Chapter 131: Perfect Act [I]

Anyone else might have found the Crown Twins’ reactions intimidating, but Starlight was enjoying their discomfort far too much to resist the temptation to push them further, though she had no intention of letting them see just how much she was enjoying herself. Instead, she lowered her gaze, allowing her shoulders to stiffen slightly as though their attention had suddenly made her uncomfortable. She fidgeted with the fabric of her gown, then glanced nervously between the two princes before forcing a hesitant smile. "It’s really nothing worth discussing," she murmured. "I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it in the first place. I don’t want to provoke Their Royal Highnesses any further than I already have, so perhaps we should just forget I said anything. I’m sorry. I made a mistake by opening my mouth."

Kage stared at her. For a moment, he genuinely wondered whether he had somehow mistaken the woman sitting beside Okami for someone else. Then, as the realization sank in, he pressed his lips together to keep himself from laughing. This is complete bullshit. If he had to swear on his lost wolf, he would swear that Starlight was deliberately putting on a performance. There was absolutely no way the girl who had challenge anyone who dared cross her, then proceeded to nearly strangling him at the swimming complex, was suddenly frightened into submission by the Crown Twins.

She had deliberately brought up the corrective conduct program, and everything she had done since then had been calculated to draw attention to it. Now, she was pretending to regret her words, hoping to make everyone even more curious about what the princes were trying so desperately to conceal. Kage had no idea what she was planning to do next, but he was certain of one thing. Starlight Dawson was up to something, and the Crown Twins were walking straight into her trap.

"Then you should have kept your useless mouth shut instead of opening it to spill things that were never yours to discuss," Beatrice snapped, her face still flushed from Starlight’s earlier insults. She leaned forward, glaring at Starlight with undisguised contempt. "You really have no idea how fortunate you are that Their Royal Highnesses have been so patient with you, Miss Dawson. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll learn when to speak and when to keep quiet."

Starlight flinched.

The movement was small, almost imperceptible, but she immediately shifted closer to Okami, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her gown as she lowered her head. It was a remarkably convincing display of fear, made even more effective by the way she seemed to seek shelter beside the young prince. Okami’s pleasant expression vanished. A low growl rumbled from his chest, the sound deep enough to draw the attention of everyone around them. His gaze settled on Beatrice, and the temperature of his voice seemed to drop several degrees.

"Watch your mouth, Hawthorne Bitch," he warned. "You can insult whoever you please when I’m not around, but if you speak to Starlight like that again, I’ll make certain you regret it. I won’t hesitate to remind you exactly where you stand if you mistake my patience for permission to disrespect someone under my protection."

Beatrice stared at him in disbelief before her expression twisted with irritation. "Under your protection?" she repeated, her eyes darting toward Starlight, who remained tucked closer to Okami’s side. "Since when did you become her protector, anyway? Can’t you see she’s faking it? That girl was practically tearing me apart with her words a moment ago, and now she’s cowering beside you as though I’m going to attack her. It’s obvious she’s putting on an act. She’s not afraid of anyone here, and you’re foolish if you believe otherwise."

Okami’s growl deepened. "I don’t remember asking for your opinion." His arm shifted along the back of the sofa, bringing him closer to Starlight without quite touching her. "Whether she’s frightened or not is none of your concern. I won’t tolerate you speaking to her that way, so I suggest you learn when to stop before you push me too far." Although Starlight had not asked him to intervene, her movement toward him had awakened something fiercely protective within him. She had come to the gathering with him, and now she was looking to him for protection.

The fact that he was not yet entitled to claim her as his own did nothing to diminish the instinctive urge to shield her from anyone who threatened her. He had no intention of allowing Beatrice to frighten or humiliate her while he was sitting right there. Across the seating area, Mikhail and Nikolai watched the exchange with growing displeasure. Neither could explain why the sight of Starlight leaning toward Okami bothered them so much, but the feeling was immediate and impossible to ignore. At first, they had viewed Starlight as the means to an end, someone who could help them achieve what they desperately needed. The arrangement had been intended to bring her closer to them and keep her within their reach, nothing more. Yet somewhere along the way, their interest in her had become something they could no longer dismiss as mere convenience. They found themselves watching her too closely, thinking about her too often, and reacting to things that should not have mattered to them. Now, seeing her seek protection from another Alpha made something unpleasant twist inside them. Even without their wolves, their instincts seemed to rebel against the sight.

The woman they wanted to keep close was leaning toward another wolf as though he were the one she trusted to protect her, and neither prince could stand the implication.

Nikolai’s fingers curled tightly around the armrest as he glared at Okami, his expression growing darker by the second. He wanted to tell Starlight to move away from him, to remind her that she had no reason to seek another man’s protection when the Crown Twins were sitting right there. But he knew that saying any of those things would only make the situation worse, especially with everyone watching. Mikhail, meanwhile, never took his eyes off Starlight.

The more he learned about her, the more intriguing he found her.