Arabella’s POV
Based on principle, one should never eat at a table likely to be poisoned.
When you were in the harem of a man getting married to his first and probably only wife, if she invited you for a feast, the probability that it could be poisoned was very high.
Especially when she had caught said person in a very incriminating position with her betrothed.
That was the reason I had gone out for a walk before the breakfast she would share with all the women in the harem.
Okay, I might have exaggerated the situation a bit.
Sue me.
I knew she wouldn’t really poison me but I was not willing to put myself in that sort of uncomfortable situation. It was better to just avoid it all together.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
“My thoughts are very expensive.” I quipped before turning to look at Alec.
Fine. The reason I came here wasn’t to avoid food poisoning or an uncomfortable situation with Luciano’s bride. It was to see Alec.
The thing was I felt incredibly disturbed and guilty about the entire situation. Because of me, he had gotten a black eye that had lasted two whole days despite the werewolf accelerated healing capacity. Alpha Luciano was a scary man sometimes.
“Thank the goddess I have quite a bit of money.” Alec smiled and I found myself smiling along with him. He was such an easygoing person. Sometimes too easygoing.
“Why did you call me out? What happened?” I asked.
“Nothing much. I… I just needed to see you.” He ducked his head.
I stared at him. “I think you need a matching black eye.”
“Huh?”
“I thought you called me out before it was something legitimately serious. If Alpha Luciano sees you now, you will get more than a matching black eye.” I shouldn’t have come out here. If I walked really fast maybe I could still make it to the breakfast.
I turned to leave but Alec held my hand stopping me. “Ara, I… I want to talk to you.”
I shrugged his hand off. “I came here because I felt guilty about your dark eye but I see you enjoy those sorts of things. While I might find you fascinating Alec, plus you are really nice, I will not jeopardise whatever you want to do here with Alpha Luciano with regards to your relatives – Or whatever Anastasia is to you – wedding. Find someone else to talk to.”
I ignored him calling me and left.
**********
Emery’s POV
The harem was a sight to behold. Women were in various degrees of pain and distress. Some couldn’t leave the toilets. Some were coughing and vomiting, others groaning in pain and the rest passed out.
I stood to the side above observing everything from an apart standpoint. I hadn’t gone for the morning ‘feast’. Anastasia had laced all the food to teach them a lesson about the outlandish dressing most of the women had taken up almost two days ago in a bid to out-dress her.
After the breakfast had been concluded, she had stood up to address the women while I watched discreetly out of sight.
She wore one of those ridiculous gowns that made her look more girl than woman. All the better to underestimate her.
“Thank you all for being here. Although some of you couldn’t make it I am sure the message will reach them. Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? I know it seems like we are at odds because you feel like I have taken Alpha Luciano from you.”
The women had worn looks of varying degrees of scorn, resentment and a hint of curiosity about what this woman-child would say.
“This might be true but it is no excuse for us to be hostile towards each other. As women, we should fight for each other and not against each other.” Then she began to laugh.
Murmuring built up in the room as the women looked at her strangely while talking amongst themselves. I could imagine the thoughts they’d had at that moment.
Was she sane?
Was she normal?
I could have told them it was no on both counts.
Anastasia cleared her throat. “Where was I? Oh yes, let’s just cut through the bullcrap, it’s not like any of you are buying it anyway. I will be getting mated to Alpha Luciano very soon. I am your future Luna and demand your full respect or fear- I’m not too picky. Henceforth, none of you is allowed to see Alpha Luciano without my permission even if he summons you. I will take care of my fiance and future mate’s needs.”
“Anything else you wanted, Luna? We live to serve.” One of the girls, Tate, joked sarcastically and the other girls tittered with her, some of them already touching their stomachs feeling the effects of the poison.
“Yes. What happened at the ball should not repeat itself. You must learn how to dress more appropriately. I am the star of the show, not you. You are just the Alpha’s fuck toys while I am the main dish. The next time you try something like that, you will not be let off so easily. This mild poisoning is me being reasonable.”
At this point, she swept out of the room without a care in the world.
I noticed that Arabella Bianchi was not in the room.
That girl was quickly becoming a thorn in my side. I remembered how Alpha Luciano had hit his in-law on her behalf. He was becoming more possessive of her which couldn’t be a good thing. I had to make sure he didn’t forget about me. That was where the second problem came in. And that was Luciano’s bride-to-be.
I couldn’t forget so easily how she had choked me and held me against that wall, calmly contemplating whether or not to scar me for life. The next time I saw her with Luciano, she was acting all naive and nice but I wasn’t buying it, not even for a minute.
I wanted to secure my relationship with Alpha Luciano but more than that, I valued my life. I had to think of a way to get rid of his bride. Before she got rid of me.
Arabella’s POV.
What was going on?
Why was everyone sick? Well, almost everyone,
Emery looked less weary than the others. She was taking care of the ladies.
“What happened here?” I asked her as I approached her.
She looked at me as though filtering her thoughts. Deciding whether or not to tell me anything. Something shifted in her eyes and she spoke.
“Alpha Luciano’s bride happened.”
I scrunched up my face in disbelief. “Anastasia did this?”
If she’d done it, if she had poisoned the entire harem, then that meant she had been pretending all this while to Alpha Luciano and everyone pretending to be nice and good.
And she had been at the door when I was…and Luciano…
Goddess, I was finished.
*****
Alpha Luciano’s POV
I hated apologies. That explained why I found it so difficult to speak and apologise to the one who had encroached on my space and property.
Anastasia, Uncle Tommaso and Alec sat with me in the study. Alec, apparently that was his name.
This was ridiculous. I pushed the words out of my mouth. This was the only way to try and backtrack so that Uncle Tommaso stopped thinking that I was crazy about Arabella or soon-to-be.
“I apologise for being violent with you because of Arabella. You will soon be my in-law and I want to make amends with you so that we can build a strong relationship.”
Alec looked at me. His face was impassive. “I came here at the behest of my cousin alone and you humiliated me in front of your pack. Now you tender an apology in private. Tell me Alpha Luciano, is this how you ‘make amends’.”
I clenched my fists beneath the table before speaking. “What would it take for you to forgive this insult? A public apology?”
“No.” He smiled. “Give me Arabella Bianchi.”