Chapter 4 Chapter 04: Tension

Chapter 04: Tension

Savahna POV

I slipped back into the ballroom like nothing had happened, even though my lips were still tingling and my neck still ached like someone had tried to snap it in half. Because someone literally did.

The music hit me first, loud and dramatic, as if the orchestra somehow knew I was mentally malfunctioning.

Nobles danced, laughed, gossiped, acted like their world wasn’t run by a Devil Alpha with issues and a mate-bond obsession.

My eyes scanned the room before I even let myself breathe. And of course, there he was.

Caius.

Talking to some tall guy in a sharp suit. His posture relaxed, head slightly tilted in that dangerous calm way.

The moment his gaze flicked in my direction, my body reacted faster than my brain.

I snapped my face away like a guilty kid pretending she wasn’t staring at the cookie jar.

Nope. I didn’t see him. I didn’t exist. I was a shadow. A ghost. A woman who absolutely did NOT accidentally make eye contact with her borderline feral mate.

Keep walking, Hana. Look normal. Normal people don’t run from their mate. They just… brisk walk with determination.

I tried that. Lasted three seconds.

Because an older woman stepped right into my path. She had perfect posture, perfect makeup, perfect manners.

Her smile was polite enough to give me goosebumps. Behind her stood an older man, solid, calm, probably her husband.

"From what family are you, dear?" she asked. Her voice was soft, almost gentle.

Crap. Great. Why can’t people just let me end the night quietly?

I smiled back, small and polite. "A distant relative of the Carter Family."

She nodded like everything made sense now. "I see. You look fabulous tonight."

"Oh… thank you."

Her eyes lit up suddenly. Like she had an idea. A dangerous one.

"May I introduce you to my son?"

I blinked. Once. Twice. My mind was muddled like thick fog. "I’m… sorry?"

She laughed softly. "Pardon me for being straightforward. I just found you pretty. Too pretty."

What am I even supposed to say to that? Thank you? I try my best not to die?

Before I could form a response, her husband stepped closer. "Don’t scare her, Lina. Our son is old enough to find himself a woman."

Lina. Mrs. Tate. Right.

Mrs. Tate scoffed. "That man is playing too much. It's time for him to settle down. And maybe, this young lady in front of us is his fated mate."

Mate. Why is that word haunting me today?

My eyes moved on their own.

Straight to Caius.

He was still talking to that man, but he wasn’t focused on the conversation at all.

His attention was on me. Sharp and burning. Possessive in the kind of way that made my spine tighten.

I tore my gaze away like I touched a hot stove. Nope. Not dealing with that. Not again.

I smiled awkwardly at Mrs. Tate. "It’s fine with me, Mrs…"

"Mrs. Tate," she said brightly. "Come on, I’ll show you my son."

Show me? Like he’s a rare gem on display?

Oh stars, help me.

But refusing politely wasn’t an option. Her smile was too warm, too hopeful, too… mom who wants to marry her son off. So I followed her.

Every step felt heavier. Mostly because someone behind me was staring with enough heat to roast a whole wild hog.

Caius. I could feel it. Him, watching me. Claiming without touching.

I ignored it and kept walking.

We stopped near a tall man talking to a woman who clearly liked him too much. Mrs. Tate fake-coughed like she was announcing someone’s funeral.

Her son turned around. Tall. Sharp jaw. Confident smirk forming instantly.

"Mother," he said, pretending he wasn’t caught in a flirt.

Mrs. Tate glared, then smiled at me. "This is…" She paused. Right. I forgot she didn’t know my name.

I stepped in. "I’m Hana Carter."

"Hana Carter," she echoed proudly. "This is my son, Ashton Tate."

Ashton looked intrigued. Too intrigued. His smirk deepened as if he suddenly forgot every other woman existed.

He extended his hand. I stared at it like it was a trap.

"Hana Carter," he repeated slowly.

Then it clicked. Oh no. This guy.

I know this voice.

He tilted his head. "You're that woman earlier."

And at the same time I blurted, "You're that man!"

Mrs. Tate looked between us. "You two know each other?"

"No," we said together.

Ashton added his polite lie with a smirk.

I added mine with a stiff face.

"Then why are you two acting like that?" Mrs. Tate asked, confused.

"Maybe I'm mistaken," I said quickly.

"Hm. Very well. I’ll let you two talk." She smiled sweetly.

Wait, no. No no no.

I opened my mouth to excuse myself, but Mrs. Tate was already gone.

And I was left standing with a flirt I didn’t want and a jealous Devil Alpha staring at me from across the ballroom like he was seconds away from ending the entire Tate family line.

Geez, he indeed deserve to be called the devil alpha.

I swear, the moment Mrs. Tate’s heels clicked away, my soul tried to escape my body.

Ashton Tate leaned closer like he had been waiting his entire life for this exact moment. His smirk stretched wider, the kind that made me want to slap it off and run at the same time.

“So,” he said, voice dripping with confidence, “we meet again, Miss Shorty.”

I blinked. “I am not short.”

He raised a brow. “Cute lie.”

My palm twitched. If I hit him right now, would that technically count as self defense?

The girl Ashton had been talking to earlier stood there awkwardly, looking at him, then me, then back at him. He didn’t even acknowledge her existence anymore. The disrespect was insane. She huffed and walked away, heels tapping angrily.

“Wow,” I muttered. “You’re charming. Like a disease.”

He laughed. “You’re feisty. I like that.”

No. Absolutely not. This man was trouble with good hair. I needed to shut this down before my night got any worse.

I stepped back a little, putting space between us. “Look, Ashton. I appreciate the introduction, but I’m not really in the mood to talk.”

He tilted his head, amused. “Then why are you smiling?”

Because I panic smile. Because my brain glitches when attractive men talk to me. Because your mother threatened to marry you off and I froze like a deer about to get sacrificed.

But I kept it classy.

“I smile when I’m annoyed,” I said.

“Then you must be extremely annoyed,” he replied.

I exhaled sharply. “You have no idea.”

He chuckled again, sliding his hands into his pockets. His eyes scanned my face, lingering like he was trying to figure me out. “You’re new. I’ve never seen you at any of the gatherings.”

I shrugged lightly. “Maybe I’m just forgettable.”

His gaze sharpened. “You? Forgettable? Doubt it.”

I let out a short, fake laugh. "Funny, because I knew I was unforgettable."

Ashton laughed too, a low, knowing sound. “Maybe you are,” he said.

Before I could respond, he straightened, his entire aura shifting like someone had flipped a switch.

His gaze darted over my shoulder, sharp and alert. “Alpha,” he said, his voice clipped, serious.

My body went rigid, though I made sure not to show it. I could feel him—Caius—right there behind me, too close, too warm. My chest tightened, pulse kicking up.

“Ashton Tate,” Caius said, his tone calm but dangerous.

I was stuck between them. Literally. Two men, two forces, both powerful in ways that made my skin prickle.

I could feel the tension snapping around me, heavy and sharp, like it could cut. My mind scrambled for something, anything, to say, but the words refused to come.

I just stood there, pretending to be calm while every nerve in my body screamed.

Both of them were waiting, watching, assessing. And I knew exactly how high the stakes had just gotten.