5 CHAPTER 5

She had to find a means of protecting herself before their attacks got more vicious. She would be badly injured if she got into a fight with angry she-wolves. She doesn't heal quickly like other werewolves, so she always tries her best to avoid physical struggles.

She saw them sitting in the courtyard in the maids' quarters, talking like nothing happened. How heartless could they be to kill a fellow maid out of envy? The first maid that saw her gave a fearful howl, making others turn towards the wooden gate of the courtyard. Their faces drained of color when they saw her walking towards them.

Howls filled the air as she approached them, attracting the attention of the chief stewardess. The noise subsided with the presence of the chief stewardess as she demanded to know the cause of the noise. No one could reply, as causing harm to the king's properties was a punishable offense, and Charlotte was a slave bought to serve the king, making her the king's property. They all fell on their knees, pleading to the chief stewardess.

"We deserve to die," the outspoken one, who seemed to be their leader, spoke. She was the one who had the bottle with her.

Just as she was about to explain herself, Charlotte beat her to it. "It's nothing, my lady. We had an argument earlier on, but we have settled our differences," Charlotte said to the chief stewardess with a reassuring smile.

"Why are they trembling like pups that saw a ghost?"

"They must be scared of the punishment of disobeying the rules and causing a ruckus. I beg my lady to forgive them this once."

Madame scanned the maids before her before smiling at Charlotte. "Everyone to their duties," she commanded, and they all scurried away.

The end of the day came, and she was given her daily wage. Without wasting time, she headed to the market in her maid outfit. She didn't have a cloak, so she hastily walked along, hoping to get one to reduce the chill she was feeling. She bought plain clothes she could change intowhenever she was off duty, cloaks, some basic beauty products, a dagger, and a flute. She was lucky enough to get some wood for free for her fireplace. She smiled at her little bag as she headed home, satisfied.

•••

Aurelius gulped some wine amidst his meal in the eerily silent dining hall. Only the wisps of the breeze from outside could be heard in the marble-walled dining hall. The hall, with a long table adorned with embroidered satin covers, had only one chair—the chair on which Aurelius sat. No one was allowed to dine with the king, as he preferred to eat alone.

"Darius," he called out.

His bodyguard appeared at an inhuman speed before bowing at him. "What have you found?"

"I learned that she was brought to the palace about two weeks ago. She was sold to the palace by a mercenary, and my findings has it that she is from the East. There are things peculiar about her. She lacks all werewolf abilities, and her scent is like no other in the land."

All werewolves had a smell similar to wild animals. He wouldn't know that she smelled of lavender if he wasn't an affluent person. Lavender wasn't found in either Lyra or Fristia but in the far south, making it highly sought after and valued. It wasn't sold but it had been offered to him once during his coronation by the tyrant king of the southern land.

Her peculiar scent gave him sleepless nights since she arrived at the palace. How long could he fight his inner wolf? He had thought of summoning her the next day, but he pushed the thought away.

"Send a message to the chief stewardess tomorrow. I want to see her," Aurelius commanded.

"As your majesty wishes."

"You're dismissed," Aurelius said.

"Why do you hesitate? She doesn't seem like an ambitious werewolf, besides, she's powerless," Kiel said when they were alone.

"I don't want to go berserk tonight. I'll distract myself by going out to hunt." Aurelius mumbled, ignoring his innerwolf

Aurelius leaped over the high walls of the palace fence stealthily so he wouldn't attract the attention of the guards. He was in a black plain outfit with a black furry coat and a hat to cover his face. He dragged the hat to his eyebrows to hide his glowing eyes. Aurelius headed to the little bridge that led to the forest but stopped in his tracks when that peculiar lavender scent that lingered in the air reached his nose. His glowing eyes blazed even more as he sniffed in her scent. Like he was bewitched, he traced the scent, walking back towards the palace.

"Hey, young miss, why are you walking along this quiet path all alone? Why don't we accompany you?" Aurelius overheard a loud werewolf tease, and a peal of laughter was heard.

"I am the king's property; you won't go scot-free should any harm come to me," she breathed, distress evident in her voice.

Aurelius's heart became unsettled. He didn't want to go save her, but his possessive inner wolf was already stirring inside of him. A yelp from Charlotte was all it took for Aurelius's resolve to melt away like a snowball thrown into the flames. With a clean slash, the werewolf that held Charlotte slumped, making Charlotte fall too. The bone-chilling aura he emanated triggered the remaining werewolf's survival instinct; they knew he was no ordinary wolf.

Charlotte seemed shaken by the encounter and stood frozen. He held her shoulder in an attempt to help her up, but she flinched. She slowly lifted her head, and their eyes met. He heard the pace of her heart quickened as she stared into his glowing red eyes. He quietly picked her up, leaping swiftly and silently, no different from the chilly midnight breeze. The frail lady in his arms clutched the little bag in her hands tightly, closing her eyes. She seemed even more terrified than she was when she was attacked by those werewolves. That realization made Aurelius's face turn sour, and jealousy burned through him.

"Open your eyes or I'll take you to the deep forest and drop you there."

Her eyes flew open with his threat, and he looked forward quickly so their eyes wouldn't meet once again. He felt that she was staring at him, and he stifled a smile. Why did that make him feel happy?

Charlotte stared at the man who held her in his arms and sighed. How did she get into the arm of the alpha king of Fristia? He saved her from those bad werewolves. Was he always that nice? Why is he outside without his guards?

She peered at his handsome face and blushed. She tried to take her eyes away, but she just couldn't. His sharp jaw was sculpted to perfection, and his red lips were stirring the womanly desires in her. His indecently long lashes were illuminated by his bloody red eyes. She shouldn't be doing this. He is the king and someone else's mate. At that thought, her heart sank. Would she ever find her mate?

When she felt that the atmosphere was warmer, she looked up to see where they were. They had reached the palace, and Aurelius was walking right into his chamber. Charlotte panicked when the king didn't look like he was going to drop her.

"I'm fine now, Your Highness," she said. Aurelius kept walking towards his room, and all she could do was bury her head in his chest, hiding her face. Thankfully, all the guards bowed their heads immediately. Aurelius dropped her on his bed, and his predatory gaze scanned across her body, making Charlotte panic. Did he save her so he could bed her? It was naive for her to think that the king would go out of his way to save her out of benevolence.

"Please, Your Highness," she pleaded. All she could do was plead, as she couldn't go against him. Aurelius smirked before walking out of the room. He came back with a little kit shortly after.

As he walked towards Charlotte in measured strides, her heart thumped loudly. How could he be so attractive even when he was looking so deadly? He lowered at the edge of the bed and reached out for Charlotte's left ankle, and she flinched. The fact that the alpha king wanted to tend to her wounds left her uncomfortable, but a death glare from Aurelius made her swallow her protest.

She didn't even notice that she had just a little cut on her left leg. It was very little; she wondered how he took note of it, probably because the scent of her blood was distracting.

After he cleaned the little wound, he blew air on her ankle, sending tingles through her body and making her gasp. He tied a little cloth around her ankle and straightened up.

"Leave," he ordered, and she scurried towards the door. She placed her cloak over her head as she hurried along the corridors.