Chapter 13

Lucy.

Cold.

Freezing cold water splashed across my face like a slap from winter itself, yanking me out of my dreams and into something much worse—reality.

I gasped and shot up, blinking rapidly. My sheets clung to my damp skin, my hair dripping down my shoulders. “What the hell—?!”

And then I saw them.

Standing at the edge of my bed, with a silver bucket in hand and the kind of smug satisfaction that only decades of privilege could breed, was Luna Dowager Calantha. Right beside her, practically glowing with malicious glee, stood Aurora. Her hair was pulled back in a neat braid, her lips painted a venomous red that matched the evil twinkle in her eyes.

“Rise and shine, darling,” Aurora said with a fake pout. “It’s time you start earning your place here.”

I threw the soaked covers off my body and stood up, shivering in my thin nightgown. “You drenched me. What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“I told you she’d overreact,” Aurora said, rolling her eyes to her mother. “She always plays the victim.”

Before I could reply, Aurora stepped forward with her hand raised.

But I caught her wrist mid-air.

What does this bitch thinks she's doing?

Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. I squeezed her wrist just enough to make a point—not enough to break skin, but more than enough to remind her I wasn’t going to tolerate her nonsense.

“Try that again,” I said quietly, “and I swear you’ll lose that hand.”

Aurora yanked herself back and practically ran behind Calantha like a coward, rubbing her arm and muttering curses under her breath.

The Luna took one long step forward and without hesitation—smack!—her hand met my cheek.

I staggered slightly, more from shock than pain. The sting bloomed slowly across my face, heat radiating from my skin. My eyes watered, but I didn’t flinch. I just held my cheek and looked at her, silent and fuming.

“You dare raise your hand to my daughter?” she said in a low, venom-laced tone. “In this palace, you obey. You exist because we allow you to.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, hard. My wolf was snarling beneath my skin, clawing at the surface, begging me to act. But I couldn’t. Not here. Not with the deal I made with Alpha Ellison hanging by a thread. One wrong move, and I’d lose everything—freedom, dignity, possibly even my life.

So I swallowed the rage like a mouthful of blood and forced myself to stay still.

Aurora recovered quickly, smirking again. “Now that we’ve made things clear, let’s get to the fun part.”

She produced a small parchment from her sleeve and unrolled it with a dramatic flair. “Since you're not going to be spending your time popping out royal heirs just yet, Mother and I figured you should be useful.”

“Useful?” I echoed, already dreading what was coming.

Aurora held the parchment like a scroll of royal decree and began listing off tasks in the most obnoxiously regal tone:

“You’ll begin each morning at dawn by scrubbing the eastern wing’s floors, followed by laundry for the Omega quarters. You’ll assist in the kitchen for mid-day meals, wash the stables, tend to the rose gardens, polish the ceremonial weapons, and end your evening cleaning the royal library. Oh, and no food until you finish all of that.”

I blinked at her, trying to process the sheer absurdity.

“You want me to do all of that?” I asked, lips twitching.

“Oh, we’re just getting started,” Aurora said sweetly. “We’ll rotate tasks weekly so you don’t get bored.”

I stared at them.

Then I laughed.

Loudly.

It burst out of me, a laugh so sharp and real it bounced off the stone walls. “You must be joking.”

But when I looked at their faces—serious, cold, calculating—I stopped laughing.

“You’re not joking,” I muttered, my chest tightening. “You’re insane.”

Calantha’s smile turned cruel. “Refuse, and you’ll regret ever setting foot in this palace. Mark my words.”

Aurora leaned in, her voice a whisper meant to sting. “We’ll make sure your stay here is hell.”

They turned and walked out like conquering queens, leaving a trail of superiority behind them.

I sat back down on the edge of the bed, still damp, my heart pounding in my chest. I stared at the wall, trying to remember how I got here. How I ever agreed to this madness. This deal with Ellison—it was supposed to protect me. To give me a temporary place to hide, to survive, and to save my mother.

But everyone in this damn palace was acting like they’d lost their minds.

I rubbed my cheek, still warm from the slap, and exhaled a long, shaky breath.

I needed space. Fresh air. Silence.

And water.

There was a small spring behind the palace. I’d only seen it once, on a quiet walk at dusk, hidden beneath a canopy of trees and thick vines. It was secluded, peaceful—a rare gem among stone and shadow.

I slipped into a red bra and matching panties, grabbed a towel, and snuck out the back corridors, avoiding the guards. The palace might’ve been a prison, but at least nature didn’t judge.

By the time I reached the spring, the sun was peeking through the trees, casting dappled light over the water’s surface. I knelt beside the edge and inhaled deeply.

Here, I could breathe.

I reached for the clasp of my bra, but just as I straightened, I felt a tug.

My panties had caught on a low branch. I yanked gently, but the fabric tore near the waistband.

“Damn it,” I muttered, trying to cover the rip quickly.

Then I heard it.

Click.

My head snapped up.

Standing a few feet away, hidden poorly behind a bush, was Aurora—phone raised, a smirk on her lips.

Click. Click.

“Aurora, what the hell?!” I shouted.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” she said, tapping her phone screen. “This angle is absolutely delicious.”

My blood went cold. “Delete them. Now.”

She laughed. “Oh, I don’t think so. These are going straight into the palace archives. Or maybe Ellison’s inbox. What do you think he’ll say when he sees you like this?”

“You spiteful—” I lunged toward her, but she was fast. She dodged and danced backward, her laughter ringing through the trees.

“You should’ve learned your place,” she hissed.

She shoved me.

My foot slipped against the wet edge, and I fell backward into the spring with a loud splash!

Cold water swallowed me whole. I gasped as I surfaced, hair clinging to my face, limbs flailing. And there she was—Aurora, standing at the edge, laughing harder than I’d ever seen her laugh before.

Click.

More pictures.

“You look like a drowned rat,” she cackled. “So much for a royal breeder.”

“Give me the phone!” I shouted.

She backed away. “If you ever come near me again, I’ll make these public. Consider this your warning.”

Then she turned and disappeared into the trees, still laughing.

I stared after her, teeth clenched so tight my jaw ached.

I wanted to scream. To shift. To destroy something.

Instead, I floated there in the spring, the cool water doing nothing to soothe the fire in my chest. I closed my eyes and whispered to myself:

Just a little longer, Lucy. Just until the deal is done.

And then I’d leave this cursed palace behind—and every twisted soul in it.