Chapter 7 - The challenge.
2382 Words
“I BELIEVE WE ARE IN a state of checkmate.” Lucille stepped in behind her desk.
“It would seem so, Your Highness.” Meg frowned. “My… Our son is being his usual stubborn self, and it is causing him great physical pain. We were hoping to come to some sort of arrangement.”
“It looks like he is not the only one suffering from that illness at the moment if I listen to what our doctor is telling me. My daughter, it seems, is being just as stubborn, and their indecision is causing her just as much pain. What did you have in mind?” A spark of mischief shone in Lucille’s eyes.
CHRISTIAAN WATCHED HIS MOM AND DAD walk back into the ballroom together with queen Lucille and his mother looked far too happy for his liking.
“What have you done, Mother?” He ground his teeth.
“Your mother and I have decided that you, our beloved son, need some help in the love department.” His dad grinned at him.
“What?” Christiaan feared whatever it was they had planned.
“Your mom has arranged your marriage.” Anthony announced.
“Mother! You can’t be serious?!” Christiaan only called her mother when she was being utterly ridiculous.
“WE, your parents, are. You weren’t capable of making the decision, so we made it for you. Now go dance with your mate.” Megan announced. Christiaan lifted his eyes and Emma was fighting with her mother, which he felt like doing. Deciding to give in for the moment, he walked over to Emma.
“Your royal highness, I believe I’m supposed to ask you for a dance.”
PRONOUNCING HER PRINCESS OF DRATHA was one thing, but arranging for her to marry that brute!
“It will never work! He will need an heir. That alone…” Emma’s voice trailed off. Her mother looked up and smiled broadly, telling her that he was right behind her. She sighed. She took his hand when he offered it and followed him to the dance floor without a word. If she had to say anything right now, she would explode like a bomb, and it would not be a pretty sight! He looked even more unhappy about the situation.
“You don’t have to do this, you know?” Emma sighed.
“Not according to my parents. Or the Queen, it seems.” Christiaan frowned.
“Yes, and what do you think about it?” Emma studied his face.
“I… I don’t like it. I don’t mean to be disrespectful or anything.” He stammered over his words, looking a bit petrified.
“I find it disgusting in all honesty.” She shrugged. “I can’t imagine myself in a relationship with you at all, and now my mother wants me to marry you.”
WHAT?
“Why not?” He started, wondering why she could find him disgusting? Trying to figure out if he smelled, he moves a little offbeat.
“Look, if you don’t want to dance, I don’t care. We can stop, and I can attend to my guests.” Emma sighed, looking bored.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a little confused about why you would find me disgusting.” Frowning, he tilted his head.
“All men are. You just want one thing from a female, and I don’t plan on being someone’s slave again.” Emma’s eyes filled with sadness, but only for a moment.
“Why would you think that? I would never mistreat a lady?!” Christiaan could see that there was a lot he didn’t know about the princess.
“Oh? What about other women?” She hit the nail right on the head, and his face said it all. He couldn’t help it. He had never been good at hiding what he thought. Dammit! The song ended and they each went to their corners.
“So, how was it?” Lucille smiled.
“Uncomfortable.” Emma frowned. Emma accepted the invitation to dance from someone else when the next song started to play, but she could feel his eyes closely watching her every move. Why on earth did Lucille agree to this idiotic marriage when she knew how Emma felt about it?
“It’s for your own good.” Pearl whispered a little later, sliding in next to her.
“It can’t possibly be.” Emma crossed her arms, angrily looking across the room. “My mother told you I take it?” Pearl ecstatically hugged her and started talking about wedding ideas and dresses, but Emma noticed Magnus walking over to the Alpha of the Shadow Pack. What are these parents up to?
“Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for attending our princess’s inauguration. There will be a change in our schedule today. If everyone could meet us outside in the gardens in comfortable clothes in an hour, please. The king and queens thought it would be fun to test out strengths in some challenges.” Edgar stepped into the center of the ballroom. The guests all looked happy and interested. Only Emma suddenly felt offbeat.
“What? I didn’t plan this? What about the…” Emma stuttered.
“The picnic will happen tomorrow.” Lucille giggled and hooked her arm into Emma’s, walking with her.
“Today, you are representing the clan in our new games.”
WASN’T THE FIRST DAY of running enough for these people? Now they had to make us challenge each other? Christiaan walked out onto the field with his friends, just knowing that his mother had something to do with this.
“Gather around everyone.” Magnus stood in the middle of the field calling them all together. “We thought that it would be good to work off some of our energy through some challenges and get out of the stuffy castle a little, especially with everyone that seems to be getting so ill.” He grinned, making Emma roll her eyes. If that stab was meant to come her way, she was slowly growing thick skin and ignored it.
“We are going to start with a relay race. Matt, I believe you have been working on some team suggestions.” Magnus smiled at Matt. Christiaan rolled his eyes and Meg poked him in his side. They started calling out the teams, and they were mixed up. Without even blinking, Christiaan stepped up, grabbing Emma’s arm.
“You are on my team.” He growled. “I don’t want anything to happen to you while we figure this out.”
“Hey! Figure what out?” Emma complained.
“This… us. Whatever our parents have planned.” Christiaan sighed.
“I’m not going to join you in your team! This is a challenge. Are you scared I might beat you?” Sparks flew in her eyes. She took a spot next to him, shoving the girl that was there into her spot, and Magnus started the race.
“Ready! Set! GO!” Emma’s team won the relay race, excitedly congratulating each other at the finish line.
“You cheated!” Christiaan growled.
“They didn’t say anything about not using our powers.” Emma grinned at him.
“So, that’s how you want to play it?” He growled.
“I’m not playing!” Her teeth protruded, and her eyes turned blood-red. They glared at each other for a minute, then turned around and walked in opposite directions. His pack members teased him for losing against the girl and the fact that his marriage had been arranged spread like wildfire. He took a look around the grounds and his eyes easily found her standing alone watching the events. Why did she have to be so beautiful?
“Hey, dude!” Erik’s voice interrupted Christiaan’s brooding.
“What?” Christiaan snapped.
“What’s with you and that Vampire princess? Why don’t you just reject her?” Erik frowned.
“I… I’m going to. I just haven’t found the right time yet.” Christiaan couldn’t tell his best friend that he was physically unable to reject Emma.
“But your parents arranged for you to get married?” Erik looked confused.
“That won’t happen if we are no longer mates. I know my mom. She believes in the old ways.” Christiaan didn’t sound convinced. Emma heard his voice without trying.
“If we aren’t destined to be together, and I reject her, then they will call the wedding off.” Christiaan growled.
“Then why haven’t you done it yet?” His friend frowned.
“I told you. I haven’t found the time yet!” He looked her way, and she turned her back, quickly looking the other way.
“URG!” Why couldn’t she just get the words out to reject him? Why was it so hard for her to say… I reject you, Christiaan Storm!! She stormed off to where Magnus and Matt were talking.
“What else do you have planned?” Emma hissed.
“Just a couple of things, honey. Why?” Magnus didn’t know whether to laugh or worry.
“I want to know, so I can decide on my opponents.” They looked at each other and then handed her a clipboard. She took it, read through the list, handed it back to them, and then stormed off to speak to her new mom.
“Are you kidding me?” Emma whispered.
“Oh, sweetie. I saw you race! You did good!” Lucille laughed.
“Thank you, but we need to talk. I need to know why you are doing this. Why is it so important that I marry that stupid wolf!” Emma tried to keep her voice calm, but it was filled with fury.
“I want to see you happy, Emma. Don’t you get that? You have been through so much. All I want for you is happiness.” Lucille rubbed her arms. “I’m not letting you out of this agreement, Emma. I know he is the one that will make you happy. If only you stopped fighting it.” Emma heard her name being called for the next event and walked onto the field.
“Great. I should have known.” Christiaan sighed.
“It’s not as if I want to be here either.” She frowned.
“Okay, you two. No biting, no clawing. Got that?” Matt gave them the rules. “You are going to run through the hurdle course, and the first one to make it to the other side wins.”
“This isn’t a fair race,” Christiaan growled. “She will just use her speed and win.”
“That is why the two of you are going up against Erik and Tabatha.” Matt grinned. “The first team to cross the finish line wins.”
“Fine!” Emma looked at Christiaan. “You better not slow me down, Wolf.” Emma was in first place but was halted by the river and couldn’t cross on her own. She looked up and down the river bed for a way to cross, but they soon caught up to her, and Christiaan picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder, and carried her over the water, kicking and screaming.
“Do you think having my head that near the water made me feel any better?!!” She shouted the moment he put her down.
“No, but if you don’t mind, I would like to win this race against my friend and his mate.” He waved at the two wolves that just went running past them.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Emma waved her arms in the air and moved like the wind to the next hurdle. They faced a net, and she had never had to climb something like it, finding it tough to keep her feet and hands where they needed to get a grip, forcing Christiaan to carry her.
“I hate this.” Emma moaned.
“Do you think I like carrying you around?” Christiaan became impatient.
“Do you think I like being carried around?” She jumped off his back when they got off the nets. They reached a rope bridge, and the planks were rotten.
“We won’t make it across there at the same time.” Christiaan frowned.
“Yes, we will. Come on.” She grabbed his hand, and they made it just before the bridge collapsed.
“Seriously?” Emma looked back at the falling bridge.
“Yeah, I think our parents mean to put real hurdles in our way.” Christiaan grabbed her hand, pulling her up against his chest and holding her tight against him, feeling the adrenaline rush through his body. “Why do you find me disgusting?” She looked at him, feeling his hot breath blowing on her shoulder.
“I… We are going to lose against your friend! Do you want that?” She pushed away from him, running to the next hurdle, jumping through the tire hoops as if they were nothing while he got stuck.
“Dammit, Christiaan! How much do you weigh? We are going to be lucky if you fit through all of these!!” She snapped at him. Watching Erik and Tabatha working together as a team frustrated both of them even more, but she finally helped him get through, and they made it to the finish line seconds before their opponents. Emma felt the rush of the race and fought with him all the way. The pull of the mate bond and then his eyes, his beautiful green eyes.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her off into the forest. “We need to talk.” Pushing her up against a tree the moment they were out of sight. Dragging her fingers through his hair, she pulled him closer, crushing her lips on his. He responded with a soft growl, kissing her back and pulling her up tight against his chest. When they broke apart so he could catch his breath, he felt like he couldn’t let her go.
“What are you doing to me?”
- Writer
