Chapter 47 Meeting the Ex
Vanessa
My body still feels like dead weight forty-eight hours later. Just going about doing my normal daily routine makes me feel like I'm having a type of out-of-body experience, and it's not the good kind.
By the fourth day, I feel much better than the previous days and I can't be more thankful.
Trish refused to leave my side since the day she came to visit me and noticed the state I was in. She was horrified.
A warm feeling spread through me at the memory of Xander coming in regularly to check up on me, even though, grumpily, but I find it sweet nonetheless.
I just had one of the best breakfast of my life when I hear the whispers.
"She's here," a maid whispers.
Who?
I lean closer against the wall and listen to every word. "She's so beautiful," one of them whisper-screams.
"Just like a princess just out of a fairy tale," the other sighs. "But hey, wasn't she the one promised to his Highness a few years back?" she asks her partner.
"Yeah, I wasn't here yet but I heard she almost became Luna."
I pause, my chest tightening at those words, but I continue listening anyway.
"Oh, that's serious. What happened to them?" the first girl asks.
"I don't know, but now that she's here, maybe they'll try to make things work out again," the second replies.
"They'll look so good together!" the first squeals but she pauses, then asks like an afterthought. "What will happen to the crown princess though?"
The second shrugs. "I don't know, maybe she'll get sent back to wherever she came from. Humans don't belong here anyways."
The words slam into me so hard like I'd been sucker punched and I stumble away from my spot when I notice them gathering their supplies and chirping about the new woman again.
My head and my body feel heavier than ever and I'm confused on where to go.
Going to the gardens won't bring me any calm right now and the library is not even an option.
They're the two places I feel safest the most in this place but right now, the thought of either of them doesn't even bring me any semblance of comfort.
Well, there's one more place to go then.
I run to my room and change into something much more casual and make my way to the training grounds.
Unfortunately, I don't meet Dorian there and a little sense of disappointment fills me. Today would've been the perfect day to spar with someone and let out all the feelings building inside of me.
I pick a set of gloves and march towards the punching bag there.
The first punch I throw doesn't move it much. I don't let that deter me, that was just a warm up anyway.
I balance my weight on the balls of my feet and I throw the next one. Punch after punch, I strike against the punching bag like it had personally offended me.
First, I find out I'm a descendant of one of the most - if not the most - powerful witches to ever exist.
Punch.
Then, I figure out that something is sealed inside of me.
Another punch.
Now, I'm confused and don't even know where I fucking stand, both in my world and in this; human or not, future Queen or not, but I think the latter has been decided for me by most of the pack members since I arrived here months ago.
And now, Xander's ex-mate or lover or whatever, even without seeing her has somehow carved a niche for herself in the pack, if the maids' excitement is any indication.
I will not, be a second option to anyone.
Punch. Punch. Punch.
"Oof, that bag's really taking a hard it. I almost feel it," an amused voice says behind me.
I whirl around and come face to face with Max. The smile I give him is cold, deadly. "Why don't you come here and I'll make you really feel it, Maxi." I tilt my head.
His green eyes widen and he shakes his hands quickly in front of him. "Nope, nah, thanks for the offer. In fact, I think Xanny just called my attention to something I had missed in the last meeting. Okay, see ya, bye."
I snort at his ridiculousness. Coward.
"Hey, Max," I call before he leaves.
He turns around to face me. "Yeah?"
I open my mouth to speak but pause, biting my lips as I mull over my words.
What do I even want to say? How's Xander's ex like? Is she nice or a total bitch?
I shake my head and give him a softer smile this time. "Nothing. It's nothing, don't worry about it," I say finally.
His expression turns serious for second as he tries to gauge what I'm feeling, his green eyes assessing.
"Are you sure?" he asks slowly.
"Yeah, I'm sure." I'm pretty sure my reply is too fast and chirpy. "Now shoo, go away and stop gawking at me like that."
His eyes narrow slightly but deciding he doesn't want to push, he nods and walks away.
"See ya," he shouts over his shoulders and then he's gone.
I don't know how long I'm there but I continue until my body feels almost useless.
With the last of my strength, I drag myself back to the my room, but something makes me stop short in my movement. Or rather, someone.
The atmosphere changes, the temperature dropping ten times lower as soon as our eyes connect.
Lucinda Vale.
The name clicks just right, like it already belongs here.
She's tall and elegant in a way that feels deliberate. Her blonde hair is pinned perfectly in a french twist.
She's dressed to the nines in a blood-red, elegant chiffon dress that seems to accentuate, and merge with her shape as one. It's sleeves are long and fitted, the cowl-neck shape dips low enough for her cleavage to peek through, and resting on the generous mounds is a thick piece of diamond necklace, paired with diamond earrings, which sparkles under the fluorescent lights. She finishes off the look with matching red stilettos with heels so thin, it'll probably puncture a marble cleanly without leaving jagged lines as she sashays towards me. I straighten.
She looks like someone who's never suffered rejection in her entire life.
Her smile is wide, with perfectly white teeth flashing at me.
When she's two feet away from me, she extends her hand, smile still in place and says, "Hello, you must be Vanessa. I've heard so much about you."
I lift an eyebrow and study her delicate hand for a second before grasping it in my hard ones. "I doubt Xander has been telling anyone about me," I reply.
She covers her mouth with one hand and laughs like I've said something funny. "Oh dear, no. Not Xander, but the...pack members themselves. I find some of their stories about you quite... interesting," her voice drops low, condescending and I bristle at the tone.
Oh, this bitch. I roll my shoulders a little, happy at the fact that we can drop all pretense now.
I cross my arms and cock my head. "Would you mind sharing the stories then?"
"No. They're not all bad, you don't need to worry."
She really thinks I'm worried about that. "I hope they've told you how good I can kiss ass then?"
She circles me like a predator, her blue eyes gauging, waiting, and assessing, but I don't shrink, instead, I stand taller and glare right back at her.
She nods once and leans back, crossing her own arms now. "There's no need for hostility, Vanessa. I mean, you're... temporary, after all. Just like all the others."
Others?
I ignore the way her words cut through me like a knife.
Does she mean that or she's just trying to rile me up?
Either way, I'm not taking the bait. No matter what.
"Oh, really?" I smirk, making the smile drop from her face. "Why don't we see about that, Cinderella?"
I flip my hair and catwalk to my room, laughing like a maniac. I shut the door harder than necessary and in the next second, grab a pillow and scream into it until my throat hurts.