Chapter 99 Cornelius

Chapter 99 Cornelius
The kitchen was huge, but the moment he stepped inside, he seemed to fill the room entirely and make it smaller . He was taller than I'd realized, broader, his presence an almost physical weight.

"Calliope right?" he said. "What an unusual name. I've been wanting to meet you."

My blood ran cold. "You know my name?"

"Do you know you were named after a Greek goddess? She was the chief of muses. The goddess of poetry." He stepped closer, and I stepped back, my shoulders hitting the counter. "I hear you're the babysitter. Is that all that's in your job description? Or do you do much more?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't lie to me." His voice was soft, almost gentle, but there was steel beneath it. "I've been watching you. I've seen the way Romeo looks at you. I've seen the way you look at him." He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle. "So I'll ask you once, and I expect an honest answer. Who are you to him?"

My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it with his wolf ears. "I'm just..."

"You're not just anything." He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne. "You're important to him. I can see it. And I want to know why."

"Romeo and I..." 

The kitchen door burst open.

Romeo stood in the doorway, his chest heaving, his eyes blazing. He crossed the room in three strides, positioning himself between me and Cornelius.

"What are you doing here? Get away from her," he said.

Cornelius smiled. "I was just having a conversation with your friend."

"She is none of your concern."

"Everything is my concern, nephew." He stepped back, his hands raised in mock surrender. "I was simply curious. She is very lovely. I can see why you're so protective."

"Cornelius..." 

"I am leaving." He walked toward the door, pausing at the threshold. "You'll see me soon though. Calliope." 

He disappeared into the party.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Romeo turned to me, his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine." My voice was shaking. "He just, he was asking about us."

"I know. I heard." His jaw tightened. "I'm sorry. I should have been here."

"That means you're right. He knows about us. What happens now really?"

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

He took my hand and led me out of the kitchen, away from the party.

\---

The guests left as the sun began to set.

I watched them go from the annex window, the last cars pulling out of the driveway. The yard was littered with forgotten toys and crumpled napkins. The pony was gone. The bouncy castle was deflating.

The house was quiet.

I crept back to the main house, drawn by a need to know what was happening. Through the kitchen window, I could see Mrs. Vanderbilt standing by the counter, her back to me. Cornelius was across from her, his arms crossed.

"While I appreciate your presence, I think it's time you leave," Mrs. Vanderbilt said. "Now."

"I'll leave when I'm ready."

"You've already overstayed your welcome and Walter isn't here. The kids have retired for bed and Romeo has school tomorrow. There's no valid reason for you to be here."

Cornelius laughed. "You're bold. I guess that's why Walter stuck beside you against all odds. Don't let me remind you the power I wield over this family. Vanderbilt or not, witch or human, I don't care. I'm an alpha."

"Cornelius..." 

"I am only here for Romeo. Much time has passed and I wanted to be sure he was growing up well. As he should. I only want the boy to fall in line. I want him to understand his place. And if you can't make that happen..." He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "I'll make it happen myself."

"We've done everything you asked us to do. We kept him out of the pack like you asked. Out of everything else." 

"You're not trying hard enough. Try harder." He smiled. "You've done well keeping him hidden this long. But now he's changing, he's getting bigger and bolder. And fraternising with that human, it's not doing him any favours. I see such behaviour as a weakness of the mind. If Romeo doesn't learn to play by my rules, I'll have no choice but to eliminate the threat."

Mrs. Vanderbilt went pale. "You wouldn't..."

"I would." His voice was flat and cold. "I've been very generous. Another alpha would have killed him before he had his first turn. But I chose to let him live, because I considered him an extension of my dear late niece. Make sure he understands. Or I'll do it for you."

He walked out of the kitchen.

I pressed myself against the wall, my heart pounding.

\-——————————

The day after the party was eerily normal.

I woke up in the annex, the morning light filtering through the curtains, and for a moment, I almost believed that nothing had changed. That Cornelius hadn't crashed the twins' birthday party. That he hadn't cornered me in the kitchen. That he hadn't threatened Romeo in front of his stepmother.

But the memory of his cold eyes lingered and the conversation that I had overheard and it reminded me once again that everything was real. 

Romeo picked me up for school, as usual. He was quiet, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on the road. I reached over and took his hand.

"Hey," I said. "We're okay."

He glanced at me, something soft flickering in his expression. "I know."

"We can't let him control us. That's what he wants."

"I know."

"So we're going to have a normal day. We're going to pretend he doesn't exist. And we're going to figure out what to do next."

He squeezed my hand. "You're right. You're always right."

"I know that too."

He laughed deeply, his laughter soothing my ears. 

\-———————-

Ruby found us by my locker at school, her eyes bright.

"Did you guys hear?" she asked. "There's a new student."

I frowned. "Another one?"

"Yeah. She's in my English period. Super pretty. Super friendly." Ruby lowered her voice. "Everyone's already obsessed with her. She came here on the coolest motorbike.” 

I felt a chill run down my spine. Ever since Damien and Marcus, I couldn’t help but be weary about new students. "What's her name? What does she look like?"

"Faye. Faye something. I didn't catch her last name."

I looked at Romeo. His expression was unreadable.

"We should probably stay away from her," I said.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because she could be another spy like Damien and Marcus."