Grace sniggered for the nth time. Her laughter was getting more and more annoying to Chris every second. Chris glared at her, his eyes dark with anger.
“If you don’t shut up, Grace, I’ll kill you right now,” he warned, his voice a low growl.
Grace’s mocking smile widened. “Oh, Chris, how does it feel to see your precious Rosalie knocked up by Alex? Does it break your heart? What will happen to your grand plans now?”
The words stung, but Chris refused to let it show. He clenched his hand around the stem of his wine glass so tightly that it shattered, shards of glass embedding in his palm. Blood mingled with the deep red wine, but he barely felt the pain. His gaze remained locked on Grace, his expression cold and threatening.
“It changes nothing,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “I will still go ahead with my plans, and nothing will stop me.”
Grace raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his display of anger. “Really, Chris? You think you can just carry on as if nothing’s happened? Rosalie is carrying Alex’s child. That complicates things, doesn’t it?”
Chris took a step closer to her, his eyes narrowing. “Complications or not, I will have what I want. And that child will not stand in my way.”
Grace leant back in her chair, crossing her arms with a smug expression. “You’re delusional if you think you can just take Rosalie away from Alex. He won’t let her go without a fight.”
“I’m prepared for that,” Chris replied coolly. “I’ve been preparing for a long time.”
Grace’s smile faded slightly, and she tilted her head. “And what about me, Chris? Where do I fit into your grand scheme?”
Chris looked at her with a mixture of disdain and calculation. “You will do as you’re told, Grace. Play your part, and your lover remains unharmed. Step out of line, and you know what will happen.”
Grace’s eyes flashed with anger, but she held her tongue. Chris removed the shard of glass from his palm, and the wound stopped bleeding and healed within seconds, as if it were never there.
***********************************************************
Rosalie spent most of the time squirming and looking at the enormous clock that was hanging on the wall. She was curious to know what Chris was waiting for. Why hadn't he exploded into a blazing rage?
She looked around and determined that there was nothing out of the ordinary. She could even see Chris eating and talking around with the people at his table. Grace was quietly nibbling at her food, barely talking to anyone playing the diva.
Rosalie looked at the clock again, watching the hands move painfully slowly towards midnight.
Finally, the clock struck twelve. Alex stood up, cleared his throat, and made his speech.
An anxious look crossed Rosalie's face as she turned to look at Chris. Before commencing his brief statement of gratitude, Alex offered her reassurance by placing his hand on her right shoulder and gently squeezing it.
Rosalie didn't hear a single word that Alex spoke, as her eyes were fixed on Chris. He smiled at Alex, but Rosalie somehow knew he was faking it. He was waiting for something. She knew it. Just as all the pack members made their toast, after the speech, Chris rose to his feet and clapped his hands in a false display of happiness. Every member of the pack took part in a round of toasting by raising their glasses. A loud, ripping sound boomed in all directions. She rose to her feet slowly, clinging to Alex as the two of them watched the terrifying event unfold as if in slow motion.
Rosalie's gaze rested on some people who were removing their fancy clothes and transforming into wolves. She took a startled step back just as Alex yelled at his betas. However, it was far too late, far beyond late...
They had let their guards down; there were intruders among the guests ! Grace snatched Chris's hand and screamed something at him, but her voice was muffled by the din of the surrounding chaos. The rippling, resounding growls resonated everywhere.
The wolves jumped on the tables and attacked everyone in the room, even the guests. There were three of them, after Alex and Rosalie. Alex pushed Rosalie away and screamed.
"Run, sweetheart! Hurry up! Run away and hide!"
Rosalie watched in horror as Alex pushed her away and began stripping off his clothes, his body transforming into his powerful grey wolf form. Despite her desperate attempts to hold on to him, he escaped her grasp. In his wolf form, he looked somewhat smaller compared to the advancing pack of wolves. When had Chris managed to assemble this group of rogues to fight besides him?
"Run, Rosalie, run!" Sarah and Janet were suddenly by her side, pulling her along as she stood frozen.
Chaos erupted around them as the three women dashed out of the dining hall. Chris had vanished amidst the turmoil. Rosalie, clutching her belly protectively, ran up the enormous marble staircase, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Pain seared through her stomach, but she pressed on, determined to guard her unborn puppies.
"Where should we hide?" Sarah's voice trembled with fear as they reached the top of the stairs.
"The Alpha quarters," Rosalie panted, pushing Sarah and Janet inside the bedchamber and locking the door behind them.
"What do we do now ?" Janet asked in a panicked voice.
"There is a secret door!" Sarah's eyes lit up with sudden recollection.
Rosalie nodded, her heart lurching at the memory of Alex showing her the passage earlier that day.
"Use it to save yourself when the fight starts, love," he had said, his powerful arms encircling her waist. She had protested, demanding he come with her, but he had chuckled, confident they would be fine. "Don't worry, love. Just stay safe, and I will get you once everything is over."
Tears filled Rosalie's eyes as she frantically pulled books from the built-in shelves, searching for the hidden key. "Sarah?"
Rosalie kept on pulling down the book, but when neither of them responded, she turned around.
Her heart sank as she noticed both Sarah and Janet unconscious on the ground. She bent down, nervously scratching her head and biting her lips. "Sarah! Janet!"
Her voice failed her as Chris stepped out of the dim light of the bedroom. She stood up and took a step back, her heart pounding. "You killed them?"
Chris's expression was serious. "They are simply unconscious, Rose." She noticed a vial glowing in his hand. He took another step closer.
"Stay away from me!" Rosalie screamed, sprinting to the left, but Chris was quicker. He caught her, holding her hostage in his arms. She swung her arm at him, aiming to cut his face, but he grasped both of her arms in one hand, preventing her from doing so. Using his teeth, he removed the cap from the vial, flashing a broad smile.
"Stay away from me!" she repeated, her voice filled with panic as she struggled against him. But Chris's grip was ironclad. He forced her mouth open and poured the bright liquid into it. The acrid, rusty taste made her gag, but he continued to force more of it down her throat. She tried to spit it out, but he held her fast, making her swallow until she had no choice but to comply.
Rosalie's head spun, her vision blurring as she fell limp in his arms. The last thing she saw was Chris's victorious smile before everything went black.