I was probably in my hundredth cookie when I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I knew it wasn’t Naomi because my friend had gone upstairs to get her phone.
“How are you slim like a runway model when you eat like a pig?”
The cookie fell to the floor instantly from my tottering hand, and my heart erratically went over the fence.
What was Adam doing here?
What did he want? Why was he right behind me? And where was Naomi now that I needed her?
I was stiff, rimrod straight on the high kitchen stool, whilst my pulse jumped haphazardly when Adam suddenly started trailing his finger down my arm.
I inhaled sharply the next minute, when he bit my ear lobe, when he slid his hand around my waist, when his kooky breathing slammed into my hearing neurons.
How could someone be so brash? How could someone be so entitled? Did he think he could have his way with me because he was hot, because I was a mere statistic to him?
He must be out of his mind!
I jumped out of my stool without giving him any warning, a smile flashing across my lips a second later, when I heard him gasp harshly. I wish he had fallen to the ground.
Willfully stilling my nervous nerves, I turned around to face him, swallowing down saliva as I took in the fine imagery of his chest which was bare of any clothing. He was only wearing beach shorts.
Damn! Adam was so hot!
Clearing my throat, I awkwardly picked a cookie from the white plate on the counter, pretending it was normal that he was hitting on me.
“What do you think that you are doing,
Adam?” I asked, biting down on the cookie which I knew might get stuck in my throat—my nerves were jumping. Even though Adam had never raised his hand on me, had never joined the bullying gang, he was still a culprit for enjoying my misery. And there’s the fact that he had been the one to kickstart today’s episode of bullying with just a question.
“What do you think I am doing? Don’t you want it? Isn’t that why you wore such an outfit? To bask in the attention of the opposite sex…” Adam stated coldly, perusing my frame. I was still wearing the bikini. I felt naked under the unabashed scrutiny.
“No, that’s not true. I didn’t know you all were coming. Shouldn’t the school still be in session? Why are you people here?” I asked him, mentally slapping myself for mustering up a boldness that I didn't know I had.
If someone had told me that I would be talking with Adam this way— standing in the kitchen, a tray of cookies between us—I wouldn't have believed it, not in a million years.
Seeing as Adam’s gaze had never left me or rather my boobs since we stood opposite each other, I would say Naomi was right. Wardrobe malfunction had contributed to my bullying for so long.
“Well, the principal had told us to go home for playing around with you. Isn’t that so cruel, huh?” Adam queried, his countenance still aloof.
Yet, I scoffed, before I could stop myself.
And then, realizing the misstep, I shut my eyes out of habit, expecting a knock for exhibiting such rude behavior in front of the Prince .
But I heard him laughing—a rich timbre that sent tingles down my spine.
When he stopped, I wanted him to continue. It was the first time I had heard him laugh. It was beautiful.
“You have really grown wings. I don’t know if that is a good idea or a bad one.” He muttered slowly, as he stepped into my space.
His sudden closeness made me a nervous wreck and a mushy fellow at the same time. And when he placed his index finger on my belly and began to trace invisible lines around it, his head dipping low as if he wanted to kiss me, when his eyes met mine in a heart racing melody, I became flabby.
“…But I would let it slide because I want to kiss you so badly. I want to know the taste of my playtoy’s lips.” He whispered smoothly, bringing my attention to his well shaped lips.
God, I was curious too.
For a second, I was tempted to know what the feeling was like, kissing the son of our high and mighty lycan king, even though I knew it was a forbidden territory for me. If Claire should find out…I am dead.
“What do you think?”
His gaze kept dropping to my lips intermittently.
But I was silent.
Foolish me just stared at his lips and kept imagining how those seemingly red entities would feel on mine.
I was beginning to think that letting Adam have my first kiss might not be a bad idea after all.
That’s what his closeness did to me. It got rid of my common senses and reduced the weight of his numerous sins against me.
Ten minutes was up, and so was my patience. I stood from the seat and started toward the door, willfully trying to put aside my anger. Perhaps the Lycan King had better plans for Adam, better people for him to meet. I shouldn't be angry. But it was futile. The annoyance slashed through me, beating against my head, pounding against my common sense.Hadn't he said five minutes? Couldn't he have obtained an excuse from his father?I hissed softly when the door opened just before I reached it. Adam stepped in, carrying a tray of food and drinks."I'm sorry…" he started, his smile faltering when he realized I had just been about to leave. "My father wanted to introduce me to some people. I got away as soon as I could."I thought as much. Still, I made a move to get past him, determined to walk out of the hall. I wouldn't be disrespected by anyone."Dora, please…"His plea, combined with the tender apology in his eyes, was enough to quell my feelings for the moment. I sighed audibly, exag
The little hall was unlike the grand palace rooms filled with chandeliers and gold trims. It carried a different kind of weight, one that pressed down on me the moment I stepped inside. The air here was still, reverent, like it belonged to centuries of whispered confessions and stern judgments. Benches were arranged in neat rows on both sides, polished by the constant brushing of anxious hands and restless shifting. At the far end sat a raised dais, a long carved table perched upon it, where I imagined men in robes had sat in judgment over disputes that could tear families apart. The high ceiling made the room feel vast despite its modest width, its beams etched with curling sigils that seemed to breathe faintly in the low lamplight. The walls, bare except for two torches flickering on either side, seemed to absorb sound, muting even the shuffle of my own shoes. It was a place that demanded silence, demanded truth, even when truth was inconvenient. "You spoke like you didn't know
"Do you want to get out of here?"Adam's eyes scanned the hall lazily, though I could tell it was more calculated than it looked. They roved past the glittering chandeliers, the long tables heavy with fruits and wine, the crowd swaying to the music. And then they landed back on me, catching me in that way of his. His brow rose when I tilted my head slightly, not answering at once."What?" I shrugged lightly, as though he'd asked me the most ridiculous question. "Where do you want to take me? And before you wear your gallivanting gear, let me make one thing very clear—I am not interested in sleeping with you tonight."He smirked.My mouth curled. "Or ever."But if anything, the smirk deepened, not at all deterred. "You keep denying the chemistry between us," he said, voice low, as though we weren't surrounded by a hundred drunken guests."That's because there is no chemistry between us," I snapped back, halting where I stood–no more dancing. "None. Zero. Zilch."Don't these people ev
Adam stood rigid, jaw taut, balled fists by his sides, his eyes unreadable as they stared at his brother. His expression was a storm barely contained, almost thunderous—he was trying, and failing, to look calm, unbothered, civil. I thought it was funny, then strange. Why would he look like that? It's not like Noah and I were copulating on the dance floor; we were just dancing.My eyes found the woman he had been dancing with; she was frowning in confusion, and for a second I thought, playfully, that she might have had a crush on him. Meanwhile, the crowd was beginning to notice the standoff, their feet shifting uneasily, probably because it was bad luck for public disagreements to erupt during the auspicious feast meant to celebrate the goddess. I noticed too that the music faltered, the musicians hesitant, seeing as Noah and I had stopped dancing with Adam's intrusion.Even the Lycan King was watching, saying nothing, revealing nothing. He really must want me for Adam, I mused, unm
Eating. Talking. Meeting people. Slow dancing to the music the orchestra was playing.All around us the celebration burned brightly, the palace hall a whirl of gowns and silks, laughter spilling like wine, the scent of roasted venison mingling with the sweetness of candied fruits. Crystal glasses chimed. Men and women clung to one another as though the world itself existed only in their dance.But Diana and I? We weren't doing any of this.We sat in the section reserved for the council, rather brainstorming—nothing mattered more than the mystery of what had truly happened to me that fateful night, almost a year ago. The night of my supposed death. The night I should have been gone. The memory clung to me like smoke, always just behind my ribs.Diana's eyes glittered, reflecting the golden chandeliers above us. She leaned closer, her tone sharp though quiet. "Do you think they were controlled? Like pawns in a game? But who would do it? What vendetta would the person have against you?"
This was my last night at the pack, and the night where all festivities reached their highest height. The splendor was unlike anything from the days before. We were in the largest pack hall, located in the eastern wing of the king's palace, and it was a masterpiece of overwhelming taste.Was this necessary to celebrate the goddess too? I wondered, looking around the hall for the umpteenth time.The hall was too much in every possible way—tastefully furnished, yes, but perhaps excessively so. Long chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling, dripping with hundreds of crystals that refracted the golden glow of enchanted lanterns. Each wall was adorned with heavy drapes of deep crimson velvet embroidered with threads of silver that caught the light whenever anyone walked past. On the far end, just behind the high platform reserved for the royal family, a mural of the moon goddess dominated the entire wall—her hands spread in blessing, silver paint catching the flicker of flame from doze