Chapter 170

Sarah POV

I was irritated at myself for not making use of the ladies room when I took the girls before. Zane went to get us more drinks, and the girls stayed with him, so I was back to standing in line and trying not to make eye contact. Danielle stood in line behind me, but I knew better than to distract her with conversation.

I was actually leaving the facilities and making my way toward the lobby when Alpha Marin was suddenly there in front of me, smiling with pleasure.

“Oh, hello again,” I said. “Where’s Malcomb?”

“Getting champagne. Actually, I’m so glad to get you alone for a moment, if you don’t mind talking for just a minute?”

I actually felt like running for the hills, but I just smiled again. “Of course. Is this about Alpha Zane?”

“In a way. In truth, I wanted to talk to you about the opera and Alpha Zane.”

“What about them?”

“Surely you’ve seen the parallels here between Butterfly and Alpha Benjamin and yourself and Alpha Zane.”

So, that’s how we’re playing this. “Well, I’m a human woman and he’s a Pack Alpha werewolf, but I’m not a child tricked into a fake marriage suffering from the delusion she’s going to be some sort of werewolf queen. Also, I can’t sing very well.”

Alpha Marin laughed lightly, being sure to show her teeth. I wondered if she filed her fangs. She certainly wore blood-red acrylic nails.

“You’re so funny,” she said next, and I realized she’d managed to work me back against a wall. I’d have to be very obvious about walking around her, although I wouldn’t mind that much. “But surely, you do realize I know Alpha Zane bought these tickets himself.”

“I wouldn’t have thought that would catch your attention.”

“Everything Pack Alpha Zane does catches my attention. I’m one of his seconds in command now, and the health and welfare of this territory are my main concerns.”

“That’s admirable.”

“So, can you really tell me you don’t realize he must have chosen to take you to this opera to warn you off?”

“I’m not interested in having Alpha Zane’s love child and then killing myself.”

“And just what are you interested in, Miss Sarah Astor? And why is the Luna Temple evidently happy to give you whatever you want?”

“I’m not the first human goddess-mother in a werewolf household, and all the Luna Temple has done is not to forbid me to keep the position. Now, if you’ll excuse—”

“Why did you kidnap Grace and keep her from her father for five years?”

“You’ve been reading online conspiracy theories.” I shook my head. “Do you have so little respect for Zane as a Pack Alpha that you think he would accept me into his household without being assured I had nothing to do with Grace’s abduction?

“You’re very attractive, Miss Astor, quite like our little Butterfly.”

“So are you, though not as little, I confess. If Zane were susceptible to a pretty face, he’d have married you instead of fighting and damn near killing you.”

Her ice-blue eyes flashed and narrowed. “Is that a threat?”

I laughed. “You’re the type to see everything as a threat. Now, really, I must rejoin the girls before they start to worry about me.”

I ducked around her, being as obvious as she wanted me to, and walked to the upstairs lobby. I found Zane and the girls and smiled at them all as I took a glass of cold champagne from Zane’s warm hand.

“What’s wrong?” he asked me quietly. The girls were busy looking over the program notes and cooing at the pretty photos of the singers.

“Nothing important. I’ll tell you later.” I tossed back half my champagne.

He looked past me and spotted something with a slight hiss. “Was Alpha Marin bothering you?”

“She wanted to know what I want. I should have told her I wanted her head on a stick.”

“Really?” He looked at me so seriously it took me a minute to laugh.

“Power-hungry, suspicious alphas are a dime a dozen,” he said next. “Don’t let her get to you.”

I nodded and took a much more delicate sip from my glass.

We were back in our seats for the third act, watching the lights go down and the curtain rise on Butterfly and her son in the dawn’s light, still waiting for Alpha Benjamin to return. When she took the child to sleep in his bed, the alpha appeared with his werewolf mate. Finally, he seemed to realize his little “dalliance” ruined Butterfly’s life and, rather cowardly, he ran off.

So poor Butterfly was left to deal with Alpha Kate Cavendish alone and agreed to give up her son to be raised “properly” by the pack.

To my surprise, Chloe and Grace both looked back at me with frowns. I realized what they were thinking and shook my head emphatically, mouthing, “Never!”

Satisfied, they turned back around.

Butterfly stood alone now, producing a dagger with which her father committed suicide, singing now at full volume she was going to die with honor rather than live in shame. The son ran back on stage, but she blindfolded him and stabbed herself even as Alpha Benjamin ran back on stage, calling her name.

The music struck a crescendo, and the audience erupted in applause. It felt good to pound my hands together and work out some of the emotions the opera had generated in me.

There was even a funny moment when the tenor who had played Alpha Benjamin came on for his curtain call and got some boos. He accepted them with a bow, but he obviously preferred the applause and “Bravos!” that followed.

In all, I admit I was emotionally exhausted by the time we made it to the car.

“You did enjoy the opera?” Zane asked me while the girls chatted to each other about the lovely costumes and how great the music had been. “Marin didn’t ruin things for you?”

“No,” I said decisively. “I’m thrilled for Grace, and I can’t wait to see another opera. What are some more good ones?”

Zane laughed.

We grew quiet in the car, and the girls fell asleep leaning against each other. We carried them into the villa, got them into pajamas, and put them to bed. I whispered to Zane we could let them skip brushing their teeth.

We parted ways without a kiss, and I walked slowly to my room.

Was any part of what Marin said right? Was I some sort of culturally clueless wanna-be? I didn’t think Zane chose the opera with any sort of message in mind for me. It was the opening night of the season, and the production had been wonderful.

Not to mention, it was hardly the only example of “clueless human fells in love with werewolf but can’t be together.” Romeo and Juliet came easily to mind.

As I got into bed, I thought about the secrets I’d started keeping from Zane lately. My dream, all that Marin had said, my concerns for the future in Zane’s household when he and Melissa mated. It wasn’t good for a relationship, but then, we didn’t really have the right to worry about it.

In the end, I just rolled over and went to sleep. Tomorrow would have to take care of itself.