Did he? Was it just a coincidence? Did he respond to my thoughts?

I looked at his reaction that only confirmed my doubts, his smile slowly grew on his face. My brows crinkled, “Can you-”

“BINGO!” He pointed a finger at me and ticked it up like a gun, “correct in the first guess, not bad Princess!”

A chill crawled up my spine, exactly how much had I elaborated to this man through my thoughts. Fang was the last person I would reveal anything to and right now he might be the one who knew way too much. My palms pushed him away stumbling on another branch, “stay out of my head Fang!”

Fang hummed relishing in the setting right now, “I would, but I don’t want to”

I don’t get his obsession with messing with me. Can’t his character be as good as his looks for once! As soon as I thought that I regretted every part of my being.

Fang’s eyes went wide for a little while before returning to his charcoal self, “At least you like something about me, rest can be arranged for, little one”

His comment only made me want to run away from here. Only he knew why he was trying to get me to be his, marry him on top of that. I was a betrothed princess, in the next 10 months, I would be getting ready for my marriage and leave this place finally.

There was no way I would want myself to stay back here for any friends or family or anyone for that matter. This kingdom had given me nothing but despair since birth, even a few happy moments in the castle were now overtaken by the days spent in the dungeon. And for that matter, if I wanted to choose my life partner on my own, Fang would be the last person on my list.

“Don’t worry, being on the list is a good start”, his voice followed close and I jumped up making the branch we were standing on shake. But this time I held my ground and ignoring him, walked to the weaker part of the branch to check for the fruit there.

“It’s not there, the fruit is at the top of the tree”, Fang pointed his finger upward with the hand he was holding the fruit.

I was quick on my feet and climbed the tree again, and emerged out of the foliage. There were an unexpectedly large amount of leaves on the top making it tough to even look at the footing.

My legs wobbled and sometimes slipped into blank space with no branch below my foot. But my hand swiftly pushed the leaves aside and there was nothing even after sweeping a large area, did Fang trick me? I won’t be surprised.

I turned back and was startled watching him stand so close. Was he here all this time?

“Yes, watching your fruitless efforts”, He snickered at his own pun and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. He caught my irritated gesture and offered again, “I can bring you the fruit but then you know….”

The incomplete sentence had all the information for me to understand. There was a price to his offer, this situation was still reasonable to ask for the price but remembering the last time just made me blurt out instantly, “No! I am not marrying you Fang”

He bit his lower lips trying to hold in his devilish smirk as if he enjoyed the words that left my mouth, “I wasn’t going to ask but good to know it is on your mind”

How was it on my mind? If anything it meant that it was off my mind, but he turned everything in a way to coax his conceited ego. I hated him even before getting to know him and I knew it in my heart that my opinion wasn’t wrong about this man.

I sighed, finally giving his offer a chance. There was no harm in listening, agreeing to it can be thought about later, “What do you want?”

Fang cocked his head, satisfied with my decision and threw the fruit he was holding away, towards the area where the other wolves of Waterwoods were patrolling. I didn’t understand why initially but then I realized, the fruit had a strong citrus smell different from the tree, enough to alert any werewolf.

It was a mistake to even ask for the price, because if Fang is going to say it then he was obvious to make it so I have to agree. “Why did you do that?” I asked, letting him know that I caught up on his game.

He shrugged insouciantly, “what did I do?”

I stomped up to him raising my finger in anger, “You know your pack would follow up on the scent here and notice my presence”

Fang’s eyes were just glowing as time passed and he knew how much I was able to read his obvious actions. His dark eyes travelled from my hazel eyes to my lips and then at my finger, Fang raised his hand and held my finger with his palm. “I would have been seriously offended by this gesture of yours,” he bent down and tugging me slightly towards him with my finger and whispered right in of my face, “But since it is you, little one, I love every moment of this insolent act you are putting up”

It was utterly irritating how he was showing he had feelings for me, they were all hideous. He is just another leech who wants to be associated with the crown.

I pulled my hand out of his grip, “I don’t need your help” saying this, I turned around.

“Are you sure you don’t want to know my price? I will be reasonable this time, don’t worry little one”, His nonchalant words only had an underlying warning of the patrolling wolves that might be headed this way because of the fruit that rolled towards their side.

I still had time but not enough to flee after I had searched for my tasks requirement, I turned around finally understanding how the situation in split-second had turned against me, “What is the condition?”