“River?” Faria said, holding her so that she didn’t fall. “What happened? You were supposed to be in the ball, weren’t you? Why have you come back and why are you crying? And where’s your necklace?”
Feeling too dejected, River shook her head. “I-Lady Rosalie” She couldn’t speak further, her throat choking with emotions.
Faria pursed her lips. She gave a cursory glance around and then grabbing River’s wrist, she dragged her out of the main hall.
River was humiliated as h*ll. She couldn’t stop crying even though she wanted to. It was getting too much. Her life su*ked at this point of time. She cursed Alpha Maxim for throwing her into a place where she was doomed to be insulted and then thrown into dungeons after being used. She didn’t know where Faria was taking her, but she was happy to be away from the ball and be as far as away as possible.
They came to stop in a garden that was beyond the kitchen. River noticed that the garden was occupied by servants who were bustling around. Several tables and chairs were set over there on which vegetables, condiments, knives and other things were strewn. Several of the servants were sitting and chopping vegetables, talking amongst themselves
with excitement.
“Sit here!” Faria said and made her sit at the nearest table where two more omega girls were sitting. They watched her curiously as she sat there with her head hung low. Faria left her and she wiped her tears, feeling awkward.
“Are you new here?” asked one of the girls as she chopped potatoes. “I am Neel.”
River nodded. “Yes, I am br- new.”
“Why aren’t you in the ball?” Neel asked, eyeing her suspiciously. “You are wearing a beautiful dress. And why do you have those marks on your neck?”
A fresh bout of tears flooded her eyes when River remembered how Rosalie mistreated her in front of others. “It’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head lightly.
Taking a deep sigh, Neel said, “Sorry, but we all know that Lady Rosalie can be… nasty.”
River whipped her head up. “How do you know about Lady Rosalie and-” her voice drawled away.
Neel laughed. “One of us brought the gossip back to us from the ball after serving. He watched what Lady Rosalie did to you. I just connected the dots that the girl must be you because you are wearing a lovely dress.”
A pale blush rose on her cheeks. River looked away feeling all the more embarrassed. Now everyone knew about it. “Hey, it doesn’t matter. Have some coffee!” Neel got up and got a mug of coffee for her. And by the time she came back, two more girls had joined River at the table. They all were so sweet to talk to that River forgot her humiliation soon. She started to giggle at their jokes. Faria came in fifteen minutes with a medicine. She smiled at the girls and boys who were jovially chatting with River.
“Come, let me apply this ointment on you,” she said kindly to River and then lifted her hair up. When she lifted her hair up and saw the damage, she felt a tug at her heart. River’s skin was peeled off badly and it had become red. Small streaks of caked blood were cutting through the back of her neck.
Carefully, she applied the ointment on her skin. River hissed with pain, but she closed her lips and eyes tightly. “There you go,” Faria said. “I am sure it will heal by tomorrow.”
Wounds healed very fast on werewolves, but on River, it took a double the time. “Thank you,” River said.
“It’s fine,” Faria replied with concern. “I suggest that you go back to your room from here.”
Hunter was getting late for the ball. He was impatient to see River. He wanted to go to her room, but if he went there, he was sure that she would get startled and that would be a bad impression. And so he decided to meet her at the ball.
Rosalie had organized this st*pid ball for charity purposes. It wasn’t needed because he would have given that money away even if there was no ball. It was just that Rosalie wanted to show off her skills as the best hostess in the kingdom. Hunter was aware of her real purpose for the ball. He wanted to pass it, but Rosalie was after his life to organize it. He planned on going there, and coming out quickly. With River.
When Hunter opened his closet, his eyes went to the drawer where he had kept gifts that his mother had given him to give to his bride. He took out one of them, a sapphire and a diamond necklace and as he traced its gems, all he could think of was to give it to River and see how she looked in it. Thinking that, he called a servant and asked him to send it to River.
He got busy in a phone call as his butler made him wear the tuxedo and knotted the black tie. It took him over an hour to finish the conversation. It was from one of his business associates in the human world with whom he was planning on expansion into the world of shipping.
“You look handsome, my lord,” said the Butler once he adjusted his tie and brushed a crinkle from his tuxedo. “I am sure Lady Rosalie would love it.”
Hunter scoffed. “Thanks David,” he said. “Lady Rosalie would love to see me even if I go in night pajamas.” He didn’t say who he was getting dressed up so impeccably. It was all about first impressions and he wanted to make a thousand first impressions on River.
David coughed on the side and didn’t comment. He was well aware of what Lady Rosalie was up to, but then who was he to speak in the royal matters.
Hunter picked up his phone and left for the ball. He walked as fast as he could to the Emerald Hall.
Rosalie came running to him as everyone else in the ball bowed to him in pure submission and respect. “Alpha Hunter!” Rosalie exclaimed as she instantly came to hang on his un-extended arm. “We all were waiting for you for so long!” She pressed a kiss on his arm which was nothing more than a show in front of all that he was very close to her and that he belonged to her. “Look, the musicians are waiting for us to start the first dance so that the evening can roll.”
Hunter’s eyebrows furrowed deeply as he stared at Rosalie who was now hanging on his arms. His gaze traveled lower to her neck.
Rosalie blushed, thinking that Hunter was appreciating her beauty.
But Hunter was looking at something else. He growled menacingly, “Who gave you that necklace?”
