{Third Person}

But when Amara looked at Alexander again, he still hadn’t shown even the slightest bit of interest.

He looked unbothered and completely detached.

Slowly, she let the thought go. If he didn’t care, then perhaps there was something she didn’t understand.

Zarek continued speaking before proposing something new—a hunt among the princes themselves.

The reaction was immediate. Excitement spread through the crowd, voices rising in approval as the idea took hold. This had become a spectacle.

At the same time, Rowan rose to his feet as well. Calm and composed, he stepped forward to join Zarek in the open space. But Alexander remained seated. And slowly, the attention began to shift.

One by one, expectant eyes turned toward him, waiting.

Amara felt the weight of it too. She hesitated for a moment before leaning slightly toward him, lowering her voice.

"Aren’t you joining your brothers?"

Alexander turned to her, his expression unchanged, his gaze steady and cold. "I would like to see anyone who would dare call my name," he said.

The meaning was clear. No one would, and most importantly, no one could.

Zarek’s voice rose again, smooth and deliberate, carrying just enough weight to draw attention without sounding forceful.

"It looks like His Highness is not interested."

The moment the words left his mouth, the shift was immediate. It was subtle at first—glances exchanged, whispers passed between nobles—but it spread quickly.

Curious eyes turned towards Alexander, questioning. Some frowned slightly, while others leaned towards their companions, murmuring under their breath.

The Alpha Prince, seated and unmoved, while his brothers stepped forward.

To them, it painted a picture of detachment, disinterest and perhaps, arrogance.

Zarek caught all the reactions, whispers and quiet judgment. A faint smile tugged at his lips before he turned his attention back to the gathering.

"Well then," he continued smoothly, "it seems my brother here, and I will have to take on this hunt alone."

A ripple of approval followed. Cheers rose, louder this time, and applause quickly filled the space.

The mood lifted again, excitement returning as attention shifted away from Alexander and settled fully on the spectacle Zarek had just created.

The two brothers exchanged a brief look of unspoken understanding and then nodded.

In the next second, with a powerful leap forward, their forms shifted mid-motion.

The transformation was swift and seamless, their human frames giving way to large, commanding wolves.

Without hesitation, they dashed toward the forest, disappearing into the thick woods as the cheers behind them swelled even louder.

Amara found herself glancing back at Alexander, even if she didn’t mean to. And this time, she noticed that his mood had shifted.

There was no outward display, no dramatic reaction, but something about him had gone colder. It lingered in the way he sat, in the stillness that now felt sharper than before.

Amara instinctively looked away. She didn’t want to be anywhere near that mood. Not when she didn’t understand it, and certainly not when she had no idea what he might say or do if pushed further.

Just then, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"Amara"

The princess appeared at their table as if she had been waiting for the right moment, her presence immediately softening the atmosphere. Her smile was bright and effortless as she glanced between the two of them.

Without giving Alexander much time to react, she spoke lightly, "I’m borrowing your bride for a moment."

Alexander didn’t respond, so she took his silence as permission and immediately reached for Amara’s hands without hesitation.

"Come."

Amara didn’t resist. She allowed herself to be pulled away, more than willing to leave the tension behind.

As they moved further from the table, the noise of the gathering settled into the background. Elowen slowed slightly, her tone dropping just enough for their conversation to remain between them.

"Alex is probably in a bad mood after that little stunt Zarek just pulled," she said.

Amara frowned faintly. "Was there something wrong with it?"

Elowen glanced at her, then sighed softly. "You might not know this," she began with a quiet voice, "but Alex can’t hunt anymore."

Amara’s brows drew together immediately. "Why? Is he injured?"

Elowen shook her head. "It’s not that simple. Because of the curse... his control isn’t stable when his adrenaline rises too much. There’s a high chance he could lose control completely."

She paused briefly before adding, more carefully, "And when that happens... he becomes dangerous. Bloodthirsty."

Amara stilled as the words settled heavily in her mind.

Elowen continued, "Zarek knows this. That’s why he brought it up indirectly, in front of everyone. He knows Alex can’t join, especially not in public. If anything goes wrong, it won’t just be about the hunt—it will damage his reputation even more."

Amara’s gaze lowered slightly as the realization sank in. It wasn’t arrogance or indifference that stopped him from joining his brothers. He simply couldn’t. And Zarek had used that against him.

A flicker of something uncomfortable passed through her chest as she thought about it. The earlier murmurs, the silent judgment from the nobles—it all made sense now. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Her opinion of Zarek shifted without effort. ’He is definitely not a good person.’

And almost immediately, another face crossed her mind. Lila.

Amara pressed her lips together lightly, the connection leaving a faint bitterness behind.

Elowen sighed again, her tone tinged with frustration. "I really don’t understand why he does this. He is always trying to provoke Alex, and he chooses the worst moments to do it."

Amara shook her head slightly. "He sounds like someone who can’t find peace without disturbing others."

Elowen huffed softly, clearly not disagreeing.

After a brief pause, Amara asked, "Were they ever close? You know... Alex and Zarek."

Elowen let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "I don’t think so. I heard those two fought a lot when they were younger. It was never peaceful between them."

Amara nodded slowly, taking that in.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Amara glanced around, noticing how far they had drifted from the main seating area.

"Is it okay for us to be walking around like this while the hunt is still going on?"

Elowen waved a hand dismissively. "It’s not a problem. But..." she tilted her head slightly, her tone shifting just a little, "...it’s better we head back. You will attract attention if you stay away too long. As for me, I don’t really care what they say."

Amara gave a small nod. And just like that, Elowen took her hand again and led her back.

When they returned to Alexander’s table, the atmosphere hadn’t changed much. He was still composed, though the earlier heaviness lingered faintly around him.

Elowen didn’t hesitate. She slipped back into her usual energy, taking a seat briefly and starting a light conversation as though nothing had happened.

She spoke about random things, anything that could shift the mood without directly addressing it.

Slowly, subtly, the tension eased enough. After a while, Elowen stood, satisfied.

"I will leave you two now," she said lightly, casting Amara a quick smile before turning away.

And just like that, she was gone again.