Chapter 23 THE BOUNTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE | THE BOUNTY
LYRA
“Those bastards,” Damian cursed the moment we were away from the crowd that had gathered because of the commotion.
The only reason they hadn't lost their cool was because of their reputation. They couldn’t act rashly; it could cost them a lot.
“Orion has—”
“Don’t think about it. Whatever he said about you will be silenced when we announce you as our mate. Don’t be swayed by his trash talk.”
I nodded, but my body shook as we walked. It was the first time I was seeing my parents after the confrontation with Orion that almost led to my death.
I’d always thought my parents hated me, but I never thought they hated me to the point of wanting me dead. But now, after they attacked me even after I’d been missing for days, I knew they didn’t care if I lived or not.
“Head held high. Don’t show weakness here… you’ll become prey if you’re not careful.” Damien rubbed off the lone tear that fell from my eyes.
I nodded in understanding, taking the hands Damian offered me.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
It was time for us to walk down the stairs while everyone watched.
I took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Damien led the way, walking a few steps ahead of us, while Damian held me by the waist.
“Everyone, the Lycan and his family,” the curator announced.
A gigantic door was opened, welcoming us into the ball officially. Slowly, I walked, following Damian’s steps so that I wouldn’t trip and fall.
I kept my head high, even though I was nervous and terrified of people’s stares.
Damian led me away while his brother went to the middle of the ballroom to make a toast and officially open the ball.
It was only after we’d left the watchful gazes of the guests that I breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Are you alright?” Damian asked, handing me a glass of mocktail.
I took it and drowned it in one gulp, hoping it would ease my nerves. At that moment, I wished I wasn’t pregnant so I could drink my sorrows away.
“You’ll be fine, Lyra. We’re here.” He rubbed my back and kissed my head.
And I knew for a fact that I would truly be fine if the twins stayed by my side.
“The Alphas will be introducing their mates soon. Brace yourself; you’ll be introduced right after they’re done.”
Damian stuck to me throughout the time Alphas from various packs began introducing themselves. But every minute, someone would come to ask him questions.
From what I heard, he was overseeing a part of the party and was supposed to make sure everything went smoothly. But since he was with me, they kept coming over to ask him questions.
I knew I was stopping him from performing his duty, so I took my hand off his. “You can go. They need you.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he insisted.
“I’ll be fine. This place is highly secured, nothing can happen to me. I’ll stay right here until you come back to me.”
He hesitated, but once again, when they needed his attention, he gave me a small kiss on the head and went after them. “Don’t move. I’ll be back very soon,” he said over his shoulder.
I had no plans to stay still, even though I told him I would. This might be the only chance for me to escape, and I wasn’t going to take it for granted.
I assessed my surroundings, noticing that every door was guarded except the one close to the stage, where Alphas were introducing their mates. I knew that was my only chance to leave, and as long as I was slick, no one would notice me walking out.
Seeing that the twins were busy, I took the opportunity. I began making my way toward the entrance when I was stopped by a man in his late forties.
He looked completely out of it. Drunk, maybe even high on something. The party had only just started, but he was already wasted.
“Excuse me,” I said, attempting to walk past him, but he held my hand.
His grip was so tight that I winced, knowing it would leave a bruise on my sensitive skin. I tried to pry his hand off, but his grip only got harder, his nails digging into my skin.
“You are her,” he slurred.
Since he was obviously drunk, I wasn’t offended by his statement. I just wanted him to let me go before Damian came back and noticed I was no longer where he left me.
“You’re the wanted lady.”
I tried once more to take his hands off me, but he held both my wrists as if trying to arrest me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And I’m not her. Please, let me go.”
For someone so drunk, I must admit his grip was unusually strong, which meant he was either an Alpha or I was just weak.
“You’re the girl! That’s right, I found her!” he yelled, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
They didn’t help me even when they saw that I was in distress. They turned a blind eye, and some even sneered at me.
“Does that mean I get the money now? I found the wanted girl!” he yelled over the crowd.
I was confused, and hopelessness clawed at me. Enraged and desperate, I fought with all my might until I broke free from his hold.
But even after that, he didn’t let me go easily, insisting that he wanted his bounty money before anything else happened.
“Look, I have no idea who you’re looking for or what they want, but I can assure you I’m not the girl you’re looking for. The only reward you’ll get for holding me hostage is the wrath of the Valentino twins. For your own safety, it’s best you let me go.”
He howled with laughter, my words somehow cracking him up. He probably thought I was bluffing about the Valentino twins.
He dug into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a wanted poster, and to my shock, my face was on it with a bounty for anyone who brought me back.
It was undeniable that I was the girl in the picture. I snatched it from him, wanting to see clearly and know the crime I had allegedly committed to be wanted.
“Wanted for the kidnap of Anika Onyxvale,” I read aloud, the words sounding foreign in my own ears.
Anika was missing? How? Since when? And why would I be the one they suspected?
Was that one of the reasons Orion showed up at the Valentino pack, to secretly check if Anika was with me?
I was still trying to process everything when I heard my name loud and clear.
Confused, I looked toward the stage, and Orion was there, pointing right at me.