Word Count: 1986

~Hunter

I press my ear against my bedroom door, waiting for the signal.

This meeting has been carefully orchestrated. This morning, just as the sun was spilling over the horizon, I snuck outside to the garden shed where I left a note tucked into some gardening gloves.

There is no guarantee Edgar will have found the note, and will be coming to my room tonight, but I didn't know how else to do it casually.

Now that I am to marry the Alpha, all eyes seem to be on me at all times.

A single tap sounds against the door, right near my ear. Just like I instructed.

I quickly open the door, letting him slip in. We shouldn't be disturbed, since it's so late, and there is a lot I need to get off my chest.

"Thank you for coming, I know it's a big risk for you," I murmur lowly, rubbing the back of my neck as I turn to him.

He looks around the room, an unreadable expression on his face. I wonder if this reminds him of my room back home, except this is much larger, lighter and is missing my sister.

Maybe that's why it feels so much better here, than back there...

"I wanted to see you," he says.

"We need to set a deadline for when we can get out of here," I exclaim urgently, striding across the room.

Since finding out Kaan is my mate a few days ago, I've decided I need to get out of here soon. Really soon, even if I'm in insufferable pain most of the time. Kaan will likely hunt me down, to add to the list of those wanting me back, under their control.

But I have to take the risk...I can't stay here.

"It's when you feel better, right? Then we leave." Edgar watches me as I sit on the edge of the bed, stretching my legs out as pain grips my lower back. "I'm earning good money here, so if we get out of here, we will have a good shot at starting a life."

"We leave soon. I've been feeling consistently bad everyday, though, and it hasn't gotten better. I think my injury was far worse than I thought, or maybe the poison on the arrow that hit me is still lingering in my system..."

Edgar shakes his head at me. "We should wait a little longer, I think."

He's always been rigidly reasonable. He knows that if we leave now, we have less of a chance of getting away successfully, and if he is caught with me, he will be killed for it.

"I know you're right...I'm just anxious to get out of here," I admit, rubbing my palms down my thighs.

"Understandably. You're being married to the Alpha who rules here, right?"

I nod numbly. "And in a week, too."

I'm not going to tell Edgar I am mated to Kaan. It will only complicate things more, and I don't want him to start doubting whether I should leave here.

People value mate bonds a lot. I'm not sure how Edgar feels about it, but I've learnt not to trust people enough to take chances on such matters. Even if he is my best friend.

"That's not going to happen. I refuse to let you be tied to another man against your will. Just let me figure a few more things out," he murmurs, sweeping his straight brown locks away from his face.

I smile. "Thank you Edgar. I owe you so much."

Forcing myself up, I embrace him. He reminds me so much of home, but only the good parts. He was all I ever lived for.

A knock suddenly sounds at the door.

I freeze in Edgar's arms, my eyes widening. Shit.

Pushing away from him, I turn to the door, holding my breath. I'm hoping they will assume I'm sleeping, and accidently left my light on, but another knock sounds urgently.

"Tay, please tell me that's you," I call out, giving Edgar a panicked look. To his credit, he only looks slightly terrified.

"Not quite."

I grimace, turning to Edgar. "Fuck. It's Kaan."

His eyes flare open wider. "The Alpha?"

"Go away, I don't feel like talking to you," I call through the door, rolling my eyes.

Knowing Kaan isn't going to give up easily, I shoo Edgar into the wardrobe. He quickly smothers himself amongst all my outfits donated by Tay before he closes the door, sealing himself in.

"Let me in Hunt. We need to talk," says, his voice muffled by the door.

"Don't call me Hunt," I growl.

Nicknames make it seem like we are close, or that we may become close. There is no chance of that, and he knows it.

I just wish he wasn't so interested in me staying around all of a sudden...

"I won't. Just let me in," he insists.

"No. Go away."

The door opens before I can grab for the handle, and Kaan presses inside, closing it behind him.

"You forget, no locks," he notes.

I groan, tipping my head back. He's been avoiding me for days, and now he's come to harass me at the worst time possible. I just hope Edgar can stay quiet in the cramped wardrobe.

"Please go. I'm tired," I mutter, pointing at the door.

I hope he doesn't notice that I'm not dressed in my nightclothes, and my hair is still done up from the day. By now I should be sleeping. Thankfully he seems too in his own head about something to take much notice.

"I need to see you, to tell you something on behalf of my parents," he states.

I sigh through my nose. "Can this not wait until morning?"

"No, it can't," he says. "Tomorrow morning, we are being called urgently to my grandmother's house."

"Your Grandmother?"

"She lives near the border, and wants to inspect you to see if you're worthy enough," he says unevenly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Seriously?"

"I promise, it's not because she wants to see whether you will be a good Queen, because she couldn't care less about that crap. She wants to see if we are in love."

My eyelids flutter in shock. Love? I can hardly stand Kaan, how am I supposed to prove to someone I've never met that I actually have strong feelings for him? It sounds like something I shouldn't concern myself with since I'm leaving soon.

Yet, if I don't, Kaan will get suspicious, and will ruin my plan.

"In love?" I say breathily, glancing at the wardrobe door, willing Edgar not to make a sound. I'm not sure how much air he has in there, so I hope he can last...

"I know, but her happiness means a lot to me. I want her to believe we are in love, even if we aren't," he murmurs.

My stomach hollows at his words, guilt chewing away at my resolve. By escaping, I'm not trying to hurt him. I just want him to have the freedom I desperately crave.

"I suppose I don't have any other choice, right?" I shrug, averting my eyes, hoping he can't see my guilt.

Look at him, my mate, I can see that something is troubling him. His eyes are dark and haunted, his statute rigid.

I would ask him how he is, but if we start sharing emotions, we will get close.

And I can't get close to him...even if every part of me craves doing so.

Kaan nods tightly. "Exactly. She will be at the wedding anyway. And now that we are-"

He pauses, his brows drawing together. Slowly, he turns his head, looking toward the wardrobe. I can't tell if he's hearing something I can't, or whether he senses something is off.

Clearing my throat, I stride forward, grabbing his arm in an attempt to make him leave. He doesn't so much as move an inch, despite my insistence. "Alright, that's your cue to leave.

He stares down at me, his gaze hardening. "Why?"

Turning his head again, he stares at the wardrobe door again, tension gathering in his expression.

"What was that?" He questions.

"What was...what was what, Kaan?" I stutter, panic causing my limbs to tremble against my will. If he finds Edgar in there, who knows what he will do. I don't know Kaan very well, and I have no idea if he is a violent person, like my last fiancé.

"Hiding something?" He whispers darkly.

He steps toward the door, but I glide in front of him first, halting him. Seriously, get lost."

He brushes past me, despite my protest. Opening the door, he reveals a panicked looking Edgar, who tucks himself into the clothes.

Kaan braces his forearm against the doorframe. "Well. What do we have here?"

"Your majesty..." Edgar starts.

"Who are you?" Kaan cuts him off. I stand back a little, alarmed. Kaan is remarkably calm right now, although the tension in his muscles suggests he's holding himself back.

"My name is Edgar, Sir."

"You work here?"

He nods. "As a gardener."

"Great. You're fired." Kaan steps back from the closet, causing Edgar to scramble out. His cheeks are flushed red, and he looks on the verge of fainting.

If I had an Alpha looming over me like that, with a perfectly good reason to kill, I would look like that too...

"Kaan! He's...We aren't together," I snap.

Betrayal and anger fight for dominance in his stare. "Just fucking, right?"

"No! We are just friends." I've never seen Edgar that way, but even so, it shouldn't matter. The only reason I've hidden Edgar from him is because I don't want him looking into his backstory.

I didn't think he would get so jealous...

"Am I meant to believe it?" He seethes, a few strands of dark hair hanging down over his eyes, only making him appear more menacing.

"We are, sir. We are just friends," Edgar adds tentatively.

Kaan looks him up and down, assessing him with disgust. "She's barely been here very long, and you're suddenly best friends? You are sleeping with my soon to be wife. Do you understand what kind of offence that is?"

"We are not sleeping together," I growl.

As much as I want to tell him the truth, I can't. If he knows Edgar is from my past, he may come to him with questions that Edgar would have no other choice but to answer. I couldn't expect him to lie for me, when his life would be at stake.

Kaan goes silent for a long moment, looking between us. His anger is cold, lethal, but it's restrained.

"I'll let you live, Edgar, if I never have to see you again. Got it?"

Edgar wastes no time. He gives me a single glance before he is out the door, knowing that if he lingers for a moment longer, Kaan may decide not to remain so generous.

"I can't believe you," I hiss.

Kaan's hand tangles into his thick hair, letting out a long sigh. "I'm not the one hiding lovers in my closet."

"I told you I'm not sleeping with him. We are genuinely friends," I insist.

His jaw tightens and he steps toward me. I don't back away, letting him look down at me with a predatory look in his eyes.

"You're my mate, Hunter. Whether you want me or not, you are mine," he breathes, his eyes dropping to my mouth.

They linger there for a moment, before he shifts away. I draw in a breath, turning to look at him, but he is gone.

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~Midika 💜🐼