Chapter 58: _Dancing Around Maybe

Chapter 58: _Dancing Around Maybe "Oh my... Wow." I mumbled speechlessly as I walked toward the mannequin the tailor rolled into my room. I barely noticed the judgemental look the tailor gave me as my fingers gently brushed the gown, feeling the texture of the material. From the tiny rubies that adorned its surface to the flowery lace embroidery... Everything seemed to be sewn to perfection. "I hope it... Suits your tastes." The tailor said awkwardly, folding his arms in front of his chest. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Tastes? I barely had any. This gown looks like it could be worth a fortune, meaning something I would have never even dreamed of wearing back when I was in the Luminari coven. It would do just fine. "I like it," I muttered plainly, plastering a smile on my face. I more than ’liked’ it. But I didn’t want to show much enthusiasm, especially with the attitude the tailor gave. Anyway, after he left the room and closed the door behind him, Caroline turned her gaze to me, her gaze trailing the gown. "Well, I’ll be..." She mumbled, a smile curling up her lips as she stepped forward and admired the gown from a distance. "You’re going to look so stunning in red." I glanced at her and caught her glancing at me as well. Without any warning, we both giggled, with me placing my hand in front of my mouth. Now I couldn’t help but wonder what Kaelos would be wearing to the ball tonight... . . Later that day, the Alpha Council and Kaelos stood outside the mansion to welcome the South American Alpha King and his delegates. While they did, the etiquette tutor assigned to me by Kaelos’ assistant, rounded up classes with me. It was quite easy for me to catch up and pick up some basic tips... Or at least, I hoped. Anyway, the South American Alpha King and his wife seemed chill. Their spiritual leader seemed like an asshole just like most other wolves, but the two of them didn’t stare at me with the same disdain I saw from others. We proceeded to have dinner where the South American Alpha King asked some questions that led to Kaelos talking about the possibility of getting married to a werewolf soon. Hearing that ruined dinner for me... "Ma’am?" Caroline called after me when dinner was over and I headed to my room. I glanced back at her, arching an eyebrow. "What? That dinner was stressful and I need some time to myself before the ball tonight." Caroline paused, her mouth forming an ’o’. It was then that I realized how rude I sounded, causing my shoulders to relax before I shook my head and sighed. "I’m sorry," I said, lowering my head. "Can we go to my room? I think I want to rant and these stairs aren’t exactly convenient for that." I glanced around and noticed a maid walking down the stairs. She tried to pretend like she wasn’t glancing at us but I could easily tell by the awkward and judgemental look in her eyes. Luckily for me, Caroline nodded her head to my request and muttered. "Of course." With that, we trailed the stairs and made it to my room. I walked in first while Caroline followed, after which I locked the door behind me. "Alright, so first off..." I began, throwing my hands into the air. "The South American Alpha King seemed nice. But then the entire meeting turned sour for me when... When Kaelos mentioned getting married to a werewolf for children." Caroline tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowing. She didn’t seem the least bit concerned. "Uh... No offense, ma’am, but didn’t we talk about the possibility of the Alpha King freeing you from this marriage during our last conversation?" She queried with a clueless expression, folding her arms in front of her chest. Argh, she wouldn’t be able to fucking get it! How do I make this clear to her without accidentally blurting out that Kaelos is my mate? "Maybe I don’t want ’freedom’, Caroline," I uttered with a sigh, swerving my body away from her and walking toward the balcony. I got to the balcony and stared down at the compound below before my gaze went to the rest of the pack. It was extra festive this evening and people gathered outside, with children even running around and laughing beyond the elite region. I was supposed to find such a sight beautiful... If I could ignore the fact that there was a fucking war going on outside the pack’s walls. Celebrations like this were rare back in the witch and human cities. "If you don’t want freedom then what do you want, ma’am?" Caroline’s voice echoed behind me just then, snapping me out of my reverie. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, not bothering to look back at her, fearing that she would notice the switch in my mood. The evening wind blew softly against my skin, taking strands of my blonde hair with it. My fingers drummed against the railings of the balcony before I responded with a broken voice. "I don’t know, Caroline. And that’s what frightens me." Do I want him? Maybe... Maybe not. If he wasn’t an annoying, nonchalant, and brute of an Alpha King, then maybe, just maybe, the idea of being his wife and mate wouldn’t be so daunting. ’I guess I’ll just have to keep dancing around that ’maybe’ and hope for the best. Whatever that is...’ I thought to myself, not bothering to say anything else to Caroline. . . A few hours later, the time for the welcoming ball finally arrived. Caroline and a few other maids helped me with my makeup and also helped in getting me dressed. The ruby red gown, which once belonged to Kaelos’ mother, was a perfect fit. When I was done, Caroline did me the honor of escorting me to the ball before letting me walk in alone. Maids weren’t allowed inside, unfortunately. Anyway, when I walked into the lavish event hall, I noticed the way everyone stared at me. My steps were heavy with anxiety and cold sweat dripped down my back in floods. But there was this thrill that came with the attention I got from these rich ass werewolves, causing me to subconsciously puff up my chest. "So many werewolves and bitches cramped up in one building," I muttered to myself, scanning my gaze around and spotting Celine glaring at me from a distance, her mother sitting beside her. I plastered a smile on my face before I added. "What could go wrong?" Just then, my gaze fell on Kaelos approaching me, causing my heart to skip a beat as my breathing became heavy. Damn it, I spoke too soon... He looked handsome as always and there was that annoying feeling inside that drew me to touch his face and kiss him. But I couldn’t do that in front of all these werewolves. Anyway, Kaelos ended up grabbing me and leading me upstairs where we sat beside the South American Alpha King and his wife. We talked a bit, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. I got more relaxed and even felt a brief sense of ’belonging’. Like I didn’t have to hide myself much around these wolves. Unfortunately, just when Marcellus came to our section upstairs, disaster struck. I sensed it... A powerful pulsation of magic energy heading toward our direction. It was ominous... Deadly. But before I could even think about reacting, it was far too late. Until... "Watch out!" Kaelos yelled out with a thunderous voice. I closed my eyes as time seemed to freeze. There was an overwhelming feeling of despair that washed through me. Is this the end? "Argh!" And then I heard it. A strained groan, followed by a loud thud as if something heavy had dropped. Like say... A body? I quickly opened my eyes but then my mouth fell when I saw what had happened within the span of a few seconds. Gods, no...