*Danika*
Do I mind? What sort of ridiculous question is that? How absurd can my life become? Now, not only am I made to watch my mate allow that weasel to tuck her outlandish body around him, but I am also made to help plan their union?
Gad, this is too much. But what am I to say? ‘No, Queen mother, I don’t think I support the marriage of my mate to another woman while I watch, or will I help in making that happen.’ I couldn’t say that. They would find out our secret and they would hate me so much. I can’t afford that in my life right now. The only time I had come close to being loved in my life is in this pack and I am not willing to throw it to the wind all for a man who isn’t worth it! He doesn’t care about me. All he cares about is his stupid self and his Kingdom which he thinks I’m not fit to rule.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to yell, do something, anything to channel off this rage within me.
I jerked forward, startled back from my almost outburst when I felt a hand on my lap. My eyes instinctively went to Alfred and saw exactly what I saw some time ago-a look of pity. Why do my guts tell me Alfred knows something he is not letting on? The kind of things he does most times frightens me.
After all, Alonso said when he suspects anything, he delves into knowing by burrowing into the person’s thoughts. Has he done that? Searching his eyes and the enchanting smile he now had on, I didn’t see anything like that-just a friend who thinks I was given something he feels I may not like. So he is possibly comforting me.
“Danika?” I whipped my face to Theresa, recalling I hadn’t responded yet.
“I… yeah, of course. I will be glad to.” There, I said it. I didn’t die. I flicked my eyes to Alonso who had his cold calculating eyes on me. What was he expecting? That I would have refused? Or bucked and weep, begging for him not to do this to me? To us? Well, he lies.
I will put on my big girl pants and ride this. I have nothing to lose. Thanks to Alfred, I am becoming better every day and I swear one day I will make him pay for everything he did to me. Everything he was planning to do to me. Every scar he left on me. It would have been better if he rejected me as Liam did. Then, I would have known I have no connection to him, and this would matter less. No, he didn’t, and still, he plays with me. Took my virginity and still doesn’t give a fuck about me.
What the heck is wrong with me?! I accept I might be cursed, but does that mean I can’t be redeemed? What might have been the weight of my sin in my former life that would warrant the punishments I am going through?
“Are you okay?” Alfred leaned in to ask me.
I fluttered my eyes at him, seeing his care, his friendship written in his regard. He fucked up, so what? We all do at a point in our lives. “Yeah. I just… I have been receiving responsibilities since today so I. Am. Kind. Of. Shocked.” That was it.
“Cool… Hey, why don’t we go for a run? It’s been a while…” He has this look as though pleading with me to accept. I know it’s too early after what he did, still, I found myself nodding.
“That will be nice,” I said, plastering on a smile and shutting out whatever Theresa was saying. If I am going to be made a loser in this pack, I should at least take advantage of the little favors of happiness I get while I can. The last time in the forest was fun, it helped me unwind, and I got to know a few tricks. It’s always an adventure with Alfred.
“So, we would be heading out…” Alfred stood, pulling me with him. I avoided looking up at Alonso, knowing he was spotting a death glare.
“Son, you have to be careful. The Kingdom is kind of delicate right now. Be back on time and make sure she is safe,” Theresa admonished him with this particular look I don’t see in her eyes when she addresses Alonso. Yeah, because he is a selfish bastard!
Just as I envisaged, the run was great. We didn’t talk much, just did plenty of activities. Today, Alfred asked me to sniff him out. He had concealed his scent and hidden by the river under a large palm tree, merging into the greens that you would never see until he had your guts out.
But, from our last lesson I picked a trick, so I used it on him after searching for him for a long time. I started following his tracks, employing the help of Muse who was willing to help. She bounded to the river, her watery nose sniffing the ground following his tracks until we got the shining blues.
Her red-rimmed eyes scaled the environment, heightening all our senses to catch the minimalist sound. Then the leaves rustled from the wind, getting our attention which made us tread in that direction. From within, the Hybrid in me knew that someone was there.
I saw the glint of his sharp green eyes first, before seeing his black furs. Muse pounced on him tackling him to the ground, while he growled and growled, fighting to climb me.
I licked his face, then dashed away with him chasing after me. After that, we played other games, until I was panting on the ground, totally out of breath.
“I think we need to head home, it’s getting dark,” he mind-linked me. I smiled within, looking at him. His green eyes trained on me, his light pink tongue stuck out in a likewise pant, drooling saliva. I raised one of my paws and brushed his face, and he dodged it, giving me a growl that sounded like a warning.
Internally I smiled and howled into the night.
We later left for home after I had gone to change, and just like that, we reconciled, all my worries gone with the wind. I liked Alfred so much and had this unspoken understanding with him. To me, it was as though he understood me even without having to ask me anything. He messed up, but I know even though we didn’t talk about it, that he had indeed learned his lesson.
When we got home, he left for his room after wishing me goodnight, and I left for mine. After taking my bath, changing into my pinkie nightie, and doing other night rituals, I went to bed. Habitually, my eyes went to the window at the back of my bed, and I noticed the curtain was crooked and blowing up as though the window was open.
What the hell? That curtain has never been open since I began staying in this room. As far as I was concerned, it stays closed and was more of a room decor. Nadia couldn’t have opened it and I was certain because, one time I had asked her to open it, she was against it.
Tension crawling up my body, I dropped the covers and started treading toward it, very cautious in case anything pounce at me. My senses were on alert and totally boosted, ready to attack.
I flipped the curtain to the side, and just as I had assumed, the curtain was open. Dread, anxiety, and pressure mounted on my body, my head imagining numerous bad scenarios. I calmly looked outside but everything was in place, nobody was there. Then, standing there, I did the one thing I haven’t done since I came here, I mind linked Nadia.
I haven’t done it before because the opportunity hasn’t risen. It was only in my wolf form and only with Alfred, that I did.
“Ms. Danika?” her sleepy voice came through.
“Yeah, Nadia. Did I wake you from sleep? I’m sorry. I want to ask you something.”
“Oh, okay. Are you okay?”
“Yeah… I mean I think so… Did you open the back curtain?”
“Back curtain? You mean the decoration curtain?” I beamed. I called it that. “No, I didn’t. I thought you didn’t want me to?”
“Yeah.. yeah. You know what? Never mind. I just thought of asking you. Have a good night.” There was a slight hesitation before the link went off.
“Someone was in my room. I can smell it. Someone unacceptable…” I didn’t waste time, I did the only thing I could think of at that moment, I picked up my robe, and left my room.
If someone came into my room, that means they had come through that window but had been daft enough not to close it… Except the person wanted me to know. But why? Why would anyone come to my room in the first place? Are they looking for something? Is my life at risk?
I reached the King’s study faster than I thought, fucking the fact that we weren’t on good terms. My life is at risk and he is the only one I can talk to right now. I pray I find him in his study.
I knocked and pushed it in, going inside and latching the keys before I faced the room.
He was sitting down there, deep in the bottles as usual. His drowsy eyes took me in questionably, slowly lowering the glass in his hand.
“I think I am in deep trouble,” I went straight to the point.
…