CHAPTER 3

SHE DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING.

I half-expected her to scream, or to return the slap, but instead, she smirked at me.

And damn, did I want to slap her again.

“Oh Raven darling, you really had to let that off your chest." She mocked.

I clenched my fists angrily, my anger threatening to explode. Nia was dangerously quiet, but I could feel the anger of the both of us, and it was extremely overwhelming.

“How could you do this to me? Elena, you're supposed to be my best…”

She cut me off before the words could even come out. "Oh shut up, Raven. Shut up already." The smirk was wiped off her face, and was replaced by a gruesome glare. “I'm supposed to be your best friend? When you went on to have all the best things in the world, did you ever remember you had a best friend? You left me in those dirty stables alone, you began working in the palace and you forgot totally about me."

I opened my mouth in horror. “Have you ever stopped to think about what I was going through at that time, Elena? My mother died for crying out loud." My lips were quivering, from the anger and the hurt.

She sneered. “Well, I don't care Raven. You got all the good things, caring parents, a life in the palace, everyone's attention, but I won't let you get the Prince. He is mine, he has always been mine to begin with. He doesn't deserve a wretched lowlife like you."

You…!

I held myself back as much as I could. "Elena, there's still a chance to redeem yourself. If the council finds out what you've done, you're going to be in big trouble.” 

"Oh, what should I do to redeem myself? Apologize?” She jeered dramatically. "Oh! I'm so scared. What are they going to do to me?” 

I clenched my fists tighter. "What do you gain from all of this? Huh? He'll use you, he'll sleep with you, but he's going to get married to me. And you, you're going to remain a mistress, is that what you want, Elena?”

I could see my words hit a nerve, as her face contorted into a deep, ugly frown. “Don't be so sure about that, Raven?" 

I glared at her. "I trusted you, Elena. And this is what I get? You knew I was coming over, I told you. Did you do this on purpose?” 

She shrugged, like we weren't talking about her betrayal. "Well, maybe?" She chuckled wickedly. “I really don't blame you. And you shouldn't blame yourself either. Although, you were always the intelligent one between us, you never really had a sharp brain to understand what was going on.” She shrugged again. "If you're looking for who to blame, maybe you can blame your mother for that.”

Did she just insult my mother?

"You bitch!” I growled,my hands flying in the air to hit her again. 

However, I barely touched a hair on her skin when a loud cry echoed in the room.

What the… ? Was she suddenly scared of me now?

I soon understood why she acted that way.

I felt the aura first, and then came the roaring voice. “Raven, how dare you?" 

Elena, you cunning demon!

I turned to Luca, hoping to explain myself, but the next minute, his palm landed heavily on my cheeks and I fell to the ground.

He slapped me! This son of a bitch just slapped me! 

“I warned you to stay away from her, didn't I?" He gripped my hand so firmly, it was like he was crushing my bones, and he pulled me back up to my feet. “How dare you touch her?" He growled angrily.

My anger was nothing compared to his. He has Alpha genes in him, I'm just a lowlife wolf from a generation with no royalty. I couldn't dare stand up to him. 

I fumbled for an explanation. “Luca, I didn't…”

His grip tightened. "Call me Wolf Prince. And are you calling my girl a liar?”

My girl?

Elena kept whimpering behind him. “She slapped me. Twice, Alpha. She even threatened to kill me." 

What the hell? When did this girl turn into such a liar?

“Luca, she's lying…” I tried again.

His eyes began to glow red, and I knew his wolf was close to the surface. "What did I tell you to call me?”

I shrinked, hoping to melt out of his arms, but I didn't. "Wolf Prince, I'm sorry.”

"Elena, go into my room. Now!” He commanded. 

“Yes Alpha." She whined, shooting me a triumphant smirk before slipping away.

Do I want to wrap my arms around her pretty neck and strangle the life out of her right now? Yes, yes I do!

Luca's voice brought me back to reality. “I can hear your thoughts."

Oh shit!

He pulled me closer to himself, but not in a good way. His eyes were threatening to squeeze the life out of me, and I just wanted to scream.

“Now, listen to me, Raven. I am your Alpha…”

You're not an Alpha yet!

He gripped my hand even tighter, I heard a bone crack. "You're hurting me! Please let me go.” I begged.

But he didn't stop. “Only when you listen to me. I will hurt you a hundred times more than this if you touch a single hair on Elena's skin one more time."

I tried to hold back the remark, by biting my lips, but it eventually came out. “Are you in love with her now? Or is she just using you and you're following like a chained dog?"

Oh Raven, you're so dead!

“You still have the audacity to talk back at me? Have you lost your mind?" He thundered.

The pain was so much at that point that I just wanted to pass out.

Yet, I didn't stop talking. “You cheated on me, broke my heart to a thousand pieces, and what's worse is that you expect me to not be hurt. I'm supposed to just smile and say, ‘Whatever the Alpha pleases’. You're so heartless, Luca. You'll make a terrible Alpha. I can't believe I was in love with you.” 

A loud growl, and then his fist was coming down on me again. I screamed, shielding my face with my elbows.

However, the hit never came.

A voice I recognized anywhere interrupted. "What's going on here?”