The Alpha's Villainess

Chapter Twenty-Five

To literally no one’s surprise, he clearly still didn’t care for me.

Those few seconds our eyes met, it felt like a thousand thoughts and feelings were conveyed. His initial surprise of seeing me was first, his features softening for the first time, but it was quickly followed by that same cold gaze I’d seen back when we’d originally met.

That same expression that made me feel sick.

My hands were shaking as I watched him, my breath catching in my throat. The stupid matebond was reacting as though he was going to run over and kiss me the moment he saw me, sending those persistent thoughts through my head to reach out to him... to touch him... to feel his warm skin under my fingers.

Did he suffer from the same problem as me?

...Did he also fantasise about what it would be like to kiss me?

Well, if he did, he sure did a great job of ignoring those thoughts, staying adamant on his stance that I wasn’t worthy of being his mate. Which I still couldn’t entirely blame him for thinking that, given Scarlett’s history. It was just unfortunate that acknowledging that logic didn’t ease the aching in the slightest.

And just like that, before even ten seconds had passed, he looked away and allowed the hood of his cloak to cover his face once more.

“Why is he all the way back there?” Hazel wondered, breaking me from my trance.

It was a valid question, one I wasn’t sure of myself. Was he staying undercover to avoid detection, it being something to do with the attack I had accidentally interfered with? Or was he simply not one for the spotlight or grand processions?

It was a reminder of how little I actually knew about him. Unlike his brother Victor, who I felt like I knew almost as well as Aurora.

Throughout the story, Victor had always been passionate and loud, having no problem with starting arguments and never caring what others thought of him. When his mind was made up, it was rare for him to change his opinion, going as far as to physically fight for what he believed in. Someone like that was perfect for Aurora, a girl who had gone through so much pain and needed a guiding hand to help her find her confidence. A partner to help her see her own incredible value. Victor loved her unconditionally, viewing her as the perfect woman in every way. Nothing would ever convince him otherwise.

But Alistair...? He really was a stranger. A character that never existed within the text. From the little time we’d interacted, it was impossible for me to know for sure what he was truly like.

Just what kind of personality and background did the book world decide to give him?

What kind of Alpha King would he become, now he had survived his intended demise?

“...Do you know much about Alistair?” I asked Hazel timidly, still unable to completely tear my eyes away from him as he walked by.

The more rational part of my brain knew I shouldn’t have asked. That getting any further attached would only make the following weeks harder. But I couldn’t seem to stop the words from spilling out of my mouth.

“Alistair? He was always... complicated,” Hazel said, pausing to choose her words.

“Complicated how?”

“Well, he’s...,” she hesitated, still struggling to find the right words she was looking for.

But she was taking so long that a pang of impatience bit at me inside, making me begin prompting suggestions.

“Aggressive? Hot-headed? Standoffish? Deeply troubled by a traumatic childhood experience?” I asked, starting to list the usual tropes Alphas would have in these sorts of books.

“Well, not quite...,” she answered awkwardly. “He had a lot of personal problems that aren’t for me to speak on.”

“Is he cursed? Broken hearted? Vengeful of a painful event that now consumes his drive to keep going? Hated by those he feels closest to? Bound by an oath to keep a secret that eats away at him inside?”

“W-what? What are you talking about?” Hazel asked, blinking in shock as I rambled everything off at once like a mad woman.

I quickly realised how insane I was sounding and shook myself internally, clearing my mind as best I could from the effect Alistair’s presence nearby was having on me. It was hard to think properly when everything inside was screaming at me to run towards him. Just the chance to learn more about him was apparently enough for me to stop acting rationally. As if there really was a wolf inside me scratching at the door and screaming to be let out, begging for his mark.

I needed to be better at keeping those emotions in check.

“I-I’m so sorry... I...”

I didn’t know what to say to excuse my behaviour without revealing the truth around my curiosity or why I was suddenly sounding so crazy.

But Hazel didn’t seem to dwell on it too long, thankfully. She just gave me a final odd look before her smile returned, waving off my apology. “I can understand why he can come across as a bit closed off, or even somewhat of a mystery if you haven’t had a chance to get to know him properly. But as I said, it’s not really my place to speak on his past.”

“That’s fair...”

She paused as I spoke quietly, looking me over as if she could sense the disappointment I was trying desperately to squash down inside, then gave a small sigh. “I will say this though. The boy always tended to shoulder the pressure of his position, even as a child. He took his role as heir to the Alpha King throne with immense seriousness.”

Interesting. So, he was the stern, cold-hearted workaholic Alpha type? That didn’t seem entirely true though, especially after how gently he spoke to Aurora. He clearly was willing to show emotional support to her in that moment.

So, just who was he?

I shook my head, snapping myself out of that dangerous chain of thoughts. Who he was had nothing to do with me, and in a few weeks time, it wouldn’t matter how much I knew about him.

Sanity was finally returning to me, his scent having travelled far enough away that I was able to regain more control, and I quickly seized it to change the subject.

“You mentioned a market?” I asked, noting that the parade was basically over and many from the crowd were dispersing.

Hazel’s eyes lit back up excitedly. “Yes! Come, it’s this way.”

And off we went, walking back at her insanely fast speed.

It didn’t take long for us to arrive. The street in question was filled with market stalls, each vendor selling various goods and food. Everything from jewellery to snacks, and from knick-knacks to fresh produce. Somehow, it seemed to have it all.

“Feel free to wander,” Hazel said, already moving towards a stall of vegetables. “We’ll meet back here when you’re done.”

Just like that, I was then on my own.

It felt good to walk around freely without fear of accidentally bumping into Aurora and the rest. Here, I could just be myself, be Natalie, and no one would know any better. This would most likely be my only chance at exploring the city in such a way, knowing the leadership meeting would only last a few days. Hopefully, I could make the most of it in that time.

I made my way down the street, admiring the variety and smiling at the sellers politely when we made eye contact. Though, I soon found myself in front of a stall I hadn’t expected to find. It was an art shop.

They had several canvases hanging on a wall, with a range of pencils and sketchbooks spread out on the counter up front. I was surprised to see them, thinking these sorts of things would be reserved for only the wealthier class of residents here. Yet here they were, calling out to me like a ghost from my past.

“Were you looking for anything in particular?” the vendor asked.

I stopped vacantly staring at the products and looked up at him, smiling softly.

“How much for the pencils and sketchbook?” I asked, pointing to the ones I was interested in.

The sketchbook had thick pages, perfect for drawing, complete with a beautiful leatherbound front cover. From just looking at it, I knew it was going to be too expensive, but I still asked anyway.

“For both...? Three silver,” he answered.

Damn. I wasn’t even close to that. It was probably for the best though. I shouldn’t be wasting money on something like this when I needed to save up for more important supplies.

“Ah, thank you,” I replied with a small smile. “Maybe another time.”

But as I turned to leave, the man quickly moved forward and yelled out to me.

“Wait... for you, pretty lady, two silver. For both. This is premium quality.”

He was haggling with me? I hadn’t even considered that was a thing, coming from a country in my world where it just never happened. Did I really want to engage in such a thing?

“I can’t,” I answered honestly. “I don’t have that much. Thank you though.”

But as I went to leave again, he shouted once more. “Then how much?”

I hesitated, looking down at my coins that I’d secured inside a small cloth pouch, and debated whether it was worth spending all my money on something as trivial as a hobby. There was no denying I missed drawing, the outlet of creativity being sorely missing from my life, but I wasn’t sure if it was worth everything I had.

I looked back up at him with a serious expression, starting to get annoyed by the whole process, and stood my ground firmly. “One silver. Final offer.” It would at least leave me with five copper coins. That would be enough for basic necessities until my next paycheck.

“Pah! Fine!” he said, clearly upset by the little money I had. “Here. Take it.”

I handed over the coin and picked up the sketchbook and pencils, pleased with my new purchase. I definitely didn’t want to ever do that again, the confrontational manner of the whole haggling process giving me anxiety. But it had at least been worth it. They were the first things in this world that truly belonged to me, earned with money I’d worked hard for. Somehow, that made it all the more valuable.

I continued down the street, in awe of my new possessions as my mind filled with everything I wanted to draw first. However, as I became lost in thought, turning down an alleyway to escape the crowds for a moment, I stopped paying as much attention to the area around me.

...And I continued to walk until I bumped into someone ahead of me.

“Oh... sorry!” I apologised, immediately taking a few steps back.

Something felt strange about the interaction though. It wasn’t that I’d walked into someone’s back, not realising they had stopped, but rather the person had intentionally stood in front of me. As if trying to get my attention.

I looked up at their face but didn’t recognise the man. Even though he was wearing a cloak, the facial features I could see weren’t familiar in the slightest.

“It’s no problem,” he smiled, somehow making that unnerved feeling inside worse. “I actually wanted to talk to you.”

Something wasn’t right...

“Oh... um... what about?”

I took a step backwards but he immediately stepped closer.

“Your name is Scarlett, right?”

Fear shot through me as he spoke the name, and I realised very quickly that this was not a casual interaction. This was one with intent. One potentially dangerous.

He held his smile as he looked at me expectantly, a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. Looking as though he were only making the expression in an attempt to have me lower my guard.

“No... sorry,” I answered quietly. “You’ve got the wrong person.”

But as I tried to walk away, he quickly grabbed my arm.

And I felt for myself just how strong the stranger was. Someone capable of overpowering me.

...Someone capable of killing me.