☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ The sky is gray, heavy with unshed tears, when Jerald puts the gearstick in park. Wade is out of the car and at my door with a suaveness I briefly admire. He looks great in his tux. I've seen him this formally dressed perhaps only twice in my life—today is the second. He'd been in his trademark jeans during my wedding at the pack. He could not be bothered to dig up a suit for the occasion, so I find this a pleasant turnaround. Lowering a stiletto heel to the ground, I place my hand in his open palm to slide out into the open as elegantly as possible. My consequent inspection of the solid back and thick muscles rippling underneath his jacket is only expected. I don't think I could have afforded to not see to the chore of my appraisal. The review is favourable, nonetheless. "I'm sorry, but I shall be with you shortly, Luna," Jerald says, reversing down into the lane we newly proceeded from. "I must find a place to park the vehicle better." "It's alright. Don't
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ "What the actual fuck?" I spit, and a woman passing by with her partner targets me with a disdainful glare. I return the favour with a slow up and down that would piss anyone off. She's no exception as annoyance reddens her face to match the berry red hair flawlessly teased and executed on her head. Maybe I shouldn't have sworn crudely in this cultured of a place where poise and grace are expected of its visitors, but as Wade would say, anyone who's offended can kiss my royal ass. "What is this? The 1800s?” I growl angrily, no chips off my slab of rile. It's as intense as before, and I'm even more irritated currently. Thanks to the woman who felt it was necessary to be nosy and shoot daggers at me with her eyes. "But really, what's this discrimination about? Why are those without ranks treated differently from those who do? Posts literally mean nothing. Everyone's equal at the end of the day. When we die, we all rot and decay. So what's the big deal? Someone
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ He keeps to his word. Even though I don’t expect him to. But I have a hunch that he has something to gain through this. I just am not sure what it is. Whatever. I let it go without another thought. There are more important matters to ponder. When we pass by the infuriating guards, a previous version of me would have poked out a tongue at their balding heads that here I am getting in at last, but I have too much on my mind to do so. Moreover, this isn’t so much of a victory because I only received a pass because of Fabian. And if it isn’t already clear, I don’t want a pass because of him. Sadly, I need it, and here we are. In the process of checking ourselves in (manually, of course), Jerald and Wade slip further into the horde of the restless crowd leaving me with the one person I don’t want to be with. Where is a fiery mythical bird to pluck me off his arm and take me to a faraway nest when I need it the most? Today has been a day for wishing for my end. It’
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ At the back of the ballroom is an extensive buffet spread. My mouth waters as I hastily rub my hands, ready to dig in without restraint. "Be careful!" A voice dents into my sphere, and the cheese and cracker in my shaky pincher grasp nosedives back onto the tray from the resulting bumble on my end. "Leave me alone," I mutter, returning to the task of filling my small platter with food enough for two. A hand largely rivalling mine in size picks an egg roll from the summit of my plate, and its owner sniffs at it. I stop my pillaging to glare hard at him. He doesn't mind in the slightest as he examines the roll from yet another angle. "Eff off, Wade." I may have meant it at another juncture, but not now. I'm secretly glad he's here, and to be honest, I've been slightly shocked that he didn't hover around me since our entrance, as is usual of him. It's weird to have had this much breathing space for so long of a stretch. He passes the roll back to me, and I pinch
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ Lo and behold, the woman I'd come to dislike because of her attitude while we were outside is spiralling and jigging madly to a tango beat with the man fastened to her arm when I first caught her. His silver suit is the only giveaway, as I'd not been in the position to grab a shot of his face. Something tells me to study him longer, and I do. There is a familiarity to him that I can't place or trace to an encounter in my memory. Yet, the longer I stare at his youthful, handsome face, the more it nibbles at me that I'm missing something. When he smiles, his countenance opens into an innocent portrait, sweet and guileless, contrasting his partner, whose features are rather austere. Even while she winds in a circle and entrances her viewers, not a trace of a smile can be found to upset her pale, stunning and seemingly delicate features. "Do you want more of the dumplings?" Wade asks, and I regard him with a blank expression, having been distracted by the dancer
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ My mouth gapes slightly open. It's not often one gets to see such private marks. For, it's a no-brainer that the holes are from a human mouth. Two of the wounds resemble those from an animal, but upon tracing around the medium-sized ring, the depth is significantly shallower than it would have been as a courtesy of an actual wolf. It was either a vampire with long canines or a werewolf in human form. I shiver to imagine that Mikael had requested to mark me. I knew he didn't mean transforming me into a werewolf. He'd have to bite me on a full moon for that to happen. Moreover, I have no reason to want to become a werewolf. The risks are far too high. Count in that my mother died while changing into a werewolf, and it's totally off the table for me. It was my father's regret for a long time. He would always admit that he missed my mother and wished things didn't turn out the way they did. Yet, he'd been super secretive about how she died. In short, he didn't s
☽☽☽MIKAEL'S POV☾☾☾ The scut dares to hold her. He knows she is mine. Yet, he does not care to keep his distance. It is clear he has no respect for me. If only it were a ball where I had no regard for the hosts, he would have been lain on the floor, cradling a broken jaw. I still do not know the exact moment I cross through the horde of nobodies to reach the only one who matters. At my command to him, the multitude gasps collectively as a whole. A lopsided grin whittles into my front as the Alpha of Duttan bows and steps back from her. Saskia. She's as ravishing as ever. More so than when she'd left me for the ball. Rikal's eyes could not capture the deepest essence of her charms. Or perhaps, the slight, rosy glow dusted on her cheeks, reflecting the tint of her parted lips, has heightened her appeal. By Selene, she could stun the consciousness out of a creature. She'd caught my gaze across the room, a galaxy of stars amidst swirling darkness. It eludes me how I became the gazelle
☽☽☽MIKAEL'S POV☾☾☾ Her soft gasp shatters my sheet of reverie in pieces, and I break out of the wall in my metal sphere, attention snapping to her. She places a small hand over mine, a repeated back-and-forth motion designed to soothe its receiver. A curse barely is restrained from tumbling out of my mouth as I release my deathly grip on her. Sliding an open grasp from her waist to her hip, I sketch out an apology, hoping she understands that I did not plan for her hurt. It is not clear whether or not my intent was captured, but glittering emeralds peer up at me, and there is no anger or judgment to be found there. It keeps me in check, mooring my attention to the present where it should be. "We apologise for the late introduction, Aniyah." "Please," she rolls her eyes. "By all means, continue, Alpha Mikael. We have the very evening booked for the author of Guttenbrieg and his shenanigans. Perhaps, you might kiss her again in the centre of the room, so all can see." Grinning li