Chapter 209: Tipsy little wolf 2

Kaden sighed and walked towards her. The soles of his shoes scraped softly against the stone. He stopped in front of her and extended his hand.

"Come on. You’re drunk. Don’t sit there crying on the ground," he said, his voice quieter now.

Yuki slapped his hand away. The sharp sound cut through the quiet garden. "Who said I was drunk?"

She planted both palms against the stone path and struggled to push herself upright. Her knee immediately protested, and she winced, but she stubbornly refused to acknowledge the pain.

Once she was standing, she swayed slightly. The cold breeze lifted the hem of her dress and carried the mixed scent of wine, night flowers and river water across her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, her eyes were glassy and bright, and a few strands of her golden hair clung messily to her face.

Her lips were slightly swollen from all the complaining she had been doing, and there was something almost ridiculously cute about the way she tried to maintain her dignity while barely managing to stand straight.

"I am not drunk," she insisted, pointing at him. "Get away from me."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stumbled away. Kaden watched her take two unsteady steps before following. The soft rush of the river faded slightly as they moved farther from the bridge.

"Miss ’I am not drunk’, that’s the wrong way," he called mockingly, his voice suddenly suspiciously close.

Yuki felt his breath brush against her skin. The warmth of it contrasted sharply with the cold night air. She gripped the front of her gown and turned around sharply.

"I was confused for a moment," she hissed before turning in another direction.

"That’s also the wrong way," Kaden said calmly.

Yuki stopped. Her shoulders rose. She slowly turned her head towards him.

"What is your problem?" she barked.

"Nothing." Kaden shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. The moonlight caught the edge of that smile and made it look sharper than usual.

"Then why are you following me?"

"Because if you weren’t drunk, you wouldn’t have made such an obvious mistake." He gestured towards the dark garden behind her. "The reception music is coming from the opposite direction. Anyone with a clear head could tell where the sound is coming from."

Yuki opened her mouth, then shut it. The distant, muffled sound of the reception orchestra drifted faintly on the wind, proving his point. Kaden’s smirk widened.

"But I suppose I can’t blame someone who trips over her own dress, cries about a bruised knee and then curses the person who tried to stop her from falling."

Each statement made Yuki’s face burn hotter. The cold night air did nothing to cool the heat rising in her cheeks. Instead of accepting defeat, she pointed at him again.

"You are so fucking annoying!" she barked.

Kaden’s brows lifted.

"What? Are you tired of playing Eloise’s loyal dog?" Yuki continued, her voice rising. "You’re bothering me. I fucking hate you!"

She threw her hands down at her sides, breathing heavily. A tiny sniff escaped her nose as she glared at him through tearful eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was slightly dishevelled, and her entire face was scrunched up with rage. The scent of wine on her breath mixed with the damp green smell of the garden. Normally, Kaden would have found it irritating. For some reason, he found it strangely cute.

"Guess your nine glasses are finally catching up with you," he teased, his voice lighter than before. "I never knew you had this many emotions bottled up."

"I have plenty of emotions!" Yuki snapped.

Kaden chuckled, the sound low and almost surprised.

"You hate me," he said with a grin. "At least we have that in common."

He took a step towards her. Yuki immediately stiffened. Something about that smile made her instincts scream at her to run. Her emotions were already all over the place, and her drunk mind wasn’t helping. The cold night air brushed across her bare shoulders and still failed to clear the fog in her head. So she ran.

She hurried towards the garden maze, gathering her dress in one hand as she stumbled between the hedges. Leaves brushed against her arms. The sharp green scent of crushed foliage rose around her. Somewhere nearby, a night bird called once and fell silent.

"Yuki!" Kaden called after her.

She ignored him. She barely made it into the maze before her foot caught on her dress again. She stumbled forward.

"Oh, no..."

Her arms flailed uselessly before she went down. Again. This time, the embarrassment was almost worse than the pain. The cold stone bit into her palms. Before she could even push herself up, a firm pair of arms grabbed her and pulled her from the ground. The world tilted. Then suddenly, she was thrown over someone’s shoulder.

"Kaden!" she shrieked.

She started drumming her fists against his back. The solid muscle barely yielded under her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you to the Alpha residence," Kaden deadpanned. His voice vibrated against her through his shoulder.

Yuki twisted against his shoulder, but he barely seemed to notice. Kaden could already feel the headache forming. She might not be in a state where someone could easily take advantage of her, but she was drunk enough to make a reckless decision or offend someone she absolutely shouldn’t.

With important guests still scattered around the palace, he wasn’t willing to take that risk. The night air cooled the back of her bare legs as he walked, yet the wine still burned warmly in her veins.

"Put me down!" Yuki demanded.

Kaden continued walking. The soft scrape of his shoes against the path mixed with the distant rush of the river they were leaving behind.

"Did you hear me?" she snapped, pounding her fist against his back. "I said put me down!"

He ignored her.

"You bastard!"

Kaden suddenly stopped. For a moment, there was silence. Only the soft whisper of leaves and the faint, far-off music from the reception remained. Then a low laugh escaped him.

"I’d be careful with the insults if I were you," he said, his voice calm but edged with amusement. "Last I checked, I know my father, Miss Miyuki Donovan."

Yuki’s fists slowly stopped moving. Kaden turned his head slightly, enough for her to catch the sharp curve of his smirk. The moonlight caught the edge of his face and made his eyes look colder than they felt.

"Between us," he continued, "who exactly is the bastard?"

The words cut through her drunken haze. Yuki gritted her teeth. He was truly infuriating. The cold night air brushed across her flushed face one more time and still did nothing to sober her.