She moved with slow, deliberate intent, her hand trailing up his inner thigh before settling suggestively over his groin. Then, as if to provoke, she looked straight at Addison and gave her a smug, knowing smirk.
The Chieftain kept his gaze fixed on Addison, clearly watching her for a reaction.
Addison’s brows furrowed slightly. She didn’t look away, but her expression remained unreadable. Internally, she was unsettled, not by jealousy, but by the complete lack of restraint. She reminded herself that Tigren customs were vastly different from her own.
Yes, both werewolves and Tigrens were shifters, and both were known for their strong appetites and insatiable carnal desires, but there was a key difference: control.
In werewolf society, especially among royals, self-restraint and dignity were deeply instilled. Etiquette wasn’t just tradition; it was a mark of strength. And flaunting carnal desires in the middle of a diplomatic negotiation? That was unthinkable in her world.
Addison put a great deal of effort into ignoring the scene unfolding around her, but with how close she sat to the Tigren Chieftain, it was impossible to completely block it out. Still, she kept her expression composed as she looked up at the towering man before her.
"Now that we’re all here," she began calmly, "shall we proceed with the negotiation? We wouldn’t want to intrude on your... private time."
Her tone was polite, but her eyes flicked meaningfully toward the women draped around him. The message was clear.
To her surprise, the Chieftain remained unfazed. In Tigren culture, even the slightest hint of disrespect or interruption, especially in a setting with others present, was considered a serious offense. Being told what to do, no matter how subtly, was seen as a challenge to authority and would typically be met with swift and often harsh retaliation.
Yet with Addison, he found himself unusually tolerant... even amused. He had deliberately surrounded himself with women, hoping to provoke a reaction, to test her composure, maybe even her jealousy.
But perhaps he had miscalculated.
What he didn’t seem to understand was that werewolves, especially among royals, didn’t practice polygamy. And he wasn’t her mate. So why would she feel anything? His display had no effect on her. There was no sting of envy, no flicker of interest. Just calm detachment.
And that, more than anything, seemed to dampen the Chieftain’s mood.
"What’s the rush?" the Chieftain said leisurely, reclining in his seat. "I’ve already sent my warriors to search for the item in our storage. We’ve collected countless relics over the years from our journeys, and it’ll take some time to sort through them all."
It was clear he was stalling.
Addison’s brows furrowed slightly in frustration, but just as she was about to respond, something strange happened. She felt a stirring deep within her, a flicker of something... familiar. She instantly stilled, trying to focus and feel it again, but it vanished just as quickly as it came, like a dream slipping through her fingers.
’Aurora... is that you?’ she called inwardly to her wolf, confusion and hope mixing in her chest.
But there was no response.
No matter how much she reached out, the connection remained silent. She forced herself to stay composed and slowly took a sip of the wine in front of her, hoping to center herself.
To her surprise, the wine lacked the familiar tang of fermented fruit. Instead, it was smooth, deceptively smooth.
"Careful," the Chieftain warned, his voice low and amused. "That’s a strong drink."
’Growl.’
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