Chapter 11
1475words
As I followed the scent, I scanned the ballroom and admired the decor. The stately chambers had been transformed into a paradise of flowers and iridescent bubbles floating high above. White and pink lace hung in beautiful arcs, fastened to the ceiling and supporting pillars. Everywhere I looked, flowers adorned tables and lined the walls. And, barely noticeable amidst the live music echoing throughout the hall, I could hear the sound of the machine sending bubbles drifting lazily in the air.
I looked at the celebration with a peculiar combination of confusion and awe, asking myself how a banquet held by the ruler of all werewolves could look like this.
Though it was beautiful, I attributed this style to a princess who had just come of age, not the Lycan King.
Finding the king’s taste rather strange, I couldn’t help but frown, though I eventually pushed the thoughts aside. All I truly cared about was finding Della. I squeezed through the crowd, absentmindedly greeting those I passed by. I had encountered many she-wolves, but not her.
Damn it all. Where was she?
My patience had grown unimaginably thin, exacerbated by my wolf’s increasingly dire howls. Suddenly, I heard the crisp sound of metal against the glass. The Lycan King led a woman onto the stage at one end of the banquet hall, where he tapped his champagne flute with a small spoon.
At once, the music stopped and the guests fell silent. I had no choice but to stop my search, lest I disrespect him. Irritable and unsettled, I put my hands to my sides and bowed in the direction of the stage as everyone else did.
Then, the Lycan King spoke, assuming the regal Lycan tone to ensure everyone could hear him.
"In the name of the Moon Goddess, I welcome everyone to this dinner," he proclaimed, his voice joyous and content. He had a reputation for being serious to a fault at times, though I wouldn’t have known seeing him now.
"Now,” he continued, ”I know you are wondering why you received this invitation on such short notice. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to explain why I was holding such a grand banquet, and for that, I apologize. I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your attendance. And now, I will inform you of wonderful news. Allow me to introduce you…"
As he spoke, he motioned for the woman beside him to step forward into the spotlight. She wore a white mask that revealed only the lower half of her face and accentuated her bright red lips. Matching her mask and fair complexion was an evening gown as white as pure snow wrapped around her petite body, tracing every one of her curves. The lace around her collar was wrapped especially tightly and showed little skin altogether, yet it served to make the men in the crowd even more curious about what lay underneath. She was so alluring that I could feel my arousal growing as I laid eyes on her.
”Hey!” I hissed under my breath, warning my wolf, Duke. “You’re a noble wolf, not some lust-stricken beast. Do you understand? Don’t react like that to a woman we’ve just met.”
I couldn’t completely control him, and it didn’t help that he had such an influence over my instincts.
“Sorry!” Duke replied earnestly, doing what he could to suppress our desires. “But she smells incredible.”
"...to my youngest daughter. I would like to formally introduce her to you and announce as the Lycan King that she will be the heir to my throne," the Lycan King continued. His tone was unbelievably calm considering what he had just told us.
A marked three seconds of silence was all it took for the information to finally settle into the crowd. Then, the hall erupted in a flurry of discussion.
"So that’s the young daughter of the Lycan King! The legendary Lycan Princess!"
"That means she’ll be crowned the first Lycan Queen! She will be the crown princess! Oh, what I’d do to live her life!"
The Alphas around me were so taken aback by this sudden turn of events that they couldn’t help but talk amongst one another. Throughout the lands, rumors of the Lycan King's young daughter persisted despite no one having ever seen her. Alongside the king’s intention to allow a woman to ascend the throne and lead the six major packs, there was sure to be great discourse between werewolves. A she-wolf leading us was unprecedented.
The Lycan King turned to look at his daughter with a look of relief on his face.
"Starting today, I will slowly include my daughter in the kingdom’s affairs. Alphas, I wish for you to actively cooperate with her as you would me. Inform your Betas of this as well. With her privacy in mind, I hope you understand why I have chosen not to show her face to you for now. May we all strive for the prosperity of the Campbell Kingdom!"
After he finished speaking, he nodded to the princess, held her hand, and raised his glass high. The audience toasted the princess as well, and the two walked off stage together.
I stared at her back, unable to take my eyes off of her. I couldn’t have possibly ever met her, but she felt so familiar to me. It was almost as if—
"Flora, don't you think that woman looks familiar somehow? It’s something about her figure."
I suddenly heard Margot's voice from behind me and was immediately reminded of how she stole my invitation. I turned to face her with a scowl, seeing her standing with Flora by a dessert table a few feet away. Their attention was so fixed on the Lycan King’s daughter that they didn’t even notice I was glaring at them.
Flora's face was full of an envy that I had never seen before, making her cheekbones twist and twitch cruelly. In her eyes was the shining of greed so bright that if she were in her wolf form, her drool would have soaked the carpet beneath her.
Seeing her so unabashedly jealous made me feel sick. The Flora I knew was pure, frail, and kind. She told me how she didn’t care about anything besides me, that all the money and status in the world paled in comparison. She only lived to love as the Goddess had destined for her.
I had never seen her with such a revolting expression on her face.
Her mouth slowly went ajar as she looked on, and she quietly murmured, "Don’t you think she looks… a bit like Della?"
Della?
I turned around, wanting to take a closer look to confirm, but she was nearly out of view. She turned the corner behind the stage, one arm each hooking Prince Jackson and the Lycan King’s arms. The only thing I could see clearly was a small corner of her dress.
"That’s impossible,” Margot scoffed. “The princess has lived in their castle all this time, and Della was our slave before she left. And how could the king’s daughter be an omega?"
Margot spat out Della’s name so disdainfully and with such sarcasm, yet just the mention of her name was enough to make my heart throb. Regardless of how she felt about Della, Margot was right. It was impossible for Della to be the princess. We all knew she was nothing more than an Omega who slaved away in the packhouse, waiting for my return.
Suddenly, I noticed Oliver by my side. He must have been running to find me, as he was out of breath and his hand shook slightly as he placed it on my shoulder.
"What’s going on? I ran all the way here. Did you find her?"
I shook my head and told him no in a low voice, prompting a puzzled look from him.
"Seriously? You regret rejecting her that much? That means you still love her right? Was all of this some sort of misunderstanding?"
Misunderstanding. I laughed to myself at the word. Did I truly regret it? I couldn’t have denied it, but my emotions stood separately from my duties. I fell silent for a moment and slowly replied, "An Alpha holds no regret over such things and there was-"
"There was no misunderstanding," I suddenly heard a sarcastic voice behind us.
Oliver and I both turned our heads at the same time. When I finally saw her, I couldn't look away.
Della wore a delicate white dress, shorter than I was used to seeing her in, which revealed her slender legs. I couldn’t help but notice how long they were, how they tempted me, as she walked forward with graceful steps.
