Her return

Chapter 11

I don't know how, but I manage to leave the palace without being seen. It must be partly because my wolf was more in control than I was.

I take off my shoes and lifting the skirt of the dress I sprint toward my home. I wanted to run in my wolf form but I didn't want to risk someone finding my dress abandoned outside the palace. It would raise suspicion.

I growl lowly, clenching my jaw, trying to control my emotions but I was heartbroken and now I couldn't hold the tears anymore. I felt rejected, I felt abandoned, and the images of that night came rushing in front of my mind and I let out a scream.

There were a lot of emotions fueling my run and tears. Anger. Despair. Sadness. Pain. I could feel a heat that I have never felt before spreading around my chest and I started to get scared but held it in.

I run hidden by the shadow of the forest surrounding the kingdom and my pack. I didn't want anyone to find me. I felt humiliated. My own mate is going to mate with a chosen female and I felt embarrassed. I knew it was too good to be true.

Me? Mated with the royal prince? Ha! It even sounds ridiculous. How could I let myself fall for that?

I growl furiously, feeling the pain growing and spreading. It hurt so much! My wolf wanted to retreat into a silent and dark corner, but she also didn't want to leave me alone, because I am as hurt as she is. We only have each other. We always had. From the beginning.

When I arrive at the packhouse I run to my room to take everything off me and then jump out of the window of my room to shift into my wolf and start running again. I knew as soon as they realize I was gone, they will come looking for me here and I just wasn't ready to face anyone. I just disappointed my whole family. I picture their happy faces at the news that I have found my mate, none other but one from the royal family, someone close to the family. I just didn't want to see those smiles fading when they hear I wasn't wanted by my own mate. And I can't blame him.

Oh, Alec. My Alec. My beautiful prince charming.

That bitch was right. He would obviously choose someone like her, someone with a title and power. A lycan. Not a mere werewolf that spent almost half her life living like a human. I have nothing to offer to him. I would only bring disgrace to the royal family.

I growl with anger. Why didn't he tell me from the beginning? I would have tried to not get attached to him. I wouldn't have pictured our future together already. I wouldn't...

A growl comes out of me and stops dead in my tracks breathing heavily. My whole body was tense. I was hot all over, there was a warm sensation running through my body and I didn't know what that was. It made me feel more on edge, more furious.

Scared of this new feeling I shift back and hug my knees against my chest and hide my face in the hole that the position created and I cry.

I just wanted a stable life, one with not too many turns. I wanted to know what I am going to wake up to the next morning. Not knowing what tomorrow awaited scared the shit out of me. Everything was overwhelming and I felt like pulling my hair out.

I wanted my mate to comfort me, to hug me, to tell me that everything was going to be okay, but he is not here, and probably never will.

***

My wolf and I had a hard time getting our bearings, and it didn't occur to me that would be much more difficult for me to get oriented on my pack land. It is clear that the territory changed in the past decades. There were new scents, clearly. The vegetation grew and changed.

I knew it was selfish and unrealistic to expect everything to stay the same but... didn't expect to feel so foreign in my homeland. I felt like a stranger and it pained my wolf. Everything felt different, strange and I was so afraid to start all over. What if they reject me? What if my family doesn't like the person I have become? After all, I wasn't the innocent and gullible little girl of twelve anymore.