The Prince's Fated Mate: M/M Alpha/Omega Paranormal Werewolf Romance (Norvargen Wolves Book 1) (6 page)

“Thank you, Pa,” Will said again, this time loud enough for his father to hear, “for being so understanding.”

“I’m your father, Will, and seeing you happy is my priority,” said Pa, tenderness seeping through his gruff voice. “Now rest for tonight. We’re going to have a few busy days ahead of us.”

*

The next morning, Will rose at the crack of dawn. The effects of the wagsroot broth from the day before still lasted, and that meant he felt almost nothing. No heat, no urge to be with Prince James. But he would have to drink some soon enough before the effects wore off, so he went down to the kitchen.

“Up so early, Will? Well, luckily I’ve already got the soup ready for you,” said the head chef Isaac upon spotting him. He jerked his head towards a large pot sitting on a low-heat stove. “Help yourself to it.”

“Thanks,” said Will, grabbing an empty bowl and a ladle.
 

“No problem, laddie,” said the chef. Something sizzled in his frying pan, and the entire kitchen smelled delicious, though that was normal.

“What are you making?” asked Will. He leaned against the wall, and drank his broth quietly.

“Breakfast for the First Son.”

Will jerked his head up. “Prince James is awake already?”

“Mmhmm. Bit of an early bird, looks like it. He’s already requested his breakfast to be made at dawn for the rest of his stay, which means I have to wake early just to prepare his meal,” the chef grumbled. “Rest of his party’s still asleep, thank goodness. All of them are going to eat at decent hours only.”

He scraped two eggs off the frying pan and laid them neatly on a plate.

“I’ll take it out to him,” said Will hastily.

“Eh? No need for that, I’ll have one of the boys carry it out. You just finish up your soup and head back to—”

Will slurped down the broth noisily. “All done. Don’t worry about it, Isaac. Is this all?”

“This plate and that tray over there,” the chef said, gesturing over to the counter across. “The Prince is sitting in the dining hall.”

“Thanks,” said Will, and he headed out one of the doors, tray carefully carried in both hands.

“Breakfast for the Prince,” he said, when two menacing-looking guards blocked his passage, and they waved him through, recognising him as the son of the inn’s owner. Pa had seen to it the day before that most of the muscled guards of the Alpha party knew who Will was so that they wouldn’t bother his coming and going.

Prince James was sitting at the corner of the room, beside a tall window which curtains were drawn back. Outside was the party field, and he was looking out quietly, patiently waiting for his breakfast to arrive. He looked refined and regal, a peaceful portrait of what Will always imagined royalty would look like.

Will nervously approached him, the tray shaking slightly in his hands. He silently thanked Isaac for preparing the wagsroot broth; he’d be a much more nervous and emotional wreck if it weren’t for the herb.
 

“Your breakfast, First Son,” he said respectfully, lowering the tray to the marble-topped table.
 

“Thank you,” said Prince James, taking the moment to look up at Will.

Will stared back, eyes wide, praying for something to happen as the prince surveyed him briefly.
 

Show something
, he begged,
do something. Let me know I’m not crazy. Let me know I’m not alone, that I’m not the only one feeling this.

It seemed as if Prince James were looking at him for a long time, and there was an almost imperceptible quirk of his handsome head. Will’s heart started pounding excitedly as something seemed to flicker in the prince’s ice-blue eyes, a hint of recognition.

“You …” James started slowly, and Will clenched at his trousers nervously. “You’re Master Connor’s son, aren’t you? William, I believe your father mentioned in passing. I saw you faint yesterday. Are you well?”

Will’s cheeks flared up.
That’s
what James knows him for? He felt like running away in red-faced shame.
 

“I’m fine,” he coughed, wishing he could die on the spot.

“Your father and your partner were very worried,” said James, genially. He was the perfect picture of refined manners.
 

He’s almost like a character from one of Ma’s books
, Will thought, thinking of the many stoic heroes across various stories, who were always full of nobility and pride. It was very obvious that James had been brought up in an entirely different world from Will, who had never been outside the town of Hemslock. Life in the Den, the centre of the Norvargen territory, must have raised James to be as coolly well-mannered as he was. Much like his father, Alpha Miles, there was also a fiercely dominant feel hanging about the First Son. An undercurrent of strength and power traced around Prince James’s entire being.

Again, if it weren’t for the wagsroot, Will would probably be quivering a little in his spot.

“Oh, that wasn’t my partner,” said Will hastily. “Just a friend, my best friend. Nothing more than that. Only friends, really.”
 

Shut up
, he cringed at himself. He had never seriously liked anyone before, and even if he had, there was a gulf between talking to one’s crush and one’s
fated mate
. He had never felt so pressured to make a good first impression before — well, perhaps it was a second impression. James’s first impression was of him fainting, after all. He had to do his best to replace that with something better.
 

“Oh, I see,” said Prince James, laying out the napkin on his lap.
 

Will paused a beat, and realised that this was probably the time when he ought to leave. He doubted that the boys that normally served the Prince lingered around for conversation.
 

But this is my chance
, he thought. He didn’t know the next time when he could find an excuse to be alone with Prince James, and there had to be something for him to do to make the First Son realise they were fated mates.

“Do you always have breakfast alone?” he asked, licking his lips nervously.
 

James smiled. His eyes were heavily-lidded, giving him a very calm and almost sleepy look. With it paired with his strikingly blue eyes however, it gave an interesting impression of something powerful and strong at rest. “Normally. I wake up earlier than most of the others. My brothers and sisters are especially fond of sleeping in.”
 

“You don’t wait for them?” Will cringed. Now it sounded like he was accusing James of being inconsiderate.

“Oh, no, I much prefer to eat alone,” said the alpha placidly.

Will blanched, and his thoughts went into overdrive.
He’s hinting that he wants to be alone, isn’t he?
Is he? I think he is. Am I reading too much into it? I’m taking too long to reply now, aren’t I?

“I-I’ll leave you to it then,” Will stammered, blushing and backing away.
 

“Thank you for your service,” said James, raising his hand in brief farewell, and Will quickly spun on his heels and left the dining hall, planning on burying himself under his blanket and never coming out of his bedroom again.

*

“What’s wrong with me?” said Will, drooping down in despair next to Kytes. It was lunchtime, and Will had been forced out of his bedroom by his growling stomach. He had effectively hidden in there since the morning, after his awkward first encounter with the Prince, and not even his father bothered chasing him out to work; Pa was now especially understanding and sympathetic to his problems.

“Nothing,” said Kytes, frowning at him. Will had already detailed to him the events of the morning. “It’s
him
that’s got something wrong. What kind of man doesn’t feel anything around his fated mate?” He tilted his head towards the far opposite end of the dining hall, where Prince James, his family, and other highly-ranked people from the Den were seated. The Prince may be able to sneak breakfast by himself, but he was unable to take lunch privately, it seemed.

“I had been hoping that if the sight of me wouldn’t trigger him, then maybe my voice would,” Will said feebly, realising now how naïve that sounded. He truly had been hoping for something, anything to happen.

“Your pa didn’t have a clue as to what’s wrong?”

Will shook his head forlornly. “He said he’s never heard of anything like this before, and that he’ll ask around. I think he’s talked to your father about it, but I doubt Byron knows either.”

“Mm, it’s not my father’s field of expertise,” agreed Kytes. He sighed, and reached over to ruffle up Will’s hair. “It’ll work out.”

“How?” Will whined. “It’s not like I have much opportunity to spend with James anyway. This morning was the first time I’ve seen him by himself, and I don’t think I’d feel comfortable having a conversation with him with one of his advisors running around.”

Accompanying the Alpha party were a number of highly respected advisors who made up the Alpha Court, the council that served under Alpha Miles and helped him rule the pack. There were nearly half a dozen of them, mostly older men with thick grey beards and wizened faces. The only one that seemed a bit younger was a gent with a thick brown beard, a bit brawnier than the others—Will speculated that the young advisor might have been a warrior wolf who shifted into servicing the Alpha in more intellectual and political matters.

“We’ll figure out what’s wrong with him soon enough,” said Kytes.
 

“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him at all,” said Will, glancing towards James, who was sipping gracefully at his wineglass. “I’m the one moping around. I’m really beginning to think I’ve got this all wrong, Kytes. Maybe I’m the one who’s all jumbled up, thinking that my fated mate is the First Son, Prince of the Norvargen wolves. God, I sound insane.”

“Your father believes you,” Kytes pointed out, “and I believe you. Anyone or anything that’s gotten you this down and glum has got to be a serious thing. I don’t like seeing you all gloomy, Will.”

“Your faith is appreciated,” said Will, “but I still don’t know what to do. Even Pa hasn’t found anything out that could help. There hasn’t ever been a case of anyone not responding to his fated mate. Maybe I really am crazy.”

“At this point, maybe we shouldn’t rule out just telling Prince James what’s going on.”

“Telling him that I think he’s my fated mate and he should cancel his engagement to run away with me? And have him confirm my worst fears that I’m a lunatic whose feelings aren’t mutual? No thank you, Kytes. And I highly doubt Alpha Miles would appreciate me trying to steal away his son right before he’s about to be married to one of his allies,” Will laughed hollowly.
 

Kytes snorted. “These kind of politics fly right over my head, Will. Probably too complicated for countryfolk like us in the first place,” he said with a wry smile. He turned his attention back at the table where the Alpha party sat and sighed. “The wolves from the Den folk sure are different, aren’t they?”

Will nodded, lips pursed. Everything about everyone sitting at that table with the Alpha and the First Son seemed so…refined. Their clothing, their mannerisms — it was almost as if they weren’t men and women with inner wolves at all, and were one of the many fairytale humans Will read from his youth. Shifters, people with inner wolves and the ability to transform into them, were normally a lot simpler in comparison, Will thought. Perhaps he was just naive, but he felt his suspicions backed up by how Alpha Miles and Prince James were. Both were presences to behold, commanding power and respect even when doing nothing.
 

Kytes spoke, breaking through Will’s thoughts, “I know they came here on foot, but I can barely imagine any of them shifting and running around as a wolf.”

Will briefly wondered what Prince James’s wolf looked like. It was hard to imagine such a placid man having a wolf inside of him.

Kytes went on, “Can’t imagine one of them messing up their dainty claws with a bit of dirt. Can’t see it at all! They’re a good-looking bunch though, the Alpha’s family I mean — not those old advisors.”

“Prince James is good-looking.” Will nodded, replying almost instinctively.

Kytes laughed. “Well, I meant his siblings as well, but nice to see you’re truly devoted to him. I talked with one of the younger brothers this morning, the Third Son, and he’s a pretty one. Bit of a brat though.”

“You don’t say? Prince James doesn’t seem that much of a brat,” Will mused. “But then again, I’ve only spoken, oh, a hundred words or less with him?” He groaned in frustration again, burying his face in his hands..

“Come on,” said Kytes, “you’ve been doing your best. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ll crack through to him somehow.”

“Having a fated mate is not what I expected at all,” said Will, sighing again. “But there has to be something I can do.”

Kytes smiled at him. “Look at you, finally getting your spirits up again. You know — “

He was cut off then by a mild ruckus coming from outside.
 

“What’s going on?” asked Will, standing up to peek through the doors down the corridor that led to the reception.
 

“Let’s take a look.”

A new crowd, slightly smaller than the one that had greeted James and the Alpha party, had gathered, was sprawling around the reception area.
 

“I think the Redfang’s Prince Dashel has arrived,” Kytes whispered.

Will felt his heart stop. The Redfang’s Second Son, the omega who was to be wedded to James, had finally arrived. He went on his tippy-toes to peer over the crowd once more, biting his bottom lip.
 

He caught glimpse of a young man, unmistakably one of the Redfang shifters, with short brown hair and a very pretty face. He had a sharp jaw and a pointed nose, and deep-set eyes that seemed to dig deep into a person’s soul. He looked just as refined and elegant as one of the Den-folk, and Will suddenly felt extremely conscious of the many flaws in his face. Sure, he was handsome in his own right, but he would never be considered in the same league as Prince James, as his family, as this Redfang prince.