TRIP

Breakfast went by in a blur. I was mostly in my world, paying little attention to Alexander's interaction with his Beta, but I made sure to keep my ears sharp for when a question was thrown at me, heeding mindlessly to Alexander's warnings.

His words from that night about having little patience was stuck in my head like gorilla glue. As long as I was still at his mercy, the wisest thing I could do was to make sure he never ran out of patience with me.

I stood at the grand entrance of the castle, my eyes locked on the breathtaking golden carriage in front of me. After eating the little my appetite could take from the numerous dish on the dining table, Alexander had offered I accompanied him to God-knows-where, leaving me clueless about where he was taking me.

At first, I almost rejected the offer, but I immediately had a second thought when I realized I wouldn't get the opportunity to escape from my mate anymore. This was the universe handing me a way to finally be free from Alexander.

Nothing ever came easy to me. I was oblivious to how the word 'luck' happened, even when the people around me spoke of it. I always had to work hard to get things done for myself. Until now. This was freedom knocking at my doorstep, without having to work for it.

Was this how luck worked?

The glow from the large and robust wheels of the carriage's spokes designed to resemble golden filigrees were blinding when the sun cast its warm light on it. Still, it was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Come, Princess," Alexander led me to the door of the carriage, decorated with a beautiful golden frame, where a coachman held the door open for us.

The man greeted Alexander when his presence graced him, remaining in his trained bowing position until he entered the carriage.

After he sat comfortably, Alexander held out his hand to me, dismissing any assistance the coachman offered. I nervously slipped my fingers into his hand, and he trapped them immediately, pulling me into the carriage with a firm, yet gentle grip.

The scent of rich leather invaded my nostrils as I sat opposite Alexander inside the carriage. The interior of the carriage was plush, befitting a king, but it was impossible to focus on anything with my mate staring at me like there was nothing more interesting to look at.

Just as the carriage began moving, I looked away from Alexander to the beautiful scenery outside the window. It was easier to calm my heart when I wasn't looking at him, since he stared at me like he could see through my thoughts, and my plan of escaping from him.

The only thing I was grateful for was the silence in the carriage, which broke after a couple of minutes, when we were away from the castle.

"Why are you so quiet, Penelope?"

I turned to Alexander's cold stare. I didn't know how much I missed hearing my name until now. "I have nothing to say, Alexander," I calmly said.

"Is that why you're so nervous, Princess?" Alexander's question was enough to make my heart sink.

'He doesn't know,' I had to constantly say those words in my head to calm myself, even if they did nothing to reduce my anxiety.

I forced a smile. "I'm just not used to riding with a king."

His chuckle was low, almost predatory. "Ahh," he muttered sarcastically, "I thought you were so nervous because you're planning on escaping from me."

I froze.