Chapter3
1120 Words
The big hall was lively this time, but for the official dinner instead of the aborted ceremony for tying the knot. Guests from each pack mixed and chatted, and their tittering washed over the surroundings. Hadassah sat next to Victor at the long table reserved for the Crescent Moon and Black Ridge leaders. A thick silence stood between them while Victor absorbed his wine and Hadassah nibbled at her meal.
She could feel eyes on her—judging, assessing—but one gaze felt different. Glancing across the room, she caught Evan watching her. His gray eyes were steady and unreadable, but something about his presence unsettled her.
“Hadassah,” Victor said, breaking her thoughts.
“Yes?” she asked, turning to him.
“You seem distracted,” he said, his tone clipped. “Try to act interested. People are watching.”
To hell with people, she wanted to say. Hadassah opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of shattering glass interrupted her. Next came a shriek so high-pitched that the room exploded into a frenzy.
“Rogues!” someone yelled.
The grand doors to the hall burst open, and a group of rogue wolves stormed in, their snarls echoing through the room. They were crazed, with bloodshot eyes, charging at everyone they could reach.
“Everyone, get to safety!” Evan roared, his Alpha command booming through the hall.
Hadassah froze as chaos unfolded around her. Guests screamed and darted for cover as warriors from both packs transformed into wolves to attack the intruders.
Victor stood quickly, pulling Hadassah to her feet. “Stay behind me!” he ordered sharply.
Before she could respond, a rogue charged at them. Victor shoved her aside and turned into a huge brown wolf, charging into the fight. Hadassah crashed against the table when the imposter struck.
She fumbled to regain her balance, but another rogue caught her off guard and snarled, its toothy grin on full display as it approached. Hadassah's heart raced as she moved backward, feet trembling.
“Move!”
A blur of silver passed in front of her, and the rogue was thrown to the ground with a powerful blow. Standing in front of her, Evan's eyes burned with Alpha fury as he looked at the rogue. With a swift motion, he shifted into his wolf—a massive silver beast with sharp claws and an aura of raw power.
Hadassah watched in awe and fear as Evan tore through the rogues with savage speed. Just in time, he picked up the baton; snarls shattered the hall.
“You hurt?” Evan asked, transforming back into a man. His voice remained firm yet there was something fearsome in his probing gaze.
Hadassah shook her head, unable to find her voice.
“Hadassah!” Victor’s voice called from across the hall. He had just cleared another rogue and was charging toward them in wolf form.
Evan turned to face him, his expression hardening. “Your Beta needs to keep a closer eye on you,” he said to her, coldly, before walking away to rejoin the fight.
Victor returned to human form, still panting. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Hadassah said, though her voice trembled.
“Hold on tight,” he commanded, dragging her toward a corner where a contingent of Crescent Moon fighters had converged.
The battle dragged on for what felt like an eternity but was actually only moments. All warriors from both packs united; in the end, the rogues were reduced to mincemeat. The corpses left a tattered scene of c*****e.
Lying on a bench by the wall, Hadassah had no idea what had just happened.
“Hadassah!”
She looked up to see Evan standing before her. His silver hair was unkempt and his shirt ripped open with scratches already forming on his chest.
“Alpha Evan, ” she said softly.
“You shouldn’t have been in the middle of that,” he said firmly.
“I didn’t exactly plan it,” she replied defiantly.
Evan's lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Fair enough.” He paused; his gaze softened. “You handled yourself well for someone untrained.”
Hadassah shook her head. “I was terrified. If you hadn’t been there…”
“You’re safe now,” he said quietly. “That’s all that matters.”
Victor approached them then, his expression tense. “Hadassah, are you all right?”
“She’s fine,” Evan said tersely.
Victor’s jaw tightened. “I wasn’t asking you.”
Evan raised an eyebrow; his expression was calm but dangerous. “Maybe if you focused better, you wouldn’t need to ask.”
The tension in the room was palpable; Hadassah quickly recovered and stood between them. “I’m fine,” she said firmly, looking at Victor. “Thank you.”
Victor glanced between her and Evan, then nodded. “I’ll take you back to your quarters,” he said.
Hadassah paused but looked over at Evan, then nodded and left the hall with Victor. In her room behind closed doors, Hadassah's mind swirled like a cyclone. She couldn't forget the sight of Evan standing between her and the rogue—a feeling of power and total protection emanating from him.
There was a knock on the door; she froze.
“Hadassah!” came Clara’s voice.
She opened the door to find her sister standing there, looking more annoyed than concerned.
“Clara,” Hadassah said. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Clara replied, stepping aside to let her into the room. “I wasn’t the one in the middle of a rogue attack.”
Hadassah sighed. “It wasn’t exactly my choice.”
Clara turned to face her; eyes narrowed. “You were with him, weren’t you?”
“With who?”
“Evan, ” Clara said sharply. “I saw him with you. He saved you.”
Hadassah's cheeks flushed. “Yes, he saved me; that’s all.”
Clara crossed her arms. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Hadassah. Father won’t tolerate anything that jeopardizes this alliance.”
“I’m not playing any game,” Hadassah replied, raising her voice slightly. “I didn’t ask for any of this!”
Clara’s expression softened but only slightly. “Be careful, Hadassah; that’s all I’m saying.”
She left without another word, leaving Hadassah alone with her thoughts. Later that night, Hadassah found herself unable to sleep; Evan's gray eyes and warmth lingered in her mind. She should not feel this way about him—but she couldn't help herself.
For the first time in her life, she felt
a real and unchangeable emotion—and that terrified her.
- Writer
