CHAPTER 56
LIANA’S POV
་ ༠ བ ་ ཇ ༔
By the time we got to the hotel, it was already getting dark. Killian locked the door behind us and tossed the keys onto the console like he always did, while I kicked off my heels and dropped onto the couch, exhaling deeply.
“I can’t believe we spent almost three hours in that boutique,” I mumbled, rubbing my feet.
Killian chuckled, walking past me, unbuttoning his shirt. “Yeah well, you looked too damn good in everything you tried. Not my fault.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love it,” he called from the hallway.
The gala was starting in thirty minutes and we hadn’t even showered yet. I undressed quickly, tossing my clothes into the hamper while Killian was already in the shower. I could hear the water running and the steam slowly filling the room, and
just the sound of it made my heart race a little.
“You joining me or just gonna stand there looking hot and confused?” he asked, poking his head out.
འཇའ་བ་འཝཿ ཤྲུ
I laughed, walking in without saying a word.
The water was warm and comforting, running down our bodies as we washed off the day. Killian’s hands moved over me slowly, not in a sexual way this time, just soft, grounding touches, as if he was memorizing every inch of me again. I did the same for him, feeling the lines of his back and the curve of his jaw.
After we stepped out, we dried off and moved to the bedroom. I pulled out the black gown we picked and laid it on the bed, my heart beating faster with every passing second.
Killian was standing behind me now, still towel–drying his hair. “Come here,” he said gently.
I walked over, and he helped me into the gown, pulling the zipper up slowly. His lips brushed over my shoulder as he did, making me shiver slightly.
“You’re trembling,” he whispered.
“I’m nervous,” I admitted.
He turned me around to face him. “Why?”
“Because this is not my world. Because everyone there probably knows who Cynthia is, and none of them know me. Because I’m human… or at least, I thought I was. Because this whole thing still feels like a dream, and I’m scared I’ll wake up.”
He held my face gently in his hands and kissed my forehead. “You’re mine. That’s all they need to know. And if anyone has a problem with that, they’ll answer to me.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for something, reassurance, maybe, and found it.
He stepped back and threw on his tuxedo jacket, straightened it out, then looked at himself in the mirror. “Damn, I look good.
I laughed softly, applying my makeup at the vanity while he adjusted his tie. My fingers were shaking a little as I applied the
eyeliner.
“Need help with that?” he asked.
“I’m fine. Just trying not to stab my eye out.”
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+25 BONUS
He came up behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders, squeezing gently, “You look beautiful already. You don’t even need makeup.”
“Tell that to the werewolf council who probably expect royalty,”
He kissed my cheek again. “You are royalty. They just don’t know it yet.”
I smiled, trying to breathe through the nerves. I’d never been to a gala before, not even a normal one, let alone a werewolf one filled with beings who could probably smell fear and insecurity like it was a perfume.
“We got this,” Killian said as he grabbed the keys again and checked his watch. “Come on, baby. We’re already late.”
I took one last look at myself in the mirror. The dress shimmered under the light, the black fabric hugging every curve. My makeup was subtle but elegant. My hair was curled just right. And my eyes, God, they looked scared but determined.
A whole new life was waiting for me out there.
And tonight, it was starting.
Killian reached for my hand. “Ready?”
I nodded, swallowing hard.
“Let’s go.”
The second we stepped into the gala hall, I could feel it, all eyes were on us. The music was soft, people were laughing and talking, but everything seemed to pause for just a second as everyone turned. It was as if someone had shouted, “Look!”
Whispers started immediately, quiet enough to sound polite but loud enough for me to hear the tension behind them.
“Who’s that on Alpha Killian’s arm?”
“Where’s Luna Cynthia?”
“Is he cheating?”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my expression calm while my fingers tightened slightly around Killian’s arm. He didn’t shake. In fact, he only held me closer, his hand firmly settled on my waist, as if he wanted the whole world to know exactly
where I belonged.
He moved through the crowd with ease, nodding to several men as we passed, shaking hands, exchanging quick greetings.
“Alpha Greg, Alpha Nolan… good to see you again,” Killian said with his usual charm, his voice calm and commanding. Some of the Alphas had their mates standing beside them, looking equally curious.
When a few people asked who I was, Killian didn’t hesitate.
“She’s my woman,” he said simply, like it was the most obvious truth in the world.
And that was when they really looked. Their eyes shifted down to my neck, and when they saw it, the mark he’d left on me, their expressions changed immediately. The confusion turned into shock, and then respect.
There were nods, soft bows, and a few murmured “Luna” greetings that caught me off guard.
I tried to stay calm, to keep smiling, but it was hard. Everyone was staring. Everyone was whispering. The way they looked was making my skin itch.
Killian took a drink when one of the waiters walked by with a tray, but his hand never left my waist. Not even for a second.
“Are you okay?” he asked, leaning in just a little.
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“Yeah,” I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure.
+25 BONUS
A few minutes later, two men approached us with big grins.
“Alpha,” one of them said.
Killian smiled. “Beta Logan, Gamma Steve. You two finally made it.”
So these were his Beta and Gamma.
“What about Richard?”
“He couldn’t make it. Said something about wanting to woo his human mate.”
And they all chuckled.
Their eyes caught sight of me and they bowed slightly, but it wasn’t like the others. It felt… hesitant. They exchanged a quick look between them before one of them muttered, “Hope you haven’t forgotten what we told you.”
It was cryptic, said low, like they didn’t want me to hear it, but I did. And I didn’t like it.
Killian didn’t respond to them directly, just gave a short nod and sipped his drink again. Meanwhile, I was growing tired of standing there like some showpiece while everyone either stared at me or tried to decode what I was doing by his side.
“I need to use the restroom,” I said quietly, leaning closer.
He frowned immediately. “Now? Just wait, I’ll come with you.”
“It’s fine,” I whispered back, giving his hand a small squeeze. “I’ll be right back.”
He sighed, then gave in. “Okay, but don’t take long.”
“I won’t,” I said, smiling as he leaned in to press a soft kiss to my cheek. The gesture was so casual and sweet it made some people around us stare even harder. But I didn’t care anymore.
I turned and made my way toward the restroom, finally breathing out when I stepped through the door and into the quiet hallway that led there. It felt like I could breathe again.
Until I stepped inside.
The cold shock hit me instantly.
A full bucket of water. Ice cold.
It hit my chest and shoulders first, soaking my gown completely, making me gasp out in shock. I stumbled back, heart racing, my hands clutching my chest as I tried to figure out what the hell just happened.
Then I looked up.
There were three women standing there. Two of them I didn’t recognize. But the third?
I remembered her face so well.
It was Cynthia…
