Shadows of Desire Ch. 05

"Wake up." Thaden was saying, almost in a whisper. "We have to go. Right now, we have to leave."

Rowan took a moment to process what Thaden was saying then his eyes went wide with fear. "Why?" He asked, his voice cracked and dry. He coughed to clear his throat then spoke again. "What's happened?"

Thaden hesitated a moment then sighed, realizing he couldn't lie to his mate. "My father, he found out about you. He wants...he's going to execute you at dawn."

Rowan gasped, bringing a hand to his lips as he began to shake. His eyes filled with tears and he began to sob. This is what he'd feared. There was no reason to believe that the elven King would spare his life. He was the son of his enemy after all. He probably thought that killing Rowan would hurt the vampire King. Rowan laughed a bitter laugh internally. If only the elven King knew, he'd be doing Desmond a favor in killing the vampire Kings unloved and unwanted child.

Sensing Rowan's fear and pain, Thaden scooped the young Prince up in his arms and held him close. "I won't let him kill you." Thaden said, holding Rowan's head against his chest as he stroked his long, silken, black locks. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Rowan closed his eyes and allowed the soothing sound of Thaden's heart calm him some. He reached his arms up and encircled Thaden's neck, pushing himself closer against the elf Prince's warm body, melting into his protective embrace. His scent overwhelmed Rowan and the heat of his body stirred desires in Rowan that he had never felt before.

Thaden held Rowan close against him, whispering against his ear anything that he thought would ease the boys fears and relax him. It felt so natural to hold Rowan against him like that. Rowan was made for him. They were the perfect match in every way. Why Thaden's father couldn't see that he didn't know nor did he care. The only concern he had now was keeping Rowan safe. Even if that meant defying his father and escaping with Rowan.

Finally, Rowan pulled back. He wiped at his eyes then looked up to Thaden, meeting his eyes. Rowan had so many questions but he knew there wasn't time, they had to go. But, before he could leave with Thaden, there was one very important question that he had to ask. It couldn't wait. Rowan forced a small smile and timidly asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Thaden was taken aback by the question. Surely Rowan already knew the answer to that. Couldn't he feel it? Was it so different for vampire's that Rowan couldn't sense his own mate when he was standing right in front of him? Or, was it perhaps that Rowan was just too young? That must have been it, He was too young, too innocent, and far too sheltered.

Thaden gently placed a hand on Rowan's cheek and smiled warmly at the boy. "Do you feel that?" Thaden whispered. "The spark of energy between us?"

Rowan nodded. "It's like a pull, guiding me towards you."

"Yes, exactly." Thaden's eyes shimmered with tears of happiness, realizing that Rowan felt the pull the same as he had. "It's a bond that's trying to form between us. The longer we're together, the stronger it will become. It's like an invisible ribbon, connecting our hearts and souls, making us one. It's because we're mates, little fox. You and I."

Rowan put his hand to his heart and nodded. "I-I felt it too. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt it. This strong urge or need to be near you. When you touched my hands earlier and looked into my eyes, it's like I was swept away and then when you were gone, it's like I couldn't breath. I knew I needed you. I needed you here, beside me, holding me. I don't know why or when it happened but I just knew...I knew I loved you."

Rowan's words lifted Thaden's soul to new heights and left him feeling as through he were soaring. The amount of love he felt for his mate was staggering but to hear Rowan say that he felt the same way, well, that was amazing. Truly and utterly amazing. Thaden had no words to describe what he was feeling in that moment so, instead of speaking, he leaned forward, cupping Rowan's face in his hands, and pressed their lips together.

If there was indeed a heaven, Thaden suspected he was there because kissing Rowan, his mate, was like touching God. No words could describe what he was feeling in that moment. It was as if, in a single instant, their two worlds had collided. He could see a future together with Rowan, walking hand in hand, smiling, laughing, and completely happy together. This life that he envisioned, it was the life that he wanted with Rowan and he knew that it was what Rowan wanted as well. He could feel his emotions, almost see his thoughts, as if they were of one mind.

Slowly, Thaden pulled back, breaking the spell of the kiss. Rowan opened his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. "Did you..." He started to ask. Thaden nodded. "I felt it too." He confirmed.

"Was it real?" Rowan asked, tears in his eyes.

"It can be." Thaden brushed a strand of dark hair away from Rowan's eyes. "We can have that life, and so much more."

"But how?" Rowan asked. His hands began to shake and Thaden quickly reached out, taking Rowan's hands in his. He squeezed gently, rubbing his thumb over the soft, smooth, surface of Rowan's skin.

"How can we be together?" Rowan asked. "When your father hates me?"

"We run." Thaden answered, his voice stern and confident. "We leave this place and never return. I'll take us someplace where we can be together, where we can be safe. Someplace my father will never find us."

"You would do that, for me?" Rowan asked. "You'd be leaving so much behind. Your family, your friends, your kingdom..."

Thaden shook his head. "None of that matters without you." He told him. "You mean everything to me. I could no sooner give you up than I could give up breathing. I can not live without breathing and I can not live without you. You, Rowan, are the one thing that has been missing from my life. My heart chose you and only you because, you are my heart."

Rowan's chin began to quiver and he pressed his lips together as he attempted to suppress the tears that threatened to fall. His mind was a jumbled mix of emotions as he listened to the words that Thaden spoke. Rowan could barely believe what he was hearing. Thaden loved him. Not the way his mother had loved him or the way that Folen loved him. Thaden wanted him as his mate. He accepted him and was willing to give up the life he knew to start a new life with Rowan. It was more than he could have ever hoped for, but was it right?

Rowan let his hands fall into his lap as he turned his face away from Thaden. "Thaden, you've made me happier than I can ever remember being in my entire life. I want nothing more than to leave with you and start a new somewhere. I want a future with you but, to leave behind all that you love...I can not ask that of you. It's too much."

Thaden took Rowan's hands in his then pressed his forehead against Rowan's soft, raven, hair. "Rowan, you are all that I love. The Goddess gave you to me and I'm not about to reject her gift. Of all the people in all the world, you were made for me. How can I just walk away from that?"

"But..." Rowan looked up, meeting Thaden's eyes once more. "Will it be enough? Will I be enough?"

Thaden smiled and drew Rowan against him again, cradling the boy gently in his arms. "Little fox, you are more than enough. You, Rowan, are my everything." Thaden kissed him again, this kiss as sweet and passionate as the first and Rowan simply melted into Thaden's arms. Rowan knew in an instant that he could not live without Thaden anymore than Thaden could live without him. It simply wasn't possible.

"Alright." Rowan said, breathlessly, when they pulled apart. "Let's runaway together and start a new life."

"You're sure?" Thaden asked. "You'll be leaving behind your old life too. Your friends and your kingdom."

"I'm sure." Rowan nodded. "There's nothing left for me in Basmorte, It was never really my home to begin with and my friends risked everything to get me out. I owe it to them to find happiness. It's all they ever wanted for me."

Thaden smiled then kissed the top of Rowan's head. "Good. I already have a plan. I'll sneak you out of the palace. We'll hide in the stables and then leave at night fall. We can escape into the forest and ride until dawn. We'll be long gone before anyone even realizes we've left."

"I'm ready." Rowan assured him. His eyes shone with the love that he felt for this man. It was a love that would stand the test of time, unwavering and true."My love, I'll follow you anywhere."

SHOWERS OF LOVE

Sneaking out of the palace was easier than Rowan had thought. Prince Thaden walked him down the hall with his wrists once again bound by rope. If anyone stopped to ask what he was doing, Thaden told them that his father had ordered the prisoner to be taken to the dungeons. No one questioned him after that.

Thaden then led Rowan through a door in the back of the kitchen that took them down into a root cellar. The kitchen staff was so busy preparing the evening meal that no one even noticed them. The root cellar itself was a large room with a dirt floor and shelves upon shelves of just about any type of vegetable and root that Rowan could imagine. Sprigs of herbs hung from the ceiling giving the room a very potent and natural aroma, like walking through an herb garden. Rowan inhaled the scent and smiled. It smelled like heaven.

At the end of the room was a hatch that lead outside. Thaden carefully, and quietly, pushed the hatch open then stepped up and outside. He offered Rowan a hand to help him up which he graciously accepted. Once outside, Thaden removed the ropes as well as Rowan's black cloak and replaced it with his own light blue one. He took a moment to admire the clothing that Rowan wore under the cloak.

"Wedding clothes?" Thaden asked.

Rowan nodded, looking down shamefully. "I was buried in them." He explained. "Believe me, they hold no sentimentality for me."

Thaden put a finger beneath Rowan's chin and lifted his head. "You look beautiful." He said, softly kissing his lips. "And I know you didn't love Lord Killian. Your father was forcing you to marry him."

Rowan nodded. "That's why I ran. I couldn't marry that man. He's a monster."

Thaden pulled the cloak around Rowan and fastened it with a cloak pin, brandishing the royal crest. "You don't need to fear that now. You belong to me and are mine to protect."

Rowan smiled as a single tear slipped down his cheek. "I love you." He whispered.

"And I you." Thaden returned, brushing the tear away with his finger. "Now, let's hurry to the stables. We're sure to be spotted if we stay here, out in the open like this."

"Alright." Rowan said, taking Thaden's hand in his. Together they ran across the court yard to the stables where they would hide until nightfall, then, they would leave Rosegate for good.

***

Sneaking out of Rosegate, Rowan realized, was a lot harder than just sneaking out of the palace. The amount of guards and precautions taken to protect the city was overwhelming. Watch towers were stationed about every twenty feet and two guards were stationed at each. There were at least five guards on the main gate and then two guards patrolling each wall in opposite directions.

Not only did they have to sneak past guards who were stationed on the wall but, also the guards who patrolled outside the wall. Rowan peaked out the window of the stables and glanced up to the large stone wall that surrounded the city. It was massive, with crenels along the top of the wall and thin arrow-slits between the buttresses. The vampire palace was fortified against attacks but not like the elven palace. The walls were even spelled.

Rowan pulled back and away from the window, frowning. "How are we going to get out?" He asked, sounding a little skeptical.

"Don't worry about that." Thaden grinned, mischievously. "When I was young, my nurse would never let me out of her sight. I wasn't allowed to even leave the city but I loved to go out into the forest to a small lake and swim. So, I had to find a way to give the old bat the slip." He chuckled as he recalled his antics of youth. "Lierin, my brother, actually showed me how to do it. He was a master at escapes."

Rowan smiled hearing about Thaden and his brother as youths. It must have been such fun for the elven brothers growing up. If Rowan had ever tried a stunt like sneaking out to play, his father would have had him beaten. He looked down sadly thinking of all the fun things he had missed out on as a child. Being there, in Rosegate, made him see all the things that he had been denied. He hated his father even more now.

"What's wrong?" Thaden asked, seeing the look of sadness on Rowan's face. "Didn't you ever get up to shenanigans like I did? I bet you were a terror to your poor nurse." He chuckled.

"No." Rowan shook his head. "I never had a nurse. I lived with my mother until she died. I was young then, only eight years. After that I was taken to the palace to live. I did have a governess for a while. She gave me instruction until I was sixteen. After that, father sent her away. He said an omega didn't need but a basic education since I worthless and would never truly amount to anything anyway."

Thaden balled his hands into fists as he listened to what Rowan was telling him. He knew the vampire King was a tyrant but until that moment he didn't know that the man was also a moron. Thaden couldn't believe that a man who ruled an entire kingdom could be so ignorant. Thinking that Rowan was worthless just because he was an omega was just ludicrous. Omega's were treasured among the elven people, male and female alike. They were caring and kind. They were life givers and nurturing. Many were completely selfless, caring only for the well being of others. They were perfect for the caring of the young and often held positions as educators, nurses, and domestic servants.

It enraged Thaden that his own father had not taken this into account when he had decided to put Rowan to death. The elven King, unfortunately, didn't see Rowan as an omega, he only saw a vampire. A demon that was a threat to the safety of his people. This could almost be forgiven, almost, since the man had never even met Rowan but, for Rowan's own father to treat the young Prince so shamefully was criminal. Thaden reached out and pulled Rowan into a tight hug. "Your father is an idiot." He growled, holding the young Prince against him. "You are not worthless. Far from it. Your father has no idea what he was talking about."

Rowan only nodded, wrapping his arms around Thaden's waist. He wasn't going to argue but, years of being told that he was nothing was a hard thing to overcome. He knew in his heart that his father was wrong, that his words were only meant to hurt Rowan but, his mind found it difficult to think otherwise. He knew he was worthless to his father. Otherwise, the man wouldn't have thrown him away so easily, promised to a monster like Lord Killian. To Thaden though, Rowan was a gift. A true blessing. He just wished that the elven King could have seen him in that way as well. Then, Thaden wouldn't have to give up everything just so they could be together.

***

The clock in the center of the city struck midnight and Thaden knew it was time to go. The guard would be changing on the towers and the wall, giving them a ten minute window to slip out through Thaden's secret doorway. The two moved quietly to the back of the stables where Thaden had already saddled a black mare. He'd also packed a single bag with necessities. A bit of food wrapped in burlap, some water, a bag of gold, a compass and a knife, and various other odds and ends that could come in handy if they ran into trouble. Of course, Thaden also had his sword and a basic knowledge of magic.

He wasn't as proficient as a witch or wizard, but he could cast wards and protection spells and knew a little healing magic. He strapped the bag to the mare and then led her through the stables and out the back doors, on the opposite side of the castle so they wouldn't be easily spotted. Once the guards were out of sight, Thaden waved Rowan forward and together they crept quietly through the yard and along the wall until they came to a section of wall that was covered in long, thick, hanging vines that were littered with tiny white flowers. Thaden walked to the wall and began pushing the vines apart until he found what he was looking for.

Moving a large section of vines to the side, Thaden revealed a tall, arched door that was securely nestled into the stones of the wall and had been hidden behind the low hanging vines and flowers.

The door was only barely large enough to fit the horse through and, only if she lowered her head. Rowan looked up and smiled at Thaden, a look of wonder on his face.

"A secret door?" He asked, intrigued by the idea.

"A secret that Lierin found when he was a boy." Thaden grinned. "It was made during the vampire war as a way to evacuate the city occupants in the event that the city was sacked. I don't know if it was ever actually used. It's just one of many secret escape routes and probably long forgotten. There are no wards protecting the door but it cannot be seen from the other side." Thaden reached out and pulled the handle down. The door didn't move. He pushed again, this time harder, and still it didn't move.

Frustrated, he rammed the door with his shoulder. When the door still refused to move, Rowan stepped forward and, using all his strength, placed both hands on the door and gave it a violent shove. The door creaked and moaned, swinging open slowly as it tore its way through more vines and shrubbery. Rowan smirked. "I guess, sometimes it pays to have a vampire on your side." He giggled.

"Clearly." Thaden chuckled. He knew vampires were strong but he never thought his mate would be stronger than him. If Rowan at his young age were that strong, Thaden hated to imagine the kind of strength an elder vampire possessed. He smiled as he looked at Rowan with growing pride. "Come, my clever little fox." Thaden said. "The guard will return at any moment and we need to be far away from the wall before they catch us."

Thaden and Rowan had reached the forest and disappeared into the tree line just as the next shift of guards took their posts on the wall. Thaden turned and took one last look at the city he had been born in and the walls he grew up behind. It was hard, leaving this life behind, more so knowing he would likely never see his friends or brother again but, he couldn't allow himself to second guess his decision. It was more important that he take Rowan someplace safe. Someplace where they could be free to start a new life together and live in peace. Rowan was his mate and therefore, his life now. Knowing that made his sacrifice somehow easier to bear for a life without Rowan, was no life at all.

***

A gentle rain began to fall. Tiny droplets of water hit the canopy of leaves above and then began to drip down, over the leaves to the earth below. Rowan turned his head up and closed his eyes, letting the rain splash his face. He opened his mouth and tasted nature's tears upon his tongue. It felt so refreshing. It was so amazing. He couldn't help but laugh as the rain hit his face.

Thaden watched him, amused by the young Prince's antics. "One would think you had never seen rain before." He chuckled.

"I've seen it." Rowan laughed. "But not since my mother was alive have I been allowed to just run free and play in the rain. It brings back so many fond memories of my youth."

"I have been caught in a down pour many times during patrols so, I guess I forgot how much fun it was just to run in the rain."

Rowan looked over at Thaden with a mischievous grin on his face. "Oh, then you must join me." He laughed, walking to Thaden and taking his hands in his. He pulled Thaden towards him and then wrapped his arms around Thaden's neck as he pressed his lips to Thaden's kissing him as the rain fell on their heads. Thaden wrapped his arms around Rowan's waist then suddenly lifted him up into the air and spun him around in a circle. Rowan gasped, laughing as he tilted his head back and lifted his arms towards the heavens.