Distance

>>Portia

Tears plopped down on my lap while I sat by the little window in the attic room which was also my bedroom. Being the lowest-ranked member of the pack has earned me only this tiny space to live in. The view from the window showed a direct view of the forest surrounding the area but I couldn’t really focus on anything else but my emotions.

I could never have imagined that being ignored by your destined one would hurt this much.

Knock Knock.

The tapping sound on the door made me look toward the entrance.

“Hey~” Grey came into the room with a worried look, “What’s wrong?!” She ran over to me carefully since the small room doesn’t have much space but it is long, “I was looking all over the place for you, you suddenly disappeared.”

I wiped my tears and looked at her, “It’s nothing,” I sniffled and she crouched down in front of me and took my hands in hers.

“What do you mean it’s nothing?” She wiped my cheeks, “Why are you crying then?”

I shook my head but the pain in my heart didn’t allow me any peace. I was mostly hurt because of how humiliated I was in front of the guests, especially in front of Egon.

“The twins,” I managed to say and then sniffled.

“Aw man,” Grey sighed and wiped my tears away, “We both know what kind of bitches they are.” She stood up with my hand in hers, “I’m sure you didn’t even eat anything since you disappeared before lunchtime.” She looked out the window, at the dark sky, “Everyone’s having dinner.” She pulled me up, “Let’s go eat.”

“I’m not really hungry…”

Grey didn’t pay any heed to my words and pulled me along with her, “You need to have at least one meal in the whole day!” She refused to let me stay in my room and we went out.

We were making our way down to the first-floor kitchen when we crossed paths with Alpha Miles and Prince Ulrich on the second floor.

Alpha Miles looked at me, “Ah! Portia,” He smiled at me which immediately gave me the creeps because he’s never smiled at me like that. Most of the time he just doesn’t acknowledge my existence, “There you are!” He seemed awfully excited about something but I just felt bad, “We’ve got news for you.” It was as if I already knew this ‘news’ was going to be the death of me.

“Yes?” Instinctively I knew something was wrong and my grip on Grey’s hand increased.

“You’re turning eighteen in a few days so,” He glanced at Prince Ulric and they passed each other a smile, “It’s my right as the Alpha to make sure you have a place to stay even when you leave from here. So,” He looked back at me, “We’ll be marrying you off.” The aura around them was all lively but on my side, a big dark boulder of doom was dropped on my head.

“Yes?” It was as if someone snatched away the earth below my feet. I felt like I was falling into a kind of dark abyss. The incomprehensible sense of doom took over me as my heart fell into the pit of my stomach, “To whom?” I asked feebly, scared that I’d offend him otherwise.

“There’s another pack, Moonlight, the Alpha lost her mate recently and he wants to take another wife.” His grin widened, “Your perfect for that.”

My stomach churned at the news and I turned my head to look at Egon who stood behind Prince Ulrich along with the other two guards, he was standing behind everyone but I could see his face clearly. He gave no reaction to that, he stood in his position like a soldier with his hands tied behind his back and a stoic blank expression.

I kept my eyes on him but he refused to even spare me even a glance. He ignored my existence altogether making my heart shatter and panic more.

“Hey~” Prince Ulric waved his hand in front of me trying to be friendly, “Don’t be scared,” His gesture made me look at him, “You’ll be doing a huge favor for the royal family if you do this.” He smiled at me but I couldn’t bring myself to smile back at him, “You have nowhere else to go, right? So, no harm done.” He stared at me, waiting for a response while I looked back in fear.

“C-can I not?”

The fake smile on Alpha Miles' face dropped and while it scared me that he was going to be mad, he said something softer in return, “No worries,” He looked the other way and gestured to someone to come over and then looked at me again, “You can think it through.” He gave me another smile and immediately after began to guide the Lycans to their rooms.

I watched them all leave one by one with a heavy heart but when Egon passed by me, who was walking at the last I made an attempt to talk to him,  “Um!” I stopped him in his path. I had to talk to him. Maybe we could clear things out! Maybe there was something I had misunderstood and can be cleared and solved, “I-”

“Don’t talk to me.” He said bluntly, “Don’t ever try talking to me again.” He shut me up even before I could start and walked on, leaving me there in bewilderment and confusion. I clearly felt the distance between us as he walked away..

“Portia!” I heard someone call my name, I think it was the head maid, or maybe it was Grey but my mind felt so fuzzy at all that had happened that nothing was making sense around me anymore, not even the voices being addressed to me. I vaguely remember the head maid coming over and telling Grey to go to her mother in the dizzy experience where the world was getting a little blurry around me. I heard the muffled sound of them talking but my mind wasn’t registering anything.

Then she held my hand and took me somewhere with her.

***

“Do you understand girl!” The head maid smacked the sharp crop whip on my legs, “They need to send you there for a peace treaty! What other chance will you ever get to be useful to the people who raised you?” She hit my legs again, cutting them due to the constant abuse.

“B-but!” I groaned in pain as the stick came in contact with my bare calves, “W-what i-if I h-have-” I couldn’t even speak straight because of the pain, “M-mate!”

She stopped her stick and looked at me like I had said the dumbest thing possible, “I didn’t hit you on the head yet you lost your IQ.” She mocked me, “Someone as defective as you won't have a mate. That is why you were chosen for this. You're a bastard kid.” Her words as well as her voice were full of spite.

I stood there with trembling legs and wet cheeks as I watched her degrade me. My body and mind were already in pain yet she managed to put more spice to the wounds.

“Go to your room.” She stood up and threw the stick away in anger, “I’ve disciplined you enough.” She loomed over me, “Don’t try to deny the Alpha again.” She grabbed my ear roughly and pulled me closer, “Understand?”

I was scared out of my wits already, mix in the pain and the emotional damage, I nodded in return as tears streamed down my cheeks in fear.

“Good,” She released me, “Get lost.”