Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 4 - Showerhead

Chloe jolted away from the window and quickly ducked behind the curtain, her heart pounding in her chest. Marcus had a girlfriend? Since when? She fought to stop her claws from protruding, her wolf raging with jealousy inside. How could he have a girlfriend? She couldn't bear the thought. Maybe a casual fling, but a committed relationship? No way.

Freya peered at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Chloe swallowed hard, forcing a faint smile as she stepped away from the window and joined Freya on the bed. "Sure. I'm fine. Just a little surprised, I guess," she lied as she forced her claws back in and inspected her polished nails. Luckily her manicure wasn’t ruined... She hesitated a little before asking, "How long have they been dating?"

"Just a few weeks," Freya frowned. "And she was supposed to leave earlier today! He promised me she wouldn't be here when you arrived, just in case it bothered you."

Chloe shook her head, pretending to be indifferent. "No, not at all. I'm happy for him. She's a wolf, right?" She had noticed the girl's graceful movements. Either she was a wolf, or she was a dancer.

"Yes, she's from the Firwood pack," Freya nodded.

"Firwood?” Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Never heard of it." She hated that pack already.

"It's a rather small pack a few hours south of here," Freya explained. "They met at summer camp a few years ago and apparently had a fling back then! Now they bumped into each other and well… I guess they fell in love."

"How... romantic," Chloe lied, her sarcasm barely concealed. Her tongue was probably turning black already! So… Marcus's girlfriend was a hillbilly. How charming.

“Romantic? I guess...” Freya gazed at her inquiringly. “Sure, you’re alright?”

"I'm okay," Chloe said with a shrug. "But let's get back to what we were talking about before. Your future mate… Or mates, if I remember correctly?" She gave a wry smile. "Why don't you tell me where you hope to find him and why?"

Chloe knew that Freya loved to talk about boys and gossip, so it was easy to steer the conversation in a new direction, and Freya was not late to take the bait.

“Well, I hope he’s not a Northerner, to be honest,” Freya laid down on the bed, her eyes bright with excitement. "Sure, they're wealthy and handsome, but it's too cold up there in the North! And the Easterners... well, they're known to be very temperamental. But I've also heard they're fierce lovers, so maybe I could live with that."

"And what about the Southerners?" Chloe asked, letting out a chuckle. One would never have a dull moment with Freya!

"I'd love to live in the South, but rumour has it, they're cheaters," Freya replied with a pout.

Chloe quirked up a brow. "Sounds like we'll have to find you an Easterner then," she said with a grin. "Someone with enough fire to keep you warm and enough wit to keep you entertained!"

“Yes please!” Freya laughed. “And well-hung.”

“Freya!” Chloe gasped and burst out laughing.

"What? Those things are important too, you know!” she said with a wink. "You know what they say, once you go black, you never go back."

Chloe rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. "Please, as if you've ever gone black," she retorted, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, maybe I have," Freya said, her grin growing wider as she burst into laughter. "Remember Lionel?"

Chloe's eyes widened at the mention of his name. "You mean Lionel from summer camp?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise.

Of course, she remembered him. He was one of the very few wolves with black skin in Alpha and Beta training school, and the only one who showed up at summer camp. Unfortunately, the werewolf world was not immune to prejudice, on the contrary... And people with black skin faced discrimination similar to what existed in the human world, if not even worse.

Freya flashed a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying Chloe's shocked expression. "The one and only," she confirmed with a sly smirk. "We reunited a few weeks after John's inauguration, and let's just say, I gave him my V-card," she paused, biting her lip playfully.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Chloe exclaimed, her jaw dropping in astonishment.

"It was right before John and Isabel's wedding, and I didn't want to distract you with my little escapade," Freya explained with a shrug. “Do you want to hear all the juicy details?"

"Of course, I do," Chloe replied with astonished laughter. "Are you still seeing him?"

"Nahh… it was just a one-night thing," Freya answered nonchalantly. "He's smoking hot, and I just wanted to experience it. I can't be a virgin forever, you know. What if I meet my fated mate at the Winter's ball next week? I don’t want to be totally inexperienced."

“Goddess, Freya…” Chloe shook her head in disbelief. She had been saving herself for her fated mate, hoping for her first time to be special. So much for that… She would rather burn in hell than lose her virginity to Nolan. With a shudder, she refocused on Freya. "So, how was it?" she asked.

Freya's eyes lit up, and she grinned widely. "It was amazing. He was so sweet and gentle. Although I have to admit, I needed some time to get used to his size," she added, gesturing with her hands to indicate something rather large.

"And you’re absolutely certain that you won't see him again?" Chloe gazed at Freya with curiosity. Her friend always had a way of surprising her.

"You never know," Freya replied with a chuckle as she twirled around in bed. "But as I've said before, I want to experience them all… Maybe even several at the same time?” Both girls erupted into fits of laughter.

“One thing I wonder by the way,” Freya gasped between breaths. “What if my fated mate has a twin? Would he also be my mate? And what if they’re triplets?“

Chloe snorted, still struggling to catch her breath. "I have no idea. These are the sorts of things they never taught us in school."

“Useless!” Freya's laughter turned into a high-pitched squeal, causing both girls to laugh even harder, having to dry their eyes from tears from laughing too hard.

A careful knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and a young omega peeked in hesitantly, looking at them with uncertainty.

“Hi, May, what do you want?” Freya arched a brow. Chloe snorted again, trying to suppress her laughter.

“Miss Chloe’s luggage is here,” May opened the door and let a few male omegas in, carrying Chloe’s bags. When they were done, she hesitated before leaving. “Your mother wants to know if you can be ready for dinner in thirty minutes?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Freya waved her hand dismissively. “Tell her we’ll be there.”

“Why didn’t your mother mindlink you?” Chloe asked when the omegas had left the room.

“Oh, she has tried,” Freya giggled. “But I ignored her.”

Chloe chuckled. Freya really was one of a kind.

“Do you have everything you need?” Freya eyed the pile of bags in the middle of the room with an amused smile playing on her lips. “Lucky for you, there is a walk-in closet to this room you can use.”

“I’m good,” Chloe nodded. “But I’d die for a shower. Can I have a quickie before dinner?”

“Of course!” Freya jumped up from the bed. “I’ll come back for you in twenty minutes, is that enough?” She put up her red locks in a high and messy bun as she went for the door.

“Perfect,” Chloe smiled and waited until Freya had shut the door before throwing herself down onto the bed with a groan.

Everything felt like a mess. Marcus had a girlfriend. She couldn't shake off the feeling of discomfort that came with that… But why did it bother her so much?

Perhaps it was because Isabel's words were still ringing in her ears. "Everyone knew you had a fling," she had said. Well, Chloe had really loved his attention, making her feel attractive and special. She realized that her thoughts were selfish, as if Marcus was only there to fulfill her needs... Nevertheless, she had been missing their intense attraction, their obvious mutual desire. The tension between them had been palpable, and she had loved every moment of it. Now, all of that was over.

With a sigh, Chloe sat up and scanned the room. The princess-like décor wasn't really her style, but she appreciated Freya's attempt to make her feel comfortable. She was a good friend! A little self-absorbed maybe, but very kind… And a master of acting. Chloe would never forget how Freya had convinced Nick that she was scheming against the family just to get into bed with John. It had been Chloe's idea, though… and she couldn't shake off the guilt of Nicholas’ death. If it wasn’t for her idea, he had probably still been alive.

She rubbed her face with her hands, trying to shake off her negative thoughts. She had to stop brooding so much. She was doing this trip to get away from all that… It was time to start having fun and enjoying herself. Loose up a little! And flirt a little. It was actually a good thing Marcus had a girlfriend, she encouraged herself. Now she didn’t need to worry about hurting his feelings if she did end up in some Northern prince’s bed.

She stripped off her clothes, dropping them to the floor one by one, as she made her way to the bathroom. Little did she know that a pair of sky-blue eyes were locked on her from outside the window…

Oblivious to her admirer’s watchful gaze, she slipped into the shower, enjoying the warm water flowing over her as she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. What kind of romance and adventure laid ahead? Would she find herself in the arms of a rugged and irresistible Eastern wolf, or would she engage in some playful banter with a charming and devilishly good-looking Southerner, without any strings attached?

Her eyes locked onto a bottle of foaming shower oil, beckoning her to indulge. She poured the luxurious foam into her palms, letting it caress her skin as it trickled down to her curves. With a playful smile, she let the foam glide down between her breasts, and as she rubbed it in, her imagination starting to spin…

Vivid images of Marcus’ perfect physique began playing in her mind, the mere thought of his strong, sinewy arms and defined abs sending a wave of desire through her core. Her thoughts drifted further to the enticing contours of his inguinal creases, tracing a path down to his perfectly toned thighs and firm, shapely rear. He was so present in her imagination, she could almost feel his hands on her body...

The longing for his touch sent shivers down her spine, and unable to resist the temptation any longer, she let out a gasp as she slid her hand in between her legs. As waves of intense pleasure washed over her, she instinctively arched her back and tossed her wet hair to the back. No more brooding, no more heartache.

Without further thought, she put the showerhead down to her core and surrendered herself to the heat of the moment, letting the sensations blow her mind.