Chapter 390: No way!
Annabel.
"You heard me right!" I said.
I was clearly annoyed at the fact that they weren’t excited to see me. I had traveled all this way, expecting a warm welcome or at least a little bit of joy. Instead, I was met with cold stares and heavy sighs. But worse of all, they wanted me gone immediately.
They were practically pushing me out the door the very second I arrived, and it stung.
"Look here Anabel!" Damien said calmly, as he held my shoulders. His touch was firm but gentle, an attempt to make me settle down. "The Lycan prince is a very dangerous man." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink into the quiet room. "And I have a very bad feeling about you being here!" He added, his eyes searching mine for any sign that I understood the gravity of the situation.
I rolled my eyes away immediately, pulling myself out of his grip. I did not want to hear his lectures, and I certainly did not want his pity.
Was he trying to act like a caring and protective brother, just so he could send me back home?
Did he honestly think that playing the sweet, worried older sibling would make me pack my bags and run away?
Well, that won’t work! I was not a little girl anymore, and I was not about to let him dictate my choices just by using a soft tone and a worried look.
Besides, I knew exactly what was actually going on here. I knew deep down, they were all trying hard not to offend Maria.
Everything they did, every single decision they made, was always about her. They were terrified of crossing her or making her angry, and it seemed like my presence was a threat to their peace.
Speaking of her, where on earth was she?
She was nowhere to be found, yet her invisible shadow was still managing to ruin my entire day.
"He is right Anabel..." Davian said, stepping forward to back up his brother. Unlike Damien, there was no sweetness in his voice. "You have to listen to Aidan and go back home!" He added firmly, crossing his arms over his chest to show that this conversation was over.
"I’m not going to listen to any of you!" I said, my voice rising as I moved towards the door. I had heard enough of their excuses and their fake concern. "I’m staying." I added, planting my feet for a brief second to let them know my decision was final.
Without waiting for their reply, I turned around and walked out of the room in annoyance. I didn’t want to hear their counter-arguments, their warnings, or their pleas. I slammed the door slightly behind me, leaving them alone with their fear.
All of them were pissing me off. I couldn’t take it anymore. First it was Noah, who had already ruined my mood earlier with his attitude, and now my brothers were doing the exact same thing. It felt like everyone was acting against me today.
"Arrrrghhhhh!" I screamed out loud as I stepped into the empty corridor. The loud sound echoed off the walls, releasing just a fraction of the deep frustration building up inside my chest.
I really shouldn’t have gone to see them. I should have stayed far away, saved my energy, and avoided this entire headache altogether.
I kept walking aimlessly around the corridor with no exact places to go. I had absolutely no destination in mind, and my feet just kept moving down the long, empty hallways.
My assigned room was actually getting me bored, and staying within those four walls felt like a punishment. On top of that, I had no actual friend around here to talk to or pass the time with, which made the whole place feel incredibly lonely and suffocating.
I walked, turning down one hallway after another, until I got to the kitchen, and surprisingly Vanessa was there. I stopped in my tracks for a moment, not expecting to run into anyone at this hour, let alone her.
Her countenance says she was totally pissed off, as something didn’t go her way. She was standing by the counter, her face twisted into a heavy frown, and the angry energy radiating off her was almost visible.
I knew her long enough to pick whatever was going on with her from her mood. It didn’t take a genius to realize that someone had crossed her, or that her little plans had fallen completely apart.
And actually, unlike before, I felt satisfied seeing her that way. A strange sense of happiness washed over me. Seeing her miserable brought a tiny bit of joy to my terrible day, and I wasn’t about to let the moment pass without saying something.
"You would experience more of this, Witch!" I said, as I stepped closer.
I didn’t just want to speak; I wanted to make my presence felt. I moved right past her, my shoulders deliberately hitting her shoulders, causing her to lose her balance for a split second. The water she was drinking spilled all over her hand and onto the floor.
"You—" Vanessa yelled, her voice screeching with pure rage as she raised her hands to hit me.
She looked ready to slap the smirk right off my face but she stopped halfway as I flaunted the hairpin.
I held it up right in front of her face, letting the light catch it. It was my ultimate leverage, and she knew it.
"You wouldn’t want to get to the point of the consequences!" I said with a victorious smile.
I leaned in slightly, making sure she understood that I held all the cards right now.
She bit her lip, her raised hand trembling with anger, but she ultimately lowered it. She knew she couldn’t touch me.
With that, I turned on my heel, walked out of the kitchen, and continued walking aimlessly. I felt a little better after ruining her mood, but I still had nowhere to go.
But suddenly, my wolf became restless, stirring violently inside my mind as a particular scent caught my nostrils. It was an incredibly distinct smell that instantly made my senses go into overdrive. It was as though I had scent it before, but then it was more like it was masked to stay hidden back then.
But now, the scent wasn’t masked at all, making it stronger, richer, and making it completely impossible for my wolf to resist. The air was thick with it, pulling at my soul.
I followed the scent, drawn by an invisible thread, and walked straight to a certain door at the end of the hall. I walked slowly, trying to quiet my loud breathing, and peeped through the small opening of the door, only to see a familiar face.
It was a face I recognized instantly. One I dreaded back then, a person who used to bring me nothing but fear and anxiety. But it wasn’t what I feel right now, as my wolf said otherwise.
The terror I expected to feel was completely gone, replaced by a wild, overwhelming rush of certainty.
"Mate!" She echoed in my head, her voice loud and booming against my thoughts.
I froze, the blood running cold in my veins.
No way!