Ramona stiffened as she caught sight of the woman behind him. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at her. Omegas were naturally beautiful. Yes. But this one was... extraordinarily so. Young and almost frail-looking. Added to that, with her head bowed and posture subdued in humility, she could see that no unmated man in the room was able to take their eyes off her.
People who would dare not look up at Kael, had almost forgotten to fear his presence.
However, as she sent her another look, her eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line in anger.
Beauty alone was not enough to make her pulse quicken in anger. No, what ignited the fire within her was the clothes draping that fragile frame.
Her stomach sank when recognition hit. The shirt. That shirt.
Bright red, vivid against the subdued tones of the hall, clinging slightly to the girl’s slight figure as it reached to her knees. It should have made her look like a seductress but somehow it seemed to highlight her innocence. As if she had no idea of her allure.
But this shirt... Ramona herself had once chosen it... deliberate spite. Just before things had gone south, her father had forced her to go and buy some gifts for Lance, Kael and Zen. And the premise had been that she should buy the same thing. So she had bought. A blue shirt for Lance. A tan shirt for Zen and this red shirt for Kael... knowing that Kael could not bear to wear bright colors. He only ever bore black... like the night and endless shadows he seemed to thrive in.
She had known he would never wear it and had counted on it. That shirt was never meant for him to put on but had simply been a perfunctory gesture for show. Just like her feelings for him.
And when Kael had tried to return it, she’d told him that it belonged to him and she didn’t care what he did with it.
But, now, here it was, draped across the body of another woman. How dare he!
Her wolf growled in her mind, furious and restless, clawing at her ribs. How dare he? How dare he take what was hers-even if she had thrust it upon him mockingly- and place it on this slave.
The insult was sharp, cutting deeper than she cared to admit.
Ramona’s nails curled into her palm beneath the table, and she fought to keep her face serene. Outward composure was everything here. She could not bare her fury before all the watching eyes. But then her eyes met his. And she knew he felt it as he met her glance before turning to look at Lance.
Ramona clenched her jaw and ignored him as he came to sit on the other side of Zen and chanced another glance at the slave. The woman had halted just short of the steps, bowing her head deeper still and was now retreating toward the corner of the hall.
Ramona tracked her every step, and scoffed as the Omega stopped in a small corner. At least she knew her place and had the sense to keep to the shadows, away from the table that was not hers to approach.
But that shirt burned in her vision like a beacon.
Her thoughts churned. Was this Kael’s way of mocking her or did he want to take revenge? To take what she had given and twist it, draping it over another until it became an insult branded in plain sight?
Her throat tightened. Rage and fear mingled together until she could not tell one from the other.
She forced her lips into a tight smile, lifted her chin slightly as if unaffected and gestured for the maid to start bringing out the dishes, without turning her head to look at Kael.
***
The moment Kael settled into his seat, his eyes slid toward Zen and as their eyes met, he simply growled in his head,"What exactly are you trying to pull?"
Zen turned his head slightly, gave him his most innocent look and said, "What did I do? If anything, I should be questioning you. I woke up and my little fire was gone without so much as a see you soon. If I had not sensed your scent, then I would have thought that she’d been kidnapped."
Kael’s jaw tightened. "Do not play games with me. You and I both know what you are planning? And this little stunt just proves it. Why is she wearing a shirt that looks almost exactly like the one Ramona once gave me? And why did she hide it under a long coat till we arrived here if not for your orders?"
Zen’s brow furrowed in mild confusion. "Is she wearing that? I don’t even remember what the shirt she gave you looked like. I just ought this for her along with the other clothes that I gave her in the last few days. I think red looks good on her. Don’t you think so?"
Kael’s glare darkened while Zen cocked his head to cast another glance at Emira, as if to make sure he was correct. With a tap on his chair, to make him look back, he continued, "Can you not sense her anger from here? She is seething, Zen. Are you trying to get Emira killed before she is even accepted into the pack?"
Zen leaned back, lips quirking faintly though his eyes remained cold. "So which is it, brother? Are you worried about the little fire being snapped at by our mate or our mate being hurt by the little fire?"
Kael’s hands curled on the table, the faintest tremor running through the silver rings that gleamed at his fingers. His eyes flickered once more to the corner where Emira stood and then his gaze cut back to Zen, "Do not test me," Kael warned. "If anything happens because of this-"