The Accident

ALORA

"This marriage between you and princess Alora must happen," I overheard the impending voice of my soon to be father in-law talking to someone whom i assumed was his son in a secluded room away from the evening celebration. I eavesdrop to listen further.

"Your condition is deteriorating, Kalix and we have no choice. You're not getting married out of love but necessity. The council had only imposed this duty on you because our pack needs an heir and so do I."

"After she gets pregnant and gives birth to an heir, then you can discard her and be with whoever you want." He added. 

My jaw dropped to the ground in shock. The turn of events and sudden revelation was alarming. I knew it from the very beginning that this marriage was a sham but no one, not even my own family believed me.

It wasn't an alliance to bring both packs together in peace. The only reason why his parents had proposed this marriage ceremony under the guise of bringing both packs together was because their son needed a baby breeder? How disappointing and utterly disgusting.

I can't believe that this is really happening to me and the worst part is that there was nothing i could do to stop this. Tonight was supposed to be my eighteenth birthday celebration but now, it has been ruined because I will be betrothed to this family.

I have always prayed to the goddess that i would fall in love and get married to the one i love, my choice, my very own mate that was destined and fated for me. Not once in my entire life did i think that i would end up here in this unfortunate situation. Like a property to be tossed to a man simply because they needed it for their evil agenda.

Holding up my dress with both hands, tears trickling down my face, i stormed away, abandoning my initial plan to use the bathroom and made my way towards the outside walls of the palace where i would be free from the shackles of everything happening right now.

"Alora!" Someone called after me. I recognize the voice to be that of Caden, my twin brother so I ignore and hasten my strides in hopes that he doesn't catch up to me but he does eventually.

"Where are you going?" He asked, grabbing me by the arm. "Your birthday celebration is that way, inside the grand hall so what are you doing out here alone?"

Caden and I were the only children of our parents. We were born only seconds apart from each other. We are identical and most times, often mistaken for each other. He was a splitting image of me. The only difference between us was our eyes and hair color. 

"Just let me go Caden." I pleaded desperately but he only tightened his grip around my arm.

"Not until you tell me what this madness is all about? The entire household of the Silver pack is here tonight for your betrothal ceremony with their son." He pulled me forward, eyes staring at me with intent. "Are you trying to run away? Do you know what this would do to father and our pack at large?"

"And what if I am?" I yelled at him. "I told everyone that I wasn't interested in this marriage from the very beginning but none of you listened to me. They're not good people Caden. They don't want an alliance between our packs. They want a slave and a baby breeder."

"I cannot go through with this betrothal ceremony Caden." I whisper to him, hurtful tears trickling down my cheeks. "Please just let me run away."

"And then what?" He retorts, angrily "What happens when and if you run away? Do you think that running away will solve anything? You will only complicate things further."

"You are now a grown woman Alora. One day, you will become a Luna queen so you should know how to handle your emotions better when it comes to sensitive matters like these."

"A grown woman whose choices has been taken away from her." I whispered, my voice laced in hurt. "I cannot believe that they're forcing me to get betrothed to a boy i barely know. A boy who doesn't even want me."

"My choices are utterly useless and it doesn't matter to either one of you in this palace now, does it? All that matters is that I get married as a bargain to settle a lifelong dispute and become a breeder." I lash at him in pain.

"Alora..." He started but i shook my head vehemently. I don't want to hear or listen to anything he or anyone has to say concerning this issue. I will run away and that's my final decision.

"Alora!" My father's angry voice filtered through the evening air. He has come in search of me since I didn't return back to the party. Scared for my life and what he might do if he catches me out here, I jerk my hands away from Caden's and run towards an empty car.

Before Caden would catch up to me, I snatched the keys and took to the wheel, driving out of the premises and into the busy roads. I am angry and I needed to blow off some steam.

I saw another car closely chasing mine from the rearview mirror but I didn't stop. I wouldn't. They honked tirelessly but I only increased my speed.

I took a sharp curve and is immediately blinded by the lights of an ongoing truck. I try to pump the breaks but it doesn't budge. With a loud scream, I dodge and slammed my car into the nearest wall with tremendous force. The speeding truck came barreling around the bend, its tires screeching in protest as it knocked off the car behind me.

The sound of crunching metal and shattering glass filled the air as the Hyundai was tossed about like a toy. I was thrown forward, my seatbelts straining to hold me in place.

in my barely conscious state, I heard sirens and camera flashes as people gathered around to take in the gruesome scene. My car was a twisted wreck, its doors mangled and its windows blown out and so was I.

My whimpered, my whole body in pain as I tried to make a sound and that's when I saw my father and my twin brother knocked out cold in the front passenger seat of the other car.

Caden's head was slumped forward, his head resting against the dashboard. My eye's eyes widened in horror when I realized that they were not moving.

"C-Caden...Dad!" I whispered in a small voice in hopes that one of them will hear me and wake up but they didn't.

Soon enough, the paramedics arrived at the scene and we are immediately rushed to the hospital. As we are wheeled inside together, I turn to stare at Caden's lifeless body and tears stung my eyes. He was bruised and battered in all the wrong places.

Seeing him in that state hurts more than anything I am going through at this particular moment. Regret and guilt washes over me in an instant. I shouldn't have run away. I should've stayed when he told me to. If I did then maybe this accident would've been avoided.

He's in this state because of me. He's hurt and wounded because of me.

I was wheeled in for surgery and when I opened my eyes hours later, I found my mother seated beside me with tears gathered in her eyes.

"Mother..." I beckoned. My voice barely audible as I reached out to hold her hands and she immediately took it. My eyes were heavy and I could feel the tears flooding in. "I'm so sorry. Everything that happened is my fault. I tried to stop but I couldn't, I'm sorry."

"Breathe Alora, breathe." She cautioned me. "It's not your fault. You shouldn't blame yourself for any of this. Everything will be fine."

"How is Dad and Caden? Please tell me that they're doing okay. Please." I begged in a desperate plea. Anything can happen to me but no to them.

"The doctor is yet to—" She was about to say when the door to my ward slid open. The doctor walked in with a gloomy look on his face as though he was about to deliver bad news.

My mother stood up almost immediately.

"Doctor, how is my husband and my son?" She asked but he didn't respond. Instead he looked at me in brief silence then back to her again. His eyes flashed with guilt and I saw him swallow hard.

"Where are they? Are they out of surgery yet? Can I see them?" My mother requested but he shook his head negatively.

"I'm sorry Luna Queen but they didn't make it." He broke down the news to her. "The Alpha king was pronounced dead on arrival and we did everything in our power to save the crown prince's life but it was to no avail. We lost him during surgery, I'm truly sorry." He apologized again and my mother fell to the ground.

My heart skipped a beat and the world around me went silent. I felt numb to the bone and I couldn't bring myself to make sense of anything going on right now.

"Is there nothing we can do?" I heard my mother's fragile voice from my deep, cold and blurry world while i remained in my position, unmoved. It felt like my whole world had come to a standstill.

"I'm afraid not, my Queen." He answered flatly. 

My father is dead. My brother is dead. Those were the only thoughts bouncing through my head like a broken record on repeat. I couldn't believe it.

"The council are all waiting outside for an update on their condition my Queen. What should I tell them?" The doctor asked and my mother wiped out her tears and rose to her feet with a dead look in her eyes.

"Does anyone else know about what you have just told me?" She inquired and he shook his head negatively in response.

"And it should remain that way, doctor. If anyone finds out about this news then I'll have you and your entire family beheaded." She threatened him, shocking me.

"Of course, my Queen."

"You are going to tell them what they want to hear." She started, in a serious tone. "You are going to tell them that it was the princess who died in that accident and not the Alpha prince. Tell them tha

t the crown prince survived and is in recovery and make sure that they believe it." She deadpanned.