Chapter Four

Alpha King Nicholas Kurt's POV.

Two nights before the bonding night.

"Mother, what is that thing I see in my room? What have you done?" I barge into her study room, instantly stopping her conversation with a small council. Instantly, they all make their way out of the room.

"Your anger clouds your mind, son. Speak to me with respect. You cannot be barbaric to me, too." Her tone is gentle as she adjusts her position on the chair.

Scoffing, I slam my hands onto her table, right in front of her, and speak. "Perhaps I haven't made myself clear."

"Perhaps not."

"Who is the girl in my wing? What is the rumor about my marriage in a few days?"

"Shush, son." She remains fretless about my demands. "She will be your Luna, and for a reason; listen!" She pauses, then continues, "Do you remember how we used to be so powerful that no other pack could stand against us? Well, that's my aim."

"And how does an Omega girl fit into it?"

"Well, one thinks a drop of water is nothing until it becomes the rain and you realize how powerful it can be, as with it comes thunder, flood, and storm." I hate it when she speaks in parable, and something about how she belittles yet adores the girl bewilders me. "So, for this girl, you will do everything you can to make sure that you get her into your bed. She must bear the throne a son or more."

I am left silent, not understanding where she's coming from. From the moment I saw that girl in my room, I actually felt something that I had never trained myself for. And now, as I talk down and hate her, a part of me wonders if I really hate her or if it's all just because I wish to protect her. I'm dangerous in my own mind.

"What are you saying?"

My mother comes to pat my cheeks as she responds. "Just make sure never to open your heart to her. She is nothing but a tool that we need. That's all you must know." She finishes and goes to brew her tea, leaving. 

Alone in the room, my wolf tries to influence my thoughts, but I hush him.

I am the cold-hearted Alpha King Nicholas Kurt, and I don't get attached to these women. They beg and yearn for me. However, deep inside me, I knew I was being proud.

I had felt something for this girl, Freya. I had even asked for her name because I was interested in knowing, and now I'm agreeing to my mother's plan.

I actually want to know who she is for myself.

Freya's POV. 

A sense of bliss warms me as I awaken in the morning. I smile as the sun penetrates past the curtains, warming the room nicely. My hand moved to the other side of the bed, feeling its tenderness, although something was missing: Nicholas.

As I stand up, I am reminded of what we did last night, of the pain and pleasure I felt, of how I had my first exposure to my mate, and of how amazing I was when he was inside me.

Goodness, I can still feel him; I can still myself open from that huge third leg of his. I find myself chuckling as I make my way to the bathroom, and as I enter, at the back of my head, I worry at his scent.

It tells me that he left the room for a while. Anyway, I clean myself up, and finishing with my morning routine, I dress myself up in a plain purple gown.

I sit myself in front of the mirror, humming a song as I make myself look beautiful by packing my hair into a ponytail and lubricating my lips. As an Omega, I'm not very different from a human, to be frank. I don't have skin that heals itself quickly or stays young without care. 

Next to me is a cabinet, where, coincidentally, I had seen paper on top of a cup of chocolate tea.

My curiosity calls for me, and I pick it up. Seeing the content, I read it aloud to myself. "It was all real, though."

I dropped the paper back onto the cabinet and almost went back to finishing my light makeup before a frown settled on my forehead, my thoughts filled with a pause.

Perhaps I should confirm what Nicholas meant by this letter, so I get outside the royal room, and as expected, I see Felix lurking around.

The moment he saw me, he bowed lightly before he began to make his way towards me. In haste, I asked, not acknowledging his respect and greeting. "Good morning to you, my Luna."

"Um, where is the Alpha, please?" I am stunned at my expectation of his response to someone who was just a stranger to me yesterday.

"He has left the throne palace, Luna."

"To where?" I asked with disbelief, but from what I read—how it had sounded in my thoughts, Nicholas' faded scent, and Felix's honesty—all tell me a sad truth that pierces into my soul just as I come to understand it.

His eyes narrowed for a second. "I cannot tell, my Luna."

"What do you mean? You will not tell me where my husband is?" I scoff, but being tender, I cannot voice out my anger, nor do I know how to command a person except by being commanded.

His face falls to the ground as he presses his lips into a thin line. I was about to leave in defeat when my wolf took charge and made us hold him by the collar and ask again. "Where is the Alpha King? Tell me."

"He left the Throne Palace, Luna, and he did not ascertain he should be back anytime soon." As he speaks, I leave him and take an instable step backwards.

I feel like I'm going to be crushed into pieces. I cannot believe he did not say farewell or consider even letting me know of his plan. But I don't understand. Why would he leave me?

I mean, he may not have said it directly, but I understand. I may be the type who has no control over her fate, but I don't understand how it affects me.

I shake my head at Felix. "I do not believe this." The previous night, we had confessed love to each other. I can still feel his weight on my body, his breath on my skin, his kisses, which have formed hickeys on my neck, and his mark on my neck.

He had marked me. It couldn't all be for him to leave me out of the blue.

Hurriedly, I make my way outside the hallway to one of the center rooms. I was about to walk down the steps when the elder spoke from beside me.

"And what madness, as I see it, is the Luna performing?"

I turn to her, trying not to seem weak in her sight, but my tears are already flowing, and I cannot control them. I have a weak heart, assuredly.

"Elder." I greet you with courtesy.

She rolls her eyes at me before she speaks next. Behind her are maids, helping with her needs even before she'd mention them aloud.

"I had asked a question."

"My apologies, Elder. It's nothing. I was just looking for Nicholas." The moment I mentioned the Alpha King's name, she laughed at me.

"Do not tell me you have fallen in love." Her chuckle reveals venom.

"I..." 

She cracks up again. "My son will never love a girl like you. You are just a means to get the throne a child."

"I don't...understand."

"That is your problem, Luna. You forget experiences, and if there's anything that's to teach you from redoing mistakes from your past, it is experience." She pauses and looks away for a second. "The Alpha King expects you to stay safe, healthy, and learn your job as the Luna till he returns, which, well, is indefinite." She stops there and walks past me.

I am left confused and stupid. Dropping to the ground, I began to train my thoughts. Have I just been dumped by the Alpha King? But he is my mate, so there's no way he can leave me, and I will not believe that all his words just last night were lies, so I pick myself up and, with hope, await his return.

Well, what's a girl like me, who's only taught to be a Cinderella, supposed to do?