"He did not just find me, he bought me as his slave. He has all the right..."
"Shut it... Elara!" he cut her words sharply. "You are mine! You are not a slave to anyone... not even to me!" He declared, already up from the bed.
He looked so lots different from the man who had been conversing with her like a perfect gentleman. This man already had his anger surfaced and his impulse was diving heavily like a beast that was just unbridled from his cage.
Despite all she witnessed, Elara was not fazed by them at all. She wouldn't let her guard down and get swept away by their so-called appraisal.
This man didn't like her from the beginning so why was he overreacting now? She thought, remembering the look on his face when she first met him.
"It doesn't change anything." She replied bluntly, "I saw how you looked down on me at my kingdom. You hate to see me, you're disgusted by my background and now you're claiming me as yours?"
In frustration, Alpha Harlan turned away from her as though he could go overboard if he kept watching her and her verbals.
His hands ran through his hair, roughing it like that was where his peace would come from.
Elara was not concerned by his action, she lashed out, "I would rather be a slave to him than be your mate!"
Her words hit him like a heavy weight hitting an ice lake, it cracked and shattered his heart into a million pieces.
Does she just reject him? He couldn't hold her words within him. Within a blink of an eye, he already bending to her height as she was seated on the bed, his face was an inch apart from hers and his eyes burrowed into hers.
His sudden reaction made Elara glued to the bed. His eyes were burning like a blazing flame. "I don't stoop so low, Elara and so does my Queen! You are equivalent to my worth now and that is what you are to me, to him, and to this kingdom! That is what Luna is all about! Never dare you mired your worth!"
"How can you proudly declare that to my face...huh?" He gritted, grieving lowly as though suppressing his temper.
Elara gulped, searching for a reply but nothing came out of her brain. If she had known her life would have this turnaround, she wouldn't have traded her freedom with her heirloom.
Alpha Harlan still showered her with his intent eyes as though he was reading her thoughts and even watching her past life.
With this, Elara strongly pushed him to the side. Her strength baffled Alpha Harlan as he slumped his back upon the wall while Elara ran towards the door. She hadn't taken many steps when she landed on the floor with loud thuds.
She groaned shamefully. "Ouch!"
Alpha Harlan couldn't smirk or be stunned, he bit his lip as her groan reached his core. He has been absorbing all her taunts but her pain? He doubted if he could.
As she fell, embarrassment clouded her, very visible to Alpha Harlan. He lifted her and sat her down on the bed. The embarrassment didn't allow Elara to struggle with him. Her gaze was averted to the floor shyly.
While his face was stoic, he squelched in front of her and gently removed her heels. Elara tightened her legs together, feeling more embarrassed by the way her feet were designed with bruises.
"I...am... Fine." She stammered.
A lopsided smile formed on his lips as he took her leg in his hand, "It is not bad to let your pride down for once and ask for help, my Luna." He said as soon as his smile faded.
Right away, her face was grumpy like a puppy. She couldn't reply to him as she was too mortified.
"May I help you heal your wounds?" Alpha Harlan asked, he had already seen those bruises when he first saw her at her kingdom but he did not have the idea that it was this bad.
Elara didn't reply but her expression softened, giving him a go-ahead sign. He touched one of the cut areas and got tensed as Elara quivered.
"Your feet were full of bruises, how did you manage to stand on those heels?"
Elara drew her legs together but his hand was too strong to grant her the success. As he touched the surface, she groaned. She felt too vulnerable. The kind of person, she hates to be termed as.
"I can handle myself." She replied, her tone was now soft and humble.
Lifting his gaze at her, he was baffled as he asked her, "How much pain and agony have you been through that made you refuse help...huh?"
Elara could not talk. Tears already swelled up in her eyes. Her years of hardship and threats replayed at the back of her mind —How she had come this far to survive and the only purpose of choosing to survive those periods.
She rolled her eyes up, sending back any drop of tears that wanted to escape. She replied after sniffing, "You are a King! You are very familiar with how slaves are being treated so why ask what you already know?"
Instead, Alpha Harlan concentrated on examining her feet while memorizing those moments he saw her in the forest. "How does it happen? The girl I know looked nothing like a slave and even now, your royal bloodline has not varnish, I can perceive it." He said, knowing that she was a converted slave since only a born slave could have their original bloodline varnished.
"Yes, I was from a royal family as your brother said just that..." She paused, getting interrupted by Alpha Harlan.
"I know you are the only Princess of the Romic Moon Pack." He looked up to her sharply.
Elara gritted. She must have forgotten that the Central Moon Pack oversees the four Kingdoms of the Nation, from which her pack was a sub-kingdom under one of those Kingdoms, therefore, it was likely he knew her background.
"Since you know, why then are you searching for me?"