Chapter 22 022
Danica's POV
One minute I was refusing to go along with Bianca's suggestions but the next minute, I'm right here, stuck with her in the Royal kitchen on our path to doing the craziest and most dangerous theft that would be recorded in history.
I can already see the big picture of us getting the 'divine hang in front of the pack kind of death and left for the vultures to feed on' the moment anyone walks in on us.
But Bianca? Oh, hunger has blinded her senses of reasoning. Not like she ever listens to me anyway.
And like the perfect friend that I am, I'm going to die alongside her. Period.
"Y..your majesty..." I muttered in a stutter and Bianca immediately spun on her heels, neck craning to have a good look at our doom, only for her to meet with an empty entrance.
"Oops. Just a prank, sweetie" I giggled, watching her fearful wide eyes turn into a death glare.
"So, you really are scared of Alexander finding us here" I drawled, eyeing the dimly lit kitchen until my gaze fell on something. A fruit. Fucking peach!
It was hidden perfectly but could I keep my hands off a piece of peach crying for me to take?
Of course not.
Damn the consequences. Since Bianca and I are going to be executed for her crime, adding mine shouldn't really matter.
I walked across the kitchen, bending to withdraw the big, ripe peach, my chest exploding with the familiar warmth and excitement I always feel whenever I found a peach tree during a herb hunt.
"Danica?"
"Dani???" Bianca called, suddenly realizing I wasn't in sight.
"Don't destroy the moment, Bee. I'm connecting with one of my favorite fruits" I told her curtly, holding the peach between my two palms like it was an egg that could easily crack.
"I forgot for a moment how mini-berserk your mind goes when you find a peach fruit" she sighed dramatically, focusing on what she was doing before my absence caught her attention. "What if the owner of that fruit is none other than Alpha Alexander?" She added, her tone uncertain yet calm.
"Then I'll gladly die a happy man, Bee" I muttered dreamily and she gave me a small shake of her head, low laughter rumbling from her chest.
I rinsed out the fruit before taking a bold bite, savouring the fresh taste with a soft hum.
I barely had five bites when Bianca and I sensed a presence drawing close to the kitchen. Scared out of our wits, we scrambled quickly to find solace. Bianca went straight for the cupboard she left open and I instinctively bolted behind the kitchen island, hoping to Selene’s name that whoever it was wouldn't walk past the entrance.
The presence got closer and I felt my heart hammer in my chest like a child getting caught for stealing. Well… to be frank, I'm truly about to get caught for stealing, only I'm not a child that would simply be scolded. I'm a full grown adult that would get hanged at the center of the pack for stealing something as simple as a Peach fruit!
I felt the footsteps stop at the entrance and I almost breathed a sigh of relief— Especially when the footsteps began to retreat.
But my relief was short lived when the familiar voice boomed through the silence of the kitchen. “I know you're hiding there, just show yourself before I find you myself… whoever you are” Alexander's obvious, authoritative voice said and the fruit slipped from my shaky fingers as I got out of my hiding place, hoping Bianca would remain hiding.
I stood upright, my eyes digging into the ground like it was a piece of art I was being paid to study.
“What are you doing here, Dani?” He asked, his voice holding no hint of surprise. He already knew I was there before I even showed my face.
I gave my head a gentle shake at his question, fearing that he might hear the fear in my voice.
“Look at me when I'm talking to you, Dani” he added calmly and I immediately fixed my gaze on his face.
There was no hint of anger in his expression as I'd originally expected, if anything, he looked tired— and barely covered.
He wore a light shirt with the buttons undone, leaving me at the disadvantage of whatever they called decency.
I couldn't help but steal more than a few glances and each stolen glance left my cheeks hotter than the last. When my eyes finally connected with his again, I felt embarrassed to be caught peeping but without breaking the contact, he spoke again.
“There's no point in hiding when I already know you're right there in the cupboard. Come out right now before I fish you out myself” he added and I immediately felt my heart in my lungs.
Bianca!
She slowly dragged herself out of the cupboard and I was relieved that she hadn't suffocated before he told her to come out.
I mean who are we kidding? Hiding from the likes of Alexander?
A man who could feel the lifeline of his pack member just by walking past them?
“Who are you and why are you hiding inside the royal kitchen? I've never seen you anywhere around here before” Alexander asked at once and I prayed to the gods that she would keep her cool till the end, because my dear friend right here tends to freak out whenever she's stuck and unable to defend herself.
“She's my friend— the only friend I have” I was quick to add and I could swear that a tiny smile ghosted her face at that moment.
“She was the one you wanted to see before I supposedly killed you?” He asked almost immediately, shooting bullets of embarrassment through my bones.
I nodded in response, too embarrassed to say ‘Yes’.
“How did you get in without getting caught by Killian or the other guards?” He asked and Bianca immediately raised her face to give him a look I knew too well.
“Oh, that? It was a piece of cake” she muttered proudly, every hint of nervousness vanishing from her expression as she went on giving him details of how relentless she was in finding me.
“And of course, I wasn't about to give up when I suddenly sniffed her out…” her words got caught in her throat when another intimidating presence pulled up beside Alexander.
“Blake? Don’t you think our security around here isn't tight enough? For a lady as small as her to be able to find her way into the royal kitchen?” Alexander asked, eyes trained on the suddenly silent Bianca before resting on the other man who also wasn't responding all of a sudden.
“Blake?”
“Bianca?”
The names flowed out of their mouths in unison, their tones filled with ‘pleasant’ surprises, and realization immediately dawned on me as much as it did on Alexander.
The man was the mate my friend couldn't stop blushing about.