66- The Box
POV Lunara Grimwald:
I kicked a few pebbles, striking the still water of the lake and making it ripple.
I opened and closed my hands into fists, pacing back and forth, trying to keep control. If I gave in to my wolf’s instincts, I would shift and run to Thalira and Edric, and then I would kill the omega.
My wolf wanted her blood. The hatred was so palpable I was breathing hard, the hairs on my arms standing on end.
"That damned liar and bastard," I grunted, pushing my hair over my shoulder.
And, on top of everything, there was the damn mating and the sharing of emotions. It would be another long, exhausting night.
I let out a sharp growl and kicked more stones.
If I could go back to my past, I would never have entered that damned forest, nor followed the sound of the water. That heat was a curse, putting me in this mess. I should have gone back into that bloody heat, but Edric had given me more inhibitors days before.
I set my hands on my hips and stared at the orange late-afternoon sky.
A gentle breeze hit my face, blowing my hair.
I sighed.
It would be so much easier if Sel were with me. She would probably finish Edric and Thalira off, after yelling at me in every possible tone for being stupid enough to care. She did that every time I defended Alessio and acted like a lovesick idiot.
But this was much worse now.
I wasn’t in love with Edric; I didn’t even like him. But I felt as if he had truly betrayed me.
I turned my back and walked the route I already knew by heart, back to the bastard’s house.
I would finish off his stock of whiskies, light the fireplace with the bottles, and use his clothes to keep the fire going. I’d drink another share and throw the rest down the sink. I didn’t care how much they cost or how he’d get them again. If he pissed me off enough—making me feel that disgusting heat from his sex with Thalira—I’d burn the whole house down.
I didn’t think he’d care about the clothes, but it was something Elowen would do, so that didn’t sound like a good idea—which made it perfect. As for the house... maybe he’d be a little pissed.
The privacy of the lake was my favorite part. Apart from Lyris, me, Celindra, and sometimes Edric, nobody else went there. I could suffer quietly and in peace, with no one to see how much of an idiot I was or to bother me.
Arriving home, I breathed in the scent inside. The aroma of cinnamon and roses tickled my nose—Nicoleta’s cleaning products. Far in the background I could smell fresh pine and damp earth. It was recent, but not vivid. He had been home, but had already gone to his damned filthy sex party.
I clenched my teeth hard.
I ran up the stairs, my steps hard and loud, ignoring the noise I made against the wood. If I wanted to enter quietly, I was doing a terrible job. If Edric had nearby neighbors, they would have heard the heavy sound of my footsteps.
I opened the bedroom door with the same delicacy as my steps, slamming it against the jamb and closing it with my back.
I looked around the room, trying to find something to occupy my mind, but there was nothing. I had memorized the lines of my only book; it wouldn’t be enough to distract me—not when I knew every damned detail of what would happen.
I snorted, rolling my eyes and walking to the window.
I stopped halfway, turning automatically toward the bed.
I frowned at the object on it—a gray box with a pink ribbon tied around it.
Oh no.
The last time a mysterious box appeared in my room, things hadn’t ended relatively well. I had ended up wearing a dead woman’s dress, being ignored by the entire pack, and having it ripped from my body as soon as possible, thrown into the dirty laundry basket for Nicoleta. I never wanted to see that dress in front of me again.
I took a deep breath and bit my cheeks, hesitating between giving in to my curiosity to see what the hell it was, or ignoring its existence completely. If it was from Thalira, I would set the box and the house on fire.
And no one, not even Edric, could judge me for that.
I was at my limit, controlling my animal side because he was a liar, a bastard.
I stamped my foot on the floor repeatedly, not taking my eyes off the box. I wanted to know what was inside and at the same time I didn’t want to.
I lasted five seconds before running to the bed and throwing myself on top of the object. I pulled the ribbon with trembling, stiff fingers, undoing it. I pushed the lid aside, revealing the contents.
For a moment, I was confused, staring at the small bundle of herbs, not sure what to do with them. Beneath it lay a folded paper with irregular edges, as if torn from some old notebook. It smelled of mildew. I grabbed it, unfolding it.
It was a note—a handwritten note, in cursive.
Castle of the Elders, at the moon’s peak.
Your presence will be a valuable addition to the night.
Simple as that, with no identification or anything.
I picked up the little herb bundle and sniffed, sensing an aroma of herbs I couldn’t identify. It was exactly like the ones I had seen the she-wolves carrying—the same Thalira had shown me.
I chewed my cheek, rolling the bundle between my fingers, undecided.
Well... I knew the way to the Castle of the Elders. If I weren’t a guest, I would be expelled. And that certainly wouldn’t be the most embarrassing situation I’d gone through since I arrived in the village. The dead woman’s dress and the salty little buns would still top the list.
I blinked, replaying the scene of Thalira writhing in the arms of that damned alpha. If he could go around fucking anyone, why couldn’t I do the same?
I sprang up in a single sharp movement, still holding the bundle. The sense of self-preservation seemed to have drained out of my body, because I only felt the need to go to that damned party, put on the most low-cut, indecent outfit I owned, and have fun with no attachments.
Just to be safe, I was single.
I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, my heart racing, adrenaline consuming me.
"Fuck it, I’m going to that party," I murmured, talking to myself.
I wouldn’t spend another night feeling the uncomfortable heat of Edric’s sex with that damned bitch. If he was going to have fun, fine—because I was going to too.
With a crazed smile on my face, I ran to the bathroom, more than willing to entertain myself, but mostly ready to get revenge.