Chapter 58
Chapter 58:
He took my gloved hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the cold metal of the tungsten ring on my finger, his eyes never leaving mine.
“You think fabric changes anything?” he whispered, leaning close. His nose brushed against the lace collar, inhaling deeply near my ear.
I stiffened, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“The dress hides nothing, Adella,” he murmured, his voice a dark caress against my skin. “He won’t need to see the marks. He is a wolf. He will smell me on you. Every pore of your skin is saturated with my scent. When he looks at you, he won’t see the girl he rejected. He will smell the King who claimed her p>
He pulled back, his golden eyes burning with a terrifying intensity.
“Let’s go,” he said, offering me his arm. “Your audience awaits p>
I stared at him for a heartbeat, the weight of his words settling over me like a second skin. I wasn’t just walking into a party.
I was walking into a declaration of war.
I took his arm.
The Plaza Hotel ballroom was a cavern of crystal and light, suffocatingly opulent. The air was thick — a cloying soup of expensive perfume, champagne, and the underlying, musky scent of hundreds of wolves. As I walked in, the chatter didn’t stop, but the atmosphere shifted.
J𝗼𝗂𝗻 t𝗵𝗈𝗎ѕa𝗇𝘥𝗌 𝗈𝖿 f𝘢𝗻𝗌 𝘰ո
Heads turned. Noses flared.
Dallas had been right. They didn’t just see me — they smelled him. The scent of rain and ozone that clung to my skin acted like a forcefield, parting the crowd of elites in a wave of confused submission.
“Stay close,” Azalea whispered, her arm linked through mine. She looked fierce in crimson, a stark contrast to my severe black silk.
We hadn’t taken ten steps before a figure blocked our path.
Victoria Hyde.
The Luna of the Hyde Pack wore silver, her hair coiffed into a helmet of blonde perfection. Her eyes, cold as chips of ice, raked over my high-collared gown with performative pity.
“Adella,” she drawled, her voice dripping with faux concern. “And Azalea. What a… surprise.” She took a step closer, wrinkling her nose slightly — though I knew all she could smell was the Alpha King’s claim. “My dear, are you in mourning? Or is the Alpha King’s taste simply that… austere p>
My spine stiffened, the steel in my voice matching the corset beneath my gown. “I’m just mourning the integrity some Packs seem to be losing, Victoria p>
Beside me, Azalea made a sound suspiciously like a choked laugh.
Victoria’s smile didn’t waver, but her eyes narrowed into slits. “Enjoy your time as a parasite, wolfless. It won’t last.” She turned on her heel and vanished into the crowd.
“Bitch,” Azalea muttered under her breath. “I need a drink. A strong one. Don’t move — I’ll be right back p>
Before I could protest, she slipped away toward the champagne tower, leaving me exposed near a massive marble pillar.
I barely had time to draw a breath before a hand clamped onto my elbow. The grip was familiar — too familiar. It made my skin crawl.
“Adella p>