Her Poor Alpha Prince

CHAPTER TWO

Larkin's POV

I let out a deep sigh while standing before an appliance store window. Behind its clear glass was a television, where I could watch the news about the royal family. According to the report, they visited an orphanage to give their donation personally. A smirk etched on my lips as a particular woman on the television snatched my gaze.

Her name was Sandra Phillips. The crowned princess of Cardiz, a small European country. She may have looked pristine, but she wasn't as perfect as everyone believed. In fact, she was harboring a dark secret.

She abandoned her hidden child years ago. How did I learn this? Yes, I was that child—Sandra Phillips' illegitimate son.

My father, Leon, and Sandra met in Calarminos, the last frontier of Cardiz. A secluded city with a small population—perfect for the packs to live in. Sandra volunteered to help the community of Calarminos but fell in love the first time she saw my father. Soon enough, their whirlwind romance had her carrying a child. They opted to live in the wilderness with no neighbors to keep her pregnancy a secret.

The king, however, discovered where she hid after giving birth to me and feared that people would condemn her. The scandal might cause the royal's reputation to suffer, so he gave her the option to abandon me; otherwise, he would kill me with his own hands as he believed I would become a stain on the royal's name. Sandra had no choice but to obey her father's orders.

Despite everything, I didn't hold resentment toward my mother. I fully understand what happened. However, the fact that she had not looked for me after such a long time caused me some anguish. She didn't seem to care whether or not I was still alive.

Sandra was considered one of Cardiz's most powerful women, capable of turning the entire country upside down if she was absolutely determined to find me, especially since she had nothing to be feared as her father died a few years ago. But then, her image was still the most important thing to her.

I imagined my father's pain. He chose Sandra over the pack. It took him a long time to regain their trust. He remained silent about the whole story, but I found out the truth through my grandmother, who did not hide anything from me.

The Calarminos were invaded by business owners who saw the city as an ideal location for the construction of establishments. The location was perfect for developing hotels and resorts, villages, and factories. We had no choice but to leave and find a place that was suitable for us. We settled in a small town called Old Wood Hill and lived normally with humans, keeping our true identity hidden from society.

And now, even though I wasn't a pure-blooded werewolf, I proved my courage and capability to inherit my father's throne as a true alpha of the Crimson Midnight Howlers. My pack witnessed how I protected them from rival packs vying for territory in Old Wood Hill.

My attention returned to the television. When I saw Sandra smiling proudly at her son, Zander, being awarded for his nobility and goodwill, I clenched my fist as jealousy flooded my nerves.

"C'mon, Larkin! Forget about her; consider her dead!" I said to myself, taking a deep breath to release the heavy loads in my chest.

I was ready to turn away when I noticed a man's reflection in the glass pane standing meters behind me.

I could smell him. . .

An Omega.

Our eyes hooked together. Nobody wanted to break the gaze. Measuring, waiting and determining who would be the first to attack.

The Omega appeared at my side in the blink of an eye. When he pointed his knife at my neck, his eyes turned flame yellow and his fangs sprang out. I didn't feel any fear, since this was nothing new. Many packs wanted to take over the Old Wood Hill, as well as the werewolves who tried to replace me as alpha, and in order for them to succeed, they needed to kill me first.

Despite his assault, I managed to keep my cool and flashed a mocking grin, which caught him off guard. I could smell his fear. Regardless, I gave him time to escape.

His bravery impressed me as he continued trying to slit my throat. I was able to grab his arm and flip it over before he could injure me. Even the bypassers had stopped walking and turned their gaze on us as a cracking sound from his bones blared with his loud shout filled the air.

We both understood the conflict that would arise if the people around us discovered our true identities right now, so we quickly changed our eye color back to normal before they could notice. He took advantage of the situation by pushing me hard and then walking away as if nothing had happened.

I also kept my cool and followed the Omega. He vanished like a bubble as we got closer to the woods. Nice try! But he couldn't get away from me no matter where he hid among the towering trees. I could track his scent.

My eyes turned scarlet as I sprinted at a breakneck speed. Every grass I passed by was bent over and seemingly blown away by a raging storm. It couldn't keep its grip on its roots because of the wind generated by my quickness.

The Omega didn’t notice that I was already standing right behind his back because my movement didn’t make any noise. He was focused on peeping behind the tree. I knew he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. However, his body stiffened when he finally sensed my presence.

He slowly turned to face me. I was able to choke him with one hand before he could react. His feet were raised off the grass by a few inches. Also, his face was filled with horror as he realized that, with my strength, I could make him lose his pulse in a single blink.

"P-please stop! I have a f-family!" The Omega struggled to utter a voice.

What I heard brought me back to my senses. I immediately let go of him. There was a family waiting for him, and I couldn't afford for his children to be orphaned. I fought to protect myself and my pack, but I wasn't a murderer!

“Go! Leave now!” I roared as I turned away from the Omega. The next thing I heard was the crisp sound of dried leaves as he bolted away.

After my adrenaline level had returned to normal, I retraced the path I had taken. I hadn't gone far when I heard a woman's shout echoing through the woods. I couldn't care less about who it was. But my luck seemed to be playing a joke on me because every step I took brought me closer to the voice I was hearing.

“You’ll see how quickly I"ll forget you, Jacob!”

A heartbroken woman in the middle of this forest?

My jaw dropped when I finally saw the woman after pushing aside the tall grass. The setting sun shone enchantingly on her, creating a silhouette of her stunningly slender figure. Her long straight hair and skirt swayed in the gentle breeze. Her thighs were slightly peeking out, which made me swallow hard and silently wish that the wind would blow her skirt away even more.

Wait, what?! I vigorously shook my head. What the hell was I thinking?

'Cmon, Larkin! Wait until you see her face!’

What if she had a crooked large nose? Or pimple wreckage? These were my thoughts as the woman turned in a way that allowed me to see her entire face. Her mesmerizing beauty almost made me forget about the rest of the world.

Her immaculate face would undoubtedly sweep any man off his feet. She didn't have a beauty queen face or a supermodel body. But there was something extraordinary about her that he couldn't explain. Perhaps it was the seeming mystique in her eyes. It could also be due to the sunset or the effect of beautiful nature.

I had no idea what was wrong with me because if I wanted to, I could flee without her noticing, but my feet were firmly planted on the ground. Until the woman realized she wasn't alone. Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with one hand, trying to keep a scream from escaping.