ChelseaI turned my head upward with the tiniest hint of a smile. When he smiled back, it caused my heart to start racing at its most rapid rate. Damn it! The grumpy Prince was smiling. I hadn't seen him smile like this until now. My eyes widened, and at that precise instant, our faces were so close to each other that I could feel his breath blowing against my face."Ahm!"To the interruption of Ms. Beth's deliberate coughs, both of us lunged away from each other. I rolled my eyes while Alastair moved back to the dressing table and once again, fixed his hair, unnecessarily.Ms. Beth couldn't stop herself from guffawing. "Would you like me to leave?"He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his handkerchief before stuffing it into one of the pockets of his jacket while shaking his head. "No. It is necessary for you to be here. Otherwise, she won't even touch the food."My brows furrowed. My head was spinning from the realization that he had been correct the whole time. We had barel
AlastairThe royal study was adorned with opulence, the scent of aged books and polished wood lingering in the air. My focus had been captured by the pages of a book when Ryle's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Your highness, I have handled the papers to your mother and reported to her that you won't be attending the court today. However, she..." his voice trailed off, his expression uneasy.I abandoned the book on the shelf and turned towards Ryle, his demeanor suggesting there was more to the situation than he was sharing. Slowly, I approached him, taking the file from his outstretched hands. His words about my mother's insistence rang in my ears, a repetitive phrase she used whenever I resisted my routine obligations. She had a way of getting her way, even when I thought I could avoid her requests."She insisted. If I still can't, she wants me to meet her in person." I finished Ryle's sentence for him, a sigh escaping my lips. The routine was becoming tiresome—her constant demands
AlastairThe sudden call to attention shattered the silence, prompting both Ryle and me to turn in unison. Our gaze settled on the room where magic and meditation took place. From its depths emerged an elderly gentleman, his presence commanding respect and reverence. Clad in all black, his attire exuded an air of wisdom and authority. A grey leather belt encircled his waist, a striking contrast against the darkness of his tunic. The scapula he wore, with a black cowl attached, completed his ensemble."Mr. Smolder, how are things going?" I inquired, addressing the monk with silver hair. As he pushed back his hood, his scars came into full view, a map of experiences etched onto his skin. Kris Smolder, a figure known to only a few.Kris's response was laced with weariness, his gaze drifting toward the other monks who were meditating within the chamber. "We are doing everything in our power to discover a means to break the spell. But… the chants keep getting interrupted. It packs quite a p
Chelsea"Can we not skip this part?" I whimpered, trying to suppress the ticklish sensations on the heel of my feet. The young maid attending to me struggled to contain her laughter, her composed demeanor faltering slightly as she continued to use a pumice stone to scrub my foot. "This is the most important part, Miss," she responded with a hint of amusement, applying steady pressure to my soaked toe. "And, also, if we skip anything, Ms. Beth would be furious."I stifled a sigh, biting down on my lower lip. The maid was right. Ms. Beth, the head of the staff, had made it abundantly clear that certain procedures were to be followed precisely. In the evening, after Alastair's secretary had come to collect the list of my needs, Ms. Beth had personally escorted me to this quarter and issued a strict warning to stay put, lest she inform the Prince himself. It seemed that blackmail was a well-practiced skill among the residents of the palace.I allowed myself to relax into the chair, trying
ChelseaAlastair failed to provide an answer to my query. His gaze that was fixed on my lips until now averted elsewhere as he pulled me up from the chair, his hand warm against mine. "Let's get out of here.""Where are we going?" Once again, he remained silent, offering no response as he gave me a moment to slip on my sandals before he gently tugged me out of the quarter. The uncertainty of our destination only heightened my curiosity.The garden stretched before us, encompassing the backyard of the palace and offering an oasis of nature amid the grandeur. As we stepped into the garden, I couldn't help but notice the quarters tucked away in corners, likely dedicated to various tasks and training. Alastair led me toward an ancient giant tree that stood at the edge of the garden, near the woods.“At the very least, this tree is over 5,000 years old," Alastair spoke, his voice carrying a touch of reverence. "The thing is known by the name Gilgi." He continued describing the tree's featur
AlastairSwallowing the lump in my throat, I summoned every bit of willpower I had left to speak up. "This is the first time in over a century that I've been hugged like this... let's say, I don't like to be hugged at all," I admitted, my tone betraying a hint of dryness. The words felt foreign on my tongue, as if my body was struggling to form them.My gaze shifted to the spot where the lemur had been, my lips moving almost incoherently as I muttered, "And the lemur has left already." It was as if my own body was refusing to cooperate, the strange mix of emotions still lingering within me.As Chelsea drew back, I couldn't help but notice her nervousness, the way she bit her lip, a telltale sign of her unease. I took a deep breath to steady myself, trying to regain my composure."Thank you, baby," I managed to say, my voice carrying a note of sincerity. Her grip on my shirt had left it slightly damp with sweat, a tangible reminder of her anxiety.However, her reaction to the same word
ChelseaI couldn't deny it; the Prince of Frost Falls was a master at sidestepping questions, attempting to divert the conversation with his enigmatic manner. "No. Every question has an answer," I countered, my voice firm. I wasn't about to let him escape with his usual tactics this time.There was no doubt in my mind that he disliked me. Hatred might be too strong a word, but there was a definite level of animosity present between us. Our bond, as lackluster as it was, seemed to fuel that negative energy.His response was unexpected, catching me off guard. "Really? Then, ask yourself: If your parents were so harsh, what makes you think you'd want to protect them?" I offered a nonchalant shrug, not one to shy away from confronting uncomfortable truths. "Well, let's say my options are limited. I only have them. It's the same reason I'm here, after all. In order to safeguard them, I'm stuck staying. And I have no way out of this one. My fault is... I'm not sure what I did to offend you.
Alastair"What? Sleepy?" I asked, my brows furrowing in concern as I watched Chelsea make her way to the bed and sit down. Something seemed off, and her actions raised alarm bells in my mind.Her fingers clenched the fabric of her skirt tightly, and she shook her head in response to my question. My worry deepened, and I couldn't help but observe her closely, my gaze searching for any signs of distress."Hungry? Want something to eat?" I inquired, my voice gentle as I tried to decipher the cause of her discomfort. It was clear that she was struggling with something, and I wanted to offer any assistance I could.Once again, she shook her head, her discomfort becoming more pronounced. I studied her expression carefully, my concern growing with each passing moment.Scanning the room and then turning my attention back to her, I finally understood what might be happening. "Is it too cold here? Should I increase the temperature?" I suggested, hoping that adjusting the room's temperature might
His order had a tone of possessiveness. The fact he wanted her to hate her ex-boyfriend was something that set her in bewilderment. The flare of fury wasn't there in his eyes anymore. He ordered, but at some points, it seemed like pleading, as if his eyes begged her to do what his mouth had said.“You got that?”Only when she nodded, he moved away whilst her reddened eyes trolled to the lump of his throat that bobbed what felt like nervousness.“You shouldn't even attempt to do anything reckless. I would despise that.” With that, he trudged out of the room, didn't bother to steal a second glance at her who already had tears flowing down her cheeks.Ryle left the crypt when he received a call from the Prince. He ordered him to be in the study as soon as possible. Ryle saw the dead body of the guard and already assumed something bad had happened. It was another guard who confirmed that the female Alpha brought here saw Lucian. She wasn't supposed to know about this secret. The mess was
“Your highness. Is there anything wrong?”Alastair, who had his attention fixed on the patio, let out a loud snort in response to the inquiry that was posed by the guard standing next to him. "Who was in charge of doing the monitoring thingy that was supposed to be done in this area?" He asked, gaze still not leaving the terrace.“I made sure there was no one around.” The guard retorted confidently. “But is there anything wrong, your highness?” The way his Prince sounded did not give him any good vibe.Anxiety erupted throughout the guard's body as Alastair hissed and gripped the back of his neck with his sharp claws digging into his skin. Because of the potentially dangerous tension, the other males there became numb in their spots.Soon after, the Prince decapitated the guard by snapping his neck to his left, and blood gushed out of his body. “Then who is that, Mister fartknocker?” He gritted his teeth dangerously whilst his lips formed a smile at his mate who had been watching his
Days were passing by so fast like in a blink of an eye. Alastair came to sleep daily after that night but late. Either Chelsea would be sleeping or he would fall asleep faster without saying a word to her. In the morning, Chelsea never found him in the room. She couldn't help but wonder what time on the earth he leaves and what mystery he unravels so early in the morning.The rest of the palace remained unchanged except for the fact that Reagan had left, she didn't know when but it was indeed a relief.“There, Chelsea.” Kai lifted his forefinger to point toward the wood behind the palace. “We used to fight there with each other every single day.”“Every single day?” asked Chelsea. Her stare followed down the direction he had indicated. From the elevation, she could appreciate the crowns of the trees, and the narrow pathways that led to the deeper parts of the forest.Chelsea took a few deep breaths while holding the terrace's fine concrete balustrade and allowing the clean air to invi
After the error appeared on the screen, Alastair slapped the keyboard in frustration and turned in the direction from where the sound of gasps filled the room. “Why are you here?” asked Alastair.He wasn't even ready to see Chelsea let alone the company she had brought. However, he assumed it was otherwise; Kai was the guide here, Chelsea was his client. It was not his first time. Whenever Alastair spared himself the space, Kai would be there to seize a share of it with a company Alastair despised. For the company he brought this time that Alastair undoubtedly didn't detest, he couldn't bark at him.The blank stare he conveyed to Chelsea bombed her rational mind with the flashbacks of last night. Her cheeks blossomed red. “W-we will leave.” She pulled Kai's hand in order to leave with him. However, as they proceeded to leave, Alastair's voice stopped them.“You can stay.”Kai, the most dumbfounded one, tilted his head. “Who? Me?” The Prince gave him a cold questioning look and it too
In the morning, Chelsea woke up on the bed. Her body itched when she stretched her arms and neck. The spot between her thighs ached a little too. To the soreness, her drowsy eyes flipped open and she was welcomed by the thick blanket that covered her body, Alastair's wrinkled white shirt that she wore, and the vibrator that saved her life on the nightstand. Abruptly, pink grew across her cheeks.The entire night Alastair was sitting on the couch while she pleased herself with that thing. He made it seem like her moans didn't bother him at all, but she clearly noticed the bump on his pants and she didn't even know why she was glad to see him suffering. Yes, he, Alastair, the great Prince suffered. Yet, he didn't do one simple thing! He didn't dare to touch her. Because she had made it clear before that she didn't want him to touch her.It took her three hours to finally reach her sweet spot and see the stars. It was almost dawn by then and at that time, he was the one who seemed to be
[Warning: Chapter Contains mature content. Not suitable for young readers. Feel free to ignore if the content makes you feel uncomfortable.]Alastair never came across a woman so confident like her in ages. Regardless of being foreign to the concept, speaking her heart didn't even cost her a single stutter. Thrilled, he began to instruct her. “Lie on your back on the bed, cover yourself with the blanket, and...” His words paused at the knock on the door and an evince of relief went evident on his face.By the time she was getting ready on the bed heeding his guidance, he had reached the door and opened it slightly, careful not to let the outsider get an inside view. Chelsea wasn't surprised. It would have been more surprising if he hadn't had any visitors.Facing Alastair, Ryle who stood behind the door holding a plastic bag gave the Prince a cautioned look. “Here is your parcel. I hope it helps.” Saying, he handed the bag to him. In the middle of the night, it was so awkward and hard
ChelseaBobbing his throat, he met my gaze again which I assumed had narrowed to slits. Even my eyelids felt too heavy.The next moment, without him realizing it, I tried to push him away, hoping to create some distance between us, but he remained steadfast, only withdrawing his arm to stuff his hands into his pockets."Stay away from me. When you are close, you make me have so many stupid thoughts..." I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper. But Alastair didn't budge. His eyes narrowed, his lips curving into a sly smile that made me feel exposed."I would love to know about those," he declared, his voice husky and sending shivers down my spine. My cheeks grew even hotter, and I could feel his words seep into my very core. I was becoming increasingly aware of his effect on me, both physically and mentally. It was overwhelming.But I couldn't help but feel a mixture of frustration and confusion. How could I let myself be so affected by Alastair? It was as if he had some unseen power
ChelseaHe seemed caught completely off guard by my question. Alastair, with his chin held high, had his back resting against the wall. His eyes fluttered in confusion as he responded, "What are you talking about?" It was clear that he was not expecting me to remember what had happened while I was under the influence of the desires, and he seemed to think that would give him an advantage.Determined not to let him manipulate me, I stood my ground and insisted, "You know." My voice came out hoarse and insistent, a reflection of the pain and frustration that were slowly overpowering me. My breath was getting heavier with every passing second.He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "No, I don't," he replied, a hint of irritation in his voice. I could tell he didn't like lying, and his expression was so transparent that it was easy to see through his façade.A sarcastic smile played on my lips as I retorted, "I thought you hated liars." I wanted to remind him that he was a
Alastair, who was attempting to hide a smirk on his face, shoved his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. "I have no problem with that." The one thing that stood out to him most about Ms. Beth was the fact that she was always willing to provide a hand whenever he required assistance.Chelsea's face was devoid of colors as she blinked at Ms. Beth who was still determined on what she had declared and then, averted her gaze at Alastair. He didn't seem to dispute any time soon. Instead, he was more than eager for her to tie his tie for him. Jerk, this word was formulated for him."I don't know how to...""Well, I can teach you that... of course, if you want." Alastair had cut her words off and given her a wicked look."Fine." She gritted her teeth through a tight grin and rose from the bed with an abrupt force. Honestly, she knew how to tie a tie. She had seen her father wearing it, she had seen Lucian wearing it on occasions. She had learned from them well. But what she didn't