Fated mate (2)

Ophelia walked with the guards placed by her side, looking around the castle as far as they allowed her to roam. 

The further Ophelia got away from her room, the more stares she felt on her. They weren't stares filled with curiosity but with hatred due to who they believed her father was. 

Ophelia ignored them as best as she could. Trying to prove she wasn't anything like Joel Porter wasn't going to do her any good since no one cared to listen. 

Rather than prove her heart, Ophelia soaked in as much fresh air as she could get now. She had been suffering in her room because of no windows to bring in a cool breeze so now the wind blowing against her skin was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"Do you intend to have us walk around in circles?" Nora asked, tired of how much they had walked. "They are leading you around in circles. The alpha wouldn't let you be free to do as you like."

Ophelia didn't respond since she didn't need to explain herself to anyone. Perhaps it was fine for her maids to go back to their rooms because they had windows but Ophelia was not ready. 

Nora looked at Alice for her to speak up. 

"Don't look at me. The lady doesn't want to listen to anyone. She would rather we walk where everyone wants to kill us. Shouldn't you go see the alpha?" Alice asked.

Alice frowned, annoyed by Ophelia's silence. It was annoying she had to bite her tongue and not comment on the alpha not coming to see Ophelia.

"You can't go any further," a guard stepped in front of Ophelia.

"Is the alpha hiding all his secrets out in the open? All I am doing is taking a walk. I have walked around the same area for an hour now so I have gotten bored. Can't I go a little further?" Ophelia pleaded.

What could they be hiding near here that she could not see?

Ophelia needed to see a little more to memorise her path for the next time she had to run. Were there other ways out of the castle aside from the gates she entered? Were there areas where not many guards roamed?

"The alpha hasn't given you permission to-"

"I am your Luna yet I am being treated like some prisoner," Ophelia argued.

"It is what you deserve," Rick said, approaching to free the guards from speaking to the spoiled lady. "Be thankful you were given the freedom to go this far. You should head back before you find yourself in trouble. Go now."

"It would be a gentlemanly thing to do to introduce yourself to me," Ophelia said, turning her attention to the stranger. 

"I am Rick. You are creating trouble for your guards. They have better things to do than walk around with a princess throwing a tantrum."

Ophelia remembered this name to belong to the beta. Rick was the one who assigned her the room and failed to greet her at the gates. 

"I am not throwing a tantrum. I am requesting that I be able to walk more than I was allowed to. My room doesn't have any windows so I need to enjoy as much fresh air as I can now before I go back. I won't snoop," Ophelia promised.

"The fact you thought of mentioning snooping means it was on your mind," Rick replied.

Ophelia sighed. No matter what she said they would twist her words. They were too focused on hating her slightest movement to realise that she just wanted to walk. 

"It is what you and everyone else are waiting to accuse me of doing. I just want to walk around since there is nothing else for me to do but none of you will leave me alone. You are the one sneaking around to watch everything I do. I am not the spy here, " Ophelia said, her tone no longer polite since Rick did not watch his tone. 

Ophelia looked straight ahead at the path she wanted to walk. "Has Sylas given you clear orders that I am not to go that way or is it you who says I cannot go any further?"

"I am telling you that you shouldn't," Rick answered.

"Thank you. That is all I needed to know," Ophelia said, walking the path she was forbidden to go. "If you didn't get orders from the alpha then you should know your place to not get in front of your Luna. If you are so concerned about what I will stumble upon then walk with me."

Rick was quick on Ophelia's heel and grabbed her hand. "The alpha is not here right now so I am the one giving orders."

Ophelia didn't bother to try to pull her hand away. "When your alpha isn't around, I rank over you. I don't care if you don't accept me as your Luna. The alpha did so take up your complaints with him instead of me. If he says I can't go any further then I won't."

Alice was puzzled by Ophelia's behaviour. Ophelia went to sleep afraid and woke up this new person who was challenging everyone.

Rick squeezed Ophelia's hand enough to make it bruise and then let go of her. "Fine," he replied. 

Ophelia took a deep breath and touched her aching hand. It went better than she predicted in her head. "You and everyone else need to direct your anger elsewhere. I am not the one who hurt you."

"The people I lost were innocent too, yet your father took them from me. The best way to hurt him will be using you. You should prepare yourself for everyone here to try to kill you. I will speak to him about where you're walking," Rick said, leaving to find Sylas.

Ophelia knew her day was about to get bad from here so she would have no other choice than to return to her room. Sylas was going to side with his pack and have fun torturing her. 

This was her cruel reality.

Ophelia turned around to start making her way back to her room but didn't get far before she came across a stranger.

Hannah inspected the woman she overheard call herself the Luna. "I was looking for the alpha but came across something even better. It's there," she said, focused on Ophelia's dress as she walked forward.

Ophelia took a step back each time Hannah came forward. The events of last night were still fresh in her mind. She was prepared to run even with guards at her side.

"You," Hannah reached out to grab Ophelia's hand but failed. "You have magic on you and it's blocking the bond."