Her Unwanted Mate On The Throne
Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Chapter 45 They were heard nearby

Prince William stayed silent for hours, Doris didn’t bother to try and start another conversation. She wasstarting to get used to his mood swings and she didn’t want to feed into another one that might blow upinto something more. He kept glancing out the small window every ten minutes to make sure all was inorder, but something uneasy settled in Doris. It was too quiet. The air felt thick and normally she wouldbe glad of the silence-but for some reason it only felt off. Doris wondered if William had felt it too. Hehadn’t tried to sleep once, instead he seemed more alert than ever. She couldn’t help but worry that hewas running on little to no sleep for almost two days. How much longer could he last before exhaustiontook him over? “William-“ Doris said hesitantly. He dropped the curtain and turned to face her. His eyeswere a little red and his hair was an absolute mess in the way that she found looked handsome on him.She shook those thoughts away and cleared her throat.“ Perhaps it might be a good idea—“ Thecarriage came to a sudden halt that slid Doris out of her seat and right into his waiting arms. They bothstilled as they strained to listen for any voices or movement, he silently seated her beside him andopened the curtain an inch to peer outside. Doris tried to calm her breath, afraid to make even thesmallest sounds incase a rogue was nearby to hear it. A loud thud hit the side of the carriage and shook

the inside. William opened the curtain wider to see a crazed man hanging off the side of the carriage,Doris gasped. Was this a rogue? He bared his teeth at William and let his bloodied fingers staineverything he touched. “I can smell you in there, prince. Come out to play.” The guards were quick to pullhim off, she flinched when she heard one of them shriek. William forced the door open and closed itquickly behind him so she couldn’t follow. Doris quickly scooted over to open the curtain and see whatwas happening. The man stood in rags outside the carriage with his hands coated in blood up to hiselbows. Everything about him blended in with the snow, if she hadn’t seen the blood, she might havemissed him entirely. He had long, white hair and eyes almost as light as the ground beneath him. Whenhe smiled, she saw his sharp teeth poke out of his gums as if he were about to rip apart everyone aroundhim. William stood in front of the carriage door as if he was guarding it, though she knew it only looked

that way from where she was seated. “You know I could smell your royal blood for miles, prince.” Theman taunted and licked his teeth. The guards surrounded him as if he was in the center of a circle. “Allalone out here, I see. Where’s your pack?” William lifted his chin. He refused to let his gaze leave thederanged man for even a second. A trail of blood dripped from the man though he didn’t look injured.Doris’s eyes followed it to see it led to a guard by the carriage-his head laid several feet away from hisbody. She covered her mouth and closed the curtain a little more so the man wouldn’t see her. His eyesseemed to replace her anyway. A smirk fell

across his face when he saw the curtain move.” They’re near enough, don’t you worry.” He took a stepcloser with his eyes still fixed on the carriage. He inhaled deeply, “Who’s that in there? Do I smell a girl?”William took a step forward, she couldn’t see his face but his voice sounded deadly when he spoke

“Take one more step and I’ll rip your eyes from your skull before I shatter your nose for even seeking herout.” “I seem to have hit a nerve.” The man grinned. “She must be something—“

Doris blinked and Prince William was on him. He grabbed him by the throat just as the man raised hisclaws to strike him. William’s shirt came away at the top, she saw his blood drip in the snow from wherehe must have been scratched. Doris quickly closed the curtain when she saw William start to rip out theman’s throat. His screams died instantly and she didn’t think she would ever forget the horrible sound.

Doris sat with her knees to her chest in the corner of the carriage. She wasn’t sure how many minuteshad passed until William had finally come back inside. The blood was cleaned from his hands and hiscoat covered any trace of a scar, but she knew there must have been one. He didn’t look at her once asthe carriage started to move again. Only when they stopped a few hours later did he finally saysomething. “We’re going to stop to rest for the night. There’s a creak near the edge of camp if you needto clean up, but don’t stray too far.” He spoke with his eyes out the window as if he were already far fromthe carriage. Once he was done, he stepped out without another word and didn’t bother to look back tosee

if she would follow. The moon was bright in the sky above her, she held the cloak tighter around her asshe gazed at the stars and stepped out of the carriage carefully. If her fear wasn’t trying to control herthoughts, she would have appreciated how beautiful the night was. Doris sighed and turned back to theclearing. Several tents had already been set up between the trees, there were so many she doubted itwas possible for anyone to see their camp when it was this dark. They didn’t even dare to light a firedespite how freezing it was. It would be worse to wake up in a blood bath because a rogue pack hadfound them rather than simply suffer through the cold. Erik was the only guard she knew the name of, hebusied himself with setting up a few chairs for other guards to rest. “Excuse me.” She spoke quietly asshe crunched her boots in the snow to reach him. He turned and offered a tired smile. “Do you knowwhere I am supposed to sleep for the night?” “Oh-” He glanced over his shoulder to the larger tentbehind them. Clearly that one was meant for the prince. “William requested you stay with him.” Doris felther cheeks immediately redden, she took a small step back. “Surely he was mistaken.” “No, I wasn’t.”His deep voice interrupted. He stood with the flap of his tent wide opened and half of his shirt alreadyunbuttoned as if he’d been in the middle of changing. His hair was a mess and a bit of dark scruffappeared on his jaw from not shaving. Her eyes lingered on the red mark across his chest before shequickly looked away, “You’ll be staying with me.” “I—are you sure? I don’t mind staying out here.”

Doris glanced at Erik but he was already gone. Prince William blew out a breath of frustration. “I needyou to be in here tonight. I might need… tea or something. Just get in here.” He snapped, she could tell itwas hard for him to keep his voice low. Doris reluctantly followed him inside. There was a makeshift bedon the floor and clothes scattered in the corner with bloodied rags but not much else besides a plate offood. She turned to replace him completely shirtless and picking at the mark on his chest. Doris quicklystepped forward to grab his hand.” Don’t do that, you’ll make it worse.” She said with a blush. She hopedhe would think it was due to the freezing weather. She picked through the pile of clothes and managed toreplace something that looked like a rag to clean his wound with water. He stilled as she neared him, hiseyes watched her silently but he didn’t say a word as she carefully cleaned away the blood and dirt. Itwas closed for the most part, she assumed that was thanks to the wolf inside him but if he kept picking at

it-it would open as new. “There.” Doris said softly as she looked over the scratch and tried not to let hergaze lower to take in the rest of him. “It shouldn’t bleed again if you leave it.” His blue eyes were calmwhen she looked up at him. There was no storm or anger beneath the sea in his eyes. Just a steadyocean. “Thank you.” He said, for a second she swore she imagined it. He moved to put on a thicksweater before he laid in the bed. Doris dropped the rag in the pile and nervously slid her cloak off. “Doyou need me to get you anything?” “No.” He grumbled with his eyes already closed.”

Lay down.” Doris looked around for an area for her to lay that wouldn’t be too close to him. His hand shotout and gripped her wrist to pull her onto the blankets next to him. “Oh-” “Shh.” He demanded. Doris laidstill with her eyes wide opened. Why did he want her in here if he didn’t need anything? Her bonesstruggled to relax for eternity until she heard the soft sounds of his breath against her ear. Her bodywanted to curl up against his warmth and fight the cold chill but she forced herself to make do with theblankets around them. She didn’t realize she had fallen asleep until William had roughly shook herawake the next morning. “Get up, quickly. My guards have spotted someone nearby.”

Her Unwanted Mate On The Thr