'You didn't have to be so mean,' Kasia scolded Deva.
'And he didn't have to have females all over him like he doesn't have a mate for WEEKS,' Deva growled back.
Kasia watched as Ethan walked away and sighed. She regretted being coy with him. Perhaps he would have been able to tell her what he needed to say before he got pulled away. The mood was ruined, and Kasia didn't feel like dancing anymore. She moved away from the stage where the live music was playing.
"This is only temporary," Lily said, surprising Kasia as she looped arms with her. "Let's get something to eat. Have you ever had fairy pastries before?"
"That's a thing?!" Kasia asked, causing Lily to laugh. Lily and Kasia sampled mouthwatering dishes at one of the many food stalls. The scent of spiced meats and vegetables filled the air, mingling with laughter and chatter from the crowd. Kasia's hazel eyes twinkled with delight as she savored a bite of grilled meat skewer, not caring what she was eating because it was so good.
"Kasia, you have to try this!" Lily exclaimed, thrusting a forkful of seasoned rice toward her friend. Kasia obliged with a smile, the flavors bursting on her tongue as she chewed.
"Delicious," she agreed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "We have to get the omegas to buy more of this. Get a business card. I could eat this for lunch every day."
As they chatted and ate, Kasia couldn't shake the nagging feeling that someone was watching her. Her trained instincts were prickling at the edge of her awareness, like a low growl warning of danger. She scanned the throng of people, searching for anything out of place.
"Kasia, what's wrong?" Lily asked, her brows furrowed with concern.
"Someone's watching us," Kasia murmured, her voice barely audible above the din of the market. In her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face- a face she never expected to see here.
"Is that... Aimee?" She gasped, pointing towards the figure who stood several yards away, leaning against a wooden post.
Lily's eyes widened, and she nodded slowly. "It is. I thought she fled when Ethan ordered her interrogation."
That was what the official report said, but Kasia knew better. Seeing Aimee as a threat, Kasia kept a close watch on her when she left the pack house to seek refuge in the city. That's when she found out that she had gone missing. Kasia assumed that she had been kidnapped like all the other missing lycans and werewolves.
"I need to speak with her," Kasia said.
"I don't think that's a good idea. I don't like the way she's looking at you," Lily whispered. "At least get some warriors to come over here to detain her."
"She may leave before then. I think she wanted me to see her. Aimee is not going to make a scene. Not here, anyway. Too many witnesses," Kasia reasoned, and she began approaching Aimee, holding her head high. Aimee didn't scare her before, and she wouldn't be afraid of her now.
"Be careful," Deva, her wolf, warned. "She does not have good intentions. You can smell the malice on her."
"I know, Deva, I'll be careful," Kasia replied mentally, her steps carefully measured as she made her way to Aimee.
"Aimee, what are you doing here? What happened to you?" she said with forced casualness, trying to hide her concern. "You went missing, and we were looking for you."
Aimee looked at her, her eyes cold and calculating, a smirk playing on her lips. "Cut the bull, Kasia. You didn't miss me. You were probably happy that I wasn't around, so I wouldn't reveal your little secret."
"What are you talking about?" Kasia asked.
"I know all about you. You're a fake. You're just a science project. You thought you had us all fooled, but you didn't fool me, Kasia." Aimee growled at her.
Kasia kept her expression blank. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how Aimee knew that she was a turned werewolf. "You should leave. You wouldn't want to end up in the dungeons," Kasia finally said, making it very clear that if she kept pushing the subject, she would put Aimee in the dungeon underneath the packhouse herself.
"Everything you stole from me will be rightfully mine again. You won't be smug for long," Aimee said.
"What do you mean by that?" Kasia's eyes narrowed, her anger flaring up at the veiled threat. A commotion erupted from behind her as someone knocked over a stand, momentarily distracting her. People shouted and jostled each other as they tried to get a better look at whatever was happening.
Kasia continued as she turned back to face Aimee. "Look, Aimee, I told you before that there is no competition between us. I..." Kasia stopped in midsentence because Aimee was no longer there; she had vanished as if she'd never been there at all. How did she move that fast?
"Where did she go?" Kasia questioned, her eyes searching the area for any sign of Aimee.
"Never mind that," Deva said tersely. "We need to find Ethan now. I don't think that was an empty threat."
"Alright, time to go," Kasia said as she grabbed Lily's hand. They swiftly moved through the bustling market to get back to where she had last seen Ethan.
"Deva, can you sense where Ethan is?" Kasia asked mentally.
"Down an alley not far from here," Deva replied, guiding her to the location.
"Thanks, Deva," Kasia whispered, her steps quickening as the alley came into view. She felt uneasy; something was telling her this wasn't going to end well.
As she turned the corner, the sight before her made her freeze in her tracks. Ethan had a woman pinned to the wall, between her legs, as he rocked into her. They were oblivious to both Kasia and Lily. The woman turned her head from kissing Ethan, revealing Aimee's smug expression as she locked eyes with Kasia.
"Ethan, what the hell?" Lily exclaimed. Her voice caused Ethan to look in her direction. He saw Kasia and Lily standing at the alleyway's opening. He looked down at Aimee and pushed himself away from her. Ethan quickly pulled his pants up, covering himself.
"Kasia," Ethan stammered, his confusion evident as he stared between the two women. "I-I didn't-"
"Save it," Kasia snapped, her voice cold and distant. She couldn't bear to hear his excuses, not when everything seemed to be crumbling around her. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Ethan standing in the alley with Aimee.