Chapter 363 Making new friends

After the previous night, where Viola had pulled out all the stops with her husband to make Hailey jealous and make it absolutely clear where the shewolf stood, she noticed the very next day, stepping out of their room to accept Tess’s invitation to tour the large mansion, that the omegas and several of the Alpha’s family members were giving her strange looks.

Whispers followed her down every corridor, and fingers pointed in her direction like she was walking around with something unpleasant on her and it brought a frown to her face.

Viola was no stranger to bad attention, as she had lived most of her life shrouded in scandal even before she came to Silver. She had been a fallen pack princess and a once-discarded lover. People’s whispered words wasn’t a new thing to her, and so she tried not to let it affect her or pay much attention to the people around her, even though fragments of what was being said still reached her ears anyway.

“…shameless bitch. An apple never falls far from the tree. She came from an omega mother from what I heard, and no doubt she is attracted to low-ranking men and sleeps with them behind closed doors like the bitch she is. What a disgrace.”

“I wonder how she can still show her face in public. She’s disgusting and should be thrown out to the packless so she can fuck with all of them as she pleases.” Spat another, and though she only caught pieces of each conversation, what she caught was enough to make her frown more in confusion as it didn’t make sense, especially since she didn’t even recognize most of the she-wolves saying the words as they were guests of the ceremony and families of the Alpha.

Last night had been one of the best she’d had in a long time. She and Sebastian had spent the whole night together in bed without work pulling him away. They had kissed, rolled around in each other’s embrace, and then talked about irrelevant things that made her know him on a deeper level than she had thought possible.

She had woken up feeling clear-headed and purposeful, already running through her plans to secure an alliance with the Alpha heir and build a few meaningful connections at the ceremony. She had not woken up expecting to walk into a corridor of pointed fingers and whispers.

Unknown to Viola, Hailey had already been busy spreading the story that she had been entertaining male omegas behind closed doors since her arrival to Grim Pack. Viola walked past the whispers as though she hadn’t heard a single word, because acknowledging them would only give them more fuel, and she made her way toward Tess, who was waiting for her.

The moment Tess saw her coming, she moved away from the Alpha heir, whom she had been making out with in the open, and waved excitedly. The she-wolf was dressed in beige linen shorts and an olive tank top, a big smile on her model-worthy, tanned, freckled face, and Viola waved back, making the people talking about her narrow their eyes.

Unlike most she-wolves she had encountered in this world, Tess was refreshingly easy to be around, and Viola suspected it was because she hadn’t grown up here, hadn’t been shaped by the rigid hierarchy and quick judgments that defined so much of werewolf society. Growing up among open-minded humans had left its mark on her in the best possible way.

“It’s so good to finally have someone I can actually talk to, Luna Viola.” Tess said warmly as they began walking through the mansion where guests were steadily arriving and filling the halls.

“It’s genuinely hard to fit in here, they look at me like I’m some kind of alien. I would love to know more people since I’m going to be spending my life in this world now. Are there any friends of yours you could introduce me to?” She asked hopefully.

Viola opened her mouth to answer, and paused. Because when she actually thought about it, apart from Zoe and Nick, she didn’t really have friends. The ones she had made in the past had drifted away or turned their backs on her so completely that she barely remembered their names anymore. Zoe alone wouldn’t be the kind of connection Tess was looking for here, and Nick wasn’t quite right for it either. She was about to disappoint her with that information when she heard her name called from somewhere behind them.

“Viola!”

They both turned to find Laila hurrying toward them in a pair of brown denim shorts and a cropped top, a baseball cap pulled down against the harsh sun of the region. She looked casual and completely unlike the polished, arrogant Laila Viola had come to know in Silver, and she was beaming at the sight of her like they were old friends reuniting.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, why is it so unbearably hot here?” Laila complained as she reached them, and then immediately added, “I am so glad I found you, I was starting to think I would die of boredom out here.” She pulled Viola into a brief hug and stepped back.

Laila wouldn’t have made the trip to this ceremony, actually she had wanted to stay in Silver and keep away from events until the scandal about her was over and no one remembered her anymore, but she couldn’t have missed it knowing the man she wanted to be around was coming here too.

When she saw the guest list sent to her family, she had grabbed it immediately. And the moment she stepped into the pack, the whispers and words about her had sparked right back up again, her fall from grace that had happened since Viola had won over her, which no longer mattered to her the way it once had.

It had been a relief to spot Viola on her arrival, because at least there was one less judgmental person around, and someone she had shared the scandal with.

“I didn’t know you were coming.” Viola said, because someone needed to speak and she wasn’t the sort of person who could be cold to someone who was being openly warm to her, regardless of history.

“I didn’t know I was going to come either. So where are you headed, and if you don’t mind, can I tag along?” She asked, with an almost awkward smile that sat on her alluring confident face.

Viola glanced at Tess, who was watching Laila with open curiosity, and something clicked. Laila knew everyone worth knowing in this world, moved through powerful circles like she was born to it, and could do more to help Tess find her footing socially than Viola could manage with her current unstable standing.

“Of course you can. Tess, this is Laila Serrano. Laila, this is Tess, the Luna-to-be of the Grim pack.”

Laila’s eyes widened noticeably. “I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you. It’s so nice to meet you.” She immediately extended her hand, visibly delighted. Meeting important people was a habit deeply wired into her, one that no amount of scandal had managed to kill, and to her, Tess was soon going to be one of the most important she-wolves in the werewolf world once she married the heir. Furthermore, the idea of being friends with not one but two Lunas, even if one of them was Viola, lit something up in her emerald eyes.

“It’s wonderful to meet you too, Laila.” Tess said, shaking her hand with genuine warmth. “I’ve actually heard of you, in our little werewolf community back in Arizona, we keep tabs on notable people from the wider werewolf world even while we are keeping ourselves hidden among humans. I remember seeing a picture of you. I’m glad we are meeting in person.”

Viola watched Laila practically glow at the revelation that she was known even beyond their world, her interest in Tess visibly multiplying by the second. From what she understood, werewolves living in the human world kept themselves carefully hidden while still maintaining small community connections with others like them, so the fact that Laila’s name had reached Arizona was genuinely something.

“I am stunned and honestly honored to know my name has traveled that far.” Laila said, falling naturally into step beside them as they continued walking, with Viola in the middle.

Both Laila and Tess were significantly taller than her, and Viola pursed her lips quietly at the realization that she was rather dwarfed between them. There was probably some truth to the idea that short women only ever seemed to attract taller friends.

“So where exactly are you two headed?” Laila asked, and Tess opened her mouth to reply.