The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 178

Two: Charlie

Charlie's P.O.V.

I could feel him. His eyes were on me. The hairs on the back of my neck were raised, and goosebumps littered my skin, even as I warmed under the afternoon sun.

It didn't seem to matter how fast I ran or where I turned; he was faster. It was like he didn't want to be found, and since he had been the one to run away, to begin with... I was smart enough to know that might have been the case. I just didn't want to accept it.

The deeper into the trees I went without my clothes or weapons, the more humiliation I felt. What kind of dignified woman, let alone a member of the royal family, goes chasing a man who doesn't even want her?

Water dripped from the ends of my hair, flicking around me when I turned my head quickly at a sound to my left.

I could have let him walk away. I could have given him space, but I didn't know if he was just traveling through or if he lived here. If he were just traveling, finding him again would be difficult or even impossible. I could spend months or years trying to locate him.

I had dreamed about meeting my mate for so long, and I was terrified that if I let him slip through my fingers now, I would never find him again.

It was that fear that kept me moving forward. I couldn't lose him.

Even if he didn't want me, I needed to hear it for myself so I wouldn't spend the rest of my life wondering, 'What if?'.

There was no sign of life between the trees. The thick trunks blocked most of my view, and I stepped to the side quietly as I tried to peer around them. The breeze was still blowing to the southwest, the same direction my mate had taken off in.

It also made it so I couldn't catch the scent of whatever was lurking nearby, but I knew they would catch mine.

A deer stepped out between the trees and into my line of sight, grazing. I felt my chest drop in disappointment. Surely, if my mate were nearby, he would have spooked the animal a while ago. I doubted a deer would be confident and comfortable enough to graze with a bear in its presence.

Yet, I was still aware of the distinct feeling of being watched. I could still feel the heat of embarrassment on my chest, knowing my mate was doing a better job of hunting me than I was him.

I knew how to hunt and stalk creatures of all sizes, yet he was outsmarting me. Just another way for me to humiliate myself in front of him before even getting his name.

When the sun sank down further, and I could hear the sound of one of my men calling out to me, I realized how far I had wandered. My feet had sunk into the soft soil as I continued to stare between the trees. I had been watching and waiting, desperate to see him again.

’Charlie!" The deep and gruff shout of my name from Paxton made me turn my head slowly. The darkness that had taken over surprised me, and I looked up and around. How long had I been standing here listening for my mate or hoping the breeze would shift so that I could catch his scent again?

'For fuck's sake, Charlie! What the hell are you doing out here?" Paxton's eyes widened when he saw I was in my undergarments. It clearly hadn't been what he had been expecting by the shocked look on his face. There was no need for me to be dressed this way as we remained clothed in our skin and were naked in our fur. Any in-between was almost scandalous. "I told you to stop trying to seduce me."

Paxton was the lady's man of the group, tall and confident. He could make a woman melt by flashing his perfectly symmetrical grin and setting their panties on fire with one heated gaze.

I knew he could. I had seen it for myself, but it had never worked on me.

He tried. Oh, trust me, He tried.

It was how we met.

Paxton had placed his hands on the bar where I sat, caging me in, and leaned forward with the weirdest pickup line about loving women with long hair and how if I left with him, he would braid it for me in the morning.

When I laughed in his face, the charming devil faded away and left one confused man. He hated the chase, and my rejection made him flip like a switch from seductive to laid-back. The way he had put it, why would he spend time chasing a woman who wasn't interested when he could turn to the next willing one and bag them with minimal effort?

Too bad for him, I was the only female in the bar then, as it was early morning. So, he decided to take a seat next to me. He tried a few more lines on me with no conviction, all of which I shot down. But our conversation after that was great.

I ran into him a few more times around the town over the next few days, and we got to know each other.

We bonded after that, and he introduced me to Barley. Barley was the Papa Bear of the group. An older, jolly fellow, taller than most Lycans, but with a bigger gut than them too. Yet, seeing him in battle was like watching a

child on Christmas morning. I had never seen such a large and round man move so quickly and fluidly with as big a smile on their face.

My eyes locked with the grey orbs of Paxton, and I blinked my dry eyes once as I tried to focus on him.

It was then that the feeling of being watched faded away, and I knew my mate was no longer around. My chest dropped as disappointment flooded me.