The blonde woman watched as Darius straightened, his posture tightening. His hands dropped stiffly to his sides, fingers curling once before relaxing.
Serena glanced between the two, catching the flicker of surprise that crossed Darius’ face and the quiet, unmistakable disappointment in Livia’s eyes.
Serena would have excused herself, but doing that would get her lost in this huge castle. She waited with bated breath, tugging at her sleeves, waiting for someone to speak.
"The cooks said you’d be here," Livia began slowly.
Livia looked Serena up and down before looking at Darius. Serena studied the other woman. She wore a tight-fitting bodice, with a skirt to match, and her hair in a simple bun. She had just gotten back from horse riding.
Darius stepped forward, glancing at Serena one last time before he went over to Livia. She bit her lower lip and folded her arms, suddenly feeling like an intruder at someone else’s table.
"Would you join us for dinner?" Darius asked.
"Us?" Livia asked incredulously, with a raised brow. "We have a guest?"
Darius nodded his head in Serena’s direction. "Seems my letter to you had been delayed. Serena is staying in the castle for a bit."
Livia tugged off her gloves and looked around, like she was trying to make sense of Darius’ words. She opened her mouth to speak before she looked at Serena.
The silence grew heavy. Serena clenched her fists. She didn’t want to interrupt the pair. She pulled at her sleeve and exhaled slowly.
"I wouldn’t want to interrupt you two," she said, keeping her voice light and neutral. She bent slightly, lifting her dress. "I will take my leave."
Darius opened his mouth to speak, but Livia was quicker, sidestepping him and blocking Serena’s path.
"The Alpha hasn’t dismissed you yet," Livia said coolly, eyes narrowing. "I know you’re a rogue, but there are rules."
Serena looked down at the woman, swallowing. Livia always seemed to put her in a spot. Around her, it felt like she was in boiling water. Serena knew she wasn’t trusted, but Livia felt like the physical embodiment of that distrust.
"Livia-" Darius began.
"No, she needs to understand she cannot leave until she’s dismissed," Livia interrupted.
Serena closed her eyes briefly, she had overstepped and gotten too comfortable. "My apologies," Serena said in an even voice.
Livia smirked, pulling off her second glove. Serena stepped away from her and smoothed out her dress.
"Livia," Darius said in a firm voice, "Serena is my guest, and she will be treated as such. Do you understand?"
Livia scoffed and rolled her eyes. After a while, she sighed. "This Ambassador play is unnecessary."
Darius’ jaw tightened, and he grabbed Livia’s arm. Something unspoken passed between the two, and Livia sighed again.
"Serena, I apologise for my tone."
Serena pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded curtly. "I accept your apology."
Darius let go of Livia, satisfied with her apology. He turned to Serena and offered an apologetic smile.
"You can leave, Serena."
Serena hurried out of the hallway, closing the door softly behind her. She paused for a breath, her back lightly pressed against the wood, as the muffled sound of raised voices filtered through.
Serena looked down at her hands and clenched them, looking away. She pushed herself off the door and slipped into the hallway.
She tried hard to retrace her steps to the courtyard. After a few missed turns, she found herself sitting on a bench in the same area.
Serena watched the birds fly in the air. She tried to keep her thoughts at bay and focus on something else. Her stomach growled again, louder, and she sighed.
It was getting harder to ignore the gnawing in her abdomen, and a headache had set in. Her ears picked up footsteps, and she turned to see Darius emerging from one of the hallways.
He approached her gently and walked to her front, blocking the sun. He lifted her head to meet his gaze, his expression unreadable.
"I’m sorry about Livia. As I said, she can be difficult," Darius said.
Serena relaxed into the bench. To say she wasn’t hurt would be a lie. A little part of her hated how she felt around that woman, just a constant reminder that she wasn’t truly safe here, or trusted.
"It’s okay," she said after a pause, voice calm but distant. "She apologised. I’ll let bygones be bygones."
Darius sat on the bench without invitation and ran his hand across his face, sighing.
"Is your..." Serena hesitated. It felt rude of her to ask such a personal question, but she had to know, at least for Feyra’s sake. "Is she your partner?"
Darius looked at her with furrowed brows, his eyes looking her up and down before scoffing. "Partner? What? Where did you get such an absurd idea?"
Serena’s cheeks reddened as she tried to find her words. It seemed like the only appropriate term for their relationship. Apart from Annamarie and Jack, who she had saved in Lupine Hollow, the Elders of Ironshade were the only wolves who knew she wasn’t an Ambassador. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire.net
"It just seemed like- I mean... the way she talks to you, the way she acts..." She trailed off, mortified.
Serena scolded herself for assuming or for looking down on Livia for not being an Ambassador. All the Elders knew she was only playing pretend, so why had she excluded Livia?
"I’m sorry... is she an Elder?" she asked, hoping to redirect the conversation.
Darius shook his head before giving a dry laugh. "No. Livia is my cousin."
The silence between them was long and uncomfortable. Serena bit her lip and kept her gaze on the statue in front of her. It would explain it, they seemed terribly close if that were the case.
"You thought she was-"
Serena stood up quickly, shaking her head. "What? No, I was just curious."
Darius didn’t answer, but the arch of his brow and the quirk at the edge of his mouth told her he didn’t quite believe her. Still, he let it go.
"I... see." He stroked his chin and crossed his legs. "Again, I apologise for her outburst."
"It’s okay. She seems fiercely protective of you and the pack."
Darius exhaled and nodded in agreement. "That she is. It can be... much."
The redhead leaned back before he continued speaking."I sent her a letter. Letting her know you’d be at the castle," he added. "Apparently, she never got it."
Serena listened quietly to his words. Perhaps Livia stayed at the castle often. The building was massive- enough for many wolves to live in, but he had to send a letter to inform her of Serena’s temporary stay.
"Livia would be staying for dinner," Darius added, almost as an afterthought.
Serena didn’t answer right away. Her stomach twisted, not from hunger this time, but from the subtle dread pooling in her chest.