Chapter 10
The Founding Celebration began. I surveyed the crowd with my eyes and saw the furious members of council, weary guests, and tensed warriors
But instead of worrying, I thought it was amusing
How fun. This is much, much better compared to the original celebration before I returned
In my past life, after announcing the commencement of the celebration. I stayed on my throne like a boring decoration. Everyone was busy being merry with their acquaintances while Ael was moving around like a butterfly. No one paid attention to me. And I was alright with that.
Unlike the previous celebrations where every werewolves were generally happy and proud, the night was filled with tension, discontent and suspicion. Arl who was silently standing at the back near the exit, kept on looking in our direction, her eyes filled with jealousy and fear.
1 could not help but let out a small laugh
….. from
- me. Unsurprisingly, no one approached him and kept their
Most of the crowd were staring at Rowan who stayed quietly a few meters away distance from him. However, he did not mind it at all.
Silently, he stood there, his body even leaning at the wall with a relaxed posture. Every now and then, he would grab a drink for himself and sip it slowly, as if he was not worried that someone might poison him at all
And for one reason or another, his gaze did not leave me. All this while, his hot gaze focused on me. Although I was used to being stared at. Rowan’s gaze was making me feel more self aware.
After some time, everything felt trivial. I stood up, wanting to get some fresh air.
But the moment I did, Rowan approached me with his signature confidence. His p
He closed the space between us. we were about to hug.
presence was overwhelming magnetic.
with each step he approached me closer and closer… until 1 could feel the heat radiating from him. It seemed like
The crowd yet another started to whisper.
If it was in the past, I would surely move, not allowing myself to appear in such an intimate distance with a man. But this time, I refused to be the first to step back. I held my ground, meeting his gaze without a hint of hesitation.
Once again, Rowan’s eyes flickered with surprise and amusement “A dangerous smirk appeared on his lips.
“My dear Althea,” he began, his voice dripping with charm, …..it seems Lunderestimated your ability to surprise me. Or perhaps you enjoy keeping me on my toes?”
A small smirk rugged at the corner of my lips. “If you’re easily caught off guard, Rowan, that’s on you, not me.”
His laugh was low and rich, a sound that sent a ripple through the already tense crowd. While the onlookers collectively held their breath, waiting to see what would unfold next, Rowan extended a hand toward me. His movements were slow and deliberate, ensuring all eyes were on us.
“Since we’re here to celebrate, why not indulge me with a dance?” he asked, his tone laced with flirtation.
For a moment, I let the request hang in the air, watching his expression closely. His confidence didn’t wayer, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes–a silent question about whether I would actually accept.
“Why not?” I finally replied, placing my hand in his.
The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, disbelief rippling through them. I caught glimpses of shock, outrage, and confusion from the corner of my eye, but I paid them no mind. If anything, their reactions only added to the satisfaction of my decision
Howan leil me to the center of the gathering, the music swelling as if in syne with the drama of the moment. He guided me effortlessly into the dance, his movements smooth and deliberate, drawing us closer with each step
Closer and closer till
The proximity between us was unmistakable. His hand rested lightly on the small of my back, his grip firm but not forceful, His other hand held mque, lus thumb brushing against my skin with an intimacy that felt deliberate
The crowd bristled, I could sense their discontent like a storm gathering on the horizon. They wanted to protest, to speak out, but none dared to interrupt. Not yei
Lon the other hand, found myself leaning into the moment. Rowan’s audacity didn’t unnerve me, it intrigued me
And to everyone’s surprise. I met his boldness with my own. I pulled him even closer, my hand shipping from his shoulder to rest against his chest.
Chapter 101
Rowan’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but his grin quickly returned, sharp and knowing
“Enjoying yourself, my little mouse?” he teased, his voice low enough for only me to hear.
“Immensely.” I replied, my tone matching his.
The dance continued, the tension between us a palpable undercurrent. For every step he took to assert control, I marched him, neither of us willing to yield.
As the final notes of the music began to fade, Rowan leaned in
a, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. His voice was a murmur, intimate and probing
“Tell me,” he said, his breath warm against my skin, “…what’s your game, Althical Why summon me here, of all peoples Why offer to lift the restrictions on my pack?”
“Don’t you know that we are now maintaining a fragile balance? If you lift any restriction, it would be disadvantageous towards the kingdom
“Disadvantageous.. To the point that it might get ruined,” he said softly, so gently, as if he was talking sweet nothings
I tilted my head slightly, meeting his gaze with a smile that was equal parts amused and enigmatic.
“What if I told you, I began, my voice light and almost playful, “That we share the same wish? To ruin this kingdom”
The words hung in the air like a spark threatening to ignite an inferno. Rowan’s expression shifted, a flicker of something unspoken crossing his face–surprise, intrigue, or perhaps suspicion.
“To ruin this kingdom?” he echoed, his tone almost disbelieving. “Now that I didn’t expect.”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you think,” I replied, my smile widening.
For a moment, Rowan studied me, his dark eyes searching mine as though trying to decipher the truth behind my words.
But whatever conclusion he reached, he didn’t voice it. Instead, his lips curved into a smirk, one that carried both amusement and danger.
“If that’s the case, my dear Althea,” he said, his voice smooth as velvet, “When your kingdom lies in ruins… come to me.”
Tll make you the Queen of the Rogues.”
I laughed softly, the sound carrying over the still–silent crowd. Rowan’s offer was absurd, audacious, and yet.. oddly tempting.
“Be careful what you offer, Rowan,” I replied, stepping back just enough to create a sliver of distance between us. “You might not if I take you up on It”
ht not like what happens
His grin only widened. “Oly I think I’d enjoy it immensely.”
The music resumed, signaling the end of our dance and the beginning of the next phase of the celebration. But the tension between us lingered, an invisible thread tying us together even as we moved apart.
As Rowan released my hand, his eyes lingered on mine for just a moment longer, a silent promise–or perhaps a warning–passing between us Then, with a slight bow, he turned and disappeared.
In the midst of the seat of the kingdom’s power, surrounded by the most powerful werewolf, Rowan left and disappeared like air.
The moment be left. I was attacked with loud murmurs and blatant stares of my people.
I straightened my shoulders, my expression calm and composed.
Let them whisper. Let then judge, I thought nonchalantly.
They do not matter now Because, the time has finally come
At that moment, a servant approached me, carrying the ceremonial glass with measured steps. My gaze lingered on the glass, and an unseling familiarity washed over me.
The contents of that glass. It was the same drink I consumed in my pas lile.
The memory was vivid. Just hours after sipping from that glass, I had collapsed to the ground, my body wracked with aguny, my veins burning from the potent poison coursing through them. Death had come silily, mercilessly…
My heart pounded, but I kept my expression neutral, my hamil steady as I accepted the glass.
The the lus come I thought, my grip tightening slightly around the
Chapter 10
This moment is inevitable. I will consume this poison, and with it, I would finally meet them-
“My son, River. And the man who saved me and became his father.‘
My eyes hardened with resolve as I lifted the glass to my lips.
Finally, the time has come.
