Althea paced around her room, fanning herself with her hand as she scoffed in disbelief.
The image of Hilda gulping down Nathaniel's cock was imprinted inside her head, and no matter how much she tried to shake it off, it replayed over and over again in her mind like a loop.
The door sprang open and Althea turned, a bit startled, to see Eliza stumble in. Eliza bent down, clutching her knee as she tried to catch her breath.
Althea's brows furrowed and she hurried toward her worriedly, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"You've not heard?" Eliza asked, still breathing hard
.
"Heard what?"
"Marriage…you…"
Althea held Eliza's shoulders, "Take a deep breath in," she told her. Eliza did as she was told and inhaled deeply. "Now tell me who's getting married."
Eliza looked at Althea pitifully, "You, my lady. You are getting married in two weeks."
Althea froze. "Repeat what you just said." All the blood drained from her face.
Eliza bit her lips. "The alpha had announced it earlier today, the news has spread like wildfire and everyone is talking about—"
Eliza didn't get to finish as Althea bolted out of the room.
She met Gideon halfway and Gideon stopped to greet her but she walked past him. Gideon watched her scurry off, already knowing the reason for her disposition.
Althea went in search of Nathaniel. She stopped a maid and asked where Nathaniel was.
"He's in his study, my lady," the maid responded.
"Please lead me to his study."
Althea was now standing in front of Nathaniel's study, her chest rising and falling with anger.
She wanted to barge in, but remembering the scene from earlier, she knocked instead.
She knocked so hard on the door that her hands hurt.
She stood for a while, waiting for the go-ahead to come in but none came.
Suddenly, the door opened out of nowhere, and she stepped back, quite startled.
"I wondered who would dare knock on my door in such a manner. My guess was right." Nathaniel smiled at her, but it only made her skin crawl instead. "Do come in my lady," He moved out of the way and gestured for her to come inside.
Althea glared at him and stormed into his study. She didn't bother to look around and immediately spun around to face him.
"Cancel the wedding." She cut to the chase.
"Hmm. So you've heard." Nathaniel folded his hands behind him, "Too bad, I wanted to inform you myself. So, excited?"
Althea's face twisted in disgust. "Why would I marry you? I would rather die than marry you."
"Oh really?" Nathaniel smirked. "We don't want you dead weeks before our wedding now, do we?"
Althea trembled in her anger. How could he be so indifferent to her wishes? This wasn't the life she had envisioned for herself.
"I'm betrothed to another. You can't do this!" Althea gritted her teeth. "My heart belongs to another man, not you. I love Sebastian. Do you want to marry a woman whose heart is with another?"
All the amusement on Nathaniel's face wiped off instantly, and his dark stare locked on her.
Althea quickly noticed the change in his demeanor, and her anger was now replaced with fear. The look in his eyes pinned her to the ground and her heart hammered in her chest.
What was the trigger? She thought. Which of what she said angered him?
Her adrenaline shot through again, her face twisting into a wry smile. "Does it upset you that I love another?" She scoffed. "Well, let me repeat it so it'll be clearer for you. I LOVE SEBASTIAN!"
Nathaniel's jaws ticked. "Make no mistake," he said, His expression as hard as stone. "I let you run your mouth but there are limits to which my patience can be tested."
He walked past her and took a seat in the leisure area of his study.
Althea followed behind him hollering, "Well if you don't want me testing your patience, might as well send me back to Ravenshore, because I have no plans of stopping."
"Well, I have no plans of sending you back to Ravenshore. As for your sharp mouth," he tilted his head up to hold her gaze, "I have other means."
Althea opened her mouth to retort but she paused, dread washing over her. It just dawned on her that the person before was a werewolf. A deadly one a that.
"What do you mean?" She asked trying to mask her nervousness.
"The wedding will be held in two weeks, and you will not protest further, that is, if you still want your loved ones alive."
Althea staggered backwards, grabbing a nearby desk for support.
"You wouldn't…" Althea shook her head in disbelief, her eyes wide.
"Leave." Nathaniel suddenly ordered.
Althea gathered her composure and slowly walked towards the door still in shock. She glanced back to see that Nathaniel didn't spare her another glance.
Heavens! How did she enter this situation? Nothing can happen to her parents because of her. Absolutely nothing.
Althea glared at the back of Nathaniel's head.
"You're nothing but an evil monster! I promise you, you will regret this!" She gritted out, tears falling from her eyes, before she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
As soon as she left, Nathaniel opened his eyes that were once closed.
His dark orbs now glowed red, a sign that his wolf had taken over.
Earlier when Althea had declared love for Sebastian, his wolf, Zak, had snapped. He growled and clawed at him and it took everything to keep him restrained.
'How can our mate declare love for another!' Zak growled. 'We should have claimed her at once so she'll never repeat such words!'
'Do you think you'd win her heart by forcefully claiming her,' Nathaniel fired back at his wolf in his head.
He was equally frustrated. His wolf didn't even bat an eye when an alpha from a neighboring pack made advances at Hilda.
Hilda had tried numerous times to make him jealous, but his wolf had completely ignored her.
And just a declaration of love from a little girl was getting him all riled up?
Nathaniel massaged his temples. He was still seething from Althea's profession.
So many women threw themselves at him, he could have any woman he wanted, so why…why was it that the one woman his wolf longed for hated his very guts?
How does he even win her heart?