"I said let me in," Gwen ordered, and under her calm façade, she was bristling with anger and fury at being treated this way.
The guards of the Court seemed to have changed and somehow, they didn't recognize her and told her that she was not allowed inside, being an outsider.
Gwen felt like slapping some sense into them but held back for the moment.
Kai and Sebastian were so going to die when she arrived back in Eden.
"Listen," she spoke, inhaling and breathing out. Her rage simmered when she saw the guards watching her in amazement.
"I'll not be responsible if you wake up tomorrow and end up finding yourselves in your graves," she warned but the two burly men only chucked.
"Keep your puny threats to yourself little girl." the elder one advised and Gwen clenched her fist, her blood-red nails digging into her palm.
"Get it through your thick skull—"
"Let her in."
She stiffened, her breath refusing to come out as a tall man came into her sight, his unruly copper-colored hair messed up with those ocean eyes looking everywhere but at her.
Gwen swallowed nervously, automatically nibbling on her bottom lip as she looked away toward the mountains that loomed over the Court. Could her day have gone any worse?
She didn't think so.
"I can handle this—"
"Open the gates," he demanded and the guards immediately bowed, pushing open the entrance while glancing at her apologetically.
"Forgive us, My Lady." they both muttered and she nodded absent-mindedly, all her anger transferred from the two of them to the man standing beside her.
She glared at him through her long lashes but he only ignored her and walked ahead. And god, Gwen hadn't felt this much anger ever surface above her limits. At that very minute, all she wanted to do was pick up her shoe and throw it straight at his head.
"..."
And that's exactly what she did.
Eva had taught her something useful...
The guards let their jaws fall when they saw the boot flying and smacking against the King's head. The shoe limply dropped to the ground as Gwen's chest heaved up and down.
Realization slowly took over but it didn't make her regret her move. If he didn't turn around, then his head would be becoming her next target board.
He slowly turned around and cocked his head. Gwen gulped as she saw his eyes glinting and she had seen that look being aimed at many people. Never her.
But apparently, she was like everyone to him now.
She refused to back down this time and raised her chin, looking him straight in the eye with a challenging glimmer.
Lysander's eyes got fixated on a spot on her neck and Gwen stared at his Adam's apple bob up and down, feeling more fascinated than ever.
Like all the previous times.
Just like in the past.
Her thoughts seemed to have awoken something inside her as she raised her head higher and walked past him, being careful as to not brush her hands with his.
That would only light up chaos in the vicinity.
And anyway, didn't he have a wife to take care of at home?
More than a wife, he had a mate.
She was only a lone woman in the group of people who continued begging for his attention.
No, she wasn't a part of those people. The only person she belonged to was herself.
Nobody else.
She reached the Court's corridor and somehow still felt his eyes at the back of her head. When she was sure he was not too near, Gwen released the breath she had been holding in for so long. It almost felt as if she was going to suffocate if she didn't stop to stable her breathing.
She hated this.
The effect he still managed to have on her.
"That was childish." a voice entered her ears and Gwen jerked forward. Whipping her head around, her blond locks came to settle on her shoulder as his face came into her sight.
He looked...
Fine.
Okay.
Calm.
Composed.
"I didn't know we were describing you all of a sudden." she let the corners of her lips curve up at the way his eye twitched. His penetrating cobalt orbs fixated themselves on her and Gwen instantly turned rigid with the weight of his stare.
He will never be yours...
Remember? He left.
Her amber eyes slowly lowered down as she straightened herself and continued walking toward the main office. She had only taken a few steps when she felt a slight touch graze past her arm.
They were all alone in the corridor. Suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, possibly the proximity in such an enclosed space, the atmosphere between them changed, charging with an electric, exhilarating anticipation.
Gwen's breathing altered as her heart raced. She looked down at her arm to see his comparably long fingers wrap around her skin like a brand. It made her stomach drop. In expectation or nervousness, she didn't know.
Xander took a step closer and Gwen's breath hitched in response. What was he doing? He wasn't supposed to act like this.
He towered over her petite figure and her eyes widened as she looked up at his breathtaking face, wondering what he was going to do next. Right and wrong seemed to have faded away in the background leaving only the two of them standing.
But then just as abruptly as it had happened, he backed away closing his eyes, his hand leaving her arm and the faint feeling of detachment clawed its way up.
He gazed at her for a minute more and then ran his hand through his decadent, untidy hair. After that, he turned around suddenly and walked away in front of her eyes.
Gwen watched as he strode past the entrance and the guards opened the door again with perplexed countenances. She couldn't see where he went because of the speed at which he had departed. All he had left her with was a disturbing feeling of uncertainty that she despised.
Gwen hated it almost just as she detested him.