Music Recommendation: Blue by Billie Ellish.

....

Adele stepped into her room without looking up at first. Her mind was still outside.

She felt a shift in the air.

Her steps slowed, then stopped when she recognised the scent in her room. Her gaze finally lifted.

Her father sat on her bed.

He was going through something. He was going through boxes. Velvet-lined and opened yet unwrapped.

They were spread carelessly across her bed. There were about thirteen boxes in total. Adele’s brows pulled together slightly.

There were more gifts than before.

Her frowned lightly for a second. She hadn’t known he sent more.

Alpha Blackfen didn’t look at her immediately. He picked up one of the boxes, and opened it again like he hadn’t already seen its contents.

Then finally, his gaze shifted and it landed on her.

"When did you become so worthy," he asked slowly, almost inviting and warm, "of this much gift and affection?"

He didn’t sound curious. Rather, the accusation in his voice was strong.

Adele didn’t answer. She didn’t even react. Her fingers moved to her gloves, and she began removing them.

She removed one, then the other in a slow precised way, like she hadn’t heard him. She had no respond to give.

She walked toward her vanity. Her reflection met her halfway. The glint in her eyes looked like a ghost of herself.

"The gifts are his way of an apology," she said, right after dropping the second glove on the vanity table.

Her voice was calm, and almost distant.

Alpha Blackfen’s eyes sharpened.

"Shouldn’t you be the one apologising," he said, his tone dropping, "for dancing with that... coot?" The word came out with quiet disgust. "Torak."

Adele’s lashes fluttered. She said nothing. Her fingers moved to the clasp at her wrist, as she did anything but answering.

The silence stretched.

She knew what came with silence but she didn’t care. Rather, she choose it. She have been so numb lately. Perhaps, she needed something to make her feel that humans exists around her.

The air moved behind her.

Her breath didn’t have time to catch before Alpha Blackfen hand was in her hair in a tight and unforgiving way.

He held a fistful of her hair and yanked her hair backwards. Her head snapped back, and her spine arched unnaturally.

Pain shot through her scalp. A gasp tore from her throat before she could stop it. Her hands gripped the edge of the vanity instinctively.

Her vision blurred for half a second.

Her wolf stirred, reacting. The pain dulled almost instantly, as her wolf muted it.

However, he didn’t stop. He tightened his grip, pulling it harder, and sinking his fists in deeper.

"I asked you a question, Adele."

His voice was right behind her.

Her breath came shallow. Her eyes watered despite herself. The pressure from him behind her was too much.

Her wolf whimpered in confusion. It had always been that way. With him, it didn’t understand.

Her wolf didn’t know whether to submit or fight whenever he hurt Adele because this was not an enemy.

This was her father.

"He..." she started, her voice strained, pulled from her at the angle he held her. "He tried to make love to me during the ball."

The words felt wrong, and heavy. She felt exposed and stripped bare in all parts of her life.

"He’s apologising for that," she added. "He had more wine than his wolf could carry that night."

Silence droped between them.

Suddenly, his grip loosened on her hair, releasing her. Adele stumbled forward slightly. Her hands caught her on the vanity. Her breathing came out uneven for a second before she forced it steady.

Her fingers moved instinctively to her hair, first nothing where he had pulled, and then, she fixed her hair like nothing had happened.

Behind her, Alpha Blackfen blinked. For the first time as long as she could remember, this was the first time she saw him close to suprised.

However, the suprise was short lived, as it disappeared almost immediately, and got replaced with calculation.

"Did he succeed?" He asked, almost like a whisper.

Adele swallowed. She straightened, and turned, facing him. She shook her head. "No."

Silence followed her words, then Alpha Blackfen’s jaw tightened. His eyes darkened again.

"You let him try." he spat out in disgust. His voice was laced with blame.

The words landed like a slap on Adele’s face. She stilled. Her fingers paused mid-adjustment on her gown.

Her gaze lifted slowly. "I did not—"

"You were there," he cut in. "You danced with Torak. You gave Lord Varent a reason to think you unfaithful."

Her chest tightened. Adele frowned, bisibly annoyed with his words. "That is not how—"

"That is exactly how it works," he snapped. His voice rose with force. "In a room full of men who know what you are meant for, you chose to draw attention to yourself by dancing with the wrong person."

Adele’s throat tightened.

Her lips parted, then she pressed them together, holding herself back.

She knew this would happen if she had told him.

"You stand there," he continued, stepping closer, "wearing what you wear, carrying yourself the way you do, and you expect them not to look?"

Adele’s fingers curled slightly at her sides.

"I did nothing wrong," she said quietly. "I am not his mate for him to think me as unfaithful."

Alpha Blackfen laughed. It was a hollow sound, almost mocking. "Say that again." he dared.

Adele kept shut immediately.

His gaze locked onto hers. "Everything...." he continued, "everything you touch turns into something I have to fix."

Her chest tightened listening to him.

"You were supposed to secure alliances," he went on. "Not create problems. Do you know who Lord Varent is?"

Adele’s gaze didn’t drop. The walls in her crumbled a bit.

"He is still pursuing an alliance," she said softly as she forced her expression to remain straight.

Her voice remained controlled. "He sent gifts."

Alpha Blackfen’s eyes flickered.

"Don’t use that to reddem yourself," he said coldly. "I’ll rather have you dishonored than have Lord Varent as an enemy."

Adele swallowed. She blinked. Her eyes grew hot and foggy. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the itch and tears in her eyes.

Silence dropped between them again.

He stepped away from her, and turned his back at her.

"You are nothing like her." He pointed out in sheer disappointment as he walked towards the bed.

"She made mistakes too." He went on. "Soft mistakes and not stupid ones like yours."

Adele’s chest rose and fell carefully.

He turned to her again. His gaze landed on her.

"She died because of you. You know that, right?"

Adele’s throat tightened.

"And you lived." He huffed in disbelief and anger. "You lived, at what cost? Destroying alliances?"

Adele’s breath faltered.

"And ever since," he continued, stepping toward her again, "I’ve had to look at the result of that mistake."

The hate in his eyes and voice was unapologetic.

Adele’s fingers trembled. Her wolf stirred again. It growled, confused and angered.

"Everything you are," he said, "came at the cost of something I actually valued." he reminded as he had always done. "Do not expect me to celebrate you for it."

Adele didn’t speak. She remained silent, just searching his eyes.

Alpha Blackfen turned away again.

"We leave tonight." He said, dismissively.

"For where?" Adele asked quietly.

He didn’t look at her. "The seer. Don’t be visibly dumb."

"After dinner," he added. "Prepare yourself."

Adele stood there.

He said nothing more, and simply walked past her. He reached the door, and walked out immediately without loking back at her. The door closed behind him.

The room fell quiet. Adele didn’t move immediately. She coudknt escape the storm in her.

Her hands stayed at her sides. Her gaze were fixed on nothing. Slowly, she turned to the mirror, and her reflection met her again.

Her eyes were different now. They weren’t hollow anymre, but deep and more heavy than they should.

Her fingers lifted to her hair. She touched the place he had grabbed. It didn’t hurt anymore as her wolf had taken care of that.

Adele stared at herself for a long moment. She turned away from the mirror, and moved quickly to where her parchments rested.