Riordyn stirred with the sun, untangling his body from the sleeping Anya’s. She had been a good woman, just like he’d expected, compliant and obedient and warm. It was a shame that he couldn’t stay a few more days, bed her a couple more times. It might be a long time before he found another who he chose to work his magic against. Even still, the one night was enough to quench his desire for ‘company’. Besides, he worried if he stayed any longer, she’d fall even more in love with him. He was certain, after all, that she’d fallen in love with the idea of him.
A prince. A kingdom. A future as queen. But, if he kept playing up this chivalrous, gentleman act, she’d end up falling for him, too, and that wouldn’t be any good.
His shadow fell over her sleeping form and he stepped back so that she was in pale sunlight once more.
“You were fun, Kitten.” He murmured. “But all good things come to an end.”
With that he took off, moving as fast as his paws could take him. He needed to put as much distance between himself and Anya as possible. When she woke, it wouldn’t take her long to figure out that he’d ditched her after getting what he wanted. When that happened, he certainly didn’t want to be caught by her angry father – enraged that he’d stolen his daughter’s innocence.
Smirking to himself, he moved down into the valley, lost his scent in the river and disappeared. He wouldn’t be treading in these parts for a long time.
Perhaps half an hour after Riordyn had departed, Anya stirred, suddenly aware of the lack of body heat. She remembered what had happened the moment she returned to semi-wakefulness. She was mated to him now – Prince Kirin – and that would mean that she was now his queen. He would take her home and the pride would accept her as one of their own.
She would belong!
But…wait…where was Kirin?
She blinked the fuzziness from her eyes and peered around. “Kirin? Love? Where have you gone?” She smiled, thinking it a game, and spent the next few moments searching the copse. When there was no sign of him, the smile faded to concern.
“Perhaps he went hunting for me?” She asked aloud.
However, even as she emerged into the open lands, she could not help shake the worry that he was not just ‘off hunting’. He would have told her. He would not have just left her after last night! She sought him all day, through the plains and down into the valley where she picked up – and lost – his scent. By the time night had fallen her heart was fit to burst.
She knew the truth.
He had left her.
He had left her!!!
But she had loved him and they had had a future together. But he was gone and he wasn’t coming back. Perhaps it was lies. Perhaps it was all lies!
She collapsed onto the ground, crying out as if in mortal agony, ripping at the fur at her chest until she drew blood. Then, for a long moment, she lay prone on the grass, whimpering and crying until she had no breath left to weep with.
“He’s gone…my Kirin…he left me. He…used me.”
She curled up into a tight ball and sobbed, feeling somehow dirtied and void of any emotion except for one. That one harboured in her heart, widening the cracks of heartbreak.
One thing was for certain. She’d never so easily trust a male again. Not after this.
/fin.
