Never Change

*Chapter 93*

"Novalie, please... You cannot just stay here in your chamber and lock yourself here." I heard Father's voice as he knocked on the door. "You also need to eat."

I only covered my ears with my pillow, not wanting to hear anything from him. Couldn't he tell me that I never wanted to speak with him? Couldn't he just give me some privacy?

My heart was still bleeding as my wolf was sulking at me because I severed my mate bond with Prince Atticus.

That happened three days ago. I rejected His Highness, Prince Atticus because of the betrayal and abomination I felt at that time. I had never been so humiliated that they made me a fool.

I also failed to realize now that I had encountered Alucard, Alistair, and Alejandro beforehand and they already showed the signs that they were surprised to see Frederick with me.

I groaned in annoyance. "He is not the Frederick you knew even if that is his second name, Novalie..." I mumbled angrily.

I was annoyed with myself because His Highness kept lingering in my head while I felt my heart being broken.

After rejecting Prince Atticus at that time, we were in excruciating pain because of the rejection I did to him. Because of my hatred against him, I did what was unthinkable.

I did not think about it. I was too blinded by my emotions which was why I rejected him.

I remember seeing Prince Atticus' painful expression like what he expressed whenever I got mad at him and deserved an agonizing pain coming from me by torturing him and sleeping with the other male slaves. That memory kept replaying in my mind. It was heartbreaking and it made me teary-eyed.

Frustrated, I couldn't help groaning again, thinking that I shouldn't go to the palace again. I did not have anything to face as I heard that I was the talk of the town.

Again.

The news about rejecting him scattered like a wildfire and for another reason, my name was ruined again.

By him.

"Damn it..." I sobbed as my chest was feeling throbbed before I succumbed to sleep again.

I only woke up when I heard knocks coming from my male servants. I spent another two days locking myself up and I only allowed my servants to come in.

I didn't even get to face my father and even... Alpha Denzil.

But the next day, I decided to go out feeling refreshed, hiding all the pain that I rejected my mate.

How ironic that I still ended up rejecting him. I was already planning this. It was supposed to be meant for Frederick but... it was all this time, he was Prince Atticus all along.

"Good morning, Beta. We have... um... piles of workload we settled in your study room," one of the pack warriors said as I took a patrol this afternoon.

"I already see them and start working on them," I said as I checked the borders. "Did Alpha Denzil look for my presence?"

He nodded. "But he understood that you are feeling unwell because of what happened."

"I see..." Ah, yes. My image was ruined again. I have heard ill things about me. "I shall make a report to him." I transformed into my wolf form and went straight to Alpha Denzil's manor.

When I arrived there, I was already in my human form and saw Luna Helen drinking tea alone in the garden.

"Novalie!" Luna Helen gasped and rushed to me.

I bowed my head. "Greetings, Luna."

Her eyes looked worried. She did not hesitate to cup my face with her gentle hands. "You have gone thinner..." she said, sounding dejected. "Are you eating properly?"

I coerced a smile. "Luna, do you also know?" I asked, instead of answering her question.

"About what?" She blinked, creasing her forehead.

"She has no idea, Novalie."

I looked behind her to see Alpha Denzil on their front porch. I immediately bowed my head as soon as Alpha took strides toward our direction.

"Greetings, Alpha."

"What is she talking about, Denzil?" Luna Helen asked. "Is this about Prince Atticus being Novalie's mate?" She slightly tilted her head, bewildered.

Alpha Denzil kissed her forehead. "No, love. What I mean is her knight that ran away was Prince Atticus in disguise."

"What?!" Luna Helen gasped.

He chuckled and glanced in my direction. "I shall tell you the details later. Novalie has to execute her position as my Beta. Is that alright?"

"Oh. Alright." Then Luna Helen looked at me, worried. "Novalie..."

I smiled. How could I stay in my cold demeanor if Luna Helen was like this? "I will be doing fine, Luna. Fret not. I will be healed from the rejection I did to Prince Atticus." My heart throbbed when I said those words.

For now, I couldn't be able to move on as long as I was feeling this aching feeling creeping into my whole being. It was eating me.

"How are you doing?" Alpha Denzil asked me when we were in his study room while I was busy handling the documents he needed to sign after catching up on every workload I must do.

I wanted to stay silent but I do not wish to be rude even if he was also at fault here. I respected Alpha so much which was why I must answer him regardless of the feelings I felt.

"I am doing fine, Alpha," I answered him, not polite but it was formal.

He kept nodding his head while he signed the documents I bestowed him. "Please forgive me if I did not say to you that the knight with you is Prince Atticus himself..." he said after a moment of silence.

"Allow me to guess. Did he also ask a favor from you that you should not tell who he really was?" My tone smothered with bitterness. My wolf was feeling angry at me for breaking our mate bond with him. That was why until now, she never wanted to speak with me.

He sighed and nodded. "Your father... He was mad at that time when you brought him here. He knew that Prince Atticus was doing something that will end up hurting you."

"Then why did he not tell me?" I asked impatiently.

"You do remember that he knocked him out, don't you?" I stayed silent and didn't answer. I knew that... I remember that. I wanted to say. "He tried to tell you but you are adamant to protect Prince Atticus from him. You cannot blame him if your father doesn't want to ruin your relationship with him as father and daughter, Novalie. Your father cherishes you so much. Nigelle makes sense and warns Prince Atticus that if His Highness dares to hurt you again, he will take matters into his hand."

As soon as he said that, my eyes widened upon the realization. "Is that why Father was in the infirmary the other day?" I asked, shocked.

Alpha chuckled. "He had beaten His Highness to a pulp and he doesn't care if Alpha King Azarius is going to punish him for that."

My jaw dropped at his words. So, all this time... I thought Father was not doing anything and did not care about me but what I heard today was something surprising.

"W-Why am I only hearing this now, Alpha?" I asked after I processed my whole thought for this.

"Nigelle asked me not to tell you this honestly. But I knew that I must halt the miscommunication you two have." He chortled. "As much as possible, you can start working on communicating your feelings as father and daughter, Novalie. Nigelle wants to reconcile the severed relationship he ruined before..."

Alpha Denzil's words lingered in my mind. Even the time I went home so I could grab my dinner. I had to patrol with other pack warriors for tonight so I just needed to grab my dinner quickly.

My heart jumped out of my ribcage upon seeing Father who had just gotten out of his chamber. I looked at his hand and the bandage was not there anymore.

"You are just in time. The supper is ready," he said.

I only nodded and came along with him to the dining hall. We dined together and remained silent. This was the first time after locking myself up in my chamber for days that I got to dine with my father again.

"I am finished," I announced after I finished eating and wiped my mouth with the handkerchief before I decided to stand up.

Before I could leave, Father spoke. "Did Alpha Denzil say something to you?"

I glanced at him. "No," I lied. "He did not say something," I added. "Is there something you wish to say, Father?"

I wanted to know if he was going to tell me about the things he did to Prince Atticus. Well, I would get to confirm it tomorrow since I needed to return to the palace to make a report. I must not be negligent in fulfilling my job as part of the royal cabinet.

Father smiled and chuckled. "Liar. He told you." He chuckled one more time before he halted when he saw that I was not laughing. He sighed. "I know that you already know that I know that your knight is..."

"You do not have to say it again, Father. Just tell me what you wanted to say," I said.

Scrubbing the fact that Prince Atticus fooled me by pretending to be a male slave back in the Maiden's Lair was wounding me. I hated being played... I felt like this was my karma for playing people under my palms.

"Nothing..." he uttered.

At that moment, I clenched my hands, annoyed. "Well, then, I shall take my leave," I said, not wanting to stay in the same place with him.

Alpha... I would never reconcile with my father if he was like this. Father would never change. He would be a piece of an asshole to my eyes.