003. A BROKEN HEART

AYLA

"No… not again. It won’t fit. Please… stay away from me."

That’s what Ayla wanted to say. But she couldn’t, her mouth was tied.

She saw the man’s hand move slowly over his thick, heavy manhood. He leaned closer, ready to…

"Ayla, wake up."

Her eyes opened wide. Her heart was racing, her body damp with sweat. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was.

"You’ve been asleep too long. We need to hurry," a calm voice said.

A middle-aged woman sat at her bedside, looking at her with tired eyes.

It was a dream. It had to be. But now Ayla wasn’t sure.Was it all just a nightmare? The horrible man?

What about the fight with her father?

And the goddess she spoke to. Was that just her imagination too?

"Mrs. Jones?" Ayla asked in a whisper, her throat dry. "Why are you here? In my room?"

The woman gave a small sigh and shook her head. "Come on, dear. Time for your bath."

Ayla sat up slowly. Her chest felt heavy. Her hands trembled.

Everything felt strange, like a dream she couldn’t shake off.

But what frightened her most… was the man in that dream. His shadow. His touch. And what he almost did.

********

“Be gentle with her hair,” the senior dresser commanded, her voice sharp and firm. “Scrub her skin softly. If even one scratch shows on her body, the Alpha will punish you.

The three maids attending Ayla flinched at the warning. They moved around her carefully, almost afraid to breathe too loudly.

Ayla sat in the warm bath, her body still and silent. She had never been treated this way before. Her sisters, Selene and Maggie, were the ones who always received this kind of royal attention. She had been the forgotten one, the shadow in the family home. And yet now, here she was, being pampered like a princess.

It should have made her happy. Part of her even felt special, treasured. But the joy did not last. As soon as she remembered why all of this was happening, her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

“I am to marry the Alpha King,” she thought to herself.

Everyone in the kingdom whispered stories about him. Some said he was dangerous, a man who could never be satisfied with one woman. Others spoke of the yearly selection, ten beautiful young she-wolves chosen to warm his bed.

Was he truly a monster? Would he ever care about her? Could she ever be enough for someone like him?

She didn’t love him. She didn’t even know him. It was the Moon Goddess who had asked this of her. A divine request she couldn’t refuse, even if it crushed her.

She wished she had a choice. She wished she could run far away and never return. But even that dream seemed childish. Her destiny was already written.

“Ayla.” The senior dresser’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts. “You may rise. Come now, our savior. Let me dress you.”

The woman held out a soft white robe, the fabric so fine it glowed under the flickering candles. Ayla’s fingers trembled as she took it. She had never touched anything so beautiful. Not even her sisters, with all their luxury, had robes like this.

Mrs. Jones, the elder who now helped her dress, had never even spoken to Ayla kindly before today. It was strange…how quickly people changed.

In her old life, the only attention she received came from the male wolves who stared too long as she walked past. Even though she healed the sick and tended to the injured, no one truly cared for her.

No one…except Luca.

He had been the only one to notice when she was tired, when she hadn’t eaten. He asked if she was okay. He smiled when no one else did.

Ayla closed her eyes and whispered, “If only the Moon Goddess would change my fate…”

She stepped out of the bath and let the robe wrap around her body. It warmed her skin, calming her nerves.

The maids dressed her in the most delicate silk gown, its lace shining under the golden light. Her feet slipped into the softest shoes she had ever worn. Her long hair was curled and styled with diamonds that sparkled like starlight.

“How rich must this king be?” she wondered. “What kind of palace will he take me to?”

As the Alpha’s daughter, and now the chosen queen of the Sea Moon Kingdom, it was tradition for the strongest warriors to carry her around the pack lands in a golden litter.

Every wolf she passed bowed low. Even her sisters, who once looked down on her, now had no choice but to lower their heads.

Selene’s eyes burned with jealousy. Maggie bit her lip until it bled. Ayla had never wanted power, but watching them bow felt like justice for all the years they had laughed at her, stolen from her, hit her when no one was watching.

In just one day, everything had changed.

Now she was the most important she-wolf in the pack. The servants who once ignored her now scrambled to meet her every need.

Meals were served to her on silver trays, hot, fresh, and plentiful. Before, she ate whatever was left behind. Most days, she had survived on scraps from her sisters’ plates. Sometimes, kind-hearted Debbie, the kitchen maid, would sneak her food late at night.

But now?

Now, her room smelled of jasmine and rose. Her sheets were made of silk. Her pillows were fluffed and perfumed. There was even a mirror framed in gold, something she had never dared to dream of.

Yet, she couldn't forget the truth.

“All because I’m the sacrifice,” she whispered. “The lamb they’re sending to save the pack from starvation.”

Her lips quivered as she spoke the words aloud. No one cared what would happen to her after she left. No one asked how she felt.

That night, dressed in a soft nightgown, she crawled into her new bed and sank into the warmth. Her body relaxed, but her mind raced.

Then something caught her eye.

A large wooden chest sat quietly in the corner. It hadn’t been there before. Curious, Ayla got up and padded across the room. She pressed her palm against the cold wood, then found a small button hidden under the latch. When she pressed it, the lid sprang open.

Her eyes widened.

Inside, piles of gold coins gleamed in the moonlight. Diamonds spilled from velvet bags. There were necklaces, bracelets, rings, more treasure than she had ever seen in her life.

“Why is this in my room?” she whispered.

Her father loved wealth more than anything, but he would never leave such treasure unattended. Was this a gift? A warning? A test?

She slammed the chest shut and stepped away, heart pounding.

Her thoughts drifted to Luca.

Tomorrow, she will leave forever. She might never see him again.

She needed to say goodbye.

When she reached his small house.

She didn’t knock.

A strange sound reached her ears. A low moan. Then a gasp.

Something inside her snapped.

Her hand pushed the door open before she could stop herself.

And there, in the dim light, she saw them.

Luca. Naked. His hands gripping Selene’s hips. Her back was arched, her lips parted in a soundless cry. His body moved against hers with hunger, with love.

They didn’t see her.

But she saw everything.

Her heart broke. Her world collapsed in a single heartbeat.

Luca, the only one who had ever shown her kindness…was now one with the sister who had hated her the most.

She couldn’t scream. Couldn’t move.

She just stood there, frozen in the doorway, watching them.

They had done this before. She could tell. The way they moved. The way they touched.

They were in love.

And she… She had been a fool.