Chapter 118: The facade.
Connie POV
I smirked despite the heat gathering behind my eyes—every glare in the room fixed on me, accusing, judging, hating. But I refused to shrink back. If they expected fear from me, they would have to dig deeper; I had long learned how to hold my ground, even while tremors of panic crawled beneath my skin.
Adam lingered by the bar, his spine painfully rigid, his eyes like twin flames daring me to speak again. I felt a spike of dread as I noted the shimmer in his gaze—the wolf beneath his façade was awake, prowling.
"Apologize… he’s dangerous… you already have what you want from Kane… don’t anger them." My own wolf gave a low grumble of warning in my head. But I couldn’t bring myself to grovel. Instead, I planted a hand on my hip and dug in my heels, lips curving in a mocking little smile. I was still stinging from Kane’s reluctance to finally make this official—to realize I was the better choice, not that good-for-nothing runaway who wreaked havoc everywhere she went.
I flicked my eyes around the room, letting them settle on Liam. He was inching closer, one brow lifted, clearly intent on placing himself between me and Adam. Behind Liam, Kane lounged at the table, openly bored, stirring a lukewarm cup of coffee. My chest twisted with annoyance.
"Oh, so now he’s too tired to help me?" I muttered to Phina, my wolf, as I cleared my throat.
“I assume,” I began with exaggerated sweetness, “that my mate has dealt with you all regarding yesterday’s incident.” The dig came out sharper than I intended, but I was too riled up to care.
Adam stiffened, anger rolling off him in waves. Liam raised both hands, palms up, in an attempt to defuse the tension.
“Easy, sugar,” he drawled, sliding in front of Adam with all the suave charm he could muster. “No need to poke sleeping bears.” My spine bristled.
“Sleeping bears or big bad wolves?” I snarked. Something in Liam’s eyes flickered, a trace of humor or perhaps deep-seated contempt. I could practically smell his dislike for me, even though he wore an easy, charming smile.
“All the same, right? Now, you were saying?” He waved a hand, all nonchalance. I narrowed my gaze, but he seemed genuinely curious. Maybe, just maybe, he was on my side—if for no other reason than to pick a fight with Adam.
“He called me a witch,” I said, stabbing a finger in Adam’s direction. “And he tried to drown me. Twice!” Liam choked on the air, eyes momentarily going wide. My wolf insisted that it had been a laugh, but I forced myself not to leap to that conclusion.
“Drown you?” he repeated slowly, as though coaxing out the story.
“Did you not think to mention that?” I hissed, aiming my words at Kane, who responded by loudly slurping his coffee.
“Kane, have you spoken to Adam yet? Like I told you to?” He didn’t look up, only drew out a bored-sounding,
“Nope,” the pop on the p like a slap to my face. My cheeks flamed with anger.
“Well,” I began, my voice rising, “Your father told you to, did he not? I am going to be your Luna! I will lead this pack by your side. I will be your—” Faster than I could blink, Kane was across the room, shoving aside Liam and standing close enough for me to smell the dark roast on his breath. His hand clamped around my wrist, lifting it until a flare of discomfort pulsed from my shoulder down to my fingers.
“Equal?” he supplied in a dangerously soft voice. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, as I nodded numbly. He squeezed harder, and I felt my wolf cower at the sharp pain. Kane’s eyes darkened, his own beast prowling just beneath the surface. Leaning in close, he brushed my hair aside, his lips hovering by my ear. It was an act for show, meant to make me tremble.
“I may be choosing you… but make no mistake, it’s not out of desire. It’s out of necessity. There is only one equal to me, Connie—and it is not you.” They could all hear him. I knew it. Still, the shiver of fear—and something more traitorous—ran through my veins as he murmured.
A harsh breath rattled in my chest.
“After Knox, of course,” I said quickly, trying to correct myself, so I wouldn’t look like a fool. But Kane only bared his teeth in a humorless grin.
“Knox exists in a league of his own.” He snorted and cast me a contemptuous glance before letting go. I stumbled, refusing to cry out. If there was one thing I would not give them, it was the satisfaction of seeing me crumble at Kane’s display of power.
Stung, I crossed my arms over my chest, arching my back and shoving my cleavage forward. Usually that worked—usually their eyes at least flickered my way. But all I caught from them now was revulsion. Pure hatred. My heart fluttered with an unsteady beat, but I held onto my pride and forced a derisive laugh.
“Her?” I sneered, letting the bitterness thicken my tone. “The girl who sleeps with her own brothers is your ‘equal’? Really?” I flicked my hair over my shoulder, ignoring the flicker of alarm my wolf sent through me. “Disgusting.”
“Say that again.” Adam’s voice was a low, menacing snarl. I’d nearly forgotten he was still behind Liam, practically quaking with fury. Turning, I caught sight of Adam trembling from head to toe, fists clenched, and I realized too late I had crossed a line. I saw the way his wolf glimmered in those cold, dark eyes, the challenge, the promise of violence. My pulse jumped dangerously, but fear morphed into defensive rage.
I let out an unsteady laugh that sounded far more confident than I felt.
“Your sister is a whore,” I hissed, my voice trembling with adrenaline I couldn’t quite contain. My hand clenched at my side as I forced the words out, “And from what I just walked in on earlier, it sounds like you know that all too well…”
The moment the insult left my lips, a palpable wave of rage rippled through the room. I felt it slam into me, stealing the air from my lungs, leaving me dizzy. My wolf howled a warning in my mind: You’ve gone too far. We’re screwed! But I refused to show it.
My eyes darted from Adam’s shaking form to Kane’s cold glare, then to Liam’s protective stance, and finally at the closed door, imagining the horror that lay beyond if I tried to run.
Inside, my heart pounded like a war drum, each beat echoing: You’re in danger… Danger… Danger… But outwardly, I lifted my chin, unwilling to bend or break for them, even though I knew my next breath might be my last.
I was royally cornered, and now I truly feared for my life. Yet I refused to yield.
Not yet.