Chapter Twelve
1326 Words
It was such a relief when dinner ended; I no longer had the appetite to stomach any food.
The high-ranking werewolves began to leave the hall after the King left.
I sat in my place, unsure of what to do. I sighed in frustration—I didn’t even know the way back to the room, and I wasn’t sure that was where I wanted to go.
“Come on, Valerie, let me take you back to your room,” Aria called, standing from her place and kissing her mate goodbye.
I sighed in relief.
“I’ll join you,” Melanie chimed in.
I stood up on shaky feet to follow Aria and Melanie out of the room, feeling bad for the amount of distraction and disruption I’d caused at dinner.
“Child,” a voice called. “I’m sorry I used my voice on you. I’m over six hundred years, yet it still controls me more than I control it.” Elder Karina from earlier spoke with creased brows.
Her eyes still made my soul uneasy. I didn’t understand her words, but I answered politely nevertheless. “It’s alright,” I said in a soft voice, nodding at her.
I followed Aria and Melanie out of the room, ignoring every eye in the hall.
Once we were successfully out, I let out a loud sigh.
“Elder Karina has a gift we call the Voice,” Aria explained. “She can make you tell the truth—even things you don’t know about. That must’ve scared you,” Aria said tenderly.
That explained why it had felt like my soul was being pulled out. I ran an unsteady hand against my chest.
“I’m sorry I ruined dinner,” I apologized stiffly.
“It’s not you. Dinner’s mostly always chaotic. That’s what happens when over a thousand people are seated together,” Melanie said with a shrug.
She looked like she wanted to say more but then decided against it.
“I can show you around the entire place if you’re up for it,” Melanie offered, looking excited.
I hesitated. I’d had a long day—I just wanted to lie down somewhere.
Aria saw the hesitation in my eyes. “It’s fine if you’re not up for it. But if you change your mind, we’ll be somewhere around the pack. You just have to ask around,” she told me, her gaze reassuring, and I blinked up at her.
We stopped in front of the cottage we’d all left from.
“This is where you’re staying?” Melanie asked, her lips pulled open.
“I guess. I woke up in here,” I said, unsure.
“You were brought into the pack unconscious?” She sounded even more surprised than before, her eyes shining with curiosity.
“Yeah,” I murmured.
“Enough with the questions, Melanie. Come on, let’s go,” Aria dragged out, her eyes apologetic.
Melanie pouted at me and then shocked me with her next action—she placed a kiss on my cheek.
“Goodnight, Valerie,” she smiled.
I bit my inner cheek to keep my flaring emotions at bay.
With smiles on their faces, they headed back into the crowd of werewolves filling the outside grounds.
“Goodnight,” I whispered into the night.
I turned and headed into the room—alone, like I’d always been.
I curled onto the floor, deep in thought.
How did he manage to find out the truth?
Was Joan alright?
She did not deserve my worry, but I needed her alive.
I moved around the room from side to side, restless and itchy.
It had only been for a moment, but I couldn’t help but miss the feeling of my werewolf senses.
I told myself I imagined it—but I couldn’t shake the craving to be like everyone else.
I wanted to feel it again so bad, it hurt.
I was so pathetic. I couldn’t even recognize my mate if I saw him—but I knew for sure he wasn’t the Alpha King.
Then why?
I let out a loud sigh, jumping back on my feet.
I pulled the door open and stepped outside into the dark, relishing the cool breeze in the air.
A couple of howls filled the night; they were bathing under the moonlight.
I headed nowhere in particular, my eyes unable to distinguish shapes in the dark as clearly as they should.
My stomach rumbled from the lack of food, and I sighed.
I rubbed my belly softly. You’ll have to hold on, buddy.
I couldn’t see well, but I walked into the night like I belonged there, a humming twirling in the air.
It felt great—taking a walk.
There was a line of cottages around here; I didn’t understand why Melanie had been so surprised.
What was this place?
“Who is she?” I heard a female voice screech.
“You could’ve at least let me know you were bringing a stray back to the territory,” the voice grumbled.
I should’ve walked away, but instead, I walked in the direction of the voice, my heart rate rising.
“Are you even listening to me? I felt horrible at dinner—you didn’t have to embarrass me like that.” My feet came to an instant halt.
I stood so close to the voice, I could see the shadows behind a wall. These houses looked bigger than the cottages behind me.
“I’m your future queen! Doesn’t that count as anything?” the voice cried.
Air rushed out of my body, leaving me stock-still and cold.
“I owe you no answers, Mira. You gifted yourself that title,” the King’s voice grunted, annoyance rippling through every pore of it.
My breath came out in large puffs.
What were they doing here? The pack house was the opposite direction.
“I am most fit to be queen. You may never find your mate—you heard what the Elder said,” the voice screeched out.
I felt a force slam violently to the side of my head, almost sending me staggering to the floor and leaving my vision dark for a few seconds.
“It doesn’t just work that way, Mira. I’ve told you this a dozen times,” the King’s voice grounded, sounding constricted.
“But I love you.” She sounded in pain, and my stomach twisted and churned at her declaration.
I shouldn’t care.
It shouldn’t matter to me.
“I care for you, Mira. Stop letting your father get into your head and wait for your chosen mate,” the King said, his voice now gentle.
I should’ve been indifferent.
“D-did you find her—your mate?” Mira’s voice trembled.
I held my breath.
“No,” came the King’s hard voice.
I lost my footing as my feet took a step back, like I’d been punched in the gut.
The force in my head scratched at it again.
My eyes widened at the loud crunch of leaves beneath my clothed feet.
I turned around in a flash, my body not waiting for instructions as I fled the scene, aware their werewolf ears must’ve heard me.
With my head banging and my belly twisting, I ran like my life depended on it, not even looking where I was headed.
When my limbs couldn’t carry me any farther, I came to a stop, bent over my knees as I panted heavily.
After a few minutes of catching my breath, I lifted my head to observe my surroundings.
A gasp left my lips.
H-how?
This looked like the pack borders. I was certain I hadn’t run that far.
Anxiety crept within me.
A growl from the side caught my attention. My head snapped up to find a pitch-black wolf staring at me from across the clearing—and all air is knocked out of me.
Rogues!
- Writer
