Princess...

Chapter 33

Accalia 

I caught the scent of the pack returning before they even descended upon the dining room, conversing loudly amongst themselves as they ate the sandwiches that Raula had prepared earlier. Everyone had to get ready for King Leon's arrival, so the mealtime was cut short as they all dispersed to their rooms. I grabbed my cleaning supplies and began cleaning up the dining room. I'd just folded the table cloth when a familiar whiff of cologne enveloped my senses.

"Alpha Lupus." I greeted quietly, knowing from the gaze that was burning a hole into my head that he was watching me work. I picked up a glass from the table and as I turned to take it into the kitchen, it dropped from my hand but the Alpha caught it swiftly, holding it out to me as my breath caught in my throat. I quickly snapped out of my trance and nodded once in thanks with my head bowed, choosing to place the glass on top of a cupboard for the time being as I moved the wicker basket of bread onto the same dresser.

"Three wolves from each territory will be here tomorrow morning. I'll find out which pack you are from, princess." Alpha Lupus warned and I smiled softly, already coming to terms with the fact that my days were numbered.

"That is a great possibility, Alpha. Maybe you'll be successful." I kept my responses simple, turning to face the table now and picking up the spray bottle and cloth

"Why won't you tell me yourself, Ace? I'll ask every damned Alpha tomorrow if I have to." He was threatening me now, but his tone remained soft and I chuckled lightly. A quick glance towards the man who was leant against the wall showed confusion spread over his features

"The problem with your plan, Alpha Lupus, is that you are assuming Ace is my full name. I've been rogue for many years. Do you think I would keep my birth name all that time? With all due respect, I've told you before that you don't know me. And asking around for an 'Ace' will only lead to dead ends." I bit my lip, knowing that I'd taken it one step too far now, but there was no going back. Alpha Lupus may truly find out that my family were the ones who murdered his parents all those years ago, and then I will be sentenced to death that same day. For the time being, my inner wolf decided she was going to give me confidence, despite my weak nature.

"So Ace isn't your real name? Why won't you tell me? By the Moon Goddess, I can't keep doing this princess." His tone was pleading but I opted to laugh coldly, turning to face the Alpha who was running a hand through his messy brown hair

"Why would I tell you my birth name? I am in no way connected to the pack I left behind, nor the actions that they took before or after I was banished. Being rogue and living with a false name is how I feel safest." In a moment of pure stupidity, I brushed the hair away from my shoulder and the Alpha's eyes widened when they found the faded mate mark. Once I'd realised what I'd done, I tried to bring my hair back to cover my neck but it was too late. Alpha Lupus stalked over to me, pushing my hands away and brushing the hair away from the mark, tracing the outline lightly. I shrugged out of his touch and took a step backwards, desperate to create some distance between us.

"You had a mate..." His voice was a whisper now, a volume I was unused to as disbelief flashed across his face before the realisation dawned on him. "The person who hurt you. Was it your mate?" I chewed my lip and turned my back on the Alpha, focusing on wiping the table quickly as I considered my next sentence.

"My ex-mate. We broke the mate bond before I was banished. I hold no feelings for the man." I admitted, collecting the cloth in my apron and picking up the disinfectant bottle. Without another word I walked from the dining room and into the kitchen, discarding my supplies in a cupboard and going outside for some much needed fresh air. Talking about Z'ev had brought back all of the memories of his abuse, some more unpleasant than others. He had ruined my innocence, and the once happy disposition I carried turned into a bitter and depressed one. His reasons for ruining me ranged from "I'm doing it because I love you", all the way to "no one wants tainted goods. you'll be mine forever." I suppose in some sick way, he'd been right. Janie had explained to me how in the human world, the so-called 'virgin' was a better score than someone who had slept with many people. This confused me because I hadn't consented during any of the times I was being violated though based on the evidence I'd gathered, I would never be wanted again. Maybe that was the path the Moon Goddess had chosen for me, which didn't stop me from pleading for years for her to change it. I joined Jet over by the brown shed, ensuring my hair was around my face as he basked in the sunlight on the ground