The Pure-Hearted Princess and the Kiss of Darkness
Chapter 48

-KATALEYA-

"May we talk?" I ask Marie softly as people begin to disband. And I see Luis grumbling something as he heads back inside, constantly looking around sharply, and he appears to be extremely jumpy. A small evil part of me replaces it rather amusing. That's what happens when you make horrible comments at someone else.

I turn back to Marie, who is watching me.

"Please?"

"Sure." She nods.

"Thank you..." I reply as she moves away from the group and walks towards me.

"Where are you two going?" Jose asks, looking between us, but Enrique hasn't moved... his sexy back is still to me. Is it that fire that just happened? His scent... it's got a strong underlying hint of fire and ash...

An oddly nostalgic feeling washes over me, but I can't seem to place what it is and I shake it off.

"Just to the pool," I answer Jose as Marie nods, giving him a cold glare.

"Got a problem?" she challenges.

Jose glances at Enrique, who doesn't seem phased and so he simply nods, his eyes meeting Marie's. There seems to be a lot of hostility between them. "No."

"Great, then." Marie turns to me. "Do you need a hand?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm alright. Thank you."

We both walk away as the doctor asks Enrique if he needs tending to; which, of course, he shuts down, being the stubborn alpha he is.

He begins to give them orders, but I can't help but worry.

I felt a shift in him earlier, even now something's different... I glance back twice, but knowing Marie's watching me I try not to and when we are around the corner she sighs, relaxing a little. She's looking down, a small frown on her face as she twists her sleeve between her fingers.

We remain quiet until we finally get to the pool, and she drops onto one of the sunbeds. With the dim lights and the calmness, it's hard to believe that we were attacked by crawlers not long ago.

"Goddess, that was one exhilarating evening."

"That's one way to describe it," I reply as I sit on another sunbed, looking over at her.

A silence falls between us, both of us knowing we need to address the elephant in the room.

"So, I really don't care about you wanting Enrique or whatever, because I have no feelings for him. But I do feel like I've been made a joke of," Marie begins abruptly.

I glance at the pool before I look at her, but she isn't done.

"I came here as his soon-to-be Luna, you smiled at me, welcomed me, then you slept with my so-called fiancé. It doesn't seem like something a person like you would do. It kinda hurt me that you all, the beta included, knew you two had this going on." She sighs as she looks over at the pool.

"I know, and I am disgusted with myself for hurting you. It was never my intention to hurt you, but I want to tell you we have not had s*x." Saying the words makes my cheeks burn up. I do not want to think of s*x with Enrique!

"I don't know what to believe. But sex or not, you were in his room, and it still stung knowing I was made a joke of."

I hate that I made her feel that way. That I hurt her because of my own selfishness.

"I am so sorry. I truly am. It won't happen again," I promise, and I mean it.

She raises her eyebrow. "I don't know. You two always seem to be together."

I look down. She's right. I need to actually do something, but we need to locate that witch.

"You do know his plan, right?" She scoffs as she looks at me. I nod and she shakes her head. "Are you game for that?"

Silence falls between us and I know it's a ridiculous plan, but I won't be around for long... but do I tell her that? What if she tells someone?

I haven't even told my family about the high chance that I won't live past the Blood Moon.

Is that why my powers are fading?

But I also know of the prophecy... the four rulers that will ride behind the Adonai. If I am really the Asheton Queen, then is it possible I misinterpreted my future and my death? Or does it mean something else?

There are many possible outcomes, that is what Dante once said.

"I agreed... but for other reasons." She looks appalled. "May I tell you about my version of what happened long ago and why I agreed?"

"We all know about the Djinn that was bound to the Escarra line." She shudders, rubbing her arms although it isn't cold. "But you mean in England, after Alpha Sebastian went there to replace a way to end the curse of their bloodline?"

To end it. The plan that involved Dante a stronger host.

"Yes."

She nods. "Sure."

I take a deep breath before I begin. "I was six years old when I was playing by a river, my sister and my brother were with me, and our dad was minding us when the red fire wolves attacked. There were so many of them that my father wasn't able to defeat them all. I was taken and he gave chase, but my brother was injured, and if he continued my brother wouldn't have been able to survive..." my throat feels stuck as I try not to let my sadness show.

"He had to choose between them and continuing after me... to risk two children for one. And so he chose..." My voice trembles and I ball my hands into fists, remembering the wolves with shades of reddish hues to their fur, the smell of fire and ash. The fire...... "I was taken and put in a dark room in the Escarra mansion. I wasn't allowed food and Alpha Sebastian, the Crimson King, didn't want me. He wanted my brother. While I was there, a little boy brought me food. I was so scared. So, so scared of why no one was coming for me, waiting for my father to replace me. In that darkness, that little boy became my light," I continue.

I can't hold back the tears as I remember those feelings. Every time I remember them, my emotions for Enrique surge stronger than ever. Marie's face has softened as she listens, almost as if she can feel my pain.

I take a shuddering breath and wipe my tears away. "But do you know how he lost his hand? His father found out he was feeding me and so he punished him by cutting it off." I look down, unable to hold my tears back that keep coming.

"He lost his hand for helping me, and so I vowed to help him. All my life I have looked for a way to create the strongest of prosthetics. To give him something in return for his kindness. Although it will not be able to

replace what he's lost nor can it make up for the pain he felt, but something that can make things easier going forward... I came to Puerto Rico when the prosthetic was completed, but he hates me because I'm a Rossi... and-" "Girl, that man is taken with you. He might say otherwise, he might

pretend he doesn't, but he cares. I honestly didn't think he had a heart, and I stood by it. Until earlier, just now when he was worrying over you. He cares, princesa."

I'm not so sure...

"Love and hate come close... but I don't think he can ever forgive me or my family," I say softly. "But I am sorry, you two are meant to be engaged... It was wrong, but that night I got caught up in my emotions, I forgot. It's no excuse." The shame returns and I look at her, hoping she can see that I am telling the truth. "Please forgive me. I will keep my distance," I promise.

"No." She tilts her head and shakes her head. "I mean, I forgive you, and thank you for explaining that to me. But don't keep your distance. You love him and he might even love you, or will soon. He's just stupid." She lowers her voice with that. "I am grateful you told me your story, and this way at least I know what to expect from the future now."

She doesn't seem as hurt as I thought, but it's by no means any consolation. "You are handling this far better than I thought..."

"It's not like I chose to marry him, although I assumed we'd fall in love over time or something. But I don't even have a crush on him."

I nod in understanding, even though I can't imagine not crushing on someone so handsome.

"So, I'm thinking, if I can help you in any way to end up with him, I'm game.

I mean my Dad won't take me back, but hey, if you become Luna you can grant me amenity here, right?"

"But Enrique said-"

"That he'll have you mark him, and he'll mark me? How does that even

work? It's stupid. I don't want to be with a man who is so blinded by another - even if he can't see it. So how about a new plan? You make him yours and give me a place to stay?" she suggests.

"I can't, I'm only meant to..." the darkness. "There is something I was meant to do before I go..."

"Then I'll help you with that. But if you do go... will you take me with you?" I look at her, "You are of alpha blood. You can stay wherever you want."

She shakes her head. "No... the deal between Alpha Enrique and Dad... I'm the bargaining chip. I will have no home if I refuse this engagement."

I frown, how dare they... I feel angry for her. "You will have a home." Even if I'm not here, I will make sure she has the protection of my family behind her. "But about Enrique, are you sure you want this? I mean, I shouldn't have-"

"Stop. You aren't the other woman in this situation. I guess I am because your love story began long ago. Way before I even came into the picture."

Our eyes meet, and she gives me a genuine smile. "Marie..."

"So, do we have a deal? An alpha's daughter to an alpha's daughter? Woman to woman?"

"We do," I answer with no doubt. "Will you be my friend?"

She smiles. "I thought you'd never ask," she says dramatically, holding her hand out.

I giggle at that and take her offered hand. "Friends. Although I hope Alpha Enrique won't get annoyed if I'm touching his woman," she remarks.

"I'm not his woman."

She nods in understanding. "Maybe not yet, so... how are we going to play this? I mean until my dad goes, I can't tell anyone I'm not going through with this marriage. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Narugi.com. Visit Narugi.com to read the complete chapters for free. Besides, Enrique wants something from him in terms of power, land, and links, so he wouldn't be happy if that was just taken from him. So we are going to need this to just work smoothly. And since he already has an issue with you Rossis, then we better not give him more things to be angry about."

I nod. "Well, we could pretend to just be friends and not tell anyone anything and just continue along with his rather silly plan?" I suggest, unable to stop a giggle from escaping me.

Oh, bad Kat, I'm making fun of him!

She grins. "I like that..."

We fall into a comfortable silence, and I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off me. She looks up at the sky. "That red light earlier... it was strange."

I nod but don't say anything. Whatever happened out there... those words held far more weight than I could comprehend right now. Whatever Enrique did, it was not something small... I only hope it isn't something dangerous.

"I'm sure we'll learn exactly what it was soon enough."

She nods. "Yeah, plus this is Puerto Rico. They say the first werewolf of our islands came to be here. This place is special."

"I would love to learn more about these islands. There's not too much on the shifter side of history available in England."

"Oh, I know for a fact that this pack has a lot of history books. You just need to get permission to view them," she says, standing up and holding out her hand to me. "Come on, let's go back before another of those horrific monsters shows up."

"I don't think they'll come back tonight," I say, taking her hand and standing up. I don't let go of her hand. Looking down at it, I place my other hand on top. "I am sorry, though, for hurting your feelings regardless of what you feel towards him. It was wrong." She smiles at me and pulls her hand free, instead giving me a hug. "You are a good soul, Princesa Kataleya. Maybe this is the kind of person we need to rule the islands and the seas. Alpha Enrique has gained power past these waters and borders, but with a powerful Luna by his side... he will be an Alpha whose name will go down in history. A powerful but good Alpha."

Yes...

He will... because I have faith in him, too. We all do. Me, Marie, his beta, his delta, his entire pack. We believe in you, Enrique. We will help rid you of the darkness that is trying to get its claws into you. I promise.