The Alpha King's Princess
The Alpha King’s Princess – Chapter 60

He stared at me as if he was ready to argue about it.”

No.”

I closed the door behind me. “Why not. Give me a good reason for you to keep that book from me.”

He winced.

“It’s a family thing.”

“Like the passage under the school? Is it connected to that?”

I thought back to the passage in the vampire book. “Is this about the blue moon? The day moon?”

He flinched and narrowed his eyes. “Where did you hear that term?”

I narrowed my eyes. “No.”

He bared his teeth.

“You’re being childish. “

“You’re being unrealistic! If you think saying it’s a family thing is enough to keep me from asking about it.”

I glared at him. “You want to keep me out of something that I’m already involved in. you can’t keep treating me like a child. Would you rather me just go into the secret passage-“

He scoffed. “You wouldn’t know how to open it.”

I took a chance. “I’m sure a few magic words would do it.”

He laughed. “You wouldn’t be able to open it no matter what you do. You’re not of an awakened bloodline.” My eyes widened. “Are you saying that awakened bloodlines are related to vampires?”

His lips twitched and he turned away. “I’m saying let it go, Hedy.”

“I’m not letting a damn thing go!” I sneered. “I’m going to keep not eating and never talk to you again if you don’t give it to me.”

“First, it’s about Sibyl. Now it’s about the book?”

I scoffed. “No, Candido. It’s about you still treating me like a child when I’m not!”

“You are for-“

“A month?” I glared. “Barely a month from now and ‘ll be able to walk out that door and never come back.”

He went quiet.

“I’d rather leave before I have to watch you marry

Sibyl. She’s going to throw me out anyway. I might as well leave before that happens and not give her or you the satisfaction!”

“I would never let that happen.”

“Then I’ll just leave on principle because I can’t watch you marry that evil, cheating woman!” I cried. “I can’t watch you ruin your life over some stupid deal you don’t need and won’t serve the pack anyway. You’d be better taking over the Red Moon Pack by force.”

His eyes widened. “Hedy, what are you saying? Civil war? That’s the support you want to give me?”

“I’m saying that it would hardly be a fight,” I bit out. ” Sibyl’s a cheater. You think she’s pregnant. Her father definitely knows.”

He narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”

“What other reason would he be pushing to move this up? It’s not like he’s going into battle!” I growled. “For someone who works so hard and knows so much random math, you’re being stupid!”

I slammed my hands on the desk.

“I’m tired of this. I’m

tired of you treating me like a child. I’m tired of dealing with Sibyl’s meanness. I. Am. Tired of pretending that all I want is to just be some sort of ward to you for the rest of my life. I’m tired of you treating me like that’s all you want from me when I know that’s not true!”

He looked away and shook his head. “You’re wrong.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me I’m wrong.”

He growled and surged to his feet. A stack of papers wobbled and crashed to the floor. His glass of whiskey tipped over and spilled over the desk, wetting the papers, but neither of us looked away.

He leaned so close I thought he was going to k**s me, but he didn’t. We shared breaths for a few moments before he drew back just enough that I could see his entire face. He looked like he really didn’t want to put that distance between us.

His eyes filled with moonlight.

“What do you know?

You’re just a child. You say you’re an adult. You say that you’re grown up, but you still don’t understand what’s going on here. We are on the edge of war, and you think a wedding is the most pressing concern? You think Norton’s schemes and Sibyl’s stupid decisions-“

“I know you’re protecting her,” I said coolly, meeting his glowing gaze. “I know you’re trying to give her a chance to salvage whatever relationship you might have had, to save face.

I know you’re too scared to back

out of this stupid deal and reveal the truth because you think you can’t rally the older alphas around you because you’re young.”

He said nothing. I shook my head, my gaze caught on the edge of a familiar book and I glared up at him, inching my hands towards it.

“And you’re wrong. Norton’s friends or not, they’re not going to stand by and let someone woman who couldn’t even wait for her wedding night to get pregnant.

They re not going to give a damn if it would disrupt the natural order of the Full Moon Pack. Yes, your marriage is the most pressing thing right now on the eve of war because what happens if you die, Candido?” I thumped him in the chest as my eyes began to burn and put my hands on the Moon Goddess book. I closed my hands around its edges and readied myself to run. I gathered my strength as I went on. “What happens to the rest of us if you marry that wench and you die? Huh? You think Norton is going to care that you didn’t authorize her to do anything? Do you think your decree is going to remain after your death?”

He flinched away from me. The moonlight vanished and there was just Candido staring back at me in surprise as if he had never considered it.

“What happens when Norton plans your murder the way he likely murdered your father?”

He paled.

“What happens when he has this place burned down too? Do you think that whoever she slept with is going to step forward and contest that child taking over? You think Norton will?” I pulled the book towards me just enough. “No. They won’t. She’ll get remarried and the Full Moon Pack will be in the hands of Norton and that child that isn’t yours.”

I huffed and pulled the book closer to me.

“I’m not going to stand by and watch you do that to us.

I’d rather die!”

I turned, taking the book from me and rushing towards the door. I only had a bit of time to put distance between us. I heard him call for me then his footsteps gaining on me. I put more power into my legs.

My room was too obvious and too far as a pair of maids came down the hallway pushing a large cart of laundry from the direction of my room. I turned sharply and headed down the stairs.

“Hedy, stop!” He yelled as I reached the foyer. I heard him coming after me, leaping down the stairs as I cut through the foyer and around the corner towards the veranda. If I could just get to the forest, I could lose him, maybe.

“You’re being childish! This isn’t funny! Come back.”

“You’re being stupid, so no!” I yelled back. “Stupid and blind!”

I broke out the back door, down the steps and into the forest. If I lost him for long enough, I could round the estate and get back to my room, or maybe climb up the side of the house to my room.

“Hedy!” He roared after me. “Stop!”

“No!” I yelled back. “Not until you tell me the truth! Not until-“

I felt something nearby. I felt it like a chill down my back screaming danger. I turned sharply, darting out of the way of a large limb swinging towards me. I turned, wondering what the hell it was. Eyes of darkness fell on me. I thought back to the large creature that lumbered out from beneath the school and my heart lurched.

Was that the same kind of creature that had been found dead all those years ago?

“Hedy, come back!”

It didn’t turn towards Candido’s voice but started to chase me. I darted through the trees, curving through the trees and trying to lose it, when I slammed into a large warm body. We tumbled and rolled until we stopped at the edge of the clearing.

Candido glared down at me. “Stop being childish. Get up.”

He stood and dragged me up to my feet, turning me quickly.

“That creature. It’s like that-“

“I know exactly what it-“

“Is it a creature of night?”

“Hedy, stop asking questions and run!” He growled.

I dug in my heels as he started to push me.

“No.”

A roar shook the air. The ground shuddered beneath us and it broke through the tree line with its razor sharp claws raised as it came towards us.