ã€ŠHer Unwanted Mate On The Throneã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    Chapter 1 Marked

    |

    ¡°Have you found Prince William yet?¡± Mr. Carson asked the servants who rushed towards him, their

    cheeks flushed from the cold night air. As the Head of Servants¡¯ at the Golden Pce, they all looked

    to Mr. Carson for answers he didn¡¯t currently have. He pulled at his fine cor as if he was suffocating

    from the pressure.

    ¡°No¡ªno, not yet. We¡¯ve searched¡ª¡°

    ¡°No?¡± He interrupted one of the girls who looked as if she were about to faint. ¡°Then what are you

    coming to me for? Keep searching the grounds!¡±

    Mr. Carson ignored their responses as they rushed off in all different directions to find any trace of a

    Prince who was never easy to find. Sweat slowly dripped down the back of his neck, he wiped his

    palms on his trousers when he heard the music grow louder from the ceremony whenever a servant

    pushed through the grand doors.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Laughter and light conversations filled the air inside that hall. The crown prince Martin Arnold and his

    Lady Grace Reilly were busy enjoying their fresh engagement with the respected royal families and

    lords. Even Prince Daniel, the fourth in line, had traveled back from the military just to celebrate Martin.

    Something William couldn¡¯t seem to bother himself with as the third in line¡ªdespite living in the castle.

    Lady Grace Reilly, the distant niece of Luna Queen, was perhaps the most beautiful creature in the

    entire kingdom. Not a single soul came close to her beauty, werewolf or human, they simply couldn¡¯t

    compare. House Reilly shared half the kingdom with House Arnold.

    No one had ever dared to cross the Reilly family, not even the Alpha King Charles himself. It was truly

    a big day for the entire kingdom to have their families merge¡ªwhich made each passing second

    without Prince William feel as if Mr. Carson was standing in his own grave.

    Mr. Carson forced himself to nce inside the ceremony to see if anyone had noticed. Prince Martin

    seemed happy enough, whispering in hisdy¡¯s ear as drinks were set in front of them. The rest of the

    party didn¡¯t seem to notice the absence of William yet¡ªor he¡¯d thought so until he locked eyes with

    Luna Queen.

    The look she gave Mr. Carson made him shiver worse than the cold outside had when he realized he

    would be left alone with the me if the prince didn¡¯t show up. The sky darkened horribly since their

    search began¡ªguests would surely eat this up as their nightly gossip if he didn¡¯t resolve this soon.

    ¡°What are you standing there for?¡± Mr. Carson shouted at the closest group of servants when he turned

    from the door. The color drained from their faces as he neared them. ¡°Find Prince William right this

    instant! Foolish omegas and humans, if he is not found soon it will be on all of your heads!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    ¡ª

    Doris knew she should¡¯ve stayed inside to help the other servants with the party, but she allowed her

    mind to wander just enough that she ended up alone in the gardens. The stars shined high above the

    castle, distant sounds of the celebration were distracting enough to make her turn back towards her

    duties.

    For a moment, she imagined she was only a guest in the castle. Someone who came just for the party

    and was free toe and go as she pleased. She couldn¡¯t imagine herself evering back if she

    had the chance to leave, but it was nice to dream on a night full of love.

    Doris hurried her steps back to the path she strayed from. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to be caught out here,

    she wasn¡¯t allowed anywhere she wasn¡¯t told to be. Especially outside¡ª

    A deep growl interrupted her own silence, Doris¡¯s steps froze from the noise. It sounded as if it echoed

    all around her, for a moment¡ªshe wasn¡¯t sure where to turn.

    ¡°My¡­ mate¡­¡± She felt his hot breath caress against the back of her neck when he whispered behind

    her, she moved too slow to prevent the man from forcing her to the grass beneath them. Though, Doris

    didn¡¯t think there was anything she could have done that would¡¯ve prevented this man from getting

    whatever it was he wanted from her. She was afraid to find out what exactly that might be.

    ¡°My¡­ mate!¡± He shouted as he straddled her against the

    cold ground, the darkness blinded her from his identity. His grip was strong and rough as he pinned

    both her wrists above her head with one hand, she could smell the alcohol on his breath when he

    whispered the word over and over against her ear.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡° Doris gasped when he ripped her maids¡¯ uniform off with little to no effort, leaving her almost

    bare in her undergarments. She struggled uselessly against his hold, the cold air stung her exposed

    skin. Doris didn¡¯t understand what this man meant by mate. She didn¡¯t have a mate¡ªhe was obviously

    very drunk and had the wrong girl.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t¡ª¡° Doris cried out in pain when she felt his teethtch onto her neck. He bit down with no

    hesitation, as if he were iming her in that moment to feast upon for eternity. The burst of pain slowly

    passed when he kissed the mark he just made upon her skin almost tenderly, her eyes fluttered open

    at the sensation. A wave of heat burned her entire body as he trailed his lips down her neck, only

    stopping to explore the tops of her breasts.

    Goosebumps coated her skin beneath his touches. Her breath quickened, she saw him tilt his head

    towards her in the darkness as if he listened to every slight sound she made. His free hand moved to

    caress her breasts where his mouth wasn¡¯t. She felt disgusted with herself¡ª

    ¡°Oh!¡± Doris tried to swallow her moan and flushed red when she couldn¡¯t hide her own reaction to a

    man that attacked her. She didn¡¯t realize her body was so sensitive to touch in certain areas¡ªeven to a

    beastly man like him. Doris didn¡¯t want this, she knew she didn¡¯t. But the way her back arched towards

    his touches¡ªher body just wasn¡¯t listening to her mind. The shame she¡¯d felt could¡¯ve burn her alive, it

    only seemed to encourage him.

    His rough hand ran down the side of her body, surely feeling the heat he caused beneath her skin. The

    man leaned up to whisper in her ear the same word he¡¯d said dozens of times, the one that confused

    her more than anything. ¡°Mate¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, I¡¯m not¡ª¡°

    Approaching footsteps stilled his wandering hand once and for all. He stood, and for the first time she

    saw the moonlight shine on his face enough to reveal who her attacker was. She couldn¡¯t believe¡ª

    ¡°Prince William!¡± The voices shouted, William¡¯s dark eyebrows furrowed as he grumbled his response

    in annoyance. Doris used her aching hands to attempt to cover herself as she took in his rogue

    appearance.

    His raven ck hair was disheveled and blue eyes looked as if they glowed from where she was. She

    almost lost herself on the sight of his lips, the way they turned down slightly before he masked his

    expression to something more cold and distant. The top of his white shirt was unbuttoned enough to

    show his chest, she¡¯d never seen royalty so unkept before. It wasn¡¯t nearly as shocking as what he had

    just done to her despite his nasty reputation.

    ¡°Prince William!¡± Mr. Carson appeared, out of breath and wide eyed with sweat glistened on his brow.

    He spared one nce at her torn dress but said nothing as he faced Prince William. It was as if he

    didn¡¯t see her at all. ¡°My apologies, your highness. We¡¯ve been looking everywhere¡ªI¡¯ve been sent to

    retrieve you for the Alpha King. He insists on seeing you at once.¡±

    Prince William stared at Mr. Carson, the man seemed to shrink beneath his gaze as each second

    passed until he finally turned away. The prince sat in his own misery once the rest of the servants fled

    the area¡ªbut not too far.

    Prince William took his time to gather himself, she could see the pain written across his features as he

    rubbed his temples. It was obvious he drank more than he should have on a night like this. Anger

    reced the heat inside her, she swallowed it down like she always had to do when royalty mistreated

    her. Never had one gone so far, she was too afraid to speak¡ªor move.

    He spared onest nce at her ripped dress before he stood once more and followed the trail back to

    the castle.

    He didn¡¯t once look back at the half-naked girl he left discarded in the grass.

    As if nothing happened between them at all.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    #Chapter 2 Anyone meet Prince William?

    ¡°Doris!¡±

    Doris slipped a little when she went to step out of the bathtub. The bathroom door mmed opened

    and she barely had the chance to cover herself before the shouting continued.

    ¡°Where on earth have you been all night? Do you even realize how many miles I walked searching for

    you¡ª¡° Beth held her tongue when she took in the sight of Doris shivering. A small sense of relief

    bloomed inside Doris to see her best friend stand before her, the look of anger melted off her

    roommates features and formed into concern. ¡°What¡ªwhy are you bathing now? The water must be

    freezing!¡±

    Beth stepped closer, Doris shakily stepped out of the tub entirely and tried to ignore the water that

    dripped from her skin as she tied her towel around her. It formed a puddle at her feet, one she would

    have to cleanter. What a ridiculous thing to worry about after what happened to herst night.

    Absently, she touched her long brown hair and made sure it still covered the mark on her neck from

    Beth¡¯s view.

    ¡°I felt¡­¡± Doris hesitated, her voice sounded hollow to her own ears. Numb. ¡°Tainted.¡±

    ¡°Tainted?¡± Beth¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Doris¡­what happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Her voice cracked, Doris almost flinched from the sound. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell anyone what

    happened yet. The words burned on her tongue as if they were poison, she closed her eyes and tried

    to banish the images of the night before from her mind.

    ¡°Are you feeling alright? Your voice is all hoarse and scratchy.¡± Beth grabbed another towel to soak up

    the puddle at her feet. ¡°I told you never to take a cold bath, Doris!¡±

    Doris watched her friend clean the water that dripped from her skin. Her throat hurt, she could barely

    speak, she knew it was because she¡¯d been up crying all night. She couldn¡¯t have just returned to her

    room after what Prince William did, Doris hid herself away and let her emotions take over every ounce

    of her. She cried until she choked, until she couldn¡¯t breathe. It didn¡¯t make anything better, it only left

    her empty and disconnected from everything around her.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe backst night?¡± Beth continued, seemingly distracted with her own thoughts. ¡°I

    was up all night worried about you.¡±

    Doris bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying again at the thought of Prince William. Her skin still

    burned from his hands, she could still feel his lips on her neck and she felt¡­ ruined. On the inside and

    outside. Never before had she been touched in such a way, she still felt the shame like a fire inside her

    that refused to be put out. ¡°I just had a lot to clean after the party, it was quite the mess.¡± Doris offered

    weakly.

    ¡°Well, whatever the reason, I¡¯m here to let you know Mr. Carson came by the servants¡¯ quarters and

    requested that everyone to be present.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Carson?¡± Doris almost squeaked. ¡°Why would he be here?¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°No clue. Most likely to give us more orders. Anyway, dress yourself and don¡¯t bete.¡± Beth picked up

    the wet towels and carried them from the bathroom, leaving Doris alone with her horrible thoughts.

    Her mind raced the moment the door closed. Why would Mr. Carson want to see all of them? Was it

    because ofst night? Had he seen her and pretended he didn¡¯t? Doris picked at her nails

    nervously,¡°What should I do?¡± She whispered and wrapped her arms around herself.

    Freedom was something Doris had been looking forward to since she was 16 years old. The day she

    might finally be allowed to leave the Pce was still a faraway dream, but one she held on to. Five long

    years were spent quiet yet dedicated to serving the Royal House Arnold as best she could. Five long

    years inside the castle¡ªof being told what to do and who to serve. She always made sure to keep her

    head down and out of trouble. The more invisible she was, the better. A maid like Doris wasn¡¯t even

    allowed outside of the Golden Pce without the Alpha King¡¯s amnesty. She was quite literally a ve

    to all those higher up than her.

    But after what happened the night before, Doris couldn¡¯t help but feel as if her chance at freedom had

    just been shattered to a million pieces. All the nights she dreamed of and far from the Golden Pce

    slipped from her mind as if the dream were already taken from her. How could she ever be foolish

    enough to think she could one day be free? Why did she ever allow herself to dream of another life

    when being a maid was all she¡¯d ever known? It felt as if she were marching to her own funeral when

    she finally left her room to meet Beth. A small part of her wished that she came clean to her friend

    about what Prince William did to her. Then, perhaps, she might have one person on her side. Even if

    she was punished in front of everyone else.

    When Doris arrived to where the servants¡¯ gathered, she could already hear the sounds of a chattering

    crowd. Whispers of gossip and quiet wonders of why they were gathered, Doris only hoped she

    remained unseen during this meeting as she slipped in through the back door.

    In the front of the crowd, Mr. Carson stood with Melody Harford by his side. Doris did her best not to

    frown at the sight of her. She was only two years older than Doris, yet charmed her way into the

    position as the head of maids. Many of the others liked to im it was because of her beauty, while

    Melody¡¯s friends said it was because she was smart and sociable. Doris begged to differ. Melody

    wasn¡¯t exactly the best or kindest maid here.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Beth appeared at Doris¡¯ side, it almost made her flinch. ¡°Careful, someone

    might notice you¡¯rete.¡± Beth whispered as she grabbed ahold of her arm and dragged Doris to the

    empty spot beside her. Reluctantly, Doris smiled at Beth and tried to blend into the eager crowd. She

    was surprised to see everyone else so awake when all she felt was exhausted. Though, she doubted

    any of them had been attacked like she was. She doubted they spent their busy night crying in a dark

    room.

    Doris surveyed those around her while they waited. No one else looked nervous or scared like she

    was. Many had their heads bent in conversation with each other¡ªjust another normal day in the

    Pce. Doris¡¯s wandering gaze had identally met the eyes of Mr. Carson when they swept across

    the room. The sight alone made her body shiver, she looked down at her hands in fear he might

    remember her from the night before. Had he been staring at her this whole time? Was he here because

    of her? Her heart pounded louder than those around her.

    ¡°Quiet.¡± Mr. Carson finally spoke. The crowd quickly simmered into silence. ¡°The Golden Pce

    appreciates all of the hard work each of you put into Prince Martin¡¯s engagementst night.¡±

    He paused, Doris felt as if she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡°Although, it seems not all of you were dedicated to making sure the evening ran smoothly.¡± Doris

    wiped her palms on her skirt as he spoke, his dark eyes roamed the crowd. ¡°I heard at least one of you

    were cking off far from your dutiesst night. Just remember that no one will cover for you if anything

    turns up wrong.¡±

    Was he talking about her? Could everyone else hear how loud her heart thundered? The room was hot

    ¡ª

    ¡°However,¡± Mr. Carson continued, piercing her thoughts. ¡°Alpha King Charles was kind enough to send

    along an extra tip to each of you for your dedicated work. He was quite pleased with the party, as was

    Prince Martin and hisdy. I hope you¡¯re all thankful to the Royal House for their generosity.¡±

    Slowly, Doris allowed herself to breathe again. Mr. Carson wasn¡¯t looking at her suspiciously, or at all

    anymore. He wasn¡¯t here to take her¡ªhe was here to tip them all.

    A line eagerly formed to collect their tips. Doris stayed towards the back while her heart calmed down.

    For a minute, she thought she was about to be in trouble for¡ªwhat Prince William had done to her. It

    was silly, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong other than stray from her duties for a moment. She was the one

    that was attacked, not the other way around.

    Once it was her turn, Doris kept her head down while she epted her tips with a polite curtsy. ¡°Thank

    the Royal.¡± She said properly before she turned to leave.

    Just as she turned, Mr. Carson spoke again. ¡°One more thing before you all leave. Did any of you

    happen to meet Prince Williamst night away from the party?¡±

    At his words, silver coins ttered against the stone floors and echoed through the room¡ªshocking

    everyone into silence. Their eyes allnded on Doris at once and it took her a moment to realize what

    she had done.

    Doris stood there at a loss, staring down at her discarded tips on the ground.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    #Chapter 3 Where were youst night?

    ¡°How dare you disrespect Mr. Carson and the Royal House!¡± Melody was in front of Doris within a

    blink, ready tond a loud p against her cheek. Doris was too stunned to move, her

    embarrassment was almost worse than the pain that burned her cheek.

    She could feel their gazes on her, every one of them made each second grow more terrible to bear.

    Doris slowly lowered her head and closed her eyes. ¡°I apologize Mr. Carson and Ms. Harfond. It

    was an ident.¡±

    ¡°Your name is Doris?¡± Mr. Carson asked.

    Doris lifted her head, a feeling of panic bloomed inside her stomach once again. ¡°Yes, Mr. Carson.¡±

    ¡°Did you meet Prince Williamst night?¡± He raised his chin slightly to look down his nose at her.

    Her heart stilled for a beat inside her chest.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± She said carefully. She willed herself to swallow her fear and look him in the eye.

    ¡°Where were youst night?¡±

    ¡°After I finished my work at the party, I¡ª1 returned to my room to rest.¡± Doris forced out. She saw

    Beth from the corner of her eye shift at her words. Doris dared a nce to see a confused look

    upon her friend¡¯s concerned expression. Doris quickly looked down again.

    ¡°Well,¡± Mr. Carson paused before he turned his attention to Melody. ¡°There¡¯s no need to make a

    scene, she hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. You don¡¯t have to punish her for this, Ms. Harford.¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Melody waited until Mr. Carson turned away before she rolled her eyes. ¡°Very well. You may go

    now. You should be grateful to Mr. Carson for his kindness.¡± Melody said with a bite to her words.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr Carson. And Ms. Harford.¡± Doris forced out quickly. She didn¡¯t need any more

    attention on her than there already was. Hurriedly, she gathered her coins and turned to leave. She

    could¡¯ve sworn she¡¯d felt Mr. Carson¡¯s gaze burn into her back as she left through therge doors.

    Her heart wouldn¡¯t calm again until she reached the empty Royal Library, where Doris worked most

    of the days. It was her favorite ce for some small sense of peace¡ªsomething she desperately

    needed at the moment. The grand room was filled to the top with books in every subject and genre,

    it was quite calming to be surrounded by it all. Especially since not many people wandered through.

    Doris was only thankful Mr. Carson didn¡¯t continue to push her for answers. She wasn¡¯t sure if she

    would¡¯ve been able to hold them in if he did. And what would they do to her if they found out she

    was the one with Prince William? Would they me her for his behavior? Would they take away her

    chance of freedom?

    The memories swirled around her in shes. Each one brought back a sensation she was shamed

    to remember. His mouth on her neck, Doris¡¯s fingers traced the mark he¡¯d left beneath her dress

    and made sure her makeup still covered it well. The ghost of his hands still moved down her skin

    whenever she saw him in her mind. Why did her body react that way to him when he groped her?

    Why didn¡¯t her body feel as disgusted as she knew she should have from his assault? The thoughts

    only brought more shame and warm tears.

    A knock startled Doris, she quickly wiped her wet cheeks and opened the wooden doors that

    creaked at the hinges. A familiar face appeared, Doris exhaled slowly. ¡°Beth! What¡¯re you doing

    here?¡± At least it wasn¡¯t Mr. Carson.

    ¡°Hello¡ª¡° Beth¡¯s bright expression fell when she saw Doris. she quickly closed the door behind her.

    ¡°Have you been crying?¡±

    Doris turned away and tried to discreetly wipe the tears that remained. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Just tired.¡±

    ¡°Doris, don¡¯t lie to me, it¡¯s okay. What Melody did waspletely out of line not to mention harsh. I

    couldn¡¯t believe she pped you in front of everyone just because you dropped your coins!¡± Doris

    turned back to Beth, she looked even angrier than Doris felt. ¡°But¡­ where were youst night? We

    both know you never returned to our room.¡±

    Doris hesitated and nced around. ¡°I was here, of course. I¡¯m always here.¡± Beth raised her brows

    at Doris. ¡°I came here after cleaning up for the party and fell asleep reading. I didn¡¯t want to say

    anything because no one else saw me here.¡±

    Beth¡¯s shoulders rxed a bit at Doris¡¯ words. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief! I was worried you were the one

    out with Prince Williamst night. We all know what happens with his mistresses and lovers.

    Remember Lisa?¡± Doris nodded.

    How could Doris forget? Lisa was at one time one of the most beautiful maids at the pce. Which

    was what made it so easy for her to catch Prince William¡¯s attention. Lisa never felt being a maid

    suited her, and charmed her way into his favors the second she had the chance.

    Her time as hisdy didn¡¯tst long. The moment Prince William tired of her, he sent her to live in a

    shabby shack away from the pce when he didn¡¯t wish to see her anymore. He seemed to do that

    to all of his ex-lovers. He gave them a brief title of an esteemeddy, and created their fall to

    nothing the moment he got all he wanted from them. Doris shivered at the idea of that ever

    happening to her. She wanted to be free of this ce, not tangle herself up with a prince that was

    never satisfied with just one lover.

    ¡°Well, I heard she¡¯s now washing public bathrooms for barely enough coin to afford food or clothes.¡±

    Beth sighed and crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame, it¡¯s as if her worth had been sucked from her

    the moment she fell from her glory. I never want that to happen to you.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Doris quickly assured her. Just the very thought made her skin crawl.

    ¡°Did you hear the newest rumor swirling around the servants quarters?¡± Beth asked, a glint in her

    eyes. She loved when there was fresh gossip, Doris couldn¡¯t me her. Not much happened

    around here for them except cleaning. Hearing about the Royals affairs was usually better than

    reading anything in the library. It was always so dramatic and grandpared.

    ¡°What rumor?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you haven¡¯t heard.¡± Beth nced behind her before she lowered her voice. ¡°I just overheard

    the maids that were on dutyst night. They said Prince William showed up to the ceremony very

    late andpletely drunk. The ceremony was about to end when he finally stumbled through the

    doors. Luna Queen was furious¡ªthe way he acted was incredibly disrespectful to the Queen and

    her family.¡±

    Beth paused to take a breath, Doris stood with her eyes wide and fist caught in her own apron.

    Beth¡¯s eyes danced as she continued. ¡°That¡¯s not all, they said Prince William had slept with one of

    the maids. No one knows who, though. He was much too drunk to even know himself.¡±

    Beth¡¯s excitement drummed through the room, Doris paled. How would anyone have known¡ªdid

    someone see them? At least they didn¡¯t know it was her¡­ but what if someone did see it was her?

    Doris couldn¡¯t shake her unease, at least Beth didn¡¯t seem to notice her growing nerves. She was

    too excited to ry all the gossip Doris had seemingly missed in the past 24 hours.

    ¡°I was worried you were the maid that met Prince William since I didn¡¯t see you returnst night.¡±

    Beth tilted her head in thought. ¡°I mean, he is quite handsome. Perhaps one of the most handsome

    men in the entire kingdom so I wouldn¡¯t me you if it was. Although, you don¡¯t want the same fate

    as Lisa and all the other maids he¡¯s sent away.¡± Doris nced around to make sure no one else

    was nearby to hear her friend speak like this. ¡°You know, Prince William doesn¡¯t even have an

    Alpha title. The Alpha king considers him too reckless and irresponsible to bother with assigning

    him a pack or territory. If I¡¯m honest, I don¡¯t think he would be worth it. Prince Martin though¡­he

    would be a better choice¡ª¡°

    Doris had enough, she mped her hand down on Beth¡¯s mouth to silence her. ¡°Are you crazy! You

    can¡¯t talk about the Royals like that, Beth! You never know who could be listening!¡±

    Bethughed under her hand and lowered it. ¡°Alright, alright! We¡¯re alone, it was just fun talk.¡± Beth

    winked at Doris. ¡°Now, are you ready for some good news?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Doris asked.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    #Chapter 4 Prince Martin?

    ¡°To celebrate Prince Martin¡¯s uing marriage, there¡¯s going to be an amnesty signed by the Alpha

    King. I heard that both of our names are on the list among many others!¡± Beth grinned in delight, Doris

    gasped and grabbed her friends¡¯ hands.

    ¡°Are you serious? Our names on the list? You mean we might have our freedom soon?¡± Doris bounced a

    little on her toes as she squeezed Beth¡¯s hands. All the ces they could visit! All the things they could

    do! ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡±

    ¡°Why would I ever lie about that!¡± Bethughed. ¡°Unless you were truly hoping to marry a prince so you

    could stay at the Golden Pce forever.¡± She teased.

    Doris cringed at her words, ¡°I assure you I don¡¯t. All I want is to be free of this ce.¡±

    Beth ignored her reaction and continued. ¡°You know, you¡¯re very beautiful Doris. Even more so than Lisa

    in my opinion. If you weren¡¯t hiding every day in this library I just know a prince would have already fallen

    for you.¡± Doris felt her cheeks redden at herpliment, the idea of charming a prince was thest thing

    on her mind. In fact, she¡¯d rather not think of a prince at all.

    ¡°Prince Martin would have been an excellent choice for you if he hadn¡¯t just gotten engaged,¡± Beth rested

    her hands on her hips and paced the area around Doris. ¡°Handsome, kind, well cultured and refined. He

    even loves books as you do, he¡¯ll make an excellent king.¡± Doris sighed silently.

    Beth seemed to be enjoying herself, she continued. ¡°Prince Daniel, the Majestic General¡ªthe best

    warrior in the kingdom. He¡¯s very handsome as well, most of the younger maids already have their hearts

    set on him.¡± Bethughed. ¡°He is a year younger than you, though. But I don¡¯t think it really matters!¡±

    Doris only wished she could melt into the floor and disappear forever if it meant this conversation would

    end. Her friend kept on. ¡°And¡ªwell¡­ Prince William. Extremely handsome but a terrible temper. I don¡¯t

    think anydy has truly made it into his heart yet. But if you wanted to try¡ª¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Doris almost shouted, she rested her hand against her beating chest. ¡°Please, stop.¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Beth stopped pacing and neared Doris. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just¡ª¡° Doris hesitated. ¡°I was thinking of how poor Lisa suffered, it made me sick thinking

    about all she went through.¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°Oh, yes. She has been through quite a lot.¡± Beth sighed. ¡°I suppose no one in this Golden Pce is

    reliable enough to love.¡±

    Doris widened her eyes at Beth¡¯s words. If anyone had heard that, it was enough to get them killed. A lot

    of what her friend said today was more than enough to set them both in deep trouble with the pce, at

    least no one else really ventured into the Royal Library often. Though, the thought of anyone overhearing

    their conversation was enough for Doris to hold her tongue. There was so much she wanted to say, but

    what if someone¡ª

    Suddenly the grand doors of the library were pushed open. Both girls flinched at the loud creak and

    turned towards the sound. Sunlight pooled in from the bright hallways, they squinted their eyes against

    the harsh light and the man that entered made them both gasp.

    ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Martin!¡± Doris and Beth kneeled, their voices a little shaky at the sight of him.

    Doris nced up at him through hershes. The Crown Prince was quite handsome, with light green

    eyes and chestnut hair swept back in an elegant fashion. His suit was as light as the sky and fit perfectly

    to his lovely form. He had a kind look to his face, much different than the harsh one Prince William held.

    Beth¡¯s hands were shaking, Doris stopped herself from grabbing them tofort her friend. She didn¡¯t

    want toe across as either of them being guilty of anything, even though she knew that Beth had said

    enough about the Royal House Arnold to get her entire family killed. Doris silently hoped Prince Martin

    hadn¡¯t been standing outside the door listening to them. He was kind though¡ªsurely he would have

    mercy on them if he had heard their silly gossip. She hoped.

    Prince Martin walked towards them, Doris felt goosebumps trail her skin at the sound of his steps. ¡°Rise.¡±

    He said much gentler than Doris expected, he looked at Beth with a kind expression. ¡°What¡¯s your

    name?¡±

    ¡°Be¡ªBeth, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Beth? I¡¯ve never seen you here before. You don¡¯t work in the Royal Library, do you?¡± He asked, his

    voice polite and patient as they both straightened themselves. His eyes flickered towards Doris.

    Doris cleared her throat and replied for her friend. ¡°No, your majesty. Beth was only here to help me

    organize some books but we¡¯re all finished now. Beth, you may leave.¡± Doris squeezed her friends¡¯ hand

    and hoped Beth took the hint. ¡°Thank you for all the help, please let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do

    in return.¡±

    Doris had never seen her friend so caught off guard before. Her eyes were wide and lips parted in shock

    at just being in his presence. Doris might haveughed under different circumstances. ¡°Oh! Yes, if Prince

    Martin doesn¡¯t need anything, I will return to my normal duties.¡± Beth curtsied and walked backwards

    towards the door. They both watched her leave, and turned away when Beth stumbled and hit her head

    against the doorframe before quickly closing it behind her.

    Prince Martin had a ghost of a smile on his lips, he said nothing as he ventured towards the shelves.

    Doris busied herself to give him a sense of privacy as he searched. She re-shelved books that someone

    must¡¯ve left out, and put away the new ones the pce had delivered. Each time she passed his section,

    she couldn¡¯t help but steal a peek at him. His head was bent in concentration as he read the synopsis for

    each book he touched. Chestnut hair fell into his eyes, she smiled a little whenever he brushed it away.

    He always had a sense of patience that she¡¯d rarely seen with any of the other royal members.

    Especially¡­ especially Prince William. Doris shook him out of her mind, she didn¡¯t need to think of that

    horrible man.

    After she dusted the tables and realized he still hadn¡¯t chosen a book, she wandered towards the poetry

    and retrieved an ancient poem book titled, Moon Rising. Doris opened it to see his marked pages from

    thest time he¡¯d read the book and grinned to herself before she went to find him.

    ¡°Excuse me, Prince Martin.¡± Doris spoke softly, he turned to see her holding out the book and a smile lit

    up his face. The sight made her breath catch, he really was quite handsome with his bright green eyes

    and neat hair. He epted the book with a polite nod of his head.

    It was rare for anyone to visit the library during the hours she worked. It had always just been her alone

    here. She cleaned and reorganized, often she would bring books to those in the pce that requested

    them. There wasn¡¯t much work to have more than one maid tend to the Library, and she liked it that way.

    It gave her an escape from what resided beyond these walls.

    A year ago, Prince Martin stepped through the doors for the first time while she was working. He was in

    search of another poetry book, one that Doris just so happened to have been reading. Once she found it

    for him, he made a habit ofing by quite often ever since. It should have made her feel on edge,

    having a prince so close to her. She could have made any simple mistake around him and risk some sort

    of punishment, but it didn¡¯t. She never felt that way around him, he was too kind.

    Though, he never really said anything to her, either. Often they would smile at each other and let the

    silence pass between them. It was never odd or awkward, it was always afortable sort of silence.

    Today was no different. He seated himself in his usual area by the high windows with his book already

    propped open on hisp. Doris silently sat across from him, he lifted his head for a moment to smile at

    her before he returned to his book. She couldn¡¯t help but observe everything about him. The way he

    tilted his head in thought or smiled when he finished a poem he liked. Sometimes she saw sadness pass

    over his features and she wondered if the poem he read made him feel that way¡ªor something else.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    #Chapter 5 Prince William is searching for the girl?

    Prince Martin¡¯s mouth parted slightly as he read, always in deep thought. Doris dragged her gaze away

    from his slight frown and allowed her eyes to trail along his sharp nose up to his bright eyes that creased

    just slightly whenever he smiled. She wondered how many girls had fallen for him just for his smile alone.

    ¡°Doris, right?¡± His soft voice broke her out of her thoughts, Prince Martin¡¯s simple question almost

    startled her when she caught his green eyes fixed on her.

    ¡°Oh! Yes, your majesty.¡± Doris straightened herself and silently prayed he hadn¡¯t caught her curiously

    staring at him. It was rare for her to be alone around royalty, she couldn¡¯t help herself.

    The side of his mouth lifted, ¡°That¡¯s a lovely name.¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks warm. ¡°Thank you, your majesty.¡±

    Her fingers lightly touched her pulse along her wrist and felt her heartbeat pick up. He didn¡¯t talk to her

    often, usually they both read in silence if she wasn¡¯t cleaning. At first, she thought it would bother him if

    she read nearby, but he only ever smiled at her. And his smiles were quite encouraging. She never got

    the impression that he wanted a conversation, she expected him to only crave the silence that the

    Library offered so she never interrupted him. Doris often hoped he would say something to her first,

    anything to disrupt her thoughts. But he never really did, until today.

    ¡°How long have you been at the Pce?¡± He asked as he marked a page in his book and set it on his

    lap. Her eyes followed his movements in an attempt to distract her from her own nerves.

    ¡°Five years, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Five years? And you¡¯ve been stationed in the Library the entire time? They never promoted you or

    relocated you?¡± He tilted his head slightly as he studied her.

    ¡°No, but¡ªI love it here.¡± Doris admitted, she nced up at the tall shelves around them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want

    to work anywhere else, even if they offered.¡±

    She felt his gaze still on her, she dropped her eyes to meet his own. It was a wonder how he was rted

    to Prince William when he was so¡­ kind and gentle. Prince William was rough and hot-tempered, they

    were seeminglyplete opposites of each other. Agh! She didn¡¯t want to think of that man, why

    wouldn¡¯t he leave her mind? She regretted the moment she ever stepped outside for a breath of fresh air.

    A small beat of silence fell upon them again, a sort of warmth filled her when she realized it was yet

    anotherfortable one. She didn¡¯t feel as if she had to fill the room with conversation to please him. ¡°I

    love it here, too.¡± Prince Martin said simply.

    Doris watched him leave, his book tucked beneath his arm. Slowly, her heart tamed from the shock of it

    all. He treated her like a normal person, not as if she were his maid or someone he could control. Almost

    like a friend.

    .

    The Library grew dark, Doris made sure everything was set in its right ce before she started to leave.

    The halls were empty for the most part, she loved the silence that followed her whenever she was alone

    in the Pce. It was the time of night when there was no one to demand anything of her, everyone else

    was already tucked away in their grand beds. She longed for that sort offort that only rest could

    give.

    Beth rushed to Doris the moment she entered their room. A small look of panic coated her delicate

    features. ¡°Doris! There you are, what happened with Prince Martin? Did he say anything¡­?¡± Doris knew

    exactly where Beth¡¯s mind went, if the prince had overheard any of their conversation.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Doris offered a gentle smile to calm Beth¡¯s fears, she pushed back her friends¡¯ red curls and shook her

    head. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t mention anything. I don¡¯t think he heard us at all.¡±

    Beth looked as if she just released all of her fear in a single breath, Doris removed her apron and began

    to dress for bed. It only took seconds before her friend was ready to poke at her again.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Beth neared Doris with an innocent expression on her freckled face. ¡°Howe you never told

    me that Prince Martin visits the Royal Library? Has anything ever¡­ happened between you two?¡±

    ¡°Are you joking?¡± Doris spun to face her friend, cheeks med. ¡°Of course not! He justes by to read

    sometimes!¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Only sometimes?¡± Beth grinned and crossed her arms over her chest. Slowly, she tapped her

    fingers along her arm. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not more than that? The way he looked at you was quite

    telling¡­¡± Beth teased.

    ¡°Oh, please! Beth, honestly!¡± Doris tossed her pillow at her friend. ¡°You live for gossip, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Bethughed and tossed the pillow right back at her. ¡°Alright, fine. But truly, what happened with you?

    You seem so¡­ distant today.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªnothing happened.¡± Doris sat on her bed and avoided her gaze. Part of her desperately wanted to

    spill everything to her friend, but the other half made her hold her tongue. Shame still washed over her

    from just the thought of the night before. ¡°I¡¯m just exhausted, especially after what happened with Melody

    and everything. Can¡¯t we just go to sleep? I don¡¯t feel like answering a million questions.¡±

    Beth stared at Doris for a moment, as if she could see between all the lies in her head. After a minute,

    she sighed. ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t forget I¡¯m here for you if you ever need me. No matter what it is.¡± Beth

    leaned down to hug Doris, it took everything in her not to fall apart at her friends¡¯ words.

    ¡°I know, thank you.¡± Doris whispered as she pulled away. ¡°One day we will get out of here and live a

    happier life than the one we have.¡± It was something she repeated a million times, they both needed to

    hear it. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a far off dream after all, especially after hearing of the amnesty the Alpha

    King nned to sign. Where would they go once their names were cleared? It honestly didn¡¯t matter, as

    long as it wasn¡¯t here.

    Beth grinned and kissed Doris on the cheek. ¡°You bet we will! Goodnight.¡±

    ¡ª

    Doris ran for her life. Her gasps echoed off the trees that stretched for as far as she could see. Her mate,

    the words circled her and tried to strangle the life out of her. They weren¡¯t true, they couldn¡¯t be true.

    His roars sounded closer, Doris¡¯s foot stomped down in the mud and trapped her to the spot. Could he

    smell her fear? Is that how he found her out here?

    A big wolf roared behind her, she turned to see his razor sharp teeth pointed up towards the bright moon

    in the sky. Darkness sounded them, but the light showed her enough of the beast that wanted to rip her

    heart out. His blue eyes stared right at her, the same shade as they were in his human form.

    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t!¡± She screamed. He tackled her to the ground, sharp ws cut into her skin as he

    pinned her small body down against the earth to hold her as his prey. She didn¡¯t see any trace of a man

    beneath his fur beyond his eyes. Did he know what he was doing to her when he was a wolf? Did he

    know he was hurting her?

    Doris struggled uselessly against his hold, she gripped his hairy chest and tried to push him off her¡ªbut

    he didn¡¯t move in the slightest. He growled as he leaned down to inhale her scent, savoring the way her

    fear made her smell. He bared his teeth above her neck, she choked on her salty tears as she screamed

    as loud as she could but he only seemed more delighted the more she struggled.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± She pleaded weakly, he opened his jaw wide and mped his teeth down deep into her neck

    without a sense of hesitation. The agony blinded her, she withered beneath him and screamed loud

    enough to shake the trees around them. She prayed to the moon goddess for help, to make the pain go

    away but no one would listen to her pleas.

    The pain only got worse, her vision blurred and turned red as he devoured her. Slowly, she could feel her

    life leave her as his teeth sunk deeper inside her skin and she knew it was the end of it all. Her misery

    would finally end soon¡­ she was ready to give up¡­

    ¡°Doris!¡± A familiar voice shouted in her ear, she felt something shake her body back into consciousness.

    ¡°Wake up!¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    #Chapter 6 Doris, was it you?

    Doris sat up quickly, desperate for air. Her gown felt soaked through, every inch of her skin felt tainted

    and wrong. Her head ached, she had to scrub herself clean again to rid herself of him¡ª

    ¡°Doris!¡± Beth whispered harshly for her attention, it took her a moment to realize she was in the room

    with Beth and not being eaten in the forest by a giant wolf. Doris touched her neck and looked down to

    see her hand was clean, there was no blood. Slowly, her heart beat calmed and she was able to breathe.

    It felt so real¡­ she was so sure she was about to die at his hands. ¡°Get up, quickly! Prince William is

    here, he asked for all of the maids to be checked!¡±

    That woke her, she scrambled out of bed and almost tripped over herself. Doris paled at the thought of

    facing him. ¡°Checked? Checked for what?¡±

    ¡°Apparently he left a mark on one of the girl¡¯s neck.¡± Beth already looked delighted from the gossip, she

    started shoving clothes at Doris before she paused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong!¡± Doris turned away to change, the nightmare still fresh in her mind. ¡°I was just

    wondering what he could possibly want with her. She¡¯s just a maid, after all.¡± Doris touched the mark at

    her neck beneath her dress. The makeup she used would surely have rubbed off by now¡ªshe needed

    to reapply it before she left.

    If he found out it was Doris he was looking for, would her nightmare be reality? She was silently

    thankful that he must¡¯ve been too drunk to remember her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, he¡¯s probably not through using her yet after they slept together.¡± Bethughed a little,

    though it sounded empty. ¡°Remember with Lisa? He wanted her all to himself until he didn¡¯t. But¡ªthis girl

    doesn¡¯t seem like she wants to be found by him. Every other girl here would dly announce themselves

    as his lover, but no one hase forward yet.¡±

    No, we definitely didn¡¯t sleep together. Doris silently corrected her friend. At least he didn¡¯t get to take

    that from her.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± A man appeared at their door, Doris gasped at the sight of Prince William¡¯s valet and almost

    touched her neck to cover it more than her dress already did. ¡°You two don¡¯t want to keep Prince William

    waiting, I suggest you stop chattering and get moving.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir! We¡¯ll be right out!¡± Beth shouted to his retreating form. When she turned to face Doris,

    her brows furrowed. ¡°Doris? What¡¯s wrong? You look as if you¡¯re about to pass out.¡±

    Doris wiped her mmy hands on her skirt and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine, give me a moment.¡± Beth

    squeezed her hand and nodded. She didn¡¯t care if it looked suspicious, she just needed a minute alone.

    Once Beth left, she quickly opened her drawer and grabbed her cheap container of makeup to cover the

    mark. Her shaky hands dabbed at the bite, she could still see a sense of bruising that the makeup just

    couldn¡¯t seem to cover. She couldn¡¯t let him find her, he would¡­ he would kill her just as he tried in her

    dreams.

    Doris made her way out to the open field where the other maids gathered. She took her spot next to Beth

    and listened to those around her gossip silently amongst themselves. Each one of them looked even

    more confused than her, but just as eager as Beth to find out who it must be. She wondered how many

    of them wished it was them that the Prince was looking for, Doris wished it was one of them, too.

    When Doris looked up to the front of the crowd, she felt her heart still for a moment in her chest.

    There stood Prince William, easy to spot when he was taller than everyone around him. Even his guards.

    He wore no jacket over his suit, his shirt clung to his well built form and left little to the imagination of

    what he hid beneath. She could see why everyone found him so attractive, his sea blue eyes and dark

    tossed hair. He looked as if he just rolled out of bed with a lover, she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if he

    did. He looked out into the crowd like a born predator, his eyes catching every movement made around

    him as if he were hunting. The Alpha blood ran purely through his veins and it showed with every breath

    he made. As handsome as the third prince William Arnold was, she had a taste of how he acted and it

    was not something she desired to repeat. She wished the rest of the girls here knew how awful he was,

    then perhaps they would stop fantasizing about him.

    ¡°Your majesty, this is thest group of maids in the Golden Pce.¡± Mr. Carson announced, his hands

    sped tightly behind his back.

    William only nodded, his face free of emotion as he took in the sight of each girl. ¡°Do your job.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Mr. Carson bowed before he turned to the maids. ¡°Prince William is looking for the

    maid he left a mark upon just the other night. Please, line yourselves up by Ms. Shirley so she can check

    each of your necks. Only do as you¡¯re instructed, do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Carson!¡± The crowd responded. Each of the girls lined up outside of the booth Ms. Shirley had

    set up. The old maid had been serving Royal House Arnold for over 40 years, surely she was one of the

    more trusted maids of the bunch.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    As soon as each girl was checked, they were asked to leave. Though, it seemed none of them actually

    wanted to. They were all curious to see who this mystery maid could be, the one that Prince William was

    so desperate to find. They hung around a bit away from the booth, watching as each maid was

    dismissed and the line grew shorter. Doris forced herself not to scratch at the mark on her neck, she

    didn¡¯t want the makeup to smear off and hoped her sweat didn¡¯t ruin it either.

    As time went on, Prince William grew more impatient. He frowned at the thinning line, not one of them

    came forward to announce herself as the one he¡¯d left his mark upon. And why wouldn¡¯t shee

    forward? It would be an honor to be his mate, her resistance angered him more than he liked to admit.

    He waited for her toe to him yesterday, it was no secret he desired her to. Yet she hadn¡¯t and now it

    resorted to this foolish attempt at finding her. Because he would find her today.

    ¡°She is here, I can feel her.¡± Waylon, his inner wolf dered in his mind with a deep growl. ¡°Our mate.¡±

    ¡°If she is here, than pick her already you useless wolf.¡± William shot back silently. ¡°Why must you make it

    so impossible? Other wolves would have brought her to me by now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying, I can¡¯t connect with her wolf. It¡¯s as if she doesn¡¯t have one.¡±

    William almostughed a sinister sound. ¡°The moon goddess must be kidding me. She must have a wolf

    if she¡¯s my mate.¡± Otherwise how could it be?

    One by one the maids were cleared until only three remained in line. Doris stood with Beth and Melody,

    nervously picking at her nails as they got closer.

    Beth was quickly cleared, she offered a quick smile to Doris before she wandered near the other curious

    maids. At least her friend was kind enough to wait for her.

    Doris took one step towards the booth, and stopped. She couldn¡¯t do it, she couldn¡¯t go in. What if Ms.

    Shirley saw through her horrible attempt to cover it? What if¡ªwhat if Prince William finished what he

    intended to do that night with her? Would she end up like Lisa, or worse?

    Mr. Carson frowned at Doris. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Get inside now to be checked! We don¡¯t

    have all day.¡± Doris stared at him, her lips parted. ¡°Are you defying the Royal order?¡±

    Doris knelt down instantly, mping her lips shut. She didn¡¯t dare to move or speak and make things

    worse for herself. The crowd gasped around her.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Came a demanding voice from above Doris. She looked up slightly to see Prince

    William walk straight to her.

    Still, Doris said nothing. As if every bone in her body refused to let her.

    ¡°Doris Goodwin, your majesty.¡± Mr. Carson answered when she wouldn¡¯t. He shot a displeased look in

    her direction as if she were the dirt on the bottom of his shoe.

    ¡°Doris¡­¡± Prince William said her name as if he were tasting it for the first time. It sent a strange shiver

    through her to hear her name on his lips. She kept her head down¡ªrefusing to look at his handsome

    face and remember what he did to her.

    Slowly, Prince William lowered himself until he was able to spit out the sentence clearly enough in her

    ear. ¡°Was it you?¡±

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    #Chapter 7 Any woman would do?

    His stone cold voice pierced through Doris¡¯ heart and froze her to the ground. It wasn¡¯t the first time

    she¡¯d felt like his prey with no where to hide, no where to run. A desperate feeling to be free of him

    overtook her senses, but all she could do was stay still beneath his gaze.

    The crowd around them held their breath as they waited for the scene to unfold before them. Their eyes

    eagerly flickered between Prince William and Doris, the silence made each of her breaths louder to her

    own ears.

    ¡°Your majesty, I¡ª¡° Doris hesitated and cringed away from him when she saw his patience run out. His

    cold features let anger taint its beauty like a flicker of me ready to start a fire. Prince William gripped

    her arm, about to haul her up until a soft voice rang out behind him.

    ¡°Please, forgive me your majesty.¡± His grip loosened on Doris, everyone in the crowd turned to look at

    Melody. She knelt close to Doris, her head bowed. ¡°Forgive me for hiding so long.¡±

    ¡°Hiding?¡± Prince William turned away from Doris to focus on Melody. Doris could have deted from relief

    when his eyes finally left her, the look he gave her alone was enough to follow her back into her

    nightmares.

    ¡°I believe I¡¯m the girl you¡¯ve been looking for, your majesty.¡± Melody said sweetly, Doris knew that voice

    well. It was the same tone she used with those higher up than her to get exactly what she wanted. And it

    usually worked, not many men liked to refuse Melody. Her regr tone was much more cruel when it

    was used towards her fellow maids¡ªespecially Doris.

    ¡°You¡¯re the girl I¡¯ve been searching for?¡± Prince William furrowed his brows, as if he was confused. Doris

    was more than confused herself, a bit of doubt trickled in her mind. Did he mark more than one girl that

    night? Or was Melody¡ªlying? To be his lover? To one day end up like Lisa? Doris curled her fists in

    herp, how could she want that life for herself?

    Melody stood without an answer, she walked straight into the booth and everyone stayed still until she

    came out again¡ªincluding the prince. Ms. Shirley followed close behind, her face tired and worn from

    the day that just wouldn¡¯t seem to end already. ¡°She has the mark, your majesty. You may see for

    yourself.¡±

    Prince William immediately went in to check, Doris stood on shaky legs and brushed dried leaves from

    her skirt. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ they both wouldn¡¯t have the mark. Though, part of Doris hoped she did. Then

    perhaps it just might save Doris from the same fate Lisa suffered¡ªor worse. A momentter, they both

    walked out.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t youe to me since I marked you? Do you resent me for what I did?¡± There was a bit of

    an edge to his voice, she wondered if his temper was already ring at the idea of Melody hiding from

    him. Doris took a small step back, her hands sped in front of her.

    ¡°Of course not, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Melody assured hm. Doris almost scoffed but held her tongue. Prince

    William attacked Doris, of course she resented him. Had he mistakenly marked Doris and intended his

    mate mark for Melody? It was possible he was just drunk and confused when he marked her¡ªit would

    make so much more sense to Doris.

    ¡°Then what kept you?¡± Prince William asked.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡± Melody brushed her golden hair behind her ears nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve adored you for so long¡ª

    it¡¯s always been an honor to serve you and this Pce. I was afraid¡­ I was afraid you would see me as

    nothing but a gold digger out for your fortune rather than how I truly feel.¡± Melody blushed, her voice

    choked from emotion that seemed forced to Doris.

    Prince William watched her for a moment, his eyes took in every inch of her. Melody shifted under his

    gaze, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Melody Harford, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Melody¡­¡± Prince William said in the same tone he said Doris¡¯s name just a few minutes before. A ping

    of annoyance shot through Doris, she quickly swallowed it down. A secondter, Prince William turned

    and left without another word. It happened so fast, no one had a chance to react properly to his

    departure.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Mr. Carson sputtered to the surrounding crowd. ¡°Dress Lady Melody up and

    escort her to her new quarters!¡±

    A few days passed in a wave of calm, it seemed Prince William had been treating Melody quite well

    since she came forward as the one he marked. The former maid now wore beautiful gowns and jewels

    and no longer had to clean up after anyone, now people waited on her. Doris only hoped she enjoyed it

    while itsted, Prince William was never satisfied for long.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way it was her, she¡¯s definitely taking advantage of Prince William.¡± Beth said quietly to

    Doris, she threw a look over her shoulder to make sure no one was nearby.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°Prince William was much too drunk to even remember what the girl looked like. Any woman would do in

    that case, any woman could easily im it was them he was with that night.¡±

    Any woman would do?

    The words rang through Doris. Did he attack her because she was the first girl he came across that

    night? Of course that was it. He was drunk and confused. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful, I¡¯m sure she could have

    charmed him without the mark. She never wanted to be a maid anyway, she always wanted more for

    herself and now she is. Perhaps we should try to be happy for her.¡± Doris brushed it off.

    ¡°Oh Doris, that¡¯s so you. You¡¯re being kind about someone who always looked for every excuse to abuse

    and embarrass you in front of everyone. Why would you ever forgive her or wish her well?¡± Beth

    snapped. Doris knew exactly where her friend wasing from, but it was easier to be happy for Melody

    than be the one in her shoes. Not that she could confess that to Beth, especially now.

    ¡°I¡ªit doesn¡¯t even matter. We don¡¯t need to waste our energy on someone like her anymore, anyway.

    One day soon we¡¯ll be free and able to leave all of this mess behind. We won¡¯t have worry about her or

    any of this. Right?¡± Doris nudged Beth with a small smile. They had to remind that to each other¡ªat

    least once a day.

    ¡°Of course we will.¡± Beth linked her arm through Doris¡¯ and they stepped out into the gardens. The sun

    was high in the sky, only a few clouds peppered above them. It was enough to make her wish she could

    lay in the grass and daydream the rest of the day away. The Pce truly was a beautiful ce,

    especially from the outside. Doris smiled to herself and stopped to smell a bush of red roses on their

    path.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always thought you were much prettier than Lisa and Melody, especially when you

    smile.¡± Beth grinned at her friend.

    ¡°Oh, stop.¡± Doris turned her face to hide the blush that bloomed. Beth was truly a wonderful friend, she

    wasn¡¯t sure how she would¡¯ve ever survived the pce without her.

    Doris arrived at the Library with a lingering smile, she opened the windows wide to allow in the fresh air

    and warm sunshine. The lovely day was enough to boost a bit of energy back into her, she immediately

    got to work organizing the new books that had arrived to the library.

    A smaller poetry book caught her eye across the room¡ªMoon Rising¡ªthe book Prince Martin had been

    reading just a few days ago was left by the chair he usually favored. She smiled to herself as she picked

    it up, he really did love this book, didn¡¯t he?

    Slowly, she flipped through the pages and was surprised to see more of his own writing in the margins.

    Soft, delicate words that she would have never guessed were his coated the pages. Far more suited for

    a poet, not a politician.

    Her fingers traced his words, part of her longed to know what went on inside his mind. She wondered if

    they were more alike than she had first thought. Did the words speak to him as they did to her? Did he

    imagine himself in the stories he read?

    She caught a shadow of a man in the corner of her eye. She gasped and closed the book quickly,

    startled to see it was Prince Martin himself.

    ¡°Oh! Prince Martin¡­¡± Doris bowed.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    #Chapter 8 I thought he took you away.

    ¡°You surprise easily, don¡¯t you?¡± Prince Martin smiled as he walked in, a familiar sight she started to

    crave that a bit of kindness around here. Doris pushed her brown hair behind her ear and returned his

    smile, her cheeks already warmed under his gaze.

    She watched as he went to browse the same shelves quietly as he always did. Doris worked up the

    nerve to follow him and offer her help this time. She was determined to talk to him a bit more than she

    had been before. Her silly nerves always got the better of her and kept her silent around him¡ªafraid

    she¡¯d say something that would embarrass her. He was always so kind, she would be so lucky to have

    him as a friend¡ª

    ¡°Why weren¡¯t you herest Thursday?¡± He casually asked over his shoulder before she could say

    anything.

    The question startled her for a moment until Prince William¡¯s face shed in her mind. Doris quickly

    shook her head to clear him free of it. She did not need to remember the disaster that happenedst

    Thursday, or picture that mans face. She hadn¡¯t had a nightmare since he imed Melody as his new

    lady, Doris didn¡¯t want to risk triggering new ones. ¡°Oh! Prince William was looking for someone, he had

    all of the maids called up to be searched. It took quite a long time, almost the whole day to go through all

    the maids.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Prince Martin nodded as if he remembered himself. ¡°Yes, I heard he was looking for the girl he

    marked. Did he find her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s found.¡± Doris nervously yed with the hem of her apron. Her neck almost burned under her

    dress, she held her hands still to keep herself from touching it.

    ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°The head of maids, Melody Harford.¡± Doris added, ¡°Lady Melody now.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, Melody¡­¡± Prince Martin murmured, he tossed a smile over his shoulder at Doris. ¡°That¡¯s a

    relief, I thought he took you away.¡±

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh,¡± all of her blood rushed to her cheeks. She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. The sunshine fell

    warmly on the side of his gentle face, brightening his lovely green eyes. Doris cleared her throat and

    turned away. She truly admired his kindness to maids and the way he was so different from his brother.

    Prince Martin chuckled lightly and turned his attention back to the shelves. Silence fell upon them once

    more and she pressed her cold hands to her cheeks in an effort to ward away her blush.

    After a while, Doris couldn¡¯t help herself when she noticed he hadn¡¯t found a book yet, she ventured back

    over to him. ¡°May I help you find anything, your highness? Is there a title you¡¯re looking for?¡±

    ¡°I have found it,¡± His eyes flickered to her hands but she didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d meant. ¡°I¡¯m not sure

    if it¡¯s avable, though.¡±

    Doris tilted her head in question. ¡°Which book is it? I can find out if anyone has it¡­Perhaps they might

    have finished it already.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose that depends on if you¡¯ve finished it, then.¡± Prince Martin grinned when he turned to face

    her.

    ¡°Oh! Oh my, yes. I¡¯m so sorry your highness. I didn¡¯t realize this was the one you were looking for.¡± Doris

    held out the small book for him, almost sad to see it go. She didn¡¯t have a chance to read everything he

    put between the pages yet.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. A book only has value when it¡¯s being enjoyed.¡± His fingers brushed her own as he

    epted the book.

    Prince Martin flipped through a few pages before he looked up again. ¡°Doris¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty?¡± Doris sped her hands in front of her as she nced up at him.

    He paused for a moment, she watched curiously as he shifted his weight to the other foot before he

    spoke. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m d you¡¯re still here.¡± He finally said.

    Red formed on his snowy cheeks, she wondered if it was because of the sun. Doris looked at him in

    surprise, her lips parted but no response came. Prince Martin lowered his head slightly and smiled at her

    through hisshes¡ªgentle and soft. She couldn¡¯t help but smile back at him.

    ¡°Martin.¡± A soft voice broke the silence from behind them. They both quickly turned to see Lady Grace

    standing at the doorway, Prince Martin¡¯s fiancee. Her hair was pinned up in an elegant bun, the style

    disyed her beautiful features perfectly. She was taller than Doris was, more slender with light eyes.

    Every move she made was graceful, her long silver gown trailed on the floors behind her as she walked.

    Doris had never seen Lady Grace up close before, but now she understood all the whispers about

    Grace¡¯s beauty. She looked like an angel. It was no wonder he chose her to marry.

    ¡°Martin, I was just passing by and I heard your voice in here.¡± She said with a light smile, her eyes

    flickered to Doris. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Doris,¡± Prince Martin supplied, his eyes lingered on Doris as he spoke. ¡°She¡¯s the maid who¡¯s

    responsible for the library. She was just helping me find a book.¡± He lifted the poetry book in his grasp.

    ¡°I see.¡± Grace raised her brow at Doris as if she expected something.

    Doris forgot herselfpletely for a moment, she bowed politely. ¡°Mydy, I¡¯m always here to help if you

    ever are in search of a book or anything else.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Grace turned her attention back to Prince Martin as if Doris was no longer there. ¡°It¡¯s time for

    dinner, my love. Shall we go back?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Prince Martin nced back once more at Doris before he took Lady Grace¡¯s hand. She

    watched as they disappeared at the end of the garden path towards the grand hall for dinner. She sighed

    to herself, it wasn¡¯t right to be envious of them but she couldn¡¯t help it. She imagined it was wonderful to

    have a love like that. One that was grand and beautiful enough that everyone around them celebrated it,

    even strangers.

    Doris smiled to herself at the thought, she was happy for him. He was a wonderful man. Kind, gentle and

    caring. Grace must have been just as lovely as she looked for him to love her. Doris couldn¡¯t imagine him

    loving anyone cruel, so she must be truly wonderful.

    Doris¡¯s smile froze on her face when she saw a familiar figure walking up the path towards her. Thest

    person she ever wanted to see, especially alone in her Library. Part of her wished she was dreaming

    again because it couldn¡¯t be him, could it?

    Prince William?! What on earth was he doing here?

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    #Chapter 9 I want Doris to be my Lady¡¯s Maid.

    ¡°Your majesty.¡± Doris curtsied as he passed her. Prince William never failed when it came to making her

    nervous. Among so many other things she didn¡¯t want to think about.

    Prince William only nodded, barely looking at her as if he didn¡¯t remember her at all. Perhaps he didn¡¯t,

    why would he? Doris released a small breath of relief as she followed him into the library. She¡¯d never

    seen him in here before, she didn¡¯t even realize he liked to read. She briefly wondered what kind of

    books he liked as she adjusted the cor of her dress.

    He took the first book his hand touched from the bookshelves and flipped through the pages absently as

    if he didn¡¯t really care what it was about. ¡°Did Prince Martin just pass through here?¡± He asked Doris

    without looking at her, his voice almost casual.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Does hee here often?¡± He asked, a bit more intensely.

    ¡°Oh, no. Not very often.¡± Doris hesitated. Something inside her felt uneasy, perhaps it was just due to his

    wretched presence but she couldn¡¯t shake her difort. Why was he asking about Prince Martin? Why

    would he even care if he came by here often? It didn¡¯t seem like a big deal to Doris if he did or didn¡¯t.

    Prince William frowned and shot a sharp nce towards Doris when she hesitated. Slowly, he turned to

    walk towards her, she held her breath as he neared her. Close, he was too close to her¡ªshe wanted to

    step back but didn¡¯t dare try it with him. His warm breath caressed her skin but she refused to look up

    into his blue eyes. Her unease quickly turned to panic, did he remember her after all? Is that why he was

    here? What did he¡ª

    Prince William pressed a book in her shaky hands. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry?¡± Doris allowed herself to breathe again. Her eyes flickered to his mouth when he frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to mark which books are borrowed?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes. Yes, of course your majesty.¡± Doris bowed her head and turned away to write down the name

    of the book. Not many people borrowed books, Doris almost forgot it was required to note which ones left

    the library and with whom. She often forgot to note which ones Prince Martin took with him, only because

    he always brought them back the same week.

    She felt his eyes on her as she wrote as quickly as she could manage. The faster she finished, the faster

    he would leave and she could go back to blending into the walls.

    ¡°Who taught you to read and write? I thought most maids couldn¡¯t.¡± He asked suddenly, the question

    startled her.

    ¡°I had a home tutor when I was younger, before I came here.¡± Doris set down her pen and handed the

    book back to the prince. He took it with a thoughtful expression, she didn¡¯t want to admit how handsome

    he looked when he wasn¡¯t angry. But he was¡ªextremely handsome. His raven ck hair was messy in a

    charming way, as if he¡¯d just ran his fingers through it before he came into the library.

    ¡°Where is it? Your home, I mean.¡± He asked, pulling her from her traitorous thoughts.

    Doris nced up at him in surprise. To a maid like her, home was a very sensitive subject. Not many

    people had ever asked her where she came from, and she hadn¡¯t asked them. Home was a daydream to

    Doris now, too far away to ever reach but one day hoped to see again. As each year passed, it only

    became a fading memory to the ones she had here. She didn¡¯t expect Prince William to be the first

    person to ask her about it. Or about anything, for that matter.

    ¡°I¡ªdon¡¯t really remember.¡± Doris lowered her gaze.

    When she looked back up at him, his face had gone a little red. He shifted ufortably and she could

    tell he knew she was lying. He knew she just didn¡¯t want to talk to him about it. It angered him, and she

    wasn¡¯t sure why something like that would, but she could see it on his face.

    ¡°Your majesty?¡± A shocked voice came from the entrance, they both turned to see Melody. Her eyes

    flicked between Doris and Prince William as if she couldn¡¯t believe they were here together. Doris took

    the opportunity to step away from Prince William.

    ¡°Melody,¡± Prince William¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came here in search for Doris.¡± Melody said.

    ¡°Her?¡± Prince William frowned again. ¡°What would you want from her?¡±

    ¡°Well, your majesty,¡± Melody stered on an innocent smile as she walked further into the room. ¡°I came

    here to ask if Doris would be mydy¡¯s maid. I prefer to have someone I know and trust attending to me.¡±

    Doris¡¯s eyes widened at Melody¡¯s words. Why would she ever ask Doris to be her maid when she hated

    her? Everyone knew how horribly Melody treated Doris, it wasn¡¯t a secret that the girl enjoyed making a

    fool out of her whenever she got the chance. They¡¯d never gotten along, not once in the years since they

    met. Doris always tried being kind to Melody, even when she didn¡¯t deserve it but it never seemed to

    work in her favor.

    ¡°Her?¡± Prince William asked, a bit surprised himself.

    Melody walked straight to Doris and took her hands. ¡°We¡¯ve been such good friends for so long, you¡¯re

    like a sister to me. We always said we would look after each other, didn¡¯t we? Please say yes.¡±

    Doris furrowed her brows and looked at Melody, confusion in her gaze. They never promised to look after

    each other. ¡°I¡ª¡° Her eyes flicked to Prince William. Was she allowed to say no? She didn¡¯t want to be

    Melody¡¯s personal maid, what a nightmare that would be! Doris loved being in the library, never mind that

    it would be considered a high promotion if she epted. On the other hand, if she rejected¡­ she knew

    how mad that would make Melody. And Melody did her worst when she was mad.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I think I would be too clumsy for that role, mydy.¡± Doris said carefully. ¡°I might just be nothing but

    an annoyance to you rather than helpful.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯ll take that as a yes!¡± Melody grinned and looked over her shoulder at Prince William. ¡°Your

    majesty, you would approve this, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your decision.¡± Prince William said as if it was thest thing he cared about. He turned and left

    without another word, his book grasped in his hand. Doris frowned and watched the sunshine go with

    him.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Melody dropped her hands the second he was out of sight and turned as well. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, you¡¯ll

    work for me.¡± Her voice quickly grew empty of the sweetness it had contained when Prince William was

    in the room, it sent shivers down Doris¡¯s spine.

    Doris deted as she watched Melody leave.

    Doris was quickly moved into a space closer to where Melody lived, as well as Prince William. It was

    possibly the hardest thing she ever had to do since she started working at the Pce. No longer would

    she get to share a room with her best friend, now she had something a bit more grander but it didn¡¯t

    make her feel even a tiny bit better. She wanted the simplicity of her library job, of seeing her best friend

    every night and hearing all the gossip she¡¯d heard during the day. Not¡­ this. Not with Melody.

    It would be fine, she reminded herself. Soon Beth and Doris would be free and far from here. As far as

    they could possibly get so she¡¯d never have to hear the fake obnoxiousugh Melody gave every time

    Prince William opened his mouth. It was astonishing how no one had ever seen through Melody¡¯s mask,

    but Doris always had.

    At night, she entered Melody¡¯s chamber to find her seated at her vanity. Doris caught a strange smile on

    her face in the reflection as she walked in. ¡°Mydy?¡±

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Come here and do my hair.¡± Melody demanded, her voice like ice. Doris

    grabbed theb and carefully brushed out her curls.

    ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful, Doris.¡± Melody said almost as if it was a question and not a statement. Doris

    nced in the mirror to see her face was anything but kind. ¡°You know that though, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me, mydy.¡± Doris said softly, her hand moving gently through her hair. ¡°You are

    much prettier than I am.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think Prince William would choose between you and I?¡±

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    #Chapter 10 Are you mocking me?

    ¡°I¡¯m nothingpared to you, mydy.¡± Doris said quickly to reassure her. It was a wonder why she

    would everpare herself to Doris when she was sitting as hisdy and Doris was still a maid.

    ¡°Besides, he¡¯s already chosen you above all girls in the Pce. You¡¯re his one and only, mydy.¡±

    Doris didn¡¯t bother to add the fact that she had no intentions of ever wanting to be in her ce. Melody

    looked at Doris in the mirror for a moment before sheughed quietly. ¡°I never knew you were so good at

    sweet talking, Doris. Good. Remember who you are and what your ce is. If I hear anything strange

    about you and Prince William¡­ well, you know what I¡¯m capable of. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± Doris said gently. Doris was not who Melody had to worry about, it was her prince she

    should keep a closer eye on. Why would Melody ever bother having her as her Lady¡¯s Maid if she

    thought Doris was capable of stealing Prince William¡¯s affections? She¡¯d only ever spoken with him a

    handful of times and each one of their encounters was just him demanding her to get something for him.

    Except¡­ except of course the night he marked her.

    Months had passed since Doris had first be Melody¡¯s Lady¡¯s maid. The job paid much better than

    the one at the library, but in the end it was never worth it. Everyday she spent with Melody was worse

    than thest. The worst part was that she wasn¡¯t able to vent about all her troubles at the end of the day

    with her best friend as she used to. Beth would have loved all the gossip about Melody, it would have

    kept herughing for days to know all the little things sheined about.

    Doris felt an ache in her core with how much she missed that, the sense of belonging that Beth gave her.

    There weren¡¯t many ces in the Pce she felt that way, but her best friend never failed to make her

    smile when she felt the world shift around her. Every extra coin she made, she saved towards their

    release. The job was slightly more bearable because of it.

    Only a few months remained until the amnesty was announced and signed and Doris was counting the

    days. Only a few more months until she was free, so she suffered. It would all be worth it in the end. It

    would be worth every mood swing Melody aimed at her if it meant she never had to see her again, or the

    Prince for that matter.

    To Doris¡¯s surprise, Melody also had a bit of her own suffering. Not that Doris was d to see it, it only

    made Melody¡¯s mood worse towards her maid. Prince William had not yet asked Melody to spend the

    night with him¡ªwhich meant they hadn¡¯t slept together once. Doris could tell it was somewhat of an

    awkward situation for Melody, she hung all over him yet he still didn¡¯t want her to stay with him. Most

    days, she stayed inside her room because of it. Perhaps it was because of all the gossip that now

    swirled around her.

    In the hallways, Doris passed otherdies while on the way back towards Melody¡¯s room. They stopped

    her the moment they recognized who she was.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen your Lady in a few days, is she feeling alright?¡± One of them sneered, the other tried to

    muffle herugh. Had it been that obvious to the Pce? Doris only truly noticed because she happened

    to be her Lady¡¯s Maid, but if she were still in the library she wouldn¡¯t have taken notice to it at all. Unless

    Beth told her about it, she supposed. Doris never really paid attention to others bedroom affairs like the

    rest of the maids had. It wasn¡¯t really any of her business what the Princes did behind closed doors, she

    wished she could say that to thesedies without offending them.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°Lady Melody has been feeling under the weathertely, but she will be fine. Thank you for asking.¡± Doris

    curtsied and tried to pass but they only kept on.

    ¡°Not feeling well, hmm? I think it¡¯s because she¡¯s embarrassed to be seen¡ª¡°

    ¡°Absolutely! Prince William doesn¡¯t even want to touch her! I wonder why she even still has the title of a

    lady anymore.¡± The other added with a sneer.

    Doris sped her hands in front of her and remained silent as theyughed. When they noticed she

    wasn¡¯t joining in on their gossip, they looked almost annoyed that she wasn¡¯t being cruel like them. As

    much as she disliked Melody and all the things she did to her, it wasn¡¯t in her nature. Besides, she hardly

    knew them.

    ¡°What are youdies doing gossiping here?¡± A voice sounded from down the hall. Doris nced up to

    see a taller woman walking towards them. Her slim form moved with elegance and dignity, it made Doris

    stand up straighter.

    ¡°Lady Jane.¡± Both girls quieted immediately, their heads lowered in respect.

    Lady Jane was the daughter of a well-known beta family¡ªone of the biggest merchants in the kingdom.

    To strengthen their rtionship with Prince William, her father had sent Jane to stay at the Pce for a

    while. Prince William obviously valued her family, so his respect for Lady Jane grew as well. They¡¯d

    never been lovers as far as Doris knew, but Lady Jane helped manage thedies and everything else

    around Prince William. Especially when those resorted to gossip that involved him.

    ¡°Prince William has his own reasons for what he does. It¡¯s not up for you two to spread gossip, do not let

    me hear it again. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Jane.¡± They replied together and curtsied before they turned to leave. Their cheeks were

    splotched with red from embarrassment, Doris would haveughed if Lady Jane wasn¡¯t still standing

    there.

    ¡°You may leave too.¡± Lady Jane told Doris.

    ¡°Thank you, mydy.¡± Doris curtsied quickly before she returned to Melody¡¯s room, releasing a slow

    exhale. She raised her fist to knock, but stilled when she heard voices on the other side of Melody¡¯s door.

    ¡°Thank you for the tip, mydy. But it¡¯s really too much¡­¡±

    ¡°You deserve it, Ms. Shirley. If you can help me regain Prince William¡¯s love and meet our agreement,

    they¡¯ll be more.¡± Melody spoke quietly, Doris almost pressed her ear to the door to hear her. Melody was

    paying people to help her gain his love now? Had she really gotten that desperate? Doris supposed

    gossip was a venomous thing, it must have been eating at her worse than she¡¯d first thought.

    ¡°Well,¡± Ms. Shirley cleared her throat. ¡°Prince William¡¯s valet, Peter, arranges everything for him. That

    includes who will be in Prince William¡¯s thoughts tonight. If you pay him well enough, he might be willing

    to try and sway him in your favor¡­¡±

    Doris strained to hear more, but the voice grew too low to make out any words. Doris gave up and waited

    patiently outside the door until Ms. Shirley came out a momentter. A sh of Prince William¡¯s angry

    face flickered through her mind. What would he say if he heard what hisdy was doing? Doris barely

    knew him but she knew he wouldn¡¯t be happy about any of this.

    Doris stepped in once Ms. Shirley was gone and had a small velvet bag of gold ced in her hands

    immediately. ¡°Go deliver this to Peter, Prince William¡¯s valet. And hurry back.¡± Melody demanded.

    Doris epted the money and turned towards the door. A small sense of guilt stopped her. ¡°Please don¡¯t

    lower yourself like this, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Melody snapped. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been given the title of Lady by Prince William himself. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to bribe his valet. It¡¯s

    below your standards.¡± Doris hesitated. ¡°Please be patient, mydy. Prince William has his reasons for

    what he does. He won¡¯t ignore you forever.¡±

    ¡°Were you eavesdropping on my conversation?¡± Melody looked offended, and a bit embarrassed¡ªbut

    furious overall. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting me to wait now? And how long do you suppose it¡¯ll take Prince William

    to wake up and realize I¡¯m right here?¡± Melody¡¯s voice grew along with her anger. ¡°Are you mocking me

    now, too?¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    #Chapter 11 Your maid has toe

    ¡°No, of course not!¡± Doris quickly exined. ¡°I was just thinking of what¡¯s best for your own good, my

    lady.¡±

    Despite her own harsh feelings towards Melody, Doris didn¡¯t want the girl to make a fool out of herself.

    She risked losing his affections entirely if she made the wrong choice and bribed his valet. It wasn¡¯t like

    Prince William would ignore her forever, he wasn¡¯t the type of man to make brash decisions. He named

    Melody hisdy¡ªhe had his own ns for what he was doing. Melody just needed to be patient.

    ¡°Have you so quickly forgotten you¡¯re nothing more than my maid?¡± Melody¡¯s voice lowered into

    something almost threatening. ¡°You do everything I tell you to do without questioning me or my reasons.

    That is all you exist for. You know how much harder I can make it for you if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Doris¡¯s lips parted, but no words formed. Melody lifted her chin¡ªdaring Doris to say something back.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Go and stop wasting my time.¡± Melody dismissed her with a wave of her hand as

    if she were nothing more than a fly that wouldn¡¯t leave her alone.

    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± Doris curtsied before she turned to leave to find Peter.

    It didn¡¯t take long, she caught Prince William¡¯s Valet in the garden speaking with another maid. Their

    laughs greeted her long before she ever saw either of them, Doris stayed out of sight and waited for the

    other maid to leave before she would approach him.

    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± the maid spoke softly, she slipped a small box out from her apron and handed

    it to him.

    Peter¡¯s smile widened at the sight of it, he immediately looked inside before he slipped it into his own

    pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear. I¡¯ll remind Prince William soon.¡±

    Doris watched as the maid¡¯s face brightened before she left. Doris slipped the bag of coins into her

    pocket before his eyes caught her.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Peter spread his arms with a smile and walked towards Doris as if he¡¯d been expecting her. ¡°Did

    yourdy send you here?¡±

    He already knew Doris had something for him from Melody. It seemed more thanmon for him to get

    bribes from the maids that wanted Prince William¡¯s attention. It made Doris sick to her stomach how

    shameless these girls were. Doris couldn¡¯t imagine herself ever even considering tipping someone for a

    man¡¯s attention.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°No,¡± Doris saw the surprise sh across his features. ¡°I was just passing by.¡±

    It was a risk, she knew it was. But Doris was certain that Prince William woulde around on his own

    and it would be worth the wait for Melody. Perhaps he had his own reasons for dying it, but this wasn¡¯t

    the answer.

    ¡°Just passing by?¡± Peter¡¯s smile slipped from his face. He snorted and turned away. ¡°We¡¯ll see how much

    longer she¡¯llst.¡±

    Three days, Doris swore to herself. She¡¯d wait three days before she brought the gold to Peter and did it

    Melody¡¯s way. She could wait three more days¡ªDoris hoped.

    The three days passed rather quickly and nothing happened at all between Melody and Prince William,

    much to Doris¡¯s surprise. Melody¡¯s mood had only gotten worse towards everyone, but mostly towards

    her owndy¡¯s maid. When she wasn¡¯t screaming at Doris, she paced her bedroom worrying about why

    she hadn¡¯t been called yet, and spent her nights lonely by her tall window.

    Perhaps it was a mistake, perhaps she should¡¯ve just given the gold to Peter after all. Doris knew she

    had to go tomorrow to pass it off and make this right. If she had three days ago, Melody might have

    already¡ª

    Two quick knocks broke her thoughts. Doris opened the door to find Prince William¡¯s footman standing

    on the other side. He gave a slight bow to Melody. ¡°Lady Melody, Prince William has invited you to

    apany him tonight.¡±

    At his words, Melody shot up from her chair and almost tripped over herself to get to her closet. Doris

    swallowed the lump in her throat and quietly closed the door after the man stepped out before she

    leaned back against the wooden surface. Something inside her didn¡¯t feel right when she heard his

    official invitation. This entire time Doris had only hoped it woulde for Melody so she would quit being

    in such a sour mood. But now that she¡¯d gotten it¡­ Doris felt off. It wasn¡¯t jealousy, it couldn¡¯t be. She

    just didn¡¯t feel happy about it, perhaps she was just worried about how it will all turn out. What if it goes

    wrong and Melody only grows more vicious?

    ¡°What are you doing just standing there? Come help me!¡± Melody shouted at Doris.

    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± Doris pushed away from the door andid out all of Melody¡¯s makeup at her vanity. She

    enhanced her lovely eyes and brought a soft rose to her lips and cheeks, her shaky hand was extra

    careful not to ruin anything she did. When she was finished, Doris stepped back to look at her in the

    mirror next to Melody. She looked¡­ absolutely beautiful. Almost like a princess. Doris looked pale and

    tired inparison, she lowered her head so she didn¡¯t stare.

    Melody didn¡¯t seem to notice Doris¡¯s mood at all, she was giddy as she stood and hurried to the door.

    Prince William¡¯s footman started to follow Melody to the prince before he paused. ¡°Mydy, your maid is

    required to apany you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris¡¯s eyes widened at his words. There was no way¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s protocol.¡±

    Doris deted when she realized he was right. In the Golden Pce, if ady was spending the night

    with one of the royal members, it was required for her maid to stay outside the door in case thedy or

    prince needed anything inside. As awful as that sounded, she wasn¡¯t allowed to argue.

    Doris felt her cheeks redden. She¡¯d never thought she would have to stand outside anyone¡¯s room while

    they made love.

    The worst part was it being Prince William¡¯s room.

    The thoughts left a horrible taste in her mouth and left her even more confused than the moments

    before. Prince William was a horrible man who did something unforgivable to her, but a traitorous part of

    her heart didn¡¯t like the idea of him with Melody.

    The word mate still haunted her thoughts, he¡¯d said it so many times it was hard to forget the way he

    whispered it into her ear as if he was iming her. She knew what a mate meant to a werewolf, but it

    was nothing more than a mistake. Clearly he¡¯d meant his mark for Melody or whoever his true mate was

    when he marked her. There was nothing worse than this fate, she wouldn¡¯t wish it on anyone.

    Doris was just an omega¡ªshe had no wolf inside her. It was impossible for her to be William¡¯s mate, she

    knew that. And she was d of it. Thest thing she wanted was to be tangled up with a hot tempered

    beast of a man. She wanted to be free, to no longer go to bed with a million worries. She wanted a

    simple life with a man who only wanted her, and that was not Prince William. Even worse, being the mate

    of a prince would immediately mark her as the target of every jealous woman in the kingdom. It was just

    not worth it.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing just standing there?¡± Melody frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him? Get moving!¡±

    Prince William¡¯s footman walked ahead, Melody shot a smirk over her shoulder at Doris.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have a fun night hearing all the things Prince William and I are going to do.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    #Chapter 12 This doesn¡¯t feel right.

    Doris followed them out silently, her cheeks still burned against the cold air. Prince William¡¯s footman led

    them towards an area neither of them recognized.

    ¡°Where are we going? Melody asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Prince William¡¯s bedroom, mydy.¡± He responded.

    Melody looked even more surprised than Doris felt. Everyone in the pce knew that Prince William

    never brought a woman back to his own bedroom. He usually slept with them in one of the many guest

    bedrooms in the castle. Tonight it seemed he was ready to show just how much Melody truly meant to

    him. Doris felt her stomach turn at the thought. Why did she even care? Perhaps this would brighten

    Melody¡¯s mood for once towards Doris.

    ¡°Oh! Yes, good¡­ lead the way.¡± Melody¡¯s excitement caused her to stumble over her own words like a

    lovesick fool. Doris refrained from rolling her eyes.

    ¡°You must be so disappointed, aren¡¯t you?¡± Melody whispered after a few moments of silence. Doris

    furrowed her brows in confusion until she continued. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one that asked me not to lower

    myself? And look where we¡¯re headed, to his personal bedroom. Am I too low for him now?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Doris looked away quickly incase the truth showed in her eyes. How would she act if she

    knew Doris had never given Peter the tip?

    ¡°I wonder what would have happened if I listened to your stupid advice.¡± Melody gripped Doris¡¯s chin so

    she would look at her. ¡°Did you hope I would¡¯ve been ignored by the prince? Is that what you wanted?

    What a shame your wish was broken.¡±

    Doris¡¯s chin hurt when Melody applied more force. ¡°Tonight, you¡¯ll hear exactly who he chose to be in his

    bed.¡± She released her chin and kept walking. If only Doris was allowed to throw the bag of gold at

    Melody¡¯s face to show that her advice was right and Melody was the one that had been wrong. Doris

    rubbed her skin as they arrived to Prince William¡¯s chamber.

    His door was partly open, Doris couldn¡¯t help herself as she leaned forward to peek inside. Every step

    closer she took to the man made her body feel strange. She couldn¡¯t tell if it meant she wanted to get as

    far away from him as she possibly could or if there was an invisible string pulling her towards him against

    her will.

    His room was absolutely fit for a prince. It was one of the biggest rooms she had ever seem, her eyes

    grew wide as she took in the detail. The dark ceilings stretched far above simr to the one in the library,

    he had a huge firece with a warm fire already started. Velvet couches, a dining area, doors that must

    have led to his closet and bath room. It was all so¡­ grand. Her eyes drank in the detail of his private

    room. Many maids had always wished to see what his private bedroom looked like and it did not

    disappoint. She dragged her gaze over to therge feathered bed that was draped in the royal red

    colors. And¡ªhim.

    Doris held her breath at the sight of him, Prince William was propped up against his headboard with a

    book grasped in his hands. He looked rxed, calm and so unlike everything he was outside of this

    room. Hezily flipped the pages as he read, his white untucked shirt rode up high on his firm stomach

    and she tried to tear her eyes away from the sight. He looked¡­ so gentle in this moment. Doris watched

    as he bit his lip in concentration, a bit of messy ck hair had fallen into his eyes but he didn¡¯t seem

    bothered by it in the slightest. It was no wonder so many women had given up their freedom for a chance

    to be with him. Even if it never ended up well for them, she could see why they wanted to try. She hated

    to admit how attractive he looked¡­

    No, it was horribly wrong to ever think that way about him! He attacked her and left her scarred for life¡ª

    he wasn¡¯t gentle or lovable, he was just a monster. Doris¡¯s eyes watered when she remembered the wayBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    it felt when she thought she was going to die at his hands that night. The way his blue eyes glowed

    under the moonlight and how his growl echoed through the trees, she¡¯d never forget the way he called

    her his mate. She¡¯d also never forget the heavy scent of alcohol on his breath.

    Her traitorous heart flipped in her chest when he looked up from his book, his piercing blue eyes met

    hers for only a second before he found Melody. Slowly, she released her breath.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Prince William closed his book and stood from the bed. His shirt was unbuttonedzily at

    the top, he didn¡¯t bother to close it as he neared them. Doris swallowed and tired not to follow the lines of

    his muscles through his shirt. He was¡­ so tall. He towered over all of them and she had to tilt her head

    back just to look at him.

    ¡°Good evening, your majesty.¡± Melody curtsied elegantly and batted hershes at him. Doris looked

    away and took a step back from the room.

    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Waylon growled in William¡¯s mind. ¡°I can smell her¡­ a sweet vani scent.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s our mate? You¡¯re sure this time?¡± William asked his wolf silently.

    ¡°Yes, it has to be her. No one else in the pce has her scent.¡±

    William didn¡¯t hesitate, he grabbed Melody¡¯s wrist and pulled her against him. Melody let out a small

    groan as she fell into his chest.

    Prince William¡¯s footman quickly closed the door when her maid stepped out, something shifted inside

    him when he did.

    ¡°Wait! Stop,¡± Waylon almost shouted in his mind as if it was fighting him. ¡°The sweet scent is gone, this

    doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ¡°Now you tell me?¡± William snapped back and watched as the girl in front of him started to undress. ¡°I¡¯m

    still going to enjoy my night even though you¡¯ve failed me again.¡±

    Doris stood outside of the room nervously picking at her nails. Prince William¡¯s footman quickly left after

    he closed the door with nothing more than a shrug towards Doris. She didn¡¯t want to hear what went on

    in that room, she wanted to return to her own and pretend none of this had ever happened. Why did

    Melody feel so insistent to have Doris around for this? She could have easily requested a different maid

    ¡ªbut she clearly only wanted Doris to suffer more than she already had been.

    Doris paced the area, her thoughts loud. Half of her wanted to hurry and find someone else to watch the

    door, the other half knew she would be in serious trouble if she left it unattended for even a second.

    Perhaps it would be worth whatever trouble she would face if it meant she would be free of the sounds

    that would grow behind that door. The thought of anyone ever overhearing the noises Doris might one

    day make with a lover made her sick. Never would she allow someone to stand even remotely close to

    her door if she were with a man. But Melody wasn¡¯t anything like Doris. Melody wanted her to hear

    everything, and Doris only bet that she would make sure her sounds were louder than normal just to be

    certain it haunted her thoughts¡ª

    Doris watched the light go out beneath the door and quickly looked away. her skin crawled and stomach

    ached as she heard the sound of clothes hit the floor before silence overwhelmed the area.

    A few momentster, she heard the sound of Melody¡¯s moaning.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    #Chapter 13 There was never really a point to have a fated mate

    Doris covered her ears the second she heard the first moan. Her mind shed back to that night¡ªshe

    couldn¡¯t shake the images of him from her mind. She didn¡¯t want to imagine him when he was on top of

    her or the way his lips felt trailing down her skin. It was beyond wrong to ever think of him that way, he

    wasn¡¯t meant for her and she should be d of it. But it was so hard to forget when she could hear his

    same groans through the door. It was as if her mind nted her right back in that moment with him. Her

    heart raced with fear when the images wouldn¡¯t stop.

    The sounds only grew louder and deeper as if each one were banging against her heart from the inside.

    She pushed harder against her ears to ward out the sounds, her back slid down the wall and she

    stationed herself as far from the door as she could possibly get.

    Please, she begged herself, just fall asleep.

    She silently prayed it would all stop. She prayed sleep would ovee her and relieve her of this

    nightmare. Everything will be fine tomorrow, she promised herself. She wouldn¡¯t remember a single thing

    if she just fell asleep now. It would all be one horrible dream that will hopefully fade once the

    morninges. right?

    The halls grew darker as the night wore on, the castle descended into a silence that only sleep could

    provide. Doris still held her hands against her ears long after they finished. Dry tears marked her cheeks,

    she could still hear the sounds echo in her heart. Of all the things Melody had done to her, this felt like

    one of the cruelest.

    Doris opened her strained eyes to see a foggy morning outside the tall windows. For a blissful moment,

    she¡¯d forgotten everything from the night before. It only came back to her when she heard the sound of

    Melody¡¯s sticky voice behind his door.

    ¡°Good morning, your majesty.¡± Her words wereced with sleep and sweetness, Doris wanted to gag.

    ¡°Up already? Perhaps I didn¡¯t wear you out enoughst night.¡± Prince William teased, his voice husky.

    Doris cringed at the thought of their night and closed her eyes tightly to clear her mind from it all.

    Melody giggled, her pitch high and almost forced. Doris hugged her knees to her chest and shivered,

    longing to escape to her warm bed.

    ¡°While I liked the sounds you madest night, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I, what?¡± Melody asked with a lightugh.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t sound the same as that night.¡± Prince William respondedzily.

    Doris felt her heart stop just as Melody¡¯sugh halted. Did that mean he never marked Melody? Was he

    thinking of how Doris sounded? Doris felt her cheeks me. Had he been thinking of her when he was¡­

    with Melody? Did he wonder why she didn¡¯t sound the same as Doris did the night he attacked her?

    Doris shamefully remembered the lustful moans she made when he kissed down her skin. All she

    wanted was to get away from him that night, but her body reacted to his touch as if it wanted more. She

    definitely did not want more, she knew that. The shame still lingered with her long after that night.

    A few momentster, she heard Melody speak again with a tone soaked in bitterness. ¡°Weren¡¯t you

    satisfied with me?¡±

    Doris held her breath, part of her couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Melody. She¡¯d spent so long trying to get

    Prince William¡¯s attention and earn a night with him¡ªonly for him topare her to someone else. One

    wrong word and Melody could lose everything with him. His emotionless cruelty was sure to return soon

    but she couldn¡¯t rid her mind of the thoughts¡ª

    He mentioned that night¡­ Melody didn¡¯t sound like the one he marked because he marked Doris.

    ¡°It was fine, you did well. I think we¡¯re done here.¡± William said as he pulled open the door. His blue eyes

    found Doris immediately.

    ¡°Your majesty¡ª¡° Doris stood quickly and felt the world tip beneath her numb legs when she neared him,

    she lost her bnce and stumbled into his firm chest. He gripped her arms to steady her, she looked up

    to see his cold face interrogating her every breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± Waylon spoke up in his mind the moment William touched Doris. ¡°Our mate. I know it is.¡±

    ¡°You said the same fucking thingst night.¡± William growled silently, his patience was running thin.

    ¡°No, I told you something felt off when she left the room and you didn¡¯t listen.¡± Waylon hissed.

    ¡°How can you be sure it¡¯s her this time? You¡¯ve steered me wrong before.¡± William spoke with a bite to

    his words as he watched the small girl in his arms. She stared up at him with wide, terrified brown eyes.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? The electricity passing through your veins when she fell into your arms. That¡¯s the

    mate bond.¡±

    William froze at his words and realized he was right. He felt the shock in every inch of his body when he

    held her. He¡¯d never felt that way with anyone before, especially not with Melodyst night¡ª

    ¡°Your majesty¡­¡± Doris said.

    ¡°My prince!¡± Melody¡¯s face turned red as she appeared at his side fully dressed. Her wild eyes flickered

    between Doris and himself.

    Prince William pushed Doris away from him out of instinct, she stumbled but caught herself and curtsied

    quickly. ¡°My majesty,dy Melody¡ªplease forgive me.¡±

    ¡°Did she hurt you, your majesty?¡± Melody neared him, her face melted into an exaggerated concern as

    she touched his arm. He shook her off and straightened himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± William said, his eyes flicked over Doris. She wouldn¡¯t look at him now that Melody was here.

    Her brown hair was unbound around her shoulders and a bit messy as if she¡¯d just woken up. She stood

    with her hands sped innocently in front of her, but that wouldn¡¯t fool him. ¡°Is she the one you brought

    from the library?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty. I apologize if she offended you.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡± William finally caught Doris¡¯s eye and narrowed his slightly. ¡°But it was a nice try.¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Doris¡¯s lips parted to exin herself¡ªdid he think she fell on him on purpose? She took a step forward

    and stopped when she caught the hatred in his gaze. It felt like a bucket of ice water had doused her,

    she flinched at the sight. It was much worse than the look Melody gave her every day, that one she was

    used to. This one had something else behind it, something she couldn¡¯t put her finger on but knew it was

    there. If he thought she was pathetic enough to fake a fall into his arms for his attention, he was horribly

    wrong. She wanted a bath just to get the feeling of his touch off her.

    But¡­ Why did he hate her so much? Doris supposed there was no point in trying to change his mind

    about her, he wasn¡¯t going to care what she had to say to defend herself. He¡¯d clearly already made up

    his mind about her.

    Doris lowered her eyes to the floor and sped her hands in front of herself again.

    ¡°Keep an eye on her.¡± William told Melody before he closed his bedroom door on them both.

    His inner wolf growled and made William stumble a bit as it tried to take control of his body. ¡°How could

    you treat our mate like this?¡± Waylon¡¯s voice grew, William pushed back against it. ¡°I should kill you and

    takeplete control over your useless body for that¡ª¡°

    ¡°There was never really a point to have a fated mate.¡± William said to his wolf before he closed their link

    and silenced him.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    #Chapter 14 I didn¡¯t realize you were good at scheming

    Doris followed Melody back to her own chamber in silence. Each step closer to the room only made

    Doris¡¯s nerves re through the ceiling. Melody¡¯s posture was more stiff than usual, she¡¯d probably

    already made a list of things to scold Doris about that went beyond what just happened. Doris silently

    wondered if Melody was secretly excited to have an excuse to unleash all of her wrath upon Doris

    when they got back to her room.

    As they turned down the hall, there was a group ofdies blocking her door. Doris immediately

    recognized a few of them as the ones who¡¯d been talking behind Melody¡¯s back and spreading those

    vicious rumors that kept Melody hidden away for so long. Now they surrounded her with eptance,

    excitement, and¡­ gifts. News of her night with Prince William must have traveled much faster than

    Doris expected. It made her wonder if there even was anyone trustworthy in the castle, she could only

    assume it was Prince William¡¯s footman who tipped off the gossip¡ªunless someone else saw them on

    their way to his room.

    ¡°Lady Melody, there you are!¡± One of thedies pushed her way to the front, her voice was dripping

    with false sweetness. ¡°I should have visited you much sooner but I heard you weren¡¯t feeling well. I

    thought it was better to let you rest more, I brought you a weing gift!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite alright Lady Daphne.¡± Melody smiled widely as she unwrapped the gift to see a shining

    gold bracelet. ¡°How lovely! Thank you my dear.¡±

    ¡°Well well, girls. Since Lady Melody is fully recovered I bet Prince William won¡¯t get enough of her

    company now!¡± One of thedies near the back said, Doris almost rolled her eyes.

    Anotherdy pushed a gift in Melody¡¯s hands with a bright smile. ¡°I had a custom perfume made for

    you, mydy.¡±

    Doris stepped back and watched Melody grow overwhelmed with the amount of gifts presented to her.

    Extravagant nes and dresses, delicate roses and purses. Doris couldn¡¯t believe they showered

    her with such beauty all because she¡¯d spent the night with Prince William. Did all of thedies get this

    treatment?

    ¡°Thank youdies foring!¡± Melody said over the chattering voices. She looked over the crowd and

    noticed Lady Jane was one of the few missing from this show of affection. ¡°I¡¯ll have the kitchen prepare

    some tea, why don¡¯t you all join me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡±

    ¡°That would be lovely!¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°Finally, some girl time¡­¡±

    The crowd excitedly filed into her chamber, Doris waited until they all stepped fully in before she started

    to enter herself.

    ¡°Not you!¡± Melody shouted the second her foot hit the carpet. ¡°Get out and kneel at the door!¡±

    Doris froze in shock, her face grew red from embarrassment. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on her at once as

    the room went silent enough to hear the sound of her own heartbeat. Humiliation scorched every inch

    of her body and she wished it would have burned her alive right there.

    ¡°Are you deaf? I said to kneel!¡± Melody shouted again, her voice like a gunshot through the room.

    Doris fell to her knees at the sound, she had no choice but to obey. The cold from the ground chilled

    her entire body, Doris closed her eyes to keep in the tears that tried to escape. Of course she would

    choose now to punish Doris, in front of a crowd like always.

    The otherdies were frozen in their own shock, they nced at each other¡ªconfused and worried.

    ¡°What has she done?¡± Lady Daphne asked cautiously as if she were talking to a wild animal that might

    snap at any moment. She wasn¡¯t wrong to treat Melody that way¡ªshe was always a small misstep

    away from screaming at someone.

    ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a shameless maid. She fell on Prince William¡¯s chest in hopes he would notice her.¡±

    Melody scoffed and seated herself on one of the couches between thedies. ¡°She clearly believes the

    ridiculous rumors that he¡¯d take any maid to bed.¡±

    The loudest silence Doris had ever heard filled the room, not onedy dared to respond. They all knew

    what Melody was referring to, they knew she¡¯d heard the gossip they all spread about her. She took her

    opportunity to make a statement by abusing Doris and using her as an example. By the looks on their

    faces, it had worked. ¡°I¡¯m thedy that Prince William chose himself and titled. Not a silly maid

    anymore. If any of you think of continuing to speak of me so little, I¡¯ll make sure to repay the favor.¡± The

    ladies stared at Melody with their lips parted, after a moment she smiled brightly again as if it never

    happened. ¡°Now, let¡¯s not let this nonsense ruin our day. Let¡¯s have some tea.¡±

    Melody waved her hand and locked eyes with Doris as someone closed the door in her face, still

    kneeling on the cold ground.

    Her knees grew numb, soon the chattering continued behind the door and it seemed the awkward

    moment was already forgotten. The sounds grew distant to her ears, she moved to lean back against

    the wall as her vision blurred. After a horrible sleepless night, she finally felt the exhaustion tug on her

    senses. Doris closed her eyes for just a moment and soon the world faded away from her.

    Cold water sshed on her face, Doris woke with a gasp.

    ¡°How dare you sleep when you¡¯re being punished!¡± Melody stood with one hand on her hip and the

    other clenching an empty ss.

    Doris hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d fallen asleep, slowly she straightened herself and dried some of the water

    from her face. ¡°Sorry, mydy.¡±

    Melody snorted and crossed her arms. ¡°You honestly think you should be the one to take my ce,

    don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Doris paled. ¡°I have no desire to ever take your ce.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Melody gripped her chin to stare into her eyes. ¡°You should take a good look at yourself. Do

    you think this is the face that could ever win Prince William¡¯s heart?¡± Melody snorted. ¡°What a joke.¡±

    ¡°No, mydy. I know what my ce is in this castle, I never wanted Prince William¡¯s attention. My only

    job is to serve your needs, please believe me.¡± Doris wasn¡¯t lying, she didn¡¯t wish to be in Melody¡¯s

    shoes. The only thing she wanted was to make her happy enough until the amnesty was signed and

    she was free¡ªnothing more despite what Melody thought.

    Melody narrowed her eyes before she loosened her grip. ¡°Good. I hope you don¡¯t forget your own

    words. Now rise.¡±

    Doris gripped the wall to stand on shaky legs she could barely feel. ¡°Thank you, mydy.¡± Doris bowed

    her head and watched the drips of water slide off her face.

    ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± Melody said with a disgusted expression, but all Doris felt was relieved at her

    words.

    It wasn¡¯t a far walk to her room from Melody¡¯s, but it might as well have been miles. She slowly walked

    on her numb legs with her hand clenched to the wall so she wouldn¡¯t fall. The only thoughts that kept

    her going was her own warm bed and a bath to rid her of the past 24 hours.

    An elegant figure appeared at the end of the hall. When Doris noticed it was Lady Jane, she curtsied

    but the woman walked right past as if she didn¡¯t even notice Doris.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were good at scheming.¡± A voice said from behind her.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    #Chapter 15 I have no interest in you

    Doris stopped and turned towards the voice. Lady Jane slowly moved to face her, a ghost of a smile on

    her lips.

    ¡°Were you talking to me, mydy?¡± Doris asked with a polite smile.

    ¡°Do you see anyone else around that could ydy Melody so easily?¡±

    Doris¡¯ smile froze on her lips. ¡°y her?¡± Was this a joke? As much as Doris hated Melody, she would

    never dare y ady. Especially not one so cruel. No revenge was worth losing her life over.

    Lady Jane¡¯s smile grew as she walked gracefully towards Doris. ¡°Prince William has gone without an

    officialdy for so long, it¡¯s caused quite the jealousy between the girls at the pce. Those that fought

    with the other girls were never suitable for the title which was almost all of them. But Lady Melody was

    someone who had been marked by Prince William himself so he ignored her to see if she was fit enough

    for the role.¡±

    Doris only blinked at Lady Jane as if she didn¡¯t understand what thedy was implying.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t stop Melody¡¯s bribery, she would have been worth nothing to the prince. She would have

    never earned the chance to spend the night with the prince in his own bedroom.¡±

    Doris¡¯s eyes widened when she realized Lady Jane knew exactly what Doris had done. How on earth did

    she find out Doris never gave the gold to Prince William¡¯s valet?

    It dawned on her that Lady Jane kept an eye on everything to do with Prince William, including his

    maids. Ms. Shirley had gotten her tip, but Peter never received the money. It must have been so obvious.

    ¡°I apologize for taking the gold for myself, but I only took it out of greed. Please forgive me.¡± Doris

    lowered her head, sped her hands in front of her and spoke carefully. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you

    meant, mydy. If you say I¡¯m good at what you referred, how is it that I¡¯m still being punished by Lady

    Melody?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure why you¡¯re doing this, but be careful. The Golden Pce is too ruthless of a ce for

    someone soft like you to fit in here, don¡¯t get yourself involved in things you can¡¯t handle. It might devour

    you whole.¡±

    Doris understood her warning. She was indeed helping Melody, because she had to. It was the only way

    to secure her release when the amnesty was signed. If Melody was happy and kept her title, Doris would

    eventually be free.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Nothing could devour her, she promised herself. She would do whatever she had to do and be free of

    this ce. Even if it meant being kind to thest person that ever deserved it and swallowing all the

    abuse she suffered through daily.

    Doris released a breath and smiled again. ¡°I still don¡¯tpletely understand your words, but I¡¯m thankful

    for the reminder, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t keep on if you¡¯re not getting it. But if I were you, I would get rid of the gold as soon as

    possible. It will cause you more trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡± Lady Jane turned to leave.

    Doris hadn¡¯t even considered what to do with the gold, but Lady Jane was right. She had to get rid of it

    before someone found it on her.

    For the next few days, Doris anxiously waited to catch Peter alone. Every time she saw him, he was

    busy with some other matter that always had him surrounded by others. Each minute that passed only

    made her more nervous, the longer she kept the gold the more trouble she would be in. Would they

    throw her in the cell if Melody imed she was a thief? Thest thing she needed was to be marked as

    untrustworthy by the pce. No, she needed to get out of here. Not make more trouble for herself.

    Finally Doris caught him alone when he was walking the opposite way down the same hallway. Doris

    quickened her step and greeted him with a smile.

    ¡°Hello Peter! How¡¯re you doing today?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Doris. I¡¯m doing very well, how¡¯s yourdy?¡± Peter slowed his steps to talk with her though he didn¡¯t

    sound entirely happy. Clearly he was still burned about not receiving a tip thest time they spoke.

    Unfortunately for him, Lady Melody was now Prince William¡¯s favorite. At least to the eyes around the

    castle.

    ¡°She¡¯s doing well. Though there is something¡­¡± Doris quickly held out the gold for him to take just to rid

    herself of it. She didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence when Peter turned away from her and bowed. ¡°Your

    majesty.¡±

    Majesty? Doris swallowed and slowly turned to face Prince William. His face wore a mask of no emotion,

    she quickly curtsied. ¡°Your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Peter, go telldy Melody I will meet her for dinner in her room.¡± Prince William said with his eyes still on

    her.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty. I¡¯m on it.¡± Peter bowed before he left down the hall, leaving them alone.

    Doris nervously shifted her weight onto the other foot and tried to hide the gold in her hands. His gaze

    burned through her, she lifted her eyes to his own. ¡°Your majesty, if you don¡¯t need anything else I¡¯ll be

    going.¡±

    Doris turned, but the man grabbed her wrist and forced her to look back at him. ¡°Who¡¯s is it?¡± He asked

    between clenched teeth. Doris lowered her gaze to the gold.

    ¡°Is it yourdy¡¯s?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Oh! No, no.¡± Doris said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s mine¡­¡± She regretted the words as soon as they were out, she

    cringed at herself. How could she tell him it was hers! What was she thinking? Now he was going to think

    she wanted him in that way.

    He loosened his grip from surprise and shot her a disgusted look. ¡°Oh.¡±

    Doris felt the shame crawl up her throat as he buried any shards left of her dignity into the ground. She

    looked down at her feet and wished he would leave her alone already. The sound he made when he

    found out it was hers was what she expected from a man that hated her so.

    Prince William reached out his hand to raise her chin. She held her breath as he looked her over.

    ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t look that bad.¡± He inched closer to her and lowered his head to her neck. She could

    feel his warm breath on her skin. Her mind screamed at her to run from him before he sank his teeth into

    her like he did in her nightmare.

    He inhaled her scent, every bone in her body was frozen to his touch. ¡°And you smell good.¡± He

    whispered.

    Slowly, he raised his head until his lips hovered over her own. His blue eyes flickered down to her mouth

    and she wanted to push him as far as she could away from her. He couldn¡¯t kiss her, this was not

    happening! Her body felt hot, too hot. As if he doused her in his own body heat from a simple touch.

    What game was he ying? A moment ago he looked as if he were about to throw up at the thought of

    her wanting him, now he inhaled her as if she were his next meal to taste.

    No, I don¡¯t want this. Doris shouted in her mind. His hand curled around the back of her neck and she

    almost melted into him. What was happening to her? Her body was fighting her mind, she didn¡¯t want

    this, she didn¡¯t¡ª

    She heard the gold coins hit the floor beneath them as it slipped from her hand.

    His lips parted, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his mouth¡ª

    ¡°But, I have no interest in you.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    #Chapter 16 You don¡¯t know me?

    ¡°You stupid lying asshole.¡± Waylon growled in William¡¯s mind. ¡°Turn around and im our mate before I

    ¡ª¡°

    ¡°We aren¡¯t meant to have mates. It¡¯s our damned fate as a royal member, remember?¡± William cut off his

    wolf before the threats poured in.

    Of course, Waylon knew exactly why William was pushing away their mate.

    William¡¯s birth mother was the Alpha king¡¯s one and only fated mate and king Charles loved her with

    every fiber of his being. It almost killed his father when she died just months after she¡¯d given birth to

    William. What made it even worse was when the rumors started to spread that Luna Queen Cara herself

    had been the one to drug her out of pure jealousy.

    In the Golden Pce, true love meant nothing. Power was the only thing that mattered which meant the

    king never did get revenge for his mate. All he was left with was the scars from not being able to protect

    her. William did not want to be weak like his father because of a mate. He refused. William simply

    pushed out the images of her brown eyes and forced away the electric feeling he had whenever he was

    near her.

    ¡°I just wonder if we might be lucky with ours, you know.¡± Waylon said quietly, William didn¡¯t respond.

    Doris watched William disappear at the end of the hallway. She kneeled down once she was alone to

    slowly gather her coins back into the small bag. Her tears blurred her vision until she started to choke

    from them. Would her humiliation ever end in this pce?

    He has no interest in me.

    That¡¯s all I wanted.

    Wasn¡¯t it?

    Doris clenched her chest and felt the pain pulse beneath her hand. Why did his rejection hurt so much?

    He was a beast, a horrible man. She didn¡¯t want any of his affection¡ªso why was she crying? Doris

    furiously wiped her tears away and picked up thest of her coins before she headed to her room.

    It must have been because of the mark he¡¯d left on her, it was making her heart feel strange towards him

    when her head knew better. This was nothing more than a nightmare that wouldn¡¯t release her. His

    hatred and disgust of her was enough to push him far from her mind. At least she knew he wouldn¡¯t try to

    call on her now. She wondered what he would do if he saw his mark on her neck, would he be horrified

    at himself that he marked a maid like her?

    Doris had barely gotten toy down for five minutes before another maid showed up at her door. The girl

    popped her head in the room without a knock, Doris almost stumbled out of bed. ¡°Lady Melody asked

    you to serve her and Prince William for dinner tonight, Doris. You¡¯d better hurry before she gets mad.¡±

    Doris cursed silently and asked herself yet again why Melody decided to choose her of all the maids in

    the castle to be herdy¡¯s maid? Doris made Melody angry by just existing, surely there were other girls

    in the pce she liked enough not to re at all day. Perhaps she only wanted someone she was

    allowed to yell at, that must have been it.

    Prince William was thest person in this kingdom she wanted to see, but now it seemed it would be

    unavoidable. Doris only wondered what Melody would do this time to embarrass her in front of him and

    make her torture worse.

    The second Doris arrived to Melody¡¯s door, she was already scolding her. ¡°What took you so long?

    Prince William has been waiting for ages for you to serve us! How dare you make the prince wait for

    you!¡±

    ¡°I apologize mydy and majesty.¡± Doris curtsied, her eyes anywhere but him.

    ¡°Just serve the dinner already.¡± Melody huffed at the table and crossed her arms over her chest like a

    child. Prince William wasn¡¯t looking at either of them.

    Doris brought out their dishes and carefully set each one in front of them. The smell made her stomach

    turn, it¡¯d been a while since she had a moment to eat anything more than a snack between her duties.

    Melody never let her snack around her, she always had to slip away before she could eat anything.

    After they finished their courses, Doris cleared the table and brought coffee out to serve. She made the

    mistake of locking eyes with Prince William for just a moment¡ªhe stared at her with a look of pure

    hatred in his gaze once again. It was like a fire in his blue eyes, no one had ever looked at her like that.

    The sight startled her, she stumbled a bit and the hot coffee sshed over the rim and scorched her

    hand.

    Doris gasped, quickly setting down the tray to hold her hand to her chest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡ª¡°

    Melody gasped as if she was the one who got burned. ¡°How dare you¡ª¡°

    ¡°Out.¡± Prince William¡¯s deep voice cut through the air and silenced both of them. Doris dared a nce at

    the man that wouldn¡¯t even look at her as he ordered her out of the room without a trace of pity.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Melody said after a beat. ¡°Get out of here!¡±

    Doris bit her lip and turned to leave without another word. She felt nothing but agony in every inch of her

    body. It was hard to tell if her heart or hand hurt worse, but at the moment she didn¡¯t even care anymore.

    She was just d to be free of both of them. For a wild moment, she imagined herself running out the

    front doors of the castle and never looking back. If she wasn¡¯t a maid bound here by the alpha king, she

    would have. One day she would get to throw away her horrible uniform and wear whatever she wanted.

    She would serve no one but herself and stand up to anyone that tried to step on her and make her feel

    small and weak.

    Doris wasn¡¯t weak, even if everyone else thought she was. She knew she wasn¡¯t. She¡¯d survived blood,

    sweat, and tears over the years at the pce, she wasn¡¯t about to give up now because of a rotten

    prince and his crueldy. Not when she was so close to being free of them both. Doris looked down at

    her red hand and knew it would leave painful blisters by the morning, she could already feel the areas

    they would hurt the most.

    Fresh air dried some of her tears. Doris wandered into the gardens and found a bench to rest on. Slowly,

    she inhaled the scent of grass and flowers and tried to calm herself down. He was not worth her tears¡ª

    neither of them were. Only the pain from her hand was reason enough to cry¡ªnothing more.

    ¡°Oh my, did you burn your hand?¡± A man appeared at her side, Doris almost flinched away from the

    stranger but he smiled at her. He looked a little younger than herself, perhaps 18 or 19. He had an

    innocent lopsided grin that wasced with concern as his eyes flickered down to her hand she cradled in

    herp. He was handsome in a boyish way with light eyes and light brown hair, but Doris didn¡¯t recognize

    him.

    When Doris didn¡¯t reply, he gently went to raise her wrist up to have a better look. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look

    good, let me see¡ª¡°

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Doris snatched her hand away from him. Thest thing she needed was a stranger

    touching her burn. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    He blinked at Doris as if he was confused by her question. ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    #Chapter 17 Good day, Prince William

    Doris studied his features, there was definitely something familiar about him. He was dressed in a dark

    suit that looked simr to the ones guards wore, but he was quite young still. Something about the way

    he moved made her think he was a bit of a reckless boy, a little far off from the proper way men moved

    around the Pce. For some reason, it made her smile a little.

    ¡°Are you Prince William¡¯s Beta? A new guard for the pce?¡± Doris asked.

    He looked at her with his head tilted slightly, a big smile crawled up his lips. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And who

    are you? I haven¡¯t seen you around here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mdy Melody¡¯s maid.¡± Doris stood and brushed off her skirts before she turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait,¡± he said and lightly touched her arm. Doris turned to look up at him. ¡°Let me have a look at your

    burn.¡± He gently took her wrist in his grasp and stepped closer.

    Doris¡¯s lips parted in shock. He was reckless indeed, despite his warm intentions what he was doing

    wouldnd them both in trouble if anyone saw them. She¡¯d never had a guard reach out and touch her

    like this before.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re new here but you have to know that we must follow the rules in the pce!¡± Doris

    whispered and raised her hand for him to see. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch the maids around the pce,

    so this can¡¯t happen again. They might think you¡¯re flirting with me or something and we¡¯d both get in

    trouble!¡±

    The young man smiled but didn¡¯t let go of her hand. ¡°Okay, I hear you.¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Doris went to pull her arm free but he kept his grip firm in the area that wouldn¡¯t hurt her. He pulled out a

    small tube of ointment from his pocket and spread it gently across her burn with his middle finger.

    ¡°There you go, now it won¡¯t leave a scar.¡± He grinned and let go of her hand before he lifted his own.

    ¡°See my hand? I was injured by a bombst week but now it¡¯s all good thanks to that stuff.¡±

    Doris rested her hand on her chest in shock. A bomb? He must have gone through so much to be

    chosen as Prince William¡¯s guard. Only the best of the best were ever recruited into the pce. Did they

    put this young man through some sort of dangerous test to see if he was good enough for the pce?

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Doris breathed with a small smile. Already the ointment was cooling the pain from

    her burn. She rxed her shoulders at the feeling.

    ¡°It was no big deal.¡± He scratched the back of his head and gave her another charming grin. ¡°May I have

    your name?¡±

    ¡°Doris.¡±

    ¡°Doris¡­¡± He said her name as if he were trying to burn it into his mind. ¡°I love it.¡±

    Doris couldn¡¯t help but flush under his gaze. He had an easy smile that anyone would warm up to. His

    light eyes shined brighter than the stars in the dark sky above them. He was sure to be popr among

    the younger maids in the pce. She was just happy to see another friendly face around, there weren¡¯t

    many of those at the Golden Pce. It was rare to find someone kind enough to offer their help if you

    weren¡¯t royal.

    ¡°And yours?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°Mine?¡±

    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s your name?¡± Doris asked with augh.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Da¡ªDavid.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s lovely to meet you David.¡±

    Days had passed almost peacefully since that night. Every time Prince William came to visit Melody,

    Doris always found an excuse to leave. Melody was too much in a good mood from all of his attention to

    even notice she was gone. That was all she was thankful for.

    Doris finally found a small slot of time to visit her best friend again, so she made Beth¡¯s favorite dessert.

    Doris carefully wrapped the strawberry cake and made her way towards her old room with a heavy heart,

    she missed sharing a room with someone that cared about her.

    Her steps were almost automatic down the halls. As she rounded a corner, someone jumped out at her.

    ¡°Doris! We meet again,¡± David reached out to steady her when she almost dropped the cake.

    ¡°Oh, David! How are you?¡± Doris breathed.

    ¡°Quite fine, thank you. How¡¯s your hand?¡± He asked.

    ¡°All good now thanks to you.¡± Doris lifted her hand to show him, but his eyes were only on the cake box.

    David licked his lips and Doris couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Do you want some?¡±

    He gave her a crooked smile and scratched the back of his head.

    ¡°Here, take it. I have more in the kitchen.¡±

    David didn¡¯t hesitate, he opened the box and took out a piece for himself. Doris watched as he took a

    large bite and grinned at her through all the icing. ¡°I¡¯m starving. I¡¯ve been at camp all morning and

    haven¡¯t had the chance to eat anything.¡±

    Dorisughed a little as frosting coated his lips. He ate like a little boy. It would be so wonderful to have a

    little brother like him, she thought suddenly to herself with a small smile. She never had the privilege of

    having a younger sibling, but it was something she always longed for. Especially when she¡¯d met people

    like David.

    She took out a handkerchief from her apron and stepped forward to wipe the frosting from his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s

    all yours, take it easy!¡± Sheughed.

    David blushed under her touch. ¡°It¡¯s the best cake I think I¡¯ve ever had.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Doris grinned.

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Well, next time you want dessert you¡¯ll have toe find me. I have tons of recipes you might like.¡±

    Doris smiled kindly.

    ¡°You look so beautiful when you smile.¡± He said suddenly. Doris lightly hit him with the handkerchief.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± He said quickly. ¡°Everyone in the kingdom said that Lady Grace was the most beautiful. And of

    course Lady Melody is gorgeous as well¡ªbut I think you are prettier than both of them when you smile.¡±

    Doris shook her head at the reckless boy. It was a wonder how he could ever think topare a maid

    like Doris to Lady Grace and Lady Melody. She rolled her eyes at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the sweet talker, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll make another cake for you tomorrow, is that what you

    want? Now shush and eat.¡±

    David furrowed his brows at her and shook his head. He opened his mouth to exin himself, but was

    cut off by loud voices down the hall. ¡°Prince Daniel!¡± They shouted.

    ¡°Have you found the prince yet?¡±

    ¡°No¡ª¡°

    ¡°Go on then! The Alpha King asked to see him.¡±

    Doris nced towards the voices, confused. ¡°Prince Daniel? Why would they search for him here?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he came to visit Prince William, I should go help them look.¡± David said quickly.

    Doris grabbed his arm before he turned. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t go with this mess,¡± She teased as she wiped the

    rest of the cake off his face.

    He grinned down at her and turned to leave, throwing a quick wave over his shoulder before he was out

    of sight.

    He was such a cutie, Doris couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched him leave. She slowly wiped the

    frosting from her own fingers and turned to head back towards the kitchen. At least she made more cake,

    surely Beth wouldn¡¯t mind if she shared it with someone as kind as David¡ª

    Her smile froze when she saw someone across the hall watching her. Thest person she ever wanted

    to see. Doris lowered her gaze and curtsied. ¡°Good day, Prince William.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    #Chapter 18 You stay here

    William didn¡¯t say a word or move an inch. Doris raised her gaze to find him staring at her quietly.

    Goosebumps lined her skin as the moment stretched, she nervously clenched the cake box in her hand

    but felt too afraid to move. She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, only helped someone clean up¡ªthat was

    all.

    After what felt like hours, he snorted. ¡°You seem to be quite popr with men, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Doris was too stunned to respond for a beat, by the time she found her words again¡ªhe was already

    gone. It wasn¡¯t like anything she said would¡¯ve mattered to him, he didn¡¯t care anyway. Doris had the

    feeling that she would never be good enough in his eyes, so why would he care to begin with?

    After dinner, Dorisid out Melody¡¯s nightgown and began to prepare her for bed. As she untied her hair

    bun, Prince William¡¯s footman knocked on the door.

    ¡°Evening, Lady Melody.¡± He bowed when Doris opened the door wider for him.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Melody asked, running her fingers through her long blonde curls.

    ¡°Prince William has requested you apany him tonight.¡± He sped his hands behind his back. ¡°In

    his bedroom.¡±

    Melody beamed and rushed forward to tip the man. It¡¯d been days since she¡¯d spent the night with him.

    Sometimes he came to have dinner with her, but never stayed. Doris could tell it was starting to weigh on

    her emotions again, but now it seemed he wanted her to be in his bed tonight.

    ¡°Mydy, I don¡¯t mean to rush you but Prince William did ask to see you as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Of course! One moment please,¡± She closed the door and turned to re at Doris. ¡°What are you just

    standing there for! Come help me,¡±

    Doris silently sighed and moved to help Melody with her makeup. How would she possibly get out of this

    one?

    She¡¯d mostly avoided Prince William since that horrible dinner incident¡ªthest thing she wanted to do

    was sit outside their room all night while they had sex again. She still had nightmares about thest time

    she was forced to listen throughout the night.

    Doris¡¯s hands became a little shaky. There was no way she¡¯d find another maid to take her ce tonight.

    It was already much toote and she wasn¡¯t even sure if she would be able to find one before¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯lle with me tonight.¡± Melody demanded, silencing her frantic thoughts. Melody stood and

    gestured for Doris to hurry up.

    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± Doris bowed her head and followed her out the door.

    They arrived to Prince William¡¯s chamber much sooner than she expected. She wiped her sweaty hands

    on her apron and tried to stay out of sight until Melody disappeared behind the door with nothing more

    than a satisfied smirk on her lips.

    Well, here goes another sleepless night.

    Doris sat as far away from his door as she could manage, but it wasn¡¯t far enough to muffle their noises.

    She sped her hands to her ears when she heard the first moan and pressed as hard as she could.

    She knew by now it was no use, but at least it wasn¡¯t as loud. There was no one else in the hallway, their

    sounds echoed off the walls and always found their way back to her despite how mush she didn¡¯t want to

    hear it.

    A few momentster, they silenced. Doris slowly removed her ears but kept them cupped in case it

    started up again¡ªbut it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°My prince?¡± Said a sweet voice. A sweet, confused voice.

    ¡°You may go back now.¡± His voice sounded a little rough, Doris straightened a little as she listened.

    ¡°I¡ªDid you not want to continue my prince?¡± Melody¡¯s voice sounded small, embarrassed. It dawned on

    Doris that they must not have had sex yet¡ªit would be extremely humiliating for Melody to be sent away

    now. The otherdies would never let her hear the end of it, and they would easily find out if they saw her

    walk back to her own room at this time of night.

    ¡°I want to be alone tonight.¡± He said, annoyed. ¡°Just leave.¡±

    After a long silence, Doris heard a bit of clothes rustling and small, frustrated grunts. ¡°Ask your maid to

    help you.¡± Prince William said, he¡¯d almost sounded bored by the whole encounter.

    Melody opened the door a crack, Doris sprang up from where she was seated. ¡°Get in here!¡± Melody

    red at her, but tried her hardest to keep her voice somewhat sweet around the prince. Doris almost

    rolled her eyes, she could practically feel the rageing from Melody and of course it was only aimed

    at Doris. Everything was her fault in Melody¡¯s eyes.

    Doris pushed open the door and saw the prince leaning back against his headboard, half naked. He

    didn¡¯t open his eyes as she entered, she wondered how he could possibly fall asleep so quickly or if he

    was just pretending so he didn¡¯t have to look at either of them. The sight angered her, she turned her

    gaze away before he saw it written on her face.

    Melody stood close to the bed with her back to Doris. Her bodice¡¯scing had knotted a bit as if it was

    almost torn. Doris carefully uced the delicate string before redoing it. The whole time Doris worked,

    Melody kept turning her head to look back at the prince. It was obvious how much she wished he would

    say something to her, anything. She probably hoped he would change his mind before she left. But he

    didn¡¯t.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way then, my prince.¡± Melody said. her voice a little nervous.

    Prince William nodded, but didn¡¯t bother to open his eyes.

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    As they headed to the door, they both froze at his voice. ¡°Tea, please.¡±

    Doris quickly nced around the room but she knew there was no other servant around. She nced

    back to see a furious Melody already leaving. ¡°Go on! Get Prince William some tea.¡± She demanded over

    her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

    If it wasn¡¯t the prince¡¯s room, Doris bet she would have mmed the door so hard it would have

    splintered. But she didn¡¯t, the door clicked closed normally and the sound rang through Doris. They were

    completely alone now.

    She took a deep breath and moved to pour some tea in a cup. Her shaky hands managed to bring it to

    him without spilling a drop. ¡°Here you are, your majesty.¡± Doris said quietly, her voice just as shaky as

    her hands.

    He watched her for a moment before he took the cup from her. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    Doris felt her heart speed up as she met his eyes. They were the color of a stormy sea, it was hard to

    admit how lovely they were when they weren¡¯t filled with hate. His hair was a mess, her fingers itched to

    run her fingers through it just to fix it. Part of her liked how unkept he looked in this moment. It bloomed a

    bit of heat inside her when she realized how intimate it all was. His muscled chest was on full disy, but

    she was careful not to let her eyes stray from his own.

    Doris felt her cheeks heat up, she lowered her head a little at his words. What exactly did he mean by

    that? She was too afraid to ask. Did he know she was the one he marked? Had he always known?

    He swallowed his tea in tworge gulps and handed her the cup, her blood spiked when their hands

    brushed.

    After she cleaned up the mess, she opened the door to leave for the night but froze when he spoke to

    her back.

    ¡°You stay here.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    #Chapter 19 The night isn¡¯t over yet

    Doris looked down at her hand on the door handle and kept silent for a moment. She didn¡¯t just hear that

    ¡ª

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Close the door. Since yourdy has left, you stay here to serve.¡± William said simply.

    Doris slowly turned to face him. Stay with him alone? For the whole night? Why would he want her to do

    that?

    ¡°Your majesty, I should go get Peter. I¡¯m sure he would¡ª¡°

    ¡°Are you defying me?¡± He frowned and sat up a little more.

    ¡°No! Of course not,¡± Doris said quickly.

    ¡°Then shut the door.¡±

    Doris let out a low sigh and turned back to the door. Her nightmare wasing true, wasn¡¯t it? How

    would she ever survive the night alone with him?

    ¡°I¡ªI can wait out in the hallways, your majesty.¡± She offered, a bit of hope dangled inside her that he

    would let her leave. After all, he hated her. Didn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be d you¡¯re here?¡± He snorted, she flinched at the sound. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted

    when you tried to tip Peter?¡±

    Doris burned at his words, but stayed silent. She couldn¡¯t tell him the real reason she was bribing Peter.

    She lowered her eyes to the ground and went to sit at the chair near his end table. She picked at her

    nails and tried not to focus on how close she was to his bed.

    Her eyes shot to him when he sighed. ¡°Candle.¡± He reminded her.

    ¡°Oh! Yes, your majesty.¡± Doris leaned forward to blow out the candle on the side table.

    The room fell into darkness, she carefully seated herself back on the chair and folded her hands on her

    lap. She could hear him settle into bed, rolling back and forth as his breathing steadied. She¡¯d never

    been in the same room with a man as he slept¡ªit was odd.

    Doris slowly released her own breath and closed her eyes to clear her mind. His room smelled lovely and

    inviting. Much different from the stench of alcohol on him that night he attacked her. This was more

    unique to him, almost like a stormy morning and pine. It was intoxicating.

    His breath was deep and heavy, she felt her mouth was much too dry. She swallowed nervously just as

    he said, ¡°Tea.¡±

    Tea again? Doris wondered to herself. He¡¯d just had a cup, perhaps he couldn¡¯t sleep.

    She quickly stood and tried not to trip over herself in the darkness as she poured him another cup.

    When she leaned over to hand it to him, he grabbed her wrist. The cup shattered against the floor as she

    was pulled on top of him. ¡°Oh!¡± She gasped at his strength, her mind shed back to that night when he

    pinned her beneath him.

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    She could feel his hot skin through her uniform, she scrambled to stand up but he grabbed both her

    hands. Their eyes locked, she saw a bit of a storm in his gaze. His eyes lowered to her mouth and

    suddenly he flipped them over so he was on top of her. He pressed her into his silk sheets, she gripped

    his bare shoulders and tried to push him off her. ¡°Please let me go!¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re ying hard to get?¡± She could hear the smirk in his voice, her eyes blurred with tears. His

    face fell when she kept shaking her head and struggling. ¡°You really know how to earn a man¡¯s heart,

    don¡¯t you?¡± He said with a bite to his words, but Doris thought she heard something other than anger.

    She thought she heard jealously.

    Did he want to punish her?

    ¡°Unfortunately, it won¡¯t work on me.¡± William lowered his voice as his eyes raked her features for any

    sign she¡¯d felt their mate bond like he did. It didn¡¯t seem like she felt it at all, perhaps if she did she

    wouldn¡¯t be ying with his emotions. On one hand, he¡¯d caught her trying to get his attention more than

    once, on the other, she¡¯d been nice to everyone except him.

    He had to shut down his feelings, he had to let Waylon take over before he grew more irritated.

    The beast inside him growled happily at his decision. The smell of his mate excited him, he instantly

    reached to undress her. She pushed at him with all of her stretch and managed to get out from under

    him. Her dress tore down the front and left her almost bare in her undergarments.

    William stared at her in shock when he saw her mark¡ªthe real mark he¡¯d left upon her neck. Waylon

    crackled silently. ¡°I told you it was her.¡±

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t want to sleep with me?¡± He asked quietly, d the darkness hid his face enough. He

    flinched at himself when he heard the hurt in his own tone, it wasn¡¯t like him to sound sad over a girl.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, I never wanted to.¡± Doris breathed, trying to calm herself. She would not cry in front of him, she

    would not copse. Doris lifted her chin, she would be strong.

    Yes, many girls would kill to be in her shoes. They would probably call her crazy for not joining him in

    bed, even for one night. That was the kind of girl he wanted. Someone that gave up their dignity,

    freedom, even their lives for him and his wealth. They dressed up every day desperately hoping for his

    attention or even an extra nce from him. They fought with each other over who would be his favorite

    as if they could win that title if they were cruel enough to each other.

    But that was not what Doris wanted. She would take the abuse Melody gave her if it meant the amnesty

    would be signed. But there was no way she would ever give up her freedom for some man. Even if that

    man was a handsome prince.

    No¡­ never in a million years..

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Prince William sounded shocked from her response as if he fully believed she

    wanted him this whole time.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to serve you, not sleep with you your majesty.¡± Doris responded quietly.

    ¡°And if I insist?¡± Prince William threatened, though his heart didn¡¯t sound in it.

    Doris stepped back and nced around the room. She picked up one of the butter knives resting by the

    tea pot and pointed it at him.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re gonna murder me with a dull knife?¡±

    Doris pointed the sharp end towards her neck. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, but if you insisted I would end my life

    right here before you could touch me.¡±

    Prince William stared at her silently for a moment before he finally spoke. ¡°Alright, put it down. I won¡¯t

    touch you again.¡±

    ¡°Will you keep your word?¡±

    Prince William scoffed, ¡°What? You think I¡¯m so desperate to sleep with a fucking maid?¡±

    Doris lowered the knife and turned towards the door.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Doris nced back at him with confusion in her gaze.

    ¡°As you said yourself, you¡¯re here to serve. The night isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    She nced down at herself. Her undergarments were on full disy from the rip down the front of her

    dress. Her hair was unbound from her proper braid¡ªshe looked like a mess. He must love the idea that

    he was humiliating her.

    Well, she wouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction.

    ¡°Alright, your majesty. I¡¯ll be here.¡± She calmly returned herself to the chair by his bed.

    The night air chilled her bare flesh, she hugged herself and closed her eyes tightly. Praying to the moon

    goddess that she would be able to leave soon.

    Light poured in from the long windows across from her. Doris blinked the sleep away from her eyes and

    slowly sat up. She felt warm, Doris looked down to see a coat was draped over her body. She nced

    up to see Prince William fully dressed, seated on the edge of the bed with his back to her.

    ¡°Leave.¡± Was all he said.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    #Chapter 20 You¡¯re nothing like ady

    Doris walked to her room wearing Prince William¡¯s coat over her torn dress. It was huge on her, it fell

    past her knees and gave her a small sense offort from the warmth. It even smelled like him, but that

    wasn¡¯t something she cared to remember. As Doris reached her door, she noticed Ms. Shirley and two

    other maids were gathered in front of it. They turned when they heard her approach and she could see

    the smirk crawl up their faces as they observed her. Great, Doris was sure a rumor was already

    spreading about her night with the prince. No one would believe her when she would tell them she didn¡¯t

    sleep with him. The gossip of ady¡¯s maid sleeping with the prince was just too good for them to believe

    anything else.

    ¡°Good morning, Doris. Lady Melody asked to see you immediately.¡± Ms. Shirley said.

    Doris swallowed and went to step past them to get into her room, but they wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°May I have a

    moment to change first? I¡¯ll be fast¡ª¡°

    ¡°Lady Melody demanded you be present now. Please don¡¯t make this harder than it has to be.¡± Ms.

    Shirley threw a look at the other maids and the girls quickly came up to stand on both sides of Doris so

    she would walk where they wanted her to. Melody would surely lose it if she saw Doris with a torn dress

    and Prince William¡¯s coat. Doris shivered at the thought of what Melody might do to her for this.

    When they arrived to Melody¡¯s door, the first thing she noticed was the velvet bag on the table. Doris

    paled when she realized it was the bag of gold she hadn¡¯t had a chance to pass on to Peter after she

    kept it, but she thought she¡¯d hidden it so well¡ªMelody stood from the table angrily when she saw Doris.

    She must have searched her room after she left Prince William¡¯s chamberst night. No doubt looking for

    something that wouldnd her in trouble. She found the only thing in her room that she didn¡¯t want

    anyone to find.

    ¡°Mydy, we¡¯ve brought Doris.¡± Ms. Shirley announced, Melody walked out with fire in her eyes. Doris

    stumbled back when the two maids let her go and moved out of Melody¡¯s way.

    ¡°You stupid bitch!¡± She screamed as she barreled into Doris and knocked her to the hard ground. Once

    she was down, Melody kicked her stomach as hard as she could with her pointed heels.

    ¡°Mydy, please¡­¡± Doris tried to beg but was only offered several more kicks to her stomach, it became

    too painful to try and speak. Each time she opened her mouth, a bit of blood dripped out.

    ¡°How dare you keep the gold for yourself like some nasty thief!¡± Melody shouted. Would anyone help

    her? Or would they only watch as she was beaten by Melody? ¡°What were you going to do with it? Bribe

    Peter? To make him sweet talk William about you so you can sleep with him?¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Doris coughed out. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to harm you, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Oh no? So why did the prince make me leave and you stayst night?¡±

    Doris opened her mouth to exin, but saw Melody¡¯s anger re when she noticed who¡¯s coat she had

    on as well as all the marks on her skin he¡¯d leftst night from their fight. Doris tried to brace herself, but

    it didn¡¯t work against each of Melody¡¯s aggressive hits.

    Melody bared her teeth and kicked Doris harder than she had before. Doris screamed for mercy, but

    Melody refused to give it. Soon Doris felt faint as blood blurred her vision, she tried to curl herself up but

    Melody only kicked harder. Ms. Shirley and the other maids finally pulled Melody away from Doris, clearly

    shocked by her actions. Where were they earlier when she was screaming for help?

    ¡°Mydy, please stop. You¡¯re killing her!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right, I am going to kill her!¡± Melody screamed, it was thest thing Doris heard before she

    saw darkness.

    She wasn¡¯t sure how many minutes or hours passed when she woke up, but the moment she opened

    her eyes, every sense of pain mmed into her at once. She groaned from the feeling, too afraid to

    move and make it worse. Her entire body trembled as she silently sobbed, blood leaked from her lips.

    ¡°Mydy, she¡¯s not lying. Prince William didn¡¯t sleep with her despite the room being messy.¡± Ms. Shirley

    said cautiously.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s protocol to mark down the names of all the girls the princes spend the night with in the Golden

    Pce.¡±

    Melody was silent for a moment. ¡°So, she just stole my money?¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±

    Doris saw Melody near her with a new look in her eyes. It was worse than all of sneers or res of

    hatred. This one looked like the cruelty of a killer, Doris only hoped she was quick about it. When she

    reached Doris, she stepped on her hand without any sense of hesitation. Doris opened her mouth to

    scream, but no sound came out. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back in the blood beneath

    her.

    ¡°You stupid bitch, I can¡¯t believe you stole my money!¡± Melody pressed harder, Doris heard her bone

    crack beneath her shoe. She screamed in agony, but the moon goddess did not answer her prayers. It

    urred to Doris that she was about to die. Not by a wolf, or the monster in her dreams, but by a girl that

    used to be a maid just like her. ¡°Fortunately, Prince William loves me despite your attempts at pulling us

    apart¡ª¡°

    Doris wanted to exin herself, to tell Melody she only did it with good intentions¡ªnot to hurt her. But

    she was too hurt to even get a word out. Would she even listen if she could? Doris had the feeling that

    Melody had always wanted to get rid of her. She¡¯d never once shown kindness over the year towards

    Doris, it was always hatred. Even when Doris tried to be the bigger person and offer her friendship, she

    never wanted it.

    Suddenly, her foot was lifted off her hand but the pain was still intense.

    ¡°P-prince William!¡± Melody gasped, Doris looked up to see William lift Melody above the ground by her

    neck, choking her. She wed at his hands as if she couldn¡¯t breathe, but he didn¡¯t loosen his grip.

    Ms. Shirley and the other maids kneeled to the ground, begging for Melody. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ please have

    a little mercy.¡± Doris watched them with her own bite of hatred, they didn¡¯t care as much when it was

    Doris who was about to die.

    William stared into Melody¡¯s wide, frantic eyes and dropped her. ¡°You¡¯re nothing like ady.¡± He spat.

    Melody gasped for air and straightened. ¡°Your majesty, I¡ªI was only punishing her because she stole a

    bag of gold from me! I asked her to tip Peter but she kept it for herself. If I didn¡¯t search her roomst

    night, you never know how much she would have tried to steal from the pce¡­¡± Melody spoke quickly,

    Prince William only stared at her.

    He tilted his head slightly as a silence followed. His eyes grew dark when he finally spoke.

    ¡°Did you just say it was yours?¡±

 Chapter 21

    <strong>Chapter 21 Leave her</strong>

    No, don¡¯t admit it!

    Doris silently begged Melody not to say a word about the tip. If she admitted it was hers, Prince William wouldn¡¯t want her anymore. And Doris needed him to want her. Lady Jane told Doris he tested Melody to see if she would grow impatient and bribe his valet to get into his favors, she had¡ªbut Doris stopped it for Melody¡¯s own good. Didn¡¯t she realize that she helped her in the end? The gold didn¡¯t matter one bit, but it was no use trying to defend herself. Melody would always see the wrong in everything Doris did, even the things that weren¡¯t true. It was fine, Doris would let her believe she was a thief. Perhaps she might be lucky enough to be released back into her old position at the library.

    The pain made her almost dizzy, she couldn¡¯t part her lips without it vibrating through her very bone and making her groan from agony. It was no use, nobody would listen to her now even if she tried.

    ¡°Yes it¡¯s mine I gave it to her to tin Peter for all the kind help he has offered to me. I didn¡¯t expect her to take it for herself!¡± Melody¡¯s eyes grew wide and innocent as she looked up at Prince William. Dorisid her head back against the floor when it felt was too heavy to keep up. At least Melody knew how to think of a quick excuse, Doris only hoped Prince William wouldn¡¯t see right through the shimmering lie.

    The room almost darkened when his rage seeped through. Everyone tensed and threw nervous nces at each other. He turned his sharp re on Doris, in his eyes she could practically hear his words ring through her head. You lied to me. So what if she had? Nothing mattered anymore, Doris would be lucky to see the daylight break tomorrow. His anger was the least of her concerns when sheid in her own blood.

    Melody stepped forward cautiously, her hands shook a little when she raised them towards him as if she were approaching a beast. Which wasn¡¯t very far off from the truth. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯m so sorry this has disturbed you. I will get her out of here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you treat your servants.¡±

    He spat, Doris flinched as a bloom of a new sort of hurt pierced her chest. ¡°But this disgraceful scene¡ªdon¡¯t ever let me see you act that way again. This is not how ady acts.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, of course your majesty.¡± Melody bowed her head, her cheeks pink. Doris hoped she was at the very least embarrassed for what she¡¯d done, even though Prince William didn¡¯t seem to care one bit what happened to Doris.

    ¡°I came here for a reason.¡± Prince William said calmly, his back straight and eyes dark as he looked down at Melody. ¡°As mydy, you¡¯re responsible for hosting Luna Queen¡¯s birthday party this year.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes, of course!¡± Melody¡¯s face brightened as she sped her hands excitedly. ¡°Thank you, your majesty. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Doris closed her eyes for a moment as they spoke. It was obvious why Melody was so excited, it meant herdyship was finally being recognized in the Golden Pce by assigning her this task. Doris was relieved, even though she shouldn¡¯t be. Melody didn¡¯t deserve anything good happening to her, but if she stayed on his good side¡ªDoris would be free in a few months. That¡¯s all that truly mattered.

    If she could stay alive that long, at least.

    Before William stepped out, he stopped in front of Doris. She flinched a little as if she knew he was there, but didn¡¯t want to open her bruised eyes to look up at him. She didn¡¯t want a lick of pity from the prince, or anyone for that matter.

    ¡°You need to get our mate a doctor,¡± Waylon growled, his anger roared through him. ¡°I¡¯m gonna rip that woman in half for what she did to her.¡±

    William ignored the rage and left without another word.

    Doris was sent to the medical ward, though she couldn¡¯t really remember much about her journey there. The only thing she remembered was the feeling of soft sheets against her aching skin before she saw darkness.

    When she finally woke the next morning, the pain still lingered. Her hand was bandaged and her gown was clean¡ªa relief considering she was certain she would wake in a pool of her own blood again. Doris always knew her life meant little here at the golden pce, she¡¯d never forget how true that was afterst night. It didn¡¯t make sense why she even cared that Prince William had no regard for her life, it shouldn¡¯t havee as a shock when she knew that was the case all along. He¡¯d seen the mark that he left on her the night he tore her dress off, hadn¡¯t he? Or maybe he hadn¡¯t¡ªIt didn¡¯t matter, Doris was only d he still wanted Melody and not her.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Doris slowly tried to sit up and saw Beth seated by her bed with concern on her features. She looked terrified to see Doris like this.

    ¡°Beth, you¡¯re here!¡± Doris said weakly, Beth quickly made hery back again.

    ¡°Easy there, Doris. The doctor just came by and demanded you get a proper rest.¡± Beth stood. ¡°I made your favorite meal.¡±

    ¡°They allowed you toe visit me?¡± Doris spoke quietly, her throat hurt too much to speak any louder. Everything hurt, if she was honest.

    ¡°I heard what Melody did to you and asked for a leave toe visit you. You know how fast gossip travels here.¡± Beth said gently as she prepared a te. Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to eat any of it, but would try for her friend. It did smell awfully good.

    ¡°Thank you, Beth. It means a lot that you came to visit me.¡± Doris tried to smile.

    ¡°Oh please! I know you would do the same for me in a heartbeat.¡± Beth set the steaming te on a tray as she eyed Doris from top to bottom. She frowned as she took in the sight of all the bandages and bruises. Doris could see the sadness in her eyes. ¡°You must be in so much pain.¡±

    Doris looked down at her bandaged hands and swallowed. She realized that the only person in the world who truly cared for her wellbeing was here with her. For that, she was grateful.

    ¡°I knew from the moment Melody demanded you to be her Lady¡¯s Maid that she was going to use every chance she could to abuse you.¡± Beth set the tray by her table and crossed her arms. ¡°She is the absolute worst¡ª¡±

    ¡°I suppose you can¡¯t me it all on her, since she thinks I stole her money.¡± Doris said bitterly, grateful to have at least one person on her side. Her heart swelled for a moment when she realized how much she missed Beth. She missed sharing a room with her and hearing all about thetest gossip while she minded her own business. She missed her life before Melody forced her to be herdy¡¯s maid and made her life even worse than it already was.

    ¡°I just¡ªI feel so terrible when I see you like this.¡± Beth leaned down to grip Doris¡¯s hand gently as tears formed in her eyes. ¡°Is there anyway you can go back to your old job and leave her? I¡¯m terrified she will punish you to your death the next time she gets mad at you.¡± A tear dropped from Beth¡¯s eyes, ¡°You promised we would leave the Pce with me, together.¡±

    Leave Melody? There was nothing more Doris wanted, but now she knew Melody would never let that happen. As a maid, she didn¡¯t get to decide her own fate. She didn¡¯t get to decide where to go or what to do, it was all chosen for her. Melody was thedy of Prince William, she had so much more say that Doris would ever have in this Pce. All she had to do was say a simple no and any request Doris had would be shut down officially, there was no one that could help her.

    ¡°Beth, I know how worried you are about me¡ªespecially seeing me like this. But we both know there is no way anyone can get me out of here if Melody wants me to stay. I¡¯ll try my best to survive this ce and walk out of here one day with you.¡± Doris gave a light squeeze of her hand and almost gasped from the pain.

    Beth became silent for a moment, slowly she stood and looked a little defeated that she couldn¡¯t do more to help her friend. Suddenly, a light lit up her face. ¡°Doris! What if I talk to Prince Martin? I¡¯m sure he would help!¡±

    ¡°Prince Martin?¡± Doris asked with wide eyes, shocked at her friend¡¯s suggestion.

 Chapter 22

    <strong>Chapter 22 I''m sure it''ll be one big bore</strong>

    Beth¡¯s grin widened at her own suggestion, but Doris only stared at her as if she had lost her mind. ¡°We can¡¯t ask Prince Martin for help, Beth! What are you thinking?¡± There was no way Prince Martin would be able to help her, let alone care where she ended up. He had more important things to worry about than a maid who was being mistreated. He was the crown prince, after all. Doris bet she never even crossed his mind since she¡¯d left the library. Why would she?This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°I saw Prince Martin in the library the other day,¡± Beth lowered her voice and neared Doris with a quick nce over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. ¡°He looked as if he were hoping someone might show up, and I think he was hoping it was you.¡±

    Doris furrowed her brows at her friend and would haveughed if her ribs didn¡¯t hurt. Beth did love her gossip, but this was ridiculous. ¡°Perhaps he was waitingfor hisdy to join him, Beth. Don¡¯t be silly.¡±

    ¡°In the library? I¡¯ve never seen her go anywhere near there, let alone with Prince Martin!¡± Beth said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Doris. Perhaps he misses yourpany and was hoping you would return. If that¡¯s the case, he would be more than happy to help you relocate from Melody!¡±

    Doris didn¡¯t want to break her friend¡¯s hopefulness¡ªbut she knew Prince Martin wasn¡¯t standing around waiting for her to show up at the library. He was kind to her in the past, but he was always a kind man to everyone he¡¯d met.

    Doris knew how much Prince Martin enjoyed the library, it wasn¡¯t odd to hear he¡¯d been there looking lost when she was sure it was most likely because he couldn¡¯t find the right book he wanted to read. Doris herself had caught that lost look on his face many times before. She briefly wondered if he was still writing small notes in that same copy of Moon Rising he loved.

    Doris offered a small smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think he was hoping for me, Beth. Why would he waste his time hoping a maid woule by to visit him?¡±

    ¡°Doris, I saw the way he looked at you that one day.¡± Beth crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I think he misses having you there to talk to, the very least.¡±

    ¡°He is a kind man, Beth. That is all. He¡¯s not going to help me with Melody.¡±

    ¡°Will you at least consider asking him?¡± Beth pleaded, Doris let out a small sigh.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Doris knew she wouldn¡¯t change her mind about the subject, but Beth wanted some sort of hope to hold onto. She was grateful for her friend that cared so much, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as she thought it was.

    Doris moved to get up, but Beth made hery back again.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t, you still need to rest. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Beth seated herself by Doris¡¯s bed and opened a small book. ¡°I brought something to read to you, I know how much you love stories and I thought this fairytale might help you feel a little better.¡±

    Beth stayed with Doris for hours, never once hinting that she wanted to leave. Itwasn¡¯t until Doris felt she had enough strength to make it back to her own room that she allowed her to finally stand and dress. Even then, Beth tried to convince her to sleep for another few hours before she even attempted to leave, but Doris was tired ofying for so long in the same spot.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to walk you back to your room?¡± Beth asked as they passed her room¡ªDoris¡¯s old room.

    ¡°I¡¯m positive, there¡¯s no need for you to go back and forth, I¡¯ll make it there just fine.¡± Doris offered a smile and squeezed her friend¡¯s hand lightly before she turned away.

    Each step was its own small agony. She felt the pain shoot up from her feet and vibrate through her body¡ªright to the areas Melody kicked her the hardest. The doctor wanted her to rest more, and Doris wished she was allowed to fall into bed and sleep for days until it all went away. The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the thought of Melody forcing her from her rest just to shine her shoes or some other useless task. There was no point in hoping Melody would leave her be until she fully recovered, itwas only a matter of time until she was summoned.

    Doris moved slowly down the emptied halls, at least no one else was around to see her this way. As she rounded a corner, she bumped right into David and swallowed her thoughts. His scruffy hair and charming smile were on full disy when she looked up at him. He reached out to steady her and his touch shot a lick of pain right through her. His smile faded when he saw her wince and looked down to see her bandaged hand.

    ¡°Did you burn your hand again?¡± He reached for her arm, Doris pulled it out of his grasp before he saw the rest of her marks. At least he hadn¡¯t seemed to hear the gossip about her¡ªyet. She didn¡¯t exactly feel like telling anyone about it either. Did that mean only the maids spread gossip? Or did David just not pay attention to any of it as it swirled around him?

    ¡°Yes,¡± Doris lied quickly. ¡°I was making tea and some of the water sshed over.¡±

    David shook his head with a ghost of a smile on his lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small tube ofointment. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, why don¡¯t you keep this one since you seem to have a habit of burning yourself. I have a ton in my room.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± Doris flushed, he must think she was so clumsy.

    ¡°I insist, mydy.¡± He gave her a cheeky grin, she almost rolled her eyes at him calling her ady. A foolish boy. What if a realdy had heard him say that? Another thing that would get them both in trouble.

    Doris nced over her shoulder and saw the hallways were still empty around them. Slowly, she turned back to him and bowed her head a little. ¡°Well, I appreciate this, thank you.¡± She smiled a little as she slipped it into her pocket to put onter. She wasn¡¯t sure it would help with the type of injury she had, but it was worth a try. He truly was a kind boy, even if he also happened to be a bit reckless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, truly.¡± David smiled and brushed a bit of hair from his light eyes. ¡°I was hoping I would run into you, actually.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? And why¡¯s that? Were youhoping I had another strawberry cake?¡± Doris teased.

    David scratched the back of his head and forced a smile, he looked a little nervous. ¡°No, but I wouldn¡¯t turn any dessert away if you did happen to have any.¡± He blew out augh and cleared his throat. ¡°I was just wondering if you were going to be attending Luna Queen¡¯s birthday party? Since yourdy is hosting it, I just was curious if you¡¯d be working it.¡±

    Doris almost flinched at Melody¡¯s name. She looked down at herself and bit her lip. ¡°No, I won¡¯t be working the party. My hand is too injured to be any good for it.¡±

    Doris looked up to see the tension in David dete, he grinned at her normally again. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a shame but I¡¯m d you¡¯re putting yourself first over a silly party.¡±

    Doris almost snorted at hisment, but it wouldn¡¯t have been appropriate. It wasn¡¯t her choice to have been so injured, she doubted Melody would want Doris showing her bruised self anywhere near the party. A bigger part of Doris was d to have the excuse. It meant she wouldn¡¯t have to be around Melody orPrince William that night.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be one big bore.¡± David started walking backwards down the hall with his eyes still on her, ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back to my duties, but I¡¯ll see youter. Perhaps next time with some cake.¡± David winked before he turned and disappeared out of sight.

    Dorisughed a little to herself as she watched him leave. It was a wonder how he of all young men had been selected to protect somebody as cold as Prince William, but she was happy to see such a kind face at the Pce.

    Doris started towards her room once again, but stopped in her tracks.

    Why did he seem so happy she wasn¡¯t going to be there?

 Chapter 23

    <strong>Chapter 23 At least William is capable of one</strong>

    The day of the party had the hallways buzzing with rush. Doris could hear the servants through her door as they hurried past, shouting orders to others along the way. Doris released a small sigh as she brushed her fingers through her long hair, at least she hadn¡¯t been summoned by Melody yet. Her bruising had finally gone down and was easier to cover with whatever makeup she had at the bottom of her drawer.

    Doris carefully dabbed each mark that could be seen when she wore her uniform, and then dotted a bit of rose onto her cheeks and lips. It helped her appear less pale and more¡­lively. Ever since she returned from the medical ward, she looked as if she were drained of life. It was about time she took some of it back and allowed herself to take care of herself for once.

    There was no point in moping around, no one was going to see her tonight anyway. Doris moved her hair behind hershoulders toy in waves down her back while she clipped half of it up. She lined her eyes lightly and put on her best uniform that almost made her look as if she were attending the party as well. Even though the pain lingered a little whenever she moved, she wanted to look her best for herself. She would not let Melody take her down, she was still here.

    A knock startled Doris, she nced at herself once more in the mirror and blushed before she opened the door a crack. Another maid stood with wide hazel eyes and a bandaged hand, she looked a little ghastly.

    ¡°Doris, I¡¯m so d to see you¡¯re doing better!¡± The maid eximed, Doris recalled her name as Peony though she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d ever had a conversation before.

    ¡°Oh, hello. Thank you.¡± Doris¡¯s eyes flickered to her hand. Blood had started to seep through the white fabric. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªno, actually. I¡¯m not.¡± Doris opened the door a little wider and furrowed her brow.

    ¡°You must get to the medical¡ª¡±

    ¡°I will!¡± Peony interrupted. ¡°I will, I just¡ª¡± She swallowed, her face pained. ¡°Oh, Doris. You have to help me. The party started minutes ago and I was meant to be there to help serve the royal party. But¡ªI cut my hand really bad in the kitchens when I heard the chef yelling and... Now they¡¯ll notice my spot is empty and there¡¯s no one else around to help¡ª¡±

    Doris felt her heartbeat thunder when she knew what wasing next. Peony continued, ¡°Will you stand in for me, Doris? I can¡¯t help with the party while bleeding all over their food.¡±

    Doris¡¯s lips parted, she wished she could say no. She wished she was the type of person to close the door and pretend she hadn¡¯t been asked for help. She wished she couldy down and sleep until the party was over.

    But she wasn¡¯t that sort of person at all.

    ¡°Peony, go to the medical ward and treat your wound. Don¡¯t worry about the party, I¡¯ll take your ce.¡±

    Peony¡¯s eyes brightened at Doris¡¯s words. ¡°Oh! Thank you, Doris! Truly!¡± Sheturned and rushed down the hall before Doris could change her mind.

    Her palms started to sweat, now that her door was opened she could hear the distant music from the ballroom. Doris wet her lips and quickly made her way there before Peony¡¯s absence was noticed. Just before she arrived, she remembered how she dressed herself today. It was one of the first times in forever that she wore makeup and a more form fitting uniform. She even left her hair unbound, but there was no time to go back and change.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Mr. Carson asked, startling her. He eyed her appearance but didn¡¯t say a word about it. ¡°I thought you were resting.¡±

    ¡°I was,¡± Doris wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. ¡°But Peony injured herself and asked me to step in.¡±

    Mr. Carson let out an annoyed huff and ced a tter in her hands. ¡°Go ce this by Prince William and stand off by the wall until someone gives you another order. Refill any sses that need it and tend to their needs, but stay out of the way.¡± He demanded.

    Doris nodded and carefully carried the silver tter of appetizers in through the grand doors. Chattering and music filled her ears, she felt the burn of curious stares as she made her way towards Prince William¡¯s table once she spotted it.

    She almost gasped when she took in the party, she didn¡¯t want to admit how beautiful a job Melody did¡ªbut it was rather extraordinary. Silver and gold was sshed in elegance across the room. Golden tablecloths and vases with white roses and silver tes. A bit of red made its appearance along the edge of the floors and up the ceiling. Large bouquets of Luna Queen¡¯s favorite flowers were ced on almost every surface. The guests were all seated and dining at their own tables¡ªa bit away from the royals. Not one of them looked unhappy, grins stretched upon their faces as they feasted.

    The Alpha King Charles sat tall in his golden throne, her eyes immediately found him before anyone else and the sight made her swallow. This was the man that might free her one day. He wore a dark blue velvet suit with his dark

    hair neatlybed back beneath his crown. It''d been a long time since Doris had been in the room with him, she was silently thankful he had his own servants attending to him so she wouldn¡¯t have to.

    Luna Queen looked stunning in a silver gown that hugged her curves. Her blonde hair was pinned back with silver jewels along the crown of her head. Lady Grace was seated next to her in her own gown made of shimmering silver, her eyes were entirely on Prince Martin who sat handsome as always in his white ensemble. Doris almost lost her footing when she realized his green eyes were on her. He smiled when they locked gazes, she offered a small one back and looked away before Lady Grace saw her. At least it seemed he remembered her, she pushed away the thought of Beth¡¯s suggestion to ask him for help.

    Doris still felt the burn of someone watching her. It wasn¡¯t until she finally dragged her gaze to Prince William that she discovered why. He was the only one who wore ck to this bright party, he stood out for more than just his handsome features and rogue title. His presence demanded attention and Doris swallowed when she realized his had been on her. Probably since the moment she entered the room.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    His gaze betrayed none of his emotion. He watched as she carefully ced the tter in an empty spot before she moved off to the side against the wall. Melody hadn¡¯t seemed to notice her yet, she was too busy staring at the Luna Queen to make sure she was pleased by the party. Doris let out a breath and wished she could just blend into the wall until this night was over. If she was lucky, she would do just that. There were enough servants on the floor to tend to the needs of the royals, perhaps she would go unnoticed for the rest of the evening.

    Doris nced around the room and picked at her nails. She looked anywhere but Prince William. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was still watching her, but someone else definitely was now. Her eyes locked with the icy stare of the Luna Queen herself and Doris felt her heart stop for a moment. Luna Queen tilted her head curiously as she nced from where William was seated and back to Doris. She made the gesture for Doris toe closer.

    "Who are you?" She asked with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes.

    "Oh, my name is Doris. I work for the Pce, mydy." Doris said nervously as she curtsied. Several more sets of eyes followed her movements now that Luna Queen was talking to her.

    Luna Queen looked Doris up and down as if assessing her, her eyes flicked to Prince William once more with distaste before theynded back on Doris. "Well, Prince William has always been good at picking beauties for the castle. Even the maids are pretty. Isn''t she, Jack?"

    Doris slid her gaze to the man next to Luna Queen that she hadn''t noticed before. He was seated backzily in his chair as if he wished to be anywhere else. He had long, blonde hair like his mother but startling turquoise eyes. He looked Doris up and down slowly. Doris couldn''t help but nce at Prince William to see his jaw tense and eyes almost murderous as he watched Jack take her in. Doris could practically feel the tension through the air between them. It was as if Jack knew every breath he made annoyed Prince William and he made sure to take his time. Doris felt her cheeks flush, she stepped back against the wall again as the two men red at each other.

    "She is. At least William is capable of one thing." Jack finally responded.

 Chapter 24

    <span style="font-size:20px"><strong>Chapter 24 He lied to her</strong>

    "I fancy girls, unlike you." Prince William''s words wereced with poison as he held Jack''s re.

    Jack''s cheeks turned red, he cleared his throat. "I suppose you would find pretty maids more important than bing responsible enough for your own territory. It''s no wonder the Alpha king doesn''t trust you enough to be a leader."

    Prince William''s blue eyes darkened into a storm, he looked as if he were about to jump across the table and rip out Jack''s throat. He slowly began to rise from his seat before someone mmed their fist down hard against the table. Doris flinched and saw the alpha king himself throw them both a murderous warning.

    "That is enough. This is not the time for your pathetic arguments." King Charles spoke calmly. He never needed to raise his voice to be heard.

    The room stilled when they heard the king speak. Prince William seatedhimself again and flicked a spec off his shoulder as if it never happened. Several people threw nervous nces at each other before their conversations cautiously started up again when the king didn''t say another word.

    Luna Queen nced over her shoulder at Doris, an unkind smirk on her red lips. "Look what a mess this maid has caused. You seem to have taken all of the attention from my birthday party."

    "Oh! Mydy, I''m so sorry¡ª" Doris started, Luna Queen held up her hand to silence her before she turned away.

    Doris deted a little. For a moment, she was worried Prince William and Jack were going to go at it with one another right in the middle of the party and it would''ve all been her fault. Somehow.

    Doris hadn''t really witnessed much of the royal affairs up close. Usually, she heard things second hand from Beth or other maids in passing. She knew that Prince William and Jack Anthony had never really gotten along, but she''d never heard the reason why. Perhaps they were both hot heads and couldn''t seem to see eye to eye.

    Melody''s own re could have scorched Doris into ash if it was fire. Doris pretended she didn''t know Melody was openly ring at her and looked down at her hands. It was a small mercy that they were in public, Melody couldn''t harm her in front of all these people without someone interfering.

    Doris decided it would be best to keep her head down for the rest of the party. Then, she would at least be less likely to lock eyes with another royal. There were more than enough servants attending to their every need, Doris doubted they would have even noticed Peony wasn''t here. Mr. Carson most likely would have, but no one else. Perhaps she would have reason to leave soon¡ª

    "Speaking of girls..." Luna Queen said a little loudly. Doris nced over curiously. "When are you going to find ady for yourself, Prince Daniel?" Luna Queen asked. Prince Daniel? Doris hadn''t noticed the youngest prince was in attendance today, she must have missed him when she was looking over each royal. He was one of the best warriors in the kingdom and led one of the biggest packs among the princes. He rarelystayed at the pce, Beth told her he usually only came back for events so it shouldn''t have been a surprise he was here today. Doris honestly wasn''t entirely sure what he looked like, she hadn''t seen him up close before. He was always off with the royal military or taking sses. They had never really crossed paths before since he didn''t venture near the library when she worked there.

    "Ahhh... well..." The boy spoke quietly. Doris couldn''t see him from where she was standing. She was about to move¡ª

    Melody appeared at Doris''s side and pinched her arm so she would look at her. "What do you think you''re doing here?" Melody whispered. She stered a fake smile on her face so those that looked at her wouldn''t think she was being cruel to her owndy''s maid. Though, Doris was sure most of the people had already heard what Melody did to Doris, so she wondered why Melody even bothered pretending.

    "I was asked to stand in for another maid." Doris sped her hands in front of her. She refused to fake a smile to someone so awful.

    "Which maid?" Melody hissed, a threat in her eyes.

    "I didn''t catch her name." Doris lied. She wasn''t about to throw another maid under the bus and let her be mistreated by Melody like Doris had been. Even if she hardly knew Peony, nobody deserved to be on Melody''s harsh end. Besides, Melody already saw Doris as a liar and a thief. Her reputation couldn''t get much worse.

    Melody narrowed her eyes at Doris before she quickly cleared her throat and stered on another smile before one of the royals noticed. Doris only blinked at her. "Stay out of the way and stop interfering with the royals."

    Doris nodded silently and looked down at her hands again as Melody returned to her seat. It was hopeless trying to defend herself to someone that would never see her as anything but wrong. Doris smoothed down her skirt and took a deep breath before she lifted her eyes back to the crowd. Everyone still seemed to be enjoying themselves well enough. Wine was flowing andughter was loud. Many people kept ncing at the table of royals as if they were props or part of theentertainment. They all looked as if they couldn¡¯t believe they were in the same room as them.

    ¡°Prince Daniel, sit up!¡± Luna Queen demanded. Doris nced over to their table but couldn¡¯t see the boy still. Luna Queen sounded more than annoyed, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and let out a breath of irritation. ¡°I asked when you were going to get ady for yourself? Your brothers have already aplished that. Surely you¡¯ll be following their footsteps soon, hmm?¡±

    Prince Daniel cleared his throat. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it much.¡± He answered. Something about his voice was rather familiar, but Doris couldn¡¯t exactly pin it down. Perhaps she¡¯d heard him speak before and just didn¡¯t remember when.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t thought about it? You¡¯re almost twenty years old, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a good time to start.¡± Luna Queen lifted her chin and took a sip of her wine. Doris wanted to slowly move over to catch a glimpse of Prince Daniel for herself, but there was already another server stationed by him. He must have been slouching quite a bit for her to miss him.

    Doris gave up trying to see the prince and looked over at the other ones. Prince Martin had his head bent in conversation with hisdy. As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up and smiled at her. Doris smiled back kindly and bowed her head to the prince. He looked as if he wanted to say something to her, but she was too far for her to hear it. Doris was d to see he was just as kind as she remembered him being. It''d been a while since she''dst seen him in the library, she wondered if he''d found another poetry book to write his thoughts on or if he was still fond of Moon Rising.

    Doris moved her eyes over him and identally locked gazes with Prince William again. She held her breath as he tilted his wine ss back and took a long sip with his eyes still on her. Why was he looking at her? His gaze felt like a caress as his eyes traveled down her form, she forced her eyes away from him and stopped herself from touching the mark on her neck. He was nothing but a rotten, emotionless man that didn''t care for anyone but himself. He must have been extremely drunk already, that was most likely why he wouldn''t stop looking at her. She hadn''t seen him since sheid bloody at his feet.

    When he did nothing but confirm she wasn''t worth anything to him or this pce. He didn''t care what Melody did to her, he only cared that Melody act more like ady and not punish her out in the open. Doris swallowed as she remembered the way it felt to be kicked so hard she could barely see. Her voice left her from screaming so much, her skin under her dress still hadrge bruises from where she kicked her the hardest. For a moment, it hurt when she realized he didn''t care if she lived or died ¡ª but then reality settled back in and she remembered he wasn''t worth her pain.

    Doris refilled several empty sses as they sampled some of the appetizers. Luna Queen was still trying to wring answers from Prince Daniel who only seemed to want to disappear from the conversation.

    "What are you doing down there!" Luna Queen hissed at the prince. Doris nced over to see the top of a dark head duck under the table. "You are a Prince, you should not be crawling under a table!"

    "I dropped my fork!" He said, Doris tilted her head a little and tried to ce where she''d heard his voice before.

    When he did nothing but confirm she wasn''t worth anything to him or this pce. He didn''t care what Melody did to her, he only cared that Melody act more like ady and not punish her out in the open. Doris swallowed as she remembered the way it felt to be kicked so hard she could barely see. Her voice left her from screaming so much, her skin under her dress still hadrge bruises from where she kicked her the hardest. For a moment, it hurt when she realized he didn''t care if she lived or died¡ªbut then reality settled back in and she remembered he wasn''t worth her pain.

    Doris refilled several empty sses as they sampled some of the appetizers. Luna Queen was still trying to wring answers from Prince Daniel who only seemed to want to disappear from the conversation.

    "What are you doing down there!" Luna Queen hissed at the prince. Doris nced over to see the top of a dark head duck under the table. "You are a Prince, you should not be crawling under a table!"

    "I dropped my fork!" He said, Doris tilted her head a little and tried to ce where she''d heard his voice before.

    ¡°They will get you a new one! Are you mad?¡± Luna Queen tried to keep her voice down, but several people had already turned their gazes towards the table to see what was happening. Doris pressed her lips together to keep in herugh. She knew she would get thrown out if sheughed at the royal party, but it was so silly to see a prince acting this way. It was like he was trying to hide under the table to get out of his conversation with Luna Queen, not that she med him. The woman was quite intimidating.

    ¡°Get up. Now.¡± Luna Queen demanded. The talking lowered a little in the room, but didn¡¯t silencepletely. Slowly, Prince Daniel gripped the table and brought himself up. Doris almost dropped the wine when their gazes locked.

    It was David¡ª

    David was Prince Daniel?

    He lied to her.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 25

    <span style="font-size:20px"><strong>?Chapter 25 I didn''t mean to</strong>

    Doris''s eyes were wide as she stared at David-or Prince Daniel. This whole time he had been pretending to be a royal guard for the castle. He even imed he was a personal guard for Prince William! Didn''t he? Or, he didn''t correct her when she assumed. He did say yes when she asked if he was a guard. He''d even told her he had to participate in the search for Prince Daniel when they heard other guards calling his name. Why did he tell her his name was David?

    This whole time she thought she''d made a friend with someone who worked for the castle like her.

    Doris slowly lowered the wine bottle back on the table as they stared at each other. She knew he could see the hurt in her gaze, he quietly shook his head as if trying to plead with her. As if to tell her not to be sad. Luna Queen had seemingly lost all her interest in him, she turned her attention back to her son Jack and spoke quietly with him instead.

    She was-confused more than anything. Did he even care to be her friend? Or what was any of his kindness for if he was lying about who he was the whole time? Maybe he thought she would treat him differently if she knew, and of course she would. She would have never been so calm and casual around a royal member! Her entire life here had taught her to only be proper and attend to their needs. Maids weren''t meant to be friends with princes.

    "I didn''t mean to lie!" He mouthed to Doris. His light eyes held so much emotion, she didn''t know how to feel about any of it. Especially when she finally felt like she''d made another friend at the castle, one like Beth. She supposed she hadn''t after all.

    Doris turned her gaze away quickly when Luna Queen looked back at her. She didn''t want her to think she was involved with the prince, clearly he didn''t even want her to know he was royal. Her eyes found Prince William''s again, he looked as if he''d seen the whole exchange with the way his eyes narrowed slightly. Doris didn''t need him thinking anything either. Not that shecared what he thought about her or what she did. It was obvious he already had his set thoughts of her and what she was good for.

    Doris sighed and moved to clear a few tes and sses away. It was almost time for the first course, next was the main and then dessert before she was free to go. Unless they made her stayte and clean up, too. Which wouldn''t surprise her, Melody would probablyugh as she followed Prince William back to his room to spend the night. Doris shivered a little. Anything was better than standing outside their door again as they made love, that was perhaps the worst thing she ever had to do at the pce.

    Arge silver cart was pushed out from the kitchens, it held dozens of bowls of soup to be served to the royal members. Doris inhaled the scent of freshly cut vegetables and broth, it made her stomach grumble a bit. She was d the crowd was loud enough to drown out the sound of her hunger. How long had it been since she''d eatenst? Beth had brought leftovers to Doris but she hadn''t had a chance to eat them before she''d left her room. Ever since she had beenbeaten by Melody, everyone for the most part had left her alone enough to heal. Doris was fully prepared to stay in bed and rest with all that food, but now she had to watch everyone else enjoy themselves as her stomach continued to grumble.

    Mr. Carson instructed servers to clear and clean the tables in front of the royal members. Doris quickly stepped forwards and grabbed empty sses before she reced them with new ones. She carefully refilled each ss with slightly shaky hand. She silently cursed herself for her nerves. She wished they wouldn''t stare at her as she passed. Especially the monster with blue eyes that haunted her dreams. His mouth lifted a little as she bent to pour wine in his ss, she quickly straightened herself when she realized he was staring down her dress.

    Doris''s cheeks med, she blew out a breath of air and pushed her loose hair behind her ear. She really, really wished he would stop trying to intimidate her in public. Or ever. She looked down her nose at him as he lifted his ss for more, his eyes darkened a little and she finally turned away once she was done.

    Clearly, Melody was not his main attention tonight. Perhaps it was due to the way she couldn''t stop fidgeting to see if Luna Queen was enjoying herself or not. It was obvious she was, Doris had seen a smile on her face for most of the night.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Prince William must have been desperate for a distraction from all of this, it was obvious he wished he was anywhere but here. Jack Anthony seemed to wish the same. He kept sending distasteful nces in his direction as if his very existence was bothering him. Doris could agree with that, his existence also bothered her as well. But for entirely different reasons, she assumed. "Doris, please help serve the soup to the

    royals." Mr. Carson said as he passed by her. Doris followed him to the tray of soups and began to set each bowl in front of the intended guest. The kitchen left small name tes next to each bowl, she nced up to see the rest of the servants had moved on to another tray and left her alone to finish delivering the soups herself.

    Doris sighed when she picked up Prince William''s bowl, she carefully brought itover to him and managed not to meet

    his gaze as she ced it in front of him. She knew he was watching her every move, she could smell the wine on his breath. It gave her a nasty shback of the night he attacked her. He reeked of alcohol, she''d never forget that smell on his breath. It made her want to put as much distance as she could between them in case he got any urges to recreate that night. He wouldn''t find her alone outside again, she''d make sure of that.

    Doris moved on to Lady Grace and Prince Martin. He thanked her with a smile as she ced the bowl down, hisdy said nothing as she picked up her spoon.

    Prince Daniel sat up straight when she

    came to set his bowl down, he smiled at Doris widely and thanked her loud enough for everyone to hear. Doris blushed when several people turned to look at her and turned back to the cart and continued on. He obviously was sorry, but she only wished to know why he lied to her.

    When it came to Luna Queen''s bowl,

    Doris hesitated. It looked like there was a purple flower that appeared simr to Aconitum in her soup, and everyon knew Luna Queen hated Aconitum. Doris had heard she was highly allergic, the kitchen shouldn''t have allowed to serve it if she was in the castle.

    Just to be safe, Doris gave Melody''s bowl to Luna Queen since it smelled normal and didn''t seem to have a trace of flowers in it. She finally set thest bowl of soup in front of Melody and turned to wipe the cart clean.

    Melody lifted the spoon to her lips delicately as she sipped her soup. The polite chatter continued in the room as everyone enjoyed their meals, Doris nced over to see the servants already cutting the cake to be served. Hopefully this night would be over soon and she could return to her room.

    A choking sound silenced the crowd.

    Doris looked over to see Melody''s hands on her throat as she coughed loudly. Her face turned a little purple before she fell right out of her seat-

    And didn''t move again.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    Chapter 26 Can you handle this

    That swammed Melody. Donis stepped back but of their way in haste. What happened to her? Daris

    caught a glimpse af Melody with wide, ssy eyes and foaming out of her mouth as they lited her

    from the ground and carried her off to the nedical ward. Doris ced her hand against her chest and tell

    her heart beat race beneath her hand. Was she allergic to the flower as well? Was she¡­

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Prince William asked, his brows furrowed. He looked around the room as if the

    answer mighte forward. Each and every one of the guests looked just confused and homified as

    Prince William did.

    Each of the royals nced at each other with their brows furrowed in their own confusion. Guards

    crowded around then with their des drawn as if waiting for the prisoner to try and take one of their

    lives as well. Someone in this room put that in Luna Queen¡¯s soup and caused Melody¡¯s copse.

    Oh no, Doris thought and gripped her checks. Melody wasn¡¯t truly dead, was she? Doris hated every

    ounce of her, but she would never wish death upon anyone. Even someone that almost killed her the

    other might

    Jack stood from his chair, it was only then that Doris realized he had been the only one still seated during

    this ordeal. ¡°I saw exactly who did it!¡± Jack¡¯s gaze slid right to Doris, just as everyone else¡¯s did. He lifted

    his finger and pointed right at her, she

    the soup before we delivered li Es Lily

    M

    y

    Two sirds were her side in a breath, thay grabbed her arms tight as they could not couldn¡¯t even think to

    run, Doris Kasped from the TOTEKLIF and usation. ¡°I Do! I would never da such a thing

    ¡°I think she intended the soup to be far Lumia Queen.¡± Jack continued, his eyes naftowed at Daris. ¡°I saw

    her switch them, thank the goddess that my mother hadn¡¯t had a chance to take a bite yet!¡±

    ¡°Nal¡± Doris winced when their grip tightened. ¡°I didn¡¯t poison anyone! Especially not my owndy

    ¡°Doris would never do such a thing.¡± Prince Martin spoke up calmly, he held out his hands is if trying to

    ease the panic in the room. ¡°I may not know her Very well, but,¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°Exactly! You don¡¯t know this maid very well at all.¡± Jack interrupted. ¡°I heard rumors that this maid had

    stolen from Lady Melody and beaten as punishment. Perhaps she wanted revenge¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Prince Daniel spoke up next. Doris was a little startled that either prince had cared enough to

    defend her in front of everyone. She didn¡¯t think anyone in this room Would ever have risked Speaking

    up for her. It would have warmed her heart if she wasn¡¯t so terrified of what was toe. Would they kill

    her for this? ¡°Prince Martin is right, Doris would never do something like this to anyone! Even someone

    that was cruel to her, I know she has a wonderful heart. Please, let her go.¡± Prince Daniel pleaded.

    ¡°And how would you know what this maid is capable of?¡± Tack scoffed. ¡°I saw her do it myself! 1

    else, though his face didn¡¯t h

    ay much but hii

    Prince William stayed silent he watched then argue before him. Hisdy w possibly dead, and he said

    nothing while Jack used Doris of doing the unthinkable. He wore in emotionl mask, Doris wondered

    how he could possibly manage it after what they¡¯d all just witnessed.

    ¡°My majesty, if you say you saw me poison the bowl. why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Doris asked Jack

    with tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop it if you saw me? Especially if you thought it

    might have been meant for your mother?¡±

    It just didn¡¯t make sense for him to use her of this, he could have easily stopped her with one shout

    and Melody would¡¯ve been fine. Doris searched his face and only siw i small sense of surprise that she

    would even ask him something like that.

    ¡°How dare you speak to me like that!¡±, Jack parted his lips, his cheeks slightly red. He quickly calmed

    himself and cleared his throat. ¡°It was toote, I didn¡¯t think you were doing what you did at the time.

    When I heard Melody choke, I knew what you¡¯d done and it it was toote.¡±

    Prince Martin stepped forward, his gaze lingered sadly on Doris. ¡°I believe Doris when she said she

    didn¡¯t do what you im. This has all been a terrible misunderstanding¡ª

    l.co

    T ond thant!Daniel What to blind me Prince Martin. ¡°Please, let her free. You¡¯re hurting ther.¡±

    The guards loosened their grip just a little, but not much. Jack looked at the two princes and marrowed.

    his eyes. Are you saying I¡¯m a liar?

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯mo simply suggesting you¡¯re mistaken in your ims.¡± Prince Martin said and sped

    his hands behind his back. We were all here, no one else saw Donis do anything with the bowls. I think

    anyone sensible would have spoken up if they saw her put poison in one of the bowls.¡±

    ¡°My son would never lie about such a thing!¡± Luna Queen said loudly. She nced at the area Melody

    had been a moment before as if she were wondering if it could have been her. ¡°This majd has been

    nothing but trouble since my birthday started, and how she has murdered her owndy!¡±

    ¡°Why did you switch the soup?¡± Jack neared Doris, Prince Martin and Prince Daniel stepped a little

    closer in case he decided to put his hands on her. 1

    ¡°I only switched it because I thought it had an ingredient that Luna Queen was allergic to! I didn¡¯t know

    the soup was poisoned. I would have never given it to Lady Melody if I¡¯d known.¡±

    Her defense fell on unwanted ears, Jack turned away halfway through her exnation as if he never

    wanted it. ¡°Take her to the prison, I¡¯ll get the truth out of her one way or another.¡±

    ¡°No! I swear I would never harm anyone!¡± Doris cried, her eyes locked with Prince William but unlike his

    brother, he didn¡¯t say a word in her defense. They began to move her out towards the

    co

    W

    AT

    inched her go, his hands faldad inta tists

    ¡°Haw could you let them do this to our mante? Waylon growled inside him. ¡°You know the wouldn¡®t be

    capable of this! They¡¯re going to kill her in there if we don¡¯t do something ¨C 1

    ¡°How do I know she didn¡¯t poison Melody? You know they didn¡¯t like each other.¡± William silently

    responded to his wolf.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t like Melody much either. Waylon Shapped. ¡°If that was the case, half the pce would be

    responsible for her poisoning. You can¡¯t let thern do this to our mate!¡± .

    William shut down his wolf when he saw the Alpha king step up to him. The king had two guards Hanked

    on each side of him as if they were afraid the alpha was next up on the poisoning list.

    ¡°William, since she was yourdy I want you to make the judgement for yourself.¡± King Charles said. His

    voice was deep and allowed no room for questions or hesitations. ¡°Listen to all sides before you let the

    anger cloud your mind. Can you handle this?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Chapter 27 I believe Prince William will Bring me Justice

    The cell was dark and dingy. The back stone wall looked wet and the bed in theer had only one Ehin

    sheet on it to use as the nket Doris searched for the source and found there wilis a tiny window that

    was much too high for her to even out of, but it had to window and allowed rain to dampen the small

    room. They shoved Doris inside the cell and threw a prisoner gawn at her feet.

    -Change into this.¡± Was all the man said before the cell door made of bars mmed shut and locked.

    Doris slid down the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. She¡¯d felt it ther, the dam inside her break

    as her tears poured out. She tried to silence them, even when she choked. She didn¡¯t want anyone to

    hear her misery, she pressed her face against the prison gown and tried to muffle every sound. Why was

    this happening to her? She wasn¡¯t even supposed to be at the party! She was supposed to be resting

    Oh, what will they think when they all realize Melody had beaten her just a few days before her being

    poisoned? They¡¯ll surely think it was her, just 25 Jack had said. Not even Prince Martin or Prince Daniel

    had a say in her defense out there, they all listened to Jack. What if everyone believed him?

    What if they sentenced her to death for this?

    It¡¯d felt like days had passed in the cell. The outside was gloomy, though she couldn¡¯t remember if night

    had passed or if it was all in the same day. It

    couldn¡¯t be, it felt like in eternity had gone by since she saw Melody copse night in front of her. Doris

    changed into the ck prison gown and her own uniform had been collected almost immediately after

    she slipped it discreetly off her body. It felt as if they erased her title as maid and reced it entirely with

    prisoner the second she stepped through the cell door.

    A creak echoed through the hallway outside her room. A light knock tapped along the bars of her cell

    before a boy sild the door open and slipped in silently. Doris quickly stood when she saw it was Da¡ª

    Prince Daniel.

    -Doris!¡± He moved further in, but a guard came in with him and stood by the wall as if he wen a shadow

    of the prince. ¡°How¡¯re you doing? I¡¯m so sorry they put you in here I¡¯ve tried convincing them to put you

    somewhere more¡­fortable.¡±

    Doris smoothed down her dress and looked at her hands. It felt strange speaking to him face to face now

    that she knew he was royalty. She¡¯d acted sofortable with him before as she cleaned his face and

    teased him about cake. Doris felt her cheeks warm. ¡°I appreciate you and Prince Martin for standing up

    for me.¡±

    Prince Daniel took a step towards her, her head snapped up at his movements. He stilled, a small sh

    of emotion she couldn¡¯t ce crossed his features. ¡°Are you upset with me for lying about who I am?¡± He

    whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not upset, Prince Daniel. I was just confused I suppose.¡± Doris admitted.

    Daniel looked down at her hand as if he wanted him

    just thought you would¡¯ve treated me differently as a friend if you knew who I really was, I never meant to

    deceive you.¡±

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t.¡± Doris said quietly, she cleared her throat. He wils a kind boy, that wils one thing she

    knew for certain. But it didn¡¯t change the fact that they weren¡¯t meant to be friends. ¡°You must have

    known there was never any hope for us to remain friends. You¡¯re a prince-you¡¯re not meant to speak with

    a maid like me.

    * And why can¡¯t I?¡± Prince Daniel raised his chin as if daring her to challenge his decision. ¡°As you said,

    I¡¯m a prince and I can make any choice I want. I can be friends with whomever I want. my title shouldn¡¯t

    prevent that.¡±

    ¡°But it does!¡± Doris shook her head sadly and lowered her voice. ¡°You know it¡¯s not proper. A prince is a

    prince, and a maid is a maid. We¡¯re inpletely different worlds and you knew that when you told me

    you were a guard.¡±

    Prince Daniel frowned as he looked down at her. Sadness coated his features and she wished she

    wasn¡¯t the cause of it. She wished he really was a guard and it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call him a friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way. Doris.¡± He said quietly. Doris looked down at her hands again. She was

    sorry, too.

    Daniel scratched the back of his head and nced back at his guard before his light eyesnded on her

    again. ¡°You know, the alpha king assigned Prince William to be the judge of your case. He thinks since it

    was hisdy that was poisoned, he should be the one to decide what happens to you.¡±

    ROLT to be the judge Doris W n¡¯t sure while that should make her feel, but she didn¡¯t feelpletely

    hopeless. At least I wasn¡¯t Prince Jack though perhaps Prince William hated her just as much. A chill ran

    through her. Would be be fair, or blindedi by revenge for his ex lover?¡¯ He must have cared a lot for

    Melody. didn¡¯t he? Did he believe she was capable of killing her owndy just because they didn¡¯t get

    along? He witnessed what Melody did to her, perhaps he would believe it was possible.

    But it wasn¡¯t surely he had to

    me that.

    ***Prince Martin and I are trying to find a way to get you out of here. We¡¯ve been looking into who

    prepared the soup and anyone else that might have had ess to it before you helped pass them out.¡±

    Doris flinched at his words, the quickly softened his tone. ¡°We both know you didn¡¯t do that, Doris, Prince

    Martin sid he was looking at you the entire time and didn¡¯t see you once polson Melody¡¯s bowl. We don¡¯t

    know why Prince Jack is iming it was you, perhaps he was just confused.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t have stopped me if he said he did see me poison her.¡± Doris picked

    at her nails and started to pace her cell. She didn¡¯t have much toom, it only took a few steps to walk

    between each wall. ¡°I only switched the bowl because I thought someone had identally put something

    in Luna Queen¡¯s bowl that she was allergic to. I didn¡¯t think

    Prince Daniel stepped in front of Doris and put his hands on her shoulders to still her. ¡°I know your

    intentions were harmless. Doris. You didn¡¯t mean to give her a bowl of poison, and I know for certain that

    you weren¡¯t the one to put it in the bowl to begin with. Someone else must have had it out for

    co

    either Melody or Luna Ouren. Do you know anyone else that might have done something like this? A

    maid or a servant

    ¡°No! I know many other maids weren¡¯t fond af Melody, but nobody hated her enough to kill her!¡± Doris

    took a breath a closed her eyes for a moment, Melody had more foes than friends, but none that Doris

    would suspect. As for Luna Queen, Doris didn¡¯t know anything about her to even guess who might not

    like her. She supposed it was possible anyone might have it out for a royal, but no one would be

    ridiculous enough to harm her at her own birthday party-would they?

    Her shoulders felt warm, Doris nced at his guard who watched both of them like a hawk. She quickly

    stepped out of Prince Daniel¡¯s hold, his hands dropped to his side as if defeated. She knew he meant no

    harm, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad when she thought about the friendship they could have had if he

    wasn¡¯t a prince. It wasn¡¯t time to think about something like that, they had much more important things to

    think about.

    As for Prince Jack-Doris had never met him before the party. She¡¯d heard of him, of course. But never

    had she crossed his path enough for him to dislike her or use her of something so serious. Did he

    truly think Doris slipped something into the bowl? In front of an entire crowd of people? Doris knew it

    didn¡¯t make sense, she was alone with Melody all the time and not once had she thought about harming

    her

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Martin and I can talk to William and try to reason with him.¡± Daniel took a step back and

    Scratched the back of his head again. ¡°I know he can be a pain in the a

    ¡°I believe Prince William Doris said.

    will bring me justice.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    Chapter 27 I believe Prince William will Bring me Justice

    The cell was dark and dingy. The back stone wall looked wet and the bed in theer had only one Ehin

    sheet on it to use as the nket Doris searched for the source and found there wilis a tiny window that

    was much too high for her to even out of, but it had to window and allowed rain to dampen the small

    room. They shoved Doris inside the cell and threw a prisoner gawn at her feet.

    -Change into this.¡± Was all the man said before the cell door made of bars mmed shut and locked.

    Doris slid down the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. She¡¯d felt it ther, the dam inside her break

    as her tears poured out. She tried to silence them, even when she choked. She didn¡¯t want anyone to

    hear her misery, she pressed her face against the prison gown and tried to muffle every sound. Why was

    this happening to her? She wasn¡¯t even supposed to be at the party! She was supposed to be resting

    Oh, what will they think when they all realize Melody had beaten her just a few days before her being

    poisoned? They¡¯ll surely think it was her, just 25 Jack had said. Not even Prince Martin or Prince Daniel

    had a say in her defense out there, they all listened to Jack. What if everyone believed him?

    What if they sentenced her to death for this?

    It¡¯d felt like days had passed in the cell. The outside was gloomy, though she couldn¡¯t remember if night

    had passed or if it was all in the same day. It

    couldn¡¯t be, it felt like in eternity had gone by since she saw Melody copse night in front of her. Doris

    changed into the ck prison gown and her own uniform had been collected almost immediately after

    she slipped it discreetly off her body. It felt as if they erased her title as maid and reced it entirely with

    prisoner the second she stepped through the cell door.

    A creak echoed through the hallway outside her room. A light knock tapped along the bars of

    her cell before a boy sild the door open and slipped in silently. Doris quickly stood when she saw it was

    Da¡ªPrince Daniel.

    -Doris!¡± He moved further in, but a guard came in with him and stood by the wall as if he wen a shadow

    of the prince. ¡°How¡¯re you doing? I¡¯m so sorry they put you in here I¡¯ve tried convincing them to put you

    somewhere more¡­fortable.¡±

    Doris smoothed down her dress and looked at her hands. It felt strange speaking to him face to face now

    that she knew he was royalty. She¡¯d acted sofortable with him before as she cleaned his face and

    teased him about cake. Doris felt her cheeks warm. ¡°I appreciate you and Prince Martin for standing up

    for me.¡±

    Prince Daniel took a step towards her, her head snapped up at his movements. He stilled, a small sh

    of emotion she couldn¡¯t ce crossed his features. ¡°Are you upset with me for lying about who I am?¡± He

    whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not upset, Prince Daniel. I was just confused I suppose.¡± Doris admitted.

    Daniel looked down at her hand as if he wanted him

    just thought you would¡¯ve treated me differently as a friend if you knew who I really was, I never meant to

    deceive you.¡±

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t.¡± Doris said quietly, she cleared her throat. He wils a kind boy, that wils one thing she

    knew for certain. But it didn¡¯t change the fact that they weren¡¯t meant to be friends. ¡°You must have

    known there was never any hope for us to remain friends. You¡¯re a prince-you¡¯re not meant to speak with

    a maid like me.

    * And why can¡¯t I?¡± Prince Daniel raised his chin as if daring her to challenge his decision. ¡°As you said,

    I¡¯m a prince and I can make any choice I want. I can be friends with whomever I want. my title shouldn¡¯t

    prevent that.¡±

    ¡°But it does!¡± Doris shook her head sadly and lowered her voice. ¡°You know it¡¯s not proper. A prince is a

    prince, and a maid is a maid. We¡¯re inpletely different worlds and you knew that when you told me

    you were a guard.¡±

    Prince Daniel frowned as he looked down at her. Sadness coated his features and she wished she

    wasn¡¯t the cause of it. She wished he really was a guard and it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call him a friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way. Doris.¡± He said quietly. Doris looked down at her hands again. She was

    sorry, too.

    Daniel scratched the back of his head and nced back at his guard before his light eyesnded on her

    again. ¡°You know, the alpha king assigned Prince William to be the judge of your case. He thinks since it

    was hisdy that was poisoned, he should be the one to decide what happens to you.¡±

    ROLT to be the judge Doris W n¡¯t sure while that should make her feel, but she didn¡¯t feelpletely

    hopeless. At least I wasn¡¯t Prince Jack though perhaps Prince William hated her just as much. A chill ran

    through her. Would be be fair, or blindedi by revenge for his ex lover?¡¯ He must have cared a lot for

    Melody. didn¡¯t he? Did he believe she was capable of killing her owndy just because they didn¡¯t get

    along? He witnessed what Melody did to her, perhaps he would believe it was possible.

    But it wasn¡¯t surely he had to

    me that.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ***Prince Martin and I are trying to find a way to get you out of here. We¡¯ve been looking into who

    prepared the soup and anyone else that might have had ess to it before you helped pass them out.¡±

    Doris flinched at his words, the quickly softened his tone. ¡°We both know you didn¡¯t do that, Doris, Prince

    Martin sid he was looking at you the entire time and didn¡¯t see you once polson Melody¡¯s bowl. We don¡¯t

    know why Prince Jack is iming it was you, perhaps he was just confused.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t have stopped me if he said he did see me poison her.¡± Doris picked

    at her nails and started to pace her cell. She didn¡¯t have much toom, it only took a few steps to walk

    between each wall. ¡°I only switched the bowl because I thought someone had identally put something

    in Luna Queen¡¯s bowl that she was allergic to. I didn¡¯t think

    Prince Daniel stepped in front of Doris and put his hands on her shoulders to still her. ¡°I know your

    intentions were harmless. Doris. You didn¡¯t mean to give her a bowl of poison, and I know for certain that

    you weren¡¯t the one to put it in the bowl to begin with. Someone else must have had it out for

    co

    either Melody or Luna Ouren. Do you know anyone else that might have done something like this? A

    maid or a servant

    ¡°No! I know many other maids weren¡¯t fond af Melody, but nobody hated her enough to kill her!¡± Doris

    took a breath a closed her eyes for a moment, Melody had more foes than friends, but none that Doris

    would suspect. As for Luna Queen, Doris didn¡¯t know anything about her to even guess who might not

    like her. She supposed it was possible anyone might have it out for a royal, but no one would be

    ridiculous enough to harm her at her own birthday party-would they?

    Her shoulders felt warm, Doris nced at his guard who watched both of them like a hawk. She quickly

    stepped out of Prince Daniel¡¯s hold, his hands dropped to his side as if defeated. She knew he meant no

    harm, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad when she thought about the friendship they could have had if he

    wasn¡¯t a prince. It wasn¡¯t time to think about something like that, they had much more important things to

    think about.

    As for Prince Jack-Doris had never met him before the party. She¡¯d heard of him, of course. But never

    had she crossed his path enough for him to dislike her or use her of something so serious. Did he

    truly think Doris slipped something into the bowl? In front of an entire crowd of people? Doris knew it

    didn¡¯t make sense, she was alone with Melody all the time and not once had she thought about harming

    her

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Martin and I can talk to William and try to reason with him.¡± Daniel took a step back and

    Scratched the back of his head again. ¡°I know he can be a pain in the a

    ¡°I believe Prince William Doris said.

    will bring me justice.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    Why didn¡¯t you tell thern what they wanted to hear

    Drops of rainwashed against her the waking Dexte from an already draful sleep. It was had to Flow here

    is even moment without WONYM

    tout et sound she heard. Every Teak made her think she wasing for her, only to brin was nothing

    more than the old pce settling in for The night. Each time she heard Moottips, she bed until they faded

    down the hall and far y from her deer. When she did finally fel, it was newrng Achil in the air of rain

    from outside always woke her like a reset button for her Wome. When would they came for her

    Doris hid finally gotten bertseerattar a few days of pwing in her own fear. Her cell door slid openi without

    a winning in the dead of night. Two guards stomped their way in and forced to up from her bed without a

    Word. Doris ped ind felt the Pressure of their hold anly tightenis ifta silence her. She mped her lips

    shut and follored them dawn the hallway. They led her to 1 room that looked Hke a bigger cell than the

    one she¡¯d just left Instead of bars, it had four stone wars. It was just as damp. but held na bed.

    Instead, there was one chals in the center of the TOOT with chains around the an ts Jack Anthony stood

    with his hands sped behind his back and chin held high. His long hair was thed back and he wore all

    ck as if he were headed to traini with the royal guard. Something about the way he stared at Doris

    made it very obvious he wasn¡¯t

    The quinds shared Doris inside and locked the door behind the Devils tried to keep her hands from

    shiling, she surled them into tists at her sides in hope it would help. Jack marked her very IVE with his

    dark eyes, the side of this mouth lifted slightly in an unkind inner

    ¡°Chain her to the chair. If she gives us any problems, we¡¯ll mow her to the wall.¡± He said the Temaved his

    jacket and set it neatly on a heak by the door. The two guards forced her to sit and wrapped thick chains

    around her wrists to the arms of the chair

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Please¡± Doris whispered, Jack tumed and Smacked her harshly across har check. Tears blurred her

    eyes the pain camescondster, she Hele her entire body tremble and wasn¡¯t able to stop

    Jack gripped her chin and yanked her head back to look up at him. ¡°You know why you¡¯re here, don¡¯t

    you!¡± Doris pressed her lips together and nodded slowly. too afraid to speak. ¡°That¡¯s right, you poisoned

    that useless girl.¡± Jack released her and leaned down to her eye level.

    You want to know what I think? i think you meant that soup to be for my mother. I think you wanted her to

    be the one to wind up dead on the ground, but you got the bowls mixed up. Isn¡¯t that right?

    ¡°N-no! No, I would never poison anyone! Especially not Luna¡ª¡± Jack hit her again with more force. For

    second, her entire world spun around her until her sight straightened again.

    ¡°I was hoping you would have learned something in that cell, but I see you still can¡¯t help but lie.¡± Jack

    y La v.AIIN

    Ticked a piece of lint of himself and red down at Duris. I suppose I¡¯ll have to try s e mere dratic Tactics

    to wring the truth out of you, aren¡¯t I?

    ate

    ¡°No please, I am telling the truth! I never meant to hurt anyone, I thought the soup had something Luna

    Queen was allergic to so I gave it to Melody. I didn¡¯t realize it was poison!¡± Doris tasted a bit of blood that

    dripped from her nose from hisst hit. Tack stared at her silently as she exined herself, his

    expression was almost thoughtful-until it

    ¡°Did Prince Williarn ask you to poison Luna Queen?¡± Jack asked suddenly, the question startled Doris for

    a moment.

    ¡°What? Of course not¡ª- Jack didn¡¯t let her finish, he curled his hand into a fist and hit her as hard as he

    could. The chair tilted back from the force and almost sent Doris crashing to the ground, he grabbed the

    arms of the chair and righted her before she could. Her head ached in every spot, for a moment she

    couldn¡¯t see where he was standing

    ¡°I saw you hesitate, don¡¯t lie to me girl.¡± He growled. ¡°I know Prince William put you up to this, I heard

    from the other maids that you spent the night with him.¡±

    Doris parted her lips, a bit of blood leaked out but she couldn¡¯t remember how to form words for a

    moment.

    Jack gripped her hair and forced her head back harshly until she was looking at the ceiling, she

    screamed from the pain of her hair almost being tomn from her skull. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you onest try to

    tell me the truth before things get worse for

    Hansted you tu poisoni Luna Quren

    AIN

    Darin was no much pain, his words didn¡¯t make AHT BEDS. Why would he think Prince William had

    anything to do with this? Melody was the one that had gotten poison ¡± P rince Willian didn¡¯t ask me to

    paisan anyone

    te

    Jack released her head, and for a manent she thought he would let her go. For a moment she allowed

    herself to hope he¡¯d finally heard her words and believed thern.

    She was silly for ever thinking that

    Jack stepped in front of her again with what looked like a small lighter in one hand and a cane in the

    ather. ¡°I warned you not to lie. It would be a shame to ruin such a pretty face that I know Prince William

    must appreciate.¡±

    *Please¡­¡± Doris begged, she leaned back away from his touch when he neared her. Jack tilted his head

    to the side as he studied her face. Without another word, he mmed the wooded cane down against

    her foot as hard as he could. She heard a crack before she screamed loud enough to wake the dead.

    She wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it went right through her foot and pierced the ground, she was too

    afraid to look

    ¡°How about now?¡± Jack said through gritted teeth ¨C ¡°Are you ready to admit to me that you and William

    wanted to poison Luna Queen?¡±

    Doris screamed again when he mmed the cane down a second time on the same foot. He threw the

    cane across the room when it snapped from the

    W.AIIN

    Puck rolled up her love brought the me down to her expased skin. She shirieked and tried to Ime way

    from him, he held her still. ¡°Why are you probcting him? Prince William is notorious for only caring about

    himself. Did you know he didn¡¯t even shed a tear after what happened to Melody? He was probably

    happy to have her gone.¡±

    Her skin turned an angry, blistering red near her wrist. She thrashed in her seat and begged. ¡°Please, I

    don¡¯t know anything about the soup! Please!¡±

    Tack flicked off the lighter and stepped away to look down at her and assess his own work. Her face was

    bloodied and bruised, her foot most likely broken and her arm was severely bumed in a small area.

    Every inch of her trembled, he took a step back and waved at his guards. ¡°Lets put her back and give her

    a few hours to think about all of this.¡±

    Doris limped back to her cell with a guard on each side of her and Jack leading the way. She would¡¯ve

    red at his back, but her face was too sore to do anything but remain neutral. She knew her foot must

    have been broken or badly sprained, her face must have been covered in dirt and blood and every ounce

    of her screamed for a doctor¡ªbut no help was offered. Not even a bandage.

    Jack turned to look at her when he slid her door open. He lifted his chin as he stared down his nose at

    her. ¡°Perhaps next time you will be more forting with answers.¡±

    The guard pushed Doris into the cell before she

    could respond, she tripped over her own injured lez andnded hard against the floor. She couldn¡¯t see a

    foot in front of herself. her tears blurred everything around her and she dragged herself to the wall before

    she hugged herself gently in hopes it would help with the pain.

    After a few minutes of listening to her own hallow sobs, an older voice broke the silence. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you

    just tell them what they wanted to hear?¡±

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    I¡¯m here to get you out of here.

    W

    Derin glowy chwed towards the voice and fripped the bars that separated their cells. She cauldn¡¯t see

    him in the darkness, he didn¡¯t even know there

    orke close by. She fushed red. He mus have heard all the mights she cried herself to sleep. Why hadn¡¯t

    he said anything sooner? ¡°I¡¯m not going to trme others. Loris and quietly. ¡°No matter what he does to me,

    it¡¯s just not right.¡±

    The older man stopped out of the shadows and came closer to Laris. ¡°Even if it would save your life?

    Even then. I believe in justice.¡± Doris swallowed and leaned her side against the bars. She wined at the

    pain that nicocheted through her body. ¡°Prince Wiihim will judge fairly. I believe that.¡±

    ¡°There is no fair justice in this kingdom under their ruling.¡± The old man chuckled lightly to himself, but

    not at her. He looked kind, she wondered what he was doing in this prison. ¡°Unfortunately. It¡¯s been like

    that for a long time. All they truly care about here is power.¡±

    They must care to find the real person that was responsible for what happened.¡± Doris said weakly.

    lately it only felt like she was trying to convince herself. It was hard to find hope in such a dark ce. Her

    mind kept shing with the sight of Melody¡¯s lifeless body staring up at nothing. Half of her felt a bit of

    relief that she would never have to serve her again, but that hall also filled her with an unbelievable

    guilt. She never for a second wanted

    anything to happen to Melody, she wanted her to

    make him happy until Boris could leave Now.. that clearly was never golng to happen.

    ¡°What did happen if I may a?¡± The main Hi on The ground closer to her. His face was water and curious.

    His beard was a bit too long as if he¡¯d been in here quite a while, the rest of himn had dirt TOSS his

    clothes and skin.

    ¡°Oh, well I suppose you haven¡¯t heard if you¡¯ve been in here.¡± Doris sighed and closed her eyes for a

    moment to block out the images. ¡°I was serving soup to the royal members and the bowl that was meant

    for Luna Queen had been poisoned. I didn¡¯t know it was, I mistakenly gave it to Prince William¡¯s Lady

    Melody and she copsed at Luna Queen¡¯s party. In front of everyone It Was homble.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± The mti hurmmed as he took in her words. ¡°I assume they think you did it, then?¡±

    Doris nodded and brushed a tear off her bruised cheek. She could easily close her eyes and sleep for

    temity with the way she felt. ¡°I wasn¡¯t Even meint. to be there 1¡ª- Doris hesitated, she didn¡¯t want to

    Teveal why she wasn¡¯t meant to be there. ¡°I had the night off Another had maid injured herself and asked

    me to fill in for her.¡±

    The old man frowned a little. ¡°Were you close with thedy the was poisoned?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well. I was her Lady¡¯s Maid, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t friends?

    ¡°I was taught that it was improper to be friends with a royal member.¡± Doris silently added that

    Melody despise everyihing about Dars. She was Have that it bathered lwr wheney Toris in breathed

    around her. But this man didn¡¯t need to know any of that, it was wrong to speak badly af the dead.

    The old man humined again and shook his head Handly. ¡°They¡¯re just people, Hike you and I.¡± *They¡¯re

    royalty, I was born frarn nothing.¡±

    ¡°Being born from nothing doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be something great.¡± The old man said. Doris

    stared at him in silence for a moment before she smiled a little. It hurt to even do that.

    ¡°Did Jack do that to you?¡± He gestired to her injuries, Doris nodded, ¡°And you still didn¡¯t tell him what he

    wanted to hear

    Doris slowly lifted her attention to the old man when he used Frince Jack¡¯s name so casually. Who was

    this man? ¡°It would¡¯ve been a lie if I said what he wanted to hear. He wants me to admit to something I

    haven¡¯t done, or me someone else

    for it.¡±

    *Do you care about the person he wants you to me?¡± The old man asked, his face curious.

    Doris hesitated. She didn¡¯t want to admit she hated Prince William. ¡°I¡­ I just think that it wouldn¡¯t be the

    right thing to do regardless of how I feel about that person. Nobody deserves to be punished if they¡¯re

    innocent.¡±

    He smiled at her, Doris could see the moonlight shine on his wrinkled features. ¡°You have a kind soul,

    youngdy. I think it takes a lot of courage to remain true to yourself. Anyone else would have

    thirun the first person they could think of to the

    IIN

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if I will the reason one else wit med.¡± Doris wighed and rubbed

    her eyes

    What if it really was the person they wanted yai to me?¡± He asked the question lightly, cursus to see

    where her mind might wander.

    ¡°If it is, I believe the truth alwayses to light but ¡ª¡± Doris thought back to the party. Prince William

    had been acting normally. he wasn¡¯t on edge or tensed. He wis drinking and watching her but that wasn¡¯t

    something out of the ordinary. The bowl was meant for Luna Queen and he saw her give it to Melody and

    didn¡¯t even blink in tye. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it was who they sold at all. I think the person would havee

    from the kitchens or been near all of the bowls before they were served.¡±

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    His eyes traveled over each of her wounds. First the ones on her face, then the ones on her afins and

    legs. He looked more and more sad the longer he looked at them, but she didn¡¯t want his pity. She would

    heal eventually just as she had before.

    The old man tilted his head as he brought his eyes to her own again, a small smile on his face. ¡°May I

    see your broken foot? I want to help.¡± Doris raised her brow¡¯s in question, she nodded her head and

    carefully brought her foot closer to the bars for him. to see. He lightly touched her skin where it looked

    the ugliest. Arge, purple bruised already bloomed around the bruise. He took a sharp stone from the

    floor and sliced his hand open before she could even move and poured the blood on top of her wound.

    The man touched his blood is the other wounds hek had given her slowly the pain started base away

    from her and be something drill and manageable. She stared at himn in shock-as well as a little

    lear.

    ¡°Are you a- wizard? Or a vampire? How are you

    The old manughed a little and shook his head.¡± No need to worry yourself, my dear. I didn¡¯t want to

    see a kind girl like you suffer.¡±

    ¡°Your¡­ your blood can heal people?¡± Deris asked. her eyes widened with disbelief. ¡°H¡­how?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, do you want to get out of here?¡± He asked suddenly, Dons gazed down at her bum that was

    now mostly gone.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes of course I do, but I can¡¯t-they won¡¯t let me leave until they decide my fate.¡±

    A loud thud echoed outside their cells, they both silenced and turned towards the noise. Doris could hear

    her heart ram inside her chest as another bump sounded in the darkness. She couldn¡¯t see anything

    there were only small torches by each of the cell doors but the rest of the hallway was mostly in the dark.

    A few momentster, a masked man appeared from the shadows and stopped in front of the old man¡¯s

    all Ho har Chr I¡¯m hara ta att af hara¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    She doesn¡¯t belong here.

    Lloris siuod quickly when the the NYDETUR naked min She only winced a little from the pain of her foot,

    but it was quickly fine. He ware i ck milk and dark clothin the inuld tell he was quite tall and well built

    but she didn¡¯t D u his Temat all who are you? How did you get in here! Doris asked, she ned at the ald

    man but he didn¡¯t loak surprised at all. Did he know hlen? Had he nned this?

    The asked men ignored her and began to try and open his cell door. The old man nced at Doris with

    sadness in his gaze. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he was looking at her that way. ¡°I want you to get her

    aut as well. She doesn¡®t belong in here.¡±

    Doris parted her lips in surprise, she didn¡¯t expect him to actually want to help her get out of here. The

    asked man made an impatient noise and looked her up and down before dismissing her when he turned

    back to the old man.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this, we only have seconds before someone realizes I¡¯m here.¡± He said, volce

    deep and rushed. She didn¡¯t recognize his voice at all. Not like she did when she heard Prince Daniel

    speak and realized exactly who it was when she saw his face.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong in here.¡± The old man repeated More firmly. The masked man paused what he was

    doing for a moment and locked eyes with him.

    Ty La W.AIIN

    switches the marked mini Bantud lo worlu

    ate

    woald be able to get out of here even if he did It doar ?pen before they can. The mailed in nced up

    her as she talked. ¡°Prince Jack will Fioticu I¡¯m one therand H e here. He pronised he would coint and

    interrote me HIT heur until I him what he wants. If I¡¯m not in liente, he¡¯ll have the entire grounds arched

    for me until I¡¯m found and I don¡¯t wint them to find you

    * You must be Daris, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The masked man

    ked after a moment of silence, he wounded almost impressed with her but she didn¡¯t know why. Perhaps

    he was only grateful he didn¡¯t have to find a way for her to get out of here as well

    Y-yes. I¡¯m Daris. She responded, Tervously picking ather nails. Who was this man? How did he know her

    name?

    She wished she had more time to ask the old man his story like he asked hers. Then perhaps she would

    know why he was in here in the first ce. ?nd-his name of course. She wished she knew his name, but

    now it felt extremely awkward to ask as he was being broken out of prison. She would probably never

    see him again if he seeded, and she hoped he did.

    ¡°I heard Prince William is going to hold court tomorrow to judge your case. I think you¡¯re right that Prince

    Jack wille by soon to get whatever information he wants from you, I suggest you hold out as long as

    you can.¡± The masked man wamed.

    Doris felt her blood run cold. If her case was already

    La

    ta, but she didn¡¯t know how much longer i Cauld survive it. In just one muuting with him, he¡¯d braken

    her loat and burned out of her skin, not to Intion what he did to her face.

    It hurt to blinkt before the old man offered some of his blood H..magic blood Doris had never met anyone

    that held a power like that, she wondered how it was even possible. Didn¡¯t he realize how many people

    he could help with a power like that? Did the pce know he had those sort of powers! Would they make

    him use it for good-on something else?

    ¡°You must stay true to yourself. Doris.¡± The old man said gently. slowly pulling her from her mashing

    thoughts. ¡°All your wounds will heal, but your heart will not if you turn your back on what you believe.¡±

    Doris nodded and ced her hand against her chest. Her heart toured beneath her palm. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know

    how far he¡¯ll go for a false confession, but I¡¯m ready to pay the price.¡±

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No,¡± The old man stepped up to the bars and held out his hand for her. She hesitated before she let him

    take it. He squeezed once before he let her go ¡­ ¡°You should not lose your life for anything. Don¡¯t you

    know every monster has their limits?¡±

    Doris¡¯s mind shed back to the murderous look in Melody¡¯s eyes the night she beat Doris in front of

    people who didn¡¯t stop her. It didn¡¯t feel like Melody had her limits then, Doris was positive she was going

    to die if Prince William hadn¡¯t stopped her.

    He only and her here he thought want

    head to Bald. The thout thisugh but it would havee UE

    not made her

    thake.

    Doris had to believe that the trial would be fair.

    She had to believe that Prince William would be fale even though she way certain the hated her. He

    watched her the entire right at the party, she knew deep down that he was going to do the right thing In

    return, Dons would as well¡ªshe would refuse to

    in to Prince Jack and roll of his terrible Enctio.

    She just didn¡¯t understand why he wanted her to tell him that Prince William had been the one to poison

    Luis Queen. He was in his seat the whole night, not once did he get up to slip anything in her soup. nor

    did she see him suspiciously watching the soups to make sure someone else did it for him Doris would

    definitely have noticed hisrge fann making his was towards the kitchens, everyone would have looked

    at him if she was honest. He was hard to miss. and even harder to look away from. He mrely talked to

    anyone the entire night, but that was normal for himn. So, why WAS Prifice Jack so se on the fact that it

    was him? He acted the same as always. Cold, detached, and drinking

    ¡°Prince William is usually quick with court matters the masked man broke through her thoughts. ¡°He¡¯ll

    find who was responsible and it¡¯ll be over before you know it. All you have to do is survive the night.¡±

    Which was much easier said than done.

    Loud footsteps echoed down the hall, they all froze us they heard voices. ¡°What are you doing sleeping

    on the job!¡± ? man yelled as he mmed his fist

    Duris quickly turned to look at the masked mind wat him to leave, but he was already one. That O min t

    ea, or was in the shadows where she couldn¡¯t see race of him. She Helly hope he was able to get out

    with the mask d man when his back was turned. It 35 THE to a kind soul in this palice, the only wanted

    pod things for each one she dide across, Especially are that wanted to help her when she felt she

    didn¡¯t deserve it.

    The footsteps stomped down the hallway, each sound rammed through her chest and she felt her entire

    body tremble when it stopped outside of her cell. The guards wordlessly unlocked Doria¡¯s cell and

    grabbed her before she could even think to step back 1

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    Stay away from her. What are you doing?!¡± Dunst to yan helf Out of his hold, but he only held hinder. ¡°Le

    me 30! Pe There is no point in Tusiting them, their face held o sympathy for her or what was about lu

    hapen to hr. They did her out of her raam

    and throuch the dark blways like she was an a l. Hi heart Ered to burst from her chest.

    when the rear settled deep in her bob. She Want sure if she would be able to survive the night, but she

    had to try Prince Tack stood there waiting for her calm and collected His ce que no hint to how he will

    feeling of what was in stare for her and that temd her more than she wanted to admit There

    is no chair this time, only chains remained where it once stood, ¡°Have you settled on your confession?¡±

    Princeck Asked as the door mned shut behind her. ¡°I still stand by what I said.¡± Doris couldn¡¯t keep

    the shakiness out of her voice. Prince Jack lifted his chin slightly when he looked down at her. His ces

    roamned over her face that was partially healed thanks to the old man blood. The corner of his mouth

    lifted in a sinister sm?rk that wis na where near friendly. ¡°I suppose I didn¡¯t impose enough pressure the

    last time we spoke.¡± His eyes darkened as he took a step towards her. Doris quickly stepped away until

    her back hit against the wall. Heughed a little as if he knew there was no where for her to run or hide

    and he didn¡¯t have to

    Hugh aller BH ID catch her: ¡°Just admit Fence

    Prince Jack wald Daris by her throat before she could finisili her sentence. She gripped his hands in he

    lifted her all the yound, she quickly gauw desperate for als before he threw her down as hard

    she could against the stone floor. She felt it all of her breath was knockoud right out of her. He leated

    over her to qaba chunk of her hair and f?rde her wide, lemmik eyes to his. He gestund for the guards to

    chain her to the found even though They both know she would never escape him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask

    again, understand?¡± He hissed through his teeth. Doris winced when he forced her face closer, the

    chains ratled around her. He waited silently for her to say something but she only staned at him with a

    plea in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t say 1 didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Darls watched as his fist closed before he hit her so hard,

    her head stacked against the floor and left her dizzy from the impact. Her eyes felt as if they rolled back

    in her head. Prince Jack doubled in her Vision for a moment as he reached out his hand one of the

    guards quickly ced a short metal bar in his palm. Prince Jack didn¡¯t give her another chance to beg

    before he mmed the bar against her body-over and over again. Her legs, her torso and arins. Her skin

    split open in homble gashes each time he brought the bar down more than once in the same area. Doris

    couldn¡¯t register if she screamed, but her throat became raw enough that she knew must have been He

    paused for a moment to catch his breath. Doris

    te

    steps to catch up to her and brought his build directly on her hand. Daris would never for the

    The guards stood stoned faced by the doors in they watched their prince quickly lose control, they still

    nothing as he leanedurer her brought the har down across her face. We und over again until her te

    mixed with blood. Deris vreamed in agony. he threw the bloodied bar krass the roun when he pew tired

    of using it. ¡°P-please¡­ You can¡¯t kill me before the trail¡­¡± Doris choked on her own blood as she tried ta

    speak, Prince Jack raised his brows and looked at her as if she were a dying dog. *You really think they¡¯ll

    care about an omega mald¡¯s life? You¡¯ll be reced by morning without a single tear shed.¡± Prince Jack

    wiped his face and only smeared more of her own blood across his cheek while doing so. Her heart

    ached, but she was tou hurt to are about his words. No matter how true they were, her mind wouldn¡¯t

    dwell on. anything he said when her body was screaming for medical care Doris struggled to breathe and

    felt closer to death than the night Melody tried to kill her Prince Jack was much stronger, every hit was

    worth ten of Melody¡¯s. Blood spilled from her lips and onto his shoes when she coughed, he looked down

    at her with disgust in his eyes and for a moment she wondered if he¡¯d finally decided he wanted to kill

    her.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Fine Jack Pulled bug rope from his part slowly

    watched her. His head tilted in A ty as her breaths lume louder the more

    desate she became to breath. His face quickly datkend when she saw his patience slip. He mihi have

    been ulently waiting for her to win to his demands, but she wouldn¡¯t. Prince Jack sed the rupe away. if he

    changed his mind and fell to his knees beside her. He wrapped hisrge hands around her neck and

    Started to nueeze until she couldn¡¯t breath. She wed at his hands desperately. Her eyes widened, he

    only applied more force the more she struggled. Doris tried to kick at him, she tried to wring herself out

    from underneath himn but it didn¡¯t work in the slightest. Slowly, her attempts weakened. Darknes started

    to flicker in her vin and she knew she was about to pass out ordle. She was so close to fedomn, only

    to die at the hands of # horrible Prince Suddenly, Prince Tack was thrown off her for a moment, she

    thought it was the masked man that camne to save her front death. But when she sawali of the guards in

    the room had bowed, her blurry gazended on Prince William. He stood with nage burning in his eyes is

    he took in the sight of Doris half dead on the ground. She hadn¡¯t even heard himnie in, but it looked

    like the door was almost off its hinges behind him. Daris rubbed her sore throat and gulped in as much

    air is she could, quickly moving further away from where Prince Jack was. I His gaze was no longer on

    her, his fury burned into Prince William and Doris would have shivered from the look Prince William gave

    him back. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing to her?¡± Prince William Spoke with a deadly calm as he took a

    step closer to Prince Jack

    It¡®s time for her trial. Bring her but to the ECUTE.¡± +1 never knew the count started their trials in the

    middle of the night ¨C Prince kinoted. What¡¯s the hash? Are you womed Elil your lisele mid Or should I

    meter to her your mistress?¡± He

    Prince William moved quicker than Deris expected hiin to. He slumd Jack back into the stone Wall

    behind him and the guards around them didn¡¯t Sien ta know what to do. They looked ready to try and

    stop him, but made no mave to do so. Prince Jack threw a punch at Prince William, but it barely seemed

    to phase him in the slightest. He was at least a head taller than Prince Jack and it almost lookedial

    to see him try and fight against Prince William. Or, it would have been if every inch of her wasn¡¯t burning

    with pain. Prince William Smacked Prince Jack¡¯s head back against the wall angrily before he punched

    himn so hard his nose bled. Prince William grabbed his throat and lifted Prince Jack slightly off the

    pround. ¡°I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s allowed to deal with her. If I see youy another hand on her. I will rip

    your throat out and feed it to your pack of dogs.¡± He let Prince Jack drop with a thud. The prince rubbed

    his throat and gulped for air just as Doris had been a moment before. A terrible part of her was d to

    see him in pain *Stay away from her.¡± Prince William said before he turned to look at Doris.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    what will you do with her

    te

    Harls Mlinched a little bit Prince William hered to help her up. A sh of something that looked life He

    neid his feature but it was gone before the could focus on L He gently removed her chains and hauled

    her to her wet, his eyes searched her face when she wined but he said nothing. Prince Jacht Binod and

    stumbled out as the daar as he was Erying to beat them to the court, but Prince William Lared him as he

    took ¨C handkerchief from his jucket and dabbed at the blood on her face. The soft

    esture surprised her more than he allowed to show. He was a close to her, their faces only inches apart

    and for once he didn¡¯t look angry ar annoud with her. Her shaly hand took the cloth from him and wiped

    some of the blood herself he watched her for a moment with a frow before he turned and made his way

    to the door. It is obvious he wanted her te follow him, she allowed herself to catch her breath before she

    limped after him. Prince Jack must have hit her left leg harder than she thought, it was agonizing to even

    put a little pressure on it. Prince William didn¡¯t rush her, he showed his steps when he realized she

    couldn¡¯t walk very fast. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to offer his um but looked angry at himself

    for even considering being nice. He probably felt bad she was almost beaten to her death before a fair

    judging. It was a miracle that the trial was moved to nightfall, otherwise she wasn¡¯t sure if she would

    have survived till morning. She¡¯d never forget the

    La

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    murderous look intPince dik¡¯s when he strangled her. She would¡¯ve worn it was the end for her if Prince

    William hadn¡¯t interfered. For OTH in her life, she was grateful to him Once they pushed through the

    doon, a silence fell over the inside. All eyes fell on Doris and she wished she could have hidden behind

    Prince William¡¯srge frame but she kept firm and walked

    There was a small podium withrge tables on each side. One for the defense and the other for

    prosecution she assumed. Doris had never been in this room of the pce, she always thought she was

    lucky to be so far away from any of the courts business. Not today, it seemed. How did she get here?

    Just a few months ago, the library was all she¡¯d known. Now it seemed she was the only one most of the

    royals red at. There were more seats in the crowd for those to sit and watch what was to be of

    her. It was filled with so many royals, it made her blood chill from the sight. The king was stated in a

    throne by the table with his family spread on each side of him, he watched her with a little pity in his gaze

    as she limped to the other table. Prince Jack was already Seated next to his mother, his suit had a bit of

    her blood on it as well as some of his own from his nose. He red at both of them from the second they

    entered, she quickly looked away. A small sense of satisfaction grew inside her knowing he suffered a

    little bit for what he did to her. Luna Queen sat tall and tense with Lady Grace Fearby. Prince Daniel was

    seated away from them and he stood when he saw Doris. A flush of anger reddened his cheeks as he

    red at Prince William as if he thought he was the one that caused it. Doris wished she could silently

    exin who it was hout

    V.ANLA

    IFTTT Martin looked just worried hen¨¹l up small and followed her with his until the

    lead where ince Willis directed. His iron ¨¹nly Fres h book in all the blood she didn¡¯t have in

    chance to wash ofl. How howbile she must look to ate

    ¡°Well, you look like you¡¯ve had quite the night.¡±

    Luis Queca leaned back in her chair and raised her

    brers but held na pity for Denis in her gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s

    et on with it then and charge her.¡± Prince William stepped up to the podium and straightened his jacket.

    He didn¡¯t spare on nce al Prince Jack as if he wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°Daris won¡¯t be charged for

    anything.¡± He said, ignoring the mummuring that exploded from his first Comnent. Doris thought it must

    have been fare for anyone except his family to question Prince William *That¡¯s absurd! She tried to kill

    me!¡± Luna Queen shrieked above the voices. Doris swayed a little on her feet. ¡°She didn¡¯t. I found the

    maid who put the Aconitum in the soup.¡± Prince Wim continued calmly, he raised his hand and the girl

    came forward. Doris didn¡¯t recognize the maid, but she looked as if she¡¯d been crying all night. The way

    she stared at Prince William made it obvious who she was to himni, though. ¡°I-I did put the flower in the

    soup, but I had no idea it was poison!¡± She cried. ¡°I would have never done it if I¡¯d known it was

    poisoned. I just I didn¡¯t want Prince William around Melody any longer. Everyone knows she doesn¡¯t

    deserve him. I thought I tried to frame Melody as the one who put the flower in Luna Queen¡¯s bowl

    because I knew she was allergic.¡±

    La AIIN

    te

    out le u r use

    ? I want to know who¡¯s behind the parson, Hol vaut bedroomhair!¡± She hand her hand down mainst the

    table, Dusta rubbed her head and tried to stand straight. ¡°Who¡¯s te wys wasn¡¯t hired to take the me

    For others.¡± Princeck spoke up. his eyes what to Doris bile theynded an Prince William He clearly

    wasn¡¯t going to forgive him for the earlier

    King Charles mmed his own hand down on the Table when he¡¯d had enough of their qiel. Doris

    Flirched from the sound but remained silent. ¨C That¡¯s enough. We don¡¯t need to sie here and listen to you

    going back and forth to waste my time.¡± Prince William cleared his throt, Lunii Queen tumed red and

    seated herself again. No one dared speak to out of turn- Prince Williarn only spoke again when King

    Charles st¨¹red for him to continue. ¡°The flower that was ced in the soup was poisonous, but that

    wasn¡¯t the only poison found in the soup. A trace of minchirieel was mixed in as well. It¡¯s one of the rarest

    nts in this kingdamn that¡¯s only grown in the north, usually it could only be found on the ck market

    for sale, Once digested, it can be deadly.¡± Hushed whispers broke when he mentioned the north.

    Although the territory is ruled by house Amold, it was one of the most dangerous areas ini the whole

    kingdom. Rogue packs that didn¡¯t submit to the royal family roamed the area, even a prince wasn¡¯t safe

    in the north. In fact, they would only be more targeted. Whoever traveled to the ckmarket must have

    been very determined to poison Luna Queen, Doris briefly wondered who hated her so

    ¡°Allow me to go to the north.¡± Prince William sad everyone silenced at his ward, ¡°I have to find the truth

    and bring justice to everyone involved in this case. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to do that if I stay

    He was risking his life for this case-why? Doris realized he must have truly loved Melody to do something

    like this for her. Prince Jack was wrong. he did care for her if he was willing to travel to the herth where

    everyone knew he might not corne back from. While Prince William was a strong woli, it wouldn¡¯t matter

    if he found himself backed in aer against hundreds of rogue, angry wolves that only wanted his

    blood on their hands. ¡°What are you going to do about the maid?¡± The king asked. Doris felt a Bttle dizzy,

    she gripped onto the table to steady herself but no one seemed to notice. What would they do to her?

    Throw her back into the cell until he retumed with some sort of evidence to free her? ¡°Yes, what will you

    do about her? It hasn¡¯t been proven she wasn¡¯t the one to poison the soup.¡± Luna Queen said with a

    sheer in her tone. 2 ¡°It¡¯s not hert¡± Prince Daniel stood, his hands balled in fists at his sides. Doris would

    have smiled at his attempt if she had the energy. Prince Jack scolfed, ¡°How would you know if it was?¡±

    ¡°Doris would never poison anyone.¡± Daniel insisted. ¡°She¡¯s one of the kindest maids I¡¯ve had the

    pleasure of meeting in this pce.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were so smitten with the pretty maid, Daniel.¡±

    Prince Jack smirked as he leaned forward. He nced at Prince William with a smuz

    sort of expression. Prince William lifted his gaze to Daniel, a bit of imitation flickered in his eyes. ¡°Why

    would you ever act as if you know her more than anyone else in the

    Their arguing faded away from Doris all at once. She tried to hold onto the light but the darkness

    swallowed her whole as she fell back into someone¡®s grasp and saw no more.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    Chapter 33 Prince William had done so much more

    INC

    Doris wasn¡¯t ?ur§Ö h§àw many hours passed wher she Tirually woke Light streamed in from the p ad

    Curtains, F H ment she¡¯d forgotten all abit prison and poison. Only the pain reminded her of the misery

    she suffered from Prince Jack¡¯s hands. ¡°oh, Doris!¡± Beth¡¯s familiar voice calmned Dons¡¯s growing fear. ¡°I

    was so worried, you¡¯ve been out for

    Deris tried to sit up, Beth rushed over to help adjust her pillows. Suddenly she realized she was in their

    room¡ªthe Toom she shared with Beth before Melody asked her to be herdy¡¯s maid. ¡°I they sent me

    here?¡± Doris asked weakly.

    Yes. Prince William asked for you to be moved here instead of the cell.¡± Beth smoothed out her nkets

    and brushed back her hair. Doris was relieved to see she was no longer in the dreadful prison attire, she

    was in her own night clothes. ¡°He did?¡± Doris said, unable to keep the surprise from her tone. She was

    thrilled to be back with Beth. It made her feel so much safer and happier than any other ce in the

    entire kingdom could. ¡°Yes, I think he wanted to make sure you had someone to take care of you. The

    pce gave me these days off to look after you.¡± Beth spoke gently. as if she were afraid her volume

    might hurt Doris¡¯s ears. She was surprised to hear the pce allowed Beth to stray from her duties just

    for Doris, perhaps she was closer to death than she thought. ¡°Prince Daniel came by twice already to

    see you, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be here any minute to check on you

    INC

    A knack i

    ced beth, she bushed

    little win

    cursied. ¡°Your majesty, pleasee in, Dark is

    Denis tried to sit up straighter: ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t on my ount!¡± Prince Daniel hurried forward to help

    Danis. She flushed a little at his touch, Heth med at her behind Prince Daniel¡¯s shoulder ¡°I¡¯m going to get

    more towels, I¡¯ll be night back!¡± Beth said before she slipped out. Prince Daniel looked as if he hadn¡¯t

    slept much, he smiled down at Dons and cleared his throat. ¡°I left you flowers earlier.¡± He gestured to the

    pink roses by her bed, Doris slowly turned herself to be the bouquet. ¡°I picked them from the gardens, I

    saw you looking at them a few weeks ago so I took . guess that they might be your favorites.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡°

    Doris whispered and lifted her fingers to brush across the petals. ¡°They¡¯re lovely. Thank you, your

    majesty.¡± *Please, call me Daniel.¡± He pulled up Beth¡¯s chair so he could sit by the bed. ¡°There¡¯s no

    reason for you to call me your majesty or Prince Daniel in private.¡± Doris opened her mouth to object, but

    closed it after a moment and smiled at him. It was odd to even think of calling a prince by his first name,

    but Daniel was different. He¡¯d been a friend before he was a prince to her.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    her tors and winced. ¡°Doris, what¡¯s wrong. Dort hurt? Daniel stond quickly and looked around the Tom.

    He grabbed a small fans of medicine by her table and poured werVR of it on spoon Carefully, he brought

    it to help and held the back of her head to help her sip lt properly.

    1.CO After a few moments, the medicine started to settle in. She slowly leaned back against the pillows

    and took a breath. Daniel set down the battle and naved to grip her hand that wasn¡¯t banda.ped. ¡°Are

    you feeling okay?¡±

    Yes, the pain is fading a little. Thank you, your¡ª¡± Prince Daniel gave her a look, she smiled. ¡°Daniel.¡±

    **Did Prince Willian do that to you? Did he hurt you?¡± Daniel asked gently, though his eyes looked a little

    angry at the thought. Doris shook her head. *Prince Jack did, he wanted me to confess but 1 wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Doris said as she blinked away a few tears that threatened toe out. Nothing would be more

    embarrassing that crying in front of a prince. A sh of anger crossed Daniel¡¯s features, for a moment

    she understood why he was a feared Warrior. When he was angry. even for a second, he looked

    murderous. His face cooled back to normal and he squeezed her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this happened, I know

    it wasn¡¯t you. I don¡¯t care what any of them. say. I know you would never poison someone no matter how

    cruel they were to you.¡± Doris weakly squeezed his hand back, ¡°I appreciate your support, truly. Thank

    you for standing up for me.¡± Daniel nodded, a fierceness in his gaze. ¡°Of course. Always.¡±

    Prince Daniel stayed through dessert where she

    He only left the Hell returned from her very long trip to menee tawels but Daris didn¡¯t mind. The Wills

    d to hispany.

    Prince Martin came by aller she was settled in bed

    1. in. May I came in to see her?¡± He askada startled Leth. It was tare for any maid to s a prince up

    close, let alone two princes in the same day. Beth curtsied and hadded, quickly allowing the Crown

    Prince inside. Prince Martin stopped for a moment when he took in the sight of her. She bet she

    looked horrible, she couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of bruising her face suffered. After a breath, he

    stepped forward with a book gripped in his hand. ¡°I wanted to see how you were feeling I¡¯m sorry 1

    can¡¯t stay long.¡± He said gently. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine. Thank you foring. your majesty.¡± The side of

    Prince Martin¡¯s mouth lifted, he gestured to the stat by her bed. ¡°May 1?¡± He asked, Doris nodded

    and he took his seat. ¡°I brought you a book, I thought you might Now a bit bored in here.¡± ¡°Oh! How

    kind.¡± Doris took the small book and smiled when she realized it was the same poetry book he

    adored. She nced up to see Beth watching them curiously. She would have thrown a pillow at her

    friend if she had more energy. ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorites, I got you a copy so you could read it as well.¡±

    Doris smiled as she flipped through the pages. Sadly, it seemed it was not the same copy he wrote

    notes upon. Though, he did write her name on the first page along with his own to indicate it was

    from him. Part of her heart warmed when she realized he must have purchased another copy so she

    could read it as well. Who

    knew the princes were so kind? She¡¯d worked here in the pce for years and only recently had she

    discovered that two of the princes were pure gentlemen. ¡°Thank you, Prince Martin. I really appreciate

    this.¡± Doris closed the book lightly and held it to her chest. He smiled at her, a light in his green eyes. ¡°I

    also appreciate the time you stood up for me.¡± He waved away her words with a frown. ¡°It didn¡¯t do

    any good, clearly.¡± He said as his eyes raked over her injuries. *Prince Jack is quite persuasive when

    he thinks he¡¯s right or when he wants something.¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯m thankful for your kindness. Not many people

    would stand up for a maid like me.¡± Prince Martin nced down at her bandaged hand before he met

    her eyes again. ¡°Some people are worth it, no matter their titles.¡± He stood and brushed the wrinkles off

    his pants. ¡°I hope you feel better soon, Doris. Perhaps I¡¯ll see you in the library again.¡± Prince Martin

    turned to leave before she could say another word. The door closed and both of the girls stared at it for a

    moment in shock before they looked at each other. Beth grinned widely. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing

    between you two? I can practically feel the tension between you!¡± ¡°Tension?¡± Doris said, confused

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us at all, Beth. He¡¯s getting married to Lady Grace, remember?¡± ¡°Yes, but do

    you know what he¡¯s been doing for you? Beth took the seat Prince Martin had just used. ¡°He begged

    Luna Queen to let you go when you were in prison. Every single day he tried to convince her to release

    you, as did Prince Daniel.¡± ¡°They did?¡± Doris nced at the door he¡¯d just left

    through -Yes! But¡­¡± Beth nced back at the door as well to make sure it was closed. ¡°Surprisingly.

    Prince william had done so much more than both of them.¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    Chapter 34 Collect me

    What do you mean?¡± Doris asked cautiously. She didn¡®t think anything he did for her would be for her

    benefit. He hated her, even if he had moments of being somewhat decent she knew he hated her. It was

    obvious he didn¡¯t think she poisoned Melody, but that was it. ¡°Prince William spent 3 days locked away

    searching for the one that actually poisoned the soup. He refused to do anything else or let anyone help

    him, he was determined to find out who did it so you could go free.¡± Beth looked excited to finally share

    the gossip with Doris. She looked as if she were about to bounce out of her seat with all of the

    information she held in. ¡°I heard he aggressively asked all of the servants who poured the soups and

    questioned everyone that worked that night until ¡°Until what?¡± Doris asked, her hands gripping the

    nkets around her. It wasn¡¯t hard to picture him. yelling at cooks and servants until they admitted

    whatever he wanted to them. ¡°Until one of his ex-lovers admitted it was her.¡± Beth said with wide, excited

    eyes. This was definitely better than any book in the library to Beth. Doris briefly remembered the maid in

    the courtroom that came forward about the poison. Honestly. Doris was trying not to pass out so most of

    it was a giant, scary blur to her. ¡°Really?¡± Doris breathed. It was quite scandalous for a prince to have an

    ex-lover poison the soup because she was jealous of his newdy. She bet all of the maids were just as

    excited as Beth was about the gossip . ¡°Did she say why?¡±

    Jov

    ¡°Apparently, we will raing to try and frame Melody for making Luna Quen sick, but she ims she didn¡¯t

    know about the polkojaus herb in the soup.¡± Burth propped her chin up with her hand and sighed. *1 km

    Prince William i handsome, but who would go as far as poisoning wameone over him? It¡¯s

    ¡°Do you believe her when she says she didn¡¯t put the poison in there as wel?¡± Doris asked, feeling

    herself grow more tired by the minute. Her mind couldn¡®t seem to picture anyone vicious enough to

    poison Luna Queen, not even a ed lover. ¡°I don¡¯t know, she ims she only put the flower in there

    but the flower alone has some poison in it. Perhaps she was too dull to realize that, but I¡¯m mat sure if

    she knew about the herb. I heard she waspletely clueless when they asked her about it.¡± Doris

    nodded and hummed to herself in thought. ¨C He must really care f?r Melody to go through all that

    trouble.¡± ¡°He wanted to get you out of prison, Doris. He hasn¡¯t mentioned Melody in days. I doubt the

    truly cared for her.¡± ¡°Beth! You can¡¯t say something like that he obviously care if he¡¯s willing to travel to

    the north to find out who poisoned her.¡± Doris frowned a little Prince Jack had also imed Prince

    William hadn¡¯t shed a single tear about her poisoning Clearly he wasn¡¯t huge on emotions, he must have

    been hiding his feelings for the most part. But actions were always louder than words and Prince William

    was doing the unthinkable by offering to travel to the north to find the truth for Melody ¡°He¡¯s going there

    to prove it wasn¡¯t you who poisoned Luna Queen, Doris!¡± Beth said stubbomly. Doris knew how much

    Beth dreamed of her having some sort of romance with a prince, but it was

    never going to happen. It wasn¡¯t even in her own daydreams, the only thing Doris dreamed about was

    getting as far from this pce as she could. ¡°He already knows who wanted to harm Melody. I¡¯m telling

    you it¡¯s to clear your name.¡± Doris snorted at the thought and shook her head. ¨C Beth, I adore you but he

    is not doing this for me. It¡¯s for Melody. trust me. I¡¯m just a maid that unfortunately got mixed in all of this,

    I¡¯m just lucky he doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s me like Prince Jack does.¡± Beth rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

    ¡°Fine. Be blind to the three princes tripping over themselves to impress you!¡± She stood, Dorisughed a

    little until it hurt. She was ridiculous. If only life were so simple that she had three princes wanting her

    attention, but Doris knew it was nothing like that.

    A few days passed and Doris was finally able to walk on her own again. She walked up and down the

    halls outside her room and thenid in bed after with a serving of medicine to calm her pains, Beth

    stayed by her side the entire time and made sure she had enough to eat and drink whenever she was

    hungry. Doris was eternally rateful for her. Many maids in the pce only dreamed of having a friendship

    as true as they did, it was hard to trust in this ce. Prince Daniel hade by a few more times to

    check in on her. He once even brought her some cake for a change and made herugh until her sides

    hurt and Beth had to shoo him away. ¡°Don¡¯t you have more important things to do?¡± Doris teased him. -This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Me? Never!¡± Prince Daniel said before he bowed and left the room with his signature grin that lit up his

    entire face. Doris smiled to herself as she watched him bave.

    Nov

    wilently hoped they would mand her back to the Library orce she was able to work again, sha couldn¡¯t

    imagine anyone else would want het indy¡¯s maid after what she went through. Tainted wards like liar,

    thial, and now pointer were on her back. At least in the library. nat many people ventured in to see her

    besides a kind prince and the asional servant looking for a new read. Perhaps she would talk to Mr.

    Carson in the morning about it, if he wasn¡¯t still mad at her about the party.

    Later that night, Doris had gotten up to make herself a ss of cool water when a knock startled her.

    Beth was already dozing in bed, Doris pulled on a long cloak and quietly opened it to see Prince

    William¡¯s footman on the other side, ¡°Oh¡­ Hello, sir.¡± She curtsied. -Good evening. Ms. I¡¯vee to

    collect you for Prince William.¡± He said with i slight bow of his head. Doris nced back to see Beth was

    still sound asleep ¡°Collect me?¡± Doris asked, confused. ¡°What is this for, may I ask?¡± ¡°Prince William has

    asked you to apany him in his private bedroom tonight.¡± ¡°-what? Me?¡± Doris stumbled over her

    words, her face heated immediately. ¡°I¡­ Why me?¡± Prince William¡¯s footman stared it her silently, she

    supposed he wouldn¡¯t know why either: ¡°0¡­okay. One moment, please. I just need to get my shoes.¡±

    When he nodded and turned away. Donis hurried to Beth¡¯s side and shook her awake. ¡°What?¡± Beth

    grumbled and leaned up on her elbows. Her eyes flickered to the door and she sat up straighter when

    she saw his outline. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is

    Nou

    Na, na.¡± Donis shoulder leid, ¡°I JULLW l ini tell you that Prince Willimin quested my EEE tonight so I¡¯m

    leaving I didn¡¯t want yai W TY. Deris whispered as she slippuden her shout Beth let a smink cover her

    lips, Haris ralled her eyes She knew exactly what her ridiculous friend was Thinking: ¡°Oh really? Where?

    ¡°In his private chamber.¡± Daris said quietly. Beth sat up quickly. her eyes wide and absent of sleep.

    ¡°What! ¡°Shhh!¡± Doris nced at the man but he wan¡¯t looking at them. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, he probably needs

    maid or something.¡± ¡°So he asked you in the middle of the night?¡± Heth couldn¡¯t contain her grin. ¡°It¡¯s rare

    for anyone to See his private chambers alone unless you¡¯re his

    Doris blew out a frustrated breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the morning. I¡¯m sure. I didn¡¯t want you to wake without

    me here and worry yourself.¡± She turned to the door ¡°Tell me everything the second you get back! I don¡¯t

    care if I¡¯m sleeping. wake me!¡± Doris closed the door on her friend and followed the man down the halls.

    Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to keep up with his footman who didn¡¯t even nce back to see

    if she followed him. She hadn¡¯t seen Prince William since the trial, why did he want to see her sote at

    night?

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    Chapter 35 Don¡®t move.

    Doris wiped her sweaty palms against her cloak. This would not be a pleasant night, she was sure of it.

    A hundred questions moed through her mind she didn¡¯t have an answer to a single ane. Did he want her

    to serve him the whole night? Why didn¡¯t he have another maid do this? Surely there were dozens of

    closer, more suited maids to tend to his

    The footman nced back at her once they reached his door as if he was finally checking to make sure

    she followed. Doris released a shaky breath and put her hand on her chest to feel how fast her heart

    raced. It was not exciting to be serving the most Totten princezalone. What if he tried to pin her to his

    bed again? What if he had been drinking? The man knocked twice before he opened the door. The

    chamber was extremely dim, only a few candles lit the area. ¡°Prince William, I¡¯ve brought the maid you

    requested.¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± His deep voice drew her gaze to the window where he stood with his back to

    them. She cautiously entered and flinched when the door clicked shut behind her. ¡°Good evening, your

    majesty.¡± Doris curtsied, trying to keep her voice calm. Prince William slowly tumed to look at her, a

    sense of resentment crossed his face for a moment when their eyes locked. Doris held her breath and

    curled her hands into fists at her side. ¡°You know, I would never let a liar near me like this.¡± Prince

    William said, a flicker from the candle lit up his stony face. His blue eyes always held a

    Time of their own when his emotions were on high

    Prince William Hild up his hand to stop her. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for an excuse. Doris slowly released her breath

    when he turned away from her and locked out the window again. The stars were so bright in the sky, it

    almost distracted her from his tense shoulders. After a moment of silence, Prince William turned back to

    look at her. ¡°You¡¯re the only exception. But if I catch you lying to me again, you¡¯ll suffer a lot worse than

    you have now.¡± Doris swallowed and nodded her head. ¡°Use your words.¡± He demanded. ¡°Yes Prince

    William, I understand. Doris bowed her head. ¡°May I serve you some tea?¡± Prince William looked her up

    and down, she only wished she had more time to cover her marks with makeup before she came. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Doris unsped her cloak and hung it by the door before she prepared a tray and carefully poured a

    warm cup of tea for the prince. One of her hands was still bandaged and healing, even in ounce of

    pressure made her suck in a sharp breath. She sensed every step he made even with her back to him,

    she knew his eyes followed her every movement and it only made her hand shake more. When she

    attempted to pick up the tray, he grunted behind her. ¡°Just bring the cup.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Doris said

    softly. She turned to find him already seated at the small table used for taking tea or quick meals. The top

    of his shirt was unbuttoned and his jacket was thrown over ¨¤ chalszily by his firece. His raven ck

    hair looked as if he¡¯d run his fingers through it a dozen times since she¡¯d turned away

    from him. The candle hout out the color of his Thi

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    H usnid she most forgotten how DELT that were up close. She¡¯d never L inden

    looked dark

    like a stern W

    VEE he

    Cently, the ced the cup in front of him and smoothed out her skirt Te Vously. ¡°Is there anything else

    you need with your tea? -No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He Gifted the cup to his lips and looked at her over the brim. Doris

    cleared her throat and turned away to hang up his jacket. She limped a little as she walloed, clearly she

    had been on her Teet much longer than she was supposed to. The rest of her was starting to beg for her

    to rest as well, but she doubted Prince William would allow her to Test when he wasn¡¯t even settled in

    bed yet. Doris hung his jacket and retrieved his night clothes. Thest few times she¡¯d seen him in his

    room, he didn¡¯t sleep with a shirt on. But that might have been because of the circumstances. Doris

    shivered as the sounds of his MORT resurfaced in her mind, she quickly pushed them away before

    Melody¡¯s haunted her too. When Doris emerged from his closet, he was already in bed. He wore a ck

    s?tin set of nightclothes that clung to his form, she nced down at the red pair in her hands. ¡°Oh, I

    apologize for taking so long, your majesty.¡± Doris turned to put them back **Don¡¯t bother, put them on the

    chair. The maid in the morning can handle that.¡± Prince William said as he stared up at the ceiling, his

    arm propped up behind his head. Doris tilted her head in confusion, why was she here if he didn¡¯t want

    her to do normal duties? Doris set down the clothes and quickly moved to

    lou

    adjust his nkets. She wind, silen¨¢ly cuning h alf when she grabbed Tor his lin pillow with her broken

    hand. His eyes shot to her face and then flickered to her hand. He yanked the pillow from her grip and

    fixed the pillows himself. Doris telt her cheeks burn, she wondered if he regretted asking her to serve him

    tonight yet. Or if he had the second she walked through the daer still looking like a bruised nes ¡°Is there

    anything else you need before I blew aut the candles?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s all.¡± Prince Willian said with his eyes

    already closed. Doris slowly moved around the Toom to start blowing out each candle. ¡°Leave some of

    them on.¡± He instructed when she bent to blow out the ones closest to him out. Doris bowed her head

    and went to sit in the chair by his bed. A sharp pain spiked through her when she seated herself. It was

    as if all of her woreness decided to hit her all at once the second she allowed herself to sit. She bit down

    on her lip as hard is she could to muffle the sound of her whimper. Daris turned herself away from Prince

    William and held her side when the pain thickened. She¡¯d forgotten all about her medicine she was

    supposed to take before bed, Beth would surely scold her about it the moment she returned. Doris

    nced back at Prince William and found him sitting up watching her. The way his eyes searcher every

    inch of her made her feel bare, she hated that feeling ¡°Come here.¡± He said. His deep voice vibrated

    through her body and held no room for objection¡­ Doris slowly stood and winced at the new burst of

    agony. Her heart thundered nervously with each step closer she got to him. She was in too much pain to

    fight him off, but she would if she had to. ¡°Yes?¡± Doris asked quietly when she approached

    the side of his bed. He took him ind pulled her into bed. Darise d and tried to meme willy from him, but

    he held het still. His strong arm draped across her stomach and held her down in the bed, A WAVE af p c

    blinded her pain for 1 moment. ¡°Flease ¡°Enough.¡± He knowled. Dons froze. Prince Williamid his head

    back against the silk pirs and closed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Deris watched his face, her entire body

    tended. He Pently pulled her against his chest and she felt terrified to even breathe in his hold. What was

    the Keing to do to her? Why did he grab her and force her in his bed-again! Her mind raced with hatible

    thoughts of what he was nning on doing to her, she nced around and looked for items she could

    use against him if he tried to undress her again. After what felt like hours of unbeanble tension, Doris

    realized Prince William had already been asleep. His chest lose and fell in thythm and she couldn¡¯t help

    but stare at him to make sure he wasn¡¯t faking it. She traced his face with her eyes and was started to

    see hiri look so peaceful for once. His darkshes touched the top of his cheeks, she fought the urge to

    brush his dark hair away from his forehead. How could someone so chel look so innocent when they

    slept? . Her heart rate finally calmned to the beat of his owIL. She allowed herself to rx under his hold

    and felt as if she was sinking into his cloud-like bed. She released her tight grip on his arm and saw her

    nails must have dug deep into his skin when he grabbed her, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. Why did

    Prince William want her to sleep next to

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    Chapter 36 I need her toe with me

    Doris telt his warm breath Caress the back of her neck when she woke the next morning. His sum Wie

    will draped across her, but no longer held her

    STTM he did the night before. She silently wondered how she would get herself out of this bed without

    wakime the beast. She was positive the moment he remembered what happenedst night, he would

    shove her out of his bed with disgust. He had a moment of something that felt like a sort of kindness, but

    it wasn¡¯t something she tristed. Though, not once in the night had she woken from fear like she expected

    to. She slept¡­ peacefully. She was certain she would wake and realize it was all one big dream11 A

    sharp knock startled the prince awake. His sleepy

    aze raked over her once before he pushed himself up and out of bed. Doris quickly rolled out of his

    sheets and straightened her clothes as best she could. It wasn¡¯t odd for her to be found in his room since

    she was serving him for the night, but it would be odd to be found in his bed. Thest thing she needed

    was more rumors about her intentions. with Prince William.. Doris hurried to the door while Prince

    William draped a morning cloak over his night clothes. She winced a little as the pain ignited after a few

    steps and opened the door. ¡°Good morn¡ª¡± Doris almost choked on her words when she saw the king

    himself standing on the other side of the door. Doris bowed her head low . ¡°Good morning, your

    highness.¡±

    ¡°Father. He said. Daris Hiletely hulled the straightened herself and went to make his bed, what dowe

    the pleasure of this early visit? King Charles lifted his chinas he stared at Prince William who had still not

    invited him inside. He stepped in any way and close the daor behind himn. Doris wished she had woken

    earlier, then perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have been here when the king arrived. ¡°I came to ask when you n

    to leave for the north.¡± ¡°I hape to be gone by nightfall¡± Prince William said as he leaned against the

    mantle of the firece across from his father: If Prince William wasn¡¯t so pompaus, she would have

    admired how handsome he looked fresh out of bed. A part of her started to crave the small glimpses

    where he looked a little rogue. His hair was a mess and his clothes were wrinkled from sleep, she felt her

    face heat as she tore her gaze away from him before she started to notice the lines of his muscles again.

    Doris quickly busied herself by preparing tea for the two royals. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, 501. It¡¯s not

    safe to travel to the north with your title. You know how desperate the rogue packs would be to get their

    hands on you.¡± Prince William scoffed. ¡°You think Luni Queen will stop trying to pin the me on

    everyone she sees if I don¡¯t? Clearly Martin and Jack are sale from her usations, she¡¯d never pin the

    me on her own sons. Have you thought about Daniel and I? I heard Prince Jack was asking around to

    know if I had anything to do with the poisoning! And not to mention what he did to Doris¡±

    Prince William stopped short, his gaze flicicered over to Doris and hardened the second she looked at

    him. Doris quickly looked away when King Charles tumed his own curious gaze towards her. Why would

    he bother bring up what Jack did to her? She supposed it only further proved what a monster Prince

    Jack was, but she doubted the king cared what had happened to her. ¡°IF Jack was willing to torture -naid

    for false information because Luna asked him to, who knows what else he will do to get an answer.¡±

    Doris could already tell Prince William¡¯s mood was darkening from just his tone. King Charles stated

    himself on one of Prince William¡¯s velvet chairs. Doris took the opportunity to serve them both a cup of

    tea while it was still hot. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t travel alone, I¡¯ll make sure some of the best guards apany

    you.¡± Prince William sat across from King Charles and took a long sip of tea. King Charles nodded his

    head in thanks to Doris when she carefully handed him his own. ¡°You know, I think it would be a good

    idea for Doris here to go back to the library full time. I heard some of the books miss her.¡± The king said

    with a slight smile towards Doris. She flushed under his kindness and smiled widely. Prince William

    mmed his cup on the table so hard, she was surprised it didn¡¯t crack in half. ¡°Since when do you care

    what a maid does?¡± Prince William¡¯s features turned to stone as he stood. ¡°Did Martin suggest she return

    to the library?¡± King Charles watched him calmly as if he were just a child having a tantrum. ¡°Would it

    matter who did, son?¡± Prince William¡¯s eyes flickered to Doris, she furrowed her brows when he frowned

    at her. ¡°I need her toe with me to the north.¡±

    Doris Wand she wasn¡¯t holding anything because would have mil certainly dropped it fram his words.

    King Charles tilted his had slightly in question ¡°Why are you requesting a maid join you on your damous

    journey to the north?¡±

    Prince Jack and Luna Queen still see that as guilty. 1 think it would only be right for her to have toe

    along and prove her innocence.¡± Daris parted her lips to object, but no sound came out. She wouldn¡¯t

    dare deny a prince in front of the king but her insides were screaming at her to say no. Why would he

    want her to go? She would only slow the trip down, if anything. Doris cleared her throat, both men looked

    at her. ¡°I -Excuse me for speaking out of turm, but I don¡¯t have any clothing suited for the show to visit

    the marth = ¡°Nonsense, we have plenty of clothing for you to use in the pce.¡± Prince William waved

    away her words and turned his attention back to his father

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving tonight, so you can tell your son to find a new pretty thing to stare at while he wastes his

    days in the library.¡± King Charles looked almost amused at his son¡¯s words. She was sure he was used

    to his disrespectful manner. Doris didn¡¯t think she would ever be. Why would he even care if Prince

    Martini had requested her back to the library? He probably only did so because he¡¯d felt bad for all Doris

    had been through thesest few weeks. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing son.¡± King Charles said and

    stood with a grunt. Doris quickly cleared away the dishes just to give her hands something to do. ¡°Will

    you be here for dinner, at least?¡±

    ¡°That depends on how long our visit with my

    mother will inice.

    Supposed toe with him to visit his motherHan cleared his throat and strughened his cloak Teli your

    mother hello for me and I hope she¡¯s doing

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    *You could tell her yourself sometime.¡± Prince william started to raise his tone but cooled it at thest

    second. King Charles narrowed his eyes a little before he turned to leave. Prince William¡¯. shoulders

    deted a little as if he¡¯d released the rest of the fight inside him as he watched his father go. It was odd

    to witness such intimate moments for the prince, it almost made her see him more like a person rather

    than just a nasty beast. Almost. King Charles stopped at the door and took onest long look at Prince

    William. ¡°Stay safe, son.¡± Neither of them said anything when the door clicked shut. Doris was unsure

    what she should even say-what could she say? He just demanded Doris to join him on one of the most

    dangerous trips anyone could think of taking and she wasn¡¯t allowed to object. Prince William finally

    turned to look at her. ¡°What are you just standing there for? Go ready yourself and huity back before the

    hour is up.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    Chapter 37 The man you¡®re walking into danger with

    The first thing Beth did when Doris Walked through the door w force her to take a dose of her medicines

    expected

    Why didn¡¯t you bring it with you. Doris? The doctor said you weren¡¯t supposed to miss a single helping of

    it From now on, it goes in your pocket!¡± Heth nted her hands on her hips as if she intended to sold

    Doris for hours. Doris swallowed the Hquid and made a face before she rummaged through her drawers.

    ¡°I have to change and meet Prince William in less than a hour ¡°Where are you going with him?¡± Kath

    leaned against the dresser and curiously watched as she pulled out a simple blue dress that didn¡¯t

    require a corset. It wasn¡¯t her usual uniform she reached for everyday. this one alnost made her feel Hke

    a normal girl when she wore it. ¡°He¡­ wants me to meetdy Katherine with him.¡± Beth gasped and

    gripped her hands. ¡°He also wants me to go with him to the north.¡± Beth¡¯s delighted expression fell

    immediately, ¡°What? No he can¡¯t make you go to the north! They¡¯ll kill both of you there! Why on earth

    would he have you go with him?¡± ¡°I¨CI think he wants me to help find who poisoned Mdy.¡± Doris

    disappeared behind a tall curtain as she washed up and changed her dress. ¡°Is that why he wants you to

    meet his foster mother, too?¡± Doris heard the bed creak as Beth

    TUTTI

    ¡°Hin Ros mother¡­¡± Doris reputed silently lo herself. She¡¯d heard Beth mention her before but she never

    taked about the entire story. Prince Witam had always seemed like a dark fairytale to Doris Now that she

    knew him a little bit, he was so much worse on the surface

    Can¡¯t you pretend you¡¯re sick to get aut of it?¡± Reth asked, pulling Doris from her thoughts. ¡°When are

    you leaving ¡°I tried but he told the king himself that I was to 90 with him. He intends to leave tonight by

    ¡°Tonight? Oh, no!¡± Eeth asped, Dons snoothed Over the light fabric and came out from behind the

    curtnin. How long did she have left until she was due to meet him again? *The king was there when he

    asked you?¡± Heth stood and followed Doris as she grabbed her shoes, Doris nced up to see Beth slip

    her medicine in her cloak pocket ¡°He didn¡¯t ask me, he told me I was going and nothing I could say

    would¡¯ve changed his mind.¡± Doris huffed as she pulled on her boots. ¡°You better not repeat this to

    anyone, Beth. I know how you like your gossip.¡± A sh of hurt Crossed her features, Doris immediately

    regretted her words I would never gossip about you, Doris. I only want you to be safe and careful. I don¡¯t

    know why he wants you to go with him, but I wish he didn¡¯t. The north is no ce for a girl like you-or

    anyone for that matter.¡± Doris let out a small breath and brushed her long hair before she pinned some of

    it back. It¡¯d be a bit tangled from when she slept in his bed. The thoughts made her blush, Beth

    tilted her head to

    ein

    What did he have you do all night she asked innocently, it only made Danis¡¯s blush depen. Det

    DHESH her bald hinds against her warm chunks to ist wand of the heat. Thest thing she handed win in

    be blusling fool in front of Prince William. He¡¯d only get the wrong idea again. ¡°I served him tea and then

    he went to bed.¡± -Lloes he sleup naked?¡± Leth grinned widely ¡°Beth! Why would you Someone cleared

    their throat by the door, both girls Trimmediately stood and saw it was Prince William Beth turned bright

    red as she bawed. As usual, Prince Wim were hint to his emotions but Deris still felt enbarassed of

    their conversation anyway. ¡°Your majesty! I apologize, we must not have heard you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± His blue

    eyes looked almost annoyed when they met with Doris¡¯s, she curtsiad. ¡°I was just finishing up your

    majesty. Somy I kept vou.¡± Doris sped her cloak over her shoulders and followed him out of the room

    with onest nervous nce to Beth. He walked a bit ahead of her part of her wondered if he didn¡¯t want

    to be seen walking with a maid. Doris wiped her damp hands against her cloak as shie tried to k§Ö§Ö§â ip.

    She followed him outside of the pce and down the grand steps. A guard followed along with thein

    once they passed the garden. A small row of cottages were set behind the pce. Usually old lovers of

    mistresses were set to live out here-away from the prying eyes of everyone else. A lot of the people that

    ended up in one of them never tried to show their faces inside the pce, usually they were too

    embarrassed or shamed to have been

    thrown away by one of the royal members and couldn¡¯t handle the gossip. Others simply liked the

    privacy. Nheless, they were all taken care of well enough and had a nice roof over their heads.

    Prince William stopped in front of one of therger cottages and knocked on the door. After a moment,

    an older woman pulled it open and a smile immediately lit up her face when she saw Prince William. ¡°Oh,

    William! I didn¡¯t know you wereing today!¡± She pulled him into a hug. Doris watched as the prince

    gratefully returned it. She hadn¡¯t really imagined him the type to want to hug anyone, he seemed too stiff

    and angry for that. ¡°I would have made us some lunch if-oh hello.¡± Doris flushed when her attention

    landed on Doris. She smiled kindly and nced up at Prince William ¡°This is Doris, she¡¯s one of the

    maids in the pce.¡± He answered. Doris curtsied and Lady Katherineughed a little . ¡°No need for that,

    my dear. I don¡¯t think William has ever brought a girl to see me before! Please,e in.¡±

    She¡¯s a maid, mother.¡± Prince William¡¯s face reddened a little as he let Doris walk in first. It was the only

    sign that he had any emotion at all for what was happening. ¡°I wanted to see you before we leave to the

    north.¡± Lady Katherine froze for a moment before she turned back to him. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re

    going to the north? Does your father know about this?¡± Prince William¡¯s jaw tensed. ¡°Yes. He says hi.¡±

    Lady Katherine scoffed and turned to pour tea in 1

    pot.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°May I help?- Doris offered.

    Laris writed until Prince William sit on one of the Douches before she teak the chair by the window. The

    one by the firece seemed to be favored by

    Lady Katherine ced the tray of tea and cookies on the small table in front of them, Prince William

    showed no interest in it so Doris poured a cup for

    ¡°What on earth are you going to the north for? And why are you taking this poor girl? Doris wished she

    could hide behind her cup, but she also wanted to know why. Prince William leaned back against the

    couch and looked around the room as if he were searching for something more interesting to focus on. ¡°I

    have to find wha tried to poison Luna Queen, the herb that will used is only avable on the ckmarket

    in the north. They think it was Ders who poisoned her, so I want her toe with me in case they try to

    throw her in jail again.¡± Despite his emotionless t?ne, his words almost warmed her. He wanted her to

    come because he wanted to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be thrown in jail

    Lady Katherine hummed to herself and set down her cup of tea. Her green eyes flickered between the

    both of them. It almost made Doris ufortable. ¡°Has he told you about me?¡± Lady Katherine asked

    Doris ¡°Oh! We don¡¯t really have those sort of conversations, mydy.¡± Doris said quickly. She set down

    her tea cup. Lady Katherine¡¯s eyebrows shot up in question ¡°You¡¯re bringing her to the north and she

    knows

    Eat were

    on the journey. Moreover, you know

    L W everything already.¡± He repliedzily. ¡°It¡¯s not

    like I spill my secrets out every maid ise.¡±

    You brought this maid to me, so I suppose she¡¯s not just any mand, is she?¡± Prince William rolled his

    eyes and stay at the firece is the mes flickered. Lady Katherine turned her kind me on Doris 1

    *Where should i start? I think you shauld at least know more about the man you¡¯re walking into

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    Chapter 38 You truly hate the idea of a mate

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± Prince William grumbled. Doris raised her brows and nced over at him. He

    wasn¡¯t looking at either of them, but he didn¡¯t seem to care enough to stop Lady Katherine from telling

    her anything. If she was honest, she would¡¯ve expected him to scream at Lady Katherine for even

    suggesting telling Doris anything before he stormed out of the house. But he didn¡¯t. He sat there calmly,

    perhaps a bit moody, and allowed her to tease him as she wished. It was obvious he had a softness for

    the woman, something strong and unbreakable. Doris had to admit she was more than curious to hear

    more about the cruel prince and where his heart of stone came from. So far, everything she¡¯d heard of

    him had been from gossip or assumptions. Neither of which are liable on someones actual life. There

    had to be a reason he was always angry right? ¡°I think it is,¡± Lady Katherine took a long sip of her tea

    and cleared her throat. ¡°He¡¯s not as rough on the inside as he is on the outside.¡± Doris shifted a little,

    Lady Katherine smiled when she noticed. ¡°I know it seems hard to believe, but I swear there is a softer

    version of him somewhere in there.¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to dig pretty deep.¡± Prince William leaned forward to

    snag a cookie off the te and shove it into his mouth. It startled Doris, she had to bite her lip to keep

    fromughing, she¡¯d never seen a prince eat so aggressively but somehow it made sense for Prince

    William. Lady Katherine made a face at him before she

    You truly hate the idea of a mate turned her attention back to Doris. ¡°I suppose we should start from the

    top then, as he suggested.¡± Prince William snorted, Lady Katherine only ignored him. ¡°His mother, his

    birth mother I mean, had passed away only a few months after he was born leaving him with no one but

    his inconsble father and a staff full of emotionless servants that only cared about what the king

    wanted.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s terrible.¡± Doris brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°I heard she grew quite ill from one

    of the other maids when I first came here.¡± Doris saw Prince William tense from the corner of her eye,

    Lady Katherine only sighed. ¡°Yes, well there have been many theories on how she¡¯d be so sick but

    we won¡¯t dwell on that today.¡± She set down her tea cup gently before she continued. ¡°After the tragedy,

    no one stepped forward to be his mother figure until me. His two brothers Martin and Jack were

    showered with love their entire lives from their mother Luna. Daniel was as well when he was bom from

    one of the king¡¯s mistresses, but William was the only one that was left out in the cold. ¡°William¡¯s mother

    was the king¡¯s fated mate, so when his father met her¡ªLuna Queen was pushed to the side. He unted

    their love across the kingdom and soon William was born as the result. Once she died¡ªthe king

    changed.¡± Lady Katherine nced at Prince William but he still had his gaze on the fire. ¡°He sees a lot of

    his mate in William, I think.¡± ¡°By that she means he pretends I don¡¯t exist most of the time.¡± Prince

    William said bitterly. ¡°Yes, well.¡± Lady Katherine frowned. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for him to look at William without

    seeing her. He¡¯ll never see his mate again-¡±

    1. ur.

    1

    1 . 3.1-1 ¡ª L- ¡ª¡ª ¨C11¡ª1¡ª

    You truly hate the idea of a mate Doris asked. Prince William shot his gaze to her and she blushed. ¡°I

    apologize¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, my dear. You¡¯re free to speak as you wish here, don¡¯t let his emotions scare

    you.¡± She smiled kindly. ¡°But yes, he neglected William a lot when he was a boy. Often he would have

    me watch him and I could never have a child of my own-no matter how much I wanted one. William

    quickly became that light for me.¡± Lady Katherine leaned forward to squeeze Prince William¡¯s hand . ¡°He

    was the cutest little boy I¡¯d ever seen, I fell in love with him immediately and raised him as my own when

    the other mistresses refused. I always thought how foolish they were not to lend their heart to such a

    lovely boy, but some people in the castle care more about politics than love.¡± ¡°They probably wanted one

    of the other princes to look after since my father actually loved them.¡± Prince William looked down at their

    hands as he spoke. Doris felt a small part of her heart soften for him. She could hear his sadness drip in

    even when he tried to hide it. Doris was naive to think he had a grand childhood just because he was a

    prince. There was a difference between happiness and fortune, she never knew he was deprived of one

    and filled with the other. ¡°You must have felt so alone,¡± Doris said gently, he raised his eyes to hers and

    for once they looked like a calm sea. ¡°Did you get along with your brothers when you were younger?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°My brother Martin was the one that was held the highest above us since he was the crowned prince. He

    was always in a lesson or being pampered by the royal staff at all hours of the day. We never really had

    a chance to bond. Though, I don¡¯t believe we would have anyway. We¡¯replete opposites.¡± Prince

    William ran his fingers though his hair and

    You truly hate the idea of a mate sighed. ¡°Jack was kept separate by Luna Queen, she wanted him safe

    above all else. He acted as if he already owned the castle and everyone in it by the time he was ten.

    Needless to say, we didn¡¯t get along in the slightest. He always made sure I remembered what happened

    to my mother and that his was still alive.¡± ¡°How awful!¡± Doris said, the side of Prince William¡¯s mouth

    almost lifted. It shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise to hear Prince Jack was just as rotten as a little boy as he

    was as an adult. ¡°As for Daniel¡­ he was innocent and happy his entire life. No tragedy touched him and

    I think I resented him a lot for that. He never showed interest in building a bond, but he was always kind

    enough to me. More than the others, I suppose. Still, he preferred otherpany even when we were

    younger. I think he knew how our brothers felt about me and decided to keep his distance as well.¡± Doris

    frowned and shifted her body more towards him. For once she wasn¡¯t afraid to be soft with him. It wasn¡¯t

    as though he waspletely undone in front of her, but he was far from the Prince William that kept his

    wall up higher than she could stand. She wondered if he¡¯d ever shared any of this with Melody. ¡°None of

    your brothers were there for you when you were a kid?¡± ¡°They knew I was different, they knew our father

    held some of his own resentment for me so they treated me as the ck sheep of the group. It was

    obvious from a young age that they expected nothing from me. My father refused to even give me a

    territory because he thinks I¡¯m irresponsible which was one of the greatest shames that a prince could

    suffer.¡± Prince William broke eye contact and shook his head. ¡°None of them stood up for me or vouched

    in my honor. I know they all expect me to

    You truly hate the idea of a mate fail and be nothing. For a long time, I was almost ready to be exactly

    what they all expected.¡± Doris ced her hand over her heart, he watched her movements with curiosity.

    She couldn¡¯t believe Prince William was shunned from his own family at such a young age-just because

    his mother had passed away. If anything, Doris would have thought he would¡¯ve been the one to be the

    ruler of the pack. His mother was the fated mate of the king, but the king only saw his own misery in the

    prince. ¡°I think they¡¯re why William despises the idea of fated mates and falling in love.¡± Lady Katherine

    said sadly as she watched him. Doris felt his eyes immediately shift back onto her. Doris couldn¡¯t help

    but flush, she almost went to itch the mark on her neck but she didn¡¯t want to draw attention to it. A part

    of her was still unsure if he even saw her mark the night he tore her dress off. In the moment, she was

    positive he saw it. But thankfully, he hadn¡¯t said a word about it since. ¡°You truly hate the idea of a mate?

    What about Melody?¡±

    Her Unwanted Mate on the Thr

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    Chapter 39 Don¡®t make mee looking for you

    ¡°She¡­ Never mind.¡± Prince William paused, he looked back at the fire as if it would answer for him. Lady

    Katherine leaned forward and patted his knee in a motherly fashion, it almost made Doris smile. ¡°It¡¯s not

    his favorite subject to talk about. The only reason I know is because I raised him and I¡¯ve seen how he¡¯s

    gone through mistresses almost as fast as his father did.¡± ¡°Oh, I just didn¡¯t realize he resented the idea of

    a fated mate.¡± Doris shifted ufortably. It was a dangerous topic, she knew she shouldn¡¯t tread

    anywhere near it but she couldn¡¯t help herself. There might not be another opportunity for her to learn

    about how he truly felt about having a mate. Prince William slowly turned his blue gaze back to her. She

    silently held her breath and wished he wouldn¡¯t look at her as if he could see right through her every

    thought. ¡°It made my father weak.¡± Prince William finally admitted. ¡°He loved her more than anything, he

    wanted her more than any woman in thend and when he lost her¨Cno one else would ever do. To this

    day he refuses to give his heart away again.¡± ¡°Loving someone doesn¡¯t make you weak.¡± Doris said

    quietly, Prince William shook his head in annoyance. ¡°My father can¡¯t even look at me without thinking of

    his mate. He goes through life as if it¡¯s a chore instead of living it because he lost her. He treats his ¨C on

    1:1, tana vatham hol l .

    Don¡¯t make mee looking for you left of her.¡± ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s scared to lose you one day.¡± Doris said

    softly. She wanted to reach her hand out and hold his own as a friend might, but she knew he would

    never let her. ¡°He might be trying to selfishly protect his own heart by keeping you away. ¡°Selfish is all my

    father knows how to be.¡± Prince William rolled his eyes to the ceiling, ¡°He knows no other way to live,

    why should I?¡± ¡°William,¡± Lady Katherine frowned. ¡°Why don¡¯t you admit the true reason and stop

    dancing around the subject?¡± Prince William only ignored her, Lady Katherine turned towards Doris.

    ¡°He¡¯s afraid his mate will die and he¡¯ll never recover like his father He thinks if his father had never met

    her, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up how he is today.¡± Doris¡¯s lips parted, but she couldn¡¯t find any words.

    Suddenly, his horrible attitude towards everyone he met made a bit more sense. He was trying to push

    them away as much as he could and only keep around people that didn¡¯t matter. It wouldn¡¯t destroy him if

    any of them died, but it would if his mate did. Perhaps that was why he was going through all this trouble

    for Melody, he wanted to make sure whoever had hurt his mate paid for it. She wondered why he hadn¡¯t

    brought her up again yet, unless the topic hurt too much to talk about Doris fought the urge to rub her

    mark again when he sat there watching her. He clearly still believed Melody was his mate, there was no

    way it could¡¯ve been Doris anyway when she had no wolf inside her. Still, she found herself touching her

    own mark often when he wasn¡¯t near. Doris felt her blood heat under Prince William¡¯s gaze, he leaned

    forward to rest his elbows on his knees. ¡°As for your earlier statement, I suppose I¡¯ll

    Don¡¯t make mee looking for you Doris furrowed her brows and nced at Lady Katherine. She only

    shrugged, ¡°Please excuse me for asking, your majesty-but do you think pushing people away is worth

    it?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t care for me, Doris. They care for what I am or how I look. They care for my title despite

    the fact that my father doesn¡¯t. Once they get close enough, they eventually see there¡¯s nothing to love

    or wrap their arms around to hold onto. There¡¯s only moreyers of the cold person I¡¯ve always been.¡±

    Prince William leaned back again. ¡°Who would want to love a beast when there¡¯s a prince more worth it

    around theer.¡± Doris frowned. ¡°We¡¯re all capable of true love.¡± ¡°I think it would be impossible for

    someone to be true for me.¡± ¡°Everyone is worthy of love¡± ¡°Not me,¡± Prince William stood as his mood

    darkened again, Doris stood as well and watched as his eyes flickered over her every movement. It was

    almost as if he had the nerve to look amused at her slight frustration. Doris remembered herself and let

    out a small breath. ¡°Not everyone cares about a title or looks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve yet to find a woman who cares for

    who I am behind my title.¡± Prince William snapped. ¡°Then you¡¯re not truly looking.¡± Doris couldn¡¯t help

    herself, she knew she should stop talking and stay silent as she always did. ¡°Sometimes you have to

    allow people in and risk getting hurt.¡± Prince William¡¯s eyes turned a little stormy as he stared at her. Her

    insides made her want to shrink away and remind herself he was nothing but a rotten prince who had

    drunkenly attacked her by mistake. Sometimes she had sparks of-something for him until she

    remembered what it felt like to

    Don¡¯t make mee looking for you feel as if she were about to die at his hands when he marked her

    as his own. But she wasn¡¯t his. Part of her heart understood him more, but inside she knew she wouldBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    never belong to him. She would never belong to anyone but herself, and no prince could change that for

    her. Prince William¡¯s gaze flickered to Lady Katherine, who only looked amused. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now,

    mother.¡± ¡°Oh, already? You barely touched your tea!¡± Lady Katherine quickly stood and went to hold his

    hand. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ll be safe. How many guards are joining you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I wanted to travel light

    so we can get the trip over with as soon as possible. A bigger party might dy us further.¡± Prince

    William¡¯s face softened a little as he looked at his mother. Doris couldn¡¯t help but smile this time. He

    hadn¡¯t lost his temper once in her presence, even when she saw he was close to it. ¡°We will be safe, you

    have my word.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your word if you don¡¯t return?¡± Lady Katherine said with a crack in her tone. ¡°He

    could send anyone else to investigate, it doesn¡¯t have to be you.¡± ¡°I offered to do it myself. I want to find

    the answer before they try to make up the answer for themselves.¡±

    Lady Katherine frowned as she leaned up to give him a long hug. She smoothed back his hair when she

    pulled away and turned to look at Doris. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to put him in his ce when he deserves it.¡±

    She teased ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, mydy.¡± Doris quickly curtsied before she followed Prince William out. 3

    Doris wished Lady Katherine would always be in the room when she was with the prince. It was so much

    Don¡¯t make mee looking for you easier to talk to him without fearing he was about to snap at her or

    threaten her. He clearly had a loving respect for the woman and it softened Doris¡¯s heart to see he was

    able to have those sort of feelings for someone. For some reason, it just didn¡¯t fit right with what she¡¯d

    thought of him before. Once they stepped outside the door and it closed behind him-his back stiffened

    and a stony mask fell over his face once more. Doris almost flinched when he turned to look at her, it

    was as if he melted from the person he was a second ago. ¡°I had the pce pack you some clothes fit

    for the north. I have one more thing to do before we leave so I need you to check on our supplies and

    meet me in the stables before the hour is up.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Doris bowed her head and turned to

    leave. ¡°Doris?¡± He said, she stilled and nced back at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make mee looking for you.¡± a

    Her Unwanted Mate On The Three

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    Chapter 40 I might never be free

    ¡°Is this too tight?¡± The seamstress asked when she yanked on theces of a winter corset. Doris held her

    breath and quickly nodded to indicate that it was. The seamstress huffed and loosened it. ¡°How about

    now?¡± Doris released her breath and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine, thank you.¡± ¡°I have several dresses like this one

    for your trip, all suitable for winter. It¡¯s not proper for a maid traveling with a prince to wear pants, but I did

    include them in case of an emergency.¡± Doris frowned, what sort of emergency would need pants?

    Unless she was referring to the freezing temperatures. Doris might end up wearing them beneath her

    dress just so her legs didn¡¯t chill. ¡°Are all of them corseted? Will I be able to get out of them by myself?¡±

    Doris asked. The taller woman gave Doris a long, curious look and shook her head. ¡°I suppose if you

    lace it a little looser you might be able to squeeze yourself out of it, though it would be much easier if

    someone were to help you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one on the trip that would be able¡ª¡° The woman raised her

    brows, Doris blushed for no reason other than her strange stares. ¡°I prefer dresses I can easily get out of

    on my own.¡± ¡°You¡¯re about to travel with a prince and he has asked me to find you suitable clothing, I

    can¡¯t have you looking like you were when you first came in here and the only dresses I have on hand all

    require corsets.¡± Narin riched and t od und to look at havnelfin

    The dress was quite stunning, it was a dark blue shade in a fabric simr to the ones she¡¯d seen Prince

    William wear. It hugged at her waist and brought out a bit more of her figure while also being thicker than

    anything she owned. It looked nice enough for ady to wear not a maid. She supposed they wouldn¡¯t

    have anything for a maid going where she was going this clothing most likely was designed for ady. A

    sh of Melody¡¯s furious face crossed her mind. Oh, Doris could only imagine what she would say if she

    saw her wear a dress suited for ady. She would probably rip it right off her and make her walk naked in

    the snow. Better yet, she probably would insist Doris sleep out in the snow too, Doris frowned. She

    hadn¡¯t once thought to ask if Melody had pulled through or how she was doing No one around her had

    brought her up either Doris was a bit afraid to even ask. Not even Beth had brought her up since

    everything happened, and she normally would have told Doris everything she¡¯d heard about the gossip.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± The seamstress asked. ¡°Oh, yes. Thank you for finding me something in such short

    notice, I know it must have been a challenge.¡± The seamstress waved away her words. ¡°These clothes

    sit all year, none of thedies have asked to use them. While it may snow here during the winter, it never

    gets as cold as it does in the north. These will make you sweat after half an hour if it¡¯s not freezing where

    you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Should I wait until we get there to change into this?¡± Doris itched her arm, already she

    was starting to feel a bit hot. ¡°No, you most likely won¡¯t have an opportunity to

    over your normal dress once you get there. You¡¯d be surprised how freezing it gets within minutes of

    entering the north.¡± ¡°Oh my, have you ever been? Doris asked as she stepped down from the small

    tform the seamstress made her stand while she tied her corset. ¡°I have once, but-¡± The seamstress

    hesitated. * Never again. Just be careful out there and stay close to those that will guard you.¡± ¡°I think

    they¡¯ll be more concerned about the prince, but I¡¯ll try.¡± Doris said more to herself. The seamstress

    laughed a little. ¡°I think that¡¯s one of his favorite colors.¡± She gestured to Doris¡¯s dress. For a moment,

    she wanted to take it off and burn it but the feeling passed a lot quicker than it would have the day

    before. Some of their conversation still swirled in her mind no matter how much she wanted to focus on

    something else.

    Doris took a dose of her medicine before she left the hallway across from the seamstress. Luckily, a

    guard was nearby and offered to carry the bags to the stables to be loaded when he saw Doris¡¯s injured

    hand. At least there was still some sort of kindness at the pce, even if most of the guards now made

    her flinch whenever they approached her. The kitchens had already sent the bags of food they prepared

    for their journey to the stables by the time she¡¯d gotten there to check. There was only onest thing she

    needed to do before she left, and that was say goodbye to her friend. Who knew how long she would be

    gone for or if Beth would even still be here

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    when she returned. Unfortunately, Beth was no where to be found when she entered their room. She

    didn¡¯t want to leave without seeing her friend, but she knew Prince William would keep true to his word

    ande looking for her if she didn¡¯t retum to the stables soon. Doris wrote a short and sweet note to

    her friend before she packed a few of her personal items in a small bag-as well as the poetry book

    Prince Martin had given her-before she headed out the door. Her nerves were on high with worry when

    her thoughts wouldn¡¯t calm. If there was anywhere worse than the pce, it was the north. Doris had

    only ever heard terrible stories surrounding the area, of all the vicious things the they did to outsiders or

    people they didn¡¯t trust. There was no one they hated more than the royals and she was about to travel

    with one straight through it. Every step she took made her more nauseous at the thought. What would

    they do to her if they caught her alone? Would Prince William even bother protecting her, or would she

    be thrown to the wolves as a distraction for him to get away? She didn¡¯t doubt for a second that the

    guards would use her as bait if they needed to get away Doris almost bumped right into Beth the

    moment she stepped out of the pce. ¡°Oh! Beth, I just came from our room looking for you! Where

    have you been?¡± Beth¡¯s eyes were wide and a bit watery, Doris frowned. ¡°What is it? What are you doing

    out here sote! You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°I had to talk to you before you left.¡± Beth said with a shaky voice,

    she looked as if she were about to cry. UT1T1. ¨C :3

    ¡ª11.3

    her friends arm and nced towards the stables, Surely, he could wait a minute or two while she

    attended to her friend. If not, she would dly face his wrath to spare her friend a few minutes. ¡°You¡¯ll

    come back, won¡¯t you?¡± Beth asked, she pushed her hair from her wet eyes. ¡°Of course I will.¡± Doris

    hesitated. ¡°If I don¡¯t get eaten by the wolves out there, I suppose.¡± Beth didn¡¯t smile orugh, part of

    Doris wondered if it was because she was worried about just that exact thing happening to her. ¡°Don¡¯t

    say such a thing. Beth said weakly. ¡°Those are awful packs out there, Doris. I wish you didn¡¯t have to go.

    I wish

    I wish anyone else would go for you or he would go alone.¡± ¡°I wish so too,¡± Doris whispered and nced

    around them to make sure Prince William wasn¡¯t around to overhear their conversation this time When

    she nced back at Beth, she had thick tears rolling down her cheek. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry about me

    so much, Beth. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be gone before I even get back!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Beth sniffed. ¡°Well,

    I¡¯m sure the amnesty will be signed by then. I just hope you¡¯ll be close by for me to find when I return.¡±

    Doris smiled and rubbed her friends arm. She knew they had always nned to leave together, but she

    didn¡¯t want her friend to wait for her to get back if she was free before then. They¡¯d find each other

    eventually and continue on with their dreams of some far away ce that looked nothing like the pce.

    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Doris.¡± Doris furrowed her brow. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Mr. Carson said my name will only be on the

    list if voue back safely. Otherwise, I might never be

    Her Unwanted Mate On The Thr

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    Chapter 41 Be safe, my friend.

    ¡°He¡­he said what?¡± Doris felt as if the world around her had slightly shifted as her focus grew a little

    fuzzy. The dress she was wearing was much too hot for her to handle this news. ¡°Mr. Carson said you

    can¡¯t leave unless I retur?¡± Beth nodded, her eyes ssy with unshed tears. ¡°He just told me when I

    came here to say goodbye.¡± Doris squeezed Beth¡¯s hands as she talked, but her mind was far from her

    words. It was William who put this order, it had to be. He must have thought this would guarantee she

    wouldn¡¯t try to escape while they were in the north. It hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind that she might be

    able to escape-she was only worried about staying alive in such a horrible ce. She supposed to

    others-it should have been front and centered in her mind, to grasp at the chance to be free from him

    and this pce. Running away from Prince William while they were somewhere dangerous was just not

    an option to her and it never had been. How would she fend for herself in the north without the royal

    guard and Prince William? She had no survival skills for the freezing snow or self defense against wild

    packs, so there was no way she could do it without dying in the process. For William to punish Beth

    because of Doris angered her. Had he truly thought so little of her that he would bring her innocent friend

    into this to make sure she didn¡¯t try anything? The nerve! Every time she thought he had a heart, she

    was immediately proven wrong. She wished she could

    for the prince. Beth did not deserve to suffer for however long it would take her to return. Their trip could

    take months or more! And what if something happened to Doris while they were in the north? Would they

    keep her friend long after they found her body? Or let her go by default? Doris let out a small sigh and

    brought Beth in for a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Beth. I will return, you have my word. I don¡¯t know how long

    this will take, but I promise toe back so you can have your freedom.¡± ¡°And yours.¡± Beth mumbled

    against Doris¡¯s hair. She pulled away a little to grip her shoulders.¡± Perhaps it¡¯s okay that I have to wait

    for you, so that we may go free together like we always nned. I would have waited close by for you to

    return anyway.¡± ¡°Leaving your fate up to my return is not fair¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Beth frowned. ¡°But we have

    never gotten a say in anything we do here. I would rather know you¡¯ve returned safe than be out there

    alone wondering where you are.¡± ¡°What if it takes me months to return? I won¡¯t have any way to

    communicate to you when I¡¯ll be back.¡± Doris picked at her nails as her thoughts started to run from her.

    ¡°What if something happens to me out there and you¡¯ll never be freed?¡± ¡°Doris! Don¡¯t talk like that,

    nothing will happen to you out there. Mr. Carson told me they¡¯re sending some of the strongest guards

    out there with Prince William, surely they will protect you too.¡± Beth said gently. There was no guarantee

    that they would care to protect a maid when they were only meant to protect their prince. They both knew

    that, but it changed nothing. Doris would just have to try to stay alive for more than just herself.

    She knew her friend was trying to look on the bright side of things, but the back of her mind kept

    screaming her own fears back at her. She felt as if her corset was crushing the life out of her, the heat it

    caused was enough to make her faint if she wasn¡¯t careful. ¡°Beth¡­ I¡¯m going to the north¡­ we¡¯ve both

    heard the horror stories of what happens there. Remember the servant that was forced to travel through

    to deliver a message? They said they found his body ripped apart and never found where his head

    went!¡± Beth¡¯s brows formed a line of worry, she shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think about those sort of things,

    he was traveling alone. You¡¯ll be protected by the roya guard, Doris. If that man had Prince William at his

    side, we know he would have survived. Even though Prince William doesn¡¯t have his own pack¨Che¡¯s a

    very dangerous wolf when he turns. Of all the princes, I¡¯m d he¡¯s the one you¡¯re going with because of

    that.¡± Doris already knew how dangerous and scary Prince William could be. She had the scar to prove

    it. There was so many thoughts trying to drown her nerves, it was getting harder to breathe. She was to

    be alone with Prince William for who knows how many weeks or months in the snow. There was no

    where for her to run or protect herself, especially against the prince if he got drunk and tried to attack her

    again. She knew his guards would look the other way if he instructed them. Yes, Prince William hadn¡¯t

    tried anything with her since she told him she wasn¡¯t interested, but she hadn¡¯t been around him when he

    was as drunk as that night yet. And if she wasn¡¯t worried about him, she was worried about the rogue

    packs that lived out there. The ones that would love to catch Prince William or

    one of his party alone to torture for fun. She wandered how true that was, if they were desperate for the

    chance to snatch a royal member and hang him for all their friends to poke at. What would they do to the

    ones he traveled with? Pick them off one by one first starting with the weakest her? Who knows what

    other dangers awaited her, but she knew each second made her more terrified to find out. It had always

    been a dream of hers to leave the grounds of the pce, now that she was she only wished she could

    remain inside and hide in her oldforts. ¡°Doris?¡± Beth gripped her shaky hands and brought her

    racing mind back to earth. How long had she been talking? ¡°It¡¯s okay to be scared, anyone in your shoes

    would be more than frightened for this journey.¡± Beth said softly. ¡°Remember who you are. I know you¡¯re

    more brave than you allow others to see, it¡¯s time to face the fears that are trying to pull you into the

    darkness.¡± Doris felt her eyes water, she quickly brushed away a few stray tears. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a

    good friend to me, Beth. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do without you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to survive,¡± Beth

    said with a smile, her voice cracked. ¡°Ande back home to marry one of the princes who are crazy

    about you.¡± Sheughed lightly, though it died off rather quickly. Doris rolled her eyes andughed.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯lle back and you¡¯ll be the one who¡¯s married to a prince!¡± Beth pulled out a handkerchief

    from her apron and dried Doris¡¯s tears before she pulled her in for onest hug. ¡°Be safe, my friend. I will

    see you when you return as whole.¡± ¡°I surely hope as whole.¡± Doris tried her best to

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Her Unwanted Male On The They

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    Chapter 42 Stay down

    The carriage was packed and ready by the time Doris finally arrived to the stables. It was much smaller

    than the other carriages the prince¡¯s usually traveled in, she assumed Prince William wanted to remain

    as discreet as they possibly could by taking the smaller one. It was typically used by lower ranked

    members of the royal party, never by a prince. Prince William turned the moment she stepped around the

    corner as if he sensed she was there. A heat of rage spiked through her veins when their eyes met, she

    quickly looked away in case he caught her anger. She wanted so badly to give him a piece of her mind

    about what he did to Beth, but she knew it would only make things worse. She had no right to speak to a

    prince that way, even though she silently screamed at him in her mind. He deserved it, but she would

    never allow herself to do

    1. it.

    1

    He was leaned back against the side of the carriage as if he had been waiting there for hours. Dressed

    head to toe in a sea of ck fabrics, it made his eyes look startling against his snowy features. Doris

    calmed her rage and finally looked up at him once she was able to form a mask strong enough to hide

    her emotions. ¡°Sorry I took so long, your majesty. I was saying goodbye to a friend.¡± Doris said evenly as

    she curtsied, careful not to let her voice waver. Prince William furrowed his dark brows, a bit of suspicion

    crept into his features though she couldn¡¯t tell why. ¡°Who were you saying goodbye to?

    down ¡°No, another maid named Beth. She¡¯s a good friend of mine.¡± The same maid you tied my fate

    around. Doris added silently. She watched for recognition to spark in his features, for any sense of

    acknowledgement for what he¡¯d done. His blue eyes remained distant and stormy, not even a flicker of

    anything sparked on his features

    ¡°You¡¯ve kept us long enough, let¡¯s go.¡± He pushed off the side of the carriage and didn¡¯t bother to wait for

    another servant to open the door for him. He pulled himself up and left the door wide open. Doris

    nced around, but no one moved to close it.

    ward and started to push it closed for him when his hand shot out and held it open. ¡°What do you think

    you¡¯re doing?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was just closing it for you, your majesty.¡± Doris dropped her

    hand and stepped back. ¡°Do you n on standing out there all night? You¡¯ve already costed us a good

    part of the hour.¡± He leaned out and grabbed her wrist to pull her inside the carriage ¡°Oh!¡± Doris stumbled

    a little and quickly pulled herself up into the carriage to seat herself opposite of him. It was so much

    smaller than she imagined, one bump and she would be on top of him. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I would be riding

    with you, your majesty.¡± Doris smoothed out her thick skirts and leaned back against the leathered seat,

    she wondered if he could hear how loud her heart raced Prince William mmed the carriage door shut

    and turned to look at her. ¡°Where did you think you would be riding? With one of my guards on the back

    of their horse?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, your majesty. I suppose so.¡± Doris nced out the small windows and

    gripped the

    seats as the carriage pulled away from the pce. She definitely didn¡¯t need to identally fall onto

    Prince William snorted and shook his head, he looked out the window on the other side of the carriage.

    He looked as if it was ridiculous of her to think she would¡¯ve traveled any other way but in this carriage

    with him. Normally servants had their own horses or carriages, it was unheard of to ride with a royal

    member. Let alone a prince. Since this was the only carriage they were bringing, she assumed that was

    why she was sharing the carriage with him now. All of his guards rode on ck horses that surrounded

    every angle of the carriage. Doris watched as the pce grew smaller in the distance before she closed

    the curtain and looked away. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it would be until they returned, it was strange to

    leave it behind for the first time in forever. Thank goodness she brought the book Prince Martin had given

    her, it might be a long ride before they stopped and she didn¡¯t think Prince William would be a good

    match for a long conversation with a maid. She pulled out the small maroon book and gently ran her

    fingers over the shimmering cover, it was so much more beautiful than she remembered. She opened

    the book and smiled at Prince Martin¡¯s neat handwriting. When Doris looked up, Prince William had his

    dark gaze already on her. She silently closed the book.¡± How long has it been since you¡¯ve traveled

    outside of the pce?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh-about five years, your majesty.¡± Doris nced down at the book

    on herp. ¡°I haven¡¯t been outside the pce¡¯s grounds since I first arrived as a maid when I was 16.¡± 1

    EA_

    11_- ¡ª 1

    ¡ª > IT. ¡ª ¨C11¡ª

    asked, she shifted slightly under his gaze. ¡°I used to love working in the library, your majesty.¡± His gaze

    narrowed a little. ¡°Why there of all ces you could be?¡± ¡°I suppose I liked to read whenever I wasn¡¯t

    working. Not many people ventured into the library so it was the perfect ce to me.¡± ¡°Not many people

    visited the library,¡± He leaned his chin on his palm as he slouched back against the wall of the carriage. ¡°I

    know that can¡¯t be true.¡± ¡°Well, not many did. Prince Martin came by once a week for a short time and

    some of the other servants would pop in to grab something to read but most of the time it¡¯s just me in

    there.¡± ¡°You seemed to have made an impression on him nheless.¡± He said with an edge to his

    voice. His eyes flickered to her book and her fingers tightened on it.

    ¡°I don¡®t know what you mean, your majesty.¡± Prince William leaned towards her, resting his elbows on his

    knees. ¡°Perhaps it would be wise for you not to refer to me as a prince on this journey. If anyone had

    heard you, it might tip them off once we get closer to the north.¡± ¡°What should I call you, then?¡± Doris

    asked cautiously, she leaned back further into the leather seat away from him. ¡°William. Nothing else.¡±

    His eyes grazed the book once more, when his blue gaze retumed to her own -she felt as if she could

    drown in the color. He was so close, she could smell the scent of pine on him. She wondered if he had

    gone on a walk through the trees after they left his mother¡¯s cottage. Her fingers itched to pick out the

    small leaf that sat in his soft dark hair. He would surely throw her out of his marriage if she tried

    something like that Derhane he

    would make her run next to the carriage if he got angry enough at her. He stared at her with his head

    tilted as if he was waiting for her to say something. His dark brows raised impatiently, she swallowed

    when she realized what he must have been wanting to hear

    ¡°William.¡± She said hesitantly. It felt strange to refer to him by his first name. Daniel was easier since he

    was a friend before a prince to her but Prince William had only ever been a prince to her and he was so

    much more intimidating than Daniel. Doris cleared her throat and spoke more clearly.¡± Yes, of course I¡¯ll

    call you by your name, William. If that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Doris thought she saw the corner of his mouth

    move up slightly, but she blinked and it was down again. ¡°It is.¡± He leaned back against the seat and

    turned his attention out the window to watch as the trees passed them by in a blur of motion. His dark

    lashes lowered a little as if he were in thought, she let out a slow breath and picked up her book again.

    She sensed their time for conversation hade to a close and most of her was thankful for it. After a

    while of reading, Doris quickly understood why the prince loved this poetry book so much. It was filled

    with hope and wonder for the future and love. She felt herself dozing off after the first chapter and

    nced up to see Prince William still staring out the window. Doris closed her eyes and allowed herself

    to rest.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Doris woke the second the carriage started to shake erratically. How long had she been asleep? She sat

    up quickly and gripped the ck cloak that must have beenid across her as she slept. What was

    happening? Where were they?

    Her eyes immediately sought out Prince William for answers-he was ncing out the window trying to

    see what was happening when he suddenly turned and threw himself on her. ¡°Stay down!¡± He shouted.

    William held onto Doris tightly as the carriage tipped and darkness took over.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    Chapter 43 It¡®s been torn apart

    Doris slowly opened her eyes when the carriage stoppedpletely, Prince William had her gripped

    tightly beneath him, it took her a moment to realize the carriage was on its side and they wereying

    against the wall of the carriage. He held onto her as if she might break if he let go, she blinked away her

    surprise The door was now above their heads, one of the guards ripped it open and Doris squinted up at

    the light that shined in. Her skin started to burn from pain where Prince William held her. ¡°Your-William,

    are you alright?¡± The guard cleared his throat as he corrected himself. Prince William leaned back to look

    at Doris, his eyes seemed to scan every inch of her before he pushed himself off her and helped her

    stand. ¡°We¡¯re fine. What happened?¡± Prince William demanded. He gripped the side of the door and

    pulled himself out. Doris frowned and tried to do the same. A secondter, his hands reached down to

    grab her waist and pull her out of the carriage as if she weighed nothing. ¡°Oh! Thank you,¡± Doris gripped

    his hands to steady herself as she carefully stepped off the carriage and into the snow. Prince William

    only let go of her hand once she was safely on the ground. A sh of pain rushed through her side where

    her bruising was the worst, she bit down on her lip to keep in her groan. His dark gaze immediately

    turned to assess the scene before them. Their carriageid sideways in a snowy ditch with one of its

    wheelsying detached

    she rarely came across the royal guard at the pce. Not that they seemed to want to introduce

    themselves, she supposed. It would still be nice to know what to call them if she needed to ¡°Alright, then

    let¡¯s eat.¡± Prince William tumed and the rest of the guards moved all at once as if they had been waiting

    for his order. Several guards immediately went to push the carriage up right again while others made an

    area for Prince William to rest. The rest of the guards stood watch as discreetly as they could manage

    without looking like the guards they were. To Doris, it was impossible. They clearly had the demeanor of

    guards rather than casual travelers. ¡°Doris, if you could help me prepare some of the food to hand out, I

    would be grateful.¡± A younger guard with a gentle face appeared at her side. Doris smiled and nodded

    her head. ¡°My name is Erik-¡± ¡°Doris is to rest, not help you.¡± Prince William interrupted. She turned to see

    him standing behind her with his gaze fixed on the guard. ¡°If you¡¯ve already forgotten, she just got out of

    a crashed carriage.¡± ¡°Of course, sir! I mean-William. Of course.¡± Erik bowed quickly to both of them. ¡°I

    apologize for suggesting otherwise. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± Prince William only stared at him until he turned

    and left as quickly as he could. ¡°I could have helped -¡°Doris started, her words died in her throat when

    their eyes met. ¡°You should sit for a minute.¡± He said it more like a demand, she couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    Lately the tip of her tongue was desperate to snap back at him for once, but she always stopped herself

    just before. Doris stilled when he suddenly reached out his hand to brush the snow from her hair. His

    fingers

    lingered for a moment before he finally dropped his hand back to his side as if it never happened. It

    startled her enough that all of her thoughts vanished as well as anything she might have wanted to say. ¡°I

    ¡ªI¡¯ll sit.¡± She breathed and went to rest on a log that had been recently cleared of snow. Her hand

    ached, but she could hardly feel anything but the numb coldness that started to take over her body. At

    least nothing else ended up broken. The clearing was quiet, she could hear the crunches in the snow

    from those that stomped by but not much else. The air made her cheeks red and fingers almost blue.

    She tucked her hands beneath her arms and watched her breath fog in the air. ¡°How long have we been

    traveling?¡± She asked. She could sense him behind her still, she didn¡¯t have to turn to know he was

    there. ¡°Hours, it¡¯s now mid day.¡± He said evenly. Doris quickly turned to look up at him. ¡°I was asleep for

    that long?¡± Prince William only lowered his chin in confirmation. Doris looked away and rubbed her

    hands together while trying to keep her teeth from chattering. Her pain had subsided for the time being,

    perhaps the cold was good for that if anything. She couldn¡¯t wait to get back into the warm carriage and

    out of the blustery wind. A soft weight fell on her shoulders after a moments silence. His ck cloak

    warmed the sides of her cheeks, she almost instantly nestled into the fabric in relief. When she turned to

    thank him, he was already halfway across the clearing. She closed her eyes and held it tight around her

    with a small sigh. The warmth was a luxury, she didn¡¯t understand how he would ever give it up.

    Perhaps he was warm blooded and didn¡¯t need the extra warmth, but she doubted it in weather like this.

    Why would he ever give it to her of all people? Erik came by to hand her a te of dried fruit and bread.

    ¡°Thank you, Erik.¡± Doris smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Doris.¡± He said with a cheeky grin. ¡°I hope the carriage

    crash didn¡¯t hurt you too badly.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I thought it would but I don¡¯t think I have a scratch on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s

    probably because of the hold William had on you, he must have taken most of the impact.¡± Erik nced

    to where Prince William stood, Doris followed his gaze and saw him watching them while in a

    conversation with someone else. Erik cleared his throat. ¡°Well, let me know if you need anything else.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡ª¡° Erik waved and hurried away before she could say another word. Prince William had

    taken most of the impact? That couldn¡¯t be so, he didn¡¯t look hurt in the slightest. Besides, why would he

    ever risk himself to save her? Doris studied him across the clearing for any hint of injury, but he stood tall

    and-normal. The other men that hovered around him barely came up to his shoulder, they looked at him

    as if he was their god and they were desperate to please. Prince William¡¯s eyes caught her staring, she

    turned away and shoved more bread in her mouth to distract her thoughts. ¡°William!¡± A guard came

    racing through the snow as fast as it would allow him. Doris stood in concern he would pass out when

    she saw how out of breath he was. Prince William pushed through the guards that surrounded him and

    neared the one who seemed

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    close to fainting by the time he reached him, ¡°What is it? Keep your voice down!¡± He hissed and grabbed

    his shoulder roughly. ¡°Th-the decoy.¡± The guard whispered, Doris leaned in a little to hear him. ¡°The

    decoy carriage has already been torn apart by the rogues.¡±

    Her Unwanted Mate On The Thr

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    Chapter 44 Luna Queen is behind all this, isn¡®t she

    ¡°What do you mean the decoy was torn apart? We¡¯re not even a full day into this journey!¡± Prince William

    whisper-shouted. Doris hadn¡¯t even realized there was another carriage on the road, she thought it was

    just theirs. Why didn¡¯t she see it this entire time? ¡°I was sent to check their route a few hours ago and

    when I found them-¡± The man swallowed, his eyes wererger than life. ¡°There¡­ there was so much

    blood. They destroyed the entire carriage as if it were nothing.¡± A chill ran through Doris, she clenched

    the cloak tighter around herself. Prince William¡¯s eyes flickered towards her for a breath before he

    nced at the rest of the men that waited for his order. ¡°We have to get moving. Our carriage will be next

    if we¡¯re not quick enough.¡± ¡°How will we avoid them?¡± Doris asked. Prince William turned his sharp gaze

    on her, she only lifted her chin. ¡°We have to stay on the off roads. The decoy we sent went straight

    through the main traveling road and must have been caught the instant it crossed the border. Two men

    will travel ahead to search the area before we travel through, Any hint of another pack and we will do our

    best to move around those areas.¡± ¡°How many people died in the other carriage?¡± Doris asked quietly.

    The guard hesitated and looked to Prince William for approval, ¡°Around a dozen. Most of their bodies

    looked as if they were dragged through the trees. I was lucky to get out of there alive.¡± Doris tightened

    her grip on her cloak and for the first time, she wished she had a weapon on her. She wasn¡¯t skilled with

    knives or even used to holding one but having any sort of de in her hand mightfort her a little.

    What would she do if one of them got near her? She had nothing to defend herself out here. Every guard

    that surrounded her had more than a few weapons to defend themselves. Prince William-well, he had

    himself. She was sure he had something under his coat but it would be nothingpared to his wolf-or

    so she¡¯d heard. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste more time, clear the area and leave no trace of our stop behind.¡± Prince

    William said before he gripped her arm and led her to the carriage as if he was certain she wouldn¡¯t

    follow without his lead. Doris red at him when he wasn¡¯t looking and tried her best to cool her features

    before he helped her back into the carriage. The door mmed after him and shut the warmth in tight

    with them. Doris settled in her seat across from him and watched as the trees quickly started to pass

    them by. Prince William leaned across the seat to close the curtain. ¡°We can¡¯t risk either of us being

    seen.¡± ¡°I think you mean just you.¡± Doris corrected. Prince William leaned back against the seat and

    shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been a while since the rogues have seen a pretty girl around here. I wouldn¡¯t risk

    it.¡± Doris felt the blush light up her cheeks, she quickly pressed her cold hands against her warm skin to

    cool it before he noticed. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, please.¡± His eyes followed her movements like a predator in

    the dark. Slowly, she lowered her hands to herp.

    ¡°When did the decoy carriage leave the pce? Around the same time we did?¡± Doris asked. ¡°We sent

    them ahead about thirty minutes. It was the original time we were supposed to leave, but I thought it

    would be better to have it go first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it seems rather fast for it to already have been taken down.

    Did anyone else know that was the time you were leaving?¡± ¡°My father, brothers and Luna Queen were

    the only ones to know. I didn¡¯t tell them I was taking the servant carriage, though. The decoy was one of

    the bigger ones so it was meant to appear as if a prince was inside.¡± Doris thought for a moment. ¡°You

    were right not to tell them.¡± William looked surprised at her words. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Luna

    Queen behind all this, isn¡¯t it?¡± > ¡°What makes you suspect her? ¡°Pardon me for saying this,¡± Doris

    shifted in her seat, ¡°but when Melody was poisoned at the party, she didn¡¯t look the least bit shocked

    when she saw her pass out. I didn¡¯t want to think anything of it it, but it¡¯s possible it might be her who

    poisoned the soup. Jack was so insistent on trying to force me to me it all on you. It made sense to

    me after I heard the story from Lady Katherine. ¡°If I may make a bold guess. I would say it was her out of

    the rest of your family you told. I¡¯m not sure how Melody is doing, but I hope she¡¯s alright by now. The

    portion she took shouldn¡¯t have been enough to be lethal.¡± 1 William stared at her for a moment, almost

    as if he was impressed. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes as if he were

    ready to drift off to sleep. Doris crossed her arms and watched

    him¨Cwas she allowed to kick him? No, but it would feel so good if she could. ¡°Now that I think about it-¡±

    His eyes shot open, he leaned towards her again. Doris held her breath for a moment, this carriage was

    truly much too small for them to be this close. ¡°Luna Queen happened to be nearby when I was

    gathering the guards to ry the ns. She said she wanted to thank me for going, but she wouldn¡¯t

    leave. When she finally left the room, I was able to instruct them about the decoy but it¡¯s possible she

    was nearby to hear it.¡± Doris picked at her nails in thought. Why would Luna Queen want Prince William

    caught by the rogues? The most popr gossip that tainted her reputation was that she had a hand in

    William¡¯s birth mother¡¯s death. It was said that she was so jealous of King Charles¡¯ love for her that she

    poisoned one of her meals to get rid of her once and for all. It¡¯s been dozens of years. Did she hate

    William enough to set him up and get him killed? But why? She¡¯s the Luna Queen and her soon is the

    crown prince. The Kingdom would be at her service sooner orter. Why would she have even bothered

    with all this? 1 It didn¡¯t make sense to Doris, but there was no other exnation as to

    who might have tipped off the rogues to their arrival. Prince William¡¯s eyes flickered to her bag on the

    seat next to her. ¡°So you think Luna Queen over one of my brothers? What about Martin? I¡¯m sure he

    would¡¯ve enjoyed the news of my downfall.¡± ¡°Prince Martin would never do such a thing!¡± Prince William

    narrowed his eyes and leaned forward until his face was barely an inch from her own. She dreaded to

    think what one bump would do with him so close to her. ¡°Why are you so quick to defend him when you

    hardly know him?¡± 21:42

    ¡°He¡¯s been nothing but kind to me at the pce, I don¡¯t think he would ever stoop so low to harm his own

    brother.¡± A storm brewed in his gaze the more she talked. His hands curled into fists at his sides, she

    quickly pressed her lips together. ¡°Are you always so daft for every man that shows you kindness?¡± a His

    harsh words stung, she felt them press deep into her chest like a bite. How is it that he could give her his

    cloak to keep her warm one minute, and insult her the next? Doris changed the subject, ¡°I still just don¡¯t

    understand. Why would she want you toe to the north? This obviously must be some sort of set up.

    You must have realized it, didn¡¯t you? She wanted to make sure you were seen here by the rogues-why

    did you offer toe to the north?¡± ¡°Are you more worried about me or yourself?¡± William teased. Doris

    froze, unsure how to respond. Prince William only stared at her. Seconds felt like hours as his gaze dug

    deep into her skin and threatened to unravel her like paper. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, I have my own

    ns.¡± His words made Doris shift ufortably-would he betray his family? His own brothers? For

    what reason would he ever have to do such a thing?

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 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    Chapter 45 They were heard nearby

    Prince William stayed silent for hours, Doris didn¡¯t bother to try and start another conversation. She was

    starting to get used to his mood swings and she didn¡¯t want to feed into another one that might blow up

    into something more. He kept ncing out the small window every ten minutes to make sure all was in

    order, but something uneasy settled in Doris. It was too quiet. The air felt thick and normally she would

    be d of the silence-but for some reason it only felt off. Doris wondered if William had felt it too. He

    hadn¡¯t tried to sleep once, instead he seemed more alert than ever. She couldn¡¯t help but worry that he

    was running on little to no sleep for almost two days. How much longer could hest before exhaustion

    took him over? ¡°William-¡° Doris said hesitantly. He dropped the curtain and turned to face her. His eyes

    were a little red and his hair was an absolute mess in the way that she found looked handsome on him.

    She shook those thoughts away and cleared her throat.¡° Perhaps it might be a good idea¡ª¡° The

    carriage came to a sudden halt that slid Doris out of her seat and right into his waiting arms. They both

    stilled as they strained to listen for any voices or movement, he silently seated her beside him and

    opened the curtain an inch to peer outside. Doris tried to calm her breath, afraid to make even the

    smallest sounds incase a rogue was nearby to hear it. A loud thud hit the side of the carriage and shook

    the inside. William opened the curtain wider to see a crazed man hanging off the side of the carriage,

    Doris gasped. Was this a rogue? He bared his teeth at William and let his bloodied fingers stain

    everything he touched. ¡°I can smell you in there, prince. Come out to y.¡± The guards were quick to pull

    him off, she flinched when she heard one of them shriek. William forced the door open and closed it

    quickly behind him so she couldn¡¯t follow. Doris quickly scooted over to open the curtain and see what

    was happening. The man stood in rags outside the carriage with his hands coated in blood up to his

    elbows. Everything about him blended in with the snow, if she hadn¡¯t seen the blood, she might have

    missed him entirely. He had long, white hair and eyes almost as light as the ground beneath him. When

    he smiled, she saw his sharp teeth poke out of his gums as if he were about to rip apart everyone around

    him. William stood in front of the carriage door as if he was guarding it, though she knew it only looked

    that way from where she was seated. ¡°You know I could smell your royal blood for miles, prince.¡± The

    man taunted and licked his teeth. The guards surrounded him as if he was in the center of a circle. ¡°All

    alone out here, I see. Where¡¯s your pack?¡± William lifted his chin. He refused to let his gaze leave the

    deranged man for even a second. A trail of blood dripped from the man though he didn¡¯t look injured.

    Doris¡¯s eyes followed it to see it led to a guard by the carriage-his headid several feet away from his

    body. She covered her mouth and closed the curtain a little more so the man wouldn¡¯t see her. His eyes

    seemed to find her anyway. A smirk fell

    across his face when he saw the curtain move.¡± They¡¯re near enough, don¡¯t you worry.¡± He took a step

    closer with his eyes still fixed on the carriage. He inhaled deeply, ¡°Who¡¯s that in there? Do I smell a girl?¡±

    William took a step forward, she couldn¡¯t see his face but his voice sounded deadly when he spoke

    ¡°Take one more step and I¡¯ll rip your eyes from your skull before I shatter your nose for even seeking her

    out.¡± ¡°I seem to have hit a nerve.¡± The man grinned. ¡°She must be something¡ª¡°

    Doris blinked and Prince William was on him. He grabbed him by the throat just as the man raised his

    ws to strike him. William¡¯s shirt came away at the top, she saw his blood drip in the snow from where

    he must have been scratched. Doris quickly closed the curtain when she saw William start to rip out the

    man¡¯s throat. His screams died instantly and she didn¡¯t think she would ever forget the horrible sound.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Doris sat with her knees to her chest in the corner of the carriage. She wasn¡¯t sure how many minutes

    had passed until William had finallye back inside. The blood was cleaned from his hands and his

    coat covered any trace of a scar, but she knew there must have been one. He didn¡¯t look at her once as

    the carriage started to move again. Only when they stopped a few hourster did he finally say

    something. ¡°We¡¯re going to stop to rest for the night. There¡¯s a creak near the edge of camp if you need

    to clean up, but don¡¯t stray too far.¡± He spoke with his eyes out the window as if he were already far from

    the carriage. Once he was done, he stepped out without another word and didn¡¯t bother to look back to

    see

    if she would follow. The moon was bright in the sky above her, she held the cloak tighter around her as

    she gazed at the stars and stepped out of the carriage carefully. If her fear wasn¡¯t trying to control her

    thoughts, she would have appreciated how beautiful the night was. Doris sighed and turned back to the

    clearing. Several tents had already been set up between the trees, there were so many she doubted it

    was possible for anyone to see their camp when it was this dark. They didn¡¯t even dare to light a fire

    despite how freezing it was. It would be worse to wake up in a blood bath because a rogue pack had

    found them rather than simply suffer through the cold. Erik was the only guard she knew the name of, he

    busied himself with setting up a few chairs for other guards to rest. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She spoke quietly as

    she crunched her boots in the snow to reach him. He turned and offered a tired smile. ¡°Do you know

    where I am supposed to sleep for the night?¡± ¡°Oh-¡± He nced over his shoulder to therger tent

    behind them. Clearly that one was meant for the prince. ¡°William requested you stay with him.¡± Doris felt

    her cheeks immediately redden, she took a small step back. ¡°Surely he was mistaken.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t.¡±

    His deep voice interrupted. He stood with the p of his tent wide opened and half of his shirt already

    unbuttoned as if he¡¯d been in the middle of changing. His hair was a mess and a bit of dark scruff

    appeared on his jaw from not shaving. Her eyes lingered on the red mark across his chest before she

    quickly looked away, ¡°You¡¯ll be staying with me.¡± ¡°I¡ªare you sure? I don¡¯t mind staying out here.¡±

    Doris nced at Erik but he was already gone. Prince William blew out a breath of frustration. ¡°I need

    you to be in here tonight. I might need¡­ tea or something. Just get in here.¡± He snapped, she could tell it

    was hard for him to keep his voice low. Doris reluctantly followed him inside. There was a makeshift bed

    on the floor and clothes scattered in the corner with bloodied rags but not much else besides a te of

    food. She turned to find himpletely shirtless and picking at the mark on his chest. Doris quickly

    stepped forward to grab his hand.¡± Don¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll make it worse.¡± She said with a blush. She hoped

    he would think it was due to the freezing weather. She picked through the pile of clothes and managed to

    find something that looked like a rag to clean his wound with water. He stilled as she neared him, his

    eyes watched her silently but he didn¡¯t say a word as she carefully cleaned away the blood and dirt. It

    was closed for the most part, she assumed that was thanks to the wolf inside him but if he kept picking at

    it-it would open as new. ¡°There.¡± Doris said softly as she looked over the scratch and tried not to let her

    gaze lower to take in the rest of him. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t bleed again if you leave it.¡± His blue eyes were calm

    when she looked up at him. There was no storm or anger beneath the sea in his eyes. Just a steady

    ocean. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said, for a second she swore she imagined it. He moved to put on a thick

    sweater before heid in the bed. Doris dropped the rag in the pile and nervously slid her cloak off. ¡°Do

    you need me to get you anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± He grumbled with his eyes already closed.¡±

    Lay down.¡± Doris looked around for an area for her toy that wouldn¡¯t be too close to him. His hand shot

    out and gripped her wrist to pull her onto the nkets next to him. ¡°Oh-¡± ¡°Shh.¡± He demanded. Dorisid

    still with her eyes wide opened. Why did he want her in here if he didn¡¯t need anything? Her bones

    struggled to rx for eternity until she heard the soft sounds of his breath against her ear. Her body

    wanted to curl up against his warmth and fight the cold chill but she forced herself to make do with the

    nkets around them. She didn¡¯t realize she had fallen asleep until William had roughly shook her

    awake the next morning. ¡°Get up, quickly. My guards have spotted someone nearby.¡±

    Her Unwanted Mate On The Thr

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    Chapter 46 What was that

    It took Doris only a second to register his words. She shot up from the bed and hastily threw on her

    cloak. ¡°How far are they?¡± She asked as she gathered the pile of clothes in her arms so they wouldn¡¯t

    leave a trace of him behind. She didn¡¯t have time to act proper in the moment, she didn¡¯t care how

    crazed she looked. ¡°A few miles down. I don¡¯t think they scented us yet bur we need to get moving

    before they do.¡± William surprisingly helped her stuff the rest of the items in a bag before he grabbed her

    arm and hurried out of the tent. Guards were ready to copse the tent the second they stepped out of it

    and packed it up with the rest of their items. Doris made sure her bag was still on her shoulder before

    she felt inside as he led her towards the waiting carriage. ¡°Wait!¡± Doris halted her steps, he turned with

    frustration written all over his face but also a hint of concern. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My book-I can¡¯t find it. I must

    have dropped it somewhere!¡± Doris looked around on the ground in hopes it was near by. His grip

    tightened on her arm, she winced and looked up at him. ¡°Why would you care about that stupid book

    now?¡± His voice was tainted with a sort of rage that erupted from no where. It made her shrink back

    away from his towering form. ¡°I-it was a gift from-¡± ¡°From Martin. Yes, I know.¡± He hissed. ¡°We don¡¯t have

    time to search for a meaningless gift your 21:43

    lover gave you. Would you rather us all die looking for it?¡± ¡°Of of course not.¡± Doris said as he pulled her

    into the carriage and shut the door. She nced out the window once more to see if she could see it

    before he shut the curtain. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hold your hope for him too long, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s already forgotten you

    the moment we left. After all, you¡¯re only a maid and there¡¯s plenty of pretty ones still there to distract

    him.¡± His unkind words made her slowly turn towards him. He sat backzily against the leathered seats

    as the carriage pulled away from their resting area. His eyes looked her up and down with a sort of

    distaste that was hard to miss. It made her skin crawl and shame wash over her for no reason. ¡°I have

    never harbored any feelings for him, nor has he ever touched me.¡± Doris said lowly, she turned her head

    to hide her blush. How could he ever think that of her? ¡°It was just a gift.¡± Prince William snorted as if he

    didn¡¯t believe a word she said. Doris scooted closer to the door and as far from him as she could get.

    One minute he was calm and almost caring, the next he was cruel. It didn¡¯t make any sense to her and

    she couldn¡¯t figure out what his true personality was. Perhaps she would never truly know. Doris picked

    at her nails to distract herself from the silent carriage ride. So far she had seen nothing but snow and

    trees that went on for miles and miles. She was curious if there were any small towns in the north or if it

    was all like this. Obviously the rogues must have their own areas they favored, she wondered if it was

    viges or if they set it up almost like a camp so it would be quick to move if they needed. Beth had once

    told her that they liked to hide in bushes and set carriages on fire if they

    didn¡¯t know the people inside-Doris quickly tried to shake that thought away before she started to worry

    about someone setting the carriage on fire while they rode. Snow was always lovely to watch out a

    window in the pce during the colder months, but here it seemed more like a death sentence. Every

    inch of her felt like ws of ice down her skin. Sometimes she forgot how cold she was, and then she

    would move and it came back to her in one horrible breath. It was a wonder how the rogues survived in

    this weather, but she supposed being a wolf helped in some way. Doris let out a quiet breath and

    nced up at the prince to see him staring out the small slit in the curtain. He had his hand holding up

    his chin and he looked exhausted still. She wished she could pick apart his mind and ask him what

    bothers him so much all the time. Was it her? Or was he just this way because of the rotten childhood he

    had? It was getting harder to tell. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± He asked without taking his eyes from

    the window. The heat crept up her face again and threatened to expose her thoughts. ¡°No-¡± ¡°Then why

    do you keep staring at me?¡± He turned his blue gaze on her, it was almost startling. ¡°I was just making

    sure you were okay, is all.¡± She shifted under his searching gaze and wished she hadn¡¯t said anything at

    all. ¡°It would be best for you not to concern yourself with my feelings.¡± He said ndly. ¡°Otherwise you¡¯d

    never sleep.¡± Doris furrowed her brows and looked down at her hands. It was terrifying to be alone with

    him for so

    long, but somewhere along the journey she felt that fear slip away. Even with his unpredictable moods,

    she felt fine being near him. Almost used to it by now. ¡°I just wonder how long it will take to get there.¡±

    Doris said without lifting her gaze. ¡°It depends on how many detours we have to take. As long as we¡¯re

    not digging through the snow for a useless book or getting mauled by the rouges, we should get there

    any day now.¡± Doris blushed furiously. She felt silly for ever wanting to dy their trip to look for the book

    but he was just as rude about it. ¡°Have you ever traveled the north?¡± She asked. His fingers yed at the

    hem of the curtains as he gazed out into the snow. ¡°No. I¡¯ve only ever heard stories. My father would

    have never allowed it when I was younger, even when he didn¡¯t care what I did.¡± ¡°I heard a few

    messengers were¡ª¡° ¡°Wait.¡± He sat up quickly, Doris closed her lips and watched him. ¡°Do you hear

    that?¡± Doris strained to listen, but she heard nothing but the sound of the wheels traveling through the

    snow and the rattle of the carriage. ¡°No¡ª¡± He gestured for her to be silent again. His head titled to the

    side and his brows furrowed in concentration, but she couldn¡¯t hear a single thing. Their carriage shook,

    William moved to sit next to her and put his arm across her as if he was shielding her from a rough

    break. When it stopped, he stepped out without a word and looked around. ¡°What happened?¡± He

    demanded. A guard slid off his horse and pointed to the wheels. ¡°We ran something over, we couldn¡¯t

    see what it was in this darkness.¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    William went to see for himself. Doris carefully stepped out of the carriage and immediately felt the cold

    chill sting against her cheeks William snapped his head back to look at her. ¡°What are you doing outside

    of the¨C¡± He froze and cocked his head to the side as if he was listening for something. ¡°Get over here,

    Doris.¡± Doris hesitantly moved closer to him, he pulled her behind his back as he searched through the

    area with alert eyes. ¡°William?¡± Doris whispered. He held up his hand to silence her. It was obvious

    everyone around her seemed to hear something as well. ¡°We should¡± An arrow pierced the air and struck

    one of the guards through the shoulder. They all watched him fall before someone shouted. ¡°Get down!¡±

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    Chapter 47 We got a pretty one here

    It all happened so fast, Doris was barely able to duck before William had thrown himself on her. A spray

    of arrows thunked against the trees secondster, she saw the wood splinter from how hard it hit right

    where William had been standing. Shouts broke any sense of silence the night had, it turned into chaos

    and Doris wasn¡¯t sure what she was supposed to do. William grabbed her arm and had her follow him in

    a crouch across the clearing as a pack of men and wolfs fell upon the guards. William ced her behind

    arge rock and fallen tree and threw his coat over her. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move. Call out for me if

    someonees near you.¡± He said before he turned to face the rogues that ambushed them. Doris

    gripped the bark of the tree and held her breath as she watched. It was pure madness. Wolves rained

    down on some of the guards before they could even get their weapons out. She shielded her eyes as

    one of them got their throat torn out and stomach ripped open. She lost William in the crowd, she wasn¡¯t

    sure if he shifted to his wolf or if he was still human. There was so much blood in so little time, the entire

    ground was stained with it. Her eyes tried to keep track of each guard, but they were so spread out it was

    hard to follow them. Off to the right, a guard got the better of a rogue and mmed his knife through its

    jaw, Doris quickly looked away and tried to find William again. Where had he gone? Surely he couldn¡¯t be

    far.

    10:01

    0.0%

    E

    37%

    We got a pretty one here Arge wolf turned from the center of the chaos. His eyes locked on where she

    was hidden, Doris crouched down further and brought the jacker up higher on her head. The grey wolf

    sniffed the air and backed up a little before it fully sprinted towards where she was hiding. Doris saw its

    sharp teeth flicker in the moonlight as it opened its jaws wide. Doris started to move but stopped before

    she got very far. A ck wolf tackled the grey wolf before it could reach her. They slid across the snow

    while snapping their jaws at each other. The ck one grabbed a hold of the grey one¡¯s neck before it

    could even think to defend the area. Doris looked away quickly, she didn¡¯t want to see anymore blood

    shed. She moved across the trees and tried for a more secluded hiding space. When she turned, the

    ck wolf was behind her with a bit of blood dripping from its lips. She saw his blue eyes glow a little in

    the darkness and felt her fear vanish when she knew instantly who it was. William sniffed her hand once

    before he turned and put himself back in the fight. Doris picked up an arrow from the ground and tested

    the sharp tip with her fingers. No one had bothered to give her a weapon to defend herself in instances

    like this. She would have to make do with what she had around her in case any of them got too close to

    her. Doris watched the ck wolf move through the darkness taking down as many rogues as he could.

    It was¡­hard to look away from him. He was truly a force and now she understood why everybody feared

    him-especially when he was a wolf. A branch cracked behind her, Doris turned to stab the man in his leg

    without a second thought. He went down hard, but he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°You bitch!¡± The other man had

    ws as fingers, it was worse

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    w gat a pretty one har than any nightmare her brain could torment her with. He grabbed Doris by her hair

    and dragged her out to the middle of the fighting ground ¡°Let me go!¡± She screamed. William tumed

    away from his opponent when he heard her. The other wolf got in a nasty bite before William cracked its

    neck. ¡°I have a theory.¡± The man announced. Some of the fighting ceased at his words but the rest

    continued on. William growled at the man who held Doris like a discarded doll. ¡°I think the prince has a

    soft spot for this one.¡± He pulled Doris up by her hair, she screamed and gripped the area he held.

    William let out a louder, more furious warning growl but the man only smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s test it, shall we?¡± He

    put one of his ws up to her throat. She felt a small sting before the warm blood dripped down her

    neck. Her eyes blurred with tears, ¡°W-William!¡± She screamed. The man was off her before she could

    even finish screaming his name. William went right for his arm that held her and took itpletely off his

    body before he dragged him into the darkness and silenced his screams. Doris shakily stood, one of the

    guards hurried over to try and put her in hiding again, but they all had seen her already. ¡°Here, take this.¡±

    He said. She only just realized it was Erik. He ced a small dagger in her hand that already had a bit of

    blood on it. ¡°Go for the throat or eyes and be quick about it. They can smell your fear.¡± Doris nodded

    when no words formed. He tumed away and threw himself back into the fight with a wolf that met him

    halfway. Doris tried to take count of how many guards still stood and she was surprised to see arge

    amount of them did. The king must have really sent the best guards he had

    We got a pretty one here to survive this long against a rogue pack. William stepped out of the shadows

    with bloodied foot prints. Something about the way he walked told her it wasn¡¯t his blood and she almost

    felt sorry for the next rogue who put themselves in his way. He sniffed the air and turned to look at her

    with his piercing blue eyes before he turned away and targeted the closest enemy. A cold chill ran down

    her spine when the air thickened. She felt something warm caress the back of her neck. Her fingers

    curled tightly around the hilt of the dagger, she closed her eyes and silently prayed to the moon goddess.

    When it growled, Doris turned and plunged the dagger deep into his neck. A wolf light as the snow let out

    a wounded cry before it fell hard onto the ground. Doris quickly moved away from him and found a new

    tree to hide behind. It felt as if it would never end, when would it stop? When one side ispletely

    dead? She hated to think it, she hated herself for being the reason someone was now dead or close to it.

    Doris looked down at her bloodied hands and felt warm, thick tears trail down her cheeks. She had a

    feeling that the sounds of death would follow her into her nightmares for many weeks toe, perhaps

    forever if she survived tonight. Her chances were feeling less by the second. If she closed her eyes, she

    might pretend she was at the pce in her warm bed still. Or perhaps gossiping with Bethte into the

    night. Anywhere was better than here, away from all of the blood and death. Out in the clearing, she saw

    William tear down another wolf as if it was nothing. His fierceness was extraordinary and at the same

    time=terrified her in a way. She knew he wouldn¡¯t harm her, but it was horrifying to see how quickly he

    could tear through

    Welgota pretty one here a whole pack of rogues: With his back turned, Doris noticed several other

    wolves started to surround him. His guards were busy trying to stay alive to notice, but Doris did. They

    crept towards him silently as he fought with another wolf and she knew exactly what they were doing

    Doris stood, ¡°William! Behind you!¡± William turned at her voice and found himself surrounded. They were

    going to kill him, she knew they wanted to more than anything. They probably didn¡¯t even care about the

    rest of them, just him. Her heart raced with fear, she wanted to help him His guards must have heard her

    shout. They turned their attention back to their prince and took down some of the wolves that cornered

    him. Doris let out a relieved breath ¡°Looks like we got a pretty one here,¡± a man said against her ear.

    Doris tried to move but he wrapped his arm around her waist to force her against him . ¡°I think I found the

    prince¡¯s favorite.¡± She could hear the smirk in his voice as if she was the

    greatest prize he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Let me go!¡± Doris wed at his arms and kicked his legs as hard as she

    could, but he acted as if it didn¡¯t phase him in the slightest. In fact, he onlyughed. ¡°Will¡ª¡± Doris wasn¡¯t

    able to finish before the darkness swallowed her whole.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    Chapter 48 We¡®re just getting started

    Ice cold water woke Doris from her darkest dreams. Her head felt heavy as she finally opened her eyes

    to see an unfamiliar room. She tried to move her hands to wipe the water from her face but realized they

    were tied behind her. It looked as if she was in some old forgotten shack with only one dim light for the

    entire room. ¡°There she is¡­ I was beginning to think I might have hit you too hard.¡± A man with blond

    hair stepped out of the shadows. Doris tried to pull her hands free from the ropes that only burned her

    skin the harder she pulled. ¡°Please¡­ let me go-¡± The wooden chair creaked beneath her as she

    struggled. ¡°What a waste that would be.¡± He leaned down to be eye level with her. She cringed away

    from his horrible breath and rotten teeth. ¡°We wanted a prince, but we at least got you.¡± The fight rushed

    back to her all at once. Was William still alive? Was he able to get away before someone captured him-or

    worse? She shifted in her seat. ¡°Where is he?¡± The man smiled. His teeth were sharper than they were a

    second before. ¡°Your prince has fled into the night without you.¡± He took out a dagger from his belt and

    trailed it down her skin slowly. ¡°Are you hisdy?¡± ¡°N-no. I¡¯m just a maid at the pce¡± Doris closed her

    eyes for a moment as the cool de ran over her jaw

    We¡¯re just getting started Just a maid? Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I believe that. What kind of prince goes

    feral for his maid?¡± He applied a bit of pressure against her neck, Doris winced. ¡°I swear I¡¯m only a maid

    to him. He-he protected me out there because I didn¡¯t have a de, nothing else.¡± Doris flinched when

    he pushed a little deeper until he finally pulled back ¡°Well, I suppose that makes since.¡± He started to

    circle her, her gaze snapped towards the door when another man bursted in. He was a bit shorter than

    his friend and had the same greasy blond hair. He dropped a sack on the ground. ¡°What makes sense,

    Jules?¡± He asked. He looked Doris up and down and gave her a smile that made her bones chill. ¡°I

    thought she was hisdy, but a prince would never leave hisdy behind. She¡¯s nothing but a useless

    maid, Darrell.¡± ¡°Oh, no shit eh?¡± His friendughed. ¡°I guess he won¡¯te back for her after all, he¡¯s

    probably miles away by now.¡± Jules took a chair and dragged it next to Doris¡¯s before he plopped down.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she must have some sort of information to tell us about the prince that might be useful.¡± ¡°Yeah,

    she must know something.¡± Darrell leaned against the wall and pulled out a small knife to clean his

    disgusting nails. ¡°What¡¯s the prince doing out here in the north?¡± ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know,¡± ¡°Wrong!¡± Jules stood

    up so fast, his chair banged against the floor. He grabbed Doris by the chin and forced her to look at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like liars. Is the prince nning on attacking the rogues in the north?¡± ¡°No! He isn¡¯t nning that.¡±

    His grip tightened on

    We¡¯re just getting started her chin, she tried to pull back but he only pressed harder. Mis that loyalty I

    hear? I wouldn¡¯t bother trying to protect him, your man ran without a hesitation for what happens to you.

    You¡¯re nothing more than a maid, as you said.¡± Jules said. Doris swallowed. She didn¡¯t doubt that was

    true, there was no way Prince William would risk himself to save her. He was probably already miles

    from here without a second thought to what happened to her. He wouldn¡¯t risk himself over a maid.

    Especially not one like her. It still hurt to hear. ¡°Let¡¯s try again. Why don¡¯t you tell us why the prince

    brought you out of all the other maids he could have chosen?¡± ¡°Yes, why did he bring you? Does the

    prince expect you to serve him in every way you can?¡± His friend smirked and kneeled down next to her

    chair. Doris tried to keep her voice as even as she could, though her fear was almost overwhelming. ¡°I

    was the closest to him when he was leaving. He¡¯s a prince, he travels with many servants.¡± ¡°Ah, that just

    isn¡¯t true. Is it? All of the men out there were trained guards, you are the only servant.¡± Darrellid his

    hand on her knee, she wished she could kick him in the face for even touching her.¡± You must have

    heard something about why he¡¯s here.¡± Her dress was suffocating her, sweat dripped slowly down her

    back. Every breath she took made her feel as if she was about to pass out. She couldn¡¯t tell them why

    Prince William was here, they would know exactly where to find him if she did. It could lead to his death if

    they ambushed him. They were right, she was nothing but a maid¨Cbut he was a prince. He was

    important to the kingdom. She

    We¡¯re just getting started wouldn¡¯t betray him-no matter what they did. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. As you

    said, I¡¯m only a maid. The royals have never shared private information with their servants.¡± Doris said

    with a shaky voice The men nced at each other. ¡°How long have you worked there? ¡°And what¡¯s your

    name?¡± Jules added. Doris swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve worked there for 5 years.¡± The men waited for her to

    continue, when she didn¡¯t-Jules smacked her across the face. ¡°I asked you what your name is!¡± ¡°D-

    Doris!¡± She said quickly as the pain burned her skin. ¡°Well, Doris.¡± Darrell started walking around her

    chair. ¡°You must have some sort of information to give us. Working 5 years at the pce doesn¡¯te

    away with nothing.¡± ¡°1¡ªI worked in the library, none of the royals ever ventured there.¡± Silence followed

    her words. They were both behind her, she couldn¡¯t see if they were silentlymunicating or what but

    her heart sped up and tried to bang out of her chest. Would they kill her once they realized she was

    completely useless to them? Doris tried to name all of the people that might care if she died¡­ Beth was

    the only one that came to mind. Would Prince William let her go free even though she didn¡¯t return?

    Doris licked her dry lips and tasted her own salty tears. Jules finally came to stand beside her. He put his

    boot on the side of her chair and knocked it over so she fell hard against the ground. ¡°We know you¡¯re

    lying. We didn¡¯t want to have to do this, but you leave us no other choice.¡± ¡°Yeah, there ain¡¯t no way we

    walked out of that

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Chantera were lunt getting started fight empty handed. We will get something out of you¡­ one way or

    another.¡± Doris shuddered to think what that might possibly mean. How far would they go to get

    something from her? Until she was on the edge of death? She imagined herself already bloodied and

    bruised, much worse than she had been when Prince Jack tried to get her to me the poisoning on

    Prince William. It should have been so obvious then, of who was truly behind the poisoning. Perhaps if

    she had noticed sooner, she wouldn¡¯t be here about to die now. Darrell picked up a pair of clippers.

    ¡°Should we take her fingers off first? One by one?¡± ¡°No, no. Let¡¯s save that forter. The night is still

    young, we might be able to get something withoutpletely destroying her beauty.¡± Jules smirked. ¡°I

    quite like her face, it¡¯s got a sense of innocence in it.¡± He bent down to caress her cheek. Doris tumed

    her face away from his hand. He hit her for that, harder than before. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that with us, Doris. We

    promise to let you go if you tell us something worth our time.¡± A lie, she knew it. She would not see the

    fresh light of day again no matter what she told them. She could ry every secret she ever heard and

    they still wouldn¡¯t let her walk free. Even if they did, there was no where for her to go for miles. She

    would freeze to death before she found somewhere safe. ¡°I don¡¯t have any information to tell you. You¡¯re

    wasting your time on me.¡± Doris said weakly. Darrell paced the room as if in thought before he moved to

    kick her as hard as he could in her stomach. Jules pulled her back up

    We¡¯re just getting started I¡¯ll get you screaming, baby.¡± He licked her face before he brought his mouth to

    her neck and bit her as hard as he could. Doris screamed from the pain, she felt his sharp teeth draw

    blood and she tried to tip her chair again to get his mouth off her. He finally pulled away and grinned at

    her. His mouth was stained with her blood. ¡°Don¡¯t like that? We¡¯re just getting started here.¡±

    Her Unwanted Mate On The Thi

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    Chapter 49 Let¡®s have some fun

    . ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know anything Jules pointed his knife at her. ¡°No, no. None of that. If you¡¯re not going to

    tell us anything useful, keep that pretty mouth shut before I bash your face in.¡± Doris closed her lips and

    nced between the two men ¡°How many hits do you think before she starts talking?¡± Darrell asked. ¡°I¡¯d

    say six¡­but let¡¯s go for ten.¡± Jules turned his knife around and hit her right in the nose with the hilt. It

    rocked her head back hard enough to hear a crack. Doris swore she saw stars for a moment, blood

    strained down her chin from just one hit. ¡°Is the pce nning an attack on the rogues? Is the prince

    here to scout our areas out?¡± Darrell asked as he leaned over with his hands on his knees to look at her.

    She wished she could spit on both of them but she was afraid of what they would do to her. They looked

    crazy enough to kill her right now and she wouldn¡¯t be sorry if they did. Doris kept her lips closed, Jules

    immediately hit her again. ¡°He asked you a question! Can¡¯t you hear?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about what

    the pce does!¡± Doris coughed when she inhaled some of her own blood. How many times would she

    be beaten before her body would finally give up on her? She regretted the day she ever agreed to be

    Melody¡¯sy¡¯s maid. If she hadn¡¯t, she might have been in the library with a book and warm chocte

    right now. Not here¡­ being beaten for the third time since she changed jobs. Jules held out his hand.

    ¡°Give me the clippers.¡±

    Darrell looked feral with excitement when he ced the clippers in his hand. He hovered behind his

    shoulder to watch what was toe. Part of her wished they would just stick them in her heart and end it

    all. ¡°Maybe you can answer this. How many guards did the prince bring with him?¡± Jules asked, he

    twirled the clippers in his hand as if he was taunting her. ¡°I¡­ I think over a dozen.¡± Doris whispered. It

    was a harmless enough question. Doris knew it had to be much more than that, perhaps they would

    underestimate him if they decided to go after him again. He was a force, he would easily rip both of these

    men apart if he were here. But¡­ he wasn¡¯t here. He wasn¡¯ting to save her and rip these men in half.

    He was miles away already and she couldn¡¯t even save herself while tied to this useless chair. Doris

    desperately searched the room for something to help her out of it. If one of them dropped their de, she

    could use it to cut herself free ¡°Good girl, that¡¯s what we like to see. More talking ¡­ it¡¯s good for you.

    Keeps you alive for a few minutes longer!¡± Jules grinned down at her as if she were a dog that finally did

    his trick. ¡°Next question ¡­ where is the prince headed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know-¡± Jules stabbed her in the

    shoulder with his knife, Doris screamed in agony. ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked. When I ask questions, I like

    answers.¡± He grabbed her ear and yanked her towards him, ¡°Last chance¡­¡± He hovered the clippers in

    front of her face. Doris felt as if her life shed before her eyes. Was he going to stab her or cut off her

    fingers? When she didn¡¯t say anything, he took the clippers and cut off the top of her ear. Doris

    screamed as

    loud as she could. He tackled her and pressed his hands down over her mouth. ¡°Shhhh Be a good girl

    Doris couldn¡¯t see through her tears, he pressed down harder on her mouth when she tried to scream

    again. She started to choke on her misery and realized she couldn¡¯t breathe. He wasn¡¯t letting her

    breathe. Doris¡¯s eyes grew wide as she looked at the man on top of her. He looked deranged and excited

    to see her suffer. To see her struggle for her life. She felt something hard against her leg, he rubbed

    himself against her as he choked the life out of her. His groans were sickening, she would¡¯ve rather him

    stab her a hundred times than ever hear those noises from his mouth. ¡°Jules, we can¡¯t kill her yet!¡±

    Darrell hissed. Jules kept his grip for a second more before he let her breathe again and got off her. ¡°I

    don¡¯t think we¡¯re gonna get her to talk,¡± Jules adjusted his pants as Doris gasped for air. She felt sick to

    her stomach when she realized what had been pressing against her leg. She knew the rogues were

    horrible, but this was unbearable. They were pure animals and nothing she could say or do would help

    her now ¡°Let me try,¡± Darrell leaned down to observe her. She was afraid to feel her ear, she didn¡¯t know

    how much he had taken off but she knew it wouldn¡¯t look good. It hurt like hell and every breath made

    her feel worse. Darrell gripped her chin and turned her face to the side¡±Even with all that blood you¡¯re still

    a looker, No wonder the prince wanted you toe with him.¡± He smirked and leaned close to smell her.

    ¡°I can still kinda smell him on you. Did he have his way with you before we ruined the fun? Darrell

    asked with augh before he smashed her head back against the hard floor Doris saw the room spin,

    she tried to gasp but he only gripped her head and smashed it down harder than before. Darkness

    swallowed her whole.

    Doris heard their voices before she opened her eyes. How long had she been out this time? ¡°What

    should we do with her?¡± Jules said in a low voice. ¡°She obviously isn¡¯t going to tell us anything and we¡¯re

    wasting too much time on her.¡± ¡°Do you know when Lord Enzo ising back?¡± Darrell asked. She

    heard a chair squeak as if they were standing ¡°I heard he won¡¯t be here for a few days at least. We

    should be good before then.¡± Jules replied and plopped back down in the chair. ¡°We can¡¯t let him find out

    about this, you know what he would do to us if he found out we kidnapped a girl.¡± ¡°She was part of the

    royal party¨C¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t care about that, Jules! Remember thest time one of the pack members had

    taken a girl?

    We-¡±

    ¡°We found him strung up by his insides on a tree, yes I know.¡± Jules said, almost as if he was annoyed.

    ¡°This is different. The royals are our enemies and she is part of that.¡± ¡°Enzo won¡¯t care, I¡¯m telling you.

    He doesn¡¯t like women being mistreated and if he sees what we did to her-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get rid of her body

    before he gets back, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jules said quietly. Doris felt fear rush through her veins at his

    words. Every inch of her hurt and she probably looked like another bloody mess-but some small, pathetic

    part of her

    Let¡¯s have some fun truly thought she was going to make it. That part was crushed the moment he said

    that. *Before we get rid of her¡­¡± Darrell cleared his throat. ¡°We should have a little fun with her.¡± ¡°What

    kind of fun?¡± Jules asked. Doris felt as if she was going to throw up when she realized what wasing

    next. ¡°She has such a lovely body, we shouldn¡¯t let it go to waste. Why don¡¯t we show her a bit of a good

    time before we end it all?¡± Jules startedughing and Doris heard the chair creak again. ¡°Let¡¯s see if

    she¡¯s awake.¡± Doris closed her eyes tighter to pretend she was sleeping. Their steps echoed off the walls

    and made her want to move as far away from them as she could. One of their boots pushed the side of

    her. Doris¡­ wake up¡­¡± Jules hissed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to be awake for it.¡± Darrell dropped to his knees

    next to her and started unbuttoning her dress. Doris¡¯s eyes shot open and she kicked at him to stop him.

    Darrellughed. ¡°Ah! So you weren¡¯t still out, huh? This will be so much more fun.¡± ¡°Help!¡± Doris

    screamed, Jules quickly smacked her in the face. ¡°Shut up you stupid bitch.¡± Darrell ripped the front of

    her dress off and stuck his eager hand up her skirt to grip her breasts. Doris screamed again and tried to

    thrash away from him. ¡°I said ¡± A strange whistle pierced the air, they both froze above her. ¡°Did you hear

    that?¡± Darrell asked. ¡°Quick! Tape her mouth and shove her in the closet, Enzo is back.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    Chapter 50 I¡¯m the leader of the rogues

    . Jules pulled her up and untied her from the chair before he double tied her hands behind her back

    again tighter than before. Doris felt dizzy as Darrell ripped a piece of tape and smacked it on her mouth

    quickly. Jules dragged her back and shoved her in a closet before he locked the door and moved a few

    things in front of it. There was a small crack a half inch wide for her to stare out of, she wiggled closer to

    see what was happening. Jules moved like a madman across the area. He scrubbed at the floor where

    her blood stained and cursed when it wouldn¡¯te off as easily as he hoped, ¡°Fuck! Do you think he¡¯ll

    come in here?¡± Jules asked, he moved a mat to cover what he couldn¡¯t scrub out. Darrell was looking out

    the window through a slit in the curtain ¡°Shit, he¡¯sing now!¡± Darrell hurried away from the curtain and

    helped Jules cover up any trace of her torture. He mmed a box that yed loud ssical music to

    drown out any of her moans. A knock stilled both them, they nced over at each other as if they were

    terrified to answer it. It sounded again but louder and they both finally moved at once, racing to open the

    door. Jules got there first, Darell stood back and looked as if he was trying to appear busy by arranging a

    small stack of books. Jules pulled open the door and a tall, dark haired man stepped through. He was

    quite handsome with a softer face and dark eyes, but he

    aliseckad as at he was ready tomit murder. He closed the door behind him silently and raised his

    brows at the boys ¡°Mine tuning that down? The man Enzo she assumed askedSomething about his

    voice sounded familia, but her head hunt too much to register why Damell turned the music down only a

    bit, Doris tried to scream as loud as she could but it only came out muffled against her tape. Darrell shot

    a nervous nce towards the door as if he¡¯d heard it. ¡°I heard about your stop on the road.¡± Enzo said as

    he let his eyes wander around the area Doris strained to hear every word over the ridiculous music.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t capture the prince, sir.¡± Jules said nervously. Enzo sped his hands

    behind his back as he walked around the area where she had been tortured minutes before. ¡°And who

    allowed you to attack the prince? Who gave you that order?¡± ¡°No one, sir. We took it upon ourselves

    when we heard he had entered the north. We¡¯ve been searching for him for days and finally found his

    camage along the back road.¡± Darrell stood up straighter when Enzo neared him, but only came up to

    Enzo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Something as serious as an attack on a price should always go through me first, do I

    make myself clear?¡± Enzo tumed his stare on the both of them with his back to her. She tried to scream

    again but it barely made a squeak. For a second, his head tilted slightly towards the door as if he was

    listening for something. ¡°Of course, sir!¡± Darell said quickly. He raised his voice as if he could drown out

    the distant sounds of

    I¡¯m the leader of the roques her muffled screams. ¡°We won¡¯t do it again, we don¡¯t know what we were

    thinking.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve done something without my permissiontely, is it?¡± The two

    men nced at each other nervously. Doris tried to bang her head against the door but stopped after the

    first attempt. She was dizzy enough. The noise made his head turn again. Jules cleared his throat and

    neared Enzo. ¡°We made a mistake, we won¡¯t do it again, sir.¡± Enzo turned back to look at them, she

    couldn¡¯t see his face but the other men had a sh of fear cross their features. ¡°You know what else I

    heard?¡± Jules visibly swallowed. ¡°What, sir?¡± ¡°I heard you took a girl from them.¡± Enzo¡¯s words were

    dripped with poison. ¡°The prince nearly lost his mind when he found her gone. He killed the rest of the

    men that you left behind.¡± Doris swallowed. A rush of relief filled her, at least he was alive and well. She

    hoped he was far from their reach and closer to where he needed to be. ¡°A-a girl? No, we didn¡¯t take

    anyone. We would never take some random girl¡± ¡°Then why did you leave your pack to die?¡± Enzo took a

    step towards them. ¡°A real man would never leave his pack to die like that.¡± ¡°We were injured, we had to

    leave to survive, sir.¡± Jules said and ced his arms behind his back casually. ¡°We regret leaving them

    ¨C¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Enzo interrupted. ¡°Who?¡± Darrell asked with his brows furrowed. ¡°We didn¡¯t take

    anyone, Lord Enzo. We told you, we came back here when we got injured but that¡¯s it.¡± Enzo inhaled

    deeply. ¡°Shut that fucking music off.¡± He snapped. Darrell hurried to shut it off. ¡°I can

    I¡¯m the leader of the ragues smell a female here, I can smell her fucking blood, Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± He

    growled. Doris screamed again and hoped he could hear her muffle this time. Enzo turned towards the

    door she was hidden behind. Doris kept screaming ¡°Wait!¡± Darrell grabbed Enzo¡¯s arm and immediately

    looked as if he regretted it. Enzo grabbed his neck and threw him across the room without a hesitation.

    His body made a sickening crack against the wall before he slid down. Doris hesitated for a minute. Why

    would she trust him? They were all apart of the same pack and he looked stronger than both of them

    combined. What if he wanted to do worse to her? No, they said he didn¡¯t like harming women. He

    sounded angry at them for even taking her¡­ didn¡¯t he? Enzo¡¯s eyes flickered to a part of the floor where

    her blood remained. He growled and turned to Jules. ¡° What did you do to her?¡± ¡°We¡­ we tried to see

    what the prince was doing here. We were afraid he was nning an ambush with the pce.¡± Jules

    backed away from Enzo. Enzo forced open the door and found Doris bloodied and tied up. He quickly

    leaned down and uncovered her mouth before he worked at the ties. ¡°Please¡­¡± Doris coughed, her

    throat was so dry and sore, it hurt to breathe. ¡°Help me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get you out of here and

    somewhere safe.¡± Enzo helped her up carefully. ¡°Come now¡­¡± ¡°We thought she might know something

    about their ns.¡± Jules said cautiously as he neared them. Enzo turned and grabbed him by his throat.

    ¡°I should kill you right here for what you did to this poor girl.¡± He hissed. ¡°You¡¯ll both get what¡¯sing

    m the leader of the Fogues, to you, but I want you out of my face right now.¡± He threw him as if he

    weighed nothing across the opposite wall. Doris wished he would have cracked his head open, perhaps

    then she might feel an ounce better for what they did to her. Enzo turned back with a kind expression.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Doris slowly shook her head. ¡°Why¡­ why do you sound so familiar¡­?¡± 2 Enzo offered

    a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re Doris, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that right now, you

    look as if you¡¯re about to pass out.¡± Enzo put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. She hadn¡¯t even

    realized she¡¯d been swaying ¡°May 1?¡± He asked before he picked her up and carried her like a bride.

    Dorisid her heavy head against his shoulder as he carried her out the door. The bite of cold wind

    almost made her eyes water again. Enzo loaded her into a small, warm carriage that looked a lot

    different from the one she rode in with the prince. This one had soft cushion and was dark red instead of

    blue. Doris felt her sense of vision flicker for a moment as he wrapped her in a warm coat. ¡°Who are

    you?¡± Doris whispered. ¡°My name is Lord Enzo, but you can call me Enzo if you wish.¡± He closed the

    door of the carriage and immediately it took off into the night. She tried to keep her eyes open to watch

    him across from her. He looked at her with a bit of concem in his expression. ¡°I think I know someone

    who can help your pain, just hang in there.¡± ¡°They¡­ were going to kill me.¡± Doris said quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t

    worry, I¡¯ll take care of them both soon. You¡¯ll never have to breathe the same rotten air as

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Shatter Som the leader of the roues them again.¡± Doris coughed and closed her eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    She asked again ¡°I¡¯m the leader of the rogues.¡±

    Her Unwanted Mate On The This

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    Chapter 51 You¡®d really just let me go

    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re the leader of the rogues?¡± Doris painfully sat up and tried to move further away from him in

    the small carriage. He watched her with a curious expression, but made no move towards her. How fast

    was the carriage moving? Would she be able to jump out? ¡°That¡¯s right, I am.¡± He pushed a nket

    towards her, Doris didn¡¯t dare reach out to take it. ¡°Please know I had nothing to do with your kidnapping.

    The moment I heard about it, I came looking for you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re the leader of them, why would they go

    against what you want?¡± Doris shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Her mind was close to

    shutting down along with her body. It would be so easy toy her head back and let the sweet feeling of

    darkness ovee her senses. Enzo cleared his throat and brushed back his dark hair. ¡°With every

    pack, there are those who think they know better than the leader. What they did will not go unpunished,

    Doris. You have my word.¡± Doris shifted ufortably. How was she supposed to trust the leader of

    rogues? After all of the horrible things she¡¯d heard over the years about the rogues and what they were

    capable of-she was now seated across from the leader of them all. Her eyes drooped a little, she forced

    them back open to watch him. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± She demanded in a much stronger voice than

    she felt. ¡°Somewhere safe where you can rest. You¡¯re not

    You¡¯d really just let me go being taken as a prisoner, Doris. You¡¯re free to get out and leave now if you

    wish. Although, I would strongly advise against that considering you look as if you¡¯re about to pass out.¡± |

    Doris nced out the window and saw nothing but miles and miles of darkness and snow. Even if she

    wasn¡¯t in agony, she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the night on her own. Her clothes were torn and bloody,

    her wounds hadn¡¯t even begun to start healing and every inch of her felt frozen from the cold. Being alive

    was pure torture, every breath was worse than thest and her mind tried to convince her to close her

    eyes and rest even when she didn¡¯t feel safe enough to ¡°We still have a bit of a ride, you can close your

    eyes if you need to. You¡¯re safe in here.¡± Enzo said gently. She probably looked like a scared, bloody rat

    to him. One of these days she wasn¡¯t going to survive being beaten like that. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if

    she never was able to open her eyes again Doris watched him for a few minutes. He offered a small

    smile and leaned back against the seat to look out his window. Slowly, her eyes lowered despite her fight

    to keep them open.

    Warmth dabbed at her wounds. Doris woke with a gasp, hands gripped her shoulders to keep her down

    against the bed. Bed? Where was she? ¡°Lay still, it¡¯s not closed yet.¡± A shooting pain forced her to focus.

    Sheid in sheets of cotton with a dressing gown that was too big to be her own. Her hair was unbound

    and wild, a woman she didn¡¯t recognize was pressing a warm cloth to her shoulder ¡°This one was pretty

    bad, but I think you¡¯ll be okay.¡± The woman said with a slight smile. Her grey hair

    Si Yould really just let me go was tied in a knot on top of her head, she had smooth brown skin with not a

    hint of wrinkles in sight. ¡°I had to sew it closed to get it to stop bleeding. You¡¯ll have to eat something to

    get back a bit of your strength.¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± Doris whispered, her voice was hoarse. She tried to clear

    her throat but it only felt as if blood woulde out if she tried again. The woman helped her sit up and

    handed her a cup of cold water. It was pure pleasure feeling it against her sore throat. She gulped it dow

    greedily. ¡°You¡¯re at the main rogue camp, Lord Enzo brought you here.¡± ¡°How long have I been out?¡±

    ¡°Not that long, he only just brought you here about an hour ago and I cleaned you up once he left. He

    came back to bring you a te of food again but left to give you privacy.¡± The woman ced another

    pillow behind her back and set a te of food on herp. ¡°You better eat every bit of that, you¡¯ll be

    passing out again if you don¡¯t.¡± Doris felt her face and ran her fingers across her cut lip and swollen eye.

    She trailed her fingers down her neck where the animal of a man had bitten her. Doris briefly wondered

    how William would react if he saw another man had bitten her. Not that¡­ it should matter to him. Melody

    was still hisdy and still his mate. She was the one that he had meant to bite, not Doris ¡°Thank you,¡±

    Doris shakily gripped the te. ¡°What may I call you?¡± ¡°You can call me Eliza.¡± She said with another

    smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Eliza seated herself on the edge of the bed as Doris started to pick at

    her food. ¡°Those men you met¡­ they do not speak for any of us. Our pack doesn¡¯t torture innocent

    women

    You¡¯d really just let me go for answers. I¡¯m sorry for what you went through.¡± Doris paused half way

    through her sandwich and blinked. The voice in the back of her mind warned her to remain cautious.

    They could only be trying to fool her into trusting them. Perhaps they would think she might tell them

    everything she knew about the pce if they were nice enough to her. Doris decided to y along into it

    for the time being, at least until she could get away from here and be safe again. ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris

    lowered her gaze. The woman patted her knee gently. ¡°You try to sleep once you¡¯re finished. You lost a

    lot of blood and you won¡¯t feel better until you do.¡± The bed shifted as Eliza stood and gathered the

    bloodied supplies, ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I live right across the way.¡± She headed

    for the door. Once it was closed behind her, Doris got up as quickly as she could manage without

    passing out again. The room was in with a wooden dresser and rocking chair but not much else.

    Obviously no one else lived here, it had to be for the wounded or even for people that they wanted to

    keep here for questioning, Doris looked through all the drawers for some sort of weapon but only found

    extra clothes and towels. She carefully changed out of the night gown and pulled on a thick sweater and

    pants before she stepped into the boots she came here with. The room started to spin a little, she

    gripped the dresser and closed her eyes until everything was set right again. It would be so easy toy

    down and sleep for a few more hours, it would be smart of her to do it¡­ but the longer she stayed here,

    the longer she left herself vulnerable to them. Doris gripped the door handle and threw it open She

    immediately bumped into a hard chest and had

    You¡¯d really just let me gorge hands reach out to steady her. ¡°I think you forgot your coat, it¡¯s quite cold

    out there.¡± Enzo looked almost amused to see her trying to escape. Doris quickly stepped out of his grip

    and backed away from him. He stepped inside and closed the door when a gust of wind blew in harshly.

    ¡°I brought you some cake, it¡¯s still warm from the ovens.¡± He took arge slice out from his pocket, she

    could see the steam when he unwrapped it. The smell of sweet chocte almost made her groan-it¡¯s

    been a long time since she was able to enjoy something warm and fresh. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve gotten

    enough rest before you go? You¡¯re free to stay as long as you need.¡± Enzo set the cake on her dresser

    and put his hands in his pockets. ¡°I can have a bag prepared of food and supplies if you need.¡± Doris

    lowered to the bed and rubbed her eyes.¡± You¡¯d really just let me go?¡± ¡°Of course I would. I¡¯m a man of

    my word, you¡¯re free to go when you please.¡± Enzo seated himself on the chair across the room. He

    looked around the bare area and shrugged. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like to stay here for a while until you¡¯re

    better.¡± Doris looked around as well. ¡°Here? Alone?¡± ¡°Of course alone. We have spare rooms for

    travelers that need them, this is one of the bigger ones though it¡¯s still not much to look at. I would say

    you can decorate it with whatever you wish but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d stay around long enough for it to

    matter.¡± ¡°Why are you being so kind? I thought the rogues were¡­¡± Doris let her words trail off, but she

    could tell he knew what she meant. ¡°Allow me to tell you a bit of our story, if you¡¯re

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    You¡¯d really just let me go willing to listen.¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    Chapter 52 You¡¯re safe here, Doris.

    When Doris didn¡¯t object, Enzo dragged the chair a bit closer so he wouldn¡¯t be so far away. Still, he

    made sure to keep a respectable distance between them. ¡°I know you¡¯ve probably heard some horror

    stories about our pack¡ªand had to live through one unspeakable experience but I hope I can help you

    understand us a little more.¡± Enzo leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. After what she

    went through, she didn¡¯t think it would be possible for her to see them in any other light no matter how

    nice he was to her. ¡°Years ago, our pack was able to break away from Royal House Arnold and their

    corruptive ruling. We made a life for ourselves out here¡ª¡±. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Doris interrupted. ¡°Did you say

    Royal House Arnold has a corruptive ruling? What do you mean by that?¡±

    Enzo looked at her with furrowed brows.

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris. Doris shifted under his gaze. She knew how they treated her at the pce, but

    not the other citizens. ¡°I¡¯ve worked at the pce for over five years, I¡¯m not allowed to venture into the

    towns away from the pce.¡± Understanding lightened his eyes.¡± You¡¯re a servant to the pce, aren¡¯t

    you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course I am. What else would I be?¡± ¡°I thought you might have been the prince¡¯s-never

    mind. It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll tell you how they treated their own citizens.¡± He stood and hovered near the

    unlit fire ce. ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I light this, do you?¡± ¡°No, you can.¡± Doris said. She watched as he

    leaned down to light the logs and warm the room. It was a small sense of relief to feel a bit offort

    from the mes. When he turned back to take off his coat, she noticed how handsome he was for the

    first time. His jawline was sharp and his eyes had a softness to them that made him look young. He

    scratched his scruffy jaw as he draped his coat over the back of the chair and seated himself again. ¡°The

    kingdom has always made sure the citizens knew how they felt about them.

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris If you were rich, you were favored and treated well by everyone. If you were

    poor¡­¡± Enzo sighed and leaned back.¡± The poor were treated¡­ horribly. If you slept on the streets and

    stood in the way of an official, they would kill you to prove a point. Children were beaten, women were

    raped and sold. The poor had no rights and it was impossible for us to live. ¡°They took advantage of us,

    and they still do for those that remain there. Even those of us who were alphas had no rights. The king

    took pleasure in knowing he could control those who couldn¡¯t afford to eat. He held so many lives in his

    hand and did nothing to help any of them. He encouraged the abuse, if anything.¡± Enzo twisted a golden

    ring on his finger. ¡°You were sold to the pce too, weren¡¯t you? When you were young?¡± Doris

    swallowed and nodded. She didn¡¯t want to talk about what she had been

    through. ¡°I was. When I was sixteen.¡± ¡°Then you know a bit of what I mean. You know how unfair it is to

    have your life sold away to the pce and not even get to breathe without their permission. You¡¯re a

    young girl who should have choices. Us rogues, we came here to be able to have a life where we could

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris. choose what to do and not be killed because we don¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡®t

    understand. Why are there so many horrible stories about the north? Why do you have rogues that

    torture others?¡± Doris asked. Her eyes flickered to her bruised wrists where the ropes burned her. He

    must have noticed, his face softened a bit as did his words. ¡°We had to make a name for ourselves out

    here. We couldn¡¯t have the kingdoming to rip apart what we made here. They tried when they heard

    we wouldn¡¯t listen to their ruling any longer. They came with hundreds of guards to tear us down but we

    were prepared and fought more viciously than they expected. We only allowed a few guards to survive to

    tell the story of how they were beaten.¡± Doris pulled her sleeves over her hands . ¡°It seems some of the

    rogues are still vicious towards others.¡± ¡°Unfortunately so. Some rogues think it¡¯s their job to make sure

    anyone thates to the north is taken care of. Especially if they¡¯re royal. I know the royal members are

    resentful of us and our freedom from the kingdom, when they heard a prince was passing through -

    everyone was on edge and I should

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris. have guessed they would react this way. I should have done more to prevent it.¡±

    ¡°Not all of the royal members are as resentful as you think. Not Martin or Daniel, not even William.¡± Or

    she believed that at least. As horrible as some of the royal members were, she saw goodness in those

    princes. Even William-deep down. ¡°Are you referring to Prince William?¡± Enzo said with disbelief in his

    tone. ¡°Yes, of course I mean him-¡± ¡°Prince William has been brutal since the moment he came into the

    north. He¡¯s been acting crazed since you were taken.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I know he defended himself

    when we were ambushed but surely you understand¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s hunted down rogues who wished him no

    harm looking for you. Last I heard, he was tearing through each vige to make sure you weren¡¯t there.¡±

    Doris¡¯s lips parted, there was no way that was true. She thought he would have already been to the

    market by now and forgotten all about her. Why would he be searching so wildly for her? ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry,¡±

    ¡°Why are you apologizing for his actions?

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris He clearly wants you returned safely to him, but you are not a piece of property.

    You can choose to go to him if he¡¯s near and I wouldn¡¯t stop you, but you can also choose your own

    path.¡± ¡°I am like a property to him and the pce. I¡¯m a ve maid to them, they choose my fate.¡± ¡°Ah,

    but you¡¯re in the north now. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Enzo smiled at Doris. ¡°Their rules don¡¯t apply to us.¡± Enzo stood

    and grabbed the cake from the dresser. Doris watched as he neared her and ced it in her hands. It

    was still a little bit warm, but no longer steamed. She breathed in the scent before she took a small bite.

    ¡°His mother was once a part of our pack when I was a child.¡± Doris¡¯s brows raised, she paused her

    chewing. ¡°Prince William¡¯s? The king¡¯s fated mate was part of the pack?¡± Enzo seated himself next to her

    on the bed, she felt a bit of heat raise to her cheeks. ¡°Yeah, I had to be about four or five so I don¡¯t

    remember her well, but I¡¯ve heard the story a hundred times. ¡°The king hade through to speak to

    another alpha about the rogues. He was highly protected and no one was able to

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris. get near him enough to even think about harming him. He must have scented

    that she was his mate across the camp because he was drawn to her immediately. I¡¯m told it was love at

    first sight for him, even though he already had two children with hisdy at home, the Luna Queen. ¡°His

    mate despised him and what he stood for at first. Eventually, she fell for him too and he took her back to

    the kingdom. She promised she would sway him to change his ways-and he had, for a little while. Once

    she died, everything went right back to normal. Some even say it had gotten worse once she was gone.¡±

    ¡°I heard he found her on one of her journey¡¯s, I never knew it was in the north.¡± Doris wondered if William

    knew this, or if it was kept hidden from him. Were there members of his mother¡¯s family still alive in the

    camp? She wasn¡¯t sure how he would take the news, but she knew he should find out about it eventually

    ¡°Yeah, the king didn¡¯t tell his people where he found her. It wouldn¡¯t sit well with them if they knew he had

    fallen for a rogue when he had been trying to take us down.¡± Enzo stood. ¡°As the leader, I

    You¡¯re safe here, Doris. speak for most of us when I say you¡¯re safe here. We only wanted to have a

    home where we weren¡¯t killed for being poor. We will do anything to protect our own and our home, but

    we would never harm the innocent.¡± ¡°How many rogues are¡­like the two that took me?¡± Doris asked

    hesitantly. O ¡°I¡¯m trying to make it so none of them are like them, but there are a few that won¡¯t be tamed.

    You¡¯re in my camp now, Doris. You won¡¯t be harmed here.¡± Enzo walked to the door and nced back

    with his hand on the knob. ¡°When you¡¯re ready,e and find me. I¡®ll introduce you to others.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    Chapter 53 You could be free here.

    Sleep caught Doris within seconds ofying her head down. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she slept. It could

    have been days or hours but she knew that her body was thankful for it. Not one person interrupted her

    or woke her abruptly like they usually did in the pce. 3 When she finally woke, she felt ready to face

    the day and all the secrets she had yet to unfold. Her mind was conflicted with Enzo¡¯s speech about the

    rogues and what they believed in. On one hand, she had been kidnapped and tortured by members of

    his own pack. On the other, she knew there were always ck sheep in a pack. Ones that wanted to

    take control of things on their own terms. She had seen some of that in the pce firsthand Food and

    water was left for Doris by her door. She filled her stomach with fresh bread and oats before she

    ventured out into the snow to find Enzo. It felt good to be able to breathe fresh air. She felt determined.

    She felt¡­brave.

    You could be free here, ¡°Ah, there she is.¡± Doris found Enzo almost instantly when she stepped out of

    her room. He was surrounded by Eliza and a few others who eyed her curiously. It was better than being

    red at, she supposed ¡°Were you waiting for me toe out?¡± Doris slowed her steps as she

    approached them. ¡°Oh, no my dear. I came to grab Eliza and she lives across the way from you. Are you

    feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, my shoulder doesn¡¯t hurt that much anymore.¡± Doris ran her fingers over the

    bandage but she felt as if she wouldn¡¯t need it for much longer. Still, she was afraid to look at what was

    underneath. A knowing look passed between Enzo and Eliza. He turned a smile towards her and held

    out his arm for Doris to hold

    ¡°May I show you around?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, thank you.¡± Doris gripped his arm. Her eyes went to the two she

    hadn¡¯t met yet. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, they haven¡¯t met many outsiders. This is June and Eli. They¡¯re among

    the younger ones in the pack_¡± ¡°We¡¯re 17, not that young.¡± Eli was quick

    You could be free here. to point out. He held out his hand and Doris shook it. He brought the back of her

    hand to his lips and gave her a chaste kiss. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, mydy.¡± ¡°Who said rogues couldn¡¯t

    be gentlemen, eh?¡± Enzo grinned and knocked Eli¡¯s hand away from Doris, Dorisughed and followed

    him down a path. She waved goodbye to the group and began to scan her surroundings.

    The camp was ratherrge. It had so many cabins spread out, she would have called it a vige.

    Perhaps Enzo enjoyed thefort the word ¡®camp¡¯ offered, but it was no small camp. There was a

    tavern near the edge, a butcher and store. More than enough people to fill a vige as well Everyone

    they passed turned to stare at her. Enzo listed off each of their names but there were too many to

    remember. A group of men near the tavern watched her with a more intense stare, part of her wanted to

    hide against Enzo¡¯s side. But she didn¡¯t. She raised her chin and walked right past their res as if they

    weren¡¯t burning right through her. 3 ¡°Some of the rogues in the vige weren¡¯t happy to hear about Jules

    and

    You could be free here. Darrell¡¯s punishment.¡± Enzo spoke quietly as they walked. ¡°They might hold a bit

    of resentment for you, please let me know if they approach you at all.¡± ¡°What was their punishment?¡±

    Doris asked, she nced up at him. His face darkened a little. ¡°Nothing for you to worry yourself over.

    They won¡¯t being near you again. Or any other innocent women. Doris swallowed and nodded. He

    patted her hand and led her on. Two small children rushed through the snowughing. They paused and

    watched them hurry by. ¡°Hi Lord Enzo!¡± They shouted as they passed. ¡°Hello, little ones. Be kind to our

    guest.¡± He said in a voice that sounded like a fake demand. They stopped and bowed. ¡°Hello, pretty

    lady.¡± They said together. Doris realized they must have been twins. One boy and one girl. Doris smiled

    and curtsied. ¡°Hello there, how¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Well!¡± Theyughed before rushing off and waving their

    goodbyes. Doris watched them leave. ¡°How many children live here?¡± ¡°Oh, more than I can keep track

    of. The

    You could be free here. males here can¡¯t keep their paws off their wives so there¡¯s always one popping

    out. Wolves can¡¯t control themselves sometimes.¡± Doris felt her cheeks heat. A sh of William entered

    her mind. She shook her head and tried to forget the night he pinned her to the wet grass. If she wasn¡¯t

    careful, her shame would rise with it. Briefly, she wondered where he was and if he was okay. She was

    sure he was, Enzo would have told her otherwise. Word seemed to travel fast to him. A stunning tall

    woman dressed head to toe in ck walked straight towards them. Enzo straightened at the sight of her.

    ¡°Elena-¡± ¡°Lord Enzo,¡± she nodded her head and smiled. She shifted her gaze to Doris and she noticed

    her smile faltered a little but notpletely. Doris dropped her grip from his arm quickly. ¡°You must be

    Doris. Come, Sir Anthony would like to speak to you.¡± Doris nced up at Enzo with a question in her

    gaze, he only smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯ll like him, don¡¯t worry. I promise he doesn¡¯t bite, he¡¯s too old for that.¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t let him here you say that, Enzo. He¡¯ll show you just how hard his

    You could be free here. bite is.¡± Elena smirked. Enzo watched her tumn and lead the way with his gaze

    drifting lower to take in her body. Doris blushed and looked away until he snapped out of it. ¡°This way,¡±

    He said. She followed him towards one of therger, more fancy looking cabins. Of course, it was hard to

    pass off a cabin as fancy out here but this one sure looked itpared to the others. It had an elegant

    design carved into the wood that looked like flowers and art on the walls of glorious ces she¡¯d never

    been. An old man was seated by the roaring fire with his back to them, Enzo gestured for her to sit on

    the couch. When the old man turned to look at her, recognition flickered in her mind. ¡°Oh, I know you!¡±

    Doris said. It was the old man from the cell in the pce, the one that healed her wounds when Prince

    Jack had beat her nearly to death. He smiled. ¡°Doris, I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re okay. Although, I had hoped

    you would¡¯ve had a few less bruises.¡± His eyes roamed over the marks on her face. Doris quickly turned

    to look at Enzo.¡± You! You were the masked man, weren¡¯t you? That¡¯s where I know your voice

    You could be free here, from!¡± Enzo held up his hands. ¡°I would have saved you too-if I had known you

    were this lovely at the time.¡± Elena red at Enzo and stepped on his foot. He winced. Sir Anthony

    chuckled. ¡°Nheless, I am d you¡¯re alive, Doris. I haven¡¯t stopped thinking of you since the day I

    met you.¡± ¡°I never got a chance to thank you for healing me.¡± ¡°No need, my dear. No need.¡± He waved

    away her words. ¡°Sir Anthony is the founder of the rogues. One of the men from the kingdom had taken

    advantage of his kindness and kidnapped him to bring back to the pce as if he was a prize. I thought I

    would be the hero that I am and rescue him that day we met.¡± Doris raised her brows. ¡°Founder of the

    rogues? Oh my,¡± Perhaps she was wrong about them after all. The founder had healed her wounds in

    the cell and the leader had rescued her from kidnappers. These were not actions of beasts, they wereN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    actions of good men. ¡°I apologize we couldn¡¯t get you out that day. When we went back for you, you

    were already gone and at your trial.¡± Sir

    You could be free here. Anthony leaned forward slowly to pat her hand Doris offered a smile and shook

    her head. ¡°You did enough for me, please don¡¯t worry yourself about that.¡± ¡°I was showing Doris around

    the camp to get a bit of an idea of how we really are and how we live. We¡¯re notplete animals.¡± Enzo

    leaned against the mantel and crossed his arms. ¡°Oh and how are you liking it here?¡± Sir Antony asked

    kindly. Doris hesitated. ¡°I¡­ I suppose it¡¯s nice. It¡¯s not at all what I expected.¡± ¡°Were you expecting wild

    wolves and bonfires?¡± He asked. Dorisughed a little. ¡°Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Stay awhile and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see one or the other.¡± Sir Anthony smiled. ¡°You are free to stay with us as

    long as you

    wish.¡±

    ¡°I¨CI have to return to the pce. I¡¯m still a maid there.¡± ¡°Not if you don¡¯t wish to be. You could be free

    here.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    Chapter 54 You¡®ve opened my eyes.

    She could be free here. For the first time in five years she could be free. D She could start over in a

    ce where the pce wasn¡¯t able to control her. She could live among those that fought to be free and

    lived peacefully away from the terror of the pce and the corruption that dwelled there. No more politics

    or being pushed around. No more wondering if she was going to be screamed at that day or not. No

    more Melody trying to embarrass her and make her regret the day she was bom. 1 Here, they offered her

    somewhere to live free with no restraints¡­ they didn¡¯t realize how much that meant to her. How many

    nights she dreamed of running far from the kingdom where they would never be able to reach here. This

    was¡­ all she ever wanted. But But-Beth. ¡°Would you excuse me? I just need some air.¡± Doris stood

    quickly and almost knocked over the stool in front of her.

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes ¡°Of course, are you alright-¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris quickly hurried out the door and

    into the cold to take a deep breath of fresh air. She felt suffocated and dizzy from her thoughts. She

    crunched across the snow and seated herself on a fallen log-far from the eyes of anyone nearby. How

    could she forget Beth? If Doris ran away, Beth would be forced to stay there forever. There would be no

    freedom for her under William¡¯s say. Doris would never be able to live with herself if she knew that Beth

    was suffering. Her friend would never do that to her-ever. She always had Doris¡¯s back and was there to

    take care of her when she couldn¡¯t take care of herself. She stayed with her throughout her most awful

    nights and never onceined. Beth-Beth was her best friend Doris brought her legs up to her chest

    and hugged them tightly. It was strange wearing pants, she never owned a pair at the pce since it was

    proper and was always used to wearing dresses. Not that she minded, she liked dresses too. But it felt

    so good to have a pair of pants for whether like this. Sheid her forehead against her knees and closed

    her eyes tightly¡ªthe only thing she saw was

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes Beth¡¯s face. How could she even think to trust these people after a day? They

    could be showing her some type of utopia on the surface to lure her in. Once she did, she would be at

    risk of their cruelty and betrayal. But¡­ it was getting harder to convince herself of that. Enzo seemed too

    kind to be acting. Sir Anthony was kind to her in the cell and healed her wounds not knowing that one

    day she would be in the north. Their kindness was too bright to be false. Wasn¡¯t it? If she returned, there

    was always a chance that she wouldn¡¯t be granted her own freedom. William could speak against it and

    keep her there, or the king could cancel it altogether and she would never get to feel the fresh air on her

    skin again. She would never get to travel and see the world and live free. She would only be known as a

    maid and treated like one. But what kind of monster would she be if she stayed? ¡°Doris?¡± Doris turned

    her head to see Enzo standing behind her. He was alone with his hands deep in his pockets and concern

    on his face. ¡°May I join you? Or

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes if you¡¯d rather be alone, I can leave.¡± She lowered her feet to the ground again

    and shook her head. ¡°You can join me.¡± Enzo seated himself next to her and looked out at the frozen

    lake in front of them. The air was still and quiet, though in the distance she heard a bit ofughter. ¡°Have

    you ever skated on ice before?¡± He asked without looking at her. ¡°Oh! No, I would probably fall.¡± Doris

    said, she pulled at the hem of her sleeve.¡± During the winter, the smallke at the pce freezes over.

    No one goes near it except the children. Sometimes they like to skate around it if it¡¯s thick enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s

    quite fun. I could show you to if you¡¯d like.¡± Doris offered a weak smile but didn¡¯t respond. He finally

    looked over at her, but she wouldn¡¯t meet his gaze. ¡°Staying troubles you. Is it the prince you¡¯re worried

    about?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°No-well, sort of. It¡¯s more of my friend at the pce.¡± Doris said. ¡°A lover?¡± Enzo

    asked with raised brows. Dorisughed and shook her head. ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t have a lover.¡± Enzo tilted

    his head a little. ¡°My best friend, Beth. She was to be on the amnesty that¡¯s

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes. being signed to free her. I was too, actually. We were going to leave together

    and get as far as we could away from there but-¡± Doris paused. Enzo spoke lightly, ¡°But what?¡± ¡°But I

    was sent on this journey with Prince William. If I don¡¯t return, she¡¯s not allowed to ever be free.¡± A mix of

    understanding and a new confusion fell across his face. ¡°Why would it depend on your return?¡± ¡°They

    wanted to make sure I wouldn¡¯t have run off somewhere¡­ exactly as I¡¯m considering doing now. They

    know we¡¯re close and they know I would never leave her to that fate.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Enzo let out a sigh and

    crossed his leg over the other. ¡°It¡¯s not easy having people to care about. Our minds make us think of

    them before ourselves and we¡¯re forced to be unselfish.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Doris said. ¡°All I¡¯ve dreamed about for

    the past five years of my life is being free. I went to bed every night pretending I was somewhere far from

    there where I wouldn¡¯t be punished if I dropped a te or yelled at to clean someone¡¯sundry. I would

    be free to live how I wanted. So much of my time

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes has been stolen, but I don¡¯t think I could allow Beth to grow old there because of

    me. She deserves to be free, too.¡± Enzo hummed in agreement. He scratched his jaw in thought. ¡°I could

    kidnap her and bring her here. Then she could live free with you.¡± He tossed her a grin, Dorisughed a

    little. ¡°I don¡¯t think the pce would appreciate you taking two of their servants. I wouldn¡¯t want a war

    started over this.¡± ¡°If you return home and they allow you both free, would you choose to live somewhere

    like here?¡± Enzo asked quietly. Doris thought for a moment. She looked around at all the snow and took

    in the sounds ofughter. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I would want to stay in one ce so soon. I think I

    would travel first and see more of the world before I decided where to stay. Who knows, perhaps this

    would end up being my favorite ce and I woulde right back here.¡± There was also the darker side

    of the rogues that concerned her. Sure, most of them seemed nice enough. But she experienced what

    darkness was in this pack and she didn¡¯t want to meet more

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes of them. She didn¡¯t want to live in a ce where she would be afraid to look over

    her shoulder. The men at the tavern sent chills down her spine. Were they just as bad as the ones that

    took her? ¡°I think you¡¯re brave for wanting to return to the pce for your friend. Many people would run

    the first chance they got and never look back, no matter who it hurt. Your heart is too good for that. Your

    friend is lucky to have you.¡± Enzo lightly bumped his shoulder against her own. Doris offered a small, sad

    smile. ¡°You¡¯ve opened my eyes, Enzo. I feared the north for so long but now I know what it¡¯s like.

    Perhaps others like me would find their ce here once they were free, too.¡± ¡°We would wee

    anyone like you, Doris. Count on that.¡± Enzo stood and held out his hand to help her up. Doris stood and

    smoothed out her sweater. ¡°We¡¯ve lost sighting on where your prince is, but I¡¯m sure he will show up

    sooner orter. He wasn¡¯t very happy with my pack thest time he saw them.¡± Enzo said as they

    walked. ¡°If he hasn¡¯t forgotten about me, that is.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s forgotten about you. As you

    recall, he was pretty

    You¡¯ve opened my eyes. desperate in his search for your wellbeing.¡± Doris snorted and then blushed at

    her own sound. That wasn¡¯t very proper for her to do, but Enzo onlyughed. William must have felt

    guilty she was captured

    since he was the one that made here on this journey. At times, she felt they had some what of a

    bond but other times she wasn¡¯t sure. Enzo broke off from her to walk with Elena down another path.

    Doris tried to remember the one that led back to her room and got a bit turned around when she found

    herself lost in thought. ¡°Ay, you!¡± A deep, gruff voice called from behind her. Doris hesitated before she

    turned to see a tall man at the end of the road. ¡°Get over here, I¡¯m talking to you.¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    Chapter 55 A full moon.

    Doris stood her ground and didn¡¯t move an inch towards him. She nced at her surroundings, but didn¡¯t

    see another person near enough to see them. How had she strayed so far from the path? Would anyone

    even help her if they were near? ¡°Can¡¯t you hear? I said to get over here!¡± He shouted, the sound made

    her flinch when it echoed around them. Doris curled her hands into fists at her sides. She was tired of

    people screaming at her and telling her what to do. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to my room for the evening, good day.¡±

    Doris turned to continue down the path. She regretted turning her back on him the instant she heard his

    footsteps smack against the snow. He grabbed her arm and forced her to turn and look at him. His

    breath smelled like alcohol and death, she blinked away the shbacks of the night she was attacked

    and pushed him away from her. The movement knocked the hat off his bald head, he angrily picked it up

    and shoved it back on his

    A full moon. head as if he were ashamed of hisck of hair. He grabbed her arm again when she started

    to back away from him and held her tighter against his body. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? I heard you liked

    listening to orders at the pce.¡± He hissed, Doris pushed on his chest to get away from him. ¡°Let me

    go, you animal! You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Doris started hitting his hand that gripped her, heughed as if she

    was acting like this for his own entertainment. It infuriated her. ¡°Listen here,¡± he grabbed her shoulders

    and shook her harshly like a rag doll. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you in this camp. I know you¡¯re more than you im

    and I won¡¯t let them feed you information that¡¯ll get us all killed.¡± He leaned closer to her, Doris stomped

    on his foot as hard as she could but he didn¡¯t seem to feel it. She wondered if his feet were frozen from

    the cold, or if he was simply too drunk for it to phase him. ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± ¡°Save it, little one. Jules and Darrell

    knew exactly what was best for this pack and I¡¯m going to finish what they started.¡± He picked her up off

    the ground as if she

    A full moon. weighed nothing. Doris panicked and punched him directly in the throat like Erik had once

    told her to do. The man dropped her and coughed roughly as he held his throat. Doris quickly stood and

    ran from him, but she could hear his steps close behind her. He grabbed the back of her sweater and

    yanked her back, she fell to the ground and grabbed at anything she could reach before he lifted her up

    again. ¡°You have some fight in you, don¡¯t ya?¡± Heughed like a madman. It was as if he got some sort

    of sick thrill from watching her fight for her life. The joke was on him, Doris was tired of being the victim.

    He straddled her and went to wrap his hands around her throat. Doris tightened her grip on a sharp rock

    and smashed it against his head. He fell off her instantly with a scream. e Doris wiped the blood off her

    face before she crawled away from him and went to stand. He caught her leg and forced her back down

    to the ground. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t, you bitch!¡± He growled. She could hear the wolf in his voice and felt her

    veins freeze over. If he changed into his wolf, he would rip out her throat in

    A full moon. seconds. Doris kicked at his face and tried to crawl away from him. He was so much

    stronger, even as wounded as he was. He pinned her face to the ground and straddled her back. She

    could hear the sound of his belt buckle being fumbled with and her stomach twisted with pure fear. ¡°You

    stupid bitch, you deserve this,¡± Suddenly he was off her as if he was never there. Doris took a deep

    breath and slowly turned to see Enzo holding him by his throat off to the side. A group formed around

    them quickly, Elena helped Doris stand and they both stepped away from the men. ¡°What do you think

    you¡¯re doing, Stephen?¡± Enzo asked the man with a voice dipped in poison. He held him as if he

    weighed nothing off the ground. Stephen gripped his arm and struggled for breath. Those around them

    watched nervously. Elena put her arm around Doris tofort her, Doris watched the scene almost as if

    she was detached from the moment. She didn¡¯t feel as if she was even in her body anymore, almost as if

    she was watching it from beside herself.

    A full moon ¡°You want to follow in your friends¡¯ footsteps by disobeying me? Have you paid a visit to

    themtely?¡± Enzo said through his teeth. She could tell he was tightening his grip with every word he

    spoke. A sick part of Doris was d to see the man suffer. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have, otherwise you

    wouldn¡¯t be going against my direct order not to harm our visitor.¡± Enzo put him down and allowed

    Stephen to breath. The man gulped in air and stumbled back until he fell on his ass. Enzo ced his

    hands behind his back and walked towards him. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Stephen? I think

    your wife would like to know what you were trying to do to our guest out here in the snow.¡± ¡°I¨CI was

    drunk, I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± Stephen stuttered. He still hadn¡¯t stood from where he fell, he cowered away

    from Enzo. It made Doris realize that they loved him as much as they feared him. ¡°We were just talking,

    weren¡¯t we?¡± He asked Doris desperately. Enzo nced at Doris. ¡°No. We weren¡¯t.¡± Doris said with her

    chin raised. No more would she be silent about what happened to her. Enzo nodded his head in approval

    before he turned back to the

    A full moon ¡°You want to follow in your friends¡¯ footsteps by disobeying me? Have you paid a visit to

    themtely?¡± Enzo said through his teeth. She could tell he was tightening his grip with every word he

    spoke. A sick part of Doris was d to see the man suffer. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have, otherwise you

    wouldn¡¯t be going against my direct order not to harm our visitor.¡± Enzo put him down and allowed

    Stephen to breath. The man gulped in air and stumbled back until he fell on his ass. Enzo ced his

    hands behind his back and walked towards him. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Stephen? I think

    your wife would like to know what you were trying to do to our guest out here in the snow.¡± ¡°I¨CI was

    drunk, I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± Stephen stuttered. He still hadn¡¯t stood from where he fell, he cowered away

    from Enzo. It made Doris realize that they loved him as much as they feared him. ¡°We were just talking,

    weren¡¯t we?¡± He asked Doris desperately. Enzo nced at Doris. ¡°No. We weren¡¯t.¡± Doris said with her

    chin raised. No more would she be silent about what happened to her. Enzo nodded his head in approval

    before he turned back to the

    A full moon 1 pathetic man on the floor. ¡°You heard thedy, she says you¡¯re lying.¡± Enzo pulled a small

    knife from his pocket and leaned over to grip Stephen¡¯s head. ¡°You know what I do to liars and to those

    who disobey me.¡± ¡°No, please! I just wanted to talk, I¡¯m sorry she got scared!¡± Enzo gripped his tongue

    and cut off half of it without a hesitation. Doris gasped a little with the crowd around her. No one could

    dare look away from Enzo at the moment.

    Enzo tossed his tongue on the floor and cleaned off his knife on Stephens jacket. ¡°There. Now you won¡¯t

    be able to lie to me again.¡± Enzo took a step back from the screaming man and tried to speak over his

    agony. ¡°If I see you talking to her again, you won¡¯t like what I¡¯ll cut off next. Got it?¡± Stephen screamed

    and nodded at the same time. He was desperate to get away from Enzo, he slipped in his own blood as

    he tried to stand. Once he finally did, Enzo pped his shoulder so hard, he almost fell again. ¡°There.

    Now, if your wife wants to know what you did to deserve this, point her to me. I¡¯ll let her know exactly

    what you tried to do to this

    A full moon you.¡± Enzo gripped her hand that held his arm as if to give her a bit of his strength. ¡°Thank

    you for that.¡± Doris whispered. She lowered her eyes to the ground. ¡°Never thank me, ever. I don¡¯t

    deserve to be thanked for such things.¡± They stopped at her door and Doris rubbed her tired eyes only to

    see a few scrapes on her hands. She hadn¡¯t noticed them during the fight, but they were there now. ¡°Will

    you be alright?¡± He asked and stepped back. ¡°I will eventually.¡± ¡°Good, I wouldn¡¯t want you to miss

    tomorrow.¡± ¡°What¡¯s tomorrow?¡± Doris asked weakly. ¡°A full moon.¡± aExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    Chapter 56 Gather the boys

    A full moon? She knew what that meant for the wolves, but she didn¡¯t know why it would matter if she

    was there to witness it or not. Enzo gave no further hint for what that might mean or what would unfold

    and Doris was too exhausted to even ask. Doris made sure her window was closed tight and her door

    was locked before she dressed for bed. Her mind was wild and wouldn¡¯t stop reying the moment the

    man grabbed her. The smell of alcohol still haunted her senses and she swore it lingered around her as if

    it was stained on her skin. She pulled the covers over her head and prayed to the moon goddess for a bit

    of rest. Her luck had only seemed to be getting worse, perhaps it was fate telling her she wasn¡¯t meant to

    survive so many close calls. Before she was marked, she never had one before. Now it was almost a

    weekly urrence. Unless¡­ unless it was the mark William had given her that left her with such rotten

    luck. Doris rubbed at her skin where the mark still showed underneath her clothes. No matter what she

    did, it wouldn¡¯t heal as other scars did. It stuck out harshly against her pale skin

    and brought back fresh memories of how she¡¯d gotten it. Only when her own thoughts exhausted her did

    her body finally allow her to rest.

    Something mped tightly over her mouth in the dead of night. Doris woke to see an unfamiliar man

    standing over her bed. He squeezed her face and grinned down at her. He smelled like rubbish and

    looked as if he hadn¡¯t bathed in months. ¡°The pce likes their pretty things, don¡¯t they?¡± Doris thrashed

    under his hold, but he only gripped her tighter. A cold gust of wind chilled the room, her window was left

    wide open but she swore it had been locked before she went to bed. ¡°Ay, she is a looker. No wonder

    Stephen couldn¡¯t keep his drunk paws off her.¡± Another voice said from across the room. Anky boy

    around her age was seated on her dresser. He had her undergarments in his hand and he tossed them

    up in the air as if they were a ball. When he grinned, he had a few teeth missing in the front. ¡°What¡¯s that

    on her neck?¡± He hopped off the surface and shoved the cloth in his pocket before came to pull down her

    nightgown more. Doris kicked the boy in his chest. He let out a rough breath of air and stumbled back a

    bit

    ¡°Ooof, she¡¯s a fighter.¡± ¡°You dumb ass. Stephen said not to get too close. Tie her up or something.¡± The

    man holding her said. ¡°With what? I didn¡¯t bring no damn rope!¡± The boy neared Doris again and dodged

    her kicks this time. He bent over her to observe her neck again. ¡°Look at this, she has a mate bite.¡± ¡°No,

    no. Jules said she was bitten when she was kidnapped.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? You can see that bite there,¡±

    He pointed to the other side of her neck. ¡°This one is the mate one. It never heals.¡± The older man

    leaned closer to inspect it. He moved her nightgown down further than he needed to and Doris bit the

    palm of his hand as hard as she could. He screamed and yanked his hand back away from her and Doris

    was out of the bed in an instant. ¡°You moron!¡± The boy shouted. He brushed back his greasy hair and

    went after her. She picked up the candles on the bedside table and threw it at his head. ¡°Ow, you bitch!¡±

    ¡°Get away from me!¡± Doris screamed. She picked up a ss vase and threw it at the older one when he

    tried to get closer to her. It smashed against his head and rained down bloody shards of ss against

    the floor.¡±

    What do you want from me?!¡±

    ¡°Stephen sent us.¡± The boy spat. ¡°He would¡¯vee himself if he wasn¡¯t nursing his lost tongue. He

    wanted us to make sure we took care of you before the morning.¡± The boy took a step across the broken

    ss. ¡°So why don¡¯t youe over here nicely and we¡¯ll get this over with.¡± ¡°You¡®re absolutely mad if

    you think you¡¯reing anywhere near me!¡± Doris grabbed the fire poker near the fire ce and lifted it

    between them. She swung it at his head when he took another step closer. The boy ducked just in time,

    unfortunately. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this, get over here!¡± The old man roared. Doris swung the fire poker

    and caught him right in the side of the head. He went down with a hard thump. While she was distracted,

    the boy tackled her to the ground and pinned her wrists above her head. ¡°Normally, I like it when a girl is

    rough, but not tonight.¡± He hissed through his teeth. Doris kneed him between the legs but he only

    tightened his grip and groaned. ¡°Where¡¯s your mate tonight, huh? Back at that big pce you left

    behind?¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Doris leaned up to bite his wrist but the boy onlyughed. ¡°I would never usually go after another wolf¡¯s

    mate, but I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind if I have a taste.¡± ¡°I thought you were here to kill me!¡± Doris

    shouted. She hoped someone would hear her eventually ande help her but But maybe she didn¡¯t

    need anyone to save her. Maybe she could save herself. Doris nced at the older man and saw heid

    unconscious in his own blood. If she could get out from under the boy¡¯s hold¡­ ¡°I will do that too, don¡¯t

    rush me.¡± The boy grinned as if he was flirting with her. Doris knew wolves weren¡¯t kind lovers, but this

    boy was deranged if he was turned on from any of

    this He leaned down to lick her neck, she shivered from disgust. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since a pretty girl

    came through here. All the ones here are either too young or taken.¡± ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡± Doris spit on his

    face. He released one of her wrists to wipe it off him. Doris quickly gripped the closest piece of ss she

    could reach. ¡°Don¡¯t get kinky with me, baby. I don¡¯t hold back my emotions.¡± He growled before he

    pped her harshly across the face. He ran his free hand up her gown and Doris stabbed him in the

    neck. His blood blinded her when she removed the ss. It felt as if time slowed a bit as he gripped the

    side of his neck where blood gushed. His eyes looked as if they were bulging from his head, he stared

    down at her

    in disbelief as if he couldn¡¯t believe she actually defended herself against him. Doris pushed him off her

    and he fell next to his friend like a heavy lump. She scrambled off the floor and gripped her bed post. The

    boyid still, staring at the ceiling with no life behind his eyes. The older man still breathed despite his

    blood loss. She had¡­ She killed someone. 1 Doris threw on her cloak and shoved her feet into boots

    before she rushed out the door and into the freezing snow. A strong wind blew through her hair and

    almost pulled her cloak right off her shoulders. There wasn¡¯t another soul outside, she was all alone.

    Doris nced back at the cabin and saw her own footsteps stained their blood in the snow. Doris turned

    and ran towards where Enzo said his cabin was. She banged on the door desperately, as hard as she

    could. She didn¡¯t trust going to anyone else. What if they cared for the ones she harmed? What if What if

    Enzo punished her for what she did? Doris stumbled back from the door and hurried away before he

    could open it. She stumbled in the snow and fought against the growing winds. Where could she go? For

    the first time, she wished William was here. She wished he was here to take her back to the pce

    where she could be in her own

    ¨Cfortable misery again and far from here. ¡°Doris!¡± Enzo shouted over the wind. She nced back to

    see him and Elena half dressed and shrugging on jackets. Doris resented herself. He moved like his own

    storm, he was by her side in seconds. He gripped her arm gently and turned her to face him. When he

    saw all the blood down the front of her nightgown, his eyes darkened. ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡±

    He said loud enough for her to hear. Doris shook her head, silent tears fell down her cheeks. ¡°Then

    where is all this blood from?¡± Doris said nothing, she simply pointed towards her cabin where her door

    was still wide open. He nced at Elena over her head and soon she felt the woman guide her back to

    Enzo¡¯s cabin.

    ¡°Come now, you¡¯re safe.¡± Elena said gently as she seated Doris by the fire. ¡°There is no safe for me.¡±

    Doris said bitterly as a warm drink was pressed into her hands. Enzo came bursting through the door

    with wild eyes momentster. ¡°Elena, gather the boys. Now.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    Chapter 57 Tonight will be the end of their rebellion

    They were gone for a while. Doris watched the sune up but didn¡¯t see it fully raise before she fell

    asleep on Enzo¡¯s couch. As a maid, she would have normally been appalled at herself for potentially

    staining the couch with the amount of blood on her clothes. Now, she felt numb to it all. To any sort of

    thought that required her to listen to someone or take orders. How would she ever be that way again?

    When she opened her eyes, it must have been hourster. The sun was low again and the fire had

    dimmed to a slow burn. Enzo sat in a chair across from her with his eyes fixed on the dying mes. He

    looked deep in thought, she wondered if he was here to punish her for Killing one of his own. As if he felt

    her eyes on him, he looked over at her. ¡°Doris, how are you feeling?¡± He asked as he sat up from his

    slouched position. Doris lifted the heavy nket that was draped around her and pushed it off. She still

    wore the bloodied clothes that reminded her it wasn¡¯t a dream. She really did take someone¡¯s life, didn¡¯t

    she? When she said nothing, he stood to pour

    , some tea for her. ¡°It was a stupid question, of course you¡¯re not okay.¡± He ced the cup in her hands

    and she let the heat unthaw her fingers that still felt like ice. She didn¡¯t think it was possible to ever get

    used to this sort of cold that chilled her bones. Enzo pulled the chair closer to sit near her. ¡°I want you to

    take the cabin next to mine. I¡¯ll be able to hear you if you... if you need me.¡± ¡°Is this going to be a nightly

    event?¡± Doris asked numbly. She set down the cup without taking a single sip. Her stomach didn¡¯t feel as

    if it could handle anything in it. ¡°No, I will make sure of that.¡± Enzo said with a dark tone. Doris wasn¡¯t

    sure she believed him this time. It was hard to trust anyone but herself anymore. Now that she had blood

    on her hands, she knew she would never be the

    same ¡°Do you know where Prince William is?¡± Doris asked as she rubbed some of the blood off her

    hands. In her mind, she saw his moody face. She imagined he would¡¯ve killed those men for hurting her.

    Wouldn¡¯t he? Or was she only delusional? ¡°No, we haven¡¯t heard of his recent location but I will let you

    know the moment we do. Are you wishing to go back to the pce with him?¡± ¡°Yes. I wasn¡¯t treated the

    best there, but I was much safer than I am here.¡± Doris pushed her

    ¡­ long hair back behind her shoulders. She felt disgusting, every ounce of her was rotten. She wished

    she could peel off her skin and step into a new body. ¡°I know you may have a hard time believing me, but

    I assure you that no one willy a finger on you after tonight.¡± Enzo leaned towards her. He went to reach

    out his hand, but thought better of it. ¡°Tonight. You mean the full moon?¡± ¡°In the north, we celebrate every

    full moon. I originally had ns to make tonight more fun but after what happened-things changed.¡± Enzo

    scratched his jaw with his alert eyes on

    her. ¡°In what way? Are you going to cancel the party or whatever it is you do?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not cancelled.

    There¡¯ll still be a gathering, it just won¡¯t be fun. Before the wolves take over our bodies, I have something

    in mind involving those that wished you harm.¡± Enzo opened his coat and took out something t

    wrapped in leather. He ced it in her hands gently as if he was trying not to scare her off. ¡°Will you be

    my guest of honor?¡± Doris unwrapped the leather and saw her own reflection shine back at her in a

    sharp dagger. It had small flowers engraved on the hilt and was small enough to wear on a belt. She

    looked back up at him with a question in her

    gaze. ¡°You should have been given a weapon the first night you came here, especially after what you¡¯ve

    been through. I was a fool for not arming you sooner, I hope you can forgive me for it.¡± Doris lifted the

    de and lightly trailed her fingers across the medal. It was beautiful for something so deadly. ¡°This is for

    me to have?¡± ¡°Of course, if you¡¯ll take it. It¡¯s yours to use as you need.¡± Enzo leaned back a little in his

    chair. ¡°It does have many uses other than stabbing others. For instance, you can cut up food or clear

    your nails. Be careful, though. I once slit my finger open when the de was too sharp.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even

    know how to use a de.¡± Doris set it down and covered it with the leather again.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s nothing to it. You point and stab. Really, there¡¯s not much else to say.¡± Doris rolled her eyes,

    Enzo onlyughed. ¡°No, I mean-I¡¯ve never really¡­ had a weapon of my own. Not even at the pce, it¡¯s

    against the rules to let servants have a de.¡± ¡°Ah, but again-you¡¯re not at the pce, are you? You¡¯re in

    the dangerous north and you need something like this to keep under your pillow or I worry you¡¯ll never

    find peace to sleep again.¡±

    . Something about his words sounded sad. Doris clenched the gift in her hands tightly. Enzo continued,

    ¡°If you want to throw it away the instant you leave this ce, you¡¯re more than wee to. But it would

    make me feel better if you kept this with you until you were safe at least.¡± ¡°Thank you, Enzo. I mean it.¡±

    Doris whispered. He only shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t waste those words on me. I had some clothes delivered

    for you, they¡¯re in my bathing chamber. Take as long as you need ande find me when you¡¯re done.

    Doris watched as Enzo stood and left his cabin for her own use. He gestured for her to lock the door

    once he closed it. She practically ran across the room to do just that -and then double checked that it

    was closed and locked tight. She went to each of the windows just to unlock and lock them again. She

    paced the room so many times before she finally went to wash all of the blood and gore from her skin.

    It was hard to remind herself that she needed air, that she needed to live when the water tried to pull her

    under and offer an eternal release. While she sat and scrubbed at her skin, she silently prayed that every

    minute in the tub would allow her to scrub away everything she¡¯d been through. Each day she

    ¡­ came out more and more damaged, she wanted to be brand new again. She wanted to be the maid at

    the pce that was too afraid to look others in their eyes and hid in the corners so no one would see her.

    That maid felt further away from her, almost as if she didn¡¯t exist anymore. When she finally emerged

    from his cabin in a new set of winter clothes, she felt more detached than ever. Almost as if she was

    walking beside herself rather than actually being there. Eliza rushed towards Doris with Enzo close

    behind, she wrapped a thick shawl around her shoulders. ¡°Oh, you poor dear. You shouldn¡¯t be out here,

    why don¡¯t we go get you something to eat while I look at your wounds?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Doris said. Her fingers

    touched the de at her side as if reminding herself it was there. Enzo seemed pleased that she decided

    to wear it, but she didn¡¯t really have a choice. Apparently, danger loved to follow her even in the smallest

    corners of the world. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll at least have to let me help you get dressed for tonight.¡± Eliza said with

    a kind smile. ¡°I¡¯ll just wear this, Eliza. Thank you, though.¡± Eliza threw a nce over at Enzo beside her .

    ¡°You¡¯ll be the guest of honor, Doris-¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡­ ¡°She can wear what she wants, Eliza. Her attire is thest thing that matters at a time like this.¡± Enzo

    said. He put his hand on Doris¡®s lower back and led her away from the gathering crowd. They all looked

    at her with a bit of pity in their eyes, she hated it. She hated being the victim again. She noticed they

    avoided the path that led to the center of the vige-or camp. He purposefully led her down towards the

    frozenke again and she was d for the distraction. ¡°What¡¯s so special about tonight anyway?¡± Doris

    asked as they seated on the same log they did the day before. Enzo tossed her a bit of a smile that didn¡¯t

    reach his eyes. ¡°Tonight will be the end of their rebellion towards me.¡±

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    Chapter 58 It won¡®t be a pretty sight when they return.

    The wind died down by the time night came. Doris relocated to a cabin next to Enzo¡¯s, she didn¡¯t dare

    step back into the one she left bloodied. They left her a thick, red velvet dress on the bed snd she

    assumed it was meant for the full moon tonight. She didn¡¯t feel like looking nice, she wanted to blend into

    the crowd and wait until she could slip away and hide in her room again. A loud knock startled Doris.

    Lately, everything had been making her flinch more than usual. She quickly shoved the dress in a bottom

    drawer and unlocked the door. Enzo stood in a dashing red suit that was thick enough to bear the cold.

    He smiled down at her and didn¡¯t look the slightest bit bothered that she hadn¡¯t dressed in the gown they

    provided. It was strange. She liked how she wasn¡¯t treated as a servant here, but she felt as if she

    couldn¡¯t step out the door without looking behind her shoulder. She didn¡¯t trust anyone here, even the

    ones that were nice to her. She supposed she didn¡¯t trust anyone anywhere she went-except Beth. She

    could always count on her friend. She couldn¡¯t help but

    . wish she was here with her now. ¡°Ready?¡± He asked and offered his arm. Doris closed the door behind

    them and held onto him tighter than she intended. He didn¡¯t seem to notice, or perhaps he was just too

    kind to say anything. ¡°You look lovely.¡± He said, breaking her anxious thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡± Doris

    said weakly as they walked towards the middle of town, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± Enzo said. When they

    turned the corner, it was as if they entered an entirely new vige. Torches lit the area brighter than a

    foggy day and booths were set up as if it was some sort of market day. Food was passing them onrge

    trays and gallons of beer and wine were being poured to everyone who wanted it. The crowd was so

    thick, she could barely see the small tform set up in the middle of it all. Everyone seemed so¡­ happy.

    As if nothing had happened the night before, as if no one had died or attacked her.

    ¡°You do this every full moon?¡± Doris asked in wonder ¡°Most of them, sometimes the storms are too thick

    to be outside so we either bring the celebration inside or cancel it altogether.¡± Enzo guided her towards

    the tform. ¡°You¡¯ve been through enough, so I won¡¯t require any attention to be on you tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris said as she released a slow breath. He gripped her shoulders and made her look at

    him. ¡°I¡¯d like you to stay and watch, but I understand if it gets too much for you. You can return to your

    room at any point.¡± Doris nodded and he left her by the front of the stage. When he stepped up on the

    tform a strange silence fell over theughing crowd. Soon, others gathered around her as he waited

    patiently. He didn¡¯t even have to say a word, it was as if they all knew what they had to do and what he

    wanted

    them to do. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we approach the full moon with a new agenda.¡± He said once

    everyone was settled. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the shift in the pack for a while now-and I tried to be patient with

    those who questioned me. After all, it¡¯s one of the most humane parts of us to question what we¡¯re told.¡±

    Enzo had his hands sped behind his back as he spoke to the crowd. He paced the stage, ¡°I tried to

    allow room for those who disobeyed me to learn from their mistakes. I tried to be a fair ruler to everyone

    and only punish when it was necessary. But, tonight my hand has been forced. Those who have decided

    to ignore my orders have gone too far and I no longer have patience for them.¡±

    A quiet, worried murmur passed through the crowd around Doris. They silenced again when Enzo turned

    his sharp gaze on them. He lifted his hand and two men had been forced on the stage bound at their

    wrists and ankles. It was her attackers. The older man from the night before and Stephen. He made a

    strange moaning sound as if he was trying to speak but couldn¡¯t without his tongue. The older man had

    his head bandaged from where she hit him but he still wore the ruined clothes shest saw him in. Doris

    knew the boy must have truly died if he wasn¡¯t on the stage with them. She¡­ she didn¡¯t know how to feel

    about that. Yes, she had defended herself and it led to his death, but she had still taken someone¡¯s life.

    The back of her mind reminded her that if she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now. He wanted

    to kill her and do horrible things to her body before he did. Men like that didn¡¯t deserve to live. Who

    knows what other women he had terrorized in his young life. ¡°These men have tried and failed to gather

    a rebellion against me to overrule my leadership. They¡¯ve disregarded my direct orders time and time

    again, but this time it almost costed someone innocent their life.¡± Doris wanted to shrink into the crowd

    when serval pairs of eyes went right to her. ¡°Tonight, they finally will be dealt with. But before we

    do that¡­ is there anyone here that wishes to speak on their behalf?¡± His words sounded almost

    dangerous, as if he was daring someone to out themselves to the crowd as being apart of what these

    men believe. No one said a word, Doris felt as if the entire crowd was holding their breath in anticipation

    to what was toe. ¡°No? Good.¡± Enzo pulled a long, sharp de from his belt. ¡°I know we have a

    tradition every full moon to let the beastly side of us enjoy a good hunt, but tonight I thought we could

    have a new target.¡± Enzo shoved both men to their knees and trailed the de across their shoulders. A

    small stream of blood pooled at their necks when he pressed a bit harder. ¡°Tonight, I decided there will

    be a prize for whoever wins this hunt.¡± Doris could feel a bit of desperate excitement raise from his

    words. ¡°Whoever wins will be named as my second until the next full moon.¡±

    A few gasps sounded around her. Doris only could guess that would give someone a bit of power they

    didn¡¯t have before. Power made people desperate, it made them feral for a taste and she could feel that

    energy bloom around her. ¡°What do we have to do to win, Lord Enzo?¡± A man to her left asked.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really.¡± Enzo gripped the top of the men¡¯s heads. ¡°I¡¯m going to let these two idiots run free

    into the woods. The winner has to bring me both of their heads or risk sharing the title. And yes, just their

    heads will do.¡± 1 And just like that, silence stilled the area. Nervous nces were thrown between friends

    and lovers, Doris felt her own hands start to shake. Enzo released their heads and forced them to stand.

    ¡°The full moon is almost fully risen,¡± he said as he cut their hands and legs free. He shoved them both off

    the stage. Let¡¯s give them a head start, shall we?¡± The crowd parted to let the men stand. Their eyes

    were wild as they looked around for some sort of help, but no one dared to offer. Enzo pped his

    hands. ¡°You¡¯re wasting time, my boys. I wouldn¡¯t normally allow traitors such a head start.¡± The men took

    off in different directions through the trees. Enzo smiled at the crowd in a charming way. ¡°I expect their

    heads before the first hour is up. Enjoy your hunt.¡± Enzo stepped back into the crowd and grabbed Doris

    quickly. He led her off to the side and she realized why a secondter, Bones started to crack, she

    gasped as those in the crowd started to shift into their wolves. She¡¯d never seen a wolf shift before, she

    only ever heard stories but this was so much more

    frightening than she would have guessed. Their clothes were torn from their backs as they grewrger in

    seconds, their backs cracked and Doris had to look away as they shifted into the shape of a wolf. Petite

    women were now huge, deadly looking wolves and the men were even worse. Several howled at the

    moon when it was highest in the sky. She nced up at Enzo-but he hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°I¡¯m sitting tonight

    out.¡± Enzo said to the question in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve learned long ago how to control when I shift. I used to

    have to do it every full moon. Now it¡¯s only when !

    want.¡± The wolves started to sniff the ground for the scent of the men, all at once Doris watched as two

    groups broke apart and went in the direction of each one. She hadn¡¯t realized she was trembling until

    Enzo held her tightly against him. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that for me,¡± Doris whispered. 1 Enzo shook his

    head. ¡°You misunderstand, I did it for me.¡± Enzo brushed hair from her eyes and patted her cheek gently.

    ¡°You may want to return to your cabin. It won¡¯t be a pretty sight when they return.¡±

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    Chapter 59 It was chaos

    Enzo didn¡¯t have to ask twice, Doris returned to her room and put a chair in front of the door to make

    sure no one would be able to open it even if they unlocked it. She also made sure every window was

    locked again before she turned out all the lights andid in her bed with her dagger gripped tightly in her

    hands. Howls sounded far away from her window, she didn¡¯t think she would be able to sleep a bit until

    the morning came. What on earth did the rogue hunt when Enzo wasn¡¯t trying to make a point to his

    pack? Did they use animals-or strangers? She shivered to think about it, but it had to be something worth

    it. There was no doubt as to why Enzo was the leader of the rogues. Even if he was as kind as he was,

    he was one of the scariest men she¡¯d ever met. And that was saying a

    Tot.

    After what felt like hours of almost dozing off -shouting erupted from outside her door and instantly woke

    every inch of her. She shot up from her bed and stumbled over herself as she tried to hear what was

    happening. Had someone returned with the heads? Doris trembled at the thought of their heads being

    delivered right to Enzo¡¯s feet as if they were

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    poris we doorpring

    trophies. But-Why did it sound as if they were fighting? ¡°It¡¯s the prince!¡± Someone shouted as they ran

    past her door. Doris immediately moved the chair and threw open the door to step out into the snow. Did

    he say prince? Her prince? Was William here? What she saw¡­ was chaos. Guards from the pce

    fought against the wolves that were part of the vige. They shifted into their wolves and the fight turned

    every more vicious within the seconds it took. She hid behind one of the cabins as she watched and

    gripped her dagger tightly. Her mark started to itch, she could sense William nearby but she hadn¡¯t seen

    him yet There he was. William stood on the tform as his normal self with only a hint of derangement

    on his features. His hair was wild and his scruff had thickened on his jaw since thest time she saw him.

    Her heart stupidly flipped at the sight of him so wild. His guards surrounded him like a shield and

    snapped at anyone that tried to get close to him. He didn¡¯t see her yet, but she watched him closely. Her

    mind felt conflicted. Should she make herself known? Or would he even care? Why was he here in the

    middle of the night? She would have thought he¡¯d already

    be back to the pce with his answers he wanted. William lifted his hands and Doris silently gasped. He

    held the heads of the men that attacked her. Enzo stood in front of the tform with a look of indifference

    on his face and his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He had his own guards that surrounded him, but

    they only looked at each other as if no one else was around. As if wolves weren¡¯t dying around them. 2

    ¡°When I heard about your hunt, I couldn¡¯t help but join in on the fun.¡± William said with a drip of poison in

    his tone. He threw the heads at Enzo¡¯s feet with a sickening st. ¡°I also heard the reason behind the

    hunt and I want her returned to me. No more of your rogues willy a hand on her unless they want the

    same fate.¡± 1

    ¡°Doris isn¡¯t a piece of property to be passed around, she can go to you if she wishes. William took a step

    closer to Enzo, he looked as if his rage was close to spilling over and setting his surroundings on fire.

    ¡°She is mine, I demand you return her right this instant.¡± Something about his words sent a chill through

    Doris. She stood firm where she was. She didn¡¯t belong to anyone but herself, William didn¡¯t own her just

    because she was a maid. Not anymore. She was through living

    her life as if everyone else owned her and her choices. ¡°Even if we return her, you wouldn¡¯t call off your

    dogs. Isn¡¯t that right? Enzo asked over the sounds of fighting. They both looked so unfazed about it all,

    Doris couldn¡¯t stand it. William growled when Enzo shrugged and backed away from him as if he was

    tired of their argument. She looked away when William started to shift into his wolf form and lost track of

    him the instant he disappeared into the crowd. If he found her, he would drag her back to the pce

    himself. But-wasn¡¯t that what she wanted? She wanted to be back to her old life and far from here. But

    that also meant she would be treated as she always was the second she stepped foot back in the

    pce. People shoving her and making her do whatever they wanted. People treating her as if she was

    nothing and didn¡¯t have feelings. Would she have to be Melody¡¯s maid again and listen as he made love

    to her every night and endure her savage beatings during the day? No¡­ no. She couldn¡¯t do that

    anymore.

    Here, Enzo made sure she was respected and all of her wishes were met if they were reasonable. It was

    hard to let that go, but it was also hard to live in fear. Melody was her old reason for fear in the pce-as

    was

    William. Him demanding she be returned to him like an object made her want to rethink her decision and

    run as far as she could. But deep down, she knew she could never live with herself. Beth counted on her

    return. 2 She moved between the buildings to get a closer look at what was happening. Part of her

    wanted to hide somewhere no one could find her, but she wasn¡¯t that girl anymore. She wanted to face

    what was toe and deal with the consequences, even if it meant her eternal misery. If only she could

    shift like them, she might have just joined in to help. But who would she even be helping? Enzo-or

    William? It was easy to tell which ones were the guards and who wasn¡¯t. The guards had sleek fur, even

    after being out in the north for so long. The vigers looked a bit more matted and crazed in a way. Enzo

    wasn¡¯t joking when he said they fought dirty, the wolves went straight for each others throat and tried to

    down then without a hesitation. They fought as if they were backed into a corner and they would fight to

    the death to get out of it. Doris was terrified to see so much blood shed when the fight had only just

    begun. There shouldn¡¯t be so much death-so much suffering. There were yelps of pain and sounds of

    horror all around her. William reappeared through the center of the worst of it all. He tore through

    two wolves that tried to corner him. He brought them down with almost no effort. She knew none of this

    would stop, even if she threw herself out there as Enzo imed. Her eyes drifted towards the edge of the

    vige where three wolves walked slowly towards the fight. They didn¡¯t look as if they were part of either

    side of the fight to Doris. The wolves separated and searched through the crowd, no one seemed to

    notice them but her. One of the three threw themselves at a guard for the pce which made Doris

    realize they must have been for the rogues. But why did they seem so¡­ different? The other two

    disappeared from her view but she knew they couldn¡¯t be far. The sight of them made Doris feel uneasy.

    Something about it wasn¡¯t right and made her stomach turn. The one that found itself in a fight with the

    guard was badly scratched. She watched as it bolted towards the woods with a trail of blood in its wake.

    Its friends didn¡¯t follow, she caught another one keeping track of the prince¡¯s every movement. Doris

    quickly searched for the other and saw it across the way from William

    Her mark itched again, something felt wrong. Doris stepped out into the clearing and William¡¯s eyes

    found her instantly as if the

    wind blue her scent right to him. He froze his fighting when he saw her and took a single step towards

    Doris as if he couldn¡¯t believe it was her. That she was here. ¡°Look out!¡± She shouted at him, silently

    begging him not to look at her not to be distracted by her but it was toote. One of the two wolves

    tackled William to the ground and went right for his neck.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    Chapter 60 I don¡®t know how much more my body can

    Everything hurt at first as the world shined bright all around her. She only had one thought and that was

    to get to William, to save him. He couldn¡¯t die, she wouldn¡¯t let him die. Everything else was a blur. Her

    bones felt as if they were tearing out of her skin, she felt every part of her was expanding and closing at

    once. Time felt as if it dragged on for hours when she knew it must have only been seconds. The most

    agonizing seconds of her life, she knew she would never forget the feeling. 1 Her wolf was free. ¡°Mate!¡±

    Her wolf shouted in her mind. Bright white fur broke out from her skin and she rushed to William the

    second her feet hit the floor without a hesitation. She dodged other wolves in the crowd before she

    mmed right into his body and pushed him out of the way from the wolf¡¯s ws. The next thing she

    knew was a sharp, blinding pain into her neck. It fogged her vision instantly, she went down with a hard

    thud that shook the earth. Blood coated her fur and stained the ground beneath her. Was this her

    final ending? Would her body allow her to survive through this? ¡°Doris!¡± Doris felt as if William was

    shouting in her mind. She heard another voice too, one she didn¡¯t recognize but felt like home in a way.

    She wanted to curl up against the sound and close her eyes for eternity. It was like electricity had passed

    through her body and woke her up for the first time in her life. She felt him, she felt as if their wolves

    were one. Their connection formed and cemented itself in her soul and she didn¡¯t think she couldst a

    day without it now that it was free inside her. This was meant to be. ¡°My mate¡­ What have they done to

    you. Why isn¡¯t your wound healing?¡± He said, was it William¡¯s wolf speaking to her? Doris let her eyes

    drift closed as she listened to the sound of William tearing through every wolf around her in fury. She bet

    it was gruesome, she bet it was a huge blood bath but she didn¡¯t have enough energy to open her eyes

    to see it. Her life was fading faster than she could register. Imagines of her memories shed across her

    eyes as if it was all one big y out on a stage in front of her. What a marvelous thing. Moments from

    when she was younger, when she first went to the pce, when she first met Beth. She saw herself in

    hindsight with

    William¡®s arms wrapped around her protectively as they tried to bear the cold nights. Why had he held on

    so tight to her? Why did he tear through so many viges for

    her?

    She heard her name leave his lips a hundred times, but she couldn¡¯t see him. It was as if she was in a

    dark room far away from any sense of reality. She wanted to bang on the walls and demand to be let out,

    but no matter where she went, the darkness never ended.

    Doris woke back in the cabin and her world was still once more. Did she¡­ did she dream that? Did she

    dream saving William and bing a wolf herself? It wasn¡¯t possible, it must have been a nightmare.

    She must have passed out after she returned and had a nasty

    dream¡­ But pain in dreams didn¡¯t usually follow her when she woke. William was seated in a chair by

    her bed with his head propped up on his chin and eyes closed. The sight startled her, she quickly looked

    down to see herself in even more bandages. By this point, her entire body must have been littered in

    scars. How hideous she must be As if he felt her gaze on him, his eyes slowly opened. At the sight of her

    awake, he sat up instantly. ¡°Doris, you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Doris asked. Her voice sounded hoarse and sore, she was starting to get used to the

    dreadful feeling. It was like she hadn¡¯t drank water in years. He must have noticed, he leaned over to

    retrieve a cold ss of water off the end table next to her and set it in her shaky hands. ¡°You shifted,

    Doris. Did you know you could do that?¡± He asked curiously, his blue eyes studied her as she drank.

    Was this a dream? This couldn¡¯t be real, none of this was real. ¡°No¡­ no that can¡¯t be possible. I don¡¯t

    have any wolf in me, I never have.¡± ¡°We all saw you shift, Doris.¡± An unfamiliar voice sounded from the

    other end of the room. Doris flinched when she noticed the lean man. He clearly was from the pce

    with the way he stood and the way he was dressed. What on earth was he doing in her room? Doris

    nced at William but he didn¡¯t seem bothered the man was in here in the slightest. He leaned against

    the firece, watching as the mes flickered. It made his hair almost look orange in the light. ¡°Apologies

    for our dyed meeting, but my name is Patrick.¡± Realization dawned on Doris. Patrick was William¡¯s

    beta and best friend -Beth had told her about him ages ago but she¡¯d never seen

    him up close before. She thought he was only another guard on their trip since he didn¡¯t speak a word to

    her the entire time. William must have brought him on all his trips. ¡°Oh, hello.¡± ¡°You were a white wolf, do

    you realize how rare that is?¡± Patrick asked as if she hadn¡¯t said anything Doris nodded weakly.

    Everyone in the entire kingdom knew how rare a white wolf was. Of course it was possible for other

    wolves to be white, but usually they had spots of other colors across there body. To be pure white was

    almost unheard of. There was no way she was a white wolf, he was mistaken. ¡°I don¡¯t know how this

    happened. This.. it can¡¯t be true.¡± Doris shook her head. It simply wasn¡¯t possible.

    ¡°Do you remember what happened before you shifted?¡± Patrick pushed away from the firece and

    turned his gaze on her. Doris pulled the covers up a bit higher. ¡°I¡­ I saw these strange wolvese out

    from the forest behind the fight. I watched them because I thought it was odd that they looked so

    different from both packs. When I saw them go for William, 1-¡± Doris hesitated. His blue eyes were a

    calm storm as William watched her. She swallowed and continued. ¡°I had to save the prince, they would

    have killed

    I don¡­ you.¡± Doris tried not to feel embarrassed under their gazes as she gulped down more cool water

    to ease her throat. He was the prince, of course she tried to save him. His life was worth ten of hers.

    ¡°This has to be some sort of mistake. I don¡¯t have a wolf in me like you do.¡± Doris said again. It felt more

    as if she was trying to convince herself at this point. William refilled her water again in silence. ¡°Some

    people aren¡¯t aware they have a wolf until something forces it out of them.¡± Patrick exined. ¡°If their

    family didn¡¯t raise them to know, it¡¯s possible they¡¯d never find out until that moment hits. I¡¯ve heard of

    many people not changing until they were older than you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve been tortured and..

    almost taken advantage of-¡± William¡¯s eyes darkened at her words, she hurried on. ¡°But I¡¯ve never

    changed before. Not once, not to save myself.¡± ¡°Our wolves protect those we care for more than

    ourselves at times. It makes us act in ways we don¡¯t expect. It¡¯s possible yours was waiting for a moment

    it felt needed for someone else, not for yourself.¡± Patrick said. Doris nced at William as he ran his

    fingers through his messy dark hair and she curled her fingers in herp.

    ¡°I want to protect myself.¡± Doris said quietly and traced her fingers across the scars on her arms. How

    many more hid beneath the covers? ¡°I don¡¯t want to live in fear anymore. I don¡¯t want to wait around for

    people to save me when I could save myself.¡± ¡°I can teach you.¡± William offered after a moment of

    silence. She tried to hide her surprise at his offer. ¡°I heard you calling for me.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°I could

    hear you in my head. Why could I hear you so clearly?¡± William cleared his throat and looked away for

    the first time since she woke up from her own personal hell. ¡°I don¡¯t know, perhaps you were

    hallucinating it. You did lose quite a bit of blood.¡± 2

    ¡°Wait,¡± Doris looked around again. They were still at Enzo¡¯s camp. William must have had them stay

    since she was hurt, Enzo was kind enough to allow it. ¡°How long was I out for?¡± ¡°Two days.¡± William said

    and leaned back against the chair. His clear eyes watched her, she could see the hints of exhaustion

    across his skin. She wondered if he had even slept during that time or if he¡¯d slept at all when she was

    gone. Enzo had said he was searching for her like a madman-perhaps he

    hadn¡¯t been lying. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much more my body can

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    25%

    ona

    . take before it finally gives up on me.¡± Doris said with a frown. For some reason, her body didn¡®t feel like

    her own. It was as if she was numb to it all and she could just barely move her limbs enough. ¡°You¡¯ll

    survive, Doris.¡± Patrick said gently.¡± You were given a bit of William¡¯s blood to heal some of your wounds

    while you rested.¡± Doris hesitated before she spoke again. William¡¯s face darkened a little as if he knew

    what she wanted to ask before she could dare. ¡°Have you spoken with Enzo?¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    Chapter 61 I wouldn¡®t be able to if I tried.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t had a chance to speak much.¡± William said sharply. Hisck of sleep seemed to make him

    more snappy than usual. Doris was too exhausted to care. ¡°Yes, Enzo seems to be hovering nearby for

    you to wake.¡± Patrick said almost as if he was amused. William shot him a dark look and the amusement

    fell off his face. ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to him soon,¡± Doris said cautiously. She refused to flinch when he turned

    his dark look on her. ¡°He¡¯s been kind to me while I¡¯ve been here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he has.¡± William said tly.

    ¡°Go get him for her, Patrick. She¡¯s just woken up from a two daya but all she can think about is

    seeing him.¡± Doris parted her lips to object, but quickly closed them. It wasn¡¯t worth defending herself

    over. She wasn¡¯t allowed to argue with a prince-no matter how far from the pce they were. She

    supposed a part of her would always think like a maid, perhaps it was all she would ever be. A growing

    part of her wanted to stand up for herself to him, she

    forced that part of herself to quiet. Patrick nced between them before he stepped out the door. William

    stood to pace the room, he refused to look at her. Her eyes followed his tense frame as she picked at her

    nails silently ¡°Did you¡­ get the answers we came for?¡± Doris asked in an effort to kill the tension in the

    room. ¡°No.¡± Was all he said. Doris tried to sit up a bit more and groaned from the pain. It felt hot in here

    despite the temperature being negative outside. It was the first time she felt anything but agonizing cold

    since she arrived. If he wasn¡¯t in the room, she would throw these thick nkets off her andy on the

    cool ground just to feel relief. William snatched an extra pillow from across the room and stomped

    towards her. Doris tried to move away from him but her limbs wouldn¡¯t work for her. He gripped her arm

    more gently than she expected and leaned her forward before he ced the pillow behind her back so

    she could sit up more. ¡°Thank you,¡± Doris whispered. He said nothing, he only went back to pacing the

    room. Minutes passed like hours. Enzo finally entered the room with Patrick close behind. His kind eyes

    were drowned in worry as he

    looked at her, he held a basket full of food that still steamed from their warmth. Doris was starving and

    not hungry at all at the same time. She knew her body needed to eat, but how could she dare when her

    body wanted to give up on her? ¡°Doris, I¡¯m so d to see you awake.¡± He came to the side of her bed

    and suddenly William was there too. Enzo spared one curious nce to William before he ced the

    basket of food by her side. ¡°I thought you might be hungry, the main kitchen prepared this for you. How

    are you feeling?¡± ¡°Thank you, Enzo. I truly appreciate it. Don¡¯t worry for me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Doris said,

    William had the nerve to snort but Enzo ignored him and simply smiled at Doris. ¡°I thought it would be a

    good idea for you two to meet properly.¡± Enzo stood up straighter and turned a charming grin on William

    as he held out his hand. ¡°A pleasure, prince. It¡¯s about time we meet more formally.¡± William nced

    down at his hand with a bit of distaste. He gripped his hand and gave him one hard shake before he

    dropped it. Enzo didn¡¯t seem to take offense to it, he seated himself on the edge of Doris¡¯s bed and

    William narrowed his eyes at how close he seated himself to Doris. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how close you

    became with

    the leader of the rogues.¡± William said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to ignore Doris¡¯s lovely personality.¡± Enzo said with a

    cheeky smile. Doris wondered if he knew he was getting on William¡¯s nerves. Perhaps he was teasing

    him on purpose-Doris had never met anyone brave enough to do that. ¡°I can¡¯t say I me you for tearing

    apart viges for her.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have had to if you just told me where she was.¡± Enzo shrugged. ¡°It

    wasn¡¯t my decision to give her whereabouts.¡± William sniffed and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

    Did the idea of Enzo giving Doris choices bother him? It was painfully obvious how much more her

    opinions and choices were something that mattered here. For the first time in her life. ¡°I was impressed

    to see you had caught our prizes on the full moon.¡± Enzo picked a piece of lint off his sleeve. ¡°How did

    you find out what they did?¡± ¡°I strangled it out of them.¡± William said simply. His eyes flickered to Doris.

    ¡°Hmm, and I assume you¡¯d still like reward?¡± Enzo tilted his head curiously. ¡°We can discuss that at

    another time. I would have ripped them apart no matter what you offered.¡±

    Doris shifted and nced at the food next to her. It smelled so good, but she had no sense of energy to

    chew through it. ¡°Enzo has been very kind to let me stay here -¡± ¡°Yeah, so kind he had you kidnapped.¡±

    Patrick said from across the room. Enzo didn¡¯t even bother a nce towards him. A new sense of anger

    crossed William¡¯s face as he remembered. ¡°Those that went against my orders have been dealt with.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Call us what you must, but we don¡¯t kidnap and torture innocent girls.¡± ¡°Could have fooled me.¡± William

    growled. ¡°We can go back and forth all day, I¡¯m certainly free for it. But Doris should rest more.¡± Enzo

    turned his gaze on her and all she saw was a bit of softness. He assessed her with his eyes and she

    only wanted to sink into the mattress and disappear forever. ¡°You don¡¯t look as if you¡¯ve gotten an ounce

    better, are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ hot all over.¡± Doris admitted. Enzo¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s

    odd, I¡¯ll put out the mes before ! leave.¡± ¡°We got it.¡± William snapped. Again, Enzo ignored him. He

    truly was brave for testing William as much as he was. ¡°I knew there was something special about

    you when I met you.¡± Enzo tapped her hand . ¡°But a white wolf? I wouldn¡¯t have guessed that for anyone

    except a queen.¡± ¡°1-there has to be a mistake. I can¡¯t be this.¡± Doris gripped the edges of her nkets. ¡°I

    just-can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ah, well I can understand why you feel this way, but I wouldn¡¯t doubt yourself. What you are

    is incredible and you may not see it as something to be thankful for now, but | guarantee you will grow to

    appreciate what you were born to be. The first shift is always the hardest.¡± His words did their best to

    calm her fears, but she couldn¡¯t tame her racing heart. The more she thought about it, the more scared

    she felt. Her mind refused to ept this was her life now. A few days ago, she was nothing but a

    pathetic maid. Now-she was a white wolf of all things? What would her life be now? How would she live

    with herself? What-what would she do? Enzo gripped her hand as if he saw the fear race across her

    face. William stepped closer, she flickered her gaze to him and saw his jaw set in a firm, tense line as he

    red at their hands. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Doris. Don¡¯t let your thoughts drown you before you get a

    chance to learn about yourself. It won¡¯t feel like your

    body at first, but you¡¯ll learn how to tame your wolf in time.¡± ¡°I think Doris needs to rest.¡± William said

    before she could respond. Perhaps it was good he did, she had a million questions to ask him about

    what was toe. Enzo kept his eyes on her and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± he leaned closer to Doris and

    lowered his voice. ¡°As annoying as that is.¡± William snorted and turned away. Enzo patted her hand once

    more and stood. ¡°I will be by to check on youter. Please, eat.¡± Doris nodded with a small smile. She

    wiped the sweat from her forehead and leaned back further into the pillows as he went for the door.

    Patrick took a ss of water and doused the fire but it didn¡¯t help in the slightest. William forced open a

    window above her bed that she had done her best to keep shut when she was afraid to sleep at night.

    The cool air was like heaven against her warm body, but she still felt ufortable in her own skin.

    ¡°Perhaps you should try to sleep again.¡± William waved to Patrick and he bowed before he left the room

    as well. Doris waited for William to leave next, but he only sat in the chair by her bed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you

    sleep?¡± Doris asked as she slumped down into the sheets. Her eyes

    closed slowly ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to if I tried.¡±

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    Chapter 62 I¡®m going to save her.

    William was still there when she woke in the middle of the night with a fever. He stood up from the chair

    when he saw the look on her face and rushed to the bathroom to get cold water. Doris kicked off the

    nkets and rolled back and forth in her bed, dying to be relieved of the heat. Did she wake up in hell?

    He pressed a cold cloth to her forehead and for a minute, she swore she was hallucinating it. It looked as

    if two William¡¯s were above her, dipping the cloth in water once she burned through the first one. He set

    down the bucket and pulled her hair back from her face-she couldn¡¯t even describe how good it felt to be

    free of her hair as he tied it to the top of her hair with a line of loose rope. Every strand was away from

    her hot skin, she almost had the thought to cut it all off just so she wouldn¡¯t haven¡¯t to feel it ever again.

    Her mind didn¡¯t even register how hideous she would look if she did something like that. ¡°Doris¡­¡± He

    said firmly as if he was trying to wake her from a bad dream. She thrashed across the bed, her

    nightgown clung to her skin from her sweat. She was being burned

    alive, wasn¡¯t she? Someone came to finally end it all by setting her body on fire. This was for all she went

    through, death was finally iming her body as its own. Release, she just wanted release ¡°Doris!¡± He

    said louder. She hadn¡¯t noticed he was holding her down against the bed until he shouted at her. Her

    vision blurred, was she even awake? Was this a dream again? ¡°Let¡¯s get you in the tub,¡± he lifted her

    from the bed and she weakly pushed at him. ¡°No-no!¡± She shouted, or tried to. She didn¡¯t want him to

    see her naked, she would rather die than let him be the first man to ever see her without any clothes on.

    She was already close to it. William ignored her objections and carried her to the bathroom. Arge tub

    sat in the center of the room, it was already filled to the brim with water. William didn¡¯t stop to take off her

    clothes, he set her right in the freezing water with her nightgown still on. It was a small mercy to her

    suffering mind.

    Doris gasped as the shock rippled through her body. It woke her instantly, she could actually feel the

    coldness break through the heat of her body. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the tub and

    dipped her head beneath the water. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she stayed down, butrge hands broke

    through the surface and forced her up again. ¡°Are you mad?¡± William snapped. He was on his knees

    next to the tub with his grip firm on her weak body. She could easily slip beneath the water again and

    sleep for eternity-but he wouldn¡¯t let her go. He wouldn¡¯t let her rest . ¡°You¡¯ll drown if you don¡¯t sit up.¡±

    Doris hadn¡¯t realized how hard she was breathing until he stopped talking. The room echoed with every

    breath she took and she knew she must have sounded like a dying animal to him. He forced her to sit up

    a little more before she rxed in the cold water. How long until it boiled from how hot she was? William

    frowned and used a small towel to wipe some of the excess water off her face. She didn¡¯t want him to

    touch her, it only made her feel hotter. ¡°You should sit here for a while.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I could move if I

    wanted to.¡± Doris whispered. She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of his hand as he made

    sure she didn¡¯t slip beneath the surface again. Why was she only feeling worse? After two days,

    shouldn¡¯t she have felt a little better by now? Her mind didn¡¯t allow her to think of the possibility that he

    could see through her cream nightgown now that it was drenched. She could only think about the

    possibility that

    her body was through with her. It wouldn¡¯t fight through this fever, would it? It was going to finally allow

    her to leave after all she put it through William turned her head and removed the bandages from her

    neck where she took the almost fatal ws for him. His brows furrowed, he gripped her chin a little

    harder as he looked closer. ¡°Doris.¡± He said her name like amand, she lifted her eyes back to his

    own when she realized they were trying to close again. ¡°| need to get someone to look at this

    immediately.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Doris whispered. ¡°I think¡­¡± He hesitated, what a strange sight for a prince like him

    to hesitate. ¡°I just need someone to confirm what this is.¡± The next thing she knew, she was being lifted

    from the lukewarm water. He carried her dripping body to one of the wide windows and set her on a

    chair. The cold breeze made her close her eyes inplete bliss. ¡°Do not get up. I will be right back.¡±

    Doris said nothing. His steps grew fainter and she almost had half a mind to get up and change from her

    ruined nightgown despite his demand for her to stay still. The dresser felt miles away-she¡¯d never make

    it. Since when did the room grow sorge? Had they moved

    her again? Doris closed her eyes and opened them when someone gripped her face. Eliza moved her

    jaw up and peered closer at the marks on her neck. When did she get here? She hadn¡¯t heard here

    in. Why was the room so bright? ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eliza whispered, her cold fingers trailed down the marks on her

    neck. How bad did it look? She wished she could see what everyone was so concerned over. But then

    again, she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°We need to get Enzo.¡± ¡°Just tell me what it is.¡± William growled.¡± Every second

    you waste she gets worse.¡± ¡°I think the ws that scratched her were poisoned.¡± Eliza said, unaffected

    by the prince¡¯s rapid mood change. Doris¡¯s mind wouldn¡¯t let her process the words, she felt herself

    drifting further from her body. William, though, looked a little lost. Silence followed, Eliza moved to get

    Doris a new nightgown and a few towels. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I can clean her up and make her a little more

    comfortable.¡± William narrowed his eyes at the woman before he looked at Doris once more. She must

    have looked like a drowned rat, because he nodded his head. ¡°You have five minutes, no more.¡±

    When he left, Eliza scoffed. ¡°Possessive wolves, always the same.¡± She muttered to herself before she

    helped Doris out of her nightgown and into a new one. She undid her hair and braided it behind Doris¡¯s

    back so it would be out of her way. ¡°There, how does that feel?¡± Doris only nodded when no words would

    form. Eliza changed her sheets and poured more cold water before she helped hery down again. The

    soft, clean fabric made her sink right into the bed like it was a cloud. ¡°How bad is it?¡± Doris asked. Eliza

    ced a cool cloth across her forehead and another on her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t you think about that right now,

    you¡¯re going to be fine.¡± She said, but Doris didn¡¯t think she sounded like she believed it herself. ¡°Not

    many people survive a poisoning.¡± Doris closed her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think the prince would allow you to die,

    my love. You¡¯re going to be fine.¡± Eliza said gently. ¡°I¡¯m sure he would cross over just to bring you back

    himself if he had to.¡± Doris snorted a little. William would probably be relived if she passed on. Then he

    wouldn¡¯t have to watch over her like a toddler. But, he didn¡¯t have to watch her at all. Why was he here

    all night with her when there were so many others that could have sat in for her

    if he requested it? As if he could hear her think about him, he entered without a single knock. He was

    across the room in three long strides and he looked her over as if to make sure Eliza didn¡¯t break her

    somehow. ¡°Did you tell Enzo-¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to be here for her.¡± William snapped. ¡°I¡¯m here. I willN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    help her.¡± Eliza crossed her arms. ¡°And what makes you think you can heal her? She¡¯s knocking at

    death¡¯s door and you should consider having others help pull her away from it.¡± Doris wanted to smile at

    Eliza for standing up to the prince. In the north, they truly didn¡¯t care about royalty or what title he had.

    They treated him like he was just like anyone else, nothing special about him. William red at her as if

    he wished he could rip her apart like he did to the men that attacked Doris. ¡°I¡¯m going to save her.¡±

    William said stiffly.¡± I¡¯m going to feed her my blood.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    Chapter 63 The hell you¡®re about to see.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Have you given her blood before?¡± Eliza asked as she tapped her foot impatiently against the wooden

    floors-she seemed a little surprised. Or perhaps Doris was imagining it all. It was getting harder to tell

    what was real. ¡°Yes, and she woke up an hour after I did.¡± William straightened his shoulders and looked

    down his nose at Eliza. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡± He said with a gesture to the door. It was almost funny seeing

    him be talked down to for once. She wished she was better so she could have

    enjoyed it more. Eliza nced at Doris and squeezed her hand before she left the room, closing the door

    silently behind her. William went to lock it before he returned to her side. She felt her nightgown already

    sticking to her skin again with how much she was sweating. William surprised her by crawling into bed

    with her, it dipped under her weight and almost sent her rolling into him. He  sat himself up against the

    headboard and pulled her weak body against him. She rested her back against his chest and closed her

    eyes again. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, you have to stay awake for this.¡± He said more gently than before. William

    lifted his wrist to his mouth and sliced it open with his teeth. Her eyes grew a little wide when she saw

    him retract his fangs as blood dripped down his chin. He held his wound in front of her mouth and she

    shook her head and tried to push away from him. ¡°Come on, Doris.¡± He said through his teeth. William

    gripped the back of her head and forced her mouth to his skin. The taste of copper hit her tongue and

    made her want to gag. She tried moving away from him again more desperately, but he only held her

    still. Soon, it took on a different taste. What tasted like a she was licking a coin turned to something

    almost¡­ sweet. A strange sugar taste filled her mouth that made her grip his arm so she could get more.

    ¡°Yes.¡± A voice said in her mind. Was it William¡¯s wolf? Her own wolf woke up as if it had been sleeping

    and curled

    around the voice like a nket. ¡°Come on now, Doris. Take more.¡± ¡°My mate¡­¡± Her wolf said to his as

    his blood slid down her throat. She could feel their connection open wide enough for her to feel it against

    every ounce of her body. She looked up at him as she drank and he watched her with a tender, almost

    lustful gaze. Doris moved herself closer to him, he held her against his body and their limbs tangled

    together as the sparks exploded through her skin. She could feel his emotions, almost as if they were her

    own. He was worried and angry, desperate and a little frightened of what was to be of her. Or them.

    She wondered if he could feel her own emotions. The hatred and strange pull she had for him. She fit

    against him like a piece in his missing puzzle. His blood flowed through her body and allowed her back

    some of the strength she lost. The intense heat was fading rapidly, but a new one formed as she moved

    on top of him and he groaned from her touch. His hand moved from the back of her head to grip her

    waist through her thin nightgown. She wasn¡¯t sure how much

    blood she was supposed to take but it tasted better than anything that had ever hit her tongue. She

    wanted to drown in it, to live every day if she could have a small taste. ¡°Just a little more.¡± He said

    against her ear. Their wolves felt like they were circling in her mind before they curled around each other

    and tookfort in the others warmth. She couldn¡¯t focus on what they said, but it felt like home when

    they were together. Did William

    feel that too? Or was she hallucinating all of this? William gripped the back of her neck and held her still

    as he pulled his wrist away from her mouth and deprived her of what she wanted. His blood leaked from

    her lips and stained her nightgown a gruesome color, but neither of them seemed to notice anything

    except for the other He looked at her with a sort of longing that she knew she was imagining but allowed

    herself to give in to the fantasy, if only for a moment in time. Her eyes flickered to his mouth before she

    forced herself to look up at his dangerous blue eyes again-but he was entranced by her red lips. A crazy

    part of her wanted to

    dare him to close the distance and remake one of her darkest dreams. His eyes zed over as if he was

    already well into that dream where she didn¡¯t allow herself to feel shame for her desires. Did he imagine

    what it would be like to kiss her with his blood on her lips? Did he allow himself to wonder how soft she¡¯d

    feel beneath him? If felt as if she had been drugged, her mind grew foggy as she quickly moved herself

    off him. What was she doing? What-on earth had she been thinking? His face turned to stone when she

    looked at him again, as if it had never happened at all. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t and it was all in her head. Beth

    had once told her the blood of a werewolf was strong enough to drive someone insane. Her energy had

    spiked higher than it had even before she was poisoned¡ªand then it quickly started to decrease. She

    wanted to believe that it never happened, that she hadn¡¯t just thought about him kissing her and giving

    into a dark desire she was forbidden to have. She wasn¡¯t a stupid girl, so why had she allowed herself to

    think like one? ¡°You¡¯ll need to eat before you sleep

    again.¡± William said. The bed creaked as he stood and pulled food from the basket Enzo had brought her

    the night before. It must have all been old, but she felt ravenous Doris sat up and ripped through the

    sandwich he gave her. Too hungry to be ashamed of eating like an animal in front of him. He didn¡¯t look

    disturbed or disgusted, he only seemed to make sure she ate every bite of food he handed her. After she

    finished the entire basket of food-which was easily two days worth

    ¨C he gave her cold water to wash it all down. ¡°Are you still hot?¡± He asked. Doris froze and tried to

    register how her body was feeling. It was jittery and desperate for rest at the same time-but not hot. In

    fact, she felt the cold sneak up her bare legs and try to turn her into ice. ¡°No. Can you close the window,

    please?¡± William did so without a trace of annoyance. Doris pulled the covers up over herself again

    before the chill tore her apart just like her fever did. It felt like a shock in her body to have it change so

    rapidly from one extreme to the next.

    She lifted the nkets to her chin and watched as he lit the fire again. When he sat down next to her

    bed, she hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay with me if you want to go get some rest yourself. I¡¯ll be fine

    for a few hours.¡± ¡°Did I say I wanted to leave?¡± ¡°No, but,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t question my actions.¡± He snapped. She

    mped her lips shut. As harsh as he sounded, it was almost sweet of him. If he heard her think that,

    he¡¯d probably throw her out in the snow just to prove he wasn¡¯t. Still¡­ a small part of her trusted him

    more than she wanted to admit. It felt like a betrayal to herself, this entire time she knew she didn¡¯t want

    to trust him or get close to him in case he snapped but ¨C his actions spoke louder than any cruel words

    he¡¯d thrown at her. Doris drowsily looked around the room and realized what a mess it was. Did she

    make that mess? Days worth of dishes were spread across the counters and male clothes thrown across

    the floor that didn¡¯t belong to her. When she looked at him again, she realized he must have been the

    one to make the mess.

    ¡°Have you slept at all?¡± She asked softly as she took in the sight of his sleepy face. A wave of chills

    passed through her body, he sat up a little and watched her until it passed. ¡°I¡¯ve slept plenty.¡± Was all he

    said. Doris reached out to put her hand over his own that rested on hisp. He tensed under her touch.

    ¡°Thank you for staying.¡± She didn¡¯t care if it scared him away, she wanted him to know how grateful she

    was for him. He stared at her in silence for a few minutes, she wondered if he even allowed himself to

    breathe. William gripped her hand and squeezed

    1. it.

    ¡°Rest. I¡¯ll be here when you wake from the hell you¡¯re about to see.¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    Chapter 64 I think it¡®s time you get out of this

    His frightening words lulled her to an instant sleep. She didn¡¯t understand what he meant until her

    nightmares came and felt more real than any ever had before. She opened her eyes to see nothing but

    darkness. She couldn¡¯t even see an inch in front of her face but she could hear herself breathing.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Her voice echoed off the walls and mmed right back against her in a heavy force that

    knocked her to the ground. She stood quickly and walked with her hands out in front of her to feel any

    sort of wall or door to be let out of this darkness. No matter how fast or how hard she moved, her fingers

    only grasped at air. There was nothing. Suddenly all of the lights turned on at once and it felt as if she

    was shoved into arge hole. Shended in the center of a forest and it looked strangely familiar to the

    area where William had attacked her all those months ago.

    ¡°Do you feel it?¡± A voice said by her ear. Not just any voice-him. Doris turned and saw William but¡­ it

    wasn¡¯t him. A tall man that almost looked like him stood over her. His face was twisted in a sinister smile

    as blood poured from his mouth when he spoke

    ¡°Did you feel it when you drank the blood? Did you realize you¡¯ll never be able to live a day without it?¡±

    Doris back away quickly. ¡°No, no!¡± She screamed. The voice echoed around her as it started tough. It

    sounded as if it was all around her at once but he was

    right in front of her. ¡°You¡¯ll be just like us. Eating innocent animals and children behind the pce like a

    monster. You¡¯ll never be satisfied with normal food again.¡± He said as he took slow steps towards her.

    Doris tripped over a branch and fell through the floor. Shended in snow¡­ bloodied snow. It was a

    massacre, everywhere she looked had new bodies or limbs as if they were all torn apart and thrown in

    every direction. Doris quickly stood and tried to wipe the blood from her hands, but it wouldn¡¯te off

    as if it was stained to remind her of this moment forever.

    ¡°How could you do this?¡± Enzo screamed at her back. He fell to his knees and held Elena in his arms

    when she turned to face him. Elena¡¯s eyes were empty and vacant, Doris tried to step closer but he

    screamed again. ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer, you monster!¡± Doris looked around at the bodies again and this

    time she noticed who they belonged to. Bodies of the rogues were ripped apart at her feet. Children she

    passed when she first got here and strangers that were kind to her when she didn¡¯t deserve it. Her

    stomach turned to acid, what was this? ¡°No¡­ no. I didn¡¯t, Enzo!¡± Doris reached out her hands for him to

    make him understand this wasn¡¯t her. ¡°I would never¡± ¡°You always thought of the rogues as monsters.

    Even as we let you into our home and tried to protect you this is how you repay us? For him?¡± Enzo spat.

    ¡°For-who? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°For your prince! All he wants is power and this is how he got it. By

    killing everyone who mattered to me-my family. All we wanted was peace.¡± Enzo dropped Elena and

    stepped over her body to get closer to Doris. Doris backed away

    from him when she noticed the murderous look on his face. ¡°You want to see how a rogue truly acts? I¡¯ll

    show you!¡± He screamed and ran towards her. Doris held out her arms and closed her eyes tightly, but

    he never reached her. When she opened her eyes again, she was in William¡¯s room-on his bed of all

    ces. Dressed in a scandalous red nightgown that showed more of her body than she wasfortable

    with, she gripped at the sheets beneath her but they fell through her fingers every time she tried to pull

    them over her. ¡°Don¡¯t hide from me.¡± William said. She turned and he was almost naked in the bed

    beside her. Doris moved away from him but he gripped her hips and brought her closer. ¡°It¡¯s okay to give

    into your dark desires, Doris.¡± He whispered against her skin as heid her back against the sheets. 1

    The horror of the previous nightmare faded away from her as if it never happened. She let William crawl

    on top of her and touch her body like he owned it. She wanted him to-like she wanted nothing else in the

    world. ¡°What does this mean?¡± She whispered

    as he kissed her neck. Her toes curled against the silk sheets and her body arched into him from such a

    simple touch. He hummed his approval. ¡°Whatever you want it to mean.¡± He said as his hands moved up

    her thighs and pushed her short nightgown to her hips. ¡°Oh,¡± Doris whispered as she let her fingers run

    through his short but wild hair. She¡¯d always wanted to know what it felt like to run her fingers through his

    ck hair, something so small and simple made his eyes darken with lust when he pulled back to look

    down at her.

    It was odd toy beneath him and let her worries escape her. He moved down her body and tore through

    her nightgown until sheid almost naked for his pleasure. She clenched her thighs closed when she felt

    her arousal throb, but he forced them open again as his lips moved down her body to leave kisses and

    bites as if to im it as his own. ¡°Oh!¡± Doris gasped when his mouth found her breasts. His hand

    continued it¡¯s trail down her body and toyed with the hem of her panties. ¡°William-¡°She moaned. ¡°Say it

    louder¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Doris!¡± Someone was shouting at her, why? The bed started to shake beneath them and William

    disappeared when the room went dark. ¡°William?¡± She called, smacking her hands across the bed to find

    him. ¡°Doris! Wake up!¡± The room vibrated viciously. She could hear ss breaking and books falling but

    she couldn¡¯t see any of it

    Ice cold water woke her from her fever dream. She sat up gasping, someone held her tightly as she tried

    to catch her breath. What¡ªwhat happened? She was back in the cabin, alive and well. It looked like it

    was nighttime but she didn¡¯t know how many hours-or days had passed since she fell asleep. ¡°Doris,¡±

    William sounded relieved when she looked up at him, he was seated in her bed with his arms tightly

    around her. Her nightmares came back in pieces to her mind to try and haunt her so soon after she

    escaped them. The dark room, the man in the forest, Enzo and the rogues and Her entire body heated

    and it had

    nothing to do with a fever. She quickly looked away from William and gripped her sheets to cover herself

    more. Suddenly she wished she could get out of this room and far from him until she forgot all about

    what he did to her in her dreams. His hands on her body, his kisses on her neck and chest ¡°What did you

    dream?¡± He asked as he tried to search her face but she wouldn¡¯t let him. ¡°I heard you call out.¡± Oh¡­ no.

    Doris wanted to m her head into a wall. Had he heard her moan his name? She certainly hoped not-

    that was worse than any of the nightmares. Perhaps not the one with Enzo, but the rest. ¡°I¡­ dreamed I

    killed people.¡± She whispered. William ran his hand down her hair in aforting gesture, but she

    wished he wouldn¡¯t touch her. At least¡­ not so intimately. A knock sounded at the door, Eliza entered a

    secondter with towels and trays of food. When she saw the looks on their faces, she hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll

    come backter.¡± She said with a lingering look on them both as she set down the trays and

    quickly left. William snarled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what privacy means.¡± Doris was more than happy for the

    interruption. ¡°It¡¯s fine I¡­ I think I need to eat anyway.¡± William released her and went to retrieve the food.

    She tried not to stare at his body as he did so, but she noticed he was wearing different clothes than

    the ones he wore before she fell asleep. When he returned, she forced her eyes to the fire and prayed

    he couldn¡¯t tell she was blushing. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± He asked. Doris focused on the food in front of

    her. She felt as if she could eat a week¡¯s worth with how empty she felt. ¡°I feel¡­ fine.¡± Doris said

    cautiously as if she was afraid the admission would force her pain to return. ¡°Good. The blood helps

    push out the poison. You were out for a few days this time.¡± Doris froze mid chew. ¡°A few days?¡± William

    nodded and stared out the window. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you get out of this room.¡± 3

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    Chapter 65 No one is allowed to touch you but

    Doris was more than happy to oblige. After she ate, she rested for a few hours more before she dressed

    in warm clothes and met William outside the cabin door. It looked like it was still the middle of the night,

    but the crisp air was refreshing. She wanted to gulp it down and never go inside again. William didn¡¯t

    look at her as they walked down a snowy path. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and she did

    the same. ¡°It¡¯s lovely out.¡± Doris said as she took in another deep breath. Her breath fogged in front of

    her and something about the sight made her happy. Perhaps she was just happy to be alive. He didn¡¯t

    respond, she was only greeted with the sounds of their feet crunching through the snow. Doris wrapped

    her arms around herself and let out a longer breath just to see more fog. It was fine, he didn¡¯t like to talk

    much anyway. She didn¡¯t expect him to change just because he spent days at her side when she was

    sick. ¡°Those men I killed, were they the ones that kidnapped you?¡± He asked suddenly. The question

    was so abrupt, her steps slowed. He stoppedpletely and turned to look at her. His gaze was almost

    disarming, she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°No¡­¡± Doris said slowly. William¡¯s face darkened and she knew

    he wanted her to continue. ¡°They¡­ those ones tried to harm me when I came here after Enzo brought

    me here. Enzo cut out one of their tongues after the first incident but his friends joined in on the second

    one.¡± She knew the question on his murderous expression before he said it. ¡°Did they¡ª¡° ¡°No, but they

    tried.¡± William flexed his fingers and cracked his neck. Doris chewed on her lip as she watched his rage

    start to pile up. Did he wish he could kill them again? ¡°Who was the one that kidnapped you?¡± ¡°Enzo said

    he took care of it¡ª¡± ¡°Who?¡± William demanded a bit louder, Doris flinched and her need to do what he

    asked kicked in. ¡°I¡­ their names were Jules and Darrell.¡± ¡°Was it one of them who left the bite on

    your neck?¡± He growled as if his possessive side was starting to take over his mind and he couldn¡¯t

    possibly act any other way. Doris simply nodded. She¡¯d honestly forgotten all about the mark on her neck

    opposite to the one William left. She thought the w marks might have scratched through it but

    apparently not. He must have seen them at some point when she was sick but didn¡¯t want to mention it

    until she was better. No wonder he wanted her to take

    a walk so soon. William grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as he stomped through the snow.

    ¡°Hey! Where are we going?¡± Doris asked as she tried not to trip and keep up with him. He said nothing.

    William led her to the stables where his ck horse was stationed and made her stand by it. ¡°Stay here.¡±

    Doris watched him leave and looked around at all the other horses, confused. What on earth was he

    doing? After about twenty minutes of standing in the cold stable, William returned pulling on ck leather

    gloves. He looked determined and¡­ handsome. She hated herself for thinking it, those

    thoughts would only lead right back to her dream where she had no business remembering ¡°What are we

    doing in here? Maybe I should go back to bed and rest more¡± ¡°I found where they are.¡± He gripped her

    waist and lifted her onto the back of the horse before she could object and pulled himself up in front of

    her. ¡°What? William¡ª¡± He gripped the reigns, Doris quickly wrapped her arms around his waist before he

    kicked the horse off into the night. She¡¯d never been more grateful for wearing pants than she was in that

    moment. He was absolutely mad for doing this, she didn¡¯t want any part of it. The horses hooves

    pounded loudly against the ground as he rode them towards the men that kidnapped Doris. That was

    where they were going, wasn¡¯t it? Was he going to rip off their heads like he did to the other two? The

    sounds of gallops were too loud for her to ask, she had no choice but to hold on as he rode as fast as he

    could through the night. She clenched her eyes closed tightly when the wind picked up. She¡¯d

    never been on a horse before, the thought of enjoying this ride made her stomach turn. This was no

    where near fun. 1 How could he take her to do this? She just got out of her death bed less than a few

    hours ago. Even though it felt good to be up and out-this was not what she meant. This was the furthest

    thing from what she wanted. For him to be this insistent, he must have spent days spewing in his rage

    wondering if he¡¯d gotten the men that hurt her or not. Why did he even care so much? She was his maid,

    not hisdy. Whoever disrespected her never seemed to bother him before. The horse skidded to a halt.

    Doris opened her eyes to see the cabin and flickers of her torture crossed her mind. All the marks they

    left on her. The way they yanked at her clothes and were so close to taking her innocence from her

    William slid off the horse and held his arms out for her. Doris hesitated before she allowed him to help

    her down.¡± William, this is absurd. I don¡¯t feel well, we should go back-¡± ¡°They deserve everything I¡¯m

    going to do.¡± William said and turned away from her. She pulled at his arm but he shoved

    her off him and kicked in the front door of the cabin without a single hesitation. Murderous rage was

    radiating from him, she wanted to scream at him to stop. She had seen enough suffering, she didn¡¯t want

    to see an ounce more. ¡°Hey!¡± Two men shouted. William went in without a second thought, Doris stayed

    right where she was and tried to stop her hands from trembling. ¡°What the fuck!¡± One screamed, Doris

    covered her ears to block out the sickening sounds of bones cracking. Doris stumbled back when William

    came back out a few minutester, dragging both men by their hair as if they weighed nothing The men

    were smaller than him, but still quietrgepared to Doris. Their faces werepletely covered in

    blood and their noses were bent the wrong way. They held onto William¡¯s hands as he dragged them out.

    A trail of blood followed in their wake. William dropped them by her feet and kneeled down to forced

    them to look up at her. ¡°Are these the ones that hurt you?¡± He asked calmly, a little too calm for what he

    was doing. Doris only spared a quick nce before

    she nodded. ¡°William-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch her!¡± Darrell screamed. William hit him hard in the face. ¡°If you

    don¡¯t apologize for what you did to her, I¡¯ll carve out your eyes and and rip open your stomach right

    here.¡± William threatened and made him look up at Doris. ¡°You first.¡±. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry for what we did to you

    ¡ª¡° William hit him again. ¡°I said for what you did.¡± He growled. Darrell had bloody tears streaming down

    his face. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry for everything I did to you. Please forgive me, I¡¯ll never touch another woman that

    way again.¡± William dropped him and went to Jules. He kicked him in his side and then kneeled to force

    him to look at Doris.¡° Your turn.¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m so sorry for everything. You didn¡¯t deserve anything I did and I

    swear I¡¯ll never fuck up like that again,¡± ¡°Would you like to do the honors?¡± William asked through his

    teeth as he nced up at Doris. He had their blood on his face and he looked deranged. ¡°Please, we¡¯re

    sorry¡ª¡° William didn¡¯t let Jules finish. He stood and stomped his foot down on his head, smashing his

    skull in with his boot. Doris flinched when the blood sttered on her face. She gasped and stumbled

    back. ¡°Oh my-¡± ¡°Help me!¡± Darrell screamed. ¡°Do you want to punish your attacker, Doris?¡± WilliamN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    asked again. Doris quickly shook her head no and held out her hands as if to stop him. William grabbed

    Darrell and pulled him into the darkness. Doris covered her ears again when Darrell started to scream

    loud enough to send sleeping birds from their trees. And then¡­ silence. The air stilled, she tried not to

    look at the body in front of her but the blood pooled around the area quicker than it could melt into the

    snow. Flickers of her nightmare returned to her mind¡­ what had he done? When William came out, his

    face was coated in so much blood-she almost didn¡¯t recognize him. He stopped in front of her and lifted

    her chin to look up at him. ¡°No one is allowed to touch you but me.¡±

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    Chapter 66 He¡®ll have to trust me.

    The ride back to the pce was almost unbearable. The biting wind blew her hair back as he rode as

    hard as he could towards the camp. Perhaps he wanted to distance himself as far as he could from that

    scene as she did. He couldn¡¯t run from what he¡¯d done. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw blood.

    Deep down, she didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit bad for the men. They tortured her for fun and seemed to love

    every minute of it. One even appeared to get off on it, perhaps they both did in the most sick and twisted

    way. She was so sure she was about to die at their hands, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many other

    women they had killed before her. Did they do it for fun? She wouldn¡¯t doubt it if someone uncovered all

    the bodies they hid six feet under around their cabin. There was just no way she was their first victim.

    They seemed too familiar with it, too sure of themselves to get away with it. They almost did.

    But still, she wished she didn¡¯t have to see them meet their end. It would haunt her thoughts for months

    toe-she doubted she¡¯d ever get another peaceful sleep again after everything she¡¯s seen. She

    longed for the time when the worst thing she had ever seen was a bathroom that hadn¡¯t been cleaned in

    months. By the time they arrived back to the camp, the sun was up and shining high in the sky. The

    vige was wide awake and going about their duties without a single nce towards the prince. Perhaps

    that was good even though they meant it as disrespect. Doris wasn¡¯t sure how much blood still remained

    on his skin even after he tried to wipe it off. Doris felt as if her enter body was drenched in it. Could they

    see it on her face? Was it on her hands and in her hair? Or was she imaging it all? 2 Of course she was,

    she never touched them, he¡¯s the one that ripped them apart and spread this body parts across the

    clearing Enzo was talking with a group of guards from the pce. When he saw them on the horse, he

    froze before he stomped across the snow directly to them. His guards followed close behind, it looked

    as if he didn¡¯t let them know he would be taking a midnight stroll. ¡°What-what happened?¡± Enzo asked.

    He raised his arms to help Doris down, but William dropped down in front of him and helped her instead.

    Enzo stepped back but his eyes still looked for any source of injury on her. ¡°I paid a visit to the men that

    kidnapped Doris.¡± William said simply as he set her down on the ground. He still had a bit of blood

    smeared across his chin. She forced herself not to wipe it off him Enzo had clearly already seen it. Enzo

    straightened his shoulders and nced at the gathering crowd. Murmurs started before Doris had a

    chance to realize what was happening. They looked at William as if he was a monster terrorizing their

    town. Patrick had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked William over. She wondered if he was

    the one that told him about who the men were, or if he was just disappointed he wasn¡¯t brought along

    ¡°May I talk privately with you, prince?¡± Enzo asked without a hint of kindness. William lifted his chin and

    took Doris by

    her wrist before he walked off into her cabin. Enzo followed close behind, clearly William wanted to be

    the one in control. She could see how much he hated having no control here. And no respect. Perhaps

    that was why he wanted her close by, she would always be his maid. Someone he can control and tell

    what to do. Everyone else here that wasn¡¯t a guard? They would rather spit in his face than listen to a

    singlemand. Though, Doris didn¡¯t think they¡¯dst long if they did something like that to him. 1 The

    room had clearly been cleaned and aired out since she left. She was relieved, her old sheets were

    stained with sweat and the food she ate in bed. The air felt clearer and fresh. Before it was more stuffy

    and it suffocated her. Once the door was closed, William let her go. She rubbed her wrist and stepped

    away. Why was she even here? Unless... Enzo thought she was apart of their demise and maybe he

    wanted to yell at them both for it. ¡°I was told you handled her kidnappers.¡± William clenched his hands

    into fists at his sides before he stretched his fingers out again. He did it several times before

    he rxed a little. ¡°I was going to remove their hands, I hadn¡¯t gotten around to it.¡± Enzo said calmly. It

    was a wonder how anyone allowed them to be alone together. Doris could feel the hatred, she could

    almost reach out and touch it. William snorted. Doris was too nervous to say anything, not that she had

    anything to add to the fire. She seated herself on one of the cushioned seats. ¡°I suppose you thought it

    would be a better idea to take Doris when she was inches from death just yesterday and make her watch

    you torture those me.¡± Enzo walked over to the firece and leaned against the mantle. William

    clenched his jaw tight. ¡°She¡¯s not your concern, she¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, I was quite concerned

    about her wellbeing.¡± Enzo brushed off a bit of snow from his suit. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we talk about the

    reward I¡¯m owed.¡± William said more patiently than he looked. Enzoughed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break it to you,

    prince. But the offer was only for rogues. Royalty are normally not allowed within a thousand feet of this

    camp, as

    you quickly found out the moment you stepped through the north. Why would you even care about

    having an ounce of power over our little camp?¡± ¡°I have a n.¡± William said with a quick nce at Doris.

    He looked as if he was trying to choose his words carefully. ¡°I have a n to reunite the rogues with the

    kingdom.¡± Doris and Enzo both nced at each other. Clearly they both didn¡¯t expect William to say that.

    Not once has he showed interest in their politics or if they were done wrong by the kingdom. She¡¯d only

    ever heard William speak about the rogues in distaste-why did he want to bring them back to the

    kingdom? ¡°And how do you suppose we do that?¡± ¡°It will take time.¡± William put his hands in his pockets

    but Doris couldn¡¯t stop looking at the stters of blood on his chest and neck. ¡°I think our partnership

    could profit us both.¡± Enzo lookedpletely baffled. He looked at Doris as if he wished she wasn¡¯t in

    the room so he could speak freely. She hated when people looked at her that way. She was a person,

    not a statue. She had feelings and she felt as if everyone around her forgot that.

    ¡°I always heard you were the one least interested in politics. I would have expected the crown prince to

    knock at my door rather than you. Why the sudden interest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m private about my opinions.¡± Was all

    William said. Enzo tapped his fingers against his arm. He watched William as if he was trying to solve a

    puzzle that was supposed to be easy. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here in the north? Kill a bunch of my rogues

    and then talk to me about peace? I can¡¯t say it¡¯s very convincing on if we should work together.¡± ¡°Rogue

    or not, they deserved what they

    got.¡±

    ¡°Fair point,¡± Enzo pushed away from the firece and spread his arms wide. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll take a lot

    more convincing for me to even consider listening to you. Surely you understand nobody here trusts you

    and I wouldn¡¯t wait on them to try anytime soon. They¡¯ll be much harder to reason with than me.¡± William

    narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°Join me for a drink, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered you want to take me out, but I don¡¯t

    put out on the first date.¡±

    Enzo turned his back to them and walked to the door. ¡°Come for dinner when the sun sets.¡± His eyes

    flickered to Doris. ¡°Alone.¡± Doris tried not to feel stung, she certainly didn¡¯t think she was going to join

    them or anything. She looked away and focused on the crackle of mes in front of her. Was this why he

    truly wanted toe to the north? He told her he had a n, she never considered it would involve

    being civil with the rogues. There was something here she couldn¡¯t quite grasp yet. There was something

    he hadn¡¯t told her, and she doubted he would. William nodded his confirmation once before Enzo left.

    ¡°Do you trust him?¡± Doris asked. William turned his blue gaze to the mes and all Doris saw was

    determination. ¡°It won¡¯t matter. He¡¯ll have to trust me.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    Chapter 67 A bit of gossip.

    When William left to go speak with Patrick, Doris didn¡¯t waste a second of her time. She bathed and

    dressed in something warm before she wandered out to the vige. People were gathered around a fire

    and swapping stories with warm cups of tea and chocte. Doris smiled at them, but they looked at her

    and quickly avoided her eyes. She noticed a beautiful woman seated by herself watching Doris as she

    passed by, but didn¡¯t offer any kind greeting either

    ¡ª just a curious look. ¡°Doris!¡± Eliza came out of one of the cabins and hurried her steps to catch up with

    her. Doris wondered how old the woman was. She had to guess somewhere around her mothers age

    which wasn¡¯t that old. Possibly in her forties. ¡°Oh hello Eliza. How¡¯re you today?¡± Doris asked as she

    slowed her steps to walk with the woman. She followed her to a table that had warm tea and cookies.

    She wondered if it was a daily thing to gather

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    around a warm fire together-how lovely that sounded Eliza snorted and bumped her arm with her

    shoulder. ¡°I should be asking you that. Has the poison passed through your system yet?¡± ¡°William told

    me it should have. I was asleep for days while my body fought it. I haven¡¯t felt anything more than the

    asional dizziness since I got out of bed.¡± Doris piled a napkin with the sweets and followed Eliza to a

    bench nearby. ¡°Thank you for helping me while I was sick, by the way.¡± ¡°Oh, no thanks are in order. Your

    lover made sure he took care of you the entire time. He wouldn¡¯t even let use in to visit you once.¡±

    The woman rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. ¡°Male wolves are so possessive of their women. Though,

    he probably wins an award for being the most possessive one I¡¯ve ever encountered. Doris felt her entire

    face heat. ¡°Oh no no. He¡¯s a prince, not my lover. I work for him at the castle. I only came on this trip to

    aide him as a servant.¡± 2 Eliza raised her brows as if she couldn¡¯t believe Doris was trying to make an

    excuse. ¡°I¡¯m serious, we have nothing

    between us.¡± Doris continued. Her silence made her more nervous the longer it passed ¡°No? I don¡¯t think

    my husband would have even waited on me like that when he was alive.¡± Eliza said. Doris frowned and

    went to say something, but the woman held up her hand to stop her. ¡°It was a long time ago, don¡¯t worry

    yourself. Still, no man I know would sit day and night by your side unless he loved you.¡± Doris stared at

    her as if she was insane. She felt augh bubble up her throat but she swallowed it. Prince William? In

    love with her? Now she was absolutely mad for considering that. ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡ª¡° ¡°You didn¡¯t see him

    when you were unconscious. He was like a crazy man, desperate for you to get better. He ate next to

    you and slept in that chair for days. Everyone saw how much you mean to him.¡± Doris shifted

    ufortably. ¡°I assure you that he¡¯s not in love with me. I¡¯m nothing but a maid to him. He doesn¡¯t like

    when he loses things that he thinks belongs to him.¡± Eliza leaned back a little as if she was taking a

    wider look at Doris. ¡°You think

    he doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re worthy?¡± ¡°What-no, I just know that he doesn¡¯t love me. He has ady back at the

    castle. She¡¯s the reason we¡¯re here.¡± Doris brushed her hair behind her ear and suddenly wished she

    never left her cabin. Was it toote to go back and hide? ¡°You¡¯re the most beautiful girl that has ever

    passed through this vige, don¡¯t let a man make you think you¡¯re less.¡± Eliza said with a lifted chin.

    Doris sighed. ¡°I appreciate yourpliments but I truly think you¡¯ve gotten the wrong impression. Prince

    William has ady back in the pce waiting for him and he doesn¡¯t harbor those feelings for me like you

    think he does. He¡¯s just¡­ a good prince.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Eliza shook her head. ¡°I am not the blind one. Come

    with me.¡± Eliza stood suddenly and started walking away from the crowd. Doris quickly stood and

    followed her. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Doris asked, catching herself from falling face first in the snow. A bit

    of her sickness still lingered in the smallest ways. One being the desperate need for her body to either sit

    ory down at all times but she fought against it and kept on.

    ¡°Enzo had something made for you while you were out. Since you¡¯re finally awake and well, I thought it

    would be a good time to give it to you since your prince isn¡¯t hovering over your shoulder.¡± Doris rolled

    her eyes and followed her into the small cabin. The air immediately filled her with warmth from the

    roaring fire and made her want to curl up on the couch with a fuzzy nket and a good book. If only she

    had brought a fewfort items from the pce to fill in her cabin. Not that-she would be staying.

    William would drag her back to the castle himself if he had to. And she couldn¡¯t imagine what would

    happen to Beth if he knew

    she was here alive and well. Still, she loved how homey this cabin felt. Littered with Eliza¡¯s life in books

    and decorations across the dark wood. It was nice. Doris wished she had a ce like this to call home.

    One that belonged to her alone. ¡°Sit by the fire, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Eliza said without a nce back at her.

    Doris seated herself and held out her hands to defrost. The air smelled like cinnamon and spices when

    she inhaled deeply. Truly lovely When she came out again, she had a

    ¡°Oh, this is too much. Enzo shouldn¡¯t have went through any trouble-¡° ¡°He didn¡¯t, most of this is leftover

    stuff that nobody wants. We make a lot of things here since we have so much spare time. A lot of it goes

    unused, but he did have this made for you.¡± Eliza set the pile on the table and pulled out a leather belt.

    ¡°You can wear it around your hips or waist. It¡¯s meant to keep your knife secure so you don¡¯t loose it.¡±

    Doris took the leather in her hands and inspected the design closer. It had vines and small flowers

    embroidered in a lovely pattern that made Doris smile. ¡°He had it made just for me?¡± ¡°Yes, he saw you

    shove the de in one of your pockets and knew you were going to get yourself cut if you kept on. Or rip

    all of your clothes.¡± Eliza patted her cheek. ¡°Enzo is a good man. People try to take his kindness for

    granted but he will cut anyone that crosses a line without a second thought.¡± Doris nodded and fitted the

    belt around her waist. ¡°He is a good man. I can see why you love him as your leader. if only more men

    were like him in leadership.¡±

    ¡°I can see your prince has quite the temper on him.¡± Eliza said with raised brows. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a lick

    of patience like Enzo.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± Doris felt the sudden urge to defend William. It wasn¡¯t fair being judged

    by people that knew nothing about him or what he has been through. She¡¯d been judged her entire life by

    people who didn¡¯t bother to know her . ¡°Well, he¡¯s a man of little words and he knows what he wants. I

    think he¡¯s quite smart and knows how to be a good leader, people just underestimate him.¡± ¡°Hmm, I

    heard his father refuses to give him his own pack.¡± Eliza started to fold the winter clothes that she had

    brought out for Doris. ¡°1-don¡¯t know anything about those sort of things, I¡¯m sorry. Maids don¡¯t get into

    royal business.¡± Doris said patiently. The womanughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t look so tense! I was just trying to

    find out if the bit of gossip was true or false. The king is a horrible man, so I wouldn¡¯t have been

    surprised if he denied his son something so important for a prince.¡± Eliza said. Doris pressed her lips

    together and ran her fingers across the belt. It felt wrong

    to talk badly about the royals-even if they were awful to them. Doris had been loyal to the kingdom for

    years and the thought of anyone from the pce over hearing Eliza made Doris a bit nervous. What if

    they thought she was talking bad about them too? ¡°Thank you for all of this, truly.¡± Doris said quickly and

    gathered the bundle in her arms. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re more than wee my dear. Pleasee by any time you

    wish.¡± Eliza said as she followed her out. Doris released a breath and hurried across the path to her own

    cabin, She almost dropped everything when she saw William already inside, asleep on her bed.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    Chapter 68 You¡®ll be my wife, then.

    She would never get used to the sight of the sleeping prince. So peaceful under the warm covers. Did

    she enter the wrong room? Doris looked around and saw her cloak by the door and an extra pair of her

    boots by the wall. It was definitely her room-perhaps he was the one that was in the wrong room. Surely

    Enzo must have given him one. Silently, she slipped off her boots so her steps wouldn¡¯t wake him and

    quietly went to put away the clothes she was given. Honestly, it was all too much. She knew they would

    be leaving soon and she would have no use for a lot of the winter clothing they gave but-still. It was kind

    and filled her with a sense of warmth that came from more than theyers. Despite the cruel ones, they

    were trying to make her feel like home here. Slowly, she opened a creaky drawer and set everything

    inside. When she tried to close it silently, it mmed louder than

    she intended. Doris cringed and quickly looked back to see William staring at her. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to

    wake you.¡± Doris said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll be on the couch.¡± William leaned his head back on the pillow and rolled

    his eyes to the ceiling. He probably realized he was in the wrong room too. ¡°Change out of those

    clothes.¡± Doris nced down at her snow covered cloak and pealed off her gloves before she went to

    change in the bathroom. She put arge sweater on over her nightgown and silently crept towards the

    couch. ¡°No,e here.¡± He said with his eyes still closed as if he could hear her every breath. Doris

    swallowed and stood at the edge of the bed, ¡°I think it would be better for me toy on the couch¡ª¡±

    ¡°How long are you going to stand there babbling?¡± He interrupted. Doris licked her lips and tried not to

    think of the dream she had when he lifted her nightgown to kiss what was underneath. She blew out the

    candles and sent the room into darkness, with only the

    moonlight lighting her way. The bed creaked from her weight and sheid on the very edge. She would

    never-ever get used toying next to him. It made her try to tame every breath she had. There were so

    many cabins that had empty beds-why was he in hers? She wouldn¡¯t dare kick him out after everything

    he did for her-or even suggest herself leaving. He might take offense and regret ever letting her live by

    giving up some of his blood. William turned on his side to face her with his eyes closed. She studied his

    beautiful face and cursed herself for even admiring it. Could he hear how loud her heart raced? If she

    tried hard enough, would she be able to hear things like that now that she had a wolf? Or was she not

    fully tapped into that part of herself? The anxious thoughts died out in her mind. She fell asleep much

    quicker than she ever had before.

    He was already up and dressed when she finally woke. Doris felt a bit embarrassed to be the only one

    that was still sleeping when she was supposed to be the one

    that was waiting on him. She slipped into the bathroom and changed into one of the new sweaters Eliza

    had given her the day before. William was watching the snow fall lightly out the window when she came

    out. He nced back at her, his blue eyes looked so bright against his dark hair and the snow out the

    window. ¡°Walk with me?¡± Doris hesitated and nodded. Thest time she went out for a walk with him, he

    went and ripped apart the men that kidnapped her and took her with him to watch. She silently hoped it

    would be nothing like that this time. Just a simple walk. He opened the door for her and allowed her to go

    first before he met her on the trail. They took one that led away from the camp and towards somewhere

    more secluded and quiet. Soon she heard theughing voices of the vige fade into the background.

    She inhaled deeply, the air was so fresh out here. ¡°I hope your dinner went well with Enzo.¡± Doris said as

    she pressed her cold hands together.

    ¡°It was¡­ productive.¡± William said with nothing to hint how he truly felt, his own hands were shoved deep

    into his pockets. ¡°There¡¯s something I can¡¯t get off my mind, though.¡± Doris nced up at him curiously,

    but he stared forward. ¡°About Enzo?¡± ¡°No.¡± He said sharply. ¡°About the night you were poisoned. You

    said you saw three wolves that looked out of ce.¡± ¡°Yes, they came from the woods behind the cabins.

    They sought you out and I thought they were part of the rogues and I just hadn¡¯t seen them before.¡±

    Doris kicked a rock in front of her and gazed up at the gloomy sky. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± He said more to himself

    than her ¡°Were they not part of the rogues? I never knew what happened after¡­.¡± ¡°They fled before I

    could get all of them. I¡¯m not sure if there was more.¡± His words were clipped as if he already said more

    than he wanted to. Doris blew out a slow breath of air. ¡°That is strange, I thought Enzo would have

    known.¡± Doris nced at him again but he only shook his head. Hadn¡¯tN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    anyone else at the camp recognized the wolves? Surely they must have seen them before if they lived

    here. ¡°My guards had poisoned ws that night and was able to harm at least one of them.¡± ¡°Oh, so

    perhaps they¡¯re dead now.¡± Doris suggested. ¡°It¡¯s possible, the only cure besides my blood is

    passionflower and poppy seed but only an expert would know that.¡± Doris walked on in silence, but her

    mind was loud. Was it possible the man was still alive? If he was. Doris stopped and turned to William.¡±

    How far is the market we were meant to go to from here?¡± ¡°Not far, just over the hills. Why?¡± ¡°What if¡­

    what if the man isn¡¯t dead yet but doesn¡¯t know a cure? He might start to get desperate the sicker he

    gets.¡± Doris said, William watched her closely. ¡°What if you bought out all the ingredients he would need

    from the market and nt a half dose of cure for one of the venders to sell. He¡¯ll be shouting what it is to

    the streets and eventually it might draw out the man

    that really needs it. Or at least someone he knows, then they could tell him about

    it.¡±

    William¡¯s brows furrowed and suddenly she felt stupid for ever saying anything. He must think she was

    ridiculous. He cleared his throat and looked up at the sky as if he wanted to look anywhere else but her.

    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant, Doris.¡± He said, and her heart did a silly flip in her chest. He looked down just in time to

    see her smile and she could have sworn the side of his mouth lifted just barely. ¡°How would we catch

    him?¡± He asked as if he was trying to build a small bridge between them. For once, it sounded like he

    wanted to hear her opinion. 2 ¡°We¡­ we can watch the market for a few days. Go in disguise and pretend

    to be visiting vigers.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll know it¡¯s me instantly.¡± ¡°We can put you in Enzo¡¯s clothes to throw off your

    scent and¡ª¡± Doris hesitated, but she reached up and brushed his hair to the side. He blinked at her in

    surprise but said nothing. ¡°We can put a hat on you.¡± 1

    ¡°You¡¯ll be my wife, then.¡± He said suddenly. His words knocked the breath from her lungs. 2 ¡°What? I¨CI

    don¡¯t think that would be a good idea-No one would believe that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be pretending, aren¡¯t

    we?¡± He took a step closer, she had to tilt her head back just to look up at him. He lifted her hand and

    turned it over to look at the scars across her skin. So many that she hadn¡¯t had before. ¡°I¡¯ll even get you

    a ring.¡± Doris willed herself to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes left her feeling as if she was about

    to drown again and he was-so close. She could feel the warmth his body gave and smell the stormy

    scent of his skin. He dropped her hand and started back towards the camp before she could object any

    further. It took her a moment to catch her breath before she followed him, hurrying in the snow to catch

    up with his long strides. It should be considered a sin to be that beautiful. He turned to look at her with a

    sense of mischief in his eyes. ¡°Meet me back in here an hour.¡± 1

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    Chapter 69 He¡®ll kill for it anyway

    Of all the things she had to pretend to be ¡­ his wife was thest thing on the list that she would have

    guessed. Doris searched through her clothes and came out with an outfit she thought would blend in

    best with those that lived here. A thick cream sweater with a ck coat on top and boots that were

    meant to brave even the worse snow. She pulled her hair up into a bun and pulled a ck hat Eliza had

    given her over it. She wasn¡¯t sure if anyone would recognize her long brown hair, but she didn¡¯t want to

    take any chances. When she came back out, William was talking with Patrick close by her cabin. His

    eyes caught on her for a second but she was too distracted by his attire to notice. He was dressed

    almost exactly like Enzo with the same crisp suit that was built for snow and one of the many hats she¡¯d

    seen him in around the camp. When she neared him, he even smelled

    different. She¡¯d never seen William in anything but his fancy prince attire and pce themed outfits.

    Even the ones meant for snow. Patrick turned to look at her and offered a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be close by in

    the trees, try not to look for me.¡± He winked and pped William on the back before he headed towards

    the stables. Even he was dressed more like a viger. She assumed all their other clothes had been

    ruined on the journey over here-she didn¡¯t even want to think about what happened after she was taken.

    William picked up her hand and slid a gold ring on her finger. It was nothing fancy, just a simple gold

    band that was much different than what princes usually gave the women they were marrying. It made

    Doris feel a little better, at least she knew for certain this was all fake. Doris released her breath when he

    set down her hand. ¡°It was all I could find.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± Doris nodded with a smile. He looked a little

    surprised before he shook it off and led her to the horses. ¡°My horses are too obvious, Enzo is letting us

    use one of theirs.¡± He stopped in front of a in brown horse that looked like the rest of them. He

    gripped her waist and lifted her on the back of the horse. She tried not to think about how strong he was

    as he lifted himself up in front of her and guided the horse out onto the trail. Doris wrapped her arms

    around his waist and held on tightly The ride wasn¡¯t as long as she thought, it was truly right over the hills

    as he had said. They took the main path and they were there in less than an hour. No one really spared

    them a second nce as they trotted through the market. He steered the horse towards where the rest

    of them were left and hopped off to tie the rope along the fence before he held out his arms for her. He

    gently set her in the snow and took her hand to wrap around his arm as they walked. No one would

    believe this, there was no way. Him? With-her? They¡¯re all going tough and call their bluff immediately

    William put his hand over her own and squeezed. ¡°I can hear your heart pound faster than it should be.

    Take a breath.¡± Doris took a deep breath as she swerved out of the way for another couple. William

    tipped his hat to them to hide a part of his face. ¡°Do you know how to make the cure?¡± Doris whispered,

    she nced around at the growing crowd but no one seemed to notice her or them at all. Nothing more

    than a quick nce in passing before they went on their way. ¡°Yes.¡± He said through his teeth. Doris

    nced up at him. Why did he always have to snip at her? They stopped in front of a booth that had

    endless spices. Doris took in the sight of all of it. Wait-was this the booth that also had the poison that

    was in Melody¡¯s soup? Would he have that? It looked like he had everything. She didn¡¯t have time to ask

    William, he was already gging down the owner. ¡°Yes, my boy. What would you like today? We just got

    in some fresh cinnamon sticks¡ª¡± ¡°I was wondering how big your stock of poppy seeds and

    passionflower is?¡± William interrupted before the man ran the entire menu. ¡°Oh we haven¡¯t gotten much

    of eithertely.¡± The man nodded his hello to Doris as he talked. Doris offered a smile. ¡°We have less

    than a pound of each right now but we should get more next week

    ¡°We¡¯ll take all of what you have.¡± William took off his gloves and she saw he had a matching gold ring on

    his finger. He pulled out a sack from his pocket and offered a bit more than the spices were even worth.

    The man didn¡¯t seem to mind, he quickly took the money and nodded his head. ¡°Yes sir! I¡¯ll get that for

    you right away.¡± William pushed his hands back in his pockets and Doris moved a bit closer to him when

    a gust of wind picked up and sent a new wave of chills through her. He looked down at her. ¡°Is there any

    sort of shelter nearby for my wife and I to stay the night?¡± He asked the man as he bagged the spices.

    He spared a quick nce at them both before he continued. ¡°There¡¯s an inn at the edge of the market.

    It¡¯s made for travelers like yourself to stay when the wind gets to be too much.¡± ¡°Do you get many storms

    out here?¡± Doris asked as she nced down the road. It seemed to stretch on and on with booths andN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    cabins like the one Enzo lived. This one seemed to be even more popr, perhaps because of the

    market. ¡°Oh yes, we have a system that once the wind picks up a certain way, we copse everything

    and get in doors.¡± Heughed a little and handed the bags to William, he shoved it in his coat. ¡°The inn is

    nice though. The rooms are cozy ande with a heater.¡± ¡°Oh, lovely.¡± Doris said. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The

    man smiled and nodded his head.¡± You twoe from far?¡±. William shook his head and started to steer

    Doris away. ¡°Good day.¡± Doris followed him down the road and took in the sight of all the other sellers

    had to offer. They had clothes and hats, scarves and gloves. Some sold meat while others sold weapons

    for hunting. It was truly lively ce and Doris had never seen anything like it. Of course, she had heard

    of ces like this. But to see it was wild. ¡°Oh.¡± Doris saw a booth that had a few booksid in a pile on

    the front table. Her fingers curled with how much she longed to see what they had. It was so hard being

    somewhere secluded and nothing to read. Everything about this ce screamed perfect reading

    weather. William stopped when he saw her longing gaze and led her a little closer . ¡°Do you want one?¡±

    He asked. An old woman stood from the stood and smiled at them both with a toothless grin. Doris shook

    her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± She didn¡¯t have any money with her, all of it was back at the pce. William

    furrowed his brows and set down a few coins. ¡°Get two.¡± The woman snatched the coins before Doris

    could say no again. Doris cleared her throat and looked through the pile until she came across two

    romances that looked perfectly entertaining. She smiled down at her choices and ran her fingers across

    the new bindings. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll love those.¡± The woman winked at Doris before she nced up at William

    with a sheepish grin. ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris said quickly and guided William away. He nced back over his

    shoulder at the woman before he nced at the books in her hands.¡± Thank you for that you didn¡¯t have

    to.¡± William shrugged as if it was nothing but -it was something. He wanted her to have these books

    because she wanted them so he bought them for her. No one had ever bought her anything before like

    that. They silently walked up the street and William bought them some food from another vender before

    they went into the Inn. She didn¡¯t expect to be staying long enough to need it, but she should have

    figured it might have taken longer than an evening of waiting. If only she brought more clothes. William

    bought them a room and ignored the nces from interested and beautiful strangers. He walked right

    past them with his hand on Doris¡¯s back as if he was iming her as his own and nothing else would be

    considered. Once they were closed in the room, he went to work. He pulled a small vile out of his coat

    pocket and pulled out the spices. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Doris offered. He shook his head and already

    seemed to be lost in his own concentration as heid out his supplies on the table. He grabbed the

    heater and turned his back to her. Dorisid her coat on the bed that was much smaller than any she had

    shared with him before-but she tried not to think about that. She started to prepare them both a te of

    food. ¡°Are you hungry-¡± ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± He said before she could finish. He lifted a small ss of liquid to the

    ceiling to observe. ¡°He won¡¯t survive off of this, but he¡¯ll kill for it anyway.¡±

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    Chapter 70 Did you think I wouldn¡®t find you

    William stood, the chair almost fell behind him when he turned to the door. ¡°Should Ie-¡± Doris moved

    for her coat. ¡°No, stay here. I want to talk to the spice guy and work out a deal.¡± He closed the door

    before she could ask what he meant. What kind of deal would he mean? Again, Melody and her

    poisoning had slipped from her mind. She had to ask him about it before they left but whenever she was

    around him-Melody was the furthest thing from her mind. As horrible as that sounded. She ate her food

    alone andid on the bed to read when her thoughts tried to drown her. She wondered if the wolves lived

    nearby or if they were long gone and all of this was for nothing. William would probably be furious for her

    wasting his time and having to pretend to be married to someone like her. She

    could see the rage on his face now when he realized she was wrong and wasn¡¯t smart at all. Doris was

    dozing off when William finally came back in their room. She sat up quickly and set her book on the end

    table. His eyes looked a little wild and his cheeks were red from the cold. ¡°He mentioned someone

    coming by the marketst week looking for some sort of cure for poison.¡± Doris stood quickly. ¡°Had he

    come by recently?¡± ¡°He said he saw him again a few days ago-but he looked close to death. Hees

    by often to check for something to help him.¡± Doris chewed on her lip and sat on the edge of the bed. He

    might already be dead. They both knew it, but at least they weren¡¯t going in circles. He had passed

    through the market in search of a remedy. Perhaps he was close enough to hear the man actually had

    one. ¡°Patrick is watching the booth, he¡¯ll leave a note on the horse if he follows anyone.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we

    wait out there too?¡± Doris asked

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°We will. Tonight. The man said he alwayses at night, never during the day.¡± William picked at the

    te of food sheid out for him. ¡°I¡¯ll get answers out of him one way or another.¡± His voice darkened a

    little and sent a small shiver through Doris. She never knew where his emotions wouldnd at any given

    time. Perhaps it should thrill her that she never knew what he was going to say, but more often than not it

    left her annoyed with him. Or terrified of what he was capable of. Lately she¡¯d been feeling less scared

    and more¡­ used to it. Doris tried to turn on the heater but it refused to start. She kicked it a few times,

    but still nothing. She sighed andid in the bed and brought the covers over herself. Night time was

    hours off, they both could use rest before the night came.3 Her entire body trembled. How was it possible

    that she felt more cold in here than outside? She heard the bed creak and his weight brought it down a

    little while he settled himself. Doris closed her eyes and almost stopped breathing when

    he wrapped his big arms around her small frame, trapping her in his warmth. ¡°¡­.William?¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± He

    said against her ear. It sent a new kind of shiver down her body and she silently shamed herself. What

    was wrong with her? 3

    William woke her a few hourster when the room waspletely dark except for the few candles he

    must have lit near the door. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± He whispered. Doris shoved her books in a small pouch and

    followed him out the door. There was nothing else for her to take, she wasn¡¯t even sure if they would

    come back. Probably not if they ended up finding him. When they stepped out into the snow, she could

    hear the sounds of chatter from all angles. It was even more alive at night when all of the torches and

    candles lit up the area like a beautiful scene. She gripped William¡¯s arm and followed him down the road.

    She tried her best not to focus on the muscles she could feel through his jacket and instead focused

    on not slipping on the ice. They stopped at each booth, looking over things they didn¡¯t really care about

    and trying not to search the crowd too obviously for a man that was on hisst leg. So far, everyone

    lookedpletely healthy. The closer they got to the booth, the more she heard the bell. The spice man

    stood on the edge of his booth ringing a small bell while shouting to the crowd . ¡°Poison from a bush?

    I¡¯ve got the cure! Come on down, not much avable!¡± He shouted it over the murmuring voices and

    laughter while everyone ignored him. It wasn¡¯t amon thing to get poisoned, she assumed. Even

    berries that were poisoned would leave them with an upset stomach but nothing more if they had the

    wolf in them. William led Doris off to the side where a booth was selling warm cider and sweets. He

    bought her some before they went off to sit on a bench that just so happened to have a perfect view of

    the spice booth. ¡°I may have given him a little extra for his help.¡± William said as he wrapped his long

    fingers around his warm mug. Doris scooted a little closer when

    another gust of wind picked up through the booths. ¡°What if he doesn¡¯te tonight?¡± Doris whispered.

    He bent his head closer to her own. His breath smelled like cinnamon. ¡°He will. The man said he¡¯s gotten

    desperate. The word will get back to him.¡± Doris lifted her book and tried to act like she was reading as

    she watched the crowd. Minutes turned to an hour and her skin was close to freezing over into ice. Her

    trembling was so rapid, it was hard for her to control her teeth chattering. Part of her was afraid she¡¯d

    break her teeth soon. William took her arms and wrapped them around his torso so he could hold her.

    The warmth was a small relief, she didn¡¯t understand how all of these people could take it so easily. She

    felt as if she was an icicle. Some of the booths had already closed and gone home, the roads weren¡¯t as

    cluttered anymore. The spice man had stopped his ringing about half an hour ago and Doris already felt

    herself ready to give up. At least for the night. And then

    The sound of coughing littered down the sidewalk. William picked up her book and set it in front of them

    as if they were both interested in what it had to say. She knew his blue eyes tracked the man that finally

    appeared in front of them but he didn¡¯t spare one nce in their direction. He only had eyes for the man

    at the spice booth He moved slowly with a limp leg. Doris was positive he was using every bit of strength

    to even move. She knew that feeling, it was like all of his limbs weren¡¯t his own and he had to force them

    to move the slightest bit. He was determined, though. He didn¡¯t stop until he got there and mmed his

    coins down with a nasty cough. ¡°You lyin¡¯ bastard. Give me the cure before I rip your¡ª¡± he couldn¡¯t even

    finish his threat before coughing. He couldn¡¯t have been more than thirty, but he sounded ancient. Did

    she sound as horrible as him when she was sick? It was a wonder how William could stand being around

    her. Once the spice man had handed off the vile, the man downed it and threw the

    ss on the floor before he walked back the way he came. William stood casually, as if it had nothing to

    do with the man they¡¯d been waiting for all night. He held out his hand for Doris and she took it as she

    stood, her books tucked back in her pouch. The spice man nodded once at William before he closed

    down his shop. Doris gripped tightly onto his arm as they followed as far from the man as they could.

    She didn¡¯t think he would notice them anyway. That sort of poison made breathing difficult, let alone

    noticing your surroundings. He walked off the path and stumbled a little towards the edge of the vige.

    Once he got between the trees, he doubled over and started violently coughing. William dropped Doris

    from his arm and motioned for her to stay while he crept up behind the man. William grabbed the man by

    his shoulder and forced him around before he mmed him into a tree. ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find

    you?¡± 2

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    Chapter 71 You can pretend you¡®re married a

    The man seemed dazed and confused when William shoved him against the tree. It took a few moments

    to register what was happening before his eyes widened in pure fear and recognition. ¡°I

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    William mmed his head back against the tree and dragged the man further into the woods. Doris

    hesitated and looked around to see no one was nearby before she followed him. Patrick was already

    there by the time Doris found them again. The man was shoved on the floor between William and

    Patrick, he had his hands up as if he could ward off their blows. but even Doris knew it was no use acting

    helpless. ¡°Who are you and why were you targeting the prince?¡± Patrick demanded. He quickly stepped

    on the man¡¯s hand when he tried to move away from them. Doris cringed at the sound of his bones

    cracking. It brought her right back to the

    room with Jack when he did the same to her. She took a small step back and wrapped her arms around

    herself. There was a bit of rity in his eyes when he looked at the men that towered over him. Perhaps

    the dose of cure was already working in his system. A shame it wouldn¡¯t really matter soon. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t

    know what you guys are talking about¡± Patrick kicked the man in the face, Doris looked away. ¡°That¡¯s not

    what we asked. We know you were part of the group of wolves that tried to assassinate the prince.¡±

    Patrick kneeled down and gripped the man by his chin to force him to look at him. ¡°Who sent you?¡± ¡°I

    don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± The man shouted and tired to pull away from Patrick, but he held

    firm. It brought back horrible memories of the pce¡­ did they all torture people for information? ¡°Where

    are you from, then? Why did youe for the prince?¡± Patrick asked, his patience running thin. ¡°Alright,

    alright! We came from Life Pharmacy! We heard the prince was

    nearby and we knew he couldn¡¯t be trusted. The royal family has been our enemy for decades. We were

    gathered and came up with a n to follow his carriage and attack at the right moment.¡± William shifted a

    little. He nced back to make sure Doris was still close by before he looked back down at the man. ¡°I

    knew I felt someone following me. How long?¡± ¡°Three days. You were never alone, the fight at Enzo¡¯s

    camp was the perfect opportunity.¡± ¡°Who owns Life Pharmacy?¡± Patrick asked. The man started to move

    away again and Patrick forced him back in ce before he smacked him. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± ¡°Enzo

    does.¡± ; The group froze. Patrick and William shot looks at each other but Doris couldn¡¯t see William¡¯s

    face. There was no way Enzo had anything to do this, Doris knew that. ¡°Did Enzo ask you to kill me?¡±

    William asked with a drop of venom in his voice. ¡°Our pack decided amongst ourselves.¡± The man spat.

    Doris flinched, it wasn¡¯t

    going to end pretty for him if he thought it was wise to talk back to them. ¡°Who else is in your group?

    What are their names?¡± Patrick asked. The man started tough suddenly. Heid his head back in the

    snow and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll never rat my brothers out. You might as well kill me now.¡± ¡°You heard the

    man.¡± William said as he turned towards Doris and took her arm to lead her away. ¡°Kill him now.¡± ¡°Wait!

    No!¡± The man screamed. A loud smack sounded behind them as they walked out of the woods. William

    gripped her arm hard enough so she wouldn¡¯t look back. She knew that he was already dead before they

    even got out of earshot. It was strange to think that only a few weeks ago she had never really been

    around death. Now it was everywhere she turned. They walked in silence back to the horse. The streets

    were deserted and quiet, she imaged everyone was already asleep and warm in their own beds. Safe

    and cozy, how she longed for that instead of being here. He said nothing as he lifted her on

    the horse and got on himself. She knew a hurricane was brewing in his mind and she couldn¡¯t help but

    wonder if he had a new suspicion about Enzo. They rode back hard and fast, even with the growing

    wind. Part of Doris worried a storm wasing, but William acted like one was already here. He didn¡¯t

    stop once until they reached it back to the camp in record time. Her mind briefly wondered if Patrick had

    already disposed of the body and was on his way back too. He steered the horse into the stables and

    slid off before he helped her off. He barely looked at her, only turned and made his way out into the

    snow. And right towards Enzo¡¯s cabin. Doris quickly followed even though she knew she could never

    stop a fight between them. ¡°You don¡¯t think he honestly ordered your murder, do you?¡± Doris said to his

    back, He turned and she stopped dead in her tracks. His face had been taken over by a rage that chilled

    her bones and made her wish she could suck her words right back ¡°Do not try to defend him to me,

    Doris.

    You don¡¯t know who he is or how dangerous he is.¡± William said, each word almost made her flinch. ¡°You

    may be daft enough to trust every kind man, but I¡¯m not.¡± He turned without another word, but Enzo was

    already standing there with his hands behind his back. It was empty of other vigers who must have

    already been asleep. Otherwise she knew they would have loved to see this scene y out. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t

    underestimate how smart our Doris is, prince.¡± William¡¯s jaw tensed. ¡°She¡¯s not your anything.¡± Enzo

    smiled at Doris over William¡¯s shoulder and offered a shrug that said, can you believe this guy? William

    growled. ¡°Why did you send your men to assassinate me? I thought you imed peace in thisnd.¡± I

    Enzo looked taken aback by his words. His brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°You mean when your pack

    attacked ours?¡± ¡°No, I mean Life Pharmacy,¡± William¡¯s hands clenched into fists at his sides.

    ¡°I take it your little n worked, then.¡± Enzo said with a nod. ¡°I only wonder why you think I would

    encourage it if I had anything to do with the man you sought out.¡± ¡°Life Pharmacy is owned by you.¡±

    William stretched his fingers and clenched them again. ¡°That may be so, but I didn¡¯t put out an order on

    your head. Even when you tore through a few of my viges looking for your girl.¡± Enzo flicked a piece of

    dirt off his suit. ¡°Whoever did so was not granted my approval-not that I would have ever given it to them

    unless it was under self defense.¡± ¡°Then who would have took it upon themselves to hunt down William?¡±

    Doris asked. She eyed William as she stepped up. ¡°When we came, there was a decoy carriage that was

    taken down the second it passed through the north. Perhaps it¡¯s the same people who did that.¡± Enzo

    looked thoughtful. ¡°It could be. I wasn¡¯t aware you wereing to the north until you were here. Is there

    anyone from the castle that might have

    fed information to someone at Life Pharmacy?¡± William and Doris shared a quick nce but said

    nothing. Enzo only smiled. ¡°Ah, we all got our secrets. Perhaps it¡¯s not wise to keep so many when your

    life is at risk. But, nheless, I would like to know who is conspiring behind my back. Killing a prince is

    enough to bring a war on ournd and something I would never risk.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about a

    war. My family isn¡¯t known for their love in me.¡± William said bitterly and walked by Enzo. ¡°Think what you

    will, prince, but I know even the smallest insult can bring a kingdom down.¡± Enzo watched William across

    the snow. ¡°How about this,¡± William slowed his steps. ¡°I set up a meeting for you two to visit the

    pharmacy as normal guests. You might be able to uncover some answers if they don¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    William turned back with a look of annoyance on his face. ¡°And how do you figure people wouldn¡¯t

    recognize me?¡± Enzoughed. ¡°You can easily be

    disguised from people who have never seen you up close. To them you¡¯re just a myth that walks around

    a pce, they have no idea what you look like when you dress like one of us.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Doris said. ¡°In

    the market, no one looked at you twice. The only reason you were sought out is and found is because

    they knew where to look for you.¡± William narrowed his eyes. ¡°How far is this ce?¡± ¡°Not far. I like to

    keep my things close to me. You¡¯ll have to give me a few days to set up something believable for your

    visit.¡± Enzo turned a smirk on Doris. ¡°I suppose you can pretend you¡¯re married a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    Chapter 72 I won¡®t tell if you won¡®t.

    Doris watched the men wander back to their cottages without a single nce back at her and stood

    frozen in the snow. She watched as her breath form clouds of fog in front of her but made no effort to

    move towards warmth. ¡°It won¡¯t be hard for you to pretend.¡± Said a voice in her mind. Doris nced

    around to make sure it hadn¡¯te from someone else. ¡°What?¡± Doris asked out loud. Her voice

    sounded so small in the breath of wind. ¡°That¡¯s our mate, it¡¯ll be say for you to pretend to be his wife.¡±

    Doris realized she was speaking to her inner wolf. She¡¯d heard it speak a few times before, but both

    times she had been in a fever dream state where she wasn¡¯t focused enough to understand what was

    happening. Now that she was more aware, she realized how strange it was to have something inside her

    speak to her like this. It sounded as if it knew

    more than she could ever hope to, perhaps it did. But not about this. ¡°He¡¯s not our mate.¡± Doris said

    silently. She could have sworn the voice scoffed at her words. ¡°Melody is his mate.¡± ¡°We both know that¡¯s

    not true. She faked her mark to take your ce. Everyone knew he was looking for a mark.¡± ¡°Doris?¡± A

    voice called from behind her. Doris turned to see Patrick standing a few feet away, his hands still stained

    in blood. Or perhaps she was imaging it again. She blinked and his hands were clean again. ¡°What¡¯re

    you doing out here?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just¡­ thinking.¡± Doris wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. The wolf

    inside her retreated and she knew they were done for now. Would it always be this way? Would the wolf

    inside her alwayse out to say its opinions even when they¡¯re wrong. Patrick shoved his hands deep

    in his pockets. ¡°It¡¯s quite an odd ce to be doing a thing like that. You¡¯ll freeze to death.¡±

    Doris nodded and went to back up a little towards her cabin until a thought stopped her. ¡°Howe the

    man

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    couldn¡¯t heal himself with other Werewolf blood?¡± Patrick raised his brows at her question as if it was the

    most ridiculous thing he¡¯d heard all day. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, William was able to heal me with

    his. He didn¡¯t need a cure, howe the man didn¡¯t have someone just do the same? Patrickughed a

    little, she frowned. What was so funny about her question? It had been on her mind ever since she saw

    how sick he was. Why didn¡¯t he just ¡­ have someone give him blood like William did? ¡°A normal

    werewolf¡¯s blood can¡¯t heal like William¡¯s does. His blood is rare and not many can do what he does.¡±

    Doris¡¯s lips parted a little. ¡°Oh¡­ is it because he¡¯s royal?¡± ¡°He¡¯s royal, he¡¯s an alpha. He¡¯s not like any

    other wolf you¡¯ll meet. No one can cure something as deadly as what you went through. He hoped it

    wouldn¡¯t have resorted to you needing the blood because of the horriblea it puts you in once you

    drink too much but he had to risk it.¡± Patrick shrugged and looked

    up at the sky. ¡°The cure doesn¡¯tpletely extract the poison like his blood does, so that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t

    consider it. It could have left you sick for months.¡± Patrickughed again when he saw the stunned look

    on her face. ¡°It won¡¯t all be so confusing once you learn more about it all. Listen, you should get some

    rest. It¡¯s been a long day.¡± He was right, she did need rest. But how would she sleep after what she just

    learned?

    The next morning, William was no where to be found. She woke up to an empty room and the sun had

    just barely started toe out. He was already asleep by the time she returned the night before after

    talking with Patrick, she wondered if he loathed the idea of pretending to be married to her and perhaps

    this was his attempt at avoiding her. Perhaps he even got another room so he wouldn¡¯t have to share

    hers anymore.

    The idea of it left her feeling¡­ ufortably sad. She had no right to

    feel that way. in fact, the other half of her felt relieved that he would want to finally get his own room. That

    was exactly what she wanted to happen. Right? Yes, of course. He was one of the most awful men to

    have a conversation with. Everything she said made him mad at her for no reason. Doris shook the

    thoughts out of her head and took her time dressing for the day. She let her long hair stay down and

    dressed in warm pants and a sweater before she pulled on a pair of knee high boots. When she finally

    stepped out into the snow, she instantly felt as if someone was watching her. Not someone everyone.

    She hadn¡¯t even fully closed her door before she noticed it. People snuck nces at her as she passed

    them to get a te of food. They whispered behind their hands and she swore she heard her own name

    more than once. It was so obvious, she wondered if they thought she was truly dumb enough for her not

    to notice. Eliza came up from behind Doris with a

    small smile on her face. It didn¡¯t read her eyes, which told Doris she knew exactly what everyone was

    saying about her. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, love?¡± ¡°Fine¡­ I notice everyone is staring at me.¡± Doris whispered.

    Eliza hummed to herself and jerked her chin to the side. ¡°Come with me, there¡¯s something you should

    see.¡± Doris pushed aside her half eaten te and followed Eliza down the snowy path. She led her to the

    very end of the row of cabins and motioned for Doris to stay quiet. Doris pressed her lips together and

    stepped over the snow carefully. ¡°Listen.¡± Eliza mouthed to her before she turned and walked back up

    the path without another word. What on earth was she supposed to be listening for? Doris almost turned

    and followed her until she heard the voices. ¡°¡­and that¡¯s not what I came here for.¡± Said a deep voice.

    William¡¯s voice? Who was he talking to? What did any of this have to do with her ¡°We never know what

    we want until we see it.¡± A female voice said, her tone low with a drop of lust. ¡°Let me help you

    rx¡­.¡± ¡°You said you had information on Life Pharmacy.¡± Prince William snapped. Doris crept towards

    the door and strained to hear more. ¡°I say a lot of things, but I¡¯m offering you a temporary escape from all

    the stress.¡± She could hear the sound of a bed creak as if someone had just sat upon it. Doris¡¯s stomach

    turned in disgust. ¡°Go in there and rip her apart! She¡¯s seducing our mate!¡± The voice screamed inside

    her. Doris had to hold her breath to keep from gasping at the sudden sound. A bubble of jealousy

    bloomed inside her chest. Who was this girl? Is this where he ran off to in the morning? Not that she

    should ever care. They were nothing to each other, her wolf was wrong. She was wrong for even wanting

    to hear any of this. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in what you¡¯re offering. I wanted information.¡± William growled. She

    heard the sound of his stomps near the door and Doris hurried to crouch on the side of the cabin near

    the windows that were too high for her to see into, but perfect for her to hide

    under. ¡°Wait! Aren¡¯t you bored of that servant yet? You¡¯re a prince, you can have any woman you want.

    You don¡¯t have to settle for her.¡± It sounded as if the woman stood again. Lighter footsteps hurried after

    his own. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you won¡¯t.¡± Doris had the sudden urge to go in there and strangle the girl until she

    was blue in the face. Her wolf hummed in approval at her dark thoughts. ¡°If you touch me again, I¡¯ll rip off

    your arm and feed it to my horses. You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t do that just for you lying to me and misleading

    me.¡± William threw open the door so hard, it banged against the wall of the cabin. He stepped out into

    the snow, Doris peered over the side to watch as he closed his eyes and inhaled. She quickly hurried

    away from the cabin before he could stomp across the snow and find exactly where she was. He knew

    her scent well. Doris took the back way up to the main area again and tried to hurry. By the time she

    arrived, she was a little out of breath ad William was already there.

    Seated at a back table with Patrick and a few other guards, his eyes instantly found her and she looked

    away before he caught her staring ¡°Did you find what you needed?¡± Eliza asked quietly when she came

    up to Doris. Doris swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

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    Chapter 73

    When were you going to tell me you were lovers Doris tried not to stare, she tried not to look for the girl

    who matched the voice that wanted to lure William into bed. But she couldn¡¯t seem to focus on anything

    else. Her wall kept whispering in her ear about the woman, but she wasn¡¯t entirely sure why she even

    cared. It wasn¡¯t her business to care what he did with anyone. She was on this trip to serve him and that

    was it. But still, her curiosity had gotten the better of her and made her waste a full day in the cold Doris

    lingered around the main camp where everyone spent most of their time catching up with each other

    before they went on with their days. She watched as gossip was shared and warmte drinks were passed

    around but not one of them had that voice. Not one of them offered for her to join them, either. She

    supposed she wasn¡¯t entirely liked or trusted here yet and she didn¡¯t me any of them for it. It was hard

    for her to trust anyone too. William had gone off with Patrick and Erizo and he didn¡¯t so much as say a

    word to her since the day before. Why did he always make her feel as if she did something wrong? She

    didn¡¯t, she reminded herself. She did nothing wrong. Doris just wanted to see who the girl was, she didn¡¯t

    want to rip her apart like her inner wolf wanted so desperately for her to do. Some sick twisted part of her

    just wanted to see what William was offered. It took hours in the cold, but she finally heard it. ¡°There!¡±

    Her wolf hissed. Doris sat up straighter and clenched her drink that had gone c long ago. A tall, thin

    woman with long blonde hair passed by her with a man close by. Their heads were bent in conversation

    and she recognized the voice immediately: ¡°What are you going to do to her for trying to seduce our

    mate?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Doris whispered and quickly looked around to make sure no one heard her. ¡°He¡¯s not

    our mate.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t deny it forever. Sooner orter it will kill you to see him with someone else. You

    know he would tear the head off anyone that looked at you the wrong way.¡±

    don¡¯t care about anything he does.¡± Doris insisted and turned her eyes away from the beautiful woman. If

    he wanted her, he could have her. She cleaned up her mess and headed towards her cabin to find a bit

    of warmth and a nap. ¡°You think I would ever be foolish enough to believe that? I know your heart better

    than you. Admit he is a good man to you.¡± ¡°I would never.¡± Doris whispered as harshly as she could

    manage. She hadn¡¯t gotten used to replying in her mind yet, which she really needed to work on.

    ¡°Imagine him with that girl. Imagine him how he was with Melody and tell me you don¡¯t care.¡± The voice

    taunted. Doris tried to block out the memories. She didn¡¯t need Melody¡¯s over exaggerated sounds

    haunting her dreams again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think you¡¯re doing, but it¡¯s not going to work. He¡¯s a

    prince, I¡¯m just his servant. We¡¯re not meant to be.¡± Doris hissed, she clenched her fists at her sides as

    she tried to quicken her steps to her cabin where no one would stare at her if she started shouting at her

    inner wolf. And she was very close to doing just that: ¡°Go on, picture him on top of her like he was on top

    of you in your dream. How did it feel to have his mouth all over you? Did you wish it was real? Did you let

    yourself¡ª* ¡°Stop it!¡± Doris shouted. Several eyes turned to look at her as if she was insane. She felt a bit

    that w e vou dag total me you v OVE . insane, if she was honest. She closed her eyes tightly as if it

    would make them all disappear around her but of course, they didn¡¯t ¡°They were still all there, staring at

    her as though she had just dropped her mind on the floor in front of them. ¡°Sorry!¡± Doris said before she

    mmed the door shut to her cabin behind her. She couldn¡¯t even remember how she got here, it was all

    a huge blur as she raced across the snow for some privacy. Having a wolf was a lot more annoying that

    she ever thought it would be. She had truly never considered what it would be like to have something

    inside you pick a fight to prove a point that was so utterly wrong. ¡°What do I call you, anyway?¡± Doris

    asked as she slid off her jacket and went to start a fire Her wolfughed. It was such a divine sound.

    Doris was sure she wasri¡¯t going to answer.¡± Cordelia. I¡¯m a bit embarrassed you didn¡¯t know that

    already.¡± ¡°The name sounded familiar, as if it had already been on the tip of her tongue. She didn¡¯t have

    the slightest idea to how that was possible. ¡°Why would I ever know that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had many dreams of

    me, I suppose you¡¯ve only forgotten.¡± Cordelia made a sound of disapproval.. Doris moved to the window

    and nced out the curtains. Luckily, no one was staring at her cabin. ¡°You made them all think I¡¯m

    insane.¡± ¡°They already thought that, my dear.¡± Sheughed. Doris rolled her eyes. ¡°They¡¯ve all been

    where you are once before. Perhaps when they were younger or recently. It¡¯s normal to be afraid.¡± Doris

    wanted to object and demand that she wasn¡¯t afraid, not one bit. But that wouldn¡¯t have been the truth.

    She was terrified. Was it possible to never change into her wolf again? Her eyes caught on William as he

    walked across the snow with Patrick: He was hard to miss with his height and sharp features that were

    hard to look away from. His face was twisted in a fit of anger, but Doris thought he always looked that

    way. The blonde woman from before stopped him in his tracks and Doris strained to hear what they

    talked about, but she was just too far. She mmed the curtain closed before she turned away and

    headed straight for the bed. She didn¡¯t care. She knew she didn¡¯t. At least she didn¡¯t have to listen to

    their noises here. This wasn¡¯t the pce, he couldn¡¯t make her stand out in the snow just to hear his

    pleasure. It had to be a while since he hadst spent the night with someone romantically. It was only a

    matter of time before he gave in to the offers and advances. Good riddance, at least it wasn¡¯t her he was

    pawing at. Her angry thoughts dimmed as she let it lure her to sleep. At least her wolf silenced enough to

    let her escape from it all.

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    ¡°Doris?¡± A soft voice gently pulled her awake. Arge hand gripped her shoulder and the sweet smell of

    cinnamon made her eyes open wide. Enzo stood above her with a look of concern. ¡°I heard you had a bit

    of an outburst today. I brought cake, if that helps.¡± Doris slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was so

    distracted by her anger, she¡¯d fallen asleep in her snow clothes. He wasn¡¯t lying about the cake. It was

    oozing with icing and cinnamon, she could have devoured the entire thing in one bite.

    ¡­ I was talking with my wolf outside, not having a breakdown.¡± ¡°Ah, I figured that.¡± Enzo sat on the edge

    of her bed and set the te on the table next to her

    ¡°You know how rumors go, they always get more dramatic by the time you hear them.¡± Doris smiled a

    little and hugged her knees to her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying not to talk out loud when I respond, but¡±

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    You¡¯re done. ¡°What?¡± Doris knew she heard him wrong, there was no other exnation for what he just

    said. Enzo just raised in brows in mild surprise. He stood and William crossed the room in threeng

    strides to grab him by his throat and m him against the wall ¡°William!¡± Doris stood quickly. her heart

    tried to m out of her chest. ¡°What are you doing? We¡¯re not lovers!¡± His eyes were wild with rage and

    a sort of jealousy she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Everyone knows it, don¡¯t lie to me! I told you what would

    happen if you lied to me!¡± He spat at Doris. Enzo looked entirely unbothered from William¡¯s outburst. He

    watched them both as William held him pinned to the wall. ¡°She¡¯s not lying. Surprisingly, we haven¡¯t even

    kissed.¡± Doris narrowed her eyes at him and wished she could smack him, he wasn¡¯t helping. William

    tightened his grip on Enzo and Enzo gripped his arm and started to twist it. William winced and dropped

    him, but immediately mmed him into the wall again. ¡°I knew you wanted her as your own. Tell me I¡¯m

    wrong¡± + ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Enzo said simply. William punched the wall by his head and Doris flinched.

    Enzo remained calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know who has been feeding you lies at this camp, but Doris is my fnend. I

    would never go after another man¡¯s¡­ interest. As you can see, the results always end so tragic and I¡¯m

    not interested in it.¡± William stared at Enzo for what felt like hours before he loosened his grip and

    stepped away. He eyed him as if he didn¡¯t believe a word he said and was ready to grab his throat again

    if he needed to. Erzo straightened his suit and looked them both over before he headed to the door

    ¡°I don¡¯t like drama in my vige, try to keep it to a minimum.¡± He said over his shoulder before he closed

    the door behind him. William stood ring at the door for several long minutes. He breathed hard, in and

    out, as he curled and uncurled his hands into fists. Doris hesitated before she stepped up to him. ¡°Why

    would you think¡­ We were lovers?¡± William turned his sharp gaze on her. It made her want to step back,

    but she was tired of cowering away from people. ¡°I heard it around the camp, everyone¡¯s talking about it.¡±

    Doris furrowed her brows. Eliza hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about that. When she brought her to the

    cabin, Doris thought she wanted her to know what William had been up to. Was that why they were all

    staring at her? ¡°It¡¯s not true. He hasn¡¯t touched me, nor I him.¡± ¡°I see him touch you all the time.¡± William

    hissed. He stepped closer to her and she had to lean back a little just to look up at him. ¡°It makes me

    want to rip his arms off for touching you so easily. For looking at you and making you smile.¡± Doris

    swallowed and nced around the empty room. There was no where for her to run or hide, all she could

    do was face him and his jealousy. Did he hate the idea that someone wanted something he owned? Did

    it make him murderous to see someone take interest in her when he didn¡¯t?

    ¡°I have no interest in Enzo. I promise you that.¡± Doris said calmly. She forced herself to look him in the

    eye. He would not make her shake from intimidation-not anymore. He breathed hard through his nose,

    his face was inches from her own and she couldn¡¯t remember when he Chad gotten so close to her. She

    could feel his every breath against her face. ¡°I don¡¯t like liars.¡± He said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not one: Not ever again. Dans whispered. His eyes flickened to her mouth and she dared herself to

    do the same. To imagine what it would feel like for his desires to be an her because she wanted it not

    because he forced it. Why why would she ever even consider having those sort of thoughts! After

    another moment, he stepped back from her like their moment never happened. He turned away and left

    out the door and didn¡¯t return the entire night Her mind let her wonder where he went, but most of her

    already knew. He was most likely in the bed of the blonde that wanted him so badly and might have said

    anything about her just to have him.

    Why didn¡¯t you just kiss him? He would have devoured you¨C¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not going to kiss him, not

    ever!¡± Doris shouted to an empty room in the middle of the night. She locked the door and put on her

    nightgown before she crawled in bed. William wasn¡¯t a part of her future and he never would be. Once

    they returned to the castle, the amnesty would have already been signed and she would be free He

    wouldn¡¯t follow her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control her or find her ever again. They weren¡¯t anything to

    each other and her wolf couldn¡¯t force her to think otherwise, So, if he was in another woman¡¯s bed

    tonight, good. It didn¡¯t bother her one bit.

    The next morning. Doris woke to a loud knock She grudgingly got out of bed and threw on a cloak before

    she pulled the door open. Enzo stood there with a bored look on his face and it almost distracted her

    from the shouting behind him. ¡°Truly, if you can¡¯t control your dog, you¡¯re gonna have to have him leave.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris said as she rubbed her tired eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too early for riddles, Enzo.¡±

    I love a good riddle, but s this isn¡¯t one. Your prince is picking fights with the townspeople. I think he

    got into the stash of alcohol and helped himself to all of it.¡± Enzo moved out of the way to show William

    shoving arge man across the clearing Doris quickly pulled on her boots and hurried out the door. She

    didn¡¯t have time to process the fact that he had been drinking. She hadn¡¯t been around him drunk since

    the night he attacked her and she hadn¡¯t nned to be ever again # you think you cane here and

    tell us what to do? You¡¯re not in your territory!¡± The man shouted so violently, spit Dew from his mouth.

    William¡¯s guards stood close by with their arms crossed over their chests as they watched closely. He

    must have ordered them to stay to the side, otherwise she knew the other man wouldn¡¯t be able to get

    even a foot close to him. William must have wanted to trouble. ¡°You think you cane up here and

    control us like you do in your kingdom? Or wait your father doesn¡¯t even trust you enough to make those

    sort of decisions, does he?¡± The man taunted, he even had the nerve to smirk at William. Did he have

    some sort of death wish? William threw a punch hard against his jaw and sent the man stumbling back.

    His shirt was

    didn¡¯t seem to be responding to any of the man¡¯s jabs, he just wanted something to hit. The man threw

    his own punch and Doris winced when it hit him right in the nose. She watched as his guards stepped

    closer when blood poured from his nose. He threw up his hands to ward them off and they immediately

    stepped back and let their prince act wild. ¡°Nobody likes you here, why don¡¯t you get that?¡± The man spat

    blood at William¡¯s feet and raised his fist for more: ¡°Nobody here is gonna trust you or do what you want

    no matter how hard you try to threaten us.¡± He dodged a messy punch Williain intended tond. He was

    a little unsteady on his feet and she wondered if he drank all night to still be this drunk in the morning like

    this. It was absolutely foolish and absurd. ¡°You can leave that girl, though.¡± The

    CHA TO E dd man grin ned, a hasty sort of look that made William freeze for a moment to listen. ¡°I¡¯ll take

    care of her for you. Anything she wants or needs. I got it for her.¡± A cord in William snapped and they

    could all see it the moment it did. He roared and tackled the man to the ground like an animal before he

    started hitting him as hard as he could Doris couldn¡¯t count how many punches he gave, but they all hit

    one after the other with a crunch that made her gag. The man¡¯s face was coated in so much blood, Enzo

    finally broke up the fight and dragged William off him but the man stillid still in the bloody snow. Doris

    didn¡¯t think anyone else would have been strong enough to do that. His fists had blood dripping from

    them. Doris took in the sight of his miserable appearance-he was almost unrecognizable with his ripped

    and bloody clothes and wild eyes and hair. William tried to shove Enzo off him but he held him in a

    chokehold. ¡°You¡¯re done.¡± Enzo said before William went unconscious in his grip.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    Chapter 75 I¡®m going to be the next king.

    William was carried and left right in her bed of all ces. Doris noted how many empty cabins there were

    but he was still brought to her every time. She knew she shouldn¡¯t be surprised, she was here to serve

    his needs after all. But what if he was still drunk when he woke? The thoughts made her nervous and

    she tried to shake them from her mind. She wanted to be there for him like he was for her when she was

    sick but-it was hard to swallow the bit of fear that tried to pull her down when images of his drunken state

    still ran across her mind almost nightly. She promised herself she would never be around him when he

    drank-never again. Doris took off his shoes carefully and covered him with two nkets before she went

    to clean all the blood off his face and hands. She set a ss of cold water by the bed as well as a bit of

    bread in case he was hungry when he woke. Doris remembered Beth telling her how ravenous some of

    the princes would be after a night out, perhaps she should get more food-no. She had to stay by his side

    like he did for her. She¡¯d never forget his kindness, even when she knew he wouldn¡¯t want her thinking of

    it that way. Doris pulled up a wooden chair to rest in near the bed he slept. It was a wonder how his

    guards allowed Enzo to knock him out so easily without even attempting to stop it before it happened.

    She supposed even they knew he had gone too far and needed to be stopped before he killed someone.

    Still, the other guy must have been some what drunk to think it was smart to taunt a prince. Especially

    one like him. Doris read through almost half of the book he had gotten her before he finally woke. Her

    eyes were starting to feel strained from how many words she took in at once. When she lowered the

    book, he was watching her with a bit of a dazed look. His hair was going in all different directions and her

    fingers itched to fix it for him. To run her

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    fingers through his ck hair and feel just how soft it would be under her touch. ¡°Oh,¡± Doris quickly stood

    and helped him sit up. She set down her book and handed him the ss of water and bread. ¡°How are

    you feeling?¡± She asked cautiously. His eyes looked tired, but alert. He didn¡¯t say anything as he downed

    the ss in seconds and ripped apart the bread with his teeth. She nced around for more food, but

    they didn¡¯t have much else. Doris cleared her throat and moved the chair back across the room. ¡°Is there

    anything I can get you? Are you hungry?¡± She asked. She didn¡¯t know what else to do with her hands so

    she started to pick up things that were out of ce. He simply watched as she moved back and forth but

    refused to answer her simple questions. Why couldn¡¯t he just tell her he was hungry so she could have

    an excuse to leave for a moment and catch her breath? Didn¡¯t he realize how hard it was for her to have

    him watching her like that? After a few moments, she stopped in front of the bed and rested her hands

    on her hips. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She tried again and did her best not to sound as annoyed as she felt. He

    even dared to look amused at her frustration to try and get him to talk to her. Was this some new sort of

    punishment? She knew her ce, even here in the

    north where she had a choice to be whatever she wanted to be. Even with all they had been through,

    she knew she wouldn¡¯t yell at him or demand anything of him. And he knew that too. He knew she would

    only ever be a maid to him and it infuriated her more than she wanted to admit. ¡°You know, they¡¯re not as

    bad as you think.¡± Doris said suddenly. His brows raised, she tried not to let her gaze dip lower towards

    his bare chest. He was the only man she had seen up close without a shirt. It had just be more and

    more frequenttely. ¡°The rogues. They¡¯re not as bad as I thought they¡¯d be. I thought we would both be

    dead by now.¡± He snorted and looked at the wall behind her head. ¡°How do you figure they¡¯re not bad?

    Because their leader likes you?¡± *They... they just want to be free. Isn¡¯t that what we all want?¡± Doris said

    with a bit of longing in her voice. His eyes snapped back to her when he heard it. ¡°They came here to be

    free in life. Not to start problems everywhere they go. They came here to build a life for themselves

    where no one could hurt them.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten all the stories you¡¯ve heard of them? of all the things

    they¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it, they¡¯re stories. We never truly know what the truth is until we see it

    ourselves. Being here has opened my eyes to how they are.¡± Doris gripped the post on the edge of the

    bed as she looked at him. ¡°I know some are bad, but that¡¯s true everywhere you go. There¡¯s always

    going to be bad people.¡± ¡°They kill for sport, Doris. Don¡¯t let them blind you to their true intentions.¡±

    William said as if he was talking to a child. ¡°You may have been fooled by their illusions, but I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I

    heard the story of why they came here, William. Of why this ce even exists. The kingdom treated

    them horribly because they were poor. They couldn¡¯t live among the rich without being stepped on or

    killed.¡± Doris let out a small breath. She knew he didn¡¯t want to hear anything good about them but she

    would at least try to make him see it. ¡°They kill outsiders thate for them and their safety. They only

    want to live freely out here, can¡¯t you see that?¡± William narrowed his eyes. ¡°I see they have you under

    their spell already. Who knew it would be so easy to sway your charm?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t done anything to

    charm me. They told me their story.¡± ¡°And you believe it? You believe this story and expect everything

    they say is the truth?¡± William sat up further. ¡°Have you ever considered that they¡¯re lying to you? ¡°I have,

    of course I have. But I believe them. I believe they want peace and freedom here.¡± Doris brushed her

    hair behind her ear. ¡°They don¡¯t want to be touched by the rules of the kingdom because they knew the

    kingdom doesn¡¯t care what happens to them. They had toe here to start new.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s

    what you want, too. Freedom.¡± He said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Her hands curled into fists at

    her sides. How dare he tease her about that? ¡°Of course I do. Who wouldn¡¯t wish to be free?¡± Doris said

    quietly. He watched her

    closely as he leaned back against the headboard.  ¡°Have you forgotten that several of the men have

    kidnapped you here and tried to take advantage of you?¡± William snapped. ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t forgotten

    that! I live in fear every night I¡¯m here-worrying who will be next to try and get rid of me. But I know not all

    of them are like that.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t touch you if they knew what was good for them.¡± William said

    instantly. Doris closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again,

    his face wasn¡¯t as hard as it was a moment before. ¡°Why are you really here, William? What do you want

    from the rogues?¡± Doris picked at her nails as she watched him carefully. They both already knew who

    poisoned Melody. Why else would William not investigate the spice stand at the market? Because they

    knew they were sent on this trip by Luna Queen. He knew it long before it was even decided. Who had

    bought the poison for her no longer mattered. It was her, it had to be. William clenched his jaw and

    looked down at his hands. She followed the line and felt as if she would cut her mouth on a jaw like that if

    she ever dared to taste it. She looked away quickly and felt her cheeks heat in shame. ¡°I have a n.¡±

    He said. Doris wanted to roll her eyes¡ªbut she didn¡¯t. Why couldn¡¯t he just tell her what he meant for

    once? ¡°What sort of n?¡± Doris asked with only a bit of hesitation in her voice. She wanted to know.

    More than anything, but at the same time¡­ did she want to know what he had been up to? ¡°I¡¯m going to

    be the next king.¡± He said suddenly. Doris blinked a few times as if she hadn¡¯t heard him. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    Chapter 76 I think we¡®re lost.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m going to be the next king.¡± William repeated with a bit of imitation in his voice at herck of

    understanding. She understood what he said, she just couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what you¡¯re

    saying. Prince Martin is the crown prince. He¡¯s the next in line to be king.¡± Doris felt a bit of unease settle

    in her stomach when she saw the look on his face. As if what she said was only temporary and it was

    about time she learned that. William rolled his eyes and stood from the bed. His shirt was ripped wide

    open and she forced herself not to stare at the muscles on his chest¡ªthis was definitely not the time for

    that. ¡°Prince Martin doesn¡¯t know anything about how to properly rule a kingdom. He¡¯s been groomed to

    be a carbon copy of my father and nothing else.¡± ¡°You n to take his ce? How?¡± Doris asked,

    completely bewildered. This was why he came to the north? ¡°I think he will have no choice but to hand

    the crown over.¡± William said simply and moved to get a new shirt. ¡°I n on uniting the kingdom with the

    rogues. Even Prince Martin isn¡¯t foolish enough to stand in my way. And if he is, I can¡¯t say I will feel

    sorry for whatever happens to him.¡± Doris swallowed. ¡°What do you mean by that? He¡¯s your brother.¡±

    William slipped off his ruined shirt and casually pulled on the new one. He looked over at her with a sort

    of lopsided smirk that screamed sinister intentions. ¡°It¡¯s politics, Doris. My brother and I have never seen

    each other as family. It¡¯s always been apetition for the crown even when I was in the darkness and

    he didn¡¯t suspect me.¡± ¡°Are you saying you would¡­ harm your own brother for the crown?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sound

    so shocked. You¡¯ve worked at the pce long enough to know how it goes. Luna Queen tried to have

    you med for a poisoning just to pin it all on me. It¡¯s all a game.¡± William buttoned up his shirt and ran

    his fingers through his messy hair as he turned to her. ¡°We¡¯ll make history. Doris.¡± ¡°We? I think you¡¯re

    mistaken.¡± Doris took a small step back. William furrowed his brows as he if didn¡¯t understand her words.

    Did he expect her to jump on him with joy? ¡°I don¡¯t want to help over throw Prince Martin.¡± His eyes

    darkened, it felt as the room dimmed with his mood as he took a step closer to her. She mirrored his

    steps with one back. ¡°You¡¯re in love with him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What? Of course not! I don¡¯t want him to die

    or be forcefully overthrown.¡± Doris clenched her hands into fists. ¡°Forgive me, but I¡¯m not interested in

    politics. Especially when it hurts others.¡± ¡°His n to rule will match my father and whatever Luna Queen

    wants. I wouldn¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still your brother,¡±  Don¡¯t you want a better life for yourself?¡±

    William shouted. Doris flinched at his voice. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve been working towards that every day since I

    came to the pce. A better life is freedom.¡± William opened his mouth to respond, and froze. She could

    see the realization behind his eyes as he took in her words and considered all the things she meant by

    them. It was the simple truth. She didn¡¯t want to be held down by him and his politics. She wanted her

    freedom and she didn¡¯t care if her inner wolf insisted he was her mate-she wanted her freedom. No man

    could tempt her enough to make her change her mind. No matter how handsome, no matter how much

    control he had over an entire kingdom. ¡°Right.¡± William snarled and grabbed his jacket from the dresser,

    knocking over a ss pitcher in the process. He stared at her as if he didn¡¯t care that he brought ss

    shattering to the floor beneath them. His boots cracked over each shard as he stepped closer. ¡°I don¡¯t

    need a pathetic maid to be at my side anyway.¡± 1 She watched him leave with tears burning the back of

    her eyes. They threatened to escape and name her as weak as she felt in that moment-but she did her

    best to hold them in while he mmed the door closed. Did he expect her to fall at his feet as all the

    women he¡¯s had before had? Did he expect her to be another¡­ pet for him to y with until he decided

    he was bored and sought out a new one? She was no one¡¯s property. She was a person. He may think

    he owned her, but she had spent every day for the past five years trying to work against that. He would

    not unravel it for her now. She refused to stand at his side as something for him to toy with. He hadn¡¯t

    mentioned Melody once this entire trip, as if she didn¡¯t matter to him in the slightest. She would not be

    next on his list of conquests.cz Doris felt a strange pain in her heart. She rubbed her chest and winced at

    the strange feeling. It felt as if he wounded her with her words, as if her heart was close to breaking just

    at the thought of their fight. She¡¯d never felt anything for another man before, she wouldn¡¯t start now. Not

    with¡­ him. Doris grabbed her jacket and treaded out into the snow to find a bit of fresh air and peace.

    ¡°Why would you ever deny our mate like that?¡± Cordelia whispered inside her, a bit of rage wrapped

    around her words. Doris nced around and saw several people near enough to hear her. She went off

    a back path and set out for some privacy before she dared to respond ¡°If you knew me at all, you¡¯d know

    that freedom matters more to me than a so called mate.¡± Doris whispered. She shoved her hands deep

    in her pockets to warm them and watched as her feet dipped in the thick snow. A bit of wind blew her hair

    back away from her face, but she was too distracted to notice. Her mind was wild with the look of his

    face and the sound of his words trying to drag her down. ¡°You should at least hear out his n before

    you make judgements.¡± Cordelia hissed. Doris rolled her eyes at how shallow her wolf was being. She

    needed a bit more self respect. Doris only recently allowed herself a bit of her own on this journey. ¡°He

    just admitted he would do whatever it takes to overthrow his own brother from the throne. I want nothing

    to do with that, or any future kingdom business. It won¡¯t   matter to us soon.¡± Doris swayed a little when

    the wind picked up. She held her ground and squinted her eyes. It was getting a bit more foggy than she

    expected. ¡°Are you crazy? You only get one mate. You could travel the whole world and you would never

    be able to rece him, ever. You¡¯ll only find men that are less than him.¡± Cordelia sounded angry in her

    mind, but Doris couldn¡¯t bring herself to care. Life wasn¡¯t about living for someone else, it was about

    living for herself. ¡°I would much rather live for myself than a man. He would never be faithful to us,

    Cordelia. Even if I stayed for him. Once he lost interest in me, I would be swept aside like all of his past

    lovers were. Some of them even scrub toilets for the public just to survive.¡± Doris nced around when

    she lost sight of the path she was on. Where was she? ¡°You heard the story of his father. You know how

    wild he was for her and how he wanted no one else. William wouldn¡¯t dare stray from us.¡± Cordelia

    insisted. Doris snorted. ¡°You must not have been listening. He doesn¡¯t want anything to do with a mate

    and he never has. He protects me and takes care of me, but at the end of the day I am just a silly maid to

    him. That is not what I want for my life. When we return to the pce, the king will hopefully have already

    signed the amnesty and we will be long gone before William even sets his n in motion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re

    absolutely mad! You would dare leave your mate during a dangerous time in his life?¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°We don¡¯t owe him anything! He stood there while his realdy almost killed me and only told her to do it

    in private next time. Don¡¯t fool yourself just because you¡¯re attached to his wolf!¡± Doris shouted. She

    quickly looked around to make sure she was alone. She quickly realized she was not only alone, but lost.

    She couldn¡¯t see a foot in front of herself and the wind drowned out any noise she made. Her eyes

    started to water and sting with how harsh it grew. Doris wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°L¡­ I think

    we¡¯re lost.¡±

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    Chapter 77 The worst of the storm is stilling.

    Within minutes, the winds turned from nasty to almost deadly. Doris could barely stand up straight for

    more than a minute. It would shove her forward or back depending on where she turned and nothing she

    did set her straight. Her hands felt numb with how much she braced herself for impact on the ground.

    She couldn¡¯t tell what direction she had evene from the camp while she was arguing with her inner

    wolf. How far did she stray? Would they be able to hear her cries for help? Or would they ever find her

    body when this was over with? Of course not-she couldn¡¯t even hear herself breath. Her screams

    sounded like whispers against the winds. Her wolf was entirely silent as if she abandoned herpletely

    out in the cold, or perhaps she just couldn¡¯t hear her over the roaring noise. Perhaps it was scared off

    because of her own fear. Doris stumbled across the snow and fell face first into arge pile. She tried to

    pull herself out of it, but the winds forced her down harder. It crossed her mind that she might die out

    here. She tried to push those thoughts away and focus on standing, on getting herself up and to safety

    but she couldn¡¯t. It was too strong, it was too easy to give up and let it control her. Doris closed her eyes

    and tried to change into her wolf. She tried to push the wolf out of her but it wouldn¡¯te. How did she

    make ite out? Why wasn¡¯t it answering her calls? Now she was panicking. She felt it in her chest

    and it rolled through her body like a shock. Doris forced herself out of the snow that tried to trap her and

    fell right back on her ass when she stood again. The fog blinded her it was like there was nothing in front

    of her for miles and she felt as if she was an entirely different world she entered. She was so cold, it was

    agony. No sense of her felt warm or as if she would ever feel warmth again. This was it for her, it had to

    be. ¡°Help!¡± Doris screamed, but it was lost in the air lie she said nothing. Her fear crept on her and tried

    to suffocate any chance of survival. She walked against the wind and towards it, until she realized she

    was going in circles. She kept passing the same tall rocks and her footsteps were covered before she

    noticed she was heading the same way over and over again. She must have passed it a dozen times

    before she gave up and stopped for a minute to think. Doris finally decided to rest against the rocks

    when her legs started to burn. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes tightly, praying

    the winds would end and the storm would blow through soon enough. How long had she been out here?

    Would hours turn to days? She wouldn¡¯tst a single night in this weather. Her jacket wasn¡¯t warm

    enough to save her, not even close. Her teeth chattered so hard, she was afraid they would crack and

    break into a million pieces. Her bones felt as if they were ice inside her and she felt as if shepletely

    lost feeling of her toes and fingers. If she was a wolf, she might have been able to survive this with all of

    her fur. But her attempts fell t, her wolf wouldn¡¯t answer to her and she wondered if it was because of

    their argumentWould she punish her   enough until she died? Or did Doris just not understand how to

    shift onmand? of course she didn¡¯t know how to do that, not even close. She only shifted once and

    she wasn¡¯t even sure how that happened. It was ripped out of her without a second thought to save

    someone else rather than herself. Perhaps deep down, she truly just didn¡¯t want to save herself. Doris

    slid down the rock and fell into the snow. Her hands and arms felt frozen, she could barely lift them as

    more time passed. How long had sheying here? Would anyone notice she was even gone? Of course

    not, she hadn¡¯t told anyone she was going out for a walk. She bet everyone knew a storm wasing

    and she was the only one stupid enough to wander out into the worst of it. She bet they all thought she

    was in her cabin nice and warm like they all were. Snow began to cover her legs and the rest of her

    body. She held her arms tighter around herself and trembled. In minutes, her legs had been almost

    completely covered. She tried to stand and pull herself out of it, but her legs wouldn¡¯t bend. They were

    frozen, as were her arms. Sheid back in the snow almost willingly when the wind pushed her harder

    than it ever had before. It covered her in ayer of snow as if she was just part of the ground and she

    never existed. Why did she evene out here? She forgot what she had been mad about. She forgot

    what made her mad enough to ever venture out to her death and not think about the horrible weather.

    Freezing to death had never truly crossed her mind before. Even all the nights she shivered and wished

    for a hundred nkets. All the times she fell into the snow and cursed at herself for not paying attention,

    she never thought she would be caught out in a storm. How ridiculous of her to die this way after all she

    had been through. Doris closed her eyes and felt the darkness start to take over. It was better than being

    raped or beaten to death, she supposed. At least she could take a shred of her dignity with her and

    hopefully it would pass on with her in the next life. By the time they found her body, she would be nothing

    but ice. So cold, she would shatter like ss if they tried to move her. ¡°Doris!¡±

    The sound of his deep voice tugged at the edge of her mind. She saw his beautiful face behind her

    closed eyes. He wasn¡¯t mad at her like he usually was, he looked almost peaceful. She then

    remembered why she left her room, because of their fight. She wondered what would have happened if

    she just agreed to help. Would she beying here now? Most definitely yes, she would have been upset

    with herself for agreeing to be something she wasn¡¯t. ¡°Doris!¡± The voice called again. It sounded louder

    in her head, as if he was right next to her. She wondered if he noticed she was gone or if he would care

    this time. So many times he hade to her aid when all she did was push back against him. She didn¡¯t

    deserve to be helped by anyone, least of all him. Doris opened her eyes a saw a dark shape in the fog. A

    large body had his arm out in front of him, shielding his eyes from the rough snow that tried to take him

    down. He  moved like a force, she was sure she was imaging it. That tended to happen when you were

    near death-hallucinating things she wished were true. She heard her name like a bell through the noise.

    How could she hear him so clearly when she couldn¡¯t even hear herself? William lowered his arm when

    he saw her. His face was red and his eyes were squinted as if he could barely hold them open to look at

    her. ¡°Doris!¡± He shouted again. William fell to his knees beside her and pushed all of the snow off her

    body before he took her in his arms. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing and she couldn¡¯t even bend

    her arms enough to hold onto him. Her legs dangled over his arms, he held her firm against his chest as

    he looked around. 1 ¡°We have to find cover, the worst of the storm is stilling.¡± He said loudly against

    her ear. Doris shivered against his warm breath. He barely seemed to be bothered by the snow at all.

    Doris closed her eyes again when the snow stung her eyes and tried to blind her vision. He held her firm

    as he stumbled across the rough patches of snow. She listened to his heavy breath and tried to focus on

    that when her insides felt as if they were giving up on her, ¡°I think there might be somewhere nearby.¡± He

    said loudly, as if he was just trying to keep her awake. Doris didn¡¯t open her eyes, she wasn¡¯t sure how

    much time had passed until the sounds dimmed all at once as if the air was being blocked out. Doris

    opened her eyes and saw nothing, just ckness. She tried to part her lips to speak, but nothing came

    out.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Williamid her down. ¡°I¡¯ll get a fire starting¡ª¡± Doris couldn¡¯t hear a word he said after that as darkness

    took her overpletely.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    Chapter 78 If we don¡®t hurry, we¡®ll catch another storm.

    Warmth caressed her face. Doris slowly opened her eyes and saw fire brighten up her blurry vision. It

    took a moment for her eyes to focus, but she saw William adding logs to the growing fire. His shadows

    flickered across the walls around them like art. Doris blinked a few times and realized they were inside¡­

    some sort of cave? Doris tried to sit up. his coat fell off her shoulders and she went to grip it but her

    numb fingers couldn¡¯t get a proper hold on it. William lifted his head to look at her. His sleeves were

    pushed up to his elbows and he looked as if he was actually sweating from the fire. She had never felt

    such envy for someone being warm. How was it possible? ¡°Stay still. You¡¯re not warm enough yet.¡±

    William said as if it was amand. It only made Doris want to disobey him and sit up anyway. He let

    out a frustrated breath and dropped the rest of the logs and went to her. ¡°Do you know how long it took to

    find you? You¡¯re frozen.¡± Doris definitely felt like a thawing turkey. Her teeth chattered when she parted

    her lips to talk. ¡°W-where are we?¡± ¡°Some cave in the middle of nowhere.¡± William said as he sat next to

    her. Doris shivered and tried to pull his coat higher on her shoulders. He pulled her closer to him and

    offered a bit of his own warmth but she could barely feel his body against her. ¡°How did you get so far out

    here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I-I just kept walking and realized I was lost.¡± Doris whimpered. Every slight move

    actually hurt. It felt like burns on the inside of her body and she realized she had never truly felt cold until

    now. Even with the fire zing in front of her, she was frozen. William wrapped his arms around her

    small frame and Dorisid her body back against him. He felt stiff, as if he didn¡¯t truly want to be the one

    to warm her but forced himself to so she wouldn¡¯t die. It was a nice enough thought, at least. Even if a

    part of him would always despise her. ¡°How did you find me?¡± Doris asked with a slight tremor to her

    voice. William shifted a little beneath her. ¡°I followed your scent. It took hours before it was strong

    enough.¡± ¡°Hours?¡± Doris whispered. She had been out there for hours and he never gave up looking for

    her? A part of Doris softened and she tried not let herself feel that way. It was a doomed feeling that

    would lead to nothing, she had to remind herself that every time he showed her a side of him he kept

    hidden most of the time. She knew he had a bit of kindness beneath all the rough exterior, but she didn¡¯t

    want to get so attached to it when she knew it wasn¡¯t safe. She heard the howls of wind grow harsh and

    try to enter through the pockets of air around the rocks he ced in front of the entrance. She was

    surprised it didn¡¯t knock them right out of ce with how loud it sounded. She weakly held her froze

    hands out towards the fire and let them defrost slowly along with the rest of her body.  ¡°Why did you

    come for me?¡± Doris asked suddenly. Why did he even bother? She had been in so much trouble since

    they first came here, she didn¡¯t understand why he even wanted her alive at this point. It would have

    been easier to let her go and move on. She slowed him down and made him do horrible things to defend

    her¡ªwas she worth that? ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t 1.¡± William grumbled. It sounded more like a statement rather

    than a question. ¡°I saw you leave before the storm hit.¡± Doris curled and uncurled her fingers just trying

    to get feeling back in them. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would care to, is all.¡± It seemed like the wrong thing to say

    almost instantly after she said it. His body turned hard as a rock against her back. He shoved her off him

    and stood. She watched as he wiped his pants as if he wanted any trace of her off of him. His warmth

    was immediately missed, he looked down at her with a bit of distaste and she forced herself to live

    without it. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to believe that I would?¡± He spat. Doris pressed her lips together. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Doris

    hesitated and he narrowed his eyes at her when he heard it. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure if you even like me most of

    the time.¡± ¡°You can believe what you want. Nothing I do will change that.¡± William went to sit on the other

    end of the cave. She could feel his anger as if she could slice through the air and grab it to crush against

    her fingers. It was as alive as he was. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Actions speak louder than words, which is why I¡¯m

    confused.¡± Doris admitted and pressed her face into his coat. It smelled strongly like him and part of her

    wanted to bottle the scent and take it with her wherever she went. He didn¡¯t say anything to her words.

    Perhaps he was confused himself. Perhaps he fought a simr battle she did where they both wanted to

    dance around the truth until their feet bled raw. She was d to stay stubborn. It was safer that way. ¡°I

    couldn¡¯t change out there into my wolf when I wanted to.¡± Doris said after a few minutes of silence. He

    didn¡¯t look at her, he only kept his blue eyes on the mes. ¡°It doesn¡¯te at will.¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s not

    easy tomand it when it¡¯s still new to you.¡± Doris frowned and leaned back against the wall of the

    cave. She closed her eyes and brought her arms around her legs to hold them to her chest. ¡°At this rate,

    I¡¯ll never learn.¡± ¡°I told you I would teach you.¡± William said. He sounded almost as if he was bored.¡± It

    won¡¯t be easy. I don¡¯t like when peoplein.¡± Doris opened her eyes and watched him across the

    fire. He wouldn¡¯t look at her again and she didn¡¯t me him. She wasn¡¯t much to look at to begin with,

    she must have looked like an ungrateful ghost. ¡°Thank you foring for me, William. I would have died

    without you.¡± William¡¯s eyes flickered to her. She held her breath for a moment as they raked across her

    entire being. He didn¡¯t acknowledge her words, he simply lowered his head a little. ¡°Well?¡± He said.

    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you want me to train you or not?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I would like that very much.¡± Doris swallowed

    and nced down at the mes. How long would it take before she would be able to change at will? Did

    she even want to do something like that? Perhaps it was a good thing she couldn¡¯t change. Then she

    might be able to ignore it until she died. They sat in silence for hours until she dozed off. She didn¡¯t want

    to touch the topic of politics so soon after theirst fight. What if he left her in the middle of the storm to

    fend for herself once he remembered she didn¡¯t want to join him? When she opened her eyes, the fire

    was out and the rocks were moved out from the front of the entrance. William was no where to be found.

    Doris quickly got up and had to brace herself against the wall for a moment when the room spun around

    her. She felt as if she was about to copse for a moment. How long had it been since shest had

    something to eat? When the world was right once more, she carefully made her way out the small

    entrance and found William staring up at the clear skies. He didn¡¯t turn towards her when he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s

    safe to get back now.¡± Doris bit her lip and looked around at the fresh day. The sky was clear and she

    could see every tree for miles. The ground looked thick with fresh snow, she knew it must have been

    inches thicker than it was the night before. ¡°Do you know how to find the trail back?¡± Doris asked with a

    bit of doubt. Not in him, but in herself. She couldn¡¯t tell where she was at all. They could have been miles

    and miles from the camp and she wouldn¡¯t know what direction to walk in. He gave her a side nce.

    She handed him his thick jacket and he pulled it on.¡± You¡¯ll learn how to navigate better eventually.¡± He

    said. Doris followed him through this thick snow and felt exhausted after only twenty feet. ¡°Thank you,

    again.¡± Doris said to his back. His shoulders tensed a little, but again he said nothing. ¡°Thank you for all

    of it. For all that you have done.¡± ; She didn¡¯t care if he didn¡¯t want to hear it. She had to say it.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He interrupted. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, we¡¯ll catch another storm.¡±

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    Chapter 79 She was naked on top of William

    The next day, Doris met William out in a clearing a bit away from the camp. He stayed at a different cabin

    and she hadn¡¯t seen him since he brought her back to the camp the day before. No one had ventured out

    to even notice she had been gone, not one person was concerned about her. Only him. She hated how

    that made her feel inside, as if her heart could stop for him and she despised her own weakness. It was

    right that he slept in his own cabin. There were more than enough and it wasn¡¯t right for them to share a

    bed in the first ce. She brought clothes that were too big for her and an extra set just incase it ripped

    off during the process. Thest thing she needed was to be wandering around naked because her wolf

    tore her clothes. He stood with his hands deep in his pockets and his eyes anywhere but her. She tried

    not to notice how lovely he looked in the color red. It made his eyes look even more blue than normal-if

    that was possible. She set down her things and went to stand in front of him. ¡°Does it always hurt when

    you change into your wolf?¡± ¡°Yes. You just get used to it.¡± William said. They were far enough from the

    camp that no one would see or hear them as she attempted to change on demand. At least no one

    would see her failures. His words though made her want to turn back to her cabin and hide under the

    covers. But she couldn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t like that anymore, she couldn¡¯t live her life in fear. She had to

    control her own future and her life was meant to be lived, not feared. If she now had a wolf inside her,

    she would learn to embrace it¡­ or try to. ¡°Okay.¡± Doris took a breath. ¡°What should I do first?¡± William

    looked down at her with raised brows. ¡°It¡¯s not about forcing it. It¡¯s about calling it to your will.¡± Doris

    furrowed her brow in confusion. ¡°I tried to call it in the snow but it wouldn¡¯te¡± ¡°Did you try to call to it?

    Or did you try to force it toe?¡± William asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Your wolf

    doesn¡¯t like to be controlled when it¡¯s new.¡± Doris stood there and looked around as if the answer would

    fall from the sky. ¡°How do you suppose I call for it? Just¡­ say her name?¡± William rolled his eyes to the

    sky and let out a breath of frustration. ¡°No. You call her from within and let it take control of you. You

    have to be willing to let her do that.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Doris chewed on her lip. She supposed a part of her had been

    trying not to let the wolf takeplete control of her body. She pushed back even in her darkest times,

    she didn¡¯t want to lose that sort of control to something she didn¡¯t really trust yet. It was hard to even

    think of doing that now. Doris took another deep breath and closed her eyes. She could feel her wolf hum

    inside her as if it was waiting for her to call upon it. The stubborn wolf must have always been listening

    beneath the surface. It made her resent it a bit more when she  realized she knew Doris had been

    suffering and didn¡¯t once offer to help her. Perhaps it wanted her toe to the decision on her own-but

    a little guidance would have been wonderful when she felt so clueless. ¡°Keep your eyes closed and

    speak inwardly to your wolf.¡± William said by her ear. She could feel him as he moved around her, almost

    as if her own body tracked him like he was a part of her. She shivered at the sound of his voice and felt

    her cheeks heat almost instantly. Doris cleared her throat and went for it. ¡°Cordelia?¡± She asked in her

    mind. ¡°Yes?¡± Cordelia responded, it sounded as if she was smirking. Doris tried to keep the conversation

    in her mind even when her lips parted to answer out loud. ¡°I¡­ give you permission to take control.¡± ¡°Oh,

    do you? That¡¯s nice.¡± Cordelia responded. Doris sighed and opened her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s being stubborn.¡±

    ¡°Our wolves can be bolder versions of ourselves.¡± William said. He was still behind her. ¡°Call to her,

    command her to take control and shift.¡± Doris closed her eyes and tried again. ¡°Cordelia. Imand you

    to take over.¡± Doris said with a bit more confidence than she felt. She could have sworn the wolfughed

    at her and her hands curled into fists at her sides. ¡°You¡¯re not doing it right. Listen to our mate a little

    closer.¡± Cordelia said. 23 Doris blew out a frustrated breath and opened her eyes to find him standing in

    front of her again. ¡°It¡¯s not working. She won¡¯te.¡± ¡°She must be testing you. She wants you to be

    stronger.¡± William said. He studied her face as if he could see her wolf if he looked hard enough. ¡°It¡¯s not

    always about asking, she can feel what you want and it¡¯s her choice to answer.¡± Doris closed her eyes

    one more time and tried to focus on what he meant. Don¡¯t force her, let here. But don¡¯t ask either?

    Doris tried to find a bit of bnce in herself and she knew her wolf lingered nearby patiently. Why

    couldn¡¯t she have a wolf that actually liked to do what it was told? She felt a sense of calm wash over her

    as she released a breath. She imagined her wolf stepping into control and allowing her body to be

    her own instead of staying in the background of everything. Doris allowed her to have the freedom, the

    power she knew she craved. There was no one to save, not even herself. She just wanted her toe

    out and see the daylight for once in her life. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Cordelia hissed. ¡°If you insist, I¡¯lle out to

    y.¡± Doris felt the shift mimic the feeling from before, but she didn¡¯t ever think she would get used to it.

    Not in a hundred years. Her bones cracked, every single one of them. They shifted and formed new

    shapes that made her feel intense agony as she dropped to all fours. Her clothes stretched and ripped

    from her back despite her attempt at finding something big enough tost this sort of thing. She

    supposed nothing she had wouldst this, would it?  White fur exploded across her skin, she felt her legs

    shift and her fingers fomm into paws. Her screams turned to howls almost instantly, it was as if she no

    longer owned her own body the second Cordelia stepped in. She whimpered when she realized it

    worked. His advice worked and she should have been happy but she only felt more afraid. She didn¡¯t

    want this body, she didn¡¯t want this life. Doris turned to look at William and realized he had shifted too.

    His wolf was ck as night with bright blue eyes she would never forget. Her wolf was excited to see

    him, Cordelia hurried to press her nose against his in a sort of greeting and didn¡¯t listen when Doris tried

    to tell her to step back away from the prince. It wasn¡¯t proper for her to act that way with him, no matter

    how much her wolf wanted to. Doris forced her wolf away and she heard Cordelia growl inwardly. Doris

    wanted to shout, but she couldn¡¯t. All that came out were more howls or whimpers. Was she able to

    speak inside her head as a wolf? Doris didn¡¯t understand how any of this worked, not in the slightest.

    Everything just made her even more confused than thest. William watched her curiously and walked

    around her wolf. She sat still and let him observe her until he wandered into the trees and came out a

    few minutester as his human version. He had his clothes on still, thank the moon goddess for that.

    ¡°You need to learn how to pull it in and change back. You never want your wolf to have too much

    control.¡± Cordelia bared her teeth at William as if she was threatening him. Doris forced Cordelia to go

    towards the woods so they could change back but she wouldn¡¯t budge. A dark sort of feeling lingered in

    her mind, she knew it wasn¡¯t her own thoughts that made her feel that way. It was strange not being able

    to control herself, to have a wolf with a mind of her own that just demanded to be heard even when it

    wasn¡¯t

    right. Her wolf jumped on William. He caught her in mid air and fell back into the snow. Once she was on

    top of him, Cordelia released her hold and allowed Doris to shift back into her human form. Doris didn¡¯t

    realize she was naked on top of him until it was toote.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    Chapter 80 There¡®s always a bit of danger in a promise, isn¡®t there

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Her entire body heated with shame and embarrassment. His bare hands gripped her naked waist and he

    seemed to realize it toote as well. William lifted his eyes to the sky and removed his hands. Doris

    scrambled off him and he pointed to his discarded cloak on a rock nearby without so much as a word.

    She threw it on herself and grabbed her extra clothes before she ran off into the woods to change behind

    thergest tree she could find. Had he seen her? His hands were on her naked skin! Doris quickly pulled

    on her clothes and boots before she nced out to the clearing where he stood facing the other way as if

    to offer her a bit more privacy. He had to have seen something, right? She prayed he didn¡¯t. She¡¯d never

    been naked in front of another man before, she didn¡¯t want to start with him! But what if he had? She

    would die from her utter embarrassment. After a few minutes of calming herself, Doris came out from

    behind the trees. He nced back at her with a look of his usual indifference and a bit of her body

    calmed at his expression. He looked as if nothing happened. Though, she wasn¡¯t sure if he was just

    acting this way for her benefit or if he truly hadn¡¯t seen a thing. ¡°Walk with me?¡± He asked. Doris wanted

    nothing more than to return to her cabin and hide from shame, but she swallowed that feeling and

    nodded. William held out his arm and Doris blinked before she took it. She made the mistake of gripping

    where his muscle was instead of his elbow and now her mind couldn¡¯t stop picturing it beneath his thick

    jacket. What was wrong with her? They walked in silence around the main camp and down towards the

    frozenke. Doris had seen a few younger kids skating around on the solid surface earlier but she wasn¡¯t

    sure how one would even begin to attempt something like that. Wouldn¡¯t the ice crack?

    There was no sign of anyone else at the moment, she was d to be alone for once. He stopped just at

    the edge of the frozenke and stared at the crystal surface. Doris watched him for a moment, she

    studied the way his eyes looked so thoughtful when he had something on his mind. She wished she

    could unravel what raced through his mind for once instead of worrying about her own. When William

    caught her staring, he actually smiled at her. It was so small and brief, she almost missed it. Just a tug

    on his lips that left her heart racing more than it ever had before. He turned towards her and she noticed

    his eyes couldn¡¯t help but flicker between her lips and eyes as if he wasn¡¯t sure which ones were more

    interesting to gaze at. ¡°I don¡¯t think I did very well in your ss.¡± Doris said suddenly but she could tell he

    wasn¡¯t listening when his eyes didn¡¯t lift from her mouth. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure why my wolf is so

    impossible to get along with. She truly has a mind of her own.¡± His hand was almostically bigger

    than her own. He gripped one of her hands , isn¡¯t there suddenly and swallowed it in his. Her mind raced

    a million thoughts a second and couldn¡¯t seem to decide which one to focus on but she knew she didn¡¯t

    have anything else to say when he looked at her like that. He lifted his free hand up to her face and

    pushed away her long hair from her eyes. He brushed it behind her ears and she actually shivered from

    the touch. It was the sort of thing that only happened in books. The love interest brushing her hair back

    behind her ear before he William tilted her chin up and leaned down to press his lips against her own.

    She felt as if every bone in her body had froze up at the soft touch. She didn¡¯t expect it, not at all-1

    William pushed away from her so aggressively, she stumbled back and had to catch herself from falling

    on her ass. The look on his face was no where near soft or lovely, it was furious. He looked almost-

    wounded. * ¡°William¡ª¡± He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spat at her feet as if she was

    the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted. Doris felt the tears prick the back of her eyes instantly as

    he turned away from her without another word and stomped back towards the camp. What¡ªwhat had

    just happened? Did he¡­ did he just take her first real kiss and then spit it back at her as if she was

    poison? Bile rose in the back of her throat, she swallowed it down before she threw up everything inside

    of her. Thick, warm tears escaped without her permission. It urred to her that he might have only

    kissed her because he did see her naked and expected something from her. That was it, wasn¡¯t it? When

    he felt her tense up, he knew he wasn¡¯t getting what he wanted. He didn¡¯t even give her a chance to let

    the shock fade, he only wanted one thing from her. She fell to her knees in the snow and watched as

    light white kes floated down from the sky. They glistened in the light and it would have normally been

    so beautiful, but it made her sick with dread. Why did he kiss her? Why didn¡¯t he give her a chance to

    kiss him back? Why would she even consider it?

    ¡°Doris?¡± A light voice called from behind her. Doris turned to see Enzo a few feet away. The sun in the

    sky had drifted further down in the sky and left her with barely any light left to shine on her misery. Her

    tears had long dried, but her eyes might stay red for days. She was so angry, she wanted to punch

    William and then never see him again. He was nothing but a nasty beast of a man that didn¡¯t deserve

    any part of her. She couldn¡¯t wait to be free and never see him again. ¡°What are you still doing out here?

    William has been haunting the camp with his aggression for hours. I thought he might have killed you

    and left your body out here.¡± Enzo joked, though it sounded as if part of him meant it. Doris would have

    laughed if she had any sense of noise left inside her. All she had left was anger and emptiness.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I live.¡± Doris said. Enzo sat next to her in the snow and rested his  elbows on his knees.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m positive you meant fortunately but that¡¯s okay, we all make mistakes.¡± Enzo bumped his shoulder

    against her own and looked her splotchy red face over. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how

    he can act nice one minute and like an absolute mad man the next. I¡¯m tired of pretending it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°He

    is quite the character. I¡¯ve never seen someone frown so much in my life.¡± Enzo nced at his nails. ¡°It¡¯s

    strange to admit that he cares about you, but he does.¡± Doris snorted. ¡°I think he does some of the time,

    but then he will do something rotten to make me second guess it.¡± ¨C ¡°Ah, young love. I can¡¯t say I envy

    you.¡± ¡°We¡®re not in love.¡± Doris said quickly. The disgust on his face shed across her mind again. No

    man would look at her like that if he was in love with her. Why did he have to drive her so crazy? She

    only came on this trip to serve him as a maid and so far-it wasn¡¯t anything of what she expected. The

    nights he held her when she was cold and insisted he sleep next to her. Saving her time and time again

    and hunting down the ones that hurt her. He showed her that he cared in some way, and then he took it

    away the next day like it was all a game. Enzo raised his brows. She was only d he couldn¡¯t read her

    disastrous mind and all the things that raced through. ¡°Okay. I suppose I can¡¯t tell you what you are but I

    can tell you what I see.¡± ¡°Do you have to?¡± Doris groaned and put her head in her hands. ¡°Normally no,

    but yes today.¡± Enzo said. She could hear a bit of an amused smile in his voice. ¡°I see a man that can¡¯t

    handle what he feels for a woman and takes it out on everyone around him. I see a woman who is

    learning how to be herself and have a taste of freedom while still being drawn to that possessive man.

    Neither of you can help it, but the closer you get-the worse it will seem until you admit how you feel. Or,

    until he does.¡± 8 Doris rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not in love with me. I promise you that.¡± Enzo stood and

    brushed the snow off his pants before he held out his hand to help her up. ¡°There¡¯s always a bit of

    danger in a promise, isn¡¯t there?¡±

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    Chapter 81 I think I got it.

    Doris followed Enzo back to camp and tried not to seem obvious she was looking around for William.

    The vigers nced at her curiously as she passed but said nothing. She was quite positive most of

    them still didn¡¯t like her and were only tolerating her presence. Not that she med them, she supposed.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to allow outsiders in especially when you were taught not to trust them your entire life. It

    was clear the vigers felt uneasy whenever one of the royal party was near especially William himself.

    They looked to Enzo for guidance and his ease calmed their fears just enough but it still lingered on the

    surface of every expression they made. ¡°Would you like to join me for dinner?¡± Enzo asked, snapping

    Doris out of her racing thoughts. ¡°Oh,¡± Doris trailed her eyes across the barely familiar faces and still

    couldn¡¯t find the one that had those deadly blue eyes. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Enzo asked as

    they stopped in front of her cabin. His brows were raised in an almost humorous expression as he looked

    her over. ¡°Afraid the prince will think we¡¯re getting married?¡±. Doris blushed and turned her face away.

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd. I shouldn¡¯t because I should be trying to figure out my wolf. She¡¯s quite difficult to

    understand right now.¡± ¡°Well, more the reason you should dine with me. I can give you some advice that

    your prince might have been neglectful to share.¡± Enzo sped his hands behind his back and shed a

    grin at her. Doris sighed. She knew she shouldn¡¯t ept, if William saw her alone with him he would

    think the worst. But-figuring out her wolf was much more important than whatever he thought of her.

    Which, at the moment, wasn¡¯t much. ¡°Alright. When?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to get you.¡± Enzo said and

    turned away. Doris watched as he left, offering smiles to those that passed him. She¡¯d never met

    someone who was so loved and feared at the same time. For his vigers, she assumed he was more

    loved than feared by the way they looked at him with such adoration. ? Inside her cabin, Doris locked the

    door and flung herself on her bed to bury her face deep in her pillow. shes of William entered her

    mind, she tried to force them out and think of something-anything else. Her lips tingled as if she could

    still feel the brief touch he pressed upon her. What did he expect from her? His rough hands turned a bit

    soft as he turned her face to his to kiss her and then spit her out. She would never forget the look on his

    face when he realized how rotten she truly was. How much he didn¡¯t want her. 1 Doris turned and staredN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    up at the ceiling. Her fingers lightly trailed along her lips and could swear he lingered there long after he

    was gone. His disgust for her set him in a new light that she didn¡¯t dare try to touch-nor did she want to.

    Her shame and sorrows were long pushed down by the time the sun had gone down   she only wanted

    her mate and wanted Doris to bow down to his needs. Especially when the man that she imed was

    her mate hated her guts and grew sick just by their kiss. ¡°What if I don¡¯t listen to what she wants?¡± ¡°You

    have to find apromise. I rmend taking a full day to try and figure her out otherwise she will

    never want to listen if you don¡¯t get along with her. It won¡¯t happen over night, but it will help more than

    you think. Give it a shot.¡± Doris nodded and picked at her food. It was delicious and the meat melted in

    her mouth in the best way possible¡ªbut her stomach turned on her. She was starving before she

    stepped through the door, but now that William was here she could only think about the way he spit at

    her feet after he kissed her. ¡°I know she doesn¡¯t like being told what to do, she refuses toe to me

    when I call her and she only shifts when she wants. I was caught out in the snow storm and she wouldn¡¯t

    even change to save me.¡± ¡°It will be like that for a while. She¡¯s trying to show you she¡¯s the dominate one

    inside you so you will answer to her. They don¡¯t care what they have to do to show their control, even if it

    kills them.¡± Enzo said, William shifted in his seat. ¡°Mine tried to control me for years when I was younger.

    It made me do horrible things it wanted just so I could get it to change until I realized it wasn¡¯t right. We

    are the ones that control our wolves.¡± Patrick took a long drink and cleared his throat.¡° She will learn,

    don¡¯t fall for anything she tells you.¡± Doris felt as if it was the same advice over and over, but none of it

    helped her understand what to do. Argue with her wolf until it agreed to change? Threaten her wolf or try

    to show dominance she didn¡¯t have? They all stared at her as if they expected her to understand them.

    She didn¡¯t understand anything, they¡¯d all been wolves for so long they didn¡¯t know what it was like to

    know nothing about it. Doris took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she spoke. ¡°Okay. I think I got

    it.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    Chapter 82 I would kill anyone that tried to take our freedom.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    The sky was still dark when Doris rose the next morning. She bundled up against the harsh temperatures

    and brought extra clothes and a cloak in a small bag. No one was awake when she stepped out of her

    cabin and treaded towards the woods behind her cabin. The absolute silence was strange. Only her

    steps that crunched in the snow made a sound and made her feel as if she waspletely alone in the

    world. She supposed she was, in a way. Doris walked down a path she had taken many times before.

    The air was still and calm, no sense of a storm was brewing but she wanted to make sure she stayed

    close to a path she knew well enough in case one came. Once she was far enough away from the camp,

    she broke off the trail and found a wide clearing between the tall trees. She set her bag down and stood

    in the center to look up at the sky. The sun was just barely starting to rise. The grey skies had a bit of

    blue and yellow mixed in. She inhaled the fresh air and felt her head almost spin from it all. She didn¡¯t

    normally enjoy morning air, she preferred the smell of the night. ¡°I know why you¡¯re out here. You realize

    I can hear your conversations, right?¡± Cordelia spoke up in her mind. Doris almost flinched and looked

    around, but held herself firm enough not to make a fool out of herself again. She had to get used to this.

    This voice was a part of her, as strange as it was to admit Dorisid out a small nket and sat atop it

    with her legs crossed. Come to apromise they told her. ¡°I thought we could get to know each other a

    bit more.¡± Doris said out loud. ¡°I already know everything about you and all of your desires. Even the

    ones you try to hide away.¡± Cordelia said with augh. Doris pressed her cold hands to her cheeks to

    prevent a blush. It didn¡¯t matter if she knew everything about her. No one would be able to speak to her

    anyway. ¡°Okay, then I came out here to learn about you. I¡¯m new to all of this, I don¡¯t know what it is I¡¯m

    supposed to be doing.¡± Doris admitted. ¡°That¡¯s obvious. You can¡¯t get away with acting clueless forever,

    my dear Doris. Sooner orter I¡¯m going to call your bluff.¡± ¡°I wish I was acting!¡± Doris huffed and closed

    her eyes. She wished she could see her as she spoke instead of staring at trees or darkness. It made

    her feel a bit crazy. ¡°I know you want to be with your mate.¡± Doris said after a breath. ¡°I know you want

    me to curl up to William and bow down to his needs, but it¡¯s not like that.¡± Cordelia scoffed, the sound

    was loud and harsh against her ears. ¡°It can be if you weren¡¯t resisting so much. Our mates are made for

    us for a reason. If you let me be with mine, I would be more willing.¡± ¡°I know you would.¡± Doris sighed

    and rubbed her head. Already a headache was forming. ¡°Please understand that William and I are not a

    good match. He hates me  tr more than you think. He hates the very idea of a mate and he refuses to

    end up with

    one_¡±

    ¡°If that was true, why did he seek you out so hard at the pce when that nasty maid took your ce as

    hisdy? He searched high and low just to find you and you still hide from him to this day. Do you think

    he likes knowing his mate despises him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t think he knows why he searched for his

    mate so hard either, but I know that he doesn¡¯t want this life. If you¡¯re always watching and listening, you

    know how he acted after the kiss.¡± ¡°Perhaps he was only that way because you didn¡¯t kiss him back. You

    deserved it.¡± Cordelia hissed. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know why he does anything, but I know how bad it hurt to

    have him spit at me as if I was disgusting to him.¡± Doris lowered her voice sadly and looked around. ¡°No

    man is worth giving up freedom for. He could offer us the world but it would never be better than the

    choice of fresh air. We have to stop living for others, don¡¯t you get that?¡± Cordelia was silent for a long

    time. Doris was sure she had curled up back inside herself to shut Doris out, until she heard a softer

    version of her voice. ¡°I only want to be loved. I know my mate is waiting for me and I can hear his calls

    when you can¡¯t. We long for each other.¡± ¡°What can I do?¡± Doris asked helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t change who

    William is. Please, tell me what would make you happy that doesn¡¯t involve me selling myself away.¡± ¡°I¡­

    I want you to stop distancing yourself from him. I can hear your thoughts as they push further and further

    away from William. You convince yourself he hates you before he even opens his mouth. Give him a

    chance.¡± Doris parted her lips to object, but quickly mped them shut. Her wolf was offering her a door

    and she would be stupid to deny it. Even though deep down, she knew it was ridiculous. ¡°Okay. If I try to

    warm up to him a little, will you answer when I call for you? When I need you if I was in trouble? I don¡¯t

    want to wait around to be saved anymore. I have you, we can save ourselves.¡± Silence. She could

    practically feel the wheels turning in her wolf¡¯s mind. All the thoughts that must have been racing through

    her head to be willing to give up a sense of her power for Doris to have. ¡°Yes.¡± Cordelia finally said. ¡°You

    understand there¡¯s no promises. don¡¯t you? This potential love you want would be doomed from the start.

    He¡¯s a prince and I am only ever going to be a maid to him. I can¡¯t force him to love me and I can¡¯t force

    myself either.¡± Cordelia sniffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sell yourself short. I have seen several princes turn their

    heads for you over the years.¡± Doris rolled her eyes and stood before she slid off her jacket and shoes.

    With a shaky breath, she held out her arms. ¡°I call to you, Cordelia.¡± Doris swore she heard augh

    before Cordelia took over every inch of her body all at once. She doubled over and watched in horror as

    her arms cracked from human arms to those of a wolf. White fur coated her legs and her back hunched

    over as her bones  cracked until she formed into a wolf once again. The pain of every inch of her

    bending and breaking until she was transformed would never be something she could live with. It felt just

    as awful as the very first time. It felt as if her skin was stretched over her broken bones to form her into a

    new shape. Pure agony ripped through her throat. Once the transformation wasplete, the pain faded

    almost instantly as if it was never there in the first ce. She blinked and looked around through her

    sharp wolf eyes to see her clothes in shards all around her. She took a step in the cold snow and winced

    a little. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hesitant.¡± Cordelia whispered. ¡°Let me show you how to be free.¡± Cordelia took off

    through the trees and Doris had no choice but toe along. Her paws beat down harshly in the snow

    and hopped over rocks and fallen trees without a second thought. The wind blew through her fur and left

    her feeling breathless as she raced against it. She felt¡­ wild. Every inch of her wasn¡¯t able to be

    touched, nothing could reach her or stop her. She felt free. She dodged the trees and raced against

    small animals that found her. They ran from her in fear, she only raced past them with a sense of

    determination. She could beat them all, she could run free. She raced up a small mountain as fast as she

    could. Faster and faster, nothing could slow her down. Nothing could Cordelia skid her to a halt at the

    cliff¡¯s edge. Doris¡¯s heart was running a million miles an hour as she tried to catch her breath. It was

    much easier to do in this form,

    almost as if it didn¡¯t bother her at all. She looked down at the valley below her. White snow stretched on

    for miles and miles. The sun was raising up behind the trees at the perfect spot for her to appreciate.

    ¡°You want freedom, you will always have freedom in this form.¡± Cordelia said gently. ¡°No one can hold us

    down. We are a force on our own and no one owns us.¡¯ ¡°I want to believe that.¡± Doris said. ¡°You¡¯ll see the

    truth in time. I would kill anyone that tried to take our freedom.¡± 1

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    Chapter 83 Why do I feel this will go terribly

    A sense of ease settled in Doris as she walked out of the woods. She wrapped her cloak tighter around

    herself as she smiled a little. It was like a hole inside her had been filled more than it had been when she

    went in. How long had she had that hole? How long had she felt that empty? Now she understood what it

    was like to feel a bit moreplete. Perhaps she had been missing her inner wolf her whole life and she

    only realized it now. The vigers were wide awake by the time she¡¯d gotten back. A few royal guards

    were scattered in the crowds. It as almost getting hard to tell them apart as some of them bonded with

    the others. She watched as they shared jokes and tipped their heads back tough with one another.

    She didn¡¯t see William out yet, nor Enzo. It was strange to see such order in the camp without some sort

    of supervision. Perhaps they were getting along more than Doris had realized. Or maybe it was just

    William they had their concerns about. Her stomach growled loud enough for her to quickly cover it with

    her arms. The smell from the center of the courtyard could have lifted her feet off the ground with how

    delicious it was. Fresh bread? Cinnamon? She wasn¡¯t sure what it was but it only made her feel

    ravenous. All the running had given her an appetite she hadn¡¯t felt in

    quite a while. She joined a line to grab a serving of the frosted bread and went to waver through the

    growing crowd to find an empty seat. It was freezing outside, but it was a nice enough day to enjoy Doris

    couldn¡¯t catch herself in time when someone held out their foot to trip her. Doris fell face first into her

    bread and had to bite her lip to keep in her screams. It burned her face, she quickly wiped it off and then

    stared down at the sad remains of the one thing her stomach desired. ¡°You should watch where you¡¯re

    going.¡± Doris looked up to see the woman that tried to seduce William standing above her with her arms

    crossed tightly across her chest. Doris stood and wiped off the snow from her pants and tried to pick out

    the bread pieces from her hair. ¡°I suppose I should be on the look out for people trying to trip me.¡±

    The woman narrowed her eyes a little as if she didn¡¯t expect Doris to say anything back. The crowd had

    quickly thinned around them as if they were afraid to get caught in the crossfire. She looked Doris up and

    down with disinterest. ¡°I can see why he would already be bored of you, you¡¯re not much to look at.¡± ¡°I

    assume you¡¯re talking about William? Everyone can see that you¡¯re drooling over yourself for him.¡± Doris

    moved to walk past her, but she stepped in her way again. Doris curled her fists at her sides and tried to

    tame the beast inside her. ¡°I heard you were nothing but a maid, do they let you talk back to people at

    the kingdom like this?¡± The girl asked with an almost mocking tone. Doris had to tilt her head back a little

    just to look up at the girl. ¡°Not to people I   respect. I don¡¯t even know who you are, so don¡¯t expect me to

    fall at your feet because of my job.¡± The girl scoffed and tossed her light hair back. It wasn¡¯t very long,

    she looked about a foot taller than Doris with long legs and a lean frame. ¡°I¡¯m Jude, I¡¯m one of the main

    wolf¡¯s here. I would advise you to watch your mouth around me¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s odd, I haven¡¯t heard

    your name once for being a main wolf. Excuse me,¡± Doris went to move around her again and the

    woman gripped Doris by her shoulder and pushed her back. ¡°Let me out, I¡¯ll take care of her!¡± Cordelia

    raged inside her. It felt as if her wolf was pacing angrily with her ws ready to take her down. Doris tried

    to silence her. She wasn¡¯t about to let her wolf rip apart this girl that just wasn¡¯t worth it. They¡¯d think she

    was insane, even if at the moment it felt justified. ¡°I don¡¯t take kindly to disrespect from someone like you.

    You think you¡¯re good enough to be dining with royalty? You¡¯ll soon realize the only thing you¡¯re good for

    isying on your back.¡± ¡°Did you discover that from experience?¡± Doris almost growled as if the wolfish

    side of her couldn¡¯t help it. She felt the rage bubble up from inside her in a ce she hadn¡¯t yet fully

    explored. ¡°Get away from me.¡± 1 Jude grabbed her arm when she went to pass. She dug her long nails

    into Doris¡¯s skin hard enough to make her gasp. ¡°How dare you? You¡¯re nothing but a useless whore

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Doris didn¡¯t notice William was there until he grabbed Jude by her arm and yanked her off Doris. Jude¡¯s

    lips parted in shock as she took in the sight of an angered prince. It was a look Doris knew all too well.

    ¡°Prince William¨CI didn¡¯t see you there.¡± She winced when his grip tightened ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re

    harassing her?¡± William said through his teeth. Even though Jude was quite tall, he still towered over her.

    ¡°Or are you just ashamed that I would never want you like her?¡± Doris swore she¡¯d heard him wrong-or at

    least didn¡¯t understand what he meant. A strange burst of excitement swirled inside her and she knew it

    wasing from her wolf. Doris wanted to shove her wolf further down and quiet her. ¡°I¡ª¡° William

    pushed her away from him as if he didn¡¯t want anything to do with her. ¡°If I see you talk to anyone in my

    party again, I will rip out your tongue so I never have to hear another word. Her life is worth a hundred of

    yours, don¡¯t forget that.¡± 2 Jude stared at him in a shock that mirrored her own. Doris felt her wolf curl up

    inside her with a sigh of content. She didn¡¯t have to say a word, Doris knew exactly what she was

    thinking and her face warmed at the thoughts. Another burst of anger doused her strange energy-she

    wanted to scream at him and demand he stop saying things that confused her more than anything. She

    didn¡¯t need him to stand up for her¡ªbut a sick part of her liked it. She liked that he had a weird

    protectiveness over her even when he seemed repulsed by her. What was wrong with her?  William

    didn¡¯t even spare Doris a nce as he walked away. Jude watched him leave in a sort of daze that made

    her look as if she was half asleep. It took her a moment to realize they had several onlookers in the

    crowd and of course those that tried to pretend they didn¡¯t see a thing. What¡ª? ¡°He couldn¡¯t be more

    obvious about his feelings. Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t hear him.¡± Cordelia whispered. Doris stomped

    towards her cabin and mmed the door for a bit of privacy. Her emotions swirled in several different

    directions, she wasn¡¯t sure what to grab onto. Should she scream about how horrible Jude was? Or how

    frustrated she was at William? ¡°How do you figure he¡¯s being obvious? Please, enlighten me! He can¡¯t

    even look at me anymore!¡± Doris shouted at the wall. Why did it bother her so much? Why did he act one

    way and then do something the counteract his intentions? Her chest felt as if it was going to burst. Was

    this what it was like having a wolf inside her? Cordelia hummed in her mind. It was a sort of disapproving

    sound that made Doris want to throw something. She couldn¡¯t even understand her own anger and she

    didn¡¯t know where to ce it. ¡°Let¡¯s do something for him, it might soften him a bit.¡± ¡°Soften him? That¡¯s

    impossible.¡± Doris snorted and stopped the pacing she didn¡¯t even realize she started and furrowed her

    brows. ¡°What did you even have in mind? What would we do?¡±. ¡°Remember how jealous he was of

    Daniel and how you would make him things?¡± 1 Doris rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch by

    the fire. A part of her missed Daniel, she was ashamed to admit she hadn¡¯t thought about him at all since

    she left. ¡°He wasn¡¯t jealous¡ª¡° ¡°Why are you so blind? Truly, I¡¯d like to know.¡± 2 ¡°Just get to the point.¡±

    Doris said as she rubbed her head. Perhaps William was always so grumpy because of his inner wolf. If

    it was half as annoying as her own, she understoodpletely. Every time they talked, she gained a

    new headache. ¡°Let¡¯s bake something for our mate. It¡¯ll cheer him up.¡± Cordelia suggested. It was hard to

    describe, but she thought she heard a bit of a smirk in her tone. 1 ¡°Why do I feel like this will be a terrible

    idea?¡± Doris groaned.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    Chapter 84 At least you finally found a way to make yourself useful.

    The main kitchen in the camp looked like any other regr kitchen she would expect in a home. It was

    good enough sized and homey, but she had to admit it was a little hard to imagine how the cooks

    managed to feed the whole vige with such a small space. They were truly talented-since there was

    always an endless amount of food being passed around. The room was hot enough for Doris to strip off

    her jacket after only seconds of standing in the entryway. An older man turned to look at her with a

    curious lift of his brow but said nothing as she hung her coat. The ovens were on, but it appeared that

    nothing was inside them yet. It made her wonder if they were always left on, just in case. Arge pot on

    the stove was filled to the brim with some sort of warm soup that made her long to curl up by the fire with

    thergest bowl possible. ¡°Hello, sir.¡± Doris stepped further in and held out her hand. He nced down at

    it before he seemed to decide to oblige her. ¡°I was wondering if I could use some of your ingredients and

    ovens to bake something small. I promise to clean up after myself and rece whatever I use.¡± ¡°Oh, you

    like to cook?¡± The man asked. He had a thick ent that she wasn¡¯t familiar with, but it was lovely and

    went along with his kind face. ¡°Yes sir, I love to bake. I¡¯ve missed being in the kitchen, it¡¯s been a long

    time.¡± Doris nced around and felt her head spin with all of the delicious scents. It was so calm in here.

    The kitchens at the pce were always so loud and busy. It was hard to find any sense of peace there

    without a string of anxiety to follow. She wasn¡¯t sure if there were more cooks that helped, but for the

    moment it was just him. ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± The old man crossed his arms. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°I

    was thinking something simple. A chocte cake and frosting.¡± Doris brushed her hair behind her ears.

    ¡°I¡¯m Doris, by the way.¡± ¡°I know who you are, my dear. You can call me Poe.¡± He turned his back on her

    to pull down a ss bowl. ¡°You may use my kitchen and ingredients on two conditions.¡± ¡°Of course,

    anything.¡± ¡°You have to keep an eye on my soup, and you have to clean up after yourself.¡± He turned and

    ced the bowl in her hands. He smiled a little and winked. ¡°Stay for as long as you need and have

    someonee find me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s so kind of you. Thank you, Poe.¡± Doris smiled

    widely. Poe went to the coat rack to pull on his jacket. This vige was full of some of the kindest people.

    Each day that passed only made it harder when she realized they would soon leave this ce and she

    would have to go back to her old life where she had no choices. ¡°You¡¯ll find everything you need for

    sweets in the lower cabs.¡± He pointed.¡° Maybe leave me a slice, eh?¡± He said and smiled.

    Dorisughed a little. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Once he was gone, Doris searched through all of the cabs to pull

    out everything she needed and got to work. Her wolf remained silent the entire time, most of her was

    thrilled to have the silence. Her head could get so loud, but baking always centered her and reminded

    her how to keep a bit of rity. There was nothing to stress over, only getting the recipe right. She

    missed those sort of simple worries. She couldn¡¯t help but think of the times herrgest worries were

    finding misced books and removing all the cobwebs around the shelves. Now she worried if she

    would witness another murder almost daily. She moved around the kitchen as if it was her own. It felt like

    an old dance as she ced the cake pans in the ovens and spun around to clean up the mess she

    made. By the time she wiped the counters clean, she was pulling out the hot pans and starting the

    frosting. She set the zing pans by the cold window and had them cooled in no time. She cut the cake

    into pieces and left one on the counters before she carried the rest of it out. She was almost sad to be

    finished so soon. Time always seemed to fly faster when she was enjoying herself¡ªbut at least she had

    a taste of what it was like to feel lighter. At least for a little while. 1 Each step towards William¡¯s cabin

    filled her with a heavy weight once more as her unease and nerves came rushing back in. What if he

    turned her away? He hadn¡¯t spoken to her once since he spat at her feet. The memory burned worse

    than any fire ever could. She swallowed her pride before she knocked on his door. His deep grumbled

    beyond it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Doris leaned closer as if it would make him hear her better. She nced

    around and was d to see no one was around to see her pathetic attempt at civility with a grumpy

    prince. There was a pause thatsted hours in her mind. She cleared her throat and took a small step

    back as if to prepare herself to run as fast as possible away from this door. It wasn¡¯t worth it, she knew it

    was an awful idea ¡°Come in.¡± He said. Doris released a breath and opened his door slowly. Her eyes

    found him instantly by the dimming fire. His eyes lit up beautifully against the light. What a curse it must

    be to have such beautiful eyes like that. His darkshes raised and suddenly they were on her without a

    warning. She closed the door behind her and lifted the te in her hands. ¡°I made you some dessert.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not even dinner time.¡± He said ndly. Doris felt her cheeks heat instantly, she took a step backContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    towards the door. ¡°Yes, right. I meant forter-of course.¡± Doris looked around for an area to put it so she

    could leave. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it over here¡ª¡° ¡°Come here.¡± He said. His words rooted her in ce and she hated

    he had that sort of power over her. He leaned forward n his seat and gestured to the chair next to his .

    own and her feet had no choice but to obey. She gently ced the te of cake slices on the table in

    front of him before she sat. She shifted ufortably in her bulky coat. William looked over the slices as

    if he¡¯d never seen such a dish before. ¡°Did you already have some?¡± ¡°Oh! No, of course not. The nice old

    man in the kitchen asked for a piece if I used his things.¡± Doris pulled her arms free of her constricting

    coat. Why did she always feel as if she was about to suffocate in his presence? William brushed his

    thumb across his lower lip. She wished her eyes hadn¡¯t seen that, now she couldn¡¯t look away from his

    mouth. ¡°Have some with me now, then.¡± He said. Doris almost thought she imagined it. Her wolf woke up

    a little and made a sound of approval. ¡°Are you sure? I can have dinner brought for you first if you¡ª¡°.

    ¡°No.¡± He said and grabbed a slice with his bare hands. Dorisughed in surprise when he took arge

    bite. His eyes snapped to her and took in the sight of her smile as if he was drinking it in. Doris mped

    her lips shut and brushed har hair behind her ear. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure of your favorite so I made chocte.¡±

    She cleared her throat and leaned forward to wipe a bit of frosting off the te with her finger to have a

    taste. ¡°Oh,¡± Doris moaned a little. ¡°I¡¯ve missed the taste of chocte.¡± William watched her with such

    intensity, she felt as if a fire erupted inside her chest. His blue eyes trailed across her face and along her

    lips with a different sort of heat she wasn¡¯t used to. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± He finally said. Hisrge hand gripped the

    edge of her chair and brought her seat closer to him. She held her breath as he used his thumb to wipe a

    bit of chocte near her lips. He was so close to her, she knew he could hear how loud her heart

    pounded. ¡°Why did you make me this?¡± He asked with a voice that was meant just for her. ¡°I¡­ I just

    thought you would like it.¡± The air felt thicker when he looked at her like that. His eyes watched her

    mouth whenever she spoke and had a hard time looking anywhere else. He shoved the rest of the piece

    in his mouth and leaned back away from her. ¡°You were right.¡± He stood and brushed the crumbs off his

    shirt. ¡°At least you finally found a way to make yourself useful.¡± 7

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    Chapter 85 Not meant for those who want nothing to do with their kingdom.

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Doris stared at his back in silence. Her face grew hot and her throat closed instantly as his words pierced

    her skin. Doris silently stood and left his cabin before he could even turn around. If he was anyone else,

    she would have stood up for herself for once in her life. She would have took the cake and threw it in the

    trash right in front of him. His stupid title held her tongue and prevented her from smashing the dessert in

    his face like she wanted to so badly. The look on his face alone would be worth it all. 2 Her rage reced

    her embarrassment. She didn¡¯t realize she had forgotten her coat until she was back in her own cabin.

    Not a lick of cold touched her, her anger heated her nicely. She wanted to strangle her wolf for even

    suggesting being nice to him when they both knew he didn¡¯t deserve it. He didn¡¯t deserve an ounce of

    anyone being nice to him when all he knew how to be is horrible. She did something nice for him and all

    he could do was insult her in return. Reminding her she was nothing but

    a useless maid and that¡¯s all she¡¯ll ever be to him. Doris roared and threw a candle against the wall and

    watched as the wax broke into a hundred pieces on impact. How could she be so stupid? Was having

    control of her wolf worth being near him for more than a second? ¡°You see what he is? And you want me

    to be with that? I¡¯d rather die!¡± Doris shouted at her wolf. She wanted a fight and one was building inside

    of her. This new anger was confusing and strange, but she knew she wanted to release it all at once

    instead of letting it bottle inside her like she usually did when she was mad. All the years she let people

    insult her and walk all over her because she was nothing to them. Nothing had changed. 1 ¡°You

    misunderstand him. He didn¡¯t mean it¡ª¡± Cordelia spoke up almost hesitantly. Dorisughed bitterly.

    ¡°Your excuses only make you blind. I don¡¯t know what his wolf is like, but if he¡¯s anything like William-he¡¯s

    not worth it.¡± Cordelia growled. ¡°How dare you insult my mate? He¡¯s worth more than you ever will

    understand. How many times do I have to exin how sacred a mate bond is? ¡± Doris went in the

    bathroom and yanked off her clothes as she prepared a bath. She was so hot, she didn¡¯t bother to heat

    the water. She lowered herself into the freezing tub and didn¡¯t feel this chill hit her bones at all as she

    scrubbed her skin. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the bath heated into boiling water just from her own rage

    ¡°It¡¯s normal to have these moods.¡± Her wolf said calmly. ¡°Your body is changing to adjust to the wolf.

    You¡¯re feeling this way because of me, remember that.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m angry because of you! If I wasn¡¯t

    angry, I would just be crying. What he did was rude and-ugh! He¡¯s an awful man. Awful and rotten!¡± Doris

    shouted and rubbed soap through her hair as if it would clean herself from his existence. If only it were

    that easy, she would have been clean of him ages ago. ¡°You promised to give him a chance¡ª¡°   ¡°What

    do you think that was?¡± Doris snapped, then immediately felt helpless. It was like a flicker of sadness

    wrapped its hand around her emotions and tried to strangle the rage out of her. She dipped her head

    beneath the water and tried to rub it all out of the soap. It would be so easy to stay underneath and let

    go, Her wolf caught wind of her thoughts and forced her up in a painful way. Doris started gasping for air,

    it felt as if her wolf shoved her head above the surface by stabbing her insides.. ¡°Are you insane?¡±

    Cordelia growled, her voice rattled through her aching mind and almost made her grasp her ears. ¡°If you

    have a thought like that again, I¡¯ll never allow you near another bath in your life.¡± ¡°Wonderful,¡± Doris

    gasped and gripped the sides of the tub. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ward him away with my smell if you do that. I think it¡¯s

    a great idea.¡± Doris stood and wrapped a towel around herself before she stepped out of the tub. ¡°I truly

    think you¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Cordelia said, almost as if she was amused but Doris wasn¡¯tughing. ¡°I am

    not. He¡¯s the most awful person¡ª¡± Doris stopped dead when she opened the door to her room and saw

    William standing in the middle of it. He had her coat clenched tightly in his hand. Her grip tightened on

    her towel, suddenly she felt hot again. ¡°William¡ª¡° She gasped. How long had he been there? How much

    had he heard her say? As much as she wished to give him a piece of her mind, he was still a prince and

    she didn¡¯t wish to lose her life over her true thoughts. His face gave away nothing as he looked her up

    and down, his eyes lingering on her bare legs. She cleared her throat. ¡°Can I help you?¡± His eyes lifted to

    her own. ¡°You left your coat.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± Doris reached out for it, but he threw it on the chair

    nearby. ¡°The cake was good.¡± He took a step towards her. She forced herself not to take one back. Every

    time he was near her, her thoughts turned on her and made her feel something she shouldn¡¯t.

    Unsurprisingly, her wolf waspletely silent as if it left her entirely. ¡°d you liked it.¡± Doris crossed her

    arms over her chest. ¡°Where did you learn to bake like that?¡± He asked in a tone that suggested he might

    have actually been curious. ¡°I was taught by my mother when I was younger. She showed me all of her

    cake recipes and I suppose it¡¯s the one thing I can never forget.¡± Doris shifted her weight on the other

    foot before she went to the drawers to pull out her clothes. She could practically feel his eyes follow her

    back. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± She asked over her shoulder. His silence made her think he

    was already gone, but she turned to find him watching her still as if she was his prey. A shiver ran across

    her skin, suddenly she felt ice cold and her heat from before had been fully doused. His eyes trailed the

    mark he left on her neck all those months ago. Her eyes almost dared him to say something about it, but

    he didn¡¯t. ¡°No.¡± He said before he slowly walked to the door and left without another word. It   left her

    convinced that he¡¯d heard her shout about how awful he was to her wolf. At least he didn¡¯t hear the

    things her wolf said about him, then she¡¯d truly wish the death penalty on herself. Doris quickly dressed

    in case he came back-but he hadn¡¯t. Her wolf didn¡¯t have much to say either, she stayed quiet inside her

    as if his appearance scared her off. Good. She nced out the window and saw William in the courtyard

    speaking with Enzo. Their heads were bent in a deep conversation. She could tell they were both serious

    with the way Enzo¡¯s face waspletely empty of humor. She didn¡¯t think that was possible for him.

    Enzo gestured towards his cabin and William followed. Doris quickly opened her door and met them

    halfway before she changed her mind. ¡°Good evening,¡± Doris said lightly with a smile. Enzo stopped and

    grinned down at her. ¡°Ah, Doris. Lovely to see you on such a beautiful night.¡± He reached out to touch

    her wet hair that had already turned to ice. William shifted beside him, she didn¡¯t dare sneak a look at

    him this time. ¡°You might want to let your hair drypletely next time. It¡¯ll keep you frozen all night and

    you¡¯ll wake up in a soiled bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s near impossible for my hair to dry here. It takes at least a few days.¡±

    Dorisughed a little. Her eyes flickered towards William to see a frown on his face. ¡°What are you guys

    up to?¡± She asked as she sped her hands behind her back. Her curiosity had been eating at her for

    days. William and Enzo had been spending a lot of time together but neither of them had brought it up to

    her as if they hadn¡¯t been having secret meetings almost every night William had been here. She knew it

    was most likely over politics and it wasn¡¯t her business, but she was still curious to know what William

    was up to. ¡°Nothing to concern yourself over. Just a bunch of boring talk, truly.¡± Enzo smiled and stepped

    around her. ¡°Yes, Enzo is right. Not meant for those who want nothing to do with the pce.¡± William said

    as he passed her without a single nce towards her. He followed Enzo into his cabin and closed the

    door to leave her out in the cold.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    Chapter 86 They wanted to kill you.

    It was hard to ignore the curious stares from the vigers as she walked through the thinning crowd.

    Their eyes flickered from her to the door with a telling expression. At the moment, she couldn¡¯t bring

    herself to care about their gossip or what they thought of her. She nced around for a friendly face but

    saw no one she knew. There was no sign of Eliza nearby either, she wondered if she was already off to

    bed and perhaps Doris should be too. ¡°¡­I just don¡¯t know how long Enzo will allow this.¡± A man said

    quietly to another. Doris slowed her steps as she walked between cabins. ¡°He¡¯s showing how weak he is

    to our enemies.¡± ¡°Everyone is saying he¡¯s sweet on that maid girl. He¡¯s probably trying to trade the prince

    something just to have her.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s what all their meetings are about?¡± The manughed a

    nasty sound that made her skin crawl. ¡°She¡¯s a pretty thing, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s worth keeping all these

    royals sniffing around our camp.¡± Doris gripped the wall of the cabin she was near and peered around

    the edge to see two older men setting on a log as they drank beer. They paid no attention to their

    surroundings as they kept their backs to her. Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she should stay to hear more or ¡°I think

    the prince is going to get us all killed.¡± One of the men said suddenly. The other paused his drink and

    turned to look at his friend. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯s here to scope out the

    ce and let his pce know how we really are. Enzo let them know that we¡¯re not much to fear as the

    rumors used to say. He¡¯d practically letting them live here.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± His friend set down his bottle. ¡°I never

    thought of it that way. They think we¡¯re weak with how kind we are, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you. A week

    after they leave, this ce will be burned to the ground. Whatever they¡¯re meeting about is only benefit

    to that prince and Enzo is too blind to see it. The kingdom has wanted to take control of us for years and

    now they finally will. It makes no sense why Enzo is trusting them.¡± ¡°We should do something about it

    before it¡¯s toote.¡± The man lowered his voice and nced around. Doris moved further behind the

    cabin so he didn¡¯t see her. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± His friend grumbled. ¡°He won¡¯t listen to us,

    He thinks they¡¯re good people after he¡¯s the one that taught us not to trust them for years.¡± ¡°I say we

    confront the prince about his intentions. Make him tell us what he¡¯s nning.¡± ¡°Have you seen the man?

    He doesn¡¯t talk much and when he does it¡¯s to threaten   people. We ain¡¯t gonna get much out of him.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Maybe we should take a different approach.¡± He friend sniffed. ¡°Maybe we should run him out before he

    kills us all.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? His guards will kill us before we try.¡± His friend stood and mmed down his

    beer. ¡°So we just wait around while he ns to override us all? We need to take a stand before it¡¯s too

    late.¡± ¡°Listen to yourself! I think you had too much to drink.¡± He stood and gripped his friend¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking, it won¡¯t work. He has people surrounding him constantly and Enzo won¡¯t back

    us up on this one.¡± ¡°You want your wife and kids to be killed or taken in and controlled by the kingdom?

    You want to lose all your freedom?¡± Slowly, he dropped his hands. ¡°No. Of course I don¡¯t want that, what

    kinda question is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what will happen if we don¡¯t put a stop to it right now.¡± The man

    stood in silence, he watched his friend with a sort of curiosity that couldn¡¯t be forced. ¡°What do you think

    we should do?¡± His friend grinned widely to show all of his rotted teeth. ¡°I think we should show him

    we¡¯re strong. We¡¯re not ones to be stepped on. We should ambush him when hees out of Enzo¡¯s

    cabin as wolves. He won¡¯t see iting¡ªthat will be our upper hand.¡± 2 ¡°What if we kill him?¡± His friend

    laughed, it sent chills down Doris¡¯s skin to hear someoneugh about something so terrible. She felt as if

    her wolf woke inside of her. ¡°Better for us if we do. The kingdom will know better than toe for us.¡±

    ¡°That could start a war if we killed him¡ª¡±. ¡°Better to make a point than to sit around and let our home be

    destroyed!¡± The man nodded in agreement, Doris couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. They were

    going to ambush William and they were out for his blood. She stepped back more into the shadows. She

    had to wam him, ¡°No time for that! You¡¯ll never make it, you have to kill them now!¡± Her wolf roared inside

    of her. ¡°Kill them?!¡± Doris shouted in her mind. She mped her hand over her mouth to keep her words

    inside. ¡°I can¡¯t kill them! Do you see how big they are? They¡¯ll rip me in half!¡± ¡°They won¡¯t rip me in half!¡±

    Cordelia growled. ¡°Let me have control!¡± Doris nced back over the corner and saw the men were

    gone. She quickly looked around to see them heading towards Enzo¡¯s cabin and lingered a few feet

    away. ¡°Now!¡± Cordelia shouted. Doris felt her bones crack and her body break apart and put itself back

    together in a new form. She roared as her hands hit the snow and turned into furry paws she still wasn¡¯t

    used to. 1 It was agony, but she could barely feel it. Heads turned towards her direction, but they couldn¡¯t

    see her. The door of Enzo¡¯s cabin opened and that¡¯s when the men  shifted. Their clothes were torn in

    shreds before their paws hit the ground. The rest of the vigers looked on in confusion and

    helplessness. One of the men howled as William stepped out of the cabin. His sharp eyes found them

    instantly and Doris knew he wouldn¡¯t have time to shift before they came for him. They growled and took

    off in a run towards him, but Doris was already there before they could touch him. She smacked into both

    of them on the side and knocked them both off track. They were so startled, they could barely gather

    themselves before she was on them again. She bit down as hard as she could on one of their legs while

    the other tried to grab her from behind. Doris went for his neck and the wolf was down faster than she

    could register. This sort of power was hard totch onto. Another howl came from behind her. She

    nced to see William in his wolf form with a deadly look in his eyes. She regretted looking at him, one

    of the other wolves tackled her to the ground and she swore she was about to get her throat ripped out.

    William raced at the wolf and took him by his neck to ring him around like a rag doll before he threw him

    against a nearby tree. The wolf did not raise again. The other wolf took Doris down and tore open the

    side of her arm. He painted the snow with her blood and she whined out in pain before she mped her

    jaw down on his neck the same time William grabbed him by his leg. While Doris had let him go before

    she did any real damage to the man, William tore the front of his paw off as if it was nothing. ¡°That¡¯s

    enough!¡± Enzo roared and grabbed one of the wolves by his neck to stop him from pouncing on William

    again. William went to stand in front of Doris as if he was guarding her. He growled at the two wolves that

    had set out to kill him. ¡°William, Doris. Go into your cabins. This fight is over.¡± It was strange to hear

    someone give William an order, but he obeyed after a moment of staring down the wolves. He led Doris

    towards her cabin and she followed with a slight limp. Once inside, William shifted instantly and she

    looked away from his naked body. He covered himself with a long cloak before he grabbed clothes for

    Doris and set them by her before he turned away to dress himself in clothes he had left in her cabin.

    Shifting back to herself didn¡¯t hurt as much as it did to be a wolf. Her bones stretched and her skin

    lost all the fur in seconds. The moment she was on her feet, she threw her clothes on as fast as she

    could. She didn¡¯t even care that she was still bleeding, it was like she couldn¡¯t feet it at all. William turned

    when she finished. His eyes were as dark as night as he looked her over. Already her blood had seeped

    through her shirt. ¡°What was that?¡± He asked. ¡°They wanted to kill you.¡±

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    Chapter 87 Will you stay with me tonight

    William¡¯s jaw tensed. ¡°So you thought you would take on two wolves yourself? What were you thinking,

    Doris!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to warn you about them ¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t have time!¡± William shouted.

    Doris flinched. How could he be mad at her? She just saved him! How dare he even raise his voice! ¡°I

    don¡¯t regret what I did. It¡¯s pointless to make me try.¡± Doris lifted her chin. Here, he was just a man. There

    was no crown on his head or authority behind his words. Inside she knew she would always be a maid,

    but she was not about to be talked down to for saving him. William stared at her for a second that turned

    to minutes. She refused to break eye contact, she would not back down this time. William took a step

    towards her but she stayed right where she was. He took another as if to test her. She gave him a look

    that almost dared him toe closer. She should have known that he was never one to turn down a

    challenge. William crossed the room in three long strides and gathered her up in his arms. She didn¡¯t get

    a chance to gasp before his mouth was on hers. He kissed her as if he was angry and wanted her to

    know it. Doris felt like a rush had woken her up. She closed her eyes and kissed him back despite the

    waring that red in her head. 2 He lifted her a bit off her feet and pressed her harder against him. She

    gripped the fabric at his shoulders and moaned against his mouth. William made a strangled sound in

    the back of his throat before he pressed her up against the wall. His hands burned her where he

    touched. Gripping her waist with a sense of ownership as he held them against his own to show her

    exactly how she made him feel. She¡¯d never made a man act like this before

    A wild, uncontroble side of her wanted more from him. It rose up inside her body and tried toe to

    light and she knew it was her wolf that pulled the tight strings to enhance every second his mouth

    devoured hers. She should stop, she knew she should but she didn¡¯t want to. No part of her wanted to

    push away from him. His tongue slid between her lips and fought for dominance inside her mouth against

    her own. She moved her hands up to run her fingers through his ck hair that felt like silk in her grasp.

    How many times had she itched to do just that? It almost made her melt in his arms¡ªshe was only d

    he was holding her up right. Hisrge hand gripped her thigh and hiked her legs up around his waist so

    he could kiss her better. She gasped as he held her up with one arm and forced her mouth back to his

    own with the other. Her mind turned dizzy with a confusing desire¡ªwhat was she doing? The thought left

    her head the second he bit down on her lip. She suddenly wanted all of him at once-every piece of him

    as her own and she didn¡¯t care what he did to her after A knock broke them apart like shattering ss.

    He set her down instantly and moved  several feet away from her as if he would rather be caught dead

    than be caught holding her like that. Doris stumbled a little and gripped the wall to right herself. Her

    vision grew blurry, she swallowed her shame and straightened her clothes. 1 What¡­ what on earth had

    gotten into her? How could she allow him to kiss her like she was just another one of his lovers? Look

    what he had done Why didn¡¯t she want him to stop? William caught his breath and went to open the door

    without another nce at her. Enzo stood with an expression that turned from serious, to almost instantly

    amused as he took in the disheveled state he was in. ¡°Oh, am I interrupting something?¡± Enzo peered

    over William¡¯s shoulder to see Doris. She smoothed out her hair but the damage was already done. Now

    everyone would think they were lovers if they didn¡¯t already. ¡°No, no. Of course not!¡± Doris said. William

    threw a look over his shoulder at her that she couldn¡¯t quite catch. ¡°What is it?¡± Enzoughed and

    pushed by William to enter her room. William red at his back as he closed the door. ¡°I wanted to see if

    you two were okay after what happened. Clearly all seems well in this cabin.¡± He eyed Doris¡¯s side where

    blood was still dripping. It was odd, it was like she couldn¡¯t feel it at all. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± Doris tried to

    cover her wound. Enzo stopped her. ¡°May I see it?¡± ¡°I was just about to tend to it.¡± William cut in. ¡°You

    don¡¯t have to look at it. It will be

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    fine.¡± Enzo lifted his hands and stepped away from her. ¡°Alright. I wanted to apologize for what happened

    out there. The men havee clean about their drunken mistakes and I will have to decide a

    punishment for them.¡± ¡°Their punishment should be death.¡± William growled. ¡°He could have killed her!

    They tried to kill a prince from the kingdom. They must have been really wasted to think it would have

    worked.¡± ¡°I assure you that they could barely stand. Their judgements should have no weight on this

    vige.¡± Enzo looked William over. ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± William rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ¡°No. Who¡¯s

    to say they won¡¯t try again? What if they go after Doris next?¡± ¡°If they did they know what the

    consequences would be. They don¡¯t want to be the next prey in our hunt.¡± 1 William didn¡¯t look the least

    bit satisfied. In fact, he only looked more angry. She wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if he went out to deal

    with them himself like he did to all the others that wronged them. ¡°Get out. I need to fix her wound before

    she bleeds all over the ce.¡± Enzo nodded. ¡°Yes, I heard applying pressure helps. If not, try more

    kisses.¡± He winked at Doris before he went for the door. ¡°Not everyone here thinks as they do. I, for one,

    am proud of how strong Doris has be. I almost couldn¡¯t believe it was her until I saw you go feral.¡±

    Enzoughed as he mmed the door behind him. Doris blushed a little. William went to lock the door

    the second he was gone. ¡°Lay on

    the bed.¡± He grumbled. Doris touched her side and felt how soaked her sweater had be. Perhaps it

    wasn¡¯t a good idea to have let him manhandle her while she was injured. Still, it was like she couldn¡¯t feel

    a thing except a distant ache deep inside her. Was it because it was Cordelia¡¯s injury? Dorisid on the

    bed carefully. William came out of the bathroom with a towel and warm water. He didn¡¯t ask permission

    as he rolled up her ruined sweater to observe the wound. She shouldn¡¯t blush, blood covered most of her

    exposed skin but she couldn¡¯t help it. Her lips tingled, she bit her bottom lip just to try and stop her mind

    from reying what it felt like to be kissed by him. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He asked as he gently wiped away her

    blood. ¡°No, it¡¯s more like a distant pain. I can feel it, but not like I should be.¡± ¡°It happens when your wolf

    gets injured. You¡¯re bleeding, but she¡¯s feeling it.¡± Doris blinked. Was that why her wolf had been so

    quiet? She swore her wolf ignited the kiss for her-didn¡¯t she? Or was it Doris who wanted it more than

    she thought was possible? She pushed away her thoughts. ¡°Will she be okay? What should I do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll

    both be fine. It¡¯s already closing up and should heal within the hour.¡± William leaned closer, she held her

    breath as his fingers trailed along her bare skin. ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris whispered. He ced a long

    bandage over her wound and tossed the bloody towel in theer. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± William

    shrugged and went to start a fire. Doris sat up and pulled her shirt down.¡± Why did you spit at me when

    you first kissed me?¡± He must have heard the hurt in her voice. He turned to look at her with his hard

    expression dimming. ¡°I knew you despised me. I could taste it on you.¡± ¡°You are the one that has been

    filled with hatred¡ª¡° ¡°You froze up the second I touched you. I knew you didn¡¯t want it.¡± William stood and

    threw the log in the fire. ¡°You¡¯ve never wanted anything from me.¡± Doris stood. ¡°I was shocked, William¨CIt

    wasn¡¯t hatred.¡± William shrugged again and she wanted to smack him in the face for always being so

    emotionless. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to center herself. When she opened her eyes

    again, he was watching her. 1 ¡°Will you stay with me tonight?¡±

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    Chapter 88 Only a fool would let love go to waste.

    A flicker of surprise crossed his face. It almost made her smile. William nodded and she felt her unease

    drip away from her. Doris grabbed one of her nightgowns from her drawer and went to change. She

    stared at herself in the mirror and trailed her fingers across the mark he left on her skin all those months

    ago. It tingled a little as if it knew she was in his presence. Did he know that Melody was never his mate

    when they kissed? Did he feel the spark with her like Doris had with him? Or did he not even care? She

    was absolutely insane for even thinking about him in such a way. Beth would lose her mind over it. She

    had always wanted Doris to end up with a prince¡ªwhich was still never going to happen-but she had

    one of the nicer ones in mind for Doris. If Beth knew all the things William and Doris had done on this

    journey, she would never let Doris live it down. Doris smoothed out her nightgown and pulled her hair up

    into a low ponytail. When she came out, he was alreadyying in bed with his shirt off. It shouldn¡¯t have

    made her heart race as much as it did. She¡¯d seen him like this several times by now and¨C Doris

    swallowed and crawled in bed with him. Her eyes followed along the lines of his firm stomach and she

    had to force herself to look away as sheid on her side. The room was dim, only the fire lit up the area

    and kept her warm. William turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her body to pull her against

    him as if she was meant to be there like a piece to his puzzle His hands didn¡¯t lower to uncharted areas,

    he kept them firm around her to keep her in ce. Perhaps he could read her mind and realized how

    flighty her thoughts were. She didn¡¯t need to worry about falling asleep next to him anymore. It was

    almost natural. The next morning, Doris woke with her body held sprawled across his own. Her head on

    his chest, her leg draped over his own. How did she get like this? She could hear the steady beat of his

    heart and his even breath and she knew he was still asleep. Carefully, she lifted herself off him andid

    on her back once more. His hand still gripped her waist, it tightened whenever she moved. Doris chewed

    on her lip as she stared at him. Her eyes lowered betrayingly low to take in the lines of his stomach and

    chest. She felt him pull her closer against him and her eyes snapped to his own to see he was wide

    awake and watching her admire his body. ¡°Oh, William-¡± He silenced her with a kiss that could have

    melted her down until she was nothing. His soft lips moved slowly against her own as if they had all the

    time in the world to discover the other. William¡¯s hand moved up her body at an aching speed until he

    gripped the side of her face. Doris pressed her hand against his chest and felt how wildly his heart beat

    beneath her palm.  This was wrong ¡°Hello?¡± Someone pounded on her door. ¡°Will you be quiet? I¡¯m sure

    they had a rather rough night.¡± Someone else said. Doris knew instantly it was Enzo. Doris untangled

    herself from him and went to put on a robe. ¡°Yes?¡± She called through the door. ¡°Ie with information.

    Hurry and invite us in before we freeze.¡± Doris nced at William but he was already up with his shirt

    half buttoned. He went to throw open the door to see Eliza and Enzo on the other side. ¡°Good morning,

    lovers.¡± Enzo grinned and closed the door behind him. He set down a te of steaming food and sped

    his hands behind his back. ¡°I hope we didn¡¯t interrupt any romantic moments, but I have some

    information to share.¡± ¡°On with it.¡± William mumbled as he picked at the te. She had to tear herself

    away from his messy appearance. Why did it always attract her so much more than when he was put

    together? ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯ve secured your visit with Life Pharmacy, you¡¯ll both leave by tomorrow night

    along with one of your guards.¡± Enzo leaned against the wall. ¡°You¡¯re my new hires. A young, poor

    married couple that is just hoping to make enough to live off of. Your guard can be a sibling or whatever.¡±

    ¡°Will we have different names?¡± Doris asked. ¡°Yes. Not many people there have ever seen the prince so

    it won¡¯t be hard if you be careful. Doris, you will go as Isabelle. William, you¡¯ll be James. Your guard can

    go by Oscar just don¡¯t slip up when you use them. Nobody will look twice at you if you keep your head

    down.¡± Doris wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°How long do we have to stay?¡± ¡°As long as it takes to

    get the answers you need. Someone is out for William¡¯s head and they won¡¯t stop until they get it.¡± Enzo

    cleared his throat and nced between them. ¡°Just so you know, I won¡¯t be near to help you. If they find

    out I nted you guys in there to spy on them, it will ruin everything and they will turn on me. It would be

    best not to mention me at all.¡± William nodded and ran his fingers though his hair. Doris had to curl her

    own by her sides to stop herself from reaching out to touch him. Enzo nced at Eliza. ¡°Doris, I brought

    Eliza to help you sort out looks for your new identity. William, if you could follow me back to my own

    cabin, we can work on yours.¡± William locked eyes with Doris as he nodded. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off of

    her until he left out the door and into the snow half dressed. She slowly released the breath she was

    holding ¡°That is quite a man.¡± Eliza said as she went to close the door. The click pushed her out of herContent provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    thoughts. She pressed her cold hands against her warm face. ¡°How long has it been going on?¡± ¡°What

    do you mean?¡± Doris asked carefully as she followed Eliza to the drawers. She watched as the woman

    pulled out sets of clothes and organized them into outfits that   were much different than her own taste.

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure why it would matter, she doubted anyone would know what William¡¯s maid looked like

    or what she liked to wear. It was rather pointless to try and hide her identity. Eliza snorted. ¡°I mean

    between you and the prince. Are you hisdy?¡± ¡°Oh! No, he has ady. We¡¯re not-anything.¡± ¡°Oui, I¡¯m not

    blind. I saw the way you two just stared at each other as if you would let him rip your clothes off right

    here.¡± Doris felt as if she was about to pass out. ¡°Are you mad? There¡¯s no way¡ª¡° ¡°Hush, my child. Your

    desires are nothing to be ashamed of. But being a man¡¯s second choice is. You say he has ady yet he

    hasn¡¯t mentioned anyone but you the entire time he has been here and his eyes want to only seek you in

    a crowd. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re blind to it all.¡± 1 ¡°I¡­¡± Doris said helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say about

    that. I don¡¯t know what his intentions are for me, but we¡¯re not lovers.¡± 1 ¡°My dear, I think he has higher

    standards for you than that.¡± Eliza pulled out a bag and started to stack the clothes in neatly while Doris

    uselessly watched. ¡°You can¡¯t fake the way he acts for you. I can sense the bond you have with him,

    perhaps it¡¯s about time you stop denying yourself of his feelings when everyone else can already see it.¡±

    3 ¡°I just think everyone might be wrong. I¡¯m worried he will try to use me and discard me like he¡¯s done to

    so many other women at the pce.¡± 2 It was the first time she admitted it out loud, but it was true. What

    if he threw her away the second he was done using her body? Eliza stopped for a moment and turned to

    look at her. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many awful men run around to use a woman like a toy. I¡¯ve never seen one look at

    someone the way William looks at you. Even if he is too proud to admit he has feelings, it¡¯s in as day

    on his face.¡± Doris sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay not to know, to be unsure. You don¡¯t have to give him

    the time of day if you don¡¯t want to. But I can see the way you look at him too. You both hold a light for

    the other and it¡¯s hard to deny it, isn¡¯t it?¡± Doris swallowed and nodded. ¡°Only a fool would let love go to

    waste. So I suggest you don¡¯t make a fool of yourself.¡±   prince at all, but he was just as handsome as

    always. The dark stubble on his jaw had grown out the past few days. She imagined what it would feel

    like to have it on her skin¡ªthen quickly wiped away those thoughts. ¡°You look great.¡± Doris said with a

    small smile. His eyes raked her frame and she suddenly wished she had all of her oversized sweaters

    back so she had something to hide under. Once they left the camp, she knew she would throw one on

    again. There was no point to change her style anyway when she wasn¡¯t the one they were looking for. All

    she was was a useless maid in their eyes. He said nothing to herpliment as he slid off his jacket.

    ¡°We won¡¯t leave until after dinner when it¡¯s the darkest. Enzo said it would be best so no one looks too

    closely.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Doris nervously picked at her nails as he walked closer to her. He reached out to still her

    nervous hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about a lot of things.¡± ¡°As usual.¡± He said, the side of his mouth lifted

    slightly. Her blood pulsed loudly beneath his touch. Doris sighed andughed a little. ¡°I just¡ªI was

    thinking about you and¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t do a thing like that.¡± He whispered. His eyes flickered to her mouth and

    she tried to force out all the dirty thoughts from her mind. ¡°You¡¯ll onlyplicate it.¡± ¡°I thought you hated

    me.¡± Doris said as she looked down at their hands. She could feel his warm breath on her forehead. ¡°I

    should hate you, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Doris swallowed and shook her head no. He took her face in his

    hands and lifted her face to look up at his. ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡± 2 It was like a cord had snapped inside her. He

    pulled her against him and kissed her roughly as if he couldn¡¯t wait another minute. His fingers tangled in

    her hair as he lifted her up to wrap her around his waist. She gripped onto his shoulders and pressed her

    body against his. He groaned and carried her over to the bed and nothing inside Doris wanted him to

    stop. She wanted this, she wanted every piece of him and she was tired of forcing herself to believe

    otherwise. 1 He dropped her on the bed and fell with her. His mouth desperately found hers again after

    they were separated. Doris arched her body up against his and allowed him ess inside her mouth.

    Their tongues tangled, she gripped her fingers through his hair and wanted to memorize the way his

    body felt pressed up against hers. She wanted to capture this moment forever. His mouth left her own to

    kiss down her neck. She gasped as he lingered over the mark he¡¯d left on her skin. He had to pull away

    the fabric of her sweater, but he found it just fine. ¡°My mate.¡± He groaned. Fire burned through every inch

    of her, she knew her wolf hadn¡¯t exaggerated. It was like sparks passed between their bodies but wanted

    more. She wanted to feel his skin against her own with such an intensity, she didn¡¯t feel an ounce of

    shame for it but she knew she wouldter. Doris hesitated for a second before she started to unbutton

    the top of his shirt. He leaned up further to look down at her with a question in his eyes. He didn¡¯t have to

    say a word, she knew what he was thinking. Heat med her cheeks. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never¡­¡± William silenced

    her with a kiss and gripped her hand to let her continue. He leaned up once it was all unbuttoned and

    slowly took it off as he watched her. She bit her lip and for once allowed her eyes to take in the sight of

    him. She knew he was fit, but she didn¡¯t realize how perfectly sculpted he was. He had just the right

    amount of muscles, she trailed her fingers across his skin slowly just to feel them. His arms

    caged her in against the bed. ¡°I¡­can you go first?¡± Doris whispered. He looked confused for a moment

    until he caught her staring at his pants. She didn¡¯t want to be the first onepletely naked, she didn¡¯t

    think she could handle that He reached down to grab her hands and ce them on the hem of his pants.

    Her fingers shook a little as she unbuttoned them and he slid them off along with his undergarments. She

    swallowed her gasp when she saw the length of him. It was the first time she had ever seen a man so¡­

    bare. She didn¡¯t realize he was that¡­ big. Would it hurt? No one had ever told her much about sex or

    what to expect, she¡¯d only ever read about it in books. Hisrge hand stroked himself. Doris squirmed

    beneath him when she heard his deep and throaty moan. He took her hand and let her hand feel him.

    The instant she touched him, he groaned loud enough to make her want to clench her thighs from how

    much her arousal pooled between her legs. Her hand hesitantly stroked him as she saw him do. He

    gripped the end of her sweater and pulled it off over her head without a second thought. He helped her

    wiggle out of her tight pants and soon sheid beneath him almostpletely bare. She was surprised

    her undergarments didn¡¯t burn off from how heated his gaze was. His fingers toyed with the hem of her

    panties and she knew he was holding himself back from shredding them into pieces. ¡°Is this what you

    want?¡± He asked, his voice rough. 4

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    Chapter 89 Is this what you want

    Eliza styled Doris in a tight pair of pants and sweater that matched. It looked like a one piece when she

    looked in the mirror and was much more fitted than she would ever normally wear. She let her hair flow

    down her back and pinned half of it back before she added a bit of makeup to her face. They weren¡®t

    leaving until night time, but Eliza insisted she get ready now to prepare herself for the day. Her coat had

    a hole or two that Eliza made right in front of her to let them know she was poor. Did the ill¨Cfitted clothes

    also mean that? Doris wasn¡®t sure, but she went along with it. Once she was finished, she left Doris

    alone to her thoughts. Her wolf was quiet inside her and she had long stopped bleeding, but she wished

    she didn¡®t have to deal with everything that rushed through her head. It was better when she had a wolf

    to argue these things out with rather than face them by he self. How was it that everyone insisted William

    cared for her but Doris refused to see it? He wanted to use her like he used all of the other women at the

    pce. Once he had his fill, he  would leave her and she would be like all of the others¨Cright? 4. He was

    protective over her¨Cmore than anyone ever had been for her. She¡®d never once seen him that way for

    anyone else either, not even Melody when she was poisoned. He held her at night like she was the only

    thing he cared to keep so close to him and he hunted down people that hurt her. His actions were louder

    than any of the grumpy words that he had yelled at her in the past, so why couldn¡®t she believe he

    cared? Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to admit what they were to the other as much as she didn¡®t. If she

    admitted something like that, she would lose a part of herself. Only recently she had started standing up

    for herself and realizing what it meant to be strong. If she fell for a prince, it would knock out any

    progress she had made for herself. No man was worth her freedom¨Cbut still. She couldn¡®t get him out of

    her head. The way he kissed her so angrily and passionately at once. He imed her with his mouth and

    made her knees weak as her body melted into him. She¡®d never felt such a desire for anyone before.

    She¡®d never felt her entire body tingle from another¡®s touch even when it didn¡®t linger. She had so much

    built up anger for him, it all released whenever they kissed. Would it be so bad to indulge and

    allow  herself a taste of forbidden fruit? She didn¡®t have to attach herself to him like the rest did, she

    could do this for herself. What was she thinking? She couldn¡®t¡­ not with him! He would think he owned

    her, he would treat her as yet another conquest and it would mean nothing to him. Some things were

    sacred, but why couldn¡®t she stop thinking about his hands on her body and discovering areas she had

    yet to explore herself? ¡°Doris?¡± A deep voice shattered her thoughts. Doris turned to see William

    standing by her door. His hair was purposely messy and his clothes were so... normal. He wore a red

    and ck nnel with dark pants and a shabby coat on top. She almost didn¡®t recognize him, but she

    would know those blue eyes anywhere. He didn¡®t look like a prince at all, but he was just as handsome

    as always. The dark stubble on his jaw had grown out the past few days. She imagined what it would feel

    like to have it on her skin¨Cthen quickly wiped away those thoughts. ¡°You look great.¡± Doris said with a

    small smile. His eyes raked her frame and she suddenly wished she had all of her oversized sweaters

    back so she had something to hide under. Once they left the camp, she knew she would throw one on

    again. There was no point to change her style anyway when she wasn¡®t the one they were looking for. All

    she was was a useless maid in their eyes. He said nothing to herpliment as he slid off his jacket.

    ¡°We won¡®t leave until after dinner when it¡®s the darkest. Enzo said it would be best so no one looks too

    closely.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Doris nervously picked at her nails as he walked closer to her. He reached out to still her

    nervous hands. ¡°I¡®ve been thinking about a lot of things.¡± ¡°As usual.¡± He said, the side of his mouth lifted

    slightly. Her blood pulsed loudly beneath his touch. Doris sighed andughed a little. ¡°I just¨C| was

    thinking about you and¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡®t do a thing like that.¡± He whispered. His eyes flickered to her mouth and

    she tried to force out all the dirty thoughts from her mind. ¡°You¡®ll onlyplicate it.¡°. ¡°I thought you hated

    me.¡± Doris said as she looked down at their hands. She could feel his warm breath on her forehead. ¡°I

    should hate you, shouldn¡®t l?¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Doris swallowed and shook her head no. He took her face in his

    hands and lifted her face to look up at his. ¡°I don¡®t either.¡± 2

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    It was like a cord had snapped inside her. He pulled her against him and kissed her roughly as if he

    couldn¡®t wait another minute. His fingers tangled in her hair as he lifted her up to wrap her around his

    waist. She gripped onto his shoulders and pressed her body against his. He groaned and carried her

    over to the bed and nothing inside Doris wanted him to stop. She wanted this, she wanted every piece of

    him and she was tired of forcing herself to believe otherwise. 1 He dropped her on the bed and fell with

    her. His mouth desperately found hers again after they were separated. Doris arched her body up

    against his and allowed him ess inside her mouth. Their tongues tangled, she gripped her fingers

    through his hair and wanted to memorize the way his body felt pressed up against hers. She wanted to

    capture this moment forever. His mouth left her own to kiss down her neck. She gasped as he lingered

    over the mark he¡®d left on her skin. He had to pull away the fabric of her sweater, but he found it just fine.

    ¡°My mate.¡± He groaned. Fire burned through every inch of her, she knew her wolf hadn¡®t exaggerated. It

    was like sparks passed between their bodies but wanted more. She wanted to feel his skin against her

    own with such an intensity, she didn¡®t feel an ounce of shame for it but she  knew she wouldter. Doris

    hesitated for a second before she started to unbutton the top of his shirt. He leaned up further to look

    down at her with a question in his eyes. He didn¡®t have to say a word, she knew what he was thinking.

    Heat med her cheeks. ¡°I¨CI¡®ve never...¡± William silenced her with a kiss and gripped her hand to let her

    continue. He leaned up once it was all unbuttoned and slowly took it off as he watched her. She bit her

    lip and for once allowed her eyes to take in the sight of him. She knew he was fit, but she didn¡®t realize

    how perfectly sculpted he was. He had just the right amount of muscles, she trailed her fingers across

    his skin slowly just to feel them. His arms caged her in against the bed. ¡°...can you go first?¡± Doris

    whispered. He looked confused for a moment until he caught her staring at his pants. She didn¡®t want to

    be the first onepletely naked, she didn¡®t think she could handle that. He reached down to grab her

    hands and ce them on the hem of his pants. Her fingers shook a little as she unbuttoned them and he

    slid them off along with his undergarments. She swallowed her gasp when she saw the length of him. It

    was the first time she had ever seen a man so...bare. She didn¡®t realize he was that¡­ big. Would it hurt?

    No one had ever told her much about sex or what to expect, she¡®d only ever read about it in books. His

    large hand stroked himself. Doris squirmed beneath him when she heard his deep and throaty moan. He

    took her hand and let her hand feel him. The instant she touched him, he groaned loud enough to make

    her want to clench her thighs from how much her arousal pooled between her legs. Her hand hesitantly

    stroked him as she saw him do. He gripped the end of her sweater and pulled it off over her head without

    a second thought. He helped her wiggle out of her tight pants and soon sheid beneath him almost

    completely bare. She was surprised her undergarments didn¡®t burn off from how heated his gaze was.

    His fingers toyed with the hem of her panties and she knew he was holding himself back from shredding

    them into pieces. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± He asked, his voice rough. 4

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    Chapter 90 Don¡¯t remind me of reality just yet.

    Is this what she wanted? A part of her had always thought of him as her enemy in a way. Someone she

    wanted to be free from and someone she knew didn¡¯t like her. But now-it was like everything had

    changed. He wanted her for a while, but it was the first time she¡¯d felt the same way through and

    through. She wanted him and she knew it would neverst more than a night¡ªbut she didn¡¯t care

    anymore. She would allow herself this one pleasure, even if it ended up a disaster. ¡°Yes.¡± Doris

    whispered. He tore off her panties with one yank and removed her bra next until there was nothing to

    hide her from him. His eyes grew dark with desire as he took in every detail of her body. Lingering on the

    areas she had never shown to anyone before, it made her shiver and want to pull the covers over

    herself. But she knew he would never allow that. 1

    The cold night air had nothing on her warm skin. He leaned down to kiss the middle of her chest before

    he gripped her breast. His light beard was a little scratchy against her skin, she arched her back up into

    him as his teeth grazed her nipple. Doris moaned at the feeling and instantly wanted to bury herself with

    how embarrassing she sounded. How could she bring herself to care when she was drowning in her

    desire? Hisrge hands moved up her body, it sent tiny sparks across her skin and made her tremble

    beneath his touch. He spread her legs and positioned himself between them. His fingers grazed her

    opening, she gasped from the touch and it only seemed to encourage him with how dazed he looked. He

    teased her with his fingers and his dark blue eyes watched her like he would watch his prey, she knew all

    along she was his prize. Slowly, he pushed in one of his fingers and went deeper when she gasped as if

    he was desperate to hear more from her. ¡°Oh!¡± She breathed. He moved it in and out of her for a

    moment before he suddenly added a second one. It made her feel¡­ a little breathless. She didn¡¯t

    understand why her body felt so good from just his fingers. Was she supposed to be so sensitive to his

    touch? She didn¡¯t understand why she wanted more so soon. Her hips moved with his hand almost

    without her control. He gripped her hip and lifted her a little closer to him so he could quicken his pace

    and have better ess . ¡°Oh! William,¡± Doris gasped as she gripped the sheets. William suddenly

    removed his fingers the second she said his name. His mouth captured hers in a kiss so passionate, it

    made her head spin. She gripped onto his shoulders and pressed her body against his. Every inch of her

    skin was covered by him and she wished she could always feel this way. How delicious it was to feel

    their skin pressed so close together. His warmth passed between them, she almost forgot to prepare

    herself for what wasing next. He pulled back from their kiss and watched her every movement. He

    shifted himself and she nced down to watch as he pressed his length against her opening. Doris held

    her breath and felt herself tense. William leaned down to kiss her a little softer.   ¡°Rx,¡± He whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier for you if you rx.¡± Doris slowly nodded and gripped his shoulders again. She took a

    deep breath and felt her body rx slowly. He didn¡¯t push inside her until every inch of her was calm.

    When he did, she pressed her nails deep into his skin from the feeling. He didn¡¯t seem to mind in the

    slightest. He let out a loud groan when he pushed slowly inside of her until they were one. It wasn¡¯t

    anything she expected. She wanted to tense up at the strange feeling, but his hands reminded her to

    rx. He moved slowly and it looked agonizing for him to hold back as much as he was. It was painful

    the deeper he went. She knew from her books that it would be this way but her body would adjust to it

    eventually, even if it took time. He let out a heavy breath and watched her again as if he¡¯d almost

    forgotten himself. She knew then that he was only holding himself back for her. He was a feral man that

    probably wanted to lose control on her body, but he didn¡¯t. He kept his movements slow so he didn¡¯t hurt

    her.

    A safe sort of feeling filled her up. She nodded at him to continue and he slowly pulled out, before he

    pushed back inside her. It hurt just as much the second time, and the third. He didn¡¯t pick up his pace

    once. Her nails tore at his back and left bloody marks in their haste but he didn¡¯t notice it at all. And if he

    did, he must not have minded. ¡°Doris,¡± He groaned against her ear when he leaned down. His hands

    gripped her hips and he moved a little faster than before. When he kissed her, she felt her head get fuzzy

    all over again. She wrapped her legs around his waist and she swore his eyes rolled back in his head for

    a moment. The pooling in her stomach was still filled to the brim. He moved her hips against him as he

    moved in and out of her. The dull pain started to feel¡­ different. He kissed and bit at her neck and a

    spark of pleasure almost made her tremble in his arms. ¡°Oh!¡± She gasped. He smirked a little and pickedN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    up his pace. The pain still lingered but the feeling of him was¡­ indescribable. She wanted it, she wanted

    him to go a little deeper. And he did. It made her back arch and lips part. Doris titled her head back

    against the pillow to let out a louder moan. ¡°Fuck,¡± He groaned. The bed started to tap against the wall

    as they moved together

    . ¡°1¡ª¡°

    She could hear the helplessness in his voice. She saw him tense as if he was holding himself back.

    William moved her hips a little faster and Doris felt her breaths quicken as her arousal hit its peak.

    ¡°William,¡± He shouted her name as he released inside her the same time she let go. It was as if they

    were connected in more ways than one, their bodies knew when the other was ready and he only

    released when she was done. A battle of sparks exploded behind her eyes, she wondered if he felt the

    same. 1 He slowed his hips and thrusts, riding out thest of his ecstasy. He kissed her one  st time

    before he pulled out of her and copsed on the bed beside her. They both stared up at the ceiling, their

    bodies glistened with sweat and it took Doris a while to calm down her breathing long after he had

    finished. It didn¡¯t take long for her shameful thoughts to creep up on her as theyid beside each other.

    She¡¯d just given herself to a man that she swore secretly hated her. She gave herself to a man she

    swore she would never touch-to a man that had attacked her and gave her nightmares for months. A

    prince of all things! The meanest prince

    she had ever met. What¡­ what on earth was she thinking? What had she done? Doris quickly gathered

    the nkets and covered herself. William watched her with his head propped on his arm and a sort of

    laziness in his gaze. He was probably wondering how he could slip out and never see her again.

    Perhaps he would let Enzo keep her and he¡¯d be gone by morning-all his ns be damned. If not, she

    was sure he would turn on her the second they got out of bed. Perhaps he would spit on her again and

    call her useless and ugly. $ He wanted to use her the moment he saw her, didn¡¯t he? He just wanted to

    add her to his long list. What had she done William moved closer to her and brought her body against

    his. She could hear how fast his heart beat as sheid her head on his chest. Perhaps he could hear her

    rapid thoughts and knew she was about to take off running. 2 He made her feel good, but now she had

    to live with herself and what she had done. She fell right into his trap and allowed him ess to her. Now

    he would throw her away like he had to all the rest. 2 ¡°Should we get dressed again? I¡¯m sure Enzo is

    waiting for us.¡± Doris whispered. She had no idea what time it was or even if they were supposed to

    leave soon. She looked up to see William¡¯s eyes closed and mouth in a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me of reality

    just yet.¡± 6

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    Chapter 91 This could go wrong.

    The snow lightly fell above them as they stood by the stables. Light kes piled on William¡¯s dark curls

    and distracted her for a moment. William and Patrick looked almost unrecognizable in theirmoner

    clothes. Patrick had holes in his gloves and his hair was almost as messy as William¡¯s. Doris curled her

    fingers at her sides to prevent herself from reaching out to run her fingers through William¡¯s locks just to

    try to tame it. She hated how much she liked it when it was a pure mess. She was part of the reason it

    looked that way, he rolled out of bed and didn¡¯t even attempt to fix it. She couldn¡¯t help but notice that he

    stood closer to her than he normally did, with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his eyes on their

    surroundings. Enzo had one of his more¡­ run down carriages being filled with the things they would

    need. It made Doris a bit nervous, how long would they be there for? She tried not to allow her mind to

    wander into unwanted territories, but it was impossible when it was all she could think about. The

    moment she slid out of his arms and into her clothes again, she felt different when she looked at him. For

    the first time, she didn¡¯t think of the fact that he was a prince-it was like she had almost forgotten that for

    a minute. She was so far gone from the maid she was when she left the pce, it was hard to even

    consider going back to that girl. A small part of her would always feel like she had to obey orders, but a

    bigger part of her wouldn¡¯t let her be stepped on anymore. She knew Cordelia was to thank for that. ¡°Ah,

    you all look great.¡± Enzo pped his hands and tore her from her thoughts.¡± Well, good enough. I hardly

    recognized you three without your fancy royal attire that you tried to pass as poor clothes.¡± ¡°How long will

    we be gone?¡± Doris asked as she nervously eyed the carriage. ¡°Well, they believe you three are there to

    live. We couldn¡¯t send you with just one bag.¡± Enzo smiled down at her. ¡°Your trip length is up to you

    three. However long it takes you to find what you need.¡± ¡°Is there anything else we should know before

    we leave?¡± Patrick asked. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t take it personally if some don¡¯t like you when you get there. A lot of

    the workers can be pretty cut throat when ites to their job and getting ahead. Try to find theid back

    types, they¡¯re looser with their lips and easier to get things out of.¡± Enzo looked at all three of them. ¡°And

    one more thing¡­ don¡¯t be caught where you¡¯re not supposed to be. Punishment is ruthless ¡°Ruthless?

    Aren¡¯t you the owner of Life Pharmacy?¡± Patrick stood a little straighter as if he was just realizing what he

    was getting into. ¡°Yes, but I have others in my ce when I¡¯m not there. I won¡¯t be there for this

    adventure, I want to keep myself as separated as possible so any wrongdoing will be handled by them.¡±

    Doris nced up at William to see his brows furrowed. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was worried or annoyed at

    the moment, but she was a bit of both.   ¡°Alright, I will see you off. Don¡¯t forget your identities and you

    three cane up with a back story on the way there. It¡¯ll be a few hours at least.¡± Enzo opened the

    door and reached out his hand to help Doris up. William was there instead, he gripped her hand and

    helped her into the carriage with his hand on her lower back before Enzo could touch her. He only looked

    amused at William¡¯s persistence as he stepped back. William went in next, he sat next to Doris while

    Patrick sat across from them. Enzo gripped the frame and looked them over onest time. ¡°This could go

    wrong, you may learn things that you never wanted to know or you may be caught and ripped apart. I

    have already put out a warning to the rogues not to harm the prince if they ever see him when you first

    came, but that has clearly not mattered to many of them. I wish you all luck and I hope to see you again.¡±

    Enzo nodded before he closed the door and smacked the side of the carriage to let the driver know

    they¡¯re ready. It took off in a messyunch and William reached out his arm to steady her so she didn¡¯t

    fall into Patrick¡¯sp. Patrick¡¯s eyes flickered between them with a hint of suspicion, but something made

    Doris think that he already knew without having to see her blush. ¡°So, Isabelle and James, eh? Who¡¯s

    brother am I?¡± ¡°Mine.¡± William said. Doris nced between them and bit her lip. They looked very

    different. She couldn¡¯t pin point one simrity between them and she doubted anyone else would think

    they were brothers at the camp. ¡°What about cousin? I¡¯m not sure if you will pass as brothers. Enzo

    mentioned that we can give him a role ourselves.¡± Doris suggested. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s our story? We came

    to the north to escape the wretched kingdom?¡± Patrick said with a smirk. William rolled his eyes and

    leaned back against the seat with his thigh pressed against her own. He hadn¡¯t looked at her much since

    they¡­ since what happened between them. But he was closer to her, to the point that she noticed he

    was always inches from touching her. She hadn¡¯t been alone one second with her thoughts, part of her

    was d for it. She knew she would regret her entire existence the second silence crept in. ¡°We can say

    we left one of the towns after they mistreated us for being poor¡ª¡° Doris said. ¡°How did they mistreat

    us?¡± Patrick interrupted. ¡°We could say they tried to take your beautiful wife for themselves.¡± PatrickN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    closely but said nothing. Patrick grinned at her. ¡°We haven¡¯t even got there yet, that¡¯s when the real

    nervese.¡±

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    Chapter 92 I don¡¯t trust anyone here.

    ¡°Doris¡­¡± The carriage hade to a rough stop, Doris woke when William caught her from sliding out of

    her seat again. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Doris slowly let go of his arms and nodded. ¡°How long was I sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Hours. I knew our little prince here has nice shoulders but who would have known he was thatfy.¡±

    Patrick said with a wink. William kicked him. ¡°Ow! Sorry, I meant James.¡± 1 Doris avoided looking at

    either of them. She pressed her hands to her cheeks and took a deep breath. She peered out the

    window to see they weren¡¯t moving anymore, it was too dark to see much else. ¡°What are we waiting

    for?¡±. ¡°The guards are checking paperwork with our driver and then he wille check the carriage

    before we¡¯re allowed in.¡± Patrick said. He looked much calmer than she felt . ¡°Look natural, you don¡¯t

    want them to stare at you too hard.¡± Doris parted her lips to object, but she didn¡¯t want her words

    overheard. No one was looking for her, they were looking for the prince next to her. Doris leaned back as

    William put his arm around her shoulder. He didn¡¯t look at her when he did so, she assumed it was part

    of the act. Now it was only harder for her to calm down and pretend everything was fine. 1 A minuteter,

    the door opened and a man in a dark uniform peered in. He eyed William and Patrick before he looked

    Doris up and down slowly, she felt William tense beside her. Doris casually put her hand on his knee to

    calm him. Or at least hope he didn¡¯t lunge at the man, thest thing they needed was another dead

    guard. ¡°Travel far?¡± He asked. ¡°Very, we¡¯re exhausted.¡± Patrick answered with a yawn. The man shut the

    door and smacked the side of it and the carriage lunged forward again. Her grip tightened on his knee

    before she quickly removed it. She couldn¡¯t befortable with him. It wasn¡¯t right, it never would be.

    When they stopped again, this time the door opened for them to get out. William got out first before he

    helped her down and put her hand on his arm. Patrick stood slouched by his side. ¡°Hello, there.¡± A man

    around their age greeted. He looked wide awake even though it was the middle of the night. ¡°You guys

    certainly picked a good time to arrive, everyone is still sleeping.¡± He held out his hand to shake each of

    theirs. ¡°I¡¯m Robbie, I¡¯m here to get you guys settled in before your first day. Follow me.¡± Robbie picked up

    Doris¡¯s bag for her and led the way towards a building that was almost big enough to be a castle. It

    looked like some sort of giant academy where one way led to work and the other led to housing. He led

    them towards the rooms first. ¡°How long have you two been married?¡± Robbie asked conversationally.

    Doris cleared her throat. ¡°About a year.¡± She said quickly before William said   something else. She

    twisted the gold ring around her finger just to give herself something to do. ¡°A year?¡± He whistled.

    ¡°Married young, eh? You¡¯re lucky.¡± He said to William who stared forward as he walked. ¡°There¡¯s not

    many women like that around here, I would keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°I can handle myself¡ª¡° ¡°No one will

    touch her.¡± William said at the same time. Robbie must not have noticed his possessive tone as he kept

    on in a light step. ¡°No doubt if you¡¯re her husband, they wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Heughed. ¡°I put you two in a

    slightly bigger area in case you guys decide to have kids.¡± Robbie said. Doris must have made a face

    because heughed again. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how little there is to do here, kids pop out like crazy.¡± ¡°We

    aren¡¯t nning any children for a while, but thank you.¡± ¡°So what led you guys here? Robbie asked as

    they rounded a longer that stretched endlessly ¡°We hoped for a better life here.¡± Patrick said simply.

    His cor was popped and his hands were dug deep in his jacket. ¡°We were lucky to have found work, I

    was getting worried we would starve.¡± Robbie chuckled to himself. It was short and died out quickly.

    ¡°Yeah, peoplee and go here but a lot stay. There¡¯s always room for more. Hopefully you threest

    longer than thest family that came through.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize people came and went so easily.¡±

    Doris said causally. Her eyes flickered to William but he said nothing. It looked as if he was trying to calm

    his expression to boredom like Patrick¡¯s was instead of his more grumpy stare. ¡°Yeah, the work can be a

    lot on some people. There¡¯s a lot of fumes and sometimes it gets into ya head so I would just try to get as

    much air as you can here.¡± Robbie pointed to a door that looked like it was for a coat closet. ¡°Here¡¯s for

    your¡­¡± ¡°Cousin, Oscar.¡± William said in a nicer tone than Doris expected. He must have been settling

    into his role. ¡°Right, sorry. I¡¯m awful with names. Oscar, this is your room. And Isabelle and James, yours

    is right across.¡± Robbie pointed to arger door across the way. Patrick frowned and she thought she

    saw William¡¯s mouth twitch a little. ¡°Thank you.¡± Patrick forced out. ¡°Do we start tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. We

    hope you cane for an hour to see your new positions before a full day.¡± He handed them each a

    letter with their fake names on it. ¡°I put you each in different sections. If there¡¯s any problems,e see

    me and I will try to fix them. If I¡¯m not around, don¡¯t go to Charlie. He has no patience and he might fire

    you just for annoying him.¡± ¡°Where should we look for you?¡± Doris asked. Robbie winked at her andN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    William¡¯s brows furrowed-definitely from annoyance this time. ¡°I¡¯m always around. Your envelope will fill

    you in on the rest, try to get some sleep.¡± Robbie handed off her bag and a pair of keys before he left

    down the hall. Doris unlocked the door and Patrick followed them inside. He groaned when he saw the

    room they were given. ¡°I already know this is three times bigger than mine. They give me a closet!¡± Doris

    and William ignored him as they tore open their papers. She quickly scanned her own. ¡°It says I¡¯ll be at

    the sorting section to sort all of the medicine into bottles. I¡¯m supposed to be there in the afternoon to

    learn what to do.¡± Doris looked up at William. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m set in thebor section. Apparently

    it¡¯s to load and unload the heavy boxes.¡± William grumbled. She couldn¡¯t believe a prince was about to

    be set as amoner worker. She would haveughed if he didn¡¯t look so bothered. Still, it was

    hrious. 1 ¡°Mine just says mixing.¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°Damn, that sounds rather boring.¡± ¡°At least we will

    be spread out.¡± Doris whispered. She nced around the room to see a bed, small table and dresser

    beside a bathing chamber but nothing else. She wrapped her arms around herself. Why couldn¡¯t they at

    least have a firece? ¡°I¡¯m going to try to sleep in that dreadful room. I¡¯ll see you twoter.¡± Patrick

    grumbled before he left into his own room. Doris made sure it was locked before she turned to face

    William. He unbuttoned his shabby coat and slid out of it. She never imagined him as a peasant boy, but

    that¡¯s what he looked like. With the dark stubble on his chin and dirty clothes, he looked like a rogue and

    it sent her heart into a dangerous beat. He was so handsome, even as messy as he was. He watched

    her with a slight lift of his brow. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He asked. His deep voice sent shivers down her

    spine. Of course something was wrong-everything was wrong and she didn¡¯t know how to fix

    1. it.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just cold.¡± She whispered. She dug through her bag for an oversized sweater before she

    disappeared in the bathroom. She did not want any conversation with him. None, just sleep. No touching,

    nothing. When she came out, he was in bed with his shirt off and back to her. She saw a small lines

    around his shoulder and remembered herself grabbing onto him as he moved inside her. She didn¡¯t

    realize she had cut him so badly. Doris shook the thoughts of them away and lightly crawled in bed. She

    put her back to him and stared at the wall. The sun was not far off from raising, they¡¯d been up traveling

    all night but she could easily sleep a day or two if it would let her escape her thoughts. William turned

    and wrapped his arms around her small frame to pull her against him and fill her with warmth. She

    shuddered and sighed. 1 ¡°Come find me if anyone touches you.¡± He grumbled against her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t

    trust anyone here.¡± 2

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    Chapter 93 All that gossip.

    A set of uniforms and food were left by their doors when William checked in the morning. Doris sleepily

    got ready in her own and pulled her hair up into a high pony tail on her head. It was just a thick dress that

    went to her ankles and an apron. Absolutely hideous, but warm enough and that was all that really

    mattered to her. He didn¡¯t say much to her as they ate-or when he left to find where he was to be

    dressed in a grey button down and trousers. Doris followed the small map on her letter and felt

    goosebumps line her arms. This ce gave her the creeps. It was all gray and felt hollow. She passed

    people but they paid no mind to her as if she was just a part of the wall decor. She was used to that back

    in the pce, but it felt strange here. In the daylight, she could see all the imperfections she missed

    when they first came. Cracks along the floors and walls, she wondered when thest time Enzo had

    seen this ce. Did he know it looked like this? Or was there not much for him to do about that? She

    found it hard to believe he wouldn¡¯t want to at least put a little more care in the ce he ruled over. ¡°Are

    you Isabelle?¡± A small voice said, halting her steps down the hall. Doris looked over to see a young girl

    poking her head out of arge door. Doris nodded. ¡°Perfect,e with me. I¡¯m Millie.¡± The girl looked a

    bit younger than Doris, but she didn¡¯t act like it. It was as if only her voice gave away the truth with how

    mature she wanted to appear. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll be stationed.¡± The girl led her to a table with a line of

    empty bottles and onerge full one. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to it, you just read the paper set with each bottle

    and fill the number of pills in each one. After you fill a batch, make sure all thebels are correct before

    you carry the basket over to the finished area.¡± Doris took a seat at the table and nced around at the

    other girls who were busy with their own bottles. They looked tired and worn, but notpletely

    unhappy.¡± Please make sure to check thebels, that¡¯s the most important part. We can¡¯t have the wrong

    medicinebeled, ever. A mistake like that could turn fatal.¡± Doris nodded. ¡°Okay, seems easy enough to

    remember.¡± ¡°If you think you can work longer than the training hour, be my guest. We have thousands of

    bottles that always need to be filled. I¡¯lle check on your work before you finish the first basket.¡± The

    girl nodded and turned away to walk through the room. An older woman with bright red hair leaned

    towards Doris once the girl was out of earshot. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she looks younger than she is.¡± Doris

    turned, a bit surprised but eager to earn friends already. They seemed friendly enough, it was even

    better if they liked to talk ¡°Oh? How old is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s 22, believe it or not.¡± The womanughed, her

    eyes never left the bottles. ¡°No! I thought she was 16.¡± Doris nced at the girl who was already in

    another conversation across the room.

    ¡°Everyone thinks that. She can get really mean just to prove a point and remind us that she¡¯s in charge.¡±

    The woman rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Beck, by the way.¡± Doris smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Isabelle, lovely to meet you.¡± ¡°We

    were excited to get another girl down here! It¡¯s been a while but we heard news yesterday you were

    coming with your husband.¡± Another girl sighed loudly and leaned towards them. ¡°Is he handsome? All

    the men here are like toads.¡± Doris blushed a little. ¡°I-I mean, yes.¡± ¡°Mia! Don¡¯t ask her if her husband is

    handsome! Of course he is to her, she doesn¡¯t need you drooling over him.¡± Beck rolled her eyes. Doris

    took the minute to read over her note before she started to count the pills and bottle them. ¡°He brought

    his cousin, too.¡± Doris offered quietly. The girls giggled at the idea. ¡°How far did you travel from?¡± Mia

    asked. Doris chewed on her lip. She knew that to gain their trust she had to give them answers instead

    of shutting them out. The more talkative they were, the more likely they would tell her things that they

    thought were harmless to a girl like her. ¡°Oh, we used to live in a small vige near the pce. It was

    always so horrible therepared to the rest.¡± Beck gasped. ¡°Oh! Did you hear that the prince from that

    pce is in the north?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Doris said, shocked. ¡°I hadn¡¯t heard! We¡¯ve been traveling nonstop¡ª

    which prince is it?¡± ¡°Oh, I think it was the William one. I really don¡¯t know which is which but I¡¯ve heard

    he¡¯s been an animal to the rogues and many are trying to stop him. Did you ever see any of the princes

    where you lived?¡± Mia asked. Doris swallowed as she continued bottling the pills. ¡°How strange¡­ but no,

    I never saw any of them. They barely came into the viges, if ever.¡± Doris said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so strange? It¡¯s a

    shame you never got to see him. There¡¯s been so much gossip in the past few days because of that man

    but no one has even caught him yet! We¡¯re all trying to guess what he looks like.¡± Doris sat up a little.

    ¡°Gossip?¡± She nced around and leaned closer to the two girls. ¡°I¡¯ve been in a carriage for days with

    two men that barely talk,¡± The girls¡¯ eyes widened in pity. ¡°Oh, you poor thing. I couldn¡¯t imagine going

    days without a good conversation! Men are the worst when ites to that.¡± Beck rolled her eyes at the

    thought. ¡°Well, the things I heard wouldst us days to talk about.¡± Sheughed. Doris¡¯s hand tightened

    around the bottle she was holding. Sheughed with them and nced at Millie to make sure she wasn¡¯t

    heading near them yet. ¡°How long have you two been here?¡± Doris asked causally. She didn¡¯t want to

    seem too eager. If William was as quiet as he normally was, it was up to her and Patrick to get some sort

    of answers out of these people. ¡°Mia and I came around the same time about a year ago¡ªalmost two

    years.¡± Beck smiled. ¡°We both got moved down here from mixing which was a terrible job. Our arms felt

    like jelly at the end of the day!¡±   Doris smiled as theyughed together. She suddenly missed Beth and

    wished she was here¡ªbut at the same time she was d she wasn¡¯t. There was so much to see and do,

    but none of it was worth the risk when it came to death. ¡°Oh, you know what I heard yesterday about the

    prince?¡± Mia lowered her voice, Doris leaned closer. ¡°I heard he killed one of the men that was sent to

    assassinate him. He somehow found him and hunted him down, they found his body in the woods the

    next day.¡± Doris did her best to look appalled. ¡°Oh my¡­ how gruesome.¡± ¡°Yeah, the other two think

    they¡¯re next. They¡¯ve been bbing to everyone to watch their backs but there¡¯s no way he woulde

    here.¡± Beck filled in. ¡°Did the rogue leader send them after him? I heard the princes were dangerous

    men.¡± Doris said with wide eyes as if she couldn¡¯t believe the sort of gossip she was hearing. She did the

    same face often with Beth whenever she told her something risky. ¡°Oh no! Lord Enzo has been ordering

    them to stop but apparently someone from his own pce has offered arge bounty on his head¡ª¡°

    ¡°Girls! You¡¯re paid to work, not talk.¡± Millie scolded. Doris quickly started filling the bottles again and felt a

    deep sense of annoyance raise inside her. If she had only gotten a few more minutes, she might have

    been told more crucial things. Her mind grasped on to what she had been told-and she knew instantly

    who had put a bounty on William¡¯s head. The Luna Queen. It had to be. She was the only one aware of

    where they were going besides his family, and she was the only one Doris suspected. The two girls

    return to lighter gossip after an hour about people she had never met. Doris engaged just as much as

    she had with the William gossip, even though she knew it wouldn¡¯t leave her mind. They saw her as a girl

    just like them and confided in her instantly. She was a girl like them, she was a maid who had met

    hundreds of maids before that always did the same thing when they saw her-even if they never saw her

    again. She supposed she just had a face they trusted. After Doris realized they had nothing else to offer,

    she waved over Millie. ¡°Done already?¡± Millie took her sweet time looking over every single bottle before

    she nodded in approval. ¡°Good, tomorrow you¡¯ll have your first full day. Work starts mid morning, don¡¯t be

    late.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    Chapter 94 I think they want a show.

    Doris had almost gotten lost several times on the way back to her room but eventually found the cracked

    hallway she¡¯d seen earlier. Everyone she passed looked in a daze, even when she openly stared at them

    with a smile. When she got back to the room, Patrick and William were already there with a table of food

    that didn¡¯t look very appetizing. Doris locked the door behind her and pulled up a chair to join them.

    William¡¯s eyes followed her, he seemed to look her over to make sure she was in one piece but her mind

    felt as if it was in hundreds. ¡°Anything?¡± She asked them first. ¡°I met this guy that was clearly a drinker.

    He invited me for a beerter and I¡¯m going to see what I can get out of him if he shows alone.¡± Patrick

    said as he rubbed his arms. Doris remembered what the girls had said about the job he was given and

    bit her lip. ¡°The men in my section talk quite loudly and they don¡¯t care who hears them.¡± William said. ¡°I

    overheard them mention one of the bosses and something about ns to make the ce better. Nothing

    useful yet, but I think sooner orter something will slip. How about you?¡± ¡°I met these two girls who

    loved their gossip.¡± Doris looked at both men with her brows raised. ¡°They immediately confided to me

    with thetest gossip about the prince and how someone from the pce put a bounty on his head.¡±

    Patrick¡¯s eyes widened, the room grew silent for a long moment as they all looked at each other. ¡°Did

    they say who?¡± William asked even though they both knew who it was. Doris simply shook her head no.

    ¡°I told them we used to live near the pce and they were so excited to spill that about the prince. I don¡¯t

    know what else they know, but I bet they¡¯ll ry more if I feed into it.¡± ¡°Aye, maybe we should all go to

    the bar and see what we can learn.¡± Patrick suggested. ¡°Apparently it¡¯s a weekly thing where everyone

    winds down even though they all have to work most days.¡± William nced at Doris. ¡°A bar? Are you

    mad?¡± ¡°Ahe on. James isn¡¯t too good for a bar now, is he?¡± Patrick smirked. They swore to use their

    names even inside, but it still seemed to strike a nerve with William either way. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun. You can make

    it clear to all the horn dogs that Isabelle is your woman and not to even look at her. I know you love that.¡±

    Doris picked out some sort of dessert that looked like chocte from the pile of food and ate as they

    argued. ¡°Of all the ces for us to go, you want us to go to a bar with a bunch of dangerous rogues?¡±

    William had to lower his voice when his patience was running thin. He sighed and leaned back. ¡°Your

    ideas never work out.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Izzy here, shall we? She knows a good idea when she hears one!¡± Patrick turned towards

    Doris and she only shoved move food in her mouth so she wouldn¡¯t have to answer. He patiently waited

    for her to swallow before he asked, ¡°Well? Don¡¯t you think we should go to the bars to meet more

    people?¡± Doris looked between both men. It was clear William was disgusted by the idea of going to a

    shabby bar because he¡¯d probably never been to one before¡ªbut it was a good idea to test the waters.

    ¡°I think we should do it. You never know what we¡¯ll hear when people get drunk.¡± William rolled his eyes

    and crossed his arms. ¡°Get out.¡± He said to Patrick. For a moment, she swore he meant her too. Patrick

    scoffed and picked up one of the tes. ¡°Be ready soon, I want carefree faces when Ie back.¡± Doris

    stood and took off her apron when the door closed. William looked her up and down in a way that she

    wished she didn¡¯t notice. Thoughts of their night came rushing back to her but she had to focus on more

    important things. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I don¡¯t like the idea of a bar either. I just know people act ¡­

    differently when they¡¯re drunk. They say things they don¡¯t mean and do things they wouldn¡¯t do.¡± William

    clenched his jaw and she wondered if he was thinking of the night he attacked her like she was. She

    quickly looked away and searched through the bags to find a sweater and pants to wear. Anything to

    make her blend in with the crowd. ¡°I think he just wants to drink.¡± William admitted. He stood and neared

    Doris and she felt her breath catch in her throat when he reached his hand out to brush her loose hair

    behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll start fights with the way you look. I would just have to win them

    all.¡± Doris forgot how to talk for a moment when he brushed his lips against her own before he went into

    the bathroom to change. It happened so fast, she was almost certain she imagined it. An hourter,

    Patrick was pounding on their door. William threw it open and yanked him inside. ¡°What part about being

    quiet did you not understand?¡± William hissed. Patrick held up his hands in defense and looked over

    Doris. She wore a simple ck sweater and pants with her hair down in waves down her back. He

    whistled as she rolled her eyes. ¡°Whew, I might try to steal your girl myself, James.¡± William shoved him

    towards the door. ¡°Lead the way before I shove you off the nearest cliff.¡± Doris gripped William¡¯s arm as

    they followed Patrick down a long hallway and out into the fresh air. There was a small version of a

    vige outside the doors. She hadn¡¯t noticed it when they arrived but it had a tavern and a few small

    stores meant for those that worked at Life Pharmacy. Doris carefully stepped down the long cobblestone

    steps before they went inside. The moment the door opened, it was like she was drowned in music,

    warmth andughter. It was packed to the brim with people¡ªand it was already a huge tavern. There

    was barely anywhere to step, William held her hand and guided her through   the crowd until they found

    an area in the back that was far enough away from the loudest parts, Patrick broke off the get them

    drinks. William sat next to her with his arm firmly around her as if he dared anyone to step closer to her.

    She hadn¡¯t even noticed anyone had been staring until she followed wherever William¡¯s resnded. If

    she did that, she would be ring at each women all night for looking at William. Ae messy as he was,

    he was still a hundred times more handsome than any of the other men here and it poked a me of

    jealousy inside her to see them stare at him as if they wanted to be the one in his bed No, she couldn¡¯t

    do this. Jealously would eat her worse than anything ever could. She would never be able to sleep again

    if she started letting jealousy get the better of her. Patrick returned to the table with drinks that Doris

    didn¡¯t touch. William wrapped his hand around his ss, but never brought it to his lips. He watched the

    crowd almost casually as he talked to Patrick. How could they even hear each other in a ce like this?

    She could barely hear her own thoughts. ¡°Ah! The new family!¡± Robbie stumbled over to their table with a

    grin. Doris nced around to see several people give him a dirty look as if they hated that he breathed

    the same air as them. That was interesting. ¡°How¡¯re you liking it so far?¡± ¡°Quite well, thank you.¡± Patrick

    said, he looked through the crowd for the friend he had made earlier but seemingly had no luck yet. Doris

    wondered if she would see the girls she met¡ªshe was sure they would have a lot to share if they had

    gotten even a little bit drunk. Robbie leaned a little too close to Doris, she could smell the intense alcohol

    on his breath. ¡°Do you wanna dance? I promise your husband it¡¯ll be innocent.¡± ¡°No.¡± William said firmly,

    no sense of kindness in his voice. Robbie stumbled back a little from the force of his re as if it was

    about to burn right through him. ¡°Right, well. See you threeter.¡± He said before he quickly stumbled

    away. Doris nced through the crowd and noticed a few people looking a bit too closely at them. SheN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    gripped his thigh under the table and leaned to whisper in his ear. ¡°I think they¡¯re staring at you.¡± William

    nonchntly nced into the crowd as if his eyes weren¡¯t looking for anything in particr. Once he

    noticed, he turned to look back at her. ¡°I think they want a show.¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    Chapter 95 I guess we will have to see.

    ¡°A show¡ª¡± William pressed his lips to her own before she could finish asking what he meant. He cupped

    the back of her neck and she ignored Patrick¡¯s annoying whistles as she kissed him back. It was like her

    brain exploded with ecstasy and he was the taste she craved. She wrapped her arms around his neck

    and allowed him to pull her against him as he kissed her harder and demanded ess into her mouth

    with a simple bite on her lip. Doris parted her lips and let his tongue try to win over her own-but it was

    quite the fight. He kissed her until she felt a bit intoxicated with the way his hand ran up her thigh. She

    forgot that they were just pretending. For a minute, it was all real. They were married, a young couple in

    love trying to make it in the world while they kissed at bars and danced under the moonlight. It could all

    be real if she just pretended. They broke apart for a bit of air. Her gaze couldn¡¯t help but flicker from his

    mouth to his blue eyes that looked drowned in desire, she would sink right in if she could. She didn¡¯t

    realize she was half on him until Patrick cleared his throat. Doris quickly moved back to her own seat and

    pressed her hands to her warm cheeks to ward off her blush but she knew it wouldn¡¯t work this time.

    ¡°Well, d to see you two enjoy yourselves but we aren¡¯t here for that.¡± Patrick smirked, William kicked

    him under the table and Patrick cursed. They truly were a pair of idiots Doris nced back to the crowd

    and noticed that everyone had stopped looking at them. She calmed her breaths and tried not to feel so

    disappointed that they broke apart so quickly. No-Patrick was right. It wasn¡¯t time to fool around in the

    middle of a bar! What had gotten into her? Every choice she made left her one step further from the

    woman she used to be at the castle. But part of her felt¡­free in a way. As if she didn¡¯t have a leash and

    cor and she was just Doris¡ªeven when she want being Doris. ¡°There he is.¡± Patrick waved his hand

    towards an older man in the crowd. He stumbled his way over and they all knew he was already well on

    his way to being wasted. ¡°Greg! Great to see you.¡± Patrick said as he moved over for the man to sit.¡°

    This is my cousin James and his wife Isabelle.¡± ¡°Oh, hello. You selling what you gave him?¡± The man

    cracked. Doris sunk deeper into her seat when her shame bubbled to the surface. ¡°No.¡± William

    snapped. The old man onlyughed and plopped down in the chair across from them. He downed half of

    his beer before he came up for air. ¡°So,¡± Patrick cleared his throat. ¡°What¡¯s new, Greg?¡± ¡°Ah, same shit. I

    gotta get up early and ready the horses.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? For what?¡± Patrick asked as he took a long swig of

    beer. ¡°Going on a hunt?¡± ¡°Nah, no. They still looking for that damned prince but no one has seen him in a

    week. I think he¡¯s already on his way back to the kingdom where he can hide like the   coward he is. But

    no one ever listens to me.¡± Doris quickly gripped William¡¯s leg under the table when she felt him tense

    beside her. After a minute, he rxed. ¡°You going with them?¡± Patrick asked. He hadn¡¯t once nced at

    them which made Doris realize he was trying not to be suspicious. Meanwhile, her heart was racing a

    thousand miles an hour and if this bar wasn¡¯t so loud, she was positive everyone would have heard it.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m too old for that shit. I set up the horses for them and take care of them when they get back.¡±

    ¡°Aye, I can help ya.¡± Patrick offered and pped the old man on his back. He looked a little shocked

    even through his drunken haze. ¡°Yeah? No one ever offers that.¡± ¡°Well, I figure it¡¯ll get me outta that

    awful stirring job for a few hours.¡± Gregughed and pped his knee. ¡°You got a deal, meet me at

    dawn.¡± The old man stood and winked at Doris. She felt her skin crawl, he was old enough to be her

    father. William red at him until he was out of sight. His hand curled and opened on hisp. ¡°I told you

    we would get something.¡± Patrick whispered. He nced around but everyone else was in their own

    world. William stood. ¡°That¡¯s not much.¡± He grumbled and pulled Doris up with him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear

    your voice again until you have more.¡± They left through the crowd and Doris was only d to be free of

    the smell. She despised the scent of alcohol. It only brought terrible memories and she was not in a

    position to relive them. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll work?¡± Doris whispered as they walked out into the snow. She

    moved a little closer when the wind chilled her bones. William didn¡¯t look at her. It made her want to force

    his chin down just so he would see her. She wasn¡¯t sure anymore if he was avoiding her or if he was

    being normal and she was the one that was overthinking it. ¡°I guess we will have to see.¡± The next

    morning, Doris woke bright and early to get dressed for her job. William was already gone by the time

    she left the bathroom. The night before was just a bunch of silence even after their heated kiss in the bar.

    He didn¡¯t try to cross the line again. It was as if he knew they weren¡¯t being watched so there was no

    point in pretending to be in love with her and wanting her like a husband would. It was all in her head.

    When she sat down at her station with a new bottle of pills, the girls were already deep in a conversation,

    but they stopped when they saw her. ¡°We saw youst night!¡± Mia whispered with a smirk on her face.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Doris tried not to sound nervous. She reyed the night before and realized they were talking

    about the bar. And-oh no, the kiss. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, oh! Your husband is so hot, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Mia

    whisper-shouted. ¡°Because¡­ he¡¯s my husband.¡± Doris said awkwardly and tried tough it off. They  .

    didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Everyone is talking about how you acted in the bar.¡± Beck wiggled her brows,

    Doris thought her cheeks had caught on fire and was about to burn her alive. ¡°Not many men kiss their

    women like that here.¡± Beck said with a sigh that screamed her longing. ¡°Oh, well. James is very¡­¡±

    ¡°Passionate?¡± ¡°Romantic?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Sure.¡± Doris nodded and cleared her throat. She only had a taste of

    his passion, so she couldn¡¯t speak on either of those things. ¡°How was your nights? Anything fun

    happen?¡± Doris asked. ¡°Boring. A lot of the hunters are leaving today for a search party for the prince so

    they didn¡¯t want to drink much.¡± Mia said. ¡°How long do those usuallyst?¡± Doris asked as she filled a

    bottle. ¡°A week or so. It usually grows quiet here when that happens. I¡¯m not even sure they know what

    they¡¯re looking for.¡± Beck said with a smallugh. ¡°Sure they do, a big handsome prince with fancy

    clothes. Easy.¡± Mia raised her brows at her friend. ¡°I think he would stand out more than anything against

    the snow.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they don¡¯t know what he looks like.¡± Beck pointed out. ¡°I think they have a general

    description, but I personally think he would stick out easily.¡± ¡°What do you think, Isabelle?¡± Beck asked.

    Doris swallowed and sat up straighter. She looked between the two but they were both focused on their

    tasks. ¡°I think I agree. The prince would be easy to spot, he¡¯s nothing like the people here.¡± Mia nodded

    in agreement. Doris eyed the pills she was bottling and thebel. ¡°Hm, strange. These pills look

    completely different from the ones I did yesterday but they have the samebel.¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Beck hissed

    and nced around. Doris nervously looked but everyone else was in their own worlds and

    conversations. ¡°They¡¯ve been diluting the pills due to stocktely. They can¡¯t find the right ingredients for

    what they need. Don¡¯t worry, though. They¡¯re all fine.¡± Doris almost dropped the pills and pushed away

    from the table, but she stayed still. How could thispany do something like that? Medicine was life or

    death for some people. If they made it with the wrong ingredients, who knows what kind of reactions

    people could have. ¡°I heard why they also want the prince.¡± Mia said after a few minutes of silence. Doris

    lifted her head. ¡°A guy in the market said the prince sold him a bit of cure. They¡¯re desperate to know the

    exact recipe so they can replicate it and sell it for thousands.¡± 1N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    Chapter 96 I think we should raid the camp to find him ourselves.

    It was easy to lose a bit of her mind as she was stuck to doing the same task over and over. By the time

    she was allowed off, her hands ached from twisting the caps on so many bottles. The work was fixating

    enough to let her mind wander, but not too far. By the time she reached her room, William was half

    asleep on the bed. He had dirt all over his face and his clothes to match. She cringed when she noticed

    how much dirt he brought on the bed with him. He sat up a little when she came in-he looked utterly

    exhausted. She bet he near had to work aborious day in his life before today. 2 ¡°How was it?¡± Doris

    asked as she peeled off her coat that started to smell like the storeroom. William grumbled a bunch of

    curse words that Doris chose to ignore. As fit as he was, it still took a toll on him considering he normally

    had everyone else do things for him. ¡°Most of the men were out on the hunt-I was there alone with one

    other guy all day and he didn¡¯t talk once.¡± Doris frowned and paced the small area. ¡°The girls told me

    they want you for the cure as well as the bounty. Apparently they don¡¯t know the recipe and they want to

    make doses of it to sell to those that need it.¡± William rolled his eyes andid back against the bed again.

    ¡°That¡¯s it then, isn¡¯t it? We can go back to the camp and tell Enzo it was Luna Queen.¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t

    have proof it was her. All of this is hearsay, don¡¯t you want proof when you go back to the pce? That

    will show it was her who poisoned the soup and-and sent the assassins after you.¡± Doris didn¡¯t want to

    mention Melody by name, it felt wrong. She was still hisdy and he hadn¡¯t once mentioned her this

    entire trip and after what they did together Doris couldn¡¯t deal with that level of guilt at the moment. ¡°I¡¯m

    afraid it¡¯s highly unlikely that we will find any sort of evidence. These sort of things are hard to prove.¡±

    Doris sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He was right. It was almost impossible for their word to be

    proven, who would believe them anyway? Suddenly, Doris felt like a lightbulb had gone off in her head.

    ¡°Wait, you said a lot of the men are out on the hunt, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There were only a handful left behind.¡±

    William said with his eyes closed. She wanted to push him off the bed and make him take a bath. ¡°Well,

    maybe we should explore this ce a little more. We haven¡¯t met the ones that run this ce for Enzo

    yet, but the map Robbie gave us has all of their offices included on it. What if one of them have some

    sort of letter or something from Luna Queen or your pce?¡±   William opened his eyes and sat up

    slowly. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t leave them unlocked.¡± ¡°No, but we can still try to get inside.¡± Doris stood and went

    to change from her uniform into something a lot morefortable to move around in. When she came

    out, William looked a bit more put together in the sense that he changed and attempted to wipe the dirt

    from his face. He looked at her strangely, as if he didn¡¯t really recognize her. ¡°What?¡± Doris asked. ¡°Were

    you always this way at the pce? Breaking into ces you shouldn¡¯t be?¡± His tone was a bit more

    using than she appreciated. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never broken into anything before. I was just trying toe up

    with a solution to your problem.¡± Doris turned and opened the door before he had a chance to respond.

    ¡°Are youing or not?¡± 1 William clenched his jaw and followed her out of the room. She caught the

    spike of rage that rippled across his face from her words. It set deep in his brows and the stiffness of his

    shoulders. He wasn¡¯t used to hearing her talk back-he would just have to get over it. The only reason she

    was here was to help him. He walked ahead of her a little as they went down a few hallways, she

    quickened her step and gripped onto his arm when she saw a group of girls rounding the corner. William

    didn¡¯t even seem to notice them stare at him as if he didn¡¯t have a girl on his arm. It was almost hard to

    keep up with his long strides and she knew that he knew she was struggling. ¡°You look suspicious

    walking so fast!¡± Doris whispered. William slowed his steps just a tad but her legs still burned. ¡°I don¡¯t

    know what you mean, I¡¯m just out for a stroll with my wife.¡± He said through his teeth. Doris rolled her

    eyes and tugged his arm a little to turn the corner.

    The hallways were a little brighter and more¡­ put together near the offices. The walls weren¡¯t dark and

    grey, they were pure white with glistening floors. It was like they had stepped into an entirely new

    building and that was when she knew they were in the right ce. Beyond the sudden beauty of the

    building, there wasn¡¯t a single soul. Their feet echoed off the stone floors and made Doris feel almost

    more nervous than when they were surrounded by others. It was too quiet and empty, her thoughts were

    too loud. Why did she feel like someone was watching them? William nced over his shoulder before

    he tried the main door at the end of the hallway. It wiggled but gave nothing. Doris nced at the map

    and saw it led to a smaller hallway that broke off into several offices. William banged his shoulder against

    it, but it still didn¡¯t give. Doris took a pin out of her hair and handed it to him. ¡°Try this.¡± William gave her a

    long look before he stuck the pin in the keyhole and mmed his hand against it. The door opened

    instantly and for a moment, Doris forgot why they were even there. He pulled her inside and closed the

    door quickly. The hallway wasn¡¯t nearly as long as the one they came from, but it had several closed

    doors that Doris could only  guess were for the owners since they looked bigger than their bedroom.

    Doris tried one and was surprised to see it didn¡¯t even have a lock on it. She pushed inside to see arge

    desk and stacks of papers sprawled across every surface imaginable. ¡°Dan Walts.¡± Doris read off of one

    of the papers. ¡°It says he handles the finances. All of these papers are expenses.¡± ¡°I wonder if he would

    have the money Luna Queen bribed him with.¡± William peered across her shoulder and reached his arm

    around her body to thumb through some of the papers. ¡°I don¡¯t think they would keep it in the official

    records. These all look like business expenses.¡± William searched through the drawers while Doris

    looked through every cab. When every stone was turned, they went to the next office. ¡°Shawn Plows.

    He¡¯s in charge of¡­ a lot it seems.¡± Doris furrowed her brows as she read the list. ¡°Transactions, where

    the goods go.¡± Doris chewed on her lip as she shuffled through the papers. Their offices were already

    messes, she wondered if they ever had a concern for their information or if they were that confident in

    the guards around the building. Doris had only passed a couple since she came here. They clearly never

    expected a wolf to be right in the center of their nest. Doris and William spent every second searching

    through papers and books but came up with nothing. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the biggest office that

    Doris noticed something was off. Everything was in its ce, the fire was even still roaring. Doris and

    William looked at each other and quickly closed the door. A voice echoed in the outside hallway, they

    ducked into an office they hadn¡¯t touched yet and hid under the desk. She hadn¡¯t realized she was

    holding his hand until she felt him squeeze hers. He put his finger over his lips as they heard the main

    door open. Two men¡¯s voices boomed off the walls and William peered around the wood to see them.

    Doris held her breath and tried to focus on their words, but it sounded like nothing. William looked at her

    and gestured for her to stay still. Doris listened as they went into the office they had juste out of and

    she suddenly wondered if they had touched anything or left the door open. ¡°¡­ They caught sight of

    him?¡± ¡°They heard he was at Enzo¡¯s camp as a guest.¡± The man spat the words out. ¡°Enzo has been

    letting his entire royal party stay there.¡± ¡°How long has it been going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, probably since he

    came to the north.¡± A silence followed, Doris clenched onto his arm. ¡°I think we should raid the camp and

    find him ourselves.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    Chapter 97 Better than I imagined

    ¡°Turn on Enzo? He¡¯s our leader, we can¡¯t do that.¡± The other man said. He sounded as shocked as Doris

    felt. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to if he would act like our leader. He doesn¡¯t think we should hunt down the very

    people he taught us not to trust, instead he prefers to protect them from us as if we are the enemy. I

    heard he was sweet on the prince¡¯s woman, too.¡± William tensed beside her. Doris only wondered which

    viger had ratted Enzo out. If they knew Doris existed, what else did they know? ¡°When should we

    make a move?¡± ¡°Call everyone back in, we can n it once we have everyone here. We have to hurry

    before he heads back to his pce and we can¡¯t reach him. Hell, he might already be gone.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    William let go of her hand and moved out from below the desk the moment he heard the main doors

    close at the end of the hallway. He crawled across the floor and slowly opened the door to see if anyone

    was still there. He closed it and gestured for her to wait. They kept silent for a few minutes more. When

    no one else came, he waved her over. Doris carefully crawled out from under the desk and went to him

    as quietly as she could. He held her hand tightly and she felt as if they were both holding their breath as

    he opened the door to the small office. The hallway was empty, he nced around the corner before he

    pulled her after him. Therger office door was closed shut with the man probably still inside. Their steps

    were light as they hurried to the end of the hallway before he came out of his office and caught them.

    Once outside, they heard more voices rounding the corner anding straight for them. William yanked

    Doris down the hall and pulled her into a small dark area. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± One of the voices said.

    William pressed Doris against the wall and mped his hand down over her mouth. She looked at him

    with wide, terrified eyes as the steps got closer. ¡°I thought I saw something over here.¡± William removed

    his hand and hiked Doris up so her legs wrapped around his waist. He grabbed the back of her neck and

    mmed his lips against her own. His kiss was so rough and desperate, she almost forgot to kiss him

    back. Doris wrapped her arms around his neck and felt breathless as he stuck his hand up her sweater

    without a single warning. His hand felt like ice, she gasped against his mouth. ¡°Oh I think-hey! Sorry

    about that!¡± Someone stuttered behind them. William acted as if he didn¡¯t hear him as he deepened the

    kiss but it was getting harder for Doris to focus on anything but the man watching them. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Someone else asked. ¡°Nothing, two kids or something.¡± He waved them away, William moved his lips

    down her jaw and she watched the men over his shoulder with hooded eyes. ¡°They can¡¯t be doing that

    here!¡± William finally pulled away a little and tilted his head to listen. ¡°Right-you two have to go.¡± ¡°You

    mind giving us a little privacy?¡± William said in a harsh ent that Doris didn¡¯t recognize on him. ¡°I don¡¯t

    need my girl being stared at.¡± ¡°Right, of course not. Just get out of this area and take that somewhere

    else!¡± William waited until they were gone before he lowered Doris and took her hand again. He nced

    around the hallway and led her out towards their room as casually as he could seem. Doris knew that if

    anyone looked too closely at her, they would know they were up to something, she was terrible at hiding

    things. He locked the door the second she stepped inside. His stare rooted her to the spot and they both

    knew nothing good was about toe. She tilted her head back when he neared her. They should leave

    right this instant to warn Enzo. They had to tell him everything his own pack was nning against him.

    Doris had no idea where Patrick was, but they had to find him and go William leaned down to kiss her

    roughly, as if he wanted to destroy every worry he had racing through his mind. Doris gripped his shirt

    and moved up on her toes to kiss him back in hopes it would erase her worries too. His hands gripped

    her hips and slowly grazed her skin as he ran them up under her sweater. His cold hands made her gasp

    again, he swallowed the sound and carried her over to their bed, ¡°William¡ª¡° Doris groaned. He hovered

    above her with a dark intent in his eyes. He said nothing as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it

    across the room. He said nothing as he did the same to her sweater and left her skin bare and cold for

    him to stare at. 1 It was like she was dancing with the devil and she knew it was wrong. She knew she

    shouldn¡¯t want this¡ªshe knew it wasn¡¯t the right time or ce to indulge, but she couldn¡¯t find the words

    to tell him to stop. He unbuttoned her pants and yanked them off her legs with impatience. Doris moved

    to help him with his own, but he stopped her and pinned her small hands above her head with one of his.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me tie you up.¡± He said against her ear. His deep voice made her shiver and she knew it

    was useless to deny him. At this moment, she wouldn¡¯t dream of it. ! He released her hands and made

    sure she stayed still before he removed her panties. She squirmed beneath him, wishing she could cover

    herself from his selfish eyes. He took in every inch of her as if she was a piece of art, but he quickly

    shook the look off his face and focused back on her body. She felt his teeth graze down her stomach as

    he left small bites. He forced her legs apart when she tried to clench them closed and looked up at her

    with hooded eyes . ¡°I want to know what you taste like.¡± I His words trailed up her her veins and made

    her heart race inside her chest. What did that mean? He already knew what her kisses tasted like His

    hands gripped her thighs so tightly, she knew there would be bruises by morning.

    down her jaw and she watched the men over his shoulder with hooded eyes. ¡°They can¡¯t be doing that

    here!¡± William finally pulled away a little and tilted his head to listen. ¡°Right-you two have to go.¡± ¡°You

    mind giving us a little privacy?¡± William said in a harsh ent that Doris didn¡¯t recognize on him. ¡°I don¡¯t

    need my girl being stared at.¡± ¡°Right, of course not. Just get out of this area and take that somewhere

    else!¡± William waited until they were gone before he lowered Doris and took her hand again. He nced

    around the hallway and led her out towards their room as casually as he could seem. Doris knew that if

    anyone looked too closely at her, they would know they were up to something, she was terrible at hiding

    things. He locked the door the second she stepped inside. His stare rooted her to the spot and they both

    knew nothing good was about toe. She tilted her head back when he neared her. They should leave

    right this instant to warn Enzo. They had to tell him everything his own pack was nning against him.

    Doris had no idea where Patrick was, but they had to find him and go William leaned down to kiss her

    roughly, as if he wanted to destroy every worry he had racing through his mind. Doris gripped his shirt

    and moved up on her toes to kiss him back in hopes it would erase her worries too. His hands gripped

    her hips and slowly grazed her skin as he ran them up under her sweater. His cold hands made her gasp

    again, he swallowed the sound and carried her over to their bed. ¡°William¡ª¡° Doris groaned. He hovered

    above her with a dark intent in his eyes. He said nothing as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it

    across the room. He said nothing as he did the same to her sweater and left her skin bare and cold for

    him to stare at. 1 It was like she was dancing with the devil and she knew it was wrong. She knew she

    shouldn¡¯t want this¡ªshe knew it wasn¡¯t the right time or ce to indulge, but she couldn¡¯t find the words

    to tell him to stop. He unbuttoned her pants and yanked them off her legs with impatience. Doris moved

    to help him with his own, but he stopped her and pinned her small hands above her head with one of his.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me tie you up.¡± He said against her ear. His deep voice made her shiver and she knew it

    was useless to deny him. At this moment, she wouldn¡¯t dream of it. 1 He released her hands and made

    sure she stayed still before he removed her panties. She squirmed beneath him, wishing she could cover

    herself from his selfish eyes. He took in every inch of her as if she was a piece of art, but he quickly

    shook the look off his face and focused back on her body. She felt his teeth graze down her stomach as

    he left small bites. He forced her legs apart when she tried to clench them closed and looked up at her

    with hooded eyes . ¡°I want to know what you taste like.¡± 1 His words trailed up her her veins and made

    her heart race inside her chest. What did that mean? He already knew what her kisses tasted like His

    hands gripped her thighs so tightly, she knew there would be bruises by morning.   His mouth got

    dangerously lower to a ce she wanted to hide from him. She hadn¡¯t realized she was tensing until his

    eyes flickered up at her with a bit of a warning. Doris slowly released her breath and tried to calm herself

    down. William dipped his head between her legs and she wanted to melt into the bed and nevere

    back up for air. Slowly, he pushed one of his fingers inside her folds and her hips immediately moved

    towards him as if they had a mind of their own. She didn¡¯t expect to feel his tongue trail up her her most

    sensitive area as if she was some sort of frozen dessert. Doris gasped and gripped the sheets. ¡°Oh!¡± The

    simple touch made her body jerk again and a strange pooling start to form at the pit of her stomach. He

    moved his finger in and out as his tongue flicked her clit. Doris¡¯s lips parted as she groaned louder than

    she ever had. She quickly covered her mouth and nced down to see William smirk against her skin.

    When he added a second finger, she swore the room spun for a moment. He held her hips down when

    they tried to move against his hand eagerly. Normally, it would have embarrassed Doris but her body

    didn¡¯t care. It felt incredible, she could understand how one could get addicted to the feeling. His hand

    moved quicker, he sucked on her like she was his dinner and trailed his tongue along any wetness he

    sensed. Doris¡¯s back arched when her breaths started to quicken and she felt that feeling start to build

    inside her again. ¡°William¡ª¡°She groaned. He lifted her hips a little and dug his fingers deeper inside her.

    He leaned up just to watch as her body came undone beneath him. Every ounce of her was on full

    disy and she couldn¡¯t begin to care as the rush flowed through her veins and brought her up to her

    highest point. She had to bite her arm just to keep in the sound of her scream as she felt her body allow

    her release. Doris slowly lowered her arm and watched as he took his hand out of her and slowly licked

    her wetness off his fingers. ¡°Better than I imagined.¡± He whispered in the darkness. Doris pulled him

    down on top of her and unbuttoned the top of his pants Both of their gazes snapped to the door when a

    banging started. ¡°James, Isabelle-let me in!¡± Patrick hissed with urgency. 2

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    Chapter 98 I hope we cross paths again in the future.

    If darkness had an expression, William was wearing it. He moved off of Doris and made sure she was

    fully dressed before he let in a desperate Patrick. His face was bright red and she¡¯d never seen his eyes

    so wide with terror. He moved through the room like a tornado had struck and he had to grab the good

    stuff before it was ruined. ¡°We need to go. Now.¡± Patrick started throwing their things into bags, she

    noticed his own was already packed by the door. ¡°What happened?¡± William grabbed Patrick¡¯s arm to

    stop his haste. ¡°I was at the tavern again trying to get some of the folk drunk for information and I

    overheard someone mention your name. They said they¡¯re about to pull all of the men in this ce to put

    on a bunch of carriages to ambush Enzo¡¯s camp because they think you¡¯re there! I already saw some of

    the guards start to round up every man they came across, we have to go before they get here.¡± William

    nced at Doris and she tried not to feel shame at what they did. Instead of getting out of here, they

    wasted precious time on themselves. Doris quickly helped Patrick shove everything into bags before she

    pulled on her shoes. They had all the time in the world to be selfish, why did they have to start now? ¡°Is

    our carriage even still here?¡± Doris asked. ¡°No, the driver took it back. We were supposed to write for it if

    we needed it.¡± ¡°We¡®re going to have to steal some of their horses before they take them all.¡± William said

    as he pulled on his coat. He gripped Doris¡¯s arm and hurried out of the door with their bags in his other

    hand. ¡°We can¡¯t leave a trace of us behind. If they find out I was here, they¡¯ll know exactly what I found

    out and report it back to Luna Queen. We have to stay one step ahead of her.¡± Doris was practically

    running to keep up with the men. One step with their long legs was three of her own. William looked

    down every hallway before they turned. Once or twice they had to wait for it to empty before they hurried

    to the stables. ¡°How did you know where they were?¡± Doris asked in a breath. Her shoes lightly clicked

    against the stone floors and she cursed them for making any sort of sound. ¡°I unloaded a lot of their

    drugs and pills out here. There should be at least two on the outside that some idiots left earlier.¡± He

    whispered. She gripped his arm as they crouched to hide along the walls. He led them across the

    grounds and kept his eyes sharp on the guards that walkedzily around the fences. ¡°How will we get out

    of this one, cousin?¡± Patrick hissed. William red at him. ¡°Since no one talked much where I worked, I

    watched the grounds. The guards never patrol all the areas at once. We¡¯ll wait for the back to be cleared

    and lead the horses out quietly before we get on them.¡± Patrick nodded once and followed William¡¯s lead.

    They crouched near a tall bush and watched as the guards pace the same area back and forth for about

    twenty minutes. She felt her legs start to give out until William gripped her without even looking at   her.

    As if he could sense her own pain. Ten more minutes passed and finally both guards nodded to each

    other and went around the building towards the front. The second they were out of sight, William pulled

    her up and hurried towards the horses. Just as William said, there were two brown ones tethered to the

    fence as if they were waiting for their owners to put them away. Doris frowned, it was the middle of the

    night. She doubted anyone wasing for them but it was better for them that they didn¡¯t. William and

    Patrick quickly undid their ropes and led them out of the back gates and into the woods beyond. She

    almost fainted when the metal squeaked loud enough to wake the dead as she closed it. She hurried

    behind William and allowed him to lift her onto the horse the second they were far enough away from the

    ce. ¡°That was all an awful idea, we should have never went.¡± Patrick spat at the ground. He pulled

    himself up on his own horse just as William did the same to hers. She wrapped her arms around his

    waist and held on for her life. Her hands trembled, he squeezed her once before he gripped the reigns.

    ¡°It gave me confirmation and now we have a warning for Enzo. If we didn¡¯t go, we would have been killed

    in our He kicked his heel and the horse was off in a run. Patrick¡¯s was close behind. It was so dark, she

    couldn¡¯t see an inch in front of them but William let the moonlight guide him. It would probably take hours

    to get back, she only hoped they had enough of a start to prepare them for what was toe. 1 She

    clenched her eyes tightly as the harsh winds burned her gaze. More danger, more things to run from and

    be afraid of. Not this time, she was strong enough to help the people that helped her when she needed it.

    She wouldn¡¯t be alive if it wasn¡¯t for Enzo. She prayed the horses would get them there in no time at all.

    The carriages were slow because of the weight they pulled, but these horses had nothing but them to

    carry. She had to believe they would make it.

    They came tearing through the camp in a fraction of the time it took them to get to Life Pharmacy. It was

    completely empty, she guessed everyone was asleep already. William slid off his horse the moment it

    came to a stop and helped Doris down before he hurried to Enzo¡¯s cabin to bang on his door as hard as

    he could. Doris and Patrick went around to every other cabin to wake those inside and gather them in the

    courtyard. They shouted at her to tell them what was happening but all she could do was keep moving.

    She didn¡¯t have time to exin to each person, she had to just get them up and out to the courtyard.

    Enzo looked as if he hadn¡¯t even gone to sleep with how he well was dressed as if it were daytime.

    William must have already told him because his face was dead serious and it was like no hint of a smile

    had ever creased it. ¡°Everyone!¡± He shouted over the murmuring. They silenced at once and crowded

    around him as he stood up on one of the logs around the fire that had long since gone out. ¡°We don¡¯t

    have much time. It seems we have a traitor in our mix and I don¡¯t have time to sniff him or her out yet.

    Some of our own pack from Life Pharmacy ising here to ambush us for allowing the royals to stay

    here¡ª¡°  ¡°What?!¡± Several people shouted. William appeared at her side and she suddenly felt a little less

    nervous when he was next to her. As crazy as that sounded. ¡°I¡¯m giving you all the option to leave and

    save yourselves, but I would appreciate if you stayed by my side while I try to sort this out.¡± ¡°Sort this

    out? How many areing?¡± Someone asked near the front. Panic was loud in their tones. ¡°I¡¯m not

    sure, it could be dozens or hundreds. I can¡¯t guarantee this won¡¯t tum messy but I don¡¯t want a war to

    start in my own pack over this, I swear to try and sort this out before it turns into one..¡± ¡°What are you

    going to do? Give them up?¡± Someone else asked him. William tensed at her side, she gripped his arm.

    ¡°No. That¡¯s not what we stand for. We stand for freedom and choices, not for torture and games. They¡¯re

    chasing old shadows and I won¡¯t have any part of it. I won¡¯t let them take good people just to torture

    them.¡± Doris nced through the crowd and saw more of William¡¯s guards surround where they stood.

    They inched themselves closer and closer to the prince as if they were afraid he would be taken right

    then and there. ¡°They¡¯reing for a fight, how do we stop this?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be ready for them. I¡¯ll wait here

    all night if I have to and I will get them to talk.¡± His eyes flickered to William. ¡°If you would prefer to leave

    before this gets out of hand, I wouldn¡¯t me you. This is not your matter.¡± William lifted his chin a little.

    ¡°Perhaps it would be better if my party left. I don¡¯t think it would be wise for us to stick around, it might

    only make things worse.¡± 1 Doris couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She parted her lips to object,

    but he silenced her with a re. Enzo nodded once. ¡°I respect your choice. I hope we cross paths again

    in the future.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    Chapter 99 They¡®reing.

    ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re not staying?¡± Doris asked the moment their cabin door closed, William crossed

    the room to put some distance between them. ¡°Are you mad? Enzo helped us when we needed him the

    most and now you¡¯re just going to leave him when he needs us?¡± 3 William blew out a frustrated breath.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand self preservation, do you? If we stay, they will kill everyone in this camp just to get

    to me. They¡¯ve had enough of Enzo¡¯s ruling and they¡¯re itching for the excuse to break free from him. It¡¯s

    not wise for us to get in the way of their issues. It¡¯s his pack, not mine.¡± ¡°If they want to get rid of him then

    we should make sure to stay and help him, William.¡± Doris crossed her arms over her chest. Her feet

    were nted firm on the ground, nothing would make her leave. Not even him at his grumpiest. William

    looked as if he was about to blow. She didn¡¯t care, she wasn¡¯t afraid of him anymore. If he struck her

    down, sl

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    down, she woulde back with a wrath ready for him. Her days of living in fear were long gone. ¡°What

    are you not getting? If we stay, we are making it worse for them. They may be able to talk themselves out

    of this if we¡¯re long gone. I¡¯m trying to avoid another fight for them and for us.¡± ¡°We could at least hide

    nearby and make sure it doesn¡¯t turn deadly, don¡¯t we owe them that? Enzo saved my life several times

    and I don¡¯t want to repay him like this. He let you stay with him knowing the message it would send and

    now look where we are.¡± William mmed his hand down on a table across from her. The sound made

    her flinch. ¡°We are not staying. If I have to tie you to the back of my horse, I will. Get your things, now.

    We don¡¯t have time for any of this! I should have headed straight for the pce rather than run all the

    way here to warn them.¡± Doris felt her insides bubble with a newfound rage. How dare he tell her what to

    do? She was trying to help her friend and he wanted to leave them to die! ¡°No. How could you even say

    that?¡± Doris said through clenched teeth. William narrowed his eyes at her and took a step closer. ¡°If you

    touch me, I will change into my wolf and rip you in half.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have that sort of power over me. I will

    always be stronger than you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m capable of.¡± Doris lifted her chin. William¡¯s face

    went from rage, to a mask of emotionless calm within seconds. It was terrifying to see someone change

    so quickly as if he was stepping out of one personality and into the next. 1 ¡°You want to stay and defend

    him? Be my guest. I¡¯m not going to risk my men¡¯s lives for a maid and her lover.¡± The words hit their mark

    more than she expected them to. She knew he only thought of her that way, she¡¯d told herself it a million

    times. It did nothing to protect her from the hard truth. His confirmation felt like a direct blow to her chest.

    Doris swallowed her bleeding heart and looked him in the eye.

    her sick, she wished she had pped him even if it meant he hit her back twice as hard. Beth didn¡¯t

    deserve to live out Doris¡¯s punishment. She did nothing but be a kind friend to Doris for years. ¡°I thought

    it was going good. I felt how happy you were in his arms and how happy he was with you.¡± Cordelia said

    quietly, as if a part of her had given up. ¡°Unfortunately, men are good are pretending. I was fooled for a

    moment there myself.¡± Doris pulled her hair up and tied it so it was out of her face. She didn¡¯t have time

    to cry over a broken heart, she had to help Enzo. ¡°We will find our happiness one day, Cordelia. Even if it

    takes years.¡± Her wolf said nothing as she walked out into the snow but she could feel her presence

    remain as if she was ready to be there when Doris needed. William and his party were already long gone

    she supposed. She pushed his face far from her mind. Doris swore to herself that she would make things

    right with Beth when it was safe here. A taste of freedom was better than never having any and Beth

    deserved her own. Enzo turned to her with a bit of surprise written on his face. ¡°I thought you left already,

    I saw William leave with the rest.¡± ¡°They left, I wanted to stay and help.¡± Doris said. Enzo¡¯s face softened

    a little. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask you to do something like that. You have no training as a wolf.¡± ¡°After everything you

    did for me, I want to at least try and help. I couldn¡¯t leave you knowing you might be hurt.¡±. Enzo gripped

    her shoulder softly. ¡°Doris, I don¡¯t think any of us deserve you. Your intentions are more pure than any I

    have ever met.¡± ¡°I just wanted¡ª¡° ¡°They¡¯reing!¡±

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    Chapter 100 I¡¯ve got you now.

    Enzo moved Doris behind him and tried to position her out of sight without making it seem obvious. She

    noticed a bit of his own panic seep through his gaze. This all happened because of her. If she hadn¡¯t

    come on this trip, she couldn¡¯t have been kidnapped and Enzo wouldn¡¯t have been in trouble with his

    own people for letting William stay. Always her fault, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Don¡¯t think you need to be a hero for me

    today, Doris. You being here is enough and I know how to handle them when they¡¯re like this. Don¡¯t worry

    for me, promise?.¡± Enzo whispered. Doris didn¡¯t get a chance to respond before he turned to face the

    arriving carriages with the rest of the vigers. As it was, none of them wanted to leave Enzo¡¯s side. They

    cared too much about their kind leader and Doris was d of that at least. He was a great man to be

    loyal to. She almost thought the same of William before he left. But now wasn¡¯t a time to dwell on that,

    she should have known better. At the front of the crowd was a man with grey and ck hair that was tied

    back in a bun on his head. He looked a bit older than Enzo and a bit shorter too. Was this the man that

    Doris had heard in his office earlier? It had to be. ¡°Enzo, you look like you¡¯re ready for a fight.¡± The man

    said with a bit of false kindness. He shed his sharp teeth at his leader and Doris instantly ced the

    voice to who she thought it was ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a good thing I am. I didn¡¯t expect arge portion of my

    pack to show up in the middle of the night.¡± Enzo ced his hands behind his back calmly and kept a

    light air to his words. ¡°What brings you all here tonight? Our next full moon party isn¡¯t for another week.¡±

    The man looked through the crowd with a sharpness that felt like a de across her skin when his sight

    stopped on her before continuing on. He hadn¡¯t seen her at Life Pharmacy, that was a small relief on its

    own but it wasn¡¯t enough to convince her it would all be fine. ¡°I heard you had a few interesting visitors in

    your vige recently. It¡¯s been said that you¡¯re keeping the prince here nice and safe. That couldn¡¯t be

    true, could it? Our leader would never let that happen.¡± ¡°He was here, he left a while ago.¡± Enzo said

    easily. ¡°He came through for a chat and asked to wait out a storm. I didn¡¯t see the harm in it, I allowed it.¡±

    ¡°How could you let our enemies sleep among us? How could you offer them safety and protection when

    they¡¯ve killed so many of our people just trying to live? Don¡¯t our lives mean anything to you?¡± ¡°The

    prince wished no harm on me or my vigers, he came for peace and I chose to hear him out as your

    leader since your lives are my top priority.¡± Enzo said with an edge to his voice. Doris tried to stay

    blended in the crowd but she swore she felt eyes on her. ¡°I know you don¡¯t agree with my take at

    leadership, but it doesn¡¯t excuse unnecessary violence to anyone. Even the prince.¡± ¡°No harm? I heard

    how many of our rogues he killed looking for some girl. How is that peaceful?¡± The man roared.   gol you

    now.

    ¡°He was trying to protect someone he cared about that was taken by rogues who refused to listen. They

    tried to torture her for no reason and almost killed her because of it. If any of you had your wife or child

    taken, you would do the same.¡± Enzo said. ¡°All I hear is you excusing him killing our wolves! A true

    leader would want revenge, not let him sweet talk his way in their favor! Why was he here, Enzo? To get

    information out of you?¡± ¡°He wanted to unite the rogues back with the kingdom.¡± Enzo said. The man

    laughed bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s rich. You believe a prince who has one of the worst reputations?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t give

    me a reason not to.¡± Enzo smoothed out the arms of his coat. ¡°Are we done here? The prince is long

    gone from here and you can check every cabin if you insist but it is quitete. My people don¡¯t like to

    miss out on their sleep for ridicules matters.¡±

    Someone stepped out of the crowd and spoke in the man¡¯s ear, Doris felt her insides freeze over when

    she recognized him. It was the guard that caught William kissing her in the halls. He was looking right at

    her and she knew there was no chance that he didn¡¯t see her.

    The man turned his gaze on her as well and Doris wished she could disappear. Enzo must have noticed

    because he moved a bit in front of her but the damage had already been done. They knew who she was.

    ¡°You still protect them over your own people. Did you send her to spy on us, Enzo?¡± The man asked with

    his voice seeped in betrayal. Doris wondered if William was right, perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have stayed

    despite her best intentions. 1 ¡°She has nothing to do with their politics, she was sold to the pce at a

    young age and hase here for freedom herself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie!¡± The man roared again. Enzo looked

    unbothered. ¡°She was seen at Life Pharmacy just hours ago with a man! Was it the prince you let in with

    her? Why Enzo? They¡¯re not part of your pack, we are! We deserve your loyalty!¡± Enzo said nothing for aContent provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    moment. ¡°You have my loyalty, but I don¡¯t appreciate liars. It seems I¡¯m not the only one who has spoken

    with someone from the pce. I have on good word that you¡¯ve taken bribes from one of the royal

    members to hunt down the prince. Why would you take their orders over mine? You¡¯re working directly

    with someone from the pce while I have only given them an ear for their offers.¡± The man swallowed

    and nced at the uneasy faces behind him. Clearly they didn¡¯t know about the bribe, was he pocketing

    it all for himself? Doris silently hoped it set off a bit of untrustworthiness for him as much as he did for

    Enzo. ¡°Why don¡¯t we settle this like men, Enzo? Wolf to wolf.¡± He said with his chest puffed out. Doris

    would haveughed if he didn¡¯t look absolutely deranged. 1 Enzoughed for her. ¡°And what? Fight to

    the death for leadership? You know you would never win.¡± The man snarled. ¡°Fight me, you coward!¡± He

    shouted with his fists clenched. Enzo sighed and removed his nice coat to hand to someone nearby. ¡°I

    hope you told   your family you weren¡¯ting home, I would hate to be the one to exin your own bad

    choices to them.¡± He nced at everyone around them. ¡°No one else is to be involved or risk instant

    death. This is our match, everyone else back up and stay out of the way!¡± Doris quickly backed away

    with the rest of the crowd and watched as Enzo transformed into his magnificent wolf. The man

    transformed a minuteter into a brown wolf that looked more than a little deadly. Enzo snapped his jaws

    at the other wolf before he led him off into the bushes to be dealt with privately. A match to the death?

    That was thest thing she expected Enzo to say. Doris lost sight of them instantly, but she heard their

    cries and bites start up a few momentster. The rest of the crowd went to follow them but Doris stayed

    behind by the fire with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn¡¯t want to see what happened, she

    could only pray to the moon goddess that Enzo would be fine. He deserved to be fine. He was stronger

    and faster than most wolves, that¡¯s why he was the leader of the rogues. She could only wait for it to be

    settled so she could leave¡ª1 A hand closed over her mouth and dragged her back behind the cabins

    towards the waiting carriages as she tried to kick and hit the man. Doris struggled more violently and

    went to change into her wolf, but felt a needle stab in the side of her neck before she could allow

    Cordelia to take over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The voice said. She stumbled forward a little and fell right back into

    their arms when her world shifted all at once, fear crept into her bones when she saw flickers of darkness

    at the edge of her vision. The ground looked as if it was about to open up and swallow her whole but her

    head felt as if it was about to roll off her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± Doris was barely able to move her

    head to see a masked man lift her into one of the rogues carriages. She saw nothing more the second

    the door closed behind them. 2

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    Chapter 101 We¡¯ll just have to wait and see, won¡¯t we

    The world came back in shes. Doris felt as if everything was shaking around her but she couldn¡¯t see

    the light just yet. Her eyes tried to open, she could hear voices surround her and the sound of rumbling.

    Where was she? ¡°I think she¡¯s waking up already.¡± A voice said. ¡°How much of a dose did you give her?¡±

    Replied another. ¡°Enough. She won¡¯t be able to change into her wolf for a few days at least.¡± A bloom of

    panic erupted in her chest. She tried to struggle and move but her body wouldn¡¯t listen. Not one muscle

    would move at hermand as if her body didn¡¯t belong to her anymore.

    ¡°Cordelia?¡± Doris shouted in her mind. She heard nothing but an echo back to her. Whatever they gave

    her, it must have knocked her wolf out more than it did to her. Cordelia remained silent, it was like she

    wasn¡¯t even inside her at all. At least when she had been hurt, she still felt her there. Why couldn¡¯t she

    feel her?

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there anyway. I would have expected her to be out longer than she was. She¡¯s tougher

    than I thought she¡¯d be.¡±

    Doris slowly opened her eyes to see the ceiling of a moving carriage. Every bump on the road sent her

    head spinning rapidly as if each rock had mmed against her head. She tried to grip onto the seat, but

    her fingers wouldn¡¯t even obey her.

    ¡°There she is.¡±

    Doris tried to turn her head towards the voice, but she was paralyzed. Only her eyes could move and

    they were just out of her sight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡± The man said almost as if he was bored. Doris spent most of the ride

    trying to move her fingers and face but her body wouldn¡¯t work. It made her even more terrified than she

    thought was possible. She waspletely at their mercy and she swore to herself she would never be a

    victim like this again.

    Once the carriage came to a stop,rge hands reached out to pull her into his arms before he stepped

    out of the carriage. She finally was able to glimpse the face of one of the men that had taken her. He

    looked simr to the rogue that challenged Enzo to a fight with his long grey hair and the shape of his

    face. It made her wonder if they were brothers. Had he waited in the shadows for her to separate herself

    from the rest?

    He carried her through the doors of Life Pharmacy and down to an area she had never ventured in her

    short visit with William. She hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to see if Enzo was okay-would he notice she

    was gone? Or would he assume she went

    back with William?

    In the dark pit of her stomach, she realized that no one woulde for her. William was probably

    halfway back to his pce by now and Enzo might be nursing his wounds or dead if the other rogue got

    the better of him. She would have to save herself or die trying.

    The walls grew darker around them. He took her somewhere that barely offered any light and seemed

    more quiet as if no one else was around. Slowly, Doris was able to move her fingers. She stretched them

    in and out for a moment, the man that carried her hadn¡¯t seemed to notice yet.

    ¡°The room is ready, sir.¡± Another voice said. Doris was able to turn her head just slightly to look at him

    but he was gone before she could catch a glimpse of his features.

    The man that carried herid her down on a small bed that was barely big enough to hold her. She

    opened and closed her hands at her sides as she watched him grab a chair to pull up next to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to talk just yet, but I thought I would at least try.¡± Doris blinked at him but her lips

    wouldn¡¯t move, they only twitched a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve guessed it by now, but we¡¯re hoping to lure your prince back here for your safe return.

    He has a reputation for wanting to protect what¡¯s his, I have no doubt he¡¯ll do that now. We have no ns

    to harm you unless you make us.¡± He said lightly as if he hadn¡¯t just threatened her.

    Doris¡¯s lips twitched. She desperately wanted to tell him that William wouldn¡¯te for her and they were

    wasting their time with her. He left and made it clear he wasn¡¯ting back for her if she stayed, their

    assumptions were wrong and she couldn¡¯t even tell them that.

    Would it make a difference if she could?

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you sleep this off, but don¡¯t bother to try and call to your wolf. You won¡¯t be hearing from her for

    quite a while.¡±

    Doris stretched her fingers towards him, he nced down at the movement and smirked a little. ¡°Don¡¯t

    worry, she¡¯s fine. We just gave you a drug that numbs the wolf inside you for a few days so you can¡¯t

    fight back. We were hoping to use it on William, but there¡¯s plenty to go around.¡±

    The man stood and walked to the door. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t fight against it.¡± He said before he locked

    the door behind him.

    Hours passed with Doris in and out of consciousness. Each time she woke, she could feel a new part of

    her body move again while the rest felt like a dead weight. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly how long it was until

    she could finally stand, but it felt like an

    eternity. How had she let this happen and allowed herself to be kidnapped again? She should have been

    more aware, she should have fought back harder before they injected her. Now she was right back in the

    hands of dangerous rogues waiting to be set free.

    Doris gripped the wall as she righted herself. The room they put her in was simple and bare. It didn¡¯t look

    like a cell, more like a room for a guest that was never really used. It had a dresser and bed, as well as a

    sink in the corner of the room. If only she could drown herself before any more misery came to her. She

    wouldn¡¯t survive another torture, she knew that. Her body had been through too much and there wasn¡¯t

    much more it would survive through.

    Doris tried to open the door and already knew it was a useless task before her palm even closed around

    the the knob. She pulled and yanked, but the door was like steel. It wouldn¡¯t even creak under her force.

    She banged against the surface several times before the door suddenly opened. Doris stumbled back

    and caught herself before she fell.

    A tall, brown haired guard poked his head in to look at her. He had a handsome, young, and kind face

    that couldn¡¯t have been that much older than her.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re up. I was told to listen for your attempts at escape and bring you food.¡± He said with a

    lopsided smile. She wanted to p the smile right off his face and run as fast as she could, but she knew

    it wouldn¡¯t keep him down. He was very fit.

    He stepped into her room and pulled a te of food out from behind his back. He brushed his curls out of

    his eyes to get a better look at her. His eyes swept over her torn sweater and bruised cheeks before they

    settled on her own eyes. She would have blushed if she wasn¡¯t so exhausted.

    ¡°I¡¯m Joseph, I¡¯ll be the guard watching over you.¡± He said almost kindly.

    ¡°You can tell them that the prince won¡¯t be back for me.¡± Doris said. Her voice cracked and sounded

    rough from disuse but she held her chin high. ¡°He¡¯s most likely already back at the pce by now.¡±

    ¡°Whether or not that¡¯s true, they will keep you here until it¡¯s proven otherwise. Apparently the word is that

    you¡¯re the prince¡¯sdy.¡± Doris snorted and then blushed at the sound. Joseph smiled a little as if he

    couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Absolutely not. I¡¯ve never been hisdy and he has never treated me as such. I¡¯m a

    maid to the pce, he won¡¯t care what happens to me.¡±

    Doris said the words and almost wished she could suck them back in when she saw a touch of pity touch

    the boy¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t need his pity, she needed to get out of here and head home¡ªeven if she didn¡¯t

    technically have a home.

    ¡°What do they have nned for me?¡± Doris quickly asked.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    Chapter 102 He¡¯s not as awful as you might think.

    Joseph closed the door and crossed the room to her. He held out the te of food as if it was a peace

    offering but Doris only wanted to p it out of his hands and send every piece to the dirty floor. She¡¯d

    learned a lot recently about poking at the ones that held power over her. It never ended in her favor¡ªbut

    he looked like he could take a poking or two from her.

    Cautiously, Doris took the te and set it on the bed. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said.

    Joseph smiled at her and bowed his head a little. ¡°My pleasure. I uh, I¡¯ll leave you alone. I¡¯ll be right

    outside if you need me. They should be sending you new clothes soon for you to change into.¡±

    As he was turning away, Doris reached out to grab his arm. ¡°Wait.¡± He paused and looked at her with

    raised brows as his eyes flicked to her hand on his arm. ¡°When will the man that brought me heree

    see me? I¡¯d like to talk with him soon.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hugh said he¡¯d be by to check on you soon. I wouldn¡¯t worry about him though, he¡¯s not as awful as

    you might think.¡±

    ¡°He kidnapped me and is using me as ransom. Forgive me if I don¡¯t think he¡¯s very kind.¡± Doris said tly

    and dropped her hand. She nced at the knife he had tied to his belt next to a set of keys. She flexed

    her fingers but he turned away again before she could even attempt to take either.

    Breathe, Doris. You can¡¯t be brash, you need a n. She thought to herself. Without Cordelia, she

    realized she needed some sort of voice to keep her grounded. So be it if it was her own. All she could

    truly count on was herself at the end of the day, she would get herself out of this. 1

    ¡°I can agree with you there. I wouldn¡¯t think much of him either.¡± Joseph said with a small chuckle. She

    red at his back. How dare he try to be her friend when she was a prisoner! What was he aiming at?

    This had to be some sort of trust ploy. She wouldn¡¯t fall for that.

    Joseph nced back at her over his shoulder. ¡°He won¡¯t hurt you. He only wants to get ahold of the

    prince.¡±

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be able to help him.¡± Doris said after he already left. She sat on the bed and picked at the

    te of food. She was starving but the back of her head warned her about eating something from this

    ce. What if they poisoned everything she touched? She¡¯d be better off dead anyway. If she died by

    poison, it was bound to happen sooner orter at the rate she¡¯d been living. Doris ate everyst bite and

    left the te by the door before she circled the room. There was one high window that looked like only a

    small animal could squeeze   through. Doris pushed the dresser underneath it and tried to push it open

    but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Damned thing!

    ¡°Would you like someone to open it for you?¡± A voice said from behind her. Doris almost fell right off the

    dresser when she heard him. ¡°The only chance you¡¯ll get through there is if you¡¯re a rabbit.¡±

    Mr. Hugh stood with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused look on his face. Doris carefully

    stepped off the dresser and smoothed out her clothes.

    ¡°I would like it open, if you wouldn¡¯t mind. It¡¯s rather hot in here.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± He nced around the freezing

    room as if he was trying to find the heat source. What a stupid lie, it felt like ice in here. ¡°I¡¯ll get right on

    that.¡± He gestured to the bed. ¡°Would you care to have a small chat with me?¡±

    Doris hesitated before she sat on the edge of the bed across from the chair he took. He casually crossed

    his legs and smiled at her as if they were old friends.

    ¡°William isn¡¯ting back for me. He made it clear that if I stayed he wouldn¡¯t turn back.¡± Doris blurted

    before he even had a chance to speak.

    Mr. Hughughed a little. ¡°Do all the maids refer to their princes by their first name? I heard Prince

    William was the one that never allowed that.¡±

    Doris inwardly cringed at her mistake. She¡¯d been calling him William so frequently, she forgot that it

    wasn¡¯t proper for a maid to say. Her mind refused to see him as the same prince she left the pce with,

    but in the end she shouldn¡¯t have been such a fool. Look where that led her.

    ¡°He requested for me to call him by his first name while we were here. He didn¡¯t want to draw attention to

    his title.¡± Doris said smoothly. She brushed a bit of dirt off her pants. ¡°My statement still stands. He would

    never risk himself for a maid, no matter how noble he may be.¡± 1

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think he would. But you¡¯re not any maid to the prince. I have several witnesses telling me how

    feral the prince has gone for you right in front of their eyes and that isn¡¯t something to brush off.¡±

    ¡°I believe they¡¯re mistaken. The prince protected everyone in his party because he felt responsible for

    them¡ª¡±

    ¡°Does he also share a bed with each of his party? Or only the prettiest one?¡±

    Doris pressed her lips together. Someone in the camp had told this man everything and she didn¡¯t doubt

    it was one of the bitter men that wanted Enzo to kick the prince and his party out. They¡¯d all seen how

    protective William was over Doris, but they didn¡¯t hear the things he said to her privately. They didn¡¯t hear

    him tell her how little he cared about her and how no one else in the world did either. She was nothing

    but a dead weight to him, and deep down she always knew that was the case. She was

    just foolish enough to pretend otherwise while he held her at night.

    Doris cleared her throat. ¡°Before he left the camp, he told me that he didn¡¯t care for me. I¡¯m sure he used

    me like he used many girls at the pce but he¡¯s done now and he won¡¯t care what happens. When the

    prince is finished with a girl, she¡¯s no longer in his thoughts.¡±

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Mr. Hugh watched her for a few minutes with a tilted head. ¡°Do you happen to know the recipe for the

    cure he used for poison?¡± 1

    ¡°I don¡¯t. He made it out of my sight.¡± Doris eyes him warily. ¡°Is the cure the real reason you want the

    prince back here?¡± 4

    ¡°There are many reasons I¡¯d like to have him in front of me.¡± Mr. Hugh said. He leaned forward a little.

    ¡°And I can always smell a liar. I know that prince wouldn¡¯t act the way he does with just anyone. I¡¯ve

    heard many stories about him and how he treats women at the pce, it¡¯s no secret even to the north.

    The stories I¡¯ve heard today about how he treated you¡ªthat¡¯s what makes everything you say

    unbelievable.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be waiting a long time, then.¡± Doris said. ¡°As I said, you¡¯re wasting your time on me. He¡¯s probably

    back at the pce by now.¡±

    Mr. Hughughed and pped his hands once. ¡°I can see why he likes you. There¡¯s a bit of fire in your

    eyes. I don¡¯t think I expected you to have any.¡± He stood.

    ¡°Many don¡¯t.¡± Doris stood as well. She noticed he didn¡¯t have a weapon at his belt but something told her

    that he wouldn¡¯t need one if she tried to attack him. He wasn¡¯t as tall as William, but he was quiterger

    than her. ¡°How long will you hold me here until you realize he isn¡¯ting?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, maybe a month. I have all the time in the world to wait.¡± Mr. Hugh brushed his finger along her

    cheek, she leaned back away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. I don¡¯t like women in that sense. I have no

    intention on hurting you as I said before.¡±

    ¡°Is the price on his head trulyrge enough for you to keep me here against my will?¡±

    Mr. Hugh looked a little surprised at her words. He quickly shook off the look and smiled again. ¡°He¡¯s a

    prince. He has the biggest price on his head imaginable.¡±

    ¡°If you have no intentions of hurting me, why can¡¯t you just let me go?¡± Doris tried onest time before he

    went for the door and locked her in with all of her useless thoughts.

    ¡°I may have said I have no intentions of hurting you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t if it means it would

    hurt him.¡±

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    Chapter 103 The prince would bring hell to bring you back to him.

    Doris stood on top of the dresser again as she tried to peer out of the small window, but she was a tad

    too short. It looked as if the frost from the outside had sealed it shut beyond hope. She still tried to shove

    at the window even though she knew there was no hope for her hips to get through. Mr. Hugh was right,

    it was quite literally big enough for a rabbit to fit through and nothing more. Still, she wished she could

    open it if only to get a bit of fresh air and feel the cold snow on her face. She never thought she would

    miss the feeling of it, but it was better than sitting in a room against her will.

    A knock at the door made Doris scramble off the dresser and quickly right herself before it opened. She

    straightened her clothes just as the guard entered-Joseph stood with raised brows as he looked her over.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Doris tried to tame her breathing. ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    When she gave no other exnation, he walked further into the room. ¡°It seems you were wrong on your

    assumption.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Doris furrowed her brows.

    ¡°It seems someone from the prince¡¯s party is already here to discuss your release. I¡¯vee to collect

    you, Mr. Hugh wants you in the room. Apparently they want to make sure we haven¡¯t tortured you.¡± 1

    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. I saw them all leave before the attack on Enzo. He-they swore they weren¡¯t

    coming back.¡± ¡°Well, they must have turned back for you.¡± Joseph opened the door a bit wider and held

    out a pair of wrist cuffs with a sorrowful grin. ¡°Sorry for this. Mr. Hugh is convinced you¡¯ll run the second

    you walk out the door.¡±

    Doris rolled her eyes and held out her wrists for him to cuff. Mr. Hugh definitely wasn¡¯t wrong. She may

    not have known this part of Life Pharmacy, but she would have done her best to get out of his grasp and

    find a way out if she had a chance.

    Joseph didn¡¯t tighten the metal after he sped it. His hands lingered for a moment before he released

    her and let her walk in front of him down the halls. He directed which hallway to turn down until finally

    she reached a set ofrge doors that stretched to the ceiling. She could hear distant voices already in a

    deep conversation beyond the wood. Did William or Enzo send someone toe for her-1

    Joseph raised arm around her and knocked on the door loud enough to silence them. A secondter, the

    doors opened and Patrick stood on the other side. If William¡¯s beta was here, that meant William really

    did turn back for her.

    She ignored the leap in her chest as she walked further in. Mr. Hugh was seated by the firece near

    where Patrick stood. She tried not to think about William and how he made it clear how little he cared for

    her thest time they talked¡­ but still. He came back for her, that had to mean something even if she

    wished it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°As you can see, she¡¯s alive and well.¡± Mr. Hugh said and took a long sip of his drink. ¡°Now we can

    discuss our deal.¡±

    Patrick looked her over top to bottom as if to make sure there wasn¡¯t a new mark on her. She had a little

    bit of bruising on her cheek still, but other than that she was fine. His eyes lingered on her wrist and how

    close the guards stood to her, she wondered if they had their hands on their swords behind her back.

    ¡°Prince William was ready to dere war if you had harmed her.¡±

    ¡°Enzo knows it¡¯s against everything I believe in to harm an innocent girl. That¡¯s one thing we always

    agreed on.¡± Mr. Hugh saidzily. He waved over one of the servants and they poured him a fresh ss. It

    reminded her of how royalty was treated at the pce. Not even Enzo was treated like that, though she

    had to wonder if it was his choice. She remembered Sir Anthony having servants around his home he

    never ventured out of.

    ¡°What is it exactly that you want from Prince William? He could easilye in here himself¡ª¡°

    ¡°If he wanted a ready army of rogues against him. It would be extremely unwise for him to test me and

    underestimate what the true rogues are capable of. Enzo may have gone soft, but we don¡¯t tolerate

    royalty thinking they can control us and we certainly don¡¯t wee our enemies into our homes as

    guests.¡±

    Patrick clenched his jaw and sped his hands behind his back. ¡°Allow me to ask once more. What is it

    that you want from Prince William in return for hisdy?¡± 1

    Doris shifted and Patrick¡¯s eyes went right to her as if he knew he said the wrong

    thing

    ¡°She told me she wasn¡¯t hisdy.¡± Mr. Hugh said, amused as he looked between them. 1

    ¡°She isn¡¯t officially.¡± Patrick cleared his throat. Doris wanted to punch him for saying something so

    ridiculous! She¡¯d just spent her whole morning trying to convince everyone she meant nothing to him and

    now Patrick all but confirmed she was lying. Not to mention what he said,

    Her? Hisdy? That would never happen. Even if she stayed at the pce forever, she would never be

    hisdy. It was theplete opposite of what she wanted, being hisdy meant she was trapped at the

    pce for the rest of her life. Even if he decided to drop her like he did to all the rest.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Mr. Hugh drawled. ¡°To answer your question, I want the cure recipe written and tested

    before she is transferred into his care. I might be willing to let him free as well if it works as well as he

    ims.¡±

    Patrick scoffed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been able to take Prince William either way. He is not up for debate,

    he is one of the princes of House Arnold.¡±

    ¡°You overvalue your prince. He may be part of that house, but not many would care to see him gone

    considering he has no rank and no power over anyone but a few servants.¡±

    ¡°Prince William could demand an army and they would be at his beck and call within hours.¡± Patrick spat.

    Doris nervously shifted her foot to the other side. It wasn¡¯t smart for him to take it so personally when

    they were trying to bargain.

    ¡°So you say, but I have members of his own family knocking at my door trying to have us take care of

    their rubbish.¡± Mr. Hugh smiled at Patrick when it only looked as if he was getting more angry. ¡°Do we

    have a deal?¡±

    ¡°Let me take Doris today and we have a deal. I¡¯ll be back with the recipe¡ª¡°

    ¡°No. She¡¯s not going anywhere until the deal is done. I won¡¯t risk losing an investment thisrge on your

    word that means nothing to me and my people.¡± Mr. Hugh drained a second ss and waved off the

    servant before they could fill his ss again. ¡°There¡¯s a church not far from here, a few miles north on

    the top of the highest hill. In three days time, we will meet and make the official trade. No extra guards or

    weapons, just us.¡±

    Patrick¡¯s fists opened and closed at his sides. He looked over at Doris and she could tell he felt a little

    helpless. She nodded her head once to let him know it was okay.

    ¡°Prince William won¡¯t like waiting three days for this trade. He expected her back at his side by tonight.¡±

    ¡°Prince William doesn¡¯t call the shots here. He has no authority over what decisions are made. That is

    my only offer or he can expect the rogues to be ready for him if he tries toe im her sooner.¡±

    Patrick straightened his shoulders. ¡°Fine. If there is even one hair out of ce when you return her, you

    can expect wrath to follow.¡¯

    ¡°Doris is a delight, who would want to hurt her?¡± Mr. Hugh smiled before he stood. ¡° Then we have a

    deal.¡± He held out his hand. Patrick looked down at it with a bit of distaste before he shook it.

    ¡°That we do.¡± He said with a bit more bite than Doris expected. She was always told never to make a

    deal with a rogue, and here was one being made for her. Rogues rarely came through on their promises,

    or at least she had been told that when she was younger. Now she could only hope they would.

    Patrick turned to Doris and bowed his head. ¡°Rest assured, the prince would bring hell to bring you

    back to him.¡± 3Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    Chapter 104 I thought he¡¯d never leave.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem happy to be called hisdy.¡± Joseph observed as they walked back to her room. The

    halls were empty for the most part besides a few guards that stood tall against the wall. When she came

    here undercover with William, she hadn¡¯t noticed any of them. Perhaps they doubled up since they

    realized the prince had neck in right under their noses.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hisdy. I¡¯m not sure why he said I was.¡± Doris turned the corner. ¡°Prince William has no ns to

    make me one. He has ady back at the pce waiting for him and I was only brought as a servant.¡±.

    Joseph hummed in understanding, but she had a feeling he was only humoring her . ¡°I heard he has had

    a lot ofdies. Is it normal for a prince to go through so many?¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks redden and suddenly wished she was already locked inside her room and far away

    from any of these questions-she had no business answering any of them. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s normal for him. I

    wouldn¡¯t know, really. Each prince has their own preferences.¡±

    She felt a bit of relief crowd her chest when she saw the hallway where her room was. He didn¡¯t seem to

    notice in the slightest as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s odd, isn¡¯t it? That he can¡¯t stay with onedy. He keeps

    naming women as hisdy¡¯s and throwing out thest as if they¡¯re trash rather than people.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s how it works at the pce. Some prince¡¯s are happy with theirdy¡¯s and others go through many

    and sometimes never decide on one.¡± Doris stopped at her door and waited for him to unlock it. He

    fumbled with his keys, she eyes another nearby guard that watched her intently and threw out any

    thought of trying to run while he was distracted. She¡¯d barely make it half way down the hall before one

    of them would stop her.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d hate to see it happen to you.¡± Joseph said as he pushed open her door and let her inside

    before he removed her cuffs. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the type anyone would easily throw away.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have no ns on bing his nextdy.¡± Doris breathed and

    rubbed her wrists. Even though it wasn¡¯t tight, it still burned against her skin.

    Joseph attached the cuffs to his belt as he looked her over. She shifted her weight onto the other foot

    and waited for him to leave. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Oh-yes. I suppose so.¡±

    Joseph nced back over his shoulder as if to check no one had followed them in before he lowered his

    voice. ¡°They say you stayed at Lord Enzo¡¯s camp for a bit.¡± ,

    Doris nodded, he continued. ¡°Did you ever meet Sir Antony?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Doris smiled a little at the

    reminder. ¡°He was very kind. I didn¡¯t want to bother him much when I was there since he seemed to be

    resting. He¡¯d been through a lot before I came.¡±

    ¡°I heard.¡± Joseph frowned a little. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear he was doing okay. I¡¯ve never gotten to meet him but

    he¡¯s a legend around here. I heard what the kingdom had done to him and took him as their prisoner.¡±

    ¡°He helped me when I was in the prison.¡± Doris said softly. She didn¡¯t want to bag on the kingdom, it felt

    wrong despite all it had put her through. Half her heart was still loyal to the pce even when she

    wanted to be free of it like they were free of the kingdom

    His brows furrowed. ¡°Why were you in the prison at the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Oh¨CI¡­ was wrongly used.¡± She said before she pressed her lips together. It wasn¡¯t wise to give too

    much information about herself or the pce. Her words only made him appear more confused. ¡°And Sir

    Antony helped you? Did he help you escape from them? Is that why you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°No, I was¡­ I had a few injuries and he healed me. He¡¯s not the reason I ended up here. I had no idea

    who he was when I met him.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­ the founder of the rogues can heal with his blood. I had only

    heard rumors before¡ªI had no idea how much truth they held.¡±

    Doris felt her head spin a little and she could tell Joseph wasn¡¯t ready to leave just yet. She seated

    herself on the edge of her bed. Half of her worried she¡¯d identally tell him that William healed her

    once too, and she knew how much more trouble that would get him in.

    Joseph nced at the door again and seated himself across from her. ¡°I know you must not think the

    best of the rogues, but we¡¯re not as bad as you think.¡±

    ¡°I would like to be proven otherwise. So far, I don¡¯t think it would be possible.¡± Doris said with a half

    heartedugh. There was no way he could try to reason with her when she was a current prisoner

    ¡°You know why we came to the north, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I do now. Enzo had told me the story when I first came.¡±

    ¡°Then you know how horribly we were treated by the kingdom. Your prince¡¯s father has tried to destroy

    our peace for years and forced us to obtain a horrible reputation.¡±

    D¨®ris sighed and brushed her hair behind her ears. ¡°Tell me why you think the kingdom is so bad if

    you¡¯ve never been there. I¡¯m not iming it¡¯s not, I just want to

    hear what you believe.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to have been there to know it¡¯s an awful ce. I¡¯ve heard all the stories of what my family

    and friends¡¯ families have been through. Everyone that hase to the north is viewed as the lowest

    rank no matter what family we¡¯re born from in the eyes of the kingdom. They have never had any respect

    for us our what we¡¯ve been through, they even try to tax us so heavily to the fact that we could barely

    feed our families. They¡¯re slowly trying to kill us out so there will be nothing left to stand against them.¡±

    ¡°They tried to tax you harshly here?¡± Doris straightened a little. She hadn¡¯t heard that, she thought the

    north was separated from the kingdom.

    ¡°They do. One of ourst leaders went to reason with them and get them to lower the rates but he was

    killed as a message to us all. We came here to be free, but they still have a hold on us. Knowing how

    poor we are here, they only make it worse. Did you notice how half of this building is falling apart?¡±

    Doris nodded slowly. Half looked as if it was one earthquake away from crumbling to the ground. Now

    she understood why¡ªand why they were desperate to fulfill any bounty on William¡¯s head or get a recipe

    for the cure. It would make them more than enough to cover any sort of tax the kingdom put on them.

    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this? Five minutes ago you were asking if I was Prince William¡¯sdy.¡±

    ¡°Because you imed you¡¯re a maid. I know that any servant at the pce would understand us and the

    freedom we stand for. We live under another¡¯s foot and it¡¯s hard to get out from under it.¡± Joseph smiled

    at her a little before he stood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for imposing.¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s quite alright. I appreciate your honesty and your loyalty to the rogues.¡± Doris stood as well

    when he turned to the door. ¡°I can hear how passionate you are about where youe from.¡±

    Joseph offered a smile before he bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ve said more than enough for today. I wish you well,

    mydy.¡± Doris parted her lips to correct him, but he was already gone before she could. She plopped

    down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She didn¡¯t expect William to have actuallye back for her.

    Did he turn back before he¡¯d gotten too far, or did he never truly leave the area?

    Why did he even bother when he made it clear that no one cared for her, least of all him? He should

    celebrate that one of his lovers was taken away so he didn¡¯t have to deal with what happened to her

    rather than chase after her to save again.

    A loud bang startled Doris out of her thoughts and right out of bed. She looked around but couldn¡¯t tell

    where it came from. A momentter, she heard it again and  . the sound of tearing as a window ripped

    open. Enzo popped his head through the small area and grinned down at her.

    ¡°I thought he¡¯d never leave, how are you my love?¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    Chapter 105 I¡¯ll make it right without losing all of their trust.

    ¡°Enzo?¡± Doris whispered and nced back at the door behind her to make sure Joseph hadn¡¯te

    back from the loud sounds. She hurried across the room and climbed on the dresser to see him better.

    ¡°What are you doing out there?¡±

    ¡°I came to talk to you, of course.¡± He grinned. Doris wished she could hug him and strangle him at the

    same time. Now was not the time for his charms, even though she kind of missed him these past few

    hours. She tried to peer around him but only a rush of cold air greeted her face and chilled her cheeks.

    ¡°He¡¯s not here, love.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you inside talking to me? You own Life Pharmacy, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I do. Currently, as you know, we havee to a bit of a disagreement and I¡¯m afraid my appearance

    here will only shake the waters more than necessary. I just needed to speak with you for a bit without

    making it worse.¡±

    ¡°Where is William?¡± Doris asked, and almost cursed herself for it.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine, he¡¯s pacing my camp like a wild animal and growling at anyone thates near him or

    mentions your name. As you can tell, he¡¯s perfectly normal.¡± Enzo nced behind his shoulder before he

    focused back on her. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and get them to release you sooner with whatever sway I have left.

    They haven¡¯t hurt you, have they?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯ve actually been respectful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to know that hasn¡¯t changed.¡± He sighed and seated himself in the cold snow. She winced, it

    must have been utterly freezing. ¡°Doris, there¡¯s something I wanted to tell you before I go to William. I

    see you as someone that actually likes me rather than wanting me to fall off the nearest cliff and endure

    a horrible death.¡±

    Doris nced behind her before she settled on the dresser. ¡°What is it?¡± She whispered. ¡°William has

    been nning on trying to make it right for the rogues if he bes king, but I don¡¯t think it would be

    wise for me to believe him. I¡¯ve already lost so much trust just allowing him to stay at my camp and now

    I¡¯ve be the reason you¡¯re in a cell again.¡±

    Doris frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t me you, Enzo. You didn¡¯t order this to happen.¡± ¡°Ah, of course you don¡¯t. You

    are the sunshine to my current gloom. Do you me me for wanting to take House Arnold down my

    whole life?¡±

    ¡°No, not after what I learned. I would want the same thing if I was in your shoes, Enzo. What they did

    was unforgivable.¡±   ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t me me for still wishing the downfall even after knowing

    William?¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust that William would stay true to his word?¡±

    Enzo rolled his eyes to the sky and let out a deep breath. ¡°If you had been in one of those meetings,

    perhaps you would see more clearly than I am. I¡¯m sorry for not trusting you to join us.¡±

    Doris almostughed. ¡°I¡¯m only a maid, Enzo. I have no business being in any of your meetings and I

    never took offense to it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve ever heard you say, my love. You¡¯re so much more than a simple

    maid and everyone knows it. You may still have those thoughts in your head, but I¡¯d say it¡¯s time to kick

    them out and start realizing you have so much more to offer.¡±

    Doris didn¡¯t know what to say to that, she quickly changed the subject. ¡°Why are you here, Enzo? If not

    to break me out of this tiny hole. Which I already know is quite impossible.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I thought I could somehow get you out of this, but I saw how much they doubled up on their

    guards and i knew it was a message to me. Still, i had to see that you were okay. I only trust my own

    eyes and no one¡¯s word.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to try to take House Arnold down when we leave here?¡±

    ¡°I would be a fool if I didn¡¯t try. I respect William and what he ns but if he can¡¯t make that happen

    soon, I will have to do what¡¯s best for my people. I fear I¡¯ve already lost too many of them because of that

    prince. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve slept a moment since he¡¯se to the camp.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Then I suppose you¡¯ll have to get me out of here so we can leave you to your misery.¡± Doris said with a

    small smile. How could she try to tell this man to trust William when she didn¡¯t truly trust him herself? He

    hid parts of himself and exposed them at the times she least expected. Deep down, she knew he was a

    good man. As much as she hated to admit it, he was. But it was not her duty to convince him, it was

    William¡¯s.

    ¡°Will you at least tell me what Prince William has promised you and the rogues?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s promised a lot.¡± Enzo sighed. ¡°He wants to end the horrible tax and try to unite ournds if we

    stand with him but I know the rogues don¡¯t want that. We want to be free, not united. We don¡¯t care if it

    sets us apart from everyone else.¡±

    Doris nodded. She felt the same way about herself. She didn¡¯t care how much she had to pay or what

    she had to do, she wanted to be free and that was the end of it. Even if it meant she was on her own.

    og ¡°No matter what he does, we will always be seen as the lowest of low. Even if he is king, nothing will

    change. That would take generations for it to change. New lives and new thoughts, not us. My rogues

    aren¡¯t capable of it-look what they¡¯ve done to you just because you were seen near him. If they hadn¡¯t

    acted this way, I might have considered it.¡±

    Doris reached out her hand and he leaned down to ce his in hers. ¡°You always do what¡¯s best for your

    people, I believe that.¡± She squeezed and he smiled. ¡°He wants support and I know he needs yours, but I

    can¡¯t tell you to give it to him if it¡¯s not what you think is right.¡± Especially when she couldn¡¯t even give

    Prince William her own support. It was hard to tie yourself to someone when you wanted to be free.¡±

    Despite this mess, you¡¯re their leader.¡±

    Enzo squeezed her hand and nced over his shoulder again before he lowered his voice. ¡°I met with

    Patrick before I came here. I¡¯m d they came to a peaceful agreement to let you free. I¡¯ll be waiting for

    you at that church with William and we¡¯ll take it from there.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the rogues will stay true to their word?¡± Doris whispered. A sh of concern crossed his

    features but he smiled before it lingered.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t, I wille get you myself. That is, if William doesn¡¯t break through the doors first. Truly,

    you should see how horribly he¡¯s sulking without you. He¡¯s said he shouldn¡¯t have left at least a hundred

    times. And that he should have picked you up and forced you with him another hundred.¡± Enzo smiled at

    her frown. ¡°And I told him that if he made you go against your will, he would have been sorry, I know you

    would have given him hell for it.¡± 1

    Dorisughed a little and covered her mouth. She wasn¡¯t sure how sound proof the rooms were but she

    didn¡¯t want Enzo to get in trouble for this visit. He had to gain back the trust of his rogues somehow.

    ¡°Now, be careful in here and don¡¯t do anything I wouldn¡¯t do. They won¡¯t hurt you unless you give them a

    reason.¡± Enzo let go of her hand and moved to stand. ¡°Oh, and watch that guard. He¡¯s a little sweet on

    you, I can tell.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris felt her cheeks heat. ¡°No he¡¯s not, he¡¯s just being kind.¡±

    Enzoughed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell William how you¡¯ve already got a guard in love with you. He¡¯lle

    here and tear down this wall and you¡¯ll be out in no time.¡± 1 Doris wanted to reach through the window

    and smack him. ¡°Stop being ridiculous. He¡¯s just kind.¡±

    ¡°He was looking at you with hearts in his eyes. Can¡¯t say I me him, love.¡± He leaned down to look at

    her once more. ¡°I will be back for you. This is my fault and I¡¯ll make it right without losing all of their trust.¡±

    Doris offered a small smile. ¡°I have no doubt you will¡ª¡±

    The door behind her started to rattle, Enzo quickly closed the window just as the door opened.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    Chapter 106 A flirting game.

    ¡°You must like it up there.¡± Joseph said with a bit of amusement in his tone. Doris carefully stepped off

    the dresser and smoothed out her clothes with as much dignity as she could muster under his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s

    quite a view.¡± Doris cleared her throat. ¡°Did you forget something?¡±

    ¡°oh¡ª¡° Joseph held out a stack of clothes. ¡°Sorry this took so long for them to be brought to you. I

    thought you¡¯d like to change out of the ruined ones you came in with.¡±

    Doris epted the stack and brushed her fingers over the soft fabric. ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s very kind.¡±

    ¡°Did I hear you talking to someone or have I gone a bit mad?¡± Joseph asked as he peered around the

    room. His light eyes caught on the window for a moment before they moved on to the rest of the small

    area to see nothing but old furniture.

    ¡°Oh¨CI was trying to reach my wolf. I still haven¡¯t heard anything from her.¡± Doris said without missing a

    beat. How had she gotten so good at lying? William¡¯s frown caught in her mind before she pushed it

    away.

    Joseph nodded in understanding. ¡°I heard she might be gone for quite a few days.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what they gave me? Will she be okay?¡± Doris asked as her hands tightened on the clothes

    in her grasp.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the name of it but it¡¯s one of their experimental drugs. They¡¯ve tested it on a lot of the

    rogues here so I have no doubt it worked on you. She should be perfectly fine when it all wears off.¡±

    ¡°Do you exactly know how long¡ª¡° ¡°Itsts? No, unfortunately not exactly. A few days or more, it depends

    on how much they gave you.¡± Joseph said and stepped a little closer to her. Enzo¡¯s taunt circled the back

    of her mind and now her eyes watched each of his movements he made around her.

    ¡°Is there anything else I can get you?¡± He asked. ¡°A set of keys and a horse?¡± Doris said with a smile

    that might have blinded him. Heughed and stepped away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± He winked. Doris watched as he headed for the door again and a small idea sparked

    inside her like a fire waiting to burn down everything around her.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Doris called. He froze with his hand stretched out for the door. ¡°I¡ªIt¡¯s been quite lonely in here. I

    was wondering if you would join meter when one of the

    mealse? If you¡¯re able to do something like that, of course.¡±

    His lips tugged at the corners and she knew she had him right where she wanted him. She smiled and

    brushed her hair behind her ears as if she was shy.

    ¡°Yeah. I think I can do that. I¡¯ll be byter.¡±

    The smile stayed on her face until he closed the door and locked it behind him¡ªthen it fell as if it was

    never there. It was time for Doris to save herself.

    Doris swore she was losing her mind with how much she paced her room while alone with her thoughts.

    William¡¯s words haunted her more than anything else could ever dare. Usually people said things in

    anger that they either meant or thought would hurt you the most. People were cruel when they didn¡¯t

    know how to handle their own feelings so they threw it back in the faces of the ones they loved.

    But she didn¡¯t know what William truly felt. He came back for her after swearing she was nothing to him.

    It was like he wanted to make sure his words hit their intended mark and then tried to make up for them

    with his actions. Her heart was going through a deep dive of emotions that kept pulling her back up for

    another push. Why hadn¡¯t she listened to herself when she swore she would never like a man like him?

    Even Beth tried to set her up with a kinder prince but her heart stupidly wrapped itself around William as

    if he wasn¡¯t the cruelest person she had ever met.

    Now he paced Enzo¡¯s camp like she paced this room but she imagined he had a bit of fire in his steps.

    She could see him in her mind¡¯s eye-snapping at anyone that neared him or tried toe up with a

    solution to his problems. No, he wanted to stir in his rage and wait for the right moment to let it pour out

    of him in his wrath. Why did her heart ache for him when her head knew better?

    She at least was d she wasn¡¯t there for when Enzo told William he couldn¡¯t join him in his im of the

    crown-if he even nned on telling William, that is. William hadn¡¯t mentioned it again to her since she

    told him she wasn¡¯t interested in his politics but now she knew he was still determined to wrap his hands

    around what he believed to be his. All the time they had been at the camp, he was still pursuing his ns

    behind her back. Did he sneak his way to Sir Antony too just to convince him that he was meant to be

    king rather than his own brother?

    ¡°You¡¯ll wear the rug down if you continue.¡± Said a voice from the door. Startled, Doris turned to see

    Joseph with a tray of food that was obviously meant for two people. Better yet, it actually looked more

    appetizing than thest few tes he¡¯d brought her. ¡°Sorry for the dy, the kitchens were runningte

    tonight.¡± He said as he kicked the door closed behind him. Doris straightened her shoulders and smiled

    widely.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, I¡¯m d you came.¡±

    Doris was curious to know if there were any other guards outside the door. Did they know he was in here

    alone with her? Did they just not care what any of the guards

    did as long as she didn¡¯t escape?

    Not that she was intimidated by Joseph, not in the slightest. He was much too kind for her to think he

    was capable of anything except a few dry jokes and open flirts. Though, every monster had their masks

    and she only hoped there wasn¡¯t a beast hidden underneath his crooked smile.

    ¡°It smells lovely.¡± Doris said as she seated herself on the edge of the bed. There were no tables or extra

    chairs besides the one he imed for himself as he sat the tray on hisp.

    ¡°I bet it¡¯s a hell of a lot better than that grub they¡¯ve been sending you since you came.¡± Jospeh said with

    a crooked grin as he handed her a steaming te. ¡°Do you always treat prisoners so kindly?¡± Doris

    asked with raised brows and a light smile. His cheeks reddened a little when his eyes flickered to her

    mouth.

    ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re the first prisoner I¡¯ve seen since I started working here. We weren¡¯t really trained

    on what to do with¡ª¡° ¡°Hostages?¡± Doris tilted her head and blew on her spoonful of soup. ¡°Eh-yeah.

    Right.¡± Jospeh cleared his throat and tore off a thick piece of bread with his teeth. His curls almost

    covered his eyes, she bet he was overdue for a trim.

    ¡°How long have you been a guard?¡± Doris asked casually and crossed her legs like a

    ¡°I¡¯ve been training for about four years, since I was seventeen. I wasn¡¯t put out until about a year ago but

    you¡¯re the most exciting thing that has happened here.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you were assigned as my guard.¡± Doris smiled a little and brushed her hair behind her

    shoulder. His eyes followed even her slightest movements. ¡°I think I might have gone mad if I didn¡¯t have

    kindpany.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that, they set me as your main guard.¡± Joseph said as he puffed out his

    chest a little. She would haveughed under difference circumstances. There was something about him

    that was so¡­ pure that it made her hate all of her wicked thoughts. He reminded her of herself when she

    was a maid and nothing else. How she wished she could have protected that part of herself.

    ¡°Truly? They have you watching me all by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely by myself, there¡¯s a few guards down the hall but I wouldn¡¯t worry about them.¡± Joseph set

    down his te and ran his fingers through his hair. He was quite handsome, she bet it wasn¡¯t hard for

    him to turn a girl¡¯s head. For some reason, he was here instead.

    ¡°I appreciate it either way.¡± Doris said as she reached across to squeeze his hand. A small blush

    bloomed on his tan cheeks. The poor boy¡¯s eyes filled with a flicker of hope she was dying to crush

    under her foot.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    Chapter 107 No trusting.

    ¡°I never expected to love the snow as much as I do.¡± Doris said aloud to herself as she nced up the

    snow dusted window. She knew Enzo was long gone, but she couldn¡¯t help but hope he woulde

    back around to reassure her everything would be alright. He didn¡¯t look entirely convinced that the

    rogues would fall through on their promises and she hadn¡¯t slept for more than a few minutes at a time

    since she¡¯d came.

    There was still two days before they¡¯d take her to the church to exchange her life for a recipe. She hated

    the idea that her life was once again out of her hands. She had to sit here and wait for her fate to be told

    and there was nothing she could do about it. How had her life gone so wrong in such a short amount of

    time?

    Joseph hadn¡¯te by again since the night before. She had no concept of time or hour many hours

    had passed since then but it felt like an eternity on its own. Her n that had started as a small seed had

    grown to life inside her mind.

    All she had to do was let it out to bloom before it was toote. She didn¡¯t want to end up as a pawn for

    Life Pharmacy just to be killed out of spite to the prince for all that he had done since his short visit to the

    north. They hated him enough that she knew it would be no easy trade. It was only a matter of how far

    they would go to get back at him. They knew they finally had something over his head and that

    something was her.

    Joseph¡¯s eyes lingered on her more than a gentlemen would allow. He checked on her more than any

    prisoner probably ever had been. She remembered how the only time she was checked on at the

    kingdom was when she was about to be tortured for more information. Never for polite conversation or

    kind concerns.

    The door had a small lock on the inside that she assumed meant it locked from the outside, her fingers

    grazed the tiny hole. Nothing in her room was small enough to pick at it but it was too bright in the day to

    even try. Doris took a deep breath and knocked on the door as loud as she could in case he was close

    by. ¡°Hello?¡± Doris called. ¡°Is anyone out there?¡±

    It took seconds before the door unlocked and pushed open. Joseph popped his head in and shed a

    grin at Doris. It made her wonder if he had been waiting for her to need him. ¡°Hungry?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. I was feeling so¡­ faint in here.¡± Doris fanned herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it could get so stuffy like

    this.¡±

    Joseph opened the door a little wider. ¡°Ah. I imagine it gets a bit stuffy in here, it¡¯s a rather small area. Let

    me see if I can open the window for you.¡±

    For a second, she thought he would leave the door open, but he closed and locked it

    right behind him before he crossed the room to climb on the desk. He pushed with all of his might and

    the window went up without an issue. He might have cracked it if he pressed any harder. ¡°Oh damn, I

    thought it was stuck,¡± he chuckled at himself.

    ¡°It was! I tried so many times to open it on my own, I suppose you¡¯re just strong.¡± Doris twirled a strand of

    her hair as she watched him climb down. He didn¡¯t need to know that Enzo had been the one to open it

    first. Especially when he looked so proud at himself at her praise.

    ¡°I hope that makes you feel a bit morefortable.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I just¡­¡± Doris sighed and nced out the

    small window. She could feel the air brush across her face and it felt like it was teasing her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Joseph tilted his head and stepped closer. A bit of concern crossed his features.

    ¡°I just miss the fresh air, I guess.¡± Doris plopped down on the bed.

    Joseph kneeled in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Doris. This will all be over soon and you won¡¯t be trapped in

    here for much longer. I know it seems bad now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to believe you.¡± Doris sighed again. Joseph grasped her small hands in his own. They were so

    warmpared to hers that felt like ice. It wasn¡¯t proper for him to be touching her, but she supposed

    manners didn¡¯t matter as much in the north.

    ¡°It would be a crime to keep a beautiful girl like you in here for much longer.¡± Doris allowed a blush to

    coat her cheeks. ¡°Beautiful? Don¡¯t tease me like that, please.¡±

    His brows furrowed. ¡°Tease you? I wouldn¡¯t dare. Hasn¡¯t the prince told you how beautiful you are?¡±

    ¡°He has no reason to, even if he wasn¡¯t a man of little words.¡±

    Joseph shook his head, frustrated with the idea. ¡°He absolutely has a reason to. I always believe a girl

    should be reminded daily. Especially if she looks like you.¡±

    Dorisughed. ¡°Oh, do you? You¡¯re quite the charmer, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Joseph gave her a lopsided grin before he stood. ¡°I¡¯ve been told so once or twice.¡±

    ¡°Well, you should have been told much more than that.¡±

    A loud knock made Joseph step away from her quickly before he remembered himself and went to

    answer the door. His face was flushed beyond repair even though he hadn¡¯t truly done anything wrong.

    ¡°Mr. Hugh¡ª¡°

    ¡°What are you doing in here alone with our guest?¡± Mr. Hugh asked as he eyed Doris still seated on the

    bed. She wanted to roll her eyes at the use of the word guest when they all knew she was here against

    her will. Joseph didn¡¯t dare look at her as he moved out of Mr. Hugh¡¯s way

    ¡°Doris wished for the window to be opened so she could have a bit of air¡ª¡°

    ¡°Get out and wait by the door like you¡¯re meant to.¡± Mr. Hugh interrupted. Jospeh bowed before he

    quickly left and closed the door.

    Mr. Hugh turned towards Doris again with a small smirk that curved his old lips.¡± How would your prince

    act if he knew you had a handsome young guard in your room?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should tell him and find out.¡± Doris said with a lift of her chin. Mr. Hughughed as if they

    were old friends.

    ¡°I thought I would stop by to see how you were doing but clearly you¡¯ve been enjoying the views we have

    to offer. Even the ones inside.¡± Mr. Hugh dragged the chair away from the bed and elegantly seated

    himself. ¡°You know, I find you very interesting. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you all day. The maid that a

    prince is willing to bring war for, who would have thought?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t guess why you¡¯re so interested. I¡¯ve been a maid for years and nothing more

    ¡ªthere¡¯s nothing else to it.¡± Doris brushed a few specks of dust off her pants.

    ¡°Did you know that the king had met William¡¯s mother in the north?¡± He asked suddenly. Doris refused to

    let any emotions cross her face. ¡°They were destined mates, isn¡¯t that something?¡±

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    ¡°I did know that, yes.¡±

    ¡°I bet William hasn¡¯t tried to find any other family while he¡¯s been here, isn¡¯t that right?¡± 1

    ¡°I¡¯m confused on the point you¡¯re trying to make. Prince William hasn¡¯t shared any of those personal

    thoughts with me nor has he ever.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. He doesn¡¯t strike me as the kind of man to admit he has feelings. I would have thought

    that he would at least want to know more about his mother¡¯s history.¡± Mr. Hughughed. ¡°Every rogue

    here that matters knows where he came from. It¡¯s a shame he doesn¡¯t care to.¡±

    ¡°I think you should ask him yourself if you¡¯re so concerned.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I will when hees to save his poordy.¡± Mr Hugh smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like you to join me tomorrow

    for dinner before we leave for the church. I¡¯d like to have a little more time with you before you go.¡± ¡°Are

    you nning on releasing me?¡±

    Mr. Hughughed again and stood. ¡°You really are a delight. I¡¯ll have the guards fetch you tomorrow.¡±

    Doris watched him leave with doubt crawling up her throat. It made no sense why he wanted her to join

    him before they left. Shouldn¡¯t he just pass her off and be done with her?

    Doris was left alone for hours. A servant dropped off a tray of food but she saw no sign of Joseph again

    after Mr. Hugh left. Did he get in trouble for opening her window? Or being alone with her?

    It wasn¡¯t until Doris had finally dozed off to sleep, that Joseph finally came by again. He closed the door

    behind him and crept up to the side of her bed.

    ¡°Doris¡±

    ¡°Joseph?¡± Doris gasped and sat up. He held out his hands innocently. ¡°Sorry for startling you. I wanted to

    ask if you¡¯d like to take a midnight stroll.¡±

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    Chapter 108 Midnight schemes.

    Doris was dreaming, she had to be. Joseph stood with his brows raised and hand stretched out as if he

    was waiting for her to take it. Slowly, Doris took off her nkets and grasped his warm hand. He pulled

    her out of bed and she had her boots on in seconds. Half of her was still positive it was all just a dream.

    ¡°Out for a midnight stroll?¡± Doris whispered in disbelief. Was he insane? Surely someone would see

    them!

    ¡°Shh, the other guards have dozed off and won¡¯t be up for quite a while if we¡¯re quiet.¡±

    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Doris asked. Joseph held out his arm and she grasped onto him. Her eyes

    flickered to his belt where his knife and keys were still firmly attached.

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve had manyte nights with those men and they stay out until the morning while I keep

    watch by myself.¡± Joseph said quietly. He gestured for her to stay quiet as they snuck down the hall. She

    followed him out a back way and she tried to memorize her steps until they were out the back door and

    into the snow.

    As it turned out, her room wasn¡¯t very far from an exit-he didn¡¯t realize how much he was helping her.

    Joseph gently closed the door behind them the second they stepped out. It looked as if there was

    nothing for miles except snow and trees. The sight took her breath away if she was honest. There was

    nothing quite like the moonlight shining against frosty snow.

    ¡°Why did you take me out here? Couldn¡¯t you lose your job?¡± Doris asked quietly as they walked down a

    path close to the walls of the building just in case someone had peered out one of the windows.

    ¡°Yes, I could.¡± He shrugged and offered a crooked smile. ¡°I felt bad that you¡®ve been stuck in that room. I

    know how much you craved some fresh air so I thought I¡¯d help. It¡¯s the least I could do.¡±

    Doris tried not to feel as touched as she did. Her mind was so far away from her, she almost forgot to

    enjoy the fresh air. Slowly, she inhaled the air around her and closed her eyes. It smelled like snow and

    pine which was one of her new favorite scents. When she exhaled, she nced up to see him watching

    her. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s truly kind of you, I didn¡¯t expect it.¡±

    ¡°I told you the rogues aren¡¯t as bad as you think.¡± He knocked his shoulder against hers lightly.

    ¡°Moonlight deserves to be enjoyed by the beauty in life.¡±

    Dorris med the chill in the air for her blush. She nced down at his belt again when he turned his

    face away from her. It would be so easy to run off into the woods ¡ªbut she had no wolf and she knew it

    wouldn¡¯t get her very far. His legs were much

    longer than her own.

    ¡°I used to walk out here every night when I was on watch. There¡¯s a certain calmness thates only at

    this time.¡± Joseph said. He slowed his steps and peered around the corner to check for any other guards.

    When there were none, he guided her forward as if she was a dainty princess.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, it truly looks fake.¡± Dorisughed a little. The snow looked like a perfect nket of ice. It

    was almost hard to break the softness with their steps but it was unavoidable. If it wasn¡¯t so cold, she

    would haveid in it.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there some girl out there you should be taking on these strolls?¡± Doris teased.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joseph scratched the back of his head. ¡°Honestly, I haven¡¯t had the honor of being around

    women my age. A lot of them are already married or haven¡¯t given me the time of day.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris said, lips parted. There was no way that was true! Many of the men at Life Pharmacy

    weren¡¯t half as handsome as him. ¡°You¡¯re cute as a button, I was sure hundreds of girls had you in their

    day dreams!¡±

    Joseph snorted and turned away his red cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s no matter, I haven¡¯t met anyone as fine as you.¡±

    ¡°Is that wise for you to say knowing I¡¯ll be taken home in a few days?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I have nothing to lose.¡± He grinned, shing her his bright teeth. He would be a heartbreaker if he was

    around more women his age. Not to mention all the maids at the pce. But Doris only saw a sh of

    blue eyes in her mind like a dream that haunted her more than any other. William¡¯s rapid temper and

    possessive nature made her want to strangle him but a bigger half of her wished he was here to grab her

    and kiss her senseless. 3

    ¡°I suppose not.¡± Doris rolled her eyes and tried to banish the prince from her mind. He led her to an open

    clearing and took her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Doris asked suspiciously.

    ¡°I have a prince topete against and my time is running out. I¡¯m trying to charm your pants off. Well¡ª

    not literally.¡± He said quickly. Dorisughed and had to bite her lip to keep her voice lower. 1

    ¡°How do you expect to do that?¡±

    Joseph pulled her against his chest suddenly and gripped her waist. For a moment, she¡¯d forgotten how

    to speak. ¡°Have you ever danced in the snow?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªwhat? No, I don¡¯t dance very well¡ª¡°

    ¡°Nonsense, there¡¯s nothing to it.¡± Joseph grinned before he lifted her up until she was standing on his

    boots. Doris didn¡¯t have time to object before he started moving them

    around the clearing like they were in some ridiculous fairytale. A bubble ofughter tried to escape but

    she didn¡¯t want to encourage him.

    ¡°Joseph!¡± Doris gasped. She gripped onto him tightly and he only seemed pleased with himself. He

    twirled them around to a melody of music she couldn¡¯t hear. Each move was graceful and made her

    embarrassed that she knew there was no way for her to keep up if he hadn¡¯t put her on his toes.

    He watched her with a grin and a bit of concentration as he moved. Her hand gripped his shoulder while

    the other was at his waist. She slowly moved it down the more distracted he looked. Her fingers closed

    over the cold metal of his keys and she slid them up her sleeve before she held onto him again¡ªnot

    once taking her eyes off of him.

    He gripped her waist and spun her around the clearing like she was some sort of free dancer. She

    allowed herself to enjoy it, if only for a moment. By the time her feet wear back on the floor, she

    remembered why she was here.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for the dancing type.¡± Doris breathed. As romantic as it was to dance in the moonlight,

    he was barking at the wrong heart.

    ¡°My mother taught me when I was a young boy.¡± He said with a smile as he led her back towards the

    building. It was truly the size of a castle, it was almost odd to call it anything but.

    ¡°She must have been lovely. I¡¯ve never learned how to dance. It¡¯s not really expected as a maid.¡±

    ¡°I would assume it -would be if you were a prince¡¯sdy.¡± Joseph said, he watched her carefully and the

    weight of the keys felt heavy in her sleeve.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that. He has ady at the pce.¡± Doris said. She tried to ignore the

    bloom of guilt she felt every time she remembered that. Did everyone else see her as a side piece to the

    prince? Shame was almost worse than the guilt she felt even though she knew she despised Melody.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Joseph said quietly. He snuck her back into the pce and down the halls towards her

    room. They slipped past a snoozing guard and hurried to the door that was left open just a crack. Doris

    turned back to him and threw her arms around his shoulders.

    ¡°Thank you for a wonderful night.¡± She whispered and kissed his cheek. When she pulled away, he was

    redder than a tomato, it almost made herugh.

    ¡°0¡ªof course, mydy. Goodnight.¡± He bowed. Doris smiled and closed the door after her. She heard the

    lock set behind her. ¡®1

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    Doris waited about what she guessed was half an hour before she slid the keys out from her sleeve and

    went to unlock her door.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    Chapter 109 Run, baby.

    She almost didn¡¯t believe it when she heard the lock click. It took several tries at different keys before it

    finally worked. Doris threw on another sweater before she carefully creaked open the door and peeked

    into the hallways. She wasn¡¯t sure how it had gotten so dark in such a short time, perhaps Jospeh took

    all of the light with him.

    She quickly pushed his kind face away from her mind. Kindness counted for nothing when she wanted to

    survive-she learned that the hard way. Lessons are always learned the hard way and she had gone

    through more than a few of her own.

    Slowly, Doris creaked the door open and slipped out through the small crack. She clicked the door shut

    and locked it behind her as if she hadn¡¯t left the room at all. It would only fool them til morning, then they

    would be after her. Hopefully she would find the camp long before that happened.

    It could have been hours or mere minutes until the sun came out, she didn¡¯t know but she was certain of

    one thing. She had to hurry before anyone else came knocking. Joseph had been the only one to check

    on her since she¡¯d been here besides Mr. Hugh. But, she already had an appointment with him so she

    didn¡¯t expect him to wonder about her until evening. That gave her enough of a chance to try and get as

    far as possible from here as she could.

    Doris kept her steps light as she followed the same path Joseph had led her down less than an hour

    before. She skimmed the walls and peered around eacher to make sure the guards were still fast

    asleep before she hurried by. She had no idea if Joseph was off for the night after he left her or if he was

    doing a round of the grounds since no one else was up to do she. She just knew she had to be extra

    careful.

    Her feet felt as if they were gliding on air as she rushed to the door that led outside. Not one sound

    thumped against the ground as if she weighed nothing. Though, her heart was the loudest thing inside

    her. It could have even woke the dead.

    When she reached out to open the door, she banged against it. The sound was so loud, she had to hold

    her breath and listen for any trace of steps hurrying her way to throw her back where she came from.

    She counted silently in her head and stayed still as ice. When she reached thirty, she moved to open the

    door but it was locked.

    Doris pulled out the keys and tried every single one of them until one finally fit in the hole and allowed

    her to tum it. The cold breeze the chilled her face was almost a relief. She nced back once before she

    hurried out into the snow that still held their footsteps.

    It was dead silent. Like there was no life for miles and miles no matter where she headed. Doris didn¡¯t

    know what direction to head in, she didn¡¯t know which one would lead her to where William was but she

    had to try. All she knew was that she had to make it through the trees but she was dead if she didn¡¯t get

    a horse first.

    Doris scaled the walls and peered over the edge of the corner. Two guards were in deep conversation

    with their backs to her near the stables where William had stolen the horses. Doris quickly pulled back

    and hid herself from their view again. Her breath grew louder to her ears. She tried to calm the sound but

    it only made her feel as if she¡¯d gotten louder the more she tried.

    This was ridiculous¡ªhow was she going to get out of this one without a horse? She¡¯d be walking all

    night now and would arrive to them with missing toes from the frozen air.

    Doris nced at the trees and saw an opening between the darkness. She kept her steps light as she

    hurried towards it. It was much colder than she thought it was. When she came out with Joseph, she felt

    hot as if she couldn¡¯t feel any trace of the cold air but now it was like she was coated in her ownyer of

    ice. It was what she deserved for using his kindness for her own benefit.

    A distant howl sounded in the distance, it made her skin ripple with goosebumps. What if they hunted her

    like an animal when they found out she was gone? She knew she had to keep going and at least try to

    get away. She¡¯d never forgive herself if she sat around and did nothing while her future was decided for

    her. Especially if they ended up wanting to kill her just to spite William.

    She moved between the trees carefully. There were no traces of another guard for miles and she hoped

    that meant she¡¯d left them all behind her. Each crunch in the snow made her cringe and heart race as if it

    was trying to exit her chest. How far was the camp from here? She remembered it being long by carriage

    but fast by horses. Perhaps if she ran she would get there quicker¡ªas ridiculous as that was.

    Doris nced around and saw nothing but more trees. She took a long deep breath before she took off

    into the darkness away from Life Pharmacy. The forest didn¡¯t look familiar but she knew that William

    headed this way when they were on their horses.

    Doris cursed those guards for surrounding the area and making her run back to the camp rather than

    ride. They must have realized that William stole a few of their horses the night they escaped before they

    were found out and now made sure it was always monitored.

    It didn¡¯t take long for her breath to run out with barely any ground covered thanks to the thick snow. She

    wasn¡¯t used to running like this, she copsed to the ground and rested her head against her knees. She

    had to keep going.

    She allowed herself a few breaths before she got up again and continued on. Life Pharmacy was now a

    distant shadow behind her but she knew it was still too close forfort. The sun started to poke up

    above the horizon and she wondered how long it had been since she left her prison. Did Joseph notice

    she was gone yet? Or would he wait a few more hours before he checked if she was awake?

    She didn¡¯t want to imagine the betrayal on his face when he realized what happened

    and where his keys went. She deserved his anger and hurt, but she didn¡¯t want to see it. He had to

    realize that she didn¡¯t deserve to be a pawn, he had to know that. Why else would be be so kind to her?

    Any time a small branch broke or something shifted behind her, she paused to make sure nothing was

    trailing her. She kept to the trees and didn¡¯t dare to stay out in the open for long. It was only a death wish

    and she had no reason to be caught so soon. Even if she was heading in the wrong direction, it was

    better than sitting around. Anything was better than being a prisoner, they were foolish to underestimate

    her.

    Louder howls echoed through the trees, she wasn¡¯t sure how close they were but it made the hair on the

    back of her neck stand up. Doris quickly ducked behind arge boulder and searched for any sort of

    weapon to grasp onto.

    She closed her fingers around a sharp rock and listened to the change in the wind. Paws beat against

    the ground and she knew in her heart that they had found out she was gone. It took them a lot quicker

    than she wanted and now the only thing she could do was

    ¡°Run, baby!¡± A loud voice broke through the silence. A manughed so loud it made her flinch. ¡°We¡¯ve

    already got you!¡±

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    Doris stood and took off through the trees. She ran as fast as she could and couldn¡¯t hear if anything was

    behind her or if she was about to be mauled to death. Keep going, keep going. Her breath was loud in

    her ears as she panted harder. Don¡¯t look back, keep going

    A rope wrapped around her chest and yanked her back into the darkness. Some man she didn¡¯t

    recognize in the slightestssoed her back and dragged her through the cold snow until she was at his

    feet. He took a long drag on a cigar in his mouth before he blew out the smoke and smirked down at her.

    ¡°That was pretty fun. You almost got away with it, little one.¡±

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    Chapter 110 Don¡¯t think I forgot about you.

    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself.¡± Therge man said, his smile looked as if it was pure yellow and ck.

    He brushed his dirty hand across hisrge stomach as if he was wiping dirt off it and went to shake her

    hand. She refused to even look at him in the eye.

    Instead of being insulted, heughed louder. It was a disgusting sound, it made her think he had dirt

    lodged deep in his throat with no hope of ever getting it out. ¡°My name is Marcus and I work for Life

    Pharmacy. Normally, I clean the grounds and care for the dogs, but I was told a pretty little thing escaped

    and I knew I had toe find ya before you froze to death.¡± 1

    Doris struggled to get the rope off her, but Marcus only tugged tighter until it squeezed the breath out of

    her. He kept pulling until sheid back against the snow inplete defeat.

    ¡°Now now, you don¡¯t wanna do that. You¡¯re already in a heap of trouble, I wouldn¡¯t want to add to your

    punishments.¡± He grinned again. The sight would haunt her dreams for many nights, she wondered if he

    knew how terrifying it was.

    A fewrge dogs came up to sniff her face with a low growl in the back of their throats. She cringed away

    from their wet noses and wished she could melt into the ground. As long as they didn¡¯t bite her face, she

    was fine. She hoped. At least it wasn¡¯t a pack of wolves out for her blood. 1

    Marcus forced her to stand. ¡°Unless you want me to drag you all the way back, I rmend you walk.

    Though, I wouldn¡¯t mind it either way. I quite like the sound of girls begging for their life.¡± He said through

    his teeth. Doris straightened herself quickly and followed him with his rope still humiliatingly wrapped

    around her body as if she was another dog. He tugged on her every few minutes to remind her how

    much control he had over her and how much it hurt to be squeezed if she tried to

    run.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t far from where you wanted to be.¡± Marcus said suddenly. She wasn¡¯t sure why he told her

    that, perhaps to make her feel worse for being so close. There was no way he would have known where

    she was headed unless they told him where to look. ¡°Only a few more miles up the road and you¡¯d be at

    Enzo¡¯s camp.¡± Heughed his nasty sound again. Doris red at the back of his head and wished she

    hadn¡¯t dropped her rock when he grabbed her,

    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Doris said.

    ¡°Nope. Truly, just over the hill. We¡¯re quite a long way from Life Pharmacy, I almost pulled back in and

    told them you were gone until one of my dogs caught your scent again. If you were just an hour sooner,

    you might have already been there with your prince.¡±

    She was miles from William¡ªif she had known that she would have run until her lungs bled inside her

    chest. She would have never rested a second until she was back beside him. Then he could tear them

    apart for taking her in the first ce. All the effort she made went to shit and knowing she was so close

    would keep her up for nights. Just like Marcus wanted. He nced at her over his shoulder with a

    satisfied smirk nted on his lips.

    Her one chance was wasted because of the hideous man in front of her. If he wasn¡¯t surrounded by

    vicious loyal dogs, she would have tried to bash his head in with her bare fists

    Oh, what a terrible thought. When had she gotten so violent? She couldn¡¯t me it on her wolf this time.

    She was like a ghost inside her now. No, this was all Doris. Everything that happened to her made her

    feel more and more anger build up inside her. What would happen when it finally cracked open?

    They walked back to Life Pharmacy as if she was walking to her own funeral. It sort of felt like it in a way

    because she knew her freedom was now ruined beyond repair. She ignored all of the man¡¯s attempt at

    conversation that usually circled back around to how screwed she was in his opinion.

    She was now at the mercy of the rogues-her literal nightmare. Beth would have fainted if she knew what

    was happening to Doris. Once again, she was d her friend wasn¡¯t here to see this despite how much

    she missed her and wished to see her. In her mind, Doris imagined she was curled up in her bed in their

    old room. Safe and far from any sort of danger. She longed to be there too.

    Mr. Hugh, Joseph and a few other guards stood on the steps of Life Pharmacy waiting for her. She didn¡¯t

    dare try to decode the emotionless look on Joseph¡¯s face as she stepped closer. Marcus untied his rope

    and held out his hand.

    One of the guards ced a sack of coins in his grasp and she wanted to spit on him.

    person at all¡ªall they cared about was how much money they could make off of her.

    Mr. Hugh shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Doris, I thought better of you. You truly thought you could

    escape in the middle of the night and we wouldn¡¯t notice?¡±

    ¡°It seemed to take you a long time to notice.¡± Doris said with a lifted chin.

    ¡°Ah, but who is here at my feet looking as if she was just dragged through the mud?¡± Mr. Hugh smiled

    before it fellpletely. ¡°Since you don¡¯t respect us, I see no reason to respect you. Throw her in the

    lower cells. She no longer deserves our hospitality.¡± He said before he turned his back on her. He must

    have expected her to object but Doris was out of a fight. There was nothing left inside her.

    Joseph and another guard grabbed each of her arms and led her through the building to the lower, much

    darker area. It looked as if no one had been down there in years. The thought of all the bugs and rodents

    that resided down there made her skin   . crawl. It was even worse than the cells were at the pce, at

    least there was some sort of light there.

    Joseph tightened his grip when he felt her tense. She nced up at him but he refused to look at her.

    The other guard held her normally and didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit peeved at her like the rest did. Still,

    she knew she wasn¡¯t a favorite among the night crew now. She bet they all had to say goodbye to their

    many naps and now had to pay a bit more attention to people sneaking right past them.

    There were rows and rows of unupied cells. Joseph wasn¡¯t kidding when he said they weren¡¯t used to

    having prisoners, it made her wonder why they even had an area like this to begin with unless they were

    here from previous lords.

    The guards didn¡¯t put her in a close cell to the door, they walked her all the way back through the

    darkness as if they were hoping to find a corner darker than hell to stuff her in.

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    Once they finally stopped, she couldn¡¯t see an inch in front of her face as they unlocked the cell and

    pushed her in. She stumbled over her own feet and fell harshly on her knees. She could feel the grim

    under her fingers, it made her want to gag. What on earth was down here?

    ¡°Wait! Joseph,¡± Doris turned and gripped the bars. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was still there, she couldn¡¯t see

    anything. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking your keys. You had to know that I needed to escape, it¡¯s not safe for me

    here.¡±

    Silence. Dead silence. Doris reached her hands through the bars and grasped onto nothing. A few

    momentster, she heard a set of feet walk away and she knew he had heard her.

    They brought her nothing while she was down in the cells. No food, no nkets or candles. She had no

    choice but to sit in the dark and hope sleep would help her escape the misery she was in.

    A lifetime had passed before she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and the tsk of disapproval

    from a voice she¡¯de to hate.

    Mr. Hugh sighed as he leaned against her bars. She couldn¡¯t see him, but she knew he was there. ¡°Don¡¯t

    think I forgot about you, dear.¡± Hisugh echoed all around her and tried to swallow her whole. ¡°Are you

    ready for our dinner? I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡±

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111

    Chapter 111 Unexpected dinner.

    The dining room Doris was brought to was a lot smaller than she expected. A table fit for two had a

    beautiful emerald cloth and matching tes that were already piled with food before they could even sit

    down. One of the servants pulled out her chair and Doris couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed with how

    messy she looked. It was no pce, but it was still beautiful.

    Doris tried to smooth out her greasy hair and ignored the dirt on her arms as she discreetly tried to wipe

    as much as she could from her hands beneath the table. Mr. Hugh took the chair across from her and

    smiled widely as if they were old friends. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what his motive was behind that

    grin.

    ¡°We¡¯re set to leave after dinner to the church, I thought it would be wise for us to get there a night before

    your party arrives.¡± Mr. Hugh said as he ced a napkin across hisp. She watched his every move just

    as he watched her own as if it was a game between them.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to wait all night for them?¡± Doris asked. She eyes the food on both of their tes and saw

    they wereid out exactly the same. ¡°I would think it was unnecessary to arrive that early.¡±

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t be unprepared. A trade this big deserves a bit more of our preparation, wouldn¡¯t you

    say?¡± Mr. Hugh said lightly as he picked up his fork for the first time.

    ¡°I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Besides,¡± he continued as if Doris hadn¡¯t said anything, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past your prince to be just as

    early as us.¡± Mr. Hugh winked across at her. Doris only blinked. It made her skin crawl each time he

    referred to William as her prince. As if he was in on a secret that was just between the two of them.

    ¡°Is there a reason you gave me¡ªthe honor-of a private dinner with you?¡± Doris asked. ¡°Not that I¡¯m

    ungrateful, but I can¡¯t help but feel as if there is more you wish to talk about.¡±

    felt her stomach grumble from the delicious scents in front of her, but he hadn¡¯t taken a bite yet-and

    neither would she. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d expect a bit more conversation to soften the mood but I have to admit,

    I¡¯m more like you.¡± Mr. Hugh spiked a piece of meat with his fork and took arge bite. Doris finally did

    the same and almost moaned from the taste. If he wasn¡¯t in front of her watching her so intently, she

    would have devoured the entire te in seconds.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re aware of the real reason the prince hase all the way to the north. I was told he

    came to find some nt but I know that can¡¯t be the whole truth.¡±

    ¡°Hisdy was poisoned by a nt that¡¯s only found in the north. We came here to try and find who

    bought it and why they would poison her.¡± Doris said calmly as if she had rehearsed it a hundred times.

    Mr. Hugh raised his brows, her grip tightened on her fork.

    ¡°Hisdy? I was told you were hisdy.¡± He said, amused.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hisdy, I¡¯m just his maid. Hisdy is back at the pce.¡± Doris said carefully. She willed herself

    not to blush but her cheeks never listened to her. ¡°He¡¯se all this way to find who wished her harm.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Does hisdy know how close you are with the prince? Or is it normal for him to be close

    with his pretty servants?¡±

    Doris swallowed her food and set down her fork. ¡°As I said, we¡¯re just here to find the poisonous nt.¡±

    ¡°And have you found it yet? With all of your time here?¡±

    ¡°We have. He already discovered who was responsible.¡± Doris straightened her shoulders. She knew

    that William hadn¡¯t tried to find exactly where the nt was bought since he already knew Luna Queen

    had done the poisoning. Mr. Hugh didn¡¯t have to know that they hadn¡¯t been investigating that mystery,

    though. If he thought Doris was easily intimidated, he was sadly mistaken.

    ¡°Ah, so who was the one responsible?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid only he knows. He¡¯s very private about his matters and he doesn¡¯t care to share the

    information with his maid.¡± Doris said a little loudly as if it would get the point across more. ¡°He¡¯s a man

    of very little words.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to believe that the prince came here to discover who poisoned hisdy when he could

    have easily sent someone else in his ce?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you believe but it¡¯s true. We were set to head back the day you attacked Enzo. The

    prince prefers to handle his own matters.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mr. Hugh leaned back with a smile that never wavered. It gave her the chills. ¡°I think the prince

    had another intentioning all the way to the north with only a handful of guards and a maid.¡±

    ¡°A prince always should have at least one servant with him to meet his needs¡ª¡° Doris blushed the

    second it was out of her mouth and Mr. Hughughed.

    ¡°I bet he does. Though, I didn¡¯t expect him to go through so much trouble for any maid. I heard he goes

    through plenty at the pce. But here he is, ready to trade

    ¡°He feels responsible for his people. He wouldn¡¯t want me to suffer because of him, he¡¯s a good man.¡±

    Mr. Hugh leaned across the table and eyed her closely. Doris kept herself as even as she possibly could

    even though his stare made her want to shrink back into herself and disappear.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve treated you kindly enough considering you bed our enemy. I would¡¯ve hoped you¡¯d be more

    willing to be truthful with me.¡± Mr. Hugh said. She could hear the patience running out of his voice.

    ¡°You locked me in a dark cell all night.¡± Doris nced at her dirty clothes and arms . ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that¡¯s

    the kindest I¡¯ve been treated. Or do you expect me to be grateful you didn¡¯t leave me out in the cold

    chained to a tree?¡±

    ¡°Yes, well¡ªyou had my rogues in a bit of a frenzy looking for you all night. Perhaps we should have

    considered chaining you to a tree.¡± Mr. Hugh mmed his fist down on the table and made her flinch. ¡°I

    know you¡¯re lying. I know the prince has a more sinister n in mind and I¡¯m not as blind as Enzo to

    ignore it and let my people die.¡±

    He stood from the table and their dishes were cleared immediately. Doris hadn¡¯t even gotten to finish and

    her stomach still felt hollow. ¡°I heard he didn¡¯t do a thing when that prince ripped through viges looking

    for you. Killing innocent people who wished him no harm!¡± Mr. Hugh shouted. Doris felt as if the room

    had blurred around him. Her head was almost too heavy to lift.

    ¡°What kind of leader puts his enemy over his own people? He had his own vigers put to death for

    harming you of all people!¡± Mr. Hugh walked around the table and leaned his face closer to her own. She

    tried to move away from him but he kept her firm. ¡°Why is your prince really here? Is he working with

    Enzo?¡± 1

    ¡°No.¡± Doris said simply. It was the truth, and she wasn¡¯t willing to give him any more. Mr. Hugh growled

    and smacked the sides of her chair so hard, she was certain it would crack. ¡°He wishes the rogues no

    harm, that¡¯s all I know. We came here to find a poisonous nt.¡±

    Mr. Hughughed bitterly and snapped his fingers. Two guards came and forced her up from her chair.

    ¡°Take her to the carriage. It¡¯s time to go to the church.¡±

    Their grips made her wince as they practically carried her out the door. She tried to keep up with their

    long strides but they only ended up dragging her most of the way like she was a dog. Doris nced up to

    see Joseph on one side of her and she felt sick to her stomach. Hours ago he was dancing with her in

    the snow, now he was acting like she truly was a prisoner. One he despised, at that. How could he not

    understand that she needed to get out?

    They dragged her out into the snow and forced her into a waiting carriage with no sense of warmth to

    ward off the cold. Joseph locked eyes with her for a moment.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Joseph¡ª¡°

    He shook his head and mmed the door. In her bones she knew that something

    wasn¡¯t right.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112

    Chapter 112 The Darkest Pit.

    The ground of the church was almost worse than the snow outside. She felt the cold stone burn into her

    back the second she regained consciousness. Not even her clothes could help her fight off the nasty

    climate.

    Doris knew one thing, she was right not to trust any of the food they had given her but still her stomach

    yearned for more. She wished she had cleared her te when she had the chance even if it was

    drugged. She¡¯d sooner die of starvation than whatever else they had in store for her. 1

    Doris opened her eyes to see a delicately carved ceiling that showed a story of wolves running from a

    kingdom. She knew instantly that it told the story of the rogues with one simple nce. It would have

    been beautiful, if she didn¡¯t feel like every inch of her was in agony. Whatever they had given her made

    her head ache and limbs feel like jelly.

    She tried to reach for her wolf like she always did, but was only met with more silence. Half of her

    wondered if they had only given her more of the drug Joseph had mentioned. If so¡ªwhen would she

    hear from her wolf again? When would her suffering end

    ¡°¡­on their sightings. I don¡¯t think they intend to wait until morning.¡± Doris quickly closed her eyes again

    when she heard approaching voices echo off the stone walls. A door near her had opened and quickly

    closed.

    ¡°Call them out now. I don¡¯t want them anywhere near here when we unleash our men on them.¡± Mr. Hugh

    said.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Enzo might be ready for us if we do that,¡° said another familiar voice. Joseph?

    ¡°Even better. I love a good fight.¡± Mr. Hugh growled. Doris kept her eyes closed tightly but panic rose in

    her throat. They were nning on ambushing Enzo and William. Again. 1

    ¡°Keep at least ten guards here to make sure she doesn¡¯t try to escape again. She¡¯s good at pretending

    she¡¯s innocent but now we know how false that facade was.¡±

    ¡°Will do, sir. We¡¯ll find a ce to put her incase theye for her here. I can imagine that the prince

    might try it.¡±

    ¡°It would be easier to keep her unconscious during all this, you might want to consider than if she wakes

    any time soon. She won¡¯t be able to call for him if she¡¯s out like this.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡±

    Doris listened as silence followed. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were looking at her closely

    ormunicating silently but she tried to stay as still as possible. Could they hear her heart trying to

    bang out of her chest?

    Soon, one set of steps moved further away from her while another came closer. Doris felt her chest try to

    cave in and her breath start to get harder to control.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re awake, Doris.¡± Joseph said quietly. Doris slowly opened her eyes to see him peering down

    at her. She swallowed the lump in her throat, he did not look even a little bit happy to see her. He looked

    at her as if she was some rat he¡¯d found on the floor.

    ¡°Are they going to attack Enzo¡¯s camp?¡± Doris asked suddenly. She moved to sit up but it was like a

    spike of pain erupted at each small movement. ¡°This was all a big show, wasn¡¯t it? There was never

    going to be a trade-I knew it.¡±.

    ¡°Enzo hasn¡¯t had his people in mind for quite a while. He¡¯s be azy leader and now we have to

    push him to be something great.¡± Joseph recited as if it was on the back of his hand. Doris narrowed her

    eyes at him. He ignored her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s time for him to step up or be pushed out.¡±

    ¡°Do you truly believe that? You¡¯re willing to attack the camp where Sir Antony rests?¡± ¡°There would never

    be any harm to our founder. He is off limits to all¡ªhis power is too great to mess with.¡± Joseph nced

    behind his shoulder as if to make sure no one was there to overhear them. She looked around the empty

    room that only had rows and rows of benches with a podium at the front but no one else.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, why can¡¯t we just have him decide what to do instead of start a war between your people?

    He¡¯s wise enough to know what¡¯s best for the rogues. He started you guys.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hugh believes that Enzo has betrayed us and is working with the pce. This can prove he¡¯s not if

    he stands with his people instead of the prince! Sir Antony doesn¡¯t need to get involved. He¡¯s old¡ª¡±.

    ¡°He won¡¯t stand with people who are attacking him ahead of an agreement! Do you hear how crazy that

    sounds? He expects your word to be met. Not betrayal.¡± Doris wanted to shake Joseph if it would make

    him realize how ridiculous this all was. She stood from the ground and wrapped her arms around herself.

    Her sweater felt like nothing against the cold, she might as well have been naked. His eyes flickered over

    her as if he noticed, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Joseph turned away from her. Doris swallowed her bile of guilt. No matter

    what she did, she couldn¡¯t escape the feeling that she was always at fault when something went wrong.

    ¡°You think they won¡¯t just try toe here and get me? They know where I¡¯m at!¡±

    ¡°There are hundreds out there right now to prevent anyone from getting in here and even more on their

    way to his camp. It doesn¡¯t matter that they know where you are.¡±

    ¨C

    ¡°I think you underestimate how determined Prince William will be.¡± Doris said through her teeth. Joseph

    narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°Oh? For just some maid? I thought you said you¡¯re nothing more.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t

    like when people take what he thinks belongs to him. I work for the pce, so I qualify¡ª¡°

    ¡°Save it, Doris. Everyone already knows what you mean to him. It¡¯s foolish for you to try and convince us

    otherwise. No one believed you for a second.¡±

    Doris frowned and seated herself on one of the benches. ¡°No, get up. I have to move you somewhere

    else. This is too open for you, I wouldn¡¯t want you to run out into the snow again.¡± He grabbed Doris¡¯s

    arm and forced her up. Doris red at him as he nced around the room. ¡°This is just a church, I don¡¯t

    think there¡¯s anywhere for me to¡ª¡°

    ¡°There.¡± He interrupted and dragged her to the center of the room with his eyes on the ground. Doris

    followed his sight and saw exactly what he was looking at.

    ¡°Under ground? Oh, no¡ªI don¡¯t do well with darkness¡ª¡±

    ¡°You seemed fine after the cells.¡± He released her and forced up the wooden boards. She really must

    have bruised him if he was acting so cold. Or perhaps this was how he truly was and he was only being

    nice before because he wanted something from her. Men were always nice to pretty girls when they

    wanted something from them. 2

    Joseph pulled up five boards before he peered down into the hole. Doris shook away a sick thought to

    shove him inside when she knew it was a losing game. There were most likely countless guards right

    outside the door waiting for her to pull something like that again. 1

    ¡°It looks fine. Get down there.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think someone would easily hear me down there? Honestly, Joseph. What¡¯s the point of

    putting me in a hole?¡±

    Joseph grabbed her arm and forced her against him. ¡°This is to make sure you don¡¯t try to escape. I

    don¡¯t give a damn who can hear you down there, they¡¯ll never find you if they can¡¯t get in here.¡±

    Joseph lifted her by her waist and dropped her right into the dark hole. She fell hard on her legs and

    swore she twisted both her ankles on impact. When she screamed, she heard him intake a sharp breath

    of air. Good, let him feel bad.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring by food in a little bit.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Doris shouted, her own voiced echoed back to her. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me down here, please!¡±

    Joseph seemed to hesitate. The hole was a lot deeper than she thought, there was nothing for her to

    grasp onto to get out. He so looked small at the top of the hole. For a moment, she thought she¡¯d gotten

    through to him. But then he started to seal her in by cing the boards back where they were.

    ¡°Joseph!¡± Doris screamed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please, I think I broke my ankle!¡±

    He paused again for a second before he continued on. Doris screamed until thest board was in ce

    and she was trapped in her own darkness.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113

    Chapter 113 I thought I knew you.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Silence answered her screams. They came back to her in echoes that were more haunting than anything

    else down here. Lines of light were above her, but that was all. Doris felt as if she was in a small box, she

    couldn¡¯t help but wonder what this area would even be used for. If she stretched out both of her arms,

    her fingertips would graze the walls.

    Perhaps she wasn¡¯t the first person that was forced down here by the rogues. It was getting harder to

    defend them when half were so cruel. They silenced her wolf so she couldn¡¯t even defend herself and

    used her as leverage. Just when she started to think they weren¡¯t as bad as she thought, they proved her

    wrong. Again: Enzo was the one who made her want to give them a second chance, but now she wished

    she hadn¡¯t..

    Doris closed her eyes to try and ward out the small stream of light. She didn¡¯t want to see it, it was

    starting to drive her mad. She sat on the cold floor and tried to ignore the thought of what else was down

    here with her. It smelled old and musty, as if it hadn¡¯t been touched in years. Doris had sneezed so many

    times, she felt as if her nose was stuffed with dust.

    All Doris could think about was the possibility that William was out there getting ambushed. She wished

    he had left when he said he would, he was the only true target. It didn¡¯t matter what happened to Doris

    compared to him. If he had gone back to the pce, they would have either let her go or put her out of

    her misery once and for all. 4

    Had they attacked them yet? They must have. It¡¯d been hours since she first heard their n and was

    left in the dark. She would know if William was hurt-wouldn¡¯t she? Or would only her wolf be able to tell

    those sort of things? It was pure agony not knowing more than anything. William could be dead for all

    she knew while she sat here uselessly. 1

    She should have known it was too easy. Mr. Hugh agreed to Patrick too quickly and made the deal too

    smoothly. The back of her mind had told her it was wrong, but she allowed herself to believe it like a

    naive fool. Now Enzo and the rest of the vigers suffered because of her. It was always because of her.

    If she had nevere on this trip, it might have gone a lot smoother instead of turning into hell at every

    turn.

    ¡°Joseph?¡± Doris called. ¡°I think I broke my ankles.¡± She said weakly. She knew he didn¡¯t care, there was

    no point. How many times had she tried to get a response out

    had anyst shred of sympathy for her, he would at least check on her. But Doris had the feeling that she

    waspletely alone,

    ¡°Is it really broken?¡± Joseph said in a small voice from above. Doris nced up but he hadn¡¯t removed

    the boards yet. His shadow crossed through the light and stopped  . just above her. Each board creaked

    loud enough to strain her ears but it was better than the silence he forced her to endure.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Doris cried. Sheid her emotion on heavy with each word. ¡°It hurts so badly, Joseph. I don¡¯t think

    I can move.¡± 1

    ¡°I have no way to get you out right now.¡± He said as he leaned down. ¡°Are you bleeding?¡±

    ¡°I think so¡­ I can¡¯t see anything down here but I hit the ground hard when you dripped me.¡± Doris

    gripped the wall. It was ice cold, she wanted to cringe away from it but it was all she had to lean on.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you get me out of here? I wouldn¡¯t be able to run with broken ankles.¡±

    ¡°I would have to get the rope but Mr. Hugh has taken it with him. I wouldn¡¯t be able to get you out by

    myself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough to lift me out?¡± Doris asked almost innocently. There was nothing worse to a

    man than a bruised ego. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡ª¡° Joseph huffed and started to pull up the board before he

    suddenly stopped. ¡°Are you trying to manipte me again?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Doris tried to stand but she groaned the second she put weight on her

    ankle. ¡°I just need something for my ankles¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought you were different, Doris.¡± Joseph said quietly. Doris frowned as the usual ache of guilt

    thumped in her chest. ¡°I thought maybe you cared for me like I cared for you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know me, Joseph. How could you care for me so quickly? You¡¯re handsome and I want to

    believe you¡¯re kind¡ªyou don¡¯t need my approval.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for your approval! I thought you liked me.¡±

    ¡°Joseph-you told me that you knew about the prince and I. Why would you go for me? I don¡¯t know what

    you expected from me, I was a prisoner you had to look after.¡±

    Joseph scoffed as if what she said was ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯re the y thing for a prince who is notorious for

    going through women like they¡¯re clothes. I didn¡¯t think you would be dense enough to fall for him but

    clearly I was wrong. I should have known you were lying when the prince sent a guard to negotiate your

    safety. He wouldn¡¯t have done that for just any maid.¡± 2

    Doris knew he was trying to get under her skin, but she wouldn¡¯t let him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for using you, Joseph.

    No one deserves to have their kindness thrown back at them. Can¡¯t you understand why I did it? Look at

    me! You¡¯ve thrown me in a hole and you can¡¯t tell me this wasn¡¯t the n all along. I was never going to

    be given to William without a fight.¡±

    Joseph shifted above her. Doris continued, ¡°I thought you were a wonderful man that any woman would

    be lucky to have. My mind changed about you the moment you became someone else. I¡¯m not even sure

    what side of you is real or not.¡±

    ¡°It was the real me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Joseph! You have toe stand guard, the prince is already here.¡± A guard shouted, he sounded

    panicked. Doris felt her heart skip-William was here? Already?

    Joseph stood quickly and she watched as his shadow disappeared and soon the door mmed. Doris

    strained to listen for any hint of William, but she couldn¡¯t hear a thing. If she knew anything, she knew

    that William wouldn¡¯t stop until he got what he wanted. Why did her blood race at the idea that he wanted

    her this badly?

    Her entire being ached for him in a way she didn¡¯t expect. She¡¯d dreamed about his arms around her

    every night but only woke up to the nightmare that he was no where to be found. Now he was here.

    Doris forced herself to stand on her sore ankles. ¡°Hello?¡± She called. No one said a word, she must have

    beenpletely alone. ¡°William!¡± She shouted uselessly. She knew there was no way he was already

    here,

    A chorus of screams erupted from outside the door. It made Doris shiver, she covered her ears when the

    sounds turned sickening. It sounded as if wet bodies had mmed against the doors over and over until

    it finally cracked open and bursted from the hinges. Doris certainly hoped it was William, otherwise she

    wouldn¡¯t have wanted toe out. 1

    ¡°Doris?¡± A breathless voice said. It was like music to her ears to hear that deep sound. It vibrated

    through her body and left her desperate for more.

    Doris couldn¡¯t help her tears as she shouted. ¡°William! Down here!¡±

    His stomps were thunderous as he sought her out. She felt him deep in her bones as if a part of her had

    finally started to wake up just from his presence. ¡°Down where?¡± He growled impatiently. Doris closed

    her eyes and it was like she could see him already. His angered expression and bloodied body. Her

    fingers curled at the thoughts. How had she gone from despising his frowns to craving them? 1

    ¡°Below the floorboards!¡± Doris shouted weakly.

    That was all she had to say. William fell to his knees and started to tear up the boards until he found her.

    The wood splintered beneath his touch, he shoved the wood away and suddenly he was above her like a

    god shining down on her. Doris held her breath, she wondered if he could even see her.

    William wasted no time, he reached down into the darkness and found her outstretched hands. William

    pulled her up out of the darkness and into his waiting

    arms.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114

    Chapter 114 You came for me.

    His warmth enveloped her whole. She had never in her life felt more safe or relieved from a single touch.

    It was like all of her fear had melted out of her the second she felt him touch her. Doris had never known

    what it was like to have someone to make her feel that way.

    William lifted Doris into his arms and held her tighter than anyone had ever held her. His strong arms

    refused to let her go as her feet dangled off the ground. It was like a dream she didn¡¯t want to wake up

    from. How strange that he once was the reason for all of her nightmares. Now he was the only thing she

    wanted to see at night when she closed her eyes.

    ¡°I thought I lost you.¡± William whispered against her ear. She didn¡¯t need her wolf to tell her how she

    should be feeling¡ªfor once Doris allowed herself to feel everything towards him. All the relief and pain

    and love that tried to pull her under and drown her until she was nothing. It was all worth it to hear his

    voice and how much he yearned for her as much as she did for him.

    It felt like a decade had passed as well as no time at all. She knew from one touch that she was all he

    thought about since he left her. Even if he never admitted it to her face, she knew it was true. How could

    it not be?

    ¡°You came for me.¡± Was all Doris could say. William pulled away for the first time and set her down in

    front of him just so he could look at her more clearly. His blue eyes were almost blinding to her tired

    heart.

    ¡°Of course I came for you.¡± He said as he gripped her waist. Doris caught sight of his appearance and

    almost fainted with how much blood covered him. She had little doubts that it all belonged to people that

    had stood in his way. His shirt was tom down the middle and she realized he hadn¡¯t changed into his

    wolf. He came for her with a vengeance that he fulfilled with his barehands. Every inch of her tingled at

    the thought. She could almost see him on a battlefield in her mind. All the rage that must have poured

    from him, she was sorry to have missed it.

    ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± William asked through his teeth. Doris nced at the door he had ripped off the

    hinges and saw blood smeared across the walls. She briefly wondered if Joseph was part of that

    massacre and a sad part of her throbbed. Even with what he had done to her, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted

    his lift to end that way. No one deserved that.

    ¡°No. They just put me in dark ces, but I¡¯m okay for the most part.¡± Doris said.

    A sh of anger still touched his features. She wished she could wipe it away with a single caress.

    ¡°What happened? I heard part of what they were nning just a few hours ago. I had   no idea it was

    going to happen.¡± Doris said quietly. She was too afraid to step out into the hallway and potentially see

    body parts and faces that belonged to people she barely knew. Even if she had only spoken with them

    for seconds, it would have haunted her to see it.

    ¡°Enzo thought it was best to wait at the camp until we were set to meet here, but I thought we should go

    early in case you were already here.¡± William narrowed his eyes, but not at her. ¡°I convinced him to go

    and halfway here we had gotten ambushed by hundreds of rogues. It was like an army hade out of

    no where.¡±

    ¡°An army? They must have been nning this much longer than I thought¡­ How did you manage to get

    free?¡±

    ¡°I tore through a line of them and came straight here.¡± William grumbled. His hands tightened on her

    body as if he was afraid she would disappear any minute if he didn¡¯t hold on tight to her. Doris leaned

    against him as if she felt the same.

    His head snapped towards the door, he motioned for her to stay silent and she mped her lips shut on

    the question that tried to escape. Voices broke out in panicked shouts as they discovered the mess that

    William left for them. His grip tightened on her hand as he forced her back towards an opposite door.

    ¡°It might have guards outside it¡ª¡± Doris warned. William stopped to think.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go out through one of the windows.¡± He hissed and led her behind some of the benches.

    There was a low window that she didn¡¯t think would open easily. William gripped the frame and forced it

    up with a nasty creak that was surely heard by the guards outside the room.

    William gripped Doris¡¯s waist and lifted her up through the hole effortlessly. She fell lightly into a pile of

    snow but the impact still tore through her ankles. She bit her lip until it almost bled just to keep in all of

    her screams. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder when her body would finally give up on her. Any second now

    she could fall apart and she was certain she wouldn¡¯t be able to get back up again.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    William fell beside her an instantter. He took one look at her face and grabbed her

    cheeks to look at him. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªmy ankles. When I fell in the hole, I think I twisted them.¡±

    A dark look flickered over William¡¯s face. She swallowed her fear and remembered the man that held her

    face in his grasp. He could easily snap her neck without a single thought, but he held her so softly as if

    she was a delicate flower.

    William stood and lifted her into his arms as if she was a bride. Doris normally would have objected, but

    even she knew that was an unwise decision. He carried her through the snow and peered around every

    corner before he headed straight for the trees. They only had seconds before it was discovered she was

    gone. 2

    Seconds before a newyer of war was unleashed. It was only a matter of when.

    William didn¡¯t lose his breath once as he hurried through the trees. She didn¡¯t dare to ask where they

    were going, she only trusted that he knew exactly where they should go. The further from the church, the

    better. Joseph had mentioned that hundreds of guards were watching the ce, she only wondered how

    many William had torn through himself before he found her. Still, hundreds more could still be waiting.

    His boots crunched through the snow as Doris gripped onto him tighter. Every turn he made was

    calcted and sure. It wasn¡¯t until she saw a small curve in a rock wall that she knew where they were

    going. ¡°A cave?¡± Doris whispered.

    William nodded once but said nothing until they were inside. He set her down gently and went to start a

    fire without a second to waste. He worked so determinedly and quietly, she was almost afraid to disturb

    him. Once the fire ignited, she felt something flicker inside her too.

    Doris reached out her arms for him as the warmth caressed her skin. She could have groaned from the

    feeling alone. It was like her own version of heaven to feel her bones defrost. Soon she would be able to

    feel her toes again, she hoped. She¡¯d almost forgotten how cold she had gotten until her body melted off

    the ice.

    William nced down at her arms with raised brows. Was he going to make her spell it out for him?

    ¡°Come here,¡± Doris whispered. His shadow danced across the cave wall as he stepped around the

    mes to get to her. He kneeled down in front of her and Doris couldn¡¯t stand another second of his

    hands not on her. ¡°Closer.¡± 3 ¨C

    William removed his jacket andid it across herp. ¡°You should get some rest.¡± He said before he

    stood and walked across the cave as if her eyes hadn¡¯t been begging him to touch her. Doris felt a small

    heat burn out inside her and she knew she should swallow the feeling and sleep¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t.

    How could he stand to be near her without feeling the same way? He always told her to sleep when he

    knew there was more they wanted between them. He always tried to brush her off when he knew he

    should be the one to warm her with his body. 1

    Doris stood on her shaky legs and took a deep breath. She crossed the cave in three hurtful steps. When

    he turned, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his own to finally im

    what was rightfully hers.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115

    Chapter 115 Lust couldn¡¯t wait.

    William¡¯s hands gripped Doris¡¯s hips roughly as he pulled her against him. He didn¡¯t let her think she had

    control for even a moment. His dominance overrode her determination and his kisses tried to devour her

    whole but she only wanted more. She crept her hands up his body with only sinister intentions and she

    could feel his muscles tense under her touch. She wondered how long either of them couldst before

    he lost his sense of control.

    It was a strange feeling. It was like her body needed him more than she could express with words. His

    hands on her felt right and made her feel whole again. His lips sung their own symphony against her

    own. It was almost hard to keep up with his movements but she twisted her fingers in his dark hair and

    pushed herself up into him as she allowed him entrance into her mouth.

    A growl rumbled from the back of his throat, she swallowed the sound and tried to win the battle-but he

    was not one to surrender to anyone. William lifted Doris and wrapped her around his waist before he

    mmed her back against the stone walls. She gasped against his mouth but he only kissed her harder.

    Her mind fogged and blocked out the world around them.

    ¡°William-¡° She groaned and tore off the shreds of his shirt that still remained. His bare chest was blinding

    to her lust, it made her head spin and legs shake but he held her firm. The shame that tried to silence her

    desires were gone for the night. Her mind felt empty of anything but William and the way his body

    responded to even the

    slightest touch from her.

    ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t hide from me forever.¡± William said roughly against her ear. She could feel his length

    press up between her legs and she had to bite back her own whimpers. ¡°Tell me what you want.¡± He

    demanded. His voice circled around her like a rope that tried to tie her to him and she was only willing to

    allow it.

    Doris knew from his voice that he already had her right where he wanted her. She could toy with him a

    bit longer but that would only be torture to herself. He didn¡¯t seem willing to allow her to tease him today.

    They had been apart much too long.¡° You.¡± Doris whispered.

    William put her down for a second to take off her pants. Doris tangled their limbs as she pushed his own

    pants down to free him from any sense of restraint. He moaned when her fingers c?ressed his length

    and the sound sent shivers down her body and pooled a warmth between her legs. Her fingers itched to

    touch herself just to show him how wet he¡¯d made her so quickly but her own shyness prevented her

    from being any more bold than she already was. It took mere breaths before they were both bare before

    one another and not even the cold could chill her heated flesh.

    William gripped her hips and spun her away from him until her back pressed against   his chest. He

    moved her hair out of the way and gripped the side of her head. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± He growled. Her body

    shivered from his voice. Doris closed her eyes and felt her blood rush through her body with such an

    intensity that it almost left her weak.

    He forced her forward and made her grip the wall as hisrge hands pulled her hips back against him.

    His length teased her entrance for agonizing secorlds before he pushed inside her wetness without

    another hesitation. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so rough but she didn¡¯t want him to be so soft anymore.

    She knew he¡¯d held back before, but he didn¡¯t have to anymore now that her body was used to him..

    ¡°Oh!¡± Doris gasped. Her fingers curved against the stone as he started to push inside her. There was

    nothing but ice to grip onto and she was surprised their bodies didn¡¯t melt everything around them. He

    gripped her so hard, she knew his fingers would leave marks like tattoos across her pale hips. Each time

    he thrusted inside her, her face pressed against the stone almost painfully but she didn¡¯t want him to

    stop.

    William¡¯s length pushed so far inside her, Doris couldn¡¯t help but scream. She gripped her own breasts

    when they ached, William moaned and fisted one of his hands in her hair as his hips rocked harshly

    against her own. It was impossible for him to touch every inch of her, but she wanted his hands all over

    her. .

    William thrusted in and out of her with a rhythm that kept changing. It was as if he knew he was driving

    her crazy and it only encouraged him to push in deep and hard before he slowed down.

    ¡°William¡ª¡° Doris groaned. He suddenly pulled himself out of her throbbing core and Doris was ready to

    beg on her knees for him to push back inside her.

    Before she could, William turned her back towards him and lifted her up around him again. Her legs

    wrapped tightly around his waist and he wasted no time as he pushed back inside her. Doris screamed

    and tilted her head back, William¡¯s teeth found her neck and imed her skin with love bites that made

    her want to spin out of control. He did this on purpose, she knew he wanted everyone to know who she

    belonged to.

    ¡°Doris¡ª¡° He groaned against her skin. His hands moved her up and down on his length as his hips

    rocked up against her. His movements weren¡¯t kind or hesitant. He moved with a force that let her know

    she belonged to him in his mind and he wasn¡¯t afraid to im her as roughly as he wanted. There was

    no sense in her mind, her body wanted him.

    His hungry blue eyes were mes as they watched her breasts bounce each time he thrusted inside her.

    He looked at her as if she was the only thing he ever wanted to taste on his tongue again and it made

    her feel as if she was about to unravel in his grip. If he hadn¡¯t been holding her so firmly, she just might

    have.

    Her fingers curled around his neck as she forced his mouth back to her own. It was almost hard to kiss

    him with the constant noises that tried to erupt from her throat but his own moans tasted so good. She

    wanted to bottle up the sound and carry it  with her wherever she went.

    A pool of pleasure warmed the bottom of her stomach. He forced himself up deeper inside her and

    brought her down hard on his length for each thrust. She felt her gaze fog and body ache as her moan¡¯s

    became more frequent but he only seemed to want more from her¡ªas if each sound was his own

    reward.

    He must have felt her tense because his hips smashed against hers quicker than her body could register.

    A pressure rose inside her body and she couldn¡¯t form words to tell him.

    ¡°Come on,¡± He groaned against her ear. She wanted every single bruise he gave her and wished she

    could tattoo them on her skin to remember how good it felt to get them. She never expected a wave of

    pain to be filled with such an intense pleasure that she couldn¡¯t exin. 1

    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡°Doris whimpered. He silenced her with a kiss and pressed her back up harder against the cold

    wall as he moved up inside her. Her entire body tingled and she knew she was done for.

    ¡°William!¡± Doris screamed. The sound echoed around them and deep down she hoped that it didn¡¯t leave

    the privacy of this cave but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care in the moment. She wouldn¡¯t care if

    someone had heard them loud and clear let them hear her. 1

    ¡°Fuck, Doris.¡± William groaned as his own release came undone inside her. She hit her peak seconds

    before he unleashed his own. Her body felt limp in his arms as his thrusts slowed all at once as if his own

    exhaustion was finally catching up on him. 1

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He held her against him as their breaths filled the air. She rested her head against his shoulder and

    closed her eyes. For a moment, she allowed herself to pretend that they were normal lovers that were

    caught out in a snowstorm. No pce, no rogues or enemies wanting them dead. They were just normal

    people that were meant for each other despite all of the fights. 3

    When he set her down, she remembered all of their troubles like a wave that tried to drown her. Piece by

    piece, she pulled on her clothes as if they were armor against what awaited them.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116

    Chapter 116 A little show of emotion.

    The shadows of the mes flickered across the walls and made everything seem so muchrger than

    they were. Doris leaned against the wall and brought her legs up against her chest. Somewhere out

    there, Enzo and his people were being hunted as if they were animals and all she could do was sit here

    uselessly and wait for the sun to

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± William asked from beside her. He was close enough to touch but she resisted the

    urge. She couldn¡¯t get used to her closeness with him when it could get taken away at any moment. It

    was hard toy her trust on someone that seemed so temporary but her body still wanted hisfort.

    Even when her head knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay around. ?

    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think I can sleep knowing what¡¯s happening out there.¡± Doris shifted herself to face him.

    Her eyes trailed along his tired face and down to the veins on his arms. He closed his eyes for a moment

    and it was amazing how someone could look so much like an innocent angel when they were closer to

    the devil. In this moment, it was almost a crime how beautiful he was.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do at the moment. They¡¯ll be fighting in the morning just the same, if not more.¡±

    Doris watched as William¡¯s hand ran up her leg and rested on her thigh almostzily. Small chills broke

    from his touch. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about Enzo and his people? They don¡¯t deserve this because of us.

    He was nothing but kind and now his whole world is turned upside down because of it.¡±

    William opened his eyes, the blue storm always startled her when he was this close. ¡°Enzo is more than

    capable of taking care of himself. I saw him fightst night and I can admit I underestimated him before.

    He¡¯s much stronger than I gave him credit for.¡±

    A small spark flickered inside her, almost as if something was stirring. Doris closed her eyes and tried to

    reach inside herself. A thick wave of exhaustion rumbled through her¡ªcould it be?

    ¡°What?¡± William asked. Doris gripped his wrist to silence him. ¡°I think my wolf is starting to wake.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s starting to wake? You couldn¡¯t shift?¡± William sat up a little straighter, he

    sounded more awake than he had a moment before.

    ¡°No, they injected me with some sort of drug that made her sleep inside me so I couldn¡¯t shift and defend

    myself. She¡¯s been gone since I was taken-I thought they gave me more of a dosest night but-perhaps

    not. I think I can feel her waking.¡±

    A presence inside her moved and she knew it was her wolf, it had to be. Even if she wasn¡¯t fully awake

    yet-Doris could feel her inside her fill the hollowness that was left by that drug. She opened her eyes to

    see William watching her.

    ¡°I can feel her again, she¡¯s waking up.¡± Doris smiled widely, the side of his mouth lifted just slightly before

    it returned to a line as if it was never there.

    ¡°Tell me more about this drug, Doris. Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªwhat do you mean sooner? This is the first time we¡¯ve been able to talk about it ¡° Doris let out a

    breath, a fight wasn¡¯t important. ¡°One of the guards told me about the drug they made for their enemies.

    It prevents them from shifting for days at a time. It felt as if she wasn¡¯t inside me at all anymore when

    they injected me. She was silent, I was afraid she wasn¡¯ting back.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how much of this drug they have made? Or what they are nning to do with it?¡±

    ¡°No, he said they made it for you but he used some of the dose on me. That¡¯s all I know about it.¡±

    William¡¯s eyes darkened at her words. She knew what must have been running through his mind-all the

    unsure thoughts and concerns that now came with the knowledge. If he was caught for a second, they

    could use it on him and it could be the end of William. Doris moved a bit closer to him and rested her

    head against his shoulder.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you were going toe back for me. I¡¯m thankful you did.¡± Doris whispered.

    William said nothing. He stared forward and let the silence fill in the nks of her mind. Perhaps

    admitting he came back for her was too much for him, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he did it. He

    saved her again even when she promised herself that she was done being saved. If it was by him, she

    didn¡¯t mind one bit.

    ¡°I never left.¡± William said quietly, almost as if he didn¡¯t say it at all. Doris lifted her head to look at him.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get more than a mile from Enzo¡¯s camp. I missed you by only seconds when I turned back.¡±

    Doris tried to swallow the lump in her throat and the warmth that trailed around her heart like a smoke

    cloud. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± William looked forward, his eyes refused to meet her own. Doris tried to move so he would

    look at her. She gripped his face to turn it back to her own. Finally, she saw his eyes fall back to her.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you leave? Say it.¡±   William¡¯s blue gaze flickered over her face. A small battle brewed

    behind those eyes but she couldn¡¯t tell what side of him was winning. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t leave you.¡± 1

    Doris ran her thumb across his cheek and leaned forward to kiss him every so lightly. She would have

    never expected him to be capable of such a softness, but the small side couldn¡¯t hide from her forever.

    She forced it out of him.

    William pulled back and gripped her hand that held his face. ¡°Be honest with me. Did they hurt you in any

    way? You can tell me if they did.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Doris said quickly. ¡°I fell in that hole and sprained my ankles, but they didn¡¯t do anything to hurt me.

    At first, they were kind and respectful. Near the end they had gotten a bit impatient but didn¡¯t harm me.¡±

    William nodded and leaned his head back against the wall to close his eyes. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that

    he had watched Melody almost beat her to death and all he did was tell her to be more private about it.

    How fast the night had changed between them. What would they be when they stepped foot back

    inside his pce?

    ¡°I want to help tomorrow. If my wolf is back by the morning, I want to be out there to help fight.¡± Doris

    said carefully as if she was treading her steps around a bear.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    William¡¯s eyes shot open and his grip tightened on her hand. She winced and he pulled away. ¡°Are you

    crazy? No. You are the main target to take as hostage. They know that you¡¯re my weakness and they all

    know what you look like now.¡±

    Doris ignored the flutter in her stomach at his words. She hated that he made her feel like a nervous

    schoolgirl when she was grown-but she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°If we stay close together, they won¡¯t get a

    chance to take me. Besides, if you leave me here there¡¯s more of a chance that they could take me

    again.¡±

    William narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°I could just sit here with you and make sure that didn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°And wait until they¡¯re all dead out there? That¡¯s madness!¡± Doris huffed and crossed her arms over her

    chest. ¡°You know we have to help them. Once my wolf wakes she will want a taste of vengeance for

    herself.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± William grumbled. ¡°I have every intention to help tomorrow and put an end to this-war or

    whatever this has be. I would prefer if you didn¡¯t try to get yourself killed every damn minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only trying to help, William. I didn¡¯t ask to be a target¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, but you are one whether you like it or not.¡± William rolled his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. His

    exhaustion was weighing on him, she wondered when thest time he had even gotten an ounce of

    sleep. Possibly not since she was first taken. 1

    ¡°If I stay near you, you can keep watch at least.¡± Doris whispered. She moved closer to him again and

    leaned her head on his shoulder as if it was always meant for her.

    William sighed again and closed his eyes.

    ¡°Alright. Only if your wolf has its strength when you wake. Otherwise, I¡¯m tying you to a fucking tree and

    you¡¯re not going anywhere near the battlefield.¡±

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117

    Chapter 117 I¡¯m d you came.

    The next morning, Doris woke with a headache sharp enough to kill. William was still out next to her with

    his arm drapedzily across her body. She gently moved his arm just enough for her to slip out of his

    hold. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re awake.¡± A voice said inside her. Doris flinched at the sound.

    ¡°Cordelia?¡± Doris said hesitantly inside her mind. She nced over to look at William still sleeping

    soundly. ¡°Who else?¡± Cordelia grumbled. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°I thought you were gone¡ªI didn¡¯t feel you

    at all.¡± Doris got up to pace around the fire that had long gone out. She looked around for something to

    light it again but couldn¡¯t find anything.

    Cordeliaughed inside her as if it was all one big joke. Doris felt the sudden urge to strangle her with

    relief. ¡°They wish they could have silenced me forever. I¡¯m still here.¡±

    ¡°Where did you¡­go?¡± Doris asked.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I was asleep. All I saw was darkness and suddenly I woke up and you were here with our mate.¡±

    Cordelia made a sound of approval. ¡°I knew you woulde around. Don¡¯t think I missed your

    pleasurable night¡ª¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for that,¡± Doris said quickly, her face flushed. ¡°When William wakes up, we have to go

    help Enzo before it¡¯s toote. I hope he¡¯s doing okay out there, wherever he is.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I deserve some sort of day off?¡± Cordelia whined. Doris wanted to p her and hug her at the

    same time. ¡°I saw how tough Enzo is, he can handle himself. His wolf is almost stronger than William¡¯s

    and much stronger than all of the other rogues we¡¯ve met.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± William asked. Doris stopped her pacing and turned to find him wide awake with

    watchful eyes.

    ¡°My wolf-she¡¯s awake.¡± Doris pointed to her head. William rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh she is? Wonderful. I

    assume you¡¯re ready for battle then?¡± William said as he pushed himself up to stand. ¡°Care to exin

    what even happened to me?¡± Cordelia asked almostzily as if she didn¡¯t really care.

    ¡°We were drugged. It mostly was to put you out for a few days so I couldn¡¯t defend myself.¡± Doris said

    silently. William raised his brows.

    ¡°You look as if you¡¯re having a deep conversation, should I leave?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Of course not¡ªI¡¯m finished now, I swear.¡° Doris moved to the cave entrance and peered

    outside. ¡°It¡¯s morning, we should move out and try to find where Enzo is.¡±

    ¡°Enzo this, Enzo that.¡± William pushed past her and shrugged on his coat. His shirt was in a mess on the

    floor and she felt her skin prickle just looking at him. How was he not freezing? ¡°He¡¯s going to be fine.¡±

    William grumbled.

    ¡°How are we going to find him and the rest of your royal party? They must be going crazy searching for

    you all night.¡± Doris followed him through the snow. He set off in a direction without a thought, she

    wondered how he could always be so sure.

    ¡°I told them to stay with Enzo and help him when I went after you. They know not to expect me anytime

    soon.¡± William said quietly. His steps were light as he moved through the snow and Doris tried to match

    them. She gripped onto his arm when she felt herself start to slip.

    Doris followed William through the snow towards where she could only assume was towards Enzo¡¯s

    camp. It was a wonder how he knew his direction so well when she would wander for days before she

    found anything near where she needed to go.

    They walked inplete silence, only the wind whistled through the trees but nothing else could be

    heard for miles. A small frozenke up ahead made Doris

    finally aware of where they were.

    ¡°We have to stay quiet.¡± William whispered when she opened her mouth toment on theke. ¡°I don¡¯t

    know if the cabins have been taken over by the other rogues or if Enzo is here. Stay down.¡± He hissed.

    William tightened his grip on her hand and crouched as he led her towards the path that led up towards

    the cabins. She tried to calm her breathing but it only made her want to choke the more they walked.

    They paused by arge tree and she strained to hear above the growing winds¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t hear a

    thing.

    It was as if there was no soul for miles. They crept towards one of the buildings and stayed close to the

    sides as the peered around the corner. The sight shocked her. Everything was ransacked and flipped

    over and it looked utterly abandoned. William moved out further into the camp to observe the wreckage

    but it was clear there was no threat still here.

    ¡°They¡¯re all gone.¡± Doris said as she followed him. William opened each cabin but there was no life

    inside.

    ¡°They must have emptied out when they heard the rogues wereing.¡± ¡°Or the rogues hade and

    forced them out.¡± Doris said sadly. When they got to her cabin, she went inside to change into something

    clean and warmer, William did the same. She took precious seconds to clean the dirt off her body and

    pack a bag full

    of essentials before she met William back outside. The sight startled her, he had shaven the roguish

    beard he¡¯d grown. He looked fresh in a dark sweater and sharp jacket. William looked more like a prince

    for the first time since he¡¯d gotten here.

    Doris stepped up to him and traced her fingers across his smooth skin. He gripped her hand and eyed

    the knife on her belt that Enzo had given her. ¡°Some of the horses are still in the stables.¡±

    ¡°We only need one.¡± Doris stepped back and shoved her hands in her pockets. ¡°We¡®re going back to Life

    Pharmacy, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know of any other ces to look?¡± William rolled his eyes and kicked at the snow.

    ¡°We should have left when I said to. None of this would have happened if we did.¡±

    ¡°I assume you think this is my fault then? I¡¯m not the one who met every night with Enzo to discuss

    kingdom politics¡ª¡°

    ¡°Of course not. You don¡¯t give a shit about the kingdom or its politics.¡± ¡°I care about what is right¡ª¡°

    ¡°You only care about your own freedom.¡± William spat. Doris crossed her arms over her chest as a small

    ball of anger rose in her throat.

    ¡°At least I¡¯m not trying to throw my own brother off the throne by working with known enemies. I don¡¯t

    know what you hope to gain by enlisting Enzo, but neither of the parties would be willing to work together

    ¡ª¡°.

    ¡°I am trying to make peace!¡± William growled. Doris flinched at the sound. ¡°If I can get the rogues on my

    side, the crown would be mine. Not even the charming crown prince could convince the rogues to unite

    with the kingdom again¡ªbut I can.¡±

    ¡°You truly think that would win you the crown? If you can create peace between the rogues and your

    kingdom?¡±.

    ¡°My father has been trying since before I was born to im the north as his own again. No one from the

    kingdom has dared travel through here because of the vicious stories and people¡ªbut I could be the one

    to bring peace.¡± William lowered his voice a little when it started to raise. ¡°Martin has no interest in even

    touching the north because of the reputation. I wouldn¡¯t be so weak. The kingdom needs a strong leader,

    not a charming fool.¡± He spat.

    Doris hadn¡¯t realized how determined William was for the crown, he had it all worked out in his head. She

    already knew he didn¡¯te here for the poisonous nt¡ªbut for his own benefit. She just didn¡¯t realize

    how far ahead in the game he was.

    ¡°I had hoped you moved past your feeling for my daft brother¡ª¡±   ¡°I don¡¯t have any sort of feelings for

    him!¡± Doris said angrily. ¡°How could you think I would have feelings for him and be with you like I have

    been?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first maid to sneak in more than one prince¡¯s bed.¡± 1

    His words were like ice, she didn¡¯t expect them to hurt as badly as they did. Doris turned away from him

    and headed straight for the stables without another word. She didn¡¯t need him, she never needed him

    despite what her stupid mind tried to make her believe. 2

    Tears blurred her vision, she wiped them away quickly. She¡¯d rather drop dead than let him see her cry.

    When she opened the doors to the stables, an old familiar man stood next to one of the horses. Sir

    Antony turned to her with a smile.

    ¡°Ah, good. I¡¯m d you came.¡±

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    Chapter 118 Old habits.

    ¡°Sir Antony.¡± Doris bowed her head because she wasn¡¯t sure what else to do. The old man onlyughed

    and she felt the heat crawl up her neck. She hadn¡¯t y?t broken her old habits.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°No need for that, my child. It seems I¡¯ve been in the dark about some of the matters between rogues. I

    woke up this morning to an empty house and vige.¡± Sir Antony brushed his hand across one of the

    horses though a sad look formed along his features.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t told you anything?¡± Doris asked in disbelief. ¡°Surely you must have noticed the tension¡ª¡°

    ¡°I was told it was being handled respectively, now I see that wasn¡¯t true.¡± He nced over her shoulder.

    She didn¡¯t have to turn to know that William was there. Sir Antony didn¡¯t smile, but he didn¡¯t re at

    least. ¡°You look just like her.¡±

    His soft tone shocked her a bit. Doris nced back to see William clench his jaw. They all knew he

    meant William¡¯s mother that used to live in this very camp. ¡°Must be why my father hates me.¡±

    Doris cleared her throat and took a step closer to Sir Antony. ¡°Is there anyway you can help us? Perhaps

    they would see reason if you were to intervene. I know how highly they all think of you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d first like to know what the prince is doing in my territory. I haven¡¯t had a chance to ask him

    personally.¡± Sir Antony kept his eyes on William and Doris was starting to feel as if she was invisible

    again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get any of my invitations for a private meeting? I was beginning to think my messenger

    was keeping them for himself.¡±.

    ¡°I did. I didn¡¯t think they would be useful to me.¡± William said calmly. Doris looked at him, surprised. She

    didn¡¯t know that he had been ignoring an invitation with the founder of the rogues. Doris hadn¡¯t seen Sir

    Antonye out of his cabin since she arrived, she thought he was just unwell.

    What did he mean that a meeting wouldn¡¯t be useful to him? She couldn¡¯t think of anything more useful

    than having the founder of rogues on your side.

    Sir Antony offered a small, sad smile. ¡°I know you are the reason my people are separated. You owe me

    a reason, the very least.¡±

    ¡°I would think you would be the one to owe me something.¡± William spoke as if he was disinterested in

    everything around him. The disrespect was in, but Sir Antony only looked amused by William¡¯s mood.

    ¡°William, what are you talking about? I thought you¡ª¡° William silenced Doris with a nce that could

    have cut her. She narrowed her eyes at him and balled her hands

    into fists at her sides.

    ¡°I came to unite the rogues back with the kingdom, but not everyone is happy with the idea.¡± William

    forced out as if Doris had tortured him to say it. ¡°I wanted peace between ournds.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? And how would you expect to do that?¡± Sir Antony asked curiously.

    ¡°Once I be king, I¡¯ll be able to enforce peace towards the rogues. Any mistreatment won¡¯t be

    tolerated under my order. All I need is the rogues agreement and support but it seems most of them

    won¡¯t stand still enough to listen.¡±

    ¡°Once you be king? I was under the impression that your older brother is first in line.¡± Sir Antony

    tilted his head. She admired how calm and kind he sounded whenever he spoke, even when he was

    confused himself.

    ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s right for the kingdom. He¡¯s just a copy of my father, no peace or

    goodness wille out of his ruling. The rogues will be treated the same if he takes the crown¡ª¡°

    William took a deep breath. ¡°I know how to be the king thesends deserve and I came here to prove it. I

    just need a chance to convince them of it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Sir Antony nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you will get their approval, but you can certainly try.¡±

    ¡°Do you know if the vigers were taken to Life Pharmacy?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I would think they were. There¡¯s no where else big enough to hold them.¡± Sir Antony patted the back of

    one of the horses. ¡°You better get going before they try to make a ruling themselves.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going toe help?¡± William asked with a sneer. Doris wanted to stomp on his foot, he

    wasn¡¯t trying very hard to get on the rogue¡¯s favor.

    ¡°Oh my dear boy, I¡¯m not fit for a horse any longer. Besides, something tells me that this is something for

    you to eam on your own.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for wasting our time.¡± William grumbled and went to mount a horse on his own. Doris ignored

    his outstretched hand and went to mount her own horse with much difficulty.

    Once she was finally on, she nodded her head to Sir Antony. ¡°Thank you for your time. I hope we see

    you again before we leave.¡±

    ¡°I would certainly think you will.¡± Sir Antony smiled.

    Doris lightly motioned for her horse to move out of the stables. William said nothing as he kicked his own

    horse to go faster. Doris red at the back of his head and tried to make her own follow close by.

    Doris gripped on tightly to the reigns and tried her best not to fall off and make a fool   of herself as she

    followed William up the path. It was the first time she had to steer her own horse, but she at least knew

    how to hold on well enough and her horse seemed to want to follow William¡¯s.

    He didn¡¯t turn back once to make sure she was behind him and it only made her more angry at him. He

    spoke to her as if she would always be around no matter what he did or said, and she couldn¡¯t wait to

    prove him wrong once they were back at the pce.

    Once Life Pharmacy came into view, William slowed his horse immensely. His head jerked to the side

    and he suddenly pulled off to the side and down a path that led the other way. Doris almost flew off her

    horse when she tried to follow him. She gripped the horses neck and tried to steer him towards William

    again.

    The arrogant prince didn¡¯t think to make sure she was fine as he bolted down a new path. Doris tried her

    best to catch up and luckily her horse was fast enough. He halted to a stop up ahead. Doris pulled her

    reigns back to stop her own and a wave of snow exploded from the ground.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Doris shouted through her pants. He red at her over his shoulder for shouting, but she

    didn¡¯t care. She was close to finding a nearby rock to toss at his head.

    ¡°William? Doris?¡± A voice said from the nearby trees.

    ¡°Patrick?¡± William called. He stepped out from between the trees and looked as if he had been dragged

    through the mud. William slid off his horse and embraced his friend as if he thought he had died. Doris

    slowly slid off her own horse and almost fell right in the mud crusted snow. Several other guards from the

    pce came out behind him and Doris felt a little bit of relief to know they had survived.

    ¡°What happened? We went to the camp¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enzo was taken as prisoner from Life Pharmacy. They deemed him a traitor and injected him with

    something that made him weak.¡± William nced at Doris and they both knew what he¡¯d been injected

    with. That must mean he waspletely weak to them at the moment without his wolf.

    ¡°We saw theming and left before they could catch us. We came here in hopes to find you since the

    church was already empty by the time we got there.¡± Patrick exined. He gave Doris a simple nod and

    she offered nothing more than a smile. ¡°We have to get him out of there, I know exactly where they

    would have taken him ¡°Doris said.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. All of their guards have pulled back and returned here. We simply don¡¯t have enough

    people to help.¡± Patrick said lightly. Doris sighed.

    ¡°He¡¯s in there because of us. The least we can do is help them! We have it in us to help. William, you

    know we have to do this.¡±

    .

    William looked away in thought. ¡°If we help him escape, then that¡¯s all we¡¯re doing. We can¡¯t carry this

    battle on our backs.¡±

    ¡°If we help him, he might know how to get their attention again.¡± Doris said. William raised his brow.

    ¡°Perhaps we can trick the rogues into following us to another location and there¡ªyou can tell them all

    about your ns of peace.¡±

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    Chapter 119 A little control.

    ¡°How would you figure they would listen?¡± William asked with a bit of a bite. Doris wanted to roll her eyes

    at him. He was insufferable whenever he was mad at her-or anyone, for that matter. She wondered how

    Patrick had stuck around with him for as long as he did.

    ¡°Because, we lead them back to Enzo¡¯s camp where Sir Antony is. He will at least make them see

    reasoning and give you a chance to speak.¡± Doris exined as if she was talking to a child. It only made

    him more angry which is exactly what she wanted. She wanted to poke the bear inside him like he did to

    her.

    ¡°Sir Antony won¡¯t want to help me, Doris. You heard him yourself¡ªhe thinks this is something I have to

    do on my own.¡± William said bitterly.

    ¡°I think he would help us if we brought them back there. It might force his hand, but I think he would still

    be willing.¡± Doris crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you came here? To get them on your

    side?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but this has be something bigger than any of us can handle.¡± Patrick cut in. ¡°We don¡¯t have

    enough men to take them on. It would be a suicide mission to try and toy with them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not toying with them we just need to lead them back to Enzo¡¯s camp and I think it will work if we do.

    It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Doris said a little quieter.

    William rolled his eyes to the sky as if he might be able to find the answer to their problems or perhaps

    he was only irritated by her suggestions. It wouldn¡¯t have been the first time¡ªand it certainly wouldn¡¯t be

    thest. ¡°I suppose we can try and hash a n, but first we have to figure out how we¡¯re going to get

    Enzo out of there.¡± .

    ¡°They have cells that run under ground that they put me in. But first, we can check the old room I was

    first set in. It had a small window that Enzo visited me by¡ª¡°

    William snapped his head towards her. Doris mped her lips shut on her own words, she¡¯d forgotten

    that she wasn¡¯t supposed to mention it. ¡°What do you mean Enzo visited you? When did he visit you?¡± 1

    ¡°When I was held in the room, Enzo had stopped by to visit me.¡± Doris said lightly. William parted his lips

    to ask more, but she interrupted him. ¡°As I was saying. I know where the window is at. We can check

    there first before we try the lower cells.¡±

    ¡°How would you think we could get to those cells?¡± Patrick asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem as simple as you¡¯re

    making it out to be.¡±

    ¡°I remember how to get there. I can sneak in by myself and try to get the keys to release him.¡± Doris

    offered.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m allowing you to go into the belly of the beast. You¡¯ll be killed if any of them catch

    you.¡± William said instantly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t allow or not allow me to do anything, we¡¯re not at the pce. I¡¯m the only one that knows how

    to get in and out of that ce so I think I would be the only option.¡± Doris hissed. William looked away

    from her but she knew he wanted to strangle her just from the look on his face.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go in with you and we can get him out.¡± He finally said. Doris wanted to object, but it would be

    useless. He would never let her go in there without him.

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Doris grumbled. ¡°We¡¯ll get him out and figure out how to lead all the rogues to his camp after

    he¡¯s safe. I¡¯m sure he might have some sort of idea.¡±

    Patrick looked between them as if they were some part of his amusement. He snorted and turned to

    nce at his men. 1

    ¡°Alright. We will be close by on watch in case things go wrong.¡± Patrick nced at Doris. ¡°You

    understand that we must rescue the prince over you, don¡¯t you?¡± 1

    Doris lifted her chin and nodded. William shifted beside her.

    ¡°You¡¯d be wiser to go for Doris first.¡± Was all he said before he climbed a small hill that overlooked Life

    Pharmacy. Doris quickly followed him before he decided to leave without her. He peered down at the

    building as if it was a puzzle he was destined to solve.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°When should we leave?¡± Doris whispered. She hoped he still heard her over the growing wind.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t expect us during the day.¡± He said without looking at her. Doris tried to spot any sort of

    guard that might have been patrolling the grounds but she hadn¡¯t seen anyone yet. ¡°They have more

    men on patrol at night. I noticed thest time we were here.¡±.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s the perfect time to go?¡± Doris asked. Her eyes flickered over him and noticed how tense he

    stood. Was he nervous about this? Or was she imagining it?

    ¡°Take me to the small window, then we can discuss if we go in yet.¡± He said quietly. Doris nodded and

    started to head down a side path that was covered with trees. There was less of a chance that someone

    from Life Pharmacy would see them rather than heading straight for it.

    She crouched low to the ground when they reached one of the fences. Doris waited by the trees for what

    felt like hours before she built up enough courage to hurry across the clearing and over the short gate.

    William¡¯s heavier footsteps were close behind her own, for a moment she¡¯d almost forgotten he was

    near.

    They hid behind every object big enough to hide them until they scaled the wall. Three guards passed by

    them as they hid in the shadows and didn¡¯t turn their way   s once as they slipped by. Doris followed the

    line of the wall and looked away when she saw the clearing where Joseph had asked her to dance. As

    romantic as it was, it wasn¡¯t a real memory to her.

    The small window was near the corner of the side of the building. William gripped her arm and held her

    against him when two guards popped out arourfd the corner. She could feel his warm breath against the

    back of her neck, his hand covered her mouth and pressed her back against his chest as they passed.

    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t told about his new¡­¡±

    The voices faded away after a few moments. Doris watched as their shadows disappeared around the

    corner before she went towards the small window again. She knew it was the one for the room she had

    been in. It was white, the rest of them looked brown or ck but there was only one white one.

    Doris pointed to the small window and William bent over to force it open with little to no effort. Doris

    dropped to her knees to peer into the small window, but it waspletely dark. It smelled exactly the

    same as it did when she left and there didn¡¯t seem to be any sort of life left in the ce. She quickly

    stood and dusted off her pants before she shook her head at William. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.

    1

    William motioned for her to stay quiet as he gripped her hand and led her back around the building. He

    paused when they came in view of the back door Joseph had led her out through. She silently motioned

    that the door would be locked, but he didn¡¯t seem bothered in the least.

    A few minutes passed without a word from William. He just stayed still and listened. Doris wrapped her

    arms around herself when the anticipation started to fade and the cold crept back in.

    A pair of guards came around the corner with their heads bent in a deep conversation. William leaned

    over to whisper in her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll take the bigger one.¡± He said. Doris widened her eyes and went to grab

    him, but he was already up and behind them.

    Doris scrambled to get up and help. He leaned down to grab a rock and ced it in her hand without

    taking his eyes off the men. Doris knew exactly what he wanted her to do¡ªand she wanted to object and

    yell at him for even suggesting it. But William didn¡¯t even nced at her. As if he knew she would object

    if he did.

    William lifted his rock and smashed it against the back of therger guy¡¯s head. Doris quickly did the

    same to the shorter guy before he could turn and sound the rm. Blood gushed from their wounds,

    William turned them over before any could soil their outfits.

    She eyes him curiously. He stood and brushed himself off.

    ¡°Help me pull them into the bushes, we¡¯re going to need their clothes.¡±

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    Chapter 120 What took you so long

    Doris looked like a child in adult clothing. The man¡¯s clothes hung from her body like a dress but she did

    her best to shove the shirt into the pants and make the belt as tight as possible so they didn¡¯t fall off her

    body. With a coat on, it didn¡¯t look half bad. But she knew it was still painfully obvious the clothes didn¡¯t

    belong to her.

    William was a little too big for his own clothes. His muscles strained against the the fabric and he was

    one sharp turn away from splitting his clothes open. He pulled a hat down on his head and shoved a bit

    of his ck hair beneath it. 1

    He looked her up and down with the nerve to look amused. ¡°I sometimes forget how small you are.¡± He

    said quietly. Doris rolled the sleeves a bit so they didn¡¯t fall past her hands before she pushed all of her

    hair up into the sweaty hat on her head. It was almost a brilliant idea from William, but she was afraid if

    she admitted that, he would insult her again just to keep it even. 2

    ¡°Yes, well¡ªlet¡¯s hope no one looks too closely at how giant my clothes are.¡± Doris whispered back. He

    gripped her hand and led her back towards the door with keys in his grip. Her stomach turned the closer

    they got and she tried to hold in her sick feelings. 1 Once they stepped out of the bushes, they both

    stood up straight and acted as if they were back on duty. He dropped her hand the second they stepped

    back on the main path. She used her feet to cover the traces of blood that were left from the other

    guards¡ªshe didn¡¯t have time to feel guilty about what she¡¯d done.

    He looked around casually, Doris kept her head down until they reached the door. He slipped the keys in

    her hand and she tested the door before she started fitting the keys one by one. On her luck, it took a

    dozen tries before she found the right one. She opened the door and they slipped inside quickly before

    they clicked the door shut behind them. Her head spun along with the room around her.

    The hall was a lot brighter than she remembered, it also stretched on more than she first thought when

    Joseph had led her down it. Perhaps it was due to the daylight, but there was no time to wonder. A few

    guards passed by the end of the hall and they both quickly ducked into a shadowy part of the wall until

    they were out of sight.

    ¡°Which way do we go?¡± William whispered against her ear. His warm breath tickled a little, she brushed

    her loose hairs behind her ear. It wasn¡¯t the time to focus on how close he was to her. It almost made her

    forget that she was supposed to be mad at him still.

    ¡°At the end of the hall, we turn left and there should be a green door. After that, we turn right and go all

    the way down to the end and that¡¯s where the cells would be.¡± Doris whispered. She peered around the

    corner of the wall. ¡°They¡¯re behind a big dark door. We might need to find a guard that works near the

    cells for the keys. I   don¡¯t think these ones would have it.¡±

    William nodded and stepped back out into the light of the hall with more confidence than she could ever

    hope to obtain. Doris straightened herself and followed. He took the lead and walked down the end of the

    hallway with his hat tilted down a little to hide his eyes. To her, they were a dead giveaway to who he was

    but she doubted a lot of the rouges would feel the same

    They passed by a few guards that didn¡¯t look at them twice, despite how ridiculous she must look. She

    tried her best to walk in William¡¯s shadow. Doris did notice how many more guards were around than

    there had been before. It almost looked as if they had doubled in just a few short days. n

    They found the green door and casually walked inside as if it was where they were meant to be. He

    closed the door after Doris and they both nced around the empty hallway. Somewhere, two voices

    echoed off the wall in a discussion and Doris dreaded the thought of running into a guard that might

    recognize her. Would they kill her this time? 1

    William must have saw the look on her face because he motioned for her to stay as he took the keys out

    of her pocket. Doris tried to ask why with her eyes, but he was already around the corner before she

    could. Doris swallowed her nerves and leaned back against the wall and allowed herself to breathe for

    the first time since they put on these uniforms.

    The voices faded even when Doris strained to hear more. She started to count in her mind but quickly

    lost count when her mind wandered to where William could be. What if he went ahead and left her here?

    What if he had gotten caught somewhere else and she didn¡¯t know it? What if someone saw her here

    and knew exactly who she was

    ¡°Come on.¡± William whispered. Doris almost jumped out of her skin-she hadn¡¯t even heard him when he

    returned. William gripped her arm to steady her and ced a new set of keys in her grasp.

    ¡°Are these¡ª¡° Doris started to ask before William silenced her with a look. She hated how good he was at

    that. Doris narrowed her eyes at him and his mouth lifted just a little before he turned and went down the

    hall again. Doris quickened her step to catch up with his annoyingly long strides. She could only bet he

    took pleasure in her annoyance-well, so did she. His annoyance was beginning to feel like the highlight

    of her day. 1

    They turned right and headed down towards the dark door at the end of the hallway. Everything about it

    screamed to stay away, and that was when Doris realized they were exactly in the right ce. Now she

    could see with clear eyes, it was all so much worse than she first thought.

    A young guard sat in a chair near the door with a book in his grasp. He didn¡¯t look too concerned with

    anything that might go wrong and she was only d she didn¡¯t   recognize him. She could only hope he

    had seen her when she was held as a prisoner in those very cells. There was never a guarantee, but she

    hoped he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Shift change.¡± William said loud enough to make the boy jump. She didn¡¯t me him, she had almost

    done so herself. 1

    He looked a bit confused. ¡°I¡¯m due here til dinner.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, did I? I was sent to relieve you and do a walk through.¡± William kept his head tilted just

    enough to hide his telling features. Doris did the same as she stood behind hisrge form.

    ¡°I should go talk to Mr. Hugh. I don¡¯t want this to be a knock on my pay.¡± The boy grumbled as he stood.

    Doris felt a bit of panic bloom in her chest and she knew it was there to stay. 1

    William gripped the boy¡¯s arm. ¡°He sent me himself. Don¡¯t go bothering the boss because you¡¯re wanting

    to sit back all day.¡±

    He released him and shoved him a little down the hall. The boy red at William¡¯s back and Doris turned

    her head quickly before he could get a glimpse of her face. Once he was gone, William unlocked the

    door.

    ¡°Where did you get those keys?¡± Doris whispered.

    William snorted. ¡°There were two guards on duty down here other than that kid. I caught one alone and

    left him in a closet.¡±

    ¡°Dead?¡± Doris gasped a little. William gave her an annoyed look as he pushed open therge doors.

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not aplete monster.¡± 1

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    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡°

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± William grumbled and took the lead. It was even darker than she

    remembered, it was almost hard to see a foot in front of herself. The cells closest to the door were clearly

    empty. She knew they must have ced him in the far back just as they did to her.

    It was like a new version of hell for her¡ªshe wondered if it was just as bad for Enzo.

    Doris made sure the door was closed before she spoke.

    ¡°Enzo¡­¡± She whispered. William walked ahead as he peered into each cell. ¡°Enzo?¡± Doris said a little

    louder. Something shifted back in the darkness and her heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

    ¡°What took you so long?¡±

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    Chapter 121 A dreadful escape.

    Doris couldn¡¯t see Enzo, but his voice was all the confirmation she needed. Doris gripped the bars of his

    cell. ¡°Enzo, are you alright?¡± Doris said quietly. They didn¡¯t have much time before that boy alerted

    someone of the shift change. They were probably already on their way here and every breath was a

    waste.

    ¡°As well as I can be, I suppose.¡± Enzo said with a weak chuckle. William fumbled with the keys beside

    her as he tried to find the match in theplete darkness. Doris felt as if she could hear all of their

    breaths echo in her ears along with the beat of her heart. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you woulde for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course we would. You¡¯re in this mess because of us.¡± Doris said gently. William stiffened beside her.

    A momentter, the lock sounded and the door creaked open slowly. ¡°You never let us down when we

    needed you.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your lies, they sound so sweeting from your lips.¡± Enzo groaned as he must have

    forced himself to his feet and over to them. ¡°You truly didn¡¯t have to go through all this trouble for me. I

    expected you both to already be on your way back to the castle by now. I¡¯m sure they would have

    realized their mistakes soon enough and let me go.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hold your breath about that.¡± William muttered and brushed past her.¡° How are we supposed

    to get him out of here without them noticing? Everyone knows what he looks like, he¡¯s their leader.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason they keep the cells so dark down here.¡± Enzo said. William paused his steps. She

    couldn¡¯t see either of them but she could sense William anywhere like he was a part of her. ¡°They easily

    forget that I am the one who helped design this building. At the end of the hall there¡¯s a cer door that

    leads under ground. They were originally made for servants¡ª¡°

    ¡°We don¡¯t need a history lesson on your building, on with it.¡± William snapped. Enzo onlyughed. Doris

    wanted to step on his foot but she knew she wouldn¡¯t have been able to find it in the darkness.

    Unfortunately.

    ¡°He¡¯s delightful, d to see that hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡± Enzo shifted his body and brushed by Doris. ¡°It

    travels underground straight to the kitchens where we can slip out of the back door before they realize

    I¡¯m gone. At least we have the keys.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry, then. I think the guard that watched the door was going straight to Mr. Hugh to ask

    about the sudden shift change.¡± Doris said. Enzo gripped her hand in the darkness, it almost startled her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡±

    Doris reluctantly reached out to grip William¡¯s hand and forced him to follow them.   Enzo led them down

    the long, dark hallway and stopped to steady Doris several times when she tripped over her own feet.

    She was only d it was dark enough to hide her blush from the two men who must have felt like she

    was a clumsy fool. 1

    At the end of the hallway, he released her hand and tried to force open the door. William reached across

    to hand him the keys and a secondter, they were inside. A blinding light made her eyes water. The

    hallway was brighter than day and looked like a stone cave that stretched far.

    ¡°Why do they keep it so bright down here?¡± Doris whispered and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She

    nced back and saw some of the dirty cells lit up behind them. ¡°The bright light is just enough to light

    up the servants path down the row of cells. It¡¯s only on when they have someone in the cells. I suppose

    we should be lucky they wanted to light it just for me.¡± Enzo grumbled. She turned to get a good look at

    him and almost gasped at his state. He had two ck eyes and cuts across his arm and neck. His

    clothes were tom in more than one ce and he looked as if he could barely stand straight.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ Enzo, I can¡¯t believe they did this to you.¡± Doris reached out her hand to lightly touch the

    bruises under his eyes. He gripped her hand and held it against his chest. 2

    ¡°I have to admit, it was on me. I gave them one hell of a fight and I refused to stay down.¡± Enzo cleared

    his throat and tried to offer her a smile. He gestured for them to walk down the hall and he made sure the

    door was locked behind them. It might not keep the guards out, but it would certainly slow them down a

    bit.

    ¡°We have to turn this around and get them back on your side, Enzo. I think we might have a n to try.¡±

    Doris quickened her step to keep up with the men.

    ¡°It might end up getting us killed.¡± William grumbled.

    Enzo nced at both of them with raised brows. ¡°Care to expand on this so called dangerous n? My

    own ns have fallen t for the time being.¡±

    ¡°I think if we can lead the rogues back to the camp, perhaps Sir Antony could calm them down and allow

    them to listen to a bit of reason.¡± Doris exined. ¡°I know it will beplicated, but they¡¯ll listen to him. I

    heard the guards call him untouchable so perhaps they¡¯d be willing to listen to him if he says to listen to

    William and his idea. If they don¡¯t want anything to do with William still, we¡¯ll leave and nevere back.

    Maybe Sir Antony can restore their hope back in you, the very least.¡± 1

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    William snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. They both ignored him.

    Enzo looked thoughtful, and also in a bit of pain. ¡°We won¡¯t need to do anything to lead them back, they¡¯ll

    know that¡¯s where I went. I just need a night to regain a bit of strength before we attempt that.¡±

    ¡°I know it could backfire, but it¡¯s worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°Doris is right, as usual.¡± Enzo offered her a smile while William rolled his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t sit back and go

    into hiding forever, we have to try something and I don¡¯t hear any better suggestions.¡±

    ¡°We can hide out with my guards for the night and go back to your camp by morning. I¡¯m sure they will

    already be waiting for us by then.¡± William said. They

    reached the end of the hallway and Enzo gestured for them to stay still.

    He unlocked the door with the set of keys and peered inside the kitchen. Doris was hit with a warm air of

    sweetness that made her realize how hungry she was. She gripped her stomach when it started to

    grumble. William eyed her suspiciously.

    Enzo closed the door and turned back to them. ¡°There¡¯s several cooks at their stoves but no one is near

    the door. We can make it through if we hurry but we must be quiet. Their equipment is loud, but not that

    loud.¡±

    They both nodded and Enzo opened the door slowly. William went in front of her and gripped her hand.

    They all crouched and slowly crawled out of the door and into the kitchen. Trays of fresh bread and

    baked goods cooled on the edge of the counter Doris wished she could shove all of it in her pockets to

    eatter.

    As if William had the same sort of idea, he reached up to grab one of therger loafs to shove in his

    jacket before he continued after Enzo. Enzo gave him a quick re over his shoulder before he made

    sure the cooks hadn¡¯t seen William.

    There was nothing but the sound of metal clinking together as the cooks moved around the kitchen. It

    was possibly the warmest ce she had been in since she¡¯d first came to the north. None of them turned

    towards them as Enzo lightly pulled open the door for them to slip out of and into the harsh cold once

    more.

    They all stood once they closed the door behind them.

    ¡°Well, that was easier¡ª¡°

    ¡°There they are!¡± A voice screamed across the clearing. A line of guards stood exactly where they

    needed to leave through. William stepped more in front of Doris as if he could block her entirely from

    their view. 2

    ¡°What do we do?¡± William hissed to Enzo.

    Enzo looked over each of the guards and Doris couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he recognized any of them as

    his own men. ¡°Head left. We can lose them through the trees.¡±

    ¡°Should we shift?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°No. I won¡¯t be able to and it will only turn worse if we do.¡±

    ¡°My men are out there, they have horses for us. All we have to do is reach them¡ª¡°   ¡°Get them!¡± The

    guard roared.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    Chapter 122 Closer and closer.

    It was all one big blur that Doris could barely register. William grabbed her arm and took off in a run

    towards the trees. She felt as if her feet barely touched the ground as they pounded through the snow.

    She knew that William would start to drag her if she didn¡¯t hury and she didn¡¯t feel like losing an arm to

    him.

    An arrow zipped past her head and thudded into the snow in front of her. William forced her to start to

    run diagonally instead of a straight line. Doris almost tripped over her own feet, but William straightened

    her before she could fall. She didn¡¯t know how close they were to being caught, she didn¡¯t know if they

    were right behind her about to sp their hands around her body¡ªshe only ran. Even when the back of

    her throat burned and her body tried to give up on her, she ran.

    They disappeared into the trees and the silence engulfed them. Doris heard her breath almost burst her

    ears as they dodged the trees and turned a different way. There was no time to think, only move. She

    trusted William enough to follow him blindly through danger and hope he would lead them out on the

    other side. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that she would have refused to trust him for even a second.

    ¡°Down there!¡± William called to Enzo who was slightly ahead of them. Shouting erupted from behind

    them and she desperately wanted to see how close they were behind them. She resisted the urge, if she

    turned her head it would¡¯ve been over for her. Up ahead, Doris saw Patrick and the rest of the guards

    waiting down a small hill.

    1

    They mounted their horses and several had taken off already at Patrick¡¯smand.

    ¡°Come on!¡± William said. She wasn¡¯t sure if he meant himself or all of them, but Doris pushed herself just

    a bit more even though her insides wanted to bleed. How did he seem so unaffected?

    William picked Doris up at her waist and skidded down the hill, passing Enzo on the way down. He lifted

    her on an empty horse and pulled himself up without a second to breathe. Doris gripped onto him tightly

    and saw Enzo mount his own horse and take off seconds after they did.

    The group of guards halted at the top of the hill and started shouting at them as if it would make them

    stop. Faster than she expected, they were out of sight. She faced forward again and allowed herself to

    breathe despite the harsh gallops of the horse. Her throat burned so bad, she thought it would start

    bleeding soon.

    Her mind started to catch up with her, she gripped William tighter and was thankful they were even alive.

    She closed her eyes and let him take her somewhere far and safe. If safety even existed in thesends.

    They rode the horses hard until she could no longer recognize their surroundings. Her face was

    completely frozen by the time they finally stopped to rest. Snow started to   fall slowly around them, she

    only hoped there was no storm headed their way after everything else they had to deal with.

    William slid off the horse and helped her down. He nced around once before he lifted her sweater.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Doris snatched the fabric and forced it back down with red cheeks. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Doris.¡± William said impatiently. ¡°Let me see. I need to know if you need some of my blood.¡±

    ¡°Some of your blood? For what?¡± Doris lifted her sweater herself and saw blood covered the side of her

    stomach. She didn¡¯t even feel the arrow that must have skimmed her skin when it hit the ground. Her

    fingers traced the wound as if it was some sort of alien thing that wasn¡¯t a part of her body. She winced at

    the touch. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t even feel it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because of your adrenaline. It¡¯s normal to not feel anything in the moment for smaller wounds.¡±

    William gripped her hand to move it away. He leaned closer to see how deep it was. His warm breath

    caressed her cold skin and sent a shiver down her spine. ¡°It seems to be more of a surface wound, but I

    want you to have a taste just to close it faster.¡±

    William dropped her sweater instantly when Enzo came over to them. He looked even more haggard

    than before.

    ¡°Your guard spotted a few caves up ahead. They¡¯re a bit small, but I think you two should manage.¡± He

    brushed his hand across the horse they stood by. ¡°I¡¯ll have them hide the horses as best they can, but I

    won¡¯t be able to move until morning. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be dead.¡±

    ¡°Enzo, we can take care of the horse. Please, go rest.¡± Doris rubbed his arm. He offered a small smile

    and turned away from them. He staggered a little on his way into one of the small caves up ahead.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be okay?¡± Doris asked. William gestured for his men to hide the horses and turned

    back to her. ¡°Maybe you should offer him some of your blood before he passes out.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s been through it, but he¡¯ll be healed by morning. If not, I¡¯ll pour him a whole cup.¡±

    William gripped her arm and led her towards one of the further caves. The men were quick to clear out

    the area and make it seem as if no one was near. Many of them disappeared into another cave, but of

    course the prince always had his own.

    ¡°I hope so.¡± Doris whispered and ducked into the small space. It was barely big enough to hold both of

    them¡ªshe knew there was no hope for a fire unless she wanted to get burns along her back as she

    slept.

    Doris sat herself against the wall and closed her eyes. Nothing inside her cared about how she looked or

    what awaited them the next day. All she cared about was the sweet sound of rest.

    William kneeled in front of her and opened his coat. She opened her eyes and watched him with raised

    brows.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I thought you might have wanted this.¡± He said as he pulled out the loaf of bread he¡¯d taken from the

    kitchens. Doris gasped and gripped the squished bread in her hands. It was half the original size, but it

    looked just as heavenly.

    ¡°Oh my, this-I can¡¯t believe you still have this.¡± Doris said in disbelief. Sheughed a little. His hand

    rested on her thigh and for a moment she swore he smiled at her but perhaps she was only imagining it

    again. He wasn¡¯t one to smile for longer than a second. Doris broke the bread in half and held it out to

    him.

    His fingers grazed her own as he epted it. Doris quickly bit into her own before her thoughts started to

    wander. It tasted better than she expected, she wished she had taken the entire try before they left-even

    if it had gotten her killed it would have been worth it.

    They ate their bread in silence. He moved to sit next to her with his leg pressed into hers. She forgot why

    she was even mad at him, but a little distance still settled into her chest. Perhaps it was her own heart

    reminding her not to get too close to him, even though she was long past that point.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to convince them.¡± William said quietly. It was one of the first times she had

    heard himck confidence in himself. Doris swallowed her bread and turned towards him.

    ¡°Is this a risk you think is worth taking?¡± Doris asked.

    He turned his gaze on her and she only then realized how close they were. His eyes lingered on her lips

    for much longer than a normal amount.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been nning this for years. I wouldn¡¯t havee all the way here and tore through some of

    their trust if I wasn¡¯t sure.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s it. All you can do is try. People are unpredictable, but that doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t change.¡±

    Doris reached her hand up to brush across his face. She offered a smile.

    William gripped her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think when I¡¯m around you.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Half of me wants to throw you out in the snow and the other half wants you beneath me every time I

    hear you argue with me.¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks flush a little. ¡°I could say the same about you.¡± Doris whispered. She allowed

    herself to be a little bold and ran her hand up his thigh. 1

    William¡¯s eyes darkened with desire almost instantly. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be teased.¡±

    ¡°I heard it could be fun.¡±

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    Chapter 123 A heat that kills.

    William watched her curiously. His blue eyes followed her hand and for a moment, Doris almost second

    guessed herself. It wasn¡¯t like her to be so bold, she wasn¡¯t even sure what she wanted to do to him but

    he seemed willing to let her try. His heated gaze was enough to push a bit more of adrenaline and

    confidence back inside her when it kept trying to leave.

    He did nothing to lead her moves like he normally would. He sat back and watched her try toe up

    with the answer to her own question. Part of her resented him for it, she liked when he told her what to

    do. But-she would never admit that to him. 1

    Doris found the button of his pants and slowly started to undo what held him back. She could see the

    bulge in his pants and a sh of heat ran through her veins to warm her against the cold. What had he

    turned her into? Beth would lose her mind if she knew what Doris had been up to with Prince William.

    Doris met his eyes for a moment. William curled his hands into fists at his sides as if to hold himself

    back. Doris snuck her hand into his pants and brushed her fingers across his warm, stiff length.

    William shivered from her touch. He bit down on his lip and leaned his head back against the stone wall.

    ¡°Doris¡­¡± He whispered, it sent a shiver down her skin and made her want to crawl on hisp.

    Doris took his length out and widened her eyes at the size. She knew he was big, she¡¯d felt him inside

    her several times. But his size still always startled her. How did he ever fit inside her?

    Doris curiously rubbed his erection. She could hear a strangled noise in his throat and it made her

    wonder if she was doing it right. When he didn¡¯t stop her, she wrapped her fingers around him and

    moved her hand up and down slowly as she licked her lips.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± He whispered. Doris nced up at him to see the pleasure bloom on his face from her

    movements. William bit down on his lower lip.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Doris asked quietly. Her cheeks burned, she moved her hand a little faster than

    before but was still hesitant about each touch.

    ¡°You¡ªfuck. Put it in your mouth.¡± He demanded with a bit of dark desire in hismand. Doris hadn¡¯t

    even thought of doing something so scandalous, it almost made her gasp.

    Doris hesitated again, but forced herself to find a bit of confidence as she leaned forward. Slowly, she

    dragged her tongue along his length and looked up at him while she did so. William closed his eyes for a

    moment and parted his lips at the feeling. It   made her clench her thighs closed as a warmth pooled

    between her legs.

    She dragged her tongue up to the tip before she started to take him in her mouth. She knew there was

    no way she could fit him all the way inside her, she gripped the bottom of his length with one of her

    hands as the other braced his thigh.

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Slowly, Doris moved more of him inside her mouth and felt his body tense beneath her touch. When she

    realized he couldn¡¯t go any deeper, she stopped and moved him all the way out before she took him right

    back in. The back of her mind wouldn¡¯t stop questioning if she was even doing it right.

    ¡°Fuck, Doris.¡± William moaned. She looked up at him through hershes and he watched her with a

    lustful gaze. He gripped her hair as if to steady himself. Doris moaned at her own throbbing, she wanted

    so badly to rub herself but her hands were upied at the moment. Even more, she wanted him to be

    the one that rubbed her aching core.

    Doris moved his length in and out of her mouth at a steady pace. His hand fisted in her hair and guided

    her along his erection as he watched her take him in. It was possibly the dirtiest thing she had ever done

    ¡ªbut she only seemed to want more from it all. The maid version of herself would be horrified at present

    Doris.

    She swirled her tongue around his skin like it was her own dessert. His groans turned throaty and made

    her tremble a little from the desire that built up inside her. She moved her hand off his thigh and snaked it

    down her own body.

    Her breasts felt tender at her own touch as if they were desperate for more. It was nothingpared to

    the way her core pulsed between her thighs. Doris moved her hand down her own pants and past her

    panties to relieve some of the pressure that was starting to build.

    Just one touch made her moan against him. She tried to keep up with her movements as she felt her

    own wetness and rubbed herself. She only recently discovered what true desire was¡ªbut this was

    driving her crazy.

    Suddenly, William moved her mouth off of him and forced her hand out of her pants. Doris gasped as he

    brought her up to him and eyed her glistening fingers as his hand tightened on her wrist. Doris swallowed

    her embarrassment right before he put her fingers in his mouth and sucked her wetness right off them.

    ¡°Oh¡ª¡° Doris gasped, he brought her to the ground and pushed his pants down to his ankles before he

    did the same to her own. Her legs were spread with hisrge hand before he eagerly pushed himself

    inside her without a warning.

    But, oh-it made her scream. He plunged in deep inside her wetness and wasted no time when it came to

    pleasuring them both. Doris tilted her head back against the cold floor and swore their body heat could

    melt the snow for miles around them.

    ¡°Fuck¡ª¡° William groaned. He gripped her hips and moved her along with his fast  pace. Doris rolled

    them up against him and swore she saw stars for a moment.

    William leaned down to bite her neck hard enough to make her gasp. He trailed his tongue up her skin

    and met her mouth with a fierceness that made her dizzy and intoxicated.

    Their tongues met in a battle that felt so familiar, she never wanted it to end. She wanted to drown in the

    way he imed her with his mouth and moved inside her with no sense of softness left from him.

    She wanted his rough, messy side. She wanted him to show her his true self and not hold back in the

    slightest. She craved the side of him that was built on rage and old resentment.

    Her stomach felt warmth build inside it, her breaths became desperate. William tensed beneath her

    touch and she was starting to understand the signs his body gave her when he was close to his own

    release. It was hard enough to discover her own, but his body sang to her all of its secrets.

    Doris took one of his hands and moved it up her shirt to grip her aching breast. They were even more

    sensitive than usual. The moment his hand squeezed her chest, she knew he was seconds from

    finishing her.

    ¡°William!¡± Doris moaned and arched her back. His warm fingers pinched her nipple as his hips rocked

    forward, she was desperate to match his pace but he was too fast for her.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± William groaned in her ear. Her lips parted as she gripped on tightly to his body. She felt her

    release hit her peak and it made her entire body tremble from the impact.

    William didn¡¯t slow in the slightest. He tightened his grip on her hips and was now desperate for his own

    release that she knew wasn¡¯t far off. She widened her legs a little move and he mmed his length into

    her so hard, she swore she was going to lose it a second time. 1

    And she did her body prickled and shook from a second orgasm so soon, she screamed loud enough to

    wake the dead and she didn¡¯t have time to be embarrassed about it.

    Secondster, she felt his own release finallye undone inside her. He copsed on top of her once

    his movements slowed down. 1

    He stayed like that for a while with part of him still inside her. Doris wrapped her arms around him and

    held his body close against her as she ran her fingers through his hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to face death now.¡± He mumbled against her hair before he finally pulled out of her.   It wasn¡¯t

    until their clothes were set right again and she wasid on his chest when she finally responded.

    ¡°Me too.¡±

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    Chapter 124 A good day to find peace

    The next morning, all of the guards were already up and ready by the time Doris had crawled out of the

    small cave. At some point in the morning, William must have left to join them without waking her. She

    woke up freezing in his coat and wishing he hadn¡¯t left her at all. Doris quickly squashed those feelings

    into a million pieces as she wandered out into the daylight.

    Enzo looked fresh as day when she saw him. Someone must have had spare clothes for him because he

    looked as if nothing had happened to him. When he saw her, a grin broke out across his face.

    ¡°There she is. I almost had to send your grumpy prince in there to drag you out.¡± He said.

    Doris snorted and crossed her arms. She searched through the small crowd and saw William with his

    head bent in conversation with Patrick.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Enzo?¡± Doris asked when she snapped her attention back to him. He looked at her

    with a small smirk that danced across his lips. Hard to believe

    she thought he was near death the night before.

    ¡°Better than ever. We¡¯re about to leave back to my camp and hopefully this mess will be over soon so I

    never have to be associated with him again.¡±

    ¡°Did you two have a fight or something?¡± Doris asked and pulled William¡¯s coat tighter around her. It

    smelled just like him, she stopped herself from inhaling the scent.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s just being his usual charming self. I don¡¯t know how you stand his mood swings, but I would

    rmend running for the hills the second you get the chance.¡± Enzo winked and poked her nose.

    Doris rolled her eyes and smiled.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Seriously, how are you fine? I don¡¯t see any trace of a wound on you and I swore you looked haggard

    yesterday.¡± Doris said with raised brows.

    ¡°It¡¯s not very kind to point out your friends looks, Doris. Hasn¡¯t anyone ever told you that?¡± Enzo tilted his

    head.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked, Enzo.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but a true leader never gives away his secrets.¡± Enzo winked and Doris rolled her eyes. Of course

    he took this opportunity to be annoying and mysterious.

    Approaching footsteps crunched in the snow behind her. Doris turned to see William head straight for her

    as if she was the only one in his sight. He stopped just inches

    from her and flicked his eyes between her and Enzo, who stood with a wide smile.   ¡°We¡¯re ready to go.

    Your camp is only a few miles down the mountain, it shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± William said.

    ¡°Wonderful, let¡¯s hope they¡¯re already there so we don¡¯t have to wait for this ambush.¡± Enzo pped his

    hands and headed straight for one of the horses. William put his hand on her lower back and guided

    Doris towards their own. She hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but there weren¡¯t enough horses to go around.

    Several guards had to ride behind their friends. She was only d she didn¡¯t have to worry about

    steering her own tonight.

    William gripped her hips and lifted her up onto their horse effortlessly. She didn¡¯t want to admit how

    something so simple made her feel breathless. It only showed how strong he really was and it could

    have made her melt in his hands like butter.

    Once William pulled himself up and she gripped onto him, they were off. Enzo took the lead and led them

    all back to his camp where their fate awaited. Part of her hoped that no one would be waiting for them so

    they could just go home.

    But it was unrealistic to think that way. Enzo needed them here to help him get his people back on his

    side. If they just left¡ªthat might never happen. Enzo might never get the trust back and then what?

    Where would he go¨Cwhat would he do with himself?

    The ride stretched on as they slowly made their way down the steep hill. Doris forced herself to close her

    eyes so she didn¡¯t have to see them almost fall to their deaths several times before they got to the safe

    ground.

    The area started to be more familiar the more they went on. Enzo didn¡¯t want anyone going ahead

    to see if the rogues were already there. He wanted to face them head on and deal with whatever they

    needed to in the moment. It wasn¡¯t the best strategy, but it was all they had at the moment.

    Enzo took them around the side and had them enter through the main road so it didn¡¯t appear as if they

    were trying to hide.. Doris tightened her grip on William when she noticed the group of horses up ahead.

    They weren¡¯t there when William and her had left the camp to rescue Enzo.

    As they slowed their steps, their horses entered right into the center of chaos waiting to happen. There

    were rogues everywhere she looked, an ungodly amount. She didn¡¯t have to count them to know that

    they would overwhelm them in seconds.

    Mr. Hugh stood on the small tform Enzo used as his own stage. He lifted his chin a little when he saw

    Enzo stroll through town with their enemies behind him. It wasn¡¯t a good look, even Doris had to admit

    that it would be a hard hole to dig themselves out of.

    William tensed under her hold, she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was. He had to know

    that their options were limited. Perhaps they should have just picked up and left when they had the

    chance. She wasn¡¯t sure they would make it   this one.

    Especially when she saw several of them raise their weapons a little at the sight of them

    ¡°Enzo, it¡¯s nice of you to finally join us.¡± Mr. Hugh¡¯s said over the crowd. Enzo pulled his horse to a halt at

    a respectable distance away.

    ¡°I hope you all didn¡¯t freeze out here all night waiting for me.¡± Enzo said as if he was trying to charm

    them. Doris felt her teeth start to chatter from her nerves rather than the cold.

    ¡°I had a feeling you wouldn¡¯te straight here. You¡¯re predicable, Enzo. It¡¯s not a good look.¡± 1

    Doris scanned the crowd for Sir Antony and prayed he was nearby. He was the only one that gave her

    hope that they might make it out of here alive.

    Up the road, she saw the old man seated on a bench alone. She couldn¡¯t see his expression from where

    she was, but she hoped he was concerned for what was about to happen.

    ¡°Well, I pride myself in this vige. Of course I was always going to return to it.¡± Enzo said, she could

    hear the false smile in his voice. ¡°We can stop the games anytime you wish.¡±

    ¡°Games? I¡¯m not the one that escaped from a cell and fled with the enemy in the middle of the night.

    How were you expecting this to go?¡± Mr. Hugh asked.

    ¡°Ah, well. You are the one that put their own leader in a dark cell rather than listen to what I had to say.

    The rogues never turn their back on their own¡ª¡°

    ¡°No? I suppose that rule doesn¡¯t apply to you, then?¡±

    Enzoughed lightly. Doris saw Sir Antony stand and her heart raced with anticipation

    ¡°If you think anything could make me tum my back on my people, you¡¯re horribly blind. Being kind to

    outsiders is what we stand for. It¡¯s why we were brought here.¡± Enzo said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a fine line between being kind to outsiders and working with the enemy! The royals are also the

    reason we are here. They never once cared about us-whether we lived or died. They¡¯re the reason we

    had to escape our lives and run here for freedom-¡°

    ¡°If I may.¡± An old, wise voice said from behind Mr. Hugh. Doris straightened a little to get a better look.

    She felt William¡¯s hand rest on top of her own but she couldn¡¯t think about that right now.

    ¡°Sir Antony.¡± Mr. Hugh said with a bow and moved over a little to allow him room.

    Enzo also bowed his head in respect.

    ¡°I believe this has gone on too long. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen rogues turn their backs on each other this

    much-not since I started this.¡± Sir Antony stepped up beside Mr. Hugh and gave him a disappointed look.

    Doris would hate to be on the receiving end of that.

    ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t think you realize what Enzo has done to his people. He has no sense of loyalty to us

    anymore, and he hasn¡¯t for a long while.¡±

    ¡°You im that Enzo is the wrong one, but you have made a deal with a royal too, Mr. Hugh.¡± William

    said, loud enough to silence everyone around them

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    Chapter 125 A blood promise to ease the mind.

    A few gasps littered through the crowd, Doris was only d she didn¡¯t join in. All heads turned to look at

    William and most of them looked at him as if he was the dirt on the bottom of their shoe. They looked

    ready to unleash their built up anger and Doris was at least d to see she didn¡¯t recognize any of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What was that, prince?¡± Mr. Hugh spat. Doris could almost feel William¡¯s anger heat up

    beneath her hands. He let out a deep breath to center himself.

    ¡°You. You took a bribe from the Luna Queen to kill me.¡± William announced. ¡°I know it was you. I met one

    of the assassins that was sent to kill me. Is it only fine to work with us if the money is right?¡±

    Silence. Mr. Hugh narrowed his eyes at William. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, boy. I would

    watch my tongue if I was you, you¡¯re not in friendlypany.¡±

    ¡°No, of course you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. I wouldn¡¯t expect a liar to admit when he¡¯s wrong

    just because he was caught. It must be in your blood.¡± William said almost casually. Doris swallowed the

    nervous lump in her throat.

    ¡°Is this true, Mr. Hugh? Did you ept a payment from the kingdom in exchange for Prince William¡¯s

    life?¡± Sir Antony asked. She watched Mr. Hugh shift on his feet almost nervously.

    ¡°We needed money to fix up Life Pharmacy and pay our taxes. I saw it as a wise move, it would have

    taken care of having that enemy in ournds even if it meant working with another.¡± Mr. Hugh admitted.

    He didn¡¯t look the slightest bit sorry. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t let them stay with me¡ª¡°

    ¡°You can not speak hypocrisy, Mr. Hugh. You said that Enzo has betrayed us all by allowing them shelter,

    but you know as much as the rest of us that what he did was right. We built this ce on freedom, not

    rules. What you did¡ªthat was the wrong part.¡± Sir Antony said.

    ¡°I have a reason foring into the north.¡± William announced. Doris felt her heart slow in her chest. ¡°I

    have note to start a war or tear the rogues apart. I may have harmed more than a few of them on

    my visit here, but understand we all must defend ourselves when the time hase for it. I know many

    of my guards are dead for the same reasons.¡±

    Mr. Hugh looked at William as if he was in disbelief at his words. ¡°A n? We¡¯re not interested in your

    schemes¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hear him out. We allow people to speak their minds here.¡± Sir Antony said, louder than the rest. He

    gave Mr. Hugh a look that made the grown man mp his lips shut as if he never had anything to say

    ¡°I came here with a preposition that would be beneficial to the rogues, not hurt them further like some of

    you may think.¡± William said calmly. ¡°For years, I¡¯ve been trying to find a way that would unite the rogues

    back with the kingdom-¡°.

    A loud murmuring broke out instantly at his words. When Sir Antony raised his hands, they silenced

    again. Arge part of Doris wished that they had sought out his help to begin with, but she also didn¡¯t

    think things would turn as badly as they did.

    If she had thought that, she would have left the second Enzo had first saved her so she would have

    saved him all of this trouble. Doris was quickly realizing that she must have been more trouble than she

    was worth when she was with William.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to be united with the kingdom!¡± Some nearby man shouted, He was silenced instantly

    with a look from their founder. It almost reminded her of a teacher trying to quiet a group of kids that just

    wouldn¡¯t calm down. His calm demeanor was louder than any words he could have said.

    ¡°As I was saying,¡± William continued as if the man hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°I want to unite the rogues back with

    the kingdom. Under my leadership at the pce, I would make it my mission to make sure the rogues

    are treated fairly and no longer looked down upon. I want it to be safe for you all to be able to travel

    through the kingdom once again.¡±

    ¡°Why would we want to go to the kingdom again?¡± Mr. Hugh spat. His face twisted in disgust at the very

    idea.

    ¡°What do you mean your leadership? You¡¯re not next in line for the throne!¡± Someone else shouted.

    William stayed silent until they all quieted down again. Doris had to admit, she was impressed.

    ¡°I believe I¡¯m a better fit for the crown once the king passes. My brother has no passion for leadership

    and wouldn¡¯t know the first thing when it came to ruling an entire kingdom. He wouldn¡¯t think twice about

    you all. But I would. I want ournds to be united again.¡±

    ¡°Is this some kind of maniption to get your hands on ournd again?¡± Someone asked near the front.

    ¡°No. I would never try to take your home from you, I would respect your wishes. All that I ask is that we

    can open the trade routes once again through the north like we did before the rogues hade here.¡±

    ¡°You want our goods, that¡¯s it-isn¡¯t it!¡±

    ¡°I want to bring business back to yournd and offer you freedom throughout the entire kingdom. I can

    see you all are suffering for money and the taxes the pce charges don¡¯t help¡ªI want to put an end to

    all of that.¡± William said. Doris couldn¡¯t believe how calm he sounded. He almost sounded like a leader.

    ¡°You want to get rid of our taxes?¡± Another voice asked. The crowd was starting to be more

    curious and less rough.

    ¡°I want to lower them immensely. I want to bring business back through here and I want to make sure the

    rogues are treated as humans and not tortured for being poor. Just think, if you all have more flow of

    people and business through trade, how easy it would be to build more homes and businesses up here.¡¯

    Silence followed. Doris nervously looked upon the unsure faces around her. They still looked at him as if

    he was no one that they could trust and she couldn¡¯t me them. It was hard for her to trust him on most

    days.

    ¡°What would we have to do?¡± Another rogue asked. Mr. Hugh shifted on his feet again as if he was

    annoyed by all of this.

    ¡°All I ask if for your support in my im of the crown. If I have all of you willing to back me, I would be

    unstoppable to the pce.¡±

    ¡°You really think our support is all you need to gain the crown?¡± Sir Antony asked curiously. He didn¡¯t

    sound cruel, he only ever sounded kind and she admired that about him above all else.

    ¡°I think the pce has wanted to find a way to take control of thisnd for far too long with no results to

    come of it. I don¡¯t want to take control of yournd, I want to unite us.¡± William said.

    Soft murmuring sounded in the crowd and Doris wasn¡¯t sure if the reaction was positive or not yet. ¡°He

    speaks of peace.¡± Sir Antony observed. ¡°I have to say that I might agree with his reasoning.¡±

    Mr. Hugh turned to him in disbelief. A bit of betrayal lingered on his features. ¡°What do you mean, my

    lord? How can you trust this man that has caused so much trouble between our people?¡±

    ¡°Because. I see a lot of his mother in him and that¡¯s not something I¡¯ve seen in anyone else since she

    left.¡±

    The crowd all turned their eyes to William with a bit of sympathy. Doris had a feeling that they forgot

    William¡¯s mother was once a rogue like them.

    ¡°I may not have known my mother well. But I know that I don¡¯t get my determination from my father. I

    wouldn¡¯t go back on my word, I would be willing to make a blood promise to prove it.¡±

    Several people gasped in the crowd and this time Doris did too. A blood promise was serious business. If

    he broke it, it could lead to his death or the death of someone he cares for. To offer a blood promise on

    something so uncertain, proved he was determined to see it through to the end and that he would do

    anything to make it   happen. 1

    Sir Antony smiled at William as if he was proud of him. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We make the blood promise at

    dawn, and I say you have the rogue¡¯s backing.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    Chapter 126 What¡¯s love if not anger

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Doris asked the moment they were alone. It was strange to be in the vige

    without the people she used to see everyday. But, it was better having them far from here in case things

    went wrong. 1 She only hoped they weren¡¯t mistreated for being on Enzo¡¯s side-if they still were, that is.

    William and Doris were allowed to go to their old cabin and clean up, but William was expected back out

    there soon. She wanted to wrap herself around him and stop him from ever setting foot out of the door

    again. 1

    William turned to her with a tense jaw. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure about this. I¡¯ve never been more sure.¡±

    ¡°A blood promise is dangerous, what if they trick you¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m not one to be tricked, Doris. They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± William moved into the bathroom and shut the door

    on any of her remaining questions. She red at the wood and felt the urge to kick something.

    Doris nervously picked at her nails and she realized how long they had gotten since they first came here.

    She fought the urge to bite them down when her anxiety tried to crawl up her throat again.

    She knew he could handle himself more than she could, but her stomach was in knots when she realized

    how worried she was about him. If they worded it strangely or added something he didn¡¯t expect, it could

    lead to his death.

    Doris gathered her new clothes and waited for him to leave the bathroom before she went to clean up

    herself. When she came out, he was seated on the bed staring at the roaring fire as if he was lost in

    thought. The warm light caressed his handsome face like a kiss, a shadow was already growing across

    his chin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be there when I make the promise.¡± William said suddenly. A small part of her heart

    pierced at his words.

    ¡°Why not? I won¡¯t try to stop it¡ª¡°

    ¡°I would rather you didn¡¯t be there.¡± He interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to see the process of it. I would

    rather you stay safe inside here and sleep during it all.¡±

    ¡°I can handle a little blood, William. You don¡¯t have to be alone during this.¡±

    William stood, his eyes barely looked at her. ¡°I won¡¯t be alone. Patrick will be at my side.¡± He brushed

    past her to the door. Even though the blood promise wasn¡¯t until dawn, Enzo and the rest required his

    presence to talk more about the deal. He didn¡¯t  want her there for that, either.

    ¡°William¡ª¡±

    He closed the door without a response. She clenched her hands into fists and had half a mind to follow

    him out the door and scream at him. After all they had been through, he always pushed her back. She

    deserved to be a part of the decisions, didn¡¯t she? He was always there when she was the center of the

    matter. 1

    Doris angrily pulled on her coat and gloves before she ventured out into the snow. It felt good to have

    clothes that weren¡¯t dirty or ripped. She still felt the cold through her thick clothes, but not as harshly as

    the night before. Perhaps her body was finally starting to get used to the dreadful cold.

    Doris ignored the stares from the rogues as she walked out behind the cabins and towards the frozen

    lake. There was no where else to go, no one to talk to

    ¡°He sure does like to fight, huh?¡± Cordelia said inside her. Doris almost jumped at the sound. It was easy

    to forget she had a wolf inside her when she spent her entire life without one.

    ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t a good idea to get close to him.¡± Doris grumbled. ¡°He drives me insane most of the time,

    I almost chased him down just to scream at him.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what love is?¡± Cordelia teased. It only made Doris more angry. She sat herself down on a fallen

    log by theke and wrapped her arms around herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I expected love to be. All the books I ever read were much more¡ª¡°

    ¡°Boring?¡± Cordelia filled in. Doris rolled her eyes at her wolf.

    ¡°No, normal. The men were sweet and treated their women with respect. They didn¡¯t try to irritate them

    every chance they had. They¡­ they loved them and it was obvious.¡±

    ¡°Hm, sounds boring to me. In case you forgot, you¡¯re not a normal girl, you have a wolf and it¡¯s normal to

    be attracted to his difficult side.¡± Cordelia said almost gently. Doris expected her to make fun for feeling

    the way she was. ¡°He is certainly attracted to yours. He likes it when you argue with him, I can tell.¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be this hard to love someone, no matter what I am inside.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°It should as

    easy as breathing or falling asleep. Lately it only feels as if I¡¯m about to suffocate.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay? A familiar voice said from behind her. Doris turned to see Joseph standing a few feet

    away with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and dark circles under his eyes. He was one of thest

    people she ever wanted to see during a time like this. Or ever.

    Part of her was d he wasn¡¯t dead, but another part of her wanted him far away

    from her. Doris stood quickly and brushed off the snow from her pants.

    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Doris asked. Her eyes flickered to the camp behind him.

    ¡°I saw you leave your cabin and you looked upset. I thought I would check on you.¡± He took a small step

    towards her. Doris narrowed her eyes at his kind smile. What did he want from her?

    ¡°I¡¯m quite alright, thank you. I don¡¯t need your assistance, you can go back to the camp. I wouldn¡¯t want

    Mr. Hugh seeing you out here with me.¡±

    ¡°Look, Doris¡ªI¡¯m sorry for what I did¡ª¡°

    ¡°You mean when you shoved me in a hole and locked me in a dark cell? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very sorry, but I

    don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Doris started to walk back to the camp but he stepped in her path.

    ¡°I had to do those things, Doris. You know as a servant that we have to listen to themands no matter

    how much we don¡¯t want to.¡± Joseph held out his hands as if in surrender. ¡°I haven¡¯t stopped imagining

    your screams, they¡¯ve haunted me. I don¡¯t know what I can do to make it right with you, but I want to

    more than anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d they¡¯ve haunted you, Joseph. You deserve it.¡± Doris moved again, but he gripped her arm this

    time.

    ¡°I heard you talking to your wolf. I heard what you said about William¡ª¡°

    Doris yanked her arm free of his grip. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Hasn¡¯t anyone ever told you that it¡¯s

    impolite to eavesdrop on ady?¡± ¡°You want to be with someone who is easy to love and doesn¡¯t drive

    you crazy, I know you do¡ª¡° He continued as if she hadn¡¯t spoken. A lick of rage med inside her.

    ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re about to tell me that that person is you?¡± Dorisughed and stepped back. ¡°I don¡¯t think

    any of your recent actions would make you easy to love. As harsh as William is, he hasn¡¯t thrown me in a

    hole.¡± 1

    ¡°No, just the royal cells for you to be abused.¡± Joseph said with a sneer. Doris closed her eyes for a

    second and took a deep breath. He wasn¡¯t worth this much energy.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°He is the reason I got out of that cell. You were ready to let me rot.¡±

    ¡°I was going to let you out! I couldn¡¯t stand you being in there for another second¡ª¡° Joseph took a

    breath and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°Come with me, Doris.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Come with me. We can leave right now and get far from here before anyone could notice.¡± He reached

    his hand out to her.

    ¡°Joseph, you don¡¯t even know me.¡±

    ¡°I know you feel trapped like I do. I know that you want something better for yourself and you want an

    easier life, I can give you that.¡±

    Doris nced down at his hand as if it was a bug. She shook her head and took another step back. ¡°You

    don¡¯t know anything about what I want. How could you when I¡¯m not even sure?¡±

    ¡°Doris,¡± he said impatiently. ¡°I made a mistake at Life Pharmacy. I let my emotions rule over my actions

    but I would never treat you that way again. Come with me and we can be free of all of this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going anywhere with you.¡± A deep voice said. 3

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    Chapter 127 You¡¯re mine, Doris.

    William grabbed Joseph by his arm and forced him to face him. He moved so fast, Doris barely had time

    to register what was going on and realized it was toote when she did.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± Joseph held up his hands, but William didn¡¯t calm in the slightest. He looked close to a

    beast even without having to shift. She saw the murderous glint in his eyes and the growl on his lips-he

    was close to losing it. 1

    ¡°William

    ¡±

    ¡°What were you asking her a minute ago?¡± William asked through his teeth. They all knew he had

    overheard exactly what Joseph had asked her. He was just daring him to repeat it. Doris silently wished

    he wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°I¡­ I just noticed she was unhappy here¡ª¡±

    William hit Joseph so hard in the face, it was a miracle he didn¡¯t snap his neck from the impact. Blood

    poured from his nose almost instantly and dripped down his chin. ¡°If I see youe near her again, I will

    rip your throat out.¡± William said with his hold tightening on Joseph. 1

    ¡°You don¡¯t own her.¡± Joseph gripped William¡¯s shirt and shoved him back, staining him with his blood. It

    was obviously the wrong thing to say, Doris tried to intervene but William was faster. 1

    William grabbed Joseph by the front of his shirt and yanked him back towards him. He punched him in

    the face over and over until she could barely see the color of Joseph¡¯s skin. Doris tried to pull him off

    Joseph, but it was as if she was doing nothing. He didn¡¯t move an inch.

    ¡°Stop! You¡¯re killing him!¡± Doris yelled. Her voice was so smallpared to their sounds.

    William¡¯s face was sprayed with Joseph¡¯s blood, it was horrifying. Doris begged her inner wolf to give her

    some sort of strength, and she obliged almost instantly.

    Doris shoved William back with the help of her wolf. He dropped Joseph and staggered a little, looking at

    her inplete disbelief. Joseph was¡ªthankfully-still alive, but he looked close to passing out. Doris

    kneeled next to him and hesitated. Where could she touch that wouldn¡¯t hurt him? It looked as if he was

    bleeding from everywhere, the snow around him was painted a dark red.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Doris said gently. She nced up to see William with a wild look in his eyes. He

    clenched his bloody fists and red down at Joseph as if he was ready to unleash even more of his rage

    if he said another word. Doris prayed that he kept his   Duris. mouth shut if he knew what was good for

    him. William was not one to be taunted, not even a little.

    ¡°I¡ª¡° Joseph coughed up a round of blood, she rubbed his back a little when she didn¡¯t know what else to

    do. Were his insides bleeding out too?¡±I¡¯m sorry, Doris.¡±

    Josephid his head back into the snow and closed his eyes. For a terrifying moment, Doris swore he

    had just died. When she saw his chest rise and flow steadily, she let out a breath of relief.

    ¡°Did you want to go with him?¡± William asked tensely. Doris took a handkerchief out from her pocket and

    started cleaning the blood off of Joseph¡¯s face. She was going to need a lot more than a small cloth to

    clean him.

    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t, William! I can¡¯t believe you would even ask me something like that!¡± Doris said

    helplessly. She stood and pointed at Joseph. ¡°Look what you did to him! They¡¯re not going to start

    trusting you if you act like aplete animal to their people!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they think of me! They wouldugh if I died right this second, I have no concern over

    them.¡± He growled and neared her. She was proud of herself for not cowering away, especially when she

    saw the look in his eye.

    ¡°You should start to care if you want them on your side.¡± Doris said calmly. She reached up to wipe some

    of the blood off his face. ¡°You can¡¯t go around killing them when you¡¯re angry.¡±

    ¡°He wanted to take you away from me. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about him?¡±

    ¡°Ipletely forgot that he existed when I saw you, William.¡± Doris whispered. Beneath his angered

    gaze, she saw a bit of vulnerability that she wasn¡¯t used to seeing on him. Doris caressed his cheek

    gently. ¡°It would be impossible for him to steal me away from you.¡±

    William turned his head and kissed her palm, but his brows were still furrowed in

    anger. She wanted to smooth her thumb across his brows to make it disappear forever. Doris nced

    back down at Joseph and sighed.

    ¡°We need to help him, thest thing you need is for him to die because of you right before the blood

    promise.¡± Doris bent down to try and finish cleaning him, but it only seemed to make it worse.

    William bit his wrist and pushed it up to Joseph¡¯s mouth almost as if he couldn¡¯t stand it. He offered him

    two drops, but no more. It didn¡¯t matter, it seemed to be more than enough. She could already see his

    wounds close just seconds after he moved away from his body.

    ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine in a few hours. He might have a bad dream or two, but he¡¯ll be fine.¡±   . William said bitterly.

    He turned and left towards the trees. Doris could only guess that William would be the star of Joseph¡¯s

    next hundred nightmares after this.

    ¡°Where are you going? We can¡¯t leave him out here to freeze!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting Patrick. Stay here.¡±

    Doris narrowed her eyes at his back and went to kneel over Joseph again. She tried not to rey the

    scene of William¡¯s jealousy exploding right in front of her. She didn¡¯t think she had ever seen him so

    jealous-expect perhaps the night he had gotten drunk because his brother became engaged to his ex

    lover.

    Doris itched at the mark on her neck and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It didn¡¯t matter if his still

    harbored feelings for Lady Grace. After they returned to the pce, she would be freed and they would

    part ways. 1

    Their love affair was passionate and hungry, but she knew better than to expect more from him. Even if

    he got so dangerously violent at the very idea of her leaving him.

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    Why did it¡ªwhy did she feel a strange flutter inside her stomach? She was not supposed to be turned on

    by something like that.

    ¡°It¡¯s your wolfish part of you.¡± Cordelia spoke up in her mind, making Doris flinch . ¡°We like it when our

    men get possessive and angry at the idea of another man wanting us. William can¡¯t help going feral for

    you, he thinks he owns you.¡±

    Doris snorted. ¡°No one owns me. It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s our mate, he doesn¡¯t own us.¡±

    ¡°You still liked it when he got violent, Doris. Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t.¡±

    Doris ignored her wolf and tried not to nce at Joseph¡¯s injured form.

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    Doris turned to see Patrick and William standing over Joseph. He shot a re at William as if he didn¡¯t

    even need an answer. Doris sighed as she stood and neared

    them.

    ¡°We had a bit of a disagreement.¡± William said through his teeth and matched Patrick¡¯s re. ¡°I need you

    to take him somewhere so he can heal. Try not to get noticed by the others.¡±

    Patrick snorted and rolled his eyes to the sky. ¡°I had hoped for one evening without bloodshed. I suppose

    with you, that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you out here to hear youin. Get him out of here before

    someone notices.¡± William growled.

    Patrick threw a look at Doris and she only shrugged. He sighed, ¡°Well, at least he¡¯s not dead.¡±

    He leaned over and hauled Joseph up over his shoulder with a grunt. Joseph wasn¡¯t overweight, but he

    was still a tall man. ¡°Try not to get into any other disagreements before your blood promise, William. I

    don¡¯t want to have to find a secret room to fill with bodies.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hrious.¡± William grumbled and watched him leave. Doris started to kick around the bloody

    snow, but it was no use.

    ¡°Someone is going to see this eventually.¡± Doris said. William nced down and kicked at the snow as

    well.

    ¡°With all of the war between the rogues, I doubt they¡¯ll give it a second nce.¡± He shoved his hands in

    his pockets and nced down at Doris. Her eyes flicked to his mouth and she had to hold herself back

    from kissing him.

    William gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him. He pressed a little harder than usual. ¡°You are

    mine, Doris. You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    Chapter 128 Blood promises

    Doris felt as if her body didn¡¯t belong to her anymore. She leaned into his touch when she should have

    shoved him away from her. She didn¡¯t belong to anyone, she never would. So why couldn¡¯t she say that

    to him? Her heart betrayed her, but she didn¡¯t have the mind to be mad about it.

    ¡°Answer me.¡± He demanded. Doris nodded her head slowly and he seemed satisfied enough with her

    answer. His eyes trailed over her lips for a long moment, she swore he was about to kiss her right there

    in the falling snow. But he released her chin and started walking back to the camp.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Doris hurried after him and gripped his sleeve. He looked down at her with raised brows. ¡°You

    think you can im me like an object and not even kiss me?¡± 2

    She didn¡¯t give him a chance to respond. She gripped his shirt and forced him down to her, kissing him

    as hard as she could. He was tense under her hold, as if he was surprised at her for ever daring such a

    thing. It soon faded away.

    William¡¯s hands gripped her hips and pressed her against him. He quickly took control of the kiss that

    she thought she had the upper hand on for once. She was foolish to think that when it came to William. 1

    He turned them over and mmed her back against a nearby rock. Doris groaned when his tongue slid

    between her lips. Her back pressed into the cold stone, he moved her up a little and wrapped her legs

    around his waist so he could have better ess at kissing her.

    She felt ridiculous for ever rolling her eyes at characters in books that melted from just one kiss, but she

    now knew what that felt like. Her insides were ready to turn to mush as his hands slid up her back. She

    tangled her fingers in his hair and arched her chest against him.

    Doris couldn¡¯t feel the cold. He heated her up like lighting a fire inside her. It would never be enough for

    her. A single kiss left her desperate for more. Her mind wanted him toy her down and kiss every inch

    of her skin until she turned red.

    She took his bottom lip between her teeth and bit down. William groaned and thrusted his hips up into

    her, she almost moaned loud enough to send the birds flying from trees.

    ¡°If I¡¯m yours, then you¡¯re mine.¡± Doris whispered against his mouth. He gripped the back of her head and

    kissed her roughly. She didn¡¯t think it was possible to get addicted to the taste of someone¡¯s lips, but she

    would never recover now that she knew what he tasted like. 4

    ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡±

    Doris broke apart from William instantly at the sound of Enzo¡¯s voice. He looked utterly amused to have

    caught them out in the cold. If she wasn¡¯t already burned from their kiss, her blush would have scorched

    the ground.

    ¡°Yes. You are.¡± William said through his teeth. He gently put Doris down and she found it was quite hard

    to detach herself from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find some time for thatter, but you have toe with me to prepare for the blood

    promise.¡± The amusement left his face altogether, Doris was surprised to see how serious he looked.

    William nced down at Doris before he nodded and followed Enzo back to the camp without a

    goodbye. Doris quickly looked around for any sort of rock to throw at his head, but sadly none were

    nearby. 1

    Doris wandered back to the camp on her own and could almost feel the tension in the air as the hours

    dragged closer to the deal. She¡¯d never witnessed something as serious as a blood promise, but it

    clearly was enough to set each of them off into their own nervous state.

    Doris went to the kitchens and gathered herself some food before she hurried back to her own room.

    Even in their distracted minds, they still stared at her as if she was an enemy. She didn¡¯t want to find out

    what they thought once they realized what happened to Joseph because of her.

    She expected William to havee back at some point before dawn, but he hadn¡¯t once showed. The

    hours ticked on and Doris had dozed off several times before she couldn¡¯t take it any longer. She had to

    see him before he did this, why didn¡¯t he want to see her?

    Doris threw on a thick coat and opened her door a little. She peeked her head out, but no one was in the

    main courtyard. Not that she med them, it was an ungodly hour and she hated the smell of morning

    air.

    Slowly, she slipped out the door and closed it behind her. She tried to listen for any sounds of life, but all

    she heard was wind that started to pick up. Every direction she tumed wasplete darkness. She

    wandered around the camp grounds and leaned by each door to see if William was in any of them, but

    all she heard was more silence

    ¡ªand the asional snore.

    It wasn¡¯t until she reached the edge of town when she saw the glowing light down the path. Arge fire

    surrounded by dozens of cloaked figures, Doris moved closer to the trees and tried to get as close as

    she could without being seen. It was ridiculous that she wasn¡¯t invited toe. It bubbled a new rage

    inside her every time she thought about it. Why couldn¡¯t he just tell her why he didn¡¯t want her there?

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    Her inner wolfughed a little as if she found Doris¡¯s rapid mood shifts amusing. She wanted to scream

    suddenly from the anger she felt.

    Once she was close enough to hear what people were saying, she crouched down to keep out of sight.

    Hopefully William didn¡¯t scent her with all of these other people around. He hadn¡¯t once turned his head

    in her direction, she let out the breath in her throat when her eyes found him instantly

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± Mr. Hugh said. He looked more than irritated to be there, but at least he wasn¡¯t trying to

    stop it. Enzo stood tall and proud, he looked like a leader. Had they epted him back as their own?

    ¡°I suppose we can start now.¡± Enzo lifted a torch and put it near the fire to light. He held out his hand and

    William stepped up with a knife and sliced it neatly across his palm. Doris cringed at the scene, but Enzo

    seemed unaffected.

    William cut his own palm and sped it against Enzo¡¯s open wound. Silence surrounded them as well as

    a weird energy even Doris could feel. It made her skin prickled and left her stomach in knots. Was it

    supposed to feel this way? It felt almost, wrong.

    ¡°Prince William, do you swear to stay true to your word about the rogues? Do you promise to keep their

    lives in your best interest and not take advantage of this deal?¡±

    ¡°I do. I promise.¡± William said. He sounded a bit pained as if Enzo was sucking the life out of him. But-no,

    that couldn¡¯t be so.

    ¡°Do you promise to always make sure the rogues are treated kindly once you are king?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± William said. She thought he looked as if he was about to pass out. Doris slowly stood and

    gripped the tree.

    ¡°Then we promise to back you and your journey to the crown. The rogues will support your leadership as

    long as you keep to your word.¡± Enzo said and lifted their joined hands. Their blood dripped in the fire

    and turned it dark red. Enzo threw the red me into the bigger fire and they all stepped back as it

    erupted into something wild and dangerous. Sparks flew in all directions as if it was furious at them.

    Doris forced her eyes away from the horrible fire to find William clenching his chest, but he wasn¡¯t the

    only one. Every single rogue and royal guard was doing the same. One by one, they went down to the

    ground as if they were having a heart attack. Doris popped out from the trees and ran as fast as she

    could to get to William.

    When he saw her, his eyes were terrified. ¡°No! Get back!¡± He screamed.

    She ignored his pleas and fell to his side. ¡°William, what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°You have to leave before it marks you too¡ª¡± He groaned and clenched his eyes shut. Doris put her

    hands over his own but he only tried to force her away. 2

    ¡°Get out of here!¡± He said again.

    ¡°William! What is happening to you?¡± She didn¡¯t know what to do to help him, he

    looked as if he was fighting something internally¡ªand then it hit her. , The blinding pain ripped through

    her body and sent her on the ground next to him He reached out his hand to her, but it was toote.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    Chapter 129 The sweet burn of peace

    The middle of her chest started to burn like never before. Doris clenched the area with her hands but of

    course it did nothing to relieve the pain. William moved closer and gripped her chin to force her to look at

    him.

    ¡°Where does it hurt the most?¡± He asked in a strained tone. Doris wordlessly pointed to her chest. He

    reached his hand up her shirt and brushed his fingers over the area it burned. It ignited a loud groan from

    her. ¡°It¡¯s going to pass, it¡¯s almost finished.¡±

    Doris looked up at him with wide eyes. What was almost finished? What was even happening to her-or

    any of them?

    One by one, the people around them started to sit up and rub different areas of their body. Did they feel

    their skin try to melt off like she did?

    It felt like her heart was about tobust out of her chest. William was saying something but she

    couldn¡¯t hear a thing. All she could hear was the sound of her ears trying to explode. She was about to

    die, she was certain of it.

    Was she screaming? It was impossible to tell.

    Minutes passed and suddenly the pain stopped all at once-as if it was never there. Doris opened her

    eyes to see William still bent over her, but Enzo was there as well. The sound came back to her but it

    was almost as if she was underwater for a second as William repeated her name over and over.

    ¡°What¡ªwhat just happened?¡± Doris gasped. It was hard to even get the words out, they didn¡¯t even

    sound like her voice.

    ¡°You were marked by the blood promise.¡± William said calmy. His blue eyes quickly turned from worried

    to furious. ¡°What the fuck were you doing out here? I told you I didn¡¯t want you here! You were supposed

    to stay in the cabin!¡± 1

    Doris sat up slowly, her heart about to burst from her chest. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯ve been marked by the

    blood promise?¡± Doris wanted to rip her hair out and scream as loud as she could, but her voice wouldn¡¯t

    let her. ¡°You even didn¡¯t tell me why I shouldn¡¯te! All you did was tell me you didn¡¯t want me there!

    How was I supposed to know it would mark me?¡±

    How could he possibly turn this around and try to me it on her? He only made her feel unwanted, not

    as if he was doing it for his own good. Doris felt her rage quickly return as it crawled up her throat. He

    was so close, she could punch him right now if she had any strength.

    ¡°The blood promise marks everyone near enough to the mes to follow through.¡± William angrily

    unbuttoned his shirt and showed her the mark beneath. His skin had a blood drop seared right down the

    middle. It was still red as if the burning hadn¡¯t   Doris forced herself not to reach out and touch it, it was

    no bigger than her thumb.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I have too?¡± Doris touched the area over her clothes. She was close to strangling him. ¡°Why

    didn¡¯t you just tell me why you didn¡¯t want to be here?¡±

    William rolled his eyes to the sky and took a deep breath. ¡°I expected you to just listen, not go against

    me. You never went against my wishes at the pce.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a maid here, I¡¯m a person with feelings¡ªsomeone who feels the burn of your words every time

    you carelessly throw them at me.¡± Doris moved to stand. She ignored his offered hand and brushed the

    snow from her pants. ¡°What does this mark mean?¡± 1

    ¡°It means you are tied to the promise just as much as William is. You have to abide to the rules and make

    sure you don¡¯t mistreat any of the rogues.¡± Enzo filled in. He nervously looked between both of them as if

    he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°What if he breaks the bond?¡± Doris nced at his guards. ¡°What happens to us?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it would all lead to the same punishment.¡± Enzo said softly. Doris filled in the missing

    words-it would lead to their death if William decided to go against the promise. But what about the rest of

    them?

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on ever breaking my end of the deal.¡± William said through his teeth. Doris tiredly ran her

    fingers through her long hair.

    This was the opposite of what she needed right now. This pushed her back even further from the

    freedom she craved. In yet another way besides her mate mark, she was tied to William. It would never

    end.

    ¡°Great. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Doris mumbled and turned to get back on the path towards her cabin. She

    didn¡¯t hear anyone follow her, and she was only partly disappointed by it. She wanted the solitude to let

    her thoughts override her mind¡ªbut she also wanted to be followed back so she didn¡¯t have to deal with

    it alone.

    Doris closed the door behind her and immediately went into the bathroom to look at her mark. Right in

    the center of her chest, a blood drop was carved into her. She traced the shape with her finger and

    hoped it was just another cut that would fade away after time¡ªbut it already looked healed.

    Doris crawled into bed and let the exhaustion take her over before her thoughts started up again.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Late afternoon, Doris woke to find arge arm draped over her body. Slowly, she turned to see William

    asleep beside her without a shirt on. Normally, it would distract her to see his bare chest, but she felt

    nothing when her eyes fell upon his matching mark.

    Doris started to move out from under him, but he tightened his hold. His eyes were   wide open when she

    turned back to him.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ste in the day. I want to go out for a walk and get some air.¡± Doris went to move again but he

    wouldn¡¯t budge. His arm dragged her closer to him and she debated whether she wanted to bite him or

    not. He might take it wrong and get turned on.

    ¡°This mark won¡¯t affect you like you think it will. You wouldn¡¯t be cruel to the rogues, you wouldn¡¯t

    mistreat them or betray them. You can live through life and forget it¡¯s even there.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a good thing that I have so many terrible scars now. It¡¯ll blend right in.¡± Doris said bitterly.

    ¡°Your scars are beautiful. They all have stories.¡± William said almost gently. It surprised her. He hadn¡¯t

    ever said something like that to her, it almost sounded alien and she eyed him suspiciously.

    William released her and fell back against the bed. His eyes went up the the ceiling and stayed there.

    Perhaps he already regretted what he said. She didn¡¯t me him in the slightest.

    ¡°Do you think they trust you now?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I do. They don¡¯t look as if they want me to die every time I enter a room.¡±

    ¡°That must be a first for you.¡± Doris said as she slipped out of bed. She nced back just in time to see a

    ghost of a smirk on his lips. It was gone before she could capture it forever in her mind.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t owe me anything, but I would appreciate if you were honest with me.¡± Doris quickly

    turned away from him and searched through her drawers. She heard the bed creak behind her.

    ¡°I see it as trust. I wish you had just trusted me.¡±

    a

    Doris clenched her hand around a pair of socks and took a deep breath. After a second, he continued.

    ¡°I will tell you next time.¡±

    Doris turned to look at him, but he was already in the bathroom.

    After they were both dressed, Doris followed William out of the cabin and into a crowd. Immediately she

    recognized a lot of the vigers blended in with the guards. Many of them looked tired, but others

    seemed happy.

    ¡°They were brought back after you went to bed.¡± William answered the question in her mind. ¡°They¡¯re all

    aware of the deal, many other guards are going to other

    viges to let them know as

    Doris bit her lip. None of them red at them as they passed, several even smiled. Did this mean peace

    had already started? Less than two days ago Doris swore she was close to death.

    ¡°William.¡± Enzo broke through the crowd and headed straight for them. His face was serious, in his hand

    he clenched a golden letter. ¡°The pce has sent this for you.¡±

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    Chapter 130 Home is calling.

    William clenched the letter in his hand and immediately turned back to their cabin. Doris followed him

    with Patrick and Enzo on her heel. They closed the door and William ripped open the letter to read it

    quickly. Her heart pounded roughly in her chest, who had sent William a letter all the way out here?

    There had never been a silence so loud to her own ears. When he finished, he looked up at all of

    them with a distant expression. She hated when he looked like that. She feared she could never

    reach him.

    ¡°Something happened at the pce. There¡¯s some sort of gue that has broken out while we¡¯ve been

    gone.¡± William said, clearly in shock. That was truly thest thing she had expected to hear.

    ¡°Is everyone okay? Has any of your family been affected?¡± Or Beth! Doris felt the dread sink in her

    stomach. She silently prayed to the moon goddess that her friend was okay. How could this have

    happened? They¡¯d been gone for some time, but not that long.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say much about if anyone had gotten sick.¡± William stared at the paper again as if hoped it

    would have more. ¡°It just requests that Ie back before it gets worse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Patrick asked. He stepped forward to peer at the letter.

    ¡°That, and my idiot brother Martin had decided to get married the second we were gone.¡± William tossed

    the letter to the side. Patrick immediately went to grab it and read it over for himself.

    Doris watched William carefully. Did he feel jealous that his brother had just married his ex lover? He

    shifted a little and refused to meet her eyes and she didn¡¯t know why that hurt more than anything else. It

    was all the confirmation she needed. Clearly, a part of him had not gotten over her just yet. 1 ¡°I can have

    you all packed and on the road within the hour.¡± Enzo offered. He looked at each of them. ¡°I cane

    with you if you need me to convince your father of our blood promise.¡±

    ¡°I think it would be best if you dide with us. You can bring your own guards with you if you need.¡±

    William crossed his arms over his chest and stared into the fire. Tears started to burn the back of her

    throat, she swallowed them down before anyone could catch a hint of them.

    ¡°Very well. I will have it all prepared.¡± He nodded his head and threw a small wink at Doris before he left

    the cabin. At least he would be there with them, that mended her pain a little.

    ¡°If we take the main roads, we¡¯ll get there much quicker than it took to get here.¡± Patrick said. He still had

    the golden letter in his grasp but Doris didn¡¯t want to see it. A new ache in her chest had already formed

    from worry and a touch of jealousy. Why did it still bother him?

    ¡°Enzo will know the quickest route back to the pce. I need you to make sure all our our men are

    gathered and that we have enough horses to get back. We won¡¯t need a carriage, I want to get there as

    quickly as possible.¡± William said without looking up.

    Patrick bowed his head and left as well. Closing her in with William. Already she could feel his title start

    to form again, she already could imagine a crown on his head and the stiff shoulders he always wore at

    the pce. The dark look in his eyes.

    What would they be once they were back? Would they sneak around until she was released?

    Would he try to prevent her from getting any sort of freedom?

    Would he be ashamed for people to know she was his lover?

    And¡ªwhat about Melody?

    ¡°What about Melody?¡± Doris blurted out the second the question had hit her mind. William slowly turned

    his distracted gaze to her.

    For a moment, it looked as if he didn¡¯t know who she was referring to. ¡°She¡¯ll be moved out of thedies

    ward the second we get there.¡± He said absentmindedly.

    Clearly Melody was the veryst thing on his mind at the moment-or ever.

    ¡°Just like that?¡±

    ¡°What did you want me to say? I¡¯ll throw a sad parade in her honor and have her carried out the door?¡±

    He moved through the room like a force, starting to gather their things.

    ¡°She was yourdy¡ª¡°

    ¡°She lied to me and made a fake mark. I don¡¯t like liars and she¡¯s lucky I don¡¯t ban her from the

    kingdom.¡±

    Doris thought back to the day she was poisoned, when William barely cared and everyone told her how

    little he seemed concerned. How long had he known she was lying? Did he know the second they made

    love, or after?

    Her wolf felt at home every time he touched her¡ªdid his own scream at him that he had the wrong

    woman? Or did he just not care?

    A sour taste burned her mouth. She went to help him pack and for the first time, she really started to

    consider what would happen. Her heart didn¡¯t want to break before they even left, but she couldn¡¯t help

    but wonder what was about to happen.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She saw it all in her mind. They¡¯d get back to the pce, he would treat her like a   maid again, invite her

    to his room when no one was around, and ignore her during the days. It filled her with misery. She also

    dreaded the idea that he would try to offer her to be hisdy. Once their bags were full, they went out to

    find the rest of the guards. People raced around the camp frantically-Enzo must have set a fire under

    them to help the prince. Doris went right to the stables and handed her bag to the nearest guard. He tied

    it to their horse and a secondter, Enzo was entering the stables.

    ¡°I had enough food packed tost us all a few days. I expect us to get there sooner, but if a storm hits us

    we might be stuck out there.¡± Enzo pulled himself up on his horse, a few of his guards filed in to join him.

    William didn¡¯t even look at her before he lifted her on his horse and pulled himself up in front of her. Did

    he think the same thing she was? Was he dreading the thought of popping their small bubble of bliss? 2

    Out here, they were different. He wasn¡¯t a prince, she wasn¡¯t a maid. There was no pce to force them

    into their roles and make them realize they were wrong for each other. She day dreamed about the idea

    that he was just a normal man that she could love.

    But she knew it could never be so.

    Enzo led them out onto the main road and kicked his horse off into a steady gallop. William was close

    behind and the guards followed. Doris closed her eyes and rested her head against his back as she tried

    to imagine a bit longer that they weren¡¯t about to be torn apart.

    Even if it took weeks or months for her to be finally freed, it was inevitable. Unless he tried to stop it, but

    how could she ever love someone that did that to her?

    After a while, their horses slowed to a lighter walk to gain a bit of their breath back. The sun was quickly

    fading in the sky and she dreaded the night air. It was even more unbearably cold than during the day.

    Her hair felt frozen on her head even though it hadn¡¯t been wet, she could barely feel her toes and she

    desperately wanted to feel a warm bed and hot meal.

    Their group stopped for the night when many of them couldn¡¯t stand another minute. William ate next to

    Doris and held her when they slept, but he didn¡¯t say much else to her. Perhaps he was dreading it, too.

    They weren¡¯t ready to go back to how it was.

    As soon as the sun broke the darkness, they were fed and on the road again. They rode hard and fast

    and then gave their horses breaks whenever they needed it. Her legs started to burn and ache from the

    pounding of the horse. She was barely able to walk every time William helped her off the horse for a

    break.

    Another day passed of travel and thick fires. William grumbled his responses even   though he stuck to

    her side the whole way through. Enzo hadn¡¯t been very talkative himself, but she thought that was due to

    the mood of the rest of them. They all had their terrible silences.

    Enzo came up to them as they tore through their meals. ¡°We should be there within a few hours.¡±

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    Chapter 131 So much sickness

    Just a few hours left before Doris became a maid again, wasn¡¯t it? It all became a giant blur as they

    mounted their horses again and took off into the growing winds. An unsettling feeling shifted in her

    stomach, more than it had before. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they were closer than before,

    another half day or so and they¡¯d be there. 4

    The ride was silent and not as urgent, as if all of the energy had dissolved long ago and they were left

    with the anticipation. They rode the horses in a normal gallop through the snow rather than push them as

    they had been before. The fog had grown so much, she almost couldn¡¯t see some of the guards that had

    ridden ahead.

    A shape blocked their path up ahead, they all slowed to a stop right before it. Doris squinted her eyes

    and saw that it looked like a man bundled up-but that couldn¡¯t be so. He would have been frozen to

    death and she did not need to see another dead body. One of the rogues slid off their horse and went to

    see what it was.

    As soon as he touched the shape, it moved. The man rolled to his side and sat up quickly as if he was

    startled. He looked¡­ deathly. His skin was tinted an awful grey and sickly color and he could barely open

    his eyes all the way. Doris tightened her grip on William. What happened to this man? Was he stuck out

    here in the cold?

    ¡°Help¡­ help me.¡± The man coughed. He tried to stand, but he copsed on his knees again. Enzo slid

    off his horse instantly to go help. She felt another uneasy feeling sink in her stomach.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Enzo asked. Doris had to strain just to hear him say anything over the sounds of

    wind. It was starting to make her eyes water.

    ¡°I¡­ the whole vige, we¡¯re sick. Something came over us all and we have all fallen ill¡± He coughed. ¡°I

    went to get help from the lords nearby, but got lost and couldn¡¯t make it another step.¡±

    William tensed under Doris¡¯ grasp. ¡°The whole vige?¡± He called. The man looked over at William and

    his eyes widened a little. He nodded eagerly as if he recognized him, perhaps he did.

    ¡°Y-yes. We¡¯ve all gotten sick.¡± He stammered, his entire body started to tremble.

    Doris knew exactly what William was thinking. The gue had already gotten here from the pce¡ªhow

    was that so?

    ¡°Please, we need help.¡± He coughed again and tried to get closer to William. His guard gripped his

    shoulder and pulled him back a bit.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to pass¡ª¡°

    ¡°Please!¡± He begged. The rogues and guards shared a few uneasy nces.

    Enzo cleared his through and motioned for one of his men toe closer. They surrounded William¡¯s

    horse and lowered their voices. ¡°We need to see if we can at least help this man and vigers.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time¡ª¡° William started. ¡°How will the rogues trust you if they heard you didn¡¯t even try to

    help?¡± Enzo said quietly. He gave him a look that made Doris nervous. Thest thing they needed was

    for William to get angry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a wise¡ª¡° William inhaled and exhaled slowly. ¡°Alright. We will pass through and see

    if we can help. But we can not linger, we have to get back on the road soon.¡±

    ¡°We can at least give them a half day of our time.¡± Enzo pped William on the knee and turned back to

    the man who looked as if he was going to pass out any second.N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°We will take you back to the vige and see if there¡¯s anything we can do to help you.¡± Enzo said. He

    gestured to two of his guards to help the man on the horse as he crawled up on his own. The man

    repeated his grateful praises the whole ride to his vige.

    They went off the road and opposite of where they were meant to be heading. It didn¡¯t take long for Doris

    to see a bit of a small vige up ahead in another camp style that reminded her of Enzo¡¯s. This one was

    about half the size of his own. 1

    The fog was still heavy and thick, she couldn¡¯t tell if there were any people outside or if they were all

    inside. They came to a stop at the stables, William slid off and helped Doris before he followed Enzo. His

    shoulders were tense with his inner rage wanting toe out, but surprisingly he managed to contain

    himself. Perhaps he was already back into his role as prince and wanted to make it stick.

    ¡°Just- just up here.¡± The man coughed. He staggered a little before he led them to one of therger

    cabins. Inside, it was worse than she expected. There were rows and rows of cots that had sick people in

    them. Half of them looked like ghosts and the other half already looked dead.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t all of them, two more cabins are full of the sick like this.¡± The man exined. He copsed on

    one of the empty beds and had another coughing fit. Doris cringed at the noise. It was wet and nasty,

    she took a small step back.

    ¡°What can we do to help?¡± Doris asked. William shot her a look that she ignored.

    ¡°We need¡­ medicine or something. Anything! Please, help us.¡± Someone else groaned in the corner of

    the room. Doris looked over each person and saw them clenching their stomachs while others just

    looked as if they wanted to die. Doris frowned and went to find an apron.

    William gripped her arm to stop her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here to help, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m going to try and help them.¡± Doris shook his arm off and tied an apron

    around her waist. She went to heat up some water and gather towels.

    ¡°We should try to see what medicine we brought.¡± Enzo said to his men. They hurried out the door and

    mmed it closed behind her. William stared at the door as if he wanted to open it again just to let air in

    this sick ce.

    ¡°Come help me, please.¡± Doris said to the remaining guards. ¡°Get some warm towels and clean up some

    of the patients. I¡¯m going to go make some tea.¡±

    She headed to the small kitchen to brew some water while the men got to work. They looked a bit

    confused at being asked to help out, she almost rolled her eyes at them. What did they expect? To sit

    and watch?

    William followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as he watched her. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be

    near them, Doris.¡± 2

    ¡°If we don¡¯t help them, they¡¯re just going to die. I don¡¯t know how to take care of them but I can at least

    help.¡± She nced back at him. ¡°You can try to help too.¡± 2

    William narrowed his eyes and pushed off the counter. He lined up a few cups for her to pour tea into

    before he carried them out of the kitchen without another word. Doris sighed and carried the rest. 1

    It wasn¡¯t nearly enough to serve all of them, they didn¡¯t even have enough cups. Doris watched them

    helplessly. Guards wiped the warm clothes against their foreheads and looked just as clueless as she

    did.

    Her training at the pce never mentioned what to do when a gue fell upon the kingdom. How many

    people would die from this? It looked like most them were already close to it.

    ¡°Perhaps I can try to make a soup or something,¡± Doris whispered to William. He stood in the far corner

    with his arms crossed over his chest.

    ¡°Soup is not going to cure them, Doris. Just look at them.¡± William muttered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else we can do!¡± Doris said. She nced out the window to see Enzo talking with his

    guards and gesturing to a bag in his hand. They must not have brought as much medicine as they

    expected.

    A man from behind her started coughing so loud, she swore he was about to cough up all of his insides.

    The sound made her sad and sick at the same time, she wanted to help him but she just didn¡¯t know

    how.

    He rolled to his side and fell off the bed. Doris quickly hurried over to him and helped him up. When he

    saw who was helping him, he clenched onto her tighter and

    started coughing directly in her face.

    William yanked her back away from him and she almost fell right into his chest. A guard hurried over and

    handed her a towel, but something inside her told her it was toote.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    Chapter 132 Another bloody mistake.

    The sickness started slowly in the day, and then it hit her all at once. She was in the middle of washing

    dishes when a dizziness overcame her and she copsed on the cold ground. The guard that had been

    helping her nearby picked her up and carried her to where William was speaking quietly with a ghostly

    Enzo.

    They¡¯d set their party up in a temporary cabin that hadn¡¯t yet been touched by the sickness. Or, they set

    themselves up while the vigers suffered in the other ones. William dropped the papers he was holding

    and took her in his arms the second he saw her. Already she felt sweaty and nauseated as if she was

    about to throw up all over him. How had it gotten a hold of her so fast?

    ¡°You got sick! I fucking knew this was going to happen!¡± William growled and carried her up to one of the

    empty rooms. Each of his stomps were like echos in her throbbing mind. He ced her in the center of

    the bed and started to pull off her boots and thick sweater. 1

    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You know,¡± Enzo appeared at the door, he gripped the frame to hold himself up. He looked pale and as if

    he was about to pass out any second. ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling too well myself.¡± 1

    Just as he said it, he copsed on the floor face first with a loud thump. William grumbled furiously and

    snapped at the nearby guards to take him to another room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a cold.¡± Doris coughed and closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon, it¡¯s freezing outside.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been freezing since the moment we entered the north and you¡¯ve only just gotten sick.¡± William

    snarled. He wrapped her up in the nkets and left the room a secondter. Dread crawled up her

    throat, as well as a bit of fear.

    They were nning on leaving by nightfall to get to the pce by morning. Now that Enzo and herself

    were sick-they could be here for days until they were both fit to travel again.

    It was hard to lift her head when she tried to sit up, it felt as if a led weight pulled her back down to the

    bed. The second her head hit the pillow, she was out.

    Doris woke in a pool of her own sweat. The nkets were kicked down to her feet and she¡¯d never seen

    sheets in such a twisted state.

    ¡°Stop moving, you¡¯ll only get sick again.¡± William said from beside her. She turned to see him seated in a

    chair with a bucket and towels next to him.

    ¡°Again?¡± Doris whispered. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy as if she hadn¡¯t used it in years.

    ¡°You¡¯ve woken up to throw up about four times.¡± William leaned forward to wipe the sweat from her brow.

    ¡°And then you would pass out the second you were done.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember any of that.¡± Doris leaned her heavy head back on the pillows. A wave of chills passed

    through her body, he got up and brought the nkets back around her shoulders. ¡°Was any medicine

    found?¡±

    William snorted and leaned back in the chair. ¡°From where the outside snow? No, none of the medicine

    that we brought has worked on anyone.¡±

    ¡°Is Enzo doing okay?¡± She didn¡¯t have the energy to roll her eyes at his ridicules tone. He shifted beside

    her.

    ¡°He¡¯s worse than you. I¡¯ve never seen anyone look that sick before.¡± William said without a hint of

    sarcasm left in his voice. Doris could see the crease of worry form between his brows and she wanted to

    smooth it away. 1

    ¡°It¡¯ll pass. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Doris whispered. When she reached for his hand, he yanked it away

    ¡°Why is it that you can¡¯t help but go against mymands? I told you not to get close to anyone and you

    let an old fucker cough in your face!¡± He stood and kicked the metal bucket across the room. Doris

    flinched when it hit the wall. At least it wasn¡¯t full of her vomit.

    Slowly, Doris tried to pull herself up but didn¡¯t get far. ¡°I didn¡¯t invite him to cough on me, William.¡± Doris

    said in a strained voice. Her throat was starting to bum and she only wished she could swallow a pound

    of snow to sooth it. ¡°I was just trying to be a good person. It¡¯s not wrong to want to help people.¡± 1

    ¡°It is if it gets you killed.¡± William growled. He turned to face her and gripped the edge of the bed frame.

    ¡°At the pce, you never went against my wishes. You did everything I asked and you never¡ª¡°

    ¡°What? I neverined? I was a ve, William. I¡¯m not allowed toin or tell people how 1-¡°

    Doris coughed into her arm. ¡°Or tell people how I feel. I¡¯m supposed to blend into the walls and allow

    everyone higher up than me to abuse me. I¡¯m sorry that you miss that version of myself, but I¡¯ve finally

    learned how to respect myself.¡±

    Silence fell over the room. He didn¡¯t break eye contact with her for a second. She felt sweat drip down

    the center of her back as she stared at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure once we get back to the castle things will¡ª¡°Doris coughed again. ¡°Things will be back to how

    they were. You can demand me to do whatever you want and I¡¯ll cower away from you and hide when I

    hear your footsteps.¡±

    ¡°Doris, that¡¯s not what I meant¡ª¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s not? Then what did you mean, William? You don¡¯t want me to make my own   decisions and you get

    mad when I want to make up my own mind.¡±

    ¡°Look where some of those decisions led you, Doris! On your death bed!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret trying to help people who are suffering. I tried to help and I know it wasn¡¯t enough but at

    least I tried.¡± Dorisid back against the bed and closed her eyes. ¡°I was almost beaten to death by your

    lady at the pce and all you did was tell her to hurt me in private next time¡ªthat she wasn¡¯t acting like

    ady.¡±

    Doris heard an intake of breath, she continued before he said anything. ¡°I almost was killed for being

    wrongly used of a poisoning. I almost died several times just on this journey. If this was why I go, I

    would say it¡¯s a lot better than the other reasons.¡± She whispered. 2

    He said nothing, but she knew he was still there. She could hear his breathing turn from heavy to lighter

    as if he was letting his emotions simmer out of him. Doris pulled the nkets more around herself and

    sunk deeper inside the bed.

    ¡°I would have never let her kill you.¡± William said before he finally left the room. His words echoed around

    her but fell to the floor uselessly. For a man that was built on actions rather than words, he missed the

    mark on that one. 1

    The next time she woke up again, he was standing over her bed with a steaming cup. For a moment,

    she¡¯dpletely forgotten where she was and what had happened to her. She was halfway out of a

    fever dream.

    ¡°Drink this.¡± He ordered. Doris tried to sit up but kept falling back. He finally gripped her and helped her

    sit up all the way.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Doris took it with shaky hands. She felt as if her insides were starting to shut down on her.

    When she looked down at the tea, it looked more red than usual.

    ¡°It¡¯s whatever tea they had on hand and my blood.¡± William sat next to her on the edge of the bed. Doris

    shook her head and tried to had it back.

    ¡°Thest time I took that, I had the most awful dreams¡ª¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll have them again.¡± He pushed the cup back towards her. Doris sighed. ¡° My blood might get

    this sickness out of your system before it gets worse. Now, drink.¡± ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t?¡± Doris asked

    quietly. She felt a fit of coughs try to crawl their way up her throat.

    William looked at her for a moment. As if he was trying to assess every inch of her.¡° If it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll go

    out into the storm and I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯ve found something to cure you.¡± He said gently. He brushed

    her hair behind her ear. 1

    Storm? She didn¡¯t realize they¡¯d been in a storm. She nced out the window by her bed to see nothing

    but white. William turned her chin back to him and lifted the cup to her lips.

    Doris kept her eyes on his blue ones as she tilted the tea back and drank every drop. When he took the

    cup back, sleep had already taken her under.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    Chapter 133 Fever dreams of horror

    It was red everywhere. The dark room she had once feared was no where in sight, she was surrounded

    by the bloodiest red. It looked as if it oozed down in big fat drops, the sight made her shiver.

    Doris stood and looked around the area. Part of her was well aware that she was dreaming-she had to

    be. But the other half wasn¡¯t so convinced. It felt real. She felt as if she was there, seeing every inch of

    this massacre. Was it blood? No, it couldn¡¯t be. There were no bodies, no sense of life around her

    except

    Her hands were covered in it, as were her bare legs. She wore a torn dress as if she had juste from

    a bloody wedding. A diamond ring even sat on her ring finger. When she tried to take it off, she heard a

    sharpugh behind her. ¡°Doris¡­.¡±

    A voice called from the shadows. Doris hesitated before she stepped towards the sound. ¡°William? Is

    that you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know you wish it was¡­¡± The voice hissed. Doris stopped her steps and tried to move back, but

    there was now a wall behind her. ¡°Your groom is waiting at the alter for you, what are you doing here?¡±

    The voice asked. She swore it sounded like William, but also¡ªit didn¡¯t sound like him at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡ª¡°

    ¡°Sure you do. It¡¯s all you ever wanted, isn¡¯t it? William gave up his throne for you.¡± The voice sounded as

    if it was now behind her. She quickly turned to see fresh blood seeping down the walls. ¡°It¡¯s for the better,

    he would have killed everyone if he had be king.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, he¡¯s a good man.¡± Doris backed away from the bleeding wall and fell right into a pool of

    blood. She gasped as she tried to swim out of it, but the edges stretched on.

    ¡°He already killed two of his brothers, I¡¯m not sure I would consider than a good man.¡± The voice

    laughed.

    Doris tried to get out of the blood, but it only pulled her further in as if it was an ocean.

    ¡°Where do you think all the blood came from?¡± The voice said against her ear. Doris screamed and was

    pulled down to the bottom of the bloody pool.

    Suddenly, she was sucked through the bottom and dropped into a strange room. It   dreams of horror

    appeared to be some sort of funeral from all of the ck. Doris slowly calmed herself before she stood

    up to see what was happening. She passed rows and rows of people dressed in more ck but had no

    faces, it sent a chill down her spine.

    ¡°They were so lovely, I assure you they¡¯ll be missed¡­¡± The voice said. Doris turned in every direction to

    try and catch him, but there was nothing but more and more empty faces.

    ¡°Who will be missed?¡± Doris asked. She looked around for a sign of who they all came to mourn.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± The voice whispered by her ear and shoved her towards the front. There were four

    caskets, and each held a face she knew well.

    Doris screamed when she saw the dead faces of Beth, Martin, Daniel and Enzo. They had their eyes

    closed and hands crossed over their chests as if they were in a peaceful sleep. Doris copsed next to

    Beth¡¯s coffin and tried to wake her. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s gone. She tried to stop you from marrying the prince so he

    ripped out her heart.¡± The voice said. It almost sounded as if he was happy. ¡°In fact, I think they all tried

    to do that. They all tried to talk sense in you for wanting to marry the prince. Or, former prince.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t do this! He would never kill Beth!¡±

    The voice made a noise of disapproval. ¡°Love is blind, but you are perhaps one of the worst cases I¡¯ve

    ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Why do you sound like him?¡± Doris screamed. She put her head between her knees and tried to force

    herself to wake up. The sound of loud steps made her body tremble. When she looked up, William was

    walking towards her in a crisp suit.

    His hands were shoved deep in his pockets and he looked down at her with some sort of pity on his face.

    ¡°Come on, wife.¡± He held his hand out to her, it had blood all over it. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Doris screamed and scrambled to her feet. He tilted his head as he watched her. ¡°Why

    would you do this to them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my mate. I own you and they only tried to break us apart.¡± William said. He spoke so

    nonchntly and she realized it didn¡¯t sound like him at all. It was as if something deeper was speaking

    inside him and he was saying the words along with it. ¡°Come now. Let¡¯s go before it gets too dark.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you!¡± Doris screamed. A sh of anger covered his face as he started

    stomping towards her. Doris moved back and suddenly, William stopped dead in his tracks. 1

    His blue eyes were red now. They widened and he gripped his heart. Doris watched  dreams of horror as

    something looked as if it was ripping out of him. It tore William in half and all Doris could do was scream

    and watch her worst nightmaree to life.

    She copsed to her knees and crawled over to him. The creature that came out looked like a wolf, but

    also didn¡¯t.

    ¡°You-you belong to me!¡± It screamed.

    Doris woke up with William pinning her to the bed.

    ¡°Doris!¡± He shouted over her screams. She thrashed under his hold and he refused to let her go. ¡°Calm

    down! It¡¯s just a dream!¡±

    Slowly, her moves halted. William had her wrists pinned against her bed and he looked utterly exhausted

    as if he just went through a fight with her. The images of her dream were slowly fading away, but she still

    saw a hint of dead faces in the back of her mind.

    Her breathing calmed after a few minutes. He loosened his grip on her and cautiously let her go. ¡°Are

    you¡­ okay?¡± He asked when she finally calmed down.

    Doris nodded and went to sit up. He moved off her and pushed her hair back behind her ears to take a

    better look at her. His hands were warm as they gripped her face, she wanted to melt into them and hope

    the dream melted too.

    ¡°Why does it feel so real?¡± Doris whispered. Her voice was so small, even to her own ears. William

    frowned and pulled back a little.

    ¡°It¡¯s the side effect of taking the blood. I don¡¯t know why everyone reacts this way, but they do. I only

    gave you a few drops¡± He dropped his hands. ¡°You don¡¯t look pale anymore.¡± ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    Doris asked as she took in his new clothes.

    ¡°A day. Enzo is still out but he asionally screams.¡± William brushed his hands across his front. They

    come away clean, no hint of blood on him.

    ¡°Are the dreams supposed to¡­mean something?¡± Doris asked hesitantly. She sat up a little and he

    ced another pillow behind her.

    ¡°No. They¡¯re usually meant to y on your inner fears. Usually things that don¡¯t see the light of day often

    and make them a hundred times worse.¡± He handed her a tall ss of cold water. Doris swallowed in in

    large gulps. It felt so good going down her throat. 1

    D

    ¡°What were your dreams?¡± He asked and seated himself on the bed again. He watched her closely and

    she wondered how awful she must look to him.

    Doris hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much of it just-a lot of blood. I almost drowned in a pool of blood. I

    think it was supposed to be the blood of people I care about.¡±

    William nodded slowly when she offered no other exnation. ¡°How are you feeling

    now?¡±

    ¡°I feel¡­ fine. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m going to throw up on you, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡±

    The side of William¡¯s mouth twitched a little. She would do anything to see him smile. Had he ever truly

    smiled at her? She couldn¡¯t remember. If she had money, she would pay everything she had just to hear

    hisugh every day.

    Doris reached out and touched his lips gently. He froze at her touch and she only smiled at him.

    William¡¯s eyes flickered to her mouth. He drank in the sight of her smile and suddenly she had a strange

    feeling of home. Could a person be considered home?

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat. You must be starving.¡± William let his lips pull up a little further and she held

    her breath. How could she capture it forever? If only she knew how to paint, then she would do just that.

    He stood from her bed and walked out the door, leaving her with her leftover horror.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    Chapter 134 Another traitorous thing

    Another night of rest followed by food was all Doris needed to feel okay again. Or, close enough to okay.

    She was required to take it easy for at least another day and she couldn¡¯tin about that. After the

    the days of riding and then immediately falling sick, her body needed her to take it easy before it

    copsed entirely.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Desperately, she wanted to forget the dream that kept trying toe back to corrupt her mind whenever

    she closed her eyes. Blood coated the walls around her all over again as if she was still in the room.

    What did her dream mean? Was it some sort of warning, or just another ridiculous scene that came from

    her deepest fears as William said?

    It wouldn¡¯t make sense for it to be a warning, William would never give up the crown for her and she

    wouldn¡¯t want him to. She didn¡¯t see herself as a bride any time soon and Beth would have thrown a

    parade if she knew that Doris was marrying a prince

    -so what did it all mean?

    Perhaps there was something deeper and darker inside her that had its own concerns.

    Doris got up from her disastrous bed and changed out of her sweaty clothes. She wasn¡¯t sure where

    William had gone, but she was relieved to have a moment alone especially gayer the dream of him.

    Cleaned up and somewhat fresh, she crept down the hall and peeked in on the room next to her own.

    Enzoid in a deep sleep with a bit of sweat gleaming on his forehead. She heard him screaming in the

    middle of the night, she wondered if he had already passed through his wretched dreams or if he was

    still in the middle of one. William had said he was much sicker than she was, perhaps he would be out

    another day because of it. Silently, she closed the door again.

    The stairs creaked under her feet as she carefully made her way down the stairs. The house was quiet

    with sleep and sickness, she wondered if anyone else had fallen ill while she was out. Were his guards

    okay?

    William sat at the kitchen table with his head bent over a book of some sort. His eyes snapped up to her

    the second she stepped further into the room. They werepletely alone, surprisingly. It wasn¡¯t even

    night out yet. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be up.¡± He said and closed what he was reading. Doris moved to sit across

    from him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want toy there anymore, it was making me stir crazy.¡± She sighed and leaned her head on her

    palm. Her hair was a wild mess, but there were no signs of brushes anywhere nearby. Even William had

    his hand tossed waves on full disy. She had to curl her fingers closed just to prevent herself from

    running them through   his soft hair. Oh yes, she was definitely feeling much better if she was just

    thinking of his appearance rather than wanting to die.

    ¡°I just got some disturbing news.¡± William said lowly. He nced over his shoulder to confirm they were

    alone.

    Doris straightened in her chair and leaned closer to him. ¡°Oh no, what happened? Did someone die in

    the vige?¡± ¡°No. Not yet, many of them are close to it, though.¡± William cleared his throat. ¡°I had one of

    my guards go ahead to the kingdom to see how people are holding up there and what we should expect.

    He came back much faster than I expected him to with the news.¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­ what happened?¡± Doris reached across the table to grip his hand, he let her. A small bloom of

    panic formed in her chest, she silently prayed that all the vigers at the castle were fine¡ªas well as the

    princes. ¡°The sickness isn¡¯t there. No one is sick there from this and they had no idea what he was

    talking about when he asked around about it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Doris furrowed her brows. ¡°That makes no sense,

    why would your pce send you a letter¡ª¡°

    It dawned on her right then, and something about his face made her realize that he already knew too.

    ¡°Luna Queen.¡± They said at the same time.

    ¡°Was this some sort of big set up? Why did she want you to race home for this?¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking how strange it was that we found that man out in the middle of the main road. Right in

    our direct path back to the kingdom.¡± William leaned back in his chair.

    ¡°She must have set all of this up¡ªbut why?¡± Doris frowned. ¡°She wanted us to be stopped by that man

    and lured here where all these sick people are.¡± Doris wasn¡¯t sure if they were going to be ambushed or

    not. The vigers truly looked as if they were about to die. She didn¡¯t think they would willingly let

    someone make them this ill, she felt just how real their sickness was. There was no way they were faking

    just to trick him.

    But¡ªwhy would she infect an entire vige of people?

    ¡°Do you think she wanted you toe here so you could get sick and die? This vige clearly has no

    medicine and the supplies is running dangerously low.¡± Doris said. She nced at the kitchen. There

    wasn¡¯t that much food left in there, where did they get more if everyone was as sick as they were?

    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible she did. We already know she wanted me dead here, it¡¯s why   she nned the

    whole poison thing. She wanted me to die up here.¡± William said.

    ¡°Perhaps when she realized she hadn¡¯t heard back if you were dead or not, she took measures a little

    further and tried to get everyone sick.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t realize my blood fights against it. It cured you and Enzo, she doesn¡¯t realize I have that sort

    of power. If she did, she might have killed me in my sleep at the pce or just poisoned me right there.¡±

    4

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Doris asked quietly. She felt so angry inside, her rage was waking up as her body

    regained energy. But she still didn¡¯t want to wake the rest of the house. ¡°We have to stop her before she

    goes even further. This was¡­ this was far enough. She got an entire vige sick.¡±

    ¡°I might be able to save them. I don¡¯t know if I should, though. They took part in her scheme.¡± William

    grumbled. Doris squeezed his hand and brought her own hand back to herp.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they agreed to be infected like this. I don¡¯t know about the man that lured you here, perhaps

    he was told you were the one that could help him so he quickly wanted you toe with him.¡± Doris

    spoke gently. His mouth was still in a permanent frown and she didn¡¯t know how to fix it. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t

    all die because of her ruthless games.¡±

    William sighed and rubbed his face. He looked so tired, she wanted toy with him forever.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He stood. ¡°I can put it in the tea and not tell them about it.¡±

    Doris hopped up and followed him to the kitchen. They spent hours delivering hot tea to each of the sick

    vigers. William had to sit near the end when he gave up more blood than she expected him to.

    Doris bundled up and delivered thest batch of tea. Already she saw many had drained their cups and

    fell into a deep sleep they wouldn¡¯t wake up from for quite some time.

    When she returned back to the cabin, it was still dead quiet. It had to be nearing nightfall, she didn¡¯t think

    she had ever heard an entire vige fall so quiet as if no one else was there.

    William watched as she removed her coat and boots. When she walked close to him, he grabbed her

    waist and seated her on hisp. She gave out a small yelp that he silenced with a kiss that could have

    left her dizzy for days.

    ¡°Do you know how hard it¡¯s been watching you in that bed?¡± He whispered against her lips. Doris

    wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

    ¡°Thank you for saving me. Again.¡± Doris whispered. He smiled against her lips, she had to pull away just

    to witness it. It was half the size of a regr one, but it was   true art on him. She never wanted to forget

    it.

    He didn¡¯t even notice her watching him, his eyes were directly on her mouth and she felt her core ache

    when she noticed the hint of heat in his gaze.

    Doris leaned forward to whisper in his ear, ¡°Take me somewhere they won¡¯t hear us.¡±

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135

    Chapter 135 The pleasure of heat

    William picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She had to bite her lip to keep from

    making any sort of noises that would alert other people in the house, she didn¡¯t know who else upied

    the other rooms. Something inside her told her it would be almost impossible to keep quiet around

    William when he looked at her with heat in his eyes.

    Instead of taking her upstairs, he took her to the back part of the cabin where a sunroom was built. He

    closed and locked the door behind them before he set her down on the couch.

    ¡°All the curtains are open.¡± Doris said self consciously. William went around to each one and made sure

    they were closed. Suddenly, they were submerged in a dim darkness that outlined

    his body.

    William pulled his shirt off over his head and slowly made his way over to her. She could see the shape

    of him as he moved, a wave of goosebumps ran across her skin when their eyes locked. How was a man

    this handsome interested in her?

    He braced his hands against the couch on each side of her and leaned close. ¡°Do you think you can be

    quiet for me?¡± He whispered.

    ¡°I can try¡­¡± She said breathlessly. Her eyes refused to leave his mouth.

    ¡°Take your clothes off. Now.¡± He demanded. It shouldn¡¯t have turned her on as much as it did, but she

    wanted him to always tell her what to do if he said it like that.

    Doris pulled her shirt off over her head before she shimmed off her pants that were a little wet from the

    snow. Immediately, she felt the ice cold weather hit her skin but something inside her was starting to heat

    up.

    He unzipped his pants and in a breath they were off him. Her fingers curled at her sides when she saw

    the indent of his length through his underwear. The smirk on his lips was much more teasing than she

    could handle.

    Doris slowly took off the remainder of her undergarments and held his lustful gaze the entire time. His

    eyes could have burned down buildings and she would have only felt a thrill in her bones.

    A growl sounded from his throat, she clenched her thighs together and tried to control her own urges. He

    pushed off his underwear and secondster he had her in his grasp. Doris quietly groaned as he brought

    them down to the plush couch. It was warm on her back and barely had enough room to hold them.

    His length grazed her thighs just as his mouth found her own in a heated kiss meant only for her

    destruction. She melted into him and all of her worries erased from her mind as if they were never there.

    Did he realize how much power he had over her? Did he know how unfair it was to be able to break her

    with a single sentence and be the holder to all things good?

    Hisrge hand parted her legs and brushed against her wet folds, the simple touch made her tremble.

    ¡°Remember.¡± He said against her lips. ¡°Be quiet¡­¡±

    Teeth bit down on her lower lip, she arched her body up against his own and he seemed to go a little

    feral when their skin collided. His mouth left her own and traveled down her skin. Kissing over her mate

    mark, biting clean skin and kissing the parts where she had scars. She wanted his mouth over every inch

    of her, she wanted to drown in the feeling of his tongue across her most sensitive areas.

    When he reached her breasts, her breath became harder to control. It was as if her heart rate thought

    she was running and she couldn¡¯t help but start to pant when his tongue glided across her hard nipples.

    He took her breasts in his grip and squeezed harder than she expected, she let out a small yelp that he

    came back up to silence with his mouth.

    *This house has paper for walls.¡± He teased with a smirk. It almost felt as if he wanted her to break his

    own rule, but she would never be able to look at Enzo again if he heard her moans.

    Doris brought his mouth down to hers and kissed him as roughly as she could manage. Her hands left

    his strong shoulders and slowly traveled down his bare back to feel a bit of his own scars that he had

    gained on this trip and from time that had long passed.

    She stopped on his ass and couldn¡¯t help herself as she squeezed him. A growl rumbled from his throat

    and into her own when they kissed. His tongue took control of her instantly and she was mush in his

    grasp. It was useless to fight him, he always won.

    He gripped her arms and forced them above her head so she couldn¡¯t touch him anymore. She wiggled

    against his hold, but he held firm.

    Doris pulled back and frowned at him despite the arousal between her legs. ¡°No fair.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    William only smirked and moved his hips against her. Her lips parted when she felt him enter her and she

    had to mp them shut to prevent a loud moan from escaping. Her nails cut against the skin on his hand

    as he held her tight. He moved out of her before he mmed back inside and rocked the couch back

    against the wall aggressively.

    If they had been in their room, Enzo would have definitely woken from any fever dream if he heard the

    bed mming against the wall. She knew that would thrill William to let everyone know who he thought

    he owned, but she would have never been able to show her face.

    His length pulled out of her slowly. She was worried her lip would start to bleed with how hard she bit into

    it just to prevent her moans. He watched her with a gaze that made her insides urn, it was as if he was

    turned on just from the sight of her pleasure.

    He rocked his hips back against her and she whimpered from the impact. He pushed so far in, she could

    feel every inch of him inside her. Each time he pulled out and pushed back in, she had to swallow a row

    of fresh moans that only wanted her to scream them out at the top of   pleasure of heat ¨C her lungs.

    When Doris used to read romantic books, she never considered herself the type to be vocal during ¡­

    intimate scenes. But William made her want to scratch her voice and scream until she wasn¡¯t able to say

    anything for days. Was it supposed to feel this passionate every time they touched? Or was this because

    of their mating bond?

    He finally released her grip and she immediately clung to his shoulders. She brought his body closer to

    hers and she bit down on his skin to muffle her screams against just as his hips rocked harder against

    her.

    The couch scraped against the floor and banged against the wall each time he moved in and out of her.

    It creaked under their weight and everything about the moment made her feel dirty and alive. They were

    in some strangers house having a secret moment while people slept right above them. At any moment

    they could be interrupted-perhaps that¡¯s what made it even more thrilling.

    William groaned against her hair, he tried to swallow the sound but it vibrated through her and mmed

    into her core. ¡°Fuck.¡± He gasped.

    Already he was tightening under her hold. She could feel his muscles tense and she was close to losing

    it herself.

    He gripped her hips and angled them up a little higher so he could m into her with more force. She

    held onto his arms and identally let a few whimpers escape from the pressure that built inside her.

    ¡°William-¡° She gasped. He leaned down to silence her again but she only bit his lip. ¡°Fuck-1¡­¡± He

    groaned louder this time. ¡°Doris¡±

    His face twisted into pure bliss when he mmed into her. He leaned down to rub her sensitive area and

    she moaned so loud, it finished her right there.

    It took seconds before his own pleasure followed. She almost didn¡¯t hear the creak of steps above them

    because she was so entranced by the way he looked when he came. She didn¡¯t think she could be any

    more attracted to him than she already was.

    William copsed on top of her and let their release linger around them-but only for a moment. The steps

    turned louder and were joined by another pair. William pulled out of her and took all of her warmth with

    him as he quickly gathered their clothes. ¡°I think we lost the game.¡± Doris whispered as she pulled on her

    clothes. William had the nerve to turn and smirk at her.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    Chapter 136 The fear of abandonment

    They managed to slip back to their room without getting caught. His guards must not have heard them

    like she first thought-or perhaps they did and they were avoiding them. For that she was more than

    grateful. Thest thing she needed was to be embarrassed to be around his guards.

    The next morning, Doris woke to an empty bed. She pulled herself up and bundled in severalyers of

    warm clothes before she ventured out of their room. It was eerie how quiet the house was, she bet the

    entire vige was exactly the same-one big ghost town.

    ¡°There she is.¡± Enzo leaned against the doorframe to his room. He looked as if he had been dragged

    through hell. Did she look that terrible when she woke up? And William still wanted to sleep with her?

    expected it to be.

    ¡°Much better, though I did have some rather nasty dreams.¡± He frowned. ¡°I think my vige burned down

    and I could only watch.¡±

    ¡°Oh my-that¡¯s terrible.¡± Doris pressed her lips together and gazed down the hall. ¡°Is anyone else up?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve seen today. I was starting to think you all left me.¡± Enzo pulled on a sweater

    and went to open another bedroom door without knocking. Doris parted her lips to object, but the room

    was empty.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ strange.¡± Doris went to the next room and did the same. Empty. All the rooms were empty.

    ¡°Where could they be? The vigers should still be sleeping.¡±

    Enzo gave her a confused nce. ¡°Did they take the same thing we did?¡±

    ¡°Yes. William and I handed them outst night, they should be asleep for a day or so more.¡± Doris

    brushed past him and hurried down the steps. No one was there, the fire wasn¡¯t even lit. ¡°Where could

    they be?¡±

    Enzo took his time getting down the stairs. He looked around curiously. ¡°Perhaps they went to check on

    them.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°All of them?¡± Doris pulled on her boots and ventured out into the snow. The fog had lessened and it

    didn¡¯t seem like the storm had stuck around for long, but it was hard to walk through the fresh inches.

    Enzo reluctantly followed her out and helped her search through the cabins. Just as she had thought,

    they were all sleeping and not one person was awake in any of the buildings. Her chest started to feel

    strange.

    Did she remember William¡¯s bag being in their room? Or was it only her own? Doris ran to the stables

    and saw all of the horses they had brought, were gone.

    Enzo jogged up to meet her. Once his panting slowed, he seemed to dete from beside her . ¡°Where

    have they gone? Those assholes even took my horse.¡±

    Doris felt a hollowness enter her chest, she wanted to sink to the floor and disappear. ¡°Do you think

    they¡¯reing back?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why they wouldn¡¯t.¡± Enzo gripped her arm to hold her up straight. She felt as if her world was

    falling away from her. ¡°Perhaps they were to get something.¡±

    ¡°They all needed to go? What would they be getting if the entire vige is recovering?¡± Doris stomped

    back towards the cabin. Her hands closed into fists at her sides.

    ¡°Calm down. Maybe he left a note back at the cabin.¡± Cordelia said gently as if she was trying to tame a

    bear. Doris growled a little.

    ¡°He better have. I don¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t tell mest night when we were¡ª¡°

    ¡°When you were screaming beneath him? Is that when you wanted him to tell you?¡± Cordelia purred.

    Doris wished she could smack her.

    ¡°No, when we were going to bed. Surely he could have mentioned that he was leaving¡­ unless-¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t abandon you, Doris. Don¡¯t even go there.¡± Cordelia said quickly. The thoughts already

    swarmed her mind and started to make her panic.

    It would make sense for him to abandon them. He wanted to go back to the pce and they wanted to

    stay and help. Perhaps he even thought they were much too weak to make the rest of the trip-right?

    But, why did he take the rogues too? Surely they wouldn¡¯t have wanted to leave their leader, they were

    only here to protect him and help.

    Doris stormed into the cabin and checked every surface of the house for some sort of note from William.

    She needed a sign that he had thought about her for one second before he decided to leave without

    waking her.

    Nothing.

    Nothing in their room or in the kitchen. Nothing in the living room either. Enzo lit a fire and copsed onto

    one of the couches. He watched her with steady eyes and she wasn¡¯t sure why it only made her more

    mad.

    Finally, Doris sat down across from him and stared into the fire.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be back.¡± Enzo said quietly, though he didn¡¯t sound entirely convinced of that himself. ¡° I¡¯m sure it

    must have just slipped his mind to mention where he was off to.¡±   ¨C ¡°I wonder how he would feel to wake

    up alone without a reason why.¡± Doris whispered. She tried to block out images of her home life and

    forget that she knew what it was like to be abandoned. Those feelings crept back up to her like an old

    broken bone that still made her wince when it was cold out.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t strike me as the type of man to tell others about what he¡¯s up to much. I would try to be

    patient.¡± Enzo said gently. He leaned forward to grip her freezing hand. ¡°Although, if you choose to

    scream at him the second hees back, I highly encourage it and I would like to watch.¡± 5

    Doris cracked a small smile and turned her head away. ¡°What if he just got impatient and went back to

    the pce without us?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I suppose it¡¯s possible. But then again-it¡¯s not likely at all. He wouldn¡¯t leave you in a hundred

    years, my dear. If you think about any of the things he¡¯s done for you since we first met, you would

    realize that.¡±

    Doris sank lower in the couch and closed her eyes. She couldn¡¯t ignore the horrible feeling that he had

    abandoned them in this random vige. Even when half of her knew Enzo was right and he would be

    back soon. But where had he even gone?

    Doris stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the vigers again to make sure they¡¯re doing alright. I¡¯m not sure

    what they go through when they¡¯re out like that.¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to join you?¡± Enzo asked, but his eyes were already closed as he defrosted near the

    fire. Dorisughed a little.

    ¡°No, stay here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    Doris treaded across the snow and tried not to let her thoughts sour her day. He would be back. He had

    to be back. Why couldn¡¯t he just tell her where he had gone?

    ¡°He probably didn¡¯t want to wake you, is all.¡± Cordelia said from inside her. Doris rolled her eyes. It was

    hard to have a thought to herself when she knew her wolf was always listening.

    ¡°If we did that to him, he would sniff us out and drag us back here by our hair.¡± Doris mumbled. She

    pushed open the door to one of the smaller cabins and was greeted with sleeping bodies.

    The closer she looked, the more she noticed that they were beginning to gain a bit of color back in their

    cheeks. They didn¡¯t look as if they were on the edge of death, but just as if they were a tad bit sick.

    ¡°Do you ever stop to wonder why you might be so concerned?¡± Cordelia hummed in her mind. Doris

    shifted ufortably.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to be left in a strange vige while he goes back to the pce.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a bit

    deeper than that, hmm? Did you ever consider that you might care for him more than you im?¡±

    ¡°What is that suppose to mean? Of course I care about William.¡± Doris snapped and went back out into

    the snow to check on the other cabin. Cordeliaughed in her mind.

    ¡°I noticed neither of you have said the love word.¡±

    Doris stopped in her tracks. ¡°And you won¡¯t hear either of us say it anytime soon, I promise you that.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re refusing to speak your truth-¡°

    Cordelia went quiet when they both heard a noise far off in the distance. Doris squinted her eyes to see a

    row of horses heading her way-with William in the center.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    Chapter 137 For the people

    A burst of joy and anger hit her at once when their eyes met across the clearing, it almost made her

    stumble over. William slowed his horse to a stop when he saw her-he even had the nerve to smile at her

    as if it would make her forget everything.

    And it almost worked. When his dimple made an appearance, she almost forgot why she would ever be

    mad at him. He looked like an angel when he smiled. It was¡­ quite the sight.

    He must have noticed the look on her face. His smile slipped right off as if it was never there and Doris

    almost pinched herself for being the reason it was long gone. Part of her always worried that she would

    never see it again.

    The guards took their horses straight to the stables, but William dismounted right in front of her. ¡°Has

    something happened?¡± He asked when he neared her.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention to me where you were going?¡± Doris blurted out as if she couldn¡¯t hold the

    thoughts in a second longer. William furrowed his brow. ¡°I thought you would still be sleeping when we

    got back.¡±

    A few guards came out of the stables with bags slung over their shoulders. Her face heated up as they

    stared at her. She wanted to shout that she wasn¡¯t talking to them, she was talking to William and she

    didn¡¯t need an audience.

    She cleared her throat, ¡°Where did you all go?¡±

    ¡°We went to find some food and supplies for the vigers. There wasn¡¯t much avable from the nearby

    viges, but we gathered all that we could.¡± Patrick filled in for her. He gestured for his men to follow him

    into the cabins and left Doris alone with William once again.

    William took a step closer and lowered his voice. ¡°Did something happen while we were gone?¡±

    ¡°No. I was just-¡±

    ¡°Worried about you.¡± Cordelia sang in her mind. She wanted to scream at her wolf to silence her.

    William flickered his eyes over her face as if he was trying to read her thoughts.

    ¡°I was just concerned about you, is all.¡± Doris forced out. The edge of his mouth lifted slightly and she

    wanted to stomp on his foot for all the horrible thoughts he had just put her through . ¡°You should have

    left us a note or something.¡±

    William leaned down a little to be eye level with her. She almost gasped at the sight of his blue eyes, so

    stunning out in the snow. When he kissed her, she could have fallen into him for more than just a simple

    taste.

    ¡°I should have told you, you¡¯re right. I sometimes forget that I have a mate who wants to know   ¡ª where

    I am.¡± He admitted. Doris felt her blush thicken on her cheeks. ¡°All of my past lovers wouldn¡¯t bat an eye

    if I left them for hours or days. Most of the time, I think they wouldn¡¯t have cared if something did

    happen.¡± ?

    Doris parted her lips to respond, but nothing came out. Not once had William shared a part of himself like

    that. It was like he gave her a small peek inside his insecurities and it made all of her anger melt away.

    Doris moved up on her toes to kiss him again.

    ¡°Aw. This was not the fight I was hoping for.¡± Enzo grumbled from behind them. Doris quickly turned to

    see him with a mock disappointment on his lips. ¡°Where¡¯s the name calling and hair pulling? I was hoping

    for a show.¡± 1

    William looked utterly confused, Doris red at Enzo. ¡°Will you go back inside to nap or

    something?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯ty down for another moment, I¡¯ll go absolutely insane. Where was your prince off to?¡±

    William rolled his eyes to the sky. She was only surprised he didn¡¯t start cursing at Enzo to leave them

    alone. ¡°We went to get supplies. There¡¯s no food here for the vigers to survive off of once they get

    better.¡±

    Enzo¡¯s face softened immediately. He straightened his shoulders and stepped right back into his role as

    a leader. ¡°Where is it?¡±

    William jerked his chin towards the nearest cabin. They all piled inside and Doris felt the warmth coat her

    bones the second she stepped foot in.

    Piles of food were in the possess of being put away. Canned goods and meats. Even some hunted

    animals wereid out on the table. The sight made Doris sick, she turned away from it and focused on

    the rest.

    One thing stood out to her above all others: there wasn¡¯t enough to feed an entire vige for more than

    two days. It might have looked like a lot of food, but Doris knew well that this amount of food was served

    at the pce daily. When she nced around at the faces in the room, she could tell they all already

    knew that.

    ¡°We did the best we could with what we could find. It seems the neighboring viges are suffering just as

    much.¡± William said. He raked his eyes over the room. ¡°It¡¯s enough to get them fed while they recover.

    Doris nodded slowly. She remembered how violently hungry she was when she first took his blood. Even

    Enzo looked at the food longingly as if he was ready to tear through a few boxes on his own.

    ¡°We can make this work. We can¡¯t eat more than a portion of this food ourselves, but perhaps I can make

    a lot of soup that can stretch them out longer than two days.¡± Doris suggested.

    ¡°How long would itst them?¡± One of the guards asked.

    ¡°Half a week, maybe more if they didn¡¯t indulge more than their share.¡± Doris said. ¡°I can make two kinds

    and the rest will be for their other meals.

    ¡°I think that would be very kind of you, Doris.¡± Enzo smiled at her. She could see a hint of sadness in his

    smile and she knew what he was thinking. How would this vige survive after they were gone?

    Doris got to work on the soup the second all the men left the kitchen. Not one had offered to help and

    she made sure she red at each of them before the door closed.

    Soon, the kitchen was coated in a delicious scent that made her stomach roar. She couldn¡¯t eat all of

    their food, as much as she wanted to. The guards that came with them ate more than they could afford at

    the moment and she didn¡¯t need to lesson that by snacking on the food that surrounded her.

    Once both soups were done, she brought a portion of it to their cabin and stored the rest away to serve

    to the vigers when they woke. She ignored the sounds of their screams as she passed by-she knew

    there was nothing she could do to help them. They had to suffer through their nightmares alone, just as

    she did.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    All the men drained the pot of soup just minutes after she returned. She was lucky to get a serving out of

    it before they emptied it for themselves.

    They all wandered into their separate corners and went to sleep for the night. She didn¡¯t mention her

    anger again with William. Especially not when he kissed her goodnight and wrapped himself around her.

    She almost resented the idea that he was her home in a walking form. What would she do when he

    finally did leave her? 1

    The next morning, the silence was gone. Doris crawled out of bed when she heard a burst of voices

    down the stairs-William¡¯s included. She learned quickly that he always woke much earlier than she did.

    After she was dressed, she hurried down the stairs to see everyone in motion. Enzo caught her eye and

    smiled widely at her from across the room.

    ¡°The vigers are awake! We¡¯re warming your soup for them now. We had to hurry in case they started

    to bite at our hands.¡±

    Dorisughed a little and went to help immediately. She barely had time to speak with William as she

    helped clean up and serve them all. The day was wild and a little exciting to see all the people she swore

    were close to death-now were alive and well.

    Or, well enough. Even if a bit of sickness still lingered in their gazes, they were up and happy. ¡°How did

    you find a cure?¡± One of the vigers asked her.

    ¡°Oh! I don¡¯t know, I suppose the tea helped a lot.¡± She said quickly before she moved away. She didn¡¯t

    need anyone finding out about William and his blood. She¡¯d call it all magic tea if she had to..

    When the day was through and Doris finished washing all of the dishes, a new unease entered her. Their

    food stock was even lower than she expected it to be.

    They might not evenst after tomorrow.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    Chapter 138 A little push for justice

    ¡°I know what to do.¡± William said as he watched Doris pace their room. There wasn¡¯t much room for her

    to get very far, but she felt as if she had been walking miles. Her feet would easily burn marks in the rug

    if she kept on, but her worry wouldn¡¯t stop. How could she fix this? They had to do something

    He gripped her hand and pulled her to the bed. ¡°I said, I know what to do.¡± He repeated more firmly to

    draw her back to the moment. She¡¯d almost forgotten that he had said anything.

    ¡°What?¡± Doris asked after a breath. ¡°If you¡¯ve already searched neighboring towns and saw they have so

    little, what can we do? I don¡¯t know how long they can allst on that amount of food, I thought I made

    enough tost them longer.¡±

    ¡°Near the edge of the border back into the kingdom, several officials from the pce live there in their

    home. We can pay a visit to them. I know that one of them is responsible for the goods that are

    distributed into the north once they pay their taxes. It seems they weren¡¯t the only ones that weren¡¯t

    given enough tost for the month.¡±

    Doris widened her eyes. ¡°Do you think they held back food to them? is that why they¡¯re as low as they

    are? That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s pure evil, William!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. We won¡¯t know until we talk to them. I know one thing, they will make sure these viges

    are filled with food again by the end of tomorrow. I¡¯ll make sure of that¡± William said with a dark glint in

    his eyes. Doris shifted a little beside him. For once, the look didn¡¯t make her fear him. It made her¡­ want

    him more than she would ever admit. 1

    ¡°Would we bring Enzo with us? Surely he could help convince them since he is the leader of the north.¡±

    Doris said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet if that will make the visit worse or better, but we can try.¡± William stood. She watched

    him leave to gather his men and tell them their new n, but she couldn¡¯t help but think of all the children

    in the vige. There weren¡¯t many, but even if there was one it would tear at her heart knowing they

    couldn¡¯t fend for themselves out here. 1

    Lately, her mind kept returning to one ruin after the other. She longed for the peace she once had back in

    the library at the pce. But-here she was helping people. Or trying her best to. Her good intentions

    weren¡¯t always the wisest decisions, but she knew that her heart was pure. 3

    Doris crept down the stairs to see William making his speech to his guards and the rogues. The only

    expression her eye caught on, was Enzo¡¯s. He looked almost proud of William, as if he didn¡¯t expect him

    to go this far just to help a vige of rogues. In fact, they all looked that way. Perhaps this was a step in

    the right direction to truly show how much he meant his words.

    ¡°¡­I will have some of you stay to watch over the vigers and others join us. We most likely   won¡¯t be

    back for long once we settle this issue. We have important matters to solve at the pce.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head out, then. It¡¯ll be evening by the time we get there, we can have a delightful dinner with

    them.¡± Enzo suggested with a grin. He shrugged on his coat and Doris hurried down to do the same.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to join us, Doris?¡± William whispered in her ear. Doris nced up to re at him

    and he held his hands up in defense. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, you might not like these men. They have no

    respect for women-or servants. They might not be very happy to see you.¡±

    ¡°Well, they can deal with it. I¡¯ming with you.¡± Doris insisted and walked out the door. She¡¯d dealt with

    many sexist men in her life. A few officials didn¡¯t scare her away in the slightest. Not anymore

    familiar, she could count the exact seconds before he lifted himself in front of her.

    Night wasn¡¯t far off. Many of the vigers had already gone to bed to rest more while others kept inside.

    They kicked off into the snow and Doris held on tightly as they rode as fast as they could. Enzo was

    close behind with a handful of guards and rogues on his tail. Briefly, she hoped the men didn¡¯t think this

    was an ambush.

    Nothing good ever happened when dangerous men were backed in a corner.

    An hour passed before their horses passed the border. Doris saw the differences instantly. It went from a

    nknd of snow with one road, to a lively posh vige just feet away. When

    she nced back, she noticed how unwee the north looked.

    William pulled their horses off to the side road before anyone noticed them and set off an rm. Even

    Doris had to admit that it wouldn¡¯t have looked good to see a group from the north pull up into their

    vige before nightfall. It would scare Doris enough to want to alert the pce.

    ¡°There they are.¡± William muttered as they came to a stop in front of arge, polished house.

    ¡°Do they share it?¡± Doris asked quietly. William slid off and helped her down.

    ¡°They do. It¡¯srge enough for them to use when they don¡¯t want to stay at the pce.¡± William

    shrugged. Enzo and the rest of the men dismounted as William went straight for the door.

    His knock was loud and booming. Doris nced around to see that this street was empty and for that

    she was d.

    The second the door opened a crack, William pushed it in.

    ¡°Hello, gentlemen.¡± William said almost charmingly. Two balding men stumbled back at the force of his

    push. Their eyes grew wide as if they were staring at a god.

    ¡°P-Prince William? We heard you had affairs in the north you had to deal with.¡± One of them   asked as

    their eyes crossed over the rogues behind him. Doris stayed near the back.

    ¡°I did, but I thought we could pay you a visit.¡± William smiled with his teeth. It didn¡¯t look remotely close to

    friendly. William inhaled deeply. ¡°Is that a pot roast I smell?¡±

    ¡°l-uh, yes. Yes it is, your majesty.¡± The man cleared his throat. ¡°Would you care to join us?¡± He asked

    nervously. She could hear in his tone that he hoped William would say no, but he clearly wasn¡¯t very wise

    if he thought they were leaving anytime soon.

    ¡°We would love to join you. Mal and Edward, this is the leader of the rogues-Lord Enzo and some of his

    guards as well as my own.¡± William locked eyes with Doris for a moment and

    ¡°Is this the servant I heard you brought along with you?¡± He asked with his chin raised slightly as if he

    was looking down at her despite him being the same small height as her.

    ¡°1-¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Doris said quickly before William called her something ridiculous like hisdy. Especially when he

    still had ady back at the pce that she was sure eagerly awaited his arrival. Doris was almost happy

    to think about the moment Melody would be called out for all of the lying she did. There was once a time

    when Doris willingly took the lies for her, but that time was long over. 2

    The man sniffed in distaste. ¡°Very well. Follow me, please.¡± He turned and led them to the dining room.

    She couldn¡¯t help but notice that there weren¡¯t many servants around and certainly no guards besides

    the ones in their group.

    William and Enzo¡¯s guards stationed themselves at the door and didn¡¯t follow them in. Doris hesitated-

    was she supposed to wait outside the dining room, too?

    William gestured for her to follow in further and she stomped on her own self doubt and hurried in.

    The dining room wasrge yet intimate. There weren¡¯t many chairs but at least there was enough to seat

    them all. Doris awkwardly sat near the far corner as the men crowded at the other end.

    ¡°Well, gentlemen. I didn¡¯t think we would have had the pleasure of hosting a prince and a lord of the

    north tonight.¡± The man said almost bitterly. He covered it with a light smile and it made Doris think that

    she had imagined it. ¡°What do we owe the honor to?¡±

    ¡°Well, Edward.¡± William straightened himself a little andnded his gaze on the man that stiffened. ¡°We

    came here to discuss the starving viges in the north.¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    Chapter 139 A little push

    The men both shifted ufortably in their chairs after William spoke. No one missed the nervous

    nces they threw at each other before they tried to regain theirposure and straightened

    themselves. This wasn¡¯t going to end well for either of them, she could tell by the way William watched

    them like they were his prey.

    Edward cleared his throat. ¡°What do you mean, Prince William? We have no knowledge of any starving

    viges in the north. As you¡¯re aware, it¡¯s not our ce to mess with anything to do with the north. If they

    haven¡¯t figured out how to ration their food supplies, that is not our concern.¡±

    Warm tes of food were brought out by a few servants the moment he finished his sentence. The two

    men didn¡¯t even look at the servants or thank them as they ced the tes across the table. Almost as

    if they weren¡¯t even people to him.

    The options were endless and made Doris¡¯s mouth water, but also filled her with rage. While they were

    here enjoying themselves on endless food and choices, people were running low in the north.

    Dangerously low. They ate whatever they had and didn¡¯t darein about it.

    It irritated her further knowing that they didn¡¯t expect any guests and all this food was prepared for the

    two of them. She couldn¡¯t imagine how much went to waste each week from these men. Food that could

    feed a few families and then some. How could someone be so selfish? 1

    William eyed the men, they didn¡¯t dare reach for the silverware. They sat right in their chairs and they

    even had the nerve to look a little guilty at the ridiculous spread of food. There seemingly was no

    celebration of any sort, which meant they were used to eating this much.

    ¡°I know you are responsible for food distribution to the north once their taxes are paid. I saw first hand

    how little stock they had. Not from just one, but from several viges. Food they need to feed their

    families.¡±

    Doris watched William speak like a true prince. He didn¡¯t sit back and let his men talk for him, he took

    control and steered the conversation in his direction. She admired that about him more than usual. She

    wasn¡¯t the only one that was changing.

    ¡°Prince William¡­¡± Edward leaned back in his chair and had the nerve to look sorry. ¡°I don¡¯t think you

    understand how much we send them. If they are already low, it¡¯s not on our heads. They are the ones

    that.¡±

    William mmed his hand against the table to silence him. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to feed me lies. I asked you

    to tell me why you¡¯re not sending them enough to live on. What I saw was horrifying, it wasn¡¯t even

    enough to finish out the month.¡±

    ¡°We simply don¡¯t have enough food to send them more. We can¡¯t risk our own viges starving.¡±

    William looked around at all the food on the table. All the meats and sides that were more than enough

    for two men. ¡°Were you nning on feeding half the vige tonight?¡±

    ¡°We-well, we saw youing,¡±

    ¡°There is nothing I hate more than a liar, gentlemen. This food was done before we got here and you had

    no intentions of sharing with anyone but your trash.¡± William leaned towards them. His voice was low and

    filled with a silent rage that sent goosebumps across her skin. ¡°I want their viges to be fully stocked

    before the sunes up tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Prince William, please. You don¡¯t understand how impossible that is for us,¡±

    William stood. ¡°I want to try out a new strategy.¡± He pped his hands and all of his guards entered.

    Enzo looked on in confusion that was quickly masked. William nodded to his guards and they crossed

    the room and hauled up the two men like they were nothing.

    ¡°Hey-what the hell are you doing?¡± Mal shouted. Edward desperately tried to get out of their hold, but he

    barely moved an inch.

    ¡°I could throw you in jail for cursing at a royal, but for now we will try out my newest idea.¡± William

    reached across the table and took a piece of meat on his fork before he bit into it roughly. One of the

    servants came in the room and widened their eyes at the scene before them. William smiled at them-

    though it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    ¡°Is there a closet in this house?¡± He asked politely. ¡°Smaller the better.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes your majesty. Follow me.¡± She bowed. When the men started to object, his guards smacked them

    in the head. Doris and Enzo quickly got up to follow them out of the room.

    Right outside of the dining room was a small door. William opened it and his guards shoved the two men

    inside. William mmed the door shut and another guard shoved a chair under the knob so they couldn¡¯t

    open it.

    Immediately, the men started to pound against the door and demanded the be let out.

    ¡°This is ridiculous! We have done nothing wrong, let us out right this instant!¡± One of them shouted. Doris

    wasn¡¯t sure who, they sounded the same.

    ¡°I want you to know what it¡¯s like to starve.¡± William said over their shouts. ¡°We¡¯re going to enjoy this

    magnificent feast and if you two get hungry, I might allow you to have a bit of water.¡±

    ¡°Prince William, please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m utterly repulsed by the both of you. No longer will I allow things to go unchecked like this. If you want

    toe out, you¡¯ll have to agree to send more food to the north. More than what they pay for.¡± o

    ¡°More?! Are you mad¡ª¡° The man coughed violently as if he tried to swallow the words back, but it was

    toote. He¡¯d already said them and William clenched his jaw at their words ¡°We can¡¯t do that, your

    majesty.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope you understand more when you¡¯re left without food for a few days.¡± William turned from the

    door and faced the servants that only looked as if they wanted to cower away from him and hide into the

    walls. Doris didn¡¯t me them.

    ¡°You¡¯re forbidden from opening this door, do you understand?¡± The maids nodded slowly.¡° Good. Ignore

    everything these pathetic men say.¡± .

    ¡°If you ask me, I think it¡¯ll do them some good to be locked in there.¡± Enzo chimed in. He peered around

    the door to look at the small closet. ¡°They seem like they¡¯re overdue for a life lesson.¡±

    William walked past them and into the dining room. He filled a te of food and left it by the bottom of

    the door as if to torture them with the smell. When he stood again, he pped his hands.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste food, we should eat.¡±

    They all followed William back to the dining room where he sat at the end like a king. He gestured for his

    guards to join them and even the maids who stood off to the side nervously as if they didn¡¯t know what

    else to do.

    Doris sat closest to him. She piled her te high, but not as high as Enzo did. He dug into his te like a

    starved animal and it made her realize how hungry she really was. They ate in mostly silence, but it

    wasn¡¯t off. It was more like the type of silence where everyone had something on their mind and they

    couldn¡¯t think to say anything else. 1

    Once the food was emptied and everyone had their fill, they all leaned back in their chairs. A sh of guilt

    entered her. They ate like royalty while that vige was still suffering. Perhaps they should have just

    brought it all to them,

    No, that wasn¡¯t the point. William was trying to make it so they never went hungry again-not like that. The

    month wasn¡¯t even close to being up and that was all they had. How could anyone survive off of what

    they were given?

    Low conversations passed around the table and carried onte into the evening. They ignored the pleas

    to be released by the men who still hadn¡¯t gotten a taste of remorse and Doris suddenly felt as if she

    could sit here all night until they did.

    gave them his blessing but stayed right where he was long after all the dishes were cleared and the left

    overs were put away.

    It wasn¡¯t until dawn was approaching that the men finally came to their senses. ¡°Fine. Let us out to

    discuss the food trade for the north, Prince William.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she was imaging things, but William almost looked disappointed to hear they had

    given up so easily. Perhaps they were more hungry than expected, considering they never missed a

    meal.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140

    Chapter 140 Respect is easy to gain

    Guards stood behind the men¡¯s chairs as they seated themselves at the table. No food was yet offered to

    them and it didn¡¯t seem like it would be until the deal was set in stone. They looked ragged and tired, but

    William looked as if he had slept the whole time they were in there despite not leaving his chair once. He

    was fresh, alert, and ready for any sort of battle about to be thrown his way.

    ¡°Talk.¡± Williammanded. Her eyes lingered on the stumble that formed around his chin again. She

    imagined how scratchy it would feel against her skin and suddenly she realized how tired she was. 1

    Edward cleared his throat. ¡°We realized that their suffering was worse than we thought it would be. We

    don¡¯t have much experience with going hungry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± William braced his elbows on the table. ¡°That is not what I wanted to hear. You don¡¯t

    sound as if you understand them at all. I watched as children offered to give up their only meal to help

    the rogues that were close to their death. You missed one meal and suddenly you can understand what

    they¡¯re going through?¡±

    ¡°We want to make things right.¡± Mal said nervously. His clothes were wrinkled and sweaty.¡± We may have

    cut back a portion of their food inventory for some of the viges, but we want to double it-¡°

    ¡°You¡¯re going to send four times the amount.¡± William interrupted. Their eyes grew a little wide and Doris

    only felt a strange attraction for him. She¡¯d never seen him in action like this, was he always so¡­ kingly?

    No room for objections, only his demands.

    ¡°Prince William-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. The north is full of good people just as this kingdom is. Their bad reputation

    doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t deserve to be treated like people. You can¡¯t withhold food and expect them to

    survive, that would kill thousands.¡± William narrowed his eyes. ¡°They pay their monstrous taxes just for

    you to cut them their earned food?¡±

    Edward shifted in his seat. She saw a bead of sweat trail down his forehead. ¡°I never took you for a

    leader, Prince William. I thought you had no interest in politics.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been seeing wrong, then. I know what¡¯s best for my people and I won¡¯t let money hungry wolves

    try to take down lower ss people any longer.¡±

    Edward leaned back in his chair and looked at William in a new light. Doris must have felt a bit delirious

    fromck of sleep, because she only wanted tough. ¡°How long have you been like this, William? We all

    thought you were reckless and didn¡¯t have a care in the world expect about who wouldy in your bed

    next.¡±

    Edward¡¯s eyes flickered to Doris on William¡¯s side and she prayed that her face wasn¡¯t as red as she felt

    it was. She clenched her hands into fists under the table the second he looked   Respect is easy to gain

    away from her. The utter embarrassment from a single nce was enough to set her on fire once more.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had an interest in being a leader. Everyone drew their own assumptions of me in their minds

    and ran with it, that is not my concern. My concern is doing what¡¯s best for this kingdom and all of the

    people around it.¡±

    ¡°Consider the food agreement already done. We will have the food sent out by this afternoon.¡± Edwards

    said suddenly. Mal nced at him in surprise but said nothing to object. A satisfied wave swirled in her

    chest.

    A new glint reced the irritation and fear that had been previously in Edward¡¯s eyes. He almost looked,

    impressed by the way William was acting. How was that possible? He leaned towards William.

    ¡°Now that that is settled, what else are your ns to better help your people? How do you suppose you¡¯ll

    do that when your brother is the one set to take the throne?¡± Edwards tilted his head. ¡°Are you nning

    on helping him when he bes king?¡±

    ¡°He may be set to take the throne, but nothing is ever in stone.¡± William said simply. She could tell that

    he didn¡¯t trust these men yet but his words spoke volumes. He all but confirmed he was now after the

    throne for himself.

    Edward raised his brows as if he didn¡¯t expect this to be of their conversation. ¡°That¡¯s true. I always

    thought your brother was too-soft to take on a role like this. He never once took matters into his own

    hands or thought about ways to make things better for his people.¡±

    ¡°Edward, he just threatened us and locked us in a closet.¡± Mal hissed quietly, but they all had heard him

    just fine. William didn¡¯t show a hint of emotion, he kept a straight face.

    ¡°Yes, he did. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a prince so determined to make sure things went through the

    way he wanted. Perhaps your brother could learn a thing or two from you instead of following your

    fathers shadow.¡±

    William lifted his chin a little. ¡°As to your previous question, I have many ideas on how to make this

    kingdom stronger. More strong than my brother would ever hope to make it.¡± William¡¯s eyes nced over

    the room at each face as if he was now talking to all of them. It sent chills down her body.

    ¡°For too long, we have allowed this kingdom to appear weak and selfish to outsiders. My father hasn¡¯t

    been the same sort of ruler since I was born. He was once passionate about what he believed in, now he

    only cares about control and power. I won¡¯t lead with a head full of selfish desires. I only want to improve

    this kingdom and I will stop at nothing to achieve that.¡±

    Edward -hummed and looked William up and down. ¡°You certainly don¡¯t have any sort of lines that you

    won¡¯t cross.¡± He nced at Enzo who had just been watching silently the entire time. He clearly knew

    when it was time to stay silent, but his presence alone was louder than any words.

    ¡°I think. I think this is refreshing. I doubt any of the other royal members would take things into their own

    hands and allow this to happen. They would throw us in a cell and have someone else deal with us until

    it was settled.¡± Edward said.

    It surprised her. She expected rage or fear leaking from his words, not admiration. Did William put them

    under some sort of spell that left them mesmerized by him? He was probably the only man in the world

    that could lock another man in a small room and have theme out with some sort of new respect.

    William stood. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was just as surprised as she was, or if he expected this

    all along. ¡°I¡¯m d we cane to some sort of agreement, gentleman.¡±

    It almost didn¡¯t even sound like William to her ears. She never heard him be so proper or direct-but then

    again she had never heard him in a meeting with anyone other than Enzo. And usually that contained

    more ring and childish remarks from both parties.

    Edward stood as well and tried to pathetically straighten his clothes that were past the point of

    redemption. Mal soon followed his lead and it was clear who made the decisions between these officials.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get on that. Don¡¯t worry yourself over anything else, those families won¡¯t starve.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, they won¡¯t. If I hear anything like this happens again, I¡¯ming back here and making

    sure you both know what it¡¯s like to starve to death.¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Edward stared at William for a moment. The tension thickened and she wondered if that was theirst

    straw. Would they tell the pce about what he¡¯d done? Would they tell them lies?

    When a smile broke out across his face, she felt her insides dete. Edward held out his hand and

    William nced down at it with a nk face before he epted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that you will, Prince William. I don¡¯t doubt that you will do anything in your power to get

    what you want. I can¡¯t say that I don¡¯t respect that. Only the most determined men end up with the pot of

    gold.¡±

    William dropped his hand and stepped back. She dared a look at Enzo who looked just as baffled by the

    whole exchange as Doris felt. Perhaps he had his fate already mapped out and everyone else was

    supposed to follow William¡¯s straight line. How had she sessfully dodged him for so long while

    everyone else fell under his spell the instant they met him?

    Well, perhaps she eventually fell for it all too. And now she only felt foolish for not falling sooner.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way now.¡±

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141

    Chapter 141 No amount of assurance is enough.

    Nobody expected William to want to go back to the vige, but he did. They mounted their horses and

    headed straight back to the vige rather than to the pce like they all figured they were headed.

    Edward and Mal were eager to walk them out the door and m it closed the second they were in the

    snow. Despite the new respect, the fear was more evident.

    He didn¡¯t respond to anyone as he led them back to the vige. Doris was close to falling off the horse

    with how exhausted she felt. She could imagine that they all felt the same, but somehow William

    appeared wide awake. His show of leadership must have lit a fire under him.

    By the time they made it back to the vige, it was still quite early and no one had yet ventured out of

    their cabins. She didn¡¯t know why it made her so happy to know that they didn¡¯t have to answer for where

    the food was yet.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to wait until they deliver all of the food that they promised. Then we can go back to the

    kingdom.¡± William announced. A warm bloom formed in her chest. She didn¡¯t expect him to care this

    much, but he was already treating the rogues as if they mattered. He made sure they saw him in action

    and that his words held a heavier weight than they expected.

    Enzo smiled at William, a warm sort of look that was contagious. Perhaps he realized this too. ¡°You¡¯re a

    good man, William. Why have you hidden this side of you for so long?¡±

    William slid off the horse and helped Doris down. He rolled hie eyes at Enzo¡¯s words but she swore he

    almost smiled.. ¡°Perhaps you didn¡¯t bring out the best in me.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! I bring out the best in everyone.¡± Enzo grinned as his feet hit the ground. ¡°It¡¯s rather nice

    seeing you like this. I don¡¯t think anyone would have handled it better. I should have thought about

    locking people in closets years ago. All of this mess would have been solved a lot sooner, that¡¯s for

    certain.¡±

    Doris bit her lip to keep in herugh. William shot her an annoyed look but she only let her grin escape.

    She¡¯d miss this part of their journey. The easy jokes and longing stares.

    ¡°We should all rest before they get here,¡± William said. Doris eagerly headed towards the cabin they

    resided in and ignored Enzo¡¯sugh from behind her.

    The guards they¡¯d left behind were circled around a wooden table ying a game of cards. They stood

    the second they saw William and bowed instantly. It¡¯d been a while since she saw them act that way

    towards him. Another sign that they all were trying to prepare for their arrival at the pce.

    ¡°Your majesty, the vigers are still resting. They seemed a bit sluggish but overall much better than the

    days before. They finished off a portion of the food earlier in the day despite our warnings.¡±

    ¡°Very well, thank you.¡± William shrugged off his coat. ¡°In a few hours, there will be a delivery of food to

    the vige. If I¡¯m not awake,e get me. I want to make sure theyplete their

    agreement.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, of course sir!¡± They all said at once. Each person from their group filed up the stairs and headed

    straight for the beds.

    Doris barely had time to take off her shoes before she copsed on the bed. It suddenly felt better than a

    cloud and it pulled her into sleep almost instantly.

    Doris felt disoriented when a loud pounding woke her up. William was out of bed before the third knock

    was over. He threw open the door and was met with a guard who still had his fist in the air.

    ¡°Your majesty, I believe the delivery is here. There¡¯s arge group heading down the main pathway.¡±

    ¡°How long have I been out?¡± William said. His voice was a little rough from sleep and she couldn¡¯t help

    but smile at the sound of it. It was the sort of intimate sound that left strange flips in her stomach-which

    she pushed away quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s evening now, sir. You¡¯ve been up here since the morning.¡±

    William shoved his hands through his hair as if he was trying to fix it enough before he

    nced back at her. ¡°You may join me, if you wish.¡±

    Doris scrambled out of bed and pulled on her shoes. The side of his mouth lifted slightly as he watched

    her. She quickly followed him out the door and into the night air that felt even colder than the night

    before. Would she miss this too? It snowed at the pce, but she was rarely allowed outside unless it

    was to the gardens.

    Dozens of horses were stopped at the main cabin where the vigers had been resting. William

    straightened his shoulders and headed right for them. She could see the invisible crown fall on his head

    as if it dropped from the sky.

    At the head of the line was a well dressed man with arge bag attached to his horse. He turned to

    William with wide eyes and quickly bowed his head.

    ¡°Your majesty! I didn¡¯t know you would be here to ept the delivery personally.¡± The man slid off his

    horse and almost fell face first into the snow. His nerves were starting to get the better of him. He

    gestured for his men to dismount and they all looked a bit star struck, if Doris was honest.

    ¡°I wanted to make sure the correct amount was brought. I didn¡¯t want to return to the castle and find out

    that our agreement wasn¡¯t met.¡±

    ¡°I assure you that we have gathered enough food for this vige for more than a month. It¡¯llst them

    even longer than when the next stock will be delivered.¡± The man said quickly. He unzipped the bag to

    show William that it was filled to the brim with food.

    ¡°What about the other viges that were shorted?¡±

    ¡°Them too, your majesty! We have different groups going to each one to have it all delivered   by

    nightfall.¡±

    William sped his hands behind his back and walked around each man. They all dropped to their knees

    and showed him that their bags were just as filled as the first one. He gave them a sharp nod and stood

    back.

    ¡°Very well. the kitchens are that way, make sure they¡¯re all properly put away.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± They all shouted and hurried into motion.

    Enzo pped his hands and made Doris almost flinch out of her skin.

    ¡°Well, I suppose your insane tactics worked after all. That is quite a lot of food, your majesty.¡±

    William shrugged and nced up at the dark sky. ¡°I had to make sure. I don¡¯t want them to think I¡¯m

    weak just because I¡¯m not the crown prince. Many people have made that mistake before.¡±

    ¡°I suppose we should head to the pce now-since all of it is settled now.¡± Enzo leaned against a

    wooden post. She wiped the sleep from her eyes.

    A bit of darkness crossed over his face. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s time to face the mess waiting for me.¡±

    Chills passed over her skin. Did Luna Queen know they wereing? Did she know that William would

    have figured out all of her schemes-or did she still think she was the smarter one in this instance?

    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s get our men on the road.¡± Enzo pushed away from the wood and disappeared back into

    the cabin. Within the hour, they were fed and back on their horses to face the final stretch.

    Her fear crawled up her throat quickly as she gripped onto William. Faster than she knew it, they would

    be back in the belly of the beast and she didn¡¯t know how to prepare herself for it.

    Was there ever truly a way to prepare yourself for possible destruction of the heart and soul? Part of her

    wanted to erase the maid she had left behind at the pce when she agreed toe on the trip with

    William. That mousey, frightened girl that lied for people that didn¡¯t deserve it and let herself be treated

    worse than garbage.

    The new version of herself, the one that had Cordelia and knew what it was like to be cared for by a

    prince that irritated her. She finally stood up for herself and found respect for who she was. There was no

    hesitations anymore, just bravery.

    It scared her to think that this part of herself would disappear the second she was screamed at to clean

    something.

    William tensed under her grip and she instantly knew why. The pce came into their view and perhaps

    he wasn¡¯t entirely ready to face this either.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    Chapter 142 Home sweet home

    More guards approached them instantly. They took one look at William and bowed at the waist before

    they let their group pass through the tall gates. Something about the air smelled so familiar, it made her

    stomach turn. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing yet.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Your majesty, we didn¡¯t expect you back! It¡¯s good to see you!¡± They called as he passed them.

    Immediately she could see how more fitted and proper they werepared to the guards that had gone

    through hell with them. They all straightened themselves on their horses as if they realized it too.

    Perhaps a part of them had changed on the journey just as it had with Doris.

    Light dustings of snow coated the cobblestone walkway. William directed all of their horses right to the

    front of the main steps. Servants hurried up to assist them as he slid off and helped Doris for thest

    time.

    Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment as he set her down. Two beautiful ocean blue waves-

    they would haunt her every night before she fell asleep. His grip tightened around her waist before he

    finally let her go. Half of her heart dropped with him and she wished he would have held on for just a bit

    longer. Perhaps she might have been able to live in the moment forever if he did. 2

    ¡°Prince William. We hadn¡¯t gotten word that you returning.¡± Said a voice from the top of the steps. They

    all turned to see Howard Ford-thest general for the royal army-with his hands sped in front of him

    as if he was about to give a speech. ¡°A true delight to see you alive and well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I could say the same.¡± William muttered as he started to climb the steps.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. But I was told not to allow you inside the pce.¡± Howard said evenly. Those words hit all

    of them like a blow, but not nearly as hard as it hit William. What the hell was this man talking about?

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± William was in front of the man in a few long strides. He had to crane his neck back just to

    look William in his eye despite being quite tall himself.

    ¡°I was given orders that you¡¯re not allowed to step foot inside the Golden Pce. I thought you were

    aware of this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit who gave you those orders. I am a prince to this kingdom and you will treat me as

    such. I should have you hanged for trying to deny me ess!¡±

    William shoved past the man and the rest of the group visibly hesitated. Howard straightened himself

    and immediately went in through another door. He was wise not to try and stop William any further. It

    wouldn¡¯t end well for him.

    Doris hurried her steps to follow him. The back of him alone screamed his rage. His fists were  clenched

    and he was seconds away from spouting fire from his mouth.

    ¡°Where is that stupid bitch?¡± William growled and looked around. Several servants cowered away from

    him. ¡°Where is the Luna Queen?¡± He shouted.

    ¡°No need to terrify them, my dear. I¡¯m right here.¡± Luna Queen said from the top of the staircase.¡± She

    looked grand in an elegant navy dress the fit tight to her frame and flowed to the ground. Two guards

    surrounded her on either side, but she didn¡¯t show an ounce of worry when her eyes fell on William.

    ¡°You think you can kick me out of my own pce?¡± William growled. A few guards hesitantly stepped in

    front of the Luna Queen.

    ¡°I thought it would be for the best. Your father is sick, I didn¡¯t want you to fall victim next.¡± Luna Queen

    said with a bit of false concern dripping in her tone.

    If she had intended to throw William off, it worked. All at once, he shifted from rage to confusion.

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? Where is my father?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in bed resting, of course. He¡¯s not allowed visitors at the moment but I¡¯ll let him know you came

    home and¡­¡± She peered at the rogues behind them, her face twisted into disgust . ¡°And brought rogues

    with you. No, I better not tell him that, he might die right there.¡±

    ¡°I imagine he¡¯d feel the same if he knew all the things you¡¯ve been up to, Luna Queen.¡± William said in a

    dangerous tone. ¡°I demand to see my father right this instant.¡±

    Luna Queen lifted her chin. ¡°I told you, he isn¡¯t well. He¡¯s sleeping at the moment. Perhaps you can try

    againter when he wakes up.¡±

    ¡°Have you kicked out your sons from the pce too? Or was it just me?¡± William asked bitterly.

    ¡°They stay in their own quarters. I see no reason to try and kick them out if they were here through it all.¡±

    That seemed to make William snap. He stomped up the stairs towards Luna Queen and was instantly

    stopped by her guards.

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what you did in the north? You think I¡¯m stupid enough not to realize that you had

    set me up to walk straight to my death?¡± William growled.

    Luna Queen gasped and had the sense to look taken aback. ¡°William! I¡¯ve known you since you were a

    baby, how dare you use me of something like this!¡±

    Williamughed cynically. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve known me since I was a baby. Everyone knows exactly what you

    did to my mother out of your jealousy, and now I¡¯m finally up next.¡±

    Several gasps sounded around them. Luna Queen narrowed her eyes at William. ¡°I would advise you to

    watch what you say when we have an audience. I don¡¯t take kindly to false   sure they had the nicest

    rooms avable before she left them to settle in and headed straight for William¡¯s room.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143

    Chapter 143 Feelings for a sick man

    Doris knocked hesitantly. Two guards eyed her as she approached his room, but said nothing. She

    wasn¡¯t sure if they recognized her or not-she wasn¡¯t even in her uniform yet. It was exhausting to even

    consider having to step back into her old role. Would they put her at the library? Perhaps she should talk

    to William about it when he felt better.

    William didn¡¯t respond when she knocked again, louder this time. If his guards weren¡¯t at the door, she

    would have thought he wasn¡¯t inside.

    ¡°Will ¨C Prince William? It¡¯s Doris.¡± She said through the door. Her cheeks reddened when his guards

    gave her another strange look when she almost called him William. A bit of shuffling came through on the

    other side before the door was pulled open. He looked disheveled and his room was a mess as if he had

    thrown everything around inside.

    ¡°You should go, I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± He grumbled. Doris had to fight the itch to brush his messy hair out

    of his eyes. ¡°I want to be alone.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay? I can go prepare something for you, or if you¡¯d like some tea-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Stop acting like you have to serve me every second of the day.¡± He gripped her arm and

    yanked her inside before he mmed the door.

    She stumbled in and straightened herself with a breath. ¡°I was just trying to help¡ª¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help. I don¡¯t want you to act like my maid right now!¡± He shouted and kicked a fallen pot out of

    his way. It shattered into a million pieces. ¡°And don¡¯t you fucking dare offer to clean this room.¡±

    ¡°Prince William, I¡¯m not trying to¡ª¡°

    William stopped where he was and turned to face her slowly. ¡°Say that again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to,¡°

    ¡°No, not that, the bit before it.¡± He stepped closer to her, she had to hold her breath for a second.

    ¡°Prince William?¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling me that again? You never had a problem calling Daniel his name without his title.¡±

    William said bitterly. Jealousy seeped through his tone even though she hadn¡¯t talked to Daniel since

    before they left.

    Was he actually angry with her?

    ¡°We¡®re back at the pce, I thought you would have wanted me to refer to you as a prince especially in

    front of other people. I didn¡¯t want to cause a scandal.¡±

    William gripped her chin harshly and forced her to look up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I want. I don¡¯t want

    you to call me that anymore.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t.¡± Doris whispered. His eyes lingered on her mouth before he let her go. ¡°Do you want me

    to go with you when you visit your father?¡± She asked after she took a moment to regain herposure.

    Why did his rough side always make her shiver? William shook his head.

    ¡°No. That¡¯s something I have to do alone when I can handle it.¡± He admitted. She softened a little. Even

    though she knew he was suffering, she didn¡¯t expect him to be transparent. ¡°He must despise me for

    leaving when he had fallen sick.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be true. He knew why you left, he even sent his best men with you to make sure you came

    back in one piece.¡± Doris said gently. He sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands. She

    lightly ced her hand on his shoulder and sat next to him. ¡°I saw the way he talked with you before he

    left. He cares a lot about you even if he won¡¯t admit it.¡±

    William snorted at that as if the very idea of his father caring about him was absurdly ridiculous.

    ¡°What if the Luna Queen is responsible for this too? What if she caught wind of my ns and wants her

    son already on the throne?¡± William fisted his hands in hisp. ¡°She probably wants my father to die so

    Martin can take his ce.¡±

    ¡°If she killed the king, there would be a huge investigation. Especially after what happened to your

    mother.¡± Doris brushed his hair back. It had gotten a little longer on their journey and her stomach turned

    when she realized that she noticed these sort of things about him.

    ¡°He¡¯s still my father. Despite all he¡¯s done to damage me, he¡¯s still my father even if he doesn¡¯t care.¡±

    William said so quietly, she had to lean closer to hear him.

    William suddenly stood and went into his closet. Doris nced around the mess of the room

    and part of her wanted to hurry up and clean it all before he got back, but the other half wanted him to

    call another maid to do it. He was right, it would be weird for her to be his maid again after all the nights

    they shared. All the quiet moments and passionate embraces.

    No wonder he sent the maids that fell from him away. Would he do the same to her? Or allow her

    freedom when he was ready to cut her loose? She swore to herself she wouldn¡¯t fall into his web, but

    now she felt so tangled-she didn¡¯t know if she wanted to get out. 2

    When he came out again, he no longer had any hint of rogue attire on him. He was dressed head to toe

    in finery meant for a prince. A dark grey suit with gold embroidered along the hem. His hair was brushed

    back neatly and no longer did he have a hint of roguish stubble on his

    face.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see him. I¡¯ll shove that bitch out a window if she tries to stop me.¡±

    Doris quickly stood and straightened his clothes for him. Her fingers almost dared her to mess up his

    perfect look to be the one she craved, but it was not the time to want him to be   anything but what he

    wanted to be.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to apany you? I wouldn¡¯t mind staying all night with you.¡± Doris

    said gently.

    William shook his head and took her hands to lower them off him. ¡°No. I need to speak with him myself. I

    don¡¯t want anyone else there, not a soul.¡± 2

    Doris nodded and smiled sadly at him. She leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my old

    rooms when you need me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay there. You can stay here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that would be a wise idea. Melody is still around here somewhere, I¡¯m sure she wille

    running the second she realizes you¡¯re here.¡± William made a face at Doris¡¯s words as if he¡¯d forgotten all

    about her. ¡°Besides, I want to see how my friend is doing.¡± 2

    ¡°Right.¡± William sighed and brushed past her. With onest nce, he left her alone to his disastrous

    room. Just outside the door, she heard William speak to his guards. ¡°I¡¯ll new two maids from the servants

    quarters toe clean my room. Don¡¯t ask the one in there.¡± 1

    Out in the hallways, things felt a little different. It was as if she wasn¡¯t really there but her body was. She

    recognized almost every step in this pce, but now it felt as if she was unwee.

    The mood felt off, people stared at her as they passed but said nothing. no one greeted her, even the

    other maids that she had known for years pretended they didn¡¯t see her. It should have made her feelN?velDrama.Org content.

    upset or unsettled, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care anymore. 1

    There was once a time that she would have ran to her room and cried over being ignored by her former

    friends-that part of her was gone.

    Doris rounded the corner and started heading to the other side of the pce where she shared her room

    with Beth. Briefly, she wondered if her friend was even still here. It felt like ages ago since they said

    goodbye-and when William made sure Beth¡¯s fate was tied to her own by making her stay.

    Doris clenched her hands into fists at the reminder. Inside, there was a constant battle. She wanted to

    scream at him for all the things he ever did wrong, but the other half of her wanted to erase all of those

    memories and fall into him like he was the perfect man. There was no sense of peace.

    ¡°Ah, Doris!¡± A voice called down the hallway. Doris quickly turned to see a guard she didn¡¯t recognize

    coming towards her. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Prince Martin heard you returned from your journey. He¡¯s waiting in the library to see you.¡± 2

    ¡°Me? Oh,¡± Doris nced down at her ruined clothes from the trip. ¡°I¡¯m not suitable at the moment, do I

    have time to change?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not. He wanted you toe right away.¡±

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    Chapter 144 Library of possibilities.

    The library looked the same as it ever did-and it was just as empty. Therge wooden doors closed

    loudly behind her, the first few weeks she worked here it used to make her flinch. Now, it made her want

    to sink right back into her daily routine and start her chores. No, she wasn¡¯t here to be a maid. She was

    here because a prince had asked to see her ¨C for whatever reason.

    Prince Martin sat in the chair he favored near the tall windows. Her feet carried her there automatically

    and a strange sense of familiarity entered her bones. Did she actually miss this? Of course she did. The

    smell of old books and the peace she felt from this ce it was unreal. It was the only job she ever

    wanted in the pce, even when it payed lower than the ones offered to her over the years. It was better

    to keep her sanity rather than have more money.

    There with his blond head bent over a book, was Prince Martin. His posture was tense as if he knew she

    was watching him. She remembered the first day he hade in on her shift and headed straight for this

    chair without saying a word to her. So much had changed over the years.

    Doris cleared her throat and bowed. ¡°Prince Matin, you called for me?¡±

    Prince Martin looked up and his grin covered his face. He looked so happy to see her-it almost left her

    breathless. She didn¡¯t know why she thought no one would care when she was gone, but here was one

    person that seemed to.

    ¡°Doris,¡± Prince Martin stood and ced his book down before he went to kiss her hand. Her cheeks

    med instantly at the contact. He never really touched her before, and she didn¡¯t expect him to start.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to finally see you, I feel as if it¡¯s been ages.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, it has felt like ages.¡± Doris smiled and pulled her hand back to her side. ¡°How have you been,

    Prince Martin?¡±

    Prince Martin waved away her question as if it was a bug in the air. ¡°The same.¡±.

    ¡°The same? That can¡¯t be true! I heard you had gotten married when I was gone!¡± Doris bounced on her

    toes with a wide smile on her face. He watched her with a grin. ¡°How exciting! I¡¯m sorry to have missed it,

    I bet it was truly beautiful.¡±

    Prince Martin¡¯s face fell just slightly when she mentioned the wedding. He cleared his throat and tried to

    rece the smile. ¡°Thank you, Doris. But I didn¡¯t call you in here to talk to me about weddings- I wanted

    to see you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorisughed nervously. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°1- I just hadn¡¯t seen you in so long. I thought we could catch up a bit.¡± Prince Martin quickly gestured to

    the seat beside him. On the small table were tes of sweet cookies and tea.¡° Please, join me. I hope

    you don¡¯t mind that I brought sweets in here, I know that you like to keep this ce tidy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not.¡± Doris nervously seated herself beside him. Her stomach was too confused to try and

    eat any of what was offered. ¡°Very well, thank you for inviting me. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t have much time to

    change -¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, you look beautiful.¡± Prince Martin said. His green eyes sparkled when he looked at her.

    Quickly, he cleared his throat and kept on before she had time to process what he said to her. ¡°How was

    your trip? If I had known William nned on bringing a maid, I would have made him take someone else.

    I¡¯m sorry he put you through that. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to say goodbye. When I heard you were

    gone the next day, I wanted to send more guards up there to bring you back.¡±

    His admission shocked her. Why would he care so much whether she went or not? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite alright.

    It was¡­ intense, but I think a lot of good came of it too. I never really had a chance to travel out of the

    pce like that.¡± Doris admitted and brushed her messy hair behind her ear.

    Prince Martin looked at her with raised brows. ¡°You didn¡¯t run into any trouble in the north? | heard it¡¯s

    very dangerous there, though I haven¡¯t been myself. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve slept much while you¡¯ve been

    gone.¡±

    She swallowed, ¡°Well, there was plenty of danger.¡± Doris gave a half heartedugh. She didn¡¯t want to

    admit that she had a wolf inside her yet-that was something she had to discuss with William first. ¡°William

    protected me, though. I¡¯m grateful for him. And not all of the rogues are as awful as people have made

    them out to be.¡±

    ¡°Did he?¡± Prince Martin shifted a little beside her. ¡°That¡¯s surprising. I didn¡¯t take him for the heroic type.

    And did you say the rogues aren¡¯t so bad?¡± Prince Martinughed as if she was pulling his leg, but she

    didn¡¯t even crack a smile.

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure why that bothered her, but it did. William was a lot of things and clearly his family didn¡¯t

    see any of the good parts. She tried for another subject. ¡°Do you know how your father is? I heard he

    was sick when we got here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. He isn¡¯t doing very well. I¡¯m d William made it back before anything else happened,¡± Prince

    Martin leaned back in his chair. Doris¡¯s eyes flickered to the gold ring on his finger. Why didn¡¯t he want to

    talk about getting married? Doris would be so excited to share the news with everyone.

    ¡°Does anyone know what he has?¡± Doris asked cautiously. It wasn¡¯t right for a maid to question a prince,

    but she had been doing that since she left the pce.

    Prince Martin didn¡¯t seem to mind. He shook his head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t seem to find what it is yet. One day

    he just couldn¡¯t get out of bed and all the doctors have been clueless.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Prince Martin. This must be so awful for you.¡± Doris gripped his hand to squeeze. Hs eyes

    lingered on her mouth for a moment.

    ¡°Did you read the book I had gotten you?¡± He asked suddenly. Heat crawled up her neck and heated her

    cheeks.

    ¡°1-1 didn¡¯t have a chance to get very far. We were ambushed at one point in the beginning of the trip and

    it must have fallen out of my bag.¡±

    Prince Martin looked as if he was ready to dete from his pure disappointment. ¡°Oh. What a shame, I

    had written a lot of letters for you near the end.¡±

    Doris raised her brows in surprise. ¡°You did? What were they about?¡±

    This time, his cheeks turned red, ¡°Nothing of importance, I assure you. I had just hoped you would have

    gotten an opportunity to read them.¡± He stood suddenly and walked to the window to peer out. ¡°Would

    you like to join me for a stroll?¡± 1

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°A stroll?¡± Doris stood and smoothed out her pants. ¡°I um, I¡¯ve had quite the long journey, your majesty-¡±

    1

    ¡°Of course, it was foolish of me to even ask.¡± Prince Martinughed a little and brushed his fingers

    through his hair. ¡°Perhaps another time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Doris bowed. Prince Martin¡¯s eyes lingered on her for a moment more before he headed

    for the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you here again, Doris. I missed yourpany.¡±

    The moment the door closed behind Prince Martin, Doris released all of the air inside her. That was¡­

    strange. Prince Martin had always been kind to her, but she never thought he would actually think about

    her when she was gone.

    She was only a maid, and he was married to a beautiful bride that probably was somewhere in the

    pce wondering where her new husband was.

    Doris straightened the cushions on the chairs as a habit. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone had held this ce

    up while she was gone. Several stacks of books were dying to be put away and all of the shelves

    basically shouted at her to be dusted off and cleaned. She would have done it if she wasn¡¯t so tired,

    Never had she felt her energy leave her so quickly. It was as if the journey was finally catching up on her

    and making her desperate to sit down again and sleep thest few months of her life off. Her body

    recognized where she was and now it only wanted her to rest.

    Doris decided to leave the dust and books for another day. She ventured out of the library and followed

    her steps back to the room. Just as she rounded a corner, she bumped into a firm chest that reached out

    to steady her.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. It¡¯s Doris!¡±

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    Chapter 145 So much love to go around

    Daniel lifted Doris into a bear hug and spun her around a few times. Doris surprisinglyughed and

    gripped onto him in fear she would fall out of his grip. When he set her down, she had to hold onto him a

    moment longer so she didn¡¯t fall over when the dizziness hit her.

    ¡°Daniel! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Doris smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. He wore a

    lovely dark suit with red trimming and a messy hairstyle to top all it off.¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m the one that didn¡¯t expect to see you here! We didn¡¯t get any word that you were heading back.¡±

    He grinned and scratched the back of his head. His smile was still so innocent and pure, it filled her with

    warmth. She missed him and she didn¡¯t even realize it until this moment. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m doing just fine,

    but you¡­¡±

    Daniel looked Doris up and down slowly and she suddenly wished she was invisible. She stomped her

    foot so he would look back up at her. ¡°Me what?¡±

    ¡°You look¡­ a little different.¡±

    Her cheeks med in embarrassment. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t had a chance to bathe yet. It¡¯s been a long

    journey,¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant! You¡¯re beautiful just the way you are. I meant that you seem different from

    the inside, if that makes sense.¡±

    Doris ignored hispliment and focused on what he meant. How did he notice that so quickly? She

    was definitely different on the inside¡­ more than just a little.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)

    ¡°Well, either way. I¡¯m d to see you, sweet Doris. These halls have been dreadful to walk through since

    you left.¡± He gave her a cheeky grin. She doubted any of that was true in the slightest. Daniel was a

    known charmer, that sweet boy.

    Doris smacked his arm lightly, but she smiled anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t try to tter me! I know you don¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± He winced away from her, she onlyughed louder. ¡°All the other maids are so boring

    and scared of me. None of them are nearly as wonderful as you. Let me escort you to your room.¡±

    He held out his arm for her, and she wouldn¡¯t dare deny him. She held onto his arm as he walked her

    down the hall.

    ¡°What has the marvelous Doris been up to on her grand adventure?¡± Daniel asked a little louder than she

    wanted. It was embarrassing to have a finely dressed prince escort her to her room when she was in

    ripped, dirty clothing. But at the moment-she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care.   ¡°Well, tons of things that only

    come from fairytales. Ambushes, kidnapping, horse riding! So much.¡± She left out all of the passionate

    nights she had with his brother. Just thinking of them made her blush and they were already fading into a

    memory she couldn¡¯t grasp.

    He looked at her in surprise. ¡°Wow, I knew it would be an interesting adventure, but not that interesting!¡±

    He whistled. ¡°What a time. I heard the north was quite ruthless and dangerous. I¡¯m d to see you

    survived it all. Everyone was certain you guys wouldn¡¯te back from the north but I knew better.¡± He

    poked her nose.

    Doris shooed his hand away. ¡°Everyone thought that, huh? I suppose that¡¯s why no one is d to see us.

    I feel like we just walked into a strangers home and everyone is too afraid to tell us to leave.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because everyone here is stressed about my father, is all. William isn¡¯t the friendliest man to

    be around, so that could be it too.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I just got back from the military camp the other day, I

    was gone just as long as you were until I heard about my father.¡±(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)

    ¡°It only happened a few days ago?¡± She frowned. ¡°I wonder why they didn¡¯t try to tell William. He got a

    letter that the entire pce was sick, but it didn¡¯t mention his father.¡±

    Daniel furrowed his brows. ¡°No one else has been sick here, how strange.¡± Doris ignored the looks of

    fellow maids as they openly stared at them when they passed. She didn¡¯t care what anyone thought of

    her anymore. She was no longer afraid of how much weight someone¡¯s words held over her. It was

    almost freeing.

    ¡°Martin has been moping around though, not sure why. He was that way even before our father had

    gotten sick. I suppose it¡¯s only more intense now.¡± Daniel said quietly.

    ¡°How strange¡­ have you tried to talk to him about it?¡± Doris asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem down in the library.¡±

    Daniel looked a little surprised. ¡°You met him in the library? Didn¡¯t you just get back?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. One of his guards caught me in the hall and told me that he was looking for me.¡± Doris

    shrugged.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Daniel hummed. ¡°Martin doesn¡¯t like talking to me about his feelings. If I had to guess, I

    would say it¡¯s been since his wedding. He hasn¡¯t been the same since they got married, not even at the

    wedding.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s crazy! I thought they were in love?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, perhaps he has another in his heart.¡± Daniel said only loud enough for her to hear. No one else

    was in the hallway, but that was quite a risky thing to say. ¡°Never mind him, he¡¯s boring. How was dear

    old William for your trip? Still as grumpy as ever?¡±

    Dorisughed a little. ¡°He was certainly grumpy a lot of the time, but I think he earned a greater respect. I

    didn¡¯t realize how great of a leader he could be.¡±

    ¡°A leader? Madness, I would¡¯ve never thought it!¡±

    ¡°He is! It¡¯s magnificent. He is so smart and I wish you would have seen it!¡± Doris said excitedly. When

    she saw the look on his face, she quickly calmed herself. She didn¡¯t need anyone thinking she was into

    William. She silently cursed herself.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to see it some day. He¡¯s a great man, I can only imagine he would be just as good

    as a leader.¡± Daniel said.

    They stopped by the servants quarters. Now, Daniel was dragging more than a few nces their way,

    she almost wanted to push him away from her when she dropped her hand.(This novel will be daily

    updtaed at .noveljar)

    ¡°Thank you for the escort.¡± Doris bowed her head. Daniel grinned as he bowed his own in return.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, mydy. Try to get some rest.¡± He poked her dark circles and she swatted his hand

    away without thinking. Several maids gasped when she did so. Doris cringed instantly when she realized

    her mistake. A normal royal would have thrown her in a cell for something like that.

    Daniel onlyughed and hurried down the hall as if he had somewhere important to be.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Doris walked past all the stares and quiet whispers and finally reached her room. There was a chance

    that Beth was still on a shift and not yet back to their room, but she didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d wait all day if she

    had to.

    She flung open the door and found Beth reading by a small light. She almost flinched out of her skin at

    the abruptness, but immediately gasped and threw herself at Doris.

    Dorisughed as she caught her friend. She was almost pulled to the ground and it felt like a million little

    stars had lit up inside her. With everyone else acting saw awful towards her, she was d to have a few

    people that cared.

    ¡°Doris! Oh my goodness, I thought you were nevering back!¡± She pulled away to get a good look at

    her. ¡°Look at you! You look so.. mature!¡±

    ¡°Mature? Is that apliment?¡± Doris grinned.

    ¡°Of course it is you fool! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here! No one told me, when did you get in!¡± She dragged

    her over to the bed and Doris already knew this was about to be a long talk. They had so much to catch

    up on but Doris wasn¡¯t sure yet how much she would want to share with her friend.

    ¡°We just got here not that long ago. I had to get guests set up and then Prince Martin wanted to see me.

    Oh! And I ran into Daniel.¡±

    Beth raised her brows and leaned closer. ¡°You already have their hearts back in your hand, I see! That

    didn¡¯t take long.¡± Bethughed. ¡°Wait-what guests are here?¡±

    Doris rolled her eyes at herments. ¡°Some rogues havee to visit the kingdom.¡±(This novel will be

    daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    ¡°What? Rogues are here as guests?¡± Beth widened her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no way the king would    allow

    that! If he wasn¡¯t sick, I would imagine he would have them thrown out.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not here for war or fighting, they¡¯re here peacefully.¡±

    ¡°They are¡ª¡° Beth shook her head and waved the topic away. ¡°We¡¯ll go back to that in a minute. Tell me,

    did William make a move on you?¡±

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    Chapter 146 Missed gossip

    Beth¡¯s question shouldn¡¯t have surprised Doris as much as it did, but it left her speechless. Half of her

    wanted to lie about William and the other half wanted to spill out every detail that her mind had held in

    since the moment they first kissed. It was rotten to think bad of her friend-she knew she would keep all of

    her secrets. But she couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.

    ¡°We¡­ got along fine on the trip. He was admittedly grumpy at times, but that was to be expected.¡± Doris

    nervouslyughed and picked at her nails. Beth narrowed her gaze suspiciously and caught on to every

    small movement she made. Doris wanted to melt back into the couch and pretend she hadn¡¯t said

    anything.(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask that, I asked if he made a move on you.¡± Beth leaned closer as if she was trying to peer into

    Doris¡¯s brain for the answer. Doris was only d she couldn¡¯t see all of the things Doris had been up to

    with the handsome prince. ¡°He¡¯s notorious for seducing every pretty maid hees in close contact with

    ¡­ don¡¯t tell me he didn¡¯t try anything with you on the trip. You were the only girl!¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks heat instantly. ¡°I-I don¡¯t even-¡°

    ¡°Ah ha! I knew it.¡± Beth pped and made Doris flinch. ¡°I knew he would try to get in your pants! I

    wouldn¡¯t me you if you let him, he¡¯s incredibly handsome. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to control myself

    either¡±

    ¡°Beth!¡± Doris gasped. A small sense of jealously built up in her chest at the thought of William seducing

    just any maid he wanted. It was true, he could take any maid or servant to bed while she wasn¡¯t around

    and he would never feel the need to tell her about it. Another reason it wasn¡¯t wise to give her heart away

    to the beast. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk like this, it isn¡¯t proper.¡±

    Beth stared at Doris for a moment before she startedughing. ¡°Doris! No one will hear us! | haven¡¯t seen

    you in forever, tell me something about the trip! No one here likes to gossip anymore, it¡¯s be so

    boring without you here with me.¡±(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    Doris sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears. ¡°Well, Melody lied about being William¡¯s mate.¡± She

    whispered.

    Beth¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°No way! How did you find out?¡±

    ¡°I think I always knew she was lying because¡­¡± Doris nced back at the door to make sure it was still

    closed before she lowered her neckline to show Beth her mate mark. Beth¡¯s eyes looked as if they were

    going to pop out of her head and Doris instantly regretted it.

    ¡°What?!¡± She shouted. Doris mped her hand down over her mouth to silence her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone! I don¡¯t want anyone to know-¡°

    Beth wiggled out of her grip. ¡°You have to tell people! You could be hisdy!¡±   ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I want

    that yet, Beth! I haven¡¯t decided if I want to even be with him¡­ | want to be free, not tied to this ce

    even more.¡±

    ¡°Doris, you could be pampered and treated with the most respect if you came forward as his mate. No

    one would dare mess with you-look how they treat Melody!¡± Beth gripped Doris¡¯s hands and made her

    look at her. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t hurt you anymore, you would be the one to tell them what to do. Isn¡¯t that

    better than trying to find a new job out in the world? It¡¯s full of uncertainty out there, but here you would

    be treated like a royal.¡±

    Doris shook her head sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell people what to do or have them clean up after me. I want

    to be free-I want to live on my own terms. If I were to ept being hisdy, I don¡¯t know what my future

    would be. I don¡¯t want to tie myself to a man who might get bored of me and cast me aside when

    he finds someone knew to y with, I don¡¯t want that life.¡±

    Beth frowned. ¡°If you were his true mate, he wouldn¡¯t stray. I heard that once wolves find their true mate,

    they don¡¯t desire anyone else the same way again. Look at the king, he still hasn¡¯t found (This novel will

    be daily updtaed at .noveljar) a woman he wants. He can¡¯t find one to be happy with for more

    than a week after his mate passed-¡° Beth paused and her eyes widened yet again. ¡°Wait¡­ does that

    mean you have a wolf inside you?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I do¡­¡± Doris hesitated again. ¡°¡­ it was quite a shock. I didn¡¯t realize it until we were on the trip.

    William was about to be killed and¡­ something inside me snapped. My wolf came out and saved him.¡±

    ¡°How romantic!¡± Beth jumped up and squealed. Doris had to force her to sit back down. 1

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Will you keep it down? I¡¯m not ready for everyone to know about it yet!¡± Doris hissed. She nced at the

    door yet again to make sure no one had cracked it open to listen.

    ¡°Oh, yes of course! Sorry, love.¡± Beth grinned and seated herself again. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ nothing exciting has

    happened like this since we came. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re mated to the most handsome prince and you

    saved his life! He must be crazy about you.¡± Beth sighed dreamily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Doris mumbled. ¡°Enough about men tell me what¡¯s been happening since I was

    gone?¡±

    A bit of excitement deted from Beth as she took in the new subject. ¡°Oh, well¡­ a lot has happened.

    The king has suddenly fallen sick and the Luna Queen didn¡¯t want his own sons to know about it until

    recently. She¡¯s been trying to act as if she¡¯s the one in control and¡­ honestly it¡¯s been like a military

    base here with how she treats everyone. I¡¯m afraid to even show my face, I try to blend into the walls but

    she still finds a way to somehowe after everyone.¡± 1

    ¡°Oh my¡­ that sounds awful, Beth!¡± Doris had always been the type to try and hide into the walls, but

    Beth wasn¡¯t. If Beth was wanting to hide, it must have been much worse than Doris first thought. ¡°And

    what does Prince Martin have to say about it? He¡¯s the crown prince!¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t stand up to her at all, he lets her act like she¡¯s the ruler of this pce. He hasn¡¯t   even truly

    acted like he cares that his father is sick. Many of us think it¡¯s because he¡¯s ready to be the king if his

    father passes.¡±

    Doris widened her eyes. ¡°What? Surely that can¡¯t be true, he must be keeping his emotions private. I

    don¡¯t think he would want his own father to pass just so he can have the crown.¡±

    Beth sighed and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure his reasoning, but everything has been darker since you guys

    left. I feel this strange energy, like something is about to happen but I don¡¯t know when. I can feel

    everyone else on edge, but I don¡¯t think they know what for either. It¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s like there¡¯s a waring

    and we don¡¯t know what to do about it. I¡¯ve never been so frightened just to be alive.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Doris swallowed her emotions and clenched her friend¡¯s hands harder. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve

    been going through this alone¡­ I¡¯m so sorry Beth.¡± Beth offered a small, weak smile back as if it was all

    she could offer at the moment. ¡°And the king is too sick to sign the amnesty for our freedom now. They

    don¡¯t expect him to be better for quite a while.¡± Beth deted even more. Doris couldn¡¯t recall a time

    when her friend looked so sad, it broke her heart and left her with a thick guilt.

    ¡°It will all work out, Beth. It has to. I know times have been uncertain, but now that William is back,

    perhaps he can put some order back in this pce.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that? He brought rogues here and now I know it¡¯s only going ¨C¡°(This novel will be

    daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    A loud knock startled them apart. ¡°Beth, you¡¯re due in the kitchens for a night shift. Hurry up!¡± The voice

    demanded. She couldn¡¯t tell who it was, but it made Beth stand instantly.

    ¡°I have to go, we can catch up moreter.¡± She said quickly and gathered her uniform. In the candle light,

    it appeared as if Beth hadn¡¯t slept in days. Doris stood.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help, Beth?¡±

    ¡°No, no love. We will just have to talkter.¡± She squeezed Doris¡¯s hands once more before she left

    through the door in a hurry.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    Chapter 147 Go make yourself useful.

    Dorisid in her old bed and felt a strange piece of her missing. She expected to feel as if she was right

    where she belonged, as if she was home-but she didn¡¯t feel that way at all. The bed was stiff under her

    back and she might as well have beenying in the dirt with how it made her feel. She rolled on her side

    and saw nothing but the bare walls and it hit her then

    She missed William.

    The thoughts weren¡¯t wee and she wanted to banish them from her mind, but they just kept

    sneaking back in. She missed his warmth and the safeness she felt in his grasp-it was like no other. His

    arms wrapped around her body in her mind and she closed her eyes tightly to imagine it all. It was the

    only way she could lure her exhausted body into sleep, if only for a few hours of blissful nothingness.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    Morning came and Beth was still not back from her nightshift. Doris got up to bathe away her journey

    before she pulled on her old uniform. It felt so strange to step back inside it. She felt as if it was oddly

    fitting in every possibly way, as if it no longer belonged to her and she¡¯d stolen it from someone else.

    How was she supposed to return to the girl she was before they left for the trip? That girl was buried the

    second Doris found her wolf inside her and realized how to stand up for herself. 1

    It made her sick thinking about bing the girl she was before. The one that let herself almost be

    beaten to death and let everyone around her step on her as if she was nothing. Her inner wolf growled at

    the very thought. 2

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    When Doris came out of the bathing chamber, Beth was passed out in her bed with her shoes still on.

    Doris quietly took them off and wrapped her up in as many nkets she could find before she left out the

    door. They had so much more to talk about, but she had to let her friend rest. She needed it.

    The hallways were pure chaos, even this early in the morning. Servants were rushing through the halls

    towards every direction. Many of them looked as if they hadn¡¯t slept a minute in days, she worried they

    might pass out if they didn¡¯t give themselves a moment to rest. Was it always this crazy at the pce?

    Only when they had events, not daily.

    They paid no attention to Doris, as if she was just another piece of furniture. It felt different since thest

    time she was here-which wasn¡¯t that long ago, if she was honest. Why did it feel so different? Perhaps

    Beth was right, there was a darker shadow on the castle that wasn¡¯t there before. She felt it almost

    immediately, it was all wrong.

    Doris managed not to get stopped by a single soul while she made her way towards the guest quarters.

    Although Beth was weighing heavily on her mind, she had to make sure the rogues were still being

    treated well enough by the pce that didn¡¯t want to wee them.

    Doris knocked once on Enzo¡¯s door before it was thrown open as if he was waiting on the other side.

    ¡°Ah, a sight for sore eyes. Have you rested well, my dear?¡± Enzo asked with a half grin that didn¡¯t even

    reach his eyes. His clothes were nted and dark marks hinted at his ownck of sleep, but overall he

    seemed better than she expected. ¡°Please,e in.¡±

    ¡°I rested well enough, thank you.¡± Doris stepped inside once he opened the door wider and nced

    around therge room. It was just as lovely as the rest of the pce. ¡°Have they brought you any food

    yet?¡±

    ¡°I assume they¡¯ve forgotten, no need to worry.¡± Enzo said lightly as he seated himself by the fire.

    Doris spun around to face him. ¡°No one has brought you anything since you arrived? I¡¯ll go get some

    food right now,¡°

    ¡°Please don¡¯t rush yourself, my dear. Sit. We can wait a little longer.¡± Enzo insisted. Doris hesitated

    before she seated herself. Were those dark marks from his hunger, too?

    ¡°Something is off here, I can feel it.¡± Doris said quietly. (This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)The crackling from the fire was much louder than her. ¡°My friend told me that the Luna

    Queen has started to act like the one in charge ever since the king had fallen ill. I¡¯m not sure what to

    think of it yet.¡±

    Enzo leaned closer and rested his elbows on his knees. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s responsible for why he¡¯s

    sick?¡± He whispered.

    Doris nced back at the door. ¡°It could be. I think it¡¯s very likely, she wanted to get rid of William

    because he¡¯s a threat to her control. While he¡¯s been gone, the king falls ill? It would align perfectly with

    her ns for taking over. I bet she didn¡¯t expect William to make it out of that sick vige alive, she

    probably thought he would have fallen ill just like his father.¡±

    Enzo ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°We have to get William the crown before it¡¯s toote. She clearly

    has ns to use her own son just to be the one that¡¯s in charge.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Prince Martin realizes what she¡¯s doing yet, or if he¡¯s blind to it all. I couldn¡¯t imagine he

    would allow his mother to mistreat the servants as she has been.¡± Doris said quietly. Prince Martin was

    always kind to her and all of the servants-was he really blind to how his mother was? ¡°How are we

    supposed to get William the crown with all that¡¯s happening? I feel like there¡¯s something else to worry

    about at every turn.¡±

    Enzo gave her a small smile and reached across to squeeze her hand. ¡°Trust in William, he has his own

    ns and I believe he will end up with what he desires. He¡¯s one of the most determined men I¡¯ve ever

    met, even when he¡¯s being insufferable.¡±

    Doris smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯ll get you all food now. You must be starving, I¡¯m sorry they didn¡¯t bring you

    anything.¡±

    This time, Enzo didn¡¯t try to stop her as she hurried to the door. How could she be so careless not to

    make sure they were all fed before she went to bedst night?

    In the halls, the servants looked as if they were on some sort of set motion that no one would dare to

    break. They moved with an emptiness in their expressions that mirrored a bit of fear  . as well. She didn¡¯t

    recognize them as the maids and servants she used to work with, they didn¡¯t recognize her either.(This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    The kitchens were as hot as ever. Everyone worked in a fast motion around her as she quietly grabbed a

    cart to load tes of food upon.

    ¡°Ay you! What do you think you¡¯re doing in my kitchen?¡±

    Doris turned to see a tall man towering over her. He had a wet spoon gripped in his hand that dripped all

    over his clothes as he red down at her. Doris cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders.

    ¡°I came to collect meals for the rogues. No one has bothered to feed them since they arrived.¡±

    The kitchen fell silent at her words. They all turned to stare at her and it took everything inside her to stay

    still and tall when all she wanted to do was fade into the background.

    ¡°The rogues? We didn¡¯t get any orders to feed them.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how that had gone unchecked. They¡¯re Prince William¡¯s guests and should be treated

    as such. We don¡¯t want them to starve and cause any trouble, do we?¡± Doris said a little louder than

    intended. Her hands shook a bit at her sides.

    ¡°¡­ uh. We usually wait for Luna Queen to give the orders.¡± The man said. He clenched the spoon

    nervously in his hands.

    ¡°I could have Prince Williame down to talk to you all, if you wish.¡± Doris said evenly.

    A look of fear shed across his eyes. She imagined it would be even more scary to have the prince

    come down to scream at them-no matter how horrifying the Luna Queen was.

    ¡°No, no that¡¯s not necessary. We will make sure they get their food.¡± The cook snapped his fingers and a

    group of servants started bringing more trays of food to fill the cart. In seconds it was whisked off towards

    Enzo¡¯s rooms and the second she stepped out of the kitchen, she deted.

    ¡°You there!¡±

    Doris almost flinched out of her skin and stood up straight again. Mr. Carson rounded the corner and

    headed straight towards her with a determined look in his eyes that she didn¡¯t want to see.

    ¡°What are you doing just standing there? Go make yourself useful!¡± He shouted.

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    Chapter 148 Old habitse back

    ¡°1-I was um set to look after the rogues-¡°

    ¡°I just saw their food headed towards them, I don¡¯t see you being the one to deliver it!¡± Mr. Carson

    narrowed his eyes as he looked her up and down. ¡°The library hasn¡¯t been cleaned since you left. I want

    you to scrub it from top to bottom before the end of the day. I will being by to check to make sure

    you¡¯re doing it right incase you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Carson-¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! Go!¡± He shouted. The words came back in a harsh p that woke Doris up. She

    turned and hurried down the hall feeling like the weak girl all over again. Her inner wolf tried to fight

    against the side of her that wanted to obey what everyone else demanded of her. She could feel Cordelia

    growl inside her. Low and certain, she wanted to take control but now wasn¡¯t the time to let her.

    Bitterly, she imagined his horrified face when he realized he screamed orders at the prince¡¯s mate. It

    would be so satisfying to have those who stepped on her realize she mattered. What would they do

    when they thought of all the bad things they did to her when they didn¡¯t know she was his mate? Would

    they regret it all? Or would they hope she wouldn¡¯t remember any of

    it?

    But then again-she would rather just never see any of them ever again. They weren¡¯t worth her troubles.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    The path down to the library was possibly the most familiar part in the entire pce. She could get there

    with her eyes closed without missing a single step. It was no doubt her favorite ce in the whole

    kingdom, but she also remembered how dirty it had be in her absence.

    Slowly, she opened therge doors and let the familiar creak rest deep in her bones. Would this always

    be her life if the king didn¡¯t recover? She couldn¡¯t imagine William letting her go after all they had been

    through. His anger showed through every time she mentioned wanting to be free-the king was her only

    hope and now that hope seemed lost and forgotten. It was unlikely William would let his mate go without

    some sort of fight.

    Like clockwork, Doris went straight to the storage cabs and brought out all the supplies she needed

    to clean the mess. Her mind went numb as she fell into old habits and scrubbed the floor on her hands

    and knees. Why hadn¡¯t anyone been set to clean in her absence? She¡¯d been removed from the library

    long before she even left to the north with William.

    The sun started to go down and every inch of her could barely move by the time someone interrupted

    her. Therge doors alerted their arrival loudly and made her duck behind one of the desks to scrub an

    area she¡¯d forgotten. The scolding already rattled her brain and made her afraid to see the

    disappointment upon Mr. Carson¡¯s face..   ¡°Doris?¡± A deep voice called. Doris froze. His steps echoed

    through the room and stopped right by the desk she was hunched behind, as if he knew exactly where

    she was the second he stepped into the room and his body had no choice but to go to her.

    ¡°What are you doing down there?¡± William asked her. He knelt down in front of her and looked at her

    used rag with a distaste in his gaze.

    ¡°I was asked to clean the library.¡± Doris said and dropped the rag in the dirty bucket of water. William

    gripped her arm and forced her to stand.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be this anymore, Doris.¡± William said. ¡°I thought I made that clear.¡±

    ¡°You can say that to me, but I can¡¯t tell that to others, William.¡± Doris whispered. She nced at therge

    doors that were still slightly opened, she wondered if anyone was lingering outside. ¡°They can still order

    me to do things and I have no reason to tell them no.¡±

    ¡°You already know what role is waiting for you if you want it.¡± William walked around the desk and swiped

    his finger across the surface as if he was checking for dust. Doris let out a slow breath. He would find no

    trace of dust in here.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be wise for me to ept that offer. You still have ady technically.¡±

    ¡°I can have her moved out in an hour-¡± 3

    ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to ept that title.¡± Doris said. He paused his pacing and eyed her but

    she pushed on. ¡°I do care for you, William. You know I do. But I never wanted to be thedy of this

    pce-I just need some time to process it.¡± 1(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    William clenched his jaw. She prepared herself for some sort of outburst or vengefulment that would

    hit her where it hurt the most-but none came.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be my personal maid. No one is allowed to ask you to do anything for them unless they ask

    me first.¡± William nced around the library that now sparkled clean. ¡°Unless you would prefer to stay in

    the library.¡± He said almost bitterly. She couldn¡¯t tell why. 1

    ¡°Your personal maid? Are you sure¡ª¡°

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to actually be my maid, just to ept the title so you can do as you wish in the pce

    without anyone to stop you.¡± William interrupted. He lifted his chin a little and she couldn¡¯t help but

    admire how sharp his jawline was. She tried to shake the thoughts away before they distracted her.

    ¡°Each prince is allowed to have their own personal servants.¡±

    ¡°William-¡±

    ¡°If you won¡¯t ept the title as mydy, you can at least ept this. I don¡¯t see you as a maid and I hate

    seeing you in that uniform and scrubbing floors as if you¡¯re nothing.¡± William

    growled.

    ¡°Would I take the room near yours,¡±

    ¡°You can take my own damn bed for all I care.¡± William turned and headed to the door.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Doris called after him. She quickly moved around the desk and went to follow

    him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell them of your new title and if they set you to clean floors again, I¡¯ll tear out their tongues

    and force them to clean the walls with it.¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Doris had to turn her head to keep in herugh. She was truly disturbed if she found that part of him

    funny when she used to find it terrifying.

    ¡°Go to my rooms, I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± William grumbled.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)

    Doris broke off from him and did as he said. She watched his back as he headed towards the servants

    quarters and she was only d she didn¡¯t have to join him.

    His room was an utter mess when she hadste through, but now it stood as normal as ever. The

    fire was low and kept the room warm while a tray of steaming tea was waiting by the end table. Had he

    been here before he went to find her?

    ¡°William?¡± A light, seductive voice sounded from William¡¯s closet. Doris froze before she slowly backed

    towards the door.

    It was toote. Melody stepped out of his closet wearing nothing but ace set of undergarments. ¡°Oh, I

    missed you so much. I hope you don¡¯t mind-What the hell are you doing here?¡± Melody growled when

    her eyesnded on Doris.

    ¡°1¨C¡° Doris felt as if her mind wentpletely nk. A jealous rage built up inside her. Melody had hoped

    to seduce William-would it have worked if Doris wasn¡¯t here? Would he have found what she was

    wearing irresistible andid with her in his bed like he had before they left to the north?

    The thoughts tainted her mood like a lick of fire. She curled her hands into fists at her sides

    ¡°What are you doing in the Prince¡¯s room? He only allows those he invites into his private chamber.¡±

    Melody smirked across at Doris as if she believed she had the upper hand. She swayed her hips as she

    crossed the room towards Doris and it only made her want to shove the girl out of the nearest window.

    ¡°The prince did invite me here.¡± Melody pulled a white invitation out from herce bra and handed it over

    to Doris. Doris almost didn¡¯t want to ept it, but she had to see.

    Inside, William¡¯s elegant writing invited her for tea so they could talk. Carefully, she folded the letter and

    handed it back.

    ¡°My mistake. I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡±(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    ¡°Like hell you are! You little bitch-¡° Melody neared Doris just as the door opened.

    ¡°If you get any closer to her, I¡¯ll break your neck.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    Chapter 149 Taking out the trash

    Melody took a step back when she heard William¡¯s voice. Quickly, she regained herposure. ¡°That¡¯s

    right, Doris. You heard him.¡± She lifted her chin and smirked. Doris almost had the nerve to be

    embarrassed for the girl.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to her, I was talking to you.¡± William moved to step in front of Doris. Melody backed away

    a bit more, she even started to look nervous at the scene before her. She expected a night of love, not

    this.

    ¡°William, I don¡¯t understand-¡° Melody reached for her robe and quickly put it on. William didn¡¯t even lower

    his eyes to her body and Doris hated to admit how good that made her feel. Perhaps Beth was right,

    maybe he wouldn¡¯t desire another now that they found each other.¡± This maid just insulted me¡ª¡°

    ¡°She can insult you all she wants. I invited you toe here to tell you that I no longer wish for you to be

    mydy.¡± William said calmly. Doris nced over his shoulder to see Melody¡¯s face copse at his words.

    ¡°What? But-i¡¯m- we¡¯re mates! I don¡¯t understand,¡±

    William¡¯s back tensed at her words. ¡°I don¡¯t like a fucking liar, especially when they lie to me in front of

    the entire kingdom.¡± William grabbed Melody¡¯s arm and forced her against him. Her robe fell off one

    shoulder and the mark was gone. Melody¡¯s eyes widened and she quickly tried to cover it. Clearly she

    had forgotten to reapply the fake mark to her skin before she came here.

    ¡°No, I would never lie about this,¡°

    ¡°I know you¡¯re a fucking liar because I found my real mate! I don¡¯t need your fake mark to prove it.¡± He

    growled in her face before he shoved her away from him. She stumbled to the floor and just barely

    caught herself. Melody¡¯s eyes went right to Doris who stayed quiet behind William.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying! She¡¯s not your mate!¡± Melody cried as she moved back away from William. ¡°I¡¯m your mate!

    You found me that day and I¡¯ve been loyal to you! I waited here as you went to find who poisoned me!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go for you, I don¡¯t give a shit who poisons you.¡± William spat at her. ¡°I went to find other answers

    for myself.¡±

    Melody choked on her tears. ¡°She can¡¯t be your mate, William! She¡¯s not meant to be your mate!¡±(This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    William nced at Doris for a moment and she could read it in his eyes. Doris knelt down near Melody

    and moved down her blouse to show her the mate¡¯s mark. ¡°This hasn¡¯t faded in the slightest since he put

    it on me.¡±

    Melody stared at the mark silently. Tears dripped from her eyes that filled up with hate almost

    instantly. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a useless maid.¡± She spat at Doris¡¯s shoes. ¡°You¡¯re an ugly, useless maid

    that doesn¡¯t deserve to be here! I should have killed you when I had the chance you stupid bitch!¡±

    William grabbed Melody by her arm and dragged her out to the door. Doris winced as she watched

    Melody try to struggle against his iron grip. ¡°She is worth a hundred of you! Get the fuck out of here.¡±

    William growled and forced her out the door. ¡°I want her removed from the pce. Have her room

    emptied by morning and do not allow her back on the property.¡±

    ¡°William!¡± Melody screamed, he mmed the door in her face without a hesitation. Her screaming

    continued down the hall and grew distant after a moment. It should have filled her with more of a

    satisfaction, but it didn¡¯t. She cursed her kinder side for always feeling bad for the people that didn¡¯t

    deserve it.

    Doris nervously watched his anger followed him as he moved through the room. It was like a dark

    shadow that gripped onto him and marked every step he made.

    ¡°William¡­¡± Doris said calmly. He threw himself down on one of his chairs and she was only surprised it

    didn¡¯t crack with how hard he went down. She sat herself next to him. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been here¡ª¡°

    ¡°Why not? She needed to be faced with her lies. You are proof of it.¡± He grumbled and stared at the fire.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll go kicking and screaming the whole way out of the pce. A shame I couldn¡¯t keep it

    quiet for you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean quiet for me?¡±

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want others to know about you. I¡¯m sure she will scream it to the skies about how

    you¡¯re lying and she¡¯s not.¡± William¡¯s fingers curved into the chair. ¡°I would have asked for her to be

    beheaded, but I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s enough tragedy around here.¡± 1

    ¡°William,¡± Doris frowned. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was serious or not. Something about the way he said it

    made her realize that he might have meant his words. ¡°Are you alright? How did it go with your father?¡±

    Doris moved a little closer and his hand found herp. Her heart did a small leap in her chest and she

    wanted to curse the feeling.

    ¡°He¡¯s not well at all. He barely recognized me. I¡¯m not sure how long he has left.¡± William said quietly. ¡°I

    always wanted him to suffer in his life for how he treated me. I thought I would be happy to hear he¡¯s on

    his death bed, but I¡¯m not.¡± 2

    ¡°It¡¯s normal to have resent for your parents if they wronged you. I know I do.¡± Doris admitted. William

    threw her a curious look and it was then she realized she had never really told him about her past. He

    asked her once and she changed the subject. ¡°My parents sold me to the pce when I was 16 and I

    haven¡¯t heard from them since. I think a big part of me resents them, but a smaller part will always want

    them to be alive and well. It¡¯s always going to be there, no matter how much time has passed.¡± (This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    William shifted a little so he could have a better look at her. ¡°You still would wish them well, even after

    selling you as if you were an animal?¡±

    ¡°I do. I don¡¯t want them to die, but I also don¡¯t want to see them anymore. They didn¡¯t regret selling me

    and they never tried to get me back even yearster. If I knew something bad had happened to them

    while I was here, I would be very sad.¡±

    William searched her face as if he could solve some sort of puzzle that wasn¡¯t there. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I

    could forgive someone for doing that to me. My father may have treated my brothers better than me, but

    he never gave me away. I think you¡¯re brave for that.¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks heat. She hadn¡¯t expected him to say that. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    William looked away and leaned back into the couch. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any of my brothers since I¡¯vee

    here. I tried to seek out Martin and Daniel, but neither of them havee.¡±

    ¡°They might be grieving in their own ways.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯lle around.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I know the Luna Queen is responsible for this. I know she¡¯s the reason he¡¯s sick.(This novel will

    be daily updtaed at .noveljar) She¡¯s been trying to get rid of all the obstacles in her way so she

    can be the ruler of this kingdom through her idiot son.¡± William stood.

    ¡°How will we stop her?¡± Doris watched as he paced the room again as if his thoughts had gone wild.

    ¡°If my father isn¡¯t well enough to hear my side of things. I will just have to take my crown forcibly.¡±

    ¡°By harming Prince Martin?¡± Doris asked cautiously. He threw her an annoyed look.

    ¡°Not directly. I will bring an army. I have many followers here beyond my personal guards. Many men and

    women have sworn to stand by me if I ever wanted the crown. If Martin won¡¯t willingly give it up, I will

    have to call upon my army.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

    Doris sat speechless. She had no idea that William had so many people on his side. ¡°Do any of these

    people hold weight towards the crown?¡±

    ¡°There are lords anddies¡­ I bet I can gain even more.¡±

    ¡°William, you¡¯re ready to start a war over this? Is this wise? Perhaps we should wait to see if the king will

    recover ¨C¡°

    ¡°If we wait it will be toote! Luna Queen is making her moves now while I¡¯m distracted by my father.

    This is exactly what she always wanted to happen.¡± William¡¯s steps turned into stomps. Doris stood.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but perhaps you shouldy down to rest for a while. It might straighten out your

    thoughts.¡±

    ¡°I know what needs to be done, Doris. You can either join me or stay to the side and watch me im the

    crown that was meant for me.¡±

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    Chapter 150 Moments that turned into feelings

    William was dead asleep as heid next to her. She followed the lines of his back and wanted to trace

    them with her fingers. It was odd to care for a man that was as beautiful as he was rough. Her heart

    hummed for him alone and if she thought too deeply, she might discover the true core of her feelings.

    Beth would tease her ruthlessly until she admitted something ridiculous like being in love with him. Doris

    didn¡¯t know the first thing about love. No one had ever taught her the meaning of it and books only tried

    to tell her the glorified details of it. Nothing real, nothing that she could rte to or grasp onto.

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she was supposed to resent her feelings or wish them away. Was it love to want him

    to stay more than she wanted him to leave? Was it love to feel warm around him and cold when he was

    gone? What was love when the man she cared for confused her more than assured her?

    It wasn¡¯t fair to be a girl like her. Everyone else seemed to just know when it was right for them. (This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    Everyone seemed to know what love was and Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she was feeling love or hatred half of

    the time.

    Many maids in the pce had found secret forbidden love with other servants or guards. They whispered

    their love in private and kissed in dark hallways when no one was around. She saw how sure they were

    of their feelings. There was no sense of wonder or resentment like there was for Doris. The men assured

    their women that they loved them-but did Doris want that? Did she want her lover to always tell her he

    loved her so she never forgot? Or did she want whatever it was that William gave her? 2

    What if everyone experienced different sorts of love and she was already drowning in her own version?

    The one that William created for her over the weeks, and now she didn¡¯t want to crawl out of it to save

    herself. She wanted to drown in his fucked up version of love if it only meant it would stay. If it meant he

    would never stray from her.

    Her thoughts caused her to toss and turn until she finally got up and pulled on a thick robe over her

    clothes. She nced back at William still asleep before she slipped out the door and into the hall. His

    guards spared her one curious look before they stared forward again.

    Normally when she couldn¡¯t sleep, she would go to the library and try to read anything just to get her

    thoughts somewhere new. It was so peaceful in there, her feet went automatic as they took her right

    where she needed to be as if they knew the drill.

    The second she stepped through the doors, she inhaled the smell of old parchment. It caressed her mind

    and calmed her worst thoughts until she couldn¡¯t remember what they were anymore. There was nothing

    but her and the thousands of books that offered an escape.

    ¡°I hoped to find you here.¡± said a voice from behind her. Doris turned to see Prince Martin rising from his

    favorite chair. She hadn¡¯t even thought to look there like she normally did, he

    was the furthest thing from her muddled mind.

    ¡°Oh, Prince Martin.¡± Doris bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you, I¡¯ll be going¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, I wanted to see you here.¡± Prince Martin smiled and went to close the door. He kept it just a crack

    open as if that offered them enough privacy. She forced herself to stay where she was instead of opening

    it wider.

    ¡°Well, what can I do for you?¡± Doris picked at her nails and nced around the dim room. (This novel will

    be daily updtaed at .noveljar) A few candles were scattered around the area, not nearly enough

    of them were lit enough for her to see him better.

    Prince Martin took a deep breath and walked right up to her until they were just an inch apart. Doris tried

    to move back, but she bumped right into the desk behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about you every second you

    were gone, Doris.¡± He admitted. His green eyes followed the lines of her face. ¡°Did you ever think about

    me?¡± He asked.

    Doris had never felt so lost for words. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. Nothing wanted toe

    out-she had nothing to say. ¡°I know this is sudden, Doris.¡± He gripped her hands.

    ¡°¡­ what? What are you saying, Prince Martin?¡± She silently prayed he was only telling her he was

    concerned for her because they were friends¡­ nothing more. But the look on his face told her differently

    and made her heart race with uncertainty.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I don¡¯t want you to call me prince anymore¡­ A bit of my heart swells in pain whenever

    you bow to me or call me that. I heard you call my other brothers by their names ¨C¡°

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You wish for me to call you Martin?¡± Doris said hesitantly.

    Martinughed a little and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m sure this hase as a surprise, but I told

    myself that when you came back to me, I would tell you how I felt.¡±

    His green eyes searched her face again, but she only felt nk. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean¡­¡±

    Prince Martin¡¯s eyes flickered to her lips. He brushed her hair back behind her ear and Doris felt as if

    time was speeding up faster than she could register. Her mind was two steps behind his actions and she

    wanted to push him far away from her.

    ¡°Perhaps I should just show you¡­¡± He leaned down, but immediately pushed himself away when the

    large doors creaked open. 1

    William stood with fire in his eyes as he red at Martin. He looked as if he was about to tear him in half

    right there.

    Prince Martin cleared his throat and straightened his suit. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s nice to see you home. I¡¯m d the

    rogues didn¡¯t kill you.¡± William¡¯s eyes flickered from Doris to Martin.

    Did she look as confused as she felt? Doris took a few more steps away from Martin as if he  s had just

    attacked her with his words. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) Never had she

    dreamed that Prince Martin had those sort of feelings for her¡­ but it was clear he had some sort of

    intentions when he found her alone in the library. I

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. I haven¡¯t heard once from you since I arrived, now I catch you in here trying to seduce my

    horrified mate.¡± William said more calmly than he looked. Martin looked taken aback at his words as he

    shot Doris a quick look.

    ¡°Your mate? I haven¡¯t seen Melody all day.¡± 1

    ¡°Melody isn¡¯t my mate. Doris is.¡± William took a few steps inside the room towards Martin and it was

    starting to make Doris sweat. I

    ¡°Doris is your mate?¡± He said in disbelief. He nced between Doris and William as if it was all one big

    joke they were ying on him. Doris was too stunned to even think of a response. Did he just try to kiss

    her? The married crown prince just tried to his her?

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with your new wife?¡± William asked through his teeth.

    Martin raised his brows. ¡°If this is some sort of sick joke to y on me because of Grace, it

    isn¡¯t funny. I know you always resented me because of it.¡±

    Doris couldn¡¯t stop the jealously that bloomed inside her.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)

    Did William care about Lady Grace still?

    ¡°I just wonder why you always gravitate towards the women I have. It must be some sort of sick fetish

    you have, isn¡¯t it?¡± William stopped when he was inches in front of Martin. He looked down his nose at

    him as if he was no bigger than a bug.

    ¡°Melody is your mate, everyone knows that.¡± Martin said through his teeth. He straightened

    ¡°Melody is out with the trash where she belongs. My true mate is the one you came here in hopes to

    seduce. Unfortunately, she is not yours to take this time.¡±

    Don¡¯t look at her again. I¡¯m the one talking to you.¡±

    ¡°William.¡± Martin said slowly. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    William let him go and took Doris¡¯s hand. ¡°If I catch you alone with her again, you know what I¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll try to kill me like you did when you found out about Grace?¡± Martin said almost bitterly. Doris had

    never seen that side of him, she almost couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°This time, I won¡¯t fail.¡± William promised before they left out the door and back towards his room in a

    deafening silence.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    Chapter 151 You¡¯re mine and I¡¯m yours

    ¡°What were you doing there alone with him?¡± William snarled the moment the door closed behind them.

    Doris crossed the room just to put a bit of space between them. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I went to the library.¡±

    Doris said calmly. He looked as if every vein in his body was about to burst open from his rage. ¡°I didn¡¯t

    know he was going to be there, I would have left if I noticed him. I wanted to be alone.¡± 1 William¡¯s rage

    deted a little, as if steam had been let out of him. His hair was a wild mess from sleep, her fingers

    itched to run through the mess just to sort it all out and feel the soft waves against her skin. ¡°I knew he

    always went to the library to get you alone. He went there more than he ever had before he noticed you.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    ¡± William grumbled. Doris sat on the edge the bed and felt her eyelids grow heavy. ¡°I would have never

    guessed he harbored those sort of feelings¡­ he¡¯s married!¡± Doris ced her hand on her chest to feel

    the steady beat of her heart. Of all the wild things she would have guessed, this was not one of them.

    William crossed the room in three long strides and lifted her chin up to look him in the eye. His

    goosebumps down her skin. ¡°Did you really try to kill him over Grace?¡± Doris whispered. William¡¯s silence

    almost made her push away from him, but he spoke before she could. ¡°Yes. She was mydy when Luna

    Queen nned for her to marry Martin. No one had bothered to tell me and I caught them in her

    chambers one night. I almost tore him in half for touching her that way. He still has the scars.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your

    brother.¡± Doris said quietly. ¡°He¡¯s never acted like my brother. Not since he was old enough to know

    better.¡± William said. He knelt down in front of her so they could be eye level. ¡°And I meant what I said to

    him. If he touched you-I would finish what I started.¡± Doris felt breathless. Never had she imagined a man

    would say something like that to her. She never thought anyone would care enough for her that they

    would be willing to end someone of their own blood for her. Hisrge hands moved up her thighs slowly

    as his eyes stayed on hers. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) There was a hidden

    message in his gaze that heated her blood before he could even say anything. ¡°You¡¯re mine. You know

    that, don¡¯t you?¡± He whispered. Candles flickered out around them and suddenly she was left in the dark

    with a beast that owned her body and soul. ¡°Say it.¡± He demanded. His hands slowly moved her thighs

    apart as they traveled beneath her nightgown. ¡°Say it.¡± He said a little more roughly. When his fingers

    brushed her panties, she gasped. ¡°I¡¯m yours.¡± She could barely see the outline of him in the darkness,

    but even so she knew a smirk lit up his face enough to send chills down her body.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± William crawled up her body and pushed her down against his soft sheets. In a

    blur of his touches, he moved her up to the center of the bed and far from the edges as if he didn¡¯t want

    her to slip away from him. His warm hands pushed her nightgown up above her hips. The cold night air

    caressed her bare skin and made her grateful that each of his touches filled her with a warmth that no

    fire ever could. He spread her legs and slowly pulled off her undergarments as if he had all the time in

    the world to tease her. The seconds ticked into minutes and the darkness blocked out all of the worries

    that tried to drown them. His breath caressed her most sensitive area on her body and made her squirm

    beneath him. When he chuckled, she felt it vibrate the entire bed as if she was on a cloud of him. ¡°I

    haven¡¯t even touched you yet.¡± He whispered. Doris mped her lips shut. It was better than screaming

    like she wanted to. His hands held a power that she wanted to curse and bless at the same time.

    The tips of his fingers brushed against her core almostzily. Doris sucked in a breath and tried her best

    not toe undone so quickly. She watched as his form dipped between her legs and when she felt his

    tongue drag along her wetness, she had to bite her lip just to muffle her scream. Hisrge hands gripped

    her thighs so tightly, she knew by morning there would be evidence of these forbidden acts. Her mind

    tried not to wander to an unwee ce-how many women had he done the same to in this bed? It

    was rare for him to bring a woman back to his private chambers, but now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder

    how many had been here before her. His tongue pressed against her entrance and it was like all of her

    thoughts had evaporated. Her hand shot out and gripped his hair as if it knew no other ce to be. He

    pushed two of his fingers inside her without a warning and she didn¡¯t have time to muffle the sounds of

    her screams when he did. ¡°Do you always get this wet from my light touches?¡± He growled against her

    skin. His tongue dragged slowly along her entrance as his fingers started to pump in and out of her. She

    couldn¡¯t control her hips as they moved with him almost eagerly. William gripped her hip and forced it

    down against the bed. Suddenly, he pulled away from her as if he was never there. (This novel will be

    daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    A cold drenched her me and left her freezing and desperate for his warmth. ¡°William?¡± Doris

    whimpered. A hand mped around her throat, his weight pressed her into the bed as he spoke against

    her ear. ¡°I want you to beg for me.¡± He growled. Doris could feel his length pressed against her thigh with

    nothing to separate their skin. ¡°William-¡° ¡°I said to beg.¡± He demanded.. ¡°Please¡­.¡± She groaned and

    thrusted her hips up against his. ¡°William! I need you,¡° William bit her neck as hard as he could and

    made her scream. A warm rush of blood poured from the wound, butter deranged mind wanted more.

    Without any hesitation, William pushed his length inside her as hard as he could. Doris screamed from

    the impact, from all of the pain and pleasure pushing down on her at once. ¡°Fuck!¡± William groaned. He

    licked her wound and the trail of blood that traveled down her neck as if it was his only source of food.

    His hips buckled forward and mmed back inside her until it hit a spot that made her tremble beneath

    him. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m yours¡­¡± Doris whimpered. William¡¯s moves picked up instantly at her words. He moved in

    and out of her at a pace that left her dizzy and made her think that he was trying to prove a point to her.

    Doris gripped onto his back and carved her nails into his skin. He tilted his head back and groaned her

    name to the ceiling. She wanted to tattoo her name on his back in a ce where only she could see.

    Doris gripped his face and brought it back down to her. When she kissed him, she tried her best to

    remain in control but it was an impossible game when it was against William. He bit her lip and tied his

    tongue around her own aggressively. His roughness made the bed creak beneath them with each thrust

    he pushed in her. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re mine.¡± Doris gasped against his ear. His hands tightened on her body

    and his movements slowed a bit as if he was considering her words.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)

    Doris wrapped her legs around his waist to trap him against her. ¡°I think you know the answer to that.¡±

    William groaned as he pushed deeper inside her. ¡°Say it.¡± Doris hissed. She wanted to pull his hair and

    scream at him for stalling. His moans and groans were enough to send her over the edge, everything

    else just drove her crazy. ¡°Fine.¡± He grumbled as his his rocked forward and pushed her deeper into the

    bed. ¡°I¡¯m yours and you¡¯re mine.¡± 2 The moment the words left his lips, she felt her release break

    through. It vibrated through her body and made her shake from head to toe. Even though she couldn¡¯t

    see him, she could feel his eyes on her and only a minute passed before his own release filled her up

    and left her gasping for air.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    Chapter 152 Of course, mydy

    The next morning, Doris woke to an empty bed. The sheets were still ruffled and a mess as if he¡¯d just

    recently left them-or perhaps he hadn¡¯t been here in hours. Doris reached out to touch his side of the bed

    and found it was as cold as she felt. None of his warmth remained. Quickly, she got up and dressed

    herself before another servant decided toe in and clean his room. She would never live down the

    shame of it all if that happened. No matter howfortable she got with him, that shame would always

    remain deep inside her. She made the bed and picked up any traces of their night before she left the

    room. Only one guard was stationed outside his room, Doris ignored himpletely as she hurried down

    the hall. It was better than trying to guess his thoughts about her. ¡°Ah, there you are!¡± A gruff voice called

    from behind her. Howard Ford came stalking down the hall with intent in his eyes. ¡°I called for you hours

    ago but no one could find where you were.¡± ¡°Hours ago?¡± Doris nced around. It couldn¡¯t have been

    later than mid morning. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I need you to help with the y we have scheduled.

    You were supposed to be told about it yesterday.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what y are you referring to? I haven¡¯t

    heard of any y¡ª¡° Howard made an impatient sound and snapped his fingers in front of her face as if

    she was a dog.(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    Doris curled her fists at her sides and took a breath. ¡°The y for the king! We arranged a y for the

    king in a few days to help him feel better and it¡¯s not nearly ready enough¡ª¡° ¡°Howard.¡± A deep voice

    interrupted him. Howard didn¡¯t hide his annoyance as he turned to face the man that towered above him.

    ¡°Yes, Prince William? How are you today?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you about Doris¡¯s new role?¡± He said

    calmly. Doris was surprised he was able to remain so calmtely. Normally he would throw people

    against walls for being even slightly disrespectful. ¡°I can¡¯t say they have, your majesty. Is it something I

    should be aware of?¡± ¡°You and every one else in this pce is no longer allowed tomand Doris to

    do as you please. If you¡¯d like her to do something, you would have to ask me first.¡± William ran his

    fingers through his messy hair. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t brushed it once since he rolled out of bed.

    Where had he gone? ¡°Oh, my mistake.¡± Howard bowed to William despite not seeming the least bit sorry.

    ¡°May | have Doris¡¯s help with the y we have set for your father? We need all the hands we can get toContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    make it go as nned.¡± ¡°No. Find someone else. Perhaps if you didn¡¯t waste your time trying to find her,

    you could have been helping yourself.¡± William brushed past Howard and gestured for Doris to follow

    him. Doris spared one quick nce back at the baffled man before she hurried after William. ¡°I could

    have helped if they needed it-¡°

    ¡°No. That¡¯s not your role anymore. There¡¯s hundreds of servants around here that are more than capable

    of handling it themselves.¡± Doris followed him down the halls and towards an area she hadn¡¯t been in

    since she was

    Melody had almost beaten her to death because she had lied for her. Doris slowed her steps when a

    group of people were waiting near Melody¡¯s old door. ¡°Thank you all foring on time.¡± William said.

    He nced back at Doris to make sure she was still there. Ladies of the pce and other maids stood

    by with their eyes all glued on Doris as if she was some sort of wild animal here for their amusement.

    When she caught sight of Beth near the back, both of their eyes widened in confusion. ¡°Is the room

    prepared?¡± William asked one of the maids near the front. She bowed her head . ¡°Yes, your majesty. All

    of Melody¡¯s things have been removed and Lady Doris¡¯s things have been arranged in the right ces.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) The room is ready for her.¡± ¡°The..what?¡± Doris

    looked at William for answers, but he didn¡¯t even nce at her. ¡°Very good. Everyone, wee my new

    lady of the pce-Doris.¡± All the breath in her lungs had gone right out of her as if she had forgotten how

    to breathe. Everyone greeted her as ady and bowed as if she meant something. ¡°What?¡± Doris

    whispered. Beth was bouncing on her toes in excitement and Doris couldn¡¯t find it in her to feel the same.

    ¡°Wee Lady Doris! We had new dresses made for you inside your room, you no longer have to wear

    these old maid clothes.¡± One of thedies near the front swept Doris into the room before she could get a

    hold on William. He watched her with a small smirk on the corner of his lips. She had once been willing

    to die just to see that smile, but now she wanted to p it right off him. How could he do this to her? He

    said he would make her his personal maid-not hisdy! 0 The room somehow looked entirely different

    from when it was Melody¡¯s-it didn¡¯t even seem like the same area. The furniture was all new and in

    different ces. The nkets and curtains-everything was brand new. The walls even looked a different

    shade, but she couldn¡¯t remember what they were like before Melody had left. 1 Her old maid uniform

    was thrown in the trash and soon she was dressed in a sea of blue. An elegant dress flowed to the floor

    and fit perfectly around her waist as if it was made for her perhaps it was. How did they get all of her

    measurements? How did all of this happen so fast when Melody had only left the night before? 1 William

    was long gone by the time thedies had made her fit enough to walk among them. When she looked in

    the mirror, she didn¡¯t even recognize herself. Beautiful makeup heightened her features and her hair was

    in gorgeous waves down her back. Instantly the fabric reminded her of his eyes. The shade of the storm

    that haunted her thoughts. She almost broke the brush in her hand right in half when she realized why he

    had done this-he wanted to send a message to everyone. He wanted them to know she belonged to him

    and they would be foolish to think otherwise(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) .

    ¡°Doris¡­¡± Beth knelt next to her at the vanity while the otherdies gossiped over tea. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell

    me he made you hisdy?¡± She whispered.   ¡°He didn¡¯t even tell me, Beth.¡± Doris whispered back. None

    of thedies paid them any attention, Beth gripped Doris¡¯s hands and grinned. ¡°I knew this would happen

    for you. You¡¯re the most beautiful girl in the entire kingdom and now the most handsome prince has

    finally imed you as his own!¡± Doris felt the heat swell her cheeks. ¡°No I¡¯m not, you silly girl! He picked

    me because of the mark.¡° Beth rolled her eyes. ¡°You should be happy about this, Doris! Every maid in

    the pce would die to be in your shoes. I know how many women have dreamed of William just looking

    at them!¡± Doris swallowed her spike of jealousy. She¡¯d never felt such an intense rage before she had

    her wolf inside her. Now it hummed every time a small cord was pulled as if she wanted to burn down

    everyone that threatened what she had with her mate. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel Beth. You know that I

    never wanted this for myself. I wanted to blend into the walls before it was my time to leave this ce.

    Now¡­ Now I feel like I¡¯m going to

    Beth rubbed Doris¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Even if that happens, I wouldn¡¯t let you suffer alone. Isn¡¯t a bite of

    paradise worth the risk of a fall?¡± She whispered. 1 Doris tried to imagine herself without William. She

    tried to imagine what it would be like to walk away from him and pretend none of it had ever happened. It

    felt as if she was trying to cut off one of her legs. Beth was right. A bite of paradise with William would be

    worth the fall. Even if it ended in mes and a broken heart. Even if he left her when she was no longer

    considered pretty to him. Right? Was that what love was? ¡°You¡¯ll be my Lady¡¯s Maid won¡¯t you?¡± Doris

    whispered. Beth¡¯s eyes grew wide, she nodded. ¡°Of course, mydy.¡±

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    Chapter 153 No room for peace

    Once the tea was all poured and the cookies were gone, Doris was finally left alone with her thoughts.

    She dared William to show his face just so she could give him a piece of her mind. He had no right

    announcing her as hisdy without asking her if she even wanted to be. She didn¡¯t want this, right? Why

    was it getting harder to feel that way.

    she was Melody¡¯s maid. It was much bigger than the one they shared and actually had warm water

    through the pipes rather than the ice cold baths they were used to in their old room. At least her friend

    seemed happy with her new situation. Beth deserved the world and more, but that didn¡¯t make this any

    easier. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) A constant battle brewed inside her. One

    half wanted her to sit back and enjoy the ride while itsted, and the other half-the smarter half of her

    wanted to run as fast as she could before it all crumbled in her grasp. 2 A knock startled Doris out of her

    thoughts. It was polite rather than rough and demanding like they usually were when someone came for

    her. ¡°Yes?¡± Doris said hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯ve got a letter for you, mydy. Prince William requests your

    appearance at his m meeting starting soon.¡±

    her, she almost didn¡¯t know what to do or say. ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris bowed and closed the door quickly

    before he did anything else. William¡¯s elegant handwriting sent a jolt through her blood. While she knew

    how to read and write, her penmanship would never be as beautiful as the prince¡¯s was. ¡°Mydy,¡± Doris

    read out loud to herself. ¡°Please join me and the rogues for our next meeting. We hope to discuss the

    future of the kingdom together and I would like you to be there. Yours, William.¡± Perhaps it was the way

    he showed her a bit of vulnerability by just writing a letter like this, but Doris was out the door in seconds.

    Everywhere she turned, someone bowed to her and greeted her as ady. She almost had half a mind to

    take the servants paths just so no one else noticed her. Though, she would be hard to miss in the dress

    she was in. It was much more suited for a princess. At the end of the hallway, one of William¡¯s guards

    bowed and opened the door for her without her even having to exin why she was there. After a

    second, she forced her steps forward and the door mmed closed the moment her body was fully in. All

    at once, the room silenced as every head turned towards Doris. (This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar) William¡¯s eyes broke through the rest and rooted her right to the spot. She wanted to

    melt into the floor and make them all erase the image of her in this beautiful dress that she didn¡¯t belong

    in. She should be wearing a uniform and blending into the walls as people discussed important things-

    not be invited to stand at the prince¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m d you could join us, mydy.¡± William bowed his head

    just a little as his eyes swept over her body. Doris cleared her throat and crossed the room

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Doris said awkwardly. A guard stepped forward to pull out her chair and William waved

    him away and did it himself. When she sat, he leaned close to her ear to whisper. ¡°You look beautiful.¡±

    His words sent chills down her body. Had he ever said that to her before? Perhaps once, but she never

    really took him seriously when he said things like that. Doris¡¯s hands trembled under the table. She

    forced herself to smile at those around her. ¡°Great, now that the beauty is here, let us continue.¡± Enzo

    said and pped his hands. He shot a wink at Doris when William wasn¡¯t looking. ¡°How will we go about

    discussing this with Prince Martin? He seems utterly distractedtely.¡± said a man on William¡¯s left. He

    looked like a general, though Doris didn¡¯t recognize him and didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to ask. ¡°Yeah,

    he¡¯s been quite distracted.¡± William said bitterly. Doris stiffened beside him. ¡°I¡¯ll call forward a private

    meeting with him tomorrow and announce my intentions for the crown. If he refuses, we can go into our

    next stages.¡± Enzo leaned forward in his chair. ¡°I think it would be best to make sure we have our details

    correct before you go into that meeting. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) With the

    Luna Queen looming around every corner, she must already have her own ns in motion.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already

    sent letters to some of my most loyal supporters. I know many of them already have their own armies

    behind them and everything we can bring will help.¡± William opened a wide piece of parchment andid it

    across the table. Doris¡¯s eyes widened at the hundreds and hundreds of names sprawled across. ¡°This is

    just a fraction of the people ready to stand behind me when the timees.¡± ¡°How did you manage so

    many¡ª¡° Enzo paused. He looked over each name curiously. ¡°You¡®ve been nning this for years,

    haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Since I was 15 years old.¡± William leaned back in his chair and watched as everyone took

    in therge list. ¡°I know my brother wasn¡¯t fit to be king. He let my father speak for him and make all of

    the decisions. I started my own path and knew I had to gain more friends thanText content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    foes outside of the pce.¡± ¡°Prince Martin will let his mother run this ce to ruins. We all can see she¡¯s

    already breathing down his neck and he has done nothing to stand up to her.¡± Another man down the

    table said. ¡°Luna Queen wants to get rid of all who disagree with her, so we must be careful. We can¡¯t let

    her know what we¡¯re nning until we¡¯re ready to act on it.¡± William rolled up the parchment and stowed

    it away. ¡°What will happen if Prince Martin doesn¡¯t let you take the crown?¡± Doris asked. She was almost

    afraid to hear the answer. ¡°I already told you what would happen, mydy. We will bring him a war until

    he hands it over.¡± William nced around at those around him and they all nodded eagerly. They all

    wanted this just as much as he did. Had Doris truly been so blind all these years not to realize that

    William was so hungry for the throne? Everyone always thought he was reckless and didn¡¯t care about

    anything to do with politics. His father never gave him a pack and never took him seriously-could it be

    that William wanted him to think that way?   ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the king be upset to have his sons go to war?¡±

    Doris asked cautiously. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    ¡°The king isn¡¯t fit to make decisions. We have to act fast before he passes. Once he does, it¡¯ll be toote.

    Prince Martin will already be king.¡± Enzo exined patiently. He offered Doris a small smile but she felt

    ufortable with the topic of war. It made her want to get as far from this room as possible. ¡°Martin

    doesn¡¯t expect any of this to happen. He thinks everything will remain as it is and I haven¡¯t seen any sign

    that he¡¯s suspicious of someone taking his title. I¡¯ve been told that he¡¯s let his mother control all of his

    meetings while he retreats to the library or whatever else he does in his own time.¡± William sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll

    be a perfect time to strike.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to throw that little weasel off the throne with his horrible mother.¡±

    One of the roguesmented. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have an ounce of leadership inside him, I can¡¯t wait to watch

    him fall.¡± ¡°He is still William¡¯s brother. We shouldn¡¯t wish anyone harm even if they don¡¯t deserve their

    position. I¡¯m sure there might be a more peaceful way to go about this¨C¡° Doris started. 2 ¡°Peaceful? Luna

    Queen tried to kill me several times when we were in the north. I¡¯m sure she will try a few more times

    while we¡¯re here. There¡¯s nothing peaceful about that woman and she doesn¡¯t deserve our kindness!¡±

    William mmed his hand down against the table and made Doris flinch. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to spare her¡­¡±

    Doris said quietly after a moment of silence. ¡°I meant your brother.¡± ¡°Why do you care what happens to

    him so much?¡± William hissed. ¡°Because he¡¯s your blood and that means something even if you don¡¯t

    want to admit it!¡± Doris stood. ¡°Excuse me, I think I need to goy down.¡± Nobody said a word as they

    watched her leave. She could still feel William¡¯s eyes re into her back long after she was gone

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    Chapter 154 Friendse first

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The snow outside was thin and not nearly as deep as the snow in the north was. So far the best thing

    about being ady was being able to go outside when she wanted and not being afraid that someone

    was going to scream at her for it. She used to sneak out for a bit of fresh air and have nightmares about

    being caught for it. The one time she was caught, she was marked by the man she now spends most of

    her nights with. Funny how she swore her life would never be what it has be. 1 Her blood was

    boiling. The chilly temperatures were nothing on her heated skin. Too many emotions tried toe

    forward but all she wanted to do was forget them all and try to imagine she had nothing to weigh down

    her shoulders. What would it be like to walk out of the pce and forget everyone behind her? Would

    they think she was selfish, or smart? Would they look for her and not rest until she was found, or would

    they let her go? ¡°Ay! What are you doing out here?¡± ¨¤ familiar voice called from behind her. She heard

    thick steps stomp across the snow and a momentter, a thick cloak fell across her shoulders to ward

    away any of the cold she didn¡¯t feel.

    ¡°Daniel? What¡¯re you doing out here?¡± Doris tried to smile up at the boy who always held arge grin on

    his face when he saw her. A soft spot warmed her chest at the sight of him. It was better than running

    into any of the other prince¡¯s at the moment. In fact, he was currently her favorite. ¡°I came for some air

    but it seems I found myself a beautiful princess instead.¡± He grinned. Doris bumped her shoulder into

    him a little more harshly than she intended but he didn¡¯t seem to mind-or notice. Daniel whistled as he

    looked her up and down respectively. ¡°I knew I never stood a shot with you. Why didn¡¯t you tell me my

    grumpy brother already had his im on you?¡± Doris felt her cheeks warm. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around like that!

    I¡¯ve had enough of thattely. I don¡¯t need another foolish prince around me.¡± Doris sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know

    I was going to be hisdy. Trust me, I would have told you if I did.¡± Danielughed. ¡°So what? He

    surprised you with the title? I¡¯m pretty sure thedy has to agree to. it.¡± Daniel eyed her long dress. ¡°You

    look different, but just as stunning. I would even say that attire was made for you.¡± ¡°Did youe out

    here just to flirt with me?¡± ¡°Oh no. William would string me up by my guts if I did a thing like that. Promise

    not to tell him | gave you my heart.¡± Daniel winked. Doris rolled her eyes but she couldn¡¯t hide her smile.

    When Daniel held out his arm for her to take, she didn¡¯t ¡®hesitate.

    ¡°Tell me more about what I¡¯ve missed while I¡¯ve been away.¡± ¡°Ah, well. I suppose you¡¯ve missed a bit but

    I¡¯m not sure where to start. I think the Luna Queen has doubled up on her guards. She no longer goes

    anywhere without at least five.¡± Doris raised her brows. ¡°Truly? Why do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I think

    she¡¯s making the pce on edge with her ruling. My brother Martin must be too upset about our dad to

    notice but she¡¯s been slowly changing things around here. First, I was told it started with shift changes,

    and then it went into bigger things like meetings and controlling some of the viges. Whenevere

    around, the servants look more and more as if they¡¯re ready to burn the pce to the ground.¡± ¡°Surely

    that can¡¯t be true!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed how unhappy they all are? Look around, they¡¯re all meaner and

    rougher. about everything.¡± Daniel nced back at the pce as if he was afraid one of them might have

    heard him. ¡°I have noticed. It¡¯s like a dark cloud has fallen over the pce since we left.¡± Doris nced

    back at the pce as well and never had it looked so haunting. The gloomy clouds above it almost

    mirrored how it felt to be inside. Once it had stood tall in glory, now it looked like the sort of ce she

    would avoid in fairytales. ¡°It¡¯s been like that for weeks. I was d to get

    out of here when it started. You¡¯ve brought a bit of the light back into the castle, but it¡¯s still darker than it

    ever had been.¡± Daniel led them through the gardens and towards the bench where they had first met.

    He was just as charming as the day he fooled her. All of the flowers were gone and frozen, it was almost

    hard to witness. Doris did love winter, but it always took away the most beautiful parts of life snd froze it

    to the core. Still, it shined through with a new sort of beauty that flourished in it¡¯s white coat. ¡°Do you¡­¡±

    Doris hesitated. ¡°Do you think Prince Martin will make a great king one day?¡± Doris asked quietly and

    watched for his reacti¨°n. Daniel¡¯s wandering attention snapped to her all at once. She instantly regretted

    asking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s been challenged enough to be a king, but he could learn

    | suppose.¡± Daniel seated himself next to her and watched as light bits of snow fell from the sky. ¡°T hope

    he will make a great king, one day.. Hopefully not for years and years toe.¡± Daniel said sadly. 3 ¡°I¡¯m

    sure it won¡¯t be for many years toe.¡± Doris didn¡¯t want to ask what he thought of William being king.

    It might tip him off and Daniel had a tact for talking about things he wasn¡¯t supposed to. If he was anyone

    but a prince, she might have just told him because he was her friend. ¡°So¡­ truly. Why didn¡¯t you tell me

    about you and

    my brother?¡± Daniel bumped her arm. He watched her intently and all of his jokes had faded. ¡°I¡­ I

    suppose we haven¡¯t had a chance to talk since I returned.¡±. ¡°Is it true what I heard? That you¡¯re his

    mate? Theds down in the yard told me that hisstdy was screaming about killing you for lying

    about being his mate.¡± Daniel chuckled, but Doris felt horrified at his words. 2 ¡°She said that?¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t

    worry about her. She would be executed if she ever tried to harm you. Especially if you are his mate. The

    king has stricterws about that after what happened to his own.¡± 1 ¡°Well¡­ Yes. I suppose I am his

    mate,¡± Doris admitted. ¡°You suppose?¡± Daniel grinned. ¡°When did you figure?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ept it

    for the longest time but ¡­ my wolf came free out in the north to protect him and it was forced upon me.¡±

    ¡°William isn¡¯t easy to love, I¡¯ll admit that. I tried when I was younger but he grew an anger inside him that

    no one could tamper with unless they wanted it to explode on them.¡± Daniel rubbed his neck. ¡°All the

    ladies fancied him and it wasn¡¯t hard to guess why, but usually a lot of them ended up running from him

    rather than to him. I¡¯m not sure if he will ever learn to control his temper.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s starting to.¡± Doris admitted. ¡°He has his moments, buttely he hasn¡¯t been acting out like he

    used to.¡± ¡°I assume that¡¯s thanks to you.¡± Daniel raised his brows as if he was impressed. Doris rolled her

    eyes. ¡°I think he only gets angry at metely.¡± Doris stood and let out a long sigh. ¡°I ran from him after he

    marked me. I didn¡¯t want him to find me, I wanted to run as far as I could and pretend it never happened.

    But he found me and now my fate is tied to his.¡± 1 ¡°Do you not wish it to be? I thought all the girls in the

    pce would give up anything to have a chance with my dear grumpy brother.¡± Daniel stood and

    towered over her. She had to tilt her head back a little just to see his eyes. ¡°I wanted freedom-or I did.

    Now i¡¯m not sure what I want or what path is meant for me.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s half the fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What

    is?¡± Doris eyed him as they took the path back towards the pce. She quite missed the snow, even

    when she swore she would wake up with no toes on most of the nights. She missed the way it coated

    everything for miles and the strange peace it gave her. ¡°Finding your own path no matter how many

    times it changes.¡±

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    Chapter 155 A wild confession

    William hadn¡¯te for her at night. He hadn¡¯t sent word that he wanted her to join him or that he

    intended for her to be anywhere expect her room. Now she knew how Melody felt when William didn¡¯t

    send for her night after night. It infuriated her. Didn¡¯t he want her next to him like she wanted him? Did he

    spend his stubborn night tossing at the absence of her body near his? Melody was desperate for his

    attention, but Doris could go her whole life without it if he wanted to y that sort of game. Now that she

    wasn¡¯t a maid anymore-was she allowed to leave? She was tempted to. She daydreamed about packing

    her things and leaving the pce forever. Especially when she spent the night tossing and turning and

    wondering where he was and why he wasn¡¯t there with her. Those sort of weak thoughts made the fight

    or flight part of her mind fall into action and it terrified her. She didn¡¯t want to be dependent on a

    man that was utterly unpredictable and always knew how to agitate her at any moment he wished. The

    next morning, Beth insisted on brushing Doris¡¯s long hair and setting it in a high pony along with a few

    strands to frame her face. She didn¡¯t ept it when Doris told her she didn¡¯t have to do things like that.

    Beth clearly wanted to do these things for Doris. She no longer had to have crazy night shifts and work in

    gruesome ces. She only had to serve Doris-and Doris wasn¡¯t very demanding. ¡°Your hair has gotten

    so long! It¡¯s almost past your mid back. Have you ever thought of trimming it?¡± Beth asked as she moved

    onto her makeup. ¡°Or cutting it below your shoulder? ¡°No, I suppose it hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. Do you

    think I should? I think thest time I got a haircut was when I was 16.¡± ¡°I think it would look wonderful

    whichever way.¡± Beth smiled. A bit of light returned to her friend since Doris had returned. It lifted a bit of

    the weight off her heart but she knew she was still sad to be at the kingdom when she had meant to be

    free. Was it selfish that Doris knew she couldn¡¯t survive without her friend? She was grateful she was still

    here, but it wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°I think your mate loves your long hair.¡± Beth teased and bumped Doris right out of

    her distracted thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. He¡¯s nevermented on my hair.¡± Doris touched the

    end of her hair. William had run his fingers through her hair so many times, but did he like it? Doris

    pushed the thoughts away. She didn¡¯t care if he liked it or not. ¡°He stares at your hair all the time! Have

    you not noticed?¡± Doris looked at her friend as if she was crazy. ¡°No he doesn¡¯t! Beth, honestly you need

    to cut back on your romance novels.¡± Beth rolled her eyes. ¡°They teach me more about men than anyone

    around here.¡± She huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice you moping around here because he didn¡¯t call for

    you!¡± Doris¡¯s cheeks med. ¡°You¡¯ve gone mad. I don¡¯t care if he calls for me or not.¡± ¡°I see you¡®ve

    returned to me as a liar, Doris!¡± Beth grinned and patted Doris on the head. ¡°It¡¯s okay to miss him. It won¡¯t

    kill you to admit it.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°It might.¡± Doris mumbled. Her inner wolf grumbled inside her as if she agreed with Beth. A light knock

    sounded at the door, Beth hurried to answer it and returned a momentter with a small letter. ¡°This

    came for you.¡± Beth sang before she hurried to make the bed Doris had spent all night tossing in. It was

    strange to think how something sofortable could be the opposite the moment her thoughts

    were upset. Doris tore the note open and immediately blushed. Perhaps Beth wasn¡¯tpletely wrong.

    ¡°Meet me in the library before the hour is up.¡± The note read. Doris nced at the clock by her desk and

    saw she only had seven minutes to make it there. ¡°I¡¯ll be backter, Beth. Don¡¯t wait up!¡± Doris grabbed

    her cloak and hurried for the door. She rolled her eyes at the sound of Beth¡¯sughter. ¡°I knew he would

    call for you!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until she reached the library that she realized her mistake. The cursive on the letter, though

    elegant, looked nothing like William¡¯s handwriting. The second she stepped into the room, it only

    confirmed her suspicion. William would have never had her meet him in the library. It was tainted with his

    brother. ¡°Doris.¡± Martin stood the instant he saw her. Doris took a small step back towards the door. ¡°Pri-

    Martin. I thought the letter was from William.¡± Therge door closed behind her and startled her out of

    her skin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have written me, you know how William feels.¡± ¡°I just wanted a moment of your

    time and I will leave you be.¡± Martin crossed the room to near her. She backed all the way against the

    door. ¡°I know you have been announced as my brother¡¯sdy, but I had to let my feelings be known.¡±

    ¡°Martin¡­¡± Doris silently screamed for him to stop, to not say what he wanted to. It was cruel of her to

    wish he would keep his feelings to himself, but it was cruel of him to ce them on her when he knew

    her situation. ¡°Doris. I know you can¡¯t be happy with someone like my brother. He¡¯s vile and rude-he has

    no use for women other than using them for his own pleasure before he discards them!¡± Martin reached

    for her hands. ¡°I have known him his entire life. Not once has he proven to be a man that deserves a

    woman like you.¡± ¡°Martin-¡°Doris felt as if her words were lost again. She hated that feeling, she hated the

    idea that someone had made her speechless in the worst way possible. ¡°Martin, you¡¯re married. How do

    you figure that you¡¯re a better match for me? How do I know you wouldn¡¯t discard me the second you

    found a prettier maid?¡± Martin looked surprised, as if he hadn¡¯t expected her to have a mind of her own.

    ¡°¡­ my marriage was arranged. Neither of us are truly happy-¡° ¡°Even so, how is it fair to me to be a

    mistress while you carry on a false marriage?¡± Doris pulled away her hands. ¡°You don¡¯t know William as

    well as you think you do. He has so much more worth than you im.¡± ¡°Doris, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.

    I just needed you to know my true feelings before it was toote¡­¡± Martin sighed. He looked so

    defeated, a part of her couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him. She hated the soft part of her that always

    wanted to please everyone around her. ¡°Perhaps I should have been honest with you before you left but I

    wasn¡¯t sure yet. It wasn¡¯t   until you were gone that I realized how much I cared for you. I thought about

    you every second and imagined you in my arms every night.¡± Doris felt her cheeks heat at his words.

    ¡°You have a beautiful wife waiting for you in your room¡­ it isn¡¯t right to think of another like this.¡± ¡°I

    suppose it didn¡¯t matter when William had ady back at the pce waiting for him?¡± Martin said with a

    touch of annoyance. It shocked her. ¡°Melody lied to be hisdy. She wasn¡¯t the one he was looking for, I

    was.¡± Doris said and took a step back. ¡°I would have never let himy a hand on me if she was his true

    lady.¡± Martin¡¯s eyes widened a little. ¡°So it¡¯s true. You are Prince William¡¯s mate?¡± Doris felt as if she had

    just took the wrong step. She just admitted to Luna Queen¡¯s son that she was William¡¯s mate. Now it felt

    as if a wider target had just been set on her back. ¡°I should go. We shouldn¡¯t be here, what if William

    finds us? I don¡¯t want you to get hurt because of me, Martin.¡± Doris moved to open the door, but he shot

    out his arm and held it closed. ¡°Doris, this hasn¡¯t gone how I thought it would. I said everything wrong

    and-let me start over.¡± ¡°Martin, there¡¯s no need for you to start over. The oue isn¡¯t going to change.

    I¡¯m with William, we can¡¯t be together.¡± Doris patted his cheek lightly. ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Martin. I

    always thought so.¡± Carefully, she moved his arm and pulled the door open. She didn¡¯t allow herself to

    breathe until she was far down the hall and away from a man that she feared she¡¯d just broken the heart

    of.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    Chapter 156 I thought you would never ask

    Halfway to her room, the world started to shift. Doris gripped the wall as a wave of nausea fell upon her.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A nearby guard asked. He gripped her elbow and helped straighten her, but the world

    still felt nted. It was as if her mind was tilted and nothing she could do would straighten it again. ¡°¡­ I

    need to sit¡­¡± Doris whispered. The guard helped her to a nearby bench and the moment she sat down,

    she vomited all over his shoes. His sound of disgust was far away to her ears. She didn¡¯t have enough

    strength to lift her head, he had to grip her shoulders to keep her from falling over. ¡°Mydy, you need to

    get into bed¡± Doris threw up all over the man before he could finish his sentence. She leaned her head

    down against the cold stone on the bench and clenched on for dear life until the wave passed over.

    When she opened her eyes, a frantic Beth was in front of her wiping her forehead with a wet cloth. ¡°Oh

    Doris! What happened?¡± Beth pushed her hair from her face. ¡°Get her to her bed!¡±

    The soft cushion that had felt so awful the night before, now was better than any sort of cloud the earth

    could offer. She sunk deep into the sheets and closed her eyes as the world tried to right itself again. ¡°I

    should go tell William-¡± ¡°Beth¡­¡± Doris shook her head but kept her eyes closed. ¡°He has something

    bigger to worry about at the moment. Please, I¡¯ll be fine. I can already feel myself getting better.¡± The bed

    squeaked when Beth sat on the edge of it. Doris was afraid to open her eyes and feel the world shift all

    over again. A cold, small hand pressed against her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re a little warm, but not too bad. Are

    you sure you don¡¯t want me to call for him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I just didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± ¡°Doris, the guard

    told me you threw up all over his clothes twice. I don¡¯t think people throw up over one night of lost sleep.¡±

    Beth moved the nkets up higher on Doris. ¡°It¡¯s probably a cold, I¡¯ll get over it. I was in the north for

    eternity, after all.¡± Doris mumbled and tried to sink further into the bed. Her nausea was gone for the time

    being, but she knew if she got up it would return instantly. ¡°Get some rest. If you¡¯re not better when you

    wake, I¡¯ll go get him myself.¡± Beth insisted before she left the room and closed the door quietly behind

    her. Doris almostughed at the idea of a small Beth standing up to William. Though, he did need

    someone standing up to him once in a while.

    A few hourster, Doris woke to a gloomy room. She couldn¡¯t have guessed what time of day it was, but

    at least it wasn¡¯t night time. Slowly, she forced herself to get up and change into warm clothes that Beth

    had left on the end of the bed. A warm, soft feeling bloomed for her

    caring friend. Beth was dozing on the couch by the fire. Doris threw a warm nket over her before she

    slipped out of her room and headed outside for some fresh air. She took it as a good sign that her

    nausea had subsided for the time being. She didn¡¯t think she would catch herself again if she felt the

    world shift. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s wise for you to be outside after almost passing out this morning? William

    wouldn¡¯t like you out of bed.¡± Cordelia hummed in her mind. Doris almost slipped in the snow when she

    heard her. ¡°A little warning would be nice.¡± Doris mumbled. ¡°You could growl a little before you just talk.¡±

    Cordeliaughed. ¡°I¡¯ll take note of it for next time. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°I just wanted some

    air. I felt stuffy in that room.¡± Doris trailed down a small path and kept looking behind her to make sure no

    one was following. William was right, they all had to watch their backs a little more than usual. ¡°You

    should seek out our mate and let him know you were sick.¡± Cordelia suggested lightly. Doris sighed. ¡°I

    don¡¯t want to stress him out, he¡¯s nning a war.¡± Doris seated herself on a rock a bit away from the

    pce. ¡°I wish he wouldn¡¯t do this.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want him to n a war? He wants

    to take im of the crown and it might be the only way to do it.¡± ¡°I know that, I just¡­ I don¡¯t want him to

    get hurt. I¡¯m afraid that whatever happens won¡¯t end well for either side.¡± Doris exined. ¡°I feel this

    darkness inside me bloom whenever he talks about it. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m terrified that he will end up killing his

    brother and have to live with that for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible he could be the one killed as well.¡±

    Cordelia said gently as if she was understanding Doris¡¯s fear. ¡°That¡¯s the terrifying thing about caring for

    someone. One day you could wake up and they¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°I want to support him and what he wants for

    himself but-I sometimes think he doesn¡¯t take a moment to consider the oue.¡± Doris said as she

    pulled her knees against her chest.¡° He always wanted his father to suffer, but now look at him. He would

    give anything to have his father well again. I know he ims he doesn¡¯t care for his brother, but deep

    down he must have a part of him that does.¡± ¡°You can try to change his mind, but at the end of the day

    he only wants you by his side. He wants you there through it all.¡± Cordelia said. ¡°Even when he knows

    you don¡¯t want anything to do with a war, he still wants to know you¡¯ll be there at the end of the day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m

    not sure if that¡¯s so.¡± Doris sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°He hates when I question him

    but-I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s who I am to question things before I follow. Why can¡¯t he see that? All my life I was

    told what to do and beaten if I went against it. Now all my mind does is try to tell me to think first and stop

    going blindly.¡± ¡°Life is full of questions, my love.¡± Cordelia said gently. ¡°There is no shame in making

    mistakes and wanting answers. It helps you learn and grow.¡± ¡°I know but I just feel so angry whenever

    someone tells me what to do now. Ever since you woke up inside me I just-| resent everyone that tries to

    tell me what to do. I want to go against them even when I know I shouldn¡¯t.¡±   Cordeliaughed then,

    much to Doris¡¯s confusion. ¡°That¡¯s part of evolving. You¡¯re taking from my emotions. Everyone has a

    different wolf inside them and some are more stubborn than others. It can be hard to ignore the rage that

    mes when people try to control you.¡± Doris wanted toy in the snow and stare up at the gloomy sky,

    but she knew it would only make her wet and grumpy. Perhaps William¡¯s wolf was why he always was so

    grumpy in his life. She couldn¡¯t remember being this way before Cordelia. ¡°I used to answer to people

    without a question. I would feel guilty if I didn¡¯t do as they asked. Why do I only want to do the opposite

    now?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re finally able to make your own choices and you resent the idea that someone is

    trying to make that choice for you. Even when it¡¯s the better choice.¡± Cordelia hummed.¡° You¡¯ll learn to

    bnce that out in time. It¡¯s good to make mistakes, it only makes you stronger.¡± Doris stood. ¡°Perhaps

    the white wolf should have been assigned to someone else.¡± She said bitterly. ¡°You think that all the

    answers should be easy to you just because you¡¯re a white wolf?¡± Cordeliaughed, more mockingly

    now. ¡°A bird doesn¡¯t fall from the nest to fly after it¡¯s born. Every single wolf you have met took years

    before their true strength came. Fear, mistakes, stubbornness and rage all spoke for them before they

    learned how to be the wolf they are today. Do not sell yourself short just because you don¡¯t know your

    way yet.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t you teach me something? I feel as though I¡¯m uselessly fighting my emotions

    all day rather than being useful to anyone.¡± Doris stomped through the snow. ¡°I thought you would never

    ask.¡± Doris fell to her knees the second she felt her wolf start to take control of her body.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    Chapter 157 A lesson to remember

    The feeling was no where near familiar. It was like a new sort of pain every time she shifted. All of her

    bones felt as if they were breaking and joining together at the same time. White fur covered every inch of

    her skin faster than her eyes could catch. How did it seem so effortless when she watched other wolves

    shift? Her hands formed into paws as she gripped onto the ground in agony. Her bones cracked and the

    seconds felt like hours of agony until all at once-it stopped. The pain was gone as if it was never there.

    Her clothes were in shards around her and the only thing that was savable was her cloak. A small mercy,

    at least she didn¡¯t have to run back to the pcepletely naked. ¡°You want to know what it¡¯s like to be

    strong? I will show you where to start.¡± Cordelia growled in her mind. It vibrated through her body and

    surrounded her all at once as if she was the one speaking. A low growl sounded behind her, Doris turned

    to be met with two striking blue eyes peering out at her through a wolf form. She knew those eyes

    anywhere. ¡°William?¡± She tried to say, but it came out in a whimper. William nted his paws on the

    ground as if he was preparing himself to strike at her. Doris went to back up, but Cordelia made her

    stand her ground. ¡°Fight the part of you that wants to cower away. Be the version of yourself you

    want to be.¡± Cordelia whispered. ¡°I can hear all of your thoughts. I know how badly you want to be the

    tough one. Be her.¡± o ¡°It¡¯s not that easy!¡± Doris shouted in her mind over the sound of William¡¯s growl.

    What was he doing out here? How did he know what she was doing? ¡°I¡¯ve lived my entire life being the

    weak

    one.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy if you never try.¡± Cordelia hissed. Doris took a step forward and Cordelia allowed her.

    William started to circle her and she mirrored his steps. Part of her started to doubt if it was really him,

    but of course it was. No one else in the world had eyes like his. William¡¯s growl turned more vicious as he

    stepped closer to her. Doris fought the instinct to step back and stood her ground. Before she had a

    chance to register what he was doing, he lunged at her. Cordelia took over and made Doris move

    seconds before he tackled her to the ground. In his annoyance, he went after her again. This time,

    Cordelia let Doris decide for herself. Doris forced herself away but got knocked on her side at thest

    minute. William circled her down form as if he was waiting for her to get back up and fight him. A spike of

    rage hummed through her body and made her get right back up. His eyes taunted her. He didn¡¯t have to

    say a word for her to know what he meant. Doris charged at him and he swept aside effortlessly. It only

    made her go after him again. ¡°Don¡¯t be so eager, he knows what you¡¯re doing. Try to surprise him.¡±

    Cordelia hummed. It was strange to haveplete control over her wolf when usually she fought her to

    the deep  core. Doris slowed her steps and circled William again. He mirrored her movement and

    seemed to wait for her to make the first move. Slowly, her steps moved in a bit more each time they

    completed a circle until she was close enough to strike him. Her eyes caught every movement he made

    and every breath he took. It could have been minutes or hours, but she knew she had to wait until the

    right moment. When his eyes flickered to her feet, she lunged at him. He noticed it a breath toote and

    she was able to take him right to the ground and nip at his neck just to draw a bit of his blood. William

    shook her off him as if she was nothing and sent her skidding across the clearing. ¡°He¡¯s holding back for

    you, Doris. Remember that. If this was a real fight, you wouldn¡¯t have made it out alive after the first time

    he got you down.¡± Cordelia reminded her. Doris shoved the voice away from her and could have sworn

    she heard Cordeliaughing in the back of her head. She nted her feet on the ground and lowered her

    head in a fighting stance. William understood immediately and followed her lead. She lunged for him and

    this time he let her take him to the ground to release all of her rage. She didn¡¯t want him to go easy on

    her, she wanted to learn and she knew she never would unless he fought back. But he didn¡¯t. He let her

    roll him around and drag him back to the clearing like he was some sort of dummy she was testing her

    strength on. He could crush her with no hesitation-she knew that. She watched him take down a whole

    camp of rogues that tried to kill him on his own. Here in this clearing, he let her take control and figure

    out her stances for hours until she finally had enough. Doris howled to the moon that loomed above

    them. A ck cloak fell over her shoulders and she looked over to see William covered in his own.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡± Cordelia let her hold on Doris go and she shifted back into herself, quickly

    clenching the cloak around her body. ¡°How did you know I was out here?¡± ¡°My wolf told me where to find

    you.¡± William helped her stand and step back into her boots. ¡°I knew what he wanted to do the minute I

    saw you.¡± ¡°How did he¡­¡± Doris sighed and shook her head. The heat of the battle was quickly wearing

    off and making her shake from the cold. William led her back to the pce. ¡°Our wolves can sense the

    other¡¯s emotions if they¡¯re close enough. He must have felt what your wolf needed.¡± William narrowed his

    eyes at the guards that nced at Doris until they turned to face the walls ¡°I feel like I learned nothing.¡±

    Doris mumbled. ¡°That¡¯s not true. You learned not to cower away from me. I could feel you starting to

    retreat and then instead pushed forward.¡± William led her down the hall towards her room. She was only

    d her cloak was so damn long. ¡°It took me years before I was able to do something like that when one

    of my older brothers had challenged me to a fight. Usually they forced me into it and I had no choice but

    to push forward. I felt you consider that choice and decide against it.¡± Doris bit down on her lip. Small

    steps. ¡°Would you ever fight back if I needed you to?¡± ¡°I will when you¡¯re more prepared. That might not

    be for a long time.¡± William pushed open her door and Beth fell off the couch.

    ¡°Doris! Where have you been?¡± Beth neared her and nervously nced up at the prince. Her eyes were

    red from sleep. ¡°I was just out for a walk¡­ Will you please get me some clothes?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Beth

    bowed. Doris didn¡¯t miss the glint in her eyes, it made Doris want to shove her friend over. After Doris

    was dressed, she dismissed Beth for the evening and joined William on the couch. He watched the fire

    and it was then she noticed that Beth must have gotten him an outfit as well because he was fully

    dressed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for always going against your wishes.¡± Doris said quietly. His head snapped to look at

    her across the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I always want to do the opposite of what you say.¡± William

    quietly watched her for a moment as if he was trying to gather what he wanted to say. ¡°It drives me mad

    when you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± He finally said. 1 ¡°I know, I know it does. I know I was a fool in the north

    and got us into trouble ¨C¡° William moved himself closer to her and watched her mouth as she spoke. ¡°I

    have this horrible rage inside me when people tell me what to do. I can¡¯t exin it-¡° ¡°It drives me mad in

    a good way, Doris.¡± William whispered. Doris thought she¡¯d misheard him for a moment. ¡°What? I thought

    you hated that,¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only person who has ever told me no and challenged me. It infuriates me, but

    I love you even more for it.¡± 4 The world must have stopped, she felt as if all the sound was sucked out

    of the room.¡° You¡­ you what?¡± William grabbed her face and forced it closer to his. ¡°I said I love you

    even more for it, dammit.¡±

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    Chapter 158 The kinder side.

    Clearly, she was dreaming. There was no way the prince had just told her he loved her. Doris parted her

    lips to speak, but he kissed her hungrily instead. It silenced all of her thoughts and worries and melted

    away the world around them. She wanted to capture this moment forever and take it with her into the

    afterlife. Even when she felt uncertain about herself, she felt right in his arms. William pulled her against

    him and had her straddle hisp. It sent a small wave of nausea over her that she wanted to curse until

    she was blue in the face. Now was not the time to be sick! Slowly, she pulled away when she couldn¡¯t

    ignore it any longer and clenched her eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just feel a little sick and I don¡¯t want to get

    you sick.¡± William¡¯s fingers ran through her long hair almost absentmindedly. ¡°Sick? Since when? Nobody

    told me you were.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a cold. Nothing to worry over.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)¡± Doris opened her eyes when the feeling passed and smiled at William. His eyes

    were glued to her mouth. ¡°Too much time in the snow, I assume.¡± William didn¡¯t look entirely convinced.

    His eyes trailed her features as if there was another answer hidden within. Doris ran her fingers through

    his messy hair and felt her toes curl in her boots at the feeling. All the times she wanted to do just that,

    now she was free to do so when she wished. Doris took a deep breath. ¡°I love¡± William covered her

    mouth with his hand and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t say it. Not yet.¡±

    She deted a little under his touch. He picked her up and carried her to her room and gently set her

    under the warm covers. All the energy left her and exhaustion reced it. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had a kind

    side to you when I first met you.¡± Doris whispered as she watched him pull off her boots. She thought he

    would roll his eyes or re at her, but the side of his mouth lifted instead. ¡° You¡¯re the only person that is

    allowed to see this side of me. I¡¯ll bury you if you tell anyone.¡± Dorisughed and rolled on her side. ¡°For

    a moment, I thought you were going soft on me.¡± ¡°Never.¡± William nced at the door behind him as if he

    wasn¡¯t sure when to leave. She resisted the urge to tug him on top of her. (This novel will be daily

    updtaed at .noveljar)¡°A gown will be delivered in the morning for the y tomorrow.¡± ¡°Will your

    father be able to attend it?¡± ¡°I was told he¡¯ll be there.¡± William closed his fists at his sides. ¡°I think the

    whole idea is ridiculous and should be canceled but no one wants to agree with me.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Doris gripped

    his hand. He felt so tense in her hold. ¡°I agree with you. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have the king out

    of bed just to have a silly y. It won¡¯t make him any better.¡± William squeezed her hand. ¡°Rest. I will

    come for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not staying?¡± Doris leaned up on her elbows and furrowed her brows at

    him. ¡°No, I have matters to discuss tonight. I won¡¯t have time for sleep.¡± William released her hand and

    turned for the door. She wanted to wrestle him back into the bed but her head wouldn¡¯t let her see

    straight for more than a moment.

    Once her head fell back onto the bed, she was out.

    ¡°Doris!¡± Beth called. She came bursting into her room and seemed embarrassed by her own actions

    when she realized Doris had been sleeping. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I should have knocked! | thought you were up.¡±

    Doris groggily sat up to see Beth clenching a gown in her hands. She was practically bouncing on her

    toes with excitement. ¡°Look what just came for you! Isn¡¯t it the most beautiful gown you¡¯ve ever seen?¡± In

    the gloomy light, it was quite the dress. It looked fitted at the bodice but flowed out in gorgeous pink

    waves and roses down the back that made her heart swell. Never had she seen something so

    beautiful¡­ and it was meant for her. 1 ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s mine¡­? There¡¯s no way it¡¯s meant for me. It¡¯s

    the prettiest thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Beth threw it over the bed toy it out more. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! Of course

    it¡¯s for you! Prince William only wants the best for hisdy, clearly.¡± Beth grinned. Doris slowly got out of

    bed and gripped the wall when the same feeling of dizziness rolled over her. Beth was at her side in an

    instant to hold her up straight. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.. I just got up too fast. I forgot to eat dinnerst

    night.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, I can¡¯t believe I forgot to bring your dinner!¡± Beth pped herself in the head

    and sat Doris back on the bed. ¡°Wait here, I have your breakfast in the other room.¡± ¡°Beth, it¡¯s okay!¡±

    Doris called after her frantic friend. She was back in a minute with a tray of delicious food¨Cbut for some

    reason it made her feel nauseated. 3 ¡°I had the kitchen make your favorite since I knew you would be

    nervous today. Pancakes and potatoes!¡± Beth ced the food on herp before she drowned the sweet

    cakes in a maple sauce. ¡°Thank you Beth¡­ Will you prepare me a bath?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Her friend smiled

    and hurried to the bathing room. Doris forced herself to eat as much as she could before sheid back inN?velDrama.Org content.

    her bed and prayed the feeling of sickness would pass. 1 ¡°Okay all, Doris, are you sure you¡¯re alright?

    You look pale.¡± Beth helped her sit up and cleared away the tes. Doris held her breath when it felt as if

    her breakfast was about toe back up. ¡°I think I¡¯m just nervous about today. It¡¯s my first appearance

    as hisdy¡­(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡± Not to mention the first time she¡¯ll

    see Martin and Luna Queen since she rejected him. Had William already had the meeting with his

    brother? ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s it. You looked just as pale yesterday.¡± Beth helped her stand. ¡°Do you

    think you can take a bath? You won¡¯t pass out in there?¡± ¡°No, no I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Doris insisted. Beth helped

    her into the bathroom and she undressed the moment the door was closed. 1 And then the world shifted

    again. Doris managed to make it to the nearest bucket when she vomited up her entire breakfast. And

    then some. She ignored Beth¡¯s banging as everything inside her came out. I ¡°Doris! Open up!¡±  Slowly,

    the world righted once her stomach was emptied. Everything made her feel as if she was about to vomit

    again. No sense of relief would find her. ¡°Doris, please. I don¡¯t think you should bathe!¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Doris

    called weakly. She knew Beth was right. She cleaned herself up with the

    unlocked the door. Beth took one look inside the room and made a face as if she was about to faint.

    ¡°Doris. You can¡¯t go to that y, you¡¯ll pass out!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a cold! The wolves are strong enough to be

    around me.¡± Doris brushed past her and went to lift the dress. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a cold?¡± Beth asked

    cautiously as she eyed her. ¡°Nothing else it could be?¡± ¡°What on earth else would it be? I haven¡¯t been

    poisoned, I know those symptoms.¡± Doris sighed and stepped inside the dress. Beth quickly zipped it up

    for her before she led her to the vanity. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, I¡¯ve seen simr symptoms with my mother-¡± 1

    ¡°Can we not talk about this right now? I feel as if my head is about to explode.¡± Doris groaned and

    rubbed her temple.(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) ¡°Of course.¡± Beth said quietly

    and started her hair. After what felt like hours, Beth finally allowed Doris to see her appearance. Her skin

    was no longer pale, but had some pink tones as if she put life back into her. Her long hair was pinned

    half up on the crown of her head with small roses that matched the ones on her dress. ¡°Oh my, Beth!

    You¡­ you¡¯re amazing.¡± Doris breathed. She went to her long mirror and spun around in her dress. It

    flowed around the room like an ocean of fabric. ¡°I had a beautiful canvas, it wasn¡¯t hard.¡± Beth smiled

    and handed her a pastry. ¡°Eat before you go. You need energy.¡± Doris felt her stomach rumble and ate

    the chocte delight in two bites. Suddenly she was starving, but there was no time for dinner. When a

    knock sounded at the door, she wanted to melt into the floor. William was here.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    Chapter 159 A y to remember

    Beth didn¡¯t hesitate like Doris did. She ran to the door and threw it open to reveal Prince William in all his

    finery. His suit was covered in gold lines and blue fabric. It formed close to his body and told everyone

    just who it was made for. No details were hidden, her hands itched to run over every line on his body to

    feel it pressed against her skin. Those blue eyes stuck out so startlingly, it took her breath away. She

    could only witness as his heated gaze traveled over every curve of her body and right back up to her

    blushing face as if she was a prize he had just won. ¡°Doris ¡­¡± He breathed. Her name sounded like it

    was dipped in gold when he said it like that. Beth¡¯s eyes flickered back and forth between them until she

    finally slipped out the door and headed to her own quarters. It almost made Doris nervous to be alone

    with him when he looked like that. How was she supposed to keep her hands to herself? One touch and

    she might unravel his entire perfection and it wouldn¡¯t be fair of her to do something like that. ¡°You look

    so handsome.¡± Doris said shyly as she forced herself to step closer to him. His messy hair was gone for

    the night. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)It was perfectly slicked back and she

    almost dared herself to mess it up again. She adored it when it was at its messiest. Hisrge hands were

    on her body the second she was close enough to him. He brought her hips against him as if he couldn¡¯t

    stand the thought of them apart. Her skin lined with goosebumps as he ran his hands up and down her

    body as if he owned her. A sick thrill inside her wanted him to own her in that moment, especially if he

    looked like that. ¡°You look ¡­¡± William sucked in a breath. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a more beautiful woman.¡± He

    finally said. His deep voice rough and a little desperate to her ears. Doris felt her face me at his words.

    She only ever looked like a maid in makeup to herself . ¡°Don¡¯t tease me¡­¡± ¡°You know how I feel about

    liars.¡± William said against her ear. Her hands clenched his shirt. Someone cleared their throat loudly

    near her door. They broke apart to see Patrick standing by awkwardly as if he didn¡¯t know what to do

    with himself. ¡°William, we¡¯rete as it is. We were supposed to be there an hour ago for the preparations.

    I¡¯m almost certain that it has already started without you.¡± William waved away his words and took

    Doris¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to see them force my sick father from his bed just to go to this stupid y,

    Patrick.¡± Patrick rolled his eyes and led them out towards the main hall where the y was to be held. ¡°I

    thought your father couldn¡¯t walk¡­¡± Doris whispered to William. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he be in bed?¡± ¡°They¡¯re going

    to have him in a wheelchair.¡± William grumbled. She could see the tenseness in his shoulders-she knew

    this must have killed him inside. He didn¡¯t want his father to suffer, even if he couldn¡¯t admit it. Once they

    reached the hall, it was much quieter than she expected. Everyone was already seated and waiting for

    the y to start and it made her wonder howte they truly were. Enzo waved at her as they passed and

    gave them a wide grin as if he was also surprised to be there. He wasn¡¯t alone, his entire group of

    rogues were gathered around him.  William furrowed his brow at the sight of them. Clearly he didn¡¯t

    expect the pce to invite the rogues to this sort of event. Why would they even bother? Howard Ford

    came stomping down the aisle towards them once he caught them in his sight. William looked past him

    as if he didn¡¯t even exist. ¡°Prince William, it¡¯s nice of you and yourdy to finally have joined us. The y

    has been waiting for you to arrive for an hour, we almost went on without you.¡± ¡°A shame that would have

    been.¡± William said as he walked right past the man with Doris on his arm. ¡°My daughter is set to be the

    main act. Try to enjoy it.¡± Howard sneered before he went to take his seat. William led Doris up to the

    front where the rest of the royals were and she felt her hands start to sweat. Was her entire body

    sweating too? How embarrassing! She shouldn¡¯t be allowed up here with them. She should be standing

    against the walls with the rest of the maids, she didn¡¯t belong ¡°Sit.¡± William whispered in her ear. Doris

    saw Daniel and immediately took her ce next to him.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar) His bright smile was enough to make her heart calm for a moment. At least there was

    one friendly face. She didn¡¯t have the heart to seek out Prince Martin yet. The king was on the far end

    next to Luna Queen and her sons. It looked as if they were a wall that surrounded him and no one could

    dare get close enough if they wanted to live. His paleness and weak stance was hard to miss, she

    wished they had just listened to William and let the man rest instead of dragging him out of bed. William

    took one look at his father before he seated himselfzily in the front row. The room grew dark instantly

    once he did. How long would he be able to keep up his act of being careless to those around him? His

    armor was starting to crack and she couldn¡¯t have been the only one that noticed it. ¡°Ladies and

    gentlemen,¡± A beautiful woman took the stage. She looked a bit older than Doris but not by much. ¡°I

    wee you all tonight and thank you for joining our little y of dance and love. We hope this makes

    our king feel a bit better! Please, enjoy it! ¡± Music drowned out the soft apuse and the curtains pulled

    open instantly. Young girls in white ballerina skirts lined the stage and begun their lovely dance while

    young men were there to help them along. It was beautiful. They moved to the haunting beat and danced

    across the stage as if they were telling a story. Doris could almost understand what it meant. A lovely

    story of tragedy and devastation between the two main dancers that kept being pulled apart and finding

    each other again. She didn¡¯t realize she was gripping William¡¯s leg until he held her hand. One of the tall

    curtains fell from the holder and right onto several of the front dancers. The music continued even when

    they struggled to get up. Servants rushed to the stage to help the fallen children when suddenly a

    scream pierced the air. William¡¯s hold tightened on Doris. In the center of the stage, wolves broke out

    through the curtains and lunged right for the audience in a vicious matter that Doris knew wasn¡¯t part of

    the act. William hurled Doris to the side just as one of the wolves aimed for her head. She stumbled out

    of her chair and fell harshly to the ground just as Daniel did the same. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Someone

    screamed. Daniel stood and took stance immediately to fight

    back, Enzo¡¯s group in the back shifted to fight against those that attacked them as if they had a target on

    their heads. ¡°Get out of here!¡± William shouted to Doris. ¡°They¡¯re after the royals, look at them!¡± He was

    right. The wolves circled the royals as if they wanted to corner them before they could strike. (This novel

    will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)Prince Martin looked terrified while Prince Jack covered his

    mother. William shoved Doris towards the door, but he didn¡¯t follow. She crawled between the benches

    towards the edge of the room. Her dress tore when it caught on the edge of the wooden seats and she

    wanted to tear the beautiful garment off her just so she could move better. A brown wolf caught her by

    her ankle and dragged her back towards the royals as if he was trying to round her up with the rest. Doris

    angled her heel and kicked him right in the face and sent the wolf into a dazed state as it tried to regain

    itself. Doris hurried back to hide between the benches as the chaos continued. She saw Daniel fight like

    never before. He grabbed one of the wolves with his bare hands and threw them against the wall with a

    sickening crack. She almost didn¡¯t recognize him-how was this the same soft boy who talked her out of

    her worst thoughts? He fought like the warrior she always heard he was. And he didn¡¯t even have to

    shift. The rest of the room had cleared out but many guards covered the king like a human shield.N?velDrama.Org content.

    William must have shifted and been lost in the crowd with the rest of the wolves that tried to tear the

    audience apart. She felt Cordelia hum angrily inside her and Doris let her have control.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    Chapter 160 Time to shine

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    It tore through her much faster and the pain hit her like a snap. Her dress fell in shreds as she gripped

    the ground in her transformation. The agony was blinded by her adrenaline and she was ready to face

    what was ahead. If only it always was that quick. Doris¡¯s senses found William across the room instantly.

    His attention went right to her even when he was tearing out another wolf¡¯s throat. It was like he knew

    she hand transformed the second she was finished. A scream startled her back in the moment. She

    didn¡¯t have time to consider how mad William would be at her for shifting and wanting to help. Her wolf

    was right. It would never be easy unless she tried and now was as good as ever. (This novel will be daily

    updtaed at .noveljar)Doris saw Daniel cornered on the other side of the room, she went right for

    him. Wolves stopped in their tracks when they saw her burst out from the row of benches. Her white fur

    shined brightly between all of the darkness they were covered in. It was a sea of ck and brown with

    grey mixed into all of the blood, but no sense of white matched her. 1 She didn¡¯t think, she acted. Doris

    tackled one of the wolves that cornered Daniel so he could handle the other. The wolf¡¯s jaws snapped

    towards her viciously, she chomped down on his neck and heard a crack that normally would have left

    her sick to her stomach. When she turned, William tackled a wolf that was inches from taking her down.

    He silenced his whines almost instantly and threw his murderous gaze on her. She knew he would be

    screaming if he wasn¡¯t a wolf. He would be telling her she wasn¡¯t ready for this. He might have even

    dragged her out himself if he was in his human form-but he wasn¡¯t. With his rage centered on her,

    another wolf appeared behind William. She silenced her mind and lunged at the wolf to knock him off his

    tracks. William was on top of him in seconds and that was when she heard Daniel cry out again. They

    both went to him without a hesitation. Three wolves had brought him to the ground and started tearing

    his arms to bloody shreds. William wrapped his jaw around the biggest one and yanked him off his

    brother while Doris rammed her body against another. It was enough for Daniel to grab onto thest one

    and snap his neck even with blood pooling down his arms. Luna Queen was oddly still by the king as she

    watched the chaos around her. She gripped on tightly to both of her sons and that was when Doris

    realized they weren¡¯t after her or her sons. They were after everyone else. A few wolves growled at the

    Luna Queen as if they were putting on a show and Doris watched as they quickly moved on to other

    royals in the crowd. Lords ordies that were still there and didn¡¯t get a chance to make it out. (This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)The sound of Enzo¡¯s wolf broke her focus. She saw him

    across the room under the mercy of two wolves. Doris darted around the chaos and headed right for him

    with William on her heel.(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) He raced faster and beat

    her to him as he took out one that had Enzo pinned to the ground while she forced her weight on the one

    at his neck. The wolf was knocked away and Enzo finished him off before he had a chance toe back

    for Doris.

    library a lot more than usual.¡± Doris blushed when William threw her a look. She cleared her throat.

    ¡°Tomorrow, then. You can meet him in there and make sure he¡¯s alone before you do so.¡± ¡°Doris is right.

    That might be a perfect spot to do it.¡± Enzo nced at the fire. ¡°Perhaps we should be there when you

    talk to him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be wise. He might be distracted by mydy.¡± William said bitterly. 3

    Enzo raised his brows and looked between Doris and William. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°No.¡± Doris said quickly. ¡°He

    wouldn¡¯t be. If you think we should be there, we will be there with you, William.¡± William stared at the

    growing fire. The exhaustion started to set in her bones and the world didn¡¯t feel right anymore. If she got

    up, she just might fall over this time.(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) She sunk

    deeper into the couch and closed her eyes. 1 ¡°Fine. Tomorrow we will meet with my brother in the library.

    Perhaps if there¡¯s more than one person there to convince him, he might be willing.¡± ¡°As long as his

    nasty mother isn¡¯t there to string him like a puppet, it should be fairly easy.¡± Enzo grinned. He leaned

    back against the chair. ¡°Are your other affairs in order if he says no?¡± Doris asked hesitantly. His eyes

    went straight to hers and held them there for a long moment. ¡°My army is ready at mymand if he

    doesn¡¯t hand me my crown.¡±

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    Chapter 161 Freedom, at what cost

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you in that form.¡± Beth said gently as she pulled Doris¡¯s hair away from her face.

    Doris studied her friend in the mirror and wondered if it was fear she felt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have startled you, I would have shifted back before I reached here but I didn¡¯t have any

    clothes.¡± Doris admitted with a light blush. It was her least favorite thing about being a wolf-having to rip

    every outfit she wore. It wasn¡¯t like the books where the clothes shifted back with her body without a tear.

    Beth waved away her words. ¡°I¡¯d much rather youe back here rather than run through the pce

    naked and bruised. Don¡¯t apologize to me for something you can¡¯t control.¡±

    Doris offered a small smile as her friend braided her long hair.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar) It was the first time in a few days that she didn¡¯t feel as if she was about to throw up

    all over the ce. She felt. fine. A little heavy headed, but fine for the time being.

    ¡°So, if I may ask, where are you all off to today?¡± Beth asked lightly. She nced behind her shoulder as

    if she worried someone would be behind them listening.

    ¡°William wanted me to join him as he speaks to his brother about kingdom matters.¡± Doris hesitated. ¡°It

    shouldn¡¯t take long. Perhaps we can have dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°I thought you hated politics!¡± Beth gasped. Doris rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I do, I just. He asked me to be there so I¡¯m going.¡± Doris lifted her chin slightly. Beth raised her brows.

    ¡°You certainly have changed quite a bit since you left for the north.¡± Beth said as she went to grab Doris¡¯s

    dress. It was a lovely sea foam day dress that reached her ankles.

    ¡°I think anyone that went through what I did would change at least a little.¡± Doris stood and went to

    change before Beth could respond. She didn¡¯t want to hear if her friend thought the change was good or

    bad.

    When she came out, Beth smiled widely. ¡°You were meant to be a princess! I always told you

    SO!¡±

    ¡°Beth, you are more of a princess than I will ever be.¡± Dorisughed. Beth scrunched up her nose as if

    she was offended. ¡°Me? Absolutely not! At least not at this pce.¡±

    A knock interrupted theirughter. Beth hurried and answered the door before another round of

    aggressive knocking started.

    ¡°Oh, Prince William! Come in,¡± Beth bowed. Doris dismissed her with a smile and wave before William

    closed the door.   His eyes swept over her frame quickly before his eyes locked on hers. ¡°I think you

    should go in first to talk to him.¡±

    Doris stilled. Clearly she had misheard him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Why would I go in first?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in love with you. If you go in to soften his mood, he might be more willing to give up the

    crown.¡±

    ¡°So you want me to flirt with him? Or what?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    William¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Of course not. I just want you to warm him up for what¡¯s toe.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is a good idea. I¡¯ve rejected him already twice now-he might not be so willing if I do it

    again.¡± Doris picked at her nails nervously. Enzo entered the room without a knock and startled her.

    ¡°Nonsense, your beauty will make anyone in a good mood.¡±(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar) Enzo grinned at Doris and ignored the re William had set on him. He was dashing

    in an emerald green suit that fit close to his form, she wondered if the pce had made it for him. Doris

    rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first to talk with him, but what am I supposed to even say?¡±

    ¡°Anything to make him calm and ready for the conversation.¡± William said. ¡°We haven¡¯t really talked

    much in years. He won¡¯t take my presence well if I went in first.¡± ¡°Alright. I will try to-calm him.¡± Doris

    sighed.

    Enzo pped his hands. ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Doris led the way to the library with the two men trailing a bit behind her as if they weren¡¯t even together.

    Sweat formed on her brow, it was hard for her to even concentrate on what she was about to do. She

    knew Martin didn¡¯t want to see her, he barely looked at her when they went to the y. Part of her didn¡¯t

    even think he would be inside the library anymore after what she said to him.

    Sooner than she would have liked, they arrived at the library. She nced back at them once before she

    pushed open the doors and left them slightly open for them to listen through-but not be seen.

    Martin had his head bent over a thick book in his favorite chair where he always was. He

    nced up at her when he heard her small steps approaching him almost hesitantly.

    ¡°Doris. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Martin stood.

    ¡°I still love the library, it¡¯s one of my favorite ces.¡± Doris smiled up at him. It seemed to defrost his

    harsh side just a bit. ¡°What are you reading today?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± He lifted the red book. ¡°Just another collection of poems I found. I quite like this one. Did you ever

    read the one I had gifted you?¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks redden. She was fifty percent sure that William had discarded the book  pretty early

    on in their journey-but she could never tell him that. ¡°Oh! Yes, yes. I loved it. Thank you again for gifting

    me such a lovely book.¡±

    ¡°A lovely book for a lovelydy.¡± Martin said quietly. Doris picked at her nails when she didn¡¯t know what

    else to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you still love to read poems.¡± Doris said quickly. She smiled widely and nced

    around at the shelves.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked. Doris quickly tamed her fake smile into something more normal.

    ¡°Oh, yes! I just wanted toe by to make sure you were alright after what happened yesterday.¡±

    Martin set down his book. ¡°I should be asking you that(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar). I¡¯m sorry you had to be there when that happened.¡± Martin nced at the door and

    took a small step towards her. ¡°That isn¡¯t the life I wanted for you.¡±

    Doris furrowed her brows. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the sort of life anyone sees for themselves.¡±

    ¡°I know that, I just mean¡ª¡± Martin cleared his throat. ¡°A life here is dangerous. I always wanted you safe

    from the moment I met you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well

    ¡°I realized yesterday that here would never be safe for you-and I don¡¯t think it would be for me either.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Doris whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying-I know how much you want to be free Doris. I know that this isn¡¯t the life you want and you

    must know that too if you sought me out again.¡± ¡°I just came here to be friendly¡±

    ¡°I think I figured it all out.¡± Martin gripped her hands in his own. She was too flustered to respond. ¡°If we

    left the pce together, we could both be free-¡° 1

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear you want to be free from the pce, brother.¡± William said as he pushed the doors open

    widely. His voice boomed around them and made Martin take a step back from her. 2

    ¡°Are you always standing outside of the hallways waiting to make your grand entrance?¡± Martin spat.

    ¡°Just the ones where mydy goes.¡± William stepped forward almost as if he tried to stand between

    them. Doris quietly moved back.

    Martin¡¯s face had no trace of any vulnerability that it did when he was talking with Doris. (This novel will

    be daily updtaed at .noveljar)It was as if a wall had mmed up and locked out any sense of

    emotion that she had brought out in him. She knew this wouldn¡¯t have worked.

    ¡°A shame that you don¡¯t let yourdy have private moments.¡±

    ¡°I do when she¡¯s with people that don¡¯t offer to run away with her.¡± William lifted his chin slightly as if he

    was challenging his brother. Doris wanted to stomp on his foot-he was unraveling everything right in front

    of them. Instead of preparing Martin for the news, he was now antagonizing him.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve asked her to run away with me at least a dozen times.¡± Enzo said with a grin as

    he strolled in the room. He held out his hand to Martin as if they were old friends. ¡°How¡¯re you doing,

    mate?¡± 2

    Martin looked down at his hand as if it was infected before he decided to y nice and shake it. ¡°Enzo, is

    it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Enzo smiled and leaned back against one of the desks.

    Martin looked between the three of them. ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you finally asked.¡± William said. ¡°I came to help you be free of this pce.¡±

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    Chapter 162 Prepare for the battle ahead.

    Martin stared nkly at his brother as if he had gone mad. ¡°Oh really?¡±

    ¡°We both know you¡¯ll never be happy as the king, Martin.¡± William said almost gently. ¡°You always let

    everyone around you control every move you made. I could see it in your eyes that you never wanted

    this for yourself. I can give you the chance to be free in the world. TO not have these responsibilities on

    your shoulders.¡±

    Martin slowly looked William up and down as if he was sizing him up for the first time. A bit of distaste

    lingered on his lips. ¡°So you think I would let you take my ce, is that it? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here? You

    want me to leave so you can have my crown?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the rogues to the pce to agree on peace¡°

    ¡°And that suddenly makes you the better ruler? Because you brought a bunch of rogues to the pce?¡±

    Martin scoffed and took a step back. ¡°Father didn¡¯t make you the crown prince because you¡¯re

    irresponsible, careless, and reckless. You never cared for anything but yourself in your life.¡±

    William¡¯s snowy cheeks had tinted red. Doris slowly moved closer to Enzo incase they needed to flee this

    battle between blood. ¡°Father only made you the crown prince because you were born first and he knew

    he could mold you into another useless version of himself! All you do is let him control your thoughts as

    well as your rotten mother. Nothing that has evere out of your mouth has been from your

    leadership.¡±

    Martin¡¯s hands curled into fists at his sides. ¡°I am more capable of being the king. More than

    you will ever hope to be.¡±

    ¡°You just tried to run away with your brother¡¯sdy-which wasn¡¯t the first time you took something of

    mine. You were ready to drop this kingdom even with the king sick. Even knowing that he could die and

    you would have to take his ce-you just offered to leave it all.¡±

    Martin swallowed. ¡°I would make the better king. There is no way I would ever give you my throne.¡±

    ¡°I n on taking the crown with or without your blessing.¡± William said through his teeth. ¡°I have an army

    that is ready to take it if you refuse. I could have the here in hours.¡±

    ¡°You have an army?¡± Martinughed. ¡°That¡¯s rich. Father wouldn¡¯t even let you have your own pack.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a pack to raise an army. I need loyalty, which is something you have never gained. How

    could you when all you do is repeat what others tell you to say?¡± William took a step back. ¡°I will ask you

    one more time to give up the crown. I don¡¯t want to force this.¡±

    ¡°Even if I wanted to, Jack is after me. I doubt he would be willing to give up the crown any

    more than me.¡±

    ¡°You can pass the crown along to me if you requested it-you know that.¡± William said. She could tell he

    was doing his best to stay as professional and calm as he could. A vein popped out on the side of his

    neck and was a telltale sign that his patience was running thin.

    ¡°Jack would challenge you for the crown if I did something like that.¡± Martin smirked at William as if it was

    all one big joke they were all in on. ¡°You think I don¡¯t have what it takes? You are thest person this

    kingdom would put their faith in. Everyone for miles knows how you are. You use women like they¡¯re

    nothing and ruin them. You ride out your days with no worries or responsibilities-not like the rest of us.

    They all see you as a pathetic prince that sleeps until noon.¡±

    *They would all be wrong.¡± William said emotionlessly. ¡°If they knew that there wasn¡¯t a single thought in

    your mind for the well being of this kingdom, they would throw you out themselves.¡±

    ¡°They would kiss my feet if they knew I would continue the leadership father has brought on.¡± Martin

    hissed. ¡°You are the only joke of this pce. Didn¡¯t you ever wonder why father had made sure you didn¡¯t

    make a fool of this pce? Because he knew you would destroy us if you had the chance. Nobody has

    ever had faith in you.¡±

    William let the silence engulf them, Doris was almost afraid to breathe. This wasn¡¯t a matter that neither

    she nor Enzo could speak on. All they could do was blend into the bookshelves and pray they didn¡¯t

    notice them. Doris had never seen this harsh side of Prince Martin. Each day he grew more different

    from the version of him she had in her mind.

    ¡°Very well. I have no choice but to bring war.¡± William turned from his brother. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this, I

    had hoped you would see reason.¡±

    ¡°Your idea of reason is blind to all but your needs. As always.¡± Martin said. ¡°If you thought | was going to

    give you my crown without a fight, then father was right when he said he didn¡¯t trust your judgments.¡±.

    That one must have stung. She saw William¡¯s shoulders stiffen with restraint.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the battlefield, brother.¡± William said before he walked out the door. Doris and Enzo

    quickly followed after him so that they weren¡¯t left with Martin.

    ¡°Are they going to fight on the battlefield?¡± Doris whispered to Enzo.

    ¡°I doubt either of them have intentions of stepping on the battlefield themselves. William meant his army

    will see Martin¡¯s.¡± Enzo exined quietly. They watched William¡¯s back as he stomped down the hallway.

    Everyone parted their steps for him as if he was a force on his own.

    ¡°We should give him time to cool off.¡± Doris slowed her steps and Enzo did as well. ¡°He normally needs

    time alone with his thoughts after something like this.¡±

    Enzo eyed her curiously. ¡°Is it strange to have two princes in love with you? I always imagined it would

    have been nice, but now I¡¯m not so sure.¡±

    Doris put her cold hands against her warm cheeks. ¡°Will you stop? This has be a nightmare.¡±

    Enzo held up his hands in defense. ¡°I was only curious, my love.¡± He nced back to where William was,

    but he was already long gone. ¡°I suppose it hase to this. Another war.¡±

    ¡°Martin may not have been passionate about his role, but I think it was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t give it up

    so easily.¡± Doris whispered. She followed Enzo out into the snow. It was such a lovely day, she wondered

    how much colder it was in the north in that moment. ¡°Who would give up their crown to someone that

    hated them their whole life? William made it no secret that they never got along.¡±

    ¡°I tried to tell that to William, but he seemed so determined to go forward. I think he only asked to give his

    brother a warning of the war brewing.¡± Enzo shoved his hands deep into his pockets. ¡°My rogues are

    already on their way. I sent for them the moment we got here. I could tell the Luna Queen wasn¡¯t right. I

    had a bad feeling about all of this the moment we came here.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone treated you bad here?¡± Doris asked quickly. Enzoughed a little.

    ¡°No, no. Unless you count trying to starve us.¡±

    ¡°I most definitely do!¡± Doris huffed. She felt horrified that the pce would treat their guests as poorly as

    they have. She wondered if it would have been different if the king was up and well.

    Enzo slowed his steps when they were far enough from the pce. ¡°Let me ask you something, Doris.¡±

    Doris stopped in front of him and raised her brows.

    ¡°Do you think William will make a good king? One that this kingdom and the rogues deserve?¡± Enzo

    asked quietly. There was no one around for a bit, but they kept quiet anyway.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Doris said after a beat of thought. ¡°I do. I didn¡¯t think he would before we left for the north. I used to

    think he was horrible and only cared about getting women in his bed like his brother said. But-then I

    watched him be a leader. It was like he was made to be one and no one had ever given him the

    chance.¡±

    Enzo nodded and continued on the small path around the garden. ¡°I was going to say the same thing. I

    think he lets his rage control his leadership sometimes, but he has potential to be great if he can only

    stick to it. I would hate to see him fail.¡±

    Doris sighed and nced up at the clouds above them. Small kes fell into her hair. ¡°I suppose we

    should prepare for this battle, then.¡±

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163

    Chapter 163 A sweet offer

    ¡°You called for me?¡± Doris asked hesitantly as she entered the emptied kitchens. It smelled like vani

    and cinnamon, it was almost enough to distract her from the fact that William wanted to meet in the

    kitchens of all ces.

    ¡°Daniel has already found out about the war.¡± William said. His back was to her and she couldn¡¯t see

    what he was doing or why he was in here. She hadn¡¯t seen him since the day before when he told Martin

    of his ns to take the crown. She figured he was preparing his side of the war and didn¡¯t want to disturb

    him.

    ¡°Oh no, how did he take it?¡± She asked with a frown.

    William¡¯s shoulders rolled a little. ¡°Not well. He confronted me a few hours ago. He doesn¡¯t want us to

    fight over the crown. He thinks it¡¯s forcing him to choose sides.¡±

    Doris said nothing. She quietly sat herself at the counter and watched him curiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need Daniel to be against me on this. I¡¯m not asking him to choose sides. He¡¯s always been the

    innocent one in the family, I would rather die where I stand than let that change.¡± William turned and set

    a tin in front of Doris. He had flour all up the front of his shirt and across his pants as if a bag had

    exploded on him. He red at her when she started tough.

    ¡°Did you¡­ bake?¡± Doris lifted the lid to see half a dozen cookies inside. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you

    could bake? I¡¯ve never heard any of the other servants talk about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard to read a recipe.¡±

    William snapped and closed the lid almost harshly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch them, they aren¡¯t for you to eat.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Doris moved her hands to herp. ¡°I just didn¡¯t realize you know how to bake. | thought the

    royals had never been in a kitchen for anything but made food.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. I had the chef leave me a simple recipe out.¡± William sneered and leaned his elbows

    against the counter. ¡°I made those for Daniel as a sort of¡­ peace offering. It¡¯s not the best one, but it¡¯s

    something.¡± I

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s actually very kind of you.¡± Doris smiled. ¡°I know he would love that, he loves his sweets.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know. He always used to steal mine when we were kids.¡± William ran his fingers through his hair

    and ended up with flour mixed in. ¡°I need him to stay out of this war, perhaps this will convince him not to

    completely hate me for it.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t ask him to fight for you?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°Of course not. Daniel would never go against the pce, it¡¯s not in him to do that.¡± William sighed. Her

    fingers itched to wipe the flour out of his soft hair. I ¡°I don¡¯t think Daniel is one to hold grudges.¡± Doris

    reached across the counter to hold his  . ¡°I think he just wants you guys to be okay, he doesn¡¯t want to

    lose either of you even if you aren¡¯t the closest of brothers.¡±

    William stared at their hands before his gaze moved to the tin. ¡°Will you deliver this to him? | doubt he

    would want to see me after what happened.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Doris moved to take the tin but his grip on her tightened.

    ¡°They¡¯re just for Daniel.¡± He said again. .

    Doris blinked. ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    Slowly, he released her. ¡°Come see me in my room when you¡¯re done.¡±

    Doris nodded and watched William leave with flour still in his hair. She hopped off the stool and took the

    tin along with some milk before heading towards Daniel¡¯s room. Two guards were stationed outside of his

    room, they eyed her suspiciously but let her pass without a word.

    Doris knocked three times before Daniel finally answered the door. His face looked a little hollow with

    sorrow, but it brightened when he looked at her.

    ¡°Doris,e in!¡± He pulled her inside before she could object and closed the door. There was always a

    part of her that was uncertain if she should be alone with a boy in his room-even though she trusted

    Daniel. The impropriety of it all would make her mother faint. Not too mention the sort of gossip it would

    start if any of the nosy maids caught her alone with William¡¯s brother.

    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling? I heard what happened between you and William.¡± Doris said. Daniel eyed the tin in

    her hands and she swore he must not have even heard her the second he realized she had sweets.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been spending all day trying to figure out how to stop it but-are those cookies?¡± .

    ¡°Oh, yes! William made them for you. He wanted me to bring them by since he didn¡¯t think you would

    want to see him.¡± Doris held them out and Daniel almost snatched them from her hands.

    ¡°Wait, did you say William made them for me? Or he put these in a tin and said he made them?¡± Daniel

    asked suspiciously. He held up one of the cookies as if it mighte alive and attack him at any

    moment.

    ¡°¡±No, he made them. I caught him covered in flour when I found him.¡± Doris grinned. Daniel hesitated for

    a moment longer before he finally shoved a full one inside his mouth.

    ¡°Want one?¡± He mumbled. Doris shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re not half bad. Who knew the man could bake?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± Doris muttered and seated herself by his fire. ¡°Should I tell him you forgive him? Or

    that you might consider it in the future? He hates that you¡¯re upset with him.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯ll take more than cookies to soften me this time.¡± Daniel threw himself down on the chair from

    across her before he shoved another cookie in his mouth. ¡°It makes no sense to go to war over this.

    Martin was always the one set to take the crown, I don¡¯t understand why he would choose now to

    challenge that after all these years.¡±

    ¡°William thinks he will be the better ruler.¡± Doris said softly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t think Martin will take his role

    seriously. It seems he¡¯s already let Luna Queen make the decisions for him since your father had fallen

    ill.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t take my brothers side just because you¡¯re hisdy now.¡± Daniel threw the empty tin

    on the table in front of them. She hadn¡¯t even noticed he ate them all that fast.

    ¡°I¡¯m not taking his side because I¡¯m hisdy. I can see what Martin is doing with my own eyes.¡± Doris

    sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want this war either, Daniel. You know I don¡¯t. It goes against everything in me to know

    there¡¯s a waring.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°You should help me convince him to drop it then.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy and you know that. William has been nning this longer than I¡¯ve known him, he won¡¯t

    stop now just because we disapprove of it.¡±

    Daniel rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ¡°This won¡¯t end well for either of them. I know my brothers, they¡¯re

    complete opposites but both can be just as cut throat when the timees for it.¡±

    ¡°If only your father was well, he could settle this once and for all.¡± Doris frowned. Daniel deted a little at

    the mention of his father. She almost wished she could suck the words right back inside

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of being inside.¡± Daniel said suddenly and stood, his cheeks looked a little red.¡° Let¡¯s go for a

    walk before I explode with all of this built up emotion.¡±

    Doris stood and followed him out of the pce and into the freshyers of snow. They walked in silence

    for quite a while before Doris finally spoke.

    ¡°William cares a lot about you, even if he doesn¡¯t say it. He¡¯s not one to admit such things.¡±

    Daniel said nothing. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and looked around them empty clearing.

    ¡°I suppose I should try to memorize this ce as best I can before war taints it all.¡±

    -¡°I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t destroy the pce-¡°

    ¡°No, it¡¯ll just kill hundreds of my men and pin others against each other.¡± He kicked a thick rock out of the

    snow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight against my brothers, but it is my job to do so to protect the pce. William

    knows he is forcing me to stand either with him or against-¡°

    Daniel started coughing. They paused until it passed over but by then he looked blue in the face. ¡°As I

    was saying,¡±

    ¡°Daniel, you really don¡¯t look well-we should sit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Daniel kept on even when he sounded choked. Doris hurried after him. ¡°I just need fresh air¡ª¡±

    Daniel dropped to his knees before she could help him. He fell into the snow and didn¡¯t move again.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164

    Chapter 164 Already they fall

    ¡°Daniel!¡± Doris screamed. She dropped next to him and rolled him over-but he was already out. He

    looked so pale, he looked as if all the lift had suddenly left him and she didn¡¯t know how to get it back.

    ¡°Daniel!¡±

    Stomps echoed behind her and soon she was ripped away from him as if she was the one that knocked

    him down. Tears blurred her eyes and made everything seem as if it was out of focus around her. What

    was happening?

    Guards went to check his pulse instantly and it was then that she noticed his chest was moving evenly.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive! Move him to the medical ward!¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Doris shouted. A guard roughly moved her further away from the scene and it

    only made her wolf want to break free and tear them apart for keeping her away from her friend.

    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± A man screamed in her face. Doris tried to push him away from her but his

    grip was like iron. His question ignited a fire inside her and made her ready to burn down everything

    around them.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! We just came out for a walk and he copsed!¡±

    It was like her ims fell to the ground. They didn¡¯t believe her for a second. Already she could see

    herself being thrown in the cells where it was cold and dark with no one but herself forpany. She

    would suffer through hundreds of cells if it meant Daniel lived.

    ¡°Let me go with him! I need to make sure he¡¯s okay!¡± Doris struggled to get out of their grip, but they only

    held on firmer.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let you do that. We need to figure out what happened to him first-¡±

    Doris finally forced her arm free from their grip with a growl that came straight from her wolf as if it was

    ripped from her throat. ¡°How dare you treat me as if I had something to do with it? He started coughing

    and copsed! I would never harm any of my friends,¡±

    ¡°Let her go to him.¡± William walked calmly towards them. Everything about him was collected, as if there

    wasn¡¯t a worry in the world on his shoulders. ¡°And don¡¯t ever touch her like that again. I¡¯ll rip both of your

    arms right off if I see youy another hand on her like that.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± The guards bowed to William and stepped out of her path. Doris looked at William for a

    second longer, but he did nothing but stare back at her. Had he been watching her walk with Daniel?

    She hurried after where they took Daniel and found him in the medical ward with several doctors

    standing over him as if he was some sort of strange experiment that they couldn¡¯t figure out.  ¡°What

    happened to the prince?¡± Someone demanded. Doris quickly stepped up.

    ¡°He seemed fine until we went for a walk. He started coughing and fell to the ground a momentter. I

    told him we should sit but he insisted that he was fine-¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you.¡± A doctor grumbled. The doctor checked his pulse and slowly she was

    pushed to the corner of therge room while they checked him.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem with his heart¡ª¡°

    ¡°We won¡¯t know that until we do some tests¡ª¡°

    ¡°The prince has been perfectly healthy! How would this have happened?¡±

    Doris picked at her nails. She didn¡¯t even notice William was next to her until he cleared his throat. It

    almost made her jump out of her skin. How long had he been standing there?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯d like Daniel to be moved somewhere more secure than here while you treat him.¡± William said. His

    voice silenced a room and brought all attention on him at once. It wasn¡¯t hard to see him as the ruler he

    so desperately wanted to be.

    ¡°Prince William, he¡¯s perfectly safe here-¡°

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask if he was safe here. I asked for him to be moved to a more secure location while you treat

    him.¡±

    ¡°This is the only ce in the pce suited to treat him-¡°

    William took a step forward and Doris swore all the doctors took one back. ¡°I don¡¯t want him in the

    pce. He needs to be moved to a more secure location. Far from the pce.¡±

    Silence. The doctors exchanged uneasy looks that appeared just as confused as Doris felt.¡° Yes, your

    majesty. We will find somewhere¡­better for him to heal.¡± One of the doctors bowed.

    Doris felt a heavy lump settle in her chest when she looked at William. A realization mmed into her

    and left her breathless.

    ¡°No¡­ you didn¡¯t.¡± Doris whispered. William grabbed her by the arm without looking at her and hauled her

    out of the room as if she was a rag doll. ¡°Let go of me!¡±

    William didn¡¯t loosen his grip in the slightest, even when she felt her wolf simmer inside her and beg to

    be left free. He shoved her into a nearby closet and mmed the door after him.

    ¡°You did you poison him?¡± Doris asked. Even to her own ears she sounded utterly horrified. ¡°Tell me you

    didn¡¯t do that to your own brother.¡±

    William stared at her for a long minute, and it was all the confirmation she needed. Doris shoved past

    him and left the closet before he could stop her. William ran after her and grabbed her by the waist

    before he pushed her up against the wall with his body.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say a word about this, Doris.¡± He said against her ear. The hallway was empty of   but she

    wondered what he would have done if she screamed at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°How could you do this to him?¡± Doris shoved at his chest. He released her after the third shove but

    didn¡¯t move to let her by. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Doris whispered. ¡°You had me deliver it to hum! I basically gave

    it to him!¡±

    William covered her mouth with hisrge hand, ¡°Will you shut up?¡± He hissed. ¡°I did this for his own

    good!¡±

    Doris pushed him off her and hurried down the hall to her room. She nced back and saw he didn¡¯t

    follow by the time she reached her door.

    Doris mmed it as hard as she could and locked it behind her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Beth asked, startled. She stood from the couch and eyed Doris as if she had gone mad.

    ¡°What happened to you? Is someone chasing you?¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Doris breathed. Her head felt as if it was about to roll off her shoulders. ¡°I just¡­ | just needed to

    lay down and get away from everything out there.¡±

    Beth hurried over to Doris and started to help her undress and put on clothes that were much more

    comfortable before sheid in bed.

    ¡°Are you feeling nauseous again?¡± Beth asked as she smoothed her hair back. ¡°I can get you a bucket or

    anything else that might help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± Doris whispered. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the horrible pressure

    pushing down on her chest. What if she unintentionally killed Daniel? Why didn¡¯t William deliver those

    cookies himself if he knew what was inside them?

    A small bloom of hatred filled inside her. It was hard to forgive a man who did something so terrible, no

    matter the reason. She should have realized it sooner-she should have stopped him. 0

    Beth rubbed her back slowly, Doris had forgotten she was even there. How long had she been like this?

    ¡°I had dinner brought for you, do you think you can eat?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll stay down. I feel so utterly sick.¡± Doris whimpered. She hugged her stomach and

    buried her face in her pillow as if it would ward out the world around her. Daniel¡¯s sweet, trusting face

    smiling at her as he shoved the cookies in his mouth one after another. He must think she¡¯s a monster if

    he ever were to wake up again.

    How would he ever forgive her? O

    ¡°William sent a letter asking if you would join him tonight.¡°

    ¡°No. I want to be alone right now.¡± Doris said quickly. Beth silently got up and left the room without

    another word.

    Hours passed in her own misery before Beth returned with a light knock. ¡°William hase to visit you. I

    told him you wanted to be alone but he said he needed to talk to you about

    something important.¡±

    ¡°Tell him he can tell meter.¡± Doris mumbled.

    William shoved the door all the way open and closed it in Beth¡¯s face. Doris quickly sat up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare m a door in my friend¡¯s face like that!¡± She went to stand and apologize to Beth, but

    he grabbed her and pushed her right back into the bed.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to listen to me.¡± .

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165

    Chapter 165 Reasonings among others

    ¡°Get off me!¡± Doris snarled. She tried to kick him off but it was like nothing phased him in the slightest. It

    all only irritated her more than she wanted to admit. Why did he always have to look so unbothered by

    everything? Would it kill him to show a bit of his feelings beyond the mask that hides it so well? 2

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you right now! Just-leave me alone!¡± She shouted to the ceiling. If only Beth was a

    strong wolf that could rip him apart with her. 2

    ¡°You need to hear why I did it, Doris.¡± William hissed. (This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)He pinned her wrists above her head and held down her legs with his knee before she

    could start kicking him again. ¡°I did it for his own good! Daniel needed to be taken somewhere else,, this

    was the only way!¡± .

    ¡°You tried to kill him for his own good? How does that make sense!¡± Doris whimpered. She cursed her

    tears for showing him her weakness. ¡°Daniel didn¡¯t deserve that! He trusted me when I gave him those

    cookies!¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t kill him, Doris. I didn¡¯t put enough of a dose to do that.¡± William said calmly. She wanted

    to bite him and spit on him at the same time. She willed him toe closer so she could.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Why would you do that to him?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me what you were doing?¡±

    ¡°I asked Enzo for medication that would put him in aa like state. The poison will keep him out for a

    few weeks, but it won¡¯t kill him.¡± William exined as if it would all make sense. Doris felt the me of

    anger fan brighter.

    ¡°Enzo was in on it too?¡± Doris stilled her thrashing. Now it tasted like betrayal on her tongue . ¡°You two

    nned this together and used me to set it through?¡±

    William nodded slowly. ¡°Yes. Enzo was the one that suggested it when I said we needed to get him far

    from here. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)We didn¡¯t intend him any harm, Doris.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s horribly risky, William! It could have killed him and you know it. He shoved those down within

    seconds!¡±

    ¡°I knew he would. That¡¯s why I only gave him a few.¡± William cautiously released her. He looked a bit

    unsure of his decision and it made Doris want tough in a cynical way. ¡°I needed him out of here and

    safe. I can¡¯t have him him while this war starts. He¡¯s the only innocent one in this family and I wouldn¡¯t

    have been able to go through with it if I knew there was a chance he would be hurt because of my

    decisions.¡± 2

    Doris slowly sat up and rubbed her wrists. ¡°You poisoned him to get him out of the way? What if it killed

    him, William? What if you were wrong and you put too much?¡±

    ¡°I would never have made that mistake. I knew the risks and I wouldn¡¯t have done it unless | was

    completely sure.¡± William said. He sounded more like he wanted to convince himself of it   rather than

    her. ¡°I don¡¯t want him anywhere near the battleground and I know he would have been there whether I

    wanted him there or not. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)He¡¯s not one to stay on

    the sidelines when ites to a fight.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you nned to do this?¡± Doris asked weakly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give it to him

    yourself?¡±

    ¡°Because he trusted you more than he trusted me. He might not have eaten them if I gave them to him

    personally.¡± William straightened himself. ¡°And I know you would have never agreed to give it to him if I

    told you.¡± ¡ª

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever trust me again now.¡± Doris looked down at her hands. They had so many

    small cuts across the surface. When had she be so ruined? ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did this. I wish you

    would have at least told me.¡±¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret what I did. I am sorry you were involved against your will.¡±

    Doris tried to look him in the eye, but it felt wrong. Daniel was unconscious now and it was partly

    because of her. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)Why did the guilt weigh so heavily

    on her chest but not on his own? Would he do the same to her if she tried to get in his way?

    ¡°I would like to be alone now.¡± Doris whispered. She watched as William¡¯s feet backed towards the door.

    ¡°In the morning, we have to leave to find our safe space for our army. We won¡¯t be wee here soon

    and I would rather not be forced out.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ll have someonee get you and your maid early.¡±

    Doris said nothing as he left through the door.

    After a few minutes, Beth hesitantly entered. ¡°I think the prince just apologized to me.¡±

    Doris raised her eyes to look at her friend. ¡°He did?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he muttered it under his breath before he left. I thought I was going crazy for a moment.¡± Beth

    seated herself next to Doris. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I will be. I just need¡­ to process what happened. I feel sick inside and I¡¯m not sure where the cause is

    coming from. It feels like all of me is suffering.¡± Doris sighed. ¡°Please pack both of our bags, we¡¯re set to

    leave tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Leave?¡± Beth stood. ¡°Where on earth would we be going?¡±

    Doris realized she hadn¡¯t yet told her best friend about what was toe. Her guilt only grew deeper.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­. Prince William is calling a im on the crown and challenging Prince Martin for it. He¡¯s calling

    on his army tomorrow and.. I believe it¡¯ll be the start of a war between the brothers.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Beth gasped. ¡°Doris! How long have you known about this?¡±

    ¡°Not very. I didn¡¯t want to frighten you when I learned it woulde to this. I hoped it would have

    resolved itself on its own but clearly it isn¡¯t going to.¡± Doris dropped her head in her hands. ¡°And now

    Prince Daniel is.¡±. sick and he¡¯s being moved far from the pce and away  from all of this. I almost envy

    him for that.¡±

    ¡°Prince Daniel is sick? Does he have what the king has?¡± Beth started pacing the room and chewing on

    her nails in worry. ¡°Doris, I wish you had warned me about this!¡±

    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t have what the king has! He¡¯ll be fine¡­ I hope.¡± Doris ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°I

    wanted to tell you but-Beth I¡¯m so sorry. I should have warned you sooner. There¡¯s no excuse for me

    leaving you in the dark like this!¡±

    Beth sat next to Doris and took her hands. ¡°It will be fine. We¡¯ll get through this like we always do.¡± She

    kissed her hand. ¡°You won¡¯t be alone this time. I will be with you, don¡¯t think I would leave you for a

    second.¡±

    Doris threw her arms around her friend and buried her face in her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know what would do

    without you.¡± She mumbled before she pulled away. ¡°I feel as if this is all going toe crashing down

    on me, I almost forget how to breathe most of the time.¡±

    Beth pat her hand and stood again. ¡°Rest yourself, I¡¯ll get everything settled before morning. I¡¯ll have to

    head down to the servants quarters to get some extra supplies-but I¡¯ll have it all done.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Beth.¡± Doris smiled weakly at her friend. She gripped her hand and squeezed three

    times.

    Doris fell asleep after her friend left her alone to her own thoughts. Her exhaustion pulled her free from

    the tight grips of worry, how long would she have to live like this? She dreamed of a time when there was

    nothing but old books on her mind. That, and the taste of freedom. The two things seemed so far away, it

    was almost hard to wrap her fingers around.

    She woke when her chest felt as if it was about to explode. (This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)She tore herself free from her nkets and made it to the bathing room just in time to

    throw up inside the nearest bucket. It was as if all of her insiders were being forced out of her more

    violently than they had been in the past few days.

    She felt starving and sick at the thought of food at the same time. She stumbled out of her room to find it

    empty with a fire that was long put out. It felt as if it was snowing inside her room, she could see her

    breath in front of her.

    She spent the rest of her night bunched up by her poorly lit fire, waiting for the uncertain morning to

    come and tear her away from this fantasy

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166

    Chapter 166 Unexpected consequences

    ¡°Doris! What on earth are you doing out of bed?¡± Beth tore Doris out of her half sleep and into the

    blinding daylight. She felt as if a cloud was all around her and fogging up her vision to the point that it

    was hard to focus on her friend. ¡°How long have you been on this lumpy couch?¡±

    Doris sat up when Beth helped her. ¡°I woke up sick again. I feel so nauseous and dizzy all the time, so it

    kept me awake.¡±

    Beth froze for a moment until she lightly seated herself next to Doris. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you

    about your symptoms.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I was poisoned¡±

    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m concerned about.¡± Beth cleared her throat. ¡°Have you and William been

    intimate yet?¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks me instantly, as well as a bit of shame swell up inside her chest to the point

    where she wanted to choke. Beth quickly silenced her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I just want to

    know if you were¡­ careful during those times.¡±

    A new sort of panic formed to rece all that tried to scare her before. ¡°Careful?¡± Doris whispered.

    ¡°Yes¡­ with protection¡­?¡± Beth said gently as if she didn¡¯t know how else to exin without going into

    gory details that would make Doris melt into the floor. 1

    It was like all their heated moments shed before her eyes and one thing was missing. One obvious

    thing that made her want to scream. Doris dropped her head in her hands. ¡°How could I be so stupid?¡±

    She mumbled. 2

    Doris¡¯s mother had never taught her the first thing about sex or when to be careful, she learned all of that

    from books but somehow her mind didn¡¯t consider the consequences for her own actions in the heated

    moments. Why hadn¡¯t it crossed her mind once? Why did she live so blissfully in ignorance to her

    consequences? 1

    It was like a light went off in her head when Beth mentioned protection. How stupid could she be? How

    stupid

    ¡°No, no no. This can¡¯t be happening!¡± Doris closed her eyes tightly and prayed it was all a dream. That

    her symptoms weren¡¯t because of her careless behavior. 2

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Doris¡­ the prince will make sure you¡¯re taken care of. He wouldn¡¯t leave you in the dark on

    this!¡±

    ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t but, I¡¯m not ready to have a baby with him, Beth. I¡¯m still confused on half of the

    things I feel when he¡¯s in the room, how am I supposed to be the mother of his baby?¡±

    Beth rubbed Doris¡¯s shoulder soothingly. ¡°I know this wasn¡¯t what you nned, but perhaps it¡¯s a sign.¡±

    ¡°A sign of my stupidity?¡± Doris sunk deeper into the couch.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one who forgot, Doris. William is much more experienced on these things and

    knew better-so don¡¯t you dare try to me it all on yourself for this.¡± Beth wrapped her arms around

    Doris and trapped her in a hug that tried to erase all of her horrible thoughts. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever

    wondered why wolves have so many children? They rarely care for things like protection.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I suppose I can wipe the idea of freedom away from the pce out of my future. If I have his

    baby, he will make me stay.¡±

    ¡°Do you truly want to be free from him? If you had the chance, would you leave right now even if there

    wasn¡¯t a possible baby?¡± Beth asked.

    Doris stared down at her hands. Would she be able to get up and leave right this moment? Would she be

    able to forget the way his blue eyes turned to storms whenever he was worried about her?

    ¡°1-I don¡¯t know.¡± Doris admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could, even though it¡¯s all I ever wanted. I hate these

    walls and I hate this pce, I want to be free from all of this but now¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Love changes us.¡± Beth whispered. ¡°It changes what we want in life and it changes who we think we

    are.¡±

    ¡°Freedom is all l¡¯ve thought about for the past five years. I swore to myself I wouldn¡¯t let anyone change

    that dream for me. And now¡­* ¡°Now it feels as if it¡¯s changing?¡± Beth asked gently. ¡°That¡¯s love knocking

    down all of your past ns you had for yourself, because now there¡¯s someone else on your mind.¡±

    Doris felt her wave of dizziness start to pass. She dropped her head against Beth¡¯s shoulder . ¡°What am I

    supposed to do now? William won¡¯t want this, Beth.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re his mate! There¡¯s nothing else he would want more.¡±

    ¡°A war is about to brew between him and his brother. I don¡¯t think a baby is going to make him happy

    right now.¡± Doris said bitterly. She nced at the window and watched the snow fall slowly.

    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility it isn¡¯t a baby, we won¡¯t know for sure until we have you checked.¡± Beth stood and

    went to the stack of bags by the door. ¡°Do you want to go now before we leave¡ª¡° ¡°No, he should be

    here soon. I¡¯ll have to¡­ find a way to tell him after we¡¯re settled at the new camp.¡± ¡°I just came from the

    servants quarters and all of the staff has already been divided. Surprisingly, William had a lot more

    followers than I expected.¡± Bethid out warm clothes for   Doris to change into. ¡°I heard that they sent

    ahead quite a few groups to set up a new camp area for his army.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve already got it picked out?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°Oh yes. Apparently they¡¯ve been talking about this since you all returned from the north. It¡¯s been

    imed for days-hopefully there¡¯s a good ce for you all to rest when you get there.¡±

    ¡°And you.¡° Doris bumped Beth lightly with her hip and smiled.

    William¡¯s guard showed up an hourter to take their things to the stables. Beth held Doris¡¯s hand tightly

    as she walked with her down the pce halls for what felt like thest time. For all she knew, it very well

    could have been thest time either of them stepped into this pce.

    For some reason, that didn¡¯t sit right with her.

    William stood tall by the carriages that lined the cobblestone path. His eyes found her instantly, she

    wondered if he could sense her nearby as she always sensed him.

    He said nothing as she approached, only held out his hand to help her into the carriage. The uncertainty

    thickened in her stomach, she wondered how long she could keep it from him or if she would blurt it out

    the second she opened her mouth.

    Beth scooted in close followed by Patrick and William on the other side. She gripped Beth¡¯s hand tightly

    when the carriage lurched off. It felt as if her insides were about toe right out of her from the

    movement alone.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Beth whispered. Doris nodded quickly and nced up to see William watching her with

    those stormy eyes. He said nothing, but his eyes asked so many questions that she didn¡¯t want to

    answer at the moment.

    ¡°How long until we get there?¡± Beth asked quickly as if she could sense the building tension that crowded

    the small area.

    ¡°We should be there within an hour. It¡¯s not far but the roads are covered in snow.¡± Patrick said, oblivious

    the the air around him. 1

    Doris tore her eyes from William¡¯s and stared out the window for the rest of the trip. No one else said

    anything besides Patrick making small talk with William about things they had to ready once they arrived.

    Doris couldn¡¯t have felt further from her body.

    Once it rolled to a stop, she was thest one to get out. William¡¯s grip tightened on her as he set her on

    the ground. His eyes searched every inch of her for some sort of injury that wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°William, we need you to look this over before we approve it.¡± Patrick called from behind him. William

    narrowed his eyes slightly when their gazes met. ¡°We¡¯ll talk soon.¡± Was all he said before he left her by

    the carriage with her friend.

    Beth let out a long breath. ¡°He¡¯s intimidating, I swear a hole was going to burn through you in

    that carriage.¡±

    ¡°How did he know something was wrong?¡± Doris whispered and followed her friend through the camp. It

    had severalrge tents set up and arge fire in the middle of it all. They were brought to one of the

    bigger tents near the center of the camp.

    ¡°Wolves can sense when their mate is under distress. Plus, it was obvious from how pale you are. You

    don¡¯t look well at all.¡±

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    Doris brought her cold hands to her face. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no use in trying to hide it, then.¡±

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    Chapter 167 A new worry

    Doris paced the small tent for what felt like hours. The dirt on the floor marked her small path she took

    back and forth where she wasn¡¯t a step out of rhythm. She wasn¡¯t even sure how much time had passed

    since they arrived at the camp, but she knew William woulde for her soon and she would have to tell

    him.

    Briefly, she wondered if it was possible for her to keep it a secret until she was positive that she was with

    child. But the thought of him finding out that she hid it from him was worse than telling him now. At least if

    she was wrong, he could let go of his worries.

    What if he didn¡¯t want this? She couldn¡¯t imagine that he would. He¡¯d lived his whole life being free and

    living for no one but himself-now she threatened that lifestyle for him. She remembered all the times he

    told her she didn¡¯t matter or that he didn¡¯t need a mate. What would he say to this?

    Beth left her to her own thoughts soon after she settled in. It was wise for her friend to leave before he

    got here. If only she could disappear too. It would be so easy to take her packed bag and leave in the

    middle of the night with one of the horses

    ¡°Doris.¡± A deep voice startled her right out of her thoughts as it always did. Doris turned to see William by

    the entrance. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched her pace like a pathetic fool.

    ¡°William.¡± Doris cleared her throat and forced her shaky hands to remain still at her sides. She knew he

    watched every move she made as if he was calcting it all in his mind. She was not his prey, she would

    be stronger than that.

    William crossed the room and seated himself on the edge of the bed near her. She wanted to force him

    to stand and face her, but him sitting almost made her calmer. As if he wasn¡¯t as big as he was before

    and she could handle him now. ¡°Do you want to tell me what¡¯s wrong or do I have to force it out of you?¡±

    Doris picked at her nails silently before she finally went to sit next to him. ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t know how to say

    this because I¡¯m not even sure of it myself.¡± Doris started. He remained silent and she tried to pretend

    that she was alone just so she had enough nerve to say it out loud-even with his eyes burning into her.

    ¡°Beth thinks I might be with child.¡± She blurted out.

    Silence. Deafening, awful silence filled the room. Doris pinched herself to remind herself that this

    moment was real and she wasn¡¯t drowning in her own misery alone. She opened her mouth to say more,

    but nothing woulde out.

    ¡°When did you discover this?¡± William finally asked. He hadn¡¯t moved an inch towards her. It sounded as

    if he was holding his breath more than anything. Perhaps he was about to choke on the information.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure if it¡¯s even true but Beth thinks my nausea and dizziness these past few  days might be

    the symptoms of pregnancy but she isn¡¯t positive yet either.¡±

    ¡°Past few days?¡± William stood. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were sick?¡±

    ¡°I thought you had enough to deal with, William. I didn¡¯t want to add to your long list.¡±

    William dropped to his knee in front of her so he could be eye level. She leaned back a little to take in his

    full expression. Worry? Dread? She couldn¡¯t tell what he felt in the slightest-and she hated that. ¡°You

    shouldn¡¯t have hidden that from me.¡±

    ¡°I thought it would have passed but ites and goes at least once a day. I didn¡¯t, this was thest thing

    I would have guessed it was.¡± Doris hesitated. ¡°What does this mean?

    ¡°It means you¡¯re not going anywhere near the battlefield. I should have you taken to where they have

    Daniel-¡±

    ¡°William.¡± Doris sighed and took his face in her hands. She could see his mind spinning faster than his

    mouth and that was always dangerous. ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    William gripped her hands but didn¡¯t move them from his face. ¡°It means we will get you checked and it

    means I will do everything to keep you safe. If anyone looks at you strange, I¡¯ll rip their head off before

    they can exin themselves.¡±

    Doris rested her forehead against his own. Slowly she felt her worry start to burn away but never

    completely. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how you were going to act.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    William stayed silent.

    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going through your mind to distract me from my own.¡± Doris whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about my father.¡± William said quietly. ¡°I wonder how he felt when he learned his mate was

    with child-with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he had the need to protect her too.¡±

    William kissed her palm before he stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to go see if the medical tent is up yet. They might not

    know for sure, but they must have something that would help.¡± He grumbled.

    ¡°William-¡°

    ¡°I just need a minute.¡± He said before he left her. Doris watched the entrance for eternity wondering if he

    would pop back in. It wasn¡¯t until it grew dark that she realized he had truly left her when she needed him

    the most.

    ¡°Doris, I brought you some dinner.¡± Beth announced loudly since there wasn¡¯t a door to knock on. She

    entered with arge tray of food that made her starving and sick all at once. She couldn¡¯t decide if she

    wanted to eat everything on the tray-or shove it all in the garbage.

    ¡°Thank you Beth.¡± Doris forced herself to finally stand. Her legs felt like jelly and it made her want to fall

    instantly back into the bed and sleep until the war was over. Until all of this was over.

    ¡°How did he take it?¡± Beth whispered as she handed Doris a te. She nced around the room as if to

    make sure he wasn¡¯t in here with her hiding.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He seemed fine at first and then he left. He said he needed a minute and never came

    back.¡±

    ¡°He did? I saw him across the camp a few hours ago but I haven¡¯t seen him since.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he left me here.¡± Doris mumbled and sat herself down again to pick at her food. ¡°I honestly

    don¡¯t know how he felt.¡± .

    ¡°He probably just needs to process it. I¡¯d give him time.¡± Beth kissed Doris¡¯s head and then left the tent.

    Doris finished her food and got ready for bed. 1

    Doris woke in the middle of the night when she felt something wrap around her body.

    ¡°Shh.¡± William whispered against her ear. She rxed in his grip and it was then that she noticed his

    hand on her stomach. I

    ¡°Where were you?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I had a few things to deal with.¡± William grumbled against her hair. It felt like forever since he had

    slipped into bed with her. She wasn¡¯t even sure that they were going to share beds or not while they

    were here, but she melted into him as if no time had passed at all.

    ¡°I thought you decided to leave.¡± Doris whispered. He stiffened behind her.

    ¡°Leave my mate and child?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡± Doris said simply. His grip tightened on her and he flipped her over to face him.

    ¡°I would rip up the earth to find you. You can¡¯t get rid of me.¡± William trailed his hand down her side. It

    was almost distracting. 2

    ¡°Is this what you want? I didn¡¯t think you would have wanted a-child with someone like me.¡±

    ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t think I would want a child with my mate? There isn¡¯t another person ! would have

    rather it be.¡± William said quietly, just for her ears.

    Doris traced her fingers across his chin. ¡°I know what has been running through your head since I told

    you. You¡¯re thinking of your parents.¡±

    William turned his head away. ¡°She died shortly after I was born.¡± 1

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be us, William.¡± Doris whispered.

    ¡°You can¡¯t guarantee that, and neither can I. My father never looked at me the same and never got over

    his broken heart. I don¡¯t want to feel the same about my child if you were gone.¡±

    Doris sat up. ¡°I can take care of myself now¡ª¡°

    ¡°So could my mother. She was a rogue and she was poisoned at a ce where she felt safe.¡±

    William said. His eyes were angry and sad and she wasn¡¯t sure how to tame it.

    ¡°We will take it one day at a time, then.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t go near this battle, promise me that.¡± William demanded.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡± 2

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    Chapter 168 A dangerous decision

    ¡°Prince William!¡±

    William¡¯s hold tightened on Doris and woke her. She felt his warmth leave her the second he unwrapped

    himself from her. It almost made her beg him toe back and cover her entire body with his own.

    William¡¯s hair was a wild mess as he threw on a coat over his bare chest and tossed back the tent p

    just enough so that she remained hidden from view.

    ¡°Luna Queen has sent this for you. One of her messengers left it this morning.¡±

    William took the letter quickly. ¡°Thanks.¡± He said before he closed the p.

    Doris scrambled out of bed and pulled on her thickest sweater before she met him across the room. He

    didn¡¯t even seem to acknowledge her presence as he tore there the letter to get it open. A bit of sweat

    formed on his brow, the only sense of weakness he would let free.

    ¡°Dear Prince William,¡± he mumbled, ¡°I¡¯d like to have a private meeting with you before you send your

    army towards our own. I feel we cane to a mutual understanding and resolve this before it gets out

    of hand. Yours, The Luna Queen.¡±

    William stared silently at the letter before he threw it in the fire that had grown dim. It flickered brighter

    but quickly grew out before it could catch any of the mes. ¡°She¡¯s toote, I already sent my army to

    theirs in the middle of the night.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s started already?¡± Doris whispered. William moved around the room like his own fire as he got

    ready. It was almost hard to concentrate on anything when he looked that determined.

    ¡°Yes. They should already be aware that it¡¯s started. I wonder if she sent it before or after.¡± William

    grumbled. ¡°I would bet after just to try and mess with my head. She always wants to act like she has the

    upper hand.¡±

    ¡°She might have sent it after to mess with you, as you said. I wouldn¡¯t trust her motives. You¡¯re the only

    thing challenging her direct path to the throne and she knows that.¡± Doris said. She pulled on warm pants

    and boots. Out here, there was no use for beautiful dresses but she missed them anyway. For just a

    short time, she had gotten a taste of what it was like to wear a few.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust her, I never have. She wants to meet this afternoon by the frozenkes.¡± William ran his

    fingers through his dark hair. ¡°That¡¯s one ce that¡¯s out of the way from all of this, but also too close to

    our camp here. T don¡¯t want her toe here if I don¡¯t show.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to meet her?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. But I know she won¡¯t let it go if I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I coulde with you¡ª¡°.

    ¡°You will. I don¡¯t want you out of my sight. Knowing Luna Queen, she might try to lure me away from here

    just to get the one thing I care about.¡±

    William nced out of the tent and called out to a guard nearby. She felt her mind drift away as he

    demanded a small group to ready themselves. A wave of dizziness passed by the time he focused back

    on her.

    ¡°Are you well?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I am.¡± Doris cleared her throat. ¡°Just a bit hungry.¡±

    ¡°I will make sure you eat before we leave. I want to get there before she does in case she tries to get the

    higher ground.¡± William started to leave the tent before he paused. ¡°The medic will be by tonight to check

    you. I asked her to do itte so we don¡¯t pull too much attention.¡±

    Doris let out a long breath. ¡°Okay-yes, great.¡±

    They left much earlier than Doris expected. Luna Queen didn¡¯t want to meet until noon, but they were

    almost there with over an hour to spare. Doris felt she was lucky enough not to feel sick after eating as

    much as she did before they left. If only she knew someone that had been in her shoes before and knew

    how to handle her sickness. 1

    Someone that wasn¡¯t currently an enemy or estranged from her.

    Her thoughts were so far away from her, she still hadn¡¯t fully processed what it meant to have a life

    growing inside her-if that was even the case. She couldn¡¯t see herself as a mother when she didn¡¯t even

    feel fully grown herself. There was so much to learn and do that she hadn¡¯t got the chance to yet. She

    wanted to be the best version of herself before any baby came out of her. 3

    Part of her feared that there was no good version of herself. What if she was always an uncertain mess

    that everyone tried to step on? That was no way to live.

    Doris gripped onto William as they rode down the small hill towards the frozenkes. He only brought a

    handful of guards with them and left the rest back at the camp to make sure no one arrived there while

    they were gone. It would be so easy to step a trap to an empty camp and William made sure that they

    wouldn¡¯t have the chance to.

    It was eerily quiet. She didn¡¯t know what to expect, but something about the silence made her stomach

    turn. ¡°William.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Something feels off.¡± Doris looked around at the frozen trees that hid miles ahead of them. A shiver

    passed over her skin and almost made her bones stiffen. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but it feels wrong to be

    here.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine. Just stay with me.¡± William said quietly, but he didn¡¯t have to raise his voice at all for her to

    hear him here.

    Doris opened her mouth to respond, but felt at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t describe what was wrong,

    but a feeling deep inside made her nervous. Why would she be nervous?

    They slowed their steps and followed down a small path that ran along the frozenke. Doris stared

    along the trees and didn¡¯t see any sign of life beyond their own.

    ¡°We can stay here and a few others need to scope out the surroundings to see which direction they will

    come from. We don¡¯t want to be unprepared.¡± William called to his guards.

    Doris felt as if their voices were muffled to her ears. Her insides turned as if she was in danger but she

    saw nothing. Was she slowly going insane? She wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°Take the path up-¡°

    An arrow zipped past William and missed his head by inches. He pulled Doris off the horse with him

    faster than she could register and hid her behind arge rock. ¡°William!¡±

    ¡°Stay here and do not move, do you understand me?¡± He demanded. Doris watched as one of his men

    had an arrow hit through his head. Quickly, she nodded.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    William left her his cloak and headed back towards the eye of the beast. Arrows flew when he stepped

    out but not one harmed him. He didn¡¯t run, he didn¡¯t even try to shield himself from them. It was like he

    knew that they could never dare to touch him.

    William shifted into his wolf and ran straight towards the flying arrows. His guards were close behind and

    Doris cringed at the sound of screams and wounded sequels that made her blood chill.

    Her breath was so loud in her ears. She looked towards the trees but saw nothing. The screaming

    quickly died out and left her frightened when she didn¡¯t see William.

    Slowly, she stood to get a better look. She promised William she wouldn¡¯t move, but that feeling was still

    throbbing inside her. Something was wrong.

    A scream pierced the silence and she knew who it was instantly. William dragged Luna Queen out of the

    trees by her bloody arm and all she could do was scream for mercy. Not one of her men came out with

    her.

    Doris quickly hurried to William and covered his wolf body with his cloak before he shifted back into

    himself. When he did, Luna Queen tried to stand but she was too slow. William grabbed her by her hair

    and forced her back to the ground.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± William snarled. He dragged her to the middle of the frozenke

    where Doris was too afraid to follow. ¡°Here, I thought you wanted to have a normal conversation.¡±

    ¡°Let-Let go of me!¡± Luna Queen screamed. It was only then that Doris noticed how much blood covered

    her body. It was as if she had fallen in a pool of it. ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡±

    ¡°Exin it to me, then.¡± William finally released her, but Doris knew that she wasn¡¯t going anywhere.

    ¡°Exin it to me before I drown you in this frozen water.¡±

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    Chapter 169 On thin ice

    Luna Queen thrashed against the delicate surface and all Doris could do was watch and hope they didn¡¯t

    both fall under. William cracked his shoe against the ice as if he wanted it to break open and take both of

    them somewhere she couldn¡¯t follow. Her insides screamed at him to get off the ice-to be careful, but the

    look on his face made her silent and steady. Just like he wanted her to be.

    ¡°You think you can take the crown after your bother has worked his entire life to be the next king?¡± Luna

    Queen snarled. Doris nced around to see a few of his guards emerge from the trees bloody and

    vengeful. Only a few had been missing, but they looked even more angry than they had when they went

    in the trees.

    All that anger looked right at the Luna Queen.

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Williamughed. It didn¡¯t sound friendly or nice, it made her skin crawl and stomach turn.(This novel will

    be daily updtaed at .noveljar) If he looked at her the way he looked at the Luna Queen, she

    would be begging for her life.

    ¡°Martin doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to work a day in his life. He had you and my father put words in his

    mouth while he sat there like a puppet.¡±

    ¡°His entire life has been dedicated to this role while you slept around and only thought of yourself!¡± Luna

    Queen gripped William¡¯s arm that held her. She red up at him as if her stare could burn him to the

    core. A dangerous game on thin ice, Doris clenched her hands into fists until they turned white.

    William tightened his grip and Doris could see the pain twist on the Luna Queen¡¯s face. ¡°You know

    nothing about me. You killed my mother and despised me your entire life. Do you know how long I¡¯ve

    waited to get my revenge? I¡¯ve had dreams of ripping your head right off your body.¡±

    Luna Queen had a sh of fear across her face before she morphed it into something else.¡° Your mother

    was a peasant. She didn¡¯t know the first thing about being a queen or married to a king,¡±

    ¡°You took away her choice to learn! And you wanted me out of the way too for your perfect sons to have

    whatever they wanted.¡± William shouted. A wave of invisible rage swirled around him. ¡°You tried to kill me

    by sending me to the north because you underestimated my strength. You tried to kill me at the pce

    and here because you think I¡¯m a fool. You think you¡¯re so untouchable because of your status, but here I

    am with your life in my hands.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve what you have. Don¡¯t you get it? Your father can¡¯t stand to even look at you and you

    never meant anything to him!¡± Luna Queen gripped the floor when he shoved her down hard against it.

    Doris swore she heard the sounds of cracking but it might have been her mind trying to make things

    worse.

    ¡°Your father hates you because of her.¡± Luna Queen continued. ¡°There is no hope for you   back at the

    pce, this war is ridiculous. You think your father would ever let you rule the kingdom when you haven¡¯t

    proved yourself? You¡¯ve always been a selfish child.¡±

    ¡°My father hates me because of you.¡± William snarled. ¡°I would have been the crown prince if she lived. I

    would have been the better leader for the kingdom if my mother was alive. He hates everything about me

    because you killed the only person he ever loved.¡±

    Luna Queen had the nerve tough. Blood dripped down her skin and stained there like she was coated

    in paint. It made her look dangerous. ¡°Your father was a pathetic fool that let something as stupid as

    having a mate steer his heart. I forced him to be the king he is today¡ª¡°

    ¡°A terrible, selfish king that only cares for himself? He let his own people be treated horribly while he sits

    on his throne and watches them suffer. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)Only you

    would make things that terrible for our kingdom-and worse when you take the lead for your son.¡± William

    stomped his heal on the ice again and this time Doris knew that it was cracking. It was so loud, it made

    her entire body shiver.

    ¡°William!¡± Doris called. If it broke, they both would go under. He had to know that, why was he risking

    himself for someone so awful?

    William nced up at her briefly before he looked back down at the mess beneath him. Luna Queen

    laughed again as if this was all one big joke that she was in on. It amazed Doris how someone who was

    so close to death, and still poked at the one who decided if she would get to live.

    ¡°I heard you have a servant as a mate at the pce. I suppose the saying that the apple doesn¡¯t fall too

    far from the tree is true, isn¡¯t it?¡± Luna Queen looked over at Doris but William gripped her chin and made

    her look back up at him. ¡°You¡¯re cursed just like your father. I hope you¡¯re careful who you drop your

    pants for, or she might end up just like your mother.¡±

    William smashed her face down hard against the ice until it cracked open. He lifted her head and hit

    again and again until the ice split open and her head went under. Luna Queen thrashed wildly, making

    the ice break wider until her whole torso fell in.

    The guards around Doris did nothing but watch. It made her wonder how many horrible things they were

    forced to witness over the years. She would guess that this wasn¡¯t the first time something like this

    happened.

    William held her under the freezing water with a wild rage in his eyes. Doris stepped back even

    though they were far from her. She couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, she looked away but the sounds still

    haunted her ears. It was as she was an inch away instead of across the frozenke.

    After a few horrible moments, the sshing stopped. Everything stopped. No struggling or grunting. Not

    boots kicking against the snow in hopes that he would release her and she would get away-there was

    nothing. 2

    The guards around her moved and that¡¯s when Doris finally looked over to see William walking away

    from the body half in theke. She looked so lifeless and still-Doris quickly looked away  again before it

    burned in her memory more than it already had. O

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back.¡± William grabbed her arm and forced her towards the horses without another word.

    ¡°Deliver her to the steps of the pce. Let it be known that her attempts at killing me failed.¡± He called to

    the guards around him.

    A few followed them back to the camp while the rest stayed to remove the body. A part of her heart broke

    for Martin when he would realize that his mother was dead. She might have been a horrible person, but

    she was still his mother. He would mourn her even if no one else did.

    William rode in silence back to the camp with blood still on his hands. He sat stiff under her hold and she

    knew all too well that he was disappearing inside himself like he did when they first met. She could feel

    him pulling away from her and she knew that no matter how tight she held onto him, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    They arrived back to the camp with it untouched from any harm. People were on guard but walked freely

    as if nothing was there to concern them all morning. How she wished she was among them instead of

    with William. There was only so much death her eyes could witness.

    He slid off the horse and left Doris in the stables to get down herself. A close by guard hurried to make

    sure she didn¡¯t fall before he went after William with the rest of them. It was cruel in a way, that William

    had the power to crumble the mood of everyone around him with a simple look or action.

    She could feel it now. The way her mind tried to me herself for his actions when she did nothing but

    watch. Perhaps that was the problem, she watched. She watched it all happen and did nothing to stop

    him from something he might regret.

    Would he regret killing the woman that tried to kill him several times and killed his mother when he was a

    baby?(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) Doris knew the answer was no. He would

    never regret that-but perhaps he regretted taking away the mother of someone else.

    Doris watched his back from across the camp as he disappeared into the main tent where they nned

    out the battlefield like a chess game. He didn¡¯t look back at her once.

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    Chapter 170 A wild man gone

    Later that night, Doris kept herself wide awake in case William came back. But he never did. Beth came

    and distracted her enough until she left for bed and now all Doris had was her thoughts that wouldn¡¯t

    stop reying the day. The look of murderous rage on William¡¯s face before he silenced the Luna Queen

    once and for all.

    He walked away from the scene as if it hadn¡¯t really happened. Perhaps he thought if he didn¡¯t look back,

    it wouldn¡¯t be true. She couldn¡¯t honestly tell a single emotion from him after he did what he did.

    He was right for what he did, everyone knew it. If he was wrong, half of the camp would have left the

    moment they found out but they only celebrated it as a win that it was. They were one step closer to the

    crown-and perhaps that¡¯s what William realized too.

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed since shest saw him. It felt like days but it must have

    only been hours. She expected to see him pacing in front of the small area they had in the tent, but he

    never came to ward away her bad thoughts.

    Just when she gathered herself up to go looking for him, someone tapped on the tent opening.

    ¡°Doris? The doctor is here.¡± Patrick called through the p. Doris quickly straightened herself. ¡°Come in!¡±

    Patrick opened the p for the older doctor. She smiled at Doris warmly and her eyes went right to her

    stomach as if she expected to see evidence of the baby already under her thick sweater. ¡°Hi Doris, I¡¯m

    Vale. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Hi Vale. I¡¯m well enough today. I have a bit of nausea but that is all.¡± Doris moved to sit on the bed with

    the doctor. She nced at Patrick before he went to leave. ¡°Have you seen William? I thought he

    would¡¯ve liked to be here for this.¡± ¡°William¡° Patrick hesitated. ¡°He left earlier to the pce, I haven¡¯t

    heard from him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris stood. ¡°We should go look for him! Did anyone else go with him when he left? He might be

    captured and tortured by Martin¡¯s side!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he had a good number of guards with him, Doris. He asked me to stay here and watch over the

    camp.¡± Patrick held out his hand. ¡°He¡¯s fine, Doris. He needed to take care of something important. I feel

    sorry for the man that thinks they could capture or torture William.¡±

    ¡°Should I wait for him toe back before I do this?¡± Doris nced at the doctor. ¡°I thought he wanted to

    be in the room to make sure.¡±

    ¡°You can tell him the results when he gets back. He knew this was happening tonight, go on with it.¡±

    Patrick nodded before he left.

    Doris hesitated before she sat again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ipletely forgot you wereing. I¡¯ve had   so much

    on my mind today.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. You have a lot of stress around you. I would rmend trying to find ways to let it

    go if it¡¯s being built up inside you.¡± Vale said kindly and pressed her cold hand against Doris¡¯s warm

    forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind for the future.¡± Doris sighed. ¡°I¡¯m new to all of this-sort of thing. How do we

    determine if I¡¯m with child?¡±

    ¡°Well, since we don¡¯t have a lot of the things I would need from the pce, it might be harder to know

    exactly. I did bring this with me, though.¡± Vale leaned forward to pull a little tube with a blue liquid out of

    her pocket.

    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a special liquid we have at the pce to know if ady is pregnant early on. You put a few drops of

    urine inside and see if it turns purple. If it remains blue, you¡¯re not pregnant.¡±

    Doris took the tube and stared at it as if waspletely alien. Why hadn¡¯t she ever heard of something

    like this before? Perhaps she should have asked for a few shifts in the medical ward. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She

    stood.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait here. Let me know if you need any help.¡± Vale said with a bright smile.

    Doris nervouslyughed and carried the tube with her as she headed out of the tent and behind the

    trees. She came back when it was finished and set the tube on a towel in front of them. ¡°How long does it

    take?¡±

    ¡°Minutes, shouldn¡¯t be that long.¡± Vale crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°What are some of the other

    symptoms you¡¯ve had?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well I¡¯ve thrown up almost daily and I feel dizzy-like the world is falling out from under my feet.

    Sometimes my chest hurts too but it¡¯s not nearly as bad as the headaches.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Vale hummed. ¡°You might be under more stress than you can handle. Those symptoms are

    normal, but if they get unbearable you might need to take a moment for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Lately it seems as if that¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Doris sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the timing of all of this.¡±

    ¡°Life is unpredictable.¡± Vale agreed. She nced at the tube. ¡°At least you have many people behind

    you, no matter how unfortunate the timing is.¡±

    Doris opened her lips to speak, but said nothing. She was lucky she had people to wait on her and take

    care of her needs. She only had Beth before William and now he made people follow her as if she was

    the important one when she knew she was nothing.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°Ah! There it is, purple.¡± Vale pped her hands and pointed. ¡°How lovely. Now, this isn¡¯t fully urate

    but it¡¯s rarely wrong. You can show William when he returns.¡±

    Doris felt frozen to the ground when she noticed how purple the liquid had turned. There was no

    confusing it for a different shade of blue or anything of the nature-it was purple.

    Vale gripped her arm gently and helped her towards the bed. ¡°Let¡¯sy down, my dear. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be

    back soon but there¡¯s no need to wait all night for him.¡±

    Doris felt her hands shake a little as she crawled in bed. Vale brought the covers over her and set some

    water by her bed. ¡°I¡¯ll check on you often to make sure you¡¯re alright. Make sure to call for me if you have

    any pain or need anything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris whispered. The woman was already gone before she could turn to say it

    again.

    Doris stared at the purple tube. She watched it as if it would shift back to blue at any moment and none

    of this was real. It was all a part of her dreams and she just hadn¡¯t woken up from it

    yet.

    The next morning, William had still not returned. Doris got up to change when she saw the purple tube

    right where she left it. It wasn¡¯t a dream, it wasn¡¯t fake. It was right there screaming at her louder than

    anything else possibly could.

    Doris hurried out of the tent and searched everywhere for a sign of William, but nothing.

    ¡°He¡¯s not back yet.¡± Patrick announced when she caught him by the front trees. Hezily picked at his

    nails with a pocket knife. ¡°I got word that he will be back in a day or so.¡±

    ¡°A day or so? Where did he go?¡±

    ¡°To the pce, like I told you. He probably went to deliver Luna Queen himself incase anyone else tried

    to take the credit.¡± Patrick snorted but there was no humor in his voice. ¡°He will be back, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Doris turned and went back to her tent before her inner wolf came out. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell me he was

    leaving?¡± Doris whispered to herself.

    ¡°Perhaps he did want to take Luna Queen himself.¡± Cordelia spoke up from inside her. Even through her

    growing anger, Doris could feel her wolf was just as annoyed as she was.

    ¡°He said he didn¡¯t want me out of his sight and he left just hourster without telling me.¡± Doris ran her

    fingers through her hair. If she left like that, he would tear through hell looking for her. All she could do

    was wait for him to return.

    ¡°If we went looking for him, it would be worse. He would be furious.¡± Cordelia warned. Doris fell back on

    her bed and stared at the ceiling.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to go after him.¡± Doris muttered. ¡°I just wish he let me know how he was feeling

    so I wasn¡¯t here waiting all night for him to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Men rarely show how they feel, it¡¯s as if it goes against their nature.¡± Cordelia said gently. Doris closed

    her eyes when a thought she couldn¡¯t hold in entered her mind. It was almost too  painful to admit.

    ¡°Maybe he left forever this time.¡±

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    Chapter 171 Another step closer

    ¡°We still haven¡¯t seen him.¡± Beth said as soon as she walked through the tent with a tray of food

    bnced on her hip. Doris fell right back against the sheets and closed her eyes. Perhaps if she tried

    hard enough, she would realize it was all a dream.

    ¡°It¡¯s been two days. He hasn¡¯t sent word that he¡¯s fine.¡± Doris said. She could feel Beth sit next to her on

    the bed and rub her arm with her icy fingers. ¡°What if something happened to him and no one knows it?

    What if the entire group he went with was killed?¡±

    Doris opened her eyes to see Beth worrying at her lip. She quickly stopped when she saw Doris

    watching her. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. I heard the rogues were with him.¡± Beth said with a little uncertainty in

    her tone. She hadn¡¯t yet warmed up to the fact that they were working with the rogues.

    Not that Doris med her. Their whole lives they were taught to fear them and one day they show up at

    the pce and she¡¯s supposed to trust them? Doris wouldn¡¯t have either if she hadn¡¯t been through the

    north and saw they were so much better than the kingdom painted them out to be. Beth still refused to be

    in the same room with one and quickly left before it could happen.

    Despite her high praise of Enzo and the rest of the rogues, Doris knew that Beth was still scared of them.

    Before she left for the north they heard stories of the rogues eating servants for fun, now she was forced

    to sleep near them as if it was all no big deal.

    ¡°Enzo and William are unstoppable together.¡± Doris whispered. More to herself than anything. In the

    north, there was no one that could best either of them alone. Together, she knew they were a force. She

    only wished one of them would send word that they were fine. I

    Beth made a face at her. ¡°Enzo? Are you referring to Lord Enzo? The ruler of the rogues?¡±

    ¡°Yes, who else would be talking about?¡± Doris sat up a little. She felt like a mess and probably looked like

    one too. Her nausea came and went throughout the day and night. She missed when a simple drop of

    blood could cure all of her sickness.

    ¡°It¡¯s just so informal that you refer to him as that.¡± Bethughed. ¡°I remember the days you would sweat

    when you heard a prince was nearby. Now you¡¯re calling all these princes and lords by their first names.¡±

    Doris grinned. ¡°If you called Enzo a Lord, he wouldugh at you. He doesn¡¯t like his friends referring to

    him as that. It¡¯s more for people he doesn¡¯t like or don¡¯t know him.¡± 1

    ¡°Oh, well, look at you miss fancy friend of a lord.¡± Beth stood and went to retrieve her tray.¡° It¡¯s time for

    you to eat. I don¡¯t want you almost fainting again because you¡¯re more worried about him than your

    body.¡±

    Doris rolled her eyes with affection as she took the tray and ate every single piece of food on it. The

    vors of fruit, bread, cheese and meat mixed together as one with how fast she   finished. If it was

    anyone but Beth in the room, she would have been blushing with embarrassment.

    Bethughed at her anyway, ¡°Did you want more? I can go get another te¡ª¡°

    ¡°No! No, thank you. I was just hungry today.¡± Doris stood and wrapped herself in a thick cloak. ¡°Do you

    think we should go looking for him? I know it wouldn¡¯t be wise but-truly! He should have sent word by

    now. We¡®re not that far from the kingdom-¡± 1

    ¡°Doris.¡± Beth groaned. ¡°You know that he wants you to stay here. If you go out there you¡¯ll get in even

    more trouble. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a ton of Martin¡¯s army scattered all around the area and you have a giant

    target on your head. Everyone knows you¡¯re the mate of the prince.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I just-It doesn¡¯t feel right. I feel like he¡¯s in pain somewhere. I don¡¯t know if they captured

    him or not. What if that feeling is our bond trying to warn me about him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we would have heard if he was captured! Our army would be called off if he was captured, we¡¯d

    all be in jail I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°I know-¡±

    A loud scream came from outside the tent. Doris and Beth nced at each other for a second before

    they ran out to the sound.

    In the clearing of the camp, a crowd was already formed. Doris quickly pushed her way through until she

    was near the front. She had to mp her hand down over her mouth just to keep in her own screams

    when she saw them.

    William stood over the broken body of his brother, Jack. The prince that had tortured her for information

    she didn¡¯t have, the prince that almost killed her and tried to frame his brother for something he knew he

    didn¡¯tmit.

    William looked up and locked eyes with Doris. For a moment, she didn¡¯t recognize the eyes that stared

    back at her. They weren¡¯t her blue ocean or even the storm that blew threw a vige-they were cold and

    dark.

    Prince Jack looked as if his neck had been snapped and his bones broken. His face was covered with

    blood and it dripped down his clothes like rain. William left him there at his feet. Discarded and dead.

    ¡°My brother wanted me dead. Perhaps more than the Luna Queen did.¡± William said. His voice carried in

    a way that he didn¡¯t have to raise it even slightly, they all heard it. ¡°I made sure her body was delivered

    and unsurprisingly was met with his rage.¡±

    William turned his brother over with his foot and Doris had to look away before she threw up everything

    she had just eaten. ¡°As you can see, he was unsessful.¡±

    Nobody around him moved. It didn¡¯t even sound like they were breathing with how silent it was. He

    looked through the crowd with his dark eyes and straight posture. She carefully took

    a small step back when his eyes were off her.

    ¡°We¡¯re d to see you¡¯re alright, Prince William.¡± Patrick, the ever loyal beta, finally said. The tension

    was thicker than ever, but William only wanted to bathe in what he had done.

    ¡°This makes me one step closer to the throne. Prince Jack would have challenged me for it if our army

    had won and set us back even further.¡± William paced the small area. Slowly, Doris moved back even

    more. Was he trying to convince the crowd that this was a wise move, or himself?

    ¡°What¡¯s next for us?¡± Someone asked. ¡°Should we move in on Martin?¡±

    ¡°Soon. He¡¯ll discover that his mother and brother have fallen and he¡¯ll know that it¡¯s time to stop this war

    and give me what I deserve.¡± William said through his teeth. He searched the crowd and found her

    instantly as she moved towards the back. It froze her to the spot.

    ¡°My brother deserves to be with the dirt in the ground. Consider this his redemption for all the wrong he

    has put into the kingdom.¡± William spat.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    kingdom than Kingdom

    The crowd said nothing. Prince Jack wasn¡¯t a well loved prince. He started more fires in the

    ut Doris knew that they were more frightened  in front of them.

    ¡°Enzo won¡¯t be back for a few days with some of the rogues, they¡¯re getting ayout of what we¡¯re up

    against. For now, as you were.¡±

    The crowd took several moments before it finally dispersed. As if they all woke from the same fog she

    was in and had forgotten how to move.

    William¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t move from her. He pinned her to the spot and didn¡¯t release her until he was in front

    of her. ¡°Don¡¯t get a wee back?¡± He said. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was joking or not.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were leaving?¡± Doris whispered. William gripped her arm and led her to their

    tent. Beth was no where in sight, she was smart enough to be long gone before William came in.

    ¡°What were the results?¡± William asked, ignoring her previous question as if she never said it. He

    sounded so cold and distant. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was still in his battle mask or if he was pulling away

    from her more by the day. She could barely grasp on to what she had with him before, now it felt like

    trying to hold water.

    Doris crossed the room and grabbed the purple tube. She said nothing as she pressed it into his hands.

    William studied the tube as if to make sure it was real. Silently, he set it down and turned to Doris. ¡°I

    should have been here for it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You should have.¡±

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    Chapter 172 Something to fight for

    William stared down at the purple tube in his hands. Doris wondered if the same thoughts were crossing

    his mind that had already crossed hers. Was it real? Was this happening to them? Were they even ready

    to be parents? Doris knew she wasn¡¯t. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of her that believed in herself to be a good

    mother when she didn¡¯t know the first thing about children. Did he feel the same?

    Did he want to change everything about himself just so he could be better like she did?

    Slowly, she noticed his shoulders cked a little and his body came undone as if he was trying to rx

    all of his muscles. When he looked up at her again, his eyes were the ones she saw in her dreams. A

    beautiful blue sea that was now her favorite color.

    ¡°I left because I knew he woulde here if he saw his mother dead. He woulde straight for me-

    and you. I didn¡¯t want to risk it.¡± William sat on the edge of the bed. He gripped Doris by her hips and

    pulled her closer to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to risk you or the baby. It was driving me insane, so I had to go

    take care of it before something happened that I couldn¡¯t stop.¡±

    ¡°All you had to do was tell me.¡± Doris said gently. She ran her fingers through his hair that was caked

    with mud and-whatever else. She didn¡¯t even want to consider how much blood was seeped into his

    clothes. ¡°I was beginning to think something had happened to you. I almost went after you¡ª¡°

    William¡¯s grip tightened on her. ¡°No. Even if they have me in a cell being tortured, you are never toe

    after me like that. I can handle my scars, I can¡¯t handle yours.¡±

    Doris¡¯s eyes watered almost instantly from his words. She bit down on her lip and tried to curse them

    silently to stay inside. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him slow enough to make the world

    disappear around them.

    Doris melted against William when he kissed her back. It was strange to hold someone that was now

    considered the other half of her soul and be able to fall into them. She felt as if all of her worries could

    disappear the moment his put his hands on her and kissed her until everything felt better again.

    His fingers trailed along the hem of her sweater as if he was tempting himself with what was underneath.

    Silently, her body begged him to go forward. To show her how much he wanted this life with her even

    when she wasn¡¯t sure of it herself. His kisses and caresses could make her go blind to all that was wrong

    if he stayed with her long enough. 1

    His hands slid up her back slowly, but she felt as if his kisses were distracted. When she pulled away, he

    looked down at her body as if he wanted a piece of her-but his mind wouldn¡¯t clear enough to take it.

    ¡°William¡­ Tell me what¡¯s on your mind.¡± Doris hummed. He looked up at her again. ¡°You told me that

    you would always let me know before you leave-¡°

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking when I left. I just acted.¡± William stood. He looked as if he wanted to jump out of his

    skin from his adrenaline. ¡°I only had to get to Jack and take care of him. That¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t think about

    anything else, only keeping you safe and securing the crown.¡±

    ¡°William.¡± Doris said gently. She watched as he started to pace the small area like a wild animal. ¡°Are you

    okay? I know this couldn¡¯t have been an easy decision.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I did what had to be done and he would have done the same if he had the chance. He said so

    himself before I killed him.¡± William grumbled. He raked his fingers through his hair then stared at them

    as if they were covered in blood. ¡°Now there¡¯s only Martin standing in my way-¡±

    ¡°Are you going to kill him too?¡± Doris asked cautiously. ¡°I think you should rest for a moment and

    consider what has already happened in this war,¡°

    ¡°Dozens dead already on Martin¡¯s side.¡± William informed her. Doris put her hand on her stomach without

    thought. Dozens dead? Those were men and women she had passed dozens of times at the pce, she

    was sure. Just a few days ago, they were all on the same side.

    How many had died on his side? How many rogues were out there fighting for a better life? Doris

    mped her lips shut before the words coulde out. He looked at her curiously as if they already had.

    ¡°I meant to think about what happened with your family. I think you need to slow down for a minute and

    consider-¡°

    ¡°What is there to think about? I killed the woman that killed my mother and her useless son that always

    hated me.¡± William snarled. He turned away from her as if he refused to look her in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t

    regret it. I don¡¯t care if that makes me a monster in your eyes.¡±

    ¡°That would never make you a monster, William. I¡¯m just worried about you. They weren¡¯t great people,

    I¡¯m not ever saying they were but I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡± Doris reached out her hands to

    William but he moved out of her grasp. She tried to hide her hurt but William always saw right through

    her. 1

    ¡°I have to settle this before you have our child, Doris. What don¡¯t you understand? I have to be set in my

    role long before our daughter or son is born.¡± William said. ¡°I need this war over soon. I have to take the

    throne as my own before more enemies are formed.¡±

    ¡°William, even if the war ended tomorrow your father is still alive.¡± Doris tried to speak as gently as she

    could. Suddenly an idea formed and she felt foolish that she hadn¡¯t thought of it before. ¡°I know you

    worry for him too. Have you thought about giving him some of your blood like you did to me? I¡¯m not sure

    if it will heal himpletely, but it might help.¡±

    ¡°If only it was that easy.¡± William said bitterly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work for him like it did for you, we share blood.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Does he have the same special blood you do?¡±

    ¡°No. My blood wouldn¡¯t heal him, it would only injure him further. I tried once when I was   younger to

    heal one of his wounds.¡± William sighed. ¡°When I was a kid, I realized my blood healed injured animals

    so I wanted to try it on a person. One day, I saw my father had a cut on his wrist so I snuck in his room

    when he was sleeping. When I dripped my blood in his mouth, it made the cut open wider.¡±

    Doris¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh my, It did the opposite?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I thought my blood hurt people after that, but then I learned it only had that reaction for those that

    share my blood. Later on, I learned that wolves who can heal can¡¯t use that sort of gift on their blood

    family.¡± 1

    Doris wrapped her arms around William and rested her head against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know why she expected him to hesitate before showing affection to her, but he didn¡¯t. He

    wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her tightly against him. ¡°I will make sure this is all

    resolved before it¡¯s toote.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Doris closed her eyes and let him hold her for as long as he needed to. His chin rested on top of her

    head and she could hear the rapid heartbeat inside his chest. She wished he could stay with her for a

    while before he let his thoughts take over again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill Martin.¡± He said quietly. ¡°I know that is what it wille down to.¡± 2

    Doris almost pulled away to look up at him, but he held firm. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to. You don¡¯t have to kill all

    of your brothers to get the throne.¡±

    ¡°They would kill me if I don¡¯t. Except Daniel, I would never let anyone hurt Daniel.¡± William pulled away

    from her. ¡°I have to do this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Martin would want to kill you, William. No matter what you¡¯ve done or what you want. He

    doesn¡¯t have the taste for war and vengeance like Luna Queen did.¡±

    ¡°He might now that she¡¯s gone.¡± William said. He turned to the door and all Doris could do was helplessly

    watch him leave.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    Chapter 173 What¡¯s she doing here

    ¡°Doris, get up!¡± Beth hissed in her ear. Doris flinched out of her sleep as if she had been pped.

    ¡°What?¡± She mumbled and fell back against the pillow when she saw it was only Beth. ¡°What

    happened?¡±

    ¡°Melody is here!¡± Beth said as she pulled on Doris¡¯s arm. That made her feel wide awake, more so than

    any freezing bucket of water ever could. 2

    ¡°What? Melody is here?¡± Doris scrambled out of bed. It was only then that she noticed that William must

    have already left for the morning. She knew he came in during the night. She felt his arms around her to

    fill her with a warmth that only her mate could offer.

    ¡°Yes! She showed up early this morning apparently offering her help to William¡¯s side.¡± Beth rolled her

    eyes. They both knew that Melody only ever helped herself. If she was here, she wanted William back. 1

    Doris hurriedly got dressed. ¡°She must be trying to get back on his good side. He banned her from the

    pce when he took away herdyship.¡± It was possibly the most embarrassing thing that could ever

    happen to a formerdy. Somedies got to still live in the pce while others were sent elsewhere for

    work. To be banned was shameful.

    ¡°I heard she was dragged out crying and cursing your name!¡± Bethughed. She went to peer through

    the tent p to see if Melody was nearby. ¡°One of the maids told me she scratched up a few of the

    guards and they had to smack her just to silence her. The whole time you guys were in the north she

    talked about William wanting to marry her.¡±

    ¡°If she hadn¡¯t abused me as much as she did, I might even feel sorry for her.¡± Doris said.

    ¡°The only thing you should feel sorry for is anyone that has to deal with her.¡± Beth muttered. Doris came

    to join her and poked her head out of the p. People passed normally and went on their way, did they

    know that someone wicked now walked among them? Did they even care?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should show yourself to her, Doris. Who knows what she has nned in that rotten

    mind of hers. She might havee all the way here just to hurt you and get you back for what

    happened.¡± I

    ¡°She knows that would be foolish. Everyone here is aware that I¡¯m the prince¡¯sdy now. They wouldn¡¯t

    turn their eye if she tried to hurt me this time.¡± Doris closed the p. ¡°Besides, she doesn¡¯t scare me

    anymore. I can handle myself.¡±

    ¡°She may not scare you, but she terrifies me. I heard some of the older guards mention how you might

    be with child. If they knew that, then | guarantee that Melody has already learned that as well. We both

    know she won¡¯t take that news well. She thought she was going to be in your shoes.¡±   ¡°I can¡¯t stay in

    here all day. She knows I¡¯m here if she knows William is here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It would be more dangerous to have you as a sitting duck.¡± Beth bit her lip in

    ¡°I thought you were scared of her!¡± Doris followed Beth as she left the tent.

    ¡°I am! But-I don¡¯t want to be anymore. I want to learn how to be less fearful like you did.¡± Beth said

    quietly. She nced at the passing rogues as if she was afraid they were eavesdropping on her.

    Doris gripped Beth¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re braver than you think of yourself. Don¡¯t sell yourself short when you¡¯re

    the bravest woman I know.¡±

    Beth bumped Doris¡¯s shoulder with a small smile. Across the camp, Melody¡¯s back was unmistakable.

    Her long blonde hair was braided with determination and not one hair looked out of ce even here.

    Doris fought the urge to fix her own hair that never seemed to want to stay still.

    Melody turned when she heard their steps approach her. She took one look at Doris and stered on

    her usual fake smile that hid every intention in her mind. ¡°Doris. I wondered when you were finally going

    to get up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, her prince tends to keep her up at night.¡± Beth said quickly, almost without thought.

    ¡°Beth!¡± Doris hissed. Her face med red instantly.

    ¡°Sorry, mydy.¡° Beth bowed her head. Melody narrowed her eyes at them.

    ¡°Melody.¡± Doris cleared her throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Or ever again.¡±

    ¡°Well, I may have been tossed out from the pce but when I heard about the war-I had to let William

    know that he still had my support.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he appreciated that. Will you be on your way?¡± Doris sped her hands in front of her coolly.

    ¡°As you can see, everyone here is very busy¡±.

    ¡°I was told that his side could use every helping hand they could get.¡± Melody smiled with her teeth. ¡°I

    thought I would stick around for a while and try to help in any way I could.¡±

    ¡°Prince William said you could stay?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say I had to leave.¡± Melody lifted her chin in challenge. Her voice dropped slightly . ¡°He only

    said to be a good girl and he knows very well that I always listen to hismands.¡±

    Doris swallowed the rage that formed in the pit of her stomach. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Melody nced around at those around her. Doris watched her carefully. ¡°I only

    want to help the cause. I think William deserves to be on the throne, despite what happened between us.

    He should be the king.¡±

    ¡°Right

    ¡°Oh! There¡¯s William now.¡± Melody¡¯s face brightened when her eyes found William. Doris wanted to

    shove her to the ground.

    ¡°Doris.¡± William¡¯s eyes were only on her as if Melody didn¡¯t even exist. He gripped her hand and led her

    away from the girls. ¡°I see you¡¯ve already run into Melody.¡±

    ¡°Why would you let her in the camp?¡± Doris whispered. ¡°She clearly hasn¡¯t gotten over what happened.

    She basically tried to murder me with her eyes the whole conversation.¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°She said she would be useful to us.¡± William muttered. ¡°I told her to stay away from you.¡±

    ¡°What could Melody possibly be useful for? She wants to end up back on your good side and she will

    clearly do whatever that takes.¡±

    ¡°She said she has over heard hundreds of Martin¡¯s private conversations. She might be able to get back

    into the pce and act as if she wants to work for the pce again to get even more information.

    Everyone knows I publicly threw her out, they won¡¯t think she¡¯s with me.¡± .

    Doris crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn¡¯t imagine William being fine with Doris allowing an ex

    lover in the camp-even though she clearly didn¡¯t have anyone before William.

    All she could do was nod her head and keep quiet when all she wanted to do was force Melody far from

    the camp. Nothing good coulde of Melody trying to help.

    ¡°If she says anything to you, tell me. She¡¯ll be gone by morning.¡± William kissed her temple before he

    walked off towards the main tent. Doris watched him disappear inside.

    Later that day, Beth joined Doris on another walk after their lunch. The cold air felt blissful against her

    warm skin. They took a small path behind the camp that was much less crowded.

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s good to take a few walks a day. Soon you won¡¯t want to walk anywhere because your feet

    will swell! Isn¡¯t that the craziest thing you ever heard?¡± Bethughed. Doris frowned at the thought of her

    feet swelling.

    ¡°That sounds awfully painful. I suppose I wouldn¡¯t want to walk either.¡±

    ¡°Well, it might not be that bad once you get used to it.¡±

    A wooden cart suddenly came barreling towards the girls. Doris acted without thought, she shoved Beth

    out of the way and tried to jump as well but was toote. The cart mmed into her leg and sent her to

    the ground.

    ¡°Doris! Oh my, are you okay?¡± Beth quickly got up to help Doris. She shoved the cart away from her.

    ¡°Oh no. I don¡¯t know how that thing got away from me.¡± A voice dripped in false innocence called.

    Doris didn¡¯t have to look up to know it was Melody. Beth helped Doris stand carefully. ¡°It¡¯s fine,   it doesn¡¯t

    hurt.¡± She whispered to Beth. ¡°It was just a small hit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so brave Doris! I remember you used to cry at the smallest ps. How much you¡¯ve grown.¡±

    Doris red at Melody as she wiped off the dirt from her pants. ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t yet made yourself

    useful here, Melody.¡±

    ¡°The day is still young, dear Doris.¡±

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174

    Chapter 174 And there she goes

    ¡°Stay away from her, Melody.¡± Beth said. Her hands shook a little as she spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll be kicked out of

    here too if you don¡¯t watch it. Prince William advised you to stay away from Doris.¡±

    Doris gripped Beth¡¯s hand and casually stepped in front of her. She knew her friend was scared. She

    was so proud of her friend for speaking up instead of staying quiet. The fact that she did it for Doris

    melted her heart even more. Thest thing she wanted was for Melody to hurt her in any way.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you¡¯re enjoying the role you stole from me.¡± Melody said with a false smile. She ignored

    Bethpletely as if she didn¡¯t even exist. It infuriated Doris but also made her d that she didn¡¯t use

    her opportunity to bully her. ¡°I knew that was what you wanted all along! All those days I caught you

    staring at him and falling into him like a pathetic cow!¡±

    ¡°I stole from you? You are the one that pretended to be something you¡¯re not. You knew that when you

    put that fake mark on your neck!¡± Doris took a small breath. ¡°There is no use in

    fighting me, Melody. You don¡¯t belong here and everyone knows it.¡±

    ¡°It was my role!¡± Melody shouted, then immediately lowered her volume. ¡°It was mine. I was hisdy. I

    was the one he was destined to be with. You could never measure up to me or what we were!¡±

    ¡°You are not his mate, Melody. You know you¡¯re not. I am. I may have run from the role before, but not

    anymore. I am Prince William¡¯s mate.¡± Doris said calmly. No matter how gentle she spoke, it only

    seemed to make Melody more angry. Doris took a small step back. ¡°There is no point in you being here if

    you¡¯re only here to terrorize me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for you, Doris. I¡¯m here for William.¡± Melody took a small step forward. ¡°I know he cared for

    me when we were together. It¡¯s not easy to just forget how you feel for someone!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think will happen, but he is not with you anymore.¡± Doris said. ¡°He¡¯s not going to

    leave me for you just because you want to help him. A mating bond means more than everything you

    had with him, which was nothing.¡±

    ¡°You think he won¡¯t leave you eventually too?¡± Melodyughed. ¡°He¡¯ll need someone pretty toy with

    when you¡¯re big and sweaty. Just wait. I bet he¡¯s already returning to bed long after you¡¯ve been asleep. I

    can¡¯t imagine he would remain happy with someone like you.¡± 2

    Doris felt her cheeks heat. Just as Melody wanted, the insecurity nted itself in Doris¡¯s mind like an

    infection. She tried to shake it away, but it clung on tight. ¡°You might as well leave, Melody. Whatever

    you¡¯re nning, it won¡¯t work.¡±

    Melody took a small step towards Doris almost threateningly so. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that cart didn¡¯t hit you in

    your stomach. I would have loved to see you bleed out until that child inside you is no more.¡±

    It happened so fast, Doris didn¡¯t even have a chance to say a word. William appeared behind Melody as

    if he came from thin air and snapped her neck before she sensed him. Her eyes were wide, lifeless as

    she fell to the floor. Beth screamed and ran back to the tent as if she was running for her life. 3

    If Doris didn¡¯t know better, she would have done the same. Doris trembled as she watched him move her

    body out of his way as if she was trash. Her head was turnedpletely around, it sent shivers down

    Doris¡¯s skin and joined the lump of bodies that already crowded her mind.

    ¡°I told her not to talk to you. I told her to stay away from you.¡± William said as he neared her. Doris forced

    herself not to back away from the man she cared for. ¡°When shees for my child, she doesn¡¯t get

    another chance. I should have cut her open and let her bleed out in the middle of the camp like the

    animal she is.¡±

    ¡°1¨C¡°Doris tried to grasp for words but she felt breathless. As much death as she had seen, it never got

    easier. ¡°I¡­¡±

    William gripped her shoulders lightly. ¡°I would never let anyone hurt you, do you understand? Never.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Doris whispered. Her eyes kept trying to look at the body behind him but he refused to let her.

    He gripped her chin and made her look him in the eye while he spoke but all she hear was the sound of

    Melody¡¯s neck snapping over and over again. ¡°I¨C¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± William held her so carefully with the hands that were so violent and covered in blood. He took

    her in his arms and carried her back to their tent. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from watching Melody¡¯s

    lifeless body. It almost looked like she was watching her right back with eyes that didn¡¯t close.

    Heid her down in their bed and brought the covers over her. She hadn¡¯t realized she was shivering

    until he did so. ¡°Rest. I¡¯ll find where Beth ran off to and send her in to help.¡±

    Doris nodded slowly. He left without another word and Melody¡¯s body shed before her eyes her and

    over again. And over and over and over. Piled on top of all the people she saw die right in front of her.

    Ones from the north and those from the pce. In the end, they were all the same. They all ended up in

    the same lifeless pile.

    Beth came in her tent like a scared animal that didn¡¯t want to be there. Doris sat up and held out her

    arms for her friend. She¡¯d almost forgotten-it was Beth¡¯s first time seeing someone die. How could she

    erase it from her friend¡¯s mind when she couldn¡¯t do that for herself?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Doris said gently. Beth hesitated before she crossed the room to Doris. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you saw

    that.¡± ¡°I heard he did the same to Prince Jack too. I didn¡¯t realize Prince William was like this.¡± Beth said

    quietly. She kept ncing at the door.

    ¡°He knew Melody wanted me to lose the baby, he wouldn¡¯t have hurt her if she didn¡¯t threaten  .¡± Doris

    rubbed her back slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Beth. He would never hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m not worried about me! I¡¯m worried about you, Doris. What if you say the wrong thing and end up

    like them?¡±

    ¡°He would never kill his mate! After what happened to his father, I don¡¯t think he can even stomach the

    idea of the same fate.¡± Doris said. Deep down, she wasn¡¯t sure who she was trying to convince more.

    Doris had seen William kill countless times and each time was more shocking than thest.

    Now he was killing people he knew well. People he once cared for, but now were nothing but part of the

    earth that they walked on. She knew they were horrible people, it still made her stomach feel uneasy.

    Clearly she wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Maybe he was right, you should be off with Prince Daniel until all of this is over.¡± Beth said quietly. ¡°It

    would be safer for you and you would be around the best care.¡±

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep at night if William was here while I was off somewhere far and safe. My wolf needs to be

    near him for her to feel calm. We both need each other.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Beth sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Doris gripped her hands.

    ¡°You are doing everything you need to be. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°I just,¡°

    The p of the tent opened and William stood tall. Beth was already moving away from her before she

    could think to grip on tighter. ¡°Are you well?¡±

    ¡°I am. I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± Doris watched as Beth slipped out of the tent. ¡°I think I¡¯m just a little shocked,

    is all.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have allowed her in the camp.¡± William closed the tent p as if it was a door he could m.

    ¡°I hope your maid doesn¡¯t make me an enemy to the rest of them.¡±

    ¡°She would never do that, William.¡± Doris stood. The world felt a little blurry, she gripped onto the table

    but William was already there to help her up.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like to join me in the main tent. I know I¡¯ve kept you in the dark about all of this, but I

    don¡¯t want to do that any more.¡±

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she was entranced by his eyes, or his words. All she could do was mindlessly nod

    while he led her out into the snow and towards all the things he¡¯s been nning for his army.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    Chapter 175 All in the ns

    ¡°Doris! Lovely to see you again.¡± Enzo stood when she entered the tent. He looked deprived of sleep but

    the smile on his face was real. She always felt a soft spot of warmth when she saw him. It was nice to

    have a friend that deserved a part of her heart. She always missed him when he was gone.

    ¡°Enzo! I thought you weren¡¯t returning for a few days.¡± Doris gave him her hand and hended a big kiss

    on the back of it. Sheughed when William grumbled from behind her. She swore he had a soft spot for

    Enzo. Anyone else would be shoved out the door for looking at her.

    ¡°I was concerned that you would miss me so I came straight back.¡± He grinned. ¡°I finished my task faster

    than I thought. What I thought would take five days took less than one, Martin didn¡¯t bring out the big

    guns as we expected.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s lovely to have you back. This ce is boring without your re.¡±

    ¡°As expected. Though, it seems that won¡¯t be for long. I also just heard you might have a new addition

    soon.¡± His eyes flickered to her stomach. She almost wanted to cover it before more people started to

    stare. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a secret?

    ¡°Oh? And who would tell you such a thing?¡± Doris smiled. Enzo pulled out her chair and she sat around

    therge table that had piles of papers and open scrolls.

    ¡°Your annoying mate told me it. He also threatened me to stop flirting with you but I refused.¡± Enzo

    winked as he plopped down in the seat next to her. ¡°He can¡¯t stop me and I wouldn¡¯t even consider it.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t want to flirt in a few months.¡± Doris said andid her hand on her t stomach. She tried to

    imagine what it would be like to have a round stomach with a baby inside and swollen feet. The image it

    brought made her start to sweat.

    ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ll most likely flirt even more! If he lets me live, that is.¡± Enzo eyed William who was ring

    right back at him. Doris hid her smile behind her hand. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more beautiful than a pregnant

    woman. You¡¯ll be glowing more than usual soon enough.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re finished, we can begin.¡± William unrolled ayout of the pce in front of them. Enzo leaned

    back as if he had already heard it a million times and was annoyed that William interrupted their fun.

    ¡°Martin¡¯s forces aren¡¯t as strong as he imed. Many of the guards followed to my side and it has left him

    overwhelmed in some areas.¡± William gestured to the front of the pce. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be

    possible so soon, but Enzo has informed us that they have already shown signs of weakness.¡±

    ¡°Many parts of the pce aren¡¯t being protected for possible ambushes. Only the main entrances are

    being watched but even then there¡¯s not as many as you would expect.¡± Enzo said as he picked at his

    nails. ¡°I don¡¯t think Martin considered the possibility of us   back to the pce this soon.¡±

    ¡°If we push in now before more forces arrive, we might be able to over throw Martin.¡± William made a line

    right to the main entrance of the pce. ¡°I say we head straight for him and take down anyone in our

    way. If we can bring the guards we have here and some from the field, we can get through.¡±

    Enzo nodded slowly. ¡°Yes. I believe we could. Martin doesn¡¯t seem to know how to handle this, I doubt

    he¡¯s sent for extra forces or else they would have been here already and pushed us back. We move

    closer each hour.¡±

    ¡°What happens when you get into the pce?¡± One of the rogues asked from down the table. The rest of

    them stayed silent to observe. ¡°What do we do then?¡±

    ¡°Once we get into the pce and overwhelm them, Martin will know he has lost. He¡¯ll have no choice but

    to stand down and give the crown to me.¡±

    Doris studied the map silently as they discussed which paths to take to the pce without getting caught.

    Thest thing they needed was for the pce to be tipped off about their nning. She tried to picture

    the man she once believed was so kind-pacing in his room this very moment. Did he have a feeling that

    something bad wasing for him? Or did he think it would all go away like it always did?

    ¡°I think it will work.¡± Doris said suddenly. William snapped his eyes to her with an intensity that almost

    made her forget what she was saying. ¡°Martin has no one. He has no one to tell him what to do or how to

    move forward, he might be more willing to give up the crown when he realizes that he has no where else

    to turn.¡±

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t shown his face once since this fight started. He¡¯s most likely in his room waiting for it to end.¡±

    Enzo said.

    ¡°When William asked for the crown before, he had his mother and brother to stand behind him. Now that

    they¡¯re gone, William has a better chance at him feeling defeated.¡± Doris leaned back. ¡°Although, it might

    backfire. He might be only more driven on revenge and less likely to hand it over without a fight. You took

    the only people he cared for away from him, he might not be so willing to let you have what you want.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± William said. ¡°Martin might be even more dangerous now than he was before. We don¡¯t

    know what he¡¯s been nning.¡±

    ¡°Which is why we need to act now. If we ambush him before he¡¯s finished nning, we can stop this war

    quicker. He won¡¯t expect us to close in on him this quickly.¡± Enzo said. It was strange to see him flip from

    flirty to serious so quickly.

    ¡°If you are able to get in the pce and corner him, he might fight you but I think he will know it¡¯s over. I

    don¡¯t see the need to kill another prince.¡± Doris said. ¡°Not unless he gives you no other option.¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    William stared at her for a moment and then nodded. She wished he would realize that she only said that

    for him, not for her. She didn¡¯t want William to regret killing another brother

    once the dust was settled.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯ve finallye around.¡± William said. He sat himself across from her and Enzo.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like talk of war, but I-¡° Doris hesitated and nced at the other men around her. Most of them

    were looking down at scrolls or had their eyes half closed as if they were sleeping. ¡°I just want to make

    sure youe out of this war alive. That¡¯s all.¡±

    William watched her for a long moment, she shifted in her seat. ¡°Will I be joining you for this ambush?¡±

    She finally asked.

    ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡± William curled his hand into a fist. She was worried he¡¯d take his shifting anger out

    on the table. ¡°You will stay here. I¡¯m going to leave you here with some of the guards to make sure you¡¯re

    untouched while we¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°How long do you think it will all take?¡± Doris asked. She didn¡¯t want to admit that she was d to stay

    here rather than go with them.

    ¡°It depends on how strong his line is by the pce. It could take anywhere from two days to a full week. I

    n on pushing in as quickly as possible -¡± Enzo said.

    ¡°We should be back in no more than two days.¡± William interrupted. ¡°We will not wait more than that to

    get into the pce to get to Martin. Any longer will give him enough time to create a bigger defense.¡±

    All the speak of war made Doris¡¯s head spin. She shifted in her seat again. ¡°When are you leaving?

    Tonight?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave before the sun rises.¡± William said almost gently. It made her look up at him and for the first

    time in what felt like ages, she saw a soft blue sea as he looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m having my men prepare the

    horses now. I want to leave in a few hours.¡±

    ¡°You should rest before then.¡± Doris whispered. A tight knot formed in her chest and made it almost hard

    to breathe. What if it was herst night with him? As much as he liked to act like he was invincible, he

    wasn¡¯t.

    All it took was one bite, one bullet, one stab wound and he would be gone from her forever. A mistake

    thatsted a second could take his life, and the weight of that was finally crushing her.

    William stood and held out his hand for her. ¡°Come.¡±

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    Chapter 176 A night to remember

    William led Doris back to their tent silently. Hisrge hand swallowed hers as he pulled her forward and

    closed the tent p after her to trap her in with him. She stood still and watched his back as he took off

    his cloak and shirt.

    She had the sudden urge to press into him forever and never live a day without his touch. If only he

    would stay,

    When he turned to look at her, his eyes held questions that his mouth refused to ask. Silently, his eyes

    roamed over her body. Every inch of her shivered as if he had touched her and traced the outline of her

    curves with his long fingers. Doris unbuttoned her cloak and tossed it to the side where his ownnded.

    A spike of hunger red in his eyes as her fingers pulled at the hem of her sweater. Normally, she might

    haveughed at the thought that he found her desirable wearing an old oversized sweater. But his gaze

    only made her feel¡­ unstoppable. It made her feel as if she was the only woman in the world that he

    would look at like that.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t true.

    William crossed the room and pulled her sweater off her before she could get the chance to tease him.

    He pulled her body against his and she gasped at the feeling of his warm skin. It made her feel as if she

    was about to start sweating in freezing weather.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear a word unless you¡¯re begging for more.¡± He said roughly against her ear. She could

    have melted against him right there and let him clean her up off the floor, but he held her firm.

    William lifted her off the ground and wrapped her legs around him. He carried her over to the bed and fell

    on the soft surface with her as one. A tent was different than a cave, there were no stone walls to keep in

    their sounds but that was thest thing Doris wanted to think about. Even if it meant getting strange

    nces all day tomorrow.

    He kissed down her skin, over every scar that ruined her. He kissed over her mark that imed her as

    his. She used to curse the sight of it, now she wanted to disy it for the world to see. She wanted to

    wear it proudly and let everyone know they belonged to each other and it was foolish to ever think

    otherwise.

    It felt like an old version of herself that used to see his blue eyes in her nightmares when they were now

    only in her best dreams. They calmed her fears and let her know his feelings even when he wouldn¡¯t talk

    to her. His eyes were a dream in their own..

    William wasted no time in removing their clothes until there was nothing to separate their skin. His body

    heated her immediately without having to even touch her.

    His hands hungrily searched for her in the dark and made her breathless with a simple caress. Her hips

    moved up towards him, his warm breath brushed her skin as he chuckled at each of  her own. Their

    sounds echoed together off the walls and came right back to her.

    He reached his hand down to rub her clit as he moved harder.

    ¡°William!¡± Doris screamed and arched her back as she gripped the sheets. Her stomach started to

    tighten, she wanted to crawl up his body and kiss him until he was breathless, but her body was weak

    when it was in his hands. He could do anything he wanted to her and all

    she could do was take it gratefully.

    He moved inside her until they both came undone. William groaned her name as he released moments

    before she felt her own climax shake her body. The room spun around her and left her intoxicated from

    the feeling of him.

    Doris gripped his shoulders and brought him down to her. She kissed him slowly and prayed the moment

    could stretch on forever so he wouldn¡¯t leave her. She kissed down his face, along his sharp jaw, right to

    the mark she left on his neck that officially imed him as her own before she kissed right back up to his

    lips.

    William took her in his arms and pulled her against him as they kissed. He pulled up the covers and they

    slipped beneath the twisted sheets as the cold quickly swept back in on their heated skin.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    His tongue trailed along her own and she didn¡¯t think there was anything more luxurious than being

    kissed by him. No gold or kingdom could measure the feeling of his affection when he kissed her like

    that.

    She finally understood why so manydies risked everything they had just to have a taste of him. She

    couldn¡¯t imagine a life without it now. All Doris could do was hope he felt she was just as addicting as he

    was to her.

    When they finally pulled away, she rested her head on his chest and listened to his calming breath.

    ¡°Come back to me, William.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°¡­ love you.¡± .

    William stilled beneath her. Part of her immediately wanted to suck the words back inside herself and

    pretend that it never happened. After an agonizing moment, he rxed. ¡°Not even death could part me

    from you.¡± He said quietly.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    Chapter 177 Easy they go

    The moment he stirred, Doris was wide awake. She didn¡¯t want to miss his goodbye, she didn¡¯t want to

    risk a moment that might haunt her forever. All night she had woken at the smallest movements in fear

    he would try to leave without kissing her onest time. She wouldn¡¯t allow that.

    Doris got up silently when William did. He dressed himself in the dark and kept his back to her as she did

    the same. It was too early for any sense of goodbye, the sun hadn¡¯t even started to poke out of the sky

    yet and it felt like only minutes had passed since they shared a heated moment.

    When he finally turned to look at her, Doris had to hold in every emotion she had before they came

    spilling out of her. William crossed the room to meet her halfway. She couldn¡¯t help herself, she reached

    up to run her fingers through his dark messy hair. A dark sinking feeling pushed down on her chest.

    ¡°Perhaps I should go with you¡ª¡°

    ¡°No. It¡¯ll be much safer for you here. I don¡¯t want you anywhere near the pce when this happens.¡±

    William said firmly but gently. He gripped her hands and drew her closer to him.¡°

    This will be over soon. I¡¯ll be back faster than thest time I left.¡±

    ¡°What if something happens to you? I wouldn¡¯t be able to sit by and let you get hurt or captured-¡°

    ¡°I can handle it, Doris. Even if they throw me in the cells. I will handle it. Martin is nothing against me and

    my wolf and he knows it. When we were younger, he never challenged me like Jack did. He knew I was

    stronger.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, something inside me feels wrong. It feels like something bad is about to happen.¡± Doris

    wrapped her arms around her stomach. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. it just feels like a

    sinking feeling in my chest down to my stomach.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about what is toe of this war. That feeling is dread of the inevitable, it doesn¡¯t mean

    it wille true.¡± William brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°You¡¯re safer here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be safer with you.¡± Doris frowned. ¡°Our wolves should stay together, we¡¯re stronger this

    way.¡±

    The corner of William¡¯s mouth lifted slightly as he leaned down to kiss her. ¡°You¡¯re safer here. Far from

    the pce with a dozen guards to watch you until I get back.¡±

    Doris leaned up to kiss him one more time. She lingered as long as she could before he pulled away

    from her. He held her face for a long moment and she traced every line of his face with her eyes until it

    was cemented in her mind. Who was she kidding? She would never forget a single detail about him even

    if she lived for a hundred years without seeing him again.

    Without another word, he released her and left through the tent p. Doris had to remind herself how to

    move again before she hurried after him.

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Their horses were already packed with any supplies they could possibly need. His guards pulled

    themselves up on the horses the moment they saw Williame towards them. Over a dozen stood off

    to the side and she could only guess that they were the ones to stay and watch over her while he was

    gone.

    ¡°I want her tent watched at all hours of the day or night. She is to be escorted to and from anywhere

    around the camp that she may want to go.¡± William said as he neared the guards with Doris on his heel.

    ¡°Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The men bowed. Doris felt her cheeks me. She wanted to tell them not to worry about her but

    William would probably re at her until she took it back.

    William nced back at her once more and offered a ghost of a smile before he pulled himself up on his

    horse. ¡°You¡¯ll hardly notice I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°That seems unlikely, who else will stomp around the camp like a dark cloud?¡± Enzo asked as he pulled

    up his horse next to them.

    William rolled his eyes to the sky. ¡°She should be thanking me for taking you for from her.¡± William

    muttered. ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t fool yourself, William. She dreams of a day we can be alone without your gloom to follow us.¡±

    Enzo winked at Doris before he kicked off through the trees. William stared at her a breath longer before

    he did as well. .

    Not once did either of them say goodbye. She didn¡¯t know why it bothered her as much as it

    did.

    A few hourster, the sun had finally rose. Doris didn¡¯t sleep a minute, she was already awake when

    Beth entered with her breakfast bnced on a white tray.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen so many guards on alert! Here I thought that they would be sleeping the moment

    William left.¡± Beth shook her head and set the tray down on the table. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize what time

    they were leaving. I thought they might have still been here this morning but over half of the camp is

    gone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I should feel d that I stayed or not. I just feel as if something terrible is going to

    happen.¡± Doris said as she picked at her food. Beth sat across from her and gripped her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be worried about him.¡± Beth said gently. ¡°Just don¡¯t stress yourself more than usual. The

    doctor said that wasn¡¯t good for you or the baby.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Doris sighed and tried to shake the feeling of doom in her chest. ¡°I just-I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard

    knowing that he¡¯s going to do something so dangerous. Even if he is prepared and has a full army

    behind him.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, war is full of taking risks that are far from safe. I know that you know he will be just fine.

    Remind yourself that.¡± Beth squeezed her hand.

    ¡°Have you warmed up to the rogues yet?¡± Doris asked in effort to change the subject.

    Beth scrunched her nose at Doris. ¡°Warmed up to them? You mean befriend them? Oh no. You won¡¯t

    catch me befriending a rogue out here. I saw one of them pick up a rodent and eat it behind the tents!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris almost choked on her food. ¡°There is no way you saw that!¡± ¡°I did! He looked back at me

    and grinned before I ran away. I don¡¯t care if William is friends with them now, I don¡¯t have to be.¡±

    Doris tried to push the image out of her mind of one of the rogues eating a live rodent before it burned

    into her brain. ¡°Are you sure it wasn¡¯t a nightmare? I lived with them for weeks and not once did I see

    something like that!¡±

    Beth¡¯s face made Dorisugh. ¡°I swear it, Doris! I wouldn¡¯t trust them if I were you.¡± She crossed her

    arms over her chest. ¡°Okay, Beth. You definitely don¡¯t have to be their friend if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m just

    d you¡¯re mine.¡± Doris stood and peered out of the tent p. Three guards hovered near the entrance.

    ¡°I wonder if William threatened them. I bet they¡¯re worried he¡¯lle popping out of the bushes any

    second.¡± Beth said as shee up behind her. ¡°Will you stay in here tonight with me?¡± Doris closed the

    p. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to sleep with this feeling in my chest.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Doris. You know I would do anything for you.¡± Beth smiled a little. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±

    Doris bundled up before they ventured out of the tent together arm in arm. Two guards broke off from the

    tent entrance and immediately followed them.

    ¡°What will you do if he does be king?¡± Beth asked quietly. ¡°¡­ don¡¯t know. Support him, of course.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean-will you take the title of Queen?¡±

    Doris felt warmth coat her cheeks. ¡°What? Me? No, I don¡¯t think he would have me be his queen. I¡¯m not

    prepared to take a role like that, he¡¯s trained his whole life to be king.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re his mate and soon to be mother of his child, I think he would want you as his queen.¡± Beth

    nudged her. Doris felt sick just thinking about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I suppose I will have to have that conversation with him when the timees.¡± Doris

    cleared her throat. ¡°What about you? When William is set as king, I¡¯ll have him make you

    Beth stopped short at her words. ¡°What?¡°

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    Chapter 178 Easy theye

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have William sign the amnesty for you.¡± Doris gripped Beth¡¯s hand. ¡°You can be free and go

    anywhere in the world you want. You don¡¯t have to spend your days looking after me or anyone else at

    the pce-you can be free.¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°¡­¡± Beth¡¯s hands shook. ¡°That¡¯s very kind, Doris,¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s not kindness I¡¯m giving you, it¡¯s the right thing to do. You should have been freed months ago but

    you had to stay because of me. You deserve to be a free woman.¡± Doris swallowed.¡± I¡¯m sorry that I

    couldn¡¯t free you sooner. I wanted to the moment I got back but then everything just kept happening.¡±

    Beth pulled Doris in for a hug and squeezed the breath out of her.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar) ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything!¡± Doris smiled. ¡°Or say everything, say whatever is in your heart. Just promise me

    that you won¡¯t go far and forget me. Promise me that you will live for both of us and not be sorry for any

    of it.¡±

    ¡°Forget you? You¡¯re mad if you think I could ever forget you!¡± Beth wiped away her falling tears. ¡°I don¡¯t

    know what to be without you, Doris. We were always going to leave together and travel as far as we

    could. All of our ns were with each other, I never once saw myself without my best friend by my side.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Doris pulled Beth towards arge tree stump and sat upon it with her. The guards hovered

    nearby, but not too close. She was d for that at least. ¡°There is nothing I want more than to see the

    world. All of my dreams were leaving the pce and seeing what else life had to offer me. I wanted to

    know what it¡¯s like in other kingdoms and ces-but¡­¡±

    ¡°But now you have responsibilities bigger than yourself.¡± Beth said sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why 1 feel so sad

    when you have so much good happening for you.¡±

    ¡°Be happy, my love. Don¡¯t you dare be sad about change.¡± Doris whispered even though she felt that

    sadness as well. Beth was always in her future, but she couldn¡¯t hold her here just to be her friend. It was

    selfish to even consider. ¡°Where do you want to go, Beth?¡± Doris asked with a small smile. ¡°Where would

    your heart take you first?¡±

    ¡°¡­. I don¡¯t know. I honestly imagined myself getting in a carriage and riding off far from here. Maybe

    somewhere sunny with an ocean or somewhere with mountains and beautiful snow.¡±

    ¡°I thought you hated the cold!¡± Dorisughed and looked around at the small piles of snow around them.

    It wasn¡¯t nearly as much as the north where snow covered every inch for as far as she could see. ¡°I

    couldn¡¯t imagine you seeking out snow of all things!¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful! I would love to see a ce covered in endless snow, but I wouldn¡¯t want to live in it.

    I don¡¯t know where I would go first!¡±

    ¡°Well, I want to give you all the money I saved in the castle before you go.¡± Doris nced up  at the

    gloomy clouds. ¡°I want you to have as much as you need. I want you to be able to go anywhere you want

    and not have to settle until you find the ce that feels like home.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Doris. You know I can¡¯t take that.¡± Beth insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to leave you. Who would be

    your maid?¡±

    ¡°Beth, you¡¯ve been my maid for such a short time. I¡¯m sure I will find someone to help me with the baby.¡±

    Dorisughed. ¡°You¡¯re going to take my offer and then some!¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness. The baby!¡± Beth stood and started to pace the small clearing. ¡°Nope, there is no way I

    can leave my best friend when she is going to be a mother. You¡¯re going to need all the support you can

    get. I know we both have no experience but we can figure it out together!¡±

    ¡°Beth, if you think I would make you stay because of me, you have lost your mind. (This novel will be

    daily updtaed at .noveljar)I want you to go and live your life. I want you to find happiness and

    make up for all the years you had to care for another person. I will be fine. There is a pce worth of

    maids ready to help me when I need it. I have William, I will have your love in spirit. I will be fine.¡±

    Beth¡¯s smile quickly faded from her face. ¡°What if I¡¯m not ready to be on my own yet?¡±

    ¡°Then you can stay at the pce as my guest for as long as you want. You can stay until you¡¯re old and

    gray.¡± Doris gripped her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave. I¡¯m not kicking you out. I¡¯m releasing you from

    your role officially when he bes king. You don¡¯t have to clean up after anyone or wear a uniform

    every day. I¡¯ll have dresses brought to you and you can be a queen in your own right.¡±

    Bethughed and wiped her eyes again. ¡°I don¡¯t think I deserve a friend like you. Tell me what I did to

    deserve you.¡±

    ¡°You were a friend to me when I needed you. Nothing else matters.¡± Doris stood and led Beth back to the

    tent. ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat again. I don¡¯t know why I feel like I could eat three meals right now.¡±

    Bethughed. ¡°That¡¯s only the beginning, Doris. I heard you¡¯re going to be craving the most ridiculous

    things soon!¡±

    Throughout the day, guards followed her every movement. They lingered closely and reminded her that

    they weren¡¯t far and even though nothing had sparked any of their concern, they didn¡¯t fall back in the

    slightest.

    Perhaps Beth was right, maybe they did fear the chance that William would return early and see them

    not on guard for her. She wanted to tell them that it was okay, to go rx and let her breathe ¨C but she

    promised William that she would stay safe and thest thing she wanted to do was go against his wish.

    Especially when her worry for him pulsed in her chest more painfully as the hours went on.

    Doris finally returned to her tent in the evening when she was tired of having her steps tracked. Not that

    she was ungrateful, she only wished to have a moment without eyes on her. It felt strange to go from the

    one that blended into the walls-to someone that was now cared

    Sometimes it still felt like a dream to her. This life was so far from anything she had ever wanted for

    herself. Now that she had it¡­ she didn¡¯t hate it like she once thought she would. She didn¡¯t hate the

    prince that held her each night or the protectiveness he showered her in.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯ll have?¡± Beth asked as she pulled out Doris¡¯s nightclothes. Doris quickly went

    over and snatched them from her.

    ¡°I asked you here as a friend.¡± Doris smiled. ¡°Stop taking care of me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever let that part of me go.¡± Bethughed. ¡°So answer my question!¡± ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯ll have? A boy or a girl?¡± Beth bumped her hip against her own. ¡°I heard one of

    the other maids once say that sometimes you can tell in the hips. If it¡¯s wider, it might be a boy.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t always be true.¡± Doris fell back against her bed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I would be happy either way,¡±

    ¡°Do you think William wants a boy?¡±

    LIN

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would have a preference either.¡± Doris yawned.

    ¡°Usually alphas want sons to take over their spot one day.¡± Bethid on the bed next to her like they

    used to do when they would gossipte at night in the pce.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s ridiculous. A girl could take his spot one day, it doesn¡¯t have to be a boy.¡±

    ¡°Ah ha! Or she could take your spot!¡± Bethughed. ¡°I would be d to hand it over to any child I have.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡± Doris closed her eyes. ¡°As long as they don¡¯t

    come out too grumpy.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re going to make a great mother.¡± Beth said softly. Doris smiled. ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but I

    believe in you.¡±

    Doris reached out to hold her friends hand. ¡°I believe in you too.¡± Doris whispered before she drifted off

    into sleep.

    A loud bang ripped Doris from her dreams. The lure of sleep quickly faded when she saw the fear on

    Beth¡¯s face.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Beth whispered.

    ¡°Stay here.¡± Doris got up slowly and wrapped a cloak around herself before she peered out of the tent

    p.

    All three guards that watched her tent were spread out on the ground with their throats ripped out.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179

    Chapter 179 Fight to the death

    Doris closed the p before Beth could see out of it. Her heart rate sped up to a hundred and she could

    barely hear anything over it. The feeling in her stomach was justified, she knew something bad was

    coming. Now it was here and she didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°What was it?¡± Beth asked from behind her. Her eyes were wide and innocent-Doris only felt her panic

    heighten. She had to protect Beth-nothing else mattered but Beth and her unborn baby.

    ¡°¡­¡± Doris gripped Beth¡¯s arm and moved her to the back of the tent where it was the darkest. She

    quickly grabbed the nkets off the bed and put them around Beth in an attempt to hide her. ¡°I need you

    to stay here and hide. No matter what you hear, do note out. Do you understand me?¡± Doris

    whispered. ¡°You can not make a single sound once I leave.¡±

    Now Beth¡¯s eyes were terrified. ¡°What are you talking about-¡±

    ¡°Please, stay quiet.¡± Doris begged. ¡°I need you to listen to me.¡±

    Beth quickly nodded with tears running down her cheeks. She knew that Beth wouldn¡¯t be able to defend

    herself, it was up to Doris to get them out of this alive. She was the only one that could shift into a wolf

    and have a chance to save them-she could do this. She had to do this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m going to shift, please don¡¯t follow me, okay?¡± Doris squeezed her hand before she

    turned away from her.

    Cordelia didn¡¯t have to say a word. She stepped into control instantly with Doris at her side. Doris could

    barely acknowledge the agonizing feel of her bones cracking and being put back together. It was like all

    the pain was nothingpared to the adrenaline that pumped through her body. If she had to, she bet

    she could¡¯ve run a hundred miles in minutes.

    Secondster, she was a white wolf with nothing on her mind but to protect her friend and any other

    guard that might still be out there alive. Doris stepped over her shredded clothes and poked her head out

    of the p quietly.

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    She didn¡¯t realize how much louder everything was when she was a wolf. She heard the steps and

    grunts of men not too far off from where she was. She couldn¡¯t tell if they were on her side or not. Where

    the guards going after who did this?

    Blood soaked the snow. Doris moved out of the tent and far from it in case it drew too much attention.

    She didn¡¯t need anyone going after Beth when her back was turned. Doris stepped over the bodies of

    guards that were meant to protect. It was strange how she didn¡¯t hear their deaths until it seemed to be

    all over.

    Was it all over?

    Bodiesid across the clearing. Guards she had just passed hours ago that followed her in the snow and

    made sure she was alright before she went to bed. Every single guard in the camp   looked¡­ dead. All

    of them. Dozens of guardsid lifeless around her and her mind wanted to run screaming.

    Doris cleared her mind and tried to listen for the men again now that she knew they weren¡¯t on her side.

    The heavy grunts were gone, far off as if the man or men had fled. Perhaps they didn¡¯t know Doris was

    here and they only wanted to take out William¡¯s men

    ¡°There she is!¡± A voice shouted from the trees. Doris turned and saw four men rush out of the darkness

    and head straight for her.

    Cordelia reacted before Doris could. She moved Doris out of the way and bit down on the nearest man¡¯s

    arm before he could hit her. His scream didn¡¯t even reach her ears. It was as if she could hear nothing

    but the sound of her own heart in her chest as she defended herself.

    Another man grabbed Doris¡¯s neck, she turned her head and sunk her teeth into his neck before he

    could choke the life out of her. He went down hard trying to stop the blood that gushed from his neck.

    Doris quickly turned away before it distracted her thoughts from what she had to do.

    One of the men must have shifted while she turned away. A grey wolf tackled her to the ground and tried

    his best to get his teeth around her arm. Cordelia was faster. She tore through the wolf like he was a

    stuffed animal. She tore his leg until it was in bloody shreds, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The wolf fought back

    with sharp teeth just inches from her leg.

    While her back was turned, one of the men grabbed her at the neck and yanked her back off of the wolf.

    He threw her across the clearing as if she weighed nothing and mmed her body into a tree.

    She was only allowed a second to catch her breath before they were upon her again. Doris lunged at the

    nearest man and brought him down roughly to the ground. They rolled for a few feet before Cordelia took

    over and bit down harshly on his neck.

    Doris wished she had the option to look away while Cordelia tore out his throat. The blood tasted like

    metal on her tongue, it was enough to make her want to throw up a weeks worth of food but she didn¡¯t

    have time for that. She had to help finish this.

    The limping wolf grabbed her leg and pulled her harshly off of the dead man. Half of them were down,

    she could do this. She was the white wolf, she could do this.

    Cordelia thrashed until her leg was out of the wolf¡¯s mouth. The man mmed something hard into her

    head and made her see stars for a moment. She quickly shook it off and dodged the wolf that tried to

    come for her again.

    Doris circled the two that were left. It urred to her that they might not have wanted her dead, or else

    she might have already been. Something kept her alive and she wasn¡¯t sure what it was yet

    ¡°Come with us.¡± The man said. He was out of breath and bleeding, he outstretched his dirty hands as if it

    would make her feel better. She briefly considered biting them off. ¡°We won¡¯t hurt you if you surrender

    now. It¡¯ll all be forgotten, you¡¯ll be safe

    Doris growled and held her ground. A sh of irritation touched the man¡¯s face before it turned quickly

    into determination. He took one step towards her, but the wolf was quicker. He rammed into her side and

    sent her skidding across the clearing. She quickly got up and went straight for the man.

    He tried to grab a hold of her before she tackled him to the ground. Cordelia had enough, she tore out

    his throat just as she had done to the man before. His screams died out instantly just as the remaining

    wolf mmed into her and forced her off him.

    Doris righted herself before it could get on him. They circled around each other slowly and Doris felt her

    bones start to shake. She shouldn¡¯t be doing this-what about the baby?

    No, she had to be doing this for the baby. She had to survive for her baby, and nothing would stop her.

    The wolf made the first move, but Cordelia had counted on it. She moved to the side and the wolf

    mmed into arge tree. Before it could right itself, Cordelia silenced it forever when

    she went for the one area that she knew would never fail.

    The wolf never had a chance. Doris stepped away from the body and copsed in the snow a few feet

    away. Everything was catching up with her-she felt her exhaustion threaten to overwhelm her but it didn¡¯t

    matter. She did it-she survived this.

    ¡°Well done, Doris.¡± A voice came from behind her. A familiar voice.

    Doris quickly got up and turned to see Prince Martin with Beth gagged and bound in his grasp. He held a

    knife up to her throat. All Doris could see was red blinding her vision. She wanted to rip him apart, she

    wanted to drown him and bury him where no one could ever find him. How dare he touch her innocent

    best friend!

    ¡°Calm down.¡± Prince Martin said gently. Doris hadn¡¯t realized she was growling until he said that. ¡°I won¡¯t

    hurt your friend if youe with me willingly.¡±

    Beth¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. She shook her head no as if it would make a difference-as if it would

    stop her from wanting to save her best friend.

    Doris bowed her head silently since she couldn¡¯t use her words. Thest thing she saw was Prince

    Martin smirk before everything went dark,

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    Chapter 180 A darkness inside

    Doris woke in a bright room. Fresh silk sheets were soft beneath her skin, she slowly tried to sit up but

    her head ached worse than anything ever had. She closed her eyes tightly and gripped the wound that

    made dizzy.

    She expected to feel blood, but her hand came away dry. It still hurt like hell and for a moment it made

    her forget what had happened before she got her head smashed in. What happened¡­ Prince Martin

    happened. He was the one that sent his guards to take her and kill all the men that tried to protect her.

    Guilt swelled in her chest. If she had gone with William, this would have never happened. Those men

    would still be alive and she wouldn¡¯t be in a strange room. No one would have had to die just trying to

    protect her-she didn¡¯t deserve to be alive over anyone.

    Doris looked around to see a fancy room, but it didn¡¯t look like the ones at the pce. She¡¯d been in

    almost every room and not one of them looked like this. It was fancy, but it wasn¡¯t in a royal way. It wasn¡¯t

    grand or golden, it was clean and crisp.

    This one was light and bright rather than deep and golden. The walls were coated in flowers that looked

    hand painted with care. Pinks, blues, greens. It looked as if an entire garden was painted on her walls. It

    almost looked like the one she used to walk through back at the pce.

    Even the bed she was in had floral bedding. Doris slipped out of the sheets and almost fell right to the

    ground. It felt as if the room was spinning, she gripped onto the nearby dresser to hold herself up but it

    all only made her sick to her stomach. This time, she didn¡¯t think it was because of any morning

    sickness.

    When the world stopped spinning, she nced down at her nightgown and saw herself dressed in a light

    pink set that was almost too beautiful to touch. It felt like a silky cloud-who dressed her in this?

    Her cheeks heated at the thought of Prince Martin doing it. Doris hurried to the window and saw it was

    bolted shut. It didn¡¯t matter, she looked as if she was several stories off the ground anyway. She would

    never survive a jump like that.

    The outside wasn¡¯t much of a view at all. It looked like they were in the middle of some forest with

    nothing else around for miles. This was not the pce, it didn¡¯t look remotely close to the views from the

    pce. Doris went to the door and yanked on it as hard as she could, but it was locked too.

    Panic coated her thoughts like a poison. She circled the room and touched every wall to see if there was

    a hidden door or vent she could crawl out of but-nothing. There was nothing, she was locked in here like

    a prisoner.

    ¡°Cordelia?¡± She whispered.

    Nothing. No stirring, no presence, nothing. It felt like her wolf was asleep inside her again like it had been

    when she was injected with that drug

    Oh no.

    Doris closed her eyes and tried to shift into her wolf form. She screamed for Cordelia in her mind,

    begged her toe forward and take over her body-but nothing.

    Her wolf was gone for the time being, she waspletely alone.

    Doris hugged her stomach. ¡°I can do this, I can survive.¡± She whispered and furiously wiped away her

    tears. She crossed the room and opened the closet to find it stocked with beautiful dresses in every

    color¡­ all in her size. Even the soft slippers and boots were in her size. Every single pair.

    She picked out the most practical andfortable one and tore off her delicate nightgown. She needed

    to be prepare, she needed to think straight. There was no time to admire anything beautiful when it was

    all a beautiful decoy to what was really happening.

    Prince Martin¡¯s grin came back in her mind as she braided her own hair to get it out of the way. She

    wanted to take him down the minute she saw him-but she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. Not when she didn¡¯t

    have her wolf¡­ not unless she found a weapon to overpower him. Something this room clearlycked.

    What did he do to her best friend? Beth¡¯s terrified face made the guilt twist in her gut like a knife. If

    anything had happened to Beth, Doris would never forgive herself. She would never live a day without

    ming herself. Her best friend¡­ she had to be okay.

    Doris circled the room when she was dressed. It was bigger than any room she had ever been put in,

    besides Prince William¡¯s. Arge book case filled with brand new editions of books lined the shelves. On

    a table by the window was a tray of desserts that normally would have excited her. Now she looked away

    in disgust. 2

    Nothing here was safe to trust, nothing would be safe to eat. If they had already drugged her, she didn¡¯t

    trust them to not put anything in her food just to knock her out again.

    She continued her tour of the room that was now her prison cell. How many times would she be taken

    against her will? Just when she thought she would never have to go through something like this again,

    she fell right back into a new cell, a new prison, a new cage.

    Doris had enough. Nobody hade by yet, she didn¡¯t have forever to wait when her friend (might be in

    trouble now. She crossed the room when her thoughts became overwhelming and

    started banging on the door.

    ¡°Hello? Is anyone out there!¡± She banged harder. ¡°Open this door!¡±

    Nothing. Not a sound, as if nobody was even standing guard at the door. Doris wondered if there were

    any guards around¡­ was it possible Prince Martin had gone back to the pce?

    Did William even reach the pce before all of this? What if he was captured, what if he was  Doris

    desperately pushed and pulled on the door but nothing came of it. She kicked it in her frustration.

    She couldn¡¯t handle the thought that William was out there somewhere. He could have been hurt or he

    could have been captured and imprisoned for the war. What if Prince Martin wanted to torture him?

    Doris backed away from the door and wiped her tears. Suddenly, she heard the click of a lock. The door

    swung open and Prince Martin himself entered the room with a small smile on his face. She wanted to

    smack it right off him.

    He quickly closed the door behind him before she could even think of running past him-not that she was

    stupid enough to try. He was so much bigger than her.

    ¡°Where is Beth!¡± Doris shouted. Prince Martin held out his hands as if it would calm the beast inside of

    her.

    ¡°She¡¯s just fine, I have her in another room.¡± He said calmly. He spoke conversationally and she didn¡¯t

    know why it irritated her so much. ¡°She woke up hours ago. I believe she¡¯s enjoying a nice tea and a

    book.¡±

    Doris narrowed her eyes at him. She highly doubted her friend was calm enough to read a book at this

    moment. She probably paced the room so many times, the carpet would have worn down by now.

    ¡°I want to see her right this minute. I don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    Prince Martin had the nerve to look wounded. ¡°Doris, I would never hurt your friend. I know how close

    you two were at the pce. She has nothing to do with the war, I would never dream of harming

    someone innocent.¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Then why did you hold a knife to her throat! Why did you even take her? You could have let her go!¡±

    ¡°I did all of that to get you to surrender.¡± Prince Martin said. ¡°I watched you fight. I didn¡¯t expect you to

    take out those guards as if it was nothing. I saw Beth poke her head out of the tent and I knew that I had

    to do what needed to be done. I never would have hurt her. You have to know that, Doris.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word you say. Why did you take me here? What is this ce!¡± yDo you not like it? I had

    it decorated just for you.¡± He took a step towards her, she took one back.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I made this room for you. I thought you would have liked it. I made it bright with flowers, 1 had all of your

    favorite food and books. All of this is for you.¡±

    ¡°1-I don¡¯t understand. What is this ce?¡±

    ¡°This is our ce. This is where we can be together.¡±

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    Chapter 181 ns to keep

    ¡°Martin¡­¡± Doris started. What on earth was he talking about?

    Martin held up his hand to stop her from saying any more. ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but I know you, Doris.

    I know you have always wanted to be away from the pce and free.¡±

    ¡°How would you have known that about me?¡± Doris asked hesitantly. She took another small step back

    from him. She only talked about her freedom with Beth at the pce when they were alone.

    Martin looked as if he had been caught red handed, but she didn¡¯t know why. ¡°I overheard you talking to

    Beth. I always used to hear you two talk about it with each other. You both had ns to be far from that

    pce and have a home of your own-with a man that loves you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ we only talked about that in private.¡± Doris said slowly. Martin smiled innocently.

    ¡°You¡­you listened to our conversations?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t ask about things like that. It¡¯s not what¡¯s important here.¡± Doris tried to

    shake the shivers that rippled over her body. Her mind conjured up an image of Prince Martin listening in

    on herte night conversations with her best friend. All the things they said in confidence that could have

    gotten them in serious trouble, had he heard all of it?

    ¡°What are you even doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at the pce defending your throne?¡± Doris

    clenched her fists tight at her side. ¡°Where is William?¡±

    ¡°I would guess he¡¯s still trying to storm the pce like the fool I knew he was. It didn¡¯t take him long, I

    knew he would act the moment he saw the pce wasn¡¯t being guarded.¡± Martin shook his head in

    disappointment at his brother for falling right into his trap. Doris knew her uneasy feeling came from

    somewhere she was staring right at it.

    ¡°You wanted him to storm the pce?¡± Doris asked. ¡°But why? Why aren¡¯t you there to defend your

    crown? I don¡¯t understand -¡±

    ¡°Because William killed my mother and our brother for the crown. He took everything from me and I¡¯m

    finally taking something back.¡± Martin said almost gently as he took a step closer to her. She took

    another one back.

    ¡°Are you referring to me? I¡¯m not something to be stolen, I¡¯m a person. I have choices.¡± Doris said. ¡°You

    may think you know everything about me, but you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I thought you always felt you didn¡¯t have choices¡±

    ¡°That was when I was a maid that didn¡¯t know any better. I lived my life listening to other people and

    doing everything they said. Now I know how to decide for myself. Prince William has already given me

    that freedom at the pce.¡±

    ¡°Doris, I¡¯m offering you the chance to be free of the pce. You can have your own home and

    do whatever you wish with our house! Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? You never have to see the pce

    again.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t freedom, Martin. You¡¯re offering me a house but I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave it.¡± Doris said

    calmly. How was this the same sweet man she used to sit next to in the library? When did his admiration

    for her turn into obsession?

    ¡°Doris, you would be able to leave freely. I would never make you stay here against your will

    ¡°Then please move so I can leave. I want to go back to the camp with Beth.¡± Doris moved to the door but

    he stepped in her path.

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t let you do that. William will be looking for you soon out there and this war is not yet

    over.¡± Prince Martin reached out his hand to caress her cheek, she flinched away from him. ¡°He can¡¯t

    have it all, Doris. It just wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at the pce to defend your throne, Martin? William is there right now to take your title!

    You being gone is not a good sign-¡±

    ¡°He could never take my title. It wouldn¡¯t matter if he had millions storm the pce, the crown has always

    been mine. He can¡¯t rewrite history as much as he tries.¡±

    Doris took a small breath. ¡°What about your wife? Where is she?¡± Doris moved away from him before he

    could attempt to touch her again.

    Prince Martin cleared his throat and straightened himself. ¡°We were never meant to be together, you

    know that. My mother wanted us to wed to make strong alliances, but neither of us were happy.¡±

    ¡°Lady Grace always looked at you with so much love!¡±

    ¡°She was putting on a show for the world! She knew my heart did not belong to her.¡± Prince Martin took a

    long breath. ¡°Perhaps I should leave you alone -¡°

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I call to my wolf? What did you do to me?¡±

    Prince Martin backed to the door slowly as he watched her. ¡°I saw you fight out there. You might not be

    the most skilled, but you were fearsome. My mother was sent some drugs from the rogues to put the wolf

    asleep inside you before she died.¡±

    Doris parted her lips, but nothing came out.

    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt you, Doris. You¡¯ll be fine in a few days and all of this will be over!¡±

    ¡°How can you say that? There is a war happening out there and you are the main part of it! You have to

    go put an end to all of this before more people die!¡± Doris moved to the door again but he stopped her. ¡°I

    want to see Beth. Now.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that right now.¡± Prince Martin moved towards her and Doris quickly stepped back. ¡°I¡¯ll

    send her in here soon. I promise.¡±

    Prince Martin moved to leave, she didn¡¯t miss the look of sadness in his eyes. ¡°William took everything

    from me. I deserve to have something I want.¡±

    ¡°I am not an object to be passed back and forth. I have feelings and none of them are loving for you.¡± .

    Prince Martin nced back at her with a sad smile before he left through the door and locked it behind

    him. She quickly ran up to push and pull at the knob even though she knew it was useless. Nothing she

    did would work.

    Her heart calmed at the idea that William was facing an empty pce. There would be hardly anyone to

    stop him from rushing inside to find Prince Martin. He¡¯d soon learn that he wasn¡¯t there and then head

    back to the camp to find the gruesome scene she was sure that Prince Martin had left for him.

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    And then¡­

    And then she hoped he could find his way to her. Once again she was left useless and it made her want

    to scream and cry while beating at the door. Once again a man had left her feeling helpless and waiting

    for someone toe save her. 2

    Doris circled the room a dozen times. Looking through every crack and checking for loose floorboards.

    She struggled with the window and tried to break the ss with one of the heavier books but it wouldn¡¯t

    even crack.

    Doris picked up one of the stools to the vanity and banged it against the ss. Over and over. It sounded

    strange when it hit against the surface, as if she wasn¡¯t even hitting ss at all. Doris angrily threw it

    across the room and started feeling the walls for a weak spot.

    Nothing. Nothing. She felt like she was in a box with fresh air quickly leaving. She tried to calm her

    breaths but it was useless, it only made her want to swallow the air faster.

    A light knock sounded on the door. It opened to show a petite maid she didn¡¯t recognize holding a tray of

    food. Any ideas of escape quickly evaporated when she noticed the two tall guards outside of her door.

    ¡°Hello, I brought you some soup.¡± The maid set the tray down on her table. She ignored the mess that

    Doris made in her haste. ¡°I also brought you some tea, it¡¯s quite cold out.¡±

    Doris neared the girl, but not too close. ¡°Can you hep me break out of here?¡± She whispered.

    TO

    The girl looked at her with wide, confused eyes. She shook her head and started backing away. +

    ¡°No! No, I¡¯m sorry if I frightened you. I used to be a maid just like you and I was taken here against my

    will. Please, help me get out of here.¡±

    Doris knew she must have looked crazy to the girl, but she didn¡¯t care. She had to try something and her

    options were thin.

    As expected, the girl looked at her as if she had a second head. She quickly curtsied to Doris before she

    rushed out of the room. The door mmed and locked behind her.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    Chapter 182 Innocent by nature

    Doris forced herself to eat when she remembered that she had a baby to take care of inside her. A baby

    that made her three times more hungry than she usually felt. She would have much sooner eaten a book

    rather than the food that was served to her on a fancy tray.

    She knew it was unlikely that Prince Martin would have poisoned her through desserts and soup-but the

    back of her mind still cautioned her to be on alert. Already he showed signs of an unstable man, but she

    didn¡¯t have much choice. It wasn¡¯t fair to starve herself because she was afraid.

    Prince Martin must not have known she was with child, he hadn¡¯t mentioned it once. Although, he hadn¡¯t

    mentioned that she was his mate recently either. His strange denial to what was happening made her

    feel even more uneasy. 2

    What would he do if he found out she was pregnant with William¡¯s baby? Would he try to sicken her until

    it shriveled up inside her? Would he tell her he would raise it as his own as if some secret part of her

    would ever want that? The fear of the unknown was more terrifying than what might actually ur, but it

    didn¡¯t stop her thoughts from trying to scare her. 2

    Doris slept horribly throughout the night. She tossed and turned so many times, she doubted that more

    than a few hours were spent actually sleeping. By morning, she felt her exhaustion start to finally take a

    hold of her as she pulled herself out of bed weakly.

    Doris dressed herself quickly before anyone coulde. She had to be awake, she had to be on alert

    just in case he came back. She paced the room until finally the lock utched and Beth came through

    with a tray. As usual, the door locked behind her.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, Beth!¡± Doris quickly crossed the room to her friend. She took the tray out of her grasp

    and set it aside before she threw her arms around her. ¡°I was so worried that something happened to

    you! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Me? Doris, I thought you were going to be killed! I swore it was thest time I was going to see you.¡±

    Beth pulled away to look at Doris. ¡°They were fine to me once we arrived but I thought he was going to

    take you here to kill you just to get back at you for what Prince William did.¡±

    ¡°L¡­ I thought I was going to die too, but-¡° Doris chewed on her lip and nced at the floral walls. ¡°He

    said he built this ce for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What?¡± Beth took Doris¡¯s hands and pulled her to the bed to sit. A momentter, she felt a

    wave of dizziness hit her before it soon passed. ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Prince Martin. He said he brought me here because he had this ce made for me.¡± Doris looked

    around at the room and it was obvious that Prince Martin didn¡¯t really know her at all. Not as well as he

    thought he did. While she loved flowers, he painted ones she didn¡¯t favor. He   brought desserts because

    she had a sweet tooth, but he didn¡¯t know which ones were her favorites so he included as many as he

    could.

    ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s in love with you and built you this house for you to live in?¡± Beth¡¯s eyes grew wide.

    ¡°That is¡­ I mean I knew he always had some sort of feelings for you, but this is crazy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why he did this. I barely spoke to him at the castle-1 didn¡¯t know he cared for me this much.

    I thought it was just a crush that would eventually fade!¡± Doris ran her fingers through her tangled hair. ¡°I

    don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°Sometimes people grow attached to others without them knowing. I knew

    he looked at you with affection but I didn¡¯t realize¡­ this.¡±

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We have to get out of here, Beth. I don¡¯t want to risk any more time here in case he has something else

    nned for me. Men never react well when they¡¯re rejected.¡± Doris sighed. She wished she could call out

    for William. She wished there was a way for him to find her through their mating bond.

    Was there a way?

    It didn¡¯t matter. Her wolf was silenced inside her and it might be days before she woke up again.

    ¡°I was able to see a lot of the house, my room is all the way across the building. I was led here and given

    a tray for her by these tworge men that didn¡¯t say much else.¡±

    ¡°What did the house look like? Are there others?¡± Doris whispered. She nced at the door to make sure

    it wasn¡¯t open. ¡°How many guards did he bring?¡±

    ¡°I think there are many guards, more than I could guess. I passed quite a few and could hear more far

    away. The house looks like arger version of a in cottage house that wasn¡¯t fully decorated. Many of

    the areas were in with a few pieces of furniture but no life.¡±

    Doris dropped her head in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think William will ever find me here. It looks like we¡¯re in the

    middle of a forest from outside of my window-who knows how far we actually are from the pce or the

    kingdom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, we could be close by. Don¡¯t you remember that the pce has many off properties

    around the kingdom? They have areas like this for the royals to rest in if they were eyer traveling.¡± Beth

    nced around the room as if she was finally taking it all in for the first time. ¡°If William knows where

    those ces are, he will eventually find you.¡±

    That could take weeks, Beth. Especially with all of the snow.¡± Doris didn¡¯t want to admit that she was

    terrified of not surviving that long. ¡°Wait¡­ I think I might have an idea¡­ Or the start of one at least.¡±

    Beth leaned closer with wide, desperate eyes. ¡°What is it? Are you going to use your wolf to get us out of

    here? I saw you fight back at the camp-I know you can take a few dozen men down. Easily.¡±

    ¡°No, he used a drug to put my wolf to sleep so I couldn¡¯t defend myself or try to escape.¡± Doris said

    quietly. Beth gasped. ¡°No, I have another idea. Men may react badly when they are rejected, but they will

    fall into your hands if they think you¡¯re giving them exactly what they want.¡±

    Beth looked at Doris suspiciously. ¡°Okay, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure entirely yet, but I could y along with whatever he throws my way. I know he sent you here

    to win my favor, perhaps I could tell him how thankful I am.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Beth frowned. ¡°A girl back at the castle used to do that to one of the royals. She would do whatever

    he asked even though she hated his guts. He always thought she was in love with him, though. She got

    a lot of gifts.¡±

    ¡°If he trusts me, he won¡¯t be so strict. His leash on me will loosen and I can try to get a weapon to fight

    back or try to escape when he isn¡¯t around.¡± Doris stood. It sounded easier said than done, but she had

    nothing else to work with.

    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± Beth asked. She watched as Doris started to pace the room while her thoughts

    ran wild.

    ¡°If Prince Martin asks you about me, feed him the lies too. Tell him I talked about him and that I

    complimented the room. Just little things to grow the seed in his mind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous game, Doris. He won¡¯t like his feelings being toyed with when he thinks you¡¯re finally

    opening up to him.¡± Beth warned.

    ¡°I know that, but I have to get us out of here and I don¡¯t have any other options. We could be days of

    travel away from the pce, I don¡¯t know how long I was out for.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could tell you. He knocked me out the minute they did the same to you. I suppose it was so I

    couldn¡¯t find the way back to camp even if I tried.¡± Beth bit her lip in thought. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try, Doris. He¡¯s

    clearly obsessed with you and might take every crumb he can get from you.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Doris said. ¡°If he thinks there¡¯s a chance, he might be more willing to make me feel as if I¡¯m not

    trapped here.¡±

    ¡°It could blow up in our faces, Doris.¡± Beth said gently. ¡°It might go wrong, he might see what you¡¯re

    doing.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Doris said. She offered a small smile. ¡°But I have to try at least.¡±

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    Chapter 183 Cheap shots

    Beth was escorted out of the cell a whileter and left Doris alone once again with her thoughts. If Martin

    believed she was happy here, he would be more willing to prove to her that this ce was perfect for

    them. He would let her roam free. She hoped.

    And then the rest she could deal with as she went. If she was allowed out of her room, she could slip out

    and find a weapon to defend herself.

    If only it was that easy.

    Doris dozed off for a few hours when her exhaustion caught up with her. She woke at the first sign of

    knocking and it knocked any sort of sleep away from her. She quickly pushed the sheets away from her

    and got up just as Prince Martin opened the door.

    ¡°Sorry, am I disturbing you?¡± He took a step back towards the door. He wore a light green suit with

    slicked back hair. He smelled clean, as if he¡¯d juste from avender bath.

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine.¡± Dorris cleared her throat. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Prince Martin looked at her strangely before he stepped in and closed the door behind him. ¡°How are you

    doing today? I hope you enjoyed your morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes I did very much, I was just admiring the lovely painting on the wall. Did you have someonee

    in to hand paint all of this?¡± Doris traced the flowers with her fingertips.

    ¡°I did.¡± Prince Martin said. He brightened a little and stepped closer to admire the art with her. ¡°I wanted it

    to be like the garden back at the pce. I always saw you out there after your shifts.¡±

    ¡°Is there a garden here? It¡¯s been a long time since I got to enjoy one.¡± Doris said almost sadly. She

    sighed and raked her fingers through her hair that she was certain looked like a mess. She hadn¡¯t

    thought once about her appearance since she arrived.

    ¡°Of course there is. Do you think I would have forgotten your garden?¡± Prince Martin nced at the door

    and then back at Doris. ¡°Would you like to see it?¡±

    Doris tried not to look overly excited. She smiled warmly and nodded. ¡°That would be lovely! You should

    have told me, I didn¡¯t realize you had one here!¡±

    Doris slipped on shoes by the door before she joined him. He wrapped a cloak around her shoulders

    gently and she had to force herself not to step away from him when he lingered close. Instead, she held

    his arm as he opened the door. She didn¡¯t miss the smile on his face when she touched him.

    One of his guards stepped up instantly when he saw them. ¡°Is this a good idea, your majesty? I thought

    she was to remain inside her room.¡±

    ¡°She wanted to see other areas of her house. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to deprive her of that, we will be back

    soon.¡± Prince Martin said as he passed. The guards fell into step behind them.

    ¡°How many rooms are here? It looks quite big on the outside from my window.¡± Doris said lightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mini castle. The royal court abandoned it years ago but I had it fixed up recently to be livable. It still

    needs work, but it¡¯s almost there.¡± Prince Martin said with a smile. He led her down a hall that looked

    endless before they turned down the main staircase. She tried to memorize all of it like a map in her

    mind. ¡°It has about eight bedrooms and several offices. All of them are yours to decorate as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Doris said. ¡°Is this one of the only castles that were abandoned by the royal court?¡±

    ¡°There are more, but not many.¡± Prince Martin said. Doris swallowed the heavy feeling in her chest. That

    was good. If there weren¡¯t many others, William had a chance to find where she was and she could find

    her way back to him. Hopefully he knew where they were.

    ¡°Through here is the kitchen.¡± He led her through arge, bright kitchen that had several cooks at the

    stoves. It smelled heavenly, but the thought of eating made her sick. Her appetite felt strange, as if she

    was hungry but she didn¡¯t want to eat a single thing. ¡°And back through here is the quickest way to get to

    the garden.¡±

    Prince Martin led her through the back entrance and immediately they stepped out to an enclosed

    pathway that led to the garden. Doris looked around for an exit, but the only one she saw was back the

    way they came. Unless there was one along the back walls.

    Her shoes crunched on the rocks as she entered the greenhouse. It was stunning. She couldn¡¯t deny

    how much the sight took her breath away. Flowers bloomed even in the winter and it made her wonder if

    he had some sort of magic to have something like that happen. It looked almost identical to the one she

    used to walk through back at the pce.

    She tried not to think about how uneasy he made her feel when he admitted to watching her. He watched

    her, he listened to her private conversations. Doris had no idea he had be so obsessed with her¡­

    for how long was he like that? Since they first met?

    Prince Martin led her through the rows until they reached a stone bench that looked awfully familiar to

    the one back at the pce.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked with a smile on his face. Doris causally removed her arm away from his

    own as she looked around.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. I¡­ I can¡¯t believe you did all of this for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course I did. What¡¯s the point of wealth if you can¡¯t spend it on those you care for?¡± Prince Martin

    inched closer to her. She could feel him watching her even when she turned her face away to admire the

    view.

    ¡°Well, I love it.¡± Doris finally said. When she turned back to him, it looked as if he deted in relief.

    ¡°I knew you would warm up to this ce. I heard Bethment on how much you adored your room.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. I think I just needed time to take it all in.¡± Doris brushed her hair back. ¡°I¡¯ve never had anyone

    do something like this for me. It was overwhelming.¡±

    ¡°See, I knew it would be.¡± Prince Martin stood and started to pace in front of her. ¡°I knew that it would be

    too much. I originally nned to tell you at the pce when you were ready, but then this war started

    and you were taken from me. I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Doris said gently. She had to treat him like a wild animal and go along with whatever he

    said. ¡°I think¡­ everything just happened so fast. I didn¡¯t know how to take all of this in.¡±

    Prince Martin fell to his knee in front of her. ¡°You understand?¡± His voice was filled with so much hope,

    she couldn¡¯t wait to step all over it.

    ¡°I do. I just, I¡¯ve been kidnapped and thrown in a cell more times than I can count and¡­¡± Doris sighed

    and turned her face away from him. ¡°I don¡¯t like the feeling of being trapped. It makes me feel as if I¡¯m

    going to suffocate. I just feel¡­ helpless.¡±

    Prince Martin gripped her hand. ¡°I never want you to feel that way here. It¡¯s your home.¡±

    ¡°As you say, but I can¡¯t even leave my room to see the rest of it.¡± Doris whimpered. She saw something

    in his face break a little.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know how I could be so¡­ so foolish. I expected you to love this ce instantly, but

    how can you if you¡¯re stuck in one of the rooms?¡±

    Doris stayed silent. She wanted him toe to the conclusion on his own.

    ¡°How about this. Your door won¡¯t be locked any longer, you can roam the house as you wish.¡±

    Doris sniffled. ¡°Really? Alone?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that yet my darling. There is still a war going on and I don¡¯t want to risk anything

    happening to you. My guards will escort you if I¡¯m not around.¡±

    Doris swallowed the feeling of defeat. ¡°What about my friend? I don¡¯t want her locked up-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she will have to stay where she is for now.¡± Prince Martin said gently. He squeezed her knee

    and she wanted to flinch away from him. ¡°I can¡¯t risk anything with her. She might try to run off in the

    middle of the night and my main concern is with you.¡± .

    Doris exhaled slowly. It would be fine. She got him to allow her door to be unlocked, she could figure out

    the rest.

    Doris smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you, Martin.¡±

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    Chapter 184 ns are hard to keep

    Prince Martin showed Doris every room in the house, even where Beth was staying. Her mind was far

    from him even as he tried to keep the excitement through it all. He painted an image of happiness in front

    of her, but she only saw misery, She tried to memorize every step she took and every exit she saw just in

    case her time for escape came. Sheid out each hallway in her mind and followed the direction from her

    room a hundred different ways until she knew exactly where the exit was. Once she was alone, she

    waited a few hours before she tested the door. Even when she knew it wasn¡¯t locked, it still sent a thrill of

    shock through her when it opened. Her hands trembled as she pulled it open. Doris poked her head out

    of the hall and immediately flinched when she saw the same guards staring right back at her. She quickly

    smiled. ¡°Just a bit hungry.¡± ¡°We can get you something from the kitchens if you need, mydy.¡± One of

    the guards said. He stared down at her as if he didn¡¯t trust anything about her. She supposed she didn¡¯t

    trust anything about him, either. ¡°Oh, no. I need a walk. I couldn¡¯t ask you to go out of your way for me,

    either.¡± She smiled and pulled her cloak tighter around her. When they said nothing, she took her first

    step out into the hall. A small taste of freedom made her want to kiss the grounds. They didn¡¯t stop her,

    but they followed her the moment she started heading towards the kitchen. She could hear their steps in

    the dim hallway mirror her own from behind her. She briefly wondered if there would ever be a day in her

    life where something didn¡¯t follow her. When Doris got to the kitchen, the smells almost made her faint.

    She¡¯d forgotten to eat again and she wanted to curse herself for being so foolish. She didn¡¯t have the

    luxury of only caring for herself when there was now a life inside her. At least Beth wasn¡¯t there to scold

    her even further. She sat on a stool at the ind that overlooked the stoves. Both of the chef¡¯s nced

    back at her as if she was a strange object that just rolled into their kitchen. ¡°Hello. Sorry to bother you, I

    was hoping for something to eat.¡± She said kindly. They bowed their heads and quickly turned away from

    her again as if she said nothing at all. Faster than she thought possible, a te of food was set in front of

    her on an elegant te with Prince Martin¡¯s initials. Doris almost rolled her eyes but remembered herself.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± They bowed their heads again and left through the kitchen door with a pot still

    stewing on the stove. She nced back at the guards to see them staring straight ahead in the back of

    the room. The te held small a meat pie with diced potatoes and a dinner roll. She didn¡¯t care if the

    men watched her tear through everyst bite until it was empty. The silverware gleamed back up at her.

    She discreetly shoved the knife into her sleeve as she reached for her water. ¡°Would it be possible to

    visit my friend tonight?¡± Doris asked innocently. She hopped off the stool and turned to look at the men,

    the knife felt heavy in her sleeve but neither of them looked suspicious. ¡°Not tonight, mydy. Would you

    care to go back to your room now that you¡¯ve eaten?¡±   Doris furrowed her brows and opened her mouth

    to argue, but quickly swallowed her words. She didn¡¯t need them on her bad side if they were the ones

    that followed her everywhere. Instead, she smiled. ¡°Of course, thank you.¡± The next day, Doris wasted no

    time. She hid her knife on her belt under her cloak before she ventured out into the halls. The guards

    didn¡¯t have time to ask where she was going before they had to hurry just to keep up with her. She

    headed straight for Beth¡¯s room, but almost screamed when Prince Martin stepped in her way. ¡°Out for a

    walk?¡± He asked with a smile. ¡°Oh! My, you scared me.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Yes. I was hoping to

    see Beth today. It¡¯s been a while since we spokest and I quite miss her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she would mind

    if I stole you away for a little bit.¡± He held out his arm for her to take. Doris sighed inwardly and epted.

    ¡°I had hoped to talk to you shortly, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Something about the way he said it told her that

    she didn¡¯t have an option with this conversation. It would happen with or without her approval. ¡°About

    what?¡± ¡°William has gone a bit mad, my informants have told me that he found you missing and he¡¯s now

    tearing through my army looking for you.¡± It was like a warmth spread through her bones at the thought

    of Williaming for her. She was almost afraid to respond incase she said the wrong thing. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yes.

    It¡¯s strange, because he sent a letter this morning, demanding a meeting with me.¡± Doris¡¯s heart raced in

    her chest. Did he know where she was? Was heing for her? ¡°Oh, very interesting.¡± Doris said lightly.

    ¡°He also said he wants you to be there to make sure I didn¡¯t kill you.¡± Martin snorted. Doris once would

    haveughed at the polished prince doing something like that. Now it only made her shiver with disgust.

    Everything about him made her want to recoil. ¡°Are you going to meet with him?¡± Doris asked. She tried

    her best to sound uninterested, but she knew that he would see right through it. She hadn¡¯t been here

    that long, he knew her heart stillid with him. It was best not to ask too much. Prince Martin stared at

    her silently for a moment. ¡°I am. He will be here by tonight.¡± Her heart skipped a beat. Tonight? She

    would see him again tonight? Doris prayed all of this would be over, she prayed the war would end and

    they woulde to an understanding. Most of all, she prayed that he would get her out of here if her

    own ns fell short. But as she walked further with him down the hallway, she knew that wouldn¡¯t be so.

    He would never let her go-everything he built here was for her. For them to live together away from the

    pce in this life he made without her say. ¡°I want you to tell him to leave here.¡± Prince Martin said

    calmly. ¡°I want you to tell him you¡¯re happy here and he doesn¡¯t need toe save you.¡± Doris said

    nothing, so he continued. ¡°I know you might still be confused for your true feelings, so I   thought a little

    push might help you decide quicker.¡± ¡°A push-¡° ¡°If you agree to send him away, I¡¯ll free your friend. If not,

    you¡¯ll never see her again.¡± Doris stopped dead in her tracks at his words. It felt like a dark cloud fell over

    them. ¡°What did you just say?¡± He looked so calm, unaffected, and even friendly as he looked down at

    her. ¡°I had Beth moved the moment we got the letter. I knew you wouldn¡¯t have it in you to be cruel to

    William so I thought this might motivate you.¡± 2 Doris pushed away from him. ¡°What did you do to her?

    Where is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. We moved her to the cers underground until all of this is sorted.¡± A sh of

    Beth in a dark cell made Doris sick to her stomach. She almost copsed right in front of him . ¡°Please,

    don¡¯t hurt her. She¡¯s done nothing wrong, she shouldn¡¯t even be here!¡± ¡°I know that, which is why we

    haven¡¯t harmed a hair on her head. If it was anyone else, they might not have been so lucky.¡± Prince

    Martin took a step towards her, she took one back. Her eyes blurred with tears that threatened to pour

    out. ¡°I¡¯ll give William the crown. He was right, I never truly wanted to be a king. I let others call the shots

    because I couldn¡¯t care less what happened to the kingdom. I sat back and let the world happen around

    me-too afraid to join in. I¡¯m through with that.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give it to him sooner?¡± Doris said weakly.

    ¡°None of this had to happen, your mother would still be alive.¡± ¡°Because he had you. He had everything I

    wanted and the only thing I ever asked for.¡± Prince Martin¡¯s kindness was starting to crack, she could see

    his anger trying to pour out of him. ¡°I¡¯ll give him the crown, if he gives you up in return.¡± 2N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    Chapter 185 Decisions, decisions

    Doris was thrown back in her room before she had the chance to react to any of what happened. His

    words still spun around in her head and made her feel as if she was underwater. Would he kill her best

    friend if she went against his wishes?

    He quickly formed into a monster in her mind. He was no longer a man she could swindle to do as she

    asked, he was no longer the kind prince he once was. He was a monster that wanted to take what he

    thought belonged to him-but she didn¡¯t. She had to find a way out of this without getting her friend hurt in

    the process.

    Any n to stab her way out of here was ruined. They could take Beth and kill her the moment she acted

    out to defend herself and she would rather die than risk something like that. Her wolf was still silent and

    she wasn¡¯t sure when Cordelia would be back-for all she knew, her food had the drug too. It might be a

    week before she felt her wolf wake again.

    She knew one thing, she couldn¡¯t risk her best friend¡¯s life for her own. She would never forgive herself if

    something happened to her. Her heart screamed in her chest when she couldn¡¯t get the thought of her

    best friend sitting in the darkness out of her mind.

    Doris was pulled from her room hourster. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Doris demanded. They led her down

    the grand stairs and off to an area that Prince Martin had neglected to take her. The house broke off into

    an area that looked as if it didn¡¯t belong to the castle at all.

    It wasrge, dark and grand at the same time. It looked like a dark version of the main hall back at the

    pce where they held meetings or fancy balls. She wasn¡¯t sure why it gave her the chills but it looked

    all wrong. It looked as if the walls would fall apart around her if she lingered too long inside. 1N?velDrama.Org content.

    The guards brought her over to Martin who sat patiently across arge table, no one else was in the

    room yet. It felt cold and empty rather than warm and inviting.

    ¡°Ah, I hope you rested well.¡± Prince Martin stood and pulled out the seat closest to him. Doris swallowed

    her annoyance and sat down.

    ¡°Is it wise that I¡¯m over here? Perhaps I should sit somewhere else in the room while you have this

    conversation.¡± Doris said calmly. ¡°In fact, I probably shouldn¡¯t be here at all. I really think this should be

    between you two.¡±

    As much as she wanted to see William, she didn¡¯t want to break his heart-and she knew that Martin

    would make her if she took that seat.

    Prince Martin seemed to be in thought. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± He snapped his fingers, the guards came

    and gripped her arm to force her up. ¡°Set her across the room. I don¡¯t want him to be able to see her

    during this. You can bring her out when I say to.¡±

    Doris refrained from telling Martin that William would be able to scent her the moment he walked inside.

    She doubted he knew that could happen with mates at all. If he knew anything about the mating bond,

    she doubted that he would challenge his brother over it. 1

    They seated her in the far back corner where no light shined. She hesitated before they forced her down

    in the seat and stood tall in front of her as if to hide her from view, but she could still see just fine. If

    William wasn¡¯t so observant, she knew he might miss her entirely.

    They waited in silence for what felt like hours. Doris watched the door and then Martin who sat perfectly

    still as if he was ready for any battle toe his way. She wanted to take her shoe off and throw it at his

    head just to put some life back inside him. 2

    She almost didn¡¯t believe her eyes when she watched William walk through the doors as if he owned the

    ce. His dark hair a mess as if he hadn¡¯t slept in days, but his dark suit was perfect in every way

    possible. It formed around his body elegantly, she had to hold her breath for a moment.

    He didn¡¯te here to y: 3

    Her heart tried to bang out of her chest and go right to him. His head turned in her direction slightly, but

    he quickly turned away and focused on his brother as if he didn¡¯t see her at all. Perhaps that¡¯s all he

    wanted him to think.

    Martin¡¯s chair scratched across the floor when he entered. He held out his arms as if he was greeting

    William with warmth instead of hatred.

    ¡°William, d to see you finally made it.¡±

    ¡°I had to torture your location out of your finest guards.¡± William dragged the chair back and sat down

    roughly. His anger was in every movement she made and she almost felt sorry for what was toe.

    Prince Martin smoothed out his jacket with a smile. ¡°He wasn¡¯t the finest if he gave it, was he?¡±

    ¡°Not even close.¡± William tilted his head in her direction again as if he was listening for her. She knew he

    had seen her.

    ¡°Nheless, it¡¯s good to see you. I almost had hoped you didn¡¯t fall into my trap when you went to

    storm the pce. I wanted to see you face to face but I suppose that all things happen for a reason.¡±

    William¡¯s jaw twitched. ¡°What is it you want, Martin? This dance is ridiculous and tiresome, you know how

    it will end.¡±

    ¡°Down to the business so quickly? I¡¯m not ready for that yet. I want to talk to my brother first.¡±.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point? You haven¡¯t seen me as a brother since you were old enough to know better. Don¡¯t

    pretend now.¡± William said.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny you say that. I don¡¯t think you remember how cruel you were when you were young. I know

    you must have been mad at the world for the unfortunate thing called life, but I don¡¯t think you realize

    how much you shoved away your siblings until we had enough.¡±

    ¡°I was cruel because of how you and Jack treated me. You never failed to remind me that our father

    didn¡¯t care for me and that he loved both of you more.¡± William sat up a little to lean his elbows on the

    table. ¡°You made my life a hell until cruelty was my only friend.¡±

    Prince Martin shifted a little at his words. ¡°We tried to get you to join in, all you ever wanted to do was

    mope around about what happened to your mother.¡±

    ¡°You thought it would be a good idea to make fun of my situation and that it would make me stronger. Is

    that what you¡¯re going to tell me next?¡±

    ¡°No-¡±

    ¡°Martin, you had that crown on your head since before you could talk. You never gave one shit about

    what happened to me when you were treated like the golden child. You never once wondered what it

    would be like for me when you were treated so¡­ wonderfully.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t true-¡°

    ¡°You once told me that you didn¡¯t understand my pain. You told me that I should be grateful that I was

    born a prince despite our father casting me aside because of his heart ache. Admit that you never once

    took a moment to think about anyone but yourself.¡± William said through his teeth. Doris felt her heart

    shatter for him.

    Prince Martin sat quietly. He cleared his throat. ¡°I suppose you finally got your revenge, you took the life

    of my mother and our brother. Does that make you feel better? Knowing that you killed my family?¡±

    ¡°Your mother and brother have tried to kill me more times than I can count. If you think I¡¯m daft enough to

    let that continue, then you really are as simple as I thought you were. Family means shit if they¡¯re all only

    out for themselves.¡±

    ¡°You can cry wolf all you want, William. But at some point people are going to realize that you¡¯re not as

    great as you think you are.¡± Prince Martin shifted in his seat again. Doris swore she saw a bit of sweat on

    his forehead. ¡°Tell me, how did your raid of the pce go?¡±

    ¡°It went well until I was told that the crown prince was nothing but a coward.¡± William tilted his head

    towards Doris again. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would take my mate for all of this.¡±

    ¡°Just because she is your mate, doesn¡¯t mean she belongs to you.¡± Prince Martin lifted his chin. ¡°In fact, I

    have a proposal for you. To end this war once and for all.¡±

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    Chapter 186 An offer you can¡¯t refuse

    William tilted his head slightly as he looked across at his brother. Suspicion filled his features and she bet

    his blue eyes were the same. He was wise enough not to walk into a trap without looking where he would

    land. ¡°You agree to hand over the crown?¡± ¡°I do, under one condition.¡± Martin smiled across at William

    and Doris thought he looked simr to the devil in that moment. It reminded her of a child¡¯s tale where a

    wolf dressed up in sheep¡¯s clothing to trick the innocent one. She quickly shook those thoughts from her

    head. ¡°Name your price.¡± William said with a bit of caution in his tone. He didn¡¯t look at her once. ¡°I will

    give you over the crown, the pce, anything you ask for¡­ in exchange for Doris.(This novel will be

    daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡± Martin said as he leaned back in his seat. William flinched a little as

    if his words had wounded him. Even hearing it out loud herself shocked her, part of her wanted to believe

    that he had been bluffing this whole time. ¡°What? You want my mate in exchange for the crown?¡± William

    fisted his hands on the table. ¡°Have you lost your mind? What makes you think I would ever agree to

    something Any sense of cool, calm and collected fell away from William all at once. He didn¡¯t try to hide

    his distaste for his brother any longer and she was only surprised it took him so long. ¡°You and I both

    know that Doris will never be happy at the pce. She only has bad memories of the ce, let me take

    care of her.¡± Martin gestured to the walls around them. ¡°I had this ce set up for her. She could be

    happy here and have a true life of freedom. I had a home made for her to be herself where she never

    has to worry about being a ve to anyone-¡° ¡°You think I would let you take my mate? There is nothing

    stopping me from killing you right this moment and ending all of this.¡± William said through his teeth.

    Martin looked amused which only infuriated William more. ¡°We both know it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. (This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)I would have to give you the crown willingly. Think about

    it, William. The crown is all you want-you won¡¯t have time for her once you be king. If you knew her

    at all, you would know how much her own freedom means to her.¡± ¡°How long have you wanted my mate,

    Martin?¡± ¡°Longer than you, that¡¯s for certain. You didn¡¯t even know she was alive when I started this

    house for her.¡± Martin narrowed his eyes. ¡°I should have known that you would sink your ws into the

    one thing | wanted. Is this revenge for what happened with Grace?¡± ¡°Mates are destined, Martin. Don¡¯t

    tter yourself thinking that I cared what you wanted.¡± William leaned forward. ¡°There is nothing you

    could give me in exchange for her. She is not up for negotiation and she never will be. You might as well

    stop while you¡¯re ahead.¡± Doris felt her heart leap in her chest. She knew he wouldn¡¯t have given her up,

    but part of her had always worried how far he would go for the crown. Clearly there had always been a

    line, and she was it. ¡°Answer me this, William. When did you start to pursue the crown? I always thought

    you had better things to do than care about your own kingdom. I don¡¯t remember you in any of the

    lessons when we were children. You were always off doing your own thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted the

    crown. I just knew that our father would never take me seriously enough to hand  it over.¡± William raked

    his fingers through his hair aggressively at the thought. ¡°When we were young, he wouldn¡¯t even

    consider giving me a pack. He insulted me in front of everyone by calling me useless-he made it clear

    that I was never going to be anything to him.¡± ¡°The packs he assigned us were for show, you know that.

    They held no real weight for anything. I remember when I fist got mine. I felt so important. I quickly

    learned that my word meant nothing to them. They smiled and agreed to whatever I said, but they were

    clearly run by someone within the pack. I quickly forgot about them, as did Jack and I believe Daniel did

    as well.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they were for show. That might make it even worse because I was never

    given one. I always thought I could be what our father saw me as and(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar) it wouldn¡¯t make a difference what I truly wanted. Whenever I tried to show a. a shine

    at my own leadership, our father wouldugh it off as if I was a fool.¡± William shook his head at the

    memory. ¡°Nothing I did mattered to that man. I tried for years until I realized I had to do it on my own.¡± ¡°I

    don¡¯t understand. Why would you act like a scoundrel in the pce? It ruined your reputation for

    everyone. No one considered you an option for anything serious. We all thought you were fine being

    what you are. Having as many lovers and sleeping throughout the days-everyone thought that was all

    you were good for.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t fight the seed that father already nted about me. I couldn¡¯t change his

    mind or try to prove myself when he would treat me like a fool when I tried. I lived as the son he expected

    me to be, and I began my own ns for the future.¡± William looked at Martin closely. ¡°I knew you were

    never happy as the prince. I could see it from day one. Why did you agree to be the crown prince if you

    weren¡¯t happy?¡± Martin cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. ¡°It was easier to go along with what they

    wanted. They saw me as the perfect candidate and I tried to be that for them.¡± ¡°But it never made you

    happy, did it?¡± Martin stared at William for a long moment. He shook his head silently. ¡°No. It didn¡¯t

    matter, it made my mother happy. It made our father happy. Their feelings were what mattered in the

    pce, not mine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you truly happy. Not even when you got engaged to

    Grace.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want her. My mother wanted me to build the stronger alliance and I didn¡¯t even know a

    thing about her. It sent me to a dark ce and I only found a way out when I met Doris.¡± Martin nced

    at where Doris was hidden. She froze. ¡°Do you know Doris, Martin? Do you know anything about her?¡± ¡°I

    didn¡¯t need to. She was the opposite of everyone else in this castle. She had a kindness that couldn¡¯t be

    forced. She cared when I came to the library, I know she did.¡± Doris frowned a little. Martin had barely

    ever spoken with her before this. She understood that most people form infatuations with people in their

    mind before they ever speak to them, but she didn¡¯t realize the impact she had on Martin when all she

    did was say hello to him once in a while. It hit her then, as she looked at the two brothers. How much

    both of them felt lost their whole lives and clung onto the one thing that they thought would make them

    happy. Martin didn¡¯t know her, not like William did, yet he convinced himself he would be happy if only he

    had her. He would have a taste of simplicity with her and an easy love if only he had her. He would have

    the life he always wanted if he had someone like her to love him.   William convinced himself the same

    about the crown. If only he had it, he would be happy. He would be better. He would be a great leader

    and therefore finally prove himself to the world that doubted him. Only, they were both wrong. William

    was already a leader with or without the crown. And Martin, she couldn¡¯t give him instant happiness to

    make up for a lifetime without it. He had to find that on his own and she didn¡¯t know how to tell him that

    without sounding cruel. He loved the idea of her, he didn¡¯t know one thing about her soul. Not like William

    did. Silent tears fell down Martin¡¯s face. ¡°You can have Grace back, she was never meant for me. You

    can have the crown and be the king you always wanted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want Grace, Martin. I don¡¯t want your

    wife.(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) You know damn well that I wouldn¡¯t leave

    here without my mate. The crown be damned for all I care, you can¡¯t have her.¡± 1.N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    Chapter 187 Off they go

    Martin stared at William with a bit of emptiness in his eyes. She almost felt bad for him¨Cif he hadn¡®t

    threatened her earlier. As well as try to bargain for her life as if she was a prize to be won. It boiled her

    blood to sit here silently while they argued about her¨Cbut Beth shed in her mind and she remained

    silent. She was good at that, she could be silent for her best friend even when her mind screamed at her

    to stand up for herself.  Daily new chapters in .noveljar

    ¡°What can I offer you,¡±

    ¡°Nothing. You can¡®t offer me anything for her.¡± William leaned forward a little. ¡°You can¡®t buy her. You

    can¡®t threaten me for her, you can¡®t do anything that I would agree to. This issue is dead, you have

    nothing I would want more. And I will kill you if you think about trying to take her from me.¡±

    ¡°There is ... there is nothing for me at the pce. There is nothing for me here or there¨C¡° Martin nced

    at Doris again. She kept her face free of pity, thest thing she needed was to encourage him. He

    eventually looked back at William. ¡°My family is gone. Our father is on his death bed and you¨Cmy only

    brother¨Cyou would rather me dead than give up. You want this crown more than you want your family.¡±

    William said nothing. He only watched as Martin spilled out his feelings as if it was the first time in his life

    that he had ever said them out loud. Martin shifted in his seat and wiped his wet eyes aggressively.

    ¡°I wasted my life training to do something for my family, and now they¡®re gone and I have nothing.¡± Martin

    leaned back in his chair as if his shoulders were starting to feel heavy. She could practically see the

    heavy weight he held there.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°I tried to be perfect, but all I ever did was mirror what was expected of me. What¡®s the point of this life if

    we can¡®t enjoy it? Will you enjoy being king for our people? Can you handle all that responsibility that

    never ends? All it does is crush you until you¡®re six feet under and no one is left to defend your name.

    Our father was wise to not let it affect him¡ª¡°

    ¡°It did, though. Every single day of his life. Ever since he lost his mate he tried to act as if it didn¡®t but it

    did. He was not one to ever escape the weight of responsibilities.¡± William said, a bit more gently. ¡°You

    don¡®t have to be something you don¡®t want to be anymore, Martin. You don¡¯t have to live for other people

    when you can live for yourself. Even if it¡®s not at the pce, there¡®s a ce for you somewhere that won¡®t

    feel like a chore..¡± Daily new chapters in .noveljar

    ¡°Who am I if not the next king? Who am I if I can¡®t hold on to the title that was forced upon me? Now my

    brother wants to take the only thing I have left in this life. I¡¯m nothing without that crown and you know it.

    You¡®ve always known it, I don¡®t understand why you would leave me with nothing.¡±

    ¡°You¡®re telling me that you want to rule this kingdom by yourself? Your mother isn¡®t here to pull your

    strings. Our brother isn¡®t here to whisper in your ear of what is right or wrong. Do you truly believe you

    would know what¡®s best for this kingdom without them?¡±

    Martin stood suddenly. ¡°I should have had you killed the moment you dered your intentions to my

    crown. You¡®re lucky I don¡®t put a de through your neck right this instant.¡±

    William sat still and calm. He watched as Martin gripped the table angrily. The guards that stood near her

    broke off and headed down by the table where the princes faced off. She wonder if they forgot about her,

    or if they thought something worse was going to happen down there.

    ¡°Why? Because you realize that you couldn¡®t do it? You know deep down that you¡®re not capable. You

    may have been in all of those sses, but you didn¡®t absorb any of it. You left your hand be pushed and

    pulled as if it wasn¡®t even part of you. Everything you did was perfect.¡±

    ¡°And you did? You never showed up for a lesson in your life! You were too busy sleeping all day and

    wasting your life!¡± Martin spat. He looked like an animal that was about to be caged and he didn¡®t like it.

    William on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. ¡°I read every book. I kept up with every detail in the

    kingdom since I was twelve years old. There is not a single thing that I don¡®t know about this kingdom.¡±

    ¡°You can¡®t take my spot!¡± Martin shouted, it even made Doris flinch. Something came over him that made

    him feel as if he had to defend his title that he admitted he didn¡®t want. Perhaps he realized that he was

    nothing without it and it finally sunk in. .

    He clung onto it as if it was all he had left even if it didn¡®t make him happy.

    ¡°Martin. Think about what¡®s best for the kingdom. Think about having to do all of it alone if you stay.¡±

    William stood cautiously. Martin red at him. ¡°I don¡®t think our kingdom deserves someone who is just

    going to recycle the way our father ran it.¡±

    ¡°What¡®s wrong with the way he did things? The first war we¡®ve had in decades is because of you! You

    started this rebellion and now it has upset those that live here. They can¡®t find peace because you ruined

    that for them by making them choose a side! That is not what a good king does for his people.¡±

    ¡°Our father encouraged rogues to be casted out from viges and treated horribly. He didn¡¯t care what

    happened to the poor, he only cared that the rich were happy.¡± William spoke calmly despite Martin¡®s

    aggression. Doris was only d that the table still separated them. Daily new chapters in

    .noveljar

    ¡°I know you hate our father, but he is not a horrible ruler. He has always cared about this kingdom¨C¡°

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t cared since his mate died and you know it. You may think differently because it¡®s all we¡¯ve

    ever seen, but the way he has done things is not right. He has only created a greater divide between the

    people he was always supposed to protect.¡±

    ¡°You think you can solve things because you have the rogues eating out of your hands?¡± Martin Scoffed.

    ¡°They¡®ll betray you the moment you turn your back. Once they¡®re finished using you for all you¡®re worth.¡±

    William stayed silent for a few long, agonizing moments. Doris could hear Martin¡®s heavy breathing as he

    watched his brother.

    ¡°You can¡®t have the crown. You won¡®t take everything from me, it¡®s all I have left.¡±

    ¡°You can be whatever you want to be, Martin. Don¡®t do this. Don¡®t force yourself into something you know

    you don¡®t want.¡±

    ¡°Who am I, if not this?¡± Martin gestured to himself. ¡°Who am I if I give up the crown and everything I

    am?¡±

    ¡°You¡®d be Martin. Prince or not, you can find your space in this world¡ª¡°

    A hand wrapped around her head and cupped her mouth shut. Before she could thrash and scream, a

    familiar voice silenced her and eased her fear.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Enzo said against her ear. It sent thrilled chills down her body to hear him again. ¡°Let us leave

    them, they have more to discus without us.¡±

    Doris nced up at him with pure relief. She gripped his hand and followed him out of the back door that

    she must have missed when she first came in.

    ¡°I can¡®t believe how long it took for those guards to leave you alone. Though, I admit the fight was getting

    rather thrilling.¡± Enzo rolled his eyes and stepped over passed out guards. Op¡­ she hoped they were

    knocked out rather than dead.

    ¡°How long have you been here? I¡®m so d to see you!¡± Doris threw her arms around Enzo, he caught

    her with augh and scooped her off the ground.

    ¡°We came early this morning and scoped out the ce. Once William went in for the meeting, I found an

    alternate way in that wouldn¡®t be noticed.¡± Enzo smirked as if he was proud of himself.

    Doris smiled before it quickly faded. ¡°We have to rescue Beth...¡± Daily new chapters in .noveljar

    ¡°Beth?¡± Enzo raised his brows as he looked down at her. ¡°Is that your maid?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Martin took her to the lower cers. He said if I didn¡®t agree to send William away, he would har

    her.¡± Doris gripped Enzo¡®s hand. ¡°We must hurry before the guards notice I¡¯m gone!¡±

    ¡°No need to fear, my dear.¡± Enzo followed her down a long hall. ¡°I¡¯m quite used to saving the day.¡± .

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    Chapter 188 It¡®s a rescue mission

    Doris led Enzo through the house as silently as she could. They looked over every corner and tried to

    take paths that wouldn¡®t lead them straight to one of Martin¡®s guards. This wasn¡®t the pce, she couldn¡¯t

    pretend to be a maid and blend in with the crowd. They all knew exactly who she was, and where she

    wasn¡¯t supposed to be.

    ¡°Do you think they¡®ll work it out?¡± Doris whispered to Enzo as they crouched in a corner. Two guards

    lingered down the hallway they needed to pass through and were taking their sweet time to move on.

    ¡°Some people are never meant to be in each others lives, even if they¡®re rted.¡± Enzo said quietly with

    his eyes on the guards. ¡°I think if they want to work it out, they will. But it might take years before they get

    to a ce where they¡®re okay. I was almost afraid to leave them alone together, but William wanted you

    out of there.¡±

    ¡°I know that deep down William wants that sort of connection. I can see it on his face.¡± Doris said sadly.

    The guards down the hall started to finally move towards the exit. ¡°Perhaps one day they can find that

    with each other. Or at least some sort of peace. I know he cares so much for Daniel.¡± .

    ¡°Their issues are so deep into the surface, I fear they would drown with one misstep. I¡®m not sure if either

    of them are capable of healing each other. But Daniel is a different story. I¡®m sure there¡®s plenty of hope

    there once he forgives William for all of this.¡±

    Enzo gripped her hand and led her across the hallway silently. Once they were through the doors, Doris

    stopped him. ¡°I have no idea how to get to the lower cells, what if we¡®re going the wrong way?¡±

    ¡°We won¡®t know the right way until we try.¡± Enzo pulled a knife from his belt and pressed it into her palm.

    ¡°Use it if any of them try to grab you. Do not hesitate because they wouldn¡®t hesitate for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. My wolf is still sleeping, I don¡®t know when she¡®ll wake.¡± Doris sighed and rubbed her chest.

    Enzo looked at her strangely until it seemed to hit him. ¡°They have the drugs that the rogues used on

    you? I wasn¡®t told that the kingdom had any sort of supply here.¡± +

    ¡°Martin said that his mother got them from the rogues, I¡®m not sure how much they have or if they used

    most of it on me.¡± Doris whispered. They walked briskly down the empty hall and paused at the end.

    ¡°Just be careful, we don¡®t want them to inject you any more. The drug hasn¡®t been tested enough. I don¡®t

    know how bad of an oue it will have on your wolf if you get too much in your system at once. She

    might never wake up if they overdose you.¡±

    Doris widened her eyes, but he gestured for her to stay quiet. They hurried down the next hallway and

    stopped at a door near the end. Cautiously, Doris opened it and saw a set of stairs that led down. ¡°It

    might be down here. I didn¡®t even know there were cers until he said he put Beth in one. He showed

    me everything else about this house but conveniently left that out.¡± Doris muttered.

    Enzo gripped her hand and led her down into the darkness, careful not to let her fall. ¡°Did your maid do

    anything that caused him to do this? Martin didn¡®t seem the type to throw random maids into cells.¡±

    ¡°No! She¡®s the kindest person I know. He only did it because he knows how much she means to me.¡±

    Doris paused when she heard someone¡¯s steps approach them. Enzo pulled her into a shadowy hole

    and held her still until they passed.

    Enzo gestured for her to follow. They stayed low to the ground as they hurried along the walls. She

    wanted to take her boots off and throw them because they sounded so loud, but it wouldn¡®t be wise. She

    needed sturdy boots in case they had to run. Still, it made her cringe every time she took a small step.

    Enzo gripped Doris to stop when they hit another corner. At the end were three tall guards that stood in

    front of a metal door. Doris could only guess that was where the cells were located. Even from the

    outside it looked dark and unfriendly. It all only made her want to reach her friend sooner and free her

    from the scary darkness.

    ¡°What do we do? It doesn¡®t look like they¡®re going to leave.¡± Doris whispered to Enzo.

    He looked in thought at the guards as if he was trying to solve a puzzle in his mind. He suddenly gripped

    her shoulder and pushed himself up. ¡°Stay here, they¡®ll recognize you immediately if youe with me.

    I¡®ll try to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Enzo, they will know who you are and will know that you¡®re not meant to be there.¡± Doris hissed, but he

    was already stepping out into their line of view

    Instantly, the guards were on alert when they saw Enzo. ¡°Sir, what are you doing down here? This area

    is forbidden.¡±

    ¡°I seemed to have gotten turned around from my group. Do you know where the main ballroom is?¡± Enzo

    asked as he kept getting closer to them. It set Doris¡®s heart into a race.

    Her heart banged in her ears, but not loud enough to prevent her from hearing something behind her. A

    large hand reached out to grab her, but she was faster. She moved out of his grasp and turned to see

    one of the guards from the ballroom ring at her.

    ¡°You¡®re not supposed to be down here!¡± His booming voice alerted the guards that Enzo was supposed

    to be distracting. Enzo immediately dodged their blows and stuck his knife in one of them before they

    could do the same to him.

    Therge man tried to grab her, she ducked under his arm and grabbed the knife at his belt.

    ¡°You sneaky little bitch!¡± He growled. He grabbed Doris by her hair and she stabbed him in the arm with

    his own knife. His screams could have torn down buildings. He shoved her away from him and pulled the

    knife out to send blood gushing from his wound.

    ¡°Get her!¡± He screeched. Two of the guards tried to break off away from Enzo, but he tackled one of

    them to the ground before they could reach her.

    ¡°Hasn¡®t anyone ever told you to pick on someone your own size?¡± Enzo said as the guard shoved him

    off.

    Doris took the knife Enzo gave her and pulled it out right when the other guard cornered her. He lunged

    to grab her arms before she could stab him, but he was toote. She plunged the knife into his stomach

    and he went down with a heavy thud.

    Therge man brought her to the ground when her back was turned. He mmed her head against the

    floor and made her see stars for a moment. She heard the sound of Enzo¡®s grunts and knew he was too

    distracted to help with her.

    She had to save herself.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The man wrapped his hands around her throat, but she knew he wouldn¡®t kill her. Martin wanted her

    alive, she had that advantage:

    The knife from the kitchen was still inside her belt. He tried to rid her of consciousness, but Doris

    wouldn¡®t make it easy for him. She thrashed her body and kicked at his most sensitive area. He called

    her

    every name in the book, but nothing sounded better than his silence when she stabbed him in the neck.

    His eyes went wide, and she had a feeling she would see them in her nightmares with all the rest. Blood

    dripped down the wound, she shoved him off her and he fell like he weighed a thousand pounds.

    Doris still heard the sound of Enzo¡®s struggling. It was the only thing that cleared her mind from going

    somewhere dark where she couldn¡®t return from.

    Doris gripped the knife and pulled it out of his neck before she got up and hurried towards Enzo. He

    struggled with a guard who held a knife inches from his throat, the other guard was already down with his

    eyes staring up lifelessly at the ceiling.

    Doris snuck up behind the guard and stabbed him in the back without another thought. His grip on Enzo

    cked instantly, Enzo finished the job by shoving the knife deep into his chest and pushing him off him.

    Enzo¡¯s wild eyes were wide as he looked at Doris. Slowly, he pushed himself up off the ground.

    ¡°You just saved me.¡± He whispered. ¡°I always knew you were a badass.¡±

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    Chapter 189 Who are you

    Doris would have rolled her eyes at him if they weren¡¯t standing over a blood bath. She gripped his hand

    and pulled him towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s locked! Check their bodies for a set of keys, one of them has to

    have it.¡± Enzo rolled over their bodies and searched each of the guards until he found the keys. Quickly,

    he crossed the room and unlocked the door for them before Doris could try to break it down herself. The

    lower cer stretched on a narrow hallway with cells that faded into the darkness. Doris prayed that Beth

    wasn¡¯t put too far down. She knew how it felt to be scared and alone in the darkness. She knew all too

    well that it could bring nightmares thatsted weeks or months.

    ¡°Beth?¡± Doris called. At first, nothing. Until she heard the sound of someone moving in their cell. ¡°Doris?

    Is that you?¡± Beth said hesitantly. A feeling of relief filled her entire body like nothing ever had before.

    Doris hurried to the voice and found Beth crouched in a dimly lit cell. A flickering candle was her only

    light. It broke Doris¡¯s heart to see her best friend dirty and frightened. Doris gripped the bars and choked

    on her tears. ¡°Beth! I¡¯m so sorry this happened to you, I¡¯m here to get you out of here!¡± Doris gestured at

    Enzo to give her the keys. Doris tried every single one of them, but none fit. ¡°Prince Martin took the cell

    key. He told me he would give it to you once you did what he said.¡± Beth said as she stepped up to the

    bars.

    Enzo went still beside her and Beth¡¯s eyes flicked to him as if she sensed it. When their eyes locked,

    Doris swore that she had never heard silence so loud in her life. It was as if the world stilled around them

    and Doris faded into the darkness. If she reached out her hand, she might have been able to caress the

    tension that formed there. 2 ¡°Who are you?¡± Beth asked, a bit breathlessly.

    Enzo said nothing. No charm or flirting came out of his mouth, it was as if she stole all of his breath and

    he forgot how to speak. Doris had honestly never seen him like that before, not once. When he said

    nothing, Doris cleared her throat and bumped him lightly with her shoulder. ¡°Oh-|¡­¡± Enzo slicked back

    his messy hair and bowed. ¡°My name is Enzo, l¡¯vee to help ourdy get you out of here. Fear not,

    we will solve this puzzle soon enough.¡± . Beth gasped when he said his name. Doris realized that this

    was the first time they¡¯ve evere face to face -she swiftly avoided him as long as she could back at

    the camp. Beth quickly looked at Doris as if she couldn¡¯t believe that she let a roguee this close to

    her. ¡°Is there another way we might get you out?¡± Doris asked as she peered in the cell. It was then that

    she noticed the bars that connected to her neighboring cell had a part at the top where they didn¡¯t reach

    the ceiling. It was barely big enough for a human, but¡­! ¡°There!¡± Doris pointed. ¡°Can you get up there

    and crawl through?¡± Beth turned to observe what she meant, and quickly shook her head. ¡°Oh no. I could

    never reach there even if I stood on the bed, it¡¯s much too high and¡­ I don¡¯t think so. It wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I

    can get her out of there.¡± Enzo said suddenly. His silence didn¡¯t escape Doris just yet.

    Beth started to shake her head. ¡°Oh, no. We will just have to wait-¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. I can get you out of there.¡± Enzo took the keys from Doris and found the one that opened the

    cell  next to Doris. He circled the area a few times as if he was plotting it out right before him like a map

    in his mind. Doris quickly joined him as he pushed the cot against the bars. ¡°I might be tall enough to

    each it and pull myself through.¡± He said to Doris. Beth stood back away from the scene as if she was

    worried something bad would happen and it would alle crashing down around her. She looked at

    Enzo as if she wasn¡¯t sure whether to trust him with this task yet, but clearly they had no other options.

    ¡°Are you sure you could fit?¡± Doris whispered. ¡°I could¡ª¡° ¡°No, you¡¯re not tall enough. You wouldn¡¯t be

    able to get back on the other side and William would kill me if I got you trapped in a cell.¡± Enzo shed a

    smile at her. ¡°Just help her down when I get her through.¡± ¡°Wait, what are you going to do,¡± Enzo ignored

    her and hopped up on the small cot. He gripped the bar on the top and pulled himself up with an ease

    she couldn¡¯t imagine. He grunted as he squeezed his body through the small space and fell through on

    the other side. She winced at the loud thump, but he was up in a sh as if it never happened.

    The grin he gave Beth could have melted the heart of any girl. Beth seemed as if she herself forgot how

    to speak for a moment. She cowered in the corner as he held out his hand for her. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, this

    is a rescue mission.¡± a Doris almost rolled her eyes at him, again. Hesitantly, Beth took his hand and

    allowed him to guide her to the wall. He helped her up on the cot and Doris wished she could show how

    wide Beth¡¯s eyes were as he touched her. o

    ¡°I¡¯m going to lift you through, okay?¡± Enzo said gently. He stared at Beth as if she was the only light in the

    room. When Beth nodded, he gripped her hips and she let out a surprised gasp from the touch. Enzo

    lifted Beth with ease and helped her pull herself through the small space. Doris was instantly there on the

    other side to make sure she didn¡¯t fall like Enzo did. She almost gracefullynded on the cot and quickly

    moved off before Enzo did the same. Doris wrapped her arms around Beth and almost squeezed the life

    out of her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry this happened. I¡¯m so sorry that you always are the pawn when ites to me. I

    hate that this is all because of me, I don¡¯t deserve you.¡± ¡°Doris!¡± Beth pulled away a little to look at her

    friend. ¡°They use me because of how much you love me, don¡¯t be sorry for loving me with your whole

    heart. I¡¯m honored that you do.¡± Doris wiped her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re being traumatized because of me. I

    wouldn¡¯t call that being lucky to have me in your life.¡± Beth rolled her eyes. ¡°I may be dirty, but I am fine.

    No one hurt me.¡± ¡°ssic Beth to try and take away my guilt.¡± Dorisughed a little. Beth¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t

    help but flicker to the man beside them. ¡°Enzo is the greatest man you¡¯ll ever meet, don¡¯t be afraid of

    him.¡± Doris said quietly even though she was positive he heard her.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Beth nodded slowly as she watched Enzo. Doris looked between them and felt a strange pulse. It made

    her feel as if she was the third wheel to two friends that had only just met. 2

    It didn¡¯t matter, they didn¡¯t have time for this.

    ¡°We have to get back to William to make sure they didn¡¯t kill each other!¡± Doris gripped Beth¡¯s hand and

    followed Enzo out of the cells. He nced back at them-or Beth-several times as they made their way up

    ¨C back to the main ballroom. ¡°Are you sure they didn¡¯t hurt you while you were in there?¡± Doris whispered

    to Beth when Enzo was far enough ahead. ¡°No, they told me that you needed the room and that they

    were moving me to another one.¡± Beth said quietly. ¡°At first, I thought they were going to put me

    somewhere smaller, but they led me down there and locked me inside without an exnation.

    Eventually, Martin came down and told me that he would give you the key if you did what you needed

    to.¡± Doris let out a long breath of relief. She worried they mistreated her to prove a point, but clearly they

    waited for Doris to make the mistake before they did anything to her. She was only d she had gotten

    her out before that could happen. ¡°William is here?¡± Beth asked. ¡°What did you mean when you said they

    might kill each other?¡± ¡°Sibling rivalry is never pretty, my dear.¡± Enzo called over his shoulder. Beth¡¯s

    cheeks grew red instantly. ¡°Martin and William are arguing about the crown, I only worry that it will get

    worse if we don¡¯t stop it soon.¡±

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    Chapter 190 It all amounts to nothing

    Enzo led them back to the main ballroom and didn¡¯t get them lost once. Doris was thankful that he

    seemed to remember the path so easily when she knew that she would have been circling the ce for

    hours before she found where she needed to be. Her thoughts were too wild for her to concentrate on

    anything, let alone simple hallways that she had only seen once.

    Beth squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile as they headed down the main hall. It encouraged

    her to keep pushing forward even when she wished it was already over with. She wanted to close her

    eyes and wake up back in the pce with everything as it was. Back before everything went wrong.

    Before a war ever brewed inside the pce. Before everything came crumbling down around them.

    Never had she felt so unsteady in her life. It felt as if a single step could make her fall beneath the

    surface and it was always there to threaten her. A reminder that she could lose everything at any

    moment and there was nothing she could do to stop any of it.

    Something was off before they reached the room. A feeling pierced her chest and she wasn¡¯t sure if it

    was because of William in trouble, or because of the emptiness the hallways were. .The day before, the

    area was crawling with guards in every corner. Now they hadn¡¯t seen more than a handful since they left

    the cells. And the ones they did see, were too distracted to notice anything off. They watched the end of

    the hall towards where the main ballroom was as if they waited for something toe of it.

    It was strange that no one had been waiting for them when they left the cells. Doris half expected to be

    ambushed and thrown in jail for killing the guards that attacked them, but no one had even been alerted

    of it yet. Beth thankfully closed her eyes as they stepped over the bodies after they left her cell. Her

    friend¡¯s strength encouraged Doris more than she had the words to admit. Were the guards waiting to

    see if a new king was to be announced? Or were they waiting to see if one of them killed the other? That

    was the thing was royal business, outsiders had no right to step between them no matter how violent it

    turned. They would be forced to watch unless one of the prince¡¯s demanded they defend them. Only then

    would they be allowed to stop the inevitable, but something told Doris that neither of the princes would

    be willing to let someone else settle their score. Her confusion was instantly answered when she noticed

    the missing guards pouring out of the main hall. Familiar voices shouted at each other as if they were

    trying to see who could be louder. Doris dropped Beth¡¯s hand and hurried after Enzo to find William.

    None of the guards paid them attention as they pushed through. Their eyes were glued to the shouting

    match in front of them. ¡°¡­this is foolish, Martin. Drop it.¡± William said sternly as if he was scolding his

    brother. Doris tried to see over the crowd, she went up on her toes trying to get a glimpse of what William

    was referring to. A wave of nausea hit her like never before. Her body demanded her to sit and rest and

    she knew she had to-especially for the baby-but there was no time for herself.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point, William. It¡¯s all over, My path hase to an end.¡± Martin said.   ¡°That¡¯s not even

    remotely true. Your path hasn¡¯t even started yet, brother. There are so many roles at the pce that you

    might fall into and learn that you love it more.¡± William¡¯s voice turned more gentle. Doris moved through

    the crowd and finally caught a view of what entranced the guards around them. Martin held a sharp

    dagger to his own throat with William trying to coax him into putting it down. 1

    Doris felt her heart rate speed up, she pushed through the crowd to get closer. She forced herself to

    swallow

    the acidic bile that wanted toe up her throat.

    ¡°That¡¯s hrious, William. Force me out of my role and make me work for you.¡± ¡°Martin. Listen to me, you

    don¡¯t have to do this. This isn¡¯t how I wanted things to go-¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here to kill me, William?

    Didn¡¯t youe here to take the crown from my dead hands and im I handed it over willingly?¡± Martin

    spat. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and Doris felt her mind start to race. No, he couldn¡¯t die over this.

    Too many people had lost their lives, too many members of his family. ¡°I came here to talk to you¡ª¡°

    ¡°You came here to kill me like you killed my mother and brother, don¡¯t try to im otherwise. We¡®re

    nothing but pawns in your game to get what you always wanted.¡± Martin said bitterly. William had the

    nerve to look wounded. ¡°I killed them because they tried to kill me-several times. Your mother has

    wanted me dead since I was born, she tried to take my life the moment she realized I wanted the crown

    and our dear brother only helped her.¡± William took a small step towards his brother. He held out his

    hands as if he meant no harm. ¡°I would never have hurt you over this,¡° Martin startedughing, so much

    so that he identally cut himself. Doris watched as the blood dripped down his neck but he barely

    seemed to notice. She wanted to jump on him and force the knife from his hands. She would give

    anything to have her wolf awake so she could tell her what to do. ¡°You¡¯re lying, William. You would have

    cut me down for the crown and you know it in your heart. But that¡¯s okay, you will have to live with

    yourself and your choices you made to get what you wanted.¡± Martin took a step back. His guards

    crowded the area as if they didn¡¯t know what to do or how to prevent this. It was one thing to stop a

    prince from attacking another, but they didn¡¯t know how to stop one from harming himself. ¡°You¡¯ll have to

    live your life knowing what you did to your own family.¡± ¡°Martin, please don¡¯t do this!¡± Doris called.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt yourself!¡± Martin locked eyes with her and she felt as if the world slowed for a moment.

    There was so much sadness in his eyes. How long had he been so broken? Why had no one ever

    noticed that the prince was suffering this much? He hid it so well. In every smile, in every confident word

    he spoke. Doris felt her heart break for the man that had years of pain on his chest. She regretted the

    days she was too shy to talk to him, those were days he might have needed a friend the most. If only she

    could turn back the clock, she would be that friend for him. To ease a bit of the weight in his chest from

    having no one to understand.

    ¡°I knew you were magnificent Doris, from the moment I met you. When I saw you shift into the white wolf

    at the y, it all made sense. I wasn¡¯t even surprised.¡± Martin smiled a little. ¡°My mother raged when we

    were in private, but I knew you were special from the moment I met you.¡± Doris held out her hand to him.

    ¡°Martin¡ª Don¡¯t do this to yourself. Please, you¡¯re not alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought you here, Doris. I

    should have known you wouldn¡¯t change your mind. Everyone wants  William. Hell even half the kingdom

    was ready to fight for him without seeing an ounce of his leadership.¡± ¡°Martin, please. There is so much

    better out there for you. Life doesn¡¯t end because you don¡¯t get your way, a new path always opens up!

    New beginnings and new people wait for you¡ª¡° ¡°That¡¯s all lovely, Doris. It really is, but I don¡¯t have the

    will to keep on and wait for the world you describe.¡± Martin said right before he sliced his own throat. ?

    Doris screamed, William lurched forward and grabbed his brother before he fell to the ground. William

    held him, Martin¡¯s bloody hands gripped onto his jacket as if it was a life preserver. ¡°¡­ wish you¡­¡±

    Martin choked on his blood. William tried to stop the bleeding at his neck with his shirt, but anyone could

    see it was just too much to contain. ¡°I wish¡ª you luck.¡± Martin finally said. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± William

    cried. He gripped his brother tightly against him. ¡°This didn¡¯t have to happen!¡± Martin reached out his

    hand to touch William¡¯s cheek, leaving a smear of blood behind. A momentter, his hand dropped and

    he stared lifelessly up at the ceiling. William didn¡¯t let his brother go. Even as his blood pooled around

    him and stained his skin. He held on tight until he was all out of tears.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    Chapter 192 Something is blooming

    William stayed with Martin until it was time to take his body away. He stood with his brother¡¯s blood

    drenched over his clothes as if he¡¯d just came out of a pool of it. Doris didn¡¯t realize the crowd had

    thinned out around them until she nced around.

    Only a few guards remained as if they didn¡¯t know what else to do. Enzo stood near the back of the room

    and Beth was outside of it as if she couldn¡¯t stand being inside. Doris didn¡¯t me her in the slightest.

    She would have done the same.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Doris hesitantly stepped up to William, but he refused to lift his gaze to her. He looked out of it. As if he

    left his body and there was only a hollow shell walking around in his ce. It pained her to see him that

    way. 2 ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the camp¡­¡± Doris whispered. It was too soon to go back to the pce, she was

    afraid it would all fall in on him if they did something like that. ¡°We don¡¯t have to be here anymore.¡±

    William said nothing. Doris reached her hand out for him but he walked right past her and out of the door

    as if she was a ghost. Enzo watched him leave and looked back at her with a look that was almost as

    helpless as she felt. They didn¡¯t know how tofort him.

    Doris followed William out and gripped Beth¡¯s hand to pull her along. This house was tainted with trauma,

    she wanted them all out of here before things turned worse. If that was even possible.

    Beth followed silently. Her grip was tight enough to make Doris wince but she didn¡¯t mind one bit. The

    guards watched William as he walked right out the door with the blood of their leader on his hands. They

    said nothing either. It didn¡¯t seem like they knew what to do with themselves now that Martin was gone.

    She wondered if

    they would eventually find their way back to the pce to serve as they did before.

    The silence made her ears ring. They hadn¡¯t really won, not when it ended like this. An invisible weight

    fell on his shoulders and she wished she could take that away from him. She could see it in every step

    he took as if it tried to weigh him down to the ground.

    The carriage ride back to the camp was dead silent. Only the sound of the wheels crunching against

    snow kept her thoughts at bay. William stared out the window in his own world and Beth did the same.

    Enzo had ridden separately as well as the guards they brought with them. Doris briefly wondered if the

    pce would bury them all together or if they would each get their own funeral. It seemed sick to think of

    it so soon. Only that morning he had told her that he wanted her to stay with him forever and now he

    was¡­ gone. Just like that. A horrible ache tried to rip her chest open, but she swallowed it down before

    anyone could see it on her face. Martin was once her favorite prince. She thought he was the kindest,

    most wonderful man. How fast things

    changed when she didn¡¯t look too closely.

    Once they arrived, William waited for thedies to leave the carriage before he exited himself and went

    straight to their tent without a word. His clothes were still stained with red, everyone at the camp silently

    stared as he passed by. They were wise to stay silent. Beth took Doris¡¯s hand and pulled her towards the

    path they usually walked on in the mornings. ¡°I should go check on him-¡° ¡°Give him a moment alone, he

    needs to process what happens before he can talk about it.¡± Beth said gently. They walked along the

    path quietly until they got far enough away from everyone¡¯s eyes. Doris was only d

    that all the bodies had been cleared from when theyst were at the camp. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be okay?¡±

    Doris asked. She nced back at the tent that seemed so far away from her. ¡°Only time will tell, but I

    believe he will be eventually.¡± Beth sadly smiled a little. ¡°He has you and your baby you created together,

    he will heal and learn what it¡¯s like to have a healthy family. Eventually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that this will weigh

    on him for a long time. He only has Daniel and his father left, but even his father isn¡¯t doing well.

    Everyone said he was on his death bed.¡± Doris frowned. ¡°I hope he gets the chance to make things right

    with him before he passes. His father owes him an apology and so much more.¡± ¡°This war might show

    William as the viin to others, to his own father.¡± Beth said quietly. She nced back over her shoulder

    to make sure no one was listening. ¡°I heard some of Martin¡¯s guards mention how they consider William

    a traitor for what he¡¯s done. I don¡¯t know how much worse this will make it, there were so many guards to

    see it happen.¡±

    ¡°A traitor?¡± Doris chewed on her lip. Beth was right, this may have made it even harder to gain the trust

    of the people he needed it most from. Everything kept unraveling. ¡°I think everyone will see his true

    intentions in time.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± Beth said suddenly. ¡°There¡¯s been something on my mind since we left the

    pce.¡±

    Doris nodded. ¡°Of course you can, what is it?¡±

    ¡°When Martin mentioned your white wolf.. what did he mean by that? Is your wolf special? He said that it

    made Luna Queen mad to see you as a white wolf. Why would that matter?¡± ¡°1¨CI¡¯m not entirely sure

    what it means yet, only that it¡¯s special. I was told that a white wolf is extremely rare but don¡¯t know why I

    would be given a wolf so extraordinary if I¡¯m just an average girl who used to be a maid. Sometimes I

    feel like I was given something I didn¡¯t deserve.¡± 3 Beth rolled her eyes and bumped Doris with her

    shoulder. ¡°You are not just any average girl. There¡¯s a fire in your heart and if you say that sort of wolf is

    rare and extraordinary, you were given her because you deserve it. Fate isn¡¯t mistakenly given, it¡¯s set

    out with purpose. I see you as someone entirely new from the girl I used to know.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wonder

    if I¡¯ve changed at all.¡± Doris muttered as she kicked at a pile of snow.

    Bethughed a little. ¡°You are not the same girl from before, I guarantee you that. The girl from before

    would not be brave enough to break me out of a cell or take down guards just because I was in trouble.

    The girl from before would not stand up for herself or jump into trouble because it¡¯s the right thing to do.

    The girl in front of me is who you always were meant to be.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I haven¡¯t earned what I am-¡°

    ¡°Doris, what you are now is something to be celebrated. You don¡¯t have to prove yourself to be yourself.

    Your wolf color shows that you are more than worthy, even if you aren¡¯t ready to believe it yet.¡± Beth

    wrapped her arm around her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know as much about wolves or what anything means, but

    I know that you deserve to be a white wolf more than anyone else I have ever met.¡±

    Doris shook her head andughed a little. ¡°People keep telling me something like that.¡±

    ¡°Then stop doubting them. The longer you waste time doubting yourself, the longer it will take for you to

    fully grow.¡± Doris rested her head on her friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What would I do without you?¡± ¡°You would be

    miserable, clearly.¡± She pushed her shoulder to make her stand. ¡°Now, go check on your  prince. Enough

    time has passed.¡± Doris stood up instantly and nodded her head. She hurried back up the path and

    towards their tent. She silently prayed that he wouldn¡¯t push her away like all the times before. Hesitantly,

    she entered their tent to find William in bed. His back was to her and the covers pulled up to his neck as

    if he wanted to hide from the world. ¡°William?¡± Doris said softly. She crossed the room slowly as she

    peeled off her coat and went to sit next to him on the bed. ¡°Is there anything I can get you?¡± He said

    nothing. Silence answered her and only more followed. Doris saw the uneven rise and fall of his

    breathing and knew he wasn¡¯t asleep-not yet. Doris kicked off her shoes and curled up beside him,

    careful not to touch. ¡°I¡¯ll be here when you need me.¡± She whispered. ¡°No matter how long it takes.¡±

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    Chapter 193 Another gloomy day

    The next morning, William was out of bed and gone before she could check on him. She found him going

    on as normal as if nothing had happened. He ordered around his guards and continued meetings as if

    everything was normal. The only way she knew he was still hurting, was because he avoided her. He

    wouldn¡¯t even meet her eye when she approached him. He didn¡¯t let her catch him alone for even a

    moment offort. He always made sure he was around someone or a group that he just couldn¡¯t be

    pulled away from. She wondered if everyone else could tell how different he acted. Perhaps they did and

    they just didn¡¯t want to speak of it. It was fine, she knew he only avoided her because he wanted to avoid

    talking about his feelings. She knew he didn¡¯t want to face what was being piled up inside him-deeper

    and deeper in his chest. She meant what she said, she would be there for him when he was ready to talk

    about it. Until then, she refused to push at a wound that wasn¡¯t ready to close. Doris pushed away the

    pain that came with his avoidance and sought out Beth. Her friend was never far, but it seemed even she

    had certain things on her mind that she couldn¡¯t shake.

    She caught her friend across the camp hesitantly approaching Enzo as if he was a wild animal she

    wasn¡¯t sure about. Her normally confident friend looked as if she wanted to shrink inside herself the

    closer she got to him. He seemed to sense her instantly and turned the moment she was in sight.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°Beth! What a lovely face to see on a gloomy day.¡± Enzo bowed his head at her. Beth¡¯s cheeks med

    instantly at his words. She nervously smiled and curtsied. ¡°What brings you over here to talk to my boring

    self?¡± 2

    ¡°Good day, Lord Enzo. 1-1 had just wanted to¡­ extend my thanks for helping me back at the pce.¡±

    Beth said. Doris had rarely seen her friend trip over her words as if she¡¯d forgotten how to talk. Usually

    she had the most to say about everything.

    ¡°No thanks needed.¡± Enzo said softly. His looked down at Beth with a gentle smile that made Beth look

    away quickly.

    ¡°Doris always told me you were a good man. I¡¯m sorry I thought bad of you before.¡± Beth cleared her

    throat and brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°I always heard awful stories about the rogues, forgive me for

    judging without meeting you.¡±

    Enzo raised his brows as if he didn¡¯t know that anyone in the world had ever thought bad of him. Let

    alone a pretty maid like Beth. It made Doris want tough, but she held it in. ¡°Doris is in love with me.

    She constantly says lies about me, I assure you I¡¯m not as great as she ims.¡± Enzo grinned. Beth¡¯s

    eyes widened for a moment before she thought better of what he said and sheughed. It was a lovely

    sound. Light and full of nerves as if it was surprised out of her. Enzo smiled for real, Doris wanted to step

    on his foot for all the times he told people Doris fancied him, but it made her friendugh and that was

    what mattered the most. Her friend looked so beautiful when sheughed. Doris watched as Enzo

    admired her beauty with a softness in his expression that she hadn¡¯t s before.

    A warmth coated her chest. She hadn¡¯t realized how cold she was inside until she felt it warm up again.

    As she watched her best friend be flirted with by Enzo, she felt nothing but happiness. Beth deserved to

    be happy   and Enzo was worthy enough for her. She knew he would always treat her right, even on his

    hardest days.

    Doris smiled to herself and turned away as she heard her friendugh at something else he said to her.

    He knew how to make her nerves disappear oneugh at a time. Soon he would have the real Beth in

    front of him and Doris could only imagine that he would adore her more.

    Doris made her way back to her tent when she felt a wave of exhaustion fall over her. She felt so hungry

    and tired, she wished she could sleep until all of this was over. Perhaps if there was some sort of potion

    that would make her sleep until after she had her baby-she would take that in a heartbeat.

    When she entered her tent, she almost tripped over herself when she saw William seated at the small

    table. He stared at the candle in front of him as if he wished he could control it with his mind and burn the

    tent down around him. Hesitantly, Doris took off her coat and stepped closer to him. ¡°Hey¡­ you.¡±

    Instantly, she felt foolish. Doris blushed and tried to stop herself from smacking her forehead from how

    ridiculous she sounded. ¡°I mean. Do you want anything to eat? Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No.¡± He said simply

    without looking up at her.

    Doris swallowed the lump in her throat and sat across from him. ¡°Did you want toy down and take a

    nap or something? I can get you some warm tea to help you rx.¡± . ¡°No. I don¡¯t want anything.¡± He said

    emotionlessly. Doris bit the inside of her cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t know when we should go back to the pce.

    Perhaps not for a long while.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, William. We don¡¯t have to go back anytime soon.¡± Doris picked at her nails under the table.

    ¡°Have you called back your army yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I had done so earlier for the most part but some areas still fight.¡± William moved his eyes to the

    tent walls. Anywhere but her. ¡°It has mostly diminished on its own anyway.¡± He muttered. ¡°I think it would

    be better if all of it was pulled back officially. It won¡¯t take long for news to spread about what

    happened¡­¡± Doris said gently. She didn¡¯t want to press too far in case she popped his patience. ¡°I

    wanted to warn you about what Beth over heard back at that castle.¡±

    When he didn¡¯t stop her, she continued. ¡°She heard some of the guards refer to you as a traitor to the

    king for starting the war. Perhaps if you put an end to it, they might see you for who you are.¡± ¡°Who am I,

    Doris? In your eyes, who am I? A traitor? A killer?¡±

    ¡°A leader.¡± Doris said quickly before he could continue. ¡°You¡¯re a prince that was always meant to be

    king. You¡¯re a brave, ambitious man who fights for what he believes in and doesn¡¯t stop until he achieves

    his goals.¡±

    ¡°Look where that got me.¡± William said bitterly. ¡°A dead family and a kingdom that doesn¡¯t trust me.¡±

    Doris reached across to grip his hand. He didn¡¯t push her away and she didn¡¯t know why that made her

    feel so relieved. ¡°You fought for what you wanted your entire life. The people will see your leadership

    soon enough. But I don¡¯t see need for the war to continue. The king is still alive, you can go to him and

    show him how worthy you are. You deserve that crown, he will see that too.¡± ¡°I killed my way to the top, I

    don¡¯t know if I deserve it anymore.¡± William said as he gazed down at their hands. Doris slowly ran her

    thumb along his skin. ¡°My father will never forgive me for what I did. I wouldn¡¯t me Daniel if he didn¡¯t

    either.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You know you earned the crown. Even if Martin didn¡¯t do what he did, he knew that it

    didn¡¯t belong with him.¡± Doris brought his hand to her lips and kissed the back of his hand. ¡°You¡¯re a king,

    William. Only time will grant you the title officially. Don¡¯t act like it wasn¡¯t always meant to be your crown.¡±

    William finally looked at her. She could see the sadness in his blue eyes. The darkness within. The regret

    and doubt. It all crowded his mind and made him wish he never went after the crown, but Doris knew that

    he deserved it. Deep down, he knew that too. He always knew that about himself. ¡°I¡¯ll call off the rest of

    the war.¡± William said quietly. He pulled his hand away from her and stood. ¡°I¡¯ll call it off, but I don¡¯t want

    to return to the pce just yet.¡± Doris stood as well. She gripped the table when she felt a wave of

    nausea hit her. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go back to the pce. Everyone here will wait as long as you need us

    to, William.¡± William said nothing as he walked out of the tent.

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    Chapter 194 A king to many

    The next morning, William was gone again before she had the chance to wake. It seemed that no matter

    how early she aimed for, he was always ahead of her. Part of her wondered if he even slept at all.

    Doris dressed for the day and left the tent as soon as she could. A small flicker of worry always entered

    her mind when she woke up alone. It didn¡¯t leave her until she caught sight of William across the camp

    speaking with Patrick about something that looked rather intense. William¡¯s skin looked dark under his

    eyes. She wanted to pull him back in the tent and let him sleep all of his worries away but she knew his

    mind would never let him rest. William nced up as if he felt her watching him and she swore a ghost of

    a smile touched his lips before he turned away.

    ¡°How is our boy doing this morning?¡± Enzo asked from behind her. It made her almost flinch out of her

    skin. ¡°Oh, my. I didn¡¯t expect you there.¡± She breathed. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s doing well. I¡¯m trying to give him

    as much space as he needs, but I¡¯m worried about him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Enzo seated himself on a low log and patted the space next to him. Doris slumped down on the

    seat and tried to keep her eyes off of William for more than a moment. ¡°I think you¡¯re right to let him have

    his space. He came up to me earlier and spoke like nothing had happened and when I tried to ask if he

    was well, he left right in the middle of my sentence.¡± Enzo frowned. ¡°Honestly, it was rather rude but also

    expected.¡± ¡°He tends to avoid his feelings.¡± Doris picked at her nails nervously. ¡°But I wish he wouldn¡¯t

    bury them so deep. He doesn¡¯t look like himself at all.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯lle around eventually-or I hope he will. Now I understand where all his angeres from.¡± Enzo

    watched William move across the camp. William did a good job in pretending neither of them were there

    as he spoke to everyone else that passed him. ¡°That is not a man anyone should go near at the moment.

    If i were them, I would run and hide in my tent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m worried he will disappear inside himself. I already look at him and see he has this hollow version of

    himself on disy for everyone.¡± Doris turned to Enzo. ¡°Do you know if he had his army pulled back yet?

    We spoke about itst night but he never mentioned it again.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he mentioned itst night but hasn¡¯t made the official call yet. He thinks that it¡¯s toote for him and

    there¡¯s no point.¡± Enzo sighed. ¡°I tried to talk him out of it but he didn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°No point? People could

    still be dying out there because of this! He needs to call it off.¡± Doris went to stand, but Enzo gripped her

    arm. ¡°He told me he would call it off. Why hasn¡¯t he done it yet?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Doris. You¡¯re always right

    but he needs toe to that decision on his own. If we try to push him, he might only push back. I don¡¯t

    want him to disappear more inside himself like you said.¡± ¡°I know he feels regret for how things went. I

    know he wants to undo what has already be done, but he can¡¯t have this war continue because he feels

    this way. He will only pile on more regret if he lets this continue for another moment.¡± Doris ran her

    fingers through her hair. ¡°We need to talk to him, Enzo.¡± Enzo stared at her for a long moment before he

    nodded. He pushed himself off the log and brushed off the dirt from his pants. ¡°Fine, fine. We¡¯ll do the

    right thing. But if he gets mad at me, you better take the me for this. I don¡¯t want to end up pushed

    down a snowy hill by an angry man.¡± Enzo muttered.

    Doris rolled her eyes andughed a little as she epted his hand to stand. William had disappeared

    inside the main tent with a few of his guards. Enzo took the lead and went right in as if he owned the

    ce and

    spread his arms wide to greet them. ¡°Good day, gentlemen. I need a word with our prince here, if you

    wouldn¡¯t mind leaving.¡± Enzo said as he gestured to the exit. Doris slipped in behind him and watched as

    the men exchanged annoyed looks before they got up to leave. ¡°Thank you, thank you. You cane by

    later to bother him if you insist.¡± Enzo said with a smile on his face. Doris watched William stare at the

    table in front of him as if nobody else was even in the room. Quietly, she went to sit in a chair close to

    him once all the men were finally gone. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± She asked softly.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    William lifted his eyes to her and looked little surprised as if he hadn¡¯t even realized she entered the

    room. It was strange to even think of that, since he always usually knew exactly where she was at all

    times.

    ¡°No.¡± He finally said. ¡°I ate when I got up this morning.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. We worried you were going to pass out with how fatigued you look.¡± Enzo plopped

    down across from them. Doris lightly put her hand on William¡¯s thigh under the table.

    ¡°What is it you need, Enzo?¡± William sighed and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Me? I don¡¯t need anything.

    We¡¯re here to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can go back to terrorizing the camp with your

    ridiculous jokes.¡± William muttered. He moved to stand, but Doris held his thigh a little harder so he

    stayed. ¡°William, we know you¡¯re hurting. I know that what has happened will stay with you for a long

    time and that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay if you need days or weeks or months to recover from what you went

    through. There¡¯s nothing wrong with needing time to heal.¡± William stared at Doris as if she had grown a

    second head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s all fine, Doris.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to thedy. She has your baby inside her.¡± Enzo said as he leaned across the table. ¡°She¡¯s only

    trying to reach out her hand to you.¡±

    William grew silent.

    ¡°William, you need to end this war before more deaths ur. You won, it¡¯s over. Having this continue

    doesn¡¯t make anything right, it makes it worse.¡± Enzo said as gently as he could.

    ¡°Enzo is right. If you don¡¯t pull back, more people might loose their lives for nothing.¡± ¡°If they are still

    fighting, that¡¯s their fault.¡± William grumbled. ¡°By now they should have heard what happened and should

    have stopped on their own.¡± ¡°William, you¡¯re their leader now! Act like their leader and put an end to this.¡±

    Doris gripped his hand. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. I know it doesn¡¯t feel like it, but one day it will.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t

    know why you two insist I have won this when I only feel defeated.¡± William stood, but he didn¡¯t move

    towards the door. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly make more mistakes than I already have.¡± ¡°You definitely can,

    mate.¡± Enzo said sadly. ¡°If you let more of your people fight for nothing, it¡¯ll end up with more casualties.

    More lives that didn¡¯t need to end.¡± William nced between them. ¡°You told me you would call it off,

    William. We talked about this and you agreed to call it off.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why I haven¡¯t. I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    William admitted. The broken look on his face cracked her heart. ¡°I know you feel defeated. I know you

    don¡¯t feel like you earned this win, but you have. You have to start being  Aking to many the king they

    need you to be. They need to see you act like one now or they¡¯ll never believe in you.¡± Doris said. ¡°How

    would they look up to me when I¡¯m the reason their crown prince is dead? They looked up to Martin

    since he was a child! They¡¯re going to think of me as a viin and there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop that.¡±

    William paced the small area. It only took him a few steps to get across. ¡°You can¡¯t undo what happened,

    but you can prove to them that they deserve a king like you.¡± Doris stood and cautiously approached

    him. ¡°Everything you do from here on out will be judged by them, but that¡¯s not a bad thing. It¡¯s a chance

    to make your own path as king.¡± 1 William slowed his steps and looked down at her. Doris cupped his

    cheeks. ¡°Feel every horrible thing inside you. But don¡¯t let it consume you to the point that you lose

    yourself.¡± William leaned into her touch. She wasn¡¯t sure how long they stood there, staring at each

    other-but she knew he needed it. Slowly, she brought his hand down to feel her stomach that hadn¡¯t yet

    grown a bump big enough to see. ¡°I love you. We love you. Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    Chapter 195 Something blooms

    William called his men in the tent after Doris had left. She sat by the open fire and tried to embrace its

    warmth. Part of her wanted to seek out Beth and spill out all of her thoughts, but a bigger part wanted to

    wait for William toe out. No matter how long that might take. Almost an hour had passed before his

    guards exited the tent. Many went straight for their horses and took off through the trees without a single

    nce back. Her heart rate quickened, were they off to end the war? Was the blood lust finallying to

    an end?

    Enzo caught her eye and nodded at her before he went to talk to the rogues that hovered nearby. It was

    like weight lifted off her chest to know that the war was finally being called off. She silently prayed that

    this would be the end of unnecessary deaths for the kingdom. If William was crowned king, it could be a

    new start for so many lives. He didn¡¯t realize how much hope his leadership could bring for his people. 6

    William exited the tent when everyone else seemed to be gone from it. He headed straight for her

    without lifting his gaze. As if he knew exactly where she would be. It felt like her heart tugged him closer

    to her as if there was an invisible string that connected them.

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    Doris moved over a little when he seated himself. He leaned forward and stared at the fire that was

    growing dim before them. ¡°It should all be over within the next few hours. I ordered my army to step back

    and to return to the pce to recover.¡± Doris gripped his hand. He squeezed it tightly. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.

    You fought for what you believe in.¡± ¡°My father still has the right to deny me the crown. As you said, he

    might see me as a traitor for all of this. He knows I would never be a king like he was-he wanted Martin

    to be a copy of himself.¡± William stared down at their hands. ¡°He could still give the crown to Daniel. I

    refuse to fight Daniel for it.¡± ¡°Daniel has no interest in bing king, William. He never has had that on

    his mind. He told me that he wanted nothing to do with politics once.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If my father wishes it, it will be. Even if Daniel doesn¡¯t want it. He could give me the

    crown after our father passes, but every one would know that it wasn¡¯t what the true king wanted.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re letting your mind get the better of you. Your father hasn¡¯t once had interest in making

    Daniel king. Don¡¯t stress about tomorrow before today is over.¡±

    William said nothing. Doris leaned her head against his shoulder. ¡°Do you wish to return to the pce

    soon? To see your father?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± William said simply. Doris knew better than to push him about it. A

    loud horn made Doris and William jump off the log. He immediately moved in front of her to hide her from

    view of whoever was about to enter the camp. Usually they only had horns blow like that at the pce

    when a lord was visiting.

    As it was, a group of men slowly steered their horses into the camp. A man with white hair and fancy

    clothes looked down at William with his chin raised.

    ¡°Prince William? We heard you hadn¡¯t yet arrived the pce. I¡¯m d we caught you here before you

    left.¡± ¡°The war is over. I¡¯ve already called it off. You might as well turn back now and swallow whatever

    you came to say.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, we just heard as we wereing in here.¡± The man slid down from the horse. ¡°We¡¯re not here

    about that right now, though.¡± ¡°What is it you want, Lord Edgar?¡± William asked. Another man pulled up

    and slid off his horse as well. The rest of the men stayed mounted on their horses but watched closely,

    Doris only guessed they were guards. ¡°And Lord Theo. What brings you all the way out here?¡± William

    looked at them as if he didn¡¯t trust an ounce of their presence. Doris hadn¡¯t heard much about either of

    them to know if this visit would be bad or good. ¡°We heard what happened to your brothers and the Luna

    Queen. We heard everything.¡± Lord Theo sald. He wasnky and tall, unlike the shorter man beside him.

    William¡¯s Jaw clenched at his words as if he wanted to know who was feeding them that information. The

    men nced at Doris behind William, he moved more in front of her until their eyes snapped back to the

    prince. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± William asked sternly. ¡°As I said, the fighting is over.¡± ¡°We

    came to lend our support, Prince William.¡± Lord Edgar said. ¡°In what way would you be lending your

    support?¡± William asked. He kept his guard up even with the kinder look in their eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to tell

    your father that we think you should be named the next king.¡± Lord Theo said. He sped his hands in

    front of him calmly. ¡°No man that has gone through this much trouble should be casted aside. You

    wed your way to the top and didn¡¯t care who went down in the meantime.¡± Doris chewed on the inside

    of her cheek as she watched William. His face was a mask of stone, she wondered if his words hit him

    more than intended. ¡°We also heard tales that you brought the rogues to back you up in this war. No

    leader from this kingdom has been able to do that in decades. The rouges have always hoped for our

    kingdoms downfall.¡± Lord Edgar said. ¡°How did you manage to get them to join you in this fight?¡± ¡°We

    saw him as the leader that could help pave our path to peace.¡± Enzo said from behind them. They turned

    with wide eyes when they saw the lord of the rogues stroll up to them. ¡°You¡¯re right to put your trust in

    William. He has proven himself time and time again that he was always meant to wear that crown. For

    the first time in history, he made the rouges want to fight for royalty instead of fight with them.¡± The men

    studied Enzo as if they weren¡¯t sure what to make of his appearance. For so many years, the rogues

    were enemies to this kingdom. Now William has brought them here as if they were equals. ¡°Not even the

    king could unite the north with the kingdom.¡± Lord Theo observed. ¡°He¡¯s tried, he came back with a mate,

    but even so they still stayed separated. We all thought the north would be open to us when he was

    mated, but it seemed to only push back more.¡± ¡°The difference between William and his father is that

    William is sincere in his promises. His father was only out for his own needs and the rogues saw right

    through him.¡± Enzo said. He pped William on the back. ¡°He has made us see a world that is far better

    than the one we were forced in because of his fathers actions.¡± The lords exchanged a nce. ¡°When

    you get back to the pce, we would love to have a meeting with you about the future of this kingdom,

    Prince William.¡± Lord Theo bowed his head. ¡°We want to hear the ideas you have to better the future.¡± ¡°I

    won¡¯t take any meetings unless the crown is on my head. My path is not set in stone yet and I won¡¯t

    pretend it is.¡± William said, his fists opened and closed at his sides.

    LIVE TO JUMENTY Dlooms ¡°We only ask for your time when you¡¯re settled, of course. Not a moment

    sooner,¡± Lord Edgar smiled. ¡°I have to admit, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had a king that fought for

    what he believed in. Your father has always expected everything handed to him and when he didn¡¯t get it,

    he gave up or forced it to go his way.¡± ¡°My father has given up on a lot in his life.¡± William muttered. He

    nced through the trees as if he could see the pce from where he was standing. ¡°I will not take after

    his ruling in the slightest if I¡¯m crowned king,¡± ¡°We don¡¯t doubt that, your majesty.¡± Lord Theo bowed

    again. ¡°Please excuse us, we have to seek out your father. I¡¯d say it¡¯s time toy the past to rest. New

    order is due.¡±

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    Chapter 196 A call home

    ¡°Do you trust them?¡± Doris asked after they were finally alone in their tent. The lords had left not too long

    ago but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder when they would arrive to the pce to speak to the king. ¡°I¡¯m not

    sure yet. I heard those two have strong opinions about how the kingdom should be run. My father always

    respected them enough not to rece them or toss them out.¡± William leaned back against the bed, she

    could see the exhaustion start to have its hold on him. ¡°I want to keep them at arms length for the time

    being. I wouldn¡¯t want them to think they have any sort of hold over me for speaking to my father. The

    last thing I need is for someone to think I owe them anything.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the person that tries to pull

    one over on you. I surely hope they¡¯re not stupid enough to do something like that.¡± Doris said gently as

    she sat on the edge of the bed. She lightly ran her fingers through his hair and caressed his cheek. (This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡°You need to rest. You¡¯ve spent so much time worrying

    over this.¡± William took her hand and kissed her palm. ¡°I would think you¡¯re the one that needs the

    resting.¡± He nced down at her stomach. It was strange to think that soon she would have arge

    bump there. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been learning how to cope with the symptoms. I barely realize when I¡¯m dizzy.¡± Doris tried to joke,

    but he only frowned. She hated when he looked at her like that, with so much regret on his face.

    ¡°I put too much stress on you. I shouldn¡¯t have brought you alone with me, I should have made you go

    with Daniel.¡± He moved to sit up, but she pushed him back against the bed.

    ¡°I think that would have only caused more stress-not knowing if you were okay. Even if you sent me with

    Daniel, I believe things still would have gone the way they did. Martin would have found me eventually.¡±

    Doris brushed the hair from his forehead. She made a mental note to trim his hair once they got back.

    ¡°Rest.¡± Doris stood, but he didn¡¯t let go of her hand. He held on tight. ¡°Thank you for staying with me.¡± He

    whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought you into all of this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry.¡± Doris leaned down to kiss him softly.

    She pulled away just enough to say, ¡°I¡¯ll always be here. Always.¡±

    A small smile lit up his lips and made her want to capture the image forever. She pulled back and

    watched as he closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the bed. Doris left the tent quietly. Her heart stayed

    with him in the tent. She wanted so desperately to curl up beside him and let the world disappear around

    them. But she couldn¡¯t. She knew exactly why she wouldn¡¯t have been able to rest even if she wanted to-

    she was starving. She suddenly felt as if she could eat a whole table of food and still look for dessert.

    Doris went to look for Beth to see if she was hungry as well. It was always more fun to eat with her

    friend, she never judged her for any of the things she ate-even when she ate a lot of it.

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    What she found made her stop short. Enzo had his arm braced against the tree that Beth leaned back

    on. He smiled down at her and she had a lock of her hair twirled around her finger while she bit her lip.

    Sheughed at something he said and reached her hand out to touch his arm lightly. (This novel will be

    daily updtaed at .noveljar)Doris had never seen her friend like that before. Not once. How

    strange to witness the beginning of something bloom. Beth used to tell her every boy at the pce that

    she thought was cute, but she was always too shy to   A Call nome approach them or too scared that she

    would get in some sort of trouble. But with Enzo-she actually looked happy. Brave, even.

    Doris quickly moved to step away when she tripped over her own feet in her haste. Thest thing she

    wanted was to interrupt their private moment together and it seemed that she couldn¡¯t help but do just

    that.. ¡°Doris?¡± Beth called. She nced back to see her friend push away from the tree and hurry over to

    help her up. Her cheeks were bright red as if she had just stood super close to the fire. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes, I¡¯m so sorry I disturbed you. I was just¡­ going for a walk.¡± Doris stood and wiped the snow

    from her pants. Beth nervously nced back at Enzo. ¡°Please, don¡¯t pay attention to me! I¡¯m going to go

    get something to eat!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± ¡°I¡¯lle with you!¡± Beth said quickly, interrupting Enzo. She quickly linked

    her arm with Doris and walked them away as fast as she could. Doris almost tripped over herself again

    but Beth held her firm. ¡°Really, Beth. It¡¯s fine! I just wanted to see if you had eaten yet.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t, and

    I¡¯m starved! Sit, I¡¯ll get us food.¡± Beth seated Doris before she could respond and hurried off to tent

    where the food was cooked. Doris frowned and nced back at Enzo, but he was already gone. When

    she came back, Doris almost forgot about everything when she saw therge bowl of pasta. She didn¡¯t

    think she had ever wanted anything more. She snatched the bowl like an animal and dug in as if she

    hadn¡¯t eaten in days.

    Bethughed. ¡°I also brought you bread.¡± She set the small load on herp but Doris could barely hear

    her over her chewing. They ate in their own silence for several minutes until their bowls were clean. Beth

    tried to take her bowl and hurry away again, but Doris gripped her arm and held her still. (This novel will

    be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡°Tell me about you and Enzo!¡± Doris whispered. No one was near

    enough to hear her, but still. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked him in that way!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Beth said quickly. And just like that, her cheeks turned bright red again. ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ very kind

    and funny-¡±

    ¡°And handsome¡­¡±

    ¡°And handsome-¡± Beth snapped her lips shut and red at Doris. ¡°He¡¯s a rogue. You know how I feel

    about them. I could never-never like one in that way.¡± 1

    ¡°Yes, I felt the same way you did before I met Enzo. He changed everything.¡± Doris grinned and poked

    her friend in the cheek. ¡°Though, I didn¡¯t have a charming Enzo flirting with me like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a liar! He flirts with you constantly.¡± Beth said and turned away. Doris gasped. ¡°Are you jealous

    that he flirts with me? I assure you it doesn¡¯t mean a thing, it¡¯s all apart of his silly personality.¡± ¡°No! Of

    course I¡¯m not jealous!¡± Beth smacked Doris¡¯s arm lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you tease me about this! I will simply die

    if you do!¡± ¡°Oh Beth, 1 don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you have a real crush before. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    Beth shook her head and nced around as if to make sure he wasn¡¯t nearby. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t know. I feel

    strange inside when he¡¯s around. It¡¯s like something is waking up inside me but I don¡¯t want it to yet.¡±

    Something about her words made Doris flinch. ¡°What do you mean?¡±   A call home ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly.

    It¡¯s like this feeling of something that had always been there but I never felt it. It wasn¡¯t until we met at the

    castle that I felt it for the first time.¡± Doris started to pick at her nails as she looked at her friend closely.

    Did her friend¡­ did she have a wolf inside her? Doris had once felt something simr when she was

    around William, before her wolf woke up. She didn¡¯t dwell on it, she only pushed the feeling away until it

    was nothing because she didn¡¯t want to feel anything for William. Was her friend feeling her wolf start to

    stir inside her? No, it couldn¡¯t be. But¡­ could it?(This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)

    Doris hadn¡¯t known she had a wolf until she had to protect William from death. All the years she was

    supposed to have her wolf at her side, she didn¡¯t. Was it possible that her friend also didn¡¯t realize she

    had a wolf inside her? Was Enzo something more than a crush? Doris shook the thoughts out of her

    head. She was being paranoid. For all she knew, Enzo had a mate already. He didn¡¯t really offer up any

    information on his love life. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just the butterflies you¡¯re feeling.¡± Doris smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful

    feeling. It¡¯s scary, but it¡¯s lovely when someone makes your stomach turn and heart jump.¡± Beth smiled

    and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­. It¡¯s just my nerves.¡±.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    Chapter 197 So much lost time

    ¡°Doris, wake up.¡± Doris flinched right out of her sleep when William touched her shoulder. He stood

    above her with a golden letter sped in his grasp. Something about his eyes shot a new wave of worry

    right through her. ¡°What is it?¡± Doris sat up quickly. William raked his fingers through his hair as if he

    didn¡¯t know what to do or say. A hole started to form in her chest at what mighte out of his mouth.

    ¡°My father called home for me. He wants me to return by nightfall.¡± William said as he seated himself on

    the side of the bed. Doris moved up and wrapped her arms around him. Slowly, she released the breath

    that tried to strangle her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Doris whispered. ¡°Did it say anything else?¡± ¡°When I got the

    letter¡­ I thought it was going to tell me that he was dead.¡± William nced back at her. A ze of

    sadness in his eyes that she wasn¡¯t used to seeing. It pulled at her hollow chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be

    from him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s not what you thought.¡± Doris brushed his hair to the side. ¡°We should go to him.

    He must have something important to talk to you about.¡± Doris knew that she didn¡¯t need to remind him

    that his father was sick. She didn¡¯t need to mention that he might die soon, it was clearly already at the

    front of his mind. He needed to see his father as soon as possible. William nodded and pushed himself

    up. ¡°I will gather everyone to pack up. We can leave ahead of them and get there within a few hours

    time.¡± Doris watched him leave with the weight still on his shoulders. She frowned a little at the sight. She

    couldn¡¯t imagine the sort of fear that went through him when he thought his father had died instead of

    being the one that wrote to him. The mind was a dangerous thing when everything around them was

    uncertain. As quickly as she could, she got up to get ready and packed up all of their things. Beth came

    in soon after and brought a try of food with her. ¡°I heard we were going back to the pce!¡± Beth grinned.

    She gripped Doris by the arm and made her sit and eat. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to sleep in a real bed again. The cot

    has really torn into my back. I can¡¯t imagine how you must be feeling sleeping out here in a tent every

    night. I would lose my mind if I was pregnant.¡± Doris shook her head at her friend. ¡°You heard right. We

    are returning to the pce, the king has called for William for a meeting. He wants him back by tonight

    and I think we will be able to make it.¡± Doris said as she started to inhale her food. Bethughed at the

    sight of her. ¡°As for the idea of returning to our real beds¡­ it¡¯s all that keeps me going.¡± ¡°Have you felt

    your wolf wake up yet?¡± Beth asked lightly. Doris froze mid bite and closed her eyes. Her wolf felt as if

    she was resting rather than sleeping, but at least she could feel her again. It had been a long minute

    since she remembered to check up on her wolf. There was so much happening, she wasn¡¯t even sure

    how she remembered to get   dressed every day. ¡°I think she should be waking up soon. It feels as if

    she¡¯s starting to already.¡± Doris wrapped her arms around her stomach. ¡°I miss her. I hope the drug they

    gave me doesn¡¯t have a bad effect on the baby. I don¡¯t think Martin knew I had a child in me¡ªotherwise I

    doubt he would have risked it.¡± ¡°Oh my, I surely hope not! I hope you feel your wolf wake up soon and

    reassure you, I¡¯m sure she would know better.¡± Beth smiled sadly before she stood and cleared the

    tes. After she was done, she finished packing for Doris. Once they were finished, they carried their

    things out to the carriage and William stalked up to yank the bag out of her hand. ¡°What are you

    thinking? You shouldn¡¯t be cleaning any of this up or lifting anything.¡± He shoved her bag in a nearby

    guard¡¯s arms and helped her up into the carriage. The camp around them already looked ready to be

    taken down, the rest of the guards worked swiftly to get it all done. Beth climbed in beside her before

    they were joined by William. ¡°Will Enzo be joining us?¡± Beth asked casually. Doris turned her head

    quickly to stare out the window so no one would see her grin. ¡°He rides with the rogues. They will meet

    us back at the pce by nightfall.¡± William said distractedly. He hit the top of the carriage and a moment

    later, it took off through the snow. Doris lightly patted Beth¡¯s knee when she saw her friend blush. Beth

    red at Doris and crossed her arms over her chest. Doris bit down on her lip as hard as she could to

    keep in herugh. When she looked up, William had been watching them with a nk expression. It

    immediately sobered her up and cut out any sort of amusement she felt in that moment. It wasn¡¯t the

    time to be joking with her friend when her mate was in pain. The carriage ride felt as if it stretched on and

    on. Doris stared out the window and saw them pass through the areas that were clearly used as part of

    the battlefield. Ripped clothing and torn ground were all that were left behind. No sense of death or

    decay remained and for that she was d.

    The pce soon came into view and left a strange feeling in her chest. She knew that once she walked

    through the doors, it wouldn¡¯t be the same as it always was. Even more so than when they returned from

    the north. There would no longer be Martin lingering in the library-would she ever be able to return there?

    It would feel strange, like she didn¡¯t belong there anymore even though she used to love it. For some

    reason, her mind wanted to block out the ce and strip it from who she used to be. It only brought back

    memories she didn¡¯t want to face. Luna Queen and Prince Jack would no longer wander the halls and

    look for people to ridicule. Perhaps many guards and servants would be gone because of the war. It

    didn¡¯t matter how she changed or how the people changed around her, the pce would never be the

    same. But still, her heart also felt a strange sense of home. For so long she despised the pce as if it

    was a rotten tomb, but now her heart longed for the familiar walls. She wanted to walk up the familiar

    steps and sleep in a familiar room. It¡¯d been a long time since she considered somewhere her home like

    that. Even with all of the toxic past it held her with, perhaps she was finally ready to let all that go.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± A groggy voice said from inside her. Doris almost flinched out of her skin. William¡¯s eyes

    snapped to her as if he sensed something and she smiled at him that she was okay. ¡°Cordelia! I thought

    you were still asleep.¡± Doris said silently. ¡°I was, but your thoughts were so loud they woke me up.¡±

    Cordelia grumbled. Doris wanted to roll her eyes but she knew that William was watching her. ¡°What did I

    miss?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll catch you upter. We¡¯re about to return to the pce for the first time since this war started.¡±

    Doris eyed William who gazed out the window as if he was lost in thought. Perhaps his wolf was trying to

    convince him everything would be fine. ¡°I¡¯m d to know you see this ce as your home. We need a

    ce to be safe at. We need a home, your baby needs a home.¡± Cordelia whispered. The carriage came

    to a stop in front of the pce

    steps.

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    ¡°Is¡­ is my baby going to be okay?¡± Doris asked as the door opened. Beth was helped out first. ¡°Of

    course it will. As long as you don¡¯t stress yourself to death.¡± Cordelia muttered. ¡°A baby with a mate

    alwayses out healthy and perfect. I wouldn¡¯t worry about that now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard not to with all that¡¯s

    been going on.¡± Doris sighed. She slid across the seat and William helped her down. He held on tightly

    to her hand and led her up the pce steps. Doris waved goodbye to Beth who hurriedly went towards

    her room. William didn¡¯t let go of Doris, he led her straight towards the king¡¯s quarters.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    Chapter 198 Long live a fallen king

    Doris swore William was going to make her wait outside while he went in and finally faced his father, but

    he didn¡¯t. He pulled her in after him as if she had every right to be by his side during this.

    As if she had any right to see the king on his death bed. The king looked so much worse than he did

    when she saw him at the y. At least at the y he had a bit of color to him and could sit up. Now he

    looked as white as a ghost and sunk in deep to his bed. The door closed silently behind them with

    nothing more than a soft click. The guards outside the door didn¡¯t follow William in. It was at least some

    form of trust from his father. Especially after all that had happened with the war and his family. The king¡¯s

    room could have been mistaken for its own version of a grand ballroom with how big it was. Not one area

    of the room was untouched by elegance. It all screamed royalty with the golden vases and priceless

    sculptures. The king¡¯s bed sat on a tform in the middle of the room that had beautifully engraved

    wooden steps just to reach it. Doris was certain it was the most gorgeous room in the entire pce¡ªand

    she had only just seen it for the first time. ¡°William.¡± His father said in a croak. Somehow, he still carried a

    presence even as sick as he was. Nothing dimmed the leader inside him. He would most likely take that

    honor to the grave. ¡°Father.¡± William bowed his head. He released Doris¡¯s hand for the first time as he

    stepped up to the man. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s cut the small talk before I die halfway through it.¡± His

    father said before a fit of coughs. Doris didn¡¯t know what to do with herself. She silently stepped back

    until she blended into the walls around her. She felt out of ce like she shouldn¡¯t have been here

    listening to this. 2 William pulled up a chair that was close to his bed and sat down in it. The king nced

    over at Doris as if he saw her for the first time. ¡°Is this her? The mate I¡¯ve been hearing about?¡± The king

    asked. Doris felt goose bumped over his skin as the king acknowledged her for the first time since she

    entered the room. Her cheeks burned red as he looked her over. ¡°I remember her. She was the one you

    wanted to bring to the north.¡± William nodded, his face remained emotionless. ¡°She is.¡± His father looked

    at William for a long moment. Doris wondered if they were both thinking of his mother. Just when Doris

    thought his father wouldment on it, he didn¡¯t. He changed the subject.

    ¡°Is she the one I saw shift into the white wolf? I thought I hallucinated that.¡±

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. She is the white wolf you saw.¡± William nced back at her. ¡°Extraordinary. I¡¯ve seen a

    few when I was younger. I never would have guessed it by just looking at her now.¡± ¡°Well, I assure you

    she is worthy of her wolf.¡± William said dryly. He flexed his fingers in hisp. ¡°I got your letter. We came

    right away.¡±   ¡°Yes.¡± His father groaned and moved to sit up and failed. Doris shifted her weight on the

    other foot and wondered if she should help him or not. William told her not to act like a maid anymore, so

    she stayed where she was even when her body told her to remember her old duties. ¡°I heard what

    happened with the war. I heard all of it.¡± His father stared down William and it hit Doris then-how alike

    they were. They both held power in a simr nce that held no emotion. It made the receiver shake

    with wonder of what they might be thinking. It frightened them to not know if they were in trouble or not.

    @ ¡°Have you called upon me to have me arrested?¡± William asked calmly. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have time to deal

    with that.¡± His father coughed. Doris swore she saw a bit of blood on his sleeve. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time

    before I go, and there¡¯s something I¡¯ve held back from you for a long time. Something I should have told

    you when you were a child.¡± William stayed silent, Doris could hear her own heart m against her

    chest. ¡°Martin was never the true crown prince.¡± The king said. His shaky hand reached out to point to a

    scroll next to the bed. William didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°When you were born, I had it written in my will that

    you would take the crown when I died. I wanted the son of my mate to be the ruler of this kingdom, as it

    was always meant to be.¡± @ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand. You had Martin paraded around as the crown prince

    since we were children.¡± ¡°When your mother passed, I saw her in you. It was hard for me to be around

    you and I knew that you would have to be everywhere I was if I had you study to be the king. But I

    knew¡­ I knew since you were a child that you were the one that was meant to be where your brother

    was. I saw it in every decision you made.¡± I William closed his hands into fists in hisp. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t

    you tell me this? Why didn¡¯t you stop this war when you heard about it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about the war until

    it was toote. I haven¡¯t been told anything since I got sick.¡± The king could barely get through a

    sentence without another round of coughs. ¡°And now¡­ now I only me myself for all the loss it has

    caused.¡± * William stood. ¡°You should me yourself! If you had only told me the truth, none of this

    would have happened. No one had to die over this!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one that started a war without the

    king¡¯s approval! That is enough to see you as a traitor to this kingdom, William.¡± The king¡¯s face suddenly

    softened. ¡°I promised your mother that you would be king. I promised your grandfather the same thing.

    Sir Antony swore not to tell a soul.¡± Doris¡¯s eyes widened and she was d neither of them looked at

    her. She didn¡¯t realize that Sir Antony was his grandfather, he never once mentioned it. But now that she

    knew, it made perfect sense. ¡°Is that why the Luna Queen wanted me dead?¡± William snatched up the

    scroll and opened it to read. ¡°Did she find this and want me dead so her son could keep the role?¡± ¡°I

    imagine it wouldn¡¯t have made her happy to see that. I always let her believe Martin had a right to the

    crown.¡± His father watched as William read over his will. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she tried to kill you, son.¡± 2

    William sat back in the chair slowly. Doris forced herself to remain still even when she wanted to rush

    over just tofort him. ¡°None of this had to happen. 1¡ª I don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t   tell me. I

    don¡¯t understand why you wouldn¡¯t have wanted me to train to be a king if I was the one set to be it.¡±

    ¡°Because I saw you be your own person. You became strong and I saw you make your own way in

    life. I wanted you to be that as a king. I wanted you to prove yourself and find your own leadership

    instead of taking the first one handed to you.¡± 2 William set the scroll down as if he couldn¡¯t stand the

    sight of it. It held everything he always wanted, everything he ever wanted to hear. But it was tainted

    because it came toote. William lost two of his brothers when he didn¡¯t have to lose either. ¡°You¡¯re going

    to be a great king, William. I watched you grow into the man you are today. I should have guessed that

    you would have done anything for the crown. I should have known you were going to bring this kingdom

    to its knees until you got what you wanted out of it.¡± The king closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it turned out this

    way. My sons deserved better than to end up the carnage of a war.¡± William stood again and walked to

    Doris. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. ¡°Will you meet me in my room? I

    need a moment alone.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Doris said quickly. She leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll

    wait for you.¡± Doris turned to leave the room. Before she closed the door behind her, she watched

    William slowly lower himself into the chair beside his dying father once more.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    Chapter 199 Through the ashes

    ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s okay.¡± Doris said aloud as she paced his room. It looked as if it had beenpletely

    untouched since they left the pce. A lightyer of dust even coated the tables. ¡°He¡¯s in deep pain

    inside, I can feel it.¡± Cordelia said. Doris rubbed her chest as if she could feel it too. There was always an

    ufortable feeling in her chest when she worried about William. Was it possible that she was feeling

    her mate¡¯s pain? Did he feel her own when she was sad? 1 ¡°I should have stayed with him¡ª¡± ¡°No, you

    respected his wishes and came here. He knows where you are when he¡¯s ready toe face you.¡± Doris

    started a fire to warm his room and called for the guards to bring tea and sweets. There were few simple

    pleasures that always helped her feel better, she hoped it did the same for him. She was desperate for

    anything to make him happy. Doris opened his curtains and sat by hisrge window. The snowfall had

    lightened and she could see the signs of spring just around the corner. Finally the dreadful winter would

    end and soon a new season would bloom. With it, she hoped a new start would bloom as well. ¡°Can you

    feel if his heart is breaking?¡± Doris whispered to her wolf. She knew they were alone, but she still felt the

    need to be as quiet as possible. ¡°I can feel his wolf and I can feel his wolf¡¯s sadness for William. He feels

    as if he can¡¯t help him take away the pain of what¡¯s toe.¡± ¡°Does that mean his father is about to

    pass?¡± Doris stood and started to chew on her thumb. ¡°What should I do? Should I go to him? No, no.

    You¡¯re right, he asked me to stay here and wait for him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it means that or not. He could be

    upset of the future or the past as well.¡± Cordelia stirred a little inside her. Doris turned and gripped the

    window to open it wide for fresh air. The wind blew her hair back and she closed her eyes to inhale the

    fresh scent of snow. Doris felt the sudden urge to let her wolf have control and run through the trees until

    all of her anxious thoughts left her. She wanted to feel the freedom of an empty mind and allow herself to

    be the wolf she was meant to be. Free, wild and brave. It felt like ages had passed since she was

    allowed to be a free wolf. The urge always came to her when her emotions wanted to drown her.

    Instead, she closed the window and curled up on William¡¯s bed. She stayed awake for hours and

    watched as the sun went down and the room darkened around her. Her mind kept her wide awake until

    the door creaked open with his arrival. Doris sat up instantly. ¡°William?¡± He said nothing as he slowly

    crossed the room. Each step he removed a part of his clothing from his shoes down to his

    undergarments. He left it in a trail behind him and moved like a ghost through the room. ¡°Is there

    anything I can get you? Do you want me to draw you a bath or have food brought?¡± She asked softly.

    Again, she was met with more silence as he dressed himself for bed. She could see  the shadow of him

    move across the room against the dark walls. It must have been well past midnight. Candles flickered

    and lit him up, allowing her to follow him around the room with her

    eyes.

    The bed creaked when he sat on the edge. Doris crawled across the sheets and wrapped her arms

    around his neck from behind. When she kissed his cheek, her lips came away wet. He had been crying. .

    ¡°What happened?¡± Doris whispered. She wiped away any trace from his cheeks but more followed

    silently. Her heart shattered in her chest, she felt helpless to the one she loved the most. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± He

    said. He stared forward as if the words didn¡¯t sound right. Doris almost didn¡¯t believe them herself. ¡°He

    passed away about half an hour ago. He had some royal officialse in to take the will before he died.

    And then¡­ that was it. He closed his eyes and he didn¡¯t open them again.¡± William dropped his head. ¡°I

    kept waiting for him to wake up and talk again. I had so much more to say and to ask him. But¡­ I

    watched as his chest stopped moving. I saw the life drain from him in the matter of minutes. He didn¡¯t

    open his eyes again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, William. I¡¯m so so sorry.¡± Doris held him tighter against her. He

    gripped onto her arms and closed his eyes as he fell back against her, pushing her right into his bed.

    Calmly, she ran her fingers through his hair as heid his head on her chest. Nothing she could possibly

    say would make the moment better for him, so she stayed silent and let him feel her love through touch.

    ¡°I wonder what I would have be if my father didn¡¯t lie to me my whole life.¡± William whispered.

    ¡°Would I have been so cruel? Would I have made the reputation I have today? I wonder if the people

    would have loved me as they loved my brothers.¡± Doris looked down to see his eyes were still closed. ¡°I

    wonder what I would have be if I knew I was the crown prince.¡± He continued, her shirt grew wet

    from his tears. ¡°If my father had loved me like he imed he always did instead of painting me as the

    ck sheep in the family.¡± ¡°What did he say about that?¡± Doris asked softly. ¡°He said he was sorry and

    he knew that my mother would have hated him for how he treated me. He said it became the biggest

    regret in his life and he didn¡¯t know how to fix it. So his solution was to keep on until he died.¡± William

    scoffed. ¡°He loved you, William. In his own way he did. It will never excuse how he acted.¡± ¡°Perhaps

    that¡¯s the worst part. He loved me in his own sick way. I believe I wouldn¡¯t have been this horrible if he

    didn¡¯t make me this way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not horrible, William. You¡¯re rough and demanding-neither of those

    things make you a horrible person.¡± ¡°I killed two of my brothers and poisoned the other. I believe that

    makes me more than horrible. I¡¯m rotten to my core.¡± William sat up and leaned against the headboard.

    Doris sat up as well. ¡°I¡¯m no better than he is. Even when I tried everything I could to be nothing like

    him.¡± Doris frowned. ¡°Are you angry at him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m furious at him. He¡¯s the reason everything is wrong in

    this kingdom and my life. He could have freed Martin from his responsibility and given me what I always

    wanted, but instead he

    forced us to be the worst versions of ourselves.¡± William curled his hands into fists. ¡°I¡¯m pissed that

    he died before any of the guilt could touch him. I¡¯m pissed that he died before he could make up for any

    of it.¡± It hit Doris then. William was mad at all the things his father had done in his life, but he was mostly

    mad at his father for dying. Grief was starting to consume him and make all of his emotions fight for the

    spotlight before he could register any of them. His father was the sole reason for a lot of harm in the

    kingdom and in William¡¯s life, but deep down

    -he still cared for his father. Just as he did for Martin. After a long beat of silence, Doris scooted closer to

    him. ¡°I should have guessed that Sir Antony was your grandfather. It was quite obvious now that I think

    back.¡± William closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headboard. ¡°That old man hasn¡¯t

    shown the least bit of interest in me my entire life. I wouldn¡¯t consider him my grandfather beyond blood.¡±

    Doris leaned her head on his shoulder. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve you. I wish you would see that the people

    that treated you this way didn¡¯t deserve an ounce of your care anyway.¡± William swallowed. ¡°What the

    hell am I supposed to do now?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re going to be king. You¡¯ve nned for this

    your entire life.¡± Doris said simply as if there was no room for question. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of a

    new king with so many enemies. Half of the kingdom will fight this.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°They can try.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°But soon they will see that the greatest king in their lifetime has finally

    stepped up to the crown.¡±

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200

    Chapter 200 A king to rest

    ¡°Doris! There you are!¡± Beth hurried to catch up to Doris down the hall. It was the first time she left

    William¡¯s side since his father had passed. A night stretched into days of trying tofort William as best

    she could. But it was never enough topletely take away his grief. She should kick her past self for

    once believing that William wasn¡¯t capable of real feelings. He wasn¡¯t an emotionless monster, he never

    had been one even when she swore it. 3 ¡°Beth, I¡¯m so sorry I haven¡¯te to see you. There¡¯s just been

    so much happening-¡° ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you apologize! I know how things have been. We all heard that the king

    passed.¡± Beth frowned, she ced her hand over her chest. ¡°I hope he¡¯s doing okay. I know it must be

    hard to see someone in your family die. I couldn¡¯t imagine how it would be.¡± ¡°I think he will be okay

    eventually. I don¡¯t want to push him, he rarely lets himself feel anything and thest thing i want to do is

    interrupt his grief.¡± Doris picked at her nails. As much as she didn¡¯t want to see her own family again, she

    couldn¡¯t imagine watching one of her parents die in front of her. (This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)There would always be a small part that had some sort of love, as much as she tried

    to squash it. The worst part was that she knew he didn¡¯tpletely hate his father. He cared for him as

    much as he cursed him, and he had to watch as he closed his eyes and never opened them again. ¡°I¡¯m

    sure you already know, but¡­¡± Beth handed Doris a golden letter. She stopped in the middle of the empty

    hallway to read it. ¡°¡­Join us as we crown the new king¡­.¡± Doris mumbled aloud. It was an invitation to

    the people of the kingdom to watch William be crowned. ¡°This is only a few days from now! I don¡¯t know

    if he will be ready for that! I thought these ceremonies happenedter on¡­¡± ¡°I heard they want to get it

    over with as soon as possible. The entire kingdom is in mourning from the king, they think having William

    take the throne will help.¡± Beth bit her lip in worry. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to him¡­ What if he isn¡¯t ready to face

    the crown?¡± ¡°He¡¯s wanted this his entire life, I¡¯m sure once it happens he will be ready. It might not hit him

    until it happens.¡± Beth said. ¡°I hope so¡­¡± Doris sighed and rubbed her face. ¡°How have you been? I

    hope you¡¯ve been resting and having time for yourself. I should have written you a letter or something

    during all of this.¡± ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve been fine.¡± Beth said quickly. Her cheeks tinted

    red and Doris could only guess that it had something to do with the charming Enzo. ¡°Have you seen

    Enzo around? Or has he gone home?¡± Doris asked lightly. She continued walking down the hall and Beth

    followed. ¡°Oh, I might have seen him around. He hasn¡¯t left for the north yet. He mentioned wanting to

    stay to see William crowned.¡± Beth looked away from Doris so she couldn¡¯t see her face. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d

    he¡¯s been around to keep youpany. I would have felt so much more guilty if he hadn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t

    say that! I¡¯ve been keeping myself busy!¡± Beth said quickly. Doris bit her lip to keep from ughing. Her

    friend was nothing but a blushing fool at the moment and she loved her for it. It was nice to see the

    beginning of something bloom. ¡°1¡ªI¡¯ve been meaning to ask. Do you know if he¡­ had anyone in the

    north waiting for him?¡± Beth asked as casually as she could. She nced around her to make sure they

    were still alone. ¡°Well, I thought this one girl named Elena and him had something,¡± Doris started. Beth

    looked as if all the air deted out of her. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true! I think they weren¡¯t serious. (This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)He didn¡¯t look at her the way he looks at you.¡± ¡°What do

    you mean? He doesn¡¯t look at me any sort of way.¡± Beth said as she brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°Is

    there anything you need me to do for you?¡± Doris knew her friend was changing the subject, so she

    didn¡¯t push her on it. ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m alright. I need to talk to William about this.¡± Doris shook the

    paper. Beth smiled a little before they parted ways. Doris couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her friend was off to

    meet Enzo. Doris hurried down the halls and towards William¡¯s room again. She only left it to bathe and

    dress in something new, but now she felt guilty for being gone for so long. (This novel will be daily

    updtaed at .noveljar)She knew better than anyone that being alone with dark thoughts was a

    horrible thing. She luckily was free from her nausea today, but her dress fit a little more tightly than she

    expected. She checked the mirrors again and again and swore she saw her stomach was growing. It

    was¡­ honestly exciting. She couldn¡¯t help but wish that William had been in the room when she noticed.

    The guards at his door didn¡¯t stop her as she walked past, she didn¡¯t know why she always thought they

    would. They hadn¡¯t done so since William had first shared a bed with her. When she entered, William

    was standing on a small tform while a seamstress took measurements of his body. Racks and racks

    of suits filled the room, she almost thought she

    entered the wrong room entirely¡ªthose definitely weren¡¯t there when she left earlier. He nced back at

    her and she no longer saw the boy that she held all night. She no longer saw the traces of hollowness

    along his cheeks and under his eyes. She saw the old William, the one that knew nothing but leadership

    and order. It was as if he put his mask right back where it always was and that part of him didn¡¯t exist

    anymore. At least not for the public to see.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Doris asked as she closed the door behind her. The seamstress didn¡¯t even lift her

    head as she continued her work.

    ¡°I needed a new suit for the ceremony. The pce thought it would be best to make me an entire new

    wardrobe to match my new title.¡± William had his hair slicked back and his clothes on tight. He looked

    clean and put together, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time his hair wasn¡¯t a mess from his own anxious

    fingers. ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t sure if you had heard.¡± Doris held up the golden letter. ¡°I came to talk to you about

    it.¡± ? ¡°I heard shortly after you left. There¡¯s nothing left to talk about.¡± illiam turned his gaze away from her.

    Doris hesitated as she stepped closer. The seamstress moved away to make notes on her pad. ¡°Are

    you¡­ are you ready for this ceremony? I wasn¡¯t sure if it was too soon.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m ready, Doris. My

    father is about to be buried and this kingdom can¡¯t go without it¡¯s king.¡±

    interest in it. ¡°I thought your father was going to be buried privately¡ª¡° ¡°Change of ns. I had a sort of

    epiphany happen when you left. I realized how much time I was wasting by moping around and letting

    the world pass me by.¡± ¡°I was only gone for a few hours¡ª¡± ¡°Enough time for me to realize what had to be

    done.¡± William finally turned to face her. ¡°I had the burial set for before the ceremony. I want the kingdom

    to see their former leader be buried before they crown me. It¡¯ll be the perfect antidote to their grief.(This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡± Doris nced down at the golden paper again. No

    where did it mention a burial. When she looked up at him, his blue eyes were a fire of determination. ¡°I¡­

    I¡¯m happy to see you this way, William. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t make it to either event.¡± Doris

    moved closer. She stopped herself from running her fingers through his hair to mess it up. He always

    looked more handsome when he was a little roguish. His hardened face softened a bit at her words. ¡°I

    need you to be measured next.¡± ¡°Me? I have plenty of dresses¡ª¡± ¡°Not one good enough. I need you to

    stand at my side through this.¡± 1 Doris felt her heart skip a beat in her chest. She didn¡¯t expect him to say

    that. ¡°Truly? You¡ªyou want me at your side?¡± 3 William tilted her chin up. ¡°You belong at my side.¡± He

    said before he kissed her.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    Chapter 201 A king to rise

    Music poured through the the hall once all the guests had finally squeezed inside. Not one inch of room

    was visible from where she stood. She wondered how many had decided toe today. Easily enough

    to fill a small vige¡ªbut did theye in support? William stood tall with a mask of indifference on his

    face as he listened to the sounds grow louder. ssical music reced the somber sounds from the

    funeral. It was almost strange to see the people that were previously crying-now shook with excitement.

    Almost as if the burial never happened. Doris reached up to rub his shoulders. ¡°You see how excited they

    are? They know a true king is about to rise.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve risen from the ashes.¡±

    William muttered as he fixed the cuff on his sleeve as if he was just trying to distract himself from what

    was toe. His seamstress came in with arge cape that dragged on the ground and looked fit for a

    grand entrance. She attached it to the shoulders on his suit andid out the bottom elegantly behind him.

    Doris took a small step back to admire him.

    The only thing he was missing was a crown. Out on the tform, they brought the golden crown out on a

    velvet pillow before they set both on a pir that woulde up to his waist. The archbishop of the

    kingdom arrived through the side doors and made his way up silently to the tform where William was

    about to be crowned. Worn with age, the archbishop moved slowly and let his white robes dragon the

    ground behind him. Doris had not once seen him in person, she heard he only went anywhere if it was

    important enough. Otherwise, he never made the trip. He created a silence as the people watched him

    settle himself. They knew they were witnessing history and she didn¡¯t have to imagine the thrill that must

    be going through them. It was going through her, too. It spiked every inch of her body with adrenaline

    and anxiety. The music died down to a sound in the background and suddenly Doris felt hot all over. She

    felt nervous for William, but he seemed perfectly fine in the moment. He lookedposed, ready for

    what was about toe. Almost as if the past few days had never happen

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you foring today to witness the crowning of a new king.¡± The

    archbishop said. It surprised her to hear him sound so loud when she originally thought he was pale and

    frail. She knew better than most that looks could be deceiving

    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a new king in over forty years. This kingdom has relied on its rulers to do what is right

    and now it is time to give a new king that honor¡ª¡± William turned to her and the rest of the words faded

    into the background. His blue eyes looked like a calm storm, even his movements were less stiff and

    more rxed. ¡°I want you to be close by. My guards will escort you to the front by the tform. I would

    bring you on stage with me if I could.¡± ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± Doris whispered. He said nothing,

    only nodded once. She leaned up to kiss him quickly before she followed his guard. For the most part,

    the crowd paid her no mind. Those that did notice her stared at her as if she was

    some sort of strange animal that they had never seen before. Goosebumps trailed her skin. She was

    quickly reminded why she didn¡¯t like being the center of attention. She missed the days where she could

    blend into the wall and disappear from sight. Now it seemed that everywhere she went, her presence

    alone drew enough attention to make her want to sink into the ground and melt away. She didn¡¯t know

    how William stood it. It must have been a hundred times worse for him and yet he took it all in with glory

    Doris lifted her skirts and followed the path behind his guards to the front row. The archbishop¡¯s voice

    boomed around her and entranced everyone to where he stood. But she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about

    William. Eventually, the stares on her faded away. ¡°¡­ William Arnold, it is time.¡± He called. The room

    erupted in apuse when the curtains pulled apart and revealed William. She didn¡¯t know how to exin

    it, but the sight of him took her breath away. She almost found it hard to breathe when he stepped

    towards his destiny. His cape dragged behind him and looked as if it weighed a hundred pounds, but he

    moved so gracefully. He looked¡­ he looked confident. He looked strong and handsome. He looked like

    a king and he knew it. William stepped up to the archbishop and bowed his head slightly in respect. Doris

    curled her fingers at her side and stood on her toes as she watched him. ¡°Kneel, my son.¡± The

    archbishop said as he took a small sword in his hand. Not just any sword, the Arnold family sword.

    William knelt before him and the manid the de on his shoulder. ¡°Do you swear, William Arnold, to

    protect this kingdom?¡± ¡°I do.¡± William said calmly. ¡°Do you swear to uphold the kingdom to the best

    standards and always do what is best for your

    people?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    The man lifted the sword and ced it on his other shoulder. ¡°Do you swear to put this kingdom¡¯s needs

    above your own? And to be the king they deserve? Do you think you can handle all of the responsibilities

    that your father left you?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± William said. The archbishop nodded his head and set down the

    sword to pick the crown up. ¡°Then I dere you, William Arnold, king.¡± Carefully, he ced the golden

    crown on top of William¡¯s raven ck hair. It fit perfectly, as if it was always meant to be there. As if it

    was made for him. ¡°Rise.¡± The archbishop said. William rose slowly and turned to face the crowd. Once

    he did, the room broke out in a deafening apuse. Doris didn¡¯t realize she had been crying until he

    looked right at her. It was as if every feeling inside her came to light but pride overwhelmed it all. She

    was proud of him. A ghost of a smile touched his lips before he looked back over the rest of the crowd.

    Once the apuse died down, William bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for the support. Truly, thank you for

    all of it.¡± William said to the crowd. They all   silenced andtched on to his every word as if it was the

    water they desperately needed to survive. ¡°I know my appearances to the public have always been

    limited over the years. I know it might be hard for you all to find trust or faith in me when you hadn¡¯t seen

    the way my leadership was. But I hope to gain your trust. I hope to gain your faith and prove to you that I

    am exactly what this kingdom needs. I am exactly what my father wanted for this kingdom.¡± William

    walked across the tform to address the other side of the room. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the doubt. I¡¯ve seen the

    looks and the shock and realization that I¡¯m the one who ended up with the crown. I assure you that I

    have trained my entire life for this title. I won¡¯t try to convince you all with my words that might seem

    hollow, I will prove it with my actions.¡± Doris nced around at the faces around her but they only stared

    at William as if he was some sort of god that walked among them. She had to admit that even she felt

    intimidated by the way he was. In a good way¡ªit was like she wanted to believe in him even when she

    already did. She wondered if those around her felt the same way. ¡°I thank you foring to my

    coronation. I thank you for standing by me while Iid my father to rest. I now ask you to stay for a while

    longer and celebrate all of what is toe for this kingdom.¡± ¡°No more wars?¡± Someone shouted from

    the front. Doris froze and snapped her eyes right to William. He didn¡¯t look even slightly bothered by the

    comment. He looked almost sad. ¡°There won¡¯t be any more wars under my ruling. I learned the hard way

    what bes of them and I¡¯ve learned from my mistakes. I fought for what I believed was best for this

    kingdom, and I will continue to do so.¡± When no one else spoke out, William bowed his head once more.

    ¡°Thank you for taking me as your king.¡±

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    Chapter 202 As sacred as a mate

    Immediately William was pulled away by lords in the kingdom. He sought her out with his eyes over the

    crowd. He towered over everyone around him and it wasn¡¯t hard to keep track as he moved through the

    room. He, of course, drew attention from the some of most beautiful women Doris had ever seen and

    she had to swallow every ounce of jealousy that bubbled as a result. It wasn¡¯t the time to focus on that ¨C

    especially when he didn¡¯t even seem to notice them all around him. m He looked at her as if he was

    helpless to those that demanded his attention. She smiled and waved him away, it was his time to shine.

    It was his time to prove he was the right choice, she didn¡¯t need to take him away from that, The crowd

    had broken off into the ballroom that connected to the main room. There was wine and food flowing while

    people watched William even more intently than she did. Doris disappeared into the crowd and went

    straight for the buffet with two guards on her heels. She didn¡¯t have to guess who sent them to look after

    her for the night-and she didn¡¯t me him in the slightest. ¡°Doris,¡± A familiar voice called. Doris blushed a

    little as she turned to face Enzo. She held a te piled high with all sorts of food but he only smiled at

    her as if the sight of her was merely charming. ¡°Do you have a moment to talk? There¡¯s something I¡¯ve

    been meaning to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Doris nced to where William was across the room.

    He seemed deep in conversation with a group of men that looked at him as if he was a diamond. Doris

    smiled a little and followed Enzo away from the buffet. He led her through the wide doors and outside

    where many had ventured. She assumed they needed air with how stuffy it became in there. Doris

    seated herself on a wooden bench and moved her skirts for Enzo before she started to dig into her food.

    ¡°What did you need to talk about? Are you thinking about going back to the north?¡± Enzo smoothed out

    his fancy jacket before he seated himself. He looked utterly elegant today, much different from his normal

    attire that screamed rogue. Somehow, this attire seemed to suit

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    him better. It looked more like something he would wear on a regr basis. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Though if

    you want me out of your hair, all you have to do is ask.¡± Enzo said half heartedly as he bumped his

    shoulder against her own. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. You¡¯re wee here as long as you want.¡±

    Doris bumped him back. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s on your mind. I¡¯m always dying to know.¡± ¡°Ah, you never want to

    see what¡¯s in this mind. It would scare you off.¡± Enzo said as he gazed at the people around them. None

    of them were close enough to hear them. ¡°Tell me! You know I¡¯m not very patient.¡± ¡°I believe that your

    best friend is my mate.¡± Enzo blurted. He took a deep breath and turned to face Doris. ? Enzo put his

    fingers under her chin and closed her mouth for her. ¡°My mother used to tell me that I would catch bugs if

    I held my mouth open like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ what did you just say? Are you talking about Beth?¡± Doris

    set her half eaten te aside   and turned her full attention to Enzo. ¡°How¡­ what? She doesn¡¯t have a

    wolf!¡± ¡°Neither did you before you met William. He brought it out of you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Enzo kept his voice

    calm and low, she tired to do the same. ¡°How¡­ how do you know that she¡¯s your mate? I thought it was

    rare for a wolf not to show itself like mine did.¡± ¡°It is rare, but not impossible. Usually it urs when

    people suppress a lot of themselves into something else. When you two became ves to the pce at

    such a young age, you were forced to be someone you weren¡¯t and suppress all of your feelings to the

    pce. It¡¯s possible that it caused both of you to suppress your wolves.¡± ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Doris nced around for Beth, but clearly she wasn¡¯t in this crowd. ¡°I feel her¡­ my wolf feels her when

    she¡¯s near. It¡¯s like a distant hum in my bones that calls to her. She doesn¡¯t answer yet, but my wolf can

    feel her own deep inside her.¡± ¡°How long have you known?¡± ¡°Since we met in the cells. I felt it instantly

    the moment I touched her.¡± Enzo wiped his hand across his face. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to sleep since I

    met her. She is¡­ she is all I can think about. My wolf wants to im her as my own already, but I know I

    can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Oh no, you definitely can¡¯t try that. You¡¯re going to have to have her warm up to you on

    her own terms. She¡¯s been terrified of rogues since she was a child¡ªbut I can see that she¡¯s already

    started to warm up to you.¡± Doris bumped him lightly. The thought of her best friend having a mate was

    wild to Doris. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that both of them were just normal maids trying to make it through

    the day. Now¡­ now it felt as if they were in another universe that was no where near the one they

    belonged in. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Doris asked. ¡°How did William get you toe around?¡± Enzo

    asked. He leaned back against the seat as if he was exhausted. ¡°Oh¡­well¡­ It didn¡¯t happen overnight.

    It took quite a long time for me to see him for who he is. I resisted it for a long, long time. I didn¡¯t want to

    have any feelings for him. I didn¡¯t want to have a mate or a wolf. And it didn¡¯t help that he was so grumpy

    and mean all the time. One minute, he would be kind¡ªthe next he would tell me he didn¡¯t need me.¡±

    Enzo stared at her as if she was crazy. He nced at the door. ¡°What on earth are you still doing here

    then? I can sneak you out of here before hees around for you.¡± Dorisughed. ¡°He said those things

    to protect himself, as awful as that sounds. I resisted him as much as I could and he tried to do the same

    to me, but we always came back around. I used to promise myself every night that I wouldn¡¯t have a

    single feeling for him. Somehow, all the prep talk to myself didn¡¯t work. I fell right into him and I can¡¯t

    even remember it happening. All of our fights and our resentment made us pull into each other more.¡±

    ¡°You both are quite mad, aren¡¯t you? Perhaps I¡¯ve been going at this flirting thing all wrong. I should

    shove her down hills and insult her dress and see where that takes me.¡± 1 Dorisughed and shook her

    head. ¡°No. She wants someone nice, she doesn¡¯t want anyone like William.¡±   ¡°Well¡­ I suppose I didn¡¯t

    know what exactly I wanted. I never saw myself as someone who would be in love, I just¡­ thought I

    would find something normal once I left the pce.¡± ¡°Normal is quite boring, isn¡¯t it?¡± Enzo smiled. ¡°It is. I

    didn¡¯t think I would ever admit that.¡± Doris sighed. ¡°I think you¡¯re on the right track with Beth. I wouldn¡¯t

    tell her you¡¯re mates just yet, I would wait a bit before that conversation.¡± ¡°I imagine she would run as far

    away from me as she could get if I told her that.¡± ¡°I definitely think it will scare her, yes. She¡¯s never been

    in love before. She¡¯s never had a man show her interest, thest thing she wants is some rogue telling

    her he¡¯s her mate when she had no idea she even had a wolf. When William marked me, I resented him

    and didn¡¯t believe anything he said. I think if he went about it differently, I wouldn¡¯t have resisted as much

    as I did.¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t imagine why you wouldn¡¯t want to be marked against your will and forced around

    him.¡± Enzo rolled his eyes to the sky. ¡°As handsome as William is, he doesn¡¯t know a thing about

    romance.¡± ¡°My advice is to let things grow naturally. If she ends up falling for you, let all your thoughts

    loose when the time is right.¡± ¡°And if she ends up thinking I¡¯m aplete fool?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°What if she

    never sees me as anything but a rogue?¡± ¡°She will. I know Beth better than anyone. She will see you as

    so much more than a rogue, and I believe she has already started.¡±

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203

    Chapter 203 The other half

    Enzo left Doris with a bit more confidence in his movements. He looked like a man on a mission and she

    didn¡¯t have to guess who he was seeking out in the crowds. The music was lovely inside the halls. She

    watched as couples moved to the dance floor and glided around the area with silks swirling around them.

    A part of her envied them, she had never been asked to dance before and they all looked so happy.

    Doris searched for William and found him in the next room by the buffet speaking with a different group

    of men. As if he could sense her staring, he lifted his eyes to her and she smiled. A ghost of a smile

    touched his lips as he offered a small shrug. He clearly still wasn¡¯t able to get away from the crowd that

    demanded his attention. He must have been making some good impressions if they all looked so thrilled

    to be speaking with him. She turned her gaze away from his golden appearance when someone grabbed

    her arm. ¡°Doris! I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you!¡± Beth said. She pulled Doris away from the

    crowds and down a small hallway that servants usually used when they had to carry food back and forth.

    ¡°What is it, Beth? Did something happen?¡± Doris made sure the door closed behind them so they were

    alone before she gripped her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°Did someone offend you out there?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯ve had a few

    men think I was someone special and tried to dance with me but-that¡¯s not why I wanted to talk to you.¡±

    Doris felt like someone had deted her fear. Thest thing she wanted to do was murder a man for

    touching her friend during William¡¯s celebration. But she would have in a heartbeat. She gripped Beth¡¯s

    hand and led her to a nearby bench by arge window. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I saw you and Enzo talking and¡­ I

    ¡ªI wanted to know if he mentioned me.¡± Beth said quickly. Her cheeks burned bright red as she forced

    herself to look Doris in the eye. ¡°If he mentioned you?¡± Doris grinned. ¡°All we talked about was you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me! Tell me the truth! It¡¯s alright if he didn¡¯t say anything, I just want to know.¡± ¡°I am

    telling you the truth!¡± Dorisughed. ¡°He wanted to ask me about you. I think he¡¯s quite smitten, if I do

    say.¡± Beth twirled a piece of her fallen hair around her finger as she bit her lip in thought. She studied

    Doris as if she was trying to detect a lie. ¡°Well, what did he say?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, Beth. You know I

    couldn¡¯t! He just wanted advice about you, is all. He knows how close we are.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Beth hummed

    and leaned back. ¡°Is there something else that¡¯s on your mind?¡± Doris asked. ¡°I just¡­I¡ªI feel confused.

    About a lot of things.¡± Beth admitted. She dropped her head in her hands. Doris moved closer to rub her

    back. ¡°A week ago, I wanted to get as far from here as possible and now¡­ now I want to stay.¡± ¡°Stay at

    the pce? Or stay near¡­someone?¡± Beth looked up at Doris with a hopeless expression and Doris

    knew instantly. She wanted to stay  Enzo. ¡°Now I understand how you feel. I quietly thought you had lost

    your mind when you wanted to stay here for William. But now¡­ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to be out in the

    world alone like I thought I did. It scares me just to think about it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be alone in the

    world, Beth. You are free to stay as my guest for as long as you want. In fact, I really hope you do.¡± ¡°I

    know that but I¡ª¡±Beth stood and started to pace the small area in front of them. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s

    happening to me. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m being foolish because the first boy has given me attention. Am I

    being foolish? You didn¡¯t let William in your heart for months.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not foolish to like someone so soon.

    Enzo is charming and a good person. William is¡­ well,plicated. I fought everything I felt for him and

    resented myself for even thinking of being nice to him. You don¡¯t have those thoughts for Enzo.¡± ¡°No,

    he¡¯s charming and perfect¡ªwhat if he¡¯s flirting with every girl he sees and I¡¯m just reading into it? I¡¯ve

    never been flirted with like that before¡ªwhat if my brain is just thinking he cares but he doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Beth, I

    guarantee you that Enzo isn¡¯t flirting with anyone else since he met you. You¡¯re not reading into anything,

    I think he really does like you. No, I know he likes you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse! What am I going to do about

    that? I wasn¡¯t prepared for a lord of rogues to find me appealing! I wasn¡¯t prepared to be stared at in

    every room he¡¯s in! I now fix my hair and care about what I look like!¡±

    Doris smiled as Beth continued on her frantic rant.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even have a quiet moment to myself! My brain reminds me of him every second I¡¯m alone. I stay

    up all night wondering when I¡¯m going to see him next and the thought of him leaving back to his home¡ª

    I didn¡¯t expect to feel so sad at such a normal thought. What is wrong with me?¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong

    with you, Beth! You¡¯re talking about having feelings for him. All of those are normal things, even when

    you don¡¯t want them.¡± Doris gripped Beth¡¯s arm and made her sit down again. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I don¡¯t know ifText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    I¡¯m ready to love someone, Doris.¡± Beth whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would survive a heartbreak. I¡¯m so

    used to people leaving me in my life, I became numb to it. But

    ¨C I know if I let myself fall for him¡­ I wouldn¡¯t survive it.¡± Doris frowned. How could she exin that Enzo

    would never leave her? Doris couldn¡¯t make that promise for him, even if they were mates. The future

    was never clear, there were so many paths that people took that could change the oue of what they

    promised. One day, someone could tell you they loved you and never want to see a day without you. And

    then ¡­ and then they leave. Whether it¡¯s a friend choosing someone else to rece you or a lover

    finding another woman to warm his bed. Doris wanted so badly to take away her fears, but she couldn¡¯t

    tell her that he wouldn¡¯t leave. Doris had the same fear about William always in the back of her mind.

    Even with a baby in her tummy and a mate mark on their necks, ¡°I think¡­¡± Doris gripped her hand and

    ced it in herp. ¡°I think that I felt the same way you did. I wanted to push William as far away from

    me as possible so I didn¡¯t let those rotten feelings overtake my heart. I told myself he would leave me,

    every night. I told myself it meant nothing  when he expressed interest in me¡ªbecause he would just

    lose interest in me one day.¡±

    Doris sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that Enzo won¡¯t hurt you, even though I highly believe he never will.

    Love is pain in itself. It¡¯s a wonderful, horrible thing and I didn¡¯t want to feel it either. But now that I do, I

    realize that I wish I hadn¡¯t held out for so long. I wish I allowed myself to feel happy as I do now.¡± ¡°Do you

    still think William would leave you one day?¡± Beth asked as if she was reading her mind. ¡°I want to say

    no, but I can¡¯t see what the future holds. I do know one thing, I wouldn¡¯t take back all the days I spent in

    his arms for anything.¡± Doris brushed the hair from her friend¡¯s face. ¡°Men don¡¯tplete us, Beth. They

    make us feel like we¡¯re walking on air sometimes, but they don¡¯tplete us. We don¡¯t need them to feel

    whole. If something happens in the future between you two, you will be whole again. Even if it takes

    months or years. He could never take your worth, so don¡¯t be afraid to fall.¡± Beth squeezed her hand. ¡°If

    he breaks my heart¡­ can William ban him from the kingdom?¡± Dorisughed. ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Doris?¡±

    They both turned to see Williaming up the hall. His cloak swayed around him and his crown glinted

    in the light as he moved. He looked glorious. Doris stood and smoothed out her skirts. ¡°Yes?¡± William

    bowed his head to Beth. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to have a dance with mydy.¡±

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204

    Chapter 204 A dance for the ages

    A pathway separated immediately as William led Doris to the middle of the dance floor. Everyone moved

    off to the side to allow them their space. Doris stared forward and silently prayed that her face wasn¡¯t as

    red as she felt. She tried not to think about the whole pce about to watch her dance¡ªwhen she had

    no idea how to. ¡°I¡¯ve never danced before.¡± Doris whispered to him. She squeezed his arm tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t

    think this is a good idea, I¡¯ll step on your feet. Perhaps we should go sit down, I¡¯m getting rather dizzy

    anyway.¡± The side of his mouth lifted a little. ¡°That¡¯s the n, you step on my feet.¡± ¡°What¡± William

    stopped in the middle of the floor and she gasped when he pulled her against him. He

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    gripped her waist and lifted her slightly until she stood on his toes. ¡°What are you doing¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯ll lead us,

    just hold onto me.¡± He whispered back. She could barely hear him over the music that grew into a

    smoother, louder beat. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know if this is a good idea, everyone is watching!¡± She whispered but

    he only shook his head to silence her. Doris gripped onto his shoulders as his hands held her waist firm.

    She swore it wasn¡¯t going to work, she swore she was going to fall off and make a giant fool of herself in

    front of everyone. But

    ¡ªthen he started to move them. His movements were almost natural. She should have guessed that a

    prince-or a king-would know exactly what to do on a dance floor. They had sses at the pce for all

    young royalty to take for asions like this. Doris was told that they started from a very young age so

    they didn¡¯t look like fools at balls. Meanwhile, Doris had always been too busy cleaning up after others.

    Every step he made, she came with him. He moved to the beat of the song as if it knew it by heart and

    not one step was off. They spun around the dance floor, her skirts moved around them like a sea of silks

    and it felt as if she was in a fairytale. He lifted her off his toes and twirled her around before he pulled her

    right back against him where she belonged. Not once did their eyes break contact. He stared at her as if

    they were the only two people in the room. Not even others joining the dance broke his gaze from her.

    He never moved them close enough to the others, she was in his own world. Doris smiled widely. She

    laughed a little as they moved. ¡°I feel as if I¡¯m dreaming!¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± He asked against her

    ear. The music slowed and their movements did as well. She swayed against him as he held her tight. .

    ¡°I¡¯ve never danced like this before. And¡­ and this dress. I feel like a princess.¡± She admitted as quietly

    as she could against his ear. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt like this before. Only in my imagination.¡± William pulled back

    a little to look down at her again. ¡°You should feel like a queen.¡± Doris froze in his grasp but he kept

    moving them as if she didn¡¯t. He knew how much his words   weighed, and she had to push them away

    before they overwhelmed her thoughts. William suddenly smiled at her. A real smile. No ghost, or half

    pull. He smiled at her as if he meant it. It stopped her heart in her chest, she wanted to kiss him and

    have that smile painted immediately so it was never forgotten. She wanted a portrait to hang above her

    vanity to brighten each day. Slowly, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. ¡°Come with me.¡± Doris felt her

    blood heat at his words. He stopped their sways and led them through the crowd as he slipped past the

    people that wanted to stop him for more conversation. She couldn¡¯t hear the excuses he gave them, her

    ears pumped louder than his words. In just a few breaths, they were alone in a long hallway that Beth

    and her had been in just minutes before. His guards didn¡¯t follow William in for once. William led them

    down the long hallway and made a sharp right turn towards a darker area. Doris knew that an old

    storage room was the only ce at the end of this hallway, she wondered if William knew exactly where

    he was going. She wondered if he had been here before with someone else. Doris shoved the thoughts

    far from her mind before any jealousy or insecurity followed like it normally did. It didn¡¯t matter what he

    did in his past, she was in his present and in his future. He pulled open the door and all she saw was

    darkness. He reached his arm up to turn on a swinging light to reveal piles and piles of white towels that

    lined the shelves. When the door closed behind them, she didn¡¯t realize how dim it would be. But that

    didn¡¯t matter in the slightest, he found her mouth just fine. William pressed her back against the wooden

    shelves and she had to catch herself before she tripped. He gripped her waist and pulled her body

    against him as he kissed her hard. Doris gasped. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to get this dress off me, it¡¯s too

    much.¡± ¡°I just needed a taste of you.¡± He said against her lips. ¡°I can have the restter.¡± William caught

    her mouth with heat. His tongue slid between her teeth to find her own. Doris groaned when they collided

    and fought for dominance in her mouth. It was useless to ever try to win against him, but he made it so

    fun to try. Especially when she bit his bottom lip just to hear his moans.

    A tingling rippled though her body. She arched her chest against him as he lifted her up. If her dress

    skirts weren¡¯t so thick, she would have wrapped herself around him and let him do whatever he pleased

    right there. Even with hundreds and hundreds of people waiting for their king to return to them. He kissed

    her until she was dizzy, when he pulled away she groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡± She begged. His hands traveled

    up her bodice slowly. ¡°I would much rather be in here with you.¡± Doris felt the heat fade away slowly

    when she looked at him. His crown was tilted on his head and his lips were a little swollen from her bites.

    He looked like a dream, but her heart was swelling with something other than lust. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±

    She whispered. ¡°You¡¯re king now, William.¡±

    William lowered her back to the floor and leaned his forehead against her own. They both closed

    their eyes and let the moment settle around them. ¡°When I pictured myself being crowned king, I never

    saw anyone at my side.¡± He admitted. ¡°Not even a brother and certainly not a lover. I thought it would

    always be me up there alone.¡± Doris said nothing to that. So he continued. ¡°When I looked down at you

    in the crowd, I realized something.¡± ¡°What?¡± Doris breathed. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. A

    part of her still didn¡¯t know what to expect when William spoke. He had the power to break her if he

    wanted. ¡°I realized that when I looked at you¡­ for the first time it felt like home. I always thought home

    was a ce that people slept in at night. But when I saw you there, looking up at me as if you were so

    proud, I realized that home could be a person.¡± 3 Doris felt as if her throat had closed up entirely. She

    opened her eyes to gaze up at him. But he kept his own closed still. ¡°William¡ª¡° ¡°Let me finish.¡± He said

    gently. Doris closed her lips. ¡°I know that I haven¡¯t been the easiest person to love. I know that I wasn¡¯t

    what you had in mind when you saw your future¡­ but I wanted to tell you that you are so much better

    than what I imagined mine would look like. I close my eyes and see you with my children. I see you

    always there, even if you don¡¯t want to be involved with the politics. I still see you there for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll

    always be there for you. I love you.¡± Doris whispered. She wiped the tears that fell down her cheeks.

    William finally opened his beautiful blue eyes and cupped her cheeks. A loud bang almost made her

    flinch out of her skin, but he held her tight. ¡°Your majesty? Are you alright?¡± William rolled his eyes to the

    ceiling and straightened himself. Doris bit her lip as she leaned up on her toes to fix his crown. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m

    coming.¡±

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205

    Chapter 205 All the little changes

    The night passed in a blur of music and celebration. Doris finally snuck off to her room when her feet had

    enough. She wasn¡¯t used to walking in heels, let alone for an entire night. It didn¡¯t help that her chest was

    almost more sore than her feet and she had eaten enough to pop the bodice on her dress. Beth was no

    where to be found, but another maid was nearby and helped Doris out of the gorgeous dress that would

    stay in her closet til the end of time. There was no way she would ever get rid of a gown like that. Even

    on the hanger it looked as if it had been plucked from her dreams. 3 By the time she had dressed and

    copsed in bed, she was out. Her body aches and swollen feet weren¡¯t even enough to keep her

    awake.

    Eventually, she woke in the night when she felt William slip in the bed beside her. He smelled like

    champagne and apples as he pulled her body against him. She felt his lips press against her head

    before he fell into his own exhaustion. The next morning, she woke the second he moved to leave the

    bed. Already she could tell he slept much past the time he normally did, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have

    even seen him leave.

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    His ck hair was far from the perfect style he hadst night. A few strands stuck straight up in the air

    even after he ran his fingers through it. She¡¯d never seen him wake up and still look as tired as he did.

    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± He grumbled as he moved around her room. She hadn¡¯t even noticed that

    there was a change of clothes for him on the dresser. Did a maid bring that in when they slept? Or had

    that been there before she went to bed? ¡°You look adorable.¡± Doris sat up and hugged her knees to her

    chest as she grinned at him. He snorted and disappeared into the bathroom. A momentter, she heard

    the sound of water. Simple things sent her heart to the moon, and it was foolish for her to feel so giggly

    but she couldn¡¯t help it. He came to her room instead of his own. She wondered if he realized she wasn¡¯t

    there, and went to find her. Or if he checked here first. It didn¡¯t matter-he didn¡¯t want to end his night

    without her. 1 It was like a dose of caffeine in her veins to have him around. She normally would have

    fallen back against her pillow and tried to sleep for a few more hours. But now she jumped out of bed

    and readied herself in a beautiful day dress. It was a lovely pale pink color that reminded her of her

    favorite roses. When he came out, he looked more like the king he was supposed to be. His hair wasn¡¯t

    as messy and his suit was set right. The look of exhaustion was long gone from his skin as if he pped

    it right off. ¡°I have a lot of meetings today. They mightst well into the night and continue tomorrow.¡±

    William grumbled. ¡°I want to make sure the rogues get what¡¯s promised to them immediately. Hopefully

    we will see rogues walk among the kingdom again by the end of the week. But that means I might not

    see you untilte.¡±

    Doris¡¯s shoulders lowered, but her smile remained. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re a fancy king now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll

    have meetings all day every day for months.¡± William stepped up to her and gripped her at her waist

    before he kissed her. It was enough to make her want to melt into him and forget everything he just told

    her. When he puled away, she almosttched right back onto him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer you¡¯re going to make me do this.¡± William said a little roughly.

    Doris furrowed her brows. ¡°What?¡±   ¡°Come and find you in the middle of the night when you should be

    next to me. How long are you going to insist on staying in this room?¡± Doris¡¯s lips parted. ¡°I¡ªwhat? You

    gave me this room when you announced me as yourdy! You are the one that had it be mine!¡±

    ¡°That was only for show, you weren¡¯t supposed to actually sleep in it.¡± William sneered and tipped over a

    vase on the dresser. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to have your things in here. I don¡¯t want them in here.¡± Doris

    crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°And where do you suppose I should move them to? My old room in

    the servants quarters?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a smart ass.¡± He shot her a look. Doris had to bite her lip to keep from

    laughing. She wanted him to say it. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± He moved towards the door. ¡°I¡¯m ordering your

    things be moved to my room before nightfall.¡±

    ¡°William!¡± Doris followed him but he was already heading towards the door.

    ¡°I said that¡¯s final!¡±

    Dorisughed until her sides hurt long after he was gone. Once she feltposed enough, she wrapped

    a cloak around her shoulders and left the room before servants came to pack it up for her. Nothing was

    worse than watching people you used to work with now pack up your things as if they worked for you.

    She could only imagine how awkward it would be. Doris let her feet carry her through the long halls. No

    one stopped her or paid her more than a nce as she walked. ¡°When are you going to let me free? I

    haven¡¯t stretched my legs in so long.¡± Cordelia muttered inside her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to brag to everyone

    that you have a white wolf?¡± Doris shook her head. ¡°Thest thing I want is more people talking about

    me. I already get enough of that when they realize I¡¯m with the king.¡± ¡°Yes, but everyone knows it¡¯s an

    honor to have a white wolf! Let me free!¡±

    ¡°I willter. I¡¯m not running through the halls right now.¡± Doris rubbed her head. ¡°Why is it considered an

    honor to have a white wolf? Everyone tells me that but I just don¡¯t understand why.¡±

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡± Cordelia said with a sneer. ¡°A white wolf is stronger than the average wolf. It¡¯s how

    you¡¯re able to take down your enemies quicker. If you didn¡¯t have me, you might have been dead ten

    times over.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Doris muttered. ¡°People are only shocked of white wolves because there aren¡¯t

    many. A lot of people believe them to be myths while others don¡¯t see the big deal. White wolves before

    you have done wrong with their power. I believe that I was your wolf because you wouldn¡¯t abuse that

    sort of strength.¡±

    ¡°Power?¡±

    Cordeliaughed inside her. ¡°My dear, you have had only a taste of what you can do. Whether it¡¯s

    months or years, I will grow you to what you are destined to be.¡±

    was lost in thought. Instantly, her eyesnded on the chair that Martin sat in every day he was here.

    Doris wandered over to the chair and felt an ache in her heart when she saw the book of poems he

    always had with him.

    She knew she shouldn¡¯t, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She flipped through the pages and saw a few of his

    thoughts written across the pages.   But that wasn¡¯t all¡ªshe also noticed her own name written in the

    margins of some of the poems or on nk pages. Under her name, he wrote: long brown hair, brown

    eyes, blue dress, flowers, t shoes, apron, yellow dress, small voice, beautifulugh, nervous Doris

    closed the book she she realized he was writing things he noticed about her every day he came in. Doris

    went to shelve the book and then stopped herself. She couldn¡¯t put this back, she had no one else to

    give it to. His wife was long gone, she left him when he dered his feelings for Doris. William would

    only hate the idea that he wrote about her near love poems¡ªwhat was she to do? Doris walked around

    the library and found the small space she used to hide some of her romantic reads. The space was

    hidden behind a board on the shelves and no normal eye would ever find it. Doris gently ced the book

    in there before she covered it up again. One day, she would give the book to William. One day when he

    was ready to see it. ¡°Doris? Is that you in here?¡± A familiar voice called. Doris hurried out from behind the

    shelves to find Daniel standing at the entrance of the library.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206

    Chapter 206 Thest brother

    Daniel looked¡­pletely fine. He looked tired and a little worn, but fine. She didn¡¯t know what she

    expected, but it was a relief to see him look so untouched. Doris hurried over to him and he caught her in

    his arms. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay! I am so so sorry for what happened to you¡ª¡° ¡°Doris, it¡¯s fine.¡± He set

    her down, not even a smile cracked his face but she didn¡¯t me him. She wouldn¡¯t be smiling either.

    ¡°How are you? When did you get back?¡± ¡°I just got here about an hour ago. I was caught up on all that

    happened while I was gone.¡± He walked further into the library and nced around as if he didn¡¯t want to

    even look at her. ¡°I see that William got what he wanted.¡± ¡°Daniel, I am so sorry for everything,¡± ¡°It is not

    you that should be apologizing, Doris. I know that you didn¡¯t poison me, so don¡¯t bother trying to

    apologize for that. This is all because of William.¡± Doris didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t defend

    William after all that he had done. Daniel went into aa with all his family alive, and came out of one

    with only one remaining. Just because she loved William didn¡¯t mean that he was free of me.

    Daniel copsed in one of the chairs by the window. Doris hesitated before she joined him. ¡°He wanted

    you to be safe. He didn¡¯t do it to hurt you, he wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t harmed in the war

    because he knew you would have been out there in the fight.¡±

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Daniel stared out the window as if she wasn¡¯t there, but she knew he was listening.

    ¡°William loves you¡­ he loves you so much. You are the only member of his family he made sure that

    nothing could harm. He knew the risk when he did what he did, and he made sure that you were going to

    be fine¡±

    ¡°He poisoned me, Doris. He killed our brothers and now our father is dead.¡± Daniel tightened his grip on

    the chair. ¡°Listen to yourself, he doesn¡¯t care for anyone but himself. He tore through his own family to

    get the crown. Who is he now that he has it?¡±

    Doris bit her lip and waited for Daniel to take a breath. ¡°I¡¯m not defending his actions. He lives in his

    regret and I can see how it weighs him down every day. I¡¯m only exining to you how he felt.¡±

    ¡°How he felt doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Daniel muttered. He sunk deeper in his chair and Doris realized that she

    was seeing a new version of Daniel form right before her eyes. This war changed the boy she knew

    before,

    and her heart knew he would never be as easy going as he was before. ¡°I came here to tell you that I¡¯m

    leaving.¡± Daniel said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get as far from here as I can.¡± Doris ced her hand on her chest in

    shock. ¡°Daniel¡ªI thought you loved being the general. Where will you go?¡±

    ¡°I thought I loved it. I spent my entire life training to be the best warrior for this kingdom¡ªto protect my

    family. I couldn¡¯t even do that.¡± Daniel sighed and stared out the window again. He looked so empty,

    Doris didn¡¯t know how to help. ¡°I want to travel out of this kingdom and start somewhere new.

    Somewhere that they don¡¯t know who I am.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand. I will miss you terribly, I hope you will write to me once you find where you belong.¡±

    Doris leaned forward and gripped his hand. He nced down, but still didn¡¯t look her in the eye. ¡°I

    wondered¡­ I wondered how my brother ended up with someone as kind as you. I know he doesn¡¯t

    deserve you. Being a king doesn¡¯t mean he deserves nice things in life, and you are the greatest prize he

    could have won.¡± ¡°I see William for all of his ws and I choose to love him anyway because I see more

    than that.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°It¡¯s not always about deserving something. Sometimes you just need to find

    a person that realizes you¡¯re better inside.¡±

    Daniel snorted, but it held no humor. ¡°I bet if you cut my brother up, he would be ck inside. ck and

    rotten.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡± A voice said from the door. Doris turned to see William with his hands deep in

    his pockets and his crown absent. ¡°If my insides match my actions, I would be rotted.¡±

    Daniel stood. ¡°I had hoped to escape you, brother. I didn¡¯t realize you would be around with all of your

    new duties.¡±

    William stepped a little further in the room, but not by much.¡°I hoped we could talk. I¡¯ve been waiting for

    you to return¡ª¡°

    ¡°Are you upset that I didn¡¯t die too? Were you hoping that you would be all alone in this big pce to

    have everyone else do as you wish?¡±

    ¡°Daniel, I never¡ªI would never want you to get hurt. You¡­ you are the only family I have ever cared

    about. I always wanted to protect you.¡± William stepped closer but maintained his distance. ¡°You

    poisoned me, William. I was in aa¡ªand when I came out my entire family was dead! I didn¡¯t even

    get to attend my fathers funeral and I was told that you had our brothers buried quietly!¡± Daniel closed his

    hands into fists. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how the crown meant so much to you. More than your blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m

    sorry, Daniel. I never wanted it to end this way¡ª¡°

    ¡°How did you expect it to end? Did you expect the war to end with hugs and happy songs? War is always

    death, William. Do not act like you didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    William took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daniel. Nothing I can say will make up for my sins.¡± William held out his

    hands to his brother as if to show him he meant no harm bying here. ¡°I love you, Daniel. You are the

    only brother I wanted to protect because I know you didn¡¯t deserve to be in the middle of this. I¡¯m sorry I

    did what I did, I¡¯m sorry I was selfish and didn¡¯t take your feelings into consideration.¡± ¡°Your words and

    actions are so far apart, William. What you did¡­ was unforgivable.¡± Daniel wiped the warm tears from

    his eyes angrily. ¡°I¡¯m leaving this pce. I don¡¯t want any part of your leadership or this kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± William said. He lowered his arms back to his side. ¡°You are always wee back here if

    you change your mind. This ce will always be your home if you want it to be.¡±

    Daniel said nothing. He only stared across at William with tears streaming down his face. Doris wanted

    to hold him until all of his pain faded, but she knew that would take a long time. Losing one family

    member was heart breaking, losing three at once could shatter worlds of even the kindest souls. ¡°I don¡¯t

    want to live in fear. I don¡¯t want to live here and be reminded of what happened.¡± Daniel finally said.

    William lowered his head a little. ¡°I¡¯m going to start somewhere fresh, and I hope you won¡¯t expect to

    hear from me.¡±

    ¡°Anything you want, any money or supplies, all of it is yours to make your journey easier.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want

    anything from this pce. I¡¯m only taking the things that I earned.¡±   ¡°You inherited a fortune from father. I

    hope you realize how expensive it is to start a new life.¡± William said gently. ¡°He left it for you because he

    loved you and wanted you to be okay wherever you went in life. Don¡¯t be too proud to take it.¡± Daniel

    closed his eyes and took a deep breath. William cautiously approached him loudly so he knew he was

    coming. ¡°You were always the best part of my life when we were young. You always brought out the

    ounce of softness I had in my heart and kept me from turning to stone.¡± ¡°I should have been around you

    more, then.¡± Daniel muttered. He opened his eyes and looked up at his brother. ¡°Clearly I wasn¡¯t there

    enough for you.¡± ¡°You were there more than you realize.¡± William hesitated before he gripped Daniel¡¯s

    shoulder. ¡°I will spend my life trying to make up for what I¡¯ve been. Please don¡¯t spend the rest of your

    life hating me for

    it..¡±

    Daniel tensed beneath his touch, but he didn¡¯t move him off. ¡°I hope you find your peace, William. I hope

    you earn that crown in your heart.¡±

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    Chapter 207 A long timeing

    The two brothers stared at each other for a long moment before William squeezed Daniel¡¯s shoulder and

    dropped his hand. ¡°I hope you find a ce that makes you happy. I¡¯ll always be here if you decide to

    return. You will always have a ce in the military as top general. Daniel nodded and stepped back away

    from William. He nced at Doris and offered a small smile. ¡°I wish you luck as well, little one. You¡¯ll get

    your card when I settle. Don¡¯t expect any sweets as well.¡± Doris stood and ced her hand on her

    stomach, Daniel instantly nced down. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send one for our baby.¡± ¡°Baby¡­¡± Daniel¡¯s eyes

    widened. For a moment, she saw a glimpse of the old Daniel as he gripped his head and bounced on his

    feet. ¡°What do you mean baby! Your baby?¡±

    Dorisughed a little as he stepped up to feel her stomach. There wasn¡¯t much yet for him to feel, but

    she knew there would be soon. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to tell you. I hope one day you will want to meet them.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s gaze finally met her own, and it was so much softer than she expected. ¡°Of course I will. I

    wouldn¡¯t miss that for anything.¡± He dropped his hands. ¡°I hope you consider naming it after me.¡± He

    winked. Dorisughed. ¡°We¡¯ll have to think about that, but thank you for the suggestion.¡± William stood

    back with his hands in his pockets again. He watched them with a faraway expression and she could

    only wonder what was spinning through his mind. Daniel pulled her in for a tight hug, she squeezed him

    as hard as she could. ¡°I will miss you, Doris. Thank you for being a friend to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too.¡± Doris

    whispered. ¡°I¡¯m always here as your friend, you know that.¡± When he pulled away from her, he spared

    onest long look at William before he nodded. ¡°Goodbye, William. For now.¡± He pped him on the

    shoulder harshly. ¡°Don¡¯t mess it up with this one. She¡¯s the only good thing in your life.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± William said sincerely. ¡°Goodbye, Daniel.¡±

    Doris stepped up to William¡¯s side and took his hand. They watched as Daniel left without looking back

    once. A sh of his grin from when he first met her entered her mind. He told her he was a simple guard

    just because he wanted to be her friend. Now he was walking out of her life with only a hint of a promise

    that he might one day return. William watched the door for a long, long moment. Doris stood next to him

    and leaned her head against his shoulder to remind him that she was there. He didn¡¯t have to do

    anything, he could stand there all day and she would stay with him.

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    ¡°I need you toe with me.¡± William said suddenly. ¡°There¡¯s something I have to do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, of course.¡±

    William led Doris out of the library and towards the main halls. They didn¡¯t stop walking until they

    reached the throne room where only the most official sort of meetings took ce. When they entered,

    Beth was there.

    Beth stood the moment she saw them with a bit of confusion on her face.

    ¡°Doris!¡± She smiled. Doris looked up at William with her own confusion but he didn¡¯t look down at her

    once. He led her to Beth¡¯s side and left her there as he stepped up to the throne and took his seat.   A

    servant ced his golden crown on his head the instant he sat down while another unrolled a long scroll.

    ¡°Bethany Reeves and Doris Goodwin, please step forward to the throne.¡± His servant announced. Doris

    and Beth exchanged confused nces before they obeyed. What was going on? Doris tried to catch

    William¡¯s eye to ask, but he didn¡¯t meet her gaze.

    ¡°Bethany Reeves. Your duties as a maid for this pce have been fulfilled.¡± William said. A servant came

    with a quill for him to sign the scroll in front of him. ¡°I officially free you from any future duties to this

    appreciated.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Beth¡¯s lips parted as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ free?¡±

    Doris wanted to scream to the skies and jump on her friend. She wanted to throw a party and dance until

    dawn broke. Her heart swelled in her chest, Doris bounced on her toes as the servant ced the scroll

    that freed her in her grasp. Doris quickly turned when she heard Enzo in the back of the room make a

    strangled noise in his throat, she hadn¡¯t even noticed that he entered. He looked at Beth with wide,

    adoring eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re free.¡± William nodded. ¡°Of course, you may stay as long as you need. Mydy would rather you

    stay forever.¡± He nced at Doris before he turned his eyes back on a speechless Beth. She read the

    page over and over with tears in her eyes.

    Doris wiped her own hot tears off her cheeks. They waited so long for this day¡­ Doris almost swore they

    would never see it in person. It was always so far away. They were always told that it would being,

    and it never came. Until today.

    ¡°Doris Goodwin.¡± William said. He straightened himself as his eyes finally met her own. She felt her heart

    stop in her chest. ¡°Your duties to this pce are also fulfilled. I thank you for all the service you provided

    and know that your hard work was more than appreciated. You are no longer bound to this pce. You

    are free to go where you wish or stay with me here forever as my other half.¡± The words burned her ears

    and imnted themselves in her mind. She once had dreams that those words of freedom would be

    spoken to her. She used to wake up and cry when she realized she was still a maid and no where near

    being set free.

    A servant stepped down the small steps and ced her scroll in her hands. She didn¡¯t realize how much

    she was trembling until she went to open it to read it for herself. Doris Goodwin was a free woman. She

    was free, nothing held her anywhere. She could walk out those doors and go anywhere she wanted. No

    one could punish her for doing what she wanted.

    William stood from his throne. ¡°Never again will someone own you two.¡±

    And with that, he left with his guards. Beth threw herself on Doris and almost brought both of them to the

    ground. She couldn¡¯t hear anything over theirughter and tears. ¡°We¡¯re free!¡± Beth shouted to the

    ceiling. She grabbed Doris¡¯s hands and swung them around the room. ¡°We¡¯re free! We can go into town!

    We can go to an old nasty tavern and no one would stop us!¡± Beth

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe¡­ we¡¯re free.¡± Doris breathed. She plopped down on one of the wooden benches. When

    she nced back at Enzo, he was gone. He must have slipped out while they were celebrating. ¡°Did

    William tell you he was doing this?¡± Beth asked. She opened her scroll again just to read it. ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t

    even have the chance to tell him that I wanted you to be freed. I mean, he knew of course  but I was

    going to mention it when he settled down. And¡ªI didn¡¯t expect him to free me as well.¡±

    ¡°I got a letter that I was summoned to this room over an hour ago. No one told me what was going on so

    I just waited.¡± Beth took a long breath. ¡°I thought I was in trouble for a moment¡­¡± ¡°You? In trouble?¡±

    Dorisughed. ¡°You know¡­ I think it would be nice for us to get out of the pce alone. No guards, no

    one else. Just us. We should go into town tomorrow and enjoy our first day of freedom.¡± Beth brightened.

    ¡°Oh Doris! That would be lovely! Remember all the times we swore we were going to sneak out and go

    to the nearest vige to window shop?¡± ¡°We can do that and go out for lunch!¡± Doris grinned. She

    gripped Beth¡¯s hands. ¡°We can do whatever we want, Beth. We¡¯re free now.¡± 1 Beth¡¯s smile faltered a

    little. ¡°Yes. I¡­ I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Doris raised her brows. ¡°Are you alright? You look a little down.¡± ¡°I

    suppose I¡¯m just worried about my future.¡± Beth shook off the look and smiled at Doris again. ¡°Tomorrow

    we will have our day. There¡¯s something I need to talk to you about and I think it would be

    Doris felt her chest fill with a pressure she couldn¡¯t describe. It was like she was scared and excited at

    the same time. ¡°Sounds like a n, my lovely Beth. Tomorrow it is.¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    Chapter 208 Friends stay in your heart forever

    William didn¡¯t take the news of Doris going into the vige with Beth very well. He insisted that she take

    his guards with her, but that would only cause more curious nces. Eventually he let it go, because he

    knew he had to. This was the first trip Doris and Beth would have in their freedom.

    a reas

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you look like a doll!¡± Beth grinned when she saw Doris hurry down the steps. Doris wore a lovely

    light pink dress with a matching sun hat and cloak on top. The snow had finally melted off the ground and

    gave her a reason to want to dress pretty for her first outing ¡°I had to try and look as lovely as you.(This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡± Doris grinned and wrapped her arm through hers.

    Doris had made sure Beth was sent new clothes overnight so she didn¡¯t have to look at the maids

    uniform any longer. She wore a light green day dress with a ck cloak on top. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that

    William let youe out!¡± Bethughed. They walked down the front steps and the guards didn¡¯t pay

    them more than a nce. Doris even held her breath for a moment, expecting them to say anything. But

    they didn¡¯t, they let them go because they were free. ¡°He didn¡¯t want me to. He wanted us to travel with a

    guard but I thought it would be so much more obvious if we did something like that.¡± Doris nced back

    at the pce as they made their way down the path towards the nearest vige. No one had followed. ¡°I

    wouldn¡¯t let you out if I were him either. Any man would fall over themselves just to have you!¡± Beth

    grinned. She seemed so happy and excited, she looked as if arge weight had fallen off her shoulders

    and it was the first time Doris had noticed it. She wondered if she looked the same.

    The vige walk took a lot longer than they expected, but once they arrived it was filled with excitement.

    ¡°Oh my! It looks like it¡¯s a market day!¡± Doris bounced on her toes before she calmed herself. They were

    supposed to blend in, not act like fools.

    Beth seemed to think the same. She instantly tried to cool her features as they wandered through the

    streets lined with small booths. There were some with flowers, jars of jam, books, even clothes. Doris

    saw homemade jewelry and leather notebooks for sale, it was all so exciting,

    The girls went to every single booth. Doris bought a few unique books that she knew would never be in

    the library as well as a jar of homemade jam. She knew she didn¡¯t need any of it since she had all she

    needed and more at the pce, but it felt good to spend a little of her coin on simple things. It made her

    feel¡­ happy. Beth was no better. She bought herself a dress, lovely little hair pins and marmde.

    When her back was turned, Doris bought a small gift for her friend and shoved it deep in her pocket

    before Beth could see what it was.

    After searching through every booth, the girls ventured off the the main street and towards the middle of

    the vige where it was a lot calmer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt such a rush in my life!¡± Beth gasped. Her cheeks were red as if she had just run a mile.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) She looked down at her items with the biggest

    smile on her face, ¡°No one even looked at me as if I was a maid!

    They just thought I was one of them!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a maid anymore, Beth.¡± Doris bumped her shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re so much more and you always have been.¡±

    Beth smiled a little and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Doris pulled her

    friend towards a small bakery on the end of town. ¡°I hope they have things for lunch, but I wouldn¡¯t mind

    just eating pastries.¡±

    Once they seated themselves in the back with their warm cups of tea and sweets, Beth gripped Doris¡¯s

    hand before she could pick up her brownie. ¡°Oh Doris, I can¡¯t wait another minute. I have to tell you

    something.¡± ¡°What is it, Beth? You can tell me anything!¡± ¡°1¨C¡°Beth nced around. The bakery was

    small, but enough people talked louder than they did and paid them no attention. ¡°I¡¯m leaving as soon as

    we get back to the pce.¡± ¡°What? So soon? Where will you go?¡± Doris sat up straighter. Her hunger

    pains dulled instantly as if they were never there. Her best friend was leaving? ¡°Well¡­¡± Beth¡¯s cheeks

    warmed, she gazed down at their hands shyly. ¡°Enzo asked me if I wanted to see the north. I mentioned

    that I always wanted to see a ce covered in mountains of snow and he said it¡¯s almost always like that

    there. And¡ªand I can¡¯t stand to live another minute at the pce knowing I¡¯m free.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Beth¡­¡± Doris felt tears prickle her eyes. She had no idea Enzo was leaving too. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for

    you.¡± Beth looked up with a light in her eyes. ¡°You are? I was so afraid to tell you, I didn¡¯t want to break

    your heart.¡±

    ¡°Beth, you being happy makes my heart whole. I will miss you with every fiber of my being, but I will be at

    peace knowing you are happy out there.¡± Doris squeezed her friends hand and wiped her eyes. She

    knew she probably smeared the makeup she put on for today, but she didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°You always have a room at the pce if you want toe back.¡± Doris continued. ¡°Please don¡¯t forget

    me, please don¡¯t love another friend more than me and please write to me.¡±

    ¡°Love another friend more than you? Are you mad! There is no other friend I could ever love more than

    you, you will always be my best friend.¡± Beth smiled through her tears. ¡°I always thought it would be you

    and me out there.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°Promise you wille visit my baby when they¡¯re born.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming for an entire month when you have the baby! You won¡¯t be able to get rid of me!¡± Beth

    grinned. She reached across to wipe the stray tear from Doris¡¯s cheek. ¡°You better tell me when it¡¯s

    coming so I can get here in time.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Dorisughed. ¡°Enzo is a wonderful man, but no one deserves you Beth. Not even I.¡± Doris pulled

    out a small box from her pocket and slid it to Beth. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Beth took the box with an excitement.

    ¡°What did you get me, Doris Goodwin?¡± ¡°I got you something to celebrate our first outing¡­ and now for

    you to remember me by.¡±

    Beth opened the box to see two nes with a flower pressed against ss as the pendant. One was

    blue for Beth, and one was pink for Doris. Beth didn¡¯t have to say anything, she ced the pink flower

    one in Doris¡¯s hand and quickly put on her own.

    It wasn¡¯t diamonds, it was a simple pendant on a chain that represented their friendship. Beth had to cup

    her mouth to keep in the sounds of her tears.

    ¡°Doris¡­¡± She whimpered.

    Doris gripped her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll always be with you now, wherever you go.¡± She whispered. . Beth got up to

    hug Doris as tightly as she could. Doris didn¡¯t want to let go, but she knew she had to. After they finally

    ate their food and walked back to the pce, a carriage was waiting at the front. Enzo   leaned against it

    with his hands in his pockets and eyes to the sky. He smiled when they approached him. ¡°I don¡¯t normally

    like to break hearts on such a beautiful day, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time for me to go.(This novel will be daily

    updtaed at .noveljar)¡± Enzo said as he stepped up to Doris. He gave Beth one long lingering

    look before he looked down at Doris again. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I will get through my days without your

    voice, I might faint away to dust.¡± Doris said dramatically. Enzo grinned and pulled her into a hug. Doris

    closed her eyes and tried to pull back the tears that wanted to rush out of her eyes. When he gripped her

    shoulders and pulled away, she had failed¡ªher tears poured out anyway. Enzo wiped them away for her.

    ¡°Send for me if you need me to kick a king¡¯s ass. I wille to your aide as fast as I can with a smile on

    my face. Although, I know you can kick his ass better than I can.¡±

    Dorisughed through her sniffles. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do without your confidence in me,

    Enzo.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need me to remind you that you are incredible. You¡¯re a white wolf-No, even better¡ª

    you¡¯re Doris. You are the best thing that could have ever happened to his kingdom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m lucky to know

    you, Enzo. Unfortunately for you¡ªI also told Beth to call for me if she needs me to kick your ass.¡± Enzo

    threw back his head andughed. ¡°Good. I hold you to that.¡± Doris hugged him onest time before she

    threw her arms around Beth. ¡°Pleasee visit me as soon as

    ¡°I¡¯m already nning to in a week.¡± Beth whispered. Doris wiped her eyes and stepped back. She

    watched her friends climb into the carriage. Enzo ever the gentleman as he helped Beth up. She leaned

    out the window and waved to Doris as the carriage pulled away.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    Chapter 209 What to do with a thing called freedom

    Doris went to take the steps up to the pce, but something stopped her. It felt as if she hit an invisible

    wall and her feet didn¡¯t want to take her any further. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cordelia mumbled deep

    inside her. She sounded as if she was taking a nap. ¡±  Doris backed away from the pce. The guards at

    the top of the steps stared at her curiously, perhaps they thought she had lost her mind. She turned and

    quickly walked down the path that led to the woods by the pce. Fresh air, she needed fresh air.

    ¡°Where are you going? You just sobbed for two hours, why aren¡¯t you going to clean up?¡± ¡°I need¡­ I

    don¡¯t know.¡± Doris nced back at the pce and still no one followed her.

    It felt as if thest few months were starting to crush her chest. All of the mistakes, all of the changes.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)It came rushing back to her faster than she could

    handle. Her lungs couldn¡¯t find air, she felt as if she was about to copse. The weight of her freedom

    crushed her, of how much her life has changed faster than she could grasp onto it. She could run and

    run without the fear that she would be caught and thrown in a cell for it. She could change her name and

    live free in a small town orrge vige. She could live at sea or in the forest. She was free. Wasn¡¯t she?

    Why didn¡¯t she feel as if she was free like Beth did?

    ¡°Doris.¡± Cordelia said. ¡°Let me take over.¡± Doris didn¡¯t question her wold, she only obeyed. It was easier

    than fighting all the thoughts that wanted to destroy her sense of happiness that she worked so hard to

    gain. Cordelia stepped into control and the shift ripped through her body and tore any of her pervious

    thoughts away. She fell to the ground as fur coated her arms and her hands shifted into paws. An aching

    breathter, she was her wolf. ¡°Don¡¯t let your fears consume you. It¡¯s time you learned to let them go.¡±

    Cordelia said. It sounded as if she was all around her as her voice echoed deep inside her.

    Cordelia took off through the trees and ran as fast as she could. The cold wind made her eyes water.

    She ran past a long stream and past small animals that scurried away as they approached. She didn¡¯t

    stop running until they were high on a mountain where she could see the pce for all it¡¯s glory. It was so

    big, so much bigger than she ever thought when she was inside it. Cordelia sat quietly as they gazed at

    the pce. It was strange to have two personalities live as one inside the same body. ¡°I waited so long

    for you to find yourself.¡± Cordelia said gently, It felt as if she was sitting right next other. ¡°I watched you

    live for other people and never yourself. I watched you be a servant without a soul. I wanted to

    break through and tell you that you were so much more.¡± ¡°Was it dark when I couldn¡¯t feel you?¡± Doris

    asked. ¡°It was. I didn¡¯t know when you would realize that you had a wolf until the night you were marked.

    And then all I felt was your sadness. I don¡¯t think I had ever felt you feel that weak after he attached you.¡±

    Doris swallowed. ¡°I thought I was going to die that night. I swore he would one day finish the job. * ¡°I felt

    that-how afraid you were of your mate. I felt you change and I worried that I had lost you forever.**

    Cordelia said sadly. ¡°And then¡­ and then one day you started to stand up for yourself. Just a little at

    first, but you did it. You never stood up for yourself once in your life, but you did with William. You told

    him na   you stood your ground and did what was right. I think he fell in love with you the moment you

    first told him no.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°I thought he hated me. I-I just always felt so helpless. Sometimes I still feel that way.¡±

    ¡°You knew that your life was always held up by a thin string. I never thought you would break it-but I can¡¯t

    exin how proud I was of you whenever you stood up for yourself. You are anything but helpless now.

    The Doris you were before is dead, I watched you bury her and be a new version of yourself. Even

    if it¡¯s still hard for you. Some people never grow as much as you have.¡± Doris watched the pce, she

    couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of it. It was the one ce she despised and now started to care for¨Cbecause of

    who now owned it.

    ¡°William set you free because he wants you to choose toe back to him.¡± Cordelia said gently.(This

    novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) It shocked Doris enough to look away from the pce

    even though she couldn¡¯t see Cordelia. ¡°He knows what freedom means to you. And so do I. If you want

    us to be free far from this pce, I will turn now and carry us as far as I can. You never have to see any

    of it again.¡±

    ¡°Cordelia¡ª¡°

    ¡°I will. I will find somewhere safe for us and we can be free from anyone ever thinking they can own us. I

    can teach you how to be the most powerful version of yourself. Or¡­ Or I can lead us back down to the

    pce if that is what you wish. Either way, it is your choice. From now on, you have the choice to live

    how you want to. No one will ever take that from you again.¡± Doris nced behind them. A long stretch

    of trees and road led far out of the kingdom and down to other viges along the way. The sun was

    starting to lower a little in the sky.

    A spike of pain pierced her chest when she looked that way. She quickly looked back at the pce.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he will ever truly be happy with me. What if he can¡¯t quit his old habits? I don¡¯t want to

    walk in on him with another maid and him telling me that it¡¯s just who he is. I refuse to be with someone

    that strays. What if that is all my future is?¡±

    ¡°If he were to ever stray, we would be gone before he could blink.¡± Cordelia said quickly. A spike of rage

    flowed through her wolf as if she couldn¡¯t even stand the thought of it. ¡°He won¡¯t, though. My mate knows

    his thoughts. He hasn¡¯t thought of anyone else since he saw you. But¡­ I understand your fears. I¡¯m

    sorry I can¡¯t take them from you.¡± ¡°I suppose I¡¯m just scared.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to feel

    him break my heart. I swore it was a dangerous road to go down and now I can never go back. I know

    that he is who I will always choose at the end of the day.¡± Cordelia hummed inside her. She stepped

    forward and carried them down the road towards the pce. Doris had made her choice and Cordelia

    knew it. She knew she could never leave him even with freedom dangled in front of her.

    ¡°I believe that he will always choose you, Doris.¡± Cordelia said gently. ¡°He will catch you if you fall.¡±

    ¡°I already have fallen. I¡¯ve fallen so deep that I know there is nothing else out there for me. No amount of

    freedom could ever rece the feeling of him.¡±

    Cordelia walked back the same trail they had just run. The stream sounded beautiful to her ears. Doris

    had never gotten to see it up close before, always from a tall window in the pce.

    When they got back to the spot where her cloak was, (This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)William was standing there with a dress in his hands-waiting for her. ¡°How did he¡ª¡±

    ¡°Our wolves are connected. You¡¯ll soon learn how tomunicate like I do-it takes time.¡±

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    Chapter 210 Ever after

    William ced her cloak over her before she shifted back. He turned away as she dressed herself in the

    dress he brought for her. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but skip when she realized how well he knew her

    without even having to say a word.

    ¡°I can give you more time to yourself if you need.¡± William said. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets

    and nced at the space around them before finally settling his stormy eyes on her. ¡°I¡¯ll be here¡ª¡°

    ¡°William.¡± Doris stepped up to him and cupped his cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t need more time to myself. (This novel

    will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)I want to be here with you.¡±

    William looked down at her with a little surprise in his gaze¡ªas well as relief. Did he fear she would

    leave him?

    ¡°Have you¡ªhave you decided to make the pce your home?¡± William asked. His hands rested on her

    hips as he drew her closer. 2 ¡°I think you told me just the other day that home can be a person.¡± Doris

    whispered. ¡°You are my home. Wherever you go, I will go.(This novel will be daily updtaed at

    .noveljar)¡± William leaned his forehead against her own and rxed under her grip. She felt him

    melt against her as if he trusted her small form to hold him up.

    Doris closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. He smelled of snow and berries, she wanted to bottle it up

    and drench everything she owned in the smell. It was intoxicating.

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    After a beat, William¡¯s hands left her. She opened her eyes to found him kneeling on one knee in front of

    her with a small velvet box in his hands. When he opened it, a rose shaped diamond ring sat inside with

    smaller diamonds decorated around the band. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

    ¡°William¡ª¡°Doris gasped.

    ¡°Doris Goodwin,¡± William said evenly as he watched her. ¡°You are the only person I would ever kneel for.

    You are the best part of my days and the only reason I can¡¯t sleep when you¡¯re gone. I ask you for your

    hand in marriage, I ask you to stay at my side until we are nothing more than dust. I ask you to be my

    one and only queen.¡± a

    Doris¡¯s lips parted, she felt her heart beat bang against her chest as she looked down at him. They stood

    in this quiet, empty clearing with no one else around. He was the only beauty that she could see and it

    was¡­ it was perfect. It was her favorite ce in the entire world because he was here with her. ¡°Doris

    Goodwin, will you marry me?¡± William finally asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Doris almost screamed. Not even a beat had

    passed, there was no sense of hesitation or doubt. She¡¯d never felt more sure about anything in her life

    ¡ªand she didn¡¯t know she would feel that way until he asked.

    William slipped the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly¡ªas if it was always meant to be there. He took

    her in his arms and swung her around and around the clearing until she could barely see through her

    tears.

    When he finally set her down, he kept a firm grip on her so she didn¡¯t fall and grabbed her face to kiss

    again and again.

    ¡°Mine.¡± He said against her lips. Each time he kissed her he said the same things over and over. ¡°Mine.

    My beautiful mate. All mine.¡±  Doris wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up just to hold

    her. ¡°My beautiful queen.¡± 1 Doris blushed at his words. ¡°Queen? I suppose I would be considered a

    queen.¡± Doris chewed on her lip. She didn¡¯t have the mind space to worry about that now. He started to

    carry her back towards the pce like she was a bride. ¡°You were made to be a queen.¡± William said

    with a smile on his face. It was the first time she noticed that he couldn¡¯t put a mask on, he couldn¡¯t stop

    smiling.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right-I very much doubt it.¡± Dorisughed when he rolled his eyes. He carried her through

    the pce doors with no intention of setting her down yet. His guards watched his every move, but he

    walked by as if they didn¡¯t even exist to him. 1 ¡°There¡¯s something I want to show you.¡± He said as he

    carried her down the halls. Maids and servants stopped to watch, Doris no longer felt embarrassed like

    she used to when she passed them. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on it since we got back from the camp.¡± He

    walked them all the way back to his room¡ªor their room¡ªand stopped at the door next to it. Carefully,

    he set her down and covered her eyes with one hand.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m dying to know now.¡± Doris bounced a little on her toes as she heard him unlock the door and

    push it open. He led her inside and closed the door behind him before he uncovered her eyes. Doris

    immediately felt at a loss for words.

    William brought her to a nursery meant for their baby. A crib sat in the middle of the room that was

    sshed with golds and white. A dresser, a changing table, toys and more filled the area and looked

    ready for a baby to be in there now, even though they still had many months to go before it would arrive.

    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar) ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Doris whispered as she stepped

    further in the room. Her fingers lightly touched the wood of the crib as she approached it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­

    William¡­ It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡±

    She turned to look up at him. His blue eyes looked calm and happy as he watched for her reaction. No

    hint of storms or worry clouded his gaze. ¡°I thought we could add more color to it once the baby arrives

    ¡ª¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°You can change whatever you want in here if you don¡¯t like it. I

    just wanted you to see the ce I had made for our baby.¡±

    ¡°You did all of this?¡± Doris whispered. She cursed herself silently to not get choked up, she already cried

    several times just today. But somehow, she still had more tears ready to pour out. ¡°I had it all made.¡±

    William cleared his throat. ¡°I know it might not be the best¡ª¡°

    ¡°William.¡± Doris ced her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart bang against her palm. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t

    change a thing about this room. It¡¯s beautiful. I can¡¯t believe¡­ you did all this. I didn¡¯t think you would

    have time since we got back,¡± William brushed her hair behind her ears and cupped her cheeks. ¡°You

    and that baby are a hundred times more important to me than that crown. Don¡¯t ever think differently.¡±

    Doris gripped his shirt and pulled him against her. She kissed him with every ounce of love in her heart.

    When she pulled away, she took a long breath. ¡°Take me to our room. I want to kiss every inch of you

    until sunrise tomorrow.¡±

    A glint of lust flickered in his eyes as he lifted her up into his arms. He carried her out of their baby¡¯s

    room and right into their own where he locked it tight behind him. No one would dare bother a king on a

    mission

    Doris kissed his face, his jaw and his neck as he brought her to the bed. ¡°If only I was tall, I could kiss

    you up here all day long.¡±   ¡°I like you being small and mighty.¡± William grinned as he dropped her on the

    bed and immediately crawled on top of her. Their clothes were gone in just a few heavy breaths and

    scattered across the room like they were nothing. She made good on her promise and kissed every inch

    of him before he did the same to her. He dragged his tongue along her skin and marked every ce that

    he owned with a bite and a kiss to render it. When he kissed her stomach, it was the only ce he was

    soft and gentle with. She ran her fingers through his hair as her caressed the delicate skin of her

    stomach. They came together as one and didn¡¯t care who heard their earth shattering moans. He wanted

    the world to hear his name on her lips so they knew who¡¯s heart he owned. William pushed inside her

    until their sweaty bodies were worn and exhausted but still craved more. Her ring shined even in the

    darkness and it was hard to take her eyes off of. ¡°I love you.¡± William said against her lips before he

    kissed her again. (This novel will be daily updtaed at .noveljar)¡±I love you, my king.¡± Doris

    gasped when he finally let here up for air. They held each other all night and knew that the

    beginning of their lives together had only just started. There was so much pain and trouble around the

    corner for them, but they knew they could handle it if they were together. And nothing had ever make her

    happier.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    #Chapter 1 Any day now Dear readers,

    Thank you for following the story!

    Here we go! As promised in my fb group, the sequel starts now! ¡ã

    Doris threw herst slipper against the wall and folded her arms over her chest. It was the only pair that

    fit her swollen feet and now they were too small.

    ¡°Mydy, we will get you another pair.¡± Penelope said. She was the only maid that Doris trusted since

    William had be king. She smiled softly at Doris despite how silly she was being and picked up the

    discarded slippers. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some rest for now? King William told me to tell you he will be

    back as soon as his meeting is over. He doesn¡¯t want you alone for long.¡±

    Doris fell back against her pillows as her maid closed her door. She could barely see anything over the

    bump of her stomach. It was strange to think that any day now she would be giving birth to a baby boy

    or girl. Hopefully, with Beth here too.

    It had been a long, long nine months. Once the dust settled after the war and William was crowned

    king, everything had finally calmed down. Doris made this pce her home instead of seeing it as

    acage.

    William never restricted her from wandering from the pce. He knew what freedom meant to her and

    he made sure she had it. The only catch was that she now had guards to follow her every move since

    she had his baby inside her.

    Morning sickness turned to ridiculous midnight cravings and cramps. William had gotten up many times

    to make sure whatever insane food she wanted was delivered to her as soon as possible. He rarely let

    other males near her and insisted her staff be full of females. Doris didn¡¯t mind, it was exactly what she

    wanted anyway.

    The kingdom had sent countless gifts to Doris once they learned she was pregnant with the next heir.

    His people were kind to her even without the title of queen.

    Doris had William put off the wedding until after she had already given birth. He fought her at first, but

    then he eventually agreed when he saw how much she suffered day to day just being pregnant. She

    wanted to marry him without arge bump and without the fear of throwing up at a simple scent. The

    maids and servants in the pce still looked at her as if she didn''t belong next to a king... or at least it''d

    felt that way. They all knew she once was just like them. They all knew she had wanted to get far from

    the pce but now she shared a room with its ruler. Her wolf, Cordelia, was silent most days. She

    hadn''t tried to get Doris to shift or run wild after she first started showing.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of how hard it is on your body when you shift.¡± Cordelia said one night when Doris asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to shift unless you absolutely have to.¡±

    Still, Doris knew how much ofa strain it must have been on her wolf. She had spent so many years in

    the dark only to be pushed right back into it for nine months. Sometimes Doris could feel the hum in her

    bones that wanted her to let free. There was still so much she had to learn.

    William¡¯sst remaining brother, Daniel, hadn''t written much to her

    since he left to forge his own path. About once a month she would geta post card that let her know he

    was alright, but never once asking about William. Only ever about Doris and their baby. The wound

    was clearly still fresh for the both of them.

    Beth, on the other hand, wrote to her frequently. William had given her a special messenger that would

    leave the second she ced a letter in his hand to deliver to Beth and wait until she responded before

    he came back.

    Beth seemed to like the north, but Doris could tell how much she missed sunshine and spring days.

    Enzo would asionally send his own letter that he¡¯s clearly written away from Beth to update her on

    his crush of her best friend. Doris still wasn''t sure if they had even kissed yet.

    She knew one thing, the second she saw Beth she would see it on her face.

    As much as she missed her friends, it brought herfort to know that they were safe. They were

    healthy and well. Enzo made sure that rogues from the north ventured into the kingdom unharmed and

    those that disobeyed the new order were punished immediately. Many rogues now live among the

    viges in peace like they had always wanted. Instead of being pushed away for a job, they were given

    opportunities that they used to only dream of. William made sure of it.

    Meanwhile, William still had a lot to learn himself. Preparing to be a king was different than

    actually taking the role. There were many nights that she woke up alone and found him ina meeting or

    head bent over scrolls that needed to be dealt with.

    His temper red when he was questioned so no one dared to step over any line he had drawn. Once,

    when she was about six months pregnant, a male servant had snuck in the room when she was

    sleeping. Doris had to pull William off the man before he threw him out of their tall windows.

    Each day brought a small form of confidence back into William that had faded a little since the war. He

    had bigger, better ns and all he needed was for his people to believe in them. Perhaps one day, they

    fully would.

    ¡°Doris?¡± William said from the door. She opened her eyes to see him cross the room and lift his golden

    crown from his head. ¡°Sorry if I woke you.¡± He muttered, not sounding the least bit sorry.

    William sat himself on the edge of the bed and rubbed his hand across her stomach almost half minded

    as he gazed down ata letter in his other hand. ¡°What''s that?¡± Doris struggled to sit up. He helped her

    automatically as if it was a reaction that was now part of him. So different from the man she had once

    cowered away from.

    ¡°The neighboring kingdom of Heeled has sent a letter requesting a visit.¡± Doris furrowed her brows.

    ¡°When?¡± She peered over his shoulder at the letter. ¡°I hope not any time soon.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say. They worded it as if it would be their choice when theye.¡± William grumbled. He

    crumbled the letter in his hand and tossed it aside. ¡°As if I don¡¯t have enough to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Respond and tell them no.¡± Doris wanted to run her fingers through his messy hair, but he was too far

    from her with her massive stomach.

    ¡°I can''t do that. I need all the allies I can get. I don''t want to offend them no matter how good it would

    feel.¡± He muttered and fell back against the bed beside her.

    ¡°We''re about to have a baby¡ª¡°

    A knock at the door startled them both. William¡¯s face was already twisted into anger. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Sorry to disturb you!¡± Penelope called nervously. ¡°Lady Doris has visitors.¡±

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    #Chapter 2 Friends together again

    Doris immediately tried to push herself out of bed but she quickly failed. William had to get up and help

    her stand but he didn''t seem happy to know that Doris had visitors. She already knew in her heart who

    it could be¡ª there was only one person that came to mind.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± He demanded. Doris held her stomach and waddled to the door. He was right behind her

    like a protective shadow that never faded.

    Penelope hesitantly knelt down to help Doris into a new pair of slippers that went right on. The cushion

    felt like heaven and she only wished it would be eptable to wear slippers everywhere even after she

    had given birth.

    ¡°They told me she has been expecting them. Beth¡ª¡°

    ¡°Beth?¡± Doris squeaked. She hadn''t seen her best friend in person for months. If she could run, she

    would bolt across the pce just to reach her. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    ¡°I set them in the tea room down the hall to wait¡ª¡°

    Doris hurried past her maid with a wide smile on her face. William was always a step behind. There

    weren''t many moments where she was alely¡ª which was ironic since she had been feeling so

    lonely.

    The private tea room was luckily right down the hall from their own room.

    Two guards opened the doors for her and revealed Beth and Enzo sitting

    close on a loveseat couch. They instantly stood when they saw her.

    ¡°Oh my! Doris! Look at you!¡± Beth grinned as she hurried across the room to trap her in a warm hug.

    Doris wanted to melt into the feeling of her friend with her again. It felt as if years had passed since

    they saw each otherst and there was so much she wanted to tell her that couldn''t be said in letters.

    Enzo neared them with a smile on his lips as he watched them. He eyed William who was ring at

    him across the room and held his hands up. ¡°No worries, old friend. I know how vicious males can be

    over their pregnant mate. I''ll stand over here and hug myself.¡± : Beth pulled away and took a good look

    at Doris as she gripped her hands. ¡°How are you feeling? Oh, you must be in so tired all the time!¡±

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Iam, and I feel like a walking balloon at all times.¡± Doris said as Beth helped her to the couch. She

    instantly fell into her nurturing mode as she made Doris a cup of tea with a side of cookies. ¡°Nonsense,

    you''re glowing.¡± Enzo grinned. William snorted in a rude way as he crossed his arms over his chest

    tightly.

    ¡°Ignore him, he doesn¡¯t like any man near me right now.¡± Doris rolled her eyes.

    Beth tried to hide her smile. ¡°I can''t believe you''re going to be giving birth any day now! I hope you

    don¡¯t mind me staying a little longer after the babyes.¡±

    Doris perked up. ¡°You will?¡±

    ¡°Only until you¡¯ve gotten a hang of it.¡± Beth grinned. She nced at Enzo who watched them with a

    small smile still on his face. Doris could see the affection they both had for each other and Doris only

    wished she was alone with Beth so she could hear everything about what happened between them.

    Her friend liked to spill everything when they were in private.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but...¡± Beth hesitated as she looked at Enzo again. This time his face sobered

    instantly and he turned to William.

    ¡°I know this maye as a shock, but Sir Antony wanted toe¡ª¡°

    ¡°What?¡± William spat and straightened himself. Even without his crown, even when he was angry, he

    still looked like a king. ¡°He¡¯s here in my pce?¡±

    ¡°Well, not technically. He¡¯s out in the gardens waiting to see if you were going to have a tantrum before

    he came in.¡± Enzo sped his hands infant of him. ¡°I see that was a wise choice.¡±

    William snarled. ¡°I don¡¯t want him in here near mydy.¡±

    ¡°He has no bad intent for either of you. He only wanted to see his great grandchild once before he went

    back to the north.¡± Enzo said. He scratched the back of his head as if he didn¡¯t know what else to do.

    ¡°He¡¯s a good man, William. He¡¯s getting old and each day he looks weaker.¡±

    William rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ¡° I''m sure he¡¯s a good man to you and all of his little followers.¡±

    William closed his hands into fists at his side. ¡°You should have asked permission before allowing him

    near my pce. No one ising close to my baby, certainly not him.¡± Doris frowned. She knew that

    William didn¡¯t want a rtionship with his grandfather. He felt as if the man never truly cared about him

    and never tried to care even though he knew full well that he existed. William never let the man patch

    up that hole in his chest, and it seemed he wasn¡¯t willing to start now. Doris reached out to grab

    William''s hand. He looked down at her and his anger slowly started to fade. He took a deep breath.

    ¡°I don''t want him near the baby.¡± William said more calmly.

    Enzo nodded respectively. ¡°Understood. Should I send him home?¡±

    ¡°He can leave when you do, but I don¡¯t want to cross paths with him. Make sure I don¡¯t.¡± William said as

    if it was a threat. Enzo though¡ªhe never seemed to take anything William said to heart. Perhaps that

    was why they hadn''t killed each other yet.

    ¡°I will lock him in a dark room until we''re ready to leave.¡± Enzo pped William on the shoulder with a

    grin. ¡° Now tell me how you''ve been, you grumpy beast.¡±

    William shrugged off his hand but he didn¡¯t look annoyed. He almost looked as if he was trying not to

    smirk.

    ¡°Fine.¡± William muttered and seated himself on the other side of Doris. ¡°Not so well now that you''re

    staying.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I love when you lie.¡± Enzo seated himself across from them, careful not to look at Doris for too long

    even in the friendliest way. ¡°We couldn''t miss a moment in history like this.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t call it that.¡± Doris said with a blush. Beth squeezed her hand.

    ¡°If only you knew, Doris. There is not a soul in this kingdom that doesn¡¯t obsess over you and that

    baby.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Doris turned to her friend. ¡° Surely that can¡¯t be true¡ª"

    ¡°Oh but it is! Normally babies are ignored when ady gives birth, but you are engaged to William and

    this baby very well might be the next heir.¡± Beth grinned. ¡°You are the most important thing in this

    kingdom at the moment and everyone knows it.¡±

    William shifted beside her. A look of alertness crossed his features.

    She knew what he was thinking without him having to say it. If she was the most important thing in the

    kingdom at the moment, it only made her a bigger target to unknown

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    #Chapter 3 A sweet baby on the way

    Beth was like an angel sent from above. As each day crawled on, Doris could move less and less

    without wanting toin. Even a venture to the bathroom was enough to make her sob and want to

    throw things at the nearest victim. But Beth had been right there at her side when William was busy.

    She was there to remind her that it would pass. The pain, the emotions, all of it would pass and soon a

    baby would be in her arms.

    So far, neither Doris or William had seen Sir Antony since they arrived but she knew he wasn¡¯t far.

    Doris tried to erase the stress from her mind but she couldn''t help that it still crawled in even when she

    tried to forget it.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Beth asked cheerfully. She helped Doris stand and was currently taking her on a

    walk around the room. ¡°I can order an early lunch for us¡ª¡°

    ¡°Oh!¡± Doris folded over, Beth instantly made sure she didn¡¯t fall to the ground as water started to

    drench the floor at her feet. ¡°Beth¡ª¡° Doris whimpered.

    ¡°Penelope!¡± Beth screamed. The maid burst through the door and instantly her eyes grew wide at the

    sight of her. ¡° Have someone get William! We need to move her to the birthing chamber!¡± Penelope

    stumbled over her words before she hurried out of the room. For all Doris knew, William could be miles

    away from her. A painful ache pierced her back, Beth held her firm and soon a maid was on her other

    side to help her out of the room.

    Everydy had a birthing chamber prepared for them before they gave birth. Doris¡¯s was luckily right

    next door when they usually would be near the medical chamber. William insisted she was stationed

    closer with everything ready to go inside it.

    She was overwhelmingly grateful in this moment.

    They helped hery in bed just as another contraction rocked through her body in the worst possible

    way. It almost made her want to fall to the floor and beg for relief.

    ¡°How long does thisst?¡± Doris groaned to the doctor. She looked over Doris with concern.

    ¡°I will have to time your contractions¡ª¡° Doris groaned as another one came on. She gripped the bed

    so tight, she wanted to rip a hole through it. Her back ached, her sides and thighs were in so much

    pain. Every inch of her was hurting ask she didn¡¯t know how to stop it.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°They shouldn''t be happening this close together.¡± The doctor observed.

    She instructed a maid to wipe Doris¡¯s brow. ¡°That baby might be ready to get out now.¡±

    Beth winced when Doris squeezed her hand. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look well, she looks very pale.¡±

    Doris groaned and closed her eyes as tightly as possible. She was convinced her body wouldn''t be

    able to handle it, she wouldn''t be able to survive this.

    The door burst open and a wild William entered the room. He looked out of breath and as if he had just

    ran across the entire pce just to reach her. Ina few long strides, he was at her side as he kneeled

    next to the bed and took her hand.

    ¡°I should have been with you.¡± He said almost softly. His blue eyes were worried storms as he took in

    the sight of her. She knew she must have looked like a sweaty mess but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°You didn¡¯t

    miss a thing.¡± Doris breathed. She tried to smile at him but another contraction felt as if it was stabbing

    her from the inside. She squeezed his hand so tightly and he only squeezed back to let her know he

    was there with her.

    The doctor removed her undergarments and checked between her legs for progress.

    ¡°This baby might be ready toe out any second. Her contractions are too close together.¡± The

    doctor said. Doris winced and wanted to curl into herself. Her entire body felt as if it was drenched. Her

    hair and clothes were soaked through, she would give anything to rip them off but a part of her still had

    half a mind to know better. Doris screamed loud enough to make people around her flinch back as if

    she was about to rip their heads off.

    ¡°I want this out of me now!¡± Doris roared. William made sure she stayed back against her pillows even

    when her body wanted to thrash around. ¡°Get it out of me!¡±

    ¡°It''sing, Doris.¡± The doctor said calmly. She turned to speak quietly to the other nurses and Doris

    suddenly felt angry. She felt so enraged, she wanted to throw all of them out and far away from her.

    ¡°I said I want it out!¡± Doris screamed just as her back pain shot through the roof. Doris felt as if her

    entire body was weak and tired from all the pain it was receiving and nothing would ever recover her.

    ¡°It wille out soon, Doris.¡± William said gently. He was only ever gentle with her and she didn¡¯t know

    why she was so angry at him.

    ¡°It''s going to kill me, I can feel it.¡± Doris said. She red at him. ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°What''s not fair?¡± He asked as he brushed her sweaty hair from her face.

    ¡°You should feel this sort of pain, you did this to me.¡± She grumbled and then bit her lip hard enough to

    keep in her next scream that wanted to tear through her.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s ready toe out. Prepare yourselves.¡± The doctor warned. She stationed herself in front of

    Doris''s legs while the other nurses stood close by. ¡° Start to push, Doris. I know it will hurt but if you

    want the baby out, this is the only way.¡±

    Doris fought the urge to kick the woman in front of her. She knew her body wasn¡¯t strong enough for

    this¡ª why couldn''t they understand that? Doris gripped William''s hand and started to push. The feeling

    was indescribable. Every inch of her begged her not to push again. Every inch of her wanted her to go

    back in time and undo everything that had led her to this.

    ¡°I can¡¯t! It hurts!¡± Doris cried. Tears blurred her vision and made her entire life sh before her eyes as

    if it was the end. She pushed again, harder this time even when her body felt as if it was at the end of

    the line.

    ¡°You can do this, Doris. You''re stronger than you think.¡± William said sternly, as if there was no room to

    be questioned. ¡° Push for me, Doris. Come on.¡±

    Doris clenched her eyes tightly and pushed again. A roar ripped from her throat each time she pushed.

    Slowly, she felt the baby make its way out of her and she felt like eternity passed in pure pain before it

    was all the way out.

    ¡°You did it!¡± People shouted around her. Doris couldn''t tell who, her vision wasn¡¯t right and everything

    looked as if it was far away from her.

    ¡°..What is it?¡± She heard William say as if he was drifting away.

    ¡°She won''t stop bleeding.¡±

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    #Chapter 4 She won''t stop bleeding.

    ¡°What do you mean she won''t stop bleeding?¡± William growled. She didn¡¯t feel him beside her

    anymore. The lower half of her body was in so much pain and also numb at the same time. Was this

    what it felt like to die?

    ¡°She¡¯s loosing a lot of blood and it doesn''t seem to be slowing down.¡± The doctor said. Off in the

    distance, she heard her baby crying. She wanted so badly to see her baby and to hold it against her

    chest. She wanted to know if it was a boy or girl... but it seemed like she had no choice but to stay still.

    Her body wanted to follow the sound of the cries, but it wouldn''t let her move towards it in the slightest.

    ¡°Can you stitch her up?¡± William asked. His voice was a little panicked along with angry as if he was

    ming the doctor for her injury. He always needed to pin his anger on something, she tried to reach

    her hand out to him but she only grasped at the air weakly.

    ¡°I''m going to try but she can¡¯t be bleeding this much if I sew her. She needs to stop bleeding before I

    can attempt to close the wound. Otherwise, she would just keep bleeding internally.¡± The doctor said.

    Doris closed her eyes and the sound of her

    baby faded away from her slowly as if it wasn¡¯t even in the room anymore. She wanted to call out for

    her baby... but she felt her world sway around her. Why wouldn''t they let her baby stay with her?

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The nurses scrambled around the room as if they didn¡¯t know what to do or where to go. Doris couldn''t

    feel a thing as they tried to stop her bleeding. William gripped her chin and shook her a little.

    ¡°Hey, stay awake. Stay with me.¡± He said urgently. Doris didn¡¯t have to wonder how bad it was if he

    sounded so panicked. ¡°You''re going to be fine, I just need you to stay awake for as long as possible,

    okay?¡±

    Slowly, she blinked open her eyes but the world felt as if it was slipping away from her and she had

    nothing to grasp onto. She was met with two wide blue eyes that she always wanted to drown in.

    Perhaps her chance had finallye. ¡°It¡¯s not stopping, she won''t be conscious much longer if this

    continues ¡°Do something!¡± He growled. Before she could open her eyes again, she felt William¡¯s wrist

    press against her lips. Warm blood made her mouth taste like metal, but it did nothing to wake her

    senses like it used to. Almost as if it did nothing for her. ¡°Dammit, I said to help her!¡±

    William growled frustratedly. He turned back to the doctor as she pressed more towels against her.

    Time slowed a little, she could see every detail blurred around her and it was as if she wasn¡¯t in the

    room at all. She felt as if she was floating above the room watching from afar.

    ¡°What kind of doctor are you?¡± He growled. ¡°You''re supposed to make sure she survives this! That¡¯s my

    queen dying in front of you!¡±

    ¡°I''m trying to stop the bleeding but there is just too much. It¡¯s not umon for female wolves to have

    this sort of bleeding.¡± The doctor said in a shaky tone. ¡°Many females die in child birth¡ª¡°

    ¡°Doris.¡± Beth said next to her. She almost had forgotten her friend was even in the room. ¡°Can you hear

    me?¡± Doris turned her face towards Beth. Her friend had tears streaming down her lovely face and held

    onto Doris¡¯s hand as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded. ¡°You''re going to be okay. You gave

    birth to a heathy baby boy so! need you to stay strong and get through this so you can meet him.

    Okay? He still needs you to give him his name.¡±

    Doris wanted to wipe her tears away. She wanted to jump up and down with glee at the idea of having

    a healthy baby. But as the seconds ticked on, it was getting harder to keep her eyes open.

    ¡°I will be right back. I swear, please stay awake. I just need to get someone.¡± Beth whispered to Doris.

    She aggressively wiped her eyes and slipped from the room before William had finished screaming at

    the staff around her.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s slowing down.¡± The doctor imed. ¡°She¡¯s just¡ªshe¡¯s lost so much blood already, I don¡¯t

    know if she will make it.¡±

    William turned her face towards his own again and forced her to look up at him even when she so

    desperately wanted to sleep. ¡°Look at me. I don''t want to see you close your eyes fora moment. Stay

    with me.¡±

    William cut his wrist open deeper to feed her more blood. Normally, this amount would have healed

    every inch of her and sent her into a deep sleep. For some reason¡ªit wasn''t.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± William backed away a few steps and clenched his hair. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working?¡±

    ¡°I might be able to help.¡± Said a voice from the door. It sounded familiar enough to her, but at the

    moment she couldn''t lift her head enough to see.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing in here? Get away from mydy!¡± William growled.

    ¡°I came in peace, my boy.¡± Sir Antony stepped closer almost hesitantly. He nced down at Doris and

    she could only make out a vague shape of him. ¡°I mean you both no harm. I want to help Doris and I

    think I have a solution.¡±

    ¡°Why would I trust you around her?¡± William sneered. If she had any energy at all, she would tell him

    that she trusted Sir Antony even if he didn¡¯t. He helped her when she needed it most and healed her

    wounds long before William had ever done the same. He helped both of them and if she ever survived

    this, she would scream at him for holding back on his help when she was dying.

    ¡°I know you have never thought well of me, and I am not here in this moment to try to convince you

    otherwise. I am here to help a woman that I know deserves to live another day and see her baby.¡± Sir

    Antony said. He lifted his chin slightly as he looked at William. Almost as if he was preparing himself for

    a fight.

    ¡°What could you possibly do to help her that I haven''t done?¡± William asked. He nced at Doris and

    sped up his tone as if he realized they didn¡¯t have time to argue over this. They only had to act.

    ¡°If we mix both of our bloods, it might help stop her bleeding.¡± Sir Antony said

    as he grabbed a metal bowl. Doris closed her eyes when she realized sheno longer had the strength to

    keep them open. She heard the sound of a knife shing against skin but the voices faded along with

    the rest of the world.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    #Chapter 5 Dreams of hell

    The darkness was now familiar. Doris wasn¡¯t afraid when it swallowed her whole, she embraced the

    fear that she knew would greet her soon enough. Double the douse of blood from two strong alpha

    wolves was enough to send her intoa¡ªshe prayed she would wake up soon.

    ¡°This is the queen?¡± A voice hissed near her ear. She turned and nothing was there. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look

    to be worthy.¡± Itughed. ¡°I had hoped she would have looked a lot stronger by now.¡±

    The sound reminded her of a snake. She turned and looked in every direction, but there was nothing

    around her at all. She wished she could see the thing that called itself her nightmares. Just once she

    wanted to visualize what actually haunted her.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Doris asked. She raised her chin slightly. ¡°What is it you have in store for me this

    time?¡± The creatureughed. ¡°I am everything you fear, little one.¡±

    ¡°T try not to fear things anymore.¡± Doris swallowed. ¡°It never did good things for me when I did.¡±

    ¡°You have changed since I saw youst. I remember you cowering away from me as if that would save

    you. Still, I imagined you stronger by now. A shame you haven¡¯te into your power yet, you might

    have been a match for me.¡±

    Doris was suddenly shoved across the ck room and into a much lighter one. It looked like a run

    down version of the throne room. Dirty water coated the floors and all the benches were broken in half.

    Off in the distance, a child was crying.

    Doris got up slowly. ¡°What is this?¡± She asked as she looked around. Trash was all over the floors and

    the area looked as if it hadn¡¯t been used in years. She didn¡¯t know why it made her skin crawl. Just

    yesterday she had walked through the real one and it was in pristine condition.

    ¡°Your future.¡± The creature said with a smirk in its voice.

    Doris looked around her and saw parts of the ceiling had fallen off and other areas were burnt to acrisp.

    It looked as if it was about to copse on her at any moment. How did it get this way?

    Doris quickly left the room when she heard a loud rumble, but the halls were even worse. Death was in

    the air and she wasn¡¯t sure how she could smell it. Blood smeared across the walls and floors as if

    someone was dragged out. ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this.¡±

    When no response came, Doris hurried forward. The sound of a child crying had grown louder the

    more she moved. The hallways were ck as if a fire had exploded where she was. When she entered

    her room she shared with William, her heart cracked in half.

    Doris screamed when she saw a baby ying in William¡¯s blood. A baby with his same blue eyes and

    her brown hair. She covered her mouth and backed away, until she realized her hands were coated in

    blood as well. Somehow she just knew it was William¡¯s, the nightmare wanted her to believe it was

    William¡¯s.

    ¡°No!¡± Doris screamed. Her entire body was suddenly caked in blood as if she had bathed in it. William¡¯s

    head waspletely torn from his body and he looked as he had been ripped apart by sharp ws.

    His eyes stared right through her as if all the storms and clouds had been extinguished. ¡° Who did this

    to him?¡±

    ¡°You did.¡± The voice said next to her ear. It was deep and demonic, no hint of a snake like hiss from

    before. Doris stumbled back and fell through the ground and ended up in the grass outside the pce.

    A dark figure watched her from afar. Doris quickly stood and looked down to find her clothes were

    clean, but blood still coated her hands. ¡°Who are you?!¡± She shouted at the figure.

    It looked like a man in dark clothing¡ª tall and mysterious. He watched her for a moment before he

    turned and went through the trees, as if he knew she would follow him no matter what he did. Doris

    hurried after him but she never got close enough. The path stretched on and on and it felt as if she

    would never reach him.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    When she entered a clearing, her clothes melted into a ck gown and a crown of thorns wrapped

    around her forehead until it pierced her skin. Blood poured down her face slowly, she looked like a

    queen of the underworld, not for her pce.

    ¡°You have no idea what you could be.¡± The voice said from all around her. The ground was now

    crusted with snow and bright red stained the ground. The ground cracked open and Doris felt rooted to

    the spot as it separated before her eyes. ¡°You could be everything. You could rule everything if you let

    your power free.¡±

    ¡°T don¡¯t know what this means!¡± Doris cried. She tried to move back away from the split ground, but

    she couldn¡¯t. Hands gripped the edges and faceless figures pulled themselves up out of the ground.

    Blood poured from the top of their heads and they crawled towards Doris, reaching for her as if they

    wanted help.

    ¡°You may not know yet, but you will.¡± The dark voiceughed. The ground started to shake and pull her

    down towards the dead bodies that reached for her. She didn¡¯t know how it was possible to smell their

    rot, she didn¡¯t know how to wake up from any of it. They pulled at her dress, ripping fabric off her. The

    moment it touched their skin, it burned their hands toa crisp but they only wanted more. They wanted

    all of her, they wanted to pull her down with them as if she deserved to be dead too.

    Did she do this to them? Is that what all of this meant?

    ¡°T want to see my baby! Let me see my baby!¡± Doris screamed. Laughter turned robotic and sickening

    as it was breaking over. Fire erupted all around her, she felt as if it was in her lungs every time she

    breathed.

    Once again, Doris was shoved back harshly just before a creature could get their ws around her

    legs and drag her with them. She fell down through the ground and woke up gasping in the real world

    again. She gripped the clean white sheets around her and tried to calm her breaths before it made her

    lungs burst open.

    It was all... familiar again. This was the real world¡ªit smelled like William and roses. It smelled like

    sweet vani. It felt safe. She was safe, none of that was real¡ªwas it? What was that? What did any of

    it mean? Doris felt as if she shouldn¡¯t analyze a fever dream too closely, but it was hard not to. That

    couldn¡¯t be her future¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t let it be.

    ¡°Doris¡ª¡± William appeared by her side. He held a small bundle in his arms and for the first time, Doris

    saw her baby.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    #Chapter 6 Sweet innocence

    William sat on the edge of the bed with their baby held carefully in his arms. It was bundled in a golden

    nket and could barely open its eyes yet. He was... he was absolutely beautiful. Everything about him

    was beautiful.

    It was like looking at the image of pure sweet innocence.

    He looked like his father, Doris could barely see with the tears the pooled in her eyes. This little baby

    was what she carried for nine months. "Our... that''s our baby." She whispered.

    William smiled at her, teeth and all. Her heart melted in her chest and she wanted to paint this image to

    hang on her wall forever. Her family. Nothing could take this from her¡ªnothing. Slowly, he ced their

    baby in her arms for the first time. ''He''s so beautiful." Doris whispered as she held him carefully to her

    chest. Lightly, she brushed her finger across his cheek. They made this, this beautiful baby came out of

    her and now it was safe in her arms.

    "T didn''t want to name him without you." William moved toy next to her. He wrapped his arms around

    them and pulled them against his chest.

    "How long was I out?" Doris asked, unable to take her eyes from his little face. He had a little head of

    dark brown hair and blue eyes. His heart beat calmed and steady inside his small chest. He was

    healthy and that alone calmed her more than anything ever could.

    "You were out for about three days now." William whispered. Both of them were too afraid to speak

    louder than necessary. "I knew you would want to see him the moment you work up."

    Doris smiled, her nightmares were already faded at just the sight of her family. A year ago she thought

    she would be far from this pce, but now she couldn''t imagine herself anywhere else.

    "He looks like an Alexander." Doris said softly. "Alec for short."

    William said nothing for a long moment. He only stared at their baby''s little face. "I like that. Alec." Doris

    smiled as she looked up at William. "He looks just like you." William chuckled and ran his fingers

    through her hair. "What did you dream of this time? Was it horrible?" He asked gently. She liked this

    side of William. Calm, gentle, loving. Ever since she had gotten pregnant he showed more of it. Part of

    Doris was worried that it might go away now that the baby was born.

    Doris blinked quickly when images of fire and death returned to her. She shook it out of her head. "It

    was... horrible." Doris whispered. She rocked the baby slowly against her chest. "I don''t know why my

    dreams are always so full of death when I take that blood. It''s the only time I get nightmares like that."

    "T was once told that the blood gives visions of your worst fears, mixed with a sight at the future."

    William whispered. He held her close to him as their baby slept.

    "What?" Doris turned to look at him. " A sight of the future? That can''t be true. It was just a bunch of...

    fire and death. Something in my dream just kept taunting me and trying to scare me."

    William nodded silently, ''''Then it must just be all of your fears trying to haunt you. Some from the past

    and the present." Doris swallowed. She hoped that was all it was. After another day of rest Doris was

    finally ready to take care of her baby on her own. Her wounds had healed and William''s confidence in

    her was all she needed to get out of bed and be a mother.

    Alexander was fast asleep in his crib by her bed as she dressed for the day. Beth joined her for a quiet

    tea break on the other side of the room.

    "How did it feel when you... pushed him out?" Beth whispered. Her eyes were wide as she nced at

    Alec''s crib. Beth was starting to be just as obsessed with Alec as his parents were.

    Doris snorted and had to cover her nose so tea didn''t pour out. "Beth, it quite literally felt like I was

    dying! I did almost die."

    Beth grew pale at her words. "I don''t think I want to have children." She shivered. "I don''t want to die at

    childbirth."

    "Oh, have you told Enzo that you don''t want children?" Doris raised her brows with a small smirk on her

    lips.

    Beth turned scarlet red and picked up her teacup. "I don''t know why you think he would care what I

    want." "Beth! I''ve wanted long enough, spill! wt

    Beth nced around the room as if she was looking for an escape. She suddenly seemed to realize

    that there was none so she deted back against the couch.

    "T... suppose you could say that there is something growing between us." Beth said cautiously. ''''We...

    have spent a lot of time together these past few months and I feel a bit attached to him."

    "Beth, I know you. I know that you would never stay anywhere with that much snow unless there was a

    reason. I''m your best friend, don''t you dare try to cover up how you feel!"

    Beth smiled a little and covered her face. "Fine! Fine. Enzo and I are more than friends but I asked him

    not to announce it to the world."

    Doris grinned, "It looks like he wants to scream it at the top of the roof whenever he looks at you, Beth."

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "We just... I don''t know. I''ve never met a man like him. He''s... he''s charming and kind and everything I

    could have ever asked for. He never pushes me to do anything I don''t want to do and always makes

    sure my voice is heard. I thought men like that only existed in books, Doris!"

    Beth sighed and closed her eyes. "I feel awful for not telling you sooner. I know I should have but¡ª"

    "Beth, it''s okay. I didn''t tell you about William for a long time. I knew you would eventuallye

    around." Doris nudged her friend. "Have you two..."

    Beth widened her eyes. "Doris!" She hissed with augh. "No. I told him I wasn''t ready and he hasn''t

    tried anything since I said that. He knows I''ve never been with another."

    Doris sighed happily for her friend.

    She really did find a rare gem. Most men would guilt the women to give up that part of themselves, but

    Enzo

    would never.

    Alec started crying, Doris hurried up to go feed him. Once she was done, she carried him back to the

    couch to sit with Beth.

    "You''re a wonderful mom, Doris. I knew you always would be. Ever since I first met you." Beth said

    gently as she took Alec''s little hand.

    "Thank you, love." Doris whispered. " I just.... I just feel strange sometimes." Beth tilted her head in

    question. " What do you mean?"

    "Ever since I had those nightmares, I feel strange inside. I feel like something bad is going to happen

    and I won''t be able to prevent it."

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    #Chapter 7 Gone but not far

    A few days passed of endless diapers andte night wakeup calls for both 0f the new parents. Doris

    had barely slept during the nights, but she was given a break during the day whenever Beth came by.

    There was no one else she trusted to watch her baby while she rested.

    William didn''t trust anyone. When Doris mentioned what Beth had done for her, William stiffened but

    said nothing. Doris knew he was fighting the side of him that wanted to control everything around him.

    "Please don''t go." Doris begged Beth when she came by her room. "I''ll give you anything you want in

    the pce!"

    Bethughed and pulled Doris in for a tight hug. "You got this, Doris. You don''t need me to stick around

    here anymore! I''d only be in the way!"

    "T don''t know if I can do this without you. How am I supposed to get any sleep?" Doris whined. She

    knew she was being selfish, but she was honestly terrified to be without her friend. Since she had given

    birth, she had her constant support and help through everything. Even when William was gone all day

    doing whatever kings did, she was right there for her.

    And now her best friend was about to go back to the north and leave her to figure out how to be anew

    mom on her own.

    She was terrified.

    "You''re a natural, Doris." Beth pulled away and smiled at her friend. ''I met your maid, Penelope. She

    seems helpful and nice. Don''t be afraid to trust more people around you."

    "It''s hard." Doris muttered. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Okay. You''re right. I''ll never sleep again I

    don''t ept their help."

    Beth rubbed her arms. "Write to me if you need me, I will be here as soon as possible."

    Doris offered a small smile. "I''m happy for you, Beth. I really am. I''m happy that you''ve found

    happiness. That''s all I ever wanted for you."

    Beth squeezed her hand. "And I am happy for you, my dear. I will be back i na few weeks to help you

    with the wedding."

    "You better! I might just give your spot away to another maid if you don''t return to me." Doris teased.

    Bethughed and they said their goodbyes before Doris was left alone with her own traitorous

    thoughts.

    A knock startled Doris awake. Penelope entered with a kind smile and a pot of tea. Her eyes went right

    to Alec who slept in his crib next to her before they settled on Doris.

    "How are you feeling, mydy?" She asked kindly as she set the tea in front of her,

    Doris sat up and rubbed her eyes. " I''m doing fine, thank you."

    "I''m sorry to have disturbed your nap. I thought it had been some time since you''ve eaten and I wanted

    to bring a tray by."

    Doris eyed the the te of sandwiches and tea and felt her stomach grumble. "It''s quite alight, thank

    you. I hope it''s not cruel to wish you might bring it by when you see I''m awake."

    "Oh no! Not cruel at all. I do apologize, mydy. I know you must be so tired from all thete nights."

    The maid sped her hands in front of her. "I used to help my mother when she gave birth to my little

    brother. She would be up all night with him and barely had time to sleep."

    Doris took a bite out of the sandwich as she listened to the girl. "How old were you when she had her

    baby?"

    "Oh, I was about 10 or so. I used to watch him during the days just so she could sleep." Penelope

    gazed at Alec with a smile on her face. "It made me love children."

    "What age did youe here? You don''t look that old."

    "T came here a few years ago, when I was about 16. I haven''t heard from my mother since." She said

    sadly. Doris felt her heart turn in her chest. It felt simr with her own mother. It tooka long time for

    Doris to get over that wound, some days it still felt wide open.

    "If you ever need any help... I know it''s hard for you to open your trust to others, but I wanted to offer

    any assistance you need." Penelope bowed her head. "A mother needs to rest and you have a pce

    of servants. It''s ashame not to use them."

    "T thank you very much, Penelope. I truly do¡ªbut William and I aren''t ready to let others watch him

    unless we know them well. Perhaps that will change in time." Doris smiled a little. Penelope smiled

    again and bowed her head. "Then let me help while you are in the room, at least."

    "T would love that, thank you."

    Over the next few days, Penelope made good on her word. She came by as soon as Doris was up with

    Alec. "Would you like some breakfast? I can have some brought." She offered as she started to fold

    Alec''s clothes and put them away.

    "Oh, that would be lovely, thank you." Penelope stared at the two of them for along moment before she

    left to call for breakfast. It wasn''t until almost two hourster that she returned with the tray. Alec was

    fast asleep and Doris was lounging on the couch with a book next to him.

    "Oh, I thought you''d gotten lost." Doris smiled as she brought the tray to her. Penelope poured a cup of

    tea while she eyed Alec in the crib next to her. Doris shifted a little.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "Sorry, mydy. The kitchen has been extra slow today and I wanted to make sure you had the best

    food."

    "T was thinking about going fora walk, perhaps we should box it up and have a pic outside." Doris

    said lightly. She smoothed out the skirt of her dress and went to stand.

    "Oh, no¡ªno mydy. It''s quite cold outside, we don''t want the baby getting sick!"" Penelope quickly

    went to help Doris sit again. Doris furrowed her brow as she watched the maid set her up a te and

    cup of tea.

    "Are you alright? You seem to be sweating." Doris said.

    "Tam, I just ran across the pce to get your food." Sheughed a little. Doris watched the girl cross

    the room and act busy before she started to sip her tea.

    "Well, I think we should go for a walkter then. We''ve been in this room for eternity.'''' Doris sighed and

    ran her fingers through her hair. Again, she caught the maid staring at her baby. "You know, I think I''m

    all good here for now, Penelope. I¡ª"

    Doris stood to escort Penelope to the door, but felt her world shift from beneath her. Her head and body

    suddenly felt heavy and the world spun until she fell back against the couch to grip it.

    "What..." Doris whispered. What was happening to her?

    Doris saw Penelope take a step towards Alec before the world went dark.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    #Chapter 8 No ce I wouldn''t find you

    Doris woke and shot up off the couch without even a second to register what had happened. She knew

    one thing, her baby was gone. She could feel it in her heart. How long had she even been out? How

    long did that woman have her child? What... what did she want with her innocent baby? Her mind spun

    violently from whatever drugs the maid had put in her food. The room doubled in her vision and made

    her want to vomit everything in her stomach¡ªbut she had to stay strong. She had to find her baby

    before it was toote. That thought scared her more than anything else could.

    The question repeated in her mind¡ª what could that woman possibly want with her child? How could

    she even attempt something like this? No matter where she went, Doris would find her. Nothing could

    keep her from finding her baby.

    "I can smell her scent¡ªlet me take over. I''ll find her." Cordelia growled. Her voice shook Doris to her

    core and she didn''t hesitate.

    Cordelia ripped through her body to take over control a secondter. Doris didn''t even feel the pain,

    she was high on rage and fear. She wanted to rip that maid in half and then curl up with her baby until

    the end of time. How dare she touch her baby!

    Cordelia followed the scent the moment her paws hit the floor. She raced down the halls as fast as light

    and everyone threw themselves out of her way as she passed. Every moment her baby was alone with

    that woman

    ¡ªDoris didn''t even want to consider what could happen. She didn''t want to know what she was

    capable of.

    Her trail led her down the main halls, into the secret ones that the servants used. It was still quite

    strong, it must not have been that long ago that she passed through. And that was the only hope she

    had to hang onto.

    Cordelia must have forced her awake ¡ªthe drugs made her feel a bit sluggish still but she could barely

    feel it now that she was on the hunt. Cordelia followed the scent out of the wide doors and back

    towards the small houses behind the pce. It stopped right at an old looking shack that looked close

    to falling apart ¡ª surely no one lived here? A ce like this should have been torn down. Cordelia

    ripped down the door with a strength that startled Doris. It felt as if the power came from deep inside

    her. A ce where she hadn''t ventured yet¡ªand wasn''t sure if she wanted to.

    A scream brought her gaze right to the maid who cowered in the corner with her hands over her head.

    Alec cried on the floor across from her as if she had dropped him there as the door opened.

    Doris took back over and adjusted the clothes that hung from her frame in shards. It was just enough to

    cover what she needed before she tackled the maid to the ground. She didn''t need Cordelia for

    strength¡ªher rage was stronger than bullets.

    "Why the fuck did you take my baby?! " Doris screamed in her face. She wrapped her hands around

    her throat and felt her scared pulse beneath her fingers. She wanted to snap her neck right there¡ªif

    she was William, she would have. But she needed to know why first. She had started to trust this

    woman, and all she did was prove to her that she couldn''t.

    "You''re¡ªyou''re not supposed to be awake!" The girl choked, She gripped Doris''s hands in an effort to

    breathe, but Doris refused to let up even slightly. "I.. 1 put enough in your food to knock you out for

    days..."

    "Answer me!" Doris screamed and mmed the girl''s head down against the floor.

    "T... [was offered a lot of money for the royal baby..." She whimpered. "I don''t even actually work for the

    pce ¡ªI took the ce of a young maid that wandered out by the stream and n o one noticed for

    weeks."

    Doris was stunned, she loosened her grip so the girl could talk more. " What the hell are you talking

    about?" She hissed. Did she... did she ki maid and take her ce?

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "This... this man sought me out and told me he would pay in the millions for the royal baby..." She

    breathed. Her eyes were wide and watery, but not filled with regret. "I used to steal babies for people all

    the time but stopped when I realized that not everyone wanted them for nice reasons. But when he

    offered me that ... Lcouldn''t resist."

    "You... you didn''t work for the pce? How long have you been here watching us?"

    "For weeks. No one noticed I wasn''t some girl named Penelope. She must not have had many friends."

    The girl grinned at Doris in a sick way. Her teeth were bloody from how hard Doris smacked her head

    against the floor.

    "Did you kill the real maid?" Doris asked. She was almost afraid to hear the answer. Had she let a

    murderer near her baby this whole time? She shivered at the thought.

    "T had to find a way inside the pce and she was the only one that had my hair color." The girl said

    without an ounce of regret in her tone. It made Doris''s stomach turn in disgust.

    "You sick bitch." Doris growled. Rage filled every fiber of her being and made her see nothing but red.

    "You wanted to... you wanted to sell my baby to some man? What man wanted my baby?"

    "He never said his name¡ª"

    Doris had enough. Her hand turned into ws in a sh. She ripped the woman''s throat out before she

    had the chance to say anything else that would make Doris angry. She knew the woman would never

    tell her who hired her¡ªeven if she did know his name.

    Doris dropped her lifeless body to the ground and wiped her bloody hands on the woman''s clothes

    before she went to sooth her baby.

    He calmed instantly at her touch as if it was all he needed to feel okay again. She hugged him gently to

    her chest, careful of his delicate body even though she wanted to squeeze him as hard as she could.

    His soft breathing made her racing heart tame¡ªhe was okay.

    "It''s okay... it''s okay, baby. Mommy''s got you." She whispered over and over again as she carried her

    baby back to the pce.

    "Mydy! What happened?" A guard came running up to her. She wasn''t sure if blood was anywhere

    else on her, but it must have been all over her face if he was looking at her as if she was insane.

    "Clean up that mess in there. And tell William to meet me in our room immediately." Doris said as she

    passed the guards. She didn''t even care how she looked to them. She didn''t care what anyone thought

    of her¡ªshe would kill the woman a hundred times over for even touching her baby.

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    #Chapter 9 The me

    "What the fuck happened?" William stormed into their room and brought all of his anger with him. It''d

    been a long time since she had seen him that angry. The sight alone made her insides want to cower

    away from him like she used to¡ªbut she stood tall. Doris had only just gotten their baby back to sleep

    when he arrived, only for William to wake him again and set him screaming. William crossed the room

    and took Alec from her grasp as if she was the one that had done that. He eyed her as if she was an

    intruder in their own room and it sent a ping of hurt through her heart.

    "The... the maid drugged me and took the baby." Doris rubbed her temples. Her head still ached from

    whatever drugs she had put in her drink. "But Cordelia woke me and I got to him before she was able

    to do anything¡ª"

    "How could you let someone near our child like that?" He shouted over Alec''s screams. Did he realize

    that he was the one causing his distress? "I told you that I don''t want any servants near our baby and

    you let her in here!"

    "William ¡ª" Doris was stunned at his reaction. He used to be furious that someone would dare do

    something to her but now it was like he didn''t care that she was drugged. He only saw her at fault for

    something she couldn''t control. "She came in to drop off lunch and poisoned my food. I told her to

    leave¡ª"

    "You shouldn''t have even let her through the door! If your wolf didn''t wake you, she could have killed

    him!" Doris took a deep breath. She understood his anger, but she didn''t understand why he was

    ming her. " I am not to me for this, William. I told her to leave and she drugged me. You know that

    I haven''t let any of the servants touch our baby since he was born."

    William started to rock the baby back to sleep. He didn''t take his eyes from his little face. "I just think

    you need to pay attention more and be more responsible. I told you that I didn''t want anyone else

    watching the baby."

    "And I told you that she wasn''t watching the baby! She took him from me when she knocked me

    unconscious with the drugs! I never let anyone touch our baby unless it was Beth and Beth would

    protect him with her life!"

    "I''m sure she would until someone offered her a nice price on his head!" William hissed. Doris took a

    small step back away from him in shock.

    "How could you even say that? Beth would never do that to us¡ªto him. She doesn''t care about money

    over family, she never has."

    William just looked at her. She raised her chin slightly as if she was daring him to doubt her. He only

    shook his head.

    "Just tell me everything that happened."

    "She came in with lunch and when she started to linger, I asked her to leave. Something about her set

    off rms in my head soI got up to get her out but it was toote. She drugged my food and I fell

    before I could stop her. Cordelia forced me awake and I found her out in one of the old sheds behind

    the pce. She told me that some man offered her millions for the baby but she didn''t know his name."

    Doris took another breath and continued. "She said she killed the real maid named Penelope and took

    her ce just to get to our baby. I don''t know how long exactly she has been here, but she must have

    worked her way up just to get near me.

    Everyone else trusted her."

    "T wish you didn''t kill her." William grumbled.

    "Why? She took our baby¡ª" "Because I wanted to fucking kill her! " He growled. Doris sat on the edge

    of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I think I''m going to take Alec to my meetings from now

    on."

    Doris looked up. "What? Why would you take him to all your meetings? He wouldn''t be able to sleep¡ª"

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "T just think you need some time to yourself. You need more sleep or whatever it is that keeps you up."

    William grumbled. He barely even looked at her and it made her realize that he truly did me her for

    this. "You don''t trust me to watch our own baby?" Doris asked in a small voice.

    "You need more rest. For now I will watch him. You can take care of him at night when I sleep." William

    said before he turned and left the room with their baby.

    Doris stared at the door foe a long, long time. She was too exhausted to yell at him, to run after him

    and ask him why he was treating her like the viin. Perhaps she should have kept the woman alive

    just so he had someone else to me.

    Anger rece her fear. She was furious at William for ming her instead offorting her. She did

    everything she could and saved their baby. She curled her hands in herp into fists. How dare he act

    like this!

    "Why does he me me? He only trusts me to watch the baby at night so he can sleep?" Doris snorted

    and crossed her arms over her chest.

    "He wants someone to me and you are all that''s left.'''' Cordelia said in her ear,

    "Why doesn''t be me his own staff! They didn''t notice that this Penelope wasn''t who she imed!"

    Doris wiped away her tears. "I just don''t understand."

    "He''s anew father to his cub. He will do anything to protect that baby. All he sees is safety for the child."

    "I do too and yet he doesn''t see it that way. He sees it as me being a misfit mother because I went and

    got myself poisoned." Doris fell back against her bed and stared at the ceiling. "I would do anything for

    our baby. I haven''t let anyone else touch him for a second. I would have killed an army just to get to

    him. So why does he make me feel so awful?"

    Cordelia was silent for a long moment in a way that made Doris feel as if she sympathized with her.

    Doris closed her eyes and curled into the nkets and tried not to think about all that had happened.

    "You know what..." Cordelia said gently. "You cany here and sleep all day until hees back¡ªor

    you could let me take control and go fora run. I have something to show you." Doris sat up instantly

    and went to grab a cloak. It''d been a long time since she left her wolf free¡ªsince she was allowed to

    wander out of the pce without anyone to follow. No one would care anymore, she wasn''t a Queen

    yet and the baby was already born.

    A run was exactly what she needed. "Let''s get out of here."

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    #Chapter 10 A taste of power

    The air was nice and crisp. Fall was approaching faster than Doris could register. She loved the feeling

    of autumn in the air. She loved the gloomy days and falling leaves. It was hard to even enjoy when her

    mind felt so far away from her.

    Her heart was a dull ache in her chest as the scene from the bedroom kept ying over and over again

    just to make her feel worse and doubt herself. Maybe she was a horrible parent that couldn''t be trusted

    with her own child.

    Was she doing everything wrong? Perhaps her fears thest nine months were right. She wasn''t meant

    to be a mother.

    Fate tried to step in and let her pass on, but William prevented it. But why? To forever have someone to

    hate and me?

    "Knock it off and drop your stuff." Cordelia ordered. Doris found a small bench like rock and set her

    things upon it gently. No guard had followed her out here. They gave her one look and knew from her

    face that she wanted to be alone. That was a small perk of being free.

    Cordelia didn''t say a word as she took over control. Doris felt it erupt from her body and it was slower

    than when she was in a frantic state. This time she felt all the pain that came with shifting.

    Once her paws hit the floor, she was off in a run. It started how it always did. Wind through her fur, she

    felt fast enough where no one could catch her. Leaves crunched under her feet, scenery passed her

    faster than light. She owned this forest when she raced through.

    Cordelia led her through the trees, always knowing just where to step so she didn''t fall through or end

    up thrown from her high.

    She ran until her lungs could take no more. She ran until she was on top of the highest mountain where

    no one else could reach her. Once she was up there, she finally stopped to take in the view of it all. All

    the orange trees and small hills.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "It''s a beautiful castle." Cordelia said. Doris gazed at the glorious pce and turned away from the

    sight to look at the sunset instead. ''You know, I''ve been waiting a long time for this moment."

    "For you to be able to run again?" Doris asked. "I''m sorry I wasn''t able to let you free as much when I

    was pregnant¡ª"

    "Don''t be sorry. I didn''t want to risk it any more than you did. I would have refused unless it was an

    emergency."

    Doris sighed andid her wolf body against the floor. "I think I needed this. I felt so cramped up in that

    pce. Even though I was free, I wasn''t really. There was always someone near by to suffocate me."

    "There''s something I wanted to show you, Doris." Cordelia said gently. " Something I''ve been holding

    back from you since we first met because I didn''t think you were ready then, but I think you might be

    ready now." "What is it?" Doris stood again as if to prepare herself.

    "With being a white wolf, there''s power that you haven''t even begun to feel yet. Power no other wolf

    gets if they''re anything but a white wolf. I didn''t let you have a taste before because I was worried you

    wouldn''t be able to handle it."

    "What... what kind of power do you mean?" Doris asked. She nced around at the peaceful

    atmosphere and wondered how far they were from people. Not far enough.

    "Well... perhaps I should show you. But you have to keep your head above water, otherwise your

    control will slip from your grip. I won''t be able to help you if it gets too bad."

    "What are you even talking about¡ª" Doris suddenly felt a weird spark re inside her. She jumped up

    at the feeling that started at her toes and went all the way through every inch of her. It felt as if she was

    electrocuted for amoment.

    She went to ask what was happening again when everything brightened in her vision. She could

    suddenly see a bird that was miles and miles away as if it was right in front of her. She could hear¡ª

    everything all at once. She heard travelers passing, animals fighting, water thrashing in the stream.

    "What''s happening?" Doris said above the noise but she could barely hear her own voice.

    "Focus on one of the sounds. Don''t let all of it have the spotlight at once, you need to focus."

    Doris didn''t know how to do that, it was as if it all trying to be heard and she couldn''t listen to what was

    actually being said.

    "Just one sound, Doris. Focus on one sound." Cordelia''s tone was louder than all of it, but still floated

    away from her. She closed her eyes tightly and decided to focus on the least exhausting sound of it all.

    The water stream slowly started to drown out the sounds of the travelers arguing and the animals

    fighting off in the distance. It emptied out the sounds as if they were no more, but somehow she knew

    they were still there if she wanted them to be. All she had to do was focus on that instead. "There. It

    won''t be so hard when you learn how to control it all."" Cordelia said. She sounded almost as if she

    was proud of Doris.

    "Ts that... is that the power I''ve been missing?" Doris asked.

    "No, no. This is only a sliver of what you can do. If I let all your power out at once without

    understanding it, you  would lose control."

    Doris shifted the sound to the travelers. She could hear them so clearly as if they were right in front of

    her. Apparently they had made the wrong turn and now they don''t know how to get back to their vige.

    She shifted to the next noise and heard the animals finally break apart and run as far as they could

    from each other.

    "It''s... incredible. I can hear all of it and none of it if I wanted."

    "Many wolves have that ability, but only yours is the best. Only you can see things from miles away and

    know what is toe before it ever arrives.

    " Cordelia exined. Doris started to venture down the hill towards the pce again.

    "Now, let me show you something a little more before we get back."

    Doris was about to ask what before she felt that shock ripple through her again. Cordelia pushed her

    and her feet took off in a bolt unlike anything she had experienced. Her paws glowed in the dark trees

    and made her feel invincible.

    That small ounce of power ripped through her as she sprinted. Bushes ripped from the ground as she

    passed, trees bent the opposite way just to be free of her before she rushed past. Everything felt afraid

    of her as she moved.

    Just a small bit of power made her feel as if she could make the world bend its knee for her.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    #Chapter 11 Empty again

    Almost as soon as she got a taste, Cordelia pulled it back in. Doris fell hard against the earth as all of

    her energy drained from her at once. That electricity left her blood and left her feeling empty inside. The

    world faded away from her and all the sounds and smells went with it until she was back to how she

    was.

    She felt powerless. How was it possible to feel so weak when she had only just gotten a small taste?

    What would happen when she got something bigger?

    ¡°What... why would you take it back?¡± Doris whimpered, feeling pathetic and sad all at once. ¡°I was just

    getting used to the feeling!¡±

    ¡°This feeling will pass. Do not let it consume you as if it¡¯s some sort of addition. You¡¯ve lived without

    that power your whole life, remember that.¡± Cordelia said almost gently¡ªas if she knew it was hard for

    Doris toe down from her high. She could probably feel everything Doris was.

    Doris trembled a little as she forced herself back up. She didn¡¯t expect to feel a strange hole inside her

    that she didn¡¯t have before she had gotten the power. Her body wanted her to fill it with... something.

    With more power or something else¡ªanything else.

    She walked back slowly towards where she left her cloak. It felt like miles and miles away when it

    usually felt like a few feet in her wolf form.

    ¡°Why do I feel this way? I feel as if you tore out a part of me that I only had for a short time.¡± Doris

    asked her wolf.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°The power is apart of you so it will feel like I took a part of you away. Eventually you will have all of

    your power and live as one, but you¡¯re not ready for that much.¡± Cordelia exined. A light, cool wind

    ruffled through her fur and relieved her of the heat.

    ¡°When will I be able to have all that power?¡± Doris asked. ¡°I feel as if there is a side of me that I haven¡¯t

    met yet.¡±

    ¡°T¡¯m going to give it to you gradually. When you learn how to handle it well, I will give more and more

    until eventually you can stand all of it at once.¡± She exined. Doris sat next to her things but didn¡¯t

    quite shift yet. ¡°Tt¡¯s not safe to give you more than you can handle. You might lose yourself if I do that.¡±

    Her body still felt tired in a way she couldn¡¯t understand. A part of her longed for the feeling to be free

    and run faster than the wind could take her.

    ¡°T think you should take a trip to the library.¡± Cordelia said almost causally. Doris flinched at the word.

    She hadn¡¯t been back much since Martin had died. It was filled with his ghost and memories that still

    were hard to process. Doris imagined the room sat empty and dusty as if it had been abandoned.

    ¡°Why would I go back there?¡±

    ¡°You need to look up some of the white wolves before you. It will better help you understand what you¡¯

    re in for.¡± Cordelia said. ¡°A lot of the tales are of myths and some are just silly takes on a white wolf, but

    a lot of them are real. A lot of the stories of how great they are can be found there.¡±

    Doris finally shifted back into her human form and wrapped her cloak around her body. ¡°I feel so tired.¡±

    Doris whispered.

    ¡°You''ll feel that way until you rest. Go andy down.¡± Cordelia said.

    Doris took a small step towards the pce and stopped when everything came back to her. William¡¯s

    re, his mistrust of her with their own baby. She curled her hands into fists. He didn¡¯t carry that baby

    for 9 months¡ª she did. And she would do anything to make sure he was safe.

    Her anger reced that empty feeling that made her feel as if she was drowning in it.

    ¡°How¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Hello there.¡± A deep voice said from behind her. Doris clenched her cloak and turned to see a tall man

    she had never seen before standing across the clearing with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

    He gave her a lopsided grin. Tall,nky with the hint of muscle somewhere underneath it all. His

    light eyes were almost golden when he looked down at her. Doris tooka step back away from the

    handsome man. ¡ã

    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing out here?¡± Doris demanded. Her voice was taller than she was and

    stronger than she felt. Cordelia hummed inside her as if to remind her that she was there if she needed

    her.

    ¡°T¡¯m Daemon.¡± He said with a brightness that was disarming. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to make

    her trust him or not but she wasn¡¯t about to befriend a stranger in the woods when all she had was a

    cloak on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was passing through to the pce but got a little lost.¡±

    ¡°What is your business with the pce?¡± Doris asked and lifted her chin a little.

    The boy took an envelope from his pocket and held it up. ¡°I have to deliver this before sundown or I¡¯m

    sure they''ll have my head.¡± He grinned. Doris furrowed her brow. ¡°Who is it from?¡±

    ¡°The kingdom of Eldon has extended their hand in greeting for the new king.¡± Daemon said. ¡°Ie as

    their messenger.¡±

    ¡°The kingdom of Eldon?¡± Doris frowned. She hadn¡¯t heard William mention them once, she thought

    their kingdoms pretty much ignored the other as if they didn¡¯t exist. Their kingdom was filled with

    Alphas and always had their own strict ruling that could never be touched or questioned by anyone

    else. Perhaps they wanted to pave their rocky roads into

    something smoother¡ªbut Doris couldn¡¯t be sure until she met them for herself.

    ¡°T can deliver it to the king.¡± Doris held out her hand, careful to make sure her cloak remained closed.

    Daemon mouth lifted at the side again as he looked down at her. She didn¡¯t like the way he stared at

    her as if he thought she was beautiful. His eyes traced out her face as if he wanted to remember it.

    ¡°T was told I had to hand it to the king myself.¡±

    ¡°T assure you¡ª ¡° Doris bit her lip. She didn¡¯t know this man. He could be a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, he

    could try to hurt her if she revealed who she was to the king. Doris took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Of

    course. If you follow this path here,¡± Doris pointed to the ground. ¡°It will take you straight back to the

    pce. It¡¯s the quickest path there and all you have to do is go straight.¡±

    When Doris turned back to him, he was Closer than he was before. She

    a small step back.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked. ¡°I think I saw you when I was walking up the back path over there ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Oh, you must be mistaken¡ª ¡°

    ¡°You were the white wolf, weren¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222

    #Chapter 12 A mysterious man

    Doris took another step back. Her heart picked up in her chest and she suddenly felt her fight or flight

    come forward in her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about ¡ª¡°

    Daemon lifted his hands in peace. ¡°No, no. You got me all wrong, I don¡¯t mean any harm.¡± He took a

    few steps back to give her space. She must have looked as if she was about to flee. ¡°I only wanted to

    say that you were incredible out there! I¡¯ve only heard tales of white wolves, I never thought I would see

    one for myself.¡±

    Doris felt her face flush. ¡°Did you follow me here? Is that why you¡¯re out here.¡±

    ¡°T may have followed your path to see what you would do, but I only just caught up to you.¡± Daemon

    scratched

    the back of his head and gave a slightly guilty smile as if he had been caught red handed. Doris

    narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

    ¡°What is it exactly that you want?¡± Doris asked. Her skin prickled when she thought of him seeing her

    shift back into her human form. Had he been spying on her this whole time? No¡ªher while wolf would

    have noticed him when she was on the mountain.

    ¡°T suppose I just wanted to talk to you for a moment, nothing else. It¡¯s not every day that people pass

    by white wolves.¡± He leaned against one of the trees casually. ¡°Do you work for the pce?¡±

    ¡°T suppose you could say that.¡± Doris nced over her shoulder. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be on your way to the

    pce? You don¡¯t want to get in trouble.¡±

    ¡°T should be, but I ran into a pretty girl and now I want to talk to her.¡± Daemon grinned.

    Doris sighed and pulled out the ring she wore on a ne whenever she was about to change. ¡°I¡¯m

    ttered, but I¡¯m spoken for. Even if I wasn¡¯t, I¡¯m not sure I would go fora mysterious boy that followed

    me through the woods.¡±

    Daemonughed. It was a deep sound that echoed off the trees all around her. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m just a

    strange messenger to the prettydy. He¡¯s a lucky man whoever he is¡ªnot many

    can say their lover is a white wolf.¡± ¡°What do you know of white wolves?¡± Doris asked. It felt like she

    knew nothing about what she was beyond tales but everyone else knew tons.

    ¡°T heard that white wolves hold more power than any other species. The ones who are chosen as a

    white wolf are said to be born to rule kingdoms. They¡¯ re born to be rulers and leaders ¡ªthey¡¯re born to

    be great.¡±

    Daemon sounded in awe as he looked at her. Doris swallowed. She knew she didn¡¯t live up to that sort

    of expectation ¡ªat least not yet. Long before she ever knew that she was a white wolf, she¡¯d heard

    tales just like the ones he spoke of.

    They were legends from birth. Unstoppable forces that could take down anything. Doris felt weaker

    than ever after her taste of power. It was better to let him believe she was this big strong wolf that

    couldn¡¯t be messed with unless he wanted death. ¡°T also heard that they are a force and could bring

    anyone to their knees.¡± He said thoughtfully as he watched her, breaking her thoughts.

    ¡°T don¡¯t know about all of that¡ª¡°

    ¡°T can see the legends were true.¡± Daemon interrupted. ¡°I saw you run, I saw how you glowed and

    raced through the trees faster than light. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen something move like that¡ªand I

    used to work for the military.¡±

    ¡°Do you not anymore?¡± Doris eyed him. Hispliments were almost making her feel flustered.

    ¡°Nah, I got an injury on the field and now I¡¯m just a useless messenger boy.¡± Heughed a little. Doris

    frowned. ¡°Well, I better get to the pce. I have to make it there before the rulers set to leave their

    pce.¡± Daemon started down the path. ¡°They¡¯reing to visit?¡± Doris quickly went to follow. ¡°The

    rulers areing here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they want to meet the new king.¡± Daemon said in a bright voice as she followed him. Doris eyed

    the envelope in his grasp and wished he would just hand it over so she could see exactly what it said. ¡°I

    have to stay and await their arrival to make sure all their needs are met before they get here.¡±

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention you would be staying.¡±

    ¡°T suppose I didn¡¯t want to excite you too much.¡± He smirked a little, stepping around arge rock.

    Doris rolled her eyes.

    They approached the pce quickly. ¡°Well, here we are. I assume you can find your way to the front.

    Good day.¡± Doris said. She clenched her cloaka little tighter. Daemon bowed to Doris i nan extravagant

    way.

    ¡°T thank you, mydy, and I hope to see you soon.¡±

    Doris nodded her head before she hurried to the side entrance of the pce before anyone could see

    her talk with the boy. Thest thing she needed was gossip about her anda mysterious handsome

    stranger. They would eat her alive and all she would get would be William¡¯s wrath.

    The floor was cold against her feet. She hadn¡¯t even realized that she¡¯d forgotten her boots in the

    forest. Not even the rocks or tree branches distracted her from her mind.

    Doris ignored the questionable look as she hurried to her room across the pce. She didn¡¯t care how

    drained, messy, or pale she looked. She needed rest before William had her stay up all night to watch

    the baby.

    ¡°T wouldn¡¯t trust that one if I were you.¡± Cordelia said in her ear. It made Doris slow her steps a little.

    ¡°T don¡¯t¡ªbut why do you say that?¡± Doris asked in her mind. There were too many people around for

    her to talk freely.

    ¡°T don¡¯t know... something about him made me feel off. I got a strange feeling when he was near you.¡±

    Cordelia said. ¡°I could be wrong, but I would be careful.¡±

    ¡°T don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be seeing him again, don¡¯t worry.¡± Doris entered her empty room and felt a horrible

    ache hit her heart. William still had their baby out at meetings or whatever else he was dealing with

    instead of letting him sleep in their room like a baby should.

    ¡°Rest, Doris. Don¡¯t let your mind be corrupted with hurt. You need to heal after what you went through.¡±

    Cordelia urged. It almost felt as if she was pushing her towards the bed. Doris changed into her

    nightgown and fell against the sheets.

    Her body felt as if it melted against the silk. Nothing had ever felt morefortable than her bed did in

    this moment.

    She hadn¡¯t even realized she had fallen asleep when she heard her baby cry. William was fast asleep

    next to her and she almost had the nerve to shove him off the bed.

    He would feel her own wrath when the time was right.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    #Chapter 13 Another ruler toe

    The next morning, William was already gone with their baby before she could say anything. She spent

    most of the night nursing Alec and rocking him back to sleep. She didn¡¯t get any herself until the sun

    came back up and by then her body and mind felt like mush.

    Doris rubbed her chest. She felt the intense ache of missing her baby even though she was with him all

    night. She wanted to storm into his meeting and take him back for herself. The weakness she felt the

    day before was all gone. She felt just as she always did as if it never happened.

    Perhaps it didn¡¯t. Perhaps it was a dream¡ªa mystery man and a girl trying to be the white wolf she

    was meant to be. It didn¡¯t feel real, yet at the same time, it did.

    Doris got up to find a letter on her nightstand from William. He wanted her to join him by his side for

    some gathering in the main ballroom. She had half a mind to ignore the invitation all together¡ªbut she

    wanted to see her baby.

    She dressed herself, refusing any maid or servant that offered to do her hair and makeup. Doris curled

    her hair in elegant waves and picked a dress that was a softer green than the grass outside.

    The dress hugged her curves more than it used to¡ªbut she didn¡¯t mind. She finished off her makeup

    look before she hurried out the door to the great hall.

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    Every person she passed turned to stare at her and it made her skin prickle again. It was like she could

    hear all of their thoughts at once. It was on their faces¡ªthey probably thought she as a misfit mother.

    Why else would she be away from her baby and make the king do all the work?

    Doris held her chin high as a guard escorted her to where William was. She could hear the crowd

    beyond the doors that waited for him and only wondered if it as the pce or vigers that were out

    there.

    William turned the moment she entered the room as if he sensed her. His eyes raked her body in a way

    that normally would have made her blush and forget how to speak. Instead, she went right to her baby

    and picked him up.

    ¡°Hello handsome.¡± She whispered as she rocked him. She didn¡¯t have to turn to know that William was

    behind them.

    ¡°I was starting to think you weren¡¯t going toe.¡± He said by her ear. He was smart to keep his hands

    to himself. Otherwise, he would have caught an elbow to the ribs.

    ¡°I thought about it, but I would go wherever my baby was.¡± She said simply.

    ¡°I may have been a bit too harsh with my reaction¡ª¡°

    Doris snapped her gaze up at him and wished she could burn a hole through his head.

    ¡°Okay, I know I was harsh with my reaction.¡± William corrected. He looked down at her with a bit of

    softness she had seen from him when she was pregnant. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I put the me on you¡ª

    perhaps because there was no one else around. I should have been more concerned with what

    happened to both of you.¡± Doris raised her brows. ¡°Are you saying you will trust me again to watch my

    baby?¡±

    William usually matched the bite in her tone with his own, but this time he let her win. ¡°I¡¯m saying I

    should have never said otherwise. I¡¯m sorry for how I acted. I increased security around the pce and

    now all maids and servants have to be checked before they leave or enter.¡±

    It was rare for William to apologize. He was the type to hold his tongue until he was blue in the face

    rather than risk his pride. She knew she was owed an apology, she just didn¡¯t expect him to actually

    give her one. William hesitated for a blink before he ran his finger down her face in a soft caress. Doris

    said nothing as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here with me.¡± He whispered.

    He gripped her hand and pulled her towards the tform. The room was filled with pce workers and

    vigers. She hadn¡¯t even hada chance to ask what this gathering was about¡ªhe distracted her with

    his unexpected kindness.

    Doris held their baby close against her chest as William took the center of the stage. His crown

    glistened bright in the room though his suit was dark as night. He always looked the best in dark suits.

    It made him look as if he was king of the underworld and it was useless to question him.

    ¡°Thank you for gathering in such short notice. I wanted it to be known that we have a guesting

    from another pce. The rulers of Eldon are on their way here for a visit.¡±

    A few murmuring broke out in the crowd, but they silence again when William looked down at them.

    ¡°I know our rtionship with Eldon has been rocky before my leadership, so I called you all here today

    to remind you that we treat our guests with respect.¡± His voice boomed around the room and held its

    own weight without William having to lift a finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long their visit will be just yet, but no matter. Under my leadership, all outsiders will be

    weed unless they prove they are hostile and don¡¯t deserve our respect.¡±

    Doris rocked a sleepy Alec gently against her chest as she gazed out into the crowd. Almost all the

    eyes were on William. They watched him intensely with a bit of confusion or concern on some faces.

    Doris wasn¡¯t aware of the exact history this kingdom had with Eldon, but clearly a lot of others did.

    Her eyes snagged on a familiar green in the crowd. Daemon watched her with a tilted head as if he

    was surprised to see her where she was¡ª but also not at all. The side of his mouth lifted slightly when

    their eyes locked. He tilted his head in greeting, but all she did was quickly look away.

    ¡°.They will arrive by nightfall. Go on how you were.¡± William bowed to the crowd and dismissed them all

    at once. He gripped her hand and escorted her off the stage. She dared a nce back at Daemon, but

    he was already gone. Still, she felt his gaze on her from somewhere in the crowd.

    ¡°Have you met the rulers of Eldon?¡± Doris asked as he led them back to their room.

    ¡°No, I never met them when I was the prince. I know my father has met them, but he never really

    mentioned them as if they didn¡¯t exist.¡± William said. He nced down at her and then at Alec.

    Doris opened her mouth to mention Daemon, but quickly thought better of it. He didn¡¯t like when she

    mentioned that she had talked to other men. She didn¡¯t need to nt a seed in his mind when it was

    nothing.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    #Chapter 14 So these are the rulers

    The next morning, William woke Doris with a gentle nudge. She opened her eyes slowly to see him

    looming over her already dressed in his kingly attire. He looked as if he just walked out of her dream of

    princes.

    ¡°T need you to get dressed.¡± He said. Doris groaned and closed her eyes. Sleep was the only thing she

    wanted¡ª nothing in the world sounded better than sleep. Her body even begged her for it.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She whispered. Slowly, she opened her eye just to peak at him and he was already

    crossing the room to dress Alec. Her mind wanted to scream at the defeat¡ªshe knew she had to get

    up.

    ¡°The rulers of Eldon are almost here. They requested to meet you along with me since you are my one

    and onlydy.¡± He said over his shoulder as he lifted Alec from his crib.

    Doris sat up to watch him. It always made her stomach flutter when he did fatherly things. It made her

    want to bring him back to the bed and make another baby immediately just so could watch him be like

    that all the time.

    Now she understood why some wolves had so many children.

    ¡°T better be your one and only.¡± Doris teased as she forced herself out of bed. She caught the small

    smirk that

    pulled on his lips at her words. She loved it when he smiled¡ªespecially when she was the cause of it.

    It didn¡¯t take long before they all were making their way down the wide halls. Doris opted for a mauve

    gown that flowed to the floor. She may not have been a queen yet, but William constantly reminded her

    that she should always dress like one in case someone wanted to underestimate her.

    Doris stood tall with her chin high and baby close to her chest. With William at her side, she felt as if

    she could take on the world. All desperation for that taste of power were forgotten. At least for now.

    The king and queen were gathered in the main dining hall. The moment the doors opened for William,

    the rulers stood from the long table to be greeted.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°King William.¡± The woman bowed. She was old enough to be his mother and looked down at William

    as if she knew it. She held out a perfectly manicured hand for William to kiss, but all he did was shake

    it. ¡°Charmed. Pm¡ª*?

    ¡°Queen Pearl and King Sail. Yes, I know.¡± William said as he looked them both over. The husband was

    more friendly. His face broke out ina wide grin when William said his name. The wife softened a little as

    if she remembered that she had to. Within seconds she wore a new face¡ª now much nicer than the

    one before.

    Doris watched each move they made closely as they spoke with William. It almost made her stumble

    over herself when she noticed the man that stood behind them with his hands sped behind his back.

    He watched her with a curious tilt of the head and a smile that pulled at his lips¡ªDaemon. What was

    he doing here? Doris thought he was just a messenger boy¡ªnormally they would be far from royal

    dinners. ¡ã

    Doris quickly looked away when he smiled openly at her. His suit was crisp and expensive. Emerald

    green with gold tones that matched his rulers attire. He didn¡¯t look like a simple messenger boy

    anymore.

    ¡°..We¡¯re honored you came all this way for a visit.¡± William was saying. Doris forced herself to listen

    and ignore the boy that stared. If he had any brains at all, he would stop that before William saw it and

    threw him out of this pce.

    William turned to Doris with a ghost of a smile. He touched her back lightly and brought her closer to

    his side. ¡° This is my future Queen, Doris and our baby Alec.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, how lovely!¡± Pearl cooed. She peered down at the baby in Doris¡¯s arms, but didn¡¯t take a step

    closer. ¡°I do love children. I wish I could have had more but my patience ran out.¡± Sheughed.

    William cleared his throat and gestured to the chairs. ¡°Please, sit.

    I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry after that long travel.¡±

    Doris ced their baby in a high chair between them before she took her own seat. Pearl watched

    Doris witha sharp eye that almost made her feel ufortable. When the woman realized she had

    been caught staring, she cooled her features into a kindness that wasn¡¯t there a moment before. ¡ã

    ¡°Well,¡± William looked the two rulers in their eyes. Back and forth he switched his gaze to peer at them

    both. He knew that usually intimidated even the toughest opponent. ¡°I have to say, you are the first

    kingdom that has requested to visit since I became king.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how rude! Normally it is customary to visit a new king when he is settled on the throne. Especially

    one so young.¡± Pearl ced her hand on her chest in a mock concern as she looked across at William.

    ¡°We wanted to show our respect with our visit. We hope you don¡¯t mind our intrusion.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± William said. He sat straight, even as the food was served before them. He tossed a

    look at Doris. ¡°We wee any visitors here.¡±

    King Sail gave him another smile filled with what Doris could only describe as cheer. Lines formed

    around his eyes as he smiled. Doris couldn¡¯t take her eyes off either of them. She wasn¡¯t sure why

    something felt... off.

    ¡°We think you¡¯re going to be a fine king, my boy. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen the beginning

    of change in a kingdom. I hope you don¡¯t mind if our stay is alittle longer than expected.¡±

    ¡°My kingdom wees your own with open arms. I know my father didn¡¯t try to have a rtionship with

    Eldon, but I am not against our peace.¡±

    Pearl¡¯s mouth lifted a little, but it soon dropped as if it was never there.

    ¡°We admire your kindness, your majesty. So many surrounding kingdoms usually use their kindness as

    a pawn for whatever game they have in their mind.¡±

    ¡°T¡¯m not interested in games. I n to rule this kingdom with more peace and eptance than my

    father did.¡± King Sailughed and gripped his round stomach. He nced over at Doris before his gaze

    settled back on William. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve heard words like that in years, have we love?¡±

    Pearl¡¯s smile reminded Doris of poison. She tapped her long nails against the table slowly but didn¡¯t

    touch her food once. ¡°No. It¡¯s like a breath of fresh air.¡±

    The dinner felt endless to Doris. She was only let free of it when Alec woke from his nap and refused to

    stop crying. She couldn¡¯t shake the strange feeling that the rulers of Eldon were... strange to say the

    least.

    Daemon stood in the shadows against the wall the entire time. His gaze was like prickles across her

    skin¡ªshe could always feel it.

    ¡°Doris?

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225

    #Chapter 15 Who are you

    Doris turned to see Daemon across the empty hall from her with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

    He looked even more wicked in the light but she supposed all of Eldon looked that way. At least he had

    a bit of kindness in his gaze to round it out. ¡° Doris, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Doris nced around to make sure no one was around them, especially not William. This man was

    brave to seek her out when he was near. Hadn''t he heard of William¡¯s reputation?

    She had just finally gotten her baby back to sleep when he arrived. She moved Alec¡¯s face against her

    shoulder and eyed the mysterious stranger.

    ¡°And who are you?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I should have known that you were more special than just a servant. It was foolish of me to think for a

    moment.¡± The side of his lips pulled up. ¡°It made much more sense when I saw you at the king¡¯s side. A

    girl like you would move kingdoms, just as I thought.¡±

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure where this man¡¯s confidence in her came from, she had only just met him and it was

    all misced. She was a white wolf with no power yet. Better to let him believe she was everything he

    thought than useless.

    ¡°I asked who you are. A normal messenger boy doesn¡¯t attend private royal dinners with royalty.¡± Doris

    raised her chin.

    Daemon scratched the back of his head. ¡°Ah, I suppose you could call me their advisor. They don¡¯t

    trust many people to do this sort of work in Eldon, so I¡¯m here to do all of the jobs.¡±

    ¡°All of the jobs?¡± Doris raised her brows. ¡°Then you must know why those rulers are truly here?¡±

    ¡°They want peace for ournds, that is the only intention I¡¯ve heard of.¡± Daemon said with a slight

    shrug. ¡° They think he is young and they don¡¯t want him to make immature decisions regarding their

    own kingdom. They just want to remind him that they are in support of him.¡± ¡°Interesting...¡± Doris said

    quietly. She nced down the hall where the meeting still went on. She knew she should be back in

    there, but she didn¡¯t want Alec to wake again. He clearly hated meetings¡ª perhaps that was why

    William forgave Doris so soon. The thought left a bitter taste on her mouth. He had nothing to forgive

    her for.

    ¡°You should go back to your rulers. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t like to know that you¡¯ve been cking on all

    your jobs.¡± Doris moved to turn away.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back in too?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No, I have to put my baby down fora nap. William knows how to handle these things better than me.¡±

    Doris offered a small smile before it faltered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t seek me out again. My king doesn¡¯t like

    when men follow me around unless he¡¯s paying them to. In fact, it makes him quite mad.¡±

    Daemon gave her an innocent smile that only made him look more sinister. ¡°Oh, of course. I didn¡¯t

    mean to intrude or offend.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t yet. Let¡¯s end it like that.¡± Doris bowed her head slightly and turned to leave. This time, he

    didn¡¯t follow.

    It wasn¡¯t until hourster that William returned. Doris had just finished eating at the table with Alec

    when he entered like a storm.

    The dark circles around his eyes had grown. He raked his fingers through his messy hair and pulled off

    his jacket. So many thoughts crowded his mind, she could tell with just a simple look that he was

    overwhelmed.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Doris asked. She stood and ced Alec in his bed before she went to him. ¡°Are you

    hungry?¡±

    ¡°I already ate.¡± He gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer while he eyed Alec¡¯s crib. ¡°It went well. I

    think it¡¯s a good thing they¡¯vee.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Doris moved her hands up his chest and started to unbutton his shirt. They

    hadn¡¯t been very intimate since the baby came. After she healed down there, she had been waiting for

    him to sneak his hand up her skirt but he had been too busy to try it. It made her ache for him in a way

    that she wasn¡¯t used to. It made the back of her mind wonder if he even found her still desirable ¡ªif he

    even wanted her at all.

    His blue eyes finally met with her own, it made her catch the breath in her throat. She couldn¡¯t get over

    how handsome he looked even at his messiest times.

    ¡°They want our kingdoms to be allies. It¡¯s the first one that hase forward to want such a thing. Not

    even my father had other allies in kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little strange that they came out of no where for this? You didn¡¯t even hear from

    them when you were crowned or when the baby was announced. You even said that they didn¡¯t like

    your father very much.¡±

    William suddenly pulled away and went to take off his shoes. Doris dropped her hands in defeat.

    ¡°Nobody really liked my father. He was ruthless and only cared about his own intentions. They want to

    start fresh with my kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Do they have allies in other kingdoms that you know of?¡± Doris went to sit on the edge of the bed next

    to him.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t discussed other kingdoms, just our own.¡± He grumbled. He didn¡¯t like when she

    questioned him. He always wanted her to agree with everything he did and said.

    ¡°I just... I felt off from their visit. I want to make sure that they aren¡¯t here with bad intentions.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    William rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ¡° Perhaps if you stayed like you were meant to, you wouldn¡¯t have

    such thoughts. They aren¡¯t bad people.¡±

    Doris opened her mouth to defend herself, but closed it. It wasn¡¯t worth it. He would fight until the sun

    broke and then go to his meetings like a zombie.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Doris said carefully. ¡°I only hope you proceed with caution. People might think you don¡¯t know

    what¡¯s good for you so they target you.¡±

    William scoffed and pushed off the bed. ¡°I know more than any ruler of this kingdom ever has!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you didn¡¯t.¡± Doris said calmly. She stood and put her hands on his shoulders. ¡°You are a

    brilliant king and this kingdom is lucky to have you. I only don¡¯t want you to be taken advantage of is

    all.¡±

    William¡¯s hardness softened just a little under her touch. His brows rxed and she could see the

    exhaustion. Doris leaned up on her toes to kiss him gently and he leaned into her as if she could hold

    him up all on her own.

    His hands gripped her waist and he pulled her to the bed. She felt her heart race in her chest when

    they hit the sheets, only for it to calm again when he pulled away and closed his eyes.

    He was out before she could even say goodnight.

    Still, the uneasy feeling kept her up at night.

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226

    #Chapter 16 Simple words

    Doris barely left her room while William was in meetings all week with the Eldon rulers. He came to

    their roomter, sometimes drunk from socializing or so exhausted that he barely kissed his baby

    goodnight before he passed out.

    She tried to ignore the ache inside her that longed for him. She tried to remember that he was busy¡ªof

    course he was busy. He was a king and he had better things to do than spend all of his time with them.

    Or at least some of his time with them.

    Still, she knew her baby missed him as much as she did. Sometimes when she couldn¡¯t quiet him

    down, Doris wondered if it was because he wanted to be held by his father.

    Or perhaps she was a failure at everything.

    Her nights and days blurred together, she rarely got sleep and when she did ¡ªit was pure bliss.

    It was a rare morning when she woke up and found William was still sound asleep next to her. She

    carefully slid out of bed and fed Alec as quietly as she could. Thest thing she wanted was for him to

    wake and run out of here to his next meeting.

    Alec fell right back asleep after he was fed. She sighed at his peaceful face and dressed for the day in

    a simple cream day dress.

    Doris almost flinched when she felt William¡¯s arms wrap around her from behind. She hadn¡¯t heard the

    bed creak or his steps tap across the wooded floors when he approached her. His scent filled her up

    and made her lean back against his strong chest just to linger in the moment.

    His lips pressed against her neck and made her shiver. Doris closed her eyes as his mouth moved up

    to her temple. She didn¡¯t dare breathe too loud in fear it might ruin the moment for them both.

    ¡°I wanted to spend the day with Alec.¡± He said against her ear. Doris felt her heart stop in her chest at

    his words as the disappointment flooded in.

    She turned in his grasp and looked up at him. ¡°Just with Alec? I could go down to the kitchens and get

    a pic for us¡ª¡°

    ¡°I wanted some alone time with him since I haven¡¯t seen him all week. Perhaps tonight we can have a

    dinner together as a family.¡± William kissed her head before he pulled away. ¡ã

    Doris wrapped her arms around herself just to get back a bit of warmth as she watched William

    disappear into the bathroom. The distance between them thickened daily and she didn¡¯t know how to

    close it.

    ¡°Give him some space. He wille around when he misses you.¡±

    Cordelia said quietly. Doris went and kissed her baby before she left the room. ''

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even want me around for his days off. He hasn¡¯t touched me since I gave birth¡ªperhaps

    he just isn¡¯t attracted to me anymore.¡± Doris said inside her mind to Cordelia. She passed a tall mirror

    and stared at herself.

    What was wrong? Had she changed and didn¡¯t even realize it? Perhaps he just wasn¡¯t attracted to

    mothers and he was done with that part of their rtionship. Or maybe it was her body he was bored

    of.

    ¡°I feel as if I¡¯m waiting for him to tell me he doesn¡¯t want to get married. He used to be all over me to

    the point where I couldn¡¯t walk in a room without his hands on me. Now he barely looks at me.¡±

    ¡°When wolves are mated, the first few months are hard to keep hands to themselves but that does

    pass. He¡¯s busy now and has a lot more on his te than he¡¯s used to.¡± Cordelia said gently.

    Doris couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he would do exactly as she always feared he would.

    He would rece her once he grew tired of her. Once he found her used up and old news. Doris

    always felt that it would happen, that was why she fought her feelings for him for so long. She refused

    to be the next maid that was casted to the side because the man got tired.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Had she walked down that path like a fool? He swore to her every night that he would never leave her

    and how much he loved her¡ªperhaps that changed. She knew what she agreed to the moment he first

    kissed her. She knew he could change his mind faster than the weather. He was quite famous for doing

    just that when it came to women.

    ¡°Perhaps there is something more that we don¡¯t know of yet. He might be dealing with something that

    he can¡¯t take his mind off of and he¡¯s worried you will ask about it.¡±

    Doris frowned and continued herwalk down the long, empty halls. Her steps echoed off the walls and

    sounded so lonely to her ears. ¡°That makes it sound like he¡¯s cheating or thinking about it.¡± Doris

    mumbled. ¡°Oh no, I would sniff it out on him ifhe was cheating and then I would let you unleash

    whatever rage you have on him. It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s something else.¡±

    ¡°Tf we are to be married, I wish he wouldn¡¯t carry the burdens on his own. He should feel free to talk

    about them to me even if he thinks it will worry me. I would rather know than be left in the dark.¡±

    Cordelia said nothing and Doris was once again left alone with her thoughts. She followed the halls to

    the outside and let a brisk of wind blow through her hair. It left her in shivers.

    As she passed through the side of the pce towards the gardens, she stopped short when she heard

    voices. ¡°is ridiculous to think of. I don¡¯t know how long this will take.¡± The man muttered. Doris moved

    slowly to peer around the corner and see the rulers of Eldon and their guards around them as they sat

    in the garden.

    ¡®We knew from his reputation that he was strong willed. Just look at all he did to get this crown.¡± She

    replied and scoffed. ¡°We need to find his weakness and poke at it until hees undone. He''s still new

    to this, we can only hope he won¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. He¡¯s guarded on all fronts¡ªhe barely lets us see into his kingdom

    business. If we can somehow get him to trust us...¡± Doris felt her heart speed up. How could they talk

    so openly about William like this?

    ¡°I determine that his patience willst until the end of the month for us. By then, he will see that his

    people haven¡¯t warmed up to him as much as he wanted and we can only offer our... advice.¡±

    The womanughed and shook her head. ¡°This won¡¯t be easy, but it will be worth it.¡±

    Doris backed away from the wall when she heard the rulers get up. She hurried back inside the pce

    before they could see her.

    She may not have heard the full conversation, but she heard enough. They were after William¡¯s crown.

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    #Chapter 17 Gossip kills

    Doris hurried through the halls back t o their room. She wasn¡¯t sure if William was going to take Alec

    out for a walk¡ªbut he had to tell him before he went into another meeting with those people. What if

    they had already started trying to sway his people in this pce to trust them? They had to be stopped

    before it got out of hand¡ª

    ¡°Mydy¡ªis something wrong?¡± A guard asked as she passed him. Doris knew her face must have

    been in as much of a panic as she felt.

    Doris slowed her steps and turned to smile at the guard. She couldn¡¯t let the pce know that there

    was something to be worried about. Not yet at least. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just have to talk to William about

    something. Is he in the room still?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mydy. He hasn¡¯t left the room today yet. He ordered lunch¡ª¡°

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris turned away and pushed inside her room.

    William was lounging on the couch with Alec asleep on his chest. His head was propped up by his fist

    and he raised his chin a little when sheentered. A ghost of a smile touched  his lips when he saw her.

    She swore she was about to melt from the sight. This was her little family¡ªher beautiful family.

    ¡°We missed you.¡± He said when Doris closed the door behind her. She felt her heart skip a beat in her

    chest at his words. She sat next to him and ran her fingers through his messy hair. ¡°TI shouldn¡¯t have

    sent you away, we thought about you the whole time. I just thought Alec might have needed some

    alone time with me but I think we both prefer when you¡¯re around.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Doris smiled as her world started to shift back into ce. Her worries started to melt and all

    her horrible thoughts sounded silly in this moment. William moved slightly toy his head on herp. ¡°I

    missed both of you too. I always miss you when you¡¯re away from me.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± William asked with his eyes half closed. Doris suddenly wanted to talk about

    anything but the kingdom. She wanted to stay in this moment forever and hear the sound of his sleepy

    voice as they talkedzily about their days.

    But she had to tell him¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be right to keep it from him for her own selfish reasons. Even if it

    meant wrecking this perfect moment that she had waited weeks for. It was more important.

    ¡°I went for a walk around the pce... Doris started. She traced his rxed brow as he listened to her.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± William closed his eyes when she brushed her fingers through his hair again. It was one of her

    favorite things to do and she didn¡¯t think that would ever change. ¡°I um... I heard something interesting

    on the walk.¡± Doris hesitated. ¡°I was going towards the gardens and overheard the rulers from Eldon

    talking. They were talking about you.¡±

    William stiffened a little under her touch. She looked down to see his eyes had opened a little. Already

    she knew he was on alert and she wondered if it was because of her tone.

    ¡°What were they discussing?¡± William asked.

    ¡°I,.. that¡¯s what I came back here to talk to you about. I almost raced across the pce when I heard

    them.¡± Doris said. William sat up and put Alec in his crib before he focused on her. His blue eyes turned

    into a light storm as if it didn¡¯t know how harsh the winds would be just yet.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear everything, but it sounded like they were plotting to get on your good side so you would

    trust them.¡± Doris took a breath. William was deathly still as he watched her. ¡°I... It didn¡¯t sound good, it

    was almost cynical the way they were talking about you and it gave me a bad feeling¡±

    ¡°What else did they say?¡± ¡°Something about how it was going to be hard because you¡¯re strongwilled

    but worth it... They want to find your weakness and poke at it until youe undone. I think they¡¯re

    going to try ande for your crown, William. I had chills just listening.¡±

    William stood at once. Doris stood as well when he started to move across the room like a storm. He

    grabbed finer clothes and changed into them before he brushed out his messy hair into something

    neat. He only ever did that when he had to make a scene and wanted to look like a king.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to confront them and get them out of my kingdom. I should have known¡ªI should have been

    more careful.¡± He turned to her. ¡° Grab Alec, you areing as well.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Doris¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°

    Wouldn¡¯t this be royal matters¡ª" ¡°You¡¯reing. You heard them, not me. I don¡¯t want to confront

    them without you at my side.¡±

    Doris gently took Alec out of his crib and cradled him to her chest with a nket before she followed

    William out the door. He was a force when he was angry. Hallways parted for him and not one person

    spoke a word when they saw his face. He went up to one of his guards who looked as if he wanted to

    blend into the wall.

    ¡°Take me to the rulers of Eldon. We have important matters to discuss that can¡¯t wait.¡± William said.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The guard bowed before he led the way.

    Doris felt hot suddenly. She wasn¡¯t used to confrontation with strangers. Part of her wanted to stay in

    the room and hide from any sort of arguments that may arise from this.

    They came to a stop at one of therge guest rooms in the west wing. The guard knocked on their

    behalf before he stepped away.

    Doris nced up at William to see hisjaw clenched tight. She wanted to kiss it and kiss him until it was

    all better and smooth again. She didn¡¯t even notice the door had opened.

    ¡°Your highness, we didn¡¯t expect you.¡± King Sail said. He had a light smile to his face as if it was a good

    surprise to see the young king that looked as if he wanted to burn a hole through him.

    William didn¡¯t wait to be invited in, he walked right past the king and his guards and Doris followed.

    ¡°What do we owe the pleasure? We thought we weren¡¯t set for another meeting until tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I came here because mydy heard something peculiar while out on her walk.¡± William said. Queen

    Pearl stood from the couch and went to stand by her husband, Her face also held a light expression as

    she nced between Doris and William.

    ¡°Oh?¡± King Sail said.

    ¡°Yes. She overheard both of you speaking about my kingdom. Tell me, was it your intention toe for

    my crown when you set out to visit? Or just when you realized it would be a fun challenge?¡±

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    #Chapter 18 He said, she said

    King Sail looked across at William with a look of shock. He nced at his wife who looked equally

    confused and it only made Doris more annoyed. She knew they were about to deny it before they even

    opened their mouths. How could they when she heard them in as day?

    ¡°JT... we don¡¯t know what yourdy had overheard, but we were not discussing you, your majesty.¡± The

    queen said. She ced her hand over her chest as if the very idea of it was absurd. ¡°We have no bad

    thoughts of you at all, or your kingdom.¡±

    ¡°She heard you talk out in the gardens. Do not try to make her sound crazy.¡± William snarled. He held

    up his hand to stop Doris from saying anything. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate my guests thinking they can

    disrespect me in my own pce.¡±

    ¡°Your majesty, we truly don¡¯t know what she might have heard but all day we have been discussing the

    kingdom of Ron and their careless new leader.¡± King Sail said. ¡°It¡¯s been on our minds constantly, we

    think he might be bad for his kingdom as well as our own.¡±

    William stiffened a little as he looked between them.

    ¡°I heard you talk about his reputation and how it won¡¯t be easy to control him since he¡¯s strong willed!¡±

    Doris said. They both looked at her as if she was crazy. ¡°You said you wanted to find his weakness¡ª ¡°

    ¡°My dear, control him? We wouldn¡¯t dream of it! We weren¡¯t even discussing William.¡± Queen Pearl said

    with a lightugh. ¡°We were talking about the ruler of Ron, of course. They have a rather young ruler

    and we were discussing him. He has been nothing but reckless since the crown was ced on his

    head and refuses any advice. We¡¯re due to visit him after we leave here and try to talk some sense in

    him but to do that we need to find his weakness. I¡¯m sure your King knows the rules in this political

    game.¡±

    ¡°Buyut¡ª¡°

    ¡°Your majesty, we would nevere into your pce and disrespect you like that. We see the ruler

    you are and we have so much respect for you and your kingdom.¡± King Sail said. ¡°We all respect your

    lady and admire that she would be on alert for you, but she has been mistaken.¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks burn red. William nced back at her before he faced the two rulers again.

    ¡°I want it to be clear that I will not allow anyone in this kingdom ¡ª especially a guest ¡ªto think they can

    take the crown I have spilled blood for.¡± William said evenly. The rulers silently watched him. ¡°I respect

    your kingdom, but I will not hesitate to protect mine.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    There was a threat in those words and all of them knew it.

    King Sail swallowed and put on a light expression that looked forced. ¡°We understand, your majesty. I

    would feel the same if I thought my crown was threatened. We assure you that yours isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word that would make me think differently. Understand? I have no

    hesitation to act on my rage if you ignite it.¡± William said. His hands curled and uncurled at his sides.

    The rulers simply nodded. ¡°Good. Then I will let you enjoy the rest of your evening. Goodnight.¡±

    William grabbed her arm harshly and escorted her out of their chamber without another word. Doris

    nced back at them and narrowed her eyes when the man smiled at her. Teeth and all. Doris yanked

    her arm free the moment the door closed and kept her distance from William as they walked separately

    the rest of the way back to their chamber.

    She dreaded it when their door closed. He whirled on her with a re that would have made normal

    men shake. She only ignored him as she set Alec in his crib gently. His sweet innocent face was

    oblivious to the world around him¡ªand all of the storms too.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± He growled. Doris turned back to him to see his wild eyes try to pin her

    down. He was a fool if he thought he could intimidate her.

    ¡°I told you what I heard them say! I was trying to help and I don¡¯t believe them when they said it was

    about another kingdom¡ª¡°

    ¡°Doris.¡± William said in a warning tone. ¡°I can¡¯t start wars over gossip.¡± Doris was taken aback by his

    words. ¡° I wasn¡¯t trying to make you start a war

    ¡± William raked his fingers through his hair and paced the area. ¡°You made me look insane to them. I

    was seconds from banning them from this kingdom and that could have started a war.¡±

    ¡°William, I seriously think they weren¡¯t being honest to you just now

    ?

    ¡°Doris... just stop it. You know how important it is for this kingdom to have allies and Eldon is one of the

    strongest. Unless you hear the full conversation, I can¡¯t have you whispering in my ear about it. It will

    only make me more angry and I¡¯ll be forced to act on that anger.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need their help, William... not if they don¡¯t have the right intentions.¡±

    William stared at her in silence. She refused to look away or look weak. She lifted her chin slightly.

    ¡°I have to believe them.¡±

    ¡°Over me?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°No, not over you. I know you had good intentions but you admitted that you didn¡¯t hear all of what they

    said. I have to believe them when they said it was a misunderstanding... for now.¡±

    ¡°For now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will keep a closer eye on them and keep any information they could use against me more

    private. I still don¡¯t trust them and I haven¡¯t since they showed up out of the blue, but for some reason

    they came to offer me this alliance that they never once offered my father even when he wanted it.¡±

    William sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean to cause harm. You were

    looking out for me and you thought that was the

    right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°I was only telling you what I heard. I wanted you to know that they might be the wrong people to have

    around your kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± William leveled his voice to something calm and neutral. It felt as if she was the king talking to

    her right

    now, not the father of her child. ¡° Next time you hear a piece of gossip, try to make sure that you hear

    every part of it and not just the ending. My anger almost made enemies out of them without taking a

    breath.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should work on your anger, then. I was only trying to help.¡±

    William said nothing. Doris backed towards the door slowly but he didn¡¯t lift his eyes to her. How could

    he not think that they would be lying? Everything they said¡ªshe knew it was about William even if he

    didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a walk.¡± Doris said. She opened the door and left before he could say a word¡ª

    though she doubted that he would.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ re due for a run. What do you say?¡± Cordelia spoke up.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    #Chapter 19 Hello again

    Doris hurried out the front doors and headed straight to the forest. Her feet crunched against the dry

    grass and she almost wished it would rain just to cure it. Perhaps it would awake something in her too.

    She ignored the guards that tried to ask if they should follow¡ªthey were smart enough to stay behind.

    She did not need anyone lingering in the shadows as she tried to be free¡ªshe was through with that

    part of her life. The taste of the fresh air was exactly what she needed. It cooled down her hot skin and

    made her desperate to feel it surround her as she raced through the forest as her wolf. How did she

    ever survive without the freedom her wolf gave her?

    Doris stopped at the clearing she always did and set down her cloak.

    ¡°Is there going to be another... taste of power? Different than the one from before?¡± Doris asked her

    wolf.

    ¡°Yes. I think you might be ready to handle a bit more than what I gave you before. It might be a little

    overwhelming at first, but nothing you can¡¯t handle¡± Cordelia said. ¡°I will warn you though, if I feel you

    lose control¡ªI¡¯m taking it back before I can¡¯t and it might hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡ª¡° Doris froze when she heard a branch snap behind her. She turned quickly but nothing was

    there. ¡° Hello?¡±

    A bit of shuffling through the trees put her on high alert. Sometimes the forest could be dangerous if

    she wasn¡¯t careful¡ªshe never knew who was hiding in the shadows but she was ready to defend

    herself if she had to. She was no longer a weak maid that needed to be saved.

    ¡°Show yourself!¡± Doris demanded. A momentter, Daemon popped out of the bushes and grinned at

    her. Her heart almost exploded in her chest and she hadn¡¯t realized how afraid she was until she saw it

    was someone she recognized.

    ¡°Sorry to rm you, I was just passing by.¡± He said. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and

    nced up at the darkening sky.

    ¡°What are you doing out here? Did you follow me?¡± Doris asked. She grabbed her cloak and put it on¡ª

    there was no way she would shift in front of him and she knew Cordelia felt the same.

    ¡°Following¡ªno! No, of course not. I always go out for a stroll when the sun starts to set. I always feel

    as if the air is at its best.¡± He looked Doris up and down slowly in a way that gave her shivers. ¡°What

    are you doing out here?¡±

    Doris hesitated. She nced back towards the pce. ¡°I was going for a run with my wolf.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you.¡± Daemon held up his hands and took a stop back. ¡°Sorry if I interrupted.¡± Doris

    narrowed her eyes. ¡°Howe you aren¡¯t with your rulers? I thought you said that you¡¯re doing most of

    the jobs for them.¡±

    Daemon dropped his hands but his grin remained. ¡°I am, they just gave me the day off to do whatever I

    pleased. They wanted to rest up in their room and do god knows what else.¡± He shivered.

    Doris stomped across the clearing and neared him. He stayed where he was and looked down at her

    as if she was an interesting creature that was no threat to him at all. He was deadly wrong about that.

    ¡°What do you know about your rulers and their interest in this kingdom? I know there is something

    more that you aren¡¯t telling me.¡± Doris poked his chest hard.

    The side of his mouth lifted in amusement. ¡°I know they think this kingdom is beautiful and they quite

    like William. Why?¡±

    ¡°Is it their n all along to try and take this kingdom from William?¡± Doris poked him again but harder.

    Daemon winced and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him with a simple yank. She gasped when

    their bodies touched and tried to moveaway, but he held still as he gazed down at her.

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He whispered. His breath caressed her skin and she had to

    tilt her head back just to look up at him and meet his eyes. ¡°What makes you think they would even tell

    me their true ns? Especially if it was something like that. I¡¯m a messenger boy, all I do is tell people

    their business and intentions and they pay me to do it.¡±

    Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she had imagined it, but she swore he had inched closer to her as he spoke. His

    eyes shed in the light and his lips curled up ina sinister way that made her want to get far away from

    him.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°I find it hard to believe you, sir. I heard them talking freely in front of their guards, I don¡¯t see why they

    wouldn¡¯t do the same for you.¡±

    ¡°Their guards swore their life to protect them and keep their secrets. I didn¡¯t.¡± Daemon¡¯s eyes flickered

    to her lips. Doris pulled away from him and took a few steps back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust your rulers, and I certainly don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    ¡°Smart and beautiful.¡± Daemon whistled. ¡°That king is truly a lucky one.¡±

    Doris scoffed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She crossed her arms over her chest when he stepped closer.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s wise to flirt with a taken woman? Surely you must not have heard of William¡¯s

    reputation if you can¡¯t seem to stop.¡±

    ¡°Oh, i¡¯ve heard his reputation. Everyone in this kingdom and beyond has heard about William and his

    ruthless ways when he doesn¡¯t get what he wants or is threatened.¡± Daemon closed some more space

    between them but Doris refused to back down. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you haven¡¯t heard my reputation.

    Otherwise I doubt you would be shocked at my actions.¡±

    ¡°Your reputation?¡± Doris furrowed her brow. ¡°What reputation does a messenger have?¡±

    Daemonughed. It was deep and traveled all the way up and down her body with one sound.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite famous in mynd for liking challenges. Especially deadly ones, those are my favorite.¡±

    Daemon said as he reached out to move her hair behind her ear. Doris swatted his hand away but he

    only looked more delighted.

    ¡°Consider this a challenge lost. I¡¯m spoken for and none of your ttery or good looks will sway me

    differently.¡±

    Daemon¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I knew you found me attractive. I could tell by the way your breath catches

    the closer I get.¡±

    Doris rolled her eyes to the sky. ¡°I¡¯m only trying to keep myself from smacking you every time you got

    closer to me.¡± Doris pushed past him and headed back to the path that led to the pce. ¡°Leave me

    be, Daemon.¡± She called over her shoulder.

    ¡°Not likely, princess. I¡¯ve never seen a girl as pretty as you as well as feisty. That¡¯s my favorite mix.¡± He

    called to her. She winced at the sound of his voice and hurried her steps.

    Why did she always attract the crazy ones?

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230

    #Chapter 20 Fire and passion

    Doris closed her bedroom door and  let out along sigh as she leaned back against it. What was she

    going to do? Thest thing she needed was another problem when she already felt as if she was

    drowning from them ¡ªand she didn¡¯t even get to blow off any steam! He interrupted her! That¡ª

    irritating boy that wouldn''t stop his flirting! She didn¡¯t want him to get hurt because of a stupid crush.

    Doris rubbed her eyes and tried not to groan as loud as possible in case someone thought she was

    dying in here¡ª

    ¡°Doris?¡± William said. She flinched at the sound, she almost had forgotten that he was even here. She

    was so used to him being gone or in meetings.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Doris pushed away from the door when William came into view dressed in ck. She hated how

    his suits always fit so perfectly to his body ¡ªit made her want to unwrap him like a present.

    Alec was sound asleep in his crib across the room and it was a miracle that he didn¡¯t wake from her

    sounds.

    William closed the distance between them and grabbed her up in his arms without a hesitation. She

    barely had time to gasp before he kissed her. Long and hard.

    William lifted her up off the ground and held her against his hard chest. She gripped his broad

    shoulders just to hold on to something but she knew he wouldn¡¯t let her go¡ªhe never did. She didn¡¯t

    even notice he had removed her cloak, all she could register was the feeling of his soft ck hair

    between her fingers and the way his tongue moved along her own.

    When he pulled away, she was out of breath and a little dizzy. ¡°What ¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for always ming you.¡± William said. He carried her to their bed and she felt as if her world

    was spinning as heid her on their silky sheets.

    Doris couldn¡¯t help but feel as if all words were lost to her when he crawled on top of her. What were

    they even fighting about? She couldn¡¯t remember. Part of her expected him to kiss her face andy on

    his side with his back facing her as he went to sleep. But¡ªhe didn¡¯t. Not this time.

    William moved up to pull off his shirt and toss it to the side like the beautiful silk was trash. Doris ran

    her hands down his torso slowly, feeling every muscle beneath her touch. A horrible ache started to

    throb between her legs and it had only just started. She knew he was the only cure to her body.

    William leaned down to kiss her neck in the spot he knew made her toes curl. She bit her lip to muffle

    her groans when he moved slowly down her body. His hands had a mind of their own as they crawled

    up her dress and touched her bare skin. It sent a shock through her body that arched up against him.

    ¡°I missed the way you feel.¡± William growled against her ear. Doris bit her lip when she felt another

    whimper form when his fingers dipped beneath her panties. ¡°Try not to wake the baby

    ?¡±)

    William hauled her up just to pull her dress off her body and throw it with the rest of their clothes. Her

    skin tingled when she felt his bare skin press against her own. She almost forgot how good it felt just to

    be touched by him.

    Hisrge hands gripped her thighs and spread them wider as he positioned himself between her. She

    tried to control her breathing but they both knew that they could get loud the moment they lost

    themselves.

    His eyes grew dark with lust as he took in the sight of her naked body that squirmed beneath him. His

    fingers tightened hard enough to leave small bruises on her thighs as his length teased her entrance.

    ¡°Fuck¡ªWilliam...¡± Doris groaned quietly. He smirked at the sound and slowly started to push inside like

    the tease he was. He slid right inside her with how wet she was. She was practically dripping from his

    simple touches.

    Once he was all the way inside her, he released her thighs and moved his rough hands up her body

    slowly,  eaving goosebumps across her skin. He pulled out, and then pushed in with a speed that was

    almost torture. Her hips thrusted up against his own eagerly and he had to pin her back down just to

    stop her.

    ¡°Bad girl...¡± He whispered against her skin as he kissed between her aching breasts. He took her

    breasts in his hands and squeezed almost roughly and she didn¡¯t know why it always felt so good.

    Every rough and harsh touch made her core beg for more.

    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    William pulled all the way out, and then mmed back into her hard enough to bang the headboard

    against the wall. Doris cut her nails into his back when she gripped onto him¡ªshe almost made her lip

    bleed when a scream tried to rip from her throat.

    ¡°William!¡± She gasped. He sped his hand over her mouth as he moved inside her. Each thrust grew

    harsher than thest and forced Doris to groan against his hand over and over again.

    William leaned down to bite her shoulder just to muffle his own sounds and she felt her lower stomach

    fill with a familiar warmth that only he could supply. Their bodies rocked together in a passionate

    embrace until both of them were about to spill over the edge.

    He kept his hand over her mouth when he felt her tighten around him. It only took a few more harsh

    jerks before she felt her release spring through her and make every inch of her tingle with bliss. He

    slowed just slightly to let her enjoy it, and then picked up for his own.

    When he was about to finish, he removed his hand and kissed her hard. She could have swallowed his

    groan with how he tried to muffle it. Her hips moved up against him as his movements slowed once

    more.

    He kissed her again when it was over. Softly, almost sweetly as they rode out theirst moments of

    bliss before he pulled out of her. She ran her fingers through his dark hair before he moved back to

    look down at her.

    ¡°I love you.¡± He said. The three little words filled her heart up when she swore it had been empty

    moments before.

    ¡°I love you too.¡± She whispered. A small smile touched his lips. Even in the darkness she could carve

    out that sight anywhere. She traced her fingers lightly across his face as if she was about to draw it

    herself.

    He pulled out of her andid beside her. Strong arms wrapped around her small body and pulled her

    close to his chest.

    It was like magic. All of her worries and anger were gone in a blink and now all she felt was safe and

    happy. She prayed that morning wouldn¡¯t rip that away from her like it always did.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231

    #Chapter 21 Wedding dresses

    ¡°¡°¡®We¡¯ve made you several different options fora dress.¡± The seamstress said the moment Doris sat on

    the couch. Therge room was filled with racks and racks of white dresses. The only thing that was

    missing was her best friend Beth. She would have loved all of this.

    William had taken Alec to his meetings for a few hours so she could try on a few for their wedding and

    finish any other details for their wedding. For once she only felt peace in her heart.

    ¡°What kind of style did you want to start with? We have mermaid, ballgowns, everything you could think

    of!¡± She started pulling off a few options before Doris could even answer.

    ¡°Oh! Well, I always imagined a ballgown¡ªbut not something so massive that I can barely move in.¡±

    Doris said. She stood to join the woman at the racks.

    ¡°I know just the thing. I¡¯1] bring it to you behind the curtains, go undress.¡± She shooed me away. The

    woman was almost as short as Doris with sses and a pointy nose. She had to be the age of her

    mother.

    Doris striped down to her undergarments once she was behind the curtain. Her stomach was in

    butterflies¡ªshe never thought she would be trying on wedding dresses for herself. She always figured

    she would be the one to help another pick their dream dress.

    The seamstress brought four long gowns behind the curtain and helped her try on the first option. Doris

    stepped up to the mirror and felt her heart skip in her chest.

    It was beautiful. The neckline was a ttering sweetheart shape with mesh that went to her elbows. The

    bodice was beaded and the skirt was much bigger than she imagined. It made Doris look so small in

    the middle of it all.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± The seamstress asked with a bright smile.

    ¡°TJ... [think it¡¯s so beautiful, but I¡¯m not sure how I will walk in this skirt ¡ª¡°

    ¡°Then it is a no, let''s go.¡± She helped me off the tform and back behind the curtain to wiggle me out

    of the dress. The next one was so darling on the hanger, but it didn¡¯t feel right when Doris slipped it on.

    She went through about twenty dresses before Doris gasped when she looked in the mirror.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    This dress had the beautiful sweetheart neckline¡ªbut without the mesh. It was strapless with beautiful

    small roses decorated along the bodice and the skirt flowed to the ground ina manageable ballroom

    style.

    Doris knew all of these dresses had been made for her, but this was the first one that felt right. It felt as

    if she belonged in it and she could already picture herself flowing down the aisle to meet William and

    say her vows.

    ¡°I... love it.¡± Doris whispered.

    The seamstress smiled widely. ¡°This is it. I can see it on your face.¡± She hurried and put a pair of white

    crystal heels on Doris as well as a veil that reached the floor. The finishing look made Doris feel like a

    princess. It made her feel¡ªbeautiful. ¡°This is it.¡± Doris breathed. She spun around and the fabric flowed

    around her like a dream.

    None of this was real. It still felt like a dream. How could she¡ªDoris¡ªbe marrying a king? Ina beautiful

    gown and with their gorgeous baby beside them? It was a fairytale¡ªeven with all of the hard times and

    fights she knew it was a fairytale she was living.

    The seamstress hung the dress back up in a special ce before she had Doris pick a backup dress

    and a rehearsal dress. Those were much easier to decide. She picked white for both¡ªof course¡ªand

    had something that hugged her body more and was easier to move in. After Doris was finish, she felt

    as if she was gliding down the halls. All of her worries disappeared as if they were never there. The

    wedding nner snagged her attention and brought her to another room that had many disys of

    flowers and decorations.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you on such a lovely day, mydy. But the wedding is approaching fast and we

    have to get the final details settled. There is still s o much left undecided and it would be better on all of

    us if we could finish that today.¡°

    ¡°Of course, what should we discuss first?¡±

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t chosen a wedding color. It¡¯s customary to let the king choose his and the future queen

    to pick her own so we can incorporate both of them in the wedding decorations.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Doris gazed down at the papers spread across the ss table. It showed that William had chosen

    a sea blue that reminded her of his eyes. She gazed at all the swatches of colors andnded on a

    lovely violet tone that didn¡¯t seem too bad with the blue. ¡°How about this one?¡±

    The wedding nner raised his brow and hummed. Was that the wrong choice? She couldn''t tell.

    ¡°Next is the flowers. William told us that he wants you to pick out your favorite flowers so we came up

    with several different options.¡± The man pped his hands and several servants entered with bouquets

    of all different kinds of flowers. There were roses, hydrangeas, carnations, tulips, peony, dahlias and so

    much more. Doris¡¯s eyes grew wide as she gazed at all the options.

    ¡°Oh my, they¡¯ re beautiful...¡±

    ¡°Yes, for royal weddings we try to stay as ssy as possible but William made it clear that he wanted

    you to decide which is disyed.¡±

    Doris stood to observe each one closer. ¡°I do love roses...¡± She said almost to herself. ¡°I love the way

    they look with Dahlia and with the peony too eee ?

    The man cleared his throat. ¡°If that is what you like it will be done.¡± He pped his hands and the

    servants left. She stood there with raised brows. ¡° Last thing for today will be the decorations. The cake

    tasting will be done with William another day.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Doris took a seat again and heid out severalrge photos ofyouts that looked simr to

    the main ballroom.

    Doris leaned forward and studied each picture. One had mainly square shaped tes and decor and

    she immediately knew she didn¡¯t want that. The next had a simr theme but was wider and elegant.

    Doris silently piled up her no pile until she was stuck with two options that looked equally beautiful in

    their own ways. One opted for ssy and royal while the other was more old fashioned. After a

    moment, Doris handed him the royal one. She was about to be a queen, it didn¡¯t hurt to indulge in

    something elegant and massive to celebrate the biggest day of her life.

    ¡°Beautiful. Thank you for your time, mydy. Please let me know if you would like to add anything else.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Doris bowed her head and left the room.

    ¡°We never got to enjoy our run.¡± Cordelia said. Doris already felt her blood pumping from all she did. It

    was the perfect time to let go of that energy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232

    #Chapter 22 A little more

    The wind cooled her warm skin as Doris detached her cloak. This time she I didn¡¯t hear anyone follow

    her and there were no signs of life out here ¡ªfurther from the clearing she usually left her cloak at.

    Doris still wasn¡¯t sure if that messenger boy was following her or if he just so happened to run into her

    time and time again. It was arge pce, Doris rarely ran into the same servant twice when she was

    in the halls. His charming kindness was one thing, but it was a much bigger thing if he started to follow

    her.

    ¡°Twice as much as before.¡± Cordelia said suddenly, pulling Doris out of her thoughts. ¡°I want to see if

    you can handle it. Don¡¯t be surprised when I yank it back without warning.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Doris breathed. She

    closed her eyes and let her wolf take over her body. The pain shot through her and didn¡¯t stop until it

    was Cordelia¡¯s paws she saw on the ground.

    ¡°Remember to let go if you feel it is too much.¡± Cordelia warned. Doris wanted to roll her eyes at her

    wolf. She wasn¡¯t sure if her wolf was trying to scare her or if she really thought Doris would forget her

    instructions.

    All at once, her blood felt as if it was electrified. It went from her head to her toes in a zap that refilled

    her energy instantly. Before she knew it, she had taken off in a run that made bushes almost rip from

    the ground when she passed. She was like a storm passing through all of these trees. Her fur glowed a

    little, but it was hard to tellin the daylight. It didn¡¯t matter, Doris knew that it was shining even if she was

    the only one that could see it.

    Her feet pounded against the ground and leftrge prints in her haste. ¡°Eventually, you will learn to

    move without making a single trace.¡± Cordelia said to her unasked question.

    Doris knew she had never gone that fast, not even thest time she was allowed a bit of power. It took

    her almost half the time to reach the top of the mountain where she always liked to stop and look at the

    pce behind her.

    The most surprising part was how her breath was even, it was fine. It felt like she hadn¡¯t been running

    at all.

    ¡°Good.¡± Cordelia said. ¡°Your first lesson was to learn how to listen to your surroundings, do you hear

    them now?¡±

    Doris focused and soon heard the sound of the river, the birds in the trees miles away and the sound of

    arge animal making its way through the woods. It was calm¡ªnot a threat.

    ¡°Yes. I can hear everything still. It sounds so far away and so close at the same time.¡± Doris said

    quietly. She changed to the thing she wanted to focus on several times before she opened her eyes

    again.

    ¡°Good. You''ll be able to hear when enemies are near.¡± Cordelia said. ¡°Your next lesson will be the start

    of how to fight as a white wolf. Many wolves are vicious and will do anything to kill their opponent in

    desperate measures. Your power as a white wolf makes you naturally stronger than them. You can take

    them down in one blow while it might take them many more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m...stronger than an average wolf?¡±

    ¡°You will be. When I¡¯m finished, you¡¯ll be able to take down an entire field with your power. I gave you

    enough today to take down a few trees to start. Why don¡¯t you practice on some and see how it makes

    you feel?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Doris turned and went back down the hill until she found a small clearing with trees around it as

    if it was in a circle. ¡°What¡ª ¡°

    Cordelia released a burst of power that made Doris almost blind from it. Her ws extended and she

    shed her paw out at the skinny tree before her mind could even register what she was doing. The

    tree fell down t against the earth before she could even blink.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Doris breathed. Tree looked as if it was in shreds and she barely touched it. ¡°Good.

    Do it again without my help. It won¡¯t take much effort.¡±

    Doris slowly turned to face another tree. Her ws extended again and she swiped her paw out

    towards the tree but it didn¡¯t fall like the one before. It only showed the marks of where her ws

    skimmed it.

    ¡°No, try Doris. You can do it, don¡¯t be light on it. Pretend it is your enemy..¡±

    Doris brought her ws back and tried again. This time, the tree went down with a thick thump that

    sent many animals hurrying away from her. Doris heard all of it. She suddenly felt

    unstoppable when she saw what her ws did. Doris swung at the next tree and the next until all of

    them were brought to the ground. She wanted more. She wanted to take down this whole forest and

    show William how powerful she was.

    Doris took off through the trees again. Several more trees came down with a single swipe from her

    ws. This forest was full of so many trees¡ª how many could she take down?

    ¡°Alright Doris, that¡¯s enough.¡± Cordelia warned. Doris didn¡¯t listen. She had just taken down trees taller

    than the pce!

    ¡°Doris, that¡¯s enough.¡± Cordelia said again. Doris slowed a little and the second she did, Cordelia

    ripped the power from her and made here crashing to the dirty floor.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°¡°W¡ªwhy did you take it away? I stopped!¡± Doris whimpered. She forced herself to stand on her shaky

    legs but she only fell back against the ground.

    ¡°Turn around and look at what you did.¡± Cordelia said.

    Doris turned and felt as if all the air was taken from her. She cleared a path of trees that stretched

    almost a mile long. The forest looked as if it was wrecked, it all looked like a giant mess and it was all

    her fault.

    ¡°Oh... I didn¡¯t realize I had taken so many down... I swore that it was only a few.¡±

    The power drained out of her as if it was taking her energy with it. The feeling of being unstoppable

    was quickly reced by the feeling of emptiness. The hole in her chest felt wider than it did before. It

    felt as if she would never be able to fill it.

    ¡°J... lcan handle another taste. Let me have another shot.¡± Doris practically begged.

    ¡®It¡¯s getting dark. You need to get back to the pce before someonees out here to see what all

    this noise was.¡±

    ¡°I doubt they even heard me¡ª ¡°

    ¡°You may have better hearing as a white wolf, but they still have it pretty good. We will pick up on this

    soon.¡±

    Doris had no choice but to listen to her wolf. Only this time, she still seemed to hear everything in the

    forest.

    Her wolf hadn¡¯t taken all of it away. She was finally letting her keep some of it.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233

    #Chapter 23 Again he follows

    A branch broke behind her and Doris turned immediately to face it. All of her senses were on high and

    felt more on alert than they ever had before.

    A familiar figure stepped out of the trees and walked slowly towards her. The fur along her back felt as

    if it was standing when she saw who it was¡ªof course it was him.

    Daemon held his hands out as if he posed no threat ¡ª while clenching her cloak. Cordelia let out a

    large growl that made him stay where he was as if he was rooted in ce.

    ¡°Sorry to have frightened you, I found your cloak back there and came looking for you.¡± He said. His

    eyes gazed over her entire wolf form in awe. He looked at her as if he just walked in on a goddess and

    he didn¡¯t know what else to say to her.

    Doris growled again when he started to move closer. He stopped short and bowed. ¡°Apologies, my

    lady. I only wanted to bring you your cloak. I thought you had lost it.¡±

    He set it down carefully in front of her and took a few steps back. ¡°I saw you run... and I saw what you

    had done with the trees. I¡¯ve never seen a wolf move like that in my life. I thought for a moment I was

    imagining all of it.¡±

    Doris wanted to snip at him. She couldn¡¯t respond when she was in her wolf form, but he seemed to

    understand her anyway. He turned away and

    faced his back to her as she shifted into her normal form once more.

    Doris yanked on her cloak before her transition was evenplete. Anger rose inside her and reced

    everything else that tried toe forward. ¡°What are you doing out here again? I knew you were

    following me!¡±

    ¡°May I turn back, mydy?¡± He asked calmly. ¡°Yes. But don¡¯t you dare take a step closer to me. I want

    you right where you are.¡±

    Daemon turned back to her with a slight smirk on his lips. Oh! She wanted to p it off his mouth. What

    did he not understand? ¡°I assure you that I didn¡¯t intend for us to meet this way.¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°Then what was your intention? I doubt you happen to keeping out here the same exact times that

    I do. I hope you realize how suspicious this is, Daemon. I haven¡¯t even developed a pattern for you to

    learn¡ªso why are you out here?¡±

    He closed his eyes when Doris said his name. She watched him swallow before he opened them

    again. ¡°Alright, you caught me. I came out here because I saw you from the windows and J] knew you

    came out here to shift. I just wanted to see what you were going to do.¡±

    ¡°So you have been following me.¡± Doris crossed her arms over her chest. The wind was starting to pick

    up a little and she had to make sure her robe stayed closed tight.

    ¡°I did¡ªtoday. Not before.¡± He shoved his hands into his pockets and started to walk around the

    clearing. ¡°I was curious to see you in action as the white wolf. It took my breath away when I saw how

    fast you moved. I had to contain myself just to allow my lung air again.¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks heat and a bit of pride swarm inside her. So far, he was the only person that had

    seen her move as she did when she was her white wolf. If only William had seen her too. Would he be

    as impressed as this stranger was?

    ¡°I swore I even saw you... glow.¡± He spoke so quietly, just for her ears. ¡°I heard myths that white wolves

    glowed and when I saw you... I apologize for following you but you are a walking wonder and I couldn¡¯t

    help myself.¡±

    Daemon bowed to her and Doris wasn¡¯t sure if she could get any more heated than she was. When he

    rose, his eyes sparkled a little as he grinned. ¡°I wasn''t able to see all of it¡ªbut wow. What you did to

    those trees¡ª ¡°

    It dawned on her then. She¡¯d almost forgotten what she did to the trees. Doris hurried past him and

    gazed across at the mess she made. It looked as if a giant hade through the forest and knocked

    down every tree he touched¡ªwhat a disaster! It was a clear path that stretched about a mile long of

    fallen trees. It was hard to believe she was capable of something like this.

    ¡°Oh my.. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± Doris whispered. ¡°The pce is going to be very upset with me.¡±

    ¡°Who says they have to know?¡± Daemon said by her ear. Doris practically jumped away from the man.

    ¡°Calm down, little one. I don¡¯t bite.¡±

    His smirk told her otherwise. Doris narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is something I can

    sweep under the rugs. It looks as if a monster came through here and knocked everything down!¡±

    ¡°The guards almost nevere out here, I doubt they¡¯ll even find it for weeks. Why bring it up if no one

    is asking about it?¡± Daemon said as he leaned against one of the trees that was still standing. She

    looked closer and sawrge w marks scraped across the front. She felt like a monster. ¡°How would

    you know that they don¡¯te out here for weeks?¡± Doris asked with her brows raised.

    ¡°I can see them take their rounds from my window. It¡¯s not hard to notice a pattern when they rarely

    change it.¡±

    Doris looked at him closer. He stood as if the world didn¡¯t weigh him down and moved so carelessly.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to force it¡ªor if that was how he was.

    He pushed off the tree and neared her. ¡°You have quite some power. Howe I never heard about

    you? I only ever heard that the king had a former maid as a fiancee, but not what she could do.¡± Doris

    brushed her hair behind her ears and looked away. ¡°My power... I¡¯m still getting used to it. I don''t like to

    show it off, especially to strangers.¡± Daemon chuckled. ¡°Understood. If you ever want to learn more

    about your power, meet me in the library. I know just the kind of book you need.¡± Doris swallowed the

    lump in her throat. ¡°The library?¡± She hadn¡¯t been back there since Martin ¡°Or we can meet like two

    lovers in this forest if it makes you feel better.¡± He said against her ear. She pushed him away from her.

    ¡°The library is fine. But I only want this book you speak of. I don¡¯t remember ever seeing one on white

    wolves when I used to work there.¡±

    Daemonughed again. ¡°Oh, that ce won¡¯t have a copy. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± He poked her nose and

    smiled at her re. ¡°I have it."

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234

    #Chapter 24 White wolf tales

    Doris knew the risk if she agreed to meet Daemon.

    She knew that gossip could brew and William could learn about it before the end of the day. She knew

    he wouldn''t take well to knowing that she was alone with another man. It would spike his anger to a

    level that she knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to control.

    But, she had to have this book he spoke of. None of the books she had read had anything useful for

    her to learn. It was always just mentions of how rare a white wolf was and how there weren¡¯t many

    around anymore. To actually have tales about other white wolves was exactly what she needed.

    Daemon said he would be around the library when it was the emptiest. Normally that would mean

    around mid day when everyone who was anyone in the pce was in a meeting or out. Not even

    maids tended to wander in this area during that time due to their lunch breaks.

    Doris didn¡¯t want to ask how he knew that. Her trust for him grew slimmer by the second but he didn¡¯t

    have to know that just yet. First, she wanted whatever book he promised her.

    William took Alec with him to a meeting since she had to do a second fitting for the dress to make sure

    it was fitted in all the right ces. The guards didn¡¯t follow her as she slipped down the hall and into the

    library.

    Just as he promised, it was empty. The sight of the library gave her chills. It reminded her of the life she

    used to have when she worked day after day in this room...as well as the one life that was lost.

    She tried not to look at the seat that Martin always sat at. It might bring her shes of his kind face and

    the way he always looked at her with a soft smile. It was hard to believe that Doris didn¡¯t realize all the

    signals he was giving her until it was toote. If she had known then what she knew now, she would

    have tried harder to make sure he knew that people cared about him.

    ¡°T was beginning to think you weren¡¯t going to show.¡± Daemon said from across the room. His voice

    echoed all around her and made her cringe.

    She hurried her steps towards him so he didn¡¯t have to raise his tone. Was he insane? She swore he

    had a death wish and so far nothing had convinced her otherwise.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here. Where is the book? I don¡¯t have much time, I] have to get back to my room before

    William does.¡± Doris whispered. She nced over her shoulder even though she knew the door was

    louder than hell and she would¡¯ ve heard it open.

    ¡°Ay, [would have thought you¡¯d be happier to see me.¡± Daemon frowned. Doris rolled her eyes and held

    out her hand. He ced a thick book in her palm that almost weighed her to the ground. ¡° You have to

    admit, us meeting like this is rather romantic.¡± Doris lifted her eyes and red at him. ¡°It¡¯s no such

    thing. Women and men can exist in the same room without it being romantic. I only came for this book

    so I would hold your tongue if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±

    She started to flip through the pages. Each one made her eyes widen more than thest. There were

    dozens of drawings of white wolfs and tales about their origins. Stories of where they were located and

    what people had seen them do¡ª it was extraordinary.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read that thing several times, do you want to know what my favorite part is?¡± Daemon asked. He

    leaned back against the shelves behind him. She didn¡¯t realize how close he was until she looked up at

    him and tried to fight the urge to step back.

    ¡°What?¡± Doris breathed. How many of these stories were true? They looked as if they came out of a

    fairytale book that she used to read when she was a kid.

    ¡°My favorite part is reading how powerful they are. They can take down viges on their own. They¡¯ re

    a force of nature and move faster than the winds.¡± Daemon said as he gazed down at her. She didn¡¯t

    like when he looked at her like that but nothing she said to him seemed to make him stop. Perhaps he

    liked to makedies mad and he couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°One of the stories in there is about a vige that needs saving from attackers. These wolvese in

    and try to rob them of money and take the women to use as they wish. No one is strong enough to over

    come them and they allugh at the vigers weakness.¡± Daemon¡¯s eyes brightened a little as he

    spoke.

    ¡°They all think they¡¯re dead and done for. Blood covers the streets and kills any sense of their hope.

    Until a white wolf hears their cries. They hear it from a hundred miles away and run faster than the wind

    to save them. Within minutes of the white wolf arriving, the town is saved. Every single bad wolf that

    came to rob them was dead faster than they could register what wasingfor them.¡±

    Doris¡¯s lips parted in shock. ¡°And this story is true ....?¡±

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t all stories born from a little truth?¡± Daemon¡¯s lips lifted just slightly. ¡°This one still keeps me up at

    night with wonder. I never thought I would meet one for myself¡ªI didn¡¯t realize how beautiful they could

    be up close.¡±

    Doris felt her cheeks heat. She took a small stepaway from him. ¡°I don¡¯t know about these stories.¡± She

    said as she started to flip through them. There were so many¡ªif only she had this book when she first

    found out what she was. Perhaps she would have believed in herself a little more.

    ¡°Some of them might seem a little extreme, but they¡¯re told by people who witnessed it. Sometimes

    when you see a hero, you can¡¯t get the stars out of your eyes so your stories always sound more

    exciting. But I believe them. I saw youout there¡ªI know there¡¯s truth to them.¡±

    Daemon took a step closer and closed the book in her hands. She clenched it to her chest and gazed

    up at him. ¡°A white wolf is chosen by the universe.Don''t sell yourself short just because you haven¡¯t

    saved an entire vige yet.¡±

    Doris swallowed and looked away from him. ¡° Thank you for the book. I¡¯ll return it once I finish reading

    it¡ª¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t do a thing like that. I¡¯ve read that book so many times ] could recite it to you. Keep it.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡ªwell, thank you.¡± Doris bowed her head and headed to the door.

    ¡°Aren''t you going to remind me that I can¡¯t be running into you again?¡± He called behind her.

    Doris stopped short with her hand on the knob and nced back at him.

    ¡°If you were wise, you would listen.¡±

    ¡°I was never the smartest man around."

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235

    #Chapter 25 A little romance

    Doris got back to her room only minutes beforeWilliam did the same. Her heart was still pounding even

    though she knew she had nothing to be worried about. She did nothing wrong by meeting Daemon¡ª

    William would have done the same if it was him.

    She hid the book under some others in case he noticed that it was a sort of book this pce wouldn¡¯t

    have. She didn¡¯t want to exin where she¡¯d gotten it from. It was easier to hide it for now and tell him

    later if it ever came to that. Still, she didn¡¯t like hiding things from him.

    William smiled when he entered the room and saw her on the couch. It made her stomach fill with

    butterflies and heart race against her chest as if it was the first time all over again. Only his smiles

    could ever do that to her. No one elsepared.

    He crossed the room and gripped her chin with his free hand to kiss her. ¡°How did it go?¡± He asked

    when he pulled away. She had to catch herself from falling into him and begging for more.

    ¡°Oh, it went well! The dress is being altered and I''ll have to try it on again when it¡¯s finished. I also had

    her set a few aside for a bridesmaid. I want Beth to try them on when shees to visit.¡± Doris said as

    William handed her the baby. She almost melted to the floor when she saw Alec¡¯s innocent face and

    tiny smile as he gazed up at her.

    How did she get so lucky?

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± William asked as he took off his jacket. He ran his fingers through his hair to

    make a mess of it¡ªjust how she liked it. She had to stop herself from jumping on him and kissing every

    inch of his face while she ran her fingers through his wild hair.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh! No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s get out of this room. I feel as if I¡¯ve had enough dinners in here tost me a lifetime.¡± He

    said as he threw a small smile over his shoulder. She remembered the time she used to pray that he

    would smile at her. Just a small glimpse would be all she needed to get through the day. Now he threw

    them at her as if they were hers to im and he never smiled at anyone else the way he did for her and

    their baby.

    It was the kind of smile that was painted into her heart.

    Doris brightened at his words. She quickly changed Alec and freshened herself before she followed

    William out of their room. He ced his hand on the small of her back and led her down the long halls.

    Two guards appeared on each side of them and she tried her best not to trip over them when they got

    too close.

    It was strange to think that soon she would have two guards to follow her around constantly like they

    did to William. Once she was a queen, she wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of telling them no. They would

    follow no matter what and no matter where she went. At least now she was allowed to enjoy a bit of

    freedom before that happened.

    William led them down to the garden where a fancy little table had been set up by the lovely fountain.

    Beautiful vases of pink and purple flowers and gold dishes and candles. It looked stunning in the

    middle of all the greenery around it¡ªit also looked incredibly romantic.

    She nced up at him to see him trying to fight the smile on his face. She bumped his arm. ¡°See, I

    knew you were romantic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rare when the moment strikes me.¡± He shrugged and lifted his hand. The guards fell back and

    stayed by the doors as they walked the rest of the way to the table.

    William pulled out her chair and Doris felt her cheeks redden. She wasn¡¯t even sure thest time he

    acted this way with her¡ªperhaps months and months ago when they were freshly in love.

    He dropped his cloak over her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her neck before he took Alec and put

    him in his little golden highchair. His wide eyes gazed up at William and Doris bit her lip just to calm her

    grin. William was handsome no matter what he did¡ªbut when he was a good father, it made her want

    to have a hundred more of his kids.

    He sat across from her and not even a full five seconds had passed before a servant came out with a

    steaming tray. The chill in the air didn¡¯t even bother her warm skin. Not when William looked at her like

    that.

    Dorisughed when she saw what te was set in front of her. It was her favorite¡ª sweet pancakes

    with chocte and potatoes on the side. Normally she only got this on special asions.

    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± She asked. Alec was busy guzzling his own bottle of milk to pay attention to the world

    around him.

    ¡°T think I have been much too in my headtely and I started to forget what matters.¡± William ran his

    fingers through his hair twice before he continued. ¡°You¡¯re my bride, not the reason that things go

    wrong but my rage always wants to me the thing closest to me. Sometimes I think that my mind

    wants to ruin the only good thing I have in life.¡±

    Doris reached across to grip his hand. ¡°I know it has been hard. I¡¯m sorry if you have felt alone in any of

    this, I just want to remind you that you don¡¯t have to take your anger to bed. I¡¯m always here for you

    even on your hardest days.¡±

    He squeezed her hand once. It was rare to catch William so soft. He was normally hard around every

    edge he had but asionally he would let her see through the door and allow her toe inside. Even

    if it was temporary.

    ¡°One day you will be my queen and you will always be by my side. I only hope you want to be there.¡±

    Doris smiled a little. ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine myself anywhere else.¡±

    He lifted her knuckles to his lips and kissed softly.

    It felt as if a small hole in her chest was slowly being filled. All the nights she tried to convince herself

    that he would leave her or that he didn¡¯t love her anymore was her own insecurities trying to ruin what

    she loved.

    ¡°Promise me we will have more nights like this.¡±

    Doris whispered. ¡°We need to remember what we fight for.¡±

    ¡°PL give you a million more, Doris.¡± He said softly. He kissed her hand once more before he let it go.

    Alec looked between both of them as if they were beautiful wonders. ¡°And you too.¡±

    Dorisughed and for the first time, she realized that she wasn¡¯t worried what tomorrow would bring.

    Even if it was a taste of hell.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    #Chapter 26 Too much on his shoulders

    William POV

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been acting like yourself, William.¡± Waylon, his wolf. said inside him.

    ¡°You know why. Don¡¯t pretend I want to be like this.¡± William sneered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve been a little hard on your mate recently?¡± Waylon said. William sat on the edge

    of the bed while Doris slept soundly behind him.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± William raked his fingers through his hair that just wouldn¡¯t say calm. ¡°I just took

    her out to dinner¡ª¡°

    ¡°T can feel her uncertainty around you when you push her away¡ª¡°

    ¡°You are the one that told me a father needs alone time with his infant son to bond.¡± William growled.

    ¡°You told me that these months are the most important in his life to bond with his parents. I¡¯ve carved

    out every minute I can for him to be alone with me.¡±

    William didn¡¯t need to remind his wolf what happened with his own father. After his mother died, he

    pushed William away at such a young age and never once tried to bond with him again. And all the

    years since, William felt that pain set deep inside him like a wound that just wouldn¡¯t heal. William was

    not about to let that happen with his own son. His son would know he was loved.

    It was a strange thing being a father. All the feelings he had before he met Doris were gone, and

    permanently destroyed when Alec came. He didn¡¯t care for women that batted theirshed at him

    anymore. The only thing on his mind was his son anddy.

    ¡°?.... admit I was wrong about the maid situation.¡± William grumbled. He nced back at Doris to see

    her beautiful face sound asleep. William leaned across the bed to brush her hair from her face lightly.

    He knew he had to get up soon and deal with the kingdom business¡ªbut he wanted a few moments

    more to savor this moment.

    ¡°You let your pride keep you from truly making it up to her.¡±

    ¡°T apologized¡ª¡°

    ¡°Sometimes apologies aren¡¯t enough, William. You know that.¡± Waylon said calmly.

    ¡°She knows I love her. Look at everything I did to get her here with me. I tore through viges and

    brought down everything in my path to keep her safe. And now she is going to be my queen soon.¡±

    William stood from the bed and went to look at a sound asleep Alec.

    ¡°Just because you feel that you¡¯ve proved your love in the past, doesn¡¯t mean our mate doesn¡¯t like

    being reminded. If you keep pushing her to the side and expecting her to be your punching bag, you¡¯re

    going to wake up alone.¡±

    William curled his hands into fists at his sides. Doris would never leave him. She loved him¡ªshe

    understood that he had a lot on his shoulders. He didn¡¯t mean to push her aside and me her for

    things, he didn¡¯t even realize he was doing it half the time.

    It felt good to put his anger on someone instead of bottling it up but he didn¡¯t realize until it was toote

    that it wasn¡¯t the right thing to do. He was still working on that part of himself since he became a father.

    William fixed Alec¡¯s nket before he unlocked their balcony and stepped out for some fresh air. The

    sun hadn''t fully peaked over the mountains yet, but the sky was lightening faster than he liked.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°I feel as if I worked my entire life to get where I¡¯m at. And now that I have all that I wanted... I don¡¯t

    know how to feel anymore.¡± William admitted. It was rare for him to be vulnerable with anyone,

    but his wolf knew every part of him. ¡°I thought I would have my brothers by my side when I was

    younger. I used to imagine that Martin would see that I was better fit for this and he would be there to

    give advice or just... be there when I was uncertain.¡±

    ¡°You feel alone as king.¡± Waylon said. William rolled his eyes to the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t make me sound weak.¡±

    He growled. He wasn¡¯t weak¡ªhe was far from it and he didn¡¯t have to lift a finger to prove that. ¡°I¡¯m

    trying to make the right steps where my father made his wrong ones. Some days are harder than

    others.¡±

    William sighed. He was once known as reckless to this kingdom. He was a prince that had nothing on

    his shoulders to weigh him down and got everything he wanted without having to work for it¡ªat least in

    the outsiders eye.

    He swore he wouldn¡¯t be that prince anymore when the crown was ced on his head. He swore he

    wouldn¡¯t be reckless and put his kingdom at risk now that it was all his responsibility. He used to act on

    his emotions instead of thinking things through¡ªkings didn¡¯t let their anger drive them. He couldn¡¯t

    punch a viger for disagreeing with him or ban a servant because they looked at him the wrong way.

    Everyone calcted his every move when they used to ignore him.

    They wanted to see if he could grow to be the king they needed. And they didn¡¯t need a reckless prince

    even when that part still thrived inside him.

    His possessive, reckless side still existed for his family even when he tried to shove it down. They

    ignited it in him like nothing else ever could. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to burn down a building

    to get to them or tear out a hundred throats. it hummed to remind him that they would always be his

    weakness.

    ¡°Perhaps it is time to let her join you by your side in your meetings.¡± Waylon said.

    ¡°i don¡¯t like the way they look at her as if she knows nothing. It makes me want to strangle the life out of

    them. I almost lost it when they tried to call her a liar and I realized what they were doing. I took out my

    anger on her when I should have banned them then.¡± William gripped the railing until his knuckles

    turned white. ¡°I need her to stay away from the rulers of Eldon. I don¡¯t trust them and I know she will

    see right through them and speak her mind. I need them to think that we don¡¯t suspect a thing.¡±

    ¡°How much longer will you allow them to stay?¡±

    ¡°Not much longer.¡± William said and nced back towards his room. ¡°J still have a lot to do before they

    go. I know what they want from me and this kingdom, but I want something from them that they won¡¯t

    expect to lose.¡±

    Waylon chuckled inside him. ¡°Are you going to let Doris in on your ns?¡±

    ¡°I will when the time is right. I can¡¯t risk anyone overhearing us andtely I¡¯ve felt as if every room I¡¯m in

    is being listened in on. It puts me on edge.¡± William sighed and shrugged on his coat. ¡°I¡¯m not worried

    about her keeping my secrets, I¡¯m worried that someone will try to force them out of her if they think

    she knows something.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have a mate like her. Don¡¯t wreck this for us, William. Be careful how you y this

    game.¡± Waylon warned.

    William nced back at Doris as she shifted in her sleep. ¡°I would go through hell to keep her at my

    side and rip apart this to find her if she ever left. Don¡¯t doubt my love for her.¡±

    ¡°It is not me that doubts it. I can sense her sadness when you leave.¡±

    ¡°Once these rulers are dealt with, she will be my main focus again. Until then, I know she understands

    that I have something to deal with. If I do this right, I could be the king of two kingdoms and her

    my queen. But only if I do it right. One wrong move could lose me this kingdom and make an enemy of

    one that has more allies than I do. She knows I love her.¡± William stepped out the door and had four

    guards already on his heel. ¡°She might not understand why I act this way now, but she will learn it was

    worth it in the end.¡±

    Waylon hummed. ¡°J think she only cares that you are by her side, not what kingdoms are yours.¡±

    William silenced his wolf just as he stepped into his first meeting for the day.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    Chapter 27 A day in the life of a king

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    William¡¯s POV

    The room stood when William entered. Any sense of conversation was forgotten and gone as if it was

    never there. They watched his every breath as if it would be the answer to every question they had.

    The rulers of Eldon stood and gave their respectful bows. Their son, Daemon, watched William with a

    light in his eyes as if he knew something that William didn''t. If he wasn¡¯t their son, he would have

    thrown him out the moment hemet him. :

    ¡°This won¡¯t take long, your majesty. We know you have a lot on your te.¡± The queen said as they all

    sat. William had three more meetings today after this and then he had to meet vigers that had

    quarrels in their neighborhoods. If he was lucky, he would get to spend time with hisdy and baby

    before they were asleep.

    ¡°Going off of what we discussed yesterday, we gave it a bit more thought and decided that a shared

    trade route is necessary for our kingdoms.¡± The king said. He slid William a piece of golden paper.

    William took his time as he read through every bit. That always made them nervous.

    ¡°No.¡± William slid back the paper. ¡°That indicates that you will raise our prices to keep yours the same.

    My viges aren¡¯t going to suffer because you want easy ess.¡±

    ¡°It could bring more goods into your viges¡ª ¡°

    ¡°My viges can get the goods you mentioned just fine.¡± William said in his tone of voice he had

    mastered since bing a king. It left little room to argue with him.

    The rulers shared a nce and the queen cleared her throat and threw on a new smile. ¡°We will have

    to talk on that some more¡ª ¡°

    ¡°What else?¡± William asked as he sped his hands on the table.

    ¡°Your viges aren''t paying high enough dues to the borders.¡± The queen said. Her smile became tight.

    ¡°We sawst night that they owe more than a few years worth.¡±

    William stared at her for a long moment. She shifted in her seat under his gaze.

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know about the dues in my kingdom? The viges have stopped owing that for

    over half a decade. The former king had those removed when they became too much and the pce

    has paid it instead.¡±

    The queen swallowed. ¡°We must have missed that, your highness. We¡¯re trying to make sure that there

    are no bumps in the road to our unity.¡± William tilted his head a little. ¡°I¡¯m sure a little debt wouldn¡¯t get

    in the way of our kingdoms bing allies?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Of course not!¡± The rulersughed. Their son only watched William with an indifferent

    expression. When they locked eyes, he smiled.

    ¡°Ts there anything else?¡± William asked,

    ¡°Can we join you for dinnerter?¡± The king asked. ¡°We know you''re busy¡ª ¡°

    ¡°TL be having dinner with mydy.¡± William stood and the rest of the room stood with him. ¡°Perhaps

    another time, then.¡±

    Once William left the rulers, that edge of nerve still stuck inside him. He could feel their eyes on him

    even after he was gone from the room. His eyes looked over each guard he passed and tried to see if

    any of them would weaken under his stare. Could he trust any of them when there were snakes staying

    at his pce?

    He went into a private room and sat across one of his most trusted members of the royal court. He has

    known him since he was a child and the man always stayed in the background of things to observe the

    world.

    Mason had lines of age on his face. William tried not to think of his father when he looked at him.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± William asked once the room was cleared. Mason dipped his chin just slightly.

    ¡°Tn their room, they have a letter that was meant to go out today. I caught it before a mailer could pick

    it up.¡±

    ¡°Did you get a chance to read it?¡± William whispered.

    ¡°T did. They¡¯ve sent word back to their kingdom¡¯s court that they believe they have information on you

    that no one else knows. They want to alert your kingdom that you killed your brothers in the war for the

    crown and they hope that it will start the divide.¡±

    William curled his hands into fists. His court had covered up what happened to his brothers well

    enough. Many knew what happened to Martin, but not many knew about all the events that led up to it.

    They didn¡¯t know how his brother felt about Doris.

    They knew that Luna Queen and Jack were killed, but who had done it was never revealed. William

    didn¡¯t regret either, but he knew how that would look to his kingdom.

    The scandal was big and might put a dent in his reputation, but he could handle that. He¡¯s lost their

    trust and gained it back before. If those rulers thought he would fall to his knee for them, they were

    horribly mistaken. He¡¯d rather cut offboth legs before he did that.

    ¡°Why are you keeping them here, William?¡± Mason asked. He leaned back in his chair and studied

    William closely.

    ¡°They don¡¯t realize that ] have sent my own men to spy in their kingdom. They stole the uniforms of

    their guards and I sent them to take their ce. I need the rulers here until they get back.¡±

    ¡°What do you hope to find in their kingdom?¡± ¡°Proof of their lies. They¡¯ve been conning theirpeople for a

    decade. I read the reports of their viges being shut down and money spilling out. They¡¯re letting their

    own people die in the streetsand they want to do that to my kingdom too. They want to make my

    people distrust me and turn their backs. If they can gain their trust, money will follow.¡±

    ¡°T thought the kingdom of Eldon was well off?¡± Mason said. ¡°Why would they do this to their people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that their kingdom has made bad deals with bad traders and alpha wolves to protect

    their pce. Those wolves will gut them if theye back empty handed.¡± William sighed and raked

    his fingers through his hair. He felt as if he was going mad with how hard he had been working to figure

    them out without them realizing what he was doing.

    ¡°They spent more than what they had to have the best and now they are trying to gain it all back and by

    doing that, they think they can take my crown from me and make thisnd their own. If they did that,

    they would have more money than they would know what to do with.¡±

    ¡°Well, they certainly picked at the wrong kingdom. Didn¡¯t they?¡± Mason smirked. William stood and

    straightened his crown. ¡° They¡¯ ll regret underestimating me.¡±

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238

    #Chapter 28 A midnight stroll

    Doris woke in the middle of the night to find William sound asleep beside her. It was a nice and safe

    sight, she hated waking up to find him already gone or awake. He was always such an early riser.

    Sweat drenched her skin, her dreams rattled her wide awake to the point that she could barelycatch

    her breath. It all happened in quick shesthat she could barely grasp onto.

    There was... fire. A lot of fire and fighting butnone of it was clear to Doris. What was on fire?

    Was she trapped in it¡ªor did she start it? Itdidn¡¯t make sense to her, she wanted to dissecteverything

    about it but it was already fading fastfrom her mind.

    All she knew was that it would be hard to fall back asleep with the whisper of death on her skin.

    The clocks told her that it wasn¡¯t far pastmidnight. She slowly got out of bed and put ona silk robe to

    cool her skin.

    ¡°Must you walk around instead of just closing your eyes again?¡± Cordelia groaned inside her. ¡° Alec

    isn¡¯t even awake yet.¡±

    ¡°T can¡¯t sleep. I don¡¯t feel even an ounce bit tired.¡± Doris said quietly. She nced out the window to

    see the kingdom was sound asleep like she should have been. She checked in on Alec to see him

    bundled in all his nkets. He was already growing out of his onesies and it made her sad to see him

    grow up so fast even though he was still super tiny. She wanted him to stay this small forever.

    Suddenly her adrenaline felt higher than the ceiling. It would be so nice to run through the forest and

    feel the cold air on her fur. The room felt stuffy and tight even though it was one of the biggest rooms in

    the entire kingdom¡ªshe couldn¡¯t exin it.

    She felt Cordelia sigh. ¡°You want fresh air? Would that help you sleep if I let you run?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a million times yes.¡± Doris whispered. She tried not to think about the note that fell out of her

    shifter book when she picked it up to readst night.

    Daemon encouraged her to take a little more power than Cordelia gave... but Doris wasn¡¯t sure if it was

    the wisest thing to do even if it felt good.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She felt like a different person entirely when her wolf gave her power. She no longer felt small and

    helpless to the world¡ªshe felt as if no one could stop her even if they tried.

    Daemon wanted to see her push herself to be the best she could, but an uneasy ache hummed inside

    her whenever she thought of him. She knew that she couldn¡¯t trust him... not at all.

    Cordelia didn¡¯t say a word, only pushed Doris towards the balcony and made her open the door.

    Silently, she closed it behind her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Doris asked. It was much colder than she expected it to be.

    ¡°We''re going on a run.¡± Cordelia said simply. ¡° That¡¯s what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes! But we¡¯re stories high, Cordelia. I can go down the stairs¡ª¡°

    ¡°And risk his guards following you or waking William to let him know that you left in the middle of the

    night? He would tear through this forest to find you.¡±

    ¡°How can I possibly make this jump? We would die!¡± Doris said.

    Cordeliaughed. ¡°Perhaps in your human form, but not in your wolf form. Drops like these are nothing.

    You¡¯ll see.¡±

    Without another word, Cordelia ripped through Doris like never before. The pain was over in an instant

    and before she knew it, she was already on all fours ready to take the leap.

    Cordelia didn¡¯t have to push her. Doris leapt from the balcony andnded on one of the lower roofs

    below before she leapt off that one too. The guards didn¡¯t even notice or hear her when shended in

    the grass below. Cordelia shot off through the trees before any of them could turn and see her.

    Doris knew that she gave her some power without her having to ask. She felt it through her bones and

    noticed how she glowed a bit in the darkness.

    Would she have been able tond that jump without her power? Doris guessed not.

    She felt like lightening flickering through the darkness as she moved. It was so odd being able to see

    everything clearly when normally she would have been blind to the darkness.

    ¡°Tonight, I want you to try something but it might be risky.¡± Cordelia said.

    ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll do it,¡± Doris said without a hesitation.

    ¡°The reason why it might be a little risky is because of how much noise it will make.¡±

    Cordelia said and had her stop in a wide clearing. ¡° It¡¯s also dangerous, which is why I brought you all

    the way out here where no one else would be around.¡±

    Doris sat in the middle of the clearing and looked around. She could hear everything from miles away

    but most of all she heard peace. She closed her eyes and took in the feeling that was rare to catch.

    ¡°What am I to do?¡± Doris finally asked her wolf.

    ¡°This one will be loud, so you might have to run back to the pce and try to get to your room before

    anyone catches you. ] want you to practice a move that could win battles.¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to the white wolf¡¯s power push?¡± Doris asked. It was one of the many moves that she

    had read about in the book Daemon had given her. It was also one of the many moves that she had yet

    to try.

    ¡°Yes, I want you to try it here where it can¡¯t hurt anyone, though it might drain you since you¡¯re not at

    full power yet.¡±

    ¡°Ts it true that this move can bring down full armies?¡± Doris asked.

    ¡°That depends on how strong you are. Normally it is used to give you the upper hand. It can take out a

    good number of people closest to you and perhaps even far away.¡±

    Doris stood and nted her paws on the ground. ¡° Teach it to me.¡±

    Cordelia was silent for a long moment. Doris could feel the power flow through her and it felt like a sort

    of rope she could pull on. Doris grabbed on and held tight. She knew she could pull more if she

    wanted... and a big part of her did.

    ¡°Careful, now.¡± Cordelia said. Cordelia pushed Doris forward and rose her up high on her back legs.

    Just before she mmed them into the ground, Doris yanked on that rope in her favorite and a surge of

    power rocked through her body.

    ¡°Wait ¡ª ? It was toote.

    When Doris¡¯s paws hit the ground, it shot out a wave that rippled the ground and sent trees toppling

    over. Doris was in awe, it felt as if she was watching it all in slow motion. Her power was strong enough

    to send a tidal wave along the ground and knock down anything in its path¡ª And then she heard the

    screaming.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239

    #Chapter 29 Midnight madness

    Doris hurried through the forest towards the noise. She could feel her power draining from her until she

    no longer glowed. She almost had to stop when she felt as if she was about to copse

    ¡ªwhat had she done? This was all her fault, she must have hurt someone close by. But how? She

    didn¡¯t hear anyone close

    enough!

    Doris eventually found a fallen guard with a man hovered above him. She halted when she saw who it

    was.

    Daemon turned to her with wide eyes. ¡°Was this... you?¡± He asked and gestured around them.

    Doris finally turned to face the damage she had made. It was like a hole from where she stood before.

    Trees and bushes were blown through and one of the sticks had plunged into the man¡¯s chest.

    Panic erupted inside her. She couldn¡¯t shift into herself when she had nothing to cover herself with.

    Daemon seemed to notice and took off his cloak to rest by her paws before stepping back. He turned

    the other way and Doris shifted instantly and wrapped his cloak around her.

    ¡°Ts he dead?¡± She gasped and joined Daemon at his body. Daemon quickly moved her away from the

    man.

    ¡°You have to get out of here. Someone is going to find him and see what you did¡ª ¡°

    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him here!¡± Doris wrapped her arms around herself. It didn¡¯t look like he was

    moving. Did she... did she do this? Did she kill this man because she took too much power? Her entire

    body started to tremble. Daemon wrapped his arms around her and she barely noticed him there. All

    she could do is stare at what she had done.

    ¡°We can hide the body, no one will ever find him.¡± Daemon said against her ear. It sent shivers down

    her spine.

    Doris pushed him away from her and looked him up and down. He looked a bit dirty as if he had fallen.

    His shirt was halfway buttoned and she could see the top of his chest. ¡°What are you doing out here so

    late?¡±

    She already knew the answer. He was following her again. Daemon scratched the back of his head and

    took a step back. ¡°I woke when I heard a loud thump on my roof. I looked out my window to see you

    glowing and heading into the forest and I.. I couldn¡¯t resist.¡±

    ¡°You have found me out here almost every time I have shifted.¡± Doris said quietly. She took a step

    away from him. ¡°You always take the same path.¡± Daemon turned and pointed towards the pce. ¡°I

    see you clearly from my window every time you leave. I don¡¯t know how you haven¡¯t been followed out

    here by others.¡±

    Doris didn¡¯t have time to question him more¡ª she had to go for help. When she started to run to the

    pce, Daemon grabbed her arm to stop her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked. Doris shoved him

    away from her. ¡°I¡¯m going to get help! This man needs help, I can¡¯t just leave him out here!¡± ¡°This man

    is gone, Doris. We have to hide him or you¡¯re going to be in trouble.¡± ¡®It was an ident ¡ª ¡°  ¡°If word

    gets out that you¡¯re a white wolf, you will bring more trouble than you can handle.¡± Daemon grabbed

    her shoulders so she would look at him. ¡°You need to help me hide this body. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°What¡ªno! You can¡¯t be serious! People will be looking for him¡ª¡° ¡°He¡¯s not important. This pce will

    forget about him in a day and think he¡¯s wandered off or ran away.¡± Doris furrowed her brows. ¡°How

    could you say that? People will care that he¡¯s gone. He might have a family out there.¡±

    ¡°Doris¡ª ¡° He stopped short and tilted his head. Doris watched him for a moment, but she didn¡¯t hear

    anything. Cordelia must have taken back all the power after what happened. Doris didn¡¯t mean to hurt

    anyone... she swore that there was no one around... ¡°Someone ising¡ªand they¡¯reing fast.¡±

    He whispered. He let go of Doris and turned to the pce. ¡°I have to go before he catches me here

    with you.¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Who?¡± Doris asked as she turned to look at the path behind them. She saw nothing. When she turned

    back to Daemon, he was already gone. It hit her when he was close enough¡ª William. He broke

    through the trees and his wild eyes found her instantly. ¡°Doris¡ªwhat the hell are you doing out here?¡±

    He nced down at the body behind her, and then his nostrils red as his eyes caught on therge

    cloak around her. He stepped towards her and looked all around the area as if he was looking for

    someone. When he turned back to her, he looked deadly.

    ¡°Why are you out in the forest wearing nothing but another man¡¯s cloak?¡± William asked as he stepped

    closer to observe her. It seemed that he didn¡¯t care the body behind her as much as he cared about

    who she might have been with. ¡°I¡ªno, it¡¯s not like that.¡® Doris shook her head and gripped onto his

    shirt. ¡°I shifted into my wolf to take a run and¡ªsomething terrible happened. I think I... I think I might

    have killed someone.¡± William took her trembling form in his arms, though she noticed he kept sniffing

    her as if he was trying to identify the male that owned the cloak.

    ¡°Tell me everything that happened.¡± He said. Doris could have melted against him. ¡°I woke up with a

    nightmare and Cordelia suggested we take a run. Lately she has been showing me my white wolf

    power and wee out here to practice it sometimes but¡ªI think I might have taken too much. I pulled

    on the power and it brought down trees. I heard a man scream and came here to find him already down

    ¡ª¡°

    ¡°Did you get the cloak near him?¡± He asked, ¡°Yes, I put it on and shifted and¡ªI think he¡¯s dead.¡± Doris

    whispered in horror. She didn¡¯t mention Daemon because she knew his jealousy would blind the real

    problem. She knew he would search the woods for him instead of helping her with this man.

    William pulled away and caressed her cheek. ¡°Let me check him.¡±

    He pulled off his shirt and ced it in her hands.

    She knew he couldn¡¯t stand the scent of another man on her and she knew it wouldn¡¯t be thest she

    heard of it.

    Doris nodded slowly and he pulled away from her to kneel at the man on the floor. Doris could barely

    look when he started to check his pulse. She quickly discarded Daemon¡¯s cloak and put on William''s

    shirt that came to her knees.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive, but barely. His heart is starting to slow down.¡± William said quietly. He bit his wrist and gave

    the man a drop of his blood before he pulled out the wood from his chest. ¡°Get back to our room. I will

    handle this.¡±

    The guard remained unconscious as William picked him up in his arms and carried him back to the

    pce.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    #Chapter 30 It¡¯s alright now

    Doris showered and waited in their room with Alec who was still asleep through it all. She paced the

    room and wanted to pull out her hair¡ªhow could this have happened? How could she have been so

    foolish? What if there were more people by and she didn¡¯t do a good enough job to listen?

    Howe she didn¡¯t hear them? Moments before Cordelia allowed her the power, she sat and listened

    to the quiet forest. She heard the animals asleep and the peace of thend¡ªnot one guard that close

    could be heard. No footsteps... nothing. Her wolf was still silent inside her. Perhaps she was ashamed

    of Doris for what she did. Or did she drain her wolf? Doris was too nervous to even reach out to her

    incase it came with a lecture she knew she deserved.

    A big part of her just wanted confirmation that her wolf was okay and still there for her even if she didn¡¯t

    deserve it.

    About an hour or soter, William finally came back to their room. He had on a new shirt and his hair

    was a mess¡ª even more so than usual. A ping of guilt set in deep when she saw how tired he was. He

    said nothing as he walked to their bed and sat on the corner. His blue eyes watched the fire that

    flickered in the firece across the room. Doris nervously picked at her nails as she watched him and

    dreaded what mighte out of his mouth if it was only bad news.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He''s alive and will wake up in a day or two once my blood leaves his system. None of the

    staff are sure of his wound since it closed before he got there.¡±

    Doris closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She knew what his wound was¡ªit was a big thick

    stick that came off of the trees she knocked down.

    ¡°I swear it was an ident¡ª"

    ¡°I know that, Doris.¡± William interrupted. He turned his blue gaze onto her and it made her stop short.

    ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t know it was an ident? You wouldn¡¯t hurt an insect even if it was biting you. You

    would never hurt someone that was innocent.¡±

    Doris put her head in her hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how strong the kind of power I have is¡ªI thought it

    would be okay to take a little more, but it wasn''t.¡±

    William gestured for her toe closer. When she did, he pulled her into hisp. ¡°Power is a

    dangerous thing to y with. It can get addicting and hard to not take more than you¡¯ re allowed.¡± ¡°I feel

    so horrible¡ª ¡°

    ¡°I know that. He will know that when he wakes.¡± William brushed her hair away from her face. ¡° That¡¯s

    some power you have, Doris. Why haven¡¯t you told me about it?¡±

    Doris could hear his change in tone. She knew him better than anyone and knew he liked to mask all of

    his emotions as if he didn¡¯t have any. But if she listened close enough, she could always hear it. ¡°I

    wanted to show it to you when I mastered it. I wanted you to see me and be proud of me and I tried to

    hurry along the process by taking more.¡± ¡°T¡¯m always proud of you Doris. It¡¯s hard not to be.¡± William

    whispered. ¡°Our wolves can be frustrating, but they usually know best when they tell us not to do

    something.¡± The exhaustion started to leak into his tone.

    ¡°Tt¡¯s just... it¡¯s like the power calls to me and I can¡¯t help but want to answer. Every time she gives me a

    little bit, I have this urge to take more. I had never done that before but when she opened it up, I pulled

    and more came out.¡±

    William¡¯s eyes suddenly grew dark as if he remembered something. His face reminded her of the time

    they went to the north and his jealousy was his only driver.

    ¡°Who was the man with you in the forest?¡± William asked. His arms stiffened around her. ¡° Not the

    guard. The one who¡¯s cloak you wore. They have different scents.¡±

    ¡°It was the messenger that came with the Eldon rulers. When I ran to the scream, he was there already

    standing over him.¡± Doris said. She wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°He saw me and gave me his

    cloak so I could shift.¡±

    William¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Their messenger?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The tall boy that¡¯s in their meetings sometimes.¡±

    ¡°That''s not their messenger. That¡¯s their son.¡± William said. His voice grew a little darker. ¡°Has he been

    talking to you?¡±

    Doris waspletely shocked at William¡¯s words. Daemon swore he was a messenger and nothing

    more. He was their son? Had he been watching her for them?

    ¡°Doris.¡± William said and gripped her chin to make her look at him. ¡°Has he been talking to you?¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª Yes. He talks to me about white wolves because he saw me as one.¡±

    William sat up a little more. He looked more awake than ever. ¡°What has he been saying to you, Doris?

    Has he been asking you about the kingdom?¡±

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, no. Not at all. He said he doesn¡¯t even know about his own kingdom but clearly he was lying. He

    just tells me facts about white wolves.¡± Doris said. How had she not seen through his lies? ¡°He was

    there and he just¡ªleft right before you came.¡±

    ¡°Did he touch you, Doris?¡± William asked carefully. Doris knew that he would rip through his door and

    kill Daemon if he touched her. She could see the promise already in his eyes.

    ¡°No. He didn¡¯t touch me, he just gave me the cloak because I didn¡¯t have one with me.¡± Doris swore. A

    bit of his anger left, but a lot of it was still there. ¡°I would have just switched into my wolf and gutted him

    if he touched me.¡±

    Doris took William¡¯s face in her hands. ¡°How did you know where I] was?¡±

    ¡°I woke up and found you gone. I looked all over and saw that the balcony was unlocked. I heard the

    trees fall from our room and I knew you were there. I just knew. I left here and went straight for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for alwaysing for me, William.¡± She whispered. She leaned forward and ced a light

    kiss against his lips. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Doris. Next time you want a midnight stroll, wake me.¡±

    Williamid back against the bed and brought her with him. It was only an hour before he had to get up

    and go again. He closed his eyes and held her against him with a strength that made her feel safe.

    Dorisid her head on his chest and listened to the familiar sound of his heart as he fell asleep. Her

    eyes were still wide open and she was on borrowed time until Alec woke up and demanded breakfast.

    But it was the only ce she wanted to be.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    #Chapter 31 A little bit of peace

    "I don''t know why you''re losing sleep over this. He wasn''t the first man you killed." Cordelia said inside

    her. It was the first time her wolf had spoken up since the incident urred, and she didn''t sound very

    happy. Doris knew that she was avoiding this discussion, but it appeared that her gloomy demeanor

    annoyed her inner wolf enough to finally speak up.

    "Self defense is different." Doris said. ''''That man ... he didn''t deserve that. He was just out there doing

    his job and could have lost his life. I feel like I was almost a murderer."

    Cordelia was silent again for a long moment. " Don''t be too hard on yourself. It was an ident, and

    William said he''s going to be fine. When he wakes up in a few days, you can apologize." ? Doris closed

    her eyes and took a deep breath. "I don''t think I can handle the power. Maybe you were right to keep it

    from me."

    "I think I came at it all wrong." Cordelia admitted. "I shouldn''t have let you have it without finding your

    peace first. All white wolves have their inner peace. Since Alec is out with William today, let''s go to the

    forest and we will work on that."

    Doris couldn''t find the strength to pull herself up and do that. Before she would have hopped out of the

    bed and followed Cordelia down any path if it meant she would be stronger. But now¡ªshe wasn''t so

    sure what she wanted. All the tales in the book sounded like they were made for people much better

    than herself¡ªbut no. She had to stop thinking that way. She had to allow her self confidence if she

    wanted to be better.

    After a push, Doris forced herself off the couch and picked her cloak up before she followed her wolf

    out of the pce. Thest thing she wanted was to see Daemon. William was a saint for taking Alec

    when he knew that she needed a little time alone.

    Doris followed their usual path but broke off to go the opposite way. She didn''t want to risk anyone

    following her to her route. She only stopped when they were far enough away from the pce.

    She dropped her cloak and leaned down on her knees. "Okay. What first?" She breathed.

    "Close your eyes and silence your mind." Cordelia said soothingly. Doris did as she asked. "A lot of the

    time, we lose ourselves and try to take more than given because our minds are so loud. When the

    power flows through you, you have to learn that your own peace is what matters the most." "Okay...

    why didn''t you tell me this before?"

    Doris asked and felt like her insides were kicked. "Focus. I didn''t think you would disobey what I told

    you, but I should have known that the lure of power was too strong to resist. It''s not your fault that it

    tries to pull you in for more."

    "How doI stop... the desire to take it?" Doris asked.

    "It''s always going to be there. No matter how hard you try to push it away. But you can find your peace

    and it might be enough to resist the pull. Now, try."

    Doris closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could hear everything in the forest and felt the

    power pulse in her veins. Instead of trying to hear everything at once, she focused on herself.

    Her mind was loud and filled with thoughts that weren''t weed. Self doubt was always the loudest

    and normally couldn''t be silenced without a distraction. Today, she took out each thought one by one

    until she was left with nothing.

    For a moment, she didn''t know what to do. There was silence, it felt like she was in a big ss box with

    a muffled world around her. The sounds of the outside tried to get in, but it was a huge effort to keep

    them out.

    Suddenly, a calmness fell over her. It went through every inch of her, even her power felt as if it had

    calmed from the spike in her blood. "There." Cordelia whispered. "If you ever feel like you''re losing

    control, this will help you centre yourself again."

    Doris let out a slow breath and allowed herself to hear the outside. She could hear the river where it

    always was, but there was no sense of her wanting to take more. To have more.

    "How much power have I not felt yet?" Doris asked.

    "The truth is, there is endless power for a white wolf. Many wolves go their entire lives without reaching

    the maximum amount. You didn''t get to grow up with wolves. You didn''t get to learn how to take a bit at

    a time and now you''re overdue for a lot. I can sense your body getting used to it. Soon you will learn

    that the restes naturally when you can handle what I give."

    Doris stood on shaky legs and released the power from her. It was the first time she realized that she

    could do that¡ªeven in her human form. "That''s enough for today. Ihave something I want to do." Doris

    said.

    Doris hurried up the pce steps with her cloak flowing behind her. For once she didn''t feel as if she

    was being watched.

    She wandered down the halls with one destination in mind. She hadn''t been to this part of the pce in

    so long¡ªshe almost lost her way.

    When she saw the wide white doors, she hesitated before she pushed them open. A nurse immediately

    popped in her view without her even taking a step inside.

    "Mydy? Are you hurt?" She asked.

    "Oh! No, I was just wondering if the guard that was brought here by William was okay? I wanted to

    check in with him and hopefully have a chat if he was awake." Doris sped her hands like ady in

    front of her despite her pants having dirt caked on from the forest.

    The nurse tilted her head and gave a sad look. " The guard? Oh... well." She cleared her throat and

    nced behind her as if she was hoping someone woulde rescue her from this conversation. "Ts

    he in there?" Doris asked and took a step towards the patients rooms. "I can go have a peak _t

    "No, no mydy. The guard William brought in the other night... he didn''t make it."

    Doris stopped short. "What do you mean? The doctor told William that he was fine and would wake up

    fine¡ª"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Yes, well¡ª we don''t actually know what happened. He was fine and healed just yesterday but when

    we came to check on him in the middle of the night, he had passed away. We still haven''t been able to

    find out why or what caused it..." Doris started to pick at her nails. She took a small step back towards

    the door and swore the floor was about to open up beneath her.

    "J... thank you for telling me..." Doris said before she ran out of the medical ward.

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    #Chapter 32 a wavering vige

    William POV

    Alec had a habit of always sleeping during these meetings. His crib was set up close to William''s chair

    and no one was allowed to disturb him unless they wanted to be kicked from the room.

    William was impressed that he never woke even when the meetings got a little tense and loud, if only

    he could sleep that deep when his mind wouldn''t rest.

    "Where are they?" William asked his guards.

    They looked at each other and offered a small shrug before they turned back to their king. "We haven''t

    seen them, your majesty. This morning they went to the viges but they haven''t returned."

    William curled his hands into fists under the table. It wasn''t the first time the rulers had showed upte

    or tried to show some sort of sign that they were the ones in control. He knew they did this on purpose

    despite the way they always tried to act like it was an ident.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    It was enough to make him want to throw them and their smug faces back to their kingdom, but what

    intrigued him more was their business in his vige. They were rulers of another kingdom, it wasn''t

    common to want to check out another vige unless they had a reason to.

    "Prepare my horse, I''d like to see what kept them in my vige." William said as he stood. He gathered

    Alec in his arms and went to take him to Doris before he left. If only he could remain unseen to the

    vigers, he didn''t want to cause a scene.

    When he entered their room, Doris was asleep on the bed. Williamid a sleeping Alec on the bed

    beside her and kissed both of their heads before he left. It was good she was getting sleep, after

    everything she had been through.

    A small ache formed in his chest with how much he missed her. He missed hearing about her day and

    all of her worries. He grabbed his most drab coat and nced back once more before he left. The

    guards had set up his horse along with four others to follow him. William pulled himself up on his ck

    steed and held up his hand. "Not too close to me. Fall back. I want to try and remain undetected if we

    can."

    They did as he asked without ament. They knew better than to question him and his requests.

    William guided his horse down the path towards the vige at a steady pace. Thest thing he wanted

    was to scare off his vigers or make them think that there was trouble if he came galloping down the

    road.

    When he first entered the vige, not one head turned towards him. The streets were crowded and

    filled with conversation. Dozens of people wandered in and out of stores and didn''t seem to have time

    to observe their surroundings. William stopped his horse and slid off before anyone paid attention to

    what he was doing.

    His guards came up beside him. "Sir, are you sure it''s a good idea to walk among the crowd?" William

    pulled his hood up the shield his face. " Yes. Don''t hover near me, blend with the crowd and find any

    answers you can. Don''t make it obvious."

    William didn''t wait for their response, he stepped into the crowd and they blended him in like he was

    one of them. His clothes were fancier, but they were hidden beneath his drab cloak he usually only

    used for riding.

    His wolf instincts caught the scent of the rulers instantly. They were like a rotted orange he could sniff

    out anywhere since he had spent weeks in meetings and lunches with them. They wouldn''t be able to

    hide from him if they tried.

    His only concern was that they might have sniffed him out too. He could only hope that they wouldn''t

    take the second to see if he was near them.

    Their scent led him to the middle of town. The gloomy sky promised rain and made his shadow follow

    him across the streets. His guards tried to hide their attire with their own cloaks and walked the streets

    as if they were one of them¡ª William was only d that the town was busy otherwise he knew that

    they would have been caught with how hard they tried.

    Their scent stopped at a bar. William walked by the window and saw them in causal clothesughing

    with members of the vige as if they were part of the crowd. He didn''t know why that bothered him so

    much, he pulled open the door and slipped inside the busy space.

    Drunken people stumbled around the bar and bumped into him, he didn''t take his eyes off them for

    amoment. The music was too loud to hear what they were saying until he got close enough to touch.

    "isn''t that something?" Sailughed and pped one of the vigers on the back. "I wouldn''t make that

    foolish¡ª"

    William pped Sail on the shoulder and he saw the light drain from his eyes when Sail looked up and

    saw him. "Join me outside?" William said calmly.

    It was crowded enough that no one paid them attention as they left the room. In the alley beside the

    bar, the two rulers looked stoned face as they followed him.

    "Is there a reason you found this more important than keeping your meetings?" William asked.

    "We were just enjoying your lovely vige, your majesty. I didn''t think you woulde down here to

    find us. We heard that you never visit your viges."

    "You heard wrong." William nced out into the street to see his guards lingering nearby. "I find it

    interesting that you have so much interest in my kingdom. It makes me wonder how much you miss

    your own." The rulers were quiet for a moment. "We were curious to see how your vigespared to

    our own. I assure you that we only came here because we miss our own kingdom."

    "They say a ruler should never stray from their kingdom for too long." William started to back away from

    them. His hood hid most of his gaze. They didn''t need to see it to know he was angry. "If you find

    yourself distracted from a meeting that you called again, I will have my men bring you back to your

    kingdom since you miss it so."

    He turned away and his guards fell into step behind him. Once they were far enough away, he nced

    back at the closest one. "What did you find?"

    "They''ve beening to the vige every day and meeting with store owners and other vigers.

    Apparently a lot of the people here already know them by name." William nced back to where he left

    the rulers, but they were already gone. "Do the vigers know who they are?"

    "Yes, they''re aware. They like that theye to them dressed as one of them and talk to them like

    they''re equals." William pulled himself up on his horse. Perhaps he had let them stay for too long.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    #Chapter 33 not so innocent

    Doris woke when she heard a knock, but it wasn''t at her door. She got up to see Alec was resting in her

    bed beside her ¡ªwhen did William bring him back? Had she been sleeping that deeply?

    The knock sounded again and she almost thought she had imagined it¡ªbut no. It wasing from her

    balcony. Doris quickly got off the bed and went to grab a letter opener on the nightstand before she

    approached the window.

    She was a white wolf... no one could hurt her now. No one had that power over her to intimidate or

    make her feel weak. That girl inside her was long dead.

    "Doris?" The muffled voice said. Her brows furrowed when she opened the curtain to see Daemon on

    her balcony. What the hell was he doing out there? How did he even get out there? This balcony was

    made so that no one could crawl up... unless you had a power to.

    The wind blew through his curls and made him squint, he scratched the back of his head in an innocent

    manner that made Doris narrow her eyes. "I came to check on you! I haven''t seen you in a few days!"

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    He yelled it much louder than she would have liked. Part of her wondered if he was doing that on

    purpose to get the attention of those nearby. Doris bet that he would love to center himself in a bit of

    gossip.

    She opened the door just a little to poke her head out of. She ignored his bright face and kind smile that

    used to fool her into thinking he was a decent man. "What the hell are you doing on my balcony? Get

    away from this door!"

    Daemon held up his hands and took a few steps back to act as if he was harmless. "I thought it would

    be bad to go to your main door, and I knew you wouldn''t want me to send notes like we''re lovers."

    Doris cringed at his words and pointed the letter opener at him. "Only the insane would think we are

    lovers. Get off my balcony. I will not warn you again, I will call in the guards and they will remove you

    from this pce. Along with your parents." Doris hissed.

    This time, he winced at her words. "I wanted to tell you¡ª"

    "Don''t bother lying. I know you didn''t tell me because you had hoped I might say something you could

    tell your parents about. I know you thought you had some sort of advantage because I never attended

    the meetings to hear you be announced. " Doris narrowed her eyes. "I''m sure you told them all about

    my powers, too."

    ¡°I wouldn''t do that!" Daemon took a step closer and he moved back again when she wiggled the letter

    opener to point it right at his chest. "I didn''t think you would talk with me if you knew who I really was¡ª"

    "What gave you the impression that I want to talk to you? J told you to leave me alone! Don''t bother

    trying toe look for me when I shift anymore either. You''re not wee near me."

    Doris wasn''t normally used to being so blunt and rude, but she knew he would never understand

    unless she said it. She didn''t trust him or his parents and it bothered her more and more each day that

    they remained here.

    Daemon looked hurt by the words. "Are you not going to be training anymore?"

    "If Iam, that''s my business. It''s not for you to watch like a show. I don''t want anyone around me when I

    practice¡ªI don''t want to hurt anyone again." Doris tried to keep her voice even, but then she

    remembered that the guard was dead... because of her. Not even his blood could have saved him.

    Perhaps she shouldn''t be practicing any more...

    Doris hoped that Beth would get her letter soon, she needed a friend more than ever and only

    someone who knew her well would be able to help. "You can''t give up on yourself, Doris. I saw you out

    there and I know what happened was a mistake... but you shouldn''t hold yourself back. Your power is

    magnificent. You took a little more ... and you see how you almost took down the forest? Imagine what

    you could do if you took more than that?"

    His words sounded... strange. It sounded as if she was being sung to and lured in by a wave that was

    far from her own. It was like she was being pulled by a string and she wanted to listen to him.

    "Just think... if you took more of your power, you could be the most powerful wolf in thisnd." Daemon

    said, his voice like silk as he stepped closer. Doris wanted to fall into him but her mind was screaming

    at her to close the door. "You''ve already proven yourself as more powerful than most wolves I''ve ever

    met¡ª"

    Doris pulled herself from her daze and shoved him away from her. "What the hell are you doing?! "

    Doris took a step back. "I¡ªI don''t know what that was but you need to leave. Now."

    Daemon''s surprise quickly vanished from his face. He offered a light smile. "Of course, mydy.

    Sorry to have bothered you."

    Doris closed the door and locked it. Just as she did, William came in the room and eyed her frantic

    state.

    "What happened?" He crossed the room in just a few steps and took the letter opener from her shaky

    hand. He opened the curtain behind her, but there was nothing there. "Was there something on the

    balcony?"

    William grabbed her face and searched her every inch of her. Doris finally found her voice and shook

    her head slowly. "Daemon was out there." She breathed.

    Those words shifted his expression entirely. He unlocked the door and moved her behind him before

    he threw it open to see he was gone. He inhaled deeply, Doris felt shivers across her skin.

    "He''s gone." William turned back to her and locked the door. He took Doris''s face again. "Tell me

    everything he said to you."

    "He... it was strange... he spoke to me and it felt like his words pulled me in a weird daze that I almost

    couldn''t get out of." Doris whispered and rubbed her head. "He... he wanted to apologize and then he

    started trying to convince me that I shouldn''t give up and I should take more power."

    Doris knew what this would ignite inside William. It was why she didn''t tell him about Daemon''s flirting

    that she thought was innocent. She wasn''t afraid of William at all, she knew he wouldn''t take his rage

    out on her... she just didn''t want him to rip apart a man that might have been innocent. But now she

    wasn''t so sure if he was anymore.

    His eyes darkened into a storm that could blow someone over with one nce. "I want you to stay here

    and don''t open the door for anyone but me. Do you understand?"

    Doris nodded and William left without another word.

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    #Chapter 34 Only mine

    William''s POV

    William stormed through the halls towards where the royal guests were staying. He didn''t care if the

    rulers were back yet, he wanted to find their son.

    He knew from the start that the boy had a look to him that made William think he was hiding something.

    He just didn''t realize that he wanted hisdy. He didn''t realize that he was foolish enough to cross him

    where no one would dare. Doris and his child were off limits to ridicule and questions. Doris was off

    limits to any man even looking her way unless they wanted to wake up blind because of it.

    Every inch of his possessive nature wanted to rip his head clean from his shoulders the moment he

    saw him and say fuck it. He didn''t care if it risked a war when it came to Doris. He would start a

    hundred and burn the world to the ground if it meant she was safe by his side.

    He didn''t even knock when he reached Daemon''s door. He threw the door open and found Daemon

    sitting causally on his couch as if he didn''t have a care in the world. Almost as if he was waiting for

    William. That only sparked his rage more¡ªandh e knew that was exactly what he wanted.

    "Oh, your majesty. I didn''t expect to see you here ¡ª" Daemon stood and started to button his shirt as if

    he had caught him at a bad time. William knew what the gesture meant. He knew what the asshole was

    trying to nt in his mind because he knew that William was insane.

    His mind nked as he crossed the room to get him. He grabbed Daemon by his cor and mmed

    him up against the wall. It knocked the breath right out of him.

    "What did you do to my wife?" William growled in his face. He wanted to smell his fear and bottle the

    smell.

    "I thought she was only yourdy¡ª" Daemon choked when William tightened his grip. "I didn''t_t

    "You used your power on her. Don''t think I''m blind to those that have unique powers!" William growled.

    "You''re trying to get her to do what you want, aren''t you?"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    His voice was deadly, Daemon even shivered a little whenever he spoke. His eyes were wide with fear,

    his words could never mask how scared he looked in that moment even when his words were even.

    The fact that he used that sort of power on Doris drove him wild. He could have made her do anything

    if she wasn''t strong enough to resist it¡ª anything he asked.

    "If I see youe near Doris again, I will rip your throat clean off your body. If I see you even look at

    her, you won''t get a chance to scream when Ie for you." William said calmly, his words wereced

    with poison.

    "You would ignite a war over a simple understanding?" Daemon breathed. His words were strangled

    and hard to get out. William was tempted to silence himpletely.

    "T would do worse than ignite a war for her." William sneered. He dropped Daemon to the ground and

    saw his own hand marks around his throat left behind. ''What were you doing outside our balcony?"

    Daemon tried to get up, but William held him to the floor with his boot.

    "I just wanted to check on her and see if she was doing okay after what happened." Daemon said

    evenly. He looked up at William with a darkness he knew well.

    "She doesn''t need you to check on her. She doesn''t need you anywhere near her, do you understand

    me?" William said through his teeth. " Tell your parents that it''s time to go home. You''re not wee

    here."

    William lifted his foot and turned to leave. He could hear Daemon scramble in the background t o

    stand. When he turned back, Daemon looked as if it never happened.

    ¡°We could just forget about this, your majesty. I will stay away from Doris and you can continue your

    business with my parents."

    "I will not forget this. You''re lucky you''re still allowed to breathe." William said before he mmed the

    door behind him. His steps felt heavy and thick. He wanted to rip him apart piece by piece for the smug

    way he looked at him. He wanted to rip out his tongue for ever speaking to Doris and his eyes for

    looking at her.

    William found himself back in his room and he didn''t realize he was there until Doris put her hands on

    his shoulders to calm him.

    "What happened?" She said gently. William grabbed her face and kissed her. Her sweet taste was the

    only thing that kept him sane and the only thing that could ever tame the beast inside him.

    "If he talks to you again, tell me." William said against her lips. She was breathless, almost too

    distracted to reply as she stared at his lips. "Tell me if he says anything to you, understand?"

    Doris nodded slowly. Her hands gripped his shirt to pull him closer.

    William wanted to pick her brain and know everything he had said to her. He wanted to know how long

    it had been happening and he wanted to know every look he gave her. The thoughts alone ignited

    something deep and dark inside him that was hard to control.

    William lifted her body up roughly against his own. He pulled away to make sure Alec was in his crib

    before he pinned her up against the wall. She gasped and gripped his shoulders.

    His savage hands had no time to be light. He pulled her dress up to her waist and ripped her panties

    off. Her breath became heavy and her grip on his shoulders was tighter than before.

    William didn''t want to wait any longer. He wanted it to be rough and desperate¡ªhe wanted to hear her

    silent screams and he wanted to cum inside her before his animalistic rage passed over. Most of all, he

    wanted to be reminded that she was his.

    He unbuttoned and was already deep inside her within seconds of her panties hitting the floor.

    She bit down hard on her lip to keep in her scream. William went to kiss her neck and muffle his groans

    against her warm skin.

    "Fuck... William...."" She groaned against his ear. His movements were rushed and rough.

    Desperate to feel every inch of her and get her to moan his name over and over before his rage

    exploded.

    She gripped onto him as he thrusted deep inside her. Each small whimper ignited a spark inside him

    that was hungry for more. If only she knew how every groan drove him wild. He wanted to paint her

    name across his chest with how obsessed he was with her.

    He moved deep inside her until they both came undone. He didn''t stop until she got her release and

    copsed against him. He brought them to the bed and kissed every inch of her skin. She looked dizzy

    from her arousal¡ªso he kissed her more.

    And he didn''t stop until she had to bite the sheets to keep in her screams.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    #Chapter 35 Whispers arise

    Doris felt eyes on her from every angle as she left her room. More than usual, if that was possible.

    William wanted to take Alec on a ride around the front today with some of the other males in the

    pce. She knew how important it was to him to have bonding time with Alec when his father had

    never done the same for him.

    Despite the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she felt as if there were butterflies inside her again. William

    showered her in affection to the point where she knew she was foolish for ever doubting him. He

    whispered again and again about his love for her until they were both drowning in each other.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    A familiar face stopped her dead in her tracks and all her sensual thoughts were gone. Beth came

    hurrying down the hallway with wide eyes. "Beth¡ª "

    Beth grabbed Doris''s wrist and hauled her into a private room. She locked the door behind them and

    turned to Doris.

    "What¡ª what are you doing here?" Doris asked. " What happened? Did something happen to Enzo?"

    "What? No! I¡ª" Beth took a deep breath and brought Doris in for a hug. "I''m sorry for the horrible

    entrance but... I got all of your letters." Doris pulled away and smoothed out her skirt. "A lot has

    happened¡ª"

    "Doris. I don''t know if you know this, but... the energy in this pce is different. I felt as if I was

    wandering into a ce I wasn''t weed."

    "What do you mean? You''re always weed here¡ª"

    "T know that." Beth said quickly. She nced around the empty sitting room and brought Doris over to

    the couch. It was almost hard to believe that she was even here. "I came in through the servants

    quarters... old habits die hard, I suppose. "

    "Ty... don''t understand." Doris said hesitantly. " Did someone say something to you?"

    "No... no. ] heard a bit of gossip through the walls as I passed. Some of the maids were saying how the

    young prince from the other kingdom has sworn to win you over..."

    "What?" Doris snorted and then covered her nose in embarrassment. "Why would they say such

    things?"

    "That wasn''t all. They were saying how the other rulers have been visiting them more often and how

    they wished they could work for their pce instead¡ª"

    Doris stood. "I knew this was going to happen!" ¡°Wait! Sit!" Beth pulled Doris to sit next to her again.

    "When I came in this pce, something felt off. 1 felt as if everyone was different. More stiff than they

    were before I left. I don''t know how to exin it."

    "I feel it too." Doris whispered. "I''ve felt the shift since the rulers came but William hasn''t sent them

    away yet. He told me he has a n, but I''m worried that it will be toote by the time the nes to

    be true."

    "I''m d I came when I did. Tell me about this prince that wants you." Beth leaned closer with her

    brows raised. "I told you that you were meant for princes."

    Doris rolled her eyes. ''''He told me he was a messenger but I think he was their spy. He followed me

    every night out into the forest when I would shift and he was always there¡ª every night.¡°

    "Is he handsome?" Beth asked as if she couldn''t help herself.

    "That''s not important. We have to figure out what''s been going on¡ª"

    "Ah so he is." Beth smirked and took Doris''s hand. "Let''s go find him, shall we? Enzo taught m ea few

    tricks to manipte a target."

    Doris let Beth pull her to her feet and followed her out of the room. "What are you talking about? Enzo

    has tried to corrupt my sweet Beth?"

    "I wouldn''t say that!" Beth said with her cheeks heating up. "He just taught me how to ask the right

    questions."

    "Where is our dear Enzo?" Doris asked and wrapped her arm through Beth''s. As they left the room,

    she kept her voice down and was careful enough to keep her head high.

    "He''s around. He felt the shift too." Beth whispered. "Lead the way."

    Doris didn''t know exactly where Daemon''s room was, but she knew where the royal guests were kept.

    Thest thing she needed was to draw attention to herself by going to seek out his room. If the maids

    were already gossiping about her, they would love any small bit they could get.

    "I have a better idea." Doris whispered.

    Doris led them out to the forest and made sure they appeared very alone. She nced back at the

    pce towards where she figured his room might be before she took her normal path.

    "What are we doing out here?" Beth whispered. It was pretty far from the riding field where William was

    with her baby. Daemon was more than bold, she knew he woulde.

    "Just wait."

    And they did. They waited for almost a full hour before she heard the sound of leaves crunching below

    a boot. They both turned to see Daemon in all ck with a small smirk on his lips.

    "Secret meeting?" He said with a drawl to his voice. He looked Beth up and down slowly and she only

    crossed her arms over her chest. Doris wanted to smile¡ªher friend would have usually blushed like a

    fool if a man did that.

    ¡°You must be the prince I''ve heard about." Beth said with a raised chin. Only Doris could see how

    nervous she was to face him.

    Daemon''s eyes flickered to Doris. ''I would hate to hear all the things you''ve heard."

    "Oh, I doubt that. I heard from the maids that you''re quite the alpha wolf of your kingdom. Is that true?"

    Beth asked with a tilted head. Doris wanted to pinch her friend. This just sounded like flirting.

    Daemon raised his brows and looked over Beth again as if he was sizing her up. "And who are you?"

    "Ie from the north. I came to visit the pce and see its leaders in action. My husband is the

    leader of rogues and he has had some doubts on the process of uniting thends."

    Doris bit the inside of her cheek to stay quiet. She had never taken her best friend for a good liar.

    Instead. she tried to look as if she was concerned at her words.

    "I suggest youe meet my parents. They would be very interested in meeting you." Daemon took a

    step closer. ''''We won''t be here much longer. Our wee has run out."

    "What is your business with this kingdom?" Beth  asked. Her voice shook a little and Doris worried that

    Daemon could see right through her. Daemon stopped his steps and a small smirk lit up his face.

    "Same as you, I suppose." He held out his hand. "Would you like to speak with my parents?" Beth

    looked down at his hand and shook her head. "I didn''te all this way to speak with your parents. I

    came for answers."

    "Haven''t we all." Daemon said. His eyes darkened a little as they met with Doris''s.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    #Chapter 36 Don''t go anywhere

    "I don''t think your boyfriend would like you luring me out into the forest sote at night." Daemon said.

    Doris narrowed her eyes but he only continued with a smug look on his face. "If you wanted to talk, you

    don''t need to put on sucha show."

    "I don''t understand what you and your parents hope to gain from this kingdom. You have clearly

    overstayed your wee." Doris crossed her arms over her chest. "Your lies have been told, it''s time

    for you to go."

    Daemon chuckled to himself and started to pace the clearing. Beth nced at Doris with raised brows.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Your king has already made that clear. We leave soon, so hopefully you and your prince will sleep

    better at night." He said. "I know how it feels to sleep with one eye open."

    "Did you get what you came for? Did all these weeks lead up to anything?" Doris asked. "I would hate

    to hear all the nights you watched me led to nothing."

    Daemon smirked a little when he looked at Doris. Even his handsome features couldn''t hide his

    devilish looks. "I think this trip was sessful. Perhaps one day you will see why. But that is the fun

    init, isn''t it?"

    Beth took a step closer and Doris had to grip her arm. She knew her friend wasn''t foolish enough to

    approach him, but the look in her eyes made Doris a little doubtful. They locked eyes and she lowered

    her eyes and stepped back.

    "You''re trying to turn the people against the pce, aren''t you?" Doris asked. Beth nced over at her

    with a surprised expression. Daemon shrugged and brushed his fingers across a leaf. "One might say

    that a strong kingdom could never lose its following. If you think your pce is so strong, I don''t think

    you should worry about a thing like that."

    "That might be true, unless someone has fed them lies and put a crack into its foundation. I find your

    presence here very rming. Even my friend here has noticed the shift in energy of this pce."

    Daemon nced at Beth before he met Doris''s eyes again. "If you were afraid we were going to leave

    without a goodbye, don''t be." Doris narrowed her eyes at him. The way the side of his mouth lifted as if

    he knew all the secrets that she wanted. She felt foolish to have even considered being nice to him

    when he was someone that lied to her from the start. He started to back out of the forest and bowed his

    head. "Goodbye, mydy. And her friend."

    The girls watched him leave and stayed silent for a long moment. Beth finally turned to Doris with wide

    eyes. "We have to warn William! I can get Enzo¡ª" "I think he already knows." Doris said quietly as she

    stared at the ce where Daemon was a moment before. "Why does he have such an interest in my

    white wolf? I knew he would follow me out here."

    "I don''t trust him. How long has he been following you out here?"

    "Weeks. He would alwayse when I was at the end of it. He would try to push me to be more than

    what I was." Doris said quietly. Something felt off about it all. She knew it wasn''t a secret that she was a

    white wolf, but many people still didn''t know about it.

    Beth was quiet for a long moment. She went to Doris and took her hand. "Let''s get back. This ce

    gives me the creeps."

    Doris followed Beth back into the pce and felt that shift of energy again. Whispers quieted the

    moment she came through the door. Servants scurried off and out of sight as if they were afraid she

    would approach them.

    "We should find William." Doris whispered. Beth only nodded and they tried not to look as if they were

    ina rush as they picked up their steps. The clouds darkened as they exited the pce again. It was

    perfectly suited to how Doris felt inside. Everything felt as if it was slipping out of her grasp and she

    couldn''t hold onto it.

    William stood like a dream across the field in his riding gear holding their baby against him with one

    arm and talked with the men around him. If it was any other time, Doris would have slowed her steps to

    admire him. The way his ck hair grew even more of a mess from the wind. If her hair looked like

    that, she would look crazy. But it always made him more attractive.

    "William." Doris called. Every head turned to her the second she opened her mouth. William broke

    away from the group instantly without a word. He came up and grabbed her arm to lead her away. Beth

    hurried her steps to follow. "What happened?" He asked.

    "There''s something strange going on. I¡ªI don''t know how to exin it, but something isn''t right.

    " Doris whispered. She nced over her shoulder to see his group staring at them openly as if they

    were a show. "I think those rulers have started something with your people."

    William furrowed his brow. "They''re set to leave tomorrow morning, Doris. This game has gone on for

    too long."

    "What game?" Doris asked. "I don''t understand¡ª"

    William sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before he passed Alec to Beth. It sent a warm ping

    through her heart knowing that he trusted her.

    "I have someone looking into them while they''ve been here." He said quietly. "They''re at their kingdom

    now. I already ordered for them to pull back before the rulers leave but I think I got everything I need."

    "What?" Doris whispered.

    "I think I have information that will bring their kingdom down. I''m waiting for the messenger to get back."

    William said quietly and nced behind him. "They won''t be able toe back from it."

    "William¡ªdo you think they''re here to do the same to you?" Doris whispered. She could feel his warm

    breath caress her face.

    "They are, that much has been true. Which is why I need them far from this pce." William waved to

    the group that was waiting on him before he turned and brought Doris towards the pce. "You should

    stay in your room until this is over. I don''t know what they might do to get what they want."

    "I don''t want to hide away, that would make mea sitting duck to them!" Doris whispered. William''s grip

    tightened on her arm. Doris said nothing until they were all in their chamber.

    "Where''s Enzo?" William asked when the door closed behind them.

    "He''s trying to find out where the bad energy wasing from." Beth said as she rocked Alec. "He''s

    been wandering the pce for a few hours."

    "I have to talk to him. You two stay here and don''t leave this room." William said in a stern voice before

    he turned to leave. Doris and Beth stared at each other with an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    #Chapter 37 Unusual objects

    William''s POV

    Enzo was harder to track down than he should''ve been. He was breathless by the time William found

    him on the second floor by an old nursery. William grabbed his arm and hauled him into a random

    room.

    "Nice to see you too!" Enzo said and straightened himself. William closed the door on his guards from

    following them in. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust them, he just had to be careful. It seemed everyone in the

    pce had started to look at him differently.

    ¡°What did you learn?" William asked. He didn''t want to admit that he was relieved to have Enzo here.

    He always handled things with a sense of ease that not many people could have. Still, Enzo would

    never let him forget it if he did admit a horrible thing like that.

    "The entire ce is talking about you¡ªand not in a ttering way. There''s a different stream of gossip

    down every hallway you turn." Enzo leaned against the wal] and shoved his hands deep into his

    pockets. "Honestly, I regret staying away for so long. If I had known your pce has be so

    entertaining, we would have never left. u¡°

    "Enzo. What sort of things are being said?" William asked impatiently.

    "They think you''re trying to sell the kingdom to those rulers you have visiting. Others heard that you are

    bringing in some... bad people to help decide things for your viges. As for the rest of the rumors... I

    think it would be best if you didn''t hear those."

    "I have to get them out of my pce." William muttered. "I don''t know why it feels as if something

    worse has happened. I can''t put my finger on it, it''s more of a gut feeling."

    "I feel it too. It''s in the air." Enzo said in a serious tone. He pushed off the wall. "I already saw the rulers

    have their carriage packed. I assume they''re on their way out."

    "I need to make sure of that. 1 know they wanted to nt a poison in this pce." William headed for

    the door with Enzo on his heel. The halls always silenced when he walked through, but now he felt

    more eyes on him than normal.

    Or maybe it was all in his head. It was better to be overly cautious than to be sorry about itter. The

    last time he had a bad feeling like this, Doris had almost been taken from him. He wouldn''t let that

    happen again, even if he had to burn down their pce to prevent it.

    "Where are our guests?" William asked one of his guards. The man straightened the moment he spoke

    up.

    "They should be near the carriages by now if they haven''t gone already, your majesty. They said they

    hope to depart before nightfall."

    "Not even a proper goodbye? How rude." Enzo said and lifted his head slightly. Their strides were long

    and fast. By the time they reached the stables outside, the carriage was already out of the main gates.

    William stood and watched them leave for a long moment. It still didn''t feel right even knowing that they

    were almost gone from his kingdom. They left their mark, it stained everything they touched. "Check

    their rooms. Make sure they didn''t leave anything behind." William ordered. "Yes sir." One of his guards

    bowed and moved to leave.

    "Perhaps we should celebrate. I didn''t think this visit would be so exciting." Enzo said as he pped his

    hands together. William only didn''t snap at him because he knew he was trying to keep things light

    even when they felt so heavy. | "No, I think we should have a look around ourselves actually." William

    said and turned to follow the guard up to their room.

    "What do you expect they left? Some sort of dramatic letter that a lover might leave another?" "Have

    you ever been serious for longer than a moment?" William grumbled. He headed for Daemon''s room

    first.

    "Not longer, no. But I do try to attempt it oncein a while." Enzo followed William into the room. " What

    on earth would we be looking for in here? Every thing in this room looks as if it was someone else''s¡ª"

    They both froze when they noticed the box on the table.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    It was addressed to Doris. "What the hell¡ª" Enzo went to pick it up and open the box while William

    grabbed the letter. "All it says is that only she would understand." William said as his anger spiked

    through his veins. He grabbed the box out of Enzo''s hands to see a white stone ne inside.

    "How strange. Why would he give Doris a ne like this? Did he know she was a white wolf?" Enzo

    asked.

    "Yeah, he has been following her out into the forest apparently." William growled.

    "These nes are meant for white wolves. They help the power flow through them more smoothly

    and they''re quite rare toe by. This ne alone is worth more than half a vige." William''s

    brows furrowed. "If they''re n debt, why wouldn''t he just sell this to help? Why would he give it to Doris?"

    "Perhaps we should ask her." Enzo suggested. William didn''t bother to look around any further, he let

    his guards do that as he stormed out of the room. He could barely hear all of the nonsense that Enzo

    was spilling out as he trailed behind him.

    Doris and Beth had their heads bent together in conversation when William entered. They both stood.

    "Why would Daemon leave you this ne?" William shoved it in her grasp a little more harshly than

    he intended. She looked at him shocked for a moment before opening the box. He saw pure confusion

    on her face before a light went off. She went to the side of their bed and pulled out a book.

    "What is that?" William grumbled. Alec was still sound asleep in his bed. It was a miracle that kid slept

    as much as he did even when his father lost his temper.

    "It''s a book on white wolves." Doris said absently as she flipped through it. Finallynding ona page

    with nes. "He left this for me?"

    "Don''t sound so touched." William snarled.

    "I''m not touched, I''m confused." Doris took the ne out of the box to study it as if she didn''t believe

    it was real. "This is extremely rare..."

    A sort of dazed look crossed her features. She nced over at William. "I..." She quickly put the

    ne back in the box. William went to her side and gripped her arm. "I don''t think I should have

    touched that..."

    "What''s happening, Doris?"

    "It''s a horrible pull... it wants me to wear it." She whispered.

    Enzo came and took the ne far from her. She stared at it with a dark look as if she would have

    jumped across the room to get to it. William held her right where she was but it still didn''t feel like

    enough.

    "Enzo. Make sure there''s nothing else like that in their rooms." William ordered. Enzo was watching

    Doris with a curious look before he bowed his head and turned to leave.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    #Chapter 38 something bad is here.

    In the dead of night, Doris woke to the sound of someone calling her name. She shot up straight in bed

    and looked around to find only darkness in front of her. She heard the soft sounds of breathing beside

    her and a smaller one across the room.

    Something about the sight of her family calmed her almost instantly. Whatever that startled her must

    have only been a dream... nothing more. With all of the stress this pce has had, she wasn¡¯t

    surprised.

    William didn¡¯t stir. He was further from her than usual on their endless bed, she expected his arms to

    be mped tight around her small body like they usually were. It felt like mountains separated them

    and perhaps that was why he couldn¡¯t feel her jerk awake.

    ¡° .Doris....¡± The voice said again. She flinched at the sound that was so close to her yet so far away as

    if it wasn¡¯t there at all. It felt as if ahand had caressed her arm and pulled her from the bed by force.

    ¡°wait! No¡ª William!¡± Doris tried to jerk free and turned to look at where William was, but all she saw

    was darkness. She was no longer in her room at all.

    Her chest felt tight, almost as if she couldn¡¯t breathe. She clenched her throat and looked around to see

    herself in another room in the kingdom. She turned and the door was wide opened behind her, but she

    didn¡¯t remember how she¡¯d gotten there to begin with.

    Doris turned and went to head back to her room, but something stopped her. It felt like a strange power

    was pulsing in the room. She turned and saw the same box from before on the table... but it wasn¡¯t

    there when she first looked around.

    Doris nced behind her and flinched when she saw the door was closed. ¡°What is this?¡± She asked

    the air, would anythinge out? Was this just another nightmare trying to warn her to teach her a

    lesson?

    Her voice sounded normal again. Before, it was almost hollow and far away from her. Nothing

    answered her... had she been sleep walking?

    ¡°How did I get here?¡± Doris asked her inner wolf.

    ¡°Where....¡± Cordelia sounded drowsy as if she had been drugged or something. Suddenly, she felt an

    alertness inside her. ¡°Why are we near that thing?¡± She hissed.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Doris neared the box but hesitated. ¡°Why did it call me to it?¡±

    ¡°It wants you to put it on.¡± Cordelia said. ¡°The power is calling to a host and you are the only one that

    can use it within miles and miles of this pce. Strange, though. Normally it wouldn''t call for help

    unless something was happening.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Doris whispered. ¡°What would be happening?¡±

    ¡°Something... bad or dangerous. It pulls you to it to use your full power against it¡ªbut it can kill you if

    you actually do.¡±

    ¡°Kill me?¡± Doris took a step back. ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°I could drain all of your power and trap it inside the

    ne if you don¡¯t hold on. If you don¡¯t take it off in time, it could also trap you to do it¡¯s bidding and

    no one could break you of the power. It¡¯s happened a few times before to other white wolves. They did

    whatever the power wanted them to do until it used up all the power or until someone killed them to

    stop it.¡±

    ¡°If I take it off in time... is it safe to use?¡±

    ¡°Well, Isuppose. But there is always a risk.¡± Cordelia whispered. ¡°Look what it did to you already, that¡¯s

    not a power you should mess with. Only if it was life or death, do you understand.¡± Doris backed away

    from the ne that seemed to glow inside the box. She opened the door with ease and left.

    The halls were empty. Not one soul was standing at the walls or by the doors like they normally would

    be in the dead of night. The halls were dim, she had to grab a candle off a table just to find her way

    back to the room.

    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right....¡± Cordelia said.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s been like that ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°No, something else. Cant you smell it?¡± Suddenly it was like a switch that turned her senses on. She

    could smell everything from miles away including ¡ª fire.

    Doris gasped and took off down the hall. She ranas fast as she could to get to William and her baby.

    When she bursted through the door, William was halfway dressed. He dropped his shirt and grabbed

    Doris¡¯s arms to pull her against him. She gasped at his embrace. It was everything she needed, his

    warmth and protection made her want to melt into him. ¡°William¡ªdo you smell it e¡±

    ¡°I do. Where were you?¡± He pulled away to look down at her. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Alec who

    sat on the bed chewing on his own tiny hand. ¡°I think I slept walk to the ne¡ª William

    A guard threw the door open and William pulled her back behind him. The man had wild eyes as he

    looked at the king.

    ¡°Your majesty¡ª forgive me, but the viges¡ªit¡¯s absolute chaos!¡± He stammered. He looked sweaty

    and out of breath, he could barely get his words straight. ¡°There¡¯s some sort of attack, everything is on

    fire! People are dying¡ª¡° William quickly finished dressing himself and turned to Doris. ¡°Stay here.¡±

    ¡°William, I can help!¡± Doris tried to follow him but he pushed her back just as Beth and Enzo came into

    the room with wide, tired eyes.

    ¡°Stay here.¡± William growled before he followed the guard out. Enzo took one nce at Doris and Beth

    before he followed close behind William and shut the door once they were out.

    Doris held Alec and Beth came tofort both of them. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Something is happening to the vige! He said people are dying ¡ª ¡°

    Beth turned to the door with a gasp. ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡®We have to help them! I know I can help if he let me, I¡¯ve helped him before.¡± Doris stood and handed

    Alec to Beth.

    Beth looked at Doris with wide eyes. ¡°Doris ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit here and be a useless excuse for a white wolf. I¡¯m going to help them whether he likes it or

    not.¡±

    Beth swallowed and nodded slowly. ¡°You area star, Doris. I don¡¯t think anything could ever take your

    light out.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope not.¡± Doris turned to grab a cloak. Beth grabbed her hand before she could leave the room

    without another thought.

    ¡°I love you, Doris. Please be careful and remember that your son is waiting for you to return.¡±

    Doris looked down at her beautiful baby and kissed his head before smiling a little at Beth. ¡°I will return.

    Stay in here and lock the door, I will find a guard to watch you.¡±

    Before Beth could change her mind or support of Doris throwing herself into fire, Doris hurried out of

    the room and went to find it.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249

    #Chapter 39 A fire and misery

    William POV

    The smell became more and more intense as he rushed down the halls. Everything was dark, but he

    saw an orange glow out the window that he knew shouldn¡¯t have been there. Enzo was on his heel

    barking questions at him that he didn¡¯t have time to answer¡ªor even know the answer to. Soon, Enzo

    seemed to catch on himself and followed him quietly.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    All of the guards were already out of the pce as if they were about to storm the viges to help. They

    surrounded William as soon as they saw him as if they remembered who they were supposed to be

    protecting.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± William demanded. ¡° Where are the soldiers?¡±

    ¡°They were training on the battlefields overnight. We¡¯ve sent for them already¡ªthey¡¯re on their way and

    should be here soon¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hunter wolves are attacking the vige! They say that they¡¯vee on behalf of the pce!¡± One of

    the other guards shouted as he raced up to them. He stopped and put his hands on his knees to catch

    his breath.

    ¡°The pce of Eldon?¡± William growled. He was already heading towards the vige with his guards on

    his heels. ¡°They¡¯re attacking one of my viges?¡±

    Would theye for the pce next? William didn¡¯t want to consider that. He would tear them all apart

    before they could get anywhere near his family. He should have been that way from the start instead of

    ying a political game that led to this.

    ¡°No.¡± The guard said and stopped short. He gave William an odd look. ¡°They said that you sent them to

    the vige.¡±

    ¡°T assure you that your king would never do such a thing.¡± Enzo snapped at the guard. He flinched and

    took a small step back.

    William didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that lie the hunters told. He could hear screams from where he

    stood and he knew that they were dying. Thest thing he wanted to think about was his people dying

    and believing he was the reason why. William shifted into his wolf and raced down the pce steps

    with Enzo behind him. They moved down the path like lightening, it was hard to tell when his feet hit the

    ground with how fast he moved across the surface.

    The mes lit up the dark sky. Normally he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see his vige at this time of

    night. But he could have seen it from miles away with how many mes lit up the sky. This was all

    wrong¡ªhe had to stop this.

    The moment they entered the vige, it was pure chaos as the guards told him. Survivors were in the

    dirt on the edge of the vige looking on helplessly. Screams came from every angle and across the

    vige, a building exploded.

    What the hell was happening? How has it gotten so bad so fast?

    William and Enzo broke off into different directions towards the closest screams. William could only

    hope his friend would be fine, they didn¡¯t have enough help but he knew it was on the way.

    William ran in through the first mes and ignored the burns as he pulled out a woman that was

    trapped in the corner. He dragged her out with the rest before helping a man on the second floor.

    As he was about to go to the next house, a strange, dark wolf stood in his path. He growled as he kept

    his stance in front of William as if it was scare him. William didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest.

    He tackled the wolf to the floor and ripped out his throat before taking down the one that tried to sneak

    up on him. His rage burned through him. He felt as if he could have lit them all on fire with just his

    anger he felt burning through him.

    The rulers that he had tried to treat with respect sent wolves to harm his vigers. He invited them to

    stay at him pce and all they did was sent death and misery in return. Perhaps they learned that

    William had a spy in their pce. Maybe they found out his own ns and tried to act first to win.

    They didn¡¯t realize the wrath they caused with this. They wouldn¡¯t be ready to handle what William

    would do to them after this. He would take everything from them andugh as they begged for mercy.

    Doris was in the back of his mind. He knew she never listened and he loved her for it, but this time he

    hoped she stayed put. It was hard to see between all of the fire and what could be hiding in the

    shadows.

    William moved as fast as he could. He moved through the fire even as it tired to burn his fur off and

    tried to find as many of his vigers as he could. This vige was one of thergest in the kingdom and

    it seemed like there was only pain all around him.

    He couldn¡¯t focus on the ones that were dead. He had to shove down the feelings that tried to arise at

    the sight of them. This was his fault. He yed a dangerous game and his people suffered because of

    him.

    They were dead because of him. If he had rejected their invitation and minded his own kingdom, this

    wouldn¡¯t have happened. He felt selfish and the selfishness only drove him to move faster and take

    down anything that tried to stop him.

    Enzo was tackled across the fiery clearing. William brought down two of the wolves before Enzo caught

    his footing and was able to take down the rest. They worked like a force together back and forth. They

    both knew that the other had their backs without having to check.

    A roof ona nearby home caved in and brought the entire thing crumbling to the ground. The sound of

    helpless cries broke his chest and made him want to run straight to their kingdom and do worse than

    what they did here. He knew that if there was anyone inside, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help them.

    Enzo cried out and brought William back to the moment. He knocked a wolf off his back and skid

    across the clearing. He almost went straight into a pile of mes but something big came straight at

    him and knocked him back.

    William didn¡¯t hesitate, he pushed back and snapped at therge wolf who tries to best him. He already

    had enough blood on him to fill a wolf, but he didn¡¯t mind taking more.

    The wolf¡¯srge teeth mped on William¡¯s leg the exact moment something grabbed William by his

    neck and tried to rip him apart. William thrashed as hard as he could the get it off him. They stumbled

    back and he tackled them to the ground to silence forever.

    With his back turned, he didn¡¯t have a moment to notice the wolves that hanged up on him. He was

    distracted by the feeling of someone he knew well nearby. Someone he knew shouldn¡¯t have been

    there.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250

    #Chapter 40 A vige in need

    The ne shed in the moonlight. It filled Doris up to something she had never been before and

    never thought she could be. Doris didn¡¯t realize how little Cordelia had given her until this ne was

    sped around her neck.

    It made her feel unstoppable. It made her feel as if she could bring down worlds and crush anything

    that tried to stop her. It vibrated through her before he settled into her bones and made her feel as if

    she could control it. Perhaps it would all be one big mistake... or perhaps it would be enough to save

    everyone.

    Her wolf warned her before she grabbed it, but Doris could feel each time William had gotten hurt as if

    they had the same body. Every cut or scratch he had was like one to her own skin. She could smell the

    ash and hear the screams, she had to do something and it had to be big enough.

    Doris could handle it¡ªshe had no choice but to handle it. Her fur glowed bright in the darkness and lit

    her way all the way to the vige. She was faster than the wind and her feet barely touched the ground

    as she moved.

    How has she not been born with this power? It felt right... it felt as if it should have always belonged to

    her and not something she had to gain. It was her own. She knew it deep down and perhaps it was

    cruel to ever have it hidden from her. She could have been great from the start if only her wolf had

    trusted her with it.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    It made her feel like a bigger force in the universe. She felt as if she owned a part of it and finally it

    belonged to her. Her wolf was silent as if it was trying to concentrate and let the power flow through her

    properly. This was all she had ever been made for. This was where she was meant to end up.

    There was so much sound. So much sorrow and fighting happening from all around her. In one

    direction, she could hear crying. In the other, she could here the sound of an army getting near¡ª but

    not close enough to help in time. She could hear the screaming and ws shing ¡ªit was all so loud.

    With a breath, she cantered on what she needed to. She heard William through all of it and she knew

    she had to get to him. Her feet carried her across all the fire and broken buildings until she saw him

    across the clearing and she knew he felt her there.

    His eyes found her instantly and she wanted to scream at him not to look at her when other wolves

    were about to jump him. He turned toote, but Doris was already there.

    She shoved him back and took the blow of the three wolves¡ªonly it didn¡¯t hurt at all. They ricocheted

    off her as if she had a force around her. She saw them stumble in confusion, but once they saw why

    they had been pushed back¡ªtheir eyes grew wide.

    Doris growled and held her ground. Immediately William was at her side but she could tell he wanted to

    be the one in front of her. If he hada power like she did, she might have let him.

    The enemy wolves doubled in seconds. They came from all directions as if they wanted to close them

    in a circle. Enzo backed up against them to eye the ones at their back but Doris didn¡¯t feel afraid.

    It was almost as if she was out of her body, but inside it at the same time. She felt as if she was

    watching it far above her body but every move she made was her own.

    The enemy wolves out numbered them by dozens the more the seconds ticked on. She didn¡¯t have to

    look at William or Enzo to know they were worried. She could feel their energy pulse through her and

    give her a new reason to make sure they walked out of this alive. Their fear became her own and she

    had to push it down to nothing just to focus enough.

    Doris closed her eyes and time slowed. She could see each of them even when her eyes were closed.

    Each of them weren¡¯t far from her at all. Almost as if she could reach out and touch them from where

    she stood.

    She knew William and Enzo would fight to the death to protect this vige and themselves. But she

    didn¡¯t have time to tell them it was all going to be okay. For once, she wasn¡¯t scared. She knew she had

    the power inside her to stop it. She knew she had everything she needed.

    When she opened her eyes, the wolves had already started moving towards her. She nted her paws

    on the ground and took a small breath before she unleashed a bit of her power.

    Time resumed and all the wolves around them flew back into the fire or against trees. Some of them

    were injured enough that they couldn¡¯t stand, while others immediately got up and rushed at her again.

    William tried to interfere, but she was quicker. She raced ahead and met the wolves half way and her

    wrath was thest thing they saw before she dismembered them. It happened so fast, their limbs didn¡¯t

    hit the floor until she reached thest wolf.

    Silence. Complete silence beyond breathing and fire crackling. Every soul was turned towards her a s if

    she was a god but she didn¡¯t knowif it was really her they were seeing.

    Without another though, Doris went through the vige. She went through every house, every room

    even when they were about to crumble to dust. She pulled out every soul and she knew that William

    and Enzo were busy doing the same. She could feel them move as if they had a tracker on them.

    Once it was finished, she didn¡¯t know how to help the fires. She closed her eyes and tried to find an

    answer that perhaps the ne obtained. Maybe it would carry a power that could help the

    remainder mes and save what was left¡ªif anything at all. She knew in her heart that they would

    rebuild this. She knew that William would make sure of it and she wanted to help.

    But for now, she had to stop this fire before more lives were taken.

    The answer came to her suddenly as if the ne whispered it in her ear. She ced her paws down

    t against the ground and stayedpletely still fora moment, before the power erupted from her.

    It felt like winds left her soul. She was d everyone was behind her because it might have blown them

    straight to the sky. The ne unleashed her winds and put out every inch of the fire in the vige

    until it was no more.

    As soon as she saw thest of the fire blow out, she copsed to the floor.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251

    #Chapter 41 A fallen queen

    William¡¯s POV

    Doris looked like a goddess to his eyes. She glowed and made the world bow to her. She brought down

    every foe with barely lifting her paw, and then extinguished every bit of fire that tried to turn the vige

    into dust.

    When she finally copsed, William felt himself breathe. He shifted back into his human form and ran to

    her. He barely registered when a guard had draped a cloak around him, he took Doris into his arms and

    pulled her weak body against him.

    The ne shined in the moonlight and a spark of rage ignited inside him. What was this doing on

    her? He tried to rip it off her, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. There was no sp as if it was melted together. The

    more he pulled on it, the harder it felt. It was as if it was bing more stubborn the more he tried to

    get it off her.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± William grumbled and let the chain go. She was still in her wolf form which concerned him.

    Each time she passed out, normally she would change back into herself.

    William felt more presence around him. He nced up to see the vigers crowding around their king

    as well as his own guards. They looked down at Doris as if she was already their queen and he could

    only pull her tighter against him. ¡°Will she be okay?¡± One of the vigers asked. Enzo came to stand

    near them, he also had a cloak on from one of the guards and he watched the crowd with interest.

    ¡°She will be.¡± William said simply. He moved to gather her in his arms. ¡°I need to get her back to the

    pce.¡±

    ¡°She saves us!¡± Another woman blurred out. ¡°She saved our vige! I¡¯ve never seen power like that!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a white wolf! I never thought I would ever live to see a white wolf.¡± An older manmented.

    William stood with Doris in his arms and began to walk back to the pce. Still, his people followed.

    ¡°Make sure everyone here has a ce to sleep tonight.¡± William said as he passed his guards. He

    ignored the murmuring of thanks behind him and watched his bride try to breathe normally in his arms.

    He wanted to be mad at her. He wanted to scream and shake her until she woke up so he could

    scream some more. She never listened. She never stayed still and allowed him to handle things.

    He loved her for that. He loved that she had a heart of gold and chose to follow it even if it meant going

    down darker paths to do what was right. He loved that she didn¡¯t cower from him once she found

    herself. He loved everything about her and he knew this small space that formed between them had

    only made them stronger in the end.

    The only thing he didn¡¯t love was the feeling in his chest. It felt as if his heart was about to break in half.

    What if the ne didn¡¯te off? He was told that it tried to suck a person dry if it had the chance.

    It could suck the life out of her if she wasn¡¯t strong enough to resist it.

    He would give his own life to restore hers. She would hate him for admitting it but it was true. He would.

    She was the mother of his child and she was the reason this kingdom had hope flicker in their

    expression even on the darkest day.

    They all talked about how great she was the whole way back. No one questioned if he had sent those

    Hunter wolves. He knew they could tell the truth and could see he wasn¡¯t involved, he didn¡¯t have to

    prove anything.

    They spoke about her as if she was already their queen and William would have felt his cold heart

    warm if Doris hadn¡¯t been unconscious.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    William brought her to the medical wing and they immediately took action. All the noise was closed

    behind him until he heard Beth rush in the door. ¡°Where is she? Is she okay?¡± Beth said, out of breath.

    Enzo came in behind with Alec in his arms. William checked his son before he turned to Beth.

    ¡°They¡¯re not sure how to get that thing off.¡± He grumbled and raked his fingers through his hair. ¡° I

    don¡¯t... I tried to break it but it only grew stronger.¡±

    ¡°She has to be the one to break it.¡± Enzo said. William gave him a long look and he continued. ¡° She¡¯s

    losing herself. She has to find her way back here and release the hold herself or it will nevere off.¡±

    William opened and closed his hands at his sides. He was used to using them to get his way. He would

    be rough and tough and everything would fall at his feet. But now¡ªnow he felt at a loss. He felt as if he

    didn¡¯t have it in him to fight when he knew it would only make it worse for her. He just wanted her back.

    William left them and went to sit at Doris¡¯s side. He raised his hand and the room emptied, leaving

    William alone with Doris.

    He ran his fingers through her hair and looked down at her with a softness that only she could ever

    bring out of him.

    ¡°When I first saw you, I tried to fight the voice that told me how beautiful you were. A part of me hated

    that from the first moment, you made me want to soften without saying a word.¡± William spoke gently.

    Doris flinched a little beneath his touch¡ª perhaps she could hear him.

    ¡°I could see there was a small spark of fire in your eyes whenever I told you what to do. I knew that

    beneath all the small flinches and scared behaviour, there was someone stronger beneath. I saw it for

    the first time in the north and I knew 1 loved you then.¡±

    Doris moved her head closer to him. ¡°My entire life I was so sure that I didn¡¯t want to fall in love. I didn¡¯t

    want someone that I had to care for and worry about. I resented how much I cared about you. I told

    myself that it wasn¡¯t love, it was just possession. But it wasn¡¯t. I love you, and I would have loved you

    even if you weren¡¯t my mate. I would love you even if you left me there in the cold and never came

    back.¡±

    William¡¯s fingers touched the ne and it was hot enough to burn. He quickly pulled away. ¡°You

    we''re always meant to be a queen. And a mother. Come back fo me, Doris. Don¡¯t let this take you, you

    know you''re stronger.¡±

    A few moments passed in silence. William sighed and dropped his head in his hands. There had to be

    something he could do¡ª

    The bed shifted a little and he shot his head up to see Doris clenching nkets to her chest with one

    hand, and the ne in the other.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252

    #Chapter 42 Exposing evil

    William POV

    ¡°Doris¡ª¡° William breathed as he moved up to take her in his arms. She stared down at the broken

    ne with a dazed look.

    ¡°Is....everyone okay?¡± She whispered. Her voice was hoarse and she looked startled to even be awake.

    Suddenly, she threw she ne far away from her as if it burned to touch. He wanted to throw it into

    the ocean but that still wouldn¡¯t be far enough away from her.

    ¡°Everyone is fine... are you okay?¡± William asked as he brushed the hair from her face. Besides Alec,

    she was the only one he ever wanted to be gentle with. No one else mattered as much as she did. He

    felt her pain as if it was his own. It drummed inside his veins and pushed him to be better.

    ¡°Y-yeah... I thought I had died.¡± She admitted. ¡°It felt like my life was draining out of me and¡ªI heard

    your voice.¡± Doris¡¯s whispered. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at William. ¡°I heard your voice

    through the darkness. I ran towards it. I couldn''t stop running until I got to you. I heard everything you

    said.¡±

    Doris gripped his arm hard enough that he leaned forward to kiss her on the mouth. He kissed her

    slowly, hard enough to remind her she was alive and here with him. But gentle enough to remind her

    how he loved her.

    ¡°I love you too, William.¡± She whispered. Her fingers brushed gently against his jaw before they fell

    against the bed. ¡°I love every inch of you. Even theplicated ones.¡±

    William smiled a little at Doris as she clenched the sheets around her. She looked so drained and tired,

    William helpedy her back against the bed. ¡°You¡¯re here with me. I¡¯ll make sure that ne never

    gets near you again.¡± He had to bite his lip to stop from lecturing her. He would eventually, but she

    didn¡¯t need that now.

    ¡°I think Daemon knew what wasing.¡± She blurted. Just the sound of his name made William angry.

    He had to swallow the rage that tried toe out along with everything else that was bubbling up

    inside him. ¡°That was why he left that for me. He wanted to give me the strength to fight it. Don¡¯t you

    think? I can¡¯t understand why else he would have left it especially since he also gave me the book to

    understand it.¡±

    ¡°Or he hoped it would drain the life out of you since he knew you weren¡¯t experienced enough to handle

    it.¡± William snapped. Doris closed her eyes andid her head against the pillow. ¡°He is not worthy of

    your kindness. He does not deserve you seeing the bright side of things on his behalf.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Doris whispered. William let out a breath and kissed her head. ¡°I think he is the one that really

    killed that guard.¡± Doris admitted quietly. William said nothing, but he had thought the same thing.

    ¡°Rest. I will be back soon.¡± He whispered before leaving.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Beth asked the moment he stepped out of the room. ¡°Can I see her?¡±

    ¡°You can sit with her. She¡¯s resting ¡ªmake sure she¡¯s dressed before anyone else sees her. I will be

    back soon.¡± William said. He kissed Alec¡¯s sleeping forehead before he left down the hall. Now that he

    knew Doris was safe, he had to take care of something else. His guards fell into step beside him and

    followed him down the long, dark halls.

    ¡°The army is in the vige, they¡¯re going to help rebuild in the morning. All of the vigers were given a

    ce to stay in the visiting part of the pce.¡± His guard filled in for him.

    ¡°Good. I need the royal court woken immediately. We have matters to discuss.¡± William said.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    Within the hour, the room was filled with tired looking men and women. Their patience could run thin,

    but William didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°The kingdom of Eldon has attacked my vige and imed that it was my doing. This is enough to

    bring a war.¡± William stated. A few gasps rang out around the table but he kept on before anyone tired

    to put their opinion in. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary. I think we have already won.¡± ¡°What do you

    mean by that?¡± Someone asked. William didn¡¯t even bother to lift his gaze to see who. ¡°We can¡¯t let

    them disrespect our kingdom like that ¡ª ¡°

    William dropped down a pile of papers that had been brought to him by his spy. ¡°My messengers are

    already on their way to their viges to let them know how much money their rulers have stolen from

    them. They made thousands of their people homeless because of their debt. Many had died from

    starvation and the cold but none of them cared. They only wanted a cheap fix to get crime lords off their

    backs.¡±

    It was silent for a long moment. ¡°It¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Every word. I have proof that dates back years and record

    of all the viges they took from. By morning, their pce will be swarmed with angry vigers.¡± William

    leaned back in his seat as they started to go through the papers and passed them around.

    ¡°Those rulers thought this kingdom would be an easy steal. They knew we had no debts like that and

    that we might be able to win over my people by making them distrust me. I¡¯m sure they had more

    nned than just this, but it ends tonight.¡±

    ¡°We will make sure this is taken care of, your majesty. Don¡¯t worry about this.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    William stood. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear of their kingdom again unless it¡¯s to tell me of their downfall. They

    are not wee in mynd any longer and will be dealt with if spotted. Let it be known to all who patrol

    the boarder that they are not to cross.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± The room said. William left before they could say anything else. He had to stop

    himself from riding all the way to their pce himself to set it aze. He wanted to watch their home

    turn to ash just as they made William¡¯s vige. They could have been the reason Doris never woke up

    and¡ªthey¡¯re lucky she did. If she didn¡¯t, their fate would be much worse than some angry vigers.

    He hurried down the hall back towards the medical wing. He hadn¡¯t been gone very long, but every

    second away from her felt like hours. When he entered, Alec was asleep in a small crib near her bed

    and Doris was speaking softly to Doris. Beth smiled at Doris and stood to leave when she saw William.

    ¡°I''lle byter. Get some rest.¡±

    ¡°You need rest too, Beth.¡± Doris said gently. William came to sit on the edge of her bed and took her

    hand once Beth was gone. Doris smiled at him and suddenly he forgot all the anger he ever had. ¡°Are

    you okay?¡± She asked him as if she had a right to say such a thing when she was the one in a hospital

    bed.

    William kissed her hand and held it to his chest. ¡° I want to get married tomorrow.¡± He said.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253

    #Chapter 43 Wedding preparations

    Doris felt like anew woman. Cordelia felt that Doris was ready to take hold of her power after what she

    did in the vige. Even when her body became weak after the ne was taken from her, it gave her

    a new sense of strength. One that made her realize she had it inside her all along and she was the one

    that blocked it. If only she had trusted herself sooner, she would have had the power all along.

    ¡°If you can handle that, I know you can handle anything. You¡¯re stronger than you think, Doris.

    Everyone knows that except you.¡± Cordelia said gently. ¡°I am so proud of what you have be and I

    am here with you every step of the way. Even when it gets unbearable.¡±

    Doris closed her eyes and let the words surround her. She had grown up with so many self doubts and

    people telling her she wasn¡¯t worthy. It put a block on her mind that was hard to get rid of, but now she

    finally believed it. Everyone around her looked at her with hope and amazement.

    She wanted to be what they saw. She wanted to be the thing they believed in and the person they

    wanted to rule their kingdom with their king. Not just because she was a white wolf, but because she

    was worthy to them. For once, she believed she was. No longer was she part of the shadows. She was

    something to believe in.

    She was a white wolf, an honor to be. One that wasn¡¯t easily given to just anyone. To be a white wolf

    was to be worthy before you were even born. It might have taken Doris a long time to see that, but now

    she did.

    It was the morning of her wedding and all she wanted to do was sneak off and find William to

    somewhere they could be alone. She wanted to kiss him in the darkness and hear his deep voice

    against her ear. Only that could bring herfort from the storm in her chest. He was her onlyfort

    besides Alec¡ªher perfect little family that would one day grow into something bigger. Word came that

    the kingdom of Eldon was under attack by their own people. They called for aide but no one would

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Beth popped her head into the bridal suite and smiled widely at Doris. ¡°I can help you

    in your dress now.¡±

    Doris shook her head to clear her mind and gazed into the mirror. Her hair was set perfectly down her

    back in beautiful waves. Her makeup made her look like a doll with beautiful skin and liner. Every part

    of her looked perfect... all she needed was her dress.

    Alec was ready in his little suit somewhere with William. She couldn¡¯t wait to see him, she couldn¡¯t wait

    to see both of them. The next time she would kiss William, it will be to announce their marriage.

    ¡°J... yes I¡¯m ready.¡± Doris breathed and stood. Beth came to take her in a warm hug that gave her a bit

    of courage.

    ¡°I always knew you would marry a Prince. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± She grinned at Doris.

    Dorisughed and shook her head. ¡°To be fair, William was always the one you thought would never

    marry anyone.¡±

    ¡°I did think that until I noticed how he looked at you every day.¡± Beth bumped her arm against Doris.

    ¡°He looked at you as if you were his entire world.¡±

    Doris swallowed the small lump in her throat. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m meant to be queen? Do you think this

    is... this is what my life should be?¡±

    ¡°Are you joking? This kingdom is lucky to have you as their queen! They haven¡¯t had a proper queen in

    decades and now they have one that they can believe in. Ever since you saved the vige, everyone

    has been talking about how amazing you are and how they can¡¯t wait to see you be crowned!¡±

    Beth bounced a little on her toes with a smile that could light up the sky. She looked beautiful in a

    golden gown that only a maid of honor can wear. It flowed to the floor beautifully and made Beth look

    like a princess on her own. Doris didn''t need anyone else by her side, just Beth. And Enzo to walk her

    down the aisle.

    ¡°The dress is ginormous, have you seen it?¡± Doris said and quickly dabbed her eyes before it ruined

    her makeup. She didn¡¯t need a maiding in to scold her about that.

    ¡°It¡¯?s meant for a queen!¡± Beth said as she went to take off the protective stic. Doris took a breath

    and dropped her robe to the floor and allowed Beth to help her into the dress.

    Once it was all buttoned up, Doris stood in front of the mirror in shock. She didn¡¯t even recognise

    herself. She looked... beautiful. She looked like a queen.

    Beth was wiping away her tears as she watched Doris. ¡°You look so beautiful, Doris. You look how you

    were always meant to.¡±

    Doris smoothed out the big skirt and tried to walk. It was much easier than she thought. Her mind made

    her think it would be heavy and hard to walk in, but it moved with her like a dream.

    A part of her heart ached. A part that she thought she had been over for months and months. She

    swore she didn¡¯t care what her family was up to now or if they were even stil] alive but... did they ever

    miss her?

    She knew that they would try to crawl their way back in if they had the chance just for money and

    royalty, but she wished things were different. She wished they loved her enough to keep her when they

    had her. But now she supposed she was d they didn¡¯t. If they kept her, she wouldn¡¯t be about to

    marry her mate. She wouldn¡¯t have Alec and¡ªshe didn¡¯t even want to imagine a life like that.

    Doris took one more breath and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Beth took out a silver ne from her pocket. ¡°I was hoping you would want to wear this. My

    mother gave it to me before I came to the pce and I never had the courage to wear it myself, but I

    thought it would go wonderfully with your dress.¡±

    ¡°Oh Beth... are you sure?¡± Doris looked down at the simple yet beautiful ne. Beth smiled. ¡°Yes.

    You need something borrowed. When I get married, I hope you will do the same.¡± Beth sped the

    ne on her and somehow she felt ready.

    ¡°Okay... I think I¡¯m ready for this.¡± Doris whispered.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    ¡°I know you are.¡± Beth said as she squeezed her hand onest time.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254

    #Chapter 44 Happily Ever After

    An entourage of people surrounded Doris when she stepped out of her room. William said he wanted to

    be married today and that forced everything to be pushed up immediately, and it was done. The only

    difference was that this wedding would be a lot smaller than the original one since many people

    wouldn¡¯t have enough time to arrive.

    It was fine with her. A woman came behind to grab the end of her long trail and another came to hand

    her a beautiful bouquet of white flowers. Doris felt as if her heart was about the best out of her chest.

    How was this her reality? She was

    about to be crowned queen.

    The hall way stretched long in front of her. She held her breath and heard a strange ringing in her ear

    that made everything silent around her. She nced at people who were speaking to her but didn¡¯t

    hear a word of it.

    Enzo stood at the end of the long hallway by the grand doors that remained closed. Only when she got

    close enough did she hear the music beyond. It was beautiful... a wonderful melody to celebrate a day

    like this. Everything was so bright around her, it was hard to believe she ever had a bit of darkness in

    her life.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Enzo asked as Doris stopped in front of him. He took in the sight of her a let out a low

    whistle. ¡°You look stunning, Doris. William is a lucky man to ever have im on you.¡±

    Doris smiled but she felt her anxiety creep up her throat. She couldn¡¯t believe this was about to

    happen. She knew inside that It was easy, this was easy. She wanted to marry him and they were

    meant to be together. This was easy. So why did she feel like she was about to throw up?

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the nerves strangle you before you get there.¡± Enzo said gently. He held out his arm and she

    took it. Somehow, that anchored her to the moment. She held onto him tightly and her bouquet in the

    other hand as someone dropped her veil down over her face.

    She took several deep breaths before nodding at the guards. In a swift motion, they opened the doors

    to the main ballroom. This room... the one she had once been used in. She got shbacks 0f the

    day when William watched her with intent eyes and she mistook his re for hatred. She never would

    have guessed it turned into this.

    The room was breathtaking... she knew the staff must have spent every waking minute trying to get it

    perfect in time. Vines of flowers dripped down from the ceiling as if it was a forest. The floors were

    covered in rose petals and elegance. It looked like a dream, she didn¡¯t even recognise the room.

    At the end of the walk way was her king. William stood with his hands sped in front of him and Alec

    had his own little throne right next to him. Her heart fluttered in her chest. This was what she always

    wanted. This was her future.

    Everyone stood the moment the doors had opened and all eyes locked on her. She begged herself not

    to trip or fall, but Enzo held her up right as he began to walk her down the aisle when the music started.

    Doris couldn¡¯t help but scan the faces as she passed each row. She was looking for one face in

    particr and she almost tripped over herself when she saw him. Daniel stood among the crowd with a

    hat tipped down low as if he didn¡¯t want to be seen. She knew it was him. She could tell by the way he

    smiled at her when her eyes caught on him. No, this was perfect. She had everyone she needed here.

    She didn¡¯t need any other family or anyone else that didn¡¯t really want to be here, everyone she loved

    was right here.

    Doris held her head high the rest of the way. The closer she got to William, the more she knew she was

    doing the right thing. He looked at her with such love in his blue eyes. There was no storms, no second

    guessing. Just pure love.

    Doris let go of Enzo when he helped her up the stairs and took William¡¯s hands. Beth stood behind her

    and it felt as if the rest of the room faded away.

    ¡°You look beautiful.¡± William whispered to her. His words were meant just for her, a secret only they

    owned.

    ¡°You look handsome.¡± She said back. The side of his mouth lifted slightly and she felt as if she could

    melt into him.

    ¡°We are gathered here today to make history.¡± The pastor said as the audience all seated themselves.

    Enzo took his ce beside William and stared at Beth the entire time.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Today, our kingdom gains a new queen. Today, we witness the happiness of our king and the unity 0f

    love. Our king has found his mate and today and every day after, they will belong to each other

    officially.¡±

    ¡°Your majesty, if you would like to start with your vows.¡±

    William clenched his teeth before loosening his jaw. ¡°Doris¡ªmy mate and soul. If there was ever a

    reason to tie myself to you that measured more than the way I feel about you, It wouldn¡¯t exist. You

    were made for me and I was made to love you. You¡¯re stubborn, strong willed and beautiful. I love you

    even when I¡¯m unsure about everything else. I vow to love and protect you until we are both nothing

    more than dust.¡±

    ¡°Doris.¡± The pastor nodded.

    Doris felt her hands tremble, he held her tighter. ¡° William... I could write a book on all the things I love

    about you. Even when I was at my darkest, you loved me and found a way to pull me out of it. I vow to

    always be here to pull you out of your darkest times and know that my love could never fade.¡±

    ¡°Do you take Doris to be yourwfully wedded wife¡ªin sickness and in health?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± William said instantly.

    ¡°And do you Doris¡ªtake William to be yourwfully wedded husband in sickness and in health? And

    with that¡ªdo you ept being

    queen of his kingdom?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Doris breathed. William smiled at her. A real, full smile that could have lit up an entire room.

    ¡°Then I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡±

    The room stood in apuse as William moved her veil back. He took her face into his hands and

    kissed her. He kissed her like the world was going to shatter around them and all he had to do was hold

    onto her.

    Doris wrapped her arms around William¡¯s neck as he pulled her closer. She felt someone ce a

    crown on her head but all she wanted was to be in his arms forever.

    ¡°I love you.¡± William whispered against her lips before he kissed her again. It was better than any scene

    she had ever read in her books.

    She knew that from then on, they would live happily ever after.

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