Chapter 24

• HAERA
• Everything went back to the way they have always been once I returned to my pack. The daily routine of waking up go Gennora's angry voice, cooking in the kitchen, doing other chores that's required of maids in and out of the palace and then going back to sleep only to wake up few hours later to repeat the process. When I returned, Balfour and Ulric were so elated to see me. Balfour cooked up a feast for me secretly as a late birthday meal while Ulric took me out with the other guards to play around the fields under the guise of patrol. As much as I was downcast by my experience at the Imperial pack, I did my best to hide it from both men because of their efforts to make me happy. I smiled whenever I was with them only to shed tears when I retire to my room. And it's only being two days since the Alpha Duel and since we returned. The only things that seemed to have change is the celebratory air all around the pack. It was nothing short of good news that the Princess of the pack happened to be mated to the new Alpha of the most powerful pack. Everyone in the pack was delighted to hear the exciting news. Even the maids gossiped about it at every single chance they get. Today, the Alpha of the Imperial pack will come to the Moonstone pack to perform the traditional mate bond ritual that takes up to a week ,before he can finally take the princess back to his pack , fully marked and mated, to rule side by side with him as his Luna. Usually, the mate bond ritual is the kind of celebration everyone, including me looks forward to. That week, the maids are given a lot of freedom to go out of the palace, meet new people and experience new things. The ritual happens on every second full moon of the month and more than ten people get mated on each ritual. It happens to be one of the biggest celebrations of the werewolf community as Family wolves from different packs travel far and wide to see their family members get mated. On many occasions, new mates even find themselves on that very day. Simply put, the mating bond ritual is one of the biggest rituals in the werewolf community. But this one was a special one. Because it doesn't need a full moon to mark the two mates. Both of them are of Alpha blood and so there was an exception as they could get mated in anytime and day of the month without having to wait for the full moon. It was one of the privileges wolves born with Alpha blood in their veins enjoy. Both mates are of Royal birth as well and so you can imagine how festive the celebrations were. It was tiring for the maids, but the excitement was also there. I tried to keep with the excitement so it won't seem obvious that I was going crazy about the entire thing on the inside. But for how long do I have to hide the pain that Sears through me everytime I think about the sudden twist in my fate? How long do I have to hide the fact that I was practically going crazy on the inside? My head won't stop spinning and my heart won't stop racing while I prepare the ritual of my mate getting mated to someone else. I haven't seen princess Ilvira since then. Not like I always see her in the first place but somehow I thought I could see her. I had no idea what would happen even if I come across her, I don't know what I'd say to her, I had practically nothing planned out. "Haera!" Balfour's heavy voice dragged me out of the pit of my thoughts that I dug and burrowed into. I turned to look at him just as he put a large raw chicken into the oven to roast. He then brought both of his hands to his side to stand attention in front of me. The look in his eyes was skeptical and I suddenly had a feeling that wasn't the first time he called me before I do slky answered him. "So your ears do work." He teased. "I'm sorry,I was--" "You were mashing the potatoes Haera, I know. It's what you've been doing for the last hour and there's still a ton left to mash. What's gotten into you?" I knew he would notice as much as I've been trying to hide my feelings from anyone. Who would believe me if I told them? Considering how much everyone hates me, they'll call me liar and a wannabe. I knew Balfour wouldn't think like that but I didn't need anyone to tell me I was probably mistaken,like I don't know how the mating thing works. "I'm sorry, I'll get it done soon. A few minutes and it'll be over." I said, to brush Balfour off my shoulders but i should have known that wouldn't be enough to keep him from asking more questions. "You've changed Haera." He commented. I stopped mashing the potatoes and looked up at him. "Changed? How do you mean?" "I think it's you who has the answer to that Haera, all I can say is this isn't you and you've being like this since you returned two days ago. Did something happen at the Imperial pack? Is it Gennora again?" Balfour rambled on. I badly wanted to tell him what was going on with me but I didn't know how to either. It felt like I was the one thinking all of those things in my head and that they never happened. "Nothing happened. Gennora was just her usual self. Nothing happened." "I don't believe you." He pressed. "I know you better than this, your aura is usually strong when you're around and I can even sniff it from while away but now it's just as faint as the way your skin pales. Are you feeling sick?" Realizing I couldn't hide it anymore and how much I needed someone to talk to, I dropped the potatoes and rushed over to Balfour, catching him off-guard in a bear hug. He hugged me back with no restraint as I cried in his arms. "You never cry Haera, even when Gennora makes you scrub the toilets on your birthday. Common, tell me what's wrong." He cooed. "Will you believe me? If--if I tell you?" I was sniffed and coughed the words out. Balfour tightened his big and flabby arms around me, his warmth and scent engulfed me and I snuggled closer into him. "I'll always believe you." Slowly, I disentangled myself from his arms and wiped my tears slowly. "The mate bond ritual." Balfour's cocked a brow. "What about it? Is that what's got you worked up? Are you stressed from working?" "Yes.. no!...Grrr!" I was frustrated. The mate bond is what's got me stressed but definitely not in the way Balfour is probably thinking right now. "Calm down and speak. I have all the time in the world to listen to you." He teased, pointing and the heap of chickens he still has to roast. I took in a deep breath before releasing it and looking balfour straight in the eye. "I found my mate." I rushed out. Balfour's eyes widened and his lips parted to say something. He opened and closed his mouth for several seconds as he stared at me was waiting for me to say that I was joking. When I just stared back at him for longer than a few seconds, his shocked expression morphed into an excited as his face cracked a big smile. Before I knew it, I was back in his big arms that he wrapped tightly around me in excitement. "I can't believe it! Our little pup has finally found her forever! Oh my God! You really are a lucky one Haera, finding your mate at eighteen. Not everyone gets that lucky." I tried not to snort while he held me. He hasn't even heard the rest of it yet. If he had, he would see that I was just as unlucky as we was when his own mate rejected him because he was too fat. He never talks about it but I could tell that it still hurts him and his loneliness has no cure unless he gets a second chance mate. It makes me wonder, will I be like Balfour too? Forever without a mate, living the rest of my lonely life cooking in the kitchen and serving different Alphas as they fall and rise. The cooking part doesn't sound like a bad idea but would I really survive all the years like Balfour has? He soon released me. "Tell me, who is he? I'm sure he's not from this pack. He's from the Imperial pack isn't he? That's why you feel do down? Because you had to leave him to come here. Have you told Gennora? What did she say? Forget her, I'm sure you can appeal to the to the Alpha to let you leave for the mate bond ritual and---" "There can be no mate bond ritual. At least not for the both of us." His smile froze on his face. "Why? What's going on?" Balfour's face held panic now. He was so dramatic and I couldn't blame him since it's because he cares so much about me. "Don't you like him? Who is he? Is he not good enough?" "No...it's not that. He--he--" Balfour gasped, cutting me short. "Now way! Don't tell me he rejected you!" Balfour said. I clenched my eyes shut. I don't know which one I would have liked better, a downright rejection to my face or this. In any case, this one has left me drained and frustrated. "Something like that..." I trailed off. Balfour sighed. The previous excitement gone with the wind. "What do you mean something like that? He either has to accept you or reject you, it has to b--!" "What if it's none? What if he just shows up and out of nowhere claims another woman is his mate!" Balfour's eyes widened. "Wait,what do you mean another woman?" "You heard me Balfour, we met...he knew I was his mate. I was going to find him after he won the Duel but the next thing I know, he's introducing another owsm to the entire pack! He didn't reject me! He didn't accept me! He just abandoned me!" I was fuming when I let the words out. It felt good to finally do that after I've bottled everything up for so long. Balfour didn't say anything for a while but I watched realization flash in his eyes. His palm went to his mouth in shock. I could tell he already figured it out. "The Duel...Haera don't tell me..." he trailed off. "Yes! The new Alpha of the Imperial pack is my mate." "Oh my God, Haera!" Balfour exclaimed, eyes wide. "How... how did this happen? Do you even know what you're saying? The same man who is coming today and is probably almost at the pack, to perform the mate bond ritual with the Princess, is your mate?" "I know what I'm saying Balfour and that's the truth. Gennora knew too and..." "Wait." Balfour cut me short. I looked expectantly at him. "Gennora knew?" "Yes." My mind takes me back to the hurtful words she hurled at me but I didn't let them mean anything to me because to me, it was just Gennora being herself. Balfour didn't say anything for a while even though he looked like he had a lot to say. "How can this happen Haera? You know it's not possible to have two mates. Not in our century. The last of them died centuries ago and we haven't seen something like that ever since." "I'm just as shocked as you are." "Do you know how impossible this sounds? It's crazy." "I don't think it's impossible Balfour. He just doesn't want me. The princess is a better match for him and he chose her." "But that's an act condemned by the moon goddess and can be punished by death and for someone like him who grew up as an unmarked child, he should know better!" Balfour was starting to sound angry. "I don't know Balfour, that night, he sounded sincere. I felt it Balfour, his sincerity. He said he didn't care who I was. He wanted to take off the sash on my face so badly so he could see my--" "Sash?" Balfour asked. I nodded. "Yes, sash. I wore it on my face even before I found out he was my mate. I was insecure about my face." I said to Balfour, expecting him to give me a disapproving look at for that but he looked more like he was trying to figure something out. "So..he doesn't recognize you?" Balfour asked. "Yes...he.." "Where's the sash?" Balfour asked. His questions were starting to sound like he was trying to get at something. "I lost it. It was right beside me when I slept but it wasn't there when I woke up the next day. I assumed it was disposed by one of the...." It wasn't Balfour that made my words trail off this time, it was the realization of something that hit me. As absurd as it seemed, I couldn't help but let my mind wander and ponder over the thought. Could it really be? Could it really be that my sash didn't get lost but stolen?