Sweetheart

"Sweetheart! Mind your steps, or else you'll fall."

Louis' voice was loud and clear to inform everyone present there of the hidden message that she had arrived with him to that party, and no one should dare to bother her. Especially David, as Louis' gaze was still fixed on the brothers who were busy in some argument, that Robin was not in favour of telling him about just yet.

"But your wound-" 

He cut her off and nipped her worries in the bud. 

"I am okay, Darling! Just don't panic about anything, and enjoy the party.

And in case you want an activity to enjoy, or are in the mood to choose a few new friends, I suggest you look over there. The girls standing there and talking to each other are your senior Alphas, from the TSS."

He paused for a moment and started speaking again in a gentle voice. 

"I am their captain, and I know they are nice, and will treat you nicely. 

As a Princess, you are required to be personally acquainted with all the Alphas who are going to be listed under you. It makes their devotion and dedication to their Queen much more sincere."

"But…"

Nora turned her gaze away from the direction Louis had indicated, and tried to part her lips to voice all the doubts that were rising in her mind.

The doubts were giving way to the fear she has always carried with herself- even though the darkness of that fear was now hidden in a closed box, somewhere in her heart, its marks still remained in her psyche… 

The rule she had been following since she remembered her first interaction to anyone apart from her parents and the Moon Goddess, when she was clearly informed- rather, ordered that she was strictly forbidden from talking to any other Alphas who were not Royal or teachers- specially, any female Alphas… today, she was being asked to break it so effortlessly. 

But she was not able to say more than a single word, when both of them heard Ryan's voice and pompous words. 

"Wow! You are looking mystical, Nora! I can't believe my destiny which has graced me with the opportunity of existing at the same time as you."

"Yes! Because I can confirm that you will soon realise, it's not your fortune."

Louis spoke up the moment Ryan paused, and before Nora could say hello to him. He then leaned towards her;

"Just do as I say ! Trust me." 

The sentence might have seemed like a command to someone hearing this from a third person perspective. But for Nora, his voice held something different… something completely different from the usual sweet- and- sour tone that a friend's voice always carried. It was deep, soothing, calming, assuring, and at the same time, caring.

This left zero room for argument in her mind, and she just nodded. She mouthed a quick 'thanks' to Ryan before heading towards the group he had asked her to mingle with. 

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"It is nothing for you to doubt." 

David spoke, while his demeanor was completely calm while waiting for Henry's arrival. This is when Robin barked again;

"You know! Don't you?" 

"Is there something that you think I should know?"

David spoke again, ignoring his question and lifting his left eyebrow almost to his hairline.

"Nothing." 

Saying this, Robin decided to leave the place to come up with a plan for disaster relief after the catastrophe that was going to happen any minute now.

Undoubtedly, the fact about Nora being allergic to Alpha pudding was not just something highly suspicious. 

Rather, it was going to be the biggest scandal in history. It was surely going to be followed by many more consequences of a disastrous magnitude, that she would have to suffer through- all because of this truth that her parents had probably decided to hide.

And while he was lost in these thoughts, a new thought sprouted in his mind: if Nora was not an Alpha, then what was her real identity?

There was no way that she could be a lower rank wolf, or else, the results of eating the Alpha pudding would have been deadly. But she couldn't possibly be something above that, either, or else everybody would have known about it from the beginning.

He was brought back to the present when he heard the announcement. 

"Everyone! It is now time for the Royal Alphas to taste the pudding, and announce the start of the party.

Therefore, I request;

Prince David from the Eclipse Pack, Prince Louis from the Dionne Pack, Prince Ryan from the Orion Pack, Prince Robin from the Eclipse Pack- and last but not the least- our one and only Princess Nora from the Moon pack, to arrive at the stage and take their seats."

Henry paused after the announcement and gestured towards a round table with five chairs, which was placed at the center of the venue. It was filled with many edible items, along with the sparkling bowls of Alpha pudding.

All the remaining guests started walking towards the table, making a circle round it while leaving appropriate distance between the chairs to give the Royals their privacy. Hearing the announcement, Louis, Ryan and Robin also started to walk towards the central table. 

All of a sudden, David remembered his encounter with Nora from the night before, and something came to his mind. Instead of moving towards the table, he walked towards Nora and whispered;

"Are you out of your mind? Why the hell are you here?"

"Do you have some problem with your memory, or are you just an idiot?"

Nora replied, ignoring the point of David's question, getting amused at his words and inserting a question from her end.

He was furious at this indignance and whispered back harshly, 

"I am concerned for you, and you are showing me your attitude -"

"Oh, really? How are you being concerned for me, by inviting me to the party first and pushing me to believe that you are finally turning into a nice person; and then suddenly raising a question about my presence and proving that you will remain a prick?"

"I think, when you already have decided my designation in your life, then I should show you what a prick can really do. Let's go."

Saying this, he moved to take his seat at the table, and Nora followed him. 

Within minutes, they all dipped their spoons in the pudding and placed it into their mouths. Taking it as a signal, everyone else present there started to grab the respective items they wanted to eat and took their seats.

Leaving three sets of eyes glued to Nora's face, while Louis was eating the pudding, slowly enjoying its taste.

This was when Robin, who was seated next to him, finally murmured out of disbelief, "How is it possible -" 

Right at that moment, Louis' self- assured statement gave the answer that Robin was seeking. 

"Because I have already told you, I will never let any danger, any problem reach Nora till I am here -"

Immediately, Robin turned towards him with his eyes blown wide as he began his next question. 

"You knew-"

"This is something I should ask you…! Because as far as I remember, I had already asked you if there was anything you were hiding from me, and you told me no! The last time I checked, this is not how friendships work."

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