HUNTED-Chapter 411: Busted

On a Saturday morning, it had always been compulsory for the girls to have a much-needed lie-in, taking the morning off from training and getting some beauty sleep.

Today, that was not meant to be.

One of the girls’ smartphones was incessantly ringing, grating on each of their nerves. Although Rhea’s apartment has three guest rooms, the trio slept in the living room with their duvet covers and pillows, creating a fort of sorts with twinkling lights. A fluffy rug lay beneath them, adding warmth to the marble floor.

The phone in question echoed from another part of the apartment, away from the pile in the middle of the living room. Once it stopped ringing, it began again, followed by someone else’s phone.

"Keira! Rhea!" Sora snapped, smacking a pillow against each of their heads. "Turn off ya bleeding phones!"

The pair groaned at being smacked with a pillow. Rhea tugged her covers higher, hiding her features more.

"Umph!" Keira huffed, putting as much effort into pushing off the ground as she could manage with a pounding headache. For a werewolf, she was such a lightweight.

Crawling across the floor on her hands and knees, groaning a little, her raven locks tied up in a loose, messy bun on the top of her head, Keira grabbed her phone, squinting as the light from the screen glared back at her.

Four missed calls.

It was her dad.

Beneath it was a notification with the latest headlines, and her stomach dropped.

’Royally Out of Control? Princess Keira and Rhea’s Scandalous Night Out!’

’Royal Revelry: Princess Keira and Rhea’s Night Out Raises Eyebrows!’

’Royal Rumblings: Princess Keira and Rhea’s Wild Night Out Sparks Controversy!’

With shaky fingers, Keira opened one of the news headings. It showed a photo of her and Rhea from the night before giggling as they walked towards Adrian’s town car. It was a side shot, and fortunately, Keira’s hair was a bit of a mess, and half of her features were hidden.

Everybody knew it was them. There was no doubt about it. It was a fact that Rhea and Keira were best friends.

Keira opened the other headlines, and it was the same photo or one similar from a slightly different angle. Not only were Keira and Rhea royals, but they were also underage. There was no proof of their drinking, but it was clear what sort of night they had from their flushed faces and being photographed outside of Broken Fang.

Broken Fang already released a statement declining the allegations that the club allowed underage drinking. They also declined the girls entering their club and invited the police to check their CCTV.

Although Keira’s heart was almost palpitating from this news, she smirked at Broken Fang’s statement. The police would never see them in the videos. The Duke would see to that. He couldn’t afford to close down, although he might be scolded by the Vampire King.

This was A LOT to take in first thing in the morning.

"Rhea…" Keira called out, anxiousness creeping into her voice.

"Hmmm." She murmured in response, her voice barely audible, and rolled onto her other side, hiding her face under the pillow.

"We’re in trouble."

That still didn’t get a response from her friend.

"BIG trouble, Rhea."

Nope- nada.

Her phone lighting up, however, did. Especially when Keira placed the phone beside her head and stepped back. She knew she was acting a coward by not facing her own parents’ wrath, and instead leaving Rhea to deal with her own first.

Rhea sighed, putting the phone to her ear. "Hmmm, who disturbs my precious slumber?" She groaned, really not understanding the situation.

"Your father." The icy tone of the Vampire King straightened Keira’s spine. Rhea shot up, accidentally hitting the top of the quilt fortress, making it collapse on top of them all.

⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆

Keira and Sora were put in a town car swiftly after that as Rhea was summoned by the Vampire King about their evening’s antics. Keira and Rhea shared a look as they parted. It was unusual for her parents to tell her off. She was usually free-roaming.

Perhaps it was because they’d gone to Broken Fang, a rival bar, instead of ONYX, where it was much safer, and they could be watched.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

During their journey back, with shades covering their features, flashes of the night before returned to Keira. The more she remembered, the more her cheeks flushed, and she hunched over, resting against the window.

"I feel ya, girl," Sora sighed, breaking the silence.

"I don’t think you do," Keira whispered back, shaking her head.

It had been a wild night by Keira’s standards. She could count on one hand how many guys she’d kissed before, all private and without them knowing who she was. These had all been thrust upon her by Rhea, who insisted she ’lived a little’.

This time had been different. Sparks had ignited everywhere they touched, and the way she’d pretty much dry-humped him was utterly embarrassing!

Oh well. Keira pushed aside her embarrassment for logical reasoning: The chances of seeing him again were nil.

When they finally pulled up to the pack house, her parents were already there waiting on the steps. Aila’s arms were crossed, fingers tapping while Damon paced behind her. Keira braced herself as she stepped out of the car in some cargo pants and jumper, which she always left at Rhea’s.

Damon stopped, and with one look, Keira’s breath rushed out. "Did you have a nice girl’s night in, daughter?"

Daughter. It’s worse than she thought!

"Keira Grayce Cross," Aila said sternly. "Get inside, and we will talk about last night."

"Oooh, someone’s in troubleeee!" Sora whisper-shouted, trying to sneak away.

She was barely photographed as a blur in the background. Although Ajax was a known shapeshifter, his daughter and the rest of his family were private. The media never took much notice of her, especially if there were two rebellious princesses ahead of her.

"Don’t think you’re walking free because you weren’t in the photos," Chiara seemingly appeared out of nowhere, blocking Sora’s escape.

"Ah sh…eet," Sora corrected herself before swearing, still overly lighthearted. Keira honestly didn’t know how she was so chill before a stoney-faced Chiara. Then again, Ajax, her dad, was exactly the same.

After walking what felt like the longest, tense walk ever, Keira was finally standing—yep, standing, not sitting—before her father’s desk. Aila leaned against the front of the desk, arms crossed, while Damon strolled around it.

"We’re not mad…" Aila began.

Oh, Goddess, it’s even worse.

"We’re just disappointed."

Damon stopped and looked down at his daughter. "Why would you lie to us about your location?! Anything could have happened to you! I know you’re an exemplary warrior, but we have so many enemies, Twilight!"

"I’m-"

"Look," Aila began, cutting her daughter off before she could apologise. "We understand. You’re young, you want to have some fun… It’s just… of all the places you went to somewhere like Broken Fang? Even ONYX would have sufficed."

Damon’s head whipped to the side to look at his wife.

"ONYX?" He stepped closer, then paused, his eyes lowering, then burning a bright silver. "Is that… a hickey?!"