ADELINA'S POV The garden suddenly felt smaller, like the moonlight itself was leaning in to watch the scene unfold. The flowers that had looked delicate and enchanting moments ago now seemed dull.As if Mikhail hadn't heard her the first time Viktor repeated the question. "Why are you scared of answering Mikhail?" He drawled, his face was calm, unlike Elena's taunting expression.The fountain’s gentle trickle should have been calming, but each drop echoed like a countdown to something I wouldn’t survive. Mikhail’s silence pressed harder on me than Viktor’s glare ever could. His eyes didn’t leave mine, but he said nothing, giving me nothing. And that nothing was worse than a lie."See?" Elena’s voice slithered between us like smoke, her heels clicking softly against the stone path as she stepped forward. Her crimson dress bled into the silver light, her smirk curling like the edge of a blade. "Our noble Alpha can face down armies, yet a single question from his little human leave
ADELINA'S POV My feet were stuck on the dance floor after he was gone. The other dancers continued to dance and swirl around while I faded to the background. I was so damn confused and lagging behind in processing what was going on. I gasped, an arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me back against his taut chest. "What did he tell you?" Viktor's voice came next to my ears whispering like the devil. A lump formed in my throat and I nervously swallowed. My fingers were secretly fidgeting. Should I tell him? I wondered. This was meant to be a secret meeting between us. "Nothing of importance, how long do I have to stay here?" I lied in the end. I felt Viktor's body tense. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the dance floor. His strides were fast, I could barely keep up until I was tossed through a door. Viktor followed and then shut the door. His jaw clenched, and a storm of unrestrained anger swirled in his eyes. "I hate liars the most, Adel. Do
ADELINA'S POV Even among outstanding figures he always found a way to stand out. He wasn't the tallest in the room or the only good-looking one; Mikhail just had this presence that made it hard to ignore him. His steps were unhurried, his attention set on us who stood at the far end of the room. Soon, the others realised his attention was only on ' Viktor ' and made way for him. Mikhail stood a few feet away but it was enough to drown me in his addictive scent. I didn't know what was in his cologne but all I wanted was to throw myself in his arms and just bury my face in his chest. Viktor's hold on my waist tightened; it was a warning. Mikhail had a black mask covering half of his face, but I was certain it was him. I relaxed, understanding Viktor's subtle warnings. Mikhail didn't say anything and just stared. God, I had questions to ask him. Why did he suddenly go cold? Was Viktor saying the truth concerning the mate thing? There were a lot of th
ADELINA'S POV My heart was racing and pounding against my rib cage. Viktor stopped as if he suddenly remembered something. He reached out for his breast pocket and finally pulled out a blue mask which matched his suit. A mask, "Is this a mask ball?" I asked. "Yeah, I almost forgot." Viktor chimed before pulling out a light blue mask decorated with silver and small gemstones, contrasting his royal blue mask decorated with gold lines. My brows furrowed, the others we walked past didn't have a mask on or would they put it on before stepping into the room. Shifters could also recognise people by scent. Was this mask really necessary? Disregarding all my questions I let Viktor wear me the mask. His fingers grazed my neck; his touch was soothing like Mikhail's. It made my stomach churn. I did my best to control my reaction. After securing our masks, our hands hooked once again, and Viktor signalled the doorman. I drew in a deep breath in anticipation. Somewhere
ADELINA'S POV By the time I stepped out of the room, Viktor was gone. There was no sign of him. Standing next to the door was none other than Cynthia. Her eyes were as sharp as ever. "You finally decided to step out. Follow me." She hissed, then led the way. Cynthia was also dressed up in a black dress, which clung to her curves, and her dark brown hair was packed into a bun. Cynthia swayed her hips, her heels clicked softly against the expensive marble floor. From the way she held herself compared to other maids, I was certain she was of high status. One thing I learnt was that to shifters status meant everything. We finally stepped out of the building which was too large to be called a manor and not grand enough for a palace. It was magnificent, a beautiful cage. The cold night air grazed my skin giving me goosebumps. Cynthia stopped walking and then bowed slightly. Following her line of view, I spotted Viktor leaning against the car with his hand
ADELINA'S POV I looked like a princess. That was the first thought which popped into my mind once I set my eyes on the mirror. My reflection was nothing short of perfection. I stared at my reflection, and for a moment, I didn’t recognise the girl in the mirror. Her skin was flawless, her hair swept into soft, shining curls, her figure wrapped in silk and silver. She looked like she belonged in this world…like she was born to it. A princess in every sense of the word.But that wasn’t me. Not really.The servants had stepped back, their final adjustments made.“We are done,” one of them murmured, and I caught their faint smiles in the mirror before they retreated.Cynthia lingered against the wall, arms folded, eyes narrowed with that familiar disdain. “At least she looks the part,” she scoffed, her voice dripping with the reminder that I would never truly fit here. A human girl among Lycans.She dismissed the maids, and once the door closed behind her, the room swallowed m