Rejecting Royalty

3: Reality can be so damn painful

SAPPHIRE'S POV

"Mom! I found my mate!" I declare running through the cabin door straight towards my mother who was still folding laundry but instead the excitement I expected, all I see from her expression is apprehension and worry.

"What's with your expression? What's wrong?" I ask, moving aside a pile of folded laundry to sit beside her on the rugged old sofa.

"I'm just tired Honey but tell me, who is this lucky man?"

NOELLE'S POV

I stare the beautiful princess before me. She's grown into such a wonderful being and I know if I brought her back to the palace, the King would be so proud of what she's grown up to be. She looks just like the queen with her tall stature, gentle manner, her wavy brown hair and forest green eyes, tiny button nose and her plump lips.

But I worry.

The prophecy has been cast. I don't even know if I believe in the prophecy anymore... but now that she has found her mate... it's about time...

"Mom! Are you even listening to me?" I give Sapphire a smile and nod my head. Henry, the alpha's son is her mate. Her mate is my mate's son. The son he had with his chosen mate, the son he had before he met me.

It makes my blood boil until now, how he was so mad when he assumed the Princess was mine— how he kept me in his room to get to know me when he already had a chosen mate. How he kept me his dirty little secret. What was he even planning to do with me if he didn't reject me?

"Mom?" I breathe out and blink away my thoughts. My chest still ached but it probably has more to do with my pride at being rejected.

"I'm happy for you, honey." I smile through my teeth and absentmindedly listen to her gush about him with only the prophecy on my mind.

To end the bad,

the good must sacrifice,

A soul has to be broken,

not once, but twice.

and by the end of this fight

she will find her light.

SAPPHIRE'S POV

It's been a few days since that altercation with the alpha and Henry's only been here to visit me once. I couldn't help but think something might have happened.

"Yooowww!" I turn to Red with a smile as she saunters in wearing a bright yellow sundress like she owns the place.

"What's with the long face?" She asks, sitting beside me on the wooden floor of the living room.

"I'm just- I guess I miss Henry." I admitted shyly looking down at the stacks of papers on the coffee table. I sigh and look back at Red who has a flat look on her face.

"You realize he's literally 200 meters away from us right? Like he's literally on the other side of the trees!" She replies holding her hand out and gestures towards the trees for emphasis.

I give her a sad smile and shrug my shoulders. My chest feels too heavy and my wolf keeps whining. Even she can't seem to connect with his wolf.

"Why don't you just go?" I bite my lips and shake my head. Feeling another painful tinge on my chest.

"Red, you know the alpha doesn't really like my mom and I, he seems to disapprove of me and Henry's mating." I explain, organizing the papers into a stack and putting it aside. My wolf growls at the thought and sends me a strong urge to just run to him but I really don't want to cause trouble, especially with the packs visiting.

"So what? It's not like he can actually stop you guys from mating! It's not like he can overrule the moon goddess' gift." I sigh and nod silently.

"Anyway enough about this depressing stuff, what's with all the papers?" Red asks, grabbing a sheet from the top of the stack I just arranged.

"Blue prints?" I nod silently too pre-occupied about Henry. Every day it was getting harder to breathe without him and I keep wanting to pull my hair out because of frustration but mother would have scolded me for not keeping calm. If there's one thing my mother taught me it's to be calm and graceful under any pressure. Again, I don't know why I have been brought up this way but either way, it's kept me strong this entire time.

"Sapphire!" I startle and stare wide- eyed at Red. "Are you even listening?" I give her an apologetic smile and explain.

"Mother sometimes gives me random blue prints of buildings and makes me re-draw them from memory and before you ask, I don't know why this is necessary either." I explain glancing out the window where mother was hanging more laundry. I frown. She's going to hurt her back again.

"Oookaayy." Red raises her eyebrows and returns the paper on the pile.

"Anyway, have you heard? The Kerberos pack apparently brought like an army." I raise my eyes brows. The Kerberos pack is known for having the best warriors, the fact that they brought so many, something of importance must be happening right now.

"Also, the Titan pack arrived yesterday and like the pack grounds are so tense right now. Imagine all the hot half-naked warriors having an intense stare down! Ugh so hot!-" I remain silent as Red gushes on and on about her fantasies.

I then frown. The Titan pack, the warrior pack who serves directly under the King. What could they be doing here? Our pack isn't exactly special, just known for our hospitality but other than that, nothing- my eyes widen in realization as I understand.

"They must be here for the changing of Alphas but what is the Kerberos pack doing here too?" I mumble, not understand the situation once again.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Red asks stopping mid- ramble. I give her a small laugh and gesture for her to continue which she happily did.

          •        •       •

"I can't believe we're treated this way. Nicest pack my ass." Red grumbles, looking at herself through a small pocket mirror while we walk through the trees, on our way to the clearing. It has been one week and Henry really did not come back. I'm itching to see even just a glimpse of him. Considering two powerful packs are here, he must be very busy.

"Rediane! Who taught you to speak that way!?" Ruby, Red's mother scolded, pinching Red's ear. I laugh and shake my head as Mom tries to calm her friend.

"Ruby, Red's just a teenager let her off." Mom says laughing gracefully, playfully patting her friend's shoulder.

Ruby finally releases Red's ear and marches forward with my mom. I laugh behind them falling into step with Red, the leaves crunching beneath us.

"I swear I love Noelle! She's the only one who can talk sense into my mother." I laugh and walk silently as Red talks about the warriors who we can now see from a distance.

          •        •        •

We gather in an open clearing, the breeze gently blowing through us, making for a delicate atmosphere. It was calm. Too calm. I couldn't help but feel an awful foreboding wash over me; it seems like that's all I've been feeling lately.

An awful foreboding.

"So many half- naked men!" Red squeals earning her strange looks from the people around us. I laugh and follow wherever she was going.

"Omg omg omg that dude is so hot!" Red declares. I follow her gaze to a man who stood tall, even taller that Henry, in-front of the entrance of the training grounds and I quickly realize hot did not even begin to describe what he looked like; Short jet black hair, intense blue eyes, with sharp features and a build— dare I say it, better that anyone's I've ever seen, even better that Henry's. He exuded a strong presence, much like an alpha's, he must be either the Kerberos or Titan's alpha.

As if he sees both me and Red staring, his gaze finds mine and suddenly, I couldn't move. I was planted to my place a heavy tingly feeling at the pit of my abdomen. I could not look away— I didn't want to. I don't even know what I'm doing staring at an alpha head on, presumably that is. The corner of his lips tug up into a smirk and he looks away first breaking us from whatever stare down was happening.

What. The. Hell. Was. That.

"What the hell was that!?" Red exclaimed moving her head between me and the man's disappearing figure. I stare at her wide eyed.

"Exactly my thoughts." I murmur and settle in at the back of the crowd where my mother and Ruby were already seated. Red and I remained standing behind them as a hush fell over us. Alpha Warrick went up to the podium confidently and I swear he glances at mother before addressing the crowd.

"Deimos pack!" He exclaims giving the pack a smile. I roll my eyes, of course he'd appear like the perfect alpha in front of all these visitors. It's a miracle that we're even invited to join the gathering, we were barely allowed to make our presence known.

"Before we start the evening, I would want you to welcome the two visiting packs." A loud applause broke through the clearing and some howls were heard. All the while, I kept craning my head looking for Henry. I couldn't even sense him. I could feel my wolf’s panic but I was trying to reign it down.

"First, I'd like to introduce Alpha Orion Dumont of the Titan pack. He is here on official palace business so I do hope you welcome him along with his pack." The crowd went wild with applause and I swear I could hear girls squealing, that includes Red.

The man we saw earlier then steps on stage and his eyes immediately find mine. I blink once, twice, thrice, yep definitely me. The way his eyes bore laser onto my skin left prickles and a tingly feeling all over me. I look away trying to busy myself with looking for my mate but that proves to be useless as my eyes find their way back to the man; I've heard about him, He is currently the strongest wolf in terms of battle and pack dealings, a man of brawn and unparalleled battle strategy skills. He was also known to be very loyal to the crown, rumors said he could beat the King on a one on one but rumors are rumors so I would not know.

Alpha Warrick gave him the podium but Alpha Orion shook his head politely and stepped back. I frown in confusion until realization dawns on me. The Kerberos pack of course.

"Now, I'd like to introduce our next guests and along with this I would like to announce something wonderful." Alpha Warrick smirks and keeps his eyes on me when he continues.

"Please Welcome Alpha Dante Klaus and his Daughter Chelsey Klaus, the future Luna of the Deimos pack!" My heart drops as I feel Red's hand on my forearm, squeezing it tightly. I would normally complain but it does not compare to the squeeze on my chest when Chelsey walks out with Henry hand in hand.