Rosalie’s eyes became wide, not with anger but with fear. She gulped as she stared at Hunter as if the question he asked was too insulting and as if she was caught stealing something when it was clearly River who had stolen this necklace. Maybe Hunter didn’t know what had occurred in his absence. And that notion dispelled her fears.
“Oh, Hunter!” she said. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the far end of the Emerald Hall so that no one would hear what exactly happened. When she reached there, she lowered her voice. “This necklace was stolen by River. She went into your room and she stole it from there. Do you know that that blo*dy breeder is a kleptomaniac? She not only stole this necklace, she even stole the dress that I bought for myself at the shop. You should get rid of her and get a new breeder!”
Anger blasted in his chest as he heard Rosalie pouring her venom.
“That breeder is such a bit*h that the moment she came here, she attracted four men. And all of them were hovering around her like moths to a flame. They were giving her suggestive looks and I am sure that she has gone out with one of them and is now whoring her way out! I showed her the way out of this hall. But you must send warriors to catch her. Who knows that she is trying to run away from here?”
A menacing growl emanated from his chest and the next Hunter knew was that his long fingers had tightened around Rosalie’s neck. He slammed her to a wall as his fangs lengthened.
“Hunter!” Rosalie shrieked, shocked at what just happened. “What are you doing?”
Grabbing her necklace, he snarled, “This necklace belongs to my mother and I gave it to her. Who are you to determine that she stole it? Did you see her stealing it?”
The entire hall went silent at their Alpha’s action. They watched him on Rosalie’s neck in stunned silence. The music that had earlier started to play softly, paused.
Rosalie grasped his wrist and tried to free herself, sputtering and coughing. Tears came in her eyes at
the lack of air. Hunter was just too powerful for a she-Lycan like her. She found her feet dangling a foot above the ground. “N-no!” she rasped.
“Then how dare you accuse her without evidence?” he growled.
“–” Rosalie couldn’t speak at all as her mind became numb with Hunter’s tight grasp on her throat.
Hunter was too pis*d at her for accusing his mate. All he saw was blood. He wanted to ki*l this little bit*h but years of practiced control made him leave her. Rosalie slipped to the ground on her a*s. She got up on her fours and crawled as she coughed and wheezed. Hunter got down and unclasped the necklace from her. Shoving it in his pocket, he snarled at her in a warning to stay away from her. He walked out of the Emerald Hall not concerned about the curious
looks he received which he knew were mixed with fear.
Rosalie watched him leave with tears coming out of her eyes. And at this moment she hated River more than anyone or anything in this world. The damage she did to her carefully planned party was irreversible. Hunter didn’t even look at her once while marching out of the hall. Mina and Gina came rushing to her as soon as Hunter was out. They helped her get up and made her sit on a chair. Rosalie was so humiliated in front of all the guests that she didn’t know how to react. However, it was Mina who came up with a plan to salvage the situation.
Gina smiled when she looked at her sister and said, “Leave it to me. You take care of Rosalie.”
Soon gossip went around and Rosalie was seen as a lesser devil. Mina asked the musicians to play the music. Some women sneered at Rosalie for being such a snob but they also admired her secretly.
Hunter walked out of the hall, feeling terrible. His evening was ruined and he wondered where River had run. He followed her smell all the way to the corridor and then towards the kitchen. Her smell was mixed with that of metal, which meant that she was also hurt. Once again, he saw red. He wanted to hurt Rosalie so bad that his claws elongated.
He rushed to the kitchen where the cooks were working for the ball. As soon as they saw him, all of them stopped working and bowed to him. Hunter avoided their inquisitive gazes and went to the garden following River’s smell. As he approached nearer, he heard her soft laughter. He opened the door that opened in the backyard and was taken
aback.
River was having a small party with all the omegas. Faria was sitting on the same table as her, smiling as she peeled oranges in front of her. Seeing River calmed his nerves. He was so scared that she would have run away towards the forest full of demons that his heart was thudding against his ribcage wildly.
He took a careful step towards her, mesmerized by her laughter and the pink that crept on her cheeks when someone
joked. However, the moment he came, everyone stopped talking or laughing.
He coughed lightly at the silence and approached River who was also now staring at him with wide eyes, surprise evident in them. Faria got up and bowed to him and did the others.
“Alpha Hunter!” River rasped as she too stood up.
“Why are you here?” he asked. “You should have been in the ball.”
River pursed her lips and lowered her head. “I am so sorry, Alpha Hunter, but I was-” she stuttered. “I was-” Bile rose in her throat when she remembered what happened at the hall and she couldn’t speak further.
Hunter noticed the scratches on her beautiful neck and a growl vibrated in his chest. “Never mind,” he said. He walked up to the table and sat down over there. “I will have my dinner here,” he announced. “With all of you!” All he wanted was to sit with River. It didn’t matter that he was with the omegas who were lowest in the werewolf hierarchy.
Never ever in the history of Dark Moon pack had the omegas had the pleasure of the king having dinner with them. So when they heard it, there was a collective gasp. Seconds later, the servants were all active. Their king wanted to have dinner with them. And they were going to make sure that it was the best dinner of his life. Some of them looked at River with appreciation in their eyes while some were pure jealous. Why was she so important to him?
Soon orders were shouted and more tables joined the one at which Hunter was sitting. A group of omega girls were so eager that they performed a small dance for him. Dishes were arranged on the table. The omegas prepared a five-course dinner for their king.
River couldn’t help but feel giddy. Alpha Hunter had left the ball and came here to find her? Somehow, she couldn’t digest the fact. So, she continued to sit there and blush as he watched her.
Meanwhile Rosalie was too embarrassed to stay in the party. It was a charity that she had organized and she ended up being insulted. She was going to make sure that she would drive the breeder out of the castle. But first she had to ask for Hunter’s forgiveness. One thing at a time. She excused herself from the ball and went to search him.
