The Alpha King's Princess
The Alpha King’s Princess – Chapter 16

I walked down the hall, considering my options. It was the best option for my path forward, but it wasn’t one I really wanted to take. Living on campus seemed a bit like a hassle. There would be a lot more eyes to avoid and fewer elements I could control about who saw me coming in and out of my room and when. If my goal was to investigate the campus freely, I’d also have to deal with leaving my room without the security unit following me and Claire, who lived on campus.

Here at the estate, I knew the schedules of the staff and Candido more often than not. When I had to slip out in the middle of the night, I knew how to get around security. Evading the members of the pack was easy, but the dorm housed at least a thousand people with all different schedules and habits. I didn’t know any of them or what they were like and might accidentally reveal something that I didn’t mean to. Still, I stood in front of Candido’s office door and knocked.

It would be hard acclimating to living on campus, but once I did, I’d be in the perfect position to investigate the school without suspicion. Still, I didn’t want to leave Candido and the safety of the estate.

It was times like this when balancing the needs of Moon Shadow seemed the hardest.

“Come in.” He looked up from his work as I entered and eyed me suspiciously. “It has been years since you knocked on my office door. You must want something.”

I scowled at him. “It couldn’t be that I’m just growing up and trying to respect your time?”

Candido stared at me. “Why would you need to do something like that? You are always welcome to my time.”

My lips twitched as I closed the door behind me before flopping down into the chair. How many times had he said that? No matter how busy he was, he never made me feel like a burden. Candido always made me feel important to him. Others didn’t see that was just the kind of person he was, but I did. He treated Allen and everyone else with care and attention despite the rumors. I laughed sometimes, thinking about how terrified I had been of him when I first arrived.

I glanced over his desk. There were a lot of documents on his desk detailing pack agreements and security reports. I took in the summary page of the security report of the territory at a glance, using my mental strengthening to ingrain the words in my mind. There had been an attack somewhere beyond the edge of Candido’s border. I didn’t recognize the city, but I’d look it up later as the report mentioned vampires being potentially involved though it didn’t say anything about where they could have come from. There had been ten people killed in the attack, and all of them had been drained of b***d.

Seeing it, I felt my resolve harden. If they were already attacking werewolf cities, even if they were just on the edges of the werewolf-vampire border, there was no way that more attacks were coming.

“I’ve been thinking that I should move into the Academy’s dorms.” Candido stiffened as I went on. “I’m much stronger now, and well, I was thinking that it was time that I had more of a social life with people my age. Claire talks about living on campus all the time….”

“I’ve been thinking that I should move into the Academy’s dorms.” Candido stiffened as I went on. “I’m much stronger now, and well, I was thinking that it was time that I had more of a social life with people my age. Claire talks about living on campus all the time….”

I kept talking, pulling out all the innocent reasons that would be believable, but Candido’s face had gone cold. I couldn’t even guess what he was thinking. His hands closed into tight fists on his desk, and he remained perfectly still.

“What do you think?” I asked, looking at him.

“… it is certainly not what I would want for you.” I frowned at his tone. It was stiff, and his gaze dropped to the table. “You have never lived at the academy before, and while the academy would make room for you… I do not replace it necessary for what you say you want to achieve.”

He glanced up at me with narrowed eyes like he was trying to read my mind. Could he? I didn’t think so or I would have been in major trouble already.

I tilted my head. “Why?”

“Dorm living comes with… distractions,” Candido said. His tone was light, but there was an edge of something behind it. Was he angry? Irritated?

Living at the academy would make it easier to get a sense of people there and keep an eye out for anyone who would have reason to have a coded book on vampires or losing control of their powers. I doubted I’d be distracted by whatever parties they had in the dorms.

What was he trying to get at?

“I sent you to the Academy to be educated. The time you spend there, even living here, is more than enough time to socialize.”

I considered it. While he definitely had some alternative motive behind his words, there was some truth to what he was saying. Maybe I was thinking about this all wrong and just jumping in head first without a real plan. If all I wanted was to get to know people more, I could do that in my classes first and ingratiate myself into the social scene in a way I hadn’t been before. People would resist, but I could make it happen. Claire would help ease the way.

I could investigate pretty thoroughly without being in the middle of it all.

I hummed thoughtfully. Taking note that Candido was staring at me, searching my face for some slip that would give me away. He’d get suspicious if I insisted on it. That was the last thing I needed. Moon Shadow was already such a huge secret.

“Well, you have a point,” I said, nodding. “I guess I should start small… Maybe go to a party or two… Claire’s always getting invited to go.”

“Is that what brought this up?” Candido asked, almost sneering. “Parties?”

I shook my head. “It was just an example. Claire’s got more… friends, I guess is the word. People she’s friendly with and stuff in her major. I’ve been a bit of a loner, but I think it’s doing more harm than good for Claire.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Just for Claire?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Just for Claire?”

I lifted an eyebrow. “And me I guess. It’s certainly not helping me lessen the rumors going around.”

“And nothing else?”

I stuck out my tongue. “Maybe I’m tired of having a bed time.”

Candido hummed, but said nothing else as his lips twitched into a smile.

“Though you sleep in on the weekends?” Candido said. “You’d never make it among the academy’s night life. You need your rest.”

I pouted. “I think you think I’m no fun.”

Candido shook his head. “I believe you are plenty of fun on your own… between appropriate hours.”

“And irresponsible.”

“Young.”

“Easily distracted.”

He hummed thoughtfully, and I jumped out of my seat, dropping my jaw in mock shock.

“I am not easily distracted!” I cried.

Candido lifted his eyebrow. “What did you come in here for?”

I smiled at the twinkle of mischievous light in his eyes and decided to play along. “To annoy you like always.”

He chuckled, and my heart fluttered. Candido always presented this very cold exterior to people. I was pretty sure that even with Sibyl he wasn’t like he was with me. Only I could make him relax like this. I hoped it would always be like this. I hoped nothing could ever change this.

I got up to leave and gave it a second thought. I would like a chance to look at the rest of that security report, but he wouldn’t let me do so unless there was a reason for me to be in the room and he was focused on that.

Homework was always the best option… that or hacking the Full Moon Pack’s mainframe.

“Since you say I’m… free to your time…” I said sweetly.

He sighed, “Bring your homework.”

I beamed at him. “Yay!”

I turned to the door as a knock sounded on it. I looked back at Candido who looked like he hadn’t been expecting who was on the other side of the door.

“Come in.”

One of the new staff members entered with her head bowed low. I didn’t remember her name, but I remembered her background enough to know she wasn’t suspicious at all. The woman she’d replaced had to move back to her territory.

“Excuse the interruption, Your Majesty, but Sibyl of the Red Moon Pack has arrived.”

A crack of thunder shook the windows. I glanced out the window and frowned at the pouring rain. Lightning flashed through the sky. There was no good reason for her to be here unless something happened, but why would she have been sent here instead of a messenger? She was the daughter of the alpha, but she wasn’t being groomed to do anything of importance other than look pretty.

It couldn’t have been something urgent, so what was she doing here?