That night I tossed and turned in my bed, antsy and jittery beyond belief. I knew that there was no possible way for Preston to know about Ryan, but his comment still buzzed in my mind. I loathed that man so much that even the thought of him knowing about my mate made me sick. I would roll from one side of my bed to the other, thinking about all the 'what if's' in the process. I worried about what my father said about Ryan's pack and when I thought of the small, but successful pack he had created I became angry with my father. He clearly didn't know just how functional and rational all those rogues had become. Then again, my father hadn't said a lot on the subject, maybe there was more to the story that I didn't see yet. Besides, it took an impressive amount to actually anger my father so whatever Ryan's pack had done it must've been gruesome and despicable.

Eventually, the questions that swamped my exhausted brain finally quieted as my mind could no longer keep up and I was able to doze off in the early hours of the morning for a small amount of sleep.

I did manage to get myself up in the morning, though all I had wanted to do was pull the blankets tighter around me and sleep for a little while longer since my mind was still at ease. Unfortunately, a maid came to wake me up and dress me in a heavy gown, but didn't make any comments when I snapped at her or barked orders at someone else. And throughout the rest of the day, not a single person made a comment about my horrendous mood. Maybe they weren't brave enough to call me out.

But my father was more than ready to address my foul mood when I stomped into his office and threw myself into my usual chair.

"What's wrong, Adeline? You look ill and your mood is worse." He said before we even began our session. He hadn't seemed to even move his eyes from the lengthy document in front of him but it was clear he had already assessed me.

I slumped into the office chair and rubbed my face tiredly, my hard façade falling away. "I didn't have a good sleep." I admitted, "And normally I can function with less than a few hours of sleep, but I'm getting worn out between mom's training courses, your lessons, and everything else on my plate. I haven't even found time to ride Poison or my other horses in the past two weeks. I guess not getting enough sleep just made everything catch up with me."

My dad let out a little sigh of relief, finally looking up. "Well, that's okay, we can work with that. I thought you were upset because the gala to find you a suitable man was still being hosted. But if it's just about being overwhelmed then that's fine, we'll adjust your schedule so you have some time alone and with your horses." He explained with an easy grin, "You should know that your mother and I don't want to push you too hard."

"That gala is going to be hosted anyway?" I whispered, feeling my heart plummet in my chest. I already found my mate, I actually had someone designed for me that was out there. But my parents didn't know that. Unfortunately I had forgotten about the gala and I was suddenly flooded with ill feelings.

My dad caught on to the distress in my voice and sat up straighter while his eyes softened slightly, "Adeline, is that why you ran away? Because you don't want to go through with the gala?"

"Dad, I didn't run away. I'm not eight, okay? I was upset so I went to ride Poison so I could calm down and he spooked when someone yelled."

"So you don't have a problem with the gala?"

"Of course I have a problem with the bloody gala!" I snapped.

My dad's expression shifted a little, now looking confused. I loved my father dearly but I was floored by how dense he could be.

"But this is a good opportunity to find a good man since you haven't found your mate. I'm not saying you'll mark a man and mate with him the next day, I'm just saying it's a chance to look at your options. And if you find your mate soon, then at least you'll know some of the alphas when you start ruling, okay?" he said, trying to justify his foolish plan.

I opened my mouth to protest, but I quickly stopped myself. What could I say? That I had already found my mate? No, I couldn't admit that just yet. I hadn't even had time to form a feasible opinion on Ryan's pack and life style. The last thing I needed now was upset parents who were trying to sway my view.

"I think I just need a break for little bit, is that okay?" I asked, feeling terribly weak and helpless. I didn't wait for his response I stood up and began to move to the door.

"Yes, of course, go have a rest." My dad said, standing up to help me out of his office. "I'll tell everyone else that your sessions are to be cancelled for the rest of the day." He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, making me turn around to face him as we exited his study, "Adeline, I hope you know that your mother and I are just trying to do what's best for you and the whole werewolf community."

I tried not to flinch when he added the second part, but I chided myself quickly. I was a princess, I couldn't be selfish, I had to worry about all of my subjects. Even if that meant denying my own personal desires.

"I know." I whispered back. Then I spun away from him and walked to my bedroom.

There I undressed and collapsed into my bed. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep instantly and didn't wake up until it was the evening. I stretched when I woke up, trying to fight off the ill feeling in my stomach as I did so. When that did shake the uneasiness and unhappiness I pulled on the comfiest clothes I had in my closet and slithered into the bathroom to get ready for the evening. Eventually I found out that a freshly washed face and clean teeth didn't make the bad feelings go away.

Then it clicked. I had been away from Ryan for so long that my body had gotten physically ill.

***Do you guys like the current cover or should i make a new one?***