Chapter 6

• A few hours later, Chloe heard a knock on her door, "Come in." She said gently.
• "Alpha Kael asked me to invite you for dinner." She bowed and left without waiting for Chloe's response.
• At first, she hesitated, still feeling a bit raw from their earlier encounter. But then she thought about how much she owed Kael for saving her life, and how rude it would be to decline his invitation.
• "Besides," she told herself, "it's just for a few hours. I can put aside my pride for that long."
• So she accepted the invitation and made her way to the dining hall. When she arrived, she was greeted by Kael himself, who welcomed her warmly.
• "Thank you for coming, Chloe," he said, his eyes sparkling with genuine pleasure. "I promise you, this will be a night to remember."
• As they entered the grand living room, Chloe was struck by the opulent decor. Kael took her hand and guided her to the table.
• Then, he stopped in front of a tall, striking woman with long, curly hair and piercing green eyes. She looked so beautiful and everything she wore screamed elegance. "Chloe, this is Astrid," Kael said, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "She's an old friend of mine."
• Astrid's gaze swept over Chloe, her expression dismissive. "Who is she? Don't tell me she's the princess you told me about?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Kael! How dare you introduce a woman to me? You brought her to the Palace. Why? Why is she here?"
• Chloe felt a twinge of discomfort at Astrid's rudeness, but she tried to maintain a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Astrid," she said, extending her hand.
• Astrid slapped Chloe's hand. "Who the hell are you? How dare you come here to show your ugly face?" Astrid said, her eyes glinting with a hint of hatred.
• "Astrid! It's okay." Kael said gently as he sat.
• Chloe wondered how deep his relationship with Astrid was, and why he seemed so fond of her despite her rudeness.
• As the evening wore on, Chloe found herself growing increasingly uncomfortable in Astrid's presence. She began to wonder if she had made a mistake by coming here tonight...
• Astrid's behavior towards Chloe became increasingly unacceptable. She made snide comments about Chloe's dress. " I heard you're a princess. Why are you dressed so tacky? This dress looks like that of a peasant." Before Chloe could reply Astrid fired again. "I've heard about your kingdom. The most pathetic and weak kingdom ruled by a woman."
• "Your kingdom is nothing but a joke," Astrid sneered. "A tiny little thing that can't even defend itself. No wonder you're always relying on others to protect you. No wonder you lost your kingdom." Astrid said as she laughed.
• Chloe tried to keep her cool, but Astrid's words cut deep. She felt her anger rising, but she didn't want to give Astrid the satisfaction of seeing her lose her temper.
• "I'm sorry you feel that way, Astrid," Chloe said calmly. "But I'm proud of my kingdom and my people. We may not be the largest or the strongest, but we have heart and we have courage."
• Astrid snorted. "Courage? Ha! You're just a foolish little girl playing at being a queen. You don't know the first thing about ruling a kingdom."
• Kael finally seemed to notice Astrid's behavior and intervened, his voice firm but polite. "Astrid, that's enough. Chloe is our guest and deserves respect."
• Astrid rolled her eyes but said nothing more, her expression sulky and childish. Chloe felt a surge of gratitude towards Kael for defending her, but she knew she couldn't let Astrid's behavior slide. She needed to stand up for herself and her kingdom.
• Chloe stood up, her chair scraping against the floor. "I'm done with dinner," she said, her voice firm but polite. "Thank you for having me, Kael, but I think it's time for me to go."
• Kael looked at her with concern. "Chloe, please stay," he said, his voice gentle. "Astrid didn't mean to upset you. She's just a bit... prickly sometimes."
• Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Prickly?" she repeated. "That's one way to put it."
• Kael smiled. "Please, Chloe. Don't let Astrid drive you away. She's not worth it. She's just joking."
• "Let her leave. We need to spend time alone Kael. It's been long." Astrid eyed Chloe.
• Chloe hesitated, looking at Kael's sincere expression. She didn't want to cause a scene or make things awkward, so she nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll stay," she said. "But please, be nice Astrid. I won't take any more insult from you."
• Kael nodded and turned to Astrid. "Astrid, be nice," he said, his voice firm but playful. "Chloe is our guest, and we want her to feel welcome."
• "What! You expect me to act nice when you brought this dirty thing here? I can't be nice. When will she leave? I don't like her. I hate her ugly face." Astrid glared at Chloe as she said every word
• "Just sit. Don't mind her." Kael smiled.
• Astrid sneered at Chloe, her voice dripping with contempt. "Mind me. Since you've decided to be stupid, you'll listen to every word I say. You're so stupid, Chloe. Handing over your kingdom to a man like that. You're nothing but a weak little girl who can't even take care of herself."
• Chloe felt a surge of anger and disappointment at Kael for telling Astrid about her kingdom. "Kael, you had no right to tell her about that," she said, her voice shaking with emotion.
• Kael looked at her with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't think it was a secret."
• Astrid laughed. "Oh, poor little Chloe. Getting betrayed by her own ally. You're so pathetic. You're still here trusting a man."
• Chloe had had enough. She stood up and ran out of the dining hall, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe Kael would do that to her. She felt so betrayed and hurt.
• As she ran, she heard Astrid's laughter echoing behind her, making her feel even more humiliated and angry. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she had to get away from there.
• Finally, she reached her room and slammed the door shut behind her. She threw herself on the bed and cried, feeling like her heart had been broken into a million pieces. She couldn't believe Kael would do that to her. She thought he was her friend, but now she realizes he is just like everyone else.