Aurora.Never in my wildest thoughts did I imagine my wedding day would start like a dream and unravel into something straight out of a nightmare.The flower petals scattered across the floor still gleamed beneath the gentle golden glow of the chandeliers, like fragments of a hope now broken beyond repair. I stood at the altar, heart thundering like a battle drum, waiting for the Elder to begin the ceremony. But something felt… off. The king looked as if this was a duty he was forced into, not a choice he’d willingly made.“No…” I breathed, stepping forward just a little. “This isn’t right.”The Elder cleared his throat. “We have come together today—”“Hold on!” Ivy’s voice rang through the hall, slicing the moment clean in half with its sharp, triumphant tone.All eyes turned as she approached, her expression twisted in a smirk that made my skin crawl. In her hand was a folded piece of parchment, aged at the edges. I recognized it instantly. But why she had it—I couldn’t begin to und
Aurora.BANG!The noise exploded through the room, tearing me from sleep like a slap to the face. My heart jolted, pounding in my chest so violently I thought it might burst through my ribs. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was awake or stuck in one of those dreams again, the kind that felt like fire devouring me from the inside.The door burst open with a thunderous crash.“Up! Get up right now!” My mother’s voice cracked through the stillness like a whip.I barely had time to register where I was before something heavy and white landed squarely on my torso. I stared at it, bleary-eyed. Once. Twice.A wedding gown.“Don’t just sit there like a stunned goose,” she barked, already tugging at the sleeves, trying to wrestle them onto my arms before I could even stretch. “We’re already running late.”“Wait, what...?” My voice came out hoarse, thick with sleep. My mouth tasted like rust and dread. “What’s going on?”Her glare could have cut glass. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t tell
Lucy.I didn’t waste a second. I made my way directly to the consulate, determined to get in contact with King Ellison. Urgency pulsed through me with every step; I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to speak to him now. But no matter how desperately I insisted on seeing him, by the time midnight came, there was still no sign of him at the pack house.I’d paced back and forth so many times across my bedroom rug, I was sure I’d wear the fibers down to the floorboards. The thought of him returning, of being near him again, it set my heart racing, tangled somewhere between dread and a strange, unshakable yearning I couldn’t quite define.Maybe, just maybe, he’d appear the same way he had the night before, quiet and sudden, stepping in from the terrace like a ghost in the dark. That hope dragged me out onto the balcony, into the night air. I leaned over the polished railing, scanning the still gardens below for any trace of movement.The night was silent and heavy, the air thick wit
Lucy.A loud noise startled me, something slammed, maybe a door. I jerked upright, heart pounding. I felt groggy, disoriented, like I hadn’t really slept at all. Light poured into the room, too bright, too sudden. I groaned and reached out, grabbing a pillow to shield my eyes from the glare.Then it all came rushing back.I was in my father’s house.A quiet joy bloomed in my chest, warm and unexpected. A smile spread across my face as I remembered where I was and who I was becoming."Now, I don’t know what decent folks think they're doing, but that right there? That’s pure madness! If it was just rabble, I’d understand, but you say what happened now? I’m still tryin’ to figure it out!"I let out a sharp breath, startled. My eyes flew open. Ella, my maid, was standing in the bedroom, mid-rant. My pulse jumped. For a second, I panicked, thinking someone else might be here. But after a quick glance around, I saw I was alone.King Ellison was gone.Relief washed over me. He’d been here la
Lucy.I didn’t know how much longer I could endure this. My thoughts were spinning, my chest tight with pressure, and every fiber of my being screamed for escape from the suffocating fog I was trapped in.“Is he really my father?” I asked, my voice breaking as desperation clawed its way into my words. I turned to her, searching her face. “The man in that photograph… is he my real father?”My mother’s face drained of color, years of buried sorrow etched into her features. She didn’t look at me right away, her eyes remained downcast, as if avoiding the truth could somehow delay the inevitable. But eventually, slowly, she met my gaze. Her expression was drenched in grief, and I knew what was coming before she even spoke. I wasn’t ready for it, but the truth was already unraveling.She let out a long, trembling breath. Her voice came out soft, heavy with remorse. “Yes, Lucy. That man is your biological father.”The words struck me hard, like a blow straight to the stomach. My pulse pounde
Lucy.The air in the slave quarters was suffocating. It smelled so foul, like something had died and no one bothered to clean it up. Anyone stepping in here for the first time might think they were hiding corpses. I had come back after a long, draining day, my whole body aching from the punishment I had been given for going missing. But honestly, I was used to it. Pain was a part of life here. It came with the role.My only mistake was letting myself wander too far from the work I was assigned. My mind had been too full of questions, thoughts that didn’t belong to someone like me. A slave wasn’t supposed to think beyond the moment. But there was something I had to know, something that had haunted me for as long as I could remember.The punishment had come quickly and harshly, just like always. A few bruises, a few cuts. That was it. Nothing worse than before. I could handle it. What I couldn’t handle was the unanswered question in my head.I needed to know if the Alpha king was really