I look up at Cain, the fearsome Rogue Prince, who would kill me on the spot if he knew my secret.

Our secret.

That we are Goddess-given true mates, and he is just too immature to feel it yet.

But the things he said to me this evening… Some of them were not immature at all. That makes me wonder if all the werewolf tales are right. Maybe it’s not maturity that lets us finally feel the bond at some point in adulthood.

Either way, he doesn’t feel it yet, and let’s leave it like that.

“Why did you agree to this whole arranged marriage thing?” I try to distract him but realize he is already distracted.

The way he looks at my body is no longer innocently checking my wounds out. There is nothing pure in those eyes, and I feel so naked. Hell, I am naked.

“I said I’d agree, only if the bride was hot,” he jokes and grabs a towel from the chair behind him, then throws it at me.

“Thanks. But for real, why?”

“Why did you?” he shoots back, looking at me as I stand up and wipe the last drops of water from my body.

“All the right reasons, making it good for my kingdom. I owed it to my people,” I say, going for his chest of drawers to find some large loose shirt to wear. “I was mad it had to be me; I won’t lie—I was very excited about finding my true mate before all of this. But it doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore. ”

I turn to see him sitting on the end of a lemon-covered bed. When did he scatter them there? Were they there when I came to the room?

I’m already in his black t-shirt, long enough to cover my butt cheeks, and going to my wardrobe for some panties, when he says: “Don’t bother. I’ll take them off anyway.”

I arch my brow at him but do as he says.

He calls me over with his right hand, so I stand in front of him between his parted knees.

“Kiss me,” he tells me, so I lean down and give him a chaste kiss. “You are right. It doesn’t feel like a big deal anymore.”

I don’t know what to think about him acting so… normal. Somehow, it scares me even more than his punishments.

“Well, it’s not like we have much choice in marriage anyway. You either have an arranged one, or you meet your destined mate. No choice in that either,” I say, looking at my two-in-one Rogue Prince, who holds the bottom of my shirt in his hands but doesn’t move.

“We don’t have many destined mates here. I mean… there are some in the lands, but not in the warriors' circle, that’s for sure.”

“I’m not surprised, to be honest. You do some horrible things.”

Maybe it wasn't only the maturity thing, like I thought this evening, perhaps you have to earn it.

He falls back on the bed and immediately frowns.

“Shit, I forgot about them,” he says, pulling some lemons from under his back.

I take one from him and bring it to my nose. It smells fresh and sharp and great—so much like my mate. Fuck.

I throw it in the air and catch it.

“Give me your sword,” I say mischievously.

“Why? ”

“We both know you would be able to take it back in a second if you want to—whatever my intention may be.”

He folds his arms under his head, looking completely relaxed. “It’s on the desk behind you.”

I glance over my shoulder, and there it is.

I grab it. It’s way heavier than I thought but still manageable, even for someone my size. At least when you have werewolf strength.

I turn it in my hand several times and move to a spot a few feet from the bed.

I throw the lemon up in the air again, but this time, I swiftly slash it in half with the sharp blade of Rogue Prince’s sword.

So satisfying! I laugh lightly, making Cain snort.

I take more lemons and start throwing them, slashing, one by one, until I try and fail to slash two at a time—Cain finally gives in and stands up to join the fun.

“Throw me three at once,” he says, taking the sword from me.

I do, and he looks at them but doesn’t move.

“Hey!”

“Throw them again.”

I frown but do what he asks.

He moves his sword so fast and precisely that he slashes all three at once while I squeak in delight.

“Again!” I take more and throw them up in the air— he slashes them repeatedly, to my delight, until we don’t have anymore left.

Everything in the room is covered in lemon halves, their juice, and their intoxicating citrus smell. I laugh, happy, and Cain smiles at me—grabbing my waist with his strong, big arm; sword still in the other one, he leans to my cheek and growls into my ear .

That’s his wolf primal part, I can feel it. I can also tell he is about to kiss me.

And I don’t mind.

So, I kiss him first. Cheek, jaw, mouth. I let him slide his tongue in. I hear the sound of a sword falling. That’s what I think the sudden metallic thud is. He picks me up; but before I can wrap my legs around him, I’m thrown onto the bed.

I laugh while trying to sway away from all the lemon pieces I’m laying on. I catch his eyes and stop. He’s staring at me like he craves me. Really fucking craves me. I swallow my saliva and slowly move my gaze down his half-naked body. Because why not?

He is so damn attractive I can’t take it anymore. All the goddess-approved muscles, these chiseled abs, and the erection that cannot be hidden by his pants—are making me mad with hot, searing lust.

“Take them off,” I say huskily and move my eyes back to his.

Cain smirks at me but surprisingly does what I said. His pants lie on the floor, and he stands before me in all his glory. That’s all it takes for me to be completely wet. Drenched.

He doesn’t move, so I do. I lift my torso and sit on the edge of the bed. I grab him by his ass to make him come closer, and he does. Immediately, I grab his hard cock with my left hand and slowly pump, mesmerized by the soft satin feel of such a hard thing. It’s already leaking precum, and I can’t help but taste it with a long lick. I’m too curious. I’ve never done that before. Salty and… lemony. No wonder, when my hands and everything else are sticky from the lemon juice.

I take it into my mouth and close my eyes with a moan.

That’s all it takes for him to lose all his patience and push me back on the bed. In a matter of seconds, he’s positioned between my legs and lines up his cock to my entrance.

“Look at me,” he says with hot confidence.

I look into his navy-blue eyes, and my stomach tightens in anticipation.

He thrusts slowly into me, and I cry out, “Yes!” closing my eyes in pure bliss. Feeling so full and so, so needy for more. If it’s pain, it’s the sweetest I have ever felt. He chuckles with satisfaction at my reaction and starts thrusting in and out with growing force.

I take all he gives me, moaning more and more, this time for real.

“Cain, please,” I beg, not even knowing what for, totally immersed in the new exhilarating feeling of having his cock moving inside me. Why did I wait so long to have sex?

He slides out of me and rolls me onto my stomach roughly—grabs me by my hips, lifts my ass a little, and takes me from behind, thrusting even deeper than before.

“Cain!”

I love everything he is doing to me. His breath on my hot skin, how impatient we both are with the game long forgotten, how rough, perfect, and natural it all feels…

He leans over me, resting on his left forearm, and moves his right hand around me to my clit.

My pleasure instantly reaches new heights, and I scream into a pillow while the pressure quickly builds to my peak.

“Yes, little wolf, that’s it, scream my name,” he says with a deep, sexy-as-hell voice.

I can feel my muscles contracting around his perfectly sized cock, and his other hand wrapping around my throat lightly. I’m surprised that degrading gesture only brings me higher—instantly making me fall apart under the force of my climax.

I had not realized he has slowed down his moves until he picks up the pace again. He is thrusting relentlessly—making me moan some more until, finally, he stills, and I can feel a twitch of his cock inside of me.

“Fuck,” he says with hot satisfaction that almost makes me come again .

I feel so spent and weirdly calm despite my heightened pulse, that I don’t move when he rolls from me to his back on my left.

“Asher?”

“Hm?” I turn my head to him.

He doesn’t say anything. I can’t decipher the look in his eyes, but his facial expression is cold again—back to being the cruel Alpha. Well… maybe he never stopped being that, I just ignored it for a moment to be able to have some fun in this new life.

“So, can I stop calling you Alpha or Your Highness all the time? It’s annoying,”

He moves away a little bit as if he is taken aback by my question.

Shit, I shouldn't make him aware I stopped addressing him properly over an hour ago.