Owned By The Alpha Brothers

Alden.

She was beautiful and staring right into her eyes made my heart tingle. I wanted her badly, but all I could do was just stare at her in admiration, hoping she knew how much I fancied her, even if I wasn't as brave as my brothers, even if I couldn't tell her in words, even if I couldn't make the first move.

She closed her eyes and I panicked. What was she expecting? Did she want me to kiss her?

My palms became sweaty and beads of sweat formed around my forehead, with my heart's soft tingle evaporating into a thumping sound. I couldn't bring myself to do what she wanted, I couldn't possibly do so. I needed an excuse. "My weight must be pressing against you, I'm sorry," I said, getting off her.

Her eyes flew open and her cheeks became red which I guessed was from being embarrassed.

I helped her up and the moment she got on her feet, she stood apart from me, running her fingers through her hair nervously.

"Are... are you fine? Perhaps, I should get the Pack's doctor," Ciara said.

"No, that's fine," I said, stretching my muscles. "I'm already okay. My jacket's thick enough. Besides, I heal pretty quickly," I explained.

"Then, I should probably get a maid to clean up this mess," she said, but before she could take a step, two maids came running.

"Stop whatever it is you're doing and clean this mess, "I ordered them.

"Yes, Prince Alden," they chorused.

Ciara stood there looking at the floor, unable to come up with another excuse to leave where I was, and that was when I grabbed her by the hand and began walking down the hallway with her. "Where are we going?" she asked, looking dumbfounded.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going with you to wherever it is you were going with that outfit," I said.

"You must have a lot of time on your hands today," she said with a chuckle, easing into being comfortable around me once again.

"I always have a lot of time on my hands. I'm a prince, remember?"

"Never knew you were an arrogant jerk," she teased with a sneer, and we both laughed.

"So, where are you headed?" I asked.

"I wanted to go see the tailor for an outfit for the upcoming Masquerade Ball. Joan said I could go to the library and get a servant named Murray to take me there," Ciara replied. "Why didn't she take you herself?" I asked, as we stepped out of the palace.

"She said it's her day off and she wanted to go and spend some time with her family."

"Last I checked, Joan is an orphan and doesn't leave the palace even on her days off," I informed her.

Ciara looked surprised, but that washed away pretty quickly. "Maybe she just wanted some time to herself but didn't want to sound rude," she said.

"You may be right," I said, just as we made a roundabout turn to the plaza where the tailor owned a shop.

"Is that the shop right there?" Ciara inquired, pointing her fingers.

"Yeah."

"It's like a stone's throw from the palace," she said, with a frown.

"Isn't that a good thing? We don't have to walk a long distance," I said.

"I know, but "

"Are you sad that you might have wasted a good outfit? Don't worry. I'll take you to the arcade and we could also have lunch at the most popular restaurant in the Pack," I told her. Her eyes lit up immediately, nearly popping out of their sockets. "Really? Finally, some fun!"

I chuckled, and we soon got to the tailor's shop where she got her measurements done, but she didn't let me know the dress she had chosen to be made for her. She wanted me to see it for the first time during the ball and as curious as I was, I respected her wishes.

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"I'm surprised that with as many skills as you possess, you can't sew," she said, eating the ice cream an old lady had offered to her on our way to the arcade. "How did you know that?" I asked.

"If you could, you would have offered to make the dress for me," she said.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

I laughed. "I can actually sew, but not professionally. It doesn't bring me as much joy as cooking and painting, so I never bothered to learn it professionally," I explained. She nodded her head in understanding. "I see."

"Greetings, Prince Alden," the guards at the entrance to the arcade said, bowing low.

"Greetings."

"Will Prince Blake be here as well?" they inquired.

"I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"That's because Prince Liam arrived here not too long ago," one of them responded.

"Uh-oh. We have to leave right now, please. Let's come back some other day," Ciara pleaded, grabbing my hand tightly.

"Sure. Don't tell Liam I was here, or that a pretty blonde girl was here, okay?"

"Yes, your highness," they said.

With that, I hurriedly left with Ciara, so that it was like we were practically running away for our lives. When we got to the restaurant, we stopped to catch our breath and began laughing hard. "You can't avoid Liam forever, you'd have to face him someday," I told her.

"Whatever. I just don't want it to be today. I don't want it to be any day until when I've spoken to Blake, cleared things up with him and I know that he has forgiven me," she explained.

Planning your weekend reading? . The next chapter is just a click away, exclusively available on our site. Happy reading! "I understand. Wait here," I said.

"I thought we were going to have a meal together. Why are you making me wait outside?" she asked, squinting her eyes to guilt-trip me.

"I'm ordering takeout. You shouldn't be eating with me when Blake is probably still mad at you and you also feel bad about it. My brother eats like a starving lion and the one way to stop him from being mad at you is by offering him his favourite meal which I'm going to get now. You can go to his room, present it to him and you guys can talk it out. What do you think?" I asked.

She was quiet for a while, but was searching my eyes as though she was looking for answers. "Alden, why... why are you so nice?" she asked. "Why? Would you prefer me to be mean and unkind?" I asked, smiling lightly.

She chuckled. "No, it's not that. It's just that someone else would have taken advantage of the situation I have with Blake, but it's different with you. Earlier, you didn't kiss me and now, instead of eating with me and taking me around the Pack to portray yourself as the better option when compared to your brothers, you're trying to make peace between Blake and I. Could it be that I'm wrong? Don't you know we are mates? Can't you feel the mate bond?" she asked, with a serious look in her eyes.

"I can feel it obviously. I know we are mates-"

"So, why aren't you making any move?"

"I don't know, Ciara. Maybe it's because I'm a coward or it could be because I just want you to be happy, with or without me," I told her.

"You're literally the sweetest person ever and I don't think I'm even right for you. You deserve better," she said. "Ciara "

"Let's be friends, shall we?" she asked, extending her hand for a handshake.

Had I just been friend-zoned? I smiled widely, hiding my pain and shaking hands with her. "Let's be friends," I said.

I couldn't blame Ciara. Girls always ended up liking the guys that were manly and made the first move, and by shipping her with my brother and even trying to play a peacemaker, she had probably felt like I had friend-zoned her first and believed that's what I wanted.

I was the first of the three brothers to be rejected and there were only two now left in the game, but why did my delusional self believe that our story wasn't over yet?