The Prince And His Mysterious Mate

Closed Doors

Caleb POV

In one moment, I was kissing her, and I surrendered myself to the overwhelming pleasure of finally connecting with my mate. Deep down, I knew I shouldn’t have kissed her so forcefully, but to my surprise, she responded by kissing me back. However, our exchange was short-lived. As she abruptly pushed away, a flicker of pure panic flashed across her face. Without hesitation, she bolted towards the dorms at a supernatural speed that left me stunned.

Desperate to catch up, I arrived at her door, demanding entry. I feared that if she didn’t let me in, my wolf would overpower me. Finally, she gave in, allowing me inside. Trembling, she wrapped herself in a blanket, clearly consumed by fear. I closed and locked the door behind me, knowing that something was terribly wrong.

“Please, tell me what you’re afraid of. I can help you, my family can help you,” I pleaded, closing the distance between us. But with each step I took, she instinctively moved back, her eyes filled with fear. Scanning her room, I noticed my jacket discarded on the floor. Yet, my attention was drawn to the torn shreds of her shirt, stained with blood.

“You have to leave,” she muttered, her voice barely a whisper. I refused.

“I... I’ve been able to hide it for so long, and then you just had to make me lose control,” she stammered.

“Whatever it is you’re hiding, Rain, I won’t tell anyone. Don’t you feel the connection between us, the magnetic pull to be together?” I asked, my voice filled with longing.

“Sort of,” she admitted.

I took a cautious step closer to her. “It’s because you’re my mate,” I said, my words weighted with caution.

“Mate,” she laughed. “I’m your mate? This can’t be happening. I can’t be.” The sound of her laughter was hollow, filled with self-doubt.

“You are. I knew when you shook my hand at the coffee shop. Yet, you hide your scent. But on the rooftop, and again in the training class today, you stopped hiding it. It was driving me crazy. That’s why I lost control and kissed you,” I admitted, the words tumbling out in a rush.

“So you didn’t want to kiss me. It’s just my scent that made you?” she asked.

“No, I wanted to. I just didn’t want to force it like that. But I doubt that’s why you ran,” I responded. I took another step forward, closing the distance between us.

“You don’t understand. No one can know what I really am,” she said, her voice tinged with desperation.

“I won’t tell anyone, Rain. But you need to stop hiding from me,” I said firmly. I moved forward and gently pushed my hands against the comforter, pulling it off of her.

As the comforter slipped away, I saw delicate wings on her back, almost like a butterfly. Her shirt barely covered her front half, threatening to fall off due to the wings’ presence.

Her exposed skin had patches that shimmered, almost like scales, giving her an otherworldly beauty. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out, brushing my fingers against her skin. She flinched backwards, her eyes wide with terror.

“Don’t be afraid of me,” I said softly, my voice filled with reassurance. I reached out for her again, turning her around so I could see her back. Fresh blood dripped down her skin.

“Did your wings make you bleed?” I asked, my voice careful and concerned. I brushed my hand against her skin again, feeling the warmth and the slight stickiness of the blood.

“Yes,” she admitted.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because my human form is not my true form like it is yours. I don’t really have a human form; it’s just a disguise. I forcefully hide my identity, so when I lose control, my wings break through my skin,” she explained.

“Why would you put yourself through this pain? Why do you need to hide who you are? You are a fae, correct?” I asked.

“I’m a freak,” she responded, her voice filled with self-loathing. I turned her around, looking into her eyes.

“No, you are not,” I said firmly.

Rain locked her gaze with mine, her eyes penetrating deeply into me. “Forget that you kissed me, forget that you found out what I am, and go back to your dorm room,” Rain commanded, her voice sharp.

A sudden ache throbbed in my head, momentarily disorienting me as I struggled against it. I grabbed onto Rain’s arms, demanding answers. “What did you do?” I growled, my voice laced with anger and confusion. “Why isn’t it working?” She muttered.

“You can control people.” I said sharply. She didn’t need to confirm it. Her expression said it all. But to my relief, her power didn’t affect me.

“Don’t make me forget. I meant it when I said I won’t tell anyone, but in return, you have to start telling me the truth. Start with what you are,” I demanded.

“I’m half fae, half dragon,” she sighed, surprising me. The fact she was fae alone was a shock. But a dragon? I thought they were mere fairy tales.

Seeking honesty, I asked, “Can you feel the connection between us?”

“Yes, I can. But you need to understand. You and I can’t be Caleb,” she responded, her words tinged with sadness.

“Why not?” I asked, struggling to restrain my wolf. Was she truly going to reject me?

“I’m promised to someone. I am contracted to give myself to them and marry them once my month-long observation is up,” she explained.

My anger rose at the thought of her being bound to someone else. “You’re contracted to give yourself to someone?” I snarled, repulsed by the way she phrased it. “So, I take it that means you don’t want to give yourself to them?”

“Correct. But you must understand, that’s my only choice. This is not something even the hybrid prince can save me from. I have accepted my destiny,” she replied, her voice filled with resignation.

Desperate to salvage our connection, I pleaded, “Can you at least give me a chance?”

“I can’t,” she responded softly, but I refused to let go. I grabbed her hand, determined to understand her true desires.

“Tell me what you want. Are you saying you can’t because of the trouble you’re in, or because you don’t want to?” I implored.

“I want to, but I can’t,” she confessed, her words heavy with a mix of longing and sorrow.

An idea sparked in my mind. “What if we hide it? What if I help you behind closed doors? We can act like friends in public, keeping our bond a secret. Nothing we do will be revealed,” I proposed.

“Okay,” she responded.

“Okay, as in you’ll give me a chance to help, and you’ll give us and this bond a chance,” I clarified, seeking reassurance.

“Yes, I’ll allow you to help, and I’ll allow us a chance. But you can’t go kissing me in public anymore,” she stipulated.

A mischievous smirk tugged at my lips. “But that means I can still kiss you behind closed doors,” I teased, my hand gently trailed against her soft skin.

She felt perfect and tasted perfect as I continued to kiss her again, her lips soft and warm against mine. But she also remained a mystery in many ways. How did a fae even end up here? From all I’ve studied on them, they stick to their realm and have only been known to enter this one to capture humans. Why was she associated with Ray, whom my mother warned was more than a criminal? How did she know of Colson? And most of all, who had her so terrified?

She was strong, that much she had proven today in class. Colson was almost on my mother’s level of fighting, and I could tell he gave it his all against Rain. Meaning she could even be a better fighter than my mother. She was fast, had some sort of mind control, and I’m sure she had more up her sleeve. Yet someone was controlling her. How?

I heard the slight vibration of her phone. She seemed oblivious to it or was purposely ignoring it. Finally, we broke the kiss, and she stood up, distancing herself from me. She walked into her bathroom and closed the door for a moment without saying a word.

Taking the opportunity, I reached for my jacket, which currently held her phone. I glanced at it, searching for any clues, but it was locked. So, I put it back and patiently waited for her. The phone buzzed several more times as she spent at least fifteen minutes inside. When she emerged, her wings were gone, and she had changed into a new shirt. With the change, her scent became faint again.

“Does it hurt?” I asked her.

She looked at me, confusion in her eyes. “Does what hurt?” she responded.

“Hiding who you are,” I replied.

She hesitated for a moment, contemplating her answer. “It did when I was little, but over the years, as I got stronger, I also got used to it,” she admitted.

“The bar I found you at. Did you want to go there, or did someone make you go there? And that vampire, were you forced to dance with him?” I inquired.

Rain looked at me, weighing her response. “I had to go there, and I was told to dance with him,” she confessed.

“If you had declined, what would have happened to you?” I pressed.

“I don’t know. I’m sure I would be made to return to my home, and I probably would lose the credibility that I’ve worked really hard for,” she admitted.

“So, I take it you’re not here to observe classes,” I sighed. “Can you tell me why you are here?”

“To do a job,” she replied, her gaze fixed on the ground. I knew she wouldn’t divulge more.

Rain’s phone buzzed again, the sound piercing through the silence. She quickly reached for it, but I intercepted her, blocking her way. “I have to answer,” she said, her eyes darting towards my jacket on the floor.

As I released my hold, she stopped and instantly winced, clutching her chest. The phone buzzed once more, causing her to grimace. “Phone,” she managed to say through gritted teeth. I grabbed it for her, remaining silent as she answered.

“I’m sorry, I was busy doing my job,” she responded, her voice strained. Keeping one hand clenched against her chest, she continued, “I ran for the job. I have it under control.” After a brief pause, she added, “It won’t happen again. I understand.” With that, she ended the call and let the phone drop to the ground, leaning against the wall for support.

I moved closer to her, speaking softly. “Show me what hurts,” I demanded. “I’ll be fine,” she muttered, her voice shaky. “Show me,” I demanded again, and reluctantly, she dropped her hands, allowing me to lift up her shirt. Right in the center of her chest, a strange symbol glowed, slowly fading away.

“What is that?” I asked.

“Demon mark,” she responded. I looked at her in disbelief, struggling to control my wolf. I had only read about demon marks, knowing that they bound the bearer to a demon, like a master and slave. There was a time when my mother had a mark that kept her confined to the city, like a caged bird. However, this mark is even more oppressive. While my mother managed to free herself from her mark, I’m not sure if Rain will be able to do the same. It was a terrifying form of control. I knew Rain was in grave danger, far worse than I had imagined.

“I told you, not even you, known for your strength and power, nor your parents, can help me,” she explained. It became clear to me that Rain was somehow involved with the danger that Amaris had foreseen for the city. I needed to find a way to remove the demon mark, but the only method I had read about involved killing the demon. Until then, I had no choice but to let her follow its orders, no matter how much I longed to protect her.