Daniel's POV:

I had her scent on my mind like it was something I'd known my entire life, and I followed it greedily through the dark winding trees.

With every moment that feeling in me grew in intensity. That feeling- no, that knowledge that something here wasn't right in the slightest.

Her scent went this far away from everything else... and was accompanied by another.

The man I saw her with if I had to guess, and the thought sent my instincts on their own rampage.

The mix of all of this was just...aggravating and frustrating to me in a way that was quickly becoming unbecoming of a prince.

I didn't care. Right now my mind was set, instincts present and ready.

Every since was high on alert, weaving through trees and over rocks to follow her scent.

The other scent, however, was getting stronger- It was resurfacing... slowly coming toward me.

My own snarl surprised me as soon as the target in my mind shifted with a new purpose.

His figure showed in the distance not long after, and my pace picked up into a speeding run.

I was almost impressed with the half-second that he tensed and looked my direction where most wouldn't have noticed until I was already on top of them.

My instincts were guiding this, and such is the reason why my fists bunched at the collar of his shirt, and backed him up into one of the thick trunks of a nearby tree.

"Where is she," I snarled, all of the pent-up emotions about this whole thing showing as my voice echoed through the forest, silencing and creatures of the night.

His initial shock and instinctive sharpening of his claws quickly fell into a deep, tragic fear once he noticed who I was.

"Prince Vanderwood," He sputtered, obviously debating with the idea of putting his hands on me out of basic survival instinct, "W-What are you-"

"Answer the question," I grit.

I knew this wasn't his fault, so he shouldn't bear the full wrath of what I had to offer.

But I was done with the games. With the waiting, the running. I needed to see her again, and he was her latest companion.

"Caroline," Her name left me in a softer tone, but was still enough to cause him to lean back.

He looked panicked, eyes nearly bulging from his head, which didn't do my current feelings any favors.

"How do you know about her?" His voice was less than a feeble whisper, "The Ardigans told me they weren't going to mention their daughter unless they had to."

Their daughter...? Their daughter?!

This guy was a fucking moron.

I pressed his harder against the tree, the tearing of his shirt sounding in the air from my claws.

"Th-They put her in quarantine," He hurriedly began, glancing back the way that he was coming from, "For a punishment that's nearly over. They wanted her at your arrival just out of respect, but I was ordered to bring her b-"

I was gone before he could finish his sentence, my mind and body getting kicked into an overdrive I wasn't currently aware that I had.

I could feel my wings pushing for a release if needed, but felt like this would get me there fast enough.

Quarantine? Punishment? What the fuck was going on here?

What the hell kind of operation were these Ardigans running?

Daughter... Fuck.

I carried on following her scent at my top speed further and further away from, finally spotting my ending destination within something that looked like a cave.

The glaringly large metal door that reflected the moons light was all I needed to see to know that this was the place.

The knowledge that she was in there, the desperation, the anger.

I didn't stop to listen or to knock, I saw no reason.

My hands went right to the latch holding it shut, and pulled with every ounce of strength I had to overpower the locking mechanism.

It took a few seconds, but the groaning of metal before the large clank was the sound of my victory.

I tore the heavy door open, then all the way down to my instincts I froze at the sight before me.

There she sat on her knees, her body nearly folded on top of itself, and hands balled at her chest.

Her hair fell still in those curls I knew down her back and over her shoulders, the ends dipping down into the dirt.

She turned up to face me with a gasp, and with a look of fear that only lasted a second, but stung deep within me nonetheless.

Her features were pale and sunken, every shaky breath coming with a fight, and evident tear streeks

It didn't take much more for me to realize that she was starving. Starved for blood for a time that was much past her limit.

"Caroline," Her name was a quiet breath from me, a half ounce of relief just knowing that she was here in front of me again.

Her features softened a moment, but I didn't get to see it for long.

Not when I knelt down onto my knees in front of her, and scooped her close so her face was close to my neck.

"Bite. Take whatever you need." My command was more a desperate plea. A hard shift from before.

There was a moment of hesitation, but she didn't say a word. Her hands only pressed and grabbed into the fabric of my shirt.

"You're the fucking Prince?!" Her scold was hoarse and so drained of energy. It hurt to hear.

She was so cold, and here I could feel her shivering from a variety of sources I could conclude.

There were new nerves swimming in me now too now that I'd gotten this far. Ones that were going to have to wait.

"Yell at me later." I pulled her closer, separating my knees in the dirt to do so and hold her steady.

With that, she did.

I welcomed the temporary sting, and basked in the peaceful, blissful sensation that followed, and proved with full force how I felt about this woman I knew for not even a full day.

With it, I breathed a sigh of relief and let my muscles relax, accomplishment and a clearness of mind returning to me. Even my instinctive push was now simmering back to dormancy.

She was here. I had her once again.

Even with how much she needed, she fed carefully. A precision I believe only she could achieve in such a situation, and if anything, proved the level of control I'd already concluded she had in herself.

Which was why it hurt so bad to see her in such a state.

What the hell was all of this for? Was this what she meant when she said... she didn't get out often?

What kind of leaders are they to do something like this to their own child?! Why the hell would I give these people any kind of jurisdiction in my territory?

I was pulled from my thought by the feeling of her begin to lean into my grasp in a different way.

From a place of comfort and acceptance through her strength instead of her being too weak to do anything else.

She pulled from my skin with a solemn gasp, and I stayed quiet to let her speak first.

And she did, pulling herself to sit up straight with a new revitalization and an interesting look on her face.

"Daniel... Daniel Vanderwood," she spoke softly, almost like a test.

I attempted to swallow my nerves, giving a quick little nod with a probably awkward half smile.

And suddenly she was on her feet.

"Idiot!" She began. Surprisingly not with anger but with just... strong worry, "Do you realize how dangerous that is? A prince casually merging amounts the rest of us! If I had kept your kid then don't you know what would have-

"Yes," I cut in with a laugh, standing back on my own feet as well. I didn't know why I was laughing, there was just such a joy in seeing her again that I couldn't contain, "Why do you think I was so panicked that next day?"

I reached out to set my hands lightly onto her upper arms, and she let me, stilling and quieting her lecture I may have liked to hear more of.

"Y'know I'm typically a lot better at... it. I promise I'm not always this careless." I assured.

She just looked at me with those gorgeous eyes that had my heart doing cartwheels.

Well, it did for a few seconds, before a chilling night breeze blew into where we were standing, and the reality of where we were slapped me in the face again.

"Caroline. What the hell is this?!" I gestured wildly to the small entrapped space we were in, then to the place on the floor I'd found her.

She turned away, embarrassed, and her words were only barely conceivable.

"This was my punishment for leaving," She started, "Starving the instincts out of me in an effort to 'relearn my place in this community'."

Is this truly what they believe? Are these the kinds of secrets they're hiding from my family?

None of what finding her had led me to had been anything that I wasn't for the future of my territory.

I couldn't comment further on anything, just blew out a quick sigh.

"Come with me," I said, and promptly turned to take her back.

"I-I can't," She pulled back and I came to a stop, "Lev- Daniel, If either of my parents sees me gone then they'll-"

"We'll be sneaky. And truly, do you think they're going to make a fuss after seeing you with the prince that determines this place's fate?"

She blinked at me, that last comment visually making its rounds in her mind.

"It's up to you?" She spoke the question as its own realization.

They didn't even tell her...

"It's up to me," I assured her, "You can stay with me for the night- i-if you'd like."

My face flamed while my composure temporarily crumbled.

"I've... been thinking about you a lot," I admitted, quieting my next words and looking off to the side, "I'd like to spend some time with you here while I can... Amongst other business things."

Her soft laugh pulled my eyes right back to her to soak in that beautiful sight on her face, and the blessing of how she looked at me when she was done.

A part of me was just so... ecstatic that even with the knowledge that I was a prince, nothing in her had changed from before.

"I cannot believe I'm willing to risk even more trouble for you, Levi," She spoke my fake name as a taunt, something that oddly warmed my heart.

It showed on my face as I lowered my hands to grab hers, and even more so when I found the catch in her heartbeat.

"No trouble," I kissed her knuckles, "I won't allow it, and I'm sure you and I have much to discuss."