"I was starting to wonder if I'd ever see you again."

Arlen reaches out, and presses his palm to my cheek, making me freeze as he leans forward until his breath tickles my ear.

"The King has kept you to himself, hasn't he?" Arlen whispered before his hand went to touch my hips.

I flinched away from his touch and took a step backward, uncomfortable with his sudden touch, but this only seemed to have amused Arlen, as he started to laugh as he held up his hand.

"Oh my." He chuckled, as he looked at me and sighed.

"It's no good, your reaction is just so cute, you make it impossible for me to stop."

As soon as the words left his mouth, I grimaced at him, which only made him smile as I took another step backward.

"Please stop making fun of me." I look back to the dancefloor and subtly look around the room for Keial.

Where are you, Keial?

If he was here, he would've shown up by now, especially since Arlen was in front of me, acting like I was his play toy and something to be messed with.

"Looking for him are we?" Arlen hummed, as he came to stand next to me.

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed already."

"Noticed what?" I turn my gaze from the masked guests to Arlen, whose lips curl into a smirk.

Before he could say another world, I felt it, the sudden shift in the room as I looked at Arlen, who had also felt the same thing I had from the amusement swirling in his eyes.

This strong scent of overwhelming power, and a sense of authority, was so strong that my legs felt numb and I found it harder to breathe.

I had only felt this once, and that was because of... him, and to my speculation, I heard his deep, alluring yet intimidatingly attractive voice, before I saw him.

"What a surprise indeed... to see you both together." His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, as I slowly turned around.

Keial... he was standing behind me and glaring down at Arlen with bright orange eyes, also wearing a half mask that matched his outfit, a black yet incredible fitting suit with golden specs that made his eyes even more hard to ignore.

W-Wow...

Keial had always stunned me into silence from how he looked, but right now, he really was an incredibly beautiful man.

The mask didn't hide who he was, as now everyone in the room knew that the King, Keial was here, just from his eyes alone, that seemed extra lethal tonight.

"Your majesty..." Arlen said beside me, almost sarcastically, as I shyly looked between the two men.

"I am merely enjoying the festivities, and the honor of being entertained by the most interesting person here." Arlen hinted at me, as he put his hand on my shoulder.

I didn't need to look at Keial, to know that he wanted to destroy everything that Arlen was from how intense, and thick the air had suddenly got between the two men, with me standing in the middle.

Just like last time... something was happening and all I wanted to do was to just go away and avoid whatever this was.

"I did not realize I had invited you." Keial's deep voice darkened, making me look at him to see that he was furious and glaring down at Arlen.

"You didn't." Arlen chuckled, as he moved his hand from my shoulder.

"The council did, so how could I turn down such a generous opportunity to wish you a Happy Birthday?"

Keial's eyes had shifted within a split second from 'kill' to 'stoic' as he looked down at Arlen, a new sense of fear flowing through me as all eyes in the room now landed on Keial and Arlen.

I wanted to go home.

This was so uncomfortable.

Keial had shifted his eyes from Arlen to mine, and just like that, the tension felt like it was disappearing as I nervously looked back at him, trying my best not to feel overwhelmed by seeing him.

Four weeks... it's been so long, and he's here, right in front of me.

I was so nervous, I didn't know what to say to him.

He hadn't said anything to me either.

Suddenly I felt like this was a big mistake...

Perhaps his feelings changed, and if that was so... then how was I going to survive this?

"Excuse us." Keial suddenly spoke more softly, as he looked at me, but spoke to Arlen.

Not giving Arlen time to respond, Keial reached out and grabbed hold of my hand with his black-gloved one and pulled me along with him.

His hand felt so warm and large in mine, and though this wasn't the first time he had held my hand, it had been so long that I almost forgot what it felt like.

It was like he and I were the only ones in the room, even more so now I knew he was my mate.

His smell was intoxicating and hard to ignore, my heart had not stopped beating like crazy in my chest since I entered the palace, and now he was touching me, I felt dizzy, as I craved for more.

The mate bond was so strong, that I had not even noticed that he had taken me out of the ballroom and into a hallway, and was guiding me down the hallway until he stopped at a door, and then opened it, pulling me in with him then closing it behind me.

When he let go of my hand, it was like the spell had broken and I had come to my senses, and realized we were no longer anywhere near the ball, as it was deathly silent.

It was just the two of us, in this large dark room, alone.

I watched Keial as he walked further into the room, and then suddenly I could see him as he turned a lamp on, then I realized we were in what looked like a study.

"I did not expect to see you tonight." Keial's deep voice suddenly rang out, as I stood nervously by the door.

Keial turned around and looked at me, his features softer and his gaze focused solely on me, as he walked back over to where I was, each step making my heart beat louder each time.

I didn't expect to be on the guest list... or see him ever again, but here I was.

Here he was...

"I... I didn't expect to be here either." I swallowed hard, raised my head, and looked at him as he stopped inches from me.

Keial was standing so close to me, looking down at me stoically with no emotion on his face, or in his eyes.

This might be the only chance I get, there was no point in being a coward anymore.

I didn't want this chance to slip me by, and make another mistake.

"Happy Birthday." I went inside my suit jacket and grabbed the gift that was wrapped in plain paper, with string holding it together.

Keial simply stared at the small box in the palm of my hand, and then, as I held my breath, Keial reached out and took the box, his fingers brushing against mine as he held it.

Nervously, and shyly, I watched as he slowly, almost carefully pulled the string apart from my bad attempt at wrapping his gift, in the only paper I could afford given the short notice.

I felt sick as he opened the box, and stared at what was inside, cursing myself in my head for giving him such a lame useless gift.

"I-I didn't know what to get you." I rub my neck nervously and avoid his eyes. "I started working as a h-hunter and saw it one day, it's nothing special but it looked nice so I kept it, and uh..."

"If you don't want it, you can just throw it away." My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, making me feel dizzy as I stared at the floor, at Keial's unmoving feet.

I'm so embarrassed, why did I just say all that?

I sound like an idiot.

It makes me sound like I just gave him dirt... but in a way, I did, compared to the gifts his weather, powerful friends must have given him.

I looked back up at Keial, and to my surprise, he no longer had a dead expression on his face, but a smile, as he stared at what lay inside the box.

It was an orange stone, nothing was amazing about it, other than the fact it reminded me of Keial's eyes, especially during the night, where it would glow under the moon, just like his did.

I held onto it and looked at it during those long days, sleeping on the floor in the middle of the forest, days I missed him.

It comforted me in so many ways, more than I cared to admit out loud.

I had nothing to give Keial, I had no riches, and no possessions, but to me, that stone was all I had that reminded me of him, it became special.

"I'll cherish it." Keial's deep husky voice tickled my ears, making my heart skip a beat, as his eyes went to mine.

"Thank you." He smiled handsomely and reached out to slowly touch my hand, then gently, almost like he was nervous, he intertwined his hand in mine.

I didn't know whose hand was shaking, or whose heartbeat I could hear so loudly, but when he closed the distance between us, it didn't matter anymore.

All that mattered was now, and how much I really wanted to be here, with my mate.