It's been two months since Rowland last saw that cunning girl by the pond. He always visited the pond after he trained to check if he could see her. But he never saw her. He thought maybe she had come during his training hours.
Rowland didn't know what to do. He wished to see her again and…probably finish what they had started.
He was here again waiting for her. He hopes to see her. He had begged his father to let him rest today. He can't seem to let her go.
Rowland stood close to the pond as he threw pebbles into the water. After some hours, he grew tired and decided to lay on the grass. The lilies' scent wafted into his nose as he inhaled them.
He was about to close his eyes when he felt that light step again as though tiptoeing, just like the last time.
He knew she was here.
He turned around hoping to see her beautiful face but was shocked when he noticed light bruises on her beautiful face.
Rowland knew it must be new wounds because as a werewolf it doesn't take long before they heal. He got up swiftly and moved closer to her.
"What happened to your face? Who did this to you?", Rowland asked as his chest heaved in anger.
"It's…it's nothing. I…I just hit my…my face on our door", She said looking down to avoid his probing eyes.
"You hit your face on the door? Does the door possess a fingerprint?," Rowland asked as he raised her chin.
Obviously, she was not a good liar.
"I…", she tried to say but kept quiet again.
After waiting for her for more than two months, he never thought he would meet her in this state. He took her hands and led her to sit close to him on the grass.
"I know you weren't hit by any door. You are a terrible liar. I see that they are bruises that look like a slap or something. Tell me what happened," Rowland said.
"Why should I? I don't even know you", she said standing up again.
Then she started running off again. This time, Rowland wasn't going to let her go like that again.
The girl was truly a cunning one. Even though Rowland was a very fast runner, the girl doesn't run straight and as a person who had never passed the axis of the castle, he was finding it difficult to catch up with her.
They made many twists and turns before the girl finally stopped in front of a dilapidated house. Rowland knew she didn't know he was following her.
A man who was probably in his forties and another who was way older were exchanging something in an envelope. The older man grinned at the younger one as he turned to leave.
The older man saw the girl and he walked towards her in an attempt to touch her. That earned him a slap from her. But the older man didn't look angry, he rather licked his lips lustfully before turning to leave.
No one noticed that somewhere behind those trees a young man was watching the interaction, silently.
"Father! Why?", The girl asked the man in his forties.
"Cassy, I need money and you are here. Why should I lack?", The man said grinning at his daughter as if he didn't just sell his daughter out moments ago.
Rowland looked at the pair of father and daughter. So her name was Cassy. Nice name.
"Father, I am not for sale! Even if I can't have a mate I am still not for sale!" Cassy screamed weakly as she sobbed.
"Keep your mouth shut before I beat the hell out of you again! I am your father and I will give you to whomever I seem fit," Cassy's father bellowed as she shivered in fright.
"Even if she is the girlfriend of the future Alpha?" Rowland said, stepping out of his hiding. He came out without canceling his Alpha aura.
Cassy and her father were surprised and immediately bowed to the aura emanating from the young man. Rowland signaled to Cassy to play along.
"You…you…you are Alpha Frederick's son?", Cassy's father stammered as he lowered his head.
"Do you need me to show you?" Rowland asked with a smirk.
"No…no…your highness can never be wrong," her father stammered.
"So back to my question. So even if she is the girlfriend of the future Alpha, you will give her to whomever you please?" Rowland asked, looking at Cassy's father with the threat.
"I dare not, your highness", Cassy's father replied.
"Good. Then I want you to return whatever you have taken from that old man and…treat Cassy right or else I will forget you are her father", Rowland threatened.
He took Cassy's hand firmly and dragged her back into the bushes. He knew she was still stunned but his time was limited. He needs to report back to the training ground in one hour. And he needed some time alone with her.
"Lead the way to the pond. I really can't understand those twists and turns", Rowland said as he dragged the girl with him.
"Uh? Okay…," Cassy replied absentmindedly. How did he manage to make the Alpha's Aura? She kept wondering as she led them along the path.
After walking for another twenty minutes in silence, they finally got to the pond. She removed her hand from his and was staring at those grey eyes. There were so many questions she needed to ask him.
"Who are you and how did you produce the alpha aura? ", She asked, eyeing him.
Rowland held his head as he wondered what kind of brain this girl had. Was she really dumb or what?
"What makes you think I am not Alpha Frederick's son? ", He asked her back.
"Royalty never mixes with peasants. If you are an Alpha son, why would you help me? ", She asked him again.
Rowland had to hand it to this girl. Her logic is simply out of the world. Why would she come up with such reasoning?
Should he or should he not tell her? He pondered within himself.
***********
The breeze blew her jet black hair as it scattered across her petite face. Rowland couldn't help but stare at the girl before him.
He wondered if he should tell her the truth or just let her continue thinking about whatever she wanted? He decided to just flow with whatever her thoughts were. He would neither deny it nor accept it.
"Cassy, so you mean a royalty had never mingled with a peasant? What about those Cinderella stories and others?" Rowland asked the girl. He remembered her name was Cassy.
"Huh? Cinderella? Do you believe in that story? And you said you are an Alpha or is it an Alpha's son? Haahaa, it's funny!" Cassy said as she burst into laughter.
Rowland's face darkened at her mischievous character. How does this girl's brain work? He had never watched those stories but the maids in the castle often discussed those stories.
"I wonder how your brain works sometimes. Anyways I have less than ten minutes to go to the train. I mean to go home. Now tell me what you want me to do for you according to our deal?" Rowland asked the girl.
"Deal? Oh yes, I remember," Cassy said. Their faces turned red from embarrassment when they remembered the kiss, especially Rowland, who feels embarrassed about how the girl tricked him.
It was Cassy's first kiss and surprisingly she gave it to a total stranger. Someone she just met for the first time.
"Well?" Rowland urged her, pointing at his watch.
"Well then, I… I would like to stick to our…I mean your word…I mean I would want us to remain as boyfriend and girlfriend…just like what you told my father," Cassie said, sounding afraid. It was as if she was afraid he would reject the idea.
"Why?" Rowland asked with a hidden grin.
"It's…it's because…it's because my father might think it's all a lie if he doesn't see you again. And he might strike the deal again when he sees that you were fake," she said, stuttering again. Cassy doesn't know why she was stuttering.
"So, you want me to remain your boyfriend for real? ," Rowland asked as he looked at the girl's blushing face while he had a stone-cold expression on his face.
"Hey! You should be happy with a pretty girl who wants to be your girlfriend. Why are you acting as if you are doing me an impossible favor," Cassy snapped when she saw him looking at her with a hard face. She thought he was unwilling.
"Happy? You took my first kiss through a cunning method and…and now you are demanding to be my girlfriend? Aren't you shameless?" Rowland asked with a raised brow.
"That…that….that was also my first kiss, asshole!" She glared at him as she looked at him in anger.
Rowland smirked as he kept staring at those rosy and luscious lips again. Suddenly, he had an appetite to kiss those lips again.
Maybe he should just…..