Chapter 14
1114 Words
Ace
I watched her enter the fabric store and slipped inside right behind them, keeping to the shadows of the tall shelves. I bided my time, waiting for her petty maid to finally look away. The moment the girl turned to inspect a bolt of silk, I moved like a predator, dragging Lyra back into the darkness of an empty dressing stall and clapping my palm firmly over her mouth to stifle her gasp.
I had intended to instantly demand answers about her voice, but looking down at her, I couldn't help but tease her first.
She looked so breathtakingly pretty, so entirely innocent trapped against my chest, that the feral need to possess her roared to life inside my veins.
“You talk…… hmm?” I murmured, and the way her entire body froze in my arms told me everything I needed to know. I knew my eyes hadn't deceived me at the bakery.
After a few agonizing seconds, she managed to regain her composure and offered a sharp, frantic shake of her head, denying it.
“Lady Lyra!” her maid’s panicked voice echoed from the main aisle.
Lyra planted her hands against my chest, trying with all her might to push me away, but I held her effortlessly in place. I bent my head down until my lips were brushing the shell of her ear.
“I will make you talk eventually, sweetheart,” I whispered, my warm breath fanning across her skin. “But for now, you can go ahead and play the silent princess.”
I smirked as a visible shiver rippled through her frame.
Even if her wolfless nature prevented her from fully recognizing the true depth of our mate bond, her body couldn't deny the primal attraction pulling us together.
“Lady Lyra!” the maid called out again, her footsteps drawing closer.
This time, I released my grip, stepping back into the deepest shadows of the stall and letting her go.
So, she can speak, a dark grin spread across my face, and as for the supernatural explosion from yesterday, I was going to unearth that secret next.
Once I was certain she had safely left the store, I stepped out into the bright town square. From a distance, I watched her turn around, her wide eyes frantically searching the crowds for my face. I smiled to myself, completely satisfied knowing the heavy effect I had on her.
“Alpha.”Ronan’s sudden voice right behind me made me jump. This guy...
“How on earth do you keep finding me?” I snapped, turning around.
Ronan looked at me, rubbing his face with a look of pure, exhausted frustration.
“Fine, what is it? Can't you see I'm busy here?” I said, my brow furrowing into a deep frown.
“Alpha Ace, we came back to these lands for revenge,” Ronan reminded me fiercely, his voice a tense whisper. “Not to hunt for a mate.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “She is my true mate, Ronan. But Draven had the audacity to claim her as his own. You know I don't like sharing what belongs to me. As of right now, my mate is a vital part of the revenge plan.”
“You are love-sick, Alpha,” Ronan sighed, shaking his head. “Or the mate bond is making you completely reckless.”
“Let’s head back,” I commanded, dismissing his worries. “Have you found the hidden documents yet?”
“No. But with the Festival of Songs coming up, the castle will be chaotic and filled with distractions. I think we should use that opportunity to search his quarters thoroughly,” he suggested.
I nodded in agreement as we walked toward our mounts. “What about Selena? Have you heard any news regarding her condition today?”
“Her face is heavily scarred,” Ronan noted, a thoughtful frown on his face. “I honestly wonder what kind of beast did that to her.”
Then, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening as pure recognition shined in his gaze. “Alpha... was it you?”
“Don't look at me like that,” I growled, swinging myself up onto my horse. “She nearly destroyed my mate’s face.”
“Even so, Alpha, this changes things,” Ronan explained, his voice thick with frustration as we began riding back to the pack house. “She is going to be far more bitter and vengeful toward Lady Lyra now. Her next attack will be massive.”
“Don't worry. I already gave her a warning she won't forget,” I replied with a cold smile, the wind whipping through my hair.
“Ace!” Draven’s harsh voice barked out the absolute second my boots touched the ground at the stables.
I dismounted from my horse, turning to look at him. “Are you truly that eager to see me, brother?” I asked, a mocking smirk plastered to my face.
“I didn't summon you back to this pack to meddle in my personal business!” Draven roared, his face contorting with pure rage.
“I brought you back because our borders are failing and we need your strength to fight off the Outer Pack!”
The smirk vanished from my face instantly, I stepped forward, completely towering over him as I slammed my hands down onto his shoulders, locking him in place.
“I won't say this to you again,” I growled, my voice dropping into a terrifying Alpha registration that made the nearby horses shift nervously in their stalls. “I brought myself back here, and you don't have a single piece of business that I can't meddle with…… because you are currently holding onto things that do not belong to you…. And just to be completely clear... you are nothing but an illegitimate piece of s**t my father left behind.”
I squeezed his shoulder tightly, watching his face pale, before letting a cruel, mocking smile return to my lips.
“I didn't come back to serve you, Draven. I came to take back what is rightfully mine, and you are sitting in my seat, touching my things... and I absolutely hate sharing.”
I ripped my hands away, turning my back on him to walk inside the castle gates.
“Why did you cut Selena's face?” he called out after me, his voice strained and trembling with unchecked anger.
I paused, not even bothering to look back over my shoulder.
“It was a warning,” I stated coldly, before walking away into the darkness of the hall.
- Writer
