chapter 8 The Banquet (3)

The way Alexander was unbothered by the sudden hostility, made Calista realise that he was not just any king. But who was he to make everyone edge on their toes? She wondered.

 " Lucas, we came here in peace and would love to congratulate the crown prince on his finding of his future bride" Ethan said as if he was trying to pacify the tension that was building up in the hall " I mean if he finds one" he added and took a sip from his drink. 

A loud growl came from Lucas" I just said you are not welcome " he jumped and transformed into a brown wolf in the middle of the air. 

Ethan held Lucas by his neck before throwing him across the room, Lucas crashed into chairs, before he turned back to his human form. The growling from the crowd became more aggressive.

" You know you are not my match Lucas, not to talk of king Alexander, even your Alpha will think twice," Ethan said with a hiss, while Alexander swirls his cup around with a smirk on his face.

 Ezekiel, strode towards the scene, turned to address the pack member, Lucas, who had been forced to bear his humiliation. "Lucas," he commanded, "you will apologize to King Alexander. Now."

Lucas growled with frustration, but the weight behind Ezekiel's authoritative tone left him no choice. He bowed stiffly, his pride fractured under the eyes of every single guest. "I... apologize, King Alexander," Lucas muttered through gritted teeth, the words laced with humility.

"It is okay, you all know I am generous and I don't take things to heart," King Alexander said as he continued sipping from wine. His voice dripped with sarcasm.

With the matter settled, the once- tense room seemed to relax, if only slightly. Yet, the low hum of discomfort remained.

The alpha king entered the hall alongside his Luna. Beside him was Beta Mateo. The alpha king had a displeased look on his face and his Luna queen.

The alpha turned around to face the crowd " I want to thank you all for honouring my invitation, you all are welcome, please enjoy the drinks and the food, let the party begin" he said with a forced smile on his face.

 He raised his glass in a mock toast, with a blatant glance at King Alexander. Caleb knew how to maintain appearances, though he couldn't hide the strain in his eyes.

"I would also like to introduce our esteemed guests-King Alexander of the Demon Realm and Prince Ethan of the Dracrytian Empire." Caleb gestured toward the two noblemen who had silently watched the altercation, their posture unaffected.

 He has long black hair which was braided to the back, with a little left unbraided at the back. He has two braided hair falling to both sides of his face. He has brown eyes with a scary look, he wore a half mask which was on the left side of his face. He has a huge body stature, with a well built body. 

After the introduction, the guests went back to their chattering and the music started playing again, although the tension in the air was still there. 

Calista stood aside, watching this all unfold, her gaze continually drawn back to the still-growing tension in the room. Every few moments, her eyes flicked back to Alexander, the so-called "heartless" demon king.

Calista's eyes, throwing daggers at this mysterious man, " so this was the demon king that was said to have no heart, he is the most powerful demon in the realm, the very one who killed his father to take the throne, the one who kills for fun and have not one iota of sympathy or emotion!! and his best friend, the prince of Dragons clan, they both are the most wicked beings in the world, so these are the bad guys?" She mumbled to myself, as she made a mental note to stay far away from them.

 Although her werewolf family did not regard her as a family, she did not want to see any of them humiliated like this. 

She grabbed a drink and gulped it in one go, while still glaring at him even when her eyes were twitching, from the alcoholic taste of the drink . 

This was actually her first time drinking alcohol , she took another cup trying to gulp it in another go. In the blink of an eye, the demon was suddenly staring right back at her. 

Cough cough cough, she unconsciously choked on her drink, coughing some out. He continued staring at her with his dead glare.

 Calista gained the attention of the guests, who were now wondering where this uncivilised man came from. This was not good because she was supposed to keep a low profile. 

Calista and Aurora have both made sure to mask their scent, so as to avoid getting caught, by their scent.. 

Aurora quickly came to her side " are you okay?" She asked worriedly as she patted her back, Calista wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her coat. " Can we leave now, we have seen your Prince Charming already" Calista asked as she could now feel Emily's gaze on her. 

" No, we can't, I haven't found the chance to have a conversation with him yet" Aurora blatantly refused with a pouted lips. 

Calista couldn't help but to stare at her in disbelief " our disguise might get discovered anytime, it's a ticking bomb" Calista lowly yelled at her, she wondered how could her best friend be this shameless and reckless.

"Can't you trust me?" Aurora's voice oozed with conviction. "I've got a plan."

Calista's body tensed further at the thought. A plan? Trust Aurora to have one. But if history had taught her anything, it usually meant more trouble on the horizon. She swallowed the rising panic in her throat, tempting fate would no longer seem like a wild adventure-it felt more like a deadly gamble.

"If we get caught " Calista muttered lowly, "I'm blaming you!".