Thirteen
962 Words
CINZIA POV
I bristled. "Who does he think he is, coming in here and commanding everyone like we're his loyal subjects?"
I yanked the towel from the closet handle, wrapping it around my hair before heading to the vanity chair.
"He's the king, child," Rhea said.
She had rejoined me after the king had left to finish bathing me.
Plus, she'd warned me about how to talk to him, but it was irritating. How was I supposed to converse with a jerk who hid behind curtains, never wanting to be seen?
Maybe I shouldn't care about his appearance, but I did. After all, he bid on me, and I needed to ensure he seemed sane.
Right now, he didn't talk like a sane person, leaving me with only his appearance, which I believed I'd never see.
"I'm a princess too, Rhea. Don't forget that. I shouldn't be treated any way people feel like."
"He doesn't recognize that. No one does here. You're not in your pack anymore. Your title as a princess is just something on your arms."
Rhea pointed to the trident with a crown inked on my arm. I glared at it, and I'd admit she was annoyingly right.
"Stop talking to someone who could snap his fingers to kill you. We don't know what creature he is, just that he's a hybrid. Be cautious."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not afraid of him. He doesn't scare me, and he can't rule over me!"
"Child," Rhea began, "get off the high horse and listen. I know your mom wants the same for you. Don't you feel what I feel around him? He's dangerous, Cinzia, too dangerous."
I huffed. "Well, I can be dangerous too if I choose to be."
A knock echoed on the door, and I shot a glare in its direction. Rhea helped me into my robe, and I settled back into the chair.
"It's open," Rhea announced.
Johnson entered, bowing. "The hybrid king is on his way here. I'm here to inform you, and I apologize for this morning. I didn't know you were indecent."
"At least you know when to apologize, unlike the jerk who calls himself your king. He's a freaking ass."
"Cinzia!" Rhea shot me a glare, clamping her hands over my mouth. "She doesn't mean that. She's on her time of the month and super cranky."
Rhea flashed Johnson a smile, and he shrugged. "It's fine; I won't tell."
"You can tell him. Tell him I'm not scared of him, and I think he's insane to believe I would be!"
Johnson chuckled softly and did a bow before leaving the room.
"Goodness, Cinzia, can you not let your loose tongue get you in trouble?"
"I'm only speaking the truth, and it needs to be told."
"At least not in front of the guard who can relay the message to him," she said.
"I'm not scared of him, Rhea, and I'd be happy if he heard everything I said."
Rhea groaned, gripping my hair as she stared at me through the mirror. "What can I ever do with you? You get more difficult as the day goes by, and I feel like I'm not teaching you enough."
I gave a half-shrug. While she taught me everything she believed would make me a respectable she-wolf, witnessing what I did made me question if acting like a proper she-wolf would get me anywhere. It might only be a drawback and make me look weak.
Though I knew it wasn't the way I was going about it that would save me from the hybrid king's clutch, I intended to rile him up until he let go.
***
After some time, I found myself alone in the room, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the so-called king. I had been sitting in the same position for an hour or more, but he had yet to make an appearance.
"I like that you're defiant," the dark yet sexy voice echoed, vibrating around the room as it caressed me.
Stanindg, I bit my lower lip, glancing around to pinpoint the source of the voice. He was invisible, and I realized he could make himself visible or invisible at will.
Now, I wondered how much he had seen before making himself known. He seemed like a p*****t, and I half-expected a man with greying hair and a stout figure. However, his voice contradicted that image.
I caught a glimpse of him from the curtain he always stood by—tall and well-built. Perhaps his face was hideous, and various thoughts about it filled my mind.
"Are you that eager to see my face?"
Startled, I stared at the curtain as it rustled. He had read my mind. It wasn't surprising, considering he was a werewolf with such abilities, but I hadn't thought he was that powerful.
Moreover, I suspected he was a witch, given his ability to conceal his visibility.
"Why do you want to know my species? I thought you only wanted to learn about my face. Do you intend to know more?"
"Leave me alone and stop invading my thoughts!"
"Why should I do as you ask?"
"Because you're invading my privacy, watching me bathe and dress."
"Freaking p*****t," I muttered under my breath, and he heard me again. Annoying as f**k.
"I'm not a p*****t," he said. "But all I can say is that you might be begging me real soon for it, darling."
Appalled at the audacity, I stood up and scowled. "I'm not sharing a room with you, p*****t!"
"It's okay for you to express yourself. A lot before you did it," he said, and a gentle breeze wafted into the room.
For the first time, where the curtain was, I saw the hybrid king standing there.
- Writer
