Chapter 3

Accalia-

It was only twenty minutes into the party, and I was already trying to plan my escape. My father forced me to follow him around the ballroom, interacting with strangers. He wanted to introduce me to everyone he saw, even if he didn’t know them.

At least Alpha Hynes was keeping his distance. I spotted him the moment I entered with my father. He was sulking in the back of the room, talking to a guy with his back turned toward me. My father kept trying to make his way toward Alpha Hynes.

Whenever we got close to him, Alpha Hynes maneuvered to another side of the room. I admit I was a little curious about him now because, unlike everyone else, he was the only person who wasn’t trying to win favor with my father. Maybe he was like me and didn’t want to get married.

“Your daughter is beautiful.” A woman wearing a white glittering mask that didn’t match her ugly green dress said.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. She was the tenth person to say I was beautiful, which would then start a conversation with my father, who would boast about me. In my opinion, they were both full of lies.

My father constantly reminded me that I wasn’t good enough to be Queen. As for the other person, how could they know if I was beautiful or not? Not only did I wear a mask, but I could also change my hair and eye color.

It was one of the many abilities I possessed. When I wasn’t under the disguise of the Princess with blonde hair and violet eyes, I changed my hair to black and my eyes to green. This allowed me to keep my identity a secret so no one could guess who I was.

In my other identity, which very few knew about, my hair was changed to black with purple streaks and Tyrian Purple eyes, which was only a few shades away from being black. I was limited in the colors I could use, and my favorite color was purple.

“Thank you.” I politely spoke, keeping my tone soft and light.

As soon as my father started talking, I tuned him out and looked around the room. There wasn’t a single person I knew or wanted to know, even if their masks hid their identity. The two people I did know who would be here hadn’t arrived yet.

“Set up a meeting with my Beta, and I will see how I can help with your situation.” My father said a few minutes later as he excused himself.

The only person not wearing a mask was my father. Even if he did wear a mask, everyone would know who he was. His aura radiated power, and he didn’t try to hide it. I was the only one who preferred not to flaunt around, so I had mastered my ability to mask my aura. Everyone had a different aura; only pure-blooded werewolves knew how to mask it completely.

Moving to the next person, I refrained from groaning when I heard the same conversation for the eleventh time. I was relieved when someone I did know entered the ballroom and approached me and my father. I had to keep my composure because I couldn’t let my father know I knew who the person was.

“Excuse me.” My father told the person he was talking to and turned toward the man approaching us.

“Hello, Eclipse.” My father greeted the man.

“Hello, Alpha.” Eclipse bowed slightly. “I know this is last minute, but I came to inform you that Akira couldn’t be here today.”

I bit back a smile as Eclipse’s gaze wavered slightly, landing on me for a split second. Eclipse was the second in command of the Renegades, and he was the face that everyone knew. Only a few members of the Renegades wore masks, but it was their choice.

“I was hoping she would come.” My father sighed but nodded his head. “I didn’t expect she would since she has a lot on her plate.”

“I apologize. She had a prior engagement to attend.” Eclipse’s gaze moved to mine, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips. “Is this your daughter?”

Rolling my eyes, I wished he hadn’t focused on me. I was afraid that he would expose my identity as Akira. Only two people knew that I was the leader of the Renegades, and I wanted to keep it that way.

I could expose myself and win favor with my father, and he might allow me to become the Alpha Queen without getting married. I didn’t because I wanted him to believe I could lead without using my identity as the Lightning Queen. Other than that, I didn’t think it was time.

A few months before I shifted into my wolf for the first time, I developed a strange ability: I could manipulate purple lightning. That ability is why I was given the title of Lightning Queen, although it wasn’t an official title. Unlike the Alpha King and the four royal families, the Renegades didn’t fit anywhere in society's hierarchy.

We preferred to remain detached and follow our own rules to a certain extent. Many people opposed us during the first year after I formed the Renegade Sector, and while it has been years now, many still oppose us.

I had also gone to war with my father and the Royal Guards, which lasted almost two weeks. In the end, my father decided to form an alliance with us. Luckily, no lives were lost because we had someone who could heal everyone.

We managed to prove ourselves, so now we have an understanding with everyone. We have developed and grown large enough that no one wants to go to war with us. Now, we are just as respected as the Alpha King. The Renegades were basically like a police task force that enforced the laws and handled any issues, like the many wars that keep breaking out worldwide.

Everyone in the Renegades was highly skilled, and most had special abilities. Eclipse was one of them. He could cast darkness over any light to completely block the light, which is how he received his name. Silica’s unique ability was to manipulate the mass in her body. It allowed her to become almost weightless so she could soar through the air as if she were flying or make parts of her body heavier, which allowed her to land a more brutal blow when in a fight.

“Yes, this is my daughter, Princess Accalia. I am sure you have heard about her from Silica.” My father smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

When I did have to show up as Princess Accalia, Silica often came with me. She was my best friend, so my father had met her a few times. At first, it had been an accident, but I couldn’t hide the fact that I was friends with the third-ranked Renegade member.

Silica also didn’t wear a mask on missions, so many knew of my relationship with her. Granted, I had been wearing a mask, but rumor got around that I was friends with Silica. I just hoped it wouldn’t bite me later and expose my secret.

“I have heard all about her.” Eclipse winked at me.

“Dad, don’t you have something to tell everyone?” I asked, hoping to be done with this conversation.

“Right.” He looked at his watch. “I guess it is about that time.” My father extended his hand to Eclipse. “Maybe we will get another chance to talk later or after the party.”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.” Eclipse shook his hand.

After my father hurried off, I stepped closer to Eclipse and covertly elbowed him in the side. He grunted but didn’t make any sudden movements. Looking around the room, I double-checked to ensure no one had seen me elbow the second in command of the Renegades; that would be difficult to explain.

“You know I can’t resist teasing you, Boss.” Eclipse smirked and rubbed his side where I hit.

“Keep it down, or you will expose me.” I spoke in hushed tones.

“Relax, no one is paying attention.” He waved his hand to emphasize that no one was looking at us.

“Thank you for coming to my daughter’s engagement.” My father’s voice thundered through the room as he stood on a stage next to Alpha Hynes’s parents. “I regret to inform you that the official engagement ceremony will be put on hold for a year.”

As my father continued to explain without too many details, I looked around the room. Many people in the audience were whispering amongst themselves, but my attention landed on Alpha Hynes. Earlier, he had avoided my gaze, but now he was staring at me openly. Although the mask hid his face, he seemed surprised by my father’s announcement. I didn’t know if it was because he was happy about it or not.

“You actually convinced your father to cancel the marriage?” Eclipse’s voice filtered inside my head, as mind linking was an ability that most of Renegade's members had.

“He only agreed to give me a year to prove myself.” I responded through the mind link.

“For those who brought a gift, you are welcome to take your gift home, or you will be compensated accordingly.” My father continued talking. “For now, let’s continue with the party, and I hope everyone enjoys themselves.” My father bowed and then stepped off the stage.

He was instantly surrounded by guests, which was perfectly fine with me. It might be the only time I would have, so if I was going to do something, I had to do it now. Taking a step back, I checked to see if I had a clear path to the exit.

“This is my chance to escape.” I whispered.

“Don’t worry. I got your back.” Eclipse nudged me lightly toward the exit. “I put a bag with a change of clothing in the storage room next to the bathroom.”

I could kiss him right now if I weren’t in a hurry to leave. “Thank you!”

As I turned to leave, I spotted Alpha Hynes walking toward me. Since I didn’t want him to stop me, I swiftly made my escape. When I reached the double doors that would grant me my freedom, I heard a male voice call my name. I assumed it was Alpha Hynes.

Chancing a glance over my shoulder as I kept walking, I smiled when I saw Eclipse had blocked Alpha Hynes’s path. Ducking around a corner, which would lead me to the restrooms, I opened the door to the storage room. Immediately, I saw the bag and grabbed it.

Before entering the bathroom, I checked to ensure I wasn’t followed. As soon as I entered, I quickly removed my dress and changed into ordinary blue jeans, a white shirt, and a black hoodie. Just by thinking about it, it only took me a second to change my hair to black and my eyes to green.

Although I changed my hair and eye color, I left on the mask and put up my hood. Tossing the dress across the trash can, I slung the bag over my shoulder. Approaching the door, I froze when I heard a sound on the other side. Slipping into a bathroom stall, I stepped onto the toilet seat.

“I can’t believe I spilled wine on my brand-new dress.” I recognized the girl’s shrill voice as my obnoxious cousin, Arielle. “Wait, isn’t this the dress that Accalia wore?” There was a moment of silence as I held my breath, hoping she didn’t figure anything out. “Well, it is my dress now.” She snickered.

A few seconds later, I heard another stall door open and close, followed by a lock clicking in place. Careful not to make a noise, I stepped off the toilet and exited the stall. When I didn’t see anyone, I slipped out of the bathroom, happy to see the hall was also empty.

Once outside, I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs. It tasted like freedom. Thinking I was in the clear now, I removed my mask and shoved it into the bag. I wasn’t sure where to go, but finding a place to eat seemed like a good idea.