Chapter 5: You Heard Her
Even with my veil, I cannot bring myself to face them, not yet.
Rage, hurt, and fear churn within me. I gather my skirt and flee the room.
Once alone in a quiet corridor, I sag against the wall, breathless. I know I must return and endure Marcus’s presence, but right now, I just need a moment of peace.
When I hear the familiar footsteps approaching, I get to my feet and I slip behind the nearest column for more privacy. There’s no doubt that they belong to my ex-husband.
Why must they ruin my night like this? My heart stills as I hear the last voices I want to hear in the world.
“Did you hear the princess’s name?” Lilith asks.
“Yes,” Marcus snickers.
I peek around the column and see Lilith’s fiery red hair as she leans against Marcus.
“To think, the little bitch has the same name as a princess,” Lilith spits out, then she breaks into a cackling laugh.
A furious mix of anger and pain stews inside me. I can’t breathe.
Just then, Marcus asks, “What’s that scent…?”
I held my breath. He knows my scent too well!
Footsteps are moving toward me. There is no way I can avoid this.
I release a deep breath and emerge from my hiding place, finding myself standing before the two individuals whom I absolutely have no desire to encounter.
Lilith is draped over Marcus like a snake. Marcus pries himself loose of her and stands, facing me. “Greetings! Your Highness!” he says in his most charming voice. “Allow me to introduce myself, Marcus Keenan of the Midnight Moon pack. And this is my Luna, Lilith.”
Lilith’s overtly coy glances and possessive caresses toward him make my stomach twist, though I try not to let it show. The veil helps to conceal my disgust.
“Your Highness?”
As I gaze upon Macus’ smiling, eager expressions, I’m overwhelmed with emotions too intense for words. Locking eyes with him brings back the pain and humiliation. I can’t breathe, let alone interact. So I turn to my heels and begin to stride away.
Hopefully, they take it as a cue that I have no interest in meeting them and just leave me alone.
But of course, that’s just my wishful thinking. Macus catches up to me and blocks my way.
I take a deep breath and speak as calmly as I can. “Yes, I am Princess Ariella Loveta. Now, move.”
Instead of moving away, he sniffs a few more times and examines my face through the veil. I realize that at this distance, there is no way he wouldn’t know who I am.
It takes a moment for the dawn of recognition to widen Marcus’s eyes. “You…you are—”
Marcus and Lilith stare at me, their mouths falling open in identical expressions of utter shock. Both look sickly pale as I stand before them, trying to be calm.
Lilith finally snaps out of her shock, and only in a few breaths, her face contorts into a hateful sneer.
“So, the tables are turned?” she scoffs. “Who knew our miss worth nothing is a princess?!”
Marcus scolds her. “Lilith, cut it!”
Lilith pouts and whines. “Honey, why are you yelling at me? Am I wrong? She’s supposed to be the one serving, not to be served!”
I clench my fists, and the memories of Lilith standing next to Marcus asking him to order my death flood back into my mind. My entire body starts to shake in fury. However, we aren’t too far away from the main hall, and I don’t want to cause any commotion and draw unnecessary attention.
I move aside, trying to walk around her, but she seems to have figured out my concern, and an evil glint flashed in her eyes.
She blocks my way, and her tone is vicious and sour. “Even if you are a princess, so what? What do you think your brothers will think of you if they find out you’re not their sweet, innocent little sister?”
“Shut… up!” I grit through my teeth, but my reaction only makes Lilith even more bold.
She laughs and continues, “What if the Crystal River finds out that you’re nothing but a whore who’s been fucked by who knows how many man?”
SLAP!
I am too angry to think it through and couldn’t help but slap Lilith. Venom spurts out from her eyes and her fists are charging toward me.
Without a wolf, my strength and speed are ten times weaker than an average she-wolf. Just as her fists are about to land on me, someone appears in front of me, grabs her arms, and throws Lilith away. She loses her balance and falls to the ground.
It’s Marcus.
Lilith’s eyes widen in disbelief, but Marcus stares at her, obviously not planning to help her get up. He scolds, “Lilith, enough! Stop being disrespectful to Her Highness!”
“But–”
“Shut up, or I’ll make you!” Marcus orders. “Now, get up and go back to wait for me in our quarters.”
“How could you treat me like this….” Lilith’s face is bright red due to both anger and embarrassment.
Marcus narrows his eyes. “Don’t make me say it a second time. Now!”
Lilith’s eyes are bright red. She glares at me but eventually, she gets up from the floor and limps away, leaving Marcus and me alone.
I turn to my heels, trying to get back to the banquet hall as soon as I can. I don’t want to spend one more second here!
However, firm fingers encircle my wrist. “Ariella!”
“Let go!” I try to fling his hand away, but I fail.
Marcus seems to wrestle with his words. “I… please, just a moment of your time.”
“I don’t have any time for you!”
“Listen, I can explain. I was lied to! I… I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“You didn’t do it on purpose?“ I sneer. “You didn’t sell me to the highest bidder? You didn’t order to collar me? You didn’t order my death?”
Each bitter accusation lands a blow, and he flinches. “I mean I’m sorry, but it’s because I trusted what Lilith had told me! She’s the one who—”
My eyes bear into him and hope flickers across his face.
After a few moments, I tell him slowly, “I do not believe a single word of yours!”
“A chance–that’s all I ask, to try to make amends, to somehow prove myself worthy of your forgiveness.”
“I don’t need you to prove anything more to me. I’ve seen enough.” My voice comes out steady. “Let go.”
“But you belong with me.” He grasps at my hand.
I pull back with disgust and disbelief. How can he to this day think I’m stupid enough to believe his lies again?
“We were happy once,” he insists. “We can be again.”
My temper flashes hotly. “Happy? You betrayed me in the worst possible way! I loved you with my entire heart and soul and you… you sent me to another man’s bed and wanted me dead!”
“Ariella….”
“Do not say my name!”
“Please Ariella, I’m begging you. Give me another chance! I swear I will spend my life making amends!” His voice sounds sincere, but I know too well that he’s acting, again.
“You really are a good actor, Marcus, but I’ve learned my lesson. Let’s be honest. The only reason you are saying any of these to me is because of my princess title!”
Marcus is silent, his head bowed low, but when he looks up, his entire demeanor changes in an instant. His regret vanishes, replaced by bared teeth and burning rage as he roughly grabs my wrist.
“No!” he snarls. I watch his body flex and his eyes flash with hateful anger. “Ariella, I saved you when you had nothing and nobody!”
“No, Marcus. You used me because I had nothing and nobody!”
“After everything I did for you, you owe me another chance.”
His hand clamps my wrist tight, making it hurt. I have no doubt that it’s already bruised.
As he pulls me close to him, I shudder at his insanity and try again to break free. Fear causes my jaw to quiver, but I stay calm as I say, “I owe you nothing.”
He grips me tighter. “I don’t give a shit who your brothers are, Ariella. You belong to me. I am your husband and your Alpha, and you will do as I command.”
Panic rises inside me as he leans forward, seemingly wanting to force a kiss on me.
“You heard her. She asked you to unhand her.”
A booming growl startles both of us, and we turn to see Alpha King Ethan standing nearby, his expression darkening dangerously as he approaches.
Marcus releases me and I watch as he cowers away under the flashing anger in the Alpha King’s eyes.
I swallow into a dry throat as I note Ethan’s body flexing with the strength of his wolf.