Chapter 4

Aurelia's POV

"Aurelia...Be mine."

I froze, unable to move a muscle as I stared at the Prince with my jaw hanging loose. His words simply left me in shock. Was this supposed to be a dream? I wondered but his thumb rubbing my lower lip in a slow and sensual manner that sparked discomfort in me was enough to remind me that I was very much awake.

His lips spread into a smile as he slowly pulled my face closer to his own with his hold on my chin. "Why do you look so surprised, Aurelia?" He chuckled like the look on my face was somewhat funny.

"Y-Your H-Highness," I stuttered but his index finger rested on my lips, shushing me.

"I can't help but be interested in you. Have you seen you?" His smile widened. "You grow even more beautiful by the start of each day," he complimented in a voice filled with fascination like he couldn't get over it.

"It's impossible to stay away from you. I tried, Aurelia," his voice took a defeated tone and his shoulders slumped like he had been hurting all these time.

"I tried for years. But I've decided to pursue my feelings and confess it to you,"

I wanted to wake up from this. The way he stared at me like I was a snack, made me feel a type of way. His hold on my hand was tight as if he never wanted to let me go.

The look in his eyes too, how did I miss this? How didn't I notice his attraction to me and when did it become this way?

"I want you to be by my side-"

I shook my head this time and stepped away from his hold.

His hands hung in the air and his lips turned down in a frown. When he lifted his eyes at me, I staggered back as my heart thundered in fear.

He threw an open glare at me and I gulped at his fierce look. As if sensing my fear, Norton fixed his face and I watched as his shoulders rose and fell in a deep sigh.

"Aurelia," he called out my name in a low breath and reached out for me.

My legs trembled and I stared at him with wide eyes. I had no intention of letting his hands touch me but something deep down knew better and my legs moved on their own.

"Why me?" I found myself asking as I stepped within his reach, staring into his eyes. "I am... I am obviously not your mate-"

"You're well aware that my father, the King, has asked me to get myself a bride. It doesn't matter if we're mates or not," he carefully held my chin between his thumb and index finger.

My heart was pounding at a ferocious pace as my thoughts were going haywire.

How would I avoid this and still not be on his bad side? The King and his son have done so much for me already. How would he feel if I turned down his son?

Was this payment for his kindness towards me all these years?

"I choose you," Norton announced again and just like the last time, I was unprepared.

Words failed to surrender itself at my feet to express myself. All I could do was stare in shock and think of a way to buy myself more time in order not to fall on his wrath.

From the look of things, especially how he reacted the first time I flinched, it was obvious that Norton didn't want me to say 'no.'

He expected me to jump into this opportunity with open arms and seize it like it was the best to come.

Any girl would love this. After all, marrying a prince makes one a princess and when he becomes a king, the princess graduates into a Queen. It all sounded like a dream come true.

Except that this wasn't my dream. I've never wanted to be with anyone who wasn't my mate even worse, spend the rest of my life with them.

"Prince Norton-"

"I thought I told you to call me by my name," his brows itched into a frown and I clamped my mouth shut.

"Right!" I nodded. "Right," I mumbled absentmindedly. "I-I am not deserving of you," I began and when he arched his brow and retracted his hand to fold them over his chest, I gulped and continued. At least I had his attention.

"You're the Prince Norton, an Alpha Prince. You cannot possibly pick any woman to be your bride. I am an orphan," I thought of what more to say to discourage him from looking my way but deep down, I could feel that it was futile.

Up until a few months ago, his smile around me became more constant and his demand to spend more time with me was hard to turn down.

"I can't simply let you have me by your side," I told him with desperation in my voice. "I can't-"

"Enough!"

I gasped in shock at his outburst with my chest heaving. I placed my hand on my neck and fiddled with the blue stone pendant.

Oddly, I found it to be a satisfying act.

"You will not speak of yourself in such a degrading tone especially around your soon to be groom,"

Once again, my jaw dropped and I gaped at him.

He was hellbent on this. I doubt there would be any way possible to calmly reject him.

"I like you, Aurelia and, I don't know but I think fate brought us together-"

"Fate?" I recoiled at such an insensitive term to the calamity that had befallen my family.

Had he just called my Pack's unfortunate death 'fate'?

I stared at the insensitive Prince who was supposed to take over from his father someday and I felt an irritation stirr in my heart.

"Yes, my dear," he clasped one of my hands in his and raised it to his lips. "Ever since you started living here, I've been holding myself back. I never would have seen you if what happened didn't happen-"

I trailed off, gritting my teeth in anger. Listening to how casually he referred to my Pack's death as an opportunity to get me only irked me further.

I had never thought of Norton in any way besides the Prince of my pack. I was neither attracted to him nor fascinated by him. He wasn't even in the friend zone. I saw him as a wolf from my pack who had a higher rank.

To consider him for marriage would be a mistake on my part and that was one area I wasn't ever going to make a mistake on.

I would stick with my mate and find him to the ends of the Earth if needs be.

"... I look forward to you walking down the aisle-"

"No!" I yanked my hand away from his hold and jumped away from him like he was a carrier of multiple diseases. My chest heaved but I ignored it.

"No?" He frowned. "What do you mean no?"

I shook my head firmly. "I'm sorry, Prince Norton but I cannot be your bride."