Chapter 21 - Delilah
Staring at my reflection in the mirror with a frown, I can barely recognize myself, and I hate feeling like my body isn't my own.
The last time I felt like I didn't belong in my own skin was when Hunter rejected me, but I've since gotten over that.
At least, I thought I had.
So much has happened since then, and Hunter and I have started fresh. The other night, when he planned a picnic, it was proof enough that things between us are good, until I went and spoiled it by snapping at him when he woke me from the nightmare I'd been having.
A nightmare I hardly remember, except for being in the throes of darkness and a fire consuming my flesh. Shivering when I recall how terrible that felt, I hear the knock on the door that snaps me out of my trance.
“Hey, D, it's me…” comes Gwen's timid voice from behind the door, and I sigh with relief as I head over and open it.
Gwen meets my eyes and frowns.
“Don't tell me you're second-guessing that dress,” she snickers as she folds her arms, dragging her gaze from my head to my toes.
Blushing profusely, I pull her into my room and shut the door.
“I can't believe my parents are throwing another party!” I huff, stomping my foot like I'm throwing a tantrum.
“Weren't you the one complaining that they threw a party for the prince instead of you? Especially since you announced your marriage to Hunter…”
“Yeah, I know…” I groan, checking my reflection once more for good measure. Of course, the white dress that nearly meets my knees is perfect for the party they're throwing in celebration of my marriage, but something about it feels wrong, like the color doesn't match my thoughts.
The party that officially announces my marriage should be something I'm looking forward to, especially after the way I snapped at my parents last week, but I've been having trouble feeling like myself, and this party couldn't have come at a worse time.
My only consolation is that Hunter hasn't pried about what happened that night, but that has me feeling like he doesn't care. It feels like he's been withdrawing from me, too wary to touch me and hardly at home, throwing himself into pack work as if he's a true Shadow Fang member.
“Grr!” I groan again, throwing my head back and staring at the ceiling, my eyes rolling back as if I might glimpse my brain and find the answers as to why I'm not feeling like myself. “Let's just go.”
Gwen giggles when she watches me head to the door.
“Aren't you forgetting something?” Gwen speculates with a raised brow.
I frown as she unfolds her arms with a sigh and grabs something off my dresser.
“Lipstick!” she exclaims with a lighthearted chuckle as she hands me my lipstick.
Sighing, I grab it out of her hands and rush to my dresser. “I don't know what I'd do without you…” I lament with a sincere smile that Gwen returns.
“I could say the same, D. Now, let's go to this party, and for Heaven's sake, please enjoy yourself. It's your party, after all.”
Since Gwen and I have become close, I know she means well, and she's right, anyway. Shrugging off my inhibitions and weird annoyance, we make our way to the local hall where the party is taking place.
Though I'm reluctant to attend, I know my parents are throwing this party as a way to make amends after I snapped at them, and I have to show up, even if it's just to prove to myself that I'm fine.
I have no idea what's going on with me, but I've never experienced such intense mood swings before, and I'm nowhere near my menstruation for the month. Whatever is going on is beyond my understanding, and I want nothing more than to feel normal again.
It seems my silent prayer is answered the moment I step into the hall with Gwen by my side, only to see my parents speaking to Hunter near the stage.
To my surprise, Mother grabs a flute of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, then holds it out for Hunter. Father pats his shoulder as he laughs at something Hunter just said—he probably cracked a joke, and he's doing a great job at charming them.
They seem mesmerized by his charms, and they're clearly putting in the effort to interact with my husband and get to know him.
While I stand and watch their exchange at the end of the carpet that's been rolled out from the entrance of the hall to the stage, Gwen excuses herself to get something from the bar, leaving me to stare in amazement at the scene in front of me.
As I tilt my head to the side, Hunter's eyes find mine, and they're lit up like twinkling stars as he smiles knowingly at me. I don't want to interrupt their exchange, so I wait where I am until my parents are pulled away by one of the elders.
Hunter turns to me then, smirking slyly as he lifts his flute and tips it toward me with a wink before strolling down the carpet. Again, he has no right to be looking as delicious as he does in a tailored suit, but Hunter cleans up so well, only to leave me a mess between my thighs.
He doesn't take his eyes off mine, even as he swiftly runs a hand over his head, patting the immaculately slicked hair. He wears a ravishing smirk as he approaches me, then stops and bows his head.
“Well, hello there, m'lady,” he greets sweetly as he lifts his head. My heart skips a beat when our eyes meet, and soon, I forget all about the nervousness I was feeling earlier.
“You know…it should be me walking down the aisle, not the other way around,” I giggle as Hunter holds out his arm.
“Well, I think we can make a few exceptions,” Hunter muses with another wink as I slip my arm into his. “Let's head to the front. Your father is about to give a speech.”
Smiling bemusedly, I nudge Hunter's arm. “You're getting along with them really well, aren't you?”
“Of course I am. You think they can resist this charming smile?” Hunter turns to me with a broad grin that earns him a playful slap on his arm, to which he chuckles.
The lighthearted jest between us continues until we near the stage, and my father calls for the pack members to step closer, and he begins to announce my marriage to the pack members.
But while applause and cheers echo around the hall in celebration, my mind slips into a void where every sound, every breath, every heartbeat of those around me fades as if I'm alone.
I feel myself slipping into the void, fear trickling down my spine the way I felt in that nightmare, until Hunter's voice pulls me back to reality.
“Huh?” I look up with a shiver as I meet his lively eyes.
A frown flits over his face as he stares at me expectantly.
He straightens his expression and leans in, then whispers, “They're waiting for us to dance, D.”
“Oh,” I nod and quickly plaster a smile on my face.
“You're looking nervous, so keep your eyes on me, okay?” Hunter suggests as he takes my hand and leads me to the center of the hall that has since been cleared for our dance.
The Shadow Fang Pack eagerly awaits the dance of the newlyweds, even if we're not throwing an official ceremony for our mate bond and marriage. I become highly aware of the crowd staring at us, but Hunter's soft gaze soon allows my anxieties to slip away as I focus on him.
It's like he senses my nervousness, even if he doesn't understand it, pressing a hand on the small of my back and securing me flush against him. A song I recognize begins playing on the speakers, and Hunter's knowing smirk tells me that he's behind the song choice.
Allowing myself to get lost in the moment and the sweet gesture, I giggle. “Let me guess…” I nod toward the speaker in the front corner. “You're behind this.”
Hunter chuckles nervously as he lifts my hand and gently sways with me to the beat of the music. “I remembered how much you liked this song.” Hunter lifts his head, searching my eyes. “Is everything alright, Delilah? With you, I mean.”
“Yeah,” I lie, not wanting to get into it now that I'm enjoying our dance, but it's hard to keep anything from Hunter when he knows me so well, his eyes narrowing as if he's not convinced.
“Why—why would you think there's anything wrong?” I ask nervously, and Hunter sighs as he spins me to the beat of the bridge, then pulls me back.
“You've been acting strange lately, and I just wanna be sure that everything's okay with us.”
I stop moving my feet and slide my hands over his shoulders, cupping his face between both hands as I stare into his eyes, smiling.
“Things are more than okay,” I declare solemnly, realizing that my mood swings have been getting out of hand, and I risk losing Hunter the more I push him away.
He doesn't deserve that, especially since he's been treating me so well and making up for the past with every second we’ve spent together since calling the truce.
A flicker of fear that I might lose him through self-sabotage prompts me to lean in and press a chaste kiss to his lips. The pack members cheer us on, and Hunter's relief shows when he deepens the kiss and nudges my lips apart with his tongue.
For a moment, the world around us fades, and every doubt I ever had slips away, allowing me to feel secure in my relationship with Hunter. As we break apart, I notice my parents behind him, watching us with approval in their eyes.
It's everything I could have wished for, and the pure contentment has me pressing my cheek against Hunter's chest as I sigh contentedly and close my eyes. We finish the dance with one more twirl, and I'm back in his arms as the pack members applaud us.
The dance floor soon fills as members of the pack dance their way in for the second song, an upbeat number that fills the hall with cheer, and Hunter hooks a finger beneath my chin, staring into my eyes.
“Would you like something to drink, m'lady?”
I nod and smile as he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Wanna wait for me at the table? I'll grab us something to drink, and we can watch Arthur try his luck with Gwen,” Hunter chuckles.
Giggling, I follow his curious gaze to see Arthur asking Gwen for a dance, and Hunter pulls me through the dancing crowd to get to the tables. Once there, he pulls out my chair for me, and I'm ready to melt when he presses another kiss to the top of my head before slipping away to the bar.
Sighing, I prop my chin in my hands, watching the Shadow Fang Pack dance to their hearts’ content, and I feel content, too.
My eyes search for Hunter through the crowd, and I find the back of his head at the bar, sharing a laugh with the bartender who passes him two cocktails. I smile as I watch him interact with a fellow pack member, realizing how much he fits in, and being friendly with others is natural to him.
But then I see a woman move in, and the smile is slowly wiped off my face the second she touches Hunter's arm. As she turns, I recognize who the woman is—the ice cream parlor owner's younger sister—and my heart sinks just as the cheerful sounds of pattering feet and the music fade.
“He doesn't care about you.” An intrusive thought enters my mind with a menacing voice that I've heard only once before. “He's flirting with another woman.”
Something in me snaps, and all I see is red, as if the brunette's head was set alight. Standing up almost robotically, my fists curl at my sides, and I push through the crowd, my heart pounding in my chest as rage fills my veins.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” I spit at Hunter as I grab his shoulder and pull him toward me, feeling fury behind my eyes when I glare at him.
His face contorts with confusion as he stares back at me.
“Delilah? What's going—”
“What's going on?!” I cut him off abruptly with a furious roar. “I should be asking you what's going on here! What are you doing with Natalia, huh?! You think I'm blind?!”
Hunter is shocked, but I'm too enraged to let him touch me when he tries reaching for me.
“Delilah, please calm down,” he pleads, but I scoff.
“Calm down?! You want me to calm down when you're fucking around with this whore?!” I snap and point an accusing finger at Natalia's paling face, when everything goes dead silent enough to hear a pin drop.
That's when I realize that the crowd has stopped dancing, the music has stopped playing, and everyone is pointedly staring at me as if I've gone mad.
The blood drains from my face as I reel my pointed finger back, my jaw dropping.
I just ruined the party and made a complete fool of myself by humiliating a fellow pack member and my husband.
With nowhere to hide my face, a sob lodges in my throat, and I spin on my heel and charge for the door.
I need to get far away from everyone before I cause more trouble.
What the hell just got into me?