I ran, taking the curved path through the forest around the outskirts of Winterwells, and reached my house. The moment I saw it, I took my steps back, hiding behind the tree. The house wasn't rundown anymore but completely renovated. My memory rushed back to when I had asked Channing to repair the room on the ground floor and the stairs as an apology, but here the entire house was back to new.

The upper floor had been fixed and through the open main door, I could see the stairs and everything being renovated. Did Channing do this as an apology for everything that happened during the time he had gone intimate with me?

I felt like someone else might have come to live here. But my mother had been very specific about saying that this house belonged to me, as if she had bought it for me in that broken state. She was the one who had offered this residence to me when I left the castle.

Had anyone else just came here and claimed it, thinking there was no one living here or maybe the queen deliberately took even this away from me.

However, something did not look right. It hadn't even been 24 hours that I was in Waterwoods and to get the repairs, this fast, needed a vast amount of labour work and the way it looked, the tarnished wood was polished and coated making the residence look nothing less to a lavish holiday house. I took calculated steps towards my house to see whether anyone else had come to live here in my stead. The changes done were expensive and that too in just one night meant someone lost an enormous fortune on this renovation.

I walked in and my goodness; it looked like a dream home.

They did not touch the area around my bedroom, with the door being the same old, just polished from outside. I was quick to change into my human form and close the main door before going to open my bedroom door, and nothing had been touched inside.

I let out a breath of relief, knowing no one had entered my bedroom. There were some things here that might prove I was the princess. I put on some clothes and, to be cautious, checked the drawers where there were the painkillers and some other things were kept.

Taking out my mobile, I searched for Channing's contact so I could thank him for this; all of this was too much. It was more than I could accept.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and I jumped, almost making the phone slip out of my hand, as I was not used to having a doorbell. Outside the main door, there was no one but a gigantic bouquet of red and white roses. I picked it up with a concerned look, as I doubted Channing would repeat his mistake of bringing me flowers as an apology. It made me remember how Channing had come with a chocolate box and flowers to apologise that day; maybe this was Channing only.

I carried the big circular bouquet inside and it filled the smell of roses throughout the environment. There was some paper buried in between the roses. I pulled it out to flip open the tag.

~

'Hope you are happy with the finishing touches on your new house. Consider this my way of making it up to you, as I had promised; Congratulations on your new residence, little one'

-with love, your lovely mate.

~

My eyes went wide at the realisation that it wasn't Channing, but Fang, who had done this. How narcissistic of him to put 'your lovely mate' in the end.

This cleared my doubt about how someone was able to afford all that in a night. Fang lived in a tent himself, but I could tell he had spent rich on making my residence a piece of beauty.

How could I accept this if he was the one who offered!

I was about to throw the bouquet when I stopped and realised that Fang really had too much to apologise for. Especially this stupid mark on my neck. So this was his price. There was no need of returning this gift or any thank you.

After some while, I had done with washing myself and Dandeline had arrived to help me seal the mark before I could go outside and meet others. Her eyes moved around the place sparkling with gold, "I still couldn't believe it is the same rundown house, the work done is marvellous. How did you manage to spend so much on it?"

A chuckle escaped my lips knowing I should have been very well able to do that as my father was the king himself, but my mother had cut down a lot of allowances since I visited the castle last. All thanks to the rich dress that Fang had gifted me. Over it all, I doubt my parents would do anything of this sort for me. They would be more than happy to see me struggling. I wondered how my father actually rented the condo for my residence.

"I just got some help, let's not talk about it we have more severe matters to discuss," I ushered her to my bedroom to show her the mark that Fang had done on me.

Dandeline gasped, covering her mouth, "Did you complete the bond?"

The shock on her face was a given that after the mark, mates tended to seal the bond faster or there was a chance that if someone else marked over the mate's mark, they could steal the female away. But that would now happen to me only in case I was taken by force because this mark would drive males away from me.

"No, just this." I tsked as I point at my neck.

"I will try my best to hide it," Dandeline said, immediately pulling a chair for me to sit in.

I only hummed and Dandeline did not ponder on it further. She was already explained about the mark and the situation. There was a tremendous fuss she had put up when she heard that someone had marked me. But I believed in no one else than her to do this job right.

"Is it possible to remove it permanently?" I asked while Dandeline was doing her work and trying to hide the scent that was now emitted by my werewolf. She had gone in heat for her other half, as Fang had completed the mark.

"Yes, there is a way. You need the ritual circle and could do it on your own as you are an Alpha," Dandeline answered. "You said the bond wasn't sealed, so you can prune the mark on your own, but it involves risks."

The mark had turned to look like a full moon on my neck, which showed an Alpha had done it. It could look like a different phase of the vexing and waning moon, depending on the wolf who has marked. If a weak Omega marks, then it was usually a thin crescent moon while an Alpha's mark would look like a full moon. It burned in the beginning and after a day or so, the mark will take colour like a tattoo engraved on my body.

"What risks would there be?" I asked. If this was possible to be removed, then I would not wait even for a second. The risk of injuries was no worry for me, as my special abilities would heal me back to normal in seconds.

Dandeline was adding her finishing touch with a layer of fake skin she had already stretched over the mark. She stopped to look at me with worry, "You would release the mark, but doing it without the mate's consent meant risking his wolf and sanity. I don't know who it is, but this person who marked you have a possibility to lose their wolf and live as a weak human for the rest of their lives." She hesitated before adding the next part in a low voice, "I-If this person loves you, then it will agonise their heart and they might wither out their life faster than normal."

I clicked my tongue almost instinctively. There was a way to get this mark away, and there was only a possibility that Fang might lose his wolf if I did it without his consent.

But it was too big of a risk to take. I would never want that to happen to anyone. I did not know Fang loved me or not, as he falsely claimed to, but the price was too big for anyone to pay.

"What if I did it with this person's consent? Would the risk be negated?" I was desperate to find ways of getting rid of this.

I could still marry where I was betrothed as they weren't werewolves, so just a mark would not affect my marriage life there however if my mother were to find out about this, there was sure some punishment that would come my way and she would forcefully prune the mark. No matter how obnoxious man Fang was, I did not want those risks to befall him.

Dandeline hummed in thought, stepping back from me as she had concealed the mark with her powers, so I had no worry about it being discovered.

"If the mate consents, then there would be no risk," Dandeline said while trying to remember what else was there to the story and I waited for her to come to the facts. "But they won't be able to mark anyone ever again."

That sounded very sad for the couples who had broken their bonds. But I guess Fang could go with that. There was no scarcity of females that swooned around him and with that handsome face and perfect body, especially the foxy attitude; he could get anyone in his life. Now I just had to make him consent for the mark to be removed.

Dandeline helped me wear the shirt and asked, "Sorry for asking again, but how did you get it?"

I rolled my eyes, "Stop asking that Dandeline I already said I am not telling that information to anyone. It is better to be kept silent than my parents finding it out the wrong way"

"Yes, I understand," Dandeline muttered.

There were ears around here for sure that reported back to the castle about what I have been doing and if by chance this information leaked or was extracted by force, it will end up with wrong consequences.

Dandeline handed me my sling bag. I had to complete my last remaining task before Channing reaches here. "You should go back and get yourself ready, as you would be joining the pack today. I will submit the papers and meet everyone near the ground."