Chapter Three

Princess?

/-Jade-/

Who was he?

The King? No, that couldn't be right. We just greeted the King and Queen. So... the Prince?

He was dressed in a thick black royal robe with very rare embroidery. That was more than enough proof that this man was royalty. Which meant I was in deep trouble.

The best thing to do at this moment was to run. But my legs wouldn't cooperate with me. It was like they were rooted to the ground.

"P...Please...listen to me... " I stuttered out, in a pathetic attempt to lie my way out of it. "This is all a misunderstanding I promise you..."

"Thief," the words left his lips again as he approached me with slow, majestic strides. The temperature in the room must have dropped by a couple of degrees because of the chills that ran down my spine.

My eyes watered. "I just lost my way. I'm not..." The words died in my throat when he appeared in front of me.

My heart stopped, eyes widening in raw fear as his cold fingers wrapped around my neck. My eyes watered.

Oh goddess! Is this really how I am going to die? All I did was obey my uncle, I didn't even have a choice.

"A common thief in the heart of Skyspire?" Those words, despite the rich deepness of his voice, sounded like judgment. A tear rolled down my cheeks.

"I beg you..." I pleaded and his hands tightened around my throat. I wanted to reach for them, struggle with all my might to get them off but my body was paralysed with shock and fear.

I couldn't move a finger.

"Don't do this..." The tears came pouring down. "I'll do anything. Just spare me please..."

Yet, despite my tears, even though my body was limp and trembling in his hands, his eyes... those rosegold eyes remained emotionless.

He still stared at me like I was something abstract.

He released my neck and my lungs received a sudden burst of air. I didn't even realise how much he was choking me because I was more concerned about being publicly executed.

I coughed out, gasping for air. Before I could even think he had let me go, he grabbed my arm again.

"Where are we going?" My voice broke in panic. "Please let me go, I won't come back ever again, I swear."

He didn't respond to me. For a second, it made me worry whether he could speak English. Was that why he hasn't said more than one word at a time? Does he even understand me?

His fingernails dug deep into my arms as he pulled me along with him like I was weightless. To the bannister just outside the room. My heart was pounding hard now. And fast.

Is he trying to make me confess in front of all the guests? Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. He wanted me to hand him my own head on a platter?

To think that down there, two floors below us, the main perpetrator was dancing and laughing. Safe. While I was about to die for his plan.

"Worthless..." the word came out cruel and unforgiving, just like his eyes. "Criminal..." This time, it was louder, accusatory and very death-worthy.

I fell on my knees, rubbing my hands together in plea. "Please listen to me... I admit I broke into the treasury room, but I swear to you I had a good reason for it..." he lifted me by the neck almost effortlessly.

"Please..." I dangled in the air, struggling like a fish out of water. "I said I'll do anything!" I didn't mean to yell but I did. Out of sheer, blinding desperation. Which was probably a terrible choice.

"Then die," the words came out so calmly that I almost thought I imagined it until he tossed me over the bannister like a piece of garbage.

The world began spinning immediately, and I let out a terrifying scream as I crashed over the bannister, gravity yanking me down at full speed.

Faces blurred. Lights twisted. All I could hear was the wind and my own scream.

I thought I was going to die, so I waited for it. The intense pain that came with the shattering of flesh and then nothingness.

But none that came. Instead, I was hearing murmurs and gasps. Did I die of a heart attack before I hit the ground?

I mean, that would be a relief. Dying without experiencing pain...

"Is she alright?"

"What happened to her?"

"Who is she?"

Okay, what is going on? Why did it feel like I was hanging midair? My heart skipped.

Oh goddess, did I hang somewhere while falling? Was it waiting for me to open my eyes so whatever was holding me would snap and I would complete the fall?

The mere thought of that sent terrifying shivers down my spine. Maybe if I stayed unconscious a little, they would be motivated to get me down.

What should I do? What do I....

I felt a hand on my cheek, slapping it gently. "Hey! Hey! Are you okay?"

That made my eyes go wide open, and then I realised that I was being held up by three guards. Relief washed through me instantly. My shoulders slouched and my body relaxed upon realisation that I was out of danger.

I was placed on my feet gently and that was when it hit me. The intense stares piercing through my skin, the murmurs and questions from the crowd.

"Young woman..." The authority in that voice made me flinch. It was the Lycan Queen herself. "What happened to you?"

Oh Goddess! What do I do now? What would I say I was doing upstairs? What if that scary man comes down here to expose me?

Isn't that death on the spot? How could I be wanted in both RedClaw and Skyspire?

"Don't keep me waiting," She snapped. "Raise your head and answer me!"

I was about to do just as she said when that dark aura infiltrated the room again. The guests began moving backwards. I glanced over at them. Their faces were all pale, eyes wide with fear. Expressions that made my stomach twist in a knot.

Were they afraid of him too? I thought he was royalty!

I could hear his footsteps descending the stairs, but I didn't dare look.

"Is he allowed to be in here?"

"We have to run! Before the devil's spawn kills us all!"

"Get out of my way!"

"He'll curse us all!"

Just like that, the entire hall was in chaos with guests scrambling for their lives. I searched the crowd frantically for Uncle Terad and Merida, but of course, the cunning man seized this opportunity to escape with his daughter, leaving me to my fate.

In a matter of minutes, the hall was empty. Everyone was gone except the guards who held me in place. I could feel their hands trembling on my body.

They were fighting the urge to run as well..

In all this, the King and Queen remained on their throne, but the fury in their eyes? I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

Not only did I succeed in getting caught, but I also ruined the entire event. There was no hope of escaping now. I was doomed.

"Look what you've done! Because of you, everything is ruined! Who permitted you to set foot here?" The Queen sprang off her seat in anger.

My knees went weak as conniption gripped me. "I...I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't mean to..."

"I merely punished a thief,'' his icy response cut through mine. So she was talking to him?

"A thief?" She repeated. I could feel their eyes on me now. Without any hesitation, I fell to my knees.

"Please spare me, your majesty. I swear I can explain. This is all a misunderstanding," I lied. It was the only way to save my head.

"Raise your head. I want to get a good look at your face!" She ordered, and I gulped hard.

It would be more difficult to lie if I had to look them in the face, but I couldn't disobey her either. I raised my head slowly, praying to any God that was listening to save me. Even if it was just this once.

Her eyes widened the moment our gazes locked. She staggered back in shock.

A puzzled look crossed my face. Why was she staring at me like that? Like she just saw a ghost? Her husband immediately rose to support her.

She pointed at me, her fingers trembling. "It's... h-her..."

Me who? What did I do this time?

He followed her hands and the minute his eyes landed on me, they widened.

"Princess Annabelle?!" He exclaimed and I blinked.

Huh?

"It's you!" He blurted. "You're alive!"

Chapter Four

Lost Memories

/-Jade-/

I had to look behind me, in case there was someone else there. But there was no one.

Which meant he was talking to me!

But I wasn't Annabelle. I was Jade. A stripper, not some Lycan princess. My mother was no queen, I knew that much. So why were they rushing to me with open arms, eyes lighting up in joy like I was the person they had been searching for?

I glanced behind me again.

Before I could process it all, their arms wrapped around me.

"You finally came home!" The Queen sobbed. "We have been searching everywhere for you. Where have you been?"

My lips parted awkwardly. What was I supposed to do now?

"Why did it take you so long to come home? Didn't you think about us? Your fiancée?"

"She's not Annabelle," the white-haired man cut in. I shuddered at the harshness in his tone. "She's a criminal. A worthless..."

"Shut it!" The King barked and I flinched. "The only one worthless here is you! Were you not instructed to stay out of sight, away from my people!"

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. The Queen was still hugging me while the King faced the white-haired man. Looking at them now, they looked just like father and son.

"I didn't plan to..."

"How dare you defy me?!" The King growled and I shuddered.

"You were the one who threw her over, weren't you?" the Queen started. "You knew who she was so you tried to kill her, you cursed bastard!"

A gasp fell off my lips. Why were they speaking to him like that?

She was off me now, storming to him with unfathomable hate and rage. She slapped him across the face and the sound reverberated throughout the room. "How dare you try to kill my daughter-in-law? Isn't it bad enough that you put my son in a vegetative state? Now you are trying to crush our only hope of bringing him back to normal?"

I was stunned. So he wasn't the Lycan Prince. Who was he then? The fact that he didn't even react and continued to speak calmly made him even scarier.

"I am not responsible for what happened to..." Another slap met him across the face before he could complete the words.

Anyone else would have been angry or at least hurt, but his expression remained just the same as the first time I saw him.

Blank.

"Don't you dare speak while I am talking! Know your place, you dirty swine!" She spat. Those dead eyes fixated on her and I could see her fingers tremble slightly as her body went stiff.

She, too, was afraid of him?

"Lower your gaze, this minute!" She ordered and his eyes dropped. Seeing him get treated like this made my chest feel tight. I felt guilty but my courage was failing me. I couldn't speak up.

"Now get on your knees and apologise to her," she instructed. My heart pounded hard against my chest. I had to stop this.

Without hesitation, he turned to me and began to lower himself.

"No!" I blurted, snapping out of my shock.

Every instinct in my body screamed to keep lying, to play along, nod, say yes, survive. But the truth clawed at my throat like a feral beast. And somehow, lying to them... felt even more dangerous.

"Please don't..." I pleaded, shutting my eyes tightly as I gathered the last of my courage. "I... I am not who you think I am. I am not Annabelle!

There was pin-drop silence. I gulped hard as sweat poured down my face.

"M-My name is J-Jade... not Annabelle. I... I don't know who you are... or anything about a Prince..." I stuttered out. "The truth is that... I... I..."

"Oh dear!" The Queen exclaimed, eyes wide with panic. "What are you saying? You are Annabelle! Princess Annabelle of Moonspire. I am your mother-in-law. Don't you remember me?"

"I'm not Annabelle...."

"Goodness! No wonder it took you so long to come home!" She went on. "You've lost your memories, haven't you? You don't remember anything!"

I blinked, surprised at how quickly she jumped to that conclusion. Was she so desperate to have her daughter-in-law back that she refused to see the truth that was right in front of her?

Oh boy! This was going to be a lot harder than I expected.

Chapter Five

The Sleeping Beauty

/-Jade-/

"You're getting it all wrong, your highness. I am really not who you think I am. I grew up on the streets of RedClaw pack..."

"RedClaw? What is that?" She asked with genuine confusion. I couldn't even blame her for not knowing.

They were Elites after all and RedClaw was merely a lowly werewolf pack.

"It's my pack," I answered.

"Nonsense!" The Queen blurted almost immediately. "You are not one of those lowly wolves. You are from one of the most prestigious Lycan dynasties. Your pack, Moonspire, ruler of the northern and southern regions, is a worthy ally of ours. I can only imagine the terrible experiences you must have gone through."

I stared blankly at her. It was obvious that nothing I would say would get through to this woman. Unless, of course, I risk my uncle's head and mine and confess my real mission here.

"Is that so?" The King asked with a hint of sympathy. "I can't even imagine how much you must have suffered, without a home or family. Those lowly wolves must have cost you trouble, didn't they?"

His words hit me harder than I anticipated. A wave of sadness swept through me.

"Perhaps if she saw the face of the one she loves, it would help revive her memories," The Queen suggested.

No! No! No! We absolutely cannot do that. I couldn't take things further than this. It will only bring more trouble for me and increase the consequences of my offence.

"You can't do that," the White-haired man cut in. "This woman is not Annabelle. She is a criminal and must not be allowed near the Prince..."

"And who asked for your opinion?" The Queen cut him short. "You are always so quick to forget your place, aren't you?"

"It is my duty to protect the Prince with my life and eliminate all potential threats," his tone darkened and dread pooled in my stomach. "If any harm comes to him..."

"You will simply bear it," The king interrupted. "Or did you forget what you are, Levi?"

Levi...

Was that his name?

His eyes lowered, shoulders slouching in defeat. "No."

"Good."

I was beyond curious now. What was he? From his aura, anyone could tell he was more powerful than the Lycan King himself so why was he letting them walk over him?

I shook my head, trying to get those thoughts off. This man didn't hesitate to fling me over a bannister. I shouldn't feel sorry for him!

Despite that, I kept my mouth shut and followed them. It wasn't my place to tell them how to run their family.

As we ascended the stairs, I couldn't help but feel him behind me, and it sent a trail of goosebumps down my skin. My heart was constantly racing as my mind brought up many scenes of him stabbing me in the back.

"Are you uneasy, dear?" The Queen asked softly. "Does he bother you?"

I gulped hard and she rested her hand on my shoulders.

"Don't worry, he cannot hurt you even if he tries," She told me with a reassuring smile. "You are royal blood. If he even tries to harm a hair on your head, he will lose his sanity and bleed from every hole in his body."

A chill crawled down my back. That wasn't reassuring, it was a death sentence wrapped in a smile.

I gathered courage and glanced over my shoulder. Those rose gold eyes looked right through me as expected, but at the same time, he moved up two steps until he was beside me.

"I'm certain you know that doesn't apply to impostors." his tone was calm yet void of emotion. "Make one wrong move, and I'll kill you before they even realise their mistake."

Sweat broke out on my forehead, and I gripped my dress tightly for support. He walked past me like he didn't just threaten me, and when I looked at the Queen, she seemed pretty oblivious, too.

I willed myself to stay calm even though I was panicking. How the hell did I even get into this mess? My uncle didn't even think twice before abandoning me. Heck, he must be plotting to leave Skyspire already.

I was led into a different hallway, heading towards the east wing. The servants bowed as we walked past them until we finally got to a set of double doors.

The guards opened the door,r and I waited for them to enter before trailing behind them like a lost puppy.

The room was big and spacious. All the furniture was on point, and it was pretty much the kind of place ordinary wolves could only dream of having.

They led me past the living room to the main bedroom and my breath hitched.

There, lying amidst the sea of pale satin sheets, was the most handsome man I had ever seen.

He looked almost ethereal. Raven-black hair swept across the pillow, a few loose strands brushing against his impossibly sculpted face. His skin was pale, almost glowing, and his lashes were long and dark, fluttering ever so slightly with every breath. His lips were parted just enough to reveal a sliver of his teeth.

So this was the Lycan Prince. The one whose fiancé I was mistaken for.

The one they claimed I loved.

My stomach churned. I had so many questions. Like why was he asleep on his father's birthday?

"Isn't he divine?" the Queen whispered, stepping closer to the bed. "He's been like this ever since the plane crash three years ago. Sleeping. Not in a coma or anything. It would be foolish to assume it was just a normal crash."

"You mean he hasn't opened his eyes in three years?" I gasped. "How is that even possible?"

"We believe that the plane crash might have been a result of a collision with a cursed energy, but we can't say for sure. We've tried everything! Doctors, healers, sorcerers, name them all, but all to no avail. If only Levi had been on that plane with him, my baby would still be awake," She paused. "Or perhaps he is just waiting. For you."

I didn't respond. Couldn't.

Not when every instinct screamed that getting involved with this sleeping god-like creature would lead to my death.

And what did she mean by waiting for me? Was Annabelle supposed to do something when they found her? Why did she even think that Levi being on the plane would have stopped the crash? He might be powerful and all, but in the end, he was still human. Not a god.

I let out a wince without realising it. My head was hurting from overthinking.

"You feel something, don't you?" the King asked, watching me carefully. "A connection?"

No, I felt terror, but I didn't dare say that. At this point, there was no turning back. It was better to pretend until I could get out of here. I nodded faintly to his question.

They seemed satisfied with that.

"I knew you would. Perhaps," the Queen said slowly, a smile forming on her lips. "...a kiss might awaken him?"

What?! Was this some kind of joke or something?

I spun to face her, stunned. "I... I don't think that is even a possibility. Maybe some time... or more rest..."

"Oh, don't be shy, dear," she cut in gently. "You're his mate. His body will know you. His soul already does."

I blinked at her. What kind of conspiracy theory was that? What did she think this was? A sleeping beauty retelling? All because her son was cursed with eternal sleep?

"Her Highness is right. We should take all the chances we have," Levi said suddenly,y and my head snapped to him. "Since you are indeed Princess Annabelle, you shouldn't have a problem with kissing your mate."

I gritted my teeth. The bastard! I should have known he wouldn't just let me pretend my way out of this. To make it worse, his face remained blank, like he had no malicious intent towards me.

And those were the kind of enemies one couldn't afford to have. I would have preferred if he outrightly smirked at me like the evil asshole he was!

"Go ahead," The Queen urged. "Give it a try. Even if it doesn't work, it doesn't really change anything."

Those words brought some form of relief to me. Since I had nothing to lose, I might as well get it over with.

It's not like he'll wake up furious at the wrong girl kissing him. Life just doesn't work that way.

I stepped forward. One, two, three hesitant steps, until I stood at the edge of the bed.

The prince's chest rose and fell softly as I watched him up close.

I leaned down, trembling slightly. My hand hovered above his chest, and the absence of a mate connection made my breath catch.

I didn't feel him. Not the way a true mate should.

But the Queen's eyes burned holes in my back.

So I closed my eyes. Inhaled. And pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

A spark shot through me. An instant danger alert. I opened my eyes to look at him, just in case, andas expectedt, ed nothing happened. I was ready to pull away when those lashes fluttered. My heart skipped as his eyes slowly opened.

Before I could even react, a hand shot up, gripping my throat and flipping me onto the bed.

Gasps echoed around the room as I choked on my own scream.

The once-unmoving prince was now on top of me, pinning me down with a strength I couldn't fight even if I tried.

My eyes locked with those fiery amber eyes.

You've got to be kidding me!