Princess...

Chapter 36

Ethan

Once I'd called off the pack search for Ace, I couldn't settle. She knew who was hurting her, and the worst part was that she was hiding their identities from me. As I glanced around at all of the pack leaders, I felt a strong dislike towards all of them as any could be her ex-mate.

"Did you get your answers, Alpha Lake?" Beta Deryn appeared by my side and I shook my head, meeting his eyes with a fierce stare and showing him the encounter I just had. His jaw clenched when the memory was done; he may be against my involvement with the redheaded rogue, but no respectable wolf would stand by and let an innocent woman be abused. "Why won't she tell you?" He asked and I shrugged, ruining my hair further as I dragged a hand through it and pulled lightly, hoping for some pressure to release the anger flowing through my veins

"I don't know why. But I can't focus because every passing moment I know that asshole is sauntering around here, waiting to run into her again." My teeth were clenched and fists balled up by my side. I took a glass of champagne Delta Kurt offered, hoping some alcohol would focus my mind on the festivities taking place around me. It took the edge off but every single time I caught sight of a wolf that wasn't from my pack, the anger resurfaced and I questioned if they were capable of hurting Ace. "Did you know Ace isn't even her real name?" I spoke aloud into the silence between my Beta and me and his head turned to face me

"Do we know her real name? That may explain why we have no new answers." I shook my head in response, loosening the tie around my neck and rolling up the sleeves. The sun was setting and I'd more than had enough of the party. I bid the Alpha King and his Luna goodnight, before stalking up to my room and discarding my clothes into the hamper, collapsing onto my navy comforter. I needed sleep if I was going to find Ace's ex-mate tomorrow before they all left, but it never came. I stared at the ceiling for hours until a knock snapped me out of the trance I was in. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants to keep some form of decency as the person waited patiently outside the door

"Come in." I took another seat on the edge of the bed but stood when the familiar scent of rogue caused my inner wolf to stir "Ace?" My eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as the small woman entered my room and bowed her head. I stayed in place as she closed the door behind her and I turned to look out the window, waiting for her to speak

"Ace isn't my real name." My head snapped back to the rogue who was now staring at me, eyes slightly swollen from crying and the bruise stood out against her pale complexion under the soft glow of my bedside lamp. I nodded, wordlessly telling her that I already knew that. "My real name is Accalia." My heart stopped and I fully turned to the woman, who was watching my reactions carefully

"As in... named after the late daughter of the Farkas family?" I asked, struggling to understand why anyone would name their child after the daughter of such a terrible family. She nodded slowly, chewing her lip which made my inner wolf stir more.

"My real name is Ethan." I admitted, offering a small smile as thanks for her confiding in me. When her face didn't change, I grew more curious "How did you know that already?" I asked, taking a seat on the mattress of my bed.

"My parents told me when I was young. I never forgot it." She shrugged and glanced nervously back to the door. "Ethan... When my pack leaves tomorrow, I don't know if I'll be dragged away with them. I don't want to go..." Her voice was quiet and her eyes never met mine. I stood quickly, only pausing for a moment when she flinched before I towered over the redheaded rogue

"Then don't leave just yet. Stay with me for a minute, princess." I whispered between us and crashed my lips against hers, desperate to feel the sensation again. It was a bruising kiss, one that conveyed all of the emotions I was feeling; anger, sadness, fear, and a few more I hadn't dared confront yet. I needed to stay in the moment, where my hands came up to rest on the redhead's face. I made sure not to touch the bruise on her cheekbone and her smaller hands rested on my forearms, kissing back quickly. I don't know why I was kissing her, just that my inner wolf demanded it and I was not one to deny my wolf form his urges. I had to pull away before it went any further, panting lightly as we caught our breath and I walked towards the window, staring hard.

"Do you like to read?" Ace- no, Accalia asked and I nodded distractedly, my thoughts entirely on the kiss

"I imagine you've seen the library. I've read each book in there at least once. Do you have any hobbies that I don't know about? Music or singing or dancing?" She was opening up to me and I couldn't ignore the burning urge to get to know the smaller woman. If the Moon Goddess was to strike me down for my actions, let there be a damned good reason for doing so.

"No. Those are my siblings. My brothers were fighters, my sister's musicians and dancers. The only attractive quality I had was that I was the fastest in my pack, unbeaten my whole life." She should have been proud of that, but the tone of her voice told me otherwise. I moved to sit on the right side of my bed, offering Accalia the other side with an outstretched hand. She hesitated but eventually came to sit down, and I wondered if she remembered the night she had slept in here.

"You should be proud of that though. If I couldn't beat you in a race, that is surely something to gloat about." I laughed lightly, but the redhead meekly smiled, staring down at her lap

"I wasn't Luna material. My father detested me for that... When I found my mate I was an Omega, he was a warrior. I had to rank up to be with him, though I never wanted to. I hate violence and fighting the wolves of my pack was the furthest thing from my ideal way to spend a day." I shot her a quizzical look, remembering when I saw her back in Irvine

"But in the Rogue club, you looked perfectly capable of fighting then?" I was pushing for answers, but nothing ever indicated the name of her pack; she must have been practising her cover for some time

"I fought when I became rogue for survival and money. It's not who I am to fight, I let my wolf do the most part and my human form just acts upon the demands. I didn't rank up and then... I was banished." Accalia didn't want to tell me anymore based on the repeated response she'd gave so I let it slide, watching her closely. I'd done this since I brought her here, unable to take my eyes off the redheaded rogue whenever she was in the same room as me and everyone in the pack noticed. They thought it was a lust thing, but I hadn't quite figured out the real reason yet; I just stared because she was intriguing. Accalia sighed and stood from the bed, moving towards the door

"You should stay here for tonight. You know, just in case your ex-mate finds you." I was making excuses, but I didn't want her to leave just yet and that's all that mattered. The shorter woman nodded, hovering by the door and I stood, moving over to the armchair and taking a seat. "You can have the bed. I'll be fine over here." Without giving her any time to protest I closed my eyes. When I didn't hear her getting into bed I opened one eye, seeing her standing awkwardly by the side of it.

"I don't have any of my clothes to change into... This dress isn't exactly comfortable to sleep in when I'm sober." She laughed lightly and I opened my wardrobe, finding a top that would definitely bury the redheaded rogue. I offered it to her and she disappeared into the bathroom to get changed, resurfacing minutes later and offering me a shy smile as my eyes raked over her body in instinct. Okay so she was still losing weight, but damn even under the oversized shirt, her figure was to die for, which attracted my inner wolf more than I wanted to admit. Instead of saying anything more I moved over to the armchair again and sat down, feeling much better knowing Accalia was safe in this room with me.