Alec's tension didn't break. He knew I was playing the game, but he didn't like how close I was to the edge. And I liked that part.
"He is..." I started as I looked back at Bellina. "He is very... protective."
"Good," Bellina said, satisfied. "Because we have a lot of guests coming tonight for the post-wedding gala. The entire Council will be here to see the new Luna. It's a big night for the Black-Stone pack."
The gala. Another performance. Another night of pretending to be a wife while feeling like a slave.
Breakfast continued in a blur of fake smiles and small talk. I barely ate a bite. When it was finally over, Bellina stood up.
"Alec, dear, meet me in the study. I have some documents for you to look over regarding the border patrol," she said. Then she turned to me. "Skylar, why don't you go with Aveline and look around?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" Aveline jumped up before I could even process the request. "Come on, Skylar. I'll show you the gardens."
Alec's chair scratched against the floor as he stood up, towering over me. He didn't look at his sister. He looked straight at me, his eyes narrowing into cold slits.
"She stays in the North Wing," Alec said. His voice was flat, but there was an edge to it that made the room go quiet.
Bellina frowned, her blue eyes darting between us. "Alec, don't be ridiculous. She's been in that room all night. A little fresh air won't kill her. Let Aveline show her the grounds."
I felt a small, dangerous spark of defiance in my chest. He had spent all morning treating me like a piece of furniture he owned. He had bitten me, threatened my family, and forced me into a corner. If his mother was giving me a leash, I was going to pull on it.
"I'd like to see the gardens, Mom," I said softly, keeping my eyes on Bellina. I could feel Alec's gaze burning into the side of my face, hot enough to leave a mark.
"See?" Bellina smiled, patting Alec's arm. "Go to the study, dear. We'll take care of her."
Alec didn't move for a long moment. I could hear his rhythmic, heavy breathing. Then, he leaned down, his face coming so close to my ear that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin.
"Do not forget Rule Three, Skylar," he hissed, so low that only I could hear. "One mistake. One word to the wrong person. And your two-day grace period ends early."
He straightened up, gave a curt nod to his mother, and walked out of the hall without looking back.
Aveline grabbed my hand, her energy a sharp contrast to the heaviness Alec left behind. "Ignore him. He thinks the world will stop spinning if he isn't holding the lever. Come on!"
She led me through the twisting hallways of the manor. The further we got from the dining hall, the more the tension in my shoulders began to fade. Aveline talked non-stop—about the pack, the annoying council members coming tonight, and how much she hated the heavy dresses we had to wear for the gala.
"Here we are," she said, pushing open two large glass doors.
The gardens were beautiful, but they were high-walled, surrounded by the same dark stone as the house. It was just a bigger cage. We walked down a path lined with white roses that looked like ghosts in the morning light.
"So," Aveline said, her voice dropping as she looked at me sideways. "Is he really being... protective? Or is he being a total prick?"
I stopped walking. I looked at her, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. For a second, I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her that her brother was a monster who was holding my family's lives over my head.