Aliyah was rendered speechless. Everyone watched the scene unfold, but there were no whispers, no gossips spreading amongst the people. There was just silence that no one dared to break.
"How…" Aliyah's voice had lowered when she finally opened her lips and laced with pain. Tears welled up in her eyes. "How can you s-say that to me?"
A council member's daughter stooping as low as to cry in front of others over a man she wanted but could not have? Brittany had never seen such a thing before. It sounded to her like Nathan saw them as nothing more than a fling, yet tolerated and accepted aid from her knowing her feelings were beyond that. A cruel thing to do, she had to admit. Aliyah seemed as pathetic as any other common woman. She reminded her of herself.
"Nathan, would you mind taking your little dispute outside? You're clearly scaring your wife." Alpha Denzel said, "But be absolutely careful. I only just got a bit chummy with her father."
Nathan's jaw clenched and he turned to Brittany, his gaze holding hers. She knew exactly what that look meant. He was about to leave her side and then she would be trapped inside a room full of people who were unpredictable.
"Y-You're leaving me here?"
"Yes, stay. It'll be no more than five minutes." His hands held her shoulders and he pulled her forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. As his lips warmed the spot they touched, Brittany could feel a sharp gaze bore into her from the side, Aliyah's no doubt. He clutched her chin, holding her head up but she couldn't have possibly known that his lips would then swiftly greet hers before pulling back. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment at his shameless actions and she glanced to the side, refusing to meet his gaze. "I promise you that no one will touch a hair on your head. Not unless they have a death wish."
She was far from convinced, but her mind had settled just enough to squeeze out, "Okay…"
His hands left her body as soon as she replied and he looked away, his gaze growing cold once again when it settled on Aliyah. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her across the room and to the exit. The pain of his hold was so excruciating that her face couldn't help but twist. She stumbled along, glancing back just before the door closed behind them. Her fierce eyes alone promised Brittany death, a punishment for touching something that did not belong to her.
Brittany turned, shaking as she settled her wine glass on the table. Nathan was no longer within her view and so the mental countdown began. Five minutes was about to feel like five hours.
She wiped her sweaty palms in her dress. The others were staring…hard. Perhaps she was supposed to say something? But what?
"Larson." A woman's voice filled the room this time, soft and angelic. Brittany looked up at her, but only for a moment before shifting her gaze. Every time she saw those eyes it made her uneasy. She doubted she could ever look into them for too long.
"Why don't you take Brittany upstairs?"
Her blood rand cold. "I…I'm fine."
But she was rudely ignored. The woman smiled, "She is quite fragile and must be flustered by Aliyah's mindless threats. Have her rest in the master room for a bit. Nathan can meet her there when he returns."
Denzel gave a nod in agreement.
"As you wish." The voice came from the crowd, then the man she called Larson shoved his way out. He wore an unzipped leather jacket that exposed his toned chest, along with pants and sleek black shoes. His amber eyes looked down, glancing at the exquisite watch on his wrist that sparkled with diamonds. Then he looked up and at her. His lips turned up as soon as their eyes met.
With a glance, he looked like a troublesome fellow. His whole attire was disheveled and even though his hair was a mess straight out of bed, he raked his fingers through it. His skin was lighter, but his resemblance to Nathan was not hard to decipher. Brothers? She hadn't heard of two sons though.
"Come. Don't worry, I am your husband's most cherished brother." His arm was outstretched and his smile didn't falter even as he waited for her to take it. "I won't bite."
As she thought, they were related. She looked down at his open palm. Her gut was telling her not to take it. With him, there was the same feeling as with that woman…inexplicable unease. She could smell others upstairs, just a few. But it was better than spending another second locked under the gaze of a whole crowd.
Moving, Brittany slipped by him, stepping towards the stairs. It had two sides, one would either climb from the left or the right. Brittany chose the left, for it was further away from Alpha Denzel and that woman. Behind her, she heard Larson's muffled laughter and chose to ignore it.
"It'll be quiet in the room." He told her as they moved down the hall, finally disappearing from the view of the crowd. "As a bonus, we have a balcony and luckily, your husband is out front. You'll be able to see him from there. Maybe that will ease your mind."
"I see."
He took the lead, guiding her to the master bedroom as instructed. When they got there, the door was already cracked open and seeping through…was the scent of sweat and sex. Her nose wrinkled.
"You're back." Someone exclaimed, just before the door swung open and a woman –bare as the day she was born—launched herself into Larson's arms. "Oh?" She noticed Brittany. "So you did bring a woman! What's with the weird get-up though? Is she really pretty? Why hide the face?"
"This is Sarah." His arms curled around her waist and Brittany didn't miss it when he slipped his hand down to her ass cheek, gripping the flesh. "She's a bit hyper."
Sarah smiled. "And who might this be?" She pulled out of the embrace and her hand reached out, adorned with silver rings on every finger.
"She's Nathan's wife."
At that, her hand paused mid-air before it could touch Brittany's skin, "H-His wife?" She drew back quickly, horrified. Brittany felt her chest clench. If just hearing that she was Nathan's wife had scared her, then she could only imagine how scared they were of the man himself. Perhaps he was the true devil here and not his father.
"Come on, just a whiff of her should tell you. He practically bathed her in his scent. You've been drinking too much. Well anyway, bring the others out. This room is ours now."
"U-Understood." She disappeared inside the room and within moments, men and women came filing out, their clothes disheveled and their bodies reeking. None of them glanced at her and they made sure to squeeze through the hall without even grazing her. One would think she had some kind of contagious disease.
"Ignore them. They are nothing but sex-depraved idiots."
'And you are not?' Brittany retorted mentally.
Larson ushered her inside. The sheets had been changed but hurriedly, so it wasn't done properly. She looked around, feeling uncomfortable. The room still reeked and the thought of sitting on the bed or even the clearly stained chairs made her skin crawl.
"…must've happened!" The sound of a familiar voice drew her eyes to the balcony. "I can feel it in my gut!" It was Aliyah screaming at Nathan. "I…I remember overhearing Sammy saying something…long ago. S-She told you to protect someone, someone dear to her. I know you would never betray her, you would never marry anyone…not unless…not unless that girl back there is t---" Muffled words met Brittany's ears after that, as if a hand had been placed over her mouth.
The glass door that lead to the balcony was open and the curtains were whipping back and forth. "Shhh…" Another sound came, this time from Nathan. "Its wrong to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, don't you think? My wife is my mate. She is whom I pledge my life to. She is my woman. Mine."
Brittany's heart thumped against her ribs. What on earth was he saying?