ARIA.
This woman was dressed in the most beautiful, shimmery gold dress and above her head was a similar sequin print scarf. Her lips were dusted in glittery lipstick and so were her eyes.
Lyall's eyes widened, his lips falling into a grin. He pulled away from me and walked towards her, pulling her into a tight hug. They both laughed as he kept hugging her from side to side and I tried my best not to be greatly annoyed by this single act.

She was probably his friend. Of course, friends could hug from time to time. I hugged Daneesha sometimes.
But when the thought of him possibly having sex with her came in, I was extremely infuriated. I was jealous and hell, I could barely hold it back.
I turned in the other direction, hoping they wouldn't see me looking like I was about to explode.
"When last did I see you, Lyall?" The lady asked again. They pulled away but were both still close enough for Lyall to have an arm over her waist. She brushed his hair back affectionately.
He smiled. "It's been years since I last came here."
"Yeah," She scoffed. "Since you married Sheila, you stopped coming. I wonder why she did that."

Oh, what a way to make me more uncomfortable. I wanted to walk away but I didn't. I wanted to listen to their conversation and I also wasn't sure Lyall would be happy with me leaving so I just stood there.
"She hates this place. Talks about it being for bachelors and women who have chosen to lead a wayward life. What could I say? She's right?"
The lady raised her brows. "So what brings you here? I know Sheila has no idea that you are here."
He laughed and shook his head. "Not at all. She doesn't know I am here."

For the first time, her eyes darted over to me. "Uhm, who is she?"
Smiling, Lyall pulled me to his side. "This is Aria. She's my mistress."
The lady's eyes bobbed out of their sockets. Whatever she was thinking, I agreed to it. "You're joking, right?"
But Lyall shook his head. "I am not lying, I promise."
"Does it have to do with Sheila being unable to conceive?"
"I guess that's it," He smiled. Then he changed topics immediately, turning to me. "I should introduce you both to each other."
"Of course!" The lady smiled and drew close. I searched her eyes for any sign of judgment or disdain but there was none. She was looking at me with a smile on her face. One that was inviting but hell, I wasn't going to fall for this. "My name is Yvette. I am the daughter of the Alpha King of Arendelle."
"You're a princess," I muttered, suddenly feeling small before her. I being the King's mistress didn't change the fact that I was still a common slave. I was his breeder and the thought of it hurt me so terribly. My next words came out forced. "My name is Aria."
"Nice to meet you, Aria," Yvette replied. Her smile didn't falter and her eyes twinkled with sincerity. It was all I needed to know that she didn't actually hate me. "What do you say, Lyall? Why don't you leave us both to bond? Go over to the other men. They've been wanting to speak to you since you walked in."
Lyall nodded. "You're right. Tarantino will have my head if I don't see him before I leave." Then he turned to me, brushing my cheeks affectionately. I hated that he was being this sweet and pushing me away at the same time. I hated it to the fucking core. He did not want me to be his Luna and yet, he treated me like he could sacrifice his life for me.
No, I wasn't going to let my mind trick me into believing I was asking for too much. I wasn't. Not at all. As his mate, I deserved better. I didn't deserve to be this down low enough for him to bring me here because he could stay hidden with me here.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Yvette said from beside me as soon as Lyall left. She snatched two glasses of champagne and handed one over to me. "Do you drink champagne?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you." I nodded with a polite smile before bringing the cup to my lips. "By the way, I don't have any secrets. It's Lyall who does."
She smiled and took a sip from her glass. "I am very good at reading emotions. It's a gift that the goddess blessed me with, you know? I am very good at reading emotions."
"Hmm," I sipped, trying to act like I was a part of these people even if I felt like an outcast. "And what have you read so far?"
She walked over to one of the cushions scattered around and took a seat before waving me over and patting the space beside her. I walked towards her and took a seat. She leaned against the arm of the chair and took a long gulp before finishing the drink off.
"Let me start from Lyall," She smacked her cherry-red lips and tipped the glass towards me. "Uhm, he's definitely in love with you. He's smitten to the core but he's holding back so strongly. I could almost not feel anything until he drew you close and looked into your eyes," She smiled. "He's in love with you, Aria. Toss your doubts into the bin."
"Doubt?" I muttered, running my finger around the rim of my cup.
She nodded. "Yes. You have so many doubts here," She placed her finger on my forehead. "I can feel it so intensely. It's like you can't even get rid of it if you want. Not just doubt. Uncertainty, fear, low self-esteem. Name it. All the negative emotions. You're not even comfortable being here. There's also jealousy directed at me," She laughed. "And anger directed at Lyall. You probably hate him for choosing Sheila over you even with the bond you both share."
I was taken aback. "What? How did you..."
"I can smell bonds too," She smiled and drew close to me. "I want you to know something, Aria. You're a beautiful woman. A very very beautiful woman. When you walked in with Lyall, the men all turned to look at you but you were probably too nervous to even look around and you kept clutching to his arms. Everyone thought you were a courtesan and decided that they were going to have a taste of you. I was the only one who knew who you really were," She rubbed her fingers across my cheek. "Never for once think that you are not worth being loved. Don't think you are not worth being chosen or that you belong nowhere close to this place or that I am higher ranked by you. You are a very beautiful woman. Hold that dear to heart. And if you are smart enough, maybe you can make Lyall release his hesitation and choose to marry you over Sheila. I don't even like that woman. She thinks she's better than everyone."
"Uhm, thank you," I replied, unsure of why she was telling me this in the first place.
She stood to her feet and stretched her hand out towards me. "C'mon, take my hand. It's time for a dance.”