15

Acela POV

It hurts in between my legs, a lot.

Moving the blanket from my body, feeling warm all of the sudden, a voice startles me.

"Good morning mate." Caelan says humorously, I turn and see he is awake and leaning on his hand while looking at me the same way he did last night.

Last night... oh my god, we had sex and he marked me! I thought I had dreamt that but since we are both naked right now I'd say that I did not dream it and this is really freaking happening.

I glance down and notice I'm completely nude. Full birthday suit nude.

I feel my face get warm as I grab the blanket and put it over me, hiding my body which is full of red marks, suddenly feeling embarrassed around him.

Caelan laughs huskily as he gets up from the bed. "There's no need to hide from me Acela." He says as he smirks at my blush and I glare at him.

God damn him, why is he always looking so perfect in the morning? And he's NAKED! "Morning.. um, clothes?" I ask shyly hinting to behind him where a long t-shirt is.

He turns around and I see his back and wow... his naked back is full of scratch marks from last night, from me. That must've hurt, right? Just a little? There is no doubt in my mind that last night was amazing, I was truly scared because it was my first time and I didn't know what to expect.. but Caelan was gentle, for the most part. He never did anything I didn't want, he gave me pleasure, more than I could ever imagine.

"Are you sore?" He asks worried, sitting down on the side of the bed near me, he has boxers on.

I sit up and cover my breasts with my arm which causes him to smile smugly. "U-Um, a little." I say shyly, putting the t-shirt over my head and through my arms.

I actually am super sore, but I don't want his ego to get any bigger or I'll never be able to walk again. I'm starting to think it was a mistake that he was mates with me, I can't even keep up with this man, how am I suppose to please him? Ugh, so embarrassing.

I look up to Caelan to see he's silently watching me and that reminds me.

I get out of bed and go straight to the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door as I look into the mirror and tilt my head to expose my neck, I move my hair out of the way and that's when I see it.

The redness around it looks painful but I don't feel a thing, I touch it and it feels tender, but nothing hurts. That's odd, right? His teeth were so large and sharp, I should be dead from a bite like that. Instead, it looks like I have a hickey with the initials C.B on my neck, it looks like a brand more than a mark.

I see Caelan come up behind me and he pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me, he leans down and kisses the mark, the kiss causes a wave of pleasure to pulse between my legs, causing me to gasp out from the suddenness of it. "Beautiful." Caelan whispers out huskily as I look at him in the mirror. His eyes are glowing yellow and he's looking at me with lust.

"Thank you." I say shyly as I turn around in his arms, he leans his hands against the bathroom counter, trapping me between his muscled arms.

He looks at me seriously, his eyes hard. "I want you to move in with me." He asks and I get whiplash from the suddenness.

Move-in with him? Isn't that really early for us? I have not seen him in two years and I've only recently begun to see him again.. what's it been? 3 days? 4? I can sense from the way he is looking at me that he is actually serious and this isn't a joke. He also said that he loves me.."At the palace?" I ask confused. Surely not?

He smiles and nods his head wearily. "You can bring Tilly, we have a wing for just us it'll be like-"

I interrupt him, I have heard enough. "Caelan.. I can't live at the palace, I just don't feel comfortable, it's too soon for me." I say seriously and notice how his smile drops.

"I don't want you here alone Acela, it's too dangerous without me." He says and walks away from me back into the bedroom, gripping his hair.

I follow behind him, annoyed. "So you mark me and suddenly I have to give up my life? Everything I've worked for to hide in the palace?" I ask him, my voice rising.

He stills then turns around to look at me. "Of course not Acela, but I can't leave you here after I've marked you." He says with a sigh. "You are my mate and future queen, I can't let you stay here in this pl-"

"This place is what I worked hard for! I didn't sign up to be queen Caelan, it's not what I want." I tell him seriously while I angrily take a pair of pants from my wardrobe.

I hear him growl behind me and the air changes from light to heavy. "Acela, do you think I want this for you? I'm trying to protect you!" He says angrily.

I snort. "Protect me from what? I can handle reporters Caelan, I am not some weak human who can be pushed around." I say rolling my eyes and he groans.

Well, that somehow made him even angrier.

He was about to say something but his phone rings on the bedside table, he snarls out pissed off as he stomps over to the phone and answers it. He looks deadly. "WHAT?" He growls out annoyed.

I sigh and brush my hair, I can't believe we are arguing around something so unimportant right now. I can't just pack and leave my life, I have a house, my own business.. my freedom is here.

"I'm busy right now, it can wait!" He says annoyed into the phone then hangs up then throws it onto the bed. His eyes focus back on me and he's still annoyed.

"We need to talk about this Acela, reporters are the least of our worries." He says as he sits on the edge of the bed and watches me as I begin to tie my hair up.

Sighing out I look back at him and frown. "No." I simply say, I open the bedroom door and head straight to the kitchen. I need coffee, it's too early for this.

It hurts so much to walk but I'm so annoyed at him right now that I don't even care!

"Acela, you are being childish." He calls out annoyed from the bedroom and I choose to ignore that comment.

I hear him coming into the kitchen as the belt in his jeans rattle as he puts them on. "Why do you not want to live with me?" He asks deeply frustrated and I release a deep breath.

It's not like I don't want to live with him.. I do.. I mean just look at him! He is perfect. I just don't want my life to be like a bird trapped in a cage. That is exactly how I view the palace, everyone is watching you, I wouldn't be able to breathe freely or do what I want if I moved in there with him.

I lean against the counter while my coffee brews and he's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest, looking handsome as usual, apart from how angry he looks in his face right now..

"I want some freedom in my life Caelan." I say quietly. "This is going too fast for me." I sigh out and my heart throbs from how painful this topic is for me.

"I don't care where we live Acela, I just want to be with you, please compromise with me at least?" He says softly as his eyes begin to look at me with sadness and I feel my stomach flip.