The Alpha King's Princess
The Alpha King’s Princess – Chapter 46

This was the first time I was returning home, knowing that Candido was upset with me. It was also the first time that I had ever been so upset with him. Maybe I had gotten annoyed with him sometimes, but not like this. He had never hung up on me before. Did that mean he didn’t want to talk and he wouldn’t give the book back, or that he would do one or the other? There was no telling, but no matter what his intention was, I couldn’t back down. I was in the right.

He couldn’t keep treating me like a child and not listening. He also couldn’t think that I would just sit by and let him run all over me. I had been in the dark enough. I was Pandora of Moon Shadow. If he knew something about the book, about the space under the school, or anything else that could help us against the vampires, I needed to know it too.

There was no other way around it, no matter what he thought.

As we pulled up, the door flew open, and Candido stood looming in the doorway, furious and glaring. I stepped out of the car. His eyes darted to Team Gamma-2 before he approached me, took me by the arm, and pulled me along into the house. His fingers twitched around my arm, though I noted that he wasn’t gripping too tightly. I might not have been able to escape, but I wouldn’t be bruised either. At least he was still my Candido even if he was being stupidly stubborn.

We entered his office, he slammed the door shut behind me and pulled me into his arms, tight and furious. There was a tremor going through him. I almost wanted to melt into his arms, apologize, and give in, but I wrapped my arms around him. He could be worried. He could be relieved, but I wasn’t going to back down.

I couldn’t if we were to ever have a real chance against the vampire and if we were ever to be together.

“Are you hurt?” He asked after a moment.

“No.”

He fell into silence again, simply holding me against him.

“When did you get back?” I asked.

“Hours ago,” Candido said. “Don’t you ever put yourself in danger like that again.”

“I wasn’t in danger,” I said. “And I’ll do what I have to.”

He pulled back. “You think facing off against one of those creatures isn’t dangerous? I know you killed one years ago, but that was in a totally different—”

“I told you I didn’t remember what happened,” I said, looking up into his eyes. “But if it was me, I was a lot weaker then than I am now, so I’ll do what I have to.”

He grit his teeth. “It’s my job to protect you. You don’t have to do anything but… but drink chocolate milk and go to classes.”

I scoffed. “I was perfectly safe, and don’t you think we should be talking about why there is a passage there? Why you didn’t seem surprised? Or what’s in that book?”

He pulled away, and I frowned as he turned towards his desk and flopped into his seat. He looked so tired. For once, he looked his age and maybe older. It was shocking, but I couldn’t back down just because he was stressed out.

“And why the painting changes at night?” I pressed. “What do you know, Candido?”

He narrowed his eyes and remained silent. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Candido… did you know?”

“I don’t want you on campus past dark.”

“Candido, did you know?”

He glared me. “Are you listening to me Hedy? I don’t want you—”

“Did you know?” I growled at him, slamming my hands on the desk. “Did you know and said nothing?”

He glared at me. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“The hell it isn’t! Claire lives on campus! I attend! People I know are there!” I yelled.

“Never,” Candido said carefully. “Had I ever considered that it would be a danger.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s not a danger, but it definitely means that you knew—”

“I knew it was a possibility.” He said stiffly. “That doesn’t mean I knew it was there or where it could lead.”

I couldn’t believe this. Why would he know that it was there and never do anything to secure it.

“Does every school have a passage like that under it?”

He rubbed his head. “Yes.”

“How do you know that? Why is it there?” I pressed. “Does this have anything to do with the Blue Moon Pack?”

He hissed and looked up at me. “You’ve really been reading that book.”

“I really have,” I said. “It seemed important. Now answer me.”

“Listen to me, Hedy,” he said carefully. “Do not try to look more into this. You’ve learned too much. It’s not safe—”

“I’m just trying to help!” I said. “What difference does it make if it’s not safe?”

“It matters to me that you’re safe.” Candido growled. “I don’t need your help. I don’t want it. I just—”

“I want you to reach your goal. I want you to succeed because I love you. Why can’t you understand that I’m only doing this for you?” I yelled. My eyes burning.

I couldn’t even say if I was just talking about tonight or if I was talking about Moon Shadow too. Maybe I was talking about all of it together, but I couldn’t stop. It had to be said now if I was ever going to get through to him. I needed to know. I was so close. If he would just let me in and answer my questions, I wouldn’t have to struggle and fight for every bit of information like this.

If he would just let me in.

“I love you, Candido! I just want to support you! To help you! Don’t you see that I could help you? That I could support you if you just let me?”

Our gazes met, and for the first time, his gaze didn’t turn indulgent. He stared at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. Maybe he was, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let him hide behind what our relationship started as to escape my feelings and escape giving me a straight answer.

“Do you think I would have cared about becoming more popular if I didn’t know that it would give me more access to more people? That I’d hear more about what’s really going on, so I could pass that information to you? All the unrest of the smaller packs and who might be plotting against you? Do you think I would have really cared about my weight or anything anyone had to say about me if I didn’t know how it could be used against you?”

My jaw trembled, and I sniffled, wiping my face. “Why can’t you see that? Why can’t you… Why can’t you see me?”

He said nothing, simply staring at me in shock. I knew there was nothing he could misunderstand in what I was saying. He couldn’t weasel out of it as we stared at each other across the table. Seconds ticked on. Minutes passed. I wanted him to say something, but he didn’t. He just kept staring at me. His mouth opened once, twice, three times, but he said nothing.

His eyes were torn and warring, then he looked away from him.

I felt gutted. My shoulders slumped as reality dawned on me. He didn’t feel the same way, or he just didn’t care. What else could his silence mean? Maybe he was shocked. Maybe he was just caught off guard, but I couldn’t believe that. All these years, hadn’t it been so obvious? I met his gaze again and knew I wasn’t wrong.

He was rejecting me. Maybe he’d been rejecting me for years, and I had just been too blind to see it. I sucked in my shattered pride and turned from him.

“Give me back the book.”

“No.”

“I’m not going to stop,” I said softly. “I’m not going to stop trying to support you even if you don’t feel the same. I’m not going to stop searching for answers just because you won’t give it back to me.”

He surged to his feet. “Hedy, I—”

“There has to be another book somewhere. I’ll replace it and I’ll keep searching. The next time I’m going into the passage.”

“The hell you will—”

“Try and stop me,” I said, lifting my chin defiantly. “You won’t succeed. I’ll do what it takes.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed.”

My jaw wobbled. “What else do you expect of me?”

His eyes widened with true horror, but before he could speak, a knock sounded at the door. He clenched his jaw and glanced at it.

“Your Majesty?” Allen called through the door. “The other alphas have arrived and are awaiting you in the parlor.”