Behind Closed Gates [Edited]

Chapter Thirteen

Thalia sat in the living room holding a mug of brewing tea. The meeting was about to begin but she had a few minutes to collect her thoughts and build up her walls yet again - Lorraine meeting Jasper riled her. She didn't know what it was like to meet your mate, to have that instant bond snap in place, and what she had with Jasper wasn't real. She was stuck wanting to tell her about mates, about her own enemy of a mate, but it would only endanger him and raise questions. If her father found out...Thalia was terrified of what he'd do.

He could banish her, forcing her title of royalty off her head, and send her into the forest for the rest of her days. At least I'd be with my mate. She couldn't help but think, that small silver lining, that was if he could even be with her. He did run an army of hunters that sought to kill her and her family.

Thalia forced her back to remain straight, poised, like the obedient princess she was. As though there was nothing to hide and nothing wrong. She didn't reach for her tea yet, nor for the two biscuits she'd placed on its saucer, but watched as the milk slowly swirled and mixed with the brew.

This meeting would force her to think of something else. It would distract her from thoughts of her mate and where he could be right now, and instead let her focus on getting Elliot's mate home to him.

Thalia's head snapped up as someone walked into the living room - the blonde rogue, Marie - and her usually vibrant green eyes were dull with exhaustion, eyeing the tea Thalia had just made.

"The kettle's just boiled?" Marie didn't wait for Thalia to nod in agreement, walking straight to the kitchen with a relieved sigh before she poured herself a tea as well. "You have the right idea, a tea and biscuits is what gets everyone through a pointless meeting."

"You think this meeting is pointless?" Thalia asked, sipping her hot tea. "We're discussing a plan for breaking out your friend."

Marie slumped next to Thalia on the sofa with her mug of black tea still swirling in the hot water. "But this meeting is going to go exactly like the last one."

"The one you crashed?"

"I intentionally corrected by surprise to everyone else." Marie smirked. "Look, those alphas and lunas, my uncle and aunt included, hate me and what I stand for. I'm a rogue thanks to my uncle, and the fact that I'm calling the shots for this massive heist involving the future wolf queen? It doesn't sit well for them to sit on the sidelines, so they're going to do all they can to try and take control of the heist."

Thalia frowned, remembering the alphas reaction to Marie's meeting crash, and her mother's decree that Marie's plan was the best and how red the alphas went, especially Alpha Stran. "At least three of the alpha pairs are gone, so you only have four to persuade."

"Yeah, my aunt and uncle, and Alpha Thorne, Moore, and Stran, who hate me." Marie nicked one of Thalia's biscuits off her saucer. The princess raised an eyebrow as the rogue stole her food, but didn't reprimand her for it. It was relieving to have someone around who didn't treat her like glass, like she was almost alien thanks to her status.

"Is that the only reason you're annoyed?" Thalia asked, motioning to the door Marie had just walked through. "You came in here quite irritated."

Marie's biscuit fell into her tea, her fingers slipping. The rogue merely sighed and put her tea down. "It's just not my day today."

"How so? We're breaking out your friend."

"And my friend, Willow, just had her first vet check up and I couldn't stop it." Marie stared the princess in the eye. "I met my mate, who I haven't had a conversation with in four years, and he threw up at the sight of me. On top of that, this meeting isn't going to be all happy-go-lucky, so this biscuit breaking is just a bad omen."