"You look stunning," Connor complimented her.
"Thank you." Eleanor pulled her gaze down to the ground, smiling awkwardly. She gasped and looked up at him when she felt his fingers in her hair.
"You have such beautiful hair. You should let them go free." He pulled the hair stick with two white beads hanging from one end out of her chignon.
Her brunette hair cascaded down her back.
"You look more gorgeous now," he murmured and pushed away a few strands that fell on her shoulder, brushing his fingers gently against her skin.
Eleanor nervously glanced at him and stepped back a little.
Zane could tell she was nervous. Anger stirred within him as he watched Connor take her hands in his.
His eyes glowed hazel.
'She is uncomfortable, yet she allows him to hold her hands.'
He threw a hard look at them and drank the wine in one breath. He then tossed the glass down and walked over to them.
"Zane…" Ruby called him from behind and held his wrist.
He glowered at her, displeased with the interruption.
"Where are you going?" Ruby asked, peering ahead over his shoulder. A flint of fury sparked in her when her gaze landed on Eleanor.
Zane quirked his lips into a sneer. "I was going to congratulate Connor."
"For what?" Ruby gazed at him with surprise, her eyebrows knitting.
"Didn't you hear that Connor found a girlfriend?" Zane chuckled bitterly. "You don't know! Come on, Ruby… Everyone has been talking about it. Connor has been announcing it with joy. How did you miss it?"
"I…" Ruby felt awkward, not knowing what to say. She had heard about it, but it had slipped her mind.
Zane drew her in closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Let's go and congratulate him."
He led her over to them.
"Hey, cousin…" He called out to Connor, successfully grabbing their attention. His heart trembled with pain and rage when he looked Eleanor in the eyes. But he kept his cool, a smile on his face. "Is this your girlfriend you are talking about?"
Eleanor felt a pricking pain in her heart. She pulled her chin down, pursing her lips into a thin line.
"She is the one who has piqued my interest," Connor responded with a smile. "I am completely drawn to her beauty."
He wrapped his arm around Eleanor's waist the way Zane held Ruby. He sneered inwardly when he observed the hint of jealousy in Zane's eyes. That was what he was hoping to see. Zane would explode like a firecracker if he provoked him a bit.
"Hey…" Connor held her chin between his thumb and index finger, making her look at him. "Don't be shy. We are family."
"Yes, we are family," Ruby chimed in. "Since you are dating her, pay more attention to her. Make sure she does not look at the other man." She cast Connor a stern glare.
"Eleanor is mine," Connor said. "She will be loyal to me. Isn't it?" He brushed his thumb gently across her bottom lip.
Eleanor was so uncomfortable that she wanted to shove Connor down and flee. At the same time, she knew she couldn't act recklessly. She intended to push Zane away from her. To do so, she had to play along with Connor.
She nodded and mustered a smile. But she gently pushed his hand away, stepping aside.
Zane believed that her hesitant actions were a result of her uneasiness. She should have pushed him back if she was not comfortable with his touch. Instead, she was smiling at him.
It turned out she was pretty into Connor.
This notion fueled Zane's fury. Why would he back down if she could demonstrate her love so boldly?
He drew Ruby to his chest and kissed her fiercely.
Even though Ruby was taken aback by his sudden action, she kissed him back. His wild kissing aroused her. She deepened the kiss, burying her fingers into his hair.
Eleanor looked away from them, her eyes burning with freshly welled-up tears. She sucked a sharp breath, a tearing pain spreading from her stomach to the rest of her body. It disoriented her thoughts.
She wanted to cry out and fight with Ruby. She wished to proclaim her love for Zane. But she bit back the pain and sneakily wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
Connor became irritated. He expected Zane to start arguing with him about Eleanor, but instead, he started kissing Ruby.
"Come with me." He held her hand and took her to his friends.
Zane peeked at their departing forms, his eyes blazing. He bit her bottom lip.
"Mm…" Ruby whimpered in pain. She had the feeling that he would tear her lips apart. She wriggled to get away from him, terrified of his wildness.
Zane was so enraged that he didn't notice Ruby's discomfort. His kiss grew fiercer with her struggles. He hugged her more tightly to keep her from moving. His bottled-up rage was about to burst. He wanted to demolish the entire party setup.
Music that was once melodious was now nothing more than an annoying noise. His eardrums were ringing from the constant chatter and laughter from his surroundings. His forehead was throbbing as well.
He pulled back all of a sudden, panting. "I need a drink." He pivoted and went to find the servant.
Ruby spun around and gaped at his back, stunned. She had seen Zane go wild under the influence of the potion. But he had never been so savage as to hurt her.
Something was different in him. His wildness was not driven by desire. It was rage.
She touched her sore lips, pondering what made him so upset.
"Ruby…" Nia rushed over to her. "Have you heard that Eleanor is dating Connor?" Her face was pale with anguish. "How can Connor fall for a wolf-less woman? She must have done something. We must punish her."
Ruby moved her gaze to her, coming back to reality. She gradually realized that Zane was mad because Eleanor was with Connor. It turned out that he was still attracted to her.
Zane behaved like a lovesick man as soon as the potion's effect wore off.
Ruby was helpless. She couldn't use the potion frequently on him since Connor was desperate for the alpha position. It was also clear that she couldn't keep Zane under her control without the potion.
A spark of anger sizzled inside her.
She thought of sparing Eleanor since Connor was interested in her. But it seemed that Eleanor wouldn't stop coming between her and Zane.
Ruby dug her nails into her palms as she looked at Eleanor smiling at Connor's friends. She wanted to thrash her until she bled.
'Laugh as much as you want. I will soon make you cry.' Her fists were trembling in fury.
Last time, she acted recklessly. As a result, she couldn't teach her a lesson. This time, she wanted to devise a plan to get her out of the pack.
When she noticed Nia's sorrowful appearance, she deduced she liked Connor.
'I can use her against Eleanor,' she sneered as she whispered to herself.
"Don't worry." She took her into her embrace and comforted her. "We will punish her for sure. But we need to be cautious this time. We can't beat her like we did earlier." She clenched her jaw.
Nia sniffed and wiped the tears off her face. "I will do whatever you say. Just drive her away from Connor's life."
"Have faith in me," Ruby assured her.