Immediately after I finished eating, I didn’t want to remain behind for dessert or waste any more time listening to the unbecoming vain family chatters that most often than not end up in skirmishes. I made my way out of the dining room.
I know I will have a lot of explanations to give to Alonso concerning Paisley’s accusations, and also know she must come after me to attack me. I also have my friends who I know must be lurking around the corner upstairs waiting for me to appear so as to confront me-being that the vampires have chased me out of my room which is the only place they would have waited for me. So, leaving ahead was my best shield.
My head is brimming.
When I was walking out of the dining, I felt Alonso’s eyes on my back, and if I’m not mistaken, every other person. To them, I messed up, and I agree. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to the extent of allowing Paisley to touch me that day. I should have known that when this blows up, she would rub it on my face. Why was I so foolish? And I hid it from my mate! What was I expecting? That when he finds out, he would clap for me?
Ugh!
Now I also have to explain to him how come he didn’t feel it. How is he even going to ever trust me again after hearing I had been behind him not feeling it? Oh, Gad.
I was so in-depth in my thought that instead of going to the King’s room, I found myself striding in the direction of my former room. It wasn’t until two figures jumped out of the Egyptian pillars right in front of me, that I squeaked and jerked back in panic, my body shaking with apprehension.
“I’m going to kill you two!” I blasted at my friends who toppled over in laughter.
“What were you thinking that had you so carried away?” Nadia asked when her laughter receded.
I waved off her comment and then looked around with a peevish snort at myself for losing my way. “How did you guys know I would come this way?”
“We followed you here…” Mary said.
I rolled my eyes. “Well, since we are here, we can as well use my room.” I started trudging forth to my door, taming down the last of my composure.
“What happened?” Mary asked behind me.
I entered my room and went straight to the armchair by the window to flip down. I relaxed my head back and took a deep breath, lifting my head back up to glance around my room. It was still as I left it- everything in its right place. “I’m in a deep shit,” I uttered lowly.
“What’s that?” They went to sit on the bed, facing me.
“Paisley told them I seduced her.”
“What! That…” they hollered in unison, about to pour invectives but paused as if realizing that Paisley is their superior.
“Go ahead and curse her. Gad knows I want to do the same too,” I confided, my stomach knotting in pain. “I feel so ashamed. The King can’t even look at me.” I let out a labored gasp and looked pointedly at the other window blankly.
“It’s okay, Danika. It’s not like you did anything with her.” Mary stood and came to me, kneeling before me to take my hand and squeeze gently.
“But they don’t know that… she told them I slept with her.”
“That liar!” Nadia snapped, standing up abruptly with an irate facade. “Why would she say something like that? The King doesn’t want her and she has to lie?”
I shrugged, impulsively lifting the hand bearing the engagement ring to admire the golden stud. It was so beautiful. The girls joined me, each taking my hand to inspect. They drooled mindlessly, making me feel really sad that something this exquisite could be followed with a tainted indictment. Well, she wasn’t all that wrong, but she should have said the truth that I cried wolf at last.
“This is amazing, Danika. I think you should think more of th-”
The door nearly flew off its hinges as it smacked against the wall roughly and Paisley matched in. She was puffing smoke and her eyes blazed like a furnace. “You!” she pointed at my friends, “Get out!”
I stood up like a robot, having had enough of her demeaning my friends in front of me. When they made to move, I tacked them with a countering glare and they looked down their entwined hands, not moving a foot.
“I sai-”
“You will not dare come into my room and talk to my friends in such design, Paisley. The person you have a problem with is me, so face me and leave them out of it!” I squared my shoulders and clenched my fist by my side to send home my point
“You ungrateful wretch! I gave you everything. I made you my friend even when your presence disgusted me!” I felt like I was soccered in my stomach, “Still, what did you do? You lied to me that you didn’t want him meanwhile you were plotting behind me to steal him away!”
“He is my mate!” I challenged back.
“So fucking what? So you think we all have our fairytale ending? Do you think life is fair to us all and yet I’m mateless? Do you think it’s compulsory that mates end up with their mates and still right now while I speak to you, my mate is about to sire his third child to another woman?!” As she spoke she drew close menacingly.
“Paisle-”
“Don’t you dare say my name, you abhorrent creature! You disgust me so much, Danika. I… I worked so hard to endure you b-because I thought being close to you would make the King want me. I mean who wouldn’t? Imagine me being a friend to his best friend and Beta’s mate…” She passed off in her fairy tale tattle, looking into the air in misplaced reverie.
“That wasn’t necessary…” I found my voice to say. I wasn’t hurt one bit by her confession. After all, I am also guilty of the same crime. I merely think she took this entire charade too far for someone not hers. How do they even do this?
“It would have been! It would have been necessary if not that you stupid girl played us all! You lied to us… and then… I forgave you. I thought you were on my side and would make the King see me, want me, and love me. But, you played me too. You went behind me to steal him away!” She covered the remaining distance, to stand directly in front of me, steam of resentment oozing from her at me. This is the real Paisley.
The aberration behind the mask.
“I am sorry,” that was all I could say.
“You are sorry? You are sorry, you idiot!” She pushed me back inclemently and my friends rushed to steady me. I would never fight her. Never. “And I said you two should get out!” she veered at my girls.
“And I said they shall not! What is wrong with you, Paisley?! Have you lost your mind? You are very desperate and your heart beclouded with darkness not to see that there is nothing anymore here for you!” My body was shaking now. I am striving so hard to be reasonable because I believe I owe her that even though she just confessed her care for me wasn’t real.
I am not a bitch.
“You will regret this…” She pointed squarely at me. My teeth grated. “I am carrying his baby and when I finally give birth, I will make sure you pay direly by making your marriage to him hell. I will be at his beck and call morning and night to care for us, and soon, you will die in abject misery wishing you never made him not marry me.”
“You are not pregnant,” I said with a stern voice, getting more irritated with her unwavering deception.
“And you are a doctor to confirm that?” She tilted her head to the side, an eerie smile sneaking up her face as she asked in a low tone. I was almost tempted to believe her. But, Mrs. Dolly couldn’t be wrong, I have to abide by that.
“Stop doing this to yourself, Paisley. You can always have another chance at true love,” I tried saying again. It appears I know nothing much about her, but from what she said about her mate being married to someone else, I deduce there might have been a rejection. I also believe she would find another love if only she would stop doing this and focus on finding one.
“And you are the goddess to confirm that?” She took a step ahead and stopped, narrowing her feral orifice at me. “I never lose, Danika. One way or the other, I will have him back, I promise you.”
My pulse quickened in agitation. What if her threats are right? She is more experienced than me and can do very bizarre things in desperation. Things I might not be able to fathom or design. Perhaps I should beg her. I know she is vexed with me and the King, and maybe I shouldn’t lower myself before her but at this point I’m tired. “Paisl-”
“Fuck you! Don’t you fucken say my name! You lost every right to it the moment you betrayed me!” She wagged her red nails on my face, saliva flying off her mouth directed at us in her tirade.
I didn’t know tears had gathered in my eyes until they were falling. “Why can’t you leave us alone? Why do you have to be another Bianca in my life?! I am tired!” I cried out.
“Excuse me?”
“Please, leave us alone.” I wrenched out of my friend’s hands and lurched at her, cradling her right arm to implore for her mercy. She already has a lover why does she still insist on having the King? Is it just to claim victory? I am tired of going around in circles all for one thing. A mate. Others have their mates peacefully but I have to fight for mine at every turn-even on my engagement day!
“Take your freaking hand away from me!” She snarled and with every breathing muscles in her body shoved me away. I was flying in the air when the scent of my mate hit me, and when I landed on soft arms I assumed to be my friends and looked up, I saw him standing there at the door, his horrified eyes turned lethal, taking in the scenario- mostly Paisley. Then at me.
“What are you doing here in this room, Danika?”
…