Chapter 3

Aurelia POV

My mouth opened before I could think it through.

 "Yes, Your Majesty. I took it." I said and Selena's smile widened, as if victorious.

But I kept going. 

"I wanted to keep it...as a memory....of last night." I said and gave a long weird laugh but immediately stopped when I noticed the Alpha's expression shifted to something between confusion and disgust and Selena's smile faltered.

"A memory?" His voice was flat and I didn't even quite get it he was believing or not.

I forced myself to nod, trying to look embarrassed. Like a stupid, sentimental Omega who didn't know better. 

"I know it was wrong. I just... it was my first time and I thought..."

"Enough." He cut me off with a wave of his hand.

 "I don't want to hear it." He turned to Selena. 

"It's just a goblet. Let her keep her pathetic souvenir."

Selena's face tightened but she nodded, she had probably found me very stupid too. Not like she suspects anything, does she?

"Of course, my love. I didn't realize it meant so much to her."

The Alpha looked back at me with clear distaste. "Get out of my sight. Go back to the servant quarters and stay there until you're summoned."

I didn't need to be told twice. I bowed quickly and practically ran from the room as my heart didn't stop pounding until I was back in my tiny room with the door locked. I pulled the goblet from my dress and stared at it.

I still had it. I still had proof, but now what?

I couldn't just walk up to Elder Merek and ask him to test it as Selena had eyes everywhere. The moment I tried, she'd know, and then my mother would die. That definitely was not close to what I wanted.

I hid the goblet under a loose floorboard beneath my bed, covering it with an old blanket. Then I sat there, trying to think.

I needed help, but who could I trust?

The next day dragged on forever as I was confined to the servant quarters, which meant I couldn't move around the palace freely. But that didn't stop me from listening to the other servants talked constantly, gossiping about everything.

And today, they were all whispering about the Luna.

Two maids stood just outside my door, and they didn't even know how loud they were as I could practically hear them from in here. I pressed my ear against the wood and held my breath.

"Have you noticed how paranoid she's been?" one of them said.

"I know. She's been demanding searches of everyone's rooms. Says something valuable went missing."

"What could be so important that she's acting like this?"

"I don't know, but I'd hate to be the one who took it."

They moved away and I pulled back, my mind racing. Selena was tearing the palace apart looking for that goblet, which meant I was running out of time.

A soft knock made me jump and I opened the door a crack and found Lyra standing there with a tray of food.

She was the mute maid. In my past life, she'd tried to warn me about something and ended up dead the next day. I'd always wondered if she'd known about Selena's plans and if she'd died because of me.

Now here she was again, alive and looking at me with those knowing eyes.

I let her in and she set the tray down on the small table. But instead of leaving, she stayed. She pulled out a small piece of paper and a pencil from her apron pocket and wrote something quickly.

Are you fine? I noticed how you've been really clumsy around the Luna. Anything going on?

I stared at the words, then at her. I nodded my head to show i really wasn't fine and she wrote again that

I can help. But it's risky.

My hands were shaking as I took the pencil from her. How?

She looked toward the door, making sure no one was listening, then wrote: Elder Merek! Tonight at the back entrance, you can come if you want. He secretly helps Omegas, so you can tell him whatever you'll be needing. I'll distract the guards.

I wanted to cry from relief. Finally, someone who could help and someone who understood. But I had to think this through, what would be her gain of she helped me? This is life and practically everyone believes in the give and take theory.

I wrote back: Why are you helping me?

She hesitated, then wrote slowly: Because the Luna killed my sister, and I want her to pay.

Something cold settled in my chest. Of course, Selena had been destroying lives long before mine.

I nodded and Lyra squeezed my hand once before gathering the tray and leaving. I just had to survive until tonight, I thought as I ate the food she had brought slowly.

The hours crawled by and I spent the time preparing, making sure the goblet was wrapped carefully in cloth and planning the route to Elder Merek's chambers in my head. I really was just tying hard not to think about all the ways this could go wrong, as much as I had plans sketched, it can always go wrong.

When darkness finally fell, I waited until the palace grew quiet and then I slipped out of my room.

Lyra was waiting in a dark and secluded spot at the end of the hallway. She gestured for me to follow and we moved through the servants' corridors, taking the back passages that most people didn't know existed.

Everything was going smoothly. Too smoothly and I should've doubted why it was this easy.

We were almost at the wing where Elder Merek's chambers were located when we heard voices up ahead.

I froze as Lyra's hand shot out, gripping my arm.

Selena's voice drifted down the hallway.

"Search everywhere. That Omega took something of mine and I want it found. Check every room, and every corridor. Now."

Guards' footsteps echoed and they were coming closer!