Chapter Four
A hush stilled the crowd. No one dared to say a word as they waited for the screams, the shouts, the tantrums that would erupt.
They didn't come.
Then the whispers started. They tore through the crowd like a spark with kindling, the flames licking at my skin as they pressed in closer, all too eager to consume any speck of fuel they could find.
He was staring, eyes glowing amber. My breath caught in a shuddering stutter but I didn't have the pleasure of indulging in pain right now.
My heart howled, yearned for the love it was promised, longed for the man standing in front of me to take it all back and pull me into his arms. But grief was a luxury of warmth. In my reality, stopping meant death and so we learned to bury it, to push it aside and keep moving.
I needed to keep moving.
He didn't get a smile or a frown, not a tear or growl. I had nothing to give him.
Keep it close, hold it tight. Conserve everything. Pain could come later.
The noise was a distance blur in the background as I turned on my heel and walked away.
A gasp sounded beside me, loud enough for me to hear as they were pulled from my path.
Faces blended together as they parted, their eyes following but none burned like the flame of his gaze on my back.
One step. Another. The fabric of my dress restrained my legs with each stride. Eyes on the door.
Her voice broke through the din, high and airy and disgustingly concerned. She was speaking to him, comforting him.
Comforting mine - no, not mine, he made that clear.
A hand reached out, tentative fingers brushing against my arm. The touch felt familiar, the scent of freshly fallen snow. The muffled sound of Talia's voice crystalised the ice that threatened to melt under his scrutiny, pulling me back from the edge.
I needed to be strong. Strong for her, for my pack. I was Northern Circle, we kept moving.
The doors were opened, someone holding it open as I strode past. Feet moved with muscle memory. To the left, to the right, up the staircase. Follow the scent till my hand reached out for sanctuary.
I clicked the lock into place, the cool wood pressed against my lace covered back. The chill was soft and subtle but familiar, the feeling of home.
Matings were supposed to be sacred, fated matches hailed as blessed. They weren't something you threw away as another woman hung from your arm. They certainly weren't something you openly defied in a room full of other high ranking leaders.
The fabric was burning my skin, the dress searing me with the imprint of his words.
I'm not mating with someone like you.
I tore at the zipper, fingers fumbling behind my back to grasp the small piece of metal to yank it down.
My fated mate had rejected me, had looked down his nose at my people as he sneered with vehement disgust. When I was already out of my element, he confirmed that I didn't belong here. I didn't belong with him.
She belonged with him. Lyra.
The lace scratched over the goosebumps that covered my arms, nerves on edge as scraped the dress from my body. With my chest free from the bodice, I could finally breathe again. I let the barriers fall enough to see the puff of my breath as the temperature in the room dropped. It felt like home.
They looked so good together, two golden rays of sun clinging to each other. They knew each other's ways, their customs and politics. They were from the same circles. It was the kind of place she was raised to be in, not the taiga and tundra of home.
The way she crooned his name made my stomach turn, the sweet bray of 'Daxy' as she batted her long lashes.
I kicked the dress to the side, my heels flying from my feet and hitting my suitcase with a thud.
I'd barely unpacked, half my clothes still nearly tucked away inside.
I'd been so concerned with getting to the Council meeting on time that I'd only taken everything I thought was needed.
Now everything was strewn on the plush carpet.
The memory of his scent flooded my mind. The earthy scent of pine, the warm notes of musk and amber. It was addictive.
Maybe I could have been addicted. Maybe one breath could have calmed me after a difficult day. Maybe I could have tracked him through the forest after a rainstorm just catching the remnants of him.
I would never know because that would be the last time I saw him.
I bent down to pick up the discarded dress, laying it out on the bed to fold the delicate lace evenly.
Someone else could come back and finish the negotiations. The Elders would understand that I was no longer the best placed to handle the relationship with the Council. I had tried.
My hands smoothed out the creases, folding crisp lines until there was a neat bundle. I dragged the case onto the bed, the smooth chattering of the zip breaking the silence in the room. Each piece was replaced, each finding their place before I moved to the small ensuite.
I picked up the makeup strewn across the bathroom sink.
I had actually been excited to get dressed up.
The mascara had darkened my fair lashes making my pale blue eyes stand out against the eyeliner so carefully painted.
The gentle pinks had made my skin seem alive rather than vampiric.
I thought he would see me and be proud of the mate fate had given him.
Instead, I was placing each tube and bottle back in the toiletries bag, not to join him in his room but to leave this mission for another.
I wiped the smear of concealer from the porcelain basin, again and again and again until there was no trace I'd been here.
The suitcase was full, sealed shut against the door as I slipped on the thinly soled shoes. I wished I could run, let my wolf free to pour our frustration into our legs but it was too far and I'd packed too much to carry it so many miles.
A knock echoed from the other side of the door and my body tensed. With claws ready, I snapped the lock back and turned the doorknob.
Talia stood in her gown, hair still gracefully braided but with widened eyes and wringing hands.
"Oh goddess, Kiera, you're okay," she said with a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing for just a moment before her brows furrowed. "You're okay? Why are you okay?"
I pushed the door open wider, taking my case from the side and pulling it to my side.
"What else would I be?" I asked, face smooth while her eyes narrowed. "Talia, I'm fine. He made his choice and now I'm going back. One of the Elders would be better placed to handle the Council."
"Wait, Kiera, you can't just go," Talia said, hiking the ends of her dress up as she kept pace with me down the hallway.
"There's no point in me staying now." I didn't look back, turning the corner to see three Alphas standing at the end of the corridor.
I stilled, eyes watching with patient anticipation as I waited for the ambush. Talia stopped at my side, leaning in just enough to be subtle.
"You can't go because Council have called an emergency meeting," she hissed softly, keeping her focus on the Alpha's still dressed in their gala attire. "They're meeting about you."
The weight of the situation sunk in and I stood straighter as I faced down the Council member's stares.
"Talia, please return this to my room," I asked, letting my voice ring loud enough that they would be just able to hear it from where they stood. "I'll join you shortly."
They didn't hide their suspicions as I walked towards them, their eyes searching for some crack in the ice that they wouldn't find. No words were exchanged as we made our way through the Council house to the familiar theatre style room where a chair was waiting where I'd once stood.
Each chair was filled already and I felt woefully underdressed for these southern packs customs when they all sat in their grand ensembles and I stood in leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt.
The woman nodded towards the chair and I sat under the scrutinising stares as they found their seats.
A snapping bang of a gavel rang across the room.
"Good evening, Council members and guests," Alpha Hendrix announced, his beady eyes trained on me. "I apologise for the emergency meeting but I know you are all aware of the situation that developed at our event."
A hum of murmured agreements weaved across the room.
"Given the complicated situation," he continued, finally pulling his eyes from me and setting them on the one gaze I'd been desperate to ignore. "We have a proposal to put forward to the council."
Dax looked through me, bow tie askew and jaw tight.
"We propose a cancellation to the treaty with the Northern Circle due to the apparent emotional compromise."
After the humiliation he had subjected me to during the gala, he refused to meet my eyes as they insulted my character once again.
They wouldn't see me flinch. He wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing me run.
I would watch him burn and he would know that it was me who lit the match.
This one hurt to write. Kiera's so strong so her pain always gets me.
Do you think Kiera's going to pull through? Will she save the treaty or will the heartbreak be too much?