Chapter Eight
Those blue eyes were painted with so much humor that I had the feeling it would still be there when I choked the life out of him.
I had been prepared to let out a string of words he might consider "unladylike" to advise him just where he could shove that name, but all the guards barreled in the room at once.
The two who had been running to catch up during the walk stood behind the guard who'd been so arrogant as to try to lose me on the way here. They all stood so straight with their hands clasped formally behind their backs that I wondered if they knew what the term "slouching" meant.
I glanced at the man-or Prince, should I say-and allowed my eyes to fill with uncovered surprise.
Where there had once been a pair of amused eyes, there was now a pair of cold ones to match the hardened features of his face.
His new aura even managed to elicit a shiver out of me, but I played it off as being cold as I drew the jacket closer to me.
He stood up, his cold features sweeping through the room, freezing us all. I could feel his power radiating off him and rolling to the ground like sunlight, something I hadn't noticed in the cellar. I was amazed by this because he was a mere human, but that clearly didn't stop him.
"I hope you have an explanation as to why you arrived earlier than I instructed," he spoke in a simple tone, but it didn't stop the guards from bowing their heads in acknowledgment to him. I just glanced between them, letting my eyes land on the Prince, not completely believing him.
"Your Highness, we tried-" one of the guards stumbled, but his words were cut off as I swept my hand, earning wide eyes of disbelief before they narrowed. He was about to speak once again, but I didn't give him the chance.
"It was a minute early, not even that," I snapped at the Prince. But as his eyebrow raised, I gritted my teeth, remembering my plan to "play nice." "Your Highness," I added after a lingering moment and proceeded to bow my head with much reluctance.
He didn't reply to my submission, only continued his sweet way around the grand desk and over to the guards.
He made sure to do so slowly, allowing the suspense to snake around us all, waiting to shatter.
He stopped right in front of the guards, and I peeked up through my curtain of hair just in time to see beads of sweat building up around the guards' hairline.
"Please explain to me how she also managed to get past not just you, Lance, but also the two guards accompanying you today," he asked, looking straight at the arrogant guard who could only bow his head and remain silent.
"Not a single answer for me?" The Prince questioned causing the guards to tense and brace themselves. "Do not show your faces until you can supply me with an adequate answer. You are dismissed," he snapped coldly, and the guards darted out the room like fleeing mice, leaving only me and the Prince.
He turned around to face me and I looked at him with suspicious surprise.
A confident smile was playing on his lips, leaving no trace of the hardened man who'd been standing there not even a minute before.
This man's stance was casual and relaxed, clearly seeming not to find me a serious threat.
But if he made one mistake, I'd have his lifeless eyes staring emptily at the ceiling.
An equally confident smile covered my own lips at the thought. I watched as he strolled leisurely to his desk, slowly taking a seat before sighing and letting his eyes meet mine.
He gestured to a chair that screamed "stiff" in front of him, waiting patiently for me to take a seat.
I hesitantly sat, the wolf in me stirring.
She wasn't pleased with the idea of sitting because it made her feel defenseless.
I calmed her down by counting the exits, finding a large window behind the Prince and feeling the mahogany door behind me.
The Prince grinned again, his white teeth practically sparkling. "Might I say you look absolutely stunning in my gift, Snowflake," he commented, and I bristled at the name.
"Snowflake is not my name," I said before hastily adding, "Your Highness." I was going to end up strangling him for calling me Snowflake when I should be concentrating on blushing at the name to try pulling an "innocent" act.
This time it was his turn to grimace, his lips turning down.
"You address me as Kendall, not as Your Highness or Prince Gordon.
There will be none of that between the two of us; do you understand?
" he asked, seeming genuinely upset. I wanted to laugh, but instead, I clasped my hands in my lap and smiled, hoping it came off as sweet.
"How about I interest you in a deal? I'll call you Kendall as long as you agree to call me-" I was suddenly cut off by a dismissive wave of his hand. I bristled again, not liking how carelessly he'd dismissed me.
"I am not making any deals with you, Snowflake," he paused, watching with glittering amusement as I growled lightly at the hated name.
The damn bastard looked as if he was enjoying every single second of this.
"At least, not until you have been properly trained," he continued, and all I could do was gape at him.
There I sat, fully human in front of him, yet he was talking down to me as if I was an untrained puppy who couldn't be dealt with until the former was taken care of. Did he truly believe I was nothing more than a dog meant to obey at his heels?
"You listen to me, Kendall," I spat, and his eyes grew wide with disbelief at my command.
"You may think just because I was captured by your precious guards that I'm automatically your property.
You probably think I'll submit to you as your adored Protector just like that.
But I'm afraid you're going to have to get your hands dirty, Prince.
Treating me like a mutt isn't going to get you anywhere," I finished, letting the room grow silent.
Oddly enough, the Prince didn't look angered by my yelling, only thoughtful. I was waiting for him to call the guards back into the room and have them drag me pleading back into the cellar. But he only sat there staring until he gently put his hands on the desk.
"I have a proposition for you," he said and I blinked, my ears perking up.
"We will go on a trip right this moment to the place you call home.
We will visit together, and if you still like what you see, then I will drop you off and leave you be if that is what you wish.
But if you choose to stay away from your home, you must live here with me as my willing Protector and me as your Master. "
I just sat there, not sure how to respond to that. He was offering to let me live peacefully at home without any further interference from him. There had to be a catch, though. Princes weren't known for lying back and giving up easily: they were known for their determination.
"What's the catch?" I asked with narrowed eyes as I crossed my arms. I wasn't going to allow him to think I was gullible enough to believe his "generous" offer.
A smile deviously slid on his face, making him appear to look like a smug cat. I hated cats with a strong passion. "That, Snowflake, is for you to find out when we arrive," he hinted, not bothering to deny that there was a catch.
I mulled over it in my mind, the idea of home dangerously distracting me. I missed my parents, who I'm sure were worried sick about me, and my friends. The thought of my worn down house sent a wave of sorrow through me, weakening me, and I looked at Kendall.
"Fine, we have a deal." He tsked as he stood up searching for something. I immediately stood up after him, my mind fluttering back to the thoughts of home. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that I noticed him staring at me.
"I'd appreciate it greatly if you would hand me my jacket," he commented with light humor and a hand gesture towards the jacket I currently held in my hands.
I frowned, finally returning the jacket back to its rightful owner. How had I not noticed the swirling, musky odor that filled this room? He smiled at my expression, and I started wondering if any of the smiles that appeared on his face weren't irritable.
"Did you think so lowly of me as to leave you unclothed in front of everyone?" He asked, bemused, and my eyes flickered enough to give him his answer, but they refused to leave his face. I didn't regret my opinion; it was one I still stood firmly by.
He just kept smiling while shaking his head. "After you, Snowflake," he said, sweeping his hand, but I only growled at him, thoroughly unamused by the name.
"Call me Snowflake one more time-" I started, my voice low, but he seemed unfazed by it.
"Your death threats are getting stale, do you not think, love?" He asked, emphasizing the last word with a raised eyebrow.
I snarled, my wolf pacing back and forth, ready to attack at any given moment. I could feel my pupils dilate and my hairs stood on edge as I trembled, adrenaline pumping through my body.
He slowly held his hands up in surrender, his smile no longer there. At that moment, I wasn't sure, but looking back, I swore his eyes were tinted with his humor.
"It would be beneficial for the both of us if you calmed down," he said simply, wanting to diffuse the situation.
"The second you attack me, I will yell and a multitude of guards will come running in to take you back to the Training Room.
You do not want that, do you, Snowflake?
" He tried soothingly, forgetting his names were the reason for my anger.
But visions of the Training Room were flashing through my mind, and I shivered, shutting my eyes.
I focused on my house, on the warm hugs I'd receive from my grateful parents, and on the rambunctious hoots I'd hear from my idiotic friends.
I let the silence in the room surround me with its protection and comfort me.
Abruptly, I felt a hesitant hand on my shoulder, and my eyes flashed open to meet a pair of concerned, blue eyes. I jerked away, rubbing the shoulder he'd touched to get rid of the tingling feeling he'd left behind.
"Don't ever touch me again," I said quietly, my anger and defiance gone for the moment. They'd evaporated away as quickly as they'd surged through me. I walked out the room, not bothering to see if he was following behind.
Outside, there were a startling amount of guards waiting, positioned along the walls. But they weren't what made my eyes dart to the ground with sorrow and hatred coloring them. Their werewolves were the cause for that.
There was a werewolf stationed to each guard, all of them massive in size.
They were imprisoned by the chains around their necks and by the chains each guard held, preventing the wolves from escaping.
They might resemble magnificent, terrifying creatures to a human, but to me, they were only empty, broken husks of the former.
Not a single one held any emotion in their eyes, but the inevitable feeling of defeat seemed to cling to each of them.
That's what would've happened to me, where I would've been standing without a shred of hope.
I felt a sudden drive of determination. If I ended up staying here, as unlikely as it was, every single wolf in this palace would end up free. I'd make sure of that, even if I ended up dead. One wolf wasn't a high price to pay for the freedom of hundreds.