What am I missing?…
When I finally entered the room, I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath. The room felt like a safe haven, a place where I could collect my thoughts and try to make sense of everything. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, the faint glow still visible around me. It was a reminder that whatever was happening, it was real and not just a figment of my imagination.
We needed answers, and soon. The royal seer might hold the key to understanding what was happening to me and how to control it. But until then, I had to stay strong and trust that Lucas and Simon would help me navigate this new, uncertain path.
I carefully sat down, trying to clear my head, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the strange light emanating from my body and the unexpected aggression I had felt. Sure, I never liked Veronica, and yes, I never wanted her in the house or anywhere near Simon and Lucas, but reacting that way? That was something I knew I would not do in my right mind.
Although I didn’t want to react even in the heat of the moment, it felt as if something deep within me had been triggered, something I didn’t fully understand yet.
“Well, if this whole situation gives me more courage to beat up that witch, then I’ll take it. I’m good,” I said to myself, laughing as I fell back flat on the bed.
“Let me just focus on the positive side of the situation; everything will be fine,” I said again, resolving to face whatever challenges lay ahead. I moved my body over to sit on the edge of my bed and let out a sigh.
I remained in the same position for a short while, and boredom soon took over. Normally, I was always asking for Madam Mortica to leave me alone since she always brought trouble, but with this boredom, I definitely wanted her company and the trouble that came with it.
I stood up from the bed, walked towards the window, and looked at the view, which wasn’t even entertaining. My side of the mansion faced the pet animals and the garden, which did nothing to alleviate my boredom. I sighed heavily and made my way back to the bed to try to sleep. The day was still quite young, but I was determined to at least rest for a short while.
It worked, but I didn’t sleep for long. I looked at the wall clock and saw that I had only slept for about 20 minutes. I was about to fall back on the bed when a knock came on the door.
“Come in,” I responded, and Lilian, one of the maids in the house, walked in.
“Oh, good evening, Lilian.”
“Good evening, Ashley. Actually, the thing is, His Highness calls for you.”
“His Highness? Who exactly is calling, Lucas or Simon?”
“His Highness Lucas.”
“Oh, alright then. I’ll be down in a minute.” She was about to leave when I remembered to ask, “Yes, where is he?”
“Oh, he’s currently in his study room. The royal seer is with him as well.”
“Oh, the royal seer is here already?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then, thank you,” I responded, and she made her way out of the room. I followed right behind her downstairs towards Lucas’ study room. When I got there, I could hear the royal seer’s voice, so I waited to listen a bit before going in.
“We cannot be too sure just yet, my King. She is just experiencing this for the first time, and I cannot tell exactly what it is.”
“But what are the possibilities attached to this incident?”
“Well, it could be any of many things, actually. You mentioned the other time that she is an Omega who was brought in as a slave from Alpha Klaus’ pack. It is well known that Klaus always gets these girls when they are very young from their respective packs. This means she has most likely not been able to develop her emotional intensity. The glow started when you two were together, right?”
“Yes.”
“Was there anything intimate going on between you two when it started?”
“Well, kind of. We had just finished eating, and we were dancing and having a good time together.”
“Hmm, that could be a reason.”
“What is?”
“I mentioned that it is very possible she has not been able to develop her emotional intensity, and so being in that moment and feeling love could be why she started glowing.”
“Really?”
“Yes, of course! It is the mating season, and we wolves have a lot of things going on, sometimes things we can’t even explain. But at the same time, it could also be a transformation or awakening process for her.”
“What do you mean?”
“It could be that she is developing new abilities and discovering more about her identity as a wolf. When she first came into the mansion, did she display any specific quality or ability?”
“Hmmm, no, I don’t think so. In fact, she seemed very lowly and weak. This made Simon hate her so much, coupled with the fact that she was brought in as our slave back then as well.”
“Exactly. It is possible that she is starting to develop her abilities. Oh yes, can you please let me know what exactly happened a while ago before I arrived?”
“Oh, of course! I was here in the study room trying to get a few things done, and I heard voices coming from upstairs. They were obviously yelling at each other, but what I didn’t expect to see was Simon standing there just doing nothing while they argued. The argument became very heated, and the next thing I saw was Ashley hitting King Norway’s daughter, Princess Veronica, across the face really hard. She hit the princess so hard that the latter actually flew across the room from the impact.”
“Wait, what? Please don’t tell me she displayed any form of rage.”
“What do you mean? Of course, she was extremely angry. It was so bad that it took me biting her to calm her down, otherwise, only the goddess knows what she would have done to Veronica.”
“Has she ever displayed this type of anger before?”
“Never! Simon and I were extremely surprised because she has honestly never portrayed such anger. What am I even saying? Ashley has never been angry since the day she got here.”
“Oh no!”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, I… I think I’ll have to go now, just to make more inquiries.”
“Wait, just hold on a minute, please, at least tell me what is wrong?”
“I’ll be back soon, Your Highness. For now, I need to make some inquiries.” I heard approaching footsteps coming towards the door, so I ran to a corner to hide. I peeked as soon as the door opened, watching as the royal seer rushed out of the mansion. Lucas followed behind him, trying to get him to stay, but the seer had already made up his mind. He made his way out, and I just couldn’t understand what had caused him to react so strongly. Lucas returned to his study room after trying to convince him, all to no avail. I waited a few seconds afterward so that he wouldn’t suspect I had listened in on their conversation before making my way towards the study room. I knocked on the door softly, and his voice came from inside.
“Come in.” As I made my way in, he looked up from the table to meet my gaze.
“Oh, Ashley, you’re here?”
“Yes, Lucas, you called for me?”
“Oh, um, well yes, I had. The thing is, I had summoned the royal seer regarding, you know, this,” he said, pointing both hands to emphasize my glowing body, “and he was here not too long ago.”
“Oh okay, so where is he now?”
“I don’t know what exactly happened with him, but he just asked a couple of questions, which I answered, and the next thing he did was panic and leave.”
“Oh my, what happened? Couldn’t he even tell you what is going on with me and how we can solve it?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing came out of his mouth about the situation, and I am really worried.”
“Oh no.”
“But how do you feel now? Hope the bite mark isn’t still painful?” he said, standing up from his seat and walking closer to where I stood.
“Oh, it’s quite sore and a bit heavy to lift, but it’s fine now. I don’t feel pain there,” I responded, pulling down the neckline of my dress a bit to reveal the bite mark. The moment Lucas set his eyes on the mark, I instantly heard him growl under his breath. He tried to make it as silent and unnoticeable as possible, but I heard it loud and clear. Surprisingly, my hearing was as sharp and clear as ever, something I had just noticed.
“Um, Lucas, are you okay?” I asked, noticing the rapid change in the color of his eyes. He licked his teeth, his eyes still fixed on the bite mark, and I was utterly confused by what was going on.
“Mate!” Lucas growled, rushing even closer to me. His eyes were still focused on my bite mark, so I quickly covered it with my dress again. As soon as I did this, his eye color instantly returned to normal, and he seemed calmer and more collected.
“Lucas, are you okay?”
“Yes, um, absolutely! I am perfectly fine. I just need to rest, that’s all.”
“Oh, you need to rest? Alright then, please take care of yourself. I’ll be in my room if you need anything, okay?”
“Sure, Ashley. Thank you,” he responded, and I slowly made my way out.
As I left the study room, Simon, who was coming from only the goddess knows where, walked past me quickly and went in to meet his brother. I thought about it for a while, but after contemplating, I finally decided not to listen in on their conversation. I made my way upstairs, and as usual, I kept getting stares from everyone. The intensity of their gazes felt like a physical weight, but I had started getting used to it. The whispers and furtive glances followed me, amplifying the unsettling aura that seemed to cling to me since the glow appeared.
Halfway up the stairs, I stopped, feeling a sudden rush of exhaustion and confusion. I sat down carefully, my eyes scanning the opulent surroundings of the mansion. The grandeur of the house felt suffocating, its splendor a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me. The earlier excitement of leaving the room had vanished, replaced by a gnawing uncertainty. The memory of Lilian’s sudden appearance, and the tension in her voice when she mentioned Lucas, played over in my mind like a haunting refrain.
I recalled everything the royal seer had said, his cryptic questions and the unease in his voice. Could I really be gaining new abilities and transforming? The thought sent a shiver down my spine as I stared at the bright glow on my hands. In just one day, I had experienced a whirlwind of emotions-love, anger, pain, pleasure, fear-all intensified beyond anything I’d ever known.
The implications were overwhelming. What if I was on the brink of discovering abilities far beyond what I could handle? The thought of possessing some of the strongest powers known to the wolf race both thrilled and terrified me. The air around me felt charged, every breath I took thick with anticipation and dread.
But the most unsettling part was how Lucas reacted to my bite mark. The transformation in his demeanor was alarming; the way his eyes changed color, the guttural growl that escaped his lips-it was as if something primal had been triggered within him. The connection between us felt almost tangible, charged with an intensity that I didn’t fully understand.
“What am I missing?” I asked myself quietly, my voice barely a whisper in the cavernous silence of the mansion. The unanswered questions swirled in my mind, each one heavier than the last. The tension was palpable, a tight knot in my chest that refused to loosen. Every sound seemed amplified, every shadow stretched into something ominous. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a precipice, teetering on the brink of an unknown fate.