Getting away with the Alpha's Pup

Chapter 199

Giovanni's Perspective

I looked her straight in the eyes, and a flicker of complex emotions swept through my mind. I could feel the strong Alpha aura around her—indeed, such an existence was enough to match me, both in terms of lineage and ability. Yet, there was an undeniable resistance deep within my heart.

"Perhaps," I replied softly. I didn't want to give a definitive answer, but I also didn't want to make Elena feel entirely rejected.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room froze, and something felt off. The moment Elena and I locked eyes, I sensed a faint fluctuation of BOND from her—subtle, but enough to make my heart skip a beat.

But it seemed impossible.

For a split second, Diana's face flashed through my mind.

Elena seemed to sense my doubt, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"You must be wondering why we from the Blood Moon Wolf Pack are here, right?" she said softly.

My brows furrowed slightly. Was it possible that Elena already knew something? Her existence was far too complicated, and there seemed to be an even deeper, more unfathomable story hidden behind it.

Just then, Diana appeared from the corner of the hall, drawing everyone's attention. She inadvertently crossed my line of sight, and there was a flash of unspoken pain in her eyes. Her presence made my heart flutter violently, and for a moment, I felt the bond that should have been hers quietly stir back to life, only to disappear just as quickly.

I took a deep breath, my mind swirling in confusion. This banquet was supposed to be a political negotiation, yet now it had become a storm of emotions.

My eyes were fixed on Diana's figure, and my heartbeat quickened, as though some invisible force was pulling me toward her.

"Giovanni," Elena spoke suddenly, her voice gentle but carrying an unmistakable sense of pressure. "This lady... she seems to be disturbing you."

At Elena's words, the magnetic pull toward Diana faded, and I seemed to snap back to reality. My gaze shifted back to Elena, meeting her eyes.

Elena must have noticed my attention on her, as a flicker of something passed through her eyes—was it jealousy or alarm? She looked briefly at Diana, her smile tightening into something colder, her expression growing instantly serious.

I withdrew my gaze and turned fully toward Elena, a calm smile still playing at the corner of my mouth. "Elena, you've misunderstood. I was merely reflecting on how some people always seem to make you think of the past."

Elena didn't say anything more, her lips pursed gently, her eyes dark and deep like a pool of still water.

Meanwhile, I noticed that Diana had walked to the far side of the hall. She didn't engage with anyone, standing alone like a solitary, cold stone sculpture. She glanced up at the ornate chandelier, almost absentmindedly, before her gaze swept indifferently across the room. There was a coldness in her expression, but behind that indifference, I sensed an unspoken pain—she hadn't truly let go of anything; rather, she had buried those emotions deep within.

"What do you think?" Cyran asked in a low voice, and I realized that he hadn't taken his eyes off the exchange between Diana and me. "She doesn't seem simple, does she?"

I turned around, my gaze unwavering. "You're right—she's not simple. The history between us is more complicated than anyone can imagine." I said it lightly, but the weight behind my words made Cyrene raise an eyebrow in subtle curiosity.

"Are you ready to face the past?" Cyrene asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

I fell silent for a moment, lost in my own tangled emotions. When I spoke again, my voice was firm. "The past is gone, Cyrene. Right now, I have to focus on the pack." I deliberately steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Tonight's feast is what's important."

Cyrene shrugged, sneering. "Is it? Yet you clearly haven't fully moved on." His eyes shifted to Diana, a trace of disdain creeping into his expression.

I watched the exchange with a quiet understanding. Cyrene wasn't concerned with the pack's interests; his true aim was playing his usual power games.

"We should start the feast," I said, maintaining a calm demeanor as I walked toward the long table to signal the official start of the banquet.

As the feast began, the atmosphere grew warmer. Cyrene and his daughter Elena sat with the elders on one side, while I mingled with the representatives of the other communities. Despite the constant conversations swirling around me, I couldn't seem to focus. My eyes kept drifting toward Diana. She moved gracefully through the feast, her demeanor cool and composed, ensuring everything proceeded smoothly.

But I couldn't shake the question: What was Diana hiding? And what about that strange, fleeting attraction between us? It appeared so suddenly, only to vanish just as quickly.

Did the bond between me and Fern really fade along with him? Or had it been deliberately suppressed, concealed by her?

Then there was Elena. How could I explain the strange attraction she felt toward me?

If Fern were still alive, how could a bond with my FATED MATE have manifested in Elena?

This party was far more complicated than I'd ever anticipated.