How to Survive a Werewolf Romance

Ch 2: Expect the Unexpected

"You don't look happy," he finally commented, forcing me to notice that I had stopped walking and was standing on the side of the road like a rock. "Should I be the one worried that you're going to reject me now?" he asked. His tone was light, but there was an undertone of worry.

My wolf growled at me in my head, as if I might actually be thinking of doing something so foolish as rejecting my mate. I may not trust this thing, and I may not want all the baggage that was surely going to come with it, but I was hardly going to sabotage things intentionally.

<Good,> my wolf muttered.

"No, of course not. You are my mate, right?"

His smile of relief was blinding. "Yes, I am."

I liked the way he sounded just a touch possessive.

We kept walking. "So, if you're the prince, what does that mean for me?" I was already certain I was going to be abducted and held against my will for some creepy and probably illogical reason at least once or twice in my life now.

He paused. "Well, your life is going to change a bit. Hopefully for the better."

I shrugged. I could adapt. It was not like I could ask him to leave the throne and live in this small town with me. I wouldn't be able to stay here, either. I would need protection since I had just become his biggest vulnerability.

"What about my family?"

"They live here?" he asked.

"Yeah. I live with them."

"Well, they can stay or move to the capital, but either way I should probably put some light security on them. We wouldn't want anyone using them to get to you."

"Makes sense."

We walked towards the grocery store and he held open the door for me and then followed me inside.

I quickly grabbed a bag of sugar and carried it to the cash register. I could see Darcy, the woman behind the counter, speculating on the gorgeous specimen who had just accompanied me into the little grocery store. It was as clear as if her thoughts were displayed in LED on her forehead, and her track record confirmed it.

Her eyes sparkled with ecstatic joy at the identity of her unlikely customer. I wondered how she recognized him faster than I did. Well, she was rather obsessed with celebrity magazines and gossip in general, so maybe her radar was tuned to it.

And, in my defence, I was too busy being mesmerized by his ridiculous good looks and heady scent while being distracted by my fear of rejection to wonder who he was beyond my mate.

She sniffed lightly, scenting the air while trying to be discrete, probably trying to figure out if we had been intimate. My face flushed with embarrassment.

Gossip was going to fly. The whole kingdom would probably know by nightfall.

It was clear my life had been swept off by hurricane Arthur and would be scattered everywhere. Picking up the pieces was going to be impossible.

I tapped my card to pay for the sugar and he picked up the bag. We left the store to a cheery farewell from Darcy. There was zero hope she would keep her mouth shut. She was probably already posting the news on MuzzleBook or texting her poker buddies. Ugh.

The door shut behind us.

"So, your family?" he asked, drawing me back to where our conversation left off.

"I live with my parents and my older sister, just up the road from that gas station where you stopped. Want to meet them?"

"Already?" he seemed surprised.