"Why aren’t you all dead?" I asked Diana and Levina, as we walked behind the adults, toward my tent, after professor Zokel was done listing off my rewards, including those I hadn’t been aware of, those that hadn’t been included in the bulletin that had been distributed in the school, in the days leading to the contest.
"Dead? What are you talking about?" Levina asked, looking between Diana and me.
Diana shrugged her shoulders. "We told her that anyone that saw the beast was liable to die."
Levina chuckled. "I think I told her the same. But seeing as we are all living and breathing, I guess that our parents had distributed unnecessary rumors to us."
We shared a laugh after that, a laugh which caused the adults in front to turn and look at us. Satisfied that we were not up to any mischief, they returned to their discussion, a discussion that I was privy to; they were talking about the beast bowing to me.
Mr. Lethon believed it was because of the royal blood in me. Peter believed that I was from the community, that perhaps I had been born to a parent who didn’t want me, and so had left me at the border of the lycans’ territory.
I preferred Mr. Lethon’s reply, never mind that Peter’s own made sense. The beasts only protected this community, and the neighboring one, and would only listen to any from these two communities. Seeing that the beast in this community had bowed to me, it meant that I was from this community.
But I didn’t want that. It meant more trouble. It meant more hatred from the Queen. And even though I didn’t care about that, I didn’t want to fight, not anytime soon. I just wanted to return to school as if this didn’t happen.
Damn Rachel! I cussed, swiftly turning aside when Levina touched me. "Where is your mind?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Just thinking of the battle, of the beast."
"Or you are listening to the words of the adults..." Diana supplied, bringing to my remembrance her awesome gifts. How could I have forgotten?
"I am not listening." I said, because looking at Diana, I knew she was about to ask me what the adults were saying, never mind that she could easily detect that I was lying.
Well, that’s good news.
From the furrow that suddenly lined Diana’s forehead, I knew that El hadn’t been lying; whatever she had worked up, was keeping Diana from knowing anything about me, just like she had done for the Queen those nights ago. ’Thanks El.’ Googlᴇ search novel[f]ire.net
When we finally got to the tent, we were all brought to a stupefied halt when we saw the Lycan king and his sons standing right in the center of my tent, looking out of place, well except Daniel, who had managed to make himself comfortable by eating an apple, which he had obviously taken from the tray.
But they weren’t alone.
Claire, Naomi, and their brothers were also with them. A full house.
Peter broke the silence. "What are you doing here, Brekan?"
There was no iota of respect in his voice, only undisguised contempt. Even Mr. Brekan was surprised by this, if the piquing of his eyebrows was anything to go by.
"Good afternoon to you too, Peter. I’m actually here to congratulate the winner of this year’s event."
Peter turned to me, his eyes asking if I was up for this madness.
I shrugged, there was nothing to it. I walked into the tent, Diana with me—she was holding my left hand, refusing to let me go in alone.
"Congratulations, Dora. I watched the match; it was the best I have seen in years."
There was a tense silence where I wondered at the king’s fickleness, that he would have left me for dead— I had actually seen it in his eyes. Didn’t he think I had seen him, or was he stupid to think I had forgotten it?
But I nodded, accepting his congratulations. "Thanks, Mr. Brekan. But if you would excuse us, I would like to have my tent to myself, without the presence of intruders."
Another tense silence where the king peered at me with narrowed eyes, right before he divulged into a boisterous laughter. "I one."
I didn’t bother to ask what he meant, rather my eyes drew to the smile on Adam’s lips. He found it funny that I was putting his father in a rough patch. If only they knew who I was.
Once again, the anger arose, but I shut it down just as quickly. I had promised to let this go, and I would. Yes, I was sure that Adam and his brothers had abused me and left me for dead; yes, they had denied doing that; and yes I hadn’t felt a trace of insincerity in their words then; so, yes, I was letting it go—the hurt and the many questions—choosing to live my good life to the fullest without any troubles or cares.
No one said anything to the lycan king’s words, rather Peter gestured with his hand that the male left with his squad, but the king wasn’t done yet.
He looked at me keenly, then offered me his hand for a handshake, but I ignored it.
"What do you want? Why are you stalling? I asked, surprised by my braveness, but happy for it nonetheless.
A silence where the smile on the king’s lips broke, almost giving way to a frown. But he was good enough to keep up the pretense.
"I am inviting you to a party at our pack next month. It is a ten-day celebration of the goodness of the moon goddess, and I would be pleased if you would grace us with your presence."
I furrowed my eyebrows. I knew what the party was all about. It was another time of my life, which I enjoyed to an extent, considering the free food, and the absence of the bullying—rising from the stupid, but welcomed notion of not triggering the anger of the goddess.
But why was he inviting me?