Chapter 200: Don’t need permission

"And that’s enough." Kieran’s tone remained calm, but there was no room for negotiation.

He took the wine bottle from her hand and replaced it with a glass of juice, the movement precise. "Drink this instead. You don’t need to drink recklessly just because it’s a wedding." His tone left no room for argument, but Eloise wasn’t having it.

Eloise’s lips pushed into a pout. "Yuki is drinking too," she pointed out, feeling betrayed.

Kieran’s forehead throbbed once. He had been doing his best not to pay attention to Yuki, who had spent most of the reception laughing and drinking without a care in the world. Unfortunately, Eloise had just dragged his attention straight back to her. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Don’t compare yourself to her," he said quietly.

Eloise frowned. "Why not?" Her eyes turned red as a wave of injustice hit her, making her mouth turn bitter. Kieran wanted to say that if he could stop Yuki, she wouldn’t have taken a second glass of wine or spent the evening laughing with that Alpha.

The last thing Kieran would do was trust a fucking Alpha, especially someone with enough influence like Declan to give the Ravencourt family enough of a headache. People like him never casually married low-born she-wolves without a good reason.

But he could not voice his thoughts without it seeming like he was crossing a boundary. In the end, he could only say, "The night is just starting."

"It’s a wedding," she whined. "We’re supposed to celebrate. And if I get drunk, you can always look after me."

Killian glanced at her over the rim of his glass, his expression unreadable. One finger tapped once against the stem before stilling. "It would be better to avoid that trouble altogether," he remarked evenly. "You shouldn’t be willful."

Eloise’s cheeks puffed out. She clearly wasn’t pleased. She hated it when they didn’t give in to her. Still refusing to give up, she turned towards Kaden and grabbed his arm, giving it a small shake. "Kaden," she pleaded sweetly, "let me have some wine."

Kaden’s fingers were already curled tightly around his own glass. He looked down at her hand on his arm before meeting her pleading eyes. The muscle in his jaw flexed once. "No," he deadpanned, not in the mood for whatever argument she was about to make.

Her mouth dropped open. "Why?"

"Because Kieran is right," he said, staring straight at her face.

Eloise released his arm with an offended huff. "It is just drinking. I don’t understand why all three of you are suddenly so stubborn. It’s not like anyone could take advantage of me with all of you around."

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. They normally indulged her. If she wanted something, one of them usually gave in eventually. What she didn’t know, and what none of the brothers intended to explain, was that their concern had very little to do with her.

They couldn’t care less if Eloise drank a few more glasses. They knew no one would dare make a move on her. Their attention was fixed on the little wolf sitting several seats away, who had just lifted her fifth glass to her lips.

Kieran’s eyes flickered towards Yuki. He knew exactly what a drunk Yuki was like. He could never forget that first kiss. And Declan wasn’t doing a damn thing to stop her. His fingers pressed harder against the tablecloth for a moment before relaxing.

Kaden glanced towards Yuki again, his irritation deepening. Even though he had no idea what Yuki’s alcohol tolerance was, the possibility of her becoming drunk with Declan sitting beside her was enough to make something unpleasant twist in his gut. His knuckles whitened around his glass.

’Why isn’t he stopping her?’ Kaden hissed through their joint mind-link.

Killian’s gaze flickered towards Yuki. She was grinning into her glass, looking entirely too pleased with herself. When her eyes met Killian’s, she gave him a challenging look before taking another sip. Killian’s lips pressed into a thin line for half a second before smoothing out again.

’She’s an adult,’ Killian replied through the link. His fingers continued tapping quietly against the table, the rhythm slightly faster than before.

Kaden scoffed under his breath. ’As an adult, she should know that her image reflects the Ravencourt name. Is she planning to get drunk before Father announces the adoption?’ he grunted.

He sounded irritated, but even he knew he was trying to justify something he couldn’t quite explain. Before Killian could answer, Eloise’s whining voice interrupted them. "But it’s a wedding, for crying out loud." She was losing patience, completely oblivious to what was brewing underneath.

Kaden turned towards her and smiled. The expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Since you want wine so badly, we can get you a low-content champagne." It was a compromise, but it wasn’t enough.

"But I want white wine," Eloise argued, folding her arms.

Kieran didn’t even look at her. "You can’t afford to get drunk." His reply was so final that Eloise knew there would be no point arguing.

In the background, the MC was organising the noble ladies into position while lively music played beneath the excited chatter. Yuki took another slow sip, watching the spectacle with growing amusement. A soft laugh escaped her. Declan glanced at her and smiled. "You’re enjoying this," he whispered next to her ear. His breath fanned over her lobe.

The gesture looked far too intimate. Yuki shrugged with a smile. There was no need to deny it. "Very much."

Eloise’s head snapped towards her. "What is so funny, Miyuki?" she hissed, her irritation obvious.

Yuki turned towards her with a smug smile. "You," she chimed.

Eloise’s face changed instantly. Kieran frowned. He could tell Yuki was beginning to feel the effects of the wine. Her eyes were slightly glazed, her smile wider than usual, and there was a looseness to her movements that hadn’t been there earlier. Yet seeing Eloise annoyed seemed to improve Yuki’s mood considerably. Kieran’s fingers flexed once against his thigh before stilling.

"Honestly," Yuki continued, resting her chin lightly against her hand, "it’s truly amusing that an adult needs permission to drink."

Eloise’s fist clenched. She fucking hated that blonde bitch.