Chapter 6

    When I went outside, I saw someone lying on a bench by the fountain. I didn’t know who it was, but I noticed they had very long hair that was as white as snow. It was hanging down from the bench, blowing gently in the breeze. It looked like a white sheer curtain waving in the wind. It looked so soft and silky, almost  making me want to reach out and touch it.

     I felt drawn to the person on the bench, so I quietly walked closer. With each step, my heart beat faster and faster. Then, I saw her face, and my heart almost stopped. It started racing like crazy. It was like I was under a spell.

     It was her, my mate! She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Her skin is as smooth as porcelain, and her lips are full and inviting. All I wanted to do was kiss her. Before I knew it, I was kneeling beside her, gazing at her lips. Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed her. She’s got me under a spell. The moment our lips touched, my desire to search for her disappeared. It’s like I finally found what I was looking for.   

  It is truly her!

    Lost in the kiss, her eyes suddenly flew open, and I found myself gazing into the bluest eyes I’d ever seen—a pale blue that took my breath away. The kiss was soft and gentle, just a light touch of our lips. But then, out of nowhere, her hand swung up and hit my face, making me stumble back. She’s a fiery one, despite her small size! She caught me off guard, and I guess I did the same to her. It’s not every day you wake up to a stranger kissing you, after all! I would have probably done the same thing if I was in her shoes.

    She jumped up from the bench, her eyes blazing with anger, like she could scorch me with a single glance. She was talking a mile a minute, probably yelling at me for kissing her, but I wasn’t listening. I was too busy drinking in every detail of her face, from her adorable dimples to her tiny nose. I’ve been waiting for her for so long, and now she’s finally right in front of me. But from the look on her face, I can tell she has no idea that we’re meant to be together.

    “ Don’t just stand there with your mouth hanging open!” she yelled, furious. “ How dare you kiss me out of the blue like that?” But I couldn’t help it—I was transfixed by her dazzling glazier eyes. She had me completely under her spell, and she didn’t even realize it.

    “ I had every right to kiss you,” I said. “ Your lips belong to me, Little One.” She scowled, and her face flushed with anger. But I wouldn’t apologize for what I did. Her lips were the softest, sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted, and I would gladly kiss her again if I could. Nothing has ever felt as good as her lips on mine.

    Without saying anything else, I turned my back on her and walked away, heading to the back of the castle where my men were waiting. I wanted to share the good news with them, but I knew it was too soon. She might not even know that we’re meant to be together, and after the stunt I just pulled, she might reject me. If it happens, I’m afraid I’ll lose myself to the darkness.

( Meara )

 Who does this guy think he is? He had no right to kiss me while I was asleep. Who does that? And to have the audacity to claim that he had every right to kiss me—he’s crazy! Walking off like nothing happened, with his infuriatingly handsome looks. He’s too handsome for his own good. He seems made for deception, for whispering secrets and false promises in the dead of the night. I don’t like it, not one bit.

    What is taking Merilla so long? I have been waiting out here forever. Without waiting any longer, I head into the castle, absolutely awestruck by the interior. Completely speechless. Everything inside is white marble, with touches of gold everywhere. I can’t help but wonder if it is real gold or just for show. Tempted, I reached out to touch a piece of gold attach to one of the pillars.

     “ Thief!” Someone called out, grabbing ahold of my wrist and yanking it away from the pillar. “ I am not a thief; I was just looking at the pillar.” I argue back         

  “ That is usually what a thief would say if you caught them trying to steel.” 

     “  Seriously, do you really think I could steel a pillar that huge? How on earth would I carry it in the first place?”   

   “ Don’t know, but I am not taking any chances. I will throw you in the dungeon until the king has returned and decide what he would do with you.”

     Without any further discussion, the guard dragged me outside of the castle into some old-looking stone building with metal bars on the small windows. I shout for help, but everyone we pass just ignores my screams and turns their heads in another direction, pretending I did not exist.