“Thanks, Roland, for today. I truly appreciate your effort,” I commended him when he dropped us off at the house one hour later. Darkness was already covering and I know by now, they are already at the dining.
“It’s nothing. Just make sure you are good, okay?” he crooned.
“Yeah, see you at work tomorrow.” I waved at him and closed the door, nudging Nadia away so he could drive Mary to Lance’s quarters before leaving.
“Are you going for dinner?” Nadia asked from behind me, disrupting my composure from thinking of our discovery. Dinner. That didn’t cross my mind. I am not hungry but for the sake of putting up a face, I have to be present.
“Yeah. I have to.” I shrugged despairingly as we entered the lobby. “Go up and rest. You have had a long day. I will attend from here. We will see tomorrow, cool?” She nodded and ambled up while I took a deep breath and made my way to the dining room.
They were all there, including the almighty Theresa. So much for thinking she was going to be drained of every strength and wouldn’t be able to stand for a few days. Well, it’s good she is sound, if not, she would resent me in double folds for making her son hurt her.
“Danika! Where have you been? I came to your room earlier,” Paisley’s raspy voice rang in the room immediately I walked in.
I forced a smile as I hastened to Alfred’s side, noticing for the first time he didn’t make any move to bring out a chair for me, nor did he smile at me. He didn’t even respond to my greeting. What went on behind my back? I looked up at Paisley who seemed to be patiently waiting for my response. “I went out… something important.” I lowered my gaze to the plate an Omega was filling in front of me and stopped her when she was about to scoop another spoon of soup into my plate.
The air was denser and very uncomfortable for me.
“They fought. Again,” Muse spoke up Gad, not again. “It was deadly this time. The two brothers used their powers against each other and mate nearly killed his brother.”
My eyes snapped up abruptly at Alonso and he was scowling at his plate, the veins in his neck pulsating in the dim light. He must be very furious. It’s been a long time since I had seen him like this. I was slowly starting to forget he could be aloof and very dangerous.
“She is no good, son! Just like your first mate, she would bring nothing but-”
“And I remembered telling you that is enough, mother! I will not have you or anyone talk about Hilda or my present mate like that!” His voice was calm, yet, the tone was feral.
“But you have already made your choice. What use is she in this palace?” Theresa surged, while my heartbeat sky rocked.
“I will be the one to make that decision of who leaves and who stays. Now, I’m done talking about this,” he declared. I saw Theresa’s eyeballs dilate in shock and rage. She wants me gone. Yeah, I knew she would. I feared for this. Particularly after today. That is why I was so desperate for Paisley to be pregnant so that Theresa won’t look at her the same way she looks at her now. To her, I’m the villain, and Paisley, the saint- the one whom my presence is slowing her fast ascent to the throne.
“If I’m allowed to say something, Danika is actually a very cool person. I don’t mind if she stays behind. After all, she said she is no longer interested in the King, isn’t that it, Danika?” Paisley batted her faux lashes at me in anticipation.
I swallowed loudly as every attention focused on me, including Alfred who hasn’t spared me a glance since I entered the dining room. I bobbed my shoulders, perspiration breaking out. It’s just pretense, Danika, don’t take it personal. “Ye-ye-yeah,” I let out, sniggering in anxiety, my hands trembling like I suddenly developed Parkinson’s disease.
And for all my efforts, Theresa didn’t seem to accept my act. She scoffed. “Daft!” She dabbed her mouth with her napkin, tossed it roughly on the table, and stood. When I flicked my eyes in her direction, she drilled holes into me and said, “You might be deceiving every other person in here, but certainly not me. Don’t forget, my son might be stupid and want to crown you the Queen, but you will still need my blessings. Impudent lob!” she snarled under her breath, stood, and stormed out.
Tears of apprehension gathered in my eyes and fell unrestrained before I could help it. How did I come this far? She used to like me. What changed? It’s not like it was my fault that I lied? They made me do it and now I have to bear the blame just as I envisaged I would when the truth leaked.
“Danika…” Alonso purred from his chair.
I shook my head and stood rapidly. I needed to run. I have kept it all in for too long. The forest would be the only place to relieve this ache in my chest. “I’m fine.” I smiled through my tears and made my way out, hearing Paisley say something like, “She will be fine, babe.” Before I banged the door.
I had thought today would put an end to this problem. Yet, my plan B of finding a father has turned into a plan A of finding a lover! I feel so wretched and miserable. I have been so happy and now, now, I didn’t know anymore. I couldn’t lose Alonso. I can’t. Not now. If not for myself, but for the future of this Kingdom. They don’t deserve to bear the brunt of a lie-to give a crown to a deceptive bastard!
She knows I’m Alonso’s true mate and yet, she wouldn’t leave, instead, she maintains a lie of pregnancy just to keep him away from me!
My body was wracked with sobs when I transformed in the forest and kept running, not looking back. Muse was as bitter as I was, so she ran unhinged. We had no destination, just to let out this sour broth boiling within, striving to destabilize us.
After a long time running she became tired and panting raggedly when we reached our special spot at the river and eventually stopped, going to take a drink before I sat down by the river. It was already dark but I didn’t care or fear that anything horrid could happen. The vampires can attack me, or anyone. Full moon seasons are periods when wolves become unruly due to the powerful blood pull. This makes them do shitty things, but I don’t care.
I want to stay here for now, relishing the calmness and carousing sounds of the forest at night; the songs from the trees, the water, chirping birds, and the call of the fishes all combine to soothe me, mostly because of their innate ambiance.
My sharp wolf eyes leered around, my ears straining to grasp any sound apart from those of our immediate environment. Nothing. I sighed and transformed back, wearing my clothes, and sat down.
“You know, a little time enjoying the alluring sight wouldn’t have been terrible…” I jumped away in panic, as Alfred’s voice assailed the darkness. I wasn’t expecting him. Did he see me naked? And why didn’t I catch his scent?
“Are you wondering how you didn’t catch my scent?” he asked me, the side of his lower lips pushing up in his familiar smirk.
“Why are you here? Why would you mask your scents? Did you see me naked?” I rushed out the questions hurriedly, eyeing him. He didn’t talk to me back at the mansion and now he is here for what?
“Calm down, Sweetface. One question at a time.” He stopped in front of me. I took a step back, moving away from the water. “And yea, I saw you naked… it’s an enticing sight… worth every cent of my attention,” he leaned in to mutter darkly.
“You are sick, Alfred.”
He chuckled and looked away whilst running his fingers through his hair. “I know… As to your other questions, I didn’t mask my scent, you simply couldn’t catch it for a reason. And I am here because…” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “I wanted us to talk.”
“Talk about what? You couldn’t wait for me to return?” I bit out, fast losing my wit. I recently avoided being in isolation with him and even now I am having this odd sensation that comes with him since I became skeptical about his personality.
“About us.”
“About us, how?” What is he saying?
“Relax, Sweetface.” He took another step closer and I stepped back.
“I will not relax around you, Alfred. I-I came here to be alone. I don’t appreciate being stalked and we have nothing to talk about! I am not in the mood to talk to you. You don’t speak to me back there and now you show up here like, like-”
“Like what, Danika? Mmm?” he hummed eerily, giving me frightful chills. His eyes turned lethal as he assessed me. “You are not in the mood? You made my brother do something abhorrent to my mother and you expect me to be happy about it?”
“I didn’t make your brother do anything! I wasn’t even there when it took place! She hit me!” I balled my fist by my side.
“And so?” What! “So because she hit you, she deserved to be punished? Why? Because you are the fucken Queen bee? My brother is never going to marry you, you know that!”
I froze. “Alfred, you say that to me?” My voice became inaudible. A high influx of adrenaline flowed up my head in disbelief. “I thought you were my friend.”
He pinched his eyes closed and opened them, taking another step close. “I’m sorry, Danika. It didn’t come out the right way…”
“No, it did. You are exactly what I thought you are. A man bitch! You never liked me for me, but all the while you have been lusting after me! Oh, you think I didn’t know? I have forgiven you all this while because I-I believe in second chances. I thought maybe someday you will repent from whatever is going on in your head and become a better person. A person who would see me as his true friend, a person who would join forces with his brother to make this kingdom great, a person that would stop acting like some stuck-up mama’s boy and grow up!”
“Danika-”
“-But I’m done, Alfred. Alonso is right. I can’t trust you. I can’t trust that one day you won’t do something awful to me. So I’m breaking my friendship with you. Leave me alone, Alfred. Henceforth-”
He came at me and grabbed me but I saw it coming and kicked, catching him in the calf. He cursed and tottered back. “Danika…”
“Stay the fuck away from me!”
“Come here-”
“Get the fuck away from her, Alfred!”
We both flicked our eyes to the encroaching bulky man coming our way. Alonso.
Gad, has he been here all along?
…