The Public Display

Nyla organized a lavish party, inviting all the werewolf royalty she could think of. Damon was reluctant at first, but her constant nagging forced him to reconsider and attend. It was meant to be a very grand party due to the caliber of the invited guests, so Nyla had gone overboard to make sure everything was perfectly fine. One would be tempted to think that since Nyla had been occupied with her planning and preparations, Elena would have definitely taken the opportunity to rest a little.

But there was not a chance of that ever happening. Right there at the entrance, trembling with a silver tray balanced in her hands. Nyla and Lucia were on either side of her, smiling sweetly at guests but having only hurtful words for Elena when they leaned close to her.

“Make sure you don’t drop anything, my darling,” Nyla cooed sweetly, pinching Elena's arm cruelly then shoving her forward.

“Smile, loser, it’s a celebration,” Lucia added and burst into a mocking laughter. “We don't want anyone thinking you’re ungrateful for being here, do we?”

Elena forced herself to calm down. She had no choice and she knew it. She was at the mercy of Nyla and Lucia, and they had instructed her to join the servant girls.

Elena bit the inside of her cheek until she felt the taste of blood. She had no choice… Tonight, she was their puppet, dragged into their cruel games under the disguise of service. She had been ordered to serve the guests along with the maids, stripped of dignity while the others watched.

The tray swayed precariously in her hands as she walked, trying to balance her trembling hands. She kept her head low as she moved, praying deep within her that no one would look at her too closely, and for her to survive the humiliating ordeal without losing it finally.

There was laughter all around her as she carried out her task around tables, although she couldn't tell if the conversations were about her or not. Still, every single sound felt like it was piercing through her soul.

…

Damon was watching the whole drama from where he sat at the high table Nyla had prepared for them. A king among his subjects… impossibly handsome, regal and every bit like the Alpha that inspired so much fear and respect in the hearts of those around him. He continued his careful watching, until his eyes finally landed on her again.

Elena’s hands quaked violently from his stare, and for a brief moment, she thought he was finally going to say something, put a stop to the madness, and simply free her from the millions of eyes that seemed to be tearing her apart bit by bit.

He merely tilted his glass of wine between his fingers, silent, frowning slightly as if she was nothing more than a passing curiosity.

Her heart sank with dread… He had no intention of saving her.

Nyla and Lucia made sure of it.

“Elena! Bring the Alpha more wine,” Nyla ordered loudly, raising her voice over the noise to make sure everyone heard her. It worked… conversations paused immediately, and eyes turned in curiosity.

Elena’s breath froze in disbelief, but she obeyed anyways. She moved over to the table, and began to pour Damon's drink with shaky hands, carefully trying to avoid spilling even a drop. He gave her a brief glance, one that showed no emotion, then focused on his glass of wine again.

His silence was already suffocating her. She grabbed her tray and turned to leave, but the sudden shrill of Lucia's voice even before it happened told her she was in trouble.

“Oops!”

Lucia’s foot shot out under the table, tripping her and making her stumble forward with a mixture of shock and horror on her face… the tray had also slipped from her hands, sending its content onto the table with a loud bang.

The bottle spilled wine like blood across the white tablecloth, splattering over the plates, the silver, and onto the lap of one of the senior wolves seated near Damon.

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

And then the loud peal of laughter that erupted afterwards.

It had initially began as a few scattered chuckles, but it had suddenly began to grow louder and sharper with each second until everyone was practically laughing out loud. People were nudging each other, amused at her expense.

“Clumsy little thing,” someone muttered without pity.

“She doesn’t belong here,” another voice sneered with disgust.

“No wonder she's wolfless,” another added.

Elena stood there in stunned silence, burning with shame as she avoided eye contact with everyone and kept looking at the ground. The mockery was tearing at her savagely, stripping her of the little bit of dignity she was trying to hold on to. She felt like crying out, like fighting for herself against her tormentors. She wanted to scream the truth at them… that she had been tripped, that none of it was her fault. But the words would not come, and all she could manage to do was bend down quietly and begin to gather the broken glasses with shaky hands.

As her knees kissed the cold floor and her palms became sticky with the spilled wine, Nyla and Lucia leaned back in their chairs with satisfaction, grinning and whispering to each other like delighted spectators.

Their trap had worked perfectly, and now it was time to finish Elena off… right in front of Damon.

Damon hadn’t even moved.

His eyes silently continued to follow Elena as she worked, and for a brief moment, a strange look seemed to have settled in his eyes… anger? Displeasure? Irritation? But it was not directed at Nyla or Lucia, nor was it even directed at the pack wolves laughing so loudly that the sound seemed to echo inside Elena's skull.

It was directed at her.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and bowed her head lower as she noticed the look. But she tried to stay strong… She couldn’t cry here. Not in front of them.

Nyla also noticed the look from Damon, and quickly tried to take advantage of it.

“Guards! Get her out of here,” she hissed in disgust. “She has ruined the meal.”

The guards hesitated, looking towards Damon as if requesting his permission to carry out the order. There was a tense silence as all eyes turned towards him, watching to see his reaction.

“Leave her.”

There was a collective gasp of surprise, but Damon wasn't done yet.

“She'll clean it up,’’ he added in a calm and dangerous voice.

That simple command was enough to silence the entire hall, but the humiliation still lingered on and burned inside Elena.

When she finally stood up, her hands had been cut in multiple places by broken glass, and her dress was damp and stained badly. She kept her head bowed low and left without a word.

The tears came later in her room, long after the merriment was over and everyone was gone. Damon stood outside her door, hearing her weep uncontrollably… then walked away.