Chapter 102: Karen’s Plan
"Jealousy has always been the easiest disguise for fear. It allows the heart to hate what it secretly believes it can never become."
~ Rebel Beast
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"So I’m just telling you to be careful around her," Karen continued when Caelis said nothing. She knew he could hear her, and his silence only encouraged her.
"She hides behind that innocent face, and men can’t seem to help falling for it. I’m sure Maverick keeping her in his house is nothing more than a convenient excuse to make her his private whore." Karen finished speaking and carefully watched Caelis, waiting for a reaction.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Caelis might not have been close to Maverick Nightshade, but he knew enough about the Wolf Prince to recognize him as an honorable man. That alone made Karen’s accusations sound like nothing more than malicious gossip.
Even so, there was no denying the amount of attention Aria Aspen had begun attracting. Karen Donovan, however, was foolish if she thought he couldn’t see exactly what she was trying to do. He had no intention of becoming another piece on her board.
Caelis set his utensils down.
"I’ve lost my appetite."
He stated it so matter-of-factly that it almost sounded like he was blaming Karen for it.
Karen stared in disbelief as Caelis pushed back his chair and rose to his feet.
Before walking away, he looked her straight in the eye."Apparently, jealousy is the color of your soul."
Then he left.
That bastard.
Karen’s hands curled into fists as she watched the Basilisk Prince walk away without another glance in her direction.
This was all Aria’s fault. Her life would have been so much better if Maverick had chosen her instead, rather than the cold-hearted Serpent Prince.
Her eyes drifted toward Aria and they were filled with hatred. One way or another, Aria Aspen had to go. She couldn’t stand the sight of her anymore.
The bitch deserved none of this.
Meanwhile, Aria noticed the moment Caelis rose from his seat. She had been halfway through another bite of meat when his cold, detached gaze settled on her.
It lasted only a moment, yet it carried enough weight to make her pause. She frowned right back at him before deliberately taking another bite of meat, chewing without the slightest concern.
Caelis looked away first and strode out of the dining hall.
Right then, the others reached the table carrying their trays.
"Since your lovely Dragon Prince already brought you a feast, I figured I’d just bring mine," Brittney said, flashing Aria a knowing smile as she took the seat beside her.
"Don’t start," Aria warned.
"Start what?" Brittney asked, feigning innocence.
"In any other situation," Trisha began, dropping into the seat beside Aria, "I’d probably laugh along with her. But this is a dragon we’re talking about. I think we should discuss what just happened."
"Trisha’s absolutely right," Alek agreed, taking the seat opposite Aria. "Maverick is kind and all, but Rhydian is dangerous."
"Well..." Variant began as she settled into the chair beside Alek. "I wouldn’t exactly call him dangerous all the time."
She considered her words. "He has good days and bad days. The problem is, his bad days can be catastrophic."
"But what happened just now was still strange," Valerie said, turning to Aria. "I’ve known Rhydian for years, and I’ve never seen him behave like that. What exactly did you do?"
"I didn’t do anything," Aria answered defensively. "Touching him was just plain stupid. I couldn’t stop myself. It just happened. I..." She searched for the right words before throwing up her hands. "I honestly don’t know!" she burst out. "And before anyone says it, no, I don’t have magical fingers."
Brittney slowly raised one hand, her lips pressed together.
"I wasn’t about to ask that again."
Aria didn’t believe her.
"So..." Brittney continued, refusing to be discouraged. "Could Rhydian suddenly be interested in women? Maybe feeding Aria is some dragon version of flirting. Is that how dragons court someone?"
"Oh..." Alek leaned back thoughtfully. "That’s actually an interesting theory."
Everyone looked at her.
"In animal behavior, food sharing is a recognized form of courtship in several species. Some birds present food to females before mating. Wolves have been observed sharing fresh kills with potential mates. Even among certain reptiles, males offer food as a display that they can provide resources. It’s less about the food itself and more about demonstrating fitness, reliability, and the willingness to invest in another."
Brittney said to Alek, excitedly. "See? I knew breakfast could be romantic."
Variant shook her head. "The comparison doesn’t quite work."
Alek lifted an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Because dragons aren’t driven by breeding seasons the way ordinary animals are," Variant explained. "A dragon doesn’t start offering food simply because it’s looking for a mate. If that were true, Rhydian would have done this years ago."
Valerie nodded in agreement.
"Dragons choose very carefully. Some never choose anyone at all. Others spend decades ignoring every person interested in them."
"And Rhydian has never shown the slightest interest in a human," Variant added. "If anything, he preferred treating them as prey. If you know what I’m talking about."
Oh, they knew exactly what she meant. Rhydian Drakhar had taken far too much pleasure in eliminating the girls from the previous Concordia Program.
Trisha spoke slowly.
"So you’re saying whatever happened today wasn’t normal."
"Not exactly," Alek replied.
Variant lifted a brow, waiting for her to continue.
"Instinct doesn’t always follow logic," Alek explained. "Biology is filled with examples of innate behaviors appearing before the individual consciously understands them. What I’m saying is that sometimes the nervous system responds first, and the mind spends the next several minutes trying to make sense of what just happened."
Valerie frowned.
"You’re saying his dragon acted before Rhydian did?"
Alek gave a small shrug.
"I don’t know. Dragons aren’t exactly my field of study. I’m only saying it’s possible. Whether that’s what actually happened... is another question entirely."
The table fell silent. That was so weird.
Except Aria broke the silence.
"Oh, I’ll tell you what happened." Her smile was all teeth. "Rhydian Drakhar is a psychopathic asshole, and whatever happened just now is probably one of the hundred twisted games running through his head."
Her eyes hardened.
"It’s not going to work. His games have no effect on me," she said pointedly, her eyes pinned on Variant and Valerie, silently questioning how either of them had fallen for him.
Variant and Valerie exchanged a glance and simply shrugged, clearly unbothered unoffended. The girl would never understand.
Valerie replied, "Well, if by chance his intentions turn out to be genuine, I’d suggest you take him up on whatever he’s offering."
"Excuse me?"
Valerie said shamelessly. "Rhydian Drakhar is a taste every woman deserves at least once in her life. Trust me, as a human, he’d ruin you in the best way possible." She giggled, clearly lost in a memory of her own.
Aria hadn’t expected anything that crude to come out of Valerie’s mouth. Otherwise, she might have braced herself better.
That was when the vision struck her, sudden and vivid. She saw herself on her knees on the bed, wrists bound, with Rhydian kneeling behind her. Then he thrust into her hard enough to tear a scream from her throat, the bed rocking beneath the force of it.
The rice in her mouth went down the wrong way, and Aria choked, coughing violently as her eyes watered. She fumbled for the bottle of water, gasping between coughs.
"Fuck!"
"Aria, are you okay?"
The girls’ concern was immediate.
Although Aria gulped down the water, the coughing refused to stop. She pressed a fist against her chest, hoping it would settle on its own.
Then a voice cut in. "Here, let me help you."
Aria barely had time to lift her head before a splash of ice-cold water struck her square in the face. She gasped, more from surprise than the water itself.
The entire table lurched to its feet.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Alek demanded, rounding on Karen.
Karen blinked innocently before covering her mouth with one hand.
"Oops. I’m so sorry," she said sweetly. "I was only trying to help. My hand slipped."
Not a single person at the table believed her. She had walked all the way over from her own table with a glass of water in her hand. There had never been any intention of helping. She had come looking for trouble.
Brittney immediately started forward, but Alek caught her by the arm before she could reach Karen. At the same time, Variant took a step toward Karen, fury already flashing across her face.
Karen tilted her head.
"Little Aria is all wet." Her gaze swept over the damp front of Aria’s clothe before returning to her face. "Don’t wipe it off. Aren’t you trying to look all wet and sexy for the beast men?"
"How dare—"
"Variant."
Aria’s voice stopped her before she could take another step.
Variant turned back and watched as Aria calmly pulled a handful of tissues from the dispenser and began dabbing the water from her face and clothes. Only after she had finished did she lift her head to look at Karen.
"Leave the fool alone," she said evenly. "She’s looking for attention, and I have no interest in giving it to her."
With regal dignity, Aria folded the damp tissues together, set them aside, and sat back down.
Seeing Aria seated, the others slowly did the same. One after another, they resumed their meal as if Karen no longer existed.
Karen remained standing where she was, staring at the six girls in disbelief. That wasn’t the reaction she wanted.
Instead, they had dismissed her so completely that her little performance suddenly felt ridiculous.
Neither was she able to carry out the plan she had in mind.