Chapter 58

Celia

The sight of the underwhelming groceries, or what was left over from the last time Soren, or whoever it was that was here last, was less than ideal. Since the coastal town knows of Soren and his status as the Alpha King, it was safe to assume that news of my new title of princess was to be known.

According to Soren, the people in this town barely look at the national news, always sticking to local news instead of national headlines. Besides, we doubt that they would even heard, or care, about the missing Lycan princess being found since they are so far away from any of the other packs.

So, I took one of the soldiers with me and bought as many groceries as I could, finding and taking in a plethora of food and drinks so that we can all be fed well. The first night, we decided to do something simple. Spaghetti and meatballs was the call and, quite unsurprisingly, I was the only one in the home who knows how to cook.

Soren grew up with maids and servants and cooks ready to do anything at his beck and call while the soldiers were trained to live off of rations and emergency food packets that were tucked away inside their uniforms.

Once the meal was done and made, I passed off the plates to the soldiers and watched as they walked away, engrossed in their own conversation about security and making for sure that the property is safe before the time that we are here for.

I turn away and focus on plating Soren and I’s plates, watching as he comes from the hallway out of the corner of my eye. His hair is wet and he dries it off with a towel, walking my way. He smells the air and his interest is immediately piqued.

“It smells delicious, Celia, thank you,” Soren comments, now standing behind me as I plate a heaping serving of the spaghetti onto one of the flat bowls inside the home.

“You’re welcome,” I respond, holding up his plate to him.

He takes it to the outside table and sits down. I follow suit and sit beside him, facing the view that overlooks the tumultuous sea. It isn’t too far away, a decent distance that would require a very short walk to get to. I bet it is beautiful in the morning.

It is silent between us. We eat the food and listen to the sound of crashing waves and the occasional gawk from a nearby bird. It is peaceful and serene, just like how I felt whenever I found a safe haven in Soren’s backyard at his mansion.

I finish my meal and push my plate in front of me, grabbing my glass of red wine from in front of me and taking a slow sip. After I set the glass down, I take a quick glance of Soren, who is staring right at me.

My eyes widen and I turn my face away, my cheeks slowly heating up. I tap my face with my hands, trying to figure out if there is something on my face or if my makeup somehow got ruined while I cooked.

“You are fine, Celia, you do not need to overthink it,” Soren comments with a light chuckle.

I close my eyes and let out a quiet sigh, the influence from the wine slowly taking over my body. Looking back at him, I lean to the side and into his space , narrowing my eyes at him in a playful manner.

“Then why are you looking at me? There has to be something on my face or maybe you are plotting my demise, yeah? That’s why you are smiling, isn’t it?” I ask, holding back a small laugh but my lips curve into a smile, giving away my true intentions.

“You always had an active imagination, didn’t you? I am not thinking of any of those things, actually,” Soren informs me and leans forward, closing the distance between us. I don’t move, not wanting to let him win in our silent game of dominance.

“Then what are you thinking, my dear Alpha King?” I ask in a teasing tone, quietly chuckling.

“I was actually thinking about when we met,” Soren looks away and towards the sea, the smile remaining on his face. “I never envisioned that we would go from contracted lovers to fated mates. I never thought that you would be the missing Lycan princess either. Everyone thought she was permanently gone.”

Soren and I’s eyes meet. We are quiet for a brief moment before we laugh, shaking our heads at the crazy events that have taken place within the last couple of months.

I never thought that we would be here either but…a piece of me knows that this is exactly where I need to be. Well, maybe that’s the fated mate bond talking.

“It is absurd, yeah, I never would have thought this would happen too!”

We share some more laughs together and watch as the sun slowly sets from beyond the horizon. Once it disappears, we clear up our plates and wine glasses and move back inside, getting away from the chilly winds and into the comfort of the home.

We work together in silence. I clean the dishes while he dries them, our hips bumping into each other every now and then. My cheeks heat up every time and I have to turn away so he doesn’t see.

I am just about to leave when he dries the last plate when he takes my hand. I look up at him with a raised eyebrow but he says nothing. He guides me down the hall and in the direction of my bedroom.

The walk is silent. We are no longer giggly or laughing with each other. I am not directing him on how to properly dry a plate — yes, I know, he is a lost cause in the kitchen — and our feet fall into sync with each other, our fingers intertwined.

We reach the door but neither of us dares to open it. Soren turns and looks down at me, our eyes meeting.

“Goodnight, Soren,” I breathe the words out.

“Goodnight, Celia,” Soren returns the words back to me and my heart skips a beat from just how close he is to me.

My heart wants me to stay at his side, to never leave and to keep our hands connected at all costs. My brain, on the other hand, is screaming at me to run away, to hide from the man who has ripped our hearts to shreds when he thought that Bianca was the one for him.

We don’t move. Nobody speaks. We know that the night must come to an end but I don’t think either of us is willing to make the move. If I have to do it, then so be it.

Slowly, I drop my hand from his and push open the door. I step inside. Soren watches me, his gaze softening. I turn around and look at him, the overwhelming urge to close the distance between us overtaking my body.

I fling my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug, our cheeks pressed together. His arms instantly wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him. We stay like this for a moment, our hearts beating in sync.

“Thank you, Soren,” I breathe out, “for everything.”

Without another word, I slip away from his grasp and disappear inside the bedroom, closing the door behind me.