The Prince's Fated Mate: M/M Alpha/Omega Paranormal Werewolf Romance (Norvargen Wolves Book 1) (14 page)

As pragmatic and serious as James was being, Will could only think about how happy he was.
 

“James, could you listen to me for a moment?”

“What is it?”

“I was scared of telling you this before, because I had no way of convincing you. But now I hope you’ll listen to me and believe me.” Will swallowed hard and braced himself. “We’re fated mates.”

James stared at him, blinking dumbly. “Pardon?”

“You and I, the two of us are fated mates. I’ve known since the day you came to the inn and I saw you.”

“We can’t be fated mates,” said James, disbelieving. “Wouldn’t I know if we were fated mates?”

“That’s how it should be,” admitted Will, “and I don’t know why you don’t know it. But I promise you with every fibre of my being that I am your fated mate.”

James was more confused than convinced. “How can that be? You’ve never acted any differently to me.”

“I don’t know how to prove it to you, James. All I can tell you is that this is what I know, this is what I feel. I’ve been hiding it from you because I knew it’d be impossible to prove. I’ve been taking wagsroot every night to suppress my heat and keep myself under control. Look,” said Will, rifling through his bag and pulling out the tin that stored chopped up slices of the root.
 

James pried the lid of the tin open, and looked inside. The pungent smell was proof enough of what it was.
 

He still wasn’t convinced. “Then why don’t I feel the same way?”

Will shook his head. “I don’t know, James. I’ve been wondering the same thing, and I can’t think of a reason. Everyone I ask doesn’t know either. I thought there might be something wrong with you, to be honest, but there’s nothing about you that should be causing the problem. Do you believe me?”

“I don’t know, Will,” said James quietly.

Will’s heart sank.

But James continued. “What I
do
know is that whether we’re fated mates or not doesn’t change what I feel about you. I do like you, and I do want to be with you.” He looked up and smiled at Will. “I’m being honest now. Are you happy with that?”

Will broke out into a grin. “I am very happy, James.”

James reached out for him, grabbing him close by the waist, and kissing him full on the lips. It was a deep kiss, and Will felt himself turn light-headed.
 

“I like you too much to let you go,” said James softly.

“How do you think I feel,” said Will, “with you being my fated mate but engaged to someone else?”

“If we are fated mates, maybe I
could
get out of my engagement then,” said James, but even he sounded doubtful. It would be still very difficult to end it on good terms with the Redfang pack, Will knew. The future still seemed murky, dark, uncertain yet with guaranteed trouble looming ahead. All they had was now, this one brief moment together, when they could be happy.
 

“Just kiss me again,” said Will, not wanting to think about what would happen. He had struggled long enough that he wanted to reward himself with the present.
 

James smiled down at him, bringing his lips down once more, his hands tightening around Will’s waist.
 

“I don’t kiss Prince Dashel this way, you know,” he said in a low voice.

“Don’t talk about someone else right now,” growled Will, reaching up to hit James’s chest.

“Sorry,” said James, laughing. “I just want you to know that you’re only one I feel this way about.”

“Good,” said Will, wrapping his arms around his neck. “That’s how it should be. I’m your fated mate, after all, whether you realise it or not.”

James was leaning down, ready to kiss him once more, when the dinner bell rang from outside, jolting them apart.
 

“We better get going,” said James sheepishly.

“Or they’ll wonder where we are,” agreed Will regretfully. They pulled apart, hands reluctantly returning to themselves. How far would they have went, wondered Will, and he turned hot imagining it.

A servant coming to knock on Will’s door shook him out of those thoughts, and they went out to the village hall for dinner.

*

They sneaked away to Will’s room for a little bit the next day, and the day after that. It was never long enough for them to do anything more than just indulge themselves in talking and kissing each other — they had to keep it brief, lest they became suspicious, and Will could never take it as far as he wanted to. Even with regularly taking the wagsroot, after waiting for so long for James, he was anxious to spend as much time as he could with his fated mate.

“I’m sorry all this is so difficult, Will,” said James on the last day in Elkpaw Village. They weren’t in Will’s room; they were out in the village hall, sitting in a secluded corner where nobody would hear them or disturb them. The two of them had decided that it would be better to be out in public rather than always hiding in Will’s room, where they’d draw more suspicion.
 

Will had already finished packing his small bag, and everyone else was busy getting their things in order. Tomorrow morning, they would give their farewells to the village, and head back to Hemslock.
 

“I still don’t know what I can do,” James said, twisting the golden ring around his finger. He looked at it with disdain.

“It’s okay,” said Will, resigned. “You wouldn’t be able to convince your father or any of the Alpha Court to let you end your engagement to be with me. Telling them about us would probably only make things worse.” It hurt his head trying to think of any solution to their problem.
 

“But I really do want to be with you,” said James, holding on to Will’s fingers underneath the table, ready to pull apart the moment someone came along. There was nobody around, but caution was always necessary for the two of them. “I wish I could prove it to you.”

Will laughed. “I know you’re being honest, James. It’s hard enough for you to be honest to yourself, so you saying these things is enough to make me believe you. You don’t have to try to convince me of anything.”

James smiled at him, still looking sorry. “I wish I were someone else, anyone else, so that I could be with you.”

“You just stay who you are,” said Will, “and we’ll figure something out.” Even though he said that, he was uncertain what they
could
do.

*

Early next morning, they gathered by the beginning of the woods that bordered Elkpaw Village, and there they gave their formal farewells to the village. James and the two advisors in particular were generous with their words, and Will did his best to convey their gratitude at the hospitality given by the villagers. Village Head Ardan gave his own speech, and his own wishes for the prince’s engagement:

“May you have a prosperous marriage, that you and your bondsmate may find everlasting happiness with each other,” Will translated, doing his best to stay impartial.
 

“Thank you for your blessing,” James said in response, bowing, but not without giving a side glance to Will, as if apologising.
 

Soon after, they shifted, the servants hurriedly collecting the remaining bits of clothing, and they were off, tearing through the forest and kicking up a storm of leaves.

Every now and then, Will would catch a glimpse of James at the head of the pack, leading the way, and a certain pride would fill him. His fated mate was James, the First Son, who was born to be a leader.
 

If only I were someone of any importance
, he thought to himself.
We’d have it easier then, wouldn’t we?

He tried to imagine it: the First Son of the Norvargen wolves bonding and mating with the son of an innkeeper from the town of Hemslock. The news of it would make anyone incredulous. It took on a more romantic slant if he added in the detail that they were fated mates, though.

But even James isn’t fully convinced we’re fated mates
, he sobered.
And why wouldn’t he be? He doesn’t feel the same way I do. He might care for me now, but he doesn’t have the same need I do, the same voice inside my head telling me he’s my fated mate
.

Night fell, and they made camp. Their dinner was caught quickly by two servants; a doe was found and brought back for them to feast on. Now that there wasn’t any need for Will to translate a conversation, he no longer sat by James’s side. He went back to the prior routine, eating along with Adrian, and the other servants. Halfway through his meal, he looked up, and saw James stealing a peek at him, looking concerned. Will gave a small smile, wanting to show he was fine even though they were apart, and James looked relieved.
 

Later, while the servants ought to be busy clearing the area, Adrian pulled Will aside.

“Dare I ask what’s going on?”

Will panicked, until Adrian stroked his arm comfortingly.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m just being a busybody. I won’t tell anybody.”

Will relaxed a little, but he stayed on his guard, not daring to say anything. Adrian may seem nice, but there was no reason he should trust him completely.

“Why are you asking me this?” said Will.

“I’ve an instinct for these things,” said Adrian, tapping his temple. “Something’s going on between you and the prince, and I’m beginning to think it’s not so one-sided any more.”

Will shook his head in a vague way.

“All right, keep your secrets,” said Adrian, laughing. “Go on with one of your books. I need to start preparing the tea anyway.”

Later, James went to find Will, who had taken up his spot by a tree.

“I wish we had more privacy,” said James, looking behind him at where the rest of the camp was.

“I miss having my own room,” Will agreed.
 

“I miss being able to kiss you,” said James softly, grinning handsomely. Will giggled back and then quickly fixed his face, not wanting to look too happy. What if Advisor Keanes looked his way and saw?

“I guess we don’t have much of a choice,” sighed the omega, scratching his collarbone.
 

James looked about furtively, and then squinted into the distance.

“What?” Will prodded him.

“Maybe we could sneak down that way for a bit,” James whispered, nodding down towards Will’s left, further away from the camp. “They’re not paying attention to us right now.”

Will was about to say something when something caught his eye. He then hesitantly tapped James on the back of his hand, and nodded back at the camp.

Advisor Keanes was staring hard at the two of them, a scrutinising look glued to his face.

“Or not,” said James, retracting back a few inches, straightening his back. He growled. “I’m booting him out of the Court the moment I become Alpha.”

*

The same thing happened the next night: Advisor Keanes kept an obvious eye on the both of them. Will and James, knowing that they were already being very suspicious, didn’t dare take another risk.
 

“What’s the point of being First Son if I’m afraid of a worthless advisor,” James muttered restlessly. “He’s too by-the-books, that’s what he is. Can’t relax a little.”

“You’re getting antsy,” Will chided.

James smiled sheepishly at him, looking sweetly innocent. “Can you blame me? I haven’t been able to kiss you for two days now.”

Will laughed and blushed, turning his head to the ground to hide his face, just in case Advisor Keanes was looking their way. “Do you think he knows?”

“I think he suspects,” said James. “He has his suspicions, he’s just waiting to get any proof he can. He won’t be able to scold me for talking to you, though, as long as that’s all we do when he’s around.”

“We just can’t take it too far.”

“But what if I do want to take it further,” said James slyly, and Will turned a deep shade of red.
 

“You’re a lot more caddish than I thought you’d be.”

James smiled sunnily. “You’re a lot more irresistible than I thought you’d be.”

“Stop it,” said Will, furiously blushing. “The advisor is staring, and you’re embarrassing me.”

James laughed, and apologised. And then he sobered, sighing. “If only we had a bit more privacy.”

Because we might not be able to be together at all once we head back to Hemslock
, thought Will sadly.

*

On the fifth night of their journey back to Hemslock, Will felt a hand gently shaking him into waking. He opened his eyes, startled, and it took him a few moments to adjust to the darkness of the night.

James, in his human-form, was kneeling by his side, finger pressed to his lips. Then he curled his finger back and forth, commanding Will to stand and follow him.

Making as little sound as he could, Will got out of the comfortable nook he had been curled up in. He was still in his wolf-form, and he picked up his little bundle of clothes in his teeth, and followed James. It was quieter for him to pad around with his paws.

They passed by snoring bodies lying strewn across the grass, picking their way delicately so that they wouldn’t rouse anybody awake. James led him down in the darkness, until they were far away from the camp, far enough that not even their keen, straining ears could hear any snores. They were still near enough to retreat quickly if necessary.

Will shifted then, and he picked up his trousers and pulled them on, tightening the string about his waist.
 

“I’ve been awake all night, waiting until everybody fell asleep,” said James sheepishly.
 

“Just so we could sneak off?”

“It’s been such a long time since we’ve had any time together,” said James, reaching forward to pull Will into a tight embrace.
 

Will flushed warm at James’s body pressing against his, but he couldn’t shake away his nerves. “Are you sure they’re all asleep?”
 

James nodded. “I slipped a little hogstail powder into the advisors’ tea earlier,” he coughed guiltily.