4. Melanie #2
A glare twisted my face, but it didn’t last long. The second she pulled on the pendant, I let out another shout. I almost stumbled, terrified she would tear my earlobe and I’d end up covered in blood.
Maybe if I screamed louder, someone would come and help. But the alpha standing guard at the door would stop them. I couldn’t see anyone getting past him.
No one moved me when I’d called for help the last time she cornered me, either.
“I don’t want some gold-digging little whore waltzing into my house. No matter how often you had to spread your legs to get an invitation, it was a mistake to even give you a warning. I should have dealt with you then and there.”
Fear roared in me, telling me to get away. Like a raw animal panic, the kind that would do absolutely anything to escape from her. A torn earlobe wasn’t bad compared to never seeing the people I loved again.
“I won’t let some Knottinghill whore taint our family. You have no right to even breathe the same air as my son.”
Her eyes flashed, like she’d made some kind of decision.
But I wasn’t ready to find out what it was.
I screamed again as I yanked my head to the right. Zania still firmly clutched my earring. The agony was excruciating as the piercing began to tear.
“What are you doing!?” Zania shouted.
“Do it,” I growled through the pain. “Tear it off.” I winced as I pulled my head again, and, this time, her hand followed me as I started to straighten my neck.
I choked as tears blurred my vision and the pain dug deeper.
“I can’t wait to see Caspian’s face as I come back into the party with my earlobe torn up, blood pouring over my shoulder, and his mum conveniently missing.”
“Don’t you dare threaten me,” she hissed.
My eyes rolled, gagging as her hyacinth blew through me.
I couldn’t lose my composure now. I had to get out.
“How do you think he’ll respond when he learns you hit me?” I asked through gritted teeth.
I still had the burning question of why Kai kept the fact she hit him a secret. Because, surely, they would have defended him and come to his rescue. Or did he not trust his own mates enough to ask them for help?
“If my earlobe bursts, there’s no way you won’t get blood on you. And how will that look?”
I’d cleaned up enough blood stains in my time as a maid to know which body parts bled the easiest.
She hesitated. And the instant she let go, I stumbled backwards, my heart racing at a million miles an hour. I couldn’t let their scents or their auras mess with my head, but it was so difficult when they were so strong.
The alphas closed in on me again.
I might have gained the slightest upper hand, but I had to go hard if I was going to get out of here.
“I will give you one last warning, and only because of my son. Stay away from Caspian, and never show your face in front of me again.”
I started to back away from her, but she smirked. “Don’t think you’re leaving. My alphas will keep you here until the party is over and then escort you to the gate. If you try anything, they’ll put you in a car and no one will ever hear from you again.”
My eyes darted between the alphas. I had to do something. I wanted to get back to Sin, Caspian, and Kai. Even if they treated me like dirt again, I’d have a shield.
I suddenly slapped my hands against my ears, running my fingers down from the hooked piercings to the pendants which hung over my shoulders. It was exactly where she gripped me.
I pulled on both of them just enough to stretch my earlobes as I slowly walked backwards, praying I wouldn’t knock into the coffee table.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her lips curving in amusement.
I’d hoped I’d made a dent in her facade when I forced her to let go, but nothing had changed. I had to do something more.
“Let’s test it out,” I said, trying not to stutter. “You’re completely sure Caspian doesn’t care about me. So, why don’t I just do it? I’ll slash up my ears and save you the dirty work. Then I can go back out there and let Caspian draw his own conclusion about what happened.”
With every word that dropped out of my mouth, fear wound tightly around my heart. I could barely listen to myself, just spitting out words to distract her so I could reach the door.
Her nostrils flared, along with my confidence. Even though I felt crazy tearing at my own earlobes just to get back at her.
I really wished my mum was there. So she could be proud to see me standing up to Zania by myself.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she snarled. “This is my party. This society and these people are mine . You have nothing here, so don’t try to play games with me.”
But I was already halfway across the room, and she hadn’t left her spot.
“Let’s see. Are you going to let me out?” I asked, not turning to look at the alpha by the door.
“Don’t be ridiculous. As if I’d allow you to return after this performance.”
“Okay, then,” I said, drawing in a quick breath.
Though there was no way I could prepare for that kind of pain.
Another deep scream tore from me as I tugged at my earrings. I thought earlobes were soft, that it would have been easy to tear them, but the pain was so intense my body jerked and I almost fell over.
Zania reached out a hand, shouting. “Stop her! Stop her now!”
The alpha behind me darted forward.
The last time I’d been in so much agony was the car crash when I was a kid. I’d been stuck there for an hour, trying to hold myself together as the police, fire, and ambulance services arrived. I’d entered a kind of fugue state where the pain was all that I was as they hurried to cut me out.
But this was different. I was choosing this. And I wouldn’t let the pain stop me, because I needed to escape.
I glanced back to judge how much farther I had to get to the door. The alpha behind me reached out to grab me. Even though my instinct was to leap away, I had to keep moving.
I hadn’t exactly become more agile since becoming an omega, but being in danger changed my priorities.
“You gave me one chance. I’ll give you one as well,” I said, barely recognising myself. “You told them they had to choose by the Selection Ceremony. So, let’s wait and see who Caspian chooses in the end.”
Zania’s worried look morphed into a smirk, and an alpha grabbed my wrists from behind.
I shuddered, his scent triggering bile to rise in my throat. But I wasn’t letting go of my earrings. Even if he tried to pull me away, they were coming with us.
“There’s someone my son loves far more than you or that pet of theirs. If you ever think Caspian would choose you over her, you’re sorely mistaken.”
She clicked her tongue against her teeth, jerking her chin, and the alpha let me go.
I was insanely curious about who she was talking about, but I could tell it was a trap to make me stay by asking. All I needed was to get out of the door. I couldn’t let myself lose focus.
“Are you going to let me go?” I asked, tugging again, letting out a yelp. I didn’t think my earlobes could put up with any more.
“Don’t think you’ve gotten away with this,” she said as she waved her hand, her alphas slinking back. “Your little trick worked this time, but you can’t keep this up for long.”
I let go of one earlobe as my back bumped against the door.
Maybe I could have fired a quippy line or something to prove I knew what I was doing, but I didn’t care enough about saving face.
As soon as the door opened, I shot through it, running as hard as I could in too-high heels, aiming straight for the ballroom.
My earlobes pulsed in time with my pounding heart. I just had to get into the crowd. I’d find Sin or Caspian as soon as I knew I was surrounded by witnesses.
My logic had completely turned off as I swam into the centre of the crowd. I’d choked on so much hyacinth that I forgot that I couldn’t stand other people’s scents. I was blasted with ten scents at once, giving me an instant head rush. I thought I was going to pass out.
Standing in the middle of a group of people, I panted and fought against the scents. They just stared, and I bet we were all wondering what was wrong with me.
Deep breaths in, slow breaths out, drawing air in through my mouth to block the scents, all while spinning around, searching for familiar silhouettes.
Shaking, I looked up to the ballroom door, scared she might have followed me.
Instead, Sin stood in the entrance, a deep furrow in his brow I’d never seen before. His gaze was fixed on me, his confusion beating out from him as he made a beeline for me.
I didn’t care what he was thinking, or if he saw me with her. I needed him.
I pushed through people, ignoring their shouts of annoyance, all to meet him halfway.
Even if he saw me enter or leave the room with Zania, it could wait until later.
“Give me your scent,” I wheezed as I stepped into his space.
He hesitated, and he had every reason to. Even if we were putting on a performance, he didn’t have to touch me. But my omega instincts grew more erratic the longer he stood there assessing me. Like he was weighing up his options when, really, all I wanted was his vanilla to calm me down.
“The scents are making me dizzy,” I said, covering my nose. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth, either.
He’d be able to smell Caspian’s parents on me, too.
But it was enough for him. Sin opened his arms, not saying a word as he moved to wrap them around me.
As soon as vanilla flowed over me, I could breathe again.
My fear was still eating me from the inside, but he held me tight in the middle of the ballroom. Even with my heart racing in fear, I could rest my ear against his chest and listen to the thumps through his suit. It was enough to make my aura balance out with his.
“Are you okay?” he murmured, a question only for us.
I tilted my head back, meeting the sharp purple of his eyes with a sigh of relief.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I sighed without thinking, and he nodded in reply.
“Stay with me as long as you need,” he said, his chest rumbling as he covered me like a blanket. “I won’t leave you until you’re ready.”
“And what if I’m never ready?” I asked, squeezing him. I was too wired. I had no filter. And I didn’t want to hear his answer.
He bent down, pressing his lips against my hair, wisps of his aura soothing me.
“Then you’ll stay in my arms forever,” he replied.