Page 40 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

“Stop it,” Mary says vehemently. “You need to have a bit more confidence in Darian. If he says he’ll handle it, he’ll handle it. I keep telling you that you should rely on other people. Not everybody is a raging asswipe like Cyrus, or Willow, or even Thomas.” She sighs at my distraught look. “I know it seems complicated and messy, but sometimes good things happen. This is your good thing, Alice. Embrace it. Give Darian a chance to prove himself. You clearly like him. And he’s your fated mate on top of it. You have everything a girl could ask for, my friend. Don’t wreck it.”

I look at her, feeling lost. “I wish I could explain how hard it is to accept that any of this is happening. You wouldn’t understand—”

Mary leans back on her haunches and gives me a stern look. “Try me. Get it off your chest.”

I stare blankly at her, not knowing how to voice these messed up feelings inside me without sounding like a whiny brat. All my life, I’ve been despised and tossed aside, told how worthless I am, and suddenly, someone seems to want me desperately.

It doesn’t seem real. I don’t know how to wrap my head around it. What makes it worse is that whenever I’m around Darian, I don’t use common sense. I’ve always prided myself on being rational and levelheaded, and yet, when it comes to him, it’s like my brain cells begin to wither away.

Mary’s expression softens when I don’t speak. “You deserve love, too, Alice. And when you have a hard time believing that, you just tell me, and I’ll remind you. You are the nicest person I know. You deserve your happy ending. You deserve to have Darian in your life. It’s perfectly okay to open your heart to him. He won’t break it.”

“How can you say that with such confidence?” I whisper hollowly.

“Because I saw the way he looked at you,” Mary sighs. “Call me a romantic, but there was something about the way he was watching you. He looks like he’s madly in love. From the moment he entered the ballroom, he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

I want to remind her that I’ve only known him a few days, but I don’t think she’ll see it my way. She’s right, though. Being a fatedmate is no small matter. I should put my trust in him. It might be difficult to open my heart to this man, but I can at least try.

*****

I am fully determined to keep a low profile at the upcoming events and meals. However, when I enter the breakfast banquet the next morning, all eyes turn toward me.

I swallow.

“I told you we should have come later,” I whisper to Mary.

Breakfast is taking place on the palace grounds. Small, round tables have been set up, and there is a buffet. People are mingling, the conversation light-hearted and easy. But most of it fades when I arrive.

“Should we leave?” Mary asks, but before I can answer, I hear a voice from behind me.

“Do you ladies need a partner?”

I look over my shoulder and see a handsome wolf shifter. His skin is dusky, his brown eyes twinkling. Mary is gaping at him, and I wonder if I should tell her that she’s beginning to drool a little.

“We’re quite alright,” I begin, but his lips turn upward in a smile.

“You do realize that the moment you approach any one of these tables, you will be swarmed by the other guests.”

I cast an anxious look around the banquet area. “We’ll come back later.”

“The hunting event is in two hours,” the man says before holding out his hand to me. “My name is Jason Marrock. I am the alpha of the Shadow Pack.”

Mary’s eyes widen. “You are the Jason Marrock?”

I cast her a questioning look, but she just shakes her head, blushing brightly.

“I see your friend knows who I am. But you don’t?” He looks surprised.

Before I can try to come up with an answer, Mary takes over. “My friend here doesn’t pay much attention to pack politics. Alice, Alpha Marrock is the youngest alpha ever in the Wolf Kingdom. He’s incredibly talented. King Edward even tried to recruit him into the royal army once. Jason turned him down.”

I give the man before me a strained smile. “Are you here to take him up on his offer?”

Jason chuckles. “No. I came here with the hopes of finding my fated mate. I wasn’t so lucky the past few years. I’m starting to think that perhaps I should look elsewhere.”

He gazes at me for a long time, and I smile awkwardly. “Well, there are plenty of eligible girls here. I’m sure you’ll find somebody you like. Excuse us.”

I take Mary’s hand and drag her toward the trees, away from the crowded tables. Mary is muttering something to herself, and when I stop, out of sight of everyone, she slaps me on the arm. “What is wrong with you? He was hitting on you!”

“What?” I gape at her. “No, he wasn’t.”

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