CHAPTER 7 - MEETING THE CROWN PRINCE

Feeling of rage and frustration overwhelmed her so she went on a run to let out some steam. If she was Amelia, she would just lock herself in her room and cry. But she wasn't the weak and meek princess anymore. She was now a werewolf and running was her best way to lessen her anger.

Jolene asked her if she already shifted to her wolf form. Based on Helena's diary, she shifted on her eighteenth birthday, but it happened only once. She didn't really care about shifting so she never tried to run as a werewolf.

She was currently staying in an inn within a small town called Moongrove. It was part of the Kingdom of Valtrea, ruled by a female Alpha, Queen Alicia. Majority of its population were women and half-breeds were easily accepted by the pack, the Moon Warriors. Jolene decided to settle in this town because there was no discrimination.

In the northern part of Moongrove she decided to explore and ran through its endless, wet, and blooming forest. Its canopy was monopolized by beech, cottonwood, and walnut. The radiant light from the sun danced between the branches that granted for all sorts of saplings to burst from the insect strained soils below.

The thick vines waved from every tree, and a range of flowers, dandelions and tulips, that bloomed once in a while, were scattered and bedded throughout the forest.

A frenzied wild noises, most of which were from insects and critters, filled the air. It added to the echoes of the occasional sounds of breaking twigs beneath the feet of larger animals. 

She stopped running when she heard a streaming sound of the nearby river. She felt a little tired from running without stopping for three hours straight, so she decided to take a quick drink on the river. But just after taking a few steps, she suddenly smelled an intoxicating scent.

The strong and thrilling odor made her body overflow with excitement. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was pulling her. Without her knowing, she followed the scent, leading her to the river. She covered her eyes when the ray of sun almost blinded her. The glittering aqua blue water was breathtaking but it wasn't the river that caught her eyes.

It was a man who was standing and staring at her with his lustrous amber eyes. His dark wavy hair was a little messy, but it didn't lessen his aura. In fact, he looked sexier with it. She gulped when she recognized who it was. She couldn't say a word and was unsure if she would dare to move closer.

"Are you thirsty?" He asked.

She nodded in response to his question. She was certain that the man in front of her was Elias Lagerfeld—the Crown Prince of Elysium.

Her face was half covered with a red scarf which she always does when going out. She wanted to take it off to see if Jolene and the women in the tavern were right about her being a Cytherian. But she had to play like a mysterious woman who doesn't care about the man.

"Are you from here?" She asked while slowly taking a step closer to the river.

The man frowned. "Not really. I came with my friend to visit someone. It's my first time here so I decided to explore the place while I'm here."

"I see." She simply answered.

She removed the scarf from her face and bent down to taste the fresh blue liquid from the stream. She could feel the prince's gaze following her movement. And then her eyes widened when he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Their eyes met and everything stopped around them.

"Who are you?" He whispered.

She would not allow to be drawn to him that easily. Although she felt like she wanted to be touched by him, she snatched her arm and averted her eyes away from him.

"I think you have no right to grab a woman you just met." She said.

Elias raised his hands and sighed. "I apologize for startling you. I was surprised to see your face."

"And why is that?" She asked although she already had a hint of the reason.

"Let's say it's the first time seeing a rare gem like you."

Her heart skipped a beat with his compliment. Now she was convinced with Jolene's suspicion about Amelia. And having met the crown prince by accident was like a blessing in disguise for her. She just had to make sure to leave a good impression on him before they go in separate ways.

She then turned to him and gave him her sweetest smile. "Then, apology accepted."

Seeing Elias' face reacting to her smile made her heart flutter. She was unsure when they would meet again so she thought of starting a conversation with him.

"My name is Helena. I'm staying in an inn near the gate. Like you, I wanted to explore the forest." She said.

Elias' eyes couldn't lie. He looked so pleased to hear her name. "Are you also visiting this town?"

She shook her head. "No. I live here with my mother. But we had an argument so I came here to let out my anger." She lied.

Elias chuckled. "Running helps a lot, right?"

She nodded. "You do it all the time?"

"Yes. If I want to get away from everything, I will just keep on running until I succumb myself to exhaustion."

She felt the sadness behind his words and didn't realize she sprinkled water in his face using her hands. Then she laughed seeing his surprised face. And the next she knew, they were already playing in the river, laughing with each other.

"You're a werewolf, right?" She asked.

Elias had an incredulous face and that was exactly what she wanted. 

"Indeed, I am. And I assume you are too."

She seductively smiled at him. "And what made you sure about that?"

She felt his scent became stronger when he stared directly into her eyes.

"Your scent. It's captivating." He growled.