Chapter 27: The Confrontation
Natalie~
Time seemed to stop. My breath hitched, and an icy wave of panic washed over me. The air in the gallery grew heavier, almost choking me, as if his presence alone could rob the room of oxygen. Surrounded by vibrant paintings and murmuring voices, I felt utterly trapped. The man who had destroyed my life was here.
I tried to turn, to blend into the crowd, but it was already too late. His cold black eyes locked onto mine, scary and void of emotions. His nostrils flared slightly, as though he could sense my fear—or worse, my scent. My blood ran cold, and a shiver cascaded down my spine.
No matter how much I scrubbed my body during every bath, his scent clung to me like a curse, buried deep in my blood—a cruel reminder of the day he marked me and shattered my world. I hated him with every fiber of my being. I cursed him every single day for stealing the life I had once dreamed of, for reducing my future to ashes.
As if the universe wanted to twist the knife further, Griffin’s gaze flickered toward me. For a moment, surprise danced in his gray eyes before it vanished behind a practiced indifference. The woman beside him tugged his sleeve, pointing at a painting. He turned away, pretending I didn’t exist.
Griffin’s life was perfect. At nineteen—just a year older than me—he had everything. He was admired by a lot of people, respected, and destined to lead a pack someday; his strength was a beacon to others. The comparison was a jagged knife in my chest. If Darius hadn’t killed my parents and obliterated my world, could I have been someone like Griffin? Would I have mattered, even as a wolfless werewolf?
The envy burned, raw and shameful, tangled with a bitterness that refused to leave me.
Darius leaned down to whisper something to his mate, Luna Gabriella, who responded with a dazzling smile before gliding down one of the gallery halls. My heart sank to my stomach when his sharp gaze locked onto me again.
He began walking toward me.