Veronica.
Lienna. The mere thought of her name ignited a dark fire within me. I saw her limp out of the werewolf king’s residence, and my rage boiled over. The absolute nerve of this bitch! I had heard from some of the maids that he had summoned her after the council meeting, and with the way she was walking out right now, it was more than obvious that he had been with her. The thought of his hands on her, his eyes on her, made my skin crawl with anger.
Unable to keep my anger under control, I marched up to her, my feet pounding the ground in fury. I shoved her to the ground from behind, taking a twisted pleasure in her surprised scream as she fell. She landed unceremoniously on the ground, her dignity bruised along with her body. The sight brought a wave of pleasure through me, but I was still not satisfied. My anger demanded more.
I stood over her, my chest heaving with rage, as I glared down at her. “You swine…” I spat, my voice venomous, the words dripping with malice. She turned to look at me, the shock in her eyes immediately turning to anger, her face reddening with indignation.
“What!? What did I do to you!? Why would you do that!?” She asked, trying to get to her feet, but I immediately put a stop to that. I stomped on her thighs, my foot pressing down hard, making her cry out in pain. I bent even lower, my face inches from hers, my breath hot with fury.
“Admit it!” I screamed at her, my voice echoing off the walls. “You’re bewitching the Shifter kings! You’re casting some sort of spell on them, aren’t you?” I accused, my eyes blazing with anger. She struggled to get away from me, but I held her in place, my grip on her hair tightening.
Grabbing her hair, I began to push her around with it, jerking her head back and forth. “You think you can just waltz in here and steal them away from me?” I seethed, my words spilling out in a venomous torrent. “Well, it would never work! Because you are nothing! You hear me? Absolutely nothing! You’re just a cheap trickster, using your wiles to manipulate them!”
Lienna’s eyes flashed with anger, and she struggled to get my hands away from her hair, wincing in pain every time I pulled on it harder. Her face reddened, and her teeth clenched in a snarl. “How could possibly bewitch them…” She gritted out, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead as she tried to hide her wince. “… you’re the one who’s out of her mind, mistress.” She snarled back, matching my glare with one of hers, her eyes blazing with defiance.
I was stunned for a moment, taken aback by her boldness. And in that quick moment of distraction, she effectively used my lapse in attention to break away from me. She jerked her head to the side, and my grip on her hair faltered, giving her the chance to slip free.
Lunging towards her, I tried to grab her once more, but she was too quick. She dodged my grasp, avoiding my fingers by mere inches. “I’m going to kill…” I spat, my anger boiling over. “By the heavens above, you will die by my hands. Make sure you don’t forget that.” I hissed, my voice low and deadly.
Lienna merely scoffed, arranging her disheveled hair with a calmness that infuriated me further. “You can…” She retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “… after you get permission from the Shifter Kings.” She pushed me away with a shove, her eyes flashing with triumph.
She walked past me, her head held high, but stopped to glare at me over her shoulder. “Let this be the last time you lay a hand on me, ever again.” She said, her voice cool with a wicked promise. “The next time, I wouldn’t hesitate to really disrespect you.” Her words hung in the air, a challenge and a threat all at once.
I watched her leave, my body still trembling with rage and shock. How dare she!! How. Dare. Her?!!
.
.
.
Still seething with rage, I stormed to meet King Adonis, my feet carrying me swiftly to his chambers. I waited impatiently outside, my anger simmering just below the surface, until I was granted permission to enter. I burst into the room, my eyes scanning the space until they landed on the king.
He was seated on one of the plush couches, his back against the cushions, and his face shrouded in shadow. A hand covered his eyes, and his posture conveyed a sense of deep contemplation. I briskly approached him, my movements stiff with restrained anger.
“Your Majesty…” I greeted, bowing my head in a perfunctory gesture, struggling to keep my voice level despite the turmoil brewing inside me.
King Adonis didn’t acknowledge my greeting, his eyes remaining closed, his hand still covering his face. “I didn’t call on you,” he said, his voice detached, “so why are you here?”
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself, but my anger still leaked into my tone. “It’s about Lienna, your Majesty. The slave girl,” I answered, my words clipped.
The king barely moved, his expression unchanging. He didn’t even react to the mention of Lienna’s name. “What about her?” he asked, his voice laced with its usual boredom, as if the conversation was already tedious to him.
My anger flared, and I struggled to keep my voice from rising. “She’s being disrespectful to me!” I said, my words louder than I had intended, my frustration boiling over.
King Adonis finally moved, his hand dropping from his face, and his eyes opening lazily. He regarded me with a disinterested gaze, his expression unchanging. “Then, punish her,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion, as if the matter was of no consequence to him.
A surge of indignation went through me, but I bit back my retort, aware that I had to tread carefully. I needed the king’s support, and antagonizing him would only harm my cause. “That’s not all…” I gritted through clenched teeth, my words barely contained.
King Adonis raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening. “Then, what is it?” He asked, his voice laced with irritation, as if I was wasting his time.
I took a deep breath, my emotions boiling over. “Why do you keep summoning her when I’m right here?” I cried out, my voice cracking with pain and displeasure. “Don’t you see me? Don’t you know I exist?”
The king’s eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. “What I decide to do is none of your business,” he said, his tone cold and dismissive. “Since when did I begin to answer to you?”
I felt a sting from his words, and I immediately backtracked, not wanting to incur his wrath. “Forgive my impertinence, your Majesty,” I said, my voice laced with humility. Then, my face fell, and I allowed a hint of vulnerability to seep into my tone. “I’m just hurt, that’s all.”
King Adonis let out a sigh, his expression unchanging. He leaned back on the couch, steepling his fingers together. “Like I said, it’s none of your business. Stop interfering in matters that don’t concern you.” His voice left no room for argument, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
But then, he dropped a bombshell. “So, what if we keep summoning her? For all we know and care, we can decide to make her our second mistress.” His words hung in the air, and I felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
I couldn’t have heard him right. He wanted to make Lienna their second mistress? The thought sent a wave of panic through me. “Y-you’ll make her your second mistress??!” I stammered out, my voice filled with disbelief and horror. If that happens, my life is ruined!! I can’t let that happen! Over my dead body!! I need to put a stop to it!
“Yes, if we so wish…” King Adonis murmured, his voice dripping with indifference. “Now, do you see that you have no say in this matter?” He asked, raising a brow at me.
I seethed, my anger boiling over, but I knew I had to keep it under control. Not here, not now. I couldn’t afford to antagonize the king further. Bowing my head, I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling with suppressed rage. “Yes, your Majesty.” I replied, blinking back tears of frustration and humiliation.
The king’s expression didn’t change, his boredom palpable. “Now, leave. And don’t come to meet me ever again unless you have been summoned. Or I will punish you.” He said, his voice brooking no argument.
I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. “Yes, your Majesty.” I answered, my heart heavy with despair. Giving a deep curtsy, I turned and rushed out of his chambers, desperate to leave that place.
As soon as I stepped outside, I let out a strangled cry, pulling at my hair in frustration and rage. How could this be happening? After all my years of toil and work, of careful manipulation and scheming, some stupid human comes from nowhere to take it all away from me?
I felt the darkness brewing in me, slowly beginning to consume me. My vision grew red, my thoughts clouded by a malevolent fury. I have to kill Lienna. I just have to.