Regal Renegades

Chapter 15

Caroline's POV:

I awoke in warm, embracing arms. Arms holding me gently against an equally warm body

The arms of Daniel Vanderwood, this territories heir and prince.

Prince.

No matter how many time I said it, it still struggled to get through to my mind, but at the same time, it made complete and absolute sense, and I was cursing myself for not catching on sooner.

I should have known, the power I felt within him, His very essence, his charisma, the need he felt to hide his eye color, and the desperation behind not wanting me to carry his child.

It all made so much sense now, and yet none given how he acted was the same as back then.

I don't know why I expected a prince to be so much more... pompous even. Too busy being carried away in royal affairs to even consider finer little details.

And yet he comes here on such royal affairs, and tears through it to come and find me...

The way my instincts stirred and purred was enough. The relief at his very presence when he freed me was a telling sign I'd been trying to ignore since I got back here.

Now that I was here in his arms... oh boy.

I blew out a silent breath, letting my eyes shut and nuzzling myself closer, embracing the body of a vampire naturally warmer than mine.

Yet another thing that should have raised suspicion in me, but he managed to distract me from.

Strange to think that I was laying with a man that was deciding this place's fate... The one my parents worked so hard for.

I meant everything I said to him last night, hoping for no more than just to have him see the full picture.

I absolutely didn't condone what my parents had done to me, but I didn't want that reflecting badly on the good people who have found their peace here.

My parents will surely have something to say about my escape from confinement, but maybe it'll take a moment for them to fix what he broke to get me out.

...Or maybe he decides to dismantle this whole thing and we'll go from there.

"Good morning."

His soft voice startled me, making me jolt and turn up to meet those sage-green eyes already looking down at me with a grin.

How did I not notice that he was already awake?

I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I got away with sneaking away from a prince once...

"Oh," I began pushing myself up onto my elbow, "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

It was strange finding the balance of speaking to him.

As a prince or as the man I knew?

Both... somehow.

"For the few hours I managed to, very well," He didn't sit up with me, but instead rolled onto his back while the arm that was under me trailed down mine, "I told you that you gave me a lot to think about."

It was then that I realized that the clothes I was in weren't mine, or rather the single shirt I was wearing.

I forced my breathing to stay even and relaxed. Focused.

I didn't want to beg him for what his answer was going to be. I didn't want him to think negatively of me because of that.

"Is there any more light you need me to shine on this place?" I asked with a more sarcastic drawl.