Regal Renegades

Chapter 14

Daniel's POV:

She held tight to my arm while I ran us back, and immediately after we slowed to a stop, I could see that enhancing effects of my blood in her system start to fade.

That first big boost it gave her was now slowly dying back to the exhaustion she was showing proir.

My blood would and could keep her going, but her physical body was still in need of recovery.

She only showed it for a split second, her back immediately straightening and eyes darting around the outside to see who was around.

Frightened, and skittish, this was nothing like the Caroline I'd known before.

It didn't fit her, and the fact that I now knew that this fear was of her parents, my distaste for this place only grew.

But I could focus on that later.

"Come on," I whispered softly, setting my hand on her lower back and guiding her into the room I'd been given for the night.

She blew out a quiet breath once the door was closed, still staying stiff with her eyes wide and staring at the ground.

The focus in them told me she was relying on her hearing, listening to who and what was around.

"Caroline," I spoke, halting her focus and bringing her eyes to me instead with a still unsure look, "I brought you here to relax."

She eased just a small bit at my tone, taking a moment to take in the room around her, and then me again.

"I... still don't think it's completely sunk into my mind that you're the prince," She explained, forcing a step away from the door, "A part of me feels like I'm just sneaking away again... Hiding amongst the clan instead of the city."

She relaxed with another deep breath.

"Who am I kidding, even if they did track me here, they'd sooner renounce their lifestyle than barge into a prince's quarters."

"And even if they did they wouldn't become any more successful than the alternative. Even if I wasn't royalty, I wouldn't make it easy for them."

She just stared at me a moment

Then a flicker of doubt behind her eyes.

"You owe me nothing," She began in a near whisper, "And I don't wish to use your status as a place to hide. It's a big enough blow to my pride that you had to see me like that and tear me from that place, and now you're granting me your protection I-"

"You really have no faith in me, do you?" I teased, watching her eyes widen while I began to close the space between us, "You're right, I do owe you nothing just as you do to me. Caroline, I sought you out and brought you of my own free will because lightly speaking, my instincts were going to go mad if I didn't see you again soon."

Again I caught the catch in her heart, and then the way its pace increased and color got added to her cheeks.

Always standing tall this one. Seemingly unaffected in her confidence. Which was how I always knew when I'd struck something within her, because for the slightest second, she hesitates.

I filled the silence before she

"I can assure you, my protection is the least I could offer after what you've been through, and it's coming naturally to me anyways given the status you've effortlessly claimed after a single day within my instincts."

She hesitated longer this time, and the sound of it only made my grin grow.

I worried not about whether or not she felt similarly. I trusted my instincts, and I new that she trusted hers not to lead her astray.