Page 42 of Lycan King's Claim
By the time she has finished eating half her dinner, she has consumed half her glass of wine, the liquid casting a warm glow upon her cheeks. But as the minutes ticked by, I realized with a start that I hadn't touched my meal, so captivated had I been by the sight of her.
“Are you going to eat?” Sienna asked, her brow furrowing with concern as she eyed my untouched plate. Her question pulls me from my reverie, and I reached for my fork, suddenly aware of the gnawing hunger that had settled in the pit of my stomach.
“Of course,” I reply, attempting to sound nonchalant even as I curse myself for having allowed my thoughts to wander. As I begin to eat, I feel Sienna's eyes on me, her gaze heavy with unspoken questions.
When I have finished half my meal, I decide it is time to refill her glass. “Are you trying to get me wasted? I'm not even sure if I can stand right now,” Sienna whispers, her words laced with a hint of amusement that makes me chuckle.
“Then I'll carry you,” I tell her, trying to lighten the mood. She narrows her eyes at me, suspicion flickering behind her gaze like a wary animal.
“You're safe with me,” I assure her, holding her eye contact as her fingers drum nervously against the curve of her wine glass.
“Here I am. We're in public,” she says, her voice quiet but firm, as if she's trying to convince herself as much as me.
Guilt gnaws at my insides as I wonder if she's worried I'm getting her drunk so that I can take advantage of her. The very thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet, she accepts the glass anyway, taking another tentative sip as her eyes flit around the room, seeking comfort in the safety of this crowded space. However, when she returns to eating, my attention is drawn to the door as a woman walks in; she glances in our direction and heads for the counter, only to stop and glance at Sienna. Shaking her head, she speaks with the staff member behind the counter and moves to wait by the bar.
My attention keeps being drawn to a woman by the bar, her gaze locked onto Sienna with an intensity that sets alarm bells ringing in my head. I glare at her – a silent warning – and she quickly looks away, feigning interest in the bottles lined up on the shelves behind the bartender. But every so often, she turns back, her eyes returning to Sienna like a moth to a flame.
“Who is she?” I growl, my grip tightening on the stem of my wine glass as I watch the woman with growing unease.
“Who?” Sienna asks, craning her neck to follow my gaze.
“Her.” I nod towards the woman, who has now turned her back to us, chatting animatedly with a man beside her. “She keeps looking at you.”
“Maybe she recognizes me from before,” Sienna suggests as she tries to see who the woman is, but she has her back to us.
“Doesn't mean she gets to stare,” I mutter, my jaw clenched as I take a long sip of wine, the bitter liquid doing little to quell my rising irritation.
“Perhaps she's just curious like the rest of them,” she offers, her tone soothing. “As you said, we're bound to draw attention, especially now that the wedding was called off.”
I sigh, relenting under the soft pressure of her touch. “Fine,” I concede, taking another sip of my wine.
I try to shake off the unease that gnaws at my insides as I tell Sienna, “It's nothing, I'll have the waiter deal with her.” But before I can even finish my sentence, Sienna's eyes flicker over my shoulder and widen in surprise. She stands abruptly, causing her chair to scrape against the floor.
“Sienna?” I question, my voice laced with concern. Adrenaline rushes through my veins as I watch the young woman from the bar move toward our table with purpose. Instinctively, I rise from my seat, prepared to intercept her if she poses a threat.
But to my utter confusion, Sienna suddenly dashes towards the girl and throws herself into her arms. The two women embrace tightly, their faces alight with joy. “I thought it was you,” the woman exclaims, her voice thick with emotion.
“I thought I would never see you again,” Sienna replies, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. They pull apart, still gripping each other's arms as they continue to exchange excited words.
My mind races, trying to make sense of the scene unfolding before me. Clearly, these two know each other – but how?
“Toby said the king took you, and you were his servant or some crap. I thought he was lying at first,” the woman says, her eyes flicking over me disdainfully. Sienna glances back at me, her expression clouded with uncertainty. I raise an eyebrow at her, silently asking for an explanation.
“Ah, Tasha, this is Xandros. Xandros, Tasha,” Sienna introduced us, her voice hesitant. Tasha nods at me, but I can tell she doesn't like me just from the way her eyes narrow and her lips purse. Sienna sighs, and it's clear she wants to spend time with her friend.
“Ah,” I murmur, trying to conceal the sting of betrayal I feel at not knowing something so significant about Sienna's past, although I had heard her name before, I just figured they were friends from work. I also believed she was a human. Like a heavy weight, the realization that there is so much I don't know about her settles on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
“Nice to meet you,” Tasha says coolly, her eyes narrowing as she studies me. I can see the distrust in her gaze – the same distrust that Sienna had when we first met. Well, still has.
“Likewise,” I reply, forcing a tight smile. Despite the tension that crackles between us, I want to give Sienna this moment with her friend, even if it pains me to do so.
“Perhaps the table would be better than standing here,” I suggest. It's almost as if they don't hear me, but they move to the table and I retake my seat, becoming seemingly forgotten. I watch as they continue to catch up, their voices hushed and secretive. With each whispered word and shared memory, I feel the distance between Sienna and me grow, like a chasm threatening to swallow us whole.
With Tasha, Sienna seems more alive than I've ever seen her before. Her laughter rings like music through the air, her smile casting a warm glow on everything around her. And though I long to be the one to make her feel this way – to make her this happy and chase away the shadows that haunt her – I know that I cannot.
For I am not the hero to Sienna, but the villain. The one who tore her from her old life, bound her to a fate she never wanted, and shattered her heart into a thousand glittering pieces.
As the night wears on, I stand apart, watching Sienna and Tasha reconnect.
