Chapter 2: An Excuse

"I heard the royal academy will hold a ball this annual foundation day."

My eyes were fixated on my meal, and I had to pursue Madeline, the current Luna of the Blazing Winter pack and Thaddeus' wife, who opened up the focal point of being enrolled or working in the royal academy. I was sitting across from her, so it was easy to match my gaze on her.

"I heard from Severin that this year's theme is a masquerade party. Is that true?" Madeline asked with a tone that sounded like the melody of the birds chirping first thing in the morning, gazing at Thaddeus sitting by the edge of the table as the usual setup since he was the head of the House of de Rosa.

Thaddeus pierced the luscious and tender medium-rare meat on his plate. Each slice and friction of the knife between the plate served anticipation, prolonging a little before scrutinizing the meat.

"Yes, the student body organization confirmed that this year would be a masquerade party," he replied earnestly while his eyes were on his plate.

"Oh, my! Masquerade party! How exciting!"

"Indeed." Thaddeus nodded. "Also, Theodore is going to come home soon."

Severin earned a gasp upon hearing that name. "Really?" he asked, inhaling sharply. "When is he going home, Father?"

"Probably within this month or next month."

I continued eating out of boredom when they talked about Theodore, Thaddeus' twin brother and Severin's uncle. I hadn't met him even when I married Severin, but I saw his face in one of the portrait paintings in this mansion. I admit he was as strikingly handsome as Thaddeus, having the same shimmering sapphire blue eye color. However, their faces were not alike. They were fraternal twins, I must say.

Also, I heard that he was working in the military as one of the battle commanders and was dispatched to take care of some matters under the orders of Alpha King Azarius.

"Perhaps, I shall tell our servants to clean up Theodore's chamber," Madeline suggested.

"That's a good thing," Thaddeus said before his eyes darted at me. "Kasumi, has Severin brought you to the apparel shop to take your outfit for this ball?"

Gripping the fork, almost bending it while calming this heart from skipping a beat every time our eyes locked, with a heavy weight in my gaze on Severin, I secretly gnashed my jaw when I felt a kick under the table beside me.

And I knew very well who did that.

"He hasn't," I answered brusquely, meeting Severin's eyes. "Right, Sev?" Then I stepped on his foot to make him realize his mistake.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as I watched him squirm, a small smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. His eyes squinted before releasing the tension on his shoulders by raising the napkin to his mouth, gently dabbing at the corners of his lips.

"Because Kasumi already told me a week ago that she is busy. So, I had Madeline come with me yesterday instead."

I felt my eyes grow wider and my mouth slightly agape as I looked at him, unable to believe what I was hearing from this asshole. My fork almost lunged at those eyes of his, looking at me with his lips curling into a small grin.

"Oh, yes, indeed!" Madeline clasped and clapped her hands on cue that she remembered it. "I have forgotten to get yours, Thaddeus." The low volume of her tone spoke in every way that she had neglected to remind it, looking at Thaddeus apologetically.

I dismissed it, not genuinely interested in being in that kind of social gathering. But it was crucial to gain connection so I must attend on it.

When my uncle took over our pack five years ago, I was already caged like a pet bird in the House of Azai, with no freedom to seek through that hellish years. I was hidden from the public, so they thought I had died when Uncle Hajime slaughtered my father.

But the truth was with my freedom being fastened, I only stayed at the mansion, living as a maidservant for Akeno and Akane, my cousins, son and daughter of Uncle Hajime and Auntie Amelia.

Until one day... I was being summoned to become the bridge to sever the cold war between the two packs since Akane did not want to be married off to Severin.

I was 26 years old when I married Severin, who was six years younger than me, near his coming-of-age.

When I married that man, I grabbed the opportunity to study in the royal academy by demanding it from Severin, which he initially disagreed with. Still, I tormented him the rest of the first month we were married. He eventually asked his father for a favor. That was why I was already studying... to raise my reputation again.

"It's fine. Then, Kasumi and I are going to the tailor shop this weekend. I am going to bring her there."

Thaddeus' words caught me off guard, making me gasp for air and cough uncontrollably as if something had gotten stuck in my throat. Everyone turned their heads on me, even Thaddeus, seeing that familiar amusement glinting on his sapphire blue orbs.

"Is there something wrong, Kasumi?" An enigmatic smile crept onto his face as he posed the question. 

"Don't you want Thaddeus to go with you?" Madeline asked, slightly tilting her head.

I felt my throat tighten and my heart race as Thaddeus' eyes bore into me. I looked down at my plate, trying to compose myself, and let out a shaky chuckle to ease the tension. "Um... I will be busy on the weekends... I have matters—"

"I do not remember you even having a schedule during weekends. So, why are you making an excuse?"

My balled fist almost flew towards Severin when he chimed in. The boiling water inside me was close to zero hours again, seeing him arching his eyebrow and walloping a challenge on me.

My eyes were fixated on his irritating grin. The urge to grab a needle and stitch it through his lip to make him stop was almost overwhelming.

"That settles then." I could feel the heavy weight on my shoulders when Thaddeus clasped his hands together, elbows resting on the table, still plastering that curvy smile on his lips. "You are going with me, Kasumi," he said meaningfully.

In the end, I couldn't form another word to utter another excuse since Severin ruined it.

Again.

I just did not want to be alone with Thaddeus since he and I were... somehow connected.

As we arrived at the notorious apparel shop in the capital of the Sowinski Kingdom, a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttered through my stomach when Thaddeus was the first to mount down the carriage before facing his body in my direction with a hand offering to me.

"Come, Kasumi."

My gaze fixated on his hand, tracing the lines etched on the rough skin. I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to take it or continue staring.

My mind was against it, but my heart and my wolf won the majority as I found myself accepting his hand, feeling jolts of tingling sensation travel through my body. My foot caught the step as I thought I could descend the carriage peacefully.

"Shit!"

Thaddeus's swift reflexes caught me as I stumbled before I hit the ground, leaving me gasping in surprise.

That was the moment when his refreshing and invigorating aroma of mint and orange wafted through the air, filling my senses as our bodies were so close, feeling my vision blur and letting this spirit of scents succumb to my whole body. My wolf betrayed me as I felt her delighted at our closeness with him.

"Caught you." He smiled, an irresistible one. His voice sent shivers down my spine as he spoke, stirring something profound within me that I couldn't ignore.

"T-Thank you, Thaddeus..." I could feel the lump in my throat when he carefully put my feet on the ground.

"Be careful next time." I stepped back a little as soon as his fingers tucked a few strands of my hair, that was pulled into a ballerina bun, behind my ear. Then his face loomed closer, and I felt the warmth of his breath on my cheek. "Specks of dust do not deserve to taint your beautiful face, am I right?" he whispered huskily before hearing him sniffing my scent. 

I felt a sudden churning in my stomach, and my clit was throbbing in need, all from his remark. I even looked at him, wide-eyed, seeing a hypnotic smile on his moist, plump lips.

He took a step back and made a sweeping gesture with his hand towards the apparel shop in front of us. "Shall we, my lady?"

I only nodded, walking past him. "V-Very well..." I said, feeling his penetrating gaze on my back, feeling a single delicate feather lightly brush my insides.

This feeling... I was familiar with this. This was not good.

One thing I knew for certain was that a sense of foreboding washed over me as I was alone with Thaddeus on our errand today.