Alpha Loren

If nothing else, this ball would be a short escape from that cell which by the evening was already beginning to drive me insane. I was allowed back up to my room where a dress and a maid awaited me armed with a hairbrush and soap.

"Hey," I said after the guards had finally let go of me and gone outside of the room to stand guard.

"I'm Matilde," she said with a nervous wave. "I'm here to..."

"Make me look less like I've spent all day in a dungeon?" I asked looking at my matted hair and dirty fingernails.

"Yeah...I ran you a bath," she replied.

"Thank you," I said as I made my way to the bathroom and took the hairbrush and soap that she held out for me on the way past.

When I was clean, she filed my nails and did some fancy thing with my hair. I then had to get into the dress, which was a light blue, grossly outdated ball gown.

"Don't worry, Miss," Matilde said as she tied the back. "Everybody will be wearing stuff like this and you look beautiful."

"Thank you but it's so heavy. How am I even supposed to walk in this?" I asked as she tightened it more. "Or breathe."

"Sorry."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and sighed.

"It also reminds me of the ball we have at the pack every year," I said thinking about the Pack Founding day. 

"Do you miss the pack?" she asked after a pause.

I nodded.

"I'm not surprised and I don't blame you. It's your home and you have your mate and children there," she said quietly.

"Do you miss it?"

"Me?" she questioned a little taken aback.

"Yeah."

"Sometimes a little, I guess. I had friends there," she said tucking in a loose strand of my hair.

"Why did you have to leave?" 

hate your mate, and deep down neither does my mate, but we had nowhere else to go but here and now we've made our life," she explained. "My opinion is that he can be a bad man and he may be too harsh on those that disobey him but I also know that he does everything he can to make the law-abiding citizens of his pack as happy as possible and as long as you treat him with respect and don't try to cross him, he is fair and kind and gentle. You just don't want to be on

"But that doesn't justify what he has done. Even if it was in the

him," she replied. "He has done terrible things and if the King found out what I was saying, I'd be hung as

word,"

smoothing down my dress and

you, Matilde," I

leaving the

the head shirt with a cord

only one that looks like I've just stepped out the

your tongue, young Lady," he said to me. "It's got you in enough trouble today

came into

as they both looked

you," Connor said. "He won't be happy to be disobeyed or questioned in front of so many people so I advise you don't even try. You know that you don't have the safety net of your mate with him. He cares more about getting back at him than his own life so if

happy to be here but at least try to make it better for yourself. If you please him, he might not put you back down there," My Dad added.

with you the whole night,"

my eyes, "Yeah, yeah I get it. You think I'm like a dog that will see a crowd of people, get excited and start misbehaving so you want

hand. I took it and

seeing it with no more than five so the chatter and noise and business was a slight shock. There was an orchestra playing fairly quietly in the corner but not dancing- only

voice sounded as he emerged from the crowd. "How lovely it is to see you again. Have

smirk and I could see right through the pleasantries.

do any day in this wonderful castle of yours,"

I borrow her for a moment, Jones?" he said

him and giving me no choice

to stop. They did so immediately and as we reached the pedestal surrounding the thrown, the crowd hushed and turned to us. 

great achievement that each and every one of you were a part of. As a

crowd, they fixated on one in particular. There stood only ten or so metres away from me, his dark hair making him stand out just as it did with the remaining members of the pack, was Maximus Megestanis. At first, I thought my eyes were deceiving

a gesture telling me not to say anything and I gave him a slight, discrete nod. He then began to fight

the King said as I snapped back into

the room. I lost sight of Max but there was

"Before we dance, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

the way for us meaning we quickly made it through to the spot Max had about

the King called. "Going

towards the door. He quickly turned on his heel and put a cordial smile

all, your Majesty," he replied