Chapter 11
{Ari's POV cont.}
After a few moments, my eyes finally met his without being hidden behind the masking; I felt like he was staring into my soul. Then I realized what I was feeling. "Mate," I said barely above a whisper. As soon as the word left my mouth, Gemma began dancing in my head, and I instantly regretted saying it out loud. However, as exciting as the news was, I wasn't sure it would be the blissful union most people experience.
"He's not a leopard," I said internally to Gemma, stopped as if she hadn't noticed that before. "Your right; what does this mean?" Gemma replied. I sighed; she wasn't sure what it meant; all I knew was the gods had a way of making my life a continued hell. I gulped slightly, looking at the man standing before me; nothing could bring me to make eye contact. From the way he stared up at me, I wondered if he felt the same way. I didn't realize how long we stared at each other, but I knew it must have been longer than we noticed.
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(Von's POV}
I looked down at the girl in front of me. Her eyes locked on mine, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.
She was tiny for sure. Aztec smirked. "She's almost the perfect size, waist high," he said mentally. I chuckled internally at my Panther's perverted humor. It wasn't true. She barely came up to my chest, but the thought still made me bite my lip. What was wrong with me? She couldn't be my mate.
-she's not a Panther; she's a damn snow leopard of all things; she's my mate-
- my enemy, my queen, she's…. She's magnificent , stunning, a fucking goddess.-
I shook my head free of thoughts, and finally, after what seemed like forever, I motioned for my warriors; in what seemed like seconds, her hands were bound, and the young boy was pulled away from her. I cleared my throat and looked at the two women in a deep and powerful voice. "Your kind have been hunting children from my lands, and I intend on getting answers," I said. Even though I spoke to them both, my eyes were fixed on the girl. "I wish to know your name," I diamonded; the statement caught me off guard.
- why do I need to know?-
What did it matter what her name was? This cannot happen, especially not right now. I tilted my head back in frustration as I tried to calm myself down; this would be hell. All I wanted to do was touch, talk, kiss, and have her, but I knew better. I couldn't do that. For all I knew, she helped the people who hurt my pride. Furthermore, as far as I am aware, mixing species didn't happen often, and it usually left you without a child. What is a king without an heir to the throne? I looked back when I heard the girl speak. Her voice was like angels singing; I could get lost all day if I allowed myself to.
-Fuck me, I can't allow myself to-
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{Ari's POV}
I felt uncomfortable with his eyes on me; I wasn't sure if the sheer power and imtedation seemed to come off him in waves or if it was the pull to be near him. Everything in my body told me to rip out of the guard's hands and jump into his arms. When he asked my name, I broke eye contact looking at the ground. "My name is Ari," I replied. My voice came out smaller than I expected. Yes, it wasn't my full name, but it was all he needed to know. I wanted to know his name but didn't dare ask what it was.
Something told me I was in no position to ask too many questions; maybe the massive guard restraining me made me feel that way. I knew this wasn't going to end well, and from the looks of it, I was about to enter a dungeon with my dear friend.
-great, I get Ember out of one cage to lock her in another-
I sighed and kept my eyes locked on the ground for now. It seemed safer to look at the ground than make eye contact with him again. Looking down at the ground, I could feel his eyes boring into my body; it made me feel angsty, tingly,….and hot. Suddenly I caught sight of Megan; she was trying to wiggle out of another man's arms.
- Has he been here the whole time? –
I did not notice for a moment the massive man standing just a few feet back from the man only a few inches from me. Once free, Megan ran to the other. "My King, please don't hurt them, please," she begged, looking up at him.
-King did this little girl say, king, well this just got even more complicated.-
When I finally looked up, I noticed a flash of confusion wash over the man's face. For the first time in years, his eyes were off me. I was relieved by this fact. "Why is that? Are they not the ones who hurt you?" he asked. His voice was intoxicating, smooth, deep, and husky. I shook my head.
-focus on what they're saying, dammit, Ari pull yourself together, you're basically foaming at the mouth-
I watched as Megan shook her head. "No, my king, they saved me," she said.
I watched the two talking and could tell the man wasn't sure whether to believe the child. However, he nodded, calming Megan enough to return to where she was. "Fine, take both to the dungeon. Do not harm them in any way. Bring them food and water and leave them until I decide on my next move," he said, waving the guards off. With that, Ember and I were hauled away by two massive men.
-at least he said food and water-
I walked along. Otherwise, the guard would be happy to drag me behind him. I looked over and noticed that Ember kept looking back at both Megan and Bryson; clearly, she was very worried about them.