Chapter 40
Vedant
It was not lost on me that the trip was supposed to be a reward. A time for celebration.
Instead, it’s an exercise in restraint.
Every moment that I am in Chiara’s presence, I wonder if this was the time I will ask her. So many times it was on the tip of my tongue. Are you Iris?
But then I look at her and the words distingirate. I can’t bring myself to do it.
And aren’t we supposed to be celebrating after all?
The moment Chiara and I check in, the woman at the front desk looks up from her clipboard and beams. “You’re the winners, right? Congratulations! You’re in room 604. It’s one of our best rooms.”
“Room,” I repeat, frowning. “Not rooms?”
She shakes her head, still smiling. “Oh no, it’s a shared suite. It’s huge.” We must look distressed, because her smile starts to fade as she looks between us. “There’s enough room to… spread out.”
I glance sideways at Chiara. She’s frozen, a faint pink coloring her cheeks. I can feel my own cheeks heating and look away before she can notice.
“There must be some mistake. We’re not… We’ll need two rooms, actually,” I inform the clerk.
“I’m afraid all the other rooms are full, sir. There’s a conference happening here as well. All we have left is our storage closets.”
Tempting. I know the clerk meant it as a joke, but part of me might prefer sleeping in the dark on cardboard boxes to facing what I know is impending with Chiara.
Instead, I murmur a thank you, grab the keycard, and follow Chiara down the hall, trying not to think about the fact that there’s likely only one bed in that suite. The elevator ride upstairs feels like it lasts approximately three hours.
When we step inside our room, I pause in the doorway and stare at that massive, daunting piece of furniture that takes up most of the space.
“I can take the couch,” I blurt.
Chiara smiles awkwardly. I notice that she’s avoiding looking at me. “It’s fine. We’ll manage.”
Her tone is calm, but I catch the faintest tremor beneath it. I can’t blame her. Who would have thought a single piece of furniture was capable of stealing my confidence?
As if things couldn’t get worse, the sound of laughter drifts down the hallway. The door is still open from when I paused at the threshold, so I peer out just in time to confirm my worst fears.
Because I know that laugh.
Alice and Matthew are walking together and leaning close like they’ve been friends forever. I can’t think of two people I want to see less.
But honestly, of course they’re here. This trip seems like it was designed to torment me specifically.
I duck back inside and shut the door before they can notice me. Chiara gives me a startled look, and I smile sheepishly.
“I’m, uh… I’m gonna get changed,” I announce and duck into the bathroom before she can question my weird reaction.
When I shut the door behind me, I exhale as quietly as I can manage. This trip is going to be hell.
Later that evening, the championship hosts a small celebration ball in the winners’ honor. It’s so classically stiff and formal, like the pack events my father used to take me to as a kid. I hated them then, and I hate them now.
I’m adjusting my tie when she walks in. I swear, my brain stops working. Everyone in the room falls silent. Nobody even breathes.
She started getting dressed after I left our shared room, so I didn’t see what she would be wearing. I could’ve never pictured it would look like this.
She’s wearing a pale pink gown that catches the light every time she moves. Her hair falls in soft waves down her back, and her lips are a glossy pink.
Why am I staring at her lips?
Nelson, my wolf, stirs immediately. She’s ours, he growls.
I straighten. Shut. Up, I snap back.
As if sensing this internal conflict from across the room, she glances my way, offering a small, unsure smile that knocks the air right out of me.
I should tell her.
I’m struck not only by her radiance, but also by the fact that this could be Iris. That she could be lying to me. This beautiful, ethereal girl, keeping secrets from me right under my nose.
I tell myself that I should confront her. It’s the same argument I’ve had for days at this point. But before I can decide, Alice drifts toward me, all perfume and thick makeup.
“Fancy seeing you here,” she says softly, touching my arm. “What’s wrong, Vedant? You look tense. Is it because of the rooming situation?”
I narrow my eyes. How does she know about that? “No.”
“Because I was thinking, if it’s bothering you, that’s completely understandable. I mean, you don’t even really know her. And all of those rumors recently… Well, the best solution to the problem is to room with someone more favorable, I think. Someone like me.”
“What?”
She leans in, lowering her voice. “I could stay with you, and Chiara could stay with Matthew. That way everyone’s more comfortable.”
“No.” The word comes out sharp enough to make her flinch. “That’s not happening.”
Alice tries to laugh it off, but I can see the disappointment flicker across her face. “I was only joking! Jeez, you really do need to lighten up. Get yourself a drink.”
She’s off to go find one in no time, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Just then, a waiter passes with a tray of bubbly drinks and I grab one before Alice can return with some concoction.
I take a sip of my drink, scanning the crowd, and that’s when I see it: Matthew, is approaching Chiara, all long strides and swagger.
Nelson snarls. My fingers tighten around the glass.
Calm down, I tell Nelson. But I’m also telling myself.
Because Nelson isn’t the only one disturbed by this encounter. I don’t want Matthew anywhere near Chiara either.
Chiara
I should have known the night wouldn’t stay simple. It certainly didn’t start that way, and it didn’t seem like it would be ending that way, either.
I saw Alice and Vedant talking from across the ballroom and had to do everything in my power to restrain myself from going over there and stepping in. That’s not the kind of person I normally was, but the sight of Vedant with Alice, of all people, has twisted something in me.
So when Alice scurries away and grabs a drink, I’m surprised when she then makes her way over to me instead of Vedant.
“You must be relieved,” she says as she pauses beside me. “Vedant told me he thinks switching rooms is a great idea.”
I blink. “He said that?”
She nods quickly and shrug. “He didn’t want to make it awkward, but he thought it might be better if you stayed somewhere else. You know, after all of the rumors, he didn’t think it was a good look.”
The rumors she started.
The words sting more than I expect. I glance across the room to where Vedant stands near the buffet table, sipping his drink. He doesn’t look relieved. He looks pensive. Maybe even angry.
Still, doubt crawls up my spine. Maybe she’s telling the truth. Maybe he does want space.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I say quietly.
Alice smiles, all white, straight teeth. “Of course. I just thought it’d save you some embarrassment.”
Before I can respond, another voice interrupts.
“Embarrassment about what?”
I turn, and there’s Matthew, holding two glasses of champagne.
“Apparently, Vedant and I are no longer sharing a room,” I admit, hating how flustered I sound.
Matthew’s eyebrows lift. “Oh? I thought the champions always roomed together. Well, I happen to have an extra bed in my suite. You’re welcome to stay with me instead.”
My pulse skips. The implications of this set my face on fire. “I… um. I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
He shrugs easily. “Think about it. Might be a nice way to show him you can pick your own roommates.” He winks for good measure.
Vedant has been strange lately. He’s been distant one minute, protective the next. Maybe this could be for the best. A clean break. And I know how he feels about Matthew, so it would really be rubbing it in his face, just like he’s doing by rooming with Alice.
For a fleeting second, I imagine it: accepting Matthew’s offer, watching Vedant’s reaction. But the thought fades as quickly as it comes. Because no matter how much I want to understand him—or how much his moods confuse me—I know one thing for certain.
Hurting Vedant, even to make a point, would just hurt me too.
