Chapter 8
2540words
I had only just bid farewell to the strange man who had extended his hand to me when I heard Fae calling out well before I saw her.
As I began walking toward the banquet hall, I could finally see her in the distance, her red hair bouncing amidst the crowd. She waved at me energetically as she ran to my side, each stride whipping up her fiery locks and the rather short pleats of her dress.
I walked up to her as well and gave her a tight hug, saying, "I missed you too. Good Goddess, how long it’s been since we last met."
She looked at me with tears in her eyes and concern invaded her expression as her gaze swept over my body. "Fantastic. You look healthy now. I was really worried about you, you know."
"Sorry for making you worry, Fae."
"What? No, no, don’t apologize! That pathetic excuse for a man didn’t know how to cherish the Lycan King's own daughter as his wife. If he were here right now, I’d rip the bastard’s throat out!" Fae exclaimed, waving her fist a little too eagerly given where we were.
Then, she looked around, perhaps realizing that this wasn’t the time for her usual theatrics. Quickly lowering her voice, she leaned in and continued. "Hey, did you hear? That bitch who was supposed to stand trial for the crash walked away scot-free. Apparently, the Alpha spent a fortune to win over the courts and sweep this whole thing under the rug. But if he had the power to do that, why would he let you take the fall…?"
I didn’t know what else I could say, since the answer seemed to be so obvious to me. Kylian had asked me to stand trial because it would do more than just protect Flora. He would have also gotten rid of a thorn by his side at the same time. I was nothing to him, a tool that he was eager to sacrifice once the opportunity arose.
Fae raised an eyebrow, carefully studying my expression from the corner of her eye. She was sharp and surprisingly observant when she finally settled down, though that rarely happened.
I wanted to let her know that although the concern was well-intended, there was nothing to worry about. "It's okay, Fae,” I reassured her. “He can't hurt me anymore. It doesn’t matter what he does."
Kylian had rejected me, and I had accepted it. Now that our claim bond had been severed, I wouldn’t waste a single thought or breath over whom he chose to love. And neither would he. Kylian and his fated mate would live a happy life with their new child and heir. And it has nothing to do with me.
"But Della… There’s just one more thing. The last time I talked to you, you were hellbent on being with him. Why in the Goddess’ name did you choose to leave him now? Was it because of the accident? Did he do anything else to you?" Fae asked tentatively. There was a caution in her voice that was uncharacteristic of her, and I was taken aback by the sudden question.
I shook my head and smiled at her, not wanting to bother with the situation any longer than I had to. There was no reason for others to know about Flora. If anything, it would only enrage those around me even further. I wondered the lengths Father, Jackson, and Fae would go to in the name of venJohnce on my behalf.
"Della, please. You can tell me. If you’re telling the truth and nothing actually happened, then that’s great, but—"
Before Fae could finish speaking, a familiar voice interrupted our conversation.
"What do you mean I’m not allowed in?!" It was Margot, her voice filled with an indignation that I had rarely heard.
She wore a bright dress, almost gaudy, and stood fuming at the entrance to the banquet hall. With her head held high, she put both hands on her waist and stood in front of the poor servant as if she were the master of the manor.
Why, the way she absconded the man, I would have thought the servant was in her service as well. Her high cheekbones were warped by anger, tense from screaming and a testament to her wicked nature. I was more than familiar with how terribly vile she could be.
"My sincerest apologies, Madam, but this invitation is for Alpha Kylian and his Luna. No one else is permitted entry with this letter," the servant explained, standing his ground quite respectfully. His posture was perfect and his black suit vest, made of an almost glossy material, shined under the warm lights above. It glistened as he bowed slightly and handed the invitation back to her.
Practically putting her chin to the ceiling, as if a measure of her rage upon being told away by a servant, Margot refused to leave. Her eyes hung low as she glowered at this man, and when her sharp voice escaped her throat, it felt like sandpaper grinding against my ears. "I am Alpha Kylian's sister! And the woman accompanying me is his fiancée! Who are you to bar us from attending?"
His fiancée? It wasn't until I heard Margot mention her that I noticed Flora standing beside me.
She wore an understated white dress paired with a light blush that brought some life back to her spritely face. The makeup did a wonderful job of concealing whatever tragedies she claimed to have suffered as of recently, what with her supposed suicide attempt only a handful of days prior. She quickly scurried to Margot’s side and hid behind her, looking almost bewildered.
So Kylian was going to marry her and claim her his new Luna after all.
"Then, unfortunately, I must ask that Alpha Kylian accompany you to the entrance so that he may verify your claims,” the servant replied, unfazed. “Once he does so, we will be more than happy to invite you inside. If this cannot be arranged, we have no choice but to ask you to leave. Again, I apologize. But this is a matter of safety for our other guests. These are important Kingdom matters, after all."
Not sparing Margot another chance to reply, the servant stiffly raised his hand and performed a beckoning motion with two hooked fingers. Immediately, several guards, each one a tall and mighty warrior in service of the Lycan King, flanked the two women on either side.
Margot's face stiffened and her eyes narrowed, acting insulted. In the presence of the guards, she had no choice but to slowly back away. Tears welled up in Flora's eyes, and she slumped her shoulders forward as if she had been profoundly hurt.
"Whoa!” Fae suddenly called out. “Didn’t think I’d get to see two drama queens putting on a show like that before the party even started. That was one hell of a performance!"
Before I could stop her, she took my hand and started whistling as she led me toward Margot and Flora.
Upon noticing me, Margot and Flora's eyes widened to such a degree that I feared they’d burst right then and there. "Della? What are you doing here, you ungrateful bitch?! Kylian already rejected you. What kind of game are you trying to play now? Do you think you’d be able to win him back if you saw him here?"
I noticed the warriors around us quickly tense up, and one of them barked, "Watch your tongue!" Each guard looked ready to step forward and punish these fools for speaking to Lycan royalty in such a manner.
“It’s okay. Stand down,” I ordered them, putting a hand on one of the guard’s chests. I could feel his muscles swelling underneath his uniform.
I walked up to Margot and eyed her curiously. "I was invited today,” I explained while pressing a finger into her shoulder. “In looser terms, you could say I’m a guest of the Lycan King. And might I remind you that I was the one who rejected your brother? Why would I want to ‘win him back’?"
Margot looked bewildered by my reply. I suppose she was expecting an apology from me, though I had made it clear that no such thing would ever happen. She looked me up and down in disbelief and stared at my chest, suddenly a bit of courage curling her lips into a sly smirk.
"So you aren’t just a cheap whore, but a thief as well!" she cried out viciously.
Hearing Margot's false accusation, I was almost instantly sent back to Dark Moon’s packhouse , trembling all over in fear of what punishment I would face at her behest.
It was nearly a common occurrence, though she seemed satisfied with slander most of the time. She told as many ears as she could reach that I was clumsy or stupid or any other insults to my character she could think of. When she was feeling especially wicked, she would claim that I broke glassware or stole food from the kitchen. Then, eager to punish, Luna Natasha would beat me without fail.
And now, in the comfort of my own home, on my father’s estate, she had stooped so low as to call me a thief again?!
"What are you saying?" I asked with a puzzled frown.
"I recognize that gemstone. It’s The Heart of the Ocean! Kylian bought that necklace on auction, intending to give it to Flora as her birthday present. And for you to be wearing it now means you had the gall to take it when you left the packhouse! Oh, you lowly, destitute woman! Has leading such a base life left you with not even a shred of conscience left?"
So the anonymous buyer who won the gemstone I wore was Kylian, not Jackson? Or so Margot claimed. Before I could mull over whether she was lying, Fae had already run up to her, leaving a hair’s breadth between the two.
"Hey!” She jammed a finger into the woman’s chest. “Who does this old witch think she is, talking to my friend like this? I’ll have you know Della can have whatever necklace she wants. Only some no-name werewolf like you would go around stealing jewelry!"
"And who are you to talk to me like that?!" Margot hissed seethingly. Her voice had taken on a quiet rage, but I could still hear it trembling.
"Oh, stop it already! As if I’d waste any breath explaining myself to you! You don’t even deserve to know who I am," Fae shot back, standing confidently with her hands on her hips. "Scream all you want, you ugly bitch! No one here will help you!"
Unable to hide her childish streak, Fae stuck out her tongue and made a face at Margot. Perhaps she wanted to rile up the woman even more, saying, "Here, let me give you a second chance. If you get on your knees and lick my shoes, I’ll make sure to tell the guards not to do anything to you! They won’t even kick you out either. Hmph! No need to thank me."
Her tone was so smug and childish that I nearly laughed out loud. No one could beat Fae in situations like this.
"Alright, that’s enough,” I finally interjected, gently placing a hand on Fae’s shoulder and taking her hand with my other. “We shouldn’t let someone like her get our spirits down. I say we make our way inside now."
Seeing as I was so unfazed, Margot began digging her hands into her scalp. After debating whether or not she was going to rip out her hair in frustration, she chose not to and bounded toward me.
If not for the personal guard my brother had assigned me, she would have surely laid her hands on me again. Instead, she was halted much sooner, well out of arm’s reach. Seeing as she couldn’t even use me as an outlet for her anger anymore, her face twisted horribly.
"You stupid guard! You should be arresting her! She’s a thief! I even have a witness! Flora, come here!" she shrieked, turning to motion to Flora with a trembling hand.
Uncertain of what to do, Flora stayed silent and stood stiffly, not wanting to join in. She turned around to look at the crowd that had formed, all of whom were staring at us with great scrutiny.
Realizing the terrible circumstances Margot had brought upon the two of them, Flora gently tugged at her skirt. In a meek voice, she urged, "Margot, let's go."
"There’s nothing to be afraid of! She’s guilty, not us!" Margot growled loudly, swatting Flora's hand away. She stood confidently once more, acting like the queen she surely thought she was. It was as if Margot had stolen Flora’s confidence to call her own, as Flora was practically withering away under everyone’s gazes.
I had a good idea of what Margot was trying to achieve, and I was happy to play along.
"Margot, wait. I agree. Please report this matter to the Lycan King," I said calmly.
Margot stopped her incessant protests in shock, certainly never imagining that I would side with her. "What did you say?"
"You see, I received this necklace as a gift, and I have someone who can prove it as well. I wouldn’t be afraid to stand in court over this. But Flora," I turned my gaze to her, "this necklace of yours… What happened to it? You didn’t lose it, did you? Perhaps it fell somewhere or you misplaced it. Or perhaps… you sold it."
As soon as I finished speaking, Flora's eyes went wide once more. Her expression was paralyzed in guilt and fear, and her posture was so stiff that she would have crumbled if someone were to have touched her. She looked at me incredulously and her hands began to tremble.
Her weird reaction was so obvious that she even managed to arouse Margot’s suspicions.
"No, I… I didn't..." Her eyes shifted from side to side for a moment before she suddenly tensed up and pounced at me while screaming."You're framing me! I will kill you!"
She rushed towards my neck.I took a step back in horror as her fingers caught my necklace. With a single swift movement, she tore off my necklace, breaking the thread and sending gems scattering to the ground. That large sapphire that shined like the summer sea now lay at my feet.
“What the fuck!” I yelled.This was the necklace that Jackson had given me, now ruined by Flora’s hand.
Flora staggered backward as if not expecting the necklace would break.
"This is an important gift! Give me back my necklace!" I was so sad to see my broken necklace, but she just stared at me in a daze, "Y-you lied! Who would give such an expensive necklace to an omega !"
"I gave it to her. Is there something you’d like to say?" I heard a familiar voice say from behind me. At once, the guards present bowed their heads and saluted the man walking toward us.
