Chapter 4

"The new lady that was brought to you from the Blue Moon Pack?" Simone, Russo's beta had a look of utter surprise on his face.

"Who else?" Russo replied with a sharp look.

"My apologies, your majesty. Well, if Princess Roxanne of the Blue Moon Pack is the one with the mark, what happens to Cecile?"

"More like what happens to Roxanne Delatrio?" Russo fired back.

"Your majesty. According to the prophecy, the one with the mark is the one you are destined to be with, the one who would bring peace to the Pack and to your reign." Simone reminded him.

"My reign is peaceful enough. Any more peace and it would be a boring reign. It was clearly stated that in that damned prophecy that the one with the mark would be someone powerful. That Roxanne has no wolf side. The daughter of an Alpha with no wolf side."

"Is it really compulsory for you to be with Cecile? The promise you made to her grandmother seven years ago, is it really important that you keep it even when it seems like everything is against it. The mysterious deaths of every lady brought to you and now the owner of the mark being someone else. Perhaps Princess Roxanne of the Blue Moon Pack is...." A glare from Russo shut Simone up.

"Have two guards watching over Roxanne. No one is allowed to find out that she has the mark on her and make sure she does not get into harm. There must be a way to transfer the mark away from her to Cecile. Once I find out how to do so, she will be of no use to me anymore." Russo said as he paced.

"Y- yes your majesty." Simone replied reluctantly. He clearly doubted that there would be a way to transfer the mark to anyone else.

"Ask someone to come clean up this mess. You may leave." Russo dismissed Simone and Simone left the room.

Standing in the room alone, Russo recalled the glow of the mark on Roxanne. He recalled how he had felt so drawn towards her at that moment. It was as if she was pulling him, as if the mark was pulling him to touch it, to touch her.

"Fuck." he cursed and ran a hand through his hair.

He pushed the thoughts of Roxanne out of his head, recalling his promise.

"I promised her I would marry Cecile. Seven years ago, I promised and I am not going to break that promise now or ever."

*

Roxanne slammed her door behind her and rested her back against it. She let go of the torn fabric of her dress, letting it slide back down her shoulder to reveal the mark once more

She walked to a mirror in the room to see if better and a confused pout appeared on her face. She was mystified by the presence of it but after some moments, she had calmed down and laid on her bed, feeling hungry and tired.

She wondered if she would be suffering the same loss of dying in the hands of the Alpha King just like the chief guard had died.

The image of the dead body on the floor with its head a little bit away from it made her heart race with even more fear but she gulped it all down and reached for the button Larry had told her about.

She clicked on it and a voice came from a small speaker in the room.

"Good day my lady, how may I help you?"

"Uhm... Good day? I would love a plate of food. I am famished" Roxanne replied, hoping she didn't sound too nervous and unconfident.

"Right away, my lady."

There was a small noise and then the voice was gone. Feeling uncomfortable in the heavy dress she had on her, Roxanne got on her feet and went into the huge closet that was filled with lots of clothes.

She picked a loose and very comfortable dress, then headed back into the room. She was about undressing when a knock came on her door.

"Come in," she replied and the door opened, revealing Larry and two maids pushing a whole buffet style meal into her room.

Roxanne felt tears almost rush into her eyes. When last had she been able to eat in such a royal manner?

"Thank you" she whispered.

Larry glanced at the dress which Roxanne had laid on the bed.

"Do you want to take a bath?" He asked.

"Yes, yes. That would be great"

"Then the maids would be glad to help with that" he immediately directed the two maids towards Roxanne and gave a curt bow.

"I will take my leave now" he said and was about leaving when he caught glimpse of the mark on her shoulder.

Larry froze instantly, his gaze resting on the mark.

"Leave. The both of you, leave" he said to the maids who very quietly obeyed him and exited the room.

"Hope there is nothing wrong?" She asked.

"Where did you get that, Princess Roxanne?" He asked.

"Oh this? I have no idea, it just suddenly appeared while I was in his majesty's room and..."

A chuckle from Larry made Roxanne stop talking.

"Finally." Larry eyes brightened.

"What do you mean by finally?" Roxanne asked.

"You will find out soon enough" Larry replied.

"Larry, can you please explain it to me?"

Larry just smiled and walked up to her with his usual cheerful demeanor.

"You are special, Princess Roxanne"

'Special?'

If special meant being wolfless at twenty four, being powerless and being hated by her family so much that no one had even called to ask if she had arrived here, then she indeed was very special.

"I don't think so" she mumbled.

"You will find out that soon. I will have the maids return to help you out" Larry added, taking steps back.

"Oh, there's no need. I can do a lot of things on my own, really" Roxanne replied.

"Ugh... If you say so then, Princess Roxanne" Larry's smiles seemed even wider. He was smiling like he had seen something he had been waiting all his life for.

Roxanne watched him leave the room. Quickly, she pulled down her hair from the style it had been in and brushed it down to a side of her neck with her hands.

She then pulled open the dish covers and took in the delicious aroma of the food.

She didn't have to eat leftovers or drink cereals without milk for weeks on end. Even if this was going to last for just a day or for a week before she died, Roxanne knew she would be glad that she had this beautiful room and this delicious meal before she reached her tragic end.

*

"What did you just say?!" Cecile stopped and darted her face back to the man at the other side of the dark room.

His face could not be seen in the dark room with all the windows and doors shut, leaving no room for illumination by the moon that was shining brightly outside of the room.

"The owner of the mark has been found" the man repeated.

"This is not something to joke about" Cecile twirled the silver blade dagger in her hand, her eyes glinting.

"And that is why I am not joking about it." The man replied.

"Who is she?! Who is the bastard?!" Cecile raged, throwing the dagger sideways and sending it into the wall of the room.

"Roxanne Delatrio of the Blue Moon Pack. Weirdly, she is just a plain lady. No wolf side, no powers. She has nothing"

"So the mark chose someone without any powers over me?! For seven years, I have been working so hard to be worthy of the mark and yet it chose some stupid wolfless girl!"

"Why don't you just become a lady of the Alpha King? Must you strive to be the Luna?" The man asked and Cecile's eyes turned two shades darker.

"Keep shut! I will only become the Luna and not stick to some stupid lady of the Alpha King title just to be discarded when he marries another woman!"

"What do you want me to do?" The man asked.

"Find out everything about her and send it to me. And let me know how her protection scheme is. I will get rid of her myself."

"Cecile, do you think it would be easy to get rid of the one with the mark?"

"She's just a wolfless girl, don't over estimate her because she has the mark" Cecile rolled her eyes.

"Alright then but be careful, no one can find out you are behind the killings of the ladies of the Alpha King"

"I am very well aware of that." Cecile flicked her head back.

"And it is not like I did enjoy killing those pathetic women, it is just that I couldn't help but be scared that they could be the owner of the mark one day and become the Luna instead of me."

Cecile walked further and reached her hands to the wall, she trailed her fingers around and found the window. Pushing it open and letting the moonlight in, she grinned evilly.

"It's a beautiful week to mourn the death of another lady of the Alpha King."