Chapter 3

Sapphire's pov 

You would think being married to the Lycan King would come with perks. Turns out it doesn't. 

I told myself I didn't care who my fated mate was or what he looked like. I told myself all I wanted was freedom. I prayed to the Moon Goddess for love and freedom and she gave me wrath and chains in return.

Five months into our marriage, Dimitri started cheating on me. 

“Cheating” didn't mean him getting mistresses. It was customary for Alpha’s and King's to have as many mistresses as they wished while married. No one complained about it. But I did. Dimitri didn't take any other woman as his mistress. He chose my sister. More like she chose him.

How did I discover his ‘infidelity?’

It began two weeks ago when Larisa visited. She had come under the guise that father insisted she check up on me to see if I was with child. What a caring father he was.

It was cloudy on Sunday morning when she arrived. It felt like the Moon Goddess was giving me a sign, warning, a reminder that I was always in danger. I didn't put my mind to it. 

I didn't eventually when I felt a familiar pain in the lower part of my body. 

“Your Highness!” Lydia, my chambermaid rushed to my side when I nearly swooned from the throbbing pain. 

My fingers clutched my mattress and I squeezed hard. “Ah. What's happening to me?”

“Should I get you a glass of water?” She asked with a worried look on her face. 

“No,” I tried to catch my breath. 

Heat pooled between my legs and I was short of breath.

Dimitri, that bastard.

“Aargh!” A pain shot up my spine and I nearly collapsed.

Dots were beginning to flood my vision. For a second, I feared I was going to die. 

“Ma'am.” Lydia placed her hand on my shoulder. 

“I'm fine.” I whispered.

Warmth rushed through my body and I was alive again. It felt like someone released a giant drum of water through a desert. The passion has been silenced or as mother would say “climaxed”

After Lydia left my chambers, I climbed into bed and laid on my back.

Dimitri just slept with another woman. He dared to do that to me!

I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from crying but I couldn't stop myself. They rolled down my cheeks like waterfalls. That day, I cried till dawn for the first time in my life. 

The following morning, the maids woke me up and prepared me for breakfast.

While they were getting me ready, the Herald announced Larisa's entrance into the room. 

I had almost dismissed her but that would leave a bad impression especially the maids and I couldn't lose our friendship. I’d have so much to live for.

Larisa stepped into view and my stomach flipped. 

What was this witch doing here? 

“Good morning, sis.” She beamed me a smile but it obviously did not reach her eyes.

I corrected in a dry tone. “It's Your Highness, Larisa.” 

Larisa smiled and muttered something under her breath.

“I'm sorry. Did you say something?” I asked innocently.

“Nothing. You look radiant.” She lifted her fingers to her neck.

That was when I saw it.

Purple bruises. No, purple teeth marks adorned her neck like some jewelry. 

She caught me staring and winked. Oh no. She did not.

She stepped closer and I took a step back, defeated. 

The woman Dimitri was with last night was her? Sandalwood and cinnamon enveloped her like some invisible canopy. She wore my husband's scent like some perfume. How dare she? How dare he?

“I heard your cry last night and I apologize for what happened,” Larisa bowed her head. “Dimitri insisted I remained quiet but I couldn't… I was too horny to.”

I clenched my fists at my side. “What?”

Larisa crossed her arms over her chest. “Dimitri is good in bed although he's a bit rough. Animalistic, if you would but I'd give him a 5 star. You're lucky to experience this sort of thing, sis.”

“You think sleeping with my husband has given you some kind of edge, is that it?” I retorted, trying to sound confident but the crack in my voice said otherwise.

“Yes,” Larisa smiled. “It has. Dimitri has made me his number 1.”

“You …”

“What?” Larisa laughed. “You'd what? Lay your filthy hands on me? If you don't want to incur Dimitri's wrath, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself.”

Lydia interrupted with a hiss. “Don't you dare speak to Her Highness that way.”

“Lydia, that's enough.” I shook my head.

Larisa took a step forward. “Aww. Cowering behind your maid, are you? Now, that's embarrassing even for you, Your Highness.”

She reached for the crown on my hair and took it. “It'll look better on me, don't you think?”

I watched in horror as she placed the crown on her head. “Now, the crown is in its rightful place! Coupled with the mating marks I look like a queen, don't I?”

“How dare you, Larisa,” I choked out a sob. “You lied against me so I would marry Dimitri and now, I have, you want him? Is that it? Stealing the husband of a married woman? How low can you aim?”

“As low as I can if it means to see you suffer!” Larisa yelled. 

“Do you know what it was like? Enduing the searing pain of the mating bond while Dimitri fucked you like a whore?!” 

“You will not refer to my Larisa like that!” A deep, masculine voice boomed in the room. 

The air felt light, almost too thin to breathe. His presence dominated the very room and everyone of them cowered in fear. Everyone except me. 

“Darling…” Larisa rushed to meet him. Tears, where I didn't know where they came from, streamed down her cheeks. “It’s Sapphire… She tried to hurt me. She said hurtful things to me. I was just trying to help.”

Dimitri put his protective arms around her and glared at me. “How could you be so cruel, Sapphire? How could you lay your hands on your sister?” 

Me? Cruel? Me? Lay my hands on my sister? If anyone did any of those, it was him!

“Darling, let's leave her,” Larisa said to him in an innocent voice that didn't belong to her. 

“As you wish, darling.” Dimitri agreed.

In my presence, he scooped her into his arms and walked out of the room.

When they left, my knees weakened and I slumped to the floor.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” 

I didn't know what happened afterwards. All I knew was I woke up with the same searing pain from last time. One more day in this hell of mine and I swore I would kill somebody.

Days grew into weeks and weeks matured into a month since Larisa's arrival. From the look of things, she wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

During those turbulent days, I barked at my growing hatred for Dimitri and Larisa. 

Enduring mistreatment as Dimitri's maltreatment as his “wife” and watching Larisa enjoy my place was a stab to the chest.

Dimitri treated me like a servant, ignoring my attempts to prove myself to him. Nothing I did was good enough. 

While Larisa on the other hand, was flaunted by Dimitri. 

Push came to shove and I decided I had had enough. It was time to smack some sense into that bitch called Larisa. 

“Just because you're in a sexual escapade, doesn't make you less of a whore.” I said, seething with boiling rage.

Larisa threw her head back and laughed. “You’re talking back again. Who taught you that, your ill-mannered maid?”

“No. Experience.” I shot back.

“That's good. You look like you could use more experience. The apple drink incident didn't do much anyways.” 

“What?”

“Ugh!” Larisa pinched the skin between her brows. “You never read between the lines, do you? Well, let me give you a heads up. The apple juice I gave to you at the mating ceremony was spiked. Your sleeping with Dimitri was all planned. There. Happy now?” 

“What?” My blood ran cold. “Was it staged by you? How - - how could you? How could you ruin my life!”

“Because it was fine.” Larisa smiled.

I don't know what came over me because the next second, my hand gripped Larisa's necklace and I growled. “One day, Larisa…”

She panicked as she stared at me.

I ignored the tears in her eyes. “One day, I'll make you choke on your lies.”