008
1745 Words
Chapter 8
~ELANA~
I stepped into the living room, waiting for Arden. Father Greyman left and we made a mutual decision to split our rooms.
He moved to one of the three other rooms in this house, guestroom excluded, while I remained in the one we shared before.
Something had to be done about how much steam was rising between us.
Of course, I'd never admit it before him, but I knew, and a part of me was sure he knew as well.
I decided to attend the fundraising event. Not “decided" actually, but somehow, I found myself promising I'd be there.
Arden had three beautiful dresses delivered to our doorstep.
I didn't have favorites at all, but all three of them were in the three colors that'd always top my list.
Black. Purple. Gold.
I'd chosen the black bodycon one—beaded and beautifully accessorized.
Arden was yet to join me here… he was still somewhere in his room, putting together an outfit that I was expecting to look like the one he'd worn when we first met.
When he walked into the living room, my eyes didn't meet his at first.
My eyes met his Italian loafers, polished and shiny in fine material, then all the way above his tailored pants, and then to his shirt.
God. He didn't have to undo the first three buttons because that view alone seemed to make my face hot in ways that were certainly not good for me.
Our eyes met and he was looking at me—tenderly and… and soft.
“You look…” He paused, then stared even harder. "Beautiful, princess.” He continued.
I knew I should've complimented him first but in reality, my mouth couldn't find words.
Arden had no idea how f*****g pleasing it was to have him in sight.
"You look good.” I swallowed, nodding to waver every note of awkwardness that was probably obvious already.
We both did.
I liked my dress— it was beautiful to be adorned with a beaded dress, handcrafted by one of the most exquisite fashion designers in the whole of the country.
But I liked his more. Not because of where it was made, or how much it was worth.
But how it looked. Because his body was the actual outfit.
Aside from his manly frame and style, the clothes would mean nothing. Utterly nothing.
Throughout the ride to the pack's grand hall, the air thickened with silence and stray stares.
God. And when we finally arrived at the grand hall, we drew eyes.
We arrived late.
Very late, and this was his whole plan because he told me to be ready by 8pm when the event had started at 6pm.
I couldn't say if it was me, or him who attracted that much attention.
But we certainly had eyes following us— some envious, some scorny, some cute… whatever.
He pulled out the chair for me. God, he didn't have to be like this when we had this much attention on us.
“Arden." I whispered. “Sit, princess." He whispered, guiding me to settle in the chair.
“Now I might be forced to act like I don't know you all night.” I muttered too low for anyone to have eavesdropped with their useless werewolf hearing.
“Fine. Then I'll be forced to force you to wear a big smile for me tonight, princess."
“Can you stop calling me that right now?" I wasn't mad, my ears just needed a break from being called what I wasn't.
“I can't. I'm sorry, my princess." Somehow, we weren't about an arm's length apart. He was close but it was starting to feel like he was beneath my very skin.
"Fine. Focus on why we're here and stop looking at me.” My eyes rolled as I whispered.
"And who tells you I’m not focused on why we're here?" Why was he even staring at me?
Did he have the slightest idea that my anxiety could kick up here right now?
The event soon moved towards the appreciation part.
I'd whispered to Arden countless times this night, begging him to let me take my leave if he wasn't ready to leave yet.
What damn thing did we have to do with the part where contributors were called out?
"Next, we shall call on our largest fund-contributor for this year in this pack.”The Alpha announced, staring at the paper in his hand.
He had a special-looking award placed on the table beside him.
Well, whoever had done that must have been lucky to have such riches.
“This person donated three hundred thousand dollars to this pack." Oddly, he wasn't smiling, but the entire hall roared with cheer and applause.
“Let's leave." I turned to Arden, who’d crossed before his chest and was looking straight at the Alpha.
On his face was a smile that seemed to make his eyes shrink.
I stood to leave, but before Arden’s hand could even touch me, I heard my name.
Not from Arden's mouth. Not from someone sitting around us.
Not from Melissa himself.
But right from the stage. From the Alpha's mouth. He called my name and another round of applause travelled through the hall.
My heart thudded right inside of my chest.
I looked around. They were all smiling, clapping. And my eyes drew down to Arden, he was smiling too.
“What did you do?" I whispered. He didn't respond, he only mirrored my intense gaze.
“Please do the pack the honour of coming forward to receive your award and also a speech, Miss Lancelot." The Alpha announced again, his voice traveling loudly through the entire hall.
I didn't know how to react, but I found my legs walking towards the podium, tears filled my eyes.
When I reached the stage, someone bowed to welcome me.
I'd never been treated with so much respect and honor.
I'd only heard of the annual pack fund contributors, and never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd someday be standing here as the largest among all of those people.
Tears had filled my eyes and if I blinked, it'd smudge my mascara.
I took a photo with the Alpha shaking my hand while he gave the award and when it was finally time to give my speech, my mouth just wouldn't find words.
I stood at the podium, award in one hand and the other holding tight to the base of the microphone stand.
"To the pack!” I raised my award in the air and everyone clapped again.
Arden stood.
Our eyes locked while I stood there, trying to convince myself I wouldn't break down right there.
While I watched him from there, something crept into my brain.
Arden had made this possible. Arden had made someone bow to welcome me.
Arden had made me receive applause from the same people who used to mock me.
They all sat—some stood, clapping and smiling. For me.
Me.
Their smiles were all fake, of course, but he bought them for me. And right now, it was me. It was I who owned every attention in the room.
"And how does it feel to be the pack's largest fund-contributor?” Arden pulled the car door open for me.
I'd not said a word to him since that moment.
"You should've said something like this was going to happen?” I didn't sit in completely, I kept my legs out as I tried to unbuckle my heels.
"Why?” He bent to the ground, doing it for me instead. "So you would have hidden yourself and not let me find you till the ceremony was over?” He murmured, helping me take my leg out of the first.
I went blank.
A part of me throbbed to bring up a question— what did all of this mean to him?
Did he have any plans as to why he was doing all of this for me?
Because I was so sure everything wasn't even close to being right.
I didn't really know him, aside from how much wealth he had and our matebond…but he seemed to know too much about me.
Even the fact that I hated attention, when it didn't even look like it.
“What's wrong?"He asked, still bending before me.
“Nothing." I blinked, glancing down only to realize he'd taken both heels off.
“Come for a hug, princess." He spread his arms, then smiled calmly as he stood straight. In full height.
I shook my head. "I'm fine.” My voice almost cracked, but it eventually didn't.
I snatched my eyes, then sat in the car… waiting for him to get in and drive off so I would catch another round of fresh air.
The weight of his eyes pressed on every one of my senses. I could almost taste it.
“Elana." I turned towards the sound of my godfather's voice coming from the hall's entrance.
He was approaching us and was very close already.
He spread his arms, coming towards me. " Come for a hug, princess.” He repeated Arden's exact words, but his was even more natural.
I turned to Arden. He was smiling, and that was just enough. Just enough for me to realize he'd done something again.
I walked into my godfather's arms and I remained there for as long as I could remember.
I sniffed back the tears that were ready to escape my eyes.
Someone called on him and he bid me goodbye before heading off.
"Get in, and don't ask questions about anything because I won't answer them.”Arden muttered, pulling the door open.
I sat in, blank but my eyes were scorching with tears.
The car lurched forward at a high takeoff speed. He was heading for the pack's exit.
“Where are we going?" I asked, looking out the window.
He hit the brake and the car halted, then he turned with a smirk. “You've promised yourself you'd do this since you were ten. Take a guess”
Everything else quieted. My eyes watered even more.
I was still trying so hard to think when the roof of his car slid open slowly.
“A night drive." The words cracked out of my lips.
He nodded in that exact second and took off.
God..
How did he know?
- Writer
