A shudder of fear went through her. She ensured to keep her gaze on the floor but his hand forcefully held her chin with his hand and made her look up at him through the tiny nets of her black veil, while his claws dug lightly into her skin.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see him set down his goblet to pull off her veil. Her big brown eyes widened with fear, and she tried to pull away but his tight grip.
The giggling of the women sitting at his feet, filled her ears along with Oana’s whisper for her to just obey and submit to the Alpha’s actions.
He yanked the veil from her face and tossed the small piece of cloth to the floor. Their gaze met, and immediately a ringing sound filled her ears.
A kind of rage rushed through her veins and suddenly, she wasn't on her knees anymore, instead she was on her feet, unstable though as it felt like the dining room was spinning around her.
She blinked, just at the moment to catch a glimpse of Ikrus’s glare as he took Arlo from Oana.
Ikrus?
When did he get here?
She didn't have the time to think about that though because in the next second his hand went around her waist and with a speed that sent her dizzy, he took them away from the dining room.
One second they were in the dining room and in the next, she was in a different room. Her head was spinning, she could barely see or even hear anything properly, she hadn't ran but she was still trying to catch her breath.
The moment his hand left her waist, she dropped to the floor.
She could see a doubled image of his boots as he walked around the room and back to the door where she had her back turned to and could see him no more.
Before Ikrus could shut the door, Oana arrived, almost slamming into the wooden frame with how much speed she was using.
“Brother—” she said, trying to catch her breath. Her hand was on the door, to ensure that he wouldn't slam it on her face.
Her brother was never really that mad at her but then, something like this had never happened between them before.
She feared what the result of this might be.
“How dare you take her to him?”
“I didn't plan for this to happen.” That was her quick response.
“You didn't extend your invitation to me. Of course you didn't plan for me to interfere. I apologize for ruining your plan, sister.”
“No! That is not what I mean.”
Aniya was feeling slightly better now and she could hear them arguing by the door, but the words they threw at each other was in that language that she didn't know.
Arlo…
Where was Arlo?
She tried to rush up to her feet to find him, but she couldn't. Her head was still jamming with ache, so she crawled around while calling his name.
“I just wanted him to see her for what she truly is—”
“What she truly is?” He asked pointedly and she got even more nervous than she was before.
“I thought if Father saw her he would be so re—” she pushed and rethought her words when his glare deepened, “displeased that he would let her go.” A spark sipped into her eyes immediately. “I was doing it for you, Ikrus. You don't have to go to the North Border, you don't have to die—”
He slammed the door, and turned to see Aniya standing up slowly. She must have seen her little one that he had laid on the bed.
“That is your father, right? You look so much like him.” He stopped briefly and looked at her but he said nothing. Instead it seemed that her words had angered him even more.
She took a step forward.
What was she doing?
It felt instinctive to want to know, it felt like this knowledge was something she just had to have. Like this was something she had to be so concerned with, like it was important—
But why?
“You do not seem to have a good relationship with him. What is is the—”
A growl rumbled in his chest, reminding her of the type of beast he was, a monster. That reminded her of her face immediately and the fact that she no longer has her veil on.
She turned her back to him. Now filled with rage and embarrassment.
“Well, I don't want to know either! I just want to go back. My child is not happy here.”
Arlo was on the bed, smiling and clapping his hands.
Sometimes, it felt like her own son was against her.
She could hear Ikrus stepping away from her without a response to her outburst so she grabbed anything her hand landed upon and threw it at him. His movement was swift and he caught the vase smoothly.
That made her even angrier, as a chill ran down her spine knowing that he could kill her at any time with such speed and she wouldn't even have a second to fight him.
The feelings tumbled along with the one that fluttered in her stomach.
Unease and anger.
It was a terrible combination.
“Oh, I see. An expert at catching vases. Will you be an expert with this too, and understand that this Human and her child wants to go home.”
Arlo laughed, like he was watching the funniest thing and she turned to give him a stink eye.
His smile dwindled, it didn't seem like he understood the message behind her look though.
“You are the heir to the throne. You must want someone worthy.” She ran after Ikrus who was already heading towards the door and stood in front of him. “Look at me, I am not worthy or flawless like your people. I am not a pure person you know.” She smiled, a pain that she was trying to hide, etched into that expression. “You can even say that I am not good.”
She caught it — a spark of curiosity in his black eyes.
The words that slipped out of her mouth burnt her tongue like hot coals.
“I laid with my sister’s beloved to make him take responsibility for his father’s child. I destroyed his life.” She didn't look at Arlo but he did. Then he looked back at her and she said those words that almost choked the air right out of her.
“You look very much like your father.”
His hand roughly went around her chin, his claws digging lightly into her skin. “Be quiet.”
“You even act like him.”
He pulled his hand away from her immediately, like he had been burnt.
“Seal those lips of yours at once!”
“Oh, but you must know.” Tears danced in her eyes as she spoke. “It is necessary that you know of my qualities. When she found another, I tried to seduce him too and I’m going to do the same thing to you if you make me stay here. I’m going to destroy your life—”
“Be quiet!”
His glare almost made her keep her mouth shut immediately, he was so close, it was all she could see. But no, she yelled into his face just as he had done to her.
“I’m going to ruin it all!”
“Silence!”
“I’m going to make you wish you never met me—”
His lips slammed against her own, his hand slipping into her head to keep her in place as he stole every word she had left from her.