Chapter 193: The Eye of the Storm
Vivian’s POV
"Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe," Zahliver murmured softly, his strong arms tightening protectively around my waist. His voice was firm and steady the exact kind of promise you knew he would gladly die keeping. And he was right. We were werewolves. Faster than flying bullets. Harder to kill than most people would ever dare to try.
"It’s not me I’m worried about," I whispered back, my eyes drifting slowly away from his face.
Without really meaning to, my gaze landed once more on the skittish young girl and her mate the forest pair. Something about the two of them tugged at me, quietly but very insistently. She looked like she was desperately trying to disappear into the background, despite the bright, beautiful glow that connected them together. I wanted to talk to them later. Needed to, actually. There was definitely something important there.
"Let everyone settle down first," Zahliver said gently against my hair. "Dinner will be served in just a few minutes anyway."
I nodded silently and let myself relax into his chest, swaying slightly as he rocked us gently in place. It was strange how calm I felt up here, despite the thick tension simmering right below us. But that was just Zahliver he was the peaceful eye of the storm, and whenever I was close to him, the surrounding chaos faded away completely.
Just as he had said, only minutes later, the grand ballroom was ushered into its next act. Waiters began flowing out from the side entrances in a perfectly smooth formation, each wearing dark matching uniforms and fully covered theater masks that glittered faintly under the warm overhead lights. The overall effect was... deeply dramatic.
They moved completely as one silent, swift, and almost too graceful for ordinary mortals. It was just like watching a carefully choreographed performance.
Two of them quickly ascended the stairs and approached our private balcony table, placing down two elegantly plated meals along with a cold, chilled bottle of fine champagne. I arched a brow behind my mask as they departed without saying a single word, vanishing back down the stairs just as smoothly as they had come.
All across the main room below, families began digging into their food well, most of them did. Others sat completely stiffly in their chairs, casting wary, suspicious glances up at us as if we had sprinkled deadly poison across their plates instead of fresh herbs.
Seriously?
I let out a quiet sigh and walked over to the balcony railing, lifting my voice with easy strength and a very heavy dose of sarcasm.
"We’re not going to poison any of you, if that’s what you’re all standing there thinking. Trust me, if we wanted you dead, there are far faster and far less theatrical ways to make that happen. Besides, we’re eating the exact same food up here. It’d be a bit rude to murder our guests during dinner, wouldn’t it?"
Some of the guests looked startled by my sudden words, but a few bold women down below actually cracked small smiles. After shushing their overly suspicious mates, they picked up their silver forks and began to eat. I returned to our table, feeling thoroughly smug.
Just as I was about to sit down, a loud, nasally voice whined loudly from the main floor.
"I can’t possibly eat this! What are the carbs in this dish? Is that real pasta? Ew!"
Oh, goddess above. I didn’t even need to look down to know exactly who had said that. I rolled my eyes so hard I was genuinely worried they would stay stuck in the back of my head.
Zahliver chuckled darkly and pulled my heavy chair out for me, always the perfect gentleman whenever he wasn’t actively terrifying dominant alphas. He pushed it in gently after I sat, then took his own place across from me with a charming, handsome smile.
Dinner turned out to be some kind of delicious gourmet pasta coated in a rich, creamy sauce that practically melted on the tongue. But honestly? My absolute favorite part was not the food itself. It was watching mighty Zahliver wrestle with the tricky logistics of eating while wearing his rigid mask.
He squinted down at his silver fork like it had personally offended his whole existence.
I let out a soft laugh.
"You find your own mate’s terrible suffering amusing?" he asked, his voice low and mock-threatening.
"parser-friendly answer: absolutely," I said sweetly. Then I picked up my own fork, scooped up a small bite of pasta, and held it right out to him. "Here. Let me help you."
His blue eyes gleamed brightly as he leaned forward and took the bite, his lips closing completely around the fork. He licked his bottom lip afterward, very slowly. My mouth went completely dry.
"My turn," he said smoothly, and immediately returned the favor, feeding me a bite with the exact same deliberate care.
The intimate moment stretched out between us rich, deep, and private, despite the hundreds of people sitting right below us. We ate, and drank, and stared only at each other. Everything else in the massive room simply blurred out.
Once our plates were cleared away by the masked waiters again, I noticed the large dessert tables being set up on the lower level. It was the perfect excuse.
"I want to go down there," I said.
"So do I."
He stood up gracefully and offered his arm, which I slid mine right through. Just before we reached the top of the stairs, Zahliver stopped moving and turned toward Venom, who still perched silently around my upper arm.
He tapped the cool snake armband twice.
"Stay alert," Zahliver ordered softly.
To my total surprise, Venom flicked out his long tongue and hissed softly, just like a real snake would an eerie, sharp sound that raised goosebumps all across my skin. It was deeply creepy and totally badass at the exact same time. I blinked hard, trying my best not to laugh nervously.
With that, we began slowly descending the grand stairs. The very moment our feet hit the first step, a sudden hush began to ripple across the whole room. Quiet conversations died down immediately. Silver forks clinked loudly down onto plates. Every pair of eyes followed our every single move.
Zahliver’s strong hand supported me firmly as I gathered my long red dress carefully with my other hand. These stairs were remarkably steep, and I did not trust fate not to play a cruel trick on me tonight. If I tripped and fell in front of a whole room full of wolves especially dominant alphas I would truly never live it down.
If I fall, I swear I am blaming Albericus for this whole event, I thought, gritting my teeth tightly behind my smile.
Zahliver glanced down at me from the corner of his eye, his lips smirking softly.
You won’t fall, love, he said smoothly through our mate bond. But if you do, I will catch you before you ever touch the floor.
And honestly? That simple thought made all the difference in the world.