She's the princess of wolves?

I was happy for her. My friend Ruse is really special! She's a Royal!

But then I remembered if she's Selena's heir, does that mean she's also Alaric's mate?

It was a mix of emotions. Several thoughts crossed my mind, and most of them caused a dull ache in my chest.

What does Alaric think about this?

"Martha?" I asked the nurse as she was helping me to sit in the wheelchair.

"Yes, dear?" she replied.

She pushed the wheelchair towards the open door. We are headed to the cafeteria. This isn't part of her duties but I begged her yesterday after tasting the hospital food. She took pity on me and reluctantly agreed to bring me to the cafeteria downstairs today. She's really an angel!

"How about the hunters? Did they capture them?" I remembered there were about five of them.

"They were put in the dungeons," she answered.

"Good! They're the ones who hurt her," I commented.

"You're really a good friend, aren't you?"

"By the way, how did they know she's the one?" I asked curiously.

"Mmm...I heard It's because of the blood goblet."

As we reached the elevator, there were also three other people in the queue. We are on the 6th floor. It may take a while before it reached us.

"The blood goblet?"

"Yes, it reacted to her blood." It reacted to her blood. Blood.

"The elders and the seers witnessed it," she continued. "When they found her, she was holding the blood goblet filled with her blood," she said absentmindedly, unaware of the growing turmoil inside my head.

"How did they know it was hers?"

"Mmm... well aside from the fact that she was alone in the temple and had a deep wound in her chest, they asked her."

"And what did she say?" afraid of the words that I might hear next.

"Of course, she said it was hers."

Then, we heard a ding, and the elevator door opened.

----------------------------------------

I had to stay inside the hospital for five days. I expected Ruse and Alaric to visit me, but neither of them came. After I left the hospital, I decided to see Ruse. I was still confused as to the events of that day. Talking to her might relieve me of my worries.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I entered the kitchen and asked Alice, one of the omegas working in the kitchen.

"Hi, Aroa!" She greeted me. "I heard you've been hospitalized. How have you been?"

"I am alright now," I told her. "My wound is healing quite nicely."

"Good," she said. "Do you need anything?"

"I am wondering where Ruse is, right now."

"Have you checked her in her room?" she replied.

"I did, but it was empty. Most of her things were gone."

"Of course, that was her old room, silly!" she said enthusiastically. "Why don't you check her in Alaric's quarters?"

"In Alaric's? What is she doing there?"

"That's her new room."

"How about Alaric? Where is he staying now?"

"Still the same."

"You mean...?"

"Yup," she answered. "They have been sleeping in the same room... for the last five days."

I felt like I was punched in the gut. No. It can't be. I know Ruse was in love with Alaric, but Alaric wouldn't betray me, right? I shouldn't make any conclusions yet. I will talk to them first.

I hurriedly went into Alaric's quarters. I knocked three times and was greeted by a scowling face of Martina. I guess she was serving here now.

"Is Ruse inside?" I asked her.

"Is that you, Aroa?" I heard Ruse's voice inside.

Without waiting to be invited, I barged into the room.

"Ruse!" I looked at her. "I heard about what happened."

She suddenly became tense, but I dismissed it as a trauma from having been captured and almost killed by hunters. She stood up and turned her back on me.

"I don't want to be reminded of what happened that day."

"Yeah, I know," I told her. "It was awful."

There was a moment of silence before I finally decided to ask her my question.

"About the blood in the goblet..." I started.

"What of it?" She said sharply as she faced me.

"Is the blood yours-?"

"Of course!" she answered immediately.

"The blood is mine!" I looked at her. She was defensive. She must be hiding something from me.

"But I remembered also dripping my blood in there."

"No! The blood is mine!" She snapped at me.

"You must have been mistaken."

"But-"

"I don't want to talk about this!" She interrupted me. She took a deep breath. "I know," she said softly. "You are jealous of me."

"What? No Ruse... I have never been jealous of you."

"Really?" she asked me with disdain. "Oh, come on!" Then she laughed. "You don't have to pretend to be my friend anymore."

"I am not pretending-"

"You approached me since you know that Alaric treats me better than most of us." She continued while pointing her fingers at me. "Then when you had the chance to get his attention, you became his student and seduced him!"

"No, Ruse-"

"I saw you Aroa!" She shouted at me.

I started to cry. Every word she said was like a knife piercing my heart. Has she always hated me?

"Is this what you have always thought of me?" I asked her.

"Yes." I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to leave, but Ruse had one more thing to say.

"Alaric is my mate," she said. "Stay away from him, Omega."