Eero's perspective
“What's wrong?” I got a little worried as she had never been like this.
"Oh...N-Nothing..." Aelice snapped back, shaking her head.
“Have you ever gone out and search for your mate, Aelice?” I inquired as I walked towards the walk-in closet.
“No. I got no choice about that.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Unless my mate is an Alpha of a powerful pack, my father will never allow me to accept the bond with my mate.” She answered honestly as I marched out of the walk-in closet.
“You're telling me that Beta Octavio will be the one to choose your mate?!” I asked in disbelief.
“You know what, your grace?" Aelice forced a smile at me. "Not every she-wolf gets to pick her mate on her own.”
"But—"
“I'll have to go. It's time I help the Alpha King to sleep.” While I was feeling bad for her situation, Aelice stood up to leave.
“Why would you do that? You're not a serving omega. You're the beta's daughter.” I asked with incomprehension.
Yet all I got was a strained smile, as if telling me that she had no say in this.
"No, Beta Octavio cannot do this to Aelice. She's his daughter. He could be a brute, but there's no way he set up his daughter with someone of his age." I tried to convince myself as Aelice's figure disappeared behind the door of my room.
Just as I was about to get changed, a mink-link message from Caspian sounded in my mind.
"Come and help!" He sounded very urgent.
Rushing over to Claudius' room, I spotted him puking all over Caspian.
“What the hell is going on? Why's he so wasted?” I exclaimed in shock as Caspian signalled me to help him with Claudius.
"Quick! Let's get him inside his room before getting noticed." He urged me in a low voice.
Flinging Claudius' arm on my shoulder, I joined Caspian to drag him in his room.
Upon tossing Claudius onto his bed, Caspian turned on his heel and dashed out immediately.
"Wait! Caspian—" I called out but had to keep my voice low-pitched, not expecting Caspian would leave all this mess to me!
Yet he vanished into the darkness without even looking back.
Left with no choice, I turned back to take a glance at Claudius, wondering what to do with him.
My sane mind requested me to leave right away, but my wolf wouldn't even budge.
“At least help him get changed. You cannot just leave him in his puke.” She advised, begging.
“I'll just call an omega to do that.”
“Do you want Codrus to ask why you're in Claudius' room? That's a risky option.” My wolf reminded me, but it sounded more like a threat.
“Are you blackmailing me into following what you want me to do?” I felt my self-esteem offended.
“Well, is it working?” She was kinda gloating.
“You're my wolf! You're supposed to be on my side.”
“But I'm mated to Claudius' wolf. You kept telling yourself that you no longer need him, but you've never thought about my feelings. You're hurting me—”
“Okay, just shut up! I'll do it, but just this once. You'll have to keep a tight rein on yourself when it comes to Claudius' wolf.” I sighed and rolled my eyes back at Claudius on his bed.
"I know it's hard and sometimes you can't help it. But being a slave to our bond with him, it might put us in danger. We're having a perfect life as Codrus' heir. Let's stop acting on impulse and ruin what we have now, okay?”
"So you're choosing power over love, right?”
My hand stopped sponging Claudius' face as my wolf threw this gut-wrenching question at me, yet to which I decided to turn a deaf ear.
“I thought you were just mad at him and you'll get over it in the end. This is why I've been keeping my opinion to myself. But now I see this isn't just about your anger. Are you plannint to make the score even because Claudius broke your heart?” My wolf just wouldn't let it go.
“Stop it, okay?” I spat, irking that my wolf was making me feel bad about wanting power. “Love has brought us nothing but pain and betrayal. But things are different with power. Power will put us under protection. No one would be able to hurt us when we have it. You sure I'm really the one to be blamed if I'm choosing power over this stupid bond and love?” I questioned my wolf in the heat of irritation, but got no response.
This was the first time that I felt my wolf cowered at me. Disassociating herself from my body, she probably got intimidated by my words. not knowing which offended her exactly, but something must have for her to.
Gnashing my teeth with each other, I stood up from the bed and was about to leave when a raspy voice sounded from behind.
“I was right. You wouldn't accept that weak Miguel.” Claudius sat up from lying on the bed.
“You were faking it?! You weren't drunk at all!” Shocked by his sober voice, I turned to look behind my shoulder in fury.
Closing my eyes as the voices in my head asked me to leave his room, I decided to get out of here straight away.
Yet Claudius had got off bed and rushed to the door, blocking my way out. The clicking noise as he locked up the door resonated near my ears.
“Move aside. I'm leaving.” I commanded calmly.
But his mountain-like frame didn't move an inch at all.
“I said let me go, Claudius!” My voice got tougher.
Staring straight into his eyes, I rendered myself not to feel a thing as he ran his hand on my cheeks.
But my legs were shaking, of which he got a whiff immediately.