Page 6

“Get away from her.” I seethed, and the bullies took a step back.

A skinny blonde who appeared to be the head of the group then looked at me, a malicious smile spreading through her lips. “Ah, you rebelled against hierarchy one time, and now you think you’re the savior of the world, huh?”

I was caught off guard by her statement, but I shook it off. News spread between packs with the speed.

“At least you know who I am. I would’ve hated the stress of going through introductions with you.”

“Stay away from this, and you’ll have an easy life here.” It was a pretty brunette, with freckles scattered around her cheeks, speaking, and despite her attempt to look menacing, I could easily see through her. She had a spine as strong as a straw under the weight of a baby elephant.

“I would, but you see, there’s only one thing I hate more than being threatened, and it’s bullies—spineless, insecure little creatures that have no sense of worth or belonging and have resorted to oppressing those weaker than they are to feel a sense of validation.” I smiled, letting my eyes linger on her a little before returning my attention to the blonde.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to leave this room and never bother her again, and I might consider not ratting your dirty acts to the prince,” I continued.

Her eyes narrowed to slits, and I could feel the anger rolling out of her in waves. Wicked intentions were written boldly on her face, but it appeared she still had a few functioning brain cells in her head and backed down, beckoning her minions to join her as she fled the room.

I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tension dissipate from the room in their absence. As much as it would’ve given me great pleasure to teach them a lesson and watch them face the consequences of their actions, I wasn’t a big fan of violent confrontations and catfights.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, crunching next to the bullied girl.

When she gave no response, I decided to introduce myself. Introductions always worked. “I’m Mira.”

“I know who you are,” she replied, her voice low and squeaky. She almost sounded like a mouse. “My name is Mary. I know you meantwell, but you’ve only motivated them to be more creative with their ideas.”

“Then, I'll make sure I’m with you at all times.”

I spent the rest of the day tending to Mary’s injuries and helping with her chores. I had made my first friend. Life didn’t seem so bad.

Over the following days, Mary and I did almost everything together. Mrs. Anderson would catch us doing each other's duties, snooping around, and passing the night in my room, but she always turned a blind eye. She knew I needed a friend. Plus, Mary roomed with one of her bullies, and I always feared they would harm her while she slept, so I let her sleep in my room sometimes.

My wolf was also beginning to come around, especially when Mary was present. Things were gradually getting better, and the hollow ache inside me didn’t hurt as much as it used to, not when I spent a great chunk of the night laughing at Mary’s hilarious tales. She had a new one for every night. I could see why my wolf liked her—she was good for us.

During one of our late-night conversations, I had asked how she had so many stories to tell, and she divulged how she had her parents and was raised by her grandpa who had a hunting hobby and returned with tales from the wild. Wild laughter and light-hearted conversations gave way to emotion-laden stories, and I ended up divulging my relationship with the prince.

It was a load I had been carrying for a long time, and I was relieved to share the weight and have a shoulder to lean on when things got tough. But like every good thing in my life, even my relief was short-lived.

“This is probably the worst timing in history, but I should inform you of Lilith’s arrival tomorrow,” Mary muttered softly after we had spoken about the situation.

My stomach churned, and I swallowed the bitter taste of bile rising to my mouth. “Tomorrow?”

“Their mating ceremony is three full moons away. I would have informed you earlier if I knew the situation, but you didn’t strike me as someone who would be interested in petty palace gossip.” Her voice was almost as low as it was the first time we spoke, and sympathy clouded her eyes.

I nodded, not seeing the need for words. It wasn’t as if there was anything I could say to change the situation.

Mary reached out to gently squeeze my hand.

“Will you be okay?”

“Do I have a choice?”

She released a heavy sigh, wrapping her arms around me and rubbing soft circles on my back.

“What I don’t understand is why he is yet to reject you. If he’s getting married, shouldn’t that be the first thing he should do?”

“It is a pity. He probably thinks it’s a good deed to save me from the pain of breaking the mating bond.”

“But it’ll only hurt more if you keep the connection. One of you has to do it if you’re certain there’s no way for you to be together. That way, you can deal with the pain, move on, and possibly find a second chance at love.”

She was making a lot of sense. I’ve heard that being in close range while your mate marks another hurts like a bitch, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to deal with both the reality and pain that would come from the decision.