Chapter 5 Five

Amber

"Drew..." I warned lowly. "Don't you dare-"

My speech was cut off when I saw him dash for the door, but he wasn't as fast as he had been last night. I smirked, remembering that the wolfsbane was still in his system.

"Shit, I'm weak," he cursed softly.

"Yes, and I will shoot you again if you go after Nathan," I warned, meaning every word. I might not be able to kill him, but I'd surely shoot him again if he tried to harm my friend.

He peered at me, both annoyed and desperate. "But he wants you," he gritted through his teeth.

I walked further into my room and stopped a few feet away from him, pointing an accusing finger at his chest.

"Weren't you the one who specifically said you didn't want me?" I put emphasis on the 'didn't' because not even ten minutes ago, he had been going on about how I trapped him-blah, blah, blah. "Isn't this supposed to be what you want? If I'm with Nathan, then you can be free or whatever."

I still didn't trust this mate bond a hundred percent, but he told me that before last night, his intentions were to stay away from me "until I die or marry." So what was his deal now?

I just hoped Nathan still wanted to marry me because I was not in the mood for another ball or, even worse, having to get to know a new suitor.

"It doesn't work like that, Amber," Drew hissed.

"Oh, then enlighten me!" I snapped, growing really frustrated with his crap. It's never "like that," yet he doesn't "want me." What the hell does he want from me, then?

"It's a primal thing. And now that you've initiated physical contact with me, even if I don't want to, it'll be impossible to stay away from you. I told you this."

"How do I undo it, then?" I huffed. I just wanted to be done with him.

I hated him. I hated him because he had weakened me, and I couldn't find it within myself to kill him. If there were a way to erase last night from existence and forget this distasteful experience, I would do it in the blink of an eye.

Drew's eyes seemed detached for a while, which only told me that there actually was a way. But then his face grew stern, his jaw clenched, and I could see that he wasn't going to tell me, even if I demanded it.

But why? He obviously wasn't too pleased either that I'd "touched him," so why wouldn't he want to tell me?

"There is no way," he muttered in a deep, detached tone. "There is no way to undo a mate bond."

I narrowed my eyes into slits as I took another step toward him. "There is a way. You just won't tell me."

Since I had always known that I was going to marry into a royal bloodline, I hadn't given myself the luxury of learning about mate bonds-how to initiate and break them.

When I was in my private classes, I told my tutors to skip those lessons. Now I wished I hadn't.

"Don't go to him, Amber, or I will have no choice but to kill him," he said, avoiding my statement. "Is that really the type of blood you would want to have on your hands? Isn't killing rogues enough for you?"

I laughed humorlessly before looking at him in disbelief. "Is this some reverse psychology shit? You will not kill him, or else-"

"Or else what?" he challenged. By this point, I was right in his face, glaring up at him.

"Nathan has been my friend for years. If you touch a hair on his head, I don't care what type of 'bond' we have. I. Will. End. You," I gritted out slowly but loud enough for him to hear. "Trust me, the level of adrenaline and anger I'll have will outweigh whatever barrier you've set in my mind so that I can't kill you."

And with that, I spun on my heels and made for the bathroom again.

I stopped when I didn't hear him saying anything, taking it as the perfect opportunity to add more to my threat. "And I promise to make it slow and painful. Whatever bond we have won't be enough to save you. Now get the hell out of my room."

I felt on cloud nine as I stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Luckily, my room was on the far side of the castle, away from the other rooms, so no one would think I was going crazy.

I let the cold water wash away my anger as it trickled from my head down my shoulders. If the Duke was really downstairs, that meant Ruby would be up any minute requesting my presence for breakfast.

I couldn't help but wonder-did Drew's 'compulsion' work? Nathan was here, wasn't he? So that meant it probably didn't. Nathan was an Alpha, after all. He was strong in body and in mind.

But then images of a zombie-like Nathan walking past me flashed in my mind, and I knew it was real.

What exactly did Drew tell him? To forget me? Or to go home?

Drew.

I had no idea what he was doing to me, but ever since I met him, he had invaded my every thought.

Images of his expression when I threatened him moments ago resurfaced in my mind. He believed me.

Good. That was good.

So, why did I feel guilty?

That damn rogue alpha. I would figure out what he did to me, and when I did, he was as good as dead.

With my mind made up, I stepped from my shower and grabbed a towel, furiously drying the water from my hair.

With my robe tightly secured around my waist, I sat in front of my mirror and proceeded to straighten my hair. Luckily for me and my sanity, my mother only saw it fit to doll me up when we were hosting a big event.

If I had to sit through hours of her pampering and condescending comments every time I got ready for the day, I'd probably die from mental exhaustion.

Ruby, my personal maid, was assigned to these tasks, but I didn't always bother her. I was an adult, after all.

Feeling satisfied with my appearance, I applied a little mascara and lip gloss, then peered at the door leading back to my bedroom. Was he still in there? He better not be.

But when I stepped inside, the spot where I left him was empty. I tried to suppress the disappointment creeping into my chest as I scanned the room and found it completely vacant.

I sniffed the air, sieving through the lingering trace of his intoxicating scent to determine if he was still nearby. But I didn't feel him. He was truly gone.

Sighing, I decided on a blue chiffon halter dress that fell just above my knees, pairing it with my white wedge heels. I preferred trousers and comfortable shoes, but there were only so many days I could get past my mother without her criticizing my attire.

'A princess must always wear a dress, Amber,' she would say after pulling me aside. Sometimes I wanted to tell her that this was the 21st century and that my clothes were always modest, but a small voice in my head reminded me not to make things more difficult.

Especially today, knowing the duke was here, I couldn't dare wear pants.

Still, I felt relieved that at least I wouldn't be bound by corsets and suffocatingly long dresses every day.

As if on cue, a knock sounded at my door, and Ruby stepped inside, looking as cheerful as ever.

"Good morning, Princess Amber. You look beautiful today," Ruby said, her hands neatly folded in front of her and a brilliant smile on her face.

I couldn't help but return it. Ruby's energy was always contagious. She was the only person in this castle I truly considered a friend.

"Thank you. So do you." I smiled as I took one final glance at myself.

"Since you are already ready, the duke would like to have a word with you. I've arranged for you two to have a private breakfast, if that's okay?"

"That is perfect, Ruby. Thank you. I'll be down in a bit."

She nodded before offering a small bow and exiting the room. I searched frantically through my sheets for my phone, sighing in relief when I finally found it.

A small white paper caught my attention on my nightstand, resting beside my dagger. As I picked it up, I noticed it was a note written in handwriting I didn't recognize.

'I will leave you alone,' it read. That was it. No signature, no explanation-just plain and simple.

I already knew it was from him, but before I could allow myself to process it, I crumpled it and threw it into the dustbin.

He will leave me alone? Good. Great, actually! I had been telling him that all morning!

So, why did I feel a harsh tug in my chest at the thought?