Shunned By An Alpha, Cherised By A Lycan

Chapter 58:

I want the ground to swallow me whole, to take me far away from these Lycans and their judgment. My eyes sting with unshed tears, the humiliation sitting heavy in my chest. But no, I won’t cry. Not here. Not in front of them.

With a surge of anger, I jerk my arms free from Isabelle’s grip, wincing as her nails leave scratches behind. I’ve had enough. Lifting the train of my dress, I turn on my heel and rush away, heart pounding in my chest. I feel like a damn Cinderella, running from the ball.

“Baby Vixen,” Ryder’s voice cuts through the noise, low and husky, like warmth on a cold night. I freeze, my body stiffening at the sound of those words I hate. Slowly, I turn around.

He’s standing a good distance away, but it feels like his voice was right in my ear. My heart skips a beat, my pulse racing faster with every step he takes toward me. I drop the fabric of my dress as he closes the distance.

His face is unreadable, that same stoic mask he wears so well. When he reaches me, his hands slide over mine, his touch cold, his fingers slipping between mine in a possessive grip.

Without a word, he leads me to the center of the hall. Over a hundred eyes are locked on us, wide with curiosity and shock. I don’t have to ask what’s going through their minds—they’re all wondering the same thing. What’s he going to do?

“Pack members,” Ryder’s voice booms through the hall, commanding silence. “I present to you my lady, Jasmine. Anyone who disrespects her disrespects my authority as Alpha. And I demand your respect and your apologies for the disgrace shown to her. Bow and greet her.”

The room falls into stunned silence. My mouth drops open as I stare up at Ryder, my mind reeling. Is he really doing this for me? Lycans, like werewolves, don’t bow…

No one bows to anyone except their Alpha and Luna. But here Ryder is, demanding that they bow to me.

The apologies come in a murmur, followed by the pack lowering themselves into a bow, their heads bent in submission. My eyes blur with tears, but this time, they’re from relief. The weight of humiliation lifts from my shoulders.

Turning my gaze to Isabelle, I’m surprised to see her bowing too. I can only imagine what her face looks like behind that curtain of blonde hair—probably murderous.

Your next journey starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․𝒸o𝗺

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Ryder’s warm breath brushed over my ear, making my heart skip a beat. “You look absolutely stunning, Baby Vixen. Damn, I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” His voice was like velvet, but his words? They sent a shiver down my spine, and I was sure my face betrayed me with that tell-tale flush.

He placed a hand firmly on my lower back, leading me as if we were in some sort of movie. He even pulled out the chair for me, Mr. Perfect Gentleman, and I slipped into it slowly, a goofy grin plastered on my face. What can I say? Ryder had that effect.

“Turn around,” he ordered, all serious. Like the lovesick puppy I was, I did as I was told, no complaints. His voice had this grip on me that I couldn’t break.

Not that I wanted to.

“Alright, you can look now.”

I turned to see a sleek black jewelry box in front of me. The thing was practically dripping with elegance, sparkling with tiny specks of light. Ryder had tied it with a red ribbon—because of course, he did. With a slow, practiced touch, he opened it up, revealing a silver necklace with a small diamond nestled at the center.

A gasp slipped out before I could stop it. My eyes darted to his face, and there he was, with that maddening little smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing. Just as I reached out to touch it, he slid the box back toward himself. Figures. With his cool fingers brushing against my skin, he fastened the necklace around my neck, the cold silver sending chills down my spine. The necklace was gorgeous, but it was Ryder’s touch that had me completely off balance.

I could feel the butterflies swirling in my stomach, and I didn’t know whether it was his sweet talk or his fingers, but something had me twisted up inside. Sitting next to him, pretending to listen to the Lycans talk business? Yeah, right. I was too busy replaying his words in my head. The way he looked at me, like I was the only thing in the room worth staring at… it was driving me insane.

As the conversation dragged on, I started counting the women in the room just to keep myself from zoning out. Thirty-five… thirty-six… But my thoughts fizzled out when something brushed against my leg.

.

.

.noveldrama