Chapter 12
Abigail's POV
I held my breath underwater, counting the seconds in my head. The cold stabbed into my skin like countless fine needles, every inch stinging. I forced myself to stay calm, letting my body sink a little deeper, then slowly kicked toward the other side of the pond.
One... two... three...
My chest grew tighter, my lungs beginning to burn. The jade-green silk wrapped around my legs, heavy and sticky, clinging like something alive trying to drag me down. I moved forward bit by bit through the water, eyes barely open, just enough to make out the blurred shapes of lotus stems and the silvery rippling surface above.
Forty-seven... forty-eight... forty-nine...
When I finally broke through on the far side, gasping greedily for air, the first thing I saw was a face.
Delicate, with hard lines, dark hair pulled back with meticulous precision. The woman crouched at the pond's edge, one hand resting casually on her knee. She looked me up and down, as if weighing whether the bedraggled woman before her was a puzzle worth taking the time to solve.
Elodie Turner. Nighthowl Pack Alpha's daughter. In my previous life, I'd only glimpsed her once from afar at a gathering I'd barely been permitted to attend. We'd never spoken—she'd been surrounded by admirers and flatterers at the center of the crowd, while I was just... an inconspicuous shadow at the edge.
I raised my hand instinctively, extending my arm toward her. "Pull me up."
She watched me for a long moment, lips curving into a slight smile, before grasping my wrist and hauling me up onto the stone-paved pond bank.
The moment my feet touched solid ground, her expression changed abruptly. The earlier curiosity vanished instantly, replaced by something cold and sharp.
"You dare command me?"
"I wouldn't dare." I spoke quickly. "I'm sorry, I just—look at me. Soaked through, shivering with cold, and you're the only person here. Please don't take offense."
Elodie's eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilting to one side. "What's your name?"
"Abigail Rodriguez. Crimson Fang Pack."
She studied me in silence for another moment, her gaze sliding from my dripping hair down to the ruined jade silk clinging to my body. Then she straightened her spine, arms crossing over her chest.
"I'm Elodie Turner," she said. "Nighthowl Pack. You're rather interesting."
Her gaze paused on my dress for a moment before returning to my face.
"Do you have spare clothes?"
"No." I admitted honestly. "I didn't plan on going swimming."
She gave a soft snort. "Lucky for you, I brought a spare. I can lend it to you. Consider it... your good fortune."
"Thank you," I said. "Really. Otherwise I wouldn't know how to get back to the crowd."
Elodie jerked her chin toward a small pavilion behind the pond. "Come on. Let's get you changed first, before you actually catch something out here."
I followed behind her, crossing the grass, my wet dress dragging a dark trail of water across the ground. The small pavilion wasn't large but was quite elegant, its roof supported by carved wooden pillars, a long stone bench against one wall. Elodie bent down, pulled out a neatly wrapped bundle from beneath the bench, and handed it to me.
"Here. Might be a bit loose, but it's far more presentable than what you're wearing now."
I took the spare clothes—a deep burgundy gown, simple in design. I ducked behind one of the inner pillars, peeled off the soaked formal dress, and changed into the new clothes with efficient movements, taking the opportunity to wring out my hair as much as possible. Meanwhile, Elodie leaned against the pavilion entrance, her back to me, gazing toward the depths of the garden.
"So," she said, her tone casual, as if making small talk, "how did you end up in the pond? Did you fall? Or were you pushed?"
My movements involuntarily stilled, my fingertips pausing on the borrowed dress ties. "I slipped. I wanted to get closer to look at that late-blooming lotus, and I lost my balance."
"Mm." She hummed lightly in response, sounding neither entirely convinced nor inclined to press further.
I finished adjusting the dress and stepped out from behind the pillar. Elodie turned to look at me, her gaze lingering on the deep red gown for a moment, her expression softening slightly.
"It suits you well." She assessed, and before finishing her sentence, she leaned in closer, inhaling deeply, her nostrils flaring gently. Her pupils dilated sharply for an instant. "Your scent... it's very good. I like it."
I froze completely.
The masking incense should have been mostly washed away by now—Autumn had said a minute in water would be enough—and from Elodie's reaction, she was indeed smelling my true scent.
"Th-thank you." I managed to squeeze out the words.
Elodie straightened, lips curving into a slight smile. "Let's go. We should get back, or people will start wondering where we've gone."
We returned along the winding stone path through the garden. The closer we got to the courtyard, the clearer the laughter, music, and voices became, like a surging tide punctuated by scattered cheers and applause.
The moment we stepped into the brightly lit courtyard, I saw them.
Olivia stood at the center of the crowd, wearing a moon-white gown that glowed softly in the torchlight. Her face wore a perfectly calibrated expression of demure concern as she spoke, nodding frequently. Facing her was an imposing middle-aged couple—the man broad-shouldered with graying temples, the woman elegant and composed, delicate silver ornaments adorning her dark hair.
Alpha King and Queen Luna.
I held my breath.
Elodie walked toward them without hesitation, her voice clear and natural as she called out, "Uncle Elias, Aunt Celia."
Alpha King turned, his stern expression immediately softening. "Elodie. It's always a pleasure to see you."
Queen Luna also smiled and nodded. "You look well, dear. Your mother sends her regards, I trust?"
"She does." Elodie confirmed, then gestured toward me. "I just made a new friend by the pond. Abigail Rodriguez. She's 'my person' now."
I clearly felt that heavy attention shift toward me in unison, pressing down so hard I could barely lift my head. I curtsied, gaze lowered.
"Your Majesties." I said softly. "It is the honor of my life."
When I looked up, I met Alpha King's gaze directly. His eyes, deep and inscrutable, locked tightly on my face. For a brief instant, his expression seemed to go blank, as if he'd forgotten how to control his facial muscles.
He blinked, and his expression returned to polite courtesy, but I still caught the barely perceptible tension in his jawline and the hand at his side that curled slightly before relaxing.
What was that?
Before I could think further, I caught sight of my parents in my peripheral vision. Matthew stood as upright and composed as ever, his Alpha's formal robes impeccable; but Evelyn's face could barely maintain its polite mask. She stared at me across the crowd, fury flashing in her eyes before being swiftly covered by a carefully constructed layer of concern.
Good, I thought coldly. She must be furious that I managed to attend the gathering after all, that her scheme fell apart.
Queen Luna's voice pulled my thoughts back. "How curious. The two young ladies of Crimson Fang Pack have identical scents. Is this common in your pack?"