Page 29 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

“It was really nice of your dad to let us use his car.”

Mary grunts, tossing her suitcase in the trunk. “He found out that rides had been arranged for everyone aside from you. And when I told him I was going with you, he sent the car for us.”

I give her a small smile, wondering if she has noticed that she just gave away her father’s intentions. He sent the car so that his daughter could travel in comfort, not because he thought injustice was being doled out on me. Not that it matters.

“You’re a lucky girl, Mary.” I close the trunk and look at her. “Your father really loves you.”

Mary smiles back at me. “He does. Come on. Let’s go.”

As the driver wades through the LA traffic, we realize we still have an hour before we’ll arrive at our destination. The royal palace is on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

Mary is flipping through pictures on her phone. “The dresses Darian sent you are gorgeous. You will be the envy of every girl there. Super nice of him to send me some clothes, as well.” She glances at me. “Did you tell him my size?”

“I didn’t even tell him my size.” I make an exasperated sound. “I can’t believe he sent so much jewelry, too. All those diamonds. What is he thinking?”

“He wants his woman to look like a princess,” Mary teases me. “Why’d you pack that green scarf, though?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I just wanted to bring it with me.”

“He even sent handwritten notes. If that’s not a man in love, I don’t know what is.”

I pause and look out the window, deep in thought. “Mary, you’ve been to one of the mating gatherings, so you must’ve seen Darian around the palace, right? I’ve told you what he looks like.”

“The companions of the attendees have to stay at the very back of the room,” Mary sighs. “I didn’t even see the king and his son. I know they retired pretty quickly, but the only people I saw were my sister and my brother-in-law. I don’t think I saw Darian atthe after-party, either—at least, no one matching his description. But there were so many people.”

“I see.”

But Mary has her own questions. “What are you going to do if Darian chooses you as his mate? That would mean you’re no longer going to leave, right?”

“I don’t know.” I look out the window again. “To be honest, Mary, I still don’t believe this is happening. I mean, he came out of nowhere and is suddenly saying all these things. I want to believe him, but my experience has always been that life is not kind to me. What if it’s just some big sham? What if he’s just—”

My friend wraps her hand around mine, giving me a tight smile. “If anything happens, I have your back. But I want you to believe in him. He’s gone above and beyond for you. He even faced off against Thomas and Willow for you. And somehow, he was able to keep the two of them away from you. That has to count for something, doesn’t it?”

She has a point. “I just can’t seem to stop the self-doubt from creeping in. It’s like I’m living somebody else’s life right now.”

Mary beams at me. “Don’t worry. If he decides to be an asshole, I bet there will be others showering you with attention. I don’t know what you’ve been doing lately, but you smell freaking fantastic. And you’re very pretty, Alice.”

I look at my reflection, the red hair and blue eyes. “I’m a freak. Maybe among humans I might be considered pretty, but according to our kind, I’m nothing short of a freak.”

Mary pats my shoulder. “You know, whatever happens, you should probably get therapy, as well.”

I bat her hand away as she snickers. “I don’t need therapy!”

“Then stop insulting yourself.” She gives me a long look. “Just because you don’t meet the standard of everybody around you doesn’t mean you’re not beautiful in your own way. And if it were just good looks that mattered, Willow would be the most popular girl in the pack.”

“She is the most popular girl in the pack,” I point out dryly.

Mary rolls her eyes. “She’s not popular in that way. The only reason men surround her is because of her father. She could be blind as a bat and have the looks of a troll, and she would still be popular. Power speaks. But none of the men who pay attention to her like her for herself. The few people you have in your life actually like you for you. And that’s what pisses Willow off. She has never been able to make anybody like her. You’ve always had this charm about you. Those who don’t keep you at arm’s length automatically gravitate toward you.”

I squeeze her hand. “Okay, stop. I think that’s enough praise for one day. I don’t need therapy; I just need you telling me how I’m one vote away from winning the title of prom queen because of my apparently sparkling personality.”

My friend laughs.

By the time we reach the palace, the sun is setting, and we are ushered to our rooms. Mary and I will be sharing a suite with two bedrooms. Her eyes widen. “You were given one of the nicer suites.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask as I put down my suitcase—and hers, since she was too busy gawking at everything to carry her own stuff.

“This is the room that alphas get, and not just any alphas. The ones that come from other lands. We’re in the east wing. Only very important people get to stay in this part of the palace. I should know; there were some dignitaries here from Europe last time I attended the gathering, and they were allowed to stay in the east wing. There should be nobody on this floor but us.”

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