After reaching Suzan's home, I jumped in for a shower. I had to use soap twice to get rid of the dried blood and now I was washing my hair, letting the hot water run down my skin. My hair was touching my waist, and I needed to get it cut. They grew faster than most people around me.

As the fatigue washed away with the hot water, my mind started thinking about all the events that happened today.

The dream that Connie had induced was really fogging my thoughts. I ran my hand through my wet hair and let the water rain on my closed eyes. My face came down, looking forward at the tiled wall, and my eyes opened with determination this time. I should stop getting distracted and start working towards my mission. Waiting to become the Beta is foolish. I should at least start with the people who already have some trust in me.

Turning the knob, I stepped out of the shower, still absent-minded about the present. While I wiped my face, the conversation with Fang ran in my head and I was enraged and kicked the wall, which only hurt me.

"Ow, stupid wall" My eyes glared at this lifeless block of cement separating the bathroom. "...Stupid Fang!"

Did that idiot forget about me being betrothed? I had mentioned it to him clearly when he had found my mobile before in the forest. I should let him know about it more firmly this time. Irrespective of that, I still had to join him on a date as a part of the deal. I sighed as my hand grabbed the bathing suit. But the thought of Fang was messing with my head as if a thousand tiny Fangs were saying 'Marry me' constantly inside my mind.

"Ahh!" I shouted, scratching my head. It was too much for me to think, and right now I wasn't even supposed to focus on that.

"Are you okay in there, Selene?" I heard Suzan's anxious voice from outside. Her home was one of the expensive five-bedroom apartments in the residential area. I guess a jail supervisor gets paid heftily as her father was the only supervisor of the Winterwells jail facility.

"I'm fine, just a little irritated. Sorry." I replied.

"Why are you irritated? Shouldn't you be happy or nervous about the fight?" asked Suzan. She did not know the concerns my mind was going through right now. True, the competition should have been my focus, but the way Fang had been trying to pull me into his life was not leaving my brain.

"Ya, that's the emotion I'm feeling, " I said, requiring her to leave me alone.

"It's natural to be nervous, focus on a peaceful shower right now. What is about to happen will happen!" She said, and I simply hummed from inside. Suzan truly cared about me and she had proved that to me today, there was not a hint of jealousy in her temper that she couldn't win Stage one.

After hearing my silence she said before leaving me alone, "Don't take too long, Selene, you only have 46 minutes more"

I wrapped the towel around my head and I wrapped my head around the fact that I also have to win Waterwoods over for completion of my mission. Fang was an opportunist and Goddess Luna knows how many opportunities he will create to get intimate with me. It made me remember the two times Fang had nearly kissed me and how close he was today. My check flushed red as I forcefully dismissed that thought.

He is nothing but a narcissist. Only considering his selfish interests, wanting to marry me just because I am the princess. I would not care about him taking on the throne, but it was fine after I left this kingdom following my political marriage.

I tied the Bathrobe around me and checked myself in the mirror. My complexion had become better now that I was eating properly and taking regular baths. After I returned from the prison, I was almost a malnourished mess. While staring into my hazel eyes, I remembered something Fang had said when I was leaving.

[Fang proceeded forward, gaze fixed into my eyes, a devilish smirk played on his face as he took his time observing me while holding my face in a place by my chin, "You are musky mixed with the beautiful essence of the ocean."]

What did that mean? Did I have an odd scent like he did?

No matter how much I try to accept it, no werewolf would have a scent like Fang had. He had the mild scent of burning embers. There were other scents mixed in it and I could not figure them out. But embers were definitely his scent.

But how was mine musky? It was a perfume I despised, as my mother was so fond of it that anyone could smell it from 50 meters away from her. The essence of the Ocean? I have never been to an ocean so figuring that out would reap no result. The bigger confusion was, why did we have a distinct scent? It could be a part of Fang's ability, but I know for sure that he can read minds and this ability contradicts too much.

The words recurred in my head as something crossed my mind. Books that I had read so much as a child. The unique scent was the sign of that other person being your...

No, that is not possible. I am Alpha blooded and so is Fang. We were cursed. If what Arina had told me about the history of Warchild's was right, then Goddess Luna cursed all the Alphas to never have a blessed partner. Because of how our ancestors had forced arranged marriages onto the ruling Alphas for years. Goddess Luna had withdrawn that blessing in exchange for another blessing, where the mothers of Alpha babies died after transferring her prowess during birth.

There is no way the Goddess would have an exception. I refuse the accept the fact that Fang might be my... partner... m-mate... Soulmate!

----------------------

----------------------

Refer back to chapter 26 in case you do not remember the ritual which is mentioned in the last paragraph of this chapter.