The Curse Of An Alpha *MATURE*

Chapter 32; Laila

It was a week after the announcement that Alice saw Lucien again. It had felt surreal, almost like a dream, as she walked the palace hallways and observed from afar the normal day to day preparations. She had created herself a routine, since there wasn't much to do in terms of entertainment in the first place; she'd wake up at around 10 am, laying in until noon just so she could bask in the quiet pretend that she had surrounded herself by. Then she'd spend an hour bathing, taking advantage of the large tub in the ensuite bathroom, though it could just as easily be a small swimming pool. Alice avoided using any of the essential oils knowing that they were chosen by Lucien himself. An old maid had come to deliver them to her the morning after the ball, insisting that they would please his majesty. For that reason alone, she hid them underneath the sink, out of sight. After that she would walk the palace grounds, starting from her tour and going all the way to the main hallway on the ground floor, later moving onto the gardens. Those were her favourite, even if they were owned by Lucien.

The luscious green tones of the leaves, the blooming pink and red roses, fountains with angel statues and howling wolves. Sometimes she even shed her clothes and let her wolf out, even if it was for a small trot. Alice had learnt that she wasn't allowed to go farther than the gardens and into the forest where the Lycan's let their beasts run. Malik had confronted her three days after the ball, just as she stepped into the shadows of the trees. His face had been an epitome of calm yet there was a sense of danger that made her hackles rise. 

"You do not step into this forests, Alice," his voice had been a steely calm, cold and harsh. "Wolves do not run with Lycan's."

"I'm not entirely a wolf," Alice had snarled back, "and I have nothing else to do."

Malik had cocked his head to the side, "maybe not. But it's dangerous and I have a feeling that you wouldn't like what you'd find."

His words had sparked a flash of terror inside of her. That was another thing that had become an ever-present force in her mind; the fear, the knowledge that she was in the den of the big bad wolf...it had been easy to make the decision to come here, if only to stop the deaths and terrors that Lucien inflicted. It had been easy to stay calm when he was there, lingering on her threshold, checking in on her. But when he was gone, Alice felt as if she was waiting for her death. 

"What am I supposed to do then?" Alice hated the way her voice trembled at the howls that followed her words. 

Malik merely glanced back into the forest, a look of disinterest on his face, before he looked back to meet her eyes. "There are plenty of things that you should be doing, Alice. And you only have three weeks to prepare before you sign your name off to the devil."

Alice had stayed at the edge of the forest for what felt like an eternity, staring dumbfoundedly at the spot where Malik had stood moments before. His words echoed inside of her head the following days, cold and taunting, a mystery that Alice couldn't piece together. He was Lucien's second in command, his right hand, but the way he had spoken of him when so money others grovelled at his feet...Alice had wondered whether there was more to Malik than he let on. 

It was then that the idea of gathering allies amidst the Lycan's began to circle in her head. She hadn't gotten any closer to killing Lucien than when she was still in Colden's pack. His name still brought a deep ache within her chest, but it was the profound longing that made it hard to breathe. She used it to fuel her determination. There had to be a way, even if it meant dying to accomplish it.

She had a feeling that Lucien had not sought her out for a reason. Perhaps he expected her to kill him, and he knew that it would be far more difficult when he forced the mating bond on her. Perhaps it was to taunt her, to instil her with fear so when the time came she wouldn't fight back. But maybe, he was expecting her to go to him. Either way, Alice knew that the only way to accomplish her task was to become closer to Lucien himself. How could she do that when he was nowhere to be found?