Chapter 4

Days later…

Adeline's POV

I stood amidst the crowd in the grand hall as I watched my mother and the Alpha King take their vows. After that, they exchanged rings and sealed their union with a kiss that made the whole pack go wild with cheers and applause.

I joined in the applause, still wondering if this was all a dream. My eyes met with Mother's, and she beamed at me, causing me to smile as well. I wanted to be happy for her sake but I couldn't help the gnawing feeling in my chest at the thought of being family with that annoying jerk.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that washed over me either, and I keep feeling like this wasn't going to be good for me. Heck! Nothing is ever good for me when Alan is around. He constantly looks for ways to spoil my mood.

Speaking of the devil, where is he anyway? I found myself scanning the room for Alan, wondering where he was. I spotted him across the room, looking smug and self-satisfied as usual. I rolled my eyes and turned away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was thinking about him.

Flora returned with the drinks she went to get and handed me a glass as she took a seat. “I still can't believe my best friend is now a princess. Looks like Alan calling you a Princess gave you this luck.”

I scoffed. “Oh please!” I rolled my eyes. “Alan has no good intentions, Flora. He just wants to get me riled up all the time.”

“He isn't that bad.” she blushed, tucking her hair behind her ears.

I snorted. “Easy for you to say. You're not the one who gets picked on every day, pranked and made to look like a fool. After all, you have a stupid crush on him, so you literally see nothing wrong with him.” I glared at her.

I wonder what she sees in Alan that makes her so obsessed with him. Sure he was good-looking, great in sports, very intelligent and always aced all his tests and exams, but that didn't excuse his annoying behavior. I mean, what's the hurt in being a good and awesome person like Tyler, huh? Where's the wrong with that?

Flora sighed. “Come on, Addie, try to see the good in him. He might not be that bad-”

I cut her off, not wanting to hear it. “Flora, you're my best friend, but if you keep defending him, I don't know if I can-”

Just then, Alan appeared at our side, a smirk on his face. “Hey, Princess,” he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Enjoying the celebration?”

Flora lowered her head immediately, and I scoffed.

I glared at him. “Don't call me that,” I spat. “And no, I'm not enjoying it. I'm only here because I have to be.” I answered and crossed my legs.

Alan chuckled. “Ah, come on. Lighten up. It's a party.”

I rolled my eyes and turned away, but he just laughed and sat down beside me, his arm brushing against mine. I felt a shiver run down my spine at the touch, and I quickly moved away from him. “Don't touch me,” I hissed.

Alan held up his hands, grinning. “Okay, okay. I didn't mean to invade your personal space, Princess. Why do you always have to be so hot headed around me?”

I huffed and folded my arms, feeling like ripping him in two. Flora, sensing the tension, stood up. “I'm going to go get some more drinks. You two enjoy… um… each other's company.”

She quickly walked away, leaving me alone with Alan. I glared at him, trying to think of something to say to get him to leave me alone. But before I could come up with anything, he spoke up.

“You know, Adeline, I have to say. I'm really enjoying this. You're so much more fun when you're angry.”

I felt my face heat up with rage. “You're enjoying this? You're enjoying making me miserable?”

Alan shrugged. “Well, it's not every day I get to see you so worked up. You're usually so calm and collected. It's kind of… refreshing to see you lose your cool.”

“Unbelievable!” I snapped and stood to my feet. With a huff, I turned and walked away, leaving him to himself.

“Addie dear, over here, come say hi to your father,” Mother called and I nodded. I made sure I had a smile on my face before approaching her and the Alpha King.

“Your Majesty,” I curtsied.

“Call me Father, Addie. There is no need for formality now that we're family.” he smiled at me and I could sense the sincerity in his words and gaze.

I nodded with a genuine smile this time. “Thanks, Father.” I replied, and he beamed at me, causing me to wonder if this was the brutal Alpha King Ryker people often talked about. They said he was ruthless and had a fair sense of judgment. I was expecting him to be… a bit hard, but he turned out to be a cool person.

I looked at my mother and she winked at me. Love truly is a beautiful thing, huh? Too bad, I don't think I can ever find mine.

“How is it going with your Stepbrother, dear?” The Alpha King asked, and I bit back the curse words that wanted to escape my mouth.

Before I could answer, Alan came, wrapped his hand around my shoulder and smiled. “It's going pretty well, Father. My stepsister is a little bit extra, but it's nothing I can't handle.”

I raised an eyebrow. Me? Extra? What the heck does that even mean?

The Alpha King smiled. “That's lovely. I told you it was all going to be fine, didn't I?” he asked and Alan nodded, making me confused.

I brought his hands down from my shoulder and made a mental note to avoid him for the rest of the celebration, and that was exactly what I did.

***

A day after the wedding, I was in the car, making my way to my new home - The Palace. I felt so nervous about how my life was going to be from now henceforth. I wondered if I would still be treated the same way, if what happened at my mating ceremony was out the window since I was royalty now. I thought about it a lot and looked out the window with a heavy sigh.

We arrived at the palace and my eyes widened at how large the golden gates were. I turned to look at Mother, and she gave me a reassuring smile.

As I stepped out of the car and onto the palace grounds, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The palace was grand and imposing, with high walls and tall spires that seemed to stretch up to the sky. I felt small and insignificant in comparison.

My mother, now Luna, took my hand and led me inside. The interior of the palace was just as impressive as the exterior, with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. I felt like I was walking into a fairy tale.

We made our way to my room and I couldn't help but wonder what it was going to look like.

When we arrived at my room, I was surprised to see that it was already furnished and decorated. There were flowers on the bedside table and a welcome note on the pillow. Plus, the walls were painted in sky blue with white floral patterns - my favorite.

“It's beautiful,” I said, smiling for the first time since I got here.

My mother smiled and hugged me. “I'm so glad you like it, dear. I wanted to make sure you felt at home here.”

I nodded. “I love it. Thanks, Mother.”

“I'll leave you to get settled in.” she pecked my forehead and walked out of the room.

I saw her out and was about to close my door when I noticed a door next to mine. There was soft music playing in the room, causing me to wonder who was in there. Could it be a maid or… probably one of the royal families or relatives?

I stepped out of my room, eager to feed my curiosity. I placed a gentle knock on the door and the music stopped. I heard footsteps and smiled as the door knob turned but when the door opened, my smile faded, replaced with horror.

“Alan!” I exclaimed and he smirked.

“Hello, sister, looks like we're more like neighbors now, don't you think?” he chuckled, causing me to furrow my brows, confused.

And then the realization hit me. He's next door!

Alan is freaking next door!

I'm screwed!