Chapter 35 Thirty Five
DANIKA
I watch in total disbelief as Bellamy's cockiness vanishes into thin air faster than a mouse being chased by a cat.
"My...my father asked me to, um, to keep tabs..." he stammers, his voice trembling. "...on you."
Holy smokes. Who is he? Where did the big, bad, mischievous Bellamy go?
Before he can finish, Kaziel smacks him on the face. I gasp, flinching back as Bellamy staggers, crimson liquid trickling from his nose. His hands clutch at it instinctively, his eyes wide with shock and pain.
Kaziel leans back slightly, a predator's smirk spreading over his face. "Is my dear uncle that eager to know if I've found my mate?" He drawls.
Now, I understand why Bellamy's bravado vanished with a poof.
Kaziel is...terrifying.
I stay where I am, just close enough to see everything, just far enough to feel safe. Bellamy sinks to his knees, his hands raised. "Please...please, Kaziel," he stammers, his voice cracking. "I didn't mean... I have no intentions of harming you... or Danika! I swear!"
My stomach knots.
Kaziel tilts his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "No intentions, huh?" His claws flash slightly, just enough to make me inhale sharply. "That's... reassuring."
Bellamy swallows hard, fumbling with his words. "I... my father... he just asked me to... monitor you. That's it. I wasn't going to... I swear!"
Kaziel's laugh is dangerous. My chest tightens. "Your father sent you? To spy on me? And you think stammering excuses will save you?" He leans forward, heat and danger radiating off him.
Bellamy flinches like a trapped animal.
"I-I won't tell him anything! I swear! I—I just..." Bellamy's voice breaks, laced with an astonishing desperation.
Kaziel lets out a low, predatory hum. "You don't get it, do you? Your intentions don't matter. Only actions do." He pauses, his eyes narrowing.
My chest hammers. I can't breathe. His aura is swelling, filling the entire space.
Bellamy shakes his head frantically. "I—I don't want trouble! I wasn't going to touch her! I promise!"
Kaziel leans in close, his voice dropping so low I can feel it in my bones. "I don't care if you touch her. Well, you will die before you get within an inch of her, but that’s not important. What I care about... is respect. And obedience. Tell my dearest uncle this—"
His claws retract slowly, his eyes never leaving Bellamy's. "—if he sends another fool to my doorstep, I will make sure he regrets it."
Bellamy gulps, his eyes wide. "Y-yes... I'll... I'll tell him."
Kaziel straightens, finally stepping back. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My legs feel weak, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. I never want to see that terrifying smirk directed at someone else again.
Bellamy scrambles backwards, his pride in ruins. He mutters something incoherent and bolts down the hallway.
"You scared the life out of him, hot stuff," I say, and he moves over to stand in front of me.
"Oh, sweetie, you have no idea what it's like to piss me off. But don't worry, you will never have to see it. I'll make sure of it," he tells me, his eyes softening in that fuzzy way that has me grinning like a fool.
He's terrifying. He's dangerous. And...he's mine.
"By the way, can we really trust Bellamy?" I ask, and he leans in to kiss me deeply.
"He wasn't lying," he whispers, and my eyes go wide.
Kaziel is a walking lie detector, too?!
...
I am extremely nervous. No matter how many times I check myself out in front of the mirror, my dress looks weird. Maybe it's the colour. Maybe it's because it sits oddly on my hips. Is it too short? I can't tell. And it's frustrating, really. I just want Kaziel's pack members to like me.
A knock on the door startles me.
"Come in," I say, and a beautiful woman with Asian features pokes her head in, her ponytail swinging.
"Hi! I'm Kira!"
God, she's ethereal. Should I be worried?
"Can I come in, Luna?" She asks, and my eyes go wide. Luna? Isn't that the female head of the pack who rules alongside her alpha? Don't ask me how I know that, I've been...reading a lot.
"Sure," I say, and she steps in wearing tight black leather pants and a grey off-shoulder top.
I gape at her, stunned.
"You are a beauty," I breathe, and she grins, her cheeks stained pink.
"Thanks. I've always wanted to meet you, Luna. I'm the pack's gamma," she says, and I accept her firm handshake.
"Call me Dani," I respond, and her eyes light up.
"Your dress is stunning!" She chirps, and I can't help but smile nervously.
"You think so? I've tried on three different dresses, and I still feel like I'm wearing garbage," I sigh.
"Don't say that. You do have taste, and I love that. I can help with your makeup if you don't mind," she says, placing her hands on my shoulders as she steers me towards the mirror.
"I'd like that. Thanks, Kira."
A while later, I can barely recognize the hot chic staring at me from the mirror. My jaw drops, my eyes bulging in their sockets.
"Such a goddess," Kira smirks, and I turn to look at her, awed.
"Can you teach me how to glam up like this?" I breathe, and she winks.
"Anytime. Now, let's go. I'm sure my alpha is dying to see his girl," she says, and heat creeps up my neck.
By the time Kira and I step outside, my palms are a little sweaty. The late afternoon sun spills gold over everything, including the mansion, the cars, and the guards...and right there in front of the sleek black BMW SUV, he's pacing.
Kaziel.
His jaw is clenched, his movements stiff, like he's restraining himself from tearing something apart. Or someone. Even from a distance, I can feel his restless energy rolling off him in waves.
Kira leans in, her voice barely a whisper. "He's been pacing for the last ten minutes. We told him you were getting ready, but, well... he's not exactly patient when it comes to you."
My heart gives a violent lurch. "W-what do you mean?" I ask, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.
She giggles softly. "I mean, Luna... he's obsessed with you."
My heart goes into overdrive. "Obsessed?"
Of course I know that. But hearing it from someone else hits harder.
Kira grins, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "He nearly bit the head off one of the guards for saying you were probably just fixing your hair. You should've seen it. Honestly, I think half the pack's officials are afraid to even breathe around you now."
I snort before I can stop myself, then I press my lips together, trying not to laugh. The sound that escapes is somewhere between a giggle and a squeak. Kira covers her mouth, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
That's when Kaziel looks up.
Time. Literally. Stops.
Those dangerous cobalt blue eyes lock onto me with a magnetic pull I'll never escape. His aura shifts instantly. Gone is the pacing and the frustration. What replaces it is... hunger. Reverence. Relief.
Everything around us fades into background noise. My breath catches in my throat as he starts walking—no, stalking—towards me.
His eyes are screaming the words, 'Mine, mine, mine.'
Kira murmurs, "Yup. That's the look. You're done for, Luna."
I barely hear her. My pulse is a drumbeat in my ears. I can't move. I can't even pretend not to be affected when his gaze drags over me like a real physical touch.
By the time he stops in front of me, he's close enough that I can feel his heat and smell that delicious scent of him that always ruins me.
"Sweetheart," he rasps, his voice rough. "Tonight, I'll be taking this dress off you. I'm sorry. I wanted to take it slow, but you're not helping. At all."
Kira lets out a low sound that might've been a choke or a suppressed squeal. I don't blame her. I'm barely breathing.
His thumb grazes my jaw, his eyes darkening. "I'm tempted to lock you away. No one else deserves this vision."
I snort, even as my knees wobble. "You're ridiculous."
"And you're perfect," he murmurs.
Kira coughs behind us. "I'll just... go check if the car's running. Or, you know, go anywhere else."
Kaziel doesn't even glance her way. His focus never leaves me.
He holds out a hand finally, and I place my hand in his, letting him steer me towards the car.
"Hot stuff, try not to bite off the head of anyone who looks at me tonight, okay?" I say, and he furrows his brows.
Tense, I lean up to kiss him on the lips. "Please, honey?" I whisper, and he sighs begrudgingly.
"I'll try."
I'm enjoying this too much. God help me.
As we settle down in our seats, ready to leave, my phone vibrates in my purse. Kaziel is distracted by something on his tablet, but his hand is resting comfortably on one of my thighs, squeezing lightly. I love how clingy he can be.
Taking my phone out, I’m surprised to see a message from an unknown number. Curious, I tap it open, only for the air to rush out of my lungs at the sight of the text.
It reads: ‘Don’t trust the Tribrid or anyone in his pack. You are the sacrifice.’