Chapter 14

ARIEL~~~~

Hey, Roseline!" I called from the living room. "We'll be late if you keep delaying like this!"

There was no reply for a while, causing me to give up as I plopped onto the couch.

"This place looks a lot different compared to the last time I came here," I thought as I looked around Roseline's house. Being the only female with authority in the house after her mother's death, her father left the house and all of the workers within it in her care as he focused on his administrative duties as Beta. With so much authority and the financial stability her father provided, Roseline, is known to do monthly renovations of her interiors, condemning the perfect old furniture and repeating the cycle the next month.

Personally, I think it's a wasteful habit ad I've tried my best to correct it and advise her as a friend, but it only led to issues between us so I stopped. If she wanted to waste money mindlessly, I decided that I was in no place to give an opinion. That's one of the reasons why I stopped coming here.

"Oh, Ariel," Mr Cage, Roseline's father called as he came down the stairs. "It's been a while since I've seen you. You seem to be a busy young lady. You don't run around the palace like you used to."

"Yes, sir," I smiled. "Everyone's got to grow up at some point, I think I'm at that point in my life."

"And you sure did grow up well," he said looking me up and down, accessing every inch of my body and failing miserably at hiding the list in his eyes. "Such beautiful features at such a young age. I'm sure every man in the kingdom would be dying for you, both young and old."

"And I would also like to remind you that I am your Alpha's daughter and daughter's best friend," I smiled. "Your words are a little too suggestive to say to a girl. Are you perhaps implying something?"

"Of course not," he let out a loud hearty laugh as he tried to play it off. "I was just making some keen observations. There's absolutely nothing suggestive there. You kids these days are too sensitive. Loosen up a little bit."

"Of course," I laughed also, playing his game. This was the second reason why I hated coming here. Her father. He is known by the whole pack as a suck pervert who preys on young ladies even before the death of his wife. There are rumours that he even killed her to allow him to practice his lifestyle without restraints.

"I believe you have somewhere you needed to go, dad," Roseline said from the stairs with a frown on her face. "Stop bothering Ariel and get going."

"Oh, come on. Why are you so mad?" he laughed. "I was only catching up with the kid since it's been a while since we saw each other. This is what I just said. You younger generation are just too prickly."

"Dad."

"Fine. Fine," he lifted his hands in surrender. "I'm leaving now."

He finally left, but not before he flashed another creepy smile at me, and this time I expressed my disgust by scrunching up my face in response."

"Let's go," Roseline said as she already walked ahead.

"No "thank you for waiting", or "I'm sorry I took long"?" I asked as I hurried after her.

"I might have if I didn't catch you flirting with my dad," she replied, obviously annoyed as she strutted to the garage.

"Flirting with who?" I asked, just to be sure I heard it clearly.

"You heard me?" she retorted.

"Girl, do you need hearing aids?" I asked, getting mad also. "Why on Earth will I flirt with your old ass dad who isn't as rich as mine?"

"Watch your mouth," she hissed.

"No, you watch your mouth!" I retorted. "I've had enough of your bullshit. We might be friends and I've done everything to keep our friendship on equal terms but I think I need to set the record straight right now! You are beneath me in status. I'm the Alpha's freaking child! Don't lump me in with your opportunistic friends who would throw themselves at your father for some spare change."

She stared at me for a few seconds and then shrugged. "Okay. Let's go."

"I don't feel like it anymore," I said as I made my way towards my car. We planned on leaving together in her car, but that is ruined now."

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said, making me stop in my tracks. "I'm sorry I said those words to you. I should have known better. It's just that I've had too many incidents with friends being caught with my father and I didn't want you to be one of them."

"I would never be," I assured her as I forgave her immediately and walked up to her car. "Your father has nothing to offer me. Absolutely nothing at all. I would never throw myself at an old man like that even if he did."

"I'm trusting you on that," she smiled as she ran around the car and hugged.

"I'm sorry for the words I said to you," I also apologized.

"No, that's okay," she waved it off. "You're right. All of the time we spent together has made me delusional. You're still the Alpha's daughter and royalty. I can't even begin to imagine how I thought my dad could seduce you using money."

"It's okay," I sighed as I pulled away from the hug. "What matters is that we are cool now. I really didn't want to go home like this after coming all the way here."

We both laughed at that and got into Roseline's Mustang and before long, we were driving out of her estate, on our way to the kingdom's biggest mall.

"What's the progress on the Northerner?" I asked.

"Don't know," she shrugged nonchalantly.

My eyes widened at that. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said," she replied. "I haven't seen him for about two days now so I don't know."

"Why haven't you seen him?" I probed, trying to keep my cool. "You do know that our lives are riding on this right?"

"Calm down," she laughed. "Of course, I know that our lives are riding on this. That's why I'm teaching him a little thirst."

"What?"

"I want him to miss me," she explained. "If I'm always there around him, I'll be easily taken for granted. That's why I want to make myself scarce sometimes. I want him to want me."

"I've never stayed away from Asher since we've been dating," I said. "That's why-"

"That's why he tried to rape you," she completed the sentence.

"I was gonna say that's why we were so inseparable but you raised a fair point," I acknowledged her. "He did try to forcefully rape and mark me."

"That's because he takes you for granted," she said again. He sees you as someone he can control and probably know too much about you too."

"So how long are you planning on letting him suffer this thirst for you?" I asked. "Remember that we don't have infinite time. The day for the marriage would soon be finalized."

"I know," she groaned. "I'll be going to see him tomorrow if that makes you feel better."

"It does," I breathed a sigh of relief as I laid back. "I hope this really works out."

We drove in utter silence for a couple of minutes before Roseline broke it. "How are things with Asher going?

"He still hasn't gotten a chance to talk to me yet so I don't know," I shrugged.

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Why hasn't he gotten a chance to talk to you?" she asked, oddly interested. She barely ever cares about anything that doesn't affect her so it was shocking that she was interested in this.

"Denise is doing a good job denying him and I will get access to me," I replied and I think I saw her hand tighten around the wheel.

"And you are letting her?" she asked.

"Of course, I replied. "He deserves it. He did it once so it's safe to assume that he might do it again. I want some time to myself for now. Besides, my dad caught his scent on me the last time and I've got eyes on me almost everywhere I go. I have to be cautious."

"We are here," she said and we alighted from the vehicle only to be greeted by a curious sight.

Among the sea of people, there was one person who stood a few inches above the rest. He had his back to us but we could tell immediately. No one we know is as tall as that except him.

"Isn't that the Northerner?" I asked as she also spotted him.

"It would appear so," she replied. "He must have wanted to get some more clothes also."

"That's cool," I said as I pointed to the side. "Who is the girl beside him?"