ZOLA'S P.O.V
I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but Elias being possessive, wasn't it. How could he be so hot and cold? One minute he wants me, then the next he tells me that he has moved on, just to turn around and state that I was his and his alone. Who does that? I'll tell you who. An entitled asshole that thinks that the world revolves around him. But that was never his personality, so why has he all of a sudden become that way?
"I'll cut the hands off any man who dares to touch what's mine."
His voice came out possessive and aggressive. A side of him that I'd never seen before. I pulled away slightly to look at his face. Aslan was at the forefront, staring back at me. I was never afraid of either of them. Being in their presence surprisingly made me calm. But his behavior right now was unacceptable.
"All we will ever be is friends, remember that," I said, quoting what he had once told me. I then pulled away before continuing to speak. "Now if you'll excuse me, Alpha, I have a last dance to give before calling it a night."
I attempted to try and walk away, but I couldn't. His hand was again coiled around my hip. Bringing me flush against his body. His breathtaking heterochromatin eyes connected with mine. A feeling of proprietorial lingered beneath his icy stare. He slowly leaned in, breaking eye contact when his lips turned toward my face. I could hear my heart pulsating, which spoke numbers on how loud it was, considering I didn't have enhanced hearing as Elias did. I could feel his lips graze against my ear moments before his hot breath fanned down my neck. I never expected something as simple as air touching my breasts to turn me on. But crazier shit happens daily.
"I will only give you one warning. Mark my words, Zo. The next time I see another man's hands on your body, he will no longer have them."
His words sent a thrill of excitement coursing through me. The need to see how far I could push his feral behavior was demented. It was a dangerous game I was playing and had other lives not been mixed in, it could've been a fun one. Only I couldn't keep doing this to myself. Allowing him to have this effect on me. He was never the controlling type, but something must've changed the moment he realized there could be competition. It appeared to be this primal need to possess me. All of me. Something I would've ravished only a day prior, hell, maybe even an hour prior. But right now, all I felt was anger. How dare he bring Shanti here, then try to tell me who I can and cannot touch? Before I danced with Isaac, he was cozied up, hand in hand. That sight didn't change just because his hands were now on me.
"I do not belong to you, Elias. I don't belong to anyone." I whispered back as invidiously as I could while forcefully removing his hand from my hip. A fiery side to myself that even I didn't realize existed.
While walking away, I noticed multiple sets of eyes staring, but the ones I had expected weren't there. Where was she? Did I need to be on alert? Would she attack me after what just happened? I scanned the room again. Fuck, there were so many people looking at me. Had I been dancing with any other wolf here, nobody would bat their eyes. But since it was with the biggest bachelor that there was, it meant that I was now the center of attention. Something I didn't fancy in the slightest but most others wanted above all else. I glided through the pool of bodies, trying to cower down as much as I could. Maybe if I appeared smaller, they would notice me less?
"Can you believe it? He chose a human." Someone among the group of wolves I was passing said. They spoke loudly because they wanted to be heard.
"Correction. She isn't a human. She is a hybrid freak." Another in their group responded.
When did I become a freak? I hardly ever felt out of place while living here. But then again, the Alpha King never showed others the interest he had in me until today. I suppose that makes all the difference. I lowered my head some more, weaving in and out, trying to get out as fast as I could. The dance with Isaac was no longer on my mind. Partially because of Elias's threat but also because I could feel panic rising with each step I took. Once I was outside the room, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. My back was now against the wall and my chest was heaving up and down. I had to get control over myself. I couldn't have a panic attack. Not here. Not when someone could walk out of that door at any point.
"I told you, Narissa. Whatever it is that y'all doing, it's not working."
I heard the clanking of high heels coming down the hall, a feminine voice growing louder the closer they got. I was still in the middle of calming my nerves, the last thing I wanted was to be seen while having a panic attack. I was limited in places to hide, so I rushed behind the massive curtain draped from the window. There were far too many scents in the air with the mating ball, so there was no way I would be discovered if I managed to calm down. The clinking came to a stop in time for me to get my breathing under control.
"Listen, I realize what is at stake here. But something is wrong. He is still infatuated with her. Shouldn't I be the only one with his attention?"
Wait, was that who I thought it was?
"I thought my pheromone perfume would match that of a real mate. So, why does he still see me as only a playmate?"
Playmate-meaning for sex. Great, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. While I was a timid virgin, the man I loved was out fucking around.
"I don't know, make the damn stuff stronger. I don't care! If I am going to win him over, something has to give. Me or her."
Was she saying what I thought she was saying? If she was, then that would mean she was referencing that I had to die.
"I don't want her dead dummy. Just out of my way."
She answered the other person's question, but for a moment there it was as if she were speaking to me. Luckily, that wasn't the case, she still had no clue I was there.
"Tell him that I have most of it under control. I will become the Luna Queen and I will win his heart. One way or another."
None of what she was saying sounded like love. It sounded more like she wanted his status.
Was she threatened by me? Surely not. I mean she was everything I wasn't. She was what a Luna Queen should be. Tonight was simply a misunderstanding. He wasn't willing to give up his throne for someone like me. He made that very clear, so why was I in her way?
"He will be my mate. That's final."
I heard a huff before the clinking of heels started up again. Indicating that she was retreating. I peeked from behind the curtain to see Shanti's blonde hair flop side to side as she entered the ballroom. I knew one thing was certain. She wanted to be the Luna Queen. But what I didn't understand was, why it sounded like Elias was a conquest to her, rather than someone she wanted the unconditional love of a mate bond from. What was in it for her other than power?