Chapter Five

POV: Darius Hargreaves

I had been lucky to find the hall empty after all. It was my hiding place during such dreary occasions I so much despised so it was a shock that they had been sloppy not to put guards in the place in case I repeated my disappearing act which I just did.

The soft glow of the moon coming in was enough to light my way as I moved around. I moved as quietly as I could because I wasn't completely sure I was alone. I had to make sure there were no guards in here. They might have decided to try a stealthy manoeuvre and were currently hidden out of sight waiting for me to slip up.

Just as I moved silently, something glowed in my pocket. It was the mate stone my mother had given me. The mate stone had magical energy within it that came alive and pulsated like a heartbeat whenever the wielder's mate was nearby. This particular mate stone had been passed down through the royal family for generations (according to my mother) and she gave me it so I would be able to locate my mate easily (though I didn't really see the use of it since I wasn't interested in the whole mate ritual).

I brought the stone out of my pocket to confirm it was glowing with a soft light imitating a soft beating. The glow was intense which was supposed to signify that my mate was nearby.

I stared at the light to confirm it was really there and I wasn't just imagining it. It was there.

I cursed. The damned thing was broken. It's either that or it was a fake gotten from a cheap gipsies store.

Then I heard a faint sound coming from a pillar to the right. I would have missed it if I wasn't in full alert mode. I moved strands of my blonde hair from obscuring my view before taking a cautious step forward.

My heart was beating fast as it occurred to me that I had no idea what might be behind the pillar. What if I wasn't prepared for whatever it was? I could handle the royal guards and any lost guest that must have wandered off but what if it was something else? Something sinister.

The pain in my chest along with my sweaty palms made me reconsider walking toward my supposed doom. What if it was just crickets or the pillar settling? I read somewhere that structures could settle to their foundation giving off an almost undetectable faint sound. What I heard could be categorized as an almost undetectable faint sound. So why was every fibre in my body giving off warning signs?

Then I heard another sound a little to the left of where I stood. It was a gentle snore.

The moonlight illuminated the sleeping face of a girl and made her long braided hair look white with its light. It was only when I got closer that I realized the white wasn't from the moon's glow but it was the colour of her hair.

"Who are you?" I asked loud enough to reach her regardless of the shuteye.

She jumped almost knocking the chairs away.

"Hey! Take it easy, Tarzan." I said moving back. The force she had used in getting up could easily kill most wolves.

She followed my voice and squinted at me in an attempt to focus her vision on me.

"I'm sorry. I just thought I could rest here." She said yawning.

"You could have rested at home. Remind me who you are again?" I tried to sound serious but in my ears, I only succeeded in sounding stupid.

"Whoa. Fuck off!" She blasted back at me.

Her face went red and it was then I noticed how gorgeous she was. She looked like an angel with her big black eyes even though they watched me with immense anger.

"You're telling me to fuck off?" My voice raised a little.

"Of course, I am. We are the only ones here idiot!" She said gesturing around the hall.

"You got some nerve."

She stomped her bare feet on the floor till she got to me and poked a finger at my chest.

"It is you who has some nerve. I slept off in the royal halls. How is that a crime and who made you the royal police."

"Royal guards."

"Huh?"

"I think you meant royal guards. There's nothing like the royal police." I corrected her.

She bawled stomping her feet hard against the ground. "You're the most infuriating creature on the face of the earth and I've only known you for five minutes!"

"That sounds like a compliment," I said with a dimpled smile.

"Will you please not do that?" She said making a circular gesture around her face with her hand.

"Huh?"

"Your face. The smile. Stop trying to look adorable."

I didn't know what to say or respond to that. My head was blank as much as I tried my best to think of something meaningful that would be a good reply.

"That sounds like another compliment," I said finally.

She walked back to where I had found her sleeping and grabbed a set of heels.

"It's not."

"Well, you snore loud. That's a compliment." I said then gave her a thumbs up.

"Arrrrgh! Just shut the fuck up. I'll leave for you."

I smiled. This was more fun than how I imagined my day would turn out to be.

She struggled into her heels and I watched her with amusement. She was a peculiar creature different from most of the dreadfully boring people in the palace. Annoying and rash but yet peculiar.

"Get out of my way. I don't want to have to shove you away. You look way too fragile to survive any acts of violence." She sounded like she was being serious.

I scanned my body. I was firm and sturdy even though I had a slim physique that might be mistaken for being weak. It was a common misconception and I was going to let it slide this time.

There were two things I found amazing about what was happening. The first was how she had no idea who I was and the second was that there was a possibility she was the reason the mate stone was glowing.

Could it be possible that this fiery woman was my mate?

She was about to walk past me when she stopped and stared at me with a look that made me feel like I had somehow magically grown a second head.

I scoffed. "What?"

She pointed one shaky finger at me. Fear gripped me immediately.

"What is it?" I asked in a voice that was anything but steady.

"Y- your." She paused for a breath. "Your chest is glowing."