The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 6

June 15th, 2114: 18 Years Old

† Harrington †

Patience had never been a virtue that Harrington followed. In fact, it had never been a word he liked to acknowledge existed at any other time in his life. Now, however, he knew and understood its importance. Because of Camryn.

For the last year, he had been satisfied to share brief, meaningful kisses with his guard, on their many nights out together, courting. He had accepted that nothing beyond those kisses and hand holding was permitted.

It helped that he had read the book Camryn had bought him in Keaton and finally understood just how important such long standing traditions were to vampires. Their laws dictated that no human who was the life mate to a vampire should be pushed or rushed into making the final commitment of marriage, a civil union, or of surrendering any part of their human nature. That, it seemed, included outdated opinions about what 'under-age' really meant.

But, he had held by the book's laws and rules, because Camryn did. Because it was important to his guard. And, mostly, because it meant a lot to Harrington to know that his life mate cared so much about his free will, his heart and his feelings to give him time to grow into a man before expecting too much from him. As Camryn had said, just eight months ago, he was too young to die, even if he would be reborn a vampire.

Harrington was no longer too young. He was a month away from turning eighteen and it was time that he took matters into his own hands, as it seemed Camryn would not be the first to make the move.

He had been careful, as he left Jaycob's house and ventured the ten minutes walk to Camryn's home. He had been there a handful of times and loved the quiet, secluded home in the middle of a field, but it was not the home he had come to see. Nor Cammie, the little tomcat he could hear even as he approached the front door.

After knocking, it barely took a moment for the door to open on Camryn, who held the cat under his arm and a paw with the other. "Harrington," he said, as though he was the last person he expected to find on his doorstep.

"Hello," he said, unable to help but smile as he stepped up into the house and pressed himself against Camryn. He gave his guard no time to react before kissing him, using his right hand to gently take Cammie from his arms and, once he broke the kiss, lower him to the floor. Where he took exception to being removed from Camryn's arms and escaped into the living room.

Which left Harrington the time and space to press forward. He gently pushed Camryn further into the hallway and closed the door behind him. Just as his guard opened his mouth, he pressed his hand to his lips. "I will be eighteen in a month, Camryn, and I cannot wait that long. I need you. I love you. And I want to be with you, this night and a thousand others," he explained, not in the least surprised that Camryn grasped his hand and removed it from his lips, but remained silent. "You know that I will never refuse you. You know that I will wait as long as I have to, but please don't make me wait a moment longer. There is nothing in this world I want more than you."

For a moment, all Camryn did was lower his gaze to the floor between them and appear conflicted. Then he raised his gaze, turned and led Harrington down the hallway.

His heart beat like a raging storm as he followed, equally scared and hopeful that it meant what he thought it did. He was too afraid to ask, so he simply followed like a lamb as Camryn pushed open the only door he had never ventured behind: his bedroom.

Once inside, Camryn turned and stepped forward, inadvertently backing Harrington into the door while effectively shutting them in the room. "I want you to know how great of a struggle it has been to respect your youth and not confess my every wish and need to embrace the bond between us," he said quietly. "I want you to understand the daily torment it has been whenever you claimed a need to kiss me and I would not let you. It was not because I did not desire it, but because I was afraid of what I might do if I allowed a single indiscretion," he confessed.