CHAPTER 148: CHANGED

"Wear this."

Emira looked down at the large cloak that had been shoved into her hands, then back at the Crown Prince who now stood a few steps away wearing his same cold, unreadable expression. She was not feeling cold anymore, so why did she have to wear a cloak? She wanted to ask that, but his expression stopped her from doing that and she sighed.

She had thought or rather foolishly hoped, that something between them had shifted these past few days. But clearly, she had been wrong. It wasn’t that she wanted to be close to him. No. But she would rather that he not look at her as if she were his mortal enemy.

But, he still looked at her with that same cold, distant gaze he’d had from the first moment their eyes met. It was the kind of look that made her feel as if she had done something terrible to offend him.

And maybe she had. After all, she had inadvertently hurt his mate. But did he not see that it was Zen and Prince Kael who had also used her against their mate? Why then was the crown prince holding a grudge against her?

Only at night, when he had tended to her, bringing her to the heights of passion, did that icy expression seem to falter.

But even then, his warmth was mechanical, as if born of duty rather than care. When he brushed a stray hair from her face or adjusted her blanket, it was with a hesitation that cut deeper than any harsh word could.

To him, she was not a person but a task to be handled.

"Are you going to move or not?" His impatient voice broke through her thoughts.

Emira quickly rose, clutching the heavy cloak to her chest. She wrapped it around herself, letting the thick fabric swallowing her frame.

Only then did she notice the strange, unpleasant scent that clung to it. It wasn’t exactly foul, but sharp and biting, the kind that made her nose wrinkle and her stomach turn.

Before she could comment, the faint voice of her wolf murmured inside her mind, "It is indeed a repellant. Some kind of oil that makes wolves irritable. I hate it."

Emira blinked, glancing at the prince again. So that explained it. No wonder he was glaring at her like she carried something vile. If the smell affected him this strongly, and his wolf was as close to the surface as she suspected, then being near her must be unbearable.

Her fingers tightened around the cloak’s edges, guilt and frustration mixing inside her as she wanted to protest. She hadn’t asked for this closeness either, she wanted to say... and she was also the one paying for it so why did he have to glare her all the time.

Of course she dared not ask. So, she simply stood there, waiting for his next set of instructions,

"We’ll be travelling like humans. In a car. The only difference is that we will not be taking rest breaks. So, you can freshen up and then we will leave."

Emira hesitated, confused for a moment. A car? She hadn’t expected that. The idea of sitting beside him in a confined space with her reeking, was not something she was comfortable with.

But before she could say anything, he turned around and walked out," Get moving fast."

Hurriedly, Emira followed him out the door. Since he was already going to be irritable, there was no need to antagonise him further. She would simply do as he said and pray that he did not kill her on the way...

The beginning of the drive was slow and Emira looked outside at the tall buildings in the human side of the world in wonder.There were so many people, moving close together in the narrow streets, their scents overlapping until she could hardly tell one from another. It was strange... and fascinating.

However, her fascination lasted only for a few minutes, as it was interrupted by the crown Prince’s words," Emira."

She looked at him.

"Do you know about the neighbors of the Stormhold Pack?"

She nodded slowly. "Ryn told me. Our pack is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and there’s only one neighbour close enough to share a border—the Redwood Pack. But they’re not very friendly because of some old grudges. Still, they’re strong. The second strongest, right after Stormhold."

Lance nodded," It is good that you know this."

"Recently, as you are aware, there has been an increase in Rogue attacks and the Redwood Pack has asked for an alliance."

Emira nodded at that piece of information. She knew that another Omega had been kidnapped along with her and that she had been from the Redwood Pack.

But what she did not understand was why was the Prince telling her these things. She waited for him to continue but then he seemed to have turned silent again, after that random talk.

She didn’t have to think long for an answer, though, and soon she questioned," They’ve asked for a Mate alliance?"

Lance nodded and once again, remained silent, letting her come to her own conclusion.

"You want me to go to Redwood Pack?" Emira asked thoughtfully and with a certain dread in her stomach.

And saw him nod his head again...

And then before he could say anything, she spoke sharply," No! I will not..."

But he cut her off before she could finish. His gaze turned hard, his voice cold and firm. "This will not be a discussion, Emira. It will be an order."

The words struck like ice. He held her stare for a moment longer, then added, more evenly, "I am only giving you time to adjust yourself to this thought."

The words of protest stuck in her throat. It was an order. And as a member of the pack, she had no choice in this matter. In that moment, she realized, she had been played.