redith.
The voice slithered into my mind again. "Do it. Flip the table. Let them know they can’t humiliate you without consequences."
My fingers tightened around the edge of the table, my breath shallow. I could feel the strange push within , urging forward. It wasn’t rage—at least, not just rage. It was sothing more. Sothing deeper. Sothing powerful.
The laughter in the room continued. The whispered insults reached my ears. The humiliation curled like a vine around my heart.
"They deserve it," the voice pressed. "Show them who you are."
But before I could act, a firm hand covered mine, stopping .
Heat pulsed through my skin at the sudden contact. My breath hitched as I turned my head slightly.
Draven.
His grip was unyielding, his fingers pressing down just enough to make his ssage clear. His golden eyes locked onto mine, sharp and piercing.
It was a silent command. A warning for to behave.
I wasn’t sure if he had noticed the changes.
My pulse hamred, but the haze over my mind slowly lifted. My breath steadied, and with careful precision, I released my grip on the table and folded my hands in my lap.
I didn’t look at Draven again. I didn’t want him to see the fear flickering in my eyes. Because I wasn’t just afraid of the people in this room.
Sothing had taken over . It wasn’t just anger—It was sothing... powerful, a force I couldn’t control. And that terrified more than anything else.
A prickle of awareness crawled up my spine, and I felt a pair of eyes burning into from across the hall. My gaze lifted briefly, eting Wanda’s from another table. She was watching , her green eyes sharp with jealousy. She had seen Draven’s hand over mine.
I quickly looked away.
The banquet hall continued its festivities, the guests too busy with their own conversations to notice what had just happened between Draven and I.
I straightened my posture, trying to shake off the unease, but then—Draven did sothing unexpected.
He called for the servant.
"Did you forget to serve food to my bride?" His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.
The chatter near our table died instantly. Those sitting close enough to hear the exchange went silent, their amusent fading into uncertainty.
The servant, the sa one who had spilled wine on , froze. She looked up at Draven, her eyes widening with fear.
"M-my deepest apologies, Alpha," she stamred. "It was an... an oversight."
I could feel her panic. She hadn’t expected to be called out on her actions.
Draven’s expression didn’t change. "An oversight." He repeated the words slowly, deliberately.
The air around us grew heavy.
"Do you know what I do to people who embarrass my na?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft.
The servant paled. "A-Alpha, I—"
Draven cut her off, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "You seem to think food is an insult. But I do not tolerate disrespect—especially not to my wife."
I blinked, stunned.
Wife? That term was new .
This was the first ti Draven had ever referred to as anything other than ’my bride’ and ’little wolf.’
The servant’s breathing grew shallow, her shoulders trembling.
"This nonsense will not happen again." Draven’s voice darkened. "Otherwise, your head will find itself displayed as one of my favourite collection."
The servant let out a strangled noise, imdiately bowing so low her forehead nearly touched the table. "It won’t happen again, Alpha! I swear it!"
A mont later, food was quickly placed on my plate. A napkin was used to clean the spill on the table, and my goblet was taken away. This ti, an experienced butler, the sa one who served Draven, poured a fresh bottle of wine into a new goblet for .
I sat frozen, my mind spinning. I simply didn’t understand.
Draven had let them humiliate earlier. He had smirked when they laughed at . And now? Now, he was acting as if I was sothing to be defended.
Was this all part of his twisted ga? Or was there sothing else I didn’t understand?
I clenched my fingers around my lap, staring down at my plate.
I wouldn’t eat.
I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing enjoy sothing that had first been denied to .
The toasts continued, Draven engaging with the guests as if nothing had happened. The music shifted, and wolves rose from their seats to dance. The atmosphere turned lighter, but I remained still, untouched food in front of .
And Draven?
He didn’t say a word to . He didn’t ask if I was alright.
He simply continued playing the perfect Alpha host, as if defending had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
I hated him.
When the music ended, Draven finally stood. Without a word, without so much as a glance in my direction, he turned and walked away.
His Beta, Jeffery followed him, along with another man I hadn’t seen before.
The mont Draven left, the whispers began.
"He’s not spending the night with her?"
"So, it’s true. The Alpha doesn’t care for his new Luna."
"Maybe he regrets taking her."
"If he doesn’t respect her, why should we?"
I curled my fingers, my chest tightening with discomfort.
I didn’t care what Draven did. I didn’t care that he left alone in that hall, surrounded by my enemies. But I hated being the center of their scrutiny. I hated that they enjoyed my humiliation.
Draven’s absence was a ticket to their continued abuse, and I wasn’t about to subject myself to their ridicule.
I needed to leave.
Just as I was thinking of slipping away unnoticed, Mada Beatrice approached my table.
"If you are done with your al, Luna, I will escort you."
I exhaled in relief. I didn’t care if Draven had sent her or not—I just wanted to get out of there.
I stood imdiately. The whispers and stares followed , but they faded as I stepped out of the hall.
Finally, I could breathe.
But as I walked down the hallway, a firm familiar voice called out behind .
"redith!"
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