lips parted as I gazed deeply into his sparkling grey eyes.

With a racing heart, "yeah. You know where I work and now where I live," I chuckled.

Beaming at me, "that would be great," he said, starting the engine once again.

Though we did not exchange words for the rest of the ride, the atmosphere had lightened up. I felt relaxed. At least Xander didn't try to force me to do anything, unlike Liam. He appeared to be unique.

"Well, thank you as well," he said, as he pulled in front of my apartment complex.

I cast a glance at him.

"For trusting me to bring you home," he flashed a smile that made my heart flutter.

I found myself smiling like a fool as I watched him drive away. Even as I walked back to my apartment, my thoughts were muddled by his memories.

I couldn't help but compare Xander and Cadmus. Though I had spent just a few hours with him, I could clearly see the differences between them, despite being from royal families. Cadmus was controlling and arrogant while Xander seemed to be the complete opposite.

Who would have thought a crown prince would be so gentle? As I changed my clothes and removed the makeup, my eyes caught the attention of the crumpled up piece of paper that was in the drawer of the dressing table. An involuntary smile curled on my lips as I flattened it out. Elated, I stared at the number scribbled on it.

Should I really text him? Or was I moving too fast?