Arrogance

CHAPTER FOUR

~Ariee~

Breathe.

One… two…

Breathe in. Breathe out.

One… two..

Stay calm.

Keep your eyes down.

As long as you buckle up and sswallow the fear, he will not recoignise you.

it was dark. He was in heat, blinded by desire and desperation for release. A wolfless woman has no special scent/ so even by some crazy ridiculous coincidence the werewomen were included in the Queen selection process—that he choose to personally inspect them too—there was no way he could recognize me.

But to successfully hide in plain sight, I certainly couldn’t afford to give myself away from fear.

My eyes locked with the marble, my fingers clutching to the thick dress fabric.

Calm down, Ariee. Calm the hell down.

it must have happened in a second, because one minute, there was this insane pressure on me and the next, it was gone. Completely disappeared. The relief was instant and shocking. For a second, I thought I imagined it.

My eyes moved on their own, pushing off the ground until it hit the back of his retreating figure. I blinked, startled.

He was leaving? Already?

Didn't he just get here?

I glanced to my side in confusion, wondering if I had missed something. Everyone in the room was wearing the same expression as me. The piuzzlement was accompanied by pin-drop silence until the double doors shut.

I barely had the chance to exhale when the hall broke into chaotic squeals. I flinched as Fiona shrieked beside me, fawning like the rest of the women in the room.

“Did you see that?”

“He is so ethereal!”

“Insanely attractive!”

“Intimidating!”

“I can’t believe I'll be waking up to that everyday!”

“You?! In your dreams! I’m the one who is going to be Queen!’

The arguments were endless. These women—all beautiful and influential—argued like children over a man who was probably not even interested in them.

“Idiots!” Fiona snorted beside me. I stiffened at the sound. For a moment I forgot she was here. Her nose flared in arrogance as she rolled her eyes. “Just because he came here doesn’t guarantee any of us will be picked.”

My lips parted slightly in bafflement. The edges of my eyes widened as I took in her entire figure.

Forgive me, but this might just be the most intelligent thing I have ever heard Fiona say. And I have known her since forever.

“To be Queen, you must excel at everything.” Her words drew the attention of a few women standing next to us. “You must be beautiful, graceful, diplomatic and intelligent. For wolves, the standards are even higher. You have to be impossibly talented to win favour from both the court and the King himself.”

Each statement had my jaw dropping wider. Never in my entire life did I picture Fiona saying something like that.

Her lips curled as more attention drew to her. The obnoxious air surrounding her was undeniable now. In fact, it was radiating. She took a step forward and I instinctively moved out of her way/. The hall began to quiet down as she walked into the aisle.

Eyes followed her. a few murmurs following behind as her heals clicked against the floors. She looked like a run way model. Slender figure, prominent curves and that long brown hair that just bounced around her waist.

She really looked like she was going to say something inspiring.

Then she stopped, directly facing the Lycans in their seats.

“Did you hear what I said?” Her thin melodious voice echoed throughout the hall. Gasps followed behind. I blinked, startled by the audacity. Both hands rested on her hips as she waited for a response.

No one said a word.

The Lycans remained seated, brows arched in ridiculous sync as they stared down at her. While there was a twinkle of amusement in their eyes, they seemed too bored to engage her.

“I am clearly the best woman here so hurry up and send these losers home—-” she pointed aggresively behind her without turning. “---I am more than enough to go on par with the real competition!”

I gasped.

And she blew it!

I slammed a palm on my forehead, shaking my head at the sheer display of stupidity. The silly girl just openly made an enemy of everyone.

Sure enough a growl followed. “What did you say?!”

“Who the hell do you think you are?!”

“Are you even royalty?!”

“Just because you arrived with a tattered maid, you think you can look down on us?”

Ouch!

I cupped my face with a groan, embarrassment creeping up my cheeks. She was the one who provoked them, why drag me into this? I am just an innocent by-stander. Why target me?

Fiona didn’t back down, of course.

“You can rant all you want but in the end, you cannot deny the difference between us and son enough, it will be so jarring that you'd drop out on your own.” She bragged.

I could literally hear the gnashing of teeth and clenching of fists. I looked over at Fiona in dismay but she didn’t look bothered at all. Not even by the fact that they could jump her right here and the Lycans would not intervene. Her head was held up high like everything else was beneath her.

I could feel the heated glares pricking my skin as well. It was clear they were not planning to spare me either.

“Idiot! Can you at least consider other that are very touchable unlike yourself?” I cursed under my breath.

At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise if Fiona was the first to be eliminated.

And she would very much deserve it.

"Ariee," she called suddenly and I stilled.

oh Goddess! What now? Is she trying to declare me an accomplice?

When I didn't move, her head slowly whipped in my direction. The iciness in her eyes caught me off guard.

"What are you doing back there?" She questioned in a deadly sweet tone. "Shouldn't you be up here cheering for your mistress before these losers?"