"Are you going to tell me about it? How do you have it and why you think it is of value to me?" Emira asked softly as she moved in time with Alpha Cassian in a slow dance, her attention on him.
Her voice was calm, but her patience was wearing thin. It had been two hours since Cassian Redwood had shown her half of a jade pendant and in all that time, he had refused to say anything more about it instead forcing her to spend time with him by making her take a walk with him and now dance with him.
She had played along but only because she was focused on one thing. And it was the Jade Pendant with this man. Or rather, half a pendant.
Because the other half was buried deep near the Ruins. The half that her mother had left her...
And that was the only reason Emira hadn’t walked away yet. But if this Alpha thought he could keep stringing her along, then he had another think coming.
"There’s no need to hurry, is there? As for how I knew of its importance—well, I didn’t. I’ve always carried the jade pendant with me. It was a gift... from someone I once loved. It is you who seemed to recognize it, and in doing so, revealed that it meant something more."
Emira’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you go around showing it to everyone, then? There must be a reason you thought to show it to me."
He laughed then. "Touché, Emi-ra. Let’s just say I had a hunch."
Emira gave a short nod. The music around them slowed to a stop, and she took a small step back, putting space between them. Since he wasn’t going to tell her anything, there was no point wasting another moment on trying to find more.. Maybe the pendant meant nothing at all. Perhaps it was just an old trinket her mother had kept. She had never mentioned anything about it in her letters after all.
"I’d like to take my leave now, Alpha Cassian," she said quietly as she stepped away from him. "I’m quite tired."
"Of course, of course," he said but even then, for every step she took away from him, he took a step closer to her as he continued to talk, "Why don’t I walk you back to your cabin? It’s already late. Miss Ryn showed us the Omega quarters during the tour this morning, so I know the way."
Emira stiffened at that.. She didn’t know why but the idea of this man knowing where she lived was repulsive to her. So, she could only shake her head and deny,"No. Thank you. You are a guest here, and this is the Stormhold Pack. I am safe here."
Alpha Cassian tilted his head then and taunted, "Just like you were safe when you were kidnapped?"
Emira froze. So, he knew about that too. She frowned. Of course he did. He seemed to know far too much about her already.
She looked him in the eye then and said quietly, "Alpha Cassian, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but whatever it is, I would rather not be a part of it. If you have something to say or show me, then do it. If not, please don’t bother me again."
However, the man was relentless. "What’s the hurry?" he asked lightly. "I’ll be here for the next few days, meeting with the other Omegas. And since you’ve caught my interest, why not spend a little more time together? How about tomorrow evening? We can continue our discussion about antiques like that jade pendant you are so curious about. Why not go on a date?"
Just as Emira opened her mouth to refuse, there was no way she wanted to spend more time with this man when another voice cut through the air behind her, refusing on her behalf. "Alpha Cassian. Unfortunately, Emira cannot do that. She is too busy for the next few days..."
Emira felt the air around her change. Somehow, Prince Kael’s voice sounded colder than his usual self. But more than that, it was the change in Alpha Cassian’s expression that surprised her.
He was still smiling, but his eyes seemed to have hardened. As if he were seeing his mortal enemy. Which was a bit absurd considering she hadn’t heard of any enmity between the two packs...
"Prince Kael. Always a pleasure."
Emira wanted to turn around and look at the man, but even without turning, she felt him getting closer to her... until he stood next to her, his presence almost overpowering her.
Cassian’s gaze flicked from Kael to Emira, and his smile returned, only this time it was with a hint of mockery. "Busy, is she. Well, that is unfortunate. I had hoped to enjoy her company for a while longer. But I understand. Duties come first. Especially for a slave like her. I didn’t realize that Miss Emi-ra would need your permission.."
"Well, I will be at the lake tomorrow. It’s a beautiful spot, calm and quiet perfect for reflection. I’m sure that Emi-ra," he said her name slowly, deliberately, his tone almost teasing, "will find a little time to take a break from her... busy schedule."
The way he said it made it sound less like an invitation and more like a promise. Alpha Cassian was letting Prince Kael know that she would definitely come see him...
Emira didn’t answer, and Kael didn’t move.
Cassian gave a brief laugh, turned on his heel, and added, "I’ll take my leave, then. It’s been... an interesting evening."
He walked away before Kael could say anything more and Emira released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The moment Cassian’s figure disappeared through the doorway, the tension around her seemed to lift slightly. But when she glanced at Kael, she found his gaze fixed on the spot where Alpha Cassian had just walked out from.