Chapter 80
Freda’s POV
“To hell with not meeting them alone,” I said to myself as I ate
breakfast in bed.
I’d woken from sleep and realized Damien’s side of the bed was cold.
He’d gotten up a while ago. I wasn’t ready for the news he’d dropped
last night. I thought they weren’t arriving until another day.
I couldn’t believe they were on their way. I wasn’t sure how to react to seeing my stepmother and her offspring. What if he’d brought the whole pack? That disgusting bully would follow, and I wasn’t ready for a whole week of disdainful glances and unnecessary chatter. I
rolled my eyes.
At least Kara was supposed to be among those arriving, and that news alone made my heart swell. I was excited for Kara’s arrival alone. Nobody else’s coming made me happy except my father. He alone
would set this little escape plan into motion.
My heart sank at the thought of escaping. Did I not want to leave this place? Was I getting attached? I asked myself all these questions as I
finished my bread.
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The knock on the door was soft. I knew it was Christie.
“Come.”
She walked in. I forced out a smile.
“You came at the right time. I’ve just finished with my meal.”
She came closer to observe the plate. “This is the most you’ve eaten,
my lady.”
She was right. I guess being anxious opened my appetite.
“I shall tell the king. This is good news.” She said cheerily.
I smiled. She was so sweet.
“You shouldn’t. It’s not news to be celebrated at times like this. Do
you know if my people have arrived?”
“No, I don’t know anything about that. I’m sorry, but I could ask. I’ve
just been in the kitchen all morning, so I suppose that could have
made me miss their arrival, that’s if they have arrived.”
I didn’t know what I was stressing about. I was queen–to–be. I doubted I would be disrespected by anyone, yet my worry never left
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- me.
“Are you okay? You seem troubled.”
I immediately felt bad for making her worry about me. “I’m alright. I
just didn’t sleep well last night. The news about this visit kept me up.
I just don’t know what to expect.”
“I understand why you worry. You must have missed talking to them,
or they must have worried you didn’t reach them. I want to believe
things should be different now. I mean, you’re queen–to–be. It would
be off with anyone’s head who tries to disrespect you.”
I knew she was only trying to cheer me up, and while it was working, I
still felt uneasy.
Another knock came on the door. I debated answering, but Christie
walked to the door and took the message the servant had brought.
“What is it?”
“They’re here. The whole pack,”
“I think I should stay back.” I panicked.
“No, my queen. Why?”
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“Christie, my pack and I didn’t have a good relationship. As a hybrid,
you know how tough that can be.”
“Not anymore. Look, I think they’ll praise you. I also think your
parents will be glad you made them proud and brought them a worthy
mate.”
My nervousness registered on my face. “I hope Kara is there. Kara is
my best friend, and I’ve missed her so much. She’s the only one who
can ease the unrest within me at the moment.”
Christie swallowed. “It’s indeed nice to hear you have someone as
special as that. You hardly mention her.”
“Yeah, because I didn’t want to grow too fond of the memory.” I stood
to adjust my dress, and Christie helped straighten it. She’d brought
the clothes this morning. It was beautiful especially fit for a queen. It
was enough to make my haters envious, but nothing about me ever
fascinated my pack. That I knew.
Mixed emotions surged through me as I walked away from my
chamber with Christie following behind. I paused and turned to her.
“I’ll be on my own now.”
She looked sad that I’d dismissed her but still complied. I didn’t want
her to watch the whole drama from my family. I didn’t want her to
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hear some information I was hiding about them.
I didn’t want her to see how Damien might treat them also. This was
between my mate and my pack, and only I deserved to interfere.
The thought of escaping crossed my mind. Should I do it now? No, I’d
get in trouble. I had no planned preparations, and my father would be
so disappointed that I’d ruined our plans.
Flashbacks of how I’d lived as an Alpha’s daughter came rushing back.
I realized I’d lived more pain than joy. Was I about to relive such
disturbing memories?
I sighed as I braced myself, walking in the hallway to eventually see
them. I had no escape. This was the time to use Elara’s teaching to
practice and show them why I was queen.
With a majestic walk, I strolled along the extended hallways with no
bodyguards or maids. Just Freda. I was enough to take down an army
of haters and bullies, I told myself.
I stopped when I could hear voices in the living room and panicked
again, I didn’t think I could do this.
Queen or no queen, I was still Freda.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
