Chapter 264: Unconvinced Friends
A few days later, I was given a clean bill of health. However I knew better than to think my troubles were over. Kyle had visited me nearly every day, a fact that I knew would not have gone unnoticed by the rest of the pack.
"I did my best to forestall their complaints, but my success is limited," Kyle said, regret coloring his tone. He shot me an apologetic look. "Please believe me, I really did try to tell them the truth but―"
"I understand perfectly," I said, cutting him off. "You spent weeks bitching about me to everyone who had ears. If I were your friend, I wouldn’t believe such a sudden change in opinion either."
Kyle’s face burned. "Once again, I’m sorry. This mess wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t run my mouth like a stupid motor train."
"Well, it’s too late for regrets now," I said, with more optimism than the situation warranted. Truthfully, compared to the unholy alliance of vampires and hunters, hostile pack members weren’t anything to worry about.
"Are you sure you want to have lunch in the dining hall?" Kyle asked, watching me with trepidation "I could take a plate up for you."
"I’m not going to hide away in my own pack like a criminal because people don’t like me." I shrugged my shoulders. "Besides, you bringing me food would make the rumors worse. They’ll think I’m abusing my authority by ordering you around like a servant."
"But I told them I was―" Kyle’s voice trailed off when he caught sight of my impassive stare. "You’re right. But please be careful anyway."
"How bad could things be?" I asked wonderingly.
Well, when I arrived at the dining hall, I got my answer.
Every eye in the room was on me, and the conversation literally screeched to a halt the moment they caught sight of my face.
"What a warm welcome," I snorted underneath my breath. It was barely a whisper, but since everyone was a werewolf with enhanced hearing, their glares grew more pronounced.
Kyle cleared his throat loudly.
"Harper, do you want to get some food? There are beef potatoes on the menu today."
"Yeah, that sounds good," I said, ignoring the icy glares that were shot my way. The reception that I got now was so frosty, it made the arctic circle seem like a tropical paradise.
It didn’t help that I was only accompanied by Kyle out of all people. Blaise and Damon were both absent― they had both decided to take their meals in the office, seemingly busy with private discussions. I had a feeling it was regarding the decision to send me Thunderstrike. I personally was still on the fence, hence I decided to sit this discussion out.
I walked to the counter to get my food. Thankfully, it was manned by a familiar, friendly face. Jeeves beamed when he saw me.
"Miss Harper! Good to have you with us at last!"
"Good afternoon Jeeves, it’s good to be back. I missed your food," I greeted him cheerfully, since he was probably the only person in the dining hall, save for Kyle, who looked happy to see me out and about.
"That really warms my heart," Jeeves said. "Just for that, I’m giving you an extra piece of apple pie for dessert! You looked like you lost some weight staying in the infirmary. Come on, eat more!"
True enough, he gave me an extra helping of beef gravy potatoes and a bigger slice of apple pie on another plate. Kyle also went and got his food, and it didn’t escape my notice that his portion was a lot smaller than mine.
I thanked Jeeves cheerfully and made my way to an empty seat―
Or I would have, if not for three women that decided to block my way. I sighed; how juvenile. Were they going to stick out their feet to trip me?
"Girls, move, we’re trying to eat," Kyle said with gritted teeth, but I didn’t miss the pleading note in his voice. "I told you, it’s a misunderstanding. Don’t bother Harper anymore."
The woman on the left scoffed. "Kyle, you can stop pretending to be nice to her now. We know what you’re up to. Trying to fuck your way up to the top now?"
"I’m not!" Kyle protested hotly, shooting me a panicked look from the corner of his eyes. I raised my eyebrows. If he was trying to suck up to me for benefits, I would gladly point him in another direction.
"I swear, Harper, I’m not! Rachel is speaking nonsense!"
So Rachel was the woman on the left. Good to know. She spent half the time on the training grounds trying to beat me to death, but I never got her name.
"I believe you," I said. "Now let’s find a seat."
"Yes, let’s. Excuse us―" Kyle tried to step away, but the woman on the right accosted him, jabbing an angry finger directly at his chest, her fingernails dangerously sharp.
"Since when were you so polite?" She demanded hotly. "What voodoo did she cast on you― or is her pussy so strong that it made you forget who your friends actually are?"
I quickly swallowed the laughter that was threatening to emerge. Oh, this was priceless. They thought I had seduced Kyle with the power of my nether regions.
"Don’t say that!" Kyle yelled out, an angry, humiliated flush on his cheeks. "I told you, Amanda, it’s nothing like that at all, she saved my life―"
"And now you’re her devoted servant. How romantic," this time, it was the woman in the middle who spoke. She flicked her long dark hair dismissively, the very picture of disdain as she glared haughtily down at me, despite the both of us being of a similar height.
"It really makes one wonder... if she had anything to do with the vampire sneaking in to begin with. Wasn’t it an awful coincidence that there were only the two of you in the kitchen when it happened― just in time for her to play the hero?"
Loud gasps filled the room. I guessed this woman finally had the guts to say the quiet part out loud.
"Lucia has a point..."
"She’s even related to the hunter Alpha Damon caught back then..."
"Poor Kyle; she sunk her claws into him too..."
I rolled my eyes at the sheer misinformation that was floating around in the air. Meanwhile, Lucia continued to glare at me, her brilliant green eyes filled with haughty disdain, but I detected a hint of smug satisfaction around the corner of her lips as she observed how the crowd began to murmur about my shortcomings.
Some people clearly had too much time on their hands. I wondered what motivated her to move against me so blatantly; was it because she was in love with Damon, Blaise, or Kyle, or did she honestly believe I was a scourge to the pack?
"You can think what you want, as long as you do it without making it my business," I said, with a patient smile that did not reach my eyes. No matter what, my arms were starting to get tired. My stomach growled loudly, protesting at the lack of food inside it when my nose could still smell the fragrant aromas of Jeeve’s cooking.
"I’m here to eat my meal. Now that you’ve said your piece, get out of my way."
Lucia’s face darkened. Since I did not break down into hysterical sobs or splutter weak denials that she could shoot holes into, I had derailed her plans to humiliate me further.
No, those reactions were more suitable for Kyle, who was frantically shaking his head. He wanted to hold out his hands, full as they were, as though his palms could physically forestall the comments spewing out from their mouths.
I could have told him to save the effort, because he was carrying Jeeve’s precious culinary creations in his hands and they deserved to be cherished.
Despite my words, Lucia did not move. So I didn’t either.
Kyle began weakly, "Harper, let’s go... I see a table there." He tried to steer me around Lucia, but I stood rooted to the ground. Moving away would be tantamount to losing whatever control I had of this situation, and it would allow her, and people in the dining hall, to believe I could be pushed around.
Lucia crossed her arms and sniffed imperiously at me with enough condescension to rival Dahlia Elrod. Well, at least this Lucia wouldn’t have a father so powerful that he could destroy Fangborne on his own.
"Kindly move out of the way," I repeated with deliberate slowness, treating her like a dim-witted child on purpose. "Or have you lost your sense of hearing during the recent attack?"
"Lucia, go― Harper is Beta Blaise’s mate. You’re overstepping your boundaries!" Kyle warned, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Rachel and Amanda scoffed in unison, firing wicked barbs at the tip of their tongues.
"To think you would become her lapdog this easily... is that all it takes for you now?"
"No grit and no spine. Kyle, it’s no wonder you couldn’t hack it as a warrior."
Kyle’s face turned an ugly red.
"Listen here you fucking morons, I’m trying to be nice to you! Now get the fuck out of the way before you end up doing something you regret!" He yelled out, and I let out a tiny hum of approval.
