It felt as if the world shifted under my feet. I couldn’t believe the cold and callus way that Theo had treated , ordering to leave the palace at once as if I was nothing and no one to him.
I knew that I had made the promise to his mother that I would leave as soon as I had fulfilled my duties, and at the ti, I had ant it.
There was a lot going on back ho. The imposter was still there, I needed to bring justice for Susan’s death, and whatever that Raymond was plotting must be stopped.
I had already run away from the palace once in an attempt to get back to my ho. Why didn’t I want to go now? Wasn’t it for the best that I was able to go back and ensure everything was straightened up in my pack?
With no other choice, I had to take my belongings from the room I had been staying in when I was his personal attendant and head back to the girls’ rooms in the wing far away from the royals’ residence.
I should have packed up and left the castle altogether as he had commanded to, but my heart wouldn’t let . I was upset, but it wasn’t as if he’d done anything wrong to or hard . He’d only insisted that I do what I’d said I was going to do in the first place.
It wasn’t necessary for him to be so cold to , but then, that was just Theo. He was always like that.
Well, not always. I thought about the monts we’d shared where he was soft and tender... Before I let my mind wander to the ti we shared in the crystal’s realm, I stopped my thoughts.
It was strange that when his mother had said I had to go, he’d insisted that I stay. I didn’t think it was all about the berry. But then, maybe it had been.
He had kissed a few tis, and while sotis it had been about my blood, at other tis, I had gotten the impression he was kissing because he wanted to.
Because he liked .
Perhaps I was wrong....
I wasn’t sure what I should do, so I went into the room I had once shared with Brook and the other girls and dropped my bags, sitting down on the bed with my head in my hands. No one was in the room at the mont, and I was glad because I needed a mont to myself.
I’d been sitting there a while, though I wasn’t sure how long because I’d been so lost in my thoughts, when I heard the sound of a startled gasp and looked up.
Brook was standing in the doorway, a puzzled look on her face. “Ciana? What are you doing here?” she asked . “Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I sounded indifferent, I realized, but I didn’t have enough emotions to draw upon at the mont to be anything but blasé.
She ca and sat down next to , putting her arm around . “What happened? Is it Prince Theo or Prince Warren?”
I made a face at her, and she shrugged, like how was she supposed to know?
I bit out, “Prince Theo. He was just very cold and unsympathetic to . He wants to leave and go back ho, or so he says. I just don’t know what to do.”
Brook’s eyes widened, and her mouth ford an O, but she didn’t speak, and I couldn’t read her thoughts.
“What is it?” I asked her.
“Well, nothing. It’s just... he’s been so kind and loving toward you lately. I thought... a lot of people thought... he was going to choose you to be his luna. So of the other girls have given up all hope.” She smiled at with kindness in her eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry.
“Well, they shouldn’t. He was never interested in in that way,” I said with a smirk. “I’m no longer his attendant. Hopefully this news will cheer so girls up.”
“What happened?” Brook was surprised.
“I wish I knew. I’m just so confused.”
“Um,” Brook thought for a while. “I’m quite sure he hasn’t changed his mind about you so quickly. I think he really likes you. But... do you want to be with him?” She looked at as if she already knew the answer.
That would be quite the feat, though, because I didn’t know the answer myself. “I don’t know for certain,” I told her. “The situation between us is... strange.”
She nodded in understanding. She knew as well as anyone else what I ant. “Perhaps you shouldn’t give up so quickly. You could make him a gift. That might make him see that you have gone to a great deal to help him because you care for him.”
I couldn’t help the skeptical face I made. I was not an arts and crafts kind of gal. I preferred to be outside, working with my hands in the forest or the garden, not sitting at a table sewing or hot gluing sequins to foam wreaths.
And even though Brook probably couldn’t rember the disastrous cooking incident from the dream realm, it was safe to say I would not be making Prince Theo cookies to impress him either.
“You could make him a lapel pin!” she exclaid.
My eyes bulged and my nose wrinkled. “A lapel pin? Isn’t that kind of... odd?” Who had ever heard of making soone a lapel pin as a gift?
“No!” she insisted. “Trust , it’s not odd. You really should read the history of the other packs one day, Ciana. It will be enlightening to you.”
I almost laughed. She was so funny when she was trying to scold .
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“I have a kit!” she said, standing up and clapping her hands in joy. I giggled. She really was adorable.
“You have a kit for making lapel pins?” I was surprised. I wanted to question whether she planned on making one for Beta Jake but decided not to tease her for fear soone else might overhear. We were ant to be there for Theo, after all.
“I do have one,” she said, going to her bag that she’d stored beneath her bed. She pulled out a couple of boxes of crafting items and shouted with happiness when she found the right one. I had no idea she was so into arts and crafts.
She carried it over to a little table in our room, and I pulled myself up off of the bed to follow her.
“It’s not that hard,” she told , but when I looked at it, I had my doubts. “Just choose the items that you think most represent how you and Prince Theo feel about one another, put them in this little round clear circle, then, press the back of it on. You have to be careful, though. The back is sharp.”
I looked at all of the items she had spread out on the table, and considered if any of them reminded of Prince Theo.
I saw a heart—that was out of the question—an angel—also a no, and a set of red lips for kissing. No to that as well.
Then, I saw a berry. It wasn’t the sa color, but it would still remind him of what we’d gone through together. I saw a few other items that might also fit. A red moon, a black wolf and a pair of gloves.
“All right,” I told her. “I guess I can do this.”
Again, she was clapping and leaping up and down. “Yeah! He’s going to love it, and then the two of you will be back to how you were before.”
With a halfhearted smile, I sat down at the table and set to work. Brook gave so space, but I wished she would’ve hung around because I had no idea what I was doing. I almost glued my fingers together trying to get the little symbols into the clear circle, and when I went to push the back on, it sliced through my finger, leaving searching for a bandage.
Finally, after what was probably an extra hour on top of what it was supposed to take, I had the pin put together. I put the little round back on it that was supposed to keep it in place and let a few deep breaths in and out of my lungs.
I didn’t want to go back over to him. I was afraid he’d yell at and tell I should’ve been gone by now.
But I had to do it. Otherwise, we’d leave so much between us unsaid, and I’d never know if he’d really wanted just for my blood—or for sothing more.
When I walked to his wing, I was surprised to see that he wasn’t in his room.
Where would he be? But then I saw him, standing at the end of a long hallway that led to the royal garden.
He wasn’t alone, though. I held my breath as I watched the scene play out in front of .
Sophia was standing behind him, helping him slip into a jacket. She placed her hands on the top of his shoulders and smoothed them down.
“There you are, Prince Theo,” she said, her voice a purr. “You truly are one of the most gorgeous n I’ve ever seen.”
I must’ve made a noise then because Theo lifted his gaze. I was sure he saw . A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then his eyes narrowed, and I had a feeling he was going to yell at for not having left.
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