I stared at Channing while he stared back at me, “You need to back away from me Channing.” I knew what I had to do, but did not know how to let him know that I was betrothed. I can’t possibly use that word though.

“Do you really like your soul mate?” Channing moved ahead to cup my face but I instantly moved out of his range. 

“Don’t create problems for me,  Channing,” I said in a serious tone and I could see the discomfort clear in his eyes. It was the worst time to be doing this but now thatChanning Channing had started it I had to end it.  “Look Channing, I am… partially married-“

“Selene!” Channing’s voice echoed through my insides, “even I was once and you know how it ended up.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed hold of his wrist as I dragged him out of there to the end cornered of this floor. Channing had totally lost his control today and I can understand that love is an important relation to him. But at the end of the day I did not have that privilege. I did not have my love waiting for me at the end of the aisle neither at the end of my life. 

I came to stand in front of Channing as we stopped near the corner, “What is wrong with you Channing, why are you being this impulsive today?”

“Because I don’t want to lose you,” His reply was fast. 

I was speechless with the way he was keeping everything on the edge today. The hard I was trying to run awaythe faster he was chasing after me. I had never even seen Fang being this desperate before, “Channing I can’t-“

“You don’t have to force yourself, I will never force you into anything,” Channing cut me off.

“You are forcing me now!” The words almost left my mouth in an irritated scream. Channing looked at me wide eyes and was about to say something when I cut in, “you can stop with all this now. Can’t you understand a no?” It was high time I took charge of this situation. I had bigger goals than this. “I’m sorry if it sounds rude but Channing I cannot do this.” 

Channing was tongue tied as he continued to stare at me with a heavy heart which weighed in his eyes. 

There was so much left undiscovered inside me for Channing and I was well aware about it. But that was one area I did not want to explore with anyone. Channing for first time got conscious of the surrounding as his eyes darted from me to look behind at the guards. 

He cleared his throat as if swallowing the lump which had risen in his throat, “is it because of Fang?” 

“No!” I drawled on that one word in the most irritated tone I could, “I have other commitments.” Thr biggest being this one mission I was struggling to pull together. 

“I will help you with your mission,” Channing talked as if there was still hope.

He was looking for that tiny spark in the dark which a man stuck inside a cave craves for. Channing wanted out from his cave of sufferings for a long time but I was not in the capacity to provide that. Over it all I doubted a person like Channing would be able to help me. He was to stuck and adamant on the rules.  I doubted if he was to know I was the princess of this kingdom then he would even dare lift his head in front of me.

Channing was that guy would followed through on every single command bestowed by the officials and I already saw the hands on example of it when he agreed for the elder’s proposal of oncoming war.

I took his hand in my hand and tried to speak in the gentlest way possible, “you can’t Channing. You can’t challenge simple orders how will you help with my mission?” 

There was nothing else left for him to say. He knew very well what I was talking about and there barely anything he could do to change. 

Those were his principles and I would hate to force him against them.

I stretched my arm ahead to caress his cheek. This was the most intimate I had been any guy and Channing was a little soul who struggled to stand up against his own emotions. “Let’s just have the friendship that we always had, both of us have different paths and we can’t work.” 

Channing’s eyes almost filled with tears as he was being rejected for the third time by me. 

He brought his hand up to cup my hand which rested on his cheek, “are you sure you are happy with Fang?” I gulped at that question. I was of course not happy with a mate like Fang but worst part was even Fang was not written in my luck. It was a farce that fate had put up front of me. Seeing my reaction Channing stepped closer, “Fang is one of the best people in my life but now that I see, even you are one of them. Selene, I don’t want you to suffer the way I did, I know Fang can be overbearing at times-” 

“Shhh,” I shushed Channing as I realized he was on the same path again, “I am happy Channing you don’t have to worry about me.” 

“Are you sure?” He might have noticed the discomfort in my eyes when he asked that, “anything I can help you with? I am always here.”

“I am fine Channing,” I replied withdrawing my hands back to my side, “just help me get Hailey out and it would be enough help from you for the mission.” It was the least he could do and every problem that he had created for me in just one day this was something I could ask of him. But it was a relief that Channing settled down from his emotions for now.. I had to find some way to help him hold his emotions later on.