She queued to obtain a portion of the frosted bread and navigated through the increasing crowd to locate an unoccupied seat. The weather was frigid, yet it was pleasant enough to appreciate the day.
Molly was unable to regain her balance when someone extended their foot to trip her. Molly collapsed face-first into her bread and had to bite her lip to suppress her screams. It scorched her face; she swiftly removed it and then gazed at the dismal remnants of the sole item her stomach craved.
“You ought to be mindful of your surroundings.”
Molly glanced upward to find the woman who attempted to seduce Jayce positioned above her, arms firmly crossed over her chest. Molly stood and brushed the snow from her trousers while attempting to remove the bread fragments from her hair. “I should remain vigilant for individuals attempting to undermine me.”
The woman slightly narrowed her eyes, seemingly unprepared for Molly’s response. The crowd rapidly dispersed around them, seemingly apprehensive of becoming entangled in the crossfire. She regarded Molly with indifference. “I understand why he may already find you uninteresting; you lack visual appeal.”
“I presume you are referring to Jayce? It is evident that you are infatuated with him.” Molly attempted to walk past her, but she obstructed her path once more. Molly clenched her fists at her sides and endeavoured to subdue the turmoil within her.
“I heard you are merely a maid; are you permitted to speak to individuals in the kingdom in this manner?” the girl enquired with a nearly derisive tone.
Molly had to slightly incline her head backward to gaze at the girl. “Not to individuals I hold in esteem. I am unfamiliar with your identity, so do not anticipate my subservience due to my profession.”
The girl derisively scoffed and flicked her light hair back. She appeared approximately one foot taller than Molly, possessing long legs and a slender physique. “I am Jude, a principal member of the pack here. I recommend exercising caution in your speech in my presence.”
“Is that so? That is peculiar; I have not heard your name mentioned as a primary wolf. Pardon me,” Molly attempted to circumvent her, but the woman seized Molly by the shoulder and thrust her back.
“Release me; I will attend to her!” Cordelia seethed within. It seemed as though her wolf was restlessly prowling, its claws poised to subdue her. Molly attempted to suppress her. She refused to allow her wolf to tear apart a girl who was simply not worth it. They would consider her insane, even if her feelings seemed warranted at that moment.
“I do not tolerate disrespect from an individual such as yourself. You believe you are worthy of dining with royalty? You will soon comprehend that your sole purpose is to be submissive.”
“Did you ascertain that through experience?” Molly nearly snarled, as if her primal instincts were taking over. She experienced an intense rage surging from within her, in an area she had not yet thoroughly examined. “Please distance yourself from me.”
Jude seized her arm as she attempted to pass. She embedded her elongated nails into Molly’s skin with sufficient force to elicit a gasp. “How dare you? You are merely an insignificant individual.”
Molly was unaware of Jayce’s presence until he seized Jude by the arm and pulled her away from Molly. Jude’s lips parted in astonishment as she beheld the furious prince. Molly recognised the expression all too well.
“Prince Jayce, I did not notice your presence.” She flinched as his grip constricted.
“Is there a justification for your harassment of her?” Jayce enquired through clenched teeth. Despite Jude’s considerable height, he still loomed over her. “Or are you merely embarrassed that I would never desire you as I do her?”
Molly insisted she had misheard him—or at the very least, failed to comprehend his meaning. An unusual surge of exhilaration coursed through her, originating from her wolf. Molly sought to suppress her wolf and silence it.
“I-”
Jayce repelled her, indicating his desire for distance. “Should I observe you conversing with anyone at my gathering again, I will extract your tongue to ensure I never hear another utterance. Her life holds the value of a hundred of yours; do not forget that.”
Jude gazed at him in astonishment that reflected her own. Molly sensed her wolf nestle within her, exhaling with satisfaction. Molly discerned her thoughts without a word being spoken, and her face flushed at the implications. A subsequent surge of anger extinguished her peculiar energy—she yearned to scream at him and insist that he cease uttering statements that perplexed her more than anything else. She did not require his defence; however, a troubling aspect of her appreciated it. She appreciated his peculiar protectiveness towards her, despite his apparent aversion.
What was the matter with her?
Jayce disregarded Molly entirely as he departed. Jude observed him depart in a stupor that rendered her appearance akin to that of someone half asleep. She took a moment to recognise that there were numerous spectators in the crowd, including those who feigned ignorance of the situation. What?
“His feelings were unmistakably clear. Do not feign ignorance of what you heard,” Cordelia whispered. Molly marched to her cabin and forcefully shut the door for some privacy. Her emotions fluctuated in various directions, leaving her uncertain about what to cling to. Ought she to vociferate regarding Jude’s reprehensible nature? Or how exasperated she was with Jayce?
