Power She Can't Hide

Chapter 6

Freya’s POV

Rowan's face turned an ugly shade of red. Beside him, Selene's perfectly composed expression cracked, her brows knitting together in barely concealed panic.

Rowan stared at the invitation in my hand, his eyes going from disbelief to something that looked almost like recognition. Then his expression twisted into something ugly.

"To get back at me, you really are unscrupulous," he said, stepping forward.

I stared at him in disbelief.

Had he always been like this?

"Do you have delusions?" I scoffed.

"An omega like you couldn't possibly get an invitation," Rowan countered, his voice rising. "You must have stolen it just to approach me. To make me jealous!”

Goodness! He sounded so stupid!

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was the same man who'd saved me when I was fifteen. I'd been attacked by rogues during an outdoor expedition, and when I woke up, Rowan had been sitting beside me. He'd stayed with me, comforted me, protected me until my pack found me. That's why I'd fallen for him. That's why I'd given him three years of my life.

I never imagined the person I'd always liked could be this arrogant. This cruel.

"Have some self-respect, Freya," Rowan continued, his voice loud enough to draw more attention. "Stop pestering me. It's pathetic."

I opened my mouth to say something hurtful back to him, but Aurora suddenly appeared at my side, her face flushed with anger.

"Someone of your status isn't worthy of Freya pestering you," she said sharply. "Staying with you for even one more minute is disrespectful to herself. Now leave."

Rowan's jaw clenched, and he stepped forward. "I'm a newly crowned alpha. My Luna is the actual female alpha heiress, unlike you who claimed to be. We're more than qualified to be here."

The words female alpha heiress rippled through the crowd like electricity and reminded me of the whips I had to endure.

"A female alpha heiress? Really?"

"I've never seen one before. She's so beautiful."

"The power of that bloodline must be incredible." They whispered. 

I noticed how Selene's back immediately straightened, her chin lifting as she basked in the attention. Her eyes swept over the crowd with satisfaction before landing on me and Aurora with pure contempt.

And something inside me snapped!

I couldn't tolerate her impersonating my identity again and again. I couldn’t stand watching her steal what was mine anymore while I stood there silent.

But there was nothing I could do. Couldn’t prove it, couldn’t try. The last time I did….it didn’t end well.

"Of course," I whispered, turning around and walking away to prevent things from escalating.

The ballroom went silent, and every head turned toward me as I walked away. .

"Freya! One last thing?" Rowan’s voice cut through the air, stopping me in my tracks. 

"Do something about your loneliness and stop following me around." He added, loud enough for everyone to hear. .

The crowd gasped. 

I don’t say a word and just disappear into an empty hallway. I stood there, taking deep breaths and waiting for everyone to forget what just happened before I could get out. 

Aurora walked in after a few seconds. “Are you okay?” She asked. “Do we need to leave?” She asked further. 

I shook my head, forcing a smile that I hoped looked convincing.“Leave because of Rowan and Selene? No way.” I said as I drew in a deep breath, trying to steady myself.  

She didn’t look convinced so I widened the smile, keeping my voice as soft as possible. “I’m really fine. You should go enjoy the ball, I’ll just rest here for a while.” I added. 

Her eyes narrowed at me, her lips pressed in a line. “Okay, I’ll catch you later.” She said before walking away. 

I stayed there for a while, my thoughts circling around everyone and the way they must be seeing me now that Rowan had told them I’d claimed to be the Alpha heiress like it was something I wasn’t and had never been.  

Eventually I took a deep breath and stepped out of the hallway, hoping the moment had passed and the talk had died down. 

It hadn’t. 

The moment I entered the ballroom, the whispers started up again with every word hitting me in the heart. “That wolfless omega actually thought anyone would believe she was the Alpha heiress?” someone murmured, loud enough for me to hear.

“She is so delusional and jealous of Alpha Rowan’s Luna. That’s definitely why she did what she did, out of jealousy.” Another whispered. 

More continued as I walked and I felt the annoyance boiling within me. Something was rising, something distant and I tried so hard to reach for it quietly. 

But I couldn’t just like the last time, I had no other choice but to take in all their insults. 

“The pathetic little omega is out of her hiding once again.” Selene sneered as she walked towards me. 

Why couldn’t she just let me be? 

“Get a life.” I lashed at her. 

Her face twisted into a scowl, her fists tightening at her sides. “You seem to be asking for another whipping, I’m guessing the last one wasn’t enough.” She hissed. 

That was it, my last straw. 

I closed my eyes as the rage engulfed me. I felt it immediately. That restless, dangerous power that had been locked away my entire life. It stirred at my call, rising up through my chest like a wave building before it crashed.

The air in the ballroom changed.

It started as pressure. Subtle at first, then growing. An invisible weight pressing down on everyone around me, heavy and ancient and undeniable.

Selene's smile froze on her face.

There was definitely something in me and frustration of being unable to show it was killing me.

A beta near the front of the crowd swayed slightly, his face paling. Another wolf's hand went to his chest, as if he was having trouble breathing under the weight of my aura.

Selene's face had gone white. Her hand clutched Rowan's arm so tightly her knuckles were bone-white.

"It’s her black—" Selene started to say.

But her voice was drowned out by the gasps spreading through the crowd as my aura continued to grow, pressing down on everyone in the ballroom like a storm about to break.

"I think she’s a witch..." someone breathed. "There’s no better explanation for this than witchcraft.”