CHAPTER THREE

JANELLE'S POINT OF VIEW

It's been two months since the Alpha Prone rejected me — And these two months have been the worst two months of my entire life.

As I walked down the hallways, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the stares and whispers that followed. The news that the Alpha Prince had rejected me had spread all through thr palace and I was a laughing stock to everyone.

As I passed by a group of maids and servants, their hushed voices fell silent, their eyes boring into me with pit.

I tried to ignore them, to keep my head held high and my emotions in check, but I couldn't.

And then, just as I was about to continue on my way, I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me to a stop. I turned to see another group of maids and servants blocking my path, they surrounded me on all sides.

"What do you want?" I asked. "Let me pass."

But they remained silent, their eyes boring into me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. And then, without warning, they began to speak, their words dripping with malice.

"If it isn't the girl the Alpha Prince rejected you like yesterday's trash. You must feel so pathetic, so worthless."

The words cut me to the core. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment as another joined in, "You're nothing but a servant, a lowly maid," another servant spat, her lip curled in disgust. "You don't belong here, not anymore. You should just leave and spare us all the embarrassment of having you around."

"I may be a servant, but I am no less deserving of respect than anyone else in this palace," I retorted, "Especially from fellow servants like me." Continuing, I said, "And as for the Alpha Prince's rejection, that is between him and me. It is none of your concern."

The servants exchanged mocking glances, their laughter echoing in the hallway. But I refused to back down.

"You may think you can push me around and belittle me, but I won't allow it." I declared.

But they weren't finished with me yet. Another servant stepped forward, her sneer twisting her features into a mask of disdain. "Who are you to speak to us like that? You're just a lowly maid — even lower than us, now that you have been demoted. You were barely worthy of scraping the dirt from our shoes," she spat, her words dripping with venom.

"And what makes you think you have the right to judge me? The fact remains that you're still a maid like me. So before you go casting your stones, take a good look in the mirror.'

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving the stunned servants. However, as I walked, tears welled up in my eyes as their cruel words washed over me, each one like a dagger to the heart. I couldn't take it anymore, so I turned on my heel and fled.

Tears blurred my vision, making it hard to see where I was going, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to escape the cruel judgment of those around me.

Finally reaching my room, I slammed the door shut behind me and collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in my hands as sobs wracked my body.

The pain of their words cut deep, reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal since the Alpha Prince's rejection.

It was the same thing and I couldn't do it.

The existence of the alpha King and his son upset me everyday. And it was high time I put an end to them — their death was definitely going to create a new topic that'll distract all the attention from me.

I had to kill them both. For causing me two different types of pains. They had to pay, dearly.

"They think they can get away with everything," I muttered to myself. "But not this time. This time, they willl pay for what they've done."

With my brother away on an errand, the timing couldn't be more perfect and I could escape easily.

As I visualized the scene playing out in my mind, a dark smile twisted my lips.

"They would not know what hit them," I hissed, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I'll make sure of that."

And I was going to do it tonight.

-:-

Later that night, I got out of my bed and made my way out of the palace under the cover of darkness.

I entered into the forest to begin my haunt for herbs to make the poison I would use in their drink. I decided that I would first go for the Alpha King….then the Alpha Prince last.

As I ventured deeper into the forest, I scanned the forest floor for the herbs I sought. Belladonna for its deadly poison, wolfsbane for its paralyzing effects, and hemlock for its swift and silent demise.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of searching, I stumbled upon the herbs I had been searching for.

I knelt down and began to gather the herbs, careful to handle them with the utmost care and respect and then I gathered the last of the herbs into my satchel. And with that, I rose to my feet and made my way back to the palace.

As I trudged through the forest, suddenly, my foot sank into the soft earth, and before I could react, I felt a sharp pain shoot up my leg. I let out a cry of surprise and agony as I realized I had stumbled into a bear trap hidden among the underbrush.

"Ow!" I yelled.

Panic gripped me as I struggled to free myself, but the jaws of the trap held me fast, digging into my flesh with every movement. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the severity of my situation – my leg was badly injured, and I was unable to escape.

I frantically scanned the surrounding area, searching for any sign of help, but the forest was silent save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. Fear clawed at my chest as I realized I was alone and vulnerable, at the mercy of whatever creatures lurked in the shadows.

With trembling hands, I reached for the trap, trying to pry it open with all my strength, but the pain was unbearable, shooting through me like a bolt of lightning with each failed attempt.

"Help!" I cried out, but there was no response, no sign of rescue on the horizon.

….

An hour later, I was lying on the forest floor, weak and in agony, the trap was still biting into my leg. Blood pooled around me, staining the ground crimson as I struggled to remain conscious.

Suddenly, a rustle in the woods caught my attention, and I looked up, startled. Fear gripped me as I imagined the worst – a bear. It was definitely the bear that was meant for this trap. Oh dear.

And then, much to my surprise, the figure emerged from the bushes and it wasn't a bear — frankly speaking, I would've preferred it if it was the bear.

Emerging from the forest, was the Alpha Prince himself.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched him approach, his expression unreadable as he took in the scene before him. For a moment, we locked eyes.

Without a word, he knelt beside me, his hands gentle as he examined the trap that held me captive. Pain lanced through me as he touched my injured leg, but I bit back a cry, unwilling to show any sign of weakness in front of him.

His brow furrowed with concern as he assessed the situation. And then, he reached for the trap and he worked to free me from its grasp. I watched in awe as he effortlessly dismantled the mechanism, the metal jaws releasing their hold on my leg with a sickening squelch.

I grimaced, biting my lips hard to make sure I didn't make a noise.

He outstretched his hand to me and I looked at it, hesitant to take it. I looked up at him with wariness but took his hand, nevertheless. And immediately a I got up, he let go of me hastily with so much force that I nearly lost my fragile footing and fell to the ground.

Without a word, he began to lead me back through the forest and we made our way back to the palace in silence.

Absolute silence.

But inside my head, it was loud. Loud with questions for him and I couldn't voice it out to him.

Not yet Though.