Alec's P•O•V

Walking down the street, I felt a chill run through me as I had no idea where I was going nor what I was doing. Something was driving me, telling me to take a walk and get some time to think.

I had three days left until my birthday. The fire inside me only grew stronger as the days went by, revealing to me the day of my twenty-first birthday was fast approaching. I had no way of stopping it, nor did I have any way to get out of this. I couldn't just return to Romania by myself. There was no way I could return to my family's Kingdom without their next Queen. I would be exiled and my family would get the brunt of the shame-

My thick thoughts blurred my focus, making me inattentive to my surroundings. I'd run into something - more like someone - soft, and unexpectedly it cut off my droning thoughts. I froze in my spot and felt my hands swiftly grab the person I had run into so they wouldn't fall from impact. I looked down at the small woman and I was faced with shiny, curled hair the color of dark coffee. I could feel everything in me chill as she looked up at me.

That was when I notice that I had absentmindedly let my drive lead me to the familiar street I had first seen her.

Perfect hazel eyes gazed up into mine in shock. Soft freckles displayed thickly on top of her nose and thinned out on her cheeks. A little gasp came out of her perfect, dark red, plump lips. Her small, fragile arms held in front of my chest, holding herself steady and protected her from getting hit too hard.

It was silent as both of us recognized each other from the coffee shop. That was until the beautiful sound of her voice stuttered a bit,

"I'm - I'm so sorry!" Raven exclaimed with an insecure smile. "Please excuse how clumsy I am. Seems like I can't even manage to take a couple of steps out of my house without being a klutz." Her soft voice sounded to me as if an angel was speaking. She had gestured to the grey row house set in between two identical, but separate, row houses. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stiffly forced myself to let her go.

"No worries," I gave her a short smile, regaining whatever confidence I had. "Did I hurt you?" I asked, suddenly concerned about if I had accidentally managed to harm her.

"No, no you're fine," She gave a quiet, nervous laugh. I peered down at her in admiration. Dear Lord, I couldn't help myself. She was stunning. Admittedly the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen.

A blush rose to Raven's cheeks as she noticed my stare. Something in me snapped as I acknowledged the pounding now residing inside my head. I took a step away from her, backing away with the urgent intention to remove myself from her presence as soon as possible. My brain pounded with a single thought that killed me...

Her life's never going to be the same once she's taken to Romania-

"I'm sorry again," I apologized, the words coming quickly as I tore my gaze from her, pacing away, ready to get back to the hotel, only to leave her in shock.

As I turned for the fourth time onto a new block, retracing back the complicated way to the hotel, my phone started to buzz in my pocket. I sighed, reached into the pocket, and put the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I said in a ragged voice.

"Oh Alec darling, it's your mother. How is it in the United States?" My mother's familiar voice boomed in my ear. Her enthusiasm never ceased to shock me.

"It's great..." I muttered unsurely. She huffed, noticing my discontent.

"Why," she breathed out the word as a huff, "Isn't the big city of New York satisfying you?" She exclaimed, almost like she was shocked.

"The city is pretty satisfying I guess, but that's not it..." I reassured her but knew I desperately needed to talk to her about Raven. Something in me doubted my ability to... Take her, as they had practically instructed me to do.

"Then what is it?" She asked in a concerned, motherly tone. She'd been my mother for 143 years, that tone had become one of the many she had used on me multiple times.

"It's about my mate... I don't think I can-" I start but get cut off by a murmur in the background.

"One second," She said to me, listening to whoever was talking to her.

"I'll be right there," I heard my mother tell someone - probably my father - on the other line and spoke to me,

"Alec, I've got to go, but I need you to listen," My mother informed me seriously. "You're going to be king someday my son... You have got to bring your mate back to Romania. Your kingdom is depending on you, Alec. Don't let them down," She said with a solemn voice. The pressure she unknowingly had put on me, made it feel like my heart was in my throat. I swallowed hard as my mind went blank for the first time since I had met Raven just a few days ago...

"Promise me," My mother suddenly said. An image of Raven came to my mind in a whirl of thoughts that made me feel utterly hopeless. Two words and this woman's future would be sold, and she wouldn't even know it.

"I promise," I said the words that set my future in stone, and once they were said...

There was no going back.

♱

Raven's P•O•V

Ever since this morning, I had a sinking feeling. That man I had first seen at the cafe had me on edge. All day I couldn't explain the urge to look over my shoulder, expecting to see him there. Something about his dark brown eyes... Almost like a dark red was hidden in the irises.

All day at the office, I couldn't bring words to describe why my whole body seemed to be buzzing. Was it a chill, or simply some anxious feeling? I don't know. The way he gazed down at me... It wasn't like anything I could imagine. It's not like I could decipher that look he gave me either.

I could hear the street lamp buzzing above me as I walked down the avenue two blocks from my house. I pulled my scarf closer to my neck as an icy breeze blew in my direction. Holding my arms around myself, I rubbed my biceps through my sweater in an attempt to warm myself up.

I heard a soft whoosh of air behind me and spun around. Nothing. I could see some papers floating to the ground as the gust had led them to swirl into the alleyway I had just passed. I shivered, yet suddenly had forgotten the necessity to warm myself up. Nerves caught in my throat as the sinking feeling I had had all day arose, becoming more prominent. The reason for it was on the tip of my tongue... Anxiety? Nerves? Fear?

I took a step and looked into the alley. My high heels clicked quietly as I took slow steps deeper into the deserted space. A clatter came from behind the dumpster and I sucked a breath in. As I braced myself, I stopped dead in my tracks, not wanting to go any further.

Suddenly a black shadow came out from behind the dumpster and I felt my heart speed up until-

I heard a meow. I shuddered out a breath of relief. I crouched down and held out my hand to the scraggly, old, black street cat. It came up to me and sniffed my hand, then pushed its head underneath my fingers. I pet the cat's forehead and ears softly.

"And for a second I thought you were a person," I laughed breathily, listening to the cat purr. Its eyes were shut in the bliss of being pet when all of a sudden its eyes cracked open. It looked over my shoulder and hissed, scattering down the alley and underneath the dumpster to hide.

I stood up suddenly and was about to turn around when I saw it.

Two blood-red eyes staring at me. About twenty feet away, the owner of the glowing eyes came out of the shadows, revealing that he as well was a shadow. I gasped and took a shaky step back. The familiarity of those eyes hit me like a bus.

Suddenly, the man was in front of me, like a ghost vanishing from one spot and appearing in another. My heart jumped into my throat and stuck there. I was frozen there in my spot.

Now, suddenly in the light of the shining moon, his face was on display. The shadow of his jawline was prominent. His facial structure looked even more unflawed when under the pale moonlight. His expression was emotionless.

My eyes shot down to look at his lips which had now parted, almost as if he was about to say something. I staggered back once I saw the two perfectly pointed canines; white as snow and shimmering.

The sinking feeling had finally snapped into place like the last puzzle piece. Now a clear picture of utter, uncontrollable, fear. Somehow I had known the second I saw him that there was something different about him.

My voice struggled to find its way out, as he stayed still, staring at me from just a few steps away.

"P-Please don't kill me," I pleaded as I felt my body buzzing with anxiety. His face showed a faint expression of hurt, almost like those words had punched him in the gut.

"I'm not going to kill you," He said steadily, in a soft voice like silk.

"Then what do you want from me?" My voice wavered as my body tensed up, adrenalin making me numb.

He took a step near me and looked down at my face, avoiding my eyes. The backs of his fingers caressed my cheek, making a shiver run down my spine. He was as cold as ice. I swallowed hard and shut my eyes tight, making a tear slide down my cheek. I shook at the feeling of his touch.

"I don't want to do this to you love..." He whispered, and for a second I believed him when he said that.

"You don't want to do what?" I murmured in confusion. He didn't answer.

Suddenly I felt someone grab me from behind. I couldn't scream as a cloth was cupped onto my mouth and nose. I screamed against it and felt myself getting dizzy. The man in front of me watched, and for a second I thought I saw his expression turn to one of hurt before a bag was draped over my head and everything went black.

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