CHAPTER 100: PLEASE ENJOY THE NIGHT, ALPHA

"Where are you going?"

My eyes widened at the question. Rion asked it so casually, as if he wasn’t throwing me straight into a pit of wolves. Did he want me dead?

Those two women looked like they were seconds away from clawing each other just to stay near him. Their stares were poison, sharpened into knives that were now turning my way.

How could he throw me to the hounds like this? He should have just let me slip away into the crowd.

But no. Of course not. Rion Morrigan had to make things difficult.

Now it was too late. The gazes of the two women landed squarely on me. Jesmine’s brows pinched in confusion, but Mira’s lips curved into something sharper, her eyes narrowing with dawning realization. My chest tightened.

It wouldn’t take long for them to connect the dots—that the mysterious "girl" they whispered about earlier was standing right here. That girl was me.

That’s something concerning, right? I muttered in my head.

"If they live here in the Central District, they’d know sooner or later anyway,"

Leika said matter-of-factly.

"But I thought it could be delayed..."

I wanted this night to be peaceful because it was the opening event of this year’s Moon festival. Was that too much to ask? But no, the devious Alpha had other plans.

Jesmine finally broke the silence, her tone eager but cautious. "Who... is she?"

"Oh," Mira’s lips parted as if everything clicked into place, then curved into a vicious smile. "Is it her? I heard you brought some woman into your place, Alpha. She’s unfamiliar, so it must be her?"

Rion didn’t even glance at them. Instead, his eyes stayed locked on me, piercing, waiting. Waiting for me to answer his question.

Why was he putting me on the hot seat? Why not deny it? Why not say anything?

I blurted the first thing that popped into my head. "I need to eat!"

Mortification flooded me. I scrambled to recover, forcing my tone softer, respectful.

"Please enjoy the night, Alpha. These beautiful women will be good company for you, I am sure."

And before he could twist me in circles again, I spun on my heel. My gown swished around my ankles, and I walked away fast, refusing to look back. My heart hammered in my chest, but my pride shoved me forward.

* * *

I wedged myself between two food stalls, far from the street where I had danced with Rion.

My lungs finally loosened their grip. It had been almost an hour since I fled, and thank the moon, there was no shadow of him trailing me. No voice curling into my mind unwanted.

The mask I wore earlier was gone. I had pulled it off not long after, sick of how stifling it felt against my face. The cool night air on my skin was a relief.

I leaned against the wooden counter of the stall and took a slow bite of a strawberry muffin. The sweetness burst on my tongue.

"You seem to be really enjoying your alone time here... with your strawberry muffin."

The voice startled me. My head whipped to the side.

Jeron stood there, too close, smiling with a friendly expression.

"When did you get here?" My hand pressed against my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. "You scared me a bit."

He chuckled, his expression apologetic now. "Sorry."

Jeron’s eyes flicked to my hands—one holding the half-eaten muffin, the other clutching a skewer of roasted meat I had picked up earlier. His lips twitched with amusement.

"You seem to have a great appetite."

I nodded without shame. "The food here in the Undercity is really great."

It was. Each bite felt like a treasure, indulgent in a way I hadn’t allowed myself for years. In the past three years of being a servant, meals had often been plain or skipped altogether, and only now did I realize how deeply I had been deprived of simple joys like this.

My chest ached faintly as I thought of my family. The sweetness of the muffin turned bittersweet in my mouth.

"You look suddenly sad." Jeron’s voice broke through the haze, pulling me back. His tone was careful, concerned. "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, no, you didn’t. I just... remembered something."

"Ah." He nodded slowly, his gaze gentling with understanding.

There was curiosity in his eyes, but he didn’t press. He seemed to sense it was a wound better left untouched, at least for now. I appreciated that.

"Why are you here, though?" I asked, searching for safer ground. "I saw you with Raye earlier."

"I’m not very fond of dancing," he confessed with a small shrug. "Raye’s having so much fun with everyone else, so I thought I’d let her enjoy the night. She worked so hard for the festival’s preparations. She deserves it."

A smile tugged at my lips. "She really did great. I mean... she always has magic with her hands. That’s just how she is."

I agreed with my own nod before tilting my head at him. "How about you? Aren’t you supposed to be with your friends? Or your... lover?"

For a heartbeat, silence lingered between us. Then Jeron’s smile softened, shy in a way that made him look younger. "I don’t have many friends, actually. And... no lover."

Heat prickled faintly at my cheeks, feeling guilty because it must be uncomfortable to answer that question. Maybe I had asked too bluntly. My brows knit together as I tried to push the thought aside.

Jeron cleared his throat. "By the way, I heard about what happened when Raye first brought you to the House of Ambrosia. I’m really sorry about that."

I waved my muffin dismissively, trying to lighten the air.

"It’s okay! Truly. It was an accident. I didn’t know much about pleasure houses, you see. It was a bad experience, yes, but I learned something from it."

His head tilted slightly. "And that is?"

"That I should always be cautious." I gave a half-smile. "Always."

"And hiding here in the shadows counts as cautious for you?" His chuckle was soft, teasing without cruelty.

"Well," I lifted both hands, one with the muffin, the other with my roasted meat, "I’m happy with these..."