The Alpha King's Princess
The Alpha King’s Princess – Chapter 66

I could tell that Candido was surprised at my declaration. Norton went still and quiet. Sibyl flushed and whirled around on me. More than the anger, there was fear there. Her gaze dropped to my chest briefly. She bared her teeth in a vicious snarl at me. But her eyes were haunted. Was she thinking about the vampire and his plans? Was she afraid of him?

Had he threatened to kill her if all of this didn’t go according to his plan? It would almost make sense why she seemed so desperate, but when I thought back to how they were in the woods, I doubted it. Whatever she was getting from him was at Candido’s expense and I just couldn’t have that.

I looked back at Norton and found him just as angry though his fear seemed more subdued than hers. Maybe he was being threatened, but he was also manipulative and fully able to ask for help instead of working against Candido like this. Him selling off pieces of his territory was probably a ploy from the vampire, or maybe it was just him making a way to leave the Red Moon Pack weak enough to be controlled by him easily when he killed Candido and took over the Full Moon Pack.

Regardless, I didn’t want to give either of them the benefit of the doubt.

“She’s lying!” Sibyl cried. “She’s too young to have a mate yet!”

That was true. The priest eyed me. “How old are you?”

“I’ll be twenty in a month.” I looked at Candido. “You’ve read the book, Candido. It’s one moon before my twentieth birthday.”

He swallowed and remained still, staring at the faint mark on my chest. “Today…”

At least he hadn’t forgotten when my birthday was. I smiled at him briefly before looking back at the priest.

“This can’t go on.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Sibyl said and turned back to the priest. “What are you standing there doing? Hurry it up! We’re here to get married not humor this girl!”

She reached for the rings on the altar, but her hand was zapped. She cried out and pulled away. A gasp went through the hall as the scent of burning flesh and b***d wafted through the air. Sibyl clutched her hand to her chest. B***d dripped down her hand and onto her dress as she whimpered and glared down at the rings.

I looked down at them. They didn’t look special, like a family heirloom or anything. They didn’t even seem old. Both of them were plain silver bands. Typically, no harm could come to anyone while at the temple. I didn’t know what it meant that Sibyl had been rejected by the altar, but it didn’t matter to me. I just knew that it had to mean something good from the way she looked so upset and the look on the priest’s face.

I met his gaze and got the sense that he had something he wanted to say. He glanced at Candido and closed the book in his hand.

“That’s impossible,” she said. “She’s not old enough! And shouldn’t you be doing something, priest? It’s such a disgrace to let her interrupt our ceremony. Why aren’t you calling for the Moon Goddess to smite her?”

“The Goddess has seemingly spoken on the matter for now,” he said, looking at her hand. “It is rare that anyone can come to harm, any child of the full moon at least, on this hallowed ground.”

She flushed, and my gaze dropped to her stomach. There was only one reason why she wouldn’t be considered a child of the full moon in the eyes of the Goddess that I could think of: she was carrying that vampire’s child.

I growled at her. “Smite me? I think we know exactly who—”

She growled at me, narrowing her eyes. “And what do you know, you fat—”

“At least I’m not a whore!”

“Stop,” Candido said, stepping between us as another gasp of horror went through the hall. Sibyl had lifted her hand to hit me, but Candido caught her wrist before she could strike me.

His eyes never left the mark on my chest. He turned slowly, unbuttoning the vest that held his tunic to his body, and pulled it aside, revealing the mark practically glowing on his skin. I couldn’t be sure that it was the same mark as mine, but my heart leaped with hope. It was at least in the right place. Candido could be my mate, no matter what my instincts said or what he wanted to believe.

Sibyl went pale and stumbled back. The priest’s eyes widened in shock. Allen surged forward to the top of the aisle and swiped the rings off the altar. He stood between me and Sibyl.

“It is clear, I think, that we cannot continue this if there is even the slightest chance that Miss Hedy could be His Majesty’s mate,” Allen said. “It wouldn’t be legal, and I doubt the Moon Goddess would smile kindly on this, right?”

The priest lowered his head and nodded. “This is true. Nothing more can be done until this is resolved.”

Norton whirled around. “That’s bullshit! There is nothing to substantiate this girl’s claim! Moon marks are always on the wrist.”

“No,” the priest said, glancing between the two of us. “Not always.”

The tone of his voice seemed heavier than it should have been. I didn’t know how to interpret it, but I didn’t question it either. The priest was on our side in this, and that was all that I could hope for either of us at the moment.

Candido closed his tunic, and Sibyl surged forward, reaching for him. “If you leave this ceremony, the Red Moon Pack will no longer cooperate with you!”

“I will never consider our deal fulfilled,” Norton growled. “You will lose all the support of the other alphas if you go down this road. I will never follow you into battle.”

Candido turned from her and walked down the aisle towards me. He took my hand and shoved Norton aside.

“I never imagined you were the type to actually go into battle, so it makes little difference to me,” Candido said. “The priest has spoken.”

“You’re the king!” Norton cried. “What happened to that no longer just being a title?”

I glared at him. Candido gave him a cold smile.

“I assure you that even a king must bow to the goddess’ will.” He turned back to the priest. “What is your verdict on the matter?”

“Until this is resolved,” the priest said softly. “We cannot continue. It is as the Moon Goddess has proclaimed. Sibyl of the Red Moon Pack has been rejected by the altar. It is at least clear that the Moon Goddess does not replace her a suitable partner for you, Your Majesty. Whether this young woman is your mate is something that will have to be determined after she is of age.”

Candido nodded and looked at Norton, “So it will be.”

“Your Majesty, we must verify the claim by trial within the month,” the priest called. “By her birthday.”

Candido turned back. “I am aware.”

The priest nodded and turned from the altar to leave. Allen looked so relieved that I wasn’t sure what to think as he turned back and started to address the crowd about the turn of events. Candido tightened his grip on my hand and lead me down the aisle away from the altar. Sibyl started screaming at the priest. Norton was screaming after us, but he didn’t turn back. He walked towards the door and opened the door before ushering me through the door. We walked past all the people that had been in my way when I arrived.

They stared at us and took pictures. He walked me through the crowd that the security guards were corralling. It felt a bit surreal listening to everyone talk about the way we looked together. I expected scorn and some mean words, but there was none of that.

“She’s so beautiful…”

“They look like a much better pair than him and Sibyl.”

“Did they get married? What happened to Sibyl?”

“What happened inside the temple?”

We didn’t answer because it didn’t matter. I clenched Candido’s hand, grateful that we were leaving the temple hand in hand and completely at ease.

All that was missing was Claire as my bridesmaid, the rest of the Full Moon Pack cheering for us and maybe I could have believed that we had gotten married today.

I smiled a bit to myself. I had never imagined that crashing his wedding would have turned out like this, but I’m glad I got to see Sibyl so embarrassed.

“Candido, wait!” Sibyl wailed from behind us. I didn’t look back. It gave me such satisfaction that he opened the door to the jeep and ushered me in as she continued to run after us.

It served her right for everything she’d planned to do.