A Lover and A Liar

My Lovely Witch

It was mesmerizing.

Everything around her was mesmerizing.

The only kind of balls Alina has ever been in―if they could even be called that―were the stupid dance nights Madam Lu, her landlady organized, and they were the complete contrast of this. Dirty, filled with males that mistook her for someone who slept around for gold as she served them countless rounds of beers and meals. And all about them made her sick to her stomach, despite the strong front she always used to put for the sake of surviving the nights.

And this... the lights, the chandeliers, the fanciness, the violins and the couples dancing beautifully around the golden, mirror-like dance-floor... If only the pang on her chest, taking her breath away wouldn't make it hard to stay on her feet, she would have loved it.

As strange as it sounded, she felt a wave of belonging inside of here. Not necessarily here, not when she knew the reason of the event in the first place, but here... in the middle of people like these, high-ranked, and jeweled, and fancied. Like it ran on her blood.

And it was all so strange for someone like her, someone the world had never cared enough about.

But then her eyes fell on him and everything else in the room disappeared. For a moment, and perhaps for a moment too long, Alina forgot everything else, everything that made her hate her mate right now, but his beautiful emerald eyes.

He looked too handsome for his own good, in that dark red coat that reached his knees, and the beautiful white vest underneath.

Yet the reality rushed on her head all at the same time.

Katherine.

The baby.

Oh, the baby. The innocent baby that was the real curse of this all, especially if he was a boy.

Somehow she managed to separate her eyes from his pleading ones that were seeing right through her, just to look at Katherine by his side, her arm around his and a smile plastered on her face. Despite it, however, her eyes didn't look too happy. Alina had expected to see triumph in there as she looked right back at Alina, but instead she only saw hesitation and fear.

Fear of what exactly? Because the only one who had to be afraid right now was Alina.

Vincent stood too close to the throne for Alina's liking, as if, by looking at her, he gave her a message. That he was succeeding even without Alina's help, that he didn't need her anymore. A shiver ran down her spine at his sudden dark gaze. Vincent not needing her meant the worst for Alina, she was almost sure of it.

Vincent walked to Julian and his daughter. The music didn't let her hear anything, but he was most probably congratulating them, as were doing most of the other guests.

Alina would rather die than congratulate her mate in impregnating another woman.

Surprisingly, it was her who Vincent walked to as soon as he was finished with the King and his daughter. His intimidating aura made her want to look away, but as always Alina managed to look him in the eye. He offered her a glass of champagne, which Alina took, simply because she could feel a few stares upon them.

"You can drink it, witch. It's not poisoned," Vincent said, in a low voice she was sure only she could hear.

Alina forced herself to smile, knowing what he was implying. A shiver ran down her spine. "I'm sure it is not," she said, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a small sip off it. "You aren't that much of a fool to get rid of me in a ballroom full of high-ranked werewolves, and in front of the King, moreover."

Vincent chuckled, a dark chuckle that promised a lot. "You're too sure the King gives a damn about you."

She bit down on her lip, knowing that had been a wrong thing to say. "I'm just assuming he cares about his guests just as much as he cares about his subjects."

"If you think your work is done here," he changed the topic completely, "you're mistaken. You'll have to stay here until you force him to mark my daughter, and until the pup is born. If it isn't a male heir, then you'll have to force another pregnancy. I'm not sure Katherine will be as lucky a second time."

Alina gulped. Just the image of Katherine giving birth to Julian's baby, and her watching them, and him being a boy made her want to vomit.

"That will be under a few other conditions, the first one being the wolves will let my grandmother free," she said. Both didn't look at each other, instead their gazes were forced somewhere else as they drank almost peacefully.

"You're in no position to give me orders, witch," Vincent gritted. "I'm not going to let go of the only thing I have upon you. If you don't want her dead in the worst way possible, you'll do what I say."

With that, he left to meet a few other guests, leaving Alina to swallow down some tears of her own.

The music didn't stop for a second, neither did the waltz nor the fancy cups of champagne all around the room. Alina felt someone approach her, and she tried smiling a bit when she noticed it was actually Cedric.

"You look like you're in a funeral," he pointed out while chuckling, not knowing how home his words had hit. "Not at all like you're celebrating your best friend's pregnancy announcement."

Alina had completely forgotten she was meant to be Katherine's best friend. Not that it mattered when half the Court had already noticed that in reality, they despised one another. "I've just had a bad day," she half-lied.

"Would a dance solve that?" he suggested smoothly.

Alina hesitated at first, her eyes glued at his extended hand. Somehow she could feel Julian's eyes burning holes on her back, but she refused to recognize them.

"Look, I know," Cedric continued, "You're in love with someone else, and everything. It's just a friendly dance."

"Alright," she sighed, placing her hand on his. But she panicked as soon as she realized this was a dance she had only once seen before, five years ago. And she remembered so little about it. "Cedric," she whispered.

"It's easy," he reassured her. "Just see the other ladies, and follow my lead."

Strangely, she learned the steps in just a few seconds, barely missing one here or there. Then the waltz switched to a slower one, where the couples changed their partners around in a pattern, and Alina didn't really understand how she found herself in her mate's arms after just one spin that she imitated.

She just knew her heart almost gave up when one of his hands rested on her waist, and the other resting on her palm.

His gaze searched for hers, but the entire time Alina looked away from his face.

It felt like everyone had stopped to watch them dance. And the only things she could hear were violins, creating a sad melody as if they knew the pain inside her heart.

"Look at me," Julian told her.

Alina didn't answer. Her steps followed his, but she kept her eyes glued somewhere else.

"Alina," he whispered. "Look at me, please. Please," he added after a few other seconds. "My lovely witch."

Tears burned down her throat, her lips trembling with the emotions that threatened to overtake her.

"It's just like five years ago," Julian said, his voice thick with emotions. "I waited for you for so long, Alina. You have to give me one look. Just one."

He spun her around, and when she was just two steps away from his, she finally met his eyes. They were teary.

Alina had forgotten she had to keep dancing. The reminder of it was only the melody ending.

Silence fell on the room, all eyes on them, witnessing whatever conversation they were having with their eyes only. If they could understand the chemistry and tension between them, she couldn't tell for sure. They just went back to their conversations, and all she could think about was leaving.

Running.

Alina ran until she found herself inside a changing room of some sort, she wasn't sure. She just knew her heart was the only thing that could be heard inside this quiet little room, and somehow it was in an exact beat with a few steps that stopped only when the door was pushed opened and closed behind her back; locked even.

Every cell of her being knew who it was, Alina didn't have to turn her back and look at him.