Chapter 10

Valarie POV...

We were led to the Great Hall by a small man with a bald spot at the back of his head that I couldn't stop staring at.

Sophia moved effortlessly, the diaphanous gown sweeping around her petite frame that left little to the imagination.

We reached the entrance and were announced.

As we entered, the other princesses and betas in attendance slowed to watch.

I felt every eye on me as I stepped carefully behind the princess. I wore fitted black leather pants and a cream shirt cut low on my chest, tucked in at the waist, more comfortable now that I could move freely.

The surroundings took my breath away, and for a moment I forgot to stay poised, and strode in with my head lifted to the ceiling.

Above them, thousands of lights made of chipped glass glittered like stars.

There were several long wooden tables, all of them groaning under the weight of a mouth-watering banquet.

Sophia, for her part, managed to keep herself together and stepped delicately toward the slightly elevated table where she would be sitting with King Gabriel, Queen Raquel, and the other princesses.

I would sit at a table to the right with the other ladies. Who were all wearing dresses? My stomach sank, but I tipped my chin upward. Too late to regret it now.

Right away, as Sophia curtsied low before the Alpha's table, I could see that I was out of place.

What had made me choose to wear fitted pants instead of a gown, as the other servants had?

Each lady already seated was giving me a disapproving once-over. They wore variations of the same dress; simple and inconspicuous against the royalty surrounding them.

I, on the other hand, stood out like a sore thumb. I was momentarily horrified until I realized that Sophia was looking carefully over her shoulder, signaling that I should take my place at the ladies' table.

I bowed my head and moved toward the table, finding a seat at the very end. I looked up through my lashes at the carafes of wines, water, and sparkling fruit juices. Reaching for the nearest jug of white wine, I started when an arm stretched beyond my own and grasped my neck.

"Oh," I said, realizing that a serving maid was pouring me a glass. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "I didn't realize that we would be served as well."

The maid, a short and somewhat plump girl, glanced around quickly before replying, "Yup. That's how they do it here during the hunt. Any visitors are treated as guests, even if they're omegas."

The quick smile the girl shot me told me that she was of omega standing as well. I almost sighed in relief, feeling more comfortable instantly, and grinned up at the girl.

"Well, that's good to know. Maybe I can find it in me to relax."

The girl snorted. "I doubt it. I wouldn't suggest relaxing with the Alpha around if I were you. He's already sniffing out the night's delights."

Looking up at the high table, I saw that the girl was right. Gabriel's gaze swept across the crowd even as his mother leaned in close to speak with him. Sophia was seated only three people away. I wondered how seating arrangements were decided and hoped that it had to do with preference.

"So the rumors are true, then?" I asked as the girl serving me found reason to linger, folding a napkin with a concentrated look.

"Ahh, so word has reached even the Autumn pack?" Her smile was secretive. "Yes. He has an appetite. Amazingly, the hasn't already exhausted the supply of women in the Kingdom. But maybe that's why he's agreed to hold another hunt." The girl snorted. "It's not as if he'll decide on a mate this year."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, he's passed up on so many opportunities. Besides, who in their right mind would want to be married to such a cad?"

I glanced at the table of princesses, and the servant girl rolled her eyes, leaning in close.

"They need to show their faces, of course. It wouldn't do for any of them to reject an invitation to the Hunt. But many of them won't want to be tied to Gabriel."

The familiarity with which the girl used the Alpha's given name had my eyes narrowing. So...he must've already crossed the serving staff off the list, then.

The King's fidelity wasn't something me and Sophia had discussed. I made a point to bring it up later, and see where the princess's thoughts lay. If we had to fake our way through the hunt, that was perfectly fine. I already planned on spending as much time as I could out in the Kingdom, looking for opportunities for my father and mother. And Jason as well.

"What's your name?" I asked quickly, gazing back at the girl, who was concealing some kind of hours of the house in her apron. She looked taken aback, as no one had asked her name before.

Quickly, the girl looked at me from top to bottom, before answering, "Ana." She raised an eyebrow as she palmed another morsel. "If you need anything, you can ask for me around the kitchens."

With a grin, she disappeared into the crowd.

I looked down at my plate and realized that in the few short minutes we'd spoken, the plate had been filled.

I ate self-consciously and quickly, glancing down at the table to see the other ladies chatting amongst one another and studiously ignoring me. Shaking off the embarrassment, I decided that that was for the best. If Sophia was here to win the Hunt and become the Alpha's mate, it wouldn't matter if we made friends with the other packs.

It was probably better if we didn't.

I finished just as the music was beginning and, with a glance at Sophia, who was chatting now with the Queen as Raquel made the rounds, decided that I wouldn't be needed for a while. It wasn't as if anyone was going to ask me to dance.

I slipped off, following the edges of the room until I reached a side entrance, and ducked through the inconspicuous door.

Gabriel

I waited until my mother was too preoccupied with playing the part of the beneficent host before standing and walking calmly toward the exit. The key looked like whatever you were doing was supposed to be what you were doing. And I was good at it.

Not the main exit, of course. That would be noticed.

Rather, I headed toward the servant's entrance and exited through a regular wooden door set into the back wall.

With just a few feet before my hand was on the knob, my careful stride turned into a stalk, and my mouth twisted in disdain.

Just moments before standing to greet me, the guest's mother had shot me a warning.

"Play your part tonight, and be attentive," she'd said. "I don't want to see you drunk and stumbling out with any of the servant girls."

It was utterly ridiculous.

That rarely happens these days.

Maybe when I was eighteen. Or on any given, particularly boring, day.

But it had been a long time since I'd stumbled drunkenly from the Great Hall with a servant.

I was much more likely to accost and seduce them in the hallway.

Which is where I am heading now.

Glancing back once more before the door could close, I felt the breath leave me as I knocked on another person.

Just barely catching myself on the corner of a column, I fought back the growl that started at the base of my throat.

Before, I crouched over a woman with tousled hair, dark eyes, and a breathless look at her. She had caught herself gracefully after our collision.

Those dark eyes were boring right into mine and I felt the familiar stirrings between my thighs. Especially because this woman was at crotch level, her mouth parted just slightly, her lower lip full.

"Excuse me," she bit out, standing abruptly and spinning away.

Before she could make it too far, I took three long strides and barely managed to grab her wrist. I felt the tendons there tighten and she turned, eyes now burning with defiance. It only intrigued me further.

Ahh, yes. This was the girl who had been so struck by the Great Hall the moment she walked in standing and staring at the ceiling.

I let my gaze run down her body, over the cut of her blouse, the soft swell of her breasts, and the tight pants she wore. Were they leather? Had she worn leather to a formal dinner?

The woman snatched her hand back, teeth bared, and turned once more.

I straightened, letting a smirk curl across my face.

"Would you dare defy your Alpha?" I asked.

Valarie

I felt a shiver run up my spine at his words.

Not the words exactly, but the way he said them.

I wasn't small, not by anyone's measurements. I'd inherited my father's height and often hunched my shoulders to try and appear more feminine, more delicate.

But facing Gabriel, I didn't need to.

He stood almost a full foot over me, looking down the length of his long nose at me. My eyes flickered to where his lips curled deliciously and I fought back the urge to bite my own.

"I'm- I'm sorry," I stuttered out, lowering my gaze to the ground. That didn't help. I caught a glimpse of his thighs on the way down, the way his trousers were taunted over them.

Something was stirring inside of me. Something I recognized.

Eyes widening, I took a step back, still keeping my head lowered.

"Princess Sophia, I need to go fetch something for her," I said lamely, putting some kind of strength into my voice.

The King reached out and moved my chin up purposefully, demanding, so that he could get a good look at my face. The smirk still lingered there at the edges.

"Go ahead," he told me, and I knew by the tone of his voice that he didn't believe a word I said.

I turned quickly and took the nearest corner, fleeing and not knowing if I was even heading in the right direction. Anything to get away from the hot coil of desire that rode low in my loins.