Chapter 30: Fearless.

**RIVER**

River could have sworn that he had never seen anyone sulk in such an attractive manner. Not only had Bea grown into a gorgeous young woman, but there was much more to her than met the eye. The innocence she exuded drove the deadly sin insane. Deep down, he wanted nothing more than to grab her and destroy every bit of her being. Every bit of the innocence within her. He wouldn't hurt the Princess, but he would prove to her that he wanted her. Bea must think that love is what she read about in books or what she sees in her parents, but there is so much more behind such feelings. Everyone has a dark side that you can only reveal to someone you trust and have feelings for. Even the Queen and King must have such sides to them, hidden, raw and animalistic. That's the side of him that wanted her now- the side that would show itself in the most unromantic way. One that would demand and take what was his without waiting or begging - the pure feeling of ownership. It was not easy to control himself; River only came to his senses when Bea mustered the courage to walk up to him and nudge him on the upper arm. "Sir, are you all right?" She whispered, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yes," River cleared his throat. "Sorry, I lost myself for a little there, darling. Anyway, where were we?" He knew where their conversation had left off, but he wanted Bea to repeat the words aloud. Maybe if she let her guard down, she would repeat his words, and River wouldn't hesitate to take her up on the offer of his own.

Her eyes looked up at his. At first, a fire danced in Bea's eyes, and River desperately wanted her to give him a piece of her mind. But then, as soon as their eyes met, she averted her gaze. Probably the anger inside her dissipated as soon as she had to face him. "Um, we have been looking for a way out of here so I can get back to the castle and see my family. I bet they're worried sick." The Princess tried to change the subject. If he questioned her, Bea would deny his accusations, but it was too late for that - her behavior betrayed her intentions.

River let his hands slide into his pockets, shrugged, and gazed into the distance. "That they are." Part of him wanted to drop to his knees and tell her everything he felt, the despair and fear that had plagued him until he found her. Who knew, if River didn't look for Seelie, he might be wandering the Forbidden Lands, unaware of his mate's whereabouts.

Bea scoffed. "Such a great way to make a girl feel better, thanks," she rolled her eyes and quickly walked away. She didn't care where she went as long as her steps put some distance between them. Yes, he seemed to be one of those people who spoke their minds without thinking much, but that didn't worry her. What did concern her, however, was the feeling she had when she stood near him. The way her heart skipped a beat when he told her to kiss him.

"Well, excuse me, but all I did was supporting your statement. Who wouldn't worry if their loved one disappeared for three years? I almost lost my mind, and your family is facing the same problem. Unlike others, they never stopped looking for you. They know in their hearts that you will return. You should appreciate that; I have known many who buried their lost loved ones in less than six months after they disappeared." The tone of his voice gave Bea the sense that there was more to the situation than the last three years in the Kingdom. When River mentioned that he had nearly lost his mind, the Princess was sure he wasn't telling her everything. The man standing before her was hiding something seemingly important.

Rather than confront him, Bea decided to pretend she didn't notice anything wrong with the man. Maybe she could get more emotion out of him if she kept mentioning her family. "I bet my mother will kill me," she giggled. Her words were just a joke, but River didn't take them well. The smile on her face disappeared as he slammed her back into the nearest tree.

River caged her between his arms and towered over the Princess. He struggled to calm himself. His chest rose and fell with inhuman speed. "As if I would allow such a thing. As if I would ever let anyone harm a hair on your head or come within a damn foot of you. Your mother. This whole mess happened because of your mother, don't ever mention her when I am around." The words that left his lips were forced, full of hate, dripping with venom. So Bea was right, he was hiding something, and apparently, he had fallen out with her mother.

"You don't seem to like my family very much. You know, it sucks, but life goes as it goes. My family and I are a total package; if you don't accept one, you don't accept me. Don't worry, I'll get over your rejection, this," she pointed a finger first at her chest and then at Rivers. "Whatever that was between us has come to a tragic end. I am going to write a book about our five-minute love story one day. Now please point me in the right direction to get home, and you can go. I can always call for Grandma if you don't want to help me." Every word that left Bea's lips was carefully chosen. From a young age, she knew that when she faced someone ill-tempered or angry, all she had to do was aim for the right spot, and the person would tell her more than they intended. It's a thing of emotions; not everyone loses their temper that quickly, but when they do, the truth comes out sooner rather than later. Besides, if River and Lillith didn't lie about Bea and River being mates, the Princess needed to know what he was hiding. They were not supposed to keep secrets from each other, especially when they were connected to the dearest people Bea had - her family.

River jumped back as if Bea had burned him. She watched the man pace before her, holding onto the sides of his head and almost pulling his hair. The raw emotion he made no effort to hide confused her. Eros always preferred to isolate himself when he lost his temper or something went wrong, but River didn't turn his back on her. Part of Bea wanted to walk up to the man, throw herself at him, hold him as tight as she could and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Maybe that was exactly what he needed - for her to walk up to him and promise that everything would be okay? But the other part still didn't trust him the slightest. Mate or not, he was still a stranger, someone she barely knew. So she stood by the tree, watching him, slowly losing herself in the thoughts she couldn't get out of her head. Not once did she look at him as a man - in Bea's eyes, he was just another new person in her life. Perhaps in time she would learn to think of him as a possible candidate for her husband, but not today. Not anytime soon.

As her gaze wandered into the distance, Bea didn't notice River steady himself and stand before her. He raised his hand to her chin, finally breaking the trance she was trapped in. Her eyes widened as River took hold of her chin, lowered his face, and his lips met hers. The feeling was indescribable; jolts of electricity ran down her spine, her body melting away as the distance between them grew smaller. River sneaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, eliciting a faint groan of surprise from Bea. Not letting an opportunity go to waste, deadly sin forced his tongue into her mouth, savoring the taste of her. River's lips silenced her moan, greedily keeping it to himself. No other man was worthy of her presence, let alone hearing her moan- this was meant for him and him alone.

When River broke the kiss, a sly grin spread across his lips. Judging by the expression on Bea's face, she felt it- now she knew he wasn't lying. Not only that, distracting her inner detective with the kiss was one of the best ideas he'd ever had. Bea stared at him in amazement, unable to move or say a word. He rested his forehead against hers, stroked Bea's cheek, and sighed. "We can play as many games as you like, my darling. We can guess; you can try to pry my secrets or details from my past. I am not the man I was years, weeks, and days ago. I don't think such things matter. Whatever was in the past needs to stay there; we have today and tomorrow; that's what we should focus on. I am breaking myself to prove something to you, and you have no idea how long I have waited to have you, how long I have dreamed of the day when all I'll feel is the taste of your lips. I wasn't lying when I said we are mates. As a matter of fact, I couldn't lie to you even if I tried. I used to fear any move you'd take, but from now on, I am fearless. I am fearless because of you - no obstacle can ever stop me. You are mine, and I am yours. That's all that matters." River whispered, and his eyes searched her eyes so intensely that Bea felt like he was looking into her soul.

She didn't give her mind enough time to process everything he said; one thing, in particular, stood out to her. He said he couldn't lie, right? Without thinking about the possible consequences, she looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Why do you hate my mother so much?"