Chapter 2
Iris
With those glassy blue eyes trained on me it was hard for me to remain composed, but I knew that any wrong answer could send me straight to the cell.
He chuckled, but his voice rang hard with disbelief and scorn. "I wasn't born yesterday, Iris. You were dragged to the market square because you stole, yet you say you did nothing?"
Something snapped inside of me at his accusation. Yes, I had a deep crush on Prince Devin, but I would not be ridiculed this way.
Maybe I was indeed a weak, wolfless omega who found no better job than keeping records for a man who was interested in defiling her, but I had my self-dignity to protect.
At this point I didn't even care about getting arrested, but if they were to arrest me, it would be for the right reasons- that I actually stole from Giga.
"Everything is an accusation, Prince Devin. You are not even sure that I stole from him." I shot back, fuming. I'd risen to my feet so that I could stare at his face squarely. "Yes, I was dragged out here, but with what proof? Don't you know the situation of every omega in this pack? We are treated like filth, and no one acknowledges us. Do you know how many of us are sold because we don't have mates? Because we are weak and useless?"
My body visibly shook with a deep kind of anger I haven't felt in a while.
I was angry at all of them… my parents who thought it was best to die and leave us without any inheritance, aside from that shit-hole I call a house, then the moon goddess who decided that the best way to punish me for being born was by becoming a wolfless omega.
My anger doubled when I realized that my crush might not even save me. But if he wasn't going to save me, why was he here, acting like my knight in shining armor?
"You have no manners, Iris. How dare you speak to the Alpha prince in such a manner?" The leader cut in, drawing closer to me.
Prince Devin's hands shot out and blocked his path, restricting him from getting any closer. "Don't do anything to her, I'm here now," he warned, and the sleeping butterflies resurrected in my stomach.
How could he make me hate him and admire him at the same time? Why was my body reacting this way, anyway? Wasn't I supposed to be working on discarding any stupid crush I had on him?
"I'm sorry, Prince Devin." He bowed and reclined.
Prince Devin darted his gaze toward me, folded his hands and took some steps closer. "You said that you didn't steal the money, huh?" He asked menacingly.
I almost cowered out of fear. His eyes weren't chill blue anymore, instead they had switched to a darker shade and become ferocious, yet I stood my ground.
"I swear in the name of the moon goddess, I didn't steal anything from him," I said in my defense again, though I was already tired of trying to convince him.
He could do whatever he wanted at this point.
"First of all, Omega, I have a strong hatred for thieves. People that take what doesn't belong to them without caring less about how their actions affect their victims," he intoned. His voice emitted bitterness. "Then they go about their day like they haven't robbed someone of their happiness..." He trailed off and snapped his lips shut. Silence reigned over us.
His breaths became uneven and then I realized that he was speaking from a place of pain. He had been robbed. 'But by who?' I wanted to ask.
He sucked in air and blinked, and in a fleeting moment, all the anger had disappeared. A cold mask shielded his true feelings.
I wanted to go closer to him and comfort him, but I held back, knowing that I would be further embarrassed if I made such a move.
"Let the lady go, I'll settle her debts." He said harshly.
I gasped, throwing my hands over my lips to stop myself from screaming, then glanced at Giga whose eyes widened with surprise and disappointment.
"But Prince Devin, she really stole the money. I can prove it. You don't need to let people like her roam on the streets, they'll only cause issues for the pack." He argued angrily while I bit my lips to keep myself from laughing.
I never expected the twist, even the pack's police were surprised by the turn of events.
"Who are you, Giga?" He rumbled as Giga inclined his head.
"I'm... I'm just a merchant." His voice was almost inaudible. We barely heard him.
"And who am I?" Prince Devin asked with the most confident and boss-like tone I'd ever heard, drawing my full attention to him.
I studied the controlled rise and fall of his broad chest, my eyes scanning the ripped muscles that were hidden behind the black fitted button-down shirt he wore.
He was different in a not-so-odd way. He acted differently and spoke with a beautiful accent that I could spend days listening to.
And it was his distinct nature that made him stand out. It was what made the hairs on my body stand erect each time he spared a glance at me.
Giga's shrill voice disrupted my reverie as he dropped to his knees. Funny how I was earlier in that position. Next time, he wouldn't defy the prince.
"You are Prince Devin, the son of the Dai family, and the next in line to rule Grey Rock pack. I'm so sorry for speaking to you like that…" He pleaded.
"Get out!" He fired and immediately Giga dashed off without looking back. "The rest of you can leave too."
Relief washed over me as soon as they departed. Then I was alone with him, the man that sparked up erotic - no, not erotic, but feelings that made me lose my mind.
"Thank you so much, Prince Devin. I promise you won't ever find me in such a situation again..." I started and palmed my hands in gratitude. I drew closer to him but he raised his hand sharply to stop me.
"Hold your horses, Omega. I don't even know why I saved you, but you are going to do me a favor and get lost. We can't have people like you in this pack."
My lips parted but no words came out. My palms became clammy with sweat and I realized that I'd just jumped from a frying pan to scorching fire.
"But I have nowhere else to go,"
"I'm giving you two days to leave, if I find you around after those two days, I'll escort you out of the pack myself." He threatened and stormed off, leaving me to wonder how I ended up with such bad luck.
I sank onto the ground, letting the bitter tears out. A sob rose to my throat and I buried my face in my thighs.
My heart was clouded with sadness and anger and the urge to end it all gnawed in my chest. It wouldn't be a bad idea, after all, no one would realize I was gone except my sister who didn't really care about me if we're being honest.
I stood up with a new resolution burning within me. I began to plot the perfect way to actualize my plans without having anyone interrupt them.
Moving with my mind distracted, my toe collided with a big stone, causing me to trip over.
The impact of my fall was heavier than the first, but I didn't feel any pain. Instead, I pushed the stone aside and my eyes caught the sight of a black diamond bracelet lying on the ground.
I snatched it and got to my feet, then began to examine it. The heart-shaped stones sparkled as the sun's rays hit.
"It's so beautiful." I cooed, but I had to wonder who owned it.
It was a rare precious stone that could only be owned by extremely wealthy people, and there was only one wealthy family in our pack that could afford it.
The Alpha family.
Could it be Prince Devin?
If it belonged to him, then there was no way I'd give it back to him. He already considered me to be a thief and he wanted me out of the pack, so why don't I go ahead and do the real thing?
While the mating ceremony is going on, I would look for a pawn shop, sell it, and run away.
'That would be my compensation after all the suffering I've gone through,' I decided.
The only problem now was how to hide the treasure I'd found from my sister and inform her that I wouldn't be attending the mating ceremony like my mates.