Chapter 5: You Were My Favorite

REMI POV

"You stink."

I jolted awake to find Nero hovering over me in bed. Actually hovering. Like a creep.

"What the—" I shoved at his chest. "Is this your kink or something?"

"I needed to confirm you were still alive." He didn't move. Just kept staring at me with those intense silver eyes. " You made it to day two."

"Congratulations to me. Now get off."

"Your breath," he said flatly. "It smells like something died in your mouth."

My face burned. "Well, you locked me in here without clothes or a toothbrush, so excuse me for not being minty fresh."

He leaned closer. Inhaled at my neck this time.

"Nero, what are you—"

"Your scent. Underneath the bad breath and fear." His voice was rough. "It's distracting."

Heat flooded through me. "Distracting how?"

His eyes met mine Hungry. "The kind of distracting that makes me want to keep you tied in this bed all day."

My breath caught.

Then he pulled back and stood. "But you still need to fix that breath situation. I'll have my mother send clothes."

"Wait, about last night—"

"Last night is irrelevant." His voice went cold. "Oh, and I already sent your family the peace offering. For your death."

"My what—"

The door slammed.

He left.

I sat there, stunned.

He'd just told me he wanted to keep me in bed all day. Then sent my family a death notice.

What the actual fuck.

Then I smelled my own breath.

"Oh god. He's right. I smell like a dumpster."

An hour later, I was sneaking through the palace hallways wrapped in a bedsheet like the world's worst toga.

No clothes had arrived. My breath was still toxic. And I remembered my grandmother's remedy—tunise leaves. I'd seen a garden yesterday.

I found it easily. Rows of herbs and flowers. And there—tunise, growing wild near the fountain.

I plucked a handful, rubbed them between my palms, and started chewing.

That's when I heard it.

Moaning.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," I muttered. "What kind of palace is this?"

I moved toward the sound and froze.

A man who looked exactly like Nero had a maid bent over a stone bench. Her dress hiked up. 

His pants around his ankles. He was fucking her. Hard.

Heat shot through me.

I should've left. Should've turned around.

But I couldn't stop watching.

And worse—I couldn't stop imagining.

Nero's hands instead of his. Nero's body. Nero bending me over that bench, his breath hot on my neck, his voice rough: "You've been driving me insane since you fell into my life."

His hand sliding up my thigh. Higher.

"Tell me you want this."

My thighs clenched. My wolf purred.

Last night's kiss had awakened something hungry in me. Something that wanted him to stop holding back and just—

"Enjoying the show?"

I snapped back to reality.

The man had stopped. The maid scurried away, adjusting her dress. He was staring directly at me.

Smirking.

"I wasn't—I didn't mean to—"

"You're flushed." He grinned. "I'm Abel," he said. "Third-in-command. Nero's younger, better-looking brother."

I stared at him. "You look exactly like him."

"Except I'm handsome. And I actually know how to satisfy a woman.

My face burned hotter. "Your whole family is sick. I'm leaving."

"Says the girl wrapped in a bedsheet, watching strangers fuck in gardens." He tilted his head. "Did Nero fuck you so hard you're walking around with no clothes? Or is he just keeping you ready for whenever he wants another round?"

"He didn't—we didn't—"

"Really? Because you kissed him last night. Pretty desperately from what I heard." His eyes dragged over me. "And the way you were watching just now... you definitely want him to."

"I'm leaving."

"Running away? That's disappointing." He leaned in, voice dropping. "My brother's an idiot, by the way. If you were mine, I wouldn't let you out of bed long enough to need clothes."

I turned and practically ran.

His laughter followed me. "Nice ass, by the way! Nero's a lucky bastard!"

I was almost to my door when I saw her.

Nero's mother. Leaving my room. A handkerchief pressed to her face.

"Allergies," she said curtly when she noticed me staring. 

She walked past without another word.

Inside, I found a dress laid out on the bed. Beautiful. Way nicer than I expected. Deep burgundy silk that looked expensive. I expected something ugly. Like in the books where the evil mother-in-law gives the bride rags.

There was a note attached: Wait to be summoned.

I picked up the dress. It smelled like lavender and something sweet.

Probably just expensive perfume.

I bathed and dressed. The fabric felt amazing against my skin. I looked like a princess in the mirror.

Maybe his mother was warming up to me after all.

I was summoned an hour later.

The council chamber was massive. At the head of the table sat Nero, flanked by Kade and Abel. 

On the other side of the table: other Alphas. Including Alpha Manuel from Riverside. My pack.

And at the far end—Nero's mother.

No. Wait.

Two of her.

Identical. Same silver hair. Same cold eyes. Same everything.

Twins.

When had there been two? Which one left my room this morning?

"Remi Olandria Cross."

Nero's voice cut through my confusion.

"You have been summoned to answer charges of murder. Priscilla Ashford, my former bride. Her family is present." He gestured to a group of stone-faced wolves across from me. "How do you plead?"

"Murder?" My voice cracked. "I thought—we're married. You said bride for bride—"

"Yes, I married you. But you haven't been marked. You're not my mate. You're not the Luna of this pack." His voice was ice. "So you will answer for your crimes."

He'd kissed me last night like I was everything. And now he was looking at me like I was nothing.

A woman from Priscilla's family stood. "She killed my sister deliberately. To steal her place as Luna. She should be handed over to us for punishment."

"I didn't mean to—it was an accident—"

"An accident?" The woman's voice rose. "You crashed a wedding, destroyed our family's honor, and murdered our daughter. Alpha Nero will do what's right. Won't you, Alpha? Or will you risk your position as Alpha of Alphas to protect a murderer?"

Every eye in the room turned to Nero.

He stood. Walked toward me slowly.

Stopped inches away.

"You want the truth?" His voice dropped low enough that only I could hear. "I was curious. You fell into my life and I wondered if maybe you were different. If you could break the curse." He paused. "But you can't. You're going to die like the rest. And I'd rather hand you over now than watch you die in my arms.

"Each word was a knife. Don't cry. Don't give him the satisfaction.

"Funny. You didn't seem to think that when your hands were all over me last night. Or was that growling I heard just indigestion?"I shot back

Someone gasped.

Priscilla's brother stepped forward. "Since she's just your bride and not your mate or Luna, it's time to let us have her. As payment for killing our sister, she'll be taken to our pack. Punished. Disgraced. Killed."

I was shaking.

Nero looked at me. Something flickered in his eyes.

Then it was gone.

"Yes," he said. "Take her. She was going to die anyway."

No.

Priscilla's brother grabbed my arm. Yanked me toward him.

"Come here, slut. You thought you could seduce your way into the Alpha's bed..My brothers will have fun between your legs."

Nero moved faster than I'd ever seen anyone move.

His fist connected with the man's jaw. The crack echoed through the chamber.

"Don't you EVER." Nero's voice was deadly quiet. "Call. My wife. A slut." He looked at the rest of Priscilla's family. "Touch her, and I'll personally castrate every male in your bloodline."

Everyone froze.

"Nero," Kade said carefully. "People are watching. You have to choose—peace with the alphas, or her."

"I don't care." Nero's eyes flashed silver. "I'm the Alpha of Alphas. Everyone here answers to me. She's not going anywhere."

My heart was pounding. He'd just—he'd defended me. After everything he'd said.

Then the room started spinning.

"Remi?" Kade's voice sounded distant.

Heat. So much heat. Like my blood was boiling.

I touched my nose. Came away with blood.

"The curse," someone whispered. "It's taking her."

My legs gave out. Nero caught me before I hit the ground.

"No." His voice cracked. "Not yet. You're supposed to be special—"

More blood. From my eyes now. My ears. Everything hurt.

"I thought she was the one," I heard Kade say. "I guess she wasn't."

Nero lifted me. I felt him moving. Carrying me.

His room. His father's old room. He laid me on the bed.

"You were my favorite," he whispered, touching my face.

I wanted to tell him I'd figured it out. The dress. The taste of tunise still bitter on my tongue.

But the darkness was pulling me under.

My eyes closed.

My heart stopped.

Everything went black.

Complete and total silence.

The seventh bride was gone.

The curse had won again.

Nero walked to the door and stopped with his hand on the handle.

Looked back one last time at her body on the bed.

Then left.

The door clicked shut.

Darkness.

Minutes passed.

Then—

My finger twitched.

Just once.

So small anyone watching would've missed it.

But no one was watching.

My chest rose.

Fell.

Rose again.

A breath. Shallow. Weak.

But alive. I gasped awake, screaming.

Black liquid poured from my mouth, splattering the sheets, moving, crawling, and carving runes that looked like the drawings in Nero’s sketchbook.

“NERO!” I screamed. My hands flew to my throat, claws digging in as blood spilled.

“I was poisoned,” I whispered.  “There is no curse.”  The runes pulsed once more on the sheet—then vanished into my skin. Whatever poisoned me... it wasn't done. 

The door creaked open.

Nero’s mother stood in the threshold, handkerchief still clutched in her hand. Her silver eyes widened in shock. She stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” she said “All of them were.”

Footsteps thundered down the hall..Nero, too late.

Her lips curved. “But I can fix that.”