Chapter 459 - One simple ride....
Chapter 459: Chapter 459 - One simple ride....
Voren’s eyes turned ice-cold in a flash, but before he could fire back any kind of response, the Alpha King strode out of the room with that same powerful, commanding presence he always carried.
Knowing his father was with Seraphine, Voren quickly reached out through their mind link, his thoughts urgent and protective.
’Dad, the Alpha King is looking for you. And remember, Seraphine wants everything kept completely secret until after the festival. Please don’t ruin this for her.’
His father’s reply came back almost immediately, warm but distracted. ’Thanks for the reminder. I almost forgot to tell you something important. She really needs to stay warm, and we’ve got to find more nutritious food that she’ll actually enjoy eating. If we help her build up her strength right now, she might be able to spend a few days in the city without completely wearing herself out.’
Voren’s heart softened with a deep rush of gratitude and affection. Left on his own, he wouldn’t have had the first clue what to do in this situation.
The only she-wolf who had ever carried a black gifted wolf in the last hundred years had been his own mother, and she wasn’t here anymore to guide him through any of it. The weight of that absence hit him hard all over again.
’I’d love to learn from your experience,’ he sent back sincerely. ’Tomorrow, I’ll make the soup myself. We can add some rice and some fruits on the side to make it even better for her and the pup."
’That’s a good idea," his father replied, but his tone quickly turned serious. ’Jaron is coming this way. We’ll talk more later.’
Outside, Athaliah quietly crossed the front yard of the pack house, the embarrassment from her father’s earlier outburst still pressing down on her like a heavy weight.
She kept her expression carefully calm and composed, refusing to let it show. Spotting one of the warriors hurrying across the grounds, she called out to him.
"Where is everyone?"
The warrior slowed down just long enough to answer. "They’re all heading over to the gym." He pointed toward the far end of the pack grounds. "It was expanded recently so it can hold pretty much everyone during emergencies like this storm."
Athaliah gave a small nod. "Thank you."
She immediately reached out to her driver through the mind link. ’Come pick me up at the gym.’
The reply that came back nearly made her stumble in shock. ’I’m sorry, Princess, but your father ordered us not to let you ride in any of the vehicles. He wants you to learn a few lessons from this.’
Athaliah clenched her jaw tight, frustration boiling up inside her. If she had known something like this would happen, she would have driven her own car instead of relying on her family.
Her father was really pushing things way too far this time, but no matter what he did, nothing was going to change her mind about her plans.
Once the festival was over, she might just return to France for good and leave all of this behind.
First, though, she needed to finish her important business discussion with Seraphine.
The gym wasn’t exactly close, but the walk would be too terrible with the weather turning nasty. Across the parking area, Voren had already made up his mind.
Every single minute away from Seraphine left him feeling more and more restless, and a strange, deep-seated uneasiness had settled inside him that just wouldn’t go away no matter what he tried.
He spotted the SUV they had arrived in and headed straight for it. Thankfully, he always carried a spare key. He unlocked the door, slid behind the wheel, and started the engine with a low rumble.
As he pulled out, someone waved from the side of the road. Athaliah hurried over quickly.
He lowered the driver’s window just enough for her to speak. "Could you give me a ride?" An embarrassed smile crossed her face as she glanced around the parking lot.
"I don’t even know where our car is parked, and I don’t have the keys with me."
She couldn’t bring herself to admit the humiliating truth about what her father had done after she accepted his rejection.
Voren simply assumed it was because she was a princess. She probably wasn’t used to driving herself, and someone else usually handled all those little details for her.
A quiet sigh escaped him. He had never liked having women ride in his car; it was one of those personal rules he had always stuck to. Still, he couldn’t just leave her standing outside with a full-blown snowstorm rolling in.
Clearly irritated, he leaned across the console and unlocked the passenger door. "Get in."
A grateful smile spread across Athaliah’s face. "Thank you."
She climbed inside just as the icy wind outside picked up even stronger, whipping snow around them.
The drive to the gym was short, and neither of them said a single word the whole way, the silence thick with awkward tension.
A few minutes later, the SUV pulled up in front of the newly expanded gym. Pack members were hurrying through the entrance, trying to beat the worsening weather.
The moment Voren and Athaliah stepped out of the same vehicle, dozens of heads turned in their direction at once.
Whispers exploded through the crowd almost immediately. "Did you see that? Princess Athaliah just showed up with Alpha Voren."
"He actually let her ride in his car. First Luna Sera, now Princess Athaliah."
"I think Luna Sera is only a business partner. Princess Athaliah is probably the real one. I wish Alpha Ravyn would take Luna Sera back. The pack really needs her."
"Or maybe Doctor Ash. I heard she has those special healing powers." One of the warriors flashed a wide grin.
"We should start expecting wedding bells soon. Alpha Voren and Princess Athaliah. Though I feel bad for Alpha Ravyn. Didn’t the princess slap our co-Luna?"
Athaliah froze on the spot. The lingering warmth from the SUV vanished instantly as the rumors hit her like a slap.
She had never imagined that asking for one simple ride would spark this kind of gossip, especially the sort that could cause real trouble for Voren.
She glanced over at him, guilt flooding her eyes, hoping desperately that he hadn’t caught any of it.
One look at the dark, stormy scowl on his face told her he had heard every word. Then another thought suddenly hit her hard. One of the Centenary Pack members had mentioned seeing Alpha Voren driving around with Seraphine earlier. Could it really have been her?