"Elsie darling, I must say you look stunning."
"Elsie, you look amazing. You never fail to impress as always."
"Your Luncheon shines just like your personality, Elsie Lancaster. What an impressive woman you are."
"Darling, you look perfect! And what a well-thought-out Luncheon you have here. Everything from the design down to the food is perfect!"
"Well, thank you."
"Thank you so much."
"You flatter . Thank you so much."
"It’s nothing, ma. Thank you."
That was Elsie Lancaster responding to the countless complints she received from the parents in attendance of the Luncheon. And as expected, she basked in the attention.
Truly, Elsie looked stunning in the custom liquid gold silk gown that was tailored to perfection. The fabric clung to her perfectly like molten tal, rippling each ti she took a step.
For the elites, the color of the day was liquid gold, but it was not surprising that Elsie dressed the best and was easily the star of the occasion. She was queen bee, after all.
Her fitted gown had a high neckline, accented with an elaborate mock neck collar embroidered in delicate gold thread and encrusted with tiny opals. The sleeves were long and slightly flared at the wrist, with slits lined in soft pearl sh.
She wore the dress with champagne-gold stilettos, while her silver-colored hair was styled in a classic low chignon. It was sleek and had a twist of golden thread braided in it. Not even a single strand was out of place.
Of course, for jewelry, Elsie wore diamond stud earrings and a thin gold bracelet engraved with legacy nas that she wore for flex.
Elsie was so stunning that it left people wondering—if she looked this perfect for a simple Luncheon, how then would she look at the Gala Night? It was bewildering.
But on the contrary, the arrangent was not as perfect as people thought.
"Where’s Violet and co?" She hastily asked Grace after she had successfully disentangled from a parent who had held her attention in a long boring talk.
"I have no idea." Grace answered.
"What do you an you have no idea....?!" Elsie snapped at first only to realize she was in an event where all eyes were on her. She looked at the closest parents and flashed her a charming smile, hiding the turmoil inside of her.
She needed Violet and her pack of rogues in a place where her eyes could track them. And so far, she had not seen them.
Elsie leaned closer to Grace and whispered, "Find them. Find her in particular." She didn’t say Violet’s na, but the venom in her tone made it unmistakably clear.
But Grace said, "Do we even need her? The Luncheon is going perfectly already and the parents love you..."
Grace trailed off, instinctively taking a step back when Elsie’s features darkened so dangerously it scared her.
Elsie must have noticed it too, because she cald down at once. Then, intentionally, she placed her hand over Grace’s hand and gave it a small squeeze. But she let her hand linger there before slowly tracing soft circles.
To any outsider, the gesture was harmless. Sweet, even. Just Elsie being her kind, sisterly self. But to Grace, her breath hitched and it was for all the wrong, sinful reasons.
And Elsie knew.
That’s why she shifted the rhythm between each stroke, drawing patterns she knew her body would rember. Patterns she knew Grace liked.
Then Elsie said, with more intensity this ti, still stroking her palm. "Violet Purple needs to learn her place and what better way to remind her than in a room full of important parents?"
Her voice suddenly dropped, low and grave. "Find her."
Grace nodded. "Fine. I’ll do it."
"Good girl." Elsie then leaned in carefully to whisper into her ear, "Who knows, maybe you’d be rewarded tonight?"
Like a dog at the promise of at, Grace’s eyes lit up at once, but they were interrupted.
"Is sothing wrong?"
Both girls jumped apart, and Elsie looked up with annoyance only to see that it was her mother, Caroline, and her guards went up at once.
She turned to Elsie and said in a professional tone, "Go. Do as I say?"
Grace did not need to be told twice. She left at once, but not without one last look at her mother.
Caroline, in question, eyed Grace until she was out of sight. But she obviously did not suspect anything going on between the girl and her daughter, seeing as she asked, "Is anything the matter? Is any of the girls getting out of line? This is why you need to use an iron grip on those girls and solidify your authority. They need to know that you’re—"
"I have everything in control, Mother," Elsie said firmly.
But Caroline replied in a faux sweet tone, "Really? Are you sure? Because information reaching is that Irene is in the building, and yet she’s not here. Aren’t you supposed to be concerned?"
Oh God. Elsie wanted to be anywhere but near this woman right now. She was suffocating her.
"When Irene is ready, she’ll find her way down here. Moreover, she’s not even a legacy or an alumni."
And that was exactly the case. Irene Hale had never attended Lunaris Academy.
Actually, most people from the East didn’t. It just wasn’t their thing. They preferred learning real-world skills or diving straight into occupations, or fighting, rather than wasting years boxed in classrooms studying things that might never serve them.
Even most wolves, especially Alphas, barely bothered with universities. Not when they had entire packs waiting for them the mont they graduated. Their future was already set in stone. It was a responsibility they could not run away from.
It was quite unfortunate that those words provoked Caroline, who hissed, "Don’t you dare—"
Recalling she was in public, Elsie mother caught herself. She said calmly instead, "Whether she’s an alumni or not, we need Irene. Rember our plans, Elsie. Don’t fuck it up. Impress Irene. Move her to your side. How many tis do I need to remind you?"
"Fine, whatever. I’ll send soone to find her," Elsie said, already scanning for one of the elite girls to send on the errand.
"Well, there’s no need for that. And who the hell are those?" Caroline said, looking ahead with a frown.
"What are you talking—what the hell?"
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