Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 43 - Ballroom affairs

This evening, Chloe and Freya got ready together in Chloe’s room, just the two of them, for the last night of the Winter's ball. They turned on some music and began dancing and singing along, infusing the room with infectious energy. Chloe found this so much nicer than having a horde of omegas, Gunda, and the seamstress hovering over her.

As they grooved to an old Abba song, Iron turned up at the door, his lips curving into an amused smile at the sight of their spontaneous little dance party. He excused himself quickly, leaving them to their festivities.

"Looks like Mamma Mia wasn't his favorite movie growing up," Freya giggled, holding a hairbrush like a microphone.

"Probably not," Chloe chuckled, using a straightener to curl her hair, creating shiny and bouncy curls.

"You look stunning," Freya breathed as she looked at her.

"And you look absolutely amazing," Chloe beamed at Freya, admiring her transformed appearance. She was wearing Chloe's shimmering green dress, which had a slight trail in the back, her vibrant red hair cascading down her shoulders. "You look like the little mermaid."

"In a good way?" Freya scrutinized herself in the mirror, her confidence wavering. "Or is it too much? Maybe I should wear something else..."

"No, it's perfect," Chloe reassured her with a warm smile.

"I want to stand out, but for the right reasons," Freya grimaced. "I don't want people to make fun of me."

"Believe me, Freya, you look absolutely stunning!" Chloe couldn't understand how her friend could feel so self-conscious and uncertain about herself when she was so exceptionally good-looking.

"Alright, thank you," Freya smiled, positioning herself next to Chloe, their reflections beaming back at them from the mirror. Chloe stood tall, exuding an Amazonian grace in her sculpted red dress that hugged her curves and showcased her athletic physique. On the other hand, Freya, shorter and slender, looked delicate and fragile in comparison. Yet, their sparkling dresses and lustrous locks harmonized perfectly, creating an enchanting duo.

“We will own the dance floor tonight,” Freya chuckled. “You and me.”

A gentle knock on the door announced someone's arrival, and both girls turned their attention to the entrance. Iron stepped into the room, dressed in a well-fitted suit that somehow softened his strong features and added a touch of sophistication to his appearance.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted them with a warm smile, and Chloe couldn't help but admire his handsome looks. "Are you ready?" He glanced over Chloe's outfit, a spark of desire igniting in his eyes. "Wow, Chloe..." he breathed, his voice laced with a suggestive tone. "Are you sure you want to go to the ball? I wouldn't mind skipping it altogether and taking you straight to my room instead."

"No, no, no!” Freya burst out laughing. “We are so ready to party!" she grinned, her excitement evident.

Just then, Arnulf appeared beside Iron, wearing a suit that accentuated his robust physique, making him look impressively sturdy. Chloe couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. Iron's attempt to refine his appearance was way more appealing to her than Arnulf's deliberate display of muscle.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, inwardly wishing Arnulf had been banned from attending the evening. How could she relax and have fun with him lurking around?

"I'm here for my date," Arnulf replied, his smile carrying a hint of mischief as he confidently entered the room and slid his arm around Freya, who looked at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"But you're supposed to go to the ball with Cassie," Chloe exclaimed, a sense of panic creeping into her voice. Arnulf couldn't possibly be Freya's date for the evening.

"Change of plans," he glanced down at Freya, scanning her from head to toe. "I couldn't resist the opportunity to spend some time with this beautiful creature! I'll miss her so much when she leaves the North." He gave Freya an appreciative smile, causing her cheeks to flush and her eyes to shimmer with desire, hanging on his every word.

"And Cassie...?" Chloe crossed her arms defensively across her chest. This evening had the worst start possible. And she hated the thought of Marcus and Cassiopeia attending the ball together.

"Cassie will go with Sophie," Arnulf shrugged. "And both of them will be escorted by Marcus. Sophie doesn't have a date for tonight, so we thought it was the best solution."

Chloe recalled Sophie, the girl with strawberry blonde hair she had met on the first night. She seemed nice, even normal.

"I don't mind," Freya beamed, casting an apologetic glance at Chloe, who shook her head with a sigh. Freya was truly hopeless!

"Shall we?" Iron offered Chloe his arm with a knowing smile, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes, and she accepted it wryly. It could have been worse, she thought. At the very least, having Iron by her side meant she could make him keep an eye on Arnulf, while she and Marcus were there to watch over Freya. It would have been far more dangerous for Freya to go all by herself, without anyone to look out for her.

"She should be able to look after herself," Chloe's wolf grumbled. "She's so spoiled."

"Don't pretend you don't care about her," Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes internally. "Deep down, you're just as concerned as I am."

"My main concern is Arnulf's wolf," Chloe's wolf murmured. "It's wicked. Feels very unpredictable."

"You're right," Chloe agreed, nodding. "That's why we have to protect Freya from him."

"You're so protective of your friend," her inner wolf mused. "You'll become the most over-protective mother ever... We better teach our future pups to take care of themselves."

Chloe sighed, exasperated. "Don’t start with the pup-talk now again," she replied, silently hoping her wolf would drop the subject.

“But it’s soon spring!” the beast within her whined. “If you had just given our mate a chance back in autumn, we would have had our own pups in just a few weeks! Just like Isabel…”

“I am too young!” Chloe objected. “Besides, why are you even thinking of this now? This is really not the time for having this discussion,” Chloe firmly closed the case.

Her wolf was hopeless! Ever since their first shift, every autumn brought about an insatiable desire, leaving her hopelessly restless. And every spring, she became unbearably whiny, yearning for the chance to build a family.

As she and Iron strolled together, making their way toward the heart of the castle, Chloe's thoughts began to wander. What if she did fall in love with him? What if she would choose to stay by his side and embrace the role of his Luna? Would they start a family right away, or would they wait?

Of course, they would need to get rid of Nolan first, or else her wolf would never fully accept Iron as her mate. Perhaps his proposal wasn't as terrible an idea as she initially thought...? There was an undeniable attraction between them, that much she couldn't deny. Yet… A deep intuition gnawed at her, telling her that a relationship with Iron was neither her true desire nor what she truly needed.

Arriving at the ballroom, Chloe let her gaze wander over the room. The tables were adorned with tasteful decorations, echoing the previous night's elegant atmosphere, while the ice dragon statue stood as a majestic guardian in the center of the room, watching over them. A guitarist strummed acoustic modern tunes on a small stage, infusing the space with a more relaxed and contemporary vibe, a refreshing contrast from the formalities of the previous day. Elegantly dressed people gathered in groups, engaging in animated conversations, and the young women exuded glamour and style in their sleek, dazzling dresses, revealing a lot more skin than the night before.

"They still all look like a bunch of Elsa's," Chloe's wolf sneered.

"Come on, let's be nice," Chloe reproached her wolf.

As flutes of champagne were served to them, Chloe and Freya released their hold on their escorts' arms and began mingling with the crowd. Suddenly, Marcus appeared, accompanied by Cassiopeia on one arm and Sophie on the other. Cassiopeia wore a flowing black dress with a daring neckline and a high slit, her platinum blonde hair elegantly arranged in a side bun. Sophie, on the other hand, donned a blue dress that complemented her lively strawberry-blonde curls.

"Marcus!" Iron greeted them, his face lighting up. "What have you done to deserve not only one but two stunning women by your side?"

Marcus grinned foolishly. "I guess I'm just a lucky man," he replied, his eyes searching for Chloe's but met with her avoidance.

"Alvar!" Iron called out to another man approaching the group. "Come, I want to introduce you to someone."

Alvar, a short and muscular figure resembling Arnulf, made his way over.

"Chloe, this is Alvar, my cousin," Iron introduced, a hint of pride in his voice. "Alvar, meet Chloe, my future Luna."

Chloe almost choked on her champagne, coughing uncontrollably. Iron added quickly, "If she eventually approves, of course," a wry smile on his face. "But I'm sure she'll come around… eventually."

Alvar chuckled, giving Chloe an appreciative look. "My cousin is as irresistibly pushy as always, it seems," he remarked. "Although I must admit, I can understand his obsession this time."

As Iron and Alvar were greeted by a few other male friends, Chloe and Freya turned their attention to Cassiopeia and Sophie, who had also been served glasses of champagne and were now sipping their drinks.

"Hi again," Sophie greeted them with a genuine smile. "Did you have a good time last night?"

Chloe shrugged hesitantly, a slight smile forming on her lips. "It was alright."

"Yeah, it was kind of boring,” Sophie chuckled. “And to top it off, my date got sick, so now I'm without a partner for tonight."

Cassiopeia grinned mischievously, wrapping her arm around Sophie's shoulder. "You're not alone. You have me... and Marcus Borg. And I’m sure he doesn’t mind having two girls at the same time," she teased, shooting a playful glance at Chloe.

Chloe's body tensed as a vivid memory of Marcus and Cassiopeia's intimate moment flashed before her eyes. The images seemed to be etched into her mind, refusing to fade away.

Iron stepped in, gently caressing the small of her back. "How's my princess? Are you sure you don't want to skip dinner and join me in my room instead?" He accompanied his words with a suggestive wink.

Chloe gave him a meaningful look. "Thanks, but no thanks," she replied, her gaze lingering for a moment. Iron laughed and returned to his group of male companions, engrossed in their discussion.

Chloe let out a weary sigh. "Where were we?" She noticed Cassiopeia's eyes shooting daggers at her and felt nothing but exhaustion. Why did everything have to be so complicated? "I hope tonight will be less overwhelming," she continued, offering Sophie a faint smile. “Without any drama…”

Freya chimed in, "Just us girls having fun, right? Let's forget about the boys," she giggled, her excitement evident. "They're busy discussing strategies. How boring."

"I wouldn't say your dress matches the message you're trying to convey," Cassiopeia remarked, wrinkling her nose as she scanned Chloe from head to toe. "No drama, you say? That dress is just asking for it. It basically screams, 'I'm available, come and take me.'"

"Oh, really?" Freya scoffed, coming to Chloe's defense.

"Cassie..." Sophie warned Cassiopeia with a glance.

"What? She looks like a slut," Cassiopeia hissed.

"And that comes from you?" Freya's eyes gleamed with anger as she stood up for Chloe. "If anyone's a slut, it's you! After yesterday's s*x marathon with Marcus, who are you to talk about being slutty? Chloe is a virgin, for Goddess' sake!"

As soon as the words left her lips, Freya realized her mistake and covered her mouth with her hands, sending Chloe an apologetic gaze. But it was too late. The moment Freya revealed the truth, every man's head turned toward Chloe, their gazes fixated on her. The air grew heavy with tension as the realization sank in for everyone present.

Iron was the first to react, gripping Chloe's arm tightly. "Come," he whispered urgently in her ear. "Come with me, quickly." He pulled her away from the group, scanning the room with a sense of determination. "If I had any doubts before, they're gone now," he breathed, locking his gaze with Chloe's. "You're mine, Chloe. I won't let any other man have you." However, just as he was guiding her across the room, another man stepped in their path, his jaw clenched tightly.

"Not so fast..." Marcus growled, his blue eyes gleaming.