9. Raine
9
Raine
I don’t bother attending the ball later that night.
Call me a coward, but the thought of having to force myself through another round of Aiden dancing and flirting with other females while members of his pack try to get handsy with me has me feeling sick to my stomach.
Delilah didn’t try to convince me to come down with her, thankfully, and had simply wished me good luck before departing for another night of fun. I’m glad she’s at least enjoying her time here.
Time passes slowly while I pace my room.
It could be a colossally stupid idea to corner Aiden to get some answers out of him, but I have to try. I leave bright and early Monday morning. Him dragging his feet, as Delilah stated, is only going to cause us to suffer if we are forced to separate.
I’ve only heard of a few cases where mates are pulled apart, and it never ends well.
A shiver rolls up my spine at the thought of having to go through that: the agony, the despair. I’ve already had enough heartbreak in my life, adding being forced away from my mate isn’t something I want to add to my ever-growing pile.
My wolf is restless, leaving me no choice but to leave my room early and instead wander the halls. They’re thankfully devoid of anyone, staff included, most likely having retired early for the night to attend the ball as well.
I can’t really say I blame them. An event like this only happens once in a lifetime, after all. Usually when alpha kings take their rightful places, a Luna has already been chosen for them long before they ever ascend.
I wonder why Aiden didn’t have one arranged for him? Obviously everyone knew he’d ascend eventually. Had his father’s death been that sudden?
To my surprise, I wander far enough around the estate that I end up on the other side of it, where we were all told not to go the first day we arrived. Looking around, it seems that this side of the estate has also been abandoned, giving me free rein to explore.
I wonder where Aiden’s room is.
Breathing in deeply, I let the scents of his pack linger in my nose. It takes a bit of concentration, but I soon pick up on that deep spicy scent I’ve come to know so well. Following it, I’m led down another hallway, this one with only one door at the end.
My hand hesitates as I reach for the knob.
Should I go in and wait for him? He told me he’d see me later. Perhaps this would be easier than him trying to sneak over to my suite and potentially stumbling into Delilah or someone from another pack.
I’m not sure how low-key he wants to keep all of this, but regardless, we still need to talk about things.
My hand grips the handle, and after looking over my shoulder again to make sure I haven’t been followed, I twist the knob and push the door open quietly.
His room is giant and stately, ever reminiscent of a soon-to-be king.
Shutting the door behind me silently, I head through the entryway and into the living area he has set up right under a large floor-to-ceiling window.
With it being dark outside, the room is bathed in a soft glow from a few candles lit on the table between the couch and matching loveseats. The candles have been burned down about halfway, the white wax dripping down onto the plates under them.
How odd that he’d leave candles burning in here while down at the ball.
Moving around the couch, I crouch and cup my hand around one of the flames and huff it out with a short breath. As I move to the next one, I hear a strange noise coming from somewhere behind me.
Soft laugher.
Freezing, I hold my breath and wait for the door to his room to be opened. To my surprise though, it isn’t, and the more I concentrate on the sound, I realize it’s actually coming from down the hall that offshoots from the living area.
Curious, I abandon the still-lit candles and grab the one I blew out, holding it tightly in my hand as a weapon while I follow the sound.
His door had been unlocked. Maybe someone had broken in to try to ransack his room while he’s busy downstairs entertaining guests.
The sound picks up again, followed by another soft noise that sounds more muffled. My grip on the candlestick tightens. What the hell is that?
I find another door at the end of this hall, partially open. Shadows move beyond it, more candlelight—brighter this time—spilling onto the floor underneath the crack. I stare at it for a long moment, my mind not being able to compute exactly what I’m looking at until everything suddenly focuses.
Aiden is standing in his bedroom, over by a large window that has the curtains drawn shut. His features are shrouded in shadows that dance from the candles that are lit in the room—giving a rather romantic feeling to the atmosphere.
Beside him is another female, pretty and petite with her long golden hair cascading down her back in soft ringlets that look doll-like. She’s beautiful, even from her side profile, and she’s smiling widely at Aiden while he says something.
Why are they alone together in his room like this? Shouldn’t he be down at the ball?
Suddenly, the female surges forward, her hands grabbing at the lapels of Aiden’s jacket and pulls him in for a kiss.
My heart stops in my chest, my entire body going numb.
What…what is this?
Tears burn my eyes. Without meaning to, I let out a soft gasp, causing them to rip apart from each other.
“Who the hell are you ?” The female practically screeches at me. “Get the hell out!”
I stumble back, not knowing what else to do but listen to her.
What is going on?
Why?
Are they together?
“ Shit ,” I hear Aiden mutter.
He begins to turn around and reach out for me. All of my instincts cry out to run as fast as I can.
“Raine. Wait!” He calls after me.
I’m out the door and sprinting down the hall, the telltale sounds of him shifting and following after me loud in my ears. If I let him catch up to me, he’s just going to grab me back there to that room to do gods know what to me.
How can he do that? Is this what it’s like to be bonded to an alpha king?
I leap down the staircase leading down to the main floor while shifting. My paws scratch against the marble floors, desperately trying to find purchase as I continue for the foyer. A snarl from behind me almost has me stopping, but I ignore it.
I have to get out of here. I need air or else I’m going to actually die.
Throwing my body weight at the front doors, they crash open loudly. I don’t care how much attention it’ll bring me, as long as I can get outside and run away from here—run until my legs can no longer carry me.
The night is quiet, only broken up by the sound of my labored breathing.
Not knowing Pollis lands at all, I take a guess and head for the nearest strip of trees. It’s hard to see through my still-tearing eyes, my wolf’s agonizing cries practically deafening.
Why, why, why?
Why am I cursed to live in misery?
Trees pass by in a blur, my instincts driving me toward an unknown destination. Another set of paws trails behind me closely, striking fear into me. I’m quick but I’m nowhere near as fast as an alpha.
He gains quickly on me, tackling me into the dirt the second I’m within range. We crash together through the forest, his teeth finding the back of my scruff and holding me down while I struggle under him to get away.
A loud and vicious growl vibrates through me while he bears down on me, warning me to stop or else.
Instinctually, I listen, obeying and settling down until I’m pliant on the ground and bleeding out submission to him.
When he lets go of my scruff, he shifts, still pinning me. “It’s not—you came at the wrong time, Raine. It’s not what it looked like.”
I wail at him.
“I know it looks bad. I swear it isn’t like that. There’s a lot going on that you don’t know about.”
Then explain it to me! I want to roar at him.
Then again, do I care?
I know what I saw.
They were—
How long has that been going on? Am I the other female in this equation?
My body squirms in his hold, fighting to be free from him again.
He snarls at me, grabbing ahold of my scruff again with his hand and pinning me. “ Don’t .”
A whine leaves me.
Please let me go…let me run and never come back…
By now I realize that he’s breathing hard, from the strain of running after me or the stress of being caught, I have no clue.
“I’m sorry,” he breathes out. “I am. You weren’t…why weren’t you down at the damn ball?”
What does it matter?
Why should it matter?
So that I could remain ignorant while he fucked around with some other girl and then came back to visit me later that same night?
I feel so dirty. So used.
Does he even care about our bond?
I realize I’m crying again when he gently smooths his hand over my pelt.
“I know. I’m sorry. It’s not about you though, Raine. That—what I said to you last night, I meant it. I swear.”
How can I believe him though? I can’t forget what I saw with my own two eyes. Were they lovers from before me? More than that? Is she the reason he’s been dragging his feet with me?
Silence falls over us, me paralyzed underneath him and Aiden still leaning most of his body weight onto me.
It hurts. Everything hurts.
“Come on,” he says quietly. “I’m going to take you back to the estate.”