Thalia's POV
The people clapped and cheered as the winner of a contest that had drawn in people from far and wide was being displayed.
I wasn't that oblivious though.
In the crowd where making out a couple of faces was a hard task, I was able to see a couple of the finalists of the contest, standing all hurdled up.
I didn't expect any less from them.
They were neither clapping nor cheering for me.
They were all staring at me, as if I had snatched their golden goose from their grasps.
Eyes that burned with hate and despise stared right through me as I stood next to Kade.
However, I wasn't going to be intimidated by such a tactic. Therefore, in retaliation, I didn't look away from them.
The entire time that I stood there, I stared them down to a point where it became uncomfortable for them and they had to be the ones who looked way.
And that was around the time that Kade told me to get off the stage.
I almost made the mistake of going before him, when I immediately remembered that I was supposed to be his shadow, not his light.
I lingered behind as he stood on the stage for a couple of seconds longer.
It didn't click then, but when I think of it now, I'm starting to think that he might have done that on purpose.
Kade might have waited to see if I was going to walk before him and get off the stage if he stayed back.
He must've been trying to see if any of the lessons that we had been vigorously taken through had stuck with me.
It was his way of confirming if on top of being sharp, whether I had been attentive.
So, when he decided to walk off the stage, I followed him, making sure that there was some distance between me and him.
Kade then walked over to a group of aged individuals that were waiting for him, who I guessed were some of the elders of the Obsidian Howl Pack.
Cassian joined them shortly after and the talking got engaging in a matter of seconds to the point where they forgot that I was even there.
'I guess I'll just find somewhere to let it all sink in.' I said to myself as I scanned the place to see if there was somewhere secluded where I could stand alone, without being disturbed.
As I scanned the area, I could still feel the stares that were being thrown towards my direction.
Back in the Shadowmoon Pack, I had gotten used to the stares.
However, this time it was different.
The stares were not just from the maids that I was accustomed to back home.
I was being stare at by Alphas and Betas of different packs, and it wasn't just the occasional stare.
Some looked at me like I was an object that was just walking among them, while others looked at me with curiosity.
Walking as I looked for the right spot to stand, I passed other women that given their dressing for that occasion, had to be Lunas to very prominent Alphas.
I couldn't help but notice the envy and jealousy in their eyes as they looked at me.
You'd think that most of them would be contented with the ranks that they held.
That was a lie.
From the way they were practically salivating as they stared at me, it was evident that they all craved to have what I had just earned.
I was certain that most of them would willingly give up everything that they had in a heartbeat if I would've asked them to exchange positions with me.
To them, I was their Everest, having climbed to the very pinnacle of what every and any Luna ever dreamed off.
I was the one that held the flag, and I could clearly tell that most of them didn't think that a wolfless nobody was worthy of such.
However, I passed them without saying a word and since no one was talking to me, of which I was very thankful for, I found a bench that was under one of the trees that was quite the distance from where I had left Kade and Cassian talking to the elders.
My mouth had gone dry from jusy how much it was filling up with saliva and I was swallowing it from the panic that I was still going through on the inside.
I wanted something to drink, but I couldn't see any of the servers.
It was easy for me to know that if I raised my hand, the maids and servers would immediately appear out of nowhere and tend to my every needs.
It was one of the perks that I knew came with the position, but I didn't want to use it.
From where I was seated, I had a view of Kade as he talked to the elders, from the side.
I stared at him for a couple of seconds, that I didn't even notice him looking for me around him, and then search for me with his eyes before stopping as he managed to see me through the crowd.
It was as if I had zoned off, and by the time I was coming back, he was slowly turning back to continue talking to the elders.
As I kept my gaze on him, I made sure that I didn't zone out again, as I was finally able to sit down and get a grasp of how things had changed for me in a very short period of time.
I was a nobody that had climbed to the top and made my mark.
"So.... you actually did it." A familiar voice snapped me back to reality.
I had been staring at Kade for so long that I hadn't even noticed that someone had walked up right next to me.
Turning my head and slowly looking up, I saw a tall figure, probably around six feet or something, with a very muscular build standing next to me.
He was adorned in formal Alpha attire and when I locked eyes with this green eyed man, my heart sunk.
It was Ronan.
Alpha Ronan.