Chapter 38
2115words
"Follow her." The prince stared at Princess Della's back with worry.
Bowring my head, I wasted no time and shifted to my wolf form to run after her, but not before biting into one of the emergency clothes bags on the side for convenient changing.
As she was faster than me – way faster – I was left with no choice but to follow her tracks instead. Thankfully, she ran into the woods, leaving easy paw prints for me to follow.
When she arrived at the Dark Moon Pack, I had to discreetly follow her tracks inside and jump from one place to another, ensuring no warriors would run after me and accuse me of trespassing.
Even though the Lycan Kingdom was a higher organization and it would be easily amended, I'd rather not prolong my delay in following the princess.
It might be bad to badmouth the royal family, but I'd have to say that the princess was stupid. Every night and day, I'd see the prince worrying so much for her well-being. He loved her so much that he respected her every decision and backed her up for it, but the slight and momentary annoyance I felt for her recklessness and being so drowned in love that was ruining her was just hard to shake off.
But when I pushed the door open in Alpha Kylian's bathroom, I never thought I'd ever feel so bewildered and in debate with myself as I ever felt at this moment.
Princess Della, the daughter of the Lycan King, was being pinned down and bullied in the bathroom by Alpha Kylian, her soon-to-be ex-husband after she saved his life.
I palpated and could guess my face reddening from rage. How could he treat the princess like that?
"Pri-Della!" I stopped myself mid-way from calling her the princess and blowing her cover off, but I sure as hell would love her revealing her identity and making everyone pay for their disrespect.
Fuming mad, my steps were heavy and firm as I took long strides and pulled the princess out of the tub with flickering tears still streaming down her face.
I gave her a quick glance, and my heart clenched in pain from seeing the hickeys and bruises all over her body.
My chest heavily rose and fell from my heavy breathing, fangs showing, and hands fisting in a ball, ready to pounce on Alpha Kylian. But one step and the princess was already holding my hand.
She slightly shook her head, but the look in her eyes showed she's giving me a firm order.
Taking a deep breath to hold in my fury and compose myself, I turned around and grabbed a clean towel from the drawers, draping it over her.
And as much I hated Alpha Kylian, I didn't want to be in the same room as him being naked. Hence, I threw a towel at him, not hiding my anger at how harshly it fell on him.
He hissed but didn't do anything. He simply picked it up and wrapped it around his waist. "Della is my Luna. No one is allowed to take her away!"
Expressionlessly, I wrapped my arms around the princess' shoulder to support her and looked straight into his eyes, formally informing, "I am ordered by the Lycan Prince. And he has the absolute power to do so."
With that, I didn't bother to waste a second more and helped the princess to leave. Every second near him was only increasing my anger.
I was so glad to leave already, but before we passed the bathroom doorway, the princess held my wrist and looked at me pleadingly. "Please… Help him treat his wounds first."
I stared at her speechlessly. Her voice was trembling, her body was exhausted, she was full of marks, there were tears in her eyes, and she was still worried about that useless Alpha. How selfless could she be?
Worked for so long with the royal family, and this was the first time I had ever seen the princess looking so… weak. When did that powerful princess I knew change so much?
Sighing with vivid disagreement, I nodded my head, heeding to her request. After all, I'm only a Beta and it's my mission to serve the royal family… and following orders was my job even if it’s a stupid one.
"Let me help you to a resting and safe place first," I said, sending a pointed look at Alpha Kylian's way.
After helping her wear a new set of clothes and leaving her with kingdom warriors I mind-linked as soon as I entered the pack. Luckily, I called for them and asked them to wait outside, or else I wouldn't know where to safely leave the princess in this forsaken place.
As I walked back to Alpha Kylian's room, I looked around the pack and heaved a sigh of distress. It's hard to imagine how, despite her title of Luna in this pack, Princess Della still faced several dangers, such as Margot, who was seemingly willing to hold a vase at any chance she could get and was ready to knock the princess at any time.
Against my will, I placed a medicinal tray with gauze and alcohol on the bedside table.
Nodding at the bed, I calmly said, "Lay down on the bed, Alpha."
Surprisingly, he did as I asked, and I started cleaning his wounds. I must say, he was good at hiding pain. I wasn't trying to be gentle, but he didn't even squirm from the sting of alcohol.
As I aid his wounds, I sighed as my mind went back to the back. I've been the prince's beta for a decade now. I've practically watched the princess grow.
Before Alpha Kylian appeared in her life, she was a very lively woman and was known as the most powerful she-wolf in the world. I've seen her trained hard and how the Lycan King was always strict with her in the field, but he loved her so much and gave her the best there was in the world.
Meanwhile, the prince and princess have a very good relationship. It's without question that he dotes on her so much. He'd do anything for her.
But then again, who wouldn't?
The princess is very beautiful and charming. And what's more attractive about her is her kindness and outstanding skills in almost everything.
I've seen a blessed and perfect woman grow to be the best in the world. If she hadn't met Alpha Kylian, she would still have been that joyful princess I knew who seemed to live in a fairy tale.
Unfortunately, that was four years ago, and many things have changed. When he came into her life, he had nothing but cruel ambition cursing through his nerves.
He's reckless and nonchalant toward the princess' feelings, and that's why, like the king and prince, I couldn't understand why a stupid and jerk man like his was worthy of the princess's love.
The only reason the prince and king allowed her to ocme here at first was that they were sure she won't stay here for long, but year after year passed and she still stayed with Alpha Kylian. Later on, the king finally accepted him.
But it all went down the drain when he asked the princess to take the blame for a morally deficient she-wolf.
"Why are you here?" Kylian asked, looking at me with glaring eyes.
I kept cleaning his wounds, not looking in his eyes, replying, "Miss Della asked me too."
"I don't need anyone's help." He was already hurt and still arrogant. I couldn't help but scoffed silently.
"With all due respect, Alpha. But do you think I'd be here waiting my time with someone I'm not obligated to help if I wasn't asked to?" I bravely said.
Expectedly, he got mad and tried to stand but I pushed him back. "We both hate this. So for Miss Della's sake, let's just go through with this torture and have it done."
With that, we both went in silence.
After this man and his family asked that ridiculous favor, the king finally made up his mind and asked the security department to conduct a comprehensive investigation. Only then did we learn how the princess became Luna but remained stomped on despite the title? She had no power and would even need to ask for permission from her own husband if she wanted to sleep with him.
It's ridiculous!
I sighed. We all could only be happy now and take a breath of relief now that our princess was back in the kingdom. Everyone in the kingdom, from Betas to elders, wished for nothing but for him to leave the princess's life.
But what's happening now is the total opposite of what everyone hoped for.
I looked at Alpha Kylian intensely, killing him several times in my mind. Suppose I wasn't a Beta with a reputation to maintain. If my actions didn't reflect the kingdom's dignity, I would have bitten his neck off hours ago.
Suddenly, he became so quiet, pulling me from my own trance. I glimpsed at him and saw Alpha Kylian staring long fully at the door, seemingly waiting for someone.
My eyes narrowed as I tried to read him. I even purposely put more alcohol in his wound, but he didn't even wince. He was so deep in his own thoughts, pain glinting in his eyes.
Could it be… Was he really in love with the princess?
But then, why did he treat her like that? He's so hard to understand. If he really loved her, he was failing miserably in showing her.
Suddenly, Kylian looked down and met my eyes, jolting me out of my own thoughts.
I was about to look away and continue mending his wounds, but he asked, "Tell me, why does Prince Jackson care about my wife so much? Are they having an affair?"
Jealousy flashed in his eyes, and his hands involuntarily balled into a fist.
An affair? Was he that suspicious? Or did he really not know the princess that much? How could he think that?
I sneered. Sure enough, it was all my imagination. His love for the princess couldn't possibly be genuine. Because no man would think so bad about their loved one like that.
Moving faster, I put gauze around his wound and stood up, glad to be finally done. Dusting the invisible dirt in my clothes, I looked at the shameless man in front of me and coldly replied, "Not everyone is as dirty-minded as you are, Alpha Kylian. The Lycan Prince's love for Miss Della is pure and genuine. He loves her because she is Miss Della, nothing more and nothing less. I hope I could say the same for you as well, though."
With that, I turned around and left, too tired of seeing his arrogant and domineering face. He's so disgusting I wanted to vomit.
He's the one who cheated on Princess Della and hurt her so much while he did what? And what? He expects and wishes that the princess would still be his puppet and wouldn't be with another man. He's a fool.
As I walked to the door, I heard movements on his bed and found his efforts struggling to stand up. With hands on his stomach, he decisively said, "I won't let anyone take her."
I sneered and shook my head, leaving and not minding him further. With his condition, how did he think he could stop us? Maybe he could overpower the princess into pleasuring him, but that's only because she loves him and is vulnerable against him.
If it’s a real fight, there's no way he'd win against her, and with his condition, he won't even pass through me.
As I descended the stairs, I found the princess with her head on her palms and elbow on the sofa's armrest, looking pale and exhausted.
"Pri-Miss Della, let's go." I tapped her softly.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. "Is he fine?"
Of course, she's still worried about him.
With pursed lips, I nodded my head and indifferently replied, "I've already cleaned and dressed all his wounds. Don't worry.'
She sighed with relief and then let me support her in standing up.
With the kingdom warriors following us out, a woman suddenly blocked our path and pointed a finger at the princess.
It's Margot, the lunatic sister of that asshole Alpha.
"You'll pay for what you did, Della. Mark my words!" she shouted with puffy cheeks.
I only looked at her and ignored her as we walked past her and left.
