Torn Between Enemy Alphas

Chapter 35- Distractions

Princess Araceli West flew down the hallway without glancing back over her shoulder. If she looked back she would slow down and if she slowed down there was no way that her brother wouldn't catch her. Noe and Dante were identical twins who were a year and a half older than she was. They were faster and stronger, but she had a head start. She'd snuck into their room before they were awake and had stolen a book on werewolf history that they had told her she was too much of baby to read.

That was ridiculous. She was less than two years younger than they were. If she could just get to her secret hiding place, a hidden nook under the stairs, she could stash it there and then, no matter how they tried to get the location out of her she was determined not to crack. But she could hear them behind her now, racing down the hallways of the palace somewhere behind her.

Stashing the book in the small hidden cabinet she closed the door silently and rushed up the stairs, trying to lose them. She hadn't planned on them waking up while she was making her getaway, but they must have taken a wrong turn in one of the palace's long corridors, or they would have already caught her.

So much for those tracking lessons they'd been spending hours at, she smirked as she made it to the top of the staircase and sprinted in the direction of safety. She knew exactly where she was heading now.

It was ridiculously unfair. Her brother's got to take all the best classes this year. They had tracking. And while her history classes were still entirely about humans, or at least they mostly were, her brothers were learning about werewolf wars and were taking tracking and weren't just taking self defense classes with her and Aurelio anymore. They actually trained two days a week with the warriors in addition to their own private training classes with the weapons master, tracking classes, and a number of classes that sounded far more interesting than anything that Aracelli, who was called Aria by those inside the palace was allowed to learn. And she was determined to have a word privately, with her mother, about the unfairness of the entire situation.

Glaring at the two guards who stood on either side of her parents' bedroom door, she didn't say a word, instead she darted between them, pushing down on the handle silently, flinging herself through the small opening while each guard looked uncertain of whether or not they should interfere. They were, she supposed, meant to announce guests. But she wasn't a guest. This was her parents' bedroom. She didn't need an invitation. And it was six o'clock in the morning. They should already be up.

Sprinting across the room as if Dante and Noe were still on her heels she jumped into the enormous bed next to her mother, giggling as the dark haired beauty, who many people said she looked exactly like, yawned and opened her eyes.

"Aria, what time is it, Princess? And what has brought you in her so early and so out of breath? You look like you're up to no good." Dani smiled at her only daughter as she held the covers up so that Aria could easily slide in beside her.

"The boys will probably tell you that I'm up to no good mother, but don't believe them. Anything they tell you is a lie. Did you hear that father?" She raised her voice so that she was practically shouting now. "Anything Dante and Noe say is obviously a lie. I haven't done anything wrong this morning. You can't believe them. They're lying liars who just want to get me in trouble."

"Also I think I need to point out to both of you that having them learn tracking is a waste of our time and resources. They couldn't even track me from their room this morning to your room. Isn't that pathetic? Honestly, I don't think they could track their way out of a paper bag if you put them in it and asked them to find their way out."

Dani turned her head to look at her husband, trying to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape. As the only girl in a palace with three Princes, Aria did more than just keep up with her brothers. And just like the two older boys she gave her parents a run for their money.