-2-

|ASTRAEA|

I gulped in disgust as my hands trembled on his buckle. Alan was infamous for having a lot of she-wolves to warm his bed. Even when he came to the kingdom he had begun playing around. 

I knew about it, all his sexcapades, but he managed to keep it under wraps and went with the guise that, 'he loved me and was loyal to me.'

I finally got rid of the belt and his pants and briefs fell revealing his manhood. I wanted to puke at the sight.

"Come on, Astraea, I don't have all day…I might as well continue with my pl-" I cut him off by taking his cock in my mouth earning a groan from him and my eyes began to water.

He forced it all down my throat and I could feel myself losing consciousness, I bit down on his tip making him yell as he withdrew himself.

"What the fuck Astraea!?"

I kept my head low, thoughts of chopping his manhood and shoving it down his throats echoed through my mind.

 "It's no problem though, when we are married and mated, we will have a lot of time to practice." I shuddered watching him leave out the door.

As the door slammed shut, I scurried out of the guest room and into my royal chambers. My maid, Eloise, paced back and forth.

"Princess!" 

I ignored her and dashed into the bathroom, washing my mouth and my skin, everywhere he touched, scrubbing as tears fell from my eyes.

"Why me?" I cried sliding onto the cold bathroom floor as Eloise rushed to me. I was the third child but the second daughter.

My elder sister, Nakira, has already found her mate. That was why I had to be sold off to Alan. I inwardly cursed my mate.

I hope he gets a stroke, loses his wolf, and gets a sickness with no cure.

"I can't… I can't marry him!" 

Silence enveloped me as Eloise helped me out of the bathroom and onto my bed tucking me in the covers. "It's late, but I'll figure something out, you won't have to marry him."

"You don't have to do anything, El."

"I have to Princess, I promised my mother that I would always keep you safe."

Her mother was my childhood nanny, her tales and stories always kept me awake but now death had taken her from us.

I held her hand warmly, she was the only one who was still trying to get me out of this mess. Everyone else has given up and is preparing for the wedding that will be held at dusk tomorrow. 

"Good night princess." She left but as I tried to get some sleep, my face stung from the slap I had received from Alan.

The voices and footsteps of the maids running up and down because of the wedding didn't help my cause. With a groan, I lifted myself off the bed and went through the glass doors and into my garden.

It was so serene and quiet, bright moonlight shone at the center casting a warm and etheric aura.

I stared at the moonlight as dark obsidian eyes flashed through my mind. I couldn't remember his facial features but his eyes and words kept ringing in my head.

"Orion, please come, please come and save me," I called out to the moon with my arms clasped together. I waited but nothing happened.

What a sham.

"I hope you have a stroke and fall really sick! You bastard! Lying to a six- year old child." I huffed in anger. A part of me wished he showed up as tears pooled my eyes.

I would wait, just for a little bit. I lay on the grass clutching my bed covers over me as the darkness enveloped me.

•

"Princess!" I groaned angrily as the voice kept tugging at me.

"My life is finally coming to an end today, at least let me get enough sleep," I muttered but the person wouldn't stop.

I jolted from the grass and glared at the person, it was Eloise with a happy smile on her face. "What is it? Did Alan die?"

She shook her head in disagreement, making me frown.

'His death would have been such good news,' My wolf, Asana, said in my head.

And the coward has returned, you abandoned me yesterday! I yelled in my head.

'I didn't, Alan spiked our meal with silver, making me weaker. You're a werewolf princess, he's just an Alpha. Who did you think would win in a battle?' Asana questioned leaving me deep in thought.

"Princess Astraea, I have found a way." I broke from my reverie staring at Eloise.

She lifted me and we walked into my bedroom where she had dumped blue flowers on my bed. "What's that for?"

"This flower, when ground, changes hair color to blue for twenty-four hours! That's enough time for you to flee from the kingdom!" I gasped at her words. 

"B-but the wedding, Alan will find me." I may escape but I won't be able to get far.

"I'll take your place, I have dark hair too and almost the same body physique as you. I'll buy you enough time to escape. " she placed a ticket in my hand, "Here, I bought you a ticket to a place far away fr-"

"Eloise!" I hugged her tight and she burst into tears. "We don't have enough time princess, Prince Rowan has already taken Alan to visit the town, buying some time."

"Rowan, my brother is a part of this?" 

My heart warmed at the thought. Nakira and I weren't each other's biggest fans so I wasn't surprised that she stayed silent. 

 I followed Eloise to the bathroom, the liquid of the blue flowers on my scalp felt cool and refreshing. 

"I'm done." 

I took the mirror from her hands to see a different person staring at me. Deep blue hair and gray eyes. 

But I didn't mind, I didn't mind losing my identity for a day, if it meant I would escape this terror.

"Come on, the boat will leave soon."