Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 26 - Alpha Rivalries

Iron's initial surprise turned into amusement as he let out a dry laugh. "Really? You have set your mind on Chloe? How… interesting," he chuckled. "It seems we still have similar tastes in women, Marcus. And we both know how that usually ends... But may the best wolf win!" With a sly smirk, he raised his glass and saluted Marcus before drinking.

Chloe felt a pang of discomfort. So... Marcus and Iron had been pursuing the same woman before? Both this men seemed to have an unhealthy appetite in women. She could feel Marcus' piercing gaze burn her skin, but she purposefully avoided eye contact with him. Instead, she quickly cleared her throat and turned to Theo, desperate to change the subject. "So, are you also from the North?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Theo chuckled. "Yes, born and raised. Both my parents were omegas, so it was lucky for me that Master Crassus noticed my potential when he came to visit our pack. He gave me the opportunity to study alongside these two morons." He nodded towards Arnulf and Iron with a fond smile on his face.

Chloe nodded, trying to muster up some genuine interest. "Wow. That's great. What did you study?"

“Oh, you know, the usual stuff but with a stronger emphasis on art. Alpha training is obviously not for me,” Theo pointed humorously at his own physique. It was evident that he didn't possess the typical brawny build expected of a werewolf, he was rather slender and short.

"Fascinating!” Chloe would never had thought her uncle was the type who would take a young omega in and provide for him a higher education. “What type of art do you practice?" she asked curiously.

Theo's face lit up with enthusiasm. "I'm a sculptor. There's something so fulfilling about using my hands to mold and shape clay into beautiful forms," he explained.

"And now, you're venturing into ice sculptures?" Chloe asked with a smile.

"Yes, indeed! And I'm confident that I will win the contest this year!" Theo's grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Is that so?" Chloe laughed. "I can't wait to see your masterpiece," she continued with genuine curiosity. She really appreciated Theo's down-to-earth nature! It was a refreshing contrast to the rest of the dinner guests at the table.

“I’m sure you will appreciate Theo’s creations for this year’s competition,” Iron leaned in towards Chloe, his arm resting on the back of her chair. She couldn't help but notice the bulging muscles of his arms as he did, causing her to feel a wave of heat wash over her. She tried to remain composed, but her palms began to sweat. Who knew she would end up needing a fan to cool herself up in the North?

“Strong arms to lift you up and hold you tight,” her wolf purred. “He's rather exciting, isn’t he? His Alpha aura is quite powerful.”

“Exciting? He’s a dickhead,” Chloe scoffed in reply.

“You don’t know that,” her wolf muttered. “But he sure has big d**k energy.”

“Stop it,” Chloe groaned inwardly, feeling her cheeks flush. She hoped no one would notice, but of course, Iron did.

His grin widened as he saw her blushing, and he gave her a mischievous wink. "Feeling a bit hot, princess?" he teased. "I can think of a few ways to cool you down later."

Chloe wiped her palms on her dress, feigning indifference. "It must be the fireplace," she gestured towards the fire behind them. "It's making me warm."

Iron chuckled, his breath tickling her ear. "I'm sure we can find a way to relieve some of that warmth after dinner. We could give each other a try, don't you think?"

Chloe's eyes widened, and she snorted in disbelief. Goddess, this man was so full of himself! Quickly, she cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Theo, ignoring Iron's remark. “Did I see any of your creations upon our arrival?” she forced a smile.

“Well, there is a galloping stallion that’s mine, and an eagle that catches its prey,” Theo looked at her expectantly.

Chloe almost felt sorry for him as she shrugged. ”I'm sorry, I must have missed them," she admitted.

"That's alright," Theo smiled. "But maybe you saw my werewolf sculpture near the entrance? That one is hard to miss."

"I did see it! It's incredibly lifelike," Chloe exclaimed, impressed.

Iron chimed in, looking smug. "But the real showstopper will be presented tomorrow. I’m sure you will appreciate it, it’s mindblowing.”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Theo shrugged with a grin. “But yes, I've been putting a lot of effort into that one, and I'll be working on it through the night to make sure it's perfect."

“You’ll work tonight?” Chloe arched her brows. Poor guy!

“What to do,” Theo held up his hands. “It’s not done until it’s done.”

Chloe couldn’t help but admire his dedication - Theo was obviously brilliant, but he was still so down to earth... Not like the testosterone factory sitting next to her, making her nip.ples go stiff. Chloe swallowed, feeling slightly lightheaded and overwhelmed by the wine and Iron's proximity.

"Chloe, dear, you don't look too well," Thora suddenly intervened, gazing at her pensively. "Maybe it's time for you to go to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Yes, grandmother, you're right," Chloe raised. “Thank you for dinner," she stood up on trembling legs. Goddess, she really needed some fresh air. "Good luck with your work tonight," she added, offering Theo a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing your creations tomorrow."

"Thank you," Theo replied with a grin. "I can't wait for you to see them."

“I will follow you to your room,” Marcus immediately raised, his eyes locking with Chloe's.

However, before she could even respond, Iron raised as well. “No way," he scoffed. "I'll be escorting her to her room. You don't even know your way around here, Marcus. You would only get lost. I'll make sure she gets to her room safe and sound.”

"That sounds like a very good idea, Iron," Argen chimed in. "Chloe stays in the left wing."

"The left wing?" Iron looked momentarily taken aback. "Why? I thought you didn't use the left wing."

"She stays in her mother's old room, of course," Thora interjected. "You remember where it is, don't you Iron?"

"Of course," he affirmed with a nod. He directed his gaze towards Chloe, offering her his arm. "Shall we?"

"I'm coming too," Marcus insisted, his stare fixed on Iron, who begrudgingly let out a snarl.

Chloe's heart raced as she observed the intense exchange, her eyes darting between the two men. Would they engage in a fight right then and there? She really hoped not! She genuinely expected Marcus to display more intelligence than that.

However, when Marcus was the one who first let down his gaze, Chloe couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

He turned his attention back to her, speaking cautiously. "Will you be alright?"

Chloe glanced at Freya, who seemed oblivious to what was going on in front of her, giggling at something Arnulf had said while resting her hand on his arm. If anyone needed to be monitored, it was her... "Yes," Chloe confirmed and locked her gaze with Marcus.

“I want to leave first thing tomorrow. Until then... Watch Freya, please,” she mindlinked him urgently. “I don’t trust Arnulf.”

"Arnulf? He's harmless. Iron, on the other hand..." Marcus trailed off.

Of course, Marcus would say that. Chloe knew Iron had his eyes on her, and that Marcus was probably jealous. She wasn't naive. "I'll be fine," she gave Marcus a tight smile before turning to face Iron.

Thora clasped her hands together. "Thank you, Iron, for being such a gentleman and escorting Chloe to her room."

Gentleman? Chloe had to bite her tongue to stop from laughing out loud. Iron's intentions were far from being gentlemanly! It was quite obvious what he wanted, and it was definitely not giving her a tour of the castle. But she needed his help, and she wasn't about to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her unsure or uncomfortable.

"Lead the way, Iron," she said, grabbing his arm firmly. “And will you be so kind and help me find my phone? I need to call home.”

“Of course,” he straightened his back and gave her a mischievous wink. “Anything for my Black Wolf Princess.”

As they left the room, Chloe gave him a meaningful look as she lowered her voice. “Are you always this flirty?”

“Only when I see something I want,” he replied with a cunning smile.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Goddess! You're not making a very convincing case for yourself, Iron."

"I don't need to convince you," he smirked. "You already know you want me."

She couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Oh, please! You have an ego the size of this castle."

"And you love it,” he grinned widely.

"You wish," she scoffed.

However, as they strolled through the castle, their conversation flowed more smoothly, and Chloe found herself pleasantly surprised. Iron, despite his cocky demeanor, possessed a great sense of humor! He made her laugh several times, and after a while they were both quite relaxed in each others company. Eventually, they arrived at a lengthy corridor.

"This is the left wing," Iron pointed out. "And I believe this is your room." With that, he swung open the door and stepped inside, emitting a whistle of admiration. "Wow, not bad. I had forgotten how stylish this room is," he commented, his eyes drawn to the various bouquets of flowers gracefully arranged throughout the space. "Looks like my flowers fit in perfectly," he added with a grin. His gaze continued to wander, eventually settling on the rack of dresses. "And it seems you've brought your entire wardrobe," he remarked teasingly.

"Actually, those aren't mine," Chloe grimaced. "But never mind that. Can I use your phone to call mine? I seem to have misplaced it somewhere in this room."

"Sure thing," he replied, unlocking his phone and handing it to her. "Is this a trick?” he added with a wolfish grin. “Is it just an excuse to get my number?”

“In your dreams,” Chloe snorted, shaking her head with disbelief as she dialed her own number. However, her heart sank as she listened to the passing tones, realizing there was no buzzing or ringing whatsoever.

Iron leaned against the wall, watching her as she tried calling her phone. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing her expression.

“Nobody's picking up, and I can't hear it,” Chloe sighed. “I must have put it on silent mode... Now I have no idea how I'm going to find it, or where it could be.” Feeling frustrated, she handed the phone back to him. "Thanks anyway," she muttered, sinking down onto the bed.

Iron moved closer, reaching his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry," he smiled softly. "I'll help you find it."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat at his touch, and she felt a flutter in her stomach that she tried to ignore. "Okay, let's search for it together," she hastily stood up from the bed.

Side by side, they searched for her phone. As they lifted the bed covers, their hands brushed against each other accidentally and Chloe found herself blushing at the sensation. Damn it!

Iron gave her a long gaze, clearly sensing her physical response, but then he returned to the search as if nothing had happened. Thoroughly, he combed the room, checking every nook and cranny, but without success. "Perhaps it fell out of your pocket somewhere?" he suggested with a frown.

Chloe shook her head. "I don't think so. I had it with me when I arrived. Maybe someone took it…"

His eyes narrowed at the thought. "Who would dare do such a thing?"

"I don't know,” she shrugged.

Iron's jaw clenched. "I'll make sure to get you a new phone. We can't have you here without a way to contact anyone. I'll take care of it right away," he said, resolutely striding towards the door.

"Hey, Iron?” She called out to him before he left, giving him a shy smile as he turned back to her and their gazes met. “Thank you. You're not so bad after all..."

He flashed a grin. "I knew you'd come around eventually," he teased before disappearing through the door, leaving her speechless.

“Who would have thought Iron Praetor would be capable of being decent?” her wolf chuckled. “This was an interesting turn of events!”

“I don’t know… Maybe it’s just some game to make me like him,” Chloe mused.

“Or maybe his previous attitude was just for show… In front of others,” her wolf suggested.

Chloe nibbled on her nails. She was actually quite unsure of what to make of Iron. He had shown a different side of himself since they left the group dinner, but she couldn't shake off her skepticism. How could she trust him? These Northerners all seemed like terrible people.

Just look at Arnulf - he had been rude and unpleasant when they were alone but put on a different face in public. Iron, on the other hand, was the opposite. Despite his boisterousness and dominance during dinner, he turned out to be much more agreeable when they were alone. No, not just agreeable, Chloe corrected herself. He had been more than that - he had been kind and considerate. And funny... And she couldn’t help but find it a little attractive.

“A little?” her wolf teased.

"Okay, not just a little," Chloe bit her lip.