Chapter 219

Prince Alexander's entrance was nothing short of commanding. His gaze immediately fixated on me, prompting everyone to rise from their seats.

Unsure of the proper royal protocol, I bowed my head respectfully and uttered, "Your Highness."

As I lifted my eyes, a flicker of amusement danced in the Prince's gaze.

He was young, around my age, and undeniably handsome. I didn't want to lie and say he was hideous because he wasn't.

His features were a stark contrast to Lucas– brown curly hair, pale skin, and the most striking green eyes I had ever seen. It resembled the trees that lay in the forest surrounding the Ethereal Palace.

It was easy to see why he had a reputation with women. His features held a captivating allure that would be impossible for most people to resist.

"You're the White Wolf?" Prince Alexander inquired, his posh accent reminiscent of Liam's. "You're not quite what I expected."

I felt my palms sweat and across the table, I noticed Lucas's jaw tense at the Prince's words. A subtle tension began to permeate in the air around us.

Unaware of the sudden undercurrents, Prince Alexander stretched his arms out. "Everyone, please sit. My father is fashionably late, as always. This is a common occurrence of his I'm afraid. He never seems to learn– even when we have guests present."

"I thought you didn't have guests often," I blurted, snapping my mouth shut when I realized what I had said.

A devious smile formed on Prince Alexander's lips as he looked at me. "Are those the rumors you've been fed? No offense, but you don't look like much the gossiper, White Wolf."

"My name is Shana," I said firmly, not liking the way he was addressing me.

"I know your name." The Prince stared at me for a beat longer before taking his seat. "It would be a shame for us to allow all of this food to grow cold."

Lucas, Kendrick, and I all hesitated, sensing a potential test. We couldn't simply eat without the Alpha King. That seemed incredibly rude and wrong of us to do.

Prince Alexander had to be teasing us to see if we'd listen to him.

He picked up his knife and fork, and when he noticed the three of us still standing, he chuckled.

There was a gold chalice resting beside his plate that he picked up. Inside, it was filled with a dark red liquid that I assumed was wine.

"Aren't you three going to sit?" Prince Alexander questioned in a teasing manner as if saying, 'Are you going to disobey a Prince?'

The three of us sat immediately, not wanting to get on the Prince's bad side.

Pleased with our actions, Prince Alexander raised his glass higher. "I propose a toast. Everyone pick up your glasses."

The three of us followed suit, again, not wanting to disrespect the Prince in any way.

Prince Alexander smiled to himself as our glasses were raised in unison. "I'd like to toast to friends coming together."

The word 'friends' caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but hesitate. Were we truly at that point in our relationship? We had only just met.

"You have all traveled so far, and we are grateful that you've made such a journey. It is in our best interest to make sure that your stay reflects our appreciation," Prince Alexander continued, his words smooth and persuasive.

I couldn't deny that he had a way with words.

There was an undeniable charm about him, the kind that could talk his way out of any situation... like troublesome situations.

Trouble, much like women, seemed to be something that effortlessly gravitated towards him.

"I also want to toast to the discovery of the White Wolf. Centuries have passed, and you've been hunted. And here you sit now..."

Alexander's toast ended abruptly as he took a swig of his wine, signaling the start of the meal.

Upon looking at Lucas and Kendrick, I could see that the two of them still felt a sense of hesitation to eat without the King present. How would it look if we all started to enjoy the food and the King arrived suddenly? That wouldn't be a good look.

Prince Alexander noticed our hesitation as he finished chewing on a chicken leg. He laughed, raising his glass in the air once more. "I apologize. I didn't quite finish that, did I? To the mystery that is the White Wolf."

I still couldn't shake the feeling that this was some sort of test. They were meant to wait for the King. I had no idea that Prince Alexander would even be joining us for dinner until a mere ten minutes ago when Liam informed us.

Suddenly, Prince Alexander directed his attention to me. His green eyes held me in place.

"Are you not hungry?" he asked, gesturing to my empty plate.

"No, I am," I replied, but before I could object, the Prince signaled a nearby butler to come to the table.

"Rigby, please fill Shana's plate with everything we have to offer. She must try it all." With the snap of his fingers, Rigby got to work.

"Oh, no. That's not necessary," I started to protest.

"Of course, it is. You deserve to eat a proper meal. We have everything you could ever need," Prince Alexander said. "You're not going to deny our food, are you?"

I shook my head vigorously, "Of course, not... Your Highness."

Prince Alexander snorted, "Please. You can call me Alex. I much prefer that."

I held my tongue, not comfortable enough to speak with the Prince so casually yet.

I watched as Rigby pilled my plate with an array of bread, potatoes, meats, and cheeses. It all looked amazing, but the abundance was incredibly overwhelming.

I couldn't help but feel like I was being tested in more ways than one.

"Be careful as you eat," Prince Alexander warned, taking a long sip out of his wine glass. "You wouldn't want to spill anything on your lovely gown."

At the mention of the gown, I stilled. My eyes slowly dragged over to the Prince, wondering why he had brought caution to my dress. When our eyes met, that same cocky smile took over his face.

He gave me a quick wink. It was so fast, that I almost thought that I had imagined it.

He continued to eat his food as if nothing had ever happened.

Heat crept up my neck as I moved my head back to my plate, trying to decipher his words.

Was he hinting to me that the dress was a gift from him?

No other possibility seemed to make any sense... but, why would Prince Alexander take the time to gift me something so wonderful?

The mystery left me both intrigued and perplexed.

I looked at Lucas who sat directly across from me at the table, needing to see a comforting face in the mix of all this confusion. Had he just noticed how odd that interaction was as well?

However, Lucas's gaze wasn't on me.

His eyes were trained on Prince Alexander, and the tension in his jaw from earlier still hadn't gone away.