"…You are not going to touch up your makeup?" she asked.
Leah blinked once, "I did."
Clara's brows drew together faintly. "No, I mean it's not your usual style. You look…" She hesitated, searching for the right word, though her expression already said enough. "Bare."
Leah tilted her head slightly. "Oh, why? Don't I look pretty like that?"
Pretty? You look human now, unlike the walking disaster she usually looks, but this was irritating Clara.
Though this orphan could never compare to her, the contrast wouldn't be obvious if Leah weren't a freakshow. She found it entertaining when people laughed behind the illiterate idiot.
Clara let out a small laugh, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's not about pretty, it's just—" She gestured vaguely. "People are used to your usual style, and you look great in it. That's like your personal style, why would you change it to look just like everyone else?"
Leah's gaze dropped briefly, her lashes lowering to hide the quiet shift in her eyes. She had to say Clara had a way with words.
In her last life, she would have felt so empowered by Clara's nonsense that it would be enough to send her back to the mirror, to make her redo everything.
Leah smirked mirthlessly. She really was a sucker in her past life.
....
When he got out, ready to leave, his eyes fell on a medicine wrapper sticking out of the drawer.
Frowning, he pulled the drawer only to see the letters on the box, Damon's eyes darkened.
Plan B?
Looks like his new wife wasn't completely acting, or perhaps she was too good an actor. Outside, she was looking dazed at the floor.
Without glancing behind to see if she was following, he left.
Leah felt a pang in her chest. Yes, now he was resembling her ex-husband, who treated her as if she didn't exist.
Clara hid her glee by puckering her lips. "Don't take it to heart, Lee. That's how Daye is."
Inside, she felt relieved. No matter what Leah did, she would forever be just a pitiful girl. It was Damon that she married, not the Alpha King.
Leah turned away, rolling her eyes as she followed behind him. She recognised his car immediately and wordlessly got in.
She took a breath when something fell in her lap
"Apply it."
Leah was stunned, looking down at the ointment and her blistered hands. She was surprised to see the ointment.
As lycans healed surprisingly fast, they almost never used medicines ever.
She asked curiously, "Where did he even get this from?"
Damon gave her a cool look before turning away to take out a cigarette.
The smoke clouded his face, making his flawless visage even more evasive.
Deep in thought, he smoothly changed gears driving too fast Leah had to clutch the seat belt.
"Your Highness, that too fast." Her heart raced as he accelerated further, doging cars recklessly, cutting in between cars swiflty, so fast she saw the vehicles pass as blurs.
There were cars stopped on red light some miles away.
"Your Highness!"
He accelearted it further, ready to clash in the cars in front. She curled up, holding her head ready for the impact.
"Damon!"
She jerked forward almost hitiing the windshield mirror.
"Ha..." She sucked in a breath in disbelief.
He hit the brake, just a foot away from the throng of cars. Leah didn't know what he was thinking about something.
Damon took another puff of smoke, staring ahead in thought. Leah felt bile rise in her throat, she hurriedly fumbled with the seatbelt.
She needed to get out of here, it was her first time in a car with him but no more!
He is a madman!
Just then the signalled turned green and he started driving again.
"No, no!" She grabbbed his arm. "I need to get off here. I-I feel sick!"
"Why?"
As the cold voice whisered in her ear, Leah looked up and Damon's blank face and felt a chill run downn her spin
Alarms bells rang in her ears, "Wh-What is it?"
Damon did not speak but held down the cigarette between his fingers and moved closer to Leah.
She couldn't breathe, he was still weaving between cars but his eyes were fixed on her face.
His stare droped down to her lips.
Her eyes widened. She imediately tried to move back but he grabbed her arm, his eyes moving to search her face.
He let her go and like a wonded bird she attached herself to the door. He cut off another car, accelerating further.
Leah heart beat like a drum. He was from the purest lycan bloodline there was, if they crashed, he would walk away without a scratch but she would be lucky if they found her in one piece.
With her being half-human, her healing was close to humans than lycans.
Was he trying to kill her?
Damon flicking his cigarette, squinting his eyes deep in thought.
The smoke from the puff, suffocated her further.
"... Pl-please, slow down! I'm still hurt from yesterday night." She forced out.
He didn't look at her but to her surprise, he slowed down.
He's… doing it deliberately, wasn't he? He was one bloody bastard. She was never getting in his car again!
Suddenly, Leah thought of her previous lifetime. She felt like the luckiest woman in the planet. All the women in the Kingdom of Varkos were obsessed with this man, and she was the one who stood beside him.
Leah suddenly realized that she had not tried to mask herself in this lifetime and then decided not to bother with it anyway.
It had been a long wait for the Wolfborn Pack. Alpha Wolfborn paced anxiously.
He had told all his close acquaintances that his estranged daughter married in the Royal House of Varkos. Though it was a private event, if they didn't come how could he show his face anywhere!
Isabella Wolfborn dismissed the omegas serving them. She walked up at the middle-aged man, "Dad, Leah will not come. Now that she's married in the Royal House of Varkos, she's showing her real colors'. If it was me, I would do everything to support my Pack but you are too soft-hearted and took in that orphan!"
He looked at his daughter and regretted it for the hundredth time. But Wolfborn Pack was a small pack either 3/4 of their population consisting werewolf. He didn't dare lie to the Alpha King!
Alpha Wolfborn checked the time and it was one thirty, way past lunchtime. Disappointed , Alpha Wolfborn turned to his Luna, "Call them to ask."
Luna Wolfborn nodded, and when she was about to dial when an omega hastily rushed in. "Alpha- Ah!"
Isabella was rebuke her about to when her eyes lit up. She quickly pushed the omega aside and she sweetly fell in curtsy, tilting her snow white neck. "Your Highness, Prince Varkos."
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
Her parents both curtsied baring their neck in submission.
Isabella heart shake.It was not the first time she had seen him but, every time she saw him, she felt jealous of that lowly orphan's fate.
"Cousin, your seems fuller. Are these extensions?" As Leah's figure appeared next to Prince Damon, Isabella's smile froze.
Her brittle flaky hair was her biggest insecurity. Whenever she bullied Leah she would pull her hair.
Damon waved at them to as he took a seat.
But Isabella still stayed frozen, "What are you talking about? It's my real hair."
Leah smiled knowingly, "Of course."
"Alpha Wolfborn, Luna Wolfborn," Leah called, sitting gracefully with smiling sweetly.
She smoothly put her hairs behind her, sitting next to Damon. As if her heart was clawed by a cat, Isabella felt so jealous that she wanted to snatch her hair!
This bitch seemed to have grown wings!
Isabella was the legitimate child of the Wolfborn Pack, so it was unfair that this bastard daughter was married to him.
Ignoring Leah, Alpha Wolfborn stood up and walked over to Damon with the best smile. "Your Highness, we are so honored to host you."
After some formal conversation, Isabella trying her best to impress him and Damon treating them as air, it was finally time for a meal.
"My cooked herself for you." Alpha Wolfborn was falling over himself to curry his favor.
Damon hummed uninterested and Leah almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it was.
Damon never talked a lot, and Alpha Wolfborn could only smile like boot licker.
Isabella brought over a tray with a shy smile, "Your Highness, Choux au Craquelin, just like you like it, pistachio cream with subtle bitterness. Perfectly crisp from outside, softly moist from outside!"
Luna Wolfborn proudly bragged, "Knowing that you it, Isabella especially went to famous pastry chef from France to learn it."
Looking at him expectantly, Isabella was full of hope. Alpha Wolfborn and his wife also gazed at Damon.
Leah leaned in too, and before Damon could lift his fork, Leah snatched it up and gulped it down.
"You should work on the crisp. The cream needs work too but A+ for effort."