Vindicator

Chapter 61

After welcoming the Prince into her room, Christina politely excused herself to give the two younger wolves privacy. She desperately wanted to eavesdrop, but suspected the Prince may frown on that. Instead, she had to hope that her daughter would keep her informed at a later time.

Watching her mother's retreating figure, followed by a closed door, Karma couldn't help but feel abandoned. Why couldn't her mother stay and have this conversation for her? "Traitor" she thought mutinously.

"We did this ourselves; more specifically, you did" Alessia snarked.

"Oh, nobody asked you" Karma retorted half-heartedly.

Chance cleared his throat, bringing Karma's attention back to him. He had dragged over a chair from the small desk nearby, and was now sitting in it so that he was facing the bed that Karma was sitting on. He gave Karma a small, slightly forced smile before beginning to speak. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your time with your mother...I was just notified of your conversation with my father."

Karma nodded her head, giving him an awkwardly forced smile in return. "I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you first, before suggesting it to him...It only needs to be in name, really, to hopefully deter the ones plotting the war. I don't want you to think I'm trying to force you to marry me or something" she rambled.

Chance gave a mirthless laugh. "I'm a wolfless and mateless Prince who has no future, Spectre. You are blessed by the goddess, the first daughter of an Alpha to have ever existed, a saviour to so many, and for all intents and purposes, the first female Beta of a pack. I think if anyone is being forced into this, it's you."

Karma frowned at his self-deprecation, shaking her head. "That's not true at all, and you know it. You have a wolf, and we will get him back so that you will have a great future of leading the wolves to bettering our species as a whole. I know that the focus is always on mating and procreating; but, we are a generation where changes are happening. Who says you have to follow the norms to be great? Change their minds!"

Chance stared at her, surprised by her passionate speech. His shock only lasted a moment, though, before he gave a grim smile. "A pretty speech, but words can't change what fate has given me. I appreciate the offer you have made, of trying to save face for me to prevent a war...But I think the better option is to let me follow the hand fate has dealt me."

"What do you mean by that?" Karma demanded with a raised brow, scooting to the edge of the bed in preparation to smack him if his meaning was what she thought it was.

"When a Prince's wolf cuts the bond, it means that the Prince is not worthy of leading. That is essentially a death sentence, meaning Xander believes that I no longer deserve to live. The tradition says that I should accept that fate" he explained without emotion, as if he wasn't suggesting he should kill himself.

Karma growled, jumping to her feet then stomping to the Prince. She caged him in his seat with her body by placing her hands on the arms of his chair, and leaned in close so she was staring him in the eye. "If Xander wants to sentence you to death for choosing to give someone autonomy over their own heart and happiness, then he and I are going to have a long talk when I find his furry ass. And I will find him. Until then, you're going to continue living, tradition be damned, and we are going to shut this war down together. I will not let my Prince die without a fight, just because his wolf is angry that he was selfless; something a Prince needs to be if he wants to be a good King. Got it?" She demanded, beautiful green eyes narrowed at him.

Chance was taken off guard by her bold movements, and completely flustered by her proximity. He nearly didn't hear what she was saying, so focused on the feel of her breath against his face while she spoke. Blushing, he merely nodded wordlessly in response to her question.