The Alpha King's Princess
The Alpha King’s Princess – Chapter 55

I could try to run, but nothing in me said it was a good idea. It would be better to try and get as much as I could out of this man. Slowly, I rose to my feet, stepping just out of the shadow of the tree, but no further. If I distracted him, I could hope to outrun him, but that was a slim chance. He’d darted over her so fast. Before I even managed to push my power, I would be caught, but maybe I could fight him off enough to get closer to the house to alert security. There had to be a guard around here.

If not Candido’s guards, then there was definitely a Moon Shadow person around. I’d had them tailing the Red Moon cars for a while. Someone would be nearby. I had my safety beacon on, so at least if I died here, someone would replace me, but I didn’t feel like he was going to kill me tonight.

At least, I hoped he wasn’t.

“You’re much prettier up close,” he said, looking at me.

“That golden hair of yours is really something. thought it might be a dye job, but your eyebrows are about the same color…”

“Who are you?” I asked. “Wh-What do you want from me? How do you know my name?” He smiled. “Don’t you mean what?”

I swallowed. “That too.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He asked.

It was, but I didn’t want to admit that a vampire had gotten so close to the estate. I tried to focus, searching for somè way to recognize vampires. It was the first time I had encountered one. He didn’t smell any different, but my senses were shot anyway. But the fact that he was here and no one smelled anything off meant I wasn’t wrong.

He didn’t look much different, if a bit pale, but there were plenty of pale werewolves in the world.

“Why are you here?” I asked. “You have to know that there are a lot of guards around.”

“To hear about Siby’s wedding plans, of course,” he said and chuckled. “I can only imagine that’s quite hard for you to hear. There’s a rumor going around that you’re in love with him… though after seeing you two at the rugby tournament, it’s pretty obvious that you are.”

He was trying to distract me, or taunting me, I wasn’t sure which, but I pressed on.

“You said that you wanted to meet me. Why?”

“Ah,” he nodded. “That too was part of why I was here.

So hard to get up close to you elsewhere. You need more of a social life, you know?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, listening to what he was saying. He’d been watching me for a while, but why?

Did he know who I was? Did he suspect? Was he the reason the monsters were coming out of the school, or had he just recently taken an interest in me since I discovered the entrance?

“You… planned to walk into the estate.”

He scoffed. “Dear Hedy, I have been inside of this estate many times before. And the last one, if you’re interested. I’ve even shaken hands with your dear Candido.”

His face seemed to shimmer then change into something else, some other face that I didn’t recognize before reverting to the face from before. He could change his face? How the hell was that possible? Why?

How often? Had I met him before? Was that a standard power of a vampire? That would certainly make it hard for anyone to track them. If that was the case, how many of them were walking around in our society already?

“Your Candido is quite protective of you, but I suppose that is because he is not raising you to be his heir.” He smirked. “Not quite a mistress either, though. You don’t smell like you’ve ever known more than a passing fantasy.”

My face burned with embarrassment. I felt exposed, and he chuckled.

“Don’t worry. You’re a bit young yet. And from what I hear, Candido is either a saint, not interested, or embarrassingly bad in bed. You pick which one brings you the most comfort.”

“What’s going on between you and Sibyl? If she has you.., why is she going after Candido?”

“Sibyl is a selfish creature and deeply insecure,” he sighed. “She’s also incredibly stupid. Having her on the # Chapter 55 Stranger

throne will make all my plans much easier to follow through. Besides, Candido already knows that Siby. isn’t his mate. He knows this because he’s already bet his mate.”

I froze. His eyebrows jumped. “Not something he’s told you, hm?”

He shrugged, “I am not surprised. He likely hasn’t come to terms with it either. Mates are such a messy business.”

He turned, looking back towards the house. “As for my relationship with Sibyl, she may believe she has some affection for me, but it only because I play her body like a finely tuned instrument. Lustful thing that she is.”

He shrugged again. “Understandable since Candido doesn’t want her.”

I growled at him. “Your plans, whatever they are won’t

I gasped. I saw him move and dart forward but I was too slow to get out of the way. He took me to the ground so easily, I couldn’t think. I tried to twist of flip him over, but he held me down with a monstrous strength that I couldn’t overpower.

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“You wolves are so interesting. So fragile,” he said.” Even those of you who have been granted grace don’t know how to use it.”

I twisted and choked as his hand wrapped around my neck, squeezing and blocking my air. My eyes watered.

I kicked as the panic started to rise.

# Chapter 55 Stranger

“The first thing I’m going to have Sibyl do is kick you out of the house.” His lips twitched. “Don’t worry about being homeless, I have a place for you.”

I struggled as I felt the world start to get hazy. His eyes grew brighter, more excited.

“I have a plan for you even. More than just finishing what I started, of course. Perhaps you’ll know real pleasure by the time I’m done with you.”

I tried to push him off, but he wouldn’t budge. I was certain I was going to pass out when he suddenly released me and vanished. I turned over, coughing and choking. I reached for my neck and felt my phone pressing against my neck. The panic started to fade as I realized that I still had my phone in my hand.

I looked at the screen, trying to focus and realized that it was still recording. A bit of hope went through me as the fear started to fade. Candido would always protect me. There was no way he would hear this, see with video and not cancel the wedding with Sibyl. There

was no way.

I had to believe that. If I didn’t, I doubted I would ever replace the strength to get to my feet.

I rolled slowly, looking up at the moon and wondering again what the Moon Goddess’ plan for me was. Had she given me four years of happiness just to take it from me? Was it just a break from the hell of my first sixteen years of life?

I struggled to my knees, still wheezing. My throat ached as I tried to focus. I needed to get to Candido.

“Candido,” I whispered. I had to get to him.

I struggled to my feet and stumbled between trees. My legs wouldn’t hold me. All the running had sapped them of strength. The panic was making me shaky, but I had to keep going.

I stumbled closer and closer to the terrace before I stumbled up the stairs and staggered into the house. T felt dizzy and unsteady, but I kept going. My senses were leading me up the stairs and towards Candido’s office. Each step was agony and fear.

The man’s words were echoing in my ears.

She’d kick me out. Would Candido stop her? Would I give her a chance?

As much as I wanted to stand firm on what I’d told him about being prepared to leave the safety of the estate before Sibyl could ever kick me out, I was shaken.

The moment I stepped outside of this estate, would he be there? Would there be any place safe for me? He could change his face! He could be anyone.

He could be a servant in the house or a passerby on the street. Would I ever know if I was talking to who I thought?

There was only one person that I knew for certain he couldn’t be. It was Candido.

As I got to the top of the stairs, I felt my strength start to return to me. I just had a little further to go. I turned down the hall and I could see Candido’s office door just head of me.

So close.

“Candido.