Our Little Secret

~Cassandra~

As we made our way back to the palace, my mind was preoccupied with numerous thoughts. I continuously pondered where I had gone wrong.

Upon reaching the house, Lucian accompanied me to the room and gently helped me lie down to rest. He dismissed all the maids, ensuring we had a moment of privacy together.

"How are you feeling now?" he inquired, his hands busy brushing my hair away from my face.

"I'm fine," I replied, hoping he wouldn't delve further into what had transpired the previous night. However, deep down, I knew it was unlikely.

"I'm relieved to have found you. What happened, Cassandra? I was so scared. I could barely breathe when I realized you were missing," he expressed, his face reflecting genuine concern.

"I'm sorry, Lucian. I was taken away from the party by Zoe," I fabricated, hoping he wouldn't uncover the truth and simply believe my words.

"She wanted us to spend one last night together before I fully embraced married life. I intended to inform you before leaving with her, but she prevented me from finding you... She was quite drunk," I explained, weaving a web of lies.

"Really? Wow. You scared me to death. I'm overjoyed that you're back now," he responded, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"I'm sorry, my love," I replied, relieved that he believed my story.

"No, it's not your fault, darling. It's all in the past. Let's not dwell on it. Although it was our wedding night, we can certainly recreate it, can't we?" he teasingly asked, his gaze turning seductive.

I mustered a faint smile and nodded. "Sure, we can," I mumbled, and he nodded in agreement.

"Great! What about tonight? I can't wait to finally be with you, my dearest wife," he whispered with a wide smile, leaning in to kiss me.

I reciprocated the kiss, pretending everything was fine within me. Slowly, I broke the kiss and looked into his eyes.

"Lucian, I think I need to rest now. I have a slight headache," I muttered, and concern immediately washed over him.

"Oh my... I'm sorry, baby. Take your time to rest. Once you're feeling better, don't hesitate to come to me, alright?" he charmingly reassured me. I smiled and nodded in response.

He planted one last kiss on my head as he left the room. As soon as he exited, I sprang out of bed, my heart pounding rapidly.

"Cassandra, you're trapped! Who did you spend your wedding night with? Was it a ghost? A demon? did someone use his image? Or is Lucian playing games with me?"

I clenched my head in frustration, attempting to comprehend the situation, but deeper thinking only left me more confused.

"I need to talk to Zoe about this! I'm going insane." Tears streamed down my face, and I was drenched in my own perspiration as I contemplated the consequences of Lucian discovering the truth.

Rushing to the door, I cautiously opened it, hoping to spot any guards or maids who could fetch Zoe for me.

Fortunately, a guard happened to be passing by my door. "Hey!" I called out, causing him to halt his steps.

"My Queen," he replied, bowing his head. I furrowed my brow, still adjusting to the formalities of royalty, but my mind was preoccupied with other pressing matters.

"I need you to find Zoe for me. You know her, right? My friend... She visits me almost every day," I hastily explained, hoping he was familiar with Zoe.

"Yes, my queen. I know her," he responded.

"Great! I need you to bring her here as quickly as possible. Once she arrives at the palace, take her directly to my room, understood?" I commanded.

"Yes, my queen," he acknowledged, promptly turning to leave.

Sighing as I watched him depart, I closed the door behind me and wearily made my way back to the bed.

"Once I explain to Zoe what happened, she'll surely know what to do. Or perhaps it was all just in my imagination?" I contemplated, casting a quick glance at the mirror a few meters away. Hurriedly, I approached the mirror and began undressing, wanting to verify whether it was a figment of my imagination or if I had indeed been intimate with someone else on my wedding night.

After discarding all my garments, I stood before the mirror, confronted by my reflection. On my collarbones and breasts were numerous reddish marks.

As I traced my fingers over them, the image of Lucian nibbling on that particular spot flashed through my mind, causing my eyes to widen.

"It was real," I muttered in shock and fear.

Tears welled up in my eyes and streamed down my cheeks as I grasped the realization of what had transpired. Running my hand down my body, reaching the intimate area, I felt pain.

Shaking my head, I collapsed to the ground in front of the mirror, succumbing to tears. I stifled my screams of agony by covering my mouth with my hand, ensuring they remained confined within the confines of my room.

"If that wasn't Lucian, then who was it?" The same question echoed in my heart, leaving me utterly bewildered.

After several minutes of weeping, I weakly retrieved my clothing and draped my body with them, awaiting Zoe's arrival.

I lay down on the floor, my hands clenched between my legs, continuing to weep.

"Cassandra, darling!" Zoe's cheerful voice filled my ears, and I sprang up, looking towards the door.

Opening it, she entered with a wide smile, but her expression swiftly transformed upon seeing me.

"Cassie," she called, dropping her bag to the floor and rushing towards me. She knelt in front of me, and I tightly embraced her, seeking solace in her arms.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying? You're naked. What happened? Did Lucian harm you?" Her voice trembled with concern as she gently stroked my hair.

"I messed up, Zoe," I murmured against her shoulder.

"Why? How? What happened?" She pressed for further details, delicately cupping my face in her hands and lifting it to meet her gaze.

I bit my lower lip in regret as I released my grip on her. Moving back slightly, I allowed the clothes that had covered my body to fall loosely.

Her eyes widened as she noticed the marks on my body. "Hickeys? Did Lucian give them to you? Cassie, that's normal for..."

"No! It's not that, Zoe. I slept with someone else!" I whispered through clenched teeth, more tears streaming down my face.

"Cassie... I'm confused. Please, explain to me what happened," she pleaded, but I quickly sprung to my feet and walked away from her.

"At the party, a Beta called Lucian to attend to some urgent matters, so he left. After a few minutes, he returned and took me away from the party. He said he had a surprise for me and wanted us to leave the wedding celebration. We went deep into the woods to a small hut where he had set up a romantic date. And then we..." I trailed off, clenching my jaw as my head hung low.

"What did you do? Talk to me, Cassie," Zoe urged, standing up and approaching me.

"We slept together, Zoe. It was amazing... perfect. It felt like the best thing ever, Zoe. But when I woke up, I realized I hadn't been with Lucian! Someone else had taken me to that hut. Lucian was waiting outside the hut the next morning, dressed in the same outfit from our wedding, searching for me."

I struggled to maintain my composure as I spoke. My heart raced, and despite my efforts to stay quiet, my voice kept rising.

"Take a deep breath, Cassie. I can't quite grasp what you're saying. You said you and Lucian left the party together..."

"That's what I thought. But apparently, none of that happened! It was someone who looked like him the entire time until this morning. I thought it was all in my head, but then I saw these hickeys. It was real! I did sleep with someone, but it wasn't Lucian."

"But this person resembled Lucian?" Zoe asked, her expression filled with confusion.

I swallowed hard and shook my head. "Now you think I'm insane!" I exclaimed, collapsing onto the bed.

"No, Cassie! You're not crazy! I... I just don't understand. But what did you tell Lucian when he found you and brought you back home? Did you tell him what happened?" she inquired, and I scoffed.

"How could I tell him that I mistook someone else for him and ended up with a complete stranger who took my virginity?"

"Then what did you say?"

"I had to tell him that you wanted us to spend one last night together before I fully embraced married life. I'm so sorry I lied. I..."

"Shh... it's okay. If that's what you said, then let it be. I took you out of the party because I'll miss you. It's our little secret, Cassie.”

“Until we figure out what the hell is going on, this will be our story," she assured me, pulling me into a comforting hug and gently patting my back.