บท 3: And so, the Enemies Collide

*Adriel's POV*

I stared at Isabella. The portrait was the centerpiece of the chamber and was a pretty grand expression of affection.

It's something I didn't know Denzel had for anyone but his daughter. I scanned it more critically than I did anything in the room. The gentle strokes of oil and pigment captured her beauty perfectly, and she seemed to gaze back at us from the canvas. The tales of how beautiful she was were no tale. That explains why the wolf Prince had fallen so hard. I never understood how great men fell so hard for a woman. Love was the most pathetic thing to exist...an excuse for weakness.

Speaking of the weak love striken Wolf Royalty, I turned to meet Denzel in the eye. He glared at me. I glared back. The Alpha of the Whitman pack despised me,and the feeling was mutual. And I could bet it wasn't just because I was a vampire or because my family may have voted his beloved Isabella dead.I repeat--may.It wasn't a decision I was tasked with.

The true reason for his hate may have been because a confrontation back in the day when I started leading the vampire mob.Something about a mountain.

I was fully aware he didn't appreciate my surprise visit; however,he was calmer than I was about such brute confrontations. I gave him that. I wouldn't have let an enemy enter my territory,talk less of sitting at my dining table and have the nerve to look at me funny.

His sister and her husband seemed pleased,however. They tried their best to maintain conversation. All sorts of small talk except the sensitive issues. Like the impending war, the request to surrender the mountain and Hybrid Kiara.

I didn't need to entertain them, but I urged myself because I was in a pleasant mood. All my worries would soon be over. Mount Covey, or, as Denzel preferred,Mountain Isabella, will be Valerian territory again.This was just a minor detail but an important peice of the master plan.

This had to be acted out perfectly,There can't be a screw left loose. Everything must fall into place. Phase one of the plan included Alpha's daughter.

The legendary first hybrid,the very first abominations.

"Where is she? I asked casually.

He frowned,stared into the distance,glanced at the painting, and took a sip from the almost empty glass.

He replied me eventually, losing a noticeable bit of the cool in his tone.

"Adriel, why are you here?"

It was fun,the suspense. To keep him waiting,fuming, impatient, and nervous.

I smiled at him as he waited for a response that wasn't coming. I was about to speak on a totally random topic when I noticed his face.It came to an immediate pause as he fixed his eyes fixed on the stairs.

That was when I first saw her. Damn,talk about a man's wet dream. She was sexy and cute. A combination I didn't even know existed. Her body was very suggestive, and despite the efforts of the dress to hide anything that may be provocative,she still looked seductive as hell. I imagined more dirty scenarios as I scanned her, but that instantly stopped when my eyes landed on her face. That was where the cute part came in. Her face looked innocent—not fit for my dirty imaginations.

Sadly.

She had almond eyes too; in them were hazel pupils,like drops of honey under candle illumination. I subconsciously squinted at her face.

She turned her gaze away from me before I could scan further. I was a bit disappointed.

Her aunt smiled widely as she directed her to sit beside me with her eyes. Kiara glanced in my direction and decided not to .She sat opposite me,beside her aunt. Her father was frustrated at the far end of the table. He rubbed his beard and eyed me suspiciously before he ordered dinner to be served.

He didn't do the introductions,even better.I will have the pleasure of doing it myself.

I watched her and her father exchange glances as the food was served. She was uneasy, and he was angry. It may not have been my presence causing all this commotion, they had their own issues to resolve.

Don't we all?

"Well,Kiara..."The aunt started with the formalities. "Meet the future King of the Valerian Empire. Adriel Valerian."

Kiara stared hard at me as her aunt spoke. Her face was blank for a while before a sweet smile came out of nowhere.

"It's a pleasure to have you here with us, your highness," she said. "I am Princess Kiara."

"I know who you are," I cut in." You are the Hybrid Princess, right?Your fame preceeds you.."

She heaved a bored sigh,unable to hide how uncomfortable she was with the direct approach.

"That's not my name.Again,its Kiara Whitman.I wont answer to the label hybrid Princess."

Her aunty quickly nudged her elbow, forcing her to purse her lips. She directed her attention to the meal and picked up a fork to begin eating.

It was only then did I notice the food in front of me and the aroma in the air.

They had laid out a steaming hot turkey ,

cheese casserole,fresh peas,garden salad, and delectable yeast rolls with butter drizzled all over them.Thats alot of treats for an unwanted guest.I may have to make this a habit.

I wasn't going to eat because I wasn't particularly hungry. I took the half-full wine glass and took a small judgemental sip—almost as good as the Valerian Wines. Its velvety smoothness lingered on the tongue, but I wasn't exactly impressed. I once heard that their specialty was sweet exotic tea. Who on Earth will want that?

"So,how do you like the food?" The uncle, whose name I still hadn't quite caught on to yet, asked me. He spoke rarely, and whenever he did,his wife smiled beside him like a statue that wasn't given much attention.

"I wouldn't know," I replied honestly. "I don't have an appetite."

All four pairs of eyes raised from their plates to look at me.Its like they just noticed I wasn't eating.

The Whitmans seem to exaggerate a lot.That wasn't even that rude.

Kiara returned to her plate first,unbothered and polite.Her angel face worked in schrochnized harmony with every bit of her being.She looked like the type of woman that existed only in your mind.

Denzel looked like he took the fact that I hadn't even touched my food as a huge sign of disrespect, and his frown returned.

"Why don't you cut to the chase and tell why you are really here? "he drawled.

I placed the glass down, and it was immediately refilled by a man I didn't even notice was standing behind me.

I knew there were fourteen guards in the room, but I just noticed the attendants. I calculated only fourteen men.

How did I just notice them? You know the annoying cliché phrase that says the answer is sitting in front of you? Yes,in this case, it literally was, and it was chewing slowly,being careful not to look up and meet my gaze. The proper princess had distracted me for a moment there. A very short-lived moment.

Back to business.

"I want Kiara to be my escort to the Grand Courtier's Ball."

She couldn't resist; she shot her eyes up,caught my gaze and firm,almost as if about to explode with something, and I made sure to hold her gaze firmly.

Her aunt beamed beside her while her eyes stared at me as if I suggested we murder together.

"Why!?" Denzel asked. Irritation and disbelief in his voice.

"I want to make your daughter's first appearance at the event a memorable one."

Another dagger to make the precious daddy's girl a to make her a bit more uncomfortable. People did stupid shit when they are on the edge.She dropped her cultery and tightened her fist.

I was actually enjoying this. I was amused by her every move.

She had a light frown, so light that it wasn't easily seen unless you paid attention to her the small streaks at her eyebrows. I liked the detail. She needed extreme care if you wanted to study. I don't mind.

She blinked fast and averted her gaze to her father,looking like she wished she was sitting by his side at that very moment. Oh poor thing,at some point, even Daddy won't be able to save you.

"Kiara?" I called her attention back to me. "The decision is yours."

Not his.But that part didn't have to be said with words,she got the memo.

"She is not going."Denzel said.

Princess Kiara returned to her food and gave me one of those sweet fake smiles.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," she smiled and quickly drowned in a glass of wine as if to try to get her senses together. "It would be a pleasure."

"Smart girl." I smirked. "We are going to have a lot of fun."