Princess...

Chapter 25

Accalia

Raula had woken me up a few hours after I passed out, the pain in my calf feeling more prominent now but a quick glance down showed the cut slowly healing under the stitches.

"I've been told to bring you some food." She offered me a plate and I shook my head, heaving slightly at the smell that filled my senses. I'd lapsed so far in my judgement of my situation that I hadn't even remembered my original purpose; to punish myself enough that the Moon Goddess pitied me enough to stop my suffering. Raula sighed and took the plate away, pressing a firm kiss to my forehead before leaving me alone again. I swung my legs out of the comforter and tested the pressure on my calf, which was more manageable now. The sun would set soon and I hadn't even helped Adolfina or Louvel at all. I took my time walking into the kitchen, where the twins were debating whether to go do something

"Can I help you guys?" I called out, my throat feeling scratchy as I was dehydrated. Adolfina quickly got me a glass of water and I accepted it graciously, relaxing as the cold liquid soothed my throat.

"We were going up to the off-limits areas to clean but Adolfina thinks that Alpha Lupus is inside. I told her that he's outside with the pack but she won't come with me. Will you help me, newbie?" My inner wolf stirred at the prospect of going back into the far West Wing and nodded, making my way towards the door as I needed a head start. We slowly moved through the mansion, Louvel talking animatedly about some pack gossip I cared little for before we arrived at the quad of rooms. I forced myself not to look at the bathroom I'd already been in that same morning, instead opting to push open the door to the study softly. When I stepped inside, my eyes widened in horror as I saw Alpha Lupus with some ginger woman, a rogue I assume based on the scent, with her head in his lap. I felt violently sick and quickly exited, not even closing the door fully as I turned away. Louvel stared at me quizzically before catching on

"By the Moon Goddess, he's got one of the rogue prostitutes in there!" She quietly exclaimed and I shushed her, pushing past her and into the library. Louvel followed me in, still whispering excitedly at the latest piece of gossip but my inner wolf snarled. I don't know why she was reacting this way, I knew full well that Alpha's used the rogue workers to their advantage, and I would be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind that Alpha Lupus had maybe wanted to use me for that purpose. I'd discarded the idea when I realised that if he wanted to use me like that, he would have already. The sound of the door to the study opening caused us both to freeze before another door closed and the sound of the shower turned on

"If he catches us up here, he will kill us both. We have to leave." I urged but Louvel's eyes were glinting mischievously, something I knew I would eventually regret. She put her finger to her lips and creeped out of the library, standing in the hall fully exposed and I hid in the crack of the library doorway, watching as the bathroom door opened and Alpha Lupus stepped out, only dressed in a towel. If Janie was here right now, she would be drooling and at a quick glance, I might have been also. I couldn't help it, there was a part of me that was human alongside my wolf side and seeing the rippling muscles along his chest as he spoke to Louvel made my inner wolf go crazy. Eventually, Alpha Lupus disappeared into his room and the twin dragged me from the room, pulling us away from the West Wing before he realised that we were there.

"He was naked! Can you believe that, newbie? He only had a towel on... Now I know I have Dalton, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a threesome with the Alpha..." I cringed at her words but zoned out, feeling slightly stronger as my inner wolf returned to healing the gash on my calf. We parted ways in the workers quarters, Louvel still rambling about how good looking the Alpha was as I collapsed backwards on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and noticing a heavy blush on my cheeks. I knew Alpha's were good looking; just the title alone caused a wolf to see the attraction, let alone the natural charm I knew he had. I listened to my stomach gurgle in hunger but I simply wrapped my arms over it, trying to get it to quieten so I could get some sleep. A knock broke me from my hunger-induced daze and I sat up quickly, perching on the edge of the bed and calling for the person to come in.

"Are you hungry?" It was Alpha Lupus and I forced myself not to think of the towelled gem I'd seen just an hour ago, shaking my head and staring at the floor.

"I ate earlier, Alpha." I lied, hoping this was the one lie he couldn't see through. I glanced up to see a plate with a sandwich on it that the Alpha held out to me. He sighed in response and placed the plate on my bedside table, moving towards the window on the far side of my room

"How is your leg, Ace?" He was no longer looking at me so I took the opportunity to observe the gash properly, seeing the corners had healed but the middle part still glowed an angry red colour

"It's getting better. Still isn't healed fully though, Alpha." I mumbled, running my finger over the corner of the wound where a scar was already appearing. The Alpha spun around to face me, slamming his hand on the windowsill and making me flinch back

"It should be healed by now, Ace. Why aren't you healing?" His tone was threatening, laced with something I couldn't decipher but I dared not to tell him the reason, especially as he wouldn't understand. I shrugged, no words forming as I stared at the ground with my head bowed.  "You need to eat Ace. Your wolf needs the strength to heal you and that's the only reason I can think of why you aren't healing like everyone else-" My eyes snapped up to meet a pair of startling hazel ones and anger flooded through my veins. How dare he try and force me to be like everyone else when he didn't know my story? My past? The reasons why I live my life the way I do?

"I ate earlier. I've told you this already. I'm not like everyone else, Alpha. I would like it if you'd stop comparing me to the other members of your pack as I am rogue. You don't know my story and you don't know me. I'm just some rogue worker forced to live in your house because you brought me here. Now if you'll excuse me, Guardian Greil told me I should rest." With that, I pulled my legs back under the comforter and turned to face the door of my room. A sigh came from Alpha Lupus before he left, pausing in the doorway but I closed my eyes before he could say anything and he left, closing the door softly behind him. I was angry, but more importantly, I was hungry. I needed the gash on my leg to heal so I could run again, it was my only stress relief. Without leaving myself any time to question it, I sat up and devoured the sandwich, ignoring the strong wave of guilt that washed over me as I replaced the now empty plate onto the small cupboard, clicking off the lamp and closing my eyes, willing sleep to come quickly.