Princess...

Chapter 40

Accalia

I awoke when I heard a door close, flinching and curling myself into a ball. When there was no more movement I lifted my head, taking in the room and realising that whoever was here, they were gone now. My inner wolf was back, and she was exhausted; I need food. I creeped out of Alpha Lupus' bedroom but stopped when I heard voices in the boardroom. I listened closely and heard the Alpha telling someone that Raula knew my mate was here. My eyes widened and I took off running, determined to find the older woman before they did. She couldn't lie to the Alpha, so I needed to hide before they found me, the pain from Z'ev's abuse was put in the back of my mind for the moment.

"Raula!" I shouted as I charged into the kitchen, narrowly missing the larger woman as she placed a plate on the island counter

"Ace! What is the matter?" Her face was one of worry and I panted heavily, trying to get my breath back to explain

"Alpha Lupus knows that you know who my mate and old pack are. They will come for you and demand answers. I can't be killed Raula, they will kill me!" Tears streamed down my cheeks and I gasped for air as my nose ran, the ugly side effect of crying. My mother figure embraced me tightly before pulling back, searching my eyes for any signs that I would be willing to allow her to talk. "I'll go with them, Raula. I will demand my old pack come to fetch me from the forest if you tell Alpha Lupus anything. He cannot know my true identity." The faint whiff of cologne caused my head to snap towards the dining room; I was running out of time. I placed a firm kiss on Raula's cheek before bursting out of the back door, breaking out into a run as I disappeared beyond the treeline of the forest for protection. I don't know if she would tell them anything, but for now, I had bought myself a little more time. My human form was exhausted, the wound's Z'ev had inflicted on me were still there, but slightly healed which would explain why my inner wolf had been relatively subdued. Granting myself one more boost of energy, I climbed the large oak tree I had opted to briefly lean against, not stopping until I was far above the ground. I may be clumsy, but when in danger my inner wolf had capabilities I could only dream of.

"And now we wait..." I mumbled to myself, resting against the thick branch I was perched on. There was no food up here, which I realised after a few minutes of my stomach grumbling, that I'd failed the whole purpose of leaving the room. In the distance, a stream of wolves exited the mansion and it dawned on me; Alpha Lupus knew I was missing. Did he know my true identity? Only time would tell and each second that dragged by made me sick with worry. Scouts and Hunters ran through the forest below but never looked up to where I was sitting.

"Is she here?" One wolf asked another and they stopped directly under the tree I was hiding in. I held my breath tightly, keeping my body completely still so they wouldn't notice me

"We've searched the whole forest. Rogue Ace isn't here. I'll inform Alpha Lupus." I exhaled harshly after they had disappeared, chuckling softly at how bad the men really were at their jobs. Minutes turned into hours and my lower half was numb, begging for me to move and stimulate the blood flow to my legs. It was too risky, in the distance I could still see wolves searching the premises. The Alpha himself ran outside at some point, but never ventured into the forest; from a distance, he looked pale with worry and for a second I felt guilty.

"He just wants to kill you, don't be stupid Accalia." I scolded myself, using my real name to accentuate how idiotic the feelings were. My inner wolf pined for the Alpha's scent and comforting touch but also knew that the risks were too big; survival is a wolf's biggest priority besides their Alpha. I watched the mansion closely from my position in the tree, waiting for any kind of movement to tell me it was still unsafe. I rested my head back against the trunk of the oak tree and closed my eyes, but they shot open when I heard a rustling below me