Chapter 147: Into the Palace Woods
(ALICE)
The hunting event takes place in the early afternoon. All the male shifters head into the palace woods, which are crawling with dangerous animals. There’s no prize involved aside from the ego of each shifter. The one who brings back the most kills is commended, and each male shifter dedicates his prey to his preferred female.
Among the females, this event is something akin to a popularity contest. The female with the most men presenting their prey to her is to be envied. At least, that’s how Mary explains it to me. I’m far too busy making sure I don’t fall on my face in this dress to care.
"We live in modern times," I complain. "Why do we have to wear dresses from the Victorian era? I don’t even know how to walk in this thing!"
"It’s not from the Victorian era. It’s just a style." Mary searches the grounds. "Where is Darian? He should have escorted you here."
"Probably with the king."
I feel so uncomfortable with all these people staring at me. I don’t want to be here. I’m completely out of my element.
"Look sharp!" Mary suddenly hisses. My eyes lift to follow her gaze, and I see Thomas and Willow approaching us.
My first instinct is to step back. But there’s nowhere to run. Even if I tried, it would be physically impossible in this dress.
"Alice." Thomas’s voice is cold. "Come with me. I want to have a word with you."
My blood chills at his tone. I’ve heard it plenty of times before. But Thomas won’t beat me here. He can’t. Not at the royal palace. And besides, I’m the crown prince’s fated mate. He can’t do anything to me.
Right?
"She’s waiting for Prince Darian." Mary jumps to my rescue, but Thomas gives her a withering look that has my friend shrinking.
"I’m not speaking to you, Mary. Come with me, Alice. I’m not going to ask you twice." He grabs my wrist and begins dragging me away.
"Stop!" Fear rears its terrifying head within me. "I don’t want to go with you!"
"Shut up or I’ll rip that unruly tongue out of your mouth!" he snarls. I see some eyes on us, but nobody steps in to interfere.
"Let go of me!" I cry out.
"Stop making a scene or I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget," Thomas snaps at me.
Willow giggles, an odd sound in this tense situation. Before I can scream, a hand comes to wrap around Thomas’s wrist.
"I believe she said she doesn’t want to go with you."
I hoped it would be Darian coming to my rescue, but to my surprise, it’s Jason. He looks angry.
"Alpha Marrock." Thomas is clearly displeased. "This is a pack matter. Don’t get involved."
Jason twists my beta’s wrist, and he is forced to release me. "Be that as it may, she does not want to go with you. Pack matters should be handled within the pack, not in public settings. Stop making a scene."
When he throws Thomas’s words back at him, the older man bristles. But he isn’t the one who speaks next; it’s Willow.
"Don’t bother yourself with her, Alpha Marrock. She’s not as important as you think. Haven’t you heard? Prince Darian is going to reject her. She doesn’t have a wolf spirit."
"Willow!" Her father glares at her, but Willow merely puts on a petulant scowl.
"What? It’s true. Everybody’s talking about it. Our whole pack knows the truth. Denying it isn’t going to change anything. She’s worthless. Alice just wants to feel important, so she’s strutting around acting all arrogant. Prince Darian is going to reject her. The king said so himself."
Despair fills me. Is that why Darian wasn’t at breakfast? Is that why I had to arrive at this event alone while all the other females who found their fated mates were accompanied by their partners? The king told Darian to reject me?
"Reject her?" Darian’s voice booms from behind me as he grabs me by the waist and pulls me into his chest. "What made you think I’m going to reject my fated mate?"
Willow turns pale, but she’s still defiant, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Your Highness, it must not have reached your ears, but your fated mate isn’t a full wolf shifter. She’s not even a half-breed. She has no wolf spirit. The royal palace doesn’t need a queen who can’t even shift. " Disgust is evident in her tone. "The Wolf Kingdom will never respect such a queen."
My jaw tightens, but there’s nothing I can say to refute her words. Everything she said is true.
"If they won’t respect her, I will make them respect her," Darian snarls. "And I know everything about Alice. Next time, Beta Thomas, if you put your hands on my woman, I will forget who you are. You may have my father’s ears, but I am the one who will become the king. I can strip you of your position in a heartbeat."
I’ve never seen anybody threaten Thomas before, and it must be effective because he turns white as a sheet. "I was simply trying to have a discussion with Alice."
"Next time you want to have a discussion with her, you can go through me, and there will always be someone else present in the room."
Thomas refuses to back down. "You haven’t given her the mating mark yet. She’s still part of my pack, and as such, I have authority over her."
"No, you don’t. I’m denying you your authority over Alice. Would you like to question my decision?" Darian responds calmly.
"What are you doing, Your Highness?" Willow sounds shocked and a little bit frustrated. "Look at her. You can have your pick of attractive women, and you want her? Her education, her manners in society—everything is lacking. How can you want something like that as your mate?"
I hear two growls at the same time. To my surprise, Jason is also glaring at Willow.
"I heard you raised your daughter to be a graceful female, Beta Thomas," Jason says coolly, looking down his nose at Willow. "There’s nothing graceful about this woman. You have not raised your daughter well."
"If you or your daughter ever says something about Alice again," Darian adds harshly, "I’ll make sure no respectable shifter will choose to be with Willow."
Thomas immediately pushes his daughter behind him. "You’re crossing a line, Your Highness. Threatening my daughter—"
"Threatening her?" Darian smiles at him. "That was a promise. It would be best if you and your daughter stay away from Alice for the remainder of this gathering. Otherwise, we will have a problem."
Too many eyes are on us, and Thomas also realizes that. Taking Willow by the hand, he pulls her away.
Darian turns his attention to Jason. "She’s spoken for, Alpha Marrock. Stop sniffing around my mate."
Jason doesn’t look deterred. Instead, he gives Darian an amused look. "She doesn’t appear claimed to me, Your Highness. Your intended is an interesting woman. Keep an eye on her, or I may just decide to court her."
With that, he walks off.