CHAPTER 3
Mia's POV
The night dragged on, each moment stretching into eternity. Mia's body ached from endless work: hauling trays, pouring wine, bowing, serving. She tried to focus on her tasks, to bury herself in routine, but her mind betrayed her.
She felt him everywhere.
Even when her back was turned, she could feel his gaze. It clung to her like fire on her skin, sharp and consuming. She avoided looking at him again, terrified of what she might see—or what he might see in her.
Around her, the pack bustled nervously, desperate to impress.
Wolves laughed too loudly, spoke too carefully, as though every word might mean life or death.
Marcus snapped at her twice for moving too slowly, his anger sharp, his eyes filled with venom.
She endured it, as she always did, but her heart wasn't steady anymore.
It was him.
No matter how much she tried to bury the thought, she couldn't deny the pull. Something had happened when their eyes met. Something she didn't understand. And she hated herself for it.
Mia slipped into the kitchens for a breath, leaning against the counter as she pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart thundered so violently she thought it might break free. Why him? Why now? Why did she feel... connected?
The door burst open. Marcus stormed in, his face twisted with rage. He seized her wrist and yanked her forward.
"Did you think I didn't notice?" he hissed. "The way you looked at him? You'll embarrass us all with your pathetic staring. Remember your place, Mia."
Her throat closed, words dying before they could form. She lowered her eyes, silent, though pain burned through her wrist where his grip tightened.
Marcus leaned closer, his voice dripping venom. "You're nothing. A servant. If he even noticed you, it was to laugh at how pitiful you are."
Mia bit her lip, holding back the sting of tears. She wanted to scream, to fight back, but she didn't. She couldn't. Not here. Not now.
When Marcus shoved her aside and stormed back into the hall, she pressed her forehead to the cool stone wall. A whisper escaped her trembling lips.
"Then why did it feel so different?"
The truth lingered in the air like the scent of vanilla. She couldn't escape it. He had seen her. And deep inside, some dangerous part of her wanted him to see her again.
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Daniel's POV
Daniel stood tall at the head of the hall, and every wolf bent low before him. Yet his gaze remained fixed on only one.
Her.
The fragile little thing who smelled of vanilla and hidden fire. The servant girl who dared to steal his breath and twist his fate with a single glance. His mate.
He watched her reappear at the edge of the hall, head bowed, steps hesitant. She trembled as though the very sight of him burned her. The corner of his mouth lifted, cruel and amused. So weak. So breakable. Yet every fiber of his being demanded her.
He raised his hand, slow and deliberate.
"You," he said, his voice deep, resonant, commanding.
Dozens of wolves flinched, heads lifting in confusion before darting down again. Whispers rippled through the hall. He ignored them. His finger pointed toward the girl clinging to the table as if it were her lifeline.
Mia froze. Her pale face tilted up, wide eyes locking on him, lips trembling as if she wanted to speak but couldn't.
"Come here," he ordered.
The silence thickened. Wolves shifted, shocked that the Lycan King had singled out a servant. Marcus bristled, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing. Even he wasn't foolish enough to challenge Daniel.
Mia's steps were fragile, each one a battle against the crushing weight of the stares around her. When she finally stood before him, her eyes lowered once more. Daniel let the silence stretch, savoring her unease.
The beast inside him growled in satisfaction. Ours.
"Lift your head," Daniel commanded.
"You." His voice was deep, a command that made her shiver. He leaned close, his lips almost brushing her ear as he whispered a single word that shattered her.
"Rejected."
The sound cut through her like a blade.
The hall erupted with shocked murmurs. Mia staggered back, but Daniel's hand shot out, gripping her chin and forcing her to look up. His eyes glowed mercilessly.
"You think fate can bind me to a weak little servant?" His words were venomous, loud enough for all to hear. "I am Daniel Hussel. I do not bow to destiny. And I will never claim you as mine."
Laughter broke from a few wolves in the crowd. Adrian chuckled darkly, delight shining in his eyes.
Mia's chest tightened, tears threatening to spill, but she held them back. She lowered her gaze again, as she had always done, as she had been taught to survive. She would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Daniel released her chin with a sharp jerk, his growl echoing through the hall. "You are nothing to me."
He turned his back on her, addressing the pack as though she did not exist. His rejection burned in her chest, searing, suffocating.
But in the shadows of his golden eyes, for the briefest heartbeat, there had been something else. Something he would never admit.
And Mia felt it, even though the crushing weight of his cruelty. Fate was not done with them. Not yet.