Free Web NovelChapter 91: Reunited III
"I appreciate your kindness, Beta Blaise," Lydia said, bowing deeply to express her gratitude.
With how loose her clothing was, her breasts were on full display, nearly spilling out of her collar. In all my life, I had never seen Lydia in this light. She was always uptight and proper, joining me in mocking Aubrey for her less-than-wise behavior and choices whenever she made them. Yet, to see Lydia pull the same tactics was nothing short of unnerving.
What had happened to my friend in the time we had been separated?
Blaise’s frown only deepened, if anything. He remained unmoving, impassively observing every move Lydia made. With his expressions, I would’ve thought the twin brothers had swapped places if I didn’t know them as well as I did.
Neither Blaise nor I had the time to say anything when there was a sudden rush of wind that blew past us. I shut my eyes, rubbing the dust and sand that had flown in due to the sudden breeze, only to open them again at the sound of choked gasps.
Before me, Damon had appeared out of nowhere. His hand had curled around Lydia’s neck, squeezing as he lifted her off the ground. Her face was starting to turn blue and purple just from the few seconds she had lost her footing, her hands clawing against Damon’s grip as she fought for air.
"I thought I told you to fucking get lost," Damon growled lowly, his voice sending vibrations into the very earth beneath our feet.
I could feel my knees going slightly weak, and when I turned back to look at Blaise, his eyebrows had already shot up in surprise. I knew then that I wasn’t the only one who had felt it― Damon meant for his words to be a command, not a humble request.
"A-Alpha..." Lydia gasped, struggling to even get the word past her lips. Her legs swung back and forth as she struggled in the air, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, unable to remain open for too long.
Seeing that she had no effect on Damon, she turned her gaze to me instead. I instantly felt chills all across my body, both by her actions and mine. Why wasn’t saving Lydia my first reaction when I saw her suffer at Damon’s hands when I was so ready to fight Damon less than a week ago for her safety?
"H-Harper..." she choked out. "H-Help―" freёweɓnovel.com
No matter what, I couldn’t stay silent and do nothing.
"Damon!" I stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. He didn’t even spare me a glance, only squeezing harder as Lydia let out a strangled cough. "Damon, let go!"
"I warned you," he said, addressing Lydia directly and completely ignoring my words. "I said that if you’re to let Harper know you’re here, I’ll make sure you stay dead this time. Ring any bells?"
"Damon, let go of her!"
Surprisingly, Damon’s fingers released their clutches on Lydia’s neck, and she tumbled to the ground in an unsightly mess. I ran over immediately, crouching down to support Lydia as she coughed and hacked, taking large gulps of air as she tried to make up for what was lost.
"So this was why you were so desperate to get to House Regulus," from behind me, Damon said. I didn’t need to turn back to picture the sneer that was no doubt gracing his face right now. "So much for wanting to have a look at how Blaise ran the packhouse, eh?"
"It was not a complete lie!" I snapped back, sharply turning back just in time to catch Damon’s death glare. "And so what if I wanted to visit House Regulus for a friend whom I thought was dead? By your hands, at that!"
I stood to my feet, shielding Lydia behind my back. Anger surged through me as I was reminded once more how and why we even got into this mess― everything was by Damon’s hand. As much as he saved me from the claws of Stormclaw, he had also thrust me into this entire mess!
"She was never dead!" I continued to yell. "Why did you lie to me? Unless..." I coldly scoffed, gesturing to the collar that was still around Lydia’s neck, "That’s the reason why?"
"Harper..." Blaise took a step forward, trying to cut in, but was rudely shut down by Damon.
"Get dressed," Damon barked, throwing a pair of pants in Blaise’s face.
The latter barely caught it, huffing in annoyance at his older brother. Yet, he dutifully complied. A crowd had gathered due to our raised voices, after all, and while most werewolves were perfectly comfortable in the nude due to their shifts, it would still raise a couple of eyebrows here and there― especially since Blaise was a high-ranking pack member.
"Harper, please," Lydia said, her voice still hoarse. Her eyes were dewy, filled with unshed tears that were forced out from the near-strangulation she had just suffered through. She tugged at my clothes, her voice hushed but still loud enough for those who had gathered nearby to hear. "I came here myself. I should’ve been more careful."
Yet, I ignored her words. This wasn’t an issue of Lydia’s whereabouts any longer. Now that Damon had already found out Lydia and I were reunited, it was time I got the things that had been bugging me ever since the last time off my chest.
Starting with the collar.
"So much for fated mates and becoming the pack’s luna," I said with a mocking laugh, gripping the web-like necklace. I tugged at it a little, just enough to cause some tension but not nearly enough to rip it off, even if it wasn’t charmed to stay put. "You’re still too greedy to just stick to one mate, aren’t you?"
"You’ve misunderstood," Blaise said. He was now wearing a pair of pants; while still shirtless, this at least allowed him some modesty now that we were practically thrust into the spotlight. "The harem had been disbanded. Those women were told to leave―"
"That’s enough, Blaise," Damon commanded. "There’s no need to explain things to someone who isn’t keen on listening. Let her believe what she will."
He took a step forward, the glint in his blue eyes menacing and filled with killing intent. It was, however, not directed at me but at the cowering woman hiding behind. freёwebnoѵel.com
"On the other hand, I have every intention of keeping my promise," Damon slowly said, enunciating each and every word clearly.
I could feel Lydia shiver with fright as her grip on my legs tightened, clinging onto me as though I was a shield that could protect her from all odds.
"If not, what sort of gentleman would I be?"
