"It's like he saw right through me." I lifted my hands in exaggeration while Chase watched me.
"You do talk about him a lot." He mentioned.
My jaw dropped. "I do not!"
"You do," Chase said in a matter-of-factly way.
"It's not my fault he annoys my life and shows up at random times."
I could not believe him. Chase carried on eating his food while I looked up from mine, still chewing.
Most of us were in the palace hall, eating at the wooden tables as the aroma of sensational food filled the atmosphere. The snow became thicker over a couple of days and was now a full-on blizzard outside.
If you listened, you could hear it whacking against the stone walls above all of the chattering and noise. No one went outside during these times.
This though didn't stop Anvis from continuing to 'train' me. After every session, I was left more and more annoyed.
I didn't realize that while I was lost in my mind, I was staring straight at Hunter absentmindedly.
He was smiling at another girl seated next to him.
She looked like the only one making conversation as Hunter just smiled or laughed lightly.
His eyes weren't smiling. I furrowed my eyebrows.
What was h-
"𝘖𝘞." I gritted my teeth as my hand flew to my oblique where Chase poked me.
"Damn! I'm so sorry."
Chase practically begged as this must've been the hundredth time he poked me out of habit, forgetting I was still injured.
"But are you..." He let his voice trail off when he followed my line of focus.
"Ohh."
His eyebrows rose in question. I looked at him while he dropped his head and carried on eating silently.
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵?" I asked, a challenge evident in my tone.
"Nothing." He said, and I would have missed the slight amusement in his voice if I didn't pay attention.
Frustration etched into my face. I looked up and saw Hunter surveying the hall until his eyes landed on me, winked, and turned his attention back to the girl touching his arm.
Was he looking for me? What did he want?
"I'm leaving." I stood up.
"Where?" Chase asked.
He stopped eating to look up at me.
"I need to give Claw food."
I held up the napkin that contained half of the food that was on my plate.
"Later Chase."
Chase looked at me hesitantly. "Bye Scott."
I turned on my heel, making sure to avoid Hunter in the process and walked out through the large doors.
*
Striding down the long hall to my room, I stopped when a stern voice called my name.
"Where have you been?"
"Just down the hall from where eve-"
"𝘕𝘰, Skyler. Where have you been from all the times I have asked for you?"
My father looked angry. No shock there.
"Oh." I looked down.
Telling my father about the wolf was totally out of the question. As if on cue, he looked down at the napkin in my hand.
"And what is that?"
"Food."
I didn't lie.
"I didn't feel like finishing the rest in the hall so I wanted to finish it in my room."
I lied.
"Walk with me."
An excuse played on my lips as Claw still needed to be fed. Only the Heavens know that beast would take matters into its own paws to get some chow in this place.
He's practically in a hot spot for that. I was about to moan when the look my father gave me told me otherwise.
"Something had come up when we had our gathering."
"Mm-hmm." I hummed, totally uninterested.
"I was not able to change their...Skyler!" he shouted and I flinched at his sudden tone.
"This is a serious matter!"
"Sorry." I quickly mumbled as his face turned a shade redder. "Please continue."
"As I said, I was not able to change their minds, so what they have said is final. I know you're only 17 but your birthday is drawing near each day. You have to get a husband."
He said it so bluntly that I almost choked on air.
"You've got a twisted sense of humour."
"You heard me, Skyler Victoria Scott. I already picked a few names that-"
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵?" I was mortified.
I am his daughter. His 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 daughter.
Could there be no exception?
How could he agree so easily and already be picking people for me to marry?
"You didn't even consult me. How could you allow this to happen to your daughter?"
"And as I was saying..." he continued but I stopped listening.
Could he 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 himself? He obviously wasn't listening to me.
My heart wheezed with betrayal.
I never dreamed that he would do this to me. He didn't love me anymore. It was evident otherwise he wouldn't have let this happen to me, let alone organizing it 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
Something inside me broke.
Probably my heart.
"What is 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 with you? You're just like Mother. You don't care about the people around you but only what the Rulers say." I spat out and sprinted in the opposite direction.
I needed to get away from him.
"Skyler!" he shouted out.
I could imagine his face turning redder. Well, he could turn as many shades as he wanted to. I didn't care.
My face was wet as I swiped at my cheeks and a fresh flow of tears seeped down right after.
I was afraid if anyone had to get in my way now, I wouldn't be able to resist putting my hands around their neck.