Emira walked carefully toward the border of the Moonville Pack. It was only after crossing the border and the river that they would be able to reach the Ruins.
But she already knew they wouldn’t reach that place tonight. For years, no one had dared to use this path. There were too many rumours about rogues hiding near the ruins, while other people believed the ruins were sacred and should not be disturbed. Her attempt to escape through this route last night had reminded Alpha Soier that the place needed to be protected. She was certain that there would be twice as many guards on patrol today.
She continued walking. She could feel Prince Zen following her at a steady pace. He had kept his distance so far, but she still felt his eyes on her. That gaze made her feel strange. It made her uncomfortable and wet, and she hated herself for reacting that way.
She did not understand why this was happening. Maybe it was because her first mating heat was approaching. That could explain why she felt overly sensitive. Just one gaze from him made her feel warm all over, and her body kept reacting as if it was preparing itself for him. She clenched her fists and let her nails dig into her palms. She needed to focus. She would not let her instincts control her. No. Her destiny would be in her hands...
While she was trying to suppress her pheromones, she heard his voice behind her.
"Are you going to walk across the entire territory of the Moonville Pack? Why not shift?"
Emira stopped walking. She clenched her hands at her sides. She had hoped he would not ask that question. She did not want him to know. But she couldn’t bring herself to lie to him either.
"My wolf is latent," she said quietly. "I cannot change."
As soon as she said it, she regretted it. That truth could put her entire mission in danger. But she couldn’t take it back now.
Everyone knew what being a latent Omega meant. It was seen as a curse. Omegas were expected to bear strong pups, but how could she do that when she couldn’t even shift? No one respected a wolf who couldn’t take on their true form. She was useless in their eyes.
She waited for him to respond. She expected him to laugh or mock her. She expected some comment to remind her of what she was not. But there was nothing.
She turned slightly to glance at him. He wasn’t walking anymore. He had stopped in his tracks and was staring at her. His expression had changed. He wasn’t smiling or sneering. He looked like he was thinking deeply about something.
She turned away and kept walking. He followed without another word.
They walked for more than an hour through the territory. Neither of them spoke again. The forest was quiet except for the sound of leaves crunching under their feet. Emira stayed alert, watching for movement in the shadows. She knew this area well, but she couldn’t take any risks now.
Finally, she heard the sound of water. The river was close. She looked ahead and saw the faint outline of broken buildings in the distance.
"That place is The Ruins," she said, pointing at the crumbling stone structures ahead.
But before they could take another step, movement surrounded them. The guards had found them.
Emira’s hands clenched tightly. She had expected this. She had known that Alpha Soier would tighten security after he learned which way she had gone. Now the guards were here, and they would question the prince. His curiosity would only grow stronger about why the Alpha wanted to protect a broken-down building. And an investigation would make the truth known.
As she stood there, she felt the shift in the guards as their eyes changed from guarded to lusty towards her. Realizing that she was probably spreading her pheromones, Emira hurriedly stepped back behind the Prince, hiding herself. Why was this happening to her? Her heart sank. She had never heard of any other Omegas having this.
Unknown to her, with a single act of seeking protection from Prince Zen, Emira ended up pleasing the Prince. Not the least bit affected with the guards surrounding him, he raised an eyebrow at the men and asked," What is the meaning of this?"
The leader of the group straightened quickly, then jolted as if just realizing who stood before him. Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
"Forgive us, Your Highness," the guard said. "We have orders to stop anyone heading further. The rogue attacks in this area have been increasing. It’s not safe beyond this point."
Prince Zen raised an eyebrow. "Really? You dare to stop me?"
The guard flinched and bowed lower. "It’s not that, Your Highness. We only meant—"
"Only meant to defy me?" Zen interrupted, his voice still as silky as well, but with a sharp edge under it.
The guard’s voice shook. "No, Your Highness. We were only following Alpha Soier’s orders. Please forgive us. We only wished to keep you safe."
For a moment, Emira almost smiled.
So, he was going to force them to give way. Of course, he would. He was the prince. No guard would stand in his way for long. And if he chose to push forward, no one could stop him. She felt a spark of quiet triumph. But just as quickly as it came, it faded.
Prince Zen let out a low laugh and waved his hand. "At ease. I wouldn’t want to make your jobs difficult."
The guards looked up, confused. "I’m not here to cause trouble. I only wanted to take a walk."
He turned slightly and looked over his shoulder at Emira.
"Come. Follow me."
Emira blinked. She hesitated for only a second, then moved forward, keeping close behind him. Her scent still lingered faintly in the air, and she could feel the guards’ eyes on her. But no one said anything.
The group slowly stepped aside, parting to let them pass.
Prince Zen didn’t look at them again. He walked forward with quiet confidence, as if none of this had ever happened. Emira followed, her hands clenched and her thoughts racing.
She didn’t know what he was thinking. Why did he not insist on investigating? And how was she supposed to expose the Moonville Pack if he did not check...