1666 Words
Breakfast had gone by in near silence. Everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells, careful not to stir the air wrong…not because of the food, but because of me and my emotions of course. I ate what I could manage, barely tasting any of it, and left the table as soon as it was acceptable. As I made my way back to my room, I noticed someone standing just outside my door, back turned to me. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black. I didn’t need to ask who it was. I only needed to know what he was doing there. “What are you doing in my room?” I asked flatly, not bothering to mask my irritation. Alexander turned slowly, those cold grey eyes meeting mine without a flicker of emotion. “Is that how you were raised to greet your mate first thing in the morning?” he asked coolly. “No ‘good morning’? No courtesy?” I crossed my arms. “Good morning,” I said carelessly. “Now, what are you doing in my room?” He didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze sharpened. “Check your tone when you speak to me.” I blinked at him, unimpressed. Is he being serious right now? “I walked into my room and found you standing here like some abandoned ghost, so forgive me if I don’t feel the need to curtsy.” His jaw twitched, just slightly, enough to tell me I’d hit a nerve, but otherwise, he didn’t react. He simply brushed past my question as if it had been a fly in the air. “I came to inform you,” he said, voice clipped, “that I’m leaving.” I raised a brow. So he expected me to just run and grab my bags to follow him? He’d be shocked to know I hadn’t even started anything yet. And I didn’t really care. “That’s too bad. Because as you can see, I’m barely figuring out what to pack and what not to. So, no, I’m not ready yet, you have to wait,” I said. “Firstly, you won’t need to pack anything,” he replied calmly. “Arrangements have already been made. Anything you need will be provided for you.” If someone else had said that, maybe it would’ve sounded thoughtful…romantic, even. But coming from this man? It made me feel like a stray dog someone had taken pity on. My irritation surged. “How generous,” I said. “Anything else, Your Highness?” “Yes,” he said. “Secondly, you’re not coming with me.” I blinked. “What?” Did I hear him right? “There’s something I need to attend to,” he explained. “Someone will be here tomorrow morning to collect you.” I narrowed my eyes. “We were supposed to leave together. Can’t you just go handle whatever and I’ll…” He smirked. “Careful. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you couldn’t wait to follow me. Getting a little carried away already, are we?” The audacity of this man could drive me insane. But I wasn’t going to go easy on him either. I mirrored his smirk. “Funny. You’re the one who changed your mind on a spot immediately you saw me, remember? So quick to accept me in place of Sage. That felt a little too desperate… Alpha Alexander.” The twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed the hit. A crack in his perfect mask. But instead of responding, he simply turned toward the door. “See you tomorrow,” he said smoothly, and walked out. I stared after him, a hint of satisfaction warming my chest. Annoying him might just be the only enjoyable part of this arrangement. —— ALEXANDER The door clicked shut behind me, and I slid into the back seat of the car. Roland nodded from the driver’s seat and pulled off as I settled back, trying to shake off the tension that clung to me like smoke. But it lingered. Faye. Even now, with miles starting to stretch between us, she was still in my head. Not for good reasons…no, not at all. She had a way of digging under my skin…deliberate, sharp, like she enjoyed provoking me. The way she looked at me, the way she spoke to me. Like she wasn’t impressed. Like nothing about me was worth her respect. She did it on purpose, I was sure of it. And still, beneath all my irritation, my wolf, Aiden, stirred… entertained. “She disrespects you to your face,” I muttered to myself. “And you enjoy the challenge,” Aiden said. “I do not,” I said. I realized I was scowling at the tinted glass as my own voice echoed in the quiet car. “Maybe I do enjoy the challenge,” I said under my breath. “Sir?” Roland’s voice came carefully from the front. “Sorry, did you say something?” I blinked. Had I said that out loud? “Never mind,” I said quickly, leaning back and running a hand down my face. Great. Now I was voicing thoughts I didn’t even know I had. — BLOOD CRESCENT PACK HOUSE As we pulled into the pack house driveway, I spotted Irene on the front steps, practically bouncing on her toes. Her face lit up with excitement…the kind I hadn’t seen in years. That was the problem with my sister: she loved fairytales, and today she’d decided to cast herself as the welcoming committee for the prince and his new princess. Roland hadn’t even killed the engine before she was halfway down the stairs. I stepped out of the car, and she launched herself at me in a hug that nearly knocked the air out of my lungs. “Oh my Goddess, you’re back! How did it go? Where is she?” Her words spilled out fast, one tumbling over the other. She didn’t wait for an answer. She darted to the passenger side, then to the backseat, craning her neck to peek inside like she’d lost something in there. Of course, she, like everyone else, had been expecting me to arrive with my mate…the new Luna. The grand prize of a successful mating ceremony. I watched her eyes scan every inch…back seat, foot mats, even the front passenger side. What did she think? That I tied my mate up and stuffed her in the glove compartment? “Irene,” I said, rubbing my forehead. She was probably scanning the floorboards now…not wanting to face reality. “Is she hiding? Is she shy? Alex, don’t tell me you made her…” “Irene,” I said again, sharper this time. “She’s not here.” She froze. Slowly, she turned to face me. “What do you mean she’s not here? You called. You said it was successful, the whole pack is waiting. Everyone’s…Alex, what happened?” “I’ll explain inside.” I didn’t have the patience to keep repeating myself, and certainly not out in the open where the rest of the house could peer through the windows and start their own commentary. Irene followed me, her excitement now turned into confusion and irritation. We were just heading up the steps when my beta, Cole stepped out. The grin on his face told me he’d been hoping to see something worth teasing me about for the next month. His eyes darted behind me, then inside the car. When he didn’t see what he expected, the grin fell like a dying ember. Still, he gave a polite nod. “Alpha Alexander” “Cole.” Unlike my sister, he was considerate enough not to ask anything yet. He could read the air… I pushed the door open and stepped inside. — As soon as we stepped into the house, I didn’t bother with formalities or greetings, I headed straight for my office. Irene and Cole trailed behind, thankfully quiet for once. The door shut behind us, and I sank into the leather chair behind my desk. I could feel their eyes on me—full of questions, confusion, maybe even a little fear. I didn’t blame them. The moment called for clarity, not comfort. “I need to tell you both something,” I started, my fingers drumming once on the armrest before folding into my lap. “There was… a change. A slight one.” Irene raised an eyebrow. Cole folded his arms. I took a breath. “The twin who was promised to me—Sage—she wasn’t the one I ended up being mated to.” They both stared at me like I’d just spoken in tongues. Then their eyes shifted to each other, exchanging the silent panic of people who knew how deep this might go. Cole was the first to speak. “What do you mean?” he asked, brows furrowed. “You didn’t end up mated to her? Did the ceremony fail?” “No,” I said, shaking my head. “It went through. Just… not with Sage.” I could see Irene’s patience thinning, so I pushed forward. “Sage gave herself to someone else before the ceremony…willingly. Her sister—Faye—was offered in her place. We completed the ritual. She bears the mark now.” Irene took a sharp breath. “Alex, that’s not good.” I sighed, leaning back. I knew what was coming. “They promised you Sage,” she continued. “Sisters or not, they broke the agreement. The elders won’t care that it was a twin. The alliance was supposed to be built on a specific bond…on her. You going through with it without telling them—goddess, they’re going to lose it.” “I know,” I muttered. “That’s why I came back ahead of her. Faye’s still with her pack. I needed to prepare the ground here before she shows up.”
