CHAPTER 21: A WOLF IN THE WOODS

As Emira followed Prince Zen with her head lowered, Emira’s mind raced. How was she supposed to take him to the Ruins if he was so willing to turn back the moments the guards stopped him? Should she run again, force him to chase her? But she had no head start and the guards were already standing on alert? And worst still... What if he invoked the Stormhold Law-just like Prince Kael had warned her about?

Her chest tightened. That law gave royal Alphas full rights over Omegas who.. She shuddered. No. She couldn’t risk that.

She had to be careful. Maybe she could convince him- draw out his curiosity, make him want to see what the Alpha was hiding. Drop more hints to make him suspicious. Maybe she could-

Before she could complete the thought, she was yanked forward sharply. A gasp escaped her lips as her back hit the rough trunk of a tree, knocking her breath out for a second. And then Prince Zen was in front of her, close, too close, his arm braced beside her head on either side of her, his body caging her in.

She froze, wide-eyed and stared at him. Her heart pounded violently against her ribcage as she stared up at him. His scent hit her instantly, clouding her thoughts. He wasn’t touching her beyond the trap of his presence, but she still felt cornered with his body. every instinct in her warned her to bare her neck or run. That was the only way she could survive...

"Prince Zen?" Her voice cracked slightly as she clenched her hands to her side. "W-What are you doing?"

Gathering her courage, she tried to push him away. Her palms pressed against his chest, but it was like trying to move a wall.

"Please. Please move. You’re too close." Emira pleaded with him but he did not budge.

She swallowed and shook her head, panic laced through her words now. "This isn’t right. Please... leave me. Just let me go."

Just then, without warning, he leaned in. Emira’s breath caught as she felt his nose brush against the sensitive skin of her neck. He inhaled deeply, slowly, and she stiffened immediately. His breath fanned across her skin, sending a pulse of heat down her spine. Her entire body froze.

She clenched her hands into fists at her sides, holding herself still, trying not to move, trying not to respond. But her skin betrayed her. Her nerves lit up where his breath touched her, and the heat that had been quietly coiled inside her stomach since surged forward, clouding her senses. Something inside her mind seemed to have woken up. Urging her to bare her neck to him and beg him to mark her. Or take her, whether she willed it or not... She knew this was her Omega instinct. To mate. But she felt shame crawl up her throat. She did not want to be an Omega.

She squeezed her eyes shut, humiliated by her body’s betrayal. And slowly, unwillingly, her head tilted to the side in the smallest of motions, submitting herself to him.

She hated herself for it.

The second she turned her head, she felt him shift and his mouth lowered slightly, until his lips hovered dangerously close to the vulnerable junction of her shoulder and neck.

Then his teeth grazed her skin. Not a bite. Just the ghost of one. It was like a tease and a promise. And yet it was enough to send a violent shiver through her spine. Her breath hitched. Her legs weakened slightly. She couldn’t move. And then he chuckled.

It vibrated through his chest and into her hands, which were still pressed against him. She felt it more than she heard it.

"Your scent...its like mint," he murmured, voice brushing against her skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

She blinked, at the words. She smelled like mint? No. That couldn’t be..."

"It reminds me of the fields back home. Fresh. Untouched. You’re so close to the heat..."

His voice dipped lower, and she felt her entire body tighten.

"You’re making my wolf edgy with that sweet scent of yours," he said, one hand finally moving as it lightly trailed down the side of her arm, stopping just at her wrist. He didn’t hold her, not exactly. But it was enough. Enough to remind her she wasn’t in control here.

She swallowed hard.

Then he said it casually, "But you’re underage."

Her stomach dropped, and she wondered if she should feel relief..

"So close," he breathed, "and yet so far out of reach."

Before she could even process those words, he shifted again- his hips pushing against her legs, as he let her feel the hard proof of his desire. It sent panic and confusion flaring through her chest.

Her hands pressed harder against his chest. "Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

But he didn’t press further. Instead, after letting the moment into unbearable heat, he finally stepped back.

She gasped, the sudden space between them almost as dizzying as his presence had been.

Her legs shook beneath her, but she refused to let herself fall.

Prince Zen’s gaze didn’t waver. He stared at her with his unreadable eyes and then slowly reached out again.

This time, his fingers brushed lightly across her lips.

She tensed, confused, uncertain and too overwhelmed to move.

"So kissable," he said quietly, his thumb grazing her bottom lip. "Too bad you’re off limits... for now."

He let the words hang in the air.

Then he turned and walked ahead without another word, leaving her pressed against the tree, breathless, trembling, and completely unravelled.

Emira stayed where she was for several seconds. Her breath came fast, uneven. Her body was warm in places it shouldn’t have been. Her instincts screamed warnings, but they tangled with something far more dangerous-her unwanted attraction to the very man who held all the power.

She squeezed her eyes shut again, pressing her palms into the rough bark behind her.

No. She couldn’t let this happen.