Chapter 4

AYLA BAILORE

I threw quick glances around but I couldn't find where the voice had come from. Or had it been my imagination?

Before I could speak, I heard a sudden movement behind me and turned just in time to see a tall figure of a man stepping out from the flowers.

I glanced around for a second, before bringing my attention back to him. Has he always been there?

“They are not the cause of your problem, you know, and certainly not the reason you clumsily fell from up there. Someone dedicated their sweet time in raising those,” He lifted his finger, pointing at my hand and the ground.

To my surprise, I was gripping a bunch of delicate flowers together in my grip, I'd even uprooted a few, I didn't even know. I'd been so caught up in my own thoughts that I… I paused suddenly, sending a quick glance at him.

“I'm sorry about the flowers, but I wasn't clumsy and definitely didn't fall because I wanted to. Someone pushed me—”

He cut me off with a sharp, annoying chuckle. “Because you were clumsy. You should watch your back always, this is the palace, a very dangerous place to be. But I assume you know that fact, you're here to take part in the Luna queen selection, aren’t you? So it's your fault,”

I didn't know why, but there was something about his words that made me both want to cry and made me equally furious. “Do I seriously look like I want to be here? Do you think I care even a fraction for your insensitive, clueless King that I would endanger my life to be here? For what? To fight for a stupid crown to become his Luna Queen when he couldn't even find his mate? Or maybe he did, and just like all clueless scumbags of Alphas who think they are superiors, he rejected her. Or worse, he refused to reject her, intentionally subjecting her to a life of endless pain and suffering. I bet she's within these walls, probably being mistreated as a slave while your insufferable King is somewhere with an inflated ego because a bunch of she-wolves are fighting to be his Luna Queen. After all, he has started this ruckus. So technically, this is HIS fault. If it wasn't for him, these women wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be here,” And Arnold would have found some other way to assassinate the King that didn't involve me or my sister.

I had been screaming, furious, and didn't even realize I'd been crying too. This was a fucking mess. My life was a fucking mess and I was in so much trouble already. I wonder what Arnold would do when he saw me like this, would he punish me or would he take his anger and frustration out on Emily.

Oh goddess, I needed to fix this problem first.

I was about to move when I realized the man from earlier was still standing a few inches away from me, watching me. I couldn't see his face clearly but I could tell he was smiling. Was I seriously amusing him?

“So you're really here for the Luna queen selection? If you're really against it, why even bother? The Alpha King didn't force anyone to participate in it?” He folded his arms, watching me.

I shook my head, fighting the anger surfacing. I didn't have time for a chit-chat right now. I need to figure out how to fix my problem first.

“What would your Alpha King know when he lives up in a castle? Anyways, I'm really sorry about the flowers,” I grabbed my wet and now surprisingly heavy dress, walking in the direction of the man, as I noticed a path that could get me out of here.

Walking on my heels was already another problem for me I needed to deal with. I had never worn anything this high before, or any heels at all. This should be another challenge on its own in the Luna Queen contest.

I was about to move past him when my heels decided to act up and sink deeper into the soft soil. I lost my balance, and I could already see the disaster about to happen as if this night couldn't get any worse.

I closed my eyes, waiting to feel the harsh impact of my body against the soil. But it never came, instead what I felt was a warm sensation around my waist and arms.

My eyes snapped open and they fell on the darkest blue eyes I'd ever seen. For a second, I was too enchanted with them to realize the stranger from earlier was holding me around my waist, and we were so close that a slight movement could make our lips touch.

Instinctively, I pushed him off me with the aim of having enough distance between us, but to my awful luck, I continued on the path I earlier was, crashing harshly on the ground.

Before I could groan out in pain, a loud growl vibrated from the stranger's chest, and I looked up to find him staring down at me with shock and disbelief on his face.

My jaw clenched and my lips pressed together, I was also in shock and disbelief at how one night could simply change the course of my life. From escaping Garrick to being held captive by Arnold and now this stranger.

I must have done something awfully wrong in my past life.

I took off my heels and without wasting time, I got up and ran away, at my fastest speed. Luckily the stranger didn't follow me.

I hadn't gotten far when I heard an angry growl and this time I wished it had been the stranger, but unfortunately to my rotten luck again, it was Arnold, staring at me with so much anger in his eyes after taking in my disastrous state.

Before I could, he called for one of the omegas that accompanied us here, Lila, and ordered her to take me away and fix me up.

I was led to a room in the palace where the suitcase we'd brought was kept. In a matter of mere minutes, Lila fixed me up with a new dress, makeup, and hair and I was led back to the hall with Arnold.

The grand hall was now crowded with so many guests, and more than half were finely dressed women all here to battle for the Luna queen crown. And I had a feeling one of these women had pushed me off the hill.

It didn't take long before the double doors opened once more, and the Royal squad strode in with the Alpha King. It was hard to tell which exactly was the King himself because they were all dressed the same, but I bet everyone could feel the overpowering aura that suddenly charged the air because I did.

A man matched out from the squad in confident, powerful strides, and stepped up on the podium. One proper glance at him and I felt my stomach lurch. He looked familiar. So familiar to the annoying stranger I just met a few minutes ago.

Oh goddess, please, it should just be my eyes deceiving me… he shouldn't be him. He couldn't be him.

To my horror, the King's eyes were searching through the large crowd as if searching for someone.

I held my breath. What were the chances he was looking for me? None right? He couldn't exactly be looking for the woman he'd just met to punish me for what I'd said and done to him right? It wasn't like I actually did anything or said anything wrong.

Thinking back, I realized I said plenty of things wrong against the King. I was even stupid enough to call him insensitive. Clueless. With an inflated ego.

I was so dead.

I felt Arnold's stronghold on my arm, and he leaned closer. “Calm that heartbeat of yours. Have you forgotten you're in a room full of werewolves?”

I heard what he was saying, but I couldn't care at that moment. Not when the King was now looking directly at me. His eyes suddenly narrowed on Arnold, and the arm he was holding.

I felt like my heart was about to explode. He had started to move… the King was walking through the parted crowd.

Why was he walking towards me?

No! Please stop. Don't come any closer.

Involuntary my flight instinct kicked in. My legs moved a step backward, but Arnold held me in place. Before I could find the grace to save myself, the King stopped right before me, and at that moment, I knew I was so, so done for.