Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Alex was still staring at Mia in confusion as to what he just felt when he embraced her protectively. He wanted to feel it again but he was scared of what he might be pushed to doing to her.

He had forgotten where they were as she gazed at him in the same wonder. She had felt it too.

He was however snapped back to reality when a second arrow came flying his way with the speed of lightning.

Alex caught it in his hand and broke the arrow into two equal parts. He did so swiftly and smoothly that Mia began to questioned if it was one of her numerous fantasy dreams of him or reality.

Alex traced the angle from where the arrow had come from and saw the same man in a black mask that covered only his eyes and nose. Alex was certain the man was the Red Moon killer.

Alex was about to take off towards him when the man vanished into thin air.

"Oh, my goddess!" Mia panicked after witnessing the man's disappearing 'stunt' as Alex would usually call it.

"Did you-did you?" She stammered, pointing at the now empty spot where the man had just stood. She was short of words.

"Yes, Mia. I did," Alex replied lightly as he bent down and picked the arrow from the floor, examining it closely.

"But how? How is that even possible?" Mia inquired, feeling overwhelmed.

Alex ignored her. The arrow, just like the one before was poisoned. First it was him and now his Luna?!

Whoever was doing this was really asking for it and he was more than ready to deliver.

He stroke his chin and spared Mia a glance before looking back at the arrow. But why, why was the man after his Luna? Did he somehow know they were mates? If not, why would he want to kill her when it would most certainly mean nothing to him if she weren't his mate?

The news of their wedding had spread and people had tagged him a great leader who had sacrificed so much for his people.

That wasn't true but Alex was not about to enlighten them.

Who was this killer and how did he know his Luna was his mate?

"-hence , we'd have to create a barrier," He heard Mia say and his head furrowed in confusion. Had she been talking the entire time?

He looked up at her from the arrow and saw her looking up at him in anticipation.

"What do you think?" She asked when he said nothing.

Alex shrugged and continued his journey back to his castle.

"Is that a yes?" Mia asked, awaiting his approval.

"It would probably have been if I heard a word you said," He replied dryly, not sparing her a glance.

"You-" He was quick to shut her up. He didn't have time for another argument.

"We can't stay here for obvious reasons. The earlier we leave, the better," Alex stated and it shut her up. They hurried back home in silence. One which Mia found comfortable as she needed to think.

After they got back home, Alex retired to his study and Mia, to her room. She was still trying to recover from her near assassination.

•••••••••••

Alex quietly sat in his study, wondering what that feeling was when he had embraced Mia.

He could still hear her tiny cute voice in his head, telling him fables of the trees which were told to two-year-olds.

How old was she anyways?

He wondered alot about her. She didn't show any signs of remembrance or even recognition so he was quite positive that she didn't remember him from her childhood. She was only seven then so-

"Alpha Alex." Hendrix made his presence known as he looked carefully upon the Alpha.

"I heard of what happened in the woods and I just wanted to be sure you're alright," he said, and he creased his brows in worry.

Alex swore under his breath. The rate at which news spread in this pack was truly alarming.

"I'm fine, Hendrix," Alex replied dismissively.

"Okay, Sire." He bowed and was about to exit when he remembered something and said, "Oh, Luna says to call you for lunch."

Alex suddenly became attentive. The mare mention of her got his heart racing. Something was definitely wrong with his heart.

"I'll be down in a minute." He dismissed Hendrix who left quickly to tell his Luna.

Hendrix had become more of an errand boy than a beta. He wasn't the young Alpha's beta though, so he couldn't complain and he had chose this.

But that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

Mia sat patiently, waiting for Alex. Sincerely, she doubted he'd come but she did all the same.

She refused for a few more minutes, but when he still hadn't shown up and her stomach pinched her in protest, she dug into her food, ignoring the world around her.

Food was really good here and she promised herself she'd have a very serious conversation with the cook and maybe threaten her to tell her her secret recipe.

Alex walked into the dinning but he was as quiet as a mouse. It was in his nature to be quiet so even when he wasn't trying, he still did. Just like now.

He watched Mia as she ate without a care in the world. She wasn't even eating in a lady-like way and Alex liked it.

He loved how carefree she was and almost wished he had such luxury.

All his life, he had been made to work towards perfection at every step of the way. He wasn't allowed to play roughly like boys his age did, he wasn't allowed to dance freely except from boring ball dances. Alex wasn't allowed to sing because to his father, Heartman, singing was for women.

He wondered how life would have been if he wasn't a prince. But there was no need pondering on how his life would have been if he hadn't been born a prince but a peasant as he was already here and had been for a very long time now.

Alex cleared his throat in a bid to get Mia's attention who hadn't still noticed his presence.

She raised her head after hearing his voice and almost choked on the food in her mouth. She turned a shade of red as she coughed out her food on the table gasping for breath. It was both disgusting and amusing.

Alex couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips as he handed her a cup of water.

She downed it in one gulp and looked at him.

Alex hadn't noticed that he still had a smile on his face until her eyes widened a bit in awe.

He quickly wiped the smile off his face and hurried back to his study. This was the exact reason he had tried avoiding her, she did crazy things to him. No one should have such effect on another person.

Mia had always known she liked him because of the mate bond but when she saw him smile, she became aware that that wasn't the case. As her heart raced quickly, she knew there was no redemption for her.