A Maiden For The Lycan novel Chapter 3

The days that followed, I was not allowed to go to school, or even leave the orphanage. I guessed they feared an escape on my part. I would have definitely attempted to make a run for it if I had a wolf, and support too to be honest.

But I had neither. And it would be utter foolishness to go against the council’s wishes. Ergo, I didn’t entertain the idea. Not much anyway.

Aside from the initial shock, I had for the most part accepted my impending doom. Things never went my way. Why and how would I ever get the chance to be happy – to be free?

On Thursday evening, I stuffed my measly belongings in a duffle bag. I had but three old outfits and a few necessities.

And then, it was Friday. I was waiting by the gates of the orphanage, two guards flanking my sides. The car that was supposed to lead me to the castle would be arriving anytime now, and I was doing my best to remain calm and collected. I believed I was doing a decent job at pretense.

The three kids of the orphanage, who were too young for school, regarded me with something akin to sadness, and wordlessly hugged me goodbye. I had told them when they saw my bag that I was leaving the orphanage for good.

The headmistress on the other hand was much more scornful, “Try to behave and not get yourself killed too quickly.”

I was surprised to see the lycan prince approaching from the distance, that flamboyant blonde she-wolf by his side.

Not paying the woman any mind, I focused on him, even though I was bewildered to say the least. Why was he here? He couldn’t have possibly come to say goodbye, could he? I dared not hope…

And yet, my heart began to thud in my chest, and I inhaled deeply, in an attempt to calm myself.

When he was close enough, he beckoned me with a hand gesture. I obliged him almost unconsciously, as if my legs had a mind of their own.

“How does it feel like, Cora?” He asked simply, a small smile on his face.

I scrunched my eyebrows up in confusion… surely, he wouldn’t be as cruel as to taunt me, would he?

“Do you know why you are being sent off?” He then asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

I shook my head negatively in response.

“It’s because I spilled the beans, dearie. I told the council your secret. They were quite eager to get rid of you to say the least…”

I gasped in shock and outrage both, and tears stung my eyes at that.

I was experiencing the sharp pain of betrayal for the first time in my eighteen years of life. And boy did it hurt! It hurt like there was no tomorrow.

His smirk taunted me and confused me in equal parts.

What did I ever do to deserve this? How could he be so mean? He led me to believe I should open up. Had everything been fake then? He had definitely played me as a fool, and I knew where I went wrong alright. I had loved someone blindly and trusted them when I shouldn’t have.

“How could you? Why?” I asked in a broken tone of voice.

“You didn’t think he truly loved you, did you?” Blondie spoke up in a contempt-filled tone, her haughtiness showing.

I glared at her through the tears. Not only did the betrayal hurt, but her taunting added insult to injury.

“It was nothing. You meant nothing,” she went on, her tone scornful.

My glare heated up, and boy if looks could kill, she would have been way under.

“Oh, little wolfless girl got spunk?” She mocked as she twirled a lock of my hair around her finger, and then pulled harshly.

I didn’t give her the satisfaction of crying out. Instead, I grabbed her hand and, taking her by surprise, freed my hair.

“If that’ll be all, prince Aiden,” I said with all the hatred I could muster despite my tears. “I have a car to wait for.”