Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen
Confusion was the understated emotion—rage rolling off a few of those present.
Not a second after Laura opened her mouth, a small female—far down on her left—practically threw herself at the floor.
The king seemed to show concern, while the queen lashed the girl with her disapproval.
Then she did the stupidest thing.
A few light gasps sounded as the girl rose, turning as she lifted her hair, exposing her neck to the royals.
Laura could smell the magic from her position. A glance around the room made it clear the others couldn’t scent it so obviously.
It reminded her of Cecil.
The head table became animated, their chatter quickly escalating to a roar. The queen’s face was unreadable as she turned to look at her son, who shared an equally unreadable expression before giving a short nod.
“Silence!” The queen’s voice reverberated, commanding the room.
“My dear, please come with us.” The king stood, as someone standing by the door rushed to help the girl.
The silence was still deafening as the king, along with the prince and the ‘newly marked’ woman, took their exit.
Attention returned to the remaining monarch.
Queen Lana whispered to the nearest courtier, who stood to address them, clearing his throat.
“Candidates, please return to your rooms for now. Dinner will be served en suite.”
Disbelief held a chokehold on the room, with the queen rising to leave.
*Well.. this just got a whole lot easier.*
Laura was the first one to move for the door–easy as she was the only one of them standing, but soon thirteen forms of disgruntled were beside her.
Sophia–*blessedly*–spoke not a word as she passed Laura in a silent rage to her room.
The white wolf–Evelyn–seemed more indifferent than the rest.
Laura shrugged before sliding through her door.
Now she only needed to wait.
But that was the longest part.
*Sigh*.
She turned to figure out her next moves, quickly shedding the excessive decorations on her body in favor of nudity, seeing to a quick shower. She had half a mind to call it an early night when she finally scented someone approaching.
Laura opened the door to a large platter. She stepped back to allow the attendant to enter. They took strides to place the platter on the coffee table, along with a sleek envelope, before taking their leave.
Curious, Laura made for the letter first, ripping it open to read its contents.
The tightness in her chest was gone for the first time since stepping foot in the castle, dissipating as her weight sagged.
She laughed.
They were going home tomorrow.
She was so excited she would’ve packed everything right then if she’d unpacked anything to start with.
She ate the hearty meal instead, scarfing the calories if she were to sustain her current appearance and mask this new mark. She grimaced, still readjusting to solid foods, but quickly lost herself to savoring the perfectly cooked steak, cleaning the plate. She didn’t think she’d ever take variety for granted.
Her mood was fast improving.
With relief taking its weight, and her belly now full, Laura could hardly keep her eyes open. She threw a robe on to crack the door, the hallway now illuminated in a softer light as the sky outside darkened, and slid the platter outside before lumbering to the bed. She’d ignored them before, but now she shucked the twenty-plus decorative pillows to the floor, making room to bury herself.
She almost couldn’t wait to see the look on Alpha Grayson’s face when they returned and she renounced the pack once again.
Her brow knit.
She’d have to convince Jacklyn, and Michael, to leave once and for all. With the money she’s saved, even if she had to take a job somewhere else–which wouldn’t be hard given her accolades, she could afford to support them for however long.
Then there would truly be nothing left to stop her from lighting that flame and watching it burn.
***
His mother paced a path–back and forth. The only other sound, outside of his mother’s heels, was the mouth breathing of the female seated across from him.
Rowan remained seated, actively choosing to watch his father worry over his mother’s visible stress, rather than engage the current nuance.
They’d shed their royal attire, having thrown it haphazardly across one of the chairs, and were in the receiving room–the small one with the gold crown moldings. The room was dark, from the marble flooring to the decor.
The way his mother preferred.
His eyes slid to the creature opposite him.
She gave a shy smile, her blush covering the entirety of her exposed skin. She was smaller than he’d initially thought, which was curious, but no surprise if she were of mixed blood.
From down the hall, he could hear the sound of another pair of heels rushing in their direction, slowing to a normal stride as they approached the door, pausing only to push it open.
Morgan entered. The only sign of exertion: her slightly elevated breathing.
She locked eyes with Rowan before her gaze traveled to the girl seated next to him.
The lower half of his face rested on his knuckles.
*If only she was aware of the face she's making…*
“Oh thank goddess.” His mother rushed over to Lana, forcing her to adjust her attention.
His mother was now speaking quietly with Morgan. He heightened his hearing range.
“–just send them home, I guess?”
“Can we handle the fallout, if we lose support over this?” She unpinned her hair, raking her hands through her straight hair.
“You’re overthinking Lana, they should be overjoyed for Rowan to have found his mate among the candidates. That’s the entire purpose of the trials.” He watched her face closely for any inclination she meant what she said, her tone and posture both cool and neutral–till he noted the blood loss in her knuckles against the tablet she viced.
“Yes, yes, we just can’t afford to offend a certain clan right now–”
A low growl drew everyone’s attention, his father eavesdropping all the same.
He cleared his throat.
“And all this work..we’ll need to compensate the girls and the clans.”
Morgan noted things down on her tablet.
“Y-your Highness,” a weak voice squeaked under the chatter. His eyes flicked in the direction.
He appraised her head to toe.
Her slim frame barely filled the corset of the dress she wore. Her heart-shaped face was jutted at the chin, attempting to entice him by the show of her neck. Her dishwater blonde hair lay glossy across her shoulders. Green eyes smiled–with obvious intent. Overall, her features.. remarkably un-notable.
He could hear the fluttering of her heart, her body reeking with an underlying scent covering her own.
His continued gaze deepened her blush, her lips parting on a breath.
How did someone as soft and unassuming as this female take the liberty of doing something this asinine?
*Bam*.
His eyes flicked toward the interruption, as did everyone else’s, even as he anticipated the approach from far down the hall. Still, surprised expressions turned to face the door as it slammed shut, Finn entering the room with a guard, dragging a familiar face between them.