Hate or Love

Harmless

"Are you really that stupid, Victor?" A loud voice made his eyes fly open instantly.

Victor groaned, running his hand through his messy hair and trying to bury his face on the soft pillow again. "Can you please stop waking me up in the morning, little sister? It's becoming a routine now."

"Maybe if you stopped making stupid decisions, I would," she protested, grabbing and throwing him a shirt to wear.

"The Privy Council is more than happy with my decisions." Victor shrugged, acting like he didn't realize what his twin was talking about. His mind went back at yesterday's event; the party had been a big success.

"You know damn well I'm not talking about your council," she said, finally gaining his attention. "Did you really think that this Irene thing was a good idea?" Evelyn didn't sound angry anymore, instead, she sounded simply worried and serious. "Did you think making Estelle jealous was a good idea?"

Throwing the shirt in his head and getting out of the bed, as it was impossible to go back to sleep now, Victor let out a sigh. "Jealousy always works, doesn't it?" He said, confidentially. "You're jealous for someone you care about. Maybe this will put some senses into her and make her realize she wants me."

"Or maybe this will make her hate you more. Did you know all court is gossiping that you're sleeping with your mistress while your mate is here?" Accusation was obvious on her voice, as it was irritation.

Victor furrowed his brows, blinking a few times. "Mistress?! She's not my mistress." Only the idea of having a mistress made him furious, like he had betrayed someone, when in fact, he hadn't. "I've barely slept with her a few times. And it ended before Estelle was here."

"These is how rumors work here, Victor. Surely, Estelle has heard them by now."

Victor thought about it a few seconds. How would he feel if he thought Estelle had a lover?

Simple, he would tear apart anyone that even dared standing near her.

"Let her hear," he said instead, a satisfied grin in his face. "I want her to be possessive. Aren't wolves known to be possessive?"

Evelyn sighed, already giving up in convincing him how frustrating he could be. "If she breaks your heart in the end, I won't tell you 'I told you so'."

A chuckle escaped his lips. "Stop worrying, Evelyn, she's as harmless as a bird. Besides, I enjoy chasing her," he admitted, brushing his hair in the meantime. It was kind of weird how much Victor cared about his hair, he was such a control freak sometimes.

"Chasing her?! You're falling for her."

Victor froze.

Falling for her? Was he really falling for her?

Her big smile flashed in his head as if with magic. The way she danced, the way she rolled her eyes and acted like he didn't affect her. Which he knew he did.

He felt his heart beating faster inside his chest. She was addictive.

"Victor, you're smiling to yourself. You never smile to yourself," Evelyn pointed out, the look on her face like she had seen a ghost. It only made the smile on his face grow bigger.

"Let's suppose I am falling for her," he said it as though it wasn't entirely true. "What would be so bad about that? She's my mate."

"What's bad about that is that you have twelve days left to make her fall for you. And if she leaves after your coronation, she will never come back."

"Then she won't leave." Victor took her hand in his, kissing both of them. "I will make her stay here, with me, in twelve days. So my heart won't get broken." He laughed at his own words. "Now please, I don't want you to worry about me in this condition. I want you to be safe."

His sister smile at him sadly, leaving a soft kiss on his cheek. "And I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."

                                       ***

Estelle faked a laugh, acting as if what the lady had said was the funniest thing in the world. When, in fact, she hadn't heard half of it.

Her mind kept going back to the party. It didn't matter how much she hated it, she couldn't stop thinking about the way his hand felt on her waist. As if it belonged there.

She shook her head, immediately forbidding these thoughts out of her head. They were dangerous. Thinking about Victor was dangerous. Yet, she couldn't help it. Her stupid wolf had fallen deep already.

"Princess." A hand rested on her forearm, and her eyes darkened instantly when she turned back and looked at her.

His mistress.

Her heart sunk. He had a mistress; Estelle had to remind herself that.

"Lady...?" Estelle trailed off, acting as if the elf's name hadn't been stuck on her head since yesterday. They had the same hair color and the same height too, but these were the only similar things between them. She was pretty though, no matter how much Estelle hated to admit it.

But it wasn't important, Estelle simply didn't care.

"Please, Princess, I think you already know who I am so let's leave the pretending."

Estelle narrowed her eyes at her, studying the other woman. Something inside her wanted to snap only at the tone of the elf's voice, but she kept the same smile pictured on her face.

"The King's mistress, right? I have heard." Just saying the word make her throat feel dry. Was Victor with her yesterday too, after the party? After their dance? Was she in his bed? The thought made her furious inside.

"Exactly," Irene grinned, not hiding how satisfied she felt at the small victory.

"You look too happy to be called someone's mistress, don't you think?" The sarcastic smile didn't leave Estelle's face.

The woman pursed her lips, upset. "This because I won't always be one. I'll be his wife soon." Irene approached her more, almost whispering to her. "This is why I wanted to tell you to stay away from my lover. He doesn't need someone that despises him, and especially not a wolf."

Estelle was a second, a nanosecond away from shifting and tearing her apart. "Who do you think you are speaking to, one of your servants?" Estelle tried to keep her calm, but her voice was threatening. "Do you think you're in position to give me orders?"

"I―"

"Shut up and listen to me because I won't repeat it!" Estelle cut her off with almost a low growl. "If you try to threaten me again, I'll literally throw you to the wolves." Her eyes darkened a shade as she saw her shaking in fear. "I don't give a damn whose wife you'll become, you and your lover can go to hell for all I care."

Without waiting for an answer, Estelle turned on her heels and left, rushing to her chambers, not able to keep her wolf in control anymore.

As soon as she entered, she noticed flowers everywhere. Not simple flowers, blue roses that didn't exist in Estelle's kingdom. It was the first time she had seen them, and they looked... beautiful.

It was clear blue was his favorite color.

If only she wouldn't be this furious, she would maybe leave the roses be. They made the room look beautiful, after all.

But instead, she grabbed some of them, the blue gown and the jewels too and rushed outside, until she found him inside the throne room, some of his Council members still inside.

Victor looked at her, curious. "What was it that it couldn't wait for the meeting to end?" He asked her, not really bothered by the others staring. He only raised his brows at some of the men, and they were already out, leaving their King and the Princess some privacy.

Estelle almost threw the things in his arms. "I don't need any of your gifts, Your Majesty, you can keep them," she hissed, already attempting to leave but his words stopped her.

"I thought you'd like the flowers," Victor sincerely said, as he had no idea what was going on.

"I don't like anything that comes from you. You could give me the world and I would throw it away."

He frowned. "Estelle, I really don't understand what's going on. I'm trying to make things better here."

"Better?" Estelle chuckled bitterly, her hands on her hips. "No, I don't want to make anything better with you. Take your cheap gifts and give them to your mistress." She bit on her lip as soon as the words left her mouth, cursing herself and her big mouth.

Suddenly, she wanted to wipe the grin that spread on his face, but she had made a fool out of herself enough for today.

"You're jealous." His low voice made a lump form on her throat. He approached her more, only some inches keeping them separated. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

She didn't look away no matter how much she wanted to escape his gaze. "Jealous? For you? I hate you," she stated, and her voice didn't tremble, even though inside she felt all sorts of things.

"I know that, you have made it clear," unbothered, Victor said. "Yet you're jealous. You want me."

"Never!" She hissed between gritted teeth, but her heart was already trying to escape her chest. "I'll never want you. All I want is for you to disappear from my sight. The world was a better place for me when you weren't a part of it."

For the first time, Victor felt as if someone stabbed his chest with a knife. Clearly he had been mistaken in thinking she couldn't hurt him.

Actually, now he was convinced no one else could hurt him but her.

As soon as she tried to leave, without thinking, Victor grabbed her from her wrist and crashed his lips on hers, tasting them in the way he had wanted to do since the very first night he had met her. Since the trial, when he had wanted to stop her bitter mouth with a kiss.

Estelle resisted his soft lips at first, but then she melted into him for just a second, against her better judgment, showing him that she actually wanted him.

Just for a second, though. Because in the other, she bit his bottom lip, making him wince in pain, and instantly, a slap came across his face.

She looked down on her reddened palm.

She had slapped him.

It didn't really hurt much, but it left him in shock. The innocent girl was a facade, Victor realized. She was much more stubborn and prideful than that.

"It was the last time," she said in his face. "You touch me again, and I'll bite your hand off."

She didn't wait for an answer, instead, she walked away, leaving Victor speechless.

His mate wasn't as harmless as a bird, like he had first thought.