65. An Unexpected Reaction

YILEYNAThe day of the ball had finally arrived, and my nerves were running wild. The plan wasn’t the best… but it was all we really had, and we were going to risk it.

Raiden had needed some persuasion. He didn’t think my putting myself at risk was worth anything; however, in the end, I had managed to convince him.

Then there was Charlene, who had been an entirely different story, saying she didn’t want to pretend to blame me and how her father wouldn’t be happy with me either. She didn’t want me hurt, but I had managed to get her on board. The chances of Theon actually playing up weren’t even solid anyway, plus I was sure the king would be angry at him, although Charlene didn’t agree with that. We were just going to try and see what happens.

I was a little worried for Raiden, though, not wanting him to get in trouble. Although Zarian had offered to accompany me, Raiden had said he was the safer option as he was the son of one of the Gammas.

I had ended up telling Raiden about my abilities, although Zarian had not been happy with that, but I trusted Raiden, and so he had begrudgingly agreed. The two often seemed to clash, as if there was an unspoken competition between them. Men. I will never understand them.

Aside from that, I was doing my patrol duty as well as training with Zarian. It was becoming increasingly obvious that somehow, I was able to manipulate the weather, something which was beginning to cause a deep fear within me… giving birth to a chilling terror, for the only species on Kaeladia that could bend the weather was not one I ever wanted to be associated with.

I pushed the thought away, not letting the fear get the better of me. Not tonight.

I pulled at the top of my dress, staring into the mirror. I swear if I bent over, I feared I’d spill out of it, or my nipple would peek out to greet the world.

"You look beautiful," Zarian said as he entered the room.

I was at his place as I had gotten ready there. He was the one who had ordered the dress for me from none other than his mother from his own kingdom. It was exquisite, different from the Astalion designs, and, dare I admit, very sexy.

The underlayer was a fitted nude strapless bodysuit, which pushed my breasts up even more. The dress itself was a delicate fabric with silver beads and clear crystals. I was worried that I’d tear it. On top of that, Zarian refused to take any payment for it.

"Allow me," he said, coming over and fastening the two hooks I couldn’t reach at the back. "You look incredibly ravishing…" He looked in the mirror over my shoulder as I smoothed the fabric over my hips.

I touched my neck; I still wore the necklace. The inn wasn’t the safest place. Although I had not been bothered by anyone, there were questionable visitors, and when I had taken the necklace to a jeweller to sell it, I could tell from the greedy look in his eyes it had been valuable, something he was trying to trick me out of, so I had changed my mind, refusing to sell it at all. I’d keep it safe for now. Maybe in the future, when and if I needed money, it would be a good investment. I could feel the pendant between my breasts and adjusted the chain a little.

"You won’t remove your necklace?" Zarian asked, his gaze dipping to my breasts. For some reason, I hadn't shown anyone it, but he had seen the chain often enough.

"No, it's precious," I said, turning to face him. "Distracted somewhere?" He smirked, stepping closer. My heart skipped a beat. Since that day, we hadn't had any more moments, and in a way, I was relieved.

"You are a welcome distraction." He winked, but my stomach twisted.

Distraction… that was the reason Theon left me.

"Well, today, I hope I am a distraction enough."

I turned back to the mirror, gazing at my reflection. My hair had been styled by a friend of Zarian’s who had her own beauty parlour here in Westerfell. She was a mage, and after seeing her work, I knew if it wasn’t for her race, she would be the most popular beautician in the city.

Spending time with Zarian made me realise that there was such a high level of discrimination toward other species that I had never known of. It was appalling. When Charlene was Alpha, I would address the issue, or even when things calmed down a little, I could talk to Raiden and Charlene. It wasn’t fair.

My hair had been put up in a low bun, with a braid which was entwined with a hair vine and sparkly gems scattered around it. Although I had wanted my hair open, Zarian had immediately said it was a bad idea. My hair wasn’t that bad, but he refused to change his mind, saying to trust him. Zarian had been the one to make every decision tonight. I had wanted to keep my make-up simple, but even that was something Zarian had refused, saying we needed to go all out. Although I had had my make-up fully done for the moon goddess festival, something about me had changed from all those months ago…

I looked different, even more like a woman than I did back then. My breasts looked slightly larger, although that may just be the dress, my hips were curvier, and my face looked more mature. A silver sparkle covered my body, and a touch of shimmer was brushed over my cheeks.

My heart thudded as I stared at myself once again, that sliver of fear settled into me. I looked like… dare I say it? NoThe only other jewellery I wore were dangly drop earrings that glittered brightly. It would be a lie to say I was not nervous. I just hoped Raiden didn’t get the brunt of this.

The doorbell rang, and I knew it must be Raiden to collect me.

"It’s time," Zarian said, holding out my grey fur coat to me. I took a deep breath as I took it, ready to face them all…

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The queen had gone above and beyond to create the perfect venue for the extravagant ball. The Astalion and Silver Storm banners hung from every wall, a proud reminder of who was in power. Garlands of white flowers, vines, and lights adorned the grand chandeliers, pillars, and railings. Dangly strings of crystals hung in rows across the ceiling, and when the light hit them, they dazzled brightly.

The guests were all dressed up. The nobles of Westerfell wore the colours of their house, whilst Alphas and other guests wore their pack colours.

I had my hand hooked around Raiden’s arm, trying to soothe my heart as we stepped into the grand hall of the castle. I hadn't been here in days… and although I hadn't seen Charlene, Raiden had been the link between us, passing her messages, and it was nice to hear from her, even if it wasn’t in person. She had been very busy lately, and although it was because she was busy, I had a feeling her mother was stopping her from leaving the castle. One of her greatest wishes was that she would find her mate tonight, but the chances of that were low.

Raiden really was a gentleman. Although he had openly checked me out when Zarian had opened the door, he was now doing his best to keep his gaze on my face and, even then, kept looking away. It was a little amusing. I was sure I didn’t look that different with all the makeup. He, himself, looked handsome in a black and gold patterned jacket.

"You look… really different tonight," he said as we made our way through the crowds. Eyes followed us, and I was sure my rather revealing dress was going to be a source of discussion now, but I just hoped it had an effect on a certain someone. I raised an eyebrow, looking up at Raiden.

"You have said that three times already. I'm beginning to worry I don’t look good," I replied, amused.

"No… there’s just… you just do…" he trailed off, sighing. "Let’s go pay our respect to our Alpha," Raiden said with a wink at me.

"Let’s go," I said. My heart was thudding as I looked towards the royals.

The king and queen looked regal, and for once, the king had his long hair braided back, and a crown sat upon it. He was dressed in smart pants and a patterned black and silver jacket in the colours of the pack. The queen, too, looked regal in silver and purple, with a crown upon her head, but Charlene, my queen, looked the most beautiful. She was in a stunning silvery grey dress with a tulle-layered skirt and a white floral detail scattered down from her waist. The bodice was nude with flowers along the top. A tiara sat upon her head, and her face was glowing as she smiled politely at the couple her parents were talking to.

I saw several Alphas glance my way, unmated. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. They were like a pack of hungry wolves…

Theon was standing with Ryan a few feet away, looking handsome in black pants, a shirt, and a jacket similar to Raiden’s, but in black and red. I saw him pause, stiffening slightly as we approached, and I knew he had sensed us. I stepped closer to Raiden, pressing my breast against his arm.

"You look handsome tonight," I said softly, knowing that even with the music and chatter, he’d hear us.

"Why thank you, but you already told me," Raiden replied in a seductive whisper.

"Raiden! Yileyna!" Ryan called, coming over to us. "Yileyna, may I say you look incredibly beautiful tonight? I'm sure you will be the talk of the ball or more like the desire of every unmated werewolf." He took my hand, kissing it just as Theon turned.

His heart rate quickened slightly as he looked me over, his eyes flashing gold as they raked me from my feet to my waist, then to my breasts. Raiden’s arm snaked around my waist possessively, and I placed my hand on his chest, smiling up at him, trying not to focus on Theon.

"Thank you, Ryan, you look handsome, yourself," I said, looking over at him.

This is it, look at him and act like you don’t care…I turned towards Theon, my heart betraying me as it began pounding. Our eyes met, and I tried not to pay attention to the way his breathing was heavier. His eyes, which were entirely gold, bore into mine, a frown on his handsome face. His anger was palpable, but it was the fire within his eyes that made my core knot, the way a strand of his hair flicked in front of his forehead sexily. Those eyes that devoured me were drinking me up, and the way he licked his lips, swallowing hard, made me feel lightheaded. Through my own storm of emotions, I felt satisfied.

Perfect. I had his attention…

"Theon, hi," I said lightly, smiling as innocently as I could.

His nostrils flared, and when his gaze flicked from my lips to my eyes, I knew he knew exactly what I was trying to do. Before each one of us could say anything more, Raiden squeezed my waist, making me look at him questioningly. Before he could even reply, I sensed the powerful aura of the Alpha and heard the royal family approaching.

"Raiden, Yileyna, it’s lovely to see you two together," Alpha Andres’s deep voice came.

"Thank you, Alpha. You look beautiful, Luna Soleil, Princess Charlene," Raiden said as I pulled away from his hold, turning towards the Alpha family.

"Alpha, Luna," I said, smiling politely, but his reaction was not one I was expecting. The moment his eyes fell on me, his smile vanished. Great, now what have I done?I smiled at the queen and Charlene, wanting to crush her in a hug! I had missed her, but the king’s reaction disturbed me. His heart was beating violently in his chest, and his face was pale as he stared at me.

"Alpha, are you alright?" I asked, concerned, stepping closer to him. He stepped back as if my touch would burn, looking me over head to toe before he turned and walked off. I stared after him as I felt all eyes on me, and the queen tutted.

"I’m sure your aim was to seduce many men tonight, Yileyna, yet your attire is indeed an insult to the king. Obviously, with such a dress, all men would lust after you," she spat before she turned and stormed off.

I frowned as I stood there, confused. I knew a look of lust, and the king was not looking at me like that. The queen’s thoughts were disgusting. The king may not like me, but he had never looked at me in that way. But I couldn’t blame her; Theon had told me he had cheated on his true mate… perhaps she was just insecure…

What concerned me more was why the king had reacted like that.

I suddenly felt lost and confused, not even realising when Charlene closed the gap between us and hugged me tightly…