The Alpha King's Princess
The Alpha King’s Princess – Chapter 61

Candido turned swiftly with a roar. The air shook, and the beast tumbled aside as if the ground had shifted beneath its feet. He let out a startled sound and landed with a loud thump. It seemed stunned as it slammed into a large rock nearby.

Where had it come from?

“Run!” Candido said, shoving me away from the beast and back towards the Estate.

I turned, clutching the book to my chest and scanning the area when my sense of being watched seemed to spike. There were people, several people around us. Something sharp filled the air, then flames rose up around us. The heat of the fire warmed the air, and the light painted the forest with a golden orange glow. I felt my fear start to rise as I realized that we were trapped. In the trees, I saw several figures crouched and looking down at us. There had to be at least twenty of them. We were surrounded.

Each of their eyes glinted with silver and gold. There was only one of them whose eyes were completely black. The firelight glinted on his teeth as he looked down at me hungrily.

I shuddered. We were surrounded by vampires who knew how far away from the Estate. It was my fault.

Could I call someone from Moon Shadow to back us up? I didn’t have my phone with me, did I? Would I have time to call someone even if I did?

Were they here on that man’s orders or alone? How long had they been here? Had they been planning to attack the Estate?

“Candido, we have to—” I turned around, seeing him standing, frozen, staring into the dancing flames. He looked pale and shocked. His eyes were drawn wide as he remained completely unmoving.

“Candido?” I asked.

“Don’t bother,” I turned to look at the man that had dropped into the burning clearing near me. “The great alpha king isn’t listening to anything you have to say.”

My heart raced. I shuddered then Candido cried out. I turned around as he fell back, thrashing around on the ground as his shirt caught on fire. I turned back to look at the man before rushing to Candido. I pulled the shirt off of him and pulled him up.

“Look at me, Candido! Focus on me!”

His eyes swam, flickering as he focused on me slowly.

“Hedy?”

My lips trembled. “That’s right. It’s me. It’s Hedy, and we have to get out of here now, do you understand?”

He blinked slowly as I looked around. The vampire seemed to simply be watching us as the flames began to devour the forest around us. Sweat trickled down my neck, and I turned back to Candido.

“We have to—” I broke off. My eyes widened at the mark on his chest, right over his heart. I looked like someone had made ink out of moonlight and drawn it on his chest. It was a lovely collection of shapes and swirling lines that I couldn’t quite name.

It reminded me of the script in the vampire book.

“Hedy,” he said more firmly. His eyes narrowed. “We have to….”

He shook his head and got to his feet, staggering. “Not real.”

I frowned, and someone nearby hissed. “Kill them now!”

More people hissed. Candido grabbed me by my arm and started running. With a snarl, he barreled through one of the vampires, slamming into him and throwing him aside as he ran. I barely kept up with him, listening to the sound of them coming after us through the trees. I felt sick. My heart raced, but I didn’t slow down or ask questions.

We broke through the ring of fire. I felt the heat acutely, then nothing. I looked back and watched the fire still blazing, but I couldn’t feel it.

Then, I remembered what he said. He meant that the flames weren’t real. It had been an illusion? I knew that werewolves could make illusions that could drive someone insane, but there was always something off about it.

“How did you know it wasn’t real?” I asked as we cut through the forest.

He raised his hand, and a ball of fire materialized in his hand. He tossed it behind him, and I almost shrieked as it landed with an explosion and shook the air. The wall of fire devoured the area behind us. I heard someone shriek in agony, and I smelled the smoke.

“Keep running!” Candido yelled. “That won’t hold them back for long!”

He let me go, and I kept pace, hoping that it would be enough.

The creature roared, barreling towards us from a different direction. It leaped at us, and before I could react, Candido twisted mid-run. Another ball of fire appeared in his hand. He grabbed me and dragged me under the leaping beast. We slid through the dirt. Above us, the ball of fire leaped up and caught fire on the beast’s underbelly before covering it completely.

Candido dragged me to my feet after him. “Run!”

The creature howled in agony, and in the distance, I heard the security team mobilizing, shouting about the smoke and fire. A vampire darted in front of us. Candido slammed into it, taking his head in his hands and driving his knee into his face.

I dodge one of them swiping at me, reaching for the book. I twisted out of the way and tumbled one of them over my shoulder as I pushed my strength and rammed into him.

Candido turned back, grabbed me, and pulled me along towards the sound of the team. Another vampire swiped at me but missed me by a few inches. I could still hear the creature howling in agony. By the time I could make out distinct voices of the security team, the vampires had started to retreat, hissing and seething as they melted into the darkness.

I stumbled as we reached the veranda in the back of the estate, just inside the security force’s line of defense.

“Vampires,” Candido growled, dragging me up the steps with a firm grip on my arms. “Illusionists. Put out the fire and collect the bodies left behind. I want a report within the hour and a patrol of the entire Estate established and running before ten o’clock.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

He dragged me up the stairs, growling, and grumbling as I staggered and swayed, unable to keep my feet under me. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I knew he was upset.

We got to the main stairs, and my feet just couldn’t take it. He lifted me onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried me up the stairs towards my bedroom.

He kicked the door open, splintering the frame before throwing me on the bed and growling at me.

“Of all the idiotic things you could have done!” Candido snarled. He grabbed the book, trying to take it from me. I held tight, refusing to let it go as he pulled.

He dragged me out of bed and growled at me, trying to pry my hands off of it.

“No!” I shouted.

He crouched down as I pulled it close to my chest and locked my arms over it.

“Hedy, you’re being childish, and I don’t have time for this! “Candido growled, pulling at my arms.

I turned over, pressing the book to my chest and refusing to be turned over.

“Hedy!” He roared. His voice shook the room. “Give it to me!”

I turned, baring my teeth, feeling my power and something more than I had ever felt before surging to the surface.

“No!” The glass of my windows whined and trembled. “Get out!”

Candido jerked back. I shoved him back with my shoulder until he tumbled out of the door. Then I slammed it closed and dragged my dresser in front of it.

Candido banged on the door. “Let me in, Hedy! Stop being childish!”

“Don’t you have a wedding to plan?” I growled back. The air was trembling around me with fury. I wasn’t sure if it was mine or his.

“Don’t start with that!”

“Tell Sibyl to care more about you than the expense of her wedding gown!”

“You have no idea what I have to—”

“Marrying her will only cause problems!” I shrieked. “Go away!”

For a moment, he was quiet. I could hear him panting. I was out of breath, lying on my dresser, trying to get a hold of myself and my anger.

“…When did you lose so much faith in me?” He asked softly, almost a whisper.

I sat up, looking at him through the small hole he’d made in the door. It looked singed around the edges, and ashes were still falling from it.

“I can’t trust you to do what’s best for you,” I said. “Thus, I can’t trust you to do what’s best for the pack because you’re too honorable.”

His eyes narrowed. “Do you mean being with you?”