I wake up feeling a hand on my forehead, I let out a grunt and slap it away as sleep still clouds over me.

"She's awake." I hear my mom's familiar soothing voice, I shake my head and feel like sleeping for longer but then another voice speaks up making butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"Finally." He says making my wolf yearn for his touch, for the warmth

he brings my body and the relaxation. How far away is he? He sounded distant.

I open my eyes to the white ceiling of the academy, I notice the chandelier and instantly know I'm in the main common room.

I blink quickly trying to wake myself up, I slowly sit up and hold my head whilst I do. I shake my head and look around, allowing my eyes to readjust from my sleep.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa where I am sat is my Mom and my Father stands close by. On the sofa opposite is James, Mickey and Victoria.

Jesse sits on the single chair next to James holding his hand tightly. I smile at my best friend, they are just so cute.

A cough echoes around the room and everybody turns to the person standing in the entrance arch. I gulp at the sight of Jayden standing there, topless with dishevelled wet hair.

His scent is so strong making my wolf pure in delight, I glance at his dangerously low hanging joggers and growl mentally. Nobody but me should see him like this.

Stop it. I mentally scold myself. I don't have a mate.

I feel a chill on the my legs so I look down and realise I'm wearing a t-shirt I've never even seen before. May I point out I'm only in a t-shirt and underwear.

"It's his top." Mikey says with annoyance lacing his voice as he nods to Jayden who is staring at me with an emotionless expression.

"What happened?" I ask as I set half naked in front of my family and friends. I pull at the bottom of the t-shirt nervously while waiting for an answer.

"You ran out on the ball." My mom says grilling my hand "Jayden followed you. We don't know what happened but he brought you back here. You were soaking wet, cold and past out."

"Oh." I whisper rubbing my temples to try and rid myself of the headache forming in my head.

"Jesse and I put you under the hot shower," Victoria says giving me a smile "then we tried changing you but your mate wouldn't let you wear anything other than his clothes. The joggers didn't fit you so..."

"How are you feeling?" James asks looking at me with worry evident in his face.

"Physically or Mentally." I reply standing up and looking around the room. Jayden is still standing in the same place but now his eyes are fixed on James angrily.

I watch him and notice his fists clench and his jaw tightening as he watched James watching me.

I let out a long sigh that grabs his attention straight away, I swear he got whiplash from how hard his head turned.

I give him a short smile and he comes straight over to me. His arms fasten around my waist like a seatbelt as he sit down next to me before actually pulling me onto his lap.

I squeak in surprise before frowning at him, I try to pull myself away and out of his lap but he growls in my ear.

"Don't." He seethes as his grip tightens around my waist. I feel his hot breath in my ear and I have to suppress a shiver.

I look up at my parents who give me a reassuring smile. I shake my head slightly and look down at my lap.

"Melody." I hear my youngest brother Tanner walk into the room, I look up and smile at him "Why is he doing that to you?"

I follow where Tanner is pointing to where Jayden has his arms wrapped around me. I turn my face up to his and see that his eyes are on me.

"Because he is her mate Tanner, now finish your homework or I'm turning the wifi off!" My mom says with a short laugh as Tanner races up the stairs.

He is her mate.

He is my mate.

Oh sweet ninja turtles, he is actually truly utterly my real mate. He is the Alpha Prince.

I can feel myself starting to hyperventilate as all these thoughts raced through my head, getting blurrier and blurrier every second.

I clutch my chest as it burns for oxygen, oxygen that I cannot get.

"Melody!" His sweet voice makes my body try to calm down but it just reminds me that he is my mate.

I'm going to have to move in with him. That means I'll be leaving my whole life behind. I'll be leaving my parents, my brothers and all my friends.

What if I never get to see them again? What if Jayden locks e up in the castle like the Beast did to Belle?

What about my heat? I hadn't even thought about that. In a few weeks time I will go into heat and will have to mate with Jayden to stay alive.

The Moon Goddesses created heat to make sure mates give themselves to each other like they should for them to be happy and live a wonderful life together.

"Love, breathe." His arms are rubbing my back now instead of around my waist. His face is right in front of mine and I can see the worry in his shimmering blue pools.

I focus on his eyes and try my best to breathe, in and out. I breathe again but this time deeper but never once looking away from his eyes.

Soon I regain my breathing and feel my heart rate return to normal. I look around and realise I'm in my bedroom with only Jayden for company. I'm sitting on my bed with Jayden close by.

I lean back into my bed and let out a long sigh, I glance at the clock to see it's only just gone midnight. It feels like I've been here for months already.

"Melody," Jayden speaks up softly, I look at him and his face is in a frown as he watches me "are you alright?"

He is still shirtless and my eyes keep begging to take in those amazing abs but I stick to his eyes once more.

"I don't know." I reply honestly, playing with my bedsheets.

I watch as he crawls up the bed to lay beside me, he places a hand on my hip and I hold my breath. He slowly turns me onto my side to face him.

"Do you accept me?" He asks suddenly, looking at my mouth for a second before returning to my eyes, my heart stops.

Do I accept him?

I suppose in reality I would die without him but I could reject him but that could kill both of us if not just one of us.

I can't kill him, the mate bond has already started entwining us together. I can feel it deep within me, I feel the power he holds and the power I will hold starting to grow in the pit of my stomach.

"Do you accept me?" I ask him as my reply, his hand reaches out and grabs my fidgeting one. He brings it to his lips and places a chaste kiss on my knuckle.

"Yes." He says then placed another kiss on my knuckle "You are my mate Melody and one day my Luna, I am yours just as much as you are mine."

I allow myself to give him a smile in return but I don't open my mouth to talk. If I do I will muck everything up.

A knock on the door saves me from having to answer, I hear a growl from Jayden before he shouts for them to come in. He takes a seat next to me on the bed and tries to put an arm around my waist but I quickly slap it away.

I watch the door open to reveal not just my parents but the King and Queen. I quickly start to get up to bow as I was taught but Jayden pulls me back.

I frown at him but all he does is stare straight ahead at our parents standing in front of us.

I look at my mom and all of a sudden I just want to run into her arms and hugs her and cry. This day has drained my mental and emotional state so much.

"Jayden." The King says smiling at his son then turning towards me "Melody."

"We've come to see...well to see what you two plan for the future." My father says clapping his hands awkwardly, my mom grabs his hand and gives him a reassuring smile, one she has perfected over the years.

Wait, plan for our future?

Excuse me, I only met my mate like 5 minutes ago and now suddenly I'm suppose to know our whole future. Well that's not happening.

"As you know son," the King says still giving us a happy smile "we will be leaving in the morning for the castle, you must decide what you two are going to do."

"She's coming to the castle."

My mouth hits the floor as the words fly out of his mouth so naturally. I gape up at him but his face doesn't hold any emotion except determination.

"Excuse me?!" I say standing up fast so he can't pull me down again. I look at my parents who look shocked but they are smiling.

Why are they smiling?! My mate has just told me I'm moving to the castle in the morning and they are smiling!

How did I get myself into this mess?

"You hear me Melody," Jayden's says getting annoyed, I really need to watch his temper "you are moving to the castle."

"Uh let me rephrase myself, no I'm not." I say folding my arms over my chest, Jayden's eyes follow my movement and he growls lustfully.

I realise I am accidentally pushing my breasts out but I just growl back at him. He is not forcing me into this.

He stands up abruptly and raced past our parents who all look uncomfortable and awkward at the point. He stands in front of me and I can feel my heart starting to race from his close proximity.

"Yes you are." He says grabbing my shoulders roughly "You are my mate Melody, whether you like it or not. I realise you don't want to rush into anything so I will wait for you as long as you want. But my condition is you move to the castle, and it is not a request."

I look up at him in shock as he words ring through me like a siren. My head pounds at this whole situation.

He will wait for me, I don't have to mate with him straight away. I can take my time.

I have to leave home, I have to leave all my friends and family behind. I hope he lets me visit often or let's them visit.

I'm going to be Luna and not just any Luna either, the Luna Queen.

But can I really do this?

It's so much work and pressure to put on myself. In the future, if I go through with this, I will have Royal duties and that will include providing an heir for Jayden. It makes me sound like a baby bank.

I'm not accepting that. I will not have a baby because the royals want an heir, I will have a baby when I think the time is right. That is one thing right now that I know for sure.

I look up into Jayden's darkening ocean pools and let out a long sigh. His eyes become softer and softer as he stares into my own.

"Fine." I say, knowing that this will now change everything.