Chapter Twenty

Point of View: Edward

I watched the waves crash and imagined them to be on my body instead of the sand and rocks. The ocean looked like how I felt. A mess. Waves could not decide if they were coming or going. Some looked angry, others sad or distressed. The ocean was not in a good mood today and neither was I.

Ryan had told me he loved me and I sincerely wish he had not because the moment he said it I realized I felt nothing. I never in a million years imagined the first time I told someone I loved them it would be a lie, and to a puppy no less. I kept trying to tell myself he was not mine to love – the prince loved him after all, yet that did not stop me from wanting to. I wanted to love so badly it hurt.

I understand that life is not about love, but what was life without it? I feel abysmally empty and ugly and I am only left to wonder why. Why do I have to be like this? Was I made like this?

In a strange sense I hardly felt real, merely a walking and talking mirage. How can I feel like a person when I come from little bits of two mixed in a plastic dish to create one then placed in another to grow. What was I - an experiment or a recipe? Either way I know I am a planned and failed creation, and that did not sit well with me.

As much as I knew I should not I listened to the prince speak to the little wolf Seth. Just his voice alone helped calm the angry sea of waves inside me. "Oh, god, pup, you've got it bad!" I heard him laugh jubilantly. It was so friendly and happy I could not stop myself from smiling minutely along with the sound.

"It's your slave isn't it?" The wolf, Seth, asked softly.

"Huh?" The prince sounded bemused.

"Who you imagine at your side. It's your vampire, right?" I stilled my needless breathing and listened intently to the prince's response.

No answer.

Like a waterfall coming crashing into my mind image after image flooded my head and all of them were of me. Some had me standing by this very window, others in the prince's bed wrapped in his sheets, others in the ocean or shower. One in particular stood out, it was of me standing naked, blood streaming down my torso while center stage at the auctions – thousands of eyes on me, yet only one pair that mattered. '…I could already tell he was so much more than just beauty and strength; although, what that something else was I hadn't a fucking clue.' Words seemingly belonging to the prince streamed into my head.

"Shit…" The prince breathed. 'If only he were my mate.' The door slammed open banging against the wall behind it, giving me no time to even think or even reactto what I had just heard.

Familiar faces came through the door, all belonging to the prince's pack. "Leech." Paul scowled at me, flipping me the bird. I ignored him.

"Hi Edward!" Brady called to me, his scruffy bangs falling into his eyes. I gave him a faint smile, although I was not sure he would even be able to see it through his mop of hair.

"Brady, you don't need to greet the slave." Jared said reprimanding him.

"But I wanted to." Brady pouted.

"Don't be stupid." Quil grumbled, pushing the younger pup forward. Trailing along behind everyone Embry entered the room, his head down and his long hair shadowing his face. As if he felt my eyes on him he looked up to see me. He gave me a forced smile, yet a friendly little wave – I nodded my hello in return.

Jared and Paul quickly took up residence on the prince's bed, while just like the day I met them Embry and Quil sat on the platform resting their backs against the bed and Brady sat on the steps. The prince emerged with Seth from the nook, his arm slung around the pups shoulder in an amiable manner.

All the wolves smiled at the new pup, except Paul whose face became distorted with a look of rage and disgust. "No fucking way!" He spat. "Not that fag!"

Seth's eyes narrowed in on him. "Oh come on, you want this shit so badly you dream about it, Paul."

"Okay, so I'd say you two have met?" The prince inquired.

"Met?" Paul hissed, voice cracking. "That thing kissed me! It's queer!" My brows rose in surprise along with many others who's smiles fell and eyes widened.

Seth smirked. "I may be queer but you kissed me back, so what does that make you?"

"I thought you were a girl." Paul scoffed angrily.

"Doesn't look like a girl." Quil muttered and Paul shot him one hell of a dirty look.

"Did you?" Seth marveled. "Was that before or after you groped my flat chest and fondled my crotch?" Embry and Quil broke out in sniggers while Brady sat there stunned, and Jared just stared at Paul using a sideways glance with his mouth slightly parted with a quirked eyebrow.

"You're gay?" The prince directed toward Paul.

"Fuck no! I'm straight!" The wolf bellowed.

Seth rolled his eyes, crossing his arms - the prince's arm still hanging around him. "Got a funny way of showing it."

"I was curious, alright?" Paul yelled, glaring at each of his pack mates, daring them to say something. "Is there something so wrong with that?"

"Only when you kiss a boy and call him a fag right after." The words slipped from my lips and all eyes shot to me. "It makes you sound like a hypocrite and a complete closet case." I had already said too much, so I figured I might as well add a little more.

"Nobody asked you." Paul snapped.

"Yeah, but he's right." Embry stated with a shrug.

"Yep." Quil agreed.

"Uh-huh." Brady nodded.

"You kissed a fucking guy?" Jared exclaimed in bewilderment. "So you're a fag too?"

"Enough." The prince broke in. Even I could pick up the command behind his calm tone. "We do not judge our brothers, which a lot of you seem to be forgetting as of late. I saw how you all backed away from Collin in the throne room, and over what, a leech? Unacceptable! We do not neglect a pack mate because he seems different. Not one of us is different or less than another; we're all the exact fucking same! I shouldn't have to say this but where we each choose to put our cock is not up for debate or discussion. We nod and accept, because we don't fucking care! Now, nod and accept ya mutts!" Each wolf nodded, and Jared leaned aside and gave Paul a pat on the back with a sorry expression on his face. Paul shot him a glare. I believed it to be his forgiving face.

"Okay." The prince huffed. "You all get to know Seth while I go and grab Collin."

"Don't bother. He said he'd be late." Paul said.

"When did you see him?" The prince questioned sounding skeptical.

"Not long ago."

"Before you came here?"

"Yeah." Paul shrugged in annoyance. "Obviously."

The prince's eyes squinted. "You went to his room?"

"Yes." Paul hissed.

"Why?"

Paul's brows furrowed. "Why not?"

"You've never shown an interest in Collin before."

"God! What's with the third degree? He said to tell you he'd be late. So now I'm telling you he's going to be fucking late!"

"Okay." The prince ground out, dropping his arm from around Seth. "No need to get all pissy. I believe you."

"Yeah, sure." Paul mumbled.

The prince ignored him, pushing Seth forward. "Sit with Brady." He pointed to the wolf sitting on the step. "Do you know who everybody is?"

"Yes, I've seen everybody around." Seth answered.

"Good that saves introductions. We'll go out and into the forest when Collin gets here, until then does anybody have any questions or concerns?"

I turned my attention back to the window and turned to the world outside while feeling absolutely out of place. I almost found myself wishing I were a wolf if only for the brotherhood. Seth is lucky to join the prince's pack it seems. As much as the prince did still scare me on some level I doubted most alpha's were so open-minded.

It was only a week and a bit ago that the prince had sent Seth to purgatory, yet I almost wanted to think that prince would not react in quite the same way if the same thing happened now. Maybe that would be because of Ryan, maybe even me; then again, the prince could react the same way and not have changed at all.

Instead of looking out at the ocean I peered through the glass in the other direction. I watched the invisible wind shake the branches of the tree's framing the woods while trunks swayed in unison. It amazed me that something you could not reach out and touch or even catch sight of was so powerful.

I closed my eyes, hands on the glass and imagined the wind on my skin, tangling through my hair, pulling at the roots and prickling my scalp. I pictured my hands in the air and the breeze swirling around me and causing my shirt and pants to ripple as it passed by. I thought of the way the wind would feel on my face – warm, fresh and possibly even sweet on a summer's day, yet nippy and dark when it happened to be winter.

The prince easily came to the forefront of my mind and I imagined him there with me, his arms spread just as wide to experience the wind. We would laugh, because he makes me laugh. He would kiss me because I wanted him to kiss me. He would glide a copper hand through the side of my hair, smiling, because he loves to smile at me. Of course I would smile back because I couldn't imagine ever not. He would whisper sweet nothings to me so much so that if I were human I would unquestionably blush. I would love it, and I would love him – not because I had to or wanted to, but because I just did.

Could the prince really want us to be mates? I have never heard of two males together as such, although there are a lot of things I have not heard of. Though, if I am correct, when it comes to wolves and their mates it is a lifelong bond. Not anybody can be considered a 'mate'; only an imprint and imprints are incredibly rare. The prince could not possibly think… He could not possibly want… Could he?

My eyes opened as I turned around to face the wolves, the prince's back was to me as he stood by the steps of the platform while speaking to them animatedly.

I have read about imprinting. It is said that when a wolf imprints they are inexplicably and unconditionally bound to that person for the rest of their life. They love them, they care for them and will be anything the imprinted needs or wants them to be, and are perfectly content doing so. If you ask me it all seems absolutely frightening, although the thought of soul mate, as they are considered to be, did sound kind of romantic.

"Quit your staring, leech!" Paul barked at me. I blinked, noticing that I had in fact been staring at the back of the prince. I tore my gaze away and brought it to the floor.

"Hey!" The prince hissed. "He has a name, use it!"

"Jacob?" The prince's name fell from my tongue before I could reel it back in. Admittedly it was bad timing, though perhaps, subconsciously, I did it to see how he would react. Would the prince blow up at his slave for addressing him in such fashion in front of his pack? I needed to know.

I listened to the intakes of breathes among the wolves and I watched the prince's boots as he shuffled his feet to face me. "Yeah?" He said in a nice and even tone with no hint of malice or anger. I willed my eyes upwards and my mouth to move, but I found myself stunned and speechless. "What's wrong?" He asked in a voice laced with concern. My broken and soundless heart felt like it flickered with life as I heard the prince speak kindly to me in front of all the others.

Feeling courageous I let doubt leave me and let my eyes travel up the prince's body. They passed his loose jeans. They passed the hem of his dark form fitting t-shirt. They passed the collar of his wrinkled grey button-up top that hung open with his hair tumbling over the shoulders. Yet, when my eyes hit his glossy lips I paused.

"Edward?" The prince said trying to get my attention. I sucked in an unneeded breath and in one quick motion flicked my eyes to his.