Chapter 13
I still attended the Alpha gathering banquet, despite the tension simmering beneath the surface. Taking over my pack had left me in desperate need of connections, resources, and allies. This gathering was my chance to secure what I needed, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy–especially with him. here.
As I arrived at the grand ballroom, I saw Caspian at the center of attention, effortlessly drawing, everyone into his orbit with his confident smile and sharp gaze. Everyone still thought he was the Alpha of Bloodvenom, and I could see how he thrived on their admiration. Yet, there was an air of impatience about him as his eyes scanned the crowd, searching for someone specific.
Then, his gaze locked onto me.
A spark of recognition lit up in his eyes, and with fluid grace, he maneuvered through the crowd toward me.
“Claire… Alpha,” he greeted me in a voice that was both smooth and possessive. “I knew you’d come.” He reached out, gently taking my hand as if it were his right, leaning in close enough that his breath tickled my ear. I’ll announce to everyone later that you’re the only woman I want to marry, that you are my mate and the true Alpha of our pack.”
Once, I would have been over the moon to hear those words from him. I had craved his
acknowledgment, his love, his gaze upon me as if I was the only one who mattered. But now, those words felt hollow, irrelevant. His sudden affection, his desperation–it was all too little, too late.
I yanked my hand free, narrowing my eyes at him. “Don’t be ridiculous, Caspian. I’m not here for you.” His eyes darkened with confusion, his expression turning from confident to puzzled. “Don’t be coy, Clairé. If you’re not here for me, then who are you here for?”
Before I could respond, a man with a wine glass approached, interrupting our exchange. “Alpha Caspian, who might this be?” He asked with an easy smile, his curiosity piqued.
Caspian smirked, his hand sliding around my waist as if to stake his claim. “My mate, soon to be my
wife.
I stiffened, the weight of his arm around me feeling more like a shackle than a comfort. I turned to the stranger, my voice firm. “I am not.”
get.
Caspian sighed, a helpless smile playing on his lips as he looked at the man. “She’s just playing hard to The man laughed, clearly amused. “Someone dares to play around with Alpha Caspian? You’ll need to sweeten her up, Alpha.”
My anger simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. The stranger was oblivious to the fact that Caspian was no longer the Alpha, and I could tell that Caspian wasn’t about to correct him. The deception irritated me, but I had bigger problems to deal with.”
As soon as the man left, I turned on Caspian, my voice cold. “Is this amusing to you, Caspian? Playing these games? We’re over.”
His grip on my arm tightened, and he leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “Amusing? No, Claire. Now that you’re here, I’m not letting you go.”
Finally, a reprieve came in the form of Beta Clayton, who called Caspian away for something urgent. The moment he was gone, I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the tension ease from my shoulders. But my relief was short–lived. As I turned around, I caught sight of Ophelia standing in the corner of the room, her eyes locked onto me with intensity. Caspian’s usual companion at gatherings like these, Ophelia was as stunning as she was dangerous, her beauty hiding the venomous nature beneath. Her piercing gaze was filled with malice, her lips curled into a sneer.
The grand hall buzzed with the mingling of Alphas and their Lunas, yet the tension between us created an invisible bubble that no one else seemed to notice.
“So, he brought you along,” she said with thinly veiled contempt.
“I didn’t come with him,” I replied, my voice steady, but Ophelia dismissed my words with a sharp wave
of her hand.
“Why you?” She hissed, her voice laced with bitterness. “What makes you so special, Claire? Why does everyone adore you? Why do you excel at everything you do? Why does all the attention gravitate toward you? Why did Mother choose you over me? And why did our father give you the pack instead of
me?”
“But it doesn’t matter,” she continued, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction, “Caspian will always be mine.”
I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of the hatred radiating from her. When our parents ended their mate bond and marriage, it was our mother who had insisted on keeping both of us children. Ophelia had been the one to choose to follow our father to another pack, seeking a life of luxury. Her bitterness, her jealousy–it made no sense to me.
“You’re insane,” I muttered, shaking my head.
She scoffed, her lips twisting into a cruel smile. “You think you’re so clever, don‘ t you? Caspian will always be mine.”
I met her gaze head–on, refusing to back down. “So confident, are you? Is that why you lied to him, telling him you were the one who convinced our father to adopt him?”
Her expression faltered for just a moment, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. But she quickly regained her composure, her smirk returning with a vengeance.
“Yes, I lied to him,” she acknowledged, her tone dripping with venom. “So what? Go ahead and tell him that you were the one who saved him. Let’s see who he believes–me, the woman he adores, or you, the one who s only ever been an obstacle?”
I swirled the wine in my glass, considering her words. Ophelia had always been a master manipulator, bending the truth to suit her needs. But this was different. This was a betrayal on a level that Caspian wouldn t easily forgive, especially not when it came to the truth about his past.
“What do you think his reaction would be,” I began slowly, “if I told him that not only did you lie to him but also that you considered him filthy and prevented our parents from adopting him?”
