Chapter 63 The poison works 2

Chapter 63: Chapter 63 The poison works 2

Talia’s POV

She pressed her hand to her forehead, and her face turned red, then pale, then hot red again.

I held my breath as I continued to watch, and the seconds stretched into minutes.

Alpha Aldric was still speaking, with his voice warm and steady, but I heard nothing he was saying, because all I could see was Vivienne.

Her hand was shaking now, and the wine that was still in the glass in her hand poured over and dripped onto the table.

Celeste noticed and pointed at her hand.

Vivienne looked down at her glass, and she just stared at it like she did not recognize it. Then she set it down on the table.

She pressed her palm against her forehead again, and wiped sweat from it with the back of her hand.

Celeste kept whispering to her, but Vivienne did not answer. She just sat there, swaying slightly, with her eyes unfocused.

A wolf near my table also noticed Vivienne, and leaned over to another wolf. "Is she drunk?"

"She has only had one glass as far as I can see," the other wolf answered.

"Then what is wrong with her?" the first one asked.

I smiled softly and watched the moment I had been waiting for, as my heart was pounding so hard I thought everyone could hear it.

Wolves near Vivienne started glancing at her because something was wrong, and they could see it too.

Vivienne was sweating, and I could see her dabbing her forehead with a napkin, and fanning herself with her hand at the same time, even though the hall was not warm.

"Is she alright?" someone whispered.

"I do not know," another answered.

Celeste leaned toward her mother and whispered some words to her again, but Vivienne did not answer. She just kept fanning herself, kept blinking, and kept shaking her head.

Then she stood up, and her chair scraped against the floor with a loud and sharp sound.

Wolves turned to look at her.

Vivienne’s face was flushed, her eyes were glassy, and her breathing was fast and shallow.

"Mother?" Celeste said loudly, as she grabbed Vivienne’s arm. "What are you doing?"

Vivienne pulled her arm away, and she reached for her jacket. It was the fine silk one on top of her dress that was embroidered with gold thread. Then she began to unbutton it.

Wolves stared at her in shock and started whispering among themselves.

"Is she taking off her clothes?"

"At the celebration?"

"What is wrong with her?"

Celeste grabbed her mother’s arm again. "Mother, stop, please. People are watching."

Vivienne pushed her off, as her fingers fumbled with the buttons. She was not in control anymore, as the poison was working fully now.

I smiled softly from across the room, as my heart was pounding against my chest. She had planned this for me, so I would be the one to embarrass myself in front of everyone.

I thought about what would have happened if I had drunk that wine. I would be the one swaying, the one sweating, and the one taking off my clothes. The pack would have whispered, the other Alphas would have laughed, Kaelen would have been ashamed, and Serena would have smiled.

But I was not the one drinking. She was. And I felt nothing but peace, because now, she had fallen into her own trap.

I folded my arms and continued to watch as Vivienne pulled off her jacket and let it fall to the floor.

The silk made a soft sound when it landed, like a sigh, and like surrender. I watched it pool at her feet, gold and purple and ruined. She had worn that jacket to impress, to show off, and to prove she was better. But now, it was just cloth on the floor. Just like her plans, just like her lies, and just like her.

Her hands moved to the collar of her dress, and her fingers fumbled with the tie.

Celeste grabbed her wrists. "Mother, stop! You are making a scene."

Vivienne shoved her away hard, and Celeste stumbled back, nearly falling. But a nearby wolf caught her arm.

"She is not well," Celeste screamed. "Someone help her!"

But no one moved. They were all watching, staring, and whispering.

Vivienne pulled at her collar finally, and the fabric tore with a small ripping sound, but everyone heard it.

Gasps spread through the hall, and the whispers increased instantly.

Aldric stopped speaking and he looked around. His eyes stopped on Vivienne, and his face hardened.

Alpha Edmund was walking with quick steps from across the hall, and he kept bowing apologies to the Alphas he passed by.

Kaelen stood up, and his gray eyes swept across the crowd. "Get the healer NOW," he said in a voice that was cold and commanding.

Servants ran immediately, and wolves pushed and shoved each other, all trying to see, and I sat at the table, calmly watching Vivienne unravel without a care in the world.

She had planned and tried to destroy me. And now, she was destroying herself.

Vivienne swayed on her feet and almost fell, but Celeste caught her arm and tried to steady her.

"Mother, please. Sit down," Celeste cried.

But Vivienne did not sit. Instead she reached for the next button on her dress and began to pull at it.

Then the hall erupted into chaos.

I did not move, and I did not speak. I just sat there, watching, as wolves were shouting, servants were running, Celeste was crying, and Vivienne was pulling at her dress like it was on fire. I sat still, calm, and cold. I thought about the storage room, about the hunger, and about the nights I cried alone.

This was not revenge. This was justice, and it was beautiful.