Page 47

T he next morning, I drag my ass with Cain to the dining hall for an early breakfast, after finally giving in to his very annoying petition for eating breakfast together.

I proposed eating in bed, but he said he is not a fucking fairytale prince. Does he know he is a literal prince? And a werewolf?

I love eating in bed, but he has a point, it’s kind of lazy and his way does feel more productive.

We sit at our usual spots, but the hall is almost empty at this ungodly hour—not counting the few beat-up officers at the other end of the table.

“Oh, there’s avocados!” I stab the green fruit with my finger to check its ripeness.

“They came in yesterday when we were at the business meeting.”

It’s funny how official he calls his pack duties, but how warm and fuzzy they actually are. The people we met this past week were so lovely and happy that he came, and he knew all their names and occupations as always…

“Look who’s here. My favorite Luna.” Someone’s hot breath envelopes my neck, and the same hand I stabbed a week ago rests on the table near my plate.

Delta.

“Have you told our Alpha what you were doing in his office yet?” He invades my personal space so much, I have to fight an urge to get up from my chair.

There is a swish sound when Cain’s smooth move results in a dagger hammered into the same spot his delta barely healed .

I stare at the bleeding wound, and I must admit I never saw anything more satisfying in my life.

“She did,” Cain says with a blank face, and yanks off the dagger drawing Delta’s silent whimper.

I guess Cain never confronted Delta’s real agenda. He was waiting.

I’m watching the blood-dripping blade thrown at the white-clothed table near his full plate, with Cain’s fancy avocado toast contrasting with a medieval scene.

“Luna, are you ready to see your family?” Beta greets me and sits at my right, completely ignoring the fuming Delta standing between us.

“That’s today?” I try to stifle the rising panic in my gut, before my husband will be able to pick up on it. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

If I knew, I would have snuck out before anyone got up. I have to meet Greg at the border. I’m still full-on planning to get my break from Cain, especially after this week of nonexistent punishment—and an unpleasant walking reminder of what happened with my beloved grandma Edith. I need a mental break.

“Why? Do you need a new dress or something?” Cain asks with as serious a tone as a mouth full of avocado lets him.

“No, but I would pack… Oh, Claudia!”

She slumps inside the hall looking like she barely slept the night.

“Hi Luna, good morning, Alpha. Beta… Delta, I haven’t seen you in ages.”

The last one finally gets himself together and sits on the chair two seats away from me, muttering something about work at the north border. Hmm, I wonder why he wasn’t present at yesterday's meeting… But I’m sure Cain has more special plans for him, so I leave it be.

“Do you want to come with us to my family’s wedding?”

Claudia stares at me blankly for a full minute before slowly turning to Cain, “Could I, Alpha? ”

He gives her an annoyed look. Nothing new.

“Oh, fuck it. Tomorrow is Sunday anyway. You can ride with Beta. Be at the front yard at eight a.m.”

“Thank you, Alpha. Oh Avocados. We haven’t had them in like two years!”

Thank the Goddess I made my way to Claudia’s room as soon as I packed myself, because she is a mess.

“You were clearly never in military school,” I comment on her doubtful packing skills while looking around the stylish—but girlish room with lots of white fabrics, rattan chair, and flowers. “You could have packed three times already.”

“I’m stressed, okay? I have never been in your Kingdom. I’ve never seen a normal human!”

This time, I look blankly at her for a minute.

“Okay… Let me help you pack. And don’t worry, you will be fine. Just smile and don’t call yourself a whore.”

“But I am a whore.”

“Okay, we will work on that.”

Thirty minutes later I am dragging both of our bags, while Claudia is cheerfully chanting “I am a prostitute; I am a sex worker!” over and over again.

“Do I want to ask?” Beta looks her over while sitting on a carbon copy of Cain’s motorcycle.

I step to my husband, waving my hand at the greyish swirls coming from the custom herb cigarette he is smoking every damn time he’s leaning his ass on this bike .

He pulls me in for a kiss while taking a drag, and blows the smoke straight into my mouth.

I almost slap his arm and cough profusely, while my lungs burn and try to heal themselves, “Cain!”

I hear a gasp behind me and turn to see Claudia’s wide eyes.

“Relax, Luna always shows zero respect when they are alone,” Beta says, pushing an extra helmet into her hands.

“But they are not alone right now. Will Luna be in trouble?” she whispers back, concerned.

Oh, girl… Wait until you’ll see how much trouble I’ll get into while dragging you to my brother’s car.

“What the fuck are you doing!?” Cain screams after us on the border.

I push Claudia into the back of my… well, my brother's car. He sits behind the wheel with his eyes stuck to his phone.

“Hi, I’m Greg.”

“Claudia. I’ve never ridden in a car. Oooh, you have a strong aura. Are you an Alpha too?”

I close her door, and run around to the front passenger door while shouting to Cain: “See you later, love you!”

“You are at this point of a relationship that quickly?” My brother asks surprised as soon as I close the doors. He starts driving with tires screeching.

“No, but it got him speechless, didn’t it?” I chuckle.

Greg looks in his mirror and smirks.

“It sure did. Do you want to lose them? ”

I know he respects Cain and is not suicidal stupid, but he also always puts me first, even if that might get him in trouble.

“No, it’s fine. They can even tail us if they want, I don’t care as long as I have this little break.”

Greg puts music on with his freshly manicured finger, and I close my eyes to take a nap while my brother can chat with my new best friend.

“I’m a whore.”

My eyes open wide, “Claudia! We practiced this!”

Greg laughs at me. “What’s with you and prostitutes? It’s like the third one you befriended.”

“What?!” Claudia is shocked, because she doesn’t know my brother’s specific sense of humor yet.

“He is joking, relax,” I roll my eyes.

“Oh, you have painted nails!” She squeaks at my brother’s indigo masterpiece. “Alpha Prince never wanted to order nail polish for us. Wasn’t essential or whatever.”

“What do you mean not essential?!”

“Both of you. Relax. Claudia, if you want, I’ll take you to the human drugstore and let you pick whatever colors you want. And we will pay with Cain’s money. And stop wincing every time I call my husband by his name.”

I can’t help but smile at her lit-up face.

“Can I… can I meet some humans too?”

“Sure, darling,” Greg says, “Just remember to steer clear of the ones that act possessive and territorial, even if it seems contradictory to your werewolf nature.”

“Especially if they call themselves alpha males,” I add with a chuckle, “Those are the worst.”

Greg smacks his lips, looking in the mirror again.

“Well, Ash, do you want to tell me why the fuck you’re dragging my true mate with you?”

After the initial shock at my sweet brother using an actual swear word, we end up gossiping about Lucifer and Atlas the whole drive home . Greg is pulling out all the dirty details from Claudia I never dared to ask.

Turns out she has had a lot of consensual, angry sex with Atlas since I started dragging them both with me on my free nights, but they still very much don’t like each other. Claudia says the rejection broke her forever and her eyes do look broken when she says that, but she doesn’t want to talk about it, so I quickly change the discussion back to Lucifer and his possible attraction to painted nails.

We are almost to our destination, hungry, but laughing at all the juicy details about Rogue King’s bedroom that Claudia pulled from her colleagues. Apparently, he is bisexual and likes threesomes and orgies. Perfectly fine. You do you, no judgment, but the way we talk right now… We are at the point of laughing even at the funerals.

“That’s the mansion your precious Rogue Alpha Prince kidnapped me from a month ago. Or so. I have no idea when to be honest.” I admit and they burst into laughter again. “I can’t wrap my head around passing time without a working phone and internet!”

My door opens suddenly, and I look at bent-down Cain and his annoyed expression.

“Someone is having a great time without her beloved husband.” He pulls me out with a little bit too much force.

“Your Highness, do you need help finding rooms?” Greg asks, looking nonchalantly with his sunglasses on, and then snaps his fingers at one of the maids that is standing before the front doors. “Jamie, take their luggage to the princess’s old room and the two guest ones just across the hall.”

The guy runs up to us.

“Of course, your Highness, but one of these guest rooms is already occupied by Princess Ella,” he says apologetically, but already starts taking our bags out of the trunk .

Greg groans and both Claudia and the maid guy visibly shiver under the pressure of his powerful aura. Sometimes, I forget how strong he really is. A true future King. Maybe he always hid more of his leadership nature from me than I realized.

“Claudia can share with Ella, I’m sure they will like each other,” I propose.

They were both my best friends, after all.

The maid guy shakes his head, picking up an impressive amount of luggage at once, “We don’t have any additional beds and—”

“It’s fine, Jamie. Give my room to the Rogue Beta. I won’t be here anyway,” Greg states, and strides off to the mansion before anyone can protest.

I steal a glance at the Rogue Beta. His jaw is clenched, but he tries to look indifferent.

Yeah, good job, Lucifer, I smirk to myself. He is clearly not indifferent. He is pissed he will have to soak in his true-mate scent for the whole night. Welcome to my world!

“Oh, you are here already!” I hear my mom, before I turn around to see her running up to us with a smile.

“Your Majesty,” Cain is the first to exchange pleasantries and kisses on the cheek.

After we introduce Beta Lucifer and Claudia to her, she starts to lead us inside the mansion. Thank Goddess this time Claudia doesn’t blurt out her occupation. I’m not ashamed of her, at all, but I just know it would prompt a lot of uncomfortable questions from my always curious mother.

I know Claudia is not embarrassed either, but who would like to explain to their freshly acquainted friend’s mother, how exactly prostitution works from the sex worker's point of view? The answer is, no one.

“I’m starving,” Beta Lucifer grumbles, reminding all of us that we never had a chance to eat lunch.

Of course, he is the one to do that. He would be so perfect with my always-forgetting-about-food brother… No, no. Let’s not go there. True mate bond or not, they both seem not to want to be together and that’s the only thing that should matter.

“You still have a few hours before the wedding ceremony. Maybe you want Gregory to take you to the city and then for the tour of the University. I know you were interested in that,” my mom asks, unaware of speaking to Greg’s unwanted true mate.

“Yes,” Cain and Lucifer agree at the same time, but one of them seems very uncomfortable.

Is that why Greg fled so suddenly? Is he uncomfortable with the mate bond, too?

“No,” I intervene quickly. “I mean, I will do it, Greg has too much to do, anyway.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot he has to pick up his date. Are you sure you want to do that?”

I nod, but we both know I hate University. It’s Greg’s area. Thankfully she doesn’t ask more questions.

I even my step to Beta’s and try to lower my voice as quietly as possible, without anyone else eavesdropping.

“Do you want some extra information?”

He opens his mouth but doesn’t say anything. Finally, he nods, which I read as consent.

“So, what’s with the date that Greg is bringing to the wedding?”

My mom stops in her tracks before the throne room and looks at me with a content smile, that quickly turns into one of surprise when her eyes are drawn to the crescent gold scar on my neck.

“I see congratulations are in order, Your Highnesses,” she says, turning her curious eyes to Cain.

“Thanks, Mom, so what about Greg’s date?” I react quickly before it can turn into something messy.

“Oh, Jax, cute guy, running for the future Beta position of his pack. We like him.”

I glance at Lucifer whose arm muscles tensed, as I could feel standing so close to him… He looks okay, though. He can handle more.

“Is he handsome?” I ask.

“Yes, very! A little bit shorter and leaner than our Gregory, but makes it up with the face and that model-worthy jaw… He looks exactly like that actor you like, Simu Liu?”

I furrow my brows, noticing the tone while she’s commenting on his height. “What's wrong with being short?”

“Oh, nothing, it’s just… you know your father, I’m just… Okay, I like tall guys, okay? Sue me.”

Cain chuckles, throwing me off for a moment. Goddess, I love that laugh of his.

“Yeah, yes, me too,” I admit, trying to compose myself.

“What about that short guy you told me about,” Claudia joins the conversation.

“Jane’s husband?” Both my mom and I ask at the same time, and we laugh.

Cain lifts his eyebrow at me.

“They are both human, and he is like my height, maybe an inch taller, but, damn… He’s sexy as fuck. I don’t know where Jane found him. They just had twins a few months ago. So, Mom, this Jax—”

“Can we just go for this lunch already? Your Majesty.” Beta bows his head slightly to my mom and goes back the way we came, cutting my investigation.

Shame. I wanted to know what kind of guy managed to make my brother take him as an official date anywhere. Greg always liked his options… open .

Claudia wanted to stay and start working on her hair, so I asked my mom to introduce her to Ella. I decided to take my guys to the burger joint just near the University they wanted to visit.

It has a dark, bar-like setting, and I figured it would be the best place for rogues to hide in plain sight.

I was right. They look like they belong with the biker club that is already flooding half the joint. I ask Cain to lead the way to the last unoccupied booth at the back, and we sit on the crackling dark-red leather.

It doesn’t take long for the waitress to take our burger orders, and we are instructed to go straight to the bartender if we want any drinks, because they are too packed for her to be able to come back to us often.

“No problem,” I said with a smile, giving her the last menu back.

“Oh my Goddess, you are Princess Asher!” she exclaims, looking at me with a newfound enthusiasm. “My baby brother is a huge fan of you, Your Highness, he keeps saying he wants to fight as good as you someday.”

“Oooh, thank you!” I put my hand on my chest, truly moved by this cute compliment. “Do you want me to record some message for him? What’s his name?”

Usually, I would hate to be recognized like some celebrity, but remembering being constantly humiliated by choosing a ‘man’ career—and then hearing a little boy wants to be like me and not like some man, even my dad the King… It means more than anything else!

I take her phone and point the front camera at me in a way that doesn’t show anyone else, and I record a personalized message for the little future Officer.

She thanks me and goes to the kitchen, while I’m left alone with my husband and his Beta staring at me with raised eyebrows.

“What the fuck was that?” Lucifer asks.

I just shrug my shoulders.

“Are you really that good?” Cain asks and I’m offended until I register his face.

He means no disrespect; he is genuinely curious.

“I like to think I am. Not your level yet, but I really was training a lot. It was my dream career before… and I was good at it.”

“Yet.” Beta chuckles at my overconfidence.

“Before what? Before I kidnapped you?” This time Cain means disrespect, but I don’t want to engage in it.

“I’ll go get some drinks,” I stand up and push through the crowd to the bar.

That’s when I notice the group of warriors coming inside the joint, mostly from my old unit. That might be a problem if any one of them has ever fought with Cain himself and lived the day to talk about it.

“Alpha Asher!” some of them scream, and soon I have to hug way too many men until I finally sit on the barstool at the corner of the bar with one of them. I am on the right wing of the countertop, and he is on my left on the main side. We have a small talk while I wait for the bartender to come to us.

He suddenly leans toward me, looking somewhere over my shoulder.

“There is some huge black guy staring at you for quite some time, do you need me to take care of it?”

I don’t need to turn around to know Henry is talking about Beta Lucifer. Wait, Cain has dark skin too… No, his hair is straight, Henry definitely means Lucifer.

“That’s my bodyguard,” I say without looking, and he eyes him again.

“Rogue?” he asks hesitantly, and I could swear I hear some disgust in it.

I’m a Rogue now, too, but I bite my tongue before starting a fight for something trivial like that.

“I hope you know I would take care of him myself if he wasn’t my bodyguard, right?”

Henry’s eyes shoot back at me. “Um, yes, but I know your methods, Your Highness, and technically, you couldn’t use them on someone from our Kingdom. With the new pact, I mean. ”

Tell that to the seer’s hand I cut off last time I was here. It’s not like my dad would ask for my blood in retribution.

I just smirk at him and try to wave down the bartender again.

“So, how is married life with your biggest enemy?” Henry asks, while I start to feel the presence of my true mate on my right. “Do you still plan to kill him? All of those knife-throwing and sword-fighting lessons can’t go to waste, am I right?”

I clear my throat, slightly taken aback.

“It was your biggest life goal,” Henry doesn’t give up. I half expect him to want a high five.

“One of them, but not anymore,” I say and glance at Cain, whose eyes bore into the bartender.

“Hey, two tap beers and a coke,” Cain says to the guy, and to my surprise, he listens to him instantly.

‘ Did you just use an alpha command on that human? ’ I mind-link him confused.

‘ Why? They don’t like that? ’ he asks back as if humans were some animals in the zoo. He sits on the barstool directly next to me.

‘ It’s not… normal. I mean… even I can’t do that .’

They can feel the strength of our auras, but we cannot compel them… Is that the Lycan thing? What else can he do? Oh! What about that situation in the woods where he whispered something while touching the forest floor, and all the birds flew up like he was some kind of witch or…