Chapter 6 Red Looks Better On You.
1317 Words
Allison’s POV.
Those words made my heart sink to the pit of my stomach, a chill running down my spine as invisible sweat seeped from my throat.
"Um...sorry...pardon?" My instincts kept me composed. I was certain they must have made a mistake - I had dyed my hair, changed my last name, I had never let the Alpha King get a clear look at my features.
Most importantly, I had not filled out any application forms, how could I have voluntarily applied? "You must have the wrong person. If you noticed the King’s proclamation, then when you saw the color of my hair, you would have realized your mistake."
"Allison Harding." The guard leaned in again, his gaze returning to the name on the form. "Isn’t that your name?"
"Yes, but surely I can’t be the only one with this name," I argued again.
But his eyes moved from the photo on the application back to my face. His expression grew impatient, as if I was toying with him. "Do not challenge the Alpha King’s authority, your every action will impact your loved ones or friends."
With that, he tossed the application at me.
My eyes scanned the form, first noticing my name printed in bold black letters - Miss Allison Harding. My age was bolded - 26, my occupation, my gender, everything about me printed there. I looked to the bottom right corner, and there was my photo, my face an exact match but my hair clearly photoshopped to the fiery red it had been back in the pack.
My fingers trembled as it all showed I had voluntarily applied to be a luna candidate. "Listen, my black hair is proof enough. If I really wanted to enter the courtship, I would have dyed it red. This has to be some prank!"
"Those are not our orders. We’re simply tasked with bringing you to the palace." The guard stated flatly, not listening to any of my protests as he yanked me from the car.
I knew resisting now would only make things worse, my gaze returning to the four muscular wolf guards - I was certain my current abilities were no match to escape them.
"I’ll go with you." The guard said nothing, merely summoning a luxury vehicle bearing the royal crest. As I approached, one guard ran ahead to open the rear left door for me.
"Don’t worry about your car, we’ll have someone take care of it," one guard said as I got in.
I couldn’t hear his words, as the car moved forward the fear from six years ago when I fled the Alpha King’s side became viscerally clear again. That night it had rained heavily, every jolt of the taxi making me think the Alpha King had caught up in a furious rage. And for six years I had been on the run, ensuring I wouldn’t be found, hiding myself away, coloring myself, taking on a new name. As I weighed my options, my heart pounded rapidly in my chest. I ran from him. The scenes from that night played vividly - I had stolen from him, left him with nothing.
If he didn’t torture me for stealing from him, he would surely kill me for the anguish I had caused him these six years.
"At least he might kill you in bed," my wolf whimpered, and I angrily cut her off, in no mood for her jokes.
I hadn’t come up with a better way to escape death when the car stopped before an ornate estate’s gates.
It was clearly the territory of the Alpha Wolf King.
"Miss Harding, we’ve arrived," a guard said, getting out and opening my door. I hesitated to exit, but the guard saw through me, yanking me out directly.
"Miss Harding, please come with us." A maid in palace attire nodded to the four guards before approaching me. Looking around at the heavily guarded palace grounds, I realized I had no chance of escape.
"Maybe the Alpha King can’t even feel our connection anymore," I reassured myself. "Otherwise, how could he bear six years of separation?"
It was very possible. When I first left, I felt agonizing pain. I had separation anxiety from leaving my wolf. It was most painful when I was pregnant, craving and wanting him, but unable to have him. After giving birth, the pain was even worse, until I eventually lost the entire wolf scent. As if he never mattered, was never there.
I believed the Alpha King likely felt the same way.
"Allyson! We should give our mate a chance to get reacquainted, you know, maybe he’s not so bad," my wolf grumbled unhappily.
Maybe, but I’m certain that’s not the life I want. After being put down for twenty years, I won’t endure hardship just for a man’s protection. I need to be able to control my own life, to live by my own rules, not someone else’s.
I was placed in a room with a large mirror in front of me. I sat facing the mirror, seeing only my own reflection, but I knew it was a one-way mirror. The interrogation-like setup made me anxious.
Suddenly, the muffled noises behind the mirror stopped, replaced by heavy, deliberate footsteps. Then, I felt an overwhelming presence. My heart started pounding louder. I forgot to breathe.
He’s here. He’s my mate. He’s the one I stole from. He’s also the father of my child.
He’s in this room.
I swallowed hard and sat down, staring at the one-way glass in front of me. My heart raced, and any sound or movement might make it beat even faster. I was ready with every apology, every excuse—this was all a mistake—but every word, every thought got twisted in my head.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the one-way glass as a wave of emotion surged inside me. He’s watching me. He’s staring right at me.
“Allison.”
The sound of his deep, sweet voice made every nerve in my body stop. I closed my eyes, parted my lips to speak, but then his voice came again, confirming my worst fears.
“Your red hair looks much better than any color you think it does now.”
He recognized me.
Daniel’s Perspective
I stood in the dimly lit room, my eyes fixed on the other side of the one-way mirror.
She sat there, breathtakingly beautiful. Her body was all curves in the right places, and she wore a tight black dress that clung to her hourglass figure. Her long legs were straight and shapely, and the swell of her chest made my throat dry.
I knew how they felt in my hands, and I knew the sweet sounds she’d make when I grabbed them.
The only flaw was that she’d dyed her hair a low-key black instead of the fiery red it once was.
Six years of searching, countless lonely nights—I’d fall asleep thinking of that fiery red hair.
When I realized she had left me on purpose, my anger was uncontrollable. I scoured every wolf pack looking for her, but it was all in vain. I endured the agony of being separated from my mate. When my subordinates told me there was now a drug that could ease the effects of mate separation, I refused to take it. That bone-deep yearning and pain were the only things keeping me focused, driving me to find her.
When I saw her face on the news, promoting that drug, I shattered the screen in front of me. I immediately ordered my men to announce a mate selection event.
Now she’s finally here, right in front of me. Just being near her, I can barely control the twitch in my d**k.
“Tonight, she’s going to learn the price of playing games with me,” I murmured, locking eyes with her.
- Writer
