“Enough!”
I screamed, my body trembling from the aftermath of the intensity of my command. My eyes were clouded with tears watching them behave like pups without a single control over their impulses. I am tired of everything happening around me that I have no control over. My family’s hatred, rejection, Alonso’s betrayal, frustration from my power discovery, confusion at my present position in life, then on top of it all, they do this?! I can’t deal.
“I am sick and tired of everything!” I shouted, bending over with my hands to my ears. “If you two are going to hate each other, I don’t care anymore! But do well to keep me out of it! I don’t want to be a part of this anymore-”
“Danika-”
“I am not yet finished!” I screamed at the top of my lungs to shut up the King whose face at the moment was pictorial. “I need my space from everyone, please… I just want to go about my business without anyone sniffing into my affairs… Un-until my mate returns,” I stammered, meeting Alonso’s eyes as my tears kept sliding down. I could see the pain in his eyes, but it didn’t move me. He brought this upon himself and would suffer it.
“Thanks,” I muttered softly, turning my back to them, and began making my way inside.
While I was yelling at them, the way they had ceased fighting to listen to me, marveled me. I didn’t know two powerful men like that could listen to me. One is my friend and the other my mate, yet, right now climbing these granite stairs, my inside felt empty towards them. They are not to be trusted and until I have a reason to trust them once more, I will keep them at arm’s length.
Dinner came fast and with a heavy heart and to keep up my appearance, I had gone down to eat. Thankfully, Theresa kept her troubles at bay and let us eat in peace. The dining was gloomy, bad energies still traveling between the two brothers. I wasn’t hungry and had to pick on my food, coaxing myself until I was able to finish up my soup, took my water and wine, then left solemnly back to my room to retire for the night.
I will have to sleep in early so that tomorrow I can wake up earlier than usual to leave before Alfred. Then after work, I will quickly rush to the library, and when I return, I will go for another round of training. I have to double up my efforts now to become better.
Taking a step into my room, the light was on, which I recall turning off when I left earlier. Nadia isn’t around, so I know it wasn’t her doing. Hope the stalker is not back? Gad, definitely not now.
My bathroom door swung open and Mary materialized, her eyes widening, then relaxing when she saw me.
“Hy, Mary,” I greeted sullenly and went to sit down in relief.
“Good evening, Danika.” She trudged slowly to me, smoothening her maids’ uniform. “You don’t look good.”
“I’m fine, it’s just work.” I lapped askew on the couch and looked outside the open window.
She made a noncommittal noise down her throat to refute my claim and came to sit by me. “I know when you are tired from work so it’s more than that.”
I rolled my eyes within. So my friends now know me that much? I sighed and bobbed my shoulders, flicking at my nails. “It’s the normal. Alfred is acting really weird. I came out of the library and there he was waiting for me, and when I asked him, he said it’s Roland that told him where I was,” I narrated, that gnawing sensation still there that he was lying.
“That’s not possible,” Mary confirmed. “I was with Roland today. I had come to see you only to find out that you left earlier. Roland was also very stunned and told me you might have gone home to rest due to the rough day at work,” she related, skidding her orbs about.
“Are you serious?” I scooted closer and lowered my voice. “Between us, I don’t know why I have been having this odd sensation that Alfred is up to something grime… And just this evening, he threatened the King that he was going to do something awful to him if he doesn’t hand his throne over to him.”
Mary’s eyes expanded, her hands jogging to her mouth to cover them from making a sound. “He said that?” I nodded. “That’s strange.”
“It is, Mary. As a matter of fact, they are the reason I am feeling a certain way this evening. They had fought outside.”
“Oh, my. This is getting out of hand. Is it that bad that they now fight?”
“I don’t know, Mary…” I contemplated how to shape my next words. “The thing is that Alfred has been intimately leering at me. He even made advances at me on the first day he returned. I was lucky when Alonso came in and cut him short. The manner of things he was saying was really scary.” Mary has sagged in her chair, looking like she wanted to pass out. “That’s how I feel too… Alonso knows, which is why he is working hard to keep us apart.”
“You have to stay away from him, Danika. This doesn’t bode well at all. Imagine if he gets suspicious about the King’s intrusion and decides to investigate.”
“I already think he is suspicious because the things I hear him say is very frightening.” I hadn’t told them about Paisley’s advance, as that would have sent them off the rockers. I had intentionally kept it away to preserve Paisley’s reputation from them, since she would soon be their Luna. I wouldn’t want them to look at her wryly after she becomes the Queen. Sounds stupid but that’s who I am and I can’t help it. Too considerate for my own good.
Once it was 8:00pm, Mary left and I went back to my misery. I soaked myself in the tub for an hour, my thought cascading in different directions as I reflected on everything that transpired today. First was to the library. Mrs. Dolly’s words rang in my ears concerning my grandmother being a dark whisperer, and with the vile thought, came the reminder that my evil father and his cohorts; my former Alpha and his son, are lurking somewhere, probably seeking for an opportunity to grab me.
Even when I escape from here, I may never be free. I will still have to hide from my father, while working to conceal my whispering ability, so that I’m not caught and killed like they were done in the past.
My life might end up being be a ball of roller coaster till death. What a life!
Drawing back from that reflection, brought me back to Alfred’s odd behavior and his reluctance to respond to my questions. For now, my thoughts are mere assumptions until I have proof that truly he might be hiding something. Well, I really don’t care anymore. All I want now is to perfect my skills, get all the knowledge I seek, and make my way out of here. I must escape! There is no two ways about it. Damn the goddess and whatever consequences she wants to deem for me. No hell can be placed on my way that I haven’t endured before. So, I might as well go into it full-on without holding back. I meant it earlier when I told Alonso and Alfred that I didn’t want anything to do with them. They can fight and kill themselves for all I freaking care!
I rinsed off and left the tub, picking up my new pink towel to wrap around myself and another one to tie my wet hair.
When I reentered the room, I stood in front of the mirror, drinking in my image. What is beautiful about me that has made me a subject of lust rather than love?
My hair?
I removed the towel holding my hair, looking at its long length across my waist, the red seeming as though it has intensified. If this is what is causing the madness, then I will have to get rid of it!
I burrowed though my drawer until I lay my hand on a blue scissors and without any thought, started scissoring through it. I watched my hair fall to my feet in waves, and that was the hardest thing to me because my hair was my everything. I have always loved it from when I was a child, because no matter what had happened to me, it still kept its glorious sparkle, never fading or waning.
By the time I was done, with tears gushing like a river down my face, I was close to bald, my uneven cut staring back at me as if I was some sick pup! Now like this, I looked ten years younger than me and very ugly! Let me see if I will breathe peace without sex depraved men sniffing around me. Even women!
As I dropped the scissors to the floor in grief, my door flung open and I snapped around with blazing fury, having forgotten that I didn’t lock it beforehand. My eyes clashed with that of an astounded Alonso, his wide blues gaping at me.
“What have you done?!”
…