Chapter 3

“Did you hear what happened to the princess last night?” 

Draco rolled his eyes, fighting a groan as he tried to shut out the men around him. They were too chatty for his liking, and he glanced outside, hoping it would be daybreak so he could get set on his journey. He sighed as he bent his head, picking at his food. There was no such luck. The night crawled, holding the moon in its bay like a precious baby.

Of all the inns he had lodged in since he had been on the journey of looking for the witch who had cursed his pack, the inn he was in at the moment was the one he hated the most. 

From the shabby appearance of the inn to the exuberance of the innkeeper and the chattiness of the other patrons, he felt sick even though he couldn’t get sick and counted down to the day he was to leave.

He had been shocked when he stepped inside two hours ago, and the innkeeper had rushed at him, cooing and smiling like he was her long-lost buddy. He knew humans were naturally attracted to them, but he didn’t know his charms were still going to work since the potion the mage had given him had quelled the effects of the spell on both him and his people, as he had said.

He didn’t want his charms to be appreciated by an old woman though as happy as he was that he still got it. He had been amused at her excessive form of greeting when he first walked into the inn but later was annoyed when she kept at it when he went down for dinner. 

The dining hall had been filled up with men he later realized were sources of migraine. He stared at the food on his plate and sighed, knowing there was no way he could stomach that much. Even though he could eat human food - and enjoyed most of them - his appetite was gone at the moment, and he sighed, knowing he couldn’t leave the food and retire to his room.

The innkeeper had told him she didn’t like it when people wasted food as it always seemed to her like they didn’t like her cooking, and moreover, her daughter didn’t really like doing the dishes. He brought out the map in his pockets and went through it as his custom every day though he had the map sketched in his brain already.

He clenched his fist and slowly breathed out as he gently released the hand. It seemed like he was going to stay at the inn for a while. He only hoped he could get the lead he wanted on time and leave.

The men in the room continued with their gossip, oblivious to the travails of the alpha werewolf. They cackled as loud as they could, gurgling alcohol and shouting at the top of their voices for the maids.

“Will you dance for me?” One of the men asked a maid as she refilled his plate, leering at her behind. He belched and blushed, looking at his table mates, and burst out laughing.

Draco shook his head at the lot of them and spooned some food into his mouth, eager to be done and retire to his room. “Bloody drunks!” He hissed. There were days he looked at humans and was grateful he wasn’t one, even though he was a cursed werewolf and would eventually perish if he couldn’t get the witch to take off the spell. He couldn’t imagine himself embarrassing himself in such a manner. His father would cringe in his grave and surely lay another curse on him.

“Leave her alone, old Hank. You are drunk.” One of the men at the table laughed and motioned the maid to leave.

“No, I am not,” Hank argued and belched.

Draco glanced in their direction, scorching them with his look. He shook his head and sighed, cursing Ayra. If not for what she had done, he wouldn’t have the need to be in a country like that, suffering the indignity of listening to gossip from drunk men.

“Naim, you were talking about the princess earlier. What happened to her?” 

“Hush!” Naim scolded the man, placing a finger on his lips and looking around as if he had just realized he was in a public place. He frowned. “Be quiet, Dan, will you? You have always been too loud.”

Dan scowled, pissed at being rebuked. “No, I am not loud. You are just too dramatic.”

“The issue is a sensitive one,” Naim whispered.

Matt chuckled. “Why are you whispering? We all know this place is as safe as it could get in the country. The king’s soldiers can’t come here, and everyone here hates the greedy king, so I doubt anything you say will get leaked.”

Draco thought of telling the men that he didn’t hate the king just to see their reactions. He was running out of cash and didn’t want to work as a laborer again to make some money. Though the work hadn’t been strenuous for him as his strength, though fading, was still better than a human owned, and the pay was okay to him, he couldn’t stop feeling weird as he worked all day before returning to the inn he was lodged in then to rest in a state of nightmarish sleep.

He hated and shuddered at the memories of the nightmares he had never stopped having ever since he came back from the hunt and found his pack cursed. He had frightening nightmares where he got the potion to save them all, but the pack flew at him and tore him to pieces as he got to their midst, nightmares where he was on his way looking for the witch and just faded off into the air like specks of dust, and in each scenario, he always woke up drenched in his sweats and gasping with his heart threatening to come out of his chest.

Matt continued and shrugged at Naim. “It’s okay if you are scared, though. You don’t have to talk about it.”

Naim gasped at the suggestion and shook his head, a sucker for gossip who couldn’t pass over an opportunity to tell a story. Though he didn’t whisper this time, he still kept his voice lower. “Do you know the prince of the other kingdom she was betrothed to?”

Dan sat right in his seat and strained forward. “That stuck-up boy who didn’t glance once at the princess as they were escorted around the city?”

“Yes, that one,” Naim giggled and clapped in excitement.

“What about him?” Matt asked.

“The princess said she wouldn’t marry him,” Naim said.

“What?” Dan exclaimed, his eyes round with surprise. “Did she really say that? How did you know? How true is this?”

Matt’s lips twisted in a sneer, and he chuckled. “Calm down, Dan. One would think you have something to gain in the marriage of the princess. Who cares if she rejected a snob or not?”

Naim frowned, offended by Dan’s innocent questions. “How wouldn’t I know? How could you ask me if I was sure? Have I ever given you false news before?”

Dan chuckled. “I am sorry, I just couldn’t help asking.”

Naim shrugged. “My sister works at the palace, and she knows almost everything that happens there.”

“Lucky you,” Dan said to appease and please Naim.

Naim glowed with pride, certainly pleased with the compliment. “You can say that again,” he started boasting. “She even brings home some leftovers for me. You can’t imagine some exquisite menus I have tasted. If food brings a change in status, I am sure I wouldn’t be here with the lot of you.”

Matt scoffed. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself.”

Dan chuckled. “I’m sure the king would have found another prince for the poor girl.” His face fell at the thought of the princess not loving who she was going to get married to.

“Yes, he has,” Naim confirmed. “My sister said he came yesterday, and he seemed okay.”

Matt breathed. “That is a relief. I can’t imagine the princess or the kingdom in the hands of that nasty work of royalty.” He saw Dan’s countenance and chuckled. “Oh, come off it, Dan. You know as well as everyone that that is how the world is. If the poor with nothing couldn’t even get married for love because of how the economy is, how much more the royals? Life is about power, and to win, you need a strong partner to help you win the game.”

“I know. I just felt bad for a moment.”

“For the princess or yourself?” Naim teased, and the men all burst out laughing.

Draco sighed with relief as he put the last bite in his mouth and leaned back on his chair as he pushed the empty plate away. Thank goodness he was done. He stood up and made his way upstairs to where the rooms were.

Naim’s eyes followed him as he moved, a feat shining in his eyes. He glanced at his table mates and whispered. “Are you sure that man doesn’t work for the king?”

Draco snorted as he heard the words. Bunch of crazy idiots, he thought as he moved on.

Matt glanced at the retreating figure of Draco and shook his head. “I don’t think so. He looks like a traveler. Why do you think he works for the king? I’m sure this is his first time in the country.”

Naim gulped. “He doesn’t look like one of the regular patrons of the inn.”

“That is because he is a stranger. I thought that should have been obvious to anyone with the way he is dressed.”

“He didn’t laugh or react to what I said as others did.”

Matt scoffed, rolling his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered if he was too smart or they were too stupid. “Not everyone has to care about what you say, Naim. As a stranger, he doesn’t even know who you were talking about. How do you expect him to relate?”

Dan nodded. “Matt is right, Naim.”

Matt rolled his eyes. Of course, he was. 

Draco opened the door to the room and tried not to wince at the squeaky welcome the door gave him. He wondered when they had oiled the hinges last. He considered moving to another inn the next day, but a picture of his remaining coins flashed in his mind, and he shook his head, deciding against the thought.

He removed his clothing and moved to the bed, taking care to lay on it gently. He didn’t bother with the candle placed in the corner of the room because he could see perfectly with his supernatural eyes. He was sure the bed would be old with the way the inn was. He knew the inn was filled up not because of the look of it but by the friendly attitude of the innkeeper. 

He gasped in surprise as he lay on the bed. The bed was amazingly soft. His lips peeled in a smile, and he found himself liking the woman. She deserved more credit than he had given her. Instead of wasting her money on appearance and glamor in an economy that was bad, as the gossips he had sat with had said, she invested more in the comfort of her customers. He couldn’t deny that the food was okay though he had no appetite and a soft, comfortable bed was what he needed more than a beautifully furnished bedroom. After all, he was there to sleep and not admire the beauty of the room.

He covered himself up and sighed with contentment as he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to crawl all over him. Tomorrow was another day to hope to find the witch, but for the night, he hoped he slept soundly and had no nightmares.