AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My teeth gnashed together painfully.
Damn Zoei and her sultry tongue!
“You’re Olympia Summerstream, aren’t you?”
The little girl’s voice startled me in the quiet of the flame gardens. She had appeared out of nowhere, her sandal-clad feet quiet on the dewy glass. Between her palms, she juggled a ball of fire as though it were a toy.
Her profile was accentuated by the glow of the moons—the slanting cheekbones and stubborn chin reminiscent of someone I was working hard to forget.
“I am,” I said, shaking away the murky cobweb of thoughts. “And you are Emberleigh Highblade.”
The fire orb paused, hovering mid-air as the girl looked at me in surprise.
“You know who I am?” she asked, her voice rising a notch higher.
A huff of laughter left my lips. “The whole Kingdom knows who you are, pet.”
“Really?” Eyes round, she stepped closer, letting the flame fizz away. “Do you think my Sire knows I’m famous?”
I shrugged, pondering the odd question. “I suppose she might. Why do you ask?”
Emberleigh glanced down at her sandals, a sheepish flush covering her dusky cheeks. “Mama says I need to be as famous as my sire. The more I train, the more power I’ll hold. And then more people will know who I am and see me as the true heir to the throne.”
“Ah.”
A troubling sentiment. One that should be nipped in the bud right away, especially for an Alpha born out of wedlock. The chances of Emberleigh ever ascending the throne was slim to none. If history was any indication, pups born without mated parents were generally unfavored in the eyes of the general public—an archaic sentiment.
“But perhaps Mama is wrong,” Emberleigh continued, dipping her sandal into the earth under her feet in an adorably nervous gesture.
“Why do you think that?” I queried, each interaction with this girl making me increasingly curious about how her mind worked. Her aura was tinged pink, and she seemed to be vibrating with youthful energy. Yet, there was also a stillness in her eyes, a tranquil pool of wisdom that belied her age. They were windows to a soul that had seen more than years would suggest.
“Because Mama also said you were ugly,” Emberleigh blurted. “But she was wrong about that.”
Stunned into silence by the girl’s candor, I simply stared at her blushing form. What cause did Emberleigh’s mother have to belittle my appearance? As far as memory served, we had never crossed paths or shared correspondence. I hadn’t given the omega—whose name I barely remembered—any cause to dislike me.
It was just another harmful bit of gossip, I supposed. Emberleigh’s mother had probably spoken out of turn when she thought her child wasn’t listening. It was not surprising that the girl had absorbed that bit of information and taken it to heart.
I knew I wasn’t the beauty of the family—that was mother’s title, and I gladly conceded it to her. She had been blessed with our ancestors’ bold beauty, whereas I’d taken after my grandmother’s stately stature. I believed the willowy frame suited me, and I had come to terms with my limitations, but every now and again, a surprise critique caught me off guard.
“You’re an Alpha, aren’t you?” Emberleigh barreled ahead. “Like me.”
“I am,” I conceded, trying not to fuss with my braids or the fluttering sleeves to make myself more presentable in the eyes of a young child.
“Then… Why are you so pretty?” she asked, her voice small and shy.
“Alphas can’t be pretty?” I questioned, reaching out to touch a rebellious lock of hair. It stuck out like little tendrils of chaos, defying gravity and any attempt at restraint.
“Alphas are strong. Tough,” Emberleigh stated, stamping her foot into the ground as though making a statement. I wondered who had put that binary thought into her brain.
“Well,” I said, keeping my voice even. “Alphas can be pretty and strong at the same time.”
“No.” She shook her head, letting her curls tumble about. “Omegas are pretty. Alphas are strong.”
Alarming.I’d assumed this old-world thinking had died with our ancestors.
As I pondered my response, Emberleigh conjured a smoking ball of flame in the cup of her palm, cradling it with surprising dexterity.
Before I could think much of it, I flipped a handful of damp earth into the air, letting it fall over the unsuspecting girl. The flame sputtered to death, and Emberleigh stilled, shock evident in her dark eyes.
