Chapter 22: 22: No Good Hadeon
I clenched my teeth.
"I didn’t realize you were so familiar with every single piece of clothing I own," I calmly replied. "Every girl should have a dress for formal events, should they not?"
"Yes, but you’re an omega," Violet casually reminded. Gone were the tears from her eyes. Her tone was light and even a little jovial, as though she was talking about the fine weather rather than insulting me to my face. "What use does a servant have for such a nice dress?"
"You have a point..." Cassian said, his frown deepening.
He examined the outfit I was wearing, his expression turning darker and darker the longer he looked at me. I started to feel uneasy under his intense scrutiny, and I took one small step backwards. However, there wasn’t much room for me to move when Violet’s hands were still latched onto my wrists.
"There isn’t a need for you to own a dress like this," Cassian continued, the corners of his mouth tilting into a snarl. "And I somewhat recall recently purchasing a similar dress."
"I didn’t steal anything," I immediately said.
"I didn’t say you did," Cassian rebutted. "Why are you so defensive? Unless..." his eyes narrowed, "you’re guilty."
He meant it as a statement, not as a question. Cassian didn’t immediately brand me a thief out loud, but he had already done so in his heart.
"I was given this dress," I said.
My eyes immediately darted over to Soren, waiting for him to say something, anything. After all, he was the one who had gifted me this outfit. It fit me so well that I found it hard to believe he gave me something that was originally meant for another woman.
It was a delusional thought, I know. To think that one of the Hadeon triplets would care to buy me a present that wasn’t a gag gift. However, Soren was different. He was kind. He saved me. He wasn’t as cruel as his brothers were.
My lips were pinched as I continued to look in Soren’s way. However, he refused to meet my eyes. Just about anything and everything else in the vicinity seemed more interesting than I was right now. He glanced up at the ceiling, looked out of the windows, and even at the floor beneath our feet. But no matter where he looked, he refused to look at me.
I felt my heart collapse into the pits of my stomach.
Soren was different... right?
Each ticking second made me more and more unsure of that statement. I felt my heart wavering, and my fingertips and toes started to turn cold and clammy. Realization struck me― I wasn’t going to be saved. I was a damsel in distress, but there would not be a knight in shining armor. Even if there was one, it wouldn’t be one of my fated mates, the people the Moon Goddess herself had assigned to love and protect me for life.
This was once again a reminder of something I had known all my life but forgotten for a split second― I was all alone.
"Please," Cassian said with a scoff. "Who would gift you anything? Much more an expensive dress such as this one. Stop lying."
"I am not..." I said, but my argument came out weak and soft, barely even audible.
"You are," Cassian seethed.
He came forward, his fingers wrapping around my neck. The moment he got close, Violet let go of me, finally releasing me from her manicured claws. Once my hands were free, they shot up to my neck, trying to pry Cassian’s fingers away, but to no avail. Cassian quickly backed me against a pillar.
Bits of my memories began to overlap with reality.
"I told you," Cassian growled lowly, his face dangerously close. With such a short distance between us, all I could focus on was the brilliant gold of his eyes. "Don’t think that our opinions of you have changed or will ever change just because of one small mistake. You are just an omega servant who murdered our would-be Luna. Once we have decided what to do with you, you will instantly be disposed of."
Mistake.
My eyes darted past Cassian one last time to glance at Soren. Finally, he snuck a look at me. But the moment he realized I was looking at him, he looked away. My throat felt dry.
That’s right. It was a mistake to believe that the Hadeon brothers had any semblance of a heart.
I took a deep breath, calming myself down. No one was coming to save me. Not Soren, and definitely not Rowan.
"Don’t worry," I said, returning my gaze to Cassian. This time, it was filled with a lot more resolve. "I didn’t forget."
Cassian’s hands loosened around my neck for a second, seeming shocked when he noticed my countenance had changed completely. I took the opportunity to pry his hand off my neck. Surprisingly, it was much easier to do so than I thought.
"Good, then," Cassian said once he collected himself from the temporary shock. "In that case, aren’t you supposed to return what doesn’t belong to you?"
"And what will that be?" I asked.
With a gust of wind blowing across my face, I winced as Cassian’s fist landed on the concrete right next to my head. A bit of dust flew into the air, along with small chips that fell to the floor.
"Don’t play dumb with me, Briar," Cassian growled. "Take off the fucking dress."
"That’s not a good thing to say right in front of your bride, Alpha Cassian, especially on your wedding day," I quipped, mockingly smiling at him.
I ignored the shiver in my bones and the fear that crept through my skull. Every nerve in my body was trying to get me to abort the idea of talking back to my Alpha. However, after everything that had just happened, if I didn’t, I felt that I would go insane.
"What would other people say?"
"Don’t think that I wouldn’t dare kill you," Cassian threatened, his eyes red with fury.
His fingers found my throat once more, and this time, he squeezed it hard. I immediately gasped for air, my hands trying to pull his fingers off of me. However, this time, I didn’t manage to gather the strength to do so. Cassian was fueled by his rage, and his eyes began to glow as his wolf started to surface.
"Cassian, you’re going to kill her," Soren worriedly said.
"Cassian, that’s enough," Rowan said from behind, but even then, Cassian didn’t budge.
"Cassian..." Violet said, coming forward. Her eyes were watery. "Please let Briar go. I don’t want her blood on my hands, especially not for something as simple as a dress."
She sniffled.
"Briar is just a girl, too. If she wants to wear it so badly, she may... I... I am alright with wearing this simple one for the wedding ceremony, if need be."
