Page 29
“O h, Alpha Asher, I’m sorry.” It’s Alpha Jake from the southern Moonbeam Pack. His skin is as dark as Cain’s, but he’s not as handsome and has completely different features.
I’m still pretty sure Cain’s mother had to come from the middle-east.
“No problem, Jake,”
He smiles at me and looks at my companion. He visibly pales.
“Rogue Prince! Nice to meet you, your Highness,” he bows respectfully.
Cain doesn’t say anything back and judging by his cold stare, Alpha Jake should be happy he still has all his limbs intact after he bumped into us.
Or is Cain wondering if that’s my true mate? Ugh, this will be a long evening.
I notice Alpha Jake's guard is by the doors, eyeing the situation with a heightened heart rate. I can see from here, his neck vein pulsing way too quickly.
“Okay, let’s go, Alphas—I’m sure my brother is already expecting us inside.”
Cain doesn’t miss slapping my ass before the doors like the last time, and a few seconds after Jake and his guard, we come inside holding hands.
The conversations don’t stop this time, but all eyes are definitely on us.
Cain lifts my hand high and swirls me like in a dance, making my skirt flow around me, and I’m scared that people can see I don’t have any panties on. Werewolf or not, a royal birthday party is not a time to flash anyone .
But all the guests' eyes are glued to my neck.
To my choker. My collar . Cain made me look like his pet. Probably his intention all along.
As soon as I stop swirling, I bow like the princess I’m supposed to be, and Gregory leaves Alpha Jake to come greet us.
“You look gorgeous,” Greg says, kissing my cheek. “Your Highness,” he adds with the utmost respect in his voice, but instead of bowing, he gives Cain his hand to shake.
To my surprise, Cain squeezes his hand back, with a crooked smile. Gregory, as the next heir to the throne, is probably the only one here except my dad, who can touch Cain without being disrespectful.
“It looks cozy,” I notice that the only thing left here from yesterday is the bar on one side. The rest of the room is full of comfy velvet and leather mismatched armchairs around little tables—plus there is a stage with a small screen and microphone at the front.
“Yeah, we’ll have our singing contest today. Do you think our parents will let me win because it’s my birthday?”
“I doubt it,” I mutter and turn to Cain, “They always win this stupid contest with some romantic duet.”
Gregory laughs.
“You are bitter about it because this is the only game you have never won!”
“It’s not a game.” I roll my eyes.
“Why? Because you can’t cheat in this one?”
“I don’t cheat!”
“Sure, you don’t, Ash.” Greg leans down to kiss my forehead.
Since when has he been so much taller than me? I swear he grew another few inches in the past two weeks. Is it because the alpha powers in his blood are no longer dimmed by my presence ?
“Oh, another guest. Go sit somewhere, your Highnesses.”
I lead Cain to my parents after noticing they are getting ready to go sing their asses off, and we will be able to steal their premium seating.
“Look around,” Cain alpha commands me with a whisper, so I do look around discreetly.
My sisters are waving at me, my other brothers sit around a tablet with Ella, probably making bets for today’s contest. I can see a lot more adults than yesterday, everywhere. My aunts and uncles, all unmated Alphas from the Kingdom, and a few still relatively young but already mated ones, too.
“Is he here?” Cain is alpha-commanding me again.
If only he knew he didn’t have to command me to look around first… but one day, he will ask a question the wrong way, and I will be screwed.
“Yes,” I say, looking into his navy-blue gorgeous eyes.
“Good,” he says and then approaches my dad, who just stood up. “Your Majesties.”
“Rogue Prince, oh, you’ve got a tattoo?” My dad notices immediately when the fur cape slides from Cain’s arm while he shakes my dad’s hand in greeting.
My mom gasps, looking at the ink version of my wolf form that she knows all too well.
I swear she has zero chill.
“It’s beautiful, your Highness,” she tries to save face.
I’m pretty sure that as the Werewolf Queen, she doesn’t have to call Rogue Prince his Highness, but it’s probably smart that she does.
“Thank you, just like your daughter,” he winks at her, completely unashamed.
“Well, you can take our seats,” my dad says, giving me a weird look.
He was the one to give me up for this union, but he was desperate, I can see his concern now. He was the only one who never really acknowledged my strength, maybe because everyone is weak in his Alpha King’s eyes. I was always his favorite delicate flower, no matter how many thorns I showed.
You would hope that a guy, loyally tattooing his daughter's image on himself, would calm my dad down; but I guess it might have just confirmed how unhinged and insane Cain is.
We sit down as my parents go onto the stage.
“Now they will pretend for an hour that they have a problem choosing a song, but in reality, they probably rehearsed it for a whole year.”
“You do sound bitter about it,” Cain laughs, and I unwillingly crack a smile.
“Rogue Prince, I’m Alpha Timothy from Sunset Pack.” The guy gives Cain one of the two bourbon glasses he is holding. “It’s spiked,” he adds with a wink, and scoots one of the big chairs to sit closer to us, like it is a feather.
Alphas .
Cain takes a sip of the alcohol—without a care in the world—and nods at him.
I feel a prick of pain in my temple when he mind-links me.
‘Is it him? He doesn’t have a mark yet.’
Who’s the creepy one now, huh?
‘ No, thank the Goddess, but try to call him Timmy,’ I mind-link back, trying not to laugh out loud at my thoughts.
Timmy was always a pain in my ass, one of the only few alphas that had a problem with calling me the Alpha. I saved his ass in war so many times I stopped counting, and he still treats me like a little incompetent girl. He also beats up anyone who dares to call him Timmy.
“So, Timmy, is it?” Cain asks with his fearsome gaze, resting his sword at the side of my chair, “Did you forget about a drink for my wife?”
I try not to snort when I see veins bulging on Timothy’s neck and face.
“Of course, what would you like, Asher? Lemonade?” He tries to insult me with a childish drink, and I’m not surprised he also ‘forgets’ to show me any courtesy.
Even if he is happy that he doesn’t have to call me Alpha anymore, I’m still a Royal werewolf for fuck’s sake. Oh, I hate this guy!
“That’s ‘your Highness’ to you, and lemonade would be great, thanks. Make it two. My husband likes them just as much,” I take a leap of faith with that comeback.
“That’s true, I do,” Cain says casually smirking, having my back.
If that’s not what spouses are for, I don’t know what is.
Timothy looks at us slightly paler than usual, probably scared he insulted the Rogue Alpha Prince himself.
No matter how high you keep your alpha head, you don’t want to insult a guy with a sword—who is a massive mountain of muscles dressed in leather, belts with knives, and fur infamously skinned from the first werewolves he ever killed.
When he was five.
“Yes, of course.” Timmy grabs his bearings and gestures to one of his guards. “Josh, bring two lemonades, please.”
“One for me, too,” Gregory comes to sit on the arm of my chair by Cain’s sword, and starts talking with all of the Alphas that took seats around us. The Josh guy brings us the lemonades, and Cain actually puts his bourbon glass down to switch. I’m sure he’s just acting for my sake, which only makes this little victory sweeter.
Maybe I’m too petty sometimes, but Timothy always annoyed me, and I won’t hesitate to use my husband to stress him out a little whenever I can.
Some other Alphas introduce themselves to Cain before talking—pulled to him by some invisible strings of power that let them forget he killed so many of their pack members; but before the conversation can turn into anything interesting, someone puts the music out .
“Okay, guys,” my dad says into the microphone, and everyone looks at the stage. “Some of you might not know, but since our Gregory was just a little pup, we’ve had this family singing competition going on. This time anyone can sign up. You will be getting cards to write your favorites after the show. As last year's champions we, our Queen and I, will start with a duet.”
In complete silence my dad brings his guitar onto the stage. I exchange knowing, annoyed looks with Gregory.
My parents start singing some romantic Christmas song, having fun with it—each of them having their parts so it sounds like conversation, clearly rehearsed before. Like, how do they know so well who should sing what… Come on!
When the last note ends, the crowd erupts in applause, and I roll my eyes. I can hear Cain chuckle, and I catch his gaze.
He winks at me in a dirty way. I turn to the stage again, pretending I’m interested in the next competitor.
Some Alphas, Lunas, and even guards, shamelessly join my family members and the whole thing quickly turns into a cheerful karaoke night. Some are serious and skilled, and some, like Ella with my twin sisters, are just fooling and dancing and having fun no matter how bad at actual singing they are.
Sometimes I shoot a look at my husband, feeling a little bit guilty to make him sit at such a positive, and not at all murderous activity—but he’s already looking at me with a sexy smirk, like he doesn’t mind at all…
Everyone seems to enjoy the show. There are even some ‘boos’ when Royal Beta’s wife announces a break after Gregory's spotless performance of a rock ballad.
He actually has a chance of beating our parents this year.
We all stand up and go around the room. Naturally, a huge group starts to form around us again—when I sit with Cain on my left, at the table with a ton of amazing-smelling food. We haven’t eaten anything after the quick breakfast, and I am starving! I could also swear there was no such table when we first came to this ballroom. Servants must have prepared it during the first part of the singing contest .
Just a few steps from us, my parents are sitting at the bar—from where they have probably watched the whole show with drinks in their hands.
“Asher, isn’t Colton your best friend? I haven’t been able to contact him in ages,” asks Johny, one of my slightly older cousins, with his mouth full of spinach quiche.
I swallow down my balsamic bruschetta bread, trying to maintain an unmoved face, because if I let myself feel even a speck of emotions I would begin to cry in front of all of them.
“My Rogue Alpha Prince cut Colton’s head off when it was discovered he was my double agent.” I already informed my dad about it in a text this morning—to let his parents know what happened and that I gave him a proper burial.
Not counting music, there is complete silence now. Cain has a smirk plastered on his face, probably enjoying this little reminder that everyone should be afraid of him.
“There is a farewell ceremony on Friday night, if any of you want to join,” my dad says from the bar.
There is a murmur of “Yes, Alpha,” and I notice Timmy’s face starts to curl up in a smile. He’s up to something.
“Tell me why, Rogue Prince, you didn’t bring any guards with you? I was very surprised when I noticed.”
Is that supposed to be intimidating? They should be grateful the war is over, now that they no longer have me to help.
“What for? Safety? Security?” I answer for Cain with a casual voice as he did for me last evening. “My Rogue Alpha Prince knows he can easily kill all of you in this setting before your guards would be able to react. And he wouldn’t even be in trouble for that, because he’s my husband and I would be your only successor left.”
Cain leans back in his chair with his right arm on my shoulder, showing them he not only could indeed do that—but could do it with only his left hand.
Smug bastard .
“ Well, I guess I married you well. At least you are safe,” my dad chirps in, lifting his drink.
Me, safe ? I snort before I can stop myself which results in a sharp blade on my throat. And Cain’s tongue on my cheek for a long lick.
I so badly want to roll my eyes, but I know better.
“ She is safe because you trained her well,” Cain says to my dad, forgetting about any royal pleasantries.
“I did, thank you,” says my dad with a smile.
How he can smile, when the Rogue Prince holds a knife to my skin, is beyond me.
“Alpha?” I hope for the blade to leave my skin.
Cain looks at me and licks my cheek one more time before taking his knife.
“Alpha Asher, please tell me,” says one of the Alphas, Bradley, and for a moment, I’m grateful for some redirection. “Now that you are no longer the first in line to the throne, who would you see in the position of next heir?”
‘ You were supposed to inherit the Alpha King position?’ Cain mind-links me immediately. He sounds surprised, which vexes me.
Plus, I don’t want to get a headache from him forcefully entering my mind whenever he wants.
Before I can respond to either of them, someone else interjects with his unwanted opinion.
“No offense, but I always said it would be problematic for a woman to sit on the werewolf throne—maybe it’s even better that you… secured our freedom in a different way, your Highness,” says Alpha Hiram to me, whose wife, Maria, rolls her eyes at him.
He tries to sound respectful, but the offense is taken.
“Gregory is more than capable of the role as the next in line, but the last time I checked I’m still the oldest child of your Alpha of Alphas. Maybe I will claim the throne for myself, and we will rule over the whole continent. I’m sure you will all feel very safe and lucky to be subjects of the mighty Rogue Alpha Prince over here.”
There is silence in the room, and I don’t have to look at my husband to know he gives them his signature smirk. At least I hope so.
I do look at my father though, just to check if I didn’t cross a line, but he smiles at me. Proud, maybe? Is that the same emotion as a minute ago when Cain said he trained me well?
The break ends, and everyone goes back to the mismatched velvet armchairs, with a lot more enthusiasm than karaoke should ever ignite in a bunch of powerful Alphas at the King's court. Luna Maria goes on stage to perform some rock tune. She’s good. So good, I’m wondering if she was a professional singer before becoming Luna.
“Ash, why don’t you try this year?” Gregory laughs at me.
I would smack him if not for his birthday week.
Cain puts away his empty beer glass with a loud clink, stands up unbuckling his fur cape, and pulls me up by the hand.
“Come on, let's win this thing.”
What?
Table of Contents
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- Page 29 (Reading here)
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