Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 44 - Tangled bonds

"Where do you think you're taking her?" Marcus snarled, defiantly blocking Iron's path as he firmly led Chloe through the room.

"Get out of my way, Marcus," Iron growled, his voice dripping with intensity. "Chloe and I have some matters to settle."

Snapping out of her bewilderment and confusion, Chloe had a surge of awareness of what was going on. After Freya's thoughtless revelation, everything had happened so fast, leaving Chloe unsure of how to react. Should she accompany Iron to offer him an explanation? Not that she owed him anything, right?

Moreover, she struggled to understand why he was so insistent on leaving the room. After all, she didn't feel endangered in the midst of the lively ballroom crowd. And she couldn’t possibly be the only one in the room still being a virgin, she knew it to be far more common than people thought. However, just as she had suspected, Iron's possessiveness exploded into full force upon hearing the revelation.

“Let her go.” The air crackled with tension as Marcus stood tall, using every ounce of his slightly smaller frame to project an imposing presence. He loomed over Iron, his eyes gleaming with a newfound ferocity that Chloe had never witnessed before.

Iron and Marcus stared into each other’s eyes, their piercing gazes locked in a fierce battle of wills. The room seemed to hold its breath, captivated by the weighty tension between them. It was as if the atmosphere itself had grown heavy, each passing second intensifying the unspoken clash between the two men.

"Iron," Chloe searched his gaze, causing him to snap his head in her direction. "We can discuss this later. We're among friends, aren't we? There's no need to whisk me away from here,” she continued, her voice soft but determined.

A fervent flame burned in Iron's eyes, making Chloe instinctively take a step back. However, his hand on her arm prevented her from distancing herself further, the pull undeniable. It was terribly clear that his wolf was in control, even if he seemed oblivious to it himself.

"I won't allow any other man to have you," he repeated feverishly, his grip unyielding. "I need to mark you. Now."

Her heart froze at his words. No. This couldn't be happening. "Iron," she insisted, locking her gaze with his, hoping to reach him. "Release my arm. You're hurting me."

Her words caused him to wince, his eyes shifting to her arm where his claws had dug into her flesh. A paleness washed over him, and he let go of her arm as if scalded. "I'm sorry," he grimaced, but instead of stepping away, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I would never hurt you! But we must leave now."

"No, Chloe, come with me," Marcus interjected, extending his hand toward her. "It’s time we have a proper conversation, you and I, before you make a decision you will regret."

"No," Chloe replied firmly, her arms crossed and her gaze defiant as she locked eyes with both men. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to support Freya and to have a good time. No one is taking me anywhere," she stated, her voice tinged with exasperation. “No man will dictate what I do," she added with a sneer. The neverending drama was pushing her patience to its limits. "Besides, you're ruining the party for everyone," she gestured toward the ballroom where curious onlookers stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock. Even the guitarist had abandoned his melody, his jaw hanging open in disbelief.

Suddenly, Freya appeared by Chloe's side, slipping her arm around her waist. "Please, gentlemen," she interjected with an innocent smile. "Just let us girls have a fun night. Your concerns can wait until tomorrow, right?"

Exchanging glances, none of the men showed any sign of backing down. However, seizing a momentary opportunity, Chloe gracefully slipped out of Iron's arm and took a few steps away. As she did, the rest of the onlookers seemed to wake up from their daze and resumed their conversations. The guitarist picked up his tune once again, and Chloe let out a sigh of relief. Maybe the impending disaster had been averted?

However, Iron's menacing growl directed at Marcus shattered her hopes of a peaceful resolution. "Should we settle this outside?" he snarled, taking menacing steps toward Marcus, causing Chloe's heart to sink.

"If that's what it takes for you to let her go," Marcus retorted defiantly, refusing to back down.

Just when it seemed like things were about to escalate further, an unexpected voice intervened, diffusing the tension. It was Arnulf, his laughter cutting through the heavy atmosphere. "Come on, guys," he chuckled. "Let's ditch the hostility and grab some drinks instead."

Iron's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he considered Arnulf's proposition and a glimmer of hesitation flickered across his face. Marcus, too, seemed momentarily taken aback, his defensive stance softening as he contemplated the alternative.

Chloe was quite certain that Marcus wasn’t too eager to engage in a physical confrontation with Iron. Firstly, they were in Iron's domain, which naturally put Marcus at a disadvantage and made him uneasy. Secondly, it was evident to her that Iron possessed superior strength and skill compared to Marcus. She desperately hoped that both men would choose to back down.

"Alright," Iron eventually grumbled through gritted teeth, his gaze shifting towards Chloe. As he and Marcus reluctantly followed Arnulf's lead toward the bar, Iron veered off course and pulled Chloe aside. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear with concern evident in his voice. "Don't go anywhere alone, Chloe. Stay close."

Chloe couldn't help but roll her eyes, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Relax, Iron. I--"

He cut her off abruptly. "I don't want what happened yesterday to repeat itself," he gave her a meaningful look. The memory of her unexpected encounter with Arnulf flashed through her mind, causing her to pale. "I have enemies here, Chloe," he murmured softly, seeing her pained expression. "Other Northern Alphas who would stop at nothing to undermine my position or make my life difficult. So please, stay by my side.” He looked at her pleadingly.

Chloe's expression softened, but she remained firm. "I'll be cautious," she assured him, her voice barely above a whisper. "But your talk of marking me caught me off guard. I never agreed to anything like that."

"I know, I got carried away," he admitted, his hand gently caressing her arm. "I just... I genuinely care about you, Chloe. Every word I've spoken has been sincere. I want you to stay here with me in the North. I want you to become my Luna. And the moment you give me the green light, I won't hesitate to mark you." His eyes bore into hers, brimming with sincerity and urgency.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe met his gaze. "I appreciate your honesty, Iron. But let's take things one step at a time. Right now, I need to be with Freya. Go back to your friends, and we'll see each other later."

Iron didn't appear pleased, but he finally obeyed and headed in the same direction as Arnulf, leaving Chloe behind. However, the moment Iron left her side, Marcus emerged from behind her, tugging at her arm.

"Chloe," he whispered. "We can leave, you know. I can get the car ready. We can leave now, before things get worse."

"But what about Freya?" Chloe shifted her gaze towards Freya, who had found Sigrun, the artist behind the ice dragon statue, and they were engaged in a leisurely chat, seemingly enjoying themselves. As Freya sensed Marcus and Chloe's gazes, she excused herself and approached them.

"Hey, are you guys okay? That was intense..." she whispered, concern evident in her voice.

"We should leave," Marcus insisted. "It’s not safe here anymore."

Freya crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She added meaningfully, "And it has nothing to do with wanting to keep Chloe away from Iron, brother? Did you forget about Cassie the moment you realized Chloe wasn't 'as experienced' as you all assumed?" she scoffed, her disbelief evident as she made air quotes with her fingers.

Marcus's gaze turned piercing as he glared at his younger sister. "I'm concerned about your safety, that's all," he muttered. "And I think it's best to avoid spending another night in this castle."

"Am I not interesting enough for you to play with, Marcus?" a voice chimed in from behind them, and Cassiopeia slid her arm around Marcus's neck. "You can't leave tonight," she teased, pouting. She gestured toward Ilona, who stood awkwardly behind them, her hands tightly clasped. "Ilona and I would be terribly disappointed."

Marcus was momentarily stunned, seemingly at a loss for words. Chloe's anger surged once again as images of him and Cassiopeia flashed through her mind. Damn it, Marcus! Would she ever be able to forgive him?

Just then, it was announced that it was time to take their seats, and everyone gathered around the tables, finding their designated spots.

"We'll talk later," Chloe nodded to Marcus, her voice rigid. "Once you've figured out what to do with your fan club," she cast a cold stare at Cassiopeia. Any empathy she had felt for her earlier in the day had long dissipated.

Linking arms with Freya, Chloe hurriedly approached Sigrun, who was still nearby. "Sigrun!" Chloe greeted her with a smile, relieved to see a friendly face. "I didn't know you were staying for the evening as well."

"Oh yes, well, I wasn't planning to, but then Theo asked me to stay..." Sigrun bit her lip. "I've always been weak for him, so I couldn't say no," she chuckled, gesturing towards Theodor, who beckoned her to join him.

"Is it open seating tonight?" Chloe inquired, hoping they could stay close.

"I'm afraid not," Sigrun pointed to the name cards on the tables. "They rearranged us, so I won't be sitting next to you tonight," she said regretfully.

"Alright, we'll catch up later then," Chloe smiled.

There was no head table this evening, only round tables scattered throughout the room. It wasn't immediately clear to her where she and Iron would be seated, but it didn't take long for Iron to appear by her side, guiding her to her place.

"My lady," he smiled, appearing more relaxed as he pulled out the chair for her. Chloe caught a familiar scent on his breath - livathn. She shuddered, remembering the strong drink that had been tampered with during John's inauguration, which had left everyone properly drunk and intoxicated, including herself. That had been the night she and Marcus shared their first kiss, and she could still feel the intensity of that moment, causing her cheeks to flush. She hadn't touched a drop of livathn since.

"Here, I got this for you," Iron placed a glass with the greenish beverage in front of her. "I think we could all use some relaxation tonight, right?" He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, his lips brushing against her skin.

"Thank you," Chloe smiled, her lips pursed. "But I'll pass."

"Don't be sour, princess," Iron chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "As you said, we're here to have fun, right? And I can't wait to have more fun with you."

To Chloe's dismay, she noticed that almost everyone at their table was drinking livathn. It wasn't surprising, considering it was a common choice at such festive gatherings. But it still made her uneasy. She glanced around and spotted Freya a few tables away, already sipping her drink while giggling with Arnulf, causing Chloe's stomach to churn.

The only person not partaking in the greenish beverage was Marcus, seated at yet another table with Cassiopeia and Sophie on either side. Chloe's gaze locked with Marcus's across the room, and they silently acknowledged each other's sentiments. Neither of them would touch the livathn tonight.

As the dinner progressed, the atmosphere grew livelier, markedly different from the previous night. Even before dessert was served, a few girls had taken to the dance floor, their silky gowns accentuating their seductive movements. Chloe couldn’t help but observe the wandering attentions of the men around her, the tension mounting.

"I can't wait for this dinner to end so I can dance with you," Iron whispered, his hand sliding down her thigh under the table.

"If you want, you can dance now," Chloe replied mischievously, nodding toward the dancing girls as one of them locked eyes with Iron, enticing him to join.

"There's only one person I want to dance with," he scoffed before leaning in and nuzzling his nose into her hair, inhaling her scent. "And only one person I want to sleep with... Please, Chloe, sleep with me tonight."

"I thought you don't sleep with women," Chloe teased, moving away slightly.

"I don't," he murmured, his lips grazing her bare shoulder as he gave her a gentle kiss. "But you're not just any woman. You're mine. And I can't wait to show it to you."

The moment was interrupted by an omega who placed their dessert plates in front of them, causing Iron to shoot the server an angry stare. However, Chloe felt a sense of relief being momentarily freed from the tense situation - even though she was still attracted to Iron, the thought of him trying to whisk her away to place his mark on her had left her uncertain if she could truly trust him…

As she savored her dessert, a delicious chocolate mousse that melted in her mouth, Iron excused himself, promising to return soon. Chloe's gaze instinctively darted towards Freya's table, as it had done several times throughout the evening, seeking reassurance

that she was alright. However, this time she couldn't see her… Nor did she see Arnulf.

A pang of concern gripped Chloe, and she swiftly rose from her seat, her senses on high alert. Something didn't feel right. Where could Freya have gone? Had she perhaps stepped away to use the restroom? No, they had already gone together a few times, so she shouldn’t have.

Navigating through the room, Chloe weaved between the dancing couples, searching for her friend. Her gaze landed on Sigrun, and she hastened towards her. "Have you seen Freya?" she asked, her voice laced with worry and urgency.

Sigrun shook her head. “The last time I saw her, she was heading in that direction," she indicated, gesturing toward one of the open doors at the far end of the room.

"What? Why?" Chloe asked, her mind spinning. What would Freya be doing over there?

"I don't know," Sigrun shrugged, offering a gentle smile. "But don’t worry, I'm sure she's fine! Arnulf was with her…"