Chapter 21 - TWENTY-ONE - GIFT OF AN APPLE

Chapter 21: Chapter TWENTY-ONE - GIFT OF AN APPLEThe sound of laughter continued, spoons scraped against plates, and children ran around, yet Serena seemed to be stuck in a vacuum. Her hands went cold, and her feet numb. She could barely register the people around her- only Jack and Beatrice. Time seemed to slow down, and all she heard was: She’s not an ambassador. It played over and over again in her head. Serena willed her body to move, but it wouldn’t obey. Her breath seized, and tears pricked her eyes in an uncomfortable way. Annamarie moved swiftly to Jack’s side, pinching him discreetly. "Don’t be rude, Jack," she began with an awkward laugh. "We have a whole ambassador in Ironshade, please." Annamarie held on tightly to him, though it did little to dispel the confused look on Jack’s face. Serena took a ragged breath, biting her tongue to force herself to speak. Darius set his cup down and gave Jack a knowing look. "Apologize to the ambassador," he said in a commanding tone. The young man looked between Darius, Annamarie, and Serena with a dumbfounded expression. "I-I... ah- I’m sorry, Ambassador." Serena felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts, and glanced at the person. It was Darius, who gave her a curt nod. She reminded herself to breathe. Her shoulders loosened, and she managed a smile. "Oh, it’s okay, everyone. I’m not offended." Beatrice beamed, seemingly unaware of the tension or at least, that’s what Serena hoped. She gave Jack a smack on the back and shook her head. "Oh, don’t mind my boy. He can be clueless," she said. "Mother, please," he protested. Mother? Serena wondered silently, raising a brow. Jack looked nothing like Beatrice, sharing only her black hair but none of her striking beauty. Beatrice seemed to catch the expression on Serena’s face. "Ah yes, Jack, my son." Serena gathered herself and nodded. "I would have mistaken you for his aunt." Beatrice laughed, covering her mouth. "Oh, please, you flatter me." Soon, everyone became caught up in their own conversations, and Serena took the opportunity to slip out of the house. She walked away quickly, rubbing her arms against the night’s chill. Serena touched her neck, reaching for her pendant. She paused on the street, looking up at the moon. The pendant was back at the manor, tucked safely away beneath a loose floorboard in her room, to be cautious. Her vision blurred, her stomach twisting violently. She barely made it behind a bush before gagging, her body convulsing as she emptied the evening’s meal onto the ground. Luckily, there was a water pump nearby. She quickly washed her face and rinsed her mouth. Her stomach was still in knots, and she wrung her hands as she walked down the lonely street. Beatrice’s house was far from town, and for that, Serena was grateful- no one to bother her, no one to ask why she looked sick. She found a fallen log of wood by the side of the road and sat on it, praying Livia would forgive her for ruining this masterful dress. Her mind was blank as she stared into the dark, exhaling slowly. Just minutes ago, she had almost been caught. So close. It wasn’t entirely her fault, yet she couldn’t help but blame herself. She had frozen, completely paralyzed while Annamarie and Darius saved the day. Serena looked at her trembling hands and touched her neck again. It was bare. The pendant she had spent part of her savings to have made and it wasn’t here to offer comfort as it always did. She remembered how many times she had checked on the craftsman she had commissioned to paint a miniature image of Cullen, just so she could fit it into the silver pendant. She had it done after he asked to marry her. It was a borrowed custom from humans, but to her, it was beautiful. And now, she had to hide it. Had to pretend to be who she wasn’t. She had almost been caught. "He’s really gone," Serena choked out, looking at the crescent moon. This time, she didn’t cry. She had cried enough. But more than ever, she realized how hollow she felt. Serena was lonely. She swallowed hard, brushing back a strand of hair that the wind had displaced from her intricate bun. She closed her eyes and held her head in her hands. — Serena wasn’t sure how long she had been gone, but the sound of boots against the dirt path told her she was no longer alone. "Who’s out there?" she called. She smelled him before she saw him. That scent had committed itself to her mind, refusing to leave. "Darius," she greeted hesitantly, watching him step into the moonlight. He didn’t look angry. Surprisingly, she thought. If anything, he looked concerned. "So this is where you ran off to?" he asked before joining her on the log. "I’m sorry-" "You didn’t do anything," he interrupted, turning to look at her. "It was an oversight on my part." Serena’s eyes widened. She looked away briefly before clearing her throat. "I’m partly to blame," she said. Darius tapped on the log, drawing her attention to it. "I told Emmett to let Annamarie and Jack know that you’d be playing the part of an ambassador, and from what happened, it seems he didn’t tell Jack." The two sat in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable, and Serena found herself relaxing slightly. Serena let herself breathe. "Thank you," she whispered. Darius raised a brow. "For what?" He exhaled, leaning back slightly. "If I hadn’t done what I did, we’d have had to make you leave the pack before you were supposed to, and I would have a mess on my hands." "Hm... I suppose so," Serena said solemnly. After a moment, Darius spoke again. "Give me your hands and close your eyes." Serena was too tired to argue or refuse, so she did as she was told, stretching out her hand. He placed something in her palm, heavier and rounder than she had expected. "You can open them now," he said. Serena opened her eyes to find a beautiful green apple resting in her hands. Her mouth fell open as she looked between the apple and Darius. "Let’s go back to Beatrice’s," he said.