Lyra/Leila's POV
My stare lingered on him far more than I planned to, and with each passing second, the murder budding in my veins grew. My fingers curled tight on my dress as if they were his neck.
I wished it were. I wished I could rip his neck, and watched him bleed carefully as he died just as he'd planned for Elias and me. But that would be too easy an end for him. And I sure as hell wasn't letting him have it easy.
Memories flooded my mind, too much, I almost staggered at the weight. I tried my best to blink them away, shutting my eyes tight. When my eyes opened to the hall again, he'd shifted, and our gaze connected.
He didn't recognize me now, since I was wearing a different face. But I sort of wish he did, so he wouldn't know I was coming for his neck.
He smiled politely at me, a smile that quickly turned bitter when I refused to reciprocate.
Vivienne stood beside him. Once, his secretary, and now, by the way her hand curled around his arm lovingly, his wife. She was probably the secret wife for whom he had willingly sacrificed the lives of my brother and me.
Vivienne's lips curved when she noticed me looking at them.
I straightened, and I continued walking, changing my course slightly for them. Each step I took was measured, controlled, and calm, despite the murder raging in me.
"Your Majesty," Vivienne spoke first, upping the power of her smile. Soft and sweet and fake. Just like the ones she'd shown me years ago, while she was secretly married to my husband, and pretending to my face.
Her gaze swept over me, slow and deliberate, like she was inspecting something. "You look… different," she added, she tilted her head up slightly, perhaps in mock or faux concern. "The Coma must have changed you. You don't look as pretty as you did before."
The words landed, somewhat like an implicit jab. That gave me just the right incentive to throw mine. And hell, do I want to.
The soft shuffle of shoes filled the air, a few nearby nobles shifting their attention to us then, sniffing for drama. They weren't exactly far from it.
I let the silence stretch on between us, far longer than it was comfortable, giving everyone the run for their nerves. Then I smiled, unbothered, following with a careful shrug of my shoulders. "I could say the same about you," I replied gently.
Vivienne blinked hard at me, her brow creasing a bit. Adrian's gaze narrowed on me.
I grinned to myself as I continued. "You have also changed. I was surprised when I heard how quickly an ordinary secretary rose to fame right after a rather unfortunate loss that clears out her boss. That's some big change if you ask me." I said, a mocking twist of my lips. "Some transitions take years. Yours seemed effortless. You should feel pretty lucky."
Her smile stiffened, her face almost turning crimson. "What is that supposed to mean, your majesty?" she nearly snarled, though her last words rolled out in a tight and scathing tone. "Are you insinuating that I killed my Luna and stole her husband?"
"I never said that, but if you interpret it that way, who am I to stop you?" I said simply, tilting my chin up.
She looked almost aghast, her frown tightening he features.
Adrian stepped forward, growling. "You should apologize, your majesty. You can't talk to my wife like that. We are your guests, and we definitely didn't come here to be insulted," he raged furiously. "And how would you even know anything about us? You've been in a coma for five years now."
My response to him was a harmless, polite smile. I made sure to relish the evidence of the bitter punch that dealt to his confidence and rage. "I didn't insult her, I just appreciated her efforts to become something more important than a mere secretary. If I really want to make insinuations, it would be on you. You'd be surprised what people say when they think no one is listening." I shrugged my shoulders, upping the brightness of my smile.
I let the silence sit between us until it could sting more.
And by the hard twitch of Adrian's jaw, it did.
A faint murmur rippled through the small crowd now, the whispers growing around us. Viviene's grip on Adrian's arm tightened around Adrian, while Adrian himself, face pale like paper, jaw tight, glanced around the room, and the more he saw eyes darting to us, the more fury blazed in his eyes.
He turned back from the crowd. I could hear his teeth grinding like two pieces of metal in friction. "I don't know how you heard all that you are saying. Or who the hell fed you all this wrong information, but it's all a lie. And again," he paused for effect. "What happens in my pack is none of your damn business. And you are going to apologize and pay for this humiliation. " He snatched Viviene's wrist, and he pulled her away, turning in the direction of the door. "Let's go, it's evident we aren't welcome here."
Viviene looked to argue, struggling reluctantly against his grip. Her murderous glare meant to flare me. But I wished she knew just how much murder burned in my veins for them. How much I wished to rip her and her two-faced husband apart.
"Let's go, Viviene," Adrian pulled her harder, yanking her with him, pulling her away with him to get her to go.
"I wouldn't advise you to leave, though," I called after their disappearing figures, my tone packed heavily with derision. "I heard sometimes, avoidance could be interpreted as guilt. You wouldn't want everyone here to think you're avoiding something... would you?"
Adrian continued for the door, not letting my words get to him. Years have passed, and he still runs from a confrontation.
But not Viviene. She spun back immediately, wild with fury so much the whole of her quivered. She snatched a wine glass from a passing waiter, her rage tipping the other glasses to the ground. They shattered in a ritual of wild, breaking wails.
"You bitch," Viviene screamed, "burn in hell." She threw the wine at me.
The waiter must have suspected what she was about to do. And he threw himself in the way. The wine spilled onto him instead.
"You might want to try harder," I slipped her another smile.
I turned to the room, just slightly, until my eyes met Kaelen's across the room.
Much of the crowd followed my gaze to him. He didn't seem bothered by the crowd. His gaze was only on me, his piercing amber eyes drilling holes through me as he stood with both hands in his pockets.
For a brief second, I thought something passed between us. I thought I felt something close to a connection to him, a strange pull that I just couldn't explain.
I pried my eyes from his when the harsh totter of shoes warned me of Vivienne's charge. "You bitch" she barked, and her hand lifted fast in the air, aiming for my face.
Gasps erupted around us, everyone watching keenly. But just when the slap wound land, a hand caught hers mid-air.
Kaelen stepped into the scene, throwing her hand away. "You don't touch my wife, especially not in my home." His voice was low, firm, and chilling. "Else I will break it."
I grinned, looking over his broad back. Just on time, as expected.