A Dance with a Dragon

Playing Fair and Square.

Diana’s POV

"Tell my father and mother that I will not be joining them for dinner," I said to the maid who had been following me. Consumed by a mixture of shame and frustration, I returned to my room. The idea of dinner held no appeal; my appetite had vanished completely. The events that transpired in that room with the dragon prince and Freyja played on an endless loop in my mind, refusing to leave me alone.

I was determined to make Freyja pay the price for her audacity in rolling her eyes at me. Who did she think she was? And who had deceived her into believing she could act with impunity just because she had been chosen? I elevated her, I was the one who raised her up and placed her among the other girls. Her current status was entirely thanks to me; she owed me eternal gratitude for it.

"But the Alpha insisted that you must attend the dinner," the maid replied slowly, her cautious words likely a response to the simmering anger she sensed in me.

“Leave! Tell him you couldn't find me," I retorted sharply. Food was the least of my concerns; food was the least of what I desired.

I wanted everything Freyja had. Despite being an orphan and unprivileged, she carried herself before me as if she held the world in her hands. She thought I could be her friend! What was an Alpha’s daughter doing with an orphaned Omega? I should have tarnished her beauty before she left.

I had pursued Cole with deliberate intentions, driven by the desire to inflict punishment on Freyja. Unfortunately, he had agreed solely because he wanted a better life for himself and his family. He failed to consider the consequences of his decision.

The anxiety that crept over me in the presence of that infuriating girl was undeniable. And to add insult to injury, she stood there, reveling in all the prince's attention and assistance.

Why would the prince even contemplate defending someone like her? I wondered, rejecting the notion that he genuinely cared for her. I adamantly refused to accept that he would care for her needs. His provision for her was solely due to the incident at the cliff. He had helped her because she was in need. But why? Why were events not unfolding as I had anticipated? Why? It would be difficult now for Freyja to become a mere maid. The prince’s chosen one could never be a maid.

And Cole! He is to blame for all of this! Why did he try to run away with Freyja at that moment when we had agreed he would abandon her? If that hadn't happened, the prince might have never taken notice of Freyja.

A whirlpool of emotions and unanswerable questions swirled within me, leaving me filled with frustration and confusion. But I know what to do now; I need to find Cole. He has to make this whole thing right!

Cole’s POV

I ran along the silent, lonely road, anger flooding my system. Despite the fake hatred I had to express toward Freyja, I genuinely hoped she was okay. I had brought this upon her. She would be here now if I hadn't done what Diana wanted. Diana had taken so much from me, taking away the only woman I truly cared about, the one I could have mated with.

But why hadn't she shifted into her wolf form? She was well past eighteen now and should have learned to shift before she turned sixteen. Why hadn't we talked about it? Did she hide her inability to shift from me? If she had shifted, she wouldn't have been caught. I thought freeing her from that sad reality was the least I could do for her. Now, all I wished for was to see her selfless smile once more.

One thing I adored about her was that infectious smile. I can't find the precise words to define it, but whenever she smiled at me, it exuded undeniable charm and a touch of innocence. Her emerald green eyes only amplified her beauty, enhancing her charm.

The run back into the pack's territory was laced with anxiety. I hoped to see her one last time. I had witnessed her jumping off the cliff with the dragon prince going after her. She would have been rescued and would now be recovering. So it's possible she was still within the pack's walls.

A smile spread across my face. I might have a chance to ask for her forgiveness. I shouldn't have hit her, I shouldn't have let those bastards touch a single hair on her body! I was a fool, the biggest fool.

Time seemed to stretch on, seconds bleeding into minutes. I could almost hear her words in my mind, hoping she would show me kindness as she had in the green fields. Perhaps she'd lend her ear to my plea and offer forgiveness, understanding that I had been nothing but a pawn in Diana's twisted game.

My first destination was her modest quarters, the place where we had met countless times before. It was there that she had confessed her love for me, where we had simply existed, discussing dreams of the future and her aspirations.

However, upon entering, the realization hit me like a weight—I could no longer sense her presence. The scent that had once lingered in the room was now gone, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my chest.

I moved quickly to find Diana. If anyone knew what had happened, it would be her. I found her just as she was about to step out of her room.

“It's you I've come to find,” I said, moving past her and entering her room. My heart pounded with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. After my brief, impulsive attempt to rescue Freyja from her fate, I was desperate to hear what had become of her. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—fear for her safety, and worry about the consequences of my actions.

But Diana's reproachful gaze met me before I had a chance to utter a word. "You have a lot of nerve coming here, Cole. You really thought you could just help Freyja and disrupt everything we had planned." Her words felt like a slap in the face, a sharp reminder of the dangerous situation I had thrown myself into.

My jaw tightened as frustration swelled within me. Diana was the driving force behind all this chaos, yet she spoke as if I were the root of the problem. I couldn't back down though. "Diana, I couldn't just abandon Freyja in her time of need. You may have your agenda, but I refuse to stand by and let her suffer. I just couldn't take it. She wanted to leave the pack, and I was only helping her. That was the main thing you desired."

Diana's gaze turned icy, her voice dripping with disdain. "Spare me your noble intentions, Cole. You're the one who betrayed her in the first place. If you truly loved her, you wouldn't have accepted any of this in the first place, nor would you have fled and left her to face her troubles alone."

Her words pierced through me like a dagger, igniting anger within me. Diana was responsible for this turmoil, yet she had the audacity to question my feelings for Freyja. "You think you know it all? You're the one who set this chain of events in motion, Diana. I won't let her fate be determined by your manipulations. She confided in you as a close friend. She even told you things she had never told me."

Diana's gaze bore into mine, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "So? She was just a fool for believing in that friendship. And what do you think you can accomplish now, Cole? The Dragon Prince has chosen Freyja, of all people. Your defiance is hopeless. He left with her."

Fury flooded within me, my hands curling into fists at my sides. I wouldn't let her belittle my efforts. "I don't care about the prince's choice. I won't allow Freyja to suffer because of your twisted schemes."

Diana's laughter held bitterness. "You're deluding yourself if you think your actions will alter anything. If you truly cared for her, you wouldn't have left her side to begin with. She was betrayed twice—by her friend and her mate."

“I know! Damn it, I know! You don't need to remind me. But I thought I could help her after I had helped you. If we escaped completely, you would not have seen her, and you would not have minded. I fear for my family, but I cared for Freyja too.”

Surprise flickered across Diana's expression, momentarily replacing her haughtiness. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to help her get out of here. She wanted to leave, Diana. What part of my explanation don't you get? Stop making me repeat myself. Now you have succeeded in pushing her to a helper,” and me, without my best friend and mate... Bitterness tainted my words.

Diana's composure faltered; it seemed guilt had crept into her eyes. "Shut up, Cole. That doesn't mean a thing to me."

"Maybe not for you, but for me, it does.”

“Well, maybe you should find a way to get her out of there," she said, though I couldn't tell if she was being genuine or sarcastic.

“What are you talking about? We should let her be, if she will find happiness there,” I asked.

“As much as I don't want her here, I also can't comprehend what she would have to go through at the hands of those horrible monsters. Do you really believe she can be happy somewhere she's being forced to do something that would alter her life forever? She's not going to come back here, of course, and since you want her safe, I believe we can work together.”

I looked at her suspiciously; she was telling the truth that she didn't want Freyja back in the pack. But, why is she so willing to help her all of a sudden? Well, no matter what, if I really wanted to amend my actions towards Freyja, no matter how good my intentions were, it was clear that I couldn't do it with my own limited resources and connections. Diana, on the other hand, had those things that I didn't possess, so no matter what, she could prove to be helpful.

“Okay. How do you think I can go about it?”

“Good!” She replied with determination in her voice.

“What's the plan?” I inquired, eager to find out how we could achieve our goal.