POV: Caden

 Laughing at Jason's joke I hardly notice Jessica's body rubbing against mine. I've kept her as a mistress for one reason and one reason only, to separate myself from the world. To ease the anguish and anger.

 Eight indescribable years I've waited for a sign of her brown hair, curvy body and heartwarming smile. Not one glimpse to ease the suffering I feel deep within my soul.

Mentally sighing I force a fake smile on my lips. King Luca, my father would be stepping up on the podium to declare the start of the royal run. I've dreaded it each year. Royals are meant to run side by side with their mate. In case a mate hasn't been found a replacement is demanded. Jessica is that replacement.

She believes I'm giving her the crown, stupid female. There is one lone beautiful female who deserves to wear the crown. And she ran eight excruciating years ago.

To this date we haven't gained a single clue to who she is. I can barely remember the softness of her skin against my fingers. The small gasp escaping her lips haunts my dreams at night. Was it out of shock or anger? Is that nonetheless the reason she hides from me to this date?

The moment my eyes close for the night, my wolf replays those moments of sheer terror.

Pushing the boy off me, I shove to my feet, eyes searching frantically around the room for the brunette haired beauty. "Guards!" I scream with terror in my voice. Was she kidnapped? "Guards!" Instantly guards surround me, ready to obey my each word. "Close all exits, no female leaves this castle. My mate is here and I demand to know what happened to her." Nodding their heads they scamper off to do my bidding.

Anger pulse's through me. How dare a wolf rebel against its crown and still the future Queen? "Jason what did you see when this despicable boy threw me to the ground?" Bright red eyes flash to the floor where the boy sat motionless. The moment I realized who he was, I nearly lost it. Grabbing him around the collar I slam my fist into his face up until hands reach my shoulders to rip me off.

"Son, Jason has explained to me what has happened. Instead of beating the commander's son to a pulp you should ask questions pertaining to your mate!" Snarling back at my father's harshness I throw one strong kick to Nikolai's head, knocking him out cold.

"I want him arrested and charged with helping kidnap my Princess and future Queen."

"Caden, you're not thinking straight. How do you know he helped her? Why do you think she was kidnapped in the first place?" Sighing he turned me around to face his hardened eyes.

"I had her in my arms father, the tingles shooting up my arms when that fool..." Pointing down at the piece of crap. "...threw me to the ground and held me down! Don't you tell me he had nothing to do with it, father, I know what I saw! No mate of mine would run away from me, she had to have been kidnapped."

Feeling the bones in my back crack, I felt an unknown power serge throughout my body. The thrill of the chase egging me to shift forms. 

"Enough! I will not listen to you Caden until you calm down. Take Jason for a run and return once you have reverted back to human form." How dare he command me to go for a run? I need to find the bastards who stole my mate.

 "Before you go Jason, tell me what she looked like, the dress color, hair color, eye color, anything you can remember son." Breathing hard, I force my attention to my mother as another bone cracks.

"Her back was to us the whole time, you highness. I can't tell you what her face looked like, but she has brown hair and is wearing a royal blue dress."

"Is that all son? Any details you think might be tiny will help." How would he notice details when I her mate hadn't? She was in my arms for two seconds before being ripped away!

"No, I remember a small mark on the center her neck, like a birthmark. Curls dangled down around it, but I remember seeing it."

Glaring at Jason, I feel hate consume me at the fact he noticed a detail I had not. He will know what it looks like as I will only begin to wonder. Hunching over, I let my wolf take completely over. We need this, to run and search her out.

"Jason, go now before he destroys the castle. I'll have a few guards shadow you two. Do not come back inside until he is restored to normal." Watching my father turn his back on me only infuriated me more. Does he not care that my mate was kidnapped?

Rushing past him, I race out into the woods behind the castle. It's the only way for a rebel to steal a wolf and get away.

We spent hours searching, no sign of a female being taken against her will. No foot or paw prints deeper than they should have been.

"Caden, I believe it is time to go back to the castle. We have searched high and low for nearly six hours. Your father has sent out trackers, but without a scent, it will be extremely hard to find her. We need to regroup and think things through."

Sighing, I knew he was right. Without a scent to track my stolen mate, we have nothing to go on. "Fine, but I won't rest until she is found."

"I would expect nothing less."

Racing back to the castle, I force myself to think clearly. The dull ache in my chest throbs hard as time goes by. Is this what it's going to feel like to not have her in my arms? I may be fourteen years old, but I'm not an idiot. Being a Prince shields you from zilch.

"Caden we will find her, I promise you. The whole kingdom will be out tracking in a matter of a few hours. Have faith in your people. They will desire to help rescue the Princess."

His words scent pride through my veins. My people loved helping their royal families. "Without a description Jason, they will have no idea who to look for."

Would the rebels torture her before killing her? I can't see them letting her go free. I can't lose her.

Reaching the castle doors, we transform back into our human selves. Shoving a pair of shorts on I run towards my father's battle room, knowing full well that's where he will be. Without knocking, I push myself in. The room was full with my father's top leaders. Even the commander himself. If it wasn't for his stupid son, I would have her in my arms. I'll have to make sure to seek him out once more, to teach him a lesson on kidnapping. 

"Good, your back. We have sent out trackers throughout the castle and its grounds. So far no luck, but have patience's Caden. It's early in a kidnapping."

"Patience? You want me to have patience father? That bastards son helped steal my mate from my arms!" Without thinking, I rush the commander. Instead of meeting him head on arms reach out restraining me. "Where is she? What have you done with my mate? I'll kill you and your whole family if you don't tell me where she is!" Snarling, I feel Marcus, my wolf surfacing. He wants blood, as do I.

"Caden you will sit down and shut up! Patrick, Neal tie him to the chair. I will not have him trying to attack our commander in the heat of the moment." Tie me up? My own father is going to tie me up? How dare he? It wasn't his mate who was kidnapped, it was mine! "Caden you need to relax. If you would listen instead of over thinking things, you would be told that Nikolai didn't attack you. Instead he was thrown at you."

"Impossible!" I couldn't believe his words. Not when the end result meant something completely different.

"Once he woke up, he explained that his arm was grabbed before he was tossed against you. Falling to the floor was an accident, Caden. He had nothing to do with it." I saw the pity in my father's eyes. He knew what Nikolai's words meant. She had run from me.

"She wouldn't do that, father." The anger, distress and heartache surged through my body. I had been wrong? "Mates are meant to be together, father, why would she run from me?" Tears leak out of my eyes as I stare into his.

"I do not know son. Any female would be grateful to be yours." Stepping away from his spot he steps closer to me, this was my father, not my King.

"Caden, Jason I need you two to remember the nights events. Did Caden speak harsh words about his mate before meeting her? I can only presume she hear something that frightened her away. If not then this all might be a misunderstanding. If she is a young girl, the fright of finding her mate might have scared her away. Once weeks goes on she should come out of hiding."

Silently glancing at Jason, I remember my harsh words about flogging and the dungeon. I knew Jason agreed me with because I'm the prince. He would never harm a hair on his mate, he loves deeply. They've been together for merely a month and already he is happily in love with her.

"I might have expressed my decision to flog her if she stepped out of line." With shame I stared at the ground.

"You what!" My mother screamed with horror. "Why in the world would you think of doing such a horrible thing to your own soul mate Caden? Your father would die before he laid a hand on me, let alone flog me. Where did you come up with this ghastly idea? We raised you better than this Caden."

"I'm a prince mother, I don't want her to disobey me. I figured if she did, I would put her in place one and she wouldn't do it again." Isn't that what males do?

"Oh Caden, I can't believe you thought flogging your own mate would make matters better. If anything, she would hate you for it. Males are meant to protect and cherish their mates, not lay a harmful hand on them." Taking a step away from me, I see her embrace my father's arms.

"I can't show weakness mother! I won't allow a female to rule over me!" I scream at the room. "I'm a prince."

"Where did we go wrong Luca?" Shaking her head against my father's chest, I feel the pity roll off her.

Go wrong? What does she mean go wrong?

"I do not know honey. Maybe we have been too lenient on him with duties." They think of me as a disappointment, don't they? Do they wish they had another son instead of me?

"Your highness?"

"Yes Jason?" The sorrow in my mother's voice broke me down. She doesn't want me now, does she?

"If I can remember correctly, I believe she listened in on our conversation." Shame surrounded him. He wasn't the one responsible for scaring his princess off, it was all me. I frightened my own mate to the point she didn't want to be with me. "There was a tree to my left and I can remember seeing the same color blue dress a few times through the branches. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Now I believe it was our princess. She had to have heard everything."

"Luca, it's worse than I thought."

"What do you mean my dear?" Staring at the people in front of me, I watch as confusion takes over not only my father's face, but all the men in the room.

"If she believes he will flog her for stepping out of bounds, she will not show herself."

"What?" I try to jump up, but the chains around my body force me against the chair. "What do you mean she won't show herself?" Nothing I've ever felt before compares to the pure terror I felt in that moment. I would never get to hold her in my arms?

"Don't you what me young man! You have no idea how delicate a young female mind can be. If she heard you expressing your want to flog her, do you honestly expect her to run into your open arms? She is probably scared out of her little mind right now." The disgust on my mother's face, shoves a knife into my heart. "If your father would have said those words, I would have run like your mate did."

Glancing around the room I realize all the males shaking their heads. It's all my fault isn't it?

"What do I do now? I'm only fourteen, I can't alive a life without my mate. Surely she will come back to me. Right? I can change things can't I?"

"Honestly Caden, I do not know if you can or not. She will believe that no matter what you say, she will get flogged." What have I done? "My best advice is to prove to her that you have changed. I'm sorry to say this, but it might take you years to demonstrate it."

"Years?" My voice cracks at the pain in my heart. "No, I can't take year's away mother. I've felt her soft skin on mine. I desperately need to feel it again. Can't father do something?" He had to be able to help, he is King after all.

"He can request all females who attended the fall to return for you to touch hands with."

"Request? Why can't he demand them to? She won't show up if he requests her presences." Are they not understanding how painful it will be for me to live without her?

"I will not have him force a scared little girl to come forward because of your senseless mistakes Caden. Maybe this will help to straighten out the apparent attitude problem you have. Losing a mate is the worse experience a wolf can go through and you will soon learn that. As your mother, I do not wish for you to be in pain, but I do not want to force a scared young girl into your hands if you think flogging is a way to put her in her place."

"She is my mate mother!" Why doesn't she understand that?

"I understand perfectly Caden. You know it's painful for me to be away from your father for long periods of time."

"Sorry for the interruption your highnesses, the young ladies are awaiting Prince Caden in the ball room."

"There were told not to change correct?"

"Yes, my King. Dinner was served and cots were placed in the ball room for those who became tired."

"Excellent. Neal, please unchain my son. It's time to see if his mate actually returned to the ballroom."

Standing up, I race out towards the ballroom. I wouldn't leave me for good would she? Breaching the door, I come to see all the females standing in lines. I couldn't dismiss on the base of dress. She might have changed to throw me off guard, thinking I would dismiss all females not wearing blue. Not taking an extra second to waste, I head to the first girl, griping her hand in mine. When no tingles raced up my fingers, I dropped her hand going to the next.

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Authors Note: Hope you liked this chapter.

Question of the day : Will Caden change his ways or continue on with the idea of flogging his own mate?