Lila froze. The vibration of Adrian's voice had travelled not just through the air, but directly through the wooden bench and into her spine. It was a sound that commanded attention, a voice forged of cold iron and malicious intent.
"I can smell your fear, Omega. It's loud."
He heard the whimper. He smelled the panic. I am a joke! Ava's mind raced with frantic, self-preservation panic. If I apologize, I submit. If I insult him the way the original Lila would, he kills me instantly. I need a reply that is insulting enough to keep the 'Lila' mask intact, but vague enough to avoid direct confrontation.
She forced herself to turn her head just slightly—a slow, controlled movement that felt like pushing against solid concrete—until she could see his profile. He wasn't looking at her; he was staring straight ahead at the stage, but the curve of his lip suggested a silent, arrogant amusement.
Lila took a shallow, agonizing breath, tasting the crushing pheromones, and channeled every bit of venomous arrogance she had ever read in her past life.
"My apologies, Alpha," she drawled, her voice tight but perfectly pitched with condescension. She made sure to use the formal, slightly dismissive title. "That is likely the scent of boredom. Unlike most of the attendees, I don't find this ancient Lycanthropy history quite so fascinating."
A perfect lie! It's arrogant, dismissive, and blames the professor, not him!
But Adrian did not even twitch. The corner of his mouth merely curled into a subtle, terrifying smirk.
He spoke again, his voice a quiet, dangerous rumble that only she could hear over the professor's drone. "No, Omega. That is the scent of survival instinct. It is quite distinct. And in your case, quite delicious."
Lila's breath hitched. He had seen straight through her mask, and worse, he seemed to enjoy her terror. This was the true malice of the True Blood Alpha—a king who relished the fear of his subordinates.
He's not just arrogant, he's a sadist! This is exactly like the book! I should have stuck with the "low blood sugar" excuse!
She focused desperately on the details of his profile. He truly was breathtaking—flawless skin, eyes the color of cold starlight, and a commanding air that made every other Alpha in the room look like a provincial Beta.
Okay, Adrian Wolfhart is officially more beautiful and more terrifying than I could have imagined. I am going to have to survive this god.
She forced herself to look away, heart pounding against her ribs. She glanced quickly at the row in front. Rose Williams was now taking notes, occasionally glancing over her shoulder toward the main Alpha section, but she was entirely focused on Harry and the lecture. Rose looked mildly annoyed by the general proximity of the Alpha seating, but was in no way physically distressed.
Why me? Why is it just me? Lila wondered frantically. Is it because I'm not the original Lila? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with this Omega body? Whatever it is, my reaction is a giant, glowing target on my back!
Professor Eldridge, oblivious to the high drama unfolding in Row 3, finally moved past the Accords and began unfurling massive, hand-drawn charts of complex runic formulas on a heavy easel.
Lila tried to write notes, but her hand was trembling so badly she could barely hold the elegant gold pen. She was trying to shift her weight, to put a sliver of space between herself and Adrian, when she felt it:
A cold, heavy pressure settled on the bench right next to her thigh. It wasn't a touch, but a deliberate encroachment of his personal space. His powerful leg had subtly shifted, trapping her against the edge of her own seat. It was a silent, proprietary act of dominance, asserting his control over the shared space.
Lila's Omega instincts screamed. She couldn't move her leg away without creating a scene, and staying still meant enduring the direct proximity of his aura, which now felt like it was pressing on her skin.
She clamped her mouth shut, eyes glued to the ancient runes on the chart, desperately trying to mentally construct a magical forcefield of trivia facts.
Okay, quick, think of something boring! World capitals! Vilnius, Warsaw, Paris, London... Oh God, he smells like frozen danger! And why is he so quiet? Say something arrogant! Anything!
Lila leaned forward, as if intensely interested in the lecture, creating a tiny, fragile bubble of distance.
Adrian, sensing her effort, spoke again, his voice low, amused, and dangerously close to her ear.
"You smell interesting, Blackwood. Not just fear. Something… other."
Lila's concentration snapped. She almost whipped her head around, but stopped herself. Other? Does he sense that I'm not the original Lila? Does he smell the human Ava on me?
She managed a small, cold laugh—the type that sounded like shattering glass—and finally, fully turned to face him, forcing herself to hold his terrifying silver gaze. It was a challenge, a bluff, and a suicidal move.
"Perhaps, Alpha," she replied, her voice steady despite the seismic tremor in her chest. "But then, I imagine the scent of quality is a rare thing in your vicinity."
She held his gaze for a second that stretched into an eternity, waiting for the killing blow.
Adrian Wolfhart, True Blood Alpha and future executioner, simply watched her, his silver eyes cold and knowing. Then, the dangerous smirk returned.
"We shall see, Omega," he murmured, his gaze dropping briefly to the base of her throat before returning to her eyes. "We shall see."