Liz POV I am staring out of the window with a checklist in my hands. Each item on the list has been checked several times. There is nothing else that I need to do. The Lunar Ball is already underway. From my window, I can see groups of people slowly making their way into the town hall that has been transformed into a ballroom. It has already been decided that I will be arriving last, even after the royal Lycan family. Stepping away from the window, I check my makeup in the reflection of the mirror. My face is still round from being pregnant, and my belly is still swollen. Thankfully, the dress that Stella picked out for me hides my round figure. I almost look normal. A quiet knock on my bedroom door pulls me from my reflection. “Come in.” The door only opens slightly, and my sister, Belle, squeezes through. I expected to see her in a ballgown, ready to join the party, but she is not dressed for the occasion. She is in her leather fighting gear. Her hair is pulled ba
Liz POV A wedding is so much work. I check the list in my hands and count on my fingers the things that still need to be done while an Omega stands in the corner waiting for more instructions, but there isn’t anything left for me to do but to get ready. I glance out the window of the bedroom of the hotel. Even the gardens look aggressive here in Dark Moon Pack, unlike home. Hundreds of chairs have been set up, and deep red roses and velvety white roses line the aisle. A vast arch stands at the end of the aisle, and it is also covered in roses. It looks like something out of a dream. It is everything I imagined my wedding should be. Except for the choice of the groom. The alien view is giving me a hard time breathing. Roughly, I shut the curtains around the window, enshrouding the room in darkness. Turning to the Omega, still waiting in the corner, I try to keep my voice steady while I speak. “The preparations are done. I need a few moments before I begin to get ready.”
Liz POV I stare at my sister in shock. She is in a wedding dress that is almost identical to my own. She must have run the whole way here because she is out of breath. She braces herself on her knees and pants heavily. I scoot past her to the door and quickly flip the lock. “What are you doing in here?” I hiss at her, trying to keep my voice down. “I have come to rescue you,” Belle whispers. “I will take your place. It's my job to begin with!” “No,” I say sternly. “I am doing this, and that is final.” Belle runs her fingers through her hair and grunts in frustration. “Liz, you don’t have a wolf. It could be dangerous for you here.” I pull Belle into my arms and hold her close to my body. She has only just turned eighteen. She still has so much to experience in life. I blink away the tears that threaten to fall and ruin my makeup. “It is time I protect you,” I whisper into her ear. “You don’t always have to be the strong one.” Belle pulls away from me and whim
Liz POV At the altar, the elder of the Dark Moon Pack begins a long speech about how blessed everyone is here to witness the union between two royal families: the Phalens and the Wilks. It should feel like a blessed day, but it isn’t. I swallow hard and try to pay attention to what the Elder of the Dark Moon Pack is saying, but my mind drifts away. Suddenly, the elder gestures wildly to the crowd during his speech, and I am brought out of my thoughts. He kindly makes an excuse for why Deimos has decided not to show up today before continuing his speech. Another wave of embarrassment washes over me. I knew Deimos might be mad over the last-minute change in the bride. He was expecting my sister, after all. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that he would stand me up. Not to mention them keeping the wedding going on even without him. The pack Elder clears his throat, and I am again pulled from my thoughts. The Elder raises his eyebrows at me, and I realize I have missed
Liz POV “What?” My voice trembles. All my imaginary plans formed from the few TV shows I watched break into pieces at his first words to me. How did he even?! What do I do now? Is he going to kill me? Where do I go from here? “You are Nico’s spying whore,” Deimos says through gritted teeth. “Get. Out.” “There must be a misunderstanding–” “You are a cute one,” Deimos snorts coldly, “Cutely stupid. You are not the first spy he tried to plant on me, and you won’t be the last. A wedding is a new way, though. I’ll give him that.” I stand with my jaw on the ground. I came here to play chess with him. Sure, I might lose in the end, but not without a fight. Yet this man threw the chessboard at me before I could make my first move. “Get out, or I throw you out–” “You throw me out. He will know you are onto him,” I blurt. Never have I thought so fast in my life, “If you are so sure I’m a spy, the worst one no less, then won’t it be better for you if you keep me instead of someone bet
Liz POV I rush out of Nico’s office with a newfound sense of purpose. I have done what was asked of me, and now my family will be safe. I head down the hall with a bounce in my step until Tracy turns the corner and glares at me. "There you are, finally," she says with a sneer on her lips. "You don’t start working late like today ever again, understand?" Tracy thrusts a worn Omega’s uniform into my hands. “You will need this.” I open my mouth, but she is clearly not waiting for an answer. She looks me up and down with an air of disgust, and I fidget uncomfortably in the too-small uniform. She shoves a bucket and rag into my hands. "Start with the windows," she says before she begins to walk away. "Wait!" I call after her, having an awkward panic attack. Tracy turns and gives me an annoyed look. "What?" "I am not an Omega," I say quickly, “I think there has been some sort of misunderstanding...” "You are the new Luna of this pack," Tracy snaps back at me. I le
Liz POV My eyes feel heavy as I try to open them, and a subtle beeping noise is in the background. I squint against the harsh light of the bright white room, trying to make my eyes come into focus. I open my mouth to yawn, and a pain shoots through my jaw. I raise my hand to touch my face, and I realize it is swollen and painful to the touch. The blurriness in my eyes subsides, and the world comes into view. I am in a bright white room with wires and tubes connected to my arms, chest, and legs. Gingerly, I try to sit up in the bed, but a strong hand lays me back down. “It is nice to see you awake, Luna,” a soft voice says to me. I look to my right and see a doctor standing beside the machine, watching my vitals. “Where am I?” I ask stupidly. “You are in the hospital,” the doctor says with a kind smile. “Alpha Deimos got you here just in time.” I try to shake the fuzziness from my brain. I thought I just heard the doctor say Deimos brought me to the hospital.
Liz POV I sit in the hospital bed and shake fearfully. I don’t know what to say. Deimos is right; I did betray him, and there is no sense in trying to deny it. I open my mouth several times to speak, but nothing comes out. “Get dressed,” Deimos’s growl fills the silence between us. “You are being discharged.” Deimos tosses me a bag of clothes, and I am touched that he remembered I would need clean clothes to go home in. I patiently wait for Deimos to leave the hospital room so I can change. Instead, he draws the curtain and waits with his arms crossed over his chest. “Change,” he commands me. I can feel his Alpha Aura wash over me, but it doesn’t have the desired effect. “I would like some privacy,” I try to sound confident. “I have already seen you naked,” Deimos laughs. “Or have you already forgotten?” Memories of the shower flash through my mind, and my face heats. “I have not forgotten. But I would still like some privacy.” “And if I don’t?” Deimos gro