Out Of The Woods

Three

Ambrose wanted to cry.

The man who he loved with all his heart, was not his mate.

He felt like his heart was torn out of his chest and ripped to shreds.

There was nothing more that he wanted to do then break down and cry. His knees felt weak and his body, heavy.

He thought about all the plans he and Johnathan talked about. Moving Johnathan into the palace so they could finally be with each other every day. Mating completely on their wedding night. Having children...

Everything seemed so far out of reach now.

Unachievable...

The guests were silent as they observed their young prince. Waiting for the slightest indication that he found his mate.

They were all expecting Johnathan to be Ambrose's mate. Word spread around the kingdom when Ambrose first became emotionally involved with Johnathan. It would be a shame if they were not destined to be together.

Ambrose stiffens as he catches on to a sweet scent that sends his wolf into overdrive. The scent was exotic, something that he had never smelt before.

Mate...

He wanted to search for it. To find the source of the intoxicating scent.

But as soon as the scent reaches his nose, it vanishes without a trace. Could his mind be playing tricks with him? He was sure that he smelt his mate. But now...

Trapped in his own thoughts, he failed to see Johnathan rushing up the stairs towards him. He'd never seen him run that fast in his life. Come to think of it, he had never seen Johnathan run at all.

Ambrose gasps as Johnathan pulls him into his arms. Their lips meet, Ambrose shivering at the feel of Johnathan's beard tickling his skin. A feeling that he once loved, dulled by his aching heart.

Ambrose places his hands against Johnathan's shoulders, almost pushing him away. Instead, he grasps firmly at his shirt, trying desperately not to flinch away from his lover's touch.

'I need to speak to you,' Johnathan says through their mind link. 'Alone.'

Ambrose swallows thickly as his lover pulls away. There is a chorus of congratulations from the guests, their faces brightening as they stare at the two men.

Ambrose smiles, knowing it would be best to go along with their assumptions then openly show his discomfort. Johnathan takes his hand, guiding him down the staircase.

The guests resume their chatter, mingling with the others around them. Now that Ambrose had arrived, the real event could ensue. More food and drinks would be served, and the orchestra would play music so that the guests could dance.

Ambrose glances back at Magnus to see if he was following them, only to find that he wasn't there. Spotting the Fae as he turns his head back to look where he was going.

Magnus was crowded by Ambrose's younger siblings. Most likely being bombarded with nonsensical questions. Or perhaps this time his siblings were trying to convince Magnus to partake in a silly children's game.

Magnus never showed any emotion. His face was like a stone statue.

Unmoving.

It was often hard to decipher what he was thinking. He was the opposite of Ambrose, who had to physically try to hide his emotions most times.

But Ambrose knew Magnus enough to know that he was uncomfortable being surrounded by his siblings. Exiled Fae only had one purpose and it was to serve their master. He knew that Magnus wanted nothing to do with the four painfully annoying creatures that surrounded him.