Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As Troy hurriedly led me out of the restaurant, I was taken aback to see two black cars waiting for us. John opened the back door of one car, and Troy guided me inside. I climbed in silently, while Troy entered the other car. I couldn't help but wonder where these cars had come from and why Troy chose to ride separately from me. It felt like he might truly despise me.

John took the front passenger seat beside the driver, who then quietly drove off. I let out a heavy sigh as Troy's angry face flashed in my mind. He seemed so furious with me. But how does he know Zander? And how did he manage to find me? I'll never forget the way he called me by my name. My thoughts were in a whirl, and I didn't know what to focus on first.

"How are you feeling, Miss Eli?" John asked, breaking the silence after a while. I turned to face him. "I... I think I'm okay..." I replied, though the question lingered in my mind—does he know how Troy found me?

"Do you know how Troy found me?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity. "Perhaps Troy is the best person to answer that, Miss Eli," John responded directly. I nodded, choosing to remain quiet, though my heart pounded faster with each passing second. The mere thought of Troy's angry face made me uneasy, especially since I had no idea how to respond if he asked me anything.

When the car pulled up in front of Troy's house, I watched as he got out of the other vehicle and walked inside without a backward glance. The sky was darkening, and the evening was fast approaching. I hadn’t expected the drive to feel so long, but my nerves had made time slip away unnoticed.

"Let's go inside," John said, opening the door for me. I nodded and stepped out, my anxiety growing with each step closer to Troy's house. Unable to hold back any longer, I asked, "How angry is Troy with me?" John looked at me, amusement flickering across his face despite the situation. "He spent two days searching for you without sleep, combing through nearly all of Tyreese. What do you think?" he said, raising an eyebrow. I bit my lower lip and stared down at the ground. "He's really... mad," I admitted nervously.

When we entered the house, it was empty. Troy was probably in his room.

"I'll leave you two alone for now; I have something else to attend to," John said before closing the door behind him, leaving me by myself. The only sound I could hear was my own heartbeat as I slowly approached the bedroom door. I carefully opened it and immediately heard the sound of water running from the bathroom. So... he's in the shower.

I glanced around the room and quickly realized it wasn't the room I was used to. The whole space was a bit disheveled, and a broken flower vase lay on the floor. What has he been doing for the past two days? Has he done nothing but search for me?

I grabbed a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess when suddenly the bathroom door swung open, and Troy stepped out, wearing only a bathrobe. His hair was still damp, and he looked incredibly attractive with it. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in years, even though I had only been gone for two days.

"What are you doing?" he asked coldly when he saw me holding the broom and dustpan.

"I'm cleaning the floor—"

"Did I ask you to do that?" he interrupted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. I blinked at him in surprise. His jaw tightened, and he quickly strode over, snatching the broom and dustpan from my hands. He almost threw them into a corner before pulling me away from the mess. The speed of his movements made me feel a little dizzy.

"Stay there," he ordered, guiding me to sit on the bed. I didn't resist and let him take charge. He went into the walk-in closet to get dressed. I sighed, unsure of what to do or say. I was lost in thought when he suddenly emerged from the closet, now dressed in a simple white shirt and pants. His outfit was plain, yet he looked incredibly handsome in it.

My heart raced as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. I was taken aback when we left his house. The sky was now a vibrant orange, the sunset beautiful, yet here Troy stood before me, his expression filled with anger and displeasure.

"How do you know that man?" he asked first. Was he talking about Zander? Shouldn’t I be the one asking how he knows Zander? How does he know him?

"We first met at the bookstore, and later, when I needed a place to stay, he helped me find an apartment—"

"Are you really that quick to trust someone, Eli?" His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I swallowed hard before answering. "He... was kind to me, Troy. If it wasn't for him, I might have been sleeping on the streets for two days!" I defended myself. His jaw tightened, and his eyes cut through me like knives.

"Anyone can seem nice, even when they have bad intentions, Eli! Are you so naive that you don’t think this guy might have a hidden agenda? Don’t you find it suspicious that you met him at the bookstore and then again at the exact moment you needed help? Where were you even planning to go?" he scoffed, his laugh void of any humor. I lowered my eyes, realizing he had a point. It was strange that Zander and I crossed paths twice in completely different places.

"What if he had hurt you? What if your foolishness had put you in danger?" His harsh words broke my heart. I bit my lip, tears welling up in my eyes. I knew there was some truth to what he said, but could he really blame me? I was a stranger in this place! I didn’t know anyone or anything about this place! I had no choice but to trust someone! That’s why I leaned on him before—because I had to, even though I didn’t know if he was truly trustworthy!

"What if you're wrong? What if you're just overreacting? I didn’t trust him because I wanted to—I trusted him because I had no choice! Just like I trusted you before, even when I didn’t want to!" I couldn't hold back the emotions surging through me.

"That's exactly why you can't leave, Eli! You don't know who you can trust!" he shot back at me. I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief.

"You're starting to sound like my brother..." I said with a laugh, though inside, my heart was slowly breaking. He took a step closer, and I instinctively pulled back, looking up at him.

"Alright then, Troy... tell me. How do you know Zander? Why are you so sure he's a bad person? Tell me!" His jaw clenched, and he closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, there was an emotion in them that I couldn’t quite name.

"He's... my cousin." My mouth fell open in shock. W-What? Zander is his cousin? I suddenly recalled the story he once told me about his cousin and another friend.

"I-If he's your cousin, then you shouldn’t be thinking so badly of him!" I protested. Why would he be so suspicious of his own cousin?

"We used to be close... but not anymore," he said, his tone cold. I was stunned. He took a deep breath and looked up at the darkening sky. "After my father died and I became king, Zander grew distant. I found out that he wanted the throne for himself. He told me he would do anything to dethrone me. One of my weaknesses, according to him, is that I lack a mate who could be queen. Then a prophecy emerged, saying I would find my mate in Tyreese. Because of that prophecy, I knew Zander would come to Tyreese to kill the woman destined for me by the Moon Goddess. If I fail to find my mate, the council will be forced to dethrone me. Even though you're not my mate, Zander might still harm you because of your connection to me... That’s why I’m trying to protect you..." he explained, and I could only stare at him.

My mind seemed to stop working, overwhelmed by what he had just said. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

"W-What the hell are you talking about, Troy?" I asked, utterly confused. King? Throne? Moon Goddess? Mate? What is he saying?

Mate?

My heart began to race as I looked at Troy again, the weight of everything he just said slowly sinking in. I swallowed hard, stepping back as the reality hit me. My gaze shifted behind him, and that’s when I saw John standing there. My lips parted in shock as I finally recognized why John’s face seemed so familiar—I had seen him before, back when I was only ten years old, just two months after my parents died.

**Flashback**

I stood in the garden, my lady-in-waiting close behind me. Since my parents' deaths, my brother had become increasingly strict, and I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere on my own. A tear slipped down my cheek as memories of my parents flooded back.

While wandering through the palace, I noticed some unfamiliar men at the entrance. Curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t help but wonder who my brother was meeting in his office.

"Your Royal Highness! What are you doing?" Mariel, one of my closest ladies-in-waiting, whispered urgently. I gestured for her to be quiet, and she nodded as I quietly slipped into my brother’s office. He didn’t notice me, too absorbed in a serious conversation with a tall man standing in front of him.

"That’s not the point, Beta John! My parents died here, in our own territory! They were murdered in the royal chamber itself! The only evidence we have is a witness who saw the intruders—and they identified the tattoo of Alpha King Terrence Evans from the Kingdom of Rema!" my brother said angrily. But Beta John remained unfazed by my brother’s fury. A surge of anger rose in my chest. My brother was right—our parents’ deaths were a direct attack on his pride, and the fact that the culprit was from the Kingdom of Rema was a deep betrayal.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but Alpha King Terrence can't have murdered your parents. He's bedridden—there's no way he could have done it," Beta John said calmly.

"Then it must have been his son! Alpha King Terrence's son, Prince Troy!" Alpha Phoenix replied, his frustration evident. I was at a loss for what to think. Beta John shook his head.

"The Prince was in the North Snow Kingdom at the time, Your Majesty. There are witnesses who can confirm his presence there, including Alpha King Greyson Ruiz," Beta John explained. I clenched my fists in anger, convinced the Kingdom of Rema was just making excuses.

"Damn it! So what now? Am I supposed to let the murderer go free?!" I could see the fury burning in my brother's eyes. Beta John bowed his head.

"Please trust me, Your Majesty. I’ll help you uncover the truth. Prince Troy has also offered his assistance—"

"I don't need his damn help!" my brother shouted furiously.

**End of Flashback**

Tears streamed down my face as I turned my gaze to Troy. Troy... Does this mean... he's Troy Archer Evans? Alpha King Troy of the Rema Kingdom?

My chest tightened, and I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I could barely breathe as the full weight of the truth hit me.

"T-Troy..." My voice trembled. "N-No… it's… Alpha King Troy…" My voice quivered even more as my heart shattered into pieces. So… he knew who I was from the beginning? From the moment he first saw me, he knew I was Princess Elisaria Foster of the Urzua Kingdom!

That’s why he welcomed me into his home so easily! That’s why he never questioned who I was! He let me believe that my lies were true! How... dare he?

"Eli..." he reached out to touch me, but I pulled away, glaring at him through my tear-filled eyes.

"Don't you dare... touch me!" I snapped at him. "You... planned all of this!" I accused him. He shook his head, his jaw tightening. But I was convinced—he had orchestrated everything! No... he had played with my feelings!

"I didn't plan any of this! Yes, I knew who you were the moment I first saw you in that trap, but… I never intended to fall for you!" he defended himself. But I couldn't accept any explanation right now.

"You knew... everything, and you played me... What was your plan? Make me fall for you so my brother would stop investigating your father? Because you know if it's proven that one of you killed my parents, my brother wouldn't hesitate to start a war with you!" I accused him, tears streaming down my face. Yes, his father might be dead, but the investigation into my parents' deaths was still ongoing. If they were found guilty, their lives would be the price.

"No! My father and I are innocent! We didn’t kill your parents—"

"Shut up!" I screamed, my throat raw from the outburst. All I could feel now was anger and hatred toward him. "You bastard... you made me feel like such a fool..." I shook my head, tears spilling over.

"Eli..." he called out to me, but I shook my head and turned to leave. Just then, the clouds parted, revealing the full moon. I gasped as the moonlight bathed us in its glow. The moon was so full that my wolf stirred, eager to break free. But what stunned me even more was the strange sensation that followed. My gaze locked onto Troy. He was staring back at me, just as shocked and confused. My lips parted as I felt a burning sensation, like fire coursing delicately through my veins. My heart raced so fast it felt like it would burst from my chest.

My knees grew weak as my wolf whispered something while my eyes remained fixed on Troy’s.

"Mate..." we both said at the same time, staring at each other in disbelief.