Chapter Thirty-five

Point of View: Edward

The prince guided me into his room after mentioning to his pack to come back in an hour or so. Closing the door behind us with Emmett's pants hanging loosely around his hips he was quick to press his lips against mine.

He kissed me softly and tenderly, yet to be more specific, lovingly, while his hands cupped my pale cheeks and my own grasped at his bare russet sides. It wasn't long before his hands slipped from my face to around my shoulders with his lips leaving mine as he pulled me into a tight embrace. "Say it again for me, Edward." The prince murmured as he nuzzled his nose into my hair.

I hugged my arms around his waist, my fingertips traveling along his spine. "I love you." I whispered. I felt weak saying the words, but only because of how strongly I felt them.

The prince wasn't perfect. Actually, he's far from it, but that's what I loved about him – how so imperfect he really is. He has a temper, he cusses like a sailor and from time to time he's even violent, yet in the little time I've known him he has proven to me that behind that raging temper is the sweetest, most kind and loving wolf.

To be honest I feel entirely undeserving of the prince. I am nothing but a leech and a slave, and here Jacob is, a wolf and the prince. He's the best there is, and the best says he loves me. I almost wanted to call him a fool. What was he thinking for imprinting on me? I know it can't be controlled, but still, he never even tried to deny it, he has never once complained or wished I was anything other than myself, and I honestly can't thank him enough for that.

Until now I have never once felt whole or accepted. At the laboratory I was constantly told how I wasn't good enough, and once the doctor turned me into a vampire I was nothing but a scientific failure for the lack of a power. However, I am so damn thankful that my mind-reading didn't develop at the lab. If it had, I know with certainty that I would have never met the prince – a thought that now pains me to even think about.

Love, as perfect as it feels, it's horrifying all the same. I feel attached to the prince and it hurts thinking that he's not really mine, and I want him so badly to be mine. I really don't know what we can be other than lovers behind closed doors. He'll be king one day and with that comes responsibility. The public could never see him with a vampire, let alone a male, and the prince doesn't seem to realize that.

As we neared the palace earlier from the forest the prince had shifted back demanding Emmett's pants. Once donning those he had held my hand from there to here. I tried to dissuade him, as did Jasper, but if the prince wants to do something he does it. The hand holding also included him stealing glances my way with slight smiles as well as kiss on the cheek here and there. He may not be able to hear the guards' thoughts but I can. Nobody thought, 'Oh, what a cute couple!' Not nearly.

I kind of felt like an ant under a magnifying glass with that hot ray of sun burning me to bits. Not one guard or even slave that we passed had a good thing to think about the prince and I. Truthfully, I had quickly become the second most hated being in the palace - the first being the king, although I was a close runner up.

I was quite astonished by the fact that all the blame lie with me – a pretty little leech that had nothing better to do than seduce the prince. Vile, and hate filled thoughts were slung my way, while all thoughts clearly showed that everyone believed I was in the process of corrupting the prince.

A few minds we past belonged to those who were in the purgatory during Paul's whole fiasco. Their contempt for me was strong, but their hate was not. They understood why the prince was behaving as such, though that didn't mean they agreed with it. In their minds I was an abominable imprint that should be hidden and cast away from prying eyes and not to be flaunted like they felt the prince to be doing. I almost had to agree with them.

The prince brushed his warm lips across my cool forehead. "I love you too, and so much." The prince sighed into my hairline, sending heated waves across my scalp. After a minute or two he gently pulled away to lock eyes with mine. "I have something I want to give you."

I smiled, albeit a little shyly. "You don't need to give me anything." I said.

"Well, no." He grinned, though not before he pecked a small kiss to my lips. "But I want to. Let me get it." He went to his closet, flicking the light switch and stepping in. The prince's closet wasn't that much smaller than the bedroom Paul used. Drawers and shelves lined the walls and and every inch was packed full of fancy clothes and shoes. Though, as I peeked in I saw that one little corner was designated for the clothes that I've seen him wear. Cotton sweaters, t-shirts. jeans, cutoffs and a few pairs of boots were all assorted in the small given space.

"You have so much stuff, yet you never wear any of it. Why?" I curiously queried.

He shrugged as he got to his knees to dig through a door. "I used to be really into image. I think I kind of liked to rub my wealth in peoples faces. I'd buy the most expensive everything..." He turned his head so he could look me while giving me a playful smirk. "I guess that hasn't completely changed. Serious-fucking-ly, I think I would have handed the auctioneer the bank itself just to have you."

I smiled fondly at the prince as I leaned against the door frame. "Yes, yes, you adore me, we've established that." I paused and the prince chuckled as he went back to searching through that drawer. "But why don't you wear the clothes?"

"I like the style I guess, but it isn't really me. I was probably around 19 when I stopped wearing all this stuff. I felt like I was trying way to fucking hard to look like something I never really wanted to be. Here, look at this suit." The prince stood and waved me in and took me to the left of the closet. Lifting up his arms he shoved some of the hanging clothes aside and pulled out a navy pinstriped suit and held it up to his bare chest. I kind of thought he'd look hot in it, you know, all formal and what not... If I could blush. "How much do you think this cost me?"

I shrugged, I hadn't a clue what a suit cost – I hadn't a clue what anything cost. "No idea." I replied, eyeing the shiny buttons.

"$110,000." The prince deadpanned.

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

"Not even. This is the shit I was into. It's fucking ridiculous." He shook the suit kind of angrily. "It's by some designer that you've obviously never heard of and the fabric is woven from exotic fibers like vicuna, Qiviuk and pashmina. I see you looking at the buttons - all nine of them are diamonds set in 18-carat gold. Also, the suit has 5000 stitches of platinum and gold threads."

"Ever worn it?" I asked, not daring to touch a thing in the prince's closet, ever.

"Not fucking once and I've had it since I was 16." He hung the suit back up and went to a corner and pulling out a black cotton overcoat. "Now this was only 15 bucks, and more comfortable than any suit jacket, plus I've worn it to many times to count. Which one do you think is the better investment?"

I grinned at the wolf. I knew this answer! "Obviously the suit. If you were to auction it off you could easily double your money just because you, the prince, owned it."

"Hmm." He hummed while crossing his arms, hanger still in hand. "You have a point, but then again, a prince can't auction his things off. It would make me look desperate and poor. I am neither."

"Donate it then. I've read about a few below par orphanages in town, imagine what all that money could do for all those puppies and kids."

The prince frowned. "Donate it? I'm the prince, not a charity!" He snapped. "This is my stuff!"

I nodded. "Stuff you don't use or need. I think it would be a great idea if you donated something. All the kids would think you were some hero, it would be cute. I read that St. Andrew's doesn't even have plumbing or electricity, that one suit could change all that." I knew I was stepping way out of bounds, but I wanted the prince to help, especially since he was beyond able to. "Think about what it would be like for Ryan if he was stuck in a place like that."

The wolf dropped his cotton jacket to floor with his hands turning to fists at his sides. "He would never!" The prince growled. He stormed past me, pushing me out of the way as he left the closet. He hurried from the bedroom slamming the door behind him, leaving me a little stunned. I immediately focused on his mind, although I suppose he knew I would be invading his privacy full force because he gave me a big fuck you and told me to stay out of his head.

Trying to do as I was told I focused on other things while feeling a little upset with myself. I picked up his jacket in his closet, placed it back on the hanger and hung it up. I shut the drawer, clicked the light off, and closed the door behind me as I exited. I then went to take my usual place by the window but with a startling bang the prince entered with his pack close behind.

The prince strode through his room motioning for me to come along. He reopened his closet door, turned the light back on and we all piled in, me last. "Okay, you're probably all wondering why the fuck we're in my closet." The prince grumbled and everyone nodded except Brady who gave me a big grin hello as if he hadn't already seen me today along with Embry who offered up shy little wave while he let his hair shroud his face.

"Are we having a coming out the closet party for you, my prince?" Quil giggled, and Brady snickered along with him. "Maybe a conga line as we exit would be good for effect?"

The prince's brows furrowed. "Fuck off, Quil – this is serious. Edward helped me come up with an idea. Each of you think of a place in town, you know, like St. Andrew's that shitty old orphanage; basically a place or group of people that need help. Then I want you to pick any item from in here, which we will then donate to your place of choice in Collin's name." A lump formed in the prince's throat and his eyes began to water. I went to him and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. "We won't have our puppy forgotten, alright mutts?" The prince's voice came out thick and strained. Moments later Brady's hands came up to cover his face, the tips of his fingers getting lost in the bangs of his shaggy hair.

Embry was quick to bring the pup to him and press him into his chest as the little wolf cried. It wasn't long before Embry's own tears started to show. Quil immediately noticing slung an arm across his friends back. Jared came forward dragging Paul with him and draped his arm around Embry's other side while Paul went to Quil, eventually to be pushed closer to Jared to create a huddled and sad little circle of wolves.

Hearing the soft sobs and little cries was almost a touching sight except for the two I felt were excluded. Seth, although, wasn't upset, did feel awkward. He didn't personally know Collin and his thoughts showed that he felt horribly out place. However, the prince did feel left out. He knew he was supposed to be the strong and tough one, though he felt nothing of the sort and he wanted nothing more than to feel close to his pack right now.

If I hadn't been able to read minds, perhaps I would have pushed the prince forward so he could be with them. Yet, Jared's thoughts ceased me from doing so. He had purposely nudged the wolves together to close the circle before the Prince had a chance to join. Jared didn't want the pack touching prince – someone who fucks me.

The prince cleared his clogged throat. "Seth, where would you like to donate something?"

Seth blushed. "Umm, I don't know. I didn't even know Collin." He murmured.

"Exactly why you shouldn't be here!" Jared snapped from within his circle. A look of fury came upon the prince's face and I knew to step away from him. He darted forward, clamping his large hand around the back of Jared's neck and yanking him back – Jared yelping along the way

"You will not speak to Seth that way!" The prince snarled in the wolf's face. "It's you that shouldn't be here." He shoved the wolf toward the door. "Go, get the fuck out!"

"Your highness-" Jared started.

"I don't want to hear it!" The prince growled. "Deal with the fucking consequences. Out!" In silence the wolf left and the circle broke apart with the exception of Embry still holding onto the youngest.

Seth moved about the closet until he came to a black display case holding a perfectly folded white dress shirt. "Can I pick this?" He queried while running his copper fingers over the wood.

"You can pick anything you like." The prince kindly responded. "That shirt in particular is made out of the finest Egyptian cotton. Both the studs and the cufflinks are encrusted with diamonds – white diamonds on the cufflinks and colored ones on the studs. It's worth over $45,000." Seth just about dropped in his spot when he heard the price. "It would make a great donation. Where would you want it to go?" The prince added.

"Er, well, Collin imprinted on Bree Tanner, right?" Seth cautiously asked and the prince nodded. "I don't know if this is out of the question or not... Like I said, I never got the chance to meet Collin, but I did meet Bree a couple times. She was a really young vampire, I think she was only 13 when she was turned and she could have only been a vampire for a year or two. She mentioned that she loved going to this group - it's for vampires who were changed young, 12-16 I think. They teach the vampires how to control their need for blood and all sorts of stuff, but with the lack of funding they're closing. I think Collin would want to keep the place open if his imprint enjoyed it there."

"Seth is right." Paul put in.

"I am?" Seth said sounding surprised.

The older wolf nodded. "Collin would love that."

"I agree." Find out the name of the place, Seth. Embry your turn." The prince instructed.

Each wolf went through his things picking out a piece of clothing, although Brady chose a ridiculously priced watch. They all decided on wonderful places to donate to and soon after they left, although the prince and I remained in his closet.

The wolf pulled his expensive suit I had seen earlier from the rack. "Those kids will get electricity and plumbing." The prince flicked through his clothes picking a few more things. "They won't ever be cold or go hungry again either."