Disturbing the peace
909 Words
Calista’s POV
I took a slow, deep breath before I stepped through the ballroom doors. I had to force myself to keep my head high. Every instinct inside of me was screaming to turn and leave.
My shoulders were tense. My hands were clenched slightly at my sides. I reminded myself that I had been through rougher things than a room full of people who hated me.
The moment my boots touched the wooden floor, every sound around me seemed to fade for a second. Then the stares came. They hit me faster than I expected. People turned their heads one by one. Their conversations lowered into whispers as they looked at me from head to toe. Some people looked openly disgusted. Others did not even bother hiding their judgment. A few stepped away as I passed. They pulled their clothes closer as if being near me could somehow stain them.
Shiftless… that was what they called me.
That word followed me everywhere. They used that word when they wanted to remind me that I was less than them. They wanted to remind me that I was missing something, and that no matter what I did, no matter how hard I fought, they would always see me as broken.
Their whispers mixed with the music playing in the room, the sound of laughter and celebration. It all felt completely fake. The entire ballroom was covered in gold decorations, expensive fabrics and glowing lights. These things made everything look beautiful. Underneath all of that was the same cruelty I had grown used to seeing, the cruelty of the people.
The scent of perfume filled the air. It was mixed with the pheromones of wolves trying to show their power and status. It was overwhelming. Everywhere I looked I saw people pretending to smile. They were secretly judging everyone around them.
I hated it. I hated the way they looked at me. I hated the way I had to pretend their words did not hurt. Most of all I hated the fact that a part of me still cared, cared about the people and their opinions.
My fingers curled into fists as I walked into the room.
I knew why I was there. I knew what my role was tonight. The room was where I was supposed to be a prisoner, a symbol of everything they looked down on.
I was supposed to stand quietly in the corner while they celebrated their King and reminded me that I didn’t belong in the room with them.
The longer I stayed in the room the harder it became to control myself.
The last thing I needed was another fight breaking out in the room because someone decided to insult me and I didn’t hold back.
I had already caused enough trouble by being in the room.
Without saying a word to anyone, I turned away from the crowd and walked toward the far side of the ballroom.
I ignored the looks from the people and pushed through the doors leading to the balcony outside.
The moment the cool night air touched my face I finally felt like I could breathe again.
The balcony was completely different from the chaos inside.
It was quiet here. It was peaceful.
The sounds from the party became distant, blocked by the walls and the decorative ivy growing around the edges of the balcony.
The balcony overlooked the pack territory and below me, thousands of tiny lights glowed between the trees in the pack territory.
For a moment I forgot about everything, the room and the people in the room.
I rested my hands on the stone railing of the balcony and closed my eyes, allowing myself a few seconds where I didn’t have to pretend on the balcony.
A long breath escaped my lips.
“Finally,” I whispered to myself. But the peace didn’t last.
A strange feeling moved across my skin.
At first, I thought it was just the cold air, but then the scent reached me.
Sweet summer rain. Wild lilies.
My entire body froze.
The warmth that filled the air wasn’t normal. It wrapped around me slowly, like something alive, something that recognized me. My heart started beating harder, and the strange energy I had felt before came rushing through my body.
My inner wolf stirred. Not like before. This was different. This was stronger.
My eyes opened immediately. I wasn’t alone.
I slowly turned toward the darker side of the balcony to see a figure standing there, leaning against the stone railing with his back toward me.
Even in the darkness, I knew exactly who it was.
Magnus.
He looked even more intimidating away from the crowd. Without his royal cloak and the attention of the entire room on him, he seemed less like a king and more like something dangerous that had been waiting quietly in the shadows.
His massive frame blocked part of the view behind him. His shoulders were broad, his dark leather tunic fitted against his powerful body, and the tattoos covering his arms seemed almost alive under the moonlight.
For someone who ruled over thousands of wolves, he looked completely alone.
I opened my mouth to apologize for disturbing him, but before I could speak, his deep voice filled the silence.
“I came out here for silence,” he said, still looking toward the forest. “I didn’t expect anyone else to find this place.”
- Writer
