Chapter 17 Seducing Rowan
Lira
I knew Rowan’s niceness had an evil intent to it. I turned to him, questions written all over my face. Why did he think it was a good idea for him to bring me to his partner in crime?
“Ace.” I said, shooting him a fake smile. My cheeks were already hurting from all the fake smiling, and the night hadn’t even started. Ace used to bully me with Rowan every time they saw me. And then he moved abroad for school. In his absence, Rowan got bored and left me alone.
I thought I’d never see him again, and now he was here.
My eyes moved to the figure beside him. A sly smile was on her face. She was clearly enjoying this. Everything clicked in my head when Rowan moved away from me to wrap his arms around Alicia.
She came with this monster as her date, and now, I was to spend the night with him.
“You’re her date?” I asked and eagerly waited for his answer. I needed to make sure whatever was going on was what it was.
“Yeah… but technically. You’re to be mine for the night.” He paused and turned to Rowan, who, like his date was also enjoying this. How cruel could they really be? “Right Rowan?”
“Yeah man, she’s all yours. Do whatever you like.”
My stomach churned and I instantly felt sick. Rowan was bad, but trust me, Ace was a lot worse. And what angered me the most is that I wouldn’t be going through this if Alpha Kael had just listened to me and changed his decision.
Ace grinned at me, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was charming. But I did. I knew better, and I knew when to run.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You’ve changed, Lira. I’ll give you that. But don’t think that little dress can protect you.” His gaze dragged down my outfit, shameless and deliberate. My skin crawled.
I turned immediately, my dress bunched up in my fists as I started to move as fast as I could without causing a scene. The event had started, and people were already moving to the dance floor. Laughter, crystal clinks, and violins drowned the sound of my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
I found a peaceful corner and grabbed a shot from a passing waiter, downed it and headed there. The liquor burned, but at least it numbed me a little. I hated it. And I hated being there, but I just had to suck it up and pull through the night.
My prayer to the moon goddess was that Ace would consider me too boring to go after and go after some pretty lady and leave me alone.
Please, Moon goddess, do this for me, will you?
I whispered internally, bending my head and lowering my posture in reverence to the Moon goddess.
After I was able to relax, I decided to watch the dance. Right then, the MC announced that the dance floor be cleared because the Alpha was coming on with his Luna.
Once again, I felt my heart squeeze with jealousy. It should be me with him on the dance floor, but what could I do? I was so helpless in almost everything and it was starting to grate on my nerves.
I watched them dance, and I fought back tears as jealousy threatened to consume me. His hand was placed on her waist, very close to her ass, while hers were placed delicately on his chest. They looked good, and that was probably what infuriated me.
The music softened, couples swaying to a gentle rhythm. Alpha Kael whispered something to my mother that made her laugh, the sound delicate like a chime. I wanted to look away, but my eyes betrayed me, drawn to him like gravity.
My heart skipped a beat when Alpha Kael eyes and mine met. I didn’t want to feel that way. Not after he called me a pity fuck, and not without him apologizing for it.
But the mate bond didn’t care about grudges. It acted however it wanted to. And right now, all I wanted was to claim him in front of everyone. To kiss him, to be held by him and show everyone that he was mine. But that would cost my mum’s happiness and everyone’s peace.
Did I really want to be responsible for that?
I broke the eye contact and left the ballroom. I needed air. I couldn’t breathe. Not when he was dancing with my mother like he loved her. Not when he was looking at me like that too.
It felt so wrong. No, it was so wrong. Why didn’t he just reject me, instead of putting me through all of this.
I found a backdoor and went out. There was a swimming pool, and it wasn’t too far from the ball. But I knew no one was going to come looking for me anyway.
The night air was cool against my flushed skin. The lights from the mansion reflected on the pool, shimmering like broken glass on water. I sank down on the pavement, hugging my knees, the distant hum of music barely reaching me.
For a moment, it was peaceful. Just me, the stars, and the sound of my own heart breaking quietly.
My peace was short lived when I heard clapping behind me. I turned to see the one lady who I’m beginning to think is obsessed with me, because she always has a problem with my very existence.
“I’m guessing you realized you didn’t belong, and you decided to leave.” She mocked and rested her elbow on the arm crossed across her chest. “Except, you haven’t left the mansion too, and Rowan’s life.”
“Leave me alone, Alicia.” I had bigger problems than Rowan, and I really didn’t want him. For some reason, she has refused to believe that I wasn’t interested in her man.
“No, I won’t. Not until you leave Rowan alone.”
“Well, you don’t see me with him. And he has been with you, hasn’t he? So, what are you on about.” I stood up from the pavement so I could be square with her.
Alicia grabbed my hair and brought my head closer. Her eyes scanned me, disdain written across them like she was looking at a bad report. “He was with me, but he kept looking at you in the little pathetic corner you were.”
“It’s not my fault you can’t keep your man’s eyes from roaming.” I shot back, feeling anger seep into my veins.
“It is your fault, you bitch! What are you really trying to do, hm? Trying to seduce Rowan with your outfit, and what the fuck is this makeup. You look like trash, and I think you’ve not learnt your place yet.” She looked around, and her eyes settled on the swimming pool.
I started to panic because I couldn’t swim.
“No, no… please. I can’t swim. Don’t throw me in there.” I pleaded, but instead she giggled and her eyes lit up with malice.
“That’s all the more reason to throw you in. If I’m lucky, you’ll drown, and I’d have successfully gotten rid of you.”
“Alicia, please!”
“Keep my name out of your filthy mouth you tramp.” She spat, and then turned her head to the direction she came from. “HELP!”
The next thing I knew, we were both in the swimming pool.
Cold water swallowed my scream. The world blurred. My lungs burned as panic clawed at me. I couldn’t tell which way was up. All I knew was the sound of muffled laughter above me and the chilling realization that no one, not Alpha Kael, not Rowan, not anyone, was coming to save me.