CAMILLA'S POV.
The atmosphere between Halfdan and me remained unchanged, exactly as he had declared.
True to his word, he refused to speak to me or even acknowledge my presence.
It was as though I had become invisible to him; he kept his gaze firmly fixed elsewhere, completely ignoring my existence.
I found myself casting occasional furtive glances in his direction. Despite the tense silence and the absurdity of our situation, a part of me still missed the love we once had.
The absence of our usual interactions left a void that I couldn't easily ignore. Perhaps, I hoped, once the mess with Astrid was resolved, he might regain his clarity and reconsider his love for me.
The quiet of the dining hall was broken by a knock on the door. Both of us turned our heads towards the entrance, the sound pulling us out of our trance moments.
“Come in,” Alpha Halfdan’s voice was curt and commanding. The door opened slowly, and Beta Drake entered the room.
He carried a container in his hand, his expression guarded. As he stepped further into the hall, his eyes flickered nervously between mine and Halfdan's, clearly uneasy about the atmosphere.
“I’m checking out for the day, Alpha Halfdan,” Beta Drake said, his voice carrying a note of formality as he addressed Halfdan.
His eyes, however, were not on him but remained fixed on me with an almost evident intensity. “I’m here to see if there’s anything else you need.”
Halfdan’s response was terse and dismissive. “That will be all for now. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep. We might have work to do tomorrow.” His tone was authoritative, dismissing Drake with a wave of his hand.
“Yes, very well,” Beta Drake replied, though his reluctance was evident.
“I’ll leave you both to have a quiet dinner in peace. I want you to know that everything has been handled perfectly.” With that, he turned on his heel and made his way out of the room.
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I noticed the way he subtly adjusted the bottle in his hands, clearly making an effort to keep its contents concealed from Halfdan.
The room fell back into a heavy silence. I couldn’t help but smile as I continued to eat, savouring each bite with a sense of dark satisfaction.
The anticipation of Halfdan’s reaction to the news that Astrid was finally dead filled me with a grim sense of excitement.
After all, Halfdan had been fixated on Astrid for quite some time, and soon, everything would revert to how it was meant to be.
With Astrid out of the picture, Halfdan would once again direct his attention only towards me.
The way I had envisioned things would finally come to fruition, and I would have the happy ending I had longed for.
I was savouring the meal, relishing both the food and the grim satisfaction of knowing Astrid was dead, when the sudden sound of the door being pushed open interrupted my thoughts.
A maid burst into the room, her movements frantic and her face flushed with urgency.
“How dare you barge in here like that, you impertinent wretch!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the dining hall.
“Do you want me to lose my appetite? Have you no manners whatsoever?” My outburst was sharp, a show of my irritation.
However, Alpha Halfdan’s disapproving glare from across the table made me reconsider my tone.
I could see the disgust in his eyes, which made me pause and temper my anger.
I took a deep breath, reminding myself of the need to keep Halfdan’s favour. The last thing I wanted was to provoke him further or risk him becoming enraged once again and hate me.
Everything was supposed to fall into place soon, and I didn’t want to ruin that.
“I’m terribly sorry, Luna Camilla,” the maid stammered, her voice trembling under my ire.
“There’s been a call, and it’s meant for you.” Her words caught me off guard, momentarily pulling me out of my self-satisfied haze.
I shifted uneasily in my seat, a wave of unease washing over me. The weight of Halfdan’s unwavering gaze felt heavy on my shoulders, making it difficult to maintain my composure. I cleared my throat, attempting to steady my voice.
“I have a call? From who” I demanded, my irritation creeping back into my tone.
“What’s going on? Speak up and stop acting like a fool!” I snapped, my patience wearing thin.
My frustration was evident, but the urgency in the maid’s action made me anxious to hear what the call was about.
“Something terrible has happened in the Ocean pack; that’s all they said,” the maid repeated, her voice trembling with anxiety.
“They mentioned that something terrible is happening and that you are needed at the pack house immediately.” Her words were abrupt and carried a sense of urgency that neither Alpha Halfdan nor I had anticipated.
The sudden shift in tone was shocking, but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of satisfaction beneath my nerves.
I struggled to keep my smile from breaking through, knowing that this unexpected turn of events could be advantageous.
To me, the so-called tragedy seemed like a twisted twist of fate. After all, Astrid’s death should have been the highlight of the evening, not overshadowed by any other crisis.
I had been robbed of my moment in the spotlight, and that thought alone was frustrating.
“Okay, you can leave now,” I commanded, my voice firm.
The maid bowed quickly, a mix of relief and nervousness on her face, and then retreated from the room.
I watched her go, then dabbed at the corners of my mouth with a napkin, trying to compose myself and mask my inner excitement.
Just as I was about to push my chair back and make my way out, Alpha Halfdan’s voice stopped me. “And where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, his tone authoritative and slightly perplexed.
I turned to face him, my irritation bubbling to the surface. “You heard the maid,” I said, a hint of defensiveness in my voice.
“Something bad has happened, and I’ve been summoned to the Ocean pack house.” I was taken aback by his sudden curiosity and felt a flicker of frustration at his interruption.
I wondered why he was suddenly so interested in my movements, especially when I was trying to deal with the thoughts of becoming an Alpha soon.
“It’s late,” Halfdan said, his voice carrying a note of concern. I nodded, accepting the lateness of the hour, but my resolve remained firm as I walked toward the door.
“It doesn’t matter; I’ll find a way to get there,” I replied, brushing off his concern. “Someone will drive me, or I’ll just take a cab. Goodbye.” I turned the door knob, ready to leave, but Alpha Halfdan’s voice interrupted me.
“Okay then, wait! I’ll drive you,” he said, cutting into my exit with an unexpected decisiveness.
I glanced back at him, slightly taken aback by his sudden willingness. Despite the tension between us, I couldn’t help but appreciate his offer.
Throughout the drive, I stole several glances at him, trying to gauge his mood.
Perhaps he wasn’t as bitter as I had thought, or maybe he was just curious about the nature of this so-called tragedy.
Either way, it suited me fine. He would be there to hear firsthand that Astrid was no longer a concern.
My anticipation grew with each passing minute. Finally, the car pulled into the garage of the pack house. We both climbed out without exchanging a word, the tension between us still evident.
A maid directed us toward the throne room, and as we walked down the corridors, I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. It felt like things were finally going in my favour.
However, the smile quickly faded as soon as I stepped into the throne room and set eyes on Astrid.
The sight that met my gaze was far from what I had expected. Astrid was there, looking very much alive and unharmed, surrounded by concerned faces.
The shock of the unexpected sight struck me hard, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.
The joyous anticipation I had been holding onto disappeared, replaced by a cold, unsettling realisation.
“Astrid?”