Chapter 9
2136words
Much of the crowd’s gossip was reduced to murmurs and those closer to us shifted uncomfortably. Among what was being spoken, I could vaguely pick up on a few words—my name, “mistress”, and “affair”, to name a few.
I believe my brother heard them too, though if he did, I wouldn’t have known given how silent he was.
With a cold expression and an even icier tone, he gave Margot and Flora each a glance. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I heard a complaint about my behavior? Someone would like to comment on me giving gifts, yes?" he said, assuming the regal Lycan inflection.
Immediately, beads of cold sweat broke out on Flora’s terrified face, which couldn’t have possibly portrayed the abject horror that she was experiencing. Her voice trembled as she fell to her knees, the sound of them hitting the polished tile underneath resounding throughout the foyer.
"Our apologies, Prince Jackson!” she exclaimed in a fluster. “This was all a big misunderstanding! We’ll leave at once!"
Flora then pulled Margot away, who refused to settle down even in Jackson’s presence, screaming, "What misunderstanding?! That bitch is the one who..."
But her voice took on a timid quality, and she quickly trailed off under Jackson's unimpressed gaze. He closed in and reached out to grab Margot by the collar, donning a smile I knew all too well was ingenuine, masking his foul mood.
"As you have come as a guest today, I will refrain from harming you out of courtesy and courtesy alone. But if you continue to address Della using such vulgar terms, I will have you escorted out of the premises. And, of course, we will notify Alpha Kylian what you have done. Have I made myself clear?” Jackson let go of Margot, who promptly crumpled to the floor, her legs gone limp from the threat.
Turning to Flora next, he continued. "And Flora, as the seller of that necklace, I believe you have some explaining to do. I expect no misunderstandings about how I came to acquire it. Now, if you will, do tell Miss Margot about our transaction."
Having had enough of admonishing the two, Jackson then turned to me. He stepped forward, and as he approached, his expression began to soften, filling with kindness once more.
"Oh, Della, I’m so sorry. Did I scare you?" he asked in concern, his brow furrowed and his lips curled into a deep frown.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
"Please, Jackson. That’s quite enough. If you act any sappier with me, I think I might throw up."
He put a hand to his chest and acted as if my remark had gravely wounded him, crying out, "Why are you always so cruel to me?"
And, as quickly as his banter had come, his expression lost its humor once more. "That being said, Della, I need you to be honest with me. Did she hurt you?" His grimace, one I had become familiar with over the years, told me just how worried he was.
"No, I'm fine,” I replied dismissively. I didn’t want him to waste any more of his time. “Really. I promise."
I looked away for a moment so that he would finally stop studying my reaction so attentively and walked to his side. Taking his arm, I said, "Don't be mad."
Jackson nodded and led me toward the lounge. It wasn’t long after we sat down that I heard heavy footsteps past the door, muffled yet distinct. Father had come so soon that my wolf couldn’t heal the marks Flora had left when she broke my necklace.
"Who was it?! Who hurt my dear daughter?!!" I heard his voice ripping through the room, and his footsteps seemed to be just past the doorway. A servant opened the thick wooden door to our lounge, revealing Father, whose furious gaze was cast on Jackson.
"Jackson! What did I tell you? If you let Della get hurt again, I’ll have you languishing in the mud for three days and nights as punishment!"
It was touching how much Father cared for me, but his exaggerated expression over something so trivial made me giggle under my breath. I nearly laughed out loud as Jackson also participated in the theatrics, tossing his phone away and jumping from the sofa to hide behind Fae the moment he heard Father's voice. He cowered behind her with a timid expression, which made the scene even more comical given how large he was.
"What? No! The bog is disgusting! I'm a werewolf, not a boar!"
Upon hearing his protests, Father became even more enraged and slowly stepped forward. Jackson tugged at Fae's dress in fear, the weight of Father’s anger crushing Jackson as he approached. He raised his hands in surrender and pleaded, "It wasn’t me, Father! I’m innocent! I was trying my best to protect her!"
Realizing he was doomed at this rate, Jackson had no choice but desperately to turn to me. He interlaced his fingers and nodded discreetly toward his hands, which were hidden by his side. It was a familiar gesture.
I immediately flew into my father's arms to stop him, and in the sweetest voice I could muster, I said, "Father, it was just an accident. Jackson protected me."
Father raised an eyebrow in suspicion, so I continued to coax him. "It's true,” I said, nodding my head. “If it weren’t for Jackson, I would’ve been in even more trouble."
Finally convinced, Father took a deep breath and walked away to sit opposite us.
"Who were those two women? And which pack do they belong to?" he asked grimly.
Wanting to take her petty revenge on the two, Fae delightfully answered, "Flora and Margot! They’re both related to Alpha Kylian." I had even given her a stern look hoping to stop her but to no avail.
"Guards!" Father roared.
Immediately, the door opened and five warriors funneled into the room. I could feel the floor vibrating as they performed a military salute with a firm stomp.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Deploy a team of soldiers to track those two women who made that ruckus in the foyer. You will travel to the Dark Moon Pack and bring them to me!"
"Father, please!" I clasped my father's hand in both of mine. "Please trust me. I can resolve this matter on my own."
Though I despised both of them, I couldn’t allow Father to take them away. Acting so recklessly would harm his reputation as a wise and venerable king. I had already made my father worry about me, and I would not allow him to tarnish his name as well.
He gave me a wary look and fell silent, taking a moment to calm down. Finally understanding my intentions, he nodded.
"If, for whatever reason, you encounter any difficulties and cannot do this on your own, I want you to tell me. Nothing is more important to me than you, and I will not let politics bring harm to my family."
"Agree," Jackson said as he leaned closer.
"I know," I replied, burying my head in my brother's broad chest. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw a white flash just past the window of the lounge.
***
Margot's POV
"I don’t understand. How… How does she know Prince Jackson?" I muttered to myself, sitting dejectedly on the ground.
I remember staring blankly at Della, the lowly girl whom Kylian had rejected. The growing crowd of guests had begun to stir, pointing and whispering at me. Seeing them gossip sparked rage that I could feel coursing through my body. I then turned to Flora, feeling betrayed that she wouldn’t openly take my side.
We had since been escorted outside, where I got up and dragged her to the corner of the castle grounds.
"What in the Goddess’s name is going on, Flora?” I demanded, shaking her shoulders. ”Why was she wearing your necklace?"
I never thought Flora, whom I had placed my utmost trust in, the woman I protected at all costs, would deceive me like this. And as if that wasn’t enough, it had cost me my reputation as well. Because she hadn’t the spine to tell me the truth, I had thrown an ugly fit in front of esteemed guests from across the lands. I was now an object of disgust and contention among them! Damn it!
Flora faltered and squirmed under my gaze, her eyes dodging mine. "I just… I wanted to tell you earlier, but... I lost it at some point. Someone must have found it and sold it..."
Her paltry explanation was laughable, and my eyes went dark. "Then why would you tell me that Della's necklace was fake?! You nearly got me killed! What if Prince Jackson told Kylian about this?!"
"I didn’t think something like this would ever happen! For the exact same necklace to be gifted to her is an absurd coincidence!" Flora said in exasperation, her expression as innocent as always.
Taking my hand, she continued. "Margot, Della is just an Omega. A slave! How could any of us have known that she would seduce Prince Jackson?! I’ve told you from the very beginning that she didn’t love Kylian, and look at what’s happened now. She would do anything to harm him. I am his destiny, not her."
Indeed, Flora loved Kylian and she is his fated mate. She would help him stronger, give him an heir and ensure the future of the pack, continuing the legacy of his bloodline. She wouldn’t lie to me over such matters, and I trusted that she wouldn’t act against Kylian either.
I had since steadied my breath, but just the thought of all those rumors now spreading about me set my mind alight.
"But that was The Heart of the Ocean! If Prince Jackson is willing to spend that much money on Della, he must adore her. What are you going to do now that you’ve broken her necklace? What if the two come after us for compensation?"
"It's okay," Flora reassured me eagerly. "Even if it's a rare necklace, Kylian wouldn’t care. He’d protect me for the sake of his puppy. He wouldn’t jeopardize his heir over something like this, would he?"
Though she had a point, I wasn’t nearly as confident that this matter would blow over so smoothly. Seeing that I wasn’t convinced, she continued, saying, "Don't worry, Margot. Prince Jackson is a smart man. A powerful werewolf. He wouldn’t fight an Alpha over a woman. It would only serve to hurt him when he eventually inherits the throne. The crown prince wouldn’t act so rashly."
Indeed, I was Kylian's older sister and Flora was his fated mate, meaning we were untouchable. I finally let my shoulders drop with a heavy exhale. My peace didn’t last for long, however, as my heart quickly filled with resentment once more as my mind drifted to all that had transpired.
Over the past three years, Della hadn’t dared to resist my orders. Not once.
Though I was Kylian's sister, I rode above Della and enjoyed everything that Luna can enjoy with the help of Flora. But now, our positions were entirely different. I suffered by Della’s hand, and I would make sure to repay her in full for what she had done!
With my fangs bared, I growled, "She’s just a worthless Omega. What does it matter if she has the Lycan Prince’s favor? She won’t receive his protection without a matebond! I’m going to kill her!"
As if on cue, Flora prodded at my shoulder and her voice became more animated than it had been all day. She motioned toward the window, her eyes fixed on whatever was inside.
"Margot! Who do you think that is?" she asked excitedly.
I followed her gaze through the frosted glass, finding two somewhat familiar figures in the lounge. There was a handsome man and... Della.
Though I couldn’t see the man's face clearly, I could at least tell that she was hugging the man, placing her face on his chest. The two looked so intimate. Flora took out her phone and took a few photos.
"So Della hasn’t just seduced Prince Jackson, but she’s climbing into another man's bed as well."
Joy filled my heart as I watched Flora take picture after picture, the catharsis of revenge looming just past the horizon. After checking to make sure Della's face was clear, Flora nodded to herself contentedly and sent them to someone.
"Who did you send it to?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.
"It’s a secret. All you need to know is that Della is as good as dead now."
