By cold they meant that I never gave them gossip. I never bared my throat in distress for their entertainment. I never put my pain with Caspian on display for the pack to feast on.
The moment they caught my scent shifting closer, both wolves fell silent. One instinctively tilted her head, exposing the barest sliver of her neck in submission. But the damage was done. I kept walking, my boots striking the polished stone floor in a steady, unhurried rhythm, until I reached my private quarters within the den.
On my desk, two items waited. A formal letter of severance, declaring my intention to break all ties with the Thornecrest Pack. And beside it, a small black velvet pouch. I slipped both into the inner pocket of my jacket and made my way toward Caspian's private chambers.
When I reached the heavy oak door of his quarters, I didn't bother knocking. I shoved it open and startled the two of them.
Scarlett was perched on the edge of Caspian's desk, her legs crossed, her body angled toward him with the kind of easy familiarity that should have belonged to a mate. Her wide, doe-eyed expression shifted to something close to fear when she saw me standing in the doorway. The scent of alarm rolled off her in waves, sharp and acrid beneath that honeyed sweetness.
"Vivienne, this isn't what it..." Scarlett began, her voice trembling.
"Out." The word ripped from my throat, and I felt the faintest pulse of Alpha command lace through it. My wolf had surged forward without my permission, and for a split second, my eyes burned with a flash of molten gold.
Scarlett flinched. Her inner wolf clearly recognized the dominance rolling off me, even if she would never admit it aloud.
Caspian's eyes narrowed, the pale blue of his irises brightening with a warning flare. His jaw tightened, canines elongating just slightly behind his lips. "Vivienne. Watch yourself."
Ignoring him, I reached into my pocket and tossed the black velvet pouch onto his desk. It landed with a soft thud and spilled its contents across the dark wood. A pair of black stockings.
"Next time you sneak into my quarters," I said, my voice cold and level, "don't leave your things behind."
Scarlett's face turned crimson. The flush crawled from her cheeks down to her throat as she snatched the stockings from the desk, her fingers shaking. "Th-thank you, Ms. Shadowmere. I'll be more careful."