CHAPTER 97: SERIOUSLY

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~ODETTE’S POV~

"I also met a fox" I know I sounded disinterested in answering his questions. I haven’t forgotten or forgiven him flirting and gazing at Artemasia. I didn’t owe him any answers.

"Fucking seriously, Odette?" Ambrose looked angrily at me, like he was seconds away from biting my head off, but I couldn’t care any less. You can’t call me your fucking mate and then ogle another woman right in front of me.

Has he already been with her? Have they had a thing in the past? Would a mate bond put an end to his promiscuity with other women? Do I have more women I need to worry about?

Ugh... Kalvin was never this exhausting, but then again everyone knew he belonged to the vampire princess. And everyone was afraid of me. So, it wasn’t like I had to do much, plus I was never bothered by anyone giving him any looks.

But with Ambrose, even the idea set my soul on fire, filling me with rage.

"What else do you want me to say?" I wanted to sound as cold and distant as possible.

"You’re unbelievable, you know that? You just disappear, and tell no one where you were going, and now you’re giving me a shoulder so fucking cold, I’m going to get frost bite." Ambrose sounded stressed, and it almost made my heart hurt.

Almost.

"You had your little witch to keep you entertained. Why do you even care?" I snapped. Which only made me pissed at myself, I didn’t want to give him any emotion and now here I am, my green monster slipping between the bars of its cage.

"What? What are you talking about?" Ambrose looked shook from my statement.

How could anyone be so clueless?

"Nothing. Go. You see I’m fine, I made a new friend, and I’m busy getting to know them." I said dismissively.

"You can’t just send me away. I am the Alpha King here; this is my land you’re on." He growled.

I kept up my cold unconcerned demeanor, pretending not to care.

Despite the small dull throbbing ache in my chest.

"Then take me back to my land." I snapped my neck to look him in the eyes, giving him the coldest look I could muster. I knew my eyes were glowing that deep red they do when I feel rage.

But he didn’t even flinch.

But the fox, it growled. the hair on its body fluffed up, its ears laid back flat on its head and it should its sharp little baby teeth.

So fierce, even in the face of a large alpha wolf, this tiny baby white fox was ready to fight for me.

"Over my dead body, you’re MY fucking mate." Ambrose’s eyes glowed gold, showing his wolf was just beneath the surface.

"Then why the hell were you starring so intensely at that witch right in front of me?" I started giving him the piece of my mind that I didn’t want to share. Let out the humiliation I felt when he was gazing at her.

"Artemasia? Wait you think I have a thing for Artemasia?" Ambrose’s anger seemed to drop immediately, and a looked like he was stifling a laugh.

"I saw you!" I snapped.

"Odette, she’s unavailable to me, even if I wanted her. Which I don’t. She’s been a loyal friend. And helpful with rebuilding my pack and protecting it. She keeps my land hidden from the rest of the world. And I was just thinking about how grateful I was to have a witch powerful like her around, how despite her bitch personality, there’s a softness she’d never admit existed. How if she wasn’t around, how would I be able to help you? Plus, she’s a fucking lesbian, I’d need to worry more with you alone with her, than you need to with me." Ambrose looked almost relieved when he said that.

And I kinda did too. And so did the little fox, wild how in tune the little thing was to my emotions.

"Oh." Was all I could muster. My cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

"Now, please, it’s late in the morning, I know you’ve got to be hungry. I won’t force you to talk about everything that happened last night, but we will have to talk about it." He stretched his hand out to me, offering me help up "I have some alpha business to handle after. We’re going to go shopping, you need supplies. And Ursula will skin me if I don’t provide you with the material’s you need."

"Shopping? Really?" I raised a brow at him and take his hand. The little fox jumps from lap and waited patiently for me to make the first move.

"Yes, what does that excite you?" He smirked at me.

That stupid, sexy, and very punchable smirk.

I rolled my eyes.

The little fox jumped excitedly behind me, following just at my heels. If it was any closer, it would have tripped me.

"Where did you get that thing anyways?" He asked me referring to the small white fox.

"In the mountains." I pointed at one of the mountains in the range behind us.

"That mountain? You got up that mountain? Through that storm? How?" He looked full of surprise and disbelief.

"Yes. I ran..." I said pausing for a second before continuing. "I was running all night and somehow, I ended up running up the mountain." I didn’t want to mention the voice that spoke to me on the mountain. Not yet anyways.

"That’s impossible, no one goes up there, the wind makes it in possible. It batters anyone whose tried to enter. Some have even died if they pushed too far in, they’ve been thrown off the edge." Ambrose clearly couldn’t believe me.

"Well, I did. I found the fox in the center. Or rather it found me. And led me down the mountain." I admitted I turned back and looked at my new little friend, and as if it understood me, it ran ahead of us and then turned to face us. Its gaze felt like it was looking right through me.

"Are you sure its... safe?" He asked cautiously.

The fox’s ears flattened again, but it didn’t growl this time.

"Yes. At least with me, I can’t speak for the rest of you." I teased.

"You can keep it, but train it, I don’t want it pissing on the floor." He said and continued walking.

It snubbed its nose to him, looking insulted. I couldn’t help it, but a light giggle escaped me.

When we arrived back at the palace, everyone was starring. Some I was surprised to see relief, while others, looked disappointed. Which I expected, and it’s not like I wasn’t used to hateful or repulsive looks, but that didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt.

The little white fox followed behind me, a quiet growled rumbled inside it.

When we got to our room Emalea was waiting for me.

Our room. I still wasn’t used to that. I know we’ve already shared a room and did for days when we visited the ColdMoon Pack.

And upon seeing Emalea, excitement exploded from me.

"Emalea!" I shouted running toward her.

I scooped her into my arms, hugging her tightly.

The little fox sitting behind me, its tail moving slowly back and forth.

"Princess Odette, I was so worried! You gave us all a scare!" Emalea scolded me but with the softest voice.

It reminded me of my mother. I missed her.

And then I remembered her lies and betrayal.

"I know, I know, Ambrose told me, sorry. I was given some heavy information and needed some time and space to process it." I wasn’t ready to talk to her about everything either. I still haven’t really figured out what I’m going to do about this whole past life, reincarnation thing.

"I brought you breakfast, I figured you’d be hungry, and I drew a warm bath for you as soon as Ambrose informed the pack, he’d found you." And that’s when she must have finally noticed the little fox sitting next me. "Who is this beautiful little girl?"

Girl... huh...

"We met on the mountain, and I guess now I know she’s a girl fox." I kneeled down to the little fox and brushed her fur and scratched behind her ear. "She was such a good girl, helping me down the mountain. I was lucky I found her."

"How cute, what are you going to name her?" Emalea asked.

"I don’t know, yet. But, how did you know she was a girl?" I was super curious about how she did that.

"Because, she doesn’t have balls. And at the size, you’d see them." She laughed, like it was obvious, and should have noticed that.

"Hey, don’t laugh at me that’s so mean." I teased her acting wounded.

"I’ve got a meeting with some officials, I’ll see you later." He lifted my chin slightly and his lips parted and softly kissed my forehead. The gesture felt like everything to me and gave me butterflies.