Love and Chaos Series
His Forbidden Mate Chapter 24

"You look like you have had better days." Edward stepped into my office, closing the door behind him.

I had a scroll in my hand which I read through before he interrupted. "I have, but that's no business of yours." I shot at him with a stern voice as I folded the scroll back. I already readied myself to attack. He knew that, too.

He paused and gave me a concerned look. "You know you don't have to be on the defence every time you see me, right? We work together as partners just like it was in the beginning."

Yes, I didn't have to be hostile towards him, especially when he'd done nothing wrong, but that was the only way to keep my fences up. He was still the man that affected me in ways I couldn't explain in the past and he still had that ability. My wolf still shivered in

his presence, and I could not ignore the way my body heated whenever he stood too close or stared at me for too long. The best way to keep him out was to welcome no form of casual friendship. If I could maintain that, it would be great for everyone. It's been close to two months of being partners and though the bad blood still lingered between us, we've worked out a reasonable working space.

"Well, you're in my office so I get to do what I want, my prince," I replied and tossed the scroll onto the desk and crossed my arms.

"My title demands respect, but you take it while outrightly disrespecting me." he did not sound very pleased.

He had a point. No matter how I threaded, he was still the prince and deserved to be treated as one.

My eyes dropped, realising the error of my ways. I rose to my feet, according to him the due respect. "I am sorry, my prince. What can I do for you?"

He stuffed his hands into his pocket and stepped away from the door, "Nothing, I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you're okay."

"Thank you for caring. I am fine."

"If you want to send me away, you can just ask me to leave. There's no need to lie to me."

I opened my mouth to speak but snapped it shut after realising I was about to say something nasty.

"You're right, and I should know better. You're not just the prince, you're also a wizard, capable of doing terrible things to me if you so please." the last line was a lie, and he knew it too.

Magic, just like the werewolf ability, has never worked on me. I don't know why it hasn't and I've never sorted to replace out.

"We both know I can't do terrible things to you with my magic. There's something that has you immune to any attack that isn't physical. The moon goddess clearly has a favourite." he said, his eyes raking over me to affirm his words.

I do not think the moon goddess is responsible for anything about me being this way, but I don't complain. Being this way has helped me in the past, but humans can be vicious even without their magic or powers.

"The only terrible thing I can do to you is with my mouth and hands." His eyes, still locked in mine, darkened as l**t followed his words.

At his words, the memories of the first and only time we spent together rushed back into my head with every hint and detail, like it had happened yesterday. Shivers ran down my spine and my core clenched as memories of him between my legs played in my mind. My wolf made a needy whine, but I silenced it. My body still yearned for this man, and so my walls needed to remain up at all times.

'I don't think your walls can keep him out even if you try. He'll break it down and come replace you.' the voice in my head said.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, hissing as I found his eyes straying away from my face and settling on my slightly exposed cleavage. I had a red dress which barely reached my knees and had thin hands. It exposed a small amount of my cleavage to all eyes, including his. However, these weren't for him. I didn't wear the dress having him in mind, but he stared at them as though I did.

His eyes returned to mine, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Nothing, just telling you the terrible things I can do to you."

A man's s****l appetite had never been a surprise to me. Most times, I replace a way to use it to my advantage. With Prince Edward, I knew there was no such thing as advantages. If anything, he had the advantage over me and he knew how and when to use it. "I think you should leave, please."

He raised both hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I overstepped, but I'm concerned about you. You seemed gloomy today, and I wanted to know if you're okay."

I didn't trust him, but there was a genuineness in his tone, and I needed to let this out and talk to someone. "Rue is shifting with Oliver during tomorrow's full moon." I answered.

"That's a good thing. Young mates should always shift together to strengthen their bonds and enhance compatibility..." he slowed down as if noticing something on my face. "You do not want them shifting together."

I didn't have to answer. The answer was on my face.

"You do not trust Oliver? I've known him since he was a child. The kid is noble and kind. He wouldn't step out of line with your protégé if that's what you're worried about."

That wasn't it, but it was noble that he had jumped into the defence of Oliver, listing all the characteristics that the young man had. It sure helped in my likeness for him.

"I trust Oliver. I have since I've met him."

He pulled a chair and sat down, and I don't remember asking him to do so. "Then what is it?"

"Rue and I have always shifted together, but this time she would shift with Oliver and I understand the need for them to bond as mates, but..."

"You've shifted with her for so long you don't think you can shift without her present."

Why do I feel as if I was talking to a listener?

I bit my lips and nodded, my cheeks heating. "Yes. I don't want to shift alone."

I answered, feeling ashamed that I had revealed such a vulnerable secret to him.

"I can shift with you if you want," he suggested.

My breath hitched in my throat despite the casual tone his voice had. "No!" I gave a single reply.

"Why not?"

I didn't have to spell it out to him, did I?

Shifting was about either showing strength, showing vulnerability or showing brokenness. And I have never been in a place of strength before, so I shifted with vulnerability and that was why I kept emotions away as much as I could, especially the sad ones. I didn't know how to shift without being vulnerable, and I didn't want to feel vulnerable with him.

"Because I don't want to shift with you, my prince."

"There has to be a reason, right?"

There was, but he didn't have to know that. "There isn't."

"Another lie." he caught me. "Three things happen during the shift, two with those who aren't alpha or royal betas. Either you shift showing strength or you do, showing vulnerability. If you have taken a human life, you shift, showing brokenness, but I doubt that's your case. My presence beside you would take away the loneliness, but judging from you not wanting me there, shows you shift showing vulnerability and do not want me seeing that."

I hate him. With the whole of my might and strength, I hate him. He knew so much, and that gave no room for secrecy.

"Now that you have figured it out, you know why I'd rather shift being lonely than shift with you." okay now that sounded harsher than I intended. Why did this man always bring out the worse in me?

"I could show you how to shift, showing strength."

I almost laughed, except he wasn't laughing and nothing was funny. "I am an omega. There is no such thing as shifting, showing strength," I told him in case he forgot.

"There is, but most packs monopolise power to keep the weak down and submissive and seeing that you don't know that shows they did a good job."

"I never shifted in my pack before going rogue, but I witnessed others shift."

I wanted to believe him more than anything. Unlike me, he wasn't a liar. But I didn't know if I could trust him. He had given me many reasons to not trust him. One of which was his desire for me. I knew he wouldn't try to take advantage of my vulnerability, yet I couldn't trust myself around him.

"You're afraid."

I was.

"You don't trust me, I get it."

Not that I didn't trust him, I just didn't trust myself around him.

"I give you my word. I will stick to doing only what we need to do. So now my question is not if you want to shift with me, it is, however, if you want to shift showing strength."

I wanted to.

I always thought the prices of being an omega wolf, was shifting with vulnerability and I had shifted none other way. But learning that I could show strength made me want to try no matter who I was trying with.

"What is the catch, then?" I asked, keeping an interesting brow at him.

He didn't act as if he didn't understand. He did, and he answered, "The catch is you let me shift with you."

"And there's no way to here, is there?"

For a second, she thought she saw a smile on the corner of his lips. "If there was, I would have told you."

I decided to put my faith in him. I had no other choice but to trust that in my most vulnerable moment, he wouldn't try to take advantage of me. He was mischievous and unpredictable, but so far I had known him and he hadn't been one to take advantage of anyone's vulnerability. I had to give him that.

"Sure, then you can shift with me, my prince," I answered, and his smile broadened.

"It's a date."