Chapter 4
The sound of footsteps echoed from behind, waking me out of my thoughts. I spun around, my heart beating a little faster. Who could be coming? Then I came face to face with Prince Jayden.
"Hey Davina, what are you thinking about? I've been talking to you" Jayden shook me a little, waking me up from my thoughts about the evening celebration. "Nothing, what did you say?" I said.
" I said, Are you okay? Why did you leave the celebration like that?" Prince Jayden replied, his deep voice smooth. "I stood there, taking a moment to observe you before approaching. And I'm not surprised if you heard after all, werewolves have heightened senses, including smell and hearing" I approached him, smiling but my eyes were dull and unhappy.
"I'm good," I replied, my voice a little too casual. "I just needed some fresh air, that's all." I tried to force my expression to look okay.
"I'm sure something was bothering you, was it about me choosing you as my mate? Davina, are you sure everything's okay? Is there something bothering you? if you don't want to be my mate tell me," he said, his voice gentle but insistent.
I was silent for a few minutes, weighing whether to speak about my feelings or not. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the water against the shore and the distant chirping of birds.
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine and okay with being chosen as your mate," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral.
"Okay, because I really wish for you to be my chosen mate willingly, not by going against your wishes," he said, trying to reassure me.
"My wolf loe, also wants you, and if there's anything you want to talk about, you can share it with me." He said, studying my reaction.
"Everything is alright," I repeated, my voice firm but unconvincing and my expression unreadable.
"Okay, let's go back," he said, and started walking towards the palace. The silence between us was palpable, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was indeed wrong. As we walked back to the palace, almost out of the forest, the trees grew thinner, and the sunlight filtered through the leaves.
Suddenly, Priscilla appeared in front of us, blocking our path.Her eyes blazed with anger and hurt. "Jayden, why did you choose her over me?" she demanded, her voice low and urgent. "She doesn't love you; she only accepted being your mate because of her parents," she said, pointing at me with a shaking finger.
"And you knew I loved you and wanted to be your mate," she continued, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. Her expression was a mix of sadness and desperation.
"How dare you question my authority and speak to me, your alpha, in such a disrespectful manner," he growled, his voice rough and cold with Leo's presence simmering just below the surface. His eyes gleamed golden in the fading light, a clear warning that he would not be challenged. "You'd better get out of my sight now, before I lose my temper. If it weren't for your grandfather Elder James, I'd have torn you apart."
Priscilla looked shaken, her eyes wide with fear as she bowed her head in submission. She turned and ran away from us, her footsteps echoing through the forest. The sound of her fleetingness was followed by an uncomfortable silence between him and me. "Sorry about that," he said to me, trying to compose himself.
I took a deep breath, feeling the cool night air fill my lungs "It's okay," I replied, my voice calm and soothing.
We continued walking until we reached the front of the palace. The grand entrance loomed before us, its doors guarded by two imposing figures. "Good night, Prince Jayden," I said, my voice polite but distant.
"Call me Jayden," he said, his voice softer now. "You're my mate, and we're equals." He smiled.
"Okay," I said. I turned and walked towards the room designated for me in the palace.
"Davina wait" I heard Prince Jayden call as I was about to enter the hallway leading to my room. "Yes Prin, I mean Jayden" I immediately changed the address from Prince Jayden to Jayden as that's what he wanted.
"Davina, would you please accompany me to the garden? I would like to talk to you about somethings" Jayden asked me.
"Sure no problem" I said and Jayden led the way and we walked to the garden.
Soon we reach the garden and I sit at the bench there Jayden also sits beside me. "Davina, you always know that I have feelings for you, Davina I love you, I also know that you feel nothing for me but I promise I will not force you to do anything I will always respect you Davina" Jayden said while looking straight into my eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. "I know you want to deny it but there is no need. I knew everything, you always want your mate but you can't find him which shows that you might be destined to be with me Davina. Am not pressuring you to anything I just want to talk about how I feel"
"Am sorry Jayden, I have also try to fall for you but I couldn't, have always see you as a prince and brother nothing more than that, I also wish I could reciprocate your feelings but I can't am truly sorry, to tell the truth I don't want to be your mate, it is just that if I don't become your mate I will become another person mate so I choose you because I know you, you are a good and would not maltreatment me" I said to him.
"I know, I don't need you to love me back. All I want is for you to be with me. I would do everything to ensure you are happy, and I will not give you a reason to complain" he said.
"Thank you Jayden, I truly appreciate it but please can you leave me alone, here I want to be alone" I said to Jayson in a pleading tone.
"Yes, sure," he said and left
As Jayden left the garden, I looked around me, is this what I truly want? To be Jayden's mate? No I don't want that but what could I do my parents and everyone want me to mate with him. And I could not even find my destined mate, the one I have always desired.
Maybe I should just accept my fate and become Jayden's mate or hope for a miracle to happen within this one month that we changed everything. All I can do right now is to hope, and pray to the moon goddess which I trust to choose the best part for me.