A haunting melody that fills the ballroom and echoes faintly in the vaulted ceilings. My hand rests on Siena’s waist, her fingers resting lightly in mine as we glide through the steps.
62%
To anyone watching, we must look like the perfect pair–an Alpha King and his Luna, regal and poised, moving in perfect synchrony.
But beneath the polished surface, the air between us is a battlefield, fraught with tension and unspoken words.
Polished hatred–unpicion.
I watch her out of the corner of my eye, her face calm and composed, her chin held high. Her movements are graceful, effortless, as though she’s immune to the weight of the stares around us.
But I know better.
I’ve seen the way her hands tremble when she thinks no one is looking. I’ve seen the cracks in her armor, the ones she’s tried so hard to hide. And for a moment, something tugs at me–something that feels uncomfortably like guilt.
The words slip out before I can stop them, low and quiet, barely audible over the music. “I was… hasty in my judgment carlier
Siena’s steps falter for the briefest moment, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. I can see the surprise there, the way it ripples through her like a stone dropped into still water. She doesn’t speak, doesn’t react, but I can feel the shift in her, the way her body tenses slightly beneath my touch.
“Your strategy was sound,” I continue, my voice carefully neutral.
The words feel foreign in my mouth, unfamiliar and awkward.
I don’t offer praise lightly–or at all, really.
But this… this feels necessary. Her proposal was more than sound. It was brilliant, and no matter how much I’ve tried to convince myself otherwise, I can’t deny it.
Coming from me, it’s practically effusive praise. And for a heartbeat, I see something in her eyes–something warm, hopeful.
Her wolf stirs beneath her skin, a subtle shift I can feel even through the space between us.
She allows herself to imagine, just for a moment, that this is real.
That we could be real.
That maybe, finally, I’m seeing her for who she truly is.
But, as is our custom, the moment passes.
She doesn’t love me.
The warmth in her gaze vanishes as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same guarded neutrality she’s worn for years.
And I… I retreat behind my own walls, the ones I’ve built so carefully over time, the ones that keep me safe from the messy, complicated emotions I have no idea how to handle.
<3625#
Chapter 28
11
“Regarding our agreement,” I say, my tone shifting, becoming colder, more boxinewlike. “There must not be any shows of force on your end. Do not antagonize Lila, or make arry scenes. It will null and void this agreement”
I feel her stiffen slightly beneath my hand, though her expression remains perfectly blank. The word arrangement hangs between us like a blade, sharp and cutting. It’s a clinical word, a sterile word, and I know exactly how it sounds.
I know what it does to her. But I say it anyway.
“You must realize that since you you are so keen on your indepnednace, there’s an understanding that roles must be filled”
As I let teh words cascad dwon the tip of my tongue, I see the treachery in her eyes–but it is mine; it belongs only to me.
Why do I do this to her?
Because it’s easier.
Because I don’t know how to be anything else.
Her wolf goes still, the hopeful energy I sensed earlier evaporating like mist in the sun. She doesn’t respond, doesn’t argue, doesn’t push back. She just nods, a small, subtle movement that feels like a knife twisting in my chest.
I tell myself it’s better this way. Cleaner. Simpler. But the look in her eyes says otherwise.
“In a few days,” I add, my voice lowering, “before the competition ends, I’ll visit your father and explain our fake marriage. I’m sure he’ll be pleased to find out about his new found fortune.”
Siena freezes, her steps halting mid–turn.
It’s so sudden, so unexpected, that I nearly stumble, my grip on her tightening instinctively to steady us. Her face remains impassive, but something flashes in her eyes–something raw and painful and impossible to ignore.
Grief.
