Chapter 40
As Lucie finished getting dressed, she heard yelling outside of the room. She heard Jasper’s sharp voice and she quickly opened the door, finding Jasper growling in Ryan’s face. Aedan had his hand on Jasper’s shoulders trying to calm him down.
“What is going on?!” Lucie said angrily as she stormed over toward the guys.
“I want to know what that crap with Amanda was about?!” Jasper snarled again as Ryan looked away, avoiding eye contact with him.
“Ryan and I already talked about it, Jasper. It’s all worked out.
No need to shout. We can talk about it civilly.
” Lucie watched as Jasper’s gaze stayed focused on Ryan.
She cleared her throat and gave Jasper a wry smile.
“That part was said as your friend. Do I need to give you an order as your princess?” That did it.
She watched Jasper’s eyes return to normal and a wide smile spread across his face.
“You going to start ordering me around, princess?” Jasper chuckled with a wide grin on his face.
“It might be fun, yes? Though I’d much prefer you listen to me as your best friend, right?
Of course … I don’t know if you deserve best friend status after the crap you pulled.
” Lucie watched his face go from angry to happy to that of a wounded puppy.
It seemed like more than just his anger was connected to her.
“Lucie, I …” Jasper started but she grabbed his hand.
“Jasper, see? Even you made a mistake, right? And I’m not going to punish you for it. You’re my closest and dearest friend, even if you do screw up sometimes.” Lucie smiled. “So have a seat and we’ll talk about this whole Amanda issue.”
Aedan chuckled and plopped down on the couch. “Better do what Mom says or you’re going to get hurt.”
Jasper smiled. “Alright, Lucie. I’m calm. You can let go of my hand now.”
Lucie pulled him over to the couch and kept holding onto his hand. “No, I don’t think I will. If you don’t control your emotions, then I plan on breaking your fingers.”
Ryan busted out laughing. “You are way more interesting than I ever imagined, Lucie. Derrick is getting a fun one, that’s for sure.”
“You’d really break my fingers?” Jasper gave her a wry smile.
“Would you care to put it to the test?” she challenged back, and Jasper chuckled.
She was just doing some minor tests of her own now.
The hand connection wasn’t to break his fingers, though she felt like it was a really good idea.
She was actually trying to feel his energy, hoping she would notice something different when he got agitated.
Something she could use as a signal in the future.
She looked up at Ryan and smiled. “So we don’t need the details, as I have already told Ryan.
He isn’t my Derrick, so I don’t care what he does.
He made a mistake since his face is the prince’s face.
It’s something that isn’t going to happen again.
And I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Amanda saying anything anymore either, not after I made my stance clear and after she saw you.
” Lucie tilted her head at Jasper and gave him a faint smile.
She could see the shades of his eyes going from brown to dark brown.
She couldn’t feel anything different in his energy level, but he was definitely trying to control his anger.
Jasper’s eyes fixed on Ryan’s. “Do you realize what could have happened here? What if Lucie hadn’t met the real Derrick? The implications alone, and the rumors?! Damn it, Ryan.” His tone was growing lethal as he grit his teeth.
“I’m really sorry. I have no excuse. I drank too much and—”
“Like I said we don’t need details, Ryan.
” Lucie pinched Jasper’s hand, redirecting his attention to her.
His eyes turned back to his golden brown and she smiled at him.
“And I told you I already handled this, right? Now would be a good time for you to decide where exactly you rank me here. Am I still the werewolf princess where this isn’t my business?
Or am I your prince’s mate and your vampire princess? ”
“Yeah, but Lucie—”
“No buts, Jasper. I let him off the hook. He understands and is sorry. We aren’t going to rehash it and dwell on it. We’re starting fresh. Now, who is roasting me my marshmallows?”
Jasper relaxed. He never seemed out of control and she never noticed anything different. She would have to witness one of these dark moments herself in order to assess it better. But for now, he was just Jasper, the guy who was like a brother to her.
Time went by fast, surprisingly, and all too soon, the day of the celebration was upon them.
Lucie really missed Derrick, but she was kept fairly busy.
She was able to meet the banshee, Myra, who always joined her at night.
It was a way for her to be able to stay in the royal chambers that wouldn’t be inappropriate.
She took the bed while Ryan stayed on the couch.
To Lucie’s surprise, she found that banshees belonged to the fairy family.
Myra instantly took to her as the fairy princess and prince’s future bride.
She got the feeling that something was being kept a secret from her, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
And Jasper … he never had any angry moments, never blacked out.
Maybe he had it more under control than everyone thought.
Lucie walked out into the courtyard holding Ryan’s arm. There were hundreds of tables set up to accommodate all the guests. When they walked out together, the people stood, clapping and cheering loudly.
“See nothing to it,” Ryan said quietly, winking at Lucie. “Now comes the worst part … mingling.” He frowned and silently groaned. This was always the part he hated the most.
Lucie could see Jasper and Aedan sitting together near the back.
They seemed content to stay out of the spotlight but still keep her in their sights.
She agreed with Ryan. This part was the worst. They went table to table greeting everyone before Ryan left her with a group of young ladies while he went to talk with some younger men.
“So what is the prince like?” one of the young ladies asked. “We don’t really know him on a personal level. He keeps to himself.”
Lucie smiled politely. “He’s a great guy. He’s fun, has a good personality, and honestly everything I could have ever asked for.” The girls around her all gushed over what she was saying.
“Sounds like you found a boyfriend as awesome as mine,” a shorter girl with raven black hair said. She had deep green eyes and ivory skin, and was honestly gorgeous.
“Geez, Stella … no one wants to hear about your perfect boyfriend again.” One of the other ladies pouted. “I feel so lonely all of a sudden.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find your mate soon enough,” Lucie said sweetly.
“Stella hasn’t found her mate either. They’re just exclusively together until they do find their mates.”
“Oh. Sorry about the misunderstanding.” Lucie bit her bottom lip and smiled.
Stella giggled. “Don’t worry about it. It’s an easy mistake.
We don’t always find our mates right away, so a lot of us pair up with a steady partner until then.
We both know once we find our mates, it’s over …
but it is nice to have someone to belong to for now.
” She brought out her phone and began flipping through pictures.
“See?” she said, turning the phone to Lucie. “This is me and my Ryan.”
Lucie felt the air get knocked out of her. It was a selfie picture of Stella with … Derrick. HER Derrick acting as Ryan. She watched as she flipped through some more pictures.
“This is my cousin Sabrina. She was the one who introduced me to Ryan and we both just hit it off.” Stella gushed over a couple more pictures.
“Please spare our princess the intimate details that you weren’t kind enough to spare us,” one of the women said with a groan.
Stella blushed and waved her hand over her face. “Stop, you’re making me blush just thinking about it.”
Lucie tried to rationalize what she was hearing.
This girl didn’t know that it was Derrick, so she had nothing to gain by saying what she was saying.
She had no idea that he was Lucie’s mate.
She needed to go somewhere and think. A picture is worth a thousand words, but there were also so many unspoken words there.
She felt sick. Inwardly, she was a mess, but outwardly, she continued to look composed as she listened to Stella gush over how sweet Ryan was.
It didn’t make sense. She asked Derrick outright if there was anyone.
He could have easily admitted it then, right?
Did she trust Derrick or not? The problem was why would this girl lie about it?
She also had pictures of them together. They were smiling, looking at the phone, their heads close together.
Of course their heads were close, Lucie.
It’s a damn selfie. She scolded herself inwardly as her emotions raged against her common sense.
Why would Derrick lie? Maybe because he was ashamed he didn’t wait?
Or that he wanted to keep Stella as a mistress, as was the custom.
Her blood boiled just thinking of that. In that situation, maybe she could maim the prince.
Nothing major. Just enough that he would have to eat from a straw for the rest of his life. Yes, something minor like that.
Then there was Stella. She knew nothing about her, but why would she lie?
She even had pictures, and from the sound of it, a couple of these other ladies had seen them together too.
This was getting confusing. And honestly, she couldn’t listen to Stella going on and on about Ryan, who was HER Derrick.
She had the feeling that something was being kept hidden from her.
Was this it? Was this the secret? That Derrick had Stella?
He had a girlfriend, even though he knew he was promised to her?
And what about all the stuff about him being in love with her since they were kids?
Was it all a lie? Did she want love so badly that she became that na?ve, wimpy fool she hated so much?
“Well, it was nice talking to you ladies. I’m sure I will be seeing you again.” Lucie felt her chest squeezing tight as she struggled to breathe. Images of Derrick popped into her head. The precious moments they’d shared together. Followed by the pictures she had seen from Stella.
She walked through the crowd, trying to escape. She had to escape. She needed away from everyone.
Princessssss.
A voice slithered in her head. This way, princesssssss. Quickly, go into the garden passage while no one is looking.
Okay. Rule of thumb: Creepy voices in your head were people you should never listen to or follow. They rarely had good advice, and more often than not, it was a trap. However, with the mood Lucie was in, bring on the trap.
She slipped past a waiter with his back turned, moving quickly but not drawing attention, and ducked through a narrow opening between two carefully parted hedges.
The noise of the gathering dulled behind her. She slowed to a stop.
Ahead, towering walls of dense green foliage rose on either side, their leaves thick and meticulously trimmed.
Narrow paths branched off in different directions, each one twisting out of sight, swallowed by the living walls.
Shadows pooled in the turns, and the deeper she looked, the more the paths seemed to shift and blur together.
It wasn’t just a garden. It was a maze.
This was too much like something she would have seen in a movie where she was shouting at the lead to turn around.
Are you coming, princessssss?
The voice hissed in her head, making her shudder slightly. There was something deep inside her that wanted to run. But an even bigger part wanted to know who this person was. Besides, she was already in a mood, so if this person wanted a fight, she would give it to them.
She could feel her fairy blood tugging on her to turn back, almost warning her not to continue. But her lycan felt bloodthirsty and wanted a face to go with the voice.
She followed one of the paths and walked through the twists and turns of the maze.
Finally, she reached an open area where a fountain rose from the center, its stone basin carved with intricate patterns worn smooth by time.
Water surged upward in a strong, steady column before breaking into a fine spray, catching the light in a shimmer of scattered droplets.
The soft rush and patter echoed through the space, masking the outside world as rivulets spilled over the edges and trickled back into the pool below.
There, by the fountain, was a wolf with dark charcoal fur and white ticking.
Finally … Princessssss.
Lucie looked at this wolf curiously. A strong breeze blew her way, and with it, the smell of anise.
There was something familiar, something she remembered about a wolf with the scent of anise.
She furrowed her brows as she tried to recall the stories.
The stories of a half-demon wolf who hunted the fairy princesses for himself and he smelled of anise.
But he was dead. Her aunt Reiya killed him.
They removed his heart from his chest. This couldn’t be him … it couldn’t be …
The wolf’s tail wagged slowly as he took a small step forward.
We haven’t met, but we have history. I am Abaas.