Mate by Fate, Bound by Love

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Ethan’s POV

“Please Your Highness, forgive my daughter, please you can’t let them banish her forever, she’s my only child”

I was lost in thoughts; I was brought back to reality by Lauren’s father’s plea. Her mom was by my leg dragging my coat on her knees asking that I forgive their daughter.

Honestly, I didn’t care anymore about what happened to her; whether she was banished or not, I didn’t give a fuck about it.

Whether she’s asked to stay in he Town, I didn’t care, even if I was asked to still stay married to her, I wouldn’t even try to oppose it. I just knew that there was nothing in this world that could make me see her as a wife anymore.

Wife!!! That’s even too much, nothing could make me see her as a woman anymore.

I looked at them with disgusted eyes, as they were also part of the reason why I ended up marrying Lauren.

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I was looking out the window from the down floor of the Palace when Lauren’s parent came in with lauren to meet my father.

I remember our last encounter and how daring it was, I liked that she was daring but the fact that she disrespected me still couldn’t leave my mind

“Hey, proud Prince”, she called out.

“What the hell did you just call me” I asked

“I called you a proud Prince.” She repeated.

I looked around to see if her parents were still around, but they weren’t around; they probably left with my dad already to the inner chambers to discuss. Only God knows!

“Oh, were you looking round to see if you could report me to your daddy or my parents? Awwwn, sorry, proud Prince, but they left to discuss important matters right now. So you are stuck with me,” Lauren said using her hands to poke me in the stomach.

I thought I was going to feel disgusted, but I was happy about it somehow but I feigned annoyance.

“Don’t ever do that to me, we ain’t close enough for you to start doing that”

She tried doing it once more, but I held her hands; there seemed to be a weird connectivity going on, so I quickly dropped her hands.

“Ouch” she screamed

I looked at her fingers. It was bleeding; oh no, my claws must have slightly come out, and then I injured her while I was throwing her hands down.

I was mesmerised by how her skin looked so delicate, I had never seen someone with such delicate skin ever in my life. I was the Prince, and I had seen so many girls, many even go as far as showing themselves to me, but I had never been smitten by anyone.

But this lady right here was beginning to get my attention. I began to search in my heart to see if I was still disgusted by our first encounter, and lo and behold, It was strange; I couldn’t find the disgust there anymore.

“I am sorry”, I said, lifting her hands and using my cloth to wipe the blood off her fingers.

“Your Highness! Your dress!” She said

“Oh! Ermm! I wasn’t thinking; it was a reflex action to just help you, but as I saw you bleeding,” I said, looking away.

“Thank you, my proud Prince”

I didn’t understand why I was happy on the inside as she thanked me.

“So are you saying if I know you better, you will allow me to poke you whenever and wherever?” She said, looking at me with what seemed to be a seductive eye.

But I pretended not to see or understand that gesture. I didn’t say a word, there was an awkward silence for what seemed like forever.

Finally, after fighting so many thoughts and so many contemplations, I decided to be a gentleman and ask about her.

She began to tell me about herself and her parents; she made mention of another person who was there in their home but was a househelp and an outcast wolf.

She told me how the outcast wolf was a devil and a demon in disguise. You won’t believe that everything she was saying, I was paying rapt attention

She came one step closer to me; I did like I didn’t see her; she came another step closer until she was face to face with me. I felt a strong urge to kiss her lips, but I was controlling myself.

She brought her face closer to mine as if she was about to kiss me, her eyes closed; I was looking at her face. I wanted to kiss her. But I wasn’t going to make her think I was cheap, plus I am a Prince.

Besides, she calls me a proud Prince, so I had to leave it up to the name.

I used one of my fingers to push her head backwards, and she opened her eyes.

“Try to get that checked up; put a plaster on, I said, pointing to her injured fingers.

There was something no one knew about me; whenever I am nervous or feeling emotional for someone I don’t know, my claws come out.

She looked at her fingers looking so disappointed I patted her on the shoulders and said

“Take it slowly, Lauren” I walked away from her and went straight to my room. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it was gonna pound out.

I sat on my bed replaying what happened between the both of us, and I was smiling like a fool. That was when I began to fall for Lauren.

BACK TO PRESENT

I fucked up; I decided to ask Lauren’s parent about Lena as they were her guardians before she disappeared.

“Where’s Lena” I asked

Lena!? They both asked, looking shocked.

“Yes, Lena, your niece,” I said, turning to Lauren’s father.

He avoided my gaze, and that’s when the suspicion started creeping in-something was off.

“Lena left us a long time ago, Your Highness,” Lauren’s mother finally said.

“Left? What do you mean? Did she get married, or move to another town?”

“She left,” her mother replied quietly. “She got pregnant.”

I felt a chill. “Who was responsible?” I asked sharply.

“She never told us, Your Highness,” Lauren’s mother answered, her voice barely a whisper.

“So you both just let her leave without knowing where she was going? Without even trying to find her?” My voice rose in anger. “You abandoned her!.”

“With all due respect, Your Highness,” Lauren’s mother said, eyes cast down, “we weren’t the only ones who failed her.”