INICIAR SESIÓNDianeMy eyes were glued to the brown pack in Dom's hand now. The spicy smell of the herbs was floating in the small room. Even with the wrap, it filled my nose. My stomach gave a hard tug, practically begging for it."How did you get that?" My voice was just a dry whisper. I stepped toward him, my hand reaching out automatically.“Is that my tea?”“Take a guess?”"Oh… Dom, thank you. Please give it to me."Dom didn't move. He didn't hand it over. He looked down at the bright yellow envelope I was squeezing in my other hand."What is that?" he asked. His voice was low and even.My eyes followed, raising the thing up. "It’s... it's a letter," I stammered. My tongue felt heavy, making it hard to form the words clearly. "A letter from Freda. She left." I didn't have the time to go into deep details.Dom looked at the paper, then back at me. His face didn't change at all. He didn't look surprised or even ask why Freda left."What are you doing here, Dom?" I asked, trying to sound like the
Diane.My skin felt too tight for my body. It started as a small itch in the back of my throat, but now it was everywhere. My hands were shaking. Not a big shake, but a fine, constant tremor that made it hard to hold a pen even in the office. My stomach was doing slow, painful flips.I needed that tea.I didn't just want it. I needed it. I wanted to feel that warmth of it sliding down my throat. I wanted the way it made my mind go quiet and my body feel light. Without it, the world was too loud, too sharp, and too cold.What is wrong with me? I thought, rubbing my arms. Why am I acting like a junkie? Because this was absolutely how junkies acted.Relax, Diane. It’s just herbs. It’s just a tea. I told myself over and over again.But the hunger in my gut said something entirely different.It was a dark, hollow craving that screamed for a fix.And Freda was still gone. That was the weirdest part. The one person who prepared my stuff had vanished into thin air. I had called her over and
Diane The silence in the palace was too heavy. It wasn't the peaceful kind of quiet—it was the kind that made your ears ring. I sat at my desk in the office, staring at my phone until the screen went black. Then I tapped it again.I had called Freda fifteen times. Every single time, it went straight to voicemail."Come on, Freda. Pick up," I whispered to the empty room.It wasn't like her. Freda was always there. Always here. She wasn't the type to leave without formal arrangements.She wasn't in her room this morning. She wasn't in the kitchen. She didn't even come to work and it was already afternoon. It was like she had just evaporated into thin air.My stomach twisted.There was only one person who would have an idea of where she was. But since morning, I had been debating with myself on whether or not I should go and ask him.Julian.I hadn't spoken to Julian since our big fight about wages. We were practically living like strangers in the same house. I didn't want to see him a
Celine. The bus hissed as it pulled away from the curb, leaving me standing in a cloud of grey exhaust. I brushed a stray hair from my face and adjusted the strap of the bag on my shoulder. It was shameful. There was no other word for it. For someone of my status—a top-class citizen of this pack with a family history many envied, a woman with a family name that carried weight—taking public transport felt like a demotion. I could feel the eyes of the other commuters on me, wondering why a woman in a thousand-dollar suit was squeezing into a plastic seat next to a high school student. “It’s just temporary,” I whispered to myself, trying to console myself because… I couldn't die. Not yet. My car was sitting in my driveway with the windows smashed to pieces. Thanks to whoever decided I had butted into their business when all I was ever doing was trying to save myself from hunger and hide my shame. Now, as much as I wanted to fix the car, I didn't have the money yet. Not after the twi
Julian The screen in front of me was the only light in the room. It cast a sick, blue glow over my hands. I leaned back in my leather chair, feeling the burn in my eyes. I had been watching the security footage for three hours. Forward. Rewind. Pause. Zoom. The footage from last night was a puzzle I couldn’t solve. There, on the grainy screen, was Dom’s bike. He left the pack house late—well past the hour when any sane man should be roaming. Then he came back way too late, almost this morning. My head was pounding. Every beat of my heart felt like a hammer hitting a nail. Was it him? Was he the one who snatched the girls? Was he the ghost on the bike trail Zee found? My mind was a mess of spiderwebs. I was uncertain. I was losing sleep. I was losing my grip. If Dom was the one breaking my toys, then I was sleeping under the same roof as my killer. I had to know. But I couldn’t just scream at him. Not yet. I had to play it smart. I couldn’t just call him and say, “Hey, I kno
The morning sun didn't just rise; it stabbed. It forced its way through the gaps in the curtains, bright and intrusive. I groaned, rolling over to escape the heat on my face. My eyes felt heavy, like they were glued shut with the remnants of yesterday’s stress. Yesterday was a nightmare of sweetness and, of course, paperwork. Meetings. Calls. As much as I appreciated that office time, I felt like a machine that was running out of oil. I pushed myself up. The wooden headboard felt cold against my bare skin. It sent a small shiver down my spine. I sat there for a second, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, trying to find the energy to move. My legs swung out of the bed, my feet hitting the floor. I was heading for the shower, hoping the water would wash away the exhaustion and start a new day when… Knock. Knock. It wasn't a soft sound. It was sharp. Intentional. A sound that echoed in the quiet room. I paused. That must be Freda. She usually brought my tea around this time. B
Diane.The mansion was finally quiet. After long hours of chatting and having solo fun, the Council wives had left, and Julian, he was out of the house as usual.I had retreated to my bedroom, shut the heavy door, and sank into my chair. I grabbed my phone for the first time in hours.I hadn't forg
DomJulian had rushed out ten minutes ago, after leaving orders on things he wanted and things he didn't, and leaving me to handle some mess.Now, my job was to find Diane. She was already in the gallery wing with those high-society Council wives.I walked down the long, sun-drenched corridor. My b
Diane "The Beta, Where is his suite?" I asked a passing maid.She stopped and bowed low. "The Beta's suite, Luna? It’s prepared at the far end of the west wing.""Thank you," I said.I turned and headed toward the west wing. It was a part of the house I rarely visited. It was quiet and secluded. A
Diane.I picked up my fork and pushed a piece of fruit around."Yesterday," I started. My voice was low but steady. "How did it go? The meeting?" I asked, trying as much as possible to make everything sound normal.Julian didn't even blink. He took a slow sip of his coffee. "It was fine, honey. Jus







