Chapter 6

Aurora bit her lips in disgust, she hates the presence of Hayden in the palace from the first day she met him.

She glared at Ophelia who was busy staring at the ground with her fingers in her mouth.

"Your majesty, you shouldn't let your brother overshadow you. This bitch isn't supposed to be here." She couldn't keep mute any longer. 

Hayden took glances at her and clapped his hands. "I wonder what this palace will turn into when you become the Luna, bullshit." He slammed at her, not sparing a single glance at his brother.

Ophelia lifted her face and studied the faces of everyone in the room. She focused her gaze on the king for a while and bowed down.

"I'm sorry for being out of the dungeon, but I think I have to go to my room now. I need enough rest." She uttered to the hearing of everyone. 

The king stood from his throne. "Who ordered you to leave?"

"I shouldn't take orders before leaving too right?" Ophelia arched her brows. She was so weak that she might pass out.

The king walked closer to her and held her ears. "Being out of the dungeon doesn't warrant you to spit out rubbish in my presence, you shouldn't push me to sluttering you like others."

She felt her heart skip for a while when he mentioned about death. To avoid saying a word to him again, she ran out of the chamber leaving him confused. 

He stood still for a while, clenching his fist. Even the moon goddess knows how he detests her, she will always be forbidden in his site and must face the dark side of him until she gives up.

He turned to Aurora who folded her arms against her chest watching the scene, but he said nothing to her, rather he went back to his throne and got seated. 

"The both of you should get your devilish eyes off Ophelia, stop interfering in her case." He blurted, pointing at his beta and brother. 

"Aren't you the one who's devilish?" Hayden snapped, throwing his staff upwards. "You should have a rethink." 

"She's my property and I ought to do with her anything I want." He hit his palm on his thigh. 

Hayden walked closer to her. "That she's a werewolf doesn't give you the guts to turn her to a slave…she will still be your Luna." He snapped and left the chamber alongside with Ares. 

Aurora stood watching them, but she could do nothing. 

**************

After Ophelia had freshened up, she had on her the gown brought to her by a maid. 

"Alpha Hayden gifted it to you."

She smiled at the maid after having it on, then moved to the mirror. "Isn't it beautiful?"

The maid returned the smile. "It fits you so well, I'll have to go get your meal right away."

She nodded and the maid left, her lips pulled into a wide smile as she watched herself through the mirror.

"I never knew that I'm these beautiful." She murmured,turning around. Putting on a decent gown for the first time seemed like something huge for her, she wouldn't believe that an orphan like her would end up in the palace. 

But the bitter part of it is that she is mated to a Lycan when she's a werewolf, and not only that, her mate hated her from the first day and might take away her life anytime.

She wouldn't want to die and leave her only brother all alone, the death of her parents still sends shivers down her spine, and she wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone responsible for their death ad a revenge.

Lost in thought about her stay in the palace and what fate has for her, the door was kicked open and Aurora walked in.

The look on her face reveals how dangerous her presence was.

"You should turn around and look at me." She turned Ophelia who was watching her through the mirror. 

"What do you have to offer?"

"You're so silly." She retorted at Ophelia who walked straight to the bed.

Ophelia nodded. "If you don't have anything meaningful to say, you can make use of the door."

Aurora faked a smile. "Don't be too nosy because of the gown you're putting on, you will soon get it off."

"When the time reaches then, that is if there's a time like that." She took a deep breath.

"I am here to cut a deal with you."

Ophelia swallowed her saliva, "What's the deal all about?" She waved her hand. "I don't cut deals with people."

"You must or you'll lose your brother." Aurora slammed.

Her voice resounded like an echo in Ophelia's ear, she narrowed her eyes. "Did you just mention my brother? What do you have to do with her?"

"Leave this palace first thing tomorrow morning, or your brother's corpse will be brought to you here." She announced. 

Ophelia bit her lips. "Leave my brother out of this or I'll make sure you pay for it in spades."

Echoes of laughter filled the room. 

"Maybe you've forgotten that I am a Lycan and you're a werewolf, we can't be matched. No one will in this clan will ever support you, and not even your Alpha will rescue you from our bondage." Aurora reminded her.

She felt her heart sinking into her stomach. Aurora was telling the truth, they are of no match, making it possible for her to be torn into pieces very easily. 

Tears almost left her eyes, but she blinked them back to avoid being mocked the more.

"Finally, you're dumb. Anyways, don't forget everything that I just said here." Aurora made her way to the door and banged it heavily after leaving. 

Ophelia sat on the bed in sorrow, her mind was blank that she couldn't straight at the moment, talk more of bringing up a solution. 

The presence of the maid in her room after several minutes brought her back to reality. 

Her meal was served on the table and she got down to eat.

She called back the maid that was about to leave, having in mind to know more about Aurora through her.

"How long has she been the king's lover?" She asked the maid.

The maid didn't grab it, she widened her eyes seeking for a repeat of the question.

"I meant, how long has Aurora been the king's lover?" She repeated again.

The maid swallowed her spit, it's against the law to say that about others, but still she can't snub the future Luna. 

"I can't tell, but it's been over a year since I started working here."

Ophelia nodded. "Uh-huh?"

She began again…"And since then, she has been his lover, always patrolling around the palace, giving orders like she's already crowned…" She paused. 

Ophelia shook her head. "What a jerk."

"The worst part is that she convinces the king of what to do, but cheats on him still."

Out of shock, Ophelia stood up forcefully startling the maid a bit. 

"Your majesty…"

"Come here." She drew the maid closer. "Did you just say that she cheats on him?"

The maid nodded. 

"Why? Do you know any reason?"

She shut her eyes, almost regretting spilling out a secret that she knows alone.

"Ummm! Many months ago, I overheard her telling a friend that she dislikes her mate, but loves to go intimate with him. She wants to have a child that will bear the king's name."

Ophelia gasped. "That alone?"

She shook her head. "The king is impotent, and doesn't perform well during intimacy." 

Ophelia shut her ears, she wouldn't want to hear that again. How on earth can a mighty and scary Lycan King like him be impotent? 

She seemed not to believe it.

"That means, the child will never belong to the king." She muttered and got seated again. 

Seconds elapsed and she lifted her face, "What's your name?" She asked the maid.

"Ava…"

She smiled at her. "Thank you for the information Ava."

"I'll go get you a drink." Ava left the room instantly, while Ophelia began eating her meal.

Trying to erase everything the maid just revealed was so difficult for her, she noticed the words repeating itself in her head.

The meal was so sweet that she was almost done with the meal when she felt a hotness in her heart. It was just like a burning fire that can't be quenched. 

She stretched her hand and grabbed the cup of water, then emptied it, but it worsened the hotness in her. 

"Uh! What's going on with me?" She muttered and pushed the sized table aside.

She stood up and pulled out her gown, having just her undies on, but there was no quench to it.

Fear gripped her since she hadn't felt that way for once. She reached the door and was about to open it when she recalled that she was almost naked.

Her muscles became so weak that her feet couldn't bear the weight of her body any longer. 

"A…A…Av…Ava." She mentioned the name, but her voice wasn't loud any longer as she slumped to the floor and passed out.