Epsilon [Werewolf]

Chapter 42

Raina and I were one of the last people to arrive, but perhaps that made it all the more better. As I walked from under the archway into the castle grounds that I had come to love, hundreds of eyes were on me in an instant. I keep my head up, determined to wear Azriel's colors with pride. That's right, I thought, glancing towards the Thetas that had once treated me like crap, and the Gammas that had once laughed at my expense. They shrunk under my cold scrutiny. I'm wearing the Alpha's colors now. 

I remember Zion had once warned me to not let it all 'get to my head'. Well, it was, and I knew I had damned well earned the right. 

Despite the bustle of the event, silence seemed to greet me wherever I walked. People stared at me in absolute awe, a few going so far as to bow down to me -- ones that had once referred to me as 'human trash' and an array of other horrible things. I paid them no heed; I would not give it to them -- not yet at least. I wanted them to know I wasn't going to forgive them at the drop of a dime, for such things took time. 

I noticed a few wolves looked confused, namely the ambassadors in grey Peltas. Silver glinted around their necks, almost as a taunt. All it took was someone to take it off, and they could wreak as much havoc as they wished...

Raina took my hand, guiding me onwards. She was grinning from ear-to-ear, obviously enjoying the attention as much as I was. She was looking towards a few of the Omegas smugly, and I realized she was feeling the same thing as me: sweet spite. Those who had once called her an outcast were now gaping at her in awe, and I knew the feeling was divine. 

We continued our walk through the crowd. The makeshift tents which had been erected around the grounds glinted in the silver of the moonlight, people milling in and out of them. With my senses I could pick out the stench of alcohol, and it occurred to me I'd never seen alcohol here, not so much as smelt it. This must be a one-off thing. 

I looked ahead and my heart skipped a beat. A stage had been set up just before the forest, silver lights protruding to illuminate the lone figure atop of it. Azriel, and my god, he looked drop-dead gorgeous in the silver light. The light caught in his hair, running like rivers of silver upon the black strands. His blue eyes virtually glowed, almost like a pair of blue moons. I let out a small gasp as his gaze met mine, a smile smile forming upon his lips. 

I looked away, cheeks heating. All I could think about was our brief kiss, and how this was the first time he'd acknowledged me since. Was he planning on something tonight? What if he wanted to take it further?

Worse yet, what if he didn't? What if he was going to cover it up as some sort of mistake? The thought crushed me more than I'd care to admit. 

Just then, a woman walked on stage beside him. I'd seen her before, namely during the Feasting where she'd sit on the left-hand side of Azriel. She was rarely present, and I'd never seen her talk to him -- not until now. Her grey eyes looked almost black in the shadow of her face, her brown hair billowing on the wind. She sported a Crimson Pelta with a purple symbol on its back, and it took me a moment to realize it was his Zeta. Zion had told me about her; if Zion was Azriel's right-hand man, then she was his left-hand. Strategist, very smart, and very elusive. She rarely made an appearance at mealtimes, and this was the first time I'd really been able to stop and get a good look at her. 

She whispered something in Azriel's ear. He nodded and she scuttled away, disappearing into the crowd. A sudden pang of jealousy rang through me as I realized I wasn't the only woman close to Azriel. I was his friend, sure, but she was his left-hand; someone he took literal advice from. It was a stupid thing to mope over, but I couldn't help it.

Just then, the lights brightened, and the crowd fell silent. Azriel cleared his throat, his voice inviting attention without demanding it. Slowly, he raised a microphone to his lips. 

"Greetings people of the Sothern Court and Ambassadors, and welcome to this year's Moonfall!" he boomed. The sound of his voice alone sent a strange heat through me, but I quickly shook it off. "We have a lot to celebrate tonight. As you may know, tonight marks the night of the Lunar Eclipse, in which the Moon will fall from the night's sky. 

"Tonight we'll see many beautiful things," he glanced at me, and my heart fluttered as he shot me a brief wink. For just a moment, everyone else disappeared, and it was just me and him. The feeling didn't last, though, as he returned his attention to the gathered. "And enjoy many beautiful memories. So please..."

A pair of hands roughly gripped my shoulders and whirled me around. I let out a started yelp, as did Raina. Something strange ran through me as I met the cold gaze of Azure, her eyes icy as they held mine. 

"What do you want, Azure?" I ground out. I recalled the last time we'd talked, when she'd turned tail and ran off. Why was she manhandling me now?

"What did you do for it?" she hissed, looking me over. I frowned.

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"The Pelta," she snapped. "Don't play dumb!"

I blinked. Fortunately, Raina was my voice, and luckily for us her words were a lot calmer than the ones running through my head. "It was a gift from Azriel; she did nothing sinister to get it, if that's what you're implying."

"Bullshit," she hissed, shooting Raina a glare. "And don't speak to me without my permission, Omega."

"Hey," I warned. Her glare returned to mine. "Leave Raina out of this. Just what do you want to know?"

Her green eyes narrowed. Then, she let go of my shoulders, pushing me back. "Nothing; I should've guessed you'd been whoring around with the Alpha to get his colors."

My jaw dropped as my cheeks flamed. I felt Raina bristle by my side. 

Azure smirked at my reaction. "I knew it; you must be enjoying the attention, right?"

"You're one to talk about whoring!" I snapped, feeling the rage build within me, along with that dreadful energy. I paused, and the energy went away in an instant. Control yourself, I told myself, staring at her smug smile. She's just trying to provoke you. 

Sucking in a deep breath, I grabbed Raina's arm and whirled us around. "Come on, Raina," I told her, satisfied by Azure's affronted expression by me turning my back on her. "We don't need to be around this jealous bitch. Let's go elsewhere--"

Just then, I felt a tug at my Pelta, and the sound of a rip. I whirled, aghast as I saw a piece of the material in Azure's hand, her face contorted into a bitter sneer. She'd ripped my Pelta! I didn't even have enough time to process what had happened before she whirled on her heel and took off.

"You bitch!" Raina squealed, saying the words I couldn't form in that moment. When she started to take off after her, I finally found the mind to whip out my arm and stop her.

"It's alright, Raina," I said, my voice brimming with barely-contained anger and defeat. "You'll only land yourself in trouble; I've been there, trust me."

After a few moments of hesitation, she nodded. I looked around, suddenly anxious we'd caused a scene, but thankfully our little skirmish had been masked by applause. I turned back to Azriel, who was now bowing towards everyone. For the smallest moment, I caught his eye, and I was forced to look away.

"Have a great Moonfall, everyone!"