Chasing Moon

17

The tour was painlessly quick—not that Crystella and Chase were paying attention. Both of them had their eyes pinned on the Alpha's niece and her ability to mask her emotions so seamlessly and put up a fake front. Crystella had even felt a tinge of envy, for she had only knew how to conceal and not lie.

Marelynn acted as though nothing had happened in her uncle's study room, and continued to point out rooms and whatnots in a voice too chirpy for Crystella and Chase to take in. Chase had long given up tuning in and his mind had been wandering to Joseph's words, replying them again and again, debating on whether he should trust him or not.

The Alpha's niece, however, did not (or would not) register the slight hints that her guests were bored. Chase had to politely stop her, using Crystella's state of health as an excuse.

"Really sorry, Marelynn. But I'm afraid we need to stop here. You see, Crystella had just woke up from a coma and she really needs the rest."

Crystella had to bite her lips to prevent herself from rebutting with an 'it's only been less than a week'. She, after all, had wanted the tour to end as well.

Marelynn stared at her emotionlessly, then broke into a smile.

"Of course, I'll bring you to your rooms!"

Chase gave a smile of his own too, silently thanking the lords that he didn't have to endure anymore fake chirpiness from the Alpha's daughter.

Crystella, on the other hand, seemed to be bothered.

Marelynn's weird change of personality shouldn't have made her uncomfortable—she had seen way worse, thanks to her father's love for torturing prisoners till their lose themselves. But there was something eerily wrong with Marelynn.

She was way too carefree for a girl who lost both parents to the man who raised him up, too calm for a girl who had just found out she lost a friend. She continued to study the mysterious girl in front of her as she guided her to her room.

"Here you go! Rest well, Crissy."

Crystella frowned.

"It's the nickname we had for you," Marelynn explained then pushed her not-so-lightly into the room.

Crystella frowned harder.

"Don't touch me—"

"Listen, my Lady," Marelynn spat, the door closing behind her, "I don't give a damn about what you think, but it's about time you stop with your high and haughty act. You may not remember us, but you sure as hell act the same as you did. Don't think we gave you the name 'Crissy' because we liked you. Don't think we didn't—"

She stopped midsentence.

Crystella used this chance to recover.

"Don't think the rest of you didn't what? Look, I don't care, Marelynn. I honestly don't. Because right now, there are bigger things going on. Things that are so much more important than your dead murderer friend, or your complex obsession with me," she hissed, taking a step closer to the Alpha's niece.

"Let me remind you. Even if this is your territory, I'm still the Alpha's daughter. And you are, and forever will be, the pathetic daughter of two weak leaders who are six feet underground, rotting."

Marelynn gasped.

"You will regret this, bitch!" she screamed as Crystella stood, stunned by her sudden malice. She knew she had gone too far. And since when was she so proud of being her father's daughter? Something in Marelynn had ticked her off the wrong way. She wondered if it's an old feud that she couldn't recall.

The now teary-faced girl opened the door and ran straight out into the corridors. Crystella took a step outside, a small part of her wanting to chase after and apologise.

But a huge part of her felt satisfied at the girl's reaction.

She watched in silence as the girl almost tripped, her heart skipping a beat as she waited for her to dive head first into the ground.

But a boy from the shadows appeared and held her steady—a boy that looked vaguely familiar yet distant.

His arms steadied the girl as she wept into his chest, brawling her eyes out while crying nonsense, no doubt whining about Crystella and her mean words.

But Crystella was not at all interested in the girl.

Her eyes were solely on the boy who looked a few years older than her with his lean physique and pale skin. His hair raven and soft, his eyes—

Black. Black. Black.

Too black than any black eyes that she'd known.

And how did she know?

Because the boy was now staring right straight at her.

// don't kill me. follow me for bonus chapt. 

avocados,
Jia Yue