Chapter 14 MAKING A MISTAKE
MERRIELYNN.
MERRIELYNN
I sat in front of the empty auditorium, trying to focus on Emorie as she paced in front of me, updating me on information about the planning committee.
The words floated around me, but my mind was everywhere, completely absent from what she was saying. I had really wanted to pay attention, but my mind was stuck in a haze of anxiety.
I didn’t even know what was wrong with me; I just couldn’t shake this feeling of being off.
When the bell rang, students started trickling in one by one, slowly filling the room with chatter. My gaze drifted to the door, and I found myself unconsciously searching for Cormac.
Emorie settled beside me and reminded me of my responsibilities. “You need to sit in front, Mere,” she said. “You’re head of the committee now.”
“Ugh,” I sighed as I reluctantly took my seat in front of everyone, scanning their faces.
My heart sank when I realized Cormac wasn’t there, and I was going to have to start without him.
It wasn’t because I wanted him there, but because I was going to have to go it alone.
I looked around at the sons and daughters of alphas, betas, and enforcers, feeling so small and outmatched under their watchful gazes. I hadn’t even spoken yet, but it felt like they were already judging me, convinced I didn’t have what it took.
“Just breathe,” I told myself, but it was hard to shake the nerves. As Emorie prepared to start, I could feel their eyes on me, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to measure up.
My palms grew sweaty as I stood, introducing myself. I then took a deep breath and continued, “Since my partner is running late, I’ll have to start without him. Thank you all for being here today. I’m aware that a lot of planning and effort goes into the committee's events. With your help, I’m going to try my best to meet the expectations and standards you’ve already set.”
Before I could continue, someone interrupted, muttering under their breath, “Didn’t seem like you needed any help with the striptease at the assembly two weeks ago.”
My face heated up as laughter rang out around the room.
Just great.
Emorie intervened with sharp sarcasm. “Very funny,” she said loudly, rolling her eyes, but the laughter just wouldn’t stop. It continued for a moment, filling the space with a mix of mockery and amusement. I slowly nodded, trying to collect my emotions.
No, I wasn’t feeling great, and I hated that these students were adding to my stress.
The laughter suddenly came to a halt when the auditorium doors swung open again, and Cormac walked in.
The silence intensified as he grabbed a chair from where the students were seated and placed it right beside me before sitting down.
He folded his arms across his chest, wearing a bored expression as he said nothing.
Wow.
So someone could actually make them shut up.
I suddenly wished I had that kind of aura—the type that commanded attention without me having to do anything, like Cormac just did. He didn’t have to say a word, but his mere presence shifted the entire mood of the room.
After a moment, I cleared my throat and decided to proceed. “Emorie has already told me the concept we’ve been working on for the event; all suggestions are welcome so we can actually make this work.” The silence that followed was disturbing, so I decided to ask open-ended questions. “Does anyone have any ideas?”
The theme was supposed to convey the beauty of coveting.
Wanting things because of their value, because of their beauty, but never being granted access.
“Maybe we could dangle the pieces we want to auction from the air with strings?” one girl suggested.
I nodded, acknowledging her idea, but another suggested, “Or we could choose not to show any of the pieces at all but instead display their pictures, with facts printed.”
“What about encasing them in glass?” one guy added.
The suggestions kept coming, and the room was growing noisier and noisier. But then, Cormac’s voice cut through the chatter as he said, "Vines of wolfsbane."
We all turned to him, and I was surprised he even spoke at all, as I didn’t think he had any intention of contributing.
When the room quieted down, Cormac, shrugged and explained his point. "You're trying to create the vision that these items are too valuable to touch, right? No matter how badly people want to hold them. If you put them in glass, people are going to touch the glass. If you dangle them on strings, people will put their kids on their shoulders like it’s a fucking piñata."
Some students laughed, but I noticed how attentive everyone was as he spoke. All eyes were focused on him.
Cormac added, “If you have these items covered in something no one will touch, no matter how badly they want to see what's on display, then what better option than something that keeps werewolves away? Wolfsbane. The items are put on display, individually decorated with vines of wolfsbane. No one’s touching them."
It was a good idea.
A really good one.
I was momentarily stunned, watching Cormac until he turned to me. That snapped me out of my reverie, and I turned away, asking for a show of hands for all in favor. Everyone raised their hands, and well, I wasn’t surprised. The idea was brilliant.
“But where can we get that much wolfsbane?” Emorie suddenly asked, and the hall fell silent again.
Like everyone else, I pondered the question. I’d heard rumors that my pack was known for having wolfsbane around its perimeter, but I wasn’t sure how true that was.
While lost in thought, I saw Cormac turn to me before saying, "Merrielynn here has that completely covered."
I turned to him in shock, but without giving me a chance to respond, he immediately got up. “This meeting is over,” he added, and without acknowledging me, he just walked out.
Classic.
Holding the thought, I suddenly sat up.
Now that I thought about it, how did he know about that?
Had Cormac dug his claws so deeply into my life without me even knowing, to the point where he knew things like where I lived?
Without thinking, I picked up my bag and followed after him.