AVA
I spent the rest of the night hiding. Not literally, but I might as well have. Every time I caught even a glimpse of prince Cane's piercing gaze. I ducked behind a wall, a curtain or even a particularly large waited. Anything to keep my heart from leaping out of my chest. An actual, bloodline-of-the-moon, bow-before-him, wears-crowns-on-special-occasions prince? Oh. My Goddess. He was a prince? A fucking prince and I had disrespected him. My stomach twisted violently. I pressed a hand to it, afraid I might puke all over the silver -plated serving trays. I called him a bumbling idiot, to his face. I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. What if he told his father? What if I got summoned to some royal court and beheaded for disrespecting the crown? "Oh, Goddess!” "What are you doing here?" The sharp voice of Mrs. Dominguez yanked me out of my spiraling panic. I spun around like I'd been caught stealing food. "Uh..." I scrambled for words, eyes darting like I could find an excuse lying on the floor. "I was just…” I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, brain scrambling to lie but offering absolutely nothing useful "I mean, I was trying to...uh…” "You know what?" She snapped her frown deepening. "I don't even care. Just get your butt out there and serve some drinks before I toss you out myself." I nodded so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. "Yes, ma'am!" Grabbing the nearest tray of wine flutes, I practically flew out of the kitchen like my life depended on it, which given the price situation, it might very well have. As I walked back into the glow of the ballroom, I whispered to myself under my breath. "Just one more hour. Serve, smile, and disappear. Hopefully before he notices me again. As I stepped out into the ballroom, I glanced around and sighed in relief when I didn't find the prince anywhere. He was gone but the gorgeous blonde he'd been talking to was still there, glaring at… was she glaring at me? Oh, shit. She definitely was. I quickly looked away and began to move towards a nearby wall, trying to act as natural as possible. The last thing I wanted was to attract attention from any royals. They weren't particularly known for their kindness. Once I was safe behind a pillar, I looked over at her and sighed in relief. She was now speaking to other women just as beautiful and well dressed as her. I sighed again in relief when she completely turned her back on me and made my rounds around the huge hall. Before I knew it, the drinks were gone and only one was left. I made my way outside the hall to where commoners like me stood. “Oh my God, he is so handsome!” I caught a snippet of a few girls conversing. “I wonder who he is going to pick…” another girl said. “I wonder who that girl he was talking to is…” “The poor fat girl?” I gasped. “I am not fat!” I whispered under my breath. “I think she is a waitress,” another girl said. “He's definitely picking princess Leah to be his Luna, she's the only smart choice,” I groaned. Of course this night had turned out to be an absolute nightmare. I walked past the girls, hiding my face behind the tray. As soon as I got to a well hidden pillar, I sighed. This really was a nightmare. I glanced at my phone and frowned. I still had 40 minutes of this hellhole before I'm finally free… to go back to my own hellhole of a pack but at least it was familiar. I stared at the last champagne flute on the rest and stole it. I deserved some too. Without thinking, I downed the entire thing. The sparkly rich taste spread across my taste buds and I moaned in pleasure.. “Damm, this was really nice,” “There you are,” A familiar voice said behind me and I almost peed my pants. Cane… No, Prince Cane. Slowly, I turned around with a smile on my face. “Cane… I mean, your highness,” I bowed clumsily . “Before you say anything, I'm really sorry for those things I said. I didn't mean it. I don't hate the price… please don't kill me,” I blurted out, panting. Cane chuckled. “I don't plan to.” I blinked. So, be didn't plan on killing me? “Stand up, you look ridiculous bowing like that,” “Oh, thank you.” I forced out a smile. “I'm sorry I left. My father wanted to introduce me to some…people…” “Ah, no need to apologize, I'm sorry for bothering you,” “Bothering me? You were and are the highlight of my evening,” Something about his easy going smile scared me. I felt like if I wasn't careful, I could really get in trouble with him. “You still don't feel it, do you?” “Feel what?” I asked. “That you're my mate,” he said. I burst out laughing. “You're are hilarious, your highness, really,” Almost as soon as he said it, I felt a strange tug in my chest wqam, terrifying, magnetic nut before I could process it. "She's your what?" A sharpie voice sliced through the air like a blade.. We both turned. Princess Leah stood a few feet away. Her perfect lips curled into a sheer, her ivy blue eyes darting between me and Prince Cane or was it Charles? "She is your mate? A common waitress, your mate?" "What? No, he was joking," I stepped forward to speak but Leah's hand connected with my face and then she splashed me on the face with champagne. "You will speak only when spoken to, servant!” She was biased, loud enough for everyone to turn towards the commotion. I stood frozen, heart hammering in my chest as the humiliation settled over me like a storm cloud. Then I saw her, my stepsister standing just behind Leah, a smug, satisfied smile on her face. “What? Did you actually think I'd let you embarrass the family? Or wait, maybe you thought you could actually pull the prince. You're not even an Omega, you're a rogue with an erratic tiny wolf.” She chuckled. The entire ground warrior murmured and laughed and I was taken back to my pack. With the need to get out of there, I ran out of there, tears streaming down my face. What a humiliating night.LEAHI sat in my chambers, my anger and frustration simmering just below the surface. I couldn't believe that Ava was alive and back, and that Cane was so taken with her. I had thought that I had finally won, that I had finally secured my place in Cane's heart. But now, it seemed like everything was being threatened.I sent for Alex, my messenger hurrying off to fetch him. I paced back and forth in my room, my mind racing with thoughts of Ava and Cane. How could he be so blind to her charms? Didn't he see that she was manipulating him, using her wiles to get what she wanted? Now she was a fucking princess.Alex arrived, his face flushed with exertion. "You sent it to me?" he asked, his voice hesitant.I nodded, my eyes narrowing. "You saw her too, didn't you?" I asked, my voice low.Alex nodded, his eyes darting back and forth. "Yes, I saw her," he said. "I'm not sure what happened, but she seemed...different."I raised an eyebrow, my anger simmering just below the surface. "Differe
CANEI stood before the gathered elders and counsel members, Ava by my side. I asked her to share her experience in the Black Moon pack, and she nodded, her eyes shining with confidence."They were good to me," she began, her voice clear and strong. "I went there to find my identity, and I discovered that I'm the princess of the pack."The room fell silent, with gasps and whispers erupting from the crowd. My father's face turned red with anger, and Leah's eyes seemed to bore holes into Ava's skin. But Ava didn't flinch, her gaze steady and calm."The Alpha himself sent gifts and messages of peace," she continued. "He's willing to put the past behind us and forge a new alliance between our packs."I watched as Ava presented her case, her words painting a picture of a potential future where our packs could work together, strong and united. She spoke of the benefits of an alliance, of the strength and security it would bring.As she spoke, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and a
CANEI stood tall, surveying the scene before me. Despite the commotion that had just occurred, I was determined to keep the party going. I wasn't going to let anyone ruin our celebration."The party will continue," I declared, my voice loud and clear. "We'll show our guests that we're a pack that can handle unexpected situations with dignity and strength."My father approached me, his face twisted in anger and concern. "What are you doing, Cane?" he asked, his voice low and urgent. "We should arrest the Black Moon warriors immediately. They're a threat to our pack's safety."I stood my ground, meeting my father's gaze. "I'm the Alpha, Father," I reminded him. "And I make the decisions for the good of the pack. The warriors have done nothing to warrant arrest. They're our guests, and we'll treat them with respect and hospitality."My father's eyes narrowed, and I could see the hurt and disappointment in them. But I was sure that I had made the right decision. The Black Moon warriors
CANEI stood on the stage, surveying the crowd of people gathered before me. The moon was full overhead, casting a silver glow over the festivities. I raised my hands, and the crowd quieted, awaiting my words."Welcome, everyone," I said, my voice booming across the grounds. "Tonight, we gather to celebrate the full moon, and to honor the traditions of our pack."The crowd cheered, and I smiled, feeling a sense of pride and belonging. I continued, my voice rising and falling as I spoke of the importance of our pack, and the bonds that held us together.As I finished my speech, I nodded to Luna, who stepped forward with a smile. "And now, as is our custom, Luna will give her dance for the ritual," he said, gesturing to her.The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Luna began to dance. Her movements were fluid and sensual, her body swaying to the rhythm of the music. I watched, mesmerized, feeling a sense of pride and admiration for our Luna.As the dance came to an end, the crowd
CANEI sat in my room, staring blankly at the wall as the weight of my worries bore down on me. It had been days since Ava and the others had left for the Black Moon Pack, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been growing inside me.The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft rustle of Marcus's movements as he entered the room with my attire for the festival. He placed the clothes on the bed, his eyes meeting mine with a gentle understanding.I didn't notice him at first, I was too lost in my thoughts. But as I felt his gaze on me, I turned to him, my eyes searching for reassurance. Marcus's expression was calm, but I could sense a hint of concern behind his usual stoic demeanor."Alpha, are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Ken, what if I made a mistake sending them alone?" I asked, my voice laced with doubt. "What if I led them to their death?"The thought alone sent a shiver
AVAAs I left the dungeon, I couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness that had settled in my heart. I felt like I was walking around in a daze, unable to think or feel anything else. The thought of Jake and the others locked up in the dungeon, awaiting their fate, was too much to bear.I refused to eat or do anything, despite the pleas of the maids assigned to me. They tried to coax me into eating, but I just shook my head, unable to muster up the energy to even lift a spoon.Derek came to my chambers, looking concerned and worried. "Ava, please eat something," he said, his voice gentle. "You're not going to make yourself feel better by starving yourself."I looked up at him, my eyes welling up with tears. "I don't care about eating," I said, my voice shaking. "I just want my people to be safe. Please, Derek, don't kill them. They thought I was in trouble and wanted to free me."Derek's expression softened, and he sat down next to me on the bed. "Ava, I promise you, I won't kill th