Chapter 231

Andrew drove up to the Lexington Hotel in his gold Aston Martin at 6:55 p.m. He had arranged to pick up Princess Aurora for dinner at 7 p.m. So long as nothing delayed him, he would be exactly on time.

Andrew climbed out of the car and tossed the keys to the valet.

“Don’t park too far,” he instructed. “I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the valet replied.

Andrew rushed through the hotel’s front doors, determined not to be late. Upon entering, he found the lobby overflowing with paparazzi. The sea of reporters and photographers soon crashed down on him.

“Alpha King Andrew, Alpha King Andrew!” several voices cried out to him at once.

His guards immediately swooped in and forced the paparazzi back. Most of the reporters and photographers backed up a respectful distance at the guards’ beckoning, but some of the more insistent ones tried to inch closer, trying to grab Andrew’s attention or get just the right angle for their shot.

“Back up!” one of the guards shouted. “Back up! His Highness will answer your questions in his time.”

Andrew closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath to center himself in preparation for the paparazzi’s questions. He had known that he would have to deal with them sooner rather than later, especially with so many articles speculating on his relationship with Princess Aurora in circulation, but he had hoped that it wouldn’t be during one of their dates. He couldn’t help placing some of the blame for his ruined relationship with Crystal on the paparazzi, and he didn’t want the same to happen with Princess Aurora.

His head held high and his shoulders straight, Andrew stepped up directly behind his wall of guards. He looked upon the reporters and photographers with as dignified and relaxed a gaze as he could manage.

“Alpha King Andrew, Alpha King Andrew!” the nearest reporter caught his attention. “You have been seen in public several times with Princess Aurora since your breakup with Crystal Blanchard. Is it true that you two are now dating?”

Andrew nodded.

“Yes, Princess Aurora and I are now officially dating,” he said.

“Alpha King Andrew, Alpha King Andrew!” another reporter to Andrew’s left called. “A lot of top political analysts believe that this relationship could create a new era of acceptance and cooperation between werewolves and humans, should it continue beyond the short-term. Based on this, do you have any long-term plans for yourself and Princess Aurora?”

Andrew forced a deep breath in and out through his nostrils.

“As of right now, Princess Aurora and I are just trying to enjoy each other’s company. Of course, we want to create a foundation for sustainable long-term peace among werewolves and humans, but I don’t think that should be dependent on our relationship status. However, with the way our relationship is going, I would not close the door on long-term options.”

The entire crowd rumbled at this answer. Reporters scrambled to write notes on their notepads, smartphones, and tablets, and photographers reached around each other to get the best picture of Andrew.

A persistent reporter pushed her way to the front of the mob and waved her hand.

“Alpha King Andrew, Alpha King Andrew,” she said. “Some people say that Princess Aurora is a better match for you than your ex-girlfriend, Crystal Blanchard. Care to comment?”

In truth, Andrew did not care to comment. However, he knew that if he did not respond at all, the speculation would be even worse.

“I will always love Crystal,” he began, “but I have moved on. Princess Aurora and Crystal Blanchard are two totally different women, both with their unique strengths and weaknesses. To say that one is a better match for me than the other, especially at this stage, would be an insult to both of them, one that I will not commit.”

Andrew adjusted his lapel and tilted his chin upward, exhuming authority and power.

“Now, if you will all please excuse me, I am late for my date.”

With the help of his guards, Andrew waded through the paparazzi to the elevator, escaping without answering another single question. He just hoped that Princess Aurora would forgive his tardiness.

I finally found an empty spot and parked my Honda Civic in the grocery store’s lot. I didn’t understand why all these people were gathered in the parking lot, but they weren’t going to stop me from getting my groceries. Besides, I needed the time by myself to think—about Andrew, about his new relationship, about Noah, about our relationship, about everything.

I sighed as I pulled the keys out of the ignition. I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to fake being happy with Noah, but I knew that I had to. I couldn’t give Andrew any false hope that we might get back together.

I grabbed my purse, got out of the car, and slammed the door. As I turned around to head into the store, I found myself surrounded by the people crowding the parking lot.

“Crystal Blanchard, Crystal Blanchard!” they started to call my name.

Oh, shit, I thought. Paparazzi.

Cameras started flashing at me, blinding me.

“Crystal Blanchard,” a reporter said as he elbowed his way to the front of the crowd, “is it true that you left Alpha King Andrew Dubois for the financial lawyer Noah Bernard?”

Raising my hand up to block the light from my eyes, I struggled to answer.

“I wouldn’t say that I left Andrew for Noah—”

“Crystal Blanchard, Crystal Blanchard!” another reporter persisted. “Is it true that you and Noah were intimate during your relationship with Alpha King Andrew Dubois?”

“Now, that’s an unfair accusation—”

“Then how would you explain the rumors that you are pregnant with Noah Bernard’s child? The timeline would not match up otherwise.”

My mouth moved silently for a moment. My heart raced, causing a painful fluttering against my ribs.

“I…how did you even hear about that?”

“How do you feel about Alpha King Andrew’s current relationship with Princess Aurora?”

I felt as though someone had punched me in the sternum. Tears pricked the edges of my eyes, but I did my best to blink them away. I tried to back away, to go back into my car, but the reporters only crowded me further, sending my blood pressure skyrocketing.

“Kill them,” Susan hissed in the back of my mind. “Kill them all.”

“No,” I told her. “No, I can’t.”

“Yes.”

I tried to push Susan back, but she slowly took control of me. My nails elongated, and I could feel my fangs descending. My hearing and eyesight sharpened, blinding me even more beneath the cameras’ flashes.

“Back up!” I heard Jeffrey’s voice boom. “Back up, I said!”

I sensed as the paparazzi walked back. The cameras stopped flashing, and my eyesight gradually came back to me.

I flinched as Jeffrey touched my shoulder.

“It’s all right, Crystal,” he said in his soothingly neutral tone. “It’s just me, Jeffrey. You’re okay now.”

I took slow, deep breaths. My claws and fangs retracted. Soon, my senses returned to normal.

I looked up at Jeffrey, my eyes wide. He nodded at me, accepting my silent “thanks”.

“The path is clear,” he said, motioning toward the store. “Let’s go get your groceries.”