The Princess And Her Alpha Bodyguard

12~ JEALOUSY

It'd been five days since our Michelia's Kiss. And so, today marked the fifth day since I last saw Valdemir.

Of course, he was busy running a kingdom and taking care of his pack. Lumina said he visited his people and checked things at the border. I wasn't sure if this was planned or impromptu—his absence from the castle after what we'd done in the garden. But I had no complaints. After all, it was also a good thing for me. I didn't know how I should act when I met him.

That kiss wasn't my first. Hold on. It was an overstatement even to call it a kiss. Our lips barely touched since the branch was between us. Despite that, the softness and warmth radiating from his lips made it too hard to forget.

I traced my fingertip along my lips, recalling the memory of that moment. I remembered shooting my eyes open in surprise when I felt his lips on mine. But I saw nothing except for the green and white color of the Michelia branch. I didn't even get to see his face, even though I knew he'd taken off the mask. I couldn't believe I missed such a golden opportunity. Valdemir had moved my hand up, making the leaves block his face, revealing only the pair of rosy lips that were crushing mine. I wished I could see the shape, whether they were full or wide, but it was too close to tell.

When he pulled away, I wanted to lower my hand down so that I could look at his face. But he held my wrist in a firm grasp, refusing to let go. It was as if he knew what I wanted to do. With his free hand, he reached behind the branch and covered my eyes. When nothing but darkness filled my vision, he finally let my wrist go. Once both of my hands were free, I dropped the flower and tried to pry his fingers away from my eyes. Yet, I couldn't. He was too strong.

By the time he uncovered my eyes, he already had his wolf's shape mask on. Before I could say anything, he stood on his feet and said that we should go back. There, he lifted me in bridal style and headed to my room.

We didn't speak a word during the entire walk. He kept looking ahead while I hid my face at the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent of sandalwood that came from his body.

"I don't understand," I murmured to myself as I finished recalling that moment. "It was just a peck. But why did it affect me so much?" I moved my hand to the left side of my chest to find my heart was pulsating so loud like hundreds of horses galloping. I didn't remember having this feeling when I had all those lips devouring kisses with Iory.

Come to think about it, there were tons of princesses and noble ladies fighting for him, but it was I who became his betrothed. In the end, I was the proud winner, gaining a victory over the queue of ladies that might be longer than The Nile River. So, maybe what I felt with Iory was only a feeling of satisfaction and not love?

But even if it was love back then, there was none now. It belonged to the past that we could never go back to.

What I had for Iory now was pure hatred. And revenge. I had to make him pay for what he'd done to my family and me.

"What people say is true. First love never lasts," I said with a sigh, thinking how mine didn't end with a simple goodbye but with bloodshed instead.

"Not really, miss. The never-ending first love does exist. My parents are the living proof." Lumina's voice echoed from behind me.

I turned around to see she was holding a bronze tray with a plate, two bowls, and a glass goblet. "Is it lunchtime already?" I asked, finding time flying too fast. I felt like it was only seconds ago when I stood here and reminisced about things.

"Yes, it is, miss." She headed to the table and put the tray down. Then she turned to me with a worried look. "You shouldn't stay near the window dressed like that. It's getting chillier these days. At least, put on a cape."

"I'm fine." I walked to the table—with no difficulties since my ankle was back to normal now—and sat down. "These look delicious." I looked at the plate of venison steaks with stroganoff sauce and shoestring fries, a bowl of vegetable soup, a bigger bowl of lychees, and a glass of pomegranate juice.

"Please try the steak, miss. It's fresh. His Majesty had it sent to the kitchen just for you," she said.

"Is Valdemir back yet?" I asked.

"Not yet, miss." She shook her head. "But I've heard that he'll arrive soon." She put the napkin on me and picked up the fork and knife from the tray. "The venison is juicy while it's hot. Don't let it go cold."

I nodded and took the silverware from her. I cut the steak into a bite-size piece and dipped it into the brown sauce before bringing it to my mouth. "Hmm... Good," I said after swallowing the first bite.

"Yes, it is. These lychees are also fresh. I picked them up only this morning. His Majesty made sure I only served the best quality food to you so that you could recover fast." She smiled.

"Well, I feel much better now. Except for the scar on my hand, I couldn't tell I was injured before." I drank the soup after I finished speaking. It tasted like onions, potatoes, corn, and carrots.

"To be honest, I've never seen His Majesty care about any woman the way he does with you, miss. You have what all the women here desire." Lumina covered her mouth and giggled.

Heat crept up my face and spread all over until it reached the ears. I wondered which one was redder if I looked into the mirror and compared my face with the pomegranate juice in front of me.

"That's not true. He's only treating me like this because I'm a guest." I cleared my throat, hoping to put a stop to this topic. I didn't want Lumina to see me blushing.

"No, miss. He really cared about you. You know Ascian never welcomes guests. If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't have helped you in the forbidden forest. Moreover, he wouldn't go against the council just to keep you here." She stepped closer and leaned down before whispering. "I'd heard from Brian that the council members wanted you to leave our territory after knowing you were here. But His Majesty was strongly against it. He even refused to send you away."

"Who's Brian?" I looked at Lumina.

"The captain of the guards. He's always inside the throne room whenever they hold a meeting. He and I are childhood friends. That was why he told me about what happened there." Lumina's cheeks turned red when she finished. And if I wasn't mistaken, her eyes seemed to sparkle when she talked about Brian.

"Are you sure that you and Brian are just childhood friends?" I asked her.

"W-what do you mean, miss?" She stuttered. Her face turned a shade redder than it almost resembled a ripe tomato.

"Come on. Who would blush when talking about a friend?" I teased her.

"Miss, please don't joke with me." She put both hands on her face. It was as if she tried to hide her red cheeks from me.

"Is he your crush?" I prompted, wanting to confirm my speculation.

"W-well, he's my mate. But we haven't bonded yet," she said in a small voice.

I smiled, wondering if this was what I looked like when Iory proposed to me. At that time, I was too young and innocent to see behind his tricks. Now, I only hoped that Brian wouldn't turn into the second Iory. There'd be no guarantee he wouldn't betray Lumina just because they were mates. After all, they still hadn't bonded. Lumina had a bright personality and a cheerful smile, just like I once was. I hoped these sides of her would never disappear.

"Are you okay, miss? You looked pale all of a sudden." Lumina's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." I plastered a smile and looked at her.

"Do you need me to get some herbs for you?" she asked in a worried tone.

"There's no need. I really am okay. I was only thinking about something." I shook my head.

"I guessed I should leave you to eat, miss. If I keep talking, you won't be able to enjoy your meal." Her voice was full of guilt. It was as if she thought I'd gone pale because of not eating lunch.

"Don't." I grabbed her hand when she was about to turn away. "Keep talking. I'd be bored to eat alone in silence."

"But—"

"I'll eat." I cut her off. "I'll eat the food while listening to you. Just keep talking."

"Okay. If that's what you want, miss." Lumina hesitated but nodded anyway. Then she moved to stand before me and started peeling the lychees. "Do you still remember the day Sir Gerold came here?"

How can I forget? That was the day I almost got ripped apart by a psycho Beta. I thought to myself. Out loud, I said, "Of course."

"King Valdemir called for a meeting that day, and the topic was about you," said Lumina.

"Why am I not surprised?" I murmured and scooped a spoonful of vegetable soup.

"The council members were displeased to know that not only His Majesty saved you from the tree roots but also brought you into our prime territory. They demanded to…" she trailed off as if she hesitated to continue. Even her hand stopped peeling the lychee that she was already halfway through with.

"Go on." I dropped the spoon and picked up the knife to cut the steak.

Lumina cleared her throat and said in a small voice that I almost missed, "They demanded to have you killed so that the secret of our kingdom would remain safe."

A screech echoed as my knife slipped from the meat onto the plate. Ever since I set foot in the Ascian kingdom, the only word that often popped up in my head was death. Everyone here wanted to see my demise: Gerold, council members, and perhaps an army of werewolves as well when they learned about my presence. My survival rate was lower than when I stayed at Zariya. Now, I was beginning to question myself whether running away had been the right decision.

"Miss?" asked Lumina.

I put on a smile and looked at her. "My hand slipped. Just continue talking." I started slicing the meat again, acting as if this wasn't affecting me. "What happened next?"

"Brian told me that His Majesty tried to explain the situation, but everyone was being unreasonable. And so, he silenced all the protests with The Alpha's Voice." Lumina took out a small plate from under the fruit bowl and put the peeled lychee on it.

The Alpha's Voice. I came across this once when I read a book in the library. It was one of Alphas's most powerful things. They used it to command or force someone into submission. No one in the pack could resist when this power was used.

"Does he use it often?" I asked.

"No, miss." Lumina shook her head. "His Majesty is a kind and wise ruler. He didn't like violence. Ever since he became the king and the pack leader, he'd used this power two times only. That day at the meeting was the second time."

I raised my right eyebrow in surprise, wondering when the first time was. Whenever it came to him, I couldn't control my curiosity. Before I could ask, Lumina continued.

"The first time was when he turned twenty. The council wanted him to marry an Omega that they arranged. But His Majesty stood firm on his ground, and he refused. And his reason was so romantic," she giggled.

"Romantic? What's his reason?" I asked, finding myself wanting to know as soon as possible.

"He said, quote, I refuse to marry anyone who isn't my mate, unquote." Lumina's face turned red soon after she finished talking.

I clutched the silverware in my hands until my knuckles turned white. I wasn't sure how to process this. To me, this was like a warning. It looked as if it tried to warn me not to expect something from our kiss that day.

After all, I wasn't his mate. Werewolves gave out signs right away when they met their mates. So, he should've shown something if I was the one he was looking for.

But there was none.

That meant I had no chance with him.

"Believe me, miss. Apart from Miss Photine, I've never seen His Majesty care about any other woman like this," said Lumina in a cheery voice, unaware of what was going on inside of me.

"Miss Photine?" I became alarmed in an instant when I heard about another female.

"Yes. Miss Photine Galene. The most beautiful Omega in Ascian," she said with a proud smile.

I gulped, wondering if this woman was his mate. I wanted to know who she was, what she looked like, and what she was to Valdemir.

Wait. Don't tell me I'm jealous of someone I've never known. A question popped up in my head, making the tips of my ears feel hotter. Hold on. I pushed the thought out of my head. Why should I care? It was none of my business, regardless of who she was or who Valdemir's mate was. Didn't he already make it clear?

My shoulders slumped in disappointment, thinking back about what Lumina had said. I felt a pang of pain coming from the left side of my chest as my heart ached over those words.

I refuse to marry anyone who isn't my mate. This sentence replayed in my head countless times, as if someone was reciting it to me. And each time, I felt so suffocated that I wanted to claw open my chest to let the air in. Or maybe I could just tear my heart out so I wouldn't feel its pain.

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©️StellaKMary | The Princess And Her Alpha Bodyguard