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Chapter 3: I'M A CURLY HEAD

ELLEN'S POV

I disentangled from Sebastian the second my eyes fluttered open the next morning, careful not to wake the sleeping Prince.

My eyes found the clock on his nightstand, A few minutes past the hours of four a.m.

I crept from his bed, found my phone and dress on the floor, and headed into the bathroom as silently as possible glancing at Sebastian who looked content in his sleep.

The same wave of anxiety that had seized my being the second I agreed to this rendered me trembling as I sat on the toilet seat and swiped through my messages.

There was none from Elena. She probably was too confident the night had played out perfectly. It did.

I decided against the warm shower, wasting time was risking it all. I got instantly dressed. It wasn't until I pulled straight hair to work on my zip did I realize Sebastian had marked me.

This couldn't be!

I ran to the large vanity mirror to confirm my horror. I slapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the shrill rising from the hollow pit of my soul.

"He marked me... What?"

All the lights left my vision as I stared blankly at myself in the mirror.

Elena and I were now in this puddle which I feared was going to drown us. There was no way we were ever going to pull this off.

No, I didn't need to panic. I hurled the water from the faucet to my face. Elena was going to have this figured out. This was her plan. There had to be a plan b.

My phone vibrated and I wiped the water from my eyes with my elbow to confirm who was calling. Elena.

"Oh dear," I sniffled into the phone but she hung up too soon.

It was plain the call was to wake me up in case I had overslept.

Taking my purse and phone, I crept on my tippy toes out of the bathroom back to his opulent bedroom to find Sebastian still asleep in the big bed.

His caramel blond hair was tousled, and his face sprinkled with stubbles was lost in a peaceful sleep. I felt the overpowering need to toss all caution to the wind and join him again in bed.

I caught myself, heaved a sigh, and looked away. If I left now, it was going to give Elena and me enough time to figure this out before either of us had to see him again.


Elena was gone from the room when I sneaked back that morning. I brushed my teeth, soaked in the jacuzzi, hoping the warm tub would soothe me.

I sobbed in my tub for fear of what might become of us if this got out of hand.

The thoughts of the night unwillingly crept back to my mind as I spotted the love marks imprinted on my skin. How could something so electrifying yet natural turn out this wrong?

I stepped out of the tub to meet Elena in the room.

No doubt she had gone to see Miller, her latest boyfriend.

"You have a mate now you can't keep sneaking around!" I chided, my face flushed from rage.

"Could you try not to fucking bug me? It’s damn too early!" She barked.

Bug her? Did she understand what I just got myself into because of her?

"Sebastian marked me!" I spat so she could share this anxiety, "Now he's going to know we deceived him."

"Now's not the time for this okay? Miller broke up with me!" She gurgled.

"To hell with Miller!" I yelled as though to get some sense into her, "We have a way bigger problem here! Did you not hear me? Prince Sebastian marked me! Your mate marked me!"

I spelled out the words through gritted teeth hoping the weight of my words would sink into her.

"You're joking." Her widened eyes searched my neck.

I sprang closer, tugging my hair back so she could see the mark on my neck.

Her eyes momentarily widened, "How the fuck did this happen?"

I shook my head with tears in my eyes. I had no idea. The fear in her eyes suggested she had no plan B.

"What are we going to do?" I mumbled.

"We remained switched until we have this figured out." She suggested.

I pulled her into my arms and we remained still in the middle of our shared bedroom in each other's arms.

I didn't sleep any further that morning when Lady Kordell's head snapped into our room.

"Elena Evans, you'll be late for breakfast." She announced.

Lady Kordell was our nanny since we were born and had grown more like a mother after we lost our mom.

"I don't feel good." I groaned.

"I'll call a nurse, where's Ellen?"

"Prolly downstairs."

I heard her close the door. The bathroom door swung open. She was in the bathroom. I heaved a sigh.

"He's picking you up for lunch." She announced.

What? I instantly sat up.

"We have to tell Father. We have to stop now," my fingers trembled, "Zedd will find a way out. I can't continue this."

"Are you insane? Father's will cast us out. The best thing to do is play along until..."

"Until?" I blinked at the tears in my eyes, "In no time Sebastian is going to realize who his true mate is." I sniffled.

I sobbed some more that morning, Passed on breakfast, and remained in bed. There was no way I was ever going to eat anything not with so much tension building inside of me.

Elena came out of the closet all ready for breakfast. My gaze squinted at her straightened hair.

"I'm a curlyhead." I was reminded.

"Oh!" She casually said but didn't go back to curl her hair back.

"Elena this isn't a joke." I chided.

"Could you just chill?" She snapped at me, irritation plain on her face.

"How in the hell do you expect me to? What we did is highly abominable!" Tears settled in my eyes. "It's either you curl your hair out or I sing it like a canary to Dad and Zedd."

"You think they're going to believe you?" She jested.

"It doesn't matter, curl your hair, and I'll go through lunch."

She went back to the closet and returned with her hair all curled.

At noon, I found a nice dress for lunch. Elena lay in bed with her gaze on her phone.

A chauffeur picked me up and drove through the bustling streets to the opulent mansion Sebastian lived in.

We were having lunch in his home? It sounded better than a restaurant.

The chauffeur parked on the driveway and a butler in a black suit led me through the pebbled path and asked me to wait in a curbed area.

After what felt like forever, he returned to lead me through the main entrance door.

Zedd paced the vestibule as I got there. My heart sank to my feet. He could easily tell I wasn't Elena in the daylight, especially without the makeup on. He knew us so well.

But he didn't say a word to me, his gaze didn't leave me. Disappointment etched on his face and his puckered lips.

Two security guards came towards us and at the speed of light, they slipped a silver cuff around my wrists.

What was going on?

Zedd didn't say a word to try and stop the security guard from shoving me away.

"Don't touch me!" I barked at the grim-faced security guard.

"I'm highly disappointed in you!" Zedd spat with disgust at the edges of his eyes.

Did they find out? How?

We got to the living area and I grew instantly white at the sight of the pack elders, father, and Elena all in the living area.

My gaze snagged Sebastian's passive one, instantly I dropped my gaze on Elena.

She looked more like herself with her hair strengthened out. I searched my eyes as though to find a hint of what was going on but her inscrutable gaze avoided me.

"Who's dumb idea was this?" Father asked, sounding more disappointed than pissed.

Elena didn't reply. She was too frightened to. I was too frightened to want to say a thing either.

Sebastian found out. But how?

"What you two did is punishable by death, don't think you will be spared!" Zedd added with nothing but hate in his tone.

Sebastian's expressionless gaze never left me. Anyone could easily tell a lot was going on beneath his feigned composure.

"Elena Evans," Prince Sebastian called quietly, huskily as though to identify us.

Elena raised her trembling hand.

"What is your name?" He cocked his chin condescendingly my way.

I caught a glimpse of hate in his eyes when I murmured my name.

His face darkened dangerously. "You are not my mate?"

"Correct!" I bit my tongue.

"You were in my bed last night as my mate." Sebastian's words weren't a question but I nodded regardless.

"Gracious goddess!" One of the elders chipped in.

"You spiked my drink?"

Now there was the real question.

"I didn't," I replied honestly.

"You had Dante Erastus taint my drinks."

I glanced at Elena to own up to her mistake but she was inhumanly still.

"Dante was Elena's arrangements." I was as honest as possible.

"Liar!" Elena growled. "What exactly is going on? What did you do this time?"

"This was your plan, what are you talking about?" My heart shriveled.

Sebastian raised his hand and we instantly went quiet.

A nightmare unfolded before my eyes as I watched Elena deny every little word I said in my defense.

"Why on earth would I ask you to pretend to be me just so you can be my mate?" She scoffed, "Such slander!"

Yeah, she was right. It never made any sense yet I had chosen to look beyond it just to help her.

I was helpless. The elders watched her with sober faces as she sobbed and explained how she had instantly lost consciousness only to wake up this morning.

"I completely understand just how much of a crush you've always had on our Prince but this was one sick mistake..."

My palm found her face in a hard slap. She didn't strike back. She dared not.

"I can't believe you would do something as disgusting as tricking my mate just to lay with him." A smirk appeared on her face.

She sounded so honest. They were all taken in. Elena had always been a girl of many talents.

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